WASHINGTON –Briyon Shuford, 30, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 161 months in prison for his participation in a daylight drive-by shooting – while he served as a DC Violence Interrupter — that seriously injured four people. Shuford also was sentenced for his participation in a violent, armed group of drug dealers known as the “21st and Vietnam” crew. The crew distributed significant quantities of crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, PCP, and n-n-dimethylpentylone (“boot”) in the area of 21st Street and Maryland Ave. NE.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Troy Springer of the National Capital Region of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Shuford, aka “Breezy,” pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and aggravated assault while armed. In addition to the 161-month prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Shuford to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the 21st and Vietnam crew used an apartment building on the 1900 block of I Street, NE, as a base of operations. The crew ran an open-air drug market around the building and sold narcotics outside on apartment grounds as well as on the first-floor hallway of the building. The sales of crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, PCP, and n-n-dimethylpentylone (“boot”) occurred on a near daily basis between at least June 2023 through May 2024 when the crew members were arrested.
On the morning of April 19, 2024, Shuford arrived at the apartment building to meet co-defendant Trevon Palmer. The pair departed in Shuford’s own vehicle and then exchanged it for a stolen Infiniti sedan. Shuford drove the stolen Infiniti to the 1200 block of Mt. Olivet Road NE, Washington, D.C. The men – both armed with firearms –hunted for members of a rival crew. After finding what they believed to be appropriate targets, both Shuford and Palmer opened fire from the vehicle, shooting indiscriminately into the parking lot of the Circle 7 Food and Grocery Mart without regard for innocent bystanders or passing cars. Shuford almost lost control of the vehicle as he opened fire. Shuford and Palmer’s shots injured four individuals.
Shuford was an equal participant in the 21st and Vietnam crew’s drug activities. He drove co-defendant Damien Jenkins to make a sizable drug sale during which Jenkins sold more than 80 grams of fentanyl. During that sale, Shuford remained nearby in his car, conducting another narcotics sale.
On May 15, 2024, law enforcement arrested Shuford and searched his residence. Law enforcement officers recovered distribution quantities of suspected marijuana, packaging supplies, a Glock 30 firearm, and $12,637 in cash.
This case was investigated by the DEA Washington Division Office, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel.
Briyon Shuford uploaded photos to the internet in 2023 of himself carrying firearms.
Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Jadyn Howard Loman (22, Naples) to 9 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Loman entered a guilty plea on October 30, 2024.
According to court documents, deputies from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Loman after he failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of 20th Place Southwest and 41st Street Southwest in Naples. A subsequent chase ensued with Loman driving in excess of 100 miles per hour – eventually crashing his vehicle. Loman then fled the crash scene on foot before being apprehended. Inside his vehicle, deputies located 2 handguns, ammunition, and various baggies containing fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make out neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Carl Vecchione (62, Oviedo) to five years and nine months in federal prison for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Vecchione pleaded guilty on August 12, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, on June 9, 2022, HSI executed a search warrant at Vecchione’s home after determining that the residence’s IP address was sharing CSAM online. Agents located more than 900 images and videos of CSAM on Vecchione’s laptop.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
JACKSON, Wyo., Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brand EngagementNetwork Inc. (“BEN” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BNAI), a global leader in secure and reliable conversational AI solutions, today announced that Paul Chang, CEO, will present live at the Small Cap Growth Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on February 6th, 2025.
DATE: February 6th TIME: 2:00 PM ET LINK:https://bit.ly/42JmFaP Available for 1×1 meetings: February 6th and 7th
This will be a live, interactive online event inviting investors to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees cannot join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event. It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates. Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.
Why BEN?
High-Growth Market Leader: BEN is positioned to capture opportunities in the $30B conversational AI industry with tailored, impactful solutions. Unlike generalist AI models that rely on expensive GPUs, BEN AI’s small language models run efficiently on CPUs, offering unmatched scalability and cost-effectiveness for businesses.
Proven Innovation and Technology: With 21 granted and 27 pending patents, BEN leads in personalization, adaptive AI, and secure integration. Cataneo’s MYDAS platform optimizes advertising for major broadcasters like Disney and BBC, unlocking new revenue streams.
Industry Versatility: BEN’s scalable AI-powered solutions transform customer engagement across industries, including automotive, healthcare, and media, creating measurable impact and value.
Commitment to Trust and Security: BEN AI ensures transparency, reliability, and U.S.-based data security with HIPAA and SOC2 compliance. Its Virginia-hosted servers and offline capabilities make it ideal for regulated industries like healthcare.
Visionary Leadership: BEN’s leadership team has the expertise to drive industry transformation and maintain its position at the forefront of customer engagement.
Recent Company Highlights:
Transformational Acquisition: BEN recently announced the acquisition of Cataneo GmbH, a media technology leader managing over €5 billion in annual media spend. This $19.5 million deal combines BEN’s Generative AI with Cataneo’s Mydas platform, setting a new benchmark in global media engagement and interactive advertising.
Strategic Partnerships: The Company has partnered with Kangaroo Health, IntelliTek, and INTERVENT to advance AI-driven solutions in healthcare, enhancing patient engagement, chronic care management, and operational efficiency.
Expanding Market Reach: BEN continues to explore new verticals and applications for its AI solutions, positioning the company to capture untapped opportunities and deliver sustained growth.
About BEN Brand Engagement Network Inc. is a global leader in providing secure and reliable conversational AI solutions for businesses and consumers. With offices in Jackson, Wyoming, and Seoul, South Korea, BEN offers a powerful and flexible platform that enhances customer experiences, boosts productivity, and delivers business value. At the heart of BEN’s offerings are AI-powered digital assistants and lifelike avatars, providing more personal and engaging experiences through browsers, mobile applications, and even life-size kiosks. These safe, intelligent, and inherently scalable AI solutions empower businesses to efficiently serve customers using validated data delivered through SaaS, Private Cloud, and On-Premises technology. BEN’s commitment to data sovereignty ensures that consumer and business data remain private, protected, and wholly owned by the respective parties. BEN’s mission is to make AI friendly and helpful for all, ensuring more people benefit from the AI-enhanced world. For more information about BEN’s safe, intelligent, scalable AI, please visit www.beninc.ai.
About Virtual Investor Conferences® Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.
Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.
Media Contact Amy Rouyer E: amy@beninc.ai P: 503-367-7596
Virtual Investor Conferences John M. Viglotti SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access OTC Markets Group (212) 220-2221 johnv@otcmarkets.com
Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are not historical facts and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results of BEN to differ materially from those expected and projected. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words “anticipates,” “believes,” “continue,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “should,” “will,” or “would,” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology.
These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside BEN’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the risk factors that are described under the section titled “Risk Factors” in BEN’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q subsequently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
BEN cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. BEN cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. BEN does not undertake nor does it accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, and it does not intend to do so unless required by applicable law. Further information about factors that could materially affect BEN, including its results of operations and financial condition, is set forth under “Risk Factors” in BEN’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q subsequently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
NEW YORK, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Willis, a WTW business, (Nasdaq: WTW), today announced the appointment of Paul Graziano as Growth Leader for North America. Graziano will focus on driving the development of a consistent framework to unify our revenue growth efforts across Willis in North America.
Graziano has more than thirty years of industry experience. He joins Willis from Marsh, where he was most recently Managing Director and Global Engagement Partner. He also brings extensive experience working with C-suite executives from Fortune 500 companies, as well as entrepreneurs, COIs and emerging growth companies. Previously, Graziano was Chief Business Development Officer at JLT, prior to its acquisition by Marsh in 2019. Before joining JLT, he spent 18 years at Aon as an Executive Vice President with numerous leadership roles.
Graziano is based in Denver and is a graduate of Indiana University.
Commenting on Graziano’s appointment, Adam Garrard, Chairman, Global Risk and Broking, said, “I am delighted to welcome Paul to the Willis team. His extensive experience focused on growth strategies and unique solutions for clients with complex risk profiles aligns perfectly with the growth plans for Willis in North America.”
About WTW
At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk, and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce, and maximize performance.
Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Takahiro Kubo, Senior Researcher in National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) & Visiting Researcher in ICCS, University of Oxford
Governments often use bans to protect wildlife that’s most threatened by trade. However, in our recent study we ask the question: could banning wildlife trade in one threatened species increase the trade in other threatened species?
The expansion of online markets has made it easier for people to buy and sell wildlife. This potential for larger-scale commercial trade creates a potential threat to wildlife, particular when populations are small, which is often the case for species that inhabit islands.
To deal with the risk of overexploitation, the government of Japan, one of the world’s largest wildlife markets, banned the trade of three threatened species: the giant water bug, the Tokyo salamander and the golden venus chub.
While the ban successfully halted legal sales of the policy-targeted species, it had an unintended consequence: an increase in the sales of similar, non-banned species, some of which are threatened.
This pattern, known as the “spillover effect”, suggests that when a species is no longer available, demand often moves to alternative species rather than disappearing entirely. However, these effects affected different species in different ways, with the spillover lasting for more than a year for water bugs, but disappearing over the same period for the salamanders and freshwater fish.
These spillovers can be problematic as they can drive buyers to seek exotic pet species from other countries or even continents. Based on past experience in Japan and elsewhere, we know that these are often then released into nature by those that can no longer keep them. This increases the pressure on native fauna through competition and the spread of disease which may threaten not only native wildlife but also human health. Our findings highlight the need for a more comprehensive approach to wildlife trade regulations – one that considers both direct conservation efforts and indirect global impacts.
Balancing bans
While wildlife trade bans can play an important step, their ability to address overexploitation on their own is limited. To conserve species, we need complementary strategies that can manage demand and monitor supply.
Prior to a ban, it is key to work to reduce the demand for the species to be targeted or redirect it to species that are well managed and not of conservation concern. This would be likely to minimise the effects of any unintended spillover after the trade ban comes into effect. If buyers understand why a species is at risk and are offered sustainable alternatives, they may be less likely to shift their interest to other vulnerable wildlife.
Governments also need to enforce stronger monitoring to be able to track which species are traded and in what amount. This may be hard to implement across all trade but is feasible when we talk about online legal trade, which represents a large part of the global wildlife trade. Instead of focusing only on banned species, authorities should keep an eye on similar species that could become the next target for trade.
For this to be effective, international cooperation, in the form of data sharing, for example, is critical since wildlife trade crosses borders. Countries need to work together to track and regulate trade so that bans don’t simply push demand to other regions.
Finally, promoting legal, ethical and sustainable alternatives – such as responsible captive breeding programs or well-managed wild source populations – can help meet consumer demand without harming wild species.
Our study serves as an important reminder: conservation has no silver bullets and we must be willing to embrace a multitude of tools if we are to deal with the different sides of an issue as complex as the wildlife trade. If we only focus on banning species without considering how the market will react, we risk simply moving the risk of extinction from one species to the next. A well-rounded approach – one that includes consumer behaviour change, improved monitoring and sustainable alternatives – offers the best chance of protecting wildlife for the long term.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Takahiro Kubo receives funding from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). He is a member of the IUCN SSC CEC Behaviour Change Taskforce.
Diogo Veríssimo is the Chair of the IUCN SSC CEC Behaviour Change Taskforce.
Taro Mieno does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Professors and students alike argue that unrestricted use of generative AI threatens the purpose of an education in disciplines like philosophy, history or literature. They say that, as a society, we should care about this loss of intellectual competencies.
But why is it important that traditional learning not become obsolete — as some predict?
Today, when corrupt leaders promote AI development, AI reflects repressive political biases. There are serious concerns about AI disinformation, so it’s critical to consider the original purpose of modern universities.
The German term Bildung captures this broad understanding of the educational process, denoting the activity of shaping yourself according to your inner purpose.
For the philosophers of Bildung, self-development couldn’t take place in isolation but required a community of equals where mutual recognition and critical engagement with each other unlocked everyone’s potential.
They envisioned the university as a community of learners where teachers facilitate the self-development of students by supporting their critical faculties instead of adapting them to fulfil predetermined roles for society. They believed education should prepare for lifelong learning about the self and world.
It was Humboldt who turned these lofty ideals into concrete reforms, laying the groundwork for the modern university and its research-led teaching model. For Humboldt, the realm of Bildung had political significance.
Living under Prussian absolutism, he feared the paternalism of the state that turned its citizens into loyal subjects under the pretence of furthering their spiritual and material welfare.
He was critical of the attempt of Frederick the Great, the Prussian king, to regulate economic life and to control private consumption. Humboldt saw such a concentration of power as a despotic tendency that all forms of government could succumb to, including oligarchy and democracy. He therefore insisted on spaces for individual expression and free association. Literary salons were the initial community space for Bildung, and were a model for the modern idea of universities.
A drawing by Georg Melchior Kraus depicts the salon of Duchess Anna Amalia, showing, among others, writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in discussion. The image suggests the important role of women and community in the Bildungs context. (Wikimedia)
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen from 1789 restricted active citizenship to male property owners and did not abolish slavery. Advocacy for applying equal rights to all was soon taken up by members of oppressed groups to justify their emancipatory pursuits.
Early feminists in late 19th-century Germany, such as the philosopher and writer Hedwig Dohm, demanded access to educational institutions so that women could also “become who they are.”
We find a similar battle cry in the United States, where writer and educator Anna Julia Cooper regarded the higher education of Black women as a key step to social change.
I believe that the idea of Bildung still captures the value of humanities education. In-depth engagement with the complex manifestation of human cultures seen in philosophical ideas, forms of knowledge or literary texts fosters important skills necessary for self-development.
Students learn critical thinking, enabling them to question authorities and discern their own convictions from received values. They experience thinking as a process which takes time and demands the exploration of different points of view — similar to democratic decision-making.
Methods to understand others are therefore an important subject of the humanities. The humanities nurture the ability to connect and to develop solidarity with each other.
The classroom itself is a space where students experience understanding as a collaborative process by discussing with their peers and the instructor.
Instructors must actualize high-level pedagogical goals by creating concrete exercises through which intellectual skills can be learned and practised.
Assessing claims, justifying evaluations
Writing an essay has been the pinnacle of traditional humanities education, since it demands employing the full set of interpretative tools such as identifying sources, analyzing arguments, assessing claims and justifying evaluations independently. It also demands expressing oneself intellectually.
Basic analytic skills such as formulating an argument or giving an objection can be taught in class. But in-class assignments cannot replace pondering an issue over some time and expressing one’s interpretation of it.
The important exercise of individual study is deprived of its value when students use technological shortcuts to complete writing tasks. AI-driven chatbots undermine a key part of the learning process through which students improve their critical thinking. This happens through sustained engagement with complex issues, through which students grow by overcoming challenges and practising habits of thinking.
Relying on AI can undermine processes through which students improve their critical thinking. (Pexels/Cottonbro)
In the U.S., as seen recently in Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration, the economic elite dominates the political system. Tech oligarchs have found a president who is using his vast powers to further their interests and is prepared to do so without checks and balances.
More than ever, we need citizens who have learned to think for themselves and developed capacities for paying attention to and caring about complex challenges in our ever-changing world.
At their best, the humanities are a laboratory to cultivate essential skills for critically assessing the status quo and imagining better alternatives in both political and economic life.
Johannes Steizinger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that 22 farms have been awarded over $15.8 million in funding through the first round of the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Enhanced Nutrient and Methane Management Program (CAFO ENMP). Funding from the program will go toward projects that help farmers protect water quality and mitigate the impacts of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Funding for this program was announced as part of the Governor’s 2024 State of the State and builds on the commitment that Governor Hochul has made to support dairy farm modernization and sustainability.
“The dairy industry is a cornerstone of New York’s economy, thanks to the dedication of dairy farmers and manufacturers across the state whose work has made this commodity New York’s largest agricultural sector,” Governor Hochul said. “I am proud to help our farmers reduce their carbon footprint while continuing to put world-class products on the tables of New Yorkers for generations to come.”
Through the first round of funding, the program will help CAFO-permitted farmers implement projects that enhance manure management systems that sequester carbon and conserve manure nutrients applied to fields and soil to protect water quality. The program also supports advancements in precision feed management to balance nutrients and reduce methane emissions. The estimated Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction for all projects is 122,833 MTCO2e a year, the equivalent of taking 28,651 gas powered vehicles off the road for one year.
A total of 22 projects have been awarded through the State’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts via two funding tracks. Seventeen projects were awarded in Track A, which will go toward Nutrient and GHG Management Best Management Practices Systems. Five projects were awarded in Track B, which will go toward Manure Storage Cover and Flare Projects and associated practices. The awards are as follows:
Capital Region
$11,414.38 awarded to the Saratoga County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Hudson-Hoosic Watershed.
Central New York
$1,025,759.00 awarded to the Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with two farms in the Chenango Watershed.
$293,850.00 awarded to the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Oneida Lake Watershed.
Finger Lakes
$3,192,578.00 awarded to the Ontario County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with three farms in the Seneca Watershed.
$2,167,334.00 awarded to the Ontario County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Chemung Watershed.
$1,248,588.05 awarded to the Wyoming County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with three farms in the Upper Genesee Watershed.
$608,987.20 awarded to the Wyoming County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Lower Genesee Watershed.
$246,900.00 awarded to the Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Oak Orchard – Twelve Mile Creek Watershed.
Mohawk Valley
$942,162.50 awarded to the Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Mohawk Watershed.
$741,861.35 awarded to Herkimer County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Mohawk Watershed.
$98,483.68 awarded to the Oneida County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Mohawk Watershed.
$54,611.89 awarded to Oneida County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Oneida Lake Watershed.
North Country
$810,571.00 awarded to the Clinton County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Lake Champlain Watershed.
$526,926.21 awarded to the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the St. Lawrence Watershed.
$457,056.00 awarded to the St. Lawrence County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the St. Lawrence Watershed.
Western New York
$1,909,650.00 awarded to the Cattaraugus County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Cattaraugus Watershed.
$1,470,815.00 awarded to the Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Chautauqua-Conneaut Watershed.
Full project descriptions are available here.
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball said, “New York State is home to some of the most passionate dairy farmers who are not only producing and processing some of the very best dairy products in the world, but also working hard to leave the industry better for future generations. This funding is a true testament to the value of helping our farmers transition to climate-safe practices that preserve our natural resources while continuing to protect their businesses and nourish our communities. I want to thank our Soil and Water Districts and our farmers for the work they’re doing, and I look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “DEC applauds Governor Hochul’s continued investments to bolster the sustainability of New York’s agricultural industry and provide resources to farmers who serve as crucial partners in the conservation of land and other natural resources. DEC’s requirements play an important role in protecting water quality and this funding will help ensure best management practices are in place and nutrient management plans implemented on livestock farms.”
New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee Chair Matt Brower said, “The requirements for the CAFO General Permit can result in significant financial and management challenges for farm operations in New York. Having these funds available to farmers is important to help them meet those challenges, while also improving water quality and addressing climate change concerns. We are fortunate to have such a great partnership between the farmers and the local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, which makes the planning and implementation of the projects possible. The State Soil and Water Conservation Committee greatly appreciates the efforts of the Districts.”
Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “New York dairy is a pillar of our state’s economy, as our largest agricultural sector and a critical job creator in rural communities and beyond. Clean air, water, and healthy soil are fundamental to thriving farm businesses and, therefore, a reliable food supply. Our state has a major stake in providing direct financial support to dairy farmers who are pioneering climate-forward practices that protect our environment and reduce emissions. The CAFO Enhanced Nutrient and Methane Management Program we established last year is helping make that happen and we congratulate the farmers across New York State whose projects have received funding in this first round.”
Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “As a major producer of safe and nutritious food, the dairy industry is a critical part of New York’s agricultural economy. I’m glad to see 22 farms benefit from funding that will help them reduce their carbon footprint and assist with milk storage technologies. For both our climate and our food supply, it’s important that we continue to support our dairy producers through initiatives like these.”
New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher said, “As the fifth-largest dairy producer in the United States, New York is a powerhouse in the industry, ranking number one in cottage cheese, sour cream and yogurt production. And, as stewards of the land, dairy farmers have a vested interest in protecting soil and water quality, reducing their carbon footprint and implementing modern technology to preserve farming for future generations. By awarding CAFO ENMP funding to soil and water conservation districts across the state, Gov. Hochul is sending a strong message that dairy farmers are trusted partners in sustainability and environmental health.”
Under the Governor’s leadership, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget included additional funding to help boost the dairy industry, including $34 million in capital funding over two years to expand on-farm milk storage capacity, improve efficiencies, invest in milk transfer systems, cooling technologies, and other projects to further opportunities for dairy farmers to transport or store their products.
The FY 2025 Budget also included a nearly $82 investment in agricultural stewardship programs and initiatives, such as the Climate Resilient Farming grant program, that are helping farms to implement environmentally sustainable practices and combat climate change. In her 2025 State of the State Address, Governor Hochul proposed additional funding to research and implement climate-resilient practices on dairy farms.
About the Dairy Industry in New York State
New York State is home to nearly 3,000 dairy producers that produce 16.1 billion pounds of milk annually, making New York the nation’s fifth largest dairy state. With dairy farming accounting for half of the state’s agricultural economy, New York’s unique and talented dairy producers and processors provide significant contributions to New York’s agriculture industry, the economy, and to the health of our communities.
As Nova Scotia’s Provincial Police, road safety is a top priority. In an effort to keep citizens informed about enforcement on our roadways, the RCMP is releasing statistics on stunting charges for the months of October to December 2024.
During this three-month period, Nova Scotia RCMP charged 55 drivers with stunting on a number of highways across the province. This includes 25 in October, 12 in November, and 18 in December. The following are examples of these offences:
182 Km/h in a 100 Km/h zone on Hwy. 105 in South Haven
197 Km/h while driving in Yarmouth (the newly licensed driver was drinking alcohol behind the wheel)
166 Km/h in a 100 Km/h zone on Hwy. 125 in Point Edward (newly licensed driver)
Anyone driving a motor vehicle 50 Km/hr or more over the speed limit may be charged with stunting.
The fine for stunting in Nova Scotia is $2,422.50 for a first offence, six points on your licence and an immediate seven-day roadside licence suspension.
Speed is one of the major causes of serious injury and fatal collisions on our roads. Road safety is a priority for the RCMP and drivers are reminded to make it their priority as well. If you see someone driving unsafely on our roads, please report it by calling the RCMP at 1-800-803-RCMP (7267). If you believe it’s an emergency, call 911.
We are in a rapidly changing visual culture where it is increasingly inadequate to take images at face value.
There is an ever-increasing prevalence of image manipulation and AI imagery. And in the attention economy, our attention has become a precious, sought-after resource. Images participate in this redirection of our attention with an endless production line of new, stimulating content to maximise user engagement.
In this environment, there is an increasing demand to prioritise visual literacy with the same rigour as we do with writing and reading.
We need to look more closely at images – to practise slow looking.
What is it you’re looking at?
The act of slow looking involves taking a pause and thoroughly describing what you see.
Often, we jump to the image’s meaning by identifying its contents. But it is important to discern what the image actually “looks like” and how this influences its reading.
The aim of looking slowly is not just to verify what is real, fake or AI. After all, there will become a time when it is too difficult and time-consuming for the average person to determine every AI-generated image without a watermark or label.
While the ability to detect whether something is AI is one important skill, this should not be the only reason to practise slow looking. To only determine if it is fake or real can ignore what an AI image can also tell us about our cultural climate.
In December, Madonna shared a deepfake of her embracing the Pope from digital artist RickDick.
Satirical images of the pope have a long history. As early as the 16th century, artists depicted the head of the Catholic Church alongside the profane as a means of critique and provocation.
RickDick’s deepfakes, in their eerie sense of realness, prove a new means to continue to satirise and provoke viewers in the digital age. We can deduce on close inspection that these images of Madonna and the Pope are not real photographs, but we can look even further to also discern what nevertheless gives these AI images their potency.
Fake or not, the lifelike, intimate embrace of the two icons probes an old but ongoing friction between perceived acts of blasphemy in pop culture and the sacred authority of the church.
In this etching from 1555, the Pope has three heads: one wears the papal tiara, one wears a turban, and one is an infant. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The act of slow looking develops visual literacy. It examines why certain images go viral, why some move us above others and what they say about our reality, values or beliefs.
Beginning to look slowly
To begin this practice, imagine you are trying to describe an image to a friend who cannot see it. What’s happening in the image? What is its scale? What colours are used? How is it made? Where and how are you viewing it – on your phone, a billboard or poster?
Adopt a questioning stance to spot possible biases or blind spots – your own, or of the creator of the image. What is possibly missing from the image? Whose perspective is it or isn’t it showing?
This process can be significantly enhanced through using your hands: draw or paint what you see. It doesn’t need to be expensive or time-consuming. Nor do you need to be “good” at it. Drawing on a scrap piece of paper with an old ballpoint pen you have on your desk for even just a few minutes can connect the mind and body into a deep awareness of your visual field.
Try drawing what you see, to really examine it and have a deeper connection with it. Eepeng Cheong/Unsplash
Pick anything to draw from your immediate surroundings or screens. This is all about the process: it is not the goal to have a finished artwork.
Key details that weren’t apparent before will emerge through this creative practice and help you analyse how an image works, why it is or isn’t engaging and what are its multiple possible meanings.
Slowing down
That we should look more slowly in our fast-paced, oversaturated visual culture is not a new concept, especially in the art community.
These events often take the form of a guided tour and provide prompts to build the viewer’s analytical skills, with the additional benefit of building a communal engagement to look slowly together.
We are all creators and consumers of images. It is important for all of us to reflect on where our attention is being directed, and why, in the constant flood of images.
We have a shared responsibility in how we examine images. Now, more than ever, our visual literacy would benefit from creative practices to slow us down. At both individual and collective levels, we should prioritise looking intently at how our images remember the past, define our present, and envision the future.
Sienna van Rossum does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
In January, the United States’ Office of the Surgeon General, the country’s leading public health spokesperson, recommended warnings about alcohol’s cancer risks should be displayed on drink packaging.
So, do they work? And should we mandate them here?
Isn’t a glass of wine or two good for me?
Most of us know heavy drinking is unhealthy.
Yet the belief a few glasses of wine helps protect against heart disease and other conditions has persisted. That is despite evidence in recent years showing the benefits have been overestimated and the harms underplayed.
In fact, any level of alcohol use increases the risk for several types of cancer, including colorectal cancer (affecting the large intestine and rectum) and breast cancer.
One study estimated how many new cancer cases will develop across the lifetimes of the 18.8 million Australian adults who were alive in 2016. It predicted a quarter of a million (249,700) new cancers – mostly colorectal – will arise due to alcohol.
We know what causes this harm. For example, acetaldehyde – a chemical produced by the body when it processes alcohol – is carcinogenic.
Alcohol also increases cancer risk through “oxidative stress”, an imbalance in the body’s antioxidants and free radicals which causes damage to DNA and inflammation.
It can also affect hormone levels, which raises the risk for breast cancer in particular.
Australians unaware of the risk
While the harms are well-known to researchers, many Australians remain unaware.
This follows Ireland, the first country to mandate cancer labels for alcohol. From 2026, alcohol packaging will include the warning: “there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers”.
Since 2017, alcohol producers in South Korea have had to choose between three compulsory warning labels – two of which warn of cancer risks. However they can instead opt for a label which warns about alcohol’s risks for dementia, stroke and memory loss.
Currently, whether to include warnings about alcohol’s general health risks is at the discretion of the manufacturer.
Many use vague “drink responsibly” messages or templates provided by DrinkWise, an organisation funded by the alcohol industry.
Pregnancy warning labels (“Alcohol can cause lifelong harm to your baby”) only became obligatory in 2023. Although this covers just one of alcohol’s established health effects, it has set an important precedent.
We now have a template for how introducing cancer and other health warnings might work.
Cancer warnings already feature on some tobacco products in Australia. Galexia/Shutterstock
Would it work?
We know the existing “drink responsibly”-style warnings are not enough. Research shows consumers find these messages ambiguous.
But would warnings about cancer be an improvement? Ireland’s rules are yet to come into effect, and it’s too early to tell how well South Korea’s policy has worked (there are also limitations give manufacturers can choose a warning not related to cancer).
But a trial of cancer warnings in one Canadian liquor store found they increased knowledge of the alcohol–cancer link by 10% among store customers.
Cancer messages would likely increase awareness about risks. But more than that – a 2016 study that tested cancer warnings on a group of 1,680 adults across Australia found they were also effective at reducing people’s intentions to drink.
It may take years before Australia changes its rules on alcohol labelling.
In the meantime, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the current national low-risk drinking guidelines, which aim to minimise harm from alcohol across a range of health conditions.
Rachel Visontay receives funding from the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales.
Louise Mewton receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dementa Australia, Australian Rotary Health, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC).
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are demanding the immediate reinstatement of Inspectors General (IGs) from at least 18 government agencies, in a letter to Donald Trump strongly condemning his recent decision to remove them from their crucial posts.
The IGs who were removed included those overseeing the Departments of Defense, State, Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. In the letter, which Wyden and Merkley sent with 30 colleagues, the senators underscored that Trump’s actions violated the law and threaten the independence of these non-partisan watchdogs.
“Inspectors General are responsible for providing independent oversight of federal programs by working to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and protect taxpayer dollars – oversight our federal agencies desperately need,” the senators wrote. “The federal government and the American people count on these officials to operate in a professional and non-partisan way to hold our government accountable—regardless of who is in power. Without strong, qualified, and independent officials to lead these critical efforts, the Administration risks wasting taxpayer dollars, and allowing fraud and misconduct to go unchecked.”
The senators continued: “While the President has the authority to remove Inspectors General from office, Congress has established clear requirements to ensure such removals are transparent and are not politicized,” wrote the senators. “With respect to your firings Friday night, Congress has not received either the mandatory 30-day notice or a rationale for their removal. Because your actions violated the law, these IGs should be reinstated immediately, until such time as you have provided in writing ‘the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons’ for each of the affected Inspectors General and the 30-day notice period has expired.”
The date of the deposit auction is 03.02.2025. The placement currency is RUB. The maximum amount of funds placed (in the placement currency) is 10,000,000.00. The placement period, days is 3. The date of depositing funds is 03.02.2025. The date of return of funds is 06.02.2025. The minimum placement interest rate, % per annum is 25.00. The terms of the conclusion are urgent or special (Urgent). The minimum amount of funds placed for one application (in the placement currency) is 10,000,000.00. The maximum number of applications from one Participant, pcs. 1. Auction form is open or closed (Open). The basis of the Agreement is the General Agreement. Schedule (Moscow time). Applications in preliminary mode from 10:00 to 10:02. Applications in competition mode from 10:02 to 10:05. Setting a cut-off percentage or declaring the auction invalid before 10:12.
Additional terms
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The date of the deposit auction is 03.02.2025. The placement currency is RUB. The maximum amount of funds placed (in the placement currency) is 60,000,000.00. The placement period, days is 17. The date of depositing funds is 03.02.2025. The date of return of funds is 20.02.2025. The minimum placement interest rate, % per annum is 20.70. Terms of the conclusion, urgent or special (Urgent). The minimum amount of funds placed for one application (in the placement currency) is 60,000,000.00. The maximum number of applications from one Participant, pcs. 1. Auction form, open or closed (Open). The basis of the Agreement is the General Agreement. Schedule (Moscow time). Applications in preliminary mode from 11:30 to 11:40. Applications in competition mode from 11:40 to 11:45. Setting the cut-off percentage or declaring the auction invalid before 11:55.
Additional conditions – Placement of funds with the possibility of early withdrawal of the entire deposit amount and payment of interest accrued on the deposit amount at the rate established by the deposit transaction, in the event of non-compliance of the Bank with the requirements established by clause 2.1. of the Regulation “On the procedure for selecting banks for placing funds of the Moscow Small Business Lending Assistance Fund in deposits (deposits) under the GDS” (as amended on the date of the deposit transaction), early withdrawal at the “on demand” rate, payment of interest at the end of the term, without replenishment.
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At the next meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, which was held in Almaty, an Agreement on cross-border admission to the placement and circulation of securities in organized trading in the EAEU member states was signed.
This is the first document aimed at regulating the securities market in order to build a common financial market in the territory of the union countries.
The agreement provides an opportunity for exchanges from the EAEU member states to list securities of issuers from other countries of the union on terms no less favourable than for “their” issuers.
Preview photo: TippaPatt / Shutterstock / Fotodom
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A five-count criminal indictment was unsealed today in federal court in New York charging a Canadian man with exploiting vulnerabilities in two decentralized finance protocols to fraudulently obtain about $65 million from the protocols’ investors.
According to court documents, from 2021 to 2023, Andean Medjedovic, 22, allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in the automated smart contracts used by the KyberSwap and Indexed Finance decentralized finance protocols. Medjedovic borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars in digital tokens, which he used to engage in deceptive trading that he knew would cause the protocols’ smart contracts to falsely calculate key variables. Through his deceptive trades, Medjedovic was able to, and ultimately did, withdraw millions of dollars of investor funds from the protocols at artificial prices, rendering the victims’ investments essentially worthless.
Medjedovic also allegedly laundered the proceeds of his fraudulent schemes through a series of transactions designed to conceal the source and ownership of the funds, including through swap transactions, “bridging transactions,” and the use of a digital assets “mixer.” With others, Medjedovic also allegedly schemed to open accounts with digital assets exchanges using false and borrowed identifying information to conceal the source and true ownership of the proceeds. In around November 2023, after executing the KyberSwap exploit, Medjedovic also allegedly attempted to extort the victims of the KyberSwap exploit through a sham settlement proposal, in which he demanded complete control of the KyberSwap protocol and the decentralized autonomous organization that oversaw the KyberSwap protocol in exchange for returning 50 percent of the digital assets that he fraudulently obtained through his scheme.
Medjedovic is charged with one count of wire fraud, one count of unauthorized damage to a protected computer, one count of attempted Hobbs Act extortion, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the unauthorized damage to a protected computer count and 20 years in prison on each of the other counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York, Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, and Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI New York Field Office made the announcement.
IRS-CI, HSI, and the FBI New York Field Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The Justice Department also thanks the Netherlands’ Public Prosecution Service and Cybercrime Unit — the Hague of the Dutch National Police for their significant assistance with the investigation.
Trial Attorney Tian Huang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, who is a member of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Axelrod and Andrew Reich for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case. SEC Enforcement Attorney Daphna A. Waxman, formerly a member of the NCET, provided significant assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier rescued five boaters from a disabled vessel 13 nautical miles off Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, Saturday afternoon. Rescued are four men and a woman, who came into distress after their 18-foot recreational vessel Michelle Marie II became disabled in eight-foot seas and started taking on water. “The situation and conditions on-scene could have caused this vessel to capsize at any given moment,” said Capt. Robert E. Stiles, Coast Guard Sector San Juan Search and Rescue mission coordinator for the case. “Thanks to the quick response and swift coordination between Coast Guard watchstanders and the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier crew all five lives were saved, and a tragic outcome was averted. Although we are very glad everyone aboard the Michelle Marie II is safe, we can’t overemphasize the importance heeding small craft advisories and paying close attention to projected sea-states and weather conditions before going out to sea.”
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Following a lengthy investigation conducted by the RCMP-RNC Integrated Internet Child Exploitation (IICE) Unit, 48-year-old Dennis Oliver was arrested on January 31, 2025, and is charged with online child exploitation offences.
In November of 2024, IICE executed a search warrant at a St. John’s home in relation to a report of online child exploitation activity. Electronics were seized and subsequently analyzed.
The results of the forensic analysis, as well as other evidence collected, led to Oliver’s arrest on Friday. He is charged with the following criminal offences:
Transmitting child pornography – one count
Possession of child pornography – one count
Accessing child pornography – one count
In accordance with arrest and release procedures, Oliver was released on conditions designed to protect the general public. He is scheduled to appear in Provincial Court in St. John’s on March 20, 2025.
Child pornography cases require complex forensic examination of seized electronics followed, by additional investigation actions. Consequently, criminal charges in these cases are often laid up to 9-12 months after the execution of a search warrant.
The RCMP-RNC IICE team encourages caregivers and youth to learn about current online threats and safety practices at cybertip.ca, protectchildren.ca, kidsintheknow.ca and dontgetsextorted.ca.
RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment’s Street Crime Enforcement Unit has seized drugs and arrested two people in relation to search warrants executed in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
On the morning of January 24, the RCMP Street Crime Enforcement Unit, assisted by the RCMP and Halifax Regional Police emergency response teams, executed simultaneous search warrants in Halifax and East Preston in relation to an ongoing firearms and drugs investigation.
At a residence on Upper Partridge Rd., near Hwy. 7 in East Preston, officers safely arrested a man and a woman. During a search of the property, officers seized a quantity of cocaine, scales, drug paraphernalia and two replica firearms.
The 21-year-old Lower Sackville woman was later released on conditions. She’s scheduled to appear in Dartmouth Provincial Court on March 19, at 9:30 a.m., to face a charge of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking.
Roman Elroy Thompson, 35, from East Preston, has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. He was held in custody and released on conditions by the courts. He’s due to return in Dartmouth Provincial Court on February 28 at 9:30 a.m.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Monaca, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors and obstructing justice, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Nicholas Sittig, 28, pleaded guilty on January 30, 2025, to two counts before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around August 2023 until in and around April 2024, Sittig employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor, who resided in California, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. In and around December 2023, when Sittig became aware that federal law enforcement officers were investigating him, Sittig induced the minor to aid him in destroying records and documents related to his sexual offenses against the minor—namely, his contact information within the minor’s cellular telephone and Snapchat messages between himself and the minor—with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation. The Court was further advised that agents with Homeland Security Investigations had identified a second minor, residing in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, whom Sittig similarly exploited online from December 2023 through March 2024.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for June 5, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 50 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the defendant remains detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations-Pittsburgh, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (San Francisco and Pittsburgh), the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the Monaca Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Sittig.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Russellton, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal law regarding the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Michael Rearick, 43, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from April 21, 2023, until April 23, 2023, Rearick traveled and transported a minor from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to Canada, with the intent that the minor engage in criminal activity and illicit sexual activity.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations-Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the West Deer Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Oscar Navarro-Zepeda, 43, from Spencer, Iowa, was sentenced on January 31, 2025, to 204 months’ imprisonment. Navarro-Zepeda was convicted by a jury on August 22, 2024, after a 3 ½ day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Navarro-Zepeda was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of firearm by prohibited person; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at the trial showed that between April 2021 and April 2023, in the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere Navarro-Zepeda was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 31 kilograms of methamphetamine. Evidence also showed that on April 18, 2023, during a search warrant at Navarro-Zepeda’s residence in Spencer, Iowa, law enforcement seized approximately 33 pounds of methamphetamine in separate one-pound packages, which he intended to distribute to others in the Spencer, Iowa, area. Officers also seized $17,932; an AR-15 style .223 caliber rifle, two loaded magazines, other .223 ammunition, as well as various items of drug distribution and use paraphernalia. Navarro-Zepeda was prohibited from possessing firearms and possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking, to protect himself, his drugs and drug proceeds from others.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Navarro-Zepeda was sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Navarro-Zepeda remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
A woman who stole firearms during two burglaries she committed with a wanted fugitive was sentenced on January 31, 2025, to more than four years in federal prison.
Madison Diane Kidd, age 26, from Stratford, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 16, 2024 guilty plea to possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person.
Information from a plea agreement showed that in late 2022 and early 2023, Kidd harbored Michael Ackerson, a federal fugitive who had a warrant for his arrest, at her residence in Stratford. On January 11, and January 13, 2023, Kidd and Ackerson burglarized two homes on Brushy Creek Road in Webster County, Iowa. During these burglaries, they stole five firearms, a safe containing coins and jewelry, and a compound bow, among other items. Kidd hid four of the stolen firearms and the stolen bow in a crawl space in her residence in Stratford. On January 25, 2023, law enforcement officers searched Kidd’s home. During the search, they located and arrested Ackerson. They also found the firearms, the bow, other property stolen during the burglaries, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.
In January 2023, Kidd was a methamphetamine user who had at least three prior felony convictions. After Ackerson’s arrest, Kidd and Ackerson discussed who would take responsibility for the firearms on recorded jail calls. Ackerson gave Kidd login information for a Google account, and Kidd logged into the account, changed the password, and deleted information from the account to conceal evidence of their crimes. On December 6, 2023, Ackerson was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment after he pled guilty to escape from custody and possession of firearms by a felon.
Kidd was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Kidd was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $865.34 in restitution to the victims. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Kidd is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
A five-count criminal indictment was unsealed today in federal court in New York charging a Canadian man with exploiting vulnerabilities in two decentralized finance protocols to fraudulently obtain about $65 million from the protocols’ investors.
According to court documents, from 2021 to 2023, Andean Medjedovic, 22, allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in the automated smart contracts used by the KyberSwap and Indexed Finance decentralized finance protocols. Medjedovic borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars in digital tokens, which he used to engage in deceptive trading that he knew would cause the protocols’ smart contracts to falsely calculate key variables. Through his deceptive trades, Medjedovic was able to, and ultimately did, withdraw millions of dollars of investor funds from the protocols at artificial prices, rendering the victims’ investments essentially worthless.
Medjedovic also allegedly laundered the proceeds of his fraudulent schemes through a series of transactions designed to conceal the source and ownership of the funds, including through swap transactions, “bridging transactions,” and the use of a digital assets “mixer.” With others, Medjedovic also allegedly schemed to open accounts with digital assets exchanges using false and borrowed identifying information to conceal the source and true ownership of the proceeds. In around November 2023, after executing the KyberSwap exploit, Medjedovic also allegedly attempted to extort the victims of the KyberSwap exploit through a sham settlement proposal, in which he demanded complete control of the KyberSwap protocol and the decentralized autonomous organization that oversaw the KyberSwap protocol in exchange for returning 50 percent of the digital assets that he fraudulently obtained through his scheme.
Medjedovic is charged with one count of wire fraud, one count of unauthorized damage to a protected computer, one count of attempted Hobbs Act extortion, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the unauthorized damage to a protected computer count and 20 years in prison on each of the other counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York, Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, and Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI New York Field Office made the announcement.
IRS-CI, HSI, and the FBI New York Field Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The Justice Department also thanks the Netherlands’ Public Prosecution Service and Cybercrime Unit — the Hague of the Dutch National Police for their significant assistance with the investigation.
Trial Attorney Tian Huang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, who is a member of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Axelrod and Andrew Reich for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case. SEC Enforcement Attorney Daphna A. Waxman, formerly a member of the NCET, provided significant assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT) (“Red Cat” or the “Company”), a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations, will host an Investor and Analyst Day on Thursday, February 27 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. eastern time at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City.
The event will feature presentations by Jeff Thompson, Red Cat’s CEO; Geoffrey Hitchcock, Red Cat’s chief revenue officer and other members of the executive leadership team. Robert Imig, Head of USG Research and Development at Palantir Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLTR) will also present a roadmap for its recently announced strategic partnership with RedCat.
Registration for the event is available on the Investor Relation’s section of Red Cat’s website https://redcat.red/investor-day/. Registrants that are not attending in person will be emailed a link to a video recording of the event once it is available.
About Red Cat Holdings, Inc.
Red Cat (Nasdaq: RCAT) is a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations. Through two wholly owned subsidiaries, Teal Drones and FlightWave Aerospace, Red Cat has developed a Family of Systems. This includes the Black Widow™, a small unmanned ISR system that was awarded the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Program of Record contract. The Family of Systems also includes TRICHON™, a fixed-wing VTOL for extended endurance and range, and FANG™, the industry’s first line of NDAA-compliant FPV drones optimized for military operations with precision strike capabilities. Learn more at www.redcat.red.
Forward Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” “will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on Red Cat Holdings, Inc.’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 27, 2023. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Red Cat Holdings, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DDB Miner is making headlines with its latest innovation in cloud mining, combining sustainability with high profitability. As the cryptocurrency market expands, DDB Miner is leading the charge by harnessing renewable energy to power its mining operations. This groundbreaking approach not only reduces costs but also integrates surplus electricity into the grid, allowing investors to maximize their returns effortlessly.
The Rise of New Energy Cloud Mining
Cloud mining has become a preferred choice for cryptocurrency enthusiasts due to its accessibility and convenience. Unlike traditional mining, which requires expensive hardware and technical expertise, cloud mining allows users to participate in crypto mining effortlessly. DDB Miner simplifies this process by enabling users to rent mining algorithms from remote data centers and receive a share of the profits without managing complex setups.
DDB Miner: Simplified Cloud Mining for Maximum Profit
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For much of the 20th century, efforts to remake government were driven by a progressive desire to make the government work for regular Americans, including the New Deal and the Great Society reforms.
But they also met a conservative backlash seeking to rein back government as a source of security for working Americans and realign it with the interests of private business. That backlash is the central thread of the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” blueprint for a second Trump Administration.
But Project 2025 does so with particular detail and urgency, hoping to galvanize dramatic change before the midterm elections in 2026. As its foreword warns: “Conservatives have just two years and one shot to get this right.”
The standard for a transformational “100 days” – a much-used reference point for evaluating an administration – belongs to the first administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Bill in Washington on Aug. 14, 1935. AP Photo, file
Social reforms and FDR
In 1933, in the depths of the Great Depression, Roosevelt faced a nation in which business activity had stalled, nearly a third of the workforce was unemployed, and economic misery and unrest were widespread.
But Roosevelt’s so-called “New Deal” unfolded less as a grand plan to combat the Depression than as a scramble of policy experimentation.
Roosevelt did not campaign on what would become the New Deal’s singular achievements, which included expansive relief programs, subsidies for farmers, financial reforms, the Social Security system, the minimum wage and federal protection of workers’ rights.
A generation later, another wave of social reforms unfolded in similar fashion. This time it was not general economic misery that spurred actions, but the persistence of inequality – especially racial inequality – in an otherwise prosperous time.
LBJ’s Great Society
President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society programs declared a war on poverty and, toward that end, introduced a raft of new federal initiatives in urban, education and civil rights.
As with the New Deal, the substance of these policies rested less with national policy designs than with the aspirations and mobilization of the era’s social movements.
Resistance to policy change
Since the 1930s, conservative policy agendas have largely taken the form of reactions to the New Deal and the Great Society.
The central message has routinely been that “big government” has overstepped its bounds and trampled individual rights, and that the architects of those reforms are not just misguided but treasonous. Project 2025, in this respect, promises not just a political right turn but to “defeat the anti-American left.”
After the 1946 midterm elections, congressional Republicans struck back at the New Deal. Drawing on business opposition to the New Deal, popular discontent with postwar inflation, and common cause with Southern Democrats, they stemmed efforts to expand the New Deal, gutting a full employment proposal and defeating national health insurance.
They struck back at organized labor with the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, which undercut federal law by allowing states to pass anti-union “right to work” laws. And they launched an infamous anti-communist purge of the civil service, which forced nearly 15,000 people out of government jobs.
In 1971, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce commissioned Lewis Powell – who would be appointed by Republican President Richard Nixon to the Supreme Court the next year – to assess the political landscape. Powell’s memorandum characterized the political climate at the dawn of the 1970s – including both Great Society programs and the anti-war and Civil Rights movements of the 1960s – as nothing less than an “attack on the free enterprise system.”
In a preview of current U.S. politics, Powell’s memorandum devoted special attention to a disquieting “chorus of criticism” coming from “the perfectly respectable elements of society: from the college campus, the pulpit, the media, the intellectual and literary journals, the arts and sciences, and from politicians.”
Powell characterized the social policies of the New Deal and Great Society as “socialism or some sort of statism” and advocated the elevation of business interests and business priorities to the center of American political life.
A copy of Project 2025 is held during the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Building a conservative infrastructure
Powell captured the conservative zeitgeist at the onset of what would become a long and decisive right turn in American politics. More importantly, it helped galvanize the creation of a conservative infrastructure – in the courts, in the policy world, in universities and in the media – to push back against that “chorus of criticism.”
In national politics, the conservative resurgence achieved full expression in President Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign. The “Reagan Revolution” united economic and social conservatives around the central goal of dismantling what was left of the New Deal and Great Society.
Publicly, the Reagan administration argued that tax cuts would pay for themselves, with the lower rates offset by economic growth. Privately, it didn’t matter: Either growth would sustain revenues, or the resulting budgetary hole could be used to “starve the beast” and justify further program cuts.
Project 2025, the latest in this series of blueprints for dramatic change, draws most deeply on two of those plans.
As in the congressional purges of 1940s, it takes aim not just at policy but at the civil servants – Trump’s “deep state” – who administer it.
In the wake of World War II, the charge was that feckless bureaucrats served Soviet masters. Today, Project 2025 aims to “bring the Administrative State to heel, and in the process defang and defund the woke culture warriors who have infiltrated every last institution in America.”
Whatever their source – party platforms, congressional bomb-throwers, think tanks, private interests – the success or failure of these blueprints rested not on their vision or popular appeal but on the political power that accompanied them. The New Deal and Great Society gained momentum and meaning from the social movements that shaped their agendas and held them to account.
The lineage of conservative responses has been largely an assertion of business power. Whatever populist trappings the second Trump administration may possess, the bottom line of the conservative cultural and political agenda in 2025 is to dismantle what is left of the New Deal or the Great Society, and to defend unfettered “free enterprise” against critics and alternatives.
Colin Gordon receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and the Russell Sage Foundation.
In the 185 years since te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed between Māori rangatira and the British Crown, Māori have been writing about its meaning, sharing their stories and seeking justice.
For some years, we have been reading and thinking about this mass of written work by Māori. While we know and love these titles, we were aware many New Zealanders have little idea that Māori scholarship stretches back to the earliest books published in this country.
So, in 2018 we collaborated with Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (the Māori Centre of Research Excellence) and Te Apārangi Royal Society of New Zealand to curate a list of Māori non-fiction publications. Our list formed the inspiration for Books of Mana: 180 Māori-Authored Books of Significance, published this week by Otago University Press.
Co-edited with Jeanette Wikaira, and featuring short essays by leading Māori writers about their relationship to books, mātauranga Māori and the written word, it showcases 180 Māori-authored books published between 1815 and 2022.
For generations our ancestors created sense, meaning, stories and histories from the mountains, rivers and coastlines, and recited generations of history and knowledge through whakapapa, karanga, whaikōrero, mōteatea and pūrākau.
With the arrival of Europeans in the late 18th-century, Māori adopted new tools for recording and passing on knowledge. Pen and paper were rapidly added to the kete and used to weave stories, to engage in creative expression, and as a way to connect and resist.
Much of this writing holds prestige, authority, power, influence, status and even charisma. The word that we think best describes these books is mana.
We encourage all New Zealanders to know more about these remarkable books. At a time when Māori language, culture, identity and te Tiriti are politically threatened, Māori writing is essential for anyone serious about understanding the past, present and future of Aotearoa New Zealand from a Māori perspective.
This Waitangi Day, consider reading any one of these 180 books. But to help make the selection even easier, here are ten that are accessible in bookstores or local libraries.
These titles address language revitalisation, leadership, politics and history. They are also relevant to the world we find ourselves in today.
Ngā Pepa a Ranginui, The Walker Papers – Ranginui Walker
To understand contemporary political debates it is worth looking to the past. Ranginui Walker was one of New Zealand’s leading intellectuals. His collection of opinion pieces, originally published in the Listener magazine between 1973 and 1990, are collated in Ngā Pepa a Ranginui, The Walker Papers.
All of these opinion pieces remain relevant today. As a communicator between the worldviews of Māori and Pākehā, the range of topics he wrote about was extraordinary, from fishing rights, to Māori ideas about health, to critiques of government policies.
Tōku Reo, Tōku Ohooho – Chris Winitana
Ranginui Walker said te reo Māori is a taonga. In Tōku Reo Tōku Ohooho, Chris Winitana tells the story of the people who fought for its retention and revitalisation from the 1970s – and why this kaupapa remains so vitally important today. The book is available either in English or te reo Māori and will be of interest to many as we strive to keep te reo Māori alive.
Huia Histories of Māori: Ngā Tāhuhu Kōrero – Danny Keenan
A stellar lineup of Māori writers will help deepen your knowledge of custom, the natural world, language, health, politics and cultural expression in editor Danny Keenan’s recently republished book Huia Histories of Māori. It covers a vast array of topics, from waka migration traditions, to the introduction of Christianity, to the New Zealand Wars and much more.
Navigating the Stars: Maori Creation Myths – Witi Ihimaera
In Navigating the Stars: Māori creation myths Witi Ihimaera shows how we have always been storytellers, intellectuals and knowledge makers. Pūrākau (legends) are retold for the 21st-century by this pioneer of the Māori novel and short story.
We are in awe of the way the author honours this storytelling tradition and strengthens it for the future. This is a big book that starts our national history with Māori creation narratives, and challenges us to think differently about our past.
Te Kōparapara: An introduction to the Māori world – Michael Reilly & others
If you are looking to build your knowledge of te ao Māori (the Māori world), but don’t know where to begin, we recommend Te Kōparapara. It’s a really accessible introduction to Māori culture, tikanga, history and contemporary society.
Wayfinding Leadership – Chellie Spiller, Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr & John Panoho
Our tūpuna (ancestors) guide us into the future. Chellie Spiller, Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr and John Panoho look to waka navigators in Wayfinding Leadership. It’s part practical guide about how to lead for the collective good, but also part introduction to Māori philosophy. And it’s all cleverly told through the boldness, radical vision and skill of those who laid the foundations for Māori to flourish in these islands.
Imagining Decolonisation – Bianca Elkington, Moana Jackson & others
The bestselling Imagining Decolonisation explains what decolonisation looks like for Māori and Pākehā in an accessible way, and sets out what is required for our country to become a just society.
A particular highlight is the contribution of the late Moana Jackson. A lawyer who was passionate about the transformative possibilities of te Tiriti for Aotearoa, his writings about justice reform and constitutional change will continue to shape generations to come.
A Fire in the Belly of Hineāmaru – Melinda Webber & Te Kapua O’Connor
A Fire in the Belly of Hineāmaru: A collection of narratives about Te Tai Tokerau, translated into te reo Māori by Quinton Hita, is an invitation into Te Tai Tokerau histories, lands and esteemed ancestors, told through the lives of peacemakers, strategists, explorers and entrepreneurs (available in both English and te reo Māori editions).
Mokorua – Ariana Tikao
Mokorua is an inspiring account of the author “re-indigenising” through receiving her moko kauae. We love how she weaves that story into a personal reclaiming of language and identity. Matt Calman’s photographs are particularly striking, too.
From the Centre: A writer’s life – Patricia Grace
A favourite book is From the Centre: a writer’s life, an uplifting memoir by one of our most gifted fiction writers. It stresses the power of reading for cultivating imagination, anchoring identity and deepening a sense of belonging.
We treasured reading about Grace’s life growing up, how she responded to instances of injustice and unfairness, and how she had the courage to write about everyday Māori families. The gentle weight of this beautiful work, in both a physical and emotional sense, will live with us for a long time.
These books enrich our scholarship and our everyday life. We hope you take some time this Waitangi week to engage with Māori writing, and that you come to love these taonga as much as we do.
Angela Wanhalla has received previous funding from Royal Society Te Apārangi and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga for this book project.
Jacinta Ruru has received previous funding from Royal Society Te Apārangi and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga for this book project.
Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) announced the Senate passage of their bipartisan resolution designating January as National Stalking Awareness Month. The resolution raises awareness of the dangers of stalking and highlights the need for law enforcement to prevent this predatory behavior. Approximately 1 in 3 women in the U.S. have experienced stalking at some point in their lives. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) lead a companion resolution in the House of Representatives.
“As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand the serious emotional and physical toll stalking can take on victims,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan resolution raises awareness about the dangers of stalking, the need to protect victims, and the resources available to help survivors.”
“Far too many Americans have suffered physical and psychological trauma as a result of stalking. I’m glad to join my colleagues in raising awareness of this terrible crime and highlighting the essential work of advocates, law enforcement and service workers who support victims and survivors,” said Grassley.
“The severity of stalking cannot be understated—this dangerous and repugnant crime has resulted in severe physiological and physical trauma and it is imperative that we provide the necessary resources to protect victims from these heinous acts,” said Fitzpatrick. “Our bipartisan National Stalking Awareness Month resolution promotes awareness about stalking and recognizes the need to prevent this crime while continuing efforts to safeguard our communities from such threats.”
“Stalking is a serious crime that imparts unimaginable physical and psychological distress on its victims. No one should have to fear for their safety or for the safety of their loved ones, but it’s estimated over 13 million people are stalked in the United States every year. On top of this, we know stalking is a significant risk factor for intimate partner homicide,” said Dingell. “We recognize National Stalking Awareness Month to educate the public about the dangers of stalking, reaffirm our commitment to survivors, and continue working to identify new ways to keep communities safe.”
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), members of SFRC, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding an explanation of recent developments at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), including reports that individuals who identified themselves as working for the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) accessed USAID’s main headquarters, American citizens’ data and classified spaces.
“Congress established the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as an independent agency, separate from the Department of State, to ensure that we can deploy development expertise and U.S. foreign assistance quickly, particularly in times of crisis, to meet our national security goals,” wrote the lawmakers. “For this reason, any effort to merge or fold USAID into the Department of State should be, and by law must be, previewed, discussed, and approved by Congress.”
“We received reports that individuals who identified themselves as working for the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) accessed USAID’s main headquarters, including classified spaces,” continued the lawmakers. “The potential access of sensitive, even classified, files which may include the personally identifiable information (PII) of Americans working with USAID, and this incident as a whole raises deep concerns about the protection and safeguarding of matters related to U.S. national security.”
“We request an immediate update about the access of USAID’s headquarters, including whether the individuals who accessed the headquarters were authorized to be there and by whom, whether all individuals who accessed classified spaces have active security clearances at the appropriate level, what they were seeking to access, if any PII of American citizens was breached, and whether any review is underway regarding potential unauthorized access to sensitive personnel information and classified materials,” concluded the lawmakers.
