NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Statement: “Netanyahu Was Wrong in 2002. He Is Wrong Now.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    BURLINGTON, Vt., June 19 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement:

    In 2002, in testimony to Congress urging the United States to go to war in Iraq, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated: “There is no question whatsoever that Saddam is seeking… nuclear weapons…. If you take out Saddam’s regime, I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations.”  

    Netanyahu was wrong. Very wrong. The war in Iraq resulted in 4,492 U.S. military deaths, over 32,000 wounded, and a cost of roughly three trillion dollars. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis also died as a result of that tragic war.

    Netanyahu was wrong regarding the war in Iraq. He is wrong now. We must not get involved in Netanyahu’s war against Iran.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: North Dakota Set to Welcome Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in 2026

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Monumental cultural destination to celebrate the life, legacy, and leadership of America’s 26th President

    North Dakota will mark the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026 with a milestone of its own: the grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL) during Independence Day celebrations in early July. Set in the iconic Badlands near Medora, the Library will honor the influence of the 26th President of the United States by bringing his story to life in the same rugged landscape that helped shape his enduring ideals of leadership, conservation, and the American spirit.

    Perched on a bluff overlooking the Little Missouri River at the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, TRPL will enrich the western North Dakota experience. Designed by Snøhetta, the architectural firm behind the Oslo Opera House, TRPL is being built to meet the Living Building Challenge. This rigorous undertaking, achieved by only 35 buildings worldwide, means the TRPL will generate its own energy, treat its own water, and operate in harmony with nature.

    TRPL will serve as both a museum and a gateway to exploration, drawing on Roosevelt’s prolific writings, historical milestones, and lifelong devotion to the “strenuous life” to inspire generations through his legacy as the “Conservation President” and advocate for civic responsibility.

    “The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform how we tell the story of one of America’s most influential leaders,” said Sara Otte Coleman, Director of North Dakota Tourism. “Roosevelt’s time in North Dakota shaped his values and vision. This library will do the same for every visitor—sparking discovery, connection, and a deeper understanding of our shared history all within the beautiful badlands of North Dakota.”

    Inside TRPL, visitors won’t just learn about Theodore Roosevelt they will walk beside him. From beginning to end, the experience is a journey not just through Roosevelt’s life, but through the values that shaped America. It will feature interactive exhibits, immersive storytelling, and curated landscapes that reflect Roosevelt’s commitment to conservation, public service, and personal resilience. In addition to showcasing the former president’s achievements, the TRPL will highlight his deep ties to North Dakota, including his transformative years as a rancher in the Badlands following personal tragedy.

    TRPL is also partnering with Microsoft to develop a groundbreaking AI-powered digital platform that unifies Roosevelt’s archives from 33 collections across 18 institutions. This will make his writings, letters, and legacy easily searchable and accessible, enabling scholars, students, and storytellers worldwide to engage with Roosevelt’s story in new and meaningful ways.

    “We’re creating a People’s Presidential Library that welcomes everyone—physically, digitally, and emotionally.” said Ed O’Keefe, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. “We are proud to open our doors in North Dakota, the very place that so profoundly shaped the indomitable spirit of Roosevelt. Our aspiration is for each visitor not merely to recall history’s echoes, but to step into it.”

    The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is expected to become a cornerstone of North Dakota’s tourism experience, spurring visitation, educational tourism, and community development. North Dakota Tourism is collaborating with the TRPL and partners statewide to create integrated travel experiences, themed road trips, and conservation-focused programming to celebrate the state’s deep connection to Theodore Roosevelt.

    For more information and ongoing updates, visit www.ndtourism.com/theodore-roosevelt-man-legend or www.trlibrary.com/.

    ###

    Editor’s Notes: Additional visual assets of Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library are available here with access code NDTRPL26. Media interested in visiting TRPL, may sign up for more information here: www.trlibrary.com/press/tours.

    Follow North Dakota Tourism on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TravelND, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/northdakotalegendary/ or on X at x.com/NorthDakota and get tips on what to see and do all year long.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom proclaims Juneteenth Day of Observance

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jun 19, 2025

    Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring “Juneteenth National Freedom Day: A Day of Observance” in the State of California.

    The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below:

    PROCLAMATION

    July 4 is not the only day America celebrates its independence. Each year on June 19, we look back to this day in 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger led troops into Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of the Civil War and the insidious institution of slavery. Thousands of enslaved people in Texas, among the last to learn of their independence, were finally freed, more than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

    Over the next several decades, Black Americans who journeyed out of the South in search of better lives brought Juneteenth celebrations with them. The thousands who settled in California, especially in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, taught our state that America’s struggle for freedom did not end in 1776 or 1865, but continues to this day.

    California is proud to recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday, honoring the centuries of struggles and triumphs that have brought us to this moment. Misguided efforts to rewrite our nation’s history make our state’s commitment to confronting the dark chapters of our past all the more important, as we move forward in pursuit of a more perfect union.

    This Juneteenth, I urge all Californians to reflect on the ongoing cause of freedom for Black Americans – remembering that, though General Granger’s announcement in 1865 called for “absolute equality,” that vision was, and remains, far from complete. Let us celebrate how far we have come and take stock of how far we must go to truly realize our nation’s founding ideals.

    NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2025 as “Juneteenth National Freedom Day: A Day of Observance.”

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 27th day of May 2025.

    GAVIN NEWSOM
    Governor of California

    ATTEST:
    SHIRLEY N. WEBER, Ph.D.
    Secretary of State

    Recent news

    Jun 18, 2025

    News What you need to know: The Trump administration announced today that is has directed the national suicide prevention hotline to stop offering specialized support to LGBTQ callers. California continues to support this population.  SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin…

    Jun 18, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Dina El-Tawansy, of San Leandro, has been appointed Director of the California Department of Transportation. El-Tawansy has been District 4 Director at the California Department of…

    Jun 18, 2025

    News What you need to know: President Trump’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles has already left crews fighting fires across the state short-staffed. SACRAMENTO – As multiple fires burn across the state today, a critical firefighting resource is short-staffed due…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Questions Army Leaders on Munitions Production, Drone Utilization and Funding Challenges

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) questioned Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George about the Army’s modernization initiative and its potential impact as well as the importance of stable funding and current and future drone capabilities at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing.

    “I share your concerns with modernization. I share the concerns of many in Congress about the loss of the organic industrial base. Current events have made one thing clear: the commercial industrial base alone cannot meet our munitions demands. That’s why Congress has advocated for investing in Army-owned, organic industrial base facilities,” Boozman said.

    “It is – there are probably a couple of threats if we don’t figure out how to get scalable solutions together, we are going to put our Army in a bad position and that is absolutely one of them. I would be honored to work with you,” Driscoll stated.

    Boozman, along with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04), has pushed back on the Army’s intentions to potentially downsize the Pine Bluff Arsenal rather than expand its operations to help meet munitions needs. The lawmakers subsequently called for detailed plans for the future of the Arsenal as a critical element of the defense industrial base.

    As a senior Appropriations Committee member, Boozman also questioned the effect temporary funding and authorities – in the form or continuing resolutions – has on military missions and commitments.

    “We wouldn’t be able to make some of the changes because it would be based on previous years. That would obviously be a detriment to us in the Army. We know the battlefield is constantly changing,” George responded.

    “Predictable funding is a virtuous concept that helps us in a lot of different ways. When we continue to have CRs, it makes our spending decisions and the downstream effect on our suppliers even more amplified,” Driscoll continued.

    The senator concluded by pressing for details on the Army’s plan to integrate and field mass small drone technology in light of recent drone attacks abroad, including Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web that successfully targeted Russia’s air fleet.

    “We need to produce – we’re producing very few drones stateside. We need to have [that] here in our organic industrial base. That’s certainly one area where there’s an intersection where we need to improve on,” George explained.

    Boozman previously discussed the threat of drone attacks on U.S. domestic military installations and assets with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Community Savings expands its Union Asset Management division with addition of USW Local 2009

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia / Unceded Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With a focus on aligning long-term financial strategy with union values, United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2009 has selected Community Savings Credit Union’s Union Asset Management division as its investment partner – continuing to partner with a credit union that the USW helped establish as the International Woodworkers of America in 1944.

    The partnership comes as BC’s forestry and steel sectors face mounting pressures from ongoing tariff disputes and market volatility, making values-aligned investment partnerships more critical than ever for union members’ financial security.

    “This isn’t just about finding another investment manager. It’s about keeping union money working for union values,” said Al Bieksa, USW Local 2009 President. “In forestry and steel, we’re dealing with constant uncertainty from tariff announcements and trade barriers. Community Savings has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of union values and a thoughtful approach to growing investments for our members. Having an investment partner that understands our industry challenges and won’t ship our capital off to Bay Street makes real sense for our members.”

    Raj Khunkhun, President of Community Savings’ Union Asset Management division, said: “When unions pool their investment power, they can demand better returns for their members. In partnership with NEI Investments, we manage global investments while ensuring profits are retained in Canada, providing returns that matter to the labour movement. Our work with USW Local 2009 will continue through this shared mission and will support the financial security and growth of union members across the region. We’re not just managing money – we’re building the financial foundation that lets working people fight for better wages, safer workplaces, and stronger communities.”

    The Union Asset Management division offers fund management for pensions, benefits, and other investments. It partners with NEI Investments, a Canadian asset manager specializing in responsible investing with over $11 billion under management.

    For Local 2009’s members, many of whom work in industries facing significant economic headwinds, the partnership offers stability through turbulent times. The credit union’s approach prioritizes long-term security over short-term speculation which is crucial for workers in cyclical industries like forestry and steel.

    The move also strengthens Community Savings’ position as BC’s largest fully unionized credit union. Since becoming Canada’s first Living Wage employer in 2010, the institution has demonstrated that financial services can operate on cooperative principles while delivering competitive results.

    USW represents 225,000 members across nearly every economic sector in Canada and is North America’s largest private-sector union, with 850,000 members across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.

    Union organizations interested in learning more about Union Asset Management services can visit: comsavings.com/assetmanagement

    About Community Savings Credit Union: Community Savings Credit Union is driven by its purpose to unite working people to build a just world. As BC’s largest fully unionized credit union, Community Savings provides banking services while living its values – from becoming Canada’s first Living Wage employer in 2010 to winning the 2022 BCBusiness Workplace Wellness Award.

    Community Savings operates seven branches across the Lower Mainland and Victoria. For more information, visit comsavings.com.

    Media Contact
    Yulu Public Relations
    cscu@yulupr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s Statement on Juneteenth Holiday

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Pressley Continues to Lead Charge for Bold Policies That Protect Black Freedom, Advance Racial Justice

    BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement marking the Juneteenth federal holiday. Congresswoman Pressley remains steadfast in her advocacy for bold policies that protect Black freedom, safeguard Black history, and advance racial justice, including reparations.

    “On Juneteenth, we celebrate Black joy, Black history, Black brilliance, and Black emancipation. We honor our ancestors whose resistance and sacrifice made this day possible, and we thank today’s freedom fighters who carry forward their legacy. Juneteenth is a reminder that Black freedom was fought for and won by Black people, and today our struggle for collective liberation continues.

    “In this moment of anti-Blackness on steroids—when our very existence is under attack, our history is being erased, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are under assault, and our civil rights are under threat from the highest levels of government—we must remain unapologetic in advancing bold policies that protect Black lives and freedom. That means passing H.R. 40, our bill to advance reparations and address America’s shameful legacy of slavery. It means safeguarding voting rights, securing reproductive freedom, and ending the Black maternal morbidity crisis. It means investing in Baby Bonds, confronting the rise of book bans, ending mass incarceration, investing in housing and education as human rights, and so much more.

    “As communities across the country, from Texas to Roxbury and beyond, gather to observe Freedom Day, we’re reminded that Black joy is itself an act of resistance—a declaration of our worth and our power. As we commemorate this day, let us honor our ancestors not just through reflection, but through action, organizing, and policy change that bring us closer to the emancipation and freedom they dreamt of and fought so hard for.”

    In 2020, Congresswoman Pressley joined civil rights champion and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) in supporting legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday and authored an op-ed in WBUR advocating for its enactment. Rep. Pressley applauded the House’s passage of the bill in 2021.

    Rep. Pressley is the lead House sponsor of H.R. 40, historic legislation to establish a federal commission to examine the lasting legacy of slavery and develop reparations proposals for African American descendants of enslaved people. This week, she announced growing momentum behind the bill, which now has the support of nearly 100 national and grassroots organizations and over 80 members of Congress.

    Rep. Pressley is also the author of the Books Save Lives Act, legislation to help ensure an inclusive learning environment and counteract the harm of book bans across the country. 

    Throughout her time in Congress, Rep. Pressley has championed policies to address the harmful legacy of slavery and support the true liberation of Black America, including Baby Bonds, a People’s Justice Guarantee, student debt cancellation, addressing the Black maternal morbidity crisis, supporting Black-owned microbusinesses, promoting anti-racist public health policy, and more.

    In April 2025, Rep. Pressley met with Northeastern University’s Center for Law, Equity, and Race to discuss efforts and further action in a shared push for reparative justice.

    Congresswoman Pressley is the lead sponsor of the People’s Justice Guarantee (PJG) – her comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system. 

    Last year, Rep. Pressley and House Oversight Ranking Member Jamies Raskin introduced the Federal Government Equity Improvement Act and the Equity in Agency Planning Act to codify racial equity across federal agencies and improve government services for underserved communities.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Secures Digital Asset License in Georgia, Running its Global Expansion Strategy in Eastern Europe

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has secured regulatory approval in Georgia to operate as a provider of digital asset exchange and custodial wallet services through the Tbilisi Free Zone (TFZ). The new licensing development is a strategic expansion aligned with Bitget’s plans of growing its licensing portfolio in Eastern Europe, a region increasingly dictating the growth of crypto through open regulatory frameworks and progressive economic outlooks.

    Georgia has emerged as a notable hub for crypto innovation, drawing attention with its pro-business stance and supportive environment for crypto and blockchain companies. Ranked among the top countries for crypto mining per capita and blockchain integration, Georgia has actively pursued policies to align with global financial standards while embracing the strong potential of emerging cryptospace. The Tbilisi Free Zone offers tax advantages and has set frameworks and procedures for companies in the digital asset space, making it a hotbed for international players seeking operational flexibility with regulatory clarity.

    “Regions with strong crypto-friendly frameworks are creating the foundation for the next era of finance. Georgia is an example of how strategic policymaking can open doors for growth while guarding users’ safety and increasing accessibility. Bitget’s goal is to work hand-in-hand with jurisdictions that understand the long game—where crypto is a synonym for the new emerging global economic infrastructure,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget.

    Bitget’s entrance into Georgia aligns with its broader objective of strengthening its presence in markets that support responsible innovation. As crypto adoption accelerates in Eastern Europe, the region has become increasingly important for digital asset platforms looking to serve both institutional and retail users under compliant structures. Regulatory transparency in jurisdictions like Georgia helps ensure that growth is matched with accountability, a principle that aligns with Bitget’s international expansion approach.

    Bitget currently holds registrations in several key jurisdictions across Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. These include AUSTRAC in Australia, OAM in Italy, and Virtual Asset Service Provider listings in Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic. In the UK, Bitget operates its FCA-approved platform partnering with an Authorized Person for the purposes of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. In addition, Bitget’s recent licenses in El Salvador and registration Argentina adds depth to its reach across both rising and established economies, marking a deliberate move into markets shaping the next wave of crypto adoption.

    The newly acquired license in Georgia builds on this momentum—signaling a preference for regions implementing crypto-friendly frameworks and regulatory prudence. Each new license marks yet another step towards Bitget’s global strategy to include crypto into everyday infrastructure with high quality products, world-class security and strong compliance towards local regulations.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform. Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/595c8101-71b3-4f99-9849-5682104ad6de

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Further Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Extension.  (a)  The enforcement delay specified in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14166 of January 20, 2025 (Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok), as extended by Executive Order 14258 of April 4, 2025 (Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay), is further extended until September 17, 2025.  During this period, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the “Act”) (Public Law 118-50, Div. H) or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act, including for distributing, maintaining, or updating (or enabling the distribution, maintenance, or updating) of any foreign adversary controlled application as defined in the Act.  In light of this direction, even after the expiration of the above-specified period, the Department of Justice shall not take any action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period or any period prior to the issuance of this order, including the period of time from January 19, 2025, until the date of this order.(b)  The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to issue written guidance to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.(c)  The Attorney General shall further issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period, as well as for any conduct from the effective date of the Act until the date of this order.(d)  Because of the national security interests at stake and because section 2(d) of the Act vests authority for investigations and enforcement of the Act only in the Attorney General, attempted enforcement by the States or private parties represents an encroachment on the powers of the Executive.  The Attorney General shall exercise all available authority to preserve and defend the Executive’s exclusive authority to enforce the Act.
    Sec. 2.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.(d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Justice. 
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    June 19, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Further Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Extension.  (a)  The enforcement delay specified in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14166 of January 20, 2025 (Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok), as extended by Executive Order 14258 of April 4, 2025 (Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay), is further extended until September 17, 2025.  During this period, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the “Act”) (Public Law 118-50, Div. H) or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act, including for distributing, maintaining, or updating (or enabling the distribution, maintenance, or updating) of any foreign adversary controlled application as defined in the Act.  In light of this direction, even after the expiration of the above-specified period, the Department of Justice shall not take any action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period or any period prior to the issuance of this order, including the period of time from January 19, 2025, until the date of this order.(b)  The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to issue written guidance to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.(c)  The Attorney General shall further issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period, as well as for any conduct from the effective date of the Act until the date of this order.(d)  Because of the national security interests at stake and because section 2(d) of the Act vests authority for investigations and enforcement of the Act only in the Attorney General, attempted enforcement by the States or private parties represents an encroachment on the powers of the Executive.  The Attorney General shall exercise all available authority to preserve and defend the Executive’s exclusive authority to enforce the Act.
    Sec. 2.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.(d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Justice. 
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    June 19, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Tech CU Hires Robyn Zach as VP, Senior Private Banking Relationship Manager

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif., June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Technology Credit Union (Tech CU) announced today that Robyn Zach has joined its Wealth Management team as Vice President, Senior Private Banking Relationship Manager. In this role, Robyn will support Tech CU’s Private Banking and Commercial Banking efforts across key growth markets, with an emphasis on the Bay Area. She will also be responsible for building and managing a portfolio of high-net-worth members, identifying new commercial opportunities, and collaborating across divisions to deliver tailored banking solutions.

    Robyn brings over 30 years of experience in financial services, with deep expertise in managing high-net-worth relationships and delivering tailored financial solutions across deposits, lending, and strategic wealth planning. Most recently, she served as Senior Preferred Banker at First Republic Bank. After its acquisition by JP Morgan Chase, she continued on in a similar role as Vice President, Relationship Manager, where she oversaw a diverse portfolio of commercial and consumer clients. Prior to her time at JPMorgan Chase and First Republic Bank, Robyn held positions at City National Bank, Redwood Credit Union, and Bank of America.

    “Robyn’s hybrid background across private and commercial banking, combined with her long-standing client-first approach, makes her uniquely positioned to serve our expanding base of affluent and business clients,” said Robert Reed, Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Banking Officer at Tech CU. “Her expertise and network will be instrumental as we strengthen our relationships in the Bay Area and expand our presence in emerging markets. We’re excited about the value she will bring to our members and the communities we serve.”

    For more information about Tech CU, visit www.techcu.com.

    About Tech CU
    Tech CU is a $4.7 billion Bay Area credit union. As a federally insured not-for-profit organization, Tech CU has invested its resources to deliver superior rates, lower fees, and outstanding service and member benefits for more than 60 years while also supporting quality of life in local communities. It serves more than 200,000 members throughout the United States and provides financial products for all stages of its members’ lives, including personal banking, wealth management, private banking, commercial lending, and business banking. To learn more, please visit www.techcu.com.

    Contact:
    Linden Kohtz
    Public Relations, Tech CU
    lkohtz@techcu.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Tech CU Hires Robyn Zach as VP, Senior Private Banking Relationship Manager

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif., June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Technology Credit Union (Tech CU) announced today that Robyn Zach has joined its Wealth Management team as Vice President, Senior Private Banking Relationship Manager. In this role, Robyn will support Tech CU’s Private Banking and Commercial Banking efforts across key growth markets, with an emphasis on the Bay Area. She will also be responsible for building and managing a portfolio of high-net-worth members, identifying new commercial opportunities, and collaborating across divisions to deliver tailored banking solutions.

    Robyn brings over 30 years of experience in financial services, with deep expertise in managing high-net-worth relationships and delivering tailored financial solutions across deposits, lending, and strategic wealth planning. Most recently, she served as Senior Preferred Banker at First Republic Bank. After its acquisition by JP Morgan Chase, she continued on in a similar role as Vice President, Relationship Manager, where she oversaw a diverse portfolio of commercial and consumer clients. Prior to her time at JPMorgan Chase and First Republic Bank, Robyn held positions at City National Bank, Redwood Credit Union, and Bank of America.

    “Robyn’s hybrid background across private and commercial banking, combined with her long-standing client-first approach, makes her uniquely positioned to serve our expanding base of affluent and business clients,” said Robert Reed, Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Banking Officer at Tech CU. “Her expertise and network will be instrumental as we strengthen our relationships in the Bay Area and expand our presence in emerging markets. We’re excited about the value she will bring to our members and the communities we serve.”

    For more information about Tech CU, visit www.techcu.com.

    About Tech CU
    Tech CU is a $4.7 billion Bay Area credit union. As a federally insured not-for-profit organization, Tech CU has invested its resources to deliver superior rates, lower fees, and outstanding service and member benefits for more than 60 years while also supporting quality of life in local communities. It serves more than 200,000 members throughout the United States and provides financial products for all stages of its members’ lives, including personal banking, wealth management, private banking, commercial lending, and business banking. To learn more, please visit www.techcu.com.

    Contact:
    Linden Kohtz
    Public Relations, Tech CU
    lkohtz@techcu.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pride, pages and performance: Why drag story time matters more than ever

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Phillip Joy, Assistant Professor, Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent University

    June is Pride month. It is a time for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Two-Spirit, intersex and other sexuality- and gender-diverse (LGBTQ+) communities to come together to celebrate identities, build communities and advocate for justice and equality.

    This year’s pride carries added weight. As American legal scholar Luke Boso writes, “fear has taken hold in private, interpersonal, and public reactions,” following the rhetoric and policies promoted by United States President Donald Trump.

    His current term has been marked by a growing push to erase LGBTQ+ identities and limit queer expression in public life. Within this month of Pride, the Trump administration is planning to rename the USNS Harvey Milk naval ship, named after the late civil rights leader Harvey Milk.

    The implications of such actions, however, aren’t limited to the U.S. Similar patterns of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric have been documented across democratic countries, where drag events and other expressions of queer visibility have become flashpoints for harassment as far-right groups try to build support and spread anti-LGBTQ+ views.

    But with fear also comes hope. Even as events like drag story times have become targets of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and protests, communities continue to organize, resist and affirm their right to public joy and visibility.

    Our research, recently funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, explores drag story times with the hope to learn more about how drag story time leaders select books, and how these events can foster best practices in literacy and inclusive education.



    Read more:
    5 things to know about Drag Queen Story Time

    Drag story time as educational event

    Drag story times are more than just community events. They are creative, educational spaces often held in public venues such as libraries, schools or community centres. Typically led by a drag performer, these sessions invite children, along with parents, caregivers and educators, to enjoy storybooks that highlight themes like acceptance, self-expression, diversity and joy.

    Reading aloud with children serves as an avenue for the development of language and literacy. Young children can engage with vocabulary, content and ideas to construct meaning through texts that they may not, yet, have the skills to read on their own.

    At their core, drag story time events offer opportunities for child-centred literacy practices, such as dialogue and interactions throughout the “read aloud,” to encourage children to consider ideas and connect them as the story moves along.

    Reading aloud to children is a powerful way to nurture emotional, social and cognitive growth. Stories offer children what literacy scholars call mirrors (reflective ways to see themselves), windows (into understanding others) and “sliding glass doors,” — vantages for imagining new perspectives. When children encounter characters and families who reflect a range of lived experiences, it opens the door to conversations about empathy, acceptance and identity.

    What books are being read?

    A recent content analysis, by information sciences researcher Sarah Barriage and colleagues of 103 picture books read during drag story times in the U.S. found that few explicitly featured LGBTQ+ identities.

    The lead characters were predominantly white, cisgender, heterosexual and able-bodied, with only seven per cent of books featuring trans, non-binary or intersex leads, and another seven per cent portraying same-sex or undefined relationships. While this represents an increase in LGBTQ+ representation compared to other studies of story time books and classroom libraries, the overall percentage remains low.

    The findings of this study, while based on a small sample size, suggest that contrary to popular perception, drag story times, while featuring drag artists leading read-aloud sessions, are not consistently grounded in explicitly LGBTQ+ narratives.

    Rather, the books may be story-time favourites, (such as selections from Mo Williams’ Pigeon series), or texts that tend to promote broadly inclusive and affirming messages of individuality, confidence, empathy, inclusion and imagination (such as Todd Parr’s It’s Okay to Be Different).

    Books representing range of experiences

    This gap highlights the importance of thoughtfully selecting books that reflect a wider range of experiences, including LGBTQ+ main characters and stories. When children are shown diverse characters and stories, they begin to understand the world from multiple perspectives.

    Researchers with expertise in children’s early literacy recommend that books for interactive read-alouds with children should reflect both the children’s communities and communities different from their own. Such books can spark meaningful conversations, encourage critical thinking and help cultivate empathy and respect for difference. This prepares young readers for life in a multicultural society and helps build a more inclusive and compassionate world view.

    Euphoria: being gender-aligned, authentic

    Apart from the specific book content shared with children at drag story time, these events provide opportunities for children and families to engage with diverse gender and sexuality expressions in a safe, inclusive setting with their caregivers. Such exposure does not cause confusion in children, but rather supports healthy development by fostering empathy, self-awareness and acceptance.

    This may come from or be expressed through the euphoria or joy that comes from feeling aligned and authentic in your gender. The idea of “gender euphoria” comes from within the trans community as a way to push back against the narrow narrative that trans lives are defined only by dysphoria, trauma or discomfort.

    Instead, gender euphoria highlights the positive side that come with expressing or affirming one’s gender identity. It can look different for everyone, from a quiet sense of contentment to a powerful feeling of joy.

    Communities affirm their right to public joy and visibility. Drag Queen Barbada de Barbades, who has led story times, seen in Montréal.
    (Jennifer Ricard/Wikimedia), CC BY

    Queer joy

    Queer joy is also a feature of drag story time, and is more than just feeling good. it is about living fully, even in the face of adversity. It is an act of resistance to a world that often tells queer and trans people they should not exist. Children still die because of hateful anti-LGTBQ+ speech.

    Together, gender euphoria and queer joy remind us that LGBTQ+ lives can be full of strength, creativity, connection and celebration.

    When children see diversity reflective in creative, positive and affirming ways, such as through stories, role models and community engagement, they are more likely to feel a sense of belonging and develop confidence in expressing their own identities. In this way, drag story times contribute meaningfully to both individual well-being and broader efforts towards inclusion.

    Best literacy and inclusion practices

    As part of our research, we plan to attend drag story times to learn more about current practices in Nova Scotia. At the national level, we will talk with performers about their experiences, practices, support and training needs and their goals and motivations.

    Then we’ll co-host a workshop with performers and educators to share knowledge and build skills that combine the artistry of drag with best practices in literacy and inclusive education.

    Drag story times can be a healthy and supportive way for children to develop their sense of gender and sexuality identity, both within themselves and others.

    Phillip Joy receives funding from The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

    Andrea Fraser receives funding from The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

    Conor Barker receives funding from the Social Studies and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

    – ref. Pride, pages and performance: Why drag story time matters more than ever – https://theconversation.com/pride-pages-and-performance-why-drag-story-time-matters-more-than-ever-258508

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Josh Brecheen Leads Letter to EPA Asking for Answers on Negative Effects of Mifepristone Abortion Pill

    Source: US Congressman Josh Brecheen (2nd District)

    Today, Congressman Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Senator James Lankford (R-OK), and over 20 lawmakers sent a letter to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lee Zeldin inquiring about the full negative effects of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone, specifically on its potential contaminant effects on America’s water supply.

    The Daily Wire wrote an exclusive report on the letter, which you can read here.

    Congressman Josh Brecheen stated, “Abortion is one of the defining evils of our time. The Biden-Harris administration worked tirelessly to promote this evil, repeatedly lying about the ‘safety’ of the abortion pill and ignoring legitimate concerns about mifepristone’s widespread availability.

    We recognize that the greatest tragedy of every abortion is the murder of the innocent. But we are also concerned that activist bureaucrats overlooked real public health risks posed by mifepristone in their crusade to expand abortion access.

    With chemical abortion now the most common abortion method in America, the public deserves answers about how these potent hormone disruptors affect our water supply and contribute to our nation’s rising infertility rates.

    We are grateful to work alongside an administration that recognizes the sanctity of life, as well as the importance of public health. We urge the EPA to use this opportunity to seriously review the contaminant effects of mifepristone.”

    Senator James Lankford stated, “Federal regulators are rightfully eager to study the health effects of many chemicals in our water and septic systems, but they haven’t examined the environmental and public health risks of chemical abortion drugs like mifepristone in those same systems. Scientific research on the health effects of water sources where there are trace amounts of a chemical that is designed to end the life of a child in the womb should not be controversial.”

    In support of the letter, Students for Life Action President Kristan Hawkins said, “Great leaders ask hard questions, making this letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) vital for consideration by the new Trump Administration. The Biden-Harris Administration recklessly used COVID to justify allowing No Test, Online Distribution of Chemical Abortion Pills, never checking whether the chemically tainted blood, placenta tissue, and human remains now flushed into our waterways by the hundreds of thousands was harming the environment. You don’t have to be pro-life to be concerned about endocrine disruptors in our waterways, potentially impacting our water safety, harming endangered species & our food supply, and perhaps even multiplying the rate of infertility. The Pro-Life Generation proudly stands with Rep. Josh Brecheen and Sen. James Lankford and all who joined this effort to make sure that America has crystal clear water by demanding that the EPA test what’s in the water.”

    Brecheen and Lankford were joined by U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (WY), Bernie Moreno (OH), and Jim Banks (IN), along with Representatives Andy Harris (R-MD), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Chip Roy (R-TX), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Brandon Gill (R-X), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Michael Guest (R-MS), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Ben Cline (R-NC), Mary Miller (R-IL), Mark Harris (R-NC), Barry Moore (R-AL), Riley Moore (R-WV), Sheri Biggs (R-SC), and Eric Burlison (R-MO).

    Background:

    President Biden’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deregulated mifepristone, allowing pregnant women to receive this chemical abortion drug by mail delivery, without an in-person doctor visit. Since then, the number of abortions using mifepristone has grown dramatically, accounting for over 60% of all abortions in the United States. The increased use and disposal of mifepristone may increase levels of harmful chemicals in our water system due to the drug’s high levels of endocrine disruptors.

    A copy of the full letter is available here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Landmarks Lit in Celebration of Juneteenth

    Source: US State of New York

    Official websites use ny.gov

    A ny.gov website belongs to an official New York State government organization.

    Secure ny.gov websites use HTTPS

    A lock icon or https:// means you’ve safely connected to a ny.gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    June 19, 2025

    Albany, NY

    Fifteen Landmarks To Be Lit Statewide at the Governor’s Direction To Commemorate the End of Slavery in the United States

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that landmarks across New York State will be illuminated red, black, and green tonight, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth.

    “Juneteenth marks a pivotal moment in American history — the end of slavery and the beginning of a continued struggle for true equality,” Governor Hochul said. “This commemoration is both a celebration and a call to action as we continue to confront injustice and build a more just and equitable future for all New Yorkers.”

    The landmarks to be lit in recognition of Juneteenth include:

    • One World Trade Center
    • Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
    • Kosciuszko Bridge
    • The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
    • State Education Building
    • Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
    • Empire State Plaza
    • State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
    • Niagara Falls
    • The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
    • Grand Central Terminal – Pershing Square Viaduct
    • Albany International Airport Gateway
    • MTA LIRR – East End Gateway at Penn Station
    • Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
    • Moynihan Train Hall

    You are leaving the official State of New York website.

    The State of New York does not imply approval of the listed destinations, warrant the accuracy of any information set out in those destinations, or endorse any opinions expressed therein. External web sites operate at the direction of their respective owners who should be contacted directly with questions regarding the content of these sites.

    Visit Site

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Cammack and Hern Introduce Legislation to Protect Patients in Federal Health Programs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Representatives Kat Cammack (FL-03) and Kevin Hern (OK-01) introduced the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act to ensure that Americans with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and rare conditions are not devalued in federal health care decisions. This legislation prohibits the use of Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs)—a metric that assigns lower value to lives with disabilities— in federal programs like Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and ACA exchanges. 

    “The use of so-called cost-effective measures like QALYs threatens access to lifesaving care for the most vulnerable Americans,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “I am honored to lead this legislation alongside my colleague Rep. Kevin Hern to ensure that no patient is denied treatment simply because a mathematical formula decided their life is worth less. Every American—regardless of disability, chronic illness, or rare condition—deserves equal access to care.”

    “QALY measurements strip humanity away from a patient, leaving only dollar signs and data points. That has no place in our health care system. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and given the best care available,” said Congressman Hern. “I am proud to join Congresswoman Cammack on this bill to ban QALY measurements in all federal health care programs.” 

    “I am excited my colleagues Representatives Cammack and Hern have reintroduced the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Guthrie. “We owe it to Americans – no matter the age, disability status, or measure of health – to provide high-quality care under federal health care programs. I’m thankful to both of my colleagues for reintroducing this sensible legislation that stops the immoral practice of placing arbitrary value on human life within our health care system.”

    BACKGROUND: 

    Last Congress, this legislation passed the House with strong Republican support under the leadership of House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO), Rep. Michael Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), and Rep. Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. (R-OH). 

    In the 119th Congress, the legislation will again receive a dual referral to both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Cammack and Hern Introduce Legislation to Protect Patients in Federal Health Programs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Representatives Kat Cammack (FL-03) and Kevin Hern (OK-01) introduced the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act to ensure that Americans with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and rare conditions are not devalued in federal health care decisions. This legislation prohibits the use of Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs)—a metric that assigns lower value to lives with disabilities— in federal programs like Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and ACA exchanges. 

    “The use of so-called cost-effective measures like QALYs threatens access to lifesaving care for the most vulnerable Americans,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “I am honored to lead this legislation alongside my colleague Rep. Kevin Hern to ensure that no patient is denied treatment simply because a mathematical formula decided their life is worth less. Every American—regardless of disability, chronic illness, or rare condition—deserves equal access to care.”

    “QALY measurements strip humanity away from a patient, leaving only dollar signs and data points. That has no place in our health care system. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and given the best care available,” said Congressman Hern. “I am proud to join Congresswoman Cammack on this bill to ban QALY measurements in all federal health care programs.” 

    “I am excited my colleagues Representatives Cammack and Hern have reintroduced the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Guthrie. “We owe it to Americans – no matter the age, disability status, or measure of health – to provide high-quality care under federal health care programs. I’m thankful to both of my colleagues for reintroducing this sensible legislation that stops the immoral practice of placing arbitrary value on human life within our health care system.”

    BACKGROUND: 

    Last Congress, this legislation passed the House with strong Republican support under the leadership of House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO), Rep. Michael Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), and Rep. Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. (R-OH). 

    In the 119th Congress, the legislation will again receive a dual referral to both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Netanyahu vows to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat as conflict enters seventh day

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday reaffirmed his country’s commitment to neutralizing Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, as direct hostilities between the two West Asian powers entered their seventh day, raising fears of a broader regional war.

    Speaking in a nationally televised address, Netanyahu condemned Iran’s latest missile strikes, including a direct hit on the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. The attack, which Israeli officials labeled a violation of international humanitarian law, has drawn widespread international condemnation.

    Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the hospital was not the intended target, asserting that the strike aimed at nearby military infrastructure. However, the missile impact on the medical facility has intensified scrutiny over Iran’s targeting methods amid escalating violence.

    In an extraordinary move, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the elimination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is now considered a core objective of Israel’s war strategy — a dramatic shift from previous policies centered largely on containing Iran through proxy conflicts.

    Israeli military officials report that Iran has begun deploying advanced multi-warhead missiles capable of evading interception by splitting mid-air into multiple projectiles. These developments pose a significant challenge to Israel’s missile defense systems, which have been stretched thin during sustained barrages.

    In response to Israeli airstrikes on command centers and military bases, Iran has reportedly repositioned several of its missile units from western provinces to central regions of the country. Intelligence assessments suggest the move is defensive in nature, and has temporarily reduced the frequency and scale of Iranian missile attacks on Israeli territory.

    Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump has maintained a position of strategic ambiguity regarding potential American involvement. Speaking to reporters, Trump stated he had not yet decided whether the United States would support Israel militarily in its campaign against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

    Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei responded defiantly to suggestions of “unconditional surrender,” warning that any American military intervention would result in “severe consequences” for the United States.

    The United Nations has voiced deep concern over the rising civilian toll in the conflict. A UN spokesperson condemned the targeting of non-combatants and called on all parties to uphold international law, urging maximum restraint to prevent further escalation.

    In a coordinated diplomatic response, Indonesia and 23 other Muslim-majority nations — including Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Egypt, and Pakistan — issued a joint statement under the banner of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The declaration condemned Israel’s attacks on Iranian territory and called for an immediate ceasefire, warning that continued hostilities could spiral into a full-scale regional war with catastrophic implications for global peace and stability.

    The OIC statement emphasized the urgent need for diplomacy, the protection of civilians, and adherence to international humanitarian law.

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s police chief meets with U.S. ambassador to China

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

    China’s police chief meets with U.S. ambassador to China

    BEIJING, June 19 — Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong met with David Perdue, ambassador of the United States to China, in Beijing on Thursday.

    Wang said China is willing to work with the United States to well implement the important consensus reached between their two heads of state, and, based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, strengthen practical cooperation in law enforcement fields such as drug control and the repatriation of illegal immigrants, to achieve results conducive to the well-being of the people in both countries.

    Wang voiced the hope that the United States will work together with China, uphold an attitude of equality, respect each other’s concerns, and inject positive energy into the development of bilateral relations.

    Perdue expressed willingness to play a role in promoting the development of bilateral relations, and to facilitate exchange and cooperation in such areas as drug control law enforcement.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 19 June 2025 Departmental update Re-building trust and a new financing framework: H20 Summit to set the stage for G20 health priorities

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Leading G20 policy-makers, global health experts and representatives from both the private and public sectors are meeting in Geneva from 19–20 June for the annual Health20 Summit (H20) organized by the G20 Health & Development Partnership and co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

    The Summit comes at a critical moment for global health amid geopolitical shifts, economic uncertainty, and shock funding cuts to development aid. It will focus on the future of global health and finance, and explore how to build resilience, trust, and sustainability into health systems.

    This year marks the conclusion of the first cycle of G20 meetings, which began in 1999 as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of industrialized and developing countries to discuss global economic and financial stability.

    The H20 Summit, which has been held annually since the first G20 Health Ministers Meeting in Germany in 2017, will explore strategies to secure the role of health and development in the next cycle starting in 2026, under the leadership of the United States of America.

    Outcomes from the two-day deliberations will inform both the upcoming UN General Assembly’s fourth high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in September and the G20 health ministers and leaders’ summit in South Africa this November.

    “WHO thanks the H20 for its advocacy at this critical time in global health. Severe disruptions to funding and changing disease burdens require new partnerships and approaches, including an increased focus on promoting health and preventing disease,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “WHO is working with all health and development partners, and supporting the G20, to help countries pivot from aid dependency to greater self-reliance in mobilizing domestic resources to deliver the health services their people need.”

    Dr Ghebreyesus delivered the keynote address. Other high-level speakers included: H.E. Dr Jaleela bint Alsayed Jawad Hasan, Minister of Health, Kingdom of Bahrain; H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General, Africa CDC; H.E. Dr Hanan Al Kuwari, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Public Health Affairs; Former Minister of Health, Qatar H.E. Prof Orazio Schillaci, Minister of Health, Italy; Dr Pakishe Aaron (PA) Motsoaledi, Minister of Health, South Africa; and Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO, GAVI.
     

    Key reports launched at the event

    The first NCDs and Mental Health Global Legislators Report, which offers a toolkit for parliamentarians to advance preventative global health goals; and a second, The health taxonomy report that provides a first framework for a health investment tool aimed at fostering a shared understanding and common language between governments, companies, and investors, to help drive future health financing. This report is pertinent in light of the landmark health financing resolution adopted at last month’s World Health Assembly.

    Under the theme ‘Reimagining partnerships & building back public trust in global health’ participants at the Summit will discuss the status of global health financing and why public-private partnerships are essential for future progress. The H20 Summit is unique in offering an inclusive and collaborative platform where the traditional global health community can intersect with decision-makers from politics and finance, with the purpose of elevating public health within the G20’s broader development agenda.

    NCDs such as cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases account for more than 43 million deaths each year and are on the rise. Mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, psychosis and self-harm, affect close to 1 billion people worldwide and represent a significant long-term risk to economic growth and security. The NCD and health taxonomy reports offer relevant and actionable recommendations for legislators and governments to close the NCD financing gap.

    H.E. Dr Jaleela bint Alsayed Jawad Hasan, Minister of Health, Kingdom of Bahrain, said: “I welcome the NCDs and Mental Health Global Legislators Report launched at the H20 Summit. It is a timely contribution that demonstrates the role of parliamentarians in translating health commitments into lasting impact. As global health systems adapt to complex and evolving challenges, the Kingdom of Bahrain is advancing a model grounded in inclusive governance, robust legislation, and strategic investment.”

    On financing specifically, Dr Agnes Soucat, Director of Health and Social Protection, Agence Française de Développement said: “We must differentiate between health funding and health financing. A health taxonomy already exists for operational costs but not for capital costs, which is what investors are most interested in.”
     

    Note to editors

    The G20 Health & Development Partnership is a not-for-profit advocacy organization representing over 27 global health organizations from across the public and private sector and academia aiming to ensure G20 countries coordinate their current and future health innovation strategies to tackle the growing global burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases and promote the delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 with a focus on SDG3 ‘health and well-being for all’ and SDG17 ‘strengthening partnerships’.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Berkeley County man arrested on 11 Child Sexual Abuse Material* chargesRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Nathan Dwayne Reed, 25, of Hanahan, S.C., on 11 charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Attorney General’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Mount Pleasant Police Department, and Goose Creek Police Department, all also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with this investigation.

     

    Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led them to Reed. Investigators state Reed distributed files of child sexual abuse material.

     

    Reed was arrested on June 17, 2025. He is charged with 11 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.

     

    The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

     

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

     

     

     

    * Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. “Pornography” can imply the child was a consenting participant.  Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Atos and IGM Financial successfully complete public cloud transformation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    Atos and IGM Financial successfully complete public cloud transformation

    Paris, France – June 19, 2025 – Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today announces the completed data center migration project of Canada’s leading diversified wealth and asset management company IGM Financial Inc., transforming assets to a modern, agile and secure solution built on Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

    The new, cloud-native model will help IGM drive efficiencies and business outcomes through enhanced control, speed and scalability. Further, Atos’ expertise in implementing a scalable, agile architecture empowers IGM to mitigate risk and provide enhanced visibility for reporting and remediation.

    Transitioning from the legacy data center to a cloud model provides IGM with the ability to seamlessly scale resources, enabling the testing and introduction of new applications and services without the need for upfront infrastructure investments. IGM can rapidly deploy new solutions and maintain an up-to-date technology stack with greater flexibility and efficiency.

    Further, adopting a cloud-based solution facilitates seamless integration with advanced technologies, such as AI, machine learning, IoT and other innovative tools, positioning IGM to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

    The migration to the new, cloud-native model was successfully completed on schedule, ensuring uninterrupted business continuity.

    “The successful delivery of the data center migration to the public cloud underscores Atos’ proven ability to execute highly complex and mission-critical migration projects with precision,” said Ed Nemes, Head of Canada, Atos Group.

    “We’re pleased to have collaborated with our partner, Atos, whose comprehensive expertise has helped to further modernize our technology infrastructure,” said Sam Burns, Chief Information Officer, IGM Financial. “This achievement marks a significant milestone in our ongoing digital transformation journey that enables us to better serve the financial needs of Canadians while also improving the employee and advisor experience.”   

    Atos has longstanding relationships and expertise with leading public cloud companies, including Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, allowing for customized digital approaches for its customers who seek various solutions. Last year, Atos announced its five-year partnership with Microsoft to drive digital transformation and empower businesses with advanced technologies, as well as shared plans to help clients across industries move to the cloud and facilitate their use of Azure OpenAI Service.

    With more than 19,500 cloud experts worldwide and four global cloud centers, Atos is a trusted advisor to provide transformation expertise at every stage of the cloud continuum, delivering on the promise of enabling business agility, continual optimization, innovation at speed and growth for its customers. Learn more at Cloud and Infrastructure – Atos.

    ***

    About Atos Group

    Atos Group is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 72,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion, operating in 68 countries under two brands — Atos for services and Eviden for products. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, Atos Group is committed to a secure and decarbonized future and provides tailored AI-powered, end-to-end solutions for all industries. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    Press contacts:

    Northern America: Maggie Wainscott | maggie.wainscott@atos.net

    Global: Isabelle Grangé | isabelle.grange@atos.net

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BexBack Crypto Exchange Launches No KYC, 100x Leverage, and Double Deposit Bonus for Crypto Futures Trading

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the price of Bitcoin (BTC) holding above $100,000 for a long time, many analysts are predicting that the cryptocurrency market will remain in a state of high volatility for a long time. Holding spot positions may struggle to generate short-term profits in such conditions. As a result, 100x leverage futures trading has become the preferred tool for seasoned investors looking to maximize potential gains in this volatile market. BexBack Exchange is ramping up its efforts to offer traders unmatched promotional packages. The platform now features a 100% deposit bonus, a $50 welcome bonus for new users, and 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading, providing exceptional opportunities for investors.

    Advantages of 100x Leverage Crypto Futures

    1. Amplified Profits: Control large positions with a small amount of capital, capturing more profits from market fluctuations.
    2. Low Capital Requirement: Participate in high-value trades with minimal investment, lowering the entry barrier.
    3. Increased Market Opportunities: Profit quickly from price fluctuations, especially in volatile markets.
    4. High Capital Efficiency: Leverage enables better use of your capital, expanding your investment potential.
    5. Profit from Both Up and Down Markets: Adapt to any market conditions, with opportunities to profit whether the market goes up or down.

    What Is 100x Leverage and How Does It Work?

    Simply put, 100x leverage allows you to open larger trading positions with less capital. For example:

    Suppose the Bitcoin price is $100,000 that day, and you open a long contract with 1 BTC. After using 100x leverage, the transaction amount is equivalent to 100 BTC.

    One day later, if the price rises to $105,000, your profit will be (105,000 – 100,000) * 100 BTC / 100,000 = 5 BTC, a yield of up to 500%.

    With BexBack’s deposit bonus

    BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus. If the initial investment is 2 BTC, the profit will increase to 10 BTC, and the return on investment will double to 1000%.

    Note: Although leveraged trading can magnify profits, you also need to be wary of liquidation risks.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?
    The deposit bonus from BexBack cannot be directly withdrawn but can be used to open larger positions and increase potential profits. Additionally, during significant market fluctuations, the bonus can serve as extra margin, effectively reducing the risk of liquidation.

    About BexBack?

    BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform offering up to 100x leverage on futures contracts for BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, XRP, and over 50 other digital assets. Headquartered in Singapore, the platform also operates offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. Like many top-tier exchanges, BexBack holds a U.S. MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 500,000 traders worldwide. The platform accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe, with zero deposit fees and 24/7 multilingual customer support, delivering a secure, efficient, and user-friendly trading experience.

    Why recommend BexBack?

    No KYC Required: Start trading immediately without complex identity verification.

    100% Deposit Bonus: Double your funds, double your profits.

    High-Leverage Trading: Offers up to 100x leverage, maximizing investors’ capital efficiency.

    Demo Account: Comes with 10 BTC in virtual funds, ideal for beginners to practice risk-free trading.

    Comprehensive Trading Options: Feature-rich trading available via Web and mobile applications.

    Convenient Operation: No slippage, no spread, and fast, precise trade execution.

    Global User Support: Enjoy 24/7 customer service, no matter where you are.

    Lucrative Affiliate Rewards: Earn up to 50% commission, perfect for promoters.

    Take Action Now—Don’t Miss Another Opportunity!

    If you missed the previous crypto bull run, this could be your chance. With BexBack’s 100x leverage and 100% deposit bonus and $50 bonus for new users (complete one trade within one week of registration), you can be a winner in the new bull run.

    Sign Up Now on BexBack — Break the 100x Leverage and KYC Barriers, Get Double Deposit Bonus and $50 Welcome Bonus Instantly

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack.The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7dfb4b28-6c1c-4807-b56a-9f0077e16f8a

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1715add7-36d6-4509-991e-e8f9c63d7013

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5cf81239-b590-4b4f-9a04-5e124230c593

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1a763e64-1502-4c9b-9021-2bf71803e5cf

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: NY Times Opinion: “Senator Padilla: The Trump Administration Handcuffed Me, but I Refuse to Stay Silent”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    ICYMI: NY Times Opinion: “Senator Padilla: The Trump Administration Handcuffed Me, but I Refuse to Stay Silent”

    NY Times Op-Ed

    Padilla: “If this administration is willing to handcuff a U.S. senator, imagine what it is willing to do to any American who dares to speak up.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, published an op-ed in the New York Times this morning following his forcible removal from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference, where he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed after attempting to ask a question.

    Padilla blasted President Trump’s unprecedented militarization of Los Angeles and warned against the immense consequences of the Trump Administration’s increasingly callous anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions, not only for hardworking immigrants essential to our communities and economy, but for the fundamental democratic rights of Americans across the country. He called Trump’s manufactured crisis in Los Angeles a “warning shot” and a “wake-up call” for his Republican colleagues and the American people to speak up against Trump’s egregious continued abuse of power.

    Key Excerpts:

    • If you watched what happened to me or Mr. Lander these past few days and thought this was about any one politician or altercation, you are missing the point. If this administration is willing to handcuff a U.S. senator, imagine what it is willing to do to any American who dares to speak up. If that’s what can happen when the cameras are on, imagine what is already happening in communities across the country when the cameras are off. Today, it’s immigrants on the receiving end of Donald Trump’s outrage machine. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.
    • As the proud son of immigrants from Mexico who came to California to pursue the American dream, I am living proof of the promise this country provides to all of us. Where else can the son of a housekeeper and a short-order cook become a senator? But I also know that America’s promise doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because throughout our history ordinary people have called out our country’s contradictions and called on the government to live up to the principles of equality established at our founding.
    • As we’ve seen in Los Angeles, public safety is not the point — the spectacle is. Americans are living through a historic moment of presidential overreach. With a cabinet of yes-men and underqualified attack dogs surrounding him — from the D.H.S. Secretary to the F.B.I. director to the secretary of defense — Mr. Trump is now testing the boundaries of his power. And he’s using the theatrics around his immigration policies to do it.
    • If you thought any of this administration’s theatrics in Los Angeles these past few weeks was truly about immigrants, it’s time to wake up. If federal troops can deploy to Los Angeles against the wishes of the governor, the mayor and even local law enforcement, they can do the same tomorrow in your hometown. This is a fundamental threat to the rule of law nationwide.
    • Democracy doesn’t fall from any one decision or any one attack. It falls from a thousand cuts that slowly erode our fundamental freedoms. It falls when good people see our democracy sliding backward but still choose to say nothing.
    • To any American wondering if democracy is lost or if they can ever make a difference, I’d say this: If the Trump administration was this scared of one senator with a question, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans organizing will do. No one is coming to save us but us.

    Senator Padilla has been outspoken in calling out the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles and Trump’s misguided deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps. This past weekend, Padilla led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty servicemembers to American cities. Last week, Padilla and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) demanded answers regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to deploy approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles. Padilla has spoken at a spotlight hearing and on the Senate floor multiple times to blast President Trump for manufacturing a crisis by launching indiscriminate ICE raids across Los Angeles and deploying the National Guard and active-duty servicemembers to the region. He also joined all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats earlier this week in calling on Chairman Grassley to schedule Department of Homeland Security Secretary Noem for a broad oversight hearing for testimony before the committee.

    Full text of Senator Padilla’s NY Times op-ed is available here and below:

    NY Times: Senator Padilla: The Trump Administration Handcuffed Me, but I Refuse to Stay Silent

    By U.S. Senator Alex Padilla

    Growing up in the northeast San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles in the 1980s and 90s, you know what can happen if you don’t completely cooperate with law enforcement.

    Even so, it was jarring last week when, despite clearly identifying myself as a U.S. senator, I was forcibly removed from a news conference at which Kristi Noem, the secretary of homeland security, promised to “liberate” Los Angeles from our democratically elected mayor and governor. As I was thrown to the ground, handcuffed and walked down a hall while officers refused to tell me why I was being detained, my mind raced with questions.

    Where are they taking me? Am I being arrested? What will a city already on edge from being militarized think when they see their senator has just been handcuffed?

    What will my wife and our three boys think?

    I imagined similar questions were running through the mind of Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate, this week when he, too, was handcuffed by federal agents for asking them whether they had a warrant to arrest a migrant he had locked arms with. Like me, Mr. Lander had the audacity to question the legitimacy of federal actions, only to find himself pushed against a wall and detained.

    If you watched what happened to me or Mr. Lander these past few days and thought this was about any one politician or altercation, you are missing the point.

    If this administration is willing to handcuff a U.S. senator, imagine what it is willing to do to any American who dares to speak up.

    If that’s what can happen when the cameras are on, imagine what is already happening in communities across the country when the cameras are off.

    Today, it’s immigrants on the receiving end of Donald Trump’s outrage machine. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.

    We have seen this playbook before. In fact, it’s what drew me to politics in the first place, back in 1994. I had just earned my mechanical engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with my sights set on a lucrative career in engineering, but life had a different plan for me. I returned home from school to find hateful TV ads and a statewide ballot called Proposition 187, a proposal targeting immigrant families and communities like mine. It was the result of a Republican governor who was up for re-election and who had turned to scapegoating immigrants to try to improve his declining political standing.

    As the proud son of immigrants from Mexico who came to California to pursue the American dream, I am living proof of the promise this country provides to all of us. Where else can the son of a housekeeper and a short-order cook become a senator? But I also know that America’s promise doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because throughout our history ordinary people have called out our country’s contradictions and called on the government to live up to the principles of equality established at our founding.

    And so I got involved. Alongside friends and family, I marched against the vile anti-immigrant rhetoric that was growing in California. Because of the movement that started in the 1990s, a generation of diverse leaders have come of age in California. Today, we celebrate immigrants — knowing full well that California has become the fourth-largest economy in the world, not despite our immigrants but because of them.

    So when Mr. Trump began to face a groundswell of criticism a few weeks ago for his unpopular Medicaid cuts, failed tariff wars and embarrassing public breakup with a billionaire adviser, I suspected that it wouldn’t be long before he broke out the same tired anti-immigrant tactics to distract the public. Raids intensified, detentions skyrocketed and Mr. Trump’s narrative of crisis escalated in the hopes of diverting attention from his political failures.

    If the administration were primarily targeting dangerous criminals, as some White House officials have claimed, there would be no debate. But new reporting shows that less than 10 percent of immigrants taken into ICE custody since October have serious criminal convictions. They may be undocumented, but who are they? Oftentimes, they’re hardworking cooks, day laborers, carwash employees, farmworkers and construction workers. Many are the same people Mr. Trump declared essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    But as we’ve seen in Los Angeles, public safety is not the point — the spectacle is. Americans are living through a historic moment of presidential overreach. With a cabinet of yes-men and underqualified attack dogs surrounding him — from the D.H.S. Secretary to the F.B.I. director to the secretary of defense — Mr. Trump is now testing the boundaries of his power. And he’s using the theatrics around his immigration policies to do it.

    That’s why when Angelenos gathered to protest these injustices, the administration labeled them “insurrectionists,” deliberately twisting dissent into something dangerous to use as a pretext for repression.

    So if you thought any of this administration’s theatrics in Los Angeles these past few weeks was truly about immigrants, it’s time to wake up. If federal troops can deploy to Los Angeles against the wishes of the governor, the mayor and even local law enforcement, they can do the same tomorrow in your hometown. This is a fundamental threat to the rule of law nationwide.

    What’s happening in Los Angeles is a warning shot. But I pray it can also be a wake-up call — for my Republican Senate colleagues who have stayed silent in the face of their colleague’s handcuffing, but also for Americans of every stripe who think they’re insulated from Mr. Trump’s power grabs because they’re not immigrants or because they’re not from a blue state.

    Democracy doesn’t fall from any one decision or any one attack. It falls from a thousand cuts that slowly erode our fundamental freedoms. It falls when good people see our democracy sliding backward but still choose to say nothing.

    Even as I’ve seen the authoritarian instincts of this administration up close, I know America is not past saving. True liberation doesn’t come through military occupation. It comes through democratic participation — participation like what we saw this past weekend, when millions of Americans came out to protest this administration’s abuse of power.

    To any American wondering if democracy is lost or if they can ever make a difference, I’d say this: If the Trump administration was this scared of one senator with a question, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans organizing will do. No one is coming to save us but us.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Representative Adriano Espaillat Condemns the Attack Against United States Senator Alex Padilla by Sec. Noem’s Security Personnel

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Representative Adriano Espaillat(NY-13), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) issued the following statement condemning the assault against U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) at a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles.

    “Today, Sen. Alex Padilla was shoved, tackled, handcuffed and detained while attempting to fulfill his constitutional duties,” said Espaillat. 

    “That in itself would be a scandal, but the assailants were staff working for Kristi Noem, the secretary of Homeland Security. This escalation is dangerous and unacceptable.

    “The Congressional Hispanic Caucus stands with our brother, Alex Padilla, a leader who represents all Californians.

    “We demand a full investigation into Padilla’s attackers and call for Secretary Noem’s resignation — it is painfully clear she is not fit to helm this critical agency.”

    ###

    Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/. 

    Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MATSUI STATEMENT ON THE ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

    SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), released the following statement on the Israel-Iran conflict.

     

    “I am watching events in Iran and Israel with deep concern for the lives that are now in harm’s way,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Iran’s nuclear program and hardline regime are unquestionably a grave danger to Israel’s security and threat to regional stability. Israel is our longtime ally and we must work with all of our regional partners to prevent a wider escalation that will undermine Israel’s security and risk an expansion of this conflict. Now more than ever, we must reject the false choice between strength and diplomacy—America must lead with urgency to de-escalate tensions and forge a durable, diplomatic resolution that ensures lasting peace and prevents nuclear proliferation.”

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Extreme weather’s true damage cost is a mystery – that’s a problem for understanding storm risk

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By John Nielsen-Gammon, Regents Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University

    Hail can be destructive, yet the cost of the damage often isn’t publicly tracked. NOAA/NSSL

    On Jan. 5, 2025, at about 2:35 in the afternoon, the first severe hailstorm of the season dropped quarter-size hail in Chatham, Mississippi. According to the federal storm events database, there were no injuries, but it caused $10,000 in property damage.

    How do we know the storm caused $10,000 in damage? We don’t.

    That estimate is probably a best guess from someone whose primary job is weather forecasting. Yet these guesses, and thousands like them, form the foundation for publicly available tallies of the costs of severe weather.

    If the damage estimates from hailstorms are consistently lower in one county than the next, potential property buyers might think it’s because there’s less risk of hailstorms. Instead, it might just be because different people are making the estimates.

    Hail damage in Dallas in June 2012.
    Rondo Estrello/Flickr, CC BY-SA

    We are atmospheric scientists at Texas A&M University who lead the Office of the Texas State Climatologist. Through our involvement in state-level planning for weather-related disasters, we have seen county-scale patterns of storm damage over the past 20 years that just didn’t make sense. So, we decided to dig deeper.

    We looked at storm event reports for a mix of seven urban and rural counties in southeast Texas, with populations ranging from 50,000 to 5 million. We included all reported types of extreme weather. We also talked with people from the two National Weather Service offices that cover the area.

    Storm damage investigations vary widely

    Typically, two specific types of extreme weather receive special attention.

    After a tornado, the National Weather Service conducts an on-site damage survey, examining its track and destruction. That survey forms the basis for the official estimate of a tornado’s strength on the enhanced Fujita scale. Weather Service staff are able to make decent damage cost estimates from knowledge of home values in the area.

    They also investigate flash flood damage in detail, and loss information is available from the National Flood Insurance Program, the main source of flood insurance for U.S. homes.

    Tornadoes in May 2025 destroyed homes in communities in several states, including London, Ky.
    AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley

    Most other losses from extreme weather are privately insured, if they’re insured at all.

    Insured loss information is collected by reinsurance companies – the companies that insure the insurance companies – and gets tabulated for major events. Insurance companies use their own detailed information to try to make better decisions on rates than their competitors do, so event-based loss data by county from insurance companies isn’t readily available.

    Losing billion-dollar disaster data

    There’s one big window into how disaster damage has changed over the years in the U.S.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, compiled information for major disasters, including insured losses by state. Bulk data won’t tell communities or counties about their specific risk, but it enabled NOAA to calculate overall damage estimates, which it released as its billion-dollar disasters list.

    From that program, we know that the number and cost of billion-dollar disasters in the United States has increased dramatically in recent years. News articles and even scientific papers often point to climate change as the primary culprit, but a much larger driver has been the increasing number and value of buildings and other types of infrastructure, particularly along hurricane-prone coasts.

    Critics in the past year called for more transparency and vetting of the procedures used to estimate billion-dollar disasters. But that’s not going to happen, because NOAA in May 2025 stopped making billion-dollar disaster estimates and retired its user interface.

    Previous estimates can still be retrieved from NOAA’s online data archive, but by shutting down that program, the window into current and future disaster losses and insurance claims is now closed.

    Emergency managers at the county level also make local damage estimates, but the resources they have available vary widely. They may estimate damages only when the total might be large enough to trigger a disaster declaration that makes relief funds available from the federal government.

    Patching together very rough estimates

    Without insurance data or county estimates, the local offices of the National Weather Service are on their own to estimate losses.

    There is no standard operating procedure that every office must follow. One office might choose to simply not provide damage estimates for any hailstorms because the staff doesn’t see how it could come up with accurate values. Others may make estimates, but with varying methods.

    The result is a patchwork of damage estimates. Accurate values are more likely for rare events that cause extensive damage. Loss estimates from more frequent events that don’t reach a high damage threshold are generally far less reliable.

    The number of severe hail reports in southeast Texas listed in the National Centers for Environmental Information’s storm events database is strongly correlated with population. The county with the most reports and greatest detail in those reports is home to Houston. Hailstorms in the three easternmost counties are rarely associated with damage estimates.
    John Nielsen-Gammon and B.J. Baule

    Do you want to look at local damage trends? Forget about it. For most extreme weather events, estimation methods vary over time and are not documented.

    Do you want to direct funding to help communities improve resilience to natural disasters where the need is greatest? Forget about it. The places experiencing the largest per capita damages depend not just on actual damages but on the different practices of local National Weather Service offices.

    Are you moving to a location that might be vulnerable to extreme weather? Companies are starting to provide localized risk estimates through real estate websites, but the algorithms tend to be proprietary, and there’s no independent validation.

    4 steps to improve disaster data

    We believe a few fixes could make NOAA’s storm events database and the corresponding values in the larger SHELDUS database, managed by Arizona State University, more reliable. Both databases include county-level disasters and loss estimates for some of those disasters.

    First, the National Weather Service could develop standard procedures for local offices for estimating disaster damages.

    Second, additional state support could encourage local emergency managers to make concrete damage estimates from individual events and share them with the National Weather Service. The local emergency manager generally knows the extent of damage much better than a forecaster sitting in an office a few counties away.

    Third, state or federal governments and insurance companies can agree to make public the aggregate loss information at the county level or other scale that doesn’t jeopardize the privacy of their policyholders. If all companies provide this data, there is no competitive disadvantage for doing so.

    Fourth, NOAA could create a small “tiger team” of damage specialists to make well-informed, consistent damage estimates of larger events and train local offices on how to handle the smaller stuff.

    With these processes in place, the U.S. wouldn’t need a billion-dollar disasters program anymore. We’d have reliable information on all the disasters.

    John Nielsen-Gammon receives funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State of Texas.

    William Baule receives funding from NOAA, the State of Texas, & the Austin Community Foundation.

    – ref. Extreme weather’s true damage cost is a mystery – that’s a problem for understanding storm risk – https://theconversation.com/extreme-weathers-true-damage-cost-is-a-mystery-thats-a-problem-for-understanding-storm-risk-257105

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: zerohash Expands Blockchain Ecosystem with Polkadot Integration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — zerohash, the leading crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform, today announced full deposit and withdrawal support for DOT as well as USDC, and USDT on the Polkadot blockchain. This includes integration with Polkadot’s Asset Hub, a purpose-built parachain for stablecoins and other fungible assets.

    Polkadot is a modular Layer 0 blockchain that enables secure, scalable interoperability across a network of independent rollups. With one of the most active developer ecosystems and a large on-chain treasury, Polkadot supports cross-chain applications spanning DeFi, payments, and asset tokenization. zerohash has also added support for DOT staking and validator participation to help secure the network.*

    “We’ve created a simple integration for developers and the Polkadot ecosystem,” said Edward Woodford, CEO and Founder of zerohash. “zerohash provides the easiest pathway for platforms to launch on-chain products within the Polkadot ecosystem without needing to manage blockchain infrastructure, validator operations, or regulatory licensing. This reflects our continued focus on enabling cross-chain interoperability and broad accessibility in the evolving crypto and stablecoin landscape.”

    “As the Polkadot ecosystem continues to strengthen its position as the leading Web3 platform for stablecoins, partnering with zerohash was a natural fit,” said Nicolas Arevalo, CEO of Velocity Labs. “zerohash is a recognized leader in stablecoin infrastructure, and we’re excited to collaborate with their team and their customer base to unlock novel and impactful stablecoin use cases on Polkadot.”

    About Polkadot
    Polkadot is the powerful, secure core of Web3, providing a shared foundation that unites some of the world’s most transformative apps and blockchains. Polkadot offers advanced modular architecture that allows devs to easily design and build their own specialized blockchain projects, pooled security that ensures the same high standard for secure block production across all connected chains and apps connected to it, and robust governance that ensures a transparent system where everyone has say in shaping the blockchain ecosystem for growth and sustainability. With Polkadot, users are not just participants, they’re co-creators with the power to shape its future

    About zerohash
    zerohash is the leading infrastructure provider for crypto, stablecoin, and tokenized assets. Its API and embeddable dev-kit enables innovators to easily launch solutions across cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization and on/off-ramps.

    zerohash powers solutions for some of the largest and innovative companies including Interactive Brokers, Stripe, Shift4, Franklin Templeton, Felix Pago, Kalshi and LightSpark. Zerohash Holdings is backed by investors, including Point72 Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and NYCA.

    In the United States, Zero Hash LLC is a FinCen-registered Money Service Business and a regulated Money Transmitter that can operate in 51 U.S. jurisdictions. Zero Hash LLC and Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC are licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Zero Hash Trust Company LLC has been approved by the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks as a non-depository trust company. For information about our global regulatory footprint, including our Argentinian registrations, see here.

    zerohash Disclosures

    The zerohash services and product offerings may not be available in all jurisdictions, including in the State of New York. Crypto and stablecoin holdings held in zerohash accounts are not subject to FDIC or SIPC protections in the U.S., or any such equivalent protections that may exist outside of the U.S. zerohash’s technical support and enablement of any asset is not an endorsement of such asset and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any crypto asset. The value of any cryptocurrency, including digital assets pegged to fiat currency, commodities, or any other asset, may go to zero.

    *Staking services are not available to New York customers.

    Learn more by visiting zerohash.com or following us on X @ZeroHashX

    Media Contacts
    zerohash
    Shaun O’Keeffe
    (855) 744-7333
    media@zerohash.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a78b23e-fabb-4547-ac45-2eb271fe80fb

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: zerohash Expands Blockchain Ecosystem with Polkadot Integration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — zerohash, the leading crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform, today announced full deposit and withdrawal support for DOT as well as USDC, and USDT on the Polkadot blockchain. This includes integration with Polkadot’s Asset Hub, a purpose-built parachain for stablecoins and other fungible assets.

    Polkadot is a modular Layer 0 blockchain that enables secure, scalable interoperability across a network of independent rollups. With one of the most active developer ecosystems and a large on-chain treasury, Polkadot supports cross-chain applications spanning DeFi, payments, and asset tokenization. zerohash has also added support for DOT staking and validator participation to help secure the network.*

    “We’ve created a simple integration for developers and the Polkadot ecosystem,” said Edward Woodford, CEO and Founder of zerohash. “zerohash provides the easiest pathway for platforms to launch on-chain products within the Polkadot ecosystem without needing to manage blockchain infrastructure, validator operations, or regulatory licensing. This reflects our continued focus on enabling cross-chain interoperability and broad accessibility in the evolving crypto and stablecoin landscape.”

    “As the Polkadot ecosystem continues to strengthen its position as the leading Web3 platform for stablecoins, partnering with zerohash was a natural fit,” said Nicolas Arevalo, CEO of Velocity Labs. “zerohash is a recognized leader in stablecoin infrastructure, and we’re excited to collaborate with their team and their customer base to unlock novel and impactful stablecoin use cases on Polkadot.”

    About Polkadot
    Polkadot is the powerful, secure core of Web3, providing a shared foundation that unites some of the world’s most transformative apps and blockchains. Polkadot offers advanced modular architecture that allows devs to easily design and build their own specialized blockchain projects, pooled security that ensures the same high standard for secure block production across all connected chains and apps connected to it, and robust governance that ensures a transparent system where everyone has say in shaping the blockchain ecosystem for growth and sustainability. With Polkadot, users are not just participants, they’re co-creators with the power to shape its future

    About zerohash
    zerohash is the leading infrastructure provider for crypto, stablecoin, and tokenized assets. Its API and embeddable dev-kit enables innovators to easily launch solutions across cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization and on/off-ramps.

    zerohash powers solutions for some of the largest and innovative companies including Interactive Brokers, Stripe, Shift4, Franklin Templeton, Felix Pago, Kalshi and LightSpark. Zerohash Holdings is backed by investors, including Point72 Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and NYCA.

    In the United States, Zero Hash LLC is a FinCen-registered Money Service Business and a regulated Money Transmitter that can operate in 51 U.S. jurisdictions. Zero Hash LLC and Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC are licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Zero Hash Trust Company LLC has been approved by the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks as a non-depository trust company. For information about our global regulatory footprint, including our Argentinian registrations, see here.

    zerohash Disclosures

    The zerohash services and product offerings may not be available in all jurisdictions, including in the State of New York. Crypto and stablecoin holdings held in zerohash accounts are not subject to FDIC or SIPC protections in the U.S., or any such equivalent protections that may exist outside of the U.S. zerohash’s technical support and enablement of any asset is not an endorsement of such asset and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any crypto asset. The value of any cryptocurrency, including digital assets pegged to fiat currency, commodities, or any other asset, may go to zero.

    *Staking services are not available to New York customers.

    Learn more by visiting zerohash.com or following us on X @ZeroHashX

    Media Contacts
    zerohash
    Shaun O’Keeffe
    (855) 744-7333
    media@zerohash.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a78b23e-fabb-4547-ac45-2eb271fe80fb

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump administration’s conflicting messages on Chinese student visas reflect complex US-China relations

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Meredith Oyen, Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

    The U.S. announced plans to scrutinize and revoke student visas for students with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or whose studies are in critical fields, but appears to have reconsidered. The decision and apparent about-face could have a wide-ranging impact on both nations. LAW Ho Ming/Getty Images

    President Donald Trump appears to have walked back plans for the U.S. State Department to scrutinize and revoke visas for Chinese students studying in the country.

    On June 11, 2025, Trump posted on his social media platform TruthSocial that visas for Chinese students would continue and that they are welcome in the United States, as their presence “has always been good with me!”

    The announcement came weeks after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that his department would begin scrutinizing and revoking student visas for Chinese nationals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, or whose studies are in critical fields.

    The contradictory moves have led to confusion among Chinese students attending college or considering studying in the United States.

    Over time, Chinese nationals have faced barriers to studying in the U.S. As a scholar who studies relations between the two nations, I argue that efforts to ban Chinese students in the United States are not unprecedented, and historically they have come with consequences.

    Student visas under fire

    The Trump administration laid out the terms for revoking or denying student visas to Chinese nationals but then backtracked.
    STAP/Getty Images

    Since the late 1970s, millions of Chinese students have been granted visas to study at American universities. That total includes approximately 277,000 who studied in the United States in the 2023-2024 academic year.

    It is difficult to determine how many of these students would have been affected by a ban on visas for individuals with Chinese Community Party affiliations or in critical fields.

    Approximately 40% of all new members of the Chinese Communist Party each year are drawn from China’s student population. And many universities in China have party connections or charters that emphasize party loyalty.

    The “critical fields” at risk were not defined. A majority of Chinese students in the U.S. are enrolled in math, technology, science and engineering fields.

    A long history

    Since the late 1970s, the number of Chinese students attending college in the U.S. has increased dramatically.
    Kenishiroite/Getty Images

    Yung Wing became the first Chinese student to graduate from a U.S. university in 1852.

    Since then, millions of Chinese students have come to the United States to study, supported by programs such as the “Chinese Educational Mission,” Boxer Indemnity Fund scholarships and the Fulbright Program.

    The Institute for International Education in New York estimated the economic impact of Chinese students in the U.S. at over US$14 billion a year. Chinese students tend to pay full tuition to their universities. At the graduate level, they perform vital roles in labs and classrooms. Just under half of all Chinese students attending college in the U.S. are graduate students.

    However, there is a long history of equating Chinese migrants as invaders, spies or risks to national security.

    After the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the U.S. Department of Justice began to prevent Chinese scholars and students in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math – from returning to China by stopping them at U.S. ports of entry and exit. They could be pulled aside when trying to board a flight or ship and their tickets canceled.

    In one infamous case, Chinese rocket scientist Qian Xuesen was arrested, harassed, ordered deported and prevented from leaving over five years from 1950 to 1955. In 1955, the United States and China began ambassadorial-level talks to negotiate repatriations from either country. After his experience, Qian became a much-lauded supporter of the Communist government and played an important role in the development of Chinese transcontinental missile technology.

    During the 1950s, the U.S. Department of Justice raided Chinatown organizations looking for Chinese migrants who arrived under false names during the Chinese Exclusion Era, a period from the 1880s to 1940s when the U.S. government placed tight restrictions on Chinese immigration into the country. A primary justification for the tactics was fear that the Chinese in the U.S. would spy for their home country.

    Between 1949 and 1979, the U.S and China did not have normal diplomatic relations. The two nations recognized each other and exchanged ambassadors starting in January 1979. In the more than four decades since, the number of Chinese students in the U.S. has increased dramatically.

    Anti-Chinese discrimination

    The idea of an outright ban on Chinese student visas has raised concerns about increased targeting of Chinese in the U.S. for harassment.

    In 1999, Taiwanese-American scientist Wen Ho Lee was arrested on suspicion of using his position at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico to spy for China. Lee remained imprisoned in solitary confinement for 278 days before he was released without a conviction.

    In 2018, during the first Trump administration, the Department of Justice launched its China Initiative. In its effort to weed out industrial, technological and corporate espionage, the initiative targeted many ethnic Chinese researchers and had a chilling effect on continued exchanges, but it secured no convictions for wrongdoing.

    Trump again expressed concerns last year that undocumented migrants from China might be coming to the United States to spy or “build an army.”

    The repeated search for spies among Chinese migrants and residents in the U.S. has created an atmosphere of fear for Chinese American communities.

    Broader foreign policy context

    An atmosphere of suspicion has altered the climate for Chinese international students.
    J Studios/Getty Images

    The U.S. plan to revoke visas for students studying in the U.S. and the Chinese response is being formed amid contentious debates over trade.

    Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian accused the U.S. of violating an agreement on tariff reduction the two sides discussed in Geneva in May, citing the visa issues as one example.

    Trump has also complained that the Chinese violated agreements between the countries, and some reports suggest that the announcement on student visas was a negotiating tactic to change the Chinese stance on the export of rare earth minerals.

    When Trump announced his trade deal with China on June 11, he added a statement welcoming Chinese students.

    However, past practice shows that the atmosphere of uncertainty and suspicion may have already damaged the climate for Chinese international students, and at least some degree of increased scrutiny of student visas will likely continue regardless.

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

    – ref. Trump administration’s conflicting messages on Chinese student visas reflect complex US-China relations – https://theconversation.com/trump-administrations-conflicting-messages-on-chinese-student-visas-reflect-complex-us-china-relations-258351

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The term ‘lone gunman’ ignores the structures that enable violence

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Art Jipson, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Dayton

    Members of law enforcement agencies search for shooting suspect Vance Boelter at a house on June 15, 2025, in Belle Plaine, Minn. AP Photo/George Walker IV

    When shots rang out in Minnesota, targeting state Democratic politicians, the headlines quickly followed a familiar script: a mentally unstable suspect and the well-worn label “lone gunman.”

    According to media reports, the Minnesota gunman, Vance Luther Boelter, was a deeply religious anti-abortion activist and a conservative who supported President Donald Trump.

    The term lone gunman, routinely deployed in the aftermath of mass shootings and political violence – that the suspect was simply acting alone, so there’s no one or nothing else to blame – may offer a comforting explanation, but it’s dangerously simplistic.

    It obscures the conditions that made the violence possible in the first place. It casts the perpetrator as an isolated anomaly – mentally unwell, unpredictable, detached from broader movements or ideologies.

    As a scholar of extremism, I argue that the use of this term ignores the larger symptoms of deeper societal failures such as rising political extremism, systemic hate or the normalization of violent rhetoric.

    The lone gunman myth

    The idea of the lone gunman has long held sway in American public discourse, with perhaps no example more iconic than the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Warren Commission that was set up to investigate concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, a finding still contested by many.

    But more significant than the historical debate is how the lone gunman label became entrenched in the national psyche. It presents a digestible narrative, one that absolves institutions of responsibility and short-circuits more difficult questions about what conditions produced the attacker in the first place.

    More recent examples reveal how this myth continues to serve as a shield against systemic scrutiny.

    After the 2012 mass shooting that killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, media coverage quickly centered on James Holmes’ mental state, with little emphasis on the culture of gun access, misogyny or disaffection with peers that shaped his actions.

    Similarly, after Dylann Roof murdered nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, early coverage emphasized his apparent isolation and mental state. However, he had openly stated his motivations in a racist manifesto and had long-standing connections to white supremacist ideology that motivated and shaped his violence.

    Radicalization is rarely solitary

    In most cases, so-called lone wolves are not as isolated as the term implies. Researchers have increasingly shown that radicalization is a social process.

    Individuals absorb extremist views through online echo chambers, algorithmic recommendation systems, peer validation and reinforcement from political and media figures.

    Robert Bowers’ lawyers claimed in a public court filing that he was suffering from schizophrenia and structural and functional brain impairments.
    AP Photo/Matt Rourke

    This is evident in cases like that of Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. Bowers’ defense attorneys said in a March 2023 court filing that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Though he acted alone, Bowers was deeply embedded in far-right networks on the social media platform Gab, where he echoed white nationalist and antisemitic conspiracy theories.

    Similarly, Payton Gendron, who killed 10 Black people in a Buffalo supermarket in 2022, cited previous mass shooters as inspiration and plagiarized sections of a white nationalist manifesto. His radicalization was nourished in extremist online forums on platforms such as 4chan and Discord.

    Even attacks without manifestos or explicit ideological tracts often follow recognizable scripts. The El Paso shooter, who killed 23 people in a Walmart in 2019, wrote that he was targeting Hispanics as part of a defense against an “invasion” of immigrants – echoing language used by some conservative analysts, pundits and political figures in mainstream U.S. media and government.

    Again and again, attackers are seen to be acting in ways that align with a broader rationalization or ideology, even if they do not carry official membership in a particular group or organization.

    The politics of the ‘lone gunman’

    Importantly, the lone gunman narrative is applied unevenly, especially along racial lines.

    White perpetrators are frequently described as mentally ill or troubled loners. Their violence is compartmentalized as the result of personal demons. In contrast, as the Sentencing Project – which is working to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system – has shown, Black, Muslim or immigrant suspects are often held up as proof of a broader threat: religious, ethnic or cultural.

    This double standard not only reinforces racial stereotypes but also shapes how law enforcement and the media view violence committed by white actors – as an aberration rather than a pattern.

    The media can play a crucial role in perpetuating the lone gunman myth.
    Consider how swiftly the media and politicians labeled the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, perpetrated by Omar Mateen, as an act of Islamist terrorism. Even though Mateen had no meaningful connections to any terrorist groups, his Islamic religious beliefs were used to construct a narrative that he was part of a global threat.

    By contrast, the FBI hesitated to call Dylann Roof’s actions “racial terrorism.” Terrorism is defined as a form of political violence, where the threat or use of physical force by individuals or groups is not only intended to influence or disrupt governmental authority but to instill fear and force political change. The FBI designated Roof’s crime as a hate crime perpetrated by a disturbed young man.

    This distinction between calling Roof’s attack a hate crime rather than racially motivated terrorism sparked significant criticism from scholars, activists and commentators. Many argued that Roof’s white supremacist motives and the symbolic target, a historic Black church, made it a clear case of racial terrorism.

    Moving toward a more honest understanding

    This asymmetry matters.

    I argue that it shapes public perception, policy responses and resource allocation. It allows white supremacist violence to flourish under the radar, often dismissed until it becomes undeniable – usually after multiple lives have been lost.

    At the same time, politicians are frequently reluctant to acknowledge the ideological underpinnings of such violence, particularly when those ideologies overlap with their own rhetoric or voter base.

    After the 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo, where the gunman explicitly cited the “Great Replacement theory” in his manifesto, several Republican politicians who had previously echoed similar anti-immigrant rhetoric condemned the violence but avoided addressing the ideology behind it. The Great Replacement theory is a white supremacist conspiracy theory that falsely claims white populations are being deliberately replaced by nonwhite immigrants, especially Muslims, Latinos or Black people, through immigration, higher birth rates and federal government policy.

    Despite the shooter’s clear ideological motivation, once again many officials focused on mental illness or the violence as an isolated case of extremism. The impact of the messages about immigration and demographic change in contributing to a climate of racial fear and conspiracy were left unacknowledged.

    The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly identified white supremacist violence as one of the top domestic terrorism threats. Investigations related to domestic terrorism and violence have increased significantly over the past few years. In a 2023 interview with “PBS NewsHour,” Seamus Hughes of the University of Nebraska Omaha’s National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology and Education Center said that “the FBI was investigating 850 people three years ago. Now they’re investigating 2,700.”

    Yet meaningful, structural reforms, whether in tech and social media regulation, gun control or public education, have remained elusive. I believe connecting the larger social, political and cultural issues that surround extreme violence is critical to building healthy communities.

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

    – ref. The term ‘lone gunman’ ignores the structures that enable violence – https://theconversation.com/the-term-lone-gunman-ignores-the-structures-that-enable-violence-259107

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –