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  • MIL-OSI Canada: Change of Command Ceremony in Central Ontario District 

    Source: Government of Canada News

    On October 23, 2024, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) held a Change of Command Ceremony in the Central Ontario District in the Ontario Region. This occasion marked the change in command from the outgoing District Director Scott Tempest to the incoming District Director Sherri Rousell.

    October 23, 2024 – Toronto, Ontario – Correctional Service Canada

    On October 23, 2024, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) held a Change of Command Ceremony in the Central Ontario District in the Ontario Region. This occasion marked the change in command from the outgoing District Director Scott Tempest to the incoming District Director Sherri Rousell.

    The ceremony reinforces the responsibility of leadership in the role of District Director. It represents the symbolic passing of responsibility, authority, and accountability from one correctional leader to another.

    This ceremony is an important tradition for CSC. It reaffirms the incoming leader’s pledge to support CSC’s mission and contribute to the safety and security of the public, employees, and offenders.

    CSC is proud of the dedicated staff members in the Central Ontario District who work tirelessly every day to make a difference in the lives of offenders. Their professionalism and commitment contributes to public safety for Canadians.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSMAN BOYLE STATEMENT ON $39 MILLION FUNDING AWARD TO REPLACE AGING CAST IRON GAS PIPES IN PHILADELPHIA

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brendan Boyle (13th District of Pennsylvania)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) released the statement below following Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) announcement of a $39.9 million dollar funding award from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funding will support the replacement of more than 20 miles of aging cast iron gas delivery pipes within the city of Philadelphia.

    “I am proud to help deliver this funding for my district. Working with Sen Casey and others, we were able to pass the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Now, funding from this law is making a significant improvement to the aging infrastructure of Philadelphia and the region beyond. The replacement of these gas pipes will ensure a more secure transportation of hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives. In addition to creating hundreds of jobs, this project will be the first of many in the future to bring Philadelphia’s aging infrastructure into the 21st century.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: BOYLE, CASEY, FETTERMAN, EVANS, SCANLON AND PARKER ANNOUNCE $27.5 MILLION INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING FOR PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brendan Boyle (13th District of Pennsylvania)

    Funding will be used to upgrade terminals, including modernizing HVAC and electrical systems. With this funding, PHL has received more than $347 million in federal funding since the start of 2021

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-02), along with U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA), U.S. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5), Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3), and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced that Philadelphia International Airport is receiving $27,500,000 in new federal infrastructure funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This funding comes from the Airport Terminal Program (ATP), which was created by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to revitalize the Nation’s aging airports. 

    “The IIJA funding award, which I supported, is more than just an investment in infrastructure”, said Congressman Boyle. “It strengthens one of our region’s key economic drivers. By improving the efficiency of the internal infrastructures of the airport facility, we create smoother operations, draw more visitors, and deliver a top-tier experience for global travelers. This funding reaffirms my dedication to keeping Philadelphia International Airport a vital hub, fueling growth and prosperity for our community and beyond.”

    “Philadelphia International Airport serves as a vital transportation and economic gateway to the rest of the Commonwealth and the world,” said Senator Casey. “This investment from the infrastructure law will help modernize the airport by upgrading HVAC and electrical systems in Terminals D and E. I will always fight for investments that boost Southeastern Pennsylvania’s economy and keep the region moving.”

    “It’s investments like this that help keep Philadelphia a world-class city with world-class infrastructure. This $27.5 million for terminal energy upgrades guarantees that the commonwealth’s largest airport stays efficient, resilient, and ready for the future. That’s how we keep Philly competitive and connected,” said Senator Fetterman.

    “I’m pleased to see another $27.5 million in federal funding that I voted for coming to Philadelphia! The airport has also received other federal funding for improvements through the Biden-Harris administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and this will all benefit people traveling from and to our area, along with our local economy,” said Congressman Evans.

    “I’m proud to see PHL earning the competitive grants we authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, bringing good jobs to our region as PHL upgrades its terminals.” said Congresswoman Scanlon. “Modernizing our region’s airport infrastructure will improve air travel for passengers and position our local economy for success in an increasingly competitive global economy.”

    “It is tremendous news that our Philadelphia International Airport will be receiving $27.5 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to help with important HVAC and energy efficiency projects,” said Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “Every single federal grant or funding allocation coming into Philadelphia is because of the hard work of all our federal partners, including Senator Casey and every member of our delegation, along with the support of the Biden-Harris administration.  It’s another step forward for Philadelphia, and we are profoundly grateful.”

    The funding for Philadelphia International Airport will support improvements to the existing upper levels of portions of Terminals D & E that have reached the end of their useful lives, including HVAC and electrical efficiency upgrades and improvements. PHL has received a total of $374,545,577 in federal investments since the start of 2021. 
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Clarenville — Clarenville RCMP investigates fatal moose vehicle collision on TCH near Goobies

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 64-year-old man is deceased following a moose-vehicle collision that occurred on the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) near Goobies on the evening of October 22, 2024.

    Shortly after 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Clarenville RCMP received the report of the collision involving a moose and two vehicles. A vehicle collided with a moose, crossed into the oncoming lane of travel and collided with another vehicle. The driver and lone occupant of the vehicle that collided with the moose died at the scene. The driver and lone occupant of the second vehicle was transported to Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital in Clarenville with non-life-threatening injuries.

    The TCH was impassable for a number of hours. A Collision Reconstructionist with RCMP Traffic Services attended the scene and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is engaged.

    The investigation is continuing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Woman Sentenced for Possessing Methamphetamine in Trunk of Car when Traveling Through Acadiana Area

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Sarah Rose Cea, 34, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, has been sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph to 180 months (15 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on drug trafficking charges. 

    On June 8, 2023, Cea was stopped while traveling on Interstate 10 near Lafayette, Louisiana by troopers with the Louisiana State Police. Cea was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time of the traffic stop.  A Louisiana State Police K-9 conducted an open air sniff of the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics in Cea’s vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and law enforcement agents located approximately 20 kilograms of methamphetamine in the trunk of her vehicle. The seized substance was sent to the criminalistics laboratory for testing, and it was confirmed to be approximately 19,943 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride with a substance purity of 100%. 

    At the guilty plea hearing on July 31, 2024, Cea admitted to possessing the methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to another individual. 

    The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John W. Nickel.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cortez Man Pleads Guilty To Making Threats Against Election Official

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Teak Ty Brockbank, 45, of Cortez, pleaded guilty today to one count of transmitting interstate threats.

    According to the plea agreement, Brockbank made a series of online threats toward elections officials in Colorado and Arizona, a Colorado state judge, and federal law enforcement agents between September 2021 and August 2022. On September 21, 2021, for example, Brockbank posted on a social media account: “I live in Communist Colorado and this Crazed liberal [referring to Election Official-1] and many others in Communist Colorado needs to- No has to Hang she has to Hang by the neck till she is Dead Dead Dead. There will be accountability for these peoples actions in Communist Colorado and it won’t be judges and it won’t be weakmided cops that bring it!!! It will be Me it will be You it Will be every day people that understand that there life does not matter anymore with the future our country has laid out before it.”

    In the plea agreement, Brockbank also admitted that, during that time, he used that account, as well as another social media account to post messages threatening Colorado and Arizona election officials. Brockbank admitted to other threats as well. On August 4, 2022, for example, Brockbank posted a message referring to separate election officials in Arizona and Colorado and then stated: “Once those people start getting put to death then the rest will melt like snowflakes and turn on each other. . . . This is the only way. So those of us that have the stomach for what has to be done should prepare our minds for what we all [a]re going to do!!!!!! It is time.”

    Brockbank also posted a message threatening a Colorado state judge on Oct. 2, 2021: “I could pick up my rifle and I could go put a bullet in this Mans head and send him to explain himself to our Creator right now. I would be Justified!!! Not only justified but obligated by those in my family who fought and died for the freedom in this country. . . . What can I do other than kill this man my self?”

    Finally, Brockbank allegedly threatened federal law enforcement on July 20, 2022, posting: “ATF CIA FBI show up to my house I am shooting them peace’s of shit first No Warning!! Then I will call the sheriff!!! With everything that these piece of shit agencies have done I am completely justified to just start dropping them as soon as they step on my property! justified.”

    United States District Judge S. Kato Crews presided over the change of plea hearing. The FBI Denver Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado handled the prosecution.

    Sentencing will be held on February 3, 2025.

    This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the Task Force has begun.

    Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the Task Force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

    To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

    Case Number: 24-cr-00291-SKC

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Member of Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Distributing Meth, PCP, Fentanyl, and Other Narcotics

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Diane Gillard, 41, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge John M. Gallagher to 192 months in prison, 10 years of supervised release, and $2,100 in restitution for drug trafficking and gun offenses.

    On July 18, 2023, a grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned a 54-count superseding indictment charging Gillard, brother Phillip Gillard, and seven other codefendants with their participation in a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, in the immediate vicinity of the Memphis Street Academy, a charter school located at 2950 Memphis Street.

    In November 2023, Diane Gillard pleaded guilty to all charges in the superseding indictment.

    Those charges arose from the FBI’s two-year investigation into the Gillard drug trafficking organization, which supplied other drug traffickers with wholesale quantities of methamphetamine, phencyclidine (“PCP”), fentanyl, and other narcotics.

    Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents conducted surveillance and undercover sting operations, during which drugs were purchased from the defendants. The group maintained three separate properties in connection with their drug trafficking organization, all of which were less than 1,000 feet away from the Memphis Street Academy.

    In total, the FBI confiscated over 20 pounds of pure methamphetamine, three gallons of PCP, one and a half kilograms of cocaine, 900 grams of crack cocaine, 400 grams of fentanyl, and 11 firearms.

    Codefendants Sharif Jackson, Amin Whitehead, Cesar Maldonado, Terrence Maxwell, Raphael Sanchez, Melvin Dreher, and Arron Preno previously pleaded guilty and received prison sentences in this case. Jackson was sentenced to 180 months in prison, Whitehead to 138 months, Maldonado to 96 months, Maxwell to 93 months, Sanchez to 90 months, Dreher to 60 months, and Preno to six months. Phillip Gillard, who was convicted at trial in February, is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

    “Diane Gillard was a central participant in the Gillard Street Gang’s trafficking, caught red-handed selling large amounts of drugs on multiple occasions,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “This is a group that helped flood Philly’s streets with meth, PCP, fentanyl, and more. My office and our partners will continue to target those fueling our city’s drug epidemic and callously profiting from people’s pain and addiction.”

    “Drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine devastate communities across our nation and have no place in our city,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today’s sentence is a culmination of a years-long investigation, and the tireless dedication of the FBI and our law enforcement partners in pursuit of those who bring these harmful drugs into our communities.”

    “The interagency cooperation on this case has been truly outstanding,” said Edward V. Owens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “I commend the special agents and prosecutors who worked to ensure that these criminals and the dangerous drugs that they were trafficking will no longer threaten the American public.”

    The case was investigated by the FBI, Philadelphia Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations, with extraordinary cooperation from the Memphis Street Academy, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Robert W. Schopf.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Names District Election Officer to Oversee the Handling of Complaints of Election Fraud and Voting Rights Abuses in the November 2024 General Election

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Khasigian will serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of California in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5 general election. The DEO is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of Election Day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, DC.

    The 34 counties in the Eastern District are: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba.

    “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

    In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Khasigian will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 916-554-2723.

    U.S. Attorney Talbert stated, “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by phone at 916-746-7000.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Bern Man Pleads Guilty for Posing as Landlord to Fraudulently Collect Nearly $150,000 in COVID-19 Rental Assistance

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RALEIGH, N.C. – New Bern resident Anthony Lynch, 35, pled guilty to charges that he defrauded a program designed to help struggling North Carolina residents stay in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “Mr. Lynch exploited a taxpayer-funded program meant to support struggling families and individuals trying to stay in their homes during an unprecedented global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Lynch sought nearly $400,000 in emergency federal funds in 25 separate relief applications. His ill-gotten profits have now landed him a federal conviction.”

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, Lynch pled guilty to one count of mail fraud for falsely claiming to be the landlord of properties in Craven, Pamlico and Onslow Counties with renters who were unable to pay rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Lynch submitted 25 applications to the North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions Program (NC HOPE), which was established during the pandemic to provide emergency rental assistance to tenants who struggled to pay rent and therefore faced eviction due to financial difficulties caused by the pandemic.

    Despite having no ownership or management responsibilities for any of the properties listed in the 25 applications he submitted, Lynch requested nearly $400,000 in emergency federal funding.  His fraudulent applications resulted in 11 checks, totaling $144,000 being mailed to Lynch at his home in New Bern.  He faces up to 27 months in prison, if convicted.     

    The NC HOPE Program administered federal COVID-19 relief funds and provided emergency rental assistance to North Carolina renters who faced eviction and homelessness during the pandemic.  The program allowed renters to submit an online application to apply for rental assistance.  If approved, the program paid the tenant’s rent, in checks sent directly to the landlord, for up to 15 months of overdue or future rent payments.

    Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the guilty plea was accepted by Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers.  The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General; and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Haughton.

    Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-00061.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Martin City man charged with producing, distributing child pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MISSOULA — A Martin City man accused of producing and distributing images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct appeared on Oct. 22 for arraignment on charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

    The defendant, Raymond Owen Bonner, Jr., 39, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. If convicted, Bonner faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release on the production charge, and a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release on the distribution charge.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Bonner was detained pending further proceedings.

    The indictment alleges that between about June 2024 and Sept. 5, 2024 in Martin City, in Flathead County, Bonner coerced a minor, identified as Jane Doe, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual images and that he distributed visual images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct using a computer.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the Case. The FBI and Flathead County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

    Charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    PACER case reference. 24-57.

    The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues Slam McDonald’s for Squeezing Customers with Excessive Price Increases

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    October 23, 2024
    “Corporate profits must not come at the expense of people’s ability to put food on the table.”
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has joined with Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bob Casey, D-Pa. to press McDonald’s for more information on the company’s pricing decisions as fast food prices continue to increase, outpacing inflation and squeezing customers. 
    “While McDonald’s is not the only fast food restaurant that has increased prices significantly in recent years, its dominant market position as the largest fast food chain in the United States has an outsize impact on American consumers. While working families are trying to make ends meet, McDonald’s and its corporate counterparts have continued to grow their profits,” the senators wrote to McDonald’s President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski .
    Earlier this year, McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger tried to blame the company’s menu price increases on inflationary pressures and input costs, but the data tells another story. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, fast food prices have consistently outpaced inflation, and since 2020, overall inflation has increased by 20 percent, while McDonald’s has increased its menu prices for several items substantially more. McDonald’s net annual income rose by over 79 percent – nearly $8.5 billion, from 2020 to 2023.
    While McDonald’s raised prices, the company also spent nearly $4 billion on stock buybacks in 2022 and $3 billion in 2023. The company also benefits from a tax loophole that favors buybacks. This prioritizes Wall Street shareholders over investments in McDonald’s own business and workers. 
    “Corporate profits must not come at the expense of people’s ability to put food on the table,” concluded the senators. “As we seek to investigate and understand the increased consumer costs in the economy, we hope McDonald’s will help us to understand why its prices have risen so high.”
    The text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 22nd, 2024 Heinrich Highlights New Ballistics Testing Machine in Las Cruces to Help Tackle Gun Violence & Solve Violent Crime in Southern New Mexico

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, highlighted recent funding he’s secured for law enforcement to tackle gun violence, solve crimes, and hold criminals accountable in Southern New Mexico, including a new ballistics testing machine, known as a National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) machine, for Las Cruces.
    Currently, there are only four NIBIN machines in New Mexico: two in Albuquerque, one in Santa Fe, and one on loan in Las Cruces, which the Las Cruces Police Department demonstrated today. Over $1 million Heinrich secured through the Appropriations process will add four new NIBIN machines for Las Cruces, Farmington, Gallup, and Roswell.
    CAPTION: Heinrich visits with the Las Cruces Police Department to discuss funding he’s secured for a new NIBIN machine in Las Cruces, October 22, 2024.
    “A permanent NIBIN machine in Las Cruces will make a real difference in helping to solve violent crime in the region, allowing law enforcement to trace firearms used in crimes and hold criminals accountable, all while saving officers valuable time and resources,” said Heinrich. “When it comes to crime, my focus is on preventing what we can and solving it when we can’t. These machines will help us do both – solving the crimes that happen before those same criminals can do more harm. I will continue to deliver investments to support and better equip our law enforcement with the tools needed to keep New Mexicans safe.”
    NIBIN machines are vital to assisting law enforcement in identifying and prosecuting crimes involving firearms through ballistic intelligence.  
    The intelligence gathered by these NIBIN machines will go to the New Mexico Attorney General’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, where dedicated and trained analysts will use the information to trace and network firearms used in crimes across the state. The Center will then be able to feed that information back to law enforcement agencies to improve identification of suspects and support successful prosecutions. In addition to securing funding for the NIBIN machines, Heinrich secured language in the 2024 Appropriations Bill directing the expanded use of NIBIN for state and local agencies in the Southwest Border region.     
    Heinrich-secured funding for the Las Cruces Police Department
    Heinrich secured $194,000 in the 2024 Appropriations Bills for the Las Cruces Police Department to purchase equipment to safely analyze fentanyl and other illicit narcotics and create a community engagement effort to educate youth on the dangers of illicit drugs. 
    In the 2o23 Appropriations Bills, Heinrich secured $1,750,000 for the Las Cruces Police Department’s Regional Critical Response Team to purchase emergency response equipment to keep New Mexicans safe. The legislation also included $450,000 Heinrich secured for the Las Cruces Police Department to purchase camera trailers, drones, automatic license plate readers, and auto-activated car and body cameras to improve public safety and accountability. 
    For a list of Heinrich’s actions to support law enforcement and first responders across New Mexico, click here. 
    Heinrich’s longtime leadership to tackle gun violence:     
    A gun owner and father, Heinrich has long worked to advance and pass bipartisan policies that save lives, protect public safety, and reduce gun violence. 
    The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) was the first significant federal gun safety legislation to become law in 30 years. During the bill negotiations, Heinrich specifically worked with U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) to increase criminal penalties for straw purchases and stop illegal gun trafficking out of our country.  
    Heinrich-led gun trafficking and straw purchase provisions:
    Heinrich-led provisions in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act increased criminal penalties for straw purchasers and made it a crime, for the first time ever, to traffic firearms out of the United States. Straw purchasers are people who buy guns for those who cannot buy them directly themselves due to their age, felony criminal convictions, or other limitations. By increasing penalties for straw purchasing, Heinrich’s provision is helping to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those who would use them against our communities. By making it illegal to traffic firearms out of the country, Heinrich’s provision gave law enforcement the tools needed to prosecute and disrupt the flow of firearms to Mexico and the Northern Triangle, fueling the violence that has driven so many to flee their home countries.  
    To date, the Department of Justice has charged more than 600 defendants using BSCA’s gun trafficking and straw purchasing laws, removing hundreds of firearms off the streets in the process. These cases are significant, often preventing and prosecuting highly dangerous activity, such as crimes linked to organized trafficking rings and transnational criminal organizations.  
    For example, in March 2024, the Justice Department charged several defendants with trafficking and straw purchasing over 100 firearms, including many military-grade weapons, that were allegedly intended to be smuggled to a Mexican drug cartel. In April, a defendant was sentenced to 276 months in prison for firearms trafficking and straw purchasing, as well as distribution of fentanyl, where the evidence showed that two of the trafficked firearms had been used in gang-related shootings. Late last year, a defendant was sentenced to two years in prison for running an illegal gun trafficking enterprise, repeatedly taking money to lie on firearm purchase forms and obtain weapons for convicted felons. 
    In New Mexico, the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico has charged 11 defendants with BSCA violations.  
    In June, Heinrich brought his Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts (BUMP) Act, bipartisan legislation to ban bump stocks, to the Senate floor through a unanimous consent (UC) request. The effort directly followed a recent Supreme Court ruling to overturn a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, devices designed to indiscriminately kill the highest number of people in the shortest amount of time. U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), objected to Heinrich’s UC request, blocking passage of the legislation. Since the Supreme Court ruling, over 20 senators have signed onto Heinrich’s BUMP Act, bringing support up to over a quarter of the Senate.  
    Heinrich, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and former Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) initially introduced the BUMP Act in the 115th Congress, following the October 1, 2017, mass shooting in which a bump stock was used to fire more than 1,000 bullets into a crowd in just 10 minutes, killing 60 people. U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) also cosponsored that legislation.  
    Last November, Heinrich introduced the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act, legislation to protect communities from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes. In addition to regulating the sale, transfer, and manufacture of gas-operated semi-automatic weapons, the GOSAFE Act would prevent unlawful modifications of permissible firearms, including bump stocks. Earlier this summer, Heinrich announced that his GOSAFE Act has been introduced in the House by U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (D-Ga.).       
    In July 2023, Heinrich cosponsored the bicameral Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act, led by Blumenthal, to require online and other sellers of gun-making kits to comply with federal firearm safety regulations.      
    In 2017, Heinrich cosponsored the bipartisan Fix NICS Act, which now requires federal and state authorities to produce background check implementation plans and holds federal agencies accountable for reporting relevant criminal records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). He also led the successful call to repeal the Dickey Amendment, which had previously prevented the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from funding research on gun violence and its effects on public health. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner Announces New Federal Application for Individuals Looking to Separate Joint Consolidated Student Loans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the statement below in response to a new form released by the U.S. Department of Education, which has begun to accept applications from joint consolidation loan borrowers seeking to separate their loans.
    This announcement and new application follows longtime efforts by Sen. Warner to provide relief for individuals who previously consolidated their federal student loan debt. Borrowers who consolidated their student debt with a spouse, did so under a program that was created by Congress and subsequently eliminated without providing a way for spouses to sever existing loans – even in the event of domestic violence, economic abuse, or an unresponsive partner. In 2022, Sen. Warner secured the passage of the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act of 2021 in order to help borrowers who remain liable for their abusive or uncommunicative spouse’s portion of their consolidated debts. In July of 2024, Sen. Warner hailed new Ed implementation guidance that today culminates in the launch of this new application.
    “Two years after getting the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act into law, I’m proud to say that borrowers can now apply to separate their joint consolidation loans. While this took longer than I had hoped for, I have no doubt that it brings a sigh of relief to so many borrowers who remain trapped in financial agreements with unresponsive or abusive ex-spouses, and unable to access important loan forgiveness programs. I’m proud to have written the law that’s bringing this process to life and I’m glad to see the Department of Education take such a significant step towards freeing borrowers from these burdensome loans,” said Sen. Warner.
    Through the new Department of Education form, borrowers are able to submit a:
    Joint Application: Both co-borrowers submit individual App/Notes to the Department, which will separate the JCL and create a new, individual Direct Consolidation Loan for each individual; or,
    Separate Application: An individual JCL applicant submits an App/Note to the Department without regard to whether or when the co-borrower applies, if the applicant has experienced an act of domestic violence or economic abuse from the other co-borrower, or if they are unable to reasonably reach or access the loan information of the other co-borrower.
    Once the loans are separated, the applicants’ loan obligation will be consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan if both borrowers completed the joint application process. For those who submit a separate application, the loan obligation will follow the same process as the joint application process, but if the remaining co-borrower does not complete an application, their loan obligation will remain a JCL with one borrower.
    Sen. Warner’s Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act, originally introduced in 2017, was inspired by Sara, a constituent from McLean, Virginia who contacted Sen. Warner to communicate her struggles with a joint consolidation loan. Sara was raising two children on a public school teacher’s salary in Northern Virginia and trying to keep up with payments on her student loans. Unfortunately, her ex-spouse, whom she had divorced and moved thousands of miles away from to start fresh, refused to pay his share of their joint loan. Because joint consolidation loans create joint and several liability for borrowers, Sara faced the threat of having her wages as a public school teacher garnished if she did not pay both her and her ex-husband’s portions of their debt. Sen. Warner did not think this was fair and sought to create a solution, so that constituents like Sara could control their own financial futures. You can hear Sen. Warner tell Sara’s story here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 10/22/2024 ICYMI in The Hill: Blackburn Pushes Back Against KOSA Lies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released a memo rebutting Big Tech’s lies about the Kids Online Safety Act, which passed the Senate 91-3. Read more about this memo in the article here and below. 
    Republican senator pushes back against KOSA ‘lies’
    Miranda NazzaroThe Hill
    Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) pushed back against tech companies’ criticism of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), responding in a memo Monday to what she described as “lies” about the privacy legislation.
    The memo, released Monday morning by her office, rebuked a series of arguments made by some leading tech companies and lawmakers opposed to the bill’s current form. It comes as the legislation faces an uncertain future in the House after passing in the Senate earlier this year.
    Blackburn, the co-author of the Senate-passed version, wrote KOSA does not censor speech nor affect the First Amendment — concerns raised by some House Republicans.
    “KOSA would not censor, limit, or remove any content from the internet and it does not give the FTC or state AGs the power to bring lawsuits over content or speech, no matter who it is from,” the memo stated. “The bill passes First Amendment scrutiny because it is content neutral.
    The bill would not give any new “rulemaking power” to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Blackburn wrote in response to some Republicans’ concerns it would give the FTC too much authority to regulate social media platforms.
    KOSA, which overwhelmingly passed the Senate in a 91-3 vote in late July, is aimed at boosting online privacy and safety for children. The bill would create regulations for the kinds of features tech and social media companies offer kids online and intends to reduce the addictive nature and mental health impact of these platforms.
    Some House Republicans suggested last month the bill could specifically censor conservative voices or anti-abortion views. Blackburn disagreed with this, writing online platforms will not be held liable for hosting or boosting users with these views, and emphasized the bill does not grant enforcement powers related to speech or content.
    “Claims that KOSA allows the FTC to decide what kids see online are blatant falsehoods circulated by tech companies trying to stop the bill from becoming law,” Blackburn wrote. “The bill gives the FTC the ability to hold social media accountable for their product designs — their own predatory business practices and deadly apps.”
    While the bill advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee last month, members in both parties expressed concerns with its language, for different reasons. 
    Some lawmakers took issue with the language of KOSA’s “duty of care” provision. As written in the Senate version, the provision would require platforms to design and implement features for minors to prevent and reduce harms, such as those caused by content promoting suicide and eating disorders.
    Blackburn offered her definition of the provision, writing it “simply states that online platforms cannot put products on the market that will cause specific harms to kids, such as suicide and sexual predation. These harms are specified and defined by Congress, not the FTC.”
    The House version that advanced out of committee last month includes amendments changing this provision.
    The Tennessee Republican further emphasized that KOSA applies to commercial and online platforms like social media, online video games and video streaming services, but it does not apply to nonprofit organizations, blogs, news outlets, churches or broadband companies.
    “It would not impact the ability of kids to watch online sports, news or a church sermon,” Blackburn wrote.
    The bill would “give parents a seat at the table” and a place to voice their concerns with leading tech companies, she added.
    The push comes nearly a week after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) revealed he likes the concept of KOSA, though he claims the details of the Senate-passed version are “very problematic.”
    “I love the principle, but the details of that are very problematic,” Johnson told Punchbowl News in an interview in Pennsylvania.
    The Speaker said the Senate bill, as written, would have “unintended consequences,” Punchbowl reported. Johnson’s office confirmed his comments to The Hill. 
    Punchbowl reported Johnson did not appear open to persuasion on the Senate version, a potential blow to KOSA advocates who previously told the outlet the House leader might be flexible. 
    Monday’s memo follows a series of other efforts led by Blackburn and tech advocacy groups to pass the legislation on the full House floor.

    RELATED:  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 10/23/2024 VIDEO: Blackburn Recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following video recognizing October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and encouraging women to get their yearly mammogram.
    One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and now is the perfect time to encourage your mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends to go in for a yearly checkup. Last year, Senator Blackburn led a bipartisan effort to address the challenges female veterans face when seeking mammogram services. Expanding access to mobile mammography units, improving advanced mammography equipment, and enhancing outreach services to better publicize mammography services will increase female veterans’ access to lifesaving preventative screening.
     
    Click here to download this video of Senator Blackburn discussing Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
    “As we think about breast cancer, one in eight women is expected to experience breast cancer in her lifetime, so breast health and mammograms are important. Last year, I led an effort to make certain that our female veterans have access to mammograms, and we did that through legislation that would allow mobile mammography. So ‘think pink’ during the month of October, and wear some pink, as you remind moms and sisters and daughters and friends to get that mammogram.”– Senator Blackburn

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $11 Million In Federal Funding For Airports Across New York State

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Today, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $11,195,520 in federal funding to strengthen infrastructure and rehabilitate facilities at four airports across New York State. The funding, granted through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airport Terminal Program, will finance projects that address reconstruction and expansion at New York’s airports. The projects include constructing and rehabilitating air traffic control towers, expanding airport terminals and roadways, and upgrading HVAC and security systems.

    “When I became majority leader, I promised to deliver the federal funding needed to support much-needed infrastructure improvements at New York’s airports, and that is just what we delivered when created the Airport Terminal Program in our Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law. With this $11+ million in federal funding, long overdue upgrades such as new control towers and expanded terminals at airports from Long Island to Western NY are now ready for take-off!” said Senator Schumer. “Upgrading terminals means more jobs, increased safety, and smoother travel experiences, and I’m proud that the program is continuing to help New York reach new heights.”

    “This significant federal investment of more than $11 million through the Airport Terminal Program will bring much-needed infrastructure modernization to airports across New York State,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Funding like this is vital for the safety and security of passengers and airport employees. I am proud to announce these awards and will continue fighting to deliver critical funding to airports across New York State.”

    A full list of funding recipients can be found below:

    Region Awardee Project Description Federal Funding
    Long Island Francis S. Gabreski Airport Air traffic control tower construction $1,000,000
    Mohawk Valley Griffiss International Airport Air traffic control tower rehabilitation $1,750,000
    North Country Adirondack Regional Airport Terminal expansion and reconstruction $500,000
    Western NY Buffalo Niagara International Airport Airport terminal roadway rehabilitation $7,945,520

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Their Call For Accountability Forr Failures at Buffalo VA, Schumer, Gillibrand, Kennedy, Langworthy Announce Nationwide Review To Identify & Investigate Systemic Issues Within The VA’s Community Care Practices

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Investigation Will Help Ensure That No Veteran – In Buffalo Or Anywhere Else In The Country – Fails To Receive Desperately Needed Treatment Again 

    Following their call for accountability after egregious failures at the Buffalo VA left veterans waiting weeks or months to receive care, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Representative Tim Kennedy, and Representative Nick Langworthy today announced a nationwide evaluation of the VA’s community care consult practices to root out systemic issues within the VA’s health care network.

    At Schumer, Gillibrand, Kennedy, and Langworthy’s request, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will be conducting a comprehensive review of the VA’s community care consult practices. The investigation will include a review of the VA’s practices around scheduling patient treatment, particularly for high-risk and complex conditions. It will also review practices around handling concerns raised by patients and health care providers in the case of delayed treatment. 

    “No veteran, in Western NY or anywhere in America, should experience failures like those that occurred at the Buffalo VA. We must make sure this unacceptable failure to provide the care our veterans need never happens again. This new independent investigation by the Government Accountability Office will conduct a top-to-bottom review of the VA’s nationwide practices,” said Senator Schumer. “We must put better infrastructure and oversight practices in place to protect veterans in Western NY and across the country. We will be watching the VA like a hawk to ensure changes are made and VA centers across the country deliver on their promise to our vets to provide them the top-notch care they have earned and deserve.”

    “What happened at the Buffalo VA was unacceptable. Nothing should ever get in the way of veterans receiving desperately needed care,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am glad that the Government Accountability Office is investigating the VA at my urging and I look forward to seeing the results of their investigation. I will continue to monitor this situation closely and fight to ensure that no veteran slips through the cracks.”

    “I am pleased that the Government Accountability Office is moving forward with reviewing VA community care practices to ensure our heroes receive the quality and timely medical services they deserve,” said Congressman Kennedy. “I will continue to do everything in my power to uphold our duty of care and get the Buffalo VA back on track.” 

    “We must keep our nation’s promise to our veterans that when they get home, they get the care they earned and deserve — the failures that caused critical delays in care at the Buffalo VA are absolutely unacceptable,” said Congressman Langworthy. “This new investigation led by the Government Accountability Office will help us identify the problems that allowed this to happen and ensure it never happens again. I’ll be actively involved to make sure we hold the VA accountable and deliver real results for our veterans.”

    According to a report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, critically ill patients at the Buffalo VA had their treatments postponed for months or even canceled entirely, despite concerns raised by patients and health care providers. In one case, a patient waited nine weeks for radiation therapy for a new cancer malignancy, despite efforts by the chief of oncology to get the community care team to schedule treatment. In another, a veteran died waiting for palliative radiation therapy that would have eased severe pain from stage 4 cancer. Following the shocking revelations of the report the lawmakers requested an independent investigation by the GAO into the VA community care practices that led to these failures to ensure better care for veterans both in Western NY and across the country.

    Specifically, the GAO review will include: 

    1. Oversight of medical centers’ adherence to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) requirements for processing consults for conditions considered high-risk or complex; 
    2. Whether consults are appropriately prioritized and consistently processed within VHA’s timeliness requirements;
    3. Reviewing how medical facilities, VISN leaders, and the VHA Office of Integrated Veteran Care respond to concerns regarding delays in consult scheduling from providers, staff, patients, and their families and how this is built into VHA’s quality and risk management programs;
    4. Best practices to prevent and address leadership deficiencies within the community care scheduling process, including the prioritization of patient safety.

    The full text of Senator Schumer, Gillibrand, Kennedy, and Langworthy’s original letter requesting this investigation by the Government Accountability Office is available HERE or below:

    Dear Mr. Dodaro:

                On Friday, September 27th, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) released its findings following its inspection of the VA Western New York Health System in Buffalo, New York. The report – Leaders Failed to Address Community Care Consult Delays Despite Staff’s Advocacy Efforts at VA Western New York Healthcare System in Buffalo – found a shocking pattern of apathy and incompetence on the part of Department facility and community care leaders in addressing the needs of patients with complex and high-risk conditions.

                As the report indicates, these delays caused or led to an increased risk of harm to the patients. One veteran passed away while waiting months to receive palliative care that would have helped manage cancer pain in their final months. Another patient waited nine weeks to schedule radiation therapy for a new cancer malignancy, despite efforts by the chief of oncology to get the community care team to schedule treatment. Another veteran in their twenties continued to suffer from seizures for another 10 months as they waited for a consult to be scheduled, the delay partially caused by a referral being canceled by the community care medical director. These are only some of the cases highlighted by an OIG report that identified incompetence and bureaucratic red tape that failed the veterans in Buffalo again and again.

                The failure by the leadership at the Buffalo VA Medical Center must never occur again, and veterans across the United States must be reassured that they can receive timely and high-quality health care across the VA health care system.  Therefore, I request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a review of Veterans Integrated Services Networks’ (VISN) community care consult practices. The review should include, but not be limited to: 

    1. Oversight of medical centers’ adherence to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) requirements for processing consults for conditions considered high-risk or complex; 
    2. Whether consults are appropriately prioritized and consistently processed within VHA’s timeliness requirements;
    3. Reviewing how medical facility, VISN leaders, and the VHA Office of Integrated Veteran Care respond to concerns regarding delays in consult scheduling from providers, staff, patients, and their families and how this is built into VHA’s quality and risk management programs;
    4. Best practices to prevent and address leadership deficiencies within the community care scheduling process, including the prioritization of patient safety;

    I request a briefing on the preliminary findings with final results to be submitted on a date and in form mutually agreed upon. Please include recommendations, as appropriate, for agency or congressional action in your evaluation.

    Sincerely, 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Amendments to the Land Titles Act, 2015 passed the Legislative Assembly

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    On October 21, 2024, the Yukon Legislative Assembly unanimously passed Bill No. 42, the 2024 Act to Amend the Land Titles Act, 2015. The amendments passed in this legislation will help ensure that purpose-built affordable housing developments remain affordable over the long term through the use of statutory covenants.

    A statutory covenant is an agreement attached to a land title that outlines obligations or restrictions that must be followed by the landowner. The covenants are “statutory” because they are set out in and can be enforced by law.

    • Read more about Amendments to the Land Titles Act, 2015 passed the Legislative Assembly
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  • MIL-OSI USA: After 60 Years, Nuclear Power for Spaceflight is Still Tried and True

    Source: NASA

    Editor’s Note: Originally published on June 21, 2021.

    Six decades after the launch of the first nuclear-powered space mission, Transit IV-A, NASA is embarking on a bold future of human exploration and scientific discovery. This future builds on a proud history of safely launching and operating nuclear-powered missions in space.

    “Nuclear power has opened the solar system to exploration, allowing us to observe and understand dark, distant planetary bodies that would otherwise be unreachable. And we’re just getting started,” said Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “Future nuclear power and propulsion systems will help revolutionize our understanding of the solar system and beyond and play a crucial role in enabling long-term human missions to the Moon and Mars.”

    From Humble Beginnings: Nuclear Power Spawns an Age of Scientific Discovery

    On June 29, 1961, the John’s Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory launched the Transit IV-A Spacecraft. It was a U.S. Navy navigational satellite with a SNAP-3B radioisotope powered generator producing 2.7 watts of electrical power — about enough to light an LED bulb. Transit IV-A broke an APL mission-duration record and confirmed the Earth’s equator is elliptical. It also set the stage for ground-breaking missions that have extended humanity’s reach across the solar system.

    Since 1961, NASA has flown more than 25 missions carrying a nuclear power system through a successful partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), which provides the power systems and plutonium-238 fuel.

    “The department and our national laboratory partners are honored to play a role in powering NASA’s space exploration activities,” said Tracey Bishop, deputy assistant secretary in DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy. “Radioisotope Power Systems are a natural extension of our core mission to create technological solutions that meet the complex energy needs of space research, exploration, and innovation.”

    There are only two practical ways to provide long-term electrical power in space: the light of the sun or heat from a nuclear source.

    We couldn’t do the mission without it. No other technology exists to power a mission this far away from the Sun, even today.

    Alan Stern
    Principal Investigator, NASA’s New Horizons Mission to Pluto and Beyond

    “As missions move farther away from the Sun to dark, dusty, and harsh environments, like Jupiter, Pluto, and Titan, they become impossible or extremely limited without nuclear power,” said Leonard Dudzinski, chief technologist for NASA’s Planetary Science Division and program executive for Radioisotope Power.

    That’s where Radioisotope Power Systems, or RPS, come in. They are a category of power systems that convert heat generated by the decay of plutonium-238 fuel into electricity.

    “These systems are reliable and efficient,” said June Zakrajsek, manager for NASA’s Radioisotope Power Systems Program office at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “They operate continuously over long-duration space missions regardless of sunlight, temperature, charged particle radiation, or surface conditions like thick clouds or dust. They’ve allowed us to explore from the Sun to Pluto and beyond.”

    RPS powered the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package. They’ve sustained Voyager 1 and 2 since 1977, and they kept Cassini-Huygens’ instruments warm as it explored frigid Saturn and its moon Titan.

    Today, a Multi-Mission Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) powers the Perseverance rover, which is captivating the nation as it searches for signs of ancient life on Mars, and a single RTG is sustaining New Horizons as it ventures on its way out of the solar system 15 years after its launch.

    “The RTG was and still is crucial to New Horizons,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute. “We couldn’t do the mission without it. No other technology exists to power a mission this far away from the Sun, even today.”

    New Horizons carries seven scientific instruments and a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. The spacecraft weighs 1,060 pounds.
    NASA/JHUAPL

    Great Things to Come: Science and Human Exploration

    Dragonfly, which is set to launch in 2028, is the next mission with plans to use an MMRTG. Part of NASA’s New Frontiers program, Dragonfly is an octocopter designed to explore and collect samples on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, an ocean world with a dense, hazy atmosphere.

    “RPS is really an enabling technology,” said APL’s Zibi Turtle, principal investigator for the upcoming Dragonfly mission. “Early missions like Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini that relied on RPS have completely changed our understanding and given us a geography of the distant solar system…Cassini gave us our first close-up look at the surface of Titan.”

    According to Turtle, the MMRTG serves two purposes on Dragonfly: power output to charge the lander’s battery and waste heat to keep its instruments and electronics warm.

    “Flight is a very high-power activity. We’ll use a battery for flight and science activities and recharge the battery using the MMRTG,” said Turtle. “The waste heat from the power system is a key aspect of our thermal design. The surface of Titan is very cold, but we can keep the interior of the lander warm and cozy using the heat from the MMRTG.”

    As the scientific community continues to benefit from RPS, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is investing in new technology using reactors and low-enriched uranium fuel to enable a robust human presence on the Moon and eventually human missions to Mars.

    Astronauts will need plentiful and continuous power to survive the long lunar nights and explore the dark craters on the Moon’s South Pole. A fission surface power system could provide enough juice to power robust operations. NASA is leading an effort, working with the DOE and industry to design a fission power system for a future lunar demonstration that will pave the way for base camps on the Moon and Mars.

    NASA has also thought about viable ways to reduce the time it takes to travel to Mars, including nuclear propulsion systems.

    As NASA advances its bold vision of exploration and scientific discovery in space, it benefits from 60 years of the safe use of nuclear power during spaceflight. Sixty years of enlightenment that all started with a little satellite called Transit IV-A.

    News Media ContactJan WittryNASA’s Glenn Research Center

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Melbourne City Lights

    Source: NASA

    Astronaut Don Pettit captured this image of Melbourne, Australia from the International Space Station on Oct. 9, 2024, as it orbited 271 miles above the city. Astronauts aboard the space station take photos using handheld digital cameras, usually through windows in the station’s cupola, for Crew Earth Observations. Crew members have produced hundreds of thousands of images of the Moon and Earth’s land, oceans, and atmosphere.
    Image credit: NASA/Don Pettit­

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Colorado Currently Ranked 2nd in National Electric Vehicle Sales in 2024

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis announced that according to the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, Colorado is now ranked as 2nd in the nation in electric vehicle (EV) sales in 2024. 

    “Colorado is now second in the nation in electric vehicle sales and we are proud to see the impact that Electric Vehicles are having on our air quality, while saving Coloradans money. Colorado is breaking down barriers to accessing EVs by making them more affordable across the state. While second is a great place to be, we will continue pushing to be number one,” said Governor Jared Polis. 

    Last week, Governor Polis and EV industry leaders gathered at Tynan’s Nissan in Aurora to celebrate some of the country’s lowest EV costs. 

    Widespread EV adoption is an important strategy to achieve Colorado’s climate goals and protect air quality. The state is well on its way to meeting its ambitious target of 940,000 EVs on Colorado roads by 2030, with EVs already making up more than 23% of new car sales this year and 27.8% of sales during the most recently reported quarter. 

    All Coloradans are currently eligible for a $5,000 state tax credit for purchasing or leasing a new EV (battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric) with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) under $80,000, and an additional $2,500 for EVs with an MSRP under $35,000. The $5,000 state tax credit is available through the end of this year, before decreasing to $3,500 starting in 2025. 

    Income-qualified Coloradans exchanging an eligible old or high-emitting vehicle can also take advantage of a $6,000 rebate through the Vehicle Exchange Colorado Program for a new EV purchase or lease and a $4,000 rebate for a used EV purchase or lease. 

    In addition, Coloradans may be eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit for a new EV lease, and for the purchase of certain EV models that meet specific manufacturing requirements. A $4,000 federal tax credit is available for used EV purchases and leases. Xcel Energy also offers EV rebates for income-qualified customers, totaling $5,500 for new EV purchases and leases and $3,000 for used vehicles. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Money to Advance Zero-Emission Homes in New York

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $10 million is now available to advance new zero-emission homes in New York State. The Building Better Homes – Zero Emission Homes for Healthier Communities program incentivizes the design, construction and marketing of new clean and resilient single-family homes and townhomes and provides training and technical support to builders and developers. Advancing zero-emission new construction across the state will reduce emissions, improve indoor air quality, and create healthy, comfortable and resilient living environments for all New Yorkers.

    “New homes built to the latest clean energy and efficiency standards will ensure greener, healthier housing is available to all New Yorkers while helping pave the way toward a more sustainable future,” Governor Hochul said. “This investment is another part of the State’s comprehensive strategy to transform the new construction market, curb emissions, and ensure fewer homes and buildings rely on fossil fuels.”

    The Building Better Homes – Zero Emission Homes for Healthier Communities Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), provides funding on a first come, first served basis to builders and developers that commit to designing, constructing and growing market awareness and demand for new zero emission single-family homes and townhomes. Projects must meet performance requirements and third-party certification criteria that address clean energy, above code energy efficiency, and resiliency, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that remain operable during power outages or include backup power sources that can be used in the event of a power outage.

    New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Bringing builders and developers resources to advance zero-emission new construction is at the heart of Governor Hochul’s commitment to build homes that are healthy, comfortable, and maximize consumer control over energy use. This program continues NYSERDA’s long history of working with the market to bring the latest in energy and efficiency measures to more New Yorkers.”

    The base incentive per home is up to $7,000 and up to $4,000 for townhomes. Homes located in disadvantaged communities, as defined by the Climate Justice Working Group, will be eligible for the higher incentive amount with an additional $1,000 offered per project in these areas. Funding is also available for Passive House training of staff and contractors to help develop the expertise needed to effectively incorporate these standards into new homes.

    Applications for a single home, townhome or multiple homes and townhomes within a housing subdivision will be accepted through December 31, 2025, by 3 p.m. ET or until funds have been exhausted. For more information on this opportunity, including eligibility requirements, please visit NYSERDA’s website.

    This program is part of the Building Better Homes Initiative, which is designed to advance market awareness of zero-emission building practices and provide resources that can be distributed to consumers about the benefits of them. Benefits to consumers include improved indoor air quality, reducing the potential for asthma and allergies, and more comfortable living, all resulting from modern, high-performance appliances, such as induction cooktops, convection ovens, and clothes washers with integrated heat pump dryers.

    Zero-emission homes are also more likely to operate seamlessly during power outages due to incorporating passive resiliency and survivability measures. With more than 10,000 new homes being built per year in New York State, working with the home building market to reduce emissions is critical to making progress toward the State’s climate and energy goals, including the Governor’s goal to achieve two million climate-friendly homes by 2030.

    Buildings are one of the most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions in New York State, and through NYSERDA and utility programs, more than $6.8 billion is being invested to decarbonize buildings. By improving energy efficiency in buildings and advancing statewide installations of onsite storage, renewables, and electric vehicle charging equipment, the State will reduce its carbon emissions and advance toward the ambitious target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 TBtu by 2025, the equivalent of powering 1.8 million homes.

    This program is funded through the State’s Clean Energy Fund (CEF).

    New York State’s Nation-Leading Climate Plan

    New York State’s climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments, are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is advancing a suite of efforts – including the New York Cap-and-Invest program (NYCI) and other complementary policies – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. New York is also on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York’s unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $28 billion in 61 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the State, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, nearly $3 billion for clean transportation initiatives and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 170,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector as of 2022 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with more than 400 registered and more than 130 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the State to help target air pollution and combat climate change.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Commissioner responds to Government’s accountability announcement

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A statement from Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley following the Government’s announcement on police accountability:

    “We welcome today’s announcement from the Government introducing important reforms to strengthen the police accountability system.

    “These measures represent positive progress toward a system that is both fairer and faster, supporting the vast majority of officers who serve with integrity every day. The importance of these changes couldn’t have been demonstrated more clearly than by the acquittal of our firearms officer Sergeant Martyn Blake. He was a brave officer who acted in line with his training and faced immense danger to protect the public.

    “Accountability of the law is critical, but the current system is protracted and unbalanced and fails to secure the confidence of the public and officers. Over many years this has created a culture where our officers are increasingly more worried about a skewed, imbalanced system than they are the dangerous criminals they face on the streets. If this continues, it risks making the public less safe.

    “These reforms are a crucial and welcome step forward and we will now work with Government to deliver them at pace.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Response from NPCC lead for Armed Policing

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    The NPCC will continue to work with Government to ensure police accountability.

    Chief Constable Simon Chesterman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Armed Policing, said:

    “Our thoughts remain with Mr Kaba’s family and friends, and the wider community who we know have experienced the most terrible trauma after losing him. 

    “My thoughts also go to Sergeant Martyn Blake, his family, and colleagues, I do not underestimate the pressure and distress they all must have endured.

    “The court case reflects the complex and difficult situations armed officers face and the decisions they have to make in a split second, under immense pressure.  In the UK it is rare that firearms officers discharge their weapons and even rarer that someone dies as a result.  When this happens, there must be proper investigation, accountability.”

    “Police officers are not above the law, and nobody expects them to be, but the system that holds officers to account when they use force to protect the public, their colleagues and themselves, has become broken.

    “We are supportive of the Home Secretary’s announcement and welcome their commitment to getting it right for officers and the public they serve and improving overall policing standards for communities.

    “The ongoing work on the Accountability Review now has momentum to continue and is a real opportunity to get the balance right in the interests of the public we are here to protect.

    “We are proud have the most restrained and professional armed officers in the world, but increasingly they are more afraid of going to prison for doing their jobs, than facing the violent and dangerous individuals we rely on them to protect us from.

    “Good police officers need to know that if they do what they are trained to do, they will be supported by the leaders of the police service, Government and most importantly the public.

    “We remain determined to get police accountability right and we will support Government to address concerns about the current accountability system to restore the confidence of police officers and the public.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Evolving challenges of admissibility of e-evidence addressed at annual JITs Network meeting

    Source: Eurojust

    As organised crime groups increasingly exploit emerging technologies to facilitate their illicit activities, the need for effective and efficient collection of electronic evidence has become paramount. The meeting aimed to tackle the new legal challenges arising from the shift towards virtual evidence, and to identify best practices for Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) to support judicial and law enforcement authorities in obtaining electronic evidence across the EU and beyond.

    Eurojust has been actively involved in supporting the gathering of electronic evidence and ensuring its admissibility in courts. The Agency, alongside Europol, has co-implemented the SIRIUS Project, which aims to enhance cooperation between judicial and law enforcement authorities, as well as service providers, to expedite access to electronic evidence across borders.

    The meeting was opened by Eurojust President Mr Ladislav Hamran and Europol Executive Director Ms Catherine De Bolle.

    In his opening remarks, President Hamran said, “The effective collection of electronic evidence is a crucial component of nearly all criminal investigations and prosecutions today. Through collaboration and knowledge-sharing among JIT Experts, I’m confident we can develop innovative solutions to overcome the challenges of gathering, preserving, and exchanging electronic evidence, and ultimately strengthen our collective ability to bring criminals to justice.”

    More than 85 participants attended the event, including 36 JIT National Experts from 23 EU Member States alongside representatives from the European Commission, eu-LISA, EJTN, ICC-OTP and OLAF.

    For two decades, the JITs Network has been instrumental in facilitating the work of practitioners, encouraging the use of JITs, and promoting the exchange of experience and best practices. On this occasion, the JITs Network marked its 20th annual meeting. These annual meetings are a vital forum for JIT National Experts to discuss issues related to JITs and international cooperation; laying the foundation for trust and understanding that is essential for efficient cross-border collaboration.

    Mr Piotr Radomski, one of the longest-standing JIT National Experts in the Network, stated: “The outstanding commitment of both past and present JIT National Experts, alongside the role the colleagues of the JITs Network Secretariat play, is evident to all practitioners fighting transnational crime. All of them are working with passion and dedication to further promote the idea of cooperation in the form of JITs.”

    The JITs Network of National Experts on Joint Investigation Teams was established in 2005 to facilitate the work of practitioners, as well as to encourage the use of JITs and contribute to the sharing of experiences and best practices. The JITs Network Secretariat has been hosted by Eurojust since 2011.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: F-35B test jet begins sea trials with Japanese multi-functional destroyer in eastern Pacific Ocean

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    PACIFIC OCEAN  –  

    A U.S. F-35 Lightning II aircraft landed aboard Japan’s Izumo-class multi-functional destroyer JS Kaga (DDH-184) for the first time Oct. 20 off the southern coast of California to begin developmental test aboard the allies’ largest ship.

    Royal Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nick Baker, a test pilot with the F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (Pax ITF), flew a specially instrumented F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the 5th generation air system and touched down about 3:15 p.m.

    Sea trials will leverage the ship’s recent modifications to conduct fixed-wing aircraft operations. Changes to the Kaga included painting its flight deck with heat-resistant material that tolerates the F-35B’s vectored-thrust engines, installing lights for nighttime operations, and reshaping the flight deck’s bow from a trapezoid to a rectangular shape.

    The trials will also pave the way for allies’ increased ability to operate in conjunction with each other.

    “This test is essential for strengthening Japan’s defense capabilities and is of utmost importance. We will do our best to achieve good test results together with the ITF,” said Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Capt. Shusaku Takeuchi, commanding officer, JS Kaga. “This test does not merely enhance the capabilities of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. It also improves the interoperability between Japan and the U.S., strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance, thereby contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”

    The F-35 is detached from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23), Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NAS Pax River), Maryland. It joins a test team from the Pax ITF, who embarked the ship in San Diego.

    In addition to F-35 test pilots, the Pax ITF team includes aircraft maintainers, flight test engineers, flight test control engineers, flight deck personnel, logisticians, and others, with support from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

    “We are proud to be part of this joint effort to test the compatibility of F-35B aboard JS Kaga,” said Seth Dion, Pax ITF team lead. “Our team has prepared meticulously for this mission, and we are committed to working closely with our allies to achieve our shared goals and strengthen our partnership.”

    The sea trials are scheduled to take approximately three weeks.

    JS Kaga set sail from its homeport at Kure Naval Base, Japan, in early September.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Coffeewood Prison Guard Sentenced to 40 Years on Child Exploitation, Child Pornography Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A former prison officer at Coffeewood Correctional Center in Mitchells, Virginia, was sentenced this week to 40 years in federal prison on a series of federal charges related to child sexual exploitation and child pornography.

    Davey Jonathan Sisk, 30, of Culpeper, Virginia, pled guilty in June to two counts of sexually exploiting and attempting to sexually exploit a child as well as one count of receiving child pornography.

    According to court documents, Sisk used the social media application “Telegram” to engage another individual, Anna Layher, to create videos and photos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and then send to him. These videos and photos involved victims as young as three years old.  Anna Layher, who was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia for her role in sexually exploiting these victims, also received a 40-year sentence in September 2024.

    In addition, from 2021 through 2022, a 12-year-old minor living in Texas engaged in sexual intercourse with another minor child and then sold videos and images of these sexual encounters on the internet through various social media applications, including Snapchat. Sisk admitted to using the Snapchat username “JAKESMOOT2021” and to paying over $450 through Cash App to the 12-year-old minor in exchange for multiple sexually explicit images and videos.

    United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement.

    Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg, VA and Washington, D.C. investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Postal Worker Sentenced to Probation for Mail Theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DAVID RAYFORD (“RAYFORD”), age 40, of Kenner, La., was sentenced by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter on October 17, 2024, to one year probation, payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee and three hundred dollars in restitution, for Mail Theft, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709.

    According to court records, on June 14, 2021, a Postal Service customer, contacted the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General to report non-delivery of a greeting card that was sent to his address.  The card was sent by a family member, in early May, 2021.  The family member advised that she mailed a Navy Federal Credit Union Visa gift card and cash to the victim and was able to provide a receipt for the purchase of the gift card.

    RAYFORD, an employee of the United States Postal Service, was the postman on the delivery route on which the card was stolen.  RAYFORD used the stolen Navy Federal Credit Union Visa gift card at Walmart.  Walmart Global Investigations identified two purchases made by RAYFORD utilizing the Navy Federal Credit Union Visa gift card. 

    The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Bank of Canada’s latest interest rate cut: Monetary policy is not enough to address economic issues on its own

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sorin Rizeanu, Assistant Professor, Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria

    The Canadian and American economies are deeply intertwined. With the United States Federal Reserve cautious amid mixed signals from the labour market and rising inflation worries, the Bank of Canada has just lowered its key interest rate to 3.75 per cent – cutting it by half a percentage point.

    Strong U.S. job growth and cooling inflation could result in a smaller Fed rate cut compared to its previous cut and to Canada’s recent cut. It could also pause the rate entirely, which may change economic conditions in the U.S. and Canada in the months to come. Upcoming U.S. elections complicate the problem further.

    In Canada, cooling inflation, slowing manufacturing sales and more cautious consumer spending opens the door to another half percentage point rate cut by the end of the year.

    But does the Bank of Canada have the ability to offset shifts in U.S. monetary policies through its own monetary instruments? In fact, how much room does it have to diverge from U.S. policy at all?

    Monetary conditions are transmitted from the world’s biggest financial centres to the rest of the world through gross credit flows and leverage. Any policy differences between Canada and the U.S. immediately impact Canada, including spillover effects on the loonie exchange rates and other widespread economical and social effects.

    Canada’s double trilemmas

    Canada’s key challenges include economic growth as a potential recession looms, taming inflation, housing, managing interest rates while private and public debt is sky-high and stabilizing Canada’s commodity-linked currency in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment. Failing to address these challenges could lead to severe systemic imbalances.

    A country cannot have an independent monetary policy, stable exchange rate and free capital flows simultaneously. It must choose one side of this triangle and give up the opposite corner.
    (Sorin Rizeanu), CC BY-ND

    The Bank of Canada has good reasons to cut the interest rate back to 2.5 to 3.5 per cent, but this could have a significant impact on the loonie.

    Canada is facing two sets of trilemmas: a monetary one for the central bank and a fiscal one for the government. On the monetary side, stable exchange rates, independent monetary policy and financial market openness are three objectives that cannot all be achieved simultaneously. European countries have sacrificed monetary independence in exchange for a strong euro and financial openness.

    It’s impossible for policymakers to pursue all three choices at the same time. For instance, a country spending more without raising taxes has to increase public debt and deficit.
    (Sorin Rizeanu), CC BY-ND

    Canada, in contrast, has opted for free capital mobility and independent monetary policy at the expense of exchange rate stability. This allows the loonie to be determined by market forces, giving the central bank the ability to adjust interest rates while capital moves freely across the border.

    On the fiscal side, the government is grappling with climate change, immigration and wealth inequality. However, there is also strong public resistance to higher taxes, and public debt and deficits are currently at alarming levels.

    If the central banks are at odds

    If the Bank of Canada were to cut interest rates while the Fed doesn’t, the loonie would likely depreciate sharply, forcing a response. Such a divergence happened in June 2024, with the Fed following with a 0.5 per cent cut only in September.

    On such short-term deviations, sterilization is typically implemented to dampen the depreciation of the loonie by acquiring Canadian dollars and selling reserves.

    If the central banks were to remain at odds in the longer term, a decrease in money supply as investors flee would likely cause a decrease in domestic bank lending, which is already under pressure from public and private debt and increased default rates.

    This could decrease longer term interest rates and put additional pressure on the economy through the capital account. If investors believe the central bank is merely delaying the inevitable depreciation of its currency, it could also reinforce carry trade dynamics — an investment strategy where money is borrowed at a low cost in one currency to earn higher returns from investments in another currency.

    The bond market would also react, with notable effects in key economic sectors and asset valuation. Long-term interest rates tend to align more across countries than short-term rates, especially if global factors are influencing real rates or if investors are seeking safer assets.

    While the Bank of Canada can set its policy rate independently of the Fed’s rate, it has less control over the long-term. Long-term rates are tied to exchange rates and reflect expectations for future short-term rates and risk factors. Mortgage rates and corporate borrowing rates would be affected as well.

    Monetary policy can’t be the only answer

    The Bank of Canada’s mandate is to “keep inflation low, stable and predictable.” While this can be fulfilled through rate cuts, diverging from U.S. policy will have widespread effects on the Canadian economy. These impacts will be uneven, with indebted investors and banks likely benefiting while the working class may bear the brunt.

    The Bank of Canada focuses on providing liquidity to the financial sector, often with little regulation or oversight. However, this approach tends to overlook challenges faced by the working class. In 2022, for instance, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem advised against employers increasing wages to match inflation over concern that a wage-price spiral would occur.

    Even if the central bank wanted to address these issues, it’s limited by the ability to manage multiple outputs with just one instrument. As a result, the central bank should report not only on inflation, but also on the overall trade-offs of rate cuts.

    The Bank of Canada has a vested interest in tampering the effects of a new rate cut, especially since it could trigger a “capital famine” in the long-term and weaken the Canadian dollar. In the short-term, divergences from the U.S. will likely be manageable, but in the longer term, currency depreciation may be unavoidable to keep the economy afloat.

    Monetary policy is vital, but it’s merely the first line of defence against inflation. To truly address Canada’s economic issues, both monetary and fiscal policies need to work together in harmony, with a broader public discussion that goes beyond inflation.

    Sorin Rizeanu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Bank of Canada’s latest interest rate cut: Monetary policy is not enough to address economic issues on its own – https://theconversation.com/bank-of-canadas-latest-interest-rate-cut-monetary-policy-is-not-enough-to-address-economic-issues-on-its-own-238396

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford Introduces Stand with Israel Act to Combat Israel’s Persecution at UN

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford
    OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Risch (R-ID) announced their intent to introduce the Stand with Israel Act when the Senate and House reconvene in November. This legislation would cut off US funding to United Nations (UN) agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend, or otherwise restrict the participation of the State of Israel.
    “Israel deserves to have the world’s full support in their defense against unspeakable terrorism,” said Lankford. “Our greatest ally in the Middle East has faced vicious attacks since their founding in 1948, but the latest all-out assault from the Iranian regime and their terrorist proxies intends to wipe Israel off the map. I will not walk away from Israel as the world tries to justify terrorism.”
    “Any attempt to alter Israel’s status at the UN is clearly anti-Semitic,” said Risch. “That said, if the UN member states allow the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization to downgrade Israel’s status at the UN, the US must stop supporting the UN system, as it would clearly be beyond repair. I am disgusted that this outrageous idea has even been discussed, and will do all we can to ensure any changes to Israel’s status will come with consequences.”
    Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Barrasso (R-WY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Ted Budd (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tim Scott (R-SC), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Thune (R-SD), and Deb Fischer (R-NE) also joined in support of this bill. This is companion legislation to bipartisan House bill HR 9394 led by Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY).
    BACKGROUND:
    Reports indicate that the Palestinian Authority (PA) will attempt to downgrade Israel’s status at the UN.
    The PA is able to do this after the UN General Assembly passed a biased resolution which enhanced the PA’s status at the United Nations on May 10, 2024.
    The Stand with Israel Act would cut off US funding to UN agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend, or otherwise restrict the participation of the State of Israel. The bill is modeled after the current prohibition of funding to any UN entities that elevate the status of the Palestinian Authority to a member state.

    MIL OSI USA News –