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MIL-OSI Security: Over 100 Defendants Federally Charged With Fraud Related To The COVID-19 Pandemic

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO-MDFL) has federally charged 109 individuals with fraud schemes designed to exploit state and federal programs implemented to alleviate the economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts include complementary actions by the USAO-MDFL’s Criminal, Civil, Asset Recovery, Appellate Divisions, in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

“The Middle District of Florida United States Attorney’s Office, in cooperation with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, is committed to holding accountable those people who schemed to steal or otherwise obtain through misconduct benefits intended for Americans coping with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg.

With respect to criminal enforcement, the USAO-MDFL and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies combined resources in March 2020 to form the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force with the purpose of identifying, investigating, and federally prosecuting fraud related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, the Task Force has prosecuted 109 defendants for fraud schemes designed to exploit federal programs including the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), Unemployment Insurance (“UI”), the Main Street Lending Program (“MSLP”), the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (“ERAP”), as well as government Healthcare programs such as Medicare. Collectively, these defendants sought to defraud the United States of over $96 million. Of the 109 charged defendants, 74 have already been found guilty while prosecution remains pending against 35 defendants.

The Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force continues to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals that took advantage of COVID-19 programs. On September 20, 2024, for example, a federal grand jury convicted Angela Chew (60, Leesburg) of conspiracy to bribe a public official and commit wire fraud, three counts of bribery of a public official, and six counts of wire fraud. Chew faces up to 5 years in federal prison on the conspiracy count, up to 15 years in federal prison on each of the bribery counts, and up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the wire fraud counts. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 18, 2024.

According to evidence presented at trial, Chew conspired with three others to submit applications for COVID-19 EIDLs containing false and fraudulent information in exchange for bribe payments. The evidence showed Chew used her position as a loan specialist for the Small Business Administration (SBA) to internally access those loan applications that she and a co-conspirator had submitted on behalf of others. Chew then took actions on the applications within the SBA’s internal processing system that moved the loans towards approval. For example, Chew submitted a loan on behalf of a co-conspirator’s business that she knew was not active or operating at the time she submitted the loan. The loan was flagged as a duplicate by the SBA’s internal system, which stopped the application from progressing toward approval and funding. Chew then entered the SBA’s loan processing system, accessed the loan application, reactivated it, and manipulated the loan’s status multiple times to progress the application toward approval and funding in the amount of $150,000. In exchange, Chew received thousands of dollars in bribe payments from two of her co-conspirators. The evidence showed that Chew caused the funding of at least six EIDL applications, for a total loss of over $800,000.

In July 2024, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Jared Dean Eakes (33, Jacksonville) with five counts of wire fraud and three counts of bank fraud. According to the superseding indictment, Eakes participated in a scheme to defraud investors and fraudulently secured approximately $4,752,270 in PPP loans. Eakes caused the submission of four PPP loan applications—including applications for two of the entities involved in the scheme to defraud investors—which contained false and fraudulent supporting documentation and statements regarding the entities’ employees and payroll. Once Eakes obtained the PPP loans, he did not use the funds for qualifying expenses as required by the program. Instead, he used the funds to engage in options trading or withdrew the funds in cash.

In addition to criminal prosecutions, the MDFL-USAO continues to investigate and pursue civil redress against individuals and entities who fraudulently obtained PPP funds. For example, in September 2024, Miles Partnership, LLC (“Miles”), a travel and tourism consulting company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, agreed to a civil settlement of $2,281,950 to resolve allegations that Miles improperly obtained and received forgiveness for a second draw PPP loan. According to the information contained in the qui tam complaint, Miles was required to file a registration statement under FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) due to its work with various foreign tourism boards. The United States investigated these allegations with the cooperation of Miles. The civil settlement will conclude the lawsuit.

Further, the USAO-MDFL’s Asset Recovery Division and federal seizing agencies have completed the forfeiture of more than $20 million of EIDL, UI, and PPP funds that were fraudulently obtained, depriving the fraudsters of their ill-gotten gains and recovering the proceeds for the victims. More than $18 million in additional pandemic fraud proceeds have been seized and are pending civil or criminal forfeiture.

The U.S. Attorney General has established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Through the PPP, the federal government authorized over $600 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The EIDL program provides economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The MSLP provided support to small and medium-sized businesses and their employees across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. UI programs provided unemployment benefits to eligible workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own.

The criminal cases charged by the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force have been investigated by the Small Business Administration—Office of Inspector General, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, the Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation—Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board—Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Agency for International Development, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Winter Park Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys throughout the Middle District of Florida.

The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (“NCDF”) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.

United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida COVID Fraud Criminal Cases
Charged Cases
Defendant(s) (Age)	Charge(s) Max. Imprisonment	Type of Fraud*	Intended Loss Amount
Tampa Division
Devontaie Deravil	Aggravated identity theft Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive Access device fraud Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years	UI	$480k
Jordan Ross	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years	EIDL/PPP	$1.3M
Marquett James Alyson Marquett	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	EIDL/PPP	$96k
Willie Murray Jr.	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Aggravated identity theft Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive	HCF	$5M
Charles Driver Jr.	Conspiracy Maximum Prison Term: 5 years Access device fraud Maximum Prison Term: 10 years	UI	$175k
Eric Canonico	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years	PPP	$2.3M
Alexander Leszczynski	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years	PPP	$1.1M

Capree Holmes	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	EIDL	$159k
Javarus Polite	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$20k
Luis Morales	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$40k
Rosson Hamilton	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$20k
David Antonetti	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$40k
Carlos Dones	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$14k
Santos Cruz Rivera	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$16k
Tevyan Hepburn	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$20k
Jeanty Cherilus	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	EIDL/PPP	$370k
Gage Bowen	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$20k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Tiffany Fields, Greg Pizzo, Candace Rich, Jennifer Peresie, Michael Kenneth, Merrilyn Hoenemeyer, and Daniel Baeza
Orlando Division
Evan Edwards Joshua Edwards	Conspiracy to commit bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 years Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 years Visa fraud Maximum Prison Term: 10 years False statements Maximum Prison Term: 30 years	PPP	$8M
Emmet Bowens	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years	PPP	$740k
Latresia Wilson	False statements Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	HCF	$2.6M
Shawn Simmerer Seth Downes	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years False claim Maximum Prison Term: 5 years	PPP	$344k

Daniel Bohorquez		Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years		EIDL			$546k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Kara Wick, Amanda Daniels, and DOJ Trial Attorney Keith Clouser
Fort Myers Division
Venera Price		Mail fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		ERAP			$82k
Timothy Jolloff		Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Money laundering Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years		PPP/EIDL			$2.1M
Lisa Jolloff		Money laundering Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years		PPP/EIDL			$2.1M
Diop McKenzie		Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Aggravated identity theft Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive		EIDL/PPP			$237k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSA Yolande Viacava and Trent Reichling
Jacksonville Division
Jared Eakes		Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 years		PPP			$4.7M
Natasha Hemming Tiffany Gonsalves Joshua Seedhaire		Conspiracy Access device fraud Aggravated identity theft Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive		UI			$5.6M
These COVID Fraud cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs David Mesrobian and John Cannizzaro
Ocala Division
Lisa Starkes Ivan Starkes		Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		PPP			$80k
This COVID Fraud case from the Ocala Division is being handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk
Adjudicated Cases
Tampa Division
Demarius Wilson	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		PPP		$18k
This COVID Fraud case from the Tampa Division is being handled by AUSA Michael Kenneth
Orlando Division
Robert Burns	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		PPP		$57k
William Barrientos Grisoris Barrientos	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		EIDL		$693k
Angela Chew	Conspiracy Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years Bribery of a public official Maximum Prison Term: 15 Years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		EIDL		$732k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by Amanda Daniels, Diane Hu, and Richard Varadan
Jacksonville Division
James Wigg	Wire Fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years		PPP		$476k
Crystal Harvell	Wire Fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years		PPP		$20k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSA, Kevin Frein and Tysen Duva
Ocala Division
Passion Jackson	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		PPP			$20k
Nicole Harding	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		PPP			$20k
Henry Wade	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		EIDL			$500k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk
Sentenced Cases
Tampa Division
Louis Thornton, III	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 42 months in federal prison		EIDL/PPP		$815k
Kary Stevenson Corey Quinn	Conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 5 years, 10 months in federal prison (Stevenson) Sentence Imposed:7 years in federal prison (Quinn)		UI		$1M
Bridgitte Keim	Bank fraud Sentence Imposed: 2 years in federal prison		PPP		$588k
Wayne Ganaway	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 4 years in federal prison		EIDL		$300k
Rolanda Wingfield	Access device fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentenced Imposed: 3 years in federal prison		UI		$135k
Eriaius Bentley	Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud Sentence Imposed: One year in federal prison		UI		$3M
Tywon Spann	Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud Sentence Imposed: 6 years and 9 months in federal prison		UI		$3M
Keaujay Hornsby	Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud Sentence Imposed: 10 years and 10 months in federal prison		UI		$3M
Kareem Spann	Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud Sentence Imposed: 10 years and 10 months in federal prison		UI		$3M
Randy Jones	Wire fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 5 years and 1 month in federal prison		EIDL/UI		$250k
Julio Lugo	Conspiracy to commit money laundering Sentence Imposed: 7 years and 6 months in federal prison		EIDL/PPP		$4.4M
Keith Nicoletta	Conspiracy to commit money laundering Sentence Imposed: 24 months in federal prison		PPP		$1.9M
Rosenide Venant	Conspiracy to commit money laundering Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison		EIDL/PPP		$413k
Melinda Hernandez	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft Sentence imposed: Three years and six months in federal prison		UI		$1.5M
Bri’antina Mills	Wire fraud and theft of government funds Sentence imposed: 15 months in federal prison		EIDL		$10K
Jorge Gutierrez Echeverria	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: Two years and six months in federal prison		EIDL		$150k
Omar Esquivel Bello	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 15 months in federal prison		EIDL		$242k
Steve Moodie	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentence imposed: 5 years and 10 months in federal prison		UI		$1.5M
Richard Simpkins	Conspiracy to commit money laundering Sentence imposed: 5 years and 10 months in federal prison		PPP		$1.9M
Devaris McClain	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud Sentence imposed: 5 years and 1 month in federal prison		UI		$85k
Jalissa McDuffy	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 3 years supervised release with 6 months home detention		PPP		$41k
Kieanna Garrett	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 60 days’ imprisonment		EIDL		$40k
Marqus Willard Johnson	Bank fraud Money laundering Sentence imposed: 18 months’ imprisonment followed by 60 moths supervised release		PPP		$500k
Mehdi Tazi	Conspiracy, Aggravated identity theft Sentenced imposed: 5 years imprisonment followed by4 years supervised release		UI		$1.5M
Tyree Wingfield	Conspiracy, Aggravated identity theft Sentenced imposed: 5 years and 10 months imprisonment followed by4 years supervised release		UI		$1.5M
Dawn Ogundele	Theft of government funds Sentence imposed: 2 years’ probation		PPP		$20k
Alexander Alli	Wire fraud conspiracy Sentence imposed: 13 months’ imprisonment		EIDL		$80k
Charles Cunningham	Bank fraud Sentence imposed: 21 months’ imprisonment		PPP		$800k
Jailyn Holmes	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$20k
Nicole Bramble-King	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$40k
Tommy Louisville	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 12 months’ imprisonment		PPP		$33k
Joseph Abdo	Wire fraud Illegal monetary transactions Sentence imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$500k
Barrett Purvis	Wire fraud Money laundering Sentence imposed: 2 years and 9 months in federal prison		EIDL		$499k
Bergeline Lexis	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Sentence imposed: 10 months in federal prison		EIDL/PPP		$68k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Tiffany Fields, Diego Novaes, Jennifer Peresie, Merrilyn Hoenemeyer, Jay Trezevant, SAUSA Chris Poor, and DOJ Trial Attorney John Scanlon
Orlando Division
Daniel Johnson	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, unlawful transfer of firearm Sentence Imposed: 7 years, 6 months in federal prison		UI		$2.3M
Jacquavius Smith	Possession of short-barreled rifle; felon in possession of firearm; and aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 7 years, 1 month in federal prison		PPP		$10k
Johnson Eustache	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison		EIDL/PPP		$2.2M
Joseph Harrison	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 12 months in federal prison		UI		$2.1M
Tomas Ziupsnys	Conspiracy to commit bank fraud; bank fraud; aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison		PPP		$2M
Holly Urban	Conspiracy to commit bank fraud Sentence Imposed: 30 months in federal prison		PPP		$1.5M
Joel Greenberg	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other offenses while on pretrial release Sentence Imposed: 11 years in federal prison		EIDL		$430k
Don Cisternino	Wire fraud, illegal monetary transactions, and aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 8 years and 6 months in federal prison		PPP		$7.2M
Keith Ingersoll	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentence imposed: 9 years, 1 month in federal prison.		EIDL		$66k
Jaheim Davis	Access device fraud and aggravated identity theft Sentence imposed: 3 years, 6 months in federal prison.		UI		$219k
Teresa McIntyre	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other offenses Sentence Imposed: 5 years’ probation		EIDL		$730k
Brian Blake	Possession of device-making equipment, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 9 years and 8 months in federal prison		PPP/UI		$832k
Joseph Faubert	Bank fraud Sentenced Imposed: 5 years probation		PPP		$778k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs John Gardella, Amanda Daniels, Chauncey Bratt, Emily Chang, Shannon Laurie, and Jennifer Harrington, and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg
Jacksonville Division
Jacob Byrd	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$10k
Deconna Burke	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$20k
Desmond Williams	Wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud Sentenced Imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$40k
Kenneth Landers	Wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction Sentence Imposed: 1 year in federal prison followed by 1 year of supervised release		PPP		$1.4M
Christopher Daragjati	Wire fraud , Theft of government funds, and Aggravated identity theft Sentenced imposed: 5 years’cisternino imprisonment followed by 3 years’ supervised release.		PPP		$150k
This COVID Fraud case from the Jacksonville Division was handled by AUSA Kevin Frein and Michael Coolican
Fort Myers Division
Casey Crowther	Bank fraud, false statement to a financial institution, illegal monetary transaction Sentence Imposed: 3 years, 1 month in federal prison		PPP		$2.7M
Anthony Bruey Amber Bruey	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, illegal monetary transactions Sentence Imposed: Anthony Bruey: 4 years, 3 months in federal prison Amber Bruey: 4 years in federal prison		PPP/EIDL		$881k
Edrica Leann Watson	False statement to a lending institution Sentence Imposed: 15 months in federal prison		PPP		$392k
Daniel Joseph Tisone	Wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person Sentence Imposed: 7 years in federal prison		PPP/EIDL/MSLP		$10.7M
Liliana Gonzalez	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 5 years of probation with 18 months of home confinement		PPP		$169k
Al Clint LaRoche	Bank fraud Sentence Imposed: Two years in federal prison		PPP		$1M
Denis Casseus	Bank fraud and illegal monetary transaction Sentence Imposed: 2 years in federal prison followed by 3 years’ supervised release		PPP		$298k
Evan Graves	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 18 months in federal prison		EIDL		$1.3M
Ismaelle Manuel	Bank fraud Sentence Imposed: Credit for time served followed by 5 years supervised release		PPP		$280k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling, Michael Leeman, Jesus M. Casa, Simon Eth, and Yolande Viacava
Ocala Division
Lavelle Harris	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: Two years and three months in federal prison		PPP		$1.2M
This COVID Fraud case from the Ocala Division was handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk
Types of Fraud* Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Unemployment Insurance (UI) Main Street Lending Program (MSLP) Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Health Care Fraud (HCF)

MIL Security OSI –

September 29, 2024

MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon is ready to keep customers connected ahead of Hurricane Helene
Source: Verizon

Headline: Verizon is ready to keep customers connected ahead of Hurricane Helene

ALPHARETTA, GA – As potential Hurricane Helene approaches the Florida coast, Verizon remains committed to keeping communities and first responders connected. Verizon’s Response Team has prepared year-round to respond to extreme weather situations, like hurricanes, by taking part in emergency drills, fortifying the network infrastructure, and ensuring resources are mobilized for rapid response.

“Verizon is committed to keeping communities connected. From consumers, to businesses, to first responders, Verizon offers the dependable service they need to face Hurricane Helene and the days to come,” said Atlantic South Market President, Leigh Anne Lanier. “Our dedicated team is working around the clock to ensure our customers stay informed, stay in touch with loved ones, and access critical services when they need them most.”

Verizon’s networks are primed

Verizon’s networks are primed to maintain connectivity even in the face of extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes. With redundancy built into critical paths and components, Verizon’s network is engineered to withstand severe weather. Verizon engineers have prepared by conducting thorough checks, as well as ensuring backup systems, like batteries and generators, are operational and refueled.

In preparation for potential network recovery operations, Verizon has bolstered its arsenal with:
- A fleet of over 550 portable network assets, including generator-powered cell sites, drones, and a fixed-wing aircraft for aerial support.
- An industry-leading nearly 300 satellite-based portable network assets, providing crucial connectivity in scenarios where fiber connections are compromised.
- More than 1,000 mobile generators to assist communities in maintaining or restoring connectivity, and rapid recovery efforts.
Verizon Frontline stands at the ready, prepared to assist first responders in any capacity needed

The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team stands ready to help ensure that public safety agencies on the front line of any potential disaster have the mission-critical communications capabilities needed to achieve their missions. This team, composed primarily of former first responders and military personnel, is solely dedicated to supporting public safety customers during emergencies at no cost to the supported agencies.

In the first nine months of 2024, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team has responded to more than 1,000 requests for mission-critical communications support from more than 500 different agencies in 46 states.

Being prepared is essential to support local businesses and communities

Recognizing the critical role of connectivity in business continuity, Verizon Business provides a suite of solutions tailored for seamless operations during emergencies. Businesses and government organizations need the right game plan. Suggested actions include:
Mitigate customer disruption: Think about what you need to ensure continuous service to your customers, and what software and equipment your business needs to continue operations. Make a detailed list, including service contracts and warranty information, and all pertinent phone numbers for local authorities, utility companies, suppliers, and vendors.

The right tech makes an impact: Ensure you have the right technology to support your business connectivity needs assuming you might need to move away from your primary location.

Contacts and documents are key: Make sure you have contact information updated and readily available for all employees, including at-home information for remote workers and branch information for satellite offices.

Test, test, and test again: Stress-test primary and backup networks and shore up any weak areas.

Keep track of equipment: Ensure employees working from home have documented all corporate equipment being used to work from home in case of damage or loss.

Have a backup plan: Ensure backup plans are in place to shift work in case work-from-home employees in a storm-impacted area have to evacuate their homes or their home loses commercial power.
Are you hurricane ready?

Verizon’s team works year-round to ensure customers remain connected to their loved ones and the activities that provide comfort during a disaster. As residents prepare to stay connected and entertained, consider these tips:
- Stock Up on power supplies like batteries for flashlights and radios or device chargers. Take it a step further by charging your devices that can act as chargers for other devices like laptops and party box speakers. Don’t forget to ensure you have the cables!
- Download Movies, Books, Apps and Games or gather board games, card games and puzzles to go device-free.
- Locate materials for hobbies like knitting or drawing, and get creative.
- Plan activities like cooking easy-to-make meals and even no-bake treats. Keep a few non-perishable ingredients, a manual can opener and other kitchen tools on hand.
- Grab some candles, blankets, pillows or anything that makes your space cozy.
- Read up on the American Red Cross’ hurricane preparedness tips.
**Editor’s Note: To access images and b-roll of past storms, Verizon equipment, recovery efforts and more, please visit Verizon’s Emergency Resource Hub at https://www.verizon.com/about/news/emergency-resource-center
MIL OSI Economics –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Brings Innovative Tech with the Opening of a New Store at Cresta Mall

Source: Samsung

Samsung Electronics South Africa is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its new brand store at Cresta Mall in Johannesburg on Thursday, 12 September 2024. This new store will offer an immersive shopping experience for local shoppers, showcasing the latest in Samsung’s cutting-edge technology and innovation.

The new store will feature a comprehensive range of Samsung products, including the newest smartphones, tablets, wearables, home appliances, aircons, TVs and monitors. With a modern and engaging design, the store aims to provide customers with an interactive and hands-on experience with Samsung’s advanced technology.

The new store is set to bring the full customer journey with the extensive range of Samsung product offerings. From audio-visual, cooking, and cleaning to other home appliances, customers will be able to get their hands on all the new technology the company has to offer. The recently launched Bespoke AI home appliances including fridges, washing machines, dishwashers, and microwave ovens will be available to help customers do less and live more as they elevate the way they stay entertained and do ordinary household chores, among other

Home entertainment will transform to bring consumers the ultimate viewing experience thanks to an array of ground-breaking AI televisions such as the Neo QLED 8K, OLED, The Serif, and The Frame, as well as gaming monitors like the highly impressive Odyssey.

Customers looking to upgrade their mobile experience will have to look no further as the store will bring the latest smartphones from the accessible Galaxy A series to the AI-powered flagships, the Galaxy S24 series and Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 foldables. As the best that Galaxy has to offer, these devices take productivity, creativity, and entertainment to a whole new level with their most advanced AI features.

With Spring ushering in the warm and hot temperatures, customers need not worry as they can visit the store to get their hands on the new WindFreeTM air-conditioner range to make their homes cool and comfortable.

The store’s operating hours are 09h00 – 19h00 Monday to Saturday, and 09h00 – 17h00 on Sundays and public holidays. With its friendly and highly-trained staff always ready and willing to assist customers with their insights on the latest Samsung innovations and great deals, the new Samsung store at Cresta Mall is expected to be a hive of activity.

MIL OSI Economics –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Cotton, McConnell to President Biden: Weapons Delays Cost Lives and Embolden Iran

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353September 25, 2024
Cotton, McConnell to President Biden: Weapons Delays Cost Lives and Embolden Iran
Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) today sent a letter to President Joe Biden condemning his continued delay in providing critical military equipment and weapons to our ally Israel as they face a multi-front war against Iranian-terrorist proxies. Further delays will continue to escalate conflict and embolden our shared enemies.
In part, the senators wrote:
“Further delays will endanger Israeli lives, increase the likelihood that the conflict will escalate further, and harm American national security interests. It’s far past time to transfer to Israel the capabilities it needs to win.”
Full text of the letter can be found here and below.
September 25, 2024
President Joseph R. BidenThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Biden:
We write to strongly condemn your administration’s continued delay in providing critical military equipment and weapons to our ally Israel in the midst of an existential war. Delays of equipment that Israel requires to win its multi-front war against Iranian-terrorist proxies, compounded by statements by Administration officials blaming Israel for escalation, undercut Israel’s efforts to restore deterrence by emboldening the Iranian-backed terrorists.
We have reason to believe your administration is currently delaying three critical types of military weapons or equipment.
MK-84 bombs: Israel requires these bombs to hit Hamas’s deeply buried tunnels and other military infrastructure in Gaza. Hezbollah also has significant military infrastructure that Israel must destroy.
Apache attack helicopters: Despite ongoing discussions between the United States and Israel, your administration has failed to fast-track and approve the sale of Apache attack helicopters. Israel requested these helicopters last December, recognizing the increased need given the war in Gaza. That need has only increased with Hezbollah’s escalation in the north.
Caterpillar D9 tractors: We recently learned you are holding up tractors that the IDF uses to clear improvised explosive devices (IEDs) ahead of its troops. Israel puts armor on these tractors and uses them to save the lives of scores of Israel Defense force (IDF) soldiers and civilians.
Further delays will endanger Israeli lives, increase the likelihood that the conflict will escalate further, and harm American national security interests. It’s far past time to transfer to Israel the capabilities it needs to win.
Sincerely,
Tom Cotton
United States Senator
Mitch McConnell
United States Senator

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Global: Gangs’stories: Danny’s tales of machismo in Glasgow

Source: The Conversation – France – By Alistair Fraser, Professor of Criminology, University of Glasgow

Glasgow – 1973, Queen Street Rail Station. Helmutt Zozmann, CC BY-NC-ND

For the past five years, the GANGS project, a European Research Council-funded project led by Dennis Rodgers, has been studying global gang dynamics in a comparative perspective. When understood in a nuanced manner that goes beyond the usual stereotypes and Manichean representations, gangs and gangsters arguably constitute fundamental lenses through which to think about and understand the world we live in.

_Alistair Fraser and Angela Bartie present the story of Danny, who was a Glaswegian gang member in his youth. Drawing on interviews carried out when he was 18, 59, and 70 years old, they trace his changing self-reflection about his past experiences which mirror the broader transformation of the city from a violence urban space in the 1960s to a thriving “people’s city” in 2024.

_

As Danny left the room, that autumn of 2022, our eyes locked together in shock. For the last three hours, this spry seventy-year-old had held us rapt. Tanned, lean, and composed in his smart coat and cap, he was someone you’d have happily bought a used car from. But in the room he had been regaling us with tales of his teenage years running with the ‘Drummy’, a street gang notorious in Glasgow’s history. How had he got from there to here?

Danny grew up in Easterhouse, a 1950s housing scheme on the periphery of the city that quickly attracted negative publicity. Tens of thousands were rehoused from crumbling tenements in the city centre. They were sold a bright new vision of progress but found themselves deserted on the edge of town, with only fields for company. Without shops, jobs, or facilities, young people made their own entertainment, forming themselves into gangs and fighting for kicks. Membership was decided simply by which street you happened to live on, a kind of natural selection where geography would land you on one side or the other. Unlike gangs in other cities, in Glasgow it was not about control of drug markets but a more primal law of the jungle, fighting for kicks and respect.

The violence of the Easterhouse gangs was legendary. As Danny recalled:

“It was just out and out tribal, that’s all it was, you know. And it was a day-to-day routine… some of the things you did were ludicrous. I mean, we used to run, we had football pitches, and you would run into the football pitches, maybe 50, 60 of yous, in pitch black. You would charge each other. Now, the British Army wouldn’t do that, in pitch black, run into it, not knowing what’s there. And you ran at each other, not knowing if the guy’s got a sword, a knife, a hatchet, anything.”

The issue didn’t stay local for long. Warfare involving Easterhouse gangs attracted national media attention, drew concerned responses from politicians, and even garnered a celebrity visit from popular entertainer Frankie Vaughan who asked the gangs to put down their knives.

Years before series such as the Peaky Blinders, the movie Small Faces (1996) would highlight gang violence in industrial towns such as Glasgow.

The violence also attracted the attention of radical criminologists. Gail Wilson and Mary Wilson were part of a loose association of “Anarchists, CND, young Communists and international Socialists” (Cohen 1974: 27) who were trying to rewire academic approaches to youth culture. Rather than looking at the rule-breakers, these upstarts were looking at the rule makers and asking why some groups were criminalised more than others. Gail and Mary spent years working alongside gang youth in Easterhouse, studying their daily lives and comparing this with media narratives. They applied a theory called “social constructionism”, which tries to untangle stereotypes and reality.

Meeting Danny

We first met Gail and Mary back in 2010, after our studies of 1960s gangs had led us to their doorsteps. During our first meeting, Gail climbed a ladder to a storage hatch and retrieved a dusty box. Our eyes widened as we saw what lay inside. Notes, news clippings, sketches, essays and – incredibly – eighteen hand-written transcripts of interviews with members of the “Drummy” gang from 1969.

We set about trying to trace these boys, who would now be in their fifties. We wondered how their lives had gone, where they’d ended up, and what lessons they would want to tell the current generation. We weren’t always successful. Some had died, others relocated. One got in touch to say he didn’t want to talk about that period in his life. Danny was one that said yes.

Glasgow Gangs, 1968.

Danny’s story, in a way, was the story of Glasgow. After his teenage gang years, Danny surfed Glasgow’s wave of industrialisation into a career in sales. He worked hard and moved out of the estate, initially to an area a few miles west of Easterhouse. His manager saw his potential, and Danny reflected that his street skills had prepared him for organisational roles and promotion.

When we first spoke in 2011, he had been bullish in his talk of days gone by. His eyes glinted at the retelling of tales of violence, like a cowboy in a Western saloon. He revelled in one about his strict father taking him to the pub for his 18th birthday, where they had been challenged to a fight by a man and his dog. “Needless to say”, he told us with a grin, “we leathered them.”

It sealed a bond between father and son. As he told us, “I kind of walked up the road as proud as punch, me and my dad”. We interpreted this as a link between past and present – the gang was a hand-me-down masculinity, like the legend of the Glasgow hardman swaggering through the pages of history.

Ten years later, however, he told the story differently. As we sat squeezed around a table too big for the room, the air was thick with regret not bravado. His father had recently passed away, and this former hardman was suddenly vulnerable. As he recalled in 2022 of the altercation:

“That’s the first time I probably ever bonded, truly, with my dad, if you know what I mean, in all the years… on my 18th birthday, I’ll never forget it.”

The macho image started to fracture

The macho image that we had of Danny, and of the Glasgow hardman, started to fracture. Ever since, we have been re-evaluating what we thought we knew about Danny’s life – and gang lives in general – and our own part in retelling his story. The oral historian Lynn Abrams says:

“The story that a person tells is just one of many that are possible. The script is not deterministic. Its shape, form and content is determined by the need for the narrator to construct a memory story with which he or she can feel comfortable at that moment. And a comfortable telling is often one in which the story told coheres with larger cultural understandings.”

Danny’s perspectives on his youthful gang experiences have altered not just in response to his own changing life circumstances, but also to how the culture of Glasgow has transformed in the fifty years since he was involved in the Drummy.

Today, Glasgow is hailed as a city that has beaten the gangs, with talk of a Glasgow miracle of violence reduction.

As he swaggered out the door, every inch the successful businessman, a stillness descended on the room. Danny was as far from the stereotype of a gang member as you could possibly imagine. He is your grandfather, your neighbour, your friend.

Meeting Danny reminded us that stories matter, but like a city they can change – and paying attention to when and why these stories change can often reveal more than the stories themselves.

Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.

– ref. Gangs’stories: Danny’s tales of machismo in Glasgow – https://theconversation.com/gangsstories-dannys-tales-of-machismo-in-glasgow-224876

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin took part in the meeting of the State Council Presidium on the issue of export development

MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

President of Russia Vladimir Putin held an extended meeting of the State Council Presidium on the issue of export development. The Mayor of Moscow took part in the meeting Sergei Sobyanin.

One of the key topics was further steps to increase the country’s export potential and the role of regions in this process. Russia continues to be an active participant in international trade, despite the difficulties that businesses face.

“We are developing external business relations, expanding their geography, strengthening cooperation with predictable, reliable partners who, like Russia, understand their national interests and value mutually beneficial trade, production, and cooperation relations,” the Russian President noted.

At present, world trade and the global economy as a whole are actively developing. A new system of relations is currently being built, where the leading roles are taken by the states of the so-called Global South. These are dynamically growing countries, participants in promising integration associations, such as, for example, BRICS. Already now, the contribution of the BRICS countries to the world economy exceeds the share of the “Big Seven” and continues to grow.

Thus, in 1992, the G7 accounted for 45.5 percent of global GDP, and in 2022, it was already 30.5 percent. According to forecasts, in 2028, the share of the G7 will decrease to 27.9 percent. At the same time, the share of the BRICS countries (excluding new members) in global GDP in 1992 was 16.7 percent, in 2022 it grew to 31.4 percent, and by 2028 it may reach 33.8 percent.

This trend will continue in the future, since the growth of the BRICS countries’ contribution to the global economy is an objective process that is not related to the current geopolitical situation.

“This means [that] real markets of the future are being formed, based on strong strategic partnerships, principles of combining economic potentials and mutually enhancing growth. It is important not only to understand these trends, but also to take advantage of the advantages and export opportunities that are opening up for our businesses, for enterprises. We need to provide them with assistance at all levels,” Vladimir Putin emphasized.

The Russian President recalled that this year, a six-year national project to support exports is ending. During this time, it was possible to create tools, including in the country’s regions, that allowed domestic companies to go through the pandemic stage, successfully supply products abroad, and, over the past two years, redirect commodity flows to promising, growing markets.

“Next year, the updated national project “International Cooperation and Export” will be launched. The basis for its decisions, measures and mechanisms should be the results achieved in the export sphere, the priorities of economic development facing our country, and, of course, the objective global trends that I just spoke about,” the Russian President noted.

For the long-term development of foreign economic relations, it is necessary to increase the efficiency of financial and information support for exports, actively create logistics and transport infrastructure, as well as platforms for industrial cooperation.

In addition, it is important to stimulate the entry of Russian companies into markets for goods with high added value, to increase so-called non-resource, non-energy exports, including supplies of engineering goods and food products.

“I would like to note that from 2001 to 2023, the volume of Russia’s non-resource, non-energy exports has grown more than fourfold. This is a good result: four times – not some percentage, but four times – from 36 to 148 billion dollars. This, of course, is far from the limit for us, it is still not that much. But in the first seven months of this year, non-resource, non-energy exports continued to grow and increased by another five percent – to 89.8 billion [dollars],” Vladimir Putin said.

In some areas, particularly in food supplies, Russia has already become one of the world’s leading exporters. According to the Russian President, this result is primarily the merit of specialists and labor collectives of enterprises, as well as those who provide them with support, in particular development institutions and regional leaders.

“In the message to the Federal Assembly, and then

in the decree on national development goals a target was set, namely, to increase non-resource, non-energy exports by at least two-thirds by 2030 compared to 2023. This is an ambitious goal, especially given the challenges that our companies have faced recently,” Vladimir Putin noted.

In his opinion, this task requires a comprehensive approach from the state, development institutions and regional leaders. Thus, the Russian Export Center (REC) is implementing a special program “Made in Russia”, which helps promote domestic brands in domestic and foreign markets. It is necessary to scale up this practice and expand its coverage.

“Within the framework of interregional cooperation, partnerships are being built with friendly countries, and this, of course, contributes to strengthening Russia’s technological sovereignty, sets a higher pace of economic development for the subjects of the Federation, and therefore for the entire country,” Vladimir Putin emphasized.

The Russian President noted that individual regions of the country are consistently and comprehensively developing non-resource exports, working with small and medium businesses. For this purpose, regional exporter support centers have been created and teams of specialized specialists are working.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

https://vvv.mos.ru/major/themes/11824050/

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL OSI Russia News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council – on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Leadership for Peace [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

Source: United Nations MIL-OSI 2

r. President, Excellencies,

I thank the government of Slovenia for convening this high-level debate on Leadership for Peace.

The topic is rooted in a fundamental truth: Peace is never automatic.

Peace demands action.

And peace demands leadership.

Instead, we’re seeing deepening geo-political divisions and mistrust.

Impunity is spreading, with repeated violations of international law and the UN Charter.

Conflicts are multiplying, becoming more complex and deadlier.

All regions are affected.

And civilians are paying the steepest price.

From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond — wars grind on, suffering grows, hunger deepens, lives are upended, and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations, and this Council, are undermined.

Mr. President, Excellencies,
Leadership for peace requires action in at least two key areas.

First — leadership for peace means all Member States living up to their commitments in the UN Charter, in international law and in recent agreements such as the Pact for the Future.

Among other things, the Pact calls for strengthening tools and frameworks to prevent conflict, sustain peace and advance sustainable development, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.

It calls for updating our tools for peace operations to allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges.
It reinforces the commitment to all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

It includes initiatives around disarmament, peacebuilding, and managing threats posed by lethal autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence and in new domains, including outer space and cyberspace.

It calls for measures to quickly address complex global shocks.

And it contains a new push to reform key institutions of global governance, including the global financial architecture and this very Council.

The Pact is a down-payment on these reforms.

But we will need strong political will to implement them, and rebuild the legitimacy and effectiveness of this Council.

Which brings me to my second point about leadership for peace.

Leadership for peace means ensuring that the UN Security Council acts in a meaningful way to ease global tensions and help address the conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering around the world.

Geopolitical divisions continue to block effective solutions.

A united Council can make a tremendous difference for peace.

A divided Council cannot.

It is imperative that Council Members spare no effort to work together to find common ground.

And it has proven capable of doing so in some key areas.

From currently overseeing 11 peacekeeping operations on three continents, involving nearly 70,000 uniformed peacekeeping personnel…

To resolutions that help keep vital humanitarian aid flowing to the world’s hotspots…

To the landmark Resolution 2719, which provides for African-Union led peace support operations authorized by the Council to have access to UN assessed contributions…

To the groundbreaking Resolutions that recognized the clear implications of peace and security challenges on the lives of women and youth…

To this Council’s growing ties to regional and sub-regional organizations to foster consensus and peace.
These examples — and more — prove that forging peace is possible.

When we consider the most difficult and intractable conflicts on this Council’s agenda, peace can seem an impossible dream.

But I strongly believe that peace is possible if we stick to principles.

Peace in Ukraine is possible.

By following the UN Charter and abiding by international law.

Peace in Gaza is possible.

By sparing no effort for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.

Peace in Sudan is possible.
By sending a clear message to the warring parties that all Members of this Council — including the five permanent Members — will not tolerate the horrific violence and desperate humanitarian crisis being unleashed on innocent civilians.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Les situations à l’ordre du jour de ce Conseil sont complexes et ne peuvent être résolues en un jour.

Mais l’ampleur du défi ne doit pas nous décourager.

Notre seul espoir d’avancer sur la voie de la paix réside dans une collaboration active et l’unité entre les membres du Conseil.

Aujourd’hui, j’appelle tous les États membres à se montrer à la hauteur de cette grande responsabilité – à la hauteur de la promesse de la Charte des Nations unies.

Contribuez au succès de ce Conseil – et non à son affaiblissement.

Faisons en sorte que le Conseil soit un forum efficace et représentatif pour la paix – aujourd’hui comme dans les années à venir.

****

[all-English]

Mr. President, Excellencies,

I thank the government of Slovenia for convening this high-level debate on Leadership for Peace.

The topic is rooted in a fundamental truth: Peace is never automatic.

Peace demands action.

And peace demands leadership.

Instead, we’re seeing deepening geo-political divisions and mistrust.

Impunity is spreading, with repeated violations of international law and the UN Charter.

Conflicts are multiplying, becoming more complex and deadlier.

All regions are affected.

And civilians are paying the steepest price.

From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond — wars grind on, suffering grows, hunger deepens, lives are upended, and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations, and this Council, are undermined.

Mr. President, Excellencies,
Leadership for peace requires action in at least two key areas.

First — leadership for peace means all Member States living up to their commitments in the UN Charter, in international law and in recent agreements such as the Pact for the Future.

Among other things, the Pact calls for strengthening tools and frameworks to prevent conflict, sustain peace and advance sustainable development, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.

It calls for updating our tools for peace operations to allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges.

It reinforces the commitment to all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

It includes initiatives around disarmament, peacebuilding, and managing threats posed by lethal autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence and in new domains, including outer space and cyberspace.

It calls for measures to quickly address complex global shocks.

And it contains a new push to reform key institutions of global governance, including the global financial architecture and this very Council.

The Pact is a down-payment on these reforms.

But we will need strong political will to implement them, and rebuild the legitimacy and effectiveness of this Council.

Which brings me to my second point about leadership for peace.

Leadership for peace means ensuring that the UN Security Council acts in a meaningful way to ease global tensions and help address the conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering around the world.

Geopolitical divisions continue to block effective solutions.

A united Council can make a tremendous difference for peace.

A divided Council cannot.

It is imperative that Council Members spare no effort to work together to find common ground.

And it has proven capable of doing so in some key areas.

From currently overseeing 11 peacekeeping operations on three continents, involving nearly 70,000 uniformed peacekeeping personnel…

To resolutions that help keep vital humanitarian aid flowing to the world’s hotspots…

To the landmark Resolution 2719, which provides for African-Union led peace support operations authorized by the Council to have access to UN assessed contributions…

To the groundbreaking Resolutions that recognized the clear implications of peace and security challenges on the lives of women and youth…

To this Council’s growing ties to regional and sub-regional organizations to foster consensus and peace.

These examples — and more — prove that forging peace is possible.

When we consider the most difficult and intractable conflicts on this Council’s agenda, peace can seem an impossible dream.

But I strongly believe that peace is possible if we stick to principles.

Peace in Ukraine is possible.

By following the UN Charter and abiding by international law.

Peace in Gaza is possible.

By sparing no effort for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.

Peace in Sudan is possible.
By sending a clear message to the warring parties that all Members of this Council — including the five permanent Members — will not tolerate the horrific violence and desperate humanitarian crisis being unleashed on innocent civilians.

Mr. President, Excellencies,

The situations on this Council’s agenda are complex and do not have quick fixes.

But the scale of the challenge should not deter us.

Our only hope for progress on peace is active collaboration and unity among Council Members.

Today, I call on all Members to live up to this great responsibility, and to the promise of the UN Charter.

Contribute to this Council’s success — not its diminishment.

Let’s ensure that this Council serves as an effective and representative forum for peace — today and in the years to come.

*******

[all-French]

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Je remercie le Gouvernement slovène d’avoir organisé ce débat de haut niveau sur le leadership pour la paix.

Le sujet traité repose sur une vérité fondamentale : la paix n’est jamais automatique.

Il n’y a pas de paix sans action.

Et il n’y a pas de paix sans leadership.

Pourtant, les divisions géopolitiques et la méfiance ne font qu’empirer.

L’impunité gagne du terrain, et l’on assiste à des violations répétées du droit international et de la Charte des Nations Unies.

Les conflits se multiplient ; ils deviennent plus complexes et plus meurtriers.

Toutes les régions sont touchées.

Et ce sont les civils qui paient le plus lourd tribut.

De Gaza à l’Ukraine en passant par le Soudan – mais pas seulement – les guerres s’éternisent, la souffrance s’amplifie, la faim s’aggrave, des vies sont bouleversées et la légitimité et l’efficacité de l’ONU et de ce Conseil sont remises en cause.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Le leadership pour la paix exige d’agir dans au moins deux grands domaines.

Premièrement, le leadership pour la paix suppose que tous les États Membres respectent les engagements qu’ils ont pris dans le cadre de la Charte des Nations Unies, du droit international et des accords récents, tels que le Pacte pour l’avenir.

Ainsi, le Pacte invite notamment à renforcer les outils et les cadres de prévention des conflits, de pérennisation de la paix et d’action au service du développement durable, avec la participation pleine, égale et véritable des femmes.

Il demande que nous renouvelions les outils à notre disposition pour les opérations de paix, afin de trouver des réponses plus souples et mieux adaptées aux défis existants, émergents et à venir.

Il réaffirme l’importance attachée à tous les droits humains : civils, politiques, économiques, sociaux et culturels.

Il prévoit des initiatives dans les domaines du désarmement, de la consolidation de la paix et de la gestion des menaces que représentent les armes létales autonomes et l’intelligence artificielle, ainsi que dans de nouveaux domaines, notamment l’espace extra-atmosphérique et le cyberespace.

Il préconise de prendre des mesures afin de pouvoir agir rapidement face aux chocs mondiaux complexes.

Et il cherche à donner un nouvel élan à la réforme des principales institutions de la gouvernance mondiale, y compris l’architecture financière mondiale et même le Conseil de sécurité.

Le Pacte constitue un engagement concret en faveur de ces réformes.

Mais nous aurons besoin d’une volonté politique ferme pour les mettre en œuvre et rétablir la légitimité et l’efficacité de ce Conseil.

Ce qui m’amène à mon deuxième point sur le leadership pour la paix.

Le leadership pour la paix suppose de donner au Conseil de sécurité les moyens d’agir véritablement pour apaiser les tensions mondiales et contribuer à régler les conflits qui causent tant de souffrances dans le monde.

Les divisions géopolitiques demeurent un obstacle à des solutions efficaces.

Un Conseil uni peut jouer un rôle déterminant en faveur de la paix.

Un Conseil divisé ne le peut pas.

Il est impératif que les membres du Conseil se concertent sans ménager leurs efforts pour trouver un terrain d’entente.

Le Conseil a prouvé qu’il était capable de parler d’une seule voix dans certains domaines importants.

Il supervise actuellement 11 opérations de maintien de la paix sur trois continents, où sont déployés près de 70 000 Casques bleus…

Il adopte des résolutions qui contribuent à l’acheminement ininterrompu d’une aide humanitaire vitale vers les points chauds de la planète…

Il a adopté une résolution historique, la résolution 2719, qui permet aux opérations d’appui à la paix dirigées par l’Union africaine et autorisées par le Conseil d’avoir accès aux contributions des États Membres de l’ONU…

Il a adopté des résolutions pionnières par lesquelles il a pris acte des incidences manifestes des problématiques de paix et de sécurité sur la vie des femmes et des jeunes…

Et il ne cesse de nouer des relations avec les organisations régionales et sous-régionales pour favoriser le consensus et la paix.

Tous ces exemples – et bien d’autres – prouvent qu’on peut instaurer la paix.

À la vue des conflits les plus complexes et les plus insolubles dont ce Conseil est saisi, on peut penser que la paix est un rêve irréalisable.

Mais je crois fermement que la paix est possible si nous nous en tenons aux principes.

La paix en Ukraine est possible.

En suivant la Charte des Nations Unies et en respectant le droit international.

La paix dans la bande de Gaza est possible.

En travaillant d’arrache-pied pour obtenir un cessez-le-feu immédiat, la libération immédiate de tous les otages et la mise en chantier d’un processus irréversible pour qu’une solution des deux États voie le jour.

La paix au Soudan est possible.

En envoyant un message clair aux parties belligérantes, à savoir que tous les membres de ce Conseil – y compris les cinq membres permanents – ne toléreront pas la terrible violence et la crise humanitaire effroyable que subissent des civils innocents.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Les situations à l’ordre du jour de ce Conseil sont complexes et ne peuvent être résolues en un jour.

Mais l’ampleur du défi ne doit pas nous décourager.

Notre seul espoir d’avancer sur la voie de la paix réside dans une collaboration active et l’unité entre les membres du Conseil.

Aujourd’hui, j’appelle tous les États membres à se montrer à la hauteur de cette grande responsabilité – à la hauteur de la promesse de la Charte des Nations Unies.

Contribuez au succès de ce Conseil – et non à son affaiblissement.

Faisons en sorte que le Conseil soit un forum efficace et représentatif pour la paix – aujourd’hui comme dans les années à venir.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Canada: The CRA invites taxpayers to share ideas for service improvements
Source: Government of Canada News (2)

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is committed to providing a high-quality service experience for taxpayers and benefit recipients.
September 25, 2024 Ottawa, Ontario Canada Revenue Agency

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is committed to providing a high-quality service experience for taxpayers and benefit recipients. To deliver on these efforts, the CRA is launching public consultations to hear from individuals, non-professional representatives, and tax intermediaries about their experiences with CRA services.

The CRA service consultations 2024 will play an important role in further understanding the experiences of those who rely on CRA services, and identifying areas where improvements are needed. As the CRA adapts to an ever-changing environment, ensuring our services remain accessible, responsive, and tailored to the evolving needs of clients is our top priority.

How to participate

From September 25 to December 2, 2024, individuals, non-professional representatives, and tax intermediaries have the opportunity to share feedback on their experiences interacting with CRA services through an online questionnaire. The CRA will also hold both in-person and virtual consultation sessions with members of these groups by invitation, allowing for more in-depth discussions.
- Every voice matters: participate in the online questionnaire to share your feedback and help shape the future of CRA services.
To ensure the privacy of participants and that a wide range of perspectives is captured, the recruitment of participants and reporting will be managed by an independent third party.

What we hope to learn

As the world changes with new technologies and evolving trends, your expectations of government services are also shifting. The CRA is the administrator of a complex tax system and recognizes the need to be responsive to these changes to deliver services that strive to put people first. We know taxpayers and benefit recipients deserve a better service experience and we want to focus on what matters most to them. This is why we need feedback. Through these consultations, we aim to understand the specific challenges they are facing and identify areas where our services fall short of their expectations.

How feedback shapes improvements

Over the past few years, there has been a growing demand for digital-first, seamless experiences, prompting the CRA to modernize its services to enhance ease of access. Previous feedback has been pivotal in driving service improvements, and these consultations are another important step in ensuring our services address the needs of our clients. Recent key improvements include:
- Introducing a digital application for the Disability Tax Credit to streamline the process for those who rely on this essential support.
- Enhancing the CRA’s sign-in services to ensure faster and more secure access to online accounts.
- Implementing the Learn about your taxes online learning tool to help young people better understand and manage their tax obligations.
- Increasing Contact Centre hours to improve access to timely support, recognizing the challenges individuals and businesses face in reaching us, we are working to ensure they can get the help they need when they need it.
- Expanding the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP), which helps vulnerable and lower-income populations access free tax-filing support.
While we’ve made progress, the CRA recognizes that challenges remain and there is still more work to be done. Encouraging participation in these consultations will play a key role in shaping the future of CRA programs and services, making it easier for taxpayers to understand their tax obligations and receive the benefits and credits they may be eligible for.

For more information on the consultations and to participate, visit CRA service consultations 2024.
Justine Lesage
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of National Revenue
Justine.Lesage@cra-arc.gc.ca

MIL OSI Canada News –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Dina Titus Statement on FTC Crackdown on Invitation Homes

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV1) today released the following statement after the Federal Trade Commission took action against Invitation Homes for deceiving renters about lease costs, charging undisclosed junk fees, failing to inspect homes before renters moved in, and unfairly withholding tenants’ security deposits when they moved out.

“The FTC took a major step in addressing deceptive rental practices in Southern Nevada which have contributed to skyrocketing rental costs,” Congresswoman Titus said. “Invitation Homes is the second-largest owner of single-family homes in Clark County, with some 3,500 homes. The FTC action requires Invitation Homes to make refunds to consumers and sends a strong message that rent gouging will not be tolerated.”

Invitation Homes has agreed to a proposed settlement order that would require the company to turn over $48 million to be used to refund consumers harmed by its actions nationally. The corporate landlord will also be required to clearly disclose its leasing prices, establish policies and procedures to handle security deposit refunds fairly, and stop other unlawful behavior.

See FTC’s news release for more background.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Casten, Brownley Propose Voluntary Carbon Footprint Label for Food
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)
September 25, 2024

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) and Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) introduced the Voluntary Food Climate Labeling Act, legislation to revolutionize the way consumers learn about the climate impact of the food they purchase.

Under the legislation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will work with food producers, manufacturers, and retailers to develop a voluntary food climate label to place on products that will contain EPA-verified information relating to the carbon footprint of that product.

“A growing number of consumers are eager to know the climate impacts of the items they purchase,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “The Voluntary Food Climate Labeling Act provides them with the information they need to make climate-conscious decisions–if they so choose–with their hard-earned money, empowering them to take control of their own carbon footprint.”

“The food and agriculture sector currently contributes an estimated 10 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “While a majority of U.S. consumers say that sustainability is important to them when purchasing food, research shows that consumers struggle to identify which products are the most sustainable. This food climate label would help consumers more easily identify sustainable foods and food production, creating a simple and effective solution to address one of the significant causes of greenhouse gas emissions. Creating this label will be a real win-win for the agriculture sector, consumers, and our environment.”

The label will include information on the greenhouse gas emissions released during the production, manufacturing, distribution, consumer use, end-of-life reuse, and recycling of a food product. This will help food producers, manufacturers, and retailers showcase the work they’ve done to reduce their carbon footprint, while empowering consumers with more information to shop more sustainably.

Text of the legislation can be found here.

How it Works:
- The legislation would establish the Voluntary Food Climate Labeling Program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in implementing the program.
- Entities selling food products will be allowed, but not mandated, to apply to the Program to put a food climate label on the packaging of their food product.
- The label will:
- Provide a numerical summary of the best available information regarding the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released during the growing of the food ingredients, manufacturing, processing, packaging, distribution, storage, presentation in the retail establishment, consumer use (including the energy involved in refrigeration and cooking), end-of-life reuse, recycling, composting, treatment, and disposal of the food and its packaging.
- Of the above information, the food producer, manufacturer, or retailer will provide the “cradle-to-gate” information, from the growing of the food to its arrival at the retail establishment. Because the rest of the food lifecycle – including how it is stored, prepared, and disposed of – is beyond the control of these businesses, EPA will provide the information on the rest, based on the typical use case, in consultation with the producer, manufacturer, or retailer.
- In addition, the label will:
1. Convey the information in a manner determined to be most useful to the consumer at the point of sale;
1. Not convey that any given food is acceptable or unacceptable – that kind of decision being left to the consumer, presumably as informed by the factual information conveyed through the label;
1. Convey that the information has been verified by EPA;
1. Include a logo to help the consumer identify the label;
1. Include a QR code to provide the consumer access to the above-described in-depth information.
1. In specifying the visual form, the information to be included, and the method for verification, the EPA shall consult with food industry stakeholders, and may do so through the establishment of a federal advisory committee or a negotiated rulemaking.
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MIL OSI USA News –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: NH Delegation Welcomes $60 Million in Tax Credits for Community Development to Support Small Businesses and Spur Economic Growth

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Today the New Hampshire delegation announced that Mascoma Community Development, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mascoma Bank of Lebanon, was awarded $60 million in New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) to incentivize development in underserved communities.

“Investments into our communities and small businesses are helping develop local economies, create more good-paying jobs, and strengthen our quality of life,” said Congressman Pappas. “These funds will incentivize economic development in New Hampshire’s underserved communities to ensure no city or town is left behind. I’ll continue to advocate for programs that help our state, small businesses, and communities grow and thrive.”

“Underserved communities and small businesses often struggle to get the capital they need to grow, which is why this investment is key to the overall economic success of our state. I’m glad to see this award going to Mascoma Community Development to help ensure small businesses and entrepreneurs working to develop these communities have the resources they need to succeed,” said Senator Shaheen. “I look forward to continuing to support programs that provide development opportunities, create jobs and grow our economy in communities across New Hampshire.”

“Investing in Granite State businesses and ensuring that they have access to the capital that they need is a key way to help our local economy thrive,” said Senator Hassan. “This federal funding will promote development and growth in the Upper Valley and throughout New Hampshire, and I will keep supporting programs that help create jobs and invest in our state.”

“Small businesses and local entrepreneurs are the backbone of New Hampshire’s economy and way of life,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “These resources heading to Mascoma Community Development will go a long way toward uplifting our Main Street businesses and the communities they serve, and I look forward to seeing the benefit the New Market Tax Credit program continues to have on New Hampshire’s economic growth.”

This award is provided by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), which promotes development in low-income urban and rural communities by investing in mission-driven financial institutions. Tax credit allocations awarded to Community Development Entities (CDE), such as Mascoma Community Development, enable CDEs to raise additional capital to invest in low income and distressed communities in return for tax credits. The total tax credit provided to investors equals 39 percent of the original investment and is spread over a seven-year period.

Historically, NMTC Program awards have generated $8 of private investment for every $1 invested by the federal government. Through the end of fiscal year 2023, NMTC Program award recipients deployed more than $66 billion in investments in low-income communities and businesses, supporting more than 894,000 jobs and the construction or rehabilitation of nearly 259.5 million square feet of commercial real estate.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: McCaul, Rogers, Turner, Cole, Calvert, Díaz-Balart Demand Biden-Harris Admin Release Unclassified Ukraine Strategy

Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Media Contact 202-226-8467

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH), House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA), and House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) released a statement demanding the Biden-Harris administration release an unclassified version of the Ukraine strategy as required by law.

“The Biden-Harris administration must immediately release an unclassified version of its strategy for how U.S. and allied assistance will hasten a Ukrainian victory in Russia’s war of aggression. After submitting the strategy months after the congressionally-mandated deadline, the decision to fully classify it is unacceptable and defies critical provisions that House Republicans fought to enact as part of the National Security Supplemental and the FY24 spending bills. Given the vital U.S. interests at stake in Ukraine defeating Putin’s invading forces, all of Congress and the American people deserve to understand how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent.”

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MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Translation: SDG Flag Day in Lugano: the important role of cities in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals

MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in French

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 25.09.2024 – Since 2019, the SDG Flag Day has been held every year on 25 September, at the initiative of the business community (UN Global Compact). Schools, municipalities, organisations, companies and governments raise a flag depicting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to symbolically express their support for the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. By participating in the SDG Flag Day event in Lugano, the two Federal Council delegates for the 2030 Agenda, Markus Reubi and Daniel Dubas, are emphasising the importance of cities in implementing the 2030 Agenda.

Access to green spaces and public spaces, sustainable transport systems, waste sorting or urban planning with all stakeholders: cities are particularly confronted with the challenges of sustainability. Although they only cover 3% of the Earth’s surface, they consume three quarters of the world’s resources and are responsible for 75% of global emissions. This is why SDG 11 “Sustainable cities and communities” of the 2030 Agenda also addresses this central theme.

Cities and municipalities must be designed to be more inclusive, resilient and green. On this year’s SDG Flag Day, the City of Lugano is illustrating with various examples how it is contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

“With his program

Today’s event in Lugano is the starting point for closer collaboration between the FDFA and various cities in the field of sustainability, which will be supported by a city symposium at the 2025 edition.

Agenda 2030The 2030 Agenda is the global framework for local, national and international efforts to find common solutions to major global challenges, such as climate change, resource exploitation, biodiversity conservation and health crises. The 2030 Agenda was adopted on 25 September 2015 by 193 UN Member States, including Switzerland. It applies to all States and sets sustainable development goals until 2030. In Switzerland, too, the 2030 Agenda outlines the broad outlines of sustainable development policy. The 17 SDGs and their 169 targets are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda. They are structured around five principles that guide action: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. With these five principles, the 2030 Agenda aims to ensure human well-being, economic development and environmental protection and addresses aspects such as peace, the rule of law and governance. The SDG Flag Day event is an initiative of the United Nations Global Compact, a global network of businesses committed to the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Address for sending questions

Communication DFAE Federal Palace WestCH-3003 BernTel. Press Service: 41 58 460 55 55E-Mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.chTwitter: @EDA_DFAE

Author

Federal Department of Foreign Affairshttps://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/fr/dfae.html

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL Translation OSI

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Translation: Agency invites taxpayers to share ideas for improving services

MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

Source: Government of Canada – in French 1

The Canada Revenue Agency is committed to providing a high-quality service experience to taxpayers and benefit recipients.

September 25, 2024 Ottawa, Ontario Canada Revenue Agency

The Canada Revenue Agency is committed to providing a high-quality service experience to taxpayers and benefit recipients. In this spirit, the Agency is launching public consultations to hear from individuals, non-professional representatives and tax intermediaries on their appreciation of the Agency’s services.

THE Consultations on Agency 2024 services will serve, on the one hand, to better understand the experience of people who rely on the Agency’s services and, on the other hand, to identify areas where improvements are desirable. As the Agency adapts to a constantly changing environment, its top priority remains to ensure that its services remain accessible, responsive and adapted to the changing needs of clients.

How to participate

From September 25 to December 2, 2024, individuals, non-professional representatives, and tax intermediaries will have the opportunity to share their impressions of their interactions with the Agency’s services through an online questionnaire. The Agency will also hold in-person and online consultation sessions with members of these groups by invitation to conduct more in-depth discussions.

Every voice counts: Answer the online questionnaire to share your thoughts and help shape the future of the Agency’s services.

To ensure participant confidentiality and to obtain a broad range of perspectives, participant recruitment and reporting will be managed by an independent third party.

What the Agency hopes to learn

New technologies and emerging trends are changing the world, and so are taxpayers’ expectations of government services. The Agency, which administers a complex tax system, recognizes the need to adapt to these changes in order to provide people-centred services. It also recognizes that taxpayers and benefit recipients deserve a better service experience and want to focus on what matters most to them. That’s why it needs their feedback. The consultations will help us understand the specific challenges they face and identify specific services that are not meeting their expectations.

How taxpayer feedback shapes the Agency’s services

In recent years, demand for a seamless digital experience has increased, prompting the Agency to modernize its services to make them easier to access. Feedback collected in the past has played a vital role in improving services, and the upcoming consultations will be another important step in ensuring service delivery is tailored to the needs of our clients. Key improvements the Agency has made include:

Creating a digital form for the Disability Tax Credit to simplify the process for those who rely on this critical support. Enhancing the Agency’s login services to ensure faster and more secure access to online accounts. Launching the Understanding Your Taxes e-learning tool to help youth better understand and manage their tax obligations. Extending contact centre hours to improve access to timely support. Recognizing the challenges individuals and businesses face in reaching the Agency, the Agency is working to ensure they can get the help they need when they need it. Expanding the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP), which helps vulnerable and low-income individuals access free support with filing their taxes.

While progress has been made, the Agency recognizes that challenges remain and that more work needs to be done. Encouraging participation in these consultations will play a key role in shaping the Agency’s future programs and services, making it easier for taxpayers to understand their tax obligations and access the benefits and credits to which they are entitled.

To learn more about the consultations and to complete the questionnaire, go to ARC Services Consultations 2024.

Justine LesageDirector of CommunicationsOffice of the Minister of National RevenueJustine.Lesage@cra-arc.gc.ca

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL Translation OSI

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Security: Stockton Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Offense

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ricardo Sanchez, 32, of Stockton, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 20, 2023, law enforcement officers found Sanchez to be in possession of a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. Sanchez is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple prior felony convictions, including conspiracy to commit a crime and inflicting injury on a spouse/cohabitant or fellow parent.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitnee Goins is prosecuting the case.

Sanchez is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2025, by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb. Sanchez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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

This case is the result of the ongoing collaboration between the Sacramento Police Department and its local, state, and federal partners as part of a Public Safety Partnership (PSP) to address violent crime in our community. Started in 2022, the Sacramento PSP is a multifaceted violence-reduction strategy that relies on innovative data-driven strategies to promote public and community safety. Participating PSP partners include the Sacramento County’s District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the DEA, the ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

MIL Security OSI –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Boebert’s Legislation to Protect Native Fish Species and Responsible Water & Power Users Passes in the House of Representatives

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-03) applauded final passage of her legislation H.R. 4596, “Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act:”

“Passage of my bill to reauthorize the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin Recovery Programs is a major win for Colorado and the West. These important programs, which will be extended for an additional seven fiscal years, will ensure that 2,500 water and power projects continue, and provide legal certainty for water and power users throughout Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

With strong bicameral, bipartisan momentum and significant stakeholder support, I’m confident this bill will become law and this important program will be reauthorized,” said Congresswoman Boebert.

“Congresswoman Boebert is true fighter for Colorado’s rich biodiversity, and her bill to reauthorize the endangered fish recovery programs in the San Juan and Upper Colorado River Basins will ensure these species are healthy for future generations to enjoy. I’m so glad to see this commonsense, science-based legislation pass the House today, and look forward to seeing it signed into law,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman

Background:

The House of Representatives voted to pass Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s bill H.R. 4596, the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act.

Congresswoman Boebert’s bicameral bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, provides a clean, seven-year reauthorization of the Upper Colorado and San Juan Recovery Programs that protect four threatened and endangered native fish species in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins by extending conservation programs at current funding levels for seven additional fiscal years.

The Upper Colorado and San Juan Recovery Programs were established in 1988 to achieve full recovery of four federally listed endangered fish species including the humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker. Those designations led to the threat of significant water and power-use restrictions.

The recovery programs facilitate water delivery from the Navajo, Flaming Gorge, and Aspinall Unit reservoirs which collectively can store more than 6.5 million acre-feet of water as part of the Colorado River Storage Project.

For over three decades, states, tribes, local communities, environmental groups, energy users, and water users, have partnered to help recover four threatened and endangered fish species while continuing water and power facility development and operations in the Upper Colorado River Basin and the San Juan River Basin.

Non-federal partners contribute $11 million per year in water contributions, plus another $750,000 in staffing and in-kind contributions. Participating states contribute $500,000 to base funding each year in cash equivalents for recovery actions, including for fish hatcheries and non-native fish removal.

The Fish and Wildlife Service contributes $1.56 million per year in base funding. The Bureau of Reclamation provides cost-shared contributions to both base and capital funding. Reclamation’s capital funding supports major infrastructure projects at reservoirs, diversion dams, canals, and floodplains across the basin.

Without these programs, these 2,500 water and power users would have to perform extremely burdensome Section 7 consultations for all 2,500 individual projects.

Because of the success of these programs, the humpback chub and the razorback sucker are success stories with the chub been downlisted from endangered to threatened and the razorback being recommended for downlisting.

Rep. Boebert’s bill is the result of months of hard work with local stakeholders, the Bureau of Reclamation, and Senators Hickenlooper and Romney, and others to provide a long-term solution by reauthorizing these vital programs until 2031.

Groups supporting Congresswoman Boebert’s Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act include: Aurora Water, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Clifton Water District, Colorado River District, Colorado River Energy Distributors Association, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado Water Congress, Delta County Commissioners, Denver Water, Dolores County Commissioners, Dolores Water Conservancy District, Grand Valley Water Users, Huerfano County Commissioners, LaPlata Water Conservation District, Mesa County Farm Bureau, Montezuma County, Municipal Subdistrict, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Pueblo Water, Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District, Rio Blanco Board of Commissioners, Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District, Rio Grande Water Conservation District, San Juan Water Commission, Southern Ute Tribe, Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Southwestern Water Conservation District, Tri-County Water Conservancy District, Utah Waters Users Association, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Ute Water Conservancy District.

Co-sponsors of Congresswoman Boebert’s bill include Rep. John Duarte (CA-13), Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Rep. Harriet Hageman (WY-AL), Rep. Troy Nehls (TX-22), and Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04).

Full text of Rep. Boebert’s Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act can be found HERE. Full replay of Rep. Boebert’s remarks on the House floor can be found HERE.

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For updates, subscribe to Congresswoman Boebert’s newsletter here.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Ernst Leverage Newly Obtained Records on ATF’s Unlawful Misclassification Scandal to Seek Answers & Accountability

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

WASHINGTON – Upon obtaining an unreleased report via protected whistleblower disclosures, Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are raising additional questions about the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)’s decision to reinstate the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF)’s position classification authority. The Office of Special Counsel previously substantiated whistleblower claims ATF repeatedly and unlawfully labeled administrative positions as “law enforcement,” costing the taxpayer at least $20 million.
The new records show the Justice Department (DOJ) Justice Management Division (JMD), which is supposed to determine whether DOJ is properly classifying law enforcement positions, requested the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) assess the agency’s practices. The resulting report reveals far-reaching failures across DOJ and raises flags about findings in an ATF Human Capital Management Evaluation (HCME) audit OPM conducted but has yet to publish.
“[OPM] must fully explain, in detail, the actions taken by ATF, the Justice Department, and JMD to come into full compliance with the law, as well as the oversight mechanisms put in place to prevent millions of taxpayer dollars from being subjected to further ‘substantial waste’ due to the ATF’s illegal misconduct,” Grassley and Ernst wrote. “Further, the Justice Department must provide answers to the taxpayers about how those who were involved in or allowed ATF’s illegal misclassification scheme to continue have been held accountable. The American public deserves transparency from the OPM.”
Notable excerpts from the NAPA report:

DOJ’s lack of effective oversight enabled ATF’s illegal misclassification scheme to persist; JMD only denied one ATF classification request in the past eight years, despite OPM identifying 91 misclassified positions.

Grassley and Ernst are requesting OPM provide the complete, unpublished ATF HCME audit. However, the NAPA report discusses the following audit contents:

“[S]ome ATF [human resources] staff raised their concerns about the [illegal classifications] to the ATF leadership, but leaders rejected their concerns” and “ignored warnings by ATF officials.”

The senators’ full letters to JMD and ATF, as well as OPM, are available at the corresponding links.
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MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: SBA Announces Over $3 Million in Awards to Advance Local Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for STEM, R&D-Focused Small Businesses and Startups
Source: United States Small Business Administration

WASHINGTON – Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 34 million small businesses, announced the 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) Stage Two winners. Forty-four accelerator partnerships received between $50,000 and $150,000 each to advance their work supporting small businesses and startups in STEM and research and development (R&D) across priority areas like national and economic security, domestic manufacturing and production, and sustainability and biotechnology.

“Innovation happens everywhere and the Biden-Harris Administration is continuing to build on its commitment to promote sustainable and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems that advance research and development and commercialization in communities across the nation,” said Administrator Guzman. “The 2024 GAFC Stage Two award winners will drive forward the Investing in America agenda and strengthen America’s global competitiveness by continuing to support the expanding and increasingly diverse entrepreneurs across the nation and provide them with the opportunities that lower barriers for market and capital access.”

GAFC Stage One prizes emphasized ecosystem network building, while Stage Two efforts focus on the enhanced support that can be provided to small businesses and startups through these Growth Accelerator Partnerships. These partnerships span public, private, nonprofit, and academic institutions, fostering collaboration across industries and geographies, with lead awardees headquartered in 34 U.S. states and territories, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and assisting innovators nationally.

“Since its launch in 2014, the SBA’s Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) has made a positive difference to local and national innovation-focused entrepreneurship organizations and the communities they support. The competition has grown to be a core component and vital source of support to our nation’s innovation ecosystem. Over the last decade, SBA has awarded 566 prizes totaling over $33 million to winners across the U.S. and U.S. territories. We are delighted to announce 31 of this year’s Stage Two winners are new to the program, and we are inspired to witness communities of ecosystem developers coming together to build new relationships and networks with GAFC funding,” said Bailey G. DeVries, Associate Administrator for SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation.

Growth Accelerator Fund Competition Stage Two Winners

Learn more about each GAFC partnership in the public directory located at https://bit.ly/GAFC24Directory.

National and Economic Security
- Ala., The Catalyst Center for Business and Entrepreneurship
- Calif., Starburst Accelerator
- Colo., Catalyst Accelerator
- Ind., Central Indiana Corporate Partnership
- Ind., Indiana Center for Emerging Technologies
- La., Maven Scouts
- Md., Rural Autonomous Innovation Network (RAIN) Association of University Research Parks (AURP)
- Mo., Codefi Foundation on Rural Innovation
- Mont., Early Stage Montana
- Neb., Invest Nebraska
- N.M., NewSpace Nexus
Domestic Manufacturing and Production
- Ariz., Startup Tucson
- Ark., Endeavor NWA Entrepreneurs
- District of Columbia, National Disability Institute
- Fla., Florida Institute of Technology
- Fla., International Business Innovation Association
- Hawaii, XLR8HI
- N.C., RIoT
- N.D., Grand Farm Research and Education Initiative Inc.
- N.Y., FuzeHub
- N.Y., Southern Tier High Technology Incubator Inc.
- Utah, Utah Advanced Materials Manufacturing Institute
- Wash., 360 Social Impact Studios
Sustainability and Biotechnology
- Alaska, Spruce Root Inc.
- Calif., Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
- Conn., The Community Foundation-Mission Investments Company
- Ill., University of Illinois Research Park LLC
- Maine, Central Maine Growth Council
- Mass., SeaAhead Inc.
- Minn., RuralWorks Partners LLC
- N.C., Eva Garland Consulting LLC
- N.Y., The Hudson Valley Venture Hub at SUNY New Paltz
- Ore., Oregon Health and Science University
- Pa., University City Science Center
- Puerto Rico, CARBONO3 LLC
- Tenn., BioTN Foundation Inc.
- Tenn., Native American Investment and Capital Alliance
- Texas, Health Wildcatters
- Texas, Impact Hub Houston
- Utah, Altitude Lab
- Va., FedTech
- Vt., LaunchVT
- W.Va., U.S. Research Impact Alliance Corp.
- Washington, D.C., Women in Engineering ProActive Network
“Supported by SBA’s Investment and Innovation Ecosystem Development (IIED) Division, the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition awards boost strategic partnerships that create a national network so entrepreneurs can tap into significant capital and resources. Our work emphasizes the value of strategic connections and relationships across a wide variety of entrepreneur support organizations and accentuates how the work they are doing can successfully impact the growth and advancement of our federal innovation ecosystem,” said Brittany Sickler, Director of Ecosystem Development, for SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation. “We are changing the trajectory for underserved communities and founders so that more startups and small businesses can scale and grow. “

For more information about the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition, please visit SBA’s Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (americasseedfund.us).

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About SBA Office of Investment and Innovation

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) leads programs that provide the growth-oriented small business and startup community with access to financial capital, networks, assistance, and R&D funds to develop commercially viable innovations. Our work is underpinned by public-private partnerships that help small businesses on their trajectory from idea to IPO.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI: Boussard & Gavaudan Holding Ltd (EUR): Results of Annual General Meeting
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Boussard & Gavaudan Holding Limited (the “Company”)
a closed-ended investment company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey
with registration number 45582

Legal Entity Identifier: 5493002XNM3W9D6DF327

Results of Annual General Meeting

The Company hereby gives notification that at the annual general meeting of the Company held on Wednesday, 25 September, 2024 at 11.30 a.m., all resolutions set out in the notice of meeting were duly passed. The Board would like to thank the shareholders of the Company for their continued support.

The details of all resolutions passed are as follows:

ORDINARY BUSINESS – ORDINARY RESOLUTIONS

1. That the Company’s annual report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 be received. (2,093,048 votes cast, all in favour, none against and none withheld)

2. That Mr Erich Bonnet who, being eligible and having offered himself for re-election, be re-appointed as a director of the Company. (2,093,048 votes cast, all in favour, none against and none withheld)

3. That Ms Sylvie Sauton who, being eligible and having offered herself for re-election, be re-appointed as a director of the Company. (2,093,048 votes cast, all in favour, none against and none withheld)

4. That Mr Luke Allen who, being eligible and having offered himself for re-election, be re-appointed as a director of the Company. (2,093,048 votes cast, all in favour, none against and none withheld)

5. That Mr Frédéric Hervouet who, being eligible and having offered himself for re-election, be re-appointed as a director of the Company. (2,093,048 votes cast, all in favour, none against and none withheld)

For further information, please contact:

Boussard & Gavaudan Investment Management, LLP
Emmanuel Gavaudan
+44 20 3751 5389

JTC Fund Solutions (Guernsey) Limited
Secretary
+44 (0) 1481 702400

25 September, 2024
Website: www.bgholdingltd.com

The Company is established as a closed-ended investment company domiciled in Guernsey. The Company has been authorised by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission as an authorised closed-ended investment scheme. The Company is registered with the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets as a collective investment scheme pursuant to article 2:73 in conjunction with 2:66 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht). The shares of the Company (the “Shares”) are listed on Euronext Amsterdam. The Shares are also listed on the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange plc’s main market for listed securities.

This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. This announcement is not intended to and does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to purchase any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of the securities referred to in this announcement in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law.

Neither the Company nor BG Master Fund ICAV have been, and neither will be, registered under the US Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). In addition the securities referenced in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Consequently any such securities may not be offered, sold or otherwise transferred within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, US persons except in accordance with the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom and under circumstances which will not require the issuer of such securities to register under the Investment Company Act. No public offering of any securities will be made in the United States.

You should always bear in mind that:
- all investment is subject to risk;
- results in the past are no guarantee of future results;
- the investment performance of BGHL may go down as well as up. You may not get back all of your original investment; and
- if you are in any doubt about the contents of this communication or if you consider making an investment decision, you are advised to seek expert financial advice.
This communication is for information purposes only and the information contained in this communication should not be relied upon as a substitute for financial or other professional advice.

END OF ANNOUNCEMENT

Attachment
- ANN Results of AGM 2024 Final
The MIL Network –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI: Boussard & Gavaudan Holding Ltd (GBP): Results of Annual General Meeting
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Boussard & Gavaudan Holding Limited (the “Company”)
a closed-ended investment company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey
with registration number 45582

Legal Entity Identifier: 5493002XNM3W9D6DF327

Results of Annual General Meeting

The Company hereby gives notification that at the annual general meeting of the Company held on Wednesday, 25 September, 2024 at 11.30 a.m., all resolutions set out in the notice of meeting were duly passed. The Board would like to thank the shareholders of the Company for their continued support.

The details of all resolutions passed are as follows:

ORDINARY BUSINESS – ORDINARY RESOLUTIONS

1. That the Company’s annual report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 be received. (2,093,048 votes cast, all in favour, none against and none withheld)

2. That Mr Erich Bonnet who, being eligible and having offered himself for re-election, be re-appointed as a director of the Company. (2,093,048 votes cast, all in favour, none against and none withheld)

3. That Ms Sylvie Sauton who, being eligible and having offered herself for re-election, be re-appointed as a director of the Company. (2,093,048 votes cast, all in favour, none against and none withheld)

4. That Mr Luke Allen who, being eligible and having offered himself for re-election, be re-appointed as a director of the Company. (2,093,048 votes cast, all in favour, none against and none withheld)

5. That Mr Frédéric Hervouet who, being eligible and having offered himself for re-election, be re-appointed as a director of the Company. (2,093,048 votes cast, all in favour, none against and none withheld)

For further information, please contact:

Boussard & Gavaudan Investment Management, LLP
Emmanuel Gavaudan
+44 20 3751 5389

JTC Fund Solutions (Guernsey) Limited
Secretary
+44 (0) 1481 702400

25 September, 2024
Website: www.bgholdingltd.com

The Company is established as a closed-ended investment company domiciled in Guernsey. The Company has been authorised by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission as an authorised closed-ended investment scheme. The Company is registered with the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets as a collective investment scheme pursuant to article 2:73 in conjunction with 2:66 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht). The shares of the Company (the “Shares”) are listed on Euronext Amsterdam. The Shares are also listed on the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange plc’s main market for listed securities.

This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. This announcement is not intended to and does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to purchase any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of the securities referred to in this announcement in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law.

Neither the Company nor BG Master Fund ICAV have been, and neither will be, registered under the US Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). In addition the securities referenced in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Consequently any such securities may not be offered, sold or otherwise transferred within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, US persons except in accordance with the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom and under circumstances which will not require the issuer of such securities to register under the Investment Company Act. No public offering of any securities will be made in the United States.

You should always bear in mind that:
- all investment is subject to risk;
- results in the past are no guarantee of future results;
- the investment performance of BGHL may go down as well as up. You may not get back all of your original investment; and
- if you are in any doubt about the contents of this communication or if you consider making an investment decision, you are advised to seek expert financial advice.
This communication is for information purposes only and the information contained in this communication should not be relied upon as a substitute for financial or other professional advice.

END OF ANNOUNCEMENT

Attachment
- ANN Results of AGM 2024 Final
The MIL Network –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council – on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Leadership for Peace [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

Source: United Nations – English

r. President, Excellencies,

I thank the government of Slovenia for convening this high-level debate on Leadership for Peace.

The topic is rooted in a fundamental truth: Peace is never automatic.

Peace demands action.

And peace demands leadership.

Instead, we’re seeing deepening geo-political divisions and mistrust.

Impunity is spreading, with repeated violations of international law and the UN Charter.

Conflicts are multiplying, becoming more complex and deadlier.

All regions are affected.

And civilians are paying the steepest price.

From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond — wars grind on, suffering grows, hunger deepens, lives are upended, and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations, and this Council, are undermined.

Mr. President, Excellencies,
Leadership for peace requires action in at least two key areas.

First — leadership for peace means all Member States living up to their commitments in the UN Charter, in international law and in recent agreements such as the Pact for the Future.

Among other things, the Pact calls for strengthening tools and frameworks to prevent conflict, sustain peace and advance sustainable development, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.

It calls for updating our tools for peace operations to allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges.
It reinforces the commitment to all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

It includes initiatives around disarmament, peacebuilding, and managing threats posed by lethal autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence and in new domains, including outer space and cyberspace.

It calls for measures to quickly address complex global shocks.

And it contains a new push to reform key institutions of global governance, including the global financial architecture and this very Council.

The Pact is a down-payment on these reforms.

But we will need strong political will to implement them, and rebuild the legitimacy and effectiveness of this Council.

Which brings me to my second point about leadership for peace.

Leadership for peace means ensuring that the UN Security Council acts in a meaningful way to ease global tensions and help address the conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering around the world.

Geopolitical divisions continue to block effective solutions.

A united Council can make a tremendous difference for peace.

A divided Council cannot.

It is imperative that Council Members spare no effort to work together to find common ground.

And it has proven capable of doing so in some key areas.

From currently overseeing 11 peacekeeping operations on three continents, involving nearly 70,000 uniformed peacekeeping personnel…

To resolutions that help keep vital humanitarian aid flowing to the world’s hotspots…

To the landmark Resolution 2719, which provides for African-Union led peace support operations authorized by the Council to have access to UN assessed contributions…

To the groundbreaking Resolutions that recognized the clear implications of peace and security challenges on the lives of women and youth…

To this Council’s growing ties to regional and sub-regional organizations to foster consensus and peace.
These examples — and more — prove that forging peace is possible.

When we consider the most difficult and intractable conflicts on this Council’s agenda, peace can seem an impossible dream.

But I strongly believe that peace is possible if we stick to principles.

Peace in Ukraine is possible.

By following the UN Charter and abiding by international law.

Peace in Gaza is possible.

By sparing no effort for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.

Peace in Sudan is possible.
By sending a clear message to the warring parties that all Members of this Council — including the five permanent Members — will not tolerate the horrific violence and desperate humanitarian crisis being unleashed on innocent civilians.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Les situations à l’ordre du jour de ce Conseil sont complexes et ne peuvent être résolues en un jour.

Mais l’ampleur du défi ne doit pas nous décourager.

Notre seul espoir d’avancer sur la voie de la paix réside dans une collaboration active et l’unité entre les membres du Conseil.

Aujourd’hui, j’appelle tous les États membres à se montrer à la hauteur de cette grande responsabilité – à la hauteur de la promesse de la Charte des Nations unies.

Contribuez au succès de ce Conseil – et non à son affaiblissement.

Faisons en sorte que le Conseil soit un forum efficace et représentatif pour la paix – aujourd’hui comme dans les années à venir.

****

[all-English]

Mr. President, Excellencies,

I thank the government of Slovenia for convening this high-level debate on Leadership for Peace.

The topic is rooted in a fundamental truth: Peace is never automatic.

Peace demands action.

And peace demands leadership.

Instead, we’re seeing deepening geo-political divisions and mistrust.

Impunity is spreading, with repeated violations of international law and the UN Charter.

Conflicts are multiplying, becoming more complex and deadlier.

All regions are affected.

And civilians are paying the steepest price.

From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond — wars grind on, suffering grows, hunger deepens, lives are upended, and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations, and this Council, are undermined.

Mr. President, Excellencies,
Leadership for peace requires action in at least two key areas.

First — leadership for peace means all Member States living up to their commitments in the UN Charter, in international law and in recent agreements such as the Pact for the Future.

Among other things, the Pact calls for strengthening tools and frameworks to prevent conflict, sustain peace and advance sustainable development, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.

It calls for updating our tools for peace operations to allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges.

It reinforces the commitment to all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

It includes initiatives around disarmament, peacebuilding, and managing threats posed by lethal autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence and in new domains, including outer space and cyberspace.

It calls for measures to quickly address complex global shocks.

And it contains a new push to reform key institutions of global governance, including the global financial architecture and this very Council.

The Pact is a down-payment on these reforms.

But we will need strong political will to implement them, and rebuild the legitimacy and effectiveness of this Council.

Which brings me to my second point about leadership for peace.

Leadership for peace means ensuring that the UN Security Council acts in a meaningful way to ease global tensions and help address the conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering around the world.

Geopolitical divisions continue to block effective solutions.

A united Council can make a tremendous difference for peace.

A divided Council cannot.

It is imperative that Council Members spare no effort to work together to find common ground.

And it has proven capable of doing so in some key areas.

From currently overseeing 11 peacekeeping operations on three continents, involving nearly 70,000 uniformed peacekeeping personnel…

To resolutions that help keep vital humanitarian aid flowing to the world’s hotspots…

To the landmark Resolution 2719, which provides for African-Union led peace support operations authorized by the Council to have access to UN assessed contributions…

To the groundbreaking Resolutions that recognized the clear implications of peace and security challenges on the lives of women and youth…

To this Council’s growing ties to regional and sub-regional organizations to foster consensus and peace.

These examples — and more — prove that forging peace is possible.

When we consider the most difficult and intractable conflicts on this Council’s agenda, peace can seem an impossible dream.

But I strongly believe that peace is possible if we stick to principles.

Peace in Ukraine is possible.

By following the UN Charter and abiding by international law.

Peace in Gaza is possible.

By sparing no effort for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.

Peace in Sudan is possible.
By sending a clear message to the warring parties that all Members of this Council — including the five permanent Members — will not tolerate the horrific violence and desperate humanitarian crisis being unleashed on innocent civilians.

Mr. President, Excellencies,

The situations on this Council’s agenda are complex and do not have quick fixes.

But the scale of the challenge should not deter us.

Our only hope for progress on peace is active collaboration and unity among Council Members.

Today, I call on all Members to live up to this great responsibility, and to the promise of the UN Charter.

Contribute to this Council’s success — not its diminishment.

Let’s ensure that this Council serves as an effective and representative forum for peace — today and in the years to come.

*******

[all-French]

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Je remercie le Gouvernement slovène d’avoir organisé ce débat de haut niveau sur le leadership pour la paix.

Le sujet traité repose sur une vérité fondamentale : la paix n’est jamais automatique.

Il n’y a pas de paix sans action.

Et il n’y a pas de paix sans leadership.

Pourtant, les divisions géopolitiques et la méfiance ne font qu’empirer.

L’impunité gagne du terrain, et l’on assiste à des violations répétées du droit international et de la Charte des Nations Unies.

Les conflits se multiplient ; ils deviennent plus complexes et plus meurtriers.

Toutes les régions sont touchées.

Et ce sont les civils qui paient le plus lourd tribut.

De Gaza à l’Ukraine en passant par le Soudan – mais pas seulement – les guerres s’éternisent, la souffrance s’amplifie, la faim s’aggrave, des vies sont bouleversées et la légitimité et l’efficacité de l’ONU et de ce Conseil sont remises en cause.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Le leadership pour la paix exige d’agir dans au moins deux grands domaines.

Premièrement, le leadership pour la paix suppose que tous les États Membres respectent les engagements qu’ils ont pris dans le cadre de la Charte des Nations Unies, du droit international et des accords récents, tels que le Pacte pour l’avenir.

Ainsi, le Pacte invite notamment à renforcer les outils et les cadres de prévention des conflits, de pérennisation de la paix et d’action au service du développement durable, avec la participation pleine, égale et véritable des femmes.

Il demande que nous renouvelions les outils à notre disposition pour les opérations de paix, afin de trouver des réponses plus souples et mieux adaptées aux défis existants, émergents et à venir.

Il réaffirme l’importance attachée à tous les droits humains : civils, politiques, économiques, sociaux et culturels.

Il prévoit des initiatives dans les domaines du désarmement, de la consolidation de la paix et de la gestion des menaces que représentent les armes létales autonomes et l’intelligence artificielle, ainsi que dans de nouveaux domaines, notamment l’espace extra-atmosphérique et le cyberespace.

Il préconise de prendre des mesures afin de pouvoir agir rapidement face aux chocs mondiaux complexes.

Et il cherche à donner un nouvel élan à la réforme des principales institutions de la gouvernance mondiale, y compris l’architecture financière mondiale et même le Conseil de sécurité.

Le Pacte constitue un engagement concret en faveur de ces réformes.

Mais nous aurons besoin d’une volonté politique ferme pour les mettre en œuvre et rétablir la légitimité et l’efficacité de ce Conseil.

Ce qui m’amène à mon deuxième point sur le leadership pour la paix.

Le leadership pour la paix suppose de donner au Conseil de sécurité les moyens d’agir véritablement pour apaiser les tensions mondiales et contribuer à régler les conflits qui causent tant de souffrances dans le monde.

Les divisions géopolitiques demeurent un obstacle à des solutions efficaces.

Un Conseil uni peut jouer un rôle déterminant en faveur de la paix.

Un Conseil divisé ne le peut pas.

Il est impératif que les membres du Conseil se concertent sans ménager leurs efforts pour trouver un terrain d’entente.

Le Conseil a prouvé qu’il était capable de parler d’une seule voix dans certains domaines importants.

Il supervise actuellement 11 opérations de maintien de la paix sur trois continents, où sont déployés près de 70 000 Casques bleus…

Il adopte des résolutions qui contribuent à l’acheminement ininterrompu d’une aide humanitaire vitale vers les points chauds de la planète…

Il a adopté une résolution historique, la résolution 2719, qui permet aux opérations d’appui à la paix dirigées par l’Union africaine et autorisées par le Conseil d’avoir accès aux contributions des États Membres de l’ONU…

Il a adopté des résolutions pionnières par lesquelles il a pris acte des incidences manifestes des problématiques de paix et de sécurité sur la vie des femmes et des jeunes…

Et il ne cesse de nouer des relations avec les organisations régionales et sous-régionales pour favoriser le consensus et la paix.

Tous ces exemples – et bien d’autres – prouvent qu’on peut instaurer la paix.

À la vue des conflits les plus complexes et les plus insolubles dont ce Conseil est saisi, on peut penser que la paix est un rêve irréalisable.

Mais je crois fermement que la paix est possible si nous nous en tenons aux principes.

La paix en Ukraine est possible.

En suivant la Charte des Nations Unies et en respectant le droit international.

La paix dans la bande de Gaza est possible.

En travaillant d’arrache-pied pour obtenir un cessez-le-feu immédiat, la libération immédiate de tous les otages et la mise en chantier d’un processus irréversible pour qu’une solution des deux États voie le jour.

La paix au Soudan est possible.

En envoyant un message clair aux parties belligérantes, à savoir que tous les membres de ce Conseil – y compris les cinq membres permanents – ne toléreront pas la terrible violence et la crise humanitaire effroyable que subissent des civils innocents.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Les situations à l’ordre du jour de ce Conseil sont complexes et ne peuvent être résolues en un jour.

Mais l’ampleur du défi ne doit pas nous décourager.

Notre seul espoir d’avancer sur la voie de la paix réside dans une collaboration active et l’unité entre les membres du Conseil.

Aujourd’hui, j’appelle tous les États membres à se montrer à la hauteur de cette grande responsabilité – à la hauteur de la promesse de la Charte des Nations Unies.

Contribuez au succès de ce Conseil – et non à son affaiblissement.

Faisons en sorte que le Conseil soit un forum efficace et représentatif pour la paix – aujourd’hui comme dans les années à venir.

MIL OSI Africa –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: At Hearing, Warren Slams Trump for Role in Criminalizing Abortion, Pushes Back on Misinformation

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
September 25, 2024
Warren: “The consequences (of overturning Roe v. Wade) have been disastrous. Women hemorrhaging in parking lots until they are closer to death, women airlifted to another state for an emergency abortion, women traveling from emergency room to emergency room, desperate for help, only to be turned away and left to miscarry at home.”
Warren: “Thanks to Donald Trump, doctors in nearly half the country now have to wonder if they will face criminal penalties for providing medically necessary care.”
Video of Exchange (YouTube)
Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) highlighted the dangerous consequences women have faced two years after Donald Trump’s Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Senator Warren recounted recent tragedies in states with abortion bans and warned that doctors’ ability to perform life-saving care in emergency situations is under attack. Just last week, ProPublica reported on the untimely deaths of two Georgia mothers, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, who were denied timely care following rare, but treatable, complications from medication abortion.
Senator Warren pushed back on Republican efforts to use these womens’ deaths to spread misinformation about the safety of medication abortion, which Dr. Amelia Huntsberger, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, confirmed is “extremely safe.” When asked what is to blame for the unnecessary suffering women are facing when attempting to receive emergency medical care in states with abortion bans, Dr. Huntsberger clarified that “lawmakers, who may or may not have bothered to understand the complexity of pregnancy and medical care, made laws that are impacting physicians’ ability to act and to take care of their patients.”
Senator Warren also highlighted the stakes of the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss a case related to the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals that accept Medicare to provide stabilizing care to individuals with an emergency medical condition. Professor Michele Goodwin, JD, Georgetown University School of Law, described the Court’s failure to affirm the 200-year-old principle that federal law preempts state law as “incredibly dangerous.”
Senator Warren called for restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade to protect women’s lives and bodily autonomy.
Transcript: Hearing on Chaos and Control: How Trump Criminalized Women’s Health Care Senate Finance CommitteeSeptember 24, 2024
Senator Elizabeth Warren: So it has been two years since Donald Trump’s Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade. The consequences have been disastrous. Women hemorrhaging in parking lots until they are closer to death, women airlifted to another state for an emergency abortion, women traveling from emergency room to emergency room, desperate for help, only to be turned away and left to miscarry at home.
Ms. Joshua, I am deeply sorry for what happened to you. It should not have happened to anyone. Trump’s abortion bans aren’t just causing unnecessary suffering, they’re killing women.
Last week, we learned about Amber Nicole Thurman. Amber lived in Georgia. She was mother to a six year old boy. She hoped to become a nurse. After learning she was pregnant, she fled to another state, where she got a medication abortion back in Georgia, Amber experienced a rare complication. She waited 20 hours before doctors performed the life saving surgery that she needed, but 20 hours made it too late. Anti-abortion extremists want to twist Amber’s story to spread misinformation about the safety of medication abortion.
Doctor Huntsberger, you are an OBGYN. How safe is medication abortion?
Dr. Amelia Huntsberger, Obstetrician and Gynecologist: Extremely safe. We have decades of research on mifepristone demonstrating its safety. Risk of complications are always present with any medication, but are quite low. It’s also important to note that the same both medications and treatment with surgical procedures are identical for the management of early pregnancy loss or miscarriage and abortion,
Senator Warren: All right, so extremely safe, is what I heard you say. And in the rare case where there is a complication, is it treatable?
Dr. Huntsberger: Yes.
Senator Warren: Eminently treatable. But anti-abortion extremists want to misdirect and cast blame on the providers, arguing that doctors are willfully misapplying the law.
Dr Huntsberger, tell us, what’s really going on here?
Dr. Huntsberger: I think it’s important that instead of trying to shift blame to physicians who are practicing in a really hostile and challenging environment, for us to look at why they are in that circumstance in the first place, and that is because lawmakers, who may or may not have bothered to understand the complexity of pregnancy and medical care made laws that are impacting physicians’ ability to act and to safely take care of their patients.
Senator Warren: Okay, so the problem is not here with the physicians, it’s with the lawmakers who are passing these laws. I think what we’re seeing is Republican politicians who pass these medically unsound and dangerous laws that end up intimidating and confusing physicians who are just trying to provide care.
Tragically, another Georgia mother, Candy Miller, died at home because Georgia’s abortion ban made her afraid to seek the medical care that she needed. Amber and Candy should be alive today.
Now we have a federal law that is designed to prevent tragedies like this from occurring, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, EMTALA, as it’s known, requires hospitals to provide stabilizing care to individuals in an emergency situation. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court heard arguments about whether Idaho’s near total ban on abortion conflicts with EMTALA.
Professor Goodwin. You’re a constitutional law expert. The Supreme Court did not actually resolve this. They sent it back to the lower court. What should we take away from this? Does this mean we are now safe and we’ll have the protection in emergency circumstances? Go ahead, Professor Goodwin.
Professor Michele Goodwin: No, we should all be deeply alarmed by the Supreme Court’s procedural move, rather than substantively answering the question that federal law trumps states’ laws. It’s been a principle in American law for over 200 years, and the Supreme Court’s failure to be clear on that, that a state law does not preempt federal law is something that is incredibly dangerous.
Senator Warren: Okay. Dangerous. I hear alarm bills going off. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Thanks to Donald Trump, doctors in nearly half the country now have to wonder if they will face criminal penalties for providing medically necessary care.
44% of women of reproductive age now live in states where they don’t get to make decisions about their own bodies, and two women, undoubtedly more, have now died because they were not able to access the timely care they needed. We must restore the protection of Roe to make sure this never happens again.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Banking: Project Guacamaya uses daily satellite images, Amazon-specific AI models in battle against deforestation
Source: Microsoft

Headline: Project Guacamaya uses daily satellite images, Amazon-specific AI models in battle against deforestation

The Amazon rainforest is the world’s most complex biological environment, with millions of species of plants, birds and wildlife calling the vast area home, many of which have yet to be studied by scientists. From 2022 to 2023, the Amazon lost approximately 3 million hectares to deforestation, an average of 10,000 acres per day, according to the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project.

Ten percent of the Amazon is within Colombia’s borders, and organizations within that country are applying advances in cloud and AI in a unique approach to fighting deforestation, improving the climate and keeping flora, fauna and Indigenous communities safe from harm.

“It is important to maintain the integrity of the Amazon region, because when we lose integrity, we lose coverage, we lose fauna, we lose flora and the jungle disappears,” says Luz Marina Mantilla, General Director of Instituto SINCHI. “That’s what we don’t want to happen.”

Project Guacamaya is a joint effort of the CinfonIA Research Center at Universidad de los Andes, Instituto SINCHI, Instituto Humboldt, Planet Labs PBC and Microsoft AI for Good Lab that uses best-in-class AI models to monitor deforestation and protect the biodiversity of the ecosystem, through a combination of satellite imagery, camera traps and bioacoustics.

“Technology will be a game-changer in saving the Amazon,” says Pablo Arbeláez, director of the CinfonIA Research Center.

Using data, machine learning, cloud technology, data science and other technology, patterns of deforestation are identified faster, allowing for quicker action to be taken in at-risk areas. The audio language model is a custom-made multimodal language model called CLAP, developed by Microsoft. The image models are trained from open-source models and the framework used to develop the image models, Pytorch Wildlife, was also created by Microsoft.

“I think it shows the best of private sector, NGOs, universities and governments working together,” says Juan Lavista Ferres, Corporate Vice President and Chief Data Scientist at Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab. “This is a great example of how AI accelerates and supports the work of conservationists. We’ve already made significant progress through this collaboration and I’m looking forward to more impact.”

[embedded content]

Several key updates have occurred in Project Guacamaya over the past year, giving researchers more options and better ability to track and understand deforestation patterns, including:
- Daily satellite images from Planet Labs: Prior to this update, imagery was provided monthly. Now, with daily updates, researchers can set up daily alerts using images from the satellites monitoring the Amazon.
- Amazon-specific AI models: Now, researchers studying animals found in the Amazon can use a region-specific AI model that is more accurate in identifying the species found in the rainforest, allowing them to work 10x faster.
- Governmental collaboration: The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), which provides the official deforestation reports for Colombia, will now use Project Guacamaya’s models in its reporting.
- Open-source biodiversity model: The project has released Pytorch Wildlife, an open-source platform that is specifically designed for creating, modifying and sharing powerful AI conservation models.
“With this connection of knowledge, institutions and technology, we want the country to move more forcefully in making critical decisions on how to maintain and conserve ecosystems,” says Hernando García Martínez, general director of the Instituto Humboldt. “We need people to understand the value of nature.”

Top image: Amazon-specific AI has made it 10 times easier for scientists studying the wildlife in the Rainforest to identify species found in Colombia, since the model narrows down the focus to animals who live in the region.
MIL OSI Global Banks –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Boebert’s Legislation to Protect Native Fish Species and Responsible Water & Power Users Passes in the House of Representatives

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-03) applauded final passage of her legislation H.R. 4596, “Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act:”

“Passage of my bill to reauthorize the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin Recovery Programs is a major win for Colorado and the West. These important programs, which will be extended for an additional seven fiscal years, will ensure that 2,500 water and power projects continue, and provide legal certainty for water and power users throughout Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

With strong bicameral, bipartisan momentum and significant stakeholder support, I’m confident this bill will become law and this important program will be reauthorized,” said Congresswoman Boebert.

“Congresswoman Boebert is true fighter for Colorado’s rich biodiversity, and her bill to reauthorize the endangered fish recovery programs in the San Juan and Upper Colorado River Basins will ensure these species are healthy for future generations to enjoy. I’m so glad to see this commonsense, science-based legislation pass the House today, and look forward to seeing it signed into law,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman

Background:

The House of Representatives voted to pass Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s bill H.R. 4596, the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act.

Congresswoman Boebert’s bicameral bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, provides a clean, seven-year reauthorization of the Upper Colorado and San Juan Recovery Programs that protect four threatened and endangered native fish species in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins by extending conservation programs at current funding levels for seven additional fiscal years.

The Upper Colorado and San Juan Recovery Programs were established in 1988 to achieve full recovery of four federally listed endangered fish species including the humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker. Those designations led to the threat of significant water and power-use restrictions.

The recovery programs facilitate water delivery from the Navajo, Flaming Gorge, and Aspinall Unit reservoirs which collectively can store more than 6.5 million acre-feet of water as part of the Colorado River Storage Project.

For over three decades, states, tribes, local communities, environmental groups, energy users, and water users, have partnered to help recover four threatened and endangered fish species while continuing water and power facility development and operations in the Upper Colorado River Basin and the San Juan River Basin.

Non-federal partners contribute $11 million per year in water contributions, plus another $750,000 in staffing and in-kind contributions. Participating states contribute $500,000 to base funding each year in cash equivalents for recovery actions, including for fish hatcheries and non-native fish removal.

The Fish and Wildlife Service contributes $1.56 million per year in base funding. The Bureau of Reclamation provides cost-shared contributions to both base and capital funding. Reclamation’s capital funding supports major infrastructure projects at reservoirs, diversion dams, canals, and floodplains across the basin.

Without these programs, these 2,500 water and power users would have to perform extremely burdensome Section 7 consultations for all 2,500 individual projects.

Because of the success of these programs, the humpback chub and the razorback sucker are success stories with the chub been downlisted from endangered to threatened and the razorback being recommended for downlisting.

Rep. Boebert’s bill is the result of months of hard work with local stakeholders, the Bureau of Reclamation, and Senators Hickenlooper and Romney, and others to provide a long-term solution by reauthorizing these vital programs until 2031.

Groups supporting Congresswoman Boebert’s Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act include: Aurora Water, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Clifton Water District, Colorado River District, Colorado River Energy Distributors Association, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado Water Congress, Delta County Commissioners, Denver Water, Dolores County Commissioners, Dolores Water Conservancy District, Grand Valley Water Users, Huerfano County Commissioners, LaPlata Water Conservation District, Mesa County Farm Bureau, Montezuma County, Municipal Subdistrict, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Pueblo Water, Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District, Rio Blanco Board of Commissioners, Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District, Rio Grande Water Conservation District, San Juan Water Commission, Southern Ute Tribe, Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Southwestern Water Conservation District, Tri-County Water Conservancy District, Utah Waters Users Association, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Ute Water Conservancy District.

Co-sponsors of Congresswoman Boebert’s bill include Rep. John Duarte (CA-13), Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Rep. Harriet Hageman (WY-AL), Rep. Troy Nehls (TX-22), and Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04).

Full text of Rep. Boebert’s Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act can be found HERE. Full replay of Rep. Boebert’s remarks on the House floor can be found HERE.

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For updates, subscribe to Congresswoman Boebert’s newsletter here.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Open day at new crematorium

Source: City of Plymouth

The Park, Plymouth’s brand new crematorium, is drawing back the curtain for a free public open day.

Taking place on Saturday 12 October, residents are being invited to take a look around the entire facility and have a glimpse behind-the-scenes at areas not normally seen by the public.

As well as organised tours, information about what is on offer to remember a loved ones will be on display while the new café will also be open for visitors to purchase refreshments.

Funeral services at The Park, which located off Merrifield Road in Plympton, began earlier this summer.

Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet member for Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Libraries, Cemeteries & Crematoria, said: “I’m so pleased to be able to open the door to residents and invite them in to see the incredible facility that we have created for the people of Plymouth.

“Whilst we often don’t like to think about bereavement during our everyday lives, this marks a great opportunity to take a look behind the scenes, allow our team to dispel any common myths and show the public how we look after their loved ones from the service to final resting place.”

The Park is built of Plymouth Limestone and inside benefits from light and airy ceremony rooms that look out onto pooled water and the countryside beyond. .

There are a total of three different ceremony rooms, each catering for a different size congregation. Each of these rooms can be customised by families to suite their wishes, including with changes in the lighting and furniture.

The site benefits from a new café, which is open to serve refreshments for people attending funerals and also for those visiting the site to pay their respects.

Crucially, though, it has two rooms available for families to hire for wakes, memorialisation events or other family functions. The rooms will be able to accommodate up to 40 guests or combine both rooms with the retractable wall and it will hold 75 guests.

More information can be found at https://plymouthcrematoria.com

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: This is how we can minimise the impact of heavy rain

Source: Anglia Ruskin University

Published: 25 September 2024 at 16:00

VIEWPOINT: ARU expert explains how to reduce flood risks – and build a better society

By Maryam Imani, Anglia Ruskin University

A month’s worth of rain has poured down in just a few hours in parts of central and southern England. More than 300 flood-related emergency calls were made, major roads were submerged, trains were delayed, and an enormous sinkhole opened up on a football pitch in south London.

This follows similar torrential rain across central and eastern Europe two weeks ago, which led to flash floods and widespread damage and deaths. As climate change alters rain patterns and makes extreme downpours more common, and more extreme, such flooding is increasingly the new normal.

Intense rain doesn’t lead to serious floods every time, of course. Sometimes we get lucky: a well-timed low tide might help, or a rainstorm could be surprisingly localised in a place where water can easily flow into the sea, a river or a pond. And some of the actions taken by humans to minimise the risk of catastrophic floods can actually make life more pleasant anyway, even when it isn’t raining. For this reason, we should see rains like this not just as a challenge, but as an opportunity.

Minimising the risk of disaster

There are various things we can do to minimise flood risks before and after torrential rains and prevent smaller floods from escalating into disasters.

We can build bigger and better drainage and stormwater infrastructure, for instance, and make sure drains are unblocked and flood walls are properly maintained. This is an example of so-called “hard” flood defences.

Features like ponds and wetlands, larger parks, or trees on hillsides, help slow down or store rainwater and can ensure the flow is spread out over days or even weeks. Water flows much faster over bare ground, and especially over concrete roads and buildings, where urban drainage systems can soon be overwhelmed – causing floods. These features are known variously as “nature-based solutions” or “sustainable drainage systems” or “blue-green infrastructure”.

We can also use smart technologies for flood warning systems and we can ensure people are aware and prepared. We can ensure people don’t live in flood-prone areas in the first place, through climate-resilient planning, and that those who do live there are insured and have flood-proofed their homes as best they can.

More sustainable flood management

In the UK, several exemplary projects address flood management. The most iconic is the Thames Barrier in London, which protects the city from storm surges and high tides coming from the North Sea. Another is the the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, which protects over 3,000 properties and 500 businesses in the UK’s fourth-largest urban area. It involves a combination of hard defences – weirs, flood walls – and natural solutions like planting trees and constructing water storage areas.

The National Storm Overflows Plan for England report is being reviewed by the UK government for approval by December 2024. One of its recommendations is to make sustainable drainage systems mandatory.

A government scheme (Flood Re) also ensures homeowners in flood-risk areas can protect their homes and obtain affordable insurance. And various rivers have been allowed to “wiggle” once again, by flooding over nearby fields. This has proven effective at reducing peak flows during storms, which is especially beneficial downstream where people live and where rivers are often encased in human-made banks.

These initiatives are part of a broader trend toward more sustainable flood management practices. Key projects such as the “slowing the flow” project in Pickering, Yorkshire or projects along the River Derwent in Cumbria focus on reconnecting rivers with their floodplains.

Worldwide lessons

The Netherlands is one of the world leaders in flood management. The Delta Works, a massive system of dams, sluices, locks, dikes and storm-surge barriers, protects the country, much of which is below sea level, from flooding due to rainfall and rising sea levels.

The Room for the River programme, started in 2007, manages higher water levels in rivers by lowering flood plains, creating water buffers, relocating levees, increasing the depth of side channels, and constructing flood bypasses. Urban adaptations, such as those in Rotterdam, are also crucial for managing flash flooding.

Japan, particularly in flood-prone areas like Tokyo, has built massive underground flood tunnels to divert rainwater during storms. This system helps protect the city from excessive rainfall and typhoons. In many European countries, sustainable drainage systems are now integrated into urban planning. This helps absorb excess rainwater during storms, while offering ecological and social benefits too (grass and ponds are ultimately a lot nicer than bare concrete).

It’s crucial to be aware of the problem of intense rain and view it as a chance to improve society. Prolonged droughts highlight the need to focus on storing and using excess water during high-demand times, which can be done by creating wetlands, storing floodwaters or by enabling the soil to store and retain more moisture.

Engineers can’t do all this by themselves. Neither can tree-planters or wetland creators. We need a hybrid approach combining engineering solutions with nature and community efforts.

Maryam Imani, Associate Professor of Water Systems Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO RELEASE: Sen. Johnson’s Full Roundtable Discussion, American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

WASHINGTON – On Monday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) led a roundtable discussion titled, American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion. Sen. Johnson and a panel of experts provided a foundational and historical understanding of the changes that have occurred over the last century within agriculture, food processing, and healthcare industries which impact the current state of national health.

Watch the full four-hour discussion here.

PARTICIPANTS:

Dr. Casey Means

Dr. Casey Means is a medical doctor, New York Times bestselling author, tech entrepreneur (Levels), aspiring regenerative gardener, and outdoor enthusiast. While training as a surgeon, she saw how broken and exploitative the healthcare system is and left to focus on how to keep people out of the operating room.

Dr. Jordan Peterson

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is a renowned psychologist, author, and online educator. His bestselling books, including “12 Rules for Life” and “Beyond Order,” have sold millions of copies worldwide. Dr. Peterson’s lectures and podcasts consistently attract large audiences, providing valuable insights into topics such as mythology, psychology, and personal development.

Calley Means

Calley Means is the co-founder of Truemed, a company that enables tax-free spending on food and exercise. He recently started an advocacy coalition with leading health and wellness companies called End Chronic Disease. Earlier in his career, he was a consultant for food and pharma companies and is now exposing practices they use to weaponize our institutions of trust.

Mikhaila Fuller

Mikhaila Fuller is a podcaster, lifestyle and diet blogger, the Co-Founder and CEO of Peterson Academy, and the founder of Fuller Health and The Lion Diet. The Lion Diet is a therapeutic and plant free ketogenic diet that can be used to treat autoimmunity and psychiatric disorders. On “The Mikhaila Peterson Podcast,” she discusses health, cultural phenomena, politics, and other topics.

Alex Clark

Alex Clark is a food activist, advocate for healthier food systems, and host of the “Culture Apothecary” podcast. She is committed to educating consumers on the importance of organic farming and the dangers of harmful additives in food products. Clark’s mission is to inspire positive change in both personal health choices and industry standards, driving the movement toward cleaner, more responsible food production.

Vani Hari (Food Babe)

Vani Hari, known as the “Food Babe,” is a food activist, author, and speaker committed to improving food quality and safety. She has built a powerful platform through her blog, advocating for transparency in food labeling, and the removal of harmful chemicals from processed foods. Her activism has spurred significant changes in the food industry, encouraging consumers to make healthier, more informed choices while prompting companies to adopt cleaner practices.

Jillian Michaels

Jillian Michaels is a globally recognized fitness expert, entrepreneur, and best-selling author. With her no-nonsense approach to health, she has inspired millions through her fitness programs, books, and digital platforms. Best known for her role on “The Biggest Loser,” Michaels promotes a balanced approach to fitness and nutrition, emphasizing long-term health and self-empowerment.

Max Lugavere

Max Lugavere is a leading health and wellness advocate, filmmaker, and New York Times bestselling author of “Genius Foods.” His work focuses on the link between diet, lifestyle, and brain health, and he has become a trusted voice in educating people about how nutrition impacts cognitive function.

Dr. Chris Palmer

Dr. Chris Palmer, MD is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, researcher, and author of “Brain Energy,” where he explores the groundbreaking connection between metabolic health and mental illness. He is a leader in innovative approaches to treating psychiatric conditions, advocating for the use of diet and metabolic interventions to improve mental health outcomes. Dr. Palmer’s work is reshaping how the medical field views and treats mental health disorders.

Brigham Buhler

Brigham Buhler is the founder and CEO of Ways2Well, a healthcare company that provides personalized preventative care through telemedicine. With a strong background in the pharmaceutical industry, Buhler has focused on making healthcare more accessible by harnessing the power of technology to deliver effective and tailored treatments. His vision for improving health outcomes has positioned him as a leader in modern, patient-centered healthcare solutions.

Courtney Swan

Courtney Swan is a nutritionist, real food activist, and founder of the popular platform “Realfoodology.” She advocates for transparency in the food industry, promoting the importance of whole foods and clean eating. Swan is passionate about educating the public on the benefits of a nutrient-dense diet, and she encourages sustainable, chemical-free farming practices to ensure better health for people and the planet.

Jason Karp

Jason Karp is the Founder and CEO of HumanCo – a mission-driven company that invests in and builds brands focused on healthier living and sustainability. In addition to HumanCo, Jason is the Co-Founder of Hu Kitchen, known for creating the #1 premium, organic chocolate in the U.S.. Prior to HumanCo, Jason spent over 21 years in the hedge fund industry where he was the Founder and CEO of an investment fund that managed over $4 billion. Jason graduated summa cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Grace Price

Grace Price is an 18-year-old citizen scientist and health activist. Grace gained recognition for her documentary Cancer: A Food-Borne Illness, which challenged the commonly held belief that cancer is a genetic disease. The main focus of her work is advocating for the health of her generation through exposing the corruption behind big food and pharmaceutical conglomerates.

Dr. Marty Makary

Dr. Marty Makary MD, MPH is a surgeon and public policy researcher at Johns Hopkins University. He writes for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal and is the author of two New York Times bestselling books, “Unaccountable” and “The Price We Pay.” He has been an outspoken opponent of broad vaccine mandates and some COVID restrictions at schools. Dr. Makary holds degrees from Bucknell University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Harvard University.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Further success for Edinburgh pupils

Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

Liberton High School pupils celebrate after receiving exam results.

Edinburgh’s pupils continue to be amongst the best performing in Scotland.

Results from the SQA Insight report shows Edinburgh’s learners are performing better than their virtual comparators in 14 out of 15 key measures, with 7% more pupils gaining at least one Advanced Higher than in other areas in Scotland.

Edinburgh learners are also out-performing their virtual comparators in Literacy and Numeracy for all stages and levels.

A virtual comparator is a sample of students from other areas of Scotland who have similar characteristics to a school’s students.

The news builds on the SQA exam results in August showing levels of attainment for pupils across Edinburgh remaining above those achieved before the Covid pandemic.

Insight provides teachers and lecturers with a summary of how learners have performed in their exams and coursework for each subject at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level over the past year.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said:

This has been another positive year for our pupils. I want to congratulate them, as well as all our teaching and support staff. Their hard work has certainly paid off and praise should go to them as well as all the parents and carers who have supported the children.

I welcome the results from the SQA Insights report. We have invested heavily in improving the skills of our workforce and I am confident that our staff will continue to improve the quality of teaching and learning to meet the needs of the city’s young people.

Let’s not forget there is no wrong pathway for our young people as everyone’s learner journey is different. School is about ensuring all our young people are able to fulfil their potential by attaining the highest level of achievements possible and by receiving the best possible experience. We want all our learners to find their pathways into the world of higher and further education, employment or training and to narrow the gap between those living in different areas of affluence.

Course reports – written by principal assessors and principal verifiers – are published to give an insight into how learners performed, detailing which areas of the course assessment where learners performed well, and which areas proved to be more demanding.

Principal assessors and other senior appointees are experienced teachers and lecturers who work with SQA to produce the course reports and highlight examples where candidates have performed well in their external assessments.

The reports also contain advice for teachers, lecturers, and training practitioners on preparing learners for the coming year’s assessments, as well as statistical data relating to grade boundaries.

Published: September 25th 2024

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Johnson Re-Introduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Hold Judiciary Accountable To Its Employees

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

Reps. Johnson, Nadler, Torres Re-Introduce Bill In House To Protect Employees of the Federal Judiciary Against Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Retaliation, and Other Forms of Workplace Misconduct

Sens. Hirono, Murkowski Introduce Bill in Senate

Legislation would protect workers and whistleblowers, create effective workplace misconduct prevention programs, investigate complaints, and hold the powerful accountable

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, in concert with Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), and Rep. Norma Torres (CA-35), senior member of the Appropriations Committee and member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee that oversees the Federal Judiciary – and Sen. Mazie Hirono (HI), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK) – reintroduced the Judiciary Accountability Act of 2024 (JAA).

The JAA would ensure the more than 30,000 employees of the federal judiciary have strong statutory rights and protections against discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and other forms of workplace misconduct.

The foundational federal anti-discrimination statutes — such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — still do not apply to the federal judiciary, making it one of the only employers in the entire country – public or private – whose employees are not protected by federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination and retaliation. The federal judiciary has faced sustained criticism for its approach to preventing, investigating, and redressing sexual harassment and discrimination by judges and other high-level judicial branch officials. This summer, back-to-back reports were released — one from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the other from the Federal Judicial Center and National Academy of Public Administration— underscoring that the internal dispute resolution mechanisms implemented by the judiciary to combat these issues have instead led to a lack of accountability for judges who mistreat employees.

“It is the height of injustice that judiciary employees who support the daily functioning of our courts lack basic workplace protections,” said Rep. Hank Johnson, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts. “These protections are already provided to congressional and executive branch staff. Why should we continue to exempt our third branch of government? In the face of clear, repeated evidence of unaccountable judges committing egregious misconduct, Congress has the power and the duty to fix it and ensure judicial employees who use their voices and bravely sharing their experiences do not do so in vain. I’m pleased to lead re-introduction of the Judiciary Accountability Act, which is common-sense legislation that would align the federal judiciary with not just the rest of the federal government but with private sector workplaces as well.”

“It is unconscionable that over 60 years after the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employees of the federal judiciary are not protected from workplace discrimination,” said Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler. “The lack of protections undermines credibility in the court, which is why I’m proud to reintroduce the Judiciary Accountability Act, to bring the same basic rights available to congressional and executive branch staff to the judicial branch.”

“The Judiciary Accountability Act is a significant step towards ensuring the safety and rights of judiciary employees. It is crucial that judiciary employees feel secure in expressing concerns about misconduct without fearing for their safety or job security. All Judiciary members are entitled to fundamental workplace rights that safeguard them from harassment and discrimination,” said Rep. Norma Torres. “The era of judges abusing their power and instilling fear in the work environment is over. That is why I am honored to co-lead the Judiciary Accountability Act alongside ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Rep. Johnson. We are deeply committed to providing protections backed up by the full force of United States law for employees who come forward after experiencing sexual harassment. Our federal Judiciary must set an example of accountability in addressing sexual harassment, and the provisions outlined in this bill will help achieve that goal.”

“No one is above the law, but most federal judiciary employees lack essential workplace protections, preventing them from obtaining justice when they face discrimination and harassment,” said Senator Hirono. “Employees of the federal judiciary dedicate their careers to providing justice, and they deserve justice when they face misconduct in the workplace. Yet these employees are among the only ones in the United States who lack the right to sue when they face discrimination or harassment. The Judiciary Accountability Act will help to protect the 30,000 federal judiciary employees by extending basic anti-discrimination protections to cover them, giving them access to federal court to vindicate those rights, and helping to ensure more accountability in the federal courts.”

“The Judiciary Accountability Act expands federal laws that prohibit workplace harassment and discrimination to employees of the judiciary, putting them on par with executive branch, congressional, and private sector employees who have long-had these protections,” said Senator Murkowski. “This legislation not only helps safeguard employees from mistreatment at work, but also establishes a review system to foster accountability when those rights are violated. I appreciate the opportunity to lead this bipartisan legislation with Senator Hirono to cultivate transparency and a positive working environment within the judicial branch.”

The Judiciary Accountability Act will:

• Give judicial branch employees the same anti-discrimination rights and remedies private sector and government employees have had for decades. Today, judicial branch employees are not protected by the federal civil rights statutes that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, and disability. The Judiciary Accountability Act would correct that injustice.

• Protect judicial branch employees from retaliation against them by providing them with the right to sue for relief if they are retaliated against. Unlike most other federal employees, judicial branch employees currently have no statutory protection against retaliation. At a House Judiciary Committee hearing in 2020, multiple witnesses testified that they and others were afraid to come forward about the sexual harassment they suffered or witnessed.

• Establish a comprehensive workplace misconduct prevention program overseen by an improved and expanded Office of Judicial Integrity. The Office’s Board of Directors would include members experienced in investigating and enforcing civil rights laws against workplace discrimination, as well as experience assisting victims of discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. The Office would administer a nationwide, confidential reporting system and a comprehensive training program addressing workplace behavior and bystander intervention, among other duties.

• Establish an Office of Employee Advocacy to assist judicial branch employees in matters related to workplace discrimination and harassment. The Office of Employee Advocacy would advise covered judicial employees about their rights and the resources available to them, provide legal assistance where appropriate, and operate an anonymous reporting hotline for covered judicial employees.

• Require regular assessments of workplace culture to determine the effectiveness of judicial branch policies designed to prevent and remedy harassment and discrimination.

• Make clear that discrimination and retaliation constitute judicial misconduct and ensure that the judicial misconduct laws apply to all federal judges, regardless of whether they subsequently resign, retire, or pass away.

Cosponsors: Reps. Madeleine Dean (PA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Adam Schiff (CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC)

What Groups Are Saying

“Sexual harassment in the judiciary is a judicial ethics problem” said Debra Perlin, Policy Director at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). “The public’s trust in our democracy depends on the credibility of an accountable judicial branch. Repeated credible complaints of sexual harassment and assault in the judiciary undermines that accountability. CREW applauds Congressman Johnson and Senator Hirono for reintroducing the Judiciary Accountability Act to extend protections against sexual harassment and discrimination to judicial branch employees, who are essential to our courts.”

“Legal Momentum, The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund is proud to endorse the Judicial Accountability Act as it is a long-overdue and crucial step forward in the fight to advance workplace gender equality. Our nation’s federal judicial workers deserve a workplace free from discrimination, sexual harassment, and other forms of misconduct, and it is unacceptable that federal judges are exempt from the very laws they are tasked with enforcing. History has proven time and time again that protections that benefit women benefit everyone, and when employees feel safe to advocate for themselves at work, the entire system only grows stronger,” said Azaleea Carlea, Legal Director of Legal Momentum.

Fix the Court Executive Director Gabe Roth said: “Anti-harassment policy is one of the many areas in which the judiciary falls short when compared to the other two branches and the rules that apply to them. Among the shortcomings, though, this is the most indefensible. I applaud Reps. Johnson and Torres for their legislation to finally bring third branch workplace policies up to par to give employees both the remedies they need should they experience misconduct and the resources they deserve to help prevent harassment, discrimination, and retaliation from happening in the first place.”

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MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Adams, McGovern; Sen. Booker Introduce Climate-Smart Farm Conversion Bill

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Alma Adams (12th District of North Carolina)

Bicameral legislation would enable producers to transition away from factory farming model using conservation dollars

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12), Representative Jim McGovern (MA-02), and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act (IACA), which would allow farmers to voluntarily convert their on-farm infrastructure toward more climate-friendly uses with USDA conservation dollars.

The IACA would use existing agricultural conservation funds to support farmers transitioning from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to more sustainable and humane production systems. Reps. Adams and McGovern are leading the bill in the House, and Sen. Booker introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

“Farmers want to produce food in ways that are good for people and the planet, but aren’t always empowered to do so in a consolidated food system like ours. I’m thrilled to introduce the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act, which unlocks climate-forward conservation dollars to assist producers who want to transition out of the factory farm model,” said Congresswoman Adams. “Whether pasture-based or plant-based, farmers want to farm sustainably, humanely, and resiliently. I’m glad to support them in partnership with Representative McGovern, Senator Booker, and dozens of organizations on the ground.”

“We need a food system that feeds everyone while doing right by the people, the planet, and animals” said Congressman McGovern. “Farmers are at the center of that vision, and we need to do everything we can to support them. I’m proud to co-lead this bill with Representative Adams and Senator Booker so that we can empower farmers to break free from a broken system and thrive as independent producers.”

“Corporate meatpackers use their market power to trap producers in the factory farm system with terrible profit margins and unsustainable debt,” said Senator Booker. “Their practices contribute to climate change and destroy rural communities. This legislation leverages conservation funding to give farmers a completely voluntary new path forward by providing them with the resources they need to transition to a more climate-friendly and humane production system that is good for people, animals, and the planet.”

The IACA is the first stand-alone federal legislation to assist producers who want to make the move from intensive animal agriculture to pasture-based animal agriculture or specialty crop production. It would allow the USDA to create a grant program for eligible climate-smart conversion projects, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act’s pathbreaking investments in agricultural conservation. Earlier this year, Congresswoman Adams, Congressman McGovern, and Senator Booker all signed a letter cautioning against the use of IRA conservation money towards industrial agriculture; the IACA would ensure the integrity and effectiveness of these funds.

“Factory farming is not just a nightmare for animals—contract farmers who were promised easy profits and the chance to ‘feed the world’ find themselves taking on seemingly endless debt to raise animals in this cruel industrial model, threatening the security of their families and farms,” said Kara Shannon, director of farm animal welfare policy for the ASPCA. “The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act offers resources to support farmers who are climbing the ladder out of the pit of factory farming and want to transition to more humane and economically sustainable practices. We commend Representatives Adams and McGovern, and Senator Booker for introducing this groundbreaking legislation to create a more compassionate food system that respects animals, farmers, rural communities and our environment.”

“The factory farming industry preys on our nation’s farmers by trapping them in exploitative contracts and depriving them of meaningful autonomy. The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act seeks to promote competition in our food system by creating a program for farmers who wish to transition from the highly consolidated factory farming model to climate-smart practices, such as specialty crop production,” said Frances Chrzan, senior federal policy manager, the Transfarmation Project of Mercy For Animals. “We applaud Rep. Alma Adams, Rep. McGovern, and Sen. Cory Booker for introducing legislation to create kinder and more sustainable pathways for farmers, which will benefit not only farmers and our economy but human health, the environment, and farmed animals.”

“I know firsthand the difficulty both financially and socially in transitioning from a confinement animal system to a regenerative farming system, having transitioned our farm in 1996,” said Ron Holter of Holterholm Farms. “Financially there is often a lag time from the beginning of what can be an expensive transition to eventually achieving an improved income while the land heals and the livestock become accustomed to a healthier, happier lifestyle. Transitional funds like those provided in the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act would be a blessing to farmers attempting to move to more regenerative, livestock friendly systems.”

“We took on over $400,000 in debt to become contract chicken farmers and came close to foreclosure when we decided to get out of industrial animal agriculture. When we cancelled our contract, the integrator came out to our farm, picked up their $20 sign and drove away without another thought,” said Paula Boles, co-owner of JB Farms. “We know too many farmers have similar stories of being exploited by integrators and left with few options to keep their farms going. The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act would help support farmers like us across the country who want to transition to more sustainable and economically viable farming systems.”

“In North Carolina’s Duplin and Sampson counties, hogs outnumber people by approximately 30-to-1. The vast majority of these industrial agricultural operations use an outdated cesspit and spray field system in which hog feces and urine are flushed into open-air pits and sprayed onto nearby fields, causing higher rates of anemia, kidney disease, and infant mortality among local communities,” said Dr. Rania Masri, Co-Director of the NC Environmental Justice Network. “NCEJN applauds Rep. Alma Adams, from North Carolina, for introducing the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act and speaking up for the contract farmers, trapped as serfs on their own land, and the communities who are struggling against this polluting industry.”

“Too many farmers have been exploited and trapped in the factory farm system for too long, which is why Farm Aid applauds the introduction of the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act,” said Hannah Tremblay, Policy and Advocacy Manager of Farm Aid. “We’re especially excited that livestock farmers will have an opportunity to be a part of the solution to climate change through the funding for climate-smart conversion projects.”

“The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act will release farmers ensnared in the highly flawed industrial animal agriculture model and usher in much-needed sustainable food and farm system reform. ‘Get Big or Get Out’ has failed farmers, rural communities, and our country. The IACA will help farmers and rural America get out from under CAFOs and thrive,” said Harry Manin, deputy legislative director of the Sierra Club.

“The factory farm system that traps farmers under mountains of debt and damages rural communities, public health and the environment didn’t happen by accident,” said Patty Lovera of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment. “Factory farms are the result of decades of failed enforcement, bad farm policy and direct government support, including federally-guaranteed loans for new factory farms. The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act would be a critical first step in the transition away from factory farms to a system based on independent, family farm livestock production.”

“Today’s factory farm system stacks the cards against farmers, workers, consumers, and the environment while letting Big Ag corporations reap all the rewards. The Industrial Agricultural Conversion Act is an important opportunity to transition our food and agriculture sector away from factory farms and an important lifeline for those squeezed by corporate consolidation,” said Rebecca Wolf, senior food policy analyst for Food and Water Watch.

“This bill would give small farmers more control over their operations to not have the larger corporations controlling what they do on their own farms. Factory farms put a strain on our health. This gives those farmers an opportunity to create a better product for our communities and consumers and improve our food system as a whole,” said Philip Barker, farmer and co-founder/co-project director of Operation Spring Plant, Inc.

“More than ever before, consumers want the assurance that the products they buy are aligned with their values. The data shows us that 80% of U.S. consumers are concerned about the environmental impact of the products they buy,” said David Levine, Co-founder and President of the American Sustainable Business Network. “In just the last few years, the sale of meat with labels boasting environmental and labor benefits increased 18% compared to conventionally labeled meat products. In addition, the sustainable fashion industry market is expected to more than double to $15 billion by 2030. Sustainable business is no longer just about doing the right thing, it’s also a wise investment and makes good business sense. Once farmers can move out of the industrial model, they will see higher profits and more resiliency to extreme weather and volatile markets, the Industrial Agriculture Conservation Act will begin to provide the needed support to take that first step to transition.”

“Over a decade ago I began to transition away from conventional cattle production to more sustainable, humane and regenerative practices and I’ve seen more benefits than I can name in the health of my animals and land. But without the kind of support this legislation offers, doing the right thing has been a slow and extremely risky process for myself and farmers like me across the country,” said Don Jackson, owner of Pompey’s Rest Farm. “The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act gives farmers a way out of a destructive system that’s squeezing them dry, and that’s a wonderful thing.”

Specifically, the IACA would:

The text of the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act is available here.

A section-by-section of the IACA is available here.

A list of endorsers of the IACA at the time of publication is available here.

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Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County) and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, and the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as ranking member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024

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