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  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and South Korean Defense Minister Brief the Media

    Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)

    Lloyd J. Austin III and South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun hold a joint press conference at the Pentagon on October 30, 2024.
    —————
    Your military is an all-volunteer force that serves to protect our security and way of life, but Service members are more than a fighting force. They are leaders, humanitarians and your fellow Americans. Get to know more about the men and women who serve, who they are, what they do, and why they do it.

    For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov
    —————
    Keep up with the Department of Defense on social media!

    Like the DoD on Facebook: http://facebook.com/DeptofDefense
    Follow the DoD on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeptofDefense
    Follow the DoD on Instagram: http://instagram.com/DeptofDefense
    Follow the DoD on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/DeptofDefense

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtiMF0VKZ34

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN, GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL, AND MAYOR YVONNE FLOWERS ANNOUNCE LANDMARK FUNDING TO TACKLE CITY’S LEAD PIPE CRISIS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pat Ryan (New York 18th)

    Congressman Pat Ryan, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Mayor Yvonne Flowers Announce Landmark Funding to Tackle City’s Lead Pipe Crisis

    Lead pipes can leach the toxin into drinking water, exposing families to the extreme health hazard; Nearly $12M will help Poughkeepsie remove the toxic pipes from the city’s drinking water infrastructure

    Announcement builds on Ryan’s record of fighting for clean water for Hudson Valley families and his commitment to eliminating sources of lead exposure from NY-18 communities

    POUGHKEEPSIE, NY  –  Today, Congressman Pat Ryan, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Mayor Yvonne Flowers announced $11,869,472 in funding to tackle Poughkeepsie’s lead pipe crisis and remove the toxic service lines from the city’s drinking water system. The funding from New York State will help the city identify the locations of lead service lines, inventory the extent of the city’s lead pipe crisis, and fund the beginning of lead pipe removal projects. Congressman Ryan has fought for federal resources to help Poughkeepsie address its lead pipe crisis, including bringing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leadership to the city last year. 

    “Freedom means every American has the right to breathe clean air and drink clean water, and that’s why I’m pushing relentlessly to remove every last toxic lead pipe from the Hudson Valley,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “Today’s funding is a huge step towards ensuring that parents in Poughkeepsie never have to worry if the water coming out of the faucet is safe for their kids. I’m proud to work alongside Governor Hochul and Mayor Flowers in this fight – we will not rest until our communities are free from toxic lead pipes for good.”

    “When it comes to New York’s water infrastructure, we’re getting the lead out,” Governor Hochul said. “We’re continuing to give municipalities the resources and support they need to replace lead water pipes and protect public drinking water.”

    “I thank Governor Hochul and Congressman Ryan for their tremendous efforts on this critically important public health issue,” said City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers. “The city recognizes it cannot complete this work without strong state and federal partners. We need their financial resources to address the significant costs it will take to replace thousands of lead pipes throughout our city to reduce our residents’ risk of lead poisoning. The city intends to methodically move forward with the allotted money and will continue to aggressively seek more funds.”

    There is no safe blood lead level for children. The corrosion of aging and outdated lead water pipes can cause toxic lead to leach into the drinking water supply, which is linked to significant adverse health effects including permanent neurological damage and impaired cognitive abilities, especially in children, as well as fertility and renal issues in adults.

    Today’s announcement comes only weeks after the Biden-Harris Administration announced that all lead pipes in drinking water systems across the country must be removed within the next ten years. Ryan applauded the announcement as a major step towards his goal of removing all lead pipes in Hudson Valley communities. The Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) will deliver $15 billion towards these efforts.

    The $11,869,472 announced today comes from state funding designated to help cover the costs of lead service line replacement projects that received financing through the federal BIL but whose costs were not fully covered by BIL grants. This funding comes in addition to the funding already allocated through the BIL and the State’s Water Infrastructure grant program. This unprecedented move takes the fiscal pressure off communities, allowing them to replace more lead service lines without incurring additional costs. The State’s comprehensive approach continues to provide communities with the resources they need to improve their water infrastructure. Last year, the City of Poughkeepsie was deemed eligible to receive $3.2 million in BIL funding to identify and inventory the locations of lead service lines and begin replacement projects. 

    Ryan has built a record of fighting for clean water for Hudson Valley families and has prioritized removing sources of toxic lead exposure from Hudson Valley communities. Ryan has especially targeted his efforts to addressing the City of Poughkeepsie’s lead pipe crisis and delivering the federal resources needed to eliminate all lead pipes from the city’s drinking water system. On August 1, 2023, Ryan brought EPA leadership to Poughkeepsie to assist the city in securing resources for lead pipe removal projects. Ryan had pressed the EPA to commit to visiting the city in a July 13, 2023 House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing and for it to work closely with the city to usher in the federal resources needed to protect Poughkeepsie families from lead exposures. On July 14, 2023, Ryan also announced his plan to remove all lead pipes in Poughkeepsie. Ryan and his team have worked closely with the city and the EPA to provide technical guidance in helping the city apply for federal funds for lead service line replacements, resulting in the city announcing in April of 2024 that it was eligible for millions in federal funding and assistance for projects.

    Ryan has been at the forefront of combatting the lead contamination crisis in the Hudson Valley, immediately sounding the alarm when the Wall Street Journal reported that major telecommunications companies are allowing a network of decrepit, lead-sheathed aerial cables to shed the toxin into the environment, including at a playground in Wappingers Falls. He has repeatedly demanded that multi-billion dollar telecommunications companies Verizon and AT&T take responsibility and pay for the cleanup of their cables. Earlier this year, Ryan brought together local officials and community advocates to call on the corporations to publicly disclose the locations of the cables after Hudson Valley families reported finding them discarded across the region.

    Ryan has amassed a record of taking on big corporations that pollute Hudson Valley water, air, and soil. He spoke at the Save the River Rally, demanding that Holtec halt its plan to dump radioactive waste into the River and introduced legislation banning additional barges, carrying toxic materials like asphalt, from anchoring on the Hudson. Earlier this year, the bill was passed in the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. Last fall, Ryan organized a coalition of local government officials, community leaders, and organizations to temporarily halt the Coast Guard’s plan to begin allowing barges to anchor on the Hudson River.

    Congressman Ryan has also spearheaded efforts to combat PFAS “forever chemical” pollution, including introducing the landmark PFAS Action Act and cosponsoring the Department of Defense PFAS Discharge Prevention Act.  The EPA has recently implemented many of the components of the PFAS Action Act, including issuing a national standard for PFAS in drinking water. Ryan has made repeated calls for the Department of Defense (DoD) to hasten its cleanup of PFAS pollution at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Ukraine: Switzerland adopts new sanctions against Belarus

    Source: Switzerland – Federal Council in English

    On 30 October, the Federal Council decided to adopt further sanctions against Belarus. This brings Switzerland in line with the measures adopted by the European Union on 29 June and reaffirms Switzerland’s close partnership with the EU with regard to sanctions. The changes will come into effect on 31 October.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kosovo and Serbia must show their commitment to cooperation and dialogue: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Minister Counsellor, at the UN Security Council meeting on UNMIK.

    Location:
    United Nations, New York
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Let me begin by thanking the Special Representative for the work she and her team are doing to promote stability and respect for human rights in Kosovo.

    The UK is a long-standing supporter of Kosovo’s sovereignty and independence. We remain committed to supporting an inclusive, diverse and multi-ethnic democracy in Kosovo.

    We welcome, for example, Kosovo’s efforts to recruit police officers from non-majority communities, and its commitment to tackling Conflict Related Sexual Violence including through its leadership of the International Forum for Women, Peace and Security.

    Yet for many years the absence of a normal relationship between Kosovo and Serbia has negatively impacted the lives of individuals living in both countries and impacted regional stability.

    In recent weeks we’ve seen positive steps towards greater cooperation. This includes easing restrictions on Serbian imports into Kosovo, and the agreement securing Kosovo representation in the Central European Free Trade Agreement. 

    We are, however, concerned that progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue has been faltering. We call upon both parties to reaffirm their commitment to the EU-facilitated dialogue and we echo the Secretary-General’s call for greater participation of women in the process.

    It is important that both sides demonstrate the political will and the courage to fully implement existing agreements under the dialogue, including the establishment of an Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities.

    At the same time, it is important for all sides to avoid actions which could jeopardise such progress. We urge Kosovo to carefully consider the impact of its decisions on all its citizens including those from non-majority communities and to work with its partners.

    And we urge Serbia to play its part in supporting efforts to ensure justice and accountability for the perpetrators of last year’s shocking attack in Banjska and to play a constructive role in reducing tensions and promoting positive relations in the region.

    I would like to end by expressing the UK’s gratitude to the Special Representative and all Mission staff who have contributed to UNMIK’s work over the last 25 years.

    Promoting dialogue and trust-building between Kosovo’s communities is and remains vital.

    However, it has been over sixteen years since Kosovo’s independence and the situation is unrecognisable from 1999. It is therefore time for this Council to review UNMIK’s role to reflect conditions on the ground.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Three ways the Budget will put more money in working people’s pockets

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    We are raising the living wage, expanding the Help to Save scheme and limiting reductions to Universal Credit awards.

    Working people are the lifeblood of our economy. The government is not increasing the basic, higher or additional rates of Income Tax, National Insurance, or VAT.  

    Here are just some of the measures announced at the Autumn Budget 2024 that will help put more money into your pocket.  

    1. Savings boost from the government for low earners 

    The Help to Save scheme has been extended and widened. The scheme offers lower earners a savings account where they can save a maximum of £50 a month for 4 years and receive a 50% government boost at the end of year 2 and year 4. This helps workers kickstart a lifelong savings habit and offers up to £1,200 over the 4 years.  

    The scheme was due to end in April 2025 but has been extended by 2 years until April 2027. Eligibility for the scheme will widen from April 2025. It will be open to all working Universal Credit claimants earning at least £1 a month.   

    2. Increased National Living Wage  

    In her statement, the Chancellor announced that from 1 April 2025, the National Living Wage will increase from £11.44 to £12.21 an hour for employees aged 21 and over. That’s an increase of 6.7% from 2024.  

    For 18 to 20 year olds, it will increase by £1.40 an hour, to £10.00 an hour. This is the first step towards the government’s plan to remove discriminatory age bands and deliver a genuine living wage that all adults can benefit from. 

    3. Capping how much Universal Credit can be taken for debt repayment 

    The government is creating a new Fair Repayment Rate which caps deductions made through Universal Credit at 15% of the standard allowance. Before this Budget, it was 25%.

    This means approximately 1.2 million households will keep more of their Universal Credit payment each month, with households expected to be better off by an average of over £420 a year.   

    Other financial support available 

    These are just some of the ways the government is protecting working people. The Autumn Budget 2024 also includes further support for pensioners, those in crisis and those struggling most with the cost of essentials. Read the Budget in full to find out more.

    Answer a few questions to find out what support you might be able to get to help with living costs. Check benefits and financial support you can get.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Autumn Budget 2024 speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Autumn Budget 2024 speech as delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Madam Deputy Speaker…

    [redacted political content]

    This government was given a mandate. 

    To restore stability to our economy… 

    … and to begin a decade of national renewal. 

    To fix the foundations… 

    … and deliver change. 

    Through responsible leadership in the national interest.  

    That is our task.  

    And I know that we can achieve it. 

    My belief in Britain burns brighter than ever.  

    And the prize on offer is immense.  

    As my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister said on Monday – change must be felt. 

    More pounds in people’s pockets.  

    An NHS that is there when you need it.  

    An economy that is growing, creating wealth and opportunity for all…  

    … because that is the only way to improve living standards.   

    And the only way to drive economic growth… 

    … is to invest, invest, invest.  

    There are no shortcuts. 

    And to deliver that investment… 

    … we must restore economic stability…

    [redacted political content]

    INHERITANCE

    [redacted political content]

    … it is the first Budget in our country’s history to be delivered by a woman.  

    I am deeply proud to be Britain’s first ever female Chancellor of the Exchequer.  

    To girls and young women everywhere, I say:  

    Let there be no ceiling on your ambition, your hopes and your dreams.  

    And along with the pride that I feel standing here today… 

    … there is also a responsibility… 

    … to pass on a fairer society and a stronger economy to the next  

    generation of women.

    [redacted political content]

    A black hole in the public finances… 

    Public services on their knees…. 

    A decade of low growth. 

    And the worst parliament on record for living standards. 

    Let me begin with the public finances. 

    In July, I exposed a £22bn black hole

    [redacted political content]

    The Treasury’s reserve, set aside for genuine emergencies… 

    … spent three times over… 

    … just three months into the financial year.  

    Today, on top of the detailed document that I have provided to the House in July… 

    … the government is publishing a line by line breakdown of the £22bn black hole that we inherited… 

    It shows hundreds of unfunded pressures on the public finances… 

    … this year, and into the future too.  

    The Office for Budget Responsibility have published their own review of the circumstances around the Spring Budget forecast.  

    They say that the previous government – and I quote – “did not provide the OBR with all the [available] information to them”… 

    … and – had they known about these “undisclosed spending pressures that have since come to light”… 

    … then their Spring Budget forecast for spending would have been, and I quote again: “materially different”.  

    Let me be clear: that means any comparison between today’s forecast and the OBR’s March forecast is false… 

    … because the party opposite hid the reality of their public spending plans. 

    Yet at the very same budget… 

    … they made another ten billion pounds worth of cuts to National Insurance.

    [redacted political content]

    That’s why today, I can confirm that we will implement in full… 

    … the 10 recommendations from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility’s review. 

    But, the country has inherited not just broken public finances… 

    … but broken public services too. 

    The British people can see and feel that in their everyday lives. 

    NHS waiting lists at record levels. 

    Children in portacabins as school roofs crumble. 

    Trains that do not arrive. 

    Rivers filled with polluted waste.  

    Prisons overflowing. 

    Crimes which are not investigated… 

    … and criminals who are not punished.  

    That is the country’s inheritance

    Since 2021, there had been no detailed plans for departmental spending set out beyond this year.  

    And [redacted political content] plans relied on a baseline for spending this year which we now know was wrong… 

    … because it did not take into account the £22bn black hole.  

    The previous government also failed to budget for costs which they knew would materialise.  

    That includes funding for vital compensation schemes…  

    … for victims of two terrible injustices…

    [redacted political content]

    … the infected blood scandal… 

    … and the Post Office Horizon scandal.  

    The Leader of the Opposition rightly made an unequivocal apology for the injustice of the infected blood scandal on behalf of the British state… 

    … but he did not budget for the costs of compensation.  

    Today, for the very first time, we will provide specific funding to compensate those infected and those affected, in full… 

    … with £11.8bn in this budget. 

    And I am also today setting aside £1.8bn to compensate victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal… 

    … redress that is long overdue for the pain and injustice that they have suffered.

    [redacted political content]

    … and we will restore stability to our country again. 

    The scale and seriousness of the situation that we have inherited cannot be underestimated. 

    Together, the hole in our public finances this year, which recurs every year… 

    … the compensation schemes that they did not fund… 

    … and their failure to assess the scale of the challenges facing our public services… 

    … means this budget raises taxes by £40bn. 

    Any Chancellor standing here today would have to face this reality. 

    And any responsible Chancellor would take action. 

    That is why today, I am restoring stability to our public finances… 

    … and rebuilding our public services.  

    FISCAL RULES / OBR FORECASTS 

    Economy forecast/growth 

    As a former economist at the Bank of England, I know what it means to respect our economic institutions.  

    I want to put on record my thanks to the Governor of the Bank, Andrew Bailey…  

    … and to the independent Monetary Policy Committee. 

    Today, I can confirm that we will maintain the MPC’s target of two per cent inflation, as measured by the 12-month increase in the Consumer Prices Index. 

    I want to thank James Bowler, the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, and my team of officials. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I would also like to thank my predecessors as Chancellor of the Exchequer… 

    … for their wise counsel as I have prepared for this Budget.

    [redacted political content]

    Finally, I want to thank Richard Hughes and his team at the Office for Budget Responsibility for their work in preparing today’s economic and fiscal outlook. 

    Let me now take the House through that forecast. 

    The cost of living crisis under the last government stretched household finances to their limit, with inflation hitting a peak of above 11%.  

    Today, the OBR say that CPI inflation will average 2.5% this year, 2.6% in 2025, then 2.3% in 2026, 2.1% in 2027, 2.1% in 2028 and 2.0% in 2029.  

    Next, I move on to economic growth.  

    Today’s budget marks an end to short-termism.  

    So I am pleased, that for the first time, the OBR have published not only five year growth forecasts… 

    … but a detailed assessment of the growth impacts of our policies over the next decade, too… 

    … and the new Charter for Budget Responsibility, which I am publishing today, confirms that this will become a permanent feature of our framework. 

    The OBR forecast that real GDP growth will be 1.1% in 2024, 2.0% in 2025, 1.8% in 2026, 1.5% in 2027, 1.5% in 2028 and 1.6% in 2029. 

    And the OBR are clear: this Budget will permanently increase the supply capacity of the economy…

    [redacted political content]

    … boosting long-term growth. 

    Every Budget I deliver will be focused on our mission to grow the economy. 

    And underpinning that mission are the seven key pillars of our growth strategy… 

    … developed and delivered alongside business…  

    … all driven forward by our Financial Secretary to the Treasury.   

    First, and most important, is to restore economic stability. That is my focus today. 

    Second, increasing investment and building new infrastructure is vital for productivity, so we are catalysing £70bn of investment through our National Wealth Fund… 

    … and we are transforming our planning rules to get Britain building again. 

    Third, to ensure that all parts of the UK can realise their potential… 

    … we are working with the devolved governments… 

    … and partnering with our Mayors to develop local growth plans.  

    Fourth, to improve employment prospects and skills we are creating Skills England, delivering our plans to Make Work Pay and tackling economic inactivity.  

    Fifth, we are launching our long-term modern industrial strategy and expanding opportunities for our small and medium sized businesses to grow. 

    Sixth, to drive innovation we are protecting record funding for research and development to harness the full potential of the UK’s science base.  

    And finally, to maximise the growth benefits of our clean energy mission, we have confirmed key investments such as Carbon Capture and Storage to create jobs in our industrial heartlands. 

    Our approach is already having an impact. 

    Just two weeks ago – we delivered an International Investment Summit which saw businesses commit £63.5bn of investment into this country… 

    … creating nearly 40,000 jobs across the United Kingdom.

    [redacted political content]

    Economic growth will be our mission for the duration of this parliament.  

    Stability rule 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto, we set out the fiscal rules that would guide this government. 

    I am confirming those today… 

    Our stability rule… 

    And our investment rule… 

    The “stability rule” means that we will bring the current budget into balance… 

    … so that we do not borrow to fund day to day spending. 

    We will meet this rule in 2029-30, until that becomes the third year of the forecast.  

    From then on, we will balance the current budget in the third year of every budget, held annually each autumn. 

    That will provide a tougher constraint on day to day spending… 

    … so difficult decisions cannot be constantly delayed or deferred.  

    The OBR say that the current budget will be in deficit by £26.2bn in 2025-26 and £5.2bn in 2026-27… 

    … before moving into surplus of £10.9bn in 2027-28, £9.3bn in 2028-29 and £9.9bn in 2029-30… 

    … meeting our stability rule… 

    … two years early.  

    Monthly public sector finances data shows that government borrowing in the first six months of this year… 

    … was already running significantly higher than the OBR’s March forecast. 

    And so the OBR confirmed today, that borrowing in this financial year is now £127bn…

    [redacted political content]

    The increase in the net cash requirement in 24-25 is lower than the increase in borrowing, at £22.3bn higher than the spring forecast.  

    Because of the action that we are taking… 

    … borrowing falls from 4.5% of GDP this year to 2.1% of GDP by the end of the forecast. 

    Public sector net borrowing will be £105.6bn in 2025-26, £88.5bn in 2026-27, £72.2bn in 2027-28, £71.9bn in 2028-29 and £70.6bn in 2029-2930. 

    FIXING THE FOUNDATIONS 

    Spending  

    Madam Deputy Speaker, before I come to tax… 

    … it is vital that we are driving efficiency and reducing wasteful spending. 

    In July, to begin delivering, and dealing with our inheritance… 

    … I made £5.5bn of savings this year.  

    Today we are setting a 2% productivity, efficiency and savings target for all departments to meet next year… 

    … by using technology more effectively and joining up services across government 

    As set out in our manifesto, I will shortly be appointing our Covid Corruption Commissioner, they will lead our work to uncover those companies that used a national emergency to line their own pockets. 

    Because that money belongs in our public services. And taxpayers want that money back.  

    And I can confirm today that David Goldstone has been appointed as the Chair of the new Office for Value for Money…  

    … to help us realise the benefits from every pound of public spending. 

    Welfare 

    Today, I am also taking three steps to ensure that welfare spending is more sustainable.  

    First, we inherited [redacted political content] plans to reform the Work Capability Assessment.  

    We will deliver those savings…  

    …as part of our fundamental reforms to the health and disability benefits system that my Right Honourable Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary will bring forward. 

    Second, I can today announce a crackdown on fraud in our welfare system… 

    … often the work of criminal gangs.  

    We will expand DWP’s counter-fraud teams.. 

    … using innovative new methods to prevent illegal activity…  

    … and provide new legal powers to crackdown on fraudsters… 

    … including direct access to bank accounts to recover debt. 

    This package saves £4.3bn a year by the end of the forecast. 

    Third, the government will shortly be publishing the “Get Britain Working” white paper…  

    … tackling the root causes of inactivity with an integrated approach across health, education and welfare.  

    … and we will provide £240m for 16 trailblazer projects… 

    … targeted at those who are economically inactive and most at risk of being out of education, employment or training… 

    … to get people into work and reduce the benefits bill.  

    Tax avoidance 

    Before a government could consider any change to a tax rate or threshold… 

    … it must ensure that people pay what they already owe. 

    So we will invest to modernise HMRC’s systems using the very best technology… 

    … and recruit additional HMRC compliance and debt staff. 

    We will clamp down on those umbrella companies who exploit workers… 

    … increase the interest rate on unpaid tax debt to ensure that people pay on time… 

    … and go after promoters of tax avoidance schemes. 

    These measures to reduce the tax gap raise £6.5bn by the end of the forecast… 

    … and I want to thank the Exchequer Secretary for his outstanding work on this agenda. 

    PROTECTING WORKING PEOPLE 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I know that for working people up and down our country… 

    … family finances are stretched… 

    … and pay checks don’t go as far as they once did. 

    So today, I am taking steps to support people with the cost of living. 

    Cost of living

    [redacted political content]

    As promised in our manifesto, we asked the Low Pay Commission to take account of the cost of living for the first time.  

    I can confirm that we will accept the Low Pay Commission recommendation to increase the National Living Wage by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour… 

    … worth up to £1,400 a year for a full-time worker. 

    And for the first time, we will move towards a single adult rate…  

    … phased in over time…  

    … by initially increasing the National Minimum Wage for 18-20 year olds by 16.3% as recommended by the Low Pay Commission… 

    … taking it to £10 an hour.

    [redacted political content]

    Second, I have heard representations from colleagues across this house about the Carer’s Allowance… 

    … and the impact of the current policy on carers looking to increase the hours they work… 

    … including from the Honourable member for Shipley, the Honourable member for Scarborough and Whitby and the Rt Hon Member for Kingston and Surbiton, too. 

    Carer’s allowance currently provides up to £81.90 per week to help those with additional caring responsibilities.  

    Today, I can confirm that we are increasing the weekly earnings limit to the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage per week… 

    … the largest increase in Carer’s Allowance since it was introduced in 1976.  

    That means a carer can now earn over £10,000 a year while receiving Carer’s Allowance… 

    … allowing them to increase their hours where they want to… 

    … and keep more of their money. 

    I am also concerned about the cliff-edge in the current system and the issue of overpayments. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary has announced an independent review to look at the issue of overpayments, and we will work across this house to develop the right solutions. 

    Third, we will provide £1bn from next year to extend the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments, to help those facing financial hardship with the cost of essentials.  

    Fourth, having heard representations from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Trussell and others… 

    … to reduce the level of debt repayments that can be taken from a household’s Universal Credit payment each month… 

    … by reducing it from 25% to 15% of their standard allowance. 

    This means that 1.2 million of the poorest households will keep more of their award each month… 

    … lifting children out of poverty…  

    … and those who benefit will gain an average of £420 a year. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, our Plan to Make Work Pay will also protect working people.

    [redacted political content]

    It is right that we protect those who have worked their whole lives.  

    In our manifesto, we promised to transfer the Investment Reserve Fund in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme to members… 

    … and I have listened closely to my Honourable Friends for Easington, Doncaster Central, Blaenau Gwent, and Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock on this issue. 

    Today we are keeping our promise…  

    … so that working people who powered our country receive the fair pension that they are owed. 

    Our manifesto committed to the Triple Lock… 

    … meaning spending on the State Pension is forecast to rise by over £31bn by 2029-30… 

    … to ensure that our pensioners are protected in their retirement.  

    This commitment means that while working age benefits will be uprated in line with CPI, at 1.7%… 

    … the basic and new State Pension… 

    … will be uprated by 4.1% in 2025-26. 

    This means that over 12 million pensioners will gain up to £470 next year… 

    … up to £275 more than if uprated by inflation.  

    The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will also rise by 4.1%…  

    … from around £11,400 per year to around £11,850 for a single pensioner.  

    Fuel duty 

    While I have sought to protect working people with measures to reduce the cost of living… 

    … I have had to take some very difficult decisions on tax. 

    I want to set out my approach to fuel duty.  

    Baked into the numbers that I inherited from the previous government… 

    … is an assumption that fuel duty will rise by RPI next year… 

    … and that the temporary 5p cut will be reversed.  

    To retain the 5p cut… 

    … and to freeze fuel duty again… 

    … would cost over £3bn next year.  

    At a time when the fiscal position is so difficult…  

    … I have to be frank with the House that this is a substantial commitment to make. 

    I have concluded… 

    … that in these difficult circumstances… 

    … while the cost of living remains high… 

    … and with a backdrop of global uncertainty… 

    … increasing fuel duty next year… 

    … would be the wrong choice for working people. 

    It would mean fuel duty rising by 7p per litre. 

    So, I have today decided to freeze fuel duty next year… 

    … and I will maintain the existing 5p cut for another year, too. 

    There will be no higher taxes at the petrol pumps next year.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, the last government made cuts of £20bn to employees’ and self-employed national insurance in their final two budgets.

    [redacted political content]

    Because we now know they were based on a forecast which the OBR say would have been “materially different”… 

    … had they known the true extent of the last government’s cover-up.   

    Since July, I have been urged on multiple occasions to reconsider these cuts.  

    To increase the taxes that working people pay and see in their payslips. 

    But I have made an important choice today: 

    To keep every single commitment that we made on tax in our manifesto.  

    So I say to working people: 

    I will not increase your National Insurance… 

    …I will not increase your VAT… 

    …And I will not increase your income tax. 

    Working people will not see higher taxes in their payslips as a result of the choices I make today. 

    That is a promise made – and a promise fulfilled. 

    TAX 

    But any responsible Chancellor would need to take difficult decisions today. 

    To raise the revenues required to fund our public services. 

    And to restore economic stability.  

    So in today’s Budget, I am announcing an increase in Employers’ National Insurance Contributions.  

    We will increase the rate of Employers’ National Insurance by 1.2 percentage points, to 15%, from April 2025.  

    And we will reduce the Secondary Threshold – the level at which employers start paying national insurance on each employee’s salary – from £9,100 per year to £5,000.  

    This will raise £25bn per year by the end of the forecast period.  

    I know that this is a difficult choice. 

    I do not take this decision lightly.  

    We are asking business to contribute more… 

    … and I know that there will be impacts of this measure felt beyond businesses, too… 

    … as the OBR have set out today. 

    But in the circumstances that I have inherited, it is the right choice to make.  

    Successful businesses depend on successful schools. 

    Healthy businesses depend on a healthy NHS.  

    And a strong economy depends on strong public finances.

    [redacted political content]

    That is the choice our country faces too.  

    As I make this choice, I know it is particularly important to protect our smallest companies.  

    So having heard representations from the Federation of Small Businesses and others… 

    … I am today increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. 

    This means 865,000 employers won’t pay any National Insurance at all next year… 

    … and over 1 million will pay the same or less than they did previously. 

    This will allow a small business to employ the equivalent of 4 full time workers on the National Living Wage… 

    … without paying any National Insurance on their wages. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, let me come now to capital gains tax. 

    We need to drive growth, promote entrepreneurship, and support wealth creation… 

    … while raising the revenue required to fund our public services… 

    … and restore our public finances.  

    Today, we will increase the lower rate of Capital Gains Tax from 10% to 18%, and the Higher Rate from 20% to 24%… 

    … while maintaining the rates of capital gains tax on residential property at 18% and 24%, too.  

    This means the UK will still have the lowest Capital Gains Tax rate of any European G7 economy. 

    Alongside these changes to the headline rates of Capital Gains Tax… 

    … we are maintaining the lifetime limit for Business Asset Disposal Relief at £1m… 

    … to encourage entrepreneurs to invest in their businesses.   

    Business Asset Disposal Relief will remain at 10% this year… 

    … before rising to 14% in April 2025… 

    … and 18% from 2026-27… 

    … maintaining a significant gap compared to the higher rate of Capital Gains Tax.  

    Together, the OBR say these measures will raise £2.5bn by the end of the forecast. 

    In a sign of this government’s commitment to supporting growth and entrepreneurship… 

    …we have already extended the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trust schemes to 2035… 

    … and we will continue to work with leading entrepreneurs and venture capital firms… 

    … to ensure our policies support a positive environment for entrepreneurship in the UK. 

    Next, inheritance tax. 

    Only 6% of estates will pay inheritance tax this year. 

    I understand the strongly held desire to pass down savings to children and grandchildren. 

    So I am taking a balanced approach in my package today. 

    First, the previous government froze inheritance tax thresholds until 2028. I will extend that freeze for a further two years, until 2030. 

    That means the first £325,000 of any estate can be inherited tax-free… 

    … rising to £500,000 if the estate includes a residence passed to direct descendants…. 

    … and £1m when a tax free allowance is passed to a surviving spouse or civil partner. 

    Second, we will close the loophole created by the previous government… 

    … made even bigger when the Lifetime Allowance was abolished… 

    … by bringing inherited pensions into inheritance tax from April 2027. 

    Finally, we will reform Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief.  

    From April 2026, the first £1m of combined business and agricultural assets will continue to attract no inheritance tax at all… 

    … but for assets over £1m, inheritance tax will apply with 50% relief, at an effective rate of 20%. 

    This will ensure we continue to protect small family farms… 

    … and three-quarters of claims will be unaffected by these changes. 

    I can also announce that we will apply a 50% relief, in all circumstances, on inheritance tax for shares on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and other similar markets… 

    … setting the effective rate of tax at 20%. 

    Taken together, these measures raise over £2bn in the final year of the forecast. 

    Next, I can confirm that the government will renew the Tobacco Duty escalator for the remainder of this Parliament at RPI+2%… 

    … increase duty by a further 10% on hand-rolling tobacco this year… 

    … introduce a flat rate duty on all vaping liquid from October 2026… 

    … alongside an additional one off- increase in tobacco duty to maintain the incentive to give up smoking. 

    And we will increase the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to account for inflation since it was introduced… 

    …  as well as increasing the duty in line with CPI each year going forward. 

    These measures will raise nearly £1bn per year by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madame Deputy Speaker, we want to support the take-up of electric vehicles. 

    So I will maintain incentives for electric vehicles in Company Car Tax from 2028… 

    … and increase the differential between fully electric and other vehicles in the first year rates of Vehicle Excise Duty from April 2025. 

    These measures will raise around £400m by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker let me update the House on our plans for Air Passenger Duty…

    [redacted political content]

    Air Passenger Duty has not kept up with inflation in recent years… 

    … so we are introducing an adjustment… 

    … meaning an increase of no more than £2 for an economy class short-haul flight.  

    But I am taking a different approach when it comes to private jets…  

    … increasing the rate of Air Passenger Duty by a further 50%.

    [redacted political content]

    These measures will raise over £700m by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, let me turn now to our high street businesses.  

    I know that for them, a major source of concern is business rates.  

    From 2026-27, we intend to introduce two permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties which make up the backbone of high streets across the country… 

    … and it is our intention that is paid for by a higher multiplier for the most valuable properties.

    [redacted political content]

    So I will today provide 40% relief on business rates for the retail, hospitality and leisure industry in 2025-26… 

    … up to a cap of £110,000 per business. 

    Alongside this, the small business tax multiplier will be frozen next year.  

    Next, I can confirm that alcohol duty rates on non-draught products will increase in line with RPI from February next year… 

    … but nearly two-thirds of alcoholic drinks sold in pubs are served on draught. 

    So today, instead of uprating these products in line with inflation… 

    … I am cutting draught duty by 1.7%… 

    … which means a penny off a pint in the pub. 

    Alongside the changes I am making today, I am publishing a Corporate Tax Roadmap.. 

    … providing the business certainty called for by the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce and the Institute for Directors. 

    This confirms our commitment to cap the rate of Corporation Tax at 25% – the lowest in the G7 –  for the duration of this parliament…. 

    … while maintaining full expensing and the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance… 

    …and keeping the current rates of research and development reliefs, to drive innovation. 

    Manifesto 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto we made a number of commitments to raise funding for our public services.  

    First, I have always said that if you make Britain your home, you should pay your tax here. 

    So today, I can confirm… 

    … we will abolish the non-dom tax regime… 

    … and remove the outdated concept of domicile from the tax system from April 2025. 

    We will introduce a new, residence based scheme… 

    … with internationally competitive arrangements for those coming to the UK on a temporary basis… 

    … while closing the loopholes in the scheme designed by the party opposite. 

    To further encourage investment into the UK, we will also extend the Temporary Repatriation Relief to three years and expand its scope… 

    … bringing billions of pounds of new funds into Britain. 

    The independent Office for Budget Responsibility say that this package of measures will raise £12.7bn over the next five years.  

    Next, the fund management industry provides a vital contribution to our economy… 

    …  but as our manifesto set out, there needs to be a fairer approach to the way carried interest is taxed.  

    So we will increase the Capital Gains Tax rates on carried interest to 32% from April 2025… 

    … and – from April 2026 – we will deliver further reforms to ensure that the specific rules for carried interest are simpler, fairer and better targeted. 

    In our manifesto we committed to reforming stamp duty land tax to raise revenue while supporting those buying their first home.  

    We are increasing the stamp-duty land tax surcharge for second-homes… 

    …known as the “Higher Rate for Additional Dwellings”… 

    … by 2 percentage points, to 5%, which will come into effect from tomorrow.  

    This will support over 130,000 additional transactions from people buying their first home, or moving home over, the next five years. 

    Next, we committed to reform the Energy Profits Levy on oil and gas companies. 

    I can confirm today that we will increase the rate of the levy to 38%, which will now expire in March 2030… 

    … and we will remove the 29% investment allowance. 

    To ensure the oil and gas industry can protect jobs and support our energy security… 

    … we will maintain the 100% first year allowances and the decarbonisation allowances too.  

    Finally, 94% of children in the UK attend state schools. 

    To provide the highest quality of support and teaching that they deserve… 

    … we will introduce VAT on private school fees from January 2025… 

    … and we will shortly introduce legislation to remove their business rates relief from April 2025, too.  

    We said in our manifesto that these changes… 

    … alongside our measures to tackle tax avoidance… 

    … would bring in £8.5bn by the final year of the forecast. 

    I can confirm today that they will in fact raise over £9bn… 

    … to support our public services and restore our public finances. 

    That is a promise made – and a promise fulfilled. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I have one final decision to take on tax today. 

    The previous government froze income tax and National Insurance thresholds in 2021… 

    … and then they did so again after the mini-budget. 

    Extending their threshold freeze for a further two years raises billions of pounds.  

    Money to deal with the black hole in our public finances…  

    … and repair our public services.  

    Having considered this issue closely… 

    … I have come to the conclusion… 

    … that extending the threshold freeze… 

    … would hurt working people. 

    It would take more money out of their payslips.

    I am keeping every single promise on tax that I made in our manifesto. 

    So there will be no extension of the freeze in income tax and National Insurance thresholds beyond the decisions of the previous government.  

    From 2028-29, personal tax thresholds will be uprated in line with inflation once again.

    When it comes to choices on tax, this government chooses to protect working people every single time.  

    SPENDING 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, these are the choices I have made. 

    To restore economic stability. 

    And to protect working people.  

    The next choice I make is to begin to repair our public services.  

    In recent months, we have conducted the first phase of the Spending Review… 

    … to set departmental budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26… 

    … and I want to thank my Right Honourable Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for his tireless work with colleagues from across government.  

    Because I have taken difficult decisions on tax today… 

    … I am able to provide an injection of immediate funding over the next two years… 

    … to stabilise and to support our public services.  

    The next phase of the Spending Review will report in late Spring, and I have set the overall envelope today. 

    Day to day spending from 2024-25 onwards will grow by 1.5% in real terms… 

    … and total departmental spending, including capital spending, will grow by 1.7% in real terms. 

    At the election we promised there would be no return to austerity.  

    Today we deliver on that promise. 

    But given the scale of the challenges that are facing our public services… 

    … that means there will still be difficult choices in the next phase of the Spending Review. 

    Just as we cannot tax and spend our way to prosperity… 

    … nor can we simply spend our way to better public services.  

    So we will deliver a new approach to public service reform… 

    … using technology to improve public services… 

    … and taking a zero-based approach… 

    … so that taxpayers’ money is spent as effectively as possible…  

    … and so that we focus on delivering our key priorities.  

    Spending Review: Phase 1 

    In the first phase of the Spending Review… 

    … I have prioritised day-to-day funding to deliver on our manifesto commitments. 

    I want every child to have the best start in life… 

    … and the best possible start to the school day, too… 

    … and I know my Right Honourable Friend the Education Secretary shares my ambition.  

    So I am today tripling investment in breakfast clubs to fund them in thousands of schools.  

    I am increasing the core schools budget by £2.3bn next year… 

    … to support our pledge to hire thousands more teachers into key subjects.   

    So that our young people can develop the skills that they need for the future… 

    … I am providing an additional £300m for further education. 

    And finally, this government is committed to reforming special educational needs provision… 

    … to improve outcomes for our most vulnerable children and ensure the system is financially sustainable. 

    To support that work, I am today providing a £1bn uplift in funding, a 6% real terms increase from this year.  

    There is no more important job for government than to keep our country safe, and we are conducting a Strategic Defence Review to be published next year. 

    And as set out in our manifesto, we will set a path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence at a future fiscal event. 

    Today, I am announcing a total increase to the Ministry of Defence’s Budget of £2.9bn next year… 

    … ensuring the UK comfortably exceeds our NATO commitments…  

    … and providing guaranteed military support to Ukraine of £3bn per year, for as long as it takes. 

    Last week, alongside my Right Honourable Friend the Defence Secretary, I announced, in addition to this, further support to Ukraine – on top of our NATO commitment…  

    … through our £2.26bn contribution to the G7’s Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration agreement… 

    … repaid using profits from immobilised Russian sovereign assets. 

    And as we approach Remembrance Sunday…  

    … it is vital that we take time to remember those who have served our country so bravely.  

    So I am today announcing funding to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ day next year… 

    … to honour those who have served at home and abroad. 

    We must also remember those who experienced the atrocities of the Nazi regime first hand.  

    I would like to pay tribute to Lily Ebert, the Holocaust Survivor and educator who passed away aged 100 earlier this month.  

    I am today committing a further £2m to holocaust education next year… 

    … so that charities like the Holocaust Educational Trust, can continue their work to ensure these vital testimonies are not lost and are preserved for the future. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to repair our public services we also need to work alongside our mayors and our local leaders. 

    We will deliver a significant real-terms funding increase for local government next year…  

    … including £1.3bn of additional grant funding to deliver essential services… 

    … with at least £600m in grant funding for social care…  

    … and £230m to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping 

    We are today confirming that Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will be the first mayoral authorities to receive integrated settlements from next year… 

    … giving Mayors meaningful control of the funding for their local areas. 

    * 

    And to support our local high streets… 

    … we are taking action to deal with the sharp rise in shoplifting we have seen in recent years. 

    We will scrap the effective immunity for low-value shoplifting introduced by the party opposite. 

    And having listened closely to organisations like the British Retail Consortium and USDAW… 

    … I am providing additional funding to crack down on the organised gangs which target retailers… 

     … and to provide more training to our police officers and retailers to help stop shoplifting in its tracks.  

    Finally, I am today providing funding to support public services and drive growth across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  

    Having discussed the matter with the First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, and my HFs for Llanelli and Pontypridd… 

    … I am providing a £25m to the Welsh Government next year for the maintenance of coal tips to ensure we keep our communities safe.  

    And to support growth, including in our rural areas, we will proceed with City and Growth Deals in Northern Ireland… 

    … in Causeway Coast and Glens; and Mid-South West.

    And we will drive growth in Scotland [redacted political content] including a City and growth Deal in Argyll and Bute.

    This budget provides the devolved governments with the largest real-terms funding settlement since devolution… 

    … delivering an additional £3.4 billion for the Scottish Government through the Barnett formula… 

    … funding which must now be spent effectively to improve public services in Scotland.  

    This budget also provides £1.7 billion to the Welsh Government… 

    …  and £1.5 billion to the Northern Ireland Executive in 2025-26. 

    I said there would be no return to austerity, and that is the choice I have made today.  

    REBUILDING BRITAIN 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to rebuild our country we need to increase investment. 

    The UK lags behind every other G7 country when it comes to business investment as a share of our economy. 

    That matters.  

    It means the UK has fallen behind in the race for new jobs… 

    … new industries… 

    … and new technology.  

    By restoring economic stability… 

    … and by establishing the National Wealth Fund to catalyse private funding… 

    … we have begun to create the conditions that businesses need to invest.  

    But there is also a significant role for public investment.

    Hospitals without the equipment they need.  

    School buildings not fit for our children.  

    A desperate lack of affordable housing. 

    Economic growth held back at every turn.  

    Under the plans I inherited… 

    … public investment was set to fall from 2.5% to 1.7% of GDP.  

    But in Washington last week, the International Monetary Fund were clear:  

    More public investment is badly needed in the UK.  

    So today, having listened to the case made by the former Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney… 

    … former Treasury Minister, Jim O’Neill… 

    … and the former Cabinet Secretary, Gus O’Donnell… 

    … among others…  

    … I am confirming our investment rule.  

    As set out in our manifesto, we will target debt falling as a share of the economy. 

    Debt will be defined as Public Sector net Financial Liabilities, or “net financial debt”, for short… 

    … a metric that has been measured by the Office for National Statistics since 2016… 

    … and forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility since that date too. 

    “Net financial debt” recognises that government investment delivers returns for taxpayers…  

    … by counting not just the liabilities on a government’s balance sheet, but the financial assets too. 

    This means that we count the benefits of investment, not just the costs… 

    And we free up our institutions to invest… 

    … just as they do in Germany, France and Japan.  

    Like our stability rule, our investment rule will apply in 2029-2030… 

    … until that becomes the third year of the forecast. 

    From that point onwards, net financial debt will fall in the third year of every forecast. 

    Today, the OBR say that we are already meeting our target two years early… 

    … with “net financial debt” falling by 2027-28…  

    … with £15.7bn of headroom in the final year. 

    So that we drive the right incentives in government investments… 

    … we will introduce four key guardrails to ensure capital spending is good value for money and drives growth in our economy.  

    First, our portfolio of new financial investments will be delivered by expert bodies like the National Wealth Fund which must, by default, earn a rate of return at least as large as that on gilts.  

    Second, we will strengthen the role of institutions to improve infrastructure delivery.  

    Third, we will improve certainty, setting capital budgets for five years and extending them at every spending review every two years. 

    Finally, we will ensure there is greater transparency for capital spending, with robust annual reporting of financial investments… 

    … based on accounts audited by the National Audit Office… 

    … and made available to the Office for Budget Responsibility at every forecast. 

    Taken together with our stability rule… 

    …these fiscal rules will ensure that our public finances are on a firm footing… 

    … while enabling us to invest prudently alongside business. 

    Growth projects  

    The capital plans I now set out… 

    … to drive growth across our country… 

    … and repair the fabric of our nation… 

    … are only possible because of our investment rule.  

    Let me set out those investment plans. 

    Industrial strategy 

    Today we are confirming our plans to capitalise the National Wealth Fund… 

    … to invest in the industries of the future… 

    … from gigafactories, to ports to green hydrogen. 

    Building on these investments, my Right Honourable Friend the Business Secretary is driving forward our modern industrial strategy… 

    … working with businesses and organisations like Make UK… 

    … to set out the sectors with the biggest growth potential. 

    Today, we are confirming multi-year funding commitments for these areas of our economy, including… 

    … nearly £1bn for the aerospace sector to fund vital research and development, building on our industry in the East Midlands, the South-West and Scotland… 

    … over £2 billion for the automotive sector… 

    …  to support our electric vehicle industry and develop our manufacturing base… 

    … building on our strengths in the North East and the West Midlands… 

    And up to £520m for a new Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund. 

    For our world-leading creative industries…  

    … we will legislate to provide additional tax relief for visual effect costs in TV and film… 

    .. and we are providing £25m for the North East Combined Authority… 

    … which they plan to use to remediate the Crown Works Studio site in Sunderland… 

    … creating 8,000 new jobs.  

    Research & Development 

    To unlock these growth industries of the future, we will protect government investment in research and development with more than £20bn worth of funding. 

    This includes at least £6.1bn to protect core research funding for areas like engineering, biotechnology and medical science… 

    …through Research England, other research councils, and the National Academies. 

    We will extend the Innovation Accelerators programme in Glasgow, in Manchester and in the West Midlands.  

    And with over £500m of funding next year, my Right Honourable Friend the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretary, will continue to drive progress in improving reliable, fast broadband and mobile coverage across our country, including in rural areas. 

    Housing 

    We committed in our manifesto to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament… 

    … and my Right Honourable Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is driving that work forward across government. 

    Today, I am providing over £5bn of government investment to deliver our plans on housing next year. 

    We will increase the Affordable Homes Programme to £3.1bn…  

    … delivering thousands of new homes.  

    We will provide £3bn of support in guarantees… 

    … to boost the supply of homes and support our small housebuilders. 

    And we will provide investment to renovate sites across our country… 

    … including at Liverpool Central Docks… 

    … where we will deliver 2,000 new homes… 

    … and funding to help Cambridge realise its full growth potential.  

    Alongside this investment, we will put the right policies in place to increase the supply of affordable housing.  

    Having heard representations from local authorities, social housing providers and from Shelter…  

    … I can today confirm that the government will reduce Right to Buy Discounts… 

    … and local authorities will be able to retain the full receipts from any sales of social housing… 

    … to reinvest back into the housing stock, and into new supply.. 

    … so that we give more people a safe, secure and affordable place to live.  

    We will provide stability to social housing providers, with a social housing rent settlement of CPI+1 percent for the next five years.  

    And we will deliver on our manifesto commitment to hire hundreds of new planning officers, to get Britain building again.  

    We will also make progress on our commitment to accelerate the remediation of homes following the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry… 

    … with £1bn of investment to remove dangerous cladding next year.  

    Transport

    Working with my Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary, I am changing that.  

    We are today securing the delivery of the Trans-Pennine upgrade to connect York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester…  

    … delivering fully electric local and regional services between Manchester and Stalybridge by the end of this year… 

    … with a further electrification of services between Church Fenton and York by 2026.… 

    … to help grow our economy across the North of England… 

    … with faster and more reliable services.  

    We will deliver East-West Rail to drive growth between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge…  

    … with the first services running between Oxford, Bletchley and Milton Keynes next year… 

    … and trains between Oxford and Bedford running from 2030.  

    We are delivering railway schemes which improve journeys for people across our country… 

    … including upgrades at Bradford Forster Square…  

    … improving capacity at Manchester Victoria… 

    … and electrifying the Wigan-Bolton line. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary has also set out a plan for how to get a grip of HS2. 

    Today, we are securing delivery of the project between Old Oak Common and Birmingham… 

    … and we are committing the funding required to begin tunnelling work to London Euston station… 

    … This will catalyse private investment into the local area. 

    I am also funding significant improvements to our roads network.  

    For too long, potholes have been an all too visible reminder of our failure to invest as a nation. 

    Today, that changes… 

    … with a £500m increase in road maintenance budgets next year… 

    … more than delivering on our manifesto commitment to fix an additional one million potholes each year. 

    We will provide over £650m of local transport funding to improve connections across our country… 

    … in our towns like Crewe and Grimsby… 

    … and in our villages and rural areas, from Cornwall to Cumbria.

    … we understand how important bus services are for our communities… 

    …so we will extend the cap for a further year, setting it at £3 until December 2025. 

    Finally we will deliver £1.3bn of funding to improve connectivity in our city regions, funding projects like…  

    … the Brierley Hill Metro extension in the West Midlands… 

    … the renewal of the Sheffield Supertram… 

    … and West Yorkshire Mass Transit, including in Bradford and Leeds.  

    Energy 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to bring new jobs to Britain and drive growth across our country… 

    … we are delivering our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, led by my Right Honourable Friend the Energy Secretary. 

    Earlier this month, we announced a significant multi-year investment between government and business into Carbon Capture and Storage… 

    … creating 4,000 jobs across Merseyside and Teesside. 

    Today, I am providing funding for 11 new green hydrogen projects across England, Scotland and Wales – they will be among the first commercial scale projects anywhere in the world… 

    … including in Bridgend, East Renfrewshire and in Barrow-in-Furness 

    We are kickstarting the Warm Homes Plan by confirming an initial £3.4bn over the next three years… 

    … to transform 350,000 homes… 

    … including a quarter of a million low-income and social homes. 

    And we will establish GB Energy… 

    … providing funding next year to set up GB Energy at its new home in Aberdeen. 

    Overall, we will invest an additional £100bn over the next five years in capital spending… 

    … only possible because of our investment rule.  

    The OBR say today that this will drive growth across our country in the next five years… 

    … and in the longer term increase GDP by up to 1.4%. 

    It will crowd in private investment… 

    … meaning more jobs, and more opportunities… 

    … in every corner of the UK.  

    That is the choice that I have made.  

    To invest in our country… 

    … and to grow our economy. 

    Today, I am setting out two final areas in which investment is so badly needed… 

    … to repair the fabric of our nation. 

    Schools

    [redacted political content]

    … schools roofs are crumbling….  

    … and millions of children are facing the very same backdrop as I did. 

    I will be the Chancellor that changes that.  

    So today, I am providing £6.7bn of capital investment to the Department for Education next year… 

    … a 19% real-terms increase on this year. 

    That includes £1.4bn to rebuild over 500 schools in the greatest need… 

    … including St Helen’s Primary School in Hartlepool, and Mercia Academy in Derby… 

    … and so many more across our country. 

    And we will provide a further £2.1bn to improve school maintenance, £300m more than this year… 

    … ensuring that all our children can learn somewhere safe… 

    … including dealing with RAAC affected schools in the constituencies of my HFs the members for Watford, Stourbridge, Hyndburn, and beyond.   

    Alongside investment in new teachers… 

    … and funding for thousands of new breakfast clubs… 

    … this government is giving our children and young people the opportunities that they deserve.   

    NHS 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I come to our most cherished public service of all: our NHS.

    [redacted political content]

    In our first week in office, he commissioned an independent report into the state of our health service by Lord Darzi.  

    Its conclusions were damning.  

    While our NHS staff do a remarkable job, and we thank them for it… 

    … it is clear that, that in so many areas… 

    … we are moving in the wrong direction.  

    100,000 infants waited over 6 hours in A&E last year.  

    350,000 people are waiting a year for mental health support. 

    Cancer deaths here are higher than in other countries.  

    It is simply unforgiveable. 

    In the Spring, we will publish a 10 year plan for the NHS… 

    … to deliver a shift from hospital to community… 

    … from analogue to digital… 

    … and from sickness to prevention. 

    Today, we are announcing a downpayment on that plan…  

    …  to enable the NHS to deliver 2% productivity growth next year. 

    These reforms are vital.  

    But we should be honest.  

    The state of the NHS we inherited… 

    … after – and I quote Lord Darzi – “the most austere decade since the NHS was founded” –  

    … means reform must come alongside investment. 

    So today… 

    … because of the difficult decision that I have taken on tax, welfare and spending… 

    … I can announce… 

    … that I am providing a £22.6bn increase in the day to-day health budget… 

    … and a £3.1bn increase in the capital budget… 

    … over this year and next year. 

    This is the largest real-terms growth in day to day NHS spending outside of Covid since 2010.  

    Let me set out what this funding is delivering.  

    Many NHS buildings have been left in a state of disrepair. 

    So we will provide £1 billion of health capital investment next year to address the backlog of repairs and upgrades across the NHS.  

    To increase capacity for tens of thousands more procedures next year… 

    … we will provide a further £1.5bn… 

    … for new beds in hospitals across the country…  

    … new capacity for over a million additional diagnostic tests… 

    … and new surgical hubs and diagnostic centres … 

    … so that those people waiting for their treatment can get it as quickly as possible. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Health Secretary will be announcing the details of his review into the New Hospital Programme in the coming weeks… 

    … and publishing in the new year… 

    … but I can tell the House today… 

    … that work will continue at pace to deliver those seven hospitals affected including… 

    … West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds… 

    … and Leighton Hospital in Crewe.  

    And finally… 

    … because of this record injection of funding… 

    … because of the thousands of additional beds that we have secured… 

    … and because of the reforms that we are delivering in our NHS…  

    … we can now begin to bring waiting lists down more quickly… 

    … and move towards our target for waiting times no longer than 18 weeks… 

    … by delivering our manifesto commitment for 40,000 extra hospital appointments a week.

    [redacted political content]

    CLOSING 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, the choices that I have made today are the right choices for our country.  

    To restore stability to our public finances. 

    To protect working people. 

    To fix our NHS. 

    And to rebuild Britain.  

    That doesn’t mean these choices are easy. 

    But they are responsible.

    [redacted political content]

    This is a moment of fundamental choice for Britain.  

    I have made my choices.  

    The responsible choices. 

    To restore stability to our country. 

    To protect working people.  

    More teachers in our schools.  

    More appointments in our NHS.  

    More homes being built.  

    Fixing the foundations of our economy. 

    Investing in our future.  

    Delivering change.  

    Rebuilding Britain.

    We on these benches commend those choices… 

    … and I commend this Statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Celebrate International Games Week with our Games Library | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    International Games Week runs from 7 to 14 November. The week aims to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games.

    Last year, our Library service launched its Games Library during International Games Week, but this year, we want to go bigger and better, hosting a range of events across all our libraries in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea. 

    International Games Week events

    Date, time, location and game information for events across the week.
    Date Time Location Game
    Wednesday 6 November 6pm to 8pm  Paddington Library Board Games Bonanza
    Thursday 7 November 3:30pm to 7:30pm Chelsea Library Candela Obscura with William
    Thursday 7 November 4:30pm to 7:30pm Brompton Library Role Play Haven D&D 
    Thursday 7 November 4:45pm to 6:45pm Church Street Library  Miniature painting with Everstromn
    Thursday 7 November  4:45pm to 6:45pm Church Street Library  Tabletop Games with Michaela 
    Thursday 7 November   5 to 7pm Victoria Library Role Play Haven D&D
    Saturday 9 November  2pm to 4pm Maida Vale Library Role Play Haven D&D 
    Saturday 9 November  3pm to 4pm Kensington Central Library History of Games talk by James Wallis
    Sunday 10 November   1:30pm to 4:30pm  Marylebone Library D&D with Casper 
    Monday 11 November   5pm to 7pm Pimlico Library Miniature painting with Everstromn
    Monday 11 November   5:30pm to 8pm Westminster Reference Library Sherlock Holmes mystery game with Lucy 
    Tuesday 12 November  5pm to 7pm  North Kensington Library Miniature painting with Everstromn
    Tuesday 12 November 5pm to 7pm St. John’s Wood Role Play Haven D&D
    Tuesday 12 November 6pm to 8m  Paddington Library Role Play Haven D&D
    Tuesday 12 November 6pm to 10pm  Charing Cross Library MTG Commander Night with Bowie
    Wednesday 13 November 5pm to 7pm  Queens Park Library Role Play Haven D&D

    Events taking place in Westminster libraries require registration. You can register to attend on Eventbrite.

    What is the Games Library?

    Library members can borrow a variety of tabletop board games to play at home. Games can be borrowed directly from Kensington Central and Pimlico libraries, or reserved for collection at any branch free of charge.

    Tabletop gaming is a fun and sociable way to spend time with family and friends. It can help young people and adults develop social skills, collaboration, creative thinking, strategic thinking, and more.

    The Games Library has over 150 games available for people to borrow and take home. These include Catan, Ticket to Ride, Azul, and many more. A full list of the games can be found in our online catalogue.

    In Westminster, the Games library is based at Pimlico Library only, while at Kensington and Chelsea, Kensington Central Library. However, library members can reserve games to pick up from any of the Westminster Libraries. Please note that library members must be aged 10 or older to reserve and borrow games. 

    Borrowing a game

    What to know when borrowing a game:

    • games are free of charge to borrow 
    • you can borrow one game at a time  
    • the loan period is three weeks 
    • games can be renewed twice, each time for a further three weeks 
    • any library member aged 11 and over can borrow a game 

    For more information on your local Games Library, contact [email protected]  

    Come along to our weekly game events

    Pimlico Library: Dungeons and Dragons club 

    • every Wednesday 
    • from 4pm to 6pm
    • ages 11 to 16
    • advanced booking is required; please get in touch with the library

    Kensington Central Library: Role-play gaming 

    • every Thursday 
    • from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
    • ages 16 to 25
    • advanced booking is required; please get in touch with the library

    Kensington Central Library: tabletop board gaming 

    • every Thursday 
    • from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
    • for ages 11 and over
    • no booking is required, just drop in

    Other ways to get involved

    • If you’d like to become a games volunteer, please get in touch with [email protected]
    • Would your group enjoy visiting the library to play board games? Please contact the selected libraries above. We can arrange a suitable time and advise on the best games for your group’s needs.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nine in a row for Aberdeen

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Aberdeen City Council’s catering team is celebrating after it was awarded its Food for Life Served Here Bronze certification for the ninth time by adding more local and climate-friendly peas to the school menu.

    The Council, which first received the award for its primary school meals in 2015, and for secondary schools in 2017, now serves more than 13,500 nutritious, sustainable and locally-sourced Food for Life meals across 61 sites every day.

    This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of the council’s school catering team, as well as the commitment to scratch cooking and local sourcing. These values are on display through the Give Peas a Chance! pilot project, a collaboration between Soil Association Scotland and Aberdeen City Council to get locally-grown organic dried split peas into school meals.

    Councillor Martin Greig, the Convener of the Education and Children’s Services Committee, Aberdeen City Council, said: “Good quality food is an important way to nourish and support young people’s health and wellbeing. School meals should be nutritious and contain as much fresh, local and sustainable food as possible. It is testament to the ongoing commitment and hard work of our catering and procurement teams that the Council has received the Food for Life Served Here Bronze award for the ninth year. It is a great achievement and congratulations to everyone involved.

    “Being part of the Give Peas a Chance pilot programme has enabled us to bring more local, organic produce into the menu. This is great for our young people, the local economy and the environment. It has also given catering staff an opportunity to develop new recipes and menus.”

    The 12-month Give Peas a Chance pilot project is opening up a new route to market for this local, organic, nutritious and climate friendly plant protein, allowing pupils to access healthy and sustainable food. It is a partnership between Soil Association Scotland, Aberdeen City Council catering and procurement teams, pea producer Phil Swire of Balmakewan Farm, the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI).

    Sarah Gowanlock, Partnerships Manager, Food for Life Scotland, said: “Aberdeen City Council’s ninth year of the Food for Life Served Here award is a huge achievement. It shows that staff are dedicated to providing pupils with a meal that’s healthy, freshly prepared and sustainably produced. We’re proud to be working in partnership with the council to deliver even more good food to Aberdeen City pupils through the Give Peas a Chance! pilot project, which is a fantastic example of how public procurement can have a positive impact on our food systems. Congratulations to all involved.”

    With an updated menu launched after the October break, pupils can now enjoy pea-based recipes that are part of the council’s new school meals menu, including lemon and pea risotto, sweet potato and pea curry, split pea meatballs with bolognaise sauce, and even a pea-based muffin and cookie.

    The council’s school meals service is certified by the widely respected and independently assessed scheme led by Soil Association Scotland and funded by Scottish Government. The Food for Life Scotland programme provides a framework through which local authorities can ensure they are serving food that’s good for health, the environment and the economy. This is done by following a set of standards to achieve the Food for Life Served Here award at Bronze, Silver or Gold level.

    The Bronze award recognises that a minimum of 75 percent of dishes are freshly prepared from unprocessed ingredients. Meals are also free from undesirable trans fats, sweeteners, additives and all genetically modified ingredients. Catering teams also use free range eggs, higher welfare meat and ingredients from sustainable and ethical sources.

    Photo caption: Councillor Martin Greig receives the Food for Life Served Here Bronze Award certificate from Food for Life Scotland’s Partnerships Manager Sarah Gowanlock, at a celebration with the Council’s schools catering team at Culter School. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Read More (Van Hollen, Cardin, Trone Announce $7.7 Million for Airport Infrastructure Projects in Western Maryland)

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative David Trone

    October 30, 2024

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    October 30, 2024

    Van Hollen, Cardin, Trone Announce $7.7 Million for Airport Infrastructure Projects in Western Maryland

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman David Trone (all D-Md.) announced $7,705,850 in federal funding for infrastructure and expansion projects at the Hagerstown Regional Airport and Garrett County Airport. The funding, provided through the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program and Airport Terminal Program, will increase the airports’ capacities to meet operational needs and safety standards.

    “Hagerstown Regional and Garrett County airports help connect Western Maryland with greater economic opportunity. We fought for these investments to provide both airports with resources to continue to serving Maryland’s businesses, residents, and visitors in the years to come,” said the lawmakers.

    The federal grants have been awarded as follows:

    • $6,786,262 to Hagerstown Regional Airport to remove a building and relocate fencing identified as obstructions by the FAA and to renovate and expand the existing terminal building to accommodate existing and projected airline passenger demand
    • $919,588 to Garrett County Airport to rehabilitate 7,300 square yards of the existing Terminal Apron pavement

    The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds various types of airport infrastructure projects across the country, including repairs and upgrades to runways, taxiways, airport signage, lighting and markings – all while creating thousands of good-paying, local jobs. The members have consistently fought to provide funds for airports and terminal operators, including through the fiscal year 2024 appropriations process, which makes $3.35 billion available from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and an additional $532 million from the general fund for AIP projects.

    The Airport Terminal Program was created in 2021 through the lawmakers’ efforts to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Funded at $1 billion in fiscal year 2024, the Airport Terminal Program supports safe, sustainable, and accessible airport terminals, on-airport rail access projects, and airport-owned airport traffic control towers.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Researcher Melissa Gish Bridges Chemistry and Physics To Improve Solar Energy Technologies

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    Researchers Bryon Larson, Melissa Gish, Ross Larsen, and Reilly Seban (left to right) are collecting and analyzing data on organic solar cells in the NREL Energy Systems Integration Facility’s Insight Center. Their research is part of a large-scale effort to quantify organic photovoltaics for incorporation into machine learning tools. Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL

    Melissa Gish approaches physics and chemistry problems like puzzles: Control this or that variable, and work out how the jigsaw pieces fit together.

    “I didn’t really like biology because I felt like there were too many variables to adequately control,” said Gish, a chemistry researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

    The journal Trends in Chemistry recently honored Gish in a special issue designed to highlight emerging leaders in chemistry who are innovating in their respective fields, as well as to celebrate Trends in Chemistry’s fifth anniversary and Cell Press’ 50th anniversary.

    That inclination toward controlling variables to chart a path to discovery led her from high school biology experiments on the breeding behavior of mosquitoes to majoring in chemistry in college. In her senior year, Gish studied quantum mechanics and worked in a physical chemistry lab—and that work led her to pursue a Ph.D. in experimental physical chemistry.

    “The intersection of physics and chemistry just made sense to me in a way that other disciplines hadn’t,” she said. “It just clicked.”

    At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Gish immediately started working in ultrafast spectroscopy, where pulsed lasers are used to study ultrafast events after a system absorbs light—within solar energy research—and her renewable energy research interests then led her to NREL, first as a postdoctoral researcher and now as a chemistry researcher.

    “NREL has world-class fundamental research and amazing physical chemists,” she said, “so I could continue working with ultrafast spectroscopy and solar energy research.”

    Leading on Transient Spectroscopy

    Gish began her work in transient spectroscopy—studying the properties of short-lived excited states of molecules and materials—at UNC and continues that work at NREL.

    “We were studying dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells, which involved the absorption of light to kick off an electron transfer cascade that would lead to catalysis to generate solar fuels,” she said. “These systems often had two-to-three-plus components, each with its own photophysics that needed to be parsed out with careful control experiments. These problems are puzzles—each puzzle is unique and fun to solve, with the added bonus of working toward new renewable energy technologies.”

    At NREL, Gish has become a leader in using transient spectroscopy to study pathways to more efficient solar cells and solar energy production and uncovering the photophysics of complicated molecular and materials systems, often connecting that information to photochemical reactions. Her work spans much of the periodic table, from organic molecules and polymers to transition and rare earth metal-organic complexes to silicon nanoparticles to semiconductor materials and more. Gish’s recent investigations extend across the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science Basic Energy Sciences research portfolio at NREL and have targeted the short excited-state lifetimes of conjugated polymers, tuning of singlet fission at mesoporous interfaces, and development of a strategy to differentiate rare earth elements.

    Gish is presently interested in connecting ultrafast photophysics on the very small scale—femtoseconds, picoseconds, and nanoseconds—to photochemical transformations on the seconds-to-hours time scale.

    “Understanding the initial processes after light absorption that may affect the photochemistry or photocatalysis that happens many decades later can help us design better systems for solar energy harvesting or light-induced separations,” Gish said. “I’ve been working on in situ methods to spectroscopically determine intermediates and products on longer time scales to connect the ultrafast experiments.”

    As she looks to the immediate future in her research, Gish is thinking about the photophysics of product selectivity in photocatalysis, in which solar energy is converted to chemical energy.

    “To make usable, storable solar fuels, we need to be able to generate the product that we want—for example, methanol—and there’s a lot we don’t understand about how to drive solar fuel production and photocatalysis to the final product of our choosing,” she said.

    Gish’s work extends to safety in the lab. She is a technical and safety leader for laser-based spectroscopy at NREL, stewarding several ultrafast laser systems and mentoring users of all experience levels in best safety practices for alignment, designing experiments, and operating systems to obtain high-quality data and rigorous data analysis. She has also played an integral part in NREL’s Laser Safety Panel, helping improve the laser operator qualification process and defining the laser system supervisor’s roles and responsibilities.

    Kyle Crabb, Rob Hammond, and Melissa Gish (left to right) pose for a photo in front of the Pride flag at NREL’s South Table Mountain Campus in 2023 after the second annual Full Spectrum Network-organized Pride flag raising at NREL. Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL

    Supporting and Mentoring Others

    Good leaders give back to their communities, and Gish gives back through mentorship and building community.

    At NREL, Gish cofounded two employee resource groups for NREL staff: the Full Spectrum Network (LGBTQIA+ employees and allies) and the Postdoc and Graduate Student Network.

    “My involvement in Full Spectrum and, in particular, my role in starting Pride Month events at NREL means a lot to me,” Gish said. “What I’m most proud of is how the group has continued as I and the initial steering committee passed the torch to the current leadership. Running an employee resource group is a lot of work and requires a lot of dedication and passion, and it’s amazing to see how each iteration of Full Spectrum continues our initial traditions and builds on them. For example, the annual Pride flag raising at the South Table Mountain Campus is something that started after my time and was extended to the Flatirons Campus this year.”

    Full Spectrum has helped bring together the LGBTQIA+ community at NREL and helped them feel seen and embraced.

    “I think it’s important for NREL to show LGBTQIA+ staff that our contributions are recognized and celebrated, which is a legacy I am proud of,” Gish said. “I have had new employees reach out to me and say that our work in Full Spectrum and the visibility it has provided to LGBTQIA+ staff has influenced their decision to come work at NREL because of the safe space that has been created.”

    Gish is also proud of her work with the Postdoc and Graduate Student Network, where she mentors early-career researchers from undergraduate and graduate students to postdoctoral researchers.

    “Postdocs and students are in a unique position where they are actively looking for their next job while producing high-quality scientific research and learning the advanced techniques we have here at NREL,” she said. “We wanted the network to provide professional development opportunities, soft-skills workshops, and networking opportunities to alleviate some of that stress that these early-career folks feel. I have also had opportunities to mentor postdocs, grad students, and undergrads as a staff scientist.

    “I really enjoy watching students and postdocs grow and become confident scientists,” Gish continued. “As the NREL principal investigator of a Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) project in collaboration with Metropolitan State University of Denver, I’ve had the pleasure of mentoring undergraduate students with limited lab experience who are motivated and passionate about learning spectroscopy as well as what it is like to be a scientist and explore this career as an option.”

    Gish’s RENEW project focuses on understanding spin dynamics of first row transition metal photosensitizers.

    She is continuing her career trajectory by actively solving chemistry puzzles—developing spectroscopic capabilities to answer new questions about next-generation solar energy technologies—and building her portfolio as a principal investigator while mentoring and serving her community.

    “Melissa has developed quickly into a key team member of several of our DOE Office of Science Basic Energy Sciences projects and was recently successful as an NREL principal investigator on a RENEW project focused on harnessing spin physics to drive photochemical reactions,” said NREL’s Andrew Ferguson, spectroscopy and photoscience group manager. “I have been particularly impressed by her resilience, exemplified by her response to the restrictions imposed by the COVID pandemic on her postdoctoral work; her vision to develop the spectroscopic tools to connect ultrafast photophysical processes to much slower photochemical reactivity; and her commitment to effective training and mentoring of early-career researchers. She is certainly worthy of recognition as an emerging leader in chemistry, and I am excited to see where her career goes from here.”

    Learn more about Melissa Gish’s research and NREL’s solar energy research.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Are Carbon-Free Energy Systems Possible? NREL Has a Way To Find Out

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    Live Power Experiments Using NREL’S ARIES Platform Solve Future Energy Challenges in the Present

    Aerial view of NREL’s Flatirons Campus, where researchers demonstrate clean energy solutions for large-scale systems using the ARIES platform. Photo by Josh Bauer and Taylor Mankle, NREL

    Renewable energy generation has risen for years, now supplying 22% of U.S. electricity. But the next gains will not come easy. Looming obstacles include a lack of energy storage, increasing cybersecurity threats and outages, possible electrical instabilities, and sectors that are hard to electrify.

    It’s a heavy list, but those exact obstacles are well known within NREL’s Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) platform. In fact, researchers replicate these obstacles in both physical and virtual environments every day to vet large-scale energy solutions in action.

    Like constellations that once guided explorers, ARIES helps users to orient their clean energy decisions. Following recent expansions in grid control, hydrogen, and cyber resilience, the platform can help researchers explore the greatest challenges to achieving a clean energy transformation.

    Fine Control Over Experimental Power

    One challenge for clean energy is the integration of diverse technologies. Power systems are becoming hybrid, distributed mixtures of solar, wind, storage, and many other energy resources. Electrically, they are nothing like we’ve had in the past, especially at the sub-second timescales.

    To develop solutions with enough detail, engineers need the real deal for experiments: electricity like it exists in homes, between cities, and during disasters. They need to customize electricity to recreate the big research questions.

    ARIES has that customizability, thanks to the controllable grid interface (CGI), which acts as an envelope on incoming power, shaping it according to scenarios, such as an oil-fired generator failing on an island full of renewables or faults affecting a wind-powered microgrid.

    Past uses include:

    • Validating next-generation transformers that add transmission flexibility in the U.S. Department of Energy project Grid Application Development, Testbed, and Analysis for MV SiC (GADTAMS)
    • Piloting a grid-forming wind turbine with an industry partner
    • Exploring hybrid power plants that mix water, wind, storage, and solar in the multi-laboratory project FlexPower.

    In 2024, the CGI quadrupled in power, and it is better able to answer the many unknowns of clean energy deployed at scale.

    With ARIES, researchers construct fully realistic energy systems to explore solutions for clean energy integrations, both near term and long term. This photo shows a photovoltaic array at right, and just above the array is the CGI, which customizes power flow throughout the research platform. The trailers and boxes in the center are batteries, hydrogen tanks, electrolyzers, fuel cells, direct current devices, and more. Photo by Josh Bauer and Taylor Mankle, NREL

    Clean Energy Demonstrations Get Larger and More Integrated

    With the CGI upgrade, the interface can run two custom scenarios in parallel at 7 megavolt-amperes and 20 megavolt-amperes, and the researchers are taking advantage.

    “It’s bigger, a little faster, and it gives us bandwidth,” said Przemyslaw Koralewicz, an architect of the interface. Prior to CGI2’s completion, projects were bottlenecked by the interface’s availability. Now researchers can switch between two different machines when experiments stack up, or they can even use both in the same experiment.

    “In one interesting experiment as part of the SuperFACTS project, we placed a battery on one interface and a photovoltaic array on the other. Artificially, they were made to act as if they were 1,000 miles away, individually contributing to stability on the same electric grid,” Koralewicz described.

    Przemek Koralewicz, third from left, and colleagues present the latest additions to the CGI. The CGI is housed in a trailer full of power electronic switches that allow researchers to customize real energy system scenarios. Photo by Josh Bauer, NREL

    A top research goal of ARIES is to successfully integrate diverse technologies. The CGI is designed for this purpose, making it possible to catch problems of instability or unreliability within uncommon energy combinations. One example is direct current (DC) microgrids.  

    “It’s becoming popular to explore DC microgrids. I’m pretty excited about the possibility,” Koralewicz said. “DC microgrids could avoid transformers and inject power directly into the grid bus. The CGI uniquely allows us to try this.”

    The DC bus could charge heavy-duty vehicles directly from solar or wind resources, and it could power electrolyzers directly to produce hydrogen, possibilities that ARIES researchers are eager to study for their simpler architectures and unique pathways.

    Although a DC bus is not yet available, other pathways are ready for research at ARIES. Thanks to additional infrastructure, hydrogen energy integration research is underway in a big way.

    From Clean Electricity to Gas and Back

    Hydrogen could singly abate several challenges in future energy systems. It’s a solution for energy storage, a force for grid flexibility, and an energy-dense fuel to rival carbon compounds. It’s a resource with real potential to integrate clean power, but it is lacking in experimental run time. That’s why the ARIES integrated hydrogen capabilities have expanded.

    NREL research technicians Tavis Hanna and Daniel Leighton tighten flanges on a pump for integrated cooling systems. This hardware helps make ARIES a hub for large-scale hydrogen-grid research. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL

    From storage tanks to fuel cells, and from water deionizers to electrolyzers, ARIES features a full circle of clean hydrogen assets. These capabilities are set apart by their close integration with other renewable assets. At a megawatt capacity, ARIES is also the proper size to pilot hydrogen pathways before going to the full grid scale, the target of the U.S. Department of Energy’s H2@Scale initiative.

    This capability appeals to mining companies and downstream ore processing facilities that want to decarbonize their operations, as well as to automotive companies that are curious about stationary power from fuel cells as an opportunity to enlarge their customer base.

    “We commissioned and built this new equipment, and now we want to answer questions about electrolysis at the relevant scale,” Daniel Leighton, NREL technical lead, said in a public presentation.

    Leighton and colleagues added the new assets so that researchers can explore the options around renewably produced hydrogen.  

    “We’ll have a pipeline that will connect to future underground storage, and we are currently validating a metal hydride storage system for low-pressure hydrogen. To validate electrolysis technologies and how they support other areas, we’re building out a full balance of plant at 6 megawatts for partners to do drop-in validation,” Leighton said.

    Of course, none of this—neither the hybrid power plants nor the underground hydrogen caverns—means anything if integrated energy systems are not secure. It might not be as visible as pipelines, but as another core aim of ARIES, cybersecurity is increasingly everywhere and for good reason.

    Sharper Cybersecurity: Attacking a Wind Turbine, Cloud Security, and Microgrid Communications

    Modern organizations face a daily barrage of cyberattacks and scams, and the situation is similarly problematic for energy systems.

    “We’re seeing hacking software become very cheap and nation states facilitating attacks. At the same time, we see our energy systems becoming much more complex—for example, an increase in the quantity of devices operating as part of the grid,” said Dane Christensen, manager of the Cyber System Assessment group at NREL.

    “A loss of exclusive utility ownership over grid-interactive devices. Less tractable supply chains. A mix of legacy and modern hardware,” Christensen explained. “How do we retain the benefits of all this connectivity and achieve mutual cybersecurity?”

    It’s a question that Christensen and colleagues are answering using the ARIES Cyber Range, which virtualizes, cosimulates, and visualizes energy system experiments.

    An early demonstration of the ARIES Cyber Range was, logically, to attack a wind turbine on NREL’s Flatirons Campus.

    NREL researchers staged a self-cyberattack on a research wind turbine to show a confluence of ARIES capabilities, including cyber-physical emulation, real-time interactivity, power hardware-in-the-loop, and visualization. Photo by NREL

    In front of a live industry audience, NREL researchers established a facsimile of a distribution utility, transmission utility, and independent wind power producer, which the researchers disabled by accessing the wind power plant’s control center through vulnerabilities.

    Using ARIES, they launched an attack to shut down one full-scale turbine at NREL’s Flatirons Campus and an emulated wind power plant. This triggered automated safeties to impact the surrounding transmission system.

    In seconds, NREL’s mock attackers reduced the plant production to zero, cutting power to thousands of (simulated) people, showcasing what consequences could occur if vulnerabilities are left unpatched in energy systems and showing the usefulness of ARIES tools in addressing those vulnerabilities.

    “We leverage the cyber range to employ much more realistic systems and to be able to scale our research,” Christensen said. “We couple the physical and virtual in real time and track it visually. In this way, we can help mitigate the risk inherent in both newly adopted technologies and in the trusted relationships that exist across the energy sector.”

    The cyber-physical union at ARIES has redefined clean energy research. This is evident in a 5G microgrid platform, where utilities can assess wireless operations, and in CloudZero, where they can assess the cloud management of complex energy systems.

    Like all challenges ahead for clean energy systems, cybersecurity becomes surmountable when researchers can have the real systems right in front of them, using ARIES.

    Stay Tuned, Reach Out, Learn More

    New opportunities continually appear for clean energy, which suits the underlying build of ARIES: Its hardware is reconfigurable and with digital simulators, scalable. ARIES researchers have a versatile electric grid at their fingertips, and they are just breaking the surface of what is possible on this research platform.

    Variability in the physical size of new energy technologies being added to the system

    Securely controlling (millions to tens of millions of) interconnected devices

    Integrating multiple diverse technologies that have not previously worked together

    Three key technical challenges guide ARIES research. Partners facing these same challenges can use the ARIES capabilities to evaluate and explore their options.

    Nearing five years of being online, ARIES is equipped for another generation of experiments, and it continues to grow. If you are interested in partnering with NREL, contact ARIES@nrel.gov. These partnering examples are open now:

    Visit nrel.gov/aries to learn more.

    The ARIES platform is supported by the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIH-funded scientists uncover clues to precancer and tumor biology

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

    Media Advisory

    Wednesday, October 30, 2024

    A collection of new papers highlight discoveries from the Human Tumor Atlas Network, a Cancer Moonshot℠ initiative.

    What

    New insights from multiple studies provide critical information on how cancer tumors develop, spread, and respond to treatments. The 10 studies from the Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN), a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Cancer Moonshot℠ initiative to construct three-dimensional maps of human tumors, will be published Oct. 31, 2024, across several Nature journals.

    Several studies explore the role of the tumor microenvironment and the immune system in promoting the spread of cancer and its resistance to treatment. Three studies map the trajectory of precancerous colorectal tissues toward cancer by measuring the contributions of multiple molecular and cellular events. Multiple new HTAN papers describe the development of innovative single-cell technology and analysis platforms. An accompanying research briefing by W. Kimryn Rathmell, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI), and Dinah Singer, Ph.D., NCI deputy director for scientific strategy and development, discusses the history, progress, and future of HTAN.

    Launched in 2018, HTAN constructs three-dimensional maps of human tumors that capture their molecular features and surrounding microenvironments over time. The work is being done by teams of investigators from research institutions across the country using a variety of technologies and computational approaches to study tumors at the single-cell level. This comprehensive, publicly available resource aims to help researchers better understand the development and progression of cancer to inform its prevention and treatment. The first tumor atlas studies from this initiative were published in 2020 and 2021.

    Who

    Shannon Hughes, Ph.D., Division of Cancer Biology, NCI; Sean Hanlon, Ph.D., Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives, NCI; Sudhir Srivastava, Ph.D., M.P.H., Division of Cancer Prevention, NCI

    The Studies

    The collection page is available at https://www.nature.com/collections/fihchcjehc.

    About the National Cancer Institute (NCI): NCI leads the National Cancer Program and NIH’s efforts to dramatically reduce the prevalence of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI website at cancer.gov or call NCI’s contact center, the Cancer Information Service, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

    About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

    NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Murphy Joins NJ TRANSIT to Showcase Brand New Multilevel Rail Car

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    174 New Rail Cars Will Help Mechanical Reliability

    Vehicle Maximum Speed Will Increase to 110 Miles Per Hour

    Latest Generation Features New Customer Amenities Such as USB Charging Ports

    KEARNY, NJ – Governor Phil Murphy and NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett today previewed the next generation of multilevel rail cars, modernizing the fleet which will significantly improve reliability, capacity and customer comfort. The latest generation of multilevel rail cars was unveiled at an event at NJ TRANSIT’s Meadows Maintenance Complex (MMC) in Kearny.

    “Providing modern, reliable equipment is a critical component to improving New Jersey’s infrastructure, particularly with regard to public transit,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “These multilevel rail cars are equipped with innovative features that meet the everyday needs of our commuters. Upon their completion, these upgraded rail cars will expand access to reliable and comfortable transportation for NJ TRANSIT riders.”

    “These 174 new multilevel rail cars being unveiled today will enhance the experience for NJ TRANSIT riders by increasing capacity, utilizing cutting-edge technology, and ensuring the safety and reliability of New Jersey’s transportation system,” said Senator Cory Booker. “This investment to modernize our transit system along the busiest rail corridor in the country will encourage more New Jerseyans to opt for public transit over driving, resulting in reduced congestion and lower emissions across our state.” 

    “Since day one of his administration, Governor Murphy has been committed to improving NJ TRANSIT to ensure New Jersey residents have a reliable public transit experience. Today marks another milestone in that mission,” said Senator George Helmy. “These Multilevel III cars propel us into a new generation of NJ TRANSIT. The modern, state-of-the-art fleet will ensure customers who rely on this service daily have a faster, more comfortable, and convenient experience.” 

    “With the purchase of these new multilevel rail cars, we’re taking another step toward a more reliable, efficient, and modernized public transit system,” said Congressman Rob Menendez. “Commuters deserve the best possible experience when traveling through our region, and I’m grateful that our federal and state leaders will continue partnering with NJ Transit to help make that a reality.” 

    “The FTA is proud to support NJ TRANSIT as it introduces 174 new multi-level railcars into service,” said Michael Culotta, Regional Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration. “The new fleet, supported by $567.5 million in federal funds, includes state-of-the-art technologies providing improved accessibility, safety, and efficiency, which will leave an indelible mark on riders and align seamlessly with the goals of the FTA and the Biden-Harris Administration.” 
     
    “As we unveil NJ TRANSIT’s new Multilevel III rail cars, we are taking a significant step forward in sustainable transportation and government efficiency,” said Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, Chair of the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee. “These electric, self-propelled vehicles should not only enhance capacity and comfort for commuters but also significantly enhance mechanical reliability. Their energy efficiency and reduced emissions underscore our commitment to sustainability and minimizing environmental impact. By embracing this advanced technology, we are positioning New Jersey as a national leader in clean energy transportation, addressing both the immediate and long-term goals of a greener, more efficient, and more connected state.” 

    “NJ TRANSIT is committed to improving every aspect of the customer journey, and the 174 new multilevel rail cars will help achieve that by significantly improving reliability, increasing capacity and enhancing the onboard experience,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “NJ TRANSIT is grateful to Governor Murphy, the New jersey legislators and our partners at the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for delivering the necessary funding to ensure our system continues to meet the growing demands of our region, and the expectations of our customers.” 

    “Alstom is proud to help meet the vision and leadership of Governor Murphy and NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett to provide transit users in New Jersey with a more modern and comfortable ride,” said Alstom Vice President, Head of Rolling Stock David Van der Wee. “Innovative new trains with 21st century amenities will give commuters, students, sports fans, every kind of NJ TRANSIT customer, the high-quality experience they have been demanding and deserve. Our employees in Upstate New York couldn’t be prouder to deliver these new trains.” 

    Governor Murphy and Corbett previewed the first of 174 Multilevel III cars during an event at the agency’s Governor Murphy and Corbett previewed the first of 174 Multilevel III cars during an event at the agency’s MMC in Kearny. They highlighted many of the new car’s amenities, including USB charging ports and onboard information displays. The new cars, manufactured by Alstom Transportation in Plattsburgh, NY, will offer a range of benefits over the older, 40+ year-old single level cars they will replace, including dramatic improvement in mechanical reliability. The vehicle maximum speed will increase to 110 miles per hour. The cars, which will begin entering service mid-next year, will be compliant with the latest federal regulations, including Positive Train Control.

    The Multilevel III Power Cars are Electric Multiple Units (EMUs), meaning they are self-propelled and don’t require a separate locomotive. Electric motors are incorporated within one or a number of the vehicles on the train. They are the first of their kind in North America.

    In December of 2018, the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors approved a rail rolling stock vehicle procurement award to Bombardier Transit Corporation (now Alstom Transportation Inc.) for 113 Multilevel III rail vehicles to replace the single-level, self-propelled Arrow III rail vehicles manufactured more than 40 years ago. In February 2022, the NJ TRANSIT Board approved the purchase of an additional 25 Multilevel III vehicles. In July 2024, the Board approved the purchase of an additional 36 Multilevel III vehicles, bring the total number of new cars to 174 since 2018.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Joint Statement of the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office on a Multilateral Meeting to Address State-Sponsored High-Harm Physical Threats and Other Forms of Transnational Repression

    Source: US State of California

    On Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office convened a multilateral meeting at the U.S. Embassy in London to address the urgent challenge of state-sponsored high-harm physical threats and other forms of transnational repression. The meeting was co-chaired by Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security from the U.S. Department of Justice, and Chloe Squires, Director General for Homeland Security from the U.K. Home Office.

    The meeting brought together senior government officials from partner nations that are confronting increasing levels of transnational violence perpetrated by state actors, particularly authoritarian regimes, and their proxies. This meeting included representatives from intelligence, law enforcement, prosecutorial, and policy organizations to share disruption strategies for countering the alarming rise in transnational assassination plots, kidnappings, and other acts of violence and repression.

    The engagement was designed to achieve a common understanding of the threat landscape, share operational and strategic approaches to counter the threat, and identify opportunities for ongoing collaboration and partnership. At the conclusion, participants agreed to establish a regular working group to maintain shared visibility into the threat in member countries and to review and develop strategies to increase the capacity of the partner nations to deter and disrupt state-sponsored violence and repression.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Releases Information on Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud, and Secure Elections

    Source: US State of California

    Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices and procedures, the department today is providing information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division (NSD), and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference.

    Civil Rights Division

    The department’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right. This work is often performed in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

    The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; National Voter Registration Act; Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; Help America Vote Act; and Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:

    • Prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status;
    • Prohibit intimidation of voters;
    • Allow voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union);
    • Require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions;
    • Require accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities;
    • Require that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books;
    • Require states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad; and
    • Require covered states to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail, and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists.

    The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, selection and accessibility of voting facilities, and the casting of ballots on Election Day or during early voting, whether in-person or absentee.

    The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter interference based on race, color, national origin, or religion.

    • Throughout the election cycle, Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations of any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. The Civil Rights Division will work closely with counterparts at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and other department components to review and take appropriate action concerning these complaints.
    • Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the Justice Department’s toll-free telephone line at 800-253-3931, and can also submit complaints at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
    • Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.

    Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted.

    Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices

    The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.

    The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election crimes, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. See Justice Manual 9-85.210 (discussing requirements regarding election crime matters); 9-85.300 (discussing approach to ballot fraud); 9-85.400 (discussing application of 18 U.S.C. § 592); 9-85.500 (discussing timing of actions).

    The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting unlawful threats of violence against election workers, and prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation and voter suppression that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division often in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices).

    U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in their respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.

    The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election crimes are handled appropriately. Specifically:

    • In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.
    • Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office or the local FBI field office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/districts. A list of FBI field offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us.
    • Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.

    All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911. After alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the Justice Department.

    National Security Division

    The department’s National Security Division (NSD) supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign malign influence and interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context:

    • NSD oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt.
    • NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes.
    • NSD’s National Security Cyber Section oversees such matters when they are cyber-enabled (i.e., when online platforms, such as social media and other online services, are central to the commission of the offense), as well as those involving computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure.
    • NSD’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security.

    As in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. Attorneys from National Security Division sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI field offices to counter any such threats. The Department of Homeland Security also plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats.

    Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should be reported also to the department.

    Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information regarding concerns in these subject areas to contact the appropriate authorities.

    For more information about the department’s work to ensure compliance with federal civil and criminal laws related to voting, please visit www.justice.gov/voting and www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-pin/election-crimes-branch.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Two Members of Transnational Money Laundering Organization Plead Guilty to Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug Proceeds

    Source: US State of California

    A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to his involvement in a conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (the Jalisco Cartel). Earlier this year, on Aug. 5, a foreign national residing in Illinois pleaded guilty for his role in the same money laundering scheme.

    According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 46, of Buford, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national residing in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs. They communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving the purchasing of bulk electronics in the United States and the shipping of these electronics to co-conspirators in China.

    On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Additionally, Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds.

    According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.

    Tan and Chen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of their pleas, Tan and Chen agreed to forfeit numerous assets to the government, including a residence, a firearm, body armor, and more than $270,000 in seized currency. Additionally, they agreed to the imposition of money judgments totaling over $23 million. Chen is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14 and Tan is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025. Chen and Tan each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement.

    The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit is investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; DEA offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina; and the Anderson County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office.

    Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Announces Applications Now Open for Grants To Support Youth-Led Service Initiatives

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the Connecticut Commission on Community Service, also known as Serve Connecticut, is now accepting applications for mini-grants to support youth-led service initiatives in Connecticut.

    These mini-grants are available to support the engagement of youths between the ages of 5 and 25 in meaningful, youth-led service or service-learning projects or programs benefitting the community during the grant term of January 1 to September 30, 2025. Eligible applicants include schools, out-of-school time programs (after school or summer), municipalities, agencies, and youth-serving organizations. Youth-led groups are welcome to apply with sponsorship of an eligible applicant.

    “This is a great opportunity for youth voice and youth action to make a difference in our state through service,” Governor Lamont said. “Getting more of our youth to the table to take an active part in community problem-solving builds better communities.”

    This funding opportunity is made available by a grant from the Allstate Foundation in partnership with America’s Service Commissions. Serve Connecticut is one of ten state and territorial service commissions that received a 2024 Empowering Youth-Led Service Grant to increase youth-led service opportunities in the state.

    “Serve Connecticut is committed to encouraging youth to lead through service – to impact their communities and to empower their own growth,” Timothy D. Larson, commissioner of the Connecticut Office of Higher Education and a board member of the Service Connecticut, said. “We are grateful to the Allstate Foundation for providing this resource to our state’s youth.”

    To qualify for a mini-grant, proposed youth-led service initiatives may be new or existing, must prioritize engaging youth that are underrepresented in youth service in Connecticut, and must actively engage youth in the development and implementation of the proposed service project or initiative. Mini-grant funding requests of up to $8,000 will be considered. Funding may be used to support youth-led service project development and implementation costs, and to remove barriers to youth participation in youth-led service projects and programs.

    To apply, visit servect.org/youth-service-funding-opportunities. Applications must be submitted by December 2, 2024. Questions about the application process can be directed to Kate Scheuritzel, Serve Connecticut’s director of programs, via email at Kate.Scheuritzel@ct.gov.

    Serve Connecticut is a program of the Connecticut Office of Higher Education. It administers AmeriCorps grants on behalf of the state and promotes service and volunteerism.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texans charged in wide-spread stolen mail conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SHERMAN, Texas – Two Katy, Texas individuals have been charged with federal violations related to a mail theft scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

    Brevin Lee Pogue, 26, and Dayana Amador-Enamorado, 24, were named in the two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas on October 9, 2024.  They were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to steal U.S. mail and to possess stolen U.S. mail.

    According to information presented in court, in April 2023, an investigation into mail stolen in the Eastern District of Texas revealed an elaborate scheme to sell, ship, and alter stolen checks and other financial instruments across the country.  That investigation led to the arrest by the Parker Police Department of Pogue and Amador in August 2024, at an Airbnb in Colorado.

    If convicted, Pogue and Amador face up to 30 years in federal prison.

    This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Fort Worth Division, Denver Division, and Houston Division; the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado; and the Parker Police Department in Colorado.

    A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks by President Trump During Hurricane Helene Briefing

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    For Immediate Release                           January 24, 2025
    REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMPDURING HURRICANE HELENE BRIEFING Airport Fire and Rescue FacilityFletcher, North Carolina
       11:34 A.M. EST
         THE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you very much.  It’s a little cold outside, but you’re getting used to the cold.
    And one of the things that are very important to me and one of the reasons I’m happy that we won so convincingly is to help North Carolina get fixed up.  They supported us in record numbers, and I’m supporting them in record numbers too.
    And they had me set — I wanted to go to Los Angeles and see what was going on with California, why they aren’t releasing the water.  Millions and millions of gallons of water, they’re sending it out to the Pacific.  Someday, somebody’s going — going to explain that one.  In the meantime, they have no water in Los Angeles, where they had the problems. But — so, we’re going there.  But I said, “Well, what about North Carolina?”  “Well, you could do that la-” — “no, I can’t.”  I said, “We’re stopping in North Carolina first, and then we’re going to Los Angeles.” And we just appreciate the outpouring of love that we’ve had here.  Lara was, as you know, very instrumental in the campaign, and she lived here and is loved, and we appreciate it.  And Michael Whatley has been incredible — wherever Michael is — hello, Michael.  Michael Whatley has been great.  And your congressmen have been great.  And what we thought we’d do is take a quick look around.  First, we wanted to do this.  I — I want to say that we’re very disappointed in FEMA.  Your new governor, it’s not his fault.  He’s brand-new to the whole situation.  But we’re going to work together with the governor.  We’re going to work together with the — your senators, but, really, we’re going to work a lot with your congressman, especially the three that are in the area, and Michael Whatley.  And I’d like to put Michael in charge of making sure everything goes well.  And Franklin Graham has been unbelievable.  We’ve made a big contribution to Franklin, and we’ll continue to do so.  But I — I’ve been hearing nothing but praise for the job that Samaritan’s Purse has done with Franklin, and we appreciate it.  Where is Franklin?  He’s around here someplace.  (Laughter.)  And — that good-looking guy.  He’s always been a good-looking guy.  His father was a good-looking guy, too, I’ll tell you.  We loved his father, right?  I saw his father in the latter years, and I said, “Well, he — he doesn’t have long to go.”  He was having a hard time, and he lived about three, four years after that, right?  REVEREND GRAHAM:  That’s right. THE PRESIDENT:  He — he was — they call — they say he was “good stock.”  He had the ultimate good stock.  But I want to thank you, Franklin.  You were — you’ve been fantastic here.  And everywhere he goes, he — he’s always — he’s always the first one I see.  Does — people don’t realize it, how — how good it is.  A lot of people, they go, “Well, maybe it’s for the people that he’s got.”  And you guys know, because you’re here, but the people that he’s got have done amazing work.  So, I just want to thank everybody.  We’re going to get over and take a look.  We’ll say a few words.  I want to just — I do want to introduce some of the people that we have.  And our first lady — we’ll start with our first lady.  She wanted to be here because of North Carolina.  And then I said, “Well, you can do that, but you’re going to have to come to California too.”  (Laughter.)  THE FIRST LADY:  That’s okay. THE PRESIDENT:  And she said, “That’s okay.”  (Laughter.) And we got to fix that one up too.  That’s — who — do you ever see anything like that one?  It’s — who would have — who would have thought that could have happened.  So, Governor Josh Stein, thank you very much.  We appreciate it.  And we’re going to have a — a very long and good relationship.  Representatives — maybe stand up, if you would, so we — the press can see.  Representatives Chuck Edwards — Chuck, thank you.  Thank you, Chuck.  Tim Moore.  Virginia.  You know Virginia Foxx, a legend — she is such a powerful woman.  Pat Harrigan.  Pat, thank you very much.  Your agriculture commissioner, who I hear is excellent, Steve Troxler — Steve, thank you very much.  Good job, Steve.  You’ve got plenty to do, right? MR. TROXLER:  (Inaudible.) THE PRESIDENT:  (Laughs.)  More than you ever thought.  North Carolina Speaker Destin Hall.  Thank you, Destin.  Thanks, Destin.  Very good.  House Majority Leader Brenden Jones.  Brenden, thank you very much.  We’re making progress, Brenden.  State Representatives Dudley Greene, Karl Gillespie, thank you very much, fellas.  Good, good.  Thank you very much.  State Senators Kevin Corbin, Warren Daniel, thank you.  Thank you very much, Kevin, Warren.  And County Commissioner Jennifer Best, thank you.  Jennifer, thank you. So, Hurricane Helene was one of the worst natural disasters in American history.  It was far worse than it was even billed.  I have never seen such water damage.  It was largely water damage — wind damage, but water damage nobody has ever seen.  I’ve been here, as you know, numerous times, but now I’m here in a position where we can do something, meaning I’ve been in — in office for four days.  And I wanted to come sooner, but actually, they had a little problem with getting, logistically, in here, but I would have been ev- — here even sooner. One oh four — a hundred and four North Carolinians have — at least — have lost their lives.  Is that now a fairly firm number, or are they still finding people?  You know?  Is — what do you think?  They’re still finding people?  Pretty much, okay?  It’s a lot of people.  A hundred and four people lost their lives.  Seventy-three thousand homes were severely damaged or destroyed.  And I’ll tell you, I’ve been to a lot of them, and this was a — this was like lots of hurricanes in one.  I’ve never seen such damage done by water.  And the — the water came, it was violent, and it left, and there was, like, nothing left.  It’s really pretty amazing.  At one point, half of the emergency calls to FEMA went unanswered.  That’s real bad.  FEMA was not doing their job.  The city of Asheville went without running water for two months.  A whistleblower testified that some FEMA employees refused to help people who displayed Trump signs on their properties.  I think that’s true, isn’t it?  I read that.  That’s not nice.  That’s not too nice, is it? But whoever those property people were, thank you very much.  Michael, is that true? MR. WHATLEY:  (Inaudible.) THE PRESIDENT:  That’s not good — huh? — about the property owners.  You put a Trump sign on it, they wouldn’t help — FEMA.  Earlier this year, FEMA kicked 2,000 North Carolinians out of their temporary housing into below-freezing temperatures.  What was that all about?  Is that — do you know about that?  What happened?  Tell me. STATE SPEAKER HALL:  We had an incompetent administration under Biden.  And we had a disaster, and then we call it “the disaster after the disaster” — that was the FEMA response. THE PRESIDENT:  You had nothing but disaster since then.  I — it doesn’t matter at this point.  Biden did a bad job.  Some residents still don’t have hot water, drinking water, or anything else.  And m- — many of them don’t have quarters.  They don’t have anything.  They got a stipend for what they lost, and we’re going to take care of it.  This is totally unacceptable, and I’ll be taking strong action to get North Carolina the support that you need to quickly recover and rebuild.  We’re working on it very hard. And I think if Michael Whatley does half as good a job for North Carolina as he did for my campaign, we’ll be very happy.  (Laughter.)  Him and Lara were a very powerful team.  So, you think you can handle it, Michael?  I don’t know.  I’m not sure, Michael.  (Laughter.)  I think this is maybe, in many ways, easier.  Okay?  Maybe easier.  But you’re going to lead the team.  Do you want to say who the — who the congressmen are that you want to appoint?  Do you want to introduce them? MR. WHATLEY:  So, we — we have Virginia Foxx and Chuck Edwards and Tim Moore — THE PRESIDENT:  And — MR. WHATLEY:  — whose districts encompass the area (inaudible) — THE PRESIDENT:  And they are the districts that were most severely impacted, right?  You were — you were affected, then, Virginia? REPRESENTATIVE FOXX:  Yes, sir.  Lost my own property. THE PRESIDENT:  Really?  Well, I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA or maybe getting rid of FEMA.  I think, frankly, FEMA is not good.  I think when you have a problem like this, I think you want to go and — whether it’s a Democrat or a Republican governor, you want to use your state to fix it and not waste time calling FEMA.  And then FEMA gets here, and they don’t know the area, they’ve never been to the area, and they want to give you rules that you’ve never heard about, they want to bring people that aren’t as good as the people you already have.  And FEMA has turned out to be a — a disaster.  And you could go back a long way.  You could go back to Louisiana.  You could go back to some of the things that took place in Texas.  It — it turns out to be the state that ends up doing the work.  It just complicates it.  I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away and we pay directly — we pay a percentage to the state.  But the state should fix this.  If the state did this from the beginning, it would have been a lot better situation.  I think you guys agree with that, right? So, I just want to tell that Ash- — say that Asheville — I know it well.  It’s a great place, and we’re going to have it be a great place again.  That was the one that was most severely affected.  But North Carolina is going to come back bigger, better, stronger than ever before, and you’re going to be very thankful.  And you’ve already seen — I know that it really began four days ago, but you’ve already seen more action than you have in the last three months.  And we’re going to get it together.  We’re informing the Army Corps of Engineers to get going, because you have a lot of river breaks and a lot of areas that you’re going to need some pretty big work.  And they’re on their way.  They’re going to be working very — much harder than they’ve been working in the past.  And we’re going to take care of it.  Any questions from the press of any of the congressmen, governor, anybody? Q    Sir, are you going to sign an executive order on FEMA — getting rid of it?  Can you explain more about signing the executive order to get rid of FEMA, please? THE PRESIDENT:  FEMA has been a very big disappointment.  They cost a tremendous amount of money.  It’s very bureaucratic, and it’s very slow.  Other than that, we’re very happy with them.  Okay?  (Laughter.) And I think it’s — I think when there’s a — when there’s a problem with the state, I think that that problem should be taken care of by the state.  That’s what we have states for; they take care of problems.  And a governor can handle something very quickly. You know, one of the things I’ve noticed, because I’ve been doing this for a while, and we had a pretty good FEMA.  But I also noticed that when they come, they end up in arguments of — they’re fighting all the time over who does what.  It’s a — just a — it’s just not a good system. This system is so beautifully designed over 250 years, approximately, you know, and we’ll soon be celebrating the 250th year.  It’s going to be a very big celebration.  But it’s been designed very well, and we’re going to leave it that way. When North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, when — everybody knows the governor of Tennessee, I think — everybody.  Do you — do you know everybody here, pretty much?  He’s o- — GOVERNOR LEE:  I — I’ve introduced myself.   THE PRESIDENT:  I never thought of it, but you’re right over the ridge, right? GOVERNOR LEE:  Right over the hi- — right over the hillside. THE PRESIDENT:  So — so, you’re here to help.  That’s great. GOVERNOR LEE:  These here, thi- — the people in this region, including Tennessee — the people of Appalachia are grateful that you are here and that you haven’t forgotten them.  THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah. GOVERNOR LEE:  And that there are other disasters, but this one was enormous for both North Carolina and Tennessee.  So, thank you. THE PRESIDENT:  You know, I’ve seen a lot of disasters, and this — when I came — I came here right after, the day after.  And when I came here, I couldn’t believe it, actually.  I couldn’t believe the damage.  I — and I’ve seen a lot of them.  This was — this was more like a tornado than it was — what we witnessed.  So, we’re going to get it very much — very much taken care of.  Good job.  That’s nice that you came. GOVERNOR LEE:  Thank you, sir. THE PRESIDENT:  And so, you call it right — you’re right over the ridge, right?  Tennessee. GOVERNOR LEE:  Right over the ridge, yes, sir. THE PRESIDENT:  I like Tennessee, too.  Let’s see.  Where did I get more votes — Tennessee or North Carolina?  I hate — (laughter) — I hate to tell you, North Carolina, it was Tennessee.  GOVERNOR LEE:  There’s one of the counties in this disaster that had 88 percent for you.  So (inaudible) — THE PRESIDENT:  Eighty-eight percent, yeah?  That’s — the people are just incredible people. GOVERNOR LEE:  Yeah. THE PRESIDENT:  So, do you have any questions, press? Q    Yes, Mr. President, you talked about conditions being placed on aid to California — voter ID and the like.  Are there any conditions that you’re going to put on aid to North Carolina? THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, we’re going to do a lot for North Carolina.  You know, they’ve been very slow.  I don’t know why it’s been so bad.  This has been one of the worst I’ve seen.  Katrina, of course, you know, was somebo- — something that — obviously, that was a long time ago — that was not good.  But this has been very slow.  I don’t know if that was for political reasons because they lost the state.  You know, Biden lost the state.  Maybe he felt — he doesn’t care.  Maybe there were other reasons.  I don’t know. But this has been very slow.  By any standard, this has been very slow.  And we’re going to — we’re going to make up for lost time. Q    But no conditions you’re going to push for aid, just full stop? THE PRESIDENT:  Well, in California, I have a condition.  In California, we want them to have voter ID so the people have a voice, because right now, the people don’t have a voice because you don’t know who’s voting and it’s very corrupt.  And we also want them to release the water.  If they release the water, they wouldn’t have had a problem.  If they released the water when I told them to — because I told them to do it seven years ago — if they would have done it, you wouldn’t have had the problem that you had.  You might have — you might not have even had a fire. So — but here, I don’t have that.  It’s a different thing.  You got hit by a storm.  The people are incredible.  They worked really well.  Franklin was fantastic, and other groups — by the way, other groups came in that were also fantastic.  And other states came in; Tennessee and a couple of others came in, and they really helped.  That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No, this is a different kind of a thing. Q    Mr. President, have you decided how much funding you would allocate for disaster relief in North Carolina? THE PRESIDENT:  About what? Q    Have you decided how much funding you would allocate for disaster relief? THE PRESIDENT:  I haven’t de- — I have to see what it is. Q    Mr. President — Q    Are — are — are you disappointed that Senator Schiff hasn’t joined you on this trip?  It’s reported that you invited Senator Schiff to join you on this trip, and he was too busy.  Are you disappointed by that? THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t know, I — I was told that Schiff was going to travel with us to California.  I wasn’t thrilled, to be honest with you.  (Laughter.)  And I saw him last night on television.  It looks like he got hit with a baseball bat or something.  What happened to him?  Something happened to him. Q    Are you still — THE PRESIDENT:  It was a little — it looked like he got hit.  It looked like he got beat around, but — Q    So, did — did you invite him or — THE PRESIDENT:  But I’ll ask Karoline to find out what happened to him.  No, if he wanted to come out, I would have done that.  But I don’t know.  I — somebody said that he wanted to come on the plane, but I think he’s staying back for the votes.  There’s some pretty good votes going on. Yeah. Q    Mr. President, what is your timeline for getting rid of FEMA? THE PRESIDENT:  I — I woul- — for the — for this one?  For this one?  Well — Q    For — you just talked about possibly getting rid of FEMA.  What timeline are you looking at, and how would you do that? THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we’re looking here — here, you’re talking about.  To start — we’re going to start immediately — timeline.   And to finish, it’s going to be a period of time.  You know, people are also rebuilding their houses.  How long does it take to build a house, right?  It takes a time. And I want them to build houses bigger, better, nicer than they had before, so they can have — at least they get something out of this disaster.  This was a real disaster. No, timeline will be fast.  In terms of infrastructure, I think very fast.  I want to thank Elon, because Elon was able to get us communication systems, as you know — Starlink.  We had no communication.  The first day I got here, I was asked by one of the people, one of the really great representatives, professionals that — “Is there any way you could get Starlink here,” because they had no communication whatsoever.  And I called up Elon Musk, and he had, you know, hundreds of units brought here — like, brought immediately.  And it’s hard to get; they couldn’t get them before.  And that made a lot of difference.  I think it saved a lot of lives, actually. Yeah.  Infrastructure-wise, we’ll do it quickly. Q    Sir, can you just talk about how long you might — do you think it might take to get rid of FEMA?  What’s the timeline on that if you’re going to roll it back? THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  I would say, look, as far as I’m concerned, I’m not really thinking about FEMA right now here.  I’m thinking about Michael Whatley, and I’m thinking about the three congresspeople that you just heard from and also the other people in Congress.  And they’ll be working with the governor.  They’ll be working with the governor.  So, that’s what I see. Q    Change of subject real quickly.  The Laken Riley Act was signed by Mike — Speaker Johnson yesterday.  When do you — THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah. Q    — when do you anticipate to put — to sign that in the Oval Office?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we’re honored by that.  Laken Riley — I was there at the time, and we had a big meeting with the parents right after that horrible thing took place.  And we have a — an act.  You all know what that act represents.  And it was a bipartisan bill.  Many Democrats signed — signed on to it.  That’s something that is a tribute to Laken, a beautiful young lady who was killed viciously by an illegal alien.  And we passed a very powerful bill, and it was just approved.  And we’ll have a ceremony sometime very shortly. I’ll be signing it.  In other words, if you’re asking, I will definitely be signing it.  Okay? Yeah. Q    Mr. President, the security detail for Anthony Fauci was terminated last night, and I’m wondering if you have any comment on that? THE PRESIDENT:  About what? Q    The security detail for Anthony Fauci was terminated last night, sir.  Do you have a comment? THE PRESIDENT:  No, I think, you know, when you work for govern- — government, at some point, your security detail comes off.  And, you know, you can’t have them forever.  So, I think it’s very standard.  If it would be for somebody else, you wouldn’t be asking the question.  The question is very fair, but, you know, you work for government — we took some off other people too — but you can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you worked for government. Q    Did you ask for it to be taken off, sir? THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we’ll see what happens. Q    Would you feel partially responsible if something were to happen to, say, Dr. Fauci — THE PRESIDENT:  No. Q    — or John Bolton? THE PRESIDENT:  No.  You know, they all made a lot of money.  They can hire their own security too.  All the people you’re talking about, they can go out — I can give them some good numbers of very good security people.  They can hire their own security.  They all made a lot of money.  Fauci made a lot of money.  They all did.  So, if they, you know, felt that strongly, I — I think that — certainly, I would not take responsibility. Q    North Carolina is a state that relies on trade and manufacturing.  Are you going to have an announcement on new tariffs coming soon?  Is there a timeline now? THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, the tariffs are going to make our country rich.  We’re going to be a rich, rich country very soon.  Tariffs are going to make it rich.  And competence — we have common sense, competence, and tariffs.  The word “tariff” is one of the most beautiful words in the dictionary.  Q    Jonathan Reynolds, the — the business secretary of the United Kingdom, said that there’s an even trade between the U.S. and — and the UK, so they shouldn’t have tariffs.  Does trade imbalances or a balanced trade affect tariffs and your decisions? THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, ba- — unbalance and balance, and also deficits, like with Canada.  We lose $200 billion a year with Canada.  That’s because we allow them to make cars.  We allow them to take lumber.  We don’t need their cars.  We don’t need their lumber.  We don’t need their food products because we make the same products right on the other side of the border.  It’s sort of crazy.  So, we’ve just allowed that — you know, bad management has allowed it, over the last four years, in particular, to become very imbalanced.  And I said to — I call him “Governor Trudeau,” but he’s Prime Minister Trudeau — when he was prime minister, I asked him, “Why would we do that?  Why?”  And he was unable to give me an answer.  He said, “I don’t know.”  And I said, “Do you think it’s fair that we’re paying $200 billion to keep Canada going?”  “And what would happen” — I said — I asked him, “What would happen if we didn’t do that, if we didn’t subsidize Canada?”  He said, “We’d be a failed nation.”  And I said, “Then you should be a state,” because why are we paying all of that money to Canada when, you know, we — we could use it ourselves, right? So, we take care of their military.  You know, we ordered — we’re going to order about 40 Coast Guard big icebreakers.  Big ones.  And all of a sudden, Canada wants a piece of the deal.  I say, “Why are we doing that?” I mean, I like doing that if they’re a state, but I don’t like doing that if they’re a nation. Also, they’ve been very nasty to us on trade.  Historically, Canada has been very, very bad to us, very unfair to us on trade.  So, we’ll see how it all works out. Q    So, the United Kingdom — THE PRESIDENT:  I would — Q    — might be in a better spot? THE PRESIDENT:  I would love to see Canada be the 51st state.  The Canadian citizens, if that happened, would get a very big tax cut — tremendous tax cut — because they’re very high- — highly taxed.  And you wouldn’t have to worry about military.  You wouldn’t have to worry about many of the things.  You’d have better health coverage.  You’d have much better health coverage.  So, I think the people of Canada would like it, you know, if it’s explained.   But I — just to start off, they’d have a very — they’d have a massive tax cut, and they’d have a lot more business, because then we’d let business go to Canada routinely.  And there’d be no tariffs.  You know, if we did that, there’d be no tariffs. Q    So, the United Kingdom might be in a better spot, then? Q    Can you talk about Samaritan’s Purse?  Reverend Franklin Graham has been a great asset to this state.  Talk a little bit about the way the Samaritan Purse has helped North Carolinians. THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, say it once again.  The first — Q    Reverend Franklin Graham has been a big part of Samaritan Purse and their aid to North Carolina.  I just want to get your thoughts on that.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  Well, Franklin Graham has been a big asset to the state.  His father was a big asset to the state, to the country — both of them.  I just think this: I think Franklin and — and other people that are doing what Franklin have done — but I — you know, I’ve known Franklin so long.  He was at the inauguration.  He made a speech, beautiful speech; beautiful prayer.  He just — he does a great job.  And we gave — we made a big donation, and it was — it was money well spent.  Sometimes you make donations, it’s not well spent.  He’s done a great job here.  He’s done a really great job. So, I want to thank you.  We’re going to the site now, and — one of the sites — and we’ll — I think you’ll — for those that haven’t seen it, you won’t even believe it, but not enough work was done.  We’ll get it done fast.  And I can speak for the Republican congressmen, we’re going to knock it out, right?  We’re going to knock it out.  And I think we take it very personally, because it was — North Carolina was very unfairly treated — very, very unfairly treated.  And it was obvious.  It was too obvious.  And we’re going to make up for lost time.  So, thank you to the people of North Carolina.  
    Thank you, everybody. 
    END                11:57 A.M. EST

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks by President Trump at Executive Order Signing

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    For Immediate Release                            January 24, 2025
    REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP
    AT EXECUTIVE ORDER SIGNING
    Oval Office
    (January 23, 2025)
    3:10 P.M. EST
         THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.
         Q    Hello, sir.
         THE PRESIDENT:  You all set?  Okay.  Very good.
         I’m going to sign some executive orders.  They were very important in just about every case.  And we’ll go through the first one, please. 
         MR. SCHARF:  Sure.  Do you want to —
         MR. SACKS:  Yeah.  Mr. President, this is an executive order on crypto.  We’re going to be —
         MR. SCHARF:  That’s AI.  Sorry.
         MR. SACKS:  Oh, sorry.  We’re doing AI first.  Sorry.
         MR. SCHARF:  Yeah, AI.
         MR. SACKS:  Sir, this is an executive order on AI.  We’re forming — we’re — we’re basically announcing the administration’s policy to make America the — the world capital in artificial intelligence and to dominate and to lead the world in AI. 
         THE PRESIDENT:  Do you want to say your name — your full name and serial number?
         MR. SACKS:  Yeah, David Sacks, AI and crypto czar.
         THE PRESIDENT:  David is one of the greatest in the world at AI — most respected, probably, there is. 
         (The executive order is signed.)
         So, that should take us to the forefront, right?
         MR. SACKS:  Absolutely.  We got to win. 
         THE PRESIDENT:  Okay. 
         Thank you. 
         MR. SCHARF:  Thank you, sir.
         THE PRESIDENT:  And this, David, is?
         MR. SCHARF:  Crypto.
         MR. SACKS:  Yeah, this is the crypto EO.  We’re going to be forming a internal working group to make crypto — to make America the world capital on crypto under your leadership.
         THE PRESIDENT:  Which is really going up, right? 
         MR. SACKS:  Absolutely.
         (The executive order is signed.)
         THE PRESIDENT:  All right, David.  That’s for you.  (The president gives Mr. Sacks the signing pen.)  Thanks.
         MR. SACKS:  Thank you, sir.
         THE PRESIDENT:  You find them exciting?  They might not be exciting, but we’re going to make a lot of money for the country.  Okay?
         MR. SACKS:  Thank you, sir.
         THE PRESIDENT:  And so is David.  You have to check him out.  There is nobody like this guy.  They said, “How did you get David Sacks?  How did you do that?”  And he’s — he’s doing it for the country more than anything else.  So, we appreciate it, David.  Thank you very much.
         MR. SACKS:  Thank you, sir.
         MR. SCHARF:  This is an executive order establishing a presidential commission — an advisory commission on science and technology.
         THE PRESIDENT:  Good.
         (The executive order is signed.)
         Do you want to explain that a little bit?
         MR. SCHARF:  The basic idea is to get together top people from government to private-sector technology industry, as well as educational institutions, to make sure that America maintains its leadership position with respect to science and technology development in the years ahead.
         THE PRESIDENT:  Good.  That’s great.
         MR. SCHARF:  Next, sir, we have a presidential memorandum encouraging departments and agencies in your government, including the Department of the Interior, to promote federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of —
         THE PRESIDENT:  Ohh.
         MR. SCHARF:  — North Carolina.
         THE PRESIDENT:  I love the Lumbee Tribe.  So, this is their first big step, right?
         MR. SCHARF:  This would be a huge step for them, sir.
         THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  They were with me all the way.  They were great — North Carolina Lumbee Tribe.
         (The presidential memorandum is signed.)
         And we’ll send — you’ll send them a copy of that?
         MR. SCHARF:  Yes, sir.
         THE PRESIDENT:  They were great. 
         Okay?
         MR. SCHARF:  And, if you’d like, I could get them that pen, sir, as well.
         THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, let’s do that.  (The president gives Mr. Scharf the signing pen.)
         MR. SCHARF:  Next, we have a set of pardons for peaceful pro-life protestors who were prosecuted by the Biden administration for exercising their First Amendment rights.
         THE PRESIDENT:  Do you know how many?
         MR. SCHARF:  I believe it’s 23, sir.
         THE PRESIDENT:  Twenty-three people that were prosecuted.  They should not have been prosecuted.  Man- of — many of them are — are elderly people.  They should not have been prosecuted.  This is a great honor to sign this.
         (The proclamation is signed.)
         They’ll be very happy.
         MR. SCHARF:  Thank you, sir.
         THE PRESIDENT:  So, they’re all in prison now?
         MR. SCHARF:  Some are.  Some are — are out of custody. 
         THE PRESIDENT:  It’s ridiculous.
         Okay?
         MR. SCHARF:  Lastly, sir, we have an executive order ordering the declassification of files relating to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
         THE PRESIDENT:  That’s a big one, huh?  A lot of people are waiting for this for a long — for years — 
         MR. SCHARF:  Yes, sir.
         THE PRESIDENT:  — for decades.  And everything will be revealed.
         (The executive order is signed.)
         Okay.  Give that to RFK, Jr.  (The president gives Mr. Scharf the signing pen.)
         MR. SCHARF:  Yes, sir.
         THE PRESIDENT:  Okay. 
         Okay.  Thank you very much.
         (Cross-talk.)
         Q    Mr. President — Mr. President, a U.S. judge temporarily blocked the birthright citizenship order.  Do you have any reaction to —
    THE PRESIDENT:  No.  Obviously, we’ll appeal it.  They put it before a certain judge — in Seattle, I guess, right?  And
    there’s no surprises with that judge. 
    Q    Mr. President, Senators Collins and Murkowski have now said they will vote against Pete Hegseth.  Are you worried about his confirmation, and your reaction?
    THE PRESIDENT:  No.  And no surprises there.  It’s too bad.  You know, it’s the way — the way it is.  Too bad. 
    Q    And when would you adjourn Congress to make recess appointments, Mr. President?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’d take a look at that.  I’d listen to John Thune.  He’s doing a fantastic job.  We’re moving along.  The Democrats are trying to delay government, as they always do.  They can’t help themselves.  Even John Ratcliffe, who’s very, very strong, very popular and liked by the Democrats — I guess, he gets a lot of Democrat votes — that’s taking a long time, and it shouldn’t be taking a long time. 
    They — they’re maxing everything out so they can delay everything as much as possible.
    Q    Does Senator Thune support an effort to use recess appointments if you choose to do that?
    THE PRESIDENT:  I’d be willing to use recess appointments.  It’s up to John.  We’ll see.  John Thune is a great guy, great senator, knows his stuff inside out and backwards.  But I would use recess appointments if he wants to do that.  Absolutely.
         (Cross-talk.)
    The Democrats are just delaying.  They always delay.
    Q    Mr. President, you spoke with the Saudi crown prince yesterday.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Who?
    Q    The Saudi crown prince.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.
    Q    How was the — the call?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Great.  It was great.
    Q    And they said $600 million — billion dollar they can invest?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Six hundred.  I’ll ask them for a trillion. 
    Q    You said you’re going to ask them for a trillion.  Will Saudi Arabia be the first foreign country you will visit, since they’re investing that much money?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, if they do that, I would, yeah.
    Q    You would?
    THE PRESIDENT:  I would be glad to do that.  I did it, as you know, four years ago.  We did $450 billion — meaning the money all goes to American companies — and they purchased jets and they purchased computers and everything else.  And we did $450 billion, and I guess we’re at $600, $650.
    (Cross-talk.)
    And I’ll see if I can talk them into a trillion.
    Q    And on the Middle East again.  You showed great confidence in Steve Witkoff.  Why you said that you doubt that the ceasefire in Gaza will — will hold since you appraised his efforts?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, no, I think he’s great.  But it’s a very tricky place.  It’s very tricky.  And we’ll see.  And if it — if something does happen, they will not be happy. 
    Q    Sir, follow-up on that one.  In terms of Steve Witkoff, are you going to put him in charge of — of Iran strategy?  And do you want him talking directly with the Iranians?
    THE PRESIDENT:  No, but he — he certainly is somebody I would use.  He’s done a fantastic job.  He’s a great negotiator.  He’s a very good person, great — a very popular person.  Gets along with people.  I have great negotiators.  They — they have no personality whatsoever, and then I have some that do. 
    Steve has a wonderful way about him and people like him.  And even in this case, both sides like him, and he was able to make a deal.  That deal would have never been made without Steve. 
    The Biden people couldn’t make the deal.  They were working on it for a year and a half.  They couldn’t make a deal.  We got it done prior to the inauguration.  We said it has to be before the inauguration. 
    I mean, the deal should hold, but if it doesn’t hold, there’ll be a lot of problems.
    (Cross-talk.)
    Q    Related to your AI EO.  Just hours after you made that big Stargate announcement, Elon Musk tweeted that they don’t actually have the money.  Is that true?
    THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t know if they do, but, you know, they’re putting up the money.  The government is not putting up anything.  They’re putting up money.  They’re very rich people, so I hope they do. 
    And, I mean, Elon doesn’t like one of those people.  So, (inaudible).
    (Cross-talk.)
    Q    Are you worried that AI is going to replace many American jobs? 
    THE PRESIDENT:  No.
    Q    Does that worry you?
    THE PRESIDENT:  No, no.  It’s going to create tremendous numbers of jobs.  It’s going to also create a lot of benefits, medically, for cancer research and other things.  It’s going to have a huge positive impact.
    And, you know, we want to be ahead of China.  We’re, right now, way ahead of China.
    David Sacks is one of the all-time experts.  You know, that — people are amazed that he — you just met him.  I don’t know if he’s still here.
    MR. SACKS:  (Inaudible.)
    THE PRESIDENT:  There he is.
    But — but one of the most respected people in that world.  It’s a world.  That’s a whole different world. 
    And we’re ahead of China now because of what I’m doing, and I think it’s going to be very successful. 
    (Cross-talk.)
    Q    On NATO spending, please.  You just asked the Davos forum again that NATO countries should spend 5 percent of GDP on defense.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.
    Q    The United States don’t spend 5 percent.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I — I don’t think so, no.
    Q    Do you think it should also apply to the United States?
    THE PRESIDENT:  We’re protecting them, you know?  They’re not protecting us.  We’re protecting them.  So, I don’t think we should be spending — I’m not sure we should be spending anything, but we should certainly be helping them.  But they should — they should up their 2 percent to 5 percent, yeah.
    Q    Mr. President — Mr. President, you said earlier during your speech at Davos that you would like to see interest rates come down.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.
    Q    How much would you like to see them come down?
    THE PRESIDENT:  A lot.
    Q    And will you talk with Powell?
    THE PRESIDENT:  I’d like to see them come down a lot, and oil prices will come down.  And when oil prices come down, everything is going to be cheaper for the American people — and actually for the world — but for the American people.  So, I’d like to see oil prices come down.
    And when the energy comes down, that’s going to knock out a lot of the inflation.  That’s going to automatically bring the interest rates down. 
    Q    Are you worried that it’s too much going on at once if you’re —
    Q    Mr. President, you said that you would demand —
    Q    Are you worried that there’s too much going on at once if you’re trying to bring interest rates down and —
    THE PRESIDENT:  No, no.
    Q    — get the economy back going?
    THE PRESIDENT:  No.  It just works that way.  I mean, it just economically works that way.  When the oil comes down, it’ll bring down prices, then you won’t have inflation, and then the interest rates will come down.  (Inaudible.)
    (Cross-talk.)
    Q    You said that you would demand that the interest rates come down. 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I would put in —
    Q    Do you expect —
    THE PRESIDENT:  I would put in a strong statement.
    Q    Do you expect the Fed to listen to you?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah. 
    Q    Are you going to talk to Powell about this and — bringing the rates down?
    THE PRESIDENT:  At — at the right time, I would.
    Q    Sir, do you plan to meet with any of the people you pardoned that were — participated in the January 6th, 2021, attack — do you plan to meet with any of them or meet with them at the White House?
    THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t know.  I’m sure that they probably would like to.  I did — I did them something important.  But what they did is they were protesting a crooked election.  And, you know, I mean, people understand that also.  And they were treated very badly.  Nobody’s been treated like that. 
    So, I’d be open to it, certainly.  I — I don’t know of anything like that, but I think they — they’re going to — meeting some of the congresspeople — congressmen, -women —
    Q    Have you spoken to them?
    THE PRESIDENT:  — who want to — want to meet.  But I’d certainly be open to it. 
    Q    Have you spoken to them since you issued the pardons?
    THE PRESIDENT:  I haven’t spoken to any of them yet, but I know they’re very happy. 
    (Cross-talk.)
    I gave them — I gave them their life back.  Their life was taken away from them unnecessarily and unfairly.  I gave them their life back.  So, I can imagine they probably would like to.
    Q    What did you mean when you said that Biden took bad advice in not pardoning himself yesterday? 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, he did.  I think he did, because he — he pardoned all these people that are crooked as hell.  Look, the congressmen, they’re crooked.  What they did is they destroyed evidence.  When you destroy evidence, especially criminally like that — they did it criminally. 
    And the reason they destroyed the evidence is because it proved that I was right.  They didn’t destroy evidence for no reason.  They destroyed it because they found many documents saying that I offered 10,000 soldiers.  If they had 500 soldiers or National Guard, there would have been no problem.  If they had 200, that would have been — I offered 10,000, if they needed them — there would have been no problem. 
    That’s been now totally disproven.  And it’s also been disproven by Nancy Pelosi’s daughter, who has her on tape saying it was her fault, that she has full responsibility for this. 
    But — and they have all that stuff.  They destroyed everything, and they go through a year and a half, two years of nonsense, they come up with tremendous evidence, and they destroyed evidence.
    And Schiff knew about it.  That’s why he’s on there.  He knew all about the destruction of evidence.  A lot of people said he’s the one that got them to do it.  And he’s a crooked guy — you know? — totally crooked politician.  And so, he’s pardoned, and some other people are pardoned. 
    And these are crooked politicians, every one of them.  Bennie Johnson [Thompson], what he did is incredible.  I mean, he was the leader of the committee, and he did it.  Cheney, Crying Adam Kinzinger, all of them — they destroyed evidence and deleted everything. 
    There’s nothing with — there’s no evidence now.  They’re crooked politicians, and they should be punished.  You know, that’s — even in a civil trial, you go to jail for a thing like that.  They destroyed every document, from what I understand — every document — because it proved that I was totally innocent. 
    Q    Do you plan to send up to 10,000 troops to the southern border, sir?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  Oh, southern border?
    Q    Yes, the border. 
    THE PRESIDENT:  When you say “southern border” — when I said “10,000 troops,” I was referring to the Capitol. 
    Q    Oh, I see.  A- — and when does that —
    THE PRESIDENT:  No, no, you got it wrong.  I was referring — 
    Q    When do you plan —
    THE PRESIDENT:  — to the Cap- — 
    Q    When do you plan to do that?
    THE PRESIDENT:  I offered 10,000 troops to the Capitol before January 6th.
    Q    And as for the 1,500 at the southern border, sir, to clarify, what exactly do you want them to be doing right now?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Making sure that the border is safe and secure and that criminals don’t come into our country.
    Q    Mr. President, do you think that sanctions on Russia will force President Putin to negotiate?
    THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t know, but I think he should make a deal. 
    Q    Mr. President, does it bother you that Elon Musk criticized a deal that you made publicly, that he said — that he tweeted that?
    THE PRESIDENT:  No, it doesn’t.  He hates one of the people in the deal.  So — 
    Q    Have you spoken to him since then?
    THE PRESIDENT:  No, no.  I’ve — well, I’ve spoken Elon but —
    Q    Not about that? 
    THE PRESIDENT:  I’ve spoken to all of them, actually.
    No, no.  The people in the deal are very, very smart people.  But Elon, one of the people he happens to hate.  But I have certain hatreds of people too —
    Q    Sir —
    THE PRESIDENT:  — you know?
    Q    Sir, on China.  What do you think Xi Jinping can do on the Ukraine-Russia war? 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Which one?
    Q    Ukraine-Rus- — -Russia war.  What can Xi Jinping do about that?
    THE PRESIDENT:  China?
    Q    Yeah.
    THE PRESIDENT:  They have a lot of power over Russia.  They supply energy to Russia, and Russia supplies energy to them.  They supply other things to — you know, it — it’s really a very big trade.  It’s a very big trading partner.  But Russia supplies a lot of energy to China, China pays them a lot of money for that, and I think they have a lot of power over Russia.  So, I think Russia should want to make a deal. 
    Maybe they want to make a deal.  I think, from what I hear, Putin would like to see me, and we’ll meet as soon as we can.  I’d — I’d meet immediately.  Every day we don’t meet, soldiers are being killed in a battlefield, and that battl- — battlefield is like no battlefield since World War II.  That’s a —
    Q    You said that U- — Ukraine wants to —
    THE PRESIDENT:  And I have — I have pictures that you don’t want to see.  Soldiers are being killed on a daily basis at numbers that we haven’t seen in decades.  And it would be nice to end that war.  It’s a ridiculous war. 
    Q    You said that Ukraine is ready to make a deal.  Did President Zelenskyy tell you that at — personally?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, sure.  He’s ready to negotiate a deal.  He’d like to stop.  He’s a — he’s somebody that lost a lot of soldiers, and so did Russia — lost a lot.  I mean, Russia lost more soldiers.  They lost 800,000 soldiers.  Would you say that’s a lot?  I’d say it’s a lot.
    (Cross-talk.)
    Q    Mr. President, you said that you wanted to make Dr. King’s dream a reality.  What’s your response to his children and civil rights leaders who say that your DEI orders are a contradiction of his dream and could further drive racial disparities?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I haven’t heard that. 
    Q    Mr. President, you put the Houthis back on the terror list.  How do you see the war in Yemen end now?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we’ll see what happens, but they can’t shoot down our ships — the Houthis.
    Q    Yes.
    THE PRESIDENT:  And that — you can’t shoot down our ships or any ships, and that’s what they’ve been doing.  So, they’re on the terror list, and —
    Q    Mr. President —
    THE PRESIDENT:  — that’s not good for them.
    Q    Mr. President —
    Q    Sir, why did you revoke security protections for former Secretary of State Mi- — Mike Pompeo and — and Brian Hook?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, the same reason I do — when you, you know, have protection, you can’t have it for the rest of your life.  Do you want to have a large detail of people guarding people for the rest of their lives?  I mean, there’s risks to everything. 
    Q    Do you think a former presidents should (inaudible) —
    Q    Sir, would you support striking Iran’s nuclear facilities?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Say it? 
    Q    Would you support Israel, for example, striking Iran’s nuclear facilities?  Or do you — 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’m not going to answer that.
    Q    — believe in diplomacy?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Obviously, I’m not going to answer that question.  We’ll have to see.  I — I’m going to be meeting with various people over the next couple of days, and we’ll see.  But hopefully that can be worked out without having to worry about it.  It would be nice — it would really be nice if that could be worked out without having to go that further step. 
    Q    And who are you going to meet with, if I — if I may ask?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’d rather not say that, but very high-level people.  But hopefully that could be worked out. 
    You know, look, Iran, hopefully, will be — make a deal.  And if they don’t make a deal, I guess that’s okay too.
    Q    And, Mr. President, just to follow up, you said you think the Fed should listen to you.  Can you elaborate on why you think it should?
    THE PRESIDENT:  With regard to interest rates?
    Q    Correct, yes.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Because I think I know interest rates much better than they do, and I think I know it certainly much better than the one who’s primarily in charge of making that decision. 
    But, no, I’m guided by them very much, but if I disagree, I will let it be known.
    Q    Mr. President —
    Q    Sir, your tariffs planned for China and Mexico are much tougher — or the ones for Canada and Mexico are much tougher than the one for China.  Why is it softer for China?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, China is already paying a lot of tariffs because of me, and when you add them up, I would say, you know, they’re paying a lot.  They paid hundreds of billions of dollars.  They never paid 10 cents until I came along.  When I came along, they pay hundreds of — they’ve paid hundreds of billions of dollars.  Never paid anything.  And so, they’ve already started at a higher base.
    Q    Is February 1st —
    Q    Sir, about the border —
    Q    — the date for Chinese tariffs as well, sir?  February 1?  Or was that just Mexico and Canada?
    THE PRESIDENT:  It’s Mexico and Canada.  But we’ll — we’re talking about China too.  Look, China is sending us tremendous amounts of bad drugs: fentanyl — really bad stuff.  Most of it comes through Mexico.  And we’re losing, I s- — I think, 300,000 lives a year because of that.  People say 150, 100, 120.  I think 300,000 lives a year.  Those are old numbers.  The other — the lower number is a low number.  And we can’t have that.  They’ve got to stop sending it. 
    I had a deal with President Xi, but it was a deal that wasn’t followed up by Biden, of course, where they were going to issue the death penalty to people that make fentanyl, and that would have stopped it.  But we’ll have to stop it with tariffs. 
    Okay?  Thank you very much, everybody. 
    Q    So, is China (inaudible) —
    (Cross-talk.) 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Appreciate it. 
    Q    Thank you, Mr. President.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you. 
                             END                    3:30 P.M. EST

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Memorandum for the Secretary of State the Secretary of Defense the Secretary of Health and Human Services the Administrator of the United States for International Development

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    01/24/25
    SUBJECT: The Mexico City Policy
    I hereby revoke the Presidential Memorandum of January 28, 2021, for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (Protecting Women’s Health at Home and Abroad), and reinstate the Presidential Memorandum of January 23, 2017, for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (The Mexico City Policy).
    I direct the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to the extent allowable by law, to implement a plan to extend the requirements of the reinstated Memorandum to global health assistance furnished by all departments or agencies.
    I further direct the Secretary of State to take all necessary actions, to the extent permitted by law, to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars do not fund organizations or programs that support or participate in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.
    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.
    The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ENFORCING THE HYDE AMENDMENT

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:Section 1.  Purpose and Policy.  For nearly five decades, the Congress has annually enacted the Hyde Amendment and similar laws that prevent Federal funding of elective abortion, reflecting a longstanding consensus that American taxpayers should not be forced to pay for that practice.  However, the previous administration disregarded this established, commonsense policy by embedding forced taxpayer funding of elective abortions in a wide variety of Federal programs.It is the policy of the United States, consistent with the Hyde Amendment, to end the forced use of Federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion.Sec. 2.  Revocation of Orders and Actions.  The following Executive Orders are hereby revoked:(a)  Executive Order 14076 of July 8, 2022; and(b)  Executive Order 14079 of August 3, 2022.Sec. 3.  Implementation.  The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall promulgate guidance to the heads of executive departments and agencies related to implementation of sections 1 and 2 of this order.Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or 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 order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.(c)  This order 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.                THE WHITE HOUSE,    January 24, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Announces Appointments to the White House Offices of Communications, Public Liaison, and Cabinet Affairs

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    President Trump announced key appointments to the White House Office of Communications, Public Liaison, and Cabinet Affairs, which will be overseen by Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Public Liaison, and Cabinet Secretary Taylor Budowich.
     COMMUNICATIONS 
    President Trump previously announced the appointments of Assistant to the President and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung and Assistant to the President and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Today’s announcements include: Alex Pfeiffer will join the White House as a Deputy Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Communications Director after previously serving as a Communications Adviser for the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign and Communications Director for MAGA Inc. Pfeiffer previously served as an Investigative and Editorial Producer for Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight. Kaelan Dorr will return to the White House as a Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Communications Director after serving as Senior Strategist and Spokesperson for MAGA Inc. Dorr previously served as Senior Advisor for Public Affairs at the Department of Treasury, Congressional Communications Director and Strategic Communications Advisor in the Executive Office of the President in the Trump Administration, Global Head of Marketing and Engagement for GETTR, Vice President of Communications for America First Policy Institute, and Chief Marketing Officer for Donald J. Trump for President. Harrison Fields will return to the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Press Secretary, having previously served as Assistant Press Secretary in the Trump Administration. Fields has also served as Senior Advisor to Congressman Byron Donalds and Assistant Director of Media and Public Relations at The Heritage Foundation. Anna Kelly will join the White House as a Deputy Press Secretary after serving as National Press Secretary for the Republican National Committee. Previously, Kelly was Communications Director for Congressman Derrick Van Orden, Michels for Governor, and the Republican Party of Wisconsin. Kush Desai will serve as a Deputy Press Secretary after serving as Deputy Battleground States & Pennsylvania Communications Director at the Republican National Committee. Desai also served as Deputy Communications Director for the 2024 Republican National Convention and Communications Director for the Republican Party of Iowa. Ian Kelley will join the White House as Special Assistant to the President and War Room Director after serving as War Room Director for the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign. Previously, Ian worked as Rapid Response Manager for the social media platform GETTR. Dylan Johnson will join the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Assistant Communications Director for Special Projects after serving as a Deputy Director of Communications for the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign. Johnson previously served as the Campaign Manager for the Greitens for U.S. Senate campaign and was an Executive Producer for Just The News. Sonny Joy Nelson will join the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Media Affairs Director, after serving as Director of Media Affairs and Surrogates for the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign. Previously, Nelson served as Director of Media Affairs for the social media platform GETTR, Booking Producer for Real America’s Voice, Director of Media Affairs for the Republican National Committee, and Associate Director of Strategic Communications for Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. Dan Boyle will join the White House as the White House Director of Research after serving as a Research Consultant on the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign, and previously as Director of Research for MAGA Inc. Boyle previously served as the Research Director for Citizens United and as a Research Analyst for the Government Accountability Institute. Johanna Persing will join the White House as Cabinet Communications Director after playing an integral role in the Trump-Vance 2024 campaign’s surrogate operation, including leading the media booking operation at the 2024 Republican Convention in Milwaukee.  Persing previously served as the Deputy Communications Director for the Republican National Committee and as Communications Director for Congressman Ryan Costello. Charyssa Parent will join the White House as Congressional Communications Director after serving as the Communications Director for Senator Roger Marshall. Parent previously served as the Deputy Director of Communications for the House Republican Conference and as the Director of Broadcast Media for the Republican National Committee. Jacki Kotkiewicz will join the White House as Policy Communications Director after working as a Vice President at Argus Insight. Kotkiewicz previously served as the Director of Policy Research at the Republican National Committee and was a Research Analyst on the Trump 2020 campaign. Jake Schneider will join the White House as Rapid Response Director after serving as Rapid Response Director for the Trump-Vance Campaign. Schneider previously served as the Deputy Director of Rapid Response for the 2020 Trump campaign and as Communications Director and Press Secretary for Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach. 
    OFFICE OF PUBLIC LIAISON Jim Goyer will return to the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Liaison. Goyer served President Donald J. Trump in his first Administration as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Public Liaison. Goyer previously served as Political Coordinator at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Goyer is joining from Goldman Sachs, where he served as an Associate of Asset and Wealth Management.
    Lynne Patton will serve as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Minority Outreach, where she will be charged with ensuring that President Trump continues to build upon his historic Election Day support from Blacks, Latinos and Women.  Patton served as Senior Advisor on the Trump Campaign and has been one of the Trump family’s longest serving and most trusted aides.  Prior to joining the Trump campaign, Patton was the Regional Administrator for Federal Region II at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Senior Advisor to Secretary Ben Carson.  At HUD, Lynne worked tirelessly to bring accountability, reform and results to some of the most challenging housing issues facing our country.  From championing the rights of underserved communities to exposing corruption and mismanagement within public housing systems, Lynne consistently fought for fairness and opportunity, earning her the bipartisan respect of industry peers and local elected officials alike.  Lynne’s deep connection to the issues affecting minority communities combined with her remarkable interpersonal skills, makes her the ideal person to lead this critical outreach effort.  She holds a B.S. from the University of Miami and attended Quinnipiac University, School of Law.  Brette Powell will return to the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Public Liaison, having previously served for three years in the White House Management Office and the Advance Office in the Trump Administration. Powell previously served the President for four years through his Save America PAC and the Trump-Vance 2024 campaign as the Director of Strategic Political Stakeholder Engagement. Hailey Borden will return to the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Business Outreach in the Office of Public Liaison, having previously served as Associate Director of the Office of Public Liaison in the Trump Administration. Borden previously was Director of Coalitions and Member Services on the House Committee on Small Business and is currently the Director of Business Coalitions for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. Alex Flemister will return to the White House as Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Office of Public Liaison, having previously served as Associate Director in the Office of Public Liaison in the Trump Administration. Flemister previously worked for Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders on her campaign as Advisor and Director of Operations and worked in her official governor’s office as the Director of Office Appointments. Flemister is currently the Founder and President of The Flemister Group. CABINET AFFAIRS Lea Bardon will join the White House as a Special Assistant to the President and Director of Cabinet Affairs. Bardon previously served as Director of Development Operations at the America First Policy Institute. Bardon also served on President Trump’s reelection campaign in 2020 and as Executive Roundtable Manager at the Republican Attorneys General Association. Thomas Bradbury will join the White House as Associate Director for Policy. Bradbury is currently the Director of Advocacy and Policy at American Conservative Union (CPAC). Cami Connor will return to the White House as Associate Director for Agency Outreach, having previously served as Associate Director of Agency Outreach in the first Trump Administration. Connor currently serves on the Government Operations team at The Boeing Company.

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  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Directs Administration to Advance Lumbee Tribe Recognition

    Source: The White House

    DIRECTING PLAN FOR RECOGNITION OF LARGEST TRIBE EAST OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum to the Secretary of the Interior to submit a plan to advance full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

    • The memorandum establishes that it is the policy of the United States to support federal recognition and full tribal benefits for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.
    • It directs the Secretary of the Interior to submit a plan to assist the Lumbee Tribe in obtaining full federal recognition through legislation or other available mechanisms, including the right to receive full federal benefits.  

    FULL FEDERAL RECOGNITION IS LONG OVERDUE:The Lumbee have long been recognized at the state and federal level, but further federal action is required for full federal recognition and the accompanying benefits and protections.

    • The State of North Carolina recognized the Lumbee Tribe in 1885, and in 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the 1956 Lumbee Act, which recognized the Lumbee but denied them some federal benefits.
    • Tribes can gain federal recognition by: (1) Act of Congress; (2) the Department of the Interior’s Office of Federal Acknowledgement process; or (3) federal court decision.
      • President Trump’s memorandum directs the Secretary of the Interior to analyze these legal pathways for advancing Lumbee recognition.
    • Federal recognition grants tribes’ certain governmental autonomy, land protections, and access to federal programs and services, like health care through the Indian Health Service.

    DELIVERING ON PROMISE TO SUPPORT RECOGNITION: President Trump promised to support federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe.

    On September 23, 2024, President Trump stated: “Today, I’m officially announcing that, if I am elected in November, I will sign legislation granting the great Lumbee Tribe federal recognition that it deserves.”

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  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Orders Declassification of JFK, RFK, and MLK Assassination Files

    Source: The White House

    PROVIDING AMERICANS THE TRUTH AFTER SIX DECADES OF SECRECY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order entitled Declassification of Records Concerning the Assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.

    • The Executive Order establishes the policy that, more than 50 years after these assassinations, the victims’ families and the American people deserve the truth.
    • Specifically, the Order directs the Director of National Intelligence and other appropriate officials to:
      • (1) Present a plan within 15 days for the full and complete release of all John F. Kennedy assassination records; and
      • (2) Immediately review the records relating to the Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. assassinations and present a plan for their full and complete release within 45 days.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP IS ENDING THE ENDLESS DELAYS: In his first term, President Trump ordered agencies to move toward disclosing more information about the John F. Kennedy assassination, and now he is ordering that the work be completed.

    • The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 required all records related to the assassination be released in 25 years, absent a presidential certification that:
      • Continued postponement is necessary due to an identifiable harm to the military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or conduct of foreign relations; and
      • Such identifiable harm is of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in disclosure.
    • In October 2017 and April 2018 certifications, President Trump directed agencies to reevaluate redactions and disclose any information that no longer warranted withholding.
      • President Biden delayed disclosure in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
    • In this Order, President Trump finds that continued withholding of the John F. Kennedy records is not in the public interest and is long overdue. He also concludes that releasing the Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. assassination records is in the public interest.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP DELIVERS ON PROMISE TO RELEASE ASSASSINATION RECORDS: President Trump promised during his campaign to release assassination records to give Americans the truth.

    • President Trump pledged on multiple occasions to release the JFK files, specifically stating in June 2024 that he would do so “early on.”
    • President Trump: “When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination related documents. It’s been 60 years, time for the American people to know the TRUTH!”

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  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: Executive Order to Establish United States Leadership in Digital Financial Technology

    Source: The White House

    ENSURING U.S. LEADERSHIP IN DIGITAL FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to establish regulatory clarity for digital financial technology and secure America’s position as the world’s leader in the digital asset economy, driving innovation and economic opportunity for all Americans.

    • The Executive Order establishes the Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets to strengthen U.S. leadership in digital finance.
      • The Working Group will be tasked with developing a Federal regulatory framework governing digital assets, including stablecoins, and evaluating the creation of a strategic national digital assets stockpile.
      • The Working Group will be chaired by the White House AI & Crypto Czar and include the Secretary of the Treasury, the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the heads of other relevant departments and agencies.
      • The White House AI & Crypto Czar will engage leading experts in digital assets and digital markets to ensure that the actions of the Working Group are informed by expertise beyond the Federal Government.
    • The Executive Order directs departments and agencies with identifying and making recommendations to the Working Group on any regulations and other agency actions affecting the digital assets sector that should be rescinded or modified.
    • The Executive Order prohibits agencies from undertaking any action to establish, issue, or promote central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
    • The Executive Order revokes the previous Administration’s Digital Assets Executive Order and the Treasury Department’s Framework for International Engagement on Digital Assets which suppressed innovation and undermined U.S. economic liberty and global leadership in digital finance.

    ELIMINATING REGULATORY OVERREACH ON DIGITAL ASSETS AND PROTECTING AMERICAN ECONOMIC LIBERTY: President Trump is fulfilling his promise to make the United States the “crypto capital of the planet.”

    • President Trump will help make the United States the center of digital financial technology innovation by halting aggressive enforcement actions and regulatory overreach that have stifled crypto innovation under previous administrations.
    • President Trump’s policy vision marks an unprecedented step towards welcoming in a new era for digital financial technology; one in which President Trump’s administration will work towards ensuring innovation thrives, regulatory frameworks are clear, and economic liberty is protected.
    • The growth of digital financial technology in America must remain unhindered by restrictive regulations or unnecessary government interference.

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  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Launches PCAST to Restore American Leadership in Science and Technology

    Source: The White House

    RENEWING AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: Today, President Donald J. Trump announced the establishment of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) to spearhead American innovation and competitiveness in critical and emerging technologies.

    • PCAST will include up to 24 members, with representation from leading American scientists and technologists from industry, academia, and government.
    • The Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and the White House A.I. and Crypto Czar will co-chair PCAST.
    • PCAST will provide advice and evidence-based recommendations to the President to ensure that policies are informed by the latest scientific discoveries and technological advancements.
    • This council will champion bold investments in innovation, the elimination of bureaucratic barriers, and actions to help the United States remain the world’s premier hub for scientific and technological breakthroughs.

    FOCUSING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ON EXCELLENCE: President Trump is refocusing science and technology policy to emphasize results-driven excellence and merit-based achievement.

    • The United States must leverage its pioneering spirit to lead in transformative science and technology, reshaping industries and securing the nation’s leadership.
    • The pursuit of scientific truth is under threat from ideological agendas that prioritize group identity over individual merit, enforce conformity at the expense of innovative ideas, and inject politics into the heart of the scientific method.
    • These threats have not only distorted truth, but have eroded public trust, undermined the integrity of research, stifled innovation, and weakened America’s competitive edge.
    • PCAST will restore excellence by bringing together the brightest minds from academia, industry, and government to prioritize measurable results, foster innovation, and dismantle barriers to scientific progress.

    BUILDING ON SIGNIFICANT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: President Trump’s first administration laid a strong foundation for American technological leadership.

    • Launching national initiatives to drive innovation in critical technologies, including the American AI Initiative and the National Quantum Initiative, which prioritized research, strategic investments, and workforce development in transformative fields.
    • Advancing emerging technologies by crafting regulatory and non-regulatory frameworks for areas such as autonomous driving systems, unmanned aerial systems, and biotechnology, ensuring a balanced approach to innovation and safety.
    • Accelerating groundbreaking research and collaboration through initiatives like the National AI Research Resource, spectrum auctions to unlock valuable frequencies for 5G and innovation, and investments in world-leading supercomputing systems.

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  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Takes Action to Enhance America’s AI Leadership

    Source: The White House

    REMOVING BARRIERS TO AMERICAN AI INNOVATION: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order eliminating harmful Biden Administration AI policies and enhancing America’s global AI dominance.

    • President Trump is fulfilling his promise to revoke Joe Biden’s dangerous Executive Order that hinders AI innovation and imposes onerous and unnecessary government control over the development of AI.
    • The Biden AI Executive Order established unnecessarily burdensome requirements for companies developing and deploying AI that would stifle private sector innovation and threaten American technological leadership.
    • Today’s executive order:
      • Revokes the Biden AI Executive Order which hampered the private sector’s ability to innovate in AI by imposing government control over AI development and deployment.
      • Calls for departments and agencies to revise or rescind all policies, directives, regulations, orders, and other actions taken under the Biden AI order that are inconsistent with enhancing America’s leadership in AI.

    ENHANCING AMERICA’S AI LEADERSHIP: The United States must act decisively to retain leadership in AI and enhance our economic and national security.

    • This Executive Order establishes the commitment of the United States to sustain and enhance America’s dominance in AI to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.
    • American development of AI systems must be free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas. With the right government policies, the United States can solidify its position as the leader in AI and secure a brighter future for all Americans.
      • The order directs the development of an AI Action Plan to sustain and enhance America’s AI dominance, led by the Assistant to the President for Science & Technology, the White House AI & Crypto Czar, and the National Security Advisor.
      • It further directs the White House to revise and reissue OMB AI memoranda to departments and agencies on the Federal Government’s acquisition and governance of AI to ensure that harmful barriers to America’s AI leadership are eliminated.

    CONTINUING PRIORITIZATION OF AI: President Trump has made American leadership in AI a priority and is now building on his actions during his first administration.

    • President Trump signed the first-ever Executive Order on AI in 2019 recognizing the paramount importance of American AI leadership to the economic and national security of the United States.
    • President Trump also took executive action in 2020 to establish the first-ever guidance for Federal agency adoption of AI to more effectively deliver services to the American people and foster public trust in this critical technology.
    • Today’s Executive Order builds upon these past successes and clears a path for the United States to act decisively to retain leadership in AI, rooted in free speech and human flourishing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gloucester County Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 72 months in prison for narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Javier Osorio, 44, of Deptford, New Jersey, was convicted on July 19, 2023, of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a trial before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti, who imposed the sentence on Oct. 29, 2024, in Newark federal court.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Osorio conspired with others to distribute cocaine and over one kilogram of heroin, which was recovered from his apartment. Osorio was arrested while driving with his conspirators from New Jersey to Brooklyn to sell an additional quantity of heroin, which was recovered from the vehicle. In addition to the drugs recovered from his apartment, law enforcement also recovered a loaded stolen firearm from under Osorio’s mattress.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Osorio to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to the conviction. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney George L. Brandley of the Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the Office’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: East Helena man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS — An East Helena man who trafficked thousands of fentanyl pills and pounds of methamphetamine while also possessing firearms was sentenced on Oct. 29 to 11 years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

    The defendant, Thomas Anthony Conley, 37, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

    “Thousands of fentanyl pills, pounds and pounds of meth, and multiple guns. A majority of the cases we prosecute include those elements, and I’m pleased to say virtually all of our cases result in federal prison sentences. This case is no different, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute dangerous drug traffickers with the goal that they have the same fate as Conley,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

    In court documents, the government alleged that Conley possessed multiple firearms and was responsible for importing more than 20,000 fentanyl pills and dozens of pounds of meth into the state. In March and April 2023, law enforcement learned from sources that Conley was supplying meth and fentanyl in the Helena area. The investigation led to search warrants for Conley’s home and vehicles. Officers located several firearms and ammunition in one of his vehicles along with more than 17,000 fentanyl pills. Conley admitted he had worked with others to traffic large quantities of fentanyl pills and several dozen pounds of meth into Montana in the preceding months.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, Southwest Drug Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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