NewzIntel.com

Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Deputy Prime Minister announces action to protect and create good-paying jobs for Canadian workers

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Workers are at the heart of Canada’s economy. For our economy and for every generation to reach their full potential, Canadian workers need good-paying jobs. We’re doing this by making investments that increase productivity, boost innovation, and accelerate the flow of capital into Canada. And we’re doing everything we can to protect Canadian workers from unfair competition.

    October 22, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Finance Canada
     

    Workers are at the heart of Canada’s economy. For our economy and for every generation to reach their full potential, Canadian workers need good-paying jobs. We’re doing this by making investments that increase productivity, boost innovation, and accelerate the flow of capital into Canada. And we’re doing everything we can to protect Canadian workers from unfair competition.

    Today, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, alongside the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, and the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, announced further action to protect and create jobs for Canadian workers.

    First, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance announced that effective today, imports of certain Chinese-made steel and aluminum products are subject to a 25 per cent tariff. These tariffs will help level the playing field to protect Canadian workers whose job security is being put at risk by China’s unfair, intentional, and state-directed trade practices of oversupply and overcapacity, as well as its lack of robust environmental and labour standards. Through this action in lockstep with key trading partners, Canada is also preventing trade diversion with these tariffs.

    Recognizing that Canadian businesses may need time to adjust, the federal government is prepared to offer tariff relief in certain, exceptional circumstances to help make sure that Canadian workers aren’t punished as new supply chains are established. Canadian businesses can apply for relief by emailing remissions-remises@fin.gc.ca. Requests received before November 8, 2024, will be processed on a priority basis.

    Second, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Officials Languages announced further robust reforms to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to ensure the labour market is fair for Canadian workers. Some employers are using the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to hire from abroad at lower wages than what they would pay Canadians. This undercuts Canadians’ wage growth and the number of available jobs, puts temporary foreign workers into precarious situations, and erodes confidence in our immigration system.

    To protect Canadian workers from unfair wage competition, starting November 8, 2024, the hourly wage criteria for the high-wage stream will be raised to 20 per cent above the median hourly wage—between $5 per hour and $8 per hour—depending on the province or territory. This will incentivize employers to hire Canadians before turning to the program and encourage greater wage growth. And to crack down on employers who provide false information on their applications, starting October 28, 2024, the government is implementing stringent new data verification processes, which will ensure only genuine and legitimate job offers are approved.

    Third, the Ministers launched new measures to secure Canada’s artificial intelligence (AI) advantage, including the $200 million Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative. AI is already unlocking growth and job opportunities in industries across the economy and helping many Canadian workers become more productive. In the past year, job growth in AI increased by nearly one third in Canada—among the highest growth of any sector. And most AI jobs pay well above the average income.

    Today, the government is launching two key parts of its $2.4 billion AI package to ensure the economic benefits of AI reach all corners of our country. Through the new $200 million Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative, Canada’s Regional Development Agencies will support AI start-ups to bring new technologies to market, and drive AI adoption by small businesses in critical sectors across the economy, such as agriculture, clean technology, health care, and manufacturing. In addition, the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program is receiving $100 million to help small- and medium-sized businesses scale up and increase productivity by building and deploying new AI solutions.

    The federal government’s economic plan is taking action to protect and create good-paying jobs for Canadian workers. We are protecting workers from unfair Chinese competition and from having their wages undercut. And we are investing in the technologies that create good-paying jobs, accelerate innovation, and boost productivity, so workers can focus on what they do best. This is all part of our plan to raise wages, increase living standards, and build a Canada that’s fairer for every generation.

    Katherine Cuplinskas
    Deputy Director of Communications
    Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
    Katherine.Cuplinskas@fin.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government Increases Investment in Ste. Agathe Infrastructure Project

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The Manitoba government is investing $48.6 million in a major bridge crossing, named after Louis Riel, the first premier of Manitoba, to ensure the safe, efficient movement of people, goods and services, Premier Wab Kinew and Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor announced today.

    “Our government is committed to improving infrastructure across the province and will continue to consult with municipalities to identify the highest priority projects.” said Naylor. “The rehabilitation of the Louis Riel Bridge will improve safety as well as enhance and streamline inter-community travel.”

    The major structure rehabilitation contract for the Louis Riel Bridge on Provincial Road (PR) 305 began this August. The rehabilitation of the bridge will include major foundation works and feature the construction of a new bridge riding surface, which will be wider than the existing with two 3.7-metre travel lanes with 1.8-metre shoulders, plus a 2.7-metre-wide pedestrian pathway. The rehabilitation work will be completed in stages with both stages scheduled to be completed by September 2026. Completion of all work is scheduled for later in the fall-winter of 2026, noted the minister.

    “Our government is committed to improving infrastructure across the province,” said Naylor. “This project will improve safety and enhance inter-community connections.”

    The Louis Riel Bridge in Ste. Agathe was originally constructed in 1959 and is a vital east-west link over the Red River connecting people, businesses and agricultural land to Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 75. Named in honour of Louis Riel, founder of the province of Manitoba and his contributions toward justice for Métis rights and cultural representation, investment in the ongoing integrity of this structure is a priority for the Manitoba government, noted the premier.

    “The rehabilitation of the Louis Riel Bridge is an important project for our community and the region. This bridge serves as a critical link for residents, businesses, and agricultural operations, and its modernization will ensure safe and efficient travel for all,” said Mayor Chris Ewen, Ritchot. “We are deeply grateful for the provincial investment in this infrastructure, which honours the legacy of Louis Riel and supports our growth and prosperity for generations to come.”

    The bridge will remain open during construction with a single lane controlled by signal lights at each end of the bridge. This is an active construction area and drivers are encouraged to move through with extra caution and consider allowing extra time when traveling in this area.

    Information on this project, frequently asked questions and design details can be found on the Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure website at http://www.gov.mb.ca/mti/projects.html.

    This project supports Manitoba’s multi-year infrastructure investment strategy, which outlines planned strategic investments in roads, highways, bridges, airports and flood protection over the next five years in Manitoba.

    For more information on Manitoba’s Multi-Year Infrastructure Investment Strategy, visit: http://www.gov.mb.ca/mti/myhis/index.html.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Deluge for Roswell  

    Source: NASA

    Fall and summer tend to be the rainiest seasons in New Mexico, but the deluge that fell on parts of the state in late October 2024 stands out for its intensity.
    According to the Albuquerque office of the National Weather Service, the Roswell airport received 5.78 inches (147 millimeters) of rain on October 19, an all-time daily record. That’s more than four times the average October rainfall for the region and half of its average annual rainfall. Other areas surrounding Roswell received as much as 9 inches (229 millimeters) in a matter of hours, according to the National Weather Service.
    Much of the flooding in Roswell spilled from the Spring River, which runs through the city. By the time clouds had cleared enough for NASA’s Terra satellite to capture this image (right) on October 21, much of that water had receded. However, floodwaters were still visible along the Pecos River, to the east of Roswell. Terra acquired the other image (left) on October 14, before the extreme rainfall. Both images were captured by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor.
    The false-color images were composed from a combination of infrared and visible light (MODIS bands 7-2-1), to make it easier to distinguish the water. Floodwater appears dark blue; saturated soil is light blue; vegetation is bright green; and bare ground is brown.
    The unusual amount of rain was produced by an upper-level cut-off low that stalled over Arizona and funneled large amounts of moisture to New Mexico from the Gulf of Mexico, according to meteorologist Jeff Berardelli. The flash floods that ensued caused widespread damage to the town of 48,000 people. Floodwaters inundated roads, swept away and submerged cars, and damaged bridges and buildings. Authorities rescued 290 people, according to a statement from the New Mexico National Guard.
    National Weather Service forecasts indicate that storms could bring another round of flash flooding to Roswell in the coming days. Flood monitoring resources and tools powered by NASA satellite data include the Flood Dashboard from the NASA Disasters Program, the Global Flood Monitoring System from the University of Maryland, a data pathfinder from the Earth Science Data Systems Program, and flooding monitoring and modeling training from the Applied Remote Sensing Training Program.
    NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Adam Voiland.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor recovers more than $1B in wages, damages for 615,000 workers under Biden-Harris administration

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON –The Biden-Harris administration today announced that the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recovered more than $1 billion in back wages and damages for our nation’s workers since the start of the Biden-Harris administration. The recoveries derive from investigations concluded by the division from Jan. 20, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2024.

    “As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to protect and defend America’s working people, the Wage and Hour Division has recovered more than $1 billion in back wages and damages—achieving both justice and economic relief for more than 615,000 workers,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “Thanks to the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, this department has been focused on protecting those workers who need us most—the hotel cleaners, home care aides, meatpackers and hundreds of thousands more. And by ensuring that employers who violate the law are held to account, we are deterring businesses from exploiting workers in the future. I am so proud to say that we are putting money back in workers’ pockets and signaling to bad actors that they won’t get away with wage theft and illegal child labor on our watch.”

    The division enforces some of the nation’s most foundational labor laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act that requires payment of a federal minimum wage and overtime wages, as well as laws that require prevailing wages for federally funded and assisted contracts. The agency prioritizes helping workers in low-wage, high-violation industries, including healthcare, agriculture, construction and many others.

    Joely Maniscalco is one of many workers who the division has helped get back their hard-earned wages. A home health aide in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, she works to care for people in their homes by providing assistance with bathing, eating and other activities of daily living. In 2024, the Wage and Hour Division found that Maniscalco had been the victim of wage theft from two different employers and recovered more than $1,000 in back wages for her. “I am grateful to the Wage and Hour Division. They helped me understand my rights as a home care worker,” she said. Maniscalco was facing eviction and was able to use the back wages to secure a new apartment. 

    Housekeeper Demetria Jones is another worker who sought the division’s help after Jones was not paid for all the hours she worked at a motel in Florida, and she struggled to provide for her family. Jones bravely stood up for her rights and contacted the Wage and Hour Division. “I worked hard for my money, and everyone deserves to be paid properly,” she said. As a result of the investigation, Jones received more than $2,000 in minimum wage and overtime compensation. 

    “We are dedicated to protecting and enhancing the welfare of the nation’s workforce with a focus on underserved and often vulnerable workers,” said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman. “The money we recover from employers helps workers pay for housing, childcare and other necessities. While we are proud to have recovered $1 billion in workers’ owed wages and damages, we remain concerned by the wage theft we have uncovered and the harm it causes for hard-working people across the nation. We will continue to use all our tools to protect workers across the country.”

    In addition to its enforcement efforts, the division provides outreach and education to employers, workers and other stakeholders to raise awareness of workers’ rights and prevent violations of federal labor standards. To assist employers, the division offers many compliance assistance resources to ensure lawful employment practices.

    Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division and how to file a complaint. For confidential compliance assistance, workers and employers can call the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243), regardless of where they are from. The division can speak with callers in more than 200 languages.

    Download the division’s Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices – available in English and Spanish – to ensure hours and pay are accurate.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Labor obtains judgment to recover $120K in wages, damages from Huddle House franchisee who withheld wages, made illegal deductions

    Source: US Department of Labor

    OKLAHOMA CITY – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment and injunction to recover $120,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for 177 Oklahoma restaurant workers whose employer deducted time for lunch breaks not taken and failed to pay employees for all hours worked.

    The Sept. 18, 2024, judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma against Gregg Hansen – operator of Huddle House franchise locations in Ardmore, Edmond and Oklahoma City – follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division that found the employer’s pay practices from October 2019 to February 2023 violated federal minimum wage and overtime provisions.

     “Gregg Hansen has deprived hundreds of low-wage workers at his Huddle House franchise locations of their full, hard-earned wages,” explained Wage and Hour Division District Director Michael Speer in Oklahoma City. “The Wage and Hour Division is determined to stop employers who repeatedly and willfully disregard federal labor regulations and hold them accountable for such blatant violations.”

    The division previously cited the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based employer for similar violations at the same Oklahoma locations from 2016 to 2021, and at its locations in Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. The willful and repeated nature of Hansen’s Fair Labor Standards Act violations prompted the department to pursue legal remedies. 

    At one point owning nearly 20 locations in nine states, Gregg Hansen has been known as one of the largest Huddle House franchise operators in the nation. The Huddle House brand is owned by Ascent Hospitality Management in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a multi-brand restaurant company with nearly 600 Huddle House and Perkins Restaurant & Bakery locations in the U.S. and Canada. 

    Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division. Workers and employers can call the division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243), regardless of where they are from. Calls are confidential and the division can speak with callers in more than 200 languages. 

    Download the agency’s new Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices, now available in English and Spanish, to ensure hours and pay are accurate. 

    Lea en Español 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Labor announces Advisory Board on Toxic Substances, Worker Health will meet Oct. 30

    Source: US Department of Labor

    Advises Secretary of Labor on benefits for nuclear weapons workers with medical conditions

    WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor today announced the Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health for Part E of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act will hold an online meeting Oct. 30, 2024. Meetings are open to the public.

    The act provides compensation and medical benefits to nuclear weapons workers diagnosed with medical conditions caused by their exposure to toxic substances at covered nuclear facilities.

    The Secretary of Labor appoints advisory board members to two-year terms. Meeting at least twice a year, the board advises the Secretary on certain technical aspects of the EEOICPA. The 12-member board includes four members from the scientific, medical and claimant communities. Dr. Aaron Bowman is the board’s chair. 

    WHAT:          Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health for Part E of the EEOICPA

    WHERE:        Dial-in number available on the advisory board website at least three days prior to the meeting.

    WHEN:          Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT

    Comments, materials, requests for accommodations and requests to speak must be sent by Oct. 23, 2024, to EnergyAdvisoryBoard@dol.gov. Requests must refer to the Advisory Board’s name and the meeting date of Oct. 30, 2024. 

    Read the Federal Register notice for more information on how to participate in the meeting.

    Questions about the board can be emailed to EnergyAdvisoryBoard@dol.gov. 

    Learn more about the advisory board. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CISA and USPIS Release Two Election Mail Security Resources

    News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) joined together to release an Election Mail Security Public Service Announcement (PSA) and a training video for election officials on securely and safely handling potential toxic hazards in election mail. The PSA affirms the incredible efforts local and state officials have invested, through the federal government, in ensuring security and integrity of the elections process, and specifically how seriously CISA and USPIS take the security of election related mail. As CISA leads federal efforts to ensure election officials have the resources they need to defend against the range of cyber and physical threats to election infrastructure, USPIS ensures the safe and secure delivery of election mail, and the protection of election officials from potentially dangerous mail.    

    “CISA, alongside our federal partners like the US Postal Inspection Service, are committed to helping those on the frontline of our democratic process have the tools and resources necessary to accomplish their incredible mission while staying safe from the range of hazards they may face,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly. “Together we can protect America’s election infrastructure against new and evolving threats and that is our continued goal for Protect 2024 here at CISA.”  

    “We have a shared commitment, with our close partner CISA, to ensure the safety of election workers and the security of election mail, in part through the education and empowerment of voters and election officials,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale. “Today’s releases are another way we are delivering on that commitment.”  

    Everyone has a part to play when it comes to helping to ensure the safe and secure delivery of election mail. Americans can do the following:   

    • Don’t let incoming or outgoing mail sit in your mailbox.  Pick up election mail from your mailbox as soon as its delivered.  
    • Don’t leave your mail unattended for extended periods.  
    • Return outgoing election mail in your local post office or hand directly to a postal employee 
    • Many states have online tracking tools to help track the status of your ballot.  If you believe there’s an issue with the receipt or delivery of your ballot, contact your local election office to verify the status of your ballot prior to contacting USPS.  

    To report suspicious mail and election mail-related security or criminal incidents contact USPIS at (877) 876-2455 or you can report election mail crimes at uspis.gov/report. To view the CISA and USPIS PSA and training video, please visit CISA and USPIS Election Mail Security Resources on CISA.gov. and check out #Protect2024 for the latest information regarding election security at CISA. 

    ###

    About CISA 

    As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.

    Visit CISA.gov for more information and follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: United States Announces more than $17 million for New Initiatives to Improve the Health of Cambodian People

    Source: USAID

    Today, Administrator Samantha Power, in Siem Reap, announced new U.S. initiatives to support the health and wellbeing of the Cambodian people.

    Administrator Power announced a new five-year program to bolster Cambodia’s fight against tuberculosis (TB), a disease which claims thousands of lives in Cambodia every year. USAID’s Community Mobilization Initiatives to End Tuberculosis 2 (COMMIT 2) program will be implemented by KHANA, the Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance. USAID has committed $4 million for the first year of the program. Today’s announcement is one of USAID’s largest direct local awards ever to a Cambodian organization. Through this program, USAID will partner with Cambodia to accelerate active case finding by working in and with local communities to improve TB screening and diagnosis, improve digital reporting of TB cases, and increase access to TB preventive therapy.

    The Administrator also announced a commitment of over $1 million to advance efforts to end childhood lead poisoning in Cambodia, in partnership with UNICEF and the Royal Government of Cambodia. This commitment will support a first-of-its kind national survey to evaluate the levels of heavy metals like lead and arsenic in children, pregnant women, the environment, and products. Survey results will support the Royal Government of Cambodia in making evidence-based decisions to improve policy, standards, and regulations around heavy metals so that more Cambodians can live healthier, more productive lives. In September 2024, the United States and Cambodia were among the more than 20 countries making commitments to fighting global lead exposure as founding members of the new Partnership for a Lead-Free Future.

    Finally, Administrator Power announced $12 million in new funding to support a range of demining activities, including landmine clearance and risk education for local communities. To date, U.S. partners have cleared more than 1.5 million landmines and unexploded ordnances (UXOs) from approximately 230,000 acres of land in Cambodia, and continuing this work will help save lives and create a safer, healthier Cambodia.

    Improving health security in Cambodia is an integral part of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy. Reducing the prevalence of infectious diseases, like TB, and supporting equitable access to healthcare advance our shared interest of enhancing health and safety for our communities. These investments underscore USAID’s commitment to helping Cambodia improve health outcomes, including by ending TB as a health threat by 2030, prevent lead exposure in mothers and children, and strengthen capacity to confront future public health threats.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Small Business Administration and Department of Defense Celebrate Successful First Year for the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technology Initiative

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON– Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Secretary Lloyd J. Austin, head of the U.S. Department Secretary of Defense (DoD) announced 13 funds approved to be licensed by the SBA under the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technology Initiative (SBICCT), a joint DoD and SBA initiative to attract and scale private investment in technology areas critical to economic and national security made possible by historic modernization by SBA in its Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program under the Biden-Harris Administration, which established a new SBA government-guaranteed loan, the “Accrual Debenture” for private investment funds. The 12 firms managing the 13 funds collectively plan to raise $2.8 billion in private capital matched with SBA-guaranteed loans to invest in over 1,000 innovative startups and small businesses developing technologies from advanced materials to space and hypersonic technologies.

    “The SBA and DoD entered into this historic initiative to leverage the SBA’s long-standing SBIC program and its recent transformations, so that we can ensure America maintains its global competitive edge in critical technologies,” said SBA Administrator Guzman. “These early strong results and expanded network of investors will provide America’s innovators, producers, and supply chains with the vital funding needed to meet challenges and advance our national and economic security.”

    “This first group of SBICCT Initiative funds represents a consequential milestone in demonstrating the power of public-private partnerships to build enduring advantage by growing and modernizing our supply chains, strengthening our economic and national security, and benefiting the development and commercialization of critical technologies that are key drivers of our U.S. industrial base,” said Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. “I am proud of the collaborative work between the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) and our SBA OII colleagues to stand up and advance this important program.”

    Funds licensed by the SBA under the SBICCT Initiative are eligible for access to SBA-guaranteed loans designed to enhance fund-level investment returns. Licensees have access to up to $175 million in SBA Debenture loans through the SBIC program. The new Accrual Debenture loans align with the cash flows of longer duration and equity-oriented investment strategies that tend to invest in innovative new technologies and the longstanding SBA Standard Debentures align to credit strategies. Through the SBICCT Initiative, licensed funds also gain access to DoD provided program-related initiatives and benefits intended to drive value to each Licensee’s portfolio of fund investments.

    The SBICCT Initiative was announced by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman in December 2022. Through this first-of-its-kind partnership, DoD’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) and SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) aim to increase private investment in critical technologies, including component-level technologies and production processes vital to U.S. economic and national security interests.

    The SBICCT Initiative formally launched and began accepting SBIC applications in Fall 2023. Over 100 funds have expressed interest in the initiative, and since the formal launch, 22 took the significant step to submit a formal application and undergo the rigorous underwriting and due diligence process.

    In early July 2024, the SBA granted the first SBICCT Initiative license. Just three months later, as of October 22, 2024, a total of 13 funds within the ‘Green Light’ approval are to raise private capital and be licensed by SBA. The funds span all 14 DoD Critical Technology Areas,  component-level technologies, and production processes. They represent all parts of the capital stack across stages of investment ranging from seed stage venture to later stage buyout and from venture debt to special situations credit.

    Interest in the SBICCT Initiative continues to grow, with additional applications expected in future quarterly filing windows. The next filing deadline is November 15, 2024. For more information on the SBICCT Initiative and the application process, please see the Investment Policy Statement.

    ###

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Canadian Arctic shows how understanding the effects of climate change requires long-term vision

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Schaefer, Professor of Biology, Trent University

    Embrace change, they say, or become a casualty. This adage weighed heavily on my mind during my latest research trip to the Arctic. Repeatedly, I found myself clutching the .303 calibre rifle over my shoulder — a piece of equipment I once considered unnecessary.

    As my research assistants and I crossed the tundra of Victoria Island in northern Canada, firearms were only the most obvious addition to our gear. Each of us carried a whistle around our neck, a canister of bear spray on our hip, and new alertness in our routine. Back at our camp near Wellington Bay, Nunavut, an electric fence surrounded our tents. Grizzly bears were new inhabitants on this island. Safety called for different provisions and a different mindset.

    After three decades, I had returned north with a purpose: to assess how tundra plants were responding in a rapidly changing climate. For my assistants and me, the plan was straightforward. We would return to the exact sites I had studied some 30 years earlier, to evaluate how they had changed during those intervening years.

    By the end, I learned a more fundamental point: that perseverance, and long-term planning, are the key to enabling scientific progress and unlocking ecological secrets.



    Read more:
    2023 was the hottest year in history — and Canada is warming faster than anywhere else on earth

    Alarming pace of change

    In the Arctic, the pace of environmental change is especially troubling. Species like grizzlies and orcas are advancing northward, weather is more volatile and sea ice is shrinking — driven by temperatures rising nearly four times more quickly than the global average.

    The Arctic is the earth’s air conditioner. Disruptions at the top of the world could reverberate elsewhere.

    While the significance of the Arctic is planetary, an encounter with the land is intensely personal.

    North of the treeline, in the expanse of arctic tundra, you take in the whole horizon. In summer, you hear the distant bugling of cranes and geese as you walk boundlessly in the midnight sun.

    In winter, you may come upon a band of caribou as you travel atop the wind-sculpted snow. Once you’ve stood north of the treeline, your worldview is transformed.

    I am one of those transformed individuals. As a graduate student in the 1990s, I resided at Ekalluktok — a special place on the south coast of Victoria Island where the migrations of char and caribou intersect, where Inuit have lived for thousands of years. Here I studied the abundance and variety of tundra plants.

    Today, the Arctic has already blown past 2 C of warming. Understanding the effects of climate change on this island could provide insights into the dynamics of change across the entire Arctic region.

    Plants, foundation of the food chain, are a top research priority. Shifts in the flora are likely to be consequential to herbivores such as muskoxen and caribou — and therefore to people.

    Measuring change

    Nature reveals her swings and proclivities with reluctance. To prise open those mysteries, I added a key ingredient: time. On this return trip, I intended to walk back decades to uncover the response of plants in an altered climate by using precisely the same methods at precisely the same locations as I had in the 1990s.

    For deciphering ecological change, it’s a potent recipe: measure, add decades, repeat.

    Measuring the vegetation, I knew, would be straightforward. In the wry words of the pioneering British botanist, John Harper, “plants stand still and wait to be counted.”

    Our more immediate challenge was finding those same locations. Three decades earlier, in the days before GPS, I had marked each location with a metal stake. Now, I trusted that stakes, too, “stand still and wait to be revisited.”

    For weeks, my assistants and I scoured the land for those stakes, guided by maps, memory and a metal detector. And our search — sometimes easy and direct, sometimes meandering and desperate — yielded 98 per cent of them.



    Read more:
    Accepting uncertainty in sustainable fisheries is essential in a rapidly changing Arctic

    At each stake, we bent low, occasionally on hands and knees, to tally the abundance of sedges, shrubs, lichens and diminutive wildflowers. It was a repeat performance from my original study almost three decades earlier.

    Those repeat observations revealed long-term shifts in vegetation, some unexpected.

    Grasses and sedges increased substantially, an example of arctic greening, regarded as one of the world’s clearest illustrations of climate change effects. Some species — notably purple saxifrage, the official flower of Nunavut — declined dramatically, contributing to arctic browning.

    Many other plants showed no apparent change, suggesting climatic resilience, at least over decades. But across the Arctic, the picture of vegetation change remains incomplete, complicated by variations among species and regions. Sustained science will be needed to unravel this ecological complexity.

    Funding the long-term

    That broader message, unforeseen to me at the outset, is now clear.

    Without precisely paired observations, the vegetation shifts at Ekalluktok would have been indistinct. Elegant in their simplicity, repeat observations offer a double vantage point: an instant retrospective for decoding the past and a foundation for monitoring the future.

    But long-term studies are still uncommon. They demand sustained investment, at odds with conventional, short-term cycles of scientific training and funding.

    Managing change starts with awareness. And in a changing world, sustained science will be essential to interpret, mitigate and steer us along a favourable path. Conservation is not a sprint, but a determined trek toward better understanding and a better future.

    James Schaefer received funding from Arctic Species Conservation Fund (WWF-Canada), Kenneth M. Molson Charitable Foundation, Northern Studies Training Program (Polar Knowledge Canada), Symons Trust for Canadian Studies, and Trent University.

    – ref. The Canadian Arctic shows how understanding the effects of climate change requires long-term vision – https://theconversation.com/the-canadian-arctic-shows-how-understanding-the-effects-of-climate-change-requires-long-term-vision-238496

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Connect Kākou Launches “Digital Detectives” Initiative to Map Internet Speeds Across Hawaiʻi

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Connect Kākou Launches “Digital Detectives” Initiative to Map Internet Speeds Across Hawaiʻi

    HONOLULU – Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke today announced the launch of Digital Detectives, a Connect Kākou initiative to map internet speeds across Hawaiʻi. By taking a simple 30-second internet speed test, residents can help identify areas most in need of better internet infrastructure, ensuring that federal funding is allocated to where it is most needed.

    “We’re excited to launch Digital Detectives, an initiative that allows everyone in Hawaiʻi to make a difference and contribute to digital equity across our state,” said Lieutenant Governor Luke. “By working together, we can create a comprehensive, statewide map of internet speeds that will help to prioritize resources and improve connectivity for underserved areas. Internet access is a necessity for education, healthcare, business, and staying connected — and this initiative will help to ensure that all Hawai‘i communities have access to high-speed internet.

    From October 22 to November 4, Hawaiʻi residents are encouraged to visit http://www.connectkakou.org and complete internet speed tests from a desktop or laptop computer. Every test result will be aggregated to provide a full picture of internet connectivity across the state. This information will be used to create a comprehensive map that will highlight areas that should be prioritized for funding and resources to improve internet access.

    Hawaiʻi Department of Education (DOE) and public charter middle schools are encouraging their students to participate in Digital Detectives to learn more about digital equity. Participating public and charter middle school classrooms will be entered to win prizes.

    “We know that equitable access to digital tools is fundamental for student success in today’s world. The Digital Detectives initiative aligns with our mission to provide every student with the resources they need to thrive academically, regardless of their location,” DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. “By participating in this effort, our students are not just learning about technology – they are actively contributing to the improvement of their own communities’ digital future. This project reflects our ongoing commitment to empowering students and ensuring all learners have access to the opportunities that high-speed internet provides.”

    State Public Charter School Commission Executive Director Ed Noh, Ed.D. stated, “Connect Kākou conveys the importance of working together and supporting one another through this collective responsibility. I appreciate and applaud Lieutenant Governor Luke for involving our keiki through this initiative, empowering them to be true problem solvers to improve digital equity and access across all our communities statewide.”

    “The Public Schools of Hawaiʻi Foundation is dedicated to exposing students to diverse learning opportunities. That’s why we’re excited to support Digital Detectives which encourages middle school students to engage with technology in a fun, meaningful way,” said Ken Hiraki, Executive Director for the Public Schools of Hawaiʻi Foundation. “Initiatives like Digital Detectives empower students to make a real impact while inspiring them to become future leaders who can help build a more connected and equitable Hawaiʻi.”

    Connect Kākou is a State of Hawai‘i initiative led by Lieutenant Governor Luke, in collaboration with the Hawai‘i Broadband and Digital Equity Office (HBDEO), the University of Hawai‘i, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), and multiple state and county agencies. Connect Kākou is working to ensure people from all walks of life have reliable access to high-speed internet and the tools and knowledge to safely and confidently use the internet. Visit http://www.connectkakou.org to learn more.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2024-46 NEWS RELEASE – DEPT. OF THE AG PARTNERS WITH DEA AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ON NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK DAY

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2024-46 NEWS RELEASE – DEPT. OF THE AG PARTNERS WITH DEA AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ON NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK DAY

    Posted on Oct 22, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA 

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D. 
     GOVERNOR 

     

    ANNE LOPEZ 

    ATTORNEY GENERAL 

    News Release 2024-46

     

    THE ATTORNEY GENERAL PARTNERS WITH DEA AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ON NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK DAY

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    October 23, 2024

     

    HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General is partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Hawaiʻi Department of Law Enforcement (DLE), Narcotics Enforcement Division; and local law enforcement agencies to participate in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

     

    The department encourages everyone to help keep communities safe from the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs by participating in the National Prescription Take Back Initiative on: 

     

    Saturday, October 26, 2024

    10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

     

    Anyone with expired or unused medications is encouraged to bring them to the drive-thru collection sites located on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi islands.

     

    The Take Back events are conducted twice a year and are free and anonymous services to the public – no questions asked. Tablets, capsules, liquids and other forms of medication will be accepted. Everything can be kept in its original container. No labels need to be removed. Vaping devices will also be accepted, but batteries must be removed. New or used syringes will not be accepted.

     

    “The National Take Back Initiative is part of DEA’s ongoing commitment to promote the health and safety of all Hawaiʻi residents,” says DEA Honolulu District Assistant Special Agent in Charge Victor Vazquez. “The results of these semi-annual take back events are substantial with thousands of pounds of unneeded, potentially dangerous medications being collected and safely destroyed.”

     

    “The Department of Law Enforcement wants to encourage the public to turn in unused or unwanted medications at any of the community take back locations. By safely disposing of unused or unwanted medications, through the National take Back Initiative, we never have to worry about those medications being misused,” said DLE Deputy Director Jared Redulla.

     

    “This is a great opportunity to rid unused and expired medications from your home.  Prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved by others to abuse. Let’s work together to keep Hawaiʻi safe from prescription drugs entering our land and ocean,” says Valerie Mariano, branch chief, Community and Crime Prevention Branch, Department of the Attorney General.

     

    Medicine should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet. The following are reasons why it is important to properly dispose of unwanted and unused medication.

     

    • Proper disposal reduces the risk of prescription drugs entering the water supply or potentially harming aquatic life.
    • Having unused or expired medicine in the home increases the risk of accidental

                poisoning. Homes where children or the elderly live are especially vulnerable to

                this danger.

    • Children may mistake medicine for candy.
    • Medicines may lose their effectiveness after the expiration date.

    Go to http://ag.hawaii.gov for a list of the October 26 Take Back locations in Hawaiʻi. If unable to participate in the Take Back event, there are also several year-round medication drop-off sites in Hawaiʻi. To find your nearest location visit https://www.dea.gov/takebackday#resources, or http://www.hawaiiopioid.org.

     

    ###

     

    Media Contacts:

    Dave Day
     Special Assistant to the Attorney General
     808-586-1284
     Email: [email protected]
    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
    Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office: 808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
     Email: [email protected]
     Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California seizes over $70 million in illegal cannabis since July

    Source: US State of California 2

    Oct 22, 2024

    What you need to know: Since January 2024, California has seized more than $191 million worth of illegal cannabis, with $70.7 million worth of illegal cannabis seized in the last three months alone. 

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the continued progress of California’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force (UCETF), which has seized $70.7 million worth of illegal cannabis since July and over $191 million worth across 13 counties since January 2024. Through enforcement efforts, UCETF continues to demonstrate California’s commitment to protecting public safety, preserving natural resources, and supporting the integrity of the licensed cannabis market. 

    “Our communities are safer with over 42,000 pounds of illicit cannabis taken off the streets since the beginning of the year. Through the UCETF, California continues the charge in cracking down on the illicit cannabis market for the safety of consumers and the support of the legal cannabis industry.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Governor Newsom created the UCETF in 2022 to further align state efforts and increase cannabis enforcement coordination between state, local, and federal partners. The enforcement actions protect consumer and public safety, safeguard the environment, and deprive illegal cannabis operators and transnational criminal organizations of illicit revenue that harms consumers and undercuts the regulated cannabis market in California.

    “UCETF continues to make significant progress by targeting illegal operations that harm California’s environment and natural resources,” said Nathaniel Arnold, Chief of the Law Enforcement Division at the Department of Fish and Wildlife. “The dedication and skill of the officers involved in these operations are truly commendable — they’re on the front lines, protecting our natural resources, ensuring public safety, and safeguarding vulnerable workers.”

    “This quarter we targeted unlicensed cannabis operators misusing the California cannabis universal symbol on their packaging,” said Bill Jones, Chief of the California Department of Cannabis Control’s Law Enforcement Division. “This deceptive practice confuses consumers and puts them at risk. We are stepping up enforcement across the supply chain and shutting these operations down.”

    Today’s UCETF update follows actions announced earlier this month in which over $2.3 million in illegal cannabis and toxic pesticide products, including 2,652 plants, were seized under a single operation.

    Taking down illicit cannabis

    Governor Newsom has directed state agencies to aggressively target the organized criminal enterprises involved in the illicit cannabis market. These illegal schemes not only threaten California’s legal cannabis market, but the use of illegal pesticides and unregulated practices harm California’s environment and water quality. California is also focused on ending the exploitation of vulnerable workers at these sites, who are often victims of labor violations and human trafficking. 

    Protecting California’s consumers

    Last month, Governor Newsom announced emergency hemp regulations in response to increasing health incidents related to intoxicating hemp food and beverage products, which state regulators found sold across the state. The new regulations ban any detectable quantity of THC from consumable hemp products to protect youth and mitigate the risk of adverse health effects. The emergency regulations will also better align the sale of hemp products with restrictions currently seen in the California legal cannabis market by limiting serving and package size and establishing a minimum age of 21 to legally purchase industrial hemp food, beverage and dietary products.

    This month, Governor Newsom issued a statement following the Los Angeles County Superior Court’s recent decision to reject the industry’s attempt to block enforcement of the regulations.

    Successful enforcement by the Alcoholic Beverage Control

    Since the emergency hemp regulations were put in place, agents from California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) have visited 673 locations and seized 1,622 illegal hemp products. ABC will continue to visit licensed locations throughout the state to enforce the new regulations and ensure illegal products are not being sold.

    A unified strategy across California 

    Since inception, UCETF has seized and destroyed over 162 tons worth of illegal cannabis worth an estimated $536 million through over 350 operations. The taskforce has also eradicated 526,037 plants, seized 167 firearms, and arrested 59 individuals.

    To learn more about the legal California cannabis market, state licenses, and laws, visit cannabis.ca.gov.

    Recent news

    Oct 21, 2024

    News What you need to know: California is deploying 10,000 service members in the upcoming service year, offering paid positions and higher education financial support for young Californians looking to give back to their communities.  SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin…

    Oct 19, 2024

    News Welcome to The California Weekly, your Saturday morning recap of top stories and announcements you might have missed. News you might have missed 1. CELEBRATING THE CHUMASH NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY California celebrated the federal designation of the Chumash…

    Oct 18, 2024

    News What you need to know: California created 14,700 new jobs in September, averaging 16,500 new jobs per month this year, as the state’s economy has grown faster than the nation’s over the past 25 years and per capita GDP outranks the largest economies in the world….

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RIDOH and URI Offer Free Testing for Lead in Child Care Facility Drinking Water; Testing Completed in Half of Public Schools

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    As part of an ongoing effort to identify and address sources of possible childhood lead poisoning, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is urging licensed child care facilities to sign up to have their drinking water tested for lead. The testing is free and is offered by a cooperative effort of RIDOH and the University of Rhode Island (URI) Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program. Child care facilities are required to test their drinking water upon initial licensure or when there are significant changes to the plumbing; however, historically, that testing has been at the owner’s expense.

    “Lead is poisonous and can impact a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school,” said Director of Health Jerome Larkin, MD. “No Rhode Islander should have to worry if the water their child is drinking at school or child care facility is safe. With our partners at URI, we have already tested the drinking water at more than half of Rhode Island’s public schools to see if onsite plumbing could be exposing students and staff to lead. We are pleased to be able to offer this same opportunity to licensed child care facilities.”

    Participating child care facilities select up to 10 drinking water faucets and fountains, including bottle filling stations, for testing. URI collects the samples, and the samples are tested at RIDOH’s State Health Laboratories. RIDOH has some limited federal funding that may help schools and child care facilities subsidize the costs of replacing eligible faucets and fountains. RIDOH will also provide child care facilities that detected any lead with suggested actions to lower lead levels. Child care facilities that follow any of RIDOH’s recommended actions will be able to re-test their drinking water, for free, to confirm lead levels were lowered. Lead is a poisonous metal. As plumbing gets old, lead can get into the water when metal wears away in pipes, lead-based solder, or brass fittings on faucets or water fountains. There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. Children with high blood lead levels can experience lifelong health problems, such as learning disabilities, loss of IQ, and reduced attention span. The effects are most serious for children younger than six.

    “The only way to know if there is lead in drinking water is to test for it. With this information, child care facilities are able to take the needed steps to lower lead levels and safeguard the health of children and staff,” said Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) Director Kimberly Merolla-Brito. RIDHS is the state agency that oversees child care facility licensing. “While child care centers are already testing, this provides an opportunity for them to do it at no charge. I would encourage these facilities in the state to take advantage of this important opportunity.”

    Results of testing in public schools Since this initiative started in 2023, RIDOH and URI have tested water at 148 public schools, representing the drinking water for more than 60,000 students. At the schools, 1,022 drinking water faucets and fountains were tested. Lead is measured in drinking water in parts per billion (ppb). Higher levels of lead (higher than 10 ppb) are more concerning. Nearly 80% of drinking water faucets and fountains tested did not detect any lead. High levels of lead in school drinking water were rare. Less than 4% of sampled drinking water faucets and fountains had higher than 10 ppb of lead.

    Although only 20% of all the faucets and drinking fountains tested detected lead, nearly 70% of schools tested detected lead in at least one drinking water faucet or fountain. Approximately 21% of schools detected high levels of lead (greater than 10 ppb) in at least one drinking water faucet or fountain. These results underscore the importance of testing individual drinking water faucets and fountains for lead at schools and child care facilities for lead. Schools and child care facilities can use test results to identify problematic water faucets and fountains and work to fix the problem. If the test results are lower than 10 ppb, the school or child care facility should flush the pipes before students and staff arrive and they should clean and replace aerators. If test results are higher than 10 ppb, the school should replace the faucet or drinking fountain.

    All drinking water testing results are shared with the school or child care facility and are posted on RIDOH’s website. Participating facilities are encouraged to share the results directly with their parents, staff, and community.

    This water testing project is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency Lead Testing in School and Child Care Program Drinking Water grant, established by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act.

    Any school or child care facility that is interested in participating can email Lisa Philo (lphilo@uri.edu). Questions can be emailed to emma.shipley.ctr@health.ri.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Keith Self Announces Major Upgrades to Melissa’s Post Office

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Keith Self (Texas 3rd)

    Congressman Keith Self applauds improvements to the Melissa Post Office campus. The recent progress constitutes a major milestone in the delayed upgrades to working conditions for postal employees.

    “The harsh work environment exposed postal workers to extreme temperatures ranging from near zero in the winter to 108 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer, with little more than plastic tents for shelter that often exacerbated the heat,” said Congressman Keith Self. “Thanks to constituent awareness, media attention, help from my staff and a quick response to my request for assistance by the Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, improvements are underway.”

    Despite difficult working conditions, Melissa’s postal workers continued striving to provide their community with reliable mail delivery. The improvements to the parking lot and facilities will be a huge relief for the employees and enhance processing of constituent mail and packages. The Postmaster General’s prompt attention to this matter was a key component to making this happen quickly.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Cuellar Attends Groundbreaking of New $285 Million Joint Processing Center in Laredo

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28)

    Rep. Cuellar Attends Groundbreaking of New $285 Million Joint Processing Center in Laredo

    Laredo, TX | Fernanda Nunez Cazares, District Press Assistant (619-209-1834), October 22, 2024

    Laredo, TX – Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28) attended the groundbreaking of the new $285 million Joint Processing Center in Laredo, TX. 

    “The Laredo Joint Processing Center will help with current efforts to curb irregular migration at the border, as it integrates CBP and ICE operations, reduces costs, and creates more jobs for our community,” said Dr. Cuellar, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I will continue to do what I can to get federal support for border security and our law enforcement. I want to thank the CPB Office of Facilities and Asset Management and the DHS Office of the Chief Readiness Support Officer for hosting the Laredo JPC Groundbreaking Ceremony and for their work in ensuring this project happens.” 

    As a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Rep. Cuellar helped secure funding for the center.  

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will own the JPC and will be responsible for the management and maintenance of the facility.  

    Following the groundbreaking ceremony, Congressman Cuellar discussed how this facility will support border security and create jobs. Furthermore, he elaborated on his other efforts to secure the border and support local law enforcement, including securing funding for Checkpoint 29, Border Patrol personnel, new technologies, and new equipment. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Lee Helps Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Boost Law Enforcement Coordination at Southern Border

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) helped introduce the bipartisan Advanced Border Coordination Act with Reps. Dave Joyce (OH-14), Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06). The legislation would improve coordination between various law enforcement agencies to secure the southern border. 

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has periodically established joint operations hubs to help multiple law enforcement agencies work together to strengthen border security and crack down on transnational criminal activity, such as drug, weapon, and human trafficking. This bill expands on this successful interagency cooperation model by establishing additional Joint Operation Centers along the southern border. 

    The bill has been endorsed by the National Border Patrol Council, National Immigration Forum, the Texas Border Coalition, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association. A companion bill was previously introduced in the Senate by Senators Cortez-Masto (D-NV) and Blackburn (R-TN).

    “Border Patrol officers need all the help they can get to protect our southern border, and Joint Operation Centers are a proven way to make that happen,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “I’ve consistently voted to secure the resources and reforms we need to fix our broken immigration system, and this bipartisan bill is a big step in the right direction. I’ll continue working with Republicans and Democrats to get this much-needed legislation signed into law.”  

    The Advanced Border Coordination Act would: 

    • Direct DHS to establish at least two joint operations centers along the southern border. These hubs would help law enforcement from multiple Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies work together. 
    • Establish that these centralized hubs serve as resources to improve field operations, help detect and deter criminal activity like drug and human trafficking, and support workforce development and training coordination between participating agencies. 
    • Require an annual report to Congress on the centers’ operational activities and recommendations for coordinated federal actions at the southern border. 

    Participating agencies would include DHS, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, other federal agencies as the DHS Secretary determines appropriate, and state, local, and Tribal agencies that voluntarily choose to participate. 

    Congresswoman Lee has worked to fix our broken immigration system since her first year representing southern Nevada in Congress. She has been an outspoken supporter of legislation such as the Dignity Act, which was just endorsed by Republicans and Democrats in the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, as well as the bipartisan Senate border agreement that was killed by Republican Leadership. 

    “I’ve visited the southern border, including in Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District with Congressman Ciscomani and seen the crisis unfolding there firsthand,” said Congressman Dave Joyce. “For the safety of our communities, we have to restore the rule of law and secure our borders, and DHS must take serious steps to improve its coordination with partner agencies. This bill will help us do just that. As a former prosecutor, I know how successful joint operations centers can be, especially when it comes to detecting drug and human trafficking, and have no doubt they will help us address the national security crisis that has exploded at our southern border. I’m proud to join colleagues in this bipartisan effort and will continue to provide our law enforcement officers with the resources and tools they need to effectively defend and maintain our borders.” 

    “For the last three and a half years, border-districts, like mine, have been on the frontlines of the crisis at the southern border,” said Congressman Juan Ciscomani. “As a result, our communities are less safe and Customs and Border Protection agents and local law enforcement officers are overwhelmed and overworked. This bipartisan legislation will address this issue by establishing joint operation centers to enhance coordination between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and provide officers and agents the tools they need to combat drug traffickers, human smugglers, and other bad actors.” 

    “Strengthening border operations coordination will bolster efforts to crack down on drug trafficking, help enforce our immigration laws, and keep our communities safe. I’m helping introduce the Advanced Border Coordination Act, which will do just that,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “This bipartisan bill would establish joint centers along the southern border to serve as centralized hubs to coordinate border operations between Border Patrol personnel and federal, state, and local law enforcement. I’ll keep fighting to support the work of our law enforcement, provide them the resources they need, and address the root causes of the issues at the southern border.” 

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yellowknife — “G” Division RCMP to host Peace Officer’s Memorial Ceremony

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Each year across the country on the last Sunday of September, communities gather to honor and remember those Police and Peace Officers who gave their lives in service to Canada.

    This year, RCMP Constable Rick O’Brien, who was killed serving his community, will have his name added to the national memorial in Ottawa. 2024 will mark the 45th anniversary of the national event held on Parliament Hill.

    Here in the Northwest Territories, a ceremony will take place in front of the cenotaph at RCMP Headquarters in Yellowknife at 11:00 a.m. on September 29th. We will gather to recognize those who have died in service to Canada’s Arctic region and ensure the magnitude of their sacrifice is not forgotten. The public is encouraged to attend. Road closures will be in place.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yellowknife — Yellowknife RCMP respond to fatal collision

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    At approximately 5:00p.m. on September 27th, Yellowknife RCMP were dispatched to a report of a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian in the downtown core of Yellowknife.

    Officers attended the scene and found a 62-year-old female pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle. She was taken to hospital and later pronounced deceased.

    Investigation led to officers formulating grounds to believe the driver of the vehicle was intoxicated. The driver was arrested at the scene and remains in custody at this time.

    This matter is under investigation in partnership with the Office of the Chief Coroner.

    The Yellowknife RCMP believe there are witnesses to this tragic occurrence and are asking anyone in the area with information to contact the Yellowknife RCMP at 669-1111 or Crime Stoppers at http://www.p3tips.com.

    Officers are requesting anyone with video or photos of the accident or the moments leading up to it to come forward to police. This could include cellphone video or photos, dashcam footage or businesses with exterior video footage in the area of 50th Street and Franklin Avenue and the downtown liquor store.

    A further update will be provided at a later time.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yellowknife — [UPDATE] Yellowknife RCMP lay charges in fatal collision

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    At approximately 5:00p.m. on September 27th, Yellowknife RCMP were dispatched to a report of a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian in the downtown core of Yellowknife.

    Officers attended the scene and found a 62-year-old female pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle. She was taken to hospital and later pronounced deceased.

    Investigation led to officers formulating grounds to believe the driver of the vehicle was intoxicated. The driver was arrested at the scene.

    As a result of the investigation, a 34-year-old Délı̨nę man has been charged with:

    · Operation while impaired of a conveyance, contrary to section 320.14(1)(a) of the Criminal code

    · Operation while impaired of a conveyance causing death, contrary to section 320.14(3) of the criminal code

    He appeared before a Justice of the Peace and was released, next appearing in Yellowknife Territorial Court on October 29th, 2024.

    This matter remains under investigation in partnership with the Office of the Chief Coroner.

    The Yellowknife RCMP believe there are witnesses to this tragic occurrence and are asking anyone in the area with information to contact the Yellowknife RCMP at 669-1111 or Crime Stoppers at http://www.p3tips.com.

    Officers are requesting anyone with video or photos of the accident or the moments leading up to it to come forward to police. This could include cellphone video or photos, dashcam footage or businesses with exterior video footage in the area of 50th Street and Franklin Avenue and the downtown liquor store.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ulukhaktok — Ulukhaktok RCMP respond to overdue boater

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On September 27th, 2024, Ulukhaktok RCMP were made aware that a resident of the community had failed to return from a boating trip in an 18-foot red Lund boat. An RCMP Search Manager was immediately assigned to the matter. Ulukhaktok Search and Rescue had begun a search for the man.

    The Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) took charge of the search on the water. Numerous resources were deployed to the search including two Canadian Coast Guard vessels (including Coast Guard Auxiliary) and rotary wing aircraft, a C-130 Hercules as well as local search and rescue vessels.

    Ulukhaktok Search and Rescue ground crews continued search efforts to Kiijivik camp and inland, as well as around the hamlet.

    After intensive efforts, JRCC has suspended the search at this time.

    The Ulukhaktok RCMP would like to thank all of the volunteers and searchers who tirelessly contributed to the search efforts.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Death of an inmate from Bowden Institution

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    On October 21, 2024, Caleb Head, an inmate from Bowden Institution, died while in our custody.

    October 23, 2024 – Innisfail, Alberta – Correctional Service Canada

    On October 21, 2024, Caleb Head, an inmate from Bowden Institution, died while in our custody.

    At the time of death, the inmate was 32 years old and had been serving an indeterminate sentence since December 1, 2017.

    The inmate’s next of kin have been notified.

    As in all cases involving the death of an inmate, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will review the circumstances. CSC policy requires that the police and the coroner be notified.

    Roxane Braun
    Media Relations and Outreach Advisor – Prairies
    Regional Headquarters
    306-514-2203

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fatal ATV Crash – Lilydale

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Fatal ATV Crash – Lilydale

    Wednesday, 23 October 2024 – 8:01 am.

    Around 2pm on Tuesday 22 October 2024 police and emergency services attended the scene of an ATV crash on private property at Lilydale.
    Sadly an 83 year old Lilydale man who was the sole rider of the ATV passed away due to injuries sustained in the crash.
    A full investigation will be conducted into the crash and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
    Tasmania Police offer our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the family, friends and loved ones of all those involved at this difficult time.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brownley, Houchin Introduce Resolution Recognizing October as National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) and Congresswoman Erin Houchin (R-IN) announced the introduction of a resolution recognizing October as National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month. The resolution is endorsed by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, a leading non-profit organization focused on building community, sharing resources, and shaping policy to help individuals with learning and attention issues. 

    “I began my career in public service to ensure that individuals with learning disabilities, like my daughter who has dyslexia, have the resources and positive learning environments they need to live up to their fullest potential,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “In recognizing October as National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, we are bringing much needed awareness to the challenges people with learning disabilities face and, more importantly, reaffirming our commitment to providing them with the support they need to succeed.”

    “Every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, and for students with learning disabilities, that path can be more challenging. As a mother of a child with a learning disability, I understand the importance of providing the necessary support for these students to succeed. We’re committed to advocating for inclusive learning environments that empower every student to thrive,” said Congresswoman Houchin.

    “Learning Disabilities Awareness Month is a time to shine a light on, and celebrate the strength and tenacity of those with learning disabilities,” says Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. “This resolution is an important step in advancing equity and ensuring every student has the tools, resources, and support to reach their full potential. We are grateful for Congresswomen Brownley’s leadership in raising awareness to uplift and empower the learning disabilities community. Together, we are calling on states and districts to continue to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities and ensure access to a free and appropriate public education.”

    According to a report published by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, one in five children in the U.S. have a learning disability. Only one in 16 public school students have individualized learning accommodations for their learning disabilities, while millions of children with learning issues are not properly identified. These staggering statistics often lead to children not only facing challenges in school but also lifelong struggles that can lead to unemployment and trouble with the law. This resolution brings awareness to the learning disabilities that impact millions of children and adults and reaffirms support through advocacy and education for all individuals affected by learning disabilities across the United States.

    The full text of the bill can be found here. 

    ###

    Issues: 118th Congress, Education

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Open work rights return for partners of high skilled migrants

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is ensuring New Zealand attracts and retains the workers and skills it needs by returning open work rights to partners of high-skilled migrants.

    “We are committed to growing the economy and our immigration system is critical to that. From 2 December, open work rights will be available to partners of Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders working in higher-skilled roles who earn at least 80 percent of the median wage,” Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says.

    The same rights will also be available for partners of AEWV holders working in lower-skilled roles who are on a pathway to residence. The changes deliver on the coalition commitment between National and ACT to make it easier for family members of visa holders to work here. 

    “The previous Government’s decision to restrict the settings caused enormous distress amongst our migrant communities. We want high-skilled migrants to see New Zealand as an attractive and supportive place to move with their families. We need to build capacity in sectors facing skills shortages, like healthcare and education. 

    “I want a system that creates opportunities for people to come here and make a meaningful contribution, but also protects New Zealanders rights to work and thrive,” Ms Stanford says.

    “The improvements we are making in immigration are restoring balance to the system, ensuring we are well-positioned to continue rebuilding the economy.”

    Note for editors: 

    • Higher-skilled roles are defined as those at levels one to three of the Australia New Zealand System of Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), while lower-skilled roles are defined as those at levels four and five of ANZSCO.
    • People who already hold work visas allowing for specific employment will be able to apply for a variation of their visa conditions.

     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government reduces Forestry ETS annual charge by 50 per cent

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government has today started consultation on a 50 per cent reduction to the annual charge for forest owners participating in the Forestry Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Registry, Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced.

    “Following an independent review released last week we are proposing to lower the per-hectare annual charge to $14.90. 

    “This is a 50 per cent reduction from Labour’s excessive charge announced just before the election of $30.25 per hectare per year.

    “It’s now clear that the previous Labour government made a number of decisions that drove up the cost of this Registry and they expected the forestry sector to pay for their mistakes. Cabinet has agreed that the sector should not bear the brunt of Labour’s previous decisions,” Mr McClay says.

    “The Ministry for Primary Industries has worked hard to find efficiencies and drive down costs over the last 10 months.  We’ve also been focused on improving service delivery to ensure the Registry meets the expectations of forestry users. As a result the annual charge has reduced significantly. 

    “Last week, we announced the formation of a Forestry Sector Reference Group to further improve outcomes for the ETS Registry and find greater cost savings over the next year. This is an opportunity for the forestry sector and government to partner to drive better outcomes for forestry.”

    The new annual charge would begin in the 2024/25 financial year and stay in place until a full review is conducted after the current emissions reporting period.

    “This proposal is part of the Government’s promise to rebuild confidence in the forestry sector and support its role in achieving New Zealand’s exporting and emissions targets.”

    Consultation on the new annual charge starts today (23 October 2024) and runs for three weeks. It covers the reduced annual charge and adjustments to the Climate Change (Forestry) Regulations 2022 for participants using the field measurement approach during the 2023–25 period.

    Following consultation, Cabinet will move quickly to finalise the regulations, giving participants clarity and certainty on charges. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Pushes for Improved Menopause Research, Training, & Awareness

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    PROVIDENCE, RI – In an effort to reduce stigma and boost research into a key area of women’s health that has been traditionally underfunded by Congress, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is urging passage of the Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act (S.4246).  This bipartisan legislation seeks to boost menopause research, training, and education and would, for the first time, coordinate the federal government’s existing programs related to menopause and mid-life women’s health. 
    Menopause is a natural process in a woman’s life that involves a significant hormone shift women go through in middle age, marking the end of menstrual cycles.
    Despite the fact that half the population in the U.S. will eventually experience menopause, menopause research has long been underinvested in and overlooked.  To date, there are few federally funded clinical trials on menopause and menopausal hormone therapy and very little menopause education for doctors—only 31.3 percent of U.S. residency programs offer a formal menopause curriculum according to a survey conducted by The Menopause Society, and 80 percent of OB-GYN residents believed more menopause educational resources were needed in their program.
    Today, Senator Reed joined Dr. Renee Eger, MD, director of the Midlife Center at Women & Infants Hospital and medical director of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Care Center at Women & Infants Hospital and Providence Community Health Centers president and CEO Merrill Thomas and Stephanie Avila, Certified Nurse Midwife for PCHC, Title X Clinical Program Coordinator, and other health experts to discuss efforts to increase federal research on menopause, and create a national public health awareness, education, and outreach program on menopause and mid-life women’s health.
    Senator Reed says it essential to have comprehensive research and data to develop effective policy to address the economic, social, and health impacts of menopause and perimenopause – which precedes it.
    Specifically, the Advancing Menopause and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act seeks to authorize $275 million over five years to strengthen and expand federal research on menopause, health care workforce training, awareness and education efforts, and public health promotion and prevention to better address menopause and mid-life women’s health issues. The federal funds would be set aside for clinical trials, public health, and medical research on menopause, as well as support for menopause detection and diagnosis and public outreach.
    “Menopause is a normal, natural life transition that has a major impact on women’s lives.  We need to talk about and stop the stigma. This legislation targets federal research dollars in a strategic way to improve women’s mid-life health.  Investing in menopause research will boost public health and can lead to the discovery of new treatments.  Importantly, this bill also expands training programs for health professionals,” said Senator Reed.  “For too long, menopause has been a stigmatized and overlooked issue.  This is a condition that happens to all women in mid-life, but federal research dollars have been severely lacking.  We need to change that by investing and changing the conversation to help more women lead healthier lives.”
    According to the women’s health advocacy nonprofit Let’s Talk Menopause, approximately 75 million women are in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause right now in the U.S.—with 6,000 more women reaching menopause each day.
    Dr. Eger stated: “You don’t think about menopause until you are IN menopause, or your mother, your wife, your sister, or your best friend is. It is wonderful to think that our government is financially acknowledging this. Thank you Senator Reed and the co-sponsors of this bill for making this a priority for all of our country.”
    “At Providence Community Health Centers, our patients face disproportionately greater challenges — they are poorer, sicker, and encounter significant barriers to receiving the care they need compared to the state’s average,” said Stephanie Avila, Certified Nurse Midwife and Title X Clinical Program Coordinator at Providence Community Health Centers. “Given the cardiovascular, bone density, brain health and mood implications, we have before us an opportunity to create broad, comprehensive health improvements by advancing research and training in this area. It is short sighted to see menopause as only a ‘GYN’ issue. This is an issue of much needed healthcare.”
    In March, the Biden-Harris Administration issued an Executive Order creating the White House Women’s Health Research Initiative to better address the long-standing gap of women’s issues in medical research.  It includes a call for greater investment in women’s mid-life and menopause research. 
    The first $500 million of that commitment was made last month, with the U.S. Department of Defense investing half a billion dollars to research medical issues that disproportionately affect women in military service and improve care for female service members, veterans, spouses, dependents and family caregivers.
    The Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act was introduced by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  In addition to Murray and Reed, the bipartisan bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressional Democrats File Amicus Brief Urging Ninth Circuit Court to Affirm that EMTALA Requires Hospitals to Provide Emergency Stabilizing Care Including Abortion Care, Preempts Idaho’s Draconian Abortion Ban

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    After the Supreme Court dismissed the case, returning it to the Ninth Circuit Court, 259 Members of Congress ask the Ninth Circuit to affirm district court decision that under EMTALA, hospitals participating in Medicare must provide emergency stabilizing treatment to patients, including abortion care when necessary
    In amicus brief—led by Sens. Schumer, Murray, Wyden, Durbin and Reps. Jeffries, Clark, Pallone, Neal, Nadler, DeGette, and Lee—lawmakers argue that congressional intent, text, and history of EMTALA make clear that covered hospitals must provide abortion care when it is the “necessary stabilizing treatment” for a patient’s “emergency medical condition,” and that EMTALA clearly preempts conflicting state law
    Members: “In this case, respecting the supremacy of federal law is about more than just protecting our system of government; it is about protecting people’s lives.”
    Washington, D.C. — Today, 259 Members of Congress—led by U.S. Senators Schumer, Murray, Wyden, and Durbin, and Representatives Jeffries, Clark, Pallone, Neal, Nadler, DeGette, and Lee—submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States, two consolidated cases concerning the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) under consideration by the en banc Ninth Circuit. EMTALA is a federal law that requires hospitals that receive Medicare funding to provide necessary “stabilizing treatment” to patients experiencing medical emergencies, which can include abortion care.
    After the Dobbs decision in 2022, a draconian anti-abortion law in Idaho went into effect that makes it a felony for a doctor to terminate a patient’s pregnancy unless it is “necessary” to prevent the patient’s death. The United States sued the State of Idaho, arguing that the state’s law is preempted by EMTALA in those circumstances in which abortion may not be necessary to prevent imminent death, but still constitutes the necessary stabilizing treatment for a patient’s emergency medical condition. The district court agreed; it held that in those limited, but critically important situations, EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion as an emergency medical treatment. Idaho Republicans appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court, which lifted the injunction and took the case in January—in March, 258 Members filed an amicus brief, asking the Supreme Court to affirm the district court decision. In June, the Supreme Court dismissed the case but without a ruling on the merits, sending the case back to the Ninth Circuit Court and reinstating the district court’s injunction.
    In their brief in support of the Justice Department, the lawmakers ask the Ninth Circuit to uphold the district court’s ruling. They argue that the congressional intent, text, and history of EMTALA make clear that covered hospitals must provide abortion care when it is the necessary stabilizing treatment for a patient’s emergency medical condition, and that EMTALA preempts Idaho’s abortion ban in emergency situations that present a serious threat to a patient’s health.
    “[T]he 99th Congress passed EMTALA to ensure that every person who visits a Medicare-funded hospital with an ‘emergency medical condition’ is offered stabilizing treatment,” the Members write in their amicus brief. “Congress chose broad language for that mandate, requiring hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide ‘such treatment as may be required to stabilize the medical condition.’… That text—untouched by Congress for the past three decades—makes clear that in situations in which a doctor determines that abortion constitutes the ‘[n]ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a pregnant patient, federal law requires the hospital to offer it. Yet Idaho has made providing that care a felony, in direct contravention of EMTALA’s mandate.”
    Importantly, the Members note that in this case, “respecting the supremacy of federal law is about more than just protecting our system of government; it is about protecting people’s lives. If this Court allows Idaho’s near-total abortion ban to supersede federal law, pregnant patients in Idaho will continue to be denied appropriate medical treatment, placing them at heightened risk for medical complications and severe adverse health outcomes… And health care providers, unwilling to let Idaho’s law override their medical judgment regarding their patients’ best interests, will continue their exile from Idaho, creating maternity-care ‘deserts’ all over the state.” The Members point to numerous reports of OB/GYNs leaving Idaho en masse since the state’s abortion ban went into effect—Idaho has since lost fifty-five percent of its maternal-fetal medicine specialists and three rural hospitals have shut down maternity services altogether.
    “These are not hypothetical scenarios. Because Idaho’s abortion ban contains no clear exceptions for the “emergency medical conditions” covered by EMTALA, it forces physicians to wait until their patients are on the verge of death before providing abortion care. The result in other states with similar laws has been ‘significant maternal morbidity,’” write the Members, pointing to harrowing reports of pregnant women with severe health complications being denied necessary abortion care, including an Idaho woman who was flown to Utah for an abortion while hemorrhaging, leaking amniotic fluid, and terrified that she would not survive to care for her two other children. “Federal law does not allow Idaho to endanger the lives of its residents in this way.”
    In their brief, the Members also clarify that the references to “unborn child” in EMTALA were intended to expand hospitals’ obligations with respect to providing stabilizing treatment—not contract them or take away the obligation to provide abortion care in certain circumstances.
    The Members’ brief also counters an argument from Idaho and its amici that the Supremacy Clause does not apply in this case because EMTALA was passed using Spending Clause authority, and therefore acts only as a condition on Medicare funding. The Members make clear that all laws passed by Congress are entitled to preemption—regardless of their source of constitutional authority—and states cannot pass laws that make it impossible for private parties to accept federal funding, inhibiting the purpose of the federal law. 
    “EMTALA requires abortion when necessary to stabilize a patient with an emergency medical condition, Idaho’s near-total abortion ban is preempted to the extent that it prevents doctors from providing that care,” the Members write. “This Court should reject Appellants’ novel theory that EMTALA is not entitled to preemptive effect because it was enacted pursuant to Congress’s spending power.  Under the Supremacy Clause, all ‘the constitutional laws enacted by congress,’ constitute ‘the supreme Law of the Land,’. As the Supreme Court has repeatedly held, the principle of federal supremacy applies to laws passed pursuant to Congress’s spending authority no less than it does to laws effectuating other enumerated powers.”
    “In sum, EMTALA plainly requires hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide abortion care when, in a doctor’s medical judgment, it constitutes the ‘[n]ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a patient’s ‘emergency medical condition.’”
    The lawmakers conclude by asking the Ninth Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision that EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion care when it is necessary as emergency medical treatment.
    In the Senate, the amicus brief was signed by 48 U.S. Senators: Schumer, Murray, Wyden, Durbin, Baldwin, Bennet, Blumenthal, Booker, Brown, Butler, Cantwell, Cardin, Carper, Casey Jr., Coons, Cortez Masto, Duckworth, Gillibrand, Hassan, Heinrich, Helmy, Hickenlooper, Hirono, Kaine, Kelly, King Jr., Klobuchar, Luján, Markey, Merkley, Murphy, Padilla, Peters, Reed, Rosen, Sanders, Schatz, Shaheen, Sinema, Smith, Stabenow, Tester, Van Hollen, Warner, Warnock, Warren, Welch, Whitehouse.
    In the House, the brief was signed by 211 U.S. Representatives.
    The lawmakers’ amicus brief to the Supreme Court can be read in full HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capitol Hill Report, 10-22-24

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    Senator Grassley’s weekly Capitol Hill Report can be found HERE.
    Topics include: Pure Prairie Poultry’s closure, farm profitability under the Biden-Harris admin, housing affordability, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, early voting and priorities for the remainder of the 118th Congress.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ERO Boston arrests Brazilian noncitizen charged with violent crimes against Massachusetts child

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    Marlborough, Mass. — Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston apprehended an unlawfully present 24-year-old Brazilian noncitizen charged locally with assault and battery on a child with an injury, assault and battery against a family or household member, two counts of strangulation or suffocation, and intimidation charges. Officers from ERO Boston arrested Mateus Silva-Kerkovshy Aug. 16 in Marlborough.

    “Mateus Silva-Kerkovshy allegedly committed some extremely violent acts against a child with an injury and represents a dire threat to the residents of Massachusetts,” said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “We cannot allow such a threat to remain in our communities. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by aggressively arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”

    U.S. Border Patrol arrested Silva Oct. 22, 2021, after he unlawfully entered the United States near San Luis, Arizona. U.S. Border Patrol issued Silva a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge and took him into custody.

    U.S. Border Patrol released Silva from custody after he was granted parole Oct. 29, 2021.

    On March 29, 2023, a Department of Justice immigration judge ordered Silva removed from the United States to Brazil.

    The Hudson Police Department arrested Silva Aug. 9 and charged him with with assault and battery on a child with an injury, assault and battery against a family or household member, two counts of strangulation or suffocation and intimidation charges. Later that day, the Marlborough District Court arraigned Silva on those charges.

    ERO Boston lodged an immigration detainer against Silva Aug. 9 with the Marlborough District Court.

    The Marlborough District Court transferred Silva Aug. 16 into the custody ERO Boston at the Marlborough District Court’s detention facility. Silva remains in ERO custody.

    ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. The Executive Office for Immigration Review is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

    As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –