Category: housing

MIL-OSI Russia: Russia and Ukraine’s ceasefire memoranda are diametrically opposed – Russian President’s press secretary

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

Moscow, July 21 /Xinhua/ — The delegations of Russia and Ukraine at the talks on the Ukrainian settlement have a lot of diplomatic work ahead of them, since the memorandums on a ceasefire proposed by the countries are diametrically opposed, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

“There is our draft memorandum, there is a draft memorandum that was submitted by the Ukrainian side. There is an exchange of opinions and, in fact, negotiations on these two projects, which are currently absolutely diametrically opposed. Therefore, a lot of diplomatic work is ahead,” TASS quotes D. Peskov as saying.

Commenting on media reports that a new round of talks between Russia and Ukraine could take place this week, he noted that the Kremlin would inform about this as soon as there is an understanding of the dates. “We are in favor of holding a third round. As soon as there is a final understanding of the dates, we will inform you immediately,” the Russian president’s press secretary assured. –0–

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

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Man convicted of murder after human remains found in London and Bristol

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Following a complex and harrowing Met Police investigation, a man who took suitcases containing the body parts of two men from west London to Bristol has been found guilty of murder.

Yostin Andres Mosquera, 35 (08.03.90) of Scotts Road, Shepherd’s Bush Green, was convicted by a jury of two counts of murder at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, 21 July.

Paul Longworth, aged 71, and Albert Alfonso, aged 62, were brutally murdered at their flat in Shepherd’s Bush on Monday, 8 July last year.

Detective Chief Inspector Ollie Stride, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command who led this investigation, said:

“This has been one of the most harrowing murders my team have ever investigated, a case that will stay with many of us for a long time.

“Paul and Albert were murdered in the most brutal and callous of ways in their own home.

“The investigation has been complex and intense and we worked tirelessly to build a catalogue of evidence which would ensure we brought Mosquera to justice.

“The team have consumed hundreds hours of footage, including some of the utmost disturbing and graphic nature. Those images will stay with all of us for a very long time.

“We are grateful to all those who helped us build this investigation, including Avon and Somerset Police, who commenced the investigation and arrested Mosquera.

“As well as the many witnesses who provided detailed accounts of events which must have been extremely hard to share.

“We have also worked closely with the LGBT+ Independent Advisory Group and I am grateful for their support and the advice they have provided as they helped monitor the investigation.

“Paul and Albert had known one another for decades. They were in a loving, committed relationship and welcomed Mosquera into their home. They did not deserve to have their lives taken away from them in the most traumatising of circumstances.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with Paul and Albert’s family and loved ones and all who knew them, as they continue to process the trauma of what happened.”

Gathering and examining evidence

Mosquera booked a van with a driver, and two days after the murders, Mosquera travelled with two suitcases containing body parts to the Mall Pub near the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.

He caught a taxi the rest of the way to the bridge and caught the attention of local residents, asking him if he needed help with what would be confirmed as enormously heavy cases, with a red substance leaking out, which Mosquera claimed was oil. One witness filmed Mosquera acting suspiciously before Mosquera attempted to knock the phone out of his hand and ran away.

The police were alerted to his suspicious behaviour and a murder investigation was launched after officers discovered the body parts inside the cases.

An address label left on one of the cases led police back to Scotts Road, and on Wednesday, 10 July, Met officers would find crucial evidence in a search of the property, including the decapitated heads of both men in a chest freezer in a hallway of the flat. The murder weapons were found close by.

Homicide detectives built a case with an abundance of evidence to support the motive that Mosquera murdered both men to obtain their property and their money.

Detectives would discover Mosquera had researched a freezer online on several occasions, including the one that he later ordered to be delivered to the address.

Mosquera, who was a Columbian national, had also conducted searches online in Spanish, on topics such as how long it would take for a body to decompose and where on the head would be a fatal blow.

Examinations of Mosquera’s laptop revealed that in the weeks before the murders he was browsing the internet in an effort to find out the value of the Shepherd’s Bush property, and he accessed information about Paul’s and Albert’s finances.

He had also attempted to open a bank account using the Scotts Road address. Immediately after the murders, he accessed a spreadsheet which contained their online banking passwords, and attempted to login to a number of their online bank accounts. He unsuccessfully attempted to send £4,000 to his account in Columbia.

The murders

Mosquera had got to know both men, who were in a civil partnership, over a number of years, and had been staying with them at their flat for the month prior to their murders. It was a property where the two men had lived happily for many years together.

Mosquera was involved in a consensual sexual relationship with Albert, one which Paul was aware of and lovingly accepted. The court heard Albert simply had no reason to kill his partner, Paul, despite Mosquera’s defence that the two of them were in a controlling and coercive relationship.

It was while Albert was at work that Mosquera killed Paul. A neighbour recalls speaking to Paul that morning from one of the windows. This was the last sighting of him alive. Detectives trawled hours of footage from a CCTV camera, located opposite the entrance to the Scotts Road flat, which captured Mosquera standing at the window of the flat and drawing the curtains at around 12:30hrs. It was then that he is believed to have killed Paul.

The post-mortem revealed Paul had died from multiple severe blunt force traumas to the head with a hammer, with injuries on his hands suggesting he’d try to defend himself. Mosquera hid the body in a divan storage space under the bed in Paul’s room and waited for Albert to come home.

Albert arrived home early evening. The killing was captured on cameras which had been set up in Albert’s bedroom to record a sex session between him and Mosquera. The footage showed Mosquera performing sex acts on Albert in his bedroom, before repeatedly stabbing him and cutting his throat.

Mosquera’s arrest and plea

Mosquera was arrested in Bristol in the early hours of Saturday, 13 July 2024. He was charged with two counts of murder two days later.

Although he had admitted killing Albert, he denied the offence of murder, admitting only the lesser offence of manslaughter following what he called, a loss of self-control. He also denied murdering Paul, claiming his long-term partner, Albert, had killed him instead.

Mosquera will be sentenced at the same court in October.

Detective Inspector Neil Meade, of Avon and Somerset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, said:

“These crimes were truly horrific and our thoughts are with the families and friends of Albert and Paul.

“Yostin Mosquera’s actions have had a significant impact on our communities in Avon and Somerset and I’m very grateful for the support we received at the time of the incident and have received since. It was an extremely fast-moving and complex investigation and their understanding, particularly in those early days, was hugely appreciated.

“Mosquera had no connection to Bristol and during the trial we’ve heard he chose to travel here in an attempt to dispose of Albert and Paul’s remains and hide his despicable crimes.

“A large number of police officers and members of staff were involved in our investigation and they deserve massive credit, along with colleagues at the Metropolitan Police, in helping ensure he could be brought to justice.

“I know how concerning this incident was – and still is – for our LGBT communities and that some of the details we’ve heard over the course of the trial will have been deeply distressing. We remain in close contact with community leaders and our partners and are ready to provide any support we can.”

For help and advice

If you’ve been affected by this case, please contact Samaritans here or Mind’s support line on 0300 102 1234.

If you’re looking for advice or specialist support for a particular issue, these organisations may be able to help.

For anyone in the LGBT+ community affected by this incident, please visit www.galop.org.ukfor information and support provided by the LGBT+ charity Galop.

MIL Security OSI –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Man convicted of murder after human remains found in London and Bristol

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Following a complex and harrowing Met Police investigation, a man who took suitcases containing the body parts of two men from west London to Bristol has been found guilty of murder.

Yostin Andres Mosquera, 35 (08.03.90) of Scotts Road, Shepherd’s Bush Green, was convicted by a jury of two counts of murder at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, 21 July.

Paul Longworth, aged 71, and Albert Alfonso, aged 62, were brutally murdered at their flat in Shepherd’s Bush on Monday, 8 July last year.

Detective Chief Inspector Ollie Stride, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command who led this investigation, said:

“This has been one of the most harrowing murders my team have ever investigated, a case that will stay with many of us for a long time.

“Paul and Albert were murdered in the most brutal and callous of ways in their own home.

“The investigation has been complex and intense and we worked tirelessly to build a catalogue of evidence which would ensure we brought Mosquera to justice.

“The team have consumed hundreds hours of footage, including some of the utmost disturbing and graphic nature. Those images will stay with all of us for a very long time.

“We are grateful to all those who helped us build this investigation, including Avon and Somerset Police, who commenced the investigation and arrested Mosquera.

“As well as the many witnesses who provided detailed accounts of events which must have been extremely hard to share.

“We have also worked closely with the LGBT+ Independent Advisory Group and I am grateful for their support and the advice they have provided as they helped monitor the investigation.

“Paul and Albert had known one another for decades. They were in a loving, committed relationship and welcomed Mosquera into their home. They did not deserve to have their lives taken away from them in the most traumatising of circumstances.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with Paul and Albert’s family and loved ones and all who knew them, as they continue to process the trauma of what happened.”

Gathering and examining evidence

Mosquera booked a van with a driver, and two days after the murders, Mosquera travelled with two suitcases containing body parts to the Mall Pub near the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.

He caught a taxi the rest of the way to the bridge and caught the attention of local residents, asking him if he needed help with what would be confirmed as enormously heavy cases, with a red substance leaking out, which Mosquera claimed was oil. One witness filmed Mosquera acting suspiciously before Mosquera attempted to knock the phone out of his hand and ran away.

The police were alerted to his suspicious behaviour and a murder investigation was launched after officers discovered the body parts inside the cases.

An address label left on one of the cases led police back to Scotts Road, and on Wednesday, 10 July, Met officers would find crucial evidence in a search of the property, including the decapitated heads of both men in a chest freezer in a hallway of the flat. The murder weapons were found close by.

Homicide detectives built a case with an abundance of evidence to support the motive that Mosquera murdered both men to obtain their property and their money.

Detectives would discover Mosquera had researched a freezer online on several occasions, including the one that he later ordered to be delivered to the address.

Mosquera, who was a Columbian national, had also conducted searches online in Spanish, on topics such as how long it would take for a body to decompose and where on the head would be a fatal blow.

Examinations of Mosquera’s laptop revealed that in the weeks before the murders he was browsing the internet in an effort to find out the value of the Shepherd’s Bush property, and he accessed information about Paul’s and Albert’s finances.

He had also attempted to open a bank account using the Scotts Road address. Immediately after the murders, he accessed a spreadsheet which contained their online banking passwords, and attempted to login to a number of their online bank accounts. He unsuccessfully attempted to send £4,000 to his account in Columbia.

The murders

Mosquera had got to know both men, who were in a civil partnership, over a number of years, and had been staying with them at their flat for the month prior to their murders. It was a property where the two men had lived happily for many years together.

Mosquera was involved in a consensual sexual relationship with Albert, one which Paul was aware of and lovingly accepted. The court heard Albert simply had no reason to kill his partner, Paul, despite Mosquera’s defence that the two of them were in a controlling and coercive relationship.

It was while Albert was at work that Mosquera killed Paul. A neighbour recalls speaking to Paul that morning from one of the windows. This was the last sighting of him alive. Detectives trawled hours of footage from a CCTV camera, located opposite the entrance to the Scotts Road flat, which captured Mosquera standing at the window of the flat and drawing the curtains at around 12:30hrs. It was then that he is believed to have killed Paul.

The post-mortem revealed Paul had died from multiple severe blunt force traumas to the head with a hammer, with injuries on his hands suggesting he’d try to defend himself. Mosquera hid the body in a divan storage space under the bed in Paul’s room and waited for Albert to come home.

Albert arrived home early evening. The killing was captured on cameras which had been set up in Albert’s bedroom to record a sex session between him and Mosquera. The footage showed Mosquera performing sex acts on Albert in his bedroom, before repeatedly stabbing him and cutting his throat.

Mosquera’s arrest and plea

Mosquera was arrested in Bristol in the early hours of Saturday, 13 July 2024. He was charged with two counts of murder two days later.

Although he had admitted killing Albert, he denied the offence of murder, admitting only the lesser offence of manslaughter following what he called, a loss of self-control. He also denied murdering Paul, claiming his long-term partner, Albert, had killed him instead.

Mosquera will be sentenced at the same court in October.

Detective Inspector Neil Meade, of Avon and Somerset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, said:

“These crimes were truly horrific and our thoughts are with the families and friends of Albert and Paul.

“Yostin Mosquera’s actions have had a significant impact on our communities in Avon and Somerset and I’m very grateful for the support we received at the time of the incident and have received since. It was an extremely fast-moving and complex investigation and their understanding, particularly in those early days, was hugely appreciated.

“Mosquera had no connection to Bristol and during the trial we’ve heard he chose to travel here in an attempt to dispose of Albert and Paul’s remains and hide his despicable crimes.

“A large number of police officers and members of staff were involved in our investigation and they deserve massive credit, along with colleagues at the Metropolitan Police, in helping ensure he could be brought to justice.

“I know how concerning this incident was – and still is – for our LGBT communities and that some of the details we’ve heard over the course of the trial will have been deeply distressing. We remain in close contact with community leaders and our partners and are ready to provide any support we can.”

For help and advice

If you’ve been affected by this case, please contact Samaritans here or Mind’s support line on 0300 102 1234.

If you’re looking for advice or specialist support for a particular issue, these organisations may be able to help.

For anyone in the LGBT+ community affected by this incident, please visit www.galop.org.ukfor information and support provided by the LGBT+ charity Galop.

MIL Security OSI –

July 22, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Why has a bill to relax NZ foreign investment rules had so little scrutiny?

ANALYSIS: By Jane Kelsey, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

While public attention has been focused on the domestic fast-track consenting process for infrastructure and mining, Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour has been pushing through another fast-track process — this time for foreign investment in New Zealand.

But it has had almost no public scrutiny.

If the Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Bill becomes law, it could have far-reaching consequences. Public submissions on the bill close tomorrow.

A product of the ACT-National coalition agreement, the bill commits to amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 “to limit ministerial decision making to national security concerns and make such decision making more timely”.

There are valid concerns that piecemeal reforms to the current act have made it complex and unwieldy. But the new bill is equally convoluted and would significantly reduce effective scrutiny of foreign investments — especially in forestry.

A three-step test
Step one of a three-step process set out in the bill gives the regulator — the Overseas Investment Office which sits within Land Information NZ — 15 days to decide whether a proposed investment would be a risk to New Zealand’s “national interest”.

If they don’t perceive a risk, or that initial assessment is not completed in time, the application is automatically approved.

Transactions involving fisheries quotas and various land categories, or any other applications the regulator identifies, would require a “national interest” assessment under stage two.

These would be assessed against a “ministerial letter” that sets out the government’s general policy and preferred approach to conducting the assessment, including any conditions on approvals.

Other mandatory factors to be considered in the second stage include the act’s new “purpose” to increase economic opportunity through “timely consent” of less sensitive investments. The new test would allow scrutiny of the character and capability of the investor to be omitted altogether.

If the regulator considers the national interest test is not met, or the transaction is “contrary to the national interest”, the minister of finance then makes a decision based on their assessment of those factors.

Inadequate regulatory process
Seymour has blamed the current screening regime for low volumes of foreign investment. But Treasury’s 2024 regulatory impact statement on the proposed changes to international investment screening acknowledges many other factors that influence investor decisions.

Moreover, the Treasury statement acknowledges public views that foreign investment rules should “manage a wide range of risks” and “that there is inherent non-economic value in retaining domestic ownership of certain assets”.

Treasury officials also recognised a range of other public concerns, including profits going offshore, loss of jobs, and foreign control of iconic businesses.

The regulatory impact statement did not cover these factors because it was required to consider only the coalition commitment. The Treasury panel reported “notable limitations” on the bill’s quality assurance process.

A fuller review was “infeasible” because it could not be completed in the time required, and would be broader than necessary to meet the coalition commitment to amend the act in the prescribed way.

The requirement to implement the bill in this parliamentary term meant the options officials could consider, even within the scope of the coalition agreement, were further limited.

Time constraints meant “users and key stakeholders have not been consulted”, according to the Treasury statement. Environmental and other risks would have to be managed through other regulations.

There is no reference to te Tiriti o Waitangi or mana whenua engagement.

Forestry ‘slash’ after Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 . . . no need to consider foreign investors’ track records. Image: Getty/The Conversation

No ‘benefit to NZ’ test
While the bill largely retains a version of the current screening regime for residential and farm land, it removes existing forestry activities from that definition (but not new forestry on non-forest land). It also removes extraction of water for bottling, or other bulk extraction for human consumption, from special vetting.

Where sensitive land (such as islands, coastal areas, conservation and wahi tapu land) is not residential or farm land, it would be removed from special screening rules currently applied for land.

Repeal of the “special forestry test” — which in practice has seen most applications approved, albeit with conditions — means most forestry investments could be fast-tracked.

There would no longer be a need to consider investors’ track records or apply a “benefit to New Zealand” test. Regulators may or may not be empowered to impose conditions such as replanting or cleaning up slash.

The official documents don’t explain the rationale for this. But it looks like a win for Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, and was perhaps the price of NZ First’s support.

It has potentially serious implications for forestry communities affected by climate-related disasters, however. Further weakening scrutiny and investment conditions risks intensifying the already devastating impacts of international forestry companies. Taxpayers and ratepayers pick up the costs while the companies can minimise their taxes and send profits offshore.

Locked in forever?
Finally, these changes could be locked in through New Zealand’s free trade agreements. Several such agreements say New Zealand’s investment regime cannot become more restrictive than the 2005 act and its regulations.

A “ratchet clause” would lock in any further liberalisation through this bill, from which there is no going back.

However, another annex in those free trade agreements could be interpreted as allowing some flexibility to alter the screening rules and criteria in the future. None of the official documents address this crucial question.

As an academic expert in this area I am uncertain about the risk.

But the lack of clarity underlines the problems exemplified in this bill. It is another example of coalition agreements bypassing democratic scrutiny and informed decision making. More public debate and broad analysis is needed on the bill and its implications.

Dr Jane Kelsey is emeritus professor of law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 22, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Why has a bill to relax NZ foreign investment rules had so little scrutiny?

ANALYSIS: By Jane Kelsey, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

While public attention has been focused on the domestic fast-track consenting process for infrastructure and mining, Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour has been pushing through another fast-track process — this time for foreign investment in New Zealand.

But it has had almost no public scrutiny.

If the Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Bill becomes law, it could have far-reaching consequences. Public submissions on the bill close tomorrow.

A product of the ACT-National coalition agreement, the bill commits to amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 “to limit ministerial decision making to national security concerns and make such decision making more timely”.

There are valid concerns that piecemeal reforms to the current act have made it complex and unwieldy. But the new bill is equally convoluted and would significantly reduce effective scrutiny of foreign investments — especially in forestry.

A three-step test
Step one of a three-step process set out in the bill gives the regulator — the Overseas Investment Office which sits within Land Information NZ — 15 days to decide whether a proposed investment would be a risk to New Zealand’s “national interest”.

If they don’t perceive a risk, or that initial assessment is not completed in time, the application is automatically approved.

Transactions involving fisheries quotas and various land categories, or any other applications the regulator identifies, would require a “national interest” assessment under stage two.

These would be assessed against a “ministerial letter” that sets out the government’s general policy and preferred approach to conducting the assessment, including any conditions on approvals.

Other mandatory factors to be considered in the second stage include the act’s new “purpose” to increase economic opportunity through “timely consent” of less sensitive investments. The new test would allow scrutiny of the character and capability of the investor to be omitted altogether.

If the regulator considers the national interest test is not met, or the transaction is “contrary to the national interest”, the minister of finance then makes a decision based on their assessment of those factors.

Inadequate regulatory process
Seymour has blamed the current screening regime for low volumes of foreign investment. But Treasury’s 2024 regulatory impact statement on the proposed changes to international investment screening acknowledges many other factors that influence investor decisions.

Moreover, the Treasury statement acknowledges public views that foreign investment rules should “manage a wide range of risks” and “that there is inherent non-economic value in retaining domestic ownership of certain assets”.

Treasury officials also recognised a range of other public concerns, including profits going offshore, loss of jobs, and foreign control of iconic businesses.

The regulatory impact statement did not cover these factors because it was required to consider only the coalition commitment. The Treasury panel reported “notable limitations” on the bill’s quality assurance process.

A fuller review was “infeasible” because it could not be completed in the time required, and would be broader than necessary to meet the coalition commitment to amend the act in the prescribed way.

The requirement to implement the bill in this parliamentary term meant the options officials could consider, even within the scope of the coalition agreement, were further limited.

Time constraints meant “users and key stakeholders have not been consulted”, according to the Treasury statement. Environmental and other risks would have to be managed through other regulations.

There is no reference to te Tiriti o Waitangi or mana whenua engagement.

Forestry ‘slash’ after Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 . . . no need to consider foreign investors’ track records. Image: Getty/The Conversation

No ‘benefit to NZ’ test
While the bill largely retains a version of the current screening regime for residential and farm land, it removes existing forestry activities from that definition (but not new forestry on non-forest land). It also removes extraction of water for bottling, or other bulk extraction for human consumption, from special vetting.

Where sensitive land (such as islands, coastal areas, conservation and wahi tapu land) is not residential or farm land, it would be removed from special screening rules currently applied for land.

Repeal of the “special forestry test” — which in practice has seen most applications approved, albeit with conditions — means most forestry investments could be fast-tracked.

There would no longer be a need to consider investors’ track records or apply a “benefit to New Zealand” test. Regulators may or may not be empowered to impose conditions such as replanting or cleaning up slash.

The official documents don’t explain the rationale for this. But it looks like a win for Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, and was perhaps the price of NZ First’s support.

It has potentially serious implications for forestry communities affected by climate-related disasters, however. Further weakening scrutiny and investment conditions risks intensifying the already devastating impacts of international forestry companies. Taxpayers and ratepayers pick up the costs while the companies can minimise their taxes and send profits offshore.

Locked in forever?
Finally, these changes could be locked in through New Zealand’s free trade agreements. Several such agreements say New Zealand’s investment regime cannot become more restrictive than the 2005 act and its regulations.

A “ratchet clause” would lock in any further liberalisation through this bill, from which there is no going back.

However, another annex in those free trade agreements could be interpreted as allowing some flexibility to alter the screening rules and criteria in the future. None of the official documents address this crucial question.

As an academic expert in this area I am uncertain about the risk.

But the lack of clarity underlines the problems exemplified in this bill. It is another example of coalition agreements bypassing democratic scrutiny and informed decision making. More public debate and broad analysis is needed on the bill and its implications.

Dr Jane Kelsey is emeritus professor of law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: Congress Doesn’t Need a Vacation

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

Senator Marshall Joins Fox News Live
Washington – On Sunday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Fox News to discuss Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard’s recent report indicating that former President Obama’s administration manufactured the Russia misinformation scandal, the benefits of the $9 billion rescissions package, and the importance of the recently passed GENIUS Act for America’s financial stability.

Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
On DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s recent report:
“I think there’s a lot of new information coming to bear right now, information that I’d never heard of before, as far as what was happening in the old Oval Office, where there was a conspiracy to absolutely undermine President Trump as he took office as well. You recall back when the FISA court abuses started, you were covering that story as well.
“So, this just makes sense, after you understand what the FISA abuse that was going on. This was the next chapter of it. I think the Democrats never thought that President Trump could win. And now more of this is coming to light.”
On whether the Senate intelligence committee missed something in the original report:
“Look, I think that she’s uncovered new information since then. I think that there are new documents that are showing that President Obama was in the room and they did this conspiracy, working with lifetime people within the political agencies, within the FBI… there was a conspiracy to try to throw out this misinformation, to try to address [and] make this an illegitimate election. So, I think this is new information. I think it needs to be investigated. I think that’s the job of the Attorney General: to find the truth and deliver justice for America.”
On the necessity to pass the $9 billion rescissions package:
“Well, certainly the whole backdrop of this is the $37 trillion of national debt we have. $9 billion is still a lot of money back home. When the President discovers fraud, waste, and abuse, we need to go after it. I think what America doesn’t realize is that our own Government Accounting Office, our own Inspector General, has been saying for over a decade that USAID is rife with fraud and abuse.
“Just think back recently, $500 million bribery scheme with USAID dollars, $100 million of embezzlement in Zambia recently as well. So all over the world, there’s fraud, waste, and abuse. We need to go after all of it.
“But yes, at the end of the day, we need to go back to a regular budget process. We recently dropped a budget bill that would require and force Congress to go back and do its job. And just like you start at home with your family, a budget or a business, we need to go back and do a real budget.”
On the President signing the first major crypto currency bill:
“Well, I think that this is a great start. I’m a doctor, and the first thing we learned, even before med school, is the skeleton. So think of this as the skeleton to preserve and protect the stablecoin industry. This is really important for consumers. It’s going to make sure that when they’re investing in crypto, it’s pegged one-to-one with the US dollar. So, it’s good for consumers. I think it’s going to keep the US dollar dominant. It’s going to promote innovation.
“When you put a few rules around it, those people that are innovators are ready to move forward as well. And I know that you care a lot about national security, so I think that this is a step forward in preventing some of the money laundering schemes that we see going across the world as well.
“So, this is a great first step. Yes, it’s going to take more. Think back to the internet in 1996 – we wanted to put some guardrails around it, but not stifle the innovation.”
On what’s next for crypto legislation in Congress:
“You know, go back to my analogy of the skeleton. You learn the skeleton, and then you have to put muscles on it, and organs, and the nervous system. So, I think that how much more consumer protection do we need? What else can we do to make sure that these financial institutions that are issuing the coins are held up to the standards of, say, a bank, ‘know your customer type of philosophy as well.’
“So, there’s more to be done, but this was the low-hanging fruit. This is what we could get 60 votes in the Senate for. We may struggle doing any more this year, but we’ll see.”
On President Trump’s call to potentially end the August recess:
“You know, absolutely, and certainly, I want to agree with the President that Leader Thune is very talented, and he’s doing an incredible job. Right now, I’ve talked to many of the Secretaries, the Cabinet Members, Billy Long over at the IRS, and they’re drowning. They’re drowning because the swamp is so deep here, and they need more political appointees to help them get through this swamp and get their job done. So, I’m willing to do it. Look, I’ve worked weekends my whole life. I don’t know what a vacation even means. I’m happy to stay here as long as we’re working.”

MIL OSI USA News –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Strand Aldwych wins a Green Flag Award for transformation into vibrant urban green space | Westminster City Council
Source: City of Westminster

The Strand Aldwych project has earned a Green Flag Award, recognising its exceptional transformation from one of London’s busiest and most polluted streets into a thriving public green space in the heart of the capital.

The Green Flag Award is an international recognition awarded to parks and green spaces with excellent management in the UK and around the world.

The project has also been awarded the Green Heritage Site Accreditation, an acknowledgement of its outstanding conservation of historical and cultural significance alongside its environmental value.

Strand Aldwych is the first pedestrianised green space to achieve either of these awards, setting a benchmark for urban transformation in the country.

Launched in December 2022, the Strand Aldwych project transformed what was once a congested and polluted road system into a vibrant, car-free public space that celebrates the cultural and historic heritage of the area.

With an investment of £22 million from Westminster City Council, the project has created a new pedestrian zone the size of a football pitch, connecting the historic St Mary le Strand church with London’s leading cultural and educational institutions in the area, including King’s College London, the London School of Economics, Somerset House, and The Courtauld Institute.

The Strand and Aldwych areas now welcome 14 million visitors annually, and are home to 400 businesses employing over 20,000 people.

Key features of the transformation include:
- A safe, car-free zone with increased cycle parking, improved safety at junctions, and expanded footways on nearby roads to support pedestrian movement and cycling.
- New seating areas offering a place for people to relax under the shade of trees.
- A variety of trees and planting to support biodiversity, provide year-round colour, and contribute to a greener urban environment.
- As a 7,000m² green space in one of the busiest areas of central London, the project has enhanced air quality, offered urban cooling and provided support for pollinators.
- The space also serves as an accessible cultural platform, with rotating art installations around the year and connections to nearby cultural and educational institutions.
Cllr Ryan Jude, Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Ecology, Culture and Air Quality, said:

“I’m proud to announce that Strand Aldwych has just earned a Green Flag Award for its outstanding urban transformation. This is a well-deserved recognition of the area as a world-class public green space connecting historic and cultural landmarks with the vibrant city life in central London.

“In response to our declaration of an ecological emergency in 2023, we developed our Greening and Biodiversity Strategy to make Westminster more resilient through improving and enhancing nature in the city. Our recently published Air Quality Action Plan also presents a bold and clear roadmap towards reducing air pollution and improving public health outcomes for residents.

“The Strand Aldwych project is an excellent example of a public space that is welcoming, accessible and beneficial to the environment. All key to our commitment to creating a greener, fairer Westminster for all our residents and visitors.”

Ruth Duston OBE OC, CEO of London Heritage Quarter, said:

“Creating calm, people-focused, places in urban spaces is an important priority for London Heritage Quarter. Strand Aldwych receiving a Green Flag Award is testament to the hard work of all involved, and the project is a great example of what collaborative work can achieve. By working closely with Westminster City Council and a wide range of partners and stakeholders including King’s College London, London School of Economics, Somerset House Trust, St Mary Le Strand and The Courtauld Institute, this greening scheme has delivered truly transformative results for this area of London that links the West End and the City.

“It serves as a template on how the pedestrianisation of public spaces can transform pockets of urban cities into a destination where people want to be.”

Miles Watson-Smyth, Chief Executive of Windowflowers Ltd, who plants and maintains the displays, said:

“We are incredibly proud to have played a part in the transformation and ongoing care of the gardens in the Strand Aldwych area, working alongside Westminster City Council. To see this space recognised with both a Green Flag Award and Green Heritage Site Accreditation is a true honour. When we’re on site, members of the public regularly stop to tell us how much they enjoy the gardens and to thank us for our work — that kind of appreciation, along with these prestigious awards, makes all our efforts feel truly worthwhile.”

Cannon Ivers, Director of LDA Design, said:

“This is a special moment for Strand-Aldwych and for all those who worked so hard to transform what was a heavily trafficked and polluted road into a place for people and for nature, and for those who tirelessly support and maintain the space so well, with passion, knowledge, care, and commitment.

“Strand has historically been about movement and transport. Now it’s a democratic, biodiverse space for everyone to enjoy with seating for up to 700 people, described as the best thing to happen to London in years. The fact that it is the first time a pedestrianised space has been awarded Green Flag status is fantastic recognition of Strand’s contribution to making London a healthier, calmer, and better place to be. Hopefully, this will embolden other towns and cities to reclaim streets for communities and for nature to thrive.”
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leicester’s new Roman visitor attraction ready to open its doors
Source: City of Leicester

THE MUSIC of Ancient Rome will resound around Leicester’s Jewry Wall this weekend as the city’s exciting new Roman visitor attraction opens to the public.

Lyre player Michael Levy will join Roman re-enactors and City Mayor Peter Soulsby to cut the ribbon at the fully revamped Jewry Wall Museum at 9.50am on Saturday (26 July).

Visitors with tickets for the very first admission at 10am will then head inside to enjoy the museum’s new multimedia exhibits, interactive displays and stunning immersive video experience.

While the museum’s use of 21^st century technology will help tell the story of Roman Leicester like never before, it’s the 2^nd century archaeology that will provide the real insight into everyday life in Roman Leicester, with more than a hundred items on display that were discovered in Leicester and Leicestershire.

These include some of the finest Roman mosaics and wall plasters ever found in the UK, including the stunning Peacock and Blackfriars mosaics, as well as jewellery, pottery, bronzework (pictured) and coins.

Content at the new museum has been developed with the help of the University of Leicester, which has shared its expertise on everything from Roman hairstyles and clothing to language and religion – ensuring the displays are both entertaining and educational.

Mathew Morris, project officer at University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), has been digging up and researching Roman Leicester for the past 20 years and is proud to have been an adviser to the Jewry Wall Museum project.

“Leicester was an important regional administrative centre in Roman Britain,” he said.

“Artefacts found in the city reveal its extensive links with the wider Roman world, including the Mediterranean as far afield as Egypt. The town’s residents of civilians, soldiers and slaves were immersed in Roman culture – and excavations over the years, many carried out by ULAS, have revealed their lives in incredible detail.

“It is inspiring to see how their stories are now being brought vividly to life in the new Jewry Wall Museum and it’s been a privilege to collaborate with Leicester Museums and Galleries to showcase the very latest understanding of our Roman town.”

The Grade II listed building, which housed both the former Vaughan College and the old museum that closed in 2017, has been fully refurbished, with a new pedestrian bridge from St Nicholas Circle making the building fully accessible for the first time.

City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “This magnificent new attraction means we can now shout proudly about our 2,000 years of history and Leicester’s place in Roman Britain.

“Thanks to archaeological discoveries and interactive technology, the Jewry Wall Museum can reveal the public and private lives of the residents of Ratae Corieltauvorum like never before, telling their stories in new and compelling ways.

“With more than a hundred items on display, discovered by archaeologists right here in Leicester, you’ll be able to see the mosaics and wall paintings that decorated their homes, the pottery they ate from, the jewellery they wore, and even the handy little tool that kept their fingernails clean!

“It’s a fascinating story, which I hope people living in Leicester and further afield will be keen to discover.

“And with no similar dedicated Roman visitor site within 80 miles of Leicester, our new Jewry Wall Museum is set to become the most important Roman-themed attraction in the Midlands.”

Phil Hackett, general manager of the Jewry Wall Museum, said: “Jewry Wall isn’t just a museum – it’s a bold reimagining of how we tell Leicester’s Roman story.

“By combining powerful archaeology, local discovery and world-class technology, we’ve created an experience that’s both deeply immersive and genuinely educational. We’re very proud to bring Leicester’s Roman roots to life, not just for local people, but for regional, national and international audiences.”

Tickets for the Jewry Wall Museum include a Roman Explorer Pass, which allows unlimited visits to the attraction for 12 months. Prices are £12.50 for adults, with children aged 5-15 paying half-price. A family ticket for two adults and two children is available for £32.

The museum shop will offer a range of books and Jewry Wall souvenirs, including a replica Roman brooch, a Peacock mosaic tile and even the museum’s take on a ‘tersorium’ – the sponge on a stick that was used by the Romans in public latrines before toilet paper was invented!

There’s also an attractive café – overlooking the remains of the Roman bath house – that will be open to the public from 10am every day, without the need to buy an admission ticket.

Further information and tickets are available now at jewrywall.com

Leicester’s new Jewry Wall Museum is on St Nicholas Walk, Leicester LE1 4LB. Opening hours will be 10am-4am from Sunday to Friday, and from 10am-5pm on Saturdays and bank holidays, with the last admission 90 minutes before closing time.

The new exhibition was designed by Haley Sharpe Design, the collections on display are from Leicester Museums & Galleries, the audiovisual content was created by Heritage Interactive Ltd and illustrative content and styling is by the artist Scott Tetlow.

Leicester Museums & Galleries are a National Portfolio Organisation funded by Arts Council England.

ends

Picture caption: Two of the Roman artefacts on display at Leicester’s new Jewry Wall Museum, which opens on Saturday 26 July
- Bull’s head (bronze)
- Figure of a male in a toga holding an offering dish (bronze)
Photo credit: Ian Davis, Leicester City Council

Background note:

The remains of the bath house in Leicester are one of the largest civic Roman ruins in the country. Dating from around 125-130 AD, the remains have been referred to as ‘the Jewry Wall’ for centuries. The name is thought to have derived from the word ‘jurat’ – the name for the members of the medieval town’s corporation, who held their meetings nearby.

From the 2^nd century onwards, the bath house would have been one of the most important public buildings in Roman Leicester, together with the forum, the basilica and the market hall.
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Urges U.S. Sentencing Commission To Consider Impacts Of Chronic Underfunding And Understaffing At BOP
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the U.S. Sentencing Commission in response to its proposed priorities for the 2025-2026 amendment cycle. In the letter, Durbin urged the Commission to consider the impact that the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) resources and staffing levels have on BOP’s ability to adequately discharge its mission.

“For years, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has faced significant challenges in the performance of its mandate, undermining the Commission’s intent to tailor recommended sentences to anticipated outcomes for incarcerated individuals. I therefore urge the Commission to prioritize ‘[a]ssessing the degree to which certain practices of the Bureau of Prisons are effective in meeting the purposes of sentencing as set forth in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a)(2) and considering any appropriate responses, including possible consideration of recommendations or amendments’ in the upcoming amendment cycle,” Durbin wrote.

As Durbin notes in his letter, BOP has been chronically underfunded and understaffed, resulting in longstanding issues related to physical infrastructure of facilities, inadequate medical care for inmates, and concerns about the agency’s ability to ensure the safety and security of inmates and BOP employees, among other challenges.

“Inadequate funding and staffing levels affect all aspects of BOP’s ability to discharge its mission. We have asked the agency to do far too much with far too little for far too long—and the ripple effects of severe BOP under resourcing are apparent across facilities nationwide,” Durbin wrote.

Despite BOP’s limitations in carrying out its own mission, the Trump Administration has saddled the agency with additional responsibilities in accepting and processing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainees. Durbin denounced this effort by the Trump Administration, emphasizing that this move further hampers BOP’s ability to address its own shortfalls.

“Despite these limitations, the Administration has now asked BOP to add an additional mission by accepting and processing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainees. As I have previously written to the Attorney General, this decision further threatens the safety and well-being of incarcerated individuals,” Durbin wrote.

Durbin concluded his letter by calling on the Sentencing Commission to focus on recommendations and amendments that will support BOP in remedying its deficiencies.

“Given the myriad difficulties facing our federal prison system, I respectfully urge the Commission to consider possible recommendations or amendments in the upcoming amendment cycle that account for the limited ‘nature and capacity of . . . facilities and services available’ to incarcerated individuals,” Durbin concluded his letter.

A copy of the letter can be found here and below:

July 18, 2025

Dear Chair Reeves:

I write in response to the Sentencing Commission’s request for comment on its Proposed 2025-2026 Priorities.

Proposed Priority: Bureau of Prisons practices and effectiveness in meeting the purposes of sentencing.

In the federal criminal justice system, district courts must seek to achieve the purposes of sentencing—retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation—when deciding upon a defendant’s sentence,^[1] by imposing one that is “sufficient, but not greater than necessary” to:

(A) reflect the seriousness of the offense, to promote respect for the law, and to provide just punishment for the offense; (B) to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct; (C) to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant; and (D) to provide the defendant with needed educational or vocational training, medical care, or other correctional treatment in the most effective manner.^[[2]]

The United States Sentencing Commission, too, must strive to ensure the Sentencing Guidelines meet these purposes.^[3] Though no longer binding, the Sentencing Guidelines nevertheless “serve an important role” by providing courts with “‘a meaningful benchmark’ in the initial determination of a sentence” and guidance “throughout the sentencing process.”^[4] Indeed, in Fiscal Year 2024, 28,038 sentences—or 45.7 percent—were imposed within the recommended range, not including cases where a departure applied, evidencing the central role that the Guidelines play in guiding thousands of federal criminal justice outcomes annually.^[5]

Of course, the relevance to the goals of sentencing of the type and length of a recommended sentence under the Guidelines will necessarily vary depending on how that sentence is executed. For years, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has faced significant challenges in the performance of its mandate, undermining the Commission’s intent to tailor recommended sentences to anticipated outcomes for incarcerated individuals. I therefore urge the Commission to prioritize “[a]ssessing the degree to which certain practices of the Bureau of Prisons are effective in meeting the purposes of sentencing as set forth in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a)(2) and considering any appropriate responses including possible consideration of recommendations or amendments” in the upcoming amendment cycle.^[6]

Chronically underfunded and understaffed, BOP has struggled to maintain safe and effective carceral settings for nearly 156,000 federal inmates, over 143,000 of whom are in BOP custody.^[7]Currently, BOP is authorized to have 14,900 correctional officer positions, with 12,766 active officers in pay status.^[8] Authorized “other” full time positions were recently reduced from 27,498 to 23,949, and there are 23,896 active employees in pay status.^[9] The resulting challenges BOP faces are both longstanding and pervasive:

Infrastructure. In May 2023, the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released the results of an audit of BOP’s “aging and failing infrastructure,” finding issues such as buckling concrete, crumbling façades, water leaks, poor ventilation, and energy inefficiencies.^[10] Late last year, BOP announced plans to permanently close one facility and idle six others due in part to “crumbling infrastructure.”^[11] That BOP would need to close facilities as a result of unsustainable cost is not new—just three years prior, BOP closed Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) New York “after an in-depth conditions assessment found that substantial building deficiencies jeopardized the safety and security of the staff and inmates who occupied the building.”^[12] As of February 2024, then-BOP Director Colette Peters estimated that BOP had a maintenance and repair backlog of approximately $3 billion.^[13]

Medical Care. In 2023, NPR reported on severely inadequate medical care within BOP facilities.^[14] One common complaint among sources was the agency’s failure to timely screen and treat inmates with serious illnesses, and the report found “[m]ore than a dozen waited months or even years for treatment, including inmates with obviously concerning symptoms: unexplained bleeding, a suspicious lump, intense pain.”^[15] Many suffered worsened conditions; some lost their lives.^[16] These problems persist.^[17] In a series of unannounced site inspections, OIG has identified several concerning medical practices and failures across various institutions.^[18] Most recently, OIG released an inspection last December of Federal Medical Center (FMC) Devens, finding “serious issues with . . . provision of healthcare” even at this dedicated medical facility, including “potentially dangerous medication distribution, lack of preventive healthcare screening, inappropriate placement of inmates in the Memory Disorder Unit (MDU), and inconsistent processes for requesting and accessing care.”^[19] Like other BOP institutions across the nation, FMC Devens suffers from a substantial employee shortage, “substantially affect[ing] the health, welfare, and safety of . . . inmates.”^[20] It is perhaps unsurprising that in Fiscal Year 2024, district court judges granted compassionate release requests under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A) on the basis, at least in part, of medical-related concerns in a notable number of cases.^[21] In one recent order granting compassionate release, a district court judge found BOP’s failure to provide necessary and “relatively straightforward” treatment to the petitioner “incomprehensible and very far below the standards that I expect for anyone held in custody.”^[22]

Safety and Security. Several factors undermine BOP’s ability to ensure the safety of those in its custody. For example, in 2022, the union representing BOP employees condemned a deadly fight at United States Penitentiary (USP) Beaumont, decrying the “chronic understaffing” that “is jeopardizing the lives of both workers and inmates.”^[23] Indeed, in a February 2024 OIG report evaluating issues surrounding inmate deaths, “BOP specifically identified insufficient staffing as an issue in at least 30 of the inmate deaths in [OIG’s] scope.”^[24] Correctional staff shortages hinder efforts to prevent and respond to immediate threats, while medical staff shortages limit the ability to provide risk-mitigation treatments and programming.^[25] In addition to other challenges, BOP also faces longstanding obstacles to effective interdiction of contraband drugs and weapons, overreliance on mandated staff overtime and augmentation, and “fundamentally ineffective” staff discipline processes—each compounding the serious risk to institutional safety.^[26]

While these concerns significantly limit BOP’s ability to effectively meet the purposes of sentencing, they are by no means exhaustive. Inadequate funding and staffing levels affect all aspects of BOP’s ability to discharge its mission. We have asked the agency to do far too much with far too little for far too long—and the ripple effects of severe BOP under resourcing are apparent across facilities nationwide.^[2^7] Despite these limitations, the Administration has now asked BOP to add an additional mission by accepting and processing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainees.^[28] As I have previously written to the Attorney General, this decision further threatens the safety and well-being of incarcerated individuals.^[29]

Given the myriad difficulties facing our federal prison system, I respectfully urge the Commission to consider possible recommendations or amendments in the upcoming amendment cycle that account for the limited “nature and capacity of . . . facilities and services available”^[30] to incarcerated individuals.

Sincerely,

-30-
[1] Tapia v. United States, 564 U.S. 319, 325 (2011). The Supreme Court explained in Tapia, however, that “a particular purpose may apply differently, or even not at all, depending on the kind of sentence under consideration.” Id. at 326. Retribution, § 3553(a)(2)(A), for example, cannot be considered for imposing supervised release terms, id., and rehabilitative needs, § 3553(a)(2)(D), cannot be used to impose or lengthen a prison term, id. at 335.

[2] 18 U.S.C. 3553(a)(2).

[3] 28 U.S.C. § 994(g).

[4] Rosales-Mireles v. United States, 585 U.S. 129, 133 (2018) (quoting Peugh v. United States, 569 U.S. 530, 541, (2013)).

[5] U.S. Sent’g Comm’n, Datafile (2024), https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/annual-reports-and-sourcebooks/2024/Table29.pdf.

[6] Federal Register Notice of Proposed 2025-2026 Priorities, U.S. Sent’g Comm’n,

https://www.ussc.gov/policymaking/federal-register-notices/federal-register-notice-proposed-2025-2026-priorities (last visited July 9, 2025).

[7] Statistics, Fed. Bureau of Prisons, https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/population_statistics.jsp#:~:text=155%2C933%20Total%20Federal%20Inmates&text=Last%20Updated%20July%203%2C%202025,Thursday%20at%2012%3A00%20A.M(last visited July 9, 2025). An additional nearly 12,800 federal inmates are reported to be in “other types of facilities.” Id.

[8] Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Fed. Bureau of Prisons Fact Sheet (2025), https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/docs/fbop_fact_sheet.pdf.

[9] Id.; Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Fed. Bureau of Prisons Fact Sheet (2024), https://web.archive.org/web/20250226151445/https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/docs/fbop_fact_sheet.pdf.

[10] U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., No. 23-064, Audit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Efforts to Maintain and Construct Institutions 6 (2023), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-064_1.pdf.

[11] Michael R. Sisak & Michael Balsamo, The US government is closing a women’s prison and other facilities after years of abuse and decay, Associated Press (Dec. 5, 2024), https://apnews.com/article/federal-prisons-closing-ap-investigation-abuse-decay-c02c96b6f6a3c5535cc3e3025d5d2585.

[12] U.S. Dep’t of Just., supra note 10 at 5.

[13] Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, Examining and Preventing Deaths of Incarcerated Individuals in Federal

Prisons (Feb. 28, 2024), at 00:30:45.

[14] Meg Anderson, 1 in 4 inmate deaths happens in the same federal prison. Why?, NPR (Sept. 23, 2023),

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/23/1200626103/federal-prison-deaths-butner-medical-center-sick-inmates.

[15] Id.

[16] Id.

[17] See Walter Pavlo, Cases Show Medical Care Under Scrutiny At Federal Bureau Of Prisons, Forbes (Mar. 13, 2025), https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterpavlo/2025/03/13/cases-show-medical-care-under-scrutiny-at-federal-bureau-of-prisons/.

[18] To date, OIG has released the results of five inspections. In the first four inspections, OIG found, in part: at FCI Waseca, inmates with higher care levels than the institutions at which they were housed, significant delays in nonemergency medical care, and limited ability to provide psychology services beyond “crisis focused” care, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 23-068, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Waseca 1, 26–29 (2023),https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-068.pdf; at FCI Tallahassee, suboptimal timing of medication dispensation, such as insulin and psychiatric medication, which can negatively affect drug efficacy, insufficient availability of bilingual staff to communicate with patients, and incomplete health care screenings at intake, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-005, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Tallahassee 1, 34–35 (2023),https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-005.pdf; at FCI Sheridan, a longstanding phlebotomist vacancy that, while eventually filled, led to a backlog at one point of over 700 laboratory orders, barriers to inmates requesting and accessing care for routine conditions, delays in medical and dental care due to lack of medical equipment and supplies, a backlog of outside medical visits, and potentially dangerous medication distribution practices, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-070, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Sheridan 1, 8–13 (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-070_0.pdf; and at FCI Lewisburg, intake screening errors, certain prescription medication discontinuation decisions made without speaking with or examining the patients in advance and without tapering as recommended by BOP clinical guidance, colorectal cancer screenings provided to less than half of inmates within the recommended risk range and significant delays in providing colonoscopies to those for whom it was ordered, and failure to provide A1C tests to the majority of qualifying inmates within recommended time frames, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-113, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Lewisburg 1, 10–14 (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-113.pdf.

[19] U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 25-009, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Devens i (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/25-009.pdf.

[20] Id.

[21] Sentencing courts listed serious physical or medical condition in 12.5 percent of cases, ongoing COVID-19 pandemic concerns unable to be timely mitigated in 3.3 percent of cases, and BOP failure to provide treatment in 1.7 percent of cases, among other reasons. U.S. Sent’g Comm’n, Compassionate Release Data Report 1, 17 (2025), https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/federal-sentencing-statistics/compassionate-release/FY24-Compassionate-Release.pdf.

[22] Order for Immediate Release of Defendant Bovis, United States v. Bovis, No. 20-cr-00204, Dkt. 100 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 6, 2025); see also United States v. Diggs, No. 02-CR-1129, 2025 WL 1371367, at *8 (N.D. Ill. May 12, 2025) (granting compassionate release after finding “BOP has shown no intention and/or ability to provide the necessary care [to the petitioner], despite its doctors’ recommendations”).

[23] Angel San Juan, Prison Pay: Low Pay Rates for Correctional Officers is Creating a Staffing Crisis, 6KFDM (May 19, 2023), https://kfdm.com/news/local/prison-pay-low-pay-rates-for-correctional-officers-is-creating-a-staffing-crisis.

[24] U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-041, Evaluation of Issues Surrounding Inmate deaths in Fed. Bureau of Prisons Inst. 1, 65 (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-041.pdf.

[25] Id.

[26] Id. at 54, 67, 70.

[27] Though Congress recently provided $5 billion in additional funding to BOP, see Act of July 4, 2025, Pub. L. No. 119-21, this appropriation represents just the first small step needed to begin to correct the institutional problems caused by underfunding BOP. Commission consideration in this area remains imminently necessary given the longstanding and ongoing impacts of BOP challenges on effectuating the purposes of sentencing.

[28] Letter from Richard J. Durbin, U.S. Senator, Adam B. Schiff, U.S. Senator, Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senator, Mazie K. Hirono, U.S. Senator, Cory A. Booker, U.S. Senator, Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator, and Peter Welch, U.S. Senator, to Pam Bondi, U.S. Att’y Gen. (Feb. 25, 2025), https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Letter%20to%20AG%20Bondi%20re%20BOP%20facilities%20for%20ICE.pdf.

[29] Id.

[30] 28 U.S.C. § 994(g).
MIL OSI USA News –
July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Joint statement on behalf of 26 partners on the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Source: Government of Canada News

July 21, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the European Union Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, today issued the following statement:

“We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now.

“The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food. It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.

“The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release. A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.

“We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life-saving work safely and effectively.

“We call on all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law. Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a “humanitarian city” are completely unacceptable. Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.

“We strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The E1 settlement plan announced by Israel’s Civil Administration, if implemented, would divide a future Palestinian state in two, marking a flagrant breach of international law, and critically undermine the two-state solution. Meanwhile, settlement building across the West Bank and East Jerusalem has accelerated while settler violence against Palestinians has soared. This must stop.

“We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Further bloodshed serves no purpose. We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this.

“We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region.”

This statement has been signed by:
- The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK
- The EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management
MIL OSI Canada News –
July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gosar Secures Reauthorization and Expansion of RECA for Mohave County, Arizona, Votes in Favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Paul A Gosar DDS (AZ-04)

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued the following statement after voting in favor of passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

“I am very pleased to have once again voted in favor of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, legislation that provides historic tax relief to middle-class Americans, reigns in wasteful spending, restores fiscal sanity and slashes the deficit by more than $2 trillion by enacting policies that will fuel America’s economic growth.

Importantly, the One Big Beautiful Bill delivers for all Arizonans.

First and foremost, I am especially pleased that the One Big Beautiful Bill includes my legislation reauthorizing the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) and corrects an administrative oversight in the RECA Act of 1990 that arbitrarily excluded areas of Mohave County, Arizona. Atomic weapons testing conducted during the Cold War came with a heavy cost to Americans living in Arizona, Nevada and within tribal communities. Since first being elected to Congress, I have worked tirelessly to ensure that RECA not only be reauthorized but also expanded so that every person, known as a “downwinder,” who developed cancer or other related illnesses after being exposed to radiation from atomic weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site deserves to be compensated for being poisoned by a negligent federal government.

Second, the One Big Beautiful Bill includes my legislation boosting solar and wind power on publiclands to help lower energy prices, unlock energy production and meet our nation’s growing energy demand. It also ensures revenue from their development is shared with the states and counties while also supporting conservation programs where these projects are located.

Third, a typical Arizona family with two children will see their take-home pay increase between $7,500 and $12,800. Without this legislation, families across my district were on track to face a massive tax hike on December 31, 2025. The bill also eliminates taxes on tips and overtime and slashes taxes on Social Security for seniors. The bill also raises the child tax credit, increases childcare tax credits and establishes $1,000 savings accounts for newborn babies to support growth and advancement while helping ease the burden on families.

Next, the bill provides historic investments to strengthen our nation’s border security by fully funding President Trump’s border wall and giving Border Patrol and ICE agents the resources, technology, and personnel they need to swiftly detain and deport the millions of illegal aliens welcomed into our country by Joe Biden. As a border state, Arizonans have felt firsthand the destruction caused by Biden’s open border policies. Crime has ravaged our neighborhoods, deadly drugs, including fentanyl, have ruined our families, and our communities are withering under the economic strain on public resources needed to combat Biden’s border invasion.

The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers for Arizonans, upholds the promise to secure the border, locks in permanent tax relief, unleashes American energy and reverses course on out-of-control spending by securing the largest spending reductions in American history. These are transformational policies that support all Americans for generations and were delivered by a Republican majority in Congress that listened. I look forward to President Trump signing the One Big Beautiful Bill into law,” concluded Congressman Paul Gosar.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gosar Announces Congressional App Challenge for Middle and High School Students

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Paul A Gosar DDS (AZ-04)

Bullhead City, AZ – Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), announces the following information regarding the start of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge:

Registration is now underway for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge. The competition is open to all middle school and high school students who live in Arizona’s Ninth Congressional District.

The annual competition is designed to encourage student participation in computer science and coding. Students can register for the 2025 competition by clicking HERE and begin coding their apps. The competition deadline is October 30, 2025.

Officially launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, this nationwide effort allows students to compete with their peers by creating an application or “app,” for mobile, tablet, or computer devices. Since its inception, the challenge has inspired over 40,000 students across all 50 states to code for Congress.

The winner from the Ninth Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on CongressionalAppChallenge.us, and the winning app will also be on display at the U.S. Capitol for a year, honoring the winners from across the country.

For more information or questions, visit the official Congressional App Challenge website or email my District Director, Penny Pew at penny.pew@mail.house.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Carbon County Man Sentenced To 188 Months’ Imprisonment For Drug Trafficking Offense

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jason Mika, age 44, of Lansford, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 17, 2025, to 188 months’ imprisonment and four years of supervised release by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for one count of possess with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.

According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, Mika previously pled guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. As part of his guilty plea, Mika also admitted to possessing over 400 grams of methamphetamine, other controlled substances, and a revolver–all of which were found in his Lansford, PA, home during the execution of a search warrant by members of the Nesquehoning Police Department, and other investigators.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, the Lehighton Borough Police Department, the Nesquehoning Police Department, the Lansford Police Department, the Franklin Township Police Department, and the Carbon County District Attorney’s Office. United States Attorney James Buchanan prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

# # #

MIL Security OSI –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: José Adolfo “Fito” Macías Villamar, Leader of Los Choneros Transnational Criminal Organization Extradited to Brooklyn Federal Court to Face International Drug and Gun Charges

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

BROOKLYN, NY – José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as “Fito,” a citizen of Ecuador, will be arraigned today at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn for crimes committed as the leader of Los Choneros, a transnational criminal organization based in Ecuador that is responsible for significant drug trafficking into the United States, firearms trafficking from the United States, and acts of extreme violence. Macías Villamar will be arraigned on a seven-count superseding indictment charging him with international cocaine distribution conspiracy; international cocaine distribution; using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking; smuggling firearms from the United States; and straw purchasing of firearms conspiracy. Macías Villamar will be arraigned before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon after being extradited yesterday from Ecuador to the Eastern District of New York.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Robert Murphy, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); L.C. Cheeks, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division (ATF); and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (OEE), announced the extradition and arraignment.

“As alleged, the defendant served for years as the principal leader of Los Choneros, a notoriously violent transnational criminal organization, and was a ruthless and infamous drug and firearms trafficker. The defendant and his co-conspirators flooded the United States and other countries with drugs and used extreme measures of violence in their quest for power and control,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This case demonstrates our Office’s commitment to identifying and targeting the leadership of such organizations, wherever they may be located, and bringing them to face justice here in the United States.”

“José ‘Fito’ Macias thought he could traffic poison into our country, smuggle American weapons back to his killers, and further his criminal enterprise using chaos and bloodshed. He was wrong,” stated DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “Today, the kingpin of Los Choneros faces justice on U.S. soil for his crimes.”

“ATF remains dedicated to working with our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt the shooting cycle by focusing on those individuals and criminal organizations responsible for the gun violence that plagues our neighborhoods,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Cheeks. “ATF will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to address violent gang and drug-related activity that endangers the safety of our communities. Our joint efforts are essential in bringing accountability to violent offenders, combatting threats to the public, and reducing violent crime.”

As alleged in the indictment and other public filings, from at least 2020 to 2025, Macías Villamar was the principal leader of Los Choneros, the most violent and powerful transnational criminal organization in Ecuador. As the principal leader of Los Choneros, Macías Villamar employed members of the organization to carry out serious acts of violence on the organization’s behalf. At Macías Villamar’s direction, Los Choneros committed violent acts toward Ecuadorean law enforcement, Ecuadorian politicians, attorneys, prosecutors, and civilians. Los Choneros obtained many of its firearms and weapons by illegally trafficking and exporting them from the United States to Ecuador. As alleged, the defendant specifically employed individuals who purchased firearms, firearms components, and ammunition in the United States and then illegally smuggled them to Ecuador for use by Los Choneros.

In 2011, Macías Villamar went to prison in Ecuador on murder, robbery, weapons possession, and drug trafficking charges. He escaped in 2013 before being recaptured months later. During his second imprisonment in Ecuador, Macías Villamar used contraband cell phones and the internet to continue to direct the activities of Los Choneros and publish external communications and threats on Los Choneros’ behalf. In January 2024, he escaped from Ecuadorian prison a second time—just two days ahead of his planned move to a maximum-security facility. In response to his escape, Ecuador erupted in violence—including prison riots, gang attacks, kidnappings, and bombings—and the government of Ecuador declared a state of emergency. Ecuadorian authorities recaptured Macías Villamar on June 25, 2025, and he was extradited from Ecuador yesterday.

Macías Villamar and members and associates of his organization used firearms in furtherance of their weapon and drug trafficking activities, including machine guns, AK-47 assault rifles, and grenades. Macías Villamar and the Los Choneros organization have also been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Ecuadorian authorities provided substantial assistance to secure the extradition of Macías Villamar. This marks Ecuador’s first extradition of an Ecuadorian national since an April 2024 popular referendum amended Ecuador’s constitution to allow for the extradition of Ecuadorian nationals.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and up to life.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section, and as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Chand Edwards-Balfour, Lorena Michelen, and David Berman are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

JOSÉ ADOLFO MACÍAS VILLAMAR (also known as “Fito”)
Age: 45
Ecuador

E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 25-CR-114 (FB)

MIL Security OSI –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Congresswoman Barragán’s Statement on House Republicans Voting to Defund Public Broadcasting

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2025

Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

Congresswoman Barragán’s Statement on House Republicans Voting to Defund Public Broadcasting

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) released the following statement:

“House Republicans voted to defund public broadcasting — and Southern California families will feel the impact. They’re taking back $4.3 million from PBS SoCal, which provides trusted educational programming, like Sesame Street, and free learning materials from over 1 million children under the age of 5 in our region.

It also eliminates funding for stations like KCRW in Santa Monica and KUSC in Los Angeles, jeopardizing access to local news, cultural programming, and emergency alerts that keep our communities safe and informed.

I voted AGAINST this power grab that takes away money Congress has already allocated. This isn’t about saving money — it’s about silencing voices and access to programming that thin-skinned Donald Trump and his Rubber Stamp Republicans don’t like. That’s about as un-American as you can get.”

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MIL OSI USA News –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI: RDGMining Cloud Mining: One-click lock of XRP, BTC, and ETH makes profits within reach for crypto enthusiasts, and daily profits soar
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

New York City, NY, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Time is money, choose RDG Mining and let wealth enter your daily life.
As XRP and ETH continue to appreciate, cross-border payment landscape continues to expand, BTC’s position as “digital gold” becomes increasingly solid, and ETH’s smart contract ecosystem continues to prosper, cryptocurrencies have long become a hot spot for wealth in the eyes of global investors.RDGMining is using a disruptive cloud mining model to allow ordinary people to easily seize this opportunity – no professional equipment, no technical threshold, one-click to start mining XRP, BTC, ETH and other cryptocurrencies, so that the benefits are visible and tangible.

One-click start, easy mining without equipment
Compared with traditional mining models,RDGMining does not require users to purchase expensive mining machines or configure complex mining systems. The platform is based on a cloud computing network built on AI intelligent scheduling and global data centers. All you need to do is register with an email address, select the appropriate currency and contract, and start earning daily income immediately.
It only takes three steps to join RDGMining
1. Registration: New users can get a $10 reward when they register.
2. Choose the mining contract that suits you and configure it flexibly according to your investment goals;
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Affiliate Program
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For example: If the friend you refer successfully purchases a contract worth $10,000, you can get a $300 reward. After inviting a certain number of active referrals, you will receive a one-time fixed bonus of up to $50,000. No matter how many people you refer, your earning potential is unlimited!
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About RDGMining
Founded in January 2019, RDGMining is the world’s leading legally registered cryptocurrency cloud mining platform. Since its establishment, we have invested in and built more than 100 large-scale mining farms and data centers around the world, covering 175 countries and regions, with a total number of users exceeding 7.5 million. The platform adheres to the concept of “user first” and is committed to lowering the threshold for industry participation through technological innovation and promoting the development of cryptocurrencies.
Full details and how to participate: https://pyfmjc.com/
Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or a trading recommendation. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and may result in loss of funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence, including consulting a professional financial advisor, before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities.

The MIL Network –
July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Dan Goldman, Bill Nye Discuss Importance of Protecting Public Broadcasting, Condemn Trump’s Rescissions Package

Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

Goldman is Co-Chair of the Public Broadcasting Caucus

Rescissions Package Strips All Federal Funding for Corporation of Public Broadcasting

Watch the Discussion Here

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) hosted renowned kids’ science education advocate Bill Nye, “the Science Guy,” to highlight the vital role public broadcasting plays in K–12 education and community resilience. Following the Senate’s narrow approval earlier this week, House Republicans this morning passed President Trump’s $9 billion rescissions package, which eliminates all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

Congressman Goldman led an amendment to strike the proposed cuts to CPB, an effort co-sponsored by 34 Democratic colleagues. House Republicans rejected the amendment, voting instead to gut critical support for public media that millions of Americans rely on for educational, cultural, and emergency programming.

The Republican-backed rescissions package deals a devastating blow to our democratic institutions at home, American leadership abroad, and the countless American citizens who rely on public broadcasting for emergency alerts, local news, and educational programming.

CPB-funded public media reaches nearly 99.7% percent of the American population, and its funding finances over 1,500 public television and radio stations across the country, supporting approximately 20,000 local jobs.

In addition to emergency response systems and local journalism, federal funding for CPB also enables public broadcasting to support educational content that parents nationwide rely on to help their children learn, averaging 16 million monthly users and more than 350 million monthly streams across digital platforms, allowing people at all income levels and from all parts of the country to access consistent, high-quality, educational content for free.

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MIL OSI USA News –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: G20: Startup20 priorities unveiled
Source: Government of South Africa

Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni has unveiled South Africa’s priorities for the Startup20 Engagement Group – an official engagement group under the country’s G20 presidency.

The Minister was delivering remarks at the midterm meeting held at Birchwood in Boksburg on Monday.

Startup20 serves as a platform for startups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to engage with G20 leaders on the challenges and opportunities they face.

The five priorities are:
- Foundation and alliance – with the focus on enabling policies, and ways to build a more supportive and resourced eco-system for early-stage entrepreneurs and scale-ups.
- Finance and investment – with the focus on addressing gaps in early-stage financing, cross-border financing, and ways to derisk investment, for underserved regions and groups like women and youth, including through pre-investment capital readiness support.
- Inclusion and sustainability – with the focus on circular economy models, green innovation incentives, and pre-investment business support for youth and women led enterprises to improve capital readiness.
- Market access – with the focus on facilitating international trade, enabling e-commerce, reforming public procurement systems and supporting regional integration
- Township and rural entrepreneurship – with the focus on strengthening local value chains, improving infrastructure and connectivity, and improving access to finance and eco-system support for supporting co-operatives and micro enterprises.
“Task teams made up of South African and international representatives have been established in these five priority areas.

“This Midterm Engagement Group Session provides the opportunity for these task forces together with others in the broader eco-system to develop policy recommendations that culminate in a clear programme of action to be finalised in the Startup20 Summit on the 13th and 14th of November.

“This summit in November will also include the inaugural Startup20 Awards, where the best startups and eco-system enablers from the G20 countries will be recognised. We will also, as DSBD, integrate our Presidential MSME Awards where we recognise and reward our best local talent,” Ndabeni said.

She emphasised that South Africa would utilise its G20 presidency to champion “issues of the Global South and Africa in particular, including issues of public debt, food security, market access, and the availability and cost of capital”.

“With the African Union’s induction as a permanent G20 member in 2023, Africa’s voice is now more prominent in global policymaking. South Africa plays a dual role: both as a sovereign G20 member and as a strategic member of the AU. As such we are well positioned to support the continent’s startup and MSME agenda.

“This alignment allows for greater policy coherence, enabling South Africa to serve as a bridge between global discourse and regional development aspirations, particularly in areas such as startup financing, regulatory reform, and digital transformation,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –
July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: Johannesburg’s creative hubs are booming: how artists are rejuvenating a failing inner city

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Mariapaola McGurk, Lecturer in Innovation & Entrepreneurship, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Johannesburg is weathering a storm of crises. Nowhere is its complex tangle of challenges more visible than in the inner city, where crime, overcrowding, and infrastructure collapse – such as roads literally exploding – paint a grim picture. Cultural institutions haven’t been spared either, with long-standing landmarks like the Johannesburg Art Gallery caught in cycles of neglect and crisis.

Read more:
South Africa doesn’t need new cities: it needs to focus on fixing what it’s got

Yet, while many avoid the inner city or speak only of its decline, the creative and cultural practitioners of Johannesburg never left. In fact, artists, architects, fashion designers, animators, musicians and the like have been hard at work. They’re building, dreaming and shaping a new urban reality that could become the beacon of hope this city needs.

As a researcher and visual artist, I recently completed a PhD study that focused on Johannesburg’s cultural and creative industries. My research revealed that a clear understanding of the existing structures and dynamics within this industry is essential for developing effective strategies to strengthen its role in local economic development.

Here I explore one such opportunity: creative hubs. I argue that they represent a low-hanging fruit for the inner city’s growth and revitalisation.

Urban renewal

Numerous articles have explored strategies for the city’s economic development and urban renewal. One group of scholars recently outlined four critical focus areas: coordinated efforts across government levels; an active civil society; a shift in political culture; and restored leadership in a revitalised administration.

These are vital interventions, but they still beg a deeper question. What is the new “gold” of the “City of Gold”, the mining town founded in 1886 and on track to become a megacity by 2030?

What is it that truly sets Johannesburg apart, nationally and globally? What strengths already exist that, if nurtured, could help address the city’s challenges? The answer may not lie in building something entirely new, but in recognising and investing in what already thrives. The city’s people, its culture, and its extraordinary creativity.

In 2004, Unesco launched the Creative Cities Network. Today it comprises 246 cities in 80 member states. South Africa has three cities in the network: Cape Town (design), Durban (literature) and Overstrand (gastronomy). Johannesburg has never applied to belong.

Cities are acknowledging the economic and social value of the cultural and creative industries, particularly in addressing challenges such as youth unemployment, micro-enterprise growth, equity and community development.

Yet cities globally are grappling with how to retain creative professionals. This is the case in cities like Toronto, Sydney, Los Angeles, Cologne or Barcelona. Rising property prices, the redevelopment of industrial areas into commercial or luxury spaces, and short-term rental agreements are displacing these professionals from the urban cores they help energise. Cities are coming up with incentives and programmes to correct this.

A recent World Cities Cultural Forum report offers a solution in the form of Creative Land Trusts. These permanently hold land and assets at affordable rates for creatives. They take property out of speculative real estate markets. They’re designed to support not galleries or theatres, but the studios and workspaces where creative production actually happens.

Similar initiatives are happening in London, Helsinki and San Francisco.

Mapping Johannesburg’s creative hubs

Unlike cities that are trying to reverse the exodus of creatives, Johannesburg’s inner city has seen a recent surge in creative hub development.

A creative hub is a physical or digital space (in this case physical) designed to bring together cultural and creative professionals for studio space, collaboration, networking and the exchange of ideas.

Over the last year, 21 creative hubs have been mapped in the city, the majority newly established. Notable examples include Transwerke Studios, Asisebenze Art Atelier, Victoria Yards and Oovookoo. Remarkably, 19 of the 21 hubs identified in my open-source mapping process are in the inner city. Only two are government run – Transwerke and Downtown Music Hub.

Across Johannesburg, creative hubs buzz with independent activity, yet share a common commitment to cultivating talent, business support and community impact. They are evidence of innovative partnerships between creatives and property developers.

Inside these spaces, artists and creatives get opportunities through gallerist and investor visits (access to markets). They build practical and entrepreneurial skills through tailored workshops. And they collaborate on projects that place social upliftment at their heart.

Some hubs focus on offering studio spaces, while others extend their reach beyond their walls, blending artistic expression with community development and public engagement.

By actively building community and opportunity, creative hubs are becoming

lighthouses for the new urban economy.

They are small business incubators, urban beautification engines and potential cultural tourism hotspots. An event like Contra Fair opens the doors of art studio hubs once a year. Entrepreneur and social activist Tebogo Moalusi has now taken the lead in the establishment of Creative20. This will become a platform for revitalising Johannesburg’s creative cities campaign.

Neglected by the city

And yet the cultural and creative industries remain almost entirely absent from the city’s strategic planning. The Johannesburg 2040: Growth and Development Strategy fails even to mention the sector.

This is despite Gauteng, the province that houses Johannesburg, being the epicentre of South Africa’s creative economy. It contributes 46.3% of the industry’s gross domestic product and generates the highest employment impact. Johannesburg hosts the majority of creative businesses in the province.

Read more:
The real Johannesburg: 6 powerful photos from a gritty new book on the city

The Gauteng 2030 Strategy highlights three high-growth sectors: agro-processing, cultural and creative industries, and high-tech/knowledge sectors, including digital and gaming. Two of these directly involve the creative economy. Yet there’s been little effort to integrate them into Johannesburg’s urban development agenda.

If Johannesburg is serious about inclusive economic development and sustainable urban growth, it must recognise and invest in the cultural and creative industries which are already thriving within its borders.

Mariapaola McGurk consults to Creative20 Organisation

– ref. Johannesburg’s creative hubs are booming: how artists are rejuvenating a failing inner city – https://theconversation.com/johannesburgs-creative-hubs-are-booming-how-artists-are-rejuvenating-a-failing-inner-city-260224

MIL OSI Analysis –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Johannesburg’s creative hubs are booming: how artists are rejuvenating a failing inner city

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Mariapaola McGurk, Lecturer in Innovation & Entrepreneurship, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Johannesburg is weathering a storm of crises. Nowhere is its complex tangle of challenges more visible than in the inner city, where crime, overcrowding, and infrastructure collapse – such as roads literally exploding – paint a grim picture. Cultural institutions haven’t been spared either, with long-standing landmarks like the Johannesburg Art Gallery caught in cycles of neglect and crisis.

Read more: South Africa doesn’t need new cities: it needs to focus on fixing what it’s got

Yet, while many avoid the inner city or speak only of its decline, the creative and cultural practitioners of Johannesburg never left. In fact, artists, architects, fashion designers, animators, musicians and the like have been hard at work. They’re building, dreaming and shaping a new urban reality that could become the beacon of hope this city needs.

As a researcher and visual artist, I recently completed a PhD study that focused on Johannesburg’s cultural and creative industries. My research revealed that a clear understanding of the existing structures and dynamics within this industry is essential for developing effective strategies to strengthen its role in local economic development.

Here I explore one such opportunity: creative hubs. I argue that they represent a low-hanging fruit for the inner city’s growth and revitalisation.

Urban renewal

Numerous articles have explored strategies for the city’s economic development and urban renewal. One group of scholars recently outlined four critical focus areas: coordinated efforts across government levels; an active civil society; a shift in political culture; and restored leadership in a revitalised administration.

These are vital interventions, but they still beg a deeper question. What is the new “gold” of the “City of Gold”, the mining town founded in 1886 and on track to become a megacity by 2030?

Work by artist Candice Kramer at Bag Factory Artists Studios. Mark Straw

What is it that truly sets Johannesburg apart, nationally and globally? What strengths already exist that, if nurtured, could help address the city’s challenges? The answer may not lie in building something entirely new, but in recognising and investing in what already thrives. The city’s people, its culture, and its extraordinary creativity.

In 2004, Unesco launched the Creative Cities Network. Today it comprises 246 cities in 80 member states. South Africa has three cities in the network: Cape Town (design), Durban (literature) and Overstrand (gastronomy). Johannesburg has never applied to belong.

Cities are acknowledging the economic and social value of the cultural and creative industries, particularly in addressing challenges such as youth unemployment, micro-enterprise growth, equity and community development.

Artist Mankebe Seakoe at Contra Fair. Mark Straw

Yet cities globally are grappling with how to retain creative professionals. This is the case in cities like Toronto, Sydney, Los Angeles, Cologne or Barcelona. Rising property prices, the redevelopment of industrial areas into commercial or luxury spaces, and short-term rental agreements are displacing these professionals from the urban cores they help energise. Cities are coming up with incentives and programmes to correct this.

A recent World Cities Cultural Forum report offers a solution in the form of Creative Land Trusts. These permanently hold land and assets at affordable rates for creatives. They take property out of speculative real estate markets. They’re designed to support not galleries or theatres, but the studios and workspaces where creative production actually happens.

Similar initiatives are happening in London, Helsinki and San Francisco.

Mapping Johannesburg’s creative hubs

Unlike cities that are trying to reverse the exodus of creatives, Johannesburg’s inner city has seen a recent surge in creative hub development.

A creative hub is a physical or digital space (in this case physical) designed to bring together cultural and creative professionals for studio space, collaboration, networking and the exchange of ideas.

Some creative hubs offer gallery spaces. Mark Straw

Over the last year, 21 creative hubs have been mapped in the city, the majority newly established. Notable examples include Transwerke Studios, Asisebenze Art Atelier, Victoria Yards and Oovookoo. Remarkably, 19 of the 21 hubs identified in my open-source mapping process are in the inner city. Only two are government run – Transwerke and Downtown Music Hub.

Across Johannesburg, creative hubs buzz with independent activity, yet share a common commitment to cultivating talent, business support and community impact. They are evidence of innovative partnerships between creatives and property developers.

Mapping Johannesburg’s creative hubs. Google Maps/Mariapaola McGurk

Inside these spaces, artists and creatives get opportunities through gallerist and investor visits (access to markets). They build practical and entrepreneurial skills through tailored workshops. And they collaborate on projects that place social upliftment at their heart.

Some hubs focus on offering studio spaces, while others extend their reach beyond their walls, blending artistic expression with community development and public engagement.

By actively building community and opportunity, creative hubs are becoming

lighthouses for the new urban economy.

They are small business incubators, urban beautification engines and potential cultural tourism hotspots. An event like Contra Fair opens the doors of art studio hubs once a year. Entrepreneur and social activist Tebogo Moalusi has now taken the lead in the establishment of Creative20. This will become a platform for revitalising Johannesburg’s creative cities campaign.

Neglected by the city

And yet the cultural and creative industries remain almost entirely absent from the city’s strategic planning. The Johannesburg 2040: Growth and Development Strategy fails even to mention the sector.

Bag Factory Artists Studios hosting a public event. Mark Straw

This is despite Gauteng, the province that houses Johannesburg, being the epicentre of South Africa’s creative economy. It contributes 46.3% of the industry’s gross domestic product and generates the highest employment impact. Johannesburg hosts the majority of creative businesses in the province.

Read more: The real Johannesburg: 6 powerful photos from a gritty new book on the city

The Gauteng 2030 Strategy highlights three high-growth sectors: agro-processing, cultural and creative industries, and high-tech/knowledge sectors, including digital and gaming. Two of these directly involve the creative economy. Yet there’s been little effort to integrate them into Johannesburg’s urban development agenda.

If Johannesburg is serious about inclusive economic development and sustainable urban growth, it must recognise and invest in the cultural and creative industries which are already thriving within its borders.

– Johannesburg’s creative hubs are booming: how artists are rejuvenating a failing inner city
– https://theconversation.com/johannesburgs-creative-hubs-are-booming-how-artists-are-rejuvenating-a-failing-inner-city-260224

MIL OSI Africa –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: Idi Amin made himself out to be the ‘liberator’ of an oppressed majority – a demagogic trick that endures today

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Derek R. Peterson, Ali Mazrui Professor of History & African Studies, University of Michigan

Idi Amin addresses the United Nations General Assembly in 1975. Bettmann/Getty Images

Fifty years ago, Ugandan President Idi Amin wrote to the governments of the British Commonwealth with a bold suggestion: Allow him to take over as head of the organization, replacing Queen Elizabeth II.

After all, Amin reasoned, a collapsing economy had made the U.K. unable to maintain its leadership. Moreover the “British empire does not now exist following the complete decolonization of Britain’s former overseas territories.”

It wasn’t Amin’s only attempt to reshape the international order. Around the same time, he called for the United Nations headquarters to be moved to Uganda’s capital, Kampala, touting its location at “the heart of the world between the continents of America, Asia, Australia and the North and South Poles.”

Amin’s diplomacy aimed to place Kampala at the center of a postcolonial world. In my new book, “A Popular History of Idi Amin’s Uganda,” I show that Amin’s government made Uganda – a remote, landlocked nation – look like a frontline state in the global war against racism, apartheid and imperialism.

Doing so was, for the Amin regime, a way of claiming a morally essential role: liberator of Africa’s hitherto oppressed people. It helped inflate his image both at home and abroad, allowing him to maintain his rule for eight calamitous years, from 1971 to 1979.

The phony liberator?

Amin was the creator of a myth that was both manifestly untrue and extraordinarily compelling: that his violent, dysfunctional regime was actually engaged in freeing people from foreign oppressors.

The question of Scottish independence was one of his enduring concerns. The “people of Scotland are tired of being exploited by the English,” wrote Amin in a 1974 telegram to United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim. “Scotland was once an independent country, happy, well governed and administered with peace and prosperity,” but under the British government, “England has thrived on the energies and brains of the Scottish people.”

Even his cruelest policies were framed as if they were liberatory. In August 1972, Amin announced the summary expulsion of Uganda’s Asian community. Some 50,000 people, many of whom had lived in Uganda for generations, were given a bare three months to tie up their affairs and leave the country. Amin named this the “Economic War.”

In the speech that announced the expulsions, Amin argued that “the Ugandan Africans have been enslaved economically since the time of the colonialists.” The Economic War was meant to “emancipate the Uganda Africans of this republic.”

“This is the day of salvation for the Ugandan Africans,” he said. By the end of 1972, some 5,655 farms, ranches and estates had been vacated by the departed Asian community, and Black African proprietors were queuing up to take over Asian-run businesses.

Ugandan Asian refugees arrive at an airport in the U.K. after being expelled from Uganda.
P. Felix/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

A year later, when Amin attended the Organization of African Unity summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, his “achievements” were reported in a booklet published by the Uganda government. During his speech, Amin was “interrupted by thunderous applauses of acclamation and cheers, almost word for word, by Heads of State and Government and by everybody else who had a chance to hear it,” according to the the report.

It was, wrote the government propagandist, “very clear that Uganda had emerged as the forefront of a True African State. It was clear that African nationalism had been born again. It was clear that the speech had brought new life to the freedom struggle in Africa.”

Life at the front

Amin’s policies were disastrous for all Ugandans, African and Asian alike. Yet his war of economic liberation was, for a time, a source of inspiration for activists around the world. Among the many people gripped by enthusiasm for Amin’s regime was Roy Innis, the Black American leader of the civil rights organization Congress of Racial Equality.

In March 1973, Innis visited Uganda at Amin’s invitation. Innis and his colleagues had been pressing African governments to grant dual citizenship to Black Americans, just as Jewish Americans could earn citizenship from the state of Israel.

Over the course of their 18 days in Uganda, the visiting Americans were shuttled around the country in Amin’s helicopter. Everywhere, Innis spoke with enthusiasm about Amin’s accomplishments. In a poem published in the pro-government Voice of Uganda around the time of his visit, Innis wrote:

“Before, the life of your people was a complete bore,

And they were poor, oppressed, exploited and economically sore.

And you then came and opened new, dynamic economic pages.

And showered progress on your people in realistic stages.

In such expert moves that baffled even the great sages,

your electric personality pronounced the imperialists’ doom.

Your pragmatism has given Ugandans their economic boom.”

In May 1973, Innis was back in Uganda, promising to recruit a contingent of 500 African American professors and technicians to serve in Uganda. Amin offered them free passage to Uganda, free housing and free hospital care for themselves and their families. The American weekly magazine Jet predicted that Uganda was soon to become an “African Israel,” a model nation upheld by the energies and knowledge of Black Americans.

Roy Innis, national director of the Congress of Racial Equality, in 1972.
Bettmann/Getty Images

As some have observed, Innis was surely naive. But his enthusiasm was shared by a great many people, not least a great many Ugandans. Inspired by Amin’s promises, their energy and commitment kept institutions functioning in a time of great disruption. They built roads and stadiums, constructed national monuments and underwrote the running costs of government ministries.

Patriotism and demagoguery

Their ambitions were soon foreclosed by a rising tide of political dysfunction. Amin’s regime came to a violent end in 1979, when he was ousted by the invading army of Tanzania and fled Uganda.

But his brand of demagoguery lives on. Today a new generation of demagogues claim to be fighting to liberate aggrieved majorities from outsiders’ control.

In the 1970s, Amin enlisted Black Ugandans to battle against racial minorities who were said to dominate the economy and public life. Today an ascendant right wing encourages aggrieved white Americans to regard themselves as a majority dispossessed of their inheritance by greedy immigrants.

Amin encouraged Ugandans to regard themselves as frontline soldiers, engaged in a globally consequential war against foreigners. In today’s America, some people similarly feel themselves deputized to take matters of state into their own hands. In January 2021, for instance, a right-wing group called “Stop the Steal” organized a rally in Washington. Vowing to “take our country back,” they stormed the Capitol building.

The racialized demagoguery that Idi Amin promoted inspired the imagination of a great many people. It also fed violent campaigns to repossess a stolen inheritance, to reclaim properties that ought, in the view of the aggrieved majority, to belong to native sons and daughters. His regime is for us today a warning about the compelling power of demagoguery to shape people’s sense of purpose.

Derek R. Peterson receives funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

– ref. Idi Amin made himself out to be the ‘liberator’ of an oppressed majority – a demagogic trick that endures today – https://theconversation.com/idi-amin-made-himself-out-to-be-the-liberator-of-an-oppressed-majority-a-demagogic-trick-that-endures-today-256969

MIL OSI Analysis –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Occupied Palestinian Territories: joint statement, 21 July 2025
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

News story

Occupied Palestinian Territories: joint statement, 21 July 2025

The UK and 25 international partners gave a joint statement on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Joint statement by:

foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK

EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now.

The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food. It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.

The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release. A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.

We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively.

We call on all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law. Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a “humanitarian city” are completely unacceptable. Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.

We strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The E1 settlement plan announced by Israel’s Civil Administration, if implemented, would divide a Palestinian state in two, marking a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution. Meanwhile, settlement building across the West Bank including East Jerusalem has accelerated while settler violence against Palestinians has soared. This must stop.

We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Further bloodshed serves no purpose.  We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this.

We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region.

This statement has been signed by:

The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK

The EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

Media enquiries

Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7008 3100

Email the FCDO Newsdesk (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

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Published 21 July 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Microbes in deep-sea volcanoes can help scientists learn about early life on Earth, or even life beyond our planet

Source: The Conversation – USA – By James F. Holden, Professor of Microbiology, UMass Amherst

A submersible, which travels to the seafloor to collect rock and microbe samples, is lifted by the arm of a research vessel. James F. Holden

People have long wondered what life was first like on Earth, and if there is life in our solar system beyond our planet. Scientists have reason to believe that some of the moons in our solar system – like Jupiter’s Europa and Saturn’s Enceladus – may contain deep, salty liquid oceans under an icy shell. Seafloor volcanoes could heat these moons’ oceans and provide the basic chemicals needed for life.

Similar deep-sea volcanoes found on Earth support microbial life that lives inside solid rock without sunlight and oxygen. Some of these microbes, called thermophiles, live at temperatures hot enough to boil water on the surface. They grow from the chemicals coming out of active volcanoes.

Because these microorganisms existed before there was photosynthesis or oxygen on Earth, scientists think these deep-sea volcanoes and microbes could resemble the earliest habitats and life on Earth, and beyond.

To determine if life could exist beyond Earth in these ocean worlds, NASA sent the Cassini spacecraft to orbit Saturn in 1997. The agency has also sent three spacecraft to orbit Jupiter: Galileo in 1989, Juno in 2011 and most recently Europa Clipper in 2024. These spacecraft flew and will fly close to Enceladus and Europa to measure their habitability for life using a suite of instruments.

A diagram of the interior of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, which may have hot plumes beneath its ocean.
Surface: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute; interior: LPG-CNRS/U. Nantes/U. Angers. Graphic composition: ESA

However, for planetary scientists to interpret the data they collect, they need to first understand how similar habitats function and host life on Earth.

My microbiology laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Amherst studies thermophiles from hot springs at deep-sea volcanoes, also called hydrothermal vents.

Diving deep for samples of life

I grew up in Spokane, Washington, and had over an inch of volcanic ash land on my home when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980. That event led to my fascination with volcanoes.

Several years later, while studying oceanography in college, I collected samples from Mount St. Helens’ hot springs and studied a thermophile from the site. I later collected samples at hydrothermal vents along an undersea volcanic mountain range hundreds of miles off the coast of Washington and Oregon. I have continued to study these hydrothermal vents and their microbes for nearly four decades.

Crewed submarines travel deep underwater to collect samples from hydrothermal vents.
Gavin Eppard, WHOI/Expedition to the Deep Slope/NOAA/OER, CC BY

Submarine pilots collect the samples my team uses from hydrothermal vents using human-occupied submarines or remotely operated submersibles. These vehicles are lowered into the ocean from research ships where scientists conduct research 24 hours a day, often for weeks at a time.

The samples collected include rocks and heated hydrothermal fluids that rise from cracks in the seafloor.

The submarines use mechanical arms to collect the rocks and special sampling pumps and bags to collect the hydrothermal fluids. The submarines usually remain on the seafloor for about a day before returning samples to the surface. They make multiple trips to the seafloor on each expedition.

Inside the solid rock of the seafloor, hydrothermal fluids as hot at 662 degrees Fahrenheit (350 Celsius) mix with cold seawater in cracks and pores of the rock. The mixture of hydrothermal fluid and seawater creates the ideal temperatures and chemical conditions that thermophiles need to live and grow.

Plumes rising from hydrothermal vents in the Atlantic Ocean.
P. Rona / OAR/National Undersea Research Program; NOAA

When the submarines return to the ship, scientists – including my research team – begin analyzing the chemistry, minerals and organic material like DNA in the collected water and rock samples.

These samples contain live microbes that we can cultivate, so we grow the microbes we are interested in studying while on the ship. The samples provide a snapshot of how microbes live and grow in their natural environment.

Thermophiles in the lab

Back in my laboratory in Amherst, my research team isolates new microbes from the hydrothermal vent samples and grows them under conditions that mimic those they experience in nature. We feed them volcanic chemicals like hydrogen, carbon dioxide, sulfur and iron and measure their ability to produce compounds like methane, hydrogen sulfide and the magnetic mineral magnetite.

The thermophilic microbe Pyrodictium delaneyi isolated by the Holden lab from a hydrothermal vent in the Pacific Ocean. It grows at 194 degrees Fahrenheit (90 Celsius) on hydrogen, sulfur and iron.
Lin et al., 2016/The Microbiology Society

Oxygen is typically deadly for these organisms, so we grow them in synthetic hydrothermal fluid and in sealed tubes or in large bioreactors free of oxygen. This way, we can control the temperature and chemical conditions they need for growth.

From these experiments, we look for distinguishing chemical signals that these organisms produce which spacecraft or instruments that land on extraterrestrial surfaces could potentially detect.

We also create computer models that best describe how we think these microbes grow and compete with other organisms in hydrothermal vents. We can apply these models to conditions we think existed on early Earth or on ocean worlds to see how these microbes might fare under those conditions.

We then analyze the proteins from the thermophiles we collect to understand how these organisms function and adapt to changing environmental conditions. All this information guides our understanding of how life can exist in extreme environments on and beyond Earth.

Uses for thermophiles in biotechnology

In addition to providing helpful information to planetary scientists, research on thermophiles provides other benefits as well. Many of the proteins in thermophiles are new to science and useful for biotechnology.

The best example of this is an enzyme called DNA polymerase, which is used to artificially replicate DNA in the lab by the polymerase chain reaction. The DNA polymerase first used for polymerase chain reaction was purified from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus in 1976. This enzyme needs to be heat resistant for the replication technique to work. Everything from genome sequencing to clinical diagnoses, crime solving, genealogy tests and genetic engineering uses DNA polymerase.

DNA polymerase is an enzyme that plays an essential role in DNA replication. A heat-resistant form from thermophiles is useful in bioengineering.
Christinelmiller/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

My lab and others are exploring how thermophiles can be used to degrade waste and produce commercially useful products. Some of these organisms grow on waste milk from dairy farms and brewery wastewater – materials that cause fish kills and dead zones in ponds and bays. The microbes then produce biohydrogen from the waste – a compound that can be used as an energy source.

Hydrothermal vents are among the most fascinating and unusual environments on Earth. With them, windows to the first life on Earth and beyond may lie at the bottom of our oceans.

James F. Holden receives funding from NASA.

– ref. Microbes in deep-sea volcanoes can help scientists learn about early life on Earth, or even life beyond our planet – https://theconversation.com/microbes-in-deep-sea-volcanoes-can-help-scientists-learn-about-early-life-on-earth-or-even-life-beyond-our-planet-260977

MIL OSI –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Microbes in deep-sea volcanoes can help scientists learn about early life on Earth, or even life beyond our planet

Source: The Conversation – USA – By James F. Holden, Professor of Microbiology, UMass Amherst

A submersible, which travels to the seafloor to collect rock and microbe samples, is lifted by the arm of a research vessel. James F. Holden

People have long wondered what life was first like on Earth, and if there is life in our solar system beyond our planet. Scientists have reason to believe that some of the moons in our solar system – like Jupiter’s Europa and Saturn’s Enceladus – may contain deep, salty liquid oceans under an icy shell. Seafloor volcanoes could heat these moons’ oceans and provide the basic chemicals needed for life.

Similar deep-sea volcanoes found on Earth support microbial life that lives inside solid rock without sunlight and oxygen. Some of these microbes, called thermophiles, live at temperatures hot enough to boil water on the surface. They grow from the chemicals coming out of active volcanoes.

Because these microorganisms existed before there was photosynthesis or oxygen on Earth, scientists think these deep-sea volcanoes and microbes could resemble the earliest habitats and life on Earth, and beyond.

To determine if life could exist beyond Earth in these ocean worlds, NASA sent the Cassini spacecraft to orbit Saturn in 1997. The agency has also sent three spacecraft to orbit Jupiter: Galileo in 1989, Juno in 2011 and most recently Europa Clipper in 2024. These spacecraft flew and will fly close to Enceladus and Europa to measure their habitability for life using a suite of instruments.

A diagram of the interior of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, which may have hot plumes beneath its ocean.
Surface: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute; interior: LPG-CNRS/U. Nantes/U. Angers. Graphic composition: ESA

However, for planetary scientists to interpret the data they collect, they need to first understand how similar habitats function and host life on Earth.

My microbiology laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Amherst studies thermophiles from hot springs at deep-sea volcanoes, also called hydrothermal vents.

Diving deep for samples of life

I grew up in Spokane, Washington, and had over an inch of volcanic ash land on my home when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980. That event led to my fascination with volcanoes.

Several years later, while studying oceanography in college, I collected samples from Mount St. Helens’ hot springs and studied a thermophile from the site. I later collected samples at hydrothermal vents along an undersea volcanic mountain range hundreds of miles off the coast of Washington and Oregon. I have continued to study these hydrothermal vents and their microbes for nearly four decades.

Crewed submarines travel deep underwater to collect samples from hydrothermal vents.
Gavin Eppard, WHOI/Expedition to the Deep Slope/NOAA/OER, CC BY

Submarine pilots collect the samples my team uses from hydrothermal vents using human-occupied submarines or remotely operated submersibles. These vehicles are lowered into the ocean from research ships where scientists conduct research 24 hours a day, often for weeks at a time.

The samples collected include rocks and heated hydrothermal fluids that rise from cracks in the seafloor.

The submarines use mechanical arms to collect the rocks and special sampling pumps and bags to collect the hydrothermal fluids. The submarines usually remain on the seafloor for about a day before returning samples to the surface. They make multiple trips to the seafloor on each expedition.

Inside the solid rock of the seafloor, hydrothermal fluids as hot at 662 degrees Fahrenheit (350 Celsius) mix with cold seawater in cracks and pores of the rock. The mixture of hydrothermal fluid and seawater creates the ideal temperatures and chemical conditions that thermophiles need to live and grow.

Plumes rising from hydrothermal vents in the Atlantic Ocean.
P. Rona / OAR/National Undersea Research Program; NOAA

When the submarines return to the ship, scientists – including my research team – begin analyzing the chemistry, minerals and organic material like DNA in the collected water and rock samples.

These samples contain live microbes that we can cultivate, so we grow the microbes we are interested in studying while on the ship. The samples provide a snapshot of how microbes live and grow in their natural environment.

Thermophiles in the lab

Back in my laboratory in Amherst, my research team isolates new microbes from the hydrothermal vent samples and grows them under conditions that mimic those they experience in nature. We feed them volcanic chemicals like hydrogen, carbon dioxide, sulfur and iron and measure their ability to produce compounds like methane, hydrogen sulfide and the magnetic mineral magnetite.

The thermophilic microbe Pyrodictium delaneyi isolated by the Holden lab from a hydrothermal vent in the Pacific Ocean. It grows at 194 degrees Fahrenheit (90 Celsius) on hydrogen, sulfur and iron.
Lin et al., 2016/The Microbiology Society

Oxygen is typically deadly for these organisms, so we grow them in synthetic hydrothermal fluid and in sealed tubes or in large bioreactors free of oxygen. This way, we can control the temperature and chemical conditions they need for growth.

From these experiments, we look for distinguishing chemical signals that these organisms produce which spacecraft or instruments that land on extraterrestrial surfaces could potentially detect.

We also create computer models that best describe how we think these microbes grow and compete with other organisms in hydrothermal vents. We can apply these models to conditions we think existed on early Earth or on ocean worlds to see how these microbes might fare under those conditions.

We then analyze the proteins from the thermophiles we collect to understand how these organisms function and adapt to changing environmental conditions. All this information guides our understanding of how life can exist in extreme environments on and beyond Earth.

Uses for thermophiles in biotechnology

In addition to providing helpful information to planetary scientists, research on thermophiles provides other benefits as well. Many of the proteins in thermophiles are new to science and useful for biotechnology.

The best example of this is an enzyme called DNA polymerase, which is used to artificially replicate DNA in the lab by the polymerase chain reaction. The DNA polymerase first used for polymerase chain reaction was purified from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus in 1976. This enzyme needs to be heat resistant for the replication technique to work. Everything from genome sequencing to clinical diagnoses, crime solving, genealogy tests and genetic engineering uses DNA polymerase.

DNA polymerase is an enzyme that plays an essential role in DNA replication. A heat-resistant form from thermophiles is useful in bioengineering.
Christinelmiller/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

My lab and others are exploring how thermophiles can be used to degrade waste and produce commercially useful products. Some of these organisms grow on waste milk from dairy farms and brewery wastewater – materials that cause fish kills and dead zones in ponds and bays. The microbes then produce biohydrogen from the waste – a compound that can be used as an energy source.

Hydrothermal vents are among the most fascinating and unusual environments on Earth. With them, windows to the first life on Earth and beyond may lie at the bottom of our oceans.

James F. Holden receives funding from NASA.

– ref. Microbes in deep-sea volcanoes can help scientists learn about early life on Earth, or even life beyond our planet – https://theconversation.com/microbes-in-deep-sea-volcanoes-can-help-scientists-learn-about-early-life-on-earth-or-even-life-beyond-our-planet-260977

MIL OSI –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI: Moomoo And New York Mets Unveil Display at Citi Field: A Bold New Presence at The Ballpark

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — moomoo, the global investment and trading platform, has unveiled a new, 36-foot high, double-sided display at Citi Field as part of its multi-year collaboration with the New York Mets. First displayed on July 18, the vibrant orange moomoo logo now adds a bright pop of color to the ballpark’s dynamic visual landscape. This prominent signage, complemented by the moomoo mascot, ribbon displays, and immersive billboard advertisements, significantly amplifies moomoo’s brand visibility and recognition among millions of baseball fans at Citi Field.

Caption: Moomoo’s prominent 36-foot high signage lights up Citi Field

With an average attendance of over 38,603 fans per game and 80 home games this season, the stadium brings extensive brand exposure to moomoo. Announced in April, the cross-sector collaboration between moomoo and the Mets also gives thousands of baseball fans the opportunity to watch the game in the moomoo Suite throughout the season. With this opportunity, fans have access to premium seats while enjoying best in class in-game entertainment, top tier dining options and exciting on-field performance.

Since the start of the baseball season, moomoo has seen a significant increase in app downloads, brand visibility in various channels, and welcomes the opportunity to provide advanced tools and features, a global community of over 26 million investors, and free educational resources to beginner and advanced investors alike.

Mets pitcher Edwin Diaz stars in a new commercial for moomoo, where the All-Star reliever details similarities between closing and stock trading: reading the game, analyzing opportunities, timing the moment, and moving with accuracy.

“During this exciting season, moomoo is continuing its engagement with New York communities, and we have gained more opportunities to do investor education. We are delighted to see more and more people getting to know moomoo and understand our business philosophy through our collaboration with the Mets,” said Neil McDonald, CEO at Moomoo Financials Inc. “We believe that through learning and practice on the moomoo platform, which offers a variety of investment tools, investors can ultimately invest like professional investors.”

“This new signage marks an exciting next step in the growth of our partnership with moomoo and will help enhance their brand visibility around the ballpark,” said Brenden Mallette, Senior Vice President of Partnerships at the New York Mets. “We’ve seen great engagement from our fans over the past few months and look forward to bringing more exciting moments to moomoo investors and Mets fans.”

For every Mets win, $10,000 will be added to a special fund, culminating in a potential $1 million grand prize for one lucky moomoo investor if the team reaches 100 regular season victories*. In addition to organizing special events, moomoo offers various giveaways. These include 500 free game tickets on “moomoo Mondays” throughout the season for moomoo users** and the opportunity to score exclusive Mets x moomoo merch.

*Terms and conditions apply (https://terms.easypromosapp.com/t/68294).

** Limited to Moomoo Financial Inc customers residing in tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT, and PA). Terms and conditions apply (https://www.moomoo.com/us/support/topic4_591?_ftsdk=1747041092307575 ).

About moomoo

Moomoo is a leading global investment and trading platform dedicated to empowering investors with user-friendly tools, data, and insights. Our platform is designed to provide essential information and technology, enabling users to make more-informed investment decisions. With advanced charting tools, pro-level analytical features, moomoo evolves alongside our users, fostering a dynamic community where investors can share, learn, and grow together.

Founded in the US, moomoo operates globally, serving investors in countries such as the US, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Canada and Malaysia. As a subsidiary of a Nasdaq-listed Futu Holdings (FUTU), we take pride in our role as a global strategic partner of the Nasdaq, earning numerous international accolades from renowned industry leaders such as Benzinga and Fintech Breakthrough. Moomoo has also received multiple awards in the US, Singapore, and Australia for its innovative, inclusive approach to investing.

Contact:

For more information, please visit moomoo’s official website at www.moomoo.com or contact us at pr@moomoo.com

For the New York Mets questions, please contact:

Katie Agostin
Manager, Communications
New York Mets
kagostin@nymets.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b0159404-1710-4d0e-a6f8-ed195a0a3723

The MIL Network –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI: CentralReach Adds Workforce Management System Viventium to Preferred Partnership Network
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Fort Lauderdale, FL, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CentralReach, a leading provider of Autism and IDD Care software for ABA, multidisciplinary, and special education, today announced a new preferred partnership with Viventium, an industry-leading payroll, HR, and compliance platform purpose-built for healthcare. Through this partnership, Viventium officially enters the CentralReach Preferred Partner Network as a trusted ally in workforce management with a system designed for applied behavior analysis (ABA) and multidisciplinary therapy providers. The collaboration furthers CentralReach’s commitment to equipping autism and IDD care providers with a full array of tools and resources designed to streamline operations.

By combining CentralReach’s industry-leading expertise and specialized solutions for autism and IDD care with Viventium’s cloud-based platform and comprehensive HR tools, the new partnership will streamline workflows for CentralReach customers and provide critical insights to effectively support and manage their teams, including:
- Automated Payroll & HR – Eliminate manual data entry with seamless workflows for payroll, benefits, and HR that boost speed and accuracy while cutting down admin time.
- Retention-Focused Onboarding – Convert new hires into long-term team members through structured, engaging experiences that build connections and confidence from day one.
- Trusted Compliance Tools – Ensure continuous audit readiness with built-in ACA compliance support, multi-state payroll tools, license management, and real-time exclusion monitoring.
- Real-Time Workforce Intelligence – Make data-driven decisions using dashboards and actionable analytics that provide complete visibility into labor costs, productivity, and compliance risks.
“We’re thrilled to bring Viventium’s purpose-built payroll and HR software suite to CentralReach customers,” said Navin Gupta, CEO of Viventium. “This partnership will streamline operations for ABA and multidisciplinary therapy providers, eliminating manual entry, reducing payroll errors, and supporting staff retention. With automated tracking of certifications and licenses, plus features like multi-state compliance and exclusion monitoring, customers can confidently manage their workforce and stay audit ready.”

Viventium’s platform will be integrated with CentralReach’s suite of solutions for practices, which includes CR Care360, an advanced, AI-powered care management platform providing ABA care teams with role-specific, AI applications tailored to every member across care delivery. This integration will enable customers to boost efficiency, minimize compliance risk, and free up time to focus on what matters most: supporting staff and delivering compassionate care. Together, these solutions are transforming AI-facilitated care delivery and practice management while enhancing the overall care experience.

CentralReach COO, Clark Convery added, “Partnering with Viventium will further enhance our comprehensive suite of solutions for customers in every aspect of their business, allowing them to put time back into providing valuable care for individuals with autism and related IDDs. Ensuring smooth practice operations is essential for delivering high-quality care within the ABA industry. We’re proud to provide CentralReach customers with efficient market-leading platforms and solutions that relieve administrative burdens and drive efficiency across every role within their organizations.”

To learn more, visit the Viventium partner page.

About CentralReach

CentralReach is a leading provider of autism and IDD care software, providing a complete, end-to-end software and services platform that helps children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) – and those who serve them – unlock potential, achieve better outcomes, and live more independent lives. With its roots in Applied Behavior Analysis, the company is revolutionizing how the lifelong journey of autism and IDD care is enabled at home, school, and work with powerful and intuitive solutions purpose-built for each care setting.

Trusted by more than 200,000 professionals globally, CentralReach is committed to ongoing product advancement, market-leading industry expertise, world-class client satisfaction, and support of the autism and IDD community to propel autism and IDD care into a new era of excellence. For more information, please visit CentralReach.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Viventium

Viventium is healthcare’s trusted ally for payroll, HR, and compliance, combining innovative solutions with deep expertise in the healthcare industry. Its purpose-built cloud-based platform is designed to tackle the complexity and compliance challenges healthcare providers face, simplifying the workday, every day. Viventium helps organizations hire and retain care staff, improve the employee experience, and drive measurable value. Serving clients in all 50 states and supporting over 500,000 healthcare employees, Viventium enables organizations to focus on what matters most: providing compassionate care. It’s a new day, with Viventium.

For more information, visit viventium.com.

The MIL Network –
July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Comparing ICE to the Gestapo reveals people’s fears for the US – a Holocaust scholar explains why Nazi analogies remain common, yet risky

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Daniel H. Magilow, Professor of German, University of Tennessee

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers gather for a briefing before an enforcement operation on Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Md. Associated Press

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently sparked controversy by comparing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Nazi Germany’s notorious secret police, the Gestapo.

“Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets,” Walz said during a May 2025 speech at the University of Minnesota Law School’s commencement ceremony.

“They’re in unmarked vans, wearing masks, being shipped off to foreign torture dungeons, no chance to mount a defense, not even a chance to kiss a loved one goodbye, just grabbed up by masked agents, shoved into those vans, and disappeared,” Walz added.

ICE, tasked with enforcing immigration policies, has dramatically increased the number of nationwide arrests of immigrants since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025. ICE’s arrests of immigrants have more than doubled in 38 states since then.

In recent months, other Democratic politicians, including U.S Rep. Dan Goldman of New York, have also compared ICE to the Gestapo, or Adolf Hitler’s “secret police,” as Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts said in April.

But do ICE’s tactics actually resemble those of the Gestapo?

Because I am a scholar of modern Germany and the Holocaust, people regularly ask me if this analogy is accurate. The answer is complicated.

The Gestapo arrests a group of Jewish men hiding in a cellar in Poland in 1939, in what was possibly a staged German propaganda photo.
Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Understanding the Gestapo

The Nazi regime established the Gestapo, short for the German phrase Geheime Staatspolizei, meaning secret state police, soon after Hitler became chancellor of Germany in January 1933. Among other responsibilities, the Gestapo was tasked with investigating political crimes and monitoring opposition activity. It later enforced racial laws in Germany and across occupied Europe.

As part of its daily work, the Gestapo identified and monitored the regime’s political enemies. It arrested, interrogated, detained and tortured suspects and sent others to concentration camps. To identify suspects, it often relied on anonymous denunciations that came not only from zealous Nazis, but also from disgruntled neighbors or business competitors who tipped off the Gestapo to Jews and other people.

While the Gestapo was relatively small in terms of personnel, it projected an image of being, as one scholar wrote, “omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.”

It enforced the regime’s will and suppressed dissent not through sheer manpower but by creating a pervasive sense of fear. This aura of menace and terror has long outlived the Nazi regime itself.

ICE’s operations

ICE, with around 21,000 officers and staff operating in a country of more than 340 million, is smaller both in absolute terms and on a per capita basis. At its height between 1943 and 1945, the Gestapo had between 40,000 and 50,000 personnel in a country of 79 million.

ICE is set to expand its work in the next few years with an additional US$75 billion in funding that Congress appropriated in July as part of Trump’s tax and spending bill.

And while ICE focuses on immigration, the Gestapo had a more expansive role. It was responsible for suppressing all forms of political dissent, not just violations of immigration law.

ICE operates with vastly more advanced technologies that did not exist in the 1940s, including facial recognition and social media monitoring.

There is technically more transparency around ICE’s work than the Gestapo’s, since ICE is a federal agency that is subject to its work and information being reviewed by politicians and the public alike. But in June 2020, the first Trump administration reclassified ICE, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, as a “security/sensitive agency.” This designation makes it harder for people to request and receive information about ICE’s work through Freedom of Information Act records requests.

Like the Gestapo, ICE can seem performative in its work, like when it carried out a dramatic July raid of a cannabis farm in California in which balaclava-wearing officers used tear gas against protesters.

The Gestapo in today’s world

Since World War II and the fall of the Nazi regime, the term Gestapo has become shorthand in the United States to describe police repression.

Using the word Gestapo to describe the worst possible authoritarian oppression has been popularized in popular movies in everything from the 1943 film “Casablanca” and “The Black Gestapo” in 1975 to “Inglourious Basterds” in 2009 and “Jojo Rabbit” in 2019.

Walz’s remarks in May, though provocative, were also far from isolated in politics. Politicians from both sides of the aisle, as well as political observers, regularly use Gestapo and Nazi metaphors to attack their opponents.

In 2022, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia famously confused the term Gestapo with gazpacho soup in a gaffe that went viral. “Now we have Nancy Pelosi’s gazpacho police spying on members of Congress,” she said.

In 2024, Trump accused President Joe Biden of running a “Gestapo administration” as the Justice Department prosecuted Trump for attempting to overturn the 2020 election.

Overall, mentions of the word Gestapo in social media increased by 184% between 2017 and 2024, according to the nonprofit group Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is among the organizations that have condemned making comparisons to the Holocaust and the Nazis for many reasons, including their historical inaccuracy and because they are insulting to people whose families remain scarred by the Holocaust.

A Paraguayan woman whose relative was detained by ICE agents scuffles with officers in the halls of an immigration court in New York City on July 16, 2025.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

What historical comparisons really say

Analogies can be useful for clarifying complex ideas. But especially when they stretch across decades and vastly different political contexts, they risk oversimplifying and trivializing history.

I believe that comparing ICE to the Gestapo is less a historical judgment than a reflection of modern anxiety – a fear that the U.S. is veering toward authoritarianism reminiscent of 1930s Germany.

If politicians and other public figures are looking for historical comparisons to modern law enforcement agencies that use severe tactics, there is, unfortunately, no shortage of options: the Soviet Union’s secret police agencies NKVD and KGB, Iran’s former secret police and intelligence agency SAVAK or East Germany’s Stasi, to name just a few.
All of those organizations denied suspects due process and grossly violated human rights in order to protect political regimes – but they don’t necessarily easily compare to ICE, either.

Still, politicians and political observers alike most often turn to the Gestapo and other Nazi references instead.

Ultimately, the Gestapo, Nazi Germany and the Holocaust serve as a powerful, shared cultural reference point. The catastrophes of World War II epitomize the worst possible outcomes of evil left unchecked.

They have become the master moral paradigm and an ethical compass for the world today. In an age of polarization, World War II and the Holocaust remain the mirror in which Americans examine their present.

Daniel H. Magilow received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (although DOGE cancelled the grant in April 2025).

He serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, the journal of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies

– ref. Comparing ICE to the Gestapo reveals people’s fears for the US – a Holocaust scholar explains why Nazi analogies remain common, yet risky – https://theconversation.com/comparing-ice-to-the-gestapo-reveals-peoples-fears-for-the-us-a-holocaust-scholar-explains-why-nazi-analogies-remain-common-yet-risky-260767

MIL OSI –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Three types of drought – and why there’s no such thing as a global water crisis

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Filippo Menga, Visiting Research Fellow, Professor of Geography, University of Reading

Lithium fields in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Freedom_wanted/Shutterstock

Hosepipe bans have been announced in parts of England this summer. Following the driest spring in over a century, the Environment Agency has issued a medium drought risk warning, and Yorkshire Water will introduce restrictions starting Friday, 11 July. It’s a familiar story: reduced rainfall, shrinking reservoirs and renewed calls for restraint: take shorter showers, avoid watering the lawn, turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.

These appeals to personal responsibility reflect a broader way of thinking about water: that everyone, everywhere, is facing the same crisis, and that small individual actions are a meaningful response. But what if this narrative, familiar as it is, obscures more than it reveals?

In my new book, Thirst: The global quest to solve the water crisis, I argue that the phrase “global water crisis” may do more harm than good. It simplifies a complex global reality, collapsing vastly different situations into one seemingly shared emergency. While it evokes urgency, it conceals the very things that matter: the causes, politics and power dynamics that determine who gets water and who doesn’t.

What we call a single crisis is, in fact, many distinct ones. To see this clearly, we must move beyond the rhetoric of global scarcity and look closely at how drought plays out in different places. Consider the UK, the Horn of Africa, and Chile: three regions facing water stress in radically different ways.

UK: a crisis of infrastructure

Drought in the UK is rarely the result of absolute water scarcity. The country receives relatively consistent rainfall throughout the year. Even when droughts occur, the underlying issue is how water is managed, distributed and maintained.

Roughly a fifth of treated water is lost through leaking pipes, some of them over a century old. At the same time, privatised water companies have come under growing scrutiny for failing to invest in infrastructure while paying billions in dividends to shareholders. So calls for households to use less water often strike a dissonant note.

The UK’s droughts are not just the product of climate variability. They are also shaped by policy decisions, regulatory failures and eroding public trust. Temporary scarcity becomes a recurring crisis due to the structures meant to manage it.

Horn of Africa: survival and structural vulnerability

In the Horn of Africa, drought is catastrophic. Since 2020, the region has endured five consecutive failed rainy seasons – the worst in four decades. More than 30 million people across Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya face food insecurity. Livelihoods have collapsed and millions of people have been displaced.

Climate change is a driver, but so is politics. Armed conflict, weak governance and decades of underinvestment have left communities dangerously exposed. These vulnerabilities are rooted in longer histories of colonial exploitation and, more recently, the privatisation of essential services.

Adaptation refers to how communities try to cope with changing climate conditions using the resources they have. Local efforts to adapt to drought (such as digging new wells, planting drought-resistant crop or rationing limited supplies) are often informal or underfunded.

When prolonged droughts strike in places already facing poverty, conflict or weak governance, these coping strategies are rarely enough. Framing climate-induced drought as just another chapter in a global water crisis erases the specific conditions that make it so deadly.

Drought in Africa can be catastrophic.
Dieter Telemans/Panos Pictures, CC BY-NC-ND

Chile: extraction and exclusion

Chile’s water crisis is often linked to drought. But the underlying issue is extraction. The country holds over half of the world’s lithium reserves, a metal critical to electric vehicles and energy storage.

Lithium is mined through an intensely water-consuming process in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, often on Indigenous land. Communities have seen water tables drop and wetlands disappear while receiving little benefit.

Chile’s water laws, introduced under the Pinochet regime, allow private companies to hold long-term rights regardless of environmental or social cost. Here, water scarcity is driven less by rainfall and more by law, ownership and global demand for renewable technologies. Framing Chile’s situation as just another example of a global water crisis overlooks the deeper political and economic forces that shape how water is managed – and who gets to benefit from it.

No single crisis, no single solution

While drought is intensifying, its causes and consequences vary. In the UK, it’s about infrastructure and governance. In the Horn of Africa, it’s about historical injustice and systemic neglect. In Chile, it’s about legal frameworks and resource extraction.

Labelling this simply as a global water crisis oversimplifies the issue and steers attention away from the root causes. It promotes technical solutions while ignoring the political questions of who has access to water and who controls it.

This approach often favours private companies and international organisations, sidelining local communities and institutions. Instead of holding power to account, it risks shifting responsibility without making meaningful changes to how power and resources are shared.

In Thirst, I argue that the crisis of water is a cultural and political one. Who controls water, who profits from it, who bears the cost of its depletion: these are the defining questions of our time. And they cannot be answered with generalities. We don’t need one big solution. We need many small, just ones.

This article features a reference to a book that has been included for editorial reasons. If you click on one of the links to bookshop.org and go on to buy something, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

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

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Filippo Menga 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. Three types of drought – and why there’s no such thing as a global water crisis – https://theconversation.com/three-types-of-drought-and-why-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-global-water-crisis-260723

MIL OSI –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Amid fragile ceasefire, violence in southern Syria brings Druze communities’ complex cross-border ties to the fore

Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

Druze from Syria hug relatives from the Israeli Druze community before crossing the border in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on July 17, 2025. AP Photo/Leo Correa

A fragile ceasefire was put in place in southern Syria on July 19, 2025, after days of violence between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes that drew in government forces and prompted Israeli strikes on the capital, Damascus, as a warning to pull back from Druze areas. The United States helped broker the latest agreement, fearing a spillover of violence to other parts of Syria.

The conflict’s quick escalation brings to the fore multiple layers of politics and identity in the region – particularly among the Druze, who form an important minority in several countries and make up about 2% of Israel’s population. As a historian of the Middle East, I have researched Druze cross-border communal ties and followed closely their predicaments since the start of the Syrian civil war in March 2011.

Bedouin fighters deploy in Mazraa village on the outskirts of Sweida, as smoke rises from clashes with Druze militias, on July 18, 2025.
AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed

Cross-border brotherhood

The Druze are a monotheistic religious community that split from a branch of Shiite Islam in the 11th century. Today, they live mainly in three countries: Lebanon, Syria and Israel, with a small presence in northern Jordan.

Despite their geographical dispersion, they have managed to retain a strong sense of communal identity. One of the most important creeds of their faith is “protection of brothers of the faith.”

Another article of faith that helps to buttress shared communal solidarity is belief in reincarnation: that with physical death, the soul is transferred to the body of a newly born Druze.

Although Druze history shows that the community is not always united, the belief in and practice of cross-border solidarity is very strong. According to their popular saying, “the Druze are like a copper tray. Wherever you hit it, the whole tray reverberates.”

National identity

After World War I, the creation of the modern states in the Middle East divided the Druze community between Syria, Lebanon and the British mandate of Palestine, which is now Israel.

A young member of the Druze community in the Golan Heights waves to Syrian Druze clerics while they cross the border back to Syria on March 15, 2025.
AP Photo/Leo Correa

In Israel, they have largely integrated into the Jewish state. Like Jewish citizens, Druze men are required to serve in the military, and many have attained leadership positions in the security sector and politics.

A popular cliché has developed about their “blood oath” with the Jewish state. In a July 15 statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz cited Israel’s “deep covenant of blood with our Druze citizens” and their connections to Druze in Syria.

Their integration has been marred by discrimination, a prime example of which is the 2018 law that defines Israel as the nation-state for Jews. Still, many retain a strong sense of Israeli identity that sets them apart from Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel.

An additional Druze community lives in the Golan Heights, territory that Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and has occupied since. Most Druze there declined to receive Israeli citizenship, and remained loyal to Syria until the outbreak of the civil war there. Since then, there has been a notable change in their relationship with Israel, marked by increased numbers who have acquired Israeli citizenship.

Druze communities elsewhere in the region have also adopted aspects of their countries’ culture, including Arab nationalism and Syrian or Lebanese national sentiments. Still, cross-border solidarity among Druze has remained strong – and often resurfaced in times of crisis.

War in Syria

When the Syrian civil war erupted in March 2011, Syrian Druze were targeted at times by both the Assad regime, which pressured them to support it, and by Islamist rebel groups that regarded them as infidels. The Druze straddled a fine line throughout the war, seeking, not always successfully, to be left on their own.

In 2015, that tension came to a boiling point. Druze regions throughout Syria became sites of military confrontations, involving Druze militias, the Syrian army and opposition fighters.

Israeli Druze organized mass rallies in support of their brothers in Syria and called on the Israeli government to intervene. Israel, in turn, protected Syrian Druze villages close to its border with Syria in the Golan Heights. The Israeli government covertly supported Druze areas deeper in Syria, and sent clear messages to combatants on all sides not to harm the Druze.

Since the fall of the Assad regime in Damascus in December 2024, Ahmad al-Sharaa, the new Syrian leader, has attempted to bring divided and ruined Syria together under his authority.

However, religious and ethnic minorities have been highly suspicious of the new government. Many of its members hail from al-Sharaa’s own militia during the civil war, Hayat Tahrir al Sham, which targeted religious minorities and enforced its own interpretation of Islam on the population under its control.

Spiraling crisis

The most recent violence took place in Mount Druze, a region in Sweida province that is home to most of the community in Syria. It was sparked by an incident where a local Bedouin band robbed and killed a Druze man. The incident quickly became a catalyst for major fighting between Druze, Bedouins and dispatched units of the Syrian army.

Syrian government forces in Mazraa village, on the outskirts of Sweida, pass by a dead Druze militia fighter on July 14, 2025.
AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed

State security forces tried to impose their authority, but in the process killed scores of Druze. They also violated Druze cultural norms by filming the forced shaving of Druze men’s mustaches, including respected religious men, and posting the clips on social media. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 1,100 people have been killed in the fighting.

The fragile agreement that the Sweida Druze signed with the new government in May, as part of the government’s efforts to solidify authority over the divided country, collapsed following these incidents.

Befitting the saying about the reverberation of the copper tray, Israeli Druze immediately mobilized, joined by Druze in the Golan Heights. Hundreds crossed the border to Syria. Many called on the government in Jerusalem to intervene, though others were opposed.

On July 16, the Israeli military targeted the Syrian army by striking Damascus – sending a clear threat to al-Sharaa. Israel also struck military targets in southern Syria.

Later that day, the Syrian government reached a ceasefire agreement with the Druze in Sweida, which collapsed soon after. On July 19, following more fighting and violence – and mediation by the United States, Turkey and Jordan – a new ceasefire was put in place, though new fighting has been reported.

A changing Middle East

Even before these recent incidents, Israel became a key player in post-Assad Syria by occupying areas close to their shared border. Now, Israel has deepened its involvement by defending the Druze population in the country – as many Israeli Druze had hoped it would since the start of the civil war in 2011.

Apart from supporting the Druze, Israel’s military actions are also tied to its efforts to project power amid the tectonic shifts in the Middle East since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. In Syria, it seeks to guarantee its influence on the reshaping of the country after civil war. Domestically, Netanyahu is interested in prolonging Israel’s state of emergency, as it extends the survival of his far-right and unpopular government. Syria provides him with another front to maintain this state of emergency.

For many Israeli Druze, meanwhile, this still-unfolding episode constitutes another example in their history of seeking to protect their brothers in faith. Among Druze in the Middle East, they are uniquely positioned, with many serving in the region’s most powerful military.

On July 19, Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan news, reported that 2,000 Israeli Druze, including reserve soldiers, signed a petition that said: “we are getting ready to volunteer to fight alongside our brothers in Sweida. It is our time to defend our brothers, our land and our religion.”

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

– ref. Amid fragile ceasefire, violence in southern Syria brings Druze communities’ complex cross-border ties to the fore – https://theconversation.com/amid-fragile-ceasefire-violence-in-southern-syria-brings-druze-communities-complex-cross-border-ties-to-the-fore-261337

MIL OSI –

July 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Dogs are helping people regulate stress even more than expected, research shows

Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Kevin Morris, Research Professor of Social Work, University of Denver

Studies show that dogs help humans cope with stress. marcoventuriniautieri/E+ via Getty Immages

In a 2022 survey of 3,000 U.S. adults, more than one-third of respondents reported that on most days, they feel “completely overwhelmed” by stress. At the same time, a growing body of research is documenting the negative health consequences of higher stress levels, which include increased rates of cancer, heart disease, autoimmune conditions and even dementia.

Assuming people’s daily lives are unlikely to get less stressful anytime soon, simple and effective ways to mitigate these effects are needed.

This is where dogs can help.

As researchers at the University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection, we study the effects animal companions have on their humans.

Dozens of studies over the last 40 years have confirmed that pet dogs help humans feel more relaxed. This would explain the growing phenomenon of people relying on emotional support dogs to assist them in navigating everyday life. Dog owners have also been shown to have a 24% lower risk of death and a four times greater chance of surviving for at least a year after a heart attack.

Now, a new study that we conducted with a team of colleagues suggests that dogs might have a deeper and more biologically complex effect on humans than scientists previously believed. And this complexity may have profound implications for human health.

How stress works

The human response to stress is a finely tuned and coordinated set of various physiological pathways. Previous studies of the effects of dogs on human stress focused on just one pathway at a time. For our study, we zoomed out a bit and measured multiple biological indicators of the body’s state, or biomarkers, from both of the body’s major stress pathways. This allowed us to get a more complete picture of how a dog’s presence affects stress in the human body.

The stress pathways we measured are the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, or HPA, axis and the sympathoadrenal medullary, or SAM, axis.

When a person experiences a stressful event, the SAM axis acts quickly, triggering a “fight or flight” response that includes a surge of adrenaline, leading to a burst of energy that helps us meet threats. This response can be measured through an enzyme called alpha-amylase.

At the same time, but a little more slowly, the HPA axis activates the adrenal glands to produce the hormone cortisol. This can help a person meet threats that might last for hours or even days. If everything goes well, when the danger ends, both axes settle down, and the body goes back to its calm state.

While stress can be an uncomfortable feeling, it has been important to human survival. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had to respond effectively to acute stress events like an animal attack. In such instances, over-responding could be as ineffective as under-responding. Staying in an optimal stress response zone maximized humans’ chances of survival.

Dogs can be more helpful than human friends in coping with stressful situations.
FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images

More to the story

After cortisol is released by the adrenal glands, it eventually makes its way into your saliva, making it an easily accessible biomarker to track responses. Because of this, most research on dogs and stress has focused on salivary cortisol alone.

For example, several studies have found that people exposed to a stressful situation have a lower cortisol response if they’re with a dog than if they’re alone – even lower than if they’re with a friend.

While these studies have shown that having a dog nearby can lower cortisol levels during a stressful event, suggesting the person is calmer, we suspected that was just part of the story.

What our study measured

For our study, we recruited about 40 dog owners to participate in a 15-minute gold standard laboratory stress test. This involves public speaking and oral math in front of a panel of expressionless people posing as behavioral specialists.

The participants were randomly assigned to bring their dogs to the lab with them or to leave their dogs at home. We measured cortisol in blood samples taken before, immediately after and about 45 minutes following the test as a biomarker of HPA axis activity. And unlike previous studies, we also measured the enzyme alpha-amylase in the same blood samples as a biomarker of the SAM axis.

As expected based on previous studies, the people who had their dog with them showed lower cortisol spikes. But we also found that people with their dog experienced a clear spike of alpha-amylase, while those without their dog showed almost no response.

No response may sound like a good thing, but in fact, a flat alpha-amylase response can be a sign of a dysregulated response to stress, often seen in people experiencing high stress responses, chronic stress or even PTSD. This lack of response is caused by chronic or overwhelming stress that can change how our nervous system responds to stressors.

In contrast, the participants with their dogs had a more balanced response: Their cortisol didn’t spike too high, but their alpha-amylase still activated. This shows that they were alert and engaged throughout the test, then able to return to normal within 45 minutes. That’s the sweet spot for handling stress effectively. Our research suggests that our canine companions keep us in a healthy zone of stress response.

Having a dog benefits humans’ physical and psychological health.

Dogs and human health

This more nuanced understanding of the biological effects of dogs on the human stress response opens up exciting possibilities. Based on the results of our study, our team has begun a new study using thousands of biomarkers to delve deeper into the biology of how psychiatric service dogs reduce PTSD in military veterans.

But one thing is already clear: Dogs aren’t just good company. They might just be one of the most accessible and effective tools for staying healthy in a stressful world.

Kevin Morris receives funding for this research from the Morris Animal Foundation, the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute, and the University of Denver.

Jaci Gandenberger receives funding from the University of Denver to support this research.

– ref. Dogs are helping people regulate stress even more than expected, research shows – https://theconversation.com/dogs-are-helping-people-regulate-stress-even-more-than-expected-research-shows-254563

MIL OSI –

July 22, 2025