NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI: Earn $8,500 a day, BJMining sets off a new trend of cloud mining

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, UK, July 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Bitcoin stabilizes at $100,000, mainstream crypto assets are experiencing a collective explosion. In the volatile market, more and more investors no longer rely on high-risk short-term transactions, but choose to accumulate assets in a stable way. As the world’s leading legal and compliant cloud mining platform, BJMining is helping users achieve the goal of “earning $8500 a day” with its intelligent computing power and green energy technology.

    What is BJMining?

    One-stop cloud mining service provider, a passive income tool for everyone

    Founded in 2015, BJMining is a long-established cloud mining platform headquartered in the UK, dedicated to making it easy for every user to participate in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Users do not need to buy mining machines or build servers, they only need to register and purchase contracts to enjoy stable daily mining income.。

    The platform has more than 60 green mines around the world and has deployed more than 1.2 million professional mining machines. It operates around the clock, and all profits are settled transparently without any middleman commissions. It is a truly “zero-threshold participation” crypto wealth channel.

    Why choose BJMining?

    Seven advantages to build a trust foundation for the crypto world

    • New users will receive a $15 bonus upon registration, allowing them to experience cloud mining at zero cost;
    • No mining machines or maintenance required, the contract can be started with one click and the income can be settled daily;
    • AI intelligent scheduling + green energy, computing power online rate 99.9%, zero carbon footprint of electricity consumption;
    • McAfee® + Cloudflare® dual security protection, platform assets are insured by AIG;
    • 0 management fees + 0 hidden fees, the revenue chain is traceable, transparent and clear
    • Supports multi-currency withdrawals, including BTC, USDT, DOGE, ETH, XRP, etc., to wallets within seconds;
    • Invitation rebate mechanism: 3% for direct referrals and 2% for indirect referrals, with no upper limit on earnings.

    Diversified contracts to meet different investment needs:

    From entry-level experience to professional deployment, flexible contracts are at your fingertips

    BJMining currently has several hot-selling contracts online. Whether you are a novice investor or an advanced player pursuing high returns, you can find a suitable configuration:

    • WhatsMiner M50S+: Invest $100 for 2 days, total net profit will be $106;
    • WhatsMiner M60S++: Invest $600 for 7 days, total net profit will be $652.50;
    • Avalon Miner A1566: Invest $1,200 for 15 days, total net profit will be $1,434;
    • WhatsMiner M66S+: Invest $5,800 for 30 days, total net profit will be $8,410;
    • Antminer L7: Invest $12,000 for 40 days, total net profit will be $20,160;
    • Antminer S21e XP Hyd：Invest $27000 for 45 days, total net profit is $48870;

    All contracts are intelligently allocated computing power by the AI ​​system, purchase takes effect immediately, daily profit settlement is automatic, and funds can be withdrawn within seconds.
    What is the user feedback?

    • Word-of-mouth driven growth, real benefits verified by 5 million users
    • BJMining currently serves more than 180 countries and regions around the world, with more than 5 million registered users. Data shows that the platform’s average customer satisfaction rate is 92%, and the rating on third-party platforms such as Trustpilot is stable at more than 4.8 stars.。
    • A user from the United States said: “I used XRP to participate in the BJMining contract, earning nearly $6,000 a day, which truly realized the passive appreciation of assets, which is much easier than speculating in cryptocurrencies.”
    • Conclusion: Stability is the best strategy to survive bull and bear markets
    • In this era full of uncertainty, it is better to actively allocate assets than to passively wait for the market. BJMining allows ordinary investors to easily participate in the crypto ecosystem, and it is no longer a dream to make thousands of dollars a day. Instead of frequently watching the market and worrying, it is better to let the computing power “work” for you and steadily get your own income in the bull market.
    • Visit the official website now https://bjmining.com or send an email to info@bjmining.com to receive a $15 trial bonus and take the first step in your smart mining.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LANDEURO 2025: Transforming with Allies for the Future Fight

    Source: United States Army

    The upcoming inaugural LANDEURO conference, set for July 16-17 at the Rhein Main Congress Centre in Wiesbaden, Germany, will be a forum to address the future of global security. The conference features keynote speeches from distinguished leaders, such as: Radmila Šekerinska, NATO Deputy Secretary General; Gen. Christopher Donahue, Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe and Africa; and Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation. The event will gather international defense leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to discuss critical security challenges and innovations. Eight panels and seven Warrior’s Corners will provide military, academic, and industry viewpoints on the challenges confronting America and its allies and partners.

    “We are re-establishing deterrence to counter Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine through transformation and innovation, with U.S. Army Europe and Africa serving as a crucial proving ground for future warfighting lethality,” said Donahue. “Simultaneously, we are empowering our allies to invest further in their own defense capabilities, bolstering collective security, and forging a more robust partnership.”

    In the panel titled “World War Next: The Interconnected Global Threat,” moderated by Heino Klinck from Klinck Global, experts including Vice Admiral Dianne Turton from Australia and Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki from Finland will discuss the multifaceted threats facing the U.S., NATO, and Indo-Pacific allies. The panel will examine the interconnectedness of the European and Indo-Pacific theaters, and how threats from one can bleed into the other.

    “Magazine Depth Wins Wars: The Future of NATO’s Arsenal” is another pivotal session moderated by Melanie M. Marlowe from CSIS. This panel, featuring retired General Ed Daly and Major General Bo Dyess, will explore enhancing NATO’s production capabilities to improve ammunition supply, interoperability, and responsiveness. Discussions will center around practical solutions for increasing global defense preparedness in a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.

    Highlighting recent military adaptations, the panel “Ukrainian Lessons in Rapid Adaptation” will examine how Ukraine’s efficient feedback loops, responsive production, and system upgrades offer valuable insights for multinational defense cooperation. Moderated by Dr. John Nagl, panelists including Lieutenant General Curtis Buzzard, commanding general of Security Assistance Group – Ukraine, will discuss some of the many lessons being learned from the war in Ukraine.

    “Defending the Skies: Today’s Capabilities, Tomorrow’s Edge,” moderated by Louis Bergeron from Govini, will address air defense modernization. Brigadier General Curtis King of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command and other experts will analyze current challenges in air and missile defense, emphasizing future interoperability and innovation strategies necessary to counter sophisticated, multi-layered threats.

    “Breaking the Kill Chain: Multi-Domain Operations Against A2AD,” featuring insights from Brigadier General Steven Carpenter, commanding general of 56th Artillery Command, will delve into integrated operations combining joint fires and effects, cyber capabilities, and electronic warfare. Moderated by Dr. JP Clark, this panel aims to identify effective strategies to neutralize enemy defenses rapidly during critical early phases of conflict.

    “Ukrainian Innovation at the Speed of Relevance,” led by Francis Dearnley of the Telegraph, will highlight cutting-edge developments in unmanned and cost-effective defense platforms. Panelists such as Ray Fitzgerald from Sierra Nevada Company will discuss leveraging transatlantic industrial capabilities to ensure military readiness and adaptability.

    The session “FMS at the Speed of War: Reforming Foreign Military Sales for Global Readiness” moderated by retired Major General Peter Fuller, will analyze improvements to U.S. and European foreign military sales processes. The panel seeks to identify reforms necessary for accelerating equipment deliveries and enhancing the preparedness of NATO Allies and partner nations.

    Lastly, “Updating the Arsenal of Democracy: Co-Production with Allies,” moderated by Heidi Grant, will explore collaborative production opportunities between the U.S., NATO, and partner nations. This session emphasizes the importance of joint manufacturing initiatives for critical defense systems, promoting sustainable global security through shared innovation and resources.

    LANDEURO 2025 will provide a crucial forum to discuss and align global defense strategies, emphasizing cooperation, innovation, and readiness to effectively respond to complex international threats. To learn more information and how to attend LANDEURO, click here. For LANDEURO coverage and livestreams , click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson announces prison sentence for York Co. man who solicited teen, hurt two people in a car wreck when he fled policeRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that, on July 9, Hunter Thomas Wallace pleaded guilty to one count of Criminal Solicitation of a Minor and two counts of Failure to Stop for Blue Lights with Great Bodily Injury, before the Honorable Perry H. Gravely in York County.

    In May of 2023, the York County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and other law enforcement officers throughout South Carolina, conducted a proactive undercover investigation to combat the online solicitation of minors in York County. A person, later identified as Wallace, contacted an undercover officer who had created an online persona of a 14-year-old female. After the undercover officer informed Wallace that he was speaking to a 14-year-old, Wallace proceeded to solicit sexual activity from and send nude images to the persona. Wallace, after requesting to meet in person to engage in sexual activity, traveled to a predetermined location in York County. After arriving at the location, Wallace drove away without having exited his vehicle. Law enforcement was able to locate the vehicle in a nearby parking lot. When blue lights were activated to initiate a stop, Wallace fled. Shortly thereafter, Wallace ran a red light and struck another vehicle. Two people in the vehicle suffered life-threatening injuries because of the collision.

    Judge Gravely sentenced Wallace to seven years for the Criminal Solicitation of a Minor charge, with credit for 776 days of jail time he’s already served. He was also given a consecutive sentence of 10 years suspended to three years of probation for the charges of Failure to Stop for Blue Lights with Great Bodily Injury. He must register as a sex offender upon release, and his driver’s license will be suspended for three years following the completion of his sentence.

    Assistant Attorney General Anna Sharpe prosecuted the case for the state.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Helps Advance President Trump’s Nominees, Focuses on Nebraska Agriculture and Indo-Pacific Partners

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, while chairing a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) discussed the role of Americans serving their country through government and the threat of foreign adversaries.  Ricketts highlighted the Committee’s record pace in advancing 43 of President Trump’s nominees to the Senate floor.

    “It’s vital for our foreign policy that we have confirmed ambassadors in positions of importance,” said Ricketts.  “This is something I’ve heard consistently as I visit with partners and allies around the world…  Disappointingly, though, many of these nominees aren’t yet confirmed.  This hurts our ability to advance our interests at a time when we are competing for influence with adversaries like Communist China.  We cannot afford to let partisanship get in the way of what’s best for our country.”

    Ricketts spoke on the role of agriculture in American domestic and foreign policy.

    “Nebraska is the nation’s fifth largest agricultural exporter, with nearly $8 billion in ag exports last year, the third highest total on record,” said Ricketts.  “Simply put, when Nebraska agriculture thrives, so does my state.  Nebraska’s impact just isn’t domestic, though it’s global.  In western Nebraska, cooperatives package and ship dry edible beans used in the World Food Program humanitarian operations, delivering American grown products to save lives in some of the world’s hardest hit regions.”

    Ricketts also discussed the vital importance of partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.

    “Singapore is one of our more vital partners in the Indo-Pacific,” said Ricketts.  “On the security front, it supports rotational US military deployments that enable our patrols throughout the region and hosts thousands of American sailors, airman, and their families.  Singapore is a significant buyer and user of US defense technologies.  It’s also a hub for maritime trade and financial services, a gateway for over 6,000 American businesses operating in Asia, and a leader in emerging technologies.  Oftentimes, an American company’s first step into the Indo-Pacific is in Singapore.  I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Singapore’s Prime Minister Wong, Foreign Minister Balakrishnan, and Defense Minister Chan at the Shangri-La dialogue, and I can confirm Singapore’s desire to not only maintain our strong partnership, but to build upon it.”

    Click here to watch more.

    The hearing considered the nominations of Anjani Sinha, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore; Jeffrey Bartos, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform and as an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations; Lynda Blanchard, to be U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture; Kimberly Guilfoyle, to be Ambassador of the United States of America to Greece; and Jennifer Locetta, to be Alternate Representative of the United States of America for Special Political Affairs in and the General Assembly of the United Nations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Around the Air Force: Department Level Exercise, Aeromedical Readiness, Recruiting Exceeds Goals

    Source: United States Air Force

    Headline: Around the Air Force: Department Level Exercise, Aeromedical Readiness, Recruiting Exceeds Goals

    In this week’s look Around the Air Force, a DLE kicks off in multiple locations across the U.S. States and Indo-Pacific, a TAES exercise tests patient movement capabilities in contested environments, and the Air Force exceeds annual recruiting goals with its strongest DEP in the past decade.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Representatives Sorensen, Moran Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Weather Forecasting in Rural America

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    Congressmen Eric Sorensen (IL-17) and Nathaniel Moran (TX-01) introduced their bipartisan Rural Weather Monitoring Systems Act, which would help strengthen weather forecasting systems in rural America.

    The legislation will require a new study of the nation’s weather monitoring systems to give lawmakers a better picture of the state of our current weather forecasting abilities across the country. This bill is urgently needed amid warnings that weather forecasting at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service (NWS) have been degraded by understaffing, layoffs, and cuts at the agencies.

    “Having access to accurate and reliable weather forecasting is critically important for everyone, whether you’re a farmer trying to plant your harvest or a family determining if you need to shelter in place for a tornado,” said Congressman Sorensen. “During severe weather season, it is critical that we get an accurate picture of the state of our weather monitoring systems across the country. This bipartisan bill will help us ensure that we’re meeting the needs of my neighbors in rural communities who rely on NOAA and the NWS to get their weather forecasts.”

    “In rural communities like ours, a few minutes’ warning can mean the difference between life and death,” said Congressman Moran. “But too often, our families are left without the tools to see danger coming. Every community—no matter how small—deserves the same protection as anywhere else in America. This bill is about closing the radar gap, so no one in East Texas, or rural America, is left in the dark when it matters most.”

    Congressman Sorensen has been a fierce advocate for protecting and strengthening NOAA and the NWS from cuts. Starting last year, he has been warning about the impact of Project 2025’s plans to dismantle and privatize NOAA and the NWS. As the Department of Government Efficiency began making cuts to the agencies, Congressman Sorensen has been speaking out, introducing legislation, and calling on the Administration to bring a stop to the disastrous cuts. 
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Sorensen Votes No on Republicans’ Harmful “Big Beautiful Bill”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    Republicans’ So-Called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Rips Away Health Care and Food Assistance for Families in IL-17

    Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) issued the following statement in response to Republicans’ passing their ‘Big Billionaire Bailout,’ which gives massive tax breaks to the rich off by cutting health care and food assistance for working families.

    “Only heartless people could celebrate kicking people off their health care while taking food away from hungry people. It’s immoral and un-American,” said Congressman Sorensen. “President Trump promised he would bring down costs, but less than six months after taking office he has turned his back on them with legislation that will make their lives more expensive. I came to Congress to make life more affordable, create good paying jobs, and make Central and Northwestern Illinois sustainable for the next generation. I am thankful to be here in Washington to vote no on behalf of my neighbors in Illinois-17.”
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Sorensen Announces Over $7 Million in Federal Funding to Support Head Start Programs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) announced more than $7 million in federal funding is being awarded to support early childhood education programs in Western Illinois. The grants, provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will help children and families get the strong start they deserve through high-quality Head Start and Early Head Start services. 

    Grant recipients include:

    • Rock Island-Milan School District – $3,277,131 

    • SAL Family and Community Services – $2,157,606 

    • Project NOW, Inc. – $1,845,264 

    “Every child deserves the chance to grow, learn, and succeed,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen. “Head Start helps make that possible by giving children and families the support they need from the very beginning. I’ve visited both SAL Family and Community Services and Project NOW, and I’ve seen firsthand the incredible work they do to lift up kids in our communities. These investments will make a real difference for families across our district.” 

    “We are incredibly grateful for Congressman Sorensen’s advocacy to help secure continued federal funding of Early Head Start, both in his visit to our Milan Skip-a-Long center and through his support in Congress,” said Marcy Mendenhall, CEO of SAL Community Services. “This secured funding means there will be no disruption to the essential services for 168 SAL Community Services families across the Quad Cities. SAL’s Early Head Start goes beyond high-quality childcare – it provides necessary healthcare and family advocacy to support our families at every level.”

    “We are deeply appreciative of the support and ongoing commitment of ensuring every child has access and opportunity to quality education and services; both of which Head Start provides,” said President/CEO of Project NOW, Dr. Dwight Ford. “It takes personal responsibilities, including confronting ignorance concerning Head Start, public will to promote quality education, and public policy to ensure funding.  Head Start is a priority and not an afterthought.  Early childhood education matters and the investment will yield a lifetime of return.”

    Together, these awards total $7,279,001 in new funding for early childhood education in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District.

    Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide vital services including early education, health screenings, nutrition, and family support for low-income families. These federal dollars will help ensure that more children in the 17th District have the tools they need to thrive from day one. 
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Sorensen Tours Rock Island Arsenal with Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll to Highlight its Importance to America’s National Security

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) joined Secretary of the Army, Daniel Driscoll, and other senior military and elected leaders to tour the Rock Island Arsenal amid concerns that hundreds of jobs may be cut. During the visit, Congressman Sorensen highlighted the work of the men and women at the Arsenal who do critical jobs to safeguard our national security.

    “It was an honor to have the Army Secretary come visit the Rock Island Arsenal so early into his tenure to come see with his own eyes the amazing work the men and women at the Arsenal do to protect our national security,” said Congressman Sorensen. “The visit was another opportunity for me to share the serious concerns I have with job cuts at the Arsenal directly with Secretary. I will always fight for the people who work at the Arsenal who help power our regional economy, ensure our military’s readiness, and keep Americans safe at home and abroad.”

    During the visit, the Congressman had a chance to meet with leadership from First Army, the Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, in addition to Army Sustainment Command and Joint Munitions Command, which is being merged by Army leadership. Also participating in the visit were Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) and Lieutenant General Christopher Mohan, the acting Commander of Army Materiel Command.

    Since joining the House Armed Services Committee this Congress, Congressman Sorensen has been pushing the Army to pause it’s plans to cut hundreds of jobs at the Arsenal. In April, he joined regional leaders in sending a letter to Army leaders demanding answers and transparency around proposed jobs cuts the Arsenal. Earlier this month, he confronted Army Secretary Driscoll about jobs cuts at the Arsenal during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Over 13,000 Constituents Join Congressman Sorensen’s Virtual Town Hall

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    IL-17 Constituents Shared Their Struggles with Rising Health Care Costs and Impact of Proposed Medicaid and Medicare Cuts

    Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) hosted a virtual town hall focused on protecting access to health care, including the importance of preserving Medicaid and Medicare. More than 13,000 constituents from across Central and Northwestern Illinois joined the call to hear updates and ask questions directly.

    Throughout the event, Congressman Sorensen discussed his work in Congress to defend the Affordable Care Act, oppose cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, and lower health care costs for working families and seniors.

    One of the most powerful moments of the evening came from a caller named Donna in Canton. Donna shared that she works a seasonal job and is actively trying to secure full-time employment, while her husband is on disability. She unfortunately lost her Medicaid coverage and now she’s left with no affordable health care options.

    “Donna’s story is heartbreaking, and unfortunately, far too common,” said Congressman Sorensen. “No family should have to struggle finding affordable health care options. I’m going to work as hard as I can—not just on legislation, but one-on-one with constituents like Donna—to make sure people in our communities don’t fall through the cracks. Health care is not a privilege—it’s a right.”

    Congressman Sorensen expressed his gratitude to everyone who participated in the event and reaffirmed his commitment to keeping health care affordable and accessible for all.

    “I’m so appreciative to everyone who took the time to join the town hall,” said Sorensen. “Listening to my neighbors and hearing your stories is one of the most important parts of my job. When I hear directly from you, it helps me fight harder in Washington. Your voices guide my work, and I’ll keep showing up, listening, and making sure your needs are heard loud and clear in Congress.”

    The full telephone town hall is available here. 
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons, Foreign Relation Democrats Statement on State Department Personnel Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD),Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released a statement on announced plans by the State Department to terminate personnel.

    “As the U.S. retreats, our adversaries—like the People’s Republic of China—are expanding their diplomatic reach, making Americans less safe and less prosperous. If this administration is serious about putting ‘America first,’ it must invest in our diplomatic corps and national security experts—not erode the institutions that protect our interests, promote U.S. values and keep Americans abroad safe.?? 

    “The Administration’s decision to fire hundreds of members of the Civil Service and Foreign Service at the Department of State undermines our national security. While there are targeted reforms that our government can pursue to maximize the impact of every tax dollar, that’s not what this is. Blanket and indiscriminate cuts—the legacy from Elon Musk’s failed DOGE effort—weaken our government’s ability to deliver for the American people in a cost-effective manner. There are active conflicts and humanitarian crises in Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza, Haiti and Myanmar—to name a few. Now is the time to strengthen our diplomatic hand, not weaken it. From pursuing peaceful resolutions to out-competing China diplomatically and economically, we can’t afford to not have experienced diplomats at the table. 

    “We will continue to fight on behalf of the public servants and their families who now face job loss after careers spent advancing America’s interests and values in challenging and often high-risk environments. We call on Secretary Rubio to ensure that any proposed reorganization, including reductions in force, is carried out transparently and in full accordance with U.S. law.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Exercise Sea Breeze 25-2 Demonstrates Enhanced NATO Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Mine Countermeasures Capabilities in the UK

    Source: United States Navy

    Exercise Sea Breeze 25-2, hosted at Portland Port, United Kingdom, is underway, showcasing strengthened collaboration in explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and mine countermeasures (MCM) between NATO Allies and partners. The exercise focuses on mentorship and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) exchange, preparing a core group of nations for operations in the Black Sea region.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Around the Air Force: Department Level Exercise, Aeromedical Readiness, Recruiting Exceeds Goals

    Source: United States Spaceforce

    In this week’s look Around the Air Force, a DLE kicks off in multiple locations across the U.S. States and Indo-Pacific, a TAES exercise tests patient movement capabilities in contested environments, and the Air Force exceeds annual recruiting goals with its strongest DEP in the past decade.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA statement on action taken by delegates at 2025 Representative Assembly

    Source: US National Education Union

    WASHINGTON — Among many items debated at NEA’s 2025 Representative Assembly, delegates voted to forward a recommendation to the NEA Executive Committee that the National Education Association (NEA) not use, endorse, or publicize materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) or participate in ADL programs. As was shared with delegates at that time, a vote to support the measure would result in an automatic referral to the NEA Executive Committee for an impact study and further consideration in accordance with NEA rules on sanctions and boycotts.

    Although NEA does not have a partnership with the ADL, the NEA Executive Committee will consider the recommendation from delegates in accordance with NEA policy.   

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

    “As educators, we are committed to ensuring students of every race, religion or national origin have safe and welcoming spaces to learn and grow. The National Education Association and its members are unequivocally committed to the cause of educating, organizing against, and combating all forms of hate and discrimination, including antisemitism and anti-Palestinian bias. This is a fundamental principle we will never abandon.  

    “Antisemitism is a very real and urgent problem in this country and throughout the world. It is an insidious hate and cancer. NEA is committed to combating this hate in our classrooms, on our campuses, and in our communities. This commitment was evident at the 2025 Representative Assembly, where NEA hosted a panel about how to combat antisemitism, honored Holocaust survivor and educator Maud Dahme at our annual Human and Civil Rights Awards, and voted to honor Jewish American Heritage Month, among other meaningful events and actions.  

    “Although NEA currently does not have a partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, the NEA Executive Committee will consider the recommendation from delegates as outlined by our governing rules. As such, I will convene the NEA Executive Committee to deliberate. In fact, I already have begun outreach to inform that deliberation, by listening and engaging with a wide group of leaders in the Jewish and civil rights communities.

    “NEA believes in free speech, academic freedom, and having hard yet honest conversations that can nurture growth and understanding. There is a critical need for us, as educators, to model the type of respectful dialogue and discourse we want to see in the world, in our classrooms, and on our campuses. We will not shy away from difficult or complex issues that affect our members, our students, or our schools, nor will we ever tolerate antisemitism, anti-Palestinian bigotry, or hateful rhetoric or behavior.”

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

    # # #

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

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest on Suppression of Competition in the Marketplace of Ideas Through Deplatforming of Rival Viewpoints

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Today, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in the case of Children’s Health Defense et al. v. Washington Post et al. The lawsuit — led by plaintiffs allegedly deplatformed for sharing independent news and opinion related to the COVID-19 pandemic — alleges that the Washington Post, BBC, AP, and Reuters colluded with one another and with the large digital platforms to suppress competition from independent perspectives that rival mainstream media.  The statement of interest explains how the antitrust laws protect viewpoint competition in news markets.    

    “When companies abuse their market power to block out and deplatform independent voices and protect legacy media, they harm competition and threaten the free flow of information on which consumers depend,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This Antitrust Division will always defend the principle that the antitrust laws protect free markets, including the marketplace of ideas.”   

    The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court where doing so will help protect competition and consumers, including by encouraging the sound development of the antitrust laws. A collection of these statements of antitrust and amicus filings is publicly available on the Division’s website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Burundi eliminates trachoma as a public health problem

    Source: APO


    .

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Burundi as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, making it the eighth country in WHO’s African Region to reach this important milestone. Trachoma is also the first neglected tropical disease (NTD) to be eliminated in the country.

    “Eliminating a disease like trachoma is a major public health achievement that requires sustained effort and dedication,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I congratulate the government and the people of Burundi and commend them for their hard work and commitment. It is great to see Burundi join the growing group of countries that have eliminated at least one NTD”.

    Trachoma is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and spreads through personal contact, contaminated surfaces and by flies that have been in contact with eye or nose discharge. Repeated infections can lead to scarring, in-turning of the eyelids, and ultimately blindness. Globally, the disease remains endemic in many vulnerable communities where access to clean water and sanitation is limited.

    “This validation marks a major milestone in our commitment to health equity”, said Dr Lydwine Baradahana, Minister of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS, Burundi. “It is a collective victory made possible by nearly 20 years of national mobilization and international solidarity. I thank all the partners, community actors and institutions in Burundi and beyond who made this historic achievement possible”.

    Burundi’s progress

    Before 2007, with no reported cases or epidemiological studies, the extent of trachoma endemicity in Burundi was largely unknown. That year, the country launched an initiative to tackle NTDs, which included integrated mapping of soil-transmitted helminthiases, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and trachoma. Following the mapping, the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS conducted further investigations. Baseline surveys carried out in 2009–2010 confirmed that trachoma was endemic in parts of the country. This prompted introduction of interventions based on the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy for 2.5 million people who needed them across 12 health districts.

    Burundi’s trachoma elimination programme was supported technically and financially by CBM Christoffel Blindenmission, the END Fund, Geneva Global and WHO. The International Trachoma Initiative at the Task Force for Global Health donated azithromycin (Zithromax, Pfizer, New York NY, USA). WHO continues to support support the country’s health authorities to monitor communities in which trachoma was previously endemic to ensure there is no resurgence of the disease.

    This achievement reflects the government’s resolve to protect its most vulnerable populations. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS, and with the dedication of community health workers, support from key partners, and WHO’s technical guidance, this success was made possible” said Dr Xavier Crespin, WHO Representative in Burundi. “This win inspires us to press forward with the same determination to eliminate all remaining neglected tropical diseases.”

    Disease prevalence

    Trachoma remains a public health problem in 32 countries with an estimated 103 million people living in areas requiring interventions against the disease. Trachoma is found mainly in the poorest and most rural areas of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, the Western Pacific and the Middle East.

    The African Region is disproportionately affected by trachoma with 93 million people living in at-risk areas in April 2024, representing 90% of the global trachoma burden. Significant progress has been made in the fight against trachoma over the past few years and the number of people requiring antibiotic treatment for trachoma in the African Region fell by 96 million from 189 million in 2014 to 93 million as of April 2024, representing a 51% reduction.

    There are currently 20 countries in WHO’s African Region that are known to require intervention for trachoma elimination. These include: Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The seven countries in the region previously validated by WHO as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem are Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania and Togo. A further 4 countries in the WHO African Region (Botswana, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Senegal) claim to have achieved the prevalence targets for elimination.

    Global progress

    With today’s announcement, a total of 57 countries have now eliminated at least one NTD. Of these, 24— (including Burundi)—have successfully eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. Other countries that have reached this milestone include Benin, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Ghana, India, Iraq, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Vanuatu and Viet Nam.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM calls for joint efforts in finding right way for China, US to get along

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

    China and the United States should work together to find the right way to get along with each other in the new era, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expressed his hope that the U.S. side would view China with an objective, rational and pragmatic attitude.

    Wang made the remarks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Malaysian capital.

    Noting that the U.S. policy towards China should be based on the goal of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Wang said the United States should treat China in an equal, respectful and mutually beneficial manner. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM calls for joint efforts in finding right way for China, US to get along

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

    China and the United States should work together to find the right way to get along with each other in the new era, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expressed his hope that the U.S. side would view China with an objective, rational and pragmatic attitude.

    Wang made the remarks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Malaysian capital.

    Noting that the U.S. policy towards China should be based on the goal of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Wang said the United States should treat China in an equal, respectful and mutually beneficial manner. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Refinery closures present risk for higher gasoline prices on the West Coast

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    July 9, 2025

    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Refinery Capacity Report and Petroleum Supply Monthly
    Note: Refinery Capacity Report data are reported as of January 1 of each year, so changes in capacity that take place during a given year are represented in the newly reported total capacity number for the start of the following year.

    California is set to lose 17% of its oil refinery capacity over the next 12 months because of two planned refinery closures. If realized, the closure of the facilities is likely to contribute to increases in fuel price volatility on the West Coast.

    Phillips 66 announced plans last October to close its 139,000-barrel-per-day (b/d) Wilmington refinery in the Los Angeles area later this year. Valero submitted a notice in April to end refining operations at its 145,000-b/d Benicia refinery in the Bay Area by the end of April 2026. The refinery closures continue a trend of decreasing refinery capacity on the West Coast, following the end of petroleum refining operations at Phillips 66’s Rodeo refinery early last year and the closure of Marathon’s Martinez refinery in 2020.

    California usually has higher retail gasoline prices compared with the national average. One reason is the relative lack of logistical connectivity on the West Coast to other refinery hubs in the United States, such as the Gulf Coast. Although the Los Angeles and Benicia refineries make up less than 2% of current U.S. refining capacity, they account for 17% of California refinery capacity and 11% of West Coast (PADD 5) capacity. The supply shortfall left by their exit is therefore likely to have an outsized impact on the region because it cannot be easily filled by other refineries elsewhere in the country.

    Given the limited connectivity to other U.S refining hubs, the most likely source of replacement fuels will be imports from Asia, particularly imports of jet fuel and gasoline. California’s unique specification gasoline blendstock, known as CARBOB, can only be manufactured by properly equipped refineries. Phillips 66 is planning to produce some California-grade gasoline at its refinery in Washington, and some refineries in India and South Korea can meet these specifications. Arizona, which also has a unique gasoline blend, and Nevada receive fuel shipments from California refiners and are also likely to be affected by the reduced regional supply.

    Data for late May 2025 showed total gasoline imports (including finished gasoline and blend components) into the West Coast above 210,000 b/d, setting a record on a four-week average basis. Although these imports have since come down in June, summer imports are likely to further increase next year after the two California refineries come offline.

    Importing petroleum products presents certain risks for fuel supplies on the West Coast. Shipments of petroleum products across the Pacific Ocean will take longer to respond to market demands, meaning that unexpected shortfalls could contribute to temporary price increases or heightened volatility. Last year, the California state government instituted a new minimum inventory law, which could reduce the risk of potential shortfalls in gasoline supplies.

    In our July Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast a small increase in West Coast retail gasoline prices next year in response to the capacity closures, in contrast to price decreases elsewhere in the country. We expect lower crude oil prices, which account for around half of the price of gasoline, in 2026 to counteract some of the effect of the refinery closures on retail gasoline prices in the near term.

    Principal contributor: Kevin Hack

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. hydrocarbon production supported by export growth in long-term projections

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    July 11, 2025

    In our Annual Energy Outlook 2025 (AEO2025), we project U.S. production growth of crude oil and natural gas remains relatively high through 2030 due to increasing U.S. exports of petroleum products and liquefied natural gas (LNG), as U.S. energy exports continue to be economical for international consumers.

    AEO2025, which we released in April, only considers market and policy inputs as of December 2024 in most cases. Legislation, regulations, executive actions, and court rulings after that date are not considered in this analysis.

    Crude oil
    Crude oil production increases to about 14.0 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2027 or 2028 in most of our cases, compared with 13.2 million b/d in 2024. Near-term growth in our projections is largely due to increased production in the Permian Basin. The long-term projections differ somewhat from our Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), which forecasts U.S. crude oil production will average 13.4 million b/d in 2025 and a bit less in 2026, based on more recent market conditions. We only make forecasts through 2026 in our STEO.

    Production rises to almost 18.0 million b/d in the early 2030s in our two cases that are most supportive of growth: the High Oil Price case, which assumes a higher Brent crude oil price, and the High Oil and Gas Supply case, which assumes higher ultimate recovery per well and lower drilling costs. Production decreases throughout the projection period in our Low Oil Price case and our Low Oil and Gas Supply case.

    After 2030, crude oil production begins to decline in most of our cases as domestic petroleum demand decreases. Declining well productivity—brought about in part because production per well decreases as wells are drilled closer together—makes drilling less profitable in some regions.

    Natural gas
    Dry natural gas production increases to between 42.6 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) and 44.3 Tcf in the early 2030s in most of our cases, compared with 38.4 Tcf in 2024. In most cases, production remains relatively flat through 2050.

    In the High Oil and Gas Supply case, crude oil production contributes to more natural gas production from the associated dissolved natural gas in shale resources; the assumptions also result in higher natural gas production per well. Conversely, in the Low Oil and Gas Supply case, low crude oil production contributes to less natural gas production as associated gas production declines.

    Exports
    Oil and natural gas production volumes support increasing exports of both petroleum products and natural gas in our projections. Much of the crude oil produced in the United States is refined into petroleum products domestically and then exported.

    We project the United States will remain a net exporter of petroleum products through 2050 in all cases as expected capacity expansions at export terminals allow refineries and natural gas processors to increase exports.

    U.S. natural gas prices tend to be lower than global prices, making U.S. LNG attractive on the international market. Favorable economics for U.S.-supplied natural gas leads to LNG exports growing through 2040 in most of our cases. In the AEO2025 Reference case, LNG exports peak at 9.8 Tcf in 2040, more than double the amount exported in 2024. We made several key assumptions underpinning these projections:

    • Through 2028, all U.S. LNG export growth results from existing and under construction facilities announced as of June 2024.
    • The LNG export permitting pause issued in February 2024 is not included in the model. The pause was rescinded as of January 2025.
    • An annual maximum of 0.8 Tcf of new U.S. LNG export capacity can be built between 2030 and 2050 if it is economical to do so.

    Although the Henry Hub natural gas spot price increases after the mid-2030s, domestic LNG capacity growth is economical until around 2040, when the Henry Hub price becomes too high to support new export project builds. International demand for LNG supports U.S. natural gas production through 2050 across all cases. To continue meeting international demand, producers access less economical resources over time. As a result, the Henry Hub price rises steadily, increasing from $2.88 real 2024 dollars per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in 2025 to $4.80/MMBtu in 2050 in the Reference case. The rising production costs temper the growth in LNG exports over time.

    Principal contributors: Kathryn Dyl, Stephen York, Brittany Phalon

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Around the Air Force: Department Level Exercise, Aeromedical Readiness, Recruiting Exceeds Goals

    Source: United States Air Force

    In this week’s look Around the Air Force, a DLE kicks off in multiple locations across the U.S. States and Indo-Pacific, a Theater Aeromedical Evacuation System exercise tests patient movement capabilities in contested environments, and the Air Force exceeds annual recruiting goals with its strongest Delayed Entry Program in the past decade.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: IRS says churches may endorse political candidates despite a decades-old federal statute barring them from doing that

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame

    Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks at a church in Harlem during his failed campaign to become the Democratic nominee in the 2025 New York City mayoral race. Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Churches and other houses of worship can endorse political candidates without risking the loss of their tax-exempt status, the Internal Revenue Service said in a legal document the tax-collection agency filed on July 7, 2025. This guidance is at odds with a law Congress passed more than 70 years ago that’s known as the Johnson Amendment and applies to all charitable nonprofits, whether they are secular or religious.

    The Conversation U.S. asked Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, a law professor who has studied the regulation of churches’ political activities, to explain what this statute is, how the IRS seeks to change its purview and why this matters.

    What’s the Johnson Amendment?

    The Johnson Amendment is a provision that Lyndon B. Johnson added to a tax bill passed by Congress in 1954, when he was a senator. It says that any charity that wants to be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code cannot “participate in, or intervene in … any political campaign on behalf of … any candidate for public office.” In the U.S., all houses of worship are designated as charities by the IRS.

    The IRS has interpreted the Johnson Amendment for more than 70 years to mean that charities cannot speak in favor of political candidates or take any other action that supports or opposes them.

    The IRS is prohibited from publicly disclosing audits of specific tax-exempt nonprofits under taxpayer privacy laws, so there’s no way to know the extent to which the law has been enforced. The public only learns about audits tied to possible Johnson Amendment violations if the nonprofit discloses that information or the IRS revoked their tax-exempt status.

    However, the IRS did conduct a broad enforcement campaign in the 2000s known as the Political Activity Compliance Initiative. The reports it issued for 2004 and 2006 stated that it had audited hundreds of charities, including churches, for possible Johnson Amendment violations. The IRS generally found that most violations were minor and often inadvertent – warranting no more than a warning letter.

    It’s unknown whether any nonprofits lost their tax-exempt status as a result of this initiative, which the IRS appears to have ended in 2008.

    There’s only one known instance of a church losing its tax-exempt status because it violated the Johnson Amendment. In that case, a church in Binghamton, New York, published full-page newspaper ads criticizing Bill Clinton during his 1992 presidential campaign.

    Why does the Trump administration want to change its enforcement?

    The National Religious Broadcasters, two churches and another religious nonprofit sued the IRS in 2024, challenging the constitutionality of the Johnson Amendment on First Amendment free speech and free exercise of religion grounds and on Fifth Amendment due process grounds. The plaintiffs also argued that applying the Johnson Amendment to religious nonprofits violated the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

    The plaintiffs and the IRS filed a joint motion on July 7 to settle the case. They asked the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to order the IRS not to enforce the Johnson Amendment against the two church plaintiffs. They also asked the court to incorporate in its order a statement that the Johnson Amendment does not apply to “speech by a house of worship to its congregation, in connection with religious services through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith, concerning electoral politics viewed through the lens of religious faith.”

    This represents the first time the IRS has said there’s an exception to the Johnson Amendment for houses of worship. While lawmakers have periodically sought to repeal or modify the statute, neither chamber of Congress has ever passed such legislation.

    President Donald Trump asserted during his first term that he had “gotten rid of” the Johnson Amendment. But that referred to his 2017 executive order that directed the Treasury Department – to which the IRS belongs – to respect freedom of religion with respect to religious organizations speaking about political issues as “consistent with law.”

    Under the IRS interpretation of the Johnson Amendment at the time, it would not have been consistent with law for churches or other religious nonprofits to support or oppose candidates for elected public office.

    How might the IRS treat religious political activity differently?

    If the court approves this new joint motion, that order will only apply to the two churches that are plaintiffs in the case – not other religious nonprofits or the National Religious Broadcasters that joined them in suing the IRS. But the filing tells other houses of worship that the IRS will not enforce the Johnson Amendment against them for speech to their congregations, at least not during the Trump administration.

    I think that the government may have a hard time applying this exception for several reasons.

    The IRS will have to determine when a charity is a “church,” the term the IRS uses for a house of worship of any faith. That has become increasingly difficult in recent years, as some organizations that stretch the conventional definition of a church have won IRS recognition as such.

    The IRS will also have to clarify what constitutes speech made “in connection with religious services” and what are “customary channels of communication.” For example, it’s unclear whether inviting a political candidate to address the congregation about how their religious faith relates to their candidacy falls within the exception.

    Donald Trump participates in a community roundtable at a church in Detroit during his successful 2024 presidential campaign.
    Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

    Will only conservative politicians benefit?

    Establishing this exception does not necessarily give conservative politicians any advantages.

    It is true that recent attempts to repeal or modify the Johnson Amendment are associated with conservative Christian groups such as the Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the plaintiffs in this lawsuit.

    But historically, many progressive houses of worship have also pushed against the Johnson Amendment, including Black churches that often serve as political as well as religious centers for their communities.

    A Texas Tribune and ProPublica investigation documented apparent violations of the Johnson Amendment in the 2022 midterm elections by almost 20 churches in Texas from across the political spectrum. Interestingly, most of the church leaders involved were aware of the amendment.

    Many said they were not violating it because they avoided explicitly endorsing candidates, while at the same time clearly expressing their support for specific candidates by, for example, praying for an individual who was identified to the congregation as a candidate.

    How could this new guidance change political campaigning?

    Americans generally don’t want to see churches get involved in politics, including majorities in most denominations. Nonetheless, church leaders of all stripes who were already inclined to support particular candidates will probably feel emboldened to explicitly endorse candidates when preaching to their congregations.

    There are two ways that this new exception could do more than that.

    First, it isn’t limited to sermons by pastors, priests, rabbis, imams and other religious leaders. It extends to any speech to a house of worship’s congregation “in connection with religious services through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith.” It therefore almost certainly includes church bulletins and other written materials distributed as part of a religious service.

    What’s less clear is whether “customary channels of communication” includes people who watch religious services streamed over the internet or on TV, rather than just those who attend services in person.

    Second, the change will increase pressure on church leaders to support candidates.

    For example, George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign reportedly sought to recruit thousands of congregations to distribute campaign information. It’s natural to expect such efforts to multiply and become more direct for both Democratic and Republican candidates from now on.

    And church leaders will also likely face pressure from politically active congregants to endorse candidates, and have a harder time resisting it.

    Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer previously worked at the law firm of Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered, including when the firm represented All Saints Episcopal Church of Pasadena, California with respect to an IRS audit of the church for allegedly violating the Johnson Amendment. He was not personally involved in this representation.

    – ref. IRS says churches may endorse political candidates despite a decades-old federal statute barring them from doing that – https://theconversation.com/irs-says-churches-may-endorse-political-candidates-despite-a-decades-old-federal-statute-barring-them-from-doing-that-260854

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Muscle weakness in cancer survivors may be caused by treatable weakness in blood vessels – new research

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Jalees Rehman, Department Chair and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois Chicago

    Poorly functioning blood vessels lead to the characteristic muscle weakness that so many cancer patients experience. Artur Plawgo/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

    Tumors can destroy the blood vessels of muscles even when the muscles are nowhere close to the tumor. That is the key finding of a new study that my colleagues and I recently published in the journal Nature Cancer.

    Muscle loss in cancer patients is a major health problem, but the exact causes of how precisely tumors affect muscles remain an active area of research.

    Scientists in my lab were curious whether one explanation for the muscle loss in cancer patients could be that the cancer impairs the blood vessels that are necessary to supply nutrients and oxygen to muscles. Healthy blood vessels ensure that blood containing oxygen and nutrients is transported from the heart to all tissues and organs in the body, and then circulates back to the heart. Unhealthy blood vessels lose the ability to circulate sufficient blood and develop leaks, with nutrients seeping into the tissue prematurely and thereby cutting off the supply of nutrients to tissues that are further downstream.

    To tackle this question, my colleagues and I worked with several other scientific research teams with expertise in advanced microscopy, cancer research and metabolism. We used animal models to study several kinds of tumors – lung cancer, skin cancer, colon cancer and pancreatic cancer. We consistently observed that the blood vessels in the muscles became fewer and leakier even before the muscle weakness set in.

    We also found that tumors release a protein called Activin-A, which acts on blood vessels to cause the leakiness and, ultimately, loss of blood vessels in the muscle. When we used a gene therapy to restore blood vessel health by counteracting the effects of Activin-A, we were able to prevent the muscle loss.

    So we examined the muscles of patients who had passed away because of cancer and found that the muscles of cancer patients contained fewer blood vessels than expected.

    Why Activin-A matters

    Millions of cancer survivors struggle with muscle weakness, which can be so profound that they may have difficulties walking up a couple of flights of stairs or going shopping for groceries on their own.

    Severe muscle weakness and muscle loss during cancer is called cancer cachexia, which occurs in up to 80% of patients with advanced cancer.

    Recent research indicates that cachexia is far more common among cancer patients than previously suspected, with approximately half the patients who see their cancer doctor for the first time already showing signs of muscle weakness.

    Importantly, cachexia can persist even after the cancer is successfully treated and cured. This can have a devastating impact on the quality of life for cancer survivors.

    Our discovery that the loss of blood vessel function in the muscles occurs early on during the progression of the cancer suggests that fixing blood vessels in cancer patients and cancer survivors could be a new way to prevent or reverse cachexia.

    The reasons for the muscle loss in cancer are complicated and involve poor nutrition due to loss of appetite and inflammation, which are initially caused by the tumor but persist even when the tumor is removed.

    New research shows that lack of sufficient blood vessels could explain why many cancer survivors still experience muscle weakness even after the tumor is removed.
    FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images

    What other research is being done

    There are currently no treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration for cachexia, but new therapies are on the horizon.

    One such therapy is an antibody drug that targets the molecule GDF-15, a protein that is thought to suppress appetite.

    Other studies are using a combination of targeted nutrition and exercise programs to help patients with cancer cachexia regain muscle mass and muscle strength.

    All these studies suggest that we will need a combination of approaches to enhance exercise, nutrition, appetite, muscle regeneration and – as we propose – blood vessel health.

    What’s next

    We are now evaluating drugs and exercise programs that are known to improve blood vessel health. Repurposing these treatments that are traditionally designed for cardiovascular patients could be a rapid way to help cancer patients regain muscle strength.

    We hope that our work highlights how important it is for cancer patients to receive comprehensive medical care, which includes improving cardiovascular health and overall quality of life.

    The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

    Jalees Rehman receives funding from the National Institutes of Health.

    – ref. Muscle weakness in cancer survivors may be caused by treatable weakness in blood vessels – new research – https://theconversation.com/muscle-weakness-in-cancer-survivors-may-be-caused-by-treatable-weakness-in-blood-vessels-new-research-259765

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: AI in health care could save lives and money − but change won’t happen overnight

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Turgay Ayer, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

    AI will help human physicians by analyzing patient data prior to surgery. Boy_Anupong/Moment via Getty Images

    Imagine walking into your doctor’s office feeling sick – and rather than flipping through pages of your medical history or running tests that take days, your doctor instantly pulls together data from your health records, genetic profile and wearable devices to help decipher what’s wrong.

    This kind of rapid diagnosis is one of the big promises of artificial intelligence for use in health care. Proponents of the technology say that over the coming decades, AI has the potential to save hundreds of thousands, even millions of lives.

    What’s more, a 2023 study found that if the health care industry significantly increased its use of AI, up to US$360 billion annually could be saved.

    But though artificial intelligence has become nearly ubiquitous, from smartphones to chatbots to self-driving cars, its impact on health care so far has been relatively low.

    A 2024 American Medical Association survey found that 66% of U.S. physicians had used AI tools in some capacity, up from 38% in 2023. But most of it was for administrative or low-risk support. And although 43% of U.S. health care organizations had added or expanded AI use in 2024, many implementations are still exploratory, particularly when it comes to medical decisions and diagnoses.

    I’m a professor and researcher who studies AI and health care analytics. I’ll try to explain why AI’s growth will be gradual, and how technical limitations and ethical concerns stand in the way of AI’s widespread adoption by the medical industry.

    Inaccurate diagnoses, racial bias

    Artificial intelligence excels at finding patterns in large sets of data. In medicine, these patterns could signal early signs of disease that a human physician might overlook – or indicate the best treatment option, based on how other patients with similar symptoms and backgrounds responded. Ultimately, this will lead to faster, more accurate diagnoses and more personalized care.

    AI can also help hospitals run more efficiently by analyzing workflows, predicting staffing needs and scheduling surgeries so that precious resources, such as operating rooms, are used most effectively. By streamlining tasks that take hours of human effort, AI can let health care professionals focus more on direct patient care.

    But for all its power, AI can make mistakes. Although these systems are trained on data from real patients, they can struggle when encountering something unusual, or when data doesn’t perfectly match the patient in front of them.

    As a result, AI doesn’t always give an accurate diagnosis. This problem is called algorithmic drift – when AI systems perform well in controlled settings but lose accuracy in real-world situations.

    Racial and ethnic bias is another issue. If data includes bias because it doesn’t include enough patients of certain racial or ethnic groups, then AI might give inaccurate recommendations for them, leading to misdiagnoses. Some evidence suggests this has already happened.

    Humans and AI are beginning to work together at this Florida hospital.

    Data-sharing concerns, unrealistic expectations

    Health care systems are labyrinthian in their complexity. The prospect of integrating artificial intelligence into existing workflows is daunting; introducing a new technology like AI disrupts daily routines. Staff will need extra training to use AI tools effectively. Many hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices simply don’t have the time, personnel, money or will to implement AI.

    Also, many cutting-edge AI systems operate as opaque “black boxes.” They churn out recommendations, but even its developers might struggle to fully explain how. This opacity clashes with the needs of medicine, where decisions demand justification.

    But developers are often reluctant to disclose their proprietary algorithms or data sources, both to protect intellectual property and because the complexity can be hard to distill. The lack of transparency feeds skepticism among practitioners, which then slows regulatory approval and erodes trust in AI outputs. Many experts argue that transparency is not just an ethical nicety but a practical necessity for adoption in health care settings.

    There are also privacy concerns; data sharing could threaten patient confidentiality. To train algorithms or make predictions, medical AI systems often require huge amounts of patient data. If not handled properly, AI could expose sensitive health information, whether through data breaches or unintended use of patient records.

    For instance, a clinician using a cloud-based AI assistant to draft a note must ensure no unauthorized party can access that patient’s data. U.S. regulations such as the HIPAA law impose strict rules on health data sharing, which means AI developers need robust safeguards.

    Privacy concerns also extend to patients’ trust: If people fear their medical data might be misused by an algorithm, they may be less forthcoming or even refuse AI-guided care.

    The grand promise of AI is a formidable barrier in itself. Expectations are tremendous. AI is often portrayed as a magical solution that can diagnose any disease and revolutionize the health care industry overnight. Unrealistic assumptions like that often lead to disappointment. AI may not immediately deliver on its promises.

    Finally, developing an AI system that works well involves a lot of trial and error. AI systems must go through rigorous testing to make certain they’re safe and effective. This takes years, and even after a system is approved, adjustments may be needed as it encounters new types of data and real-world situations.

    AI could rapidly accelerate the discovery of new medications.

    Incremental change

    Today, hospitals are rapidly adopting AI scribes that listen during patient visits and automatically draft clinical notes, reducing paperwork and letting physicians spend more time with patients. Surveys show over 20% of physicians now use AI for writing progress notes or discharge summaries. AI is also becoming a quiet force in administrative work. Hospitals deploy AI chatbots to handle appointment scheduling, triage common patient questions and translate languages in real time.

    Clinical uses of AI exist but are more limited. At some hospitals, AI is a second eye for radiologists looking for early signs of disease. But physicians are still reluctant to hand decisions over to machines; only about 12% of them currently rely on AI for diagnostic help.

    Suffice to say that health care’s transition to AI will be incremental. Emerging technologies need time to mature, and the short-term needs of health care still outweigh long-term gains. In the meantime, AI’s potential to treat millions and save trillions awaits.

    Turgay Ayer owns shares in Value Analytics Labs, a healthcare technology company. He received funding from government agencies, including NSF, NIH, and CDC.

    – ref. AI in health care could save lives and money − but change won’t happen overnight – https://theconversation.com/ai-in-health-care-could-save-lives-and-money-but-change-wont-happen-overnight-241551

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest on Suppression of Competition in the Marketplace of Ideas Through Deplatforming of Rival Viewpoints

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Today, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in the case of Children’s Health Defense et al. v. Washington Post et al. The lawsuit — led by plaintiffs allegedly deplatformed for sharing independent news and opinion related to the COVID-19 pandemic — alleges that the Washington Post, BBC, AP, and Reuters colluded with one another and with the large digital platforms to suppress competition from independent perspectives that rival mainstream media.  The statement of interest explains how the antitrust laws protect viewpoint competition in news markets.    

    “When companies abuse their market power to block out and deplatform independent voices and protect legacy media, they harm competition and threaten the free flow of information on which consumers depend,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This Antitrust Division will always defend the principle that the antitrust laws protect free markets, including the marketplace of ideas.”   

    The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court where doing so will help protect competition and consumers, including by encouraging the sound development of the antitrust laws. A collection of these statements of antitrust and amicus filings is publicly available on the Division’s website.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Spacecraft equipped with a solar sail could deliver earlier warnings of space weather threats to Earth’s technologies

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, Associate Research Scientist, University of Michigan

    The SWIFT constellation, shown not to scale in this illustration, will fly farther than its predecessors to improve space weather warning time. Steve Alvey

    The burgeoning space industry and the technologies society increasingly relies on – electric grids, aviation and telecommunications – are all vulnerable to the same threat: space weather.

    Space weather encompasses any variations in the space environment between the Sun and Earth. One common type of space weather event is called an interplanetary coronal mass ejection.

    These ejections are bundles of magnetic fields and particles that originate from the Sun. They can travel at speeds up to 1,242 miles per second (2,000 kilometers per second) and may cause geomagnetic storms.

    They create beautiful aurora displays – like the northern lights you can sometimes see in the skies – but can also disrupt satellite operations, shut down the electric grid and expose astronauts aboard future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars to lethal doses of radiation.

    An animation shows coronal mass ejection erupting from the Sun.

    I’m a heliophysicist and space weather expert, and my team is leading the development of a next-generation satellite constellation called SWIFT, which is designed to predict potentially dangerous space weather events in advance. Our goal is to forecast extreme space weather more accurately and earlier.

    The dangers of space weather

    Commercial interests now make up a big part of space exploration, focusing on space tourism, building satellite networks, and working toward extracting resources from the Moon and nearby asteroids.

    Space is also a critical domain for military operations. Satellites provide essential capabilities for military communication, surveillance, navigation and intelligence.

    As countries such as the U.S. grow to depend on infrastructure in space, extreme space weather events pose a greater threat. Today, space weather threatens up to US$2.7 trillion in assets globally.

    In September 1859, the most powerful recorded space weather event, known as the Carrington event, caused fires in North America and Europe by supercharging telegraph lines. In August 1972, another Carrington-like event nearly struck the astronauts orbiting the Moon. The radiation dose could have been fatal. More recently, in February 2022, SpaceX lost 39 of its 49 newly launched Starlink satellites because of a moderate space weather event.

    Today’s space weather monitors

    Space weather services heavily rely on satellites that monitor the solar wind, which is made up of magnetic field lines and particles coming from the Sun, and communicate their observations back to Earth. Scientists can then compare those observations with historical records to predict space weather and explore how the Earth may respond to the observed changes in the solar wind.

    The Earth’s magnetic field acts as a shield that deflects most solar wind.
    NASA via Wikimedia Commons

    Earth’s magnetic field naturally protects living things and Earth-orbiting satellites from most adverse effects of space weather. However, extreme space weather events may compress – or in some cases, peel back – the Earth’s magnetic shield.

    This process allows solar wind particles to make it into our protected environment – the magnetosphere – exposing satellites and astronauts onboard space stations to harsh conditions.

    Most satellites that continuously monitor Earth-bound space weather orbit relatively close to the planet. Some satellites are positioned in low Earth orbit, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) above Earth’s surface, while others are in geosynchronous orbit, approximately 25,000 miles (40,000 km) away.

    At these distances, the satellites remain within Earth’s protective magnetic shield and can reliably measure the planet’s response to space weather conditions. However, to more directly study incoming solar wind, researchers use additional satellites located farther upstream – hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth.

    The U.S., the European Space Agency and India all operate space weather monitoring satellites positioned around the L1 Lagrange point – nearly 900,000 miles (1,450,000 km) from Earth – where the gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth balance. From this vantage point, space weather monitors can provide up to 40 minutes of advance warning for incoming solar events.

    The Lagrange points are equilibrium points for smaller objects, like the Earth, that orbit around a larger object, like the Sun. The L1 point is between the Earth and the Sun, where the gravitational pulls of the two objects balance out. Since the Sun’s pull is so much stronger than the Earth’s, the point is much closer to Earth.
    Xander89/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Advance warning for space weather

    Increasing the warning time beyond 40 minutes – the current warning time – would help satellite operators, electric grid planners, flight directors, astronauts and Space Force officers better prepare for extreme space weather events.

    For instance, during geomagnetic storms, the atmosphere heats up and expands, increasing drag on satellites in low Earth orbit. With enough advance warning, operators can update their drag calculations to prevent satellites from descending and burning up during these events. With the updated drag calculations, satellite operators could use the satellites’ propulsion systems to maneuver them higher up in orbit.

    Airlines could change their routes to avoid exposing passengers and staff to high radiation doses during geomagnetic storms. And future astronauts on the way to or working on the Moon or Mars, which lack protection from these particles, could be alerted in advance to take cover.

    Aurora lovers would also appreciate having more time to get to their favorite viewing destinations.

    The Space Weather Investigation Frontier

    My team and I have been developing a new space weather satellite constellation, named the Space Weather Investigation Frontier. SWIFT will, for the first time, place a space weather monitor beyond the L1 point, at 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometers) from Earth. This distance would allow scientists to inform decision-makers of any Earth-bound space weather events up to nearly 60 minutes before arrival.

    Satellites with traditional chemical and electric propulsion systems cannot maintain an orbit at that location – farther from Earth and closer to the Sun – for long. This is because they would need to continuously burn fuel to counteract the Sun’s gravitational pull.

    To address this issue, our team has spent decades designing and developing a new propulsion system. Our solution is designed to affordably reach a distance that is closer to the Sun than the traditional L1 point, and to operate there reliably for more than a decade by harnessing an abundant and reliable resource – sunlight.

    SWIFT would use a fuelless propulsion system called a solar sail to reach its orbit. A solar sail is a hair-thin reflective surface – simulating a very thin mirror – that spans about a third of a football field. It balances the force of light particles coming from the Sun, which pushes it away, with the Sun’s gravity, which pulls it inward.

    While a sailboat harnesses the lift created by wind flowing over its curved sails to move across water, a solar sail uses the momentum of photons from sunlight, reflected off its large, shiny sail, to propel a spacecraft through space. Both the sailboat and solar sail exploit the transfer of energy from their respective environments to drive motion without relying on traditional propellants.

    A solar sail could enable SWIFT to enter an otherwise unstable sub-L1 orbit without the risk of running out of fuel.

    NASA successfully launched its first solar sail in 2010. This in-space demonstration, named NanoSail-D2, featured a 107-square-foot (10 m2 ) sail and was placed in low Earth orbit. That same year, the Japanese Space Agency launched a larger solar sail mission, IKAROS, which deployed a 2,110 ft2 (196 m2 ) sail in the solar wind and successfully orbited Venus.

    An illustration of the solar sail used on the IKAROS space probe. These sails use light particles as propulsion.
    Andrzej Mirecki, CC BY-SA

    The Planetary Society and NASA followed up by launching two sails in low Earth orbit: LightSail, with an area of 344 ft2 (32 m2 ), and the advanced composite solar sail system, with an area of 860 ft2 (80 m2 ).

    The SWIFT team’s solar sail demonstration mission, Solar Cruiser, will be equipped with a much larger sail – it will have area of 17,793 ft2 (1,653 m2 ) and launch as early as 2029. We successfully deployed a quadrant of the sail on Earth early last year.

    If successful, the Solar Cruiser mission will pave the way for a small satellite constellation that will monitor the solar wind.

    To transport it to space, the team will meticulously fold and tightly pack the sail inside a small canister. The biggest challenge to overcome will be deploying the sail once in space and using it to guide the satellite along its orbital path.

    If successful, Solar Cruiser will pave the way for SWIFT’s constellation of four satellites. The constellation would include one satellite equipped with sail propulsion, set to be placed in an orbit beyond L1, and three smaller satellites with chemical propulsion in orbit at the L1 Lagrange point.

    The satellites will be indefinitely parked at and beyond L1, collecting data in the solar wind without interruption. Each of the four satellites can observe the solar wind from different locations, helping scientists better predict how it may evolve before reaching Earth.

    As modern life depends more on space infrastructure, continuing to invest in space weather prediction can protect both space- and ground-based technologies.

    Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti receives funding from NASA. He is the Principal Investigator of Space Weather Investigation Frontier (SWIFT).

    – ref. Spacecraft equipped with a solar sail could deliver earlier warnings of space weather threats to Earth’s technologies – https://theconversation.com/spacecraft-equipped-with-a-solar-sail-could-deliver-earlier-warnings-of-space-weather-threats-to-earths-technologies-259877

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: First-of-its-Kind, Renewably Powered Ocean Buoy to Enhance NPS Research and 5G Maritime Communication Applications

    Source: United States Navy

    Floating in Monterey Bay, California, five miles north of the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) campus, a self-powered ocean buoy will showcase a unique combination of oceanographic and meteorological sensors with 5G communication technologies for real-time, 24/7 scientific and maritime observations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Virtru Secures $50 Million in New Funding to Accelerate the Future of Data-Centric Security for the AI Era

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, July 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Virtru, the leader in data-centric security and the inventor of the open standard Trusted Data Format (TDF), today announced $50 million in new funding led by ICONIQ, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Foundry, and The Chertoff Group. The round doubles Virtru’s valuation to $500 million and signals the next phase of growth for the company, as it becomes the standard bearer for mission-critical data protection in the age of AI.

    A Proven Standard for Securing the World’s Most Sensitive Data
    The investment comes amid significant momentum, driven by rising demand for data security solutions built upon TDF. The TDF open standard was invented by Co-Founder Will Ackerly during his tenure at the National Security Agency, and it has been adopted as the data protection standard for national defense and intelligence missions across the United States and allied partners globally, cementing Virtru’s role as a leader in data security.

    Trusted by over 6,000 organizations across the public and private sectors—including JPMorganChase, Equifax, Capital One, Salesforce, and the U.S. Department of Defense—Virtru’s Data Security Platform has created a new paradigm in data-centric security, where protection travels with the data itself rather than relying on traditional perimeter defenses. As AI reshapes workflows and expands the boundaries of how sensitive data flows in and out of modern businesses, the need for granular data protection is more critical than ever.

    “This is a pivotal moment not just for Virtru, but for global security architecture,” said John Ackerly, CEO and Co-Founder of Virtru. “From day one, Virtru’s mission has been to unlock the full value of data by ensuring it remains under your control, everywhere it travels. AI represents a seismic shift in business workflows, dramatically amplifying the need for precise, data-centric security that moves seamlessly with data across all boundaries. This funding is a seminal moment as we continue to scale Virtru and make TDF the open platform of choice for data-centric security.”

    “In an increasingly connected world, protecting sensitive data across public and private ecosystems is a national and commercial imperative,” said Will Griffith, Partner at ICONIQ. “TDF is fast becoming a global standard for secure data sharing across both public and private sectors. As government agencies and enterprises embrace AI, the need for scalable, purpose-built data security infrastructure has never been greater, and we believe Virtru is at the center of this paradigm shift.”

    A Dual-Sided Future for Data-Centric Security
    While traditional Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) solutions focus on internal controls, today’s environment demands a dual approach: one that secures not only internal assets, but also data shared externally. Virtru addresses this gap with “microsecurity,” where protection and governance travel with the data itself, regardless of where it goes.

    “Data security is undergoing a fundamental shift,” said Will Ackerly, Chief Architect and Co-Founder of Virtru. “Indeed, IT leaders need solutions to protect data inside their walls, but they also need simple tools to protect data shared with the outside world. TDF provides that foundation, enabling what we call ‘microsecurity’—security bound intrinsically to data. Our vision is to cement TDF as the global standard in data-centric security, empowering both commercial enterprises and government agencies to collaborate securely in the AI era.”

    Poised for Expansion
    The new funding will fuel Virtru’s continued growth across both public and private sectors—accelerating the global adoption of TDF, expanding protection for sensitive AI and analytics workflows, and scaling mission-critical solutions for defense and critical infrastructure partners.

    “The evolution toward data security platforms that combine granular policy controls with real-time protection represents a fundamental shift in how organizations must approach data-centric security,” said Andrew Bales, Principal Analyst at Gartner. “The market is clearly moving toward solutions that provide persistent protection that travels with the data itself.”

    In a world where the most valuable and sensitive data must move securely across organizational, national, and classification boundaries, Virtru has established itself as the trusted standard for ensuring that protection and control remain with the data itself—regardless of where it travels.

    About Virtru
    Virtru empowers organizations to unlock the power of data while maintaining control wherever it’s stored and shared. From global enterprises to national defense and intelligence agencies, Virtru’s award-winning solutions provide simple, powerful data-centric security, underpinned by the Trusted Data Format (TDF). Learn more at virtru.com.

    Press Contact

    Nick Michael
    nick.michael@virtru.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Cyabra Uncovers Iranian Bot Operation Undermining UK Democracy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, July 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cyabra Strategy Ltd. (“Cyabra”), the AI-powered platform for real-time disinformation detection, has uncovered a coordinated Iranian state-backed bot network designed to infiltrate and influence online discourse around Scottish independence. Active between May and June 2025, the campaign aimed to manipulate UK political sentiment, promote Iranian-aligned narratives, and deepen domestic divisions.

    Cyabra’s investigation found that 26% of accounts engaging in Scottish independence conversations on X (formerly Twitter) were fake, publishing more than 3,000 coordinated messages. These accounts blended pro-independence, anti-Brexit, and anti-UK institutional themes to mimic grassroots sentiment and sway opinion in Iran’s favor.

    The campaign experienced a defining disruption beginning June 13, 2025, immediately following a military escalation between Israel and Iran. The Iranian-linked network went silent for 16 days—then reemerged with renewed coordination and a messaging pivot, praising Iran’s strength and mocking the West. This behavioral shift offered clear evidence of state-backed orchestration behind the campaign.

    “The sudden disruption to Iran’s influence operations capabilities due to their war with Israel exposed the entire operation,” said Dan Brahmy, CEO of Cyabra. “It was like watching state-backed disinformation self-destruct in real time. When Iran paused, so did the bots revealing the strategy, the propaganda, and the 224 million views their fake campaign had already amassed.”

    The network deployed AI-generated personas, recycled content, and strategic use of hashtags like #ScottishIndependence, #FreeScotland, and #BrexitBetrayal to infiltrate legitimate conversations. Cyabra’s platform traced these behaviors to known Iranian influence tactics.

    Importantly, authentic users unknowingly amplified the manipulated content, further obscuring the line between real discourse and engineered narratives.

    Cyabra has entered into a business combination agreement with Trailblazer Merger Corporation I (NASDAQ: TBMC), a blank-check special-purpose acquisition company.

    Download the full report here: Iranian Bot Network Exposed After a 16-Day Silence

    About Cyabra
    Cyabra is a real-time AI-powered platform that uncovers and analyzes online disinformation and misinformation by uncovering fake profiles, harmful narratives, and GenAI content across social media and digital news channels. Cyabra’s AI solutions protect corporations and governments against brand reputation risks, election manipulation, foreign interference, and other online threats. Cyabra’s platform leverages proprietary algorithms and NLP solutions, gathering and analyzing publicly available data to provide clear, actionable insights and real-time alerts that inform critical decision-making. Cyabra uncovers the good, bad, and fake online.

    For more information, visit www.cyabra.com.

    Media Contact:
    Jill Burkes
    Jill@cyabra.com

    Investor Relations Contact:
    ir@cyabra.com

    About Trailblazer
    Trailblazer is a blank check company formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. For more information, visit: www.trailblazermergercorp.com

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to certain products and services that are the subject of a proposed transaction (the “Business Combination”) between Trailblazer and Cyabra. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding Cyabra’s business strategy, products and services, research and development costs, plans and objectives of management for future operations, and future results of current and anticipated product offerings, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to, the following risks relating to the proposed transaction: the ability to complete the Business Combination or, if Trailblazer does not consummate such Business Combination, any other

    initial business combination; expectations regarding Cyabra’s strategies and future financial performance, including its future business plans or objectives, prospective performance and opportunities and competitors, revenues, products and services, pricing, operating expenses, market trends, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and Cyabra’s ability to invest in growth initiatives and pursue acquisition opportunities; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Trailblazer or Cyabra following announcement of the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; the inability to complete the proposed Business Combination due to, among other things, the failure to obtain Trailblazer stockholder approval; the risk that the announcement and consummation of the proposed Business Combination disrupts Cyabra’s current operations and future plans; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Business Combination; unexpected costs related to the proposed Business Combination; the amount of any redemptions by existing holders of Trailblazer’s common stock being greater than expected; limited liquidity and trading of Trailblazer’s securities; geopolitical risk and changes in applicable laws or regulations; the size of the addressable markets for Cyabra’s products and services; the possibility that Trailblazer and/or Cyabra may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; the ability to obtain and/or maintain the listing of the combined company’s common stock on Nasdaq following the Business Combination; operational risk; and the risks that the consummation of the proposed Business Combination is substantially delayed or does not occur.

    Important Information for Investors and Stockholders
    In connection with the Business Combination, Trailblazer Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Trailblazer (“Holdings”) has filed a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, and certain other related documents, which will be both the proxy statement to be distributed to holders of shares of Trailblazer’s common stock in connection with its solicitation of proxies for the vote by its stockholders with respect to the Business Combination and other matters as may be described in the Registration Statement, as well as the prospectus of Holdings relating to the offer and sale of its securities to be issued in the Business Combination. . After the Registration Statement is declared effective, the proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all Trailblazer stockholders so that they may vote on the Business Combination.

    INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF TRAILBLAZER ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PARTIES INVOLVED.

    Trailblazer stockholders are currently able to obtain copies of the preliminary proxy

    statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference therein, and will be able to obtain the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein, once available, in all cases without charge, at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Trailblazer at 510 Madison Avenue, Suite 1401, New York, NY 10022, Telephone: 646-747-9618.

    Participants in the Solicitation
    Cyabra, Trailblazer, and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Trailblazer stockholders regarding the proposed Business Combination. Information about Trailblazer’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of Trailblazer’s securities is set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus pertaining to the proposed Business Combination.

    No Offer or Solicitation
    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval. No sale of securities shall occur in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification under applicable laws.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Math Circles of Chicago Receives the SBB Research Group Foundation Grant

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, July 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Math Circles of Chicago received a $5,000 grant from the SBB Research Group Foundation, which awards monthly grants to support impactful organizations. 

    Math Circles of Chicago, a nonprofit , is reimagining how students experience math by creating spaces where curiosity leads, challenges are embraced, and problem solving becomes a source of confidence and creativity. Through free, high-quality programs open to students in grades 3–12, the organization fosters a love of math that extends far beyond the classroom.

    Serving over 4,000 students across 150 schools, Math Circles of Chicago focuses on reaching communities that have historically been excluded from enriching STEM opportunities. With more than 60% of participants coming from low-income households, the organization works to ensure that every young person, regardless of background or test scores, has access to meaningful, joyful math learning.

    The core of the program is the Math Circle: a small group of students led by a passionate and skilled educator who guides them through challenging and thought-provoking activities. These sessions go beyond worksheets and memorization. Instead, students explore deep mathematical ideas, tackle complex problems, and build critical thinking skills in a supportive environment where questions are encouraged, and persistence is celebrated.

    “Our program is about creating joyful, meaningful experiences with math, something too many kids miss out on. We want students to have fun, to be challenged, and to discover that math can be both exciting and empowering,” said Doug O’Roark, Executive Director.

    For many students, Math Circles provide a transformative experience. They develop not just stronger math skills, but also greater self-confidence, perseverance, and the ability to work collaboratively with peers.

    Math Circles of Chicago is committed to closing opportunity gaps and making rich, empowering math experiences accessible to all students across the city. By investing in young people’s potential and creating inclusive spaces to explore math deeply and joyfully, the organization is helping to shape a future where every student can thrive.

    “We are happy to support Math Circles of Chicago in their mission to create inclusive spaces where students can explore, enjoy, and excel in math,” said Matt Aven, co-founder and board member of the SBB Research Group Foundation.

    About the SBB Research Group Foundation 

    The SBB Research Group Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that furthers the philanthropic mission of SBB Research Group LLC (SBBRG), a Chicago-based investment management firm led by Sam Barnett, Ph.D., and Matt Aven. The Foundation provides grants to support ambitious organizations solving unmet needs with thoughtful, long-term strategies. In addition, the Foundation sponsors the SBBRG STEM Scholarship, which supports students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees. 

    Contact: Erin Noonan 
    Organization: SBB Research Group Foundation 
    Email: grants@sbbrg.org 
    Address: 450 Skokie Blvd, Building 600, Northbrook, IL 60062, United States 
    Phone: 1-847-656-1111 
    Website: https://www.sbbrg.org 

    The MIL Network –