NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Opening Remarks During Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Legislative Branch Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), delivered opening remarks at the House Appropriations Full Committee Markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 Legislative Branch Bill. Below is a video and transcript of his remarks:

    Click here to watch a full video of his remarks.

    “Thank you very much. I had comments in our markup, but I’m going to repeat some of them. The Legislative Branch is supposed to deliver, at least, for the Legislative Branch. This bill, however, is designed to deliver, in my view, for the Administration and its mission to consolidate the power of the federal government within the executive. That is clearly their objective and the articulated policy of the Office of Management and Budget. It does so, of course, at the expense of our Congress’s status as an independent, co-equal branch of government under the Constitution.

    “The Administration and many of my colleagues across the aisle talk a big lot about government efficiency and about the power of Congress, then why in heaven’s name do we back this bill’s 50% cut in the GAO? That nonpartisan, independent agency’s entire purpose is to ensure the Executive Branch is using federal funds efficiently and effectively and absent waste, fraud, and abuse, as the Congress intended. The GAO is currently conducting, as the Chairman has said, over 40 investigations into the White House’s efforts to illegally and unconstitutionally impound funds. My Republican colleagues, surely, that is not of interest of us, only if it is the other Administration. If that’s the case, then it is a empty power that we have in the Congress.

    “The GAO is the only entity – I appreciate that one of you is paying attention, because these are not partisan issues. This is about whether the Congress can act as it should, as it was designed to do, as democracy demands that it does. It’s the only entity capable of taking legal action to compel the Administration to spend impounded funds. This bill, astonishingly and wrongly, takes that power away from them. In other words, nobody can sue unless they’re personally affected. Taking that power away from the GAO and thus from the Congress and the American people. My Republican colleagues, the Congress is not a suggestion box. We are the Congress, we are the deciders, we are the ones who set policy. We are the one who appropriate money. Nothing can be spent unless we act. Don’t give that up lightly. This action, however, allows the President to divert or stop congressionally directed funding without accountability or legal consequences. Is that what you want? [It’s] very frustrating, two of you are now paying any attention to what I have to say. The rest of you are reading.

    “This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans. This is about the Congress of the United States. Since 1949, we’ve had 76 years. 40 of those years, Republicans have been presidents. 36 years, Democrats have been president and if you look at the record, it sort of passes back and forth. And in passing, bouncing back and forth, the perspectives change. If our guy is a Democrat or your guy is Republican, your perspective seems to change — both sides. But it ought not to change, because the power of the Congress makes this country unique in the world. And that is why, I suggest you, our democracy has survived since 1789. The oldest democracy in the world not by chance, but by design. Article One of the Constitution makes it clear that Congress has the power of the purse. All of you know that, all of you articulate that, all of you say that but we need to protect that power because power unprotected will be lost.

    “Chairman, can I have a little bit of leniency here. I’m trying not to speak… Okay. Thank you very much. I think we will rue this day on both sides of the aisle, depending upon whose president is in charge. So I have other things to say, but my time is up. But I would hope that you would look at this not from a partisan standpoint, but as a patriot. A patriot that believes that the Congress’s unique status in our government is what makes us a great democracy. I yield back.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Hosts Immigration Shadow Hearing on Trump’s Efforts to Erode Due Process

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, today hosted a Shadow Hearing titled Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Weaponization of Immigration Courts. This hearing examined the disturbing trend of broad efforts to erode access to legal services and due process in immigration proceedings, especially as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been targeting immigrants showing up for legal proceedings – following the requirements set for them by courts. 

    “Republicans like to talk about how they support immigrants who quote ‘do things the right way,’” said Jayapal. “Now that they control Congress and the White House, they should be putting their money where their mouth is and ensuring that the legal immigration process remains open to those who pursue it—but that’s not what’s happening. They have arrested people at their citizenship interviews, their check-in appointments with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and increasingly, at immigration court. These actions are a direct attack on the legal immigration system and the people who are trying to follow all the legal steps. These actions only serve to make the immigration system even more chaotic and unjust than it already is. Just when you think this administration cannot sink any lower, they get out a shovel and keep digging.”

    The witnesses at this hearing included The Honorable A. Ashley Tabaddor, a retired Immigration Judge, Azadeh Erfani the Director of Policy at the National Immigrant Justice Center, Bettina Rodriguez Schlegel, Chief of Staff at the Acacia Center for Justice, and Gillian Rowland-Kain, Interim Director of Programs at Immigrant ARC. 

    The Honorable A. Ashley Tabaddor, Immigration Judge (ret.) said, “Due process in a courtroom means that every part of the system functions fairly and in concert. That requires an independent judge, a level playing field, and a safe, accessible forum for all participants. Yet noncitizens have no right to appointed counsel—even in life-or-death matters. Now, the Trump administration claims that immigration judges are effectively at-will employees, directly undermining their independence. At the same time, immigration courts are being transformed into enforcement zones, deterring participation and eroding public trust. As a former judge, I can tell you: when even one part of the machine breaks—when judges are undermined, when legal support disappears, or fear keeps people from appearing—the entire system collapses. And when that happens, it doesn’t just fail immigrants. It fails all of us.”

    Azadeh Erfani, Director of Policy, National Immigrant Justice Center, said, “Nothing is off the table for ICE to meet Trump’s arrest quotas and build the largest mass detention system in recorded history. First, they took away all legal services so no one could represent themselves. Next, they raided the courts and took away access to judges. And lately, they have set traps at ICE check-in appointments, where individuals with pending cases trying to comply with their proceedings are shackled and disappeared into remote jails. As ICE tramples all semblance of due process and the rule of law, they are terrorizing our communities.”

    Bettina Rodriguez Schlegel, Chief of Staff, Acacia Center for Justice, said, “The Trump administration’s attacks on due process have upended the lives and futures of our families, neighbors, and friends. In addition to the profound impact on our communities, ending legal access programs has further exacerbated the limited capacity of the immigrant legal services field. Alongside our inspiring network of legal service provider partners, we will continue to fight for these lifesaving programs to be restored so that families, children, and adults aren’t forced to navigate our country’s increasingly dehumanizing immigration system alone.”

    Gillian Rowland-Kain, Interim Director of Programs, Immigrant ARC, said, “This is more than a policy shift. It’s a coordinated effort to sideline due process and deport people without giving them the opportunity to present their case. What should have been a space for due process is instead a site of fear. Masked and armed federal agents are arresting and intimidating people who attend court. Volunteers and attorneys are being surveilled. Every day, our members are in those courtrooms—often the only ones there to stand beside immigrants facing an unjust system. We will continue to do our work and to push back.”

    The hearing was attended by Representatives Judy Chu (CA-28), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Mark Takano (CA-39), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12).

    Issues: Immigration

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressional Prior Authorization Reform Leads Applaud New Prior Authorization Announcement

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

    Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mike Kelly (PA-16), John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), and Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS) and Mark Warner (VA), co-leads of the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, released the below joint statement following a series of commitments from some of the largest private health insurance companies to ease the Medicare Advantage prior authorization process.

    “We applaud these commitments, which aim to improve health care access for millions of Americans by easing the Medicare Advantage prior authorization process,” the lawmakers said. “We encourage our House and Senate colleagues to carry this momentum forward and to pass our life-changing legislation, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, to ensure this progress becomes law.”

    Under the announcement, participating health plans commit to:

    1. Standardize electronic prior authorization submissions using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®)-based application programming interfaces.
    2. Reduce the volume of medical services subject to prior authorization by January 1, 2026.
    3. Honor existing authorizations during insurance transitions to ensure continuity of care.
    4. Enhance transparency and communication around authorization decisions and appeals.
    5. Expand real-time responses to minimize delays in care with real-time approvals for most requests by 2027.
    6. Ensure medical professionals review all clinical denials.

    In May 2025, the lawmakers reintroduced the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DelBene, Baldwin Resolution Marks June 26 as “Equality Day”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

    Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI) introduced a resolution to designate June 26 as “Equality Day.” The resolution commemorates the anniversary of three historic Supreme Court victories that have played a pivotal role in advancing LGBTQ+ equality.

    “In the face of active attacks and restrictive Supreme Court judgements, we must commemorate the monumental rulings that advanced LGBTQ+ equality over the past twenty-two years,” said DelBene. “By honoring our past victories, we remember why we fight for freedom and justice in the first place. There is much more work to be done. The violence and discrimination that LGBTQ+ Americans still face are why I continue fighting for the rights everyone deserves.”

    “Today, we honor the giants who came before us in the fight for a more equal country and celebrate the progress we have made. But, we cannot mistake our progress for victory,” said Baldwin. “Still, too many LGBTQ+ Americans face violence, harassment, and discrimination simply because of who they are and who they love. I will never stop fighting for a future where everyone has the freedom to live their true, authentic self and has an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

    Over the past two decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued three landmark rulings on June 26 that helped eliminate LGBTQ+ discrimination, affirm the dignity of same-sex couples and move our country toward a more perfect union:

    • Lawrence v. Texas (June 26, 2003). Twenty-two years ago, the Court ruled on June 26, that states could no longer criminalize the private intimate conduct of same-sex couples, invalidating hateful and discriminatory laws in more than a dozen states.
    • United States v. Windsor (June 26, 2013). Twelve years ago, the Court overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on June 26 and ruled that legally married same-sex couples deserve all of the rights, benefits and protections provided by marriage under federal law.
    • Obergefell v. Hodges (June 26, 2015). Ten years ago, the Court ruled on June 26, that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, putting the United States on the right side of history and ending marriage discrimination once and for all.

    Congresswoman DelBene and Senator Baldwin’s resolution is supported by the Congressional Equality Caucus and the Human Rights Campaign.

    A copy of the resolution can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson Joins the Megyn Kelly Show

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Speaker Johnson sat for a wide-ranging interview on the Megyn Kelly Show – his first appearance on the show.

    Watch the full interview here

    On the One Big Beautiful Bill benefitting hardworking Americans:

    in that first Trump administration, we had the greatest economy in the history of the world. Job participation rate was an all-time high. Poverty hit an all-time low. Wages rising for every demographic in America. We’re going to do that again, but this time on steroids, because this is a larger bill with more of those pro-growth policies, and everyone will feel it. We’re excited. The proof will be in the pudding.

    This bill is written for and geared to lower-and middle-income families. It is the opposite of what the Democrats were saying. In fact, people who make more than a million dollars are going to benefit least from the tax policies here. It’s geared for hardworking Americans. We’re the party of hardworking Americans and we will demonstrate that in what we do in our legislation. 

    On President Trump’s strength on the world stage:

    I genuinely believe that this is going to solve the problem, at least for the foreseeable future. And as long as Donald J. Trump is in the White House. Why? Because he has sent a message. You see our allies at the NATO summit. I mean, it’s like the Lion King, right? Donald Trump walks in and they all sort of bow again, America’s back. And let me tell you something, a strong America is good for everyone around the world, and they all know it. And that is peace through strength. That is the policy that we have always believed in. And it’s a core principle of the Republican party. Donald J. Trump knows how to use it.

    They have to believe that you are capable. And we are. We are the most capable military in the world, the most capable military in the history of mankind. We don’t want to use it. President Trump wants to be a peacetime president. He believes that, he doesn’t want us to be involved and nation building and interventional and you know, having wars around the globe, he wants to stop them. And every now and then, you have to show that that force is real. We did that. Everybody’s on notice, and the terrorist and tyrants around the globe are terrified. That’s the position we need them to be in.

    On Congressional Democrats still lacking a message or leader:

    I would like Jasmine Crockett to have the platform everywhere to talk all the time. She’s the best gift to us possible. I want her to be the face of the Democratic Party. She and AOC can lead them into oblivion. That’s fantastic. More Jasmine, okay? Because it puts on display what these people actually believe, where their party is headed. They have no leader. They have no platform that they can run on. All of their policies have been repudiated. All they have, they’re a one trick pony. All they can do is criticize Trump and the Republicans. And that’s not going to sell. Right?

    The reason we’re going to make history and win the midterms and grow the majority in the House, so we can do more of this good work, is because we’re going to demonstrate for all these new demographics of voters that came into our camp in 2024, that they made the right decision. They didn’t come reluctantly, Megan. We had a record number of Hispanic and Latino voters, black and African American voters, Jewish voters, union workers. They did not come to us reluctantly. They came with hopeful anticipation. Why? Because the woke progressive, crazy left, left them behind. This is not your father’s Democratic party. And Jasmine Crockett is a perfect illustration of that. And I want to turn her microphone up, let her talk every day. I want to bring her to the floor and just share her heart, because that helps us.

    On New Yorkers electing a socialist as Mayor:

    The best commentary was I think Ron DeSantis and Florida leaders were trolling New Yorkers saying, this is the best thing for property buyers in Palm Beach, Florida in history. Because more New Yorkers are going to move to states that exercise common sense, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and I hope they come to my state of Louisiana because it’s madness in New York City. What’s the problem there? I think these guys and AOC and those types, they figured out how to trigger these young, uninformed people using social media and these other avenues. And I guess a lot of common-sense voters are not going to the polls. This is dangerous stuff. And so this guy’s now the nominee of the Democratic Party. He is an open antisemite socialist. They will destroy New York City. It is a nightmare. So, I mean, hey, go vote for Eric Adams. Like, he’s the best alternative now. He’s going to be saving New York from this madness. And I hope they don’t do it.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Peters Reintroduces Resolution to Raise Awareness of Veterans’ Post-Traumatic Stress

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50) and Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI-1) reintroduced a resolution to reduce the stigma that prevents veterans and servicemembers from seeking mental health care. The resolution also encourages leadership of the Armed Forces to support appropriate treatment for servicemembers suffering from post-traumatic stress. The legislation would designate June as National Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) Awareness Month and June 27th as National PTS Awareness Day.

    “Ask servicemembers about their injuries, and they will likely show you the visible scars sustained from their service. What they are more reluctant to share are mental scars – the less visible but equally harmful injuries,” said Rep. Peters. “When 18 of our nation’s heroes die from suicide each day, it’s evident we must break the stigma associated with accessing mental health treatment and embolden our veterans to seek help when they need it.”

    “Our Nation has a duty to recognize and respond to the lasting impact of trauma on our Veterans and Service Members,” said Rep. Bergman. “I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan resolution recognizing June as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month. Raising awareness is a crucial step toward breaking the stigma and ensuring our heroes get the care and support they’ve earned.”

    Read the full text of the resolution here.

    Background:

    Rep. Peters first introduced the bill during the 115th Congress with the late Rep. Walter Jones (NC-03) and has introduced the legislation in every Congress since. Rep. Peters previously served on the House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees.

    Representative Peters authored the Veteran Peer Specialist Act, which expanded the peer support specialist pilot program at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It passed Congress and became law as part of the FY 2022 Omnibus Appropriations bill.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Read More (Steube and Hill Introduce RISE Act)

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

    June 26, 2025 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON —  U.S. Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and French Hill (R-Ark.) this week introduced the Revitalizing Investment, Savings, and Entrepreneurship (RISE) Act to reduce risk on capital investments in American industries by establishing a 15% cap on federal capital gains.“American businesses rely on investment to grow and thrive. Yet, our current tax code burdens entrepreneurs and start-ups by taxing federal long-term capital gains at nearly 24%, creating a costly barrier to investment,” said Rep. Steube. “Investing in America should never be a high-risk, expensive gamble. True long-term prosperity and economic security start when Washington unlocks more capital for U.S. industries. Our bill will cap the federal long-term capital gains tax rate at 15%, empowering investors to fuel economic growth and create good-paying American jobs.”“To build a stronger, more prosperous future, we need policies that unlock capital, reward risk-taking, and drive real growth for all Americans. That is exactly what the RISE Act delivers,” said Rep. Hill. “My bill restores the proven, bipartisan capital gains tax rate that encourages long-term investment in Main Street businesses and drives innovation across our country. With greater access to capital, startups can turn ideas into reality, small businesses will expand and hire, and hardworking Americans will have more opportunity and higher wages.”The RISE Act has the support of the National Taxpayers Union, National Venture Capital Association, and Americans for Tax Reform. Background:

    The RISE Act will establish a 15% cap on the federal long-term capital gains tax rate. Under current law, American investors pay nearly 24% in federal capital gains taxes—almost 5% more than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average. This includes the 3.8% Medicare surtax on estates, individuals, and trusts.
    Both Republicans and Democrats have endorsed lower tax rates on capital gains. Three successive administrations, two Democrat and one Republican, approved reduced top capital gains tax rates in 1997, 2003, and 2010.
    In 2012, the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation recognized that reducing taxes on capital gains provides investors with the resources necessary for “starting, building, and selling new businesses.” 

    Read the full bill here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Union Transportation Conference Closes with Energy and Enthusiasm

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    The IAM Union wrapped up its 2025 Transportation Conference in Las Vegas today. Over 800 IAM Union delegates, who work primarily in the airline and railroad industries, participated in the democratic process to attend committee meetings and vote on reports that set the agenda for the near future for IAM transportation members.

    View photos here.

    Members heard from speakers who spoke to the current state of the labor movement, the public popularity of unions, and threats to steal the power of organized workers.

    Watch a video recap here.

    “When it comes to this economy, and the corporations, and the richest people, they want to do one thing – divide us,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “That’s how they win. But to the workers that make things, move things, and serve things – we could not be more united in the things that matter to us.”

    The opening session included remarks from IAM International President Brian Bryant, Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen, General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes, Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser, and Western Territory General Vice President Robert “Bobby” Martinez, among others.

    Follow continuous updates on X, formerly Twitter, here.

    Tuesday through Thursday speakers also included:

    • Jason Ambrosi, Air Line Pilots Association President
    • Greg Regan, Transportation Trades Department President
    • David Heindel, Seafarers International Union President
    • Stephen Cotton, International Transport Workers Federation General Secretary
    • David Massiah, Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union
    • Avital Shapira-Shabirow, Histadrut Union International Relations Director
    • Carla Siegel, IAM General Counsel
    • Arthur Maratea, TCU/IAM National President
    • Hasan Solomon, IAM National Political and Legislative Director
    • Jonathan Battaglia, IAM Communications Director
    • Mary McHugh, Winpisinger Center Director
    • Julie Frietchen, IAM Women’s and Young Workers Director
    • Nicole Fears, IAM Human Rights Director
    • Richard Evans, IAM Veterans Services Coordinator
    • Connie Vallas, IAM Associate General Counsel
    • Peter Greenberg, IAM International Affairs Director
    • Sean Marcil, IAM Membership Assistance Assistant Coordinator
    • Derrick S. Monk, Divine Covenant Outreach Center Senior Pastor
    • Mitchell Buckley, IAM District 141 Assistant General Chairperson
    • Daniel Schwarz, Schwarz and Schwarz Managing Attorny
    • Tony Blevins, Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines President and Director
    • John Bragg, Railroad Retirement Board Labor Member
    • Damien Anderson, IAM National Benefit Trust Fund Education Director
    • Eloiza Rosales, IAM National Benefit Trust Fund Education Manager
    • Galen Bullock, Employee Benefit Systems Vice President
    • Catherine Cortez-Mastro, United States Senator, Nevada
    • Jacky Rosen, United States Senator, Nevada
    • Dina Titus, Congresswomen, 1st District, Nevada
    • Paul Raymond, National Group Protection Co-CEO

    The post IAM Union Transportation Conference Closes with Energy and Enthusiasm appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WAYNE COUNTY – Shapiro Administration to Highlight Devastating Impacts of Proposed Federal Cuts to Medicaid on Rural Communities

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    June 27, 2025 – Honesdale, PA

    ADVISORY – WAYNE COUNTY – Shapiro Administration to Highlight Devastating Impacts of Proposed Federal Cuts to Medicaid on Rural Communities

    Officials from the Shapiro Administration will join rural health care leaders at Wayne Memorial Hospital to highlight the dangers of proposed federal Medicaid cuts and their negative impact on rural health care providers and residents across the state.

    Proposed federal funding cuts could jeopardize health coverage for over 300,000 Pennsylvanians, drive up health care costs, and put hospitals at risk of closure, especially in rural communities. The loss of coverage is likely to result in Pennsylvanians delaying necessary health care and could significantly increase medical costs over time.

    Ensuring rural Pennsylvanians have access to quality health care is a top priority for Governor Josh Shapiro. His proposed 2025-26 budget makes common-sense investments in rural health aimed at keeping rural hospitals open and recruiting more high-quality professionals to these facilities.

    WHO:
    Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen
    Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys
    Department of Human Services Special Advisor Sara Goulet
    Wayne Memorial Hospital CEO Jim Pettinato
    Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers Chief Quality Officer Kara Poremba
    Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania CEO Nicole Stallings

    WHEN:
    Friday, June 27; 11:00 AM

    WHERE:
    Wayne Memorial Hospital
    David Katz Conference Room (2nd Floor)
    601 Park Street
    Honesdale, PA 18431

    MEDIA RSVP:
    Media interested in attending must RSVP with the name of the reporter and photojournalist to ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Woman Arrested After 20 Pounds of Cocaine Seized at New Mexico Checkpoint

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Texas woman is facing federal charges after U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than 20 pounds of cocaine from her vehicle during a checkpoint inspection south of Alamogordo, New Mexico.

    According to court documents, on the afternoon of June 16, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Aurelia Madrid-Marquez, 51, at the Highway 54 checkpoint located South of Alamogordo, New Mexico, driving a minivan with Illinois license plates. During routine questioning, agents conducted a canine inspection of the vehicle, which resulted in a positive alert for narcotics. A subsequent search revealed seven vacuum-sealed bundles containing a white powdery substance concealed in the driver-side floorboard area. Field tests confirmed the substance to be cocaine.

    Madrid-Marquez is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Madrid-Marquez faces up to 10 years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, and Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector made the announcement today.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former HUD Employee, Who Moonlighted for Two Other Federal Agencies, Admits Making False Claims

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Caused an Estimated Loss to the U.S. Government of $225,866

               WASHINGTON – Crissy Monique Baker, 45, a federal employee from Fairfax, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims in connection with claiming to work more hours for the government than she actually did.

               The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting Inspector General Stephen Ravas of AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge Michael Smith with Office of the Inpsector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

               Between October 2021 and May 2025, Baker worked as a management and program analyst for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to court documents, from October 2021 through July 2024, Baker held multiple full-time government contractor positions to perform human resources services for other federal agencies but did not seek approval from HUD to engage in this outside employment. Through this years-long scheme, Baker billed the government more than 24 hours in a single day between her employment with the federal government and contractors. The estimated loss to the government was $225,866.

               Between September 2021 through April 2023, Contractor-A employed Baker to perform full-time work as a human resources assistant for AmeriCorps. From May 16, 2022, until Dec. 2, 2022, Contractor-B employed Baker to work fulltime as a human resources specialist for the National Institutes of Health. 

               Because of her scheme, Baker willfully caused the contractors to submit false claims to the U.S. Government for hours that she did not actually work. In addition, Baker submitted timesheets to HUD certifying that she worked hours for the government agency that she never actually did. For example, in June 2022, Baker certified through timesheets to HUD, Contractor-A, and Contractor-B, that she worked 26 hours per day on 13 workdays out of a total of 21 workdays that month.   

               Baker teleworked in all three positions, so she was able to conceal her employment with HUD and the two contarctors from each other.

    U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 30, 2025.

               This case was investigated by the Offices of the Inspector General for the following agencies:  AmeriCorps; Housing and Urban Development; the Department of Energy; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; the Department of Homeland Security; the General Services Administration; the Department of Health and Human Services; and the Department of Treasury (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration), the Department of Defense (Defense Criminal Investigate Service), and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

               The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Kondi Kleinman.

    25cr172

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Armed Robber Sentenced to Over 26 Years Imprisonment for String of Commercial Armed Robberies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    STATESBORO, GA:  A Waynesboro resident was sentenced to federal prison for 10 commercial armed robberies that he committed in Bulloch, Burke, Chatham, Emanuel, Glascock, Jenkins, and Ware Counties.

    Cordell Cobb, 24, of Waynesboro, was sentenced to 318 months in prison after pleading guilty to ten counts of Interference With Commerce by Robbery and two counts of Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Cobb to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term and to pay $12,081 in restitution to the various victimized businesses.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    As described in court documents and testimony, on ten different occasions from January 2023 through June 2023, Cobb entered commercial establishments throughout the Southern District of Georgia and brandished weapons before demanding money. Employees in all ten locations provided United States currency to Cobb to avoid physical harm and Cobb left the locations with his ill-gotten proceeds. Following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Chatham County Police Department (CCPD), Glascock County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Jenkins County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Waycross Police Department (WPD), Burke County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), and Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO), Cobb was apprehended and ultimately admitted to committing all ten robberies.

    “This sentencing reflects the serious consequences of violent crime and the strength of coordinated law enforcement” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Communities across Georgia are safer today because of the tireless work of our local, state, and federal partner agencies in bringing this armed robber to justice.”

    “We applaud the collaborative efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation. Together, we have sent a strong message that armed robbery will not be tolerated, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” said Thomas Crawford, ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge.

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

    This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.

    The case was being investigated by the ATF, GBI, CCPD, GCSO, JCSO, WPD, BCSO, ECSO and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Henry W. Syms, Jr.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Boston Gang Member Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for drug conspiracy charges.

    Avery Lewis, a/k/a “Wave,” 33, of Dorchester was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to 46 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2025, Lewis pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

    Lewis was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation that began in 2021 in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. Over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation.

    According to the charging documents, the H-Block street gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H-Block. Current members of H-Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation.

    Lewis was a long-time H-Block gang member and daily street-level dealer with a regular roster of customers. Over the course of the investigation, Lewis sold cocaine to an undercover officer on several occasions and coordinated other drug trafficking criminal activities with H-Block gang members.

    On April 5, 2023, Lewis was arrested with approximately 250 grams of cocaine in his vehicle. In addition, in March 2024, Lewis was involved in an altercation with a Boston Police Department officer, leading to the officer being struck by a bullet fired by a concealed gun in Lewis’s possession resulting in state charges. Lewis was sentenced to seven to nine years in state prison in that matter.

    According to court records, Lewis’ criminal history includes a 2017 cocaine conviction for possessing 86 bags of cocaine inside his apartment as well as a 2013 conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.  

    Lewis is the first defendant to be sentenced in the case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Sentenced in Rhode Island for Bank Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE   A Bronx, NY, man who participated in a conspiracy that intended to defraud banks in at least ten states of approximately $143,000 was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Paul Keenan, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnel, Jr., to    24 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. Keenan, charged and arrested in this matter in August 2024, pleaded guilty in February to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

    According to court documents, Keenan, working alongside other members of a conspiracy, to facilitate their scheme, recruited and organized individuals and obtained their photographs and personal identifying information (PII). Keenan and his co-conspirators used the information to create fraudulent IDs that contained their own photographs and the PII of some of the recruits.

    Keenan and others then obtained the PII of at least 28 victim individuals, including their names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, and bank account information. They also obtained information of at least 20 business entities, including business names and banking information. The information collected was used to create fraudulent IDs and checks. Members of the conspiracy then traveled with recruits to banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and at least eight other states to cash bogus checks.

    Through the scheme, Keenan and others attempted to defraud banks of a total of approximately $143,000, successfully defrauding twenty-two banks of a total of approximately $93,200.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christine Lowell with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Hebert.

    The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the East Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the Portsmouth Police Department.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Remote Patient Monitoring Company Settles False Claims Act Lawsuit for $1.29 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ATLANTA – Health Wealth Safe, Inc. and Dr. Subodh Agrawal have paid $1.29 million to settle allegations that they knowingly caused false claims to be presented to Medicare.

    “Knowingly billing Medicare for services that do not meet Medicare’s requirements is a fraud against taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office will continue to enforce the False Claims Act to recover government payments that result from such misconduct.”

    “Healthcare professionals have a sworn duty to prioritize patient health and to ensure all services billed to the federal government are fully compliant with program requirements,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the integrity of the Medicare program.”

    The investigation began when former employees of Health Wealth Safe, Inc. (“Health Wealth”) filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the False Claims Act referred to as a qui tam suit. The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes civil liability on any person who submits false claims to the federal government or its contractors. The law imposes treble damages and civil penalties on those who submit false claims. Under the law, whistleblowers (also called “relators”) who bring fraud to the government’s attention share in any recovery obtained by the government.

    The United States alleged that, at the direction of owner Dr. Subodh Agrawal, Health Wealth caused claims to be presented to Medicare for remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) services that were not reimbursable. RPM involves the use of non-face-to-face technology to monitor and analyze a patient’s physiological metrics, such as oxygen saturation, blood pressure, weight, and blood-sugar or blood-oxygen levels. For monitoring services to be covered by Medicare, the monitoring devices must automatically report readings to the monitoring company without further human intervention. The United States alleged that Health Wealth knowingly billed for RPM services even though it failed to provide patients with devices that met these requirements between September 2019 and January 2021.

    The settlement resolved the underlying lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, United States ex rel. Chavous v. Health Wealth Safe, Inc., No. 1:22-cv-02553. The relator will receive $238,650 from the settlement in this matter, plus attorney’s fees.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

    The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Massachusetts Resident Living in California Pleads Guilty to PPP Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Los Angeles man who formerly resided in Randolph, Mass. has pleaded guilty to submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of multiple companies he owns and controls.  

    Rindal Pierre-Canel, 30, pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025 to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Oct. 1, 2025. The defendant was arrested and charged in January 2025.  

    Between March 2021 and May 2021, Pierre-Canel submitted three fraudulent applications seeking and receiving over $50,000 in PPP funds. Two of the applications were submitted in Pierre-Canel’s own name and the third application was submitted using the stolen personal identifying information of a victim. The submissions included false representations about the existence and income of businesses and included false tax documents in support of these false representations. Pierre-Canel used the funds he received from the fraudulent PPP loan applications on personal expenses, including flights to California and purchases of designer clothing.

    The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.  

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Cambridge and Hermosa Beach (Calif.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at: Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Stonington Woman Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Crystal Meth

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JILL MULLIGAN, 45, of North Stonington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking crystal meth.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in April and May 2023, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made three controlled purchases of crystal meth from Mulligan.  Mulligan was arrested on May 4, 2023.  At the time of her arrest, searches of Mulligan’s North Stonington residence and her vehicle revealed approximately 390 grams of crystal meth, and quantities of crack cocaine, LSD, and prescription pills.

    On November 1, 2023, Mulligan pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  She has been detained since March 12, 2025, when her bond was revoked.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: U.S. Coast Guard, USS Sampson Conduct Drug Interdiction In Eastern Pacific

    Source: United States Navy

    PACIFIC OCEAN – U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy interdicted three suspected drug smugglers and more than 7,850 pounds of cocaine, with an assessed wholesale value of approximately $58.1 million, in the Eastern Pacific on Sunday morning.

    MIL Security OSI –

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

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

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

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

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

    Russian-Iranian relations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Drones and other weapons

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

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

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



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

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

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

    Iran left open to bombardment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Ukraine advances U.S. interests

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI: Notice of Early Redemption – Amended (ISIN code: FR0000584377)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO RELEASE, PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (SEE “DISCLAIMER” BELOW).

    Paris, June 26th 2025

    Notice of Early Redemption (amended)

    To : (i)      The Noteholders of the below mentioned Notes;
    (ii)      Euronext Paris;
    (iii)      Fiscal Agent.

    Dear Sirs,

    Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A.,
    Issuance of F 500 000 000 (€76 224 508),
    Undated Subordinatede Notes
    With the Isin code: FR0000584377 (the ‘’Notes’’)

    Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A., (formerly “Compagnie Financière de Crédit Industriel et Commercial’’) is the issuer (the “Issuer’’) of the Notes.

    In accordance with the terms and conditions of the Notes (the ‘’Conditions’’), the Issuer hereby gives notice that it is exercising in whole its right to redeem the Notes pursuant to the provision Redemption (‘’Remboursement’’) of the Listing Particulars (“Issuer Call Option”) of the Notes.

    The Issuer instructs the Fiscal Agent to authorise the French Central Securities Depository to cancel the Notes redeemed on 21 July, 2025 (“Early Redemption Date”).

    For the purposes of the Issuer Call:

    (i) the Issuer Call Date will be 21 July, 2025; and

    (ii) the Optional Redemption Amount(s) or Early Redemption Amount excluding accrued interest is: 1.01 euros per Denomination.

    Notwithstanding the information provided in the Conditions of the Notes, Law No. 98-546 of July 2, 1998, implementing various economic and financial provisions, provided for the conversion of negotiable securities denominated in Francs into securities with a nominal value of one euro. Therefore, the Early Redemption amount is carried out based on a nominal value of one euro per Notes, and the accrued interest will be adjusted accordingly.

    Unless otherwise defined in this notice, capitalised terms used in this notice shall have the meaning given to them in the Listing Particulars (‘’Note d’Information’’) dated June, 1987, as applicable, relating to the Notes.

    Yours faithfully,

    For and on behalf of

    Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A.,

    By Eric CUZZUCOLI

    Duly authorized

    DISCLAIMER
    This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase, or the solicitation of an offer to sell, the Instruments in the United States, Canada, Australia, or Japan or in any other jurisdiction, including France. The distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this press release comes are required to inform themselves and observe any such restrictions. No communication may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction in which registration or approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction where such action would be required; CIC disclaims any liability for any violation by any person of such restrictions.

    Contacts
    Corporate Communications and Press Relations Department: +33 (0)1 53 48 26 00 – compresse@cic.fr
    Investor Relations: bfcm-web@creditmutuel.fr

    About CIC
    CIC is a leading bank in France and internationally, and the bank of one in three businesses in France. It provides nearly 5.5 million customers with a French network of nearly 1,800 branches and 20,000 employees, as well as international branches in 37 countries. In order to meet the needs of all economic players and to build up a constantly efficient offer on a daily basis, it combines financial, insurance, telephony and cutting-edge technological services with a high level of financial solidity backed by that of its parent company, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale. For more information, visit cic.fr

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Notice of Early Redemption – Amended (ISIN code: FR0000584377)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO RELEASE, PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (SEE “DISCLAIMER” BELOW).

    Paris, June 26th 2025

    Notice of Early Redemption (amended)

    To : (i)      The Noteholders of the below mentioned Notes;
    (ii)      Euronext Paris;
    (iii)      Fiscal Agent.

    Dear Sirs,

    Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A.,
    Issuance of F 500 000 000 (€76 224 508),
    Undated Subordinatede Notes
    With the Isin code: FR0000584377 (the ‘’Notes’’)

    Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A., (formerly “Compagnie Financière de Crédit Industriel et Commercial’’) is the issuer (the “Issuer’’) of the Notes.

    In accordance with the terms and conditions of the Notes (the ‘’Conditions’’), the Issuer hereby gives notice that it is exercising in whole its right to redeem the Notes pursuant to the provision Redemption (‘’Remboursement’’) of the Listing Particulars (“Issuer Call Option”) of the Notes.

    The Issuer instructs the Fiscal Agent to authorise the French Central Securities Depository to cancel the Notes redeemed on 21 July, 2025 (“Early Redemption Date”).

    For the purposes of the Issuer Call:

    (i) the Issuer Call Date will be 21 July, 2025; and

    (ii) the Optional Redemption Amount(s) or Early Redemption Amount excluding accrued interest is: 1.01 euros per Denomination.

    Notwithstanding the information provided in the Conditions of the Notes, Law No. 98-546 of July 2, 1998, implementing various economic and financial provisions, provided for the conversion of negotiable securities denominated in Francs into securities with a nominal value of one euro. Therefore, the Early Redemption amount is carried out based on a nominal value of one euro per Notes, and the accrued interest will be adjusted accordingly.

    Unless otherwise defined in this notice, capitalised terms used in this notice shall have the meaning given to them in the Listing Particulars (‘’Note d’Information’’) dated June, 1987, as applicable, relating to the Notes.

    Yours faithfully,

    For and on behalf of

    Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A.,

    By Eric CUZZUCOLI

    Duly authorized

    DISCLAIMER
    This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase, or the solicitation of an offer to sell, the Instruments in the United States, Canada, Australia, or Japan or in any other jurisdiction, including France. The distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this press release comes are required to inform themselves and observe any such restrictions. No communication may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction in which registration or approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction where such action would be required; CIC disclaims any liability for any violation by any person of such restrictions.

    Contacts
    Corporate Communications and Press Relations Department: +33 (0)1 53 48 26 00 – compresse@cic.fr
    Investor Relations: bfcm-web@creditmutuel.fr

    About CIC
    CIC is a leading bank in France and internationally, and the bank of one in three businesses in France. It provides nearly 5.5 million customers with a French network of nearly 1,800 branches and 20,000 employees, as well as international branches in 37 countries. In order to meet the needs of all economic players and to build up a constantly efficient offer on a daily basis, it combines financial, insurance, telephony and cutting-edge technological services with a high level of financial solidity backed by that of its parent company, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale. For more information, visit cic.fr

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    What is AI literacy?

    AI literacy is defined as:

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

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

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

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

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

    Why does AI literacy matter?

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

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

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

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

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

    Canadian and international landscape

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    What should this strategy include?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    What is AI literacy?

    AI literacy is defined as:

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

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

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

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

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

    Why does AI literacy matter?

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

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

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

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

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

    Canadian and international landscape

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    What should this strategy include?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The next day, Ruby vanishes without a trace.

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

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

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

    Warped racist view of the world

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

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

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

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

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

    High rates of violence against women

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

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

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

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

    She said:

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

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

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

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

    Feminized labour exploitation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Reena Kukreja receives funding from SSHRC.

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

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US Gains Nothing from War with Iran: Iran’s Supreme Leader

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    TEHRAN, June 26 (Xinhua) — The United States has gained nothing from its war against Iran and has received a “harsh slap in the face,” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a video message broadcast by state-run IRIB TV.

    The Supreme Leader congratulated the Iranian people on their “victory” in the war with Israel and the United States.

    “Despite all its propaganda and statements, Israel was almost defeated and crushed by Iran’s attacks,” A. Khamenei noted.

    According to him, Iranian missiles and other weapons managed to penetrate Israel’s “forward multi-layered defense” and raze many urban and military areas of the Jewish state to the ground.

    As the Supreme Leader pointed out, Israel must know that any aggression against Iran will cost it dearly.

    A. Khamenei also drew attention to the fact that the United States entered the war to save Israel, “but did not gain anything from this war.”

    The US exaggerated its achievements in the war because it failed to achieve its goal and needed this to hide the truth, A. Khamenei said, stressing that “here too, the Islamic Republic of Iran achieved victory and responded to the United States with a harsh slap in the face.”

    The supreme leader said Iran had attacked and damaged the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar, “one of the important US bases in the West Asian region,” although some, he noted, had tried to downplay it and said nothing had happened. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, Klobuchar Call on Defense Department to Fund Lifesaving Programs for Service Members and Families 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, June 26 – Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth calling on the Department of Defense to fully fund lifesaving programs for U.S. service members and their families. In the most recent government funding bill, Congressional Republicans failed to fund Beyond the Yellow Ribbon (BYR) programs, which have helped thousands of service members, veterans and their families effectively manage the challenges associated with deployments and military service.

    Joining Sanders and Klobuchar on the letter are Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).

    “As a nation, when someone makes a promise to defend our country, we make a promise in return that we will be there to support them when they come home. For nearly two decades, [Beyond the Yellow Ribbon] programs have helped thousands of service members, veterans, and their families effectively manage the challenges associated with deployments and military service. Let’s be clear: these programs save lives,” Sanders, Klobuchar and the senators wrote.

    Programs funded by BYR have helped connect thousands of service members and their families with essential services, including suicide prevention, counseling, substance use disorder treatment, and housing and employment assistance, among many others. These outreach programs are especially valuable in rural areas and in states without active component military installations.

    Many of the programs now supported by BYR funding began as congressionally directed spending requests and were the result of members of Congress working with National Guard leadership to address the needs of service members and constituents in their states. Congress has funded these programs directly since fiscal year (FY) 2013, including $25 million in FY 2024. However, while the Senate intended to fund BYR at $22 million for FY 2025, the final continuing resolution crafted by the Republican majority and signed by President Trump failed to include this line-item, leaving the decision to the Department of Defense.

    In Vermont, the lack of BYR funding will force the Vermont Veterans and Family Outreach Program to shut down at the end of this month. The program was established in 2007 with funding Sanders secured to help veterans and their families obtain the benefits they’ve earned through their service. The outreach team works closely with local community officials, business leaders, clergy, health care providers and other community-based social organizations and the program has grown to 12 physical locations across Vermont and operates a 24-hour resource line for crisis situations. Vermont’s success has drawn national attention and been used as a model by other states to create similar outreach programs.

    Ending funding for BYR also leaves programs in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin without the expected funding to keep their programs running — effectively shuttering crucial support for military service members and their families while they are asked to sacrifice so much.

    “The decision by the Department of Defense not to fund BYR leaves 24 states across the country without the resources needed to serve those men and women who put their lives on the line to defend our country,” the senators wrote. “Given the success of these programs across the country, the value they bring to participants and taxpayers, and the clear Senate intent, we urge you to use your authority as Secretary to provide the funding necessary to continue operations of Beyond the Yellow Ribbon programs for the remainder of the 2025 Fiscal Year and work with us to fully fund these programs in the FY 2026 budget.”

    Read the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Ricketts Celebrates Recent Casework Wins

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, during his weekly press call with Nebraska media, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) discussed his work serving constituents and recent casework wins for Nebraskans.

    ”I’m proud of our work to cut red tape and deliver wins for Nebraskans,” said Ricketts.  “In 2024, we helped nearly 800 Nebraskans access federal services.  We also helped constituents save or recover nearly $5 million from the federal government.  We continue that work this year and have already returned $1.3 million in constituent savings for Nebraskans.”

    Watch the video HERE.

    TRANSCRIPT:

    Senator Ricketts: ”When I was Governor, we focused on providing great services to Nebraskans.

    “The federal government should do the same. 

    “Now that I’m in the Senate, my team and I are here to help Nebraskans navigate the bureaucracy.

    “We have offices in Scottsbluff, Kearney, Lincoln, Omaha, and Washington, D.C. 

    “Our team is specially trained in assisting constituents with concerns and complaints. 

    “We can also answer questions about services, eligibility, or benefits from federal agencies like Veterans Affairs, Medicare, or the Internal Revenue Service. 

    “I’m proud of our work to cut red tape and deliver wins for Nebraskans.

    “In 2024, we helped nearly 800 Nebraskans access federal services.

    “We also helped constituents save or recover nearly $5 million from the federal government.

    “We continue that work this year and have already returned $1.3 million in constituent savings for Nebraskans.

    “One example is Richard.

    “Richard is in the Panhandle. 

    “He’s a disabled veteran.

    “His disability requires him to get significant help for everyday tasks, like going through his mail. 

    “Late last year, the VA notified Richard that he owed nearly $20,000. 

    “This was because his dependent status had not been updated since 2015. 

    “Richard was shocked by this, as he had never been informed an update was needed. 

    “That’s because his VA notices had been thrown away without his awareness. 

    “Richard contacted my office in Lincoln after trying for months to submit the needed paperwork. 

    “This disabled veteran had no way of repaying this debt that he incurred accidentally. 

    “My team got involved and helped establish a claim. 

    “The VA updated his dependent status which wiped away Richard’s debt, saving him nearly $20,000.

    “Other times, oversight means ensuring Nebraska companies are not overlooked on federal directories. 

    “A healthcare provider in Eastern Nebraska reached out to my office. 

    “They are an in-network provider for TRICARE. 

    “TRICARE is the health care program that serves our military members, veterans, and their families. 

    “However, TRICARE’s website failed to list this provider as an acceptable option.

    “That simple omission caused serious confusion. 

    “Patients didn’t know they could get care from this provider. 

    “As a result, this provider faced an estimated $150,000 in lost revenue.

    “My team reached out to TriWest, a contractor who manages TRICARE’s network in our region. 

    “We pushed them to fix the website and ensure this provider was listed correctly.

    “Thanks to our efforts, the problem was resolved.

    “The VA website was updated. 

    “Now, military families and veterans who are TRICARE beneficiaries can see this proud Nebraska company listed as a trusted, in-network provider. 

    “That’s not just a win for this provider. 

    “It’s a win for every Nebraskan who depends on clear information and quality care.

    “These are just two of many examples of how my team and I work every day to help Nebraskans navigate the federal bureaucracy. 

    “We’re continuing the fight to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure federal agencies serve the people. 

    “From streamlining government to cutting taxes on Social Security, tips, and military retirement benefits, I’ll keep working to make government work better.

    “We’re going to continue delivering excellent customer service for our constituents. 

    “Nebraskans deserve nothing less.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham Praises Supreme Court for Protecting Life, Siding with South Carolina in Medina v. Planned Parenthood

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on the U.S. Supreme Court issuing a 6-3 ruling in Medina v. Planned Parenthood. Because of the decision, South Carolina and other states can stop abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, from being funded by Medicaid.

     In February, Graham led an amicus curiae – or friend of the court – brief along with U.S. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and U.S. Representative Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina) in support of South Carolina’s determination that Planned Parenthood does not qualify to receive Medicaid funding.

     “This is one of the most consequential rulings in the history of the Supreme Court for the pro-life movement, reaffirming states’ ability to protect the unborn. I led the amicus briefs to the Court in partnership with Senator Scott and Congressman Norman throughout the entire process in support of South Carolina’s law that prohibited Medicaid funds from being used by Planned Parenthood.

     “South Carolina’s decision to deny Planned Parenthood the ability to receive Medicaid funding was the right decision for the taxpayer and the pro-life movement.

     “I am so proud of Governor McMaster and our state legislature for leading on this issue, taking a stand for the unborn and having their efforts ratified by the Supreme Court of the United States. Well done to everyone involved.”

     Background:

    Under federal law and guidance, states administer Medicaid plans, including deciding which medical providers qualify to receive payments for certain services. In 2018, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster ordered the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to disqualify abortion clinics from receiving Medicaid funding. Over the course of three years, Planned Parenthood received over $1.5 billion in state Medicaid reimbursements nationwide, which is one of their largest funding sources.

     Following South Carolina’s determination, Planned Parenthood and one of its clients sued the DHHS Director in federal court, claiming a right to force DHHS to reverse that decision.

     Graham led amicus briefs with Scott and Norman in support of South Carolina throughout the entire process.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Oklahoma City Locals Join Forces to Lift Up Community Members in Need

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM Local 850’s Women’s Committee, along with IAM Local 2909, recently partnered with Upward Transitions, an Oklahoma City nonprofit, for an outreach event as part of the charity’s 100-year celebration.

    Local 850 offered to host the “Gears and Shears” event at their union hall, where volunteers provided free haircuts, hygiene care kits, and a cookout-style meal to local people in need.

    “We got the word out by handing out our flyer at the local shelters, a day shelter and a night shelter, and it was posted on their notification screens,” said IAM Local 850 Secretary-Treasurer Alana Kirkpatrick. “We hand-billed residents of a low-income, public housing apartment complex just down the road from the union hall and walked through camps of unhoused people around the city to encourage people to come.”

    IAM Local 850 Women’s Committee Chair Tamara Wood formerly worked at Upward Transitions and introduced the idea of a partnership to the local.

    “We will be making this an annual event,” said Wood. “We recruited volunteer barbers, and next time we’ll have twice as many. We merged our locals’ Women’s Committees, we meet together a lot, and we put in a lot of hard work to make this first event happen.”

    “Our Women’s Committee has really stepped up to aid our community,” said IAM Local 850 President Larry Solomon. “This was a huge success. All credit goes to the Women’s Committee, and I can definitely see our Local doing more community service like this in the future.”

    “It’s just really great here in Oklahoma City because we all gather together. We’re not separate local unions, we are all one union fighting for the same cause, and we work really well together in getting things done,” said IAM Local 2909 President Jaime Myers, who led her local to participate in the project.

    “We are also planning a Labor Day event, a bowling tournament, and a Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines fundraiser,” said Myers. “It has been amazing working together; they give me so much inspiration and hope doing this together. That’s what I love about our unions.”

    Oklahoma AFL-CIO Political Director Isabella Rodriguez helped enormously to coordinate the event. The Oklahoma AFL-CIO donated most of the food and drinks, Local 2909 donated condiments, and Oklahoma AFL-CIO President Jimmy Curry manned the grill.

    IAM Local 850 member James Taylor, who owns a barbering business in addition to working at Tinker Air Force Base, was one of the four volunteer barbers/hair stylists.

    Dozens of community members came to be treated to a fresh cut, hot plates, and cold drinks in the shade. The locals thought of everything, including making baby pools and pet supplies available for those who brought their pets, a special consideration on the 92-degree day.

    “I’m incredibly proud of these locals for working together to do something very generous for their shared community in Oklahoma City,” said IAM District 171 Directing Business Representative Ben Moody, who comes from Local 850 and attended to support and help wherever needed. “I imagine next year’s event will be even more successful now that they’ve done their first.”

    “‘Service to the community’ is in our union’s motto for a reason and these locals are really exemplifying it,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Ritchie Johnsen. “Communities trust local unions, their fellow working people and neighbors, when they need help and our union members always step up for their communities.”

    “Aviation and aerospace is the largest industry in the Oklahoma City region, employing thousands of IAM members like those of Local 850 at Tinker Air Force Base,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Craig Martin. “These members and their family-supporting, union jobs are vital to the local economy and lift up the surrounding area. I could not be more proud than to see these members engage with their community members who have fallen on hard times and do what they can to help.”

    The event saw somewhere between 120 and 150 community members and all food and hygiene kits were distributed before haircuts were finished.

    The post Oklahoma City Locals Join Forces to Lift Up Community Members in Need appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Swanzey Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Stealing Firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Winchester

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    CONCORD – A Swanzey man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for stealing 18 firearms from Trader John’s Gun Shop in Winchester, New Hampshire, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    Khale Guillou, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot to 18 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release.  In March 2025, Guillou pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee (FFL). 

    “The defendant stole 18 guns from an FFL and, just days later, shell casings were found in his car. This case highlights the dangerous link between gun thefts and violent crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “Yesterday’s sentence sends a message that we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who fuel gun violence are held accountable.” 

    “ATF’s collaboration with our industry partners forms the first line of defense against firearms trafficking and diversion,” said Acting ATF SAC Scott Riordan. “ATF prioritizes investigations which both victimize those industry partners and endanger the community by placing guns in criminal hands. This investigation reflects ATF’s commitment to protect federal firearm licensees and ensure firearms in lawful commerce are not diverted for criminal use.”

    According to the court documents and statements made in court, on the night of July 6, 2024, Guillou broke into Trader John’s Gun Shop and stole 17 handguns and one rifle. Nine days later, Guillou’s car was involved in a shooting in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Law enforcement recovered three of Trader John’s stolen firearms from the trunk of Guillou’s car and spent shell casings from inside the vehicle. Three additional stolen firearms were recovered from Guillou’s home, two of which were also taken from Trader John’s Gun Shop.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation. The Keene, Swanzey, Winchester, and Tewksbury Police Departments provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski prosecuted the case.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –