Mainstream media lies and hysterical political rhetoric are directly contributing to a massive surge in attacks on federal immigration enforcement officers
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are facing an 830 percent increase in assaults from January 21st to July 14th compared with the same period in 2024.
“Brave ICE law enforcement are risking their lives every day to keep our communities safe from the worst of the worst criminals,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.“ICE law enforcement are succeeding to remove terrorists, murderers, pedophiles and the most depraved among us from America’s communities, even as crazed rhetoric from gutter politicians are inspiring a massive increase in assaults against them. It is reprehensible that our officers are facing this threat while simply doing their jobs and enforcing the law.”
In recent weeks, both the media and politicians have escalated their anti-ICE rhetoric. Democratic members of Congress have been caught red-handed doxing and even physically assaulting ICE officials.
Just this week, Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA) showed a violent mob an ICE employee’s business card, putting a target on his back and prompting the mob to attack him. The official was struck by a rock and sent to the emergency room where he received multiple stitches.
Injuries sustained by an ICE employee after he was doxed to a violent mob by Rep. Carbajal
Earlier this year, Representative LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) trespassed on and stormed the Delaney Hall detention facility, where she proceeded to physically assault an ICE officer. She has been indicted on federal assault charges.
In Portland, ICE officers have been doxed and threatened by local antifa-affiliated organizations who are posting their pictures and personal addresses and threatening them and their families. One officer even had an individual show up at their house and dump trash on their lawn, which included signs that read “F**k you” and named the officer directly.
Trash dumped on ICE officer’s lawn with threatening language in Portland, Oregon
Meanwhile, the mainstream media continues to publish alarmist, patently false stories about federal immigration enforcement efforts.
During an enforcement operation where ICE and federal law enforcement rescued 14 children from potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking, the media falsely reported that a man died in law enforcement custody. This was an outright lie. The man was not being pursued by law enforcement but still chose to climb up to the roof of a green house, where he fell 30 feet.
The media also falsely accused ICE of “targeting” children in a clear attempt to demonize law enforcement. Rather than separate families, ICE asks mothers if they want to be removed with their children or if the child should be placed with someone else safe the parent designates.
DHS has debunked dozens of these and other fake news narratives that are demonizing federal law enforcement, especially ICE officers, who are just trying to do their job. Their lies and fake stories continue to stir up hate and violence, which is leading to these assaults.
Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)
ICYMI: Mullin for the Daily Wire: “How The One Big, Beautiful Bill Sustains And Saves Medicaid”
“Today, roughly 35 million Americans are living below the poverty line. Over 70 million people are on Medicaid.”
Washington, D.C. – On Monday, The Daily Wire published U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin’s (R-OK) op-ed detailing how President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ will protect and strengthen Medicaid for those who need it most. The senator notes, “Medicaid’s long-term stability is at risk” and that “Republicans are getting the waste, fraud, and abuse out of Medicaid to protect the well-being of America’s most vulnerable.”
Read the full story from The Daily Wire HERE and below:
How The One Big, Beautiful Bill Sustains And Saves Medicaid
By Senator Markwayne Mullin | July 14, 2025
In a huge victory for Oklahoma, Congress recently passed President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which, among many wins, will deliver the largest-ever tax cut for working and middle-class families, secure the border, and lower energy costs.
Unfortunately, Washington Democrats who are desperate to change the media narrative after a brutal 2024 election loss have made it their mission to lie about this bill and mislead American families — especially on Medicaid program improvements.
Democrats claim the bill guts the program. But in reality, Republicans voted to protect and strengthen Medicaid for those who need it most.
Medicaid’s long-term stability is at risk. During the Obama administration, Democrats expanded Medicaid eligibility to include able-bodied adults — adding 20 million able-bodied people to the program rolls between 2013 and 2021. Today, roughly 35 million Americans are living below the poverty line, while over 70 million people are on Medicaid. What’s worse, a stunning 36% of Medicaid spending is on able-bodied working-age adults — most of whom are not working.
What was first designed as a critical social safety net for America’s most vulnerable — including pregnant women, children, people with disabilities, and low-income seniors and families — has quickly ballooned into an unsustainable mess at risk of bankruptcy.
The Big, Beautiful Bill will protect Medicaid benefits for those who need them most and help move millions of able-bodied adults with no children from welfare to work — all while saving taxpayers billions of dollars. By the way, only in Washington is increasing current Medicaid spending levels by 20% over the next 10 years seen as a “cut.”
This bill includes popular Clinton-era work requirements for able-bodied adults ages 19-64 with no dependents, and includes exceptions for pregnant women, new mothers, and those facing short-term hardships. Under this commonsense law, eligible recipients must complete 20 hours of work, education, or volunteering per week to receive taxpayer-funded Medicaid benefits.
To protect and sustain the Medicaid program, the only people who will see a change in coverage are illegal immigrants, those who are already ineligible for the program, and able-bodied adults ages 19-64 with dependents over 14 years old who choose not to work, volunteer, or go to school for just 20 hours per week.
Most Americans recognize that without commonsense reform, Medicaid would be at a higher risk of collapse. As promised, Republicans are getting the waste, fraud, and abuse out of Medicaid to protect the well-being of America’s most vulnerable. Despite the Democrats’ gross lies, the “Big, Beautiful Bill” will strengthen and protect the social safety net for every eligible American who needs it. In passing President Trump’s historic bill, Republicans are ensuring Medicaid can better serve the neediest Americans for generations to come.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)
Pacific Palisades, CA — Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) released the following statement regarding California Governor Gavin Newsom’s updated request to Congress for a disaster supplemental after the January LA Fires:
“I strongly support Governor Newsom’s $34.1 billion federal assistance request to respond to the destruction caused by the January wildfires. After six months, this federal disaster aid package would be a critical step toward getting our communities the resources they urgently need.
Moreover, I’m pleased to see two priorities included in the Governor’s request that I will continue advocating for as we move forward: first, a sharp increase in SBA’s maximum disaster loan limit so families and small businesses have sufficient funds to rebuild their homes; and second, major Community Development Block Grant funding for the state to provide grants to those who lost everything without adequate insurance. These tools will make the difference between temporary relief and long-term recovery.”
Governor Newsom first submitted a request to Congress in February to provide additional funding to California fire victims, since the basic package of federal benefits is insufficient in the wake of one of the worst fire disasters in U.S. history. The request included tax relief and funding for business grants and loans, public infrastructure, disaster-related social services, and grants to rebuild uninsured and underinsured homes lost in the fires. On July 14th, the Governor submitted an updated request letter to Congress with less aid than was requested in the initial letter to Congress, to account for $5.5 billion in federal funds already disbursed by FEMA and SBA this year.
To view a copy of Governor Newsom’s letter to Congress, clickhere.
Transport for London (TfL) has released new findings showing that 20mph speed limits significantly reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on London’s roads.
In response to this research, Caroline Russell, Green Party member of the London Assembly, has called for a wider implementation of these measures, urging the Mayor and boroughs to rollout 20mph speeds limits across London and explore further speed reductions.
Green Party London Assembly Member Caroline Russell said:
“At last, we have strong evidence from Transport for London’s research that 20mph speed limits significantly reduce the numbers of people dying and being seriously injured on our roads.
“We now have a tool at our disposal that clearly saves lives, and we should be rolling it out across the whole of London and trialling further speed reductions, such as 10mph, for roads passing sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, doctor’s surgeries, shops, leisure facilities and more.
“Every road death is preventable, let’s stop acting like it’s just part of life.
“It is unacceptable that the convenience of people using motor vehicles outweighs the safety of people walking, wheeling and cycling in our densely crowded city.
“The Mayor and the boroughs owe it to every bereaved family and seriously injured Londoner to use this evidence to make our roads much safer.”
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
TIANJIN, July 15 (Xinhua) — Leaders of more than 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and related events in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday.
As announced by Wang Yi in Tianjin at a joint press conference with SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev, the Tianjin SCO summit will be held from August 31 to September 1. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Transport for London (TfL) has estimated that the lost revenue caused by fare evasion in 2023/24 was “more than £130m”.1
A TfL report also found that fare evasion and payment disputes are the cause of around half of all incidents of violence and aggression towards its staff.
Tomorrow, the London Assembly Transport Committee will ask what TfL is doing to tackle fare evasion and learn more about the impact it has on staff.
The guests are:
Panel 1: 10am – 11.30am
Jared Wood – London Transport Regional Organiser, RMT
Michael Roberts – Chief Executive, London TravelWatch
Panel 2: 11.30am – 1pm
Siwan Hayward OBE – Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, TfL
Jonathan Gronow – Analysis Manager, TfL
The meeting will take place on Tuesday 8 July at10am in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Jul 15, 2025 1930 UTC Day 3 Severe Thunderstorm Outlook
Updated: Tue Jul 15 19:24:10 UTC 2025 (Print Version | | )
Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table
Forecast Discussion
SPC AC 151924
Day 3 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0224 PM CDT Tue Jul 15 2025
Valid 171200Z – 181200Z
…THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE OHIO VALLEY TO THE NORTHEAST STATES…
…SUMMARY… Isolated damaging gusts are possible over parts of the Northeast Thursday.
…Northeast and upper OH Valley… Shortwave troughing over the eastern Great Lakes will gradually merge with broader cyclonic flow over the Northeast and eastern Canada Thursday. A surface low will steadily deepen as it shifts eastward with the upper trough. A cold front trailing the low will serve as a focus for thunderstorm development through the afternoon from the OH valley to the Mid Atlantic and Northeast. Moderate buoyancy and strengthening flow aloft will overlap and could support scattered thunderstorms capable of damaging gusts ahead of the front. A large disparity exists among forecast guidance with regards to the position of the cold front, strength of the surface low and any potential MCVs from prior day’s convection. While confidence in the overall evolution is somewhat low, the broader environment still appears favorable enough to support some severe risk.
…Mid MS Valley and southern Plains… Scattered storms are expected along the cold front as it moves southward across the Mid South and the Southern Plains. Stronger vertical shear should largely lag behind the front especially with southward extent. A few stronger storm clusters are possible along the front where large buoyancy could support sporadic damaging gusts. However, confidence in the frontal timing and convective evolution is very low, precluding the addition of severe probabilities for now.
..Lyons.. 07/15/2025
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Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Jul 15, 2025 1730 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook
Updated: Tue Jul 15 17:32:51 UTC 2025 (Print Version | | )
Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table
Forecast Discussion
SPC AC 151732
Day 2 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1232 PM CDT Tue Jul 15 2025
Valid 161200Z – 171200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE AND THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION…
…SUMMARY… Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon and evening from parts of the central High Plains to the Great Lakes.
…Front Range and High Plains… A shortwave trough over the northern Rockies will intensify as it moves eastward across the central US Wednesday. A cold front across the Front Range and High Plains will continue to sag slowly southward as surface moisture deepens behind it. Within the broad up slope flow regime, scattered storm development is expected across the higher terrain of the central Rockies and High Plains by early afternoon Wednesday. Enhanced mid-level flow will support initial supercells capable of hail and isolated damaging gusts. Local terrain effects and enhanced low-level shear near the front may also allow for a tornado or two. Scattered severe storms expand in coverage across the I-25 corridor through the afternoon before moving eastward into the plains through the evening.
How far east the severe threat will extend remains uncertain as cooler temperatures and lingering inhibition are likely to be in place behind the front. Should sufficient upscale growth take place, an MCS may develop and merge with additional convection farther east before continuing south/southeastward across the central Plains overnight. This would support a continued risk for at least isolated damaging gusts.
…Central Plains… As the cold front continues to move southward across the central Plains, lingering inhibition and forcing for ascent displaced to the north should limit convective development along the front through much of the day However, warm surface temperatures and 60s-70s F surface dewpoints will support large buoyancy along the front. As a 30-40 kt low-level jet increases into the evening, storm development is expected with increasing low-level warm air advection. Isolated damaging gust are possible.
…Great Lakes… A convectively augmented shortwave trough over the central Plains will quickly move eastward along the sagging cold front. Ascent from this feature will aid in developing a wave cyclone along the front, enhancing the low-level flow field across parts of WI and northern IL. An ongoing arc of storms near the surface low should gradually re-intensify through the morning and into the early afternoon. Moderate MLCAPE and strengthening flow aloft will support a mix of cells and clusters. The primary risk is expected to be damaging gusts, though enlarged low-level hodographs and 100-200 J/kg of MLCAPE below 3km AGL may support some tornado risk with the more cellular elements. With time gradual upscale growth into a more linear structure is expected near the western shores of Lake Michigan with a continued risk for damaging gusts.
To the east, strong heating of a very humid air mass is expected across Lower Michigan through the afternoon. Scattered to widespread storms are likely along the typical lake breeze fronts. Vertical shear will be weaker through the afternoon, though at least some enhancement of the flow field could support isolated damaging gusts with scattered to numerous storms expected.
There is some potential for a more organized line/cluster of storms on the western side of the lake to move eastward across Lake Michigan late in the evening and through the overnight hours. Stronger flow aloft near the shortwave trough could support damaging gust and brief tornado potential across parts of northern Lower Michigan overnight. Higher severe probabilities could be needed if confidence in this convective scenario increases in future outlooks.
…Upper OH valley… Widespread thunderstorms are expected across the region in response to a shortwave impulse. Modest instability is forecast amid a very moist airmass. While vertical shear will remain fairly limited, some slight enhancement near the upper trough could support a few longer-lived storm clusters. Isolated strong gusts/wet microbursts could occur, with the more intense storms.
…Northern Gulf Coast… Scattered to numerous thunderstorms associated with Invest 93L will occasionally move onshore across the northern/central Gulf Coast Wednesday and Wednesday night. Enhancement of low and mid-level easterly shear north of the weak surface circulation may support a few longer-lived cells near the coast. Sporadic damaging gusts and perhaps a brief tornado are possible, though confidence in this convective scenario is very low.
..Lyons.. 07/15/2025
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Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Jul 15, 2025 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook
Updated: Tue Jul 15 16:21:56 UTC 2025 (Print Version | | )
Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table
Forecast Discussion
SPC AC 151621
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1121 AM CDT Tue Jul 15 2025
Valid 151630Z – 161200Z
…THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR CENTRAL NEBRASKA…
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SURROUNDING THE SLIGHT RISK INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST…FOR NORTHERN AND EASTERN WYOMING…AND NORTHERN UTAH AND SURROUNDING VICINITY…
…SUMMARY… Scattered severe gusts (some 75+ mph) and large hail are probable across parts of Nebraska late this afternoon and evening. Scattered severe gusts are also possible from the Upper Midwest to Utah and Wyoming this afternoon to mid-evening.
…Northern/Central Plains to the Upper Midwest… Primary focus for thunderstorms will be a slowly sagging, southward-moving cold front across the Upper Midwest and a couple mid-level perturbations moving east across the north-central states. Radar imagery shows a convectively augment disturbance moving east across northern SD and water-vapor imagery shows shortwave trough moving east across southeast WY. Both mid-level features will likely prove instrumental in storm coverage and the risk for severe activity later today.
Despite stronger mid-level westerly flow relegated north of the 48th parallel, strong heating of a moist airmass will result in a very unstable boundary layer by mid afternoon from the Upper Midwest southwestward into the NE Sandhills. Storms will probably develop from eastern SD and into MN this afternoon near the front and ahead of the SD mid-level feature. Sufficient instability and effective bulk shear should be present along/ahead of the front to support organized convection, including some supercells. Large hail will be possible with the initially semi-discrete thunderstorms, before a rapid transition to a cluster/linear mode increases the threat for severe/damaging winds. This activity should quickly weaken by late evening as it encounters a less unstable airmass with eastward extent across the upper Great Lakes.
A somewhat separate area of thunderstorms should initiate along/south of the front across parts of southern SD into NE by late afternoon/early evening. Greater instability will likely be present across this region compared to locations farther north, but deep-layer shear should be more modest (around 25-30 kt). Still, some large hail may occur initially given the presence of steep mid-level lapse rates. The threat for scattered to numerous severe/damaging winds is expected to increase through the evening across central NE as an intense bowing cluster develops and spreads southeastward. Isolated significant gusts of 75+ mph appear possible given the rather favorable thermodynamic environment.
…Great Basin into Wyoming… The only change for this portion of the region is to increase severe-wind probabilities across northern UT and surrounding states. The southern fringe of stronger mid-level westerlies was sampled by the 12 UTC Salt Lake City raob. With the approach of the upstream northern Rockies disturbance glancing the region later today, short-term model guidance (e.g., HREF members, time-lagged HRRR) is consistent in showing small clusters of storms moving east from northeast NV/northwest UT eastward into northern UT/southeast ID/far southwest WY. Inverted-V profiles will strongly favor evaporative cooling with the more rain-laden cores. Scattered severe gusts are possible with the more intense downbursts through early evening.
Farther east, the closer proximity to the upper trough digging southeastward over the northern Rockies will promote scattered storms across northern into eastern WY this afternoon and evening. An organized cluster may evolve given 25-35 kt of deep-layer shear, while posing a threat for mainly severe/damaging winds given the presence of steepened low/mid-level lapse rates. Isolated large hail may also occur.
…Arizona… Modest mid-level east-northeasterlies will be present today across parts of AZ on the southern periphery of a mid-level anticyclone over the Southwest. Scattered thunderstorms should once again develop this afternoon over the higher terrain of southeast AZ and southwest NM. With very steep low/mid-level lapse rates expected with ample daytime heating, this activity may pose an isolated threat for severe winds as it spreads into the lower elevations of southern AZ through the evening.
..Smith/Jirak.. 07/15/2025
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Tomorrow, as part of its investigation into London’s place in the Government’s proposed devolution reforms, the GLA Oversight Committee will build on its examination of London’s current devolution settlement.
This meeting will consider priority areas for London in any new devolution settlement and assess the opportunities available to London through the English Devolution White Paper and the proposed devolution framework in the English Devolution Bill. The following areas will be covered:
Opportunities for London in the English Devolution White Paper
Decision making and coordination with London boroughs
Integrated Settlement
Fiscal devolution
Potential new powers and amendments to the GLA Act
Scrutiny arrangements
The guests are:
Panel 1 – approx. 11:00am – 12:05pm
Cllr Claire Holland – Chair of London Councils
Professor Tony Travers – Professor in Practice and Associate Dean of the LSE School of Public Policy
Panel 2 – approx. 12:10pm – 1:00pm
Richard Watts – Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor of London
The meeting will take place on Wednesday 9 July from 10am, in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports. SEL3
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 513 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 255 PM CDT Tue Jul 15 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of Upper Peninsula Michigan Central and North-Central Minnesota Northern Wisconsin Lake Superior
* Effective this Tuesday afternoon and evening from 255 PM until 1000 PM CDT.
* Primary threats include… Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
SUMMARY…Scattered clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms will likely develop through the remainder of the afternoon and persist into the evening. The stronger thunderstorms will be capable of a risk for large hail and severe gusts.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 45 statute miles north and south of a line from 30 miles south southwest of Alexandria MN to 115 miles east of Ironwood MI. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce tornadoes.
&&
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 26025.
…Smith
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas. SAW3 WW 513 SEVERE TSTM MI MN WI LS 151955Z – 160300Z AXIS..45 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE.. 30SSW AXN/ALEXANDRIA MN/ – 115E IWD/IRONWOOD MI/ ..AVIATION COORDS.. 40NM N/S /64NNW RWF – 17NW SAW/ HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS. MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26025.
LAT…LON 46129564 47168771 45858771 44829564
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS FOR WOU3.
Watch 513 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
Low (10%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Low ( 65 knots
Low (20%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
Mod (40%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Mod (30%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (70%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recommends closing the swimming area at Hope Community Service Pond in Scituate and Briar Point Beach in Coventry due to high bacteria counts.
RIDOH also recommends reopening the swimming area at City Park and Conimicut Point Beach in Warwick for swimming because bacteria counts have returned to safe levels.
RIDOH will continue to monitor and review beach water quality through Labor Day. The status of a beach may change as new data become available. The most up-to-date beach information is available through a recorded message on RIDOH’s beaches telephone line (401-222-2751).
Protesters gather during a demonstration at the headquarters of the Department of Education in Washington.AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
The Trump administration was given the green light by the Supreme Court on July 14, 2025, to proceed with mass layoffs at the Department of Education – part of a wider plan to dismantle the agency. In doing so, the conservative majority on the bench overruled a lower court judge that had blocked the move.
While the court didn’t explain its decision – and didn’t rule on the merits of the case – Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three liberal justices who objected, issued a strongly worded dissent: “When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it.”
The Conversation has been following the administration’s efforts to take apart the Department of Education since President Donald Trump won the presidential election in November. Here are a few stories from our archives that explain the executive order targeting the department, why the agency has been in the crosshairs of conservatives, and some of the impacts of carrying out the order.
1. Hollowing out education
Trump has promised to eliminate the Department of Education since at least September 2023. What started out as a campaign promise eventually became the executive order he issued on March 20, 2025, released shortly after the administration announced plans to lay off about 1,300 of the 4,000 employees in the department.
“Although the president has broad executive authority, there are many things he cannot order by himself,” wrote Joshua Cowen, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University. “And one of those is the dismantling of a Cabinet agency created by law. But he seems determined to hollow the agency out.”
And that’s what the Supreme Court says he can do while the case plays out in lower courts. Ultimately, Trump’s order creates a lot of “legal and policy uncertainty around funding for children in local schools and communities.”
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is responsible for carrying out Trump’s executive order. AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.
2. What the education secretary normally does
The person directed to actually carry our the president’s order is the education secretary, Linda McMahon. She has called dismantling the department its “final mission.”
But the secretary – and the department – have many other missions, such as managing students loans and administering Title I funding to help schools serving low-income students obtain an equitable education regardless of their socioeconomic status.
“Every child in the United States is required to attend school in some capacity, and what happens at the federal level can have real-world impacts on students ranging from preschool to grad school,” wrote Dustin Hornbeck, a scholar of educational policy at the University of Memphis.
In his article, Hornbeck explored the key duties of the education secretary and the role of the federal government in education, which he argued will continue even if the Education Department is abolished.
“First and foremost, Trump and his supporters believe that liberals are ruining public education by instituting what they call a ‘radical woke agenda’ that they say prioritizes identity politics and politically correct groupthink at the expense of the free speech of those, like many conservatives, who have different views,” he explains.
Trump’s battle against DEI – or diversity, equity and inclusion – is of course a big part of that, but so too are what he and his supporters call “radical” race and gender policies.
Hinton goes on to describe three other reasons – including supposed “Marxist indoctrination” and school choice – he argues that the MAGA faithful want to eliminate the Department of Education.
But conservative efforts to gut the department didn’t begin with Trump or MAGA. In fact, the Heritage Foundation, which created the Project 2025 blueprint for remaking the federal government, has been trying to limit or end its role in education since at least 1981 – just two years after the Department of Education was created.
“In its 1981 mandate, the Heritage Foundation struck now-familiar themes,” including closing the Department of Education and ending funding for disadvantaged students, wrote Fred L. Pincus, a sociology professor focused on diversity and social inequality at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “And the Heritage Foundation called for ending federal support for programs it claimed were designed to ‘turn elementary- and secondary-school classrooms into vehicles for liberal-left social and political change.’”
The conservative think tank struck similar themes in its Project 2025 playbook, though it went even further in calling out “leftist indoctrination” and “gender ideology extremism,” Pincus noted.
Changes at the Department of Education will have a big impact on students across the country. skynesher/E+ via Getty Images
5. Impact on most vulnerable students
After all the already planned layoffs go into effect, the Department of Education will have roughly half the staff it started the year with. That will have a significant impact on its ability to carry out its many tasks, such as managing federal loans for college and tracking student achievement.
“The Office for Civil Rights has played an important role in facilitating equitable education for all students,” they wrote. “The full effects of these changes on the most vulnerable public school students will likely be felt for many years.”
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recommends closing the swimming area at Hope Community Service Pond in Scituate and Briar Point Beach in Coventry due to high bacteria counts.
RIDOH also recommends reopening the swimming area at City Park and Conimicut Point Beach in Warwick for swimming because bacteria counts have returned to safe levels.
RIDOH will continue to monitor and review beach water quality through Labor Day. The status of a beach may change as new data become available. The most up-to-date beach information is available through a recorded message on RIDOH’s beaches telephone line (401-222-2751).
Protesters gather during a demonstration at the headquarters of the Department of Education in Washington.AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
The Trump administration was given the green light by the Supreme Court on July 14, 2025, to proceed with mass layoffs at the Department of Education – part of a wider plan to dismantle the agency. In doing so, the conservative majority on the bench overruled a lower court judge that had blocked the move.
While the court didn’t explain its decision – and didn’t rule on the merits of the case – Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three liberal justices who objected, issued a strongly worded dissent: “When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it.”
The Conversation has been following the administration’s efforts to take apart the Department of Education since President Donald Trump won the presidential election in November. Here are a few stories from our archives that explain the executive order targeting the department, why the agency has been in the crosshairs of conservatives, and some of the impacts of carrying out the order.
1. Hollowing out education
Trump has promised to eliminate the Department of Education since at least September 2023. What started out as a campaign promise eventually became the executive order he issued on March 20, 2025, released shortly after the administration announced plans to lay off about 1,300 of the 4,000 employees in the department.
“Although the president has broad executive authority, there are many things he cannot order by himself,” wrote Joshua Cowen, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University. “And one of those is the dismantling of a Cabinet agency created by law. But he seems determined to hollow the agency out.”
And that’s what the Supreme Court says he can do while the case plays out in lower courts. Ultimately, Trump’s order creates a lot of “legal and policy uncertainty around funding for children in local schools and communities.”
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is responsible for carrying out Trump’s executive order. AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.
2. What the education secretary normally does
The person directed to actually carry our the president’s order is the education secretary, Linda McMahon. She has called dismantling the department its “final mission.”
But the secretary – and the department – have many other missions, such as managing students loans and administering Title I funding to help schools serving low-income students obtain an equitable education regardless of their socioeconomic status.
“Every child in the United States is required to attend school in some capacity, and what happens at the federal level can have real-world impacts on students ranging from preschool to grad school,” wrote Dustin Hornbeck, a scholar of educational policy at the University of Memphis.
In his article, Hornbeck explored the key duties of the education secretary and the role of the federal government in education, which he argued will continue even if the Education Department is abolished.
“First and foremost, Trump and his supporters believe that liberals are ruining public education by instituting what they call a ‘radical woke agenda’ that they say prioritizes identity politics and politically correct groupthink at the expense of the free speech of those, like many conservatives, who have different views,” he explains.
Trump’s battle against DEI – or diversity, equity and inclusion – is of course a big part of that, but so too are what he and his supporters call “radical” race and gender policies.
Hinton goes on to describe three other reasons – including supposed “Marxist indoctrination” and school choice – he argues that the MAGA faithful want to eliminate the Department of Education.
But conservative efforts to gut the department didn’t begin with Trump or MAGA. In fact, the Heritage Foundation, which created the Project 2025 blueprint for remaking the federal government, has been trying to limit or end its role in education since at least 1981 – just two years after the Department of Education was created.
“In its 1981 mandate, the Heritage Foundation struck now-familiar themes,” including closing the Department of Education and ending funding for disadvantaged students, wrote Fred L. Pincus, a sociology professor focused on diversity and social inequality at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “And the Heritage Foundation called for ending federal support for programs it claimed were designed to ‘turn elementary- and secondary-school classrooms into vehicles for liberal-left social and political change.’”
The conservative think tank struck similar themes in its Project 2025 playbook, though it went even further in calling out “leftist indoctrination” and “gender ideology extremism,” Pincus noted.
Changes at the Department of Education will have a big impact on students across the country. skynesher/E+ via Getty Images
5. Impact on most vulnerable students
After all the already planned layoffs go into effect, the Department of Education will have roughly half the staff it started the year with. That will have a significant impact on its ability to carry out its many tasks, such as managing federal loans for college and tracking student achievement.
“The Office for Civil Rights has played an important role in facilitating equitable education for all students,” they wrote. “The full effects of these changes on the most vulnerable public school students will likely be felt for many years.”
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recommends closing the swimming area at Hope Community Service Pond in Scituate and Briar Point Beach in Coventry due to high bacteria counts.
RIDOH also recommends reopening the swimming area at City Park and Conimicut Point Beach in Warwick for swimming because bacteria counts have returned to safe levels.
RIDOH will continue to monitor and review beach water quality through Labor Day. The status of a beach may change as new data become available. The most up-to-date beach information is available through a recorded message on RIDOH’s beaches telephone line (401-222-2751).
A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.
According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.
Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.
Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.
A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.
According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.
Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.
Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.
A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.
According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.
Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.
Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mark Schlakman, Senior Program Director, The Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, Florida State University
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis leads a tour of the new Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility for President Donald Trump and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.Andrew Cabellero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
While touring Alligator Alcatraz on July 1, 2025, President Donald Trump said, “This facility will house some of the menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.” But new reporting from the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times reveals that of more than 700 detainees, only a third have criminal convictions.
To find out more about the state of Florida’s involvement in immigration enforcement and who can be detained at Alligator Alcatraz, The Conversation spoke with Mark Schlakman. Schlakman is a lawyer and senior program director for The Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. He also served as special counsel to Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles, working as a liaison of sorts with the federal government during the mid-1990s when tens of thousands of Haitians and Cubans fled their island nations on makeshift boats, hoping to reach safe haven in Florida.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has characterized the migrants being detained in facilities like Alligator Alcatraz as “murderers and rapists and traffickers and drug dealers.” Do we know if the detainees at Alligator Alcatraz have been convicted of these sorts of crimes?
The Times/Herald published a list of 747 current detainees as of Sunday, July 13, 2025. Their reporters found that about a third of the detainees have criminal convictions, including attempted murder, illegal reentry to the U.S., which is a federal crime, and traffic violations. Apparently hundreds more have charges pending, though neither the federal nor state government have made public what those charges are.
There are also more than 250 detainees with no criminal history, just immigration violations.
Is it a crime for someone to be in the U.S. without legal status? In other words, is an immigration violation a crime?
No, not necessarily. It’s well established as a matter of law that physical presence in the U.S. without proper authorization is a civil violation, not a criminal offense.
However, if the federal government previously deported someone, they can be subject to federal criminal prosecution if they attempt to return without permission. That appears to be the case with some of the detainees at Alligator Alcatraz.
What usually happens if a noncitizen commits a crime in the U.S.?
Normally, if a foreign national is accused of committing a crime, they are prosecuted in a state court just like anyone else. If found guilty and sentenced to incarceration, they complete their sentence in a state prison. Once they’ve served their time, state officials can hand them over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. They are subject to deportation, but a federal immigration judge can hear any grounds for relief.
DHS has clarified that it “has not implemented, authorized, directed or funded” Alligator Alcatraz, but rather the state of Florida is providing startup funds and running this facility. What is Florida’s interest in this? Are these mostly migrants who have been scooped up by ICE in Florida?
It’s still unclear where most of these detainees were apprehended. But based on a list of six detainees released by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office, it is clear that at least some were apprehended outside of Florida, and others simply may have been transferred to Alligator Alcatraz from federal custody elsewhere.
To establish Alligator Alcatraz, DeSantis leveraged an immigration emergency declaration, which has been ongoing since Jan. 6, 2023. A state of emergency allows a governor to exercise extraordinary executive authority. This is how he avoided requirements such as environmental impact analysis in the Everglades and concerns expressed by tribal governance surrounding that area.
This presents a stark contrast to Gov. Lawton Chiles’declaration of an immigration emergency during the mid-1990s. At that time, tens of thousands of Cubans and Haitians attempted to reach Florida shores in virtually anything that would float. Chiles’ actions as governor were informed by his experience as a U.S. senator during the Mariel boatlift in 1980, when 125,000 Cubans made landfall in Florida over the course of just six months.
During my tenure on Chiles’ staff, the governor generally opposed state legislation involving immigration. In the U.S.’s federalist system of government, immigration falls under the purview of the federal government, not the states. Chiles’ primary concern was that Floridians wouldn’t be saddled with what ought to be federal costs and responsibilities.
Chiles was open to state and local officials supporting federal immigration enforcement. But he was mindful this required finesse to avoid undermining community policing, public health priorities and the economic health of key Florida businesses and industries. To this day, the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s position reflects Chiles’ concerns about such cooperation with the federal government.
Now, in 2025, DeSantis has taken a decidedly different tack by using Florida taxpayer dollars to establish Alligator Alcatraz. The state of Florida has fronted the US$450 million to pay for this facility. DeSantis reportedly intends to seek reimbursement from FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program. Ultimately, congressional action may be necessary to obtain reimbursement. Florida is essentially lending the federal government half a billion dollars and providing other assistance to help support the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda.
You advised Florida Division of Emergency Management leadership directly for several years during the administrations of Gov. Charlie Crist and Gov. Rick Scott. Does running a detention facility like Alligator Alcatraz fall within its typical mission?
The division is tasked with preparing for and responding to both natural and human-caused disasters. In Florida, that generally means hurricanes. While the division may engage to facilitate shelter, I don’t recall any policies or procedures contemplating anything even remotely similar to Alligator Alcatraz.
DeSantis could conceivably argue that this is consistent with a 287(g) agreement authorizing state and local support for federal immigration enforcement. But such agreements typically require federal supervision of state and local activities, not the other way around.
Mark Schlakman served as special counsel to Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles and as a consultant to Emilio Gonzalez at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during his tenure as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director during the George W. Bush administration.
The evidence gathered during ASIRT’s investigation provided reasonable grounds to believe that offences had been committed. As is required by the Police Act, the investigation was forwarded to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) to determine whether the evidence met the standard for prosecution.
Following a review of the investigation and having been advised that the ACPS was of the opinion that the evidence met their standard for prosecution, ASIRT Assistant Executive Director Matthew Block determined that the involved officer should be charged. On July 14, 2025, Cst. Craig Stothard was charged with two counts of second-degree murder. The next day, he appeared in the Calgary Court of King’s Bench and was released on conditions.
As this matter is now before the courts, ASIRT will not provide any further information in relation to this matter.
ASIRT’s mandate is to effectively, independently and objectively investigate incidents involving Alberta’s police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.
This release is distributed by the Government of Alberta on behalf of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Aaron Bean Florida (4th District)
WASHINGTON—After filing the Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Spending Act, DOGE Caucus founder and chair U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04) urged bipartisan support for the bill and highlighted the immediate need to rein in wasteful federal spending.
Below are Congressman Bean’s remarks as delivered:
168 billion dollars. That was the amount the federal government improperly paid last year. We paid some bills two or three times. We paid the wrong invoices altogether. We paid invoices we didn’t know we paid because there was no tracking mechanism.
If only there were a bill to require the Department of the Treasury to ensure accuracy and eligibility in federal spending.
Wait there is! I just filed it Mr. Speaker, and it’s the Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Spending Act.
The war on waste, fraud, and abuse begins today by requiring the Treasury Department to simply track, verify, and cross-check payments, and that’s what the DOGE in Spending Act will do.
Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve accountability and transparency. I urge all my colleagues to join me, and I’m saving a co-sponsorship for each of you.
Let’s deliver results and let’s go get’em!
BACKGROUND
Congressman Bean is building momentum not only among his colleagues in the House, but also from outside organizations and industry stakeholders who recognize the importance of fiscal accountability and the need for commonsense reforms. By engaging think tanks, taxpayer advocacy groups, and public-sector watchdogs, he is rallying a broad coalition committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending.
A comprehensive list of stakeholders supporting H.R. 4311 includes: America First Policy Institute, Americans for Prosperity, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, Foundations for Government Accountability, Heritage Action, Open the Books, and The LIBRE Initiative.
On July 15, commencing at 2:00 p.m. for approximately 35 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a meeting with Hon. Dhananjay Ramful, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Republic of Mauritius.
At the outset, Minister Iwaya stated that Mauritius, located at a strategic point in the Indian Ocean connecting Asia and Africa, is an important partner in promoting a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” based on the rule of law and that he would like to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries, taking advantage of the upcoming TICAD9 next month.
In response, Minister Ramful expressed his gratitude for Japan’s cooperation in various fields. He also referred to the good relations between the two countries and expressed his hope for further strengthening of the bilateral relations, particularly in the economic field.
The two ministers concurred to advance initiatives such as maritime security with a view to achieving peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, also in view of the promotion of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP). They also reaffirmed that they will work together in order to increase investment from Japanese companies to Mauritius, which serves as a gateway for investment in Africa.
The two ministers also exchanged views on issues, including regional situation in East Asia such as their policies toward North Korea including on the nuclear and missile issues as well as the abductions issue, United Nations Security Council reform, and other issues and concurred to further strengthening cooperation in regional and international arena. Minister Ramful expressed his support for Japan’s efforts toward immediate resolution of the abduction issue.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alyson Stobo-Wilson, Research Adjunct in Conservation Ecology, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University
Alyson Stobo-Wilson
In remote central Arnhem Land, finding a northern brushtail possum is encouraging for the local Indigenous rangers. Though once common, such small native mammals are now rare. Many are threatened with extinction.
Over the past 30 years, small mammals have been disappearing from Australia’s tropical savannas. This landscape is among the nation’s most remote and seemingly untouched. But it is no longer safe from feral animals, overgrazing livestock, poor fire management and other threats.
Despite growing awareness of the problem, a lack of consensus on the most effective management actions has hindered efforts to reverse these losses. Our new research sought to overcome this hurdle and finally reach consensus on the best way forward.
We achieved this by working with experts from various land management groups and research institutes, including Traditional Owners and Indigenous rangers within the region.
This prompted a major review of the causes, and more research.
Advances in technology played a crucial role in efforts to gather further evidence. Motion-activated cameras known as camera traps enabled monitoring over vast areas.
Extensive surveys using camera traps provided data on the distribution and abundance of small mammals and feral cats. Meanwhile, collar-mounted GPS units and video cameras provided new information about feral cat behaviour.
Feral cat caught on a camera-trap in Arnhem Land. Alyson Stobo-Wilson
What we did and what we found
Our new research concerns the higher-rainfall tropical savannas of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. This area covers 950,000 square kilometres from the Kimberley in the west to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the east.
First we reviewed the literature on the topic of small mammal declines in the region. We found more than 100 relevant studies had been published since 2010.
From these research papers, we identified 11 plausible threats to small mammals. Then we asked 19 experts to score and rank each threat according to severity and scale, and whether the threat could be effectively mitigated.
We found the most severe and widespread threat to small mammals was feral cats. But broad-scale cat control is not very effective.
Ranked second was the habitat destruction caused by livestock (buffalo, horses, donkeys and cattle) and by inappropriate patterns of fire.
Actions aimed at reducing feral livestock numbers and improving fire regimes would increase vital resources such as food and shelter. Such actions can also make it harder for cats to prey on small mammals.
Feral cattle graze in the savanna woodland of the northern Kimberley. Ian Radford
Future threats and research priorities
Habitat loss from land clearing for urban, agricultural or industrial development currently affects only a small proportion of northwestern Australia. But proposed expansions — particularly for cotton and other intensive agriculture — are concerning. These developments overlap with high-rainfall areas in the Top End, where small mammal communities are still relatively intact.
Our expert group also expressed deep concern and uncertainty about the future as the climate changes. Rising temperatures and more intense rainfall events are expected to increase the frequency, extent and severity of fires. However, managing feral livestock and improving fire regimes can make the ecosystem more resilient to change.
Developing more effective tools to directly control feral cats remains a top research priority. It’s estimated cats kill around 452 million native mammals a year in Australia. About a third of these deaths occur in the tropical savannas. So while improved land management will alleviate some pressure, certain species will remain highly vulnerable unless cats can be better managed.
Water buffalo were introduced to northern Australia in the early-1800s, becoming widespread by the mid-1800s. Alyson Stobo-Wilson
In Australia, the historic disruption of Indigenous customary responsibilities — especially fire management — has contributed to the loss of small mammals.
Fortunately, Indigenous ranger programs and Indigenous Protected Areas have expanded in recent years. Increasingly widespread recognition and application of Indigenous knowledge has deepened and broadened our understanding of mammal declines.
In northern Australia, Indigenous ranger groups are global leaders in fire management. They monitor and manage some of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the continent. The land management actions needed to conserve our small mammals rely in large part on the continued support and funding of these groups.
While the federal government has committed funding to expand ranger programs nationally, ranger groups say the investment falls short of what’s needed. Mimal Land Management Aboriginal Corporation chief executive officer Dominic Nicholls told us:
Given the scale at which Indigenous ranger groups operate – and the critical role they play in protecting Australia’s biodiversity and leading innovation in the carbon industry – the level of allocated funding is insufficient to meet the basic delivery costs of these programs.
A clear path forward
Our research shows reducing feral livestock numbers and improving fire regimes in northern Australia currently offers the greatest benefit to small mammal populations — especially in the absence of effective cat controls.
But success will depend on sustained, long-term support for Indigenous rangers, who carry out much of this work. Investing in these programs is not just essential for conserving biodiversity — it also supports cultural connection, community wellbeing and climate resilience.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Traditional Knowledge offered by participants from Mimal Land Management Aboriginal Corporation and Warddeken Land Management Limited as part of this research.
This research was funded by CSIRO. The research benefited from the involvement of researchers and land managers from CSIRO, Charles Darwin University, Warddeken Land Management Limited, Australian National University, Mimal Land Management Aboriginal Corporation, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, the WA and NT governments, Kangaroo Island Landscape Board, Ground Up: Planning and Ecology Support, Dunkeld Pastoral Co Pty Ltd and Desert Support Services.
John Woinarski has previously received funding from the Australian government’s National Environment Science Program. He is affiliated with Charles Darwin University, a member of the Biodiversity Council and a director of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced that several of her provisions were included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026.
“I’m proud to see that this year’s NDAA includes provisions that will expand protections for service members and make our country more secure,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill prioritizes the service members who put their lives on the line for our country, and it includes provisions that will expand health care for service members, help victims of sexual assault, and address brain-related health incidents. I’m also pleased to see that this bill expands my Cyber Service Academy scholarship program—which provides students with full scholarships in exchange for public service after school—and includes millions in funding for Fort Drum, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, and other New York military installations.”
A list of Senator Gillibrand’s priorities included in the FY2026 NDAA is below:
Personnel:
Expanding access to sexual assault medical forensic examinations by requiring the Secretary of Defense to authorize military medical treatment facilities to provide sexual assault medical forensic examinations to all victims, not just victims who are eligible for military health care.
Bolstering OBGYN care at Fort Drum by directing a briefing on the adequacy and sufficiency of OBGYN care for TRICARE beneficiaries in the installation’s vicinity.
Protecting service members’ brain health by conducting blast exposure monitoring within Special Operations Command.
Helping victims of anomalous health incidents by encouraging the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide the cross-functional team addressing anomalous health incidents (AHIs) with adequate resources to continue its efforts, particularly treatment of those affected by AHIs, and by ensuring timely compensation under the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act of 2021.
Cyber:
In the FY2023 NDAA, Gillibrand created the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program to address the widespread shortage in government cyber personnel. The program grants students a full scholarship in return for public service in a cyber-related discipline in DoD or the Intelligence Community. Successful applicants are provided a scholarship covering the full cost of tuition, select books and fees, a stipend, purchase of a laptop, and more. The following Cyber Service Academy provisions were included in this year’s NDAA:
Funding to roughly double the number of scholarships available through the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program.
Encouraging DoD to expand eligibility for the scholarship to freshmen and sophomores.
Other cyber provisions:
$10 million in additional funding for the Critical Infrastructure Defense Analysis Center (CIDAC), which works to identify DoD’s reliance on critical infrastructure such as power grids, water treatment, and telecommunications infrastructure and improve DoD’s resiliency against potential cyber and kinetic attacks by adversaries.
Requires the development of implementation plans for the creation of Joint Task Force-Cyber elements across the geographic combatant commands, starting with United States Indo-Pacific Command, that would have operational control over cyber forces in their areas of operations. This will better align operational control of cyber forces worldwide to better support combatant commanders.
New York Priorities:
Senator Gillibrand secured millions in funding for New York institutions in the NDAA, including:
$90 million for the 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters Readiness Center, which will also clear the way for separate investments and construction at Watervliet Arsenal.
$300 million for LC-130J aircraft, and an additional $70 million for LC-130J non-recurring engineering, which enables the NY Air National Guard to prepare the aircraft for Arctic conditions
$54 million for the Combined Operations Facility at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
$31 million for the Fort Hamilton Child Development Center
$21 million for the planning and design of future construction projects at Fort Drum:
$9.8 for Fort Drum aircraft maintenance hangar addition design
$8.7 million for Fort Drum Operational Readiness Training Center barracks design.
$2.5 million for Fort Drum Range 41c, Automated Record Fire Plus range design
Strategic Forces:
$500 million for Israeli Missile Defense Cooperative Programs such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow.
Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs):
Secured language to update congressional briefing requirements for UAP.
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
Proposed Loosened Requirements Could Increase Risk Of Derailments, Spillage Of Dangerous Materials Like Crude Oil
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, is expressing concern about an attempt to reduce track inspections and otherwise loosen rail safety requirements. She is calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to maintain its commitment to strong safety standards.
If approved, the waiver would reduce the frequency of visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct from twice a week to twice a month. They would also extend the time allowed to address identified track defects from immediately to a delay of up to three days. This means that passenger trains and trains carrying hazardous materials could be permitted to travel over tracks with known safety issues for as long as three days before repairs are made.
“Throughout New York and across the country, frequent inspections are vital to rail safety and efficiency. Although new safety technologies should be utilized whenever possible, we must ensure that we do not become overly reliant on new technologies and compromise existing, necessary safety practices,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am very concerned that this proposal would reduce the quality of track inspections and slow the repair of track defects. I urge the administration to deny this request, and I will continue to fight to increase the safety, efficiency, and reliability of rail systems across the country.”
A full copy of the letter can be found here or below.
Dear Mr. Feeley:
We write to express our concerns with a proposal from the Association of American Railroads to reduce track inspections and lessen requirements to repair track safety defects. The Biden Administration made rail safety a priority, and last year the freight railroad derailment rate decreased by 18 percent, the greatest reduction in the derailment rate in 40 years. We look forward to working with you to continue this downward trend.
We are supportive of the deployment of advanced safety technologies; but the Federal Railroad Administration should take care not to allow railroads to become overly reliant on technology. AAR on behalf of the Class I railroads, is seeking a waiver to loosen track safety inspection and repair requirements in exchange for deploying automated track inspection (ATI) technology. We know automated track inspection technology works; it has been around since the 1970s. Last year, the Biden Administration proposed requiring railroads to use this important safety technology. However, we are concerned that the exemptions from safety requirements the railroads are seeking could increase risks.
The waiver requests a decrease in the visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct, from twice a week to twice a month. While automated track inspection technology is more effective at identifying track geometry defects, there are other safety issues that visual inspections may identify that automated track inspections may not. In fact, track inspectors are trained to look for 17 other kinds of track safety issues, other than track geometry issues, that could cause derailments, including broken rail ties, missing track spikes, and obstructions in the right of way that a train could hit. The waiver does not explain how reducing railroads’ obligation to check for the track issues that ATI technology cannot detect by up to 75 percent will reduce derailments.
Additionally, the waiver requests railroads that use ATI machines be allowed to take up to 72 hours to address a track safety defect once it is identified. Currently, if a human inspector finds a track defect, the track must be fixed immediately, or other remedial action must be taken, such as slowing the speed of trains on the track. If approved, this waiver would allow passenger trains and trains carrying crude oil, vinyl chloride, benzene, and other hazardous materials to travel over track with a known safety issue for up to three days. The waiver does not explain how slowing remediation response times for track safety defects will improve safety.
The National Transportation Safety Board has also expressed concerns with over relying on this technology. In its investigation of a September 2021 Amtrak Empire Train derailment on BNSF track in Joplin, Montana, the independent investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board stated that automated track inspections “do not capture the diverse array of unique track hazards detectable to human inspectors.” The report went further and said they “should not be used to supplant an inspector physically examining a track.[2]” We are concerned that the AAR’s proposal would do just that, reducing the inspections for all track safety issues that are currently inspected by humans in exchange for potentially improving the inspection of track geometry issues.
For these reasons, we request that you deny the Association of American Railroads’ request to waive track safety requirements and rather finalize the Biden Administration’s proposal to require railroads to use automated track inspection technology.
Sincerely,
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
Proposed Loosened Requirements Could Increase Risk Of Derailments, Spillage Of Dangerous Materials Like Crude Oil
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, is expressing concern about an attempt to reduce track inspections and otherwise loosen rail safety requirements. She is calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to maintain its commitment to strong safety standards.
If approved, the waiver would reduce the frequency of visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct from twice a week to twice a month. They would also extend the time allowed to address identified track defects from immediately to a delay of up to three days. This means that passenger trains and trains carrying hazardous materials could be permitted to travel over tracks with known safety issues for as long as three days before repairs are made.
“Throughout New York and across the country, frequent inspections are vital to rail safety and efficiency. Although new safety technologies should be utilized whenever possible, we must ensure that we do not become overly reliant on new technologies and compromise existing, necessary safety practices,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am very concerned that this proposal would reduce the quality of track inspections and slow the repair of track defects. I urge the administration to deny this request, and I will continue to fight to increase the safety, efficiency, and reliability of rail systems across the country.”
A full copy of the letter can be found here or below.
Dear Mr. Feeley:
We write to express our concerns with a proposal from the Association of American Railroads to reduce track inspections and lessen requirements to repair track safety defects. The Biden Administration made rail safety a priority, and last year the freight railroad derailment rate decreased by 18 percent, the greatest reduction in the derailment rate in 40 years. We look forward to working with you to continue this downward trend.
We are supportive of the deployment of advanced safety technologies; but the Federal Railroad Administration should take care not to allow railroads to become overly reliant on technology. AAR on behalf of the Class I railroads, is seeking a waiver to loosen track safety inspection and repair requirements in exchange for deploying automated track inspection (ATI) technology. We know automated track inspection technology works; it has been around since the 1970s. Last year, the Biden Administration proposed requiring railroads to use this important safety technology. However, we are concerned that the exemptions from safety requirements the railroads are seeking could increase risks.
The waiver requests a decrease in the visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct, from twice a week to twice a month. While automated track inspection technology is more effective at identifying track geometry defects, there are other safety issues that visual inspections may identify that automated track inspections may not. In fact, track inspectors are trained to look for 17 other kinds of track safety issues, other than track geometry issues, that could cause derailments, including broken rail ties, missing track spikes, and obstructions in the right of way that a train could hit. The waiver does not explain how reducing railroads’ obligation to check for the track issues that ATI technology cannot detect by up to 75 percent will reduce derailments.
Additionally, the waiver requests railroads that use ATI machines be allowed to take up to 72 hours to address a track safety defect once it is identified. Currently, if a human inspector finds a track defect, the track must be fixed immediately, or other remedial action must be taken, such as slowing the speed of trains on the track. If approved, this waiver would allow passenger trains and trains carrying crude oil, vinyl chloride, benzene, and other hazardous materials to travel over track with a known safety issue for up to three days. The waiver does not explain how slowing remediation response times for track safety defects will improve safety.
The National Transportation Safety Board has also expressed concerns with over relying on this technology. In its investigation of a September 2021 Amtrak Empire Train derailment on BNSF track in Joplin, Montana, the independent investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board stated that automated track inspections “do not capture the diverse array of unique track hazards detectable to human inspectors.” The report went further and said they “should not be used to supplant an inspector physically examining a track.[2]” We are concerned that the AAR’s proposal would do just that, reducing the inspections for all track safety issues that are currently inspected by humans in exchange for potentially improving the inspection of track geometry issues.
For these reasons, we request that you deny the Association of American Railroads’ request to waive track safety requirements and rather finalize the Biden Administration’s proposal to require railroads to use automated track inspection technology.
Sincerely,
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
Proposed Loosened Requirements Could Increase Risk Of Derailments, Spillage Of Dangerous Materials Like Crude Oil
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, is expressing concern about an attempt to reduce track inspections and otherwise loosen rail safety requirements. She is calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to maintain its commitment to strong safety standards.
If approved, the waiver would reduce the frequency of visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct from twice a week to twice a month. They would also extend the time allowed to address identified track defects from immediately to a delay of up to three days. This means that passenger trains and trains carrying hazardous materials could be permitted to travel over tracks with known safety issues for as long as three days before repairs are made.
“Throughout New York and across the country, frequent inspections are vital to rail safety and efficiency. Although new safety technologies should be utilized whenever possible, we must ensure that we do not become overly reliant on new technologies and compromise existing, necessary safety practices,”said Senator Gillibrand.“I am very concerned that this proposal would reduce the quality of track inspections and slow the repair of track defects. I urge the administration to deny this request, and I will continue to fight to increase the safety, efficiency, and reliability of rail systems across the country.”
A full copy of the letter can be foundhere or below.
Dear Mr. Feeley:
We write to express our concerns with a proposal from the Association of American Railroads to reduce track inspections and lessen requirements to repair track safety defects. The Biden Administration made rail safety a priority, and last year the freight railroad derailment rate decreased by 18 percent, the greatest reduction in the derailment rate in 40 years. We look forward to working with you to continue this downward trend.
We are supportive of the deployment of advanced safety technologies; but the Federal Railroad Administration should take care not to allow railroads to become overly reliant on technology. AAR on behalf of the Class I railroads, is seeking a waiver to loosen track safety inspection and repair requirements in exchange for deploying automated track inspection (ATI) technology. We know automated track inspection technology works; it has been around since the 1970s. Last year, the Biden Administration proposed requiring railroads to use this important safety technology. However, we are concerned that the exemptions from safety requirements the railroads are seeking could increase risks.
The waiver requests a decrease in the visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct, from twice a week to twice a month. While automated track inspection technology is more effective at identifying track geometry defects, there are other safety issues that visual inspections may identify that automated track inspections may not. In fact, track inspectors are trained to look for 17 other kinds of track safety issues, other than track geometry issues, that could cause derailments, including broken rail ties, missing track spikes, and obstructions in the right of way that a train could hit. The waiver does not explain how reducing railroads’ obligation to check for the track issues that ATI technology cannot detect by up to 75 percent will reduce derailments.
Additionally, the waiver requests railroads that use ATI machines be allowed to take up to 72 hours to address a track safety defect once it is identified. Currently, if a human inspector finds a track defect, the track must be fixed immediately, or other remedial action must be taken, such as slowing the speed of trains on the track. If approved, this waiver would allow passenger trains and trains carrying crude oil, vinyl chloride, benzene, and other hazardous materials to travel over track with a known safety issue for up to three days. The waiver does not explain how slowing remediation response times for track safety defects will improve safety.
The National Transportation Safety Board has also expressed concerns with over relying on this technology. In its investigation of a September 2021 Amtrak Empire Train derailment on BNSF track in Joplin, Montana, the independent investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board stated that automated track inspections “do not capture the diverse array of unique track hazards detectable to human inspectors.” The report went further and said they “should not be used to supplant an inspector physically examining a track.[2]” We are concerned that the AAR’s proposal would do just that, reducing the inspections for all track safety issues that are currently inspected by humans in exchange for potentially improving the inspection of track geometry issues.
For these reasons, we request that you deny the Association of American Railroads’ request to waive track safety requirements and rather finalize the Biden Administration’s proposal to require railroads to use automated track inspection technology.
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
Proposed Loosened Requirements Could Increase Risk Of Derailments, Spillage Of Dangerous Materials Like Crude Oil
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, is expressing concern about an attempt to reduce track inspections and otherwise loosen rail safety requirements. She is calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to maintain its commitment to strong safety standards.
If approved, the waiver would reduce the frequency of visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct from twice a week to twice a month. They would also extend the time allowed to address identified track defects from immediately to a delay of up to three days. This means that passenger trains and trains carrying hazardous materials could be permitted to travel over tracks with known safety issues for as long as three days before repairs are made.
“Throughout New York and across the country, frequent inspections are vital to rail safety and efficiency. Although new safety technologies should be utilized whenever possible, we must ensure that we do not become overly reliant on new technologies and compromise existing, necessary safety practices,”said Senator Gillibrand.“I am very concerned that this proposal would reduce the quality of track inspections and slow the repair of track defects. I urge the administration to deny this request, and I will continue to fight to increase the safety, efficiency, and reliability of rail systems across the country.”
A full copy of the letter can be foundhere or below.
Dear Mr. Feeley:
We write to express our concerns with a proposal from the Association of American Railroads to reduce track inspections and lessen requirements to repair track safety defects. The Biden Administration made rail safety a priority, and last year the freight railroad derailment rate decreased by 18 percent, the greatest reduction in the derailment rate in 40 years. We look forward to working with you to continue this downward trend.
We are supportive of the deployment of advanced safety technologies; but the Federal Railroad Administration should take care not to allow railroads to become overly reliant on technology. AAR on behalf of the Class I railroads, is seeking a waiver to loosen track safety inspection and repair requirements in exchange for deploying automated track inspection (ATI) technology. We know automated track inspection technology works; it has been around since the 1970s. Last year, the Biden Administration proposed requiring railroads to use this important safety technology. However, we are concerned that the exemptions from safety requirements the railroads are seeking could increase risks.
The waiver requests a decrease in the visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct, from twice a week to twice a month. While automated track inspection technology is more effective at identifying track geometry defects, there are other safety issues that visual inspections may identify that automated track inspections may not. In fact, track inspectors are trained to look for 17 other kinds of track safety issues, other than track geometry issues, that could cause derailments, including broken rail ties, missing track spikes, and obstructions in the right of way that a train could hit. The waiver does not explain how reducing railroads’ obligation to check for the track issues that ATI technology cannot detect by up to 75 percent will reduce derailments.
Additionally, the waiver requests railroads that use ATI machines be allowed to take up to 72 hours to address a track safety defect once it is identified. Currently, if a human inspector finds a track defect, the track must be fixed immediately, or other remedial action must be taken, such as slowing the speed of trains on the track. If approved, this waiver would allow passenger trains and trains carrying crude oil, vinyl chloride, benzene, and other hazardous materials to travel over track with a known safety issue for up to three days. The waiver does not explain how slowing remediation response times for track safety defects will improve safety.
The National Transportation Safety Board has also expressed concerns with over relying on this technology. In its investigation of a September 2021 Amtrak Empire Train derailment on BNSF track in Joplin, Montana, the independent investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board stated that automated track inspections “do not capture the diverse array of unique track hazards detectable to human inspectors.” The report went further and said they “should not be used to supplant an inspector physically examining a track.[2]” We are concerned that the AAR’s proposal would do just that, reducing the inspections for all track safety issues that are currently inspected by humans in exchange for potentially improving the inspection of track geometry issues.
For these reasons, we request that you deny the Association of American Railroads’ request to waive track safety requirements and rather finalize the Biden Administration’s proposal to require railroads to use automated track inspection technology.
