NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: Photophoretic Propulsion Enabling Mesosphere Exploration

    Source: NASA

    Igor BargatinUniversity of Pennsylvania
    We propose to use the photophoretic levitation and propulsion mechanism to create no-moving-parts flying vehicles that can be used to explore Earth’s upper atmosphere. The photophoretic force arises when a solid is heated relative to the ambient gas through illumination, inducing momentum exchange between the solid and the gas. The force creates lift in structures that absorb light on the bottom yet stay cool on the top, and we engineered our plate mechanical metamaterials to maximize this lift force and payload. The levitation and payload capabilities of our plates typically peak at ambient pressures in the 0.1-1000 Pa range, ideal for applications in Earth’s mesosphere and Mars’s low gravity and thin atmosphere. For example, in the Earth’s mesosphere (i.e., at altitudes from ~50 to ~80 km), the air is too thin for conventional airplanes or balloons but too thick for satellites, such that measurements can be performed for only a few minutes at a time during the short flight of a research rocket. However, the range of ambient pressures in the mesosphere (1-100 Pa) is nearly optimal for our plates’ payload capabilities. Phase 2 of the proposal focuses on the scalable fabrication of Knudsen pump structures that will enable missions with kg-scale payloads in the mesosphere as well as trajectory control with 1 m/s velocity control in existing stratospheric balloon vehicles.
    2025 Selections

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Inspecting Homes Affected by March and April Storms

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    FEMA Inspecting Homes Affected by March and April Storms

    LITTLE ROCK – After Arkansas residents apply for FEMA assistance, a home inspection may be necessary to verify damage from the March 14-15 or April 2-22 severe storms, tornadoes and flooding.Homeowners and renters in Greene, Hot Spring, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp and Stone counties can apply for FEMA assistance for losses not covered by insurance for the March storms.Homeowners and renters in Clark, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Desha, Fulton, Hot Spring, Jackson, Miller, Ouachita, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Sharp, St. Francis and White counties can apply for the April storms.Within 10 days after applying, a FEMA inspector may contact applicants to schedule an appointment. The call or text to schedule an inspection will probably come from an out-of-state phone number.Information gathered during the inspection is one of several criteria used by FEMA to determine if applicants are approved for federal assistance. If survivors have already made repairs or replaced damaged items, although not required, it may be helpful to have pictures of the damage and receipts for repair or replacement. Applicants should also have their insurance policy available.The housing inspector will consider:The structural soundness of the home, both inside and outside.Whether the electrical, gas, heat, plumbing and sewer/septic systems are all in working order.Whether the home is safe to live in and can be entered and exited safely.All FEMA representatives carry photo identification. Inspectors will never ask for or accept money. Their service is free. A home inspection may take up to 45 minutes to complete. After the inspection, applicants should allow seven to 10 days for processing. For questions about the status of an application, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.For more information, visit fema.gov/disaster/4865 or fema.gov/disaster/4873. Follow FEMA Region 6 on social media at x.com/FEMARegion6 and at facebook.com/FEMARegion6/. 
    joy.li
    Tue, 05/27/2025 – 13:52

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Appeal for information following fatal Castlecliff crash

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Please attribute to Sergeant Mark Taylor

    Whanganui Police are investigating a fatal crash in Castlecliff on Sunday, and are appealing to the public for any information.

    About 4.10pm on Sunday 25 May, a motorcycle crashed into a parked car on Seafront Road. Sadly, the 25-year-old male rider died a short time later.

    Police would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the crash or saw any motorcycles in the Castlecliff area from 2pm to 6pm on 25 May.

    Disappointingly, after the rider crashed and before emergency services arrived, a group of people on motorbikes took the crash victim’s bike. We need the public’s help and want to hear from anyone who can help us identify those individuals, or anyone who has descriptions, photos, or video of them.

    We are also asking people in the Castlecliffe area to check their road-facing CCTV, or dashcams, and contact us if they have any footage that may help us.

    If you know anything about the crash or where the motorcycle may have been taken, please get in touch.

    You can contact Police online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105 and quoting file number 250525/2731.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Smoothing out the bumps on the Caledonia Way

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    People walking, wheeling and cycling on the Inverness section of the Caledonia Way will now have a smoother and more enjoyable journey, thanks to works carried out by The Highland Council and active travel charity Sustrans.

    The Caledonia Way, also known as National Cycle Network (NCN) 78, runs south from Inverness city centre down the Great Glen to Fort William, Oban and on to Campbeltown, a total distance of 234 miles through some of Scotland’s most dramatic and beautiful scenery.

    Recent work has rerouted NCN78 between Holm Roundabout and the city centre to separate it from traffic, making the route more welcoming, safer and enjoyable for locals and visitors alike. The previous route ran between Dores Roundabout and Inverness Castle, with people cycling sharing the carriageway with vehicles. From Dores roundabout, the new route follows the shared use path alongside the Southern Distributor Road across the Ness, connects to Ness Hydro on a newly-surfaced and lit ramp, and links from there along the very popular new Riverside Way provision to St Andrew’s Cathedral.

    Carole Patrick, Sustrans’ UK NCN Director, said: “This rerouting gives two miles of traffic-free provision on NCN78 for people walking, wheeling and cycling. We know that being separate from traffic hugely increases usage of these key routes for everyday journeys, and for leisure and tourism. We are delighted to fund the improvements on the ramp, made possible by Transport Scotland, and fully expect that this new route will help people to choose active ways of getting around Inverness.”

    City Leader, Councillor Ian Brown said: “The route is very popular with walkers and cyclists who are now benefitting from improvements to the lighting and the surface. This kind of comfortable, safe, attractive infrastructure makes it easier for people to choose to leave their car at home for some trips, supports cycle tourism which is a growth area for Highland, and also makes life easier for the many people who do not drive, particularly young people, the least well off, and those with a disability.”

    The improvements were carried out on time and on budget by local contractors Pat Munro. The ramp and the Riverside Way works were funded by the Scottish Government via Sustrans through their Network Development / Places for Everyone programmes.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s busiest seaport teams up with three European hubs to collaborate on low-carbon shipping

    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

    HANGZHOU, May 27 (Xinhua) — China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in east China’s Zhejiang Province, the world’s busiest by cargo throughput, on Tuesday announced three initiatives with three major European ports — Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven in Germany and Valencia in Spain — to build green shipping corridors and promote China-Europe cooperation on low-carbon ports.

    The international shipping industry, which accounts for around 80% of global trade, is currently facing urgent pressure to reduce emissions. Under the above initiatives to decarbonise international shipping, participating ports will engage with shipping companies, cargo owners, energy suppliers, think tanks and other stakeholders to promote zero-carbon technologies, clean fuels and smart management systems on specific shipping routes.

    Key collaborative actions under these initiatives include the construction and use of shore power infrastructure, optimisation of cargo distribution networks, implementation of renewable energy solutions and expansion of clean fuel bunkering capacity to create zero-carbon corridors from port origin to destination.

    Currently, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port serves more than 300 marine container lines, including more than 250 international routes, which connect over 600 ports in more than 200 countries and regions around the world.

    In recent years, increasing the scale of research, development and promotion of green low-carbon technologies has been a particular focus for Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, whose clean energy utilization rate now reaches about 74%.

    “We will work closely with seaports and shipping companies associated with the Belt and Road Initiative to promote the global green transformation of ports and shipping,” said Tao Chengbo, chairman of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Group, the port operator. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DGCA visits Beijing (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    DGCA visits Beijing  
    Mr Liu called on the Administrator of the CAAC, Mr Song Zhiyong, and expressed his gratitude for the CAAC’s staunch support to the aviation industry of Hong Kong throughout the years. He also briefed Mr Song on the latest civil aviation developments in Hong Kong to further enhance co-operation. Mr Liu also met with Deputy Administrator of the CAAC Mr Han Jun and representatives from the relevant bureaux, to discuss how to establish closer ties in the areas including civil aviation development, aviation safety and technical co-operation.
     
    During the visit, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) signed a Letter of Intent on Strengthening Technical Exchanges and Collaboration in Civil Aviation Safety Oversight, and a Cooperation Arrangement on Strengthening Civil Aviation Science and Technology with the CAAC and the China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology (CAST) under the CAAC respectively.
     
    In addition, witnessed by Mr Liu and Mr Han, the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy and the Civil Aviation Flight University of China signed a framework agreement to foster co-operation in cadet pilot training. Both flying training organisations were granted with the CAD 509 approval.
     
    Mr Liu also met with the Director General of the ATMB of the CAAC, Mr Miao Xuan, to exchange views on further strengthening co-operation in air traffic management, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of the aviation industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Mr Liu welcomed the participation of the ATMB in Airspace Asia Pacific 2025 to be held in Hong Kong this December, showcasing the innovative technologies used in Mainland air traffic management.  
     
    Mr Liu took the opportunity to visit the Third Civil Aviation Science and Education Innovation Achievement Exhibition and the CAST Aviation Safety Experimental Base to learn about the achievements in innovative technologies and development trends in the Mainland aviation industry.
     
    Accompanying Mr Liu to Beijing was the Assistant Director-General of Civil Aviation (Air Services and Safety Management), Mr Raymond Ng; the Assistant Director-General of Civil Aviation (Air Traffic Management), Mr Hui Man-ho; and the Assistant Director-General of Civil Aviation (Airport Standards), Mr Samuel Ng.
     
    Mr Liu will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (May 28).
    Issued at HKT 18:40

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CSB and departments hold career talks in Mainland universities (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CSB and departments hold career talks in Mainland universities Issued at HKT 19:24

    The Civil Service Bureau (CSB), together with representatives from the Civil Aviation Department, the Home Affairs Department and the Digital Policy Office are visiting Guangzhou and Wuhan to conduct career talks at Sun Yat-sen University, Jinan University, Wuhan University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology for four consecutive days starting today (May 27), to provide Hong Kong students studying on the Mainland with information on various positions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government.

    Speaking at the talk at Sun Yat-sen University today, the Director of General Grades of the CSB, Mr Hermes Chan, said that since 2023, the CSB of the HKSAR Government has been sending delegations to a number of universities and local offices of the HKSAR on the Mainland to introduce the diverse job opportunities offered by the HKSAR Government to Hong Kong students and Hong Kong people residing on the Mainland. In May last year, the CSB held career talks together with various departments for the first time at several universities in Guangdong and Fujian. The briefings are effective, as shown by the continuous increase in the number of applications for civil service positions from Hong Kong students graduating from Mainland universities. He encouraged Hong Kong students with aspirations to serve the community to equip themselves early to join the civil service.

    The career talks covered information related to Student Air Traffic Control Officer, Liaison Officer Grade, Analyst/Programmer Grade, Computer Operator Grade, Executive Officer Grade, and other general grades. Information booths, mock skills tests and mock interview sessions were also provided on-site to allow students to experience the recruitment process.

    For information on matters related to civil service recruitment, job vacancies and the latest examination arrangements, please visit the CSB website: www.csb.gov.hk/english/recruit/7.html.

    Ends/Tuesday, May 27, 2025
    Issued at HKT 19:24

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Farewell Remarks by CFTC Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero: The Future of Financial Services Regulation

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    Remarks as Prepared for Delivery 
    Thank you to Brookings for inviting me to give my farewell remarks as I depart from the Commission and retire from 23 years of federal service.  For the last time, I will give the disclaimer that my views are my own as a Commissioner and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission or my fellow Commissioners.
    I have been reflecting on my public service under four Presidents and today I am feeling nostalgic.  I have had such a good run.  I want to express my gratitude to so many.  First and foremost, I’m grateful to my wife and children.  I am grateful to President Biden and President Obama for believing and trusting in me with three Presidential nominations.  I’m grateful to those Senators in both parties who have actively supported me and unanimously confirmed me twice.  I am grateful to the leaders with which I have had the privilege to serve, including my fellow Commissioners.  I am also grateful to all my staff, the hundreds of people who have worked for me and put their trust in my leadership.
    Never could I have planned or envisioned such a meaningful and fulfilling career.  All I knew was that I was following my passion to make a difference in our financial system.  I have always wanted our financial system to serve everyone, not just powerful interests.  And along the way, I learned from each of the leaders I worked for—my SEC enforcement leaders, SEC Chairs Chris Cox and Mary Schapiro, and at Treasury, Neil Barofsky, the first Special Inspector General for TARP (or SIGTARP) before me.
    Never could I have imagined that my work would get the notice of President Obama who appointed me as the SIGTARP in 2012.  I can share that it was entirely daunting to be a 41-year-old career staffer sitting on the same Senate Banking confirmation panel with Jay Powell.  Of course, that meant that I did not get many questions.
    But don’t worry.  Senate Banking would make up for that this past summer when I got two plus hours of questions in my confirmation hearing for FDIC Chair.
    At SIGTARP, I was forged by fire, as were all of us who worked to strengthen the financial system in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.  Former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair supported me for FDIC Chair this summer drawing on the work that we did during the financial crisis.  Last year, I was at Treasury and ran into former Secretary Paulson who remembered me and said, “Those were the days.  Look at what we did for the economy.”
    SIGTARP is also where I honed my leadership of white-collar law enforcement.  We worked closely with DOJ to bring justice and accountability to just about every major Wall Street financial institution and 465 criminal defendants.  This includes 76 bankers who courts sentenced to prison for crisis-related crimes.
    I continue to feel tremendous affection and gratitude to all those who served at SIGTARP as I learned invaluable lessons about how to lead an organization. SIGTARP is where I found my voice and the courage to speak truth to power.  It was a necessity when testifying before Congress and meeting with Treasury Secretaries, the Federal Reserve Chair, the FDIC Chair, and Attorneys General.
    As SIGTARP was winding down, I was fortunate to be contacted by several Senators and President Biden’s White House about a possible next appointment.  Various financial regulators were discussed.
    I raised the possibility of the CFTC.  First, I had always enjoyed being a market regulator.  Second, I was interested in climate-related financial issues, and the Chairman had sponsored a climate report and was speaking a lot on climate issues.  Third, the CFTC was the only regulator of cryptocurrency trading, and I had been teaching cryptocurrency regulation at two law schools.  As a Commissioner, I was pleased to prioritize all three of these areas, broadening crypto out to technology, as I sponsored the Technology Advisory Committee.
    The accomplishment that I am most proud about in my tenure is that derivatives markets worked well, that they remained resilient, vibrant, and had integrity.  Since my testimony at my CFTC confirmation hearing in 2022, I have always said that ensuring that markets worked well would be my highest priority.  This was so critical because the markets the CFTC regulates tie directly to the economy. That tie is something that I have had the privilege to see firsthand.  What incredible experiences I have had to get out of Washington and go on agriculture tours and energy tours, to meet with people who are feeding and fueling our world. To truly understand the way markets work, you have to engage with those who rely on the markets and who need them the most.
    I’m also proud of the Technology Advisory Committee for its work on future of finance issues.  I’m grateful to the Committee members who we picked because they are well regarded experts in cryptocurrency, stablecoins, blockchain, AI, cyber, and Fintech, and who come from all different viewpoints.  We held public forums, and the Committee issued two landmark reports, the first on Decentralized Finance, and the second on Responsible AI in Financial Markets.
    As I contemplate the future of financial services regulation, my thoughts keep returning to an area that I speak a lot about—promoting market resilience.  Resilience is defined as the ability to bounce back quickly from setbacks.  U.S. markets and global markets have and will continue to experience periods of volatility and stress.
    I arrived at the Commission in early 2022, in a time of geopolitical uncertainty.  The economy was recovering from the pandemic, suffering supply chain disruption, and oil and gas markets were at record-high levels of volatility and prices after the start of Russia’s war with Ukraine.
    Fortunately, what I found was that the post-crisis reforms through the Dodd Frank Act, other regulations, and regulatory supervision, have built up resilience.  As a result, our markets have withstood significant stress and volatility, including last month.  Our economy has been better for it.
    As the current Administration pursues a deregulatory agenda in the name of growth, care should be taken not to remove the load-bearing resilience built into markets—resilience that has resulted in financial stability and protected our economy. Regulators should not have to sacrifice growth for financial stability.  These are not mutually exclusive goals.  Regulators should promote both.  Growth is important for markets.  Growth requires a regulatory environment where markets are financially stable and resilient during times of volatility, uncertainty, and stress.
    I am concerned about big swings between more regulation and deregulation with each change of party in the White House.  This leads to uncertainty in markets.  It would be better for our markets and financial system if regulators could follow a steady, consistent path.  That would create the foundation for a resilient, stable, and vibrant financial system and economy.
    It’s a really tough challenge—one that requires independent regulators engaging with each other on a bipartisan basis and engaging with many stakeholders who use and need U.S. markets.  I plan to continue to share my voice, and I will always be rooting for the CFTC.  After all, you can take the girl out of public service.  But you can’t take public service out of the girl.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Aging to Announce New Resource to Support Pennsylvania’s Unpaid Caregivers

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    May 28, 2025 – Fort Washington, PA

    ADVISORY – Department of Aging to Announce New Resource to Support Pennsylvania’s Unpaid Caregivers

    Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich will join state and local leaders to launch the PA Carekit – a new resource that will help caregivers in the Commonwealth to address their unique situations, so they can continue caring for Pennsylvania’s older adults.

    The event will feature a presentation on the PA Carekit, and a panel discussion moderated by Secretary Kavulich on the state of caregiving and how this new resource could provide needed support to the 1.5 million unpaid caregivers who provide care for friends, neighbors and loved ones.
    The development of the PA Carekit is the result of Aging Our Way, PA – the 10-year strategic plan that will help transform service delivery to ensure all Pennsylvanians can live healthy, fulfilling lives as they age.

    WHO:
    Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich
    Senator Maria Collett
    Representative Maureen Madden
    Carrie Cleary, Office of Commonwealth Libraries
    Jennifer Haeussler-Barnhart, Executive Director, Montgomery County Area Agency on Aging
    Nathan Lampenfeld, Department of Aging William & Hannah Penn Fellow

    WHEN:
    Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at 1:00 PM

    WHERE:
    Upper Dublin Library
    520 Virginia Drive
    Fort Washington, PA 19034

    MEDIA RSVP:
    Media interested in attending must RSVP with the name of photographer/reporter to agingcomms@pa.gov.

    MEDIA CONTACT: Jack Eilber

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government tables a Motion to bring down costs for Canadians

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    May 27, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Finance Canada

    Today, His Majesty King Charles III delivered the Speech from the Throne – outlining the government’s bold and ambitious plan for the future. Key to that plan is bringing down costs so Canadians keep more of their paycheques to spend where it matters most.  

    To that end, the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, today tabled a notice of Ways and Means Motion in Parliament with proposals to:

    • Deliver a middle class tax cut, providing tax relief for nearly 22 million Canadians and saving families up to $840.
    • Eliminate the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for first-time home buyers on new homes valued up to $1 million, saving them up to $50,000, and lower the GST for first-time home buyers on new homes valued between $1 million and $1.5 million.   
    • Remove the consumer carbon price from law, following its cancellation, effective April 1, 2025.

    With these measures, we are delivering change to cut taxes, bring down costs, and put money back in the pockets of Canadians. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Treasury Board President tables in Parliament the 2025–26 Main Estimates for the Government of Canada

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    May 27, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

    Efficiency and effectiveness must guide everything government does. The Government of Canada is focused on maximizing investments that drive growth and deliver results.

    To that end, today, the Honourable Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board, tabled in the House of Commons the Government of Canada’s Main Estimates for 2025–26. The Main Estimates outline priority investments in housing, the Canadian Armed Forces, Indigenous communities, dental care, border services, and Veterans’ benefits. Also included are transfer payments to provinces and territories, such as those for health care, and payments for individuals, including benefits for elderly Canadians and those with disabilities.

    Data about the government’s expenditures and performance targets are also available through GC Infobase, an online tool that presents the numbers in easy-to-understand visual stories.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Removing the consumer carbon price from Canadian law

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Government of Canada is proposing legislative amendments that would permanently repeal the fuel charge framework under Part 1 of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GGPPA) in the following four phases to ensure an orderly process for charge payers. These proposed amendments follow the regulations made in March that already ceased the application of the federal fuel charge, effective April 1, 2025.

    Phase 1: Charging Provisions Repealed effective April 1, 2025

    Effective April 1, 2025, nearly all charging provisions would be retroactively repealed, to reflect in legislation what has already been accomplished by regulations.

    The only remaining charging provision would be a special rule for certain railways in respect of past fuel charge consumption that needs to be trued-up. Certain railways pay fuel charge based on estimates and must perform a true-up exercise on their fuel charge obligations in respect of the previous year. This provision would remain until October 1, 2025 to allow for this exercise to take place in respect of fuel charge obligations incurred prior to April 1, 2025.

    Phase 2: Rebate Provisions Repealed effective October 1, 2025

    Effective October 1, 2025, all rebate provisions would be repealed. Certain uses of fuel after April 1 but prior to October 1 may give right to a rebate (e.g., fuel charge embedded fuel that is exported during this period). This aligns with the treatment of rebates under the regulations made in March 2025.

    Rebates for charge paid in error and rebates for reassessment (e.g., to correct accounting mistakes in returns) would continue to be available until the final repeal phase.

    Phase 3: Registration Provisions Repealed effective November 1, 2025

    Effective November 1, 2025, all registration provisions would be repealed. This would give registrants until October 31, 2025, to file returns to claim rebates arising before October 1, 2025. Beyond this date, registration rules are no longer needed.

    Phase 4: Remaining Provisions Repealed effective April 1, 2035

    Effective April 1, 2035, the remaining provisions of Part 1 of the GGPPA would be repealed, including definitions, interpretation rules, administrative and procedural rules, etc. This would provide continuity and certainty for final wind down activities, including CRA administrative processes that may continue to rely on existing rules. Subject to the normal limitation periods in the Act, the CRA would also continue to have legal authority to make reassessments, and charge payers to file amended returns, in respect of fuel charge obligations that accrued prior to April 1, 2025.

    Related product

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: BitMart Research—The Rise of USD1 and the GENIUS Act: Trump’s Push to Reshape the Stablecoin Market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Mahe, Seychelles, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BitMart Research, the research arm of BitMart Exchange, has released a comprehensive report examining a pivotal moment in the evolution of digital finance. As the U.S. accelerates efforts to regulate the stablecoin ecosystem through the groundbreaking GENIUS Act, the launch of USD1—a fully fiat-backed stablecoin associated with former President Donald Trump’s family—signals a major shift in both regulatory alignment and market power. This in-depth analysis explores the legal, financial, and political implications of the GENIUS Act and USD1’s rapid ascent, highlighting their combined potential to redefine the stablecoin landscape and solidify U.S. dominance in the global digital asset economy.

    Preface

    Since the collapse of TerraUSD (UST) in 2022, the market share of algorithmic stablecoins has continued to decline. As an algorithmic stablecoin, UST was not backed by any fiat currency or assets but relied solely on an algorithmic mechanism to maintain its peg to the U.S. dollar. Once confidence collapsed and the mechanism failed, a chain reaction ensued in the market. In contrast, fiat-backed stablecoins—such as USDT, USDC, and USD1—which are supported by highly liquid assets like U.S. dollars and Treasury bonds, have gradually become the mainstream. However, even these stablecoins continue to face scrutiny regarding their regulatory compliance and transparency. To address these challenges, the United States has recently accelerated the advancement of the GENIUS Act, aiming to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for the stablecoin market.

    1. GENIUS Act

    Significance of the GENIUS Act to the Crypto Market

    The GENIUS Act plays a pivotal role in the regulation of the crypto market, particularly in the realm of stablecoins. Its core provisions include restrictions on issuance eligibility, reserve requirements, compliance obligations, user protection, and international applicability. The Act clearly stipulates that stablecoins must be fully backed by an equivalent amount of highly liquid assets, ensuring that users can redeem their holdings at any time. To protect token holders, the assets of an issuer must be prioritized for user repayment in the event of bankruptcy.

    Moreover, issuers must strictly comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) requirements to prevent the misuse of stablecoins for illicit purposes. Overall, while the GENIUS Act enhances regulatory oversight and protects user rights, it also raises the entry bar for stablecoin issuers in the short term. Existing issuers will be required to restructure their asset reserves, disclosure practices, and internal systems, which may entail significant costs and operational complexity.

    Key Provisions of the GENIUS Act

    1. Licensing and Regulatory Framework

    The Act permits only three types of entities to issue payment stablecoins:

    • Subsidiaries of banks or credit unions
    • Non-bank financial institutions approved by federal regulators (e.g., institutions regulated by the OCC)
    • State-licensed issuers that meet federal “substantive equivalence” standards

    The Act adopts a dual regulatory system:

    • Issuers with a market cap over $10 billion must be subject to federal oversight
    • Smaller issuers may be regulated at the state level, provided they meet federal baseline requirements

    2. Reserve and Asset Segregation Requirements

    All stablecoins must be backed by 100% reserves and can only use highly liquid assets, such as:

    • Cash and demand deposits
    • Short-term U.S. Treasury securities (≤ 93 days)
    • Short-term repurchase agreements (≤ 7 days, under central bank oversight)
    • Central bank reserves

    Customer assets must be strictly segregated from operating funds, cannot be re-pledged, and may only be temporarily pledged for short-term liquidity purposes.

    3. Transparency, Auditing, and Accountability Mechanisms

    Issuers are required to disclose reserve asset compositions monthly and undergo audits by certified public accounting firms.Regulators will also establish standards for capital adequacy, liquidity, and risk management.

    • Issuers with a market cap over $50 billion will face stricter audit and compliance standards
    • CEOs and CFOs must sign monthly compliance certifications
    • False statements may lead to criminal liability

    4. AML and National Security Compliance

    Stablecoin issuers are classified as financial institutions under the Bank Secrecy Act and must implement AML and sanctions compliance programs, including:

    • Transaction monitoring
    • Risk assessments
    • Filing of suspicious activity reports

    5. Restrictions on Foreign Issuers and Big Tech

    Foreign stablecoin issuers that fail to comply with U.S.-equivalent standards will be prohibited from operating in the U.S.Large technology companies (e.g., Meta, Amazon) must meet stringent financial compliance, user privacy, and fair competition requirements to prevent monopolistic behavior and systemic risks.

    6. Consumer Protection and Bankruptcy Priority

    Stablecoin holders will have priority claims on issuer assets in the event of bankruptcy.To avoid conflicts of interest, the Act prohibits members of Congress and senior executive officials from participating in stablecoin issuance during their term in office.

    7. Legal Classification and Regulatory Clarity

    The Act explicitly states that payment stablecoins are not classified as securities or commodities, thus excluding them from SEC and CFTC jurisdiction. This provides legal clarity and prevents overlapping regulation.

    Legislative Progress

    As of May 22, the GENIUS Act passed a motion to proceed to debate with 69 votes in favor and 31 against, entering the amendment phase. With the House and Senate rapidly advancing their respective versions of stablecoin legislation and a rare bipartisan consensus on crypto regulation, the Act is widely expected to complete the legislative process by Q4 2024.

    1. Introduction to USD1

    Background of USD1

    USD1 is a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin launched in March 2025 by World Liberty Financial Inc. (WLFI), a DeFi platform controlled by members of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s family. Each USD1 token is designed to maintain a 1:1 peg to the U.S. dollar and is fully backed by reserves consisting of short-term U.S. Treasury securities, U.S. dollar deposits, and cash equivalents.

    The project emphasizes regulatory compliance and transparency, with reserve assets regularly audited by a third-party accounting firm and custodied by BitGo, a leading digital asset custody provider. The project’s key figures include Zach Witkoff, co-founder of WLFI, and Eric Trump, Donald Trump’s son, who also serves as WLFI’s head.

    Current Status of USD1

    As Bitcoin recently broke its all-time high and interest in USD1 surged, ecosystem partners associated with the USD1 network have gained significant market attention. Tokens from partnered projects—such as Buildon, Lista DAO, StakeStone, Haedal, and Cookie—have experienced sharp price increases, fueling enthusiasm around the “WLFI + USD1” narrative.

    As of mid-May 2025, USD1’s market capitalization surpassed $2.1 billion, making it the seventh-largest stablecoin. Since its launch in March, USD1 has rapidly expanded across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and more recently, the Tron network.However, according to official statements from WLFI, USD1 is primarily targeted at institutional users. Its most notable real-world application to date is its selection by MGX, an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm, as the official stablecoin for a $2 billion investment into Binance, marking USD1’s first major institutional use case.

    USD1 Ecosystem Partnerships

    BUILDon

    BUILDon is a meme token representing the cultural mascot of the BSC (BNB Smart Chain) builder community. On May 17, the project officially announced the addition of a USD1 trading pair, and has since actively engaged with WLFI on social media. On May 22, WLFI publicly disclosed the purchase of BUILDon’s native token B, triggering a price surge of over 450%.

    StakeStone

    On May 9, StakeStone announced a partnership with WLFI to provide omnichain liquidity infrastructure and cross-chain staking yield services for USD1 users. On May 22, following Binance’s listing of USD1, StakeStone’s native token STO rose over 20% in a single day.

    Lista

    On May 7, Lista DAO announced a strategic partnership with WLFI. The Lista ecosystem plans to add USD1 to its treasury, introduce a USD1/lisUSD LP pair, and support USD1 as CDP collateral. On May 22, following the Binance listing news, Lista’s token price jumped 37.9% in one day.

    In addition to these core partners, USD1 is now supported across various DeFi protocols including Venus Protocol, Aster, Meson Finance, and Falcon Finance, enabling its use for trading, collateralization, and liquidity provisioning.

    On the custody and liquidity side, BitGo is responsible for holding the reserve assets, while BitGo Prime offers institutional-grade liquidity and trading services. DWF Labs has deployed several DeFi liquidity pools for USD1 and has committed $25 million in WLFI token purchases to support the ecosystem.For wallets and consumer applications, USD1 has been integrated into platforms like TokenPocket, HOT Wallet, Pundi X, and Umy, enabling its use in payments, hotel bookings, and merchant settlements within various Web3 scenarios.

    Comparison Between USD1 and Competitors

    Mechanically, USD1 shares many similarities with leading stablecoins such as USDT and USDC. It follows a 1:1 reserve model, backed primarily by U.S. Treasury securities, cash, and other highly liquid assets, with third-party custody and periodic audits to ensure transparency and regulatory compliance.What sets USD1 apart is its unique political brand value. Backed by the Trump family through WLFI, USD1 has experienced exceptionally rapid early-stage growth, most notably being selected as the official stablecoin for MGX’s $2 billion investment in Binance. This momentum is largely driven by the Trump family’s public influence and political capital, which has bolstered confidence in the stablecoin’s credibility and regulatory soundness.

    However, it’s worth noting that the previously launched $TRUMP meme coin, also associated with the Trump name, experienced significant price volatility, raising concerns about its stability and long-term value. This historical context may impact investor confidence in USD1—especially when considering the broader political dynamics that can influence sentiment and risk in the crypto market.

    1. Future Outlook

    The GENIUS Act is not merely a regulatory framework for stablecoins—it represents a broader strategic initiative by the United States to strengthen the international dominance of the digital dollar. By promoting the issuance of compliant, USD-pegged stablecoins, attracting global capital inflows into U.S. Treasury assets, and imposing stricter controls on foreign issuers, the Act aims to enhance both the security and stability of the overall crypto market while mitigating the risk of incidents like the TerraUSD collapse.

    Against this backdrop, highly compliant stablecoin projects are well-positioned to gain greater market recognition. For instance, USD1, with its strong political and institutional backing, may benefit significantly as the GENIUS Act moves forward. Its ecosystem partners and integrations could play an increasingly important role in the future digital asset landscape.

    About BitMart

    BitMart is the premier global digital asset trading platform. With millions of users worldwide and ranked among the top crypto exchanges on CoinGecko, it currently offers 1,700+ trading pairs with competitive trading fees. Constantly evolving and growing, BitMart is interested in crypto’s potential to drive innovation and promote financial inclusion. New users can register here to unlock an $8,000+ welcome bonus.

    Risk Warning:

    The information provided is for reference only and should not be considered a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial asset. All information is provided in good faith. However, we make no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of such information.

    All cryptocurrency investments (including returns) are highly speculative in nature and involve significant risk of loss. Past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. The value of digital currencies may rise or fall, and there may be significant risks in buying, selling, holding or trading digital currencies. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital currencies is suitable for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial situation and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal or tax advice.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Joins Entire WA Delegation in Letter Urging President Trump to Reconsider Denial of WA State’s Request for a Disaster Declaration for November “Bomb Cyclone”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    05.27.25
    WSU Prof Joins Cantwell & Leading Scientists to Highlight Devastating Impacts of Slashing Funding for Science Research
    Trump Administration wants to gut National Science Foundation funding by 55%, would be the most severe reductions in agency’s history, overturn bipartisan consensus reached in CHIPS & Science Act; WSU Professor Kalyanaraman: Cuts will “directly undercut” AI precision agriculture and agriculture cybersecurity research
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last Tuesday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, was joined by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and a panel of prestigious scientists to decry the devastating impacts of the Trump Administration’s proposed 55% cut to the FY 2026 budget of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
    The panel included Dr. Ananth Kalyanaraman, Professor at Washington State University, and Director of the USDA NIFA-funded AI Institute on Agricultural AI for Decision Support and Workforce Development.
    “We are in an Information Age. We are in an age where there are several areas of U.S. competitiveness that depend on continued science innovation, aerospace being one of those, certainly AI being another, quantum being a third,” Sen. Cantwell said. “And all of this is being put into jeopardy by this cut.”
    Looking at the damage to our future if these cuts are implemented, the Senator continued: “In an Information Age economy, when so much innovation is available, the last thing you should be doing is having a 55 percent cut to one of your key science R&D institutions. You should be making increases, allowing a thousand flowers to bloom across these institutions, across the United States, because you never know where the next Bill Gates or the next Bill Boeing is going to be, and the innovation they’re going to drive.”
    “WSU researchers are working on cutting edge security research across the entire computing stack, spanning hardware, software systems, and the web, and applications to precision agriculture,” said Dr. Kalyanaraman. “This research integrates AI to enhance the resilience of agricultural systems against cyber threats. We are deeply concerned about the nearly $5 billion in cuts to NSF, which will directly undercut this vital work and also our nation’s ability to remain globally competitive.”
    President Trump’s FY 2026 skinny budget proposes to cut NSF’s funding by 55.8% from $8.8 billion to $3.9 billion. This is on top of $234 million in FY 2025 funding for construction projects that the Administration has frozen. The CHIPS and Science Act, which Sen. Cantwell championed through to passage, authorized dramatically increasing NSF funding to $17.8 billion in FY2026.
    Besides recklessly proposing to slash future funding, the Trump Administration has already terminated 1,752 existing NSF grants totaling more than 1.3 billion dollars according to a list of terminated grants the Foundation released today. A large percentage of these grants are for projects and programs related to STEM education and expanding access and participation in STEM fields. Earlier this month, NSF announced it would cap indirect cost reimbursements at 15 percent for all new awards to universities and nonprofit institutions, down from negotiated rates that typically range from 30 to 60 percent. That action is on pause pending a lawsuit brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
    Other participants included: Dr. Arati Prabhakar, former Director of OSTP, DARPA, and NIST and venture capitalist; Dr. France Córdova, 14th Director of the National Science Foundation, and now President of the Science Philanthropy Alliance; Dr. Dean Chang, Chief Innovation Officer and Associate Vice President for Innovation & Entrepreneurship & Economic Development at the University of Maryland; and Dr. Marvi Matos Rodriguez, Engineering Director working in the Aerospace Industry.
    Dr. Prabhakar took the lead in debunking the idea that corporate funding could in any way replace federal investment in science, stating: “It’s been a bedrock economic understanding that corporations invest in the R&D that they can see leading to products and profits, but not in the kind that evolves across many labs over many years and forms a shared foundation for whole industries and for public missions like defense.”
    “These devastating cuts to public R&D are an embarrassing retreat from American leadership that hands the reins to the People’s Republic of China,” Dr. Prabhakar added. “And I would so much rather be here today talking about achieving our great aspirations for longer and healthier lives and for AI that extends our own human talents, for lowering our cost of living with clean energy and for restoring nature, because that is the future that America is capable of creating.”
    Dr. Córdova, who strongly agreed that private funding is no substitute for the NSF, said: “I have a good handle on what industry and philanthropy can contribute, and I can tell you, as important as their contributions are to bolstering our economy, they cannot replace government funding.”
    And Dr. Córdova decried the impacts of the cuts to STEM education that the Trump funding levels would force.
    “Especially important to universities is the funding to train our STEM workforce pipeline, without which we would have no industries of the future. Industry representatives often tell me that arguably the most important investment NSF makes is in the workforce training of STEM talent,” she said.
    In April, NSF revealed that Graduate Research Fellowships awarded in 2025 would be cut in half, from 2,000 to 1,000, the smallest cohort since 2010. NSF will also significantly reduce (from 368 to 70) the number of scientists it employs through a program that enables scientists on leave from their academic positions to work with the NSF to help choose the best research to fund.
    Dr. Chang offered an eye-opening look at where our nation would be without the National Science Foundation.
    ”It’s hard to imagine a world without NSF, but this alternate world without NSF would have none of the following: No Medtronic pacemakers or insulin pumps; no ChatGPT; no Nvidia GPU chips that power ChatGPT; no Apple; no Siri; no Amazon, Alexa; no GE MRIs for medical imaging; no Teslas and actually, no smart cruise control in any car of any kind; no Da Vinci robotic surgical systems; no early quantum computers from IBM and IonQ; and no Fortnite — the video game that swept the nation a few years ago,” Dr. Chang explained.
    “NSF celebrated its 75th anniversary this month,” Dr. Chang added. “But are we willing to relinquish our nation’s 75-year head start to other countries so they become the birthplace of the next generation of Teslas and ChatGPTs, the next generation of robotic surgeons and life saving devices? Not only must NSF continue to invest in high risk, high reward research, but NSF also must continue to invest in proven ways to shorten the decades long gestation periods.”
    Dr. Matos Rodriguez talked about her personal educational and professional story of turning her love for math and science at the University of Puerto Rico into a passion for research and STEM career engineering and the role NSF played along the way.
    “My passion for research blossomed when peers introduced me to the summer programs specifically designed to develop and enhance research skills,” Dr. Matos Rodriguez said, referring to research opportunities for undergraduates funded by the NSF that took her to California to conduct research at UC Davis and IBM.  
    “The impacts of the NSF REU program were far reaching. My journey continued at Carnegie Mellon, where I did my PhD… supported by a NASA grant. After graduate school, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, funded by a grant from the National Research Council,” Dr. Matos Rodriguez continued.  “Little did I know that the product of all that research was not just the science, the discoveries or the papers, the product was me. The REU program, more than 25 years ago, was the seed for the STEM professional I am today, at a time when global competitiveness is vital, it is crucial to commit to cultivating generations of STEM professionals.”
    In the National Science Foundation for the Future Title in CHIPS and Science Act, Congress specifically called for broader participation of populations underrepresented in STEM and authorized $13 billion over five years for the NSF to allocate to STEM education. The United States can’t compete with China and others in science and innovation if we cannot close a gap in the STEM workforce that could be as large as 3 million people nationwide by 2030.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, multiagency case results in Mexican national sentenced to 88 months in prison for role in drug conspiracy

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    TUCSON, Ariz. — A Mexican national was sentenced May 12 to 88 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a drug conspiracy. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and the DEA conducted the investigation in this case.

    “The defendant will have over seven years in prison to think of the drugs he sought to peddle into our communities,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola. “HSI and our law enforcement partners are firmly committed to stopping criminals from peddling dangerous drugs in the Tucson area — drugs destroy neighborhoods and rip families apart — this criminal activity must stop.”

    Following his prison term, German Montano-Peralta, 33, of Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico, will also be on three years of supervised release. Montano-Peralta previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

    On April 30, 2024, in Tucson, Montano-Peralta and others possessed approximately 40 kilograms of powder and pills containing fentanyl and more than 55 pounds of methamphetamine, which they intended to deliver to others later that day.

    This investigation was a collaborative effort between federal law enforcement agencies and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces initiative in Southern Arizona that is being led by the Arizona Strike Force located in Tucson. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: El FBI Ofrece Recompensa de Hasta $20,000 por Arresto y Condena de Jesús José Astorga

    Source: US FBI

    La oficina regional de Sacramento del Buró Federal de Investigaciones (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés) ofrece una recompensa de hasta 20.000 dólares por información que conduzca al arresto y condena de Jesús José Astorga, quien presuntamente huyó a México para evitar enjuiciamiento por asesinato en primer grado en el Condado de Kern, California. Se insta a cualquier persona con información sobre la ubicación de Astorga a ponerse en contacto con su oficina local del FBI, la embajada de los Estados Unidos más cercana, o enviar información a tips.fbi.gov. Toda la información puede ser enviada de forma anónima.

    Astorga mantiene vínculos en las ciudades de Durango y Sonora en México. Se le describe como un hombre hispano de cinco pies y siete pulgadas de alto, con cabello negro y ojos marrones. Las fotos y la información de identificación adicional sobre Astorga, incluyendo sus apodos conocidos, se encuentran en el cartel de búsqueda del FBI.

    El Departamento de Policía de Shafter alega que Astorga estuvo involucrado en una puñalada mortal a un hombre en un apartamento de Shafter, el 15 de octubre de 1999. El 2 de noviembre de 1999, la Oficina del Fiscal de Distrito del Condado de Kern acusó a Astorga de un cargo de asesinato en primer grado en el Distrito del Tribunal Municipal de Bakersfield en el Condado de Kern, California.  El 20 de junio de 2000, se emitió una orden de arresto federal contra Astorga por fugarse para evitar un enjuiciamiento en el Tribunal de Distrito de los Estados Unidos en el Distrito Este de California.

    Todos los cargos son solo alegaciones. Se presume que las personas son inocentes hasta que se demuestre lo contrario.

    “El FBI tiene un compromiso sostenido de ayudar a nuestros socios encargados de hacer cumplir la ley y garantizar que los acusados enfrenten los cargos presentados en su contra, sin importar cuán lejos puedan estar”, dijo Sid Patel, Agente Especial a Cargo de la Oficina Regional del FBI en Sacramento. “Cada familia merece la oportunidad de buscar justicia para sus seres queridos que hayan fallecido”.

    En la página de los más buscados de la División de Sacramento del FBI, https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sacramento/wanted, se encuentran carteles adicionales con los nombres de los fugitivos y sus casos para que el público pueda ayudar a las autoridades con información.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford, Cornyn, Colleagues Introduce Senate Resolution Honoring US Border Patrol’s 101st Anniversary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford
    WASHINGTON, DC – US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Border Management Subcommittee,John Cornyn (R-TX), and 16 of their Senate colleagues introduced a resolution to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the U.S. Border Patrol, honoring the brave men and women of the Border Patrol for their unwavering service, dedication, and countless sacrifices to our nation.
    Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) also cosponsored the resolution. The text is below, and you can view the full resolution here.
    “Whereas the Mounted Guard was assigned to the Immigration Service under the Department of Commerce and Labor from 1904 to 1924;
    Whereas the founding members of this Mounted Guard included Texas Rangers, sheriffs, and deputized cowboys who patrolled the Texas frontier looking for smugglers, rustlers, and people illegally entering the United States;
    Whereas, following the Department of Labor Appropriation Act of May 28, 1924, the U.S. Border Patrol was established within the Bureau of Immigration, with an initial force of 450 patrol inspectors, an annual budget of $1,000,000, and $1,300 in annual pay for each patrol inspector, with each patrolman furnishing his own horse;
    Whereas changes regarding illegal immigration and increases of contraband alcohol traffic brought about the need for this young patrol force to have formal training in border enforcement;
    Whereas on March 1, 2003, the Department of Homeland Security was established, and the U.S. Border Patrol became part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a component of the new Department;
    Whereas, during the U.S. Border Patrol’s 101-year history, Border Patrol agents have been deputized as United States Marshals on numerous occasions;
    Whereas the present force of more than 19,000 agents and 3,000 professional staff, who are located in 131 stations and 34 permanent checkpoints under 20 sectors, is responsible for protecting more than 8,000 miles of international land and water boundaries, preventing terrorists and terrorists weapons, including weapons of mass destruction, from entering the United States, and providing humanitarian assistance in response to numerous natural disasters and to emergencies that have occurred along the United States’ international borders;
    Whereas the U.S. Border Patrol’s highly trained and motivated personnel have been called upon to perform their duties 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of scorching southern desert heat or freezing northern winters, and have worked tirelessly as vigilant protectors of our Nation’s borders;
    Whereas every day the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol put their lives on the line protecting the United States and 163 Border Patrol agents, while serving with honor and integrity, have lost their lives in the line of duty;
    Whereas the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol have demonstrated a continued commitment to mission, not only through the prevention, detection, and apprehension of those who seek to enter or reenter the United States illegally, but also through the detection and identification of victims of human traffickers and the transnational criminal organizations who profit from the forced movement and labor of such victims, and through the interdiction and seizure of illegal and deadly narcotics, such as fentanyl, before such drugs are further transported into the interior of the United States;
    Whereas through a combination of enforcement of the immigration laws, increases in immigration prosecutions for illegal entry and reentry, continued use of technology, and partnering with other law enforcement entities, including the National Guard, as a force multiplier, the U.S. Border Patrol has seen a significant decrease in border encounters and apprehensions;
    Whereas the U.S. Border Patrol continues to have a historic mission and a firm commitment to the enforcement of immigration laws: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate—
    (1) recognizes the 101st anniversary of the U.S. Border Patrol on May 28, 2025;
    (2) applauds the significant achievements of the U.S. Border Patrol;
    (3) commends the tens of thousands of men and women who have served in the ranks of the U.S. Border Patrol;
    (4) remembers the 163 agents and pilots who have lost their lives in the performance of their duties;
    (5) commends those Border Patrol agents and their family members who have chosen to make service in the U.S. Border Patrol a family legacy of honor, service, and commitment to mission; and
    (6) offers its support for policies that improve the working conditions for U.S. Border Patrol agents, increase access to cutting edge technology and equipment needed to secure the United States borders, and recruit, hire, and retain more qualified Border Patrol agents.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada has a chance to lead on AI policy and data governance at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By E. Richard Gold, Professor of intellectual property and innovation, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University

    The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit will be held in Kananaskis, Alta., from June 15 to 17. As host of the G7, Canada has a chance to shape rules that will govern AI globally. (Shutterstock)

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming sectors from health care to climate science. But amid the global scramble to lead this technological revolution, one truth is becoming clearer: data, its platforms and its circulations, have become critical infrastructure. And Canada, poised to host this year’s G7 Leaders Summit, has a rare opportunity to shape the rules that will govern AI globally.

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney, the federal government elevated AI and digital innovation to a central pillar of national policy, and appointed Evan Solomon as minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation. But ambition is not enough — Canada must now back its rhetoric with action that resonates at home and abroad.

    Infrastructure intelligence

    While AI headlines often focus on breakthroughs in generative models and robotics, the real engine of progress lies in less glamorous terrain: computing infrastructure and data systems.

    Canada’s proposal to build “next-generation data centres” is about creating the backbone for globally competitive and ethically governed AI. Without these facilities, modern AI systems cannot be trained, validated or deployed responsibly.

    AI models — like those used in medicine for developing new drugs and health services, clean technologies such as clean energy and carbon-capture or materials science — require enormous computational power and massive datasets. That data must be structured, validated and — to the extent possible — open to those who can use it.

    Quality assurance

    Our recent study underscores that the future of AI depends less on algorithmic cleverness and more on data quality and accessibility. Poorly labelled or fragmented datasets can introduce bias, reduce model performance or even endanger lives when used in health or safety applications.

    Yet across many domains, useful data remains siloed and locked in proprietary formats, lacking documentation or inaccessible due to legal and technical barriers. This status quo serves monopolies, not society.

    Canada holds the G7 presidency in 2025, and can provide leadership in data governance and AI innovation. A central priority should be to rally partners around a framework for ethical, accessible and well-designed datasets, especially in fields like health, climate science and materials research.

    Tailored data

    Our call for open data isn’t one-size-fits-all. It must be tailored to the needs of specific sectors:

    • Health-care AI requires anonymized patient data, genomic sequences, protein structure data, toxicology and carcinogen data, and drug response datasets.

    • Climate AI needs long-term environmental records, satellite imagery, power and water use information and real-time emissions data.

    • Materials science AI demands chemical interaction data, physical testing results, structural data and thermodynamic properties.

    What binds these fields is a common challenge: ensuring data is ethically sourced, high-quality, and useable across borders and institutions. Canada’s role should be to help build the platforms — digital, legal and diplomatic — that make this possible.

    A G7 mandate

    As host of the G7 in June, Canada can push for a transformative international commitment. At a minimum, this should include:

    1. Common standards for open datasets, co-designed with input from AI developers, health professionals, climate researchers, materials scientists and legal experts.
    2. Trusted data hubs, managed by public-private or non-profit entities, ensuring secure storage, privacy safeguards and public access.
    3. Legal and diplomatic co-ordination, addressing cross-border data sharing, intellectual property constraints and ethical governance frameworks.

    These steps would position the G7 — and Canada in particular — as a champion of AI that serves democratic values on top of commercial and geopolitical interests.

    Canada’s risks and opportunities

    Canada is not starting from scratch. The country boasts leading AI research institutions, including the Vector Institute and Mila, and has pioneered open science partnerships such as the Montreal Neurological Institute’s Tanenbaum Open Science Institute and the Toronto labs of the Structural Genomics Consortium.

    Dataset platforms such as AIRCHECK(for AI-based chemical knowledge) and the CACHE competition (evaluating drug discovery models using open data), show how Canada is already putting together the building blocks of responsible AI. But the country risks squandering this advantage if it cannot scale these efforts or retain innovation domestically.

    The stalled Artificial Intelligence and Data Act is a case in point. While the European Union moved forward with its AI Act, the General Data Protection Regulation and the European Health Data Space Regulation, Canada’s legislative framework remains in flux.

    Without clear domestic rules, and a proactive global agenda, Canada could end up as an incubator for innovations that end up developed and applied elsewhere.

    Global stakes

    The AI race is not just about who builds the most powerful models. It’s about who defines the technical, ethical and geopolitical standards that shape the digital future.

    The G7 offers Canada a moment of strategic clarity. By investing in AI infrastructure and leading an international agenda on open, trustworthy AI, Canada can lead in shaping the rules.

    E. Richard Gold receives funding from TRIDENT: TRanslational Initiative to DE-risk NeuroTherapeutics, a project funded by the New Frontiers in Research Fund, application NFRFT-2022-00051. Gold is also the Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer of Conscience, a Canadian non-profit focused on enabling drug discovery and development in areas where open sharing and collaboration are key to advancement and where market solutions are limited, such as rare or neglected diseases, pandemic preparedness, and antimicrobial resistance.

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

    – ref. Canada has a chance to lead on AI policy and data governance at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit – https://theconversation.com/canada-has-a-chance-to-lead-on-ai-policy-and-data-governance-at-the-2025-g7-leaders-summit-256296

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ecobank named Best Bank in Africa 2025 in Global Finance Awards

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    LOMÉ, Togo, May 27, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Ecobank (www.Ecobank.com), the leading private pan-African financial services Group which has unrivalled African expertise, is delighted to have been named Best Bank in Africa 2025 in Global Finance’s World’s Best Banks 2025 Awards. The Awards also selected Ecobank Gambia and Ecobank Togo as the Best Banks 2025 in their respective countries. 

    Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank Group, said, “Driving intra-African trade is an important focus of our Growth, Transformation and Returns strategy and we are continuously leveraging technology and partnerships to further enhance our continental digital payments platform and to position Ecobank as Africa’s trade bank of choice. 

    “These awards are a testament to Ecobank’s intense focus on putting our customers at the centre of our decision making, and the quality of our comprehensive suite of financial products, services and solutions that we provide to global and regional corporates, financial institutions and international organisations. Our expertise and integrated coverage, which is networked across our 35-African country footprint, enable us to structure complex local and cross-border transactions. We maximise our impact across our markets by deploying our key product pillars of cash management; trade finance; fixed income currencies and commodities; loans and liquidity; investment banking; and securities, wealth and asset management.” 

    In selecting the best bank winners, Global Finance’s judges considered factors including growth in assets, profitability, geographic reach, strategic relationships, new business development and innovation in products. They also sought the opinions of equity analysts, credit rating analysts, banking consultants and others involved in the industry, and held extensive consultations with corporate financial executives, bankers, banking consultants and analysts. The winners are banks that attend carefully to their customers’ needs in difficult markets and accomplish strong results while laying the foundations for future success.  

    Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, Ecobank Gambia and Ecobank Togo will be presented with their awards at the Global Finance Awards Ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington DC, USA, on 18 October 2025, which is being held during the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bay Roberts — Driver arrested for impaired operation by Bay Roberts RCMP

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 32-year-old man was arrested for impaired operation by Bay Roberts RCMP during a traffic stop that was conducted in Bay Roberts on May 27, 2025.

    Shortly after 12:30 a.m. today, police stopped a vehicle on Conception Bay Highway in Bay Roberts. The officer noted a smell of alcohol coming from the driver and administered a roadside breath test, which resulted in a failure. The driver was arrested and transported to the detachment where he provided further breath tests that were one and half times the legal limit.

    The man’s licence was suspended and the vehicle was seized and impounded.

    He is scheduled to appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of impaired operation.

    RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador.

    If you suspect a driver is operating a vehicle while impaired, please immediately call your local police or 911 and be prepared to provide a description of the vehicle, including a licence plate if possible, and the vehicle’s current location.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Best Crypto Casino 2025: WINNA Named Top Bitcoin Casino For Anonymity, Rakeback & Instant Payouts

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAS VEGAS, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The crypto casino space is transforming the online gambling world, delivering speed, privacy, and innovation at scale. Platforms like WINNA are rising fast, offering an alternative that’s faster, safer, and more rewarding than traditional gambling.

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    After comprehensive testing across dozens of crypto casinos, including reviews of their bonuses, game libraries, and overall performance, WINNA emerged as the best crypto casino for 2025. Its rapid payouts, expansive game catalog, and privacy-first model set a new standard for crypto gambling. Find out why WINNA is changing the game.

    Overview Of WINNA Crypto Casino

    WINNA

    • Launch Year: 2024
    • License: Tobique Gaming License
    • Game Selection: Over 2,000 games (slots, live casino, table games, esports betting) + a comprehensive sportsbook with 10,000+ live events every month
    • Software Providers: Evolution Gaming, Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw Gaming, NetEnt, Nolimit, BGaming, PlayNGo and more
    • Payment Methods: Crypto (Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, Dogecoin, BNB, Litecoin, TRX, USDC)
    • Withdrawal Speed: Instant or under 10 minutes

    WINNA’s no KYC model for crypto users makes it the best no KYC casino, while its instant crypto payouts position it as the best instant withdrawal Bitcoin casino. With competitive bonuses, around-the-clock support, and high-grade security, WINNA stands out as a top crypto casino globally.

    Why WINNA Is One of the Best Crypto Casinos?

    WINNA differentiates itself in a crowded space with a combination of innovation, player-focused features, and unmatched convenience. Here’s why it’s among the best crypto casinos:

    • Extremely Fast Withdrawals: WINNA processes crypto withdrawals in as little as 10 minutes, making it a top Bitcoin casino for players who demand fast access to funds. This speed sets it apart from most crypto gambling sites and justifies its ranking as the best BTC casino.
    • Massive Game Collection: With over 2,000 games from industry leaders like Evolution Gaming and Pragmatic Play, WINNA offers endless entertainment. Whether it’s immersive slots or live dealer games, its variety ranks it high among the best crypto casinos.
    • Privacy-First Approach: WINNA offers full anonymity for crypto users by not requiring KYC. As a result, it stands out as the best no KYC casino for privacy-minded players. This commitment to privacy is a key reason it’s a favorite among top crypto casinos.

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    • Lucrative Bonuses: New players receive extra free spins, a 60% rakeback, and a 100% risk-free esports bet. Weekly prize tournaments with $25,000 pools keep the experience fresh, placing WINNA among the best Bitcoin casinos for high-value rewards.
    • 24/7 Support: WINNA’s support team is accessible by live chat, email, and Telegram, ensuring players receive help whenever needed. This reliability supports its reputation as a trusted crypto gambling site.
    • Military-Grade Security: Built with SSL encryption, two-factor authentication, and provably fair systems, WINNA provides a secure environment, making it one of the safest among the best crypto casinos.

    These features establish WINNA as a leader among crypto gambling sites, offering an experience designed for modern players.

    Bonuses And Promotions

    WINNA rewards its players consistently with a wide range of bonuses and promotions. Here’s what players can expect from this new crypto casino:

    • Welcome Bonus: Start off with extra free spins, a 60% rakeback, and a 100% risk-free esports bet on your first deposit.
    • Daily and Weekly Tournaments: Compete in prize events with up to $25,000 in rewards or take part in Winna’s slots tournaments with cash prizes and free spins.
    • Cashback Rewards: Earn regular cashback on net losses, increasing your chances to play longer—one of the signature benefits of the best crypto casinos.
    • Esports Bonuses: Benefit from bet insurance and free bets tailored for esports betting fans.
    • VIP Rakeback Club: Loyal players unlock faster withdrawals, custom bonuses, and VIP-only perks.
    • VIP FreeBet: Place three qualifying sports bets and receive a fourth free bet on the house.
    • Drops & Wins: Participate in slot and live casino games with prize pools totaling $2,000,000.
    • Social Media Rewards: Get exclusive offers and reload bonuses by following WINNA’s official social channels.

    These promotions elevate WINNA among the most rewarding new crypto casinos for players seeking more value per bet.

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    Guide To Join WINNA

    Getting started with WINNA is quick and easy, allowing players to dive into the best crypto casino experience in just a few steps:

    1. Visit the WINNA Website:
      Click here to visit the official WINNA homepage. The site is designed for intuitive navigation, even for first-time users. Be sure you’re on the verified domain to protect your account.
    2. Sign Up:
      Click “Sign Up” and provide a valid email and secure password. No KYC is required for crypto players, reinforcing WINNA’s role as the best no KYC casino. Registration is instant.
    3. Verify Your Email:
      Open the verification email and click the confirmation link to activate your account. This step ensures full access to features and bonuses. Check your spam folder if the email doesn’t arrive promptly.
    4. Deposit Funds:
      Go to the deposit section, select your preferred cryptocurrency, and follow the instructions. Fiat options like Mastercard and Apple Pay are available to buy crypto directly. Deposits process instantly.
    5. Claim Your Bonus:
      Receive 150 free spins, a 35% rakeback, and a 100% risk-free esports bet as part of your first deposit. These bonuses are automatically credited. Check the promotions page for ongoing offers.
    6. Start Gaming:
      Explore WINNA’s library of over 2,000 games and enjoy the seamless, anonymous experience of a top Bitcoin casino. Whether you prefer live casino or instant win games, the platform has it all.

    This fast and easy process gets you into the action quickly at one of the best crypto casinos available today.

    Pros And Cons Of WINNA

    Here’s a breakdown of the advantages and considerations when choosing WINNA among the best crypto casinos:

    Pros Cons
    Ultra-fast crypto withdrawals (less than 10 minutes) No direct fiat depositing options
    Over 2,000 games from top providers  
    No KYC for crypto users  
    High-value welcome and ongoing bonuses  
    24/7 multilingual support  
    High-grade security and provably fair games  

    This table summarizes why WINNA ranks as a top Bitcoin casino while highlighting any potential limitations.

    Game Selection At WINNA

    WINNA delivers a robust game library featuring over 2,000 titles, providing endless choices for every type of player. With support from leading game providers, it earns its place among the best crypto casinos:

    • Slots: Choose from a wide variety of themes, jackpots, and mechanics including Megaways and bonus buy features. High RTP games are frequently updated to ensure ongoing variety and fair odds.
    • Live Casino: Experience high-quality streams of blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and game shows. Professional dealers and HD quality deliver the real casino feel right to your device.

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    • Table Games: Classic titles like poker, roulette, and blackjack are offered in multiple versions, appealing to both beginners and experts. Many games are provably fair, increasing transparency.
    • Sports Betting: Bet on real-time sporting events, esports, and virtual matches with competitive odds and live betting features.
    • Instant Games: Engage in crash games, scratch cards, and other fast-paced options for players who prefer quick and simple gameplay. These features add to WINNA’s appeal as a top Bitcoin casino.

    This comprehensive selection reinforces WINNA’s reputation as one of the best crypto casinos for game variety and quality.

    Why Choose Crypto Casinos?

    Crypto casinos like WINNA offer several advantages over traditional online gambling platforms, making them the preferred option for an increasing number of players:

    • Anonymity: Crypto-only accounts do not require personal verification, making WINNA the best no KYC casino for private gaming.
    • Speed: Cryptocurrency transactions are processed much faster than fiat-based ones, with withdrawals at WINNA taking as little as 10 minutes.
    • Security: Built on blockchain technology, transactions are encrypted, trackable, and secure – hallmarks of a trusted crypto gambling site.
    • Global Reach: With no fiat limitations, players around the world can access WINNA without payment restrictions.
    • Low Fees: Crypto transactions typically come with lower fees, maximizing player value at the best crypto casinos.

    These advantages position WINNA as a leader among modern crypto gambling sites.

    Payment Methods

    WINNA operates as a crypto-first casino, offering a wide range of supported cryptocurrencies for deposits and withdrawals:

    Cryptocurrencies:

    • Bitcoin (BTC)
    • Ethereum (ETH)
    • Tether (USDT)
    • Binance Coin (BNB)
    • Litecoin (LTC)
    • Dogecoin (DOGE)
    • Tron (TRX)

    Fiat-to-Crypto Options (to be added soon):

    • Visa
    • Mastercard
    • Google Pay
    • Apple Pay
    • Bank Transfer

    All wagering occurs in cryptocurrency, which solidifies WINNA’s role as a top Bitcoin casino offering rapid, secure transactions.

    How To Buy Crypto At WINNA?

    Buying crypto for use at this new crypto casino is fast and beginner-friendly:

    1. Log into your WINNA account.
    2. Navigate to the “Deposit” page and select “Buy Crypto.” Choose your preferred fiat method (e.g., Visa or Google Pay).
    3. Select the cryptocurrency you wish to purchase.
    4. Enter the amount and confirm the transaction.
    5. Funds are instantly credited to your wallet for use in gameplay.

    This user-friendly system makes WINNA one of the most accessible and best crypto casinos for new and experienced users alike.

    Mobile Compatibility

    WINNA is fully optimized for mobile devices, allowing seamless access through iOS and Android browsers. While no dedicated app is available, the mobile interface retains all desktop functionality, including live dealer games and sportsbook access. This makes WINNA a top crypto casino for mobile users.

    User Interface And Experience

    WINNA features a sleek, dark interface with intuitive navigation, fast-loading content, and multi-language support. Graphics are optimized across all platforms, ensuring smooth performance. Whether on desktop or mobile, WINNA delivers a polished and efficient user experience, making it one of the best Bitcoin casinos on the market.

    Responsible Gambling At WINNA – The Best Crypto Casino

    WINNA emphasizes player well-being with a suite of responsible gambling tools:

    • Self-Exclusion: Temporarily or permanently suspend your account if needed. This allows players to take time away without pressure or judgment.
    • Deposit Limits: Set personal spending limits to maintain control over your gambling budget. Limits can be adjusted based on your individual preferences.
    • Reality Checks: Receive periodic reminders of session duration, helping to promote balanced gameplay and time awareness.
    • Cooling-Off Periods: Take short-term breaks while keeping your account active. This encourages healthier gaming habits over time.

    These tools, alongside access to external support organizations, highlight WINNA’s commitment to being a responsible and trusted crypto casino.

    Conclusion: WINNA – The Best Crypto Casino For 2025

    WINNA stands tall among the best crypto casinos of 2025, combining speed, privacy, and entertainment into a powerful gaming platform. Its large selection of games, instant crypto payouts, strong privacy policies, and rewarding promotions make it the best Bitcoin casino for players at all experience levels. With cutting-edge security and responsible gambling features, WINNA is a reliable and exciting destination for crypto gambling.
    While Jackbit has dominated headlines in the past, WINNA quietly outperforms it with faster withdrawals, stronger promotions, and a truly anonymous experience, something many players still haven’t caught onto.

    >>CLICK HERE TO UNLOCK YOUR BONUS PACK!<<

    FAQs

    1. Why is WINNA considered one of the best crypto casinos?
      WINNA offers instant withdrawals, no KYC, and a wide game selection, placing it among the best Bitcoin casinos available.
    2. How fast are withdrawals at WINNA?
      Crypto withdrawals are typically completed in under 10 minutes. Most are instantly processed.
    3. Can I use fiat currencies to wager at WINNA?
      No, all wagers are in crypto, but you can use fiat to purchase cryptocurrency.
    4. Are there fees for withdrawals at WINNA?
      Crypto withdrawals at WINNA are fee-free for most supported coins.
    5. Is WINNA accessible worldwide?
      Yes, but availability depends on your country. Check the site’s terms of service for region-specific access.
    6. What support options does WINNA provide?
      WINNA offers 24/7 support via live chat, email, and Telegram.

    Disclaimer

    Gambling entails risks and should be approached with caution. Users must be of legal gambling age in their jurisdiction. This article is for informational and promotional purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

    Always gamble responsibly and within your means. The publisher, affiliates, and authors are not liable for losses arising from use of this content.

    This content may contain affiliate links that generate commission at no additional cost to the user. Brand names and trademarks belong to their respective owners.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3e863b44-b7bd-425f-a5ac-1a0f9e4549cc

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c86dce4-bc47-44bf-a9f3-6d0464c173ba

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7e67bea5-d9a3-44d2-97cc-60c308add279

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Make Transportation More Cost-Effective For Disabled Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) reintroduced the Deliver for Veterans Act. The bipartisan legislation expands an existing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) grant program to cover shipping costs for disabled veterans who require modified vehicles for transportation.
    “Disabled veterans deserve access to every benefit they have earned – regardless of where they live,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bill is about basic fairness and will help disabled veterans in Hawai‘i and other isolated areas receive the specialized vehicles they need to go about their daily lives.”
    “Our veterans in rural Alaska, deserve the same access to the specialized grant programs and services that they would get if they lived elsewhere in the country,” said Senator Murkowski. “There is a significant financial burden associated with transporting a car to many of the rural communities around Alaska. As the state with the highest number of veterans per capita, I want those with disabilities living in Alaska to be able to benefit from the VA’s many excellent programs. Ensuring that they can affordably transport handicapped-modified vehicles to their homes is an important step.”
    Currently, the program provides eligible veterans with a stipend of roughly $26,400 to purchase or modify accessible vehicles. However, those funds cannot be used to ship their vehicles, making it exceedingly difficult for veterans in places such as Hawai‘i and Alaska to acquire these vehicles. The Deliver for Veterans Act would amend the grant program to allow coverage of these additional costs.
    The full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Zinke Nominates 15 Western Montana Projects for Federal Funding totaling $64,619,833

    Source: US Congressman Ryan Zinke (Western Montana)

    Zinke prioritizes infrastructure, law enforcement, and rural development across 13 Counties

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke announced that he requested federal funding for 15 projects in Western Montana to improve infrastructure, economic development, and law enforcement capabilities. The requests were submitted to the House Appropriations Committee of which he is a member. The projects would benefit communities in the following counties: Beaverhead, Flathead, Gallatin, Granite, Lake (2), Lincoln (2), Missoula (2), Mineral (2), Powell, Ravalli (3), and Sanders (3). The projects are posted on Congressman Zinke’s website for public inspection here and listed below.

    “Rural America’s infrastructure needs have been ignored for too long, as a member of the Appropriations Committee I can ensure our tax dollars are spent on projects that directly support our communities,” said Zinke. “With the help of county commissioners, mayors, and sheriffs, we’ve identified and nominated strong, shovel-ready projects that reflect real community needs and deliver the highest return to Montana taxpayers. These investments will support our law enforcement, expand access to clean water, repair failing infrastructure, and spur economic growth across Western Montana. This is about building a stronger Montana by making sure our families have access to housing, clean water, and safe streets for generations to come.”

    The submissions were made through the U.S. House of Representatives Community Project Funding program, which allows Congress to direct appropriations from specific grant accounts to eligible projects. All projects must meet the published grant requirements and pass a series of legislative hurdles. Every project must be approved by the House Appropriations Committee, the full House of Representatives and be included in the joint funding package approved by the House and Senate and signed by the President. In Fiscal Year 2024, Zinke successfully secured $35 million in funding for Western Montana.  

     

    Proposed projects include:

    *Projects listed by county in alphabetical order 

    Beaverhead, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral and Sanders Counties, $2,889,500 – Five-County Law Enforcement Resilience Project

    Provides a funding level of $2,889,500 for Mineral County, located at P.O. Box 99, 310 River Street, Superior, MT 58972. To reduce cost to the taxpayer and promote equipment continuity in the event of a multi-county response to an incident, Mineral, Lake, Beaverhead, Lincoln, and Sanders counties have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to purchase much needed vehicles and equipment in bulk for bolstered law enforcement and public safety. The 2021-2025 crisis at the southwest border turned every state into a border state -including Montana. Five rural counties with a combined population of less than 80,000 are experiencing the lingering effects of the border crisis with criminal aliens still at large. These five counties have formed a joint purchasing agreement to purchase desperately needed equipment and vehicles in bulk to save tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per county. The funding will purchase patrol vehicles, body scanners, radios and telecom equipment, rifles, vests, and fund safety upgrades.

    Flathead County, $1,936,170 – North Fork Road Guardrails

    The significance of the North Fork Road cannot be overstated. It provides crucial access for residents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations along the Canadian border, year-round recreational activities, and timber industry operations. It also serves as the route for approximately 150,000 annual visitors to Glacier National Park that access the park through the Camas and Polebridge entrances. The North Fork Road plays a pivotal role in the economic and recreational vitality of the region. Despite its significance, the North Fork Road poses safety concerns. Composed of a mostly gravel surface and winding in nature, it has numerous roadside hazards, including sections of roadway with steep side slopes descending to the river below. The existing guardrail along this section of road have surpassed their service life and due to their poor condition, have reduced ability to function as intended. The project will add or replace guardrail to improve safety along 3.71 miles of roadway.

    Gallatin County, $906,660 – Sheriff’s Office Rapid DNA Capabilities and Patrol Vehicles

    Provides a funding level of $906,660 for Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, located at 615 South 16th Street, Bozeman, MT 59715. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Department and Belgrade Police Department have formed an MOU to combine their purchasing power and coordinate complementary technology. This funding request will fund the purchase of all necessary equipment, software, warranties, consumables, and technical DNA support for the county sheriff’s office and all other municipal law enforcement agencies. This comprehensive Rapid DNA program will be open to all law enforcement agencies within the county, and hopefully beyond. The state crime lab is facing an overwhelming number of DNA evidence items awaiting processing. To manage this caseload, they have created strict guidelines prioritizing certain crimes and limiting the number of DNA samples that can be processed. To help ease the burden on the state crime lab and enable them to focus on more complex and high-priority cases, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office will be able to process DNA samples that can lead to immediate investigative leads. Additionally, the Belgrade Police Department will acquire fully outfitted patrol sport utility cruisers to enhance the safety of the citizens of Belgrade. Belgrade is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Western Montana and budgets are stretched thin across city government to support that growth.

    Granite County, $5,000,000 – Clean Water Infrastructure Project “Phase 1”

    Provide a funding level of $5,000,000 for the town of Phillipsburg, Montana, located at 104 South Sansome St. Philipsburg, MT 59858, to construct a new water transmission line. The town of Phillipsburg derives over 82% of its municipal water supply from the Fred Burr Reservoir, a high mountain lake located approximately 7 miles from the town. The dependability of the Fred Burr supply hinges on the reliability of the 7-mile-long transmission main that connects the lake to the town. The transmission line recently experienced a catastrophic failure. The pipeline traverses through rugged, forested, mountainous terrain at high elevations. Replacement of this transmission line is critical for the community to ensure clean and plentiful drinking water.

    Lake County, $730,000 – Ronan Volunteer Fire Department Replacement of 30 Year Old Type 1 Fire Truck 

    Support $730,000 for the purchase of a Type 1 Structure Engine to replace the current vehicle which is over 30 years old. The purchase would replace aging equipment and improve emergency response capacity. This funding will directly strengthen emergency response capacity in Montana’s First Congressional District, where many rural and tribal communities face long response times and limited firefighting resources. By equipping the Ronan Fire Department with a modern, NFPA-compliant Type 1 engine, we not only enhance local fire protection but also regional mutual aid support across Lake County and surrounding areas. This project promotes public safety, supports rural infrastructure, and aligns with congressional priorities to invest in underserved communities. Additionally, it strengthens partnerships between local, tribal, and federal entities in protecting critical infrastructure and natural resources.

    Lincoln County, $820,319 – Rural Airport Reconstruction and Emergency Services Expansion  

    The Troy Airport runway is in poor condition at-best, requiring extensive runway restoration and repair. This rural airport is vital to search and rescue, wildland firefighting efforts and medical flights within Northwest Montana. With the wildland fire trend in NW Montana, the need for a central location for deploying firefighting aircrafts and for a well-maintained runway is essential and cannot be overstated. The Troy Airport is situated close to many forested regions that are susceptible to wildland fire allowing for quick response time to extinguish fires before they spread further. A poorly maintained runway can have significant negative effects on airport operations and safety including the delay of firefighting efforts. Additionally, the 797 residents of Troy rely on the airport for air ambulance service as the closest trauma center is located more than 2 hours away in Kalispell.

    Missoula County, $1,400,000 – Lolo Wastewater Treatment Plant

    The community of Lolo is deficient in the water supply requirements for having the largest well out of service and meeting the max day water demand for the system. The community currently operates a public water supply system through an RSID and requires an upgrade to Well No. 1 and Well No. 2, to increase the water supply for the community. The water rights exist, and the wells can easily be upgraded to increase their capacity. The project was bid last year, and the community didn’t have enough money to award the bid. The benefit is that the project is shovel-ready and already approved by DEQ to move forward as soon as funds are available for the community to use.  The community is concerned about having enough water for the citizens, but particularly concerned during the summer months when the fire season is imminent.  The lack of redundancy for the water system is a great concern for the community and upgrading these two wells would provide that necessary capacity and surety.

    Missoula County, $21,134,250 – Seeley Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant  

    The largest employer in Seeley Lake and one of the largest in Missoula County announced it was closing after 75 years in business citing it was “crippled” by labor shortages driven by a lack of affordable housing, inflation, and lumber prices. The mill employed roughly 250 employees. The town of Seeley Lake is very rural and unable to build additional housing because it does not have a municipal water system to support additional housing and the existing septic system is at capacity and contaminating the groundwater. Building a water system will allow developers to invest in affordable workforce housing to support reopening the mill and growing jobs and economic activity in the region.

    Mineral County, $1,000,000 – Alberton Water Tower 

    Currently, the storage volume for Alberton is inadequate. The proposed Water Storage Improvements Projects will add 200,000 gallons of drinking water storage in order to provide adequate water volume to satisfy maximum day demands and also to deliver sufficient fire flow/volume. The Town is implementing a major improvements project to its distribution system in ’24-’25 and the storage tank project is the next highest priority project according to the Town’s 2020 Preliminary Engineering Report. 

    Powell County, $1,009,934 – Equipment for Volunteer Fire Departments

    Provides a funding level of $1,009,934 to Powell County, Montana located at 409 Missouri Ave, Suite 203, Deer Lodge, MT 59722. Powell County is larger than the entire state of Delaware, and large sections of the County are very remote. First responders are responsible for responding to more than 800 miles of county road, 90 miles of state highway, and 36 miles of Interstate. Volunteer departments respond to hundreds of interstate accidents every year in addition to countless search and rescue operations on millions of acres of rugged wilderness. This request would fund the acquisition of equipment for EMS, fire department and search and rescue operations. This will help both Granite and Powell Counties, as both Gold Creek and Drummond’s Valley Fire work together per a mutual aid agreement, which further extends the impact of this request. 

    Ravalli County, $1,143,000 – Bridge Replacement, Groff Lane 

    Ravalli County is one of the fastest growing counties in Montana. Groff Lane provides access to larger agricultural tracts in Ravalli County and a future potential public access.  The narrow bridges need to be replaced to allow for safer passage and also to ensure that irrigation water delivery can continue to some larger agricultural water users in the Bitterroot Valley.

    Ravalli County, $5,500,000 – Old Corvallis Road Repair 

    The funding would be used for repair of the Old Corvallis Road in the critical north-south transportation corridor of the greater Hamilton area. The Project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because Old Corvallis Road serves as a crucial transportation artery in the greater Hamilton area, connecting the Corvallis community with essential services and employment opportunities in the City of Hamilton, notably a large pharmaceutical facility as well as a soon-to-be residential development that will consist of 140 units. The road suffers from poor pavement conditions and lacks dedicated non-motorized facilities, making walking hazardous. Traffic counts from 2023 reveal an average daily traffic of 2,705 vehicles with an anticipated increase of nearly 50% once the residential development is completed. Addressing these infrastructure challenges is crucial to ensuring safe and efficient travel along Old Corvallis Road. 

    Ravalli County, $10,000,000 – Wastewater Treatment Plant 

    Ravalli county is currently one of the most rapidly developing counties in Montana and one of the greatest in need of affordable housing. One of the greatest barriers to that is the lack of water and sewage treatment capacity. Ravalli county until recently has been forced to send its raw sewage by truck to Missoula county for disposal and treatment. Recently this arrangement was terminated due to Missoula counties own issues with sewage treatment capacity. Currently all sewage pumped from septic tanks in Ravalli county is being deposed of on National Forest lands. This is a concern both environmentally and economically due to the capacity barriers this creates. Septic seepage levels are reaching a dangerous level and because of this the county is limited in new septic permits it can issue to build new homes and dwellings. This new facility if funded would protect drinking water, ease capacity restrictions inhibiting development, and protect environmental quality by keeping septic seepage and human waste out of critical groundwater siphons and the Bitterroot river.

    Sanders County, $10,000,000 – Noxon Bridge Replacement Project Phase 1

    This funding would replace a failing 102-year-old bridge that is on an important emergency service, school bus, and commodity transportation route. The 102-year-old structure is now facing serious structural concerns, leading to its indefinite closure. This is the only bridge which links Highway 200 to the town of Noxon, and has developed cracks in its foundation and holes in the roadbed have opened, prompting urgent safety evaluations. The Sanders County Commissioners commissioned a study to assess the bridge’s condition, with findings recommending full replacement rather than rehabilitation. The closure has already disrupted daily life, affecting food deliveries, emergency services, and local businesses. School busses fully loaded are unable to traverse the bridge. Due to budget constraints of a small taxbase, the county is unable to fund the project alone. With its historical significance and essential role in local infrastructure, restoring the Noxon Bridge remains a top priority for both county and state officials. Securing the necessary funding remains a challenge, leaving the community in limbo as they await further action.

    Sanders County, $1,150,000 – Repaving Marten Creek Road 

    This project aims to rehabilitate and upgrade a surface transportation asset that if left unimproved threatens the mobility of people, delivery of services to residents, economic growth from tourism and vital national forest access. This project will improve the lifespan of Marten Creek Road, reduce future maintenance costs and allow more time, money and resources to be spent on other roads in the county. Sanders County proposes to hire a contractor to overlay 4.5 miles of Marten Creek Road with 2.5″ thick asphalt 22′ wide. Estimated cost of the project is $1,150,000.

    ###

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Announces New Headquarters Operations for Daimler Truck Financial Services USA in Charlotte

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Announces New Headquarters Operations for Daimler Truck Financial Services USA in Charlotte

    Governor Stein Announces New Headquarters Operations for Daimler Truck Financial Services USA in Charlotte
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today, Governor Josh Stein announced Daimler Truck Financial Services USA (DTFS), the financial lender for Daimler Truck North America, will create 276 jobs in Mecklenburg County. The company will invest more than $7.8 million to locate its headquarters in Charlotte.

    “I am pleased to welcome Daimler Truck Financial Services USA to North Carolina,” said Governor Stein. “More than 200 financial service companies call North Carolina home thanks to our skilled workforce and top-tier quality of life.”

    DTFS provides financing and leasing solutions for Daimler Truck North America, one of the largest commercial vehicle manufacturers in the world, that produces Freightliner trucks, Western Star trucks and Thomas Built Buses. For more than 50 years, the company has offered custom financing, leasing, and insurance options for its commercial vehicle customers that include owner-operators, fleet owners, and municipalities. DTFS’s new headquarters in North Carolina will consolidate the current offices from Michigan and Texas into 60,000-square-feet for its administration, HR, and financial operations.

    “We’re thrilled to establish our new headquarters in the Ballantyne area—this move marks a pivotal step in aligning our team closer to DTNA and advancing our strategy for long-term services growth,” said Kevin Bangston, president and CEO of Daimler Truck Financial Services.

    “Charlotte is the second largest banking center in the United States,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Daimler Truck knows the proximity to its existing manufacturing operations, combined with our excellent business climate and thriving financial sector, makes North Carolina the best place to grow and expand.”

    Although the salaries for the new positions will vary, the average annual salary is expected to be $133,940, exceeding the Mecklenburg County average of $86,830. These new jobs could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $36.9 million for the region.

    DTFS’s operation in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $1.08 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs and capital investment, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $4,174,500, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.

    The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 119 percent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost to the state, the state receives $2.19 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.

    Because DTFS chose to locate to Mecklenburg County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving $1,391,500 into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. Even when new jobs are created in a Tier 3 county such as Mecklenburg, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps more economically challenged communities elsewhere in the state.

    “This is outstanding news for Mecklenburg County and the entire state,” said Senator Woodson Bradley. “This announcement wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the local and state partners that collaborated to add this great addition to our corporate community.”

    “This region of the state has some of the brightest financial talent in the nation,” said Representative Laura Budd. “These well-paying jobs will be transformative for our talent pipeline as we help the company take root in our community.”  

    In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, N.C. Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, Mecklenburg County, and the City of Charlotte. 

    May 27, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Farouq Tuweiq Assumes CEO Role

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WEST ORANGE, N.J., May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    A New Chapter for Bel Fuse Inc.

    Today marks an exciting milestone in Bel Fuse’s journey.

    After more than two decades leading the company as President and Chief Executive Officer — and over 45 years of service — Dan Bernstein will be stepping into a new role as Chairman of the Board following today’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders. 

    Dan’s tenure as CEO began in 2001, and during that time, he led Bel through a period of significant transformation. Under his guidance, Bel grew from under $100 million in revenue to more than $600 million, expanded the global footprint, and completed 19 strategic acquisitions. His impact goes beyond numbers; his vision, drive, and belief in people have built a company that has a passion for progress, openness to new ideas, and a drive to get things done.

    With this transition Farouq Tuweiq steps into the role of CEO. Over the past four years, within his role as CFO, Farouq has been a strategic partner to Dan in bringing a fresh perspective and data-driven leadership style to Bel. He played a key role in strengthening Bel’s financial foundation, refining strategic focus, and positioning the business for long-term success. With much of the groundwork and “self help” portion of our journey complete, Bel enters its next chapter of growth. Farouq’s track record to-date coupled with his background in investment banking, finance and strategic leadership will bode well for Bel in executing on our growth strategy and other future goals.

    “I could not be more excited for the future of Bel under the leadership of Farouq and his Executive Team. Farouq has been a proven leader within Bel, inspiring motivation for continuous improvement across the organization and I have full confidence in the abilities of the new Team as they lead Bel into the next chapter,” said Dan Bernstein.

    About Bel
    Bel (www.belfuse.com) designs, manufactures and markets a broad array of products that power, protect and connect electronic circuits. These products are primarily used in the defense, commercial aerospace, networking, telecommunications, computing, general industrial, high-speed data transmission, transportation and eMobility industries. Bel’s portfolio of products also finds application in the automotive, medical, broadcasting and consumer electronics markets. Bel’s product groups include Power Solutions and Protection (front-end, board-mount, industrial and transportation power products, module products and circuit protection), Connectivity Solutions (expanded beam fiber optic, copper-based, RF and RJ connectors and cable assemblies), and Magnetic Solutions (integrated connector modules, power transformers, power inductors and discrete components). The Company operates facilities around the world.

    Company Contact:
    Lynn Hutkin   
    Chief Financial Officer  
    ir@belf.com 

    Investor Contact:
    Three Part Advisors
    Jean Marie Young, Managing Director or Steven Hooser, Partner
    631-418-4339
    jyoung@threepa.com; shooser@threepa.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: First American Bank Highlights U.S. Manufacturing Shift

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Sarah M. Eikenberry, Vice President of Commercial Lending at First American Bank, explains why more U.S. manufacturers are rethinking global supply chains – and finding local solutions that offer better control, faster delivery, and new business opportunities.

    MIAMI, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Reshoring – bringing production back to the U.S. – has shifted from a niche strategy to a mainstream consideration for many manufacturers. While the concept isn’t new, recent global disruptions have prompted small and mid-sized manufacturers to take action.

    Tariffs, shipping delays, geopolitical risk, and rising inventory costs have exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains. Meanwhile, shifting customer expectations and government incentives are making U.S.-based production increasingly attractive.

    At First American Bank, we’re working directly with clients navigating this transition. Here’s why reshoring has lasting momentum.

    Control is the driving force

    For most companies, reshoring comes down to one word: control.

    When suppliers are overseas, responding to delays, managing quality, or adjusting production is limited. The pandemic made that clear. So have recent changes in tariffs, which have created confusion and delays at U.S. ports as authorities navigate new import classifications.

    More of my clients are asking: How can we reduce our risk? One answer is to bring more of the supply chain closer to home. Even though domestic production can be costlier, the increased stability and responsiveness often justifies the shift.

    You don’t need to build from scratch

    One common misconception is that reshoring requires major investment. That’s not necessarily the case.

    Contract manufacturing is opening doors for smaller companies. By partnering with U.S.-based manufacturers that already have infrastructure, companies can avoid the high costs of building their own facilities.

    We’ve seen this firsthand. A client in the medical products space recently expanded its capabilities to support both internal production and third-party contracts, creating new revenue opportunities in the process.

    Buyers care about local sourcing

    Cost will always factor into decision-making; however, it’s no longer the only consideration. Buyers increasingly value transparency, quality, and the ability to adapt quickly – all of which are benefits of U.S.-based production.

    Some clients have seen more interest at trade shows just by promoting their “Made in the USA” status. Many buyers are willing to pay more for the speed and reliability that comes with local sourcing.

    Technology is also narrowing the cost gap. Automation, AI, and leaner processes are helping reduce labor costs without compromising quality.

    Talent and training are key enablers

    As more companies bring production back home, the question naturally follows: Do we have the workforce to support it?

    Skilled labor remains a challenge in many regions, but we’re also seeing promising signs of collaboration between industry and education. Local universities around the country are connecting students with real-world manufacturing problems through capstone projects and internships. This early exposure is helping build a more prepared talent pipeline.

    At the same time, with automation reshaping roles, investing in training and local talent programs is more important than ever.

    South Florida is part of the equation

    While reshoring is often associated with the industrial Midwest, business-friendly regions like South Florida are increasingly becoming part of the conversation.

    The area has strong infrastructure for import-export activity, and organizations like the Miami-Dade Beacon Council are helping attract investment and support job growth. First American Bank has partnered with many of these local organizations with the goal of creating valuable connections for opportunity and incentives.

    A long-term shift with near-term opportunity

    Reshoring isn’t a quick fix. It’s a gradual process, and it won’t look the same for every business. But the momentum is real.

    The companies that benefit most are the ones that stay proactive: identifying parts of their operations that can be brought back, finding domestic partners, and rethinking their supply chain from both a cost and control perspective.

    At First American Bank, we help manufacturers finance equipment, expand operations, and structure credit solutions to support reshoring. If you’re considering a shift, we’re here to help you evaluate your options and build a plan that fits your goals.

    About First American Bank
    First American Bank is the largest privately held bank in Illinois, with over $7 billion in assets and 61 locations across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida. Family-owned and operated since the 1960s, the bank offers a full range of financial services, including personal banking, business lending, and trust and wealth management. Known for combining community bank service with large-scale capabilities, First American Bank is committed to long-term relationships, financial stability, and delivering tailored solutions that help customers thrive.

    Disclaimers:
    This information is for educational purposes only. It is not legal or tax advice. For legal or tax advice, you should consult your own legal, tax, and investment advisors.

    First American Bank is a MemberFDIC.

    Media Contact:
    Teresa Lee
    305-631-6400
    tlee@firstambank.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Queen Street reopens following further Station Gateway works

    Source: City of York

    Published Tuesday, 27 May 2025

    Queen Street reopened to vehicles yesterday as work on the Station Gateway project continues.

    The road reopened ahead of schedule on late Monday evening. During the closure, intensive work took place to remove the existing temporary road surface and form the new permanent road, creating a new and improved highway for all users. The existing pedestrian crossing was also removed to allow works to continue next to the railway station, with a new temporary road crossing installed. This will maintain access to the new Bus Stops, which will be via the temporary raised walkway.

    Over the next few weeks a new bus layby area will be created next to the railway station as well as landscaping, improved paths and cycle paths.

    Councillor Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport at City of York Council, said: 

    We would once again like to thank everybody for their patience during the closure and while work is ongoing around the station. This is a hugely complex project, and I’d also like to extend thanks to all those involved in making this happen.

    “The progress made recently has been visibly transformative as we can now begin to see how the area will look once finished. I look forward to seeing further progress being made in the coming months as the area moves towards becoming a more accessible and welcoming space for all.”

    These works are part of the Station Gateway project which is being delivered in partnership by City of York Council, Network Rail, LNER and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority alongside contractor for the highways works for the project, John Sisk & Son and is part funded by the UK government.

    The ambitious project will completely transform the area to the front of York Station, providing an improved transport interchange, enhanced public spaces and an improved setting for the City Walls.

    For more information on the project visit: www.york.gov.uk/StationGateway.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Essay: The world’s highest-grossing animated film “Nezha 2” came to Russia and touched Russian viewers to the depths of their souls

    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

    Moscow, May 27 /Xinhua/ – The Russian premiere of the Chinese animated film “Nezha Conquers the Dragon King” /”Nezha 2” dubbed into Russian was recently held at the Cinema Park Mosfilm movie theater. It became the highest-grossing animated film in the history of world cinema.

    An hour before the show began, the lobby on the first floor was packed with spectators, who came in groups and with their families to watch the trailers on the screen and take photos before the show began.

    During the two-and-a-half-hour screening in the IMAX theater, which seats more than 500 people, the audience laughed, cheered and applauded the characters.

    THE HIGHEST-GROSSING CARTOON HAS BECOME A CULTURAL MASTERPIECE

    “This film is a dark horse for us,” Vera Fetishcheva, deputy general director of the Russian film company Arna Media, told Xinhua, adding that the cartoon will hit the country’s big screens on May 29. “We will have more than 1,600 screens all over Russia,” V. Fetishcheva said.

    “This Chinese cartoon is a phenomenon; it is currently the highest-grossing animated project in the history of world cinema and is among the top five highest-grossing films,” V. Fetishcheva emphasized.

    According to official figures, Ne Zha 2 has already grossed over US$2 billion worldwide.

    “We are very proud and really wanted to make sure that Russian viewers also see this project on the big screen,” said V. Fetishcheva. “We hope that it will also make a good profit in Russia.”

    “Nezha 2” focuses on Chinese mythology and traditional values, combining this with high-quality entertainment. According to V. Fetischeva, this film will help Russian viewers better understand China and its culture.

    DUBBING: “PAIN AND JOY AT THE SAME TIME”

    In order for Russian viewers to better understand “Nezha 2,” high-quality dubbing was necessary.

    “There were a lot of difficulties in translation, the translation was very complicated, but very pleasant, because solving these issues brought real pleasure,” Maxim Kofov, the author of the adapted translation and the dubbing director for “Nezha 2,” shared with a Xinhua correspondent.

    According to him, the film is based on Chinese mythology, and many things implied in the film are quite understandable to the Chinese.

    “And in Russia there is a different culture, and we may not understand this. And accordingly, the question immediately arises: how to adapt this?” said M. Kofov, adding that in some moments a certain equivalent from Russian culture was required.

    “Appearances can be deceiving. I feel like Nezha is like a grown man in a little kid’s body,” said voice actress Eva Finkelstein, who voiced Nezha.

    In her opinion, Nezha’s kind and bright heart is hidden beneath his appearance, and this contrast makes the hero extremely charming.

    “For example, the poems that Nezha recites throughout the film. If you translate them literally, they simply won’t work. But if you translate them into something similar in our culture, then it begins to merge with the audience’s interest,” explained M. Kofov. According to him, it was important not just to translate literally, but to convey emotions. This was possible thanks to the excellent work of the dubbing actors and the support of their Chinese colleagues.

    “NEZHA 2” IS A GIFT FOR ALL PARENTS AND CHILDREN

    “The animation is very good… All the characters are shown well… The dubbing is very clear… The story is about family and love, very beautiful…” Russian viewers shared their feelings with a Xinhua correspondent after watching it.

    “I really liked the film, and to be honest, I am very delighted,” said Nikita Stepanov, a member of the central board of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society.

    N. Stepanov knows quite a lot about China and Chinese culture, since he was born in China and graduated from school there. “In general, everything is very clear, all these moments that were reflected in the film,” N. Stepanov noted, expressing confidence that “Nezha 2” will help Russian viewers better understand Chinese culture.

    For many Russian viewers, Nezha 2 became not only an example of technological progress in Chinese animation, but also a point of contact between the cultures of Russia and China.

    “I really liked the film, it’s a family film, really. I saw the first part /”Nezh 1″/ when I was 13, so as soon as I found out that the second part of “Nezh” would be released, I immediately got ready and ran to see it at the first screening,” student Lera told Xinhua.

    “I had a lot of emotions. I laughed, I was happy, I cried a lot at many moments. The film is very good, moral,” shared Ksenia, Lera’s younger sister.

    According to Lera, the character of “Nezha 2” Shen Gongbao touched her “to the depths of her soul”. “Shen Gongbao’s relationship with his younger brother and his development evoke special emotions in me,” said Lera, looking at Ksenia and adding, “This is /my/ little sister, I am ready to do a lot for her, so this topic touched me very much.”

    “This film is a gift to all parents and children and a wish to find understanding between generations,” M. Kofov noted. He reported that as a father of two children aged 10 to 20, he found very interesting and relevant moments in this cartoon for himself.

    “You need to be able to let go, you need to be able to understand, you need to be able to find a common language with different generations,” said M. Kofov.

    According to him, the transformation of positive and negative characters is one of the most striking moments in “Nezha 2”. “That is, it is a life situation in which there is no clear division into black and white. This prepares the younger generation for a critical view of life,” the Russian director emphasized.

    “As in the case of Nezha, and in the case of Ao Bing in the film, it is not who you are by origin that matters, but who you are by your actions,” Lera noted. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn’s Dr. Denis Lafreniere Inducted into the Honor Society for Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Dr. Denis Lafreniere, Chief of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at UConn School of Medicine and UConn Health, has been honored with induction as a fellow into the Triological Society.

    He was prestigiously inducted into the honor society as a fellow on May 16 during the gathering of the national 2025 Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings in New Orleans.

    Fellowship in the Triological Society involves years of preparation, vetting, and is only awarded to select members of the ENT field globally.

    The Triological Society, also known as The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc., was founded more than 125 years. It is the most prestigious society in otolaryngology and elects the brightest in academic and clinical otolaryngology.

    “I am very pleased to receive this recognition,” says Lafreniere who serves UConn as professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. He is also medical director of the UConn Medical Group and associate dean for Clinical Affairs.

    Dr. Denis Lafreniere on May 16 in New Orleans being honored with the With Distinction Award for his excellent research thesis by the President of the Triological Society, Dr. Michael Hoffer.

    Lafreniere adds, “I truly believe that our academic roles here at UConn Health are what distinguish us from our regional colleagues. My induction as a Triological Society fellow is recognition that our academic efforts can span our careers. These academic efforts help ensure that our students and residents receive the highest quality education and will therefore be able to provide the highest quality, innovative care for their patients as they begin their careers.”

    In addition, the Society disseminates the latest scientific and clinical information at scientific meetings and through publication of its scientific journals, The Laryngoscope and Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology.

    For his election as a fellow in the Society, Lafreniere was required to be recommended by two current fellows and needed submission and approval of his research thesis.  Lafreniere’s successful scientific thesis was on the “Development of an endotracheal tube to measure posterior laryngeal pressure related to tube size and hypopharyngeal-laryngeal angle” for which he received a With Distinction Award.

    Learn more about Dr. Lafreniere.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Roanoke Man, Who Posed as Baseball Prospect, Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register, False Statement Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke, Virginia man, who used burner phones to pose as officials from both Major and Minor League baseball teams, pled guilty today in federal court to failing to register as a convicted sex offender and making false statements.

    Janike Dunbar Holt, 29, a.k.a. “Nike,” a.k.a. “Janike Tagovailoa” a.k.a. “Keanu Tagovailoa,” a.k.a. “Trey Tagovailoa,” pled guilty today to one count of failure to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and one count of making a false statement to law enforcement.

    According to court documents, in August 2018, Holt was convicted of four counts of taking indecent liberties with a child in North Carolina after he had sexual relations with a fifteen-year-old. Holt was released from custody in October of 2018 and, after initially complying with his required sex offender registration requirements, Holt failed to report an address change in June 2022.

    In March 2022, Holt began dating a woman (Individual 1) who had a minor child (Minor A). Holt was not the father of Minor A, but he told others that he was. In addition, Holt was asking several other women for money that he claimed was to support Minor A, to visit Minor A, or to help obtain custody of Minor A. However, Holt did not actually use the money for these stated purposes or otherwise provide this money to Individual A or Minor A.

    Around October 2022, Holt began dating Individual 2. Holt falsely told Individual 2 that he had a child (Minor A) and got Individual 2 to give him $65 for diapers for the child and for gas to go visit her.  Individual 2 gave Holt access to her bank accounts, and Holt stole $5,000 from her. Individual 2 was able recover this money from her bank.

    At other times in 2022, Holt also dated Individual 3 and Individual 5. While living with Individual 3, Holt stole at least three checks from her, which he subsequently made out to himself. Holt filled out one of these checks and asked Individual 5 to cash it for him. Holt made out another of these stolen checks for $225,000, with the memo line reading “Lawsuit Refund.” The check was never cashed. Holt later made out another of these stolen checks for $75,000, with the memo line reading “Law-suit settlement.” He asked Individuals 7 and 8 to cash this check for him, but they refused.

    On February 6, 2023, Holt asked a friend to drive him from North Carolina to Virginia, where he was planning to move. Holt lived with his brother in Roanoke for a few days before moving in with a new girlfriend, Individual 6. Holt continued living with his new girlfriend until March 14, 2023. While living in Roanoke, Holt never registered as a sex offender in Virginia, despite being required to under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

    Despite living with Individual 6, Holt also spent a significant amount of time at a house where the mother of two of his brother’s children (Individual 7) lived with her mother (Individual 8). Holt falsely told his brother, Individual 7, and Individual 8 that he had been recruited to play for a Major League Baseball team. Holt used burner phones to send text messages to his brother, Individual 7, and Individual 8 while pretending to be actual individuals affiliated with a Major League Baseball team and a Minor League Baseball team. Holt used the names of these individuals without their knowledge.

    Holt told his brother, Individual 6, Individual 7, and Individual 8 that they would all be moving as a result of his purported Major League Baseball career. In preparation, and at Holt’s urging, Individual 7 and Individual 8 sold some of their vehicles and gave Holt the proceeds. Holt also attempted to sell Individual 6’s vehicle without her knowledge. 

    On March 14, 2023, Holt was arrested on a warrant out of North Carolina. While being interviewed by a deputy marshal, Holt made several false statements, including that he had a child (Minor A), that he had not been living in Roanoke, Virginia but had been driving back and forth between Roanoke and North Carolina every other day, and that his probation officer was aware that he was habitually traveling between Roanoke and North Carolina.

    The United States Marshals Service is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –