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Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI: TopLine Financial Credit Union Receives Twin Cities Best of Business 2025 Reader’s Choice Award

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MAPLE GROVE, Minn., June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based member-owned financial services cooperative, has been named the Best Credit Union in Minnesota by Twin Cities Business 2025 Best of Business Reader’s Choice Poll.

    Twin Cities Business conducts an annual survey of their readers asking “Which companies exemplify true excellence in their respective industries and would they confidently refer to a family member, friend or colleague?” and published results in its June/July issue and online.

    The communities the credit union services have recognized TopLine as one of the most appreciated and trustworthy financial institutions in Minnesota. Several qualities that make TopLine stand out include the credit union’s dedication to our mission of “Connected, We All Do Better” by providing affordable and competitive financial services, commitment of our employees to help consumers achieve their financial goals, positively making a local and global impact through community outreach activities via their TopLine Credit Union Foundation, and helping consumers with homeownership and investments.

    “We are honored to receive the distinction in the Financial Services Credit Unions category of the Twin Cities Business ‘Best of Business’ poll,” said Mick Olson, President and CEO of TopLine Financial Credit Union. “This recognition reflects the unwavering commitment, care, and compassion of our TopLine family of employees in supporting our members and communities and helping them achieve their financial dreams. We extend heartfelt gratitude to our members and communities for their trust and support, and congratulate all the esteemed organizations recognized this year.”

    Twin Cities Business is Minnesota’s leading provider of business news, insight, and analysis through daily online new stories, e-newsletters, a monthly print magazine and live events. Along with their readers, they get to know the personalities of our region’s most influential leaders, exploring the “how” behind their success, strategies, and solutions. They discuss today’s most pressing issues, examine trends and outlooks, and provide the context, perspective, and information leaders have come to depend on.

    TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesota’s 9th largest credit union, with assets of over $1.1 billion and serves over 70,000 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit financial cooperative offers a complete line of financial services from its ten branch locations — in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, Forest Lake, Maple Grove, Plymouth, St. Francis and in St. Paul’s Como Park — as well as by phone and online at www.TopLinecu.com. Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Benton, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington and Wright counties in Minnesota and their immediate family members, as well as employees and retirees of Anoka Hennepin School District #11, Anoka Technical College, Federal Premium Ammunition, Hoffman Enclosures, Inc., GRACO, Inc., and their subsidiaries. Visit us on our Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about the credit union’s foundation, visit www.TopLinecu.com/Foundation.

    CONTACT:
    Vicki Roscoe Erickson
    Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
    TopLine Financial Credit Union
    verickson@toplinecu.com | 763.391.0872

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d09893b7-9a2a-44cc-805d-7f79b959eeb3

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Navicore Solutions Supports Americans Amid Shifting Financial Habits and Growing Uncertainty

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MANALAPAN, N.J., June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In today’s uncertain economic climate, a growing number of Americans are making serious efforts to take control of their finances. A recent national survey shows that over three-quarters of U.S. adults have adjusted their spending habits in response to financial instability. From building emergency savings to avoiding credit card interest, individuals are clearly seeking ways to better manage their money.

    While these behavioral changes are promising, navigating personal finances, especially during difficult times, can be overwhelming. Navicore Solutions plays a critical role in providing unbiased, quality personal financial counseling and debt management solutions for consumers looking to improve their financial position. This renewed focus on increasing financial stability stems from consumers’ growing concern about their overall financial well-being, according to the survey.

    “We’re seeing more people reach out for help with budgeting, debt repayment, and credit education,” says Mike Leon, Senior Director of Counseling at Navicore Solutions. “Financial stress doesn’t have to be faced alone, working with a certified credit counselor can provide clarity, structure, and peace of mind.”

    Navicore Solutions provides services designed to help people regain control of their financial lives. These include:

    • Budget Counseling: Clients work one-on-one with a certified counselor to develop a personalized budget that helps them manage income, control expenses, and plan for both short- and long-term financial goals.
    • Debt Management Plans (DMPs): A structured repayment strategy that may lower interest rates, reduce monthly payments, and stop collection calls.
    • Housing Counseling: HUD Certified counselors explain options to individuals and families who are looking to purchase a home, or concerned about their ability to make rent or mortgage payment for their current home.
    • Financial Education: Tools and resources that improve long-term financial habits, from saving and investing to understanding student loans and housing costs.

    These services are especially helpful for those who feel uncertain or overwhelmed about where to begin.

    About Navicore Solutions

    Founded in 1991, Navicore Solutions is a national leader in the field of nonprofit financial counseling with a mission to strengthen the well-being of individuals and families through education, guidance, advocacy, and support.

    Navicore counselors provide a wide range of services including credit counseling to consumers in need; education programs through workshops, courses and written material; debt management plan to provide relief for applicable consumers; student loan counseling for those struggling with student loan debt; and housing counseling services in the areas of rental, pre-purchase, default and reverse mortgage. The agency is an advocate of financial education helping communities achieve and maintain financial stability.

    Contact:
    Lori Stratford
    Digital Marketing Manager
    Navicore Solutions
    lstratford@navicoresolution

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NHS red tape blitz delivers game-changing new cancer treatment

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    NHS red tape blitz delivers game-changing new cancer treatment

    Patients to benefit from new era in cancer treatment, as Government slashes red tape to unleash life-saving innovation

    NHS patients will be the first in Europe to benefit from a ground-breaking, non-invasive liver cancer treatment, as the Government’s Plan for Change slashes burdensome red tape and drives innovation, establishing Britain’s role as a medical technology powerhouse.

    Using ultrasound technology, the device – developed by US-based company HistoSonics – destroys tumours without surgery, scalpels, radiation, with minimal damage to surrounding organs.

    Patients stand to benefit from faster recovery times, potentially greater survival rates, fewer potentially dangerous complications, and less hospital stays – helping to cut waits for others – all marking a new era in cancer treatment.

    Ongoing research is exploring its potential to transform treatment for other hard-to-reach tumours – including kidney and pancreatic cancers – bringing hope to even more NHS patients in the future.

    Treatment is delivered via a single short session – potentially taking no longer than 30 minutes – with limited or no pain, a quick recovery, and can be performed as a day case.

    As the Government busts the bureaucracy holding back public services and stifling innovation, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting granted authorisation for controlled early access to the device via an unmet clinical need authorisation. Available through the UK’s Innovative Devices Access Pathway programme, a government-funded scheme to get cutting-edge health innovations to the market much quicker, NHS patients can benefit from technology years earlier than planned.

     Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    Bureaucracy has become a handbrake on ambition, stopping innovation in its tracks and holding our health service back.

    But through our Plan for Change, we are slashing red tape, so game-changing new treatments reach the NHS front line quicker – transforming healthcare.  

    Regulation is vital to protect patients. However, as the pace of innovation ramps up, our processes must be more agile to help speed the shift from analogue to digital.

    Our common sense approach to regulation will streamline approval processes so countless more patients are liberated from life-limiting conditions.

    The technology, called histotripsy, is being debuted at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, part of Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) with the first NHS patients being treated using the game-changing device this summer. The technology was procured and installed thanks to a generous donation to the University of Cambridge from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, which has been a longstanding supporter of cancer research at the University.

    Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said:

    Through his longstanding support of cancer research at Cambridge, Sir Ka-shing Li continues to make a significant impact on outcomes for cancer patients.

    Cutting-edge technology such as this histotripsy machine allows Cambridge to remain at the forefront of understanding and treating cancer, a position we aim to strengthen further with Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.

    The Government’s Plan for Change  is focused on securing the UK’s position as a global tech powerhouse – including in healthcare – which fosters innovation to transform the lives of working people and deliver a decade of national renewal.

    The move delivers on the Government’s commitment to tackle bureaucracy blocking investment and regulatory complexity that has previously stifled growth.

    Roland Sinker, Chief Executive of Cambridge University Hospitals said:

    Histotripsy is an exciting new technology that will make a huge difference to patients.

    By offering this non-invasive, more targeted treatment we can care for more people as outpatients and free up time for surgeons to treat more complex cases.

    The faster recovery times mean patients will be able to return to their normal lives more quickly, which will also reduce pressure on hospital beds, helping us ensure that patients are able to receive the right treatment at the right time.

    We are delighted to be receiving this new state of the art machine.

    Fiona Carey, Co-chair of the Patient Advisory Group for Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and kidney cancer patient with advanced disease, said:

    This is seriously good news. A new, non-invasive option to treat these cancers is very welcome indeed.

    For patients for whom ordinary surgery is no longer an option, this could make all the difference.

    James Pound, Interim Executive Director, Innovation and Compliance at MHRA, said:

    This is a strong example of smart, agile regulation in action. Working closely with partners through the Innovative Devices Access Pathway, we’ve shown we can get promising technologies to patients faster – without compromising safety.

    It’s a major step forward for patients with liver cancer and shows how the UK can be a frontrunner in supporting responsible innovation that meets real clinical need.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Exploring how an AI lab model could work for policing 

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Case study

    Exploring how an AI lab model could work for policing 

    The National Policing Capabilities Unit came to ACE to explore a high-level operating model for how an in-house AI lab could enable greater innovation.

    Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a significant role in shaping the police service of the future, bolstering capabilities by making investigations more sophisticated and efficient as well as freeing up officers’ time. 

    The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) wants to establish UK policing as a leader in applied responsible AI, but despite a marked increase in experimentation across existing, new or anticipated challenges, these largely remain limited to niche capabilities or individual forces. 

    The Home Office’s National Policing Capabilities Unit (NPCU) came to the Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) to explore a high-level operating model for how an in-house AI lab could inspire and enable greater innovation by bringing together technical expertise from industry and academia and applying leading research to policing problems and data.  

    Developing and delivering an AI lab

    ACE undertook a discovery exercise with six suppliers, exploring how an AI lab could provide police forces and their partners with the environment, support and expertise needed to develop, de-risk and rapidly adopt trustworthy AI technologies.

    This research needed to answer key questions including how such an AI lab could be developed and delivered, how this would engage with forces, what value it would provide and how it would work with existing technology-focused areas of policing. 

    As part of the discovery work, two stakeholder workshops were convened, covering areas such as system of interest mapping, technology assessment and capability baselining, and the value case and delivery model. 

    Challenges and considerations in core areas such as skills and talent, data access and governance, and funding and facilities (virtual vs physical vs hybrid) were also examined. The research also investigated how existing work in areas including data science, analytics and synthetic data could accelerate development of an AI lab as well as complement its work. 

    Ultimately, three AI lab design and operating model options were developed and presented in a final report, badged as bronze, silver and gold, along with a high level, three-year roadmap and costs for taking a lab from concept to working capability.  

    Bronze was a continuation of existing investment levels and efforts and was ultimately discounted because it would not deliver a national AI lab. The silver option – which meets all policing requirements over the next one to three years – was deemed feasible but it was the gold option, which would produce a world-leading AI lab with a future-proof design within 18 months, that was ultimately recommended.  

    ACE itself was also used as a model of how an effective AI lab could operate. 

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Rough sleeping to be decriminalised after 200 years 

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    Rough sleeping to be decriminalised after 200 years 

    The Government has confirmed it will repeal the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824 by Spring next year, to ensure rough sleeping is no longer a criminal offence.

    • Government scraps 200-year-old law making rough sleeping a criminal offence in England and Wales.  

    • The outdated Vagrancy Act 1824 will be axed for good, reflecting modern attitudes, increased financial support for the homeless and the government’s mission to get to its root causes. 

    • New legislation will target real crimes instead such as organised begging by gangs and trespassing—protecting communities without penalising vulnerable people. 

    After 200 years, rough sleeping will no longer be a crime as the Government confirms it will formally scrap the Vagrancy Act by Spring next year. 

    The Act was introduced in 1824 – towards the end of the Georgian era – to deal with rising homelessness which increased after the Napoleonic Wars and Industrial Revolution.  

    While use of the Act against rough sleeping has significantly declined over the years in line with modern attitudes and greater understanding around the causes of homelessness, it remains enforceable in law. 

    The Government will be repealing the Act to ensure rough sleeping is no longer a criminal offence, as it concentrates its efforts on getting to the root causes of homelessness, backed by major funding. 

    The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has boosted funding for homelessness services by an extra £233 million this financial year, bringing total investment for 2025-26 to nearly £1 billion. This ambitious support will prevent more families from entering temporary accommodation and tackle rough sleeping head-on.    

    The Deputy Prime Minister is also developing a new homelessness strategy with other government departments and mayors and councils who all play an important role in prevention and frontline support. This strategy will be published later this year.

    The Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:     

    “We are drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society, who deserve dignity and support. 

    “No one should ever be criminalised simply for sleeping rough and by scrapping this cruel and outdated law, we are making sure that can never happen again.”    

    The Minister for Homelessness Rushanara Ali said:    

    “Today marks a historic shift in how we’re responding to the rough sleeping crisis, by repealing an archaic Act that is neither just nor fit for purpose.

    “Scrapping the Vagrancy Act for good is another step forward in our mission to tackle homelessness in all its forms, by focusing our efforts on its root causes.”

    Government amendments to the Home Office’s Crime and Policing Bill will focus on real crime and not rough sleeping, with no replacement of previous legislation that criminalised people for simply sleeping rough. 

    New targeted measures will ensure police have the powers they need to keep communities safe – filling the gap left over by removing previous powers. 

    This will include a new offence of facilitating begging for gain and an offence of trespassing with the intention of committing a crime, both of which were previously included under the 1824 Act.   

    Organised begging, which is often facilitated by criminal gangs, exploits vulnerable individuals, and can undermine the public’s sense of safety. This offence makes it unlawful for anyone to organise others to beg, like driving people to places for them to beg. It will allow the police to crack down on the organised crime gangs that exploit vulnerable people to obtain cash for illicit activity. 

    Through our Plan for Change and commitment to the Safe Streets Mission, this announcement demonstrates we are taking decisive action to ensure communities are protected and our town centres are no longer exposed to such harm.

    ENDS 

    Chief Executive of Crisis Matt Downie said: 

    “This is a landmark moment that will change lives and prevent thousands of people from being pushed into the shadows, away from safety. 

    “For 200 years the Vagrancy Act has meant that people who are homeless are treated as criminals and second class citizens. It has punished people for trying to stay safe and done nothing to address why people become homeless in the first place.  

    “Ending the use of the Vagrancy Act recognises a shameful history of persecuting people for poverty and destitution, something that figures like William Wilberforce and Winston Churchill warned against in their opposition to the Act.  

    “It is of great credit to the UK Government that they have shown such principled leadership in scrapping this pernicious Act. We hope this signals a completely different approach to helping people forced onto the streets and clears the way for a positive agenda that is about supporting people who desperately want to move on in life and fulfil their potential. We look forward to assisting the UK Government with their forthcoming homelessness strategy to do exactly that.”

    St Mungo’s CEO Emma Haddad said:

    “The repeal of the Vagrancy Act, which criminalises rough sleeping, cannot come soon enough. 

    “Right now, we are supporting thousands of people who are rough sleeping; everyone facing this issue has their own heartbreaking story to tell of how they ended up on the streets – from complex mental and physical health issues to an increasingly unaffordable housing market. 

    “The answer is not to criminalise people for living on the streets but instead to focus on tackling the health, housing and wider societal issues that are causing homelessness in the first place.”

    Notes to editors:    

    • Repealing the Vagrancy Act was first announced in 2022 but it was not formally confirmed when it would be removed from law. This Government has now taken the decisive action to complete it within one year, by Spring 2026.    

    • Read more on MHCLG’s funding to tackle homelessness: Largest ever cash boost to turn the tide on homelessness – GOV.UK
    • Police forces across England and Wales use the powers in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to effectively tackle antisocial behaviour in the context of begging and rough sleeping, for example where an individual may be harassing members of the public. The Home Office will be updating the statutory guidance to ensure it is clear to agencies how antisocial behaviour powers could be used in this context if an individual’s behaviour reaches that threshold. Government amendments to the Home Office’s Crime and Policing Bill will also be published shortly.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scottish Greens call for additional train services for TRNSMT

    Source: Scottish Greens

    10 Jun 2025 Culture Transport

    People going out to enjoy major events around our city deserve a train service that will get them home safely.

    More in Culture

    Scotrail should organise additional late night train services to ensure festival goers get home safely from TRNSMT at Glasgow Green next month, say the Scottish Greens.

    The call comes from the party’s co-leader, spokesperson for culture, and MSP for Glasgow Patrick Harvie, who says that having more train services running would ensure people have the option to get home safely from the festival.

    Tens of thousands of revellers are expected to attend the 3-day music event at Glasgow Green in July, with the likes of 50 Cent, Fontaines D.C., Biffy Clyro and Glasgow DJ’s Big Miz and Hayley Zalazzi on the lineup.

    Mr Harvie said:

    “At previous events with such large crowds, the East End of the city becomes totally blocked off for transport and pedestrians, with many waiting hours for taxis or risking walking home in the dark.

    “People going out to enjoy festivals, gigs and other events around our city deserve to get home safely and having a reliable late night train service can offer that. I strongly urge them to do so.

    “If Scotrail were to run additional train services over that weekend, and later into the night, it would provide a safe, cheaper and climate friendly option to get home from TRNSMT for thousands of people.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Consultation launched on modifications to Local Plan

    Source: City of Leicester

    RESIDENTS are being invited to have their say on modifications to Leicester’s Local Plan.

    A consultation is giving people the chance to comment on the recommendations planning inspectors have made on the Local Plan.

    In September 2023, Leicester City Council submitted its Local Plan to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for independent examination. Public examination hearings were held late last year, led by Government-appointed planning inspectors.

    Following these hearings, inspectors have now agreed a number of amendments – known as ‘main modifications’ – to make the plan sound.

    These modifications are detailed, and cover a wide range of topics, such as sustainability, climate change, the use of brownfield sites, transport and the local economy.

    The modifications build on policies, regulations and supporting documents that inform the Local Plan and make recommendations on how they should be applied in the future.

    City mayor Peter Soulsby said: “This is the next stage of our Local Plan, and it’s important to note that residents are only able to comment on main modifications to the Plan at this stage. This is because the development of a Local Plan follows a strict process, which is set nationally, and prescribes what we can consult on at each stage.

    “We have already held several consultations on the Local Plan, and the comments and representations we previously received have already been considered and included in our evidence.

    “Once the responses from this latest consultation have been considered, we should be getting close to being able to adopt a new Local Plan for Leicester.

    “A robust Local Plan is a vital tool that helps us to shape housing, our local economy, community facilities and infrastructure for our city. It will set out our strategy for growth up until 2036, as well as helping us to conserve and enhance our natural and historic environment.”

    The consultation runs until 21 July and is available to fill in online at consultations.leicester.gov.uk

    Once the consultation is complete, comments are sent back to the Government planning inspectors for consideration. They will then determine whether the Local Plan is ‘sound’ and produce a written report outlining their final recommendations.

    For full details, please see the Local Plan webpage: https://www.leicester.gov.uk/content/leicester-local-plan-examination/

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The risks to consider before going under the knife

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    By James D. Frame, Anglia Ruskin University

    A series of ads for Brazilian butt lifts (BBL) on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook were recently banned by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). These ads were found to be misleading and irresponsible, often downplaying serious health risks and pressuring consumers with time-limited offers.

    This move highlights growing concerns over how cosmetic surgery is marketed online and the safety of BBL procedures. But BBLs are not the only cosmetic surgeries under scrutiny.

    Liposuction has a high rate of post-operative complications, and even non-surgical procedures like lip fillers and liquid BBLs have raised health concerns among experts.

    According to recent data from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), there were 27,462 cosmetic procedures performed in 2024 – a 5% rise from 2023. More than nine out of ten (93.5%) of these procedures were performed on women.

    Body contouring – including liposuction, abdominoplasty and thigh lifts – are the most popular surgeries, while facial rejuvenation procedures, particularly face and neck lifts, brow lifts and eyelid surgery have all increased in popularity since 2023.

    Risk factors

    Many of these popular procedures are also among the riskiest. Body contouring surgeries like liposuction, tummy tucks and fat grafting, for example, are major operations that typically take hours and involve general anesthesia.

    And the aesthetic outcomes are not always as expected either. Fat removal can sometimes lead to uneven body contours, lumps, or skin irregularities, which may worsen as the body continues to age.

    All surgeries carry risks, but complications from cosmetic procedures are often downplayed or misunderstood. These risks can manifest immediately after surgery or even weeks later, ranging from minor issues like infection and scarring to life-threatening conditions such as blood clots or organ failure.

    One of the most dangerous risks is pulmonary embolism, which occurs when a blood clot travels to the lungs. In the US, around 18,000 cases of venous thromboembolism (VTE) occur annually among plastic surgery patients, with about 10% resulting in death within just one hour of symptoms appearing.

    This already serious threat has become even more pressing in the post-COVID era, as VTE cases are rising. COVID is known to increase the body’s tendency to form blood clots – even in those with mild or no symptoms.

    These lingering effects can persist for weeks or months and, when combined with the usual surgical risks like immobility, tissue trauma and inflammation, they significantly increase the likelihood of a life-threatening event like a pulmonary embolism. As a result, people undergoing plastic surgery today may face a higher baseline risk than before the pandemic.

    Fat embolism is another potentially deadly complication, often associated with procedures like liposuction or BBLs. This occurs when fat particles enter the bloodstream and travel to vital organs, leading to serious medical emergencies.

    After surgery, some patients may wake up disoriented, confused, or with lingering neurological symptoms – signs of a serious medical emergency. Fat embolism can have immediate, life-threatening effects and, in severe cases, can cause permanent brain damage, organ failure, or sudden death.

    Procedures like rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) or breast augmentation can come with relatively high rates of dissatisfaction. Implants, in particular, can cause issues like rupture, deflation, capsular contracture (hardening around the implant), or asymmetry. There is also some concern about a rare form of cancer – breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) – linked to certain types of implants.

    Even if surgery doesn’t result in major complications, many patients still walk away unhappy. A common issue is that procedures don’t account for how the body continues to age. A facelift or tummy tuck might look great initially, but the natural ageing process can quickly undo or distort those results.

    The problem is that many cosmetic procedures fail to account for the inevitable changes our bodies undergo with age. Our bodies change over time – skin loses elasticity, fat distribution shifts and trends evolve. What feels like a good decision in your 20s might look very different in your 40s.

    Non-surgical treatments

    One of the most troubling issues in the cosmetic industry is the lack of consistent regulation. This is particularly true for non-surgical treatments, where injectable products can be administered by anyone, from trained doctors to self-taught beauty influencers. Cosmetic tourism adds another layer of complexity. Many people travel abroad for cheaper procedures, only to face complications once they return home – with limited recourse or support.

    Non-surgical treatments like dermal fillers and Botox have become increasingly popular due to their quick results and minimal downtime. However, they are not without risk.

    Modern fillers like hyaluronic acid are generally safer than older materials such as silicone. They’re less likely to cause issues like granulomas – as long as they don’t become infected – and they can even be reversed if needed. However, when injected incorrectly, especially into a blood vessel, fillers can cause serious complications like tissue death, permanent scarring, or even blindness.

    Botox injections also carry risks, including muscle paralysis, nerve damage, and uneven facial results – particularly when performed by unqualified practitioners.

    Before undergoing any cosmetic procedure – whether surgical or non-surgical – it’s essential to research a qualified practitioner, understand the risks and set realistic expectations.

    Cosmetic surgery can be empowering for many people, helping them feel more confident in their own skin. But the decision to alter your appearance permanently should never be taken lightly. Behind the glamour and glossy Instagram stories lies a more serious picture – one where the risks are real and the consequences, sometimes irreversible.

    James D. Frame, Professor of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Anglia Ruskin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

    If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council Housing Growth Programme is building homes and changing lives

    Source: City of Leeds

    A new report has set out the impressive results being achieved by Leeds’s Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP) – and the plans that mean the city is perfectly placed to keep building on that success.

    The report shows that a total of 788 affordable homes – all for rent by council tenants – have been built or acquired through the CHGP over the last five years.

    A further 284 affordable homes – which are again being delivered by the CHGP for rent by council tenants – are currently under construction or in the process of being acquired, with Armley, Gipton and Swinnow among the communities where major new-build schemes are taking shape.

    Another 156 homes have been identified for delivery as part of the programme’s five-year first phase but have yet to commence construction.

    The report – due to be considered by Leeds City Council’s executive board at a meeting next Wednesday (June 18) – also details a number of sites that have been provisionally earmarked for the development of new housing during the second phase of the CHGP, which runs from 2026 to 2031.

    The sites include the derelict Kingsdale Court flats in Seacroft, land at Acre Mount in Middleton and the former Osmondthorpe One Stop Centre.

    Subject to the necessary feasibility, funding and planning approvals, schemes at these three locations alone could deliver more than 100 council homes.

    Other places lined up for new housing as part of phase two of the programme include Ramshead Approach in Seacroft, Cartmell Drive in Halton Moor and land formerly occupied by the demolished Highways tower blocks in Killingbeck.

    The vast majority of the funding for the completed CHGP homes – many of which are for social rent, the most affordable tenure – has been provided by the council’s housing service via Right to Buy receipts and borrowing.

    Other key points contained in the report include:

    • More than 400 of the 788 homes delivered by the programme to date were newly-built properties;
    • The council’s new-build homes use low-carbon heating and other energy efficiency measures to support Leeds’s net zero ambitions while also helping tenants with the cost of living;
    • CHGP schemes are, where appropriate, delivered through local contractors and supply chains, generating training and employment opportunities for people in Leeds.

    The council has additionally, through the use of its land and ‘commuted sums’ funding resources, facilitated the building of around 400 homes by registered affordable housing providers such as housing associations.

    This means that around 1,600 homes have either been completed, acquired, identified for delivery, facilitated or had construction begin during phase one of the CHGP.

    The number of affordable homes delivered in Leeds over the last five years by all providers, meanwhile, is over 2,900 – more than in any other large city in the country outside London.

    That same combination of council, registered provider and private sector activity is projected to deliver an average of 780 affordable homes in the city over each of the next three years.

    The results achieved to date by the council’s CHGP, notes the report, have come in spite of the challenging conditions faced by the construction market in recent times.

    The report also acknowledges that “significant resource and investment” from central government and other partners will be required if the current momentum is to be maintained.

    Councillor Jess Lennox, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing, said:

    “As a council, we are determined to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that people across Leeds are living in the kind of safe, warm and welcoming homes where they can flourish and feel secure.

    “Key to this work is our Council Housing Growth Programme and the hundreds of affordable homes it has delivered – and is continuing to deliver – for the city.

    “These homes are more than just numbers, they represent lives changed for the better and I’m proud of the success we have achieved to date. I’m also really pleased that, by making many of the homes available for social rent, we’ve been able to give a helping hand to those on lower incomes.

    “We know there is still much to do, however, with the city continuing to face significant housing needs at a time when affordable homes are in particular demand.

    “Our plans for phase two of the programme underline our commitment to meeting those needs by providing good-quality, energy-efficient and affordable housing that will in turn help build thriving, inclusive communities.”

    Locations where new housing has recently been delivered by the CHGP include Barncroft Close in Seacroft and Scott Hall Drive in Chapel Allerton as well as a site in Middleton formerly occupied by Throstle Recreation Ground and Middleton Skills Centre.

    In a sign of the council’s determination to ensure its schemes meet a range of needs, the Middleton development includes Gascoigne House – a 60-apartment extra care facility – as well as 100 family homes and 16 wheelchair-accessible bungalows.

    The report being considered at next week’s executive board meeting is entitled ‘Council Housing Growth Programme Update and Phase 2 Proposals’ and can be found in full here.

    Notes to editors:

    The term ‘affordable housing’ refers to homes that are available for rent at below market value or low-cost ownership. When affordable housing is made available for rent, potential tenures include ‘affordable’ and ‘social’. Affordable rent is discounted by at least 20 per cent from the prevailing local market rate. Social rent is lower than affordable rent and set by a formula tied to local incomes, property size and property value.

    The council’s commuted sums funding stream supports affordable housing delivery using pooled financial contributions paid by developers as part of planning agreements.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Part of West Hoe Pier closed off

    Source: City of Plymouth

    An arm of West Hoe pier is being fenced off as a safety measure ahead of repair work which is expected to start this summer.

    Heras fencing is being erected at the shore end of the pier this week and signs put up to stop people from using the pier which has become unstable. It will remain out of bounds until the work has been completed.

    This north east leg is used mainly by anglers and people simply enjoying the scene, but the pier on the other side of this tiny harbour – where Rusty Reg or Look II stands – will still be accessible.

    The pier is a Grade II listed structure and was built in the 1880s. It has been subject to various repairs over the years, but its location means that it is subject to continuous wave action.

    The Council has been monitoring its condition for some time and commissioned a survey to review next steps.

    It has now received recommendations for the work, which will involve replacing various granite steps and blocks that have fallen away, refilling voids that have been created by the sea, repointing as well as replacing timber strakes.

    We are currently finalising the detail and programme of the work with a specialist marine engineering company.

    The pier in question is NOT the one which is home to Rusty Reg or Look II as it is formally known. Work was carried out in 2020 ahead of the installation of the figure.

    We have also taken the precaution of fencing off the statue of Lady Nancy Astor on the Hoe following reports of instability from a concerned member of the public.

    Further site investigations have confirmed that some adjustments need to be made.

    As a courtesy, we have contacted the sculptor and the fundraiser to agree any necessary changes and once these have been agreed, will make the necessary adjustments to the statue.

    The statue was unveiled in November 2019 by the former Prime Minister Theresa May following a successful crowdfunding campaign, organised by Plymouth Women in Business Networking. It was installed by a third-party contractor.

    Nancy Astor was the first female to take a seat in the House of Commons and served as an MP for the city of Plymouth for 26 years.

    The statue is currently not accessible due to the Summer Sessions security measures.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How far-right ideas in Canada are working their way into mainstream politics

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Lisa Gasson-Gardner, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Mount Royal University

    The fortunes of the Conservative Party and its leader Pierre Poilievre in Canada’s April 2025 election seemed to have shifted dramatically after United States President Donald Trump called for Canada to become the 51st state.

    Political pundits regarded Mark Carney and the Liberal Party’s victory — along with the failure of Poilievre to retain his own seat — as a “Trump slump” and a repudiation of both Trump’s and Poilievre’s style of politics.

    But is that an accurate assessment? The Conservative Party received its largest vote share since Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Exit polling data suggested stronger support for the Conservative Party among people aged 18-34 than among people aged 55 and older.

    Although Trump has said Poilievre is “not a MAGA guy,” some political analysts have likened the rhetoric of Poilievre and other Canadian Conservatives to American Republicans who lean towards far-right Christian nationalist politics..

    As an inter-religious humanities scholar of the U.S. far right, I have observed alarming parallels between the rise of the far right in mainstream politics in the U.S. and the scene in Canada.



    Read more:
    A ‘Trump slump’ has lifted the left in Canada and now Australia – what are the lessons for NZ?

    Christian nationalism’s role in politics

    In the U.S., both scholars and news media have been highlighting the connections between far-right Christian ideology and politics.

    Trump’s first presidential term ended with the Jan. 6, 2021 violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. Scholars like Matthew Taylor, author of The Violent Take it by Force, have pointed to Christian nationalism and other far-right ideologies as factors that motivated the rioters.

    In February 2025, Trump appointed televangelist Paula White-Cain to head the newly created White House Faith Office. White-Cain’s appointment followed an executive order establishing a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias.

    Thea appointment adds to the the narrative that U.S. Christians are facing persecution, a refrain since at least the 1970s and heightened during Barack Obama’s presidency. Scholars have linked the assertion that “Christianity is under attack” to the rise of Christian nationalism in mainstream politics.



    Read more:
    Trump may have emboldened hate in Canada, but it was already here

    What is Christian nationalism?

    American sociologists Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry define Christian nationalism as “a cultural framework that blurs distinctions between Christian identity and American identity, viewing the two as closely related and seeking to enhance and preserve their union.”

    It’s tempting to read “Christian idenity” and “American identity” and assume it does not affect Canada.

    But Christian nationalist ideologies were present during the so-called Freedom Convoy in Ottawa in 2022. According to Canadian scholars, national identity is blurred in online spaces, allowing U.S. nationalist ideals to take hold in Canada.]

    Christian nationalism is not synonymous with Christianity or any specific branch of Christianity, like evangelical Christianity.

    According to U.S. sociologist Daniel Miller, Christian nationalism is not a set list of ideological or religious beliefs. Instead, Miller says, Christian nationalism emerges when people identify with “a very narrow, idealized prototype of the ‘real or ‘authentic’ American.”

    He says two mechanisms connect people to Christian nationalism. The first is perceived loss of power by the people who historically held power. This is known as a “power devaluation crisis.” The second is a narrative of decline — known as a a “declensionist narrative” — which asserts that American society has declined since the 1960s and needs repair and reclamation.

    Poilievre’s signals to Christian nationalists

    Poilievre is not open about his religion and does not call for Canada to be a Christian nation. But whether Poilievre intends to stir up Christian nationalists, some of his rhetoric has indicated support for the classic definitions of Christian nationalism.

    According to Miller, support for Christian nationalism is not always direct. It can be activated by stoking a crisis of lost power, like the decline of the “traditional” family or by asserting a narrative of decline, like “Canada is broken.”

    For example, Poilievre’s 2025 campaign mobilized both of the narrative mechanisms that attract Christian nationalist mentioned by sociologists: a power devaluation crisis and the narrative of decline.

    In the lead-up to his 2025 campaign, Poilievre repeatedly called Canada “broken.”. He cited increased crime, addiction, high grocery prices and more as evidence of Canada’s brokenness, accusing the Liberal government of erasing Canada’s past.

    When Poilievre calls Canada “broken,” it affirms the world view of Christian nationalists.

    Poilievre courts conservative Christians

    Another strategy Poilievre reportedly adopted from Trump was his work to court conservative Christians.

    In an 2024 interview with The Tyee, religious right scholar Carmen Celestini of Waterloo University said Poilievre had “ramped up” his presence at churches. Additionally, The Globe and Mail reported there were fewer photos ops of Poilievre visiting mosques in 2024.

    Of course, visits to churches are not enough to signal alignment with Christian nationalists. And Poilievre has not espoused any Christian evangelical ideals in any public speech.

    But it’s still important for Canadians to remain alert about Christian nationalists and their ambitions to become part of mainstream politics.

    Canadian Christian nationalism

    A study from the U.S. has linked the rise in Christian nationalist ideologies to attacks on religious minorities. The 2024 qualitative data from the study indicates that when politicians rhetorically supported Christian nationalist values, there was a increased violence against minority groups.

    According to Statistics Canada, the violent crime rate in Canada rose 13 per cent from 2021-2022.. Police-reported hate crimes increased 32 per cent from 2022 to 2023. Crimes targeting religion rose 67 per cent in 2023, primarily targeting Jewish and Muslim communities.

    While I know of no studies showing the rise of the far right is directly leading to violence in Canada, Canadians should be aware of the pattern in the U.S. Research shows that growing Christian nationalists and far-right world views south of the border are, in fact, connected to a rise in violence.

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

    – ref. How far-right ideas in Canada are working their way into mainstream politics – https://theconversation.com/how-far-right-ideas-in-canada-are-working-their-way-into-mainstream-politics-238965

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK 🔴 PMQs LIVE: Prime Minister’s Questions – 11 June 2025

    Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

    Watch PMQs with British Sign Language (BSL) – https://youtube.com/live/MYOzDzhz3mE

    Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.

    In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.

    The Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.

    Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:

    Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HouseofCommons
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukhouseofcommons
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukhouseofcommons

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_SiVv6DUlE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK 🔴 LIVE: Prime Minister’s Questions with British Sign Language (BSL) – 11 June 2025

    Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

    Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.

    In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.

    The Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.

    Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:

    Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HouseofCommons
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukhouseofcommons
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukhouseofcommons

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYOzDzhz3mE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Morrison Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for PPP Loan Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Richard Nieto, age 39, of Morrison, Colorado, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $962,438.85 in restitution for engaging in wire fraud and money laundering in connection with obtaining two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    According to the plea agreement, the defendant submitted three fraudulent PPP loan applications to a lender seeking $1,117,903.56 and was successful in obtaining two PPP loans totaling $913,551.88.

    In the first successful application for $175,384.83, the defendant inflated the number of employees and average monthly payroll for his business, Denver Pro Painting & Contracting, that had operated before the pandemic and fabricated Forms 941 that did not match the tax returns filed with the IRS. He then submitted a second successful PPP application for $738,167.05 to the same lender for another business, DenPro, that had no payroll or employees and was not operating at all. In this second application, the defendant made up $1,771,601.04 in annual payroll while fabricating fourth quarter tax returns to support the lies on the application.

    Before making a single payment on either loan, the defendant submitted fraudulent applications for loan forgiveness. In support of the forgiveness applications, the defendant created a total of 87 fake payroll checks and paystubs that falsely indicated that each check related to a specific pay period and employee and that the defendant’s companies had withheld taxes so that they would qualify for loan forgiveness. One of the defendant’s PPP loans was fully forgiven.

    Despite telling the lender that he would use the PPP loan money on business expenses, the defendant transferred PPP loan money through multiple intermediate accounts before using it on personal expenditures and investments. Among other transactions, the defendant used loan money to pay a home mortgage, purchase bitcoin, contribute to an investment account, buy gold and silver coins, and invest in a friend’s startup business. 

    “This is another case of someone using for personal gain a program meant to help people suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting United States Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “I want the public to know that we are aggressively prosecuting people who stole from this relief program.”

    “Mr. Nieto went to great lengths to abuse a program meant for hardworking small business owners, seeking only to enrich himself.” said Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI Denver Field Office. “We are proud to partner with the U.S Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue those who defrauded this and other CARES Act programs and hold criminals like Mr. Nieto accountable.”

    United States District Judge William J. Martinez presided over the sentencing.

    The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorneys Craig Fansler and Martha Paluch handled the prosecution of the case.

    Case Number: 22-cr-00262-WJM

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Crow Agency woman pleads guilty to false statements

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BILLINGS – A Crow Agency woman accused of making false statements to federal law enforcement admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    The defendant, Micah Taryn Faith LaForge, 24, pleaded guilty to false statement. LaForge faces 5 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.

    U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set.  LaForge was released pending further proceedings.

    The government alleged in court documents that on January 18, 2023, a gunshot victim arrived at the emergency room at the IHS Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital in Crow Agency. He was pronounced dead upon arrival. He was transported to IHS in a vehicle driven by LaForge.

    LaForge lied to medical personnel and a BIA Special Agent at the hospital and then later that same day to an FBI Special Agent and a different BIA Special agent. She told all of these individuals she was driving between Crow Agency and Dunmore when she saw the gunshot victim lying in the road. LaForge claimed she stopped and loaded him into the passenger side of her vehicle and drove directly to IHS. LaForge continued with the lie by traveling to the purported location where she claimed that she saw the gunshot victim lying in the road with a BIA Special Agent. The agent noted there was no evidence, i.e., blood, shell casings, sign of a struggle that would support LaForge’s claim that this was the location where she encountered the gunshot victim.

    The gunshot victim was actually shot at a house on Crow River Road. The day after the initial statement, LaForge contacted law enforcement and admitted she had lied the day before. Her lie about finding the gunshot victim in the middle of the road stymied the investigation for over 15 hours as the investigators had only the false information she provided about the location, which kept the investigators from going to the residence where the victim was shot and collecting evidence. The firearm was never recovered.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI and BIA conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute PCP

    Source: US FBI

                WASHINGTON – Norman Morris, 44, of the District of Columbia, was found guilty by a federal jury on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP).

                The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                Sentencing for Morris, aka “Fibble,” is pending and will be set at a later date.

                According to court documents and testimony at trial before Judge Dabney L. Friedrich, the DEA and the FBI began conducting a criminal investigation in September 2023 of local PCP and fentanyl distributors, a group that included Morris and co-defendants Lamont M. Langston, Kelvin Sanker, and Jamar Bennett.

                Morris conducted apparent drug transactions outside of his residence on the 200 block of 58th Street NE. The transactions were monitored by law enforcement from November 2023 to March 2024. During this same period, Bennett and Langston were observed meeting at Morris’s residence to exchange suspected narcotics and cash.

                During the investigation, Bennett sold more than two kilograms of PCP to undercover officers over the course of nine transactions. The PCP was supplied by Langston and was stored and prepared by Sanker at Sanker’s home. Morris also retrieved 32 ounces of PCP from Sanker at the request of Langston after Langston was arrested with PCP and two firearms. Sixteen ounces of the PCP retrieved by Morris was sold to an undercover officer by Bennett.

                Bennett, 45, of the District, pleaded guilty Apr. 11, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to 121 months in prison.

                Sanker, 43, of the District, pleaded guilty Oct. 22, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute PCP and was sentencing to 65 months in prison.

                Langston, 44, of the District, pleaded guilty Dec. 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP.  Langston’s sentencing is scheduled for June 30, 2025.

               This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

               This case was investigated by the the FBI’s Washington Field Office, DEA’s Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Roman of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Division, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Stempel, with valuable assistance from Paralegal Michael Asmutis.

    24cr109

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin On Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill: It’s A Big, Beautiful Betrayal Against American Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    June 09, 2025
    In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin slammed the Republican reconciliation plan that will kick 16 million Americans off their health care coverage, close rural hospitals, and raise prices for American families in order to pay for tax cuts to billionaires
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor, making clear that Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will only raise prices and slash Medicaid and Medicare coverage for working Americans in order to pay for significant tax breaks for billionaires.  Durbin reiterated in his remarks that the legislation will harm Americans as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an estimate showing that 16 million Americans will lose their health insurance under the Republicans’ reconciliation bill.
    “They [congressional Republicans] are considering a tax bill that will eliminate health insurance coverage for 16 million Americans.  More people and families will lose health insurance coverage by virtue of this ‘big, beautiful bill’ than any legislation we passed in modern memory,” Durbin began.
    Durbin explained how unpopular it would be to cut health insurance coverage for Americans, which has prompted a small number of Republicans to express their discontent with $800 billion in proposed cuts to Medicaid.
    “Some Republican Senators, like Josh Hawley in my neighboring state of Missouri, have criticized this because he realizes how many people he represents count on Medicaid, the basic health insurance program.  Senator Hawley says even as a Republican, he can’t support that provision,” Durbin said.  “No one should support that provision.  If you ever lived at a moment in your life with a seriously sick child and no health insurance, you’ll never forget it.  I know.  I’ve been there.”
    “With this analysis from the Congressional Budget Office, we have new estimates on how this bill impacts each and every state.  210,000 people in my neighboring state of Missouri, Senator Hawley’s state, could lose their health insurance coverage.  In Iowa, nearly 100,000 people could lose their health plans, and for our neighbor in Indiana, 250,000 Hoosiers could lose the peace of mind that comes with having health insurance,” Durbin said.
    “What is it that is so compelling that the Republicans feel they can stand up and tell 16 million people in America, ‘you’ll lose your health insurance.’  What will they use that money for?  What will they take it to the bank for?  For something very basic.  Tax cuts for the wealthiest people in America,” Durbin continued.
    Durbin spoke about his recent visit to a children’s hospital in Chicago, emphasizing that patients, including his constituent Layoni, rely on Medicaid in order to receive life-saving care.
    “Friday, I visited a hospital in Chicago… It’s La Rabida, a children’s hospital… Ninety percent of the families that bring their children to La Rabida Hospital qualify for Medicaid.  These are families of limited means, and they turn to a highly professional hospital which has a reputation of caring for the poorest kids, as well as the richest kids. They treat them all the same, and they treat them well,” Durbin said.
    “When I visited the hospital, they told me the story of one of their patients.  Her name is Layoni. She was born prematurely at 26 weeks.  When she was born she was only the size of the palm of your hand.  She was given just days to survive.  She needed a ventilator, tracheotomy tube, central line, an IV-like device that brought medicine to her heart, and much, much more.  Today, Layoni is four years old.  It’s a miracle. Thanks to want incredible cared provided by La Rabida and the love of so many people, she’s there,” Durbin continued.  “Layoni’s family was covered by Medicaid, the most highly targeted program for cuts in this ‘big, beautiful bill.’”
    Durbin explained the impact the Republicans’ reconciliation bill will have on hospitals across the country, many of which rely on Medicaid reimbursements to stay open.  If critical Medicaid funding is cut, hospitals across the country, especially those in rural areas, will be at serious risk of closure.  According to America’s Essential Hospitals, uncompensated care costs for hospitals will increase by $42 billion in a single year under this Republican proposal.  For rural hospitals that are already struggling financially, this bill could lead to them permanently closing their doors.
    “They [20 hospital administrators from downstate and urban Illinois] came out to see me three weeks ago…  On their own, they wanted to tell me the story, that the bill that passed the House of Representatives… will be devastating to these hospitals.  Some of them won’t survive,” Durbin said.
    “What does it mean to a small or medium-size city that’s lucky enough to have a good hospital and lose it?  Well, the obvious. If you need emergency medical care, it’s a longer drive.  If that baby is about to be born, it’s a longer drive. When it comes down to treatment, these hospitals provide the first in urgent care.  And if that hospital closes, what happens?  It takes longer to get that care, but in addition to that, it also means a major part of the local economy is gone,” Durbin said.  “How will you attract a business or keep a business when you lose your hospital? That’s what’s at stake here because it cuts into the Medicaid program.”
    Despite Republican claims that the reconciliation bill will not impact Medicare, the bill also includes a $500 billion cut to Medicare.
    “The Trump ‘big, beautiful bill’ is designed to cut the program that these hospitals rely on most, the Medicaid program.  Now it turns out because they add trillions of dollars to the deficit for this tax cut, you’re also facing the possibility of something called sequestration, what that means is there will be less coverage for Medicare,” Durbin said.  “This would be devastating to many people who count on it. It’s not just La Rabida that would face consequences.  Red and blue states would suffer.”
    Durbin continued on, stressing that this legislation will also increase the cost of living for Americans while billionaires will enjoy an additional $400,000 in tax cuts. 
    “As if an increase in the health care premiums isn’t enough, the costs of basic goods will skyrocket under this Republican plan.  The ‘big, beautiful betrayal’ will raise energy bills up to $400 a year for families and ten percent for businesses,” Durbin said.
    “If housing wasn’t already expensive enough, many Americans will see their mortgages increase by $600 a year.  Want to follow your passion and start a business?  Small business loans are estimated to increase under the ‘big, beautiful bill’ by $1,000 a year.  Tariffs are estimated to raise costs for American households by around $2,500,” Durbin said.  “If this last election was about the cost of living and giving families a fighting chance to survive paycheck to paycheck, this bill is devastating for those who aren’t the wealthiest in America.”
    Durbin concluded his remarks by calling on his Republican colleagues to push back against this legislation that will eliminate health care for 16 million Americans and raise prices even further.
    “This year, for the Fourth of July, the most American thing we can do is, on a bipartisan basis, stop this disaster.  What does it take to say, ‘Pause, stop.  We don’t want to cut Medicaid.  We don’t want to take health insurance away from 16 million people.  We don’t want to see the expenses of families going up.’  What will it take? Four Republican Senators who will step up and say this is a mistake,” Durbin said.
    “Donald Trump is trying to rush us into something which is not good for American families. [The bill is] good for billionaires… but for ordinary families struggling with their regular bills that they have to pay, the ‘big, beautiful bill’ is a big, beautiful betrayal,” Durbin concluded.
    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Huntress Redefines Security Awareness Training With Hands-On Tradecraft Simulations That Put Users in Attackers’ Shoes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBIA, Md., June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Old-school security awareness training (SAT) programs aren’t cutting it against today’s hackers thanks to boring content and one-size-fits-all delivery methods. That’s why Huntress has launched Threat Simulator, a new feature for Huntress Managed SAT that gives users hands-on training with real-world hacker tradecraft.

    Paired with engaging, expert-backed episodes, Threat Simulator turns passive learning into active skill-building through quick, game-like simulations. Perfect for experiential learners, these simulations put users in hackers’ shoes, challenging them to carry out simulated attacks to understand the mindsets, methods, and motives of cybercriminals. This unique approach shows just how easily anyone can become a target and how little effort it takes for attackers to succeed, equipping users with lasting awareness of modern threats and teaching them to think like hackers so they can become better defenders.

    In 2024, 60% of data breaches had one thing in common: the human element. Whether it’s falling victim to phishing attempts and business email compromise scams or inadvertently installing malware, human error remains a leading cause of breaches. While old-school SAT programs were created to address this, they fall short in reducing human risk. Many are overly simplistic and riddled with clichés, while others are too complex for non-technical learners to grasp. Adding to this, many training programs rely solely on video-based content and are developed by generalists without in-depth knowledge of hacker tradecraft. This results in training that isn’t actionable, relatable, or memorable, and leaves employees unprepared to spot and respond to the threats they’re most likely to face. To tackle the human risk factor, SAT must be practical, engaging, and tailored to modern threats. This requires a layered approach to learning strategies, including immersive learning simulations for experiential learners.

    “Traditional security awareness training often fails to prepare users,” said Dima Kumets, Principal Product Manager at Huntress. “With Threat Simulator, we’re changing that. We’ve designed it in collaboration with our security researchers to push beyond basic phishing simulations and immerse users in real-world, hands-on scenarios that emulate hacker tradecraft. By teaching users to adopt the perspective of an attacker, we empower them to recognize and report hacker tradecraft while protecting themselves from becoming victims. This not only sharpens individual cybersecurity awareness but also helps organizations build a more proactive and resilient security culture.”

    Key Benefits of Threat Simulator:
    Available via Early Access since April, Threat Simulator is already shaking up traditional SAT. While users aren’t required to replay the 5-minute simulation, they frequently choose to do multiple sessions, spending an average of 7.5 to 12 minutes total practicing and refining their skills. Additionally, a survey of 2,000 Early Access users revealed that 90% gained new knowledge about security threats. These early results prove Threat Simulator’s ability to bust the “check-the-box” stigma of traditional SAT with willing participation and meaningful learning.

    Users say Threat Simulator is “fun”, “engaging”, and “informative” as it helps learners confidently tackle today’s most prevalent cybersecurity threats. Zvonimir Petric, Director of Managed Services at Campfire Technology Inc., shared, “Threat Simulator is engaging, focused, and actually fun. I suspect the users who engage in this will outperform their peers.” Here’s how it achieves this:

    • Training that goes beyond phishing simulations. Traditional SAT often stops at phishing simulations, leaving users unprepared for the full range of threats they face. Threat Simulator changes this by covering a broad range of hacker tradecraft, from open-source intelligence (OSINT) to spear phishing. It delivers training that mirrors real-world threats, building the adaptability needed to respond to attacks in any environment.
    • An interactive and immersive learning experience. Threat Simulator breaks free from traditional, passive learning methods with dynamic, hands-on experiences. The interactive, game-like simulations support kinesthetic learners and offer realistic scenarios that require critical thinking and active participation. These immersive exercises grab attention and boost retention to foster critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a deeper understanding of threats.
    • Teaches users to identify hacker tradecraft. Creates lasting behavior changes by turning users into active participants in their organization’s cybersecurity. Through the simulations, learners internalize the realities of how hackers operate and how easily they can become targets. This deeper understanding naturally encourages users to be proactive and vigilant, making for smarter, more secure decisions.
    • Real-world scenarios guided by expert insight. All simulations are designed in partnership with the Huntress security team, informed by the real-world hacker tradecraft they see across millions of endpoints and identities. These scenarios are grounded in the most pressing and current threats facing organizations, ensuring learners are always training against the same techniques attackers are actively using.

    “Threat Simulator is a gamechanger. The OSINT training gave my staff and our employees a clear understanding of how hackers can gather seemingly innocent information off the web to create a profile for Social Engineering Attacks,” said Eric Nush Director of Technology, CETL, Homer School District 33Ct. “It made us think twice about the types of information we make publicly available on our website. This not only increased our awareness of the possible risks we have, but also inspired us to take several actions—like starting discussions about new procedures for limiting public website content or encouraging data-sensitive positions (HR, Payroll, Business, etc) to double-check their social media for information that can be leveraged by hackers.”

    Additional resources:

    About Huntress
    Huntress is the enterprise-grade, people-powered cybersecurity solution for all businesses, not just the 1%. With fully owned technology developed by and for its industry-defining team of security analysts, engineers, and researchers, Huntress elevates underresourced tech teams whether they work within outsourced IT environments or in-house IT and security teams.

    The 24/7 industry-leading Huntress Security Operations Center (SOC) covers cyber threats for outsourced IT and in-house teams through remediation with a false-positive rate of less than 1%. With a mission to break down barriers to enterprise-level security and always give back more than it takes, Huntress is often the first to respond to major hacks and threats while protecting its partners and shares tradecraft analysis and threat advisories with the community as they happen.

    As long as hackers keep hacking, Huntress keeps hunting. Join the hunt at www.huntress.com and follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

    Huntress Contact:
    Aaron Deal
    press@huntresslabs.com

    A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/46f67bae-02af-4874-baad-0056961c44f9

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Chicken Road Game Online In India – Download, Play & Win Real Money

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Gurugram, Haryana, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Chicken Road is a fun arcade-style casino game made by InOut Games in 2024. In this exciting adventure, you help a brave little chicken walk across dangerous paths to grab a golden egg. But be careful there are hidden dangers along the way! 

    >>> Play Chicken Road Game Online >>>

    With a high return-to-player (RTP) rate of 98% and bets starting at just INR 90, Chicken Road is perfect for both new and experienced players.

    This page will tell you everything you need to know about the Chicken Road game online, along with smart tips to help you win more. Ready to play? Let’s go!

    >>> Play Chicken Road Game Online >>>

    What Is Chicken Road?

    Chicken Road is a simple yet thrilling game where you guide a chicken across a line of manholes. Some manholes are safe, while others hide dangerous fires. If the chicken steps on a safe manhole, your prize gets bigger. But if it hits a fire trap, the game ends and you lose your bet.

    >>> Play Chicken Road Game Online >>>

    You get to decide when to stop and cash out your winnings. That’s what makes the game fun—you’re in control! The farther your chicken walks, the higher your reward. But the risk also grows with each step.

    How to Play Chicken Road Game In India

    In India, the game is easy to learn and quick to play. Here’s how it works:

    1. Click the green “Go” button to start.
    2. Your chicken walks forward. If the first step is safe, you earn a multiplier.
    3. Each safe step earns you more money.
    4. If your chicken lands on a fire trap, you lose your bet, and the game ends.
    5. You can press the yellow “Cash Out” button at any time to take your winnings.

    You can keep going to try for bigger rewards, but remember, one wrong step and it’s game over.

    Why Chicken Road Game Is So Popular In India

    1. Easy Controls

    The game screen is easy to understand. You don’t need to read long rules or guides to start playing. Everything is simple and clear.

    2. Choose Your Difficulty

    You can pick from four levels depending on how risky you want to play:

    • Easy: 24 steps. Best for beginners who want small, steady wins.
    • Medium: 22 steps. A balanced level with good rewards and some risk.
    • Hard: 20 steps. For more experienced players who want higher multipliers.
    • Hardcore: 15 steps. Very risky but comes with the biggest prizes.

    You can change the level anytime between rounds.

    3. High RTP and Risk Options

    Chicken Road has an overall RTP of 98%, which means it’s designed to be fair to players. But your chance of winning on each step depends on the difficulty:

    • In Easy mode, each step has about a 96% chance of success.
    • In Hardcore mode, the risk is much higher. The RTP here can drop to 60%, but the rewards are also much bigger.

    Choose the level that fits your playing style.

    4. Bet Your Way

    Chicken Road works for all kinds of players. You may wager anything from INR 90 to INR 19,000 in a single round of play. It’s your choice to play with safety in mind or take more risky moves. A few players, in the beginning, make low bets and then increase their wagers as they get used to playing. Others wait for a winning streak before raising their bet.

    The Cash Out Feature

    One of the best parts of Chicken Road is the Cash Out option. At any point in the game, you can click this button and take home your winnings. You don’t have to finish the full path. This gives you control over how much risk you want to take.

    Try the Chicken Road Game Demo

    If you are new to Chicken Road, don’t worry. You can try the demo version of the game first. It works just like the real version but uses fake money. This is a great way to learn without taking any risks.

    Why Try the Demo?

    • No money needed
    • Learn the game rules
    • See how betting works
    • Practice using the Cash Out feature
    • Get familiar with the game layout

    The demo includes all the same features as the full game, so you get the full experience before betting real money.

    How to Sign Up to Play Chicken Road Game

    To play Chicken Road Game for real money, you need to register at an online casino that offers the game. Here’s how to do it:

    1. Choose a trusted online casino.
    2. Visit their website and click the “Register” button.
    3. Fill in your details, like your name, email, phone number, and address.
    4. Enter the verification code sent to your phone or email.
    5. Once you’re done, your account will be ready. You can now deposit money and start playing.

    Can I Play Chicken Road on My Phone?

    Yes! Let’s see how to get started:

    1. Pick a casino that offers the Chicken Road game.
    2. Go to their website on your phone.
    3. Find the Apps section and choose your device type.
    4. Download and install the casino app.
    5. Log in and start playing Chicken Road anytime, anywhere.

    How to Start Betting on Chicken Road

    Want to place your first real-money bet? Here’s a simple guide:

    1. Log in to your casino account (or create one if you haven’t yet).
    2. Click the “Deposit” button and add funds to your account.
    3. Open the Chicken Road game from the casino menu.
    4. Enter the amount you want to bet.
    5. Click the “Start” button to begin the game.
    6. Watch your chicken walk the path. Decide when to Cash Out based on your winnings.

    Your final prize depends on how far the chicken goes and the multiplier at the time you cash out.

    Best Strategies for Chicken Road

    You place a bet, help the chicken move forward, and decide when to cash out. But if you want to win more often, you need a plan.

    Many players use smart strategies to improve their chances. Below, you will find the most popular ones that can help you stay in the game longer and possibly earn bigger rewards.

    1. Safe Multiplier Strategy

    If you like playing it safe, this strategy is for you. It’s simple—cash out early, usually when the multiplier hits between 1.5x and 3x. Your wins won’t be huge, but you will win more often. Over time, these small wins can really add up, and you will lose less.

    2. Martingale Strategy

    This one is for players who don’t mind taking a little more risk. If you lose a round, you double your next bet. The idea is that when you finally win, you will cover all your past losses and still make a profit. But be careful—this strategy needs a good-sized balance and a bit of patience.

    3. Balanced Risk Strategy

    With this method, you adjust your bet size based on the difficulty level you choose. If you are playing on a harder level, place lower bets because the risk is higher. On easier levels, you can bet more since the chances of winning are better. This keeps your gameplay steady and balanced.

    4. The Lagom Approach – Balanced Play Style

    Inspired by the Swedish word “lagom,” which means “not too much, not too little,” this betting style helps you stay in control.

    Here’s how the Lagom Strategy works:

    • Start with a ₹500 bet.
    • If you win, lower your next bet to ₹300. This locks in some profit.
    • If you lose, raise your next bet slightly to ₹700 to try and recover.
    • Keep your bets in a safe range so you don’t risk too much.

    This approach keeps the game exciting but helps avoid the stress of big losses. It’s a great choice for players who want to stay consistent and in control.

    Download the Chicken Road Game App (APK)

    Want to play Chicken Road on your phone? It’s easy. It’s made to be quick, easy to use, and free from lag on every smartphone and tablet.

    Since the APK file is only 26.2 MB, your device will download it fast, and you won’t experience any further slowdown. You can enjoy Vampire Diaries: Struggle for Blood on your mobile browser, but its app has better controls and speed.

    How to Download the APK

    • Go to the official website or a trusted casino partner.
    • Tap on the download link for the Chicken Road APK.
    • Open the file and install it on your Android phone.
    • Once installed, just log in or sign up, and you’re ready to play.

    The game runs smoothly on Android and works great even on older phones. For iPhone users, many casinos also offer mobile apps that include Chicken Road.

    Chicken Road RTP and Winning Chances

    InOut Games is open about how Chicken Road works. The game is based on Provably Fair technology, meaning the results are created using a secure random system that players can trust.

    The RTP (Return to Player) for Chicken Road is 98%, which means most of the money bet by players is returned in winnings over time. Only a small 2% margin is used to support game development.

    Let’s break it down simply:

    • If you go for a 1.68x multiplier, your chance of winning is about 58%.
    • Going for a 2.80x multiplier gives you about a 35% chance.
    • A big win like 9.08x has around a 10% chance.
    • Going for something huge like 34.67x gives you a 2.8% chance.
    • The x1000 jackpot? Your chance is close to 0.1%—super rare, but possible.

    These numbers show that InOut Games keeps things fair, with only a small difference between the theoretical and actual win rates. Also, keep in mind that each round is random. Just because you won or lost before doesn’t affect what happens next.

    Is Chicken Road Real or Fake?

    Chicken Road is 100% real and fair. It’s created by a trusted company called InOut Games, and the game uses Provably Fair technology. This means that the game results are made using a secure system called cryptography. You can even check the fairness of every round.

    If you play Chicken Road at a licensed online casino, you’re in good hands. These casinos follow international gaming rules, so your gameplay is safe and your money is protected.

    Who Made Chicken Road?

    InOut Games is the company behind Chicken Road. They are known for making cool, easy-to-play mini-games that keep players coming back. Their games have:

    • High return-to-player (RTP) percentages
    • Simple and fun mechanics
    • Great design for both mobile and desktop

    Chicken Road is one of their most loved games. It’s fun, fast, and lets you use real strategies to win.

    Conclusion

    Chicken Road is a fast-paced, exciting game where your choices matter. Whether you’re someone who likes safe bets or wants to go all in for big wins, the game gives you options.

    You can play it your way:

    • Try safe steps and cash out early
    • Use smart betting strategies to stay ahead
    • Switch between easy and hard levels depending on your mood

    And with a high RTP and fun gameplay, you are always just one step away from a big win.

    Ready to take your chicken on a winning run? Start playing Chicken Road today and enjoy the thrill of every step!

    FAQs

    1. Can I play Chicken Road for free?

    Yes, many online casinos offer a demo version. You can play it without spending real money and learn how the game works.

    2. Where can I play Chicken Road?

    You can find Chicken Road on trusted online casinos that offer games from InOut Games.

    3. How does the game work?

    You place a bet and help the chicken move forward. Each step earns you more money, but you must choose the right time to cash out—before stepping into a trap.

    4. Are there any bonuses for Chicken Road?

    Yes. Many casinos offer free bets, deposit bonuses, cashback, and special promos for new and regular players.

    5. Is Chicken Road legal in India?

    Yes, as long as you’re playing on a licensed and legal online casino, Chicken Road is safe and legal in India.

    Media Details

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

    Disclaimer
    This information is for general and entertainment purposes only—not legal, financial, or gambling advice. Always verify details and follow your local laws. Gambling carries risks; wager responsibly and only what you can afford to lose, and seek help if you feel out of control. Some links may be affiliate links at no extra cost to you, and wild may be unavailable or restricted in certain regions.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Weston Man Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading Offense

    Source: US FBI

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that RYAN SQUILLANTE, 40, of Weston, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to an insider trading offense.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, working from his home, Squillante was employed as the Head of Equity Trading at Irving Investors, an investment company headquartered in Denver, Colorado.  As a result of his position at Irving Investors, Squillante received material non-public information (“MNPI”) about various publicly traded companies.  On 15 different occasions between August 2022 and May 2023, Squillante used MNPI for his own benefit by executing transactions in securities of these companies, making a total profit of $220,912.

    As an example, in February 2023, Squillante received MNPI about Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. (“Praxis”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company whose common stock traded on the NASDAQ.  Between February 27 and March 2, 2023, Squillante “sold short” 38,086 shares of Praxis at an average price per share of approximately $3.04.  On March 3, 2023, before the market opened, Praxis announced poor results from its drug trial, stating that the drug’s effects did not achieve its primary endpoint with statistical significance.  Following the announcement, Squillante “covered” his short sale by purchasing 38,086 Praxis shares at an average price per share of approximately $1.82, making a profit of approximately $46,421.

    Squillante pleaded guilty to securities fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for August 29.

    This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: EIA expects low crude oil prices and declining rig count to affect U.S. crude oil production trends through 2026

    Source: US Energy Information Administration – EIA

    Headline: EIA expects low crude oil prices and declining rig count to affect U.S. crude oil production trends through 2026

    U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
    WASHINGTON DC 20585

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    June 10, 2025

    The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects the Brent crude oil price to fall to near $60 per barrel by the end of the year and to average about $59 per barrel in 2026. EIA expects the low price of crude oil to affect both U.S. crude oil production and retail gasoline prices in the short term.

    In its June Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), EIA forecasts U.S. crude oil production to average about 13.4 million barrels per day this year, just below the record highs earlier this year. For 2026, the forecast is slightly lower than 2025 levels. EIA expects U.S. retail gasoline prices to average below $3.10 per gallon through the end of 2026, which is about 6% lower than the 2024 average price.

    U.S. energy market indicators 2024 2025 2026
    Brent crude oil spot price (dollars per barrel) $81 $66 $59
    Retail gasoline price (dollars per gallon) $3.30 $3.10 $3.10
    U.S. crude oil production (million barrels per day) 13.2 13.4 13.4
    Natural gas price at Henry Hub (dollars per million British thermal units) $2.20 $4.00 $4.90
    U.S. liquefied natural gas gross exports (billion cubic feet per day) 12 15 16
    Shares of U.S. electricity generation       
    Natural gas 42% 40% 40%
    Coal 16% 16% 15%
    Renewables 23% 25% 27%
    Nuclear 19% 19% 18%
    U.S. GDP (percentage change) 2.8% 1.4% 1.7%
    U.S. CO2 emissions (billion metric tons) 4.8 4.8 4.8
    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook, June 2025

    Some key highlights from the June STEO include:

    • Global oil supply, demand, and prices: EIA revised its 2025 global oil production forecast slightly upward and its global petroleum products consumption forecast slightly downward for both 2025 and 2026, leading to an expectation of growing global oil inventories. EIA expects oil inventories to grow by about 800,000 barrels per day in 2025 and 600,000 barrels per day in 2026. EIA’s expectations for inventory growth are the primary reason it expects oil prices to decline through this year and next year.
    • U.S. crude oil production: Domestic crude oil production reached an all-time high of 13.5 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2025. EIA expects U.S. crude oil production to decline from that high through the end of 2026 as oil producers respond to lower prices. Data from Baker Hughes shows the number of active drilling rigs declined last month by much more than EIA had expected. Fewer active rigs affect EIA’s forecast for how many wells U.S. operators will drill and complete throughout 2026. EIA expects U.S. crude oil production to average about 13.4 million barrels per day this year and just below that amount in 2026.
    • U.S. gasoline prices: Another effect of lower oil prices is that EIA expects lower average U.S. gasoline prices through 2026. Regular-grade retail gasoline prices average $3.10 per gallon in the third quarter of 2025 in EIA’s forecast, down 7% from the same period last year. EIA expects retail gasoline prices in the eastern part of the country to be below $3.00 per gallon for most of the next year and a half. On the West Coast, EIA expects refinery capacity reductions to cause a 4% annual price increase next year.
    • Natural gas prices: EIA expects the Henry Hub natural gas spot price to average about $4.00 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in 2025 and $4.90/MMBtu in 2026, compared with $2.20/MMBtu in 2024.
    • Electricity demand: EIA revised its forecast for electricity demand growth in 2025 upward by about 1% to reflect greater expected demand growth in the commercial and industrial sectors, particularly from data centers and manufacturing operations. This growth in power demand is especially notable in regions managed by the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas and PJM independent system operators. EIA expects that U.S. commercial sector electricity consumption will grow by 3% in 2025 and by 5% in 2026.
    • Electricity generation: EIA expects total U.S. electricity generation this summer will be about 1% greater than last summer. EIA expects higher natural gas prices this summer to result in less generation from natural gas-fired power plants compared with last summer, which is expected to be offset by more generation from coal, solar, and hydro.
    • Trade policy assumptions: The U.S. macroeconomic outlook we use in the STEO is based on S&P Global’s macroeconomic model. S&P Global’s most recent model reflects the tariffs announced in April and includes the 90-day temporary suspension of tariffs granted to certain countries. However, the model was finalized before the ruling by the Court of International Trade on May 28th that temporarily halted all reciprocal tariffs. As a result, our macroeconomic forecast assumes lower tariffs on China’s products compared with last month’s STEO and 10% tariffs on countries subject to the 90-day temporary suspension. These differences in tariff rates likely have offsetting effects on the macroeconomic forecast.

    The full June 2025 Short-Term Energy Outlook is available on the EIA website.

    The product described in this press release was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA’s data, analysis, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the U.S. government. The views in the product and this press release therefore should not be construed as representing those of the U.S. Department of Energy or other federal agencies.

    EIA Program Contact: Tim Hess, STEO@eia.gov
    EIA Press Contact: Chris Higginbotham, EIAMedia@eia.gov

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple services deliver powerful features and intelligent updates to users this fall

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple services deliver powerful features and intelligent updates to users this fall

    June 10, 2025

    UPDATE

    Apple services deliver powerful features and intelligent updates to users this fall

    New features include AutoMix and updates to Lyrics in Apple Music; preferred routes and Visited Places in Apple Maps; easy-to-track orders with Apple Intelligence in Apple Wallet; the introduction of Digital ID; and more

    With the release of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and watchOS 26 this fall, Apple is bringing exciting new features and adding more intelligence across its services, delivering even greater everyday functionality to users. This includes an enhanced listening experience in Apple Music; easier navigation with preferred routes and Visited Places in Apple Maps; new ways to make and track purchases with Apple Intelligence in Apple Wallet; customized playback experiences with Apple Podcasts; a refreshed boarding pass in Wallet; the introduction of Digital ID; and more.

    “Apple’s services are integral to many parts of a user’s day, and we’re excited to bring features that pack even more power and fun into their everyday moments,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “These updates will help users better navigate and explore the world around them with Apple Maps, offer an enhanced Apple Music experience, elevate how they shop with Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, and so much more.”

    “AI and machine learning are a core part of what makes Apple’s services feel so personal and intuitive to our users around the world,” said Jeff Robbin, Apple’s vice president of Services Engineering. “They love the ease and simplicity that intelligent features like natural language search and App Store review summaries have brought, and we’re excited to continue adding thoughtful, tailored experiences to Apple’s services — including AutoMix, which mixes songs like a DJ in Apple Music, the option to use Enhance Dialogue to isolate voices and make them sound clearer in Apple Podcasts, and more.”

    Apple Music Introduces AutoMix, Upgrades to Lyrics, and More

    Apple Music delivers an elevated listening experience with AutoMix, which mixes one song into the next, just like a DJ. Using AI to analyze audio features, it crafts unique transitions between songs with time stretching and beat matching to deliver continuous playback and an even more seamless listening experience.

    This fall, Apple Music brings Lyrics Translation, which lets users understand the meaning of their favorite songs, and Lyrics Pronunciation, which enables users to sing along when lyrics are in another language. The new features use machine learning to translate lyrics — with fine-tuning from language experts — to ensure the emotion, cultural context, and lyrical intent are fully preserved.

    With Sing, the sing-along experience reaches a whole new level, allowing users to transform iPhone into a handheld microphone for Apple TV and have their voice amplified as they belt out their favorite songs with friends. And with real-time lyrics and visual effects that light up the screen, Sing reaches a new level of fun.

    Additionally, users can pin their favorite music to the top of their Library in Apple Music for easy access.

    Apple Maps Gets More Intelligent and Personalized with Preferred Routes and Visited Places

    Apple Maps makes everyday life easier with new enhancements that help users navigate their preferred routes and keep track of places they’ve previously visited, all while protecting user privacy.1 iPhone can now use on-device intelligence to learn and understand the routes users take between the places they frequently visit, like home and work. The Maps widget then shows users a preview of their commute so they know what to expect before they leave, and commute notifications alert users of significant delays and offer alternate routes, even before their journey begins.

    With Visited Places, users can allow iPhone to intelligently detect the places they visit and spend time in — like restaurants or shops — and they’ll automatically be saved to Maps. Users can search for places they’ve visited, and easily share them with family and friends. Visited Places are built with privacy in mind; they’re protected with end-to-end encryption, cannot be accessed by Apple, and can be easily removed with just a swipe.

    A Customized Playback Experience with Apple Podcasts

    Apple Podcasts delivers more customization to the listening experience, including a wider range of playback speeds and Enhance Dialogue. Users will be able to find the perfect listening speed for them, with speed options from 0.5x to 3x, and save their preferred setting for each show. Using real-time audio processing and machine learning, users can turn on Enhance Dialogue to hear speech more clearly over background sounds.

    New Ways to Track Orders with Apple Intelligence and Apple Wallet, and Make Purchases with Apple Pay

    Apple Wallet now uses Apple Intelligence to automatically identify, summarize, and display order tracking details from emails sent from merchants or delivery carriers. This works across all orders, giving users the ability to see their full order details, progress notifications, and more, all in one place.

    Additionally, Apple Pay expands the ability to pay with rewards and installments to in-store purchases for added flexibility and choice. Users can view and pay with rewards — as well as access installment loan offers from eligible credit or debit cards — when making an Apple Pay purchase in person with iPhone.

    The ability to access installments from credit and debit cards, including from pay-over-time providers, when making an in-store Apple Pay purchase will roll out in the U.S. with Affirm, Cash App Afterpay, Klarna, Synchrony, and U.S. Bank; in the UK with Monzo and Klarna; and in Canada with Klarna. The ability to redeem rewards for in-store purchases with Apple Pay will be available beginning in the U.S. with Synchrony and U.S. Bank.2

    Send and Receive Money in Group Chats with Apple Cash

    Apple Cash provides a convenient way for users to request, send, and receive money directly within group conversations in Messages, making it easier to settle up after dinner or pay friends back for concert tickets.3 Users can send money to an individual or request money from everyone in the group.

    More Convenient Travel with a Refreshed Boarding Pass Experience and Digital ID in Wallet

    In Apple Wallet, a refreshed boarding pass experience delivers rich, relevant information straight to users’ fingertips with Live Activities that offer real-time updates about their flights. For added convenience, users can also share their flight’s Live Activities so friends and family can stay up to date on their journeys.

    Refreshed boarding passes also allow users to conveniently access Maps to navigate airports and explore local recommendations, all in one place from their pass; quickly use Find My to track important items and report lost baggage; view key services on an airline’s app, such as seat upgrades and standby lists; and more. Refreshed boarding passes will be available starting with Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Jetstar, Lufthansa Group, Qantas, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Australia.

    Digital ID offers a secure and private new way for users to store and present their ID information using their iPhone and Apple Watch. Users can seamlessly create and add a Digital ID to Apple Wallet using a U.S. passport.

    With REAL ID implementation in effect, at launch, Digital ID provides another way for users to conveniently and securely present an ID in person at select TSA checkpoints for identity verification purposes during domestic travel. Digital ID is not a replacement for a physical passport, and cannot be used for international travel and border crossing in lieu of a U.S. passport. Like all IDs in Apple Wallet, this new solution takes advantage of the privacy and security features already built into iPhone and Apple Watch.

    Additionally, Verify with Wallet on the Web enables users to seamlessly and securely present their eligible driver’s license or state ID in Wallet to websites for age and identity verification, starting with Chime, Turo, Uber Eats, and U.S. Bank, as well as the Arizona MVD, Georgia DDS, and Maryland MVA.

    Ready-Made Custom Plans Unlock Consistent Routines in Apple Fitness+

    Custom Plans in Apple Fitness+ make it simpler than ever to follow a personalized schedule, automatically creating plans based on users’ workout and meditation preferences, including their top activities, durations, trainers, music, and more.

    To keep users motivated, Stay Consistent provides a premade schedule of activities that matches their current routine. With Push Further, users receive a plan that increases the time of each day’s workout sessions — or even adds another day — making it perfect for those looking to challenge themselves. For anyone new to Fitness+, Get Started provides a ready-made plan built from selected interests or popular activities, giving users a helpful starting point. Additionally, Custom Plans are now centrally located in a dedicated Plans page.

    A New Daily Puzzle Brings a Fresh, Friendly Challenge to Apple News+

    Apple News adds Emoji Game to Apple News+ Puzzles, joining Crossword, Mini-Crossword, Quartiles, and Sudoku. Emoji Game brings to life one of users’ favorite ways to communicate in a fun and engaging way, with players challenged to use emoji to complete three phrases, with the goal of solving the puzzle in as few moves as possible. Users can share puzzles, track stats and streaks, and compete with others through Game Center leaderboards. Emoji Game features a daily puzzle available in the U.S. and for English-speaking users in Canada, and can be accessed from the Following tab in the News app.

    Apple’s services make everyday activities more personal, productive, and enjoyable, and these new features and additional intelligent updates continue to deliver thoughtful, tailored experiences to users across the globe.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Florence Co. health worker charged with Medicaid fraudRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) has arrested Jacqueline Burgess, 59 years old, of Scranton, SC, on one count of Medical Assistance Provider Fraud {43-07-0060}. Burgess was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on June 10, 2025.

    An investigation by VAMPF revealed that, between December 4, 2023 and June 21, 2024, Burgess is alleged to have knowingly and willfully caused false claims for payments to the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the agency that administers the State’s Medicaid program. Specifically, it is alleged that Burgess, as a care attendant with Tender Care Home Health Care, submitted false timesheets indicating that she had rendered care services for a Medicaid beneficiary when she did not.

    This case was referred to law enforcement by Tender Care Home Health Care, which cooperated fully with investigators. This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office. 

    Medical Assistance Provider Fraud is a class A misdemeanor and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of not more than $1,000.  

    Pursuant to federal regulations, VAMPF has authority over Medicaid provider fraud; abuse and neglect of Medicaid beneficiaries in any setting; and the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of individuals residing in assisted living facilities or nursing homes. 

    Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

    The South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, dba VAMPF, receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $2,889,252 for federal fiscal year 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $963,084 for FFY 2025, is funded by South Carolina.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sly Stone: influential funk pioneer who embodied the contradictions at the heart of American life

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Behr, Senior Lecturer in Popular and Contemporary Music, Newcastle University

    There’s immense variety in popular music careers, even beyond the extremes of one-hit wonders and the long-haulers touring stadiums into their dotage. There are those who embody a specific era, burning briefly and brightly, and those whose legacy spans decades.

    Straddling both of those, and occupying a distinctive space in popular music history, is Sylvester Stewart, better known as Sly Stone, who died at the age of 82 on Monday June 9.

    A pioneer of funk whose sound spread far beyond the genre, his band Sly and the Family Stone synthesised disparate strands of American popular music into a unique melange, tracking the musical and social shifts as the 1960s wore into the 1970s.

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    A musical prodigy and multi-instrumentalist from a young age, Stone was born in Texas in 1943 and raised in California, in a religious Pentecostal family. He had put out his first single aged 13 – a locally released gospel song with three of his siblings, who would later join him in Sly and the Family Stone.

    A record producer and DJ by his early twenties, he imbibed the music of British acts like The Beatles and Rolling Stones, and applied his eclectic tastes and musical versatility to producing local psychedelic and garage rock acts in the emergent San Francisco scene.

    By the time commercial popular culture had flowered into a more exploratory “counterculture” in 1967’s Summer of Love, the ebb and flow of personnel across local bands had coalesced into a line-up including the Stone siblings – Sly, Freddie, and their sister Vaetta, with their other sister Rose joining in 1968. Pioneering socially, as well as aesthetically, Sly and the Family Stone had diversity at its core – a mixed sex, multi-racial and musically varied band.

    This was notable for a mainstream act in an America still emerging from the depths of segregation, and riven with strife over the struggle for civil rights. While their first album in 1967 A Whole New Thing enjoyed comparatively little traction, 1968‘s Dance to the Music presaged a run of hits.

    Their sonic collision of sounds from across the commercial and social divide – psychedelic rock, soul, gospel and pop – struck a chord with audiences simultaneously looking forward with hope to changing times, and mindful of the injustice that was still prevalent.

    Singles like Everyday People, Stand, and I Want to Take You Higher, melded a party atmosphere with social statements. They were calls for action, but also for unity: celebratory, but pushing the musical envelope.

    While the band wore its innovations lightly at first, their reach was long. Bassist Larry Graham was a pioneer of the percussive slap bass that became a staple of funk and fusion. And their overall sound brought a looser, pop feel to the funk groove, in comparison to the almost militaristic tightness of that other funk pioneer, James Brown.

    Where Brown’s leadership of his group was overt, exemplified by his staccato musical directions in the songs, and the call and response structure, Stone’s band had more of an ensemble feel. Musical lines and solos were overlaid upon one another, often interweaving – more textured rather than in lock-step. It was a sound that would reach an almost chaotic apogée with George Clinton’s Funkadelic later in the 1970s.

    The party couldn’t last. As the optimism of the 1960s gave way to division in the 1970s, Stone’s music took a darker turn, even if the funk remained central. The album There’s A Riot Going On (1971), and its lead single It’s Family Affair contained lyrics depicting social ills more explicitly. The music – mostly recorded by Sly himself – was sparser, the vocals more melancholic.

    The unity of the band itself was also fracturing, under pressure from Stone’s growing cocaine dependency. The album Fresh (1973) featured classics like In Time and If You Want Me To Stay, but they were running out of commercial road by 1974’s Small Talk, and broke up soon after.

    Periodic comebacks were punctuated by a troubled personal life, including, at its nadir, reports of Stone living out of a van in Los Angeles, and arrests for drug possession. By the time he achieved a degree of stability, his star may have faded, but his legacy was secure.

    Stone embodied the contradictions of American popular music – arguably even America itself: brash and light-hearted on the one hand, with a streak of darkness and self-destructiveness on the other.

    The handclaps and joyous shouts harked back to his gospel roots, but his embrace of electric instruments aligned soul with rock and pop. He was a funk artist who played at the archetypal hippie festival, Woodstock, and a social commentator whose party sounds were shot through with urgency.

    He paved the way for the likes of Prince and Outkast, but also informed jazz and fusion. Jazz pioneer Miles Davis acknowledged Stone’s influence on his own turn towards electric and funk sounds in the late 1960s and early 1970s on landmark albums like Bitches Brew.

    Sly Stone’s joyful provocations may not have lasted at the commercial centre, but his mark was indelible. His struggles were both personal and social, but his sense of groove, and of a collective voice, demonstrated the value of aligning traditions with new ideas – a musical America that was fractious, but still a family affair.

    Adam Behr has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council

    – ref. Sly Stone: influential funk pioneer who embodied the contradictions at the heart of American life – https://theconversation.com/sly-stone-influential-funk-pioneer-who-embodied-the-contradictions-at-the-heart-of-american-life-258616

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The political opportunism behind Reform UK’s support for abolition of the two-child limit on benefits

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chris Grover, Professor in Social Policy, Lancaster University

    The leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, recently announced that if in government, his party would abolish the two-child limit on benefits. This social security policy restricts the payment of means-tested benefits to the first two children of a family.

    Farage explained the announcement as being pro-natalist – intended to encourage a higher birth rate – as well as being “pro-worker”. Farage said that the abolition of the two-child limit “makes having children just a little bit easier” for “lower paid workers”.

    He noted that Reform wanted “to encourage people to have children”. Such arguments are familiar in the European political right, although the UK’s Conservative opposition criticised Reform’s proposal.

    To be in government, Reform has two possible routes: to build a coalition of voters for it, or to split left-leaning voters. Its proposal to abolish the two-child limit may be aimed at both.

    On the one hand, it might be supported by left-leaning voters who are able to accept Reform’s broader policy agenda. On the other hand, it might be aimed at encouraging left-leaning voters who find Reform’s agenda problematic to move to parties (such as the Greens and Liberal Democrats) who are less equivocal in their commitment to abolishing the two-child limit than the Labour government.

    Social security policies winning votes

    Social security policies have long been used as part of political strategising. The situation with the two-child limit is complicated, though, because both anti- and pro-natalist views of social security (and it predecessors) have been popular at particular moments.

    Political and popular arguments have long been made that supporting the poorest families leads to them having too many children. This, so the argument goes, reproduces, rather than addresses, the poverty they face. Examples can be found, for instance, in the 1834 poor law commission report in relation to “bastardy” and large families, Sir Keith Joseph’s 1970s focus upon the “cycle of deprivation”, as well as “underclass” arguments in the 1980s and 1990s.

    The two-child limit was announced in the 2015 budget and introduced in 2017 with the reasoning that “those in receipt of tax credits should face the same financial choices about having children as those supporting themselves solely through work.”

    The two-child limit on benefits restricts welfare payments for children to the first two children in a family.
    Len44ik/Shutterstock

    In contrast, the architect of the British welfare state, William Beveridge, noted in 1942 that children’s allowances (now child benefit) would help “housewives as mothers” in their “vital work in ensuring the adequate continuance of the British race and of British ideals in the world.” The 1945 Labour election victory in support of the welfare state suggests pro-natalist policies can contribute to electoral success.

    The expansion of tax credits in the 1990s and 2000s were partly explained in pro-natalist terms. Tony Blair, for instance, noted: “The working tax credit enables half a million mothers to choose to stay at home.” That, in other words, tax credits enabled women to choose having and raising children over paid work.

    Recent polling, however, suggests that the anti-natalist two-child limit polls well among voters, especially Reform voters. In 2024, for example, YouGov found 60% of Britons thought the two-child limit should be kept. The figure was 84% for Reform voters.

    Targeting voters

    The abolition of the two-child limit may have been adopted to increase Reform’s appeal to left-leaning voters. Providing additional support for families through social security may be attractive to voters concerned with social injustice. The two-child limit increases child poverty. Affected families are unable to provide even the most basic needs, such as food, clothing and heating.

    Nevertheless, Reform’s proposal is also embedded in caveats and would be paid for through means appealing to its existing voters. So, for example, Farage emphasised that the abolition of the two-child limit would be restricted to only British families. It would not be extended to families “who come into the country and suddenly decide to have a lot of children”.

    By keeping the two-child limit for migrant families, Reform’s proposals are consistent with existing immigration and asylum policies. It has been observed in an inquiry by All Party Parliamentary Groups on poverty and on migration that policies like this are, at least in part, “designed to push people into poverty in the hope that it will deter others from moving to the UK.” And, therefore, the abolition of the two-child limit can be seen as part of Reform’s pledge to severely curtail immigration.

    Farage also argued that the abolition of the two-child limit would be paid for by other policies that are central to Reform’s electoral agenda. These include stopping asylum seekers being housed in hotels and the abolition of net zero policies. It is also consistent with Reform’s view that jobs in Britain should be filled by British people. This, it believes, will help reduce reliance on migrant labour from overseas.

    There is little evidence that the introduction of the two-child limit had the desired impact on lowering poorer households’ birth rates. And it is unclear whether the proposed abolition of the two-child limit rooted in a British-only, pro-natalist agenda is enough to attract left-leaning voters.

    These voters might, for example, be more concerned with Reform’s position on immigration and asylum seeking, as well as the social injustice of the undoubted poverty in which families subjected to the two child limit on benefits live.

    Reform’s strategy then may be to further encourage those voters to turn from its closest rival – the Labour party – to other political parties. Whichever is the case, the situation will undoubtedly shift if the Labour government does take the step of abolishing the two-child limit.

    Chris Grover 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. The political opportunism behind Reform UK’s support for abolition of the two-child limit on benefits – https://theconversation.com/the-political-opportunism-behind-reform-uks-support-for-abolition-of-the-two-child-limit-on-benefits-258042

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Spending review: Rachel Reeves is about to make a £600 billion gamble on growth

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Steve Schifferes, Honorary Research Fellow, City Political Economy Research Centre, City St George’s, University of London

    UK chancellor Rachel Reeves faces her biggest test with the government’s departmental spending plans for the three years from next April until the general election. With nearly £600 billion a year to spend, her decisions will impact on every aspect of public life and shape the political weather for years to come.

    She believes the key to reviving Labour’s fortunes as its poll ratings tumble lies in boosting economic growth.

    So the government has promised that its policies will increase the UK’s anaemic growth rate and enhance productivity. Reeves is looking to capital spending on big projects that will boost the economy, such as the £14.2 billion government investment in a new nuclear power plant at Sizewell in Suffolk.

    Last year she revised the government’s fiscal rules to give herself the space to borrow an extra £113 billion over three years to transform Britain’s ageing infrastructure. She has already made it clear that she wants to boost transport investment outside of London, as well as invest in research and development, including green energy.

    But there are challenges ahead. In the first place, the effect of infrastructure investment takes a long time to feed through. This is partly because of the lag between planning the projects and when they come on-stream.

    It will take time before the full effect will be felt on productivity, which has been growing more slowly than expected. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) suggested in March that the latest government plans for planning reform might increase productivity by just 0.2% in the longer term.

    There are also some real trade-offs as to where the increased capital investment will go – and which sectors will benefit most. The chancellor has emphasised her commitment to putting more money into projects outside London and south-east England that have had less public investment in the past.

    But London and the south-east is where productivity is highest and where further investment might have a bigger effect on economic growth.

    It appears that there may be less funding for social housing, which may threaten the government’s ambitious target of building 1.5 million homes over the parliament. There may also be less available to repair schools and hospitals.

    And the plans to boost defence spending on expensive military equipment – such as frigates and fighter planes – will also count as capital spending. As such, it could further reduce the amount available for infrastructure investment.

    The departmental trade-offs

    Despite the relative abundance of cash for infrastructure, the tighter fiscal rules on day-to-day spending mean that many departments are facing a squeeze on their budgets. The government plans to allow total day-to-day departmental spending on average to rise by just 1.2% per year in real terms during the next three years. This probably spells a real-terms cut for some “unprotected” departments.

    This is because the money will not be distributed equally. The Department of Health and Social Care gets 40% of all departmental spending and is likely to be the big winner.

    It has already received a big increase in the last spending round, with an 11% increase in capital spending is likely to get even more to realise an ambitious ten-year plan for improving services in the NHS in England.

    If health spending were to go up by 2.5% (well under its historic average), this could mean very little increase for many other government departments. And if it is increased by 3.5% this will imply real-terms cuts for other areas.

    The situation is made more difficult by the government’s decision to prioritise two other areas: defence and schools. For defence, it is committed to raising spending to 2.5% by 2027 and to 3% in the next parliament.

    And for education, Reeves has pledged an extra £4.5 billion per year for more teachers, childcare places and free school meals. The decisions have a strong political dimension, as health and education tend to be the most popular spending priorities among the public.

    Boosting the education spend tends to play well with the UK public.
    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

    The spending review, however, only covers half of total government spending. The more unpredictable part is annually managed expenditure, mainly on benefits and interest payments on government debt.

    The Treasury sets an overall target (known as the spending envelope) on how much will be spent in these areas. But it now faces a crunch point over the unpopular decisions to cut disability benefits and keep the two-child benefit cap.

    Reeves’ partial U-turn on the winter fuel payment, which will now be paid to 9 million pensioners, will cost an additional £1.25 billion a year but may have been a political necessity.

    But a full U-turn on the two other issues will be much more expensive. Taken together, such a change might breach the fiscal rules, which give only £10 billion of “headroom” in a total government budget of more than £1.2 trillion. So while there will be some rowing back, the finances suggest any more major U-turns are unlikely.

    To make matters worse, these spending plans are based on an economic forecast made by the OBR in March. This did not include the effect of US president Donald Trump’s tariff plans. Since then, both the IMF and the OECD downgraded their UK growth forecasts for both 2025 and 2026, and despite a recent small upgrade by the IMF, growth is still significantly lower than previously expected.

    Even though Britain seems to have secured a deal with the US, the effect of tariffs on global growth will still damage the UK’s prospects as a trading nation.

    This will make it harder for the government to meet its fiscal targets in the autumn budget while sticking to the departmental spending plans. The chancellor will then have three options. She can look for more cuts in benefits spending.

    She could try to find other sources of tax revenue, for example by tweaking the rules on taxing pensions or extending the freeze on upgrading tax bands. Or, more radically, she could modify the fiscal rules to give herself more flexibility – for example by having only one economic forecast a year, as the IMF has suggested.

    Ultimately Labour’s electoral prospects will depend on whether it has succeeded in boosting living standards. While the productivity drive could work, the UK economy remains at the mercy of wider global economic forces.

    Steve Schifferes 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. Spending review: Rachel Reeves is about to make a £600 billion gamble on growth – https://theconversation.com/spending-review-rachel-reeves-is-about-to-make-a-600-billion-gamble-on-growth-258526

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why ultra wealthy donors like Elon Musk and Zia Yusuf may just be fundamentally incompatible with the politics of the radical right

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sam Power, Lecturer in Politics, University of Bristol

    Former chairman Zia Yusuf has rejoined Reform after quitting days previously. Yusuf had said he no longer wanted to work to get the party into government when new MP Sarah Pochin called for a ban on burqas in the UK. However, he seems to have had a change of heart and will return, ostensibly to lead the party’s “department of government efficiency”.

    Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s bromance, however, is on much rockier ground. There’s no sign of the world’s richest man reconciling with the US president, his former employer.

    These spats, at first glance, might seem like little more than, put politely, teething problems in (relatively) new political operations. Or, a little less politely, the unedifying spectacle of people in or seeking power being completely unable to act like adults.

    However, it also points to something more akin to a canary in the coalmine for radical right parties around the world. Their increasing reliance on an ultra-wealthy donor class presents an ideological puzzle that may not be solvable.

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    Reform currently operates on what has been described as vibes alone. That is to say, there’s very little meaningful common ground between the people who vote for Reform and the party elite. The only continuity is their sense of anger at the current political system.

    This, as we are seeing in election after election, is an incredibly powerful (and compelling) force. The problem is, of course, that you can’t oppose forever. You often end up having to actually do something. All boxers, Mike Tyson will be glad to tell you, have a plan – until they get punched in the face.

    And what makes them such a powerful force at the moment, is precisely that which may cause challenges further down the line. At least for me, given it’s my bread and butter research-wise, I see this when I follow the money.

    And I’m increasingly asked a lot of questions about the kind of people who are either giving money to Reform – or who Reform are courting (and at the moment it is decidedly the latter which is the case).

    My position is that they very broadly fit into three categories. First are disaffected traditional Conservatives who are increasingly seeing a party – in the words of Farage – “worth investing in”. In the donations figures released on June 10, these are represented by bussinessmen Bassim Haidar and Mohammed Amersi.

    Then you have a Silicon Valley-reared tech-bro libertarian. This group already runs on a “move fast and break things” philosophy so the idea of an insurgent party which proclaims, on entering parliament, that “the fox is in the henhouse” naturally appeals.

    The final pot of money is filled via small donations, ballooning membership and a whole chunk of votes from a disaffected white working-class population to whom the language of economic and cultural grievances resonates.

    There are some places where the interests of these groups align – most notably a distaste for government interference and red tape (though not necessarily a smaller state in terms spending on public services). They also share a sense that progressive politics, broadly defined, ought to be pegged back a bit (but with an emphasis on a bit).

    They differ on a great deal else, to the extent that you can only really please two out of the three, but never everybody. And, unfortunately, without all three the project starts collapsing. This is what we have been seeing in the fractious relationships between Trump and Musk and Farage and Yusuf.

    Two out of three ain’t bad – but it’s not enough

    Yusuf (and Musk) are very much representative of the new tech-bro class. And, when Yusuf called questions about banning the burqa “dumb” he was speaking at both an ideological and organisational level.

    At the ideological level it is, frankly, a bit rich for his blood, because “philosophically I am always a bit uneasy about banning things which, for example, would be unconstitutional in the United States”.

    Organisationally, it pushes Reform much closer to what journalist Fraser Nelson calls “a tactic more akin to the old BNP”. Indeed, Reform started “just asking questions” about burqas at the same time as it started twisting footage to claim that Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, wants to prioritise the needs of Pakistanis.

    This kind of dog-whistle politics appeals to some, but puts off a lot more, including, I think, some of the (saner) tech-bro right.

    Indeed, Ian Ward at Politico perceptively notes that if we want to explain the current Musk-Trump meltdown we should look back to Christmas 2024, when cracks first started appearing over immigration policy.

    The tech-bro right are, generally speaking, much less hardline on the flow of people than the Maga-populist right (think Steve Bannon and Tommy Robinson). In fact, they are pro-high skilled immigration as it tends to benefit them and their business interests.

    Tech-bros also like the idea of moving fast and breaking things in theory. But when things start moving fast and actually breaking in practice (or Tesla stocks start to plummet), they tend to get a bit freaked out.

    In other words, it’s not just that they don’t like government, they don’t like governing and the inevitable compromise that comes with it. When they say move fast and break things, I get the sense what they really mean is “leave me alone so I can make billions in peace”.

    This, of course, is quite appealing to traditional hedge-fund conservatives, but is also the politics that literally built the economic grievances that much of the white-working class support for the populist radical right is, in turn, built on.

    Two out of three ain’t bad, but you do need all three. So, don’t be surprised if despite Farage’s seemingly genuine affection for Yusuf, it all falls apart again before long.

    Ultimately, Reform will need to decide how they are going to spin these plates. The good news is that it might well be that they can, indeed, get by on vibes alone until the next general election. The bad news, unfortunately, is that winning an election is the easy bit. Just ask Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer. After all, everyone has a plan.

    Sam Power receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

    – ref. Why ultra wealthy donors like Elon Musk and Zia Yusuf may just be fundamentally incompatible with the politics of the radical right – https://theconversation.com/why-ultra-wealthy-donors-like-elon-musk-and-zia-yusuf-may-just-be-fundamentally-incompatible-with-the-politics-of-the-radical-right-258512

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What the new British zoo standards mean for animal welfare

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Samantha Ward, Associate Professor of Zoo Animal Welfare, Nottingham Trent University

    Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko/Shutterstock

    If you visit a zoo, you might be captivated by the animals you see — majestic lions, curious meerkats, soaring birds of prey. But this is not always the case. Some zoos don’t always give us that impression of “happy animals” where they can behave naturally and be left alone by visitors if they wish.

    The UK, Scottish and Welsh governments recently released new zoo standards for Great Britain. So what does this mean for the future of zoos?

    I have been working in and with zoos for over 20 years. I am a bit of a zoo-nerd but that doesn’t mean that I like them all. I am an advocate for good animal welfare in zoos and so I can recognise the ones that are good and not so good.

    Britain is one of a few countries such as Belgium, South Korea and New Zealand that have specific zoo legislation. The new British standards will be enforced in 2027, giving below-par zoos two years to up their game.

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    I speak here in my role as associate professor of zoo animal welfare at Nottingham Trent University, but I also sit on the UK Zoos Expert Committee and helped to write the new standards. One of the biggest changes is the replacement of the word “should” with “must”. The standards now say: “Zoos must provide appropriate accomodation”. This makes all elements of the guidance much more enforceable.

    One of the most common complaints I hear when I say I work with zoos is that the animals don’t have as much space as they do in the wild. That is correct: zoos cannot provide the same amount of space for a lot of species. But good quality space can allow these animals to behave like they would in wild habitats.

    One of the most controversial animals when talking about space is elephants. In 2017 the UK government issued updated requirements for them which brought in enclosure-size requirements, something that had never happened for any species in British zoos before.

    Under the new standards, zoos will have until 2040 to increase their elephant provisions. Indoor space allocation for a herd of up to four females has been doubled to 600m². This then increases by 100m² for each additional elephant (compared to 80m² in the 2017 requirements).

    Bull facilities – zoos that house individual male elephants – need to provide 320m² of indoor space per bull. Outdoor areas for bull and cow elephants must provide a minimum shared space of 20,000m² (or 2.8 UK sized football pitches) for up to five group-living adults. This must be increased by at least 2,500m² for each additional animal over two years old. This is over 30 times larger than the current standards.

    The new standards stipulate that zoos must provide more natural habitats that better replicate how elephants live in the wild. There are also requirements for more detailed behavioural monitoring and things that help keep elephants active and engaged in their environment.

    Howver, animal welfare charity the RSPCA still feels that these updates are not good enough. It believes that elephants (and some other species) are not suitable for captivity as they have complex cognitive needs and space requirements.

    From my perspective, Britain has the most specific (and now) welfare-driven standards for elephants in the world. If Britain were to ban the housing of elephants, we would be shipping them to lower quality habitats, care and monitoring. Is this really what we want for the elephants in British zoos?

    What else is changing

    Another area where there has been much criticism in the past relates to providing animals from specific climates or environments with the correct conditions, such as reptiles, amphibians, tropical birds and primates. While a high number of animals seem to cope well in the UK’s colder climate, there is research to show that some animals need specialised environments, without which they can suffer from severe health problems, low welfare and even death.

    The new standards require zoos to develop detailed environmental management plans for species that rely on artificial life-support systems such as aquariums, vivariums, tropical houses or desert habitats. Animals also cannot be removed from their enclosures for interactions or talks with the public.

    These environmental management plans outline the environmental parameters required for that animal to thrive and behave naturally, and they need to be monitored to ensure that provisions do not slip.

    Birds of prey have new welfare protections in British zoos.
    chrisdorney/Shutterstock

    There are also extra requirements for birds of prey. Although controversial, tethering is currently a recognised management practice for birds of prey, including owls, hawks and falcons. You don’t need to be a welfare scientist to understand how a bird might feel about being tethered to a post for long periods of time.

    The 2012 standards stipulated that tethered birds should be flown at least four times per week, though there were no time restrictions on how long they could be tethered. The new standards emphasise that birds can only be tethered for a maximum of four hours in a 24 hour period and only as a management tool that benefits the bird (such as training for flight displays, transportation or veterinary treatment).

    There is new emphasis on what is known as behavioural enrichment. Whether it’s puzzle feeders for primates, scent trails for big cats or novel objects for parrots, enrichment helps prevent boredom, reduce stress and promote natural behaviour.

    Enrichment can be resource intensive and therefore difficult to implement, but the new standards make it a core requirement. Enrichment activities must aim to replicate natural behaviour such as foraging, climbing or problem solving. Zoos are required to document and evaluate these activities, track how animals respond and adjust strategies accordingly.

    These updates reflect a deeper understanding of what animals need to thrive, not just survive. As a zoo welfare scientist, I feel there is always more that can be done to improve the welfare of animals in zoos (such as banning touch pools and tethering altogether).

    But it is important that zoos and aquariums evaluate the costs (to the animals) and benefits (to the visitors) to make ethical and welfare-based decisions themselves.

    These new standards will improve the conditions for animals in zoos, as well as help zoos to make the right decisions about the animals they house and care for.

    Samantha Ward is the welfare specialist on the Zoo Experts Committee, part of DEFRA, who helped write the new zoo standards.

    – ref. What the new British zoo standards mean for animal welfare – https://theconversation.com/what-the-new-british-zoo-standards-mean-for-animal-welfare-258001

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Rosebank oilfield: why more UK oil means more global emissions

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Fergus Green, Associate Professor in Political Theory and Public Policy, UCL

    Frode Koppang / shutterstock

    The UK government will soon face a momentous decision over whether to approve production in the Rosebank oilfield off the coast of Shetland.

    Rosebank is the UK’s biggest undeveloped field. Its proponents – the largest of which is Norwegian state-owned petroleum company, Equinor – estimate that it will produce the equivalent of up to 500 million barrels of oil between 2026 and 2051. When burned, this oil will generate up to 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is more than the combined annual emissions of 28 low-income countries.

    Thanks to recent court cases, the climate effects of those “combustion emissions” will need to be taken into account by the government when it decides whether to approve production at Rosebank. In a new report, two colleagues and I reviewed the evidence concerning the implications of new oil and gas fields in the UK.

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    There is a rapidly dwindling global carbon budget for holding temperature increases to below 1.5°C of warming (the more conservative end of the Paris agreement’s temperature goal).

    Globally, the emissions from burning the fossil fuels in oil and gas fields and coalmines that are already operating or under development far exceed that budget. In this context, Rosebank’s combustion emissions are highly significant, as they add considerably to that excess.

    We also found that the projected production from existing fields is sufficient to meet or exceed global oil and gas demand in modelled economic scenarios in which climate warming is restrained to within 1.5°C. This is further evidence that new fields are not consistent with achieving globally agreed temperature goals.

    However, it is often asserted by supporters of new fields that keeping UK oil in the ground won’t reduce global emissions, because another producer will supply the demand and reap the benefits. This is a gross and dangerous oversimplification which, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, “defies basic economics of supply and demand”.

    Allowing a new field like Rosebank would increase the supply of oil globally, resulting in a fall in its price which, though small, would cause more oil to be consumed. As UK government advisers at the Climate Change Committee have acknowledged, new petroleum projects “support a larger global market overall” for petroleum. Stopping Rosebank would have the opposite effect, and lead to less oil consumed.

    Rosebank is found about 80 miles west of Shetland and its puffins.
    Philippe Clement / shutterstock

    The oil industry likes to trumpet the UK’s relatively low upstream emissions – that is, from the process of extracting oil – compared with those of competitors overseas. But this is a distraction from the bigger issue: the additional greenhouse gases emitted from consuming the extra oil that new fields produce.

    A recent peer-reviewed study by economists and experts in the emissions-intensity of oil and gas production concluded that limiting oil supply will almost always lead to lower overall emissions, regardless of the intensity of upstream emissions from different fields. It is highly likely that leaving Rosebank’s oil in the ground will result in lower global greenhouse gases than would occur if the field were developed.

    However, this focus on Rosebank’s aggregate emissions ignores two further reasons the field’s development consent should be refused on climate grounds.

    A litmus test of climate leadership

    First, exploiting new sources of oil supply like Rosebank locks in future oil and gas production, ultimately making it economically, politically and legally harder to wind the industry down.

    Second, as the Climate Change Committee also stated, decisions by the UK government concerning petroleum production have an important “signalling effect” internationally and at home.

    Internationally, the UK government has rightly acknowledged that climate action “must be accelerated drastically” to keep the average global temperature rise “below 1.5°C”.

    The UK has a proud reputation for climate leadership. It was the first country to enact a legally binding framework to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it rapidly phased out coal-fired power generation, and in 2019 it became the first country to adopt a net zero emissions target.

    Building on this legacy, the foreign secretary David Lammy has vowed to “push for the ambition needed to keep 1.5 degrees alive”. But approving Rosebank would signal to the world that the UK government is not sincere about keeping the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C goal “alive”, after all.

    Some might think that aspirations to climate leadership are futile given the Trump administration’s “drill, baby, drill” approach to fossil fuels. But Trump’s recklessness at a critical time for global climate efforts makes UK climate leadership more important than ever.

    The UK already chairs a suite of international energy transition alliances focused on the international phase-out of coal-fired power, the scale-up of renewables, and the financing of these transitions. It could plug a gap in its influence by rejecting Rosebank and joining the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance, a “club” of (currently) 25 national and sub-national governments that are working to phase-out oil and gas production and persuade other countries to follow suit.

    And it could deepen cooperation with the EU to drive down oil and gas demand and scale up clean energy throughout the region, yielding benefits that will outlive the Trump administration.

    Domestically, rejecting Rosebank would send a powerful signal to investors about the sincerity of the government’s commitment to achieve economic growth by becoming a “clean energy superpower”, as the governing Labour party pledged to do at the last election.

    But the benefits of clean prosperity must extend to the people and communities caught up in the transition, too. The UK’s North Sea oil and gas reserves, along with the jobs their production supports, are in terminal decline.

    Oil and gas workers and the communities in which they are based already face a volatile future. New fields like Rosebank would create some additional jobs in this declining industry. But they cannot arrest its long-term decline.

    The government recognises that this transition is already taking place and will continue. With targeted regional and industrial investment, support for workers and their families, and careful planning that meaningfully involves affected communities, the UK has an opportunity to demonstrate to the world how to achieve a just transition away from oil and gas.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

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    Fergus Green has received consulting fees from and provided expert evidence on behalf of an environmental nongovernmental organisation engaged in climate-related litigation against a fossil fuel company. He informally consults with a number of environmental nongovernmental organisations in relation to fossil fuel production issues in the UK and elsewhere. He is a member of the Just Transition Expert Group of the Powering Past Coal Alliance (the role is unremunerated).

    – ref. Rosebank oilfield: why more UK oil means more global emissions – https://theconversation.com/rosebank-oilfield-why-more-uk-oil-means-more-global-emissions-253055

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Beards and microbes: what the evidence shows

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Primrose Freestone, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology, University of Leicester

    Bernardo Emanuelle/Shutterstock.com

    Beards have long attracted suspicion, sometimes seen as stylish, sometimes as unsanitary. But how dirty are they, really?

    Human skin is home to billions of microorganisms – mainly bacteria, but also fungi and viruses – and facial hair provides a unique environment for them to thrive. Research shows that beards, in particular, support a dense and diverse microbial population, which has fuelled a persistent belief that they are inherently unhygienic. The Washington Post recently reported that some toilets contain fewer germs than the average beard.

    But are beards truly a hygiene risk? A closer look at the evidence reveals a nuanced picture.

    The microbial population on skin varies by location and is influenced by factors such as temperature, pH, humidity and nutrient availability. Beards create a warm, often moist environment where food debris and oils can accumulate – ideal conditions for microbial growth.

    These microbes thrive not just because of the warm, moist conditions beards provide, but also because of constant exposure to new contaminants and microbes, especially from hands that frequently touch surfaces and the face.

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    Concerns among scientists about beard hygiene date back over 50 years. Early studies showed that facial hair could retain bacteria and bacterial toxins even after washing. This led to the enduring idea that beards act as bacterial reservoirs and could pose an infection risk to others.

    For healthcare workers, this has made beards a point of controversy, especially in hospitals where pathogen transmission is a concern. However, hospital-based research has shown mixed results. One study found that bearded healthcare workers had higher bacterial loads on their faces than clean-shaven colleagues.

    Another investigation, looking at whether it would be hygienic to evaluate dogs and humans in the same MRI scanner, found that most men’s beards contained significantly more microbes than dog fur, including a greater presence of harmful bacteria. The researchers concluded: “Dogs are no risk to humans if they use the same MRI.”

    Dogs and humans can share the same MRI scanner.
    Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock.com

    However, other studies have challenged the idea that beards increase infection risk. For example, one investigation found no significant difference in bacterial colonisation between bearded and clean-shaven healthcare workers.

    The same study also reported that bearded doctors were less likely to carry Staphylococcus aureus, a major cause of hospital infections, and that there was no increase in infection rates among patients treated by bearded surgeons wearing surgical masks.

    Beards can sometimes spread skin infections, such as impetigo — a contagious rash often caused by S aureus, which is commonly found in facial hair.

    In rare cases, parasites like pubic lice – which usually live in the groin area – can also show up in beards, eyebrows or eyelashes, particularly in cases of poor hygiene or close contact with an infected person.

    The case for good beard hygiene

    Neglected beards can foster irritation, inflammation and infection. The skin beneath a beard – rich in blood vessels, nerve endings and immune cells – is highly sensitive to microbial and environmental stressors. When sebum, dead skin, food debris and pollutants accumulate, they can irritate the skin and provide fuel for fungal and bacterial growth.

    Experts strongly recommend washing your beard and face every day. Doing so removes dirt, oils, allergens and dead skin, helping prevent microbial buildup.

    Dermatologists also advise moisturising to prevent dryness, using a beard comb to clear debris, and trimming to control loose hairs and reduce shedding. These steps help maintain not only hygiene but also beard health and appearance.

    So, are beards dirty? Like most things, it depends on how well you care for them. With daily hygiene and proper grooming, beards pose little risk and may even be healthier than we once thought.

    Primrose Freestone 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. Beards and microbes: what the evidence shows – https://theconversation.com/beards-and-microbes-what-the-evidence-shows-256917

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –