NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: DAUPHIN COUNTY – Pennsylvania State Police to Make Announcement on Body-Worn Camera Initiative

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 10, 2025 – Harrisburg, PA

    ADVISORY – DAUPHIN COUNTY – Pennsylvania State Police to Make Announcement on Body-Worn Camera Initiative

    The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) will hold a news conference at Department Headquarters tomorrow to make an announcement regarding its initiative to equip all patrol troopers with body-worn cameras.

    PSP’s initiative involved outfitting more than 3,000 troopers with body-worn cameras and upgrading the mobile video recorders in more than 1,400 patrol vehicles.

    Media outlets planning to attend should RSVP to ra-pspcomm@pa.gov. Visitor parking is available.

    WHAT:
    Pennsylvania State Police to Make Announcement on Body-Worn Camera Initiative

    WHEN:
    Thursday, April 10, 2025, 10:00 AM

    WHERE:
    1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DAUPHIN COUNTY – Shapiro-Davis Administration andStatewide Advocates Highlight Victims’ Rights Week, Governor Shapiro’s Proposed $9 Million Investment in Victim Compensation

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 10, 2025 – Harrisburg, PA

    ADVISORY – DAUPHIN COUNTY – Shapiro-Davis Administration andStatewide Advocates Highlight Victims’ Rights Week, Governor Shapiro’s Proposed $9 Million Investment in Victim Compensation

    In honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and Office of Victim Advocate will team up with statewide victim service organizations to highlight the importance of supporting survivors of crime, raising awareness of their rights, and Governor Shapiro’s proposed $9 million investment in the Victims Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP) in the 2025-26 state budget.

    Over the past five years, PCCD has paid more than 67,000 VCAP claims totaling $67 million to financially support victims of crime across all 67 Pennsylvania counties with medical costs, counseling, relocation, and more.

    WHO:
    Kathy Buckley, Office of Victims’ Services Director, PCCD
    Suzanne Estrella, Pennsylvania Victim Advocate
    Rebecca Buckham, Communications Manager, Children’s Advocacy Centers of PA
    Gabriella Romeo, Public Policy Director, PA Coalition to Advance Respect
    Jenna Mehnert Baker, Policy Director, PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence

    WHEN:
    Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 2 PM

    WHERE:
    PCCD Headquarters
    3101 North Front Street
    Harrisburg, PA 17110

    RSVP:
    Press who are interested in attending must RSVP to algantz@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHILADELPHIA COUNTY – Governor Shapiro to Tour Port of Philadelphia, Highlight Negative Impacts of the Trump Administration’s New Taxes on Businesses and Consumers

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 10, 2025 – Philadelphia, PA

    ADVISORY – PHILADELPHIA COUNTY – Governor Shapiro to Tour Port of Philadelphia, Highlight Negative Impacts of the Trump Administration’s New Taxes on Businesses and Consumers

    Governor Josh Shapiro will visit the Port of Philadelphia to learn more about how they’re adapting to the federal government’s new tariffs and highlight how Pennsylvania businesses and consumers will be impacted by rising costs as a result of President Trump’s new tax increase.

    Over the last week, Governor Shapiro has met with farmers, small business owners, and workers across Pennsylvania to hear firsthand about the challenges they are facing and share how his Administration is helping them innovate, grow, and stay competitive.

    WHO:
    Governor Josh Shapiro
    Michael Pearson, Port of Philadelphia Chairman
    Representative Ed Neilson

    WHEN:
    TOMORROW, Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 11:30 AM

    WHERE:
    Philadelphia Port
    **Press must RSVP for exact location and arrival logistics.

    LIVE STREAM:
    pacast.com/live/gov
    governor.pa.gov/live/

    RSVP:
    Press who are interested in attending must RSVP with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team to ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Gulf of America Act PASSES House Natural Resources Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA, 14)

    Today, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Gulf of America Act was favorably reported out of the House Natural Resources Committee, advancing it for a vote by the full House.

    Following the favorable reporting of Congresswoman Greene’s Gulf of America Act, the Congresswoman released the following statement:

    “I am grateful to Chairman Westerman and the House Natural Resources Committee for favorably reporting my Gulf of America Act out of committee. My bill is an important step in codifying President Trump’s America First Agenda into law.

    The American people are footing the bill to protect and secure the Gulf of America’s maritime waterways for commerce to be conducted. Our U.S. armed forces protect the area from any military threats from foreign countries.

    It’s our gulf. The rightful name is the Gulf of America and it’s what the entire world should refer to it as.

    My bill directs the Chairman of the Board on Geographic Names under the Secretary of the Interior to permanently rename all federal documents and maps within 180 days of being signed into law.

    Congress has to take the Trump Agenda mandate seriously and that means acting fast to enact it. That’s exactly what this bill does by codifying one of President Trump’s most important executive orders into law. This prevents any possible future Democrat regime from reversing this order through executive action.

    I urge my colleagues to join me to quickly pass this bill.”

    The bill’s 16 cosponsors include Rep. Mary Miller (IL), Rep. Barry Moore (AL), Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY), Rep. Mike Collins (GA), Rep. Randy Weber (TX), Rep. Andy Ogles (TN), Rep. Mike Lawler (NY), Rep. Mike Haridopolos (FL), Rep. Greg Steube (FL), Rep. Eric Burlison (MO), Rep. Brian Babin (TX), Rep. Michael Rulli (OH), Rep. Troy Nehls (TX), Rep. Brandon Gill (TX), Rep. Nicholas Langworthy (NY), and Rep. Daniel Webster (FL).

    Read Congresswoman Greene’s bill recognizing the Gulf of America here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Senate Democrats Release Report Highlighting DOGE’s Deep Cuts to Veterans Benefits

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), along with Senate Democrats, released the following report on how President Trump, Elon Musk and DOGE are gutting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and undermining benefits for New Mexico veterans:

    The so-called Department of Government Efficiency has slashed the federal workforce, firing up to 6,000 veteran workers and decimating staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Over 2,400 VA staffers have been fired and DOGE announced plans to terminate 80,000 more. That’s one in five staffers that serve our nation’s heroes by getting them to appointments, providing lifesaving care, and helping them receive the benefits they’ve earned. The Veterans Health Administration serves over 9 million veterans annually in 1,380 VA health care facilities, making it the largest U.S. health care system. Any staffing reduction will adversely affect the timeliness and quality of care these service members receive.

    “President Trump and Elon Musk are abandoning the brave men and women who serve our country – a profound betrayal of our nation’s heroes. I stand with Senate Democrats in demanding that the administration reverse course from gutting essential services and staff, and prioritize the well-being of our veterans and their families who depend on the VA,” said Senator Luján. “These heroes have sacrificed for our freedom and deserve far better care and respect. It’s our duty and honor to ensure that they receive the support and recognition they have rightfully earned.”  

    In March, Senator Luján joined Senate Democrats in calling on the Trump administration to reverse its cancellation of 585 contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs, including those that help veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins access lifesaving health care. In February, Senator Luján joinedSenate Democrats in urging VA Secretary Doug Collins to immediately reinstate the more than 1,000 VA employees terminated last week who serve veterans and their families nationwide, including critical employees combatting veteran suicide working at the Veterans Crisis Line.

    The report can be seen HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Saunders: AFSCME members won’t let Congress defund public services for billionaire tax cuts

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after the House passed a budget reconciliation package that will force devastating cuts to essential public services nationwide:

    “Today, Congress again passed a budget framework to gut Medicaid, child care, food assistance and other vital public services. This has everything to do with funneling federal dollars for public health, safety and education into tax breaks for billionaires.

    “AFSCME members see through their schemes and are ready to fight back. For months, they have been packing town halls, calling their members of Congress and getting organized in defense of their communities. These anti-worker legislators can try to run from us, but they can’t hide. We’ll be there reminding them that they are supposed to represent us, not billionaires.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy on funding NPR, PBS: “That’s not the role of the federal government”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) argued that the federal government should stop subsidizing public media programming in Louisiana and elsewhere throughout the country in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
    Key excerpts of the speech are below:
    “Now, look, you don’t have to be a Latin scholar to see that these articles are biased—every single one of them—at the federal level and at the state and local level in Louisiana. And you know what, that’s the right of these state and local television stations. They have the right to say this stuff, but they don’t have the right to say it with your money.” 
    . . .
    “These folks have the right to publish that, but they do not have the right to publish it with taxpayer money—$500 million a year. And I think you know how I feel. We know how President Trump feels, but I hope the U.S. Congress, in our reconciliation package, abolishes the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and no longer gives them or any media organization in this country a single solitary dime of taxpayer money.
    “That’s not the role of the federal government, and—given these kinds of articles—to do so incites the anger of at least half of our country, and that is not right.”
    Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Presses NASA Nominee to Stand Up for Science, Support Artemis Moon Missions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    04.09.25
    Cantwell Presses NASA Nominee to Stand Up for Science, Support Artemis Moon Missions
    WA’s 1,500 aerospace companies deliver $4.6B in economic output
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, pressed Jared Isaacman – President Trump’s nominee to serve as NASA Administrator — on his commitment to protect critical NASA programs from DOGE cuts and support the Artemis mission.
    “The more [the budget] gets slashed and burned by different approaches, by DOGE, the more harmful it can become to people undermining the support for the mission overall … So do you believe that we should have a reduction in workforce or the science budget?” asked Sen. Cantwell.
    Isaacman was non-committal in his response: “Senator, I read what’s on NASA Watch and in the news, like everybody else. If I’m confirmed, I am eager to understand all of the considerations, the discussions being made about a reorganization.”
    Last month, it was reported that the President’s FY2026 budget could slash NASA’s science funding by up to 50%. Cuts in funding could severely threaten critical science and research programs across the administration.
    Sen. Cantwell then asked Isaacman about his commitment to supporting the Artemis missions. Over 42 companies in Washington state and 2,000 jobs are directly tied to supporting the Artemis program: “Do you support the continued Artemis mission with the Space Launch System?”
    “Senator, I believe that is currently the plan… I think the real question is, again, why has it taken so long? Why does it cost so much money?” replied Isaacman.
    “But in the issue of, are we going to commit to this? I think [Artemis] and the [lunar] lander redundancy … people see that as a we’re going to the moon and we’re going to get this done. Not this discussion of, we’re going to skip these things, shortchange this, and then we’re going to focus on Mars in a different route. That’s what I’m trying to get from you,” responded Sen. Cantwell.
    Sen. Cantwell is a champion for American leadership in space exploration. In March, Sen. Cantwell joined her colleagues in introducing the bipartisan NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2025, which sets clear near-term priorities for NASA programs, advances American leadership in deep space exploration, prevents a gap in low Earth orbit leadership and capability, and upholds scientific ingenuity.
    In July 2023, Sen. Cantwell brought NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, regional aerospace industry leaders, STEM education leaders, and students together for a Washington State Space Summit, held at Blue Origin HQ in Kent. The summit included a trade show with 20 space companies, industry groups, and educators from across the State of Washington followed by a panel discussion.
    In 2022, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the successful launch of NASA’s Artemis I mission. Washington state contributes significantly to the Artemis program with 42 companies providing components either for Artemis I or for later Artemis missions, including General Dynamics in Bothell, Aerojet Rocketdyne in Redmond, Blue Origin in Kent, and Toray Composites Material in Tacoma. A full list of Washington companies supporting the Artemis program is available HERE.
    In November 2019, Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored the bipartisan NASA Authorization Act of 2020, which aimed to recognize the Artemis missions in U.S. law for the first time. To provide certainty and stability for the program, language authorizing the Artemis missions and requiring NASA to establish stringent oversight requirements was eventually incorporated into the CHIPS & Science Act, which Cantwell spearheaded through Congress. The CHIPS & Science Act was signed into law on August 9, 2022. 
    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s Q&A today are available HERE, audio HERE, and a full transcript is HERE.
    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s opening remarks are available HERE, audio HERE, and a full transcript is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Foreign Relations Committee Democrats To Rubio: Plan For USAID Illegal, Unconstitutional; Broader Restructuring Threatens National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    April 09, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined his Democratic colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the State Department’s recently announced plans to restructure the Department – including folding USAID into the Department of State. In their letter, the senators emphasize that the State Department’s proposal for USAID is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers, and that broader efforts to restructure, including the closure of U.S. embassies and consulates, are illegal without Congressional action and would be an unjustified seismic shift in the U.S foreign policy enterprise. 
    “On March 28, 2025, the State Department sent a Congressional Notification indicating its intent to fold USAID into the Department of State. The proposal, if implemented, and action taken to date to gut USAID, are clearly an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers. The executive branch may not eliminate a congressionally created and funded agency without congressional authorization. Such action would be incompatible with the express will of Congress. The administration’s plan to permanently dismantle USAID and fire all of its employees will not only render it impossible for any retained USAID programs to be implemented, but will also cause significant disruption to the State Department’s core mission. The actions outlined in this proposal are unconstitutional, illegal, unjustified, damaging, and inefficient,” the senators wrote.
    “In addition, we have seen reports on additional restructuring that would include dozens of U.S. embassies and consulates being closed, a fifth of the State Department’s workforce slashed, career positions being reclassified into political “Schedule P/C” positions, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) being absorbed into separate divisions under the DFC. This reorganization would have dramatic U.S. national security implications, constitutes an unjustified seismic shift in the U.S. foreign policy enterprise, and includes many proposed measures that would be illegal without congressional action.   We demand that you follow the law and engage with the relevant committees before the State Department begins to execute any such plans, including you testifying before the relevant committees to explain and defend these plans to restructure the country’s premier diplomatic agencies,” they continued.
    “Given the gravity of these potential consequences, we expect that the administration will immediately engage with Congress before taking any further steps toward implementing these plans, as required by law,” the senators concluded.
    U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) also signed the letter.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Secretary Rubio,
    On March 28, 2025, the State Department sent a Congressional Notification indicating its intent to fold USAID into the Department of State. The proposal, if implemented, and action taken to date to gut USAID, are clearly an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers. The executive branch may not eliminate a congressionally created and funded agency without congressional authorization. Such action would be incompatible with the express will of Congress. The administration’s plan to permanently dismantle USAID and fire all of its employees will not only render it impossible for any retained USAID programs to be implemented, but will also cause significant disruption to the State Department’s core mission. The actions outlined in this proposal are unconstitutional, illegal, unjustified, damaging, and inefficient.
    In addition, we have seen reports on additional restructuring that would include dozens of U.S. embassies and consulates being closed, a fifth of the State Department’s workforce slashed, career positions being reclassified into political “Schedule P/C” positions, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) being absorbed into separate divisions under the DFC. This reorganization would have dramatic U.S. national security implications, constitutes an unjustified seismic shift in the U.S. foreign policy enterprise, and includes many proposed measures that would be illegal without congressional action. We demand that you follow the law and engage with the relevant committees before the State Department begins to execute any such plans, including you testifying before the relevant committees to explain and defend these plans to restructure the country’s premier diplomatic agencies.
    According to the congressional notification we received, the administration would eliminate USAID’s status as an independent establishment in the executive branch, abolish multiple USAID bureaus and offices, as well as “realigning certain USAID functions to the Department.” As you know, Congress mandated that USAID be established in statute. Some reporting about the State Department’s plans also suggest an attempt to dissolve certain State Department bureaus that focus on functional and bilateral assistance, which could potentially result in the dissolution of multiple bureaus already authorized in law. Any attempt to dissolve those bureaus requires congressional action to modify or repeal the relevant authorizing statutes.
    It is also our understanding that the State Department is considering substantially shrinking its workforce and diplomatic footprint around the world. This includes a potential major cut in staffing and the closure of multiple embassies and consulates abroad. If carried out, these plans would undermine our ability to conduct diplomacy abroad at a time when China is increasing its presence globally and outpacing the U.S. presence in multiple regions.
    Beyond the immediate structural and personnel changes, these proposed reforms could have a severe deleterious impact for U.S. global leadership and influence. The State Department, USAID, and its diplomatic corps are the backbone of American foreign policy, advancing U.S. interests, strengthening alliances, and responding to global crises. Slashing their workforces, closing embassies, consulates, and missions, and dismantling key bureaus would severely weaken America’s ability to conduct diplomacy, support democracy, and counter the growing influence of strategic competitors like China and Russia. At a time when global challenges are increasing, from conflicts and humanitarian crises, such as the recent earthquakes in Myanmar, to economic instability, the United States cannot afford to undermine its own diplomatic capacity.
    Given the gravity of these potential consequences, we expect that the administration will immediately engage with Congress before taking any further steps toward implementing these plans, as required by law.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Stefanik, Messmer’s Bill Expanding Child and Dependent Care Advances out of Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st District of New York)

    Stefanik, Messmer’s Bill Expanding Child and Dependent Care Advances out of Committee | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE arrests Tren de Aragua gang member illegally residing in Houston area

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    HOUSTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety arrested Jesus Alberto Escalona-Mujicas, a 47-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela and documented Tren de Aragua gang member, April 9, in Bryan, Texas.

    Escalona-Mujicas was arrested during routine targeted multi-agency enforcement operations that are being conducted around the United States to restore integrity to U.S. immigration laws and bolster public safety, national security and border security.

    Escalona-Mujicas was taken into ICE custody and transported to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, pending his removal from the U.S.

    Escalona-Mujicas illegally entered the U.S. on an unknown date and at an unknown location. He was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol April 10, 2023, near Brownsville, Texas, and was taken into custody and placed into immigration proceedings. An immigration judge from the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Escalona-Mujicas removed March 6, 2024, but he absconded from authorities before his removal could be carried out.

    “The law enforcement community in South Texas is united in our determination to restore integrity to our nation’s immigration laws and sovereignty over our southern border,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford. “Every transnational gang member or dangerous criminal alien that we remove from the community is another life saved, and another violent crime prevented. This is especially true for Tren de Aragua gang members who are known to be among the most brutal transnational gangs with a presence in the U.S. Our immigration officers have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact that transnational gang violence can have on a community, and they are committed to work tirelessly to prevent that from taking hold in Texas.”

    For more news and information on ICE’s efforts to enforce our nation’s immigration laws in Texas follow us on X at @EROHouston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Over Four Years for Theft of Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Theft of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on April 7, 2025.

    Zachary Coats, age 28, was sentenced to four years and two months in federal prison on each count to be served concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $10,277.67 in restitution.

    Coats was indicted on three counts of Theft of a Firearm and one count of Possession of a Stolen Firearm in February 2024. He pleaded guilty to two counts of Theft of a Firearm on January 29, 2025.

    In August 2023, at Rapid City, Zachary Coats broke into several local federally licensed firearms dealerships and stole multiple firearms, including a Beretta 12-gauge shotgun, a Benelli 12-gauge shotgun, a USA Military Surplus .30 caliber rifle, and a Stoeger 12-gauge shotgun. When law enforcement identified Zachary Coats as the suspect in the thefts, Coats directed his spouse, Danielle Coats, to remove the firearms from their residence to another family member’s home to prevent law enforcement from finding them in their home. Subsequently, Danielle Coats directed others to again move or dispose of the firearms to prevent law enforcement from recovering them.

    Danielle Coats pleaded guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm and was sentenced in July 2024 to two years and six months in federal prison.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. [use if applicable] Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

    Zachary Coats was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

     

     

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Theft of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on April 7, 2025.

    Zachary Coats, age 28, was sentenced to four years and two months in federal prison on each count to be served concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $10,277.67 in restitution.

    Coats was indicted on three counts of Theft of a Firearm and one count of Possession of a Stolen Firearm in February 2024. He pleaded guilty to two counts of Theft of a Firearm on January 29, 2025.

    In August 2023, at Rapid City, Zachary Coats broke into several local federally licensed firearms dealerships and stole multiple firearms, including a Beretta 12-gauge shotgun, a Benelli 12-gauge shotgun, a USA Military Surplus .30 caliber rifle, and a Stoeger 12-gauge shotgun. When law enforcement identified Zachary Coats as the suspect in the thefts, Coats directed his spouse, Danielle Coats, to remove the firearms from their residence to another family member’s home to prevent law enforcement from finding them in their home. Subsequently, Danielle Coats directed others to again move or dispose of the firearms to prevent law enforcement from recovering them.

    Danielle Coats pleaded guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm and was sentenced in July 2024 to two years and six months in federal prison.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. [use if applicable] Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

    Zachary Coats was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ISIS Supporter Sentenced to 230 Months’ Imprisonment for Recruiting for ISIS, Obstruction, and Attempting to Flee Justice

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, also known as “Umm Nutella,” Initially Cooperated with Law Enforcement, but then Secretly Contacted ISIS Supporters, Deleted Evidence, Lied to Investigators, and Tried to Flee the Country Rather than Face Prison

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced to a total term of 230 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto for three separately charged crimes: conspiring to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization; obstructing justice while released on bail pending sentencing; and failing to appear before the court as required when she attempted to flee the United States.  Ceasar pleaded guilty to the material support charge in February 2017, to the obstruction charge in March 2019, and to the failure to appear charge in October 2022.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.

    “With today’s sentence, Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, an unrepentant ISIS recruiter, will be incarcerated for a significant period of time to protect Americans here and abroad from her violent extremism,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “Even after pleading guilty to providing material support to ISIS, the defendant continued to support terrorists, obstructed justice and fled from prosecution.  This Office, together with the FBI, the NYPD, and all the members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, work tirelessly to pursue and hold accountable all those who support terrorism.”

    “Today’s re-sentencing marks the end of a righteous journey that began a decade ago,” stated Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.  “Terrorist organizations like ISIS rely on recruiters like Ceasar to attract, indoctrinate, and enlist new followers.  The Department is committed to holding accountable those who seek to follow a similar path.  Today was made possible by our prosecutors, staff, and members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.  We are grateful for their tireless pursuit of justice in this case.”

    “Sinmyah Amera Ceasar flagrantly ignored conditions of her prior arrest by rekindling former relationships with ISIS members and implementing a plan to personally abscond the country to join their cause,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “Her actions demonstrate little remorse for radicalizing other United States citizens and promoting ISIS’s heinous ideologies. May today’s sentencing reflect the FBI JTTF’s relentless pursuit of any individual conspiring to participate in terrorist organizations.”

    “This sentence is a fitting and meaningful outcome for a woman who assisted ISIS in recruiting, squandered the chance for redemption by exposing herself as cooperating with the U.S. government, and persisted in promoting extremist ideologies to potential new recruits online,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.  “I commend our diligent NYPD investigators and all members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force for their unwavering commitment to public safety.  The level of teamwork they demonstrate each day is crucial in ensuring the security of New York City and our nation.”

    Between January 2016 and November 2016, Ceasar used numerous social media accounts to praise, promote, and support ISIS and violent jihad and to disseminate ISIS propaganda.  Ceasar posted under a variety of names, including her nom de guerre, or war name, “Umm Nutella,” which translates to “Mother of Nutella.”  Ceasar developed contacts with ISIS members overseas, recruited individuals in the United States to travel overseas to join and fight for ISIS, and used her contacts with ISIS facilitators to attempt to help at least five people from the United States join ISIS abroad.  Ceasar also expressed her own desire to travel to ISIS-controlled territory to join the group and die as a martyr.

    In November 2016, Ceasar was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport as she prepared to board an international flight, which was to be the first leg of her journey to join ISIS.  Ceasar pleaded guilty in February 2017 to conspiring to provide material support and resources to ISIS, and agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigations of ISIS members and supporters.

    In April 2018, Ceasar was released on bail, subject to court-ordered conditions of release.  However, she violated those conditions, and her cooperation agreement with the government, by reconnecting with individuals she had identified to the government as supporters of ISIS.  Ceasar attempted to conceal these communications from the government and from the court, attempted to delete more than 1,000 of her electronic communications, and lied to the government about her conduct.  The court revoked Ceasar’s bail in July 2018.  Ceasar pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding in March 2019.

    In June 2019, the late United States District Judge Jack B. Weinstein sentenced Ceasar to 48 months’ imprisonment for the material support and obstruction offenses, and the government appealed.  In August 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated the sentence imposed by Judge Weinstein, calling it “shockingly low, and unsupportable as a matter of law,” and sent the case back to the district court for resentencing.

    While the appeal was pending, however, Ceasar completed serving the 48-month sentence in July 2020, and began serving an eight-year term of supervised release.  Almost immediately after her release, Ceasar began to repeatedly violate the conditions of her supervision by downloading and using phone apps that she failed to report to the Probation Department, recontacting and communicating with ISIS supporters, soliciting funds from ISIS supporters, communicating with convicted felons, using extremist language, and deleting the evidence of her violations of these conditions of supervision.

    In August 2021, after the Second Circuit issued its decision remanding her case for resentencing, Ceasar fled.  On the day she was scheduled to appear before the Court, Ceasar removed her ankle bracelet location monitoring device, and fled New York City on a cross-country bus trip to New Mexico, setting off a nationwide fugitive investigation that led to her arrest in New Mexico two days later.  The evidence established that Ceasar intended to escape the United States and travel to Russia, and that while fleeing, she used an Internet-based messaging application to contact an individual in Afghanistan to seek assistance to travel there.  She sought assistance from the individual in Afghanistan in the hours after ISIS Khorasan carried out a bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that killed hundreds, including 13 members of the U.S. Armed Forces.  In connection with her flight from prosecution, Ceasar ultimately pleaded guilty to her third separate felony offense, a charge of failing to appear before the Court as required, in October 2022.

    After being returned to custody at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons’ Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to await sentencing, Ceasar routinely violated Bureau of Prisons institutional rules, circumvented telephone and email monitoring and use restrictions, and continued to communicate and associate with other ISIS supporters.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section.  Special Assistant United States  Attorney Ian C. Richardson and Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Reich are in charge of the prosecution.

    The Defendant:

    SINMYAH AMERA CEASAR (also known as “Rita Daoudii,” “Qeuz,” “Umm Nutella,” “Amera Dawah Shakir,” “Bint Dawah Muslimah,” and “Qulli Allahu Akbar”)
    Age: 30
    Brooklyn, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 17-CR-48 (KAM), 19-CR-117 (KAM), and 22-CR-459 (KAM)     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ISIS Supporter Sentenced to Over 19 Years in Prison for Recruiting for ISIS, Obstruction, and Attempting to Flee Justice

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, also known as ‘Umm Nutella,’ Initially Cooperated with Law Enforcement, but then Secretly Contacted ISIS Supporters, Deleted Evidence, Lied to Investigators, and Tried to Flee the Country Rather than Face Prison

    A Brooklyn woman, Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, 30, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced today to serve 230 months in prison for three separately charged crimes: conspiring to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization; obstructing justice while released on bail pending sentencing; and failing to appear for court as required when she attempted to flee the United States. Ceasar pleaded guilty to the material support charge in February 2017, to the obstruction of justice charge in March 2019, and to the failure to appear charge in October 2022.

    “Today’s re-sentencing marks the end of a righteous journey that began a decade ago,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Terrorist organizations like ISIS rely on recruiters like Ceasar to attract, indoctrinate, and enlist new followers. The Department is committed to holding accountable those who seek to follow a similar path. Today was made possible by our prosecutors, staff, and members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. We are grateful for their tireless pursuit of justice in this case.”

    “With today’s sentence, Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, an unrepentant ISIS recruiter, will be incarcerated for a significant period of time to protect Americans here and abroad from her violent extremism,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “Even after pleading guilty to providing material support to ISIS, the defendant continued to support terrorists, obstructed justice and fled from prosecution. This office, together with the FBI, the NYPD, and all the members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, works tirelessly to pursue and hold accountable all those who support terrorism.”

    “Ceasar pleaded guilty to helping ISIS, yet she continued on the same path by communicating with other ISIS supporters, “said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Her actions demonstrate a failure to truly accept responsibility for her actions, and she ultimately cut off her electronic monitoring device and went on the run. Ceasar’s efforts failed and with today’s sentencing she is being held accountable for her criminal actions.”

    Between January 2016 and November 2016, Ceasar used numerous social media accounts to praise, promote, and support ISIS and violent jihad and to disseminate ISIS propaganda. Ceasar posted under a variety of names, including her nom de guerre, or war name, “Umm Nutella,” which translates to “Mother of Nutella.” Ceasar developed contacts with ISIS members overseas, recruited individuals in the United States to travel overseas to join and fight for ISIS, and used her contacts with ISIS facilitators to attempt to help at least five people from the United States join ISIS abroad. Ceasar also expressed her own desire to travel to ISIS-controlled territory to join the group and die as a martyr.

    In November 2016, Ceasar was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport as she prepared to board an international flight, which was to be the first leg of her journey to join ISIS. Ceasar pleaded guilty in February 2017 to conspiring to provide material support and resources to ISIS and agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigations of ISIS members and supporters.

    In April 2018, Ceasar was released on bail, subject to court-ordered conditions of release. However, she violated those conditions, and her cooperation agreement with the government, by reconnecting with individuals she had identified to the government as supporters of ISIS. Ceasar attempted to conceal these communications from the government and the court, attempted to delete more than 1,000 electronic communications, and lied to the government about her conduct. The court revoked Ceasar’s bail in July 2018. Ceasar pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding in March 2019.

    In June 2019, the late U.S. District Judge Jack B. Weinstein sentenced Ceasar to 48 months in prison for the material support and obstruction offenses, and the government appealed. In August 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated the sentence imposed by Judge Weinstein, calling it “shockingly low, and unsupportable as a matter of law,” and sent the case back to the district court for resentencing.

    While the appeal was pending, however, Ceasar completed serving this 48-month sentence in July 2020, and began serving an eight-year term of supervised release. Almost immediately after her release, Ceasar began to repeatedly violate the conditions of her supervision by downloading and using phone apps that she failed to report to the Probation Department, recontacting and communicating with ISIS supporters, soliciting funds from ISIS supporters, communicating with convicted felons, using extremist language, and deleting the evidence of her violations of these conditions of supervision.

    In August 2021, after the Second Circuit issued its decision remanding her case for resentencing, Ceasar fled. On the day she was scheduled to appear before the Court, Ceasar removed her ankle bracelet location monitoring device, and fled New York City on a cross-country bus trip to New Mexico, setting off a nationwide fugitive investigation that led to her arrest in New Mexico two days later. The evidence established that Ceasar intended to escape the United States and travel to Russia, and that, while fleeing, she used an internet-based messaging application to contact an individual in Afghanistan to seek assistance to travel there. She sought assistance from the individual in Afghanistan in the hours after ISIS Khorasan carried out a bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that killed hundreds, including 13 members of the U.S. Armed Forces. In connection with her flight from prosecution, Ceasar ultimately pleaded guilty to her third separate felony offense, a charge of failing to appear before the court as required, in October 2022.

    After being returned to custody at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons’ Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to await sentencing, Ceasar routinely violated Bureau of Prisons institutional rules, circumvented telephone and email monitoring and use restrictions, and continued to communicate and associate with other ISIS supporters.

    The government’s case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian C. Richardson, currently of the National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew D. Reich of the Eastern District of New York’s National Security and Cybercrime Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Trisura Announces Timing of 2025 Investor Day

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Trisura Group Ltd. (“Trisura” or “Trisura Group”) (TSX: TSU), a leading specialty insurance provider, announces the timing of its 2025 Investor Day.

    Trisura will host its 2025 Investor Day on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. ET at Royal Bank Plaza – North Tower, 200 Bay Street, Suite 1600, in Toronto where management will discuss long-term strategy and market conditions.

    To register for the Investor Day, or to access the live audio webcast, please follow the link below:

    https://reg.lumiengage.com/trisura-2025

    About Trisura Group

    Trisura Group Ltd. is a specialty insurance provider operating in the Surety, Warranty, Corporate Insurance, Program and Fronting business lines of the market. Trisura has investments in wholly owned subsidiaries through which it conducts insurance operations. Those operations are primarily in Canada and the United States. Trisura Group Ltd. is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “TSU”.

    Further information is available at https://www.trisura.com. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Details regarding the operations of Trisura Group Ltd. are also set forth in regulatory filings. A copy of the filings may be obtained on Trisura Group’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    For more information, please contact:
    Name: Bryan Sinclair
    Tel: 416 607 2135
    Email: bryan.sinclair@trisura.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Increasing NATO Allies’ Defense Spending

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    During Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s conversations with @NATO Allies last week, he emphasized President Trump’s call for Allies to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP. “President Trump deserves credit for completely changing the conversation on NATO defense.” — Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBwYm2N_3QU

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Trump Signs an Executive Order Ending the Biden-Era War on Showers!

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    President Trump signs an Executive Order to end the overregulation on water pressure and end the war on showers.

    Make America’s Showers Great Again!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuFp-3RIgnQ

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Nick Langworthy Introduces Infrastructure Project Acceleration Act, Legislation Critical in Cutting Red Tape to Ensure Micron’s Success in New York

    Source: US Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) today introduced the Infrastructure Project Acceleration Act, a targeted bill to streamline environmental review processes for critical manufacturing projects—particularly in states like New York with already rigorous environmental standards. Congressman Langworthy is joined by Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) as the co-lead on the legislation.

     

    The Infrastructure Project Acceleration Act aims to reduce delays in the construction of major manufacturing projects by allowing an exemption from the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process for projects in states with environmental standards that are equally or more stringent than NEPA. This exemption would apply to a small number of states—New York, California, and Massachusetts—that already enforce comprehensive environmental review systems.

     

    “Bureaucratic red tape is the enemy of economic growth and job creation,”said Congressman Nick Langworthy.“New York is notorious for having some of the most stringent environmental regulations in the nation and the last thing we should be doing is making companies go through an additional review process that would lead to an indistinguishable outcome. By simply streamlining duplicative reviews, this bill will ensure that companies like Micron and other manufacturers avoid unnecessary construction delays and ensures the long-term success of these much-needed investments in Upstate New York.”

     

    The Infrastructure Project Acceleration Act would include a key exemption in the Building Chips in America Act if projects are undergoing an equivalent or more stringent state environmental review process. This new authority would still give the lead agency the ability to ensure that critical environmental protections have been thoroughly considered before expediting the NEPA process and would cover only three states with exceedingly stringent environmental reviews – New York, Massachusetts, and California. 

     

    Despite the permitting provisions included in the Building Chips in America Act, which was signed into law last Congress, Micron and other manufacturers are still facing duplicative environmental reviews by having to undergo a federal environmental review process along with a state-level process that is just as stringent. For Micron under this law, in its review process for the four-fab project in Central New York, they are now the only semiconductor company that must undergo an environmental impact statement, while other semiconductor companies must only complete environmental assessments.

     

    Micron is the only semiconductor company that this uniquely impacts given the project’s location in New York, which has one of the most stringent environmental processes. Replicating such a process on the federal level will substantially impact Micron’s construction timeline the ultimate success of a key project for brining chips manufacturing to Upstate New York. 

     

    “We need to do everything we can in Congress to remove the bureaucratic red tape that is holding our nation’s manufacturing sector back, especially when it comes to the vital semiconductor industry,” said Rep. Mike Collins. “I want to thank Rep. Langworthy for introducing the Infrastructure Project Acceleration Act, which stops duplicative environmental regulations from slowing down the progress our economy needs while jumpstarting the domestic microchip industry.” 

     

    This legislation is co-led by Rep. Mike Collins (GA-10) and cosponsored by Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Rep. Josh Riley (NY-19), Rep. Michael Lawler (NY-17), Rep. John Mannion (NY-22), and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11).

     

    “Reinvesting in America’s manufacturing sector is a key aspect of restoring our economy under President Trump. Yet states like New York are imposing burdensome regulations on manufacturing, slowing progress and the creation of jobs. The Infrastructure Project Acceleration Act simplifies New York’s onerous environmental review process to allow Micron to avoid a lengthy construction timeline and support this critical investment in Upstate New York,”said Congresswoman Tenney.

     

    “New York State is at the forefront of the semiconductor industry, and increasing our domestic production capacity is a national security priority,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17). “The Infrastructure Project Acceleration Act will help ensure critical projects move forward efficiently while maintaining New York’s high environmental standards. By aligning state and federal processes, we’re supporting the continued growth of innovation and job creation in New York and across the country.”

     

    Representative John W. Mannion (NY-22) said,“Micron’s historic investment in Central New York is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform our region’s economy and secure America’s place as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing. The bipartisan Infrastructure Project Acceleration Act will keep New York competitive, improve efficiency, and expedite important environmental reviews so we can quickly move forward and create thousands of good-paying jobs. I’m proud to be a cosponsor and I thank Rep. Langworthy and other members of the New York State delegation for their partnership in advancing this legislation.”

     

    This bill will support economic development projects like Micron and grow the semiconductor ecosystem in New York. 

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Champions New Mexico’s Defense Infrastructure in Strategic Forces Subcommittee Hearing

    Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) highlighted the national security importance of New Mexico’s military infrastructure and private space innovation sector during a House Armed Services hearing on the Department of Defense’s strategic forces posture.

    WATCH: Vasquez Advocates for NM’s Strategic Defense Role

    Vasquez, whose district is home to White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) and Holloman Air Force Base, pressed senior military and defense officials to recognize New Mexico’s decades-long contributions to national defense—from nuclear deterrence to hypersonic weapons testing—and to double down on investments in the state’s test ranges and space technology ecosystem.

    In the committee hearing, Vasquez said, “Like everything in the 21st century, military and space technology is advancing exponentially. No state is better equipped to support that technological advancement than New Mexico. We’re innovative, and I’ve always said that if we can design it and test it in New Mexico, we can also build it in New Mexico. And so, as we discussed today, every dollar the department spends and invests in our state pays off dividends to strengthen American security.”

    Vasquez underscored how diminishing these resources would risk degrading the U.S. military’s technological edge and weakening readiness. He also emphasized the critical role of small businesses in New Mexico in designing and delivering the next generation of space-based assets and satellite power systems.

    Vasquez concluded by reaffirming his commitment to delivering federal investments that support both New Mexico’s military installations and the skilled workforce powering them.

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Courtroom Coup: Ending the district judges’ war on presidential authority

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Originally Published in Fox News on April 9, 2025

    Democrats tried every strategy – congressional investigations, impeachments, smear campaigns, weaponizing the criminal justice system, and even ballot disqualifications – to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president again. Yet, on November 5th, the American people spoke loud and clear: enough was enough. Trump won all seven battleground states and the popular vote – a feat no Republican had accomplished since President George W. Bush more than 20 years ago.

    On his first day in office, President Trump took bold steps to fulfill his campaign promises and right the wrongs of the last administration. He declared an emergency on the southern border and immediately launched a mass deportation campaign to remove terrorists and other dangerous criminals who had a free pass to enter the country under Joe Biden’s watch.

    No American wants to live next to a terrorist or violent criminal. It’s not controversial. And yet, just like everything Trump does – someone, namely the radical left, has a problem with it.

    Thankfully, the Supreme Court has started to push back. Earlier this week, the court reaffirmed the president’s authority to enforce the Alien Enemies Act, rejecting yet another attempt by lower courts to tie the hands of the executive branch.

    Since Trump took office, activist judges in district courts have aggressively blocked his executive actions, issuing nationwide injunctions at an unprecedented rate. In fact, in just the first nine weeks of his presidency, district courts issued more nationwide injunctions than in all four years of Joe Biden’s presidency and all eight years of Barack Obama’s term.

    In 2025, unelected district judges have overstepped their bounds, inserting themselves into cases where they lack standing or subject matter expertise. Even more concerning, their rulings have had serious consequences for national security—including Judge Boasberg’s attempt to delay the deportation of dangerous gang members. For the party that claims to be the defender of democracy, the fact that an unelected lower court judge can micromanage the commander-in-chief should trouble every single American.

    Simply put, injunctions and temporary restraining orders are being weaponized against the executive branch. Currently, 677 unelected district court judges hold the same functional veto power as the president – a man who received 77.3 million votes nationwide. Make this make sense.

    The No Rogue Rulings Act should be a priority for both sides of the aisle. Let’s be clear – this bill does not strip judges of their ability to decide cases, nor does it interfere with the Supreme Court’s authority as the highest judicial power. This bill ensures that judicial decisions apply only to the specific case at hand, preventing any single judge from imposing a nationwide injunction that far exceeds the scope of their jurisdiction.

    President Trump is doing everything he can to deliver on his promises to the American people, but his time in office is limited. 

    Supporting the No Rogue Rulings Act ensures that the elected President – not unelected judges – can implement the policies Americans voted for to bring forward the urgent change this country needs. Every day we fail to act is another opportunity for a rogue judge to undermine the safety of 330 million Americans. The question is simple: Will we be governed by the Constitution and the President we elected or 677 judicial monarchs nobody voted for?

    We know our answer.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King: “Burdensome, Slow” Process Harming Maine’s Defense Industrial Base

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, in a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Seapower, spoke with Matthew Sermon, the program manager of the Maritime Industry Base, about the importance of strengthening Department of Defense (DoD) operations by removing unnecessary bureaucratic barriers to help expand the defense industrial base. During the exchange, Senator King cited the “burdensome” and “slow” process that companies are currently forced to go through when trying to contract with the DoD, and how it puts smaller organizations at a disadvantage.

    Last spring, Senator King joined Governor Janet Mills, Senator Susan Collins and Representative Chellie Pingree in announcing the Maine Defense Industry Alliance (MDIA) — a newly established non-profit coalition of Maine defense companies, state agencies, community colleges and universities, and other vocational training organizations. The partnership was created to attract and train thousands of new employees to perform critical jobs at smaller contracting businesses that work within Maine’s defense industrial base. In Maine, the defense sector employs more than 200,000 people at over 150 companies, and, in 2021, defense spending in Maine totaled $3.2 billion.

    “Everybody around here for the past three or four years has been talking about rebuilding the defense industrial base, expanding it. How do we do it? Is that a matter of more contracts for big prime contractors? Is it bringing new people into the business? Is it encouraging smaller companies? This is one thing everybody talks about, but I never hear specifics about how to go about it. Mr. Sermon what’re your thoughts,” asked Senator King.

    “My three primary focus areas that are absolutely aimed at capacity are getting the workforce that we need, and not just shipbuilders but the supply chain across the nation, not just where the shipyards are in the coast,” replied Sermon.

    “Isn’t one of the big issues supply chain? Second and third order suppliers,” questioned Senator King.

    Sermon responded, “It is. My second item is foundational investment in the supply chain. In the submarine community, we have about 70% of our critical suppliers are single or sole source which means we don’t have a backup method, so getting a backup supplier or getting to where they are competitive both in terms of schedule and cost is crucially important.”

    Senator King said, “We have had testimony before the full committee that smaller companies have given up trying to contract with the Pentagon. It’s so burdensome, slow. There is so much paperwork. We are losing the opportunity to develop the capacity and anything but larger entities.”

    “It is necessary for us to lower the barriers to entry to get more suppliers in,” said Sermon.

    As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator King has championed funding for both Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). Recently, Senator King and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, discussed the importance of utilizing lessons from the private sector to maintain best practices for ship designing, building, and maintenance. Last year, he strongly urged Mr. Frederick J. Stefany, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition to prioritize long-term investments in the defense industrial base — including Bath Iron Works — to avoid a ‘trough’ between contracted work, resulting in a likely loss of workers and threatening American national security.

    In the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act, Senator King secured authorization for the procurement of an additional DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that Bath Iron Works will build. In a recent hearing of the Armed Service Committee, he outlined the importance of supporting our nation’s shipbuilding capacity, citing the three biggest challenges for the industry as “workforce, workforce, workforce.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Sheehy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Use AI To Protect Communities Against Extreme Weather, Wildfires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) today introduced the TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act, bipartisan legislation to improve and leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to better predict and respond to extreme weather and protect people and communities from the increasing toll of wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and other disasters.

    “Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, more severe, and more deadly, and AI can be a powerful tool in saving lives and livelihoods,” said Senator Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. “Our bill will harness AI’s immense processing and prediction capabilities to improve weather forecasts and help communities better prepare for and respond more quickly to extreme weather events.”

    “Extreme weather and wildfires cost us hundreds of billions of dollars in economic impact and harm countless Americans each year, yet our government response – particularly to wildfire – hasn’t changed in decades. By incorporating leading-edge artificial intelligence into our forecasting and disaster threat prediction modeling, we will have the ability to know where, how big, and how bad weather is going to be, and can take preventative measures long before the impact is realized. Now is the time for transformational innovation and leadership to prevent future tragedies and protect American families, homes, and communities from disaster quickly and effectively,” said Senator Sheehy.

    The TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to:

    • Develop a U.S. global weather dataset to train AI forecasting models;
    • Partner with the private and academic sectors on AI weather and wildfire forecasting, and innovate new AI weather and wildfire products and applications; and
    • Support the integration of AI weather models into the forecasts that the American people use and rely on.

    In addition to Schatz and Sheehy, the TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.). A companion bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Scott Franklin (R-Fla.).

    “Extreme weather is only getting more severe and more frequent. We need to use every tool at our disposal—including artificial intelligence—to save lives and livelihoods. By requiring federal agencies to use AI in proactive ways, such as boosting grid resiliency and improving weather forecasts, this bill will allow us to better predict and respond to extreme weather events and mitigate their impacts,” said Senator Welch.

    “Far too many communities in New Mexico and across the country have experienced the devastation that extreme weather events bring,” said Senator Luján. “We must utilize every tool at our disposal, like AI, to protect our communities from the devastation caused by wildfires, floods, and other disasters. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill that will leverage the powers of AI to better predict extreme weather events and save lives.”

    “As devastating weather events continue to threaten lives, homes and communities across the country, the need for faster, more accurate forecasting is critical,” said Representative Franklin. “The TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act leverages emerging AI technologies to enhance forecasting systems and bolster disaster preparedness. By encouraging American innovation and uniting the efforts of the federal government, academia and the private sector, our bill ensures we can respond swiftly to natural disasters here at home without relying on foreign data. I’m pleased to join Senator Schatz in leading this bipartisan effort to protect Americans and modernize our national weather capabilities.”

    In 2023 alone, the United States experienced a record 28 disasters that caused nearly 500 deaths and cost at least $1 billion in damages each, including to property and crops. The TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act would help the United States better prepare for extreme weather and wildfires by providing forecasts that are improved by integrating traditional and AI weather models. Currently, AI weather models are dependent on a dataset created and maintained by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The bill bolsters the security of AI weather models by requiring the development of a U.S. weather dataset.

    The text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Senators Demand HHS Restore Title X Family Planning Funding Immediately To Protect Health Care Services For Millions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), along with U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), led a group of 29 senators urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to immediately reinstate Title X family planning funding in 23 states, including Hawai‘i, after the agency began withholding grants that support basic health care for approximately one million people.

    “We are alarmed at the Trump administration’s attacks against providers that enable access to health care for low-income and uninsured people,” the senators wrote in a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “We urge you to swiftly reinstate funding to avoid extended gaps in service for vulnerable communities who rely on Title X funded health centers and programs.”

    Title X is the nation’s only dedicated source of federal funding for family planning. In 2023, the program supported health care services for 2.8 million people at nearly 4,000 clinics across all 50 states and U.S. territories. These clinics provide cancer screenings, sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment, contraception, and pregnancy-related care—regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

    On April 1, the Trump administration began withholding all, most, or a substantial portion of Title X funds across 23 states, including all funds to Hawai‘i. The move threatens 23 percent of the entire Title X network.

    “These interruptions will be widely felt in our communities and exacerbate the country’s maternal health crisis,” the senators wrote. “By withholding critical appropriated funds, you are impeding access to essential health care services in rural and underserved areas, risking providers closing their doors, and jeopardizing working families’ lives and livelihoods.”

    California, Hawai‘i, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, and Utah are currently receiving no family planning dollars; while Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia are experiencing reduced access to Title X-funded services.

    In protest of this lawless Trump administration policy and many more like it, Schatz has placed a hold on the confirmation of more than 300 Trump nominees, including the nominee for HHS Assistant Secretary for Health, Brian Christine, who would oversee Title X.

    In addition to Schatz, Smith, Schiff, and Hirono the letter was also signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.).

    The full text of the letter can be found below and is available here.

    Dear Secretary Kennedy:

    We write with great concern regarding the withholding of Title X family planning funding, impacting approximately one million patients in 23 states. We are alarmed at the Trump administration’s attacks against providers that enable access to health care for low-income and uninsured people. We urge you to swiftly reinstate funding to avoid extended gaps in service for vulnerable communities who rely on Title X funded health centers and programs.

    For the past 55 years, Title X has served as the nation’s only dedicated, federally-funded family planning program. It provides lifelines to essential health care, including cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, contraceptive services and supplies, pregnancy testing, and more. Importantly, Title X providers offer care to all people, regardless of their ability to pay. In fact, 60 percent of patients seeking care at Title X funded health centers have incomes below 101 percent of the federal poverty level and receive care at no cost. Altogether, in 2023, Title X supported health care services for 2.8 million patients at 3,853 health centers across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Freezing Title X funds puts millions at risk of losing basic health services and screenings.  A 2024 report from the HHS Office of Population Affairs determined that there “remains a significant need for publicly funded programs to provide free or subsidized sexual and reproductive health [SRH] services.”

    Despite its vast impact, on April 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began withholding all, most, or a substantial portion of Title X funding in 23 states, and all other grantees received partial awards. These states span from coast to coast and the non-contiguous states, covering nearly a quarter of the nation’s Title X network. You have entirely cut access to Title X family planning services for California, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, and Utah; and your agency is making significant cuts to Title-X funded services in Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. All other grantees have received partial funding which significantly constrains planned staffing and service delivery this performance year.

    The notifications were premised on specious arguments and contain unreasonable deadlines given the hundreds of health centers that must be surveyed in order to respond to this politically motivated inquiry. Though the administration has explicitly targeted specific providers like Planned Parenthood affiliates, it also included a varied group of nonprofit state and regional grantees.

    These interruptions will be widely felt in our communities and exacerbate the country’s maternal health crisis, particularly in the context of health center closures and restrictive state policies that impact access to reproductive care. By withholding critical appropriated funds, you are impeding access to essential health care services in rural and underserved areas, risking providers closing their doors, and jeopardizing working families’ lives and livelihoods. We request that you expeditiously release funding to Title X grantees in the 23 impacted states before you cause irreparable harm.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin: The Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Should Be Resumed And The Hostage Returned Immediately

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    April 09, 2025

    Durbin continues to speak for progress toward a second ceasefire phase and to address the significant humanitarian crisis in Gaza on the Senate floor

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor on the importance of ending the war in Gaza and addressing the humanitarian crisis. During his remarks, Durbin reiterated the need to resume the ceasefire and return the hostages immediately.

    “I am proud of the fact that President Harry Truman was the first president to recognize Israel’s right to exist, and I certainly concur with that sentiment to this day. The creation of the state of Israel after World War II was almost inevitable if this group of people were to exist. The holocaust was a reminder of the prejudice against the Jewish faith and the enduring struggle which they had been engaged in for decades—if not centuries. It was the right thing to do. There were times in history when Israel stood with us, when we desperately needed their help and there have been times when we have disagreed with their policy. That has never diminished for me personally or for our nation—Israel’s right to exist,” said Durbin.

    “What happened on October 7 was horrific. Some 1200 innocent Israelis were killed [and] butchered by terrorists under the flag of the Hamas movement. Unfortunately, they took hostages as well. I don’t know the exact number, but I believe it was over 250 hostages were taken. Some still remain in captivity under the control of Hamas. Israel is defending itself and it has a right to do that,” Durbin continued.

    Recent episodes of 60 Minutes have showed the continued pain and devastation from the war, including hostages still being held and considerable civilian death and destruction in Gaza, with children being a large number of victims. Last Sunday’s episode in particular highlighted doctors from Chicago, including those who had helped in the wars in Syria and Ukraine, sharing their stories of trying to treat innocent civilians caught up in the seemingly endless violence.

    One of the doctors Durbin referenced on the Senate floor is Dr. Lisa Thornton, a pediatric rehabilitation expert from Chicago. Dr. Thornton described her first time seeing such war trauma, noting the estimated 15,000 children killed and 30,000 injured in the war (out of an estimated total 50,000 killed), and the thousands more who have lost a parent.  Dr. Thornton coordinates therapies and prosthetics forinjured children, explaining, “our goal is to get them back to childhood”—a near impossible task amid the destruction and violence. 

    Orthopedic surgeon Samer Attar, also from Chicago, volunteers for the Syrian American Medical Society. Dr. Attar knows the horrors of the brutal Syrian civil war, and he said of his time in Gaza, “every day felt like a horror show.” He continued, “Imagine 50 people showing up all at once, and 15 of them are dead on arrival. And they’re all trying to get into the emergency room, and there’s no place to step. I remember one little girl just pounding her fists on the floor, just refusing to believe that her mom was dead, but they had to just forcefully pull her away to make room for incoming wounded because the pace of the wounded just doesn’t stop. They keep coming.”

    “The scenes that were depicted last Sunday on 60 Minutes are heart breaking—two doctors from Chicago have gone there risking their lives to volunteer to try to save the children and the victims of Israeli bombing. And I’m sorry to say they have not been successful as they would like to have been. But they reported to us graphically what is going on there with the lack of medical supplies, the lack of hospitals, and [the lack of] basic food. This war has to end. If it is going to continue until every Hamas terrorist is killed, I’m afraid there will be thousands and thousands of innocent Palestinians lost in the process,” Durbin concluded. “The ceasefire should be resumed and the hostages returned immediately.”

    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amid Trump’s Trade War, Durbin Meets With Illinois Pork Producers Association

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    April 09, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with the Illinois Pork Producers Association to discuss federal issues that affect the Illinois hog industry.  Illinois ranks fourth in the nation in pork production.  Producers emphasized the challenging market dynamics in the pork industry over the past several years, and the importance of maintaining free trade and strong export markets, including Canada, Mexico, and China.  Durbin and the members of the Illinois Pork Producers Association also discussed California’s Proposition 12 on the consumer pork prices in that state, the need for Congress to pass a bipartisan, five-year Farm Bill, as well as the critical role of foreign workers who help with workforce shortages.

    “Let’s be clear:  President Trump’s reckless, chaotic, and poorly executed tariff strategy already is hurting the Illinois agricultural sector, which relies heavily on trade with Canada, Mexico, and China,” said Durbin.  “While the President is swerving down the road with no map, Illinois farmers will lose growing international markets forever to farmers in Brazil and Argentina.   I will continue to speak out on behalf of Illinois farmers against these poor decisions by the President.”

    The meeting included producers from Clinton, Peoria, Effingham, and Knox Counties.

    Photos of the meeting are available here.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech on foreign affairs and trade

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Kia ora and good morning everyone.
    Before I start, can I acknowledge the Wellington Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity to speak to all of you this morning.
    It comes at a difficult time for the global economy, with rising rhetoric, escalating tariffs, and the prospect of further retaliation to come.
    I had originally planned to take this opportunity to speak about my Government’s plan for economic growth – to create jobs, lift incomes, and put more money back in the wallets of Kiwis.
    I will still touch on that.
    It’s my Government’s top priority and it frames just about every decision we take here in Wellington as we focus on improving the lives of all New Zealanders.
    But with markets rocked and exporters facing uncertainty, I know there’s one topic front of mind for many businesses and many households.
    So this morning I want to take some time to speak to those events and make the case for free trade and the rules-based international order.
    Trade is the lifeblood of the New Zealand economy.
    Whether it’s our incredible farmers and growers, our outstanding tourism industry, or our burgeoning tech sector, Kiwis businesses thrive when we compete on the world stage.
    Our success isn’t an accident – and it didn’t happen overnight.
    Successive generations of trade negotiators and political leaders have invested in relationships offshore, and worked hard to complete deals like CER, the China FTA, the CPTPP, and the more recent EU, UK, UAE and GCC FTAs.
    Business leaders have moved rapidly, too – finding fresh opportunities for growth in emerging markets, and developing outstanding products back home that put New Zealand on the map.
    Our rural economy in particular represents the very best of open and competitive trade – selling into difficult markets, with no direct financial support, and consistently coming out on top.
    I could – and often do – speak at length about the contribution exporters make to the domestic economy.
    But trade goes both ways.
    Yes, export growth will be critical to improving New Zealand’s economic prospects in the coming years.
    But the removal of New Zealand’s own trade barriers and embrace of goods and services imported from offshore has also led to a major improvement in our quality of life in recent years.
    Our clothing is more affordable, our cars are more reliable, our diets are more diverse, and our holidays in Bali and Europe are a nice contrast to summers at the lake or the beach.
    Free trade of goods purchased from offshore has also supported growth in productivity.
    Kiwi exporters rely on the trucks, tractors, jet engines, computers, and smart phones we buy from overseas that make their businesses tick.
    And it’s not realistic to expect that in a country of just five million people, we could make everything we need here at home.
    Political leaders have tried that before in New Zealand – and it didn’t end well.
    Older generations will remember the efforts we went to.
    Governments imposed strict import controls and encouraged cars and televisions to be assembled here at home.
    And like today, conflict offshore occasionally helped to send prices spiralling – but the response looked very different.
    In the late 1970s, politicians imposed “carless days”, with stickers on your vehicle dictating which days you could drive to work, and which days you caught a ride with a friend or just walked into town instead.
    There was no “work from home” in 1979.
    Agriculture, today the backbone of our economy, was heavily subsidised and much less productive, much less diverse than the efficient and entrepreneurial sector thriving in New Zealand today.
    Those failed policies weren’t just foolish economics.
    They reflected the best efforts of political leaders to insulate New Zealand from an era of major social and geopolitical change.
    History shows those best efforts were a mistake, that required years of difficult choices and careful recovery.
    New Zealanders paid the price then.
    I don’t intend for them to do so again.
    Which brings us to today.
    The events of recent days are the most significant challenge to the rules-based trading system since the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was formed in 1947.
    Action, reaction, and response have shocked financial markets.
    As the Minister of Finance highlighted earlier this week, the direct impact on the New Zealand economy from the US tariffs announced last week is likely to be around $900 million or roughly 0.2% of GDP.
    But the second order consequences of a region and a world retreating from trade and increasingly uncertain about its economic future will be more significant, despite the welcome news of de-escalation this morning.
    I know for many businesses keeping an eye offshore and for those New Zealanders watching their KiwiSaver accounts, that could be confronting.
    The exporters I’ve spoken to in recent days remain buoyant, rightly confident in the quality of their product, and their ability to navigate choppy waters.
    But for countries whose prosperity is underpinned by global trade, the months ahead will be challenging for their economic interests.
    Many commentators will see these events as just the next step in a longer-term trend towards economic security and national resilience, as countries insure themselves against emerging geopolitical threats.
    Others have gone further, declaring an end to the era of free markets, free trade, and free people, and the rules-based international order underpinning it.
    For my part, I’m not ready to throw in the towel quite yet. Kiwis have worked too hard and for too long, to give up on the values and institutions which have seen our country and the region we live in thrive.
    So, for as long as I am Prime Minister, New Zealand will keep making the case for trade as a cornerstone of our prosperity.
    Yes, we are a small country – but stature has never been a barrier to our success.
    Take the P3 – a proposed trade agreement which began life under negotiation at APEC between New Zealand, Singapore, and Chile in the early 2000s.
    Three small countries, practicing what we preach – and doing everything we could to create opportunity for our people through trade.
    Today, that agreement lives on as the CPTPP and covers a dozen countries, including New Zealand and Australia, Canada, much of Asia, and most recently the United Kingdom.
    In total, that’s roughly 15% of global economic activity, or $13 trillion USD – a long way from where we started just over twenty years ago.
    The United Kingdom might be the most recent accession, but I expect they won’t be the last.
    New Zealand will continue to work with like-minded countries to promote free trade as a path to prosperity and explore the role of the CPTPP in strengthening that vision.
    One possibility is that members of the CPTPP and the European Union work together to champion rules-based trade and make specific commitments on how that support plays out in practice.
    My vision is that includes action to prevent restrictions on exports and efforts to ensure any retaliation is consistent with existing rules.
    Collective action, and a collective commitment, by a large portion of the global economy would be a significant step towards preserving free trade flows and protecting supply chains.
    Clearly though, efforts at collective action won’t be enough to support New Zealand’s economic interests.
    As Prime Minister, I have a responsibility to do everything I can to both bolster the existing rules-based order and to further strengthen New Zealand’s position offshore.
    It’s why I have put so much emphasis on deepening our relationships with partners around the region, with visits throughout South-East Asia, Korea and Japan, the United States, and to India last month as we commenced negotiations for a free trade agreement.
    It’s why my Government has worked so hard to close out fresh agreements with the UAE and GCC that enable additional trade and investment.
    It’s why we hosted an Investment Summit in Auckland, making the case both for New Zealand as an outstanding place to do business and for the opportunity to enter long-term infrastructure partnerships.
    It’s why on Monday this week the Minister of Defence and I launched the Government’s Defence Capability Plan, that lifts defence expenditure to 2% of GDP and ensures New Zealand pulls its weight for many years to come.
    It’s why I will be on the phone later today to world leaders comparing notes on world trade, and testing what we can do together to buttress the rules-based trading system.
    And it’s why I will be heading to the United Kingdom later this month to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, to talk trade, security, and the geopolitical backdrop in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
    We can’t make the case for New Zealand sitting at home.
    We have to position ourselves as advocates both for our own economic interests and the institutions that underpin them.
    I’m very lucky to lead a Government with so many Ministers dedicated to that task, whether that’s the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Trade, or the Minister of Defence, each of whom having already made a number of significant achievements supporting New Zealand’s interests offshore.
    Back home, the volatility offshore is a fresh reminder of just how important our focus on economic growth will be in the coming years.
    As I said recently at our Investment Summit in Auckland, New Zealand can be a shelter from the global storm.
    That brings a serious opportunity from ensuring our business environment is as welcoming as possible for investment and growth.
    We are making serious inroads into that task.
    Earlier this year, Minister for Economic Growth Nicola Willis published our Government’s Going for Growth Agenda, which outlines a range of actions we are taking to get the New Zealand economy moving and realising its vast potential.
    Each of those actions fits into one of five pillars we have identified as critical to lifting economic growth and improving New Zealanders’ standard of living:

    Developing talent,
    Encouraging innovation, science, and technology,
    Introducing competitive business settings,
    Promoting global trade and investment,
    And delivering infrastructure for growth.

    Across each of those pillars, we have Ministers working day and night to drive through reform – in transport, tourism, aquaculture, construction, advanced aviation, mining, energy, agriculture, and horticulture.
    In just the last few weeks, we have presented our plans to replace the Resource Management Act, fix our broken health and safety laws, and make nation-shaping investments like the Northland Expressway.
    We have introduced the Fast Track regime, streamlining the consenting process for projects of regional and national significance.
    We are re-writing the Overseas Investment Act, so major investments from offshore are consented faster and more reliably.
    We are tearing down the barriers to fresh investment in renewable and non-renewable energy, by repealing the oil and gas ban and ushering in new consenting rules for wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal.
    And we are doubling down on efforts to showcase New Zealand to the world, promoting our tourism and international education sectors offshore so we can attract even more people to spend their money here.
    I know there’s more we can do.
    Growth has now returned, and the economy has turned the corner, but our reform agenda will need to continue at pace for us to out-run the challenges to growth facing us from offshore.
    The challenges to the rules-based international order are intense and the strategic environment my government has inherited is more difficult than it has been for many years.
    For New Zealanders who grew up watching events unfold in Europe and the Middle East, it will be confronting to watch strategic competition and the deterioration of rules-based trade come to our neighbourhood, the Indo-Pacific.
    But the response for New Zealand cannot be retreat.
    New Zealanders are at our best when faced with adversity and we thrive when we compete on the world stage.
    To quote my friend the Foreign Minister, this isn’t our first rodeo.
    Our export sector is jam-packed with talented, sharp New Zealanders who make great products – and create jobs here at home while they do it.
    Farmers, growers, wine makers, and start-ups from all around the country investing in our nation’s future because they have confidence that better days lie ahead.
    I’m not ready to call time on the rules-based trading system.
    And I’m not ready for New Zealand to give up on our efforts to advocate for it on the world stage.
    We’re not in this alone.
    The same institutions that have served New Zealand so well for so long, also underpin the prosperity of so many of our friends and partners, many of whom are also continuing to make the case for free and open trade in recent days.
    My government will keep making the case – overseas, here at home, with a strong voice and a consistent message.
    Free trade works.
    It lifts incomes.
    It creates jobs.
    It builds partnerships.
    And it secures peace.
    I think that’s worth fighting for – and I’m up for that fight.
    Thank you.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Expanding Transportation Innovation: Gov. Polis Announces Swisspod Expansion in Colorado

    Source: US State of Colorado

    COLORADO SPRINGS – Today, Governor Polis and the Global Business Development Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced that Swisspod, a company pioneering high-speed, emission-free Hyperloop transportation, is expanding in Colorado Springs. As a designer and manufacturer of high-speed vehicles and subsystems for transportation assets, Swisspod aims to transform the way people and goods move.

    “I’m excited to see Swisspod expand its presence in Colorado, the best place to live and do business. Colorado’s future is one where people can have more transportation options and expanded transit services at a lower cost. Swisspod will bring new, good-paying jobs to Colorado Springs while supporting the future of transportation infrastructure,” said Governor Polis.

    In 2024, Governor Polis announced Colorado Transportation Vision: 2035, which includes new goals and strategies to reduce transportation-related air pollution and GHG emissions by increasing transportation options, expanding transit services, and building more housing near train and bus stops.

    Swisspod develops technology that can revolutionize the transportation sector, making it faster, more reliable, and more sustainable. The company has developed patents for propulsion and levitation technologies that have the potential to transform current track-based transportation systems and extend into industries like aerospace, automotive, and more.

    Now, the company is expanding its North American presence with a new manufacturing and assembly facility in Colorado Springs. There, access to talent, supply chain connectivity, and proximity to partners, as well as the development of a prototype of its hyperloop transportation system in Pueblo, Colorado, will support the company’s growth.

    “We’ve built deep ties to Colorado. This is the home to our full-scale hyperloop infrastructure in Pueblo. And now, our newest R&D hub in Colorado Springs, a city that’s on the rise, an innovation powerhouse packed with bold thinkers and exceptional engineers ready to build the future. Setting up an operational office and a manufacturing & assembly space here was a natural next step. We’re excited to shape the future of transportation in a city that’s evolving full speed ahead,” said Swisspod CEO and Co-Founder Denis Tudor.

    In Colorado Springs, the company expects to create 107 net new jobs at an average annual wage of $67,952.38, which is 108% of the average annual wage in El Paso County. The positions will include roles in engineering and design, production, marketing, operations, and administrative support.

    “Companies like Swisspod are creating the technologies of tomorrow while creating good-paying jobs for Coloradans. We are thrilled to see them expand in Colorado Springs, enhancing our state’s commitment to innovation and diversifying our thriving economy,” said OEDIT Executive Director Eve Lieberman.

    The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved up to $918,000 in a performance-based Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit for the company over an eight-year period. These incentives are contingent upon Swisspod, referred to as Project Chocolate throughout the OEDIT review process, meeting net new job creation and salary requirements.

    The Colorado Springs City Council approved $5,250 over a four-year period in performance-based incentives. The sales and use tax rebates apply to the purchases of construction materials, equipment, machinery, furniture, and fixtures.  The City’s Economic Development Department also offered to support the company through its Rapid Response Program, as well as talent and workforce development support. Additionally, El Paso County approved $1,041,609 in incentives.

    “Swisspod’s expansion will significantly enhance Colorado Springs’ advanced manufacturing sector, diversify our transit systems, and open our region to new business opportunities across North America,” said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, President & CEO of Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC. “Our region’s diverse industries, robust economy, and highly skilled workforce create strong supply chains, allowing deep tech companies like Swisspod to thrive.”

    “We are proud to welcome Swisspod Technologies to Colorado Springs as they open their first North American headquarters. Their forward-thinking approach to technology and transportation aligns with our goals of creating vibrant economic growth, high-quality jobs, and positioning our community as a hub for cutting-edge industries. Hyperloop transportation has captured the attention and imagination of the world, and Colorado Springs is proud to be home to the people who are leading this innovative and ambitious work,” said Mayor Yemi Mobalade, City of Colorado Springs.

    “El Paso County remains committed to creating a business-friendly environment where private enterprise can thrive,” said Commissioner Carrie Geitner, Chair of the Board of County Commissioners. “By supporting initiatives like the Pikes Peak Enterprise Zone, we’re making it easier for job creators to invest, grow, and hire right here in our community. We’re proud to welcome Swisspod Technologies to El Paso County and look forward to the positive impact this investment will have on our region.”

    In addition to Colorado, Swisspod considered New Mexico for expansion. The company already has 10 employees in Colorado and is looking to expand its team here.

    About Swisspod

    Swisspod is a Swiss-American transportation technology company leading the development of the most sustainable, efficient, and comprehensive Hyperloop solution. The company was founded in 2019 by Denis Tudor, CEO, and Cyril Dénéréaz, CTO, two multiple-award winners of the SpaceX Hyperloop Competition. Swisspod aims to change the way people travel by connecting every major city using sustainable, carbon-neutral, energy-efficient, and high-speed transportation solutions. The company envisions a continental map of connections between major cities that will facilitate collaboration, accelerate human progress, and create a more prosperous future for the generations to come. For more information, visit www.swisspod.com and follow Swisspod on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X.com, and YouTube for ongoing updates.

    About Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

    The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: State of Colorado and New Zealand Sign Agreement to Foster Cooperation in Aerospace, Quantum and Geothermal Technologies

    Source: US State of Colorado

    COLORADO SPRINGS – Today, at the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Governor Jared Polis and Space Minister Judith Collins signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between Colorado and New Zealand to strengthen the partnership between the two regions and foster opportunities in aerospace, quantum and geothermal technologies. The MoC grew out of a meeting between Governor Polis and Minister Collins in April 2024, when the leaders agreed to take active steps to further cooperation in key advanced industries.

    “We are thrilled to strengthen our relationship with New Zealand, a country that shares our commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and advancing new technologies like aerospace, geothermal and quantum. This agreement will help create more opportunities for investments into Colorado businesses and the creation of good new jobs,” said Governor Polis.

    The MoC is intended to increase bilateral foreign direct investment between Colorado and New Zealand, develop bilateral research and development projects, strengthen company exchanges and expansion opportunities, and promote regional technology hubs and innovation ecosystems that advance strategic industries.

    “Today’s announcement demonstrates the importance of building long-term relationships with our partners abroad. This milestone builds on years of cooperation with New Zealand to increase opportunities for startups and growing businesses while advancing new technologies, strengthening our economies and creating new jobs,” said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT Executive Director.

    Two-way trade between New Zealand and Colorado is valued at $61 million annually. In 2024, Colorado exported $23 million in goods to New Zealand, including transportation equipment, machinery and computer and electronic projects. Colorado imported $38 million in goods from New Zealand, including machinery; computer and electronics; beverage and tobacco products; and processed foods. Over the past five years, New Zealand was the seventh largest provider of foreign direct investment into Colorado, with twenty-nine New Zealand companies, many of them startups, in the Denver area alone.  

    Additionally, ski resort areas, Queenstown and Aspen, have enjoyed sister-city relations since 1992. In 2019, Colorado’s Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera and OEDIT conducted an investment mission to New Zealand, and in September 2024, Auckland and Denver became City2City partners to encourage innovation and boost the startup ecosystems in both cities. The strength of these ties led New Zealand to appoint representatives from New Zealand Trade & Enterprise to further assist New Zealand companies land in Colorado, as well as an Honorary Consul based in Denver. Following the signing of the MoC, a steering committee will be formed to oversee implementation of the agreement.

    About OEDIT’s Global Business Development Division

    Global Business Development (GBD) is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. GBD supports Colorado businesses and communities by using a data-driven approach to recruit, support, and retain businesses that contribute to a robust and diversified economy. We align our portfolio of programs, services, and incentives with industries that benefit Colorado companies and elevate the state’s national and international competitiveness. GBD also hosts foreign delegations and participates in trade and investment missions around the world to strengthen global awareness of Colorado. With a highly educated and motivated workforce, a thriving innovation economy, and nation-leading entrepreneurial spirit, Colorado is a top market for business development.

    About the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

    The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Polis Urges the President to Let Go of Failed Tariff Taxes For Good Following Market Crash and Historic Uncertainty

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, after his worldwide tariff announcements caused chaos for Colorado businesses, crashed the market and hurt Coloradans’ retirement savings, and elicited a strong, yet unique, bipartisan response against them, President Trump partially walked back on his immediate tariff threat, delaying most but not all by 90 days, and temporarily pausing a trade war of his own making that was devastating the economy.

    “These tariffs have wreaked havoc on America’s businesses and hardworking people. The uncertainty caused by Trump’s tariff tax increase means that more businesses will consider leaving the United States, taking away good-paying jobs, raising prices, and putting America last. A major tariff increase would put the United States on a direct path to economic recession. Americans need certainty to plan our lives, afford groceries, and our businesses need certainty to make smart investments in America. Congress should do their jobs to protect our economy and ensure the President can’t purposefully destroy it, depending on which side of the bed he wakes up on. I urge the administration to avoid further chaos and disaster in 90 days and eliminate the remaining tariffs that President Trump has imposed, including the blanket 10% tariff,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Legislation Introduced to Support Municipalities with Pilot Framework for Safe Disposal of Derelict Structures

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on April 9, 2025

     Today, Minister Eric Schmalz introduced amendments to The Construction Codes Act to support the Government of Saskatchewan’s pilot framework to assist municipalities in dealing with derelict structures.

    “Municipalities are in the best position to ensure the long-term safety and prosperity of their communities,” Government Relations Minister Eric Schmalz said. “By updating this legislation to support our derelict buildings pilot framework, the Government of Saskatchewan is helping local leadership practically and effectively address the challenges posed by municipally-owned derelict properties.”

    Derelict buildings can present economic, financial and social challenges for municipalities and can be costly to maintain or remove. At the Saskatchewan Association for Rural Municipalities’ annual convention in March, the provincial government announced the development of a pilot framework intended to help eligible municipalities dispose of these structures as well as provide a training opportunity for local volunteer fire departments.

    “We have heard from SARM, SUMA and other municipal leaders that have asked for this opportunity to provide training scenarios for our world class volunteer firefighters that are the cornerstone of our rural communities,” Environment Minister Travis Keisig said. “We look forward to seeing the continued collaboration that will benefit many across our province.”

    The pilot framework’s parameters are being developed in partnership with multiple ministries and agencies and details will be available to municipalities in summer 2025.

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    For more information, contact:

    Media, Government Relations
    Government Relations
    Regina
    Phone: 306-789-7045
    Email: media.gr@gov.sk.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –