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🚀 Britain Reconfirms Plans to Increase Defence Spending 🚀 In response to a series of parliamentary questions from Conservative MP James Cartlidge, the UK government has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving 2.5% of GDP expenditure on defence. Despite remarks from Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard, which indicated that increased military spending is contingent on economic growth, the government remains resolute. 📊 Key Points: Minister of State for Defence, Maria Eagle, reiterated the government's dedication to the 2.5% GDP target in responses to various defence priorities, including upgrades to Typhoon fighter jets, the Land Environment Tactical Communications and Information Systems programme, and the development of the Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank. Eagle emphasized the government's goal to deliver a defence programme that is both affordable and capable of countering 21st-century threats. Luke Pollard highlighted the dependency of increased defence spending on economic growth, stating, “The way we deliver increased public spending on defence, on schools, hospitals, or prisons, is by growing our economy.” 📈 Future Path: The Labour government's stance contrasts with the previous Conservative administration's promise to achieve the 2.5% target by 2030. While Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed a “cast-iron” commitment to the target, a specific timetable has yet to be provided. The UK prepares for a strategic defence review, set to be reported next year, which will address the alignment of defence spending ambitions with economic realities. Stay tuned as the UK navigates the balance between national security priorities and economic growth. https://lnkd.in/eqDTpJw7 Kieran Slaughter CertRPRyan FloodChristian Pascale #DefenceSpending #UKDefence #EconomicGrowth #NationalSecurity #Military #StrategicReview

You might wonder how people cover long-term care costs if there isn’t an available public program or coverage under Medicare. The main strategies for addressing long-term care needs in the US are: - Personal savings and assets - Long-term care insurance Some veterans qualify for long-term care services at veterans homes, which are operated at the state level. Most states require that veterans be honorably discharged from the military and eligible for VA healthcare to live in a veteran’s home. An elder law attorney can help you understand these requirements. As of 2024, Ohio veterans homes are open only to individuals who have served during a time of war (including Expeditionary Medal and Vietnam Service Medal honorees) and are considered fully disabled and unable to work. For more information, visit https://lnkd.in/gu8Sg-5V or contact Houck Menninger Law at (937)985-0059 or visit https://lnkd.in/d4rBUZJH #HMLaw #HouckMenningerLaw #AssetProtection #Probate #EstateSettlement #EstatePlanning #Medicaid #Trusts #Estate #LongTermCare #Medicare #Veterans

Did you catch last week's briefing by our colleagues at The Brookings Institution Institution on the growth in national deployments of our National Guard units? Here are a few key takeaways: 1) There has been a shift in the role of the National Guard as they have increasingly activated for non-traditional missions including COVID-19. 2) Guard Troops are often unprepared for these unique situations as they typically are "one-off" and not covered in regular training. This can be challenging for the Guard and the communities they serve. 3) Overuse of the Guard can threaten readiness for their traditionally-defined roles. It's important to consider how we can support them during these unique directives while also maintaining their readiness for their original purpose. We're grateful to the Army National Guard and Air National Guard for their service to our communities in the most dire of situations. Let's continue to support them as they navigate these new challenges. See the article in @Military Times here: https://lnkd.in/e_duYPsD #nationalguard #readiness #newstouse

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐀 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭? A VA property management firm recently settled with the DOJ for $13k over allegations they violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The company allegedly denied lawful lease terminations and imposed improper fees on a Navy servicemember who received PCS orders. This reminds us that SCRA protections must be fully honored for military renters. However, I worry ambiguous state/federal overlaps could lead to inadvertent violations even with good intent. We must educate on exact SCRA requirements. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞.  I think most firms want to support servicemembers. But compliance has costs, so it's tricky to avoid passing those to non-military renters. Where should that burden fall? What oversight is needed while being mindful of impacts on housing supply? As real estate professionals, we must do right by military families. But SCRA intricacies also create challenges. So, I welcome your thoughts on balancing meaningful compliance with unintended consequences. #rentpost #leaselords

You might wonder how people cover long-term care costs if there isn’t an available public program or coverage under Medicare. The main strategies for addressing long-term care needs in the US are: - Personal savings and assets - Long-term care insurance Some veterans qualify for long-term care services at veterans homes, which are operated at the state level. Most states require that veterans be honorably discharged from the military and eligible for VA healthcare to live in a veteran’s home. An elder law attorney can help you understand these requirements. As of 2024, Ohio veterans homes are open only to individuals who have served during a time of war (including Expeditionary Medal and Vietnam Service Medal honorees) and are considered fully disabled and unable to work. For more information, visit https://lnkd.in/gvaHQU2v or contact Houck Menninger Law at (937)985-0059 or visit https://lnkd.in/dEvEKsAR #HMLaw #HouckMenningerLaw #AssetProtection #Probate #EstateSettlement #EstatePlanning #Medicaid #Trusts #Estate #LongTermCare #Medicare #Veterans

Side deals, reductions to enhancements, savings estimated as actual losses – just some of the confusing realities of current “top line” federal budget discussions. And, of note, the discussions are generally connected to less than 15% of federal spending (i.e., non-defense discretionary). I’m not completely sure just how to make sense of all of it, but I’ve given it a try in the below table. #budgeting #federalgovernment #federal #federalcontracting #fiscal #defense #whitehouse #congress

EFFORTS TO BAR PRIVATE COMPANIES FROM ASSISTING IN VA CLAIMS HARM VETERANS By Natalie Johnson: Originally published on Real Clear Defense Read Original Article Here: https://lnkd.in/eKspBeAN Recent calls by former Navy SEAL Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) for Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough to resign from his post are reigniting scrutiny of the scandal-ridden department. Egregious backlogs in veteran claims and a confusing bureaucratic process have left many of our nation’s heroes empty-handed and unable to access their hard-won benefits. Rather than allowing our veterans to tap help from the private sector, a cadre of lawmakers are working to limit the resources available to them. Federal efforts to pass the GUARD Act and prevent private companies from helping veterans access the benefits they’ve earned through their service to our country are at best misguided, and at worst ill-intentioned. While ostensibly driven by concerns about protecting veterans from exploitation by for-profit companies, these efforts are hurting veterans’ ability to navigate the complex and often overwhelming process of filing VA claims. Continue Reading About This On Our Blog Here: https://lnkd.in/ezqGqrxP