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  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Israel’s air strength is giving it a free hand over Iran

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matthew Powell, Teaching Fellow in Strategic and Air Power Studies, University of Portsmouth

    Israel says it quickly gained air superiority over the Iranian capital, Tehran. Luciano Santandreu / Shutterstock

    Israel’s initial attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, alongside its assassination of top military officials and nuclear scientists, on June 13 has been followed by days of escalating strikes. Iran threatened “severe punishment” and quickly launched what were, in relative terms, smaller-scale missile attacks against Israeli territory.

    Israel’s military then expanded its assault on Iran, with the Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, saying “Tehran will burn” if Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front”. Israel hit dozens of targets in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on June 15, and has since issued evacuation orders for significant areas of the city.

    The exchange of attacks has put the varying military and defensive capabilities of Israel and Iran on stark display. In particular, it appears that Israel has been able to exercise a high degree of air superiority over Iran.

    Israel was able to use more than 200 manned aircraft in its initial attack, with its air force reportedly suffering zero casualties. Within 48 hours of starting the conflict, Israel said it had gained control of the skies above Tehran.

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

    This superiority has largely been gained through concerted efforts over the past year to destroy or degrade Iran’s air defence systems. In October 2024, for example, Israeli strikes targeted air defences protecting Iranian oil and gas facilities as well as those defending sites linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme and ballistic missile production.

    With a weakened air defence system, the Iranian military has been less able to prevent missile attacks and Israeli aircraft from entering its air space. This has given the Israeli military greater freedom of action in terms of the targets it chooses to attack – and greater freedom of choice when planning operations.

    Israeli aircraft have been dropping bombs from within Iran, instead of relying on long-range missiles. Iran, on the other hand, has been restricted to using its arsenal of missiles to strike Israel from distance.

    Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, made reference to the strategic importance of this aerial superiority on June 16. While confirming evacuation orders for the Iranian capital, he said: “The Israeli air force controls the skies over Tehran. This changes the entire campaign.”

    Netanyahu later did not rule out killing Khamenei, saying it would “end the conflict”. Katz repeated the threat the following day, warning Khamenei of a “fate similar to Saddam Hussein”.

    Iran has been far less effective than Israel in its response – which is no great surprise. Israel says it has destroyed “one-third” of the surface-to-surface missile launchers possessed by Iran. And the majority of the missiles and drones that have been fired by Iran into Israeli territory have been intercepted before striking their targets.

    But the strength of Israel’s so-called iron dome air defence system has, somewhat counter-intuitively, also offered Iran some advantages. In order to maintain the Iranian regime’s own internal security and stability, as well as its wider political aims of being a regional power, Tehran had to respond with a certain level of force.

    However, Iran is also fully aware of the protection the iron dome provides to the Israeli population. The Iranian government will still be able to point to the few missiles and drones that have reached their target, and the destruction they have caused, as evidence that it is able to project its power beyond its own borders and respond in the face of aggressive Israeli action.

    It is able to do so in the knowledge that the level of destruction and deaths of Israeli civilians, which so far stands at around 24 people, will be limited to such a degree that any further escalation by Israel will be seen as unjustified by the wider international community.

    However, as the destruction and death toll rises, it will become harder for either government to follow this path of logic. Iran has already criticised the Israeli military’s claim that it has conducted strikes in a precise manner and only against military targets, reporting that over 200 civilians have been killed in the strikes.

    It is here where mistakes and missteps could see events spiral out of control. This may lead to a wider and larger-scale conflict that neither side wants but is unable to prevent occurring. Iran, for its part, is reportedly signalling that it is seeking an end to hostilities and the resumption of talks over its nuclear programme.

    Wider consequences

    If the conflict does escalate, Israel will probably target Iranian military production facilities. The Israeli military has already issued a warning on social media, telling the Iranian people to stay away from all weapons manufacturing facilities.

    Other targets may include nuclear installations – though at least one, the heavily fortified Fordow nuclear site in central Iran, will not be targeted. Fordow is hidden in a mountain, with centrifuges located possibly as deep as 80 metres underground.

    Only the US military has the hardware capable of reaching this facility, so attacking the site would require US intervention. This is something the current Washington administration has proved reluctant to do, so far.

    But any escalation could have ramifications beyond the Middle East. Iran has supplied Shahed-type drones to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine, with them becoming a key part of Russia’s military strategy. However, Russia is now largely producing its own supplies of Shahed drones internally.

    A much more likely effect is the prolonging of the war in Ukraine as international attention shifts to de-escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. The international community has focused on trying to prevent further attacks, with the US president, Donald Trump, advocating for talks rather than more strikes.

    On June 15, Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social: “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make.” Whether Israel and Iran take heed of his request will become clear over the coming days and weeks.

    Matthew Powell 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. Israel’s air strength is giving it a free hand over Iran – https://theconversation.com/israels-air-strength-is-giving-it-a-free-hand-over-iran-259073

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK turns the screw on Putin as allies unite behind Ukraine

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK turns the screw on Putin as allies unite behind Ukraine

    The Prime Minister has ramped up economic pressure on Russia with a raft of new sanctions.

    • 30 new UK sanctions hit Russian finance, military and energy targets
    • Prime Minister ramps up pressure at G7 Summit as Putin continues to avoid peace.
    • Comes after further devastating Russian attacks on Kyiv in the last few hours

    The Prime Minister has ramped up economic pressure on Russia with a raft of new sanctions, as he galvanises support behind Ukraine at the G7 Summit in Canada today.  

    The 30 targets strike across Russia’s financial, military and energy sectors in response to Putin’s continued aggression. His repeated refusals to engage seriously in peace has redoubled the UK’s resolve to apply a stranglehold on the Russian economy. 

    The new sanctions crack down further on Putin’s shadow fleet, targeting 20 of his oil tankers. The UK is also tightening the net around those who enable Putin’s illicit oil trade, sanctioning Orion Star Group LLC and Valegro LLC-FZ, for their role in crewing and managing shadow fleet vessels.  

    Today’s action also targets Russia’s military capabilities, hitting the military agency leading the development of Russia’s underwater intelligence gathering operations (GUGI), protecting the UK from attacks on subsea infrastructure, restricting Putin’s war machine and increasing our security at home. 

    In addition, two UK residents Vladimir Pristoupa and Olech Tkacz operating a shadowy network of shell companies, have now been sanctioned for collectively funnelling over $120 million of electronics, many of which are on the Common High Priority goods list, to Russia. 

    These individuals, who live and own businesses in the UK, are responsible for supplying Russia with high tech electronics which are crucial to Putin’s war effort. The UK will not tolerate those who enable Putin to wage his illegal war, and today’s sanctions demonstrate there is nowhere to hide. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    “These sanctions strike right at the heart of Putin’s war machine, choking off his ability to continue his barbaric war in Ukraine. 

    “We know that our sanctions are hitting hard, so while Putin shows total disregard for peace, we will not hesitate to keep tightening the screws.

    “The threat posed by Russia cannot be underestimated, so I’m determined to take every step necessary to protect our national security and keep our country safe and secure.”

    Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said: 

    “With his continued attacks and needless bloodshed, it is clear that Putin has no interest in peace. 

    “Today’s sanctions show we will systematically dismantle his dangerous shadow fleet, starve his war machine, and support Ukraine to defend itself.     

    “The UK and our allies will not sit idly by whilst Putin’s cowardly inaction continues to cost lives.”  

    The UK also plans to move with partners to tighten the Oil Price Cap to hurt Russia’s oil revenues, while ensuring stability of the energy market.  

    We are determined to hit Putin where it hurts by striking at his oil revenues – the single most important source of funding for his barbaric war.

    Additional infomation

    • GUGI is the common name for the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research within Russia’s Ministry of Defence. 

    • A full list of today’s targets can be found here

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Over £3.4m funding secured to help prevent homelessness and rough sleeping in Derby

    Source: City of Derby

    Derby City Council has been awarded more than £3.4m in Government funding to help prevent and relieve homelessness and rough sleeping in Derby.

    The funding comes from two separate grants awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for 2025/26:  

    • £2.328m – MHCLG Homelessness Prevention Grant
    • £1.166m – MHCLG, Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant 

    Last year, 2,292 households approached Derby Homes for homelessness assistance. Over 530 individuals were identified through outreach services as rough sleeping on at least one night during the year. 

    This funding enables the Council to step in earlier to prevent more households becoming homeless in the first place. This includes mediation with landlords and families to prevent evictions, help finding new homes and help with deposits to access private renting.

    The funding also enables the Council to channel resources into services which prioritise access to housing for people with histories of repeat homelessness, rough sleeping and multiple disadvantages, including drug and alcohol abuse, by securing critical outreach services and pathways into supported housing that best meets their needs.

    Derby City Council and its partners welcome this funding to continue delivering critical services, support and access to accommodation for households facing difficult situations.

    Councillor Shiraz Khan, Cabinet Member for Housing, Strategic Planning and Regulatory Services said:

    Everybody deserves a safe home, and while I am extremely proud of the level of support that is on offer in Derby, as long as there are still people finding themselves without a roof over their head, there is still more that needs to be done.

    This funding allows us to continue the great work happening in the city and will help us to continue to proactively support people before they become homeless.

    If you or someone you know is at immediate risk of becoming homeless or sleeping rough, call Derby Homes on 01332 888777.

    If you do not have access to a phone, you can visit the Council House – Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9am – 1pm. Wednesday and Friday 10am – 1pm.  
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CHP investigates cluster of influenza A infections in primary school

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CHP investigates cluster of influenza A infections in primary school 
    The cluster involves 46 persons, including 41 male students aged 7 to 10, and five staff members. They developed symptoms on or after June 7. Among them, 41 persons sought medical attention and three were hospitalised. Two were subsequently discharged and one remains hospitalised. All of the patients had mild symptoms. Laboratory testing revealed that respiratory specimens of the aforesaid three hospitalised students tested positive for influenza A virus, while rapid antigen tests revealed that 32 teachers and students also tested positive for influenza A virus.
     
    The personnel of the CHP had inspected the primary school twice and found that inter-class and inter-grade activities were organised in the schools, and that individual function rooms and classrooms were not adequately ventilated, and items shared among the students were not thoroughly disinfected. The CHP has provided advice to the school management on prevention of upper respiratory tract infection, including thorough cleaning and disinfection, opening windows where appropriate for better ventilation, refraining infected students from going to school, stopping inter-class and inter-grade activities, wearing masks by teachers and students during the outbreak and conducting temperature monitoring on entering school, etc. The school is currently under medical surveillance.

    To prevent outbreaks of influenza and other respiratory infections, it is of prime importance that children with fever, regardless of the presence of respiratory symptoms, should not be allowed to attend school, and should consult a doctor promptly. In addition, children, the elderly and those with underlying illnesses are urged to get vaccinated as early as possible to prevent seasonal influenza.
     
    Influenza vaccination has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications, while significantly reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death from seasonal influenza. All persons aged 6 months and above (except those with known contraindications), particularly the elderly and children who have a higher risk of becoming infected with influenza and developing complications, should be vaccinated. Although the level of influenza activity has remained low since the end of the winter influenza season, sporadic outbreaks in schools and residential institutions caused by influenza viruses are still possible, especially when there are gatherings of crowd coupled with inadequate infection control measures. The number of severe cases involving adults and cases of severe paediatric influenza-associated complications recorded in the influenza season earlier this year has significantly decreased compared with the 2018/19 influenza season. It is believed that this is the result of the general public’s willingness to receive the SIV.
     
    For the latest information, members of the public can visit the CHP’s seasonal influenzaIssued at HKT 20:58

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Preserving Energy Ties with Canada

    Source: US State of New York

    arlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul participated in an economic development roundtable with Northeastern Governors and Canadian Premiers in Boston, Massachusetts.

    VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

     First of all, thank you to Governor Maura Healey for inviting us here to the beautiful Massachusetts State House and convening the Northeastern Governors as well as the Eastern Canadian Premiers and Representatives. It’s an important conversation, and perhaps it should have started at the outset because we’re reminding ourselves of the shared interests, the common bond that exists between all of us.

    It’s not just the tourism or the industries that the governor just spoke of — it’s our neighbors. These are relationships that have now been damaged because of rhetoric out of Washington as well as tariffs. Which, how do you spell tariff? It is nothing more than a T-A-X — tax. And Americans need to know that this is a tax on everything they buy, and it hurts our competitiveness and we stand to lose hundreds of thousands of jobs if these truly go into effect as envisioned.

    So I always want to call out what this is all about as well as condemning the insults to our Canadian friends, and we want them to come back to our country, but we understand the anger that they feel. But I’m worried about families in New York State and the additional cost that they’re going to spend on everything, including energy.

    Energy is now becoming a huge cost driver for our homes, and we have great relationships. Next year, we’ll power over one million homes with hydroelectric power from Quebec. That starts because you have a friendship, a relationship of trust and I’m very excited about announcing that I launched it in my very first days as Governor.

    The electric grid is so important because we’re bringing Micron, we’re bringing semiconductor manufacturers, we’re bringing artificial intelligence companies that are going to be huge consumers of power. And I want to make sure that we continue being as competitive as we can.

    But we have to use that, and Canada has been a friend of ours in providing this, so I don’t want any more rhetoric, tariffs or anything that’s going to set our relationship further back than it already has been. Now it’s time to start healing and having our own individual relationships between New York, our own states and the various provinces to secure our energy future regardless of what happens in Washington.

    We have to operate as independent actors in this space and think of ourselves because clearly Washington is not, and I apologize. I have to get back to the great State of New York because it’s always complicated — something’s always complicated.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: EverMark Investment Partners Launches with Support from LPL Strategic Wealth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC announced today that financial advisors Matthew Sweeney, CFP®, John Folsom and Tanner Carter, CFP®, have launched a new independent practice, EverMark Investment Partners (“EverMark”), through affiliation with LPL Financial’s supported independence model, LPL Strategic Wealth. They reported serving approximately $425 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets* and join LPL from RBC.

    Based in San Diego, Folsom and Sweeney have collaborated since 1996 and bring a combined seven decades of financial industry experience to the practice. Carter, who entered the financial industry in 2019, completes the team. Together with Senior Investment Associates Nomah Cronk and Kristin Garnica, the team takes a collaborative approach to helping their clients work towards more secure financial futures.

    “We are fortunate to have longevity and loyalty with our clients — in fact, nearly half of our clients are multigenerational,” Sweeney said. “When clients work with us, we offer them the experience of a long-tenured team, the discipline of active portfolio management and the perspective that comes from working with multiple generations over time. We value direct communication, mutual respect and clear thinking. And while our work is serious, we never lose sight of the people we serve or the trust they place in us.”

    Why the EverMark team made the move to LPL Strategic Wealth

    EverMark chose to affiliate via LPL’s comprehensive supported independence solution, LPL Strategic Wealth Services (SW), which combines the freedom and flexibility of entrepreneurship with hands-on business services and support to help practices thrive, both operationally and strategically.

    In addition to access to LPL’s innovative wealth management platform and sophisticated resources, SW advisors benefit from a truly integrated service that includes simplified pricing, technology and dedicated support to launch their practice. Then, after the transition is complete, SW teams receive ongoing operations support managed by their team of experienced professionals including a business strategist, marketing partner, CFO and administrative assistant. Advisors have one point of contact, a dedicated team and priority access to advocacy and project management for complex business issues, ultimately allowing them to stay focused on the enduring needs of their clients and the culture and evolution of their practice.

    With the move, EverMark Investment Partners becomes the 50th team to join Strategic Wealth, LPL’s breakaway solution for growth-oriented advisors who are looking for the best of both worlds — full independence and full support. Established in 2020, Strategic Wealth was designed to support the unique needs of established advisors in wirehouses and other firms seeking to launch independent practices.

    “LPL’s Strategic Wealth model is unlike anything else in the market today,” Folsom said. “It takes the best aspects of being RIAs — owning our own business, our client relationships belonging to us, choice in technology and services, optimal succession solutions — and packages it with an outstanding process to help us set up our business for success from day one. It’s an honor knowing that EverMark is the 50th team to join LPL’s Strategic Wealth, and we are proud to join this community of like-minded advisors.”

    Carter added, “With LPL’s best-in-class technology and strategic business resources, we will be able to provide more personalized investment options and enhanced service experiences. I am confident that moving to LPL and LPL Strategic Wealth was the right move for our business — and, more importantly, our clients.

    Scott Posner, LPL Managing Director, Business Development, said, “We welcome the EverMark Investment Partners team and congratulate them on going independent with LPL Strategic Wealth and becoming the 50th team in the model. Just as Matt, John and Tanner take a personalized approach to helping their clients pursue their fiscal goals, LPL offers the strategic support and innovative resources advisors can use to deliver differentiated client experiences. We look forward to supporting this team for years to come.”

    Related
    Advisors, learn how LPL Financial can help take your business to the next level.

    About LPL Financial

    LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace, LPL supports over 29,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $1.8 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 7 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

    Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial LLC (“LPL Financial”), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC.

    Throughout this communication, the terms “financial advisors” and “advisors” are used to refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial.

    We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the “Investor Relations” or “Press Releases” section of our website.

    *Value approximated based on asset and holding details provided to LPL from end of year, 2024.

    Media Contact:
    Media.relations@LPLFinancial.com

    Tracking #754898

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: EverMark Investment Partners Launches with Support from LPL Strategic Wealth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC announced today that financial advisors Matthew Sweeney, CFP®, John Folsom and Tanner Carter, CFP®, have launched a new independent practice, EverMark Investment Partners (“EverMark”), through affiliation with LPL Financial’s supported independence model, LPL Strategic Wealth. They reported serving approximately $425 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets* and join LPL from RBC.

    Based in San Diego, Folsom and Sweeney have collaborated since 1996 and bring a combined seven decades of financial industry experience to the practice. Carter, who entered the financial industry in 2019, completes the team. Together with Senior Investment Associates Nomah Cronk and Kristin Garnica, the team takes a collaborative approach to helping their clients work towards more secure financial futures.

    “We are fortunate to have longevity and loyalty with our clients — in fact, nearly half of our clients are multigenerational,” Sweeney said. “When clients work with us, we offer them the experience of a long-tenured team, the discipline of active portfolio management and the perspective that comes from working with multiple generations over time. We value direct communication, mutual respect and clear thinking. And while our work is serious, we never lose sight of the people we serve or the trust they place in us.”

    Why the EverMark team made the move to LPL Strategic Wealth

    EverMark chose to affiliate via LPL’s comprehensive supported independence solution, LPL Strategic Wealth Services (SW), which combines the freedom and flexibility of entrepreneurship with hands-on business services and support to help practices thrive, both operationally and strategically.

    In addition to access to LPL’s innovative wealth management platform and sophisticated resources, SW advisors benefit from a truly integrated service that includes simplified pricing, technology and dedicated support to launch their practice. Then, after the transition is complete, SW teams receive ongoing operations support managed by their team of experienced professionals including a business strategist, marketing partner, CFO and administrative assistant. Advisors have one point of contact, a dedicated team and priority access to advocacy and project management for complex business issues, ultimately allowing them to stay focused on the enduring needs of their clients and the culture and evolution of their practice.

    With the move, EverMark Investment Partners becomes the 50th team to join Strategic Wealth, LPL’s breakaway solution for growth-oriented advisors who are looking for the best of both worlds — full independence and full support. Established in 2020, Strategic Wealth was designed to support the unique needs of established advisors in wirehouses and other firms seeking to launch independent practices.

    “LPL’s Strategic Wealth model is unlike anything else in the market today,” Folsom said. “It takes the best aspects of being RIAs — owning our own business, our client relationships belonging to us, choice in technology and services, optimal succession solutions — and packages it with an outstanding process to help us set up our business for success from day one. It’s an honor knowing that EverMark is the 50th team to join LPL’s Strategic Wealth, and we are proud to join this community of like-minded advisors.”

    Carter added, “With LPL’s best-in-class technology and strategic business resources, we will be able to provide more personalized investment options and enhanced service experiences. I am confident that moving to LPL and LPL Strategic Wealth was the right move for our business — and, more importantly, our clients.

    Scott Posner, LPL Managing Director, Business Development, said, “We welcome the EverMark Investment Partners team and congratulate them on going independent with LPL Strategic Wealth and becoming the 50th team in the model. Just as Matt, John and Tanner take a personalized approach to helping their clients pursue their fiscal goals, LPL offers the strategic support and innovative resources advisors can use to deliver differentiated client experiences. We look forward to supporting this team for years to come.”

    Related
    Advisors, learn how LPL Financial can help take your business to the next level.

    About LPL Financial

    LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace, LPL supports over 29,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $1.8 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 7 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

    Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial LLC (“LPL Financial”), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC.

    Throughout this communication, the terms “financial advisors” and “advisors” are used to refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial.

    We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the “Investor Relations” or “Press Releases” section of our website.

    *Value approximated based on asset and holding details provided to LPL from end of year, 2024.

    Media Contact:
    Media.relations@LPLFinancial.com

    Tracking #754898

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ibex Crowns the Winners of the 4th Annual CX Leadership Awards at CCW Las Vegas

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ibex (NASDAQ: IBEX), the leading global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and AI-powered CX solutions, today announced the winners of the 2025 CX Leadership Awards, which honor the top customer experience (CX) innovators, leaders, and contributors around the world.

    This year’s winners, who were chosen from an ultra-competitive list of CX pioneers, were recognized last week at ibex’s Fourth Annual CX Leadership Awards Dinner Customer Contact Week (CCW) in Las Vegas.

    “Congratulations to the 2025 CX Leadership Award winners, whose vision, innovation, and leadership are raising the bar for customer experience and delivering amazing experiences for their respective brands,” said Julie Casteel, Chief Strategic Accounts Officer and CMO at ibex.

    The 2025 CX Leadership Award winners are:

    • Natalie Beckerman, Global Head of Customer Support Operations at IHG Hotels & Resorts: Known as a disruptor in CX and contact center strategy, Natalie’s led high-performing teams across the U.S., U.K., and EMEA—driving operational excellence, growth, and cultural reinvention. A perfect example of her bold energy, global expertise, and a passion for transformation was overhauling a home services company’s operating model in just a year—introducing AI, launching two new platforms, and saving millions while transforming the customer journey. For Natalie, great CX isn’t just about ‘wow’ moments: it’s proactive, emotional, and seamless—across every touchpoint, every time.
    • Jeremy Victor, Chief Customer Officer at Noom: Jeremy is pioneering the future of customer experience by blending AI innovation with emotional intelligence to deliver scalable, human-centered interactions. At Noom, he’s leading the transformation of customer service into Experience Manufacturing™—a new discipline built around emotional equity, brand affinity, and AI-driven personalization. From building one of the first mobile CX tools on a Palm Pilot to launching MoreScore.ai, Jeremy’s career spans decades of redefining how brands build trust, loyalty, and lasting impact. His work challenges the industry to modernize systems, humanize technology, and remember that the strongest connections are always personal.
    • Lionel Holguin, Head of Customer Service and Collections at Bridgecrest: Lionel’s passion for problem-solving and creating value at every customer touchpoint defines his career. His proactive approach to CX combines strategy, empathy, and innovation to remove friction, foster trust, and create lasting emotional connections. One defining achievement was reworking key workflows and training to focus on financial literacy and empathy, centered on truly listening to customers and frontline teams—resulting in a dramatic shift in customer sentiment and team morale.
    • Lisa Wysocky, Senior Director of Partner and Channel Management Operations at Sonos: Lisa’s grit, heart, and deep CX expertise make her an obvious choice for a CX Leadership Award. From her early days as a bank teller to leading large-scale retention at SiriusXM, she has always stayed close to the frontlines, where real customer impact happens. At Sonos, she’s leading a transformation: empowering agents with AI, scaling global partnerships, and building a support system designed to evolve and drive long-term CX excellence.
    • Michael Jones, Senior Director of Customer Care at The Home Depot: With over 30 years at The Home Depot, Michael’s career is defined by servant leadership, transformation, and a true belief in people. Today, he supports a team of 3,000+ associates across The Home Depot’s contact centers and multiple disciplines delivering excellence within the millions of contacts they receive. Michael has reinvented the experience of his associates and customers—while building a culture where people-first values are lived daily.
    • Ryan Moore, Vice President of Customer Support & Global BPO Strategy at DailyPay: In Ryan’s 20+ years of CX leadership, he has always held true to one core principle: do what’s right for the customer, not just what’s best for the bottom line. Ryan has successfully led large-scale CX transformations with clarity and care, including a global expansion of support into a follow-the-sun model that helped CSAT and QA soar. His unwavering focus on the customer—paired with his commitment to operational excellence—has helped Ryan build a truly global, customer-centric CX ecosystem.
    • Vanessa Hardy-Bowen, Director of Guest Care and Contact Centers at Spirit Airlines: Vanessa views every guest interaction as a chance to either deepen trust or weaken it. She is focused on designing customer experiences that are not only functional but deeply human-rooted in empathy, foresight, and accountability. At Spirit, Vanessa spearheaded a full transformation of the guest care model: launching AI and self-service tools, elevating training and QA, and aligning digital innovation with human connection. Despite and challenging time in travel, the results have been impressive: higher customer satisfaction, smarter operations, and a stronger team.

    The ibex CX Leadership Awards spotlight the individuals and organizations whose vision and innovation are transforming the customer experience industry. Honorees excel in enabling seamless customer engagement, creating extraordinary customer experiences, and streamlining the customer journey.

    “ibex is leading the way in reshaping the customer experience by combining the latest AI technology with deep CX expertise gained from helping the world’s most iconic brands deliver differentiated customer experiences. We automate the routine and empower human agents to solve the complex,” added Casteel.

    ibex expertly combines unparalleled CX expertise with cutting-edge AI technology to create groundbreaking AI-powered solutions. ibex Wave iX solutions refine and elevate customer interactions and ensure a seamless customer journey while accelerating growth, enhancing service delivery, and maximizing impact.

    About ibex

    ibex delivers innovative business process outsourcing (BPO), smart digital marketing, online acquisition technology, and end-to-end customer engagement solutions to help companies acquire, engage and retain valuable customers. Today, ibex operates a global CX delivery center model consisting of approximately 30 operations facilities around the world, while deploying next generation technology to drive superior customer experiences for many of the world’s leading companies across retail, e-commerce, healthcare, fintech, utilities and logistics.

    ibex leverages its diverse global team of more than 31,000 employees together with industry-leading technology, including its AI-powered ibex Wave iX solutions suite, to manage nearly 175 million critical customer interactions, adding over $2.2B in lifetime customer revenue each year and driving a truly differentiated customer experience. To learn more, visit our website at ibex.co and connect with us on LinkedIn.

    Media Contact:
    Dan Burris
    daniel.burris@ibex.co

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/46422d98-00fa-44cb-b1a2-c98322f3dddf

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: MKS Named in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Companies to Work For

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ANDOVER, Mass., June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MKS Inc. (NASDAQ: MKSI) (“MKS”), a global provider of enabling technologies that transform our world, was again recognized by U.S. News & World Report (“U.S. News”) as one of the 2025-2026 Best Companies to Work For. MKS was rated as a top company in the Manufacturing and Agriculture Industries category based on factors contributing to job seekers’ decision-making when choosing a workplace that best meets their needs.

    “Receiving this prestigious recognition for the third consecutive year is a testament to the innovative work we do and the supportive organizational climate we have cultivated,” said John T.C. Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer at MKS. “Our success rests on our ability to attract and retain highly talented professionals who are committed to advancing technology and serving as invaluable partners to our customers. We are grateful for this acknowledgement of our efforts to provide engaging and meaningful careers for our employees.”

    U.S. News’ ratings reflect the evolving sentiments that factor into employee decision-making when choosing the “best” company to work for. The ratings then analyze that sentiment against other factors, including quality of pay and benefits, work-life balance and flexibility, job and company stability, physical and psychological comfort, belongingness and esteem, and career opportunities and professional development.

    “Choosing a company to establish yourself or advance your career is a crucial decision for anyone,” said Carly Chase, Vice President of Careers at U.S. News & World Report. “The 2025-2026 list features companies that excelled across various metrics, contributing to a positive work environment and the daily employee experience.”

    To calculate the annual U.S. News Best Companies to Work For list, U.S. News only considered the largest 5,000 publicly traded companies as of January 2025 that had more than 75 Glassdoor reviews written between 2021-2025. Relevant data, including employee sentiment and regulatory enforcement data, was gathered from partners Revelio Labs, Good Jobs First’s Violation Tracker and QUODD to calculate the six metrics used in the list. For further details on how the metric scores were calculated, see the methodology.

    For more information on the Best Companies to Work For, review the FAQs and explore Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) using #BCTWF.

    About MKS Inc.
    MKS Inc. (NASDAQ: MKSI) enables technologies that transform our world. We deliver foundational technology solutions to leading edge semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial applications. We apply our broad science and engineering capabilities to create instruments, subsystems, systems, process control solutions and specialty chemicals technology that improve process performance, optimize productivity and enable unique innovations for many of the world’s leading technology and industrial companies. Our solutions are critical to addressing the challenges of miniaturization and complexity in advanced device manufacturing by enabling increased power, speed, feature enhancement, and optimized connectivity. Our solutions are also critical to addressing ever-increasing performance requirements across a wide array of specialty industrial applications. Additional information can be found at www.mks.com.

    About U.S. News & World Report
    U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

    Contacts:

    Bill Casey
    Vice President, Marketing
    Telephone: +1 (630) 995-6384
    Email: press@mksinst.com

    Kelly Kerry, Partner
    Kekst CNC
    Email: kerry.kelly@kekstcnc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: MKS Named in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Companies to Work For

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ANDOVER, Mass., June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MKS Inc. (NASDAQ: MKSI) (“MKS”), a global provider of enabling technologies that transform our world, was again recognized by U.S. News & World Report (“U.S. News”) as one of the 2025-2026 Best Companies to Work For. MKS was rated as a top company in the Manufacturing and Agriculture Industries category based on factors contributing to job seekers’ decision-making when choosing a workplace that best meets their needs.

    “Receiving this prestigious recognition for the third consecutive year is a testament to the innovative work we do and the supportive organizational climate we have cultivated,” said John T.C. Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer at MKS. “Our success rests on our ability to attract and retain highly talented professionals who are committed to advancing technology and serving as invaluable partners to our customers. We are grateful for this acknowledgement of our efforts to provide engaging and meaningful careers for our employees.”

    U.S. News’ ratings reflect the evolving sentiments that factor into employee decision-making when choosing the “best” company to work for. The ratings then analyze that sentiment against other factors, including quality of pay and benefits, work-life balance and flexibility, job and company stability, physical and psychological comfort, belongingness and esteem, and career opportunities and professional development.

    “Choosing a company to establish yourself or advance your career is a crucial decision for anyone,” said Carly Chase, Vice President of Careers at U.S. News & World Report. “The 2025-2026 list features companies that excelled across various metrics, contributing to a positive work environment and the daily employee experience.”

    To calculate the annual U.S. News Best Companies to Work For list, U.S. News only considered the largest 5,000 publicly traded companies as of January 2025 that had more than 75 Glassdoor reviews written between 2021-2025. Relevant data, including employee sentiment and regulatory enforcement data, was gathered from partners Revelio Labs, Good Jobs First’s Violation Tracker and QUODD to calculate the six metrics used in the list. For further details on how the metric scores were calculated, see the methodology.

    For more information on the Best Companies to Work For, review the FAQs and explore Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) using #BCTWF.

    About MKS Inc.
    MKS Inc. (NASDAQ: MKSI) enables technologies that transform our world. We deliver foundational technology solutions to leading edge semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial applications. We apply our broad science and engineering capabilities to create instruments, subsystems, systems, process control solutions and specialty chemicals technology that improve process performance, optimize productivity and enable unique innovations for many of the world’s leading technology and industrial companies. Our solutions are critical to addressing the challenges of miniaturization and complexity in advanced device manufacturing by enabling increased power, speed, feature enhancement, and optimized connectivity. Our solutions are also critical to addressing ever-increasing performance requirements across a wide array of specialty industrial applications. Additional information can be found at www.mks.com.

    About U.S. News & World Report
    U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

    Contacts:

    Bill Casey
    Vice President, Marketing
    Telephone: +1 (630) 995-6384
    Email: press@mksinst.com

    Kelly Kerry, Partner
    Kekst CNC
    Email: kerry.kelly@kekstcnc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Enterprise CMOs Turn to Hybrid MaaS as Budgets Rise but Teams Hold Flat, New 2X–Avasant Study Finds

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MALVERN, Pa. and LOS ANGELES , June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 2X, a leader in subscription-based marketing as a service (MaaS), today released a new report, “Rethinking B2B Marketing Execution: The Age of Execution Reinvention,” in partnership with Avasant, a leading digital transformation consultancy. The new report reveals a strategic shift in B2B marketing execution, as marketers prioritize AI-driven campaigns and focus on personalization to boost performance and ROI—even in a challenging economic climate.

    Marketing budgets are rising 5-10%1 this year, while headcount remains flat. Meanwhile, CMOs are being told to spend new money more effectively, avoiding the temptation to focus it solely on payroll. The only scalable levers left are strategic reallocation and AI-enabled productivity. Gartner’s latest CMO Spend Survey highlights this challenge of balancing declining marketing budgets as a percentage of revenue with high expectations for growing ROI. This landscape is driving brands to rethink traditional agency relationships and embrace more flexible, tech-enabled partnerships that accelerate speed, personalization, and innovation.

    Key Findings from the Report

    • Budget Growth, Flat Teams: There’s an accelerating demand for external capacity. Tech growth is funded by reallocating program dollars, not cutting headcount. Less than 20%2 of the budget goes to technology, with the average budget split amongst 56% personnel and 24%3 non-personnel programs.
    • AI Goes Mainstream: 72%4 of CMOs now count AI-driven campaigns among their top priorities.
    • Execution Bottleneck: Campaign channels absorb 23% of spend and outsource 56%5 of work, making them the #1 target for hybrid MaaS models.
    • Tech Spend Breaks 20% Barrier: One in five marketing dollars now funds technology—double the share of five years ago, sourced from program budgets.
    • Outcome KPIs Rule: Net-new revenue, ROI, and CLV top the scorecard, displacing legacy funnel metrics.
    • Outsourcing Covering More Marketing Functions: Budgets for outsourcing rose from 39% to 42%6. Core marketing functions (e.g., brand and GTM strategy, budgeting, retention) remain largely in-house (<25%), ensuring strategic control. Specialized areas like campaigns (60.6%) and channel marketing (61.4%)7 are increasingly outsourced to tap into expertise and boost speed.

    2X has grown rapidly through strategic investments, acquisitions, and deep partnerships across the B2B marketing ecosystem. As 6sense’s largest implementation partner, 2X is uniquely positioned to help clients succeed on the ABM platform that now leads the category with a 21.8% market share. 2X delivers next-generation marketing performance and capabilities by applying enterprise-grade frameworks, automation, and data-driven strategies, empowering marketing organizations of all sizes to thrive in an increasingly competitive $100B B2B marketing services market.

    “The report offers a clear view into how marketers are innovating on their operating model where cost efficiency, smarter execution, and leaner teams are the new mandate,” said Domenic Colasante, CEO and Co-Founder of 2X. “At 2X, we’re committed to helping B2B enterprise marketers lead with operating impact, realize the benefit of AI, and deliver more with increasingly scarce resources.”

    “Today’s CMOs face a stark choice: cling to legacy metrics and fragmented teams, or embrace a new era where technology, data, and external expertise converge,” said Swapnil Bhatnagar, Partner at Avasant. “By aligning KPIs to revenue impact and partnering for specialized skills, marketing organizations can move at the speed of the market, delivering measurable value and agility that legacy models simply can’t match.”

    Methodology
    The report combines survey data and expert interviews to provide a comprehensive view of B2B marketing execution. It focuses on how large enterprises—those with over $250 million—are rethinking marketing outsourcing, defined as leveraging external partners for campaign execution, analytics, and content production. Insights were drawn from responses by 87 senior marketers and in-depth interviews with 11 marketing leaders, analyzed to identify key trends and strategies shaping today’s dynamic marketing environment.

    To download the report, please visit https://2x.marketing/avasant-report/.

    About 2X 
    2X is a leading B2B marketing-as-a-service firm that helps marketing leaders achieve greater impact while lowering costs through its managed services delivery model. Servicing over 150 clients including SAP, Ricoh, Docker, Hyland, Seismic, Qlik, and GoTo, 2X provides dedicated and highly skilled FTEs who specialize in marketing operations, martech management, campaign execution, content and creative production, and strategy consulting services. With more than 1,000 team members globally, 2X is backed by private equity firms Recognize and Insight Partners and has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the US by Inc. and the Financial Times. For more information, visit 2X.marketing or follow us on LinkedIn.

    About Avasant
    Avasant is a leading management consulting firm that provides digital transformation, sourcing advisory, and governance services to global enterprises. With a focus on innovation and excellence, Avasant helps organizations navigate complex business challenges and achieve sustainable growth. For more information about Avasant and how it can transform your business, please visit https://avasant.com/.

    Media Contact
    Audree Hernandez
    JMAC PR for 2X
    2X@jmacpr.com

    1 Source: Rethinking B2B Marketing Execution: The Age of Exeuction Reinvention, May 2025, slide 14
    2 Source: Rethinking B2B Marketing Execution: The Age of Exeuction Reinvention, May 2025, slide 12
    3 Source: Rethinking B2B Marketing Execution: The Age of Exeuction Reinvention, May 2025, slide 24
    4 Source: Rethinking B2B Marketing Execution: The Age of Exeuction Reinvention, May 2025, slide 15
    5 Source: Rethinking B2B Marketing Execution: The Age of Exeuction Reinvention, May 2025, slide 12
    6 Source: Rethinking B2B Marketing Execution: The Age of Exeuction Reinvention, May 2025, slide 31
    7   Source: Rethinking B2B Marketing Execution: The Age of Exeuction Reinvention, May 2025, slide 7

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Guaranteed Rate Affinity Appoints Linda Vo as Regional Manager in North Texas

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Guaranteed Rate Affinity, a leading mortgage provider offering unparalleled lending services through its partnership with Coldwell Banker, has appointed Linda Vo as Regional Manager in North Texas, highlighting the company’s commitment to expanding its reach in a key growth market.

    Vo brings more than 20 years of experience across nearly every corner of the mortgage industry, including wholesale, loan origination, sales management, REO loan servicing, corporate strategy, and business development. Her wide-ranging expertise, coupled with her passion for team building and relationship management, makes her a natural fit to lead Guaranteed Rate Affinity’s growth and recruiting efforts across North Texas.

    “After being in this industry for over two decades, I have learned that you can find work anywhere, but very few places offer a place where you feel welcomed, supported, and like-minded—a workplace that feels like a home,” said Vo. “I feel like I have come home to Guaranteed Rate Affinity. I am among my people with growth mindset individuals.”

    In her new role, Vo will focus on empowering loan officers to own their markets while scaling the company’s presence and recruiting efforts throughout the region. She joins Guaranteed Rate Affinity during a time of strategic expansion and culture-focused leadership development.

    “Linda’s extensive professional background, combined with her industry expertise and passion, makes her the ideal leader to attract the best-of-the-best talent that aligns with our culture,” said Dave Dickey, President and Chief Production Officer at Guaranteed Rate Affinity. “I’ve had the good fortune of being teammates with Linda and have known her for over 20 years. I’ve seen her remarkable work ethic, positive mindset, and genuine enthusiasm for the mortgage industry firsthand, all of which make her a natural fit at Guaranteed Rate Affinity. I can’t wait to see Linda fuel our continued growth and empower our loan officers to own their markets.”

    Vo holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business and a bachelor of science in international business from Oklahoma City University. She earned her Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) designation from the Mortgage Bankers Association in 2022 and received her John Maxwell Team Certificate in 2018. A longtime leader in the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), Vo has been an active member of the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter since 2014 and served as its president in 2024.

    About Guaranteed Rate Affinity

    Guaranteed Rate Affinity is a joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and Anywhere Integrated Services (NYSE: HOUS), which owns some of the industry’s most recognized and respected real estate brands. The innovative JV has funded over $100 billion in loans since its inception. Guaranteed Rate Affinity originates and markets its mortgage lending services to Anywhere’s real estate, brokerage, and relocation subsidiaries.

    Guaranteed Rate Affinity provides unmatched support to Anywhere brokers coast-to-coast, ensuring their customers receive fast pre-approvals, appraisals, and loan closings, creating the ability for buyers to move quickly and confidently when purchasing homes in today’s competitive market. The company also provides the same services to the public and other real estate brokerage and relocation companies across the country—helping employers improve their employees’ relocation experience by prioritizing customer service, digital mortgage ease, and competitive rates.

    Disclosures: Guaranteed Rate owns a controlling 50.1% stake in Guaranteed Rate Affinity, and Anywhere owns 49.9%. Availability of reverse mortgage products varies by state and may not be offered in all areas. Contact a Guaranteed Rate Affinity loan officer for details on current state availability.

    Visit grarate.com for more information.

    Media Contact:
    press@rate.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Encourages Galaxy Users to Activate Latest Anti-Theft Features to Help Tackle Phone Theft

    Source: Samsung

    With an average of 1891 cellphones reportedly getting stolen every day in Mzansi, Samsung is urging South African Galaxy users to activate the latest anti-theft and anti-robbery features now available on Galaxy devices. These updates form part of Samsung’s ongoing commitment to smarter, tougher mobile security, giving users more control over their data, even in high-risk situations like smash-and-grabs or pickpocketing in busy taxi ranks, bus stops/stations, and other public areas.
     
    The latest security enhancements come via Samsung’s One UI 7 update, which was introduced with the Galaxy S25 series earlier this year and is now being rolled out to a broader range of devices across the Galaxy ecosystem. South Africa continues to grapple with high mobile phone theft rates, especially in urban areas like Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town. Whether it’s phones being snatched from hands at traffic lights, lifted at taxi ranks, or stolen in the dark or load-shedding-induced house robberies, Galaxy users now have new ways to protect their personal data.
     
    Samsung’s new Theft Protection suite builds on existing Android security and introduces advanced layers of protection, even in cases where criminals might have access to your PIN or try to disable your device. Galaxy users can now enable a range of new security measures, including Identity Check, designed to offer stronger protection in complex theft scenarios. These features respond automatically and intelligently to suspicious activity, helping ensure that personal data remains secure and under the user’s control in these critical moments.
     
    Existing and updated features in Theft Protection include:

    Theft Detection Lock: This uses machine learning to detect motions associated with theft such as snatching, and instantly locks the screen to stop unauthorized access.
    Offline Device Lock: The screen gets automatically locked if the device is disconnected from the network for an extended period, ensuring protection even when the device is offline.
    Remote Lock: If the device has already been stolen, users can lock it remotely using their phone number and a quick verification step. Remote Lock also allows users to regain control of their account and explore additional recovery options.

     
    New Anti-Robbery features released on One UI 7 include:

    Identity Check: In unfamiliar locations, the ‘Safe Places’ feature requires biometric authentication for any changes to sensitive security settings, adding an additional layer of protection when a PIN may have been compromised.
    Security Delay: A key component of Identity Check, it triggers a one-hour waiting period if someone attempts to reset biometric data. This crucial buffer gives users time to lock the stolen phone from a connected device, such as a PC or tablet, before unauthorized access can occur.

     
    These updated theft features are now becoming available on previous flagship devices, starting with the Galaxy S24 series, Z Fold6, Z Flip6, Z Fold5, Z Flip 5, S23 and S22 series,  with future updates planned for even more Galaxy smartphones.
     

    Further steps to take if your Samsung Galaxy device is lost or stolen
     
    How to remotely lock your Samsung Galaxy device:

    Sign into Samsung Find using your Samsung account
    Select your phone on the left-hand side of the page, then choose Lost Mode in the device details section
    Create a PIN to unlock your phone if recovered, and enter it twice to confirm
    You will have the option to add an emergency contact and a custom message that will display on the locked screen (It’s recommended to skip this step to avoid sharing personal contact details)
    When you are ready, select the Lock button and verify your Samsung account to activate Lost mode
    If your device is recovered, you can unlock it using the PIN that was created when setting lost mode on your device

     
    How to remotely delete data on your Samsung Galaxy device: 

    Visit the Samsung Find website
    Select the phone you want to erase and choose Erase Data
    Verify your Samsung account credentials
    Review the information provided and tap Erase to confirm

    All the data on your mobile, including Samsung Pay information, will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered
    This will also reset your phone, meaning you won’t be able to locate and control it via Samsung Find
    Make sure to regularly back up your data to the cloud so you can restore it to a new device if needed

     
    How to remotely change your Samsung and/or Google account passwords: 

    It is recommended to change the passwords for your Samsung and Google accounts (or whichever accounts are linked to your device) by signing in through their respective websites
    Once changed, you will be signed out of all connected devices, except the one you’re using
    This prevents unauthorized access to account-linked features and protects your personal information

     
    How to track your Galaxy device:
    If your device is turned on and connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data, its last known location will appear on a map

    Visit the Samsung Find website
    Sign in with the Samsung account associated with your device (or a guardian’s account)
    If multiple devices are linked to your account, they will all appear – select the one you want to locate
    You’ll see its current or last known location

     
    Other remote features available: 

    Ring: Make your device ring even if it’s set to silent or vibrate
    Extend battery life: Activate power-saving settings to keep your device on longer and improve the chances of recovery
    Track location: Enable real-time location tracking and your phone’s location will update every 15 minutes until tracking is stopped

     
    Other ways to locate Galaxy devices
     
    Find your phone using your Galaxy watch (WearOS 5 or higher):

    Swipe down from the top of your Galaxy Watch to open Quick settings
    Tap the Find My Phone icon
    Tap Start to begin the search – your phone’s ringtone will sound
    Once found, tap Stop on your watch or the X icon on your phone

     
    Find your Galaxy Watch: 

    Open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone
    Tap Find My Watch (or Find My Band / Find My Gear, depending on your device)
    If connected via Bluetooth, tap Start
    Your watch will vibrate and play a sound (depending on model)
    Once found, tap the X icon on your watch or Stop on your phone

     
    Find your Galaxy Buds: 

    Open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone or tablet
    Tap Find My Earbuds
    Tap Start – your earbuds will begin beeping and gradually increase in volume for three minutes
    Once found, tap Stop

     
    Using Google’s Find My Device:

    Google’s Find My Device is built into Android via Google Play Services
    You will need a Google account to use it
    With this tool, you can set a new password, make your device ring, display a message, lock and wipe your device, and more

     
    Contact the authorities and your mobile network provider: 

    Once taken the steps above, report your lost or stolen device to the police and record a crime incident report
    Contact your mobile network provider to freeze your contract and prevent unauthorized usage

     
    For additional device protection, it is recommended to have insurance that covers accidental damage, loss, or theft. Samsung offers a variety of protection plans – visit Samsung.com to explore coverage options that best suit your needs.
     
    1 Stat sourced from a Report on Polity

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Companies haven’t stopped hiring, but they’re more cautious, according to the 2025 College Hiring Outlook Report

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Murugan Anandarajan, Professor of Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems, Drexel University

    Recent college grads face a tough job market in 2025, but employers are still hiring. sturti/E+ via Getty Images

    Every year, I tell my students in my business analytics class the same thing: “Don’t just apply for a job. Audition for it.”

    This advice seems particularly relevant this year. In today’s turbulent economy, companies are still hiring, but they’re doing it a bit more carefully. More places are offering candidates short-term work experiences like internships and co-op programs in order to evaluate them before making them full-time offers.

    This is just one of the findings of the 2025 College Hiring Outlook Report. This annual report tracks trends in the job market and offers valuable insights for both job seekers and employers. It is based on a national survey conducted in September 2024, with responses from 1,322 employers spanning all major industries and company sizes, from small firms to large enterprises. The survey looks at employer perspectives on entry-level hiring trends, skills demand and talent development strategies.

    I am a professor of information systems at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business in Philadelphia, and I co-authored this report along with a team of colleagues at the Center for Career Readiness.

    Here’s what we found:

    Employers are rethinking talent pipelines

    Only 21% of the 1,322 employers we surveyed rated the current college hiring market as “excellent” or “very good,” which is a dramatic drop from 61% in 2023. This indicates that companies are becoming increasingly cautious about how they recruit and select new talent.

    While confidence in full-time hiring has declined, employers are not stepping away from hiring altogether. Instead, they’re shifting to paid and unpaid internships, co-ops and contract-to-hire roles as a less risky route to identify talent and “de-risk” full-time hiring.

    Employers we surveyed described internships as a cost-effective talent pipeline, and 70% told us they plan to maintain or increase their co-op and intern hiring in 2025. At a time when many companies are tightening their belts, hiring someone who’s already proved themselves saves on onboarding reduces turnover and minimizes potentially costly mishires.

    For job seekers, this makes every internship or short-term role more than a foot in the door. It’s an extended audition. Even with the general market looking unstable, interest in co-op and internship programs appears steady, especially among recent graduates facing fewer full-time opportunities.

    These programs aren’t just about trying out a job. They let employers see if a candidate shows initiative, good judgment and the ability to work well on a team, which we found are traits employers value even more than technical skills.

    What employers want

    We found that employers increasingly prioritize self-management skills like adaptability, ethical reasoning and communication over technical skills such as digital literacy and cybersecurity. Employers are paying attention to how candidates behave during internships, how they take feedback, and whether they bring the mindset needed to grow with the company.

    This reflects what I have observed in classrooms and in conversations with hiring managers: Credentials matter, but what truly sets candidates apart is how they present themselves and what they contribute to a company.

    Based on co-op and internship data we’ve collected at Drexel, however, many students continue to believe that technical proficiency is the key to getting a job.

    In my opinion, this disconnect reveals a critical gap in expectations: While students focus on hard skills to differentiate themselves, employers are looking for the human skills that indicate long-term potential, resilience and professionalism. This is especially true in the face of economic uncertainty and the ambiguous, fast-changing nature of today’s workplace.

    Technology is changing how hiring happens

    Employers also told us that artificial intelligence is now central to how both applicants and employers navigate the hiring process.

    Some companies are increasingly using AI-powered platforms to transform their hiring processes. For example, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia uses platforms like HireVue to conduct asynchronous video interviews. HR-focused firms like Phenom and JJ Staffing Services also leverage technologies such as AI-based resume ranking, automated interview scheduling and one-way video assessments.

    Not only do these tools speed up the hiring process, but they also reshape how employers and candidates interact. In our survey, large employers said they are increasingly relying on AI tools like resume screeners and one-way video interviews to manage large numbers of job applicants. As a result, the candidate’s presence, clarity in communication and authenticity are being evaluated even before a human recruiter becomes involved.

    At the same time, job seekers are using generative AI tools to write cover letters, practice interviews or reformat resumes. These tools can help with preparation, but overreliance on them can backfire. Employers want authenticity, and many employers we surveyed mentioned they notice when applications seem overly robotic.

    In my experience as a professor, the key is teaching students to use AI to enhance their effort and not replace it. I encourage them to leverage AI tools but always emphasize that the final output and the impression it makes should reflect their own thinking and professionalism. The bottom line is that hiring is still a human decision, and the personal impression you make matters.

    This isn’t just about new grads

    While our research focuses on early-career hiring, these findings apply to other audiences as well, such as career changers, returning professionals and even mid-career workers. These workers are increasingly being evaluated on their adaptability, behavior and collaborative ability – not just their experience.

    Many companies now offer project-based assignments and trial roles that let them evaluate performance before making a permanent hire.

    At the same time, employers are investing in internal reskilling and upskilling programs. Reskilling refers to training workers for entirely new roles, often in response to job changes or automation, while upskilling means helping employees deepen their current skills to stay effective and advance in their existing roles. Our report indicates that approximately 88% of large companies now offer structured upskilling and reskilling programs. For job seekers and workers alike, staying competitive means taking the initiative and demonstrating a commitment to learning and growth.

    Show up early, and show up well

    So what can students, or anyone entering or reentering the workforce, do to prepare?

    • Start early. Don’t wait until senior year. First- and second-year internships are growing in importance.

    • Sharpen your soft skills. Communication, time management, problem-solving and ethical behavior are top priorities for employers.

    • Understand where work is happening. Over 50% of entry-level jobs are fully in-person. Only 4% are fully remote. Show up ready to engage.

    • Use AI strategically. It’s a useful tool for research and practice, not a shortcut to connection or clarity.

    • Stay curious. Most large employers now offer reskilling or upskilling opportunities – and they expect employees to take initiative.

    One of the clearest takeaways from this year’s report is that hiring is no longer a one-time decision. It’s a performance process that often begins before an interview is even scheduled.

    Whether you’re still in school, transitioning in your career or returning to the workforce after a break, the same principle applies: Every opportunity is an audition. Treat it like one.

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

    – ref. Companies haven’t stopped hiring, but they’re more cautious, according to the 2025 College Hiring Outlook Report – https://theconversation.com/companies-havent-stopped-hiring-but-theyre-more-cautious-according-to-the-2025-college-hiring-outlook-report-257870

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The hidden bias in college admissions tests: How standardized exams can favor privilege over potential

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Zarrina Talan Azizova, Associate Professor of Education, Health and Behavior, University of North Dakota

    At first glance, calls from members of Congress to restore academic merit in college admissions might sound like a neutral policy.

    In our view, these campaigns often cherry-pick evidence and mask a coordinated effort that targets access and diversity in American colleges.

    As scholars who study access to higher education, we have found that when these efforts are paired with pressure to reinstate standardized tests, they amount to a rollback of inclusive practices.

    A Department of Education letter sent to congressional offices from Feb. 14, 2025, stated that is “unlawful for an educational institution to eliminate standardized testing to achieve a desired racial balance or to increase racial diversity.” The letter also claimed that the most widely used admissions tests, the SAT and ACT, are objective measures of merit.

    In our recent peer-reviewed article, we analyzed more than 70 empirical studies about the SAT’s and ACT’s roles in college admissions. Our work found several flaws in how these exams function, especially for historically underserved students.

    Measuring college readiness

    Supporters of admissions tests contend that they are objective tools for measuring whether students are ready for college-level coursework.
    The Good Brigade/Digital Vision via Getty Images

    Several elite universities – including Yale, Dartmouth and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – have reinstated SAT or ACT requirements, reversing test-optional policies that institutions expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    These changes have reignited debates about how well these tests measure students’ academic preparedness and how colleges should weigh them in admissions decisions.

    During a May 21, 2025, hearing of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, some witnesses argued that using test scores allows colleges to admit students based on merit. Others maintained that test scores can function as barriers to higher education.

    Our research shows that while these tests are statistically reliable – that is, they produce consistent results for students across subjects and during multiple attempts under similar conditions – they are not as valid as some argue.

    High school grade-point averages are typically better predictors of students’ success in college than either test.

    In addition, the tests are not equitable or similarly predictive for all students, especially given gender, race and socioeconomic demographics.

    That is because they systematically favor those with more access to high-quality schooling, stable socioeconomic conditions and opportunities to engage with test prep coaches and courses. That test prep can cost thousands of dollars.

    In short, both tests tend to reflect privilege more than potential.

    For example, students from higher-income households routinely outperform their peers on the ACT and SAT.

    This isn’t surprising, considering wealthier families can afford test prep services, private tutoring and test retakes. These advantages translate into higher scores and open doors to selective colleges and scholarship opportunities.

    Meanwhile, students from low-income families often face challenges – such as less experienced instructors and less access to high-level science, math and advanced placement courses – that test scores do not factor in.

    Reflecting deep inequities

    In the U.S., high school GPA can be a better predictor than standardized tests of college success.
    Clerkenwell/Vetta via Getty Images

    In our published review, we found that these disparities aren’t incidental – they’re systemic.

    Our review revealed long-standing evidence of bias in test design and differences in average scores along lines of race, gender and language background.

    These outcomes don’t just reflect academic differences; they reflect inequities that shape how students prepare for and perform on these tests.

    We also found that high school GPA outperforms standardized tests in predicting college success. GPA captures years of classroom performance, effort and teacher feedback. It reflects how students navigate real-world challenges, not just how they perform on a single timed exam.

    For many students, particularly those from historically marginalized backgrounds, grades can offer a better indication of how prepared they are for college-level work.

    This issue matters because admissions decisions aren’t just technical evaluations – they are value statements. Choosing to center test scores in admissions rewards certain kinds of knowledge, experiences and preparation.

    The American Council on Education defines equity as opportunities for success. It means building educational environments that recognize diverse forms of potential and equip all learners to thrive.

    It’s worth noting that research on testing often focuses on elite institutions, where standardized test scores are more likely to be used as high-stakes screening tools. Our systematic review found that, even in elite schools, the tests’ ability to accurately predict college academic performance is often limited (moderate in statistical terms).

    But most college students attend state universities, public regional universities, minority-serving institutions, or colleges that accept most applicants. Our study found that at these institutions, standardized test scores are even less likely to predict how students will do.

    This may be because state universities and public regional universities are more likely to serve highly diverse student populations, including older, part-time and first-generation students and those who are balancing work and family responsibilities.

    Where does higher ed go from here?

    Prioritizing standardized tests in college admissions could close the doors of opportunity for some capable students.
    David Schaffer/istock via Getty Images Plus

    With the debate over the role of standardized tests in the admissions process, higher education stands at a crossroads: Will colleges yield to political pressure and narrow definitions of merit and ignore equity? Or will institutions reaffirm their mission by embracing broader, fairer tools for recognizing talent and supporting student success?

    The answer depends on what values are prioritized.

    Our research and that of others make it clear that standardized tests should not be the gatekeepers of opportunity.

    If universities define merit on test scores alone, they risk closing the doors of opportunity to capable students.

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

    – ref. The hidden bias in college admissions tests: How standardized exams can favor privilege over potential – https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-bias-in-college-admissions-tests-how-standardized-exams-can-favor-privilege-over-potential-256967

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A radical proposal to abolish state government and strengthen American democracy

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stephen Legomsky, John S. Lehmann University Professor Emeritus, Washington University in St. Louis

    Abolish all the states? Zoonar/Getty Images Plus

    Get rid of states? Legal scholar Stephen Legomsky, who taught for 34 years at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, has just published a book, “Reimagining the American Union,” that proposes a radical idea: Abolish state government. The Conversation’s politics and democracy editor, Naomi Schalit – a former statehouse reporter herself – interviewed Legomsky about the provocative idea behind his book, in which he advocates moving most of the functions of state government down to the local level, closer to those represented and governed by it.

    You propose abolishing states. Why?

    The book is a thought experiment. The proposal I’m offering is long term. I realize we need states during the current political moment.

    I think the states are the root cause of many, if not most, of the current dangers faced by U.S. democracy. I also see the states as a significant source of fiscal waste. We don’t need three levels of government – national, state and local – all regulating us and all taxing us. Two would do just fine. And after careful, detailed analysis, I concluded that every benefit ever claimed for state government could be achieved at least as well, and in many cases better, by the local governments.

    I’m imagining the framers sitting in Independence Hall. And you go back in time and suggest to them not having states. I think most of them would drop dead at the thought, because it ultimately implies a much more powerful federal government. What would you say to them?

    After they stop laughing, I would emphasize that I’m not proposing a wholesale transfer of power from the states to an all-powerful, all-knowing central government. Yes, some of the functions currently performed by the states could better be performed at the national level, but I’m proposing that the lion’s share devolve down to the local governments, which are even closer to the people they represent than the state legislatures can ever be.

    Some of the most ardent Federalists, including Alexander Hamilton and James Wilson, referred to the states as “artificial beings” or “imaginary beings.” They accepted the states only because keeping them was politically essential to getting the required nine state ratifications, not because they thought states were a good idea.

    George Washington’s working copy of the Constitution from Aug. 6, 1787.
    National Archives, Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention

    What functions would your plan hand over to the federal government?

    A prime example is licensing. I looked up all the different occupations that require state licenses. I was astonished: practically every health care profession, barbers, engineers, lawyers, architects, the list is endless.

    If you live near a state line, you can’t practice in both states unless you get two licenses. If you move to another state, you have to get another license. This seems silly. The human anatomy, human hair, engineering principles, don’t change as you cross from New York to New Jersey. Nor do we need 50 different state driver’s licenses; a single national license administered through local agencies would be more efficient.

    You say states are the root cause of the greatest threats to American democracy. What are those threats?

    The structural threats are those that are baked into the Constitution itself. The Electoral College is one. On five occasions, the Electoral College has awarded the presidency to the candidate whom the voters rejected nationwide. And there were many, many near misses where the popular vote loser almost became president, making many such future instances a statistical certainty.

    Perhaps even more important, every state, no matter how large or how small, gets the same number of U.S. senators. In fact, a majority of the U.S. population is represented by only about 18% of the Senate. The minority gets the other 82%.

    These counter-majoritarian defects in the elections of both presidents and senators have a ripple effect. They skew the composition, and thus the decisions, of the federal courts. Three of the current Supreme Court justices were appointed by President Donald Trump after he had lost the national popular vote; five of the current Supreme Court justices were confirmed by senators who collectively represented only a minority of the U.S. population.

    Here’s one especially jarring statistic: From 1969 until today, the Democratic presidential nominees won the national popular vote in a slight majority of the elections. Yet, during the presidential terms that resulted from those elections, Republican presidents have gotten to make 15 of the 20 Supreme Court appointments.

    The Constitution also gives the states broad powers to regulate and run national elections. State legislatures have used those powers to pass gerrymandering, voter suppression and other counter-majoritarian laws.

    If you devolve these functions and services to localities, wouldn’t you end up with a mirror of the current state-level structure? Wouldn’t this just send a lot of state personnel down to the local level?

    Yes, much of that structure would devolve. However, I see that as a good thing. Devolution is unavoidable in a country this size. Not everything can be done by the central government. The question for me is, do we need two levels of subordinate political subdivisions or one? One seems more efficient. And when problems are too big for one local government to handle on its own, it can partner with other local governments or with the national government, just as many local governments do today.

    Abolishing state government means no more meetings of the state legislature, like this one in the Maine House of Representatives on Jan. 4, 2023, at the State House in Augusta.
    AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

    If there were no states to gerrymander or pass voter-suppression laws, wouldn’t some national government agency just do it instead?

    Redistricting would be performed by a nonpartisan redistricting commission that I propose be made up of technicians, mainly demographers, statisticians and geographers, under broad, general principles enacted by Congress. That’s what almost every other democracy in the world does today.

    Why did you write this book?

    For a long time, I’ve been distressed about so many of the dangers to our democracy. So, one day, I found myself compiling what ended up becoming a fairly long mental list of all of my democracy-related grievances.

    A list of grievances like in the Declaration of Independence!

    That’s a nice analogy. And as I thought about that list, it suddenly struck me that the vast majority of these problems couldn’t occur without states. That got me thinking about whether we really need states in the first place.

    If it’s just a thought experiment, something that’s not going to happen, why would you think it’s worthwhile spending time writing this?

    And why would I be so vain as to think anybody would want to waste their time reading it?

    And your answer is, ‘Because I’m an academic!’

    It’s that, plus more. I do hope there’s some scholarly value in this. But I’m also writing for the long term. States are secure for now, but history teaches us that the more distant future is full of surprises.

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

    – ref. A radical proposal to abolish state government and strengthen American democracy – https://theconversation.com/a-radical-proposal-to-abolish-state-government-and-strengthen-american-democracy-256955

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The use of federal troops to quell Los Angles protests recalls militarized law enforcement during the Civil Rights Movement

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Justin Randolph, Assistant Professor of U.S. History, Texas A&M University

    The National Guard and protesters stand off outside of a downtown jail in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    President Donald Trump activated 4,000 National Guard troops on June 10, 2025, to quell protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids – without the normal request from the state. He has also sent to Los Angeles hundreds of U.S. Marines, with the goal of protecting the unprecedented deportation operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    If this all feels exceptional, it should. Governors typically activate their own state troops, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he would do on June 11 ahead of expected immigration protests.

    California quickly sued the president. A federal court has sided with the state, but an appeals court will weigh the Trump administration’s use of the U.S. code on armed services to activate the National Guard, which relies on protesters constituting either an “invasion” or “rebellion.”

    “What we’re witnessing is not law enforcement – it’s authoritarianism,”
    California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on June 10.

    Protesters report violent responses from Los Angeles police, too. Nonetheless, Newsom’s invocation of authoritarianism is apt.

    The last example of a president federalizing troops over the objection of a state government dates to Jim Crow segregation, a period marked by legal practices that routinely denied due process and citizenship rights to Black Americans in the South. In the 1960s, numerous Black freedom struggles took stands against this authoritarianism backed by militarized law enforcement.

    As a scholar of U.S. history, I’ve just completed a book on Jim Crow policing and the ways Black Americans fought back against racist law and order. I think the militarization of policing in Los Angeles opens important questions about democracy and state violence.

    Jim Crow dreams

    During the Civil Rights Movement, the federal government activated National Guard troops over Southern state objections when those states would neither enforce court orders nor protect protesters.

    In those cases, presidents protected people with the help of troops. In Trump’s case, he’s using troops to protect the government from protesters.

    The Trump administration’s vision of law enforcement aims for the type of militarized authority that state governments institutionalized under Jim Crow policing. If your political enemy is perceived more like an enemy combatant, the rules of legal procedure, especially due process, might not apply. Policing becomes war.

    When you see the words “Jim Crow,” your mind may jump to photos of racially segregated water fountains. But Jim Crow was far more than that. It was homegrown racial authoritarianism, or the repression of freedom of thought and action.

    Before troops enforced civil rights, Black Southerners saw the National Guard as an enemy rather than a friend.

    In the words of Ida B. Wells-Barnett after a white riot against Black residents in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1917, “The police were either indifferent or encouraged the barbarities. … The major part of the National Guard was indifferent or inactive. No organized effort was made to protect the Negroes or disperse the murdering groups.”

    Eisenhower sends in the troops

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education changed things. It overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision that legalized racial segregation and ruled that segregated public school education was unconstitutional. This significantly altered the federal government’s responsibility in the South’s legal system of white supremacy.

    The first test came in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Though numerous school districts across the South quietly desegregated, Southern governors such as Arkansas’ Orville Faubus resisted the planned desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.

    Seven of nine Black students walk onto the campus of Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., with a National Guard officer as an escort on Oct. 15, 1957.
    AP Photo/File

    Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to stop Black children at the door. For nearly three weeks, Guardsmen blocked the small group of Black students – known as the “Little Rock Nine” – who were supposed to attend the school before President Dwight Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard and ordered them to stand down.

    Eisenhower deployed U.S. Army riot troops to Little Rock under the Insurrection Act. In the end, the Little Rock Nine began their studies at Central High despite the much-photographed spitting from the white mob that surrounded the school.

    State troops, state rights

    Next came the desegregation of interstate transportation.

    In spring 1961, the Congress of Racial Equality, a civil rights advocacy group, sent buses of integrated passengers through the Deep South. White terrorists attacked Freedom Riders, as these activists became known, three times in Alabama.

    But state authorities had learned from the Little Rock experience. Southern governors in Alabama and Mississippi deployed the National Guard themselves. This time they intended to only minimally protect Freedom Riders to block federal law enforcement. In Mississippi, police arrested and prison guards tortured Freedom Riders in the state penitentiary. Mob violence killed no one.

    James Meredith, center, is escorted by federal marshals as he appears for his first day of class at the previously all-white University of Mississippi on Oct. 1, 1962.
    AP Photo, File

    The same was not true during the desegregation of public universities.

    When U.S. marshals arrived to enforce the court order enrolling James Meredith at the University of Mississippi in September 1962, a white riot erupted. State law enforcement withdrew from the scene. Two men died, and many more were injured.

    President John F. Kennedy federalized the Mississippi National Guard and sent them in to restore order. The next summer, he did the same in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to preemptively halt a riot at the University of Alabama.

    The occasion became a publicity stunt for Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace. He temporarily blocked the entrance to Foster Auditorium, intent on stopping the court-ordered registration of three Black students.

    “I stand before you here today in place of thousands of other Alabamians whose presence would have confronted you,” Wallace said to federal authorities. A National Guard general said, “Sir, it is my sad duty to ask you to step aside under the orders of the President of the United States.”

    A National Guard general informs Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace that the guard was under federal control, as the two meet at Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on June 11, 1963.
    AP Photo, File

    Wallace also triggered the last federal use – until now – of the National Guard. Alabama’s Selma-to-Montgomery march began as a memorial to Jimmie Lee Jackson, a young Black civil rights activist who was killed by police on Feb. 26, 1965. The march became primarily a symbol for the year’s Voting Rights Act.

    In an important change, President Lyndon B. Johnson federalized the National Guard to protect marchers. State troopers and sheriff’s deputies had terrorized marchers, including John Lewis, who was almost beaten to death on Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965.

    Democracy is in the streets

    The history of the National Guard in the South is an important part of what’s unfolding in Los Angeles and across the nation.

    For most of the National Guard’s history in the South, political leaders used domestic military power to preserve the interests of racial authoritarians, not racial egalitarians. Little Rock, Tuscaloosa, Selma: Those moments when troops protected racial justice protesters at home stand out as some of America’s most hopeful moments.

    Recent statements by Trump administration officials help illustrate how it envisions using military power in domestic law enforcement. On June 8, 2025, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to arrest rioters” – a request beyond the original order to protect ICE agents.

    And on June 12, Noem said that “the military people that are working on this operation … are staying here to liberate the city from the socialist and burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country.”

    The National Guard and Marines are reportedly protecting immigration enforcement. But what might happen if they directly interact with protests?

    With diverse tactics, protesters are halting business as usual because they see a mass-deportation regime terrorizing and disappearing people in their communities. U.S. courts tend to agree with their analysis but seem powerless to enforce even basic due process rights for those detained by ICE.

    These activists show the messy work of American social change. Their work may look like “anarchy” to even some Democrats. It may be maligned as “invasion” and “rebellion” by the Trump administration.

    But the calls to constrain ICE follow an American tradition of fighting authoritarianism.

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

    – ref. The use of federal troops to quell Los Angles protests recalls militarized law enforcement during the Civil Rights Movement – https://theconversation.com/the-use-of-federal-troops-to-quell-los-angles-protests-recalls-militarized-law-enforcement-during-the-civil-rights-movement-258866

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Nostalgic foods and scents like fresh-cut grass and hamburgers grilling bring comfort, connection and well-being

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Chelsea Reid, Associate Professor of Psychology, College of Charleston

    The foods and scents we associate with our childhoods can provide a meaningful source of comfort and connection. zeljkosantrac/E+ via Getty Images

    Walking around my neighborhood in the evening, I am hit by the smells of summer: fresh-cut grass, hamburgers grilling and a hint of swimming pool chlorine. These are also the smells of summers from my adolescence, and they remind me of Friday evenings at the community pool with my friends and our families gathered around picnic tables between swims. The memories always brings a smile to my face.

    As a social psychologist, I shouldn’t feel surprised to experience this warm glow. My research focuses on nostalgia – a sentimental longing for treasured moments in our personal pasts – and how nostalgia is linked to our well-being and feelings of connection with others.

    Triggered by sensory stimuli such as music, scents and foods, nostalgia has the power to mentally transport us back in time. This might be to important occasions, to moments of triumph and – importantly – moments revolving around close family and friends and other important people in our lives.

    As it turns out, this experience is good for us.

    How the concept of nostalgia evolved

    For centuries, nostalgia was considered unhealthy.

    In the 1600s, a Swiss medical student named Johannes Hofer studied mercenaries in the Italian and French lowlands who longed desperately for their mountain homelands. Witnessing their weeping and despondency, he coined the term nostalgia and attributed it to a brain disease. Other thinkers of the time echoed this view, which persisted through the 18th and 19th centuries.

    However, early thinkers made an error: They assumed that nostalgia was causing unpleasant symptoms. It may have been the reverse. Unpleasant experiences, such as loneliness and grief, can arouse nostalgia, which can then help people cope more effectively with these hardships.

    Today, researchers view nostalgia as a predominantly positive, albeit bittersweet, emotional experience that serves as a source of psychological well-being. Importantly, this view has been supported by scientific research.

    Part of what makes nostalgia so intense is the bittersweet blend of feelings that it brings up.

    How nostalgia inspires connection and belonging

    Nostalgia provides many benefits. It enhances feelings of optimism and inspiration and makes people view themselves more positively. When people feel nostalgic, they feel a greater sense that their lives are meaningful.

    The social benefits of nostalgia are particularly well supported. Nostalgia increases empathy and the willingness of people to give to those around them, such as volunteering for community events and donating to charities.

    Nostalgia also makes people feel more socially connected to their loved ones by enhancing feelings that they are loved by, connected to, protected by and trusting of others. Nostalgia helps people feel more secure in their close relationships and enhances relationship satisfaction.

    While nostalgia is a universal experience, it is also deeply personal. The moments for which we are each nostalgic and the stimuli that might trigger our nostalgic memories can vary from one person to the next depending on the experiences that each of us have. But people within the same culture may find similar stimuli to be nostalgic for them. In a 2013 study, for instance, my team found that American participants rated pumpkin pie spice as the most nostalgia-evoking scent out of a variety of options.

    Many nostalgia-inducing scents vary from person to person, but pumpkin pie spice may be one of the most evocative scents in the U.S.
    Redjina Ph/Moment via Getty Images

    The nostalgic power of scents and foods

    In 1922, the French novelist Marcel Proust wrote about the strength of scents and foods to elicit nostalgia. He vividly described how the experience of smelling and eating a tea-soaked cake mentally transported him back to childhood experiences with his aunt in her home and village. This sort of experience is now often referred to as the Proust effect.

    Science has confirmed what Proust described. Our olfactory system, the sensory system responsible for our sense of smell, is closely linked to brain structures associated with emotions and autobiographical memory. Smells combine with tastes to create our perception of flavor.

    Foods also tend to be central to social gatherings, making them easily associated with these memories. For instance, a summer barbecue might feel incomplete to some without slices of juicy watermelon. And homemade pumpkin pie may be an essential dessert at many Thanksgiving tables. The watermelon or pie may then serve as what are known in social psychology as social surrogates, foods that serve as stand-ins for valued relationships due to their inclusion at past occasions with loved ones.

    My research team and I wanted to know how people benefited from feeling nostalgic when they encountered the scents and foods of their pasts. We began in 2011 by exposing study participants to 33 scents and chose 12 of them for our study. Participants rated some scents, such as pumpkin pie spice and baby powder, as highly evocative of nostalgia, while rating others – such as money and cappuccino –as less evocative.

    Those who experienced more nostalgia when smelling the scents experienced greater positive emotions, greater self-esteem, greater feelings of connection to their past selves, greater optimism, greater feelings of social connectedness and a greater sense that life is meaningful.

    We came to similar conclusions when we studied nostalgia for foods. Foods seemed to be more strongly linked to nostalgia than either scents or music when comparing the amount of nostalgia our participants experienced for foods to what previous research participants experienced for scents and songs. More recently, we found that nostalgic foods are comforting and that people find nostalgic foods comforting because those nostalgic foods remind them of important or meaningful moments with their loved ones.

    For some, a summer barbecue wouldn’t be complete without the smell and taste of juicy watermelon.
    GMVozd/E+ via Getty Images

    Balancing benefits and trade-offs

    Although nostalgia can be associated with foods that should be eaten only in moderation – such as burgers and cookies – there are other ways to channel our nostalgia through foods.

    We can have nostalgia with healthy foods. For instance, orange slices remind me of halftime at childhood soccer matches. And many people, including our research participants, feel intense nostalgia around watermelon. Other researchers have found that tofu is a nostalgic food for Chinese participants.

    But when nostalgia does involve consumption of unhealthy foods, there are still other ways to experience it without the health trade-offs. We found that participants experienced the benefits of food-evoked nostalgia just from imagining and writing about the foods – no consumption necessary. Other researchers have found that drawing comforting foods can enhance well-being. Even consuming less healthy foods more mindfully helps people enjoy their food while reducing their caloric consumption.

    Once seen as detrimental to our health, nostalgia provides us with an opportunity to reap numerous rewards. With nostalgic foods, we might be able to nourish both our bodies and our psychological health.

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

    – ref. Nostalgic foods and scents like fresh-cut grass and hamburgers grilling bring comfort, connection and well-being – https://theconversation.com/nostalgic-foods-and-scents-like-fresh-cut-grass-and-hamburgers-grilling-bring-comfort-connection-and-well-being-256192

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: When you lose your health insurance, you may also lose your primary doctor – and that hurts your health

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jane Tavares, Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer of Gerontology, UMass Boston

    Seeing the same doctor on a regular basis is good for your health. Morsa Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images

    When you lose your health insurance or switch to a plan that skimps on preventive care, something critical breaks.

    The connection to your primary care provider, usually a doctor, gets severed. You stop getting routine checkups. Warning signs get missed. Medical problems that could have been caught early become emergencies. And because emergencies are both dangerous and expensive, your health gets worse while your medical bills climb.

    As gerontology researchers who study health and financial well-being in later life, we’ve analyzed how someone’s ties to the health care system strengthen or unravel depending on whether they have insurance coverage. What we’ve found is simple: Staying connected to a trusted doctor keeps you healthier and saves the system money. Breaking that link does just the opposite.

    And that’s exactly what has us worried right now. Members of Congress are debating whether to make major cuts to Medicaid and other social safety net programs. If the Senate passes its own version of the tax-and-spending package that the House approved in May 2025, millions of Americans will soon face exactly this kind of disruption – with big consequences for their health and well-being.

    How people end up uninsured

    Someone can lose their health insurance for a number of reasons. For many Americans, coverage is tied to employment. Being fired, retiring before you turn 65 and become eligible to enroll in the Medicare program, or even getting a new job can mean losing insurance. Others wind up uninsured due to a different array of changes: moving to a different state, getting divorced or aging out of a parent’s plan after their 26th birthday.

    And those who buy their own coverage may find that they can no longer afford the premiums. In 2024, average premiums on the individual market exceeded more than US$600 per month for many adults, even with subsidies.

    Government-sponsored insurance programs can also leave you vulnerable to this predicament. The Senate is currently considering its own version of a tax-and-spending bill the House of Representatives passed in May that would make cuts and changes to Medicaid. If the provisions in the House bill are enacted, millions of Americans who get health insurance through Medicaid – a health insurance program jointly run by the federal government and the states that is mainly for people who have low incomes or disabilities – would lose their coverage, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

    Medicaid was established in the 1960s, explains a scholar of the program’s history.

    Consequences of becoming uninsured

    Health insurance is more than a way to pay medical bills; it’s a doorway into the health care system itself. It connects people to health care providers who come to know their medical history, their medications and their personal circumstances.

    When that door closes, the effects are immediate. Uninsured people are much less likely to have a usual source of care – typically a doctor or another primary care provider or clinic you know and trust. That relationship acts as a foundation for managing chronic conditions, staying current with preventive screenings and getting guidance when new symptoms arise.

    Researchers have found that adults who go uninsured for even six months become significantly more likely to postpone care or forgo it altogether to save money. In practical terms, this means they’re less likely to be examined by someone who knows their medical history and can spot red flags early.

    The Affordable Care Act, the landmark health care law enacted during the Obama administration, made the number of Americans without insurance plummet. The share of people without insurance fell from 16% in 2010 to 7.7% in 2023.

    The people who got insurance coverage, particularly those who were middle age, saw big improvements in their health.

    Researching the results

    In research that looked at data collected from 2014 to 2020, we followed what happened to 12,000 adults who were 50 or older and lived across the nation.

    Our research team analyzed how their experiences changed when they lost, and sometimes later regained, a regular source of care during those six years.

    Many of the participants in this study had multiple chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

    The results were striking.

    Those who didn’t see the same provider on a regular basis were far less likely to feel heard or respected by health care professionals. They had fewer medical appointments, filled fewer prescriptions and were less likely to follow through with recommended treatments.

    Their health also deteriorated considerably over the six years. Their blood pressure and blood sugar levels rose, and they had more elevated indicators of kidney impairment compared with their counterparts who had regular care providers.

    The longer they went without consistent health care, the worse these clinical markers became.

    Warning signs

    Preventive care is one of the best tools that both patients and their health care providers have to head off major health problems. This care includes screenings like cholesterol and blood pressure checks, mammograms, PAP smears and prostate exams, as well as routine vaccinations. But most people only get preventive care when they stay engaged with the health care system.

    And that’s far more likely when you have stable and comprehensive health insurance coverage.

    Our research team also examined what happened to preventive care based on whether the participants had a regular doctor. We found that those who kept seeing the same providers were almost three times more likely to get basic preventive services than those who did not.

    Over time, these missed preventive care opportunities can add up to a big problem. They can turn what could have been a manageable issue into an emergency room visit or a long, expensive hospital stay.

    For example, imagine a man in his 50s who no longer gets cholesterol screenings after losing insurance coverage. Over several years, his undiagnosed high cholesterol leads to a heart attack that could have been prevented with early medication. Or a woman who skips mammograms because of out-of-pocket costs, only to face a late-stage cancer diagnosis that might have been caught years earlier.

    Waiting too long to deal with a health condition can mean you make a trip to the emergency room, increasing the cost of care for you and others.
    FS Productions/Tetra images via Getty Images

    Shifting the costs

    Patients whose conditions take too long to be diagnosed aren’t the only ones who pay the price.

    We also studied how stable care relationships affect health care spending. To do this, we linked Medicare claims cost data to our original study and tracked the medical costs of the same adults age 50 and older from 2014 to 2020. One of our key findings is that people with regular care providers were 38% less likely to incur above-average health care costs.

    These savings aren’t just for patients – they ripple through the entire health care system. Primary care stability lowers costs for both public and private health insurers and, ultimately, for taxpayers.

    But when people lose their health care coverage, those savings disappear.

    Emergency rooms see more uninsured patients seeking care that could have been handled earlier and more cheaply in a clinic or doctor’s office. While hospitals are legally required to provide emergency care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, much of the resulting cost goes unreimbursed.

    Hospitals foot the bill for about two-thirds of those losses. They pass the other third along to private insurance companies through higher hospital fees. Those insurers, in turn, raise their customers’ premiums. Larger taxpayer subsidies can then be required to keep hospitals open.

    Seeing Medicaid as a lifeline

    For the nearly 80 million Americans enrolled in Medicaid, the program provides more than coverage.

    It contributes to the health care stability our research shows is critical for good health. Medicaid makes it possible for many Americans with serious medical conditions to have a regular doctor, get routine preventive services and have someone to turn to when symptoms arise – even when they have low incomes. It helps prevent health care from becoming purely crisis-driven.

    As Congress considers cutting Medicaid funding by hundreds of billions of dollars, we believe that lawmakers should realize that scaling back coverage would break the fragile links between millions of patients and the providers who know them best.

    Jane Tavares receives funding from from the SCAN Foundation, the RRF Foundation for Aging, and Milbank Memorial Fund .

    Marc Cohen receives funding from the SCAN Foundation, the RRF Foundation for Aging and Milbank Memorial Fund .

    – ref. When you lose your health insurance, you may also lose your primary doctor – and that hurts your health – https://theconversation.com/when-you-lose-your-health-insurance-you-may-also-lose-your-primary-doctor-and-that-hurts-your-health-258380

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Monument to Russian metro builders to be erected on Sokolnicheskaya Square

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A monument to the “Metro Builders of Russia” will be erected on Sokolnicheskaya Square in the capital. The corresponding decree of the Moscow Government was signed Sergei Sobyanin.

    The monument will appear in the Moscow Metro square – next to Rusakovskaya Street, where in December 1931, in the courtyard of house 13, construction began on the first stage of the Moscow Metro from Sokolniki to Park Kultury, which opened in 1935.

    The front part of the composition will feature two dynamic figures: one will depict a metro builder from the 1930s, the other a modern representative of this profession, which is important for the city. Both figures will be placed in a niche resembling a metro tunnel, against the background of the Metrostroy emblem. The back of the monument will feature a map of the capital from 1935 with the first scheme of the Moscow metro.

    The design and production of the monument is planned to be completed in 2025.

     

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12954050/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 17 June 2025 News release The WHO Hub in Berlin: driving innovation to make the world safer from health threats

    Source: World Health Organisation

    WHO is developing new tools and innovative partnerships to boost countries’ defenses against future pandemics, including real-time threat detection and genomic analysis of viruses.

    In today’s interconnected world, health threats spread faster than ever. A new virus can cross continents in hours. An outbreak in one country can escalate into a global crisis in days. This reality requires constant innovation to protect lives and prevent the next pandemic.

    Building on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin leverages innovative tools and collaborations for more effective disease surveillance worldwide. Just over three years after its inauguration, the Hub now supports over 150 countries in detecting health threats more effectively and rapidly.

    The Hub’s latest annual report highlights the growing impact of this work and provides key insights into progress made in 2024.

    As no country can tackle the next pandemic alone, WHO is supporting countries to implement Collaborative Surveillance, a new collaborative approach to disease surveillance that promotes data and information sharing so that outbreaks can be detected and controlled faster.

    The early warning system hosted at the Hub, called Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS), scans online sources in real time and uses AI technology to identify public health threats more efficiently.

    “The Hub is ensuring that the most robust tools and analytics are available to enhance early threat detection and rapid response and support decision-makers around the world,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I have urged all WHO Member States to work closely with the Hub, not only to strengthen their own national and regional health security, but also to contribute to global preparedness and response.”

    Pathogen genomics, which analyses the genetic material of viruses and other pathogens, has become a powerful tool to track and predict outbreaks. The Hub’s International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) connects over 235 organizations and countries to expand genomic surveillance more equitably around the world, including through a US$ 4 million fund for low- and middle-income countries.

    “As part of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence builds on proven surveillance approaches while continuously developing and integrating new, innovative methods for detecting and responding to health threats,” said Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.

    To help decision-makers better understand an emerging health emergency and plan an effective response, the Hub is developing a cutting-edge platform that will visualize disease transmission and simulate the impact of different countermeasures. Once launched, the pandemic simulator will provide actionable insights to policy-makers and support them in responding to a health crisis.

    “Our commitment to fostering trust, building partnerships and driving innovation has never been stronger. Together, we are building a safer, healthier world for all,” said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Deputy Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.

    The collaborative spirit is also evident in the Hub’s physical space in Berlin, a dynamic campus for global collaboration that welcomes thousands of experts and collaborators each year at more than 60 onsite workshops and events.

    “Germany has been a strong supporter of scientific innovation for global health security, including the vision to establish the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence,” said Dr Oliver Morgan, Director of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. “Germany recognized the urgent need for a space where science, technology and partnerships can come together to protect the world from future health threats. This vision is now a reality and we are proud to call Berlin the home for the Hub.”

    “The WHO Hub in Berlin is a vibrant place for collaboration and co-creation. By leveraging WHO’s convening power, we bring partners together, facilitate data sharing and joint analysis, and support the collective adoption of innovative approaches,” said Sara Hersey, Director of Collaborative Intelligence at the WHO Hub in Berlin.

    With the ongoing threat of future pandemics, WHO remains at the forefront of developing tools, building partnerships and strengthening public health intelligence and surveillance capacities worldwide.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Mable Chan concludes Shanghai visit

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan today toured the Yangshan Port in Shanghai to gain insights into the operations of its automated terminal.

     

    She pointed out that the Port of Shanghai and ports in Hong Kong are advancing in unison towards greening, digitalisation and the adoption of smart technologies. The visit has deepened exchanges between the two sides on high-quality port development and allowed Hong Kong to draw on Yangshan Port’s experience to facilitate discussions with port operators on a roadmap for Hong Kong ports’ smart transformation.

     

    In addition to highlighting that Shanghai and Hong Kong are both vital shipping centres to the country, Ms Chan expressed hope that the visit and exchanges would enable both cities to work together towards the country’s strategic goal of becoming a maritime powerhouse, and explore opportunities for deeper collaboration.

     

    On Monday, Ms Chan arrived at Shanghai to begin her two-day visit where she first met Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission Director Yu Fulin and other officials to discuss traffic management, shipping and aviation, and other issues of mutual interest.

     

    Her engagements on Monday also involved a visit to an all-electric ferry, which started operating in April, to learn about Shanghai’s progress in promoting green transport, and a meeting with representatives of the China Shipowners’ Association.

     

    At the meeting with the association, Ms Chan gave an overview of the latest developments of Hong Kong’s maritime services, and encouraged Mainland shipowners and shipping enterprises to register their ships in Hong Kong.

     

    Ms Chan returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: German chancellor’s rebuke of Israel marks a shift in state policy that has long put such criticism out of bounds

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Elisabeth Weber, Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara

    German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Israeli President Isaac Herzog prepare to shake hands in Berlin on May 12, 2025. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    Friedrich Merz did something unprecedented for a German chancellor in late May 2025: publicly criticize Israel in unvarnished, unequivocal terms.

    “What the Israeli army is doing in the Gaza Strip, I no longer understand the goal,” he said in a televised interview. He added, “To harm the civilian population in such a way … can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism.”

    A day later, during a summit with prime ministers of Nordic countries in Finland, Merz doubled down. “I take a very, very critical view of what has happened in Gaza,” he said in reference to Israel’s bombing campaign and the blockade of food and other aid.

    Merz is not alone in the German government. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also weighed in, noting that Germany’s stance against antisemitism and its “full support” for the right of Israel to exist “must not be instrumentalized for the conflict and the warfare currently being waged in the Gaza Strip.”

    Criticism by outside governments of Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas that killed close to 1,200 people has been present since the war in Gaza began. At first, it was largely confined to countries in the Global South. But more recently it has included countries in the West.

    Still, as a scholar of the Shoah – the Hebrew term for the Holocaust – I know that this rebuke from Germany hits differently. Post-war Germany has a long-standing political commitment to Israel’s security. It is a commitment rooted in the nation’s historical responsibility for the Nazis’ annihilation of European Jews and that has been staunchly reaffirmed by German governments since the 1952 agreement of reparations between the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer, and the first prime minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion.

    ‘Staatsräson’ and its critics

    In 2008, then-chancellor Angela Merkel went so far as to call this commitment to Israel’s security Germany’s “Staatsräson,” or “reason of state.” In a speech she gave to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on March 18, 2008, Merkel emphasized that “only if Germany acknowledges its perpetual responsibility for the moral catastrophe of German history can we shape the future humanely.” She went on to assert that Germany’s “historic responsibility” is “part of my country’s raison d’état.” She added: “Israel’s security is never negotiable for me as German chancellor.”

    The argument that Israeli security is Germany’s “reason of state” was reiterated by Merkel’s successor, Olaf Scholz, during his visit to Israel on Oct. 17, 2023 – just 10 days after the Hamas attack. Standing next to Scholz, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Palestinian militant group “the new Nazis.”

    Tracing back the term’s origins and history, renowned historian Enzo Traverso recently noted that theorists and practitioners of “reason of state” agree that the concept “denotes the violation by a political power of its own ethical principles in service to a higher interest, generally the safeguarding of its own power.”

    The problem with Germany’s invocation of the “Staatsräson” as prioritizing the security of Israel above other concerns is that it implies defending policies even if they contravene Germany’s foundational ethical principles, such as those declared in its constitution. Article 1 asserts that the German people “acknowledge inviolable and inalienable human rights as the basis of every community, of peace and of justice in the world.”

    Such principles were born out of the recognition of the horrendous violation of human rights under the Nazi regime and the acknowledgment of Germany’s “perpetual responsibility,” as Merkel put it.

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks ahead of a special session of the Israeli parliament on March 18, 2008.
    Sebastian Scheiner/Pool/Getty Images

    In Germany’s public discourse, as well as school curricula, the Shoah is always described as absolutely unique.

    But as Israeli-American genocide and Holocaust scholar Omer Bartov has argued, this assertion is also open to criticism:

    “Germany’s commitment to the uniqueness of the Holocaust, from which it also derives its unique commitment to Israel, has arguably put it in a morally highly dubious position of both long denying its own past colonial crimes [in Namibia] and of denying Israel’s culpability in the present destruction of Gaza, including the killing and starvation of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians.”

    Germany’s commitment to the uniqueness of the Shoah also leaves little room for an acknowledgment of the Nakba – the violent expulsion of around 800,000 Palestinians before, during and after the foundation of the state of Israel.

    And it leaves no room for a recognition of how both catastrophes, the Shoah and the Nakba, are, as Bartov insists, “inextricably entangled.”

    Antisemitism definitions — and their critics

    As a consequence of Germany’s responsibility for the Shoah and its commitment to its uniqueness, the country has some of the strictest laws to combat antisemitism in the world. But critics also note widespread conflation of antisemitism with criticism of Israel.

    Germany, like the United States,
    has adopted a definition of antisemitism authored in 2004 by American lawyer Kenneth Stern and espoused in 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. That definition includes 11 examples of antisemitism, seven of which pertain to Israel.

    It has been criticized for being too vague, leading to the labeling of Jewish and non-Jewish people who oppose the current Israeli war in Gaza as “antisemitic.”

    Stern, who describes himself as Zionist, has sharply criticized the misuse of his definition to stifle academic freedom and criticism of the actions of the Israeli nation.

    In an article for the conservative Germany newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Israeli legal scholar Itamar Mann
    argued that Germany “needs a new definition of antisemitism.”

    He applauded the recent adoption, by the German leftist party Die Linke, of a separate definition of antisemitism laid out in the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism. Formulated in 2021 by more than 350 respected scholars, many of them Jewish, the declaration rejects labeling as antisemitic political speech that “criticizes or opposes Zionism as a form of nationalism.”

    Mann calls on the German government to implement policies to “protect all Jews, including those who … reject the current Israeli government and insist on a vocabulary that allows us to be Jewish and to criticize Israel.”

    A historic shift?

    The recent remarks of Merz may represent a subtle but sure shift in Germany’s “Staatsräson” and how it engages with its historical debt, Israel and antisemitism.

    And that may be a first step in moving away from a “Staatsräson” that, in the words of scholar of Middle Eastern politics Lena Obermaier, is “detrimental for Palestinians and progressive Jews” and gives Israel international cover when accused of massive violations of international law.

    What Merkel called Germany’s “perpetual responsibility for the moral catastrophe” of the Holocaust would, from my perspective as a scholar of the Shoah, demand nothing less.

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

    – ref. German chancellor’s rebuke of Israel marks a shift in state policy that has long put such criticism out of bounds – https://theconversation.com/german-chancellors-rebuke-of-israel-marks-a-shift-in-state-policy-that-has-long-put-such-criticism-out-of-bounds-258156

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Global: German chancellor’s rebuke of Israel marks a shift in state policy that has long put such criticism out of bounds

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Elisabeth Weber, Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara

    German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Israeli President Isaac Herzog prepare to shake hands in Berlin on May 12, 2025. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    Friedrich Merz did something unprecedented for a German chancellor in late May 2025: publicly criticize Israel in unvarnished, unequivocal terms.

    “What the Israeli army is doing in the Gaza Strip, I no longer understand the goal,” he said in a televised interview. He added, “To harm the civilian population in such a way … can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism.”

    A day later, during a summit with prime ministers of Nordic countries in Finland, Merz doubled down. “I take a very, very critical view of what has happened in Gaza,” he said in reference to Israel’s bombing campaign and the blockade of food and other aid.

    Merz is not alone in the German government. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also weighed in, noting that Germany’s stance against antisemitism and its “full support” for the right of Israel to exist “must not be instrumentalized for the conflict and the warfare currently being waged in the Gaza Strip.”

    Criticism by outside governments of Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas that killed close to 1,200 people has been present since the war in Gaza began. At first, it was largely confined to countries in the Global South. But more recently it has included countries in the West.

    Still, as a scholar of the Shoah – the Hebrew term for the Holocaust – I know that this rebuke from Germany hits differently. Post-war Germany has a long-standing political commitment to Israel’s security. It is a commitment rooted in the nation’s historical responsibility for the Nazis’ annihilation of European Jews and that has been staunchly reaffirmed by German governments since the 1952 agreement of reparations between the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer, and the first prime minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion.

    ‘Staatsräson’ and its critics

    In 2008, then-chancellor Angela Merkel went so far as to call this commitment to Israel’s security Germany’s “Staatsräson,” or “reason of state.” In a speech she gave to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on March 18, 2008, Merkel emphasized that “only if Germany acknowledges its perpetual responsibility for the moral catastrophe of German history can we shape the future humanely.” She went on to assert that Germany’s “historic responsibility” is “part of my country’s raison d’état.” She added: “Israel’s security is never negotiable for me as German chancellor.”

    The argument that Israeli security is Germany’s “reason of state” was reiterated by Merkel’s successor, Olaf Scholz, during his visit to Israel on Oct. 17, 2023 – just 10 days after the Hamas attack. Standing next to Scholz, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Palestinian militant group “the new Nazis.”

    Tracing back the term’s origins and history, renowned historian Enzo Traverso recently noted that theorists and practitioners of “reason of state” agree that the concept “denotes the violation by a political power of its own ethical principles in service to a higher interest, generally the safeguarding of its own power.”

    The problem with Germany’s invocation of the “Staatsräson” as prioritizing the security of Israel above other concerns is that it implies defending policies even if they contravene Germany’s foundational ethical principles, such as those declared in its constitution. Article 1 asserts that the German people “acknowledge inviolable and inalienable human rights as the basis of every community, of peace and of justice in the world.”

    Such principles were born out of the recognition of the horrendous violation of human rights under the Nazi regime and the acknowledgment of Germany’s “perpetual responsibility,” as Merkel put it.

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks ahead of a special session of the Israeli parliament on March 18, 2008.
    Sebastian Scheiner/Pool/Getty Images

    In Germany’s public discourse, as well as school curricula, the Shoah is always described as absolutely unique.

    But as Israeli-American genocide and Holocaust scholar Omer Bartov has argued, this assertion is also open to criticism:

    “Germany’s commitment to the uniqueness of the Holocaust, from which it also derives its unique commitment to Israel, has arguably put it in a morally highly dubious position of both long denying its own past colonial crimes [in Namibia] and of denying Israel’s culpability in the present destruction of Gaza, including the killing and starvation of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians.”

    Germany’s commitment to the uniqueness of the Shoah also leaves little room for an acknowledgment of the Nakba – the violent expulsion of around 800,000 Palestinians before, during and after the foundation of the state of Israel.

    And it leaves no room for a recognition of how both catastrophes, the Shoah and the Nakba, are, as Bartov insists, “inextricably entangled.”

    Antisemitism definitions — and their critics

    As a consequence of Germany’s responsibility for the Shoah and its commitment to its uniqueness, the country has some of the strictest laws to combat antisemitism in the world. But critics also note widespread conflation of antisemitism with criticism of Israel.

    Germany, like the United States,
    has adopted a definition of antisemitism authored in 2004 by American lawyer Kenneth Stern and espoused in 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. That definition includes 11 examples of antisemitism, seven of which pertain to Israel.

    It has been criticized for being too vague, leading to the labeling of Jewish and non-Jewish people who oppose the current Israeli war in Gaza as “antisemitic.”

    Stern, who describes himself as Zionist, has sharply criticized the misuse of his definition to stifle academic freedom and criticism of the actions of the Israeli nation.

    In an article for the conservative Germany newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Israeli legal scholar Itamar Mann
    argued that Germany “needs a new definition of antisemitism.”

    He applauded the recent adoption, by the German leftist party Die Linke, of a separate definition of antisemitism laid out in the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism. Formulated in 2021 by more than 350 respected scholars, many of them Jewish, the declaration rejects labeling as antisemitic political speech that “criticizes or opposes Zionism as a form of nationalism.”

    Mann calls on the German government to implement policies to “protect all Jews, including those who … reject the current Israeli government and insist on a vocabulary that allows us to be Jewish and to criticize Israel.”

    A historic shift?

    The recent remarks of Merz may represent a subtle but sure shift in Germany’s “Staatsräson” and how it engages with its historical debt, Israel and antisemitism.

    And that may be a first step in moving away from a “Staatsräson” that, in the words of scholar of Middle Eastern politics Lena Obermaier, is “detrimental for Palestinians and progressive Jews” and gives Israel international cover when accused of massive violations of international law.

    What Merkel called Germany’s “perpetual responsibility for the moral catastrophe” of the Holocaust would, from my perspective as a scholar of the Shoah, demand nothing less.

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

    – ref. German chancellor’s rebuke of Israel marks a shift in state policy that has long put such criticism out of bounds – https://theconversation.com/german-chancellors-rebuke-of-israel-marks-a-shift-in-state-policy-that-has-long-put-such-criticism-out-of-bounds-258156

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: American Rebel Light Beer Strengthens Brand Position with NHRA as Title Sponsor of American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals (June 20-22, 2025) – National Television Broadcast on FOX and FS1

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    American Rebel Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) Expanding Market Presence and Showcasing Patriotism through Strategic Partnerships, High-Profile Events, and Unmatched Fan Engagement

    American Rebel Light Beer Takes Center Stage at Virginia NHRA Nationals – Available at all concession locations selling beer, American Rebel Light fuels the excitement of motorsports while celebrating patriotism, highlighted by two electrifying concerts from CEO Andy Ross.

    American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals – America’s Patriotic Beer stands proudly in the spotlight, reaching millions of dedicated fans on-site and across national TV, reinforcing its commitment to fans of motorsports that aligns with our American values.

    NASHVILLE, TN, June 17, 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 that its flagship beer, American Rebel Light, has been named the title sponsor of the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals taking place June 20 – 22 at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond, VA.

    Race Weekend Highlights at the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals

    Fans can enjoy American Rebel Light at all concession locations selling beer at Virginia Motorsports Park, as well as at the American Rebel Light Party Tent and American Rebel Light Trackside Bar. CEO Andy Ross will perform two concerts during race weekend, bringing his signature freedom-fueled anthems to NHRA fans.

    “We’re really playing to our audience and core customers at NHRA races,” said Andy Ross, CEO American Rebel Holdings, Inc. “Race fans are very patriotic, and they love our beer and if they give me the microphone, I’m happy to spread the word! NHRA 330+ mph, 12,000-horsepower nitro machines and Rebel Light are the perfect match. It’s the only beer we’re drinking round here.”

    NHRA Nationals Broadcast Details

    The American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals will broadcast on the FOX network and FS1, with eliminations coverage beginning at 4 pm EDT on Sunday, June 22.

    FOX broadcasts deliver major reach—up to 2 million viewers—making the Sunday eliminations a prime marketing moment for brand exposure for American Rebel Light.

    FS1 coverage reinforces awareness and offers additional touchpoints with hundreds of thousands more viewers.

    Expected and Historical Track attendance is strong, with several years of sold-out or near-capacity sessions, maximizing experiential fan engagement.

    Platform / Metric Estimated Range
    FOX (Sunday finals) 800K–2.1M viewers (800K avg, peak ~2.1M)
    FS1 (Qualifying / tape-delayed) ~250K–600K viewers, avg ~400K-500K
    On-site attendance Up to 23K capacity per day
       

    Andy Ross – Presented by American Rebel Light Beer – Live Performance Schedule

    Known for his patriotic and high-energy music, Andy Ross will take the stage:

    • Saturday Afternoon: Between Q2 & Q3 Nitro qualifying sessions (~3:15 pm EDT)
    • Sunday: Following Round 1 of Nitro Eliminations (~1:00 pm EDT)

    American Rebel Building on Past Success with the NHRA

    This marks the second NHRA title sponsorship for American Rebel Light in 2025. After a successful partnership at the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, the brand continues to expand its presence in professional drag racing.

    “Our experience in Charlotte was amazing,” said Andy Ross. “The exposure put us on the map in North Carolina and nationwide through FOX, FS1, and FS2 broadcasts. NHRA and Charlotte Motor Speedway were fantastic partners, and we can’t wait to do it again at Virginia Motorsports Park.”

    Strong Brand Presence at Virginia Motorsports Park

    As part of the sponsorship, American Rebel Light will have a strong brand presence at Virginia Motorsports Park, featuring trackside signage and brand integrations throughout the venue. Race fans (21+) can enjoy American Rebel Light—America’s Patriotic, God-Fearing, Constitution-Loving, National Anthem-Singing, Stand-Your-Ground Beer—while experiencing the intensity of NHRA drag racing.

    NHRA Excited to Welcome Back American Rebel Light

    “We’re thrilled to have American Rebel Light return as a title sponsor,” said Brad Gerber, NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “They’ve already proven to be a terrific partner with a team passionate about NHRA drag racing. We’re looking forward to an incredible weekend with American Rebel Light Beer and NHRA fans.”

    Meet NHRA Racing Legends

    Throughout the race weekend, fans can meet and greet American Rebel Light-sponsored drivers:

    • Tony Stewart
    • Matt Hagan
    • Other NHRA drivers in autograph sessions

    The Ultimate NHRA Experience

    Fans can grab a cold American Rebel Light at all concession locations selling beer at Virginia Motorsports Park. For an elevated experience, visit the American Rebel Light Trackside Bar or the American Rebel Light Party Tent, where guests can toast to horsepower and freedom with American Rebel Light 16 oz Tall Boys.

    Stay Connected & Get Tickets

    For tickets and event details, visit NHRA’s official site or follow Andy Ross (@andyrossrebel), American Rebel Beer (@americanrebelbeer) and American Rebel (@AmericanRebel99 on X) on social media for updates.

    New American Rebel Virginia Distributor – Valley Distribution Ensures Fans Enjoy American Rebel Light Beer at American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals

    American Rebel Beverages recently welcomed Valley Distributing Corporation (valleydist.net) as its newest distribution partner in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Their rapid execution was critical in ensuring that fans at the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals could enjoy a cold American Rebel Light Beer throughout the race weekend—from the grandstands to the American Rebel Light Party Tent.

    “We’re incredibly grateful for Valley’s ability to move fast and deliver results,” said Todd Porter, President of American Rebel Beverages. “Their speed and commitment exemplify exactly why we believe this will be a long-term, high-impact partnership. We’re excited to grow together and build a retail footprint across Southwestern Virginia, so when fans head home from the race, they can find American Rebel Light Beer on shelves near them.”

    With this key partnership in place, American Rebel Beverages continues to expand its patriotic footprint—one race, one fan, and one state at a time.

    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: Brag House Launches Revenue-Generating NIL Platform to Monetize Gen Z Athlete Engagement Across 200+ College Campuses

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brag House Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TBH) (“Brag House” or the “Company”), the media-tech platform at the intersection of gaming, college sports, and Gen Z engagement, last week unveiled plans to launch a secure digital asset platform as part of its Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) initiative supporting the Company’s broader monetization strategy by introducing new revenue streams, expanding Gen Z engagement, and strengthening its data-driven value proposition.

    Building on its earlier announcement to explore digital NIL engagement models, the initiative leverages Brag House’s national footprint across 200+ NCAA campuses through its partnership with Learfield, enabling student-athletes to monetize personalized digital assets such as highlight reels, game-day passes, and authenticated collectibles. Brag House will retain transaction fees and recurring royalty revenue from secondary marketplace activity, while also capturing valuable user engagement and behavioral data.

    “We’re laying the groundwork for a new digital economy built around Gen Z athletes and fans, ” said Lavell Juan Malloy II, CEO and Co-Founder of Brag House. “By combining NIL rights with authenticated digital assets, we’re offering scalable monetization while enhancing our ability to understand and serve our community. This platform introduces a repeatable, high-margin business model aligned with the surging NIL and digital ownership economies.”

    Unlocking a Multi-Billion-Dollar Market Through a Scalable Revenue Model

    As referenced in Brag House’s previous announcement, the NIL market is projected to grow to $1.5 billion by 2027. Brag House’s NIL platform targets a key gap in the market: 95% of NCAA athletes currently receive little to no NIL compensation.

    Using a no-code interface, athletes will be able to mint and sell digital assets directly to fans while Brag House earns transaction fees on all primary sales and royalties on secondary trades. Fan-to-athlete commerce will be enabled by automated smart contract systems, with automated payments routed to athlete-controlled digital wallets. The Company is evaluating sustainable, next-gen digital platforms that offer low fees and reliable verification systems.

    Initial monetization scenarios include:

    • Personalized collectibles with resale royalties
    • Digital access passes for live/virtual events
    • Loyalty integrations with brand partners and sponsors
    • Tiered fan experiences that reward long-term participation

    Accelerating Brag House’s Strategic Flywheel

    This platform aligns directly with Brag House’s four-phase strategic roadmap: build Gen Z community, scale B2B solutions, monetize engagement, and activate proprietary data. The NIL initiative further supports each of these goals by:

    • Increasing user retention through exclusive athlete-fan interaction
    • Creating brand sponsorship inventory around collectible campaigns
    • Enhancing the Company’s first-party behavioral data for Gen Z
    • Enabling subscription and membership cross-sell opportunities

    “This initiative is not about chasing trends, it’s about capturing value,” added Malloy. “We’ve already proven our ability to engage Gen Z across gaming and college campuses. Now, we’re unlocking the next layer of monetization that expands our platform’s economic potential.”

    Pilot Rollout in Late 2025

    Brag House expects to launch initial NIL activations on select campuses later this year, in conjunction with branded loyalty campaigns and its Brag Gators Gauntlet Series. Full platform capabilities, including smart contract integration, athlete onboarding, and fan resale features, are anticipated to go live in early 2026.

    About Brag House
    Brag House is a leading media technology gaming platform dedicated to transforming casual college gaming into a vibrant, community-driven experience. By seamlessly merging gaming, social interaction, and cutting-edge technology, the Company provides an inclusive and engaging environment for casual gamers while enabling brands to authentically connect with the influential Gen Z demographic. For more information, visit www.braghouse.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements 
    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, expectations related to the investigation of potential naked short selling, including the Company’s analysis, its ability to take appropriate corrective action, or any potential investigations by regulators and other risk factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s filings with the SEC. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations that arise after the date hereof, except as may be required by law.

    Media Contacts:
    Fatema Bhabrawala
    Director of Media Relations
    fbhabrawala@allianceadvisors.com

    Dave Gentry, CEO
    RedChip Companies, Inc.
    TBH@redchip.com

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Adele Carey
    VP, Investor Relations
    ir@thebraghouse.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Built for Africa: Trinasolar Showcases Weather-Resilient Solar + Storage Solutions at Africa Energy Forum

    With over 1 gigawatt of solar equipment supplied in South Africa in the past year, Trinasolar (www.Trinasolar.com) returns to the Africa Energy Forum (AEF) reaffirming its position as a long-term partner in Africa’s clean energy journey. At this year’s event in Cape Town, the company is spotlighting its next-generation solar and battery storage solutions, designed to withstand extreme weather, harsh environmental conditions, and evolving grid demands across the continent.

    “As the energy crisis and climate volatility continue to impact South Africa and the broader African region, Trinasolar is focused on delivering real solutions that enable long-term energy security,” said Vincent Wu, Global Sales Vice President and MEA MU Head at Trinasolar. “Our high-efficiency PV modules and advanced energy storage systems are engineered to meet the challenging realities on the ground. Through our presence at AEF, we’re reinforcing our commitment to supporting Africa’s transition to a greener, more stable energy future; one built on innovation, resilience, and strategic collaboration.”

    Taking centre stage is the launch of the Vertex N 630W (NED19RC.20), Trinasolar’s newest ultra-durable solar module. Tailored for Africa’s diverse and often unpredictable conditions, the module features reinforced mechanical design, anti-dust and corrosion-resistant components, and a record-breaking 55 mm hail resistance rating, which is more than double the industry standard.

    Certified for fire safety and built to perform in environments rich in salt, ammonia, and sand, the module delivers a maximum power output of 630W and up to 23.3% efficiency. Its low-voltage, high-string design is compatible with leading inverters, while reducing system costs and installation time for commercial and utility-scale developers.

    “We’re seeing strong momentum across the region, especially in the commercial, industrial, and utility-scale sectors where innovation and ease of installation matter,” said Zaheer Khan, Regional Director for South Africa, Trinasolar MEA. “Installers and partners are drawn to solutions like the Vertex N 630W, not just for its performance, but because it addresses real operational challenges in tough environments.

    “In just the past year, Trinasolar has delivered over a gigawatt of technology solar equipment in South Africa alone,” Khan added. “It’s a milestone that reflects our growing footprint, trusted relationships, and long-term commitment to the region. And we’re just getting started.”

    Trinasolar’s growing Africa portfolio includes solar modules, smart tracker systems, energy storage solutions, and floating PV technologies. These offerings are designed to meet the continent’s diverse energy needs with quality, flexibility, and integration at the core. With local presence in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and warehouse facilities in Durban that maintain 10–20 megawatts of stock for quick nationwide delivery, Trinasolar supports rapid deployment across the region. Its expanding footprint includes commercial engagement in Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, and other strategic markets.

    Over the past decade, Trinasolar has played a key role in shaping South Africa’s solar market—driving utility-scale projects, enabling C&I growth, and supporting the country’s path toward decentralisation and clean energy. As Africa’s energy transition accelerates, Trinasolar remains focused on scaling integrated systems, expanding local talent and operations, and collaborating closely with governments, utilities, and private sector partners to deliver long-term energy resilience.

    Trinasolar will be exhibiting at Booth B15 at the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town from 17–20 June, where its senior team will be available for business meetings and stakeholder discussions.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Trinasolar.

    For media inquiries please contact:
    Mariam Agag – PR Manager, Trinasolar MEA
    Email: mariam.agag@trinasolar.com

    Lojayne Mohsen – Senior Consultant, Fekra Communications
    Email: lojayne.mohsen@fekracomms.com

    David Gyampo, Account Manager – Razor PR
    Email: david.gyampo@razorpr.co.za

    About Trinasolar (688599. SH):
    Founded in 1997, Trinasolar Co Ltd (stock symbol: Trinasolar; stock code: 688599) is engaged mainly in PV products, PV systems and smart energy. PV products include R&D, production and sales of PV modules. PV systems consist of power stations and system products. Smart energy comprises mainly PV power generation and operations and maintenance, smart solutions for energy storage, smart microgrid, and development and sales of multi-energy systems. We are committed to leading the way in smart PV and energy storage solutions and facilitating the transformation of new power systems for a net-zero future.

    On June 10, 2020, Trinasolar was listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board (STAR Market) of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE). It was the first PV and energy storage company to go public on the STAR Market providing PV products and systems, as well as smart energy. For more information, please visit www.Trinasolar.com.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: How Birmingham will benefit from the Government’s Spending Review

    Source: City of Birmingham

    Access to more affordable homes, increased funding for schools and their pupils, and investment in Birmingham’s transport networks are among the Chancellor’s spending priorities.

    These headlines come from the Government’s Spending Review, which unveiled on 11 June, outlining their spending plans for the next three years.

    Finance officers are assessing what the Chancellor’s announcement means for the council’s own finances and services and the picture will become clearer later in the year.

    Cllr John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “I welcome this Spending Review, and I’m encouraged the Chancellor has included funding for projects like the extension of the West Midlands Metro into East Birmingham, which will bring with it hundreds of jobs.

    “Working closely with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, we are ambitious for Birmingham and its people, and we need a government that matches those ambitions – so I am glad to see investment in education, children and young people are among those key spending priorities,

    “With the right support, cities like Birmingham can unlock growth and tackle inequalities that continue to hold too many people back – and the Government’s commitment to invest £39 billion in affordable housing is also key to this. This funding will transform the lives of so many people.”

    In Birmingham – one of the youngest cities in Europe – children will benefit from the £4.7 billion committed to spending on schools, up by £2 billion – to improve facilities and opportunities in education by 2028/29.

    There will also be investment in amenities and activities for young people, which in Birmingham could translate into revitalising local facilities. This is part of a new Local Growth Fund and an additional Mayoral Growth Fund to help cities deliver on the Government’s Growth Mission.

    In addition £410 million will be spent on extending the Free School Meals scheme to all pupils with a parent receiving Universal Credit. This comes on top of the council’s ongoing work to auto-enrol children across the city who qualify for free school meals, but have not applied for them.

    Meanwhile school breakfast clubs will be open to all children – to ensure their school day gets off to a good start.

    Housing features highly in this Spending Review – with a £39 billion commitment to increase the provision of affordable housing across the country over the next decade.

    Being able to access this funding will help Birmingham City Council tackle the city’s housing crisis – by improving access to safe, decent and affordable housing, to those most in need.

    Extending the West Midlands Metro through East Birmingham – connecting the Birmingham Sports Quarter and investment in West Midland Rail Hub will all help create thousands of jobs and opportunities for local business as part of our ambitious inclusive growth agenda for East Birmingham.

    This investment in key infrastructure will help to deliver Birmingham’s Sports Quarter – which will be home to Birmingham City FC’s new stadium.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Lufthansa honored with World Airline Awards 2025

    Source: Lufthansa Group

    Lufthansa is the world’s most family-friendly airline. This prize from the World Airline Awards 2025 was presented today by the market research institute Skytrax at the Paris Air Show. The Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt was also named the world’s best First Class Lounge. Austrian Airlines and Eurowings also received one of the coveted prizes – the award for “Best Airline Staff in Europe” went to Austrian Airlines in Vienna and Eurowings was named “Best Low Cost Airline in Europe”. Skytrax, a market research institute specializing in aviation, had previously surveyed 22.3 million passengers from well over 100 countries worldwide.

    “Lufthansa attaches great importance to ensuring that all guests on board feel comfortable with us – from Economy to First Class. I am therefore particularly pleased that we have received the award for the world’s most family-friendly airline and at the same time for the best First Class lounge,” says Heiko Reitz, Chief Customer Officer Lufthansa Airlines. “Above all, Lufthansa’s unsurpassed hospitality is also premium. In particular, our colleagues in the cabin, cockpit and on the ground can be very proud today. They are the ones who fulfill our promise of quality day after day.”

     

    Traveling with children  

    Lufthansa attaches great importance to ensuring that its youngest guests also feel comfortable on board. The airline therefore offers specially created kids’ menus prepared by the chefs at Gate Gourmet. The menus belong to the “Special Meals” category and can be pre-ordered by passengers free of charge up to 24 hours before departure. The offer applies to all classes on long-haul flights and to Business Class on short-haul flights.

    The trays are lovingly designed with colorful illustrations of the Lufthansa mascots “Lu” and “Cosmo” and the menu card invites young passengers to puzzle and color while they playfully learn how an airplane flies.

    Lufthansa has also introduced a new range of children’s toys on board. From cloud-shaped cuddly blankets for toddlers to puzzles and the game “City, Country, Flight”, there is something for every taste and every age. There is also a portfolio of coloring pages featuring Lu and Cosmo, which can be accessed via the Lufthansa eJournals homepage. Young passengers will also find magazines for children and teenagers in various languages. The in-flight entertainment program for children includes a large selection of films, series, music, audio books and podcasts. Children can also look forward to special amenity kits and, from summer 2025, new year-round “Best Friend” children’s boarding passes.

     

    Travel in Lufthansa First Class

    The separate First Class terminal in Frankfurt with limousine transfer directly to the aircraft and personal assistant, which has been named the best First Class lounge in the world, is emblematic of Lufthansa’s premium offering.

    Since the beginning of the year, traveling in Lufthansa’s top class has become even more exclusive. The new Lufthansa Allegris First Class on long-haul aircraft can be experienced in the summer timetable on flights from Munich to San Francisco, Chicago, San Diego, Shanghai and Bengaluru and sets new standards with two individual suites and the extraordinary Suite Plus: guests can heat or cool their almost one meter wide seats in the individual suites according to their personal needs. The separate cabins with ceiling-high walls and lockable door, large table and wide seat, a living room-sized screen and wireless “over-ear” headphones define a new standard in comfort and individuality. Generous storage space is provided by a personal wardrobe in the suite, so that travelers can change comfortably and have all their personal items to hand. Individual lamps allow travelers to create their very own feel-good atmosphere.

    The Suite Plus double cabin, the only one of its kind in the world, creates a special travel experience with two wide seats that can be combined to form a comfortable double bed if required. The flying private room impresses with maximum comfort and individuality. The Suite Plus offers maximum exclusivity for the single passenger and the unique opportunity to use the double cabin as a couple.

    The new First Class is part of a major Lufthansa premium offensive. Among other things, First Class guests can also look forward to renovated First Class check-in areas in Frankfurt (from late summer) and Munich as well as the newly designed First Class Lounge at Munich Airport.

     

    Skytrax

    The survey was conducted by the market research institute Skytrax. It evaluated the airlines’ in-flight offers and services at the airports. Skytrax has been conducting the annual passenger survey since 1999. All detailed results of the World Airlines Awards can be found at www.worldairlineawards.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems join Culham fusion hub

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems join Culham fusion hub

    UKAEA’s Culham Campus welcomes Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems as its latest tenants.

    Culham Campus site in Oxfordshire – Image Credit: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

    Two pioneering companies, Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems, have joined the growing cluster of fusion technology and AI organisations at United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) Culham Campus.

    The arrival of Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems marks another significant step in the evolution of Culham Campus as a community of like-minded people. The site has organisations across sectors including fusion energy, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and computing, supporting the UK’s ambition to lead the global quest for commercial fusion energy.

    Kyoto Fusioneering, a leading developer of fusion technologies, and Astral Systems, a leader in compact fusion innovations, bring cutting-edge capability to Culham, enhancing the dynamic ecosystem of science and technology tenants already based on site.

    Tim Bestwick, Deputy CEO, UKAEA, said:

    We are delighted to welcome Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems to Culham Campus. Their presence demonstrates the growing momentum in the UK’s fusion technology sector and the strength of our innovation ecosystem. Culham is not just the home of the UK’s fusion programme – it is the UK’s first AI Growth Zone and is fast becoming the go-to location for industry, academia and investors focusing on high technology innovation.

    Richard Pearson, Co-founder and Chief Innovator at Kyoto Fusioneering, added:

    Being part of the Culham Campus community is an important milestone for Kyoto Fusioneering. Culham represents a world-class environment for fusion innovation, and we are excited to contribute our expertise and collaborate with the brilliant minds here to help realise a fusion-powered future.

    Talmon Firestone, Co-founder and CEO, Astral Systems, said:

    Securing space at Culham Campus marks another important step in deepening our relationship with UKAEA. With its world-class facilities and collaborative environment, Culham is the ideal home for our work on the Small-Scale Experiment for Tritium Breeding (SSETB) and future Fusion Futures initiatives. We’re excited to grow our presence here and continue contributing to the UK’s fusion ecosystem.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –