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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bennington Man Sentenced to 50 Months for Possessing Bomb

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 24, 2025, Tyler Hayes, 43, of Bennington, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph LaPlante to a term of 50 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Hayes was previously convicted by a jury on February 13, 2025, of unlawfully possessing an unregistered bomb and possessing a bomb as an unlawful drug user after a 5-day trial.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, a bomb was discovered in Hayes’s former Bennington residence days after he abandoned the property in February of 2023. The property manager contacted law enforcement, who defused the bomb. Witnesses at trial described how Hayes had been discussing and constructing bombs for months, and had offered to trade a bomb for fentanyl. Other witnesses described Hayes making admissions after the bomb was discovered, including that he was “on the run” after a bomb had been found at his residence. An explosives expert from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives testified that, although the homemade bomb was rudimentary and simplistic (constructed from a combination of a pipe bomb and flammable liquids stored in plastic water bottles), it was nonetheless capable of causing substantial destruction and injury had it been detonated.

    The jury convicted Hayes of possessing an unregistered destructive device, in violation of the National Firearms Act (“NFA”), and of possessing a destructive device while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, in violation of the Gun Control Act (“GCA”). Hayes faced up to 10 years in prison on the NFA violation, and up to 15 years on the GCA violation.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and the Bennington Police Department.  

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corinne Smith and Nicole Cate. Hayes was represented by James Valente, Esq., and Chandler Matson, Esq.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: American Rebel Returns to Country Stampede Music Festival as Official Beer Sponsor, Celebrating Explosive Growth and Patriotic Momentum

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NASHVILLE, TN, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) (“American Rebel” or the “Company”), creator of American Rebel Beer (americanrebelbeer.com) and a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of branded safes, personal security and self-defense products and apparel, proudly announces its return as the official beer sponsor of the 2025 Country Stampede Music Festival (CountryStampede.com), held June 26–28 at the Azura Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, Kansas.

    As part of the sponsorship, American Rebel Light Beer will once again take center stage in the American Rebel Party Pit, where fans will enjoy cold beer, unforgettable performances, and a celebration of American values. Jumbotron commercials will run multiple times each day during the three-day festival which features a powerhouse lineup of country music’s biggest stars and rising talent. Festival attendees can expect immersive brand experiences including exclusive meet-and-greet passes, branded merchandise, and high-visibility signage throughout the venue. The American Rebel Party Pit will serve as the ultimate destination for fans to raise a can and celebrate freedom.

    “Returning to Country Stampede is more than a sponsorship, it’s a celebration of who we are and who we serve,” said Andy Ross, CEO of American Rebel Holdings. “Over the past year, we’ve seen tremendous growth and events like Country Stampede and our growing presence in motorsports and music are helping us bring American Rebel Light Beer to patriots who love this country, love great music, and love great beer. We’ve recently been the title sponsor for the American Rebel Light 4-Wide NHRA Nationals at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond. Some say we’re the fastest growing beer in US history, we just say it tastes like freedom.”

    Country Stampede 2025 Full Lineup:

    Thursday, June 26

    • Eric Church (replacing Luke Bryan due to illness)
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Drew Baldridge
    • Rowdy Decker

    Friday, June 27

    • Miranda Lambert
    • Dylan Scott
    • RaeLynn
    • Alli Walker
    • Dallas Pryor

    Saturday, June 28

    • Cole Swindell
    • Shenandoah
    • Larry Fleet
    • Casi Joy
    • Outlaw Apostles

    American Rebel’s momentum has been fueled by a surge in e-commerce activity, a national advertising campaign, and a reported $11.4 million in revenue for 2024. The Company continues to expand its footprint across the lifestyle, beverage, and digital commerce sectors, with American Rebel Light Beer now available for direct-to-consumer shipping in over 40 states. American Rebel Light Beer has opened up physical distribution in 13 states including Tennessee, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana and Virginia. Events like the Country Stampede Music Festival raise the visibility of American Rebel Light Beer and create demand from potential distributors, retailers and customers. American Rebel Beer’s distributor for the state of Kansas is Standard Beverage (StandardBeverage.com)

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) operates as a consumer brand company rooted in American values, offering American Rebel Light Beer and related merchandise across a growing national footprint. America’s Patriotic Brand™ continues to gain traction across the lifestyle, beverage, and digital commerce sectors.

    American Rebel Beer Shipping Now to 40+ States

    American Rebel Light Beer is available for home delivery in the following states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NC, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY

    A free shipping promotion, available through Monday, June 30, allows customers to stock up ahead of Independence Day. American Rebel encourages fans to order directly at shop.americanrebelbeer.com and celebrate freedom with every sip.

    About American Rebel Light Beer

    American Rebel Light is more than just a beer – it’s a celebration of freedom, passion, and quality. Brewed with care and precision, our light beer delivers a refreshing taste that’s perfect for every occasion.

    Since its launch in September 2024, American Rebel Light Beer has rolled out in Tennessee, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana and now Virginia and is adding new distributors and territories regularly. For more information about the launch events and the availability of American Rebel Beer, please visit americanrebelbeer.com or follow us on our social media platforms (@americanrebelbeer).

    American Rebel Light is a Premium Domestic Light Lager Beer – All Natural, Crisp, Clean and Bold Taste with a Lighter Feel. With approximately 100 calories, 3.2 carbohydrates, and 4.3% alcoholic content per 12 oz serving, American Rebel Light Beer delivers a lighter option for those who love great beer but prefer a more balanced lifestyle. It’s all natural with no added supplements and importantly does not use corn, rice, or other sweeteners typically found in mass produced beers.

    For more information about American Rebel Light Beer follow us on social media @AmericanRebelBeer.

    For more information, visit americanrebelbeer.com.

    About American Rebel Holdings, Inc.

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) has operated primarily as a designer, manufacturer and marketer of branded safes and personal security and self-defense products and has recently transitioned into the beverage industry through the introduction of American Rebel Light Beer. The Company also designs and produces branded apparel and accessories. To learn more, visit americanrebelbeer.com. For investor information, visit americanrebel.com/investor-relations.

    Watch the American Rebel Story as told by our CEO Andy Ross visit The American Rebel Story

    Media Inquiries:
    Matt Sheldon
    Matt@Precisionpr.co
    917-280-7329

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc.
    info@americanrebel.com
    ir@americanrebel.com

    American Rebel Beverages, LLC
    Todd Porter, President
    tporter@americanrebelbeer.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. American Rebel Holdings, Inc., (NASDAQ: AREB; AREBW) (the “Company,” “American Rebel,” “we,” “our” or “us”) desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “forecasts” “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include benefits of our continued sponsorship of high profile events, success and availability of the promotional activities, our ability to effectively execute our business plan, and the Risk Factors contained within our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2025. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: American Rebel Returns to Country Stampede Music Festival as Official Beer Sponsor, Celebrating Explosive Growth and Patriotic Momentum

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NASHVILLE, TN, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) (“American Rebel” or the “Company”), creator of American Rebel Beer (americanrebelbeer.com) and a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of branded safes, personal security and self-defense products and apparel, proudly announces its return as the official beer sponsor of the 2025 Country Stampede Music Festival (CountryStampede.com), held June 26–28 at the Azura Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, Kansas.

    As part of the sponsorship, American Rebel Light Beer will once again take center stage in the American Rebel Party Pit, where fans will enjoy cold beer, unforgettable performances, and a celebration of American values. Jumbotron commercials will run multiple times each day during the three-day festival which features a powerhouse lineup of country music’s biggest stars and rising talent. Festival attendees can expect immersive brand experiences including exclusive meet-and-greet passes, branded merchandise, and high-visibility signage throughout the venue. The American Rebel Party Pit will serve as the ultimate destination for fans to raise a can and celebrate freedom.

    “Returning to Country Stampede is more than a sponsorship, it’s a celebration of who we are and who we serve,” said Andy Ross, CEO of American Rebel Holdings. “Over the past year, we’ve seen tremendous growth and events like Country Stampede and our growing presence in motorsports and music are helping us bring American Rebel Light Beer to patriots who love this country, love great music, and love great beer. We’ve recently been the title sponsor for the American Rebel Light 4-Wide NHRA Nationals at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond. Some say we’re the fastest growing beer in US history, we just say it tastes like freedom.”

    Country Stampede 2025 Full Lineup:

    Thursday, June 26

    • Eric Church (replacing Luke Bryan due to illness)
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Drew Baldridge
    • Rowdy Decker

    Friday, June 27

    • Miranda Lambert
    • Dylan Scott
    • RaeLynn
    • Alli Walker
    • Dallas Pryor

    Saturday, June 28

    • Cole Swindell
    • Shenandoah
    • Larry Fleet
    • Casi Joy
    • Outlaw Apostles

    American Rebel’s momentum has been fueled by a surge in e-commerce activity, a national advertising campaign, and a reported $11.4 million in revenue for 2024. The Company continues to expand its footprint across the lifestyle, beverage, and digital commerce sectors, with American Rebel Light Beer now available for direct-to-consumer shipping in over 40 states. American Rebel Light Beer has opened up physical distribution in 13 states including Tennessee, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana and Virginia. Events like the Country Stampede Music Festival raise the visibility of American Rebel Light Beer and create demand from potential distributors, retailers and customers. American Rebel Beer’s distributor for the state of Kansas is Standard Beverage (StandardBeverage.com)

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) operates as a consumer brand company rooted in American values, offering American Rebel Light Beer and related merchandise across a growing national footprint. America’s Patriotic Brand™ continues to gain traction across the lifestyle, beverage, and digital commerce sectors.

    American Rebel Beer Shipping Now to 40+ States

    American Rebel Light Beer is available for home delivery in the following states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NC, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY

    A free shipping promotion, available through Monday, June 30, allows customers to stock up ahead of Independence Day. American Rebel encourages fans to order directly at shop.americanrebelbeer.com and celebrate freedom with every sip.

    About American Rebel Light Beer

    American Rebel Light is more than just a beer – it’s a celebration of freedom, passion, and quality. Brewed with care and precision, our light beer delivers a refreshing taste that’s perfect for every occasion.

    Since its launch in September 2024, American Rebel Light Beer has rolled out in Tennessee, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana and now Virginia and is adding new distributors and territories regularly. For more information about the launch events and the availability of American Rebel Beer, please visit americanrebelbeer.com or follow us on our social media platforms (@americanrebelbeer).

    American Rebel Light is a Premium Domestic Light Lager Beer – All Natural, Crisp, Clean and Bold Taste with a Lighter Feel. With approximately 100 calories, 3.2 carbohydrates, and 4.3% alcoholic content per 12 oz serving, American Rebel Light Beer delivers a lighter option for those who love great beer but prefer a more balanced lifestyle. It’s all natural with no added supplements and importantly does not use corn, rice, or other sweeteners typically found in mass produced beers.

    For more information about American Rebel Light Beer follow us on social media @AmericanRebelBeer.

    For more information, visit americanrebelbeer.com.

    About American Rebel Holdings, Inc.

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) has operated primarily as a designer, manufacturer and marketer of branded safes and personal security and self-defense products and has recently transitioned into the beverage industry through the introduction of American Rebel Light Beer. The Company also designs and produces branded apparel and accessories. To learn more, visit americanrebelbeer.com. For investor information, visit americanrebel.com/investor-relations.

    Watch the American Rebel Story as told by our CEO Andy Ross visit The American Rebel Story

    Media Inquiries:
    Matt Sheldon
    Matt@Precisionpr.co
    917-280-7329

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc.
    info@americanrebel.com
    ir@americanrebel.com

    American Rebel Beverages, LLC
    Todd Porter, President
    tporter@americanrebelbeer.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. American Rebel Holdings, Inc., (NASDAQ: AREB; AREBW) (the “Company,” “American Rebel,” “we,” “our” or “us”) desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “forecasts” “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include benefits of our continued sponsorship of high profile events, success and availability of the promotional activities, our ability to effectively execute our business plan, and the Risk Factors contained within our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2025. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Emergency Loans for Bad Credit Guaranteed Approval | Same Day Emergency Loans and No Credit Check Options Now Offered by Payday Loans Experts

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Los Angeles, CA, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Payday Loans Experts launches nationwide access to emergency loans for bad credit with guaranteed approval and same-day funding.  In a major effort to expand financial access for consumers across the United States, Payday Loans Experts is proud to announce the official launch of its new platform that connects borrowers with emergency loans for bad credit guaranteed approval. The program features real-time approval decisions, fast disbursement, and a wide range of emergency loans with no traditional credit checks.

    ⇒ Apply for emergency same day loans and receive funds today!

    This powerful new tool is especially valuable for individuals facing unexpected expenses such as car repairs, medical bills, utility disconnections, or rent shortages. With a streamlined process and borrower-first design, the platform helps applicants secure same day emergency loans even with a poor credit history or no credit score at all.

    “Access to emergency funding shouldn’t be limited to those with perfect credit scores,” said a spokesperson for Payday Loans Experts. “Our platform is designed to offer emergency loans no credit check and provide emergency loan bad credit guaranteed approval solutions when people need them most.”

    ⇒ Apply for an emergency loan with no credit check – Fast and secure!

    If you urgently need financial help and have been turned away by traditional lenders, there’s a better way. Secure an emergency loan with bad credit guaranteed approval and take control of your finances today.

    ⇒ Get emergency loans for bad credit with same-day funding!

    What Are Emergency Loans?

    Emergency loans are fast-access personal loans designed to help borrowers address urgent, short-term financial needs. These loans are typically unsecured, meaning they don’t require collateral like a car or house. The funds are often deposited into a borrower’s account within 24 hours — sometimes even the same day.

    The new platform from Payday Loans Experts makes it easy to apply for emergency loans bad credit or emergency loans for bad credit online, eliminating long waits, credit checks, and the stress that often accompanies borrowing money.

    ⇒ Get Emergency loans online – Bad credit OK, no hard checks

    Who Needs Emergency Loans for Bad Credit?

    Millions of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and a single unplanned expense can lead to financial turmoil. Common scenarios that prompt the need for emergency loans include:

    • Sudden car repairs or breakdowns
    • Emergency dental or medical procedures
    • Missed rent or mortgage payments
    • Unexpected travel (e.g., funerals, family care)
    • Utility disconnection notices

    For individuals with subprime or no credit, emergency loans bad credit options offer a critical lifeline. These products allow consumers to bridge gaps without facing rejection from traditional banks.

    ⇒ Apply Now for emergency loan bad credit guaranteed approval!

    Key Features of the New Emergency Loan Platform

    The Payday Loans Experts network delivers on its promise of fast, inclusive financing by offering:

    • Emergency loan bad credit guaranteed approval for qualifying users
    • Loan amounts ranging from $100 to $50,000
    • Instant pre-approval in many cases
    • No hard credit checks or minimum credit score required
    • Flexible repayment terms (weekly, biweekly, or monthly)
    • Paperless applications from desktop or mobile

    Unlike traditional lenders, which often require credit bureau reviews, employment verification, or in-person interviews, this system simplifies the process and prioritizes speed, making it one of the most accessible emergency loans no credit check platforms in 2025.

    ⇒ Secure your emergency loan with no credit check today!

    Why Emergency Same Day Loans Are More Relevant Than Ever in 2025

    With inflation, job instability, and rising healthcare costs, even financially responsible individuals can experience temporary hardship. Unfortunately, banks and credit unions continue to deny loans to applicants with scores below 600.

    That’s where same day emergency loans come in. They offer rapid access to cash without burdensome red tape. According to a 2024 consumer survey:

    • 72% of emergency loan borrowers had credit scores below 580
    • 89% needed funds within 24 hours of applying
    • 64% cited their application experience as “fast and stress-free”

    The demand for emergency loan bad credit solutions is on the rise, and platforms like Payday Loans Experts are stepping in to fill the gap with trusted, secure, and transparent options.

    ⇒ Same day emergency loans – Apply now and get funds fast!

    How to Qualify for an Emergency Loan with Bad Credit

    Most lenders in the Payday Loans Experts network have minimal eligibility criteria. Applicants typically need to:

    • Be 18 years or older
    • Reside in a U.S. state that allows short-term lending
    • Provide proof of income (paystub, benefits statement, freelance earnings)
    • Have a valid government-issued ID
    • Own a checking account in their name

    The best part? There is no minimum credit score required. That’s what makes these products the top choice for people searching for emergency loan bad credit guaranteed approval solutions.

    ⇒ Trusted emergency loans bad credit – No credit check needed!

    Types of Emergency Loans Available

    Depending on your financial needs and timeline, you may be matched with one of the following products:

    Emergency Payday Loans

    These are short-term loans due on your next payday. Great for small, urgent expenses. Fast approval and same-day funding are common.

    Emergency Installment Loans

    Repay over weeks or months with structured, manageable payments. Ideal for larger expenses like medical bills or major car repairs.

    ⇒ Secure emergency loan with same day approval!

    Emergency Loans for Bad Credit

    Specifically designed for individuals with low or no credit scores. These loans rely on your income, not your FICO score.

    Emergency Loans No Credit Check

    Your credit history isn’t pulled. Lenders look at real-time affordability instead. Great for avoiding negative credit inquiries.

    Emergency Same Day Loans

    Need funds today? Apply early and get funds deposited within hours, depending on lender and bank processing times.

    ⇒ Get emergency loan bad credit approval in minutes!

    Pros and Cons of Emergency Loans for Bad Credit

    Pros:

    • Fast approval and funding
    • Minimal documentation
    • Accessible with bad credit or no credit
    • No impact on your credit score
    • Flexible loan types

    Cons:

    • Higher interest rates than traditional loans
    • Shorter repayment windows (for payday options)
    • Limited to borrowers in states that allow emergency lending

    Still, for many, the benefits outweigh the costs, especially when faced with urgent financial emergencies.

    ⇒ Same-day payouts on emergency loans for bad credit

    How to Apply for an Emergency Loan Online

    Step-by-step:

    1. Visit Payday Loans Experts
    2. Click on “Apply Now”
    3. Enter your details: income, location, loan amount
    4. Review available loan offers
    5. Accept terms and submit
    6. Get your money via direct deposit — often within hours

    It’s free to apply, and there’s no obligation to accept any offer. Plus, the entire process is encrypted and secure.

    Why Choose Payday Loans Experts for Emergency Loan Bad Credit Guaranteed Approval?

    • 24/7 online access to lenders
    • Fastest emergency same day loans in the industry
    • Trusted by thousands across the U.S.
    • 100% secure and encrypted application
    • Dedicated support and education resources

    ⇒ Emergency loan for bad credit guaranteed approval – Start here

    Tips for Using Emergency Loans Responsibly

    • Only borrow what you need
    • Use the loan for essential expenses
    • Read all loan terms before accepting
    • Repay on time to avoid fees
    • Consider installment loans for better repayment flexibility

    FAQs About Emergency Loans for Bad Credit

    What are emergency loans, and how do they work?

    Emergency loans are fast, short-term loans designed to help individuals cover urgent expenses such as medical bills, car repairs, or overdue rent. These loans are typically unsecured and processed quickly, often offering same-day or next-day funding. The application process is simple and available online through platforms like Payday Loans Experts.

    Can I get an emergency loan with bad credit?

    Yes, you can. Emergency loans for bad credit are specifically tailored to individuals with poor or limited credit histories. Approval is typically based on your income and ability to repay, not your credit score. Many lenders offer emergency loan bad credit guaranteed approval with flexible repayment options.

    Are there emergency loans with no credit check?

    Absolutely. Many lenders offer emergency loans no credit check, meaning they do not perform a hard inquiry on your credit report. These loans are ideal for borrowers who want to protect their credit score or those who have previously been denied by traditional lenders.

    How fast can I get funding from an emergency loan?

    With emergency same day loans or same day emergency loans, you can often receive funds in your bank account within hours of approval. Applying early in the day and ensuring your information is complete can speed up the process.

    What do I need to qualify for emergency loans for bad credit?

    To qualify for emergency loans bad credit, you typically need to be at least 18 years old, have a steady income, possess a valid government-issued ID, and own a U.S.-based bank account. Credit checks are not always required, especially for emergency loans no credit check options.

    What are the most common uses for emergency loan bad credit options?

    Borrowers often use emergency loans for urgent needs such as medical emergencies, auto repairs, utility disconnection notices, rent shortages, or unexpected travel. These loans help bridge financial gaps when time is critical.

    Will applying for emergency loans hurt my credit score?

    In most cases, no. Since many emergency loans are offered with no credit check, your credit score won’t be affected during the application process. However, if a lender does report repayment activity, missing payments could impact your score.

    Are emergency loans bad credit options available in all U.S. states?

    Emergency loans with bad credit options are widely available, but lending laws vary by state. Payday Loans Experts only partners with lenders legally authorized to operate in your state, ensuring compliance and borrower protection.

    How much can I borrow through an emergency loan for bad credit?

    Loan amounts for emergency loans for bad credit typically range from $100 to $50,000, depending on your income, state laws, and the specific lender. Larger loans may be available through installment options.

    Where can I apply for emergency loans with bad credit and guaranteed approval?

    You can apply online through trusted platforms like Payday Loans Experts. The process is secure, fast, and designed to match you with lenders offering emergency loans bad credit guaranteed approval, even without a credit check.

    About Payday Loans Experts

    Payday Loans Experts is a trusted digital marketplace that connects U.S. consumers with vetted lenders offering emergency loans bad credit, emergency same day loans, and other flexible short-term financial solutions. With a mission to provide fast, fair, and accessible lending options, the platform is redefining what it means to get emergency cash quickly and responsibly.

    Media Contact

    Media Contact

    Company: Payday Loans Experts

    Contact Person: Shirley E. Ruano

    Email: support@payday-loans-experts.com

    Address: 4001 S Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89103, USA

    URL: https://payday-loans-experts.com/

    Phone: +1 302-593-1369

    Disclaimer & Affiliate Disclosure
    This article is intended for informational and commercial purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice, legal counsel, or an endorsement of any particular loan provider. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the information presented, neither the author nor any affiliated third parties guarantee its completeness, accuracy, or timeliness. Readers are strongly advised to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor, legal professional, or other appropriate expert before making any financial decisions.
    Please note that the products and services referenced herein—including personal loans and payday lending platforms—may not be suitable for everyone. Loan terms, eligibility criteria, and interest rates differ by lender and jurisdiction. Loan approval is not guaranteed, and is subject to each lender’s verification process, which may include evaluation of location, identity, income, creditworthiness, and regulatory compliance.
    This content may include affiliate links. If you press on one of these links and proceed to apply for or purchase a product or service, the publisher and its partners may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This has no impact on editorial content, integrity, or recommendations provided. All opinions expressed are general in nature and do not necessarily reflect the views of any specific lender unless otherwise stated.
    By accessing or interacting with this content, you acknowledge and agree that the publisher, content creators, affiliates, distribution partners, and third-party networks bear no responsibility for inaccuracies, omissions, outdated information, or any losses—financial or otherwise—arising from your use of the information provided. This includes but is not limited to declined applications, financial disputes, or loan contract issues with lenders.
    References to companies such as “Payday Loans Experts” are made for informational comparison only and do not imply endorsement, affiliation, or legal partnership. For questions or concerns regarding a particular product or service, please contact the respective provider directly using their official contact information.
    All trademarks, service marks, and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Emergency Loans for Bad Credit Guaranteed Approval | Same Day Emergency Loans and No Credit Check Options Now Offered by Payday Loans Experts

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Los Angeles, CA, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Payday Loans Experts launches nationwide access to emergency loans for bad credit with guaranteed approval and same-day funding.  In a major effort to expand financial access for consumers across the United States, Payday Loans Experts is proud to announce the official launch of its new platform that connects borrowers with emergency loans for bad credit guaranteed approval. The program features real-time approval decisions, fast disbursement, and a wide range of emergency loans with no traditional credit checks.

    ⇒ Apply for emergency same day loans and receive funds today!

    This powerful new tool is especially valuable for individuals facing unexpected expenses such as car repairs, medical bills, utility disconnections, or rent shortages. With a streamlined process and borrower-first design, the platform helps applicants secure same day emergency loans even with a poor credit history or no credit score at all.

    “Access to emergency funding shouldn’t be limited to those with perfect credit scores,” said a spokesperson for Payday Loans Experts. “Our platform is designed to offer emergency loans no credit check and provide emergency loan bad credit guaranteed approval solutions when people need them most.”

    ⇒ Apply for an emergency loan with no credit check – Fast and secure!

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    What Are Emergency Loans?

    Emergency loans are fast-access personal loans designed to help borrowers address urgent, short-term financial needs. These loans are typically unsecured, meaning they don’t require collateral like a car or house. The funds are often deposited into a borrower’s account within 24 hours — sometimes even the same day.

    The new platform from Payday Loans Experts makes it easy to apply for emergency loans bad credit or emergency loans for bad credit online, eliminating long waits, credit checks, and the stress that often accompanies borrowing money.

    ⇒ Get Emergency loans online – Bad credit OK, no hard checks

    Who Needs Emergency Loans for Bad Credit?

    Millions of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and a single unplanned expense can lead to financial turmoil. Common scenarios that prompt the need for emergency loans include:

    • Sudden car repairs or breakdowns
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    For individuals with subprime or no credit, emergency loans bad credit options offer a critical lifeline. These products allow consumers to bridge gaps without facing rejection from traditional banks.

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    Key Features of the New Emergency Loan Platform

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    ⇒ Secure your emergency loan with no credit check today!

    Why Emergency Same Day Loans Are More Relevant Than Ever in 2025

    With inflation, job instability, and rising healthcare costs, even financially responsible individuals can experience temporary hardship. Unfortunately, banks and credit unions continue to deny loans to applicants with scores below 600.

    That’s where same day emergency loans come in. They offer rapid access to cash without burdensome red tape. According to a 2024 consumer survey:

    • 72% of emergency loan borrowers had credit scores below 580
    • 89% needed funds within 24 hours of applying
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    The demand for emergency loan bad credit solutions is on the rise, and platforms like Payday Loans Experts are stepping in to fill the gap with trusted, secure, and transparent options.

    ⇒ Same day emergency loans – Apply now and get funds fast!

    How to Qualify for an Emergency Loan with Bad Credit

    Most lenders in the Payday Loans Experts network have minimal eligibility criteria. Applicants typically need to:

    • Be 18 years or older
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    • Provide proof of income (paystub, benefits statement, freelance earnings)
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    The best part? There is no minimum credit score required. That’s what makes these products the top choice for people searching for emergency loan bad credit guaranteed approval solutions.

    ⇒ Trusted emergency loans bad credit – No credit check needed!

    Types of Emergency Loans Available

    Depending on your financial needs and timeline, you may be matched with one of the following products:

    Emergency Payday Loans

    These are short-term loans due on your next payday. Great for small, urgent expenses. Fast approval and same-day funding are common.

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    Emergency Loans for Bad Credit

    Specifically designed for individuals with low or no credit scores. These loans rely on your income, not your FICO score.

    Emergency Loans No Credit Check

    Your credit history isn’t pulled. Lenders look at real-time affordability instead. Great for avoiding negative credit inquiries.

    Emergency Same Day Loans

    Need funds today? Apply early and get funds deposited within hours, depending on lender and bank processing times.

    ⇒ Get emergency loan bad credit approval in minutes!

    Pros and Cons of Emergency Loans for Bad Credit

    Pros:

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    • Minimal documentation
    • Accessible with bad credit or no credit
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    • Flexible loan types

    Cons:

    • Higher interest rates than traditional loans
    • Shorter repayment windows (for payday options)
    • Limited to borrowers in states that allow emergency lending

    Still, for many, the benefits outweigh the costs, especially when faced with urgent financial emergencies.

    ⇒ Same-day payouts on emergency loans for bad credit

    How to Apply for an Emergency Loan Online

    Step-by-step:

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    It’s free to apply, and there’s no obligation to accept any offer. Plus, the entire process is encrypted and secure.

    Why Choose Payday Loans Experts for Emergency Loan Bad Credit Guaranteed Approval?

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    ⇒ Emergency loan for bad credit guaranteed approval – Start here

    Tips for Using Emergency Loans Responsibly

    • Only borrow what you need
    • Use the loan for essential expenses
    • Read all loan terms before accepting
    • Repay on time to avoid fees
    • Consider installment loans for better repayment flexibility

    FAQs About Emergency Loans for Bad Credit

    What are emergency loans, and how do they work?

    Emergency loans are fast, short-term loans designed to help individuals cover urgent expenses such as medical bills, car repairs, or overdue rent. These loans are typically unsecured and processed quickly, often offering same-day or next-day funding. The application process is simple and available online through platforms like Payday Loans Experts.

    Can I get an emergency loan with bad credit?

    Yes, you can. Emergency loans for bad credit are specifically tailored to individuals with poor or limited credit histories. Approval is typically based on your income and ability to repay, not your credit score. Many lenders offer emergency loan bad credit guaranteed approval with flexible repayment options.

    Are there emergency loans with no credit check?

    Absolutely. Many lenders offer emergency loans no credit check, meaning they do not perform a hard inquiry on your credit report. These loans are ideal for borrowers who want to protect their credit score or those who have previously been denied by traditional lenders.

    How fast can I get funding from an emergency loan?

    With emergency same day loans or same day emergency loans, you can often receive funds in your bank account within hours of approval. Applying early in the day and ensuring your information is complete can speed up the process.

    What do I need to qualify for emergency loans for bad credit?

    To qualify for emergency loans bad credit, you typically need to be at least 18 years old, have a steady income, possess a valid government-issued ID, and own a U.S.-based bank account. Credit checks are not always required, especially for emergency loans no credit check options.

    What are the most common uses for emergency loan bad credit options?

    Borrowers often use emergency loans for urgent needs such as medical emergencies, auto repairs, utility disconnection notices, rent shortages, or unexpected travel. These loans help bridge financial gaps when time is critical.

    Will applying for emergency loans hurt my credit score?

    In most cases, no. Since many emergency loans are offered with no credit check, your credit score won’t be affected during the application process. However, if a lender does report repayment activity, missing payments could impact your score.

    Are emergency loans bad credit options available in all U.S. states?

    Emergency loans with bad credit options are widely available, but lending laws vary by state. Payday Loans Experts only partners with lenders legally authorized to operate in your state, ensuring compliance and borrower protection.

    How much can I borrow through an emergency loan for bad credit?

    Loan amounts for emergency loans for bad credit typically range from $100 to $50,000, depending on your income, state laws, and the specific lender. Larger loans may be available through installment options.

    Where can I apply for emergency loans with bad credit and guaranteed approval?

    You can apply online through trusted platforms like Payday Loans Experts. The process is secure, fast, and designed to match you with lenders offering emergency loans bad credit guaranteed approval, even without a credit check.

    About Payday Loans Experts

    Payday Loans Experts is a trusted digital marketplace that connects U.S. consumers with vetted lenders offering emergency loans bad credit, emergency same day loans, and other flexible short-term financial solutions. With a mission to provide fast, fair, and accessible lending options, the platform is redefining what it means to get emergency cash quickly and responsibly.

    Media Contact

    Media Contact

    Company: Payday Loans Experts

    Contact Person: Shirley E. Ruano

    Email: support@payday-loans-experts.com

    Address: 4001 S Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89103, USA

    URL: https://payday-loans-experts.com/

    Phone: +1 302-593-1369

    Disclaimer & Affiliate Disclosure
    This article is intended for informational and commercial purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice, legal counsel, or an endorsement of any particular loan provider. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the information presented, neither the author nor any affiliated third parties guarantee its completeness, accuracy, or timeliness. Readers are strongly advised to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor, legal professional, or other appropriate expert before making any financial decisions.
    Please note that the products and services referenced herein—including personal loans and payday lending platforms—may not be suitable for everyone. Loan terms, eligibility criteria, and interest rates differ by lender and jurisdiction. Loan approval is not guaranteed, and is subject to each lender’s verification process, which may include evaluation of location, identity, income, creditworthiness, and regulatory compliance.
    This content may include affiliate links. If you press on one of these links and proceed to apply for or purchase a product or service, the publisher and its partners may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This has no impact on editorial content, integrity, or recommendations provided. All opinions expressed are general in nature and do not necessarily reflect the views of any specific lender unless otherwise stated.
    By accessing or interacting with this content, you acknowledge and agree that the publisher, content creators, affiliates, distribution partners, and third-party networks bear no responsibility for inaccuracies, omissions, outdated information, or any losses—financial or otherwise—arising from your use of the information provided. This includes but is not limited to declined applications, financial disputes, or loan contract issues with lenders.
    References to companies such as “Payday Loans Experts” are made for informational comparison only and do not imply endorsement, affiliation, or legal partnership. For questions or concerns regarding a particular product or service, please contact the respective provider directly using their official contact information.
    All trademarks, service marks, and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Impact of illegal immigration on housing and urban centres in the EU – E-002475/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002475/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE)

    In addition to surging crime rates, the ghettoisation of urban centres and social unrest, the uncontrolled influx of illegal immigrants on the European continent has led to a serious lack of available housing, and thus skyrocketing rental prices. Will the Commission therefore answer the following:

    • 1.What data does it have on the correlation between the increase in the number of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers and the availability of housing in the EU cities where concentrations thereof have been observed?
    • 2.What measures has it taken to support Member States and cities in which the housing problem has demonstrably worsened as a direct consequence of illegal immigration?
    • 3.Does it intend to propose financial instruments aimed at relieving urban centres that shoulder a disproportionate burden due to the concentration of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers, in order to ensure social cohesion and affordable housing for European citizens?

    Submitted: 18.6.2025

    Last updated: 26 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – EU funding of physical barriers to secure the external borders – P-001246/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Member States have not applied for EU funding for physical barriers for the purpose of securing the EU external borders under the Instrument for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI) in the 2021-2027 programming period[1].

    The BMVI contributes, among others, to the specific objective of supporting effective European integrated border management at the external borders by facilitating legitimate border crossings, preventing and detecting illegal immigration and cross-border crime and effectively managing migratory flows.

    The BMVI funds actions to improve border controls and border surveillance capabilities, including border surveillance systems and equipment, information technology systems, mobile and stationary units as well as the maintenance of equipment[2].

    • [1] Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing, as part of the Integrated Border Management Fund, the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy, OJ L 251, 15.7.2021, p. 48-93, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1148/oj.
    • [2] Information on funding to the Member States for border management at the EU’s external borders is available in the Commission webpage: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/funding_en.
    Last updated: 26 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Housing Challenge partnership makes positive strides

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    At today’s meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June 2025), Members received a progress report on the partnership approach and important successes since declaring a Highland Housing Challenge in November 2023. 

    Since establishing the ambitious Highland Housing Challenge, important successes included:  

    • A call for sites delivered 250 sites, with a potential 25,000 housing units which will support delivery against the target of an additional 12,000 houses over the next 10 years. 

    The solutions to addressing the Housing Challenge are complex and interdependent. It has been identified that actions are required across three critical areas: –  

    • Increasing finance – different sources and models for finance are required beyond the current planned building programme. It needs to maximise funds derived from investment to the area, increasing the affordable housing programme and seek solutions to addressing the exceptionally high costs of building in some rural parts of Highland.  

    • Increasing developer capacity – this includes building confidence within the existing development sector, attracting new partners and types of building to the area and addressing the challenges to build eg grid capacity.  

    Housing & Property Committee Chair, Cllr Glynis Cambell Sinclair said: “Housing is a crucial issue in the Highlands, and we will continue to work and develop partnerships with stakeholders, landowners and developers to secure our target of 24,000 new builds over the next ten years. 

    “There is huge potential for investment in the area. Across the Highlands and Islands as a whole, the potential investment pipeline is estimated to be over £100bn, supporting over 114,000 jobs in construction and a further 18,000 operational and maintenance jobs by 2040. 41% of the investment is estimated to take place in Highland. 

    “With opportunity comes challenges. We recognise the complexities, and we need to work together to secure the best outcome for the Highlands. Increasing housing is the catalyst for economic growth, employment opportunities, regeneration of our town centres and rural villages and to assist in reversing depopulation.  

    “A key feature of the Action Plan is engagement with the Scottish Government, to address significant obstacles to progressing development. The Scottish Government have been extremely supportive of the Highland approach, as evidenced in the attendance and comments from the Deputy First Minister and Housing Minister at the Highland Housing Challenge Summit held in late 2024 in Aviemore and our more recent Seminar in Inverness.  As we move forward, we do so with optimism and excitement about collectively delivering more homes in Highland.” 

    The full report can be found here (Item 7).

    26 Jun 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Councillors endorse partnership commitment for new North Coast Care Facility

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Highland Councillors have restated their commitment to a partnership between the Council, NHS Highland and WildLand to see a new North Coast Care Facility developed in Tongue in Sutherland at today’s meeting of The Highland Council.

    The development which compliments WildLand’s creation of new housing in the area is underpinned by the Council’s partnership with NHS Highland, who have developed a full business case for a future health and care facility in Tongue.

    At the meeting in Council headquarters today Members agreed that the partnership with WildLand remains the most economically advantageous option for the delivery of the North Coast Care Facility; and agreed that The Highland Council will complete a legal agreement with WildLand and NHS Highland to formalise their joint commitment to the project.

    Chair of Highland Council’s Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee, Cllr David Fraser said: “A lot of work has been done over recent years to bring us to this point where Council can confirm and restate its agreement to progress this project.  I would like to pay tribute to current and previous local members and community representatives for their unwavering commitment to seeing this project through to this point and beyond.

    “With partners, this development aligns well with the Council’s work in relation to establishing Community Points of Delivery (PODs) which are part of the Council’s Highland Investment Plan.

    “I am very pleased that the decisions made today bring us closer to providing much needed health and social care facilities and new housing for the Sutherland communities.”

    David Park, NHS Highland’s Deputy Chief Executive said: “We welcome the agreed commitment by The Highland Council and we will continue to work together and with the local community members to progress this important integrated redesign of local care services.”

    Tim Kirkwood, Chief Executive of WildLand Limited, said “With the unstinting backing of our founders Anne and Anders Holch Povlsen, our team at WildLand has been committed to this for a number years and welcome the decision made by The Highland Council, a significant milestone in a vital project for the North Coast.  We look forward to concluding the legal agreements in the near future with an aim to breaking ground next year.”

    26 Jun 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City Service to continue as Council’s In-House Bus Team steps in

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Pictured with the bus that will be delivering the new service are Ward Councillors Ian Brown, Alasdair Christie, Jackie Hendry and Andrew MacKintosh

    The Highland Council’s In-house Bus team are gearing up to take over a key Inverness bus route, ensuring regular passengers and visitors to the city are not left without a service.

    The move follows the announcement from Stagecoach that their 4 and 7 services will be withdrawn from Monday 7 July.

    The new number 7 service provided by The Highland Council branded buses will start on Friday 4 July to coincide with the start of the school holidays.  It will operate Monday to Saturday and take passengers from the Holm Dell and Culduthel areas to Inverness City Centre.

    The route will commence at Bridge St (Gellions) and serve Drummond Road, Broom Drive, Drumdevan Road, Morven Road, Stratherrick Road and Holm Dell Drive before returning via the same route terminating at Castle Street.

    Chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “I’m delighted that our In-house bus team has been able to react so quickly and positively to the news that Stagecoach are withdrawing their service that connects the Holm Dell and Culduthel communities with the city centre. Having reliable bus services to take passengers into the city centre is vital in order to help those who rely on buses to get around and to encourage more people to use public transport.

    “When we set up our In-House bus service, we said one of its strengths would be the ability to be flexible and to react to customer demands, so I look forward to seeing our branded buses covering the route.”

    All updated timetables can be found on the Council’s website.

    26 Jun 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey, Leader Schumer, Wyden Urge Republicans to Halt Health Care Cuts, Spare Small Businesses from Skyrocketing Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Lawmakers raise concerns with Republican health care and food security cuts
    Letter Text (PDF)
    Washington (June 26, 2025) – Small Business Committee Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today wrote to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) with concerns that the proposed cuts in the Republican budget reconciliation bill to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or allowing the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits to expire for 3 million small businesses, including more than 34,000 Massachusetts small businesses, would be a disaster for families and small businesses across the country.
    More than 40 percent of small business owners surveyed by Small Business For America’s Future (SBAF) are concerned that health care cuts would make it harder to compete with large companies, hurt local economies, and result in higher employee turnover and lower productivity. Small business owners are working entrepreneurs who fuel local economies and create jobs. Gutting these lifelines to give more tax breaks to billionaires is an insult to the workers and business owners who keep our communities going.
    The lawmakers write, “It is no surprise that small business owners across the country do not support Republicans’ health care and nutrition cuts: 7 in 10 small business owners oppose cutting healthcare programs while extending tax breaks for the wealthy. As a small business owner in Pennsylvania stated, ‘These cuts don’t solve problems – they shift costs from government programs onto the businesses least able to absorb them, all while extending tax breaks for corporations that already pay lower effective rates than the corner store.’ Small businesses succeed when their owners and employees are healthy, secure, and financially stable. Policies that strip away basic support systems in favor of giveaways for the ultra-wealthy don’t just hurt families, they stifle entrepreneurship and economic growth. The Senate reconciliation bill should recognize this and support America’s small business owners and employees. If this bill is enacted, small businesses would lose while big corporations and the ultra-wealthy win.”
    “Small businesses cannot afford to be shut out of access to affordable healthcare. Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, and enhanced ACA premium tax credits are lifelines for small business owners, their families, and their workers. If Republicans gut these programs or allow them to expire, health care costs for small businesses and their families will skyrocket, employees will lose coverage, and entrepreneurs will be stifled,” said Senator Markey. “We must expand access to health coverage for all, especially small businesses.”
    “The GOP plan will destroy Main Street just to give more tax cuts to Wall Street. Republicans’ healthcare cuts will cripple the ability of small businesses to provide affordable health insurance for their employees and raise costs to make it even harder for small businesses to stay afloat, especially when so many are already being crushed by the higher prices of Trump’s tariffs,” said Leader Schumer. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of this country and the staggering healthcare cuts could cause Main Street businesses to shutter in every corner of the country. Republicans are dead set on continuing their billionaire tax giveaway, but Senate Democrats will not stop fighting to expose the cruelty at the heart of this legislation.”
    “The Republican prescription to cut lifeline health care programs will clobber small businesses making every ounce of effort to keep their lights on,” said Senator Wyden. “I’ve heard firsthand from Oregonians in red and blue communities alike that losing health care coverage will mean one more extra cost that’s hard to afford. As ranking member of the Finance Committee, I am fighting tooth and nail so working families in Oregon and across our country have the coverage they need to put food on the table and care for their loved ones.”
    “We can’t compete with the benefits that large companies offer, and losing good employees because they need healthcare elsewhere would crush us. Small businesses are the heart of our communities—we deserve better than being forced to choose between our workers and our survival,” said Shaundell Newsome, Co-chair of Small Business for America’s Future and owner of Sumnu Marketing, Las Vegas, Nevada.
    “The only reason my three sons have healthcare is Medicaid. It’s literally our lifeline. Now Congress wants to gut these programs to pay for tax cuts for wealthy corporations. The proposed work requirements? They’re a disaster waiting to happen for businesses like mine,” said Dr. Alexia McClerkin, Owner of The Wellness Doc, Houston, Texas.
    “Instead of cutting programs that Main Street depends on, we need policies that help small businesses provide health plan options, support expanding the ACA premium tax credits or quite simply protect Medicaid. Taking away Medicaid will create a snowball effect of other resources such as affordable housing and most recently, the snatching of grant funding opportunities that supported my Tutoring School with a Clean ‘INNERGY’ Program,” said Dr. Latoya Parker, Owner of INNERGY Educational Consulting Company, Fayetteville, North Carolina.
    “What’s particularly frustrating is that we’re talking about cutting programs that work to fund tax breaks for large corporations that are already our competitors for talent and contracts. These big companies have advantages we simply can’t match. Cutting healthcare programs just widens that gap,” said Doug Scheffel, President of ETM Manufacturing, Littleton, Massachusetts.
    “The enhanced premium tax credits are an essential tool that helps my employees afford coverage. Without these credits, many of my 35 workers would face an impossible financial situation. But those enhanced premium tax credits expire this year, and HR 1 fails to extend them while cutting other healthcare programs to fund tax breaks for large corporations,” said Walt Rowen, Small Business for America’s Future Co-chair, President of Susquehanna Glass Company, Columbia, Pennsylvania.
    Small businesses owners surveyed by SBAF expressed fears that the Republican tax scam will impact their ability to compete and retain employees, squeeze their bottom lines, and ultimately threaten the survival of their businesses and their access to essential health care. The SBAF survey also found that:
    Over half of small businesses surveyed have owners, employees, or family members who rely on Medicaid, CHIP coverage, or use the ACA premium tax credits.
    A majority of those surveyed stated that small businesses would face financial pressure if health care program cuts were enacted.
    55 percent of surveyed businesses have owners, employees, or families who rely on premium tax credits offered on the ACA Marketplace to afford coverage
    70 percent oppose cutting vital health care programs to pay for tax breaks for wealthy

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters, Slotkin Reintroduce Legislation to Grant Federal Recognition to the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) reintroduced legislation to grant federal recognition to the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians (GRB). In addition to granting federal recognition to the GRB, the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians Restoration Act would make its members eligible for benefits and services provided by the federal government, including tuition, health care, and housing assistance. U.S. Representatives Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03) and John James (R-MI-10) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    “The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians have been rooted in Michigan for generations. I’m proud to stand alongside them to introduce this bill, which would finally give the Tribe the federal recognition they deserve,” said Senator Peters. “This bill would also make critical resources available to Tribal members and help them better protect their lands for future generations.”  
    “The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians have fought for federal recognition for 30 years. They have historic ties to Michigan and treaties dating back to 1795 — but still can’t access the federal programs they’re owed,” said Senator Slotkin. “The State of Michigan recognizes them. The federal government should too. It’s time to honor our promises and deliver the services tribal members were guaranteed.”
    “On behalf of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, I thank Sen. Peters and the delegation members who introduced and co-sponsored this bill, which will provide justice for our tribal members and give them access to resources they deserve and that they have been without for generations,” said Ron Yob, chairman of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians. “After more than three decades of advocacy, we are grateful to Sen. Peters for his leadership and dedication to federal acknowledgement for our tribe.” 
    The GRB is a native sovereign nation with agreements with the federal government dating back to 1795. The GRB originally included 19 bands of Ottawa people who lived along the Grand River and other waterways in Southwest Michigan. Today, most of the GRB’s membership resides in Kent, Muskegon, and Oceana counties. 
    Scholten and James’ House companion legislation is supported by Representatives John Moolenaar (R-MI-02), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI-08), Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), Lisa McClain (R-MI-09), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12) Tim Walberg (R-MI-05), Haley Stevens (D-MI-11).   
    Peters and Slotkin have led efforts to support Tribal communities across Michigan. Earlier this year, the lawmakers introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to settle the longstanding land claims of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) and clear the title of current landowners in the community. The bill – which was advanced by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in March – authorizes federal funds through the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) that may be used by the KBIC for governmental services, economic development, natural resource protection, and land acquisition.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Opening Statement at SAC-D Hearing on FY 26 Budget Request for the Air Force and Space Force

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, convened today’s hearing “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Air Force and Space Force”. Prepared text of his opening statement follows: 
    “I’ll begin by welcoming Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General David Allvin, and Chief of Space Operations, General Chance Saltzman. Thanks to each of you for your decades of service to our nation, and our thanks as well to the airmen and guardians you lead. 
    “This weekend’s successful operations over Iran served as a reminder of the immense skill and professionalism of America’s men and women in uniform: Pilots operating coolly in enemy airspace…Dozens of aircraft and thousands of personnel helping to get them safely over their targets…Massively powerful ordnance delivered with the utmost precision…And all flights returning home safely.
    “The way I see it, there are two key takeaways, here: The first one is the value of allies and partners. Israel’s magnificent military and intelligence operations created the strategic opportunity. In degrading Iran’s air defenses, the Israelis demonstrated how highly competent allies act as force multipliers in the face of common threats. We ought to keep this in mind when we look at Europe and the Indo-Pacific, too. Allies and partners are going to be essential to any big fight, and we should not underestimate their value.
    “Of course, at the end of the day, nobody in the world but the U.S. Air Force can do what you did this weekend. America’s ability to project power globally is unparalleled. And that brings me to the second takeaway: military primacy doesn’t happen overnight. The most sophisticated military in world history is the product of trillions of dollars over decades.
    “Sustaining this military force isn’t cheap. Modernizing it to preserve our military edge is even more expensive. But if we value the lives of our servicemembers…The unprecedented peace we have experienced since World War II…And the fruits of the American-led international order…Then it’s worth every penny and then some.
    “America’s most determined adversaries have studied the capabilities and tactics of our military closely, and have developed advanced radars, sensors, and long-range air defenses to counter precisely the strength we showed last weekend
    “The PRC has been playing a long game to challenge American primacy. By contrast, in crucial ways, we’ve been taking our edge for granted. Chronic underfunding of the national defense has become a habit of consecutive administrations. Unfortunately, the budget we’re here to discuss today is no exception. In fact, the President’s request for FY26 falls well short of meeting the requirements imposed by today’s threat landscape. We simply will not keep pace with the pacing threat of China if we’re not willing to keep pace with inflation.
    “The Air Force needs to modernize its bomber and fighter fleets. It needs new tankers and command and control aircraft. It also needs longer-range and more sophisticated munitions.  And it needs a lot of them.
    “The Space Force needs advanced satellite technologies, resilient communications systems, and enhanced surveillance capabilities, to deter aggression, ensure freedom of maneuver, and maintain uninterrupted space-based support to joint and allied forces back on planet earth. And you can’t do any of it with anemic base budgets. You just can’t.
    “Preserving our military edge and the peace will require sustained and significant increases in defense spending. Not just a one-time infusion. But it’s not just the size of the FY26 request many of us are concerned about. It’s also the structure. The Administration has asked Congress to split the funds for massive procurement efforts like B-21 and Sentinel between the base budget and a one-time reconciliation bill.
    “I struggle to understand how putting programs with broad bipartisan support in a simple-majority reconciliation bill won’t function like a shell game for avoiding making the sort of annual, base-budget investments we begged the last Administration to make. 
    “The need for stable production of aircraft seems to argue for year-on-year funding baked into a base budget. The constrained topline, of course, is forcing services to make artificially tough choices. In your case, let me just say this: We all want to go to space. But let’s be honest about the risks and trade-offs this request is forcing you to make. If the choice you’re facing is between an available, advanced airborne system with onboard battle management and a nascent space capability, you’re going to have to resist the urge to turn proven capabilities like the E-7 into billpayers.
    “There’s value in redundancy. We should be making investments in both airborne and space-based command and control. They say that in space, no one can hear you scream. But squandering our advantage in this critical domain because we can’t find the political will to maintain it? That would mean plenty of screaming here on Earth, with devastating consequences for U.S. military operations on land, air, and sea.
    “I hope we’ll also hear from you about how the Air Force is addressing munitions shortfalls – not just in the massive ordnance penetrators deployed this weekend to great effect, but across the entire spectrum of both offensive and defensive capabilities on which Air Force operations are built. I’ve been hoping to hear from each service how production challenges are being addressed, and the Air Force will be no exception.
    “Speaking of the MOP, I need to address the manufactured controversy over the extent to which the strikes damaged Iran’s nuclear program. We haven’t been briefed on the intelligence, but the political hand-wringing misses an important point: We’ve demonstrated our military superiority. If we want, we can own the skies over Iran. If the Iranians don’t abandon their nuclear program, we can keep bombing them. And Iran’s remaining leaders should take the off-ramp the President has offered them.     
    “Finally, I’ll ask you to explain for us the lessons you’re taking from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. How is the rapid evolution of unmanned systems informing the decisions you make about drone operations, force protection, and interception? And what information are you getting today that you’d lose if America neglected its relationships with force-multiplying allies and partners?
    “I’ll look forward to your testimony on each of these fronts.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Natural hazards don’t disappear when the storm ends or the earthquake stops – they evolve

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Brian J. Yanites, Associate Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science. Professor of Surficial and Sedimentary Geology, Indiana University

    The Carter Lodge hangs precariously over the flood-scoured bank of the Broad River in Chimney Rock Village, N.C., on May 13, 2025, eight months after Hurricane Helene. AP Photo/Allen G. Breed

    Hurricane Helene lasted only a few days in September 2024, but it altered the landscape of the Southeastern U.S. in profound ways that will affect the hazards local residents face far into the future.

    Mudslides buried roads and reshaped river channels. Uprooted trees left soil on hillslopes exposed to the elements. Sediment that washed into rivers changed how water flows through the landscape, leaving some areas more prone to flooding and erosion.

    Helene was a powerful reminder that natural hazards don’t disappear when the skies clear – they evolve.

    These transformations are part of what scientists call cascading hazards. They occur when one natural event alters the landscape in ways that lead to future hazards. A landslide triggered by a storm might clog a river, leading to downstream flooding months or years later. A wildfire can alter the soil and vegetation, setting the stage for debris flows with the next rainstorm.

    Satellite images before (top) and after Hurricane Helene (bottom) show how the storm altered landscape near Pensacola, N.C., in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
    Google Earth, CC BY

    I study these disasters as a geomorphologist. In a new paper in the journal Science, I and a team of scientists from 18 universities and the U.S. Geological Survey explain why hazard models – used to help communities prepare for disasters – can’t just rely on the past. Instead, they need to be nimble enough to forecast how hazards evolve in real time.

    The science behind cascading hazards

    Cascading hazards aren’t random. They emerge from physical processes that operate continuously across the landscape – sediment movement, weathering, erosion. Together, the atmosphere, biosphere and the earth are constantly reshaping the conditions that cause natural disasters.

    For instance, earthquakes fracture rock and shake loose soil. Even if landslides don’t occur during the quake itself, the ground may be weakened, leaving it primed for failure during later rainstorms.

    That’s exactly what happened after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province, China, which led to a surge in debris flows long after the initial seismic event.

    A strong aftershock after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province, China, in May 2008 triggered more landslides in central China.
    AP Photo/Andy Wong

    Earth’s surface retains a “memory” of these events. Sediment disturbed in an earthquake, wildfire or severe storm will move downslope over years or even decades, reshaping the landscape as it goes.

    The 1950 Assam earthquake in India is a striking example: It triggered thousands of landslides. The sediment from these landslides gradually moved through the river system, eventually causing flooding and changing river channels in Bangladesh some 20 years later.

    An intensifying threat in a changing world

    These risks present challenges for everything from emergency planning to home insurance. After repeated wildfire-mudslide combinations in California, some insurers pulled out of the state entirely, citing mounting risks and rising costs among the reasons.

    Cascading hazards are not new, but their impact is intensifying.

    Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires, storms and extreme rainfall. At the same time, urban development continues to expand into steep, hazard-prone terrain, exposing more people and infrastructure to evolving risks.

    The rising risk of interconnected climate disasters like these is overwhelming systems built for isolated events.

    Yet climate change is only part of the equation. Earth processes – such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions – also trigger cascading hazards, often with long-lasting effects.

    Mount St. Helens is a powerful example: More than four decades after its eruption in 1980, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to manage ash and sediment from the eruption to keep it from filling river channels in ways that could increase the flood risk in downstream communities.

    Rethinking risk and building resilience

    Traditionally, insurance companies and disaster managers have estimated hazard risk by looking at past events.

    But when the landscape has changed, the past may no longer be a reliable guide to the future. To address this, computer models based on the physics of how these events work are needed to help forecast hazard evolution in real time, much like weather models update with new atmospheric data.

    A March 2024 landslide in the Oregon Coast Range wiped out trees in its path.
    Brian Yanites, June 2025
    A drone image of the same March 2024 landslide in the Oregon Coast Range shows where it temporarily dammed the river below.
    Brian Yanites, June 2025

    Thanks to advances in Earth observation technology, such as satellite imagery, drone and lidar, which is similar to radar but uses light, scientists can now track how hillslopes, rivers and vegetation change after disasters. These observations can feed into geomorphic models that simulate how loosened sediment moves and where hazards are likely to emerge next.

    Researchers are already coupling weather forecasts with post-wildfire debris flow models. Other models simulate how sediment pulses travel through river networks.

    Cascading hazards reveal that Earth’s surface is not a passive backdrop, but an active, evolving system. Each event reshapes the stage for the next.

    Understanding these connections is critical for building resilience so communities can withstand future storms, earthquakes and the problems created by debris flows. Better forecasts can inform building codes, guide infrastructure design and improve how risk is priced and managed. They can help communities anticipate long-term threats and adapt before the next disaster strikes.

    Most importantly, they challenge everyone to think beyond the immediate aftermath of a disaster – and to recognize the slow, quiet transformations that build toward the next.

    Brian J. Yanites receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

    – ref. Natural hazards don’t disappear when the storm ends or the earthquake stops – they evolve – https://theconversation.com/natural-hazards-dont-disappear-when-the-storm-ends-or-the-earthquake-stops-they-evolve-259502

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Experts Agree: Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Have Been Obliterated

    Source: US Whitehouse

    From nuclear regulators to foreign policy experts to members of the intelligence community, every knowledgeable person is in agreement that President Donald J. Trump obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities.

    International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi: “Given the power of these devices and the technical characteristics of a centrifuge, we already know that these centrifuges are no longer operational, because they are fairly precise machines: there are rotors, and the vibrations [from the bombs] have completely destroyed them.”

    CIA Director John Ratcliffe: “CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes. This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.”

    Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard: “New intelligence confirms what @POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed. If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do. The propaganda media has deployed their usual tactic: selectively release portions of illegally leaked classified intelligence assessments (intentionally leaving out the fact that the assessment was written with “low confidence”) to try to undermine President Trump’s decisive leadership and the brave servicemen and women who flawlessly executed a truly historic mission to keep the American people safe and secure.”

    Former ODNI National Intelligence Manager for Iran Norman Roule: “I am confident that Iran has suffered a catastrophic — catastrophic — blow … and that this has set them back for a very, very long time.”

    Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Philip Breedlove (Ret.): “It went off magnificently … They did it perfectly, so we should have … an expectation that there was significant damage.”

    Institute for Science and International Security President David Albright: “Iran can’t make centrifuges and can’t produce, in a sense, the equivalent of the gas … so their program is severely damaged.”

    President Trump: “Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term! The white structure shown is deeply imbedded into the rock, with even its roof well below ground level, and completely shielded from flame. The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!”

    Israel Atomic Energy Commission: “The devastating US strike on Fordo destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable. We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years. The achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material.”

    IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir: “I can say here that the assessment is that we significantly damaged the nuclear program, and I can also say that we set it back by years, I repeat, years.”

    Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei: “Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure.”

    Vice President JD Vance: “I can say to the American people with great confidence that they are much further away from a nuclear program today than they were 24 hours ago. That was the objective of the mission, to destroy that Fordow nuclear site, and of course, do some damage to the other sites as well, but we feel very confident that the Fordow nuclear site was substantially set back, and that was our goal.”

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: “Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons. Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.”

    Secretary Hegseth: “Given the 30,000 pounds of explosions and the capability of those munitions, it was DEVASTATION underneath Fordow … Any assessment that tells you otherwise is speculating with other motives.”

    Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan “Razin” Caine: “Initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction. More than 125 US aircraft participated in this mission, including B2 stealth bombers, multiple flights of fourth and fifth generation fighters, dozens and dozens of air refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine, and a full array of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as hundreds of maintenance and operational professionals.”

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “The Iranian program — the nuclear program — today looks nothing like it did just a week ago … That story is a false story and it’s one that really shouldn’t be re-reported because it doesn’t accurately reflect what’s happening.”

    Secretary Rubio: “Everything underneath that mountain is in bad shape … There’s no way Iran comes to the table if somehow nothing had happened. This was complete and total obliteration. They are in bad shape. They are way behind today compared to where they were just seven days ago because of what President Trump did.”

    Special Envoy Steve Witkoff: “We put 12 bunker buster bombs on Fordow. There’s no doubt that it breached the canopy, there’s no doubt that it was well within reach of the depth that these bunker buster bombs go to, and there’s no doubt that it was obliterated — so the reporting out there that in some way suggests that we did not achieve the objective is just completely preposterous.”

    Director Gabbard: “The operation was a resounding success. Our missiles were delivered precisely and accurately, obliterating key Iranian capabilities needed to quickly assemble a nuclear weapon.”

    Director General Grossi: “Given the explosive payload utilized, and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred. At the Esfahan nuclear site, additional buildings were hit, with the US confirming their use of cruise missiles. Affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process. Also at this site, entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit. At the Natanz enrichment site, the Fuel Enrichment Plant was hit, with the US confirming that it used ground-penetrating munitions.”

    Mr. Albright: “Overall, Israel’s and U.S. attacks have effectively destroyed Iran’s centrifuge enrichment program. It will be a long time before Iran comes anywhere near the capability it had before the attack.”

    Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program Deputy Director Andrea Stricker: “I think that because of the massive damage and the shock wave that would have been sent by 12 Massive Ordnance Penetrators at the Fordow site, that it likely would render its centrifuges damaged or inoperable.”

    American Enterprise Institute Middle East Portfolio Manager Brian Carter: “There is no question that the bombing campaign ‘badly, badly damaged’ the three sites.”

    Institute for Science and International Security Senior Research Fellow Spencer Faragasso: “Overall, it may possibly take years for Iran to reconstitute the capabilities it lost at these facilities.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: PDAAG Roger P. Alford Delivers Remarks to the International Association of Privacy Professionals

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Good afternoon. I am pleased to be here today. It is an honor to represent the United States and work with the Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater and the amazing attorneys, economists, and staff and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. I also want to thank the IAPP for inviting me to participate in this 2025 Digital Policy Leadership Retreat and Jonathan Zittrain and David Sanger for joining this discussion on such an important and timely topic.

    The world today has indeed become a digital world. Almost every company has some digital presence and almost every product sector is touched by digital platforms. Every day, platforms are connecting users and consumers in new and exciting ways. They are introducing novel commercial relationships with ever sophisticated algorithms. While we welcome these changes, we also recognize that these innovations introduce a range of competition issues. At the Department of Justice, we are watching these developments closely, scrutinizing the competitive implications of digital conduct.

    The topic for my speech today is where we go from here in applying antitrust law and policy in the digital world. I won’t bury the lede. We are heading towards a better future for the American people that maximizes their consumer welfare in digital markets through the vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws. In fact, thanks to recent enforcement efforts, we are already beginning to see that world unfold.

    Many doubted that would ever be possible. When digital markets first emerged, enforcers had for decades been accustomed mostly to smokestack industries. Products rolled off assembly lines with similar features and prices year after year. These things could be measured and scrutinized quantitatively. We came to think that’s all antitrust enforcers should do.

    In contrast, digital markets offered zero price goods, with consumers trading their time and data for services. They were often defined by innovation and dynamism. Those looked like square pegs that didn’t fit the round holes of traditional antitrust analysis.

    We had become so used to smokestack industries that many assumed consumer welfare should always be measured in the prices and outputs of the goods that rolled off the assembly line. Privacy, attention, choice, and innovation were afterthoughts. And so some suggested that there could be no antitrust enforcement in many digital markets because traditional measures of consumer welfare were difficult to apply.

    Others accepted that premise, but pushed for a divorce between antitrust enforcement and the consumer welfare standard. They thought that to adequately protect competition in digital markets, antitrust needed to abandon its core focus on consumer welfare and have an essentially unlimited lens on its mission to include citizen welfare or a nebulous public interest standard.

    We now know that there is a third way. Consumers’ welfare is not merely about the price they pay. Consumers benefit when their privacy is better protected. They pay for digital services in time, attention, and data. Consumer welfare rises when companies innovate, and new technologies disrupt incumbent technologies.

    The answer was not to abandon antitrust in digital markets, or to abandon consumer welfare. The answer was to recognize the many dimensions of the competitive process that maximizes consumer welfare online.

    I’d like to spend my time today talking about how that principle has played out in recent cases and will continue to inform our work in digital markets in the years to come.

    First, our recent successes in protecting consumers from monopoly abuse in digital markets unequivocally demonstrate the continued vitality of the consumer welfare frame in protecting the American people online.

    As many of you are aware, the Department of Justice has been vigorously enforcing the antitrust laws against the exclusionary and unlawful conduct of Big Tech for some time now, going back to the first Trump Administration. The DOJ currently has two large, ongoing litigations against Google in particular.

    These are historic monopolization cases in which the DOJ earned landmark wins in federal district courts in Washington D.C. and Virginia, finding that Google is a serial monopolist — in general search, in search text advertising, and in multiple segments of the ad-tech stack. These rulings recognize that Google has abused its monopoly status by controlling how digital advertisements are placed on the free and open internet.

    The DOJ has proven that Google repeatedly broke the law against monopolization. In response, we have proposed remedies tailored to restore competition and address the competitive harms of Google’s monopoly abuses.[1] In the Google Search case, a decision is expected by the end of the summer, following a three-week remedy hearing this spring. In Google Ad Tech, a remedies hearing is scheduled for early fall. We are hopeful that the federal courts in both cases will issue strong rulings that adopt structural and behavioral remedies to restore competition. Historic monopolization cases call for historic remedies, and our digital freedoms deserve nothing less.

    The Google cases represent a bipartisan consensus in favor of vigorous antitrust enforcement. Beginning in the first Trump Administration, these cases reflect an historic commitment by both Republican and Democratic Administrations and almost every State Attorney General to protect consumers from monopoly abuse.

    Both of these cases were won with evidence presented within a consumer welfare frame, expanded to account for the unique properties of digital markets. We defined consumer welfare broadly to include not only price, but also quality, output, innovation and anything else that impacts consumers. And we recognized that consumer welfare impacts do not always need to involve the kind of quantitative evidence available in a price-focused case, but that qualitative non-price evidence can be equally valuable.

    Judge Mehta’s opinion in Google Search is a great example of the modern approach to addressing all of the determinants of consumer welfare. It mentions privacy 55 times. For example, when assessing the relevant market, it notes how Google compares its privacy to Duck Duck Go.[2] And its overall market definition approach appropriately takes account for the full range of qualitative evidence that bears on defining competition in search. Meanwhile, the Google Ad Tech opinion reminds its readers that the antitrust laws are a “consumer welfare prescription,” and then goes on to examine the many unique attributes of consumer welfare, beyond price and output, in the ad tech markets Google monopolized there.[3]

    While we assess the full range of determinants of consumer welfare, that does not mean our analysis is unlimited. The ultimate question for antitrust law remains economic competition in a relevant market. The law does not permit an untethered overall public interest analysis that asks courts to weigh effects across markets or to include non-competition values.

    For that reason, we consistently reject arguments that we should excuse harm to competition in order to protect a national champion firm on the theory that this will somehow benefit national security. We don’t accept the premise that shielding our businesses from competition somehow makes us stronger. That’s the Chinese and Russian way. The American way of winning the global economic competition is with strong competition in our domestic firms that makes our companies stronger to compete abroad. That premise has served us well for centuries, and we do not intend to abandon it now.

    Let me offer a word of thanks to those who prosecuted these cases. The incredible attorneys, economists, and staff at the Antitrust Division that prosecuted the Google Search case deserve particular mention. Following a ten-week liability trial in 2023 and then a three-week remedies trial in 2025, they outlawyered the other side by presenting strong legal theories in support of critical remedies designed to ensure that our digital spaces will be free and open. No matter what the federal court orders in the remedies phase, the leadership at the Division is incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication of the public servants who have litigated that case.

    As Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater has said, “The Google Search case matters because nothing less than the future of the internet is at stake here. Are we going to give Americans choices and allow innovation and competition to thrive online? Or will we maintain the status quo that favors Big Tech monopolies? If Google’s conduct is not remedied, it will control much of the internet for the next decade and not just in internet search, but in new technologies like artificial intelligence.”[4]

    As for the Google Ad Tech case, the extraordinary attorneys have won a landmark liability ruling and we anticipate that they will present a strong case for robust remedies in the digital ad tech space. As Attorney General Pam Bondi has said, the ruling in the Antitrust Division’s favor in April in that case was “a landmark victory in the ongoing fight to stop Google from monopolizing the digital public square.”  I could not agree more. We are fortunate to have such quality attorneys working to protect the American public.

    Let me now turn to some of our thinking about how we will protect consumer welfare in digital markets in the future. Digital technologies have significant implications for virtually all the monopoly conduct and cartels that the DOJ analyzes today. The DOJ has an obligation to husband our resources to enforce the laws where it matters most, to protect markets that most directly impact the average American, markets such as healthcare, housing, agriculture, education, and insurance. Let me focus on just a few of those digital markets.

    In healthcare, in particular, we have a mandate to use our resources to ensure American markets in health sectors are more competitive, innovative, affordable, and provide higher quality to patients and consumers. For years, we have witnessed consolidation across healthcare leading to higher prices and lower wages for healthcare workers. We see pharmacy benefit managers and brand name monopolies driving up prescription drug prices. Consolidation and roll-ups of physician practices and hospitals often increase health care costs, raising prices for services, and deteriorating patient outcomes. And algorithms and data increase complexity by playing an ever-larger role in health care markets and practices. We are even seeing algorithmic management technologies gaining a foothold in the health care labor sector, one of the largest labor sectors in the country.[5]

    Our recent Las Vegas nursing case is an example of the Department of Justice protecting Americans’ pocketbooks in the health sector. In that case, the Division successfully prosecuted a three-year conspiracy to fix the wages of nurses — capping their wages. As AAG Slater has stated: “Wage-fixing agreements are nakedly unlawful attempts at unjustly profiting off American workers…. The nurses here deserved better, and under President Trump’s leadership, they will be protected.”[6]

    The DOJ is committed to combatting monopoly abuse and collusion in the health care sector. This includes collusion that is accomplished by digital algorithms. Our recent statement of interest in the In re Multiplan Health Insurance Provider Litigation is an example.[7] In that case, competitors used a common pricing algorithm to share confidential information to set prices. Such algorithmic sharing of confidential information on digital platforms should be challenged as a violation of the antitrust laws.

    The DOJ is focused on algorithmic collusion in housing markets as well. The Division is litigating an ongoing case against RealPage and large landlords for algorithmic collusion affecting the rental prices for millions of Americans.[8] In this case, RealPage has introduced a digital platform that made it easier for landlords to coordinate to dramatically increase rental prices for the average American. RealPage and large landlords actively participated in the illegal pricing scheme, setting their rents by using each other’s competitively sensitive information via common pricing algorithms.[9]

    These cases are examples of a growing trend. If we do not take a strong stand now against algorithmic collusion, we will see this new form of price fixing destroying effective competition across a whole range of digital markets.

    And still there is more. Algorithmic collusion is only a subset of the issues that algorithms raise for antitrust enforcement. We can see on the horizon new concerns that will be extremely difficult for enforcers to address using traditional antitrust law. Academic work is already exploring how artificial intelligence can be instructed to profit maximize and learn to set prices in a manner consistent with collusion. We are on the verge of autonomous algorithmic collusion.

    Regardless of the digital sector, we at the DOJ will follow the facts and apply the law in connection with algorithmic pricing and potential collusion. These issues provide an opportunity for our enforcers to engage critically with the practical realities of how complex technologies are affecting Americans’ lives today and in the future. Artificial intelligence holds so much promise, but it also presents unique challenges. Will these technologies empower anticompetitive behavior targeted at unsuspecting digital citizens?  The DOJ must meet this moment and fulfill its mandate to protect competition for the American people.

    Let me conclude with a few thoughts about the Antitrust Division’s agenda with respect to mergers in the digital space.

    When President Trump announced that Gail Slater would lead the Antitrust Division, he reiterated that Big Tech has stifled Little Tech innovation and competition. We are pro Little Tech and welcome Little Tech innovation. We will bring the antitrust laws to bear on Big Tech to answer for their abuses, but we are open and receptive to procompetitive mergers, especially in Little Tech. We want innovative start-ups to see exit opportunities other than acquisitions by the largest, most dominant players, whose acquisition strategies are often driven as much by their desire to entrench their existing power as they are to drive innovation. The enforcers at the DOJ work tirelessly to promote a competitive landscape to ensure that new ideas get funding, so that startups can compete on the merits and disrupt incumbents.

    An embrace of Little Tech recognizes the benefits of venture capital and digital mergers. We want to see venture capital funds flowing to support innovative companies. In healthy, competitive markets, venture capital funds should flow freely.

    During AAG Slater’s tenure at the Division, we will challenge anticompetitive mergers. That is already evident in these early months. But the vast majority of mergers do not raise competition concerns, and those that do often can be resolved through negotiation, settlements, and consent decrees. We are committed to providing clear guidance to merging parties on their proposed transactions, welcoming most mergers and only challenging the problematic ones.

    In conclusion, let me state what an honor it is for me to return to the Antitrust Division and serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General to AAG Slater. As part of the Republican realignment, President Trump and Assistant Attorney General Slater have a clear vision for robust antitrust enforcement over the next four years. Our paramount focus will be to put consumer welfare first, accounting for the wide range of harms and benefits to consumers and workers that can arise in modern markets.

    Yes, competition brings lower prices. But it also brings better quality, improved privacy options, lower advertising loads, greater data portability, more choice, and increased innovations. Competition maximizes consumer welfare by driving businesses to deliver everything consumers want. That makes it the critical tool to protect consumers in our free market system, even in a changing world.

    Thank you. 

    [2] See United States v. Google LLC, 747 F. Supp. 3d 1, 54-55 (D.D.C. 2024).

    [3] See United States v. Google LLC, 23-cv-108, 2025 WL 1132012 (E.D. Va. Apr. 17, 2025) (“Google AdTech”).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Airloom Energy Takes Critical Step for the Future of U.S. Energy Independence, Resilience and Security with New Pilot Site

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LARAMIE, Wyo., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Airloom Energy, the company pioneering low-cost and resilient U.S. energy generation and backed by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, today announced its pilot site groundbreaking near Rock River, Wyoming. At this research and development site, Airloom Energy will build out its first utility-scale turbine, designed to generate more energy at lower cost and increased efficiency amid the U.S.’s prevailing need for energy security and independence.

    According to a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), approximately half of the United States is at risk of energy shortfalls that could cause outages and reduced power supplies by 2035. Combined with surging demand from the increased use of AI and reliance on data centers, global research and advisory firm Gartner predicts 40% of existing facilities around the world will be constrained by access to sufficient power by as soon as 2027. Low-cost, high-efficiency energy is critical for the grid—requiring bold innovation and long-overdue improvements to power system design and deployment.

    “Current energy technologies can’t meet the growing complexity and demand of the next decade,” said Neal Rickner, CEO of Airloom Energy. “With growing electricity needs, we need more flexible systems that can be built quickly, and deployed anywhere at large scale. That’s the only way we’re going to achieve and maintain energy security and independence. Airloom’s proprietary, U.S.-manufactured turbines do just that—replacing bulky, costly models with low-cost compact designs that generate more energy in less space. This groundbreaking marks a key milestone in validating our power curve and achieving essential cost efficiencies for wind energy.”

    Traditional horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs), are increasingly less cost-competitive and difficult to construct. Made in low volumes and at massive scale, this approach has resulted in restricted innovation, limited sites for deployment, and a stagnation in levelized-cost of energy (LCOE).

    Comparatively, Airloom Energy designs a next-generation of turbines that add to the energy mix while yielding substantial cost savings and boosts in efficiency, even without subsidies.

    • High-density architecture at utility scale: Airloom Energy’s modular turbines feature rectangular swept areas instead of traditional circular ones, increasing wind capture and improving energy conversion efficiency—meeting the growing need to generate more power in less space as land use and regulations evolve.
    • Faster deployment at lower cost: Unlike traditional turbines that can take up to five years to deploy, Airloom Energy’s 30-year turbines—built with low-cost, mass-manufacturable components and minimal infrastructure needs—can be installed in under a year, supporting more reliable energy generation through simplified supply chains.
    • Universal deployability, close to home: By using smaller, mass manufacturable parts made in the U.S. to simplify transportation, installation and maintenance, Airloom Energy can deploy its wind turbines at low-wind sites, those with height or viewability restrictions such as airports or military stations, or even in difficult to access mountainous areas or islands that have minimal infrastructure.

    “Breaking ground on a first pilot site is a major inflection point for any wind technology product — Airloom has reached this point with remarkable speed and clarity of purpose,” said Paul Judge, former head of Product Management at GE Onshore Wind and advisory board member for Airloom Energy. “What sets Airloom apart is not only its innovative architecture, but the caliber of the team behind it who understand how to move from concept to scale with tenacity and rigor. This pilot is more than a test site; it’s the beginning of a fundamentally new approach to resilient renewable energy generation: wind energy that’s faster to deploy, land-efficient, and built for the energy challenges ahead.”

    The groundbreaking keeps Airloom on track to complete its pilot site build out ahead of commercial demos beginning in 2027. At this site, Airloom will be installing and testing its proprietary turbine designs to validate its power curve, ensure efficiency of production, refine cost of deployment, and expand maintenance documentation. Beyond standard onshore integration, Airloom Energy will also evaluate future use cases such as defense, disaster relief, and offshore wind energy generation.

    In October 2024, Airloom Energy raised $7.5 million in a seed financing round with participation from Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, WYVC, Crosscut Ventures, WovenEarth Ventures, and others. An additional $5 million in Energy Matching Funds was secured in September 2024 from the State of Wyoming, and a $1.25-million non-dilutive contract from the U.S. Department of Defense in August 2024.

    For more information about Airloom Energy’s wind turbine designs, technical roadmap, or investment opportunities, reach out to info@airloom.energy.

    About Airloom Energy
    Airloom Energy is on a mission to create low-cost, utility-scale, resilient energy generation technology that is simple to manufacture and transport, and can be installed anywhere. Founded and headquartered in Laramie, Wyoming, USA, and led by a world-class team of experts from Boeing, General Electric, Google X, and Deloitte, Airloom is backed by leading investors such as Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, WYVC, Crosscut Ventures, WovenEarth Ventures, and others. For more information, visit the Airloom Energy website at https://www.airloom.energy/, and follow us on LinkedIn.

    Press Contact:
    info@airloom.energy

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ae6b52a6-6fe8-464f-9b9f-d917961658a6

    The MIL Network –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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



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

    And so to Nato

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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



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

    The trouble with Iran

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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



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

    Elon Musk’s geopolitical eye in the sky

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

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

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



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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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



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

    And so to Nato

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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



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

    The trouble with Iran

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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



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

    Elon Musk’s geopolitical eye in the sky

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

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

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



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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis –

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

    US Senate News:

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

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

    Contact: Riley Pingree

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

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

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

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

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

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

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    Source: US State of New York

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Chicken Road Game Expands Its Presence in India with Engaging Casual Gameplay and Real-Time Rewards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Gurugram, Haryana, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    In response to the surging demand for accessible and engaging mobile games across India, the widely played Chicken Road Game has formally announced its expansion within the country. This move comes as the developers aim to reach the core of India’s fast-evolving mobile gaming community by offering a lightweight, intuitive, and entertaining game that is already resonating with casual gamers nationwide.

    >>> Learn More About Chicken Road Game>>>

    As one of the fastest-growing entertainment sectors, India’s mobile gaming market is forecasted to exceed USD 8.6 billion in value by 2027. With over 600 million mobile users, the country offers a fertile ground for innovative digital games that combine fun with engagement. Chicken Road Game aims to meet this opportunity by providing short, skill-based sessions suitable for on-the-go play, whether users are commuting, taking breaks at work, or simply relaxing at home.

    “Our mission has always been to deliver gaming experiences that are not only fun but fair and accessible to all. India’s diversity and digital enthusiasm make it an ideal home for Chicken Road’s next phase of growth,” said a spokesperson from the Chicken Road development team.

    A Game that Blends Simplicity with Strategy

    At its core, Chicken Road is a fast-paced arcade-style mobile game where players guide a cartoon chicken across an obstacle-filled road. The challenge lies in avoiding hazards such as fire traps and navigating shifting paths, all while collecting points. The longer a player survives, the higher the score.

    The gameplay may appear simple on the surface, but as the game progresses, players require quick reflexes and strategic thinking to avoid pitfalls. There’s no need for tutorials or lengthy onboarding — the game’s minimalist controls and clean interface allow players to dive straight into the action.

    Developers emphasize that Chicken Road’s model is skill-based rather than chance-based, aligning with responsible gaming practices that prioritize player choice and interaction.

    Tailored for the Indian Audience

    To better serve the Indian market, the Chicken Road team has introduced several localized features and updates, such as:

    • Multi-language support in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and more.
    • Low-data mode for users on limited mobile internet.
    • Compatibility with budget smartphones, ensuring gameplay remains smooth across devices.
    • In-game notifications aligned with Indian festivals and regional events, creating a culturally relevant experience.

    User data from early testing in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities such as Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Bengaluru reveals high session engagement and return play, especially among users aged 18–35. Notably, the game has attracted users beyond traditional metro hubs, showing strong performance in semi-urban regions.

    Commitment to Fair Play and User Trust

    As digital games face increasing scrutiny over user data, security, and play ethics, the Chicken Road Game platform has proactively taken steps to ensure transparency and user safety. These include:

    • No in-game gambling or betting mechanics
    • No forced ads between sessions
    • Optional session time reminders to promote mindful play
    • In-app reporting and support for technical issues or feedback

    “We believe gaming should be a safe space for everyone,” said the developer’s representative. “That’s why we’ve made it a priority to provide clean, ad-minimized gameplay while putting the player in control.”

    Encouraging Skill, Not Spending

    Unlike many modern mobile games that rely on in-app purchases or randomized rewards, Chicken Road allows players to progress based on gameplay performance. Its non-pay-to-win design ensures that users who build skill over time see greater progression and results.

    This approach also aligns with the increasing call across India for transparent, ethical gaming practices, especially in a mobile ecosystem where young users make up a significant share of players.

    Global Roadmap and Future Outlook

    The development team behind Chicken Road Game has indicated that its expansion into India is part of a broader push across Asia and other emerging digital economies. Plans for future updates include:

    • Leaderboards and friendly competitions
    • Collaborations with local content creators
    • Limited-time seasonal maps inspired by Indian festivals

    Beta versions of these features are currently under testing, and official announcements are expected later this year.

    About Chicken Road Game

    Chicken Road Game is a casual skill-based mobile game developed by a global team of gaming professionals. With a focus on fast gameplay, player-first design, and mobile optimization, the game has gained popularity across multiple countries for its accessible and rewarding user experience. The game does not involve chance mechanics or wagering, making it suitable for a wide audience of casual players.

    Media Contact

    Company Name: Chicken Road
    Address: 673, JMD Building, Gurugram, Haryana
    Website: https://chicken-roadd.com
    Email: sumit@chicken-roadd.com
    Phone: +91-2049157035
    Media Contact: Sumit

    Editorial Disclaimer

    This press release is intended solely for informational purposes and does not serve as a solicitation, financial advice, or commercial endorsement. The features and availability of Chicken Road Game may change over time and vary by region. All user experiences mentioned are based on publicly available feedback and internal performance metrics.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How Israeli and U.S. strikes against Iran were facilitated by the Russia-Ukraine war

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    The American intervention in Iran is being touted as an outstanding success by President Donald Trump. At the very least, Trump’s decision to attack Iran facilitated a ceasefire as it created angst in Gulf states about being caught in the crossfire after Iran symbolically attacked an American air base, Al Udeid, in Qatar.

    The long-term implications and viability of the ceasefire are open for debate.

    If Iran preserved its nuclear stockpile of fissile material, it has more incentive to develop a nuclear weapon, despite the damage Israel and the United States did to its production facilities. This is especially true if the damage to facilities like Fordow was less than Trump is proclaiming.

    Russian-Iranian relations

    While the future of Iran’s nuclear weapons capacity remains unknown, what is clear is that the U.S. and Israel were able to strike at Iran in large part due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

    In the modern era, relations between Russia and Iran have frequently been tense. Russia and the Soviet Union’s interests in the region have provoked several conflicts, most notably during the 1940s when the Soviets encouraged the formation of the People’s Republic of Azerbaijan on Iranian soil.

    The shah of Iran’s close relationship with the U.S. further discouraged a strong relationship between Moscow and Tehran.

    The shah’s fall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, allowed for a working relationship to develop between Iran and Russia. They’re still rivals but nevertheless work together when it suits their best interests. Russian and Iranian co-operation on the Syrian civil war is an example.

    Furthermore, both Iran and Russia have provided diplomatic support for each other. Russia’s insertion into the Iran nuclear deal framework in 2015 benefited both parties. It provided economic benefits to Russia, and it also allowed Iran to develop its nuclear ambitions.

    When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Iran was one of the few countries that didn’t oppose the move. It abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution in March 2022 condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which amounted to tacit support.

    More importantly, Iran’s own success in evading oil sanctions helped Russia do the same, allowing the Russians to maintain their war effort in Ukraine.

    The connections between Russia and Iran, however, goes beyond the political and economic.

    Drones and other weapons

    Iran has played a pivotal role in Russia’s war in Ukraine. One of Ukraine’s initial advantages was in drone technology, including the drone expertise of its allies. The Russian military, which had not fully embraced the implications of drone technology, was at a severe disadvantage.

    Iran, however, had embraced the role of drones in warfare and both provided drones to Russia and helped the Russians develop their own domestic production.

    Iran, at an arms disadvantage against Israel and the U.S., sought to use drones to offset this weakness. The Iranians, in fact, pioneered the use of drones, most notably the Shahed 131 and 136.



    Read more:
    How Russian and Iranian drone strikes further dehumanize warfare

    Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however, the flow of weapons between Russia and Iran was more one-sided. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Iran has been a vital market for Russian military technology. Russian leaders have viewed the sale of weapons to Iran as both a way of supporting the Russian economy and to counter American interests in the Middle East.

    So what’s all this have to do with Ukraine?

    Iran left open to bombardment

    The most crucial weapon provided by Russia to Iran is arguably the S-300, an advanced surface-to-air missile systems.

    Israel’s air dominance and its ability to overcome Iranian air defences in the past meant that the S-300 was a vital piece of technology for Iran. Israeli officials recognized the S-300’s importance to countering their operations when they, for several years, used political pressure to block S-300 sales to Iran.

    In October 2024, Israel likely breached the software that operates the S-300, disabling the system’s radar. This breach allowed Israel to eliminate Iran’s S-300s, and left Iran vulnerable to Israeli and American air attacks.

    Iran has been unable to acquire replacements for one simple reason: Russia needs the weapon systems in Ukraine. Ukraine has prioritized eliminating Russian air defences like the S-300.

    The enduring Ukraine-Russia conflict has served as a bleeding ulcer for the Russian armaments industry. Russian military hardware has been destroyed at such a rate that it’s delayed Russia’s sale of weapons to key markets, including Iran and India.

    The situation has caused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pivot away from Russian military technology — a key feature in Russian-Indian relations — for domestic arms backed by western technology.

    Iran, meantime, has been left open to aerial bombardment by Israel and the U.S.

    Although Iran reportedly possesses the even more advanced S-400, this hasn’t been confirmed and Iran has denied it.

    Ukraine advances U.S. interests

    Rightly or wrongly, the U.S. government identified bombing Iran alongside Israel as being in its national interest. But it’s unlikely American involvement would have been possible without Ukraine draining Russian resources.

    The problem is that the current U.S. administration views the world and its events in an isolated manner. But in a globalized world, few events remain in isolation.

    The U.S. government may argue that supporting Ukraine is not in American interests, but Ukraine’s ongoing fight against Russia is actually assisting Americans elsewhere — most notably, in Iran.

    James Horncastle 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. How Israeli and U.S. strikes against Iran were facilitated by the Russia-Ukraine war – https://theconversation.com/how-israeli-and-u-s-strikes-against-iran-were-facilitated-by-the-russia-ukraine-war-259845

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council working with universities, students and landlords to manage summer changeover period in Leeds

    Source: City of Leeds

    Students leaving or changing accommodation from this weekend

    Students and their landlords in Leeds are being asked to be respectful of their neighbours and the local environment as the summer changeover period begins.

    With many student tenancies coming to an end this month, Leeds City Council is working closely with the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Arts University, Leeds Trinity University and Unipol to support students, landlords and their agents to support students with the challenge of moving from one place to another on the same day, but also keeping noise and discarded waste to a minimum.

    Building on the positives of the last two years including 80 tonnes of reuseable items being collected and redistributed free or very affordably through local charities Revive and Slate,  the number of temporary reuse banks located in popular student accommodation areas has been increased. 

    Staff from the council’s cleaner neighbourhoods team have joined ambassadors from Leeds Beckett and University of Leeds knocking on thousands of doors in student areas this month, engaging in conversations about being considerate of local communities and delivering flyers detailing ways items no longer needed can be sold, donated or disposed of appropriately.

    Information has also been shared via leaflets, social media posts, direct communications to students by universities, as well as WhatsApp messaging from landlords to their tenants.

    Unipol again has its dedicated ‘moving out’ webpage offering detailed information on how to donate, recycle or dispose of unwanted items in a responsible and timely fashion, with maps of donation bank locations together with all key information at https://www.unipol.org.uk/advice/students/moving-out-2025/

    The council has contacted landlords and lettings agents reminding them of their responsibilities to ensure their tenants dispose of their waste legally, contained in bins or via recycling banks.

    Council street wardens will also be on hand to offer practical advice during the changeover period, and from mid-June, additional refuse collection and street cleansing vehicles will deal with any hotspots of waste.

    The household waste and recycling centres at Kirkstall and Meanwood are open every day from 8am-6pm. Leeds Rental Standard-accredited landlords can access discounted tipping on certain types of waste at Kirkstall recycling centre, where the public weighbridge is open 8am-4pm daily. Students can also access Kirkstall recycling centre on foot to donate to the reuse shop or deposit bulky items.

    Two additional caged vehicles will also once again be in operation sponsored by Leeds Property Association and Unipol.

    Council enforcement officers will be patrolling student areas to ensure waste is being disposed of appropriately, and have the powers to issue fines for non-compliance. The serious environmental crime team will also be actively monitoring areas to catch and deter unlicensed waste carriers or anyone caught sifting through bins attempting to find any valuables.

    Speaking ahead of the changeover weekend, Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, customer service and community safety, and Councillor Mohammed Rafique, executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said:

    “We are very pleased to be working again with all the Leeds universities, landlords and agents to help support students leaving or changing their accommodation this summer. Given we have approximately 80,000 students in the city this changeover period is a massive undertaking, so we are committed to doing everything we can to help them with the process and especially disposing of their waste appropriately.

    “We would appeal directly to the students to enjoy their final days in their current arrangements, but to remind them of their responsibilities to be respectful and mindful of their neighbours and local communities to ensure there is no anti-social behaviour, which will not be tolerated and will be dealt with quickly.

    “There is also no excuse for waste being dumped on the street or in public spaces, please make use of all of the extra range of facilities and options on offer to dispose of goods appropriately. Anyone not doing so risks facing prosecution and spot fines, but if people behave responsibly those won’t be needed which is very much what we hope.”

    A spokesperson from Leeds Beckett University’s Students’ Union said:

    ”For all of us at Leeds Beckett Students’ Union, building a positive relationship between our students, landlords and the wider community is a priority. We’re here to support students as they settle into new homes in July during the changeover period, a busy and sometimes challenging time for both students and local residents. We encourage everyone to be considerate of neighbours as well as being patient and respectful. By working together, we can ensure a smooth transition and continue building the strong sense of community that makes Leeds such a great place to live and study.”

    A spokesperson from Leeds Arts University’s Students’ Union said:

    “As the academic year ends, we encourage all Leeds students to act responsibly when leaving their accommodation for the final time. Removal of unwanted items to recycling facilities and appropriate disposal of excess rubbish is an essential part of the moving out process, whilst leaving behind waste places unnecessary strain on local services and is disrespectful to neighbours and the wider community. Leeds Arts Union is happy to be working collaboratively once again with the other Leeds universities and Leeds City Council to ensure our students move out responsibly and end the year sustainably.”

    To see the guidance around leaving or changing student accommodation, visit https://www.unipol.org.uk/advice/students/moving-out-2025/

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why bending over backwards to agree with Donald Trump is a perilous strategy

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andrew Gawthorpe, Lecturer in History and International Studies, Leiden University

    Donald Trump is a difficult figure to deal with, both for foreign leaders and figures closer to home who find themselves in his crosshairs. The US president is unpredictable, sensitive and willing to break the rules to get his way.

    But in Trump’s second term, a variety of different leaders and institutions seem to have settled on a way to handle him. The key, they seem to think, is flattery. The most obvious example came at the recently concluded Nato summit in The Hague, Netherlands, where world leaders got together to discuss the future of the alliance.

    Previous summits with Trump have descended into recrimination and backbiting. The organisers were determined to avoid a repeat – and decided the best way to do it was to make Trump feel really, really good about himself.

    Even before the summit began, Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte had texted Trump to thank him for his “decisive action” in bombing Iran. This, he said, was something “no one else dared to do”.

    Then, when discussing Trump’s role in ending the war between Israel and Iran, Rutte referred to Trump as “daddy” – a name the White House has already transformed into a meme.

    The summit itself was light on the sort of contentious and detailed policy discussions that have historically bored and angered Trump.

    Instead, it was reduced to a series of photo opportunities and speeches in which other leaders lavished praise on Trump. Lithuania’s president, Gitanas Nausėda, even suggested the alliance ought to copy Trump’s political movement by adopting the phrase “make Nato great again”.

    Nato leaders aren’t the only ones trying this trick. British prime minister Keir Starmer has had a go at it too. Starmer has made sure that Trump will be the first US president to make a second state visit to the UK. He described the honour in Trump-like terms: “This has never happened before. It’s so incredible. It will be historic.”

    After Trump announced global trade tariffs earlier in the year, Starmer was the first leader to give Trump a much-needed victory by reaching a framework trade agreement. But it worked both ways, with Starmer able to land a political victory too.

    In his first term, flattery was also seen as a tool to be used to get Trump onside. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky tried it in phone conversations with the US president, calling him a “great teacher” from whom he learned “skills and knowledge”.

    Flattery and compliance clearly have their uses. Trump is extremely sensitive to criticism and susceptible to praise, however hyperbolic and transparent it might be. Buttering him up may be an effective way to get him to back off.

    But it doesn’t achieve much else. At the Nato summit, an opportunity was missed to make progress on issues of real importance, such as how to better support Ukraine in its war against Russia or to better coordinate European defence spending.

    A summit dedicated to the sole aim of making Trump feel good is one with very limited aims indeed. All it does is push the difficult decisions forward for another day.

    A missed opportunity

    Individual decisions to bow down to Trump also mean missing the opportunity to mount collective resistance. One country might not be able to stand up to the president, but the odds of doing so would be greatly improved if leaders banded together.

    For example, Trump’s trade tariffs will damage the US economy as well as those of its trading partners. That is especially the case if those partners impose tariffs of their own on US goods.

    If each country instead follows Britain’s lead in the hope of getting the best deal for itself, they will have missed the opportunity to force the president to feel some discomfort of his own – and possibly change course.

    But perhaps the greatest danger of flattering Trump is that it teaches him that he can get away with doing pretty much whatever he likes. For a president who has threatened to annex the territory of Nato allies Denmark and Canada to nevertheless be feted at a Nato summit sends a message of impunity.

    That’s a dangerous lesson for Trump to learn. He has spent much of his second term undermining democratic and liberal norms at home and key tenets of US foreign policy abroad, such as hostility to Russia. He is attempting to undermine all traditional sources of authority and expertise and instead make the world dance to his own tune.

    Given the expansive scope of his aims, which many experts already think is leading to a constitutional crisis that threatens democracy, the willingness to suck up to Trump normalises him in a menacing way.

    When his targets roll over, it sends a message to others that Trump is unstoppable and resistance is futile. It encourages not just the next presidential abuse of power, but also the next surrender from those he chooses to attack.

    Perhaps the best that can be said for this strategy is that maybe it will appease Trump enough to prevent him from doing too much actual harm. But when dealing with such an unpredictable and vindictive president, that is a thin reed of hope.

    It is much more likely to encourage him to press on – until the harm becomes too severe to ignore.

    Andrew Gawthorpe 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 bending over backwards to agree with Donald Trump is a perilous strategy – https://theconversation.com/why-bending-over-backwards-to-agree-with-donald-trump-is-a-perilous-strategy-259936

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Canada needs a national AI literacy strategy to help students navigate AI

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mohammed Estaiteyeh, Assistant Professor of Digital Pedagogies and Technology Literacies, Faculty of Education, Brock University

    AI literacy equips learners to understand and navigate the pervasive influence of AI in their daily lives. (Shutterstock)

    With students’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the rise in Canada and globally, reports of cheating and unethical behaviors are making headlines.

    One recent study indicates that 78 per cent of Canadian students have used generative AI to help with assignments or study tasks. In China, authorities have even shut down AI apps during nationwide exams to prevent cheating.

    Students seem unprepared to navigate this new world and educators are unsure how to handle it. This is a problem Canada and other countries can’t afford to ignore.

    The support structures and policies to guide students’ and educators’ responsible use of AI are often insufficient in Canadian schools. In a recent study, Canada ranked 44th in AI training and literacy out of 47 countries, and 28th among 30 advanced economies. Despite growing reliance on these technologies at homes and in the classrooms, Canada lacks a unified AI literacy strategy in K-12 education.

    Without co-ordinated action, this gap threatens to widen existing inequalities and leave both learners and educators vulnerable. Canadian schools need a national AI literacy strategy that provides a framework for teaching students about AI tools and how to use them responsibly.

    What is AI literacy?

    AI literacy is defined as:

    “An individual’s ability to clearly explain how AI technologies work and impact society, as well as to use them in an ethical and responsible manner and to effectively communicate and collaborate with them in any setting.”

    Acknowledging its importance, scholars and international organizations have been developing AI literacy frameworks. UNESCO has developed AI competency frameworks for students and teachers, highlighting key capabilities they should acquire to navigate AI implications.

    More recently, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Commission released their joint draft AI Literacy Framework for primary and secondary education. This framework defines AI literacy as the technical knowledge, durable skills and future-ready attitudes required to thrive in a world influenced by AI.

    The framework aims to empower learners to engage with, create with, manage and design AI, while critically evaluating its benefits, risks and ethical implications.

    AI-literate students are better able to develop an ethical and human-centred mindset as they learn to consider AI’s social and environmental impacts.
    (Shutterstock)

    Why does AI literacy matter?

    AI literacy equips learners to understand and navigate the pervasive influence of AI in their daily lives. It fosters critical thinking skills to assess AI outputs for misinformation and bias.

    AI literacy also enables students to make safe and informed decisions about when and how to use AI, preventing habits that compromise academic integrity. In addition, student knowledge of AI’s technical foundations demystifies AI, dispelling misconceptions that it is all-knowing, and highlights its capabilities and limitations.

    Furthermore, AI-literate students are better able to develop an ethical and human-centred mindset as they learn to consider AI’s social and environmental impacts, including issues of transparency, accountability, privacy and the environmental cost of AI systems.

    AI literacy prepares students to collaborate effectively and ethically with AI tools (for example, with writing) and helps them understand how to delegate only certain tasks to AI without cognitive offloading that may be detrimental at various developmental stages.

    Finally, AI literacy aims to ensure inclusive access to AI learning environments for all students, regardless of background, status or ability.

    Canadian and international landscape

    In Canada, some provinces and school boards are moving ahead with AI integration, while others offer very little teacher training and resources to do so.

    Some universities and community organizations are also taking the lead in building AI literacy by providing curricula, resources and training to teachers and students.

    These scattered efforts, while appreciated, lead to AI learning opportunities that are often ad-hoc or extracurricular. Without national or province-wide requirements, many students — especially in marginalized communities and under-resourced schools — may graduate high school with no exposure to AI concepts at all, worsening the digital divide.

    To put Canada’s situation in context, it is useful to compare with other countries that are implementing or proposing national AI education initiatives. As part of its National AI Strategy, Singapore launched a partnership to strengthen students’ AI literacy, building on earlier initiatives that focused on teacher training.

    A meaningful AI literacy strategy must begin in the classroom with age-appropriate content.
    (Shutterstock)

    In China, the Ministry of Education issued systematic guidelines to promote AI education in primary and secondary schools. Similarly, the United Arab Emirates introduced AI classes into its curricula starting in the primary years.

    More recently, the United States established an AI framework and a task force aimed at “building essential AI literacy from an early age to maintain a competitive edge in global technology development and prepare students for an AI-driven economy.”

    Canada, in comparison to these examples, has strengths in its bottom-up innovation but lacks a guiding vision. Canada needs a co-ordinated strategy that leverages federal-provincial collaboration through a unifying framework, shared resources and a common baseline of AI knowledge that every Canadian student should acquire.

    What should this strategy include?

    A meaningful AI literacy strategy must begin in the classroom with age-appropriate content. Students can start with the technical foundations and advance to think critically about AI’s limitations, ethical issues and social implications.

    It’s important that this content is woven across subjects and presented in ways that reflect the cultural and social contexts of learners.

    Equally essential is supporting educators. Teachers need practical, research-informed professional development and teaching toolkits that equip them to guide students through both the opportunities and risks of AI.

    To make these efforts sustainable and equitable, a national strategy must also include policy directions, regulations for the tech industry, community outreach programs and intentional opportunities for collaboration between various stakeholders (researchers, policymakers, school boards, teacher education programs and so on).

    Whether you think AI is a good or bad thing, the fact is it’s here. This is not a call to incorporate AI tools in schools. It is a call to make Canadian students aware of its abilities and implications. Our kids need to learn about this technology and how to use it responsibly.

    Mohammed Estaiteyeh 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. Canada needs a national AI literacy strategy to help students navigate AI – https://theconversation.com/canada-needs-a-national-ai-literacy-strategy-to-help-students-navigate-ai-257513

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Canada needs a national AI literacy strategy to help students navigate AI

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mohammed Estaiteyeh, Assistant Professor of Digital Pedagogies and Technology Literacies, Faculty of Education, Brock University

    AI literacy equips learners to understand and navigate the pervasive influence of AI in their daily lives. (Shutterstock)

    With students’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the rise in Canada and globally, reports of cheating and unethical behaviors are making headlines.

    One recent study indicates that 78 per cent of Canadian students have used generative AI to help with assignments or study tasks. In China, authorities have even shut down AI apps during nationwide exams to prevent cheating.

    Students seem unprepared to navigate this new world and educators are unsure how to handle it. This is a problem Canada and other countries can’t afford to ignore.

    The support structures and policies to guide students’ and educators’ responsible use of AI are often insufficient in Canadian schools. In a recent study, Canada ranked 44th in AI training and literacy out of 47 countries, and 28th among 30 advanced economies. Despite growing reliance on these technologies at homes and in the classrooms, Canada lacks a unified AI literacy strategy in K-12 education.

    Without co-ordinated action, this gap threatens to widen existing inequalities and leave both learners and educators vulnerable. Canadian schools need a national AI literacy strategy that provides a framework for teaching students about AI tools and how to use them responsibly.

    What is AI literacy?

    AI literacy is defined as:

    “An individual’s ability to clearly explain how AI technologies work and impact society, as well as to use them in an ethical and responsible manner and to effectively communicate and collaborate with them in any setting.”

    Acknowledging its importance, scholars and international organizations have been developing AI literacy frameworks. UNESCO has developed AI competency frameworks for students and teachers, highlighting key capabilities they should acquire to navigate AI implications.

    More recently, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Commission released their joint draft AI Literacy Framework for primary and secondary education. This framework defines AI literacy as the technical knowledge, durable skills and future-ready attitudes required to thrive in a world influenced by AI.

    The framework aims to empower learners to engage with, create with, manage and design AI, while critically evaluating its benefits, risks and ethical implications.

    AI-literate students are better able to develop an ethical and human-centred mindset as they learn to consider AI’s social and environmental impacts.
    (Shutterstock)

    Why does AI literacy matter?

    AI literacy equips learners to understand and navigate the pervasive influence of AI in their daily lives. It fosters critical thinking skills to assess AI outputs for misinformation and bias.

    AI literacy also enables students to make safe and informed decisions about when and how to use AI, preventing habits that compromise academic integrity. In addition, student knowledge of AI’s technical foundations demystifies AI, dispelling misconceptions that it is all-knowing, and highlights its capabilities and limitations.

    Furthermore, AI-literate students are better able to develop an ethical and human-centred mindset as they learn to consider AI’s social and environmental impacts, including issues of transparency, accountability, privacy and the environmental cost of AI systems.

    AI literacy prepares students to collaborate effectively and ethically with AI tools (for example, with writing) and helps them understand how to delegate only certain tasks to AI without cognitive offloading that may be detrimental at various developmental stages.

    Finally, AI literacy aims to ensure inclusive access to AI learning environments for all students, regardless of background, status or ability.

    Canadian and international landscape

    In Canada, some provinces and school boards are moving ahead with AI integration, while others offer very little teacher training and resources to do so.

    Some universities and community organizations are also taking the lead in building AI literacy by providing curricula, resources and training to teachers and students.

    These scattered efforts, while appreciated, lead to AI learning opportunities that are often ad-hoc or extracurricular. Without national or province-wide requirements, many students — especially in marginalized communities and under-resourced schools — may graduate high school with no exposure to AI concepts at all, worsening the digital divide.

    To put Canada’s situation in context, it is useful to compare with other countries that are implementing or proposing national AI education initiatives. As part of its National AI Strategy, Singapore launched a partnership to strengthen students’ AI literacy, building on earlier initiatives that focused on teacher training.

    A meaningful AI literacy strategy must begin in the classroom with age-appropriate content.
    (Shutterstock)

    In China, the Ministry of Education issued systematic guidelines to promote AI education in primary and secondary schools. Similarly, the United Arab Emirates introduced AI classes into its curricula starting in the primary years.

    More recently, the United States established an AI framework and a task force aimed at “building essential AI literacy from an early age to maintain a competitive edge in global technology development and prepare students for an AI-driven economy.”

    Canada, in comparison to these examples, has strengths in its bottom-up innovation but lacks a guiding vision. Canada needs a co-ordinated strategy that leverages federal-provincial collaboration through a unifying framework, shared resources and a common baseline of AI knowledge that every Canadian student should acquire.

    What should this strategy include?

    A meaningful AI literacy strategy must begin in the classroom with age-appropriate content. Students can start with the technical foundations and advance to think critically about AI’s limitations, ethical issues and social implications.

    It’s important that this content is woven across subjects and presented in ways that reflect the cultural and social contexts of learners.

    Equally essential is supporting educators. Teachers need practical, research-informed professional development and teaching toolkits that equip them to guide students through both the opportunities and risks of AI.

    To make these efforts sustainable and equitable, a national strategy must also include policy directions, regulations for the tech industry, community outreach programs and intentional opportunities for collaboration between various stakeholders (researchers, policymakers, school boards, teacher education programs and so on).

    Whether you think AI is a good or bad thing, the fact is it’s here. This is not a call to incorporate AI tools in schools. It is a call to make Canadian students aware of its abilities and implications. Our kids need to learn about this technology and how to use it responsibly.

    Mohammed Estaiteyeh 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. Canada needs a national AI literacy strategy to help students navigate AI – https://theconversation.com/canada-needs-a-national-ai-literacy-strategy-to-help-students-navigate-ai-257513

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Netflix TV drama ‘Secrets We Keep’ exposes the dangers of domestic migrant work

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Reena Kukreja, Associate Professor, Global Development Studies, Queen’s University, Ontario

    In Secrets We Keep, the hidden world of domestic work and abuse is exposed. Here Excel Busano who plays Angel, Cecilia’s au pair and Ruby’s best friend in Denmark speaks with her community on the phone. Tine Harden/Netflix

    Secrets We Keep (Reservatet), a Danish suspense series on Netflix created by Ingeborg Topsøe, delves into the disappearance of a Filipina au pair from an elite suburb of Copenhagen — and delivers a sharp social commentary on racial and class entitlements.

    Moving fluidly between English, Danish and Tagalog, the six-part drama is a nuanced indictment of the lack of moral accountability among the rich. On display are the prejudices and complicity of white women in enabling a culture of toxic masculinity that treats Filipina migrant women as sexualized and disposable commodities.

    The story starts with a tearful Ruby Tan — a Filipina au pair who works for the affluent Rasmus (Lars Ranthe) and Katarina (Danica Curcic) — asking for some help with her employers from her neighbour, Cecilie (played by Marie Bach Hansen).

    Cecilie is a successful non-profit manager and mother of two married to a high-profile lawyer. She employs Angel (Excel Busano), a Filipina au pair. Cecilie tells Ruby she cannot get involved.

    The next day, Ruby vanishes without a trace.

    The series is propelled by Cecilie’s guilt in refusing to help Ruby. She is shocked at her neighbours’ apparent lack of concern for Ruby’s disappearance.

    Cecilie begins to sleuth for clues regarding Ruby’s disappearance and she eventually decides to assist Aicha, a racialized policewoman assigned to find the missing au pair. Cecilie discovers a pregnancy kit by a trash bin where she had last seen Ruby. And she soon suspects Ruby’s employer, Rasmus, of raping her.

    While the series lacks true suspense due to its predictable story arc peppered with clues about Ruby’s disappearance, it is amply compensated by a sharp critique on the moral decay of modern society, systemic racism and the complicity of women in upholding white masculine privilege.

    Warped racist view of the world

    Secrets We Keep lays bare the warped world view of rich, white privilege, racism and the sexual fetishism of Asian women.

    At a dinner party one night, Rasmus and Katarina do not seem concerned about their missing au pair. Katarina labels Filipina au pairs as whores working in brothels. When discussing Ruby, Katarina says, “she probably ran off to do porn.”

    In one uncomfortable scene, Rasmus taunts Cecilia’s husband, Mike (Simon Sears), about his sexual preferences. Mike responds by saying: “I don’t have ‘yellow fever.’” Cecilia sits silently beside Mike.

    Katarina also calls Aicha (Sara Fanta Traore), the policewoman, “the little brown one.”

    At a formal dinner, Rasmus tells Cecilia: “We stick together. We are from the same world, and we are loyal to each other.”

    High rates of violence against women

    The reduction of Ruby into a sexual object in the show reflects the high rates of sexual violence against Filipina au pairs in Scandinavia.

    It led the Philippines to ban the participation of Scandinavian countries in its “informal labour” arrangement in 1998. Though the ban was lifted in 2010, Au Pair Network, an advocacy group, reveals that the program is still riddled with abuse.

    The Nordic Paradox is a term used to describe how Scandinavian countries, including Denmark, rank the highest in the Gender Equality Index yet suffer from very high rates of violence against women and intimate partner violence in Europe.

    At a recent gender studies conference in Stockholm, Ardis Ingvars, a sociologist at the University of Iceland who worked as an au pair for a year in the United States just after she turned 18, recalls her anxiety and apprehension as she moved to Boston.

    She said:

    “Au pairs hope to be lucky with the family turning out OK. What is difficult to take is the attitude of ‘ownership’ that the children and families display over the au pairs as an unquestioned entitlement.”

    Ingvars said asymmetrical power relations embedded within the au pair system reinforce racial and class hierarchies.

    This is reflected in Secrets We Keep. Midway during Aicha’s investigation, as she hits roadblock after roadblock, she cries out in frustration: “She’s a fucking nobody in their world.”

    Aicha Petersen (Sara Fanta Traore) is the police investigator charged with finding Ruby in ‘Secrets We Keep’.
    Netflix

    Feminized labour exploitation

    Economic globalization, neoliberal policies and an increased dependence on the remittance economy fuses with the care gap in the Global North to fuel the feminized care migration from the Global South, many of them Filipino women.

    Au pairs are placed with host families who provide free board and meals in return for up to 30 hours a week of housework and child care as they learn the host language and customs. The au pairs are paid “pocket money” of Danish Kroner 5,000 per month (approx $1,000 Canadian) out of which they also pay local taxes.

    One scene shows one of Cecilie’s work meetings. A junior staff member expresses surprise that Cecilie has an au pair, labelling it a relic of colonial era racial hierarchies.

    Cecilie defends herself, and says the system survives because of the failure of men to keep up their domestic bargain and thus the need for women like her “to outsource care.”

    She argues the Filipina au pairs “are dependable” and she is “a much better mother” because of Angel. But Cecilie doesn’t acknowledge her privilege — that to be with her children and have a career is predicated on the exploitative extraction of care from Global South women.

    The female au pairs in Denmark must be between 18-29 years of age, childless, never married and at the end of two years, return home. Almost 50 to 75 per cent of au pairs in Denmark are Filipino women

    Cecilie’s shock at finding out that Angel has a son whom she left behind in the Philippines is part of her denial. In the end, Cecilie is unable to confront her own complicity and decides to release Angel from their au pair arrangement.

    “You know nothing about my world…You are very lucky,” cries Angel in anguish as Cecilie hands her the return ticket and an extra three months’ pay to demonstrate her magnanimity.

    Secrets We Keep reveals the brutal reality for Global South au pairs as well as upper-class white women and their entitlements. It indicates that even though these white wealthy women may see mistreatment, they maintain their silence and participate in wilful gendered violence to hold onto that privilege, while maintaining a façade of compassion towards the disposable racial migrant other.

    Reena Kukreja receives funding from SSHRC.

    – ref. Netflix TV drama ‘Secrets We Keep’ exposes the dangers of domestic migrant work – https://theconversation.com/netflix-tv-drama-secrets-we-keep-exposes-the-dangers-of-domestic-migrant-work-258556

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 8 people injured in gas explosion at plant in northern Kazakhstan

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    ALMATY, June 26 (Xinhua) — Eight people were injured in a gas explosion at a plant in the village of Ilyichevka, Taiynshinsky district, North Kazakhstan region of Kazakhstan, the Kazinform news agency reported on Thursday.

    According to preliminary information, during the filling of the gas tank, the filling hose broke, which led to the ignition of the gas tanker, followed by a flare-up of the shut-off valves of the underground tank.

    According to official data, eight people were injured. All of them were quickly taken to medical facilities. Two people were placed in intensive care, three were sent home after receiving medical assistance.

    The fire has been completely extinguished.

    The causes of the incident are being established. A pre-trial investigation is being conducted into the incident by the regional emergency department. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –