Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
Stay in the know by visiting our newsroom and subscribing to news updates: https://ICE.gov/newsroom
Category: Americas
-
MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Wright joins Fox News’s Lara Trump – March 29th, 2025
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
-
MIL-OSI United Nations: 1 April 2025 News release WHO issues its first-ever reports on tests and treatments for fungal infections
Source: World Health Organisation
The World Health Organization (WHO) today published its first-ever reports addressing the critical lack of medicines and diagnostic tools for invasive fungal diseases, showing the urgent need for innovative research and development (R&D) to close these gaps.
Fungal diseases are an increasing public health concern, with common infections – such as candida, which causes oral and vaginal thrush – growing increasingly resistant to treatment. These infections disproportionately impact severely ill patients and those with weakened immune systems, including individuals undergoing cancer chemotherapy, living with HIV, and who have had organ transplants.
“Invasive fungal infections threaten the lives of the most vulnerable but countries lack the treatments needed to save lives,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance ad interim. “Not only is the pipeline of new antifungal drugs and diagnostics insufficient, there is a void in fungal testing in low- and middle-income countries, even in district hospitals. This diagnostic gap means the cause of people’s suffering remains unknown, making it difficult to get them the right treatments.”
The fungi in the top ‘critical priority’ category of the WHO’s fungal priority pathogens list (FPPL) are deadly, with mortality rates reaching as high as 88%. Advancements in treatments mean that more people are likely to be living with immunocompromised conditions, which also could mean increases in cases of invasive fungal diseases. This is a complex challenge to manage due to inaccessibility of diagnostic tools, limited availability of antifungal medicines, and a slow and complex R&D process for new treatments.
Constrained process in developing treatments against deadly fungal infections
WHO’s report on antifungal drugs highlights that, in the past decade, only four new antifungal drugs have been approved by regulatory authorities in the United States of America, the European Union or China. Currently, nine antifungal medicines are in clinical development to use against the most health-threatening fungi, as detailed in the FPPL.
However, only three candidates are in phase 3, the final stage of clinical development, meaning few approvals are expected within the next decade. Twenty-two drugs are in preclinical development, an insufficient number to feed a clinical pipeline considering the dropout rates, risks and challenges associated with earlier development stages.
Issues with current antifungal treatments include serious side effects, frequent drug-drug interactions, limited dosage forms and the need for prolonged hospital stays. The report highlights the urgent need for safer antifungal medicines, possibly reducing requirements for continuous drug monitoring.
Antifungal medicines that work against a wide range of severe infections caused by fungal priority pathogens are also needed. Children are particularly underserved with few clinical trials exploring paediatric dosing and age-appropriate formulations.
WHO recommends investing in global surveillance, expanding financial incentives for drug discovery and development, funding basic research to help identify new and unexploited targets on fungi for medicines, and investigating treatments that work by enhancing patients’ immune responses.
Landscape report of diagnostics for fungal priority pathogens
The new diagnostics report shows that while commercially available tests exist for fungal priority pathogens, these rely on well-equipped laboratories and trained staff, which means that most people in in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) do not benefit from them. All countries, but particularly LMICs, need faster, more accurate, cheaper and easier testing for a broad range of fungal priority pathogens, including diagnostic tools that can be used at or near point-of-care.
There are many challenges with existing antifungal diagnostics; they work only for a limited range of fungi, are insufficiently accurate and take a long time to obtain results. Most of the tests are not well suited to primary and secondary health facilities as certain diagnostics require stable electricity supplies within suitable and equipped laboratories.
Health workers often have insufficient knowledge about fungal infections as well as the impact of fungi growing more resistant to treatments, resulting in limited ability to perform the testing needed to determine the appropriate treatment. WHO calls for strengthening the global response against invasive fungal diseases and antifungal resistance, and is also developing an implementation blueprint for the FPPL.
-
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: US sanctions strongly condemned
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today issued a strong condemnation of the US for including central authorities and Hong Kong SAR officials on a “sanctions list”.
In a statement, it said the move was a despicable attempt to intimidate officials and amounted to barbarity.
The Hong Kong SAR Government stressed that it will make every effort to protect the legitimate rights and interests of all personnel, and that its officials will continue to resolutely discharge their duty of safeguarding national security.
It said that the reason absconders from Hong Kong who are at large in countries such as the US, the UK and Australia have had arrest warrants issued against them by Hong Kong courts is not because they have “exercised their freedom of speech”, but because they continue to engage in activities endangering national security. It explained that these activities include inciting secession and requesting that foreign countries impose “sanctions” or engage in other hostile activities against the People’s Republic of China and the Hong Kong SAR.
The statement outlined that it is necessary for the Hong Kong SAR to take all lawful measures to combat such acts. It said such measures are aimed at combating, deterring and preventing acts of abscondment, and at procuring the return of the absconded persons to Hong Kong to face judicial proceedings.
Moreover, it stressed that all the measures align with human rights requirements, adding that countries including the US, the UK and Canada would impose similar measures on wanted criminals.
The Hong Kong SAR Government said that in an attempt to mislead the public the US had deliberately smeared Hong Kong and spread irresponsible remarks about measures and actions taken in accordance with the law.
It also stated that the US has disregarded the non-interference principle of international law, choosing instead to interfere with other countries’ internal affairs, groom agents, instigate colour revolutions, and create social unrest and multiple humanitarian disasters through economic and military coercion, causing suffering to people in many countries.
The Hong Kong SAR Government said that with China’s central authorities enacting Hong Kong’s National Security Law and the Hong Kong SAR implementing Article 23 of its Basic Law, the legal regime in safeguarding national security in Hong Kong has been strengthened, prevented the US from succeeding in its aims.
It added that false accusations by the US against Hong Kong SAR personnel involved in safeguarding national security dutifully, faithfully and in accordance with the law, and the imposition of “sanctions” in the guise of defending human rights and democracy, constitute a demonstration of shameless hypocrisy.
The Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised that it has a responsibility to pursue those who suspected of committing offences endangering national security and absconding overseas.
It added that Hong Kong law enforcement agencies’ actions are evidence-based and are taken in strict accordance with the law in respect of acts committed by people or entities, having nothing to do with their political views, background or occupation. In addition, it said, the Department of Justice makes prosecutorial decisions based on an objective analysis of all admissible evidence and applicable laws.
-
MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: 5 Hours In: Booker Discusses Trump, Musk Efforts to Slash Social Security
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) brought the focus of his long floor speech to President Trump’s and Elon Musk’s efforts to lay off thousands of Social Security employees, strip benefits from millions of Americans, and dismantle a critical program that has served Americans for nearly a century. 73 million Americans and 1.6 million people in New Jersey rely on Social Security benefits – benefits earned through a lifetime of work and paying into the program.
Booker took to the Senate floor beginning at 7pm ET last night with the intention of speaking as long as he is physically able to uplift the stories of Americans who are being harmed by the Trump Administration’s reckless actions, attempts to undermine our institutions, and disregard for the rule of law.
WATCH HERE -
MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: 10 Hours into Long Speech, Booker Speaks About President Trump’s Attacks on Immigrants
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, 10 hours into U.S. Senator Cory Booker’s (D-NJ) long speech, Senator Booker outlined the Trump administration’s dangerous approach to immigration enforcement, emphasizing that the administration’s actions do not solve the problems at our Southern border or in our immigration system, but instead undermine public safety and Americans’ Constitutional rights. Senator Booker is using his speech to uplift the voices of Americans who have been, and will continue to be, hurt by these policies.
Booker took to the Senate floor beginning at 7pm ET last night with the intention of speaking as long as he is physically able to uplift the stories of Americans who are being harmed by the Trump Administration’s reckless actions, attempts to undermine our institutions, and disregard for the rule of law.
WATCH HERE -
MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: 8 Hours into Long Speech, Booker Turns Focus to Attacks on America’s Education System
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – 8 hours into his long speech, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) turned his focus to the Trump Administration’s recent steps to dismantle the Department of Education and cut critical funding for teachers. Senator Booker shared testimonials from constituents in his state that are suffering the consequences of President Trump’s unlawful actions.
Booker took to the Senate floor beginning at 7pm ET last night with the intention of speaking as long as he is physically able to uplift the stories of Americans who are being harmed by the Trump Administration’s reckless actions, attempts to undermine our institutions, and disregard for the rule of law.
WATCH HERE -
MIL-OSI Europe: Hearings – Public hearing: Human rights situation in Cuba – 08-04-2025 – Subcommittee on Human Rights
Source: European Parliament
On 8 April 2025, the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) is organising a public hearing on the “Human rights situation in Cuba”. In the programme of the hearing – two main topics: 1) Human rights situation and fundamental freedoms in Cuba; 2) EU response, state of play and future perspectives.
Holding a public hearing on the situation of Human Rights in Cuba will allow DROI to assess the current situation of Human Rights in Cuba, including the situation of the remaining political prisoners in the framework of the liberation of 553 of them under a Vatican-mediated deal.Furthermore, the recent change of Administration in the USA makes it more urgent to monitor the Human Rights situation in the island, with U.S. President Donald Trump signing an omnibus executive order revoking 78 executive actions by the previous administration on 20 January 2025, including the revocation of the order of 14 January 2025 to remove Cuba from a blacklist of nations that sponsor terrorism and the reintroduction of sanctions that had contributed to the island’s worst economic crisis in decades.
-
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic – E-001040/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001040/2025/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 144
Gerald Hauser (PfE)In the official answer to my parliamentary question (11265/J), Austria’s Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), stated that four pandemic simulation and preparation exercises had been run in the USA this millennium (Atlantic Storm, CLADE X, Event 201 and Spars Pandemic 2025-2028)[1]. In October 2019, in partnership with the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security simulated a pandemic with a SARS-related coronavirus (Event 201). Moderna’s CEO, Stéphane Bancel, publicly stated that he informed his staff in 2019 that a pandemic would occur in 2020 and that Moderna would have to produce billions of doses of vaccines[2].
- 1.As of when did the Commission and its agencies (in particular the EMA and the ECDC) know that a pandemic would occur in 2020?
- 2.Did the Commission and its agencies participate in the above-mentioned simulation exercises or any other such exercises?
- 3.In what form (human, financial, material, ideological, etc.) did the Commission provide support for simulation exercises to prepare for a pandemic?
Submitted: 11.3.2025
Last updated: 1 April 2025 -
MIL-OSI: QuestDB Powers B3 Exchange’s Next-Generation CSD Platform’s Tick Data Store
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SAO PAULO, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — B3, the main stock exchange in Brazil and the largest in Latin America, today announced its strategic collaboration with QuestDB to power exchange trading data management for its cutting-edge Central Securities Depository (CSD) platform. This joint initiative leverages QuestDB’s high-performance, low-latency, time series database to deliver the speed, reliability, and flexibility demanded by today’s financial markets.
Kleber Almeida, IT Manager at B3, explained the rationale behind the partnership:
“The Central Securities Depository platform (CSD) demands exceptional performance, robust security, and resilience in the allocation of real-time data and information for our customers. We selected the QuestDB solution due to its high performance and straightforward implementation, which seamlessly integrates with our microservices architecture in cloud-native environments. Furthermore, our partnership with QuestDB enables our development team to propose improvements that are actively discussed and incorporated in subsequent versions. This collaborative approach fosters continuous evolution, significantly accelerating our internal development processes.”
QuestDB’s solution is purpose-built for environments where every microsecond counts. Engineered to capture terabytes of data per day, QuestDB features high throughput ingestion and sub-millisecond query capabilities that empower B3 to produce real-time reports and actionable insights. Its cloud-ready architecture not only ensures low latency and resilient performance with a guaranteed 99.9% uptime, but it also supports open formats—using SQL for queries and standards such as Parquet and Iceberg for historical data storage. This open approach eliminates vendor lock-in and facilitates seamless integration with object stores and AI-ready platforms.
Nicolas Hourcard, CEO at QuestDB, commented:
“At QuestDB, our goal is to enable market leaders like B3 to harness the power of market data without compromise. Our platform ingests massive volumes of data while delivering low-latency, sub-millisecond analytics—an essential capability in today’s fast-moving markets. With a cloud-ready design that’s AI ready and committed to open standards such as SQL and Parquet, we’re proud to provide a resilient, high-performance solution that keeps pace with the market’s leading innovators.”
The integration of QuestDB into B3’s CSD platform exemplifies a shared commitment to continuous improvement and agility. Through a collaborative development process, the partnership further refines the database’s capabilities and ensures that B3 remains at the forefront of market innovation and operational excellence.
About QuestDB
QuestDB is the next-generation open-source time series database, built for extreme performance at scale. Whether trading in dynamic capital markets, monitoring millions of sensors, or analyzing global telemetry, QuestDB thrives when the milliseconds — or microseconds — matter. With cloud-native architecture and tiered, decoupled storage using open formats, leading organizations can scale without bottlenecks or vendor lock-in. Learn more at questdb.com.
About B3
B3 S.A. (B3SA3) is one of the world’s leading financial market infrastructure companies and one of the largest by market value among global stock exchange sector leaders. It connects, develops, and enables the financial and capital markets and, together with clients and society, drives the growth of Brazil.
B3 operates in both Exchange and OTC environments, in addition to offering products and services for the financing chain. Headquartered in São Paulo with offices in Chicago, London, Singapore, and Shanghai, it plays a significant role in the market by promoting best practices in corporate governance, risk management, and sustainability.
Media Contacts:
QuestDB – press@questdb.com
B3 – imprensa@b3.com.br
-
MIL-OSI Video: Trump is joined by Kid Rock for the signing of an EO targeting unfair scalping of concert tickets
Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)
President Trump is joined in the Oval Office by Kid Rock for the signing of an executive order targeting unfair scalping of concert tickets:
“This is a great first step.”
-
MIL-OSI Video: President Trump Signs an Executive Order in the Oval Office, Mar. 31, 2025
Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)
The White House
-
MIL-OSI Video: 19th annual International Women of Courage Award Ceremony – 1:00 PM
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio delivers remarks at the 19th annual International Women of Courage Award Ceremony with First Lady Melania Trump at the Department of State, on April 1, 2025.
———-
Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.
Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
X: https://x.com/StateDept
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7CwState Department website: https://www.state.gov/
Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou#StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy
-
MIL-OSI Video: U.S. Assistance for Earthquake Affected Communities
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
In response to the immediate needs of earthquake-affected communities, the United States is providing up to $2 million through humanitarian organizations in Burma, to include emergency shelter, food, medical treatment, and water. Another promise kept by President Trump and Secretary Rubio. — U.S. Department of State Spokesperson Tammy Bruce
-
MIL-OSI Video: The Best Foreign Aid Programs End After Achieving Their Purpose
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
During his visit to the Caribbean, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the role of foreign aid: The best foreign aid programs are the ones that come to an end because they’ve achieved their purpose.
-
MIL-OSI China: Commerce ministry holds hearing on imported beef case
Source: China State Council Information Office
China recently held a hearing regarding a safeguard investigation on imported beef, according to the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday.
The hearing was held at the request of relevant stakeholders and in accordance with working procedures, the ministry said in response to an inquiry.
Around 180 representatives attended the hearing on Monday, according to the ministry. The participants included government officials from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, as well as those from exporters and their associations, Chinese importers and domestic beef producers.
According to the ministry, all stakeholders shared their views and concerns during the hearing.
Investigation authorities will take these views into consideration and make an objective and fair ruling based on facts and regulations, the ministry said.
Last year, China initiated the safeguard investigation into imported beef in response to an application submitted by industry associations.
The application claimed that the import volume of the product under investigation saw a sharp increase over the previous five years, growing 106.28 percent in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2019.
The applicants said that the sharp increase has significantly impacted China’s domestic industry. The domestic industry has experienced substantial damage, and a causal relationship exists between the import volume increase and this substantial damage, they said.
-
MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: 4 HOURS IN: Booker Brings Focus to President Trump’s Attacks on Medicaid, Americans’ Health Care
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) brought the focus of his floor remarks to President Trump’s attempts to slash Medicaid, defund critical medical research, and increase health care costs for Americans. This week, Republicans in the Senate plan to make Senators vote on a budget that will harm Americans who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, and vital health programs.
Starting at 7pm Eastern Time tonight, Booker took to the Senate floor with the intention of speaking as long as he is physically capable to uplift the stories of Americans who are being harmed by the Trump Administration’s reckless actions, attempts to undermine our institutions, and disregard for the rule of law.
WATCH HERE
-
MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Booker Launches Floor Speech by Saying: “I am going to stand here until I no longer can. I am going to speak up.”
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) took to the Senate floor with the intention of speaking as long as he is physically capable of speaking to uplift the stories of Americans who are being harmed by the Trump Administration’s reckless actions, attempts to undermine our institutions, and disregard for the rule of law.
Under the rules of the Senate, Senators have the ability to speak without time limitation.
Booker opened his speech saying, “I rise tonight with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able… These are not normal times in our nation. And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent and we all must do more to stand against them.”
His opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, are pasted in full below.
WATCH HERE
A full copy of his opening remarks as prepared for delivery can be found below:
Mr/Madame President—
I rise tonight with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able.
I rise tonight because our nation is in crisis:
Bedrock commitments are being broken;
Unnecessary hardship is being borne by Americans of all backgrounds;
Our institutions are being recklessly and unconstitutionally attacked and even shattered.
In just 71 days, the President has inflicted harm after harm on Americans’ safety; financial stability; the foundations of our democracy; and any sense of common decency.
These are not normal times in our nation.
And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate.
The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent and we all must do more to stand against them.
Generations from now will look back at this moment and have a single question — where were you?
When our country was in crisis and when the American people were asking for our help — did we speak up?
When the 73 million American seniors who rely on Social Security were told that from now on, there will be no one to answer when they call for help; when our seniors were afraid and worried because of the menacing of an American president, did we speak up?
When prices at the grocery store were skyrocketing and the stock market was plunging and Americans were hurting and looking for help –
and at the same time, the President of the United States was launching a trade war on our allies;
firing the regulators who investigate America’s biggest banks and corporations;
dismantling the agency that protects consumers from fraud;
peddling his own meme coin;
and doing a car commercial for the richest man in the world in front of the White House;
When the President tried to take health care away from people with disabilities in order to pay for tax cuts for the billionaires sitting on the dais at his inauguration and in his cabinet meetings at the White House;
When he gutted public education; slashed funding for pediatric cancer research; and fired thousands of veterans who risked their lives for this country;
When he abandoned our allies and our international commitments at a time when floods, fires, hurricanes, and droughts are devastating communities across the country, and outbreaks of dangerous infectious diseases are still a global threat.
When the American press was being censored;
when international students were being disappeared from American communities;
when American universities were being silenced;
when American law firms were being targeted;
when the people who attacked the police officers defending this building and American democracy on January 6th weren’t just pardoned, but were celebrated by the man in the highest office in the land;
When Americans from across the country were all speaking up and saying:
this is not right;
this is un-American;
this is not who we are.
Did we speak up?
I rise tonight because to be silent at this moment of national crisis would be a betrayal, and because at stake in this moment is nothing less than everything that makes us who we are.
At stake right now are the most basic American principles —
That if you work hard your entire life and pay into Social Security, it should be there for you when you retire, and you should not have to question if those paychecks will arrive.
That if you serve your nation, you will be respected and taken care of – and not forced to worry that the federal employees who provide you with care will be fired, or the benefits you rely on will be denied, or that your healthcare needs won’t be met.
That your children will have access to a high quality public education and return home safely from school each day;
That the people you elect to serve in government will represent you and not try to make themselves richer;
That everyone’s rights will be equally protected and everyone will be held equally accountable under the law;
Right now, all of this – things that make our country different — are under attack. Our constituents are asking us to acknowledge that this is not normal, that this is a crisis.
So I am going to stand here until I no longer can.
I am going to speak up.
I want to start by sharing just a few of the letters I have received from my constituents in recent weeks about what is at stake right now.
-
MIL-OSI Europe: Minutes – Monday, 31 March 2025 – Strasbourg – Final edition
Source: European Parliament 2
Present:
Aaltola Mika, Abadía Jover Maravillas, Adamowicz Magdalena, Aftias Georgios, Agirregoitia Martínez Oihane, Agius Peter, Agius Saliba Alex, Alexandraki Galato, Allione Grégory, Al-Sahlani Abir, Anadiotis Nikolaos, Anderson Christine, Andresen Rasmus, Andrews Barry, Andriukaitis Vytenis Povilas, Androuët Mathilde, Angel Marc, Annemans Gerolf, Antoci Giuseppe, Arias Echeverría Pablo, Arłukowicz Bartosz, Arnaoutoglou Sakis, Arndt Anja, Arvanitis Konstantinos, Asens Llodrà Jaume, Assis Francisco, Attard Daniel, Aubry Manon, Auštrevičius Petras, Axinia Adrian-George, Azmani Malik, Bajada Thomas, Baljeu Jeannette, Ballarín Cereza Laura, Barley Katarina, Barna Dan, Barrena Arza Pernando, Bartulica Stephen Nikola, Bartůšek Nikola, Bausemer Arno, Bay Nicolas, Bay Christophe, Beke Wouter, Beleris Fredis, Bellamy François-Xavier, Benifei Brando, Benjumea Benjumea Isabel, Beňová Monika, Bentele Hildegard, Berendsen Tom, Berger Stefan, Berlato Sergio, Bernhuber Alexander, Biedroń Robert, Bielan Adam, Bischoff Gabriele, Blaha Ľuboš, Blinkevičiūtė Vilija, Blom Rachel, Bloss Michael, Bocheński Tobiasz, Boeselager Damian, Bogdan Ioan-Rareş, Bonaccini Stefano, Bonte Barbara, Borchia Paolo, Borrás Pabón Mireia, Borvendég Zsuzsanna, Bosanac Gordan, Boßdorf Irmhild, Bosse Stine, Botenga Marc, Boyer Gilles, Boylan Lynn, Brandstätter Helmut, Brasier-Clain Marie-Luce, Braun Grzegorz, Bricmont Saskia, Brnjac Nikolina, Brudziński Joachim Stanisław, Bryłka Anna, Buchheit Markus, Buczek Tomasz, Buda Daniel, Buda Waldemar, Budka Borys, Bugalho Sebastião, Buła Andrzej, Bullmann Udo, Burkhardt Delara, Buxadé Villalba Jorge, Bystron Petr, Bžoch Jaroslav, Camara Mélissa, Canfin Pascal, Carberry Nina, Cârciu Gheorghe, Carême Damien, Caspary Daniel, Castillo Laurent, del Castillo Vera Pilar, Cavazzini Anna, Cavedagna Stefano, Ceccardi Susanna, Cepeda José, Ceulemans Estelle, Chahim Mohammed, Chaibi Leila, Chastel Olivier, Chinnici Caterina, Christensen Asger, Cifrová Ostrihoňová Veronika, Ciriani Alessandro, Cisint Anna Maria, Clergeau Christophe, Cormand David, Corrado Annalisa, Costanzo Vivien, Cotrim De Figueiredo João, Cowen Barry, Cremer Tobias, Crespo Díaz Carmen, Cristea Andi, Crosetto Giovanni, Cunha Paulo, Dahl Henrik, Danielsson Johan, Dauchy Marie, Dávid Dóra, David Ivan, Decaro Antonio, de la Hoz Quintano Raúl, Della Valle Danilo, Deloge Valérie, De Masi Fabio, De Meo Salvatore, Demirel Özlem, Devaux Valérie, Dibrani Adnan, Diepeveen Ton, Dieringer Elisabeth, Dîncu Vasile, Di Rupo Elio, Disdier Mélanie, Dobrev Klára, Doherty Regina, Doleschal Christian, Dömötör Csaba, Do Nascimento Cabral Paulo, Donazzan Elena, Dorfmann Herbert, Dostalova Klara, Droese Siegbert Frank, Dworczyk Michał, Ehlers Marieke, Eriksson Sofie, Erixon Dick, Eroglu Engin, Estaràs Ferragut Rosa, Everding Sebastian, Ezcurra Almansa Alma, Falcă Gheorghe, Falcone Marco, Farantouris Nikolas, Farreng Laurence, Farský Jan, Ferber Markus, Ferenc Viktória, Fernández Jonás, Fidanza Carlo, Fiocchi Pietro, Firea Gabriela, Firmenich Ruth, Fita Claire, Flanagan Luke Ming, Fourlas Loucas, Fourreau Emma, Fragkos Emmanouil, Freund Daniel, Frigout Anne-Sophie, Friis Sigrid, Fritzon Heléne, Froelich Tomasz, Fuglsang Niels, Funchion Kathleen, Furet Angéline, Furore Mario, Gahler Michael, Gál Kinga, Galán Estrella, Gálvez Lina, Gambino Alberico, García Hermida-Van Der Walle Raquel, Garraud Jean-Paul, Gasiuk-Pihowicz Kamila, Geadi Geadis, Geese Alexandra, Geier Jens, Geisel Thomas, Gemma Chiara, Georgiou Giorgos, Gerbrandy Gerben-Jan, Germain Jean-Marc, Gerzsenyi Gabriella, Geuking Niels, Gieseke Jens, Giménez Larraz Borja, Girauta Vidal Juan Carlos, Glück Andreas, Glucksmann Raphaël, Goerens Charles, Gomes Isilda, Gómez López Sandra, Gonçalves Bruno, Gonçalves Sérgio, González Casares Nicolás, González Pons Esteban, Gori Giorgio, Gosiewska Małgorzata, Gozi Sandro, Grapini Maria, Gražulis Petras, Gregorová Markéta, Griset Catherine, Groothuis Bart, Grossmann Elisabeth, Grudler Christophe, Gualmini Elisabetta, Guarda Cristina, Guetta Bernard, Guzenina Maria, Győri Enikő, Gyürk András, Hadjipantela Michalis, Hahn Svenja, Haider Roman, Halicki Andrzej, Hansen Niels Flemming, Hassan Rima, Hauser Gerald, Häusling Martin, Hava Mircea-Gheorghe, Heide Hannes, Heinäluoma Eero, Henriksson Anna-Maja, Herbst Niclas, Herranz García Esther, Hetman Krzysztof, Holmgren Pär, Hölvényi György, Homs Ginel Alicia, Humberto Sérgio, Ijabs Ivars, Imart Céline, Incir Evin, Inselvini Paolo, Iovanovici Şoşoacă Diana, Jalloul Muro Hana, Jamet France, Jarubas Adam, Jerković Romana, Jongen Marc, Joński Dariusz, Joron Virginie, Jouvet Pierre, Joveva Irena, Juknevičienė Rasa, Junco García Nora, Jungbluth Alexander, Kaliňák Erik, Kaljurand Marina, Kalniete Sandra, Kamiński Mariusz, Kanev Radan, Kanko Assita, Karlsbro Karin, Kartheiser Fernand, Karvašová Ľubica, Katainen Elsi, Kefalogiannis Emmanouil, Kelleher Billy, Keller Fabienne, Kelly Seán, Kemp Martine, Kennes Rudi, Khan Mary, Kircher Sophia, Knotek Ondřej, Kobosko Michał, Kohut Łukasz, Kolář Ondřej, Kollár Kinga, Kols Rihards, Kopacz Ewa, Körner Moritz, Kountoura Elena, Kovařík Ondřej, Kovatchev Andrey, Krištopans Vilis, Kruis Sebastian, Krutílek Ondřej, Kubín Tomáš, Kuhnke Alice, Kulja András Tivadar, Kulmuni Katri, Kyllönen Merja, Kyuchyuk Ilhan, Lakos Eszter, Lalucq Aurore, Langensiepen Katrin, Laššáková Judita, László András, Latinopoulou Afroditi, Laurent Murielle, Laureti Camilla, Lazarov Ilia, Lazarus Luis-Vicențiu, Leggeri Fabrice, Lenaers Jeroen, Leonardelli Julien, Lewandowski Janusz, Lexmann Miriam, Liese Peter, Lins Norbert, Loiseau Nathalie, Lopatka Reinhold, López Javi, López Aguilar Juan Fernando, López-Istúriz White Antonio, Lövin Isabella, Lucano Mimmo, Luena César, Łukacijewska Elżbieta Katarzyna, Lupo Giuseppe, McAllister David, Madison Jaak, Maestre Cristina, Magoni Lara, Maij Marit, Maląg Marlena, Manda Claudiu, Mandl Lukas, Maniatis Yannis, Mantovani Mario, Maran Pierfrancesco, Marczułajtis-Walczak Jagna, Mariani Thierry, Marino Ignazio Roberto, Marquardt Erik, Martins Catarina, Martusciello Fulvio, Marzà Ibáñez Vicent, Mato Gabriel, Matthieu Sara, Maydell Eva, Mayer Georg, Mazurek Milan, Mažylis Liudas, McNamara Michael, Mebarek Nora, Mehnert Alexandra, Meimarakis Vangelis, Mendes Ana Catarina, Mendia Idoia, Mertens Verena, Mesure Marina, Metsola Roberta, Metz Tilly, Mikser Sven, Milazzo Giuseppe, Millán Mon Francisco José, Minchev Nikola, Miranda Paz Ana, Molnár Csaba, Montero Irene, Montserrat Dolors, Morace Carolina, Morano Nadine, Moreira de Sá Tiago, Moreno Sánchez Javier, Moretti Alessandra, Motreanu Dan-Ştefan, Mularczyk Arkadiusz, Müller Piotr, Mullooly Ciaran, Mureşan Siegfried, Muşoiu Ştefan, Nagyová Jana, Nardella Dario, Navarrete Rojas Fernando, Nemec Matjaž, Nerudová Danuše, Nesci Denis, Neuhoff Hans, Neumann Hannah, Nevado del Campo Elena, Nica Dan, Niebler Angelika, Niedermayer Luděk, Niinistö Ville, Nikolaou-Alavanos Lefteris, Ní Mhurchú Cynthia, Noichl Maria, Nordqvist Rasmus, Novakov Andrey, Nykiel Mirosława, Obajtek Daniel, Ódor Ľudovít, Oetjen Jan-Christoph, Ohisalo Maria, Oliveira João, Omarjee Younous, Ó Ríordáin Aodhán, Orlando Leoluca, Ozdoba Jacek, Paet Urmas, Pajín Leire, Palmisano Valentina, Panayiotou Fidias, Papadakis Kostas, Papandreou Nikos, Pappas Nikos, Pascual de la Parte Nicolás, Paulus Jutta, Pedro Ana Miguel, Pedulla’ Gaetano, Pellerin-Carlin Thomas, Peltier Guillaume, Penkova Tsvetelina, Pennelle Gilles, Pereira Lídia, Pérez Alvise, Peter-Hansen Kira Marie, Petrov Hristo, Picaro Michele, Picula Tonino, Piera Pascale, Pietikäinen Sirpa, Pimpie Pierre, de la Pisa Carrión Margarita, Pokorná Jermanová Jaroslava, Polato Daniele, Polfjärd Jessica, Popescu Virgil-Daniel, Pozņaks Reinis, Prebilič Vladimir, Princi Giusi, Protas Jacek, Pürner Friedrich, Radev Emil, Radtke Dennis, Ratas Jüri, Razza Ruggero, Regner Evelyn, Repasi René, Repp Sabrina, Ressler Karlo, Reuten Thijs, Riba i Giner Diana, Ricci Matteo, Ridel Chloé, Riehl Nela, Ripa Manuela, Rodrigues André, Ros Sempere Marcos, Roth Neveďalová Katarína, Rougé André, Ruissen Bert-Jan, Rzońca Bogdan, Saeidi Arash, Salini Massimiliano, Salis Ilaria, Salla Aura, Sánchez Amor Nacho, Sanchez Julien, Sancho Murillo Elena, Saramo Jussi, Sardone Silvia, Šarec Marjan, Sargiacomo Eric, Satouri Mounir, Saudargas Paulius, Sbai Majdouline, Sberna Antonella, Schaldemose Christel, Schaller-Baross Ernő, Schenk Oliver, Scheuring-Wielgus Joanna, Schieder Andreas, Schilling Lena, Schneider Christine, Schwab Andreas, Scuderi Benedetta, Seekatz Ralf, Sell Alexander, Serrano Sierra Rosa, Sidl Günther, Sienkiewicz Bartłomiej, Sieper Lukas, Simon Sven, Singer Christine, Sinkevičius Virginijus, Sippel Birgit, Sjöstedt Jonas, Śmiszek Krzysztof, Smith Anthony, Smit Sander, Sokol Tomislav, Solier Diego, Solís Pérez Susana, Sommen Liesbet, Sonneborn Martin, Sorel Malika, Sousa Silva Hélder, Søvndal Villy, Squarta Marco, Staķis Mārtiņš, Stancanelli Raffaele, Ştefănuță Nicolae, Steger Petra, Stier Davor Ivo, Stöteler Sebastiaan, Stoyanov Stanislav, Strack-Zimmermann Marie-Agnes, Strada Cecilia, Streit Joachim, Strik Tineke, Strolenberg Anna, Sturdza Şerban Dimitrie, Stürgkh Anna, Sypniewski Marcin, Szczerba Michał, Szekeres Pál, Szydło Beata, Tamburrano Dario, Tânger Corrêa António, Tarczyński Dominik, Tarquinio Marco, Târziu Claudiu-Richard, Tegethoff Kai, Temido Marta, Teodorescu Georgiana, Terheş Cristian, Ter Laak Ingeborg, Terras Riho, Tertsch Hermann, Thionnet Pierre-Romain, Timgren Beatrice, Tinagli Irene, Tobback Bruno, Tobé Tomas, Tolassy Rody, Tomac Eugen, Tomašič Zala, Tomaszewski Waldemar, Tomc Romana, Tonin Matej, Toom Jana, Topo Raffaele, Tosi Flavio, Toussaint Marie, Tovaglieri Isabella, Tridico Pasquale, Tsiodras Dimitris, Turek Filip, Tynkkynen Sebastian, Uhrík Milan, Vaidere Inese, Valchev Ivaylo, Valet Matthieu, Van Brug Anouk, van den Berg Brigitte, Vandendriessche Tom, Van Dijck Kris, Van Lanschot Reinier, Van Leeuwen Jessika, Vannacci Roberto, Van Overtveldt Johan, Van Sparrentak Kim, Varaut Alexandre, Vasconcelos Ana, Vasile-Voiculescu Vlad, Vedrenne Marie-Pierre, Verheyen Sabine, Veryga Aurelijus, Vešligaj Marko, Vicsek Annamária, Vieira Catarina, Vigenin Kristian, Vilimsky Harald, Vincze Loránt, Vivaldini Mariateresa, Volgin Petar, von der Schulenburg Michael, Vondra Alexandr, Voss Axel, Vozemberg-Vrionidi Elissavet, Vrecionová Veronika, Vázquez Lázara Adrián, Waitz Thomas, Walsh Maria, Walsmann Marion, Warborn Jörgen, Warnke Jan-Peter, Wąsik Maciej, Wawrykiewicz Michał, Wcisło Marta, Wechsler Andrea, Weimers Charlie, Werbrouck Séverine, Wiesner Emma, Wiezik Michal, Wilmès Sophie, Winkler Iuliu, Winzig Angelika, Wiseler-Lima Isabel, Wiśniewska Jadwiga, Wolters Lara, Yar Lucia, Yoncheva Elena, Zacharia Maria, Zalewska Anna, Žalimas Dainius, Zarzalejos Javier, Zdechovský Tomáš, Zdrojewski Bogdan Andrzej, Zijlstra Auke, Zīle Roberts, Zingaretti Nicola, Złotowski Kosma, Zoido Álvarez Juan Ignacio, Zovko Željana, Zver Milan
Excused:
Hojsík Martin
-
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Payslip boost for millions as new minimum wage rates take effect
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press releasePayslip boost for millions as new minimum wage rates take effect
Over 3 million eligible workers set for a pay rise of up to £1,400 a year as new National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates take effect.
- Pay rise worth an extra £1,400 per year for an eligible full-time worker delivered from today.
- New rates put more money back into the pockets of working people, boosting productivity and ending low pay.
- More money to be spent in Britain’s high streets, kickstarting growth as part of the Plan for Change.
Eligible full-time workers are set for a pay boost of up to £117 from this month thanks to the Government’s increase in the National Living Wage, which comes into effect today.
The move – which delivers the Government’s pledge to increase living standards in the Plan for Change – will put more money straight into working people’s pockets.
Thanks to the decision made in the Autumn Budget, the uplift means more money can be spent on the high street to boost the local economy and help kickstart economic growth – the Government’s central mission in its Plan for Change.
The changes will also see a pay boost for Britain’s young people – with the National Minimum Wage for younger workers and apprentices seeing a record cash increase.
This is the first step towards removing the unfair minimum wage age-bands that see a 21-year-old getting paid more than a 20-year-old for doing the same job.
Already, the UK is second in the G7 in terms of the minimum wage relative to average wages for a full-time worker – ahead of the US, Germany and Japan. This makes it one of the most financially secure countries in the world for workers.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:
This pay rise for over 3 million of the lowest paid workers was a priority for this government and means we’re already giving hard working people more money in their pockets and a proper wage increase worth over twice the rate of inflation.
These changes are part of our Plan for Change – to raise living standards for people across the county, including apprentices and young people, giving them more job security and the huge pay boost they deserve too.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:
In the last Parliament, living standards were the worst on record and sky-high inflation was crushing working people’s finances.
Today we have raised the national minimum and living wages, meaning the lowest paid will receive an annual pay boost of up to £2,500 – something that wouldn’t have happened without my Budget last year.
Making work pay is good for workers, will strengthen businesses’ workforces, and will grow our economy for years to come. It’s a key milestone on my number one mission to get more money in people’s pockets as we deliver our Plan for Change.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:
We promised to make low pay a thing of the past. Now, as part of our Plan for Change and the biggest upgrade to worker’s rights in a generation, we are delivering that.
Low pay is not only bad for workers, it prevents them from spending on our high streets and allowing local businesses to achieve their full potential.
By ensuring that everyone gets a fair wage for the hours they work, we’re delivering the financial stability needed to kick-start economic growth and ensure our country is fit for the future.
The Government is spending billions to support people suffering with the cost of living pressure that were inherited by the previous administration. This includes:
- £7.8 billion on State Pension spending, in line with the Triple Lock commitment so pensioners don’t get left behind
- £3 billion to freeze the fuel duty – to help Britain’s drivers
- £1 billion, including Barnett impact, to extend the Household Support Fund in England and Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales in 2025-2026
- £460 million on Warm Homes – to help the poorest households heath their homes
- £25 million boost for the carers allowance to better support people caring for a loved one.
This is on top of the additional £7.8bn that the government is spending in 25/26 to protect the value of the state pension and to reflect changes in the population.
The Government is clear that the mission to grow the economy and raise living standards is a top priority and a strong economy can only be built when people have financial security whilst in work.
Recent research from ReWAGE and the University of Warwick shows that low pay can lead to mental health issues including depression, meaning more lost days and crippling productivity, leaving employers carrying the cost burden as well increasing costs to public services such as the NHS.
By putting more money into the pockets of the lowest paid, this increases workers’ financial security instead offering stability to help increase staff retention and lowering recruitment costs for businesses in the long run.
This uplift is an essential part of the Government’s plan for long-term national renewal and growth.
To ensure workers get the fairest deal, this rise is also the first that has taken into account the cost of living and inflation.
The uplift sits alongside the Employment Rights Bill, the most significant upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, and commitments to improve economic stability, get Britain building again, kickstart a skills revolution and bring forward a modern industrial strategy, and a plan to tackle inactivity.
The Government recognises that businesses will need more support next year. Ahead of permanently lowering tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) from 2026/27, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending this April, extending it for one year to ensure that over 250,000 RHL properties see a full 40 per cent reduction on their liability, and we have frozen the small business multiplier.
Julian Richer, founder of both retailer Richer Sounds and the Good Business Charter said:
One of the best ways to increase living standards and productivity in the UK is to put more money straight into people’s pockets with a National Minimum Wage increase that can be spent in shops and the economy to boost growth.
From this increase we can expect to see employee morale, productivity and retention all going up and hopefully will benefit millions of workers.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:
This increase in the national minimum wage will make a real difference to the lowest paid in this country and setting out a path to end the outdated and unfair youth rates will give young workers a boost up and down the country.
More money in working people’s pockets means more spend on our high streets – that’s good for workers and good for local economies.
Debbie Crosbie, CEO, Nationwide said:
The Government’s Plan for Change is a welcome and clear plan for growing the economy, strengthening businesses and supporting employees.
Eliminating low pay will make sure that everyone shares in the progress the country makes.
Nationwide has long championed the national minimum and living wage and we welcome this focus on improving living standards and boosting productivity.
Peter Jelkelby, Chief Executive and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA UK and Ireland said:
People are at the heart of IKEA’s success, and we recognise the challenges they face from inflationary pressures and rises in the cost of living.
Businesses rely on a skilled, engaged and committed workforce, so ensuring that wages reflect the cost of living is the right route to providing that.
Centrica Group Chief Executive, Chris O’Shea, said:
A strong, sustainable economy needs wages that rise in line with productivity and needs to ensure people can live well.
As a Real Living Wage employer, we applaud this uplift in the National Minimum Wage for the millions of workers who will power the country’s economic growth. Government and business need to work together to drive prosperity to ensure workers get their fair share and to reduce inequality and raising living standards.
With the right policy choices—particularly in our energy sector—we have a vital opportunity to unlock billions of pounds of investment, boost growth and productivity, while creating thousands more well-paid jobs across the UK.
Danielle Harmer, Chief People Officer, Aviva said:
We’re proud to be a real Living Wage Employer in the UK, including for our contractors and suppliers who work on our sites.
Supporting our colleagues to thrive is good for them, our business, and our customers.
Nicola Ryan, Director of Colleague Support at One+All in Greater Manchester, said:
“We are very pleased with the increase to the National Minimum and Living Wage.“This is great news for the millions of lower paid workers, as we know far too many working parents and their children are in poverty.
“We know that employees who have less financial stress do a much better job which leads to higher productivity and customer satisfaction.”
Notes to editors:
- The changes from 1 April mean:
- The National Living Wage for those aged 21 and over will rise from £11.44 per hour to £12.21 per hour.
- The National Minimum Wage for 18- to 20-year-olds rises from £8.60 to £10.00 per hour.
- The apprenticeship rate, and for 16- to 17-year-olds rises from £6.40 per hour to £7.55 per hour.
- If someone is concerned that they’re not being paid the correct wage, they should speak to their employer. If the problem is not resolved, they can contact Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) by phoning 0300 123 1122, or complain to HMRC in confidence using the link www.gov.uk/minimum-wage-complaint. HMRC looks into every single complaint.
- You can report possible underpayment of the National Minimum Wage to the ACAS Helpline and also online to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC):
- https://www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints
- Workers and employers in Northern Ireland can contact the Labour Relations Agency helpline on 03300 555 300 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or their website: www.lra.org.uk.
- As of 2023, the UK had the second highest minimum wage bite of the G7 countries, that is the ratio of the minimum wage relative to median wages for a full-time worker. The OECD estimate that the bite of the minimum wage in the UK was around 60%, behind France (62%), and ahead of Germany (52%), Canada (50%), Japan (46%) and the USA (26%).
Updates to this page
Published 1 April 2025 -
MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’: why the US is on a war footing over tariffs and mass deportations
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Smith, Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy, US Studies Centre, University of Sydney
US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy is doing little to enhance his country’s standing abroad. But it is helping to reinforce his political authority at home.
Congress and the courts are typically deferential to the president on foreign policy – and, in particular, issues related to national security. By putting most of his agenda under the banner of foreign policy, Trump is now taking advantage of that deference to minimise challenges to his power.
Trump has claimed for decades that US domestic problems can be solved with a more aggressive foreign policy.
This focus certainly helps him deal with his political problems, allowing him to attack his enemies and evade accountability under the guise of “saving the country”.
Trump has even gone so far as to call April 2 – when sweeping new tariffs are imposed on foreign goods – “Liberation Day”.
This is a term usually used to celebrate the end of long wars rather than the beginning of them.
Congress ceded its foreign policy powers
We are used to thinking of the US president as having almost unlimited power over US foreign policy. But the Constitution actually gives a lot of that power to Congress.
For example, Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. It also gives Congress the power to “collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises”, which include tariffs.
Given these shared responsibilities, the legal scholar Edward Corwin described the Constitution as “an invitation to struggle for the privilege of directing American foreign policy.”
Since at least the Second World War, the president has been decisively winning that struggle. Or more accurately, Congress has been declining invitations to use its power.
For example, American wars no longer begin with declarations. The US has not declared war since 1941, even though the country has been at war almost every year since then. Presidents instead initiate and escalate military conflict in other ways, nearly always with Congressional approval. That approval usually remains in place until a war goes badly wrong.
Congress also passed legislation in 1934 giving the president power to negotiate trade agreements and adjust tariffs. That power expanded significantly with an act in 1962 that authorised the president to impose tariffs if imports threaten “national security”.
Although Trump claims tariffs will bring economic prosperity back to the US by reviving manufacturing, his administration justifies them on national security grounds. For example, it is currently using another federal act passed in 1977 that allows tariffs in response to an international emergency as justification for its tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
Given the dubiousness of these justifications and the economic damage tariffs might do, Congress could try to reassert its constitutional power to set tariffs.
But this isn’t likely to happen soon, given the loyalty of Republicans to Trump. Members of Congress are also reluctant to be seen standing in the way of the president if national security is at stake.
One revelation of “Signalgate” was the fact the US bombed Yemen without even the pretext of an urgent national security reason. But the Congressional grilling of Trump’s intelligence leaders, predictably, did not address this.
The courts are no better
The courts are supposed to review the constitutionality of government actions. But on foreign policy, the courts have been deferential to the president even longer than Congress.
In a sweeping judgement in 1918, the Supreme Court wrote that foreign relations counted as a “political power” of the executive and legislative branches, not subject to judicial review.
The Supreme Court has rarely ruled on foreign policy questions since then. When it does, it nearly always supports the president against anyone challenging his right to make foreign policy, including Congress.
A federal judge recently complained the Trump administration ignored his order blocking deportation flights of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador.
Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to justify deporting the Venezuelans, even though some have no criminal record.
And Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued the deportations were a “foreign policy matter”, and “we can’t have the judges running foreign policy”.Mass deportation is one of Trump’s most popular policies. If he is going to pick fights with the judiciary, it makes political sense to do it on an issue where public opinion is on his side – even if the law is not.
Rubio’s comment is also a likely preview of the arguments Trump’s lawyers will make when cases about immigration reach the Supreme Court.
Similarly, the Trump’s administration is relying on the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act to deport protesters who have committed no crimes. This law allows the secretary of state to deport non-citizens if their presence in the US has “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences”.
Deportations under both acts are going to face legal challenges. But the Trump administration is betting the Supreme Court will take Trump’s side, given its conservative members generally hold an expansive view of executive power.
A Supreme Court win would be a major political victory for Trump. It would encourage him to focus even more on using deportation as a political weapon, and making foreign policy justifications for legally dubious acts.
War as a political tool
Trump is effectively putting the US on a war footing. He is justifying his executive actions by recasting allies as enemies who menace national security with everything from illegal drugs to unfair subsidies, and by labelling millions of foreign nationals as “invaders”.
Many Americans don’t believe him. But as long as he can make threatening foreigners the main focus of American politics, he can find political and legal support for almost anything he wants to do.
David Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’: why the US is on a war footing over tariffs and mass deportations – https://theconversation.com/trumps-liberation-day-why-the-us-is-on-a-war-footing-over-tariffs-and-mass-deportations-252808
-
MIL-OSI: CREDIT AGRICOLE S.A. ANNOUNCES REDEMPTION OF EUR 1,500,000,000 Senior Non-Preferred Fixed to Floating Rate Notes issued on April 22, 2020 (ISIN: FR0013508512)
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Montrouge, April 1, 2025
CREDIT AGRICOLE S.A. ANNOUNCES REDEMPTION OF
EUR 1,500,000,000 Senior Non-Preferred Fixed to Floating Rate Notes issued on April 22, 2020 (ISIN: FR0013508512)*
Crédit Agricole S.A. (the “Issuer”) announces today the redemption (the “Redemption”) with effect on April 22, 2025 (the “Redemption Date”) of all of its outstanding EUR 1,500,000,000 Senior Non-Preferred Fixed to Floating Rate Notes issued on April 22, 2020 (ISIN: FR0013508512) (the “Notes”) pursuant to Condition 6(e) (Redemption at the Option of the Issuer) of the terms and conditions of the Notes (the “Terms and Conditions”) included in the base prospectus dated April 9, 2020, which was granted the visa n°20-136 by the Autorité des marchés financiers on April 9, 2020 (as further amended and supplemented, the “Base Prospectus”) at the outstanding nominal amount thereof, together with any accrued interest thereon (the “Redemption Amount”).
On the Redemption Date, the Redemption Amount shall become due and payable and, in accordance with Condition 5(h) (Accrual of Interest) of the Terms and Conditions, unless the Redemption Amount is improperly withheld or refused, each Note shall cease to bear interest on the Redemption Date.
The terms and modalities of the Redemption are set out in the notice to the holders of the Notes appended to this press release.
For further information on Crédit Agricole S.A., please see Crédit Agricole S.A.’s website: https://www.credit-agricole.com/en/finance
DISCLAIMER
This press release does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes in the United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan or in any other jurisdiction. The distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions.
No communication or information relating to the redemption of the Notes may be distributed to the public in a country where a registration obligation or an approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any country where such action would be required. The redemption of the Notes may be subject to specific legal and regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions; Crédit Agricole S.A. accepts no liability in connection with a breach by any person of such restrictions.
This press release is an advertisement; and none of this press release, any notice or any other document or material made public and/or delivered, or which may be made public and/or delivered to the holders of the Notes in connection with the redemption of the Notes is or is intended to be a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council dated 14 June 2017 (as amended, the “Prospectus Regulation”). No prospectus will be published in connection with the redemption of the Notes for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation.
This press release does not, and shall not, in any circumstances, constitute an offer to the public of Notes by Crédit Agricole S.A. nor an invitation to the public in connection with any offer in any jurisdiction, including France.
* The ISIN number is included solely for the convenience of the holders of the Notes. No representation is being made as to the correctness or accuracy of the ISIN number as contained herein.
CRÉDIT AGRICOLE S.A. PRESS CONTACT
Alexandre Barat + 33 1 57 72 12 19
alexandre.barat@credit-agricole-sa.fr
Olivier Tassain + 33 1 43 23 25 41 olivier.tassain@credit-agricole-sa.frFind our press release on: www.credit-agricole.com – www.creditagricole.info
Crédit_Agricole Groupe Crédit Agricole créditagricole_sa ANNEX
NOTICE OF FULL REDEMPTION
TO THE NOTEHOLDERS OFCREDIT AGRICOLE S.A.
EUR 1,500,000,000 Senior Non-Preferred Fixed to Floating Rate Notes due April 2026ISIN: FR0013508512
Notice is hereby given that all of the outstanding EUR 1,500,000,000 Senior Non-Preferred Fixed to Floating Rate Notes due April 2026 (the “Notes”) issued by Crédit Agricole S.A. (the “Issuer”) on April 22, 2020 (ISIN: FR0013508512) will be redeemed by the Issuer pursuant to Condition 6(e) (Redemption at the Option of the Issuer) of the terms and conditions of the Notes (the “Terms and Conditions”) included in the base prospectus dated April 9, 2020, which was granted the visa n°20-136 by the Autorité des marchés financiers on April 9, 2020 (as further amended and supplemented, the “Base Prospectus”) on April 22, 2025 (the “Redemption Date”) at 100% of the outstanding nominal amount thereof, together with any accrued interest thereon (the “Redemption Amount”).
On the Redemption Date, the Redemption Amount shall become due and payable and, in accordance with Condition 5 (h) (Accrual of Interest) of the Terms and Conditions, unless the Redemption Amount is improperly withheld or refused, each Note shall cease to bear interest on the Redemption Date. Payment of the Redemption Amount shall be made in accordance with Condition 7 (Payments) of the Terms and Conditions.
Date: April 1, 2025 By: Crédit Agricole S.A.
Attachment
-
MIL-OSI: Amundi and Victory Capital become strategic partners
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Amundi and Victory Capital become strategic partners
Amundi and Victory Capital today announce the closing of their previously announced transaction.
In line with the agreement announced on 9 July 20241:
- Amundi US has been combined with Victory Capital which is now managing close to $300bn2 of assets
- Amundi has become a strategic shareholder of Victory Capital
- Amundi and Victory Capital have entered into 15-year distribution reciprocal agreements, which are now effective.
Under these distribution agreements, Amundi will distribute Victory Capital’s US-manufactured active asset management products outside of the US. Additionally, Amundi will be the supplier of non-US manufactured products for Victory Capital’s distribution in the US.
As consideration for the Amundi US business, Amundi received a total of 17.6 million shares at closing, or 21.2% of equity3 in Victory Capital. As the post-closing transaction adjustments progress and in accordance with the contribution agreement, we anticipate Amundi’s total equity interest to reach 26.1%3 in the following months.
The transaction, which does not include any cash consideration, is expected to result in a material increase in the contribution from US operations to Amundi’s results, leading to a low single-digit accretion of the adjusted net income and EPS of Amundi.
Valérie Baudson, Chief Executive Officer of Amundi, commented: “Thanks to this transaction with Victory Capital, Amundi’s clients can access a broader range of high-performing US investment solutions, while we are looking forward to providing Victory Capital’s clients with Amundi’s expertise and products. With this value-creating deal, Amundi has strengthened its presence in the US via a larger US investment and distribution platform.”
Press contacts:
Natacha Andermahr
Tel. +33 1 76 37 86 05
natacha.andermahr@amundi.comCorentin Henry
Tel. +33 1 76 36 26 96
corentin.henry@amundi.comInvestor contacts:
Cyril Meilland, CFA
Tel. +33 1 76 32 62 67
cyril.meilland@amundi.comThomas Lapeyre
Tel. +33 1 76 33 70 54
thomas.lapeyre@amundi.comAnnabelle Wiriath
Tel. + 33 1 76 32 43 92
DISCLAIMER
“This document does not constitute an offer or invitation to sell or purchase, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities of Amundi in the United States of America or in France. Securities may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States of America absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements thereof. The securities of Amundi have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and Amundi does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States of America or in France.
This document may contain forward looking statements concerning Amundi’s financial position and results. The data provided do not constitute a profit “forecast” or “estimate” as defined in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/980.
These forward looking statements include projections and financial estimates based on scenarios that employ a number of economic assumptions in a given competitive and regulatory context, assumptions regarding plans, objectives and expectations in connection with future events, transactions, products and services, and assumptions in terms of future performance and synergies. By their very nature, they are therefore subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could lead to their non-fulfilment. Consequently, no assurance can be given that these forward looking statement will come to fruition, and Amundi’s actual financial position and results may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward looking statements. In particular, no assurance can be given that the expected benefits, or impact on Victory Capital’s and Amundi’s respective businesses, of the proposed transaction, including expected synergies, will be achieved; other risks relating to the expected benefits or impact of the transaction on Victory Capital’s and Amundi’s respective businesses are contained in their respective public filings.
Amundi undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward looking statements provided as at the date of this document. Risks that may affect Amundi’s financial position and results are further detailed in the “Risk Factors” section of our Universal Registration Document filed with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers. The reader should take all these uncertainties and risks into consideration before forming their own opinion.
The figures set out in this document have been prepared in accordance with applicable prudential regulations and IFRS guidelines, as adopted by the European Union and applicable at that date.
Unless otherwise specified, sources for rankings and market positions are internal. The information contained in this document, to the extent that it relates to parties other than Amundi or comes from external sources, has not been verified by a supervisory authority or, more generally, subject to independent verification, and no representation or warranty has been expressed as to, nor should any reliance be placed on, the fairness, accuracy, correctness or completeness of the information or opinions contained herein. Neither Amundi nor its representatives can be held liable for any decision made, negligence or loss that may result from the use of this document or its contents, or anything related to them, or any document or information to which this document may refer.
The sum of values set out in the tables and analyses may differ slightly from the total reported due to rounding.”About Amundi
Amundi, the leading European asset manager, ranking among the top 10 global players4, offers its 100 million clients – retail, institutional and corporate – a complete range of savings and investment solutions in active and passive management, in traditional or real assets. This offering is enhanced with IT tools and services to cover the entire savings value chain. A subsidiary of the Crédit Agricole group and listed on the stock exchange, Amundi currently manages more than €2.2 trillion of assets5.
With its six international investment hubs6, financial and extra-financial research capabilities and long-standing commitment to responsible investment, Amundi is a key player in the asset management landscape.
Amundi clients benefit from the expertise and advice of 5,500 employees in 35 countries.
Amundi, a trusted partner, working every day in the interest of its clients and society
1 See press release available on https://about.amundi.com
2Figure as of February 28,2025
34.9% of voting rights
4Source: IPE “Top 500 Asset Managers” published in June 2024, based on assets under management as at 31/12/2023
5Amundi data as at 31/12/2024
6Boston, Dublin, London, Milan, Paris and TokyoAttachment
-
MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Rosen Introduce Bill to Expand Affordable Housing Access in Fast-Growing Cities
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) introduced the Housing Choice Vouchers Fairness Act to update the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) decades-old Housing Choice Voucher allocation formula so fast-growing cities like Las Vegas can access more of them. The Housing Choice Voucher Program is the federal government’s major program that helps low-income families, elderly and disabled individuals, and veterans afford housing in the private market.
Currently, the federal formulas that allocate vouchers are based on outdated population calculations dating back to the 2000 census. This legislation authorizes an additional two billion dollars in funding for the Housing Choice Voucher program to make sure public housing authorities that represent the country’s 25 fastest-growing cities with a population of over 100,000 can provide enough vouchers to meet the needs of their populations.
“Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and as our population expands, so does our need for affordable housing,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Current housing voucher programs aren’t cutting it, and this legislation would fill that gap to help working Nevada families find homes.”
“Nevada is facing an affordable housing crisis, and it makes no sense that an outdated allocation formula is preventing us from receiving our fair share of federal housing vouchers,” said Senator Rosen. “That’s why I’m helping to introduce a bill to update the formula and provide additional funding to fast-growing cities like Las Vegas. I’ll keep pushing for solutions to lower housing costs for Nevada families.”
Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto are working to lower housing costs and prevent housing prices from increasing further. Last year, Cortez Masto secured $9.4 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of San Francisco’s targeted fund — almost twice as much as Nevada received the year before — to build more middle-class homes, and she’s pushing to reform the FHLB system. Cortez Masto is also leading legislation to significantly increase the amount of federal funds available for the HOME Investment Partnership Program to build more affordable housing across the country. Recently, her legislation to cut red tape to speed up federal land transactions and lower housing costs was signed into law.
-
MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Urge Attorney General Bondi to Reverse Course on Unjustified Firings of Immigration Judges
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
Padilla, Schiff Urge Attorney General Bondi to Reverse Course on Unjustified Firings of Immigration Judges
The unjustified firings come as immigration courts are already under immense pressure to adjudicate roughly 3.6 million backlogged cases, with further strains expected with Trump’s mass deportation agenda
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined 64 House and Senate Democrats in urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to reverse the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) alarming decision to fire immigration judges even as the immigration courts currently face a staggering backlog of immigration cases. In February, EOIR abruptly fired 20 immigration judges, removed all nine Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) judges appointed during the Biden Administration, and terminated four individuals in senior EOIR leadership positions, with indications they may remove even more judges.
“We write with great concern regarding the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) decision to fire numerous immigration judges as the immigration courts face a staggering backlog of cases and a likely influx of new cases pursuant to President Trump’s mass-deportation agenda,” wrote the lawmakers.
The lawmakers highlighted the resource gaps left by these unjustified firings, citing data exclusively provided to the Committees, writing: “The termination of the [Assistant Chief Immigration Judges] (ACIJs) left roughly 25 percent of immigration courts without appropriate or established leadership or additional judges to preside over immigration matters. The fired ACIJs oversaw 18 of the 71 immigration courts and supervised 135 of approximately 700 immigration judges and over 400 staff members.”
The lawmakers emphasized that these judges helped supervise other immigration judges, and firing them will lessen the quality and slow down immigration case decisions amid preexisting large case backlogs. Immigration courts are under pressure to adjudicate roughly 3.6 million immigration cases, and a recent analysis found that 700 additional immigration judges would be needed to clear the case backlog by FY 2032.
“The absence of experienced ACIJs will impact immigration court dockets, in particular by further contributing to backlogs at courts with priority dockets, such as the detained dockets, juvenile dockets, Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) dockets, and credible fear dockets,” continued the lawmakers. “The firings also will directly impact the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP) docket, a purported priority of the Trump Administration, which has commenced at the San Diego and El Paso courts. The two ACIJs with the most experience managing the MPP docket were among those fired.”
The lawmakers further underscored the lack of notice or justification provided for the firings, suggesting they were politically motivated. They noted the harmful caseload impacts of the BIA judge removals, which unlawfully reduced the size of the BIA from 28 to 15 appellate immigration judges.
The lawmakers concluded by outlining the grave consequences of continuing to threaten the EOIR workforce and making a series of information requests.
“Further jeopardizing the immigration courts’ ability to address the case backlog are EOIR’s efforts to reduce the overall size of the EOIR workforce,” concluded the lawmakers. “Despite the impact on adjudications and court efficiency, it appears EOIR leadership may continue to fire immigration judges. … Alarmingly, the Trump Administration also has not indicated any plans to replace the recently fired judges—a process that requires intensive training that can take upwards of one year.”
The letter was led by U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee. In addition to Padilla and Schiff, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
U.S. Representatives Yassamin Ansari (D-Ill.-01), Becca Balint (D-Vt.-AL), Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.-02), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11), Sean Casten (D-Ill.-06), Gerald Connolly (D-Va.-11), Lou Correa (D-Calif.-46), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas-30), Danny Davis (D-Ill.-07), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas-07), Jesús García (D-Ill.-04), Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.-10), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-02), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.-01), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07), Henry Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), George Latimer (D-N.Y.-06), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.-04), James McGovern (D-Mass.-02), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.-06), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.-02), Deborah Ross (D-N.C.-02), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.-05), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.-01), Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.-03), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.-02), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii-02), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.-23), and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.-43) also signed the letter.
Senator Padilla is a leading voice in Congress opposing President Trump’s anti-immigrant actions and rhetoric. He’s led efforts to highlight the rising challenges at immigration courts including court backlogs, due process issues, and the importance of legal representation.
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Attorney General Bondi:
We write with great concern regarding the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) decision to fire numerous immigration judges as the immigration courts face a staggering backlog of cases and a likely influx of new cases pursuant to President Trump’s mass-deportation agenda.
On February 14, 2025, EOIR abruptly terminated 20 immigration judges via email without prior notice or stated cause, including 13 judges who had not yet been sworn in and seven of EOIR’s approximately 40 assistant chief immigration judges (ACIJs). Additionally, EOIR removed nine Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) members, all of whom were appointed during the Biden Administration. These removals followed the termination of four individuals in senior EOIR leadership positions. The termination of the ACIJs left roughly 25 percent of immigration courts without appropriate or established leadership or additional judges to preside over immigration matters. The fired ACIJs oversaw 18 of the 71 immigration courts and supervised 135 of approximately 700 immigration judges and over 400 staff members. They played key roles in ensuring immigration judges under their supervision adjudicated cases properly and efficiently. These changes will lessen the quality of immigration case decisions and the speed at which immigration cases are adjudicated.
There have been valid criticisms in the past regarding the politicized hiring of immigration judges. Under President George W. Bush’s Administration, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales improperly considered political affiliations when selecting immigration judges. In addition, under the first Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions changed the hiring process to quickly add six new BIA members who were immigration judges with among the highest asylum denial rates in the country. There is no indication, however, that the hiring process for the recently fired immigration judges and ACIJs was politicized. The immigration judges and ACIJs had varied backgrounds and had previously worked as ICE attorneys, prosecutors, DHS officials, and members of the private immigration bar. In addition, two of the fired ACIJs are veterans; one is a disabled veteran, and the other is a combat veteran with a pending disability claim.
The decision to terminate these experienced ACIJs is particularly baffling, given the immense pressure the immigration courts are under to adjudicate roughly 3.6 million immigration cases. A recent analysis found that 700 additional immigration judges would be needed to clear the case backlog by FY2032.11 The absence of experienced ACIJs will impact immigration court dockets, in particular by further contributing to backlogs at courts with priority dockets, such as the detained dockets, juvenile dockets, Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) dockets, and credible fear dockets. The firings also will directly impact the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP) docket, a purported priority of the Trump Administration, which has commenced at the San Diego and El Paso courts. The two ACIJs with the most experience managing the MPP docket were among those fired.
EOIR terminated the ACIJs with no warning, and in at least one case, an ACIJ received the termination email during an asylum hearing and had to abruptly depart the hearing, leaving the status of the case unclear. The termination emails did not cite any legal provision or basis for the removals, stating only that the ACIJs’ “employment was no longer in the best interest of the agency.” Like the EOIR leadership terminated shortly after President Trump took office, the ACIJs who were fired apparently had no conduct or performance issues prior to their termination.
EOIR also forced out every BIA member appointed during the Biden Administration through threats of demotion or reduction in force notices. This occurred despite the governing regulation stating the BIA shall consist of 28 members. Reducing the size of the BIA from 28 to 15 members will have practical repercussions on the Board’s caseload and quality of decisions.
Further jeopardizing the immigration courts’ ability to address the case backlog are EOIR’s efforts to reduce the overall size of the EOIR workforce. According to the union representing immigration judges, about 85 immigration court professionals, including 18 judges, accepted the Trump Administration’s deferred resignation offer or early retirement. Despite the impact on adjudications and court efficiency, it appears EOIR leadership may continue to fire immigration judges. Acting Director Owen recently issued a memo stating that EOIR may decline in the future to recognize restrictions for removing “inferior officers,” including the director, deputy director, all immigration judges, all appellate immigration judges, all administrative law judges, the chief administrative hearing officer, the general counsel, and the assistant director for policy. Another memo indicated that EOIR could not be “confident” that judges hired during the Biden Administration were hired in a “merit-based” and “appropriate” manner. Alarmingly, the Trump Administration also has not indicated any plans to replace the recently fired judges—a process that requires intensive training that can take upwards of one year.
We call on you to respond to the following questions at your earliest possible convenience, and no later than April 11, 2025.
1. Between January 20, 2025 and the date of the Department’s response to this letter, please provide the number of people in the following positions that have been dismissed, fired, reassigned, or otherwise let go, including by resignation or accepting an early retirement:
a. Immigration judges;
b. ACIJs;
c. BIA members; and
d. Immigration court staff, including legal assistants, attorneys, and administrative staff.
2. What are the locations of the immigration courts where the departed personnel, including immigration judges, ACIJs, and immigration court staff, were located?
3. Please provide the individual justifications, including indications of bias or impropriety, for the removal of immigration judges, ACIJs, and BIA members between January 21, 2025 and the date of the Department’s response to this letter?
4. What is your plan to hire immigration court staff, immigration judges, and ACIJs by the end of FY 2025 and by the end of FY 2026?
5. What is your plan to reduce the immigration court backlog? As part of that plan, have you conducted any assessment regarding how reducing immigration court staff and immigration judges will impact the backlog of cases?
6. What is your plan to apply expedited removal to people currently in removal proceedings under section 240 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)? Have you provided any related instructions to immigration judges to block terminations of cases where the individual has demonstrated prima facie eligibility for a benefit and has an application pending for relief under the INA?
7. How do you plan to reduce the number of BIA members through regulation?
8. What, if any, plans do you have to convert IJs and/or ACIJs to “Special Inquiry Officers”?
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
-
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: LA Times: ‘Misguided mission’: Senators blast detaining migrants at Guantanamo
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
ICYMI: LA Times: ‘Misguided mission’: Senators blast detaining migrants at Guantanamo
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, discussed the Trump Administration’s unlawful detention of migrants at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO) following his visit to the base. Last week, Padilla joined a delegation of U.S. Senators in traveling to Guantánamo Bay to conduct oversight of the ongoing Department of Defense activities to support the Department of Homeland Security in the unlawful relocation of migrants. The Senators blasted the Trump Administration for its unlawful relocation of migrants and waste of taxpayer dollars and military resources.
In his interview, Padilla reiterated the “enormous” costs to taxpayers of the “misguided” Guantánamo Bay mission, emphasizing the Trump Administration’s lack of preparation and lack of reasoning for detaining migrants at Guantánamo Bay as opposed to within the United States. He also stressed that there is “no clear authority” for the Administration to take these unlawful actions, and underscored that many of the migrants being detained here are considered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be “low-risk.”
Padilla previously denounced Trump’s relocation of immigrants from the United States to Guantánamo Bay as unlawful and demanded answers earlier this year.
Key Excerpts:
- Senators who visited the U.S. military base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where the Trump administration has flown hundreds of migrants for deportation, on Saturday called on the Trump administration to “immediately cease this misguided mission.”
- “After examining the migrant relocation activities at Guantánamo Bay, we are outraged by the scale and wastefulness of the Trump Administration’s misuse of our military,” the senators wrote. “It is obvious that Guantanamo Bay is a likely illegal and certainly illogical location to detain immigrants. Its use is seemingly designed to undermine due process and evade legal scrutiny.”
- Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said his biggest takeaways were that the administration didn’t properly prepare for the operation and that the cost to taxpayers is “enormous.” “It was sort of a ready-fire-aim approach to this whole thing,” he said.
- In an interview with The Times, Padilla said officials could not adequately explain why the migrants had to be held at Guantanamo, not some facility in the United States. … “We asked repeatedly, you mean to tell me that across the 48 states in the continental U.S., there’s not space for [around 40 low-level detainees]?” Padilla said, adding that he has issues with Trump’s detention and deportation operation. “But even recognizing that, there’s a much more cost-effective way of doing it than this.”
- Among the senators’ questions Friday, Padilla said, was what authorities are doing to meet the minimum standards for detention conditions, and which set of standards they are aiming to meet, such as those pertaining to the Navy or to ICE. There was no clear response, he said. “A lot of it seemed to be still very much a work in progress because this is unique, in terms of it being an ICE mission at a foreign location,” he said. “That in and of itself is extremely concerning because there’s no clear authority for anything they are doing at Guantanamo.”
- At times, Padilla said, officials gave contradictory information. For example, he said the answer to some questions was “it depends on their conviction.” But Padilla pointed out that some detainees haven’t been convicted of anything, and are being held based on an arrest or charge.
Full text of the article is available here and below:
LA Times: ‘Misguided mission’: Senators blast detaining migrants at Guantanamo
By Andrea Castillo
- Sen. Alex Padilla, after visiting Guantanamo, said the Trump administration didn’t properly prepare for the operation and that the cost to taxpayers is “enormous.”
- Eighty-seven migrants from primarily Latin American countries were held at the facility as of Friday, 42 of them considered “low risk.”
Senators who visited the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the Trump administration has flown hundreds of migrants for deportation, on Saturday called on the Trump administration to “immediately cease this misguided mission.”
The delegation of senators — four Democrats and one Independent — said they were angered that they had to fly to Cuba on Friday for answers to questions they’ve been asking administration officials for months.
“After examining the migrant relocation activities at Guantanamo Bay, we are outraged by the scale and wastefulness of the Trump Administration’s misuse of our military,” the senators wrote. “It is obvious that Guantanamo Bay is a likely illegal and certainly illogical location to detain immigrants. Its use is seemingly designed to undermine due process and evade legal scrutiny.”
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said his biggest takeaways were that the administration didn’t properly prepare for the operation and that the cost to taxpayers is “enormous.”
“It was sort of a ready-fire-aim approach to this whole thing,” he said.
In an interview with The Times, Padilla said officials could not adequately explain why the migrants had to be held at Guantanamo, not some facility in the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Guantanamo is best known for holding suspected terrorists and the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks, but some of the migrants held there are classified as “low-level” detainees.
“We asked repeatedly, you mean to tell me that across the 48 states in the continental U.S., there’s not space for [around 40 low-level detainees]?” Padilla said, adding that he has issues with Trump’s detention and deportation operation. “But even recognizing that, there’s a much more cost-effective way of doing it than this.”
Padilla traveled to Guantanamo with Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee; Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee; Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; and Sen. Angus King of Maine, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee.
The delegation was led by Reed. King, an Independent, caucuses with the Democrats.
Padilla is a member of the Judiciary Committee and chairs its immigration subcommittee.
Upon arrival Friday, the senators were briefed by Homeland Security officials, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Navy personnel. They visited three sites: lower-level detainees, higher-level detainees and the final 15 suspected foreign terrorists held in connection to the 9/11 attacks.
Eighty-seven migrants were held at the facility as of Friday, primarily from Latin American countries: 42 in a dormitory at the Migrant Operations Center and 45 at Camp 6, on a separate part of the base. Camp 6 is a medium-security military prison.
On March 11, the Trump administration flew 40 migrants held at Guantanamo back to the U.S., a few days ahead of a court hearing in a pair of lawsuits challenging whether it is legal to hold detainees there for civil immigration purposes.
A federal District Court judge in Washington, D.C., declined to block the administration from sending more migrants to Guantanamo. Afterward, the administration began sending more migrants there.
The Trump administration has broadly portrayed migrants sent to Guantanamo as dangerous, though many had no criminal record in the U.S. Officials have claimed without evidence that some have ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
President Trump issued an executive order in January to expand the Migrant Operations Center “to full capacity.” He suggested 30,000 migrants could be housed on the base.
Among the senators’ questions Friday, Padilla said, was what authorities are doing to meet the minimum standards for detention conditions, and which set of standards they are aiming to meet, such as those pertaining to the Navy or to ICE. There was no clear response, he said.
“A lot of it seemed to be still very much a work in progress because this is unique, in terms of it being an ICE mission at a foreign location,” he said. “That in and of itself is extremely concerning because there’s no clear authority for anything they are doing at Guantanamo.”
At times, Padilla said, officials gave contradictory information. For example, he said the answer to some questions was “it depends on their conviction.” But Padilla pointed out that some detainees haven’t been convicted of anything, and are being held based on an arrest or charge.
Padilla said officials kept using the phrase “the worst of the worst” to describe the migrants.
“If they’re all the worst of the worst, they should all be in the high-risk or violent-offender category,” he said.
Padilla said officials “did everything they could” to keep the visitors from speaking with detainees. He said he managed to ask a couple of detainees held in the low-level area when they had arrived, and they told him Thursday.
Detainees have had scarce access to phone calls. Padilla said officials recognized the need and have planned for equipment to be shipped to accommodate private attorney calls. He took that as a sign of the lack of preparation.
Padilla said he fears some detainees will be deported to their country of origin and face persecution or death because of the lack of access to counsel.
Some of the officials expressed frustration with the continuously evolving operational instructions, Padilla said. Military personnel told him they had received short notice before being transferred to Guantanamo.
Those moves leave critical missions short-staffed, Padilla said.
-
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin, Kelly Introduce Legislation to Increase Youth Employment Opportunities
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
March 31, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) reintroduced two bills to expand and increase access to employment opportunities for underserved youth. The Helping to Encourage Real Opportunity (HERO) for Youth Act and the Assisting in Developing (AID) Youth Employment Act will increase federal resources for communities seeking to create or grow employment programs and provide tax incentives to businesses and employers to hire and retain youth from economically distressed areas.
“Far too many young Americans live in neighborhoods that lack good job opportunities and struggle with all-too-commonplace violence and danger,” said Duckworth. “It doesn’t have to be that way, but it’s not going to get better unless we work together to do something about it. I’m so proud to join Senator Durbin and Congresswoman Kelly to reintroduce these bills that would help open up new economic opportunities for every American, no matter where they live or what community they grew up in.”
“To invest in our future, we must invest in the next generation. Increasing youth employment opportunities can address poverty and crime across Illinois while setting up our state’s youngest residents for a brighter future,” said Durbin. “Congresswoman Kelly, Senator Duckworth, and I are reintroducing the HERO for Youth Act and the AID Youth Employment Act to boost federal resources for youth employment programs and incentivize businesses to hire, retain, and mentor youth.”
“Our youth is our future,” said Kelly. “I’m proud to partner with Senators Durbin and Duckworth once again to introduce two pieces of legislation that will invest in economic opportunities for our youth. Better job options can help break a cycle of poverty and address roadblocks that prevent young people from reaching their full potential.”
For many young people, lack of job experience is a prohibitive disadvantage for potential employers, which perpetuates vicious cycles of unemployment and poverty in their communities, further limiting potential for further economic growth. In 2022, 13 percent of youth between the ages of 18-24 were neither employed nor in school, and Native American, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, and Black youth, as well as youth with disabilities, were disproportionately impacted. Barriers to employment at a young age have devastating consequences on the long-term employment prospects of opportunity youth, including lower lifetime earnings, higher rates of incarceration, and opioid addiction.
There is clear evidence of a correlation in communities where high rates of poverty, gun violence, and chronic unemployment among youth are prevalent. A 2017 study found that among youth participating in Chicago’s youth summer employment program, violent crime arrests decreased by nearly 33 percent. Providing employment opportunity to youth can have a considerable impact in lowering recidivism and violent crime among youth while improving their long-term health, and economic and educational outcomes.
When youth are provided a pathway to employment and the workforce, employers benefit too because they are able to train and hire skilled workers. It is estimated that between 2022 and 2032, there will be an average of 20 skilled roles with job openings for every one new worker.
The HERO for Youth Act would encourage the business community to become a partner in addressing youth unemployment by hiring underserved youth who reside in communities with high rates of poverty. Specifically, the bill would provide a Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) of up to $2,400 for businesses that hire and train youth ages 16 to 24 who are out of school and out of work and youth ages 16 to 21 that are currently in foster care or have aged out of the system. The legislation would expand the summer youth program under WOTC, which provides a tax credit to businesses that hire for summer employment youth ages 16 to 17 who are enrolled in school and live in highly distressed rural and urban communities known as Empowerment Zones, by doubling the amount of the credit to $2,400 and expanding the program to include year-round employment.
The AID Youth Employment Act will make it easier for local governments and community organizations to apply directly for federal funding to create and expand summer and year-round employment programs for young people. The legislation would establish a five-year competitive grant program for youth summer employment that also incorporate access to trauma-informed mentorship as well as job coaches. The program would provide planning grants of up to $250,000 for 12 months or implementation grants of up to $6 million over three years.
The HERO for Youth Act has been endorsed by National Grocers Association, National Small Business Association, National Recreation and Park Association, National Association of Convenience Stores, National Youth Employment Coalition, Young Invincibles, Food Industry Association, and Youth Guidance.
The AID Youth Employment Act has been endorsed by Young Invincibles, Youth Guidance, and Chicago Urban League.
A one-pager for the HERO for Youth Act can be found here.
A one-pager for the AID Youth Employment Act can be found here.
-30-
-
MIL-OSI USA: Moody’s Increases Nebraska’s Bond Rating to AAA
Source: US State of Nebraska
. The credit rating agency cited Nebraska’s stable economy, conservative spending, low debit liability and financial flexibility in determining to upgrade the state’s credit rating.
“I praise Moody’s recognition of Nebraska’s strong economic position. The trajectory of our state’s economy and financial stability is better than ever,” said Governor Jim Pillen. “We must continue our work to deliver a strong fiscally conservative budget and rebalance our tax structure, so we are less dependent on soaring local property taxes.”
Nebraska already enjoys a Standard & Poor’s bond rating of AAA, and the increase from Moody’s aligns the state’s bond rating across rating agencies. Moody’s increase means the state is seen as more credit worthy. The exceptional credit rating will help save the state money by reducing future borrowing costs for capital projects such as highway construction. It also increases the state’s financial reputation, which is likely to attract additional investment.
-
MIL-OSI USA: Gov Pillen Comments on ‘Bioreactor’ Meat Legislation
Source: US State of Nebraska
.
“This is a major victory for Nebraska agriculture. The creation of this bioreactor meat is simply a dishonest attack on producers in our state — and has no place on Nebraska’s grocery shelves. Thank you to Senator DeKay for his leadership and to all the other senators who voted to advance this effort to protect producers and consumers.”
-
MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Partners with Venus Protocol to Expand DeFi Yield Options on BNB Chain
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, a leading Web3 non-custodial wallet, has entered into a strategic partnership with Venus Protocol, the top DeFi lending platform on BNB Chain. Through this integration, users can now stake BNB, USDT, and USDC on BNB Chain directly within the wallet to earn up to 10.33% APY. The feature offers real-time earnings tracking and fully flexible redemptions, simplifying access to stable on-chain yield.
This partnership enhances Bitget Wallet’s Earn offering by integrating one of the most trusted protocols on BNB Chain, enabling users to access decentralized lending markets with just a few taps. Venus Protocol powers some of the largest and most active lending pools in the ecosystem, offering high-efficiency and secure infrastructure. By embedding this functionality directly into the Bitget Wallet interface, users can bypass complex DeFi platforms and interact with yield opportunities in a streamlined, intuitive way—without leaving the wallet or bridging assets.
“We’re excited to partner with Bitget Wallet to bring DeFi lending to a broader audience in a seamless and user-friendly way,” said Danny Cooper, Vanguard Team Lead at Venus Protocol. “This integration aligns with our mission to make decentralized finance more accessible and efficient for everyone. Through this collaboration, more users can tap into secure and sustainable yield opportunities directly from their wallets.” The integration with Venus provides users with a more diverse set of earning options, representing a growing suite of earning tools embedded within the wallet, enabling users to maximize yield without compromising on security or control.
“Our mission is to help users unlock the full value of their assets through intuitive and secure DeFi products,“ said Alvin Kan, COO of Bitget Wallet. “By partnering with Venus Protocol, we’re making stable on-chain yield more accessible. We‘ll continue to build a broader earning ecosystem that empowers users to grow their portfolios confidently, all within Bitget Wallet.“
About Bitget Wallet
Bitget Wallet is the home of Web3, uniting endless possibilities in one non-custodial wallet. With over 60 million users, it offers comprehensive on-chain services, including asset management, instant swaps, rewards, staking, trading tools, live market data, a DApp browser and crypto payment solutions. Supporting over 130 blockchains, 20,000+ DApps, and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges, along with a $300+ million protection fund to ensure safety of users’ assets. Experience Bitget Wallet Lite to start a Web3 journey.
For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook
For media inquiries, please contact media.web3@bitget.comAbout Venus Protocol
With over $2.3B total supply, Venus Protocol is the leading decentralized lending and borrowing platform on BNB Chain, offering users seamless access to crypto-backed loans, yield generation, and an innovative governance model. By providing a secure, efficient, and scalable DeFi ecosystem, Venus empowers users to maximize their digital asset holdings.
For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Web
For media inquiries, please contact verify@venus.ioA photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2284792c-b429-4bc8-8dbd-d91e888c6ed8