NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World News in Brief: First UN mission to Syria’s Sweida, fresh displacement in Haiti, new lightning record

    Source: United Nations 2

    The team went to Sweida City, as well as two districts – Shahba and Salkhad – where they met with local community representatives and partners, in addition to visiting displacement sites and reception centres. 

    Members also conducted assessments in the three districts of the governorate, where hundreds of people have been killed, and some 175,000 people displaced, in recent sectarian violence amid Syria’s ongoing political transition since the fall of the Assad regime last December.

    A senior UN official told the Security Council earlier this week that a fragile ceasefire is “largely holding”.

    More aid delivered

    OCHA said a fifth humanitarian aid convoy organized by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent also arrived in Sweida on Thursday. It was the largest so far, with 40 trucks.

    The convoy, which included UN assistance, delivered medical supplies, flour, fuel, canned goods, hygiene kits and shelter materials, among other assistance. 

    On Wednesday, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent also delivered four tankers carrying more than 120,000 litres of fuel.

    Haiti: Armed groups expand activities

    Armed groups in Haiti are expanding their presence and activities in the Artibonite region which has sparked waves of displacement, according to OCHA. 

    Last Monday, violence linked to armed groups flared in the town of Liancourt, where a vehicle and several homes were set on fire. This followed a week of violent clashes.

    As of 19 July, nearly 15,000 people have been displaced across four communes in Artibonite. They are staying with host families, many of whom were already finding it hard to meet basic needs.

    OCHA said response efforts are underway, led by local humanitarian partners. They have distributed hygiene kits to more than 500 displaced households and host communities, as well as hundreds of hot meals.

    2017 lightning flash in US Great Plains sets new world record

    A lightning flash in a notorious storm hotspot in the United States nearly a decade ago has been certified as the longest on record, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced on Thursday.

    The megaflash – an incredible 829 kilometres long (515 miles) – occurred during a major storm in the Great Plains in October 2017 and was some 61 kilometres greater than the previous record, also set in the same region.

    It extended from eastern Texas to near Kansas City, equivalent to the distance between Paris and Venice in Europe: a journey that would take roughly eight to nine hours by car, or at least 90 minutes by plane.

    Value of early warning systems 

    The flash was not identified in the original 2017 analysis of the storm but was discovered through re-examination. 

    WMO’s Committee on Weather and Climate Extremes recognized the new record with the help of the latest satellite technologies and the findings were published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

    “Lightning is a source of wonder but also a major hazard that claims many lives around the world every year and is therefore one of the priorities for the international Early Warnings for All initiative,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

    Launched in 2022, the initiative aims to ensure that everyone on the planet is protected from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through early warning systems by the end of 2027. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Affordable Housing Units Open In Saskatoon

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on July 31, 2025

    Solving Canada’s housing crisis requires immediate action to bring down costs. To provide Canadians with increased access to affordable and sustainable housing, the government today announced that individuals with low incomes will now have access to more affordable housing in Saskatoon thanks to a $1.1 million investment from the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan.  

    The new fourplex located at 501 Avenue H South includes two accessible one-bedroom units and two bachelor units, giving four individuals renting through the Saskatoon Housing Authority (SHA) a place to call home. 

    Funding for this development has been provided through the National Housing Strategy – Saskatchewan Priorities Initiative. The units are owned by the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation and the SHA will manage maintenance and rentals at the building.   

    As we build a strong Canadian housing sector, purposeful collaboration will be essential. That means working hand-in-hand with the non-profit sector to bring down costs and build homes at a scale and speed not seen since the Second World War. 

    “Our new government was elected on a promise to build Canada,” Secretary of State for Rural Development Buckley Belanger said. “The federal government is committed to working with provinces and territories to provide people in communities like Saskatoon the support they need to access adequate, affordable housing. This new housing development announced today is another step toward making sure every Canadian has a safe, comfortable place to live.”   

    “The opening of the four new housing units in Saskatoon expands access to affordable homes, while creating spaces that promote safety, security and brighter futures,” Social Services Minister and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) Terry Jenson said. “The development reflects our ongoing commitment to expanding affordable housing across the province.” 

    Quick facts:

    The National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10 plus year, $115 plus billion plan to give more Canadians a place to call home. Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) website. The Housing and Infrastructure Project Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed. 

    As of March 2025, the federal government has committed $65.84 billion to support the creation of over 166,000 units and the repair of over 322,000 units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence. 

    NHS is built on strong partnerships between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private housing sectors. This includes consultations with Canadians from all walks of life and people with lived experience of housing need. 

    All NHS investments delivered by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments will respect the key principles of NHS that support partnerships, people and communities. 

    In 2019, the Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan entered into an agreement through the NHS. The Canada-Saskatchewan Bilateral Agreement will invest $585 million over 10 years, which is cost matched between the federal and provincial governments.    

    Through the 2025-26 Government of Saskatchewan budget, continued provincial capital investment of $9.6 million will support repairs, maintenance, and the replacement of major building components in provincially-owned housing units. Overall, SHC is investing a total of $88.4 million to ensure rent-ready units are available across the province. This will support the repair of up to 1,600 provincially-owned housing units with capital investments and provide 350 more households with safe and affordable housing this year compared to last year. 

    Associated Links: 

    Visit Canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government of Canada housing information. 

    Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation plays a critical role as a national facilitator to promote stability and sustainability in Canada’s housing finance system. Our mortgage insurance products support access to homeownership and the creation and maintenance of rental supply. We also actively support the Government of Canada in delivering on its commitment to make housing more affordable. Our research and data help inform housing policy. By facilitating cooperation between all levels of government, private and non-profit sectors, we contribute to advancing housing affordability, equity and climate compatibility. Follow us on X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. 

    In November 2019, the Government of Saskatchewan released Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan: the Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030, which sets out the government’s vision for a province of 1.4 million people by 2030. The plan identifies principles, goals and actions to ensure Saskatchewan is capturing the opportunities and meeting the challenges of a growing province.

    To learn more, visit: www.saskatchewan.ca.

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    For information, contact: 

    Renee LeBlanc Proctor
    Office of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure
    Email: renee.proctor@infc.gc.ca 

    Media Relations
    Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
    Email: media@cmhc-schl.gc.ca 

    Media Relations
    Social Services 
    Phone: 306-787-3610 
    Email: mediamss@gov.sk.ca 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Legislation to Protect Communities From Street Weapons and Dangerous Drugs Comes Into Force

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on July 31, 2025

    On August 1, 2025, The Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act comes into force. 

    This new legislation promotes safety in public urban spaces by regulating the possession, transportation and storage of items that may be used as street weapons, such as knives, hypodermic needles, machetes and bear spray, as well as dangerous drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl. These rules will apply in municipalities and First Nations that choose to opt in to the new Act.

    “The government is committed to increased public safety measures to ensure all Saskatchewan citizens feel safe and protected in their communities,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod, K.C. said. “The coming-into-force of this Act will empower law enforcement and give them an important tool to appropriately address individuals that use street weapons to intimidate or harm people in public spaces.”

    The Act prohibits persons from possessing items that could be used as street weapons in public spaces, defacing or altering those items, or possessing such an item that has been defaced or altered. Persons in breach of these rules can be charged with a provincial offence and subject to a fine of not more than $5,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both a fine and imprisonment. The Act further provides police enhanced powers to seize these items from people in public spaces where there is a threat to public safety, regardless of whether a charge is laid. 

    The province is committed to protecting communities against fentanyl and methamphetamine. This Act provides additional tools to remove fentanyl and methamphetamine from our communities and protect the health and safety of all citizens.

    Public spaces may include public buildings, parks, playgrounds, any land or building entered without consent of the owner, common areas of condominiums or apartments, unoccupied land or buildings, or vehicles travelling through public spaces. 

    The government recognizes that many items used as street weapons have legitimate, legal purposes. The legislation contains appropriate exemptions to ensure these items can continue to be used for their lawful purposes, such as food preparation and protection from wildlife threats, or using hypodermic needles for medical use. 

    Individual municipalities and First Nations can choose whether they want to opt into the Act. By opting into the Act, municipalities and First Nations give police officers the ability to address street weapons through uniform provincial rules and offences.

    If a municipality or First Nation does not opt into the Act, the rules do not apply to that municipality or First Nation. 

    More information about the opt-in process can be found in the attached background document. 

    In 2024-25 and 2025-26, the Government of Saskatchewan invested $2 billion in public safety. This includes an increase of $28.4 million, totaling $699.4 million over two years, to support policing and community safety in the province and over $518 million over two years to enhance access to justice services.

    For more information on Saskatchewan’s ongoing work to create safe communities and neighborhoods, please visit:

    Government Expands Legislation to Target Street Weapons and Illicit Drugs | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan

    Saskatchewan Announces Measures to Protect Communities Against Fentanyl and Methamphetamine | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan

    Government Introduces New Public Spaces Act to Target Street Weapons | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Army Awards Enterprise Service Agreement to Enhance Military Readiness and Drive Operational Efficiency

    Source: United States Army

    WASHINGTON (31 July 2025) – The U.S. Army today awarded Palantir a new Enterprise Agreement that establishes a comprehensive framework for the Army’s future software and data needs. The Army anticipates sustained capability growth to meet operational warfighting needs for proven commercially available solutions. The EA will enhance military readiness and drive operational efficiency while delivering significant cost efficiencies.

    Through this EA, the Army consolidates 75 contracts, comprised of 15 prime contracts and 60 related contracts, into a single contract, accelerating the delivery of proven commercial software to warfighters while removing contract and re-seller pass-through fees. This streamlined approach reduces procurement timelines, ensuring Soldiers have rapid access to cutting-edge data integration, analytics, and AI tools.

    This contract allows the government flexibility to purchase goods and services as needed, resulting in significant cost efficiencies across mission-critical programs. The agreement establishes volume-based discounts for the contract’s performance period of up to 10 years. The Army and other Department of Defense agencies have the option to purchase Palantir’s commercial products during that period, not to exceed the $10 billion cap. This amount represents the maximum potential value of the contract, not any specific obligations or commitments.

    “This Enterprise Agreement represents a pivotal step in the Army’s commitment to modernizing our capabilities while being fiscally responsible,” said Leo Garciga, the Army’s Chief Information Officer. “By streamlining our procurement processes and leveraging enterprise-level discounts, we are not only enhancing our operational effectiveness but also maximizing our buying power.”

    The Army remains committed to rigorously assessing contract requirements and driving robust competition, ensuring that innovative solutions and exceptional value are consistently delivered for both the government and the American taxpayer.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Increase Transparency in Immigration Enforcement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD BROADCAST-QUALITY AUDIO AND VIDEO:

    SEN. WARNER ON THIS LEGISLATION

    SEN. KAINE ON THIS LEGISLATION 

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) were joined by Sens. Angus King (I-ME), Michael Bennett (D-CO), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) in introducing today to increase transparency, accountability, and safety in immigration law enforcement. The Immigration Enforcement Identification Act would prohibit law enforcement officers from obscuring their faces and require that they clearly display their agency, their name and a unique identifier while conducting immigration enforcement functions, with some commonsense exceptions for select tactical missions and officer health and safety. This legislation also provides federal law enforcement agencies with the authority to better protect law enforcement officers and their families from doxing.

    This legislation comes as the Department of Homeland Security prepares to hire and deploy thousands of new immigration enforcement agents, thanks to a dramatic infusion of funding by congressional Republicans that makes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) better funded than all but 15 of the world’s militaries.

    “Communities around the country have been clear: we should not have armed, masked, and unidentified individuals prowling around neighborhoods and snatching people off the street. This conduct poses a great risk for everyone involved, from the officers themselves to well-intentioned bystanders who may misunderstand the situation,” said Warner. “Despite the risks, our local police officers, state troopers, national guardsmen, and even members of the armed forces interact with communities every with full-faced transparency – the kind that creates trust and helps hold us all to higher standards. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to hold ICE to the same standards that the vast majority of American law enforcement are held to.”

    “In recent months, we’ve seen how some ICE officers and agents – without clear indicia that they are law enforcement and often wearing masks – conducting immigration operations have caused fear and unnecessary danger on our streets and even in sensitive locations like county courthouses,” Kaine said. “This legislation would require ICE officers and agents to visibly identify themselves as law enforcement, helping to enhance safety and mitigate risk of violence if people misunderstand what’s happening. Our bill would also help to protect these officers and agents and their families from doxing and physical harm by giving them the tool to take their personal information such as their home addresses off the internet.”

    “This legislation is simple: the bad guys wear masks, not law enforcement officers. Our police, first responders and public safety officials play an important role in keeping our communities safe and free from harm, but there also needs to be accountability and transparency in the line of duty,” said King. “The uptick in immigration agents not clearly identifying themselves while on the job has eroded an already diminishing trust with the communities they serve. The Immigration Enforcement Identification Act would set reasonable, commonsense standards for immigration officer identification, and provide law enforcement personnel and their families with the appropriate resources to prevent doxxing.”

    “Masked immigration enforcement agents performing arrests without identification is deeply troubling,” said Bennet. “We must hold all law enforcement to the same standard of accountability. This legislation protects due process rights, prioritizes safe community encounters, and upholds proper immigration enforcement.”

    “We are deeply concerned about reports of ICE agents taking families off the street without identification,” said Hickenlooper. “Our bill is about promoting trust and transparency in our communities, and enforcing basic due process rights.”

    According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE does not have a “face-covering” policy. In recent months, ICE and agencies supporting ICE have been widely observed conducting immigration enforcement in plain clothes, out of unmarked cars, and while wearing a variety of imprecise or inscrutable insignia that makes them impossible to identify.

    The Immigration Enforcement Identification Act would require that all federal law enforcement and state and local law enforcement partners be identifiable while conducting immigration enforcement functions. This includes federal law enforcement organizations such as ICE, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Border Patrol (BP), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), U.S. Marshals, as well as state and local partners working with the federal government on immigration enforcement.

    This bill also takes important steps to help protect members of law enforcement and their families by providing personal data privacy services for immigration enforcement officers whose official duties may put them at increased risk of being the target of threats, intimidation, harassment, stalking, or a similar action. These services can help an individual monitor their sensitive personal information – including their personal phone number, home address, or other information that could be used to commit crimes against members of law enforcement – and remove it from websites, platforms, and data brokers.

    This legislation has the support of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), Immigration Hub, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

    “This legislation strikes the right balance between transparency and officer safety,” said Law Enforcement Action Partnership Executive Director Lt. Diane Goldstein (Ret.). “Operating with clear identification – name, agency, and badge number – is standard practice for accountability across policing and the military, and there is no reason federal immigration officers should be exempt. At the same time, providing officers with additional tools to protect against doxing ensures that this critical effort to maintain and rebuild public trust does not come at the cost of security.”

    “The Immigration Enforcement Identification Safety Act of 2025 brings long-overdue transparency and accountability to immigration enforcement while giving law enforcement officers more tools to protect themselves. Just as we require our military and law enforcement to identify themselves during civil operations, it is both reasonable and essential to expect the same of immigration officers. Displaying names or unique identifiers and ensuring visible faces not only builds public trust but also protects the integrity of our institutions and the rights of the individuals they encounter. At the same time, this bill provides resources for agents to protect themselves,” said Immigration Hub Co-Executive Director Kerri Talbot.

    “No one – White, Black, Brown, AAPI, or Immigrant – should live in fear of masked agents snatching people off of the streets without identifying themselves. Families often don’t know where their loved ones are being held or who may be next. Our communities need safety and trust, not terror and chaos,” said SEIU Secretary Treasurer Rocio Saenz.

    Text of this legislation is available here. A summary is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Statement on Senate Republicans’ Threat to Go Nuclear on Senate Rulebook to Expedite Trump’s Nominees

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla Statement on Senate Republicans’ Threat to Go Nuclear on Senate Rulebook to Expedite Trump’s Nominees

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, issued the following statement as Senate Republicans threaten to cave to President Trump and unilaterally rewrite the Senate rulebook once again to expedite the confirmation of Trump’s extreme nominees:

    “Facing Trump’s latest demands to fast track his extreme and blindly obedient nominees, Senate Republicans are considering blowing up the Senate rules yet again.

    “We can and should have thoughtful, bipartisan conversations in the Rules Committee on updating the confirmation process for the future, but Republicans should keep in mind that if they choose to go nuclear — yet again — it will have consequences long beyond Donald Trump’s presidency.”

    Senate Republicans’ willingness to go nuclear on Senate filibuster rules to unilaterally push through Trump’s nominees marks a change from their stance during a bipartisan Senate Rules Committee hearing last year on reforming the Senate confirmation process, which took place before the election. While Democrats emphasized the importance of making any changes to the process ahead of the presidential election to avoid partisan advantage, Senate Republicans turned down the opportunity for bipartisan reform.

    Now that they are in power, Republicans are threatening to go nuclear on the Senate rules for the third time in six months. In May, the Republican majority utilized the nuclear option for the first time to eliminate a legislative filibuster for three joint resolutions on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waivers issued to California under the Clean Air Act. Last month, Senate Republicans shredded longstanding filibuster rules again by bypassing budget reconciliation restrictions with a fabricated, partisan budget score, abusing Sec. 312(a) of the Congressional Budget Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Padilla Condemns Trump Administration’s Threats to Deport DACA Recipients

    US Senate News:

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

    WATCH: Padilla Condemns Trump Administration’s Threats to Deport DACA Recipients

    Padilla: “This mass detention and deportation operation will go down in our history as a stain, a dark chapter in our nation’s history, an outrageous moral failure, intentionally caused by this Administration.”

    WATCH: Padilla spotlights the story of Javier Diaz Santana, a long-term DACA recipient cruelly detained by the Trump Administration

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last night, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, took to the Senate floor to defend Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) baseless statement that “illegal aliens who claim to be recipients of DACA are not automatically protected from deportations.” Padilla slammed the Trump Administration’s push for DACA recipients to “self-deport,” emphasizing that these long-term residents, who were brought to the country as children, have been working, studying, and living legally in the United States since 2012 and are vital members of American communities.

    He highlighted the story of Javier Diaz Santana, a deaf 32-year-old DACA recipient who was arrested while at the Los Angeles car wash where he has worked hard six days a week for the last five years. Masked immigration officials carrying weapons raided the Temple City car wash, confiscating his ID and handcuffing him, preventing him from communicating. Despite having no criminal record and living in the United States since he was five years old, Javier was taken to El Paso, Texas where he faced the risk of deportation.

    As the Trump Administration indiscriminately targets all immigrants, rather than focusing on violent criminals, including arresting lawful permanent residents and those here with legal protections, Padilla pushed for Republicans to finally come together to protect DACA recipients by passing the Dream Act. Padilla emphasized that Republicans continue to voice support for the Dream Act behind closed doors and vowed to keep fighting to secure permanent protections for DACA recipients. He also blasted the Administration for scapegoating hardworking immigrants and using cruel immigration enforcement as spectacles to distract from their failing policy agenda.

    Key Excerpts:

    • “Colleagues, it feels like every single day the Trump Administration finds new ways to defy the rule of law. They will tear families apart, decimate local businesses, and deceive the public in order to distract from their own failures and scandals. And nowhere has this been clearer than in their cruelty towards immigrants.”
    • “If it was just deportation operations focused on dangerous violent criminals, there would be no discussion, there would be no debate, there would be no disagreement. But that’s not what this Administration is doing. They are going after all immigrants. The vast majority of those that have been arrested and detained and many of those deported, many without due process before being deported, are not convicted criminals.”
    • “The Trump Administration is saying that these young adults who were brought to the United States as children and who have lived here, who have studied here, and who have worked here legally — let me emphasize that: worked here, studied here, lived here legally — since the year 2012, thanks to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, this Administration is saying now that they have no right to be here, that they could be deported, or maybe should be deported at a moment’s notice, or worse, that they should choose to leave their families and their communities for countries that they’ve never known.”
    • “The whole point of DACA is protection from deportation because these are not criminals or some danger to society. These are young people who have lived in the United States for as long as they can remember. These are young adults who, as kids, were on your little league team or in your Girl Scout troop. For God’s sake, they’re part of our communities, and they’re young adults who have now grown up to be lawyers, to be doctors, to be teachers, and who have more love for everything that this country stands for than anyone threatening them in Trump’s Department of Homeland Security.”
    • “This week, the Trump Administration is now telling them that they should be arrested and thrown out of the only home they’ve ever known in an attempt to satisfy Donald Trump’s quest for political points or an arbitrary quota. To the Trump Administration, let me say this: you cannot claim to love our country at the same time you’re trying to destroy our future.”
    • “Don’t tell me the Trump Administration is following the law when we hear cases like this, and don’t tell me that the Administration is only targeting dangerous, violent criminals because the data proves otherwise. … For as tragic and as heartbreaking as Javier’s story is, he’s not alone. There have been more and more stories of DACA recipients being arrested and detained, and the fear is just growing across communities.”
    • “One thing is certain: this mass detention and deportation operation will go down in our history as a stain, a dark chapter in our nation’s history, an outrageous moral failure, intentionally caused by this Administration. Because for all the tough talk, this is not just politics as usual. In fact, when the Dream Act was first introduced over 20 years ago, it was bipartisan, and it enjoyed bipartisan support for most of the last 20 years, and even today, polling shows an overwhelming majority of the American public supports DACA recipients. Yes, both Republicans and Democrats across the country.”
    • “Make no mistake, Americans will not soon forget what this Administration is doing to their neighbors — to their neighbors, to their co-workers, to their friends. Now, this story doesn’t end the way you think it might, because we will continue fighting, not just to stop these outrageous arrests, but we will not rest until we enact real and permanent protections for DACA recipients who contribute so much to our country.”

    Video of Senator Padilla’s floor speech is available here.

    Senator Padilla is a leading voice in Congress for providing long-term undocumented immigrants with pathways to citizenship or permanent legal residence. Last week, Padilla hosted a press conference in Los Angeles alongside immigration advocates, impacted families, and community leaders to announce legislation to expand a pathway to lawful permanent residency for millions of long-term U.S. residents. As Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and mass deportation assaults intensified in Los Angeles, Padilla marked the 13th anniversary of the DACA policy by urging Congress to take immediate action to deliver permanent protections for millions of families, parents, and individuals who are increasingly at risk amid President Trump’s mass deportation agenda. He also delivered remarks on the Senate floor ahead of the anniversary, pushing for permanent protections for Dreamers rather than the indiscriminate ICE raids stoking fear in Los Angeles communities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Markey Decry Homeland Security’s Surveillance of Angelenos, Violation of Privacy and First Amendment Rights

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff, Markey Decry Homeland Security’s Surveillance of Angelenos, Violation of Privacy and First Amendment Rights

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) raised the alarm on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) recent usage of Predator drones and aerial surveillance against peaceful protesters in Los Angeles. This surveillance is a clear threat to the protesters’ privacy and their constitutional rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.

    In their letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the Senators likened DHS’ aerial surveillance to authoritarian regimes controlling dissent and warned of the risks of using this technology to target communities of color. They noted that DHS did not give any justification for its use of the drones, nor any details about what information was collected or how it was used.

    On June 8, during the Los Angeles protests, DHS deployed Predator drones with high resolution cameras capable of identifying individuals in a crowd to fly over protests in Paramount and Los Angeles. The Senators blasted DHS’ usage of the footage to create a dramatic video posted June 10 to X with the caption “WATCH: DHS drone footage of LA rioters. This is not calm. This is not peaceful. California politicians must call off their rioting mob.”

    “Even if the technology were perfectly accurate, this form of surveillance could have a chilling effect on constitutionally protected rights, particularly freedom of assembly and speech. Protesters may fear that showing up at a rally could result in DHS or other government entities logging their names into a government database, sharing records with law enforcement, or even subjecting them to reprisal,” wrote the Senators. “That fear is not theoretical. Authoritarian regimes already use facial recognition to track down dissidents. But even in democratic societies, such tools can disproportionately target and harm communities of color, intensifying existing biases in law enforcement and eroding trust in public institutions.” 

    “The publication of these videos appears to be a violation of the Department’s own requirement limiting the disclosure of video collected on an aircraft to authorized personnel with an authorized purpose,” continued the Senators. “Americans could easily understand the publication of this video as an implicit threat to reveal the identities of protesters, instilling fear in any members of the public who seek to exercise their constitutionally protected rights to speech and assembly.” 

    Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) also signed the letter. 

    The lawmakers requested responses by August 21, 2025, to questions including: 

    • What cameras, radar, or other surveillance equipment were equipped on the Predator drones that flew over Paramount and Los Angeles during the June protests? 
    • Did DHS officials identify any individuals based on information collected by the unmanned aircraft that surveilled the California protests, including in combination with other information or with the assistance of facial recognition technology?  
    • Which agencies and officials requested support from the Predator drones, when was the request made, and when and by whom were they approved?  
    • What data privacy protocols are currently used to govern information captured by aerial surveillance at U.S. protests?  
    • How are DHS staff with access to aerial surveillance data trained on data management protocols? 
    • What was the approval process for publishing videos taken by the Predator drones of the protests in Los Angeles on X? 
    • Has DHS deployed manned or unmanned aircraft systems to photograph, record, or otherwise monitor other protests since January 20, 2025? 

    Senator Padilla has been outspoken in criticizing Trump’s unprecedented militarization with the deployment of National Guard troops and active-duty U.S. Marines to respond to overwhelmingly peaceful protests in Los Angeles. Earlier this month, Padilla placed a hold on Trump’s nominee to serve as vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, Lieutenant General Thomas Carden, until the Trump Administration releases all remaining U.S. military forces from their unjustified deployment to Los Angeles. He also recently introduced the VISIBLE Act to require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions. Last month, he 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 service members to American cities.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Noem,

    In the face of peaceful protests against the Trump administration all across the country — through the public’s exercise of its constitutionally protected rights to assemble and express its views — the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has responded with surveillance and intimidation. For example, DHS deployed at least two Predator drones over the recent protests in Los Angeles, published the collected footage online, and called for local officials to crack down on protestors. This Big Brotherism invades Americans’ privacy and chills the exercise of their constitutional rights. We are writing to request more information on DHS’s use of aerial surveillance at recent protests and to urge DHS to respect the public’s privacy and the First Amendment.

    DHS has disclosed little about its use of Predator drones to surveil protests across the country. On June 8, 2025, flight watchers noticed aircraft without a callsign circling protests in Paramount, California, and downtown Los Angeles for hours. By listening to Air Traffic Control transmission, these observers determined that the aircraft were Predator drones. DHS later confirmed that it had deployed the drones to support “federal law enforcement partners in the Greater Los Angeles area, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” but denied that it was “engaged in surveillance of First Amendment activities.” But DHS has provided no explanation of who specifically requested the support of Predator drones in Paramount and Los Angeles, why that support was needed, what information was collected, or whether drones were deployed during other protests. In other words, DHS is keeping the public in the dark on the important question whether it is conducting aerial surveillance during protests and infringing on Americans’ First Amendment rights.

    Although extraordinary circumstances could justify drone flights over protests, these flights also raise serious concerns about individual privacy and may be intended to intimidate the public and chill free speech rights. As was the case with the Predator drones in Los Angeles, unmanned aircraft are often equipped with high-resolution cameras that can capture images and video of individual protesters within a crowd. DHS could then attempt to use facial recognition technologies to identify those individuals. Facial recognition technologies have known limitations — including reduced accuracy when images are low quality, blurry, obscured, or taken from the side or in poor light — creating serious risks of false identification.

    Even if the technology were perfectly accurate, this form of surveillance could have a chilling effect on constitutionally protected rights, particularly freedom of assembly and speech. Protesters may fear that showing up at a rally could result in DHS or other government entities logging their names into a government database, sharing records with law enforcement, or even subjecting them to reprisal. That fear is not theoretical. Authoritarian regimes already use facial recognition to track down dissidents. But even in democratic societies, such tools can disproportionately target and harm communities of color, intensifying existing biases in law enforcement and eroding trust in public institutions.

    DHS’s own best practices recognize that the use of drones to monitor protests and the retention or publication of images of individuals who are engaged in protest can harm constitutionally protected rights. In particular, in 2013, DHS conducted a privacy impact assessment (PIA) covering the Predator B drone. In that PIA, the Department acknowledged that images and video taken from these drones potentially include images of individuals that can be associated with personally identifiable information. To address the privacy risks with unmanned aircraft, the PIA explained that “the video or other data collected from [Customs and Border Protection] aircraft may only be accessed by authorized personnel with an authorized need to know, and the CBP-held video or other data is controlled through chains of custody and stored in secure locations until it is destroyed.” While this data may be used to support “other DHS components” or “federal law enforcement agencies,” the PIA emphasizes that “each request for information follows a standard process and is reviewed and considered in terms of the requesting agencies’ authorities to receive the sought after information, CBP’s own authority to lend assistance, and CBP’s ability to integrate the information collection into its mission.” Although DHS updated this PIA in 2018 and 2024 to cover tethered and small unmanned aircraft systems, the relevant section and privacy analysis on the Predator drone has not changed.

    But DHS appears to have ignored these requirements in Los Angeles. On June 10, the Department posted a video to X — collected from a drone — overlayed with a dramatic soundtrack and a caption stating “WATCH: DHS drone footage of LA rioters. This is not calm. This is not peaceful. California politicians must call off their rioting mob.”8 The publication of these videos appears to be a violation of the Department’s own requirement limiting the disclosure of video collected on an aircraft to authorized personnel with an authorized purpose. Americans could easily understand the publication of this video as an implicit threat to reveal the identities of protesters, instilling fear in any members of the public who seek to exercise their constitutionally protected rights to speech and assembly.

    Given the serious dangers to individual privacy and free expression from the aerial surveillance of protesters, we request written responses to the following questions by August 21, 2025.

    1. What cameras, radar, or other surveillance equipment were equipped on the Predator drones that flew over Paramount and Los Angeles during the June protests?

    a. Did the drones collect any information on individual protesters?

    b. If so, what information did the drones collect?

    c. What has DHS done with this information?

    2. Did DHS officials identify any individuals based on information collected by the unmanned aircraft that surveilled the California protests, including in combination with other information or with the assistance of facial recognition technology?

    a. If so, how many individuals were identified at the California protests?

    b. Why did DHS seek to identify individual protesters?

    c. Did DHS provide records of the identities of individual protesters to any other agencies or third parties?

    d. How long does DHS intend to maintain records of the identities of individuals at these protests?

    e. Is DHS creating a database of individuals identified at these protests?

    3. Which agencies and officials requested support from the Predator drones, when was the request made, and when and by whom were they approved? Please provide all documents related to the request and approval of these flights.

    4. What data privacy protocols are currently used to govern information captured by aerial surveillance at U.S. protests?

    a. Does DHS still follow the 2013 privacy impact assessment?

    b. If so, how does the aerial surveillance of the Paramount and Los Angeles protests comport with it? If not, why not?

    5. How are DHS staff with access to aerial surveillance data trained on data management protocols?

    6. What was the approval process for publishing videos taken by the Predator drones of the protests in Los Angeles on X? Please provide all documents related to the decision to publish this video.

    7. Has DHS deployed manned or unmanned aircraft systems to photograph, record, or otherwise monitor other protests since January 20, 2025? If so, for each such deployment, please provide:

    a. the date and location of the deployment;

    b. the original request from the state, local, or national agency for this support;

    c. all approval documentation;

    d. the kinds of manned or unmanned aircraft used;

    e. all monitoring equipment on the flights; and

    f. whether any individuals were identifiable, and if so,

    (i) how many were identified,

    (ii) for what purposes,

    (iii) whether that data was provided to any other agencies or third parties,

    (iv) how long DHS intends to maintain the identities of individual protesters, and

    (v) whether DHS is creating a database of protesters identified at these protests.

    Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Risch Introduce Legislation to Protect Firearm Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), and 16 other Republican colleagues to introduce the Equal Shot Act. The legislation prohibits the Small Business Administration (SBA) from discriminating against firearm-related businesses.

    “For years, the far left has tried to undermine Americans’ right to bear arms. Under Joe Biden, the Small Business Administration tried to cut off capital to firearm businesses in hopes of forcing them to close. That’s not acceptable for the freest country in the world.  In Alabama, we respect the 2nd Amendment. We respect freedom. And we stand with the small business owners who make our communities stronger and our country safer,” said Sen. Tuberville.“I’m proud to join this fight to ensure that lawful firearm-related businesses get the same opportunities as any other small business—no more picking winners and losers based on a political agenda. As a proud gun owner, I will always fight to protect our Second Amendment rights.”

    Joining Sens. Tuberville and Risch in introducing the Equal Shot Act are U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Justice (R-WV), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT).

    Earlier this week, Sens. Tuberville and Risch also introduced the National Shooting Sports Month Resolution recognizing August as National Shooting Sports Month.

    MORE:

    Tuberville Fights for Second Amendment Rights

    Tuberville Continues to Defend Second Amendment Rights
    Tuberville, Barrasso Push for Pro-Growth Tax Reductions, Lower Prices for Small Businesses

    Tuberville Speaks with Trump Defense Nominees on Supporting Small Businesses and Service Academy Oversight

    Tuberville, Colleagues Celebrate Small Businesses During Small Business Week

    Tuberville Fights to Give Small Businesses a Tax Break

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Talks Defense Technology and Shipbuilding with Navy Nominees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with Amy Henniger, President Trump’s nominee to be Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, Benjamin Kohlmann, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, and David Denton, Jr., nominee to be General Counsel of the Department of the Navy during their nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC). Sen. Tuberville spoke about the need to improve technology in the defense industry, address the challenges many military members are facing, and the importance of shipbuilding to our national security.

    Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.

    ON SPEEDING UP DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY TESTING:

    TUBERVILLE: “Good Morning. Congratulations to all of you, and thanks for your service. 

    Ms. Henninger, Huntsville, Alabama is a major hub for innovations in hypersonic space warfare and quantum computing, just to name a few. I don’t need to tell you we’re already years behind our adversaries in these critical technologies.

    What would you do to accelerate the testing and evaluation of critical technologies, especially as threats from adversaries, like China, continue to mature?”

    HENNINGER: “Senator Tuberville, thank you for the opportunity to answer this. I am very familiar with Huntsville. I’ve been there many, many times to Redstone. I worked with the Cyber Red Team there, and I agree [that] it is a hotbed of innovation for the country. I appreciate all the smart people down there. And speed is very, very important. And speed with rigor is even better.

    So, there are a number of levers in place right now that DOT&E can encourage the operational test agencies to employ. They include things like shifting left. They include things like taking advantage of training exercises or operational experimentation exercises. They include things like more tightly integrating DT and OT. The issue, in my view, is that those things are becoming our go-to for surge, and they should be everyday baseline in every test we do. So, I would like to see us move beyond surging with manpower and find […] more automated T&E, more digital methods, digital modeling, to speed and facilitate our test and evaluation processes.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Our F-35 program seems to take one step forward and two steps back. How do we fix that?”

    HENNINGER: “Sir, thank you for the question. I’ve been out of the office for four years and […] I’m not tracking exactly what’s going on with the F-35. I haven’t been briefed on it. I know the Block 4 is coming up. I know there’s a lot of classified work on that. I am slightly familiar with it because I worked on it previously. But one of my first steps back into the office would be to come up to speed on all these weapon systems, especially the classified ones that I’ve missed the last four years, and understand where we, where our baseline is and what we’re doing.”

    TUBERVILLE: “You’ll find out pretty quick. Again, it’s a great machine. We just continue to have problems.

    ON WORKFORCE PROBLEMS IN THE MILITARY:

    “Mr. Kohlmann, DOD civilian workforce numbers have exploded in the last two decades while service end strengths have decreased, the tail is eating the tooth and has become an enormous burden to the American taxpayer. Under the previous administration, there were additional protections put in at the request of labor unions to make it harder to fire unperforming employees. What is your plan to fix this bloated bureaucracy?”

    KOHLMANN: “Senator, thank you for the question. Coming from the private sector, there were many opportunities when we had to reassess our workforce to understand if it was at the correct size. I think it is appropriate for government to make similar assessments. I want, if confirmed, [to] get in the seat and understand where the core areas’ priority are and if we have to reshift, reshift allocations of civilian workforce from one area to the other or maybe re-rightsize areas as well. I think holding civilians and military personnel to very high standards and holding them accountable for poor performance is critical to driving the change that we need.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. And also, with a lot of our military bases, brick and mortar is an absolute disgrace. I know […] you’re not going to be over brick and mortar, but we’re going to need your help to fix a lot of that. You know, we’re behind.”

    KOHLMANN: “Senator, the state of how our service members live is critical to both retention and recruitment and I look forward to working with the Secretary of Navy. I know it’s a priority of his to make sure that our service members have the right places to live.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah, the quality of life should be a lot better than what it is for a lot of our families. And that’s important for recruiting as we were talking about earlier.”

    ON ADVISING SENIOR LEADERSHIP IN THE NAVY:

    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Denton, the previous administration flouted the law and used the office [to seek] and many others to advance a political agenda. As the Navy’s top lawyer, can you commit to helping ensure the Navy will follow statute and advise senior leaders in an apolitical manner?”

    DENTON: “Absolutely, Senator.”

    ON SHIPBUILDING:

    TUBERVILLE: “[Do] you see any problems? What do you think will be your number one agenda when you first go into office?”

    DENTON: “Senator, I think that my most important priority, if confirmed, will be supporting Secretary Phelan’s most important priority, which is shipbuilding and getting the battle force back to where it needs to be. That’s going to be a full life cycle effort, throughout the entire acquisition and sustainment process, making sure that we are receiving value for dollar from industry, but at the same time, ensuring that we have the right authorities and the right resources deployed to sustain the fleet and make sure that we have the capabilities that our sailors and marines need to deter and, if necessary, win any fight that might come our way.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.

    Senator Wicker and I like to hear that word ‘shipbuilding,’ don’t we, Senator?”

    WICKER: “Senator Tuberville, I don’t think we could have had a finer answer to that question.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Exactly right.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK outshines global competitors as Arbitration Act comes into effect

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    UK outshines global competitors as Arbitration Act comes into effect

    Businesses will benefit from faster and cheaper dispute resolution as major reforms to arbitration law come into effect today.

    • New law comes into force today to strengthen UK’s world-leading status in arbitration
    • Businesses can now settle disputes faster and at less cost
    • Part of Government’s Plan for Change to drive new business straight into £42.6 billion legal sector

    The modernisation of the Arbitration Act is set to boost the UK economy by millions while creating new employment opportunities within the legal sector.   

    The new law will reinforce Britain’s position as the world’s number one destination for arbitration – building on London’s status as the globally preferred location for these services over competitors like Singapore, Hong Kong and Paris.  

    This will attract further investment to the UK’s £42.6 billion legal services economy and create highly-skilled jobs, supporting the sector’s existing 384,000 workforce.  

    Businesses around the world already look to the UK as the gold standard in arbitration, and this new law cements our place as the global jurisdiction of choice – competing globally and keeping British companies on top.   

    As part of our Plan for Change, we will continue to drive new business straight into the UK to boost jobs and support economic growth.

    As the largest legal services market in Europe, international arbitration represents a major growth sector for the UK economy. England and Wales handle at least 5,000 domestic and international arbitrations annually, contributing £2.5 billion in fees alone.  

    From today, arbitrators have the power to dismiss weak cases quickly, preventing businesses from wasting time and money on disputes with no chance of success.   

    The reforms also require arbitrators to declare any potential conflicts of interest upfront, ensuring fairer outcomes for businesses.   

    Courts have gained new powers to better support the arbitration process, while simplified procedures will cut delays and costs for all parties involved.  

    The Arbitration Act received Royal Assent in February and has now been fully implemented. 

    Cristen Bauer, Director of External Affairs, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators 

    As the leading professional body globally for dispute resolvers, we are delighted to see the Arbitration Act 2025 come into force. We commend the Government’s commitment to modernise the Arbitration Act and to engage in a collaborative reform process with stakeholders from across the dispute resolution ecosystem. 

    Ciarb is proud to have contributed to this important reform and stands ready to support the global arbitration community in harnessing the full potential of this new framework. This milestone not only strengthens arbitration in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but also reinforces global efforts to uphold high standards of fairness, efficiency, and integrity across the profession.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 August 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: CLEAR Joins White House and CMS Effort to Power an Interoperable, Secure Digital Health Ecosystem

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CLEAR (NYSE: YOU), the secure identity platform, is participating in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Tech Ecosystem initiative, a nationwide effort to deliver a more connected, patient-centered healthcare system.

    CLEAR was proud to stand alongside government, healthcare, and technology leaders at the White House this week to support the launch of this national collaboration, and to reinforce its role as the trusted, full service Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2)/Authenticator Assurance Level 2 (AAL2) identity layer underpinning partner ecosystems across healthcare.

    “CLEAR applauds the Administration’s commitment to accelerating the digital transformation of healthcare and is proud to be a trusted partner in this nationwide effort,” said Caryn Seidman Becker, CEO of CLEAR. “By serving as an IAL2 identity layer in healthcare ecosystems, CLEAR is helping to kill the clipboard, eliminate friction, and give patients control of their medical information in a secure, seamless way. We believe identity is the key to unlocking personalized, efficient, and patient-centered care.”

    At the heart of this CMS-led effort is a push to make health data more accessible, interoperable, and actionable, empowering patients, reducing provider burden, and improving outcomes. CLEAR’s reusable identity platform for healthcare organizations and businesses, CLEAR1, is already enabling this transformation across leading platforms and health systems, including Epic, Surescripts, Wellstar, Community Health Network, University of Miami Health and b.well.

    These partners are leveraging CLEAR1 for use cases such as streamlining patient onboarding and check-in, enhancing workforce security, simplifying access to medical records, and strengthening data protection. Together, these efforts demonstrate how secure, interoperable identity can reduce friction, lower costs, and enable a more connected healthcare experience.

    CLEAR1 is a NIST IAL2/AAL2-compliant identity solution that gives patients and providers a reusable, privacy-centric credential to unlock services across the care journey, whether creating a MyChart account, verifying coverage, or accessing claims data.

    Over 60 companies have signed on to the CMS Health Tech Ecosystem pledge, committing to advance tools that:

    • Help patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity
    • Use AI assistants to navigate symptoms and schedule care
    • “Kill the clipboard” by digitizing check-in and intake
    • Securely share data across trusted networks using modern identity credentials

    “We are excited that identity services – like CLEAR – are making it possible for patients and providers to use verified, secure identity as part of CMS’s Health Tech Ecosystem,” said Amy Gleason, Acting Administrator for the U.S. DOGE Service and Strategic Advisor to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. “Checking in at the doctor’s office should be the same as boarding a flight. Patients should be able to scan a QR code to instantly and safely share their identity, insurance and medical history”.

    “Our work with CLEAR has meaningfully improved the speed and reliability of provider identity verification across our network,” said Frank Harvey, CEO of Surescripts. “It’s a powerful example of how focused collaboration can drive real progress. This pledge builds on that momentum—demonstrating how innovators across healthcare are advancing interoperability to reduce administrative burden and refocus clinicians’ time where it matters most: patient care.”

    “Identity is foundational to creating the connected, consumer-first healthcare experience that people expect, and it’s what b.well was built to deliver,” said Kristen Valdes, CEO and Founder of b.well. “Our partnership with CLEAR brings a trusted, IAL2-compliant identity layer into that experience, giving patients and caregivers a seamless, unified way to access and share their health information across providers and platforms.”

    “As part of our pledge to become a CMS Aligned Network, our relationship and planned integration with CLEAR will give us a unique opportunity to bring IAL2 identity verification to providers who are newer to the interoperability space,” said Therasa Bell, President and Founder of Kno2. “That includes nurses, physical therapists, behavioral health providers, dentists, and paramedics, and it will enable them to securely communicate and share patient records across the broader healthcare ecosystem.”

    “Modern identity is the key to enabling safe, secure, and trusted data exchange across healthcare,” said Aneesh Chopra, former Chief Technology Officer of the United States. “CLEAR’s work to deliver IAL2-compliant digital identity helps unlock the promise of interoperability—giving patients and providers the confidence to share information seamlessly and securely.”

    CLEAR1 is already powering many of these functions across CLEAR’s health, financial services, and workforce partners—and stands ready to support the rollout of CMS-Aligned Networks in 2026 and beyond.

    About CLEAR
    CLEAR’s mission is to strengthen security and create frictionless experiences. With over 31 million Members and a growing network of partners across the world, CLEAR’s secure identity platform is transforming the way people live, work, and travel. Whether you are traveling, at the stadium, or on your phone, CLEAR connects you to the things that make you, you – making everyday experiences easier, more secure, and friction-free. CLEAR is committed to privacy done right. Members are always in control of their own information, and we never sell Member data. For more information, visit clearme.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This release may contain statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This includes, without limitation, statements relating to CLEAR’s participation in the CMS Health Tech Ecosystem initiative. Investors are cautioned that any and such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results, developments and events may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including risks associated with the initiative and CLEAR’s participation therein, and those described in the Company’s filings within the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the sections titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10- K. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein.

    CLEAR
    media@clearme.com

    This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick Demands Accountability After ICE Wrongfully Detains U.S. Citizen

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Florida 20th district))

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) issued the following statement in response to a video documenting the unlawful detention of a U.S. citizen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Palm Beach County.
     
    “The recent video of a U.S. citizen being wrongfully detained by ICE is deeply alarming and unacceptable. This is not just an immigration issue; it is a human rights crisis unfolding on American soil.
     
    “When even American citizens are not safe from ICE arrests, it is a clear sign that the system is broken. The fear and trauma inflicted on families, immigrant and American alike, is not just a policy failure. It is a moral one.
     
    “I will continue fighting in Congress to protect due process and ensure that no one, regardless of citizenship, is subjected to unlawful detention or abuse at the hands of our government.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: Keep the Wins Coming

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Senator Marshall Joins Newsmax to Discuss Trump Trade Deals and the MAHA Movement
    Washington – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Newsmax to discuss President Trump’s trade deal winning streak, where the Canada trade deal stands following their recent stance on Gaza, and American companies joining the MAHA movement.

    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    On Trump trade deals:
    “Great to be with you. Are you tired of winning yet? Another big deal in South Korea. We had a $60 billion trade deficit with them last year, so this is going to help close that gap. With 15% tariff coming in on South Korean products. Guess what this tariff is for U.S. products going in there? Well, it’s zero. But more importantly, what they’re going to remove is their non-tariff barriers and allow us to sell more energy in there. Beyond that, as you all mentioned, is that they’re going to invest in America $350 billion. I think part of this will be used on a ship fund. Right now, very few ships are made in America. I have a feeling President Trump is rallying some finances to start building ships in America again.
    On how Canada’s stance on the Israel and Gaza conflict affects a potential trade deal:
    “Look, I think Americans are tired of the killing in Gaza, that Israel needs to end this war one way or another. We need to stop this famine. I would just ask, and Canada is making this really complicated. They’re hamstringing President Trump. And I would ask our friends in Canada, what type of statehood are they talking about? If you look at Palestinians’ past, they’ve been a failed government. They paid no attention to water, to sewers, to schools, to the economics of their country. I’ve been over there, and it’s a disaster right now. Instead, they focused on chaos, on terrorism, so I don’t think that’s a viable solution right now. Again, I think President Trump, if anyone can solve this, I think it’s going to be President Trump. And what Canada is doing there is not very helpful for the cause.”
    On American companies joining the MAHA movement:
    “Yeah, I think they’re more interested in marketing than they are on making America healthy. And my favorite thing to do is to go into a Starbucks and order an iced latte with almond juice in it. I won’t buy Starbucks, it’s too expensive. But for my wife; she deserves it. When I ask them for the almond juice, they say, well, we don’t have any, and I’ll say, ‘look behind the counter,’ there it is. Oh, the almond [milk]. No, it’s almond juice. Look, I think there’s nothing healthier out there than whole milk, as far as strong nutrients as well. I’m not sure what they’re up to here. I appreciate them hopping on the bandwagon. I’m absolutely committed to making America healthy.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Senator Marshall Joins the Sean Spicer Show Live
    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Sean Spicer on The Sean Spicer Show to discuss the tenure of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, the MAHA movement, and whether the Senate will stay or go for the August recess.

    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    On the economic growth so far in 2025:
    “What did the first thing I go to is our interest rate, and Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell, he’s got to be eating a little bit more crow here, in my humble opinion. You know, maybe he should have decreased the interest rate a quarter point a month ago, a quarter point today, and maybe a half point next month. So I think he’s eating a lot of crow.
    “We’re seeing unemployment stay low. We’re seeing inflation down, grocery, [and] gas prices are stabilized… good GDP, and why? You know, this isn’t just happenstance. I’ve never seen an economy and a country’s attitude turnaround in six months like it has. I think a lot of this goes back to rolling back the regulations and really just a re-establishment of law and order and people having faith in this country once again.”
    On whether Jerome Powell should resign or be fired:
    “So I think they’re going to grow louder, but my advice to the President, if he asked for it, is not to fire Jerome Powell. This guy reminds me of a lame duck coach that’s having three losing seasons. I mean, they’re having a horrible season right now, and he should resign.”
    “[If he fires Jerome Powell tomorrow] I will, absolutely, I’ll support the President’s decision. And I think it’s making the play call, right? Someone has to make the play call, and I’d be okay with that. But if Jerome Powell was a man, he should resign. And again, we just have no confidence in him. The economy has no confidence in him. He served his country, in my opinion, not very well. He’s added to the debt. He continues to have an upside-down balance of economic situation there at the Feds as well. I can’t believe that he’s losing money like he has. What they’ve done with quantitative easing is absolutely criminal. It goes back to 2008.”
    On whether the President has the authority to fire Jerome Powell:
    “You’re the political analyst here. I think we have to think about the political side of this as well. I mean, we can get all the lawyers in and all the king’s men in and give us an opinion, but there’s a huge political risk to this. And that’s if I was his advisor, that’s what I’d be talking to him more about. I think it’s one more reason you would go to Jerome Powell, have my chief go to Jerome Powell, and say, here’s the cause. Why don’t you help us all out here and resign and let the country get down the road? Look at just a new chapter, it’s a new day, this is the dawn of a new golden economic era and safety for this country. And it’s best for him to move along and enjoy his retirement.”
    On the trade deficits with the EU:
    “We haven’t sold a cheeseburger in Europe in maybe forever, certainly in this century, right? And we make the best beef in the world. No one can argue that. No one can replicate it. The cattle industry is what’s keeping our ag sector together right now. We’re struggling with our commodities like wheat and sorghum soybeans. So cattle is driving the agriculture industry right now in the state of Kansas. So selling them cheeseburgers is really important.
    “The other issue is ethanol. 40, 50% of our corn crop goes to making ethanol. We have capacity to do more. So selling it to them is a huge, huge opportunity. And remember, if you put the EU together, they’re the number one trade deficit that we have. It kind of caught me off guard, but China’s, I think, is closer to $300 billion and and the EU’s collectively is about $250 billion. So, between these two countries, between the EU and China, is half of our trade deficit.
    “So I think that agriculture is a great opportunity for us to grow back and to shrink that deficit. And want to emphasize all these deals, it’s not necessarily the tariffs that are important to farmers and ranchers. It’s the non-tariff barriers that the EU uses to keep us from selling American beef into that country.”
    On advocating for both farmers and ranchers and the MAHA movement:
    “Yeah, well, Sean, I feel like my whole life, God has prepared me for this moment. To be a fifth-generation ag kid, and spent 25 years in healthcare, managing a diabetic clinic for pregnant women was a big part of my practice. So, I think I’ve been prepared for this particular moment. And being able to have a great relationship with Secretary Kennedy and Secretary Rollins, with the Secretary of Agriculture, and at the same time know what Kansas farmers and ranchers are doing. And we’re doing so many great things already, and sharing that with the MAHA people and helping them to understand that we’re trying to get there.
    “Look, a Kansas farmer doesn’t want to have to use any more fertilizer or pesticide than they have to. They’re very, very expensive. So we’re developing modern regenerative agriculture practices, where we’re decreasing by 90% the drift of those chemicals leaving the field, and we’re using 60% less, again, through precision agriculture, through modern-day technology. So we’re getting there.
    “And I think just what can we do then on the Ag Committee, to help accentuate the positive, to help these early adapters, to spread that love, so to speak, as well. So I’m spending a lot of time educating MAHA on what we’re doing in agriculture, and kind of focusing on soil health. That healthy soil leads to healthy food, leads to healthy people, so motivating farmers to grow that healthy soil.”
    On processed foods and healthier nutrition in America:
    “I think we have a long way to go on what America chooses to eat, and that would be the ultra-processed food. I think that the boogeyman here is the ultra-processed food. I don’t think it. In my humble opinion, I’ve looked at the studies on plant-based seed oil versus fat from animals, and I don’t think that’s the issue. I know that my MAHA people disagree with me. I think it’s that they’re they happen to be using that seed-based oil in ultra-processed food. I think it’s the salt and the sugar that are in the ultra-processed food that’s the actual problem.
    “I think we’ve made huge strides when it comes to these potential toxins. Right now, we only put down most of these pesticides before we plant the seed. So by the time the seeds coming up… there’s minimal around to actually be left in a residue, which is what they call it. And we’re becoming more and more strict on what we’re doing to measure that residue, whether you’re at the a co-op elevator or whether you’re at the milling plant.
    “My sorghum growers especially have adapted these modern practices where they’re using just minimal, minimal, they’re measuring it, they’re proving that indeed, it’s healthy. And you’re concerned about our waters again – 90% less fertilizer is ever leaving the field by modern-day agriculture. So we’re getting there, Sean, but I’m not nearly satisfied…And remember, we’re we’re dads and grandfathers and mothers and grandmothers first. We happen to be farmers, but we want our children to be healthy as well. We certainly you don’t want to go out and misuse these pesticides. You don’t want to be dipping your fingers in it. You don’t want to be breathing it. You need to be using it with the very strictest of techniques.”
    On the FDA approval process of vaccines and doctor-patient relationships:
    “Yeah, Sean, so I don’t have a single answer. Number one is, this is why I think the relationship between the doctor and the patient is sacred. And each person’s an individual. The advice I gave my parents on the COVID-19 shot was different than the advice I gave my children and for their children as well on the COVID shot. Completely, two different risk factor profiles there as well.
    “My big concern here is when vaccines are made, not in the United States. China does knockoffs, and they don’t have the highest safety standards that we do. You know, just recently, I’m going to give you an example, the GLP one drugs. China has been making a knockoff drug, and then they’re sending it to compounders in the United States. And they may not know it’s a knockoff drug, but 14 people have died from using that compounded GLP one this in the past year. Zero people have died from using US-based FDA-approved drugs. So it’s the impurity that scares the death out of me. On the vaccine, the interaction amongst them scares the death out of me.
    “I’ll give you one example. Secretary Kennedy and myself have both said MMR is the best way to prevent measles, but it’s not given until you’re a year of age. It’s been around forever. It’s proven to be safe, and… Measles can actually kill, especially young kids. So my advice is to get the MMR vaccine at age one.
    “On the other hand, the hepatitis vaccine for a two-day-old or one-day-old… who are the risk of people with hepatitis, right? It would be homosexuals and prostitutes, that type of thing… drug abusers, right? That’s who’s at risk for hepatitis. So I don’t see what is there to gain from giving my two-day-old granddaughter the hepatitis vaccine, let their immune system develop a little bit. So the science is not settled. Sean, it’s never settled. And it’s my job as your doctor to keep try to keep up with that and give you the very best advice I can. Sorry, that’s a long answer.”
    On the August recess and President Trump’s nominees:
    “We were elected to do the work of the people. President Trump, 78 million people voted for him, for him to fulfill his mission and his agenda, we need more of these people approved. Look, Chuck Schumer is jamming us right now. He’s doing things that we never did, people that should be easily confirmed by unanimous consent, not take any time up. So if we stay here this August, it’ll be Chuck Schumer’s fault, just like if we end up in some type of financial shutdown in September. This is Chuck Schumer overreacting to AOC and just the psychotic nature right now of the Democrat Party, if that makes sense.
    “So I’m willing to stay. I want to stay, whatever it takes to get these people confirmed; the Senate needs to do its job. Yes, I want to go home, see family, go out and do our town halls, all those types of things I want to do, but my number one mission right now – got The Big Beautiful Bill done – my number one mission right now is to get these people confirmed.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Budd, Scott, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Stop Federal Government Overreach in Small Business Lending

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) joined Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in reintroducing the Protecting Access to Credit for Small Businesses Act to protect community banks and credit unions from competing with the federal government. The bill does so by prohibiting a Biden-era rule that allows the Small Business Administration (SBA) to facilitate direct government lending.  

    “Time and again, the federal government has shown it is neither efficient nor effective when it comes to delivering direct loan support to small businesses. Community banks and credit unions, not Washington bureaucrats, understand the needs of the businesses they serve. It’s time we stop sidelining them. I am proud to join Senator Scott and my colleagues to put power back in the hands of local institutions that invest in our communities, rather than forcing them to compete with the federal government,”said Senator Budd.

    “The SBA has a poor track record as a direct lender, especially compared to local banks that know the communities they serve. Allowing the SBA to directly offer loans is not just another example of government overreach, it would also hurt Main Street by creating unnecessary competition with community banks and credit unions. The private sector has a much stronger record of managing loans effectively, and the last thing we need is big government disrupting a system that local businesses rely on,” said Senator Scott.

    Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) also co-sponsored the legislation.

    The bill has received support from the American Bankers Association, America’s Credit Unions, Bank Policy Institute, Carolinas Credit Union League, Consumer Bankers Association, Independent Community Bankers of America, and South Carolina Bankers Association.

    Read the full bill text HERE.

    BACKGROUND 

    • President Biden’s fiscal year 2025 budget included a proposal that allows the SBA to directly make loans under the 7(a) lending program.
    • The SBA has a history of performing poorly in lending programs compared to the private sector.
      • According to the SBA Office of Inspector’s 2023 report, the government-led COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program had $136 billion in potential fraud (33 percent of total funds disbursed). In contrast, the private-sector-led Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) had $64 billion (8 percent of funds disbursed).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Risch introduce bill to protect small firearm businesses from discrimination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and 16 colleagues in introducing the Equal Shot Act, which would prohibit the Small Business Administration (SBA) from discriminating against lawful firearm-related businesses.

    “Big Government officials in Washington should never be able to punish small business owners just because they support the Second Amendment. The Equal Shot Act would protect Louisiana’s firearm businesses from out-of-control bureaucrats trying to pick winners and losers based on politics,” said Kennedy.

    “The Equal Shot Act defends the Second Amendment rights of Idaho’s small business firearm industry and ensures these law-abiding Americans have fair access to resources that will help them thrive,” said Risch.

    The Equal Shot Act ensures that firearm-related businesses are treated the same as any other eligible small business when applying for SBA programs without political or ideological bias. 

    • The bill responds to reports that the SBA, under the Biden administration, used internal policies to deny financial support to lawful firearm-related businesses that help Americans exercise their Second Amendment rights.
    • The bill reinforces that federal agencies must remain neutral and may not withhold access to assistance programs from law-abiding businesses based on their industry.

    Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas), chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “The Equal Shot Act ensures every eligible small business is treated fairly and without political bias. Under the Biden Administration, firearm-related businesses were targeted and singled out by federal agencies and financial institutions simply because of what they represent. These law-abiding job creators should not be punished for supporting the Second Amendment. I want to thank Senator Risch for his support on this important legislation. Every business on Main Street deserves the same opportunity to succeed,” said Williams.

    Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) also cosponsored the bill.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Environmental Justice Caucus Co-Chairs Duckworth, Booker, Markey Slam Trump Administration for Plan to Eliminate EPA’s Ability to Protect Public Health from Climate Change

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    July 31, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA)—co-chairs of the U.S. Senate Environmental Justice Caucus—issued the following statement after Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced his proposal to rescind the 2009 endangerment finding, a landmark determination that requires the EPA to address greenhouse gas emissions and pollution because of the threat that climate change poses to public health and welfare. By rescinding the endangerment finding, the Trump administration will effectively declaw the EPA, giving big businesses a green light to pollute our air and devastate environmental justice communities.

    “Once again, the Trump Administration is sacrificing our children’s future to protect polluters in the present. Trump and Zeldin are annihilating the key legal foundation that requires our government to act on climate change because it threatens the health of Americans—their repeal of the endangerment finding is ignorant, runs counter to scientific fact and will put lives at risk. Environmental justice communities are particularly threatened by this wrong-headed decision, since they are most exposed to climate impacts and have the fewest resources to protect themselves. The Trump Administration must reverse this decision—it flies in the face of science, the law and our moral responsibility to protect our future.”

    As co-chairs of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, Duckworth, Booker and Markey have long pushed to strengthen and defend environmental justice efforts across the country. Earlier this month, the three condemned Republicans’ cuts to environmental justice grants that were included in Donald Trump’s Big, Beautiful Betrayal. Earlier this week, Markey held a press conference outside EPA headquarters to rail against the Trump Administration’s plans to rescind the endangerment finding. In March, Duckworth and Booker condemned the Trump Administration for shutting down all of EPA’s environmental justice offices and slashing over 30 EPA regulations that have helped protect our nation’s public health and the environment for decades.

    In February, Duckworth, Booker and Markey—along with U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE)—urged EPA Administrator Zeldin to reopen the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR), which Duckworth and Booker led the charge to create. Duckworth, Booker and Markey also helped introduce legislation that would permanently codify the Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) in response to Attorney General Bondi’s order eliminating all environmental justice efforts at the DOJ.

    For years, Duckworth and Booker have led the charge pushing for their A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice For All Act—the most comprehensive environmental justice legislation in history—which would help achieve health equity and climate justice for all, particularly in underserved communities and communities of color that have long been disproportionately harmed by environmental injustices and toxic pollutants.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Introduces Amendment to Prevent Transfer of Gifted Qatari Jet to Trump After His Presidency Ends

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    July 31, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Thursday introduced an amendment to the FY26 Defense Appropriations bill that would prevent the luxury jet gifted to President Trump by the Qatari government from being transferred to the Trump presidential library after the president leaves office.

    “President Trump has already corrupted our foreign policy by accepting a $400 million luxury jet from a foreign government, and now he’s asking taxpayers to foot a $1 billion bill to refurbish that jet before he takes it with him for his own personal use. It’s so plainly corrupt and Republicans in Congress should join with Democrats to stop it,” Murphy said.

    Text of the amendment is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Statement on Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on Offensive Weapons Transfers to Netanyahu Government

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    July 31, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after voting in support of two Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on offensive weapons transfers to the Netanyahu government:

    “The images of children starving to death as a famine unfolds across Gaza shock anyone with a conscience. The situation is completely untenable, and I believe the United States cannot continue to militarily support the Netanyahu government so long as it is refusing to take the necessary steps to urgently alleviate this crisis.

    “My views on the conduct of this war have been clear for some time, but I understand those who have grappled with the urgency of destroying the threat from the terrorist group that perpetrated the October 7th attacks. I understand that Hamas cares nothing for civilians and often intentionally puts them in harm’s way. And finally, I accept that Israel has a profound responsibility to protect the historic homeland of the Jewish people and, given the deep, long history of persecution and extermination of Jewish peoples, feels the need to use extraordinary means to defend themselves in a region where many would deny their very right to exist.

    “But this is a moment where no one—even the most ardent supporters of Israel’s fight against Hamas—can close their eyes. One can support Israel’s right to exist and defend itself while also drawing a line in the sand that starvation can never be used as a weapon of war. Hamas’ lack of humanity cannot become an excuse to allow thousands of children—who play no role in this conflict—to die of hunger.

    “Israel must take immediate action to allow massive amounts of food, water, fuel, and medication to surge into Gaza. Organizations like the UN, the World Food Programme, and their humanitarian partners have proven their capability to deliver aid to Palestinians in need, without diversion to Hamas, but they need full cooperation from the Israeli and U.S. authorities. There are no excuses remaining—the Trump administration must demand action now, before thousands more are needlessly condemned to die.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: British steelmakers regain access to EU market

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    British steelmakers regain access to EU market

    British steelmakers regain access to EU market

    • UK steel producers to regain tariff-free access to the EU market for key steel products from today [1 August].
    • Cuts costs and gives UK steel producers more certainty when exporting to the EU — one of our largest trading partners.
    • Delivers on a UK-EU Summit commitment and reinforces the Government’s Plan for Change to rebuild Britain’s industrial strength.

    British steelmakers stand to make millions extra a year as the EU gets rid of its steel tariffs today [Friday 1 August] – a direct win from the Prime Minister’s EU deal signed back in May.

    This means UK steelmakers will be able to export more steel used for large building projects – like support beams – to the EU tariff-free, supporting the UK’s wider economic growth ambitions and helping deliver on the Plan for Change.

    This follows the decision to take control of British Steel following years of mismanagement – a decision which saved thousands of jobs and secured Britain’s place as a steelmaker. This builds on the significant support that this pro-steel Government has already delivered — from our £500 million investment in Tata’s green steel transition and our deal with the US to reduce tariffs on UK steel.

    The UK steel sector supports around 40,000 jobs across 1,145 firms, with a further 61,000 jobs in related industries that supply materials and services to steel producers. These changes will enable UK steelmakers to once again export goods worth several millions of pounds annually to the EU, strengthening vital revenue streams for UK businesses.

    Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds said:

    This is yet another positive step forward for the UK steel sector and a clear example of our Plan for Change in action — removing barriers, supporting jobs, and backing British industry.

    Restoring our steel quota helps give producers the certainty they need to compete, grow, and maintain vital export relationships.

    This builds on the significant support that this pro-steel Government has already delivered — from our £500 million investment in Tata’s green steel transition, to action to safeguard jobs at British Steel in Scunthorpe, and our deal with the US to reduce tariffs on UK steel.

    The restored quota will re-establish historic trade flows between the UK and the EU, easing the administrative and financial burdens that have affected steel exporters. It will also provide much-needed certainty for UK steel operating in an increasingly volatile global market. Crucially, this change will help safeguard skilled jobs across the country and preserve long-standing supply chains with EU customers.

    The country-specific quota allows the UK to export a certain amount of steel to the EU without paying an extra tariff, helping maintain fair trade and avoid sudden surges in imports. We can now export up to 27,000 tonnes of steel to the EU each quarter — that’s roughly a football stadium’s worth of steel every year.

    This follows complex negotiations and demonstrates the UK Government’s ability to secure practical wins for domestic industry. It builds on a series of recent measures delivered under the Plan for Change, including a £500 million investment in greener steelmaking at Port Talbot, targeted action to reduce electricity costs and strengthen procurement rules. These steps have been complemented by enhanced trade defences designed to protect jobs and support long-term competitiveness in the sector.

    EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said:

    We have worked constructively with the EU to deliver in our national interest and achieved a bespoke agreement to help secure jobs in steel across Britain.

    Today’s news that the EU is slashing tariffs on British Steel shows our approach is working and is another win for UK PLC.

    Gareth Stace UK Steel said:

    The restoration of the country specific quota is excellent news for UK steel companies which have been plagued by problems shipping category 17 products into the European Union.

    The quota will restore historic trade flows and is good news for both UK steelmakers and their EU customers.

    British Steel Chief Commercial Officer (interim) Lisa Coulson said:

    The removal of EU tariffs on British-made steel is a significant boost to our business.

    The EU is an important market to us, particularly for the products our highly skilled colleagues manufacture in Scunthorpe, Teesside, and Skinningrove.

    We are delighted we will be able to provide the high-quality products our loyal and supportive EU customers require tariff-free and thank the UK Government for delivering this agreement.

    We now look to the future with even greater optimism as we focus on building stronger futures for our customers.

    This announcement reinforces the Government’s commitment to fair, open, and stable trade in key sectors — with steel being a clear example of strengthened UK-EU cooperation delivering results for British industry.

    Notes to editors:

    • The European Commission’s decision restores the UK’s Country Specific Quota (CSQ) for Category 17 steel products from 1 August 2025.
    • The UK steel industry employs thousands of people in key manufacturing regions and supports critical supply chains in construction, automotive, and defence.
    • The UK Government will publish a comprehensive Steel Strategy later this year to support long-term competitiveness and sustainability in the sector.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 August 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Free speech rules to protect academic freedom come into force

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Free speech rules to protect academic freedom come into force

    New legal duties on universities and colleges come into force, as government delivers Plan for Change to restore integrity of higher education.

    Students, academics and external speakers at universities in England will have their freedom of speech protected by robust new laws coming into force today (Friday 1 August). 

    Under the strengthened rules introduced by this government, universities must actively promote academic freedom, ensuring campuses are places where robust discussion can take place without fear of censorship of students, staff or external speakers expressing lawful opinions. 

    Universities will also be banned from using non-disclosure agreements to silence victims of campus misconduct, protecting vulnerable individuals who may have faced harassment, abuse or sexual assault.   

    If lawful free speech is silenced the Office for Students (OfS) can investigate, and can take action if universities are found to have failed to protect free speech rights.   

    The OfS’ director for free speech and academic freedom has warned institutions that flout the new rules could face record penalties, after the University of Sussex was given a landmark £585,000 fine for its failure to uphold free speech in March. Arif Ahmed said future fines could be higher. 

    These robust protections deliver on the government’s Plan for Change by restoring the integrity of our universities as rigorous centres of intellectual debate, recognising them as a key driver for delivering growth and opportunity across the country. 

    Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said: 

    Academic freedom is non-negotiable in our world-leading institutions, and we will not tolerate the silencing of academics or students who voice legitimate views. 

    These strengthened protections make this explicitly clear in law, and the record fine already handed down by the OfS has put universities on notice that they must comply or face the consequences. 

    Through our Plan for Change we are restoring our world class universities as engines of growth, opportunity and innovation, and fostering a culture of free enquiry and academic freedom is at the heart of that.

    In future a new OfS complaints scheme will ensure academics, external speakers and staff can trigger investigations that could lead to fines if their free speech is not protected. Students will have their free speech complaints considered through the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. 

    The legislation will also ensure student unions are subject to new rules, by holding universities accountable for their activities. 

    The Education Secretary has previously announced that elements of the Act that could have saddled universities with disproportionate legal costs will be removed, as they would have rendered the rules unworkable.

    Jewish community organisations had also raised fears the tort might lead some providers to unduly prioritise speech which is hateful or degrading over the interests of those who are at risk of being harassed and intimidated. 

    Overseas transparency measures contained in the Act will remain under review while the government assesses the impact of the recently-introduced Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. 

    The Office for Students already has powers to require information in response to concerns about free speech or academic freedom, including issues related to suspected foreign interference and funding.

    DfE media enquiries

    Central newsdesk – for journalists 020 7783 8300

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 August 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese government unveils plan to boost football development and youth training

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

    BEIJING, July 31 — Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin announced on Thursday a comprehensive plan by the Chinese government to enhance football development through a series of strategic measures, including the establishment of national and regional youth training centers.

    Speaking at China’s national football development conference, Shen emphasized the critical focus on nurturing a robust national youth football system. This initiative aims to expedite the construction of youth training centers at all levels, promote football education within schools, and cultivate high-level coaching talent.

    Shen also highlighted other key initiatives, such as launching pilot programs in major football cities and western regions of China, fostering healthy development of professional leagues, and enhancing international exchanges. These efforts will be introduced progressively.

    In addition, Shen said the Chinese government is committed to increasing support for football in China and is also maintaining rigorous disciplinary inspection and anti-corruption measures within the industry.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to work with all member states to complete preparations in final phase for SCO Tianjin summit: spokesperson

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

    China to work with all member states to complete preparations in final phase for SCO Tianjin summit: spokesperson

    BEIJING, July 31 — China will work with all the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states to complete the preparations in the final phase for the SCO Tianjin summit, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said here on Thursday.

    Guo made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to introduce the work China has done as SCO rotating chair and the preparations that have been made for the SCO Tianjin summit.

    Guo said since China took over the SCO rotating chairmanship in July last year, China has acted on the slogan “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move,” and made solid progress in work as the SCO chair.

    He summarized the positive progress and outcomes China achieved from three aspects.

    First, cooperation in all sectors has been deepened. China has hosted over 100 events as the SCO chair, and nearly half are institutional events, covering multiple areas such as politics, security, military, economy and trade, investment, energy, education, connectivity, technological innovation, green industry, digital economy and people-to-people exchanges. These events helped SCO countries increase solidarity and mutual trust, enhanced mutual learning and achieved mutually beneficial and win-win results.

    Second, the mechanisms of the organization have been improved. China has worked with all member states to advance reform and innovation in various aspects such as the deliberation mechanism, cooperation pattern and permanent bodies, to ensure smoother and more efficient operation of the organization. Parties are accelerating the consultations regarding the establishment of a comprehensive center for dealing with security threats and challenges, an information security center, a center for fighting transnational organized crime and a counternarcotics center, to strengthen cooperation on law enforcement and security and to build a new paradigm for regional security cooperation.

    Third, stronger commitment was made to the “Shanghai Spirit.” The SCO has spoken up to uphold justice on major international and regional issues, firmly upheld the multilateral trading system and strongly condemned the abuse of armed force, sending a strong message of the SCO for safeguarding peace and justice. China, together with SCO member states, has actively carried out exchanges and dialogues among political parties, media and think tanks, giving people a better understanding of the “Shanghai Spirit” and bringing the big family of the SCO closer.

    Guo said that one month later, the SCO summit will be held in China’s Tianjin, adding that leaders of over 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations will gather together for the summit.

    “This will be the largest summit since the establishment of the SCO, and the culmination of China’s work as the SCO chair,” the spokesperson said.

    Noting that the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held not long ago has made full political preparations for this summit, Guo said China will work with all member states to complete the preparations in the final phase, accumulate positive outcomes in areas such as security, development, livelihood and mechanisms, to hold a friendly and united summit with fruitful results.

    Guo said the Tianjin summit will guide the SCO to enter a new stage of high-quality development featuring more solidarity, coordination, vitality and contribution, and build a closer SCO community with a shared future.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China makes strides in veterans, martyrs affairs

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

    BEIJING, July 31 — China has broken new ground in work related to veterans and martyrs affairs during the 14th Five-Year Plan period from 2021 to 2025, Minister of Veterans Affairs Pei Jinjia said at a news conference on Thursday.

    In 2022, China issued the first national-level special plan in the field of veterans’ affairs to bolster services and support for retired servicemen. Efforts in employment assistance, training, and rights protection have achieved the expected outcomes since the introduction of the plan, Pei said.

    IMPROVING JOB SUPPORT

    During the five-year period, China has rolled out a series of regulations and policies to support the employment of retired military personnel and broaden their career opportunities.

    Veterans are playing an increasingly important role in the country’s economic and social development, said Vice Minister of Veterans Affairs Xu Yao at the press conference.

    China has provided job placements to over 250,000 demobilized officers and veterans since 2021, Xu said, adding that more efforts will be made to expand job opportunities and streamline placement procedures for veterans.

    According to Sheng Baochen, an official from the ministry’s employment and entrepreneurship department, more than 50,000 job fairs have been held, helping over 1.4 million veterans secure employment opportunities.

    The ministry has guided localities to establish 1,988 business incubation bases to support veterans in business startups nationwide over the past five years, Sheng said.

    Approximately 370,000 veterans now serve as officials of villages and communities, more than 14,800 have become teachers in primary and secondary schools, and over 18,000 have joined China’s national comprehensive fire and rescue teams, he added.

    ENHANCING VETERAN SERVICES

    Pei also highlighted the ministry’s strong focus on improving the construction of service centers in the past five years.

    Efforts have been made to ensure nationwide coverage of veteran services through a six-tiered network of service centers and stations, extending from the national level to villages and communities, with a total of 610,000 units established so far, Pei said.

    In addition, service delivery has been streamlined through the development of mobile apps tailored for veterans, and this digital approach has enhanced service efficiency and improved overall service quality, Pei added.

    Veteran affairs coordinators have been recognized by the government as a new occupation, he said, referring to personnel working at veterans service centers and stations handling tasks such as policy consultation, employment and entrepreneurship support, and rights protection for veterans.

    “The continuous improvement of veteran service centers and stations and their work standards has brought closer ties between veterans and the Party and government,” Pei said.

    HONORING FALLEN HEROES

    From 2021 to 2025, China took back home the remains of 265 soldiers of the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) who died in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953) and honored them with solemn burial ceremonies.

    According to Pei, DNA samples from the returned remains of 981 CPV soldiers and DNA samples of over 1,300 family members of martyrs have been collected, forming a refined, dynamic database.

    Additionally, China has set up a center for searching and identifying fallen soldiers’ remains, along with a national DNA laboratory for the identification of the remains of martyrs.

    Pei also highlighted that the country has identified burial sites or found relatives for 7,000 fallen soldiers.

    This achievement was made possible through a public service platform launched by the ministry, which encourages and guides public participation in such search efforts, he noted.

    The ministry is committed to strengthening the preservation and utilization of martyr memorials, said Chen Erwei, an official with the ministry, at the press conference.

    Furthermore, China plans to unveil new national-level memorials, historical sites, and a list of prominent heroes from the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945), Chen said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Acceleware Ltd. Announces Closing of First Tranche of Non-Brokered Private Placement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Acceleware® Ltd. (“Acceleware” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: AXE), a leading innovator of cutting-edge radio frequency (“RF”) power-to-heat technologies targeting process heat for critical minerals, amine regeneration (for carbon capture and other applications), and enhanced oil production, announces that the Company closed the first tranche of the non-brokered private placement of units (the “Units”) that it previously announced on June 30, 2025 (the “Private Placement”) and distributed a total of 7,913,342 Units, at a price of $0.10 per Unit, for total gross proceeds of $791,334.20. It is anticipated that one or more subsequent tranches of the Private Placement will be closed in due course.

    Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (a “Common Share”) and one common share purchase warrant of the Company (a “Warrant”). Each Warrant entitles the holder of the Warrant to acquire one Common Share, at an exercise price of $0.20, which will expire which will expire 24 months from the date of issuance. If the Common Shares trade at a closing price at or greater than $0.30 per Common Share for a period of thirty (30) consecutive trading days, Acceleware may accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants by giving notice to the holders thereof, and in such case, the Warrants will expire on the 30th day after the date on which such notice is given by Acceleware.

    The Common Shares issued in connection with the Private Placement, the Warrants, and any Common Shares issued upon exercise of the Warrants will be subject to a four-month hold period which will expire on December 2, 2025 in accordance with applicable securities legislation. There were no finders’ fees or commissions paid in connection with the Private Placement.

    The Company expects to use the proceeds of the Private Placement to fund a portion of the Company’s RF XL 2.0 redeployment plan, to advance commercialization of new RF heating applications, including critical minerals applications and amine regeneration applications including carbon capture, and for general corporate purposes.

    Insiders of the Company purchased a total of 1,300,000 Units under the Private Placement, which is considered a related party transaction within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”). Acceleware relied on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 based on a determination that the fair market value of the Private Placement does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company. No new insiders and no control persons were created in connection with the Private Placement.

    About Acceleware

    Acceleware is an advanced electromagnetic heating company with cutting-edge RF power-to-heat solutions for large industrial applications. The Company’s technologies provide an opportunity to electrify and decarbonize industrial process heat applications while reducing costs.

    The Company is working to use its patented and field proven Clean Tech Inverter to materially improve the efficiency of amine regeneration, and has partnered with a consortium of world-class potash partners seeking to decarbonize drying of potash ore and other critical minerals. Acceleware is actively developing other process heat applications and partnerships for RF heating.

    Acceleware’s RF XL is a patented low-cost, low-carbon RF thermal enhanced oil production technology for heavy oil that is materially different from any enhanced recovery technique used today.

    Acceleware is a public company listed on the TSXV under the trading symbol “AXE”. 

    Cautionary Statements  

    This news release contains forward-looking statements and/or forward-looking information (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. When used in this release, such words as “will”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “expects” and similar expressions, as they relate to Acceleware, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Acceleware with respect to future events, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause Acceleware’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any expected future results, performance or achievement that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Certain information and statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, which reflects Acceleware’s current expectations regarding future events, including, but not limited to the use of proceeds under the Private Placement; the anticipated completion of any additional tranches of the Private Placement; the receipt of applicable approvals and exemptions (including the Company’s board of directors, shareholders, and regulatory approvals including approval of the TSXV) relating to any additional tranches of the Private Placement, the statutory hold periods applicable to the Units and; the anticipated participation by insiders in the Private Placement.  

    Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the availability of investment capital and other funding; receipt of necessary approvals; availability of financing for technology and project development; uncertainties and risks with respect to developing and adopting new technologies; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; change in demand for technologies to be offered by the Company; obtaining required approvals of regulatory authorities and/or shareholders, as applicable; ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. For a more fulsome list of risk factors please see the Company’s December 31, 2024, year-end Management Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. 

    Management of the Company has included the above summary of assumptions and risks related to forward-looking statements provided in this release to provide shareholders with a more complete perspective on the Company’s current and future operations and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. 

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 

    This press release is intended for distribution in Canada only and is not intended for distribution to United States newswire services or dissemination in the United States. 

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. 

    For more information: 

    Geoff Clark 
    Tel: +1 (403) 249-9099 
    geoff.clark@acceleware.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: MRF-D assists with urgent lifesaving support to the Philippines

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    At the request of the government of the Philippines, U.S. Marines with the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) are working alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to provide urgent lifesaving support to communities affected by typhoons, tropical storms, and the Southwest Monsoon. The forward presence and ready posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) in the region facilitates rapid and effective response to crisis, demonstrating the U.S.’s commitment to allies and partners during times of need.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn: Senate Must Stay in Session or Change Rules to Break Democrats’ Log-Jam

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) proposed the Senate remaining in session into the month of August or changing Senate rules if Democrats persist in their extreme and unprecedented obstruction of President Trump’s nominees. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

    “I don’t believe, Mr. President, that the Senate should leave town without ensuring that President Trump has his nominees and his team in place.”

    “We find ourselves really in an unprecedented situation where Democrats, rather than picking and choosing the nominees they choose to object to, have simply chosen to object to all of them, forcing us to burn a lot of valuable floor time that we could be using for other more constructive purposes, and delaying President Trump, who after all, won the election last November, the team he’s entitled to govern and carry out his policies.”

    “What our Democratic colleagues are saying is, we will agree to no confirmation votes on Trump nominees during his second term.”

    “Many of these nominees – I think roughly 30 of them – are Senate-confirmed nominees to serve as an ambassador in our embassies around the world.”

    “I don’t have to remind all of us that the world has become a much more dangerous place and, the idea that the United States would not have a Senate-confirmed ambassador in these embassies around the world is simply shooting ourselves in the foot.”

    “China and Russia and our other adversaries, they certainly have their ambassadors working in each of those countries to further their interests, but the idea that the United States would be absent because Senate Democrats simply refuse to confirm these ambassadors is really beyond the pale.”

    “What we’re talking about really are rank-and-file people, who are confirmed by a vote of the Senate.”

    “I personally believe that we should change the law and not require Senate confirmation for many of these positions.”

    “The Democrats simply are mindlessly obstructing the confirmation of these non-controversial, really apolitical nominees.”

    “If we can’t reach some sort of negotiated outcome that is satisfactory to President Trump, then we need to either stay here or change the Senate rules.”

    “Senate Democrats are the ones that brought us to where we are today, and they’re the ones responsible for the blame.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump’s unlawful CalGuard power grab results in 57% decrease in fentanyl pounds seized

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jul 31, 2025

    What you need to know: While National Guard soldiers were unlawfully federalized by the President to await mission orders in the Los Angeles area, between May and June, there was a 57% drop in fentanyl pounds seized from those same soldiers who were pulled from their vital public safety assignments.

    Los Angeles, California – While President Trump comes to the realization that his unlawful deployment of the military in Los Angeles has been unnecessary and deeply unpopular, there has been a significant drop in the reported fentanyl seizures by California National Guard members.

    Between May and June, there was a 57% decrease in reported pounds of fentanyl seized at ports of entry along the border by CalGuard’s Counterdrug Task Force. In June, only 260 pounds of fentanyl powder were seized.

    Donald Trump and Stephen Miller took the National Guard off of essential public safety assignments to fulfill a sick power grab within California communities. The federal government has created chaos in our economy and society with its twisted authoritarian tactics. The time for each and every single soldier to come home — and go back to work — now.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Typically, under the Governor’s command, nearly 450 servicemembers are deployed statewide, including at ports of entry, to combat transnational criminal organizations and seize illegal narcotics. CalGuard’s servicemembers dedicated to the state’s Counterdrug Task Force have been reassigned by President Trump to militarize Los Angeles – leaving their highly specialized positions unfilled. The consequences are dire – CalGuard’s efforts help ensure the public safety of communities statewide.

    Guardsmembers are demobilizing 

    Nearly two months after the unlawful federalization of units of the California National Guard, and deployment of almost 5,000 soldiers in the Los Angeles area, all but 300 National Guard members are expected to go home soon. So far, 4,700 soldiers have demobilized or begun demobilizing. The President should allow the remaining soldiers to go back to their families, communities, and civilian professions as doctors, law enforcement and teachers. Earlier this month, 2,000 federalized National Guard members and 700 Marines were called off their mission in Los Angeles.

    Police off the streets, teachers out of classrooms

    Of the 4,000 National Guard members sent to Los Angeles under Trump’s order, their servicemembers have been pulled from essential civilian duties such as medical and first responders, service workers, building trades contractors, law enforcement personnel, corrections officers, civil service and government workers, technology specialists, educators and teachers, and agriculture workers.

    Economic impact of this political theater 

    After the federal government deployed the military unlawfully and began ramping up immigration raids statewide, the number of people reporting to work in the private sector in California decreased by 3.1% — a downturn only recently matched by the period when people stayed home from work during the COVID-19 lockdown.

    Governor Newsom recently met with local restaurant owners in the City of Bell and faith leaders in Downey to discuss the economic impact these indiscriminate immigration actions have had on their small business.

    Trump’s actions have a ripple effect – the state’s economy is likely to contract later this year due to fallout from global tariffs and immigration raids in Los Angeles and other cities that have rattled key sectors, including construction, hospitality, and agriculture, according to a UCLA Anderson forecast. 

    Mass arrests, detentions and deportations in California could slash $275 billion from the state’s economy and eliminate $23 billion in annual tax revenue. The loss of immigrant workers, undocumented and those losing lawful status under the Trump administration, would delay projects (including rebuilding Los Angeles after the wildfires), reduce food supply, and drive up costs. Undocumented immigrants contributed $8.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2022 — a number that would rise to $10.3 billion if these taxpayers could apply to work lawfully.

    End the power grab now

    Community leaders, public officials, veterans and others agree – the federal government’s actions in California not only have a chilling effect on the state’s society and economy, but also continue to undermine the valuable contributions from members of the military while in and out of uniform. 

    Republican and Democratic former governors agree—Trump’s federalization violates the critical balance between state and federal government. Recently, a bipartisan group of 25 former governors filed a brief in support of Newsom v. Trump, urging the court to enforce state sovereignty and block the unprecedented federalization of the National Guard. 

    Retired four-star admirals and generals and former secretaries of the Army and Navy filed another amicus brief outlining the grave risks of Trump’s illegal takeover of the CalGuard. Several veterans and veteran rights’ groups came together to decry Trump’s militarization of California.

    Recent news

    Jul 31, 2025

    News What you need to know: California has completed a multi-year effort to modernize its aerial firefighting fleet, with the final delivery of two state-of-the-art Fire Hawk helicopters arriving in Sacramento – bringing CAL FIRE’s Fire Hawk fleet to a total of 16…

    Jul 31, 2025

    News What you need to know: With nearly all National Guard soldiers demobilizing, Governor Gavin Newsom is calling on the President to allow the 300 remaining National Guard soldiers to go home now.  Los Angeles, California – Nearly two months after the unlawful…

    Jul 30, 2025

    News What you need to know: In response to concerns from local elected leaders and community members about the potential for widespread SB 9 development concentrated in areas rebuilding from destructive fires and crowding evacuation routes, the Governor today issued…

    Jul 31, 2025

    What you need to know: While National Guard soldiers were unlawfully federalized by the President to await mission orders in the Los Angeles area, between May and June, there was a 57% drop in fentanyl pounds seized from those same soldiers who were pulled from their vital public safety assignments.

    Los Angeles, California – While President Trump comes to the realization that his unlawful deployment of the military in Los Angeles has been unnecessary and deeply unpopular, there has been a significant drop in the reported fentanyl seizures by California National Guard members.

    Between May and June, there was a 57% decrease in reported pounds of fentanyl seized at ports of entry along the border by CalGuard’s Counterdrug Task Force. In June, only 260 pounds of fentanyl powder were seized.

    Donald Trump and Stephen Miller took the National Guard off of essential public safety assignments to fulfill a sick power grab within California communities. The federal government has created chaos in our economy and society with its twisted authoritarian tactics. The time for each and every single soldier to come home — and go back to work — now.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Typically, under the Governor’s command, nearly 450 servicemembers are deployed statewide, including at ports of entry, to combat transnational criminal organizations and seize illegal narcotics. CalGuard’s servicemembers dedicated to the state’s Counterdrug Task Force have been reassigned by President Trump to militarize Los Angeles – leaving their highly specialized positions unfilled. The consequences are dire – CalGuard’s efforts help ensure the public safety of communities statewide.

    Guardsmembers are demobilizing 

    Nearly two months after the unlawful federalization of units of the California National Guard, and deployment of almost 5,000 soldiers in the Los Angeles area, all but 300 National Guard members are expected to go home soon. So far, 4,700 soldiers have demobilized or begun demobilizing. The President should allow the remaining soldiers to go back to their families, communities, and civilian professions as doctors, law enforcement and teachers. Earlier this month, 2,000 federalized National Guard members and 700 Marines were called off their mission in Los Angeles.

    Police off the streets, teachers out of classrooms

    Of the 4,000 National Guard members sent to Los Angeles under Trump’s order, their servicemembers have been pulled from essential civilian duties such as medical and first responders, service workers, building trades contractors, law enforcement personnel, corrections officers, civil service and government workers, technology specialists, educators and teachers, and agriculture workers.

    Economic impact of this political theater 

    After the federal government deployed the military unlawfully and began ramping up immigration raids statewide, the number of people reporting to work in the private sector in California decreased by 3.1% — a downturn only recently matched by the period when people stayed home from work during the COVID-19 lockdown.

    Governor Newsom recently met with local restaurant owners in the City of Bell and faith leaders in Downey to discuss the economic impact these indiscriminate immigration actions have had on their small business.

    Trump’s actions have a ripple effect – the state’s economy is likely to contract later this year due to fallout from global tariffs and immigration raids in Los Angeles and other cities that have rattled key sectors, including construction, hospitality, and agriculture, according to a UCLA Anderson forecast. 

    Mass arrests, detentions and deportations in California could slash $275 billion from the state’s economy and eliminate $23 billion in annual tax revenue. The loss of immigrant workers, undocumented and those losing lawful status under the Trump administration, would delay projects (including rebuilding Los Angeles after the wildfires), reduce food supply, and drive up costs. Undocumented immigrants contributed $8.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2022 — a number that would rise to $10.3 billion if these taxpayers could apply to work lawfully.

    End the power grab now

    Community leaders, public officials, veterans and others agree – the federal government’s actions in California not only have a chilling effect on the state’s society and economy, but also continue to undermine the valuable contributions from members of the military while in and out of uniform. 

    Republican and Democratic former governors agree—Trump’s federalization violates the critical balance between state and federal government. Recently, a bipartisan group of 25 former governors filed a brief in support of Newsom v. Trump, urging the court to enforce state sovereignty and block the unprecedented federalization of the National Guard. 

    Retired four-star admirals and generals and former secretaries of the Army and Navy filed another amicus brief outlining the grave risks of Trump’s illegal takeover of the CalGuard. Several veterans and veteran rights’ groups came together to decry Trump’s militarization of California.

    Recent news

    Jul 31, 2025

    News What you need to know: California has completed a multi-year effort to modernize its aerial firefighting fleet, with the final delivery of two state-of-the-art Fire Hawk helicopters arriving in Sacramento – bringing CAL FIRE’s Fire Hawk fleet to a total of 16…

    Jul 31, 2025

    News What you need to know: With nearly all National Guard soldiers demobilizing, Governor Gavin Newsom is calling on the President to allow the 300 remaining National Guard soldiers to go home now.  Los Angeles, California – Nearly two months after the unlawful…

    Jul 30, 2025

    News What you need to know: In response to concerns from local elected leaders and community members about the potential for widespread SB 9 development concentrated in areas rebuilding from destructive fires and crowding evacuation routes, the Governor today issued…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 44 dead, 9 missing after recent rains in Beijing

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) — The death toll from recent heavy rainfall in Beijing has risen to 44, with nine people still missing, city authorities said at a press conference on Thursday.

    Beijing Vice Mayor Xia Linmao said 31 people died at a care center for the elderly in Taishitun Township, Miyun District.

    The recent flooding in Beijing affected more than 300,000 residents and damaged about 24,000 homes. Heavy rainfall mainly hit the northern mountainous areas, where the infrastructure of 40 townships and townships and 312 administrative villages was seriously damaged.

    According to Xia Linmao, heavy rains triggered flash floods of devastating force, aggravated by a sharp increase in water inflow from upper rivers.

    From July 23 to 29, the Chinese capital was hit by prolonged and intense rainfall, which hit mountainous areas such as Miyun, Huairou, Yanqing and Pinggu districts the hardest, causing flash floods.

    According to Xia Linmao, on the evening of July 26, due to sudden torrential rain, Beijing authorities immediately issued the highest level of “red” warning in the affected areas and activated the first level of emergency response, issuing alerts and safety recommendations for the population. Emergency rescue operations were promptly organized, during which 104 thousand people were evacuated. Thanks to search and rescue operations, it was possible to rescue more than 5,400 people who were trapped due to the disaster. The vice mayor added that assistance to the victims is currently ongoing.

    Xia Linmao also said that 364 of the 424 damaged rural highways have been cleared so far, and all major highways are scheduled to be fully reopened to traffic by Thursday. Emergency water supply has been restored to all affected administrative villages, and electricity has been restored to 105 of the 213 villages that experienced power outages. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –