Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and 44 senators in reintroducing legislation to permanently repeal the federal estate tax, commonly known as the death tax. The Death Tax Repeal Act would end this purely punitive tax that can hit family-run farms, ranches and businesses as the result of the owner’s death.
“After a farmer or business owner puts a lifetime of work into a family business, the death tax slaps the next generation with an unaffordable burden upon the passing of a loved one. It’s an outdated measure that’s keeping family farms and businesses from where they’re supposed to be; in the family. Our legislation would end this tax so that family farms can keep their money, invest in the rural communities and create new opportunities,” Grassley said.
“Family farms and ranches play a vital role in our economy and are the lifeblood of rural communities in South Dakota. Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many. It’s time to put an end to this punishing, burdensome tax once and for all so that family farms, ranches and small businesses can grow and thrive without costly estate planning or massive tax burdens that can threaten their viability,” Thune said.
Additional cosponsors are Sens. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Curtis (R-Utah), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).
Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa).
Find bill text HERE.
Background:
Grassley has long opposed the death tax, he welcomed the Senate’s attempt to repeal the death tax while Congress considered the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017. Although the final version of the TCJA did not repeal the death tax, the law effectively doubled the individual estate and gift tax exclusion to $10 million (approximately $13.9 million in 2025 dollars) through 2025, which prevents more families and generationally-owned businesses from being affected by this tax. The increased exclusion expires at the end of 2025, which increases uncertainty and planning costs for family-owned businesses, farms and ranches.
The Death Tax Repeal Act is supported by more than 190 members of the Family Business Coalition and more than 105 members of the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition, which includes the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Restaurant Association, the National Association of Home Builders and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure that hospitals in Hawai‘i caring for large numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients receive their fair share of federal funding. The Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act would establish a national federal funding minimum for disproportionate share hospitals (DSH). Current payment levels are based on an outdated formula. The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
“Helping cover more costs for local hospitals will mean more uninsured and low-income people across Hawai‘i will have access the care they need,” said Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We’ll keep working to make sure hospitals have the federal funding and resources they need to continue serving every part of Hawai‘i.”
The Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act establishes a federal minimum of $20 million per state for the Medicaid DSH program, growing by inflation in subsequent years and resulting in millions of new federal dollars to Hawai‘i and other “low DSH” states. In addition to Hawai‘i, states that would see increases in funding under the bill include Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
The full text of the bill is available here.
NEW YORK, 14 February (United Nations, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs) — The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf will hold its sixty-third session from 17 February to 21 March 2025 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. During the session, plenary meetings will be held from 24 to 28 February and from 10 to 14 March. The remainder of the session will be devoted to the technical examination of submissions by subcommissions on the Division premises, including geographic information systems laboratories and other facilities.
The upcoming session of the Commission will be the first for Ahmed Er Raji (nominated by Morocco) following his election as a member of the Commission at the resumed thirty‑fourth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, on 27 November 2024. Also, given the recent resignation of Harald Brekke (nominated by Norway) due to health reasons, the Commission will elect a Vice-Chairperson to fill the resulting vacancy.
During the session, nine subcommissions will continue to consider submissions made by Mauritius in respect of the region of Rodrigues Island (partial submission); Palau in respect of the North Area (partial amended submission); Portugal; Spain in respect of the area of Galicia (partial submission); Namibia; Mozambique; and Madagascar; as well as revised submissions made by Brazil in respect of the Brazilian Oriental and Meridional Margin (partial revised submission); and Cook Islands concerning the Manihiki Plateau (revised submission).
Coastal States that had not yet presented their submissions to the Commission were invited to present them at the plenary part of the session. To date, the following submitting States accepted the invitation: Brazil in respect of the Brazilian Oriental and Meridional Margin (partial revised submission); and Viet Nam in respect of the Central Area (VNM-C).
The plenary of the Commission will commence its consideration of the recommendations prepared by the subcommissions established to consider the submissions made by Brazil in respect of the Brazilian Equatorial Margin (partial revised submission); Cuba in respect the eastern polygon in the Gulf of Mexico; and Iceland in respect of the western, southern and south-eastern parts of the Reykjanes Ridge (partial revised submission), which were transmitted to the Commission during the sixty‑second session.
This session will be the first under the revised pattern of annual meetings in New York, whereby the Commission meets for three sessions of five weeks each, including four weeks of plenary meetings, complemented by increased intersessional work.
Background
Established pursuant to article 2 of annex II to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Commission makes recommendations to coastal States on matters related to the establishment of the outer limits of their continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured, based on information submitted by those coastal States. The recommendations are based on the scientific data and other material provided by coastal States in relation to the implementation of article 76 of the Convention and do not prejudice matters relating to the delimitation of boundaries between States with opposite or adjacent coasts or prejudice the position of States that are parties to a land or maritime dispute, or application of other parts of the Convention or any other treaties. The limits of the continental shelf established by a coastal State on the basis of the recommendations are final and binding. In the case of disagreement by a coastal State with the recommendations of the Commission, the coastal State shall, within a reasonable time, make a revised or new submission to the Commission.
Under rule 23 of its rules of procedure (Public and private meetings), the meetings of the Commission, its subcommissions and subsidiary bodies are held in private, unless the Commission decides otherwise.
As required under the rules of procedure of the Commission, the executive summaries of all the submissions, including all charts and coordinates, have been made public by the Secretary‑General through continental shelf notifications circulated to Member States of the United Nations, as well as States parties to the Convention. The executive summaries are available on the Division’s website at: www.un.org/depts/los/clcs_new/clcs_home.htm. The summaries of recommendations adopted by the Commission are also available on the above-referenced website.
The Commission is a body of 21 experts in the field of geology, geophysics or hydrography serving in their personal capacities. Members of the Commission are elected for a term of five years by the Meeting of States Parties to the Convention having due regard to the need to ensure equitable geographical representation. Not fewer than three members shall be elected from each geographical region.
A by-election to fill the vacancy resulting from the resignation of Mr. Brekke will be held at the thirty-fifth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, scheduled to be convened from 23 to 27 June 2025. An election for another seat allocated to members from the Group of Eastern European States which has remained vacant would also be held on that occasion.
The Convention provides that the State party which submitted the nomination of a member of the Commission shall defray the expenses of that member while in performance of Commission duties. A voluntary trust fund for the purpose of defraying the cost of participation of the members of the Commission from developing countries has been established. It has facilitated the participation of several members of the Commission from developing countries in the sessions of the Commission.
The convening by the Secretary-General of the sessions of the Commission, with full conference services, including documentation, for the plenary parts of these sessions, is subject to approval by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The Assembly does so in its annual resolutions on oceans and the law of the sea, which also address other matters relevant to the work of the Commission and the conditions of service of its members.
Research shows that up to 30 per cent of all motor vehicle collisions are caused by distracted drivers. Looking at the phone, emailing, texting and other distracted behaviors while driving can result in tragic consequences that are totally preventable.
Alberta’s distracted driving law restricts drivers from doing any of the following, even while stopped at red lights:
Using hand-held cell phones, including texting or emailing.
Using electronic devices such as laptop computers, video games, cameras, video entertainment displays and programming portable audio players such as MP3 players.
Entering information on GPS units.
Reading printed materials.
Writing, printing or sketching.
Personal grooming such as brushing and flossing teeth, putting on makeup, curling hair, clipping nails or shaving.
Quick facts
There were 11,314 convictions for distracted driving between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024.
93 per cent of distracted driving convictions were for using a hand-held electronic device while driving.
Distracted driving related penalties include:
Distracted driving – $300 fine and three demerit points
Careless driving – fine of up to $1,200 and six demerit points
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Florida of the March 17 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes that occurred May 10, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the counties of Baker, Columbia, Gadsen, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Santa Rosa, Suwanee, Taylor and Wakulla.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs that suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
For more information and to apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 17, 2025.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Florida of the March 17, 2025, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes that occurred on May 10, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the counties of Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, and Wakulla in Florida, as well as the counties of Grady and Thomas in Georgia.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs that suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 17, 2025.
# # #
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Oklahoma of the March 14, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by severe storms, straight-line‑winds, tornadoes and flooding that occurred May 19-28, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the counties of Blaine, Caddo, Custer, Delaware, Jackson, Mayes, Roger Mills, Rogers and Woods.
Under the declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs that provide non-critical services of a governmental nature and suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. Examples of eligible non-critical PNPs include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs cause by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.
Interest rates can be as low as 3.25% with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
For more information and to apply online visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit completed loan applications no later than March 14.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Allen Todd May, age 60, was sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of escape, and one count of aggravated identity theft. May’s sentence is to be served consecutive to the approximately seven years he must serve on a sentence imposed in the Northern District of Texas, which he was serving when he escaped. May was also ordered to serve three years on supervised release after completion of his prison sentence and to pay $9,113,375.49 in restitution, and forfeit the fraud proceeds and assets he obtained during the scheme.
According to the plea agreement, between mid-2016 and December 2018, while serving a 20-year sentence at the Federal Prison Camp in Englewood, Colorado, May devised a scheme to falsely and fraudulently claim that he and entities controlled by him were entitled to oil and gas royalties that had not yet been claimed by the true owners. May was able to participate in this scheme through an unlawfully obtained iPhone he purchased from a fellow inmate at the Federal Prison Camp. Throughout the course of this scheme, May obtained more than $700,000 in royalties to which he was not entitled.
At the Federal Prison Camp, May worked as a facilities clerk where he drove vehicles on prison grounds. On December 21, 2018, May drove off the Federal Prison Camp Compound and eluded capture by federal law enforcement for nearly five years. While on the run, May engaged in the same fraudulent oil and gas royalties scheme and netted $8 million in funds to which he was not entitled and used these funds to support his extravagant lifestyle. He stole the identities of inmates serving long sentences, presented himself as those individuals, and conducted his fraud in their names.
The United States Marshals Service arrested May in August of 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he had been living under an alias.
“The people of Colorado and Florida are safer today because Allen Todd May is back behind bars,” said Acting United States Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “The Federal Government will not rest when it comes to pursuing fraudsters and fugitives.”
“This repeat offender demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law. While in federal prison, he orchestrated a $700,000 fraud scheme, audaciously escaped, and continued to victimize unsuspecting Americans while on the run for five years,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “Thanks to the tireless work of the U.S. Marshals Service, he was apprehended, and his criminal activities were stopped. The defendant’s actions leave no doubt that he is a threat to society and deserves to remain incarcerated.”
“On behalf of the U.S. Marshals, I want to recognize and thank the anonymous tipster for the information they provided that directly led to the arrest of this unorthodox fugitive,” said District of Colorado U.S. Marshal Kirk Taylor. “I would also like to thank and recognize the incredible tenacity of the Deputy U.S. Marshals who pursued every lead over the years in the District of Colorado, culminating in the arrest in the Southern District of Florida. Their relentless pursuit of this fugitive and the coordination of the agencies involved is a true testament to the U.S. Marshals Service.”
United States District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico presided over the sentencing.
The United States Marshals Service and the FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Martha Paluch and Tonya S. Andrews handled the prosecution.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Frank E. Noeson III, 47, of Holland, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison and 30 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that Noeson, who was then a 5th grade teacher at a local elementary school, engaged in sexual communications with a minor female (Victim) using Snapchat. The Victim was 16 years old when the communications began. During the communications, Noeson persuaded the Victim to create sexually explicit images and videos and send them to him. Noeson also engaged in sexual communications with another minor female victim, who was 15 years-old, using Snapchat. During these communications, the victim sent numerous images and videos of child pornography.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Buffalo Office Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the FBI Miami Field Office, and the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger.
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced to 152 months in prison for wire fraud, conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On September 16, 2024, and November 4, 2024, Cory Sean Heard, age 47, pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on February 8, 2021, Heard was pulled over by the Raleigh Police Department for a routine traffic stop. During a search of Heard’s car, officers located a 9mm pistol, a bag of heroin, and a digital scale. Further investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that between 2019 and 2021, Heard sold over 100 grams of heroin.
While investigating Heard for drug distribution, the FBI learned that in March 2020, Heard submitted a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) application and IRS Form Schedule C for a fake business. As a result of this fraudulent EIDL application, Heard received a cash advance. Further investigation revealed that Heard also received PPP funds for an alleged car washing business. As part of the resolution of this case, Heard agreed, and was ordered to pay, $140,000 in restitution to the Small Business Administration.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Raleigh Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Labresh prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
McALLEN, Texas – A 46-year-old man has been ordered to prison following his conviction of being a felon in possession of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Rosvel Gonzalez pleaded guilty Nov. 21, 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Gonzalez to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
On Sept. 5, 2024, an undercover law enforcement officer engaged in a controlled sale of a firearm to Gonzalez, a convicted felon. Authorities arrested him following the sale. A subsequent search of Gonzalez’s home revealed eight additional firearms and several amounts of ammunition.
The investigation revealed Gonzalez was previously convicted of felony possession of marijuana. He also had a prior felony conviction for manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law.
Gonzalez has been and will remain in custody pending his transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
McALLEN, Texas – A 34-year-old man has been ordered to prison for possessing firearms while a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
David Michael Saenz pleaded guilty Nov. 21, 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Saenz to serve 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
On Sept. 11, 2024, law enforcement stopped Saenz for a traffic violation, at which time they also smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Saenz admitted he was in possession of firearms.
A search revealed two handguns in his waistband and two additional firearms in his vehicle. Authorities also found meth and marijuana in the vehicle.
Further investigation revealed Saenz was previously convicted of aggravated robbery in 2021. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law. Saenz also admitted to possessing one of the firearms to protect himself while engaging in drug dealing.
Saenz has been and will remain in custody pending his transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration and Rio Grande City Police Department conducted the joint investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
COLDWATER, Mich., Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. (OTC Pink: SOMC) announced fourth quarter net income of $2,650,000, or $0.57 per share, compared to net income of $2,437,000, or $0.54 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2023. Southern earned $10,402,000 or $2.28 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared with $10,905,000 or $2.40 per share, for the same period one year ago.
John R. Waldron, President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc., stated, “2024 was another solid year with total assets reaching approximately $1.5 billion. During the year ended December 31, 2024, total loans and deposits grew to $1.116 billion and $1.252 billion, respectively. While our earnings continue to be impacted by the current interest rate environment, we remain encouraged by the strength of our core deposits and our ability to maintain asset quality.”
The allowance for credit losses totaled $12,782,000, or 1.14% of loans on December 31, 2024, compared to $11,697,000, or 1.13% on December 31, 2023. Net loan charge-offs totaled $27,000 for 2024, compared to $15,000 for 2023. Non-performing loans as a percentage of total loans were 0.08% on December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.
The annualized return on average assets for the years ended December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, was 0.71% and 0.80%, respectively. The annualized return on average equity was 10.07% for 2024 compared to 11.94% for 2023. The tax equivalent net interest margin for the years ending December 31, 2024, and 2023 was 2.98% and 3.16%, respectively.
Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company and the parent company of Southern Michigan Bank & Trust. It operates 18 offices within Branch, Calhoun, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo and St. Joseph Counties providing a broad range of consumer, business and wealth management services throughout the region.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on management’s beliefs, assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections about the financial services industry, the economy, and Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. Forward-looking statements are identifiable by words or phrases such as “expected,” “begin,” and other similar words or expressions. All statements with reference to a future time period are forward-looking. Management’s determination of the provision and allowance for credit losses and other accounting estimates, such as the carrying value of goodwill, other real estate owned, mortgage servicing rights and the fair value of investment securities, involves judgments that are inherently forward-looking. The future effect of changes in the financial and credit markets and the national and regional economy on the banking industry, generally, and Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc., specifically, are also inherently uncertain. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions (“risk factors”) that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extend, likelihood and degree of occurrence. Therefore, actual results and outcomes may materially differ from what may be expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that may arise after the date of the forward-looking statements.
SOUTHERN MICHIGAN BANCORP, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)
(In thousands, except share data)
December 31, 2024
December 31, 2023
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents
$
73,737
$
71,620
Federal funds sold
259
1,468
Securities available for sale, at fair value
159,320
169,740
Securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost
60,454
61,600
Loans held-for-sale
995
169
Loans, net of allowance for credit losses of $12,782 – 2024, $11,697 – 2023
1,103,652
1,024,720
Premises and equipment, net
25,600
23,114
Net cash surrender value of life insurance
23,139
22,472
Goodwill
13,422
13,422
Other intangible assets, net
111
147
Other assets
35,866
26,323
TOTAL ASSETS
$
1,496,555
$
1,414,795
LIABILITIES
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing
$
223,583
$
226,178
Interest bearing
1,028,212
931,793
Total deposits
1,251,795
1,157,971
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase and overnight borrowings
1,560
1,738
Accrued expenses and other liabilities
18,355
15,703
Other borrowings
82,900
106,900
Subordinated debentures
34,722
34,653
Total liabilities
1,389,332
1,316,965
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Preferred stock, 100,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding
–
–
Common stock, $2.50 par value:
Authorized – 10,000,000 shares
Issued and outstanding – 4,577,107 shares in 2024, 4,533,637 shares in 2023
11,438
11,330
Additional paid-in capital
13,438
13,126
Retained earnings
97,462
89,808
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
(15,115
)
(16,434
)
Total shareholders’ equity
107,223
97,830
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
$
1,496,555
$
1,414,795
SOUTHERN MICHIGAN BANCORP, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED)
(In thousands, except per share data)
Three Months Ended December 31,
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2024
2023
Interest income:
Loans, including fees
$
16,628
$
15,308
$
64,376
$
54,887
Federal funds sold and balances with banks
999
766
4,629
3,125
Securities:
Taxable
1,376
1,635
5,889
6,291
Tax-exempt
318
304
1,222
1,265
Total interest income
19,321
18,013
76,116
65,568
Interest expense:
Deposits
7,358
6,077
29,013
20,593
Other
1,315
1,606
6,016
4,995
Total interest expense
8,673
7,683
35,029
25,588
Net interest income
10,648
10,330
41,087
39,980
Provision for credit losses
353
–
1,014
950
Net interest income after provision for credit losses
OTTAWA, Ontario, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The following matter was voted upon at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Calian® Group Ltd. (TSX:CGY), held on February 13, 2025 in Ottawa, Ontario. This and other matters voted upon are described in greater detail in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Management Proxy Circular dated December 30, 2024.
Detailed results of the vote for the election of directors are set out below.
Name of Nominee
Votes For
% Votes For
Votes Against
% Votes Against
George Weber
6,474,389
82.99%
1,327,223
17.01%
Josh Blair
7,786,162
99.80%
15,450
0.20%
Kevin Ford
7,788,179
99.83%
13,433
0.17%
Lisa Greatrix
7,781,072
99.74%
20,540
0.26%
Lori O’Neill
7,630,438
97.81%
171,174
2.19%
Young Park
7,634,699
97.86%
166,913
2.14%
Jo-Anne Poirier
7,635,858
97.88%
165,754
2.12%
Royden Ronald Richardson
7,633,263
97.84%
168,349
2.16%
Valerie Sorbie
7,638,974
97.92%
162,638
2.08%
For more details, including the outcome of other matters that came before the Meeting, please see the report of voting results filed at www.sedarplus.ca.
We keep the world moving forward. Calian® helps people communicate, innovate, learn and lead safe and healthy lives. Every day, our employees live our values of customer commitment, integrity, innovation, respect and teamwork to engineer reliable solutions that solve complex challenges. That’s Confidence. Engineered. A stable and growing 40-year company, we are headquartered in Ottawa with offices and projects spanning North American, European and international markets. Visit calian.com to learn about innovative healthcare, communications, learning and cybersecurity solutions.
Product or service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Such statements are generally accompanied by words such as “intend”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect” or similar statements. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of price competition; scarce number of qualified professionals; the impact of rapid technological and market change; loss of business or credit risk with major customers; technical risks on fixed price projects; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; international growth and global economic conditions, and including currency exchange rate fluctuations; and the impact of consolidations in the business services industry. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, please see the Company’s most recent annual report and other reports filed by Calian with the Ontario Securities Commission. Calian disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No assurance can be given that actual results, performance or achievement expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking statements within this disclosure will occur, or if they do, that any benefits may be derived from them.
Calian · Head Office · 770 Palladium Drive · Ottawa · Ontario · Canada · K2V 1C8 Tel: 613.599.8600 · Fax: 613-592-3664 · General info email: info@calian.com
ANDOVER, Mass., Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vicor Corporation (NASDAQ: VICR) today announced that, on February 13, the International Trade Commission (“ITC”) issued a Notice of Final Determination in its Investigation No. 337-TA-1370 (“In the Matter of Certain Power Converter Modules and Computing Systems Containing the Same”), confirming that Vicor U.S. Patent Nos. 9,516,761 (“’761 patent”) and 9,166,481 (“’481 patent”) are valid and infringed, and that unlicensed computing systems containing infringing power modules should be barred from importation into the United States.
The ITC issued a Limited Exclusion Order against all Respondents and Cease and Desist Orders against Respondents Delta Electronics (Americas) Ltd., Quanta Computer USA Inc. and Quanta Computer Inc., FII USA Inc., and Ingrasys Technology USA Inc.
Following the determination, for a mandatory 60-day presidential review period, Respondents may import infringing power modules and computing systems upon posting a bond. The ITC set the bond amount for the computing systems at 100% of the system’s value. Following the expiration of the presidential review period, Respondents would be prohibited from importing infringing power modules and computing systems.
The Final Determination reversed a prior finding that Foxconn Respondents did not have a license to Vicor patents and instead found that two Foxconn affiliates—FII USA, Inc. and Ingrasys Technology, Inc.—have a license to the ’761 patent, based on boilerplate clauses in these entities’ purchase orders for Vicor components. Vicor intends to appeal this finding to the Federal Circuit.
“As expected, Respondents are now subject to exclusion and cease and desist orders, exposing their unlicensed customers to severe consequences,” stated Chief Executive Officer Dr. Patrizio Vinciarelli. “Mindful of the risk of AI and computing systems being barred from importation into the U.S., certain OEM and non-OEM customers of infringing contract manufacturers have taken licenses. We look forward to additional steps to protect Vicor IP, including a trial in the Eastern District of Texas, where Vicor seeks monetary damages for willful infringement.”
For more information on Vicor and its products, please visit the Company’s website at www.vicorpower.com.
About Vicor
Vicor Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and markets modular power components and complete power systems based upon a portfolio of patented technologies. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, Vicor sells its products to the power systems market, including enterprise and high performance computing, industrial equipment and automation, telecommunications and network infrastructure, vehicles and transportation, aerospace and defense. www.vicorpower.com
Vicor is a registered trademark of Vicor Corporation.
Contact
James F. Schmidt Chief Financial Officer Office: (978) 470-2900 Email: invrel@vicorpower.com
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is pressing the Trump Administration to take immediate action to mitigate the worsening outbreak of a bird flu virus, known as H5N1. The Trump Administration’s incredibly harmful “pause” on time-sensitive and critical public health communications from key federal agencies risks missing key indicators of health threats and exacerbates the likelihood of another deadly pandemic.
Peters’ warning comes as the Trump Administration has taken little action to coordinate a response to the growing H5N1 outbreak. Already this year, more than 20 million egg-laying chickens have died due to the bird flu, raising the price of eggs dramatically. The United States has already reported its first human death from the virus, and the same strain has recently infected dairy cows in Nevada, where at least one dairy farm worker has tested positive.
“As the H5N1 virus continues to infect wild birds, poultry flocks, and dairy cattle across the country, it has been detected in all fifty states and Puerto Rico, with 68 reported human cases in 11 states throughout the U.S,” wrote Peters. “In Michigan, H5N1 has been identified in 25 counties and two farm workers tested positive for the virus last year.”
Peters continued: “We are at a critical juncture and must work to mitigate H5N1 transmission among affected animals to ensure the virus does not eventually adapt to spread easily between humans, resulting in human-to-human transmission like the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us the importance of early and prompt action, clear roles and responsibilities, regular and unified communication, and most importantly, the severe consequences of a delayed response.”
“I request that the White House, including the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR), and relevant executive branch agencies, take immediate and necessary measures to ensure transparent, unified, and regular communications with the public about the H5N1 outbreak,” Peters underscored. “Public health communications must not be interrupted.”
In his role leading the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters led an investigation and released a report identifying significant failures of the federal government’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Peters’ report made recommendations to bolster our preparedness for future pandemics and response to future public health crises. Many of those recommendations have not yet been addressed by Congress or the Administration.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
Peters’ Bipartisan Bill Would Help U.S. Companies Identify and Avoid Doing Business with Foreign Entities Linked to Human Rights Abuses
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to help American businesses identify and avoid doing business with foreign entities linked to human rights abuses, particularly the use of forced labor in China. The Combating CCP Labor Abuses Act – which Peters reintroduced with U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and John Curtis (R-UT) – would direct the Commerce Department to offer training and guidance to U.S. exporters that are, or are considering, exporting goods to businesses in the People’s Republic of China where forced labor and significant human rights abuses have occurred. The bill – which unanimously passed the Senate last Congress – would also require the Commerce Department to provide additional insight that might help U.S. exporters avoid doing business with foreign entities that are subject to the influence or control of nations such as the People’s Republic of China that may be implicated in forced labor or human rights violations.
“We must do everything we can to condemn and deter human rights abuses being committed by our adversaries, including China,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “This bipartisan bill will provide our businesses with important insight that can help avoid business dealings with foreign entities that might be involved in these atrocities.”
The bipartisan legislation has earned the support of the Uyghur Human Rights Project and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).
“Business complicity in the genocide of the Uyghurs has to be stopped,” said Omer Kanat, Uyghur Human Rights Project Executive Director. “The US government should act on its 2021 genocide finding, by ensuring small businesses have options. This bill is important for them to stop any kind of business with the companies involved in the ongoing slow-genocide policies in China – including hi-tech surveillance, textiles, EV batteries, and much more.”
The government of the People’s Republic of China has perpetrated egregious human rights abuses—including in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region—against Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups. The Chinese government’s actions have encompassed mass detention in internment camps, the use of forced labor, and other atrocities. This has led the U.S. State Department to determine that the People’s Republic of China, “under the direction and control” of the Chinese Communist Party, “has committed genocide against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.”
The U.S. Department of Commerce provides valuable assistance to help U.S. businesses and exporters increase sales and tap into new markets, such as through export counseling provided by the U.S. Commercial Service. Peters’ bipartisan bill would build on existing human rights training for Department staff by ensuring its workforce is specifically informed about emerging trends and issues with respect to human rights abuses occurring around the world, such as the situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, slammed the Trump administration for stopping all grant funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the past ten days and continuing to block funding for lifesaving disease research, like finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. This halt in funding is despite two court orders directing the Trump Administration to end its unlawful efforts to freeze all federal grants and the Trump Administration rescinding its Office of Management and Budget memo that ordered a freeze to all federal grants. It’s also on top of the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to cap indirect costs for biomedical research across the country, jeopardizing lifesaving breakthroughs.
“The President has completely stopped funding for research that discovers cures for diseases that devastate families across the country, like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, all so he can give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations,” said Senator Baldwin. “Make no mistake, their efforts to rob Peter to pay Paul means crushing families’ hopes and dreams of having cures for diseases that their kids, parents, or grandparents have – all to line the pockets of guys like Elon Musk. The NIH supports truly lifesaving, groundbreaking work that helps people across the country stay healthy and alive, and halting this funding only means fewer treatments for Americans and fewer American jobs.”
Since last Monday, February 3, the NIH has announced zero notice of awards for grants. To date, the Trump Administration has awarded 3,600 fewer NIH grants and $1 billion less in funding to research institutions across the country over the comparable period in the last administration. In addition, the Trump Administration has canceled more than 50 NIH Advisory Council meetings, the crucial final step in the grant approval process to determine which grants will be funded. For example, the National Advisory Council on Aging canceled its January meeting which, based on recent data and trends, is delaying an estimated 1,000 grants and approximately $600 million to support Alzheimer’s disease research.
Even if NIH resumes issuing grants that they have frozen for the last ten days, Advisory Council and peer review meetings still being cancelled will continue to cause significant delays in research funding. This is already impacting tens of thousands of grant applications and billions of dollars in lifesaving research funding and could be a sign of the Trump Administration seeking to illegally impound federal funding for lifesaving research.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
February 14, 2025
Bill Text (PDF) | Bill One-Pager (PDF)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) reintroduced the Internal Revenue Service Math and Taxpayer Help (IRS MATH) Act, a bill to improve math error notices — an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) authority used to quickly adjust taxpayers’ returns.
Representatives Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) recently reintroduced the bill in the House, and the bill passed unanimously out of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee during markup on February 12, 2025.
Each year, the IRS sends millions of Americans math error notices, expedited adjustments to tax returns that contain simple math or clerical errors. These “vague and confusing” notices often list several potential errors that may have been made rather than specifying the exact issue leading to a refund being reduced. The notices also fail to explain that taxpayers have only 60 days to challenge the IRS’s position and fail to explain how taxpayers can contest these notices, causing many taxpayers to forfeit their right to challenge the adjustments.
The lawmakers hope to improve this unworkable system to help taxpayers, especially low-income and non-English speaking Americans, who cannot afford lawyers to help them navigate the complicated correspondence process. The Math ACT was included in the Senate Finance Committee’s discussion draft of bipartisan legislation that aims to reform IRS administration and procedure.
“IRS communications to taxpayers should be clear and easy to understand,” said Senator Warren. “This bipartisan bill will reform notoriously confusing error notices so that hardworking Americans can get the money they’re entitled to quickly and fairly.”
“Taxes are already complicated, and the last thing Americans need is more confusion,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We’re making sure the IRS does its part to inform taxpayers when they correct inevitable errors made on tax returns.”
“If the IRS finds a mistake on a tax return, this agency should be required to clearly communicate that error to the taxpayer and explain why a tax refund is higher or lower than expected. That’s why I’m glad to introduce legislation to ensure that the IRS clearly spells out errors on tax forms and helps taxpayers not only understand the mistake but also challenge it if they see fit,” said Representative Feenstra. “Filing taxes is already burdensome and time-consuming. We can improve customer service by instituting open and transparent communication between the IRS and the taxpayer when a tax error is identified.”
Senators Warren and Cassidy initially introduced the bill in 118th Congress.
The IRS MATH Act reforms the math error process by:
Directing the IRS to improve notices of math or clerical errors, requiring that notices:
Identify the line item the IRS is changing;
Explain the reason for the change, and;
Clearly list the taxpayer’s required response date.
Requiring that the IRS notify the taxpayer of abatement determinations.
Requiring the Treasury Secretary to provide additional procedures for requesting an abatement of a math or clerical error adjustment, including by telephone or in person.
Creating a pilot program coordinated by the IRS and National Taxpayer Advocate to determine the benefit of sending math or clerical error notices by certified or registered mail.
Senator Warren has, throughout her career, advocated for low-income taxpayers and for improved IRS procedures:
In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led over 135 members of Congress in writing to Treasury Secretary-Designate Scott Bessent and Internal Revenue Services’ (IRS) Commissioner-Designate Billy Long, urging them to maintain and expand the IRS’ Direct File program.
In October 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Representative Katie Porter (D-Calif.) wrote to the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service urging the agencies to make the Direct File tax filing program more secure and accessible by ending reliance on ID.me, which uses a flawed facial recognition software.
In April 2024, following the 2024 tax filing deadline, at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned IRS Commissioner Daniel I. Werfel, on the IRS’s use of Inflation Reduction Act funds to successfully pilot a Direct File program, a first-of-its-kind option for Americans in twelve states to be able to file their taxes online directly with the IRS, easily and for free.
In April 2024, Senator Warren and colleagues applauded the success of Direct File’s Pilot during the 2024 tax filing season, highlighting rave reviews, millions of dollars in refunds claimed and filing fees saved.
In April 2024, Senator Warren sent a letter to Chair Lina M. Khan of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), blasting Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, for continuing to relentlessly upsell TurboTax users despite numerous FTC and state lawsuits and settlements. Senator Warren applauded the FTC’s oversight of Intuit, and urged the Commission to continue to take action to protect taxpayers from tax preparation companies that pile junk fees onto users.
In March 2024, Senator Warren celebrated the successful launch of the IRS’s Direct File pilot.
In March 2024, Senator Warren highlighted the positive feedback that the IRS’s Direct File pilot in 12 states has received from taxpayers and asked Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen to commit to expanding and extending the program in 2025 if positive feedback continues, which Yellen agreed to.
In February 2024, Senators Warren, Blumenthal, Sanders, and Representative Porter sent a response to Intuit, blasting the company for its failure to answer basic questions the lawmakers asked in their January 2, 2024 letter seeking an accounting of the expenses underlying the company’s massive federal research tax breaks.
In January 2024, Senators Warren, Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Representative Katie Porter (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Intuit requesting a full accounting of the expenses underlying the company’s massive federal research tax breaks by January 16, 2024. Intuit disclosed that it received $94 million in federal research tax credits in 2022, while simultaneously spending millions lobbying against the establishment of a free program for Americans to file their taxes online.
In October 2023, Senators Warren, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Representative Porter sent letters to five tax preparation companies—H&R Block, TaxAct, TaxSlayer, Ramsey Solutions, and Intuit—that recently received notices of penalty offenses from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the misuse of taxpayer’s sensitive and confidential information.
In October 2023, Senators Warren and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Representatives Porter, Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), and Don Beyer (D-Va.) released a statement supporting the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) joint announcement of their 2024 pilot of Direct File, a program that allows Americans to file tax returns digitally and free of charge. The lawmakers acknowledged the Inflation Reduction Act’s role in the program’s development, and stated their intention to support the IRS’s efforts to develop and expand the Direct File pilot.
In August 2023, Senator Warren and Representative Porter sent a letter to the Free File Alliance, the American Coalition for Taxpayer Rights, Intuit, and H&R Block admonishing the companies’ relentless lobbying against the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) direct free filing tool.
In July 2023, Senators Warren, Wyden, Blumenthal, Duckworth, Sanders, and Whitehouse and Representative Porter released a report revealing the outrageous, extensive, and potentially illegal sharing of taxpayers’ sensitive personal and financial information with Meta by online tax preparation companies. The lawmakers also sent a letter to the IRS, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice highlighting their key findings and calling on these departments to fully investigate this matter and prosecute any company or individuals who violated the law.
In June 2023, Senators Warren and Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Representatives Sherman, Porter, and Beyer, led a coalition of 99 Democratic lawmakers in a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel and Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo, applauding the IRS’s announcement of a pilot of a free tax filing tool next year.
In May 2023, Senator Warren’s call for a Free E-File Program was finally answered by the IRS through the Inflation Reduction Act .
In April 2023, Senators Warren and Carper led 29 other senators in a letter to the IRS Commissioner, urging the agency to simplify the tax process and broaden access to free e-filing options.
In April 2023, at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Warren questioned the IRS Commissioner about the agency’s failed Free-File partnership with private tax preparation software companies and called on the agency to implement a direct E-File program.
In December 2022, Senators Warren and Wyden and Representatives Porter and Sherman sent letters to tax preparation companies H&R Block, TaxAct, and TaxSlayer, plus big tech firms Meta and Google, amid reports that the tax preparation companies have been secretly transmitting individual taxpayers’ sensitive financial information to Meta and Google
In August 2022, Senator Warren highlighted key priorities she secured in the Senate’s Inflation Reduction Act, including establishing an IRS task force to look into developing and running an IRS-run free direct E-File tax return system, based on Senator Warren’s Tax Filing Simplification Act.
In July 2022, Senator Warren led 22 lawmakers to introduce the Tax Filing Simplification Act of 2022, legislation that would direct the IRS to develop its own free online tax preparation and filing service that would simplify the tax filing process for millions of Americans.
In June 2022, at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen agreed with Senator Warren on the need to create a free tax filing system that actually works for Americans.
In June 2022, Senator Warren and Representatives Porter and Sherman sent a letter to Richard K. Delmar, Acting Treasury Department Inspector, General, J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Andrew Katsaros, Acting Inspector General at the Federal Trade Commission, regarding troubling reports of Intuit’s abuse of the revolving door and the company’s hiring of former federal regulators and influence-peddlers to defend its shady business practices. In the letter, which is a follow up to the prior April 2022 letter, the lawmakers call out Intuit for forcing American taxpayers into paying for services that should be free, and request an in-depth investigation into the company and its use of the revolving door to influence policy decisions at those agencies.
In April 2022, Senator Warren and Representatives Sherman and Porter sent a letter to Intuit regarding the company’s unethical use of the revolving door to hire former regulators to defend their shady business practices that scam taxpayers out of billions of dollars. In June 2022, the lawmakers sent a follow-up.
In February 2022, Senator Warren and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) sent a letter to the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Treasury and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, calling on them to open an investigation into the unethical revolving door between the world’s largest accounting firms and the Treasury Department and IRS.
In February 2022, Senator Warren made the case for increased funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) through the Build Back Better Act and called on the administration to create the simplified filing tools proposed in her Tax Filing Simplification Act.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
February 14, 2025
“[DoD’s] new immigration operations — which the Trump administration is planning at an unprecedented scale — threaten to burden the Department’s resources and undermine our national security.”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) wrote to Secretary of Defense (DoD) Pete Hegseth regarding the military’s recent deployment of active-duty forces to the southern border and Guantanamo, and the Department of Defense’s (DOD) new involvement in immigration detention and deportation.
On his first day in office, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) to “seal the borders” and “to provide steady-state southern border security.” On January 29, President Trump directed DoD to “expand the Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to full capacity” of 30,000. As a result, NORTHCOM has deployed about 2,000 active-duty troops to the southern border, bringing the total under DoD’s command to over 4,000. These deployments have drawn from numerous Army and Marine Corps units, and DoD has required the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, New York to oversee the units. In the near term, the Trump administration is reportedly considering deploying up to 10,000 troops to the southern border — double the scale of DoD’s border deployment in 2019 and 2020. That number could grow; during President Trump’s first term, then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Stephen Miller (now White House Deputy Chief of Staff) said that “[w]e need a quarter-million troops” at the southern border.
Following Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) reversal of its policy prohibiting the use of military aircraft to deport migrants, DoD has operated over 10 deportation flights around the world. At Guantanamo, SOUTHCOM’s has deployed over 500 Marines and DoD has not ruled out detaining women and children there. A former Pentagon official estimates that these operations would “quickly skyrocket into tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, of dollars.”
At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 13, 2025, Admiral Alvin Holsey, SOUTHCOM Commander, confirmed that the Pentagon does not have a cost estimate for these immigration operations, though the department is supposed to consider costs before deploying troops. At the same hearing, General Gregory Guillot, NORTHCOM Commander, told senators that only one training day has been set aside per week for deployed troops operating outside their specialties to maintain their skills, so troops are only doing 20% of relevant military training while deployed for immigration enforcement.
“[DoD’s] new immigration-related operations place significant — and unnecessary — burdens on DoD resources, personnel, and readiness,” wrote the senators.
The aircraft now used for deportations, for example, cost far more than the commercial and chartered flights that ICE normally uses for deportations. The new aircraft, the military C-17 plane, costs taxpayers over $28,000 per flight hour for a single deportation, compared to $8,577 per flight hour on civilian aircraft alternatives that ICE often uses. Similarly, ICE’s contract for Guantanamo’s migrant operations center requires it to pay a staggering $272,000 per detention bed, compared to around $57,00 per bed at ICE facilities within the United States.
DoD may not have a realistic estimate of how much these new operations will cost. During President Trump’s first term, when DoD deployed troops to the border between FY2018 and FY2020, the Department estimated that its border operations would total $1 billion in unreimbursed costs. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) later found that “DOD did not present reliable cost estimates.” Since then, DoD has not implemented any of GAO’s recommendations for improving how it estimates the cost of assisting DHS’s immigration operations.
DoD’s growing participation in DHS immigration operations will pose serious costs for units’ readiness. The Defense Secretary discontinued part of DoD’s border operations between 2018 and 2020 after finding that “continued support for the mission would negatively affect military readiness and morale.” The commandant of the Marine Corps warned at the time that the operation posed an “unacceptable risk to Marine Corps combat readiness and solvency,” as a result of separated units and canceled training exercises.
“Likewise, we are concerned about how these operations may impact servicemembers’ morale. In recent years, DoD personnel who deployed to the border have reported dangerously low morale, driven by an unclear mission, isolation, boredom, poor accommodations, and more,” wrote the lawmakers. “Poor morale even contributed to a series of suicides by members of the Texas National Guard who deployed to the southern border.”
“(T)he Trump administration is militarizing the country’s immigration enforcement system in an apparent attempt to signal toughness. But this political stunt will come at a high cost; it risks diverting DoD’s resources away from its vital mission in ways that compromise our national security,” the senators concluded.
The senators requested that DoD provide more clarity about troop deployment to the border and anticipated costs by February 27, 2025.
Senator Warren has sought to protect military resources and prevent unnecessary costs that compromise national security:
In December 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) wrote to the leaders of each of the top 10 U.S. automakers with concerns about the companies’ fierce opposition to car owners’ right to repair the vehicles they own in the way they choose.
In December 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) introduced the Servicemember Right-to-Repair Act to increase military readiness and cut costs by allowing servicemembers to repair their own equipment.
In December 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to the Department of Defense with continued concerns about DoD’s failure to prevent price gouging and overpayments in the military’s TRICARE health program. DoD’s response to Senator Warren’s July 2023 letter revealed a list of nearly 250 bad actors who have overcharged our military by nearly $46 million, which the Senator released today.
In June 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), U.S. Representative Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), and 20 other lawmakers sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez and Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, raising concerns over Express Scripts’ exclusive contract to administer TRICARE’s pharmacy program, the healthcare system for the military, retirees, and their families.
In July 2023, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren chaired a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel. She called out the Department of Defense (DoD) for wasting billions in taxpayers dollars due to price gouging by defense contractors for services and in health care, and identified opportunities for cost savings when DoD buys personnel-related goods and services.
In July 2023, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, regarding a series of DoD Inspector General (IG) reports finding that the Department of Defense (DoD) is failing to prevent price gouging and overpayments to contractors in the TRICARE health program.
In June 2023, Senators Warren and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), alongside Rep. Garamendi, reintroduced the bipartisan Stop Price Gouging the Military Act, which would close loopholes in current acquisition laws, tie financial incentives for contractors to performance, and provide the Department of Defense (DoD) the information necessary to prevent future rip-offs.
In May 2023, Senator Warren and Representative John Garamendi sent letters to DoD, Boeing, and TransDigm on companies’ refusal to provide cost or pricing data.
In May 2023, Senators Warren, Sanders, Braun, and Grassley sent a letter to DoD urging an investigation into contractor price gouging.
In October 2022, Senator Warren obtained a commitment from DoD not to increase contract prices due to inflation.
In October 2022 Senator Warren sent a letter to DoD urging them to insist on receiving certified cost or pricing data to justify any contract adjustments.
In June 2022, Senator Warren and Representative Garamendi introduced the bicameral Stop Price Gouging the Military Act, which would enhance DoD’s ability to access certified cost and pricing data. Part of Senator Warren’s legislation was incorporated into the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act reported to the Senate.
In September 2020, Senator Warren and Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) formally requested that the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General (IG) investigate reports that the Pentagon redirected hundreds of millions of dollars of funds meant for COVID-19 response via the Defense Production Act (DPA) to defense contractors for “jet engine parts, body armor and dress uniforms.”
In May 2020, Senator Warren wrote to the Department requesting clarification on how the Department would prevent profiteering following a recent change to increase payments to contractors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2020, Senator Warren joined her colleagues in urging the FTC to use its full authority to prevent abusive price gouging on consumer health products during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In April 2019, Senator Elizabeth Warren, along with Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and four other members of the Armed Services Committee, wrote to then-Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan to seek clarification about statements made by Department of Defense officials about the deployment of military personnel to the southwest border and assurances that this deployment would not negatively affect military readiness.
In November 2018, Senator Warren, along with Representative Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), then-Chairwoman of the Military Personnel Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, and former Representative Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), sent a bicameral letter to then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis requesting information about President Trump’s decision to deploy more than 5,000 active duty military personnel to the southwest border.
In May 2017, Senator Warren sent a letter to the Department of Defense Inspector General asking for an investigation into defense contractor TransDigm’s refusal to provide cost information to the Department of Defense.
Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Chris Coons (D-DE) in introducing the Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification (HPAI) Act to expand USDA compensation to all poultry farmers in a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) control zone, rather than only pertaining to those whose flocks are infected. Alabama recently experienced a bird flu outbreak in Cullman and Pickens counties, resulting in the loss of more than 116,000 chickens.
“Our farmers are in desperate need of help if they are going to continue to feed, fuel, and clothe our country,” said Senator Tuberville. “As Alabama’s voice on the Senate Ag Committee, I want to find targeted ways to address the needs of our agriculture community. Our state ranks number two nationally in broiler chicken production, and our chicken producers cannot stay in business when they are losing out on profits from entire flocks. As we put together this year’s Farm Bill, I will keep working hard to ensure Alabama’s farmers have the help they need to keep our state at the forefront of food production.”
Complete text of the legislation can be found here.
BACKGROUND:
More than 138 million birds have been affected by HPAI since 2022, with cases found in all 50 states. APHIS has reported 79 new cases of HPAI over 31 different states in the past 30 days. Under current APHIS policies, all poultry farms located within 10-kilometer radius of a HPAI case are disallowed from placing flocks until the virus is contained. Afterward, all growers who have positive tests in their flocks receive compensation from the USDA, but not those within the 10-kilometer control area whose flocks do not contract HPAI.
The Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification (HPAI) Act is endorsed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Chicken Council, United Egg Producers, Delmarva Chicken Association, Alabama Farm Bureau, and 17 other state farm bureaus across the country.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) in reintroducing legislation that would permanently repeal the federal estate tax, commonly known as the death tax. The Death Tax Repeal Act would end this purely punitive tax that can hit family-run farms, ranches, and businesses as the result of the owner’s death. Sen. Tuberville has helped introduce this legislation in both the 117th and 118th congresses.
“The Death Tax destroys American jobs by stifling profitable businesses that employ hardworking Americans,” said Senator Tuberville. “Our government should be focused on creating an economic environment that preserves small businesses and family farms, instead of taxing them out of operation. I will keep pushing for policies that incentivize our next generation of farmers and business owners, so that we can continue to rely on their contributions for a strong economy.”
“Family farms and ranches play a vital role in our economy and are the lifeblood of rural communities in South Dakota,” said Senator Thune. “Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many. It’s time to put an end to this punishing, burdensome tax once and for all so that family farms, ranches and small businesses can grow and thrive without costly estate planning or massive tax burdens that can threaten their viability.”
Senators Tuberville and Thune are joined by U.S. Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jim Justice (R-WV), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN) in cosponsoring the legislation.
Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04).
Read full text of the legislation here.
BACKGROUND:
The Senate attempted to repeal the estate tax while Congress considered the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017. Although the final version of the TCJA did not repeal the death tax, the law effectively doubled the individual estate and gift tax exclusion to $10 million (approximately $13.9 million in 2025 dollars) through 2025, which prevents more families and generationally owned businesses from being affected by this tax. The increased exclusion expires at the end of 2025, which increases uncertainty and planning costs for family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches.
MORE:
ICYMI: Tuberville in Yellowhammer News: “Protect family farmers by repealing the death tax” Tuberville Pushes to Permanently Repeal the Death Tax Tuberville Joins Effort to Permanently Repeal the Death Tax
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle spoke about the the UK’s approach to the responsible development of artificial intelligence at the Munich Security Conference.
Innovation is defined by its ability to surprise.
Only a few years ago, GPT-2 meant nothing to the public.
For many of us, AI felt like a distant possibility at best.
Something that would never – could never – live up to the hype.
And yet, overnight, ChatGPT became a household name.
It unleashed an unprecedented wave of technological change.
And the pace of progress shows no signs of slowing down.
With DeepSeek, we’ve just seen once again just how sudden, how unpredictable, innovation can be.
The AI revolution is happening.
Ignoring it is simply not an option.
In the UK, we reject the doomsayers and the pessimists.
Because we are optimistic about the extraordinary potential of this technology.
And hopeful for the radical, far-reaching change it will bring.
Working in collaboration with our international partners, we’re going to create one of the biggest clusters of AI innovation in the world and deliver a new era of prosperity and wealth creation for our country.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
If we can seize it, we will close the door on a decade of slow growth and stagnant productivity.
Of taxes that are just too high.
We will deliver new jobs that put more money in working people’s pockets.
And we will drive forward a digital revolution inside government to make our state smaller, smarter, and more efficient.
But none of that is possible unless we can mitigate its risks that AI presents.
After all, businesses will only use these technologies if they can trust them.
Security and innovation go hand in hand.
AI is a powerful tool and powerful tools can be misused.
State-sponsored hackers are using AI to write malicious code and identify system vulnerabilities, increasing the sophistication and efficiency of their attacks.
Criminals are using AI deepfakes to assist in fraud, breaching security by impersonating officials.
Last year, attackers used live deepfake technology during a video call to mimic bank officials.
They stole $25 million.
And now we are seeing instances of people using AI to assist them in planning violent and harmful acts.
These aren’t distant possibilities.
They are real, tangible harms, happening right now.
The implications for our people could be pervasive and profound.
In the UK, we have built the largest team in a government dedicated to understanding AI capabilities and risks in the world.
That work is rooted in the strength of our partnerships with the companies who are right at the frontier of AI.
Working with those companies, the government can conduct scientifically informed tests to understand new AI capabilities and the risks they pose.
Make no mistake, I’m talking about risks to our people, their way of life, and the sovereignty and stability which underpins it.
That is why today, I am renaming our AI Safety Institute as the AI Security Institute.
This change brings us into line with what most people would expect an Institute like this to be doing.
They are not looking into freedom of speech.
They are not deciding what counts as bias or discrimination.
They are not politicians – nor should they be.
They are scientists – scientists who are squarely focused on rigorous research into the most serious emerging risks.
They are researching AI’s potential to assist with the development of chemical and biological weapons.
They are building on the expertise of our National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to understand how this technology could be used to help malicious actors commit cyber-attacks.
They want to understand how AI could undermine human control.
Our research shows that those risks are clear:
There has been a clear upward trend in AI system capabilities most relevant to national security in the past 18 months.
For the first time last year, AI models demonstrated PhD-level performance on chemistry and biology question sets.
The safeguards designed to prevent these models doing harm are not currently sufficient.
Every model tested by the Institute is vulnerable to safeguard evasion attacks.
And it is almost certain that these capabilities will continue to improve, while novel risks will emerge from systems acting as autonomous agents to complete tasks with only limited human instruction.
The more we understand these risks, the better we can work with companies to address them.
And the faster we can keep our nation safe, the faster our people can embrace the potential of AI to create wealth and improve their lives.
There are certain security risks which require immediate action.
That is why the Security Institute will collaborate with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, the Ministry of Defence’s science and technology organisation, to assess the dual-use scientific capabilities of frontier AI.
Today, we are also launching a criminal misuse team in the Security Institute, who will partner directly with the Home Office to conduct research on a range of crime and security issues which threaten to harm our citizens.
Earlier this month, the UK set out plans to make it illegal to own AI tools optimised to make images of child sexual abuse.
Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material found online by the Internet Watch Foundation have quadrupled in a single year.
The Security Institute will work with the Home Office to explore what more we can do to prevent abusers using AI to commit their sickening crimes.
A security risk is a security risk, no matter where it comes from.
US companies have shown the lead in taking security risks seriously.
But we need to scrutinise all models regardless of their jurisdiction of origin.
So I’ve instructed the Security Institute to take a leading role in testing AI models wherever they come from, open or closed.
While we can’t discuss these results publicly, we will share them with our allies.
We are alive to the security risks of today.
But we need to focus on tomorrow, too, and the day after that.
We are now seeing the glimmers of AI agents that can act autonomously, of their own accord.
The 2025 International AI Safety Report, led by Yoshua Bengio, warns us that – without the checks and balances of people directing them – we must consider the possibility that risks won’t just come from malicious actors misusing AI models, but from the models themselves.
We don’t yet know the full extent of these risks.
However, as we deploy AI across our economy, our society, and the critical infrastructure that keeps our nation secure, we cannot afford to ignore them.
Because losing oversight and control of advanced AI systems, particularly Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), would be catastrophic.
It must be avoided at all costs.
I want to be clear exactly what this testing is, and what it’s not.
It’s not a barrier to market access. Not a blocker to innovation.
It is urgent scientific work to understand serious risks to our country.
Governments are not passive bystanders in the AI revolution.
We have agency in how AI shapes our society.
And we have a responsibility to use that agency to defend our democratic way of life.
Only countries with a deep and knowing understanding of this technology will be able to build the capacity they need to deliver for their citizens in the twenty-first century.
But success is not a given.
It depends on the democratic world rallying together to maintain our leadership in AI.
Together, we can protect our fundamental values – freedom, openness, and opportunity.
If we do that, we won’t just keep our people safe.
We will ensure that they are first to benefit from the new era of wealth and prosperity which AI will bring.
A selection of works on paper by 12 contemporary women artists has gone on display at Aberdeen Art Gallery.
Works on paper can include drawings and watercolours, printed material and art photography. There are over 13,000 works on paper in the Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums collection. The new display in Gallery 16 will be refreshed over the coming years to highlight the full range and richness of the collection. One of the priorities for the redevelopment of the Art Gallery, completed in 2019, was for more of the collection to go on display, including works on paper.
Around half of the contemporary artworks in the collection are by women artists. The work of the 12 artists featured in the new exhibition spans 50 years and explores a variety of techniques including printmaking, photography and painting. The artists are Annie Cattrell, Mirian Dokotliver, Amy Gear, Louise Hopkins, Hannah Imlach, Bet Low, Bel McCoig, Nanny Mulder, Elizabeth Ogilvie, Frances Walker, Caroline Walker and Francesca Woodman.
Among the highlights of the display are four photographs by the American photographer Francesca Woodman (1958-1981) who produced a highly-influential body of work during her brief 10-year career, often photographing herself in empty interiors. Her blurry images give a sense of human fragility.
A set of prints, which is a recent addition to the collection, is on display for the first time. ‘Nocturnes’ by Scottish artist Caroline Walker (born Dunfermline, 1982) depicts women in a variety of domestic settings at nighttime.
Frances Walker (born Kirkcaldy, 1930) has been a major contributor to artistic practice and development in Aberdeen, having taught at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen for many years. In 1974 she was a founding member of the city’s Peacock Printmakers. Walker depicts wild and desolate landscapes and terrains in her paintings and prints.
Gallery 16 at Aberdeen Art Gallery, where this new display is on show, is one of 19 spaces in the building that showcase the outstanding collection that is cared for by the Archives, Gallery & Museums team on behalf of the people of Aberdeen. Each Gallery has a different atmosphere and a different story to tell, from Art Deco ceramics, to portraiture, jewellery, processes in art and craft, the influence of 19th century French art on Scottish artists, the artist-adventurer James McBey and the experience of Aberdonians during times of war and conflict. Visitors can discover more about the collection by listening to staff talking about some of the highlights of the displays by downloading the free digital guide to the Art Gallery on the Bloomberg Connects app.
Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesman, said: “This is a wonderful exhibition of works on paper by women artists. It’s great to see the skills and talent on display. These changing exhibitions give everyone the chance to enjoy different aspects of the Art Gallery collection. These are treasures which belong to all of us in the city and it is good to have the opportunity to view these carefully-chosen artworks. The free digital guide to the Gallery on the Bloomberg Connects app is a really useful way to find out more about the drawings, paintings and other items in the city’s excellent art museum. The app is a good way to familiarise yourself with and learn more about Aberdeen’s outstanding collection.”
Works on Paper – Women Artists is now open at Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB10 1FQ. Open Monday – Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm. Admission is free and donations are welcome.
The special exhibition Artist Textiles: From Picasso to Warhol continues at the Art Gallery until 13 April. This joyful exhibition explores textiles and fashion as popular artforms in 20th century Britain, Europe and the United States through rare examples of textiles by leading artists including Alexander Calder, Salvador Dalí, Sonia Delaunay, Raoul Dufy, Barbara Hepworth, Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Ben Nicholson and Andy Warhol. For ticket and visiting information go to www.aagm.co.uk
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Olga Chesnova
“Rosmolodezh. Grants” is a unique federal service for young people that helps support social initiatives and implement them. Olga Chesnova, an expert of “Rosmolodezh. Grants”, head of the Center for Project and Festival Activities of the St. Petersburg State Institute of Cinema and Television, told students how to become grant recipients.
“The Federal Agency for Youth Affairs implements “Rosmolodezh. Grants” – a system of state support for youth project activities with a grant fund of 2.5 billion rubles, with 50 grant sites and 18 nominations. Citizens aged 14 to 35 who have presented their social projects can take part in the implementation of grants. Social projects provide for a fairly wide range of topics. One of the most popular nominations is
She explained the participation algorithms: young people develop projects, create teams and send applications, which are assessed by the expert community using a point system. Participants who score the highest number of points become grant recipients.
“In addition to the financial opportunity to implement the project, grant recipients gain valuable experience in promoting their ideas and finding like-minded people, which, in turn, increases their chances of receiving new grants, including for larger amounts. By the end of February, we plan to announce another competition. In March, we expect to announce a competition for universities, where applications will be accepted from universities as legal entities, and there will be more serious amounts. Each year, another nomination is added to the nominations related to the theme of the year. So, in the Year of the Family there was a nomination “Relatives and Beloved”, this year it should be patriotic. I advise participants who are applying for the first time to choose a topic that is most familiar and close to them, and it is better to focus on a project where there is already a reserve. For example, if you are a master of sports, have experience in this area, are passionate about this topic, choose it. This is important for success,” advised Olga Chesnova.
Vice-Rector for Youth Policy at SPbGASU Marina Malyutina emphasized that our university has many talented students who have cool ideas and projects, but for some reason they have not yet applied for a grant. “Grants are a good way to self-realization and a way to receive funding for the implementation of a project, an opportunity to attract partners. I have studied the projects of grant recipients of previous years and I want to wish you to be bolder, because your projects and ideas are not only no less, but perhaps even more interesting. Therefore, the chances of winning are high,” she noted.
First-year student of the Automobile and Road Engineering Faculty Sofya Parfyonova said that she and her associates intend to apply for a grant for the project “Fidget Football”. According to her, this team sport, which harmoniously combines eSports and traditional sports, is gaining popularity today.
“Fidget football will allow our university to diversify student sports life and attract even more students to physical activity. We plan to use the grant funds to purchase special equipment and computers. I believe that Rosmolodezh. Grants is a great opportunity to implement a lot of initiatives, so we are already working on other ideas for participation in the next competition. And they are also aimed at promoting new sports among students,” said Sofya.
First-year student of the construction faculty Arseniy Kukhi, having studied the conditions for receiving a grant and the application procedure, confidently says that it is much easier than in the case of other grants.
“But what you need to think about is the idea of the project, and this is much more difficult. I looked at numerous projects of grant recipients and saw that almost all the problematic topics that lie on the surface have already been declared. Therefore, you need to look for more in-depth topics. I am a member of the student media center, perhaps I will focus on this direction, but I do not rule out that I will also work on my new project,” said Arseniy.
Anna Kozhemyak, a second-year student at the construction faculty, admits that she has been a member of Rosmolodezh associations for quite a long time; she is interested in this movement. Last March, she attended the World Youth Festival in Sochi.
“I have been thinking about the idea of getting and implementing a grant for a long time, but I am currently looking for a specific topic that would be significant not only for the university, but also useful for the city’s youth. Now I am interested in traveling, because I love it myself and would like to involve my friends in it. My project should include excursions, exchange of cultural or professional experience among young people,” Anna shared.
Deputy Head of the Youth Policy Department of SPbGASU Ekaterina Kovalenko noted that the university has created all the conditions to help students both in developing projects and in submitting applications. A Telegram channel has been created to inform students about these opportunities #Netolokopars. For consultation and support, please contact office No. 135. We would like to add that Ekaterina Kovalenko is herself a recipient of such grants and can share her personal knowledge and experience.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe ordered U.S. and Missouri flags be flown at half-staff at all government buildings in Macon County on Sunday, February 16, 2025, from sunrise to sunset in honor of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Shelbe Faye Butner, who was tragically killed in the line of duty on January 30, 2025, while conducting a training exercise at Fort Stewart United States Army post in Georgia.
“Staff Sergeant Shelbe Faye Butner was dedicated to serving our country with honor, courage, and unwavering commitment,” said Governor Mike Kehoe. “Staff Sergeant Butner considered the welfare of others a personal responsibility and was guided by her love of country to serve our nation. Her sacrifice reminds us of the bravery and dedication of the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedoms. Claudia and I join Shelbe’s family and friends in honoring her service and mourning her loss.”
A 2015 graduate of Macon High School, Staff Sergeant Butner enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 1, 2015. She earned the Military Occupational Specialty Code 88M as an Army Motor Transport Operator and completed several advanced training courses, including the Army Basic Leader Course, Air Assault School, and Drill Sergeant School. She was assigned to the 6th Squadron – 8th Cavalry Regiment, where she was promoted to Staff Sergeant on August 1, 2022.
Staff Sergeant Butner was a proud and accomplished soldier, serving in the United States Army for nine years, including a tour in Kuwait. Throughout her career, Staff Sergeant Butner earned many commendations, including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War Expeditionary Medal, and numerous others.
The flags will be flown at half-staff on the day of Butner’s interment services. To view the governor’s proclamation, click here.
A Nevada woman pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud the United States by making claims for refunds of false COVID-19 related employment tax credits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Candies Goode-McCoy, of Las Vegas, conspired with others to file tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit. From around June 2022 through September 2023, McCoy filed approximately 1,227 false tax returns for her businesses and others claiming these refundable credits.
In total, these claims sought refunds of over $98 million, of which the IRS paid approximately $33 million. McCoy personally received over $1.3 million in fraudulent refunds and was paid about $800,000 from those on whose behalf she filed fraudulent returns. McCoy knew that these returns were fraudulent. Neither she nor the others for whom she filed them were eligible to receive the refundable credits in the amounts claimed. McCoy used the proceeds for her personal benefit, including the purchase of luxury cars, gambling at casinos, vacations and other luxury goods.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, Congress authorized the ERC for small businesses to reduce the employment tax owed to the IRS. Congress also authorized the IRS to give a credit against employment taxes to reimburse businesses for the wages paid to employees who were on sick or family leave and could not work because of COVID-19. This credit was equal to the wages the business paid the employees during the sick or family leave, subject to a maximum amount.
McCoy is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 23, 2026. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney John C. Gerardi of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.
The Eskasoni RCMP Detachment has charged a man with drug trafficking after executing a search warrant in Eskasoni.
On February 12, at approximately 9 a.m., RCMP officers executed a search warrant at a home on Logan Dr. in relation to an ongoing drug trafficking investigation.
During the search, investigators seized cocaine, cash, cell phones, scales and other items used in the production and distribution of cocaine.
Stephen John Sylliboy, 71, of Eskasoni, has been charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking. He was released from custody and is due to appear in Eskasoni Provincial Court on May 6.
Nova Scotians are encouraged to contact their nearest RCMP detachment or local police to report crime in their communities. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or using the P3 Tips app.
Spokane, Washington – On February 13, 2025, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Nicholas James Thieschafer, age 31, of Spokane Valley, Washington, to 25 years in federal prison on charges of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material. Judge Rice also imposed a life term of supervised release and restitution of over $63,000, to be paid to Thieschafer’s victims.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, a minor disclosed in February 2023 that Thieschafer had been sexually abusing the minor and had at times used his phone to take pictures. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at Theieschafer’s home and seized several electronic devices, investigators located 3,300 image and video files of child sexual abuse material, including 877 files depicting the child who made the initial disclosure. Investigators located several videos in which Theischafer was readily identifiable as the person sexually abusing the child.
“Those who prey on innocent children will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rich Barker. “Protecting Eastern Washington communities—especially our most vulnerable among us—is a top priority. Our incredible team of prosecutors and support staff will continue to work tirelessly with federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement partners to ensure justice is served.”
“Thanks to the relentless efforts of our special agents, criminal analysts, and law enforcement partners, Mr. Thieschafer will be held accountable for his heinous crimes,” said ICE HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy. “This case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing need for HSI to stay vigilant in our mission to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Our commitment to the victims of these crimes is resolute, and we will continue to collaborate closely with our partners to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security, Washington State Patrol, and the Spokane Police Department, which make up the Eastern Washington Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), a Washington State Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) affiliate. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick.
