• USS Arlington, an active US Navy warship, offered tours in honor of America’s 250th anniversary.
• My tour included the well deck, hangar bay, flight deck, and forecastle.
• Security was tight, and photography was off-limits in some locations.

As a resident of New York City, I’m used to walking through Hell’s Kitchen and seeing an enormous warship floating in the Hudson River at the Intrepid Museum.

This time, however, it had company.

New York City hosted what organizers billed as “the largest maritime gathering in US history” on July 4, in honor of America’s 250th anniversary, with visiting naval ships from around the world opening their gangways to the public.

One of the most prominent vessels featured was USS Arlington, a 684-foot-long US Navy amphibious transport dock. I climbed aboard for a firsthand look at the ship, its weaponry, and the vehicles it carries.

Take a look inside.

My tour of the USS Arlington started with a security screening at the entrance to Pier 88 in New York City, where the ship was docked.

Posted signs notified visitors that the pier was operating at MARSEC Level 1, the Coast Guard’s baseline Maritime Security Level.

After two rounds of ID checks and a bag screening, I got my first look at the San Antonio-class landing transport dock.

Amphibious transport docks like the Arlington carry Marines, their vehicles, equipment, and supplies, and move them between naval ships and the shore.

Built by Northrop Grumman and commissioned in 2013, USS Arlington measures 684 feet long — large enough to carry helicopters, amphibious vehicles, and around 700 Marines. It is operated by a crew of 360 sailors.

The gangway featured a banner with the ship’s motto: “Strength, Honor, Fortitude.”

The banner also featured the official seals of the Navy and the Marine Corps.

USS Arlington is one of three landing platform docks, or LPDs, named in remembrance of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

USS Arlington is named for Arlington, Virginia, where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. The ship featured pentagon-shaped 9/11 memorials displayed at the entrance.

It has two sister ships, USS New York and USS Somerset.

USS New York, commissioned in 2009, is named after the state of New York and was built with 7.5 tons of steel from the World Trade Center. USS Somerset, commissioned in 2014, was named for Somerset County in Pennsylvania, where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed after passengers and crew fought back against the hijackers.

After being greeted by dozens of sailors gathered at the ship’s entrance, we met up with our tour guide, who gave us strict instructions about photography on board.

Officers were wearing their summer whites — white uniforms worn in the warmer months.

Our tour guide, an officer on the ship, told us to stay with the group at all times and to take photos only in designated areas that he identified along the way. Another officer stayed at the back of the group to make sure no one wandered off.

Our first stop, where we were allowed to take photos, was the well deck containing two Landing Craft Air Cushions, or LCACs.

LCACs are amphibious hovercraft capable of carrying 60 to 75 tons worth of troops, cargo, and equipment while traveling at over 40 knots, or 46 miles per hour. Their primary mission is transporting troops, vehicles, and supplies ashore.

An Amphibious Combat Vehicle, or ACV, was also on display.

ACVs are eight-wheeled armored vehicles designed to carry Marines between ship and shore, operable both in the ocean and on land.

After walking up a ramp to the upper vehicle stowage area, where photos were prohibited, we proceeded to the hangar bay and flight deck.

In the upper vehicle stowage area, which serves as an additional storage space, a Marine showed us around a Utility Tactical Vehicle, or UTV. We weren’t allowed to take pictures there, but our guide said that there were UTVs on the flight deck that we could photograph.

Pilot officers were standing by to tell us about the helicopters parked on the flight deck, including a UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter known as a “Huey.”

Armed with door-mounted machine guns and rockets, the Huey can provide close air support. The crew typically consists of two pilots, a crew chief, and a gunner.

The flight deck also featured an AH-1Z Viper, known as the Cobra attack helicopter.

Similar to the Huey, the AH-1Z Viper provides close air support, but it carries heavier firepower. It can be armed with rocket pods, air-to-ground weapons, air-to-air missiles, and a 20 mm cannon.

A pair of UTVs was also displayed on the flight deck.

UTVs, used for reconnaissance and hunter-killer missions, have a payload capacity of 500 pounds and can drive at up to 45 miles per hour. They can also be airdropped out of military transport aircraft, such as C-130s, to await crews on the ground.

The passenger seat included a handle to hold on to during bumpy rides.

Unlike the helicopters, which were cordoned off, the UTVs were open for visitors to climb into the seats.

Standing inside the hangar bay, used for aircraft maintenance and storage, our guide told us that photos and videos were strictly prohibited at our next stop.

With our devices stowed away, we passed by the ship’s medical facilities, which included a surgery room, a dental office, and patient waiting areas. We also walked through the berthing area, where crew members sleep in narrow, stacked bunks that sailors sometimes call “coffin racks.”

We ended up on an upper deck called the forecastle, pronounced “folk-sill.”

The forecastle is where the crew operates the ship’s anchor.

From the forecastle, we could see the pilothouse, where crew members drive the ship and navigate it in and out of port.

Mounted below the pilothouse is an MK-46 30 mm gun, which our guide said is the main gun used for surface engagements.

The guide also pointed out one of the ship’s guided missile launchers that fire RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles, or RAMs.

RAMS are used for air defense to take out anti-ship cruise missiles.

The final stop on the tour was a bell that is part of a long-held naval tradition.

Crew members on USS Arlington, as well as other Navy ships, can have their children baptized on the ship with the bell serving as the baptismal font. If a child is baptized on the ship, their name is inscribed into the underside of the bell.

After I returned to the well deck to disembark, a Marine asked if I wanted a photo inside a LAV-25, an amphibious reconnaissance vehicle. I couldn’t say no to that.

While I’ve toured several historic battleships and submarines from World War II and the Cold War, this was my first time visiting an active warship.

To me, seeing a modern Navy ship filled with uniformed service members, state-of-the-art vehicles, and advanced weaponry was a completely different experience from touring retired vessels that have become museums.

The tight security measures appeared to be the clearest indicator that the USS Arlington is still very much on the job.

• Dad and I were flying across the Atlantic because I had a business launch, and he was my plus one.
• When we checked in, we realized that my dad had accidentally bought Mom’s passport instead of his.
• He was distraught, and I calmed him down, as if I were the parent. Still, I left him at the airport.

I was a Londoner and had recently accepted a job at a magazine in New York City. The new company paid for my father and me to fly to America so I could celebrate its relaunch, meet my editors, and search for apartments.

Dad, then 69, was up for an adventure as my plus one. He traveled by coach from his home in northern England, and we then got a 4.30 am cab from my house to Heathrow Airport.

A Virgin Atlantic representative asked to see our passports as we checked in for our flight to John F. Kennedy.

Dad brought Mom’s passport by mistake

We handed them over. The rep examined the documents and reached for her glasses.

“That’s your wife’s passport,” she said to my dad, looking amused. “I need to see yours.”

Dad hesitated. Then his face fell, and he started to shake.

“What’s wrong?” I said. Dad held his head in his hands. He’d brought Mom’s passport by mistake, grabbing it from the filing cabinet without thinking and leaving his behind.

He was terribly forgetful

I’d never seen him so upset. His body seemed to crumple as he absorbed the shock.

There was no chance we could get the passport in time for our flight. We rang my 74-year-old mom, who delivered the equivalent of a Howler in Harry Potter, yelling at my dad for being so stupid (her words).

Unfortunately, Dad was terribly forgetful and had a history of it.

Once, the Gatwick Airport information desk issued a tannoy announcement informing “a Mr. Ridley traveling to Ajaccio” that our passports and boarding passes had been found in a bathroom.

Then there was the family vacation to Egypt in the mid-70s, when Dad had to make a 5-hour round trip, retracing our steps. We waited while he took a taxi back and forth across the desert to collect our passports from the previous night’s hotel.

I had to take charge of the situation

I was first inclined to berate my dad, as Mom had. I was deeply embarrassed by the prospect of missing the meeting. What on earth would the bosses think of me?

Then, as Dad sat in despair, I felt bad. He was already beating himself up, so pointing fingers would have made matters worse.

I remembered the times he had forgiven me for losing something important as a child.

In that moment, I recognized that I had to take charge. It led to a change in the dynamics of our relationship. I needed to step into my dad’s shoes and be the responsible adult.

We were transferred to a later flight

I called my brother-in-law, who worked as a police officer at the small airport near my parents’ home. Then I got Mom to drive to meet him with Dad’s passport.

A pilot, who was headed to Heathrow around lunchtime, offered to bring it down. I coordinated our rendezvous inside the terminal.

Virgin Atlantic was great because they managed to get us on a flight to Newark, New Jersey, albeit in the late afternoon.

Still, I was concerned about missing the events in New York when I was supposed to make a good impression. I felt as distraught as my dad when he realized his mistake.

It sounds selfish, but I decided to rush to board the original flight. Dad was almost back to his old self, and the arrangements for retrieving his passport were in place.

He said he’d be OK and not to worry.

I flew to JFK alone, super-stressed as the plane took off. I felt guilty and horrible for leaving my dad behind. It was as if I’d abandoned him and put my own needs first.

We’ve dined out on the story

I arrived on time for the meeting and the big launch in Manhattan. I somewhat shamefully sipped champagne, while wondering how Dad was getting on.

We reunited much later that night after he frugally took a bus from Newark to Port Authority and then walked across the city to our hotel. It was lovely to see him, and I hugged him tight.

We have since dined out on the story, along with all the others of his absentmindedness. Still, at least one good thing came out of the fiasco: Dad is now 90, and though he doesn’t fly anymore, he hasn’t forgotten his passport since.

• DoD announced big awards for the development of new laser weapons.
• Projects involving lasers and other directed-energy weapons are seen as low-cost defense options.
• With these weapons, there have long been concerns about the technical hurdles and power generation.

The Department of Defense is investing millions of dollars in new laser weapons that can shoot down enemy drones and cruise missiles.

Laser weapons are experimental, and the US has spent years developing the concept for land, air, and sea. Officials believe lasers could add to defensive arsenals and help reduce the strain on traditional interceptors as a lower-cost-per-shot option.

On Thursday, DoD announced agreements in support of its Joint Laser Weapon Systems program with nLIGHT Defense, a high-power laser developer, and Lockheed Martin Aculight, the prime’s laser weapon division. The initial DoD award value is $86 million with a total program maximum of $847 million.

“By developing containerized high-energy laser weapons, the Department aims to provide combatant commanders with scalable, cost-effective intercept solutions for asymmetric and high-tier adversary threats,” the Pentagon said in a press release.

Due to “urgent operational demands,” the initial laser weapon prototypes will have approximately 150 kilowatts of power, but DoD expects to boost that to a range of 300 to 500kW, which is the anticipated power needed to counter cruise missiles.

The announcement said that a separate “laser source” will develop a 500kW solution as part of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI).

“We must actively defend the homeland against emerging threats,” Emil Michael, under secretary of defense for research and engineering, said, per the release. “We are partnering with industry to rapidly deliver deep magazine directed energy capabilities to the Joint Force that can be seamlessly deployed across multiple domains.”

DoD has long looked to lasers as cheaper, more sustainable air defense options, especially for hitting inexpensive targets like drones rather than expending high-value missiles or interceptors.

The defense department said “these prototype systems offer critical operational advantages over traditional kinetic systems, including speed-of-light engagement, exceptionally deep magazines and significantly lower cost-per-intercept, attributes essential for countering high-volume UAS [Uncrewed Aerial Systems] swarms and advanced cruise missile threats.”

With sufficient electricity, laser weaponry could fire repeatedly at a much lower cost than missiles. But bigger targets require more power, and the weapons generate intense heat, making strong power and cooling systems essential.

The Navy has looked at battery packs that could supply lasers with extra power, while the Army has tested lasers mounted on Stryker vehicles to shoot down drones and incoming rockets. The services are also working on other types of directed-energy weapons; however, many of these systems are still experimental, and some programs have been cut or canceled because they proved too difficult or costly to make practical.

Last month, DoD held a demonstration of several laser and directed energy weapons for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Laser Wars reported. It’s the first publicly known instance of a defense secretary observing a live-fire event for these weapons.



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Industry data suggests that roughly 68% of UK casino players have claimed a free spins bonus in the past twelve months, making it the single most redeemed promotion type. Understanding how these offers work is therefore essential for anyone wanting to stretch their bankroll further.

What Separates the Best Free Spins Sites from the Rest

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Live casino games have moved from novelty to mainstream in the United Kingdom, and the numbers back it up. Industry tracking suggests live dealer titles now account for roughly one in every five pounds staked at online casinos, with roulette and blackjack leading the way. For anyone used to spinning reels, the format feels different: real dealers, real tables, real-time streaming. The good news is that the basics are simpler than most players expect, and getting started takes only a few minutes. Check out additional details at BingoNoDepositBonus 100 free spins no deposit.

What separates live gaming from standard software titles is the human element. Dealers run the action from studios in real time, and results are generated on physical equipment rather than by a random number generator. That transparency is a big part of the appeal, as is the social side , most tables include a chat window where you can interact with the dealer and other players.

This guide covers the practical essentials: how a session works, the rules that differ from digital versions, and the bankroll habits that keep play enjoyable.

Getting Started: Platforms, Tables and Stakes

You will find live dealer games at most UK-licensed casinos, and the range is wider than many newcomers realise. Roulette comes in European, French and Speed variants. Blackjack tables typically offer low-limit, standard and VIP versions. Baccarat, poker-based games and game-show hybrids such as money wheels and multiplier shows round out the lobby.

Stakes start modestly. Many blackjack tables open at £1 or £2 per hand, while roulette allows chip sizes from around 10p on outside bets. VIP tables raise minimums sharply, sometimes to £50 or more per box, so check the limits before sitting down. Deposit methods usually include debit cards and e-wallets, with withdrawals processed in GBP and subject to the standard UK rules on verification and affordability checks.

Before staking anything, use the free demo tables many platforms offer. They replicate the live experience closely and let you learn the interface without spending. When you do switch to real money, keep sessions short at first.

How a Session Works and What to Watch

Click a table, choose your seat and place a bet within the countdown timer. The dealer spins the wheel, deals the cards or launches the ball, and winnings land in your balance automatically. Video streams run in high definition, with multiple camera angles and on-screen statistics such as hot and cold numbers or historical hand results.

Timing matters. Roulette betting windows typically close 10 to 20 seconds before the spin, and blackjack rounds follow a similar rhythm. Miss the window and your chips stay untouched for that hand. Chat is moderated, and tipping dealers is optional but possible at most tables via a dedicated button.

Fairness is regulated, not assumed. UK-licensed operators must publish return-to-player figures and submit to independent testing, and live streams are monitored to guard against collusion. Compare RTP across variants: European roulette sits at 97.3%, while some blackjack rulesets edge above 99% with optimal play.

Bankroll and Playstyle Tips

Set a session budget before you log in and treat it as fixed. A common approach is to cap individual bets at 2-5% of your bankroll so a losing run does not wipe you out.

• Use the chat to ask dealers about table rules , they are trained to help.
• Prefer European over American roulette; the single-zero wheel cuts the house edge to 2.7%.
• Learn basic blackjack strategy first; it can lift your expected return by several percentage points.
• Keep deposit limits active and take regular breaks during longer sessions.

Live games reward patience more than speed. There is no autoplay, so every hand involves a deliberate decision , which suits players who prefer a measured pace over rapid-fire slots. Treat the format as entertainment with a cost, not an income stream, and the experience stays firmly on the enjoyable side.

• OpenAI integrates Codex into its ChatGPT app, creating a hub for work and AI tools.
• OpenAI’s new GPT-5.6 models are designed to meet varying user needs with different price points.
• The wave of models and product releases comes amid fierce competition in both areas.

OpenAI has built a super app for work.

On Thursday, the company announced it is now merging its popular Codex AI coding tool into its ChatGPT desktop app, a move to turn the flagship AI app into a one-stop shop for engineers and other professionals. OpenAI also revealed a Work setting for the ChatGPT app and a batch of state-of-the-art AI models in its new GPT-5.6 family.

The latest wave of releases encapsulates OpenAI’s ambitious strategy: train uber-powerful AI models, deliver them to ChatGPT’s massive user base, and become an indispensable part of life for millions of workers. ChatGPT has almost 1 billion users, OpenAI engineer Thibault Sottiaux said on a Thursday livestream.

OpenAI, which had an early lead in the industry, is fighting to stay at the forefront of AI capabilities, duking it out release by release with rival Anthropic and trying to stay ahead of Google, Meta, SpaceXAI, and cheaper Chinese AI models. Meta also announced its first paid AI model on Thursday.

OpenAI originally launched Codex as a software engineering tool and has since expanded its reach to a broader market. In June, the company released a report that said areas like data analysis and research were growing faster than traditional coding uses on Codex and that 5 million people use the tool each week.

Codex leader Andrew Ambrosino called Thursday’s merger of Codex into ChatGPT “only the first” step: “We’re working to unify the experience across web, mobile, and desktop—but we want to do it thoughtfully, not smash two things together with a toggle and call it a day.”

On OpenAI’s Thursday livestream, Sottiaux and other colleagues showcased the desktop app’s new Work feature, which will incorporate popular aspects of Codex, such as the ability to modify a computer’s files and to operate autonomously in a browser.

OpenAI has filed the confidential paperwork to go public. The AI competition, government involvement, and research progress could affect the timing of the company’s initial public offering.

When asked by CNBC on Thursday if OpenAI would go public this year, CEO Sam Altman said, “I don’t know.”

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