NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Israel issues evacuation warning to Tehran residents ahead of airstrikes

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    JERUSALEM, June 16 (Xinhua) — Israel on Monday issued an evacuation warning to residents of a Tehran city district, urging them to urgently leave the area ahead of Israeli airstrikes.

    In a post in Persian and Arabic on the X social media site, IDF spokesman Avichai Adraei advised residents of District C, located in the northeastern part of the city, to evacuate.

    “In the coming hours, the Israeli army will carry out an operation in this area, as it has done in recent days in other parts of Tehran, to strike at the military infrastructure of the Iranian regime,” Adraei said.

    “Being in this area is life-threatening. For your safety, we urge you to evacuate immediately,” he added.

    District C of Tehran houses several important government institutions, government offices and semi-governmental organizations, as well as communications and intelligence facilities.

    The IDF said in a statement that since the morning, Israeli warplanes have been hitting trucks carrying weapons and surface-to-air missile launchers that are heading from western Iran towards Tehran.

    Also on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz visited the Tel Nof air base in the south of the country. During the visit, Netanyahu noted that the Israeli Air Force “controls the skies over Tehran.” He stressed: “We are on track to achieve our two main goals: eliminating the nuclear threat and eliminating the missile threat.” –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Yale Budget Lab Finds Bottom 80% Of U.S. Households Lose Under Trump/Republican Agenda

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

    Last week during a hearing by the House Committee on Ways and Means, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent responded to questioning about deficit effects of H.R. 1 by Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) by suggesting that the bill would be fully offset through revenue raised by tariffs imposed on other countries by President Trump [as Beyer pointed out, this claim did not account for interest on debt accrued by the bill].

    Numerous studies have found that the cost of tariffs, which are taxes on imports, are ultimately paid by consumers in the form of higher prices. Yale Budget Lab subsequently released updated economic analysis studying the combined distributional effects of Trump’s tariffs and H.R. 1 on household incomes, which found that these combined policies “would reduce after-tax-and-transfer incomes on average among the bottom 80 percent of U.S. households,” with the bottom ten percent of households seeing “an average reduction of more than 6.5 percent in incomes, while those at the top would see an increase of nearly 1.5 percent.”

    Beyer, who serves as Senior House Democrat on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement on Yale Budget Lab’s findings:

    “The Trump-Republican agenda is a massive transfer of wealth to the richest people in the country from everyone else, with the middle class losing while billionaires rake in enormous gains. As Trump’s tariffs crush working families with higher prices, Republicans are poised to raise the costs of health care, energy, and housing, while kicking 16 million people off their health care. These stunningly immoral and irresponsible policies inflict the most damage on those with the least ability to absorb it, and severely worsen the danger of both a recession and a fiscal crisis. This is a disaster for our economy and our country.”

    CHART: Combined effects of H.R. 1 as passed in the House and Trump’s tariffs (Chart by Yale Budget Lab, original may be found here):

    The regressive distributional effects are the effect of regressive policy. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis found the House-passed H.R. 1 “would cut health coverage by over $1 trillion and SNAP by nearly $300 billion, while giving the wealthy $1.6 trillion in tax cuts.”

    The net effect of these policies is a drag on the economy. Goldman Sachs finds “the hit to growth from tariffs will more than offset the boost to growth from” the House-passed Republican tax bill.

    Chart via Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CASTOR LEADS FLORIDA DEMOCRATS IN URGING FLORIDA SENATORS TO OPPOSE HOUSE-PASSED BUDGET BILL THAT WOULD INFLICT OUTSIZED HARM ON FLORIDIANS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) and other Florida House Democrats urged Florida Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody to oppose the costly and destructive House Republican budget bill, which will strip health coverage away from over 1.8 million Floridians, an outsized impact on hardworking families in the Sunshine State.

    “The House Republican budget bill will hurt the State of Florida, our families and providers more than any other state. We urge you to stand up for Floridians and oppose the bill that inflicts outsized harm on the State of Florida,” wrote the Members.

    Florida, which has the nation’s highest ACA marketplace enrollment, is expected to have an estimated 1.86 million people lose their ACA and Medicaid coverage, over one-tenth of the 16 million individuals expected to lose their coverage nationwide.

    The members continued, “Florida families value and appreciate affordable health coverage. Over 4.7 million Floridians selected an affordable marketplace plan for 2025—almost one-fifth of the nation’s 24.2 million enrollees. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), individuals cannot be discriminated against for a pre-existing condition and cannot be dropped by their health insurance company. Florida’s uninsurance rate has fallen by nearly 10%, and approximately 1 out of 3 Floridians (6.725 million) have enrolled in an ACA marketplace plan since 2014, more than any other state. As a reflection of our entrepreneurial state, 31% of Florida marketplace enrollees are self-employed or small business owners, and nearly 9 out of 10 of those individuals receive premium tax credits. The House Republican budget bill would make ACA coverage much more expensive, drive up premiums and hurt family budgets at a time they are grappling with rising costs. Therefore, we urge you to stand up for Florida families and their pocketbooks and oppose the House Republican budget bill.”

    “We urge you to oppose the House Republican budget bill and instead work on advancing policies that will benefit Floridians’ health, quality of life and pocketbooks.”

    Read the letter here and below:

    The Honorable Rick Scott

    United States Senator

    The Honorable Ashley Moody

    United States Senator

    RE: Reconciliation Budget Inflicts Outsized Harm to Floridians – Urge Opposition to House Republican Budget Bill

    Dear Senators Scott and Moody:

    As fellow members of the Florida delegation, we strongly urge you to oppose the House-passed reconciliation bill that will strip health coverage away from 16 million Americans and raise the cost of health care overall to provide massive tax breaks to billionaires. Importantly, the House Republican budget bill will hurt the State of Florida, our families and providers more than any other state. We urge you to stand up for Floridians and oppose the bill that inflicts outsized harm on the State of Florida.

    Florida families value and appreciate affordable health coverage. Over 4.7 million Floridians selected an affordable marketplace plan for 2025—almost one-fifth of the nation’s 24.2 million enrollees. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), individuals cannot be discriminated against for a pre-existing condition and cannot be dropped by their health insurance company. Florida’s uninsurance rate has fallen by nearly 10%, and approximately 1 out of 3 Floridians (6.725 million) have enrolled in an ACA marketplace plan since 2014, more than any other state. As a reflection of our entrepreneurial state, 31% of Florida marketplace enrollees are self-employed or small business owners, and nearly 9 out of 10 of those individuals receive premium tax credits. The House Republican budget bill would make ACA coverage much more expensive, drive up premiums and hurt family budgets at a time they are grappling with rising costs. Therefore, we urge you to stand up for Florida families and their pocketbooks and oppose the House Republican budget bill.

    If the Senate adopts the bill and takes no action to extend the enhanced ACA premium tax credits, Florida families will be hit hard – over 4 million families will be faced with much higher copayments and premiums. For example, a 60-year-old Florida couple making $82,000 

    would see their annual premiums increase from $6,790 to over $26,248. These added costs will outweigh any tax savings for working families. Similarly, a Florida family of four earning $64,000 per year would see their ACA premiums increase by $2,571, but estimates show a Florida family of four with similar earnings would only benefit from $1,476 in tax breaks. This would leave that family with $1,095 less in their pocketbooks at a time when the cost of living is soaring.

    Along with not extending the essential ACA enhanced premium tax credits, the bill includes many other provisions designed to make it more difficult for individuals to find and keep marketplace coverage – an unnecessary bureaucratic squeeze with cruel results for Floridians. This includes more burdensome paperwork requirements, fewer and shorter enrollment periods, financing changes to cost-sharing reductions and nuisance fees—all provisions whose only effect is to increase the number of people without insurance. The paperwork requirements will be costly for the state to administer, add millions of hours of bureaucracy to the process and lead to individuals being wrongfully terminated, as we saw during Florida’s grim Medicaid redetermination period. According to President Trump’s own analysis, “coverage losses are expected to be concentrated in nine States,” including Florida. Florida, which has the nation’s highest marketplace enrollment, is expected to have an estimated 1.86 million people lose their ACA and Medicaid coverage, over one-tenth of the 16 million individuals expected to lose their coverage nationwide.

    We have also heard from hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers in our districts about the harm that would come from the changes to State-Directed Payments and provider financing. These payments are a lifeline for hospitals that treat a high volume of Medicaid managed care beneficiaries, particularly in a state like Florida that reimburses Medicaid providers at 48 cents for every dollar spent providing care. These initiatives help address the shortfall and bridge the gap for entities operating on razor thin margins. Florida hospitals are currently operating at a shortfall of about $3.67 billion, but without these initiatives, the shortfall would grow to $5.7 billion. The House Republican budget bill would hamstring states and take away an important tool for safety-net providers to care for their patients. Reduced federal Medicaid dollars would also blow a hole in the State of Florida’s budget, leaving the state to make tough decisions about cutting essential but optional benefits like home- and community-based services and mental health care; lowering provider reimbursement rates, exacerbating workforce shortages and leading to rural hospital closures; and/or stripping people from their health coverage.

    The Big Ugly bill includes many other harmful provisions that would slash food assistance benefits, increase energy prices and utility bills, and make college less affordable for Floridians. It is fiscally irresponsible and morally wrong – and adds over $2.4 trillion to the nation’s deficits over the next decade as the GOP turns a blind eye to a balanced budget for decades to come. That’s shameful and will drive higher inflation and widespread economic harm – all because House Republicans aim to give major tax breaks to the wealthy and the well-connected. The health care provisions, however, will especially hurt Floridians more than the citizens of any other state. A healthy and productive America depends upon healthy access to affordable care at the right time, in the right place, and by the right provider for everyone. We urge you to oppose the House Republican budget bill and instead work on advancing policies that will benefit Floridians’ health, quality of life and pocketbooks.

    Sincerely,

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty in Connection With Murder-For-Hire Plot

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

    Baltimore woman killed in a case of mistaken identity.

    Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Matthew Hightower, 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to using a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime resulting in the death Latrina Ashburne on May 27, 2016.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).

    According to the plea agreement, Hightower solicited others and conspired to kill Ashburne’s neighbor — a female federal witness — in retaliation for providing information to a law enforcement officer and to prevent her from testifying against him at an official proceeding. Hightower learned that the federal witness provided law enforcement with information about his involvement in a health care fraud scheme and the murder of David Wutoh. At the time, Hightower was under federal indictment for both matters.  While incarcerated pre-trial, Hightower used jail calls and letters to communicate with others to conspire to kill the federal witness.

    Ashburne, who was the next-door neighbor of the federal witness and was similar in age and appearance, was shot and killed as she entered her car outside of her home.  Davon Carter, the shooter, and Clifton Mosley, the accomplice, were previously tried and convicted for their roles in the murder plot.

    Hightower faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.  Pursuant to his plea agreement, the parties agree that if the court accepts the plea agreement, the government will recommend that the court impose a sentence of 60 years in prison to run consecutive to the sentence Hightower is currently serving for Wutoh’s murder.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HHS-OIG, FBI, ATF, BPD, and BCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Y. Hagan and Paul E. Budlow who are prosecuting this case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Resident Sentenced in Rhode Island for Possessing a Machinegun and an Unregistered Firearm

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

    PROVIDENCE – A Florida resident who often stayed at a residence in Coventry has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, having been convicted of possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Joshua Pavao, 45, previously admitted to a federal judge that he possessed an unregistered semi-automatic weapon modified to function as a fully automatic machine gun which had a barrel length of 10 and 5/8 inches, substantially less than the 16 inches required by law.

    Court documents reflect that in December 2023, Pavao engaged East Providence Police, who were investigating a report of shots fired, in a high-speed car chase that resulted in multiple motor vehicle crashes. Pavao fled on foot from his vehicle but was quickly apprehended. Upon his arrest officers discovered three loaded firearms and a multitude of ammunition and loaded pistol magazines in and around his vehicle and nearby.

    Shortly after Pavao’s arrest, Coventry Police Department and East Providence Police Department Detectives and ATF agents executed a court-authorized search of a duffle bag belonging to Pavao that he stored inside a garage at the Coventry residence where he frequently visited. From inside the duffle bag, law enforcement seized eight long guns, four of which were outfitted with an auto sear machine gun conversion device rendering them machine guns.

    Pavao, who pled guilty in February 2025, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy on June 5, 2025, to 30 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.

    The matter was investigated by the East Providence Police Department, with valuable assistance provided by the Coventry Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Nasdaq Announces Results from 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    All 12 Nominated Directors Elected

    Nasdaq Board Re-elects Adena T. Friedman as Chair of the Board

    NEW YORK, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nasdaq, Inc. (Nasdaq: NDAQ) shareholders elected all nominated directors at the company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. All directors will serve one-year terms. The elected board members are:

    • Melissa M. Arnoldi, EVP and General Manager for Business Solutions, AT&T Inc.
    • Charlene T. Begley, Retired SVP and CIO, General Electric Company
    • Adena T. Friedman, Chair and CEO, Nasdaq
    • Essa Kazim, Governor, Dubai International Financial Centre
    • Thomas A. Kloet, Retired CEO and Executive Director, TMX Group Limited
    • Kathryn A. Koch, President and CEO, The TCW Group, Inc.
    • Holden Spaht, Managing Partner, Thoma Bravo
    • Michael R. Splinter, Retired Chairman and CEO, Applied Materials, Inc.
    • Johan Torgeby, President and CEO, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB)
    • Toni Townes-Whitley, CEO, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC)
    • Jeffery W. Yabuki, Chairman and CEO, InvestCloud; Chairman and Founding Partner, Motive Partners
    • Alfred W. Zollar, Former Executive Partner, Siris Capital Group, LLC

    The Nasdaq Board of Directors also re-elected Adena T. Friedman as Chair of the Board for a one-year term.

    In addition, Nasdaq shareholders approved the following proposals:

    • The company’s executive compensation on an advisory basis;
    • Ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Nasdaq’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025; and
    • An amendment to Nasdaq’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to allow for the limited exculpation of officers of Nasdaq.

    For additional information on Nasdaq’s corporate governance, please visit: https://ir.nasdaq.com/corporate-governance/nasdaq-inc/board-of-directors.

    About Nasdaq:

    Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.

    Nasdaq Media Contact:

    Nick Jannuzzi
    +1.973.760.1741
    Nicholas.Jannuzzi@Nasdaq.com

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Ato Garrett
    +1.212.401.8737
    Ato.Garrett@Nasdaq.com

    -NDAQF-

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nasdaq Announces Results from 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    All 12 Nominated Directors Elected

    Nasdaq Board Re-elects Adena T. Friedman as Chair of the Board

    NEW YORK, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nasdaq, Inc. (Nasdaq: NDAQ) shareholders elected all nominated directors at the company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. All directors will serve one-year terms. The elected board members are:

    • Melissa M. Arnoldi, EVP and General Manager for Business Solutions, AT&T Inc.
    • Charlene T. Begley, Retired SVP and CIO, General Electric Company
    • Adena T. Friedman, Chair and CEO, Nasdaq
    • Essa Kazim, Governor, Dubai International Financial Centre
    • Thomas A. Kloet, Retired CEO and Executive Director, TMX Group Limited
    • Kathryn A. Koch, President and CEO, The TCW Group, Inc.
    • Holden Spaht, Managing Partner, Thoma Bravo
    • Michael R. Splinter, Retired Chairman and CEO, Applied Materials, Inc.
    • Johan Torgeby, President and CEO, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB)
    • Toni Townes-Whitley, CEO, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC)
    • Jeffery W. Yabuki, Chairman and CEO, InvestCloud; Chairman and Founding Partner, Motive Partners
    • Alfred W. Zollar, Former Executive Partner, Siris Capital Group, LLC

    The Nasdaq Board of Directors also re-elected Adena T. Friedman as Chair of the Board for a one-year term.

    In addition, Nasdaq shareholders approved the following proposals:

    • The company’s executive compensation on an advisory basis;
    • Ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Nasdaq’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025; and
    • An amendment to Nasdaq’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to allow for the limited exculpation of officers of Nasdaq.

    For additional information on Nasdaq’s corporate governance, please visit: https://ir.nasdaq.com/corporate-governance/nasdaq-inc/board-of-directors.

    About Nasdaq:

    Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.

    Nasdaq Media Contact:

    Nick Jannuzzi
    +1.973.760.1741
    Nicholas.Jannuzzi@Nasdaq.com

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Ato Garrett
    +1.212.401.8737
    Ato.Garrett@Nasdaq.com

    -NDAQF-

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Dime Continues to Execute on Growth Plan with the Hire of Shawn Gines

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As part of the continued execution of its growth plan, Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: DCOM) (the “Company” or “Dime”), the parent company of Dime Community Bank (the “Bank”), announced today that Shawn Gines will join Dime as Executive Vice President, Corporate and Specialty Finance.

    Mr. Gines will play an integral role in the continued buildout and diversification of Dime’s commercial lending businesses, including growing Dime’s presence with corporate clients and private equity firms, overseeing the recently launched Fund Finance vertical, and building out other specialty verticals which over time will further diversify Dime’s balance sheet.

    Stuart H. Lubow, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dime, said, “We are excited to announce the hiring of Shawn, who will be one of the cornerstones of our growth plans in the years ahead. Shawn is a very well-known and well-regarded banker with a strong track record. Dime continues to be the bank of choice for talented bankers.”

    “Shawn’s diverse experience in the geographies and asset classes we’re building out will significantly accelerate our execution,” said Tom Geisel, Dime’s Senior Executive Vice President of Commercial Lending.

    Gines, who will be based in Manhattan, was most recently Regional President for the NYC and New Jersey Metro Markets for Webster Bank. Previously, he was Senior Managing Director and led a Middle Market Commercial group at Sterling National Bank. Early in his career, Mr. Gines was employed at GE Capital and Bank of America where he held various roles with increasing responsibility.

    ABOUT DIME COMMUNITY BANCSHARES, INC.

    Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company for Dime Community Bank, a New York State-chartered trust company with over $14 billion in assets and the number one deposit market share among community banks on Greater Long Island (1).

    Dime Community Bancshares, Inc.
    Investor Relations Contact:
    Avinash Reddy
    Senior Executive Vice President – Chief Financial Officer
    Phone: 718-782-6200; Ext. 5909
    Email: avinash.reddy@dime.com

     ¹ Aggregate deposit market share for Kings, Queens, Nassau & Suffolk counties for community banks with less than $20 billion in assets.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Reliance Global Submits Request for Withdrawal of Form S-1 Registration Statement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAKEWOOD, N.J., June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Reliance Global Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: RELI) (“we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”), today announced that it has filed a request for withdrawal with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-284218), originally filed January 10, 2025 (as amended, the “Registration Statement”), as the Company no longer intends to pursue a public offering under the Registration Statement at this time. The Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the SEC, and no securities have been sold in connection with the offering described in the Registration Statement.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Company’s common stock or any securities, and there shall not be any offer, solicitation or sale of securities mentioned in the press release in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities law of such any state or jurisdiction.

    About Reliance Global Group, Inc.

    Reliance Global Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: RELI) is an InsurTech pioneer, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud-based technologies, to transform and improve efficiencies in the insurance agency/brokerage industry. The Company’s business-to-business InsurTech platform, RELI Exchange, provides independent insurance agencies an entire suite of business development tools, enabling them to effectively compete with large-scale national insurance agencies, whilst reducing back-office cost and burden. The Company’s business-to-consumer platform, 5minuteinsure.com, utilizes AI and data mining, to provide competitive online insurance quotes within minutes to everyday consumers seeking to purchase auto, home, and life insurance.  In addition, the Company operates its own portfolio of select retail “brick and mortar” insurance agencies which are leaders and pioneers in their respective regions throughout the United States, offering a wide variety of insurance products. Further information about the Company can be found at https://www.relianceglobalgroup.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” “potential,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding:

    • Our future financial condition and operating results;
    • Our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services;
    • Our ability to execute the planned withdrawal of the Registration Statement on Form S-1;
    • The development and growth of our RELI Exchange and 5minuteinsure.com platforms;
    • The expansion and performance of our portfolio of retail “brick-and-mortar” insurance agencies;
    • Our ability to maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements; and
    • Other statements identified by the words noted above;

    These forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions, including the assumptions that: we will complete the withdrawal process without unexpected delay; our AI-driven underwriting and cloud-based systems will perform as anticipated; demand for our InsurTech solutions will continue to grow; we will remain in compliance with applicable insurance regulations and Nasdaq listing rules; and there will be no material adverse changes in our relationships with agency partners or service providers. There can be no assurance that these assumptions will prove correct. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. These include, among others: delays or failure to complete the withdrawal; inability to execute our growth plans for RELI Exchange or 5minuteinsure.com; competitive and regulatory challenges faced by our retail agency operations; fluctuations in our stock price or failure to maintain Nasdaq compliance; and the other factors described in the “Risk Factors” section of our Registration Statement and in other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully review our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as amended, and the other reports we have filed or will file with the SEC for a more complete discussion of risks and uncertainties. Except as required by law, Reliance Global Group, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

    Contact:

    Crescendo Communications, LLC
    Tel: +1 (212) 671-1020
    Email: RELI@crescendo-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ice Age shelter high up in the Blue Mountains reveals Aboriginal heritage from 20,000 years ago

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Wilkins, Aboriginal Cultural Educator, Trainer and Facilitator, Indigenous Knowledge

    Artist’s impression of Dargan Shelter as it would have looked during the last Ice Age. Painting by Leanne Watson Redpath

    Travel back 20,000 years into the last Ice Age, to a time when the upper reaches of the Blue Mountains were treeless and the ridgelines and mountain peaks laden in snow and ice.

    At an elevation of 1,073 metres, you will find Dargan Shelter, an ancient rock shelter resembling a large amphitheatre. Looking around, you could easily assume this cold and barren high country was too difficult for people to spend time in.

    But our new research, published today in Nature Human Behaviour, indicates Dargan Shelter was occupied as early as the last Ice Age and repeatedly visited during this cold period.

    Our excavation results provide the earliest known evidence of high-altitude occupation in Australia, establishing the Blue Mountains as Australia’s most archaeologically significant periglacial landscape – that is, an area which goes through seasonal freezing and thawing.

    Cultural perspectives

    This is a highly significant landscape concentrated with tangible and intangible cultural values for Aboriginal people.

    For millennia, Aboriginal people have passed down the knowledge and stories of Country.

    Knowing our Ancestors have lived here, in this Country, for thousands of years was on our minds as the team headed down into the site where we would sit alongside our Ancestors of yesterday.

    We chose this site because of its location on a known Aboriginal travelling route, high elevation and its potential to hold deep deposits.

    Archaeologically, a deep and undisturbed deposit is one of the most important things to look for. The sediment buildup over time preserves cultural material, and allows us to reconstruct past activities by associating cultural objects within distinct layers or bands of time.

    Members of the season 3 team at Dargan Shelter. Back to front, left to right: Tyrone Pal, Rodney Lawson, Wayne Brennan, Duncan Wright, Eitan Harris, Juliet Schofield, Michael Spate, Wayne Logue, Lauren Roach, Rebecca Chalker, Dominic Wilkins, Phil Piper, Amy Way, Imogen Williams.
    Amy Way

    When we enter the site, we pay respects to the Country and Ancestors before us. As part of the opening of the site for the archaeological works, a lyrebird song and dance were performed and, magically, a handful of lyrebirds began approaching the cave and singing out as if they were communicating between the current and old worlds through song.

    We do not know who exactly the Aboriginal people who moved through the Blue Mountains in the deep past were, nor where they came from. But Dargan Shelter was probably an important stopover point for people to attend gatherings and ceremonies that could have included people from the western interior, the Cumberland coastal plains, and Country to the north and south.

    Finds from the Dargan Shelter excavation

    New evidence provides definitive proof of repeated occupation in this once frozen high-altitude landscape. It is now believed to be the oldest occupied site in Australia at high elevation.

    We unearthed 693 stone artefacts, including 117 flakes from stratigraphic layers older than 16,000 years, and documented a small amount of faded rock art, including a child-sized hand stencil and two forearm stencils.

    Charcoal from hearths (campfires) underwent radiocarbon dating, indicating Dargan Shelter had been continuously occupied since 22,000 to 19,000 years ago.

    Stone artefacts excavated at Dargan shelter dating to the last ice-age, showing the range of non-quartz raw material used during that time. (A) hornfels; (B) black quartzite hammerstone from the Hunter region; (C) exotic coarse grained unidentified siliceous stone possibly from Jenolan; (D) Local Burragorang claystone; (E) exotic fine grained siliceous stone possibly from Jenolan;
    Amy Way

    Among the findings, most of the stone tools were locally sourced and made. But, very interestingly some stones from the Jenolan Caves area, approximately 50 kilometres to the south-west, and the Hunter Valley region, 150 km to the north, were also found. This indicates people were travelling into this mountainous region from both the north and south.

    We found a sandstone grinding slab, dated to 13,000 years ago, consistent with shaping bone or wooden artefacts such as needles, awls, bone points and nose points. A basalt anvil with impact marks consistent with cracking hard woody nuts and seed shells was dated to 8,800 years ago.

    Greater Blue Mountains and world heritage

    The Blue Mountains was listed as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage area in 2000 for its outstanding biodiversity values.

    Although the cultural heritage is remarkably intact and connected with an environmental system and natural features, the parallel nomination for cultural values listing failed due to a paucity of archaeological and cultural heritage information.

    Our new research should be considered in a nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage area to also encompass cultural heritage alongside biodiversity.

    The Blue Mountains landscape shrouds a silent yet rich tapestry of Aboriginal heritage.

    Our people have walked, lived and thrived in the Blue Mountains for thousands of years. The mountains are a tangible connection to our Ancestors who used them as a meeting place for sharing, storytelling and survival. They are a part of our cultural identity.

    We need to respect and protect our heritage for the benefit of all Australians.

    Archaeological works in progress: Imogen Williams, Rebecca Chalker and Tyrone Pal excavating the Ice Age layers.
    Amy Way

    Our results align Australia for the first time with ice age data from the world’s other inhabited continents, including sites in other places not traditionally thought of as cold climates, such as Mexico and Spain.

    We now have a truly global story of people entering and living in high-altitude landscapes during the last ice age.

    The continuation of research projects like this one, and the invaluable evidence it provides across the region, will allow Aboriginal people with connections to the Blue Mountains to begin to stitch back together much of the history and many of the stories that until now have had gaps.

    The more we discover and piece together the movements, ceremonies and stories, the stronger we are as a community.

    Amy Mosig Way receives funding from the Australian Museum Foundation and is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney.

    Erin Wilkins, Leanne Watson, and Wayne Brennan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Ice Age shelter high up in the Blue Mountains reveals Aboriginal heritage from 20,000 years ago – https://theconversation.com/ice-age-shelter-high-up-in-the-blue-mountains-reveals-aboriginal-heritage-from-20-000-years-ago-247358

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ice Age shelter high up in the Blue Mountains reveals Aboriginal heritage from 20,000 years ago

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Wilkins, Aboriginal Cultural Educator, Trainer and Facilitator, Indigenous Knowledge

    Artist’s impression of Dargan Shelter as it would have looked during the last Ice Age. Painting by Leanne Watson Redpath

    Travel back 20,000 years into the last Ice Age, to a time when the upper reaches of the Blue Mountains were treeless and the ridgelines and mountain peaks laden in snow and ice.

    At an elevation of 1,073 metres, you will find Dargan Shelter, an ancient rock shelter resembling a large amphitheatre. Looking around, you could easily assume this cold and barren high country was too difficult for people to spend time in.

    But our new research, published today in Nature Human Behaviour, indicates Dargan Shelter was occupied as early as the last Ice Age and repeatedly visited during this cold period.

    Our excavation results provide the earliest known evidence of high-altitude occupation in Australia, establishing the Blue Mountains as Australia’s most archaeologically significant periglacial landscape – that is, an area which goes through seasonal freezing and thawing.

    Cultural perspectives

    This is a highly significant landscape concentrated with tangible and intangible cultural values for Aboriginal people.

    For millennia, Aboriginal people have passed down the knowledge and stories of Country.

    Knowing our Ancestors have lived here, in this Country, for thousands of years was on our minds as the team headed down into the site where we would sit alongside our Ancestors of yesterday.

    We chose this site because of its location on a known Aboriginal travelling route, high elevation and its potential to hold deep deposits.

    Archaeologically, a deep and undisturbed deposit is one of the most important things to look for. The sediment buildup over time preserves cultural material, and allows us to reconstruct past activities by associating cultural objects within distinct layers or bands of time.

    Members of the season 3 team at Dargan Shelter. Back to front, left to right: Tyrone Pal, Rodney Lawson, Wayne Brennan, Duncan Wright, Eitan Harris, Juliet Schofield, Michael Spate, Wayne Logue, Lauren Roach, Rebecca Chalker, Dominic Wilkins, Phil Piper, Amy Way, Imogen Williams.
    Amy Way

    When we enter the site, we pay respects to the Country and Ancestors before us. As part of the opening of the site for the archaeological works, a lyrebird song and dance were performed and, magically, a handful of lyrebirds began approaching the cave and singing out as if they were communicating between the current and old worlds through song.

    We do not know who exactly the Aboriginal people who moved through the Blue Mountains in the deep past were, nor where they came from. But Dargan Shelter was probably an important stopover point for people to attend gatherings and ceremonies that could have included people from the western interior, the Cumberland coastal plains, and Country to the north and south.

    Finds from the Dargan Shelter excavation

    New evidence provides definitive proof of repeated occupation in this once frozen high-altitude landscape. It is now believed to be the oldest occupied site in Australia at high elevation.

    We unearthed 693 stone artefacts, including 117 flakes from stratigraphic layers older than 16,000 years, and documented a small amount of faded rock art, including a child-sized hand stencil and two forearm stencils.

    Charcoal from hearths (campfires) underwent radiocarbon dating, indicating Dargan Shelter had been continuously occupied since 22,000 to 19,000 years ago.

    Stone artefacts excavated at Dargan shelter dating to the last ice-age, showing the range of non-quartz raw material used during that time. (A) hornfels; (B) black quartzite hammerstone from the Hunter region; (C) exotic coarse grained unidentified siliceous stone possibly from Jenolan; (D) Local Burragorang claystone; (E) exotic fine grained siliceous stone possibly from Jenolan;
    Amy Way

    Among the findings, most of the stone tools were locally sourced and made. But, very interestingly some stones from the Jenolan Caves area, approximately 50 kilometres to the south-west, and the Hunter Valley region, 150 km to the north, were also found. This indicates people were travelling into this mountainous region from both the north and south.

    We found a sandstone grinding slab, dated to 13,000 years ago, consistent with shaping bone or wooden artefacts such as needles, awls, bone points and nose points. A basalt anvil with impact marks consistent with cracking hard woody nuts and seed shells was dated to 8,800 years ago.

    Greater Blue Mountains and world heritage

    The Blue Mountains was listed as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage area in 2000 for its outstanding biodiversity values.

    Although the cultural heritage is remarkably intact and connected with an environmental system and natural features, the parallel nomination for cultural values listing failed due to a paucity of archaeological and cultural heritage information.

    Our new research should be considered in a nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage area to also encompass cultural heritage alongside biodiversity.

    The Blue Mountains landscape shrouds a silent yet rich tapestry of Aboriginal heritage.

    Our people have walked, lived and thrived in the Blue Mountains for thousands of years. The mountains are a tangible connection to our Ancestors who used them as a meeting place for sharing, storytelling and survival. They are a part of our cultural identity.

    We need to respect and protect our heritage for the benefit of all Australians.

    Archaeological works in progress: Imogen Williams, Rebecca Chalker and Tyrone Pal excavating the Ice Age layers.
    Amy Way

    Our results align Australia for the first time with ice age data from the world’s other inhabited continents, including sites in other places not traditionally thought of as cold climates, such as Mexico and Spain.

    We now have a truly global story of people entering and living in high-altitude landscapes during the last ice age.

    The continuation of research projects like this one, and the invaluable evidence it provides across the region, will allow Aboriginal people with connections to the Blue Mountains to begin to stitch back together much of the history and many of the stories that until now have had gaps.

    The more we discover and piece together the movements, ceremonies and stories, the stronger we are as a community.

    Amy Mosig Way receives funding from the Australian Museum Foundation and is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney.

    Erin Wilkins, Leanne Watson, and Wayne Brennan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Ice Age shelter high up in the Blue Mountains reveals Aboriginal heritage from 20,000 years ago – https://theconversation.com/ice-age-shelter-high-up-in-the-blue-mountains-reveals-aboriginal-heritage-from-20-000-years-ago-247358

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Some students learning English can take at least 6 years to catch up to their peers. How can we support them better?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucy Lu, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney

    Rawpixel/ Getty Images

    About one quarter of Australian school students are learning English as an additional language or dialect.

    This means their first language or dialect is something other than English and they need extra support to develop proficiency in what we call standard Australian English.

    This group of students includes immigrants and refugees from non-English speaking countries, children of migrant heritage where English is not spoken at home and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

    But the level and duration of support they receive varies across schools. This is an issue because these students risk underachieving or being labelled as having learning difficulties without adequate help.

    Until now, little was known about how long these students take to learn English.

    Our new research published today by the Australian Education Research Organisation, found it can take many years for students to develop the English language skills they need. This suggests students need ongoing and targeted support to learn English as an additional language.

    Our study

    We looked at more than 110,000 primary and high school students in New South Wales public schools over a nine-year period.

    The students were learning English as an additional language from 2014 to 2022. Our research used two methods.

    First, we analysed how long it took these students to achieve the same scores in their NAPLAN reading and writing tests as their English-speaking peers with the same background characteristics. That is, students were matched for characteristics such as gender, student socio-educational advantage and school location.

    Second, we analysed how long it took students learning English as an additional language to reach certain phases of language proficiency. There is a national learning progression resource for schools supporting students learning English as an additional language. It has four phases: beginning, emerging, developing and consolidating.


    Source: The EAL/D Learning Progression: Foundation to Year 10, ACARA, 2015., CC BY

    It can take many years to learn English

    Combining both methods, we found students need considerable time to learn English as an additional language.

    For students who were assessed as “beginning” when they started school, it takes an average of six years to reach the final “consolidating” phase.

    This means those students starting in kindergarten (the first year of school in NSW) are likely to need English language support throughout primary school.

    For “beginning” students who start in later years, they may need continued English language support in high school.

    Students who started school at the “emerging” and “developing” phases take, on average, four and three years, respectively to have English skills on par with their peers.

    Learning English takes longer as you go along

    We also found as students learned English, each phase in their progression took longer to achieve than the one before:

    • the average time from beginning to emerging was one year and one month

    • from emerging to developing was one year and eight months

    • from developing to consolidating was two years and seven months.

    What can impact learning?

    But learning English is complex and can be impacted by many factors.

    We found students with socio-educational disadvantage progressed 22% slower than advantaged students, students with refugee experiences progressed 14% slower than those without. Male students took 6% longer than their female peers.

    We also found students starting school in kindergarten progressed about 9% slower, compared to starting school in Australia in later primary year levels.

    But we found students who started school already at the final, “consolidating” phase of English outperformed monolingual peers in NAPLAN. This suggests these students, who are arguably bilingual, were at an educational advantage.

    Average NAPLAN reading performance of students learning English as an additional language and their matched peers.
    Source: NSW Department of Education National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy 2014 to 2022, CC BY

    Targeted support is needed

    Our findings have a number of implications.

    Firstly, they help us understand the nature and length of support needed for students learning English students in schools.

    Secondly, they highlight the importance of ongoing, targeted support for students.

    This also suggests we need to make effective professional support available for teachers working with students who are learning English as an additional language.

    The academic advantage of bilingual students also points to a need to encourage and support students using and developing their first and other languages, alongside English.

    Lucy Lu is the Senior Manager, Analytics and Strategic Projects in the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). AERO is jointly funded by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

    Jennifer Hammond has previously received funding from the Australian Research Council and the NSW Department of Education. All projects funded from these sources were completed more than six years ago.

    – ref. Some students learning English can take at least 6 years to catch up to their peers. How can we support them better? – https://theconversation.com/some-students-learning-english-can-take-at-least-6-years-to-catch-up-to-their-peers-how-can-we-support-them-better-258819

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Some students learning English can take at least 6 years to catch up to their peers. How can we support them better?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucy Lu, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney

    Rawpixel/ Getty Images

    About one quarter of Australian school students are learning English as an additional language or dialect.

    This means their first language or dialect is something other than English and they need extra support to develop proficiency in what we call standard Australian English.

    This group of students includes immigrants and refugees from non-English speaking countries, children of migrant heritage where English is not spoken at home and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

    But the level and duration of support they receive varies across schools. This is an issue because these students risk underachieving or being labelled as having learning difficulties without adequate help.

    Until now, little was known about how long these students take to learn English.

    Our new research published today by the Australian Education Research Organisation, found it can take many years for students to develop the English language skills they need. This suggests students need ongoing and targeted support to learn English as an additional language.

    Our study

    We looked at more than 110,000 primary and high school students in New South Wales public schools over a nine-year period.

    The students were learning English as an additional language from 2014 to 2022. Our research used two methods.

    First, we analysed how long it took these students to achieve the same scores in their NAPLAN reading and writing tests as their English-speaking peers with the same background characteristics. That is, students were matched for characteristics such as gender, student socio-educational advantage and school location.

    Second, we analysed how long it took students learning English as an additional language to reach certain phases of language proficiency. There is a national learning progression resource for schools supporting students learning English as an additional language. It has four phases: beginning, emerging, developing and consolidating.


    Source: The EAL/D Learning Progression: Foundation to Year 10, ACARA, 2015., CC BY

    It can take many years to learn English

    Combining both methods, we found students need considerable time to learn English as an additional language.

    For students who were assessed as “beginning” when they started school, it takes an average of six years to reach the final “consolidating” phase.

    This means those students starting in kindergarten (the first year of school in NSW) are likely to need English language support throughout primary school.

    For “beginning” students who start in later years, they may need continued English language support in high school.

    Students who started school at the “emerging” and “developing” phases take, on average, four and three years, respectively to have English skills on par with their peers.

    Learning English takes longer as you go along

    We also found as students learned English, each phase in their progression took longer to achieve than the one before:

    • the average time from beginning to emerging was one year and one month

    • from emerging to developing was one year and eight months

    • from developing to consolidating was two years and seven months.

    What can impact learning?

    But learning English is complex and can be impacted by many factors.

    We found students with socio-educational disadvantage progressed 22% slower than advantaged students, students with refugee experiences progressed 14% slower than those without. Male students took 6% longer than their female peers.

    We also found students starting school in kindergarten progressed about 9% slower, compared to starting school in Australia in later primary year levels.

    But we found students who started school already at the final, “consolidating” phase of English outperformed monolingual peers in NAPLAN. This suggests these students, who are arguably bilingual, were at an educational advantage.

    Average NAPLAN reading performance of students learning English as an additional language and their matched peers.
    Source: NSW Department of Education National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy 2014 to 2022, CC BY

    Targeted support is needed

    Our findings have a number of implications.

    Firstly, they help us understand the nature and length of support needed for students learning English students in schools.

    Secondly, they highlight the importance of ongoing, targeted support for students.

    This also suggests we need to make effective professional support available for teachers working with students who are learning English as an additional language.

    The academic advantage of bilingual students also points to a need to encourage and support students using and developing their first and other languages, alongside English.

    Lucy Lu is the Senior Manager, Analytics and Strategic Projects in the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). AERO is jointly funded by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

    Jennifer Hammond has previously received funding from the Australian Research Council and the NSW Department of Education. All projects funded from these sources were completed more than six years ago.

    – ref. Some students learning English can take at least 6 years to catch up to their peers. How can we support them better? – https://theconversation.com/some-students-learning-english-can-take-at-least-6-years-to-catch-up-to-their-peers-how-can-we-support-them-better-258819

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: When new dads struggle, their kids’ health can suffer. Tackling mental distress early can help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Delyse Hutchinson, Associate Professor, Clinical Psychologist, and NHMRC Leadership Fellow, SEED Centre for Lifespan Research, School of Psychology, Deakin University

    D-BASE/Getty

    In Australia, an estimated one in ten men experience mental health issues such as anxiety and depression before and after their child is born (the perinatal period).

    Alongside emotional ups and downs and exhaustion, new dads may also be facing greater practical demands, such as caring for the baby, supporting their partner, and providing financially.

    It’s not surprising, then, that becoming a dad may be linked to increased psychological distress. But it’s concerning because many men don’t access help. There’s also growing evidence a father’s mental state may affect his developing child in the short and long term.

    Our new review brings together the international evidence about the relationship between fathers’ mental health and children’s development for the first time.

    We found consistent associations between dads’ psychological distress before and after birth and poorer outcomes in children’s social, emotional, cognitive, language and physical development, from birth until the early teens.

    The good news? There are effective ways to intervene early.

    Barriers to getting help

    There are complex reasons why new fathers might not access help for mental distress.

    Notably, a 2024 review of Australian and international research found fathers are not routinely asked in health-care settings about their wellbeing at any point before the birth of a child, or after – when support is often most needed.

    Men may also feel they need to be strong and push past tough emotions to “get on” with looking after the family.

    They may be reluctant to acknowledge their own difficulties, and instead avoid the issue, through strategies such as working excessively, or using alcohol or other drugs.

    Working hours can also make accessing services difficult.

    As a result, men may have trouble recognising mental distress and it may go undetected by the people around them and in the wider health-care system.

    We don’t know the true impact

    Research on early risk factors for poorer child development is around 17 times more likely to focus on mothers’ health and lifestyle, compared to fathers.

    This focus is understandable, given up to one in five women experience perinatal anxiety or depression in the transition to motherhood.

    Strong evidence links mothers’ mental distress to poorer child outcomes. For example, mothers experiencing perinatal anxiety or depression may withdraw and find it difficult to interact with their child. This may be linked to delays in children’s developing social and emotional skills.

    Yet similar research on fathers has been lacking.

    This imbalance affects health policy and clinical practice, leaving many fathers feeling excluded from family health care. The impact on their children has also been poorly understood.

    What we looked at

    Our new research aimed to understand how men’s mental health before and after birth is related to their child’s development, from birth through adolescence.

    We looked at the findings from 84 longitudinal studies which track people over long periods of time, including from Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.

    The review included any study that measured an association between perinatal depression, anxiety or stress in fathers (biological or adoptive) and child development. These included social and emotional skills, thinking and problem-solving, language, physical development and motor skills.

    Our study had three main findings

    First, mental distress in fathers during pregnancy and after birth was consistently linked to poorer development in their children.

    Specifically, this included lower ratings on social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills, such as the capacity to interact with others, understand feelings, process information and communicate. It also affected physical health outcomes, such as body weight, sleep and eating patterns.

    Second, associations were evident from early development (infancy) through to the early teens (13 years). This suggests that, without support, a father’s perinatal mental distress may be related to child development well beyond infancy.

    Third, fathers’ mental distress after birth was more strongly related to how children developed than their mental distress during pregnancy.

    This is not surprising, because it’s when fathers begin to interact with infants and may more directly influence their development.

    So, what should change?

    Our findings underscore that getting in early to support dads – both before and soon after the arrival of a new child – is crucial.

    Routine screening for signs of mental distress is effective in identifying mothers who might benefit from help. This could be extended to all parents, through family planning, antenatal and postpartum clinics, and GP check-ups.

    Research shows 80% of men see a GP or allied health practitioner in the year before having a baby. Asking about other aspects of wellbeing – such as sleep quality – can be an effective and non-stigmatising way to ease into conversations about mental health.

    This can help connect men with support services earlier, to improve their health and their children’s.

    What should men look out for?

    Studies suggest men may often express their distress through relationship strain, rather than sadness. They may also report self-harm, suicidal ideation and feeling isolated.

    Common signs a new dad might be struggling with mental health include:

    • fatigue
    • sleep problems
    • difficulty concentrating
    • racing heart
    • sweating
    • muscle tension
    • changes in appetite
    • feeling worried or out of control
    • irritability
    • anger
    • increased use of alcohol or other drugs.

    Is there support?

    Options for men who want more support include counselling, peer group support and online apps that use mindfulness and cognitive behaviour therapy to help manage moods.

    For fathers needing more immediate support, crisis support services offer 24/7 live counselling via chat, telephone or video:

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency in Australia, call triple 0.

    Delyse Hutchinson receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

    Jacqui Macdonald receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Medical Research Future Fund and the Australian Research Council. She convenes the Australian Fatherhood Research Consortium and she is on the Movember Global Men’s Health Advisory Committee.

    Samantha Teague receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

    Genevieve Le Bas and Stephanie Aarsman do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. When new dads struggle, their kids’ health can suffer. Tackling mental distress early can help – https://theconversation.com/when-new-dads-struggle-their-kids-health-can-suffer-tackling-mental-distress-early-can-help-253024

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ancient termite poo reveals 120 million-year-old secrets of Australia’s polar forests

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alistair Evans, Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University

    Witsawat.S/Shutterstock

    Imagine a lush forest with tree-ferns, their trunks capped by ribbon-like fronds. Conifers tower overhead, bearing triangular leaves almost sharp enough to pierce skin. Flowering plants are both small and rare.

    You’re standing in what is now Victoria, Australia, about 127 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous Period. Slightly to your south, a massive river – more than a kilometre wide – separates you from Tasmania. This river flows along the valley forming between Australia and Antarctica as the two continents begin to split apart.

    During the Early Cretaceous, southeastern Australia was some of the closest land to the South Pole. Here, the night lasted for three months in winter, contrasting with three months of daytime in summer. Despite this extreme day-night cycle, various kinds of dinosaurs still thrived here, as did flies, wasps and dragonflies.

    And, as our recently published research in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology reveals, termites also chewed through the decaying wood of fallen trees. This is the first record of termites living in a polar region – and their presence provides key insights into what these ancient forests were like.

    Home makers, not homewreckers

    Termites might have a public reputation as homewreckers.

    But these wood-eating bugs are a key part of many environments, freeing up nutrients contained in dead plants. They are one of the best organisms at breaking down large amounts of wood, and significantly speed up the decay of fallen wood in forests.

    Ancient polar forests roughly 120 million years ago in southeastern Australia were dominated by conifer trees.
    Bob Nicholls

    The breakdown of wood by termites makes it easier for further consumption by other animals and fungi.

    Their role in ancient Victoria’s polar forests would have been just as important, as the natural decay of wood is very slow in cold conditions.

    Although the cold winters would have slowed termites too, they may have thrived during long periods of darkness, just as modern termites are more active during the night.

    The oldest termite nest in Australia

    Our new paper, led by Monash University palaeontology research associate Jonathan Edwards, reports the discovery of an ancient termite nest near the coastal town of Inverloch in southeastern Victoria. Preserved in a 80-centimetre-long piece of fossilised log, the nest tunnels carved out by termites were first spotted by local fossil-hunter extraordinaire Melissa Lowery.

    Without its discoverers knowing what it was then, the log was brought into the lab and we began investigating the origins of its structures.

    Understanding the nest was challenging at first: the tunnels exposed on the surface were filled with what looked like tiny grains of rice, each around 2 millimetres long. We suspected they were most likely the coprolites (fossilised poo) of the nest-makers. Once we took a look under the microscope we noticed something very interesting: this poo was hexagonal.

    Termite poo has a distinct hexagonal shape, as seen in these thin sections of the fossilised log we examined.
    Jonathan Edwards & William Parker

    How did this shape point to termites as the “poopetrators”?

    Modern termites have a gut with three sets of muscle bands. Just before excretion, their waste is squeezed to save as much water as possible, giving an almost perfect hexagonal shape to the pellets.

    The size, shape, distribution and quantity of coprolites meant we had just discovered the oldest termite nest in Australia – and perhaps the largest termite wood nest from dinosaur times.

    A global distribution

    We continued to investigate the nest with more specific methods.

    For example, we scanned parts of it with the Australian Synchrotron – a research facility that uses X-rays and infrared radiation to see the structure and composition of materials. This showed us what the unweathered coprolites inside the log looked like.

    MicroCT imagery of termite coprolites within the nest.
    Jonathan Edwards

    We also made very thin slices of the nest and looked at these slices with high-powered microscopes. And we analysed the chemistry of the log, which further supported our original theory of the nest’s identity.

    The oldest fossilised termites have been found in the northern hemisphere about 150 million years ago, during the Late Jurassic Period.

    What is exciting is that our trace fossils show they had reached the southernmost landmasses by 127 million years ago. This presence means they had likely spread all over Earth by this point.

    The termites weren’t alone

    Surprisingly, these termites also had smaller wood-eating companions.

    During our investigation, we also noticed coprolites more than ten times smaller than those made by termites. These pellets likely belonged to wood-eating oribatid mites – minuscule arachnids with fossils dating back almost 400 million years. Many of their tunnels ring those left by the termites, telling us they inhabited this nest after the termites abandoned it.

    CT reconstructions of termite and mite coprolites show the huge difference in size between them.
    Jonathan Edwards

    Termite tunnels may have acted as mite highways, taking them deeper into the log. Moreover, because both groups ate the toughest parts of wood, these two invertebrates might have directly competed at the time. Modern oribatid mites only eat wood affected by fungi.

    Regardless, our study documents the first known interaction of wood-nesting termites and oribatid mites in the fossil record.

    This nest also provides important support for the idea that Australia’s polar forests weren’t dominated by ice, as modern termites can’t tolerate prolonged freezing.

    This is the first record of termites living in a polar region, and their presence suggests relatively mild polar winters — something like 6°C on average. Termites would’ve been key players in these ecosystems, kickstarting wood breakdown and nutrient cycling in an otherwise slow environment.

    So maybe next time you spot a termite nest, you’ll see a builder, not a bulldozer.

    The authors would like to acknowledge the work of Jonathan Edwards who led the research and helped prepare this article.

    Alistair Evans receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Monash University, and is an Honorary Research Affiliate with Museums Victoria.

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

    – ref. Ancient termite poo reveals 120 million-year-old secrets of Australia’s polar forests – https://theconversation.com/ancient-termite-poo-reveals-120-million-year-old-secrets-of-australias-polar-forests-258399

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Jaws at 50: a cinematic masterpiece – and an incredible piece of propaganda

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Colin Alexander, Senior Lecturer in Political Communications, Nottingham Trent University

    Jaws turns 50 on June 20. Last year, Quentin Tarantino called Stephen Spielberg’s film “possibly the greatest movie ever made”. Though he was quick to add that it isn’t the best film in terms of script, cinematography or acting, he was convinced that its overall quality as a movie remains unmatched.

    I’m not so sure if Jaws is the best movie ever made – but it’s certainly the movie that I like to watch the most. It is as fascinating and multilayered as it is entertaining and depressing. As a researcher of political propaganda, I believe that Jaws had political purpose.

    I have watched Jaws well over 50 times and still, with every viewing, I spot a new detail. Just last week I noticed that when police chief Brody (Roy Scheider) leaves his office after the first shark attack, he opens a gate in a white picket fence.

    The white picket fence is often used to symbolise the American dream and Brody’s actions are likely intended to symbolise the disruption to the dream’s pursuit of capitalism as he seeks to close the beaches and potentially ruin the town’s tourism season.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    The film was released in June 1975. Just in time for summer holidays spent splashing in the waves (or not!). However, despite its continued acclaim, it didn’t win any of the big Academy Awards in 1976. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest dominated that year. Composer John Williams did, however, win the Oscar for best original score, which I assume you are now humming in your head.



    Read more:
    One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest: 50 years on Jack Nicholson’s greatest performance is as fresh as ever

    The film is based on the book by Peter Benchley, published a year earlier in 1974. The book’s plot is somewhat different to the film. For example, Matt Hooper – the shark specialist played by Richard Dreyfuss in the film – is eaten by the shark, possibly as an act of retribution for his sins on land. He survives in the film.

    Benchley was US president Lyndon Johnson’s (1963-1969) communications advisor before he became an author and so knew Washington’s priorities well. The film was then commissioned before the book had time to become a commercial success, which is somewhat unusual.

    The trailer for Jaws.

    The shark – powerful, mysterious, dark eyed, stalking the American people and killing without emotion – represents the threat posed by communism. The defeat of this “menace” will require the reunification of American society following its disastrous and fractious involvement in the Vietnam war and political scandals like Watergate.

    Hence, the white public sector worker (Brody), the scientist (Hooper) and the military veteran (Quint), put their differences aside to band together on a rickety and ill-equipped boat – the Orca – which was possibly meant to symbolise the wobbling US of its time.

    So while Jaws is a parable of societal repair, it is also a story of exclusively white unification amid external threats. The civil rights movement and Vietnam are inextricably linked through the service of young black men to the cause, and yet black characters are conspicuous by their absence from the book and the film. The only black presence in the book is an anonymous gardener who rapes wealthy white women.

    Human will to dominate the natural world

    In the book, the horror focuses upon human, rather than animal, behaviour. This comes in the form of political corruption, mafia influence, adultery, snobbery, racial prejudice, community disconnect and dishonest journalism. And it occurs as much on land as it does at sea. There is a large section midway through the book where the shark plays no part in the, at times, highly sexual plot.

    Spielberg removed many of the undercurrents and insinuations of the book for his adaptation. The film gives less attention to life in the town of Amity and focuses largely on the shark and the horror of its actions.

    The irony is that so many characters feel personally offended by an animal capable of instinct alone, when they as humans – capable of reason and choice – behave so badly towards each other. Indeed, the lack of an eco-centric character to defend the shark in both the book or the film is telling.

    Brody yells for people to ‘get out of the water’.

    The overwhelming horror is instead found in the treatment of the shark and the assertion that it must be killed rather than respected and left alone. Indeed, Jaws represents a parable of the modern human perception of battle against nature. Wherein Brody, Hooper and Quint, despite their differences, are united in their assumption of human superiority and their perspective that the problem ought to be dealt with using violence.

    The story of Jaws also speaks to George Orwell’s essay Shooting an Elephant from 1936. It captured the author’s dilemma while working as a police officer in colonial Burma when an elephant disrupted the regular process of capitalism by trampling through a local market.

    The philosophers Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno referred to the enlightenment as having created a “new barbarity” wherein humans are engaged in a project of destruction. Here then, a shark has had the audacity to behave in an inconvenient way to man’s profiteering from tourism and must be killed.

    Indeed, one of the biggest criticisms of the film, which Spielberg has subsequently acknowledged, is its inaccurate representation of shark behaviour and the extent to which the film’s success contributed to the decline of the species.

    Ultimately then, Jaws – the book, the film and the reaction of audiences to it – serves as a testimony to the role played by fear within human decision-making. The fear of “others”. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the natural world. Fear of loss of status or reputation.

    It’s a testament to the susceptibility of humans to become insular and violent when they are scared, but also to the distorting influence of propagandists in determining what they ought to be afraid of.

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

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

    – ref. Jaws at 50: a cinematic masterpiece – and an incredible piece of propaganda – https://theconversation.com/jaws-at-50-a-cinematic-masterpiece-and-an-incredible-piece-of-propaganda-253498

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Army to change names of seven installations

    Source: United States Army

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army will take all necessary actions to change the names of seven Army installations in honor of heroic Soldiers who served in conflicts ranging from the Civil War to the Battle of Mogadishu. Five of them received the Medal of Honor, three received the Distinguished Service Cross and one received the Silver Star.

    Fort Pickett (formerly Fort Barfoot) will be named in honor of Distinguished Service Cross recipient 1st Lt. Vernon W. Pickett for his extraordinary heroism during World War II. While pinned down by enemy machine gun fire, Pickett crawled forward and destroyed two enemy positions with grenades. After being captured, he escaped from a transport train with fellow POWs and rejoined his unit before being killed in action.

    Fort Hood (formerly Fort Cavazos) will be named in honor of Distinguished Service Cross recipient Col. Robert B. Hood for his extraordinary heroism during World War I. Amid intense shelling near Thiaucourt, France, then-Capt. Hood directed artillery fire under enfilading machine-gun fire. After his gun crew was lost to enemy fire, he rapidly reorganized and returned fire within minutes, restoring combat capability.

    Fort Gordon (formerly Fort Eisenhower) will be named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon for his valor during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia. Gordon volunteered to be inserted to defend wounded crew members at a helicopter crash site and held off an advancing enemy force, protecting the pilot after exhausting all his ammunition.

    Fort Lee (formerly Fort Gregg-Adams) will be named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Pvt. Fitz Lee for his heroism during the Spanish-American War. During a coastal assault in Cuba, Lee voluntarily disembarked under direct enemy fire to rescue wounded comrades from the battlefield.

    Fort Polk (formerly Fort Johnson) will be named in honor of Silver Star recipient Gen. James H. Polk for his gallantry in action as commanding officer of the 3rd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) during operations across Europe in World War II. Then-Col. Polk led reconnaissance and combat missions under fire, spearheading Third Army advances as part of Task Force Polk. He later served as commander in chief of U.S. Army Europe.

    Fort Rucker (formerly Fort Novosel) will be named in honor of Distinguished Service Cross recipient Capt. Edward W. Rucker for extraordinary heroism in World War I. Flying deep behind enemy lines, then-1st Lt. Rucker and his fellow aviators engaged a numerically superior enemy force in a daring aerial battle over France, disrupting enemy movements and completing their mission against overwhelming odds.

    Fort A.P. Hill (formerly Fort Walker) will be named in honor of Medal of Honor recipients Lt. Col. Edward Hill, 1st Sgt. Robert A. Pinn and Pvt. Bruce Anderson for extraordinary heroism during the Civil War. Then-Capt. Hill, Pinn and Anderson executed significant actions separately at Cold Harbor, Virginia; Chapin’s Farm, Virginia; and Fort Fisher, North Carolina, in support of the U.S. Army.

    The Secretary of the Army will take immediate action to implement these redesignations, which are in accordance with Section 1749(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.

    For more information, please contact usarmy.pentagon.hqda-ocpa.mbx.mrd-press-desk@army.mil.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Army to cease procurement of M10 Booker Combat Vehicles

    Source: United States Army

    Washington (June 11, 2025) – In response to current world events and in support of the strategic objectives outlined in the Army Transformation Initiative, the U.S. Army has issued a termination for convenience of the current low-rate initial production of the M10 Booker Combat Vehicle and will not enter into full-rate production as originally planned.

    The Army will request to reallocate the remaining funds in fiscal 2025 to accelerate fielding of war-winning capabilities and anticipates additional significant savings to be fully realized within the next 18-24 months.

    Formerly known as the Mobile Protected Firepower, the M10 Booker low-rate initial production contract was awarded in June 2022 to General Dynamics Land Systems for the production and fielding of up to 96 vehicles. The ongoing contract termination process will ultimately determine the disposition of the remaining assets.

    Although M10 Booker production will conclude, the Army appreciates the efforts of the team and Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division who worked on the program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Army Launches Detachment 201: Executive Innovation Corps to Drive Tech Transformation

    Source: United States Army

    New Executive Innovation Corps brings top tech talent into the Army Reserve to bridge the commercial-military tech gap, with four tech leaders set to join as officers.

    WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is establishing Detachment 201: The Army’s Executive Innovation Corps, a new initiative designed to fuse cutting-edge tech expertise with military innovation. On June 13, 2025, the Army will officially swear in four tech leaders.

    Det. 201 is an effort to recruit senior tech executives to serve part-time in the Army Reserve as senior advisors. In this role they will work on targeted projects to help guide rapid and scalable tech solutions to complex problems. By bringing private-sector know-how into uniform, Det. 201 is supercharging efforts like the Army Transformation Initiative, which aims to make the force leaner, smarter, and more lethal.

    The four new Army Reserve Lt. Cols. are Shyam Sankar, Chief Technology Officer for Palantir; Andrew Bosworth, Chief Technology Officer of Meta; Kevin Weil, Chief Product Officer of OpenAI; and Bob McGrew, advisor at Thinking Machines Lab and former Chief Research Officer for OpenAI.

    Their swearing-in is just the start of a bigger mission to inspire more tech pros to serve without leaving their careers, showing the next generation how to make a difference in uniform.

    * * *

    The United States Army is the land service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and the oldest established military force in the country. Committed to defending the nation and supporting global stability, the Army leads the way in innovation, resilience, and readiness. Learn more at www.army.mil

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican national admits to transporting child sexual abuse material across state lines to Mexico

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAREDO, Texas – A 39-year-old Mexican national has pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    On March 12, Raul Velasco-Leon was traveling from Tennessee and approached the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge attempting to enter Mexico. While on the primary lane, authorities selected Velasco-Leon for further inspection and referred him to secondary.

    They conducted a search of his belongings and found what appeared to be a piece of youth-sized clothing with the words “Girl Power” tucked inside a jean pocket. Law enforcement also discovered multiple electronic devices, including 10 USB flash drives, two cell phones and a laptop. On one of the devices, they discovered six files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of minor victims approximately 10 years of age.

    The files contained approximately five photographs and one video that contained CSAM. The five images, displayed via video chat, depicted female minor victims showing their genital areas. The video had a split screen with the adult male, later determined to be Velasco-Leon, masturbating while the top of the screen displayed a montage of CSAM including a female minor victim being forced to perform oral sex on an adult male.

    Velasco-Leon admitted he had been engaged in a video chat and when he saw the CSAM, he would watch and screen record it.

    U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Velasco-Leon faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

    “This case is about protecting kids both north and south of the border from the defendant’s predatory behavior,” said Ganjei. “Although Velasco-Leon was about to depart the United States for Mexico, given his conduct, his stay in the U.S. is about to become much, much longer.”

    “This guilty plea is a critical step in holding Velasco-Leon accountable for the disturbing crimes he committed,” said Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mauro Lopez of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Laredo. “HSI remains committed to identifying, investigating and bringing to justice those who exploit children. We will continue working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure predators face the full consequences of their actions and that victims are not forgotten.”

    ICE-HSI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican national admits to transporting child sexual abuse material across state lines to Mexico

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAREDO, Texas – A 39-year-old Mexican national has pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    On March 12, Raul Velasco-Leon was traveling from Tennessee and approached the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge attempting to enter Mexico. While on the primary lane, authorities selected Velasco-Leon for further inspection and referred him to secondary.

    They conducted a search of his belongings and found what appeared to be a piece of youth-sized clothing with the words “Girl Power” tucked inside a jean pocket. Law enforcement also discovered multiple electronic devices, including 10 USB flash drives, two cell phones and a laptop. On one of the devices, they discovered six files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of minor victims approximately 10 years of age.

    The files contained approximately five photographs and one video that contained CSAM. The five images, displayed via video chat, depicted female minor victims showing their genital areas. The video had a split screen with the adult male, later determined to be Velasco-Leon, masturbating while the top of the screen displayed a montage of CSAM including a female minor victim being forced to perform oral sex on an adult male.

    Velasco-Leon admitted he had been engaged in a video chat and when he saw the CSAM, he would watch and screen record it.

    U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Velasco-Leon faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

    “This case is about protecting kids both north and south of the border from the defendant’s predatory behavior,” said Ganjei. “Although Velasco-Leon was about to depart the United States for Mexico, given his conduct, his stay in the U.S. is about to become much, much longer.”

    “This guilty plea is a critical step in holding Velasco-Leon accountable for the disturbing crimes he committed,” said Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mauro Lopez of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Laredo. “HSI remains committed to identifying, investigating and bringing to justice those who exploit children. We will continue working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure predators face the full consequences of their actions and that victims are not forgotten.”

    ICE-HSI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening an Elected Official

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Lynn pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to making threats to an elected official.

    Justin David Gaglio, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting interstate threats. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Sept. 9, 2025. Gaglio was charged in October 2024.

    Beginning in or around January 2023, Gaglio began contacting the elected official via online submissions through the elected official’s website. Between January 2023 and September 2024, Gaglio submitted over 80 separate messages to the elected official via the website, sometimes sending multiple messages within minutes of each other.  

    On or about Sept. 8, 2024, Gaglio submitted a contact request to the elected official’s website in which he threatened to violently murder the elected official and the elected official’s family.

    The charge of transmitting interstate threats carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted. E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capital Police, the Massachusetts State Police and the Lynn and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening an Elected Official

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Lynn pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to making threats to an elected official.

    Justin David Gaglio, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting interstate threats. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Sept. 9, 2025. Gaglio was charged in October 2024.

    Beginning in or around January 2023, Gaglio began contacting the elected official via online submissions through the elected official’s website. Between January 2023 and September 2024, Gaglio submitted over 80 separate messages to the elected official via the website, sometimes sending multiple messages within minutes of each other.  

    On or about Sept. 8, 2024, Gaglio submitted a contact request to the elected official’s website in which he threatened to violently murder the elected official and the elected official’s family.

    The charge of transmitting interstate threats carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted. E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capital Police, the Massachusetts State Police and the Lynn and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Conspirators sentenced for engaging in a multitude of fraud schemes, including romance scams, investment fraud, and business email compromise, to steal at least $17 million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SHERMAN, Texas –Multiple defendants have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in an elaborate fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

    Damilola Kumapayi, 39, of Plano, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 109 months in federal prison.

    Sandra Iribhogbe Popnen, 50, of Plano, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 365 months in federal prison.

    Edgal Iribhogbe, 51, of Allen, was found guilty at trial of conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison.

    Chidindu Okeke, 32, of Houston, was found guilty at trial of conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison.

    Chiagoziem Okeke, 32, of Houston, was found guilty at trial of conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison.

    “Transnational organized criminals targeting the hard-earned savings of elderly and vulnerable populations are simply despicable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.  “The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations. The defendants’ lengthy sentences in this case reflect the seriousness of their crimes and the dedication of law enforcement officers and prosecutors to bring them to justice.  I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work on this case.”

    “The defendants were part of a transnational organized crime syndicate that defrauded victims collectively out of millions of dollars. For some individuals, this was their life savings, and they were unable to financially recover,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We hope these sentences give them a sense of comfort and sends a clear message that the FBI is committed to pursuing justice for victims.”

    “The collective sentences of nearly 160 years handed down to these defendants is a testament to the unwavering resolve of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and our law enforcement partners,” said Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office.  “Through relentless investigation and prosecution, they have brought justice to the victims, holding these predators accountable for exploiting trust and devastating lives. IRS-CI and our partners are committed to prosecuting criminals for financial crimes, especially those that prey on our elderly and vulnerable.”

    The sentencing hearings were held before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on June 16, 2025, in Sherman.

    According to information presented in court, beginning around January 2017, the defendants used a multitude of fraudulent schemes to obtain money from their victims, including online romance scams, business email compromise and investor fraud, and unemployment insurance fraud.  The defendants coordinated how to extract money from their victims, and then how to disguise, disburse, and launder that money once they successfully defrauded their victims.  The scheme resulted in approximately $17 million fraudulently obtained from at least 100 individual victims, companies, and government entities from across the world.  The scheme specifically targeted elderly persons and used various schemes such as online dating sites to lure their victims.  Once funds were obtained from their victims, the defendants laundered the money through a network of various bank accounts and sent money to bank accounts, co-conspirators and businesses located in Africa and Asia.

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

    This case was investigated by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service; Allen Police Department; Denton Police Department; Dallas County Sheriff’s Office; and Texas Department of Public Safety.  This case was prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys in the Plano office.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Conspirators sentenced for engaging in a multitude of fraud schemes, including romance scams, investment fraud, and business email compromise, to steal at least $17 million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SHERMAN, Texas –Multiple defendants have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in an elaborate fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

    Damilola Kumapayi, 39, of Plano, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 109 months in federal prison.

    Sandra Iribhogbe Popnen, 50, of Plano, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 365 months in federal prison.

    Edgal Iribhogbe, 51, of Allen, was found guilty at trial of conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison.

    Chidindu Okeke, 32, of Houston, was found guilty at trial of conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison.

    Chiagoziem Okeke, 32, of Houston, was found guilty at trial of conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison.

    “Transnational organized criminals targeting the hard-earned savings of elderly and vulnerable populations are simply despicable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.  “The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations. The defendants’ lengthy sentences in this case reflect the seriousness of their crimes and the dedication of law enforcement officers and prosecutors to bring them to justice.  I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work on this case.”

    “The defendants were part of a transnational organized crime syndicate that defrauded victims collectively out of millions of dollars. For some individuals, this was their life savings, and they were unable to financially recover,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We hope these sentences give them a sense of comfort and sends a clear message that the FBI is committed to pursuing justice for victims.”

    “The collective sentences of nearly 160 years handed down to these defendants is a testament to the unwavering resolve of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and our law enforcement partners,” said Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office.  “Through relentless investigation and prosecution, they have brought justice to the victims, holding these predators accountable for exploiting trust and devastating lives. IRS-CI and our partners are committed to prosecuting criminals for financial crimes, especially those that prey on our elderly and vulnerable.”

    The sentencing hearings were held before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on June 16, 2025, in Sherman.

    According to information presented in court, beginning around January 2017, the defendants used a multitude of fraudulent schemes to obtain money from their victims, including online romance scams, business email compromise and investor fraud, and unemployment insurance fraud.  The defendants coordinated how to extract money from their victims, and then how to disguise, disburse, and launder that money once they successfully defrauded their victims.  The scheme resulted in approximately $17 million fraudulently obtained from at least 100 individual victims, companies, and government entities from across the world.  The scheme specifically targeted elderly persons and used various schemes such as online dating sites to lure their victims.  Once funds were obtained from their victims, the defendants laundered the money through a network of various bank accounts and sent money to bank accounts, co-conspirators and businesses located in Africa and Asia.

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

    This case was investigated by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service; Allen Police Department; Denton Police Department; Dallas County Sheriff’s Office; and Texas Department of Public Safety.  This case was prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys in the Plano office.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alleged Members of Major Guatemalan Drug Trafficking Organization Indicted

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed in San Diego Friday alleging that 13 Guatemalan nationals are part of a Guatemala-based cocaine trafficking organization operating out of La Mesilla and Democracia, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, which is on the Guatemala-Mexico border.

    The indictment was returned on May 31, 2019. Among the individuals charged are Baldemar Calderon-Carrillo, aka “Don Valde,” and his son, Walfre Donaldo Calderon-Calderon, aka “El Teniente Jr.”

    On June 13, 2025, federal agents in San Diego received information that Calderon-Carrillo, the lead defendant in the indictment, had been killed during a June 8, 2025, shootout with Mexican authorities. U.S. agents continue to obtain information confirming the details of Calderon-Carrillo’s death. Video of the incident was posted on various news outlets and in social media showing Mexican law enforcement in a shootout with members of a drug trafficking organization.

    In January 2023, one of Calderon-Carrillo’s sons, Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon, aka “Panon,” who is charged in the same indictment, was arrested in Paris, France. Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon was extradited to the United States from France in March 2024 and pleaded guilty in February 2025 to international cocaine distribution conspiracy charges.

    As part of his plea agreement, Calderon-Calderon admitted that since at least 2017, up to and including May 31, 2019, he conspired with others to distribute cocaine in Guatemala and elsewhere, knowing and having reasonable cause to believe the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.

    Calderon-Calderon admitted that he participated in the distribution of large quantities of cocaine in Guatemala on behalf of a drug trafficking organization based in La Mesilla, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. From Huehuetenango, the cocaine was transported to co-conspirators operating near the Guatemala-Mexico border, into Mexico, and ultimately smuggled into the United States.  As part of his plea agreement, Calderon-Calderon admitted that the conspiracy involved at least 550 kilograms of cocaine. On May 30, 2025, Calderon-Calderon was sentenced to 87 months in prison.

    The remaining defendants charged in the indictment are fugitives.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mokhtari. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and French authorities provided substantial assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon.

    DEFENDANTS                                                               Case Number 19-cr-2025-DMS              

    Baldemar Calderon-Carrillo, aka “Don Valde”                     Age: 67           Guatemala

    Amado Calderon-Calderon, aka “Don Juan”                         Age: 46           Guatemala

    Walfre Donaldo Calderon-Calderon,  aka “El Teniente Jr.”  Age: 43           Guatemala

    Ceidner Ivan Calderon-Villatoro, aka “Chene”                     Age: 35           Guatemala

    Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon, aka “Panon”                    Age: 45           Guatemala

    Boris Brandon Calderon-Villatoro, aka “Leon”                     Age: 31           Guatemala

    Fredy Estuardo Villatoro-Calderon, aka “Nalo”                    Age: 31           Guatemala

    Juan Carlos Escobedo-Herrera, aka “Ducati”                        Age: 34           Guatemala

    Marvin Waldemar Mendez-Aldana, aka “Don Pelado”         Age: 44           Guatemala

    German Zaldana-Lima, aka “Gorgo”                                     Age: 50           Guatemala

    Arnoldo Bexsael Morales-Aguilar, aka “Bex”                       Age: 57           Guatemala

    Ranferi Godinez-Vasquez, aka “Chilo”                                 Age: 31           Guatemala

    Maximo Morales-Godinez, aka “Max”                                  Age: 37           Guatemala

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Count 1 – International Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, 963

    Maximum penalty: Life in prison; a maximum $10 million fine

    All defendants

    Count 2 – Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine – Title 46, U.S.C., Sections 70503, 70506(b)

    Maximum penalty: Life in prison; a maximum $10 million fine

    Defendant Walfre Donaldo Calderon-Calderon only

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    Homeland Security Investigations

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alleged Members of Major Guatemalan Drug Trafficking Organization Indicted

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed in San Diego Friday alleging that 13 Guatemalan nationals are part of a Guatemala-based cocaine trafficking organization operating out of La Mesilla and Democracia, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, which is on the Guatemala-Mexico border.

    The indictment was returned on May 31, 2019. Among the individuals charged are Baldemar Calderon-Carrillo, aka “Don Valde,” and his son, Walfre Donaldo Calderon-Calderon, aka “El Teniente Jr.”

    On June 13, 2025, federal agents in San Diego received information that Calderon-Carrillo, the lead defendant in the indictment, had been killed during a June 8, 2025, shootout with Mexican authorities. U.S. agents continue to obtain information confirming the details of Calderon-Carrillo’s death. Video of the incident was posted on various news outlets and in social media showing Mexican law enforcement in a shootout with members of a drug trafficking organization.

    In January 2023, one of Calderon-Carrillo’s sons, Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon, aka “Panon,” who is charged in the same indictment, was arrested in Paris, France. Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon was extradited to the United States from France in March 2024 and pleaded guilty in February 2025 to international cocaine distribution conspiracy charges.

    As part of his plea agreement, Calderon-Calderon admitted that since at least 2017, up to and including May 31, 2019, he conspired with others to distribute cocaine in Guatemala and elsewhere, knowing and having reasonable cause to believe the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.

    Calderon-Calderon admitted that he participated in the distribution of large quantities of cocaine in Guatemala on behalf of a drug trafficking organization based in La Mesilla, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. From Huehuetenango, the cocaine was transported to co-conspirators operating near the Guatemala-Mexico border, into Mexico, and ultimately smuggled into the United States.  As part of his plea agreement, Calderon-Calderon admitted that the conspiracy involved at least 550 kilograms of cocaine. On May 30, 2025, Calderon-Calderon was sentenced to 87 months in prison.

    The remaining defendants charged in the indictment are fugitives.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mokhtari. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and French authorities provided substantial assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon.

    DEFENDANTS                                                               Case Number 19-cr-2025-DMS              

    Baldemar Calderon-Carrillo, aka “Don Valde”                     Age: 67           Guatemala

    Amado Calderon-Calderon, aka “Don Juan”                         Age: 46           Guatemala

    Walfre Donaldo Calderon-Calderon,  aka “El Teniente Jr.”  Age: 43           Guatemala

    Ceidner Ivan Calderon-Villatoro, aka “Chene”                     Age: 35           Guatemala

    Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon, aka “Panon”                    Age: 45           Guatemala

    Boris Brandon Calderon-Villatoro, aka “Leon”                     Age: 31           Guatemala

    Fredy Estuardo Villatoro-Calderon, aka “Nalo”                    Age: 31           Guatemala

    Juan Carlos Escobedo-Herrera, aka “Ducati”                        Age: 34           Guatemala

    Marvin Waldemar Mendez-Aldana, aka “Don Pelado”         Age: 44           Guatemala

    German Zaldana-Lima, aka “Gorgo”                                     Age: 50           Guatemala

    Arnoldo Bexsael Morales-Aguilar, aka “Bex”                       Age: 57           Guatemala

    Ranferi Godinez-Vasquez, aka “Chilo”                                 Age: 31           Guatemala

    Maximo Morales-Godinez, aka “Max”                                  Age: 37           Guatemala

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Count 1 – International Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, 963

    Maximum penalty: Life in prison; a maximum $10 million fine

    All defendants

    Count 2 – Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine – Title 46, U.S.C., Sections 70503, 70506(b)

    Maximum penalty: Life in prison; a maximum $10 million fine

    Defendant Walfre Donaldo Calderon-Calderon only

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    Homeland Security Investigations

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capitol Hill Touts Benefits of the One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Across Capitol Hill, members of Congress have been sharing with their constituents the benefits of President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill — which include the largest tax cut in history, higher wages and take-home pay, unprecedented spending cuts, border security, protecting Medicaid, modernizing air traffic control, and much more.
    Here are what some members of Congress are saying around the country:
    Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on FoxNews.com: How Senate Republicans are restoring rule of law and securing border for years to come
    “While Democrat allies riot in the streets, Republicans are standing up for what’s right. Today, as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I released legislative text for my committee’s section of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ The Judiciary Committee’s provisions provide historic investments to strengthen our nation’s border security and immigration system, support local law enforcement and protect American families from violence like we’ve seen in Los Angeles. The costs of the judiciary section are offset by immigration application fees, which inject accountability into the immigration system.”
    Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) in Cowboy State Daily: Trump’s Border Triumph — Making America Secure Again
    “The Senate is currently developing President Trump’s comprehensive legislative package, known as the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, with the goal of passage by July 4th. This legislation contains several immigration measures that I believe are essential. The bill provides funding to help finish President Trump’s border wall, and gives Border Patrol and ICE agents the resources, technology, and personnel they need to carry out the mission … The American people were clear last November when they voted and told Washington, D.C. that it is time to fully secure our border and deport illegal aliens. These provisions give President Trump and his administration the resources they need to continue delivering on this mandate.”
    Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) on FoxNews.com: Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill will keep our border the most secure it’s been in history
    “Our country stands at a crossroads. Thanks to President Donald Trump’s and Homeland Security Secretary Noem’s leadership, our border is secure. We can either capitalize on this success and give law enforcement the resources it needs to keep it secure by passing the One Big, Beautiful Bill, or we can let the sacrifice of our men and women on the ground be in vain.”
    Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) in The Hill: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act delivers for America. Now the Senate Must Deliver Too.
    “The House of Representatives has delivered on the American people’s mandate by passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the most comprehensive and consequential set of conservative reforms in our nation’s history. This transformative package includes record levels of tax cuts, spending reduction, and border and national security investment. The ball is now in the Senate’s court and their mission is simple: move the One Big Beautiful Bill to the president’s desk as soon as possible.”
    Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) in the Ritzville Adams County Journal: One ‘Big, Beautiful, Bill Act’ is good for us
    “This legislation delivers on the promises made to the American people: to secure the border, cut taxes, unleash American energy and restore fairness to our economy. It reflects what voters demanded and what I pledged to deliver.”
    Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) in the Lexington Herald-Leader: Senate must pass Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
    “Last month, I voted to pass President Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill. It was an easy vote. The president’s leadership produced a transformational legislative win that will deliver an across-the-board tax cut for families, small businesses, farmers and seniors. On top of tax relief for Kentuckians still rebounding from four years of runaway inflation under Joe Biden, we surge resources to help law enforcement seal the Southern border and provide $1.6 trillion in deficit reduction, all while strengthening Medicaid for Kentuckians who need it. That’s why my message to U.S. senators, especially from Kentucky, is very simple: pass the Big, Beautiful Bill, and send it to the president’s desk. Kentuckians can’t afford to wait, literally.”
    Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) in The Detroit News: One Big Beautiful Bill corrects nation’s course
    “After the last four years of chaos in America under the Biden-Harris administration — from our overwhelmed southern border to reckless binge spending driving up our national debt — we are one bad decision, or one failure to act, away from catastrophe. That’s why I supported the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will deliver middle-class tax relief, secure our borders, bolster our defense, and restore the kind of fiscal responsibility that northern Michigan families have practiced for generations. This bill will turn the tide against out-of-control spending and help rescue our economy.”
    Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Floridians benefit from Trump’s tax cuts. We can’t let Democrats take them away.
    “As Floridians begin to recover from the disastrous Biden administration, the last thing they need is a massive tax hike – but that’s exactly what will happen if Congress doesn’t act. That’s why Republicans are working to extend President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and ensure all Americans get the relief they deserve.”
    Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Sens. Ossoff, Warnock should support Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
    “Georgia’s Democratic U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock should not oppose President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ Act (OBBBA) … the most consequential piece of legislation of our generation. It is a legacy defining bill that I was proud to support when it passed the House of Representatives, advancing President Trump’s full domestic agenda that more than 77 million Americans overwhelmingly voted for back in November. That’s exactly why Ossoff and Warnock are going to fight this bill at every turn.”
    Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) on Indianz.com: Promises Made, Promises Kept
    “Last November, the American people gave their Representatives a mandate when they overwhelmingly voted for change. 77 million Americans made it very clear to us that they wanted a secure border, the resurgence of American energy dominance, lower taxes, a lethal military focused on warfighting instead of woke initiatives, and a more efficient federal government that roots out fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars — essentially the platform that President Trump ran on. Now, less than six months into the new Trump Administration, the United States House of Representatives has already delivered on these promises by passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
    Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) on RealClearPolitics.com: A Big, Beautiful Win for America
    “The American Dream is back in reach and our nation is back on the path to prosperity, security, and sanity, thanks to the actions of the House of Representatives last week. With the House’s passage of President Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ we’ve shown that it is possible to return common sense to our government, protect taxpayers, secure our borders, and chart a course for national Golden Age – all in one package.”
    Rep. Troy Downing (R-WY) in the Billings Gazette: We are staring down the barrel of a 26% tax increase
    “We are staring down the barrel of a 26% tax increase. If Congress does not take action to extend the President Donald Trump’s tax cuts by Jan. 1 of next year, the average Montana family of four will be out more than $1,400 per year … Put plainly, a vote opposing an extension of the TCJA is a vote to raise taxes — on the rich, on the poor, on you, on your neighbor, on family farms, on the coffee shop down the street. Republicans will prevent Democrats from walking America off a fiscal cliff and avoid this catastrophic tax hike that threatens the financial security of countless Montanans.”
    Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) in the Tallahassee Democrat: Floridians: Don’t let Washington raise your taxes while you’re not looking
    “Across Florida’s 2nd Congressional District, families have already been stretched thin by rising costs – at the grocery store, at the gas pump, and on their utility bills. The last thing they need is a tax hike. But unless Congress acts soon, that’s exactly what nightmare is coming … Preventing this tax hike should be a bipartisan priority. We owe it to the people we serve to protect and build on the progress our nation has made. Congress must act to make the TCJA permanent – to protect prosperity, promote growth, and preserve the American Dream for the next generation.”
    Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) in Newsweek: House Republicans Are Keeping Our Promises on Border Security
    “Americans are desperate to feel safe in our own neighborhoods, but time and time again dangerous illegal immigrants stole from, raped, assaulted, and killed innocent Americans. It is an honor to sit on the House Homeland Security Committee and help lead the charge to secure our borders and follow through on our public safety promises to our constituents. As a part of Congress’ reconciliation package, Homeland Republicans recently advanced recommendations for border security funding to protect Americans, including over $46 billion to complete the border wall system. This money will provide an additional 701 miles of primary wall, construction of 900 miles of river barriers, and even technology like sensors. A physical border is key to keeping the bad guys out.”
    Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) in the Times-Republican: Iowa families will benefit from President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’
    “The other week, my Republican colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives and I passed President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill.’ This legislation contains numerous provisions to put more money back in the pockets of Iowa families … President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ will finally give our families room to breathe again. Estimates suggest that families could see up to $13,300 more in take-home pay, with workers potentially gaining up to $11,600 in higher wages over four years. With provisions that end taxes on tips, overtime, and auto loan interest for American-made cars, working parents can be certain that the extra effort they’re putting in for their families will pay off.”
    Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) in the Park Rapids Enterprise: One Big Beautiful Bill Act helps families and small businesses
    “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act protects Medicaid for those who need and deserve it … It makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, which have been so beneficial for families and small businesses to grow and thrive, even during the uncertain economic times we experienced over the last several years. This bill permanently doubles the guaranteed standard deduction and expands it by $2,000 for every American family. It creates new tax relief for seniors by adding an additional $4,000 deduction for those aged 65 and over. It makes the 199A small business deduction permanent and expands it to 23% for the over 60,000 small businesses in CD7. It makes the doubled death tax exemption permanent and expands it for the nearly 30,000 farms in CD7, helping families pass down their life’s work to the next generation. It prevents the child tax credit from being cut in half and expands the credit to $2,500 to support 74,460 families in CD7. It eliminates tax on tips and overtime pay. And, it expands 529 education plans so families can make the right choices for them, including using 529s for K-12 education materials, universities or trade schools.”
    Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) in The Washington Times: One Big Beautiful Bill Act provides a flight path for a modern air traffic control system
    “This has been a difficult year for U.S. aviation, with a string of tragic crashes that have killed passengers and crew. Additionally, we have seen reports about failing technology that has caused repeated air traffic control outages and flight delays. Meanwhile, a shortage of certified air traffic controllers has put additional strain on our aviation system. President Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and House Republicans are saying ‘enough is enough,’ and we are doing something about it.”
    Rep. Mark Green (R-NC) on RealClearPolitics.com: ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Give Americans a Secure Border
    “The only way for us to make good on our promises to the American people is to codify President Trump’s agenda. Funding common-sense and effective border security measures through reconciliation is the first step.”
    Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) in The Hill: Investing in border security is a win for every American
    “Since President Trump entered office in January of 2025, our border security has increased, the flow of illegal drugs has dropped dramatically, and illegal border crossings have plummeted to levels not seen in modern history. The success of the Trump administration’s leadership at our borders cannot be underestimated. Now, Congress must do its job to enshrine into law the work of President Trump.”
    Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) on FoxNews.com: GOP fights to protect Medicaid for America’s most vulnerable while Democrats fearmonger
    “It is a top priority of House Republicans to eliminate the waste, fraud and abuse in the programs and safeguard expectant mothers, their children, low-income seniors and especially individuals living with disabilities who are receiving Medicaid coverage. Regrettably, Democrats continue to fuel the falsehood that 13 million individuals will lose healthcare coverage under OBBBA.”
    Rep. Mike Haridopolous (R-FL) in Florida Today: “One Big Beautiful Bill” is a win for Florida families, workers
    “America voted for change last November, and now we’re delivering it. Over the past four years, families have been hit with rising prices, shrinking paychecks, and a government that grew too big and too careless with your tax dollars. People are working harder than ever, but they’re falling behind. That’s not right, and that’s why my Republican colleagues and I in Congress are fighting hard to pass the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ This bill is about getting back to basics: Rewarding work, cutting waste, and putting American families first.”
    Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN) in Newsweek: The Truth About the One Big Beautiful Bill—and What Democrats Don’t Want You to Know
    “Democrats have spent weeks fearmongering about so-called cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security in the One Big Beautiful Bill. Let’s be clear: those talking points are false, and they know it. What this bill actually does is protect and preserve these critical safety net programs for the people they were designed to serve—pregnant women, children, individuals with disabilities, and seniors. It does so by taking on the real problem: waste, fraud, and abuse that have run rampant in our federal health programs for decades.”
    Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) in the Washington Examiner: The ‘big, beautiful bill’ protects Medicaid for those who need it
    “When I came to Congress, I promised the people of Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District that I would pursue practical solutions to improve the lives of working families — without the drama, the headlines, or the politics. That commitment is reflected in the House’s recently passed “big, beautiful bill,” a practical, solutions-oriented piece of legislation that restores accountability to our safety net programs. Unfortunately, misinformation has clouded the bill’s intent, particularly when it comes to Medicaid. Let me set the record straight: This legislation does not cut Medicaid for those who truly need it. Instead, it strengthens the program for low-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities while rooting out waste and holding bad actors accountable.”
    Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN) in the Washington Examiner: The ‘one big, beautiful bill’ will restore the American dream
    “Unfortunately, if Congress does not act, many of the provisions in TCJA will expire at the end of the year. If that happens, the average family in my district of West Tennessee will face a nearly 26% tax hike. A child inheriting the family farm could pay such steep estate taxes that he is forced to sell it. And a small business owner competing with larger corporations could see her taxes nearly double. These are not just numbers on a chart in Washington. These provisions affect each and every one of us. If they expire, the American dream could be unachievable for many of our citizens.”
    Rep. Tracey Mann (R-MO) in the Kansas City Star: Kansas deserves the gift of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill
    “I recently voted in the U.S. House of Representatives to advance the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would provide working- and middle-class Americans with the largest tax cuts in history and make long overdue investments into our nation’s border security by funding the completion of the border wall. The legislation would equip Customs and Border Patrol with modern technology to assist with intercepting drug and human smuggling while increasing detention capacity for Immigration and Customs Enforcement as it works to deport violent criminals and gang members who are in the country illegally.”
    Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) in the Pawnee Republican: Building Certainty for Small Businesses
    “For workers and entrepreneurs, few places are as ripe with economic opportunity as the United States of America. Our world-leading workforce, natural resources, educational institutions, rule of law committed to protecting capital investment, and unique features such as deepwater ports providing access to export goods and services to consumers across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans provide opportunities for American families with few rivals elsewhere around the globe. Despite these economic strengths, there is much we can improve. The federal government remains inefficient, and we must address issues such as our spending-driven budget deficit. Likewise, too many work-capable Americans remain on the sidelines despite millions of good jobs available in our economy. Efforts to address the waste, fraud, and abuse in federally funded programs are vitally important for the fiscal health of our country, as are expanded efforts to help sidelined Americans connect with good jobs. For this reason, the reconciliation bill passed by the House enhances accountability for state administration of federal benefit programs and improves incentives for beneficiaries to find meaningful work.”
    Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) on FoxNews.com: It’s time for Congress to deliver President Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ to his desk
    “Republicans have a historic opportunity to deliver America First tax reforms that reward hard work, bring jobs back home, expand opportunity, and most importantly, rebuild the American economy for hardworking families across our nation. President Donald Trump has been crystal clear about what he wanted Congress to deliver – 77 million Americans raced to the ballot box in support of his vision of lower taxes for those whose sweat moves our economy forward. Now, The One, Big, Beautiful Bill passed by the Ways and Means Committee delivers for those workers. It makes permanent the expiring provisions of the successful 2017 Trump tax cuts, provides additional tax relief to American families, and rewards those who manufacture more at home and hire more American workers. The additional tax relief includes eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and auto loan interest, and delivering tax relief for seniors. Now, Congress must not fail the American people.”
    Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) in Leader Publications: Empowering Hardworking Americans through one big beautiful bill
    “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act represents the culmination of each instructed committee’s plan to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in Washington and make vital investments in our communities. In total, the bill would provide over $1.6 billion in savings, allowing the federal government to be better stewards of American tax dollars and put us back on the path to fiscal prosperity.  The cornerstone of the package is the permanent expansion of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which revitalized our economy, unleashing unprecedented job growth and higher wages for working families. Two years after being signed into law, real median household income increased by $5,000 and real wages rose by 4.9%, allowing families to pocket more of their hard-earned money. The reforms also incentivized businesses to invest more in the U.S., ending the decades-long trend of U.S. companies shipping operations overseas.”
    Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) in The Virginian-Pilot: Voting for spending bill kept my word to Virginians
    “Let me set the record straight: I kept my word. I fought for Virginians, and I voted to protect working families, strengthen our safety net, and invest in national security and economic opportunity. Before this bill even came to a vote, I raised my voice publicly to demand protections for the vulnerable. In April, I wrote to House leadership making clear that balancing the budget must not come at the expense of pregnant women, children, seniors or individuals with disabilities. I demanded reforms that would support patients, help new mothers and expand savings for working-class families. This bill delivers on that promise.”
    Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-IN) in Goshen News: The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Explained
    “The One Big Beautiful Bill isn’t some bloated spending package. It doesn’t give any money to the Department of Education, HUD, or the EPA. What it does is straightforward: cut taxes, rein in federal spending, permanently secure the border, and reform welfare. When I’m meeting with Hoosier manufacturers and small business owners or chatting with friends at the grocery store, they’re clear about one thing: They’re taxed enough. And I agree. That’s why it makes the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts permanent. That means bigger paychecks, more investment in America, and strong incentives for companies to stay in the U.S. rather than send jobs overseas.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Dingell Announce Legislation to Strengthen Home and Community-Based Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) announced the introduction of the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Relief Act, legislation to provide dedicated Medicaid funds for home and community-based services (HCBS) for older adults, children, and youth and adults with disabilities for two years. The HCBS Relief Act would decrease the need to move people into congregate settings and allow them to receive the services and support they need from their own homes. The bill is also designed to support service provider agencies and direct care workers who provide services in homes.

    Millions of Americans rely on HCBS for daily activities, such as dressing, bathing, meal preparation, taking medication, employment support, mobility assistance, and more. Chronic underfunding of Medicaid services has led to an impending crisis, forcing millions of people with disabilities and older adults into institutions.

    “Right now, millions rely on HCBS for basic everyday needs – help getting dressed, taking medications, preparing meals, and so much more,” said Senator Luján. “To support Americans who depend on home and community-based care, I’m proud to introduce my HCBS Relief Act. My bill would address chronic underfunding that has pushed families into crisis and forced many into institutions simply because they can’t access support at home.”

    “We know that the majority of individuals who require long-term care would prefer to receive it in their own homes and communities. No one should have to wait years to get the care they deserve, and no care worker should have to live below the poverty line to give this care,” said Representative Dingell. “Medicaid is the single largest payer of long-term care in our country. At a time when Medicaid is facing unprecedented, historic cuts, it’s more important than ever that we prioritize home and community-based services. This legislation will provide much-needed investment in our care workforce, making it easier for those who need care to get it, and supporting the caregivers doing this crucial work.”

    Last week, Senator Luján joined Senate Finance Committee Democrats at a press conference to announce the HCBS Relief Act and a series of additional proposals to strengthen the Medicaid program and empower federal watchdogs to take on fraud in the federal health care system. The press conference came as congressional Republicans continue to jam their reconciliation bill that rips away affordable health care from millions of Americans through the House and Senate behind closed doors.

    In the Senate, the HCBS Relief Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Full bill text of the HCBS Relief Act is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Two arrested after Birkenhead aggravated robbery

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police pulled out all the stops after a man was allegedly carjacked on the North Shore early this morning.

    Two offenders face serious charges after being arrested in Manukau.

    At around 1.22am, Police were called to Waratah Street in Birkenhead.

    “A man was parked outside an address, when a stolen vehicle carrying a group of offenders arrived,” Detective Senior Sergeant Megan Goldie, of Waitematā Crime Squad, says.

    “The victim was assaulted and pulled from his vehicle, before it was stolen by these offenders.”

    The vehicle was soon picked up on cameras on the North-Western motorway, heading west.

    Detective Senior Sergeant Goldie says the Police Eagle helicopter also deployed and monitored the vehicle’s movements.

    “It carried onto the South-Western motorway, stopping briefly on Dominion Road where two passengers exited and carried on southbound,” she says.

    Spikes were successfully deployed on the Lambie Drive off-ramp.

    “Our staff took both remaining occupants into custody quickly and without incident,” Detective Senior Sergeant Goldie says.

    “Those arrested were the 16-year-old driver and 17-year-old passenger.

    “Both vehicles involved in the offending this morning have been seized and will be examined.”

    In the vehicle dumped in Birkenhead, Police have located a range of items stolen from other car break-ins across the Albany area.

    Both males arrested this morning will face the North Shore Youth Court, charged with aggravated robbery.

    The driver will also face a charge of dangerous driving.

    Police will oppose both teenagers’ bail when they appear in court.

    “There is no tolerance for the blatant violence that occurred, and I want to acknowledge the raft of Police staff that responded this morning,” Detective Senior Sergeant Goldie says.

    “The victim in this case did not suffer serious physical injuries, and enquiries are ongoing into the two passengers that exited near Dominion Road.”

    ENDS. 

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –