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  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton, Colleagues to Gensler: Protect Americans’ Privacy and Halt CAT Filings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353September 20, 2024
    Cotton, Colleagues to Gensler: Protect Americans’ Privacy and Halt CAT Filings 
    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) led 13 of his Congressional Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler to call for the immediate suspension of the recently effective rule filings tied to the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT). The letter warns that the SEC’s decision to allow these fillings to proceed without proper oversight is an affront to investors and endangers the impartiality of the judicial process. 
    Senators Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Congressman French Hill (Arkansas-02), Congressman John Rose (Tennessee-06), Congressman Steve Womack (Arkansas-03), and Congressman Alex Mooney (West Virginia-02) co-signed the letter. 
    In part, the lawmakers wrote:
    “As members of Congress and Amici Curiae in these cases, we have a vested interest in ensuring that the Commission adheres to its statutory authority. The CAT poses profound risks to Americans’ individual liberty and personal privacy. Moreover, if a significant new tax is levied on American investors, the Courts must be afforded an opportunity to conduct a fair and impartial review.”
    Full text of the letter can be found here and below.
    September 20, 2024
    Chair Gensler,
    We write to express our concerns that the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) has not suspended the most recent immediately effective rule filings to establish fees related to the Consolidated Audit Trail (“CAT”). As you are aware, the legality of the funding model underpinning these filings as well as the CAT itself are being reviewed in the Fifth and Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.’
    As members of Congress and Amici Curiae in these cases, we have a vested interest in ensuring that the Commission adheres to its statutory authority. The CAT poses profound risks to Americans’ individual liberty and personal privacy. Moreover, fi a significant new tax is levied on American investors, the Courts must be afforded an opportunity to conduct a fair and impartial review.
    The Commission has allowed the withdrawal of suspended fee filings, followed by the refiling of nearly identical ones, which effectively overrides its previous suspension and enables the immediate imposition of CAT fees with minimal notice to the industry. The Commission must suspend the CAT fees in order to allow market participants the opportunity to comment on these filings and to allow the legality of the entire CAT structure to be reviewed through the judicial process.
    Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. 
    Sincerely,
    ____________________
    Tom Cotton
    United States Senator

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, Vermont State Dental Society, University of Detroit Mercy, and Welch Announce Historic Effort to Advance Dental Care and Education Across State

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    BURLINGTON, Vt., Sept. 20 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the Vermont State Dental Society (VSDS), University of Detroit Mercy (UDM), and Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today announced their historic effort to establish an innovative, new dental clinic and training program in Vermont. Through a VSDS-University of Detroit Mercy partnership, the initiative will bring UDM students to Vermont to complete their final years of training – strengthening the dental care provider pipeline and expanding access to much-needed care across the state. Vermont currently has no dental school.
    Sanders and Welch are working to secure $4.6 million in federal funding through the FY25 Congressionally Directed Spending process to support this initiative. The funding recently was approved by the Appropriations Committee and next needs to pass the House and the Senate before being signed into law by President Biden.
    “The suffering that the dental care crisis causes Vermonters and people across this country too often goes unseen and unaddressed,” said Sanders. “Far too many, especially in rural areas like Vermont, do not have access to a dentist, which forces them to either travel long distances or go without the care they need. In some Vermont counties, there is a year-long wait list. In others, there are no dentists at all who treat kids with Medicaid. And because we don’t have a dental school in the state, there’s no natural pipeline for dentists to train and eventually work in our communities. It is time for that to change. This historic initiative brings me a lot of hope for the care and education opportunities we can deliver to Vermont. I am proud to partner with the Vermont Dental Society, University of Detroit Mercy, and Senator Welch to make this a reality. Let’s get it done.”
    At a press conference on Friday, VSDS, UDM, Sanders, and Welch celebrated the program receiving its accreditation from the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA) – an essential step in establishing the teaching program in Vermont.
    “By partnering with University of Detroit Mercy, we are opening doors to educational opportunities that haven’t existed before in Vermont, and increasing access to oral health care for Vermonters as well,” said Justin Hurlburt DMD, board president of the Vermont State Dental Society. “We are excited to partner with Detroit Mercy on this opportunity to expand the dentistry workforce in the state,” he added.
    “University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry has a long tradition of graduating practice-ready clinicians and it is an honor to help bring the Detroit Mercy DDS program to the Green Mountain State,” said Mert N. Aksu DDS, JD, MHSA, Cert DPH dean of Detroit Mercy Dental. “UDM recognizes the need for dentists in Vermont, and looks forward to providing a program to educate and graduate dentists in the state.”
    “This accreditation is an important step forward in the process to expand access to dentists here in Vermont, so every patient can get the care they need. I look forward to working with Senator Sanders on this important issue, and will continue to advocate for more federal funding to support workforce development in dentistry and health care across our state,” said Welch.
    Left untreated, dental issues can lead to larger health problems. Nearly half of adults in the United States have some form of periodontal disease, which makes them two to three times more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or other serious cardiovascular event. In 2019, there were 1.8 million visits to emergency rooms across the country for preventative dental conditions – a 62% increase from 2014.
    This new initiative will go a long way to increase oral health education opportunities and address the statewide dental provider shortage. Beginning in the fall of 2025, the partnership between VSDS and UDM will include two years of foundational and preclinical education at the UDM School of Dentistry campus in Detroit, Michigan, followed by two years of clinical and didactic education at a new dental clinic based in Chittenden County. Students would choose the Vermont residency option upon enrollment, increasing the likelihood that students will remain in Vermont to practice post-residency.
    University of Detroit Mercy-Vermont will house modern classrooms with on-site clinics to support its clinical education program and serve as a public health, Medicaid clinic to provide dental care to qualifying individuals. These students will not only work and learn in the new facility in Chittenden County, they will also do rotations in underserved areas around the state, including at Federally Qualified Health Centers and private dental practices. Current estimates show each class of students would see about 3,500 patients over a two-year period.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Transcript of Senior Defense Official and a Senior Administration Official Background Briefing on Operation Inherent Resolve and the US-Iraq Bilateral Security Relationship Update

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    MAJ GEN PAT RYDER:  All right, well good morning, everyone. This is Major General Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary. Thanks very much for joining us today for today’s backgrounder on and update on Operation Inherent Resolve and the US-Iraq bilateral security relationship. As a reminder, today’s call is on background, attributable to a senior defense official and a senior administration official.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Hi, everybody. Thanks for joining here on a Friday. What we thought we’d do today, we don’t have any real news to make, but we want to kind of just put some context into some issues that have been out there related to the global coalition against ISIS. And particularly the mission in Iraq. So — and heading into the UNGA next week, and then a Counter-ISIS — the Counter-ISIS ministerial of the Global Coalition a week from Monday.

    So, this month marks the 10th anniversary of the formation of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. And after a decade of that coalition, and particularly the defeat of the territorial caliphate in Iraq and Syria, there have been discussions going on really over the last year about the evolution of the coalition and the mission.

    There is broad consensus with every member of the coalition that the coalition will continue. We do extraordinary work in terms of counter terrorist financing, counter foreign fighter flow and everything else, sharing information, sharing intelligence — with 10 years on so there will be evolutions in the overall mission.

    It’s a way to deepen and enhance the coalition and the cooperation and also kind of deepen and enhance our relationship with Iraq. I think it’s fair to say we’ve had great success in territorially defeating ISIS in the core regions of Iraq and Syria. However, we are all very mindful that ISIS, you can say is down, but they’re never quite out.

    We have done a number of very effective operations against ISIS just over the last few weeks in Iraq and Syria. We remain fully committed to the defeat of ISIS. The core threat, that is what we’re working on in Iraq and northeast Syria, something that is ongoing every day and that will very much continue into the future. And we have a good consensus with the Iraqis and our partners in Syria as well on that.

    So, what we’ve been talking about, and this really came out of the — when Prime Minister Sudani was here and visited the president in April. If you go back to the joint statement that we released there, we talked about the ultimate end of the coalition military mission in Iraq. And again, 10 years on, and a number of coalition partners who are interacting — who’ve been there for a decade, some of which are looking to move on from that mission. But of course, the United States is the core and we very much intend to continue to prosecute this mission against ISIS over the coming years.

    And so — but we will be transitioning away from the coalition military mission in Iraq more to enduring bilateral security partnerships. Again, that’s what the president and the prime minister discussed back in April. And since then, we’ve kind of been working with the Iraqis and importantly with all of our coalition partners to kind of determine when and how — what that might look like.

    And so, we haven’t reached any final conclusions. I think this will kind of unfold over the course of next week. We look forward to having very constructive discussions with Prime Minister Sudani and other prominent leaders, including those who have been central to this coalition. And then of course, the ministerial a week from Monday.

    I think it’s important though to emphasize that what we’re talking about is an evolution of the coalition mission, ultimately the ending of the coalition military mission in Iraq. This is not about any specific posture decisions or anything like that. So, I think those issues kind of tend to get conflated. And we just wanted to make clear really what this is.

    This is kind of coming out of the success after a decade of extraordinary international cooperation, of extraordinary cooperation between coalition partners, the Iraqi security forces, the US military in particular, just an unbelievable job they’ve done and kind of an evolution of this after a decade. It’s kind of the appropriate mark to do that and we’ll have more to discuss about it next week. And with that, I’ll turn it over to my colleague.

    SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Thanks. Good morning. This is the Senior Defense Official. So, just to underscore a couple of the comments that have been made — we’ve had all this year, really — starting in April really, outstanding discussions with our Iraqi colleagues in what we call the Higher Military Commission. This is a military-to-military dialog, obviously coordinated and informed by policymakers as well, to help determine exactly how this transition should take place, timing and then how it should transition into the bilateral security partnership.

    And we’ve had some agreed criteria that we’ve spoken about, looking at what is the threat of ISIS. As was mentioned, ISIS has definitely been severely defeated, certainly territorially defeated, and we want to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS, but the threat does remain, so we have to assess exactly the nature of that threat.

    The second criteria, the capability of the Iraqi security forces, which has significantly increased. We still do things in partnership with them, but we’ve seen that evolution of their capability. And then the broader operating environment, what includes the challenge of ISIS in Syria, which is a related threat in a neighboring country, and how we have to scope our transition to make sure we can still get after that threat as well.

    But those conversations have been very successful. They really flowed out of that meeting when Prime Minister Sudani was in Washington. As was mentioned all through this period and certainly even in recent weeks, we’ve continued to conduct very effective counter ISIS operations in Iraq and in Syria, with our Iraqi and with our Syrian Democratic Forces partners.

    ISIS is under real pressure as a result of those operations. And so, now as we get ready to make the announcement on the transition of the global coalition’s military mission in Iraq, we’ll be deepening the conversation with our Iraqi colleagues on the nature of that bilateral security partnership.

    We believe it will be quite deep and quite intense because that’s what both sides want. The Iraqi partners have made very clear to us that they are committed to continuing to work together to shape the future US Iraq bilateral security relationship to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. We already have gotten fairly advanced into those discussions about what that looks like in terms of the kinds of training, the kinds of presence, the kinds of support for their capabilities.

    But this is an iterative conversation that will continue through and beyond the announcement that we hope we’ll be in a position to make at the end of next week. I think with that, I’ll take — I’ll pause.

    MAJ GEN PAT RYDER:  Thank you, gentlemen. The first question will go to Associated Press Tara Copp. Tara, are you there? Okay, we’ll come back to Tara. Let’s go to Nancy Youssef, Wall Street Journal.

    Q:    Hi, I’m having a hard time understanding because the Iraqis said last month that this deal had been finalized, they outlined the timeline in which US forces would withdraw from Baghdad and then from the north. And you’re saying you can’t announce it yet, maybe next week. Can you help me understand why there’s not an agreement on how to announce it? And does this suggest there are disagreements about the specifics of the deal?

    And in light of the news out of Lebanon, can you speak at all about these potential strikes in Southern Beirut that have killed Ibrahim Akil, the number two in Hezbollah, what your assessment is? And what your you’re read is of Israel’s understanding and intelligence on Hezbollah operations given the sophistication of the strikes we’ve seen this week? Thank you.

    MAJ GEN PAT RYDER:  Why don’t we start with our Senior Administration Official and then Senior Defense Official.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yeah, so I’ll keep the topic to the topic of the call. So, look, there’s a lot of discussions here because it shows it’s bilateral with us and Iraq. Those have been very constructive and successful, I think as Senior Defense Official mentioned, but also the number of coalition partners. So, we’re working to get this — we want to get this right and before we roll anything out formally.

    So, I would not say that everything is fully concluded. I think we made an awful lot of progress. I think heading into next week we’re in very good shape. But we’re not going to do anything that is not known to all of our coalition partners and that this is a broad — kind of a broad area of diplomatic engagement which is ongoing in multiple capitals.

    And so, it takes time to put everything together, dot every I, cross the T. But again, it’s a kind of a broad evolution of the mission and it does not speak to kind of more of the specifics of future posture which are discussions that will continue even beyond next week and the Counter-ISIS Ministerial on Monday.

    SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Just to add, the announcement we anticipate will be about the transition of the coalition, but many of those details of the mechanics of the transition and the next phases of the future US bilateral security partnership will take shape in discussions that will go beyond that announcement. Again, we made a lot of progress in the HMC discussions, also in the Joint Security Cooperation dialog we hosted when the Iraqi defense minister came here in July, but many of those conversations are going to continue beyond the announcement next week.

    MAJ GEN PAT RYDER:  Thank you both. Let’s go to Washington Post, Missy Ryan.

    Q:    Hi there. I’m hoping — I know you don’t want to address the details of the plan, but it’s sort of already out there and the Iraqis have outlined it in pretty clear detail. But presuming that that all is correct, what they have said, could you talk about — either of you, [SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL or SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL] — could you talk about how you see this evolution in Iraq fitting into what’s going on in the rest of the region in terms of the conflict in Gaza, the episodic escalation that we’re seeing between Israel and Hezbollah, the sort of broader instability in the region, and the efforts that the administration has been making to bring about some sort of larger diplomatic resolution there? Thanks.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I would say, I mean, our presence and relationship and partnership with Iraq is important for overall regional stability. We think our — what we’ve done in Eastern Syria is important for stability in that part of Syria, given the vacuum that can easily open up where we would simply withdraw without a plan for what that might look like. So, I think we’ve been very deliberate, very careful about this.

    I think throughout the crisis that began on October 7 with Hamas’s attack into Israel, we have used diplomacy, we’ve used backchannel diplomacy, and we’ve used the direct and targeted application of military force and deterrence and maneuvers and deployments to deter and signal. And when necessary, the president, as I mentioned, has ordered the application of military force.

    I think we’ve done that not only to protect our people but also to deter and contain this overall conflict to the theater primarily in Gaza. We know that Iran and many of its proxy networks, including those who are in Iraq, had designs early in this crisis to significantly broaden the conflict into a regional conflict. They have not succeeded in doing that and we intend very much to continue.

    And I’ll turn it over to my Senior Defense Official colleague to speak more to this, but we very much will maintain that deterrent posture, because we are still in the crisis. There’s a lot of diplomacy going on behind the scenes and above board. But we — and of course obviously our relationship with Iraq, our presence in Iraq is fundamental to that. So, I would not — the Counter-ISIS mission has been ongoing throughout this crisis, I think doesn’t get as much attention. But we’ve done extremely effective Counter-ISIS operations and strikes even in the last two months.

    And that’s something that is going to continue even while this crisis is ongoing. And hopefully we will find diplomatic solutions to some of the issues obviously in Gaza and Lebanon. The question that was just asked we’re working at extremely hard, but there is a military dimension to this and we’re mindful of that. And I think we used that tool of national power effectively, deliberately. And we work with the president every day on this and Secretary of Defense and others. So, I’ll turn it over to [SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL].

    SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Yeah, look, I would just say that during this crisis, our partners across the region have looked to the United States to be present, to indicate that we are remaining present and active, to use our force posture and our other capabilities to defend our friends, to defend our own forces and to deter our adversaries. And in the case of the Counter-ISIS mission, to continue to prosecute that mission to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.

    And what our friends have seen during this crisis is part of what we’re discussing here today. That presence is going to continue. Our partnerships are going to deepen — they may take different forms. They may evolve based on evolving conditions, based on evolving threats. But we will continue to remain present and to use our presence and our capabilities and our partnerships to address those common threats. So, this discussion is very much in keeping with that theme.

    Q:    Just to clarify, you’re not worried that this will give Iran some sort of greater positioning in the region at a moment of intense tension with Iran sort of like running through everything that you’re doing?

    SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  We are not.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  No, not at all.

    SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  We are remaining present and active in partnership with our allies and partners. Again, sometimes these things take different forms, but we’re not concerned about that. But [SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL] should speak to it as well.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  No, not at all. If anything, I think deepening our cooperation with Iraq in multiple areas, which we’re doing, is something that the Iranians clearly don’t want. The Iraqis have been enhancing their relations with Saudi Arabia in the Gulf and the broader Arab world. Obviously remains a very dynamic situation.

    But that’s something that’s also quite important. You look at the energy infrastructure buildouts from Southern Iraq into the Gulf, stuff that had just been talked about for a decade. Iraq actually capturing its flared gas working with Total and Western energy companies to do that, which ultimately weans themself off dependency of Iranian gas. This is all kind of part of a broader picture.

    So no, I would not draw an evolution of a coalition military mission after 10 years. Again, it’s important to — there’s a 10-year mark, very natural point. You have an inflection point and kind of an evolution of a mission into anything that would give any benefit to the Iranians. I think if anything, it’s quite the opposite.

    MAJ GEN PAT RYDER:  Thank you. Let’s go to Al Hurra, Wafaa, Wafaa, are you there? Okay, we’ll come back. Next al-Arabiya, Joseph Haboush.

    Q:    Thanks. Can you guys hear me?

    MAJ GEN PAT RYDER:  You’re very faint. If you can speak up a bit?

    Q:    How about now?

    MAJ GEN PAT RYDER:  Still kind of quiet, but a little bit better.

    Q:    All right. Thanks for doing this. I just wanted to ask, on the heels of the CENTCOM announcements earlier this summer about ISIS on track to doubling the number of attacks this year as opposed to last year. And then these massive — or these pretty significant raids that we’ve seen, joint raids — joint raids between the Iraqis and us, and then the SDF and the US earlier this week.

    I mean how — can you just kind of clarify how this makes — the timing of it at least makes sense when we’re seeing these large-scale operations that have taken place previously but we haven’t always publicized in detail. So, is there any split between the policymakers and CENTCOM, SOCOM or the folks in the military. In terms of timing, can you just explain how that, at least publicly, would make sense to people here? Thank you.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yeah, I think the timing mainly is — it’s just — it’s a 10-year mark of a coalition and an evolution. But it’s also very consistent with the intelligence we’re seeing and what we’re doing and will continue to do, I want to emphasize that, against ISIS. So, I think it’s pretty much aligned to both of those things. But I’ll turn it over to my colleague.

    SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Yeah, it is the 10-year mark, but it’s also a significantly different operating environment than when the coalition first undertook its mission. As I mentioned, ISIS has been territorially defeated. It doesn’t control those swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq that it once did. Millions of people who used to live under its genocidal rule, do not any longer. So, they’re kind of isolated in their desert encampments.

    And we have been able to, under the current coalition arrangement in the way you describe, continue to conduct operations that further weaken them, further prevent them — prevent them from conducting external operations and disrupt their command and control and their leadership, cadres.

    That ability is going to continue. It will continue during the course of this transition, which, by the way, even when it’s announced next week, takes some time to actually be implemented. So, many of these capabilities, even as we are doing them now in partnership with our Iraqi and our Syrian democratic Forces colleagues, will be able to continue.

    And then as the bilateral security relationship becomes the basis for our cooperation with Iraq in the course of the transition, again, which isn’t instantaneous, we will find that we’ll still be able to cooperate as we need to ensure that that mission can continue to be carried out — may be carried out differently, again, we talked about the evaluation of the threat, the evaluation of the Iraqi security force’s capability and the evaluation of the operating environment.

    All of that is scoped to ensure that there will be no lessening of pressure on ISIS as the transition from coalition to bilateral security partnership takes place.

    MAJ GEN PAT RYDER:  Thank you. Let me try Associated Press again. Tara, are you on the line?

    Q:    Yes, I am. Thanks for doing this. I’m sorry if this has been asked before. I had to drop off at the very beginning. But have you seen any indication that ISIS has tried to exploit the October 7 instability? And especially right now with increased tensions being — have you seen them try to launch any additional operations?

    SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  We do see that there are continued attacks and attack planning by ISIS. I’m not sure I would attribute it specifically to October 7 or the crisis that’s followed October 7. They have their ideology; they have their ambitions. So, we definitely have seen a continued ISIS capability to try to conduct attacks, certainly to do some planning for attacks.

    But we’ve also during the same period, and without any distraction from our mission of the coalition and of our partners during the period of this crisis, we’ve been able to prosecute the defeat ISIS mission very, very successfully.

    MAJ GEN PAT RYDER:  And for our last question, we’ll try Al Hurra one more time. Wafaa, are you on the line? All right, she may have had to drop. All right, well, thank you very much for joining us again today. As a reminder, this discussion was on background attributable to a Senior Defense Official and a Senior Administration Official. Thanks very much for joining us. This concludes the backgrounder.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Urges Small Businesses to Strengthen Resilience During National Disaster Preparedness Month

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – This month, 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, is encouraging small businesses to take proactive steps to safeguard their operations from potential natural disasters. This year’s theme is “Prepare Now, Recover Faster.” 

    “As the frequency and intensity of natural disasters rise due to climate change, it is more critical than ever for Americans to be prepared,” said Administrator Guzman. “This Disaster Preparedness Month, we encourage all small businesses, homeowners, renters, and non-profits to take advantage of the SBA’s resources to create emergency response plans so that they can recover more quickly when disaster strikes, minimizing disruptions in communities and the economy.”

    With a wide range of resources and support services, the SBA is committed to helping businesses and communities across the country prepare for, respond to, and recover from unexpected events. Homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes are eligible for SBA assistance and can learn more here and by utilizing the Business Resilience Guide.

    “A natural disaster can occur anytime, anyplace, and climate change has only added to the problem,” said Francisco Sánchez Jr., Associate Administrator of SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. “That’s why it is important to remember that proper planning and preparation can mitigate a disaster’s impact. ‘Prepare Now, Recover Faster’ highlights the benefits that preparedness offers – that putting in the work now can lead to a quicker recovery and a return to normalcy later.”

    In 2023, the SBA lent nearly $3 billion to disaster survivors nationwide – including over $670,000 for small businesses and over $2.3 million for homeowners and renters – to help them recover from the financial and physical impacts of manmade and natural disasters. Currently, the SBA is responding to 34 disaster declarations across the country.

    ###

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI USA: it’s not déjà vu, it’s Vindman still hiding

    Source: US National Republican Congressional Committee

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    September 20, 2024

    While Derrick Anderson continues to be transparent and available for VA-07 voters, Vindman is ducking and dodging yet another debate.

    “Enough is enough. Eugene Vindman needs to answer for why he lied about his military resume and avoids the topic of border security. Virginians deserve transparency and Vindman is anything but transparent.” — NRCC Spokeswoman Delanie Bomar

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Storm Boris (15 Sept. 2024)

    Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development

    France is deeply distressed by the devastating consequences of Storm Boris, which is affecting Central and Eastern Europe and has led to several deaths. It has also forced the evacuation of thousands of people and caused enormous material damage. We offer our condolences to the bereaved families.

    France expresses its absolute solidarity with the people and authorities of Austria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

    Together with its European partners, France stands ready to respond to requests for assistance.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: The First International Seminar on Parliamentary Diplomacy was held in Cuba

    THOUSAND OSI Translation. Region: Spanish/Latin America/UN –

    Source: Republic of Cuba

    First International Seminar on Parliamentary Diplomacy held in Cuba Havana, September 19, 2024. – Topics of relevance to the international community such as the defense of human rights, peaceful solutions and the preservation of world peace were presented this Thursday, from an academic perspective of parliaments, at the First International Seminar on Parliamentary Diplomacy. The meeting, which will run until Friday, took place at the National Capitol of Cuba, the institutional headquarters of the National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP), with representation from around twenty nations. The event was established, according to Rogelio Sierra Díaz, Rector of the Higher Institute of International Relations, in the opening remarks, as a crucial space to analyze, with a high spirit of collaboration, “the challenges and opportunities that are currently faced with the aim of strengthening international law.”

    The special conference, led by the President of the Permanent Commission on International Relations of the ANPP and President of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament, Rolando González Patricio, focused on the myths and opportunities of parliamentary diplomacy. Dialogue and understanding, legislative harmonization, integration, mobilization in the confrontation and mitigation of climate change, defense of democracy, defense of international law, defense of peace, communicated González Patricio, “accumulate more than enough reasons to attend to and exercise, carefully and conscientiously, what we now call parliamentary diplomacy on the road to a much better world.”

    The event was chaired by the member of the Political Bureau and president of the ANPP, Esteban Lazo Hernández; the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Gerardo Peñalver Portal, and the president of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, Fernando González Llort. (Cubaminrex-Granma)

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Rules Subcommittee on Homeowners Associations to Hold First Hearing

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (September 20, 2024) — On Tuesday, September 24,at 9:00 a.m., the Senate Rules Subcommittee on Homeowners Associations, chaired by Sen. Matt Brass (R–Newnan), will hold its first hearing.

    MEETING DETAILS:                      

    • Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2024
    • Time: 9:00 a.m.
    • Location: 450 State Capitol, 206 Washington St SW, Atlanta, GA, 30334
    • Open to the Public: The event is open to the public. The committee meeting will be live-streamed on the Senate website here.

    ABOUT THE MEETING:         
    Chairman Brass and fellow committee members will discuss the role of HOAs in Georgia communities by analyzing their current compliance with state law. The members will also review best and worst practices and the role of HOAs concerning Georgians’ constitutional rights.  The total membership of the subcommittee includes Vice Chair Donzella James (D–Atlanta), Majority Leader Steve Gooch (R–Dahlonega), Minority Leader Gloria Butler (D–Stone Mountain) and Senators Brandon Beach (R–Alpharetta), Clint Dixon (R–Gwinnett) and Michael “Doc” Rhett (D–Marietta).

    MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
    We kindly request that members of the media confirm their attendance in advance by contacting Jantz Womack at SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    # # # #

    Sen. Matt Brass serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules. Sen. Brass represents the 28th Senate District, which includes Coweta and Heard, as well as parts of Douglas and Fulton County. He can be reached by email at     matt.brass@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Climate Pledge Arena to pay $477K in penalties, refunds as a result of AG Ferguson’s hidden fee investigation

    Source: Washington State News

    Court order ensures concertgoers who paid fee get money back with an additional $10

    SEATTLE — Climate Pledge Arena will pay $477,917 in penalties and refunds as a result of Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s investigation into a hidden fee the arena charged thousands of Washingtonians.

    From February 27, 2023, to July 22, 2023, Climate Pledge added a 3% fee to food and beverage purchases made at the arena. They did not disclose the fee in any way before customers made their purchase, in violation of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act. The Attorney General’s investigation revealed the company charged the fee on approximately 183,000 transactions over the course of 37 events, bringing in $162,917.16. The legally binding agreement is subject to court approval.

    As a condition for resolving his case, Ferguson required that Climate Pledge:

    • Conclude a class action lawsuit resulting in full restitution to all Washington consumers who were harmed, to be administered through a claims process, subject to court approval;
    • Pay affected customers who file a claim an additional $10 for their inconvenience and loss of their money in addition to the full refund;
    • Pay $315,000 to the Attorney General’s Office to pay for the cost of bringing the case, future enforcement work and, if necessary, cover claimants’ additional $10 payment if the $162,917.16 is insufficient; and
    • Disclose all fees it charges customers in the future.

    “Washington law is simple: If you charge a fee, you must clearly disclose that fee before someone pays it,” Ferguson said. “Climate Pledge was not doing that. Now they are paying the price. If you believe a company is charging hidden fees in Washington, contact my office.”

    Ferguson opened his investigation following a KIRO news story about the fee. State law requires companies to clearly disclose all added fees and charges to Washingtonians before they charge them. Instead, the fee was not disclosed at the arena kiosks or in digital payments. Attendees only learned about the fee if they asked for a receipt for their transaction.

    The arena stopped charging the fee following the KIRO story and the Attorney General’s Office confirmed the arena is not currently charging the fee. The court order ensures the arena does not charge any fees without appropriately informing people. If the arena does, the Attorney General’s Office can go to court for any violations.

    Assistant Attorney General Dan Davies handled the case for Washington.

    Honest Fees Initiative

    Companies caught charging hidden fees have paid more than $9.6 million as a result of Ferguson’s Honest Fees Initiative.

    Ferguson is calling on Washingtonians to check their bills, and, if they believe they contain hidden fees, to file a complaint at the Attorney General’s website here.

    Follow these easy steps to check your bill:

    1. Review your bill carefully for additional fees and taxes. Pay special attention to fees that appear to be government-imposed. Though they may appear to be, that may not be the case.
    2. Compare your bill against the advertised purchase price. Is it different? Were fees added on without being disclosed to you when you signed up?
    3. If you see a fee that was not included in the initial purchase price, or that you believe is deceptive, contact the Washington Attorney General’s Office at www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint.

    Ferguson took the first major action as part of the initiative in December 2019, when global technology company CenturyLink paid $6.1 million to the State of Washington for adding charges to customer bills without accurately disclosing those fees, and failing to provide discounts that their sales agents had promised customers. In July 2020, Frontier Communications Northwest paid $900,000 to Washington to resolve an Attorney General’s Office investigation that found Frontier did not adequately disclose fees when advertising and selling its products, and misled subscribers about internet speeds it could provide. Later in July 2020, Charter Communications paid nearly $1 million for failing to disclose its “Broadcast TV Surcharge” to customers who ordered the company’s services online. In March 2021, Bothell-based TV and broadband internet provider Wave paid $900,000 to more than 23,000 customers who ordered the company’s services online and more than $300,000 to the Attorney General’s Office.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Brionna Aho, Communications Director, (360) 753-2727; Brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Publishes Final Rule to Improve Access to Medical Care for People with Disabilities

    Source: US State of California

    On the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Attorney General Merrick B. Garland signed a final rule under Title II of the ADA to improve access to medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for people with disabilities. MDE includes equipment like medical examination tables, weight scales, dental chairs, x-ray machines and mammography machines. Accessible MDE is essential for people with disabilities to have equal access to medical care.

    The final rule is available for review on the Federal Register’s website at www.federalregister.gov. A fact sheet that provides information about the final rule is available on ada.gov.

    “Thirty-four years after passage of the ADA, people with disabilities should not have to forgo needed medical care due to inaccessible medical diagnostic equipment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “This rule marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to ensure that people with disabilities can get the medical treatment they need. Whether you are talking about access to mammograms or access to general OB/GYN services, it is critical that hospitals and doctors’ offices provide equipment that is accessible to patients with disabilities.” 

    The rule clarifies how public entities that use MDE, such as hospitals and health care clinics operated by state or local governments, can meet their obligations to ensure accessibility under the ADA. The department has heard from many individuals with disabilities who have been denied basic, critically important health care services because medical providers lacked accessible MDE. For example, patients with disabilities reported receiving only a cursory physical examination in their wheelchair because they could not be transferred to the examination table for a full examination. Other patients reported forgoing basic preventative health care, such as dental examinations and mammograms, because providers did not have accessible MDE.

    The rule adopts a technical standard for accessible MDE. The rule also establishes requirements that will help make accessible examination tables and weight scales more available. This will make it easier for people with disabilities — especially people who use wheelchairs — to receive medical care.

    For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit the department’s website at www.justice.gov/crt. For inquiries regarding the ADA, please contact the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or visit the ADA website at www.ada.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor DeSantis Appoints Four to the Clay County Development Authority

    Source: US State of Florida

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Dennis “Rick” Dingle and Dell Hoard Sr. and the reappointment of Tina Clary and Tammy “Chereese” Stewart to the Clay County Development Authority.

    Dennis “Rick” Dingle
    Dingle is the Chief Administrative Officer for the Clay County Clerk of the Court and Comptroller’s Office. Active in his community, he currently serves as a member of the Florida Government Finance Officers Association. Dingle earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Flagler College and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of North Florida.

    Dell Hoard Sr.
    Hoard is the Owner of Grumpy’s Restaurant. Previously, he served as a Transportation Coordinator for Walmart Transportation Center. A lifelong resident of Clay County, Hoard attended St. Johns River State College.

    Tina Clary
    Clary is the Principal and Chief Executive Officer for Clary & Associates. Previously, she served as a member of the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society, the American Society of Highway Engineering, and the Clay County Chamber of Commerce. Clary earned her associate degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville.

    Tammy “Chereese” Stewart
    Stewart is the Assistant County Manager for the Clay County Board of County Commissioners. She was previously elected as a Clay County Commissioner and currently serves as a member of the Clay County Cattlemen Association, the Clay County Farm Bureau, and the Florida Planning and Zoning Association. Stewart earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and her master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from the University of North Florida.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Death of Elijah Muhammad

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Elijah Muhammad, who died on July 10, 2022 while incarcerated in the George R. Vierno Center (GRVC) on Rikers Island. Following a comprehensive investigation, including review of Department of Correction (DOC) staff incident reports and security camera footage, witness interviews, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the correction officer staffed on Mr. Muhammad’s unit committed a crime, and therefore criminal charges would not be pursued.

    At 3:00 p.m. on July 10, 2022, the correction officer staffed on Mr. Muhammad’s unit witnessed Mr. Muhammad in a severely disoriented state. Mr. Muhammad appeared to have difficulty keeping his eyes open and standing upright, at one point slumping to the floor in a seated position. After being alerted by other incarcerated people in the housing unit, the correction officer held open Mr. Muhammad’s cell door while two incarcerated people helped him into his cell. However, in violation of DOC rules, the correction officer failed to call a medical emergency. He also failed to take any other action to assist Mr. Muhammad, such as administering Narcan.

    The correction officer continued to check on Mr. Muhammad periodically for two hours, until 5:13 p.m., sometimes stepping into Mr. Muhammad’s cell. The correction officer then did not check on Mr. Muhammad until 9:43 p.m.

    Other people housed in Mr. Muhammad’s unit continued to check on him throughout the evening. Beginning around 8:00 p.m., the incarcerated people who came to Mr. Muhammad’s door appeared to grow increasingly alarmed by what they saw through his cell window and began knocking on and kicking at his door. At 9:43 p.m., the correction officer went into Mr. Muhammad’s cell, where he found Mr. Muhammad unconscious, cold, and foaming at the nose. The officer recruited another correction officer to help, and together they moved Mr. Muhammad out of his cell and onto the ground to begin rendering aid. The correction officers called for medical staff, who then called for emergency medical services. Mr. Muhammad was declared dead in the housing unit at 10:30 p.m. The medical examiner found that the concentration of Fentanyl in Mr. Muhammad’s blood was a fatal dose.

    Following a preliminary assessment of the incident, OSI determined that the failure of the correction officer to call a medical emergency or provide immediate aid to Mr. Muhammad qualified as an omission, or failure to perform a duty imposed by law, which contributed to Mr. Muhammad’s death. Therefore, OSI conducted this investigation pursuant to Executive Law Section 70-b.

    Under New York law, proving criminally negligent homicide as an omission would require proving beyond a reasonable doubt, among other things, that the correction officer caused Mr. Muhammad’s death. In this case, the medical examiner determined that while providing Narcan when Mr. Muhammad was first observed in a disoriented state, or in the ensuing hours when the officer failed to check on Mr. Muhammad, might have increased his chance of survival, there is no guarantee that it would have saved his life. OSI concluded that although the correction officer’s failure to call a medical emergency or render aid contributed to his death, a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this failure caused Mr. Muhammad’s death. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Urges Congress to Pass Legislation to Stop Gun Trafficking into Caribbean Countries

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 12 attorneys general calling on Congress to take action to stop gun trafficking from the United States to Caribbean countries. In their letter, the attorneys general write that gun trafficking from the United States has contributed to gun violence in Caribbean countries, where many New Yorkers and Americans have families. The coalition outlines a number of measures Congress can take to help reduce gun trafficking into the Caribbean, including ensuring inspectors at ports have enough resources to make inspections and passing the Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causes Harm (CATCH) Act. The CATCH Act would provide state and federal governments with more information about gun trafficking into the Caribbean and determine which anti-gun trafficking methods are working to reduce gun violence.

    “American-made guns are flowing into Caribbean nations and communities and fueling violence, chaos, and senseless tragedies throughout the region,” said Attorney General James. “This issue hits especially close to home, as many New Yorkers have family in Caribbean nations who are enduring dangerous conditions, partially because of easy access to dangerous weapons from our country. We have a responsibility to address this crisis, and that is why I am calling on Congress to take action to stop gun trafficking into Caribbean countries. When we tackle the gun violence crisis from every angle, we protect everyone.”

    In their letter, Attorney General James and the coalition of attorneys general write that the number of guns smuggled into the Caribbean from the United States has surged in recent years and contributes significantly to gun violence in those countries. For instance, a 2023 United Nations report indicated that the United States has been a “principal source of firearms and munitions in Haiti.” Additionally, the Jamaican Security Ministry estimates that at least 200 guns are trafficked from the United States into the country each month. The attorneys general write that addressing the outbound flow of guns from the United States is “a service to our constituents,” many of whom have ties to family and loved ones in the Caribbean.

    Attorney General James and the coalition of attorneys general are calling on Congress to pass the CATCH Act, which would give both state and federal governments much-needed information about gun trafficking into Caribbean countries and anti-trafficking measures. In addition, the attorneys general are asking Congress to take additional steps to stop gun trafficking into those countries, including by:

    • Ensuring that inspectors at American ports are given sufficient resources to inspect shipments being sent from the United States to countries in the Caribbean; 
    • Ensuring that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has sufficient funding to inspect federal firearms licensees that are responsible for a disproportionate number of firearms that are traced after having been used in crimes in countries in the Caribbean; and
    • Requesting briefings from the United States Postal Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice about their ongoing efforts to interdict shipments of guns from the United States to countries in the Caribbean, with a focus on what additional resources and legal tools they need to accomplish this important task.

    Joining Attorney General James in sending today’s letter are the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.

    “I am appreciative of Attorney General James on these latest actions to stop gun trafficking from the U.S. to Caribbean nations,” said U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat. “I introduced legislation in Congress to reauthorize funding for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), which further strengthens our actions to combat crime and illicit drug trafficking, while supporting peace and stability to the region. I commend Attorney General James and each of the attorneys general for their ongoing state-federal collaboration to stop the flow of gun trafficking between our nations.”

    “American gun manufacturers aren’t just flooding our own streets with weapons of war, they’re exporting our gun violence epidemic to neighboring nations like Haiti,” said U.S. Representative Dan Goldman. “I welcome Attorney General James’ leadership in calling for the stemming of illegal international gun trafficking and will continue working in Congress to crack down on illegal gun traffickers by finally passing commonsense gun safety legislation that safeguards communities both at home and abroad.” 

    “Gun trafficking is having devastating impacts on families here at home and around the world. We must do everything in our power to stop this illegal flow of weapons that is leading to deadly gun violence,” said U.S. Representative Joe Morelle. “As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have continually called for sufficient funding for ATF and increased resources to stop gun trafficking. I am grateful to Attorney General James for her leadership and partnership on this important issue and I look forward to our continued work together.” 

    “The unfettered flow of illegal guns from States without gun safety laws doesn’t just harm Americans—these weapons are being trafficked out of the country to facilitate crimes in Caribbean countries,” said U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler. “I applaud Attorney General James’ leadership to fight the epidemic of gun violence and will continue to support these commonsense efforts to end the trafficking of weapons both within and from the United States.”  

    “As we work to root out gun violence at home, we must also act to eliminate the scourge of arms trafficking on our neighbors,” said U.S. Representative Nydia M. Velázquez. “Weapons trafficking is currently fueling instability in Caribbean nations, particularly in Hati, where guns from the United States are empowering gangs to terrorize their communities, and I thank Attorney General James for highlighting this issue. Congress must pass the CATCH Act to help provide authorities with the information needed to disrupt trafficking networks and ultimately make the U.S. and the nations of the Caribbean safer.”  

    “We’ve long known that firearms are being trafficked around the US, flooding our communities with deadly weapons and putting our lives and safety at risk,” said Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie. “I’m proud to have written the nation’s first law to hold bad actors in the gun industry liable for reckless conduct that allows this situation to occur, and honored to stand with our Attorney General as she leads the fight against gun trafficking from the US to Caribbean nations.”              

    “We cannot turn a blind eye to the devastating impact that gun trafficking from the United States is having on our Caribbean neighbors and it is our duty to take action. The CATCH Act is a crucial step toward implementing effective measures to combat this crisis,” said Senator Roxanne J. Persaud. “I thank Attorney General James and the attorneys general for helping to protect communities both here and abroad from the scourge of gun violence.” 

    “Attorney General James’ leadership in calling for the CATCH Act is a vital step toward protecting our communities,” said Senator Luis Sepulveda. “Gun trafficking from the U.S. into the Caribbean has devastating consequences, and we must do everything in our power to combat this crisis. I stand firmly with the Attorney General in urging Congress to take action.”

    “America’s deadly gun epidemic is spreading like wildfire to vulnerable Caribbean nations,” said Assemblymember Khaleel M. Anderson. “Weapons trafficking from within the United States exports violence into the Caribbean, destabilizes island nations, and jeopardizes their sovereignty. We owe it to the millions in diaspora in New York to take meaningful action to stem the flow of illegal firearms into the Caribbean. I am proud to stand with Attorney General James in urging swift federal action to ensure justice and save countless innocent lives.” 

    “The unchecked flow of illegal guns from the United States into the Caribbean is fueling violence and destabilizing communities across the region,” said Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest. “Congress must act now to pass comprehensive legislation to stop gun trafficking, and I applaud Attorney General James for her leadership on this issue. Our Caribbean neighbors deserve safety, stability, and the ability to thrive without the constant threat of gun violence, which we know all too well here at home. By strengthening enforcement, closing loopholes, and promoting regional cooperation, we can protect lives on both sides of our borders and build a safer future for all.” 

    “Thank you, Attorney General James, for enforcing laws meant to protect the lives of Americans,” said Assemblymember Charles Lavine. “We all must continue to fight the pandemic of gun violence using all means necessary which includes action such as this and passing strong but sensible gun legislation.”   

    “The inexcusable violence that continues in the Caribbean cannot be fueled by trafficked American weapons,” said Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages. “Congress must work collaboratively with states, local governments, and our international partners to ensure enough is being done to stop this gun trafficking. Passing the CATCH Act will help stop this outflow of weaponry which is making the humanitarian situation worse in Haiti and across the region. I commend Attorney General James and this coalition of state attorneys general for their efforts to make everyone safer from gun violence.” 

    “We commend Attorney General James for leading the charge to urge Congress to pass the CATCH Act which will help curb the devastating gang violence occurring in the Caribbean, most notably in Haiti,” said Assemblymember Clyde Vanel. “Curbing the flow of illegal firearms from the United States is critical to promote security in our hemisphere and it also deeply impacts families and communities here in New York, including many New Yorkers like myself who have direct ties to these regions. We must do all we can to protect our loved ones and foster stability both at home and abroad.” 

    “I join Attorney General James and concerned residents here and abroad in calling on Congress to take action to stop the illegal trafficking of guns from America to Caribbean countries,” said Assemblymember Latrice Walker. “Passing the Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causes Harm (CATCH) Act will help federal and local authorities figure out the best ways to combat the flow of weapons, which inevitably fall into the hands of criminals. I have many friends in my district in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and in neighboring communities who have relatives in Jamaica and Haiti, two of the countries that, unfortunately, are far too often destinations for these guns. This legislation would pay safety dividends to the people of the Caribbean. I urge Congress to pass it.” 

    “As the co-chair of the Anti-Gun Violence Subcommittee of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus, and an advocate for over 20 years, representing one of the largest Caribbean communities in New York, it is imperative that in efforts to heal our communities of gun violence, we continue to advocate for support beyond our borders by putting an end to gun trafficking,” said Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman. “I stand with Attorney General James and my fellow colleagues in the legislature to highlight the urgent need to reduce gun trafficking impacting the peace and security of our beloved Caribbean nations. Supporting the CATCH Act is vital for state and federal governments to ensure we receive the necessary information to activate working methods to reduce gun trafficking.” 

    “As a strong supporter of long-overdue gun safety initiatives in the United States, I am especially cognizant of how preventing the flow of illegal firearms is both a matter of public safety and promoting in Caribbean nations just a short distance from America’s shores,” said Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker. “I applaud Attorney General James for spearheading a vital effort to disrupt international crime syndicates that enhances America’s security both at home and abroad.” 

    Since taking office in 2019, Attorney General James has removed more than 7,400 firearms from New York streets and communities through buyback events and takedowns of illegal gun trafficking rings. In May 2024, Attorney General James took more than 200 guns off the streets in Kingston and Watervliet. Attorney General James has also been a national leader in protecting New Yorkers from gun violence. In August 2024, Attorney General James led a coalition of 22 attorneys general in support of commonsense state and federal laws that regulate the sale of guns to keep communities safe. In April 2024, Attorney General James took down gun traffickers for selling ghost guns and other firearms in Central New York. In March 2024, Attorney General James secured a $7.8 million judgment against gun retailer Indie Guns for illegally selling ghost gun components in New York. In February 2024, Attorney General James announced the takedowns of a gun trafficking network that sold ghost guns and assault-style rifles and a narcotics trafficking network in Dutchess County.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $5.4 Million For Urban Community Forestry

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced an additional $5.4 million in grant awards for Urban and Community Forestry Grants funded through the Federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The funding expands on $7.1 million awarded on July 25, increasing expected project outcomes and reach, and bringing the total amount awarded to $12.5 million. The awards support Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State initiative to plant 25 million trees by 2033, recent commitments through the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, and other New York State investments to expand tree canopy and cultivate greener, healthier communities.

    “Investing in community green space is a significant step towards revitalizing our cities and towns, and ensuring a sustainable, resilient future for all New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “These investments will help to provide cleaner air and water to every corner of our state, and move us closer to achieving our climate goals.”

    Funded projects represent a collaborative effort between local governments, not-for-profit organizations, and community groups to create more equitable and resilient urban forests in the face of increased storms and extreme heat driven by climate change. Projects are focused in disadvantaged communities and include initiatives to engage with the public in tree planting and stewardship efforts, and increase tree canopy in public open space and along roadways. The efforts align with Governor Hochul’s broader conservation and environmental agenda, including enhancing existing open spaces and land preservation goals, supporting the state’s ambitious climate goals, and advancing environmental justice statewide.

    The grants are administered through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Urban and Community Forestry program, which works to increase public awareness of the importance of trees and helps communities create healthy forests while enriching quality of life for residents.

    Funding for this grant is made available through the state allocation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service through the IRA. The USDA Forest Service is allocating this funding to support projects in disadvantaged communities to increase and maintain a healthy urban canopy and equitable access to trees and the benefits they provide. The Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry program authorizes funding for a broad range of activities, such as urban wood utilization, urban food forests, extreme heat mitigation and workforce development.

    New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “Urban trees are more than just a touch of nature in our cities—they help mitigate extreme heat, improve air quality, and support public health. By enhancing green spaces in areas impacted by climate change and other environmental challenges, we cool streets and homes while improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers. Trees are an integral part of our urban landscapes and leave a legacy for future generations.”

    New York State is celebrating the 16th annual Climate Week from September 22-29, 2024. The projects included in this announcement support New York’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, make communities more resilient, drive action to tackle climate change and advance environmental justice, ensure affordability as part of the clean energy transition, and create new jobs and opportunities for future generations.

    The 17 awarded projects receiving additional funding are listed below by region:

    Capital Region

    Albany County

    • City of Albany Department of General Services: $456,705 additional, for a total of $876,965; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation

    Greene County

    • Village of Athens: $237,335 additional, for a total of $577,968; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation

    Rensselaer County

    • City of Troy: $64,800 additional, for a total of $382,400; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation

    Central New York

    Onondaga County

    • City of Syracuse: $414,858 additional, for a total of $910,141; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation

    Finger Lakes

    Genesee County

    • City of Batavia: $306,218 additional, for a total of $758,950; Ash Tree Management in Disadvantaged Communities

    Monroe County

    • City of Rochester: $399,250 additional, for a total of $598,875; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation

    Mid-Hudson Valley

    Ulster County

    • City of Kingston: $240,824 additional, for a total of $732,375; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation

    Westchester

    • City of New Rochelle: $6,600 additional, for a total of $41,600; Ash Tree Management in Disadvantaged Communities

    New York City

    The Bronx

    • Woodlawn Conservancy Inc.: $727,962 additional, for a total of $1,201,354; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation
    • Natural Areas Conservancy Inc.: $467,510 additional, for a total of $862,168; Ash Tree Management in Disadvantaged Communities

    Brooklyn

    • Big Initiatives Incorporated: $843,709 additional, for a total of $1,251,166; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation – Stewardship of Street Trees
    • The Evergreens Cemetery Preservation Foundation: $415,000 additional, for a total of $915,000; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation

    Manhattan

    • The Green-Wood Cemetery: $100,000 additional, for a total of $598,035; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation
    • Randall’s Island Park Alliance Inc.: $353,520 additional, for a total of $851,262; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation

    North Country

    Clinton County

    • Clinton County Soil and Water Conservation District: $231,325 additional, for a total of $460,947; Ash Tree Management in Disadvantaged Communities

    Jefferson County

    • City of Watertown: $150,000 additional, for a total of $550,000; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation

    Western New York

    Chautauqua County

    • City of Dunkirk: $35,867 additional, for a total of $158,313; Community Forest Management Plan Implementation

    Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said, “New York, get your shovels out and get ready to dig for more new trees because over $5 million, in addition to the over $7 million we announced earlier this summer, is on the way to create more urban forests, from Albany to Kingston and more! I fought hard to plant this funding in the Inflation Reduction Act so that cities across New York could have access to the funding they have long needed to breathe new life into our most underserved neighborhoods. More trees mean cleaner, greener, and much cooler communities. I’m grateful for Governor Hochul’s partnership ensuring that these federal dollars are put to good use building a cooler and greener future for New York.”

    Representative Paul Tonko said, “Thanks to our Inflation Reduction Act, we’re taking action to deliver critical resources directly to communities here in the Capital Region and across New York State. This significant infusion of federal funding will help plant trees, increase canopy cover, and build more resilient urban forests – all while addressing climate change and advancing environmental justice. As we continue to build on the successes of the IRA, I’m thrilled to see the benefits of our historic legislation taking root right here at home.”

    Representative Pat Ryan said, “Tree coverage is an absolute necessity for a thriving city and these historic investments will increase canopy cover, improve climate resilience, and create good-paying jobs along the way. I’m proud that this $240,824 will add to the $528,600 from the landmark Inflation Reduction Act that I delivered for Kingston’s urban forestry program last year. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with officials at every level of government as we make the Hudson Valley a sustainable and vibrant home for generations to come.”

    To further progress New York’s climate goals, Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State address established a goal of planting 25 million trees statewide by 2033 — a $47 million effort supported by the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and the FY25 Enacted Budget. The goal will invigorate the state’s tree planting efforts through multi-year annual grants to municipalities to plant trees in support of resilient reforestation and urban forests, modernize DEC’s Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery and engage the next generation of environmental stewards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Hochul Addresses Phones in Schools

    Source: US State of New York

    Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks on phones in schools at NYSUT’s “Disconnected” Conference in Albany.

    VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

    AUDIO of the Governor’s remarks is available here.

    PHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor’s Flickr page.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

    Thank you. Yes, this is an extraordinary gathering of people that we could not have foreseen. When we started to talk about this a year ago, a few enlightened people came forward, people like Melinda, but others were not so sure we could take on something so bold and audacious. But that’s right up my alley. I like to do that. The issues that others say are too hard to tackle and move on, I say, bring them on.

    But when I have allies like NYSUT and Melinda Person, and all the others gathered here, our school board members, our PTA, our school superintendents, our districts, our principals, parents – I can say there’s no stopping us.

    We could not have imagined, just a year ago, a day like today. Absolutely not. And to have so many people here willing to stand up and do what is right – I want to acknowledge some of my colleagues in government. I notice that Senator Shelley Mayer has joined us here, Senator Mayer. Assemblymember Pat Fahy has joined us, Pat Fahy. I saw Harvey Epstein here coming up from the city, Harvey, great to see you as well.

    The easiest thing in life is doing nothing. But when it comes to our kids on an issue like we’re talking about today, doing nothing is simply not an option. When I took office, I vowed change. I had seen that our mental health system here in the State of New York had languished from neglect. Forgotten. No one talked about it. But yet, New Yorkers were suffering. And you know who was suffering the most? Our kids.

    I can guarantee that every adult in this room does not wake up thinking about the pandemic anymore. COVID is in the rearview mirror for you. My friends, after listening to countless young people, it is still having an effect on their mental health today. What they went through for a year, a year and a half, two years, has profoundly impacted their quality of life and their well-being. We have to acknowledge that. We have to acknowledge that these kids are suffering.

    And I made a commitment to transform New York’s mental health system. And we do it, we don’t go halfway. We boosted funding by $1 billion to show our commitment. Investing in more psychiatric beds and services, and setting aside millions of dollars to help kids with programs: suicide prevention efforts, eating disorder care, peer to peer programs. But you know what was so important to me? Was the school-based mental health clinics that — when I was growing up, or my kids who are now adults were growing up — you wouldn’t have thought you needed. But today, we need them.

    And we listened to the kids, we listened to parents, and I could not ignore the trends that were emerging beyond the pandemic. What else was having such a detrimental effect on our kids’ mental health? And we learned that coinciding with the pandemic was the rise in addictive algorithms, intentionally designed by social media companies to grab your child, your student, and hold them — hold them captive.

    Every generation has struggles. I’m a former teenage girl. I know it’s not the easiest time in life. I raised a teenage girl. I’m still around to talk about it. And we’re very close now, okay? And none of this is news to you, but the parents and teachers of today are wrestling with something that is unprecedented. And you see this. All of you.

    I’m not telling you something that those of you who are in constant communication with our kids, our teachers, our administrators, our school boards, you know what I’m talking about. You are on the front lines. And I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with NYSUT and educators to say that, first of all, we have to make sure there’s sufficient funding for our schools overall.

    We have increased school aid. We have increased school aid by over $5 billion in two years, the largest funding increase in history and fully funding Foundation Aid for the first time ever. Tier 6 retirement benefits there to help our teachers. Overhauling the reading curriculum.

    I listened to Melinda, I listened to Randi Weingarten, I listened to Mike Mulgrew about how we’re teaching in our schools, why we’re teaching reading, and phonics based on a system that was put in place 20 years ago and is not successful. So, I don’t mind reaching into the world and saying we can do better.

    All these investments have been made with one sole purpose: to do what’s best for our kids. But listen, there’s something else going on. What we had to do was address these algorithms aggressively because I’ll never forget one of the round tables I did locally with a number of high school students. They were describing to me what they were going through, and I felt as a mom, more than anything. My heart was breaking, because this young woman said to me, “We can’t put down the phones in schools. We can’t do it. You have to save us from ourselves.”

    This was a cry for help. It hits you right here when you’re a mom, you’re a parent, you’re a teacher who cares. You can’t ignore that. What she was referring to was the fact that she’d be ostracized. That she had to know that the kids were talking about what she was wearing that day or what she was saying, what she was doing in school or their meeting in the lavatory – she needed to be connected because if you weren’t, you were a social outcast. But just imagine a world where no one has the phone with them. No one is an outcast. No one has to worry about being bullied when they should be paying attention to their teacher in the front of the classroom. This is the world we’re talking about. The anxiety, the depression, the sadness that never seems to go away. I have close family members, I’m watching them, spiraling. They need help.

    So, we took on the social media companies. Not an easy task. I’ll tell you that right now, not for the faint of heart. But I said to them, with all these threats of litigation against us, you’re going to lose in court. Get out of the courtroom, and get into my conference room. We can work on this together. We don’t have to be adversarial, because I guarantee your corporate leadership, your CEOs, your employees also see what’s going on with the product you’re creating. And there must be limitations on this. Leave our children alone. Let them get some sleep at night. Don’t be bombarding them 24 hours a day with messaging that they did not ask for.

    That’s the whole nature of this. They’re taking information about your child, your student, and monetizing their mental health by bombarding them with advertising and messaging over and over again. They can go to social media sites if they want to. They can go to support groups. They can go where they want to go. But this is about them being on the receiving end of something they did not ask for.

    We changed the law. I thank our legislators. I thank Nily Rozic, I thank Andrew Gounardes, those two leaders for being champions and for standing with me and our Attorney General, Tish James. Last October we did a press conference with our teachers and everybody. And we said, we are going to make sure that New York leads. We’re going to be number one in the nation in terms of how far we are willing to go because the costs are so high if we do nothing. Online privacy – you should not be capturing information about our kids and selling it. You should not be hitting them during nighttime hours and parents should be able to be aware and turn off the addictive algorithms. You cannot send them this information anymore. And we got it through.

    The regulations being worked on and the rest of the nation is paying attention. Look at Instagram this past week. I’m not saying they went all the way. They have some more to do, but at least they took that step that everybody told me a year ago was impossible. “Wait, how will we ever know whether it’s someone under 18 or not? We don’t have the ability to do that. So, we cannot limit our activity with kids under 18.” I said, “Really? You’re tech companies, you know how to figure this out.” Surprise. They figured it out. And that’s what they did this week. I need others to do that.

    So, we’re looking at this. We’re looking at the Surgeon General report on how children are held captive. Three hours is dangerous, the average is five. I’m listening to teachers, 72 percent who say across the country this is a huge distraction. The teachers I met in person who said, “I’m in competition. I’m trying to teach, I’m trying to engage, make eye contact, have a relationship with these kids because that’s how I can create a bond. And they’re not even looking at me. I’m tired of this, this is getting too hard.”

    Those are direct quotes from teachers who want to do their jobs. We have to help them as well. So let me say this. We are doing something. We’re taking on the tech giants. They’re starting to come around. We need Washington to do more. You’ll hear more about that. And I thank Randi Weingarten for being a national leader on this and being our champion in Washington, D.C. Thank you, Randi. Thank you.

    But the cell phone in schools issue: I will tell you this, this has been an evolution for me personally. My kids were in middle school during Columbine, right? This is when you have that sense of security shaken to the core that something could happen to your child when they’re out of your watch. Something devastating. A shooting. A mass shooting. I was listening to a lot of people who thought that you need to have that connection all day long, just in case something happens. And I realized my first thought was wrong.

    When I listened to law enforcement who said, if there is a crisis on the school grounds, there is a shooter running loose. The last thing you want happening is for your child to be looking at their cell phone, maybe videoing, sending messages, trying to go viral, and not paying attention to the adult in the room who is trained to get them to safety.

    All I needed to hear was that from multiple members of law enforcement, and I said, you know what, you’re right. And I also want our kids to grow up free from this influence throughout the day. I can’t help what happens after hours, Mom and Dad, that’s up to all of you. We need to do more. We need to set the example as well. Let’s set the example as well.

    When it comes to the school day, I want our kids to be kids again. I want them to talk to each other in the hallways. I want them to yell and talk to each other in the schoolyard, I want them to communicate during lunchtime. I want them to develop the interpersonal relationships that are not occurring right now, because I’ve said this many times, our number one job is to raise adults, not raise kids. Our job is to raise adults, fully functioning adults who emerge from childhood with the social skills that they develop in school settings. They’re being denied that now, because the cell phone has taken over human interaction.

    We can stop this now. We can work with the kids who’ve already had to deal with the stress and the anxiety and all those pressures. We can help them, but wouldn’t it be fantastic to know that their younger siblings will enter a very different world, closer to our childhoods, when you went out and kicked a ball, you talked to someone on the phone for fun, you got together and went to the movies.

    Your world was not taken into a device. We owe that to our kids, my friends. We owe that to them. Let’s right the wrongs of the past, when nobody had the courage to stand up and say, this has gone too far. We do not have leaders, like Melinda Person and everybody in this room, say enough is enough. Let’s let our kids have a childhood free from this interference, this disruption.

    I guarantee they’ll be able to emerge fully functioning in technology, go to the tech jobs, all the opposition I’m hearing, I can find an answer and say, no, this is more important. My question is this: are you with me when it comes to saving our children right here and right now? Are you with me?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Joins Fight Against International Arms Trafficking

    Source: US State of California

    Friday, September 20, 2024

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

     
    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, as part of a coalition of 14 attorneys general, submitted a multi-state letter to congressional leaders supporting the passage of the Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causes Harm Act (CATCH Act) and encouraging Congress to take additional steps to stop the flow of illegally trafficked firearms from the United States into the Caribbean. The flow of such illegally trafficked arms has led to a rise in gun violence in the Caribbean, and particularly in Haiti, which is experiencing deteriorating security conditions amidst increased gang violence, making it more challenging for international agencies to provided much-needed humanitarian aid.

    “We must stop the flow of illegal weapons from the United States to our neighbors in the Caribbean,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The CATCH Act is a step forward in the fight against gun violence in our nation and internationally. My office is committed to the safety and well-being of residents of California and beyond our borders. We will never stop pushing for commonsense measures to prevent gun violence.”

    The CATCH Act would require the U.S. Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions to provide an annual report to Congress on implementation of anti-arms-trafficking provisions, including the number, destination, and method of transportation of firearms, ammunition, and accessories in relation to investigations and prosecutions, and coordination of efforts with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and any regional or international organizations. The letter urges Congress to consider additional ways to address illegal arms trafficking by providing sufficient resources to inspectors at U.S. ports and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), and requesting briefings from relevant U.S. agencies.

    Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia in filing the brief.

    A copy of the comment letter can be found here.
     

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard, partner agencies announce East River restrictions, closures for 2024 United Nations General Assembly

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 09/20/2024 04:00 PM EDT

     

    09/20/2024 03:32 PM EDT

    The Coast Guard, along with multiple partner agencies, are positioned to support maritime safety and security zones for the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City Sunday through Saturday.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: USINDOPACOM and National Guard senior leaders gather to discuss State Partnership Program

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii  –  

    The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command hosted the annual Senior Leaders Forum (SLF) for the State Partnership Program (SPP) here, Sept. 10-16.

    SPP links a state’s National Guard with the military or security forces of a partner country in a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship that supports theater campaign plan objectives. SPP establishes connections between National Guard units and partner nations, fostering long-term, advantageous relationships. These partnerships work to improve global security, deepen mutual understanding, and promote greater cooperation on a range of defense and security issues.

    “One of the greatest things that the State Partnership gives us is longevity of relationships,” said United Kingdom Royal Navy Cdre. Jonathan Lett, J5 Deputy for Policy, USINDOPACOM. “The relationships and the partnerships that the National Guard builds in this region just go on for years and years and years. They grow up together. They develop together.”

    The State Partnership Program, which started over 30 years ago with just 13 partners, has expanded to include 106 partner nations.

    In the Indo-Pacific, there are currently 16 relationships, made up of nine US states and one territory: Alaska is partnered with Mongolia; Idaho with Cambodia; Hawaii with the Philippines and Indonesia; Montana with Sri Lanka and Maldives; Nevada with Tonga, Fiji, and Samoa; Oregon with Bangladesh and Vietnam; Rhode Island with Timor-Leste, Washington with Malaysia and Thailand; and Guam with Palau and a shared partnership with the Philippines.

    “I champion the State Partnership program in this area of responsibility, said Cdre. Lett. “On a daily basis, Guardsmen are out there as a genuine force multiplier for the United States and for USINDOPACOM. It’s fantastic. I celebrate the amazing work they do and congratulate them on it!”

    During the forum, more than 50 officials from all partner states, including adjutant generals, State Partnership Program directors, bilateral affairs officers and other senior leaders learned about key topics and areas of concern. This enabled them to observe what has been successful, the challenges each one faces, and the actions they are taking with their partner nations; as well reviewing initiatives and discussing their programs with INDOPACOM staff and other National Guard units.

    “It’s important to have this Senior Leader Forum because it helps highlight all the excellent work that SPP partnerships are doing out into the region,” said U.S. Army Maj. Dustin Petersen, State Partnership Program Director for the Nevada National Guard. “There’s something to be said about being together with likeminded people, being in the COCOMs building, and hearing it from all the players and stakeholders into the region and show how we are aligned with the national vision.”

    Highlighted presenters also noted the importance of current initiatives including: Women, Peace and Security, Overseas Humanitarian Disaster and Civic Aid, Climate Resilience, Office of the Command Surgeon and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

    “We do everything we can to really strengthen our friendships, our partnerships and mutually benefit each other,” Petersen explained. “At some point we might have to lean on one another. And it’s better to build our friendships now, it’s hard to surge trust, it’s better to have it before there’s anything going wrong.”

    Oregon Air Force National Guard Maj. Angelica Hayes, Oregon’s bilateral affairs officer (BAO) in Vietnam, is new to the position. She speaks on how beneficial attending the Senior Leaders Forum has been for her.

    “I’ve had a lot of theory, a lot of how I’ll fit in, what I’ll be doing but now I am actually there doing it and getting some hands-on application,” Hayes said. “So, coming here is just reinforcing and reconnecting all those theories and making sure I am applying and making those connections correctly.”

    The new BAO expresses the importance of recognizing networks and connections when it comes to the success of SPP and personal growth.

    “The biggest thing that I think I’m getting out of this is just the networking, meeting a lot of people that are in the area, hearing their challenges or their successes is helpful when I go to problem-solve in the future,” Hayes said. “We’re building relationships in the nation, with our partner nation, but we are also building relationships within each other. That’s going to make us more successful if we have to respond to any type of emergency in the future.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA’s General Conference 2024 – The Week in a Nutshell

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Nearly 3000 participants took part in the IAEA’s 68th General Conference in Vienna this week, with an additional 8700 people joining online. The conference sets the course of the Agency’s work for the coming year, as it seeks to use nuclear science and technology to improve lives worldwide. Watch the IAEA’s video news summary of the week.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Thompson — Thompson RCMP make arrests in significant drug seizure/Le Détachement de la GRC de Thompson procède à des arrestations dans le cadre d’une importante saisie de drogues

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On September 17, 2024, at approximately 12:15pm, officers in the Thompson RCMP detachment executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act warrant at a residence on Hickory Avenue in Thompson as a result of an extensive investigation.

    Upon forced entry into the residence, officers discovered and seized 40 grams of crack/cocaine, drug paraphernalia, a scale, multiple weapons, cell phones, and an undisclosed amount of Canadian currency.

    Three individuals inside the home were arrested and taken into custody.

    Wendy Saric, 47, and a 33-year-old male, both of Thompson, were charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking.

    Robait Modi, 26, of Alberta, is charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Property Possession of a Prohibited Weapon or Restricted Weapon.

    Modi has been remanded in custody while Saric and the male have been released on an Undertaking.

    The investigation continues.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Auditor General DeFoor Visits Bucks County to Announce More Than $68 Million in Aid for Volunteer Firefighter Relief Associations Statewide

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    September 20, 2024 – JAMISON, PA

    Auditor General DeFoor Visits Bucks County to Announce More Than $68 Million in Aid for Volunteer Firefighter Relief Associations Statewide

    Auditor General Timothy L. DeFoor was joined by State Senator Frank Farry (Bucks) today to announce his department has released more than $68 million in state aid to help dedicated volunteer firefighters across Pennsylvania. Warwick Township Fire Department in Bucks County received $133,759.97 in funds to protect their firefighters, residents and communities.

    “This funding will help more than 1,850 volunteer firefighter relief associations in their day-to-day efforts,” DeFoor said. “These funds pay for equipment, training and insurance that each VFRA needs to effectively do their job.”

    A total of 2,501 municipalities received $68,268,053 for distribution to volunteer firefighter relief associations (VFRAs), which are legally separate from the fire departments that they support.

    List of Speakers:
    Sen. Frank Farry, Pennsylvania State Senator
    Timothy L. DeFoor, Pennsylvania Auditor General
    Aaron McCarty, Chief, Warwick Township Volunteer Fire Company

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S., Egyptian Naval Forces Conducts Inaugural Eagle Defender Exercise in Red Sea

    Source: United States Naval Central Command

    MANAMA, Bahrain —

    U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard forces joined the Egyptian Naval Force in executing Exercise Eagle Defender in Safaga, Egypt, and in the Red Sea, Sept. 8-20. 

    For the first time, U.S. and Egyptian naval forces integrated unmanned systems in a bilateral maritime exercise to uphold the international rules-based order while ensuring maritime security in the Red Sea. Scenarios included: explosive ordnance disposal, mine countermeasures, harbor defense, and the integration of unmanned systems. 

    The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) sailed alongside Egyptian Navy ships during the exercise while several other units also participated. 

    This is one of many exercises the U.S. military participates in every year with partner nations in the Middle East to enhance partnerships and strengthen interoperability. The combined exercise is designed to broaden levels of cooperation, support long-term regional security, and enhance Egyptian Naval Force interoperability with U.S. naval forces. 

    The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb. 

    For more information, contact U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs at m-ba-cusnc-publicaffairs@us.navy.mil. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bowman, Statement by Governor Michelle W. Bowman

    Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve

    .

    September 20, 2024
    Statement by Governor Michelle W. Bowman
    Governor Michelle W. Bowman

    On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, I dissented from the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) decision to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/2 percentage point to 4-3/4 to 5 percent. As the Committee’s post-meeting statement notes, I preferred to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point to 5 to 5-1/4 percent.
    Given the progress we have seen since the middle of 2023 on both lowering inflation and cooling the labor market, I agree that at this meeting it was appropriate to recalibrate the level of the federal funds rate and begin the process of moving toward a more neutral policy stance. In my view, however, a smaller first move in this process would have been a preferable action.
    The U.S. Economy Remains StrongThe U.S. economy remains strong, with solid underlying growth in economic activity and a labor market near full employment. Although hiring appears to have softened, layoffs remain low. I see the normalization in labor market conditions as necessary to help bring wage growth down to a pace consistent with 2 percent inflation given trend productivity growth. My reading of labor market data has become more uncertain due to increased measurement challenges and the inherent difficulty in assessing the effects of recent immigration flows. I am also taking signal from continued solid growth in the spending data, especially consumer spending, reflecting a healthy labor market.
    Despite Progress, Inflation Remains a ConcernInflation remains above our 2 percent goal, as core personal consumption expenditures prices are still rising faster than 2.5 percent from 12 months earlier. Higher prices have an outsized impact on lower- and moderate-income households. Accomplishing our mission of returning to low and stable inflation at our 2 percent goal is necessary to foster a strong labor market and an economy that works for everyone in the longer term.
    Although it is important to recognize that there has been meaningful progress on lowering inflation, while core inflation remains around or above 2.5 percent, I see the risk that the Committee’s larger policy action could be interpreted as a premature declaration of victory on our price stability mandate.
    We have not yet achieved our inflation goal. I believe that moving at a measured pace toward a more neutral policy stance will ensure further progress in bringing inflation down to our 2 percent target. This approach would also avoid unnecessarily stoking demand.
    Shared Goals for the FutureDespite my dissent at our recent meeting, I respect and appreciate that my colleagues preferred to begin the reduction in the federal funds rate with a larger initial reduction in the target range for the policy rate. I remain committed to working together with my colleagues to ensure that monetary policy is appropriately positioned to achieve our goals of maximum employment and returning inflation to our 2 percent target.

    Last Update: September 20, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Joined by Education and Business Leaders from Both Parties, Governor Cooper Vetoes HB10

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Joined by Education and Business Leaders from Both Parties, Governor Cooper Vetoes HB10

    Joined by Education and Business Leaders from Both Parties, Governor Cooper Vetoes HB10
    mseets

    Today, Governor Roy Cooper vetoed HB10, the Republican scheme to take taxpayer money out of public schools and redirect it to private schools. The Governor was joined by education and business leaders from both sides of the aisle to highlight the disastrous impact this would have on public schools, particularly those in rural areas.

    Governor Cooper issued the following statement on his veto of House Bill 10 Require ICE Cooperation & Budget Adjustments:

    “This bill takes public taxpayer dollars from the public schools and gives it to private school vouchers that will be used by wealthy families. Studies show that private school vouchers do not improve student performance, but we won’t know with North Carolina’s voucher scheme because it has the least accountability in the country. All public schools will be hurt by the legislature wasting its planned $4 billion of the public’s money over the next decade with rural public schools being hurt the worst. This money should be used to improve our public schools by raising teacher pay and investing in public school students. Therefore, I veto the bill.”

    During the press conference, Governor Cooper emphasized the need for investments in public education. Instead of funneling hundreds of millions more in taxpayer dollars toward vouchers for unaccountable private schools that would overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest demographic in the state, the legislature should invest in public education so our state’s public schools, educators and students have the resources they need to thrive.

    “Private school vouchers are the biggest threat to public schools in decades because they don’t improve student performance and they drain taxpayer money from badly needed investments like better teacher pay,” said Governor Cooper. “North Carolina public schools continue to thrive and improve despite chronic underfunding by the legislature. We must stop the expansion of private school vouchers and prioritize investing in our public schools.”

    “I am an educator first and a Republican second,” said Burke County Board of Education Member Wendi Craven. “Education is the cornerstone of our nation and once it fails this country fails. Instead of continuing to divide and conquer, which shows a complete lack of leadership, legislators should support public education.”

    “This bill encourages families to send their children to private schools in other counties, draining our public schools and dividing our community,” said Chairman of the Washington County Board of Education Carlos Riddick. “Our students deserve strong, well-funded schools right here at home, not a system that incentivizes them to leave. House Bill 10 doesn’t just redirect taxpayer money—it weakens the backbone of our county by undermining public education.”

    “As an educator and parent, I want my child and every child to have the education they deserve and that requires funding,” said Pitt County Schools Teacher Elyse Cannon-McRae. “Legislators, I am holding you accountable. You have to do right and support public education.”

    “As a former elected Republican who understands the financial challenges of rural governments in North Carolina, I am extremely concerned about the revenue displacement that would take place under HB10,” said Business Leader and Former Transylvania County Commissioner Mike Hawkins. “Rural Republican representatives know that this is a threat to our school systems and to the very fabric of life for rural North Carolina.”

    Expanding private school vouchers would disproportionately impact rural North Carolina counties, where access to private education is limited and public schools serve as the backbone of communities. More than one-quarter (28) of North Carolina’s counties – all rural counties – have no or just one private school participating in the voucher program. By diverting public funds to wealthier urban areas, private school vouchers are deepening the resource gap and undermining the educational opportunities for rural students.

    Private schools that receive vouchers are not regulated and are not accountable to taxpayers despite receiving taxpayer money. Vouchers cover tuition for schools that don’t have to report how students are performing, don’t have to serve all students regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status or religious beliefs or don’t have to hire licensed teachers.

    Public schools that serve more than 84% of students are continuously asked to do more with less. North Carolina ranks near the bottom of all states in K-12 funding, spending nearly $5,000 less per student than the national average. Our state is falling behind nationally in teacher pay, dropping in the most recent rankings to 38th.

    Based on an updated analysis by the Office of State Budget and Management, if the General Assembly fully expands the taxpayer-funded private school voucher program, private schools could siphon nearly $100 million in state funding from public schools just in the first full year of the program. In addition, the expansion of the voucher program will cost the state $277 million in new spending just in the first year.

    Governor Cooper declared 2024 as the Year of Public Schools and has been visiting public schools and early childhood education programs across the state calling for investments in K-12 education, early childhood education and teacher pay.

    Read more about the truth of North Carolina’s voucher program here.

    ###

    Sep 20, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alaska Man Arrested for Threatening U.S. Supreme Court Justices, Their Family Members

    Source: US State of California

    An Alaska man was arrested yesterday in Anchorage for allegedly threatening to injure and kill six U.S. Supreme Court Justices and some of their family members.

    According to court documents, between March 10, 2023, and July 16, Panos Anastasiou, 76, sent over 465 messages to the Supreme Court through a public website the court maintained.

    “We allege that the defendant made repeated, heinous threats to murder and torture Supreme Court Justices and their families to retaliate against them for decisions he disagreed with,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Our justice system depends on the ability of judges to make their decisions based on the law, and not on fear. Our democracy depends on the ability of public officials to do their jobs without fearing for their lives or the safety of their families.” 

    Beginning on Jan. 4, Anastasiou’s messages allegedly escalated to messages intending to threaten harm toward the victims. The messages contained violent, racist, and homophobic rhetoric coupled with threats of assassination by torture, hanging, and firearms.

    Anastasiou is charged by indictment with nine counts of making threats against a federal judge and 13 counts of making threats in interstate commerce. The defendant made his initial court appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.

    If convicted, Anastasiou faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of making threats against a federal judge and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of making threats in interstate commerce. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Attorney General Garland and U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska made the announcement.

    The Supreme Court of the United States Police, Protective Intelligence Unit is investigating the case, with significant support from the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI Anchorage Field Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Taylor for the District of Alaska is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Addresses Gender-Based Pay Discrimination in Lawsuit Against Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs

    Source: US State of California

    The Justice Department has reached a settlement agreement to resolve a gender-based pay discrimination lawsuit filed in January 2023 against the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs (WDMA). The lawsuit alleged that the WDMA discriminated against former employee Michelle Hartness, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, when it offered her a lower salary than similarly or less qualified men for a director position in the Wisconsin Division of Emergency Management. 

    Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits pay discrimination and other forms of employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.

    “It is time to close the gender pay gap which stands as one of the most pressing problems that we face in the labor market today. This settlement agreement demonstrates the Justice Department’s strong commitment to vindicating the rights of qualified job applicants and employees who are offered or paid less simply because they are women,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will continue to aggressively hold state and local government employers accountable when they unlawfully deny women the right to bring home the full paycheck they have rightly earned.”

    Under the settlement agreement, WDMA will pay Ms. Hartness a $175,000 monetary award. By signing the agreement, WDMA also confirms that it maintains antidiscrimination and other personnel policies to prevent compensation discrimination, including a pay-setting policy to establish consistency in setting salaries, and that it trains personnel on the pay-setting policy.

    Ms. Hartness filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC’s Milwaukee Area Office investigated the charge and found reasonable cause to believe that Ms. Hartness was discriminated against because of her sex.  After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred the charge to the Justice Department.

    Senior Trial Attorneys Patricia Stasco, Chrisine Dinan and Catherine Sellers and Trial Attorney Young Choi of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section handled the case.

    The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the Employment Litigation Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/ and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Texas Couple Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

    Source: US State of California

    A federal grand jury in Tyler, Texas, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Texas husband and wife with crimes related to their conspiracy to defraud the United States by seeking fraudulent tax refunds. 

    According to the indictment, from 2017 to 2023, Larry and Rebecca Kalmowitz filed false tax returns in the name of estates and trusts that sought $42 million in fraudulent refunds, ultimately receiving over $23 million from the IRS. The returns allegedly falsely reported interest income and large amounts of income tax withholdings to the IRS that resulted in large tax refunds to which they were not otherwise entitled. The Kalmowitzs allegedly created bank accounts in the names of the estates and trusts and deposited the fraudulently obtained tax refund checks into those accounts. They allegedly used the proceeds to purchase real property that they placed in the name of a nominee and to purchase luxury vehicles, including a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and a Mercedes-Benz GLS450. When the IRS attempted to recover the fraudulent funds, the Kalmowitzs allegedly took steps to obstruct the recovery by, among other things, filing false forms to support the claimed income and withholdings and a false form to release a federal lien.

    Both were charged with mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the United States and filing a false claim against the United States. If convicted, the Kalmowitzs each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years for each count of money laundering, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of filing a false claim against the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Damien Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Zachary Cobb and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Locker for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Announces Civil Rights Investigation of Rankin County, Mississippi, and Rankin County Sheriff’s Department

    Source: US State of California

    The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into Rankin County, Mississippi, and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD). Rankin is the state’s fourth most populous county, with a population of approximately 160,000. It is located about 30 minutes east of the state capital, Jackson, Mississippi. 

    The investigation will seek to determine whether RCSD engages in patterns or practices that violate the Constitution and federal law. The investigation will evaluate all types of force used by RCSD officers, including deadly force. It will also assess whether RCSD engages in unlawful stops, searches, and arrests in violation of the Fourth Amendment and whether RCSD conducts discriminatory policing in violation of the 14th Amendment, Title VI, and Safe Streets Act.

    “The public is now well aware of the heinous attack inflicted on two Black men by Rankin County deputies who called themselves the ‘Goon Squad,’” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.  “Those officers have since been convicted and sentenced, but we are launching this civil pattern or practice investigation to examine serious allegations that the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department systematically violates people’s constitutional rights through excessive use of force; unlawful stops, searches, and arrests; and discriminatory policing. These include allegations that Rankin County deputies have overused tasers, entered homes unlawfully, used racial slurs, and deployed dangerous, cruel tactics to assault people in their custody.  We are committed to working with local officials, deputies, and the community to conduct a comprehensive investigation.”

    “The violent, unlawful and racially charged actions of the so-called Goon Squad left lasting and damaging effects on the community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Since the Goon Squad’s sickening acts came to light, we have received reports of other instances where Rankin deputies overused tasers, entered homes unlawfully, bandied about shocking racial slurs, and deployed dangerous, cruel tactics to assault people in their custody. Based on an extensive review of publicly available information as well as complaints provided to us, we have grounds to open a pattern or practice investigation into the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department now. The Justice Department will conduct a comprehensive and fair investigation into allegations of racially discriminatory policing of Black communities, the use of excessive force, and violations of the Fourth Amendment.”

    “The information we have learned to date about the conduct of some members of the Rankin County Sheriff’s office calls back to some of the worst periods of Mississippi’s history,” said U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “We do not have to accept the old hatreds and abuse of the past.  And we do not have to accept the false claim that safety comes at the price of illegal force and abuse of power. We will conduct an impartial and thorough review of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, and if we find violations, we will take necessary action to address them.”

    This civil investigation is separate and independent from the federal criminal civil rights prosecutions of RCSD deputies related to the violent assaults of two Black men, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, at the hands of five white deputies.

    The investigation will include a comprehensive review of RCSD policies, training, and supervision. The investigation will also examine RCSD’s systems of accountability. The Justice Department will reach out to community groups and members of the public to learn about their experiences with RCSD. The Justice Department will also speak with RCSD deputies and leadership to hear their perspectives.

    Before this announcement, the Justice Department notified Rankin County officials, who have pledged to cooperate with the investigation.

    The investigation is being conducted pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. The Act allows the Justice Department to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation.

    The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi will jointly conduct this investigation. 

    Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department via email at community.rankin@usdoj.gov or by toll free phone at (888) 392-8557. Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s new reporting portal, available at civilrights.justice.gov/. Individuals can also report civil rights violations to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at USAMSS.civilrights@usdoj.gov or (601) 973-2825.

    Today’s announcement marks the 12th pattern or practice investigation into law enforcement misconduct opened by the Justice Department during this administration. The Justice Department recently completed an investigation of the Phoenix Police Department.

    Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s police reform work can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Seeks to Bar Texas Tax Return Preparer

    Source: US State of California

    The Justice Department filed a civil complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to enjoin John T. Ajuma, aka John Trobisch, from preparing federal tax returns for others.

    The complaint alleges Ajuma prepared nearly 11,000 federal income tax returns from 2018 through 2024 through two sole proprietorships named “Destiny Tax Service” and “Momentum Tax Express,” which Ajuma operated from the same location in Hurst, Texas. According to the complaint, in a substantial number of these tax returns, Ajuma significantly overstated customers’ tax refunds by fabricating or inflating unreimbursed employee expense deductions, falsifying child tax credits by reporting bogus child and dependent care expenses and falsely claiming energy, education and other credits to which customers were not entitled.

    By repeatedly understating customers’ tax liabilities, the complaint alleges that Ajuma may have caused the United States harm of almost $20 million in lost tax revenue from 2018 through 2022.

    Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

    Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers guidance on the credentials and qualifications that taxpayers should seek from their return preparer.

    In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Secures Relief from Morningstar Storage to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

    Source: US State of California

    The Justice Department announced today that Morningstar Storage, which manages and operates a network of self-storage facilities in the southeast area of the United States, has agreed to pay $130,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by failing to obtain court orders before auctioning the contents of at least three storage units owned by active-duty servicemembers.

    According to the complaint, an Air Force Staff Sergeant stationed at MacDill Air Force Base rented a unit at a storage facility located in Tampa, Florida. On the storage agreement, the Staff Sergeant indicated that she was in active military service, provided contact information for her military unit and authorized rent payments to be made automatically. Shortly thereafter, before being deployed overseas to Jordan, she stored nearly all of her household goods at the Tampa facility, including her military awards and coins, and her children’s toys and keepsakes. While the Staff Sergeant was still deployed to Jordan, Morningstar acquired the Tampa facility, stopped her automatic payments and auctioned all the contents of her unit for $390.

    “We all know that servicemembers endure many hardships and make great sacrifices as a result of their service to the nation,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our servicemembers should never have to worry that their property, including their most prized keepsakes and personal treasures, will be sold out from under them while they are on duty. The Justice Department will continue standing up for servicemembers to ensure basic respect for their property, their rights and their dignity.”

    “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida is deeply committed to protecting the civil rights of our Nation’s servicemembers,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The brave individuals who selflessly sacrifice to serve our country deserve the respect and peace of mind of knowing that what they leave behind during their service will be treated with the utmost care. Today’s consent decree reminds us that the companies who take on this responsibility do not always exercise the care that our servicemembers are entitled to under the SCRA, but the department remains committed to ensuring companies like Morningstar follow their obligations under the law.”  

    The SCRA provides financial and housing protections and benefits to military members while they are in military service. One of the SCRA’s protections requires anyone holding a lien on the property of a servicemember to obtain a court order prior to auctioning off, selling or otherwise disposing of that property. Under the consent order, which must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Morningstar will pay the Air Force Staff Sergeant $80,000 in damages and will pay $5,000 each to two additional servicemembers. Morningstar has also agreed to pay a $40,000 civil penalty to the United States and must also implement new policies to prevent future violations of the SCRA.

    This lawsuit resulted from a referral to the Justice Department from the U.S. Air Force. The department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $481 million in monetary relief for over 147,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.

    Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.

    MIL OSI USA News –