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  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Durbin Call on PhRMA to Embrace Prescription Drug Price Transparency

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are urging the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) to support their Drug-price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act. The bipartisan bill would require price disclosures on prescription drug advertisements to empower consumer choice and reduce patients’ bloated spending on medications. 

    “The United States is one of only two developed countries in the world that permits such pharmaceutical commercials. President Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary has expressed interest in outright banning this practice. It would be wise for drug companies to adopt commonsense solutions to address the concerns that have been raised about DTC prescription drug advertising,” the senators wrote. 

    “The United States Senate previously voted unanimously to pass our measure to require that pharmaceutical companies disclose their list prices in DTC ads, and it is our hope that this policy will become law this Congress…  In addition to President Trump’s previous support, our bill in the 118th Congress was cosponsored by Vice President Vance. Given PhRMA’s stated support for pharmacy benefit manager transparency, it is only reasonable to have transparency across the pharmaceutical supply chain,” they continued. 

    Read the senators’ letter HERE and below. 

    Stephen J. Ubl 

    President and CEO of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America 

    Dear Mr. Ubl: 

    Drug manufacturers in the United States spend approximately $6 billion annually in direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertisements, with approximately one-third of all commercial time across evening news programs being consumed with these pharmaceutical promotions.  It is a similar story when consumers stream their favorite show or scroll through social media.  Yet consumers learn nothing from these advertisements about the cost of the prescription drug.  This must change.   

    A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that more than two-thirds of drugs advertised on television were considered “low therapeutic value”.  This creates concern for taxpayers, as a review we requested from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found prescription drugs advertised on television accounted for 58 percent of Medicare’s overall spending on prescription drugs between 2016-2018.  In 2022, the two most-advertised drugs on television alone accounted for $1.7 billion in Medicare spending. 

    The United States is one of only two developed countries in the world that permits such pharmaceutical commercials.  President Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary has expressed interest in outright banning this practice.  It would be wise for drug companies to adopt commonsense solutions to address the concerns that have been raised about DTC prescription drug advertising.   

    As you are aware, the United States Senate previously voted unanimously to pass our measure to require that pharmaceutical companies disclose their list prices in DTC ads, and it is our hope that this policy will become law this Congress.  This bipartisan legislation would ensure that when patients are bombarded with information about the newest wonder drug, the price is not kept secret.  President Trump previously has issued regulations to advance this policy. 

    There is a lot of value in knowing a prescription drug’s list price, the most accessible and standardized price of a drug, which is set by the manufacturer itself.  This is especially important for consumers with high-deductible health insurance plans, those who are underinsured, or have no health insurance coverage at all—particularly as efforts are underway to reform the rebate structure used by pharmacy benefit managers. 

    Some of your member companies previously disclosed drug list prices in advertisements, and PhRMA previously has wanted to be more transparent with the American public about price information for advertised medications.  We appreciate that 35 drug manufacturers voluntarily have certified to follow PhRMA’s “Guiding Principles on Direct-to-Consumer Advertisements,” which includes directing patients to find information about the cost of medicine, including the list price, on the company’s website.  We are glad that drug companies agree that consumers should know the price of a prescription drug before purchasing it.  But in instances where manufacturers currently do opt to provide pricing information (e.g., “pay as little as $0 per dose”), they can understate or obscure a patient’s out-of-pocket liability.  

    Studies show that patients are better able to approximate their out-of-pocket expenses when provided with the list price.  When voluntarily choosing to promote medications over the airwaves, manufacturers already are required to disclose safety, side effects, and contraindication information.  Yet, for many patients, price plays a primary role in clinical adherence.   

    Recently, we reintroduced our bipartisan legislation (S.229) to bring price transparency to DTC prescription drug ads.  In addition to President Trump’s previous support, our bill in the 118th Congress was cosponsored by Vice President Vance.  Given PhRMA’s stated support for pharmacy benefit manager transparency, it is only reasonable to have transparency across the pharmaceutical supply chain.  

    We urge you to take the reasonable, minimal step of embracing our bipartisan legislation to empower patients and providers and commit to voluntarily disclosing list prices in DTC advertisements.  Thank you for your attention to this important matter. 

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gerber Products Company Announces Recall and Discontinuation of All Batches of Gerber® Soothe N Chew® Teething Sticks Due To Choking Hazard

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    FDA Publish Date:
    Product Type:
    Food & Beverages
    Foodborne Illness
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description

    Potential choking hazard for babies and young children

    Company Name:
    Gerber Products Company
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)

    Gerber

    Product Description:

    Product Description

    Gerber® Soothe N Chew® Teething Sticks

    Company Announcement

    ARLINGTON, VA., January 31, 2025 — Gerber Products Company is initiating a recall and discontinuation of all batches of GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS due to a potential choking hazard for babies and young children.

    GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS were distributed nationwide via the internet and to distribution centers and retail stores in the following states and territories: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI and Puerto Rico.

    Recalled products can be identified as follows:

    • GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – STRAWBERRY APPLE, Net Wt. 3.2 Oz (90g), with UPC 0 15000 04618 7, all lot codes
    • GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – BANANA, Net Wt. 3.2 Oz (90g), with UPC 0 15000 04608 8, all lot codes
    • GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – BANANA, Net Wt. 1.59 Oz (45g), with UPC 0 15000 01015 7, all lot codes

    This recall and discontinuation is isolated to GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – STRAWBERRY APPLE and GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – BANANA.

    The recall was initiated after receiving consumer complaints of choking incidents. To date, one emergency room visit has been reported to the firm.

    Consumers who may have purchased GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS should not feed this product to their child and can return the product to the retailer where it was purchased for a refund. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a health care provider. For any additional support needed, Gerber is available 24/7 at 1-800-4-GERBER (1-800-443-7237).

    We are working with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on this recall and will cooperate with them fully.

    We sincerely apologize for any concern or inconvenience this action represents to parents, caregivers and retail customers.

    (Press Release URL: https://www.nestleusa.com/media/pressreleases/gerber-recalldiscontinuation-soothe-n-chew-teething-sticks)

    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    1-800-4-GERBER (1-800-443-7237)

    Product Photos

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Identity Months Dead at DOD

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Guidance from the Secretary of Defense: “Identity Months Dead at DoD”

    Our unity and purpose are instrumental to meeting the Department’s warfighting mission. Efforts to divide the force – to put one group ahead of another – erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution.

    Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month. Service members and civilians remain permitted to attend these events in an unofficial capacity outside of duty hours.

    Installations, units, and offices are encouraged to celebrate the valor and success of military heroes of all races, genders, and backgrounds as we restore our warrior culture and ethos. We are proud of our warriors and their history, but we will focus on the character of their service instead of their immutable characteristics.

    This guidance is effectively immediately.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Army Corps of Engineers Awards $10 Million Contract For FM Diversion

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    BISMARCK, N.D. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) awarded a contract of $10,097,097 to BCSS, LLC to fund the excavation, replacement and repaving of the existing Highway 75 intersection in support of the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project.
    These funds were provided by the fully-paid-for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) helped craft and shepherd through Congress. The USACE received $437 million in funding under the BIL to complete all remaining federal work for the diversion project.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Four years on from the Military Coup in Myanmar

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Joint statement by Australia, Canada, the European Union, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States

    Today marks four years since the Myanmar military regime overthrew the democratically elected government in Myanmar, creating one of the largest crises in the Indo-Pacific. Since the coup, the people of Myanmar remain subject to military rule that has deprived many of their rights, democratic aspirations and, for thousands, their liberty and their lives.

    We condemn in the strongest terms the Myanmar military regime’s escalating violence harming civilians, including human rights violations, sexual and gender-based violence, and systematic persecution and discrimination against all religious and ethnic minorities. The military’s airstrikes are killing civilians, destroying schools, markets, places of worship and medical facilities; with almost a 25-fold increase since 2021 this represents an average of three airstrikes per day. The rise in airstrikes in areas with no active conflict has marked a clear escalation by the military.

    We call on the Myanmar military regime to immediately de-escalate violence, ensure unhindered and safe humanitarian access across the country, and we urge all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians and fully adhere to International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.

    As of 2025, humanitarian needs have increased twenty-fold since the coup. Over one-third of the population,19.9 million people, are now in need of humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs. An estimated 15.2 million people are in need of food assistance and cases of preventable diseases are on the rise.  

    Increasing needs and ongoing conflict have displaced up to 3.5 million people internally – an increase of nearly one million in the last year. Many more people are forced to flee across Myanmar’s borders. Rising transnational crime, including narcotics production and trafficking, scam centres and human trafficking, harm the people of Myanmar and affect neighbouring countries, risking instability in the broader region.

    The current trajectory is not sustainable for Myanmar or the region. Now is the time for the Myanmar military regime to immediately change course. We strongly urge the Myanmar military regime to cease violence, including harming civilians and civilian infrastructure, release all political prisoners, and engage in genuine and inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders. These are essential first steps towards any peaceful, democratic transition, reflecting the will of Myanmar’s people.

    We reiterate our support for the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Five Point Consensus, including the ASEAN Chair’s Special Envoy, in addressing the Myanmar and resultant refugee crisis. We strongly welcome collaboration between the ASEAN and United Nations (UN) Special Envoys. We call on the international community to continue to support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2669 (2022). We underline the need for accountability for all atrocities committed in Myanmar, human rights must be safeguarded, violations and abuses must be prevented.

    We will continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and support their vision for an inclusive, peaceful and prosperous future.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK announces additional humanitarian funding for Myanmar

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Four years on from military coup, additional UK humanitarian funding delivers healthcare to one million people in Myanmar

    • Uplift in support announced four years on from the military coup, as humanitarian needs reach record levels 

    • Despite the ongoing conflict, healthcare will be delivered to nearly one million people across Myanmar in the first half of 2025 including maternal care, nutrition support and disease treatment 

    • New climate resilience funding will help rural communities tackle extreme weather, improve water management and strengthen food security 

    Almost one million vulnerable people in Myanmar will receive essential medical care through UK aid support in the first six months of 2025, helping communities access vital healthcare services despite ongoing conflict. 

    The UK is announcing an uplift of £22.45 million in humanitarian support for 2024/25 to deliver this support, four years on from the military coup.  On 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military overthrew the democratically elected government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and installed a military regime. Since then, they have used violence and atrocities to maintain power and suppress opposition voices. The UK has consistently called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all those arbitrarily detained in Myanmar. 

    UK funding will provide maternal and child health services to around 107,000 women and children, while 86,000 people will be reached with crucial nutrition support. It is expected that a further 142,000 people will be able to access sexual and reproductive health services and treatment for diseases like tuberculosis and malaria. 

    The life-saving assistance comes as Myanmar faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with nearly 20 million people now requiring aid – a twenty-fold increase since the military coup four years ago. 

    Minister for Development, Anneliese Dodds, said:  

    While global attention may shift, the UK will not forget the millions in Myanmar still living through a brutal conflict, creating a humanitarian crisis in a country already vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis. 

    Four years on from the military coup and amid ongoing violence, the UK is matching words with action – providing additional support to meet urgent health needs and tackle long-term climate challenges.

    Over 3.5 million people are now displaced from their homes due to the fighting, 19.9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and Myanmar is now seeing a proliferation in serious and organised crime. 

    Typhoon Yagi caused devastation across South-East Asia in September 2024, severely affecting over one million people across Myanmar. Additional funding will help rural communities prepare for future climate-related disasters, through improved food systems and early warning mechanisms, including support for areas recovering from recent typhoons. 

    Agriculture is vital to Myanmar’s economy and without it, the country will find it difficult to rebuild and grow when the conflict finally ends. UK support is planting the seeds for Myanmar’s long-term recovery, restoring security and stability to make the world safer for all of us. 

    The UK continues to support ASEAN’s central role in addressing the crisis. The UK convened a UN Security Council meeting on 30 January, calling for full humanitarian access across Myanmar to help protect civilians and pressed for further action to secure a peaceful democratic future for the Myanmar people. As penholder on Myanmar at the UNSC, the UK will continue to take action to bring stability to Myanmar and the wider region, maintaining our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific in the interests of UK national security. 

    Notes to editors 

    • UK humanitarian support to Myanmar in the financial year 2024 to 2025 has increased to £66.45 million from an initial allocation of £44 million (excluding support from the UK’s Integrated Security Fund), following a decision to uplift funding due to increasing humanitarian need. By comparison, support in the 2023 to 2024 financial year began at £30.1 million and concluded at £38.83 million.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Launches Massive 10-to-1 Deregulation Initiative

    Source: The White House

    ELIMINATING 10 REGULATIONS FOR EACH NEW REGULATION ISSUED: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to unleash prosperity through deregulation. 

    • The Order requires that whenever an agency promulgates a new rule, regulation, or guidance, it must identify at least 10 existing rules, regulations, or guidance documents to be repealed.  
    • The Director of the Office of Management and Budget will ensure standardized measurement and estimation of regulatory costs.
    • It requires that for fiscal year 2025, the total incremental cost of all new regulations, including repealed regulations, be significantly less than zero. 

    HALTING THE REGULATORY ONSLAUGHT: President Trump will halt the job killing and inflation-driving regulatory blitz of the Biden Administration.

    • The Biden Administration imposed a historic $1.7 trillion in costs on the American people.
    • Overregulation stops American entrepreneurship, crushes small business, reduces consumer choice, discourages innovation, and infringes on the liberties of American citizens.
      • It also contributes to the high cost of living, including by driving up energy prices.

    BUILDING ON PAST SUCCESS:  President Trump’s first Administration undertook the most aggressive and successful regulatory reduction effort in history. 

    • In his first term, President Trump asked the agencies to eliminate two regulations for each one new regulation issued.  Not only was this 2-for-1 goal achieved, the first Trump Administration eliminated five and a half regulations for everyone new regulation issued. 
    • This Executive Order builds on President Trump’s previous success to improve daily lives of the American people by reducing unnecessary, burdensome, and costly Federal regulations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Limiting Lame-Duck Collective Bargaining Agreements That Improperly Attempt to Constrain the New President

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

    SUBJECT:       Limiting Lame-Duck Collective Bargaining Agreements That Improperly Attempt to Constrain the New President

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 7301 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Policy and Purpose.  In the final days of the prior administration’s tenure, it purposefully finalized collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with Federal employees in an effort to harm my Administration by extending its wasteful and failing policies beyond its time in office.  For example, the Department of Education negotiated a CBA on January 17, 2025 — 3 days before I took office — that generally prohibits the agency from returning remote employees to their offices.

    Such last-minute, lame-duck CBAs, which purport to bind a new President to his predecessor’s policies, run counter to America’s system of democratic self-government.  CBAs quickly negotiated to include extreme policies on the eve of a new administration are purposefully designed to circumvent the will of the people and our democracy.  Such CBAs inhibit the President’s authority to manage the executive branch by tying his hands with inefficient and ineffective practices.  The Supreme Court has explained that a President “cannot choose to bind his successors by diminishing their powers.”

    Therefore, it is the policy of the executive branch that CBAs executed in the 30 days prior to the inauguration of a new President, and that purport to remain in effect despite the inauguration of a new President and administration, shall not be approved.

    Sec. 2.  Standards for CBA Duration.  (a)  No executive department or agency (agency) or agency employees shall make a CBA governing conditions of employment in the 30 days prior to a change in Presidential administrations that:

    (i)    creates new contractual obligations;

    (ii)   makes substantive changes to existing agreements; or

    (iii)  extends the duration of an existing agreement.

    (b)  Subsection (a) of this section applies only to the extent that its requirements do not prevent CBAs from rolling over under existing contractual provisions.

    (c)  To the extent that subordinate agency personnel have executed a CBA that violates the requirements of subsection (a) of this section, but the applicable agency head has not yet approved such agreement pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 7114(c), such agency head shall promptly disapprove such agreement as inconsistent with the requirements of this memorandum. 

    (d)  The requirements of this section do not apply to CBAs that primarily cover law enforcement officers, as that term is used in 18 U.S.C. 1515(a)(4).

    Sec. 3.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or

    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (b)  This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

    (c)  If the Federal Labor Relations Authority or a court of competent jurisdiction issues a final judgment holding that section 2(d) of this memorandum would prevent this memorandum from being considered a Government-wide rule or regulation for purposes of 5 U.S.C. 7117(a)(1), section 2(d) of this memorandum shall be severed and rendered inoperative thereby and given no force or effect.

    (d)  This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    (e)  The Director of the Office of Personnel Management is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: National Black History Month, 2025

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
    A PROCLAMATION

     Today, I am very honored to recognize February 2025 as National Black History Month.

         Every year, National Black History Month is an occasion to celebrate the contributions of so many black American patriots who have indelibly shaped our Nation’s history.

         Throughout our history, black Americans have been among our country’s most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our Nation in profound ways.  American heroes such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Sowell, Justice Clarence Thomas, and countless others represent what is best in America and her citizens.  Their achievements, which have monumentally advanced the tradition of equality under the law in our great country, continue to serve as an inspiration for all Americans.  We will also never forget the achievements of American greats like Tiger Woods, who have pushed the boundaries of excellence in their respective fields, paving the way for others to follow. 

         This National Black History Month, as America prepares to enter a historic Golden Age, I want to extend my tremendous gratitude to black Americans for all they have done to bring us to this moment, and for the many future contributions they will make as we advance into a future of limitless possibility under my Administration.

         NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2025 as National Black History Month.  I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
    thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Riverside County Man Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison for Producing Sexually Explicit Images of Children He Met Online

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SANTA ANA, California – A Riverside County man was sentenced today to 188 months in federal prison for catfishing a preteen girl he met on an online gaming platform and persuading her to send him sexually explicit photos of herself and, later, of her five-year-old relative.

    John Matthew Piecuch, 64, of Hemet, was sentenced by United States District Judge John W. Holcomb, who scheduled a May 1, 2025, restitution hearing in this matter.

    Piecuch pleaded guilty in July 2024 to one count of production of child pornography. He has been in federal custody since August 2021.

    “Online games and platforms can allow child predators to hide behind fake identities and lure children into sharing private information,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally. “It is critical that we hold these predators accountable and convey a message of zero tolerance for those who prey on our youth. I also urge parents everywhere to monitor their children’s online activity to ensure their health and safety.”

    Piecuch met on Roblox, an online gaming platform, an individual identified in court documents as “Minor Victim 1,” a 12-year-old-girl. Piecuch told the victim he was a 13-year-old boy.

    In January 2021, Piecuch and Minor Victim 1 texted each other, during which time he persuaded her to send him sexually explicit images of herself. Piecuch also persuaded Minor Victim 1 to take and send him sexually explicit photographs of Minor Victim 2, a five-year-old girl, her relative.

    Minor Victim 1’s mother saw some of the text messages between her daughter and Piecuch on the girl’s mobile device, which prompted her to contact law enforcement, according to court documents.

    Once he completes his prison sentence, Piecuch will remain on supervised release for the rest of his life.

    The FBI investigated this matter in conjunction with the Carroll County (Maryland) Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Cousins Sentenced: One for the Murder of his Best Friend and both for Conspiracy to Influence a Witness

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Eugene Burns, 32, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to a total of 37 years in prison, including 31 years for the murder of Onyekachi Emmanuel Osuchukwu III in November 2015. Burns was sentenced to an additional six years for conspiring to influence a witness in the murder case. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo sentenced co-defendant Tyre Allen, 24, also of Washington, D.C., to three years in prison.

                On October 24, 2024, Burns was convicted by a Superior Court jury of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license. At the time he committed the murder, he was on release in a case pending before the D.C. Superior Court. On October 28, 2024, the jury convicted Burns and Allen of conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice (corrupt persuasion of a witness), and obstruction of justice (due administration of justice).

                According to the government’s evidence, on November 14, 2015, defendant Burns lured his best friend, Onyekachi Emmanuel Osuchukwu III, to Burns’s mother’s apartment in the 2900 block of 2nd Street Southeast, Washington, D.C. Burns shot the victim four times, killing him. 

                Burns was previously convicted by a jury, in 2017, of murdering the victim, but the conviction was overturned on appeal in 2020. Following the reversal, Burns and co‑defendant Tyre Allen, Burns’s cousin, conspired to and did obstruct justice by corruptly influencing a witness in the murder case to sign a false affidavit in October 2020 recanting the witness’s prior grand jury and trial testimony incriminating Burns in the murder.           

                In announcing the sentence U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated this case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Washington Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Willoughby and Kevin Flynn for their work on the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles R. Jones and Sharon Donovan, who prosecuted and tried this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Charged with Civil Rights Violation and Obstruction of Justice

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – A two-count indictment was unsealed in federal court today charging San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremiah Manuyag Flores with violating the civil rights of a man in pretrial custody at the San Diego Central Courthouse by using excessive force that caused serious injuries and then writing a false report to cover up his illegal actions.

    Flores is charged with depriving the individual – identified in the indictment as 57-year-old J.P. – of his right to due process of law under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and of falsifying a record in a federal investigation.

    The indictment alleges that Flores was assigned to the Court Services Bureau at the San Diego Central Courthouse on August 29, 2024, and was escorting J.P. to a holding cell following a court hearing. At the time, J.P.’s legs were chained and his hands were cross-chained to his waist.  At one point, Flores grabbed the back of J.P.’s shirt with both hands and pushed him faster down the hallway leading to the holding cell.

    When Flores and J.P. arrived at the open door to the holding cell, Flores forcefully shoved J.P. into the cell from behind with both hands, causing J.P. to smash into the bench and walls and collapse to the ground, the indictment said. Flores stated, “What? Nothing happened,” and failed to immediately report the incident to his supervisor and prepare an official report, both of which are violations of the San Diego Sheriff’s Office’s Use of Force Policy.

    According to the indictment, another deputy found J.P. over two hours later lying in the same position in his holding cell with a head wound and a pool of blood on the floor.  As a result of Flores’ actions, J.P. suffered a spinal injury for which he underwent surgery and remained hospitalized for months.

    The indictment said that more than an hour after J.P. was discovered in his holding cell, Flores falsely claimed in an incident report that “no force was used” in placing J.P. into the cell, though he knew that he had, indeed, used force against the detainee.

    “The vast majority of law enforcement personnel are dedicated public servants committed to following the rule of law and protecting our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath.  “But when a choice is made to cross the line and violate someone’s civil rights, this office will stand on behalf of the victim, and all those who wear the badge with honor, to uphold the public’s trust.”

    “Law enforcement officers work tirelessly every day to protect the public, always striving to be professional, honest, and ethical,” said San Diego FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The alleged action of the defendant not only violates the oath he swore as a law enforcement officer to protect and serve, but also erodes citizen confidence and trust in our profession.”

    Flores made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David D. Leshner. He entered pleas of not guilty to both charges and was released on a $25,000 personal appearance bond with special conditions that he surrender his passport and his personally owned firearms. The next scheduled court appearance is a motion hearing and trial setting before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez on March 10, 2025, at 2 p.m.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Askins.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 25cr0254-LL                                          

    Jeremiah Manuyag Flores                               Age: 44                                   La Jolla, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242

    Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine

    Falsification of Records in a Federal Investigation – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1519

    Maximum penalty:  Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    San Diego County Sheriff’s Office (Homicide Unit)

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Pleads Guilty in Relation to Fentanyl Poisoning Death of Another Marine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty today to a felony drug offense for his actions surrounding a 2020 fentanyl transaction that resulted in the death of a U.S. Marine.

    Anthony Ruben Whisenant, 24, pleaded guilty in United States District Court to the use of a communication facility – a cellphone – in committing a felony drug offense.

    United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee is scheduled to sentence Whisenant on May 7, at which time he will face a maximum sentence of four years in federal prison.

    “Fentanyl continues to claim the lives of too many in our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Our office remains committed to holding accountable those responsible for circulating fentanyl and other dangerous substances in our district and threatening the health and safety of our residents.”

    According to court documents, in May 2020, Whisenant was an active-duty lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps stationed aboard Camp Pendleton in Oceanside when he ordered pills marketed as oxycodone – but which actually contained fentanyl – for a fellow U.S. Marine, identified in court papers as “L.M.”

    Whisenant contacted the drug dealer, Gustavo Jaciel Solis, 28, based on an advertisement Solis shared via his Snapchat account, according to court documents. L.M. drove Whisenant and another U.S. Marine, Ryan Douglas White, 27, from Camp Pendleton to collect the drugs from Solis later that same day. The three Marines then drove to a party in Compton where L.M. ingested some of the pills purchased from Solis and died shortly after. At the direction of Whisenant, White flushed the remaining pills down a toilet before first responders arrived.

    Solis was charged in 2020, along with Whisenant and two other civilian co-conspirators, with being part of a drug ring that distributed narcotics to civilians and members of the Marine Corps, and White was charged as an accessory after the fact.

    Solis was arrested in July 2020, at which time investigators seized narcotics and several firearms – including a 9mm “ghost gun” – from his residence. Solis pleaded guilty in April 2022 to two federal drug trafficking offenses: participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and distributing fentanyl resulting in death. His sentencing is pending, and he faces a maximum sentence of life.

    White pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of misprision of a felony for his knowledge of the fatal drug transaction and his attempts to hinder law enforcement’s investigation. His sentencing is scheduled for June 6, at which time he will face a maximum sentence of 3 years.

    A superseding indictment filed in September 2020 named two other defendants: Jordan Nicholas McCormick, 29, of Palmdale, and Jessica Sarah Perez, 25, of Pacoima.

    McCormick allegedly supplied provided LSD, ecstasy, cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to co-conspirators. McCormick has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial on April 22.

    Perez distributed narcotics including fentanyl and cocaine to the conspiracy’s civilian customers. She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and was sentenced in September 2022 to pay a $100 fine and placed on probation for two years.

    This matter was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Castañeda of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Joaquin County Woman Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearms Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alejandra Susana Castillo, 34, of Tracy, pleaded guilty today to illegal firearms trafficking, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, between Aug. 22, 2023, and Aug. 27, 2024, Castillo and a co‑conspirator trafficked firearms by purchasing them in Nevada and selling them on the black market in California.

    On July 27, 2024, Castillo’s co-conspirator led a law enforcement officer on a high-speed evasion in excess of 100 miles per hour. The officer ultimately ended the pursuit for public safety concerns. Two days later, another officer observed the car parked at a gas station. The officer detained Castillo, who was then using the car. During a search of the vehicle, the officer discovered a semi-automatic rifle in the trunk, along with three extended magazines.

    In total, ATF agents traced more than 30 firearms to this conspiracy. At least three of these firearms have been recovered in connection with suspected firearm-related crimes. One such firearm, for example, was recovered in the possession of a felon in Vallejo on July 25, 2024, only three days after Castillo purchased the firearm in Nevada on July 22, 2024.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Highway Patrol, the Pleasonton Police Department, the Reno Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

    Castillo is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins. Castillo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

    The Sacramento Region/San Francisco Bay Area Cross-Jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Force is one of five cross-jurisdictional strike forces launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in July 2021 to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. Each strike force is led by designated United States Attorneys, who collaborate with ATF and with state and local law enforcement partners within their own jurisdiction as well as law enforcement partners in areas where illegally trafficked guns originate. The strike forces use the latest data, evidence, and intelligence from crime scenes to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes, and are an important part of the Department’s Comprehensive Violent Crime Reduction Strategy.

    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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Readout of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Call With Japanese Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    Department of Defense Spokesman John Ullyot provided the following readout:

    On January 30, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen held an introductory call to discuss the U.S.-Japan Alliance, the cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

    Minister Nakatani congratulated the Secretary on his appointment and reaffirmed his desire to work together to advance Alliance priorities.  The two officials reiterated the importance of deepening defense cooperation to strengthen deterrence and to advance a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.  

    The two officials reaffirmed their commitment to advance ongoing work to modernize Alliance command and control and expand bilateral presence in Japan’s Southwest Islands.  Both the Secretary and the Minister agreed to remain in close contact on areas of mutual security interest.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Former PNG army commander Jerry Singirok pays tribute to Sir Julius Chan

    By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent

    The former Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) commander who defied a government decision to send mercenaries to Bougainville during the civil war in the late 1990s has paid tribute to Sir Julius Chan, prime minister at the time.

    Retired Major-General Jerry Singirok, who effectively ended the Bougainville War and caused Sir Julius to step aside as Prime Minister in 1997, expressed his condolences, saying he had the highest respect for Sir Julius — who died on Thursday aged 85 — for upholding the constitution when the people demanded it.

    “Today, I mourn with his family, the people of New Ireland and the nation for his loss. We are for ever grateful for such a selfless servant as Sir Julius Chan,” he said.

    Retired Major-General Jerry Singirok . . . “We are for ever grateful for such a selfless servant as Sir Julius Chan.” Image: PNG Post-Courier

    As a captain, Jerry Singirok had served on the PNGDF’s first-ever overseas combat deployment in Vanuatu to quell an independence rebellion.

    The decision to send PNGDF forces to Vanuatu was made when Sir Julius was prime minister in 1980.

    Seventeen years later, again under Sir Julius’ leadership, the 38-year-old Singirok was elevated to be the PNGDF commander as the government struggled to put an end to the decade-long Bougainville War.

    Sandline affair
    In late 1996, the Sir Julius-led government signed a secret US$38 million deal with Sandline International, a UK-based mercenary company.

    Under the arrangement, 44 British, South African and Australian mercenaries supported by the PNGDF, would be sent in to Bougainville to end the conflict.

    Singirok disagreed with the decision, disarmed and arrested the mercenaries during the night of 16 March 1997, and with the backing of the army he called for Sir Julius to step aside as prime minster. Sir Julius’ defiance triggered violent protests.

    “Yes, I disagreed with him and opposed the use of mercenaries on Bougainville and the nation mobilised and expelled Sandline mercenaries,” he said.

    “But it did not once dampen my respect for him.”

    Under immense public pressure, Sir Julius stepped aside.

    Throughout the period of unrest, Singirok maintained that the military operation called “Opareisen Rausim Kwik” (Tok Pisin for “Get rid of them quickly”), was aimed at expelling mercenaries and was not a coup against the government.

    His book about the so-called Sandline affair, A Matter of Conscience, was published in 2023.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: o3-mini is here and ships today on Azure AI Foundry and GitHub Copilot and Models… can’t wait to see what you build!

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: o3-mini is here and ships today on Azure AI Foundry and GitHub Copilot and Models… can’t wait to see what you build!

    Excellent and timely offer Satya Nadella. The O3 mini reasoning model in Azure OpenAI Service opens the door for enterprises to experiment with modular AI architectures, where task-specific models complement larger foundation models. Instead of relying solely on massive, compute-heavy LLMs, organizations can deploy lightweight, domain-optimized AI agents for real-time decision-making, edge AI, or hybrid cloud inference. This shift aligns with the growing demand for AI efficiency at scale, especially as businesses seek cost-conscious, high-performance solutions in an increasingly competitive landscape.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: o3-mini reasoning model now available in Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: o3-mini reasoning model now available in Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service

    We are pleased to announce that OpenAI’s new o3-mini model is now available in Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. Building on the foundation of the o1 model, o3-mini delivers a new level of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and reasoning capabilities.

    We are pleased to announce that OpenAI o3-mini is now available in Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. o3-mini adds significant cost efficiencies compared with o1-mini with enhanced reasoning, with new features like reasoning effort control and tools, while providing comparable or better responsiveness.

    o3-mini’s advanced capabilities, combined with its efficiency gains, make it a powerful tool for developers and enterprises looking to optimize their AI applications.

    With faster performance and lower latency, o3-mini is designed to handle complex reasoning workloads while maintaining efficiency.

    Get started with Azure OpenAI Service

    New features of o3-mini

    As the evolution of OpenAI o1-mini, o3-mini introduces several key features that enhance AI reasoning and customization:

    • Reasoning effort parameter: Allows users to adjust the model’s cognitive load with low, medium, and high reasoning levels, providing greater control over the response and latency. 
    • Structured outputs: The model now supports JSON Schema constraints, making it easier to generate well-defined, structured outputs for automated workflows.
    • Functions and Tools support: Like previous models, o3-mini seamlessly integrates with functions and external tools, making it ideal for AI-powered automation. 
    • Developer messages: The “role”: “developer” attribute replaces the system message in previous models, offering more flexible and structured instruction handling.
    • System message compatibility: Azure OpenAI Service maps the legacy system message to developer message to ensure seamless backward compatibility.
    • Continued strength on coding, math, and scientific reasoning: o3-mini further enhances its capabilities in coding, mathematics, and scientific reasoning, ensuring high performance in these critical areas. 

    With these improvements in speed, control, and cost-efficiency, o3-mini is optimized for enterprise AI solutions, enabling businesses to scale their AI applications efficiently while maintaining precision and reliability. 

    From o1-mini to o3-mini: What’s changed? 

    o3-mini is the latest reasoning model released, with notable differences compared with the o1 model released last September. While both models share strengths in reasoning, o3-mini adds new capabilities like structured outputs and functions and tools, resulting in a production-ready model with significant improvements in cost efficiencies. 

    Feature comparison: o3-mini versus o1-mini

    Feature o1-mini o3-mini
    Reasoning Effort Control No Yes (low, medium, high)
    Developer Messages No Yes
    Structured Outputs No Yes
    Functions/Tools Support No Yes
    Vision Support No No

    Join us on this journey

    We invite you to explore the capabilities of o3-mini and see how it can transform your AI applications. With Azure OpenAI Service, you get access to the latest AI innovations, enterprise-grade security, and global compliance, and data remains private and secure.

    Learn more about OpenAI o3-mini in GitHub Copilot and GitHub Models here.

    Get started today! Sign up in Azure AI Foundry to access o3-mini and other advanced AI models.

    Build with Azure AI Foundry

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Announces $1 Million Investment to Help Address Gun Violence in Communities Across Michigan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) announced a $1 million investment from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to help address gun violence in communities across Michigan. The funding is being awarded to the Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) and will be used to assess the impact of community intervention programs that aim to reduce cyclical and retaliatory gun violence in targeted urban cities.    

    “Michiganders continue to feel the impacts of gun violence in their own communities, and we must do more to promote safety in our neighborhoods,” said Senator Peters. “This innovative program will help inform best strategies to address gun violence while helping to curb the cycle of gun-related offenses.”     

    As part of the project, MPHI will engage at least 100 individuals in three urban areas across Michigan who have active firearm offenses. Once identified, MPHI will provide them with evidence-based programming aimed at reducing gun violence – including street outreach, mentoring, life skills training and opportunities for employment. During the 18-month program, participants will be compared against a control group from the same three urban areas to determine the effectiveness of programming aimed at reducing gun violence.  

    The funding for this project comes from the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance program, which supports new and innovative strategies for preventing and reducing crime, improving community safety, and strengthening criminal justice system outcomes. You can read more about the program here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Announces $2 Million Federal Investment to Expand the City of Grand Rapids’ “Cure Violence” Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) announced a $2 million federal investment from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to help the City of Grand Rapids to build on the success of its “Cure Violence” program, which has helped to significantly reduce gun violence in initial focus areas in the city. 

    “As gun violence continues to impact Michiganders, it’s essential that we support innovative programs that have proven successful at making a difference in our communities,” said Senator Peters. “The ‘Cure Violence’ program has made important progress to reduce gun violence, and I’m thrilled that this funding will help bring it to every corner of Grand Rapids.”     

    Through street-level outreach and community engagement, the “Cure Violence” program has been successful in addressing gun violence in the City’s Third Ward. This grant award will allow the City of Grand Rapids to expand the “Cure Violence” model city-wide, helping to support other locations where gun violence has continued to rise. Funding will also assist the City of Grand Rapids to build a comprehensive and unified approach to reducing gun violence across the city. 

    The funding for this project comes from the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance program, which supports new and innovative strategies for preventing and reducing crime, improving community safety, and strengthening criminal justice system outcomes. You can read more about the program here.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican National with Pending Federal Indictment Charged with Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant previously released and deported following arrest for federal drug and firearm charges

    BOSTON – A Dominican national, residing in Lawrence with pending federal fentanyl trafficking and firearm charges, has been arrested and charged with unlawfully reentering the United States. After the defendant was arrested and charged in 2023 with alleged federal drug and firearm offenses, he was released on conditions and later deported.

    Santo Alberto Baez Baez, 36, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Baez Baez was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2023 with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (fentanyl). He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023 with one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

    In 2022, law enforcement began investigations into multiple drug trafficking organizations (“DTOs”) that distributed large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine in the Lawrence area. According to court documents, on June 21, 2023, search warrants were executed at 13 locations in Massachusetts, including three locations in Lawrence, allegedly used by the DTOs. It is alleged that, during a search of one of the Lawrence-based residences, Baez Baez was found in the bedroom where a Rossi model M971 .357 caliber revolver loaded with .38 special ammunition and a silencer, a box of .38 special ammunition, a container of controlled substances – some of which were packaged in clear plastic bags for sale – and a brick that weighed approximately 200 grams – later analyzed and determined to contain fentanyl – was recovered. According to the criminal complaint, fraudulent identification documents, including social security cards and Baez Baez’s Dominican passport, where also discovered.

    At the time of his arrest, it was determined that Baez Baez had an outstanding state warrant for distribution of fentanyl, and it was determined that he was not legally present in the United States.

    Following a detention hearing on federal charges, Baez Baez was released by the Court on conditions on July 11, 2023. According to court documents, he was later brought into the custody of immigration authorities and placed into removal proceedings and, on Aug 28, 2023, he was ordered removed from the United States to the Dominican Republic. Baez Baez was removed on Sept. 19, 2023, at which time his fingerprint, photograph and signature were obtained.

    It is alleged that on an unknown date and location, Baez Baez reentered the United States without being inspected. Authorities learned that Baez Baez was living in Lawrence, Mass.

    According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 18, 2024, an individual was stopped for a traffic violation in Andover, Mass. The operator produced a New York driver’s license identifying himself as Jose Villar Baez. It was determined that there was a warrant for “Villar Baez” in Concord District Court for leaving the scene of an accident, causing property damage and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. The operator of the vehicle was arrested and later fingerprinted. Fingerprint analysis allegedly determined that “Villar Baez,” the operator of the vehicle, was in fact Baez Baez. According to the criminal complaint, Baez Baez was released by a state clerk magistrate on personal recognizance.

    On Jan. 27, 2025, a federal arrest was issued for Baez Baez for violating his pre-trial release. On Jan. 31, 2025 Baez Baez was arrested in Lawrence at a location that had been previously searched in June 2023 at the time Baez Baez originally was arrested.

    The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of no less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, no less than four years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense provides for a sentence of no less than five years in prison to run consecutively with any sentence imposed on the drug offense. Baez Baez will also be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police and made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Massachusetts and the Natick Police Department. U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Dell’Anno and Christopher Pohl of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.

    This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Utqiagvik man sentenced to 15 years for producing child pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – An Utqiagvik man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison and will serve 10 years on supervised release for producing child pornography.

    According to court documents, a detective with a local law enforcement agency, acting in an undercover capacity and posing online as a 13-year-old girl, operated an account with a social media application known to law enforcement to be utilized by individuals seeking sexual encounters with minors. On Nov 6, 2023, the undercover detective received a message from Billy Ray Okpeaha Jr., 25.

    Between Nov. 6, 2023, and Jan. 18, 2024, Okpeaha and the undercover detective engaged in online exchanges that included Okpeaha’s requests that the undercover detective send him explicit content, the defendant sending a photo of his genitals to the undercover detective, and discussions about meeting each other in person and sexual interactions if an in-person meet occurred. Okpeaha sent the address of the hotel he was staying at and requested the undercover detective meet him at his hotel room.

    Okpeaha made plans to meet the undercover detective for a sexual encounter on Jan. 22, 2024. He was arrested that day at an apartment in Utqiagvik. Investigators seized and searched his electronic devices, which contained child sexual abuse materials, including visuals of a known minor victim. The known minor victim was interviewed and confirmed sending images of child sexual abuse material at Okpeaha’s request.

    Okpeaha was initially released on pre-trial supervision following his arrest but fled his transitional living facility. He was re-arrested in Coldfoot, Alaska, allegedly attempting to evade supervision and capture.

    On Sept. 4, 2024, Okpeaha pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography.

    “Crimes against children are among the most heinous offenses, inflicting lasting harm on vulnerable victims. Mr. Okpeaha deliberately targeted innocent children in a rural village for his own sexual gratification, exposing a clear and present danger to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Our office will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to identify, apprehend and vigorously prosecute anyone who attempts to exploit or target the children of Alaska.” 

    “The defendant used the Internet to commit child exploitation crimes in Alaska and was found to be in possession of CSAM on his devices,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This investigation and sentencing demonstrate the severity of the defendant’s crimes, and our commitment to prevent further victimization and ensure online predators are brought to justice.”

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the North Slope Borough Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case.

    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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Baltimore Man of First-Degree Felony Murder While Armed and Related Charges for Killing Unarmed Man in Southeast, D.C.

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Ethan Cunningham, 22, of Baltimore, MD was found guilty by a Superior Court jury of two counts of felony murder while armed, and related charges stemming from a May 2022 shooting of James Lee Curtis, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                The jury also found Cunningham guilty of one count of first-degree burglary while armed, one count of attempted robbery while armed, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, five counts of PFCOV, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman scheduled sentencing for March 28, 2025.

                According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 9:30 p.m. on May 10, 2022, the victim, James Lee Curtis, was coming home from getting dinner and picking up his roommate.  As he was entering his building, the defendant, Ethan Cunningham, and an associate followed Curtis into his apartment building.  The defendant brandished a 9mm firearm with an extended magazine and repeatedly assaulted Curtis, demanding he open his apartment door where a child and woman were inside.  When Curtis refused to open the door, the defendant continued assaulting him throughout basement area of the apartment building until Curtis’s roommate tried to intervene.  The defendant then began shooting, striking Curtis once, and striking his roommate’s backpack. The defendant then stood over the roommate who had fallen to the ground and threatened to shoot him before fleeing the building. Curtis died from his injuries shortly thereafter.

                The defendant was arrested on May 30, 2022 and has remained detained since that date.

                This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma McArthur and Natalie Hynum.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Dividend Growth Split Corp. Renews At-The-Market Equity Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

    TORONTO, Jan. 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSX: DGS, DGS.PR.A) Dividend Growth Split Corp. (the “Fund”) is pleased to announce it has renewed its at-the-market equity program (“ATM Program”) so that the Fund can issue class A and preferred shares (the “Class A Shares” and “Preferred Shares”, respectively) to the public from time to time, at the Fund’s discretion. This ATM Program replaces the prior program established in August 2024 that has terminated. Any Class A Shares or Preferred Shares sold under the ATM Program will be sold through the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) or any other marketplace in Canada on which the Class A Shares and Preferred Shares are listed, quoted or otherwise traded at the prevailing market price at the time of sale. Sales of Class A Shares and Preferred Shares through the ATM Program will be made pursuant to the terms of an equity distribution agreement dated January 31, 2025 (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”) with RBC Capital Markets (the “Agent”).

    Sales of Class A Shares and Preferred Shares will be made by way of “at-the-market distributions” as defined in National Instrument 44-102 Shelf Distributions on the TSX or on any marketplace for the Class A Shares and Preferred Shares in Canada. Since the Class A Shares and Preferred Shares will be distributed at the prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, prices may vary among purchasers during the period of distribution. The ATM Program is being offered pursuant to a prospectus supplement dated January 31, 2025 to the Fund’s short form base shelf prospectus dated August 1, 2024. The maximum gross proceeds from the issuance of the shares will be $100 million for each of the Class A and Preferred Shares. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the short form base shelf prospectus may be obtained from your registered financial advisor or from representatives of the Agent and are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    The volume and timing of distributions under the ATM Program, if any, will be determined at the Fund’s sole discretion. The ATM Program will be effective until September 1, 2026, unless terminated prior to such date by the Fund. The Fund intends to use the proceeds from the ATM Program in accordance with the investment objectives and investment strategies of the Fund, subject to the investment restrictions of the Fund.

    The Fund invests in a portfolio (the “Portfolio”) consisting primarily of equity securities of Canadian dividend growth companies. In addition, the Fund may hold up to 20% of the total assets of the Portfolio in global dividend growth companies for diversification and improved return potential, at the discretion of Brompton Funds Limited (the “Manager”). In order to qualify for inclusion in the Portfolio, at the time of investment, each dividend growth company included in the Portfolio must have (i) a market capitalization of at least $2.0 billion; and (ii) a history of dividend growth or, in the Manager’s view, have high potential for future dividend growth.

    The investment objectives for the Class A Shares are to provide holders with regular monthly cash distributions targeted to be at least $0.10 per Class A Share and to provide the opportunity for growth in the net asset value per Class A Share.

    The investment objectives for the Preferred Shares are to provide holders with fixed cumulative preferential quarterly cash distributions in the amount of $0.16875 per Preferred Share (6.75% per annum on the original $10.00 issue price) until August 30, 2029, and to return the original issue price to holders of Preferred Shares on August 30, 2029.

    Over the last 10 years, the Class A Shares have delivered a 12.8% per annum total return based on NAV, outperforming the S&P/TSX Composite Total Return Index by 4.1% per annum.(1) The Preferred Shares have returned 5.5% per annum over the last 10 years, outperforming the S&P/TSX Preferred Share Total Return Index by 2.5% per annum.(1)

    About Brompton Funds

    Founded in 2000, Brompton is an experienced investment fund manager with income and growth focused investment solutions including exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other TSX traded investment funds. For further information, please contact your investment advisor, call Brompton’s investor relations line at 416-642-6000 (toll-free at 1-866-642-6001), email info@bromptongroup.com or visit our website at www.bromptongroup.com.

    (1) See Performance table below.

      Dividend Growth Split Corp.
    Compound Annual Returns to December 31, 2024    		 1-Yr 3-Yr 5-Yr 10-Yr Since
    Inception
      Class A Shares (TSX: DGS) 54.6% 15.9% 19.0% 12.8% 11.1%
      S&P/TSX Composite Total Return Index 15.7% 7.8% 10.5% 7.4% 6.4%
      Preferred Shares (TSX: DGS.PR.A) 5.6% 5.6% 5.6% 5.5% 5.4%
      S&P/TSX Preferred Share Total Return Index 21.6% 1.6% 5.8% 2.5% 3.2%
     

    Returns are for the periods ended December 31, 2024, and are unaudited. Inception date December 3, 2007. The table shows the compound return on a Class A Share and Preferred Share for each period indicated compared to the S&P/TSX Composite Total Return Index (“Composite Index”), and the S&P/TSX Preferred Share Total Return Index (“Preferred Share Index”) (together the “Indices”). The Composite Index tracks the performance, on a market weight basis and total return basis, of a broad index of large-capitalization issuers listed on the TSX. The Preferred Share Index tracks the performance, on a market‑weight basis and total return basis, of a broad index of preferred shares trading on the TSX that meet the criteria relating to size, liquidity and issuer rating. The Fund is actively managed; therefore, its performance is not expected to mirror that of the Indices, which have more diversified portfolios and include a substantially larger number of companies. Furthermore, the Indices’ performance is calculated without the deduction of management fees, fund expenses and trading commissions, whereas the performance of the Fund is calculated after deducting such fees and expenses. Additionally, the performance of the Class A Shares is impacted by the leverage provided by the Preferred Shares. The performance information shown is based on the net asset value per Class A Share and the redemption price per Preferred Share and assumes that cash distributions made by the Fund during the periods shown were reinvested at net asset value per Class A Share and redemption price per Preferred Share in additional Class A Shares or Preferred Shares of the Fund. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

    You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the TSX or other alternative Canadian trading system (an “exchange”). If the shares are purchased or sold on an exchange, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying shares of the Fund and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them.

    There are ongoing fees and expenses associated with owning shares of an investment fund. An investment fund must prepare disclosure documents that contain key information about the Fund. You can find more detailed information about the Fund in its public filings available at www.sedarplus.ca. The indicated rates of return are the historical annual compounded total returns including changes in share value and reinvestment of all distributions and does not take into account sales, redemption, distribution or optional charges or income tax payable by any securityholder that would have reduced returns. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

    Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to matters disclosed in this document and to other matters identified in public filings relating to the Fund, to the future outlook of the Fund and anticipated events or results and may include statements regarding the future financial performance of the Fund. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terms such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue” or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Actual results may vary from such forward-looking information. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

    The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities nor will there be any sale of such securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Colleagues Condemn DoD Decision To End Policy Allowing U.S. Service Members To Access Non-Covered Reproductive Health Care Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    January 31, 2025

    HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined 17 of their Senate colleagues in releasing the following statement on the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) rescission of a policy that allowed service members to get reimbursed for travel and transportation for non-covered reproductive care. A memo that updates the Joint Travel Regulations to rescind this policy was issued earlier this week.
    “This decision strips away service members’ ability to access the reproductive care they need, which is nothing short of abhorrent. It runs contrary to a core goal of the Department of Defense – to ensure the health and wellbeing of all our service members so that our force remains ready at all times to protect Americans and keep this nation safe.
    “U.S. service members have no control over where they are stationed and what state laws may govern their bodies. The policy that the Department of Defense took away from our servicewomen and military families provided them the ability to travel to another state to seek out the care they need. Rescinding that does nothing to enhance military readiness.
    “At a time when we are already facing military recruitment and retention challenges, we should do all we can to assure those who answer the call to serve America that we will do everything in our power to support them and their families. Instead, this extreme action does the opposite and sends a message to servicewomen—who make up more than 17 percent of our military’s active duty—that they are not as valuable as their male counterparts.
    “We will do everything in our power to mitigate the impact that this extreme decision will have on members of our military and ensure their health and safety comes first.”
    The statement was led by U.S. Senator Shaheen (D-NH) and also joined by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Angus King (I-Maine), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Denver officers arrest illegal Mexican national charged with assault and kidnapping

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    DENVER — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Juan Benitez-Ortega, 48, an illegally present Mexican national in Adams County, Colorado, Jan. 30.

    “The arrest and eventual removal of this individual reaffirms our commitment to enforcing the laws of our nation and protecting our communities.” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Denver Field Office Director Robert Guadian. “This subject will no longer be allowed to continue to terrorize the citizens of Colorado.”

    Ramirez unlawfully entered the United States in Nov. 1998, at an unknown location.

    Officials in Adams County, charged Benitez with felony assault, kidnapping or false imprisonment on Dec. 28. Benitez also has a prior conviction for driving while ability impaired.

    ICE officers issued Ramirez an intent to reinstate a prior order of removal, and he will remain in ICE custody until his removal from the U.S.

    Members of the public with information regarding child sex offenders can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ERO Denver’s mission to increase public safety throughout Colorado and Wyoming on X at @ERODenver.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: EPW Democrats to Zeldin: Provide Valid Legal Basis for EPA Funding Freeze that is Threatening Jobs and Jeopardizing Infrastructure Projects

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    During his first days on the job, EPA Administrator Zeldin rubber stamps Trump’s crippling funding freeze and violates federal law
    Washington (January 31, 2025) – Today, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) joined Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and all Democratic members of the Committee in demanding answers from newly-confirmed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin about the agency’s freezing of Congressionally appropriated funds, including those that have already been obligated.  According to public reporting, the EPA sent letters to grant recipients explaining it was pausing “all funding actions related to” the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  Not only are these funding cuts already having devastating effects on communities, with reports of jobs in jeopardy and essential infrastructure projects on the chopping block, but failing to allow grant recipients to access funds that have already been obligated violates federal law.
    “We write concerning troubling reports that the Environmental Protection Agency is attempting to claw back funds that have already been obligated to grant recipients. We believe that this is contrary to federal law,” wrote Senators Whitehouse, Markey, Sanders, Merkley, Kelly, Padilla, Schiff, Blunt Rochester, and Alsobrooks. “Many of us have also been contacted by grantees in our states reporting that they no longer have access to the grant money that has been obligated to them.”
    The Senators further pressed Administrator Zeldin on his failure to abide by the commitments he made to Members of the Committee during his confirmation hearing. When asked if he believed the president or executive branch could ignore congressional appropriation decisions and instructions, then-nominee Zeldin responded, “If confirmed, I pledge to respect all of Congress’s duly enacted statutes.” When asked if he pledged to respect congressional appropriation decisions and instructions and resist any efforts within the executive branch to circumvent them, he reaffirmed his commitment to executing on EPA’s mission and recognized Congress’s power of the purse, stating “Particularly as a former Member of Congress, I appreciate and respect the Congressional funding process. I commit to fully following the law.” 
    But it appears that in his first days as EPA Administrator, Zeldin is already allowing President Trump to pull the strings at EPA by failing swiftly to address these funding freezes that undermine EPA’s core mission and run contrary to federal law. 
    “Federal law and regulations require that obligated funds be provided to grantees absent proof of misuse of funds,” wrote the Senators.  “We further note that the Solar for All program furthers several goals, all of which are part of EPA’s core mission, which you support. It is designed to help reduce carbon pollution, air pollutants, and household energy costs by financing community and rooftop solar in low-income communities. It will further help drive American manufacturing, boosting the economy and creating jobs.” 
    Accordingly, the Senators demanded that Administrator Zeldin provide a valid legal justification for the funding freezes and explain when he plans restore the availability of the funds to grant recipients.
    The text of the letter is below, and a full version (with footnotes) is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Tillis, Padilla, Schiff Introduce Legislation to Give Tax Relief to Disaster Victims

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act of 2025, legislation that allows Americans to exclude any qualified catastrophe mitigation payment made under a state-based catastrophe loss mitigation program from their income tax. The bill would provide needed relief to homeowners after a major flood or hurricane.
    “Louisianans understand the impact of devastating storms, but with the help of state and local programs, we have tools to rebuild and return to wholeness,” said Dr. Cassidy. “If communities need tax relief, let’s give it to them!”
    “This commonsense legislation takes a critical step toward empowering individuals and communities to better protect themselves from the devastating effects of natural disasters like Hurricane Helene,” said Senator Tillis. “By excluding qualified catastrophe mitigation payments from income tax, we are incentivizing property owners to make the necessary improvements that reduce damage and save lives. This proactive approach to disaster preparedness not only helps families rebuild faster but strengthens our resilience in the face of future disasters.”
    “The devastating fires in Southern California underscored the urgent need to empower homeowners to take proactive steps to keep their families and homes safe,” said Senator Padilla. “As these disasters become more frequent and more extreme due to the climate crisis, we should incentivize — not penalize — taxpayers for protecting their homes. That’s why the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act would provide a tax exemption on payments from state-based programs for homeowner investments in critical disaster-related improvements.”
    “We have seen how natural disasters have devastated communities around the country, and we must ensure we have the resources and programs in place to respond,” said Senator Schiff. “Homeowners should not face additional taxes for wanting to protect their homes and our bipartisan legislation will provide the needed tax relief to help affected Americans recover from these disasters.”
    The bill defines a qualified catastrophe mitigation payment as any amount received for making improvements to an individual’s property for the sole purpose of reducing the damage that would be done to such property by a flood, windstorm, earthquake, or wildfire.
    Cassidy, Tillis, Padilla, and Schiff were joined by U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Katie Britt (R-AL), Michael Bennett (D-CO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Kennedy (R-LA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Ted Budd (R-NC) in cosponsoring the legislation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Padilla, Cassidy, Schiff Introduce Legislation to Exclude Catastrophe Mitigation Payments from Income Taxes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act of 2025, legislation that excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, any qualified catastrophe mitigation payment made under a state-based catastrophe loss mitigation program. 
    “This commonsense legislation takes a critical step toward empowering individuals and communities to better protect themselves from the devastating effects of natural disasters like Hurricane Helene,” said Senator Tillis. “By excluding qualified catastrophe mitigation payments from income tax, we are incentivizing property owners to make the necessary improvements that reduce damage and save lives. This proactive approach to disaster preparedness not only helps families rebuild faster but strengthens our resilience in the face of future disasters.”
    “The devastating fires in Southern California underscored the urgent need to empower homeowners to take proactive steps to keep their families and homes safe,” said Senator Padilla. “As these disasters become more frequent and more extreme due to the climate crisis, we should incentivize — not penalize — taxpayers for protecting their homes. That’s why the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act would provide a tax exemption on payments from state-based programs for homeowner investments in critical disaster-related improvements.”
    “Louisianans understand the impact of devastating storms, but with the help of state and local programs, we have tools to rebuild and return to wholeness,” said Dr. Cassidy. “If communities need tax relief, let’s give it to them!”
    “We have seen how natural disasters have devastated communities around the country, and we must ensure we have the resources and programs in place to respond,” said Senator Schiff. “Homeowners should not face additional taxes for wanting to protect their homes and our bipartisan legislation will provide the needed tax relief to help affected Americans recover from these disasters.”
    Background:
    The bill defines a “qualified catastrophe mitigation payment” as any amount received for making improvements to an individual’s property for the sole purpose of reducing the damage that would be done to such property by a windstorm, earthquake, flood, or wildfire.
    The Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act of 2025 is co-sponsored by Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Michael Bennett (D-CO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Kennedy (R-LA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Ted Budd (R-NC).
    The Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act of 2025 is endorsed by North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and the North Carolina Insurance Association.
    “Passing federal legislation that would ensure all state-funded, pre-disaster mitigation grants are tax-free would allow these grants to have the maximum impact,” said Mike Causey, Insurance Commissioner, State of North Carolina. “These mitigation grants protect homes and have a direct impact on insurers and the claims they pay for such disasters, which is critical for ensuring an insurance market that is stable and available and affordable for homeowners.  Because North Carolina has been a leader in windstorm mitigation through our Strengthen Your Roof and Strengthen Your Coastal Roof grant programs, and because working to maintain a healthy market is one of my goals as Insurance Commissioner, I am in total support of this bill. I thank Senator Tillis for proposing it.” 
    “North Carolina Insurance Association (NCIUA) has made grants of more than $100 million so that our policyholders can invest in resilient construction and fortified roofs,” said Gina Hardy, CEO, North Carolina Insurance Association. “Given the possibility of more frequent catastrophic events, we believe all of the grant money we invest should be free of federal taxation and remain with our policyholders so they can continue to strengthen and improve their homes.” 
    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Coons warns about Russian efforts against Romania and Moldova in interview with The Counteroffensive

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) sat down with The Counteroffensive’s Tim Mak to encourage continued western support for Romania and Moldova, both of which are victims of intensive Russian coercion campaigns in eastern Europe amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
    Last month, Senator Coons led a congressional delegation to Moldova and Romania, where he saw firsthand Russia’s attempts to undermine the independence and democracy of both countries. Romania, a crucial NATO ally, faced widespread Russian interference in their November presidential election that propelled pro-Russia NATO-skeptic candidate Calin Georgescu to first place before the election was annulled. Meanwhile, Moldova also faced intensive Russian interference, including disinformation and vote-buying campaigns, in its October presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union, which ultimately passed despite Russia’s efforts. The country is also dealing with an energy crisis, as Russia started off the year by cutting off gas supplies to Moldova’s only power plant, with devastating consequences for Moldovan civilians now struggling through the winter. 
    In the interview, Senator Coons also encouraged President Trump and Republicans not to abandon Ukraine nearly three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.
    The Counteroffensive: TOP DEM SENATOR: DON’T TAKE EYES OFF MOLDOVA, ROMANIA 
    As violent as the war in Ukraine is, there are broader Russian threats that the United States needs to pay attention to, said Sen. Chris Coons, a senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
    Coons recently returned from a Congressional delegation to Moldova and Romania, and gave an exclusive interview with The Counteroffensive to share lessons learned.
    “Russia has a playbook, and it has a set of plays that it’s running,” and not just in Ukraine, he said, referring to hybrid warfare techniques that include threats to Moldova’s energy security and influence operations in Romania.
    “Their sabotage operations are continuing right now across Central and Western Europe: fires and attacks and assassinations; and that their influence operations using social media; cyber attacks; good old fashioned bribery – are actually having an influence on politics,” he warned. “These are not isolated.”
    Read the full article here.

    MIL OSI USA News –