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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: State Archives Launches Musical Event “Builder’s Spotlight”

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    State Archives Launches Musical Event “Builder’s Spotlight”

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Main

    HONOLULU — How are ʻukulele built? What are the best materials to use? What would it sound like if the sound hole was in the back of the instrument?

    Those questions and more will be answered at an event the Hawaiʻi State Archives, a division of the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS), is hosting. “Builder’s Spotlight” will feature a local instrument maker who will talk about the instruments they make, then perform live music on those instruments.

    The first in this occasional series will be on Saturday, March 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. It will be livestreamed on the Archives’ Facebook page (Hawaiʻi State Archives) then posted to the Archives’ YouTube page when it’s done. The event is free to watch. The public may submit questions on the Facebook page in real time and a moderator will relay the questions to the host during the two-hour event.

    Well-known local musician Kimo Hussey will be the host. The first guest will be luthier Manny Halican of Pahu Kani. Halican will bring in six ʻukulele he built. Halican is also a musician and singer, so the demonstrations will include both Halican and Hussey performing intermittently while discussing design philosophy.

    “This is an excellent educational series highlighting the local artisans who bring cultural and historical value through Hawaiian music and song. It’s wonderful that we will record and save the lectures so that generations to come can learn from these masters,” said DAGS Director and Comptroller Keith Regan.

    This is a component of the Hawaiian Music Archives Initiative, which centralizes all the State Archives’ musical resources for people to explore Hawaiian music history. “The Hawaiian Music Archives Initiative includes 28,000 phonographic recordings, 15 cubic feet of Hawaiian sheet music and instruction guides, and over 1,000 vintage ʻukulele dating back to the 1890s. In September 2024, it also became the home of the ʻUkulele Hall of Fame.”

    State Archivist Adam Jansen, Ph.D., said, “In 2015, the Legislature designated the ʻukulele the official modern musical instrument of Hawaiʻi. We needed a repository to understand this instrument and to help create a deeper understanding of how Hawaiian music brought Hawaiʻi to the world, and by extension the concept of aloha.”

    “I love the ʻukulele. The rewards I get from playing it are wonderful and infinite,” explained Hussey, 80, who started playing the ʻukulele when he was five years old. The Līhuʻe resident will fly in from Kauaʻi to host the event. “I hope by teaching our viewers more about Hawaiʻi’s favorite instrument, it will increase their appreciation the next time they listen to music played on an ʻukulele.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Super Pressure Balloons Return to New Zealand for Test Flights

    Source: NASA

    NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program has returned to Wānaka, New Zealand, for two scheduled flights to test and qualify the agency’s super pressure balloon technology. These stadium-sized, heavy-lift balloons will travel the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes for planned missions of 100 days or more. 
    Launch operations are scheduled to begin in late March from Wānaka Airport, NASA’s dedicated launch site for mid-latitude, ultra long-duration balloon missions.  
    “We are very excited to return to New Zealand for this campaign to officially flight qualify the balloon vehicle for future science investigations,” said Gabriel Garde, chief of NASA’s Balloon Program Office at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. “Our dedicated team both in the field and at home has spent years in preparation for this opportunity, and it has been through their hard work, fortitude, and passion that we are back and fully ready for the upcoming campaign.” 
    While the primary flight objective is to test and qualify the super pressure balloon technology, the flights will also host science missions and technology demonstrations. The High-altitude Interferometer Wind Observation (HIWIND), led by High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, will fly as a mission of opportunity on the first flight. The HIWIND payload will measure neutral wind in the part of Earth’s atmosphere called the thermosphere. Understanding these winds will help scientists predict changes in the ionosphere, which can affect communication and navigation systems. The second flight will support several piggyback missions of opportunity, or smaller payloads, including: 

    Compact Multichannel Imaging Camera (CoMIC), led by University of Massachusetts Lowell, will study and measure how Earth’s atmosphere scatters light at high altitudes and will measure airglow, specifically the red and green emissions.  
    High-altitude Infrasound from Geophysical Sources (HIGS), led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, will measure atmospheric pressure to collect signals of geophysical events on Earth such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. These signals will help NASA as it develops the ability to measure seismic activity on Venus from high-altitude balloons.   
    Measuring Ocean Acoustics North of Antarctica (MOANA), led by Sandia National Laboratories and Swedish Institute of Space Physics, aims to capture sound waves in Earth’s stratosphere with frequencies below the limit of human hearing.
    NASA’s Balloon Program Office at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility is leading two technology demonstrations on the flight. The INterim Dynamics Instrumentation for Gondolas (INDIGO) is a data recorder meant to measure the shock of the gondola during the launch, termination, and landing phases of flight. The Sensor Package for Attitude, Rotation, and Relative Observable Winds – 7 (SPARROW-7), will demonstrate relative wind measurements using an ultrasonic device designed for the balloon float environment that measures wind speed and direction.

    NASA’s 18.8-million-cubic-foot (532,000-cubic-meter) helium-filled super pressure balloon, when fully inflated, is roughly the size of Forsyth-Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand, which has a seating capacity of more than 35,000. The balloon will float at an altitude of around 110,000 feet (33.5 kilometers), more than twice the altitude of a commercial airplane. Its flight path is determined by the speed and direction of wind at its float altitude.  
    The balloon is a closed system design to prevent gas release. It offers greater stability at float altitude with minimum altitude fluctuations during the day to night cycle compared to a zero pressure balloon. This capability will enable future missions to affordably access the near-space environment for long-duration science and technology research from the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes, including nighttime observations. 
    The public is encouraged to follow real-time tracking of the balloons’ paths as they circle the globe on the agency’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility website. Launch and tracking information will be shared across NASA’s social media platforms and the NASA Wallops blog.
    NASA’s return to Wānaka marks the sixth super pressure balloon campaign held in New Zealand since the agency began balloon operations there in 2015. The launches are conducted in collaboration with the Queenstown Airport Corporation, Queenstown Lake District Council, New Zealand Space Agency, and Airways New Zealand.  
    “We are especially grateful to our local hosts, partners, and collaborators who have been with us from the beginning and are critical to the success of these missions and this campaign,” said Garde. 
    NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia manages the agency’s scientific balloon flight program with 10 to 16 flights each year from launch sites worldwide. Peraton, which operates NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas, provides mission planning, sustaining engineering services, and field operations for NASA’s scientific balloon program. The Columbia team has launched more than 1,700 scientific balloons over some 40 years of operations. NASA’s balloons are fabricated by Aerostar. The NASA Scientific Balloon Program is funded by the NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate Astrophysics Division.  
    For more information on NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program, visit:
    www.nasa.gov/scientificballoons.
    By Olivia Littleton
    NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Urges Preparedness Ahead Multi-Day Severe Weather Outbreak; Extremely Critical Fire Weather Conditions

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    ASHINGTON — A multi-day severe weather outbreak is expected in the Mississippi Valley into the Lower Ohio Valley this afternoon into Saturday and through the Central Gulf Coast states on Saturday. 
    The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center upgraded the threat of widespread damaging winds, large hail and a strong tornado threat across portions of Missouri and Illinois. 
    A tornado outbreak is possible on Saturday across central Gulf Coast states and deep south into the Tennessee Valley. Areas in eastern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama could experience strong, long-track tornadoes Saturday afternoon and evening.
    Additionally, strong winds, low relative humidity and dry conditions will bring extremely critical fire weather conditions to the Southern Plains today. A wildfire outbreak is possible today across the Southern Plains as extremely critical fire weather conditions spread from the Texas Panhandle, North-Central Texas and into much of Oklahoma, southeast Kansas and western Missouri.
    Tips to Stay Safe Before, During and After Tornadoes and Wildfires
    Stay informed. Follow the instructions of state and local officials. They will provide the latest recommendations based on the threat to your community and appropriate safety measures. Monitor a NOAA weather radio, local radio or television stations for updated emergency information. Download the free FEMA App to receive real-time weather and emergency alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations nationwide.
    Have a Plan 
    Tornadoes: Identify a safe shelter immediately, such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar or a small interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy building. If you can’t stay at home, make plans to go to a public shelter or the home of friends, neighbors or family.
    Wildfires: Be prepared to evacuate with little advance notice in case of a wildfire. Make sure everyone in your household knows and understands what to do if you need to quickly evacuate. Keep a kit with enough food, water, medicine and your important documents in a convenient place. Don’t forget to plan for your pets.
    Protect Yourself
    Tornadoes: If you are under a tornado or severe weather warning immediately go to the safe location you identified. Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls. Cover your head or neck with your arms and put materials such as furniture and blankets around or on top of you. Watch out for flying debris that can cause injury or death. 
    There is no safe option when caught in a tornado in a car, just slightly less-dangerous ones. Do not go under an overpass or bridge, which can create deadly traffic hazards while offering little protection against flying debris. You’re safer in a low, flat location.
    Wildfires: Know your Evacuation Zone. You may have to evacuate quickly due to a wildfire. Learn your evacuation routes, practice with household, pets and identify where you will go.
    If trapped, call 9-1-1 and give your location, but be aware that emergency response could be delayed or impossible. 
    Staying Safe After a Tornado or Wildfire
    Save phone calls for emergencies. Use text messaging or social media to communicate with family and friends.
    Pay attention to local authorities for updated information. Wait for further care instructions and continue to shelter in place or stay out of the area as appropriate.
    Stay clear of fallen power lines or broken utility lines. They may be live and can cause serious injury or death.
    Wear appropriate gear during clean-up such as thick-soled shoes, long pants and work gloves; use appropriate face coverings or masks to protect yourself from dust, mold or smoke.
    After a wildfire, avoid hot ash, charred trees, smoldering debris and live embers. The ground may contain heat pockets that can burn you or spark another fire. Use a respirator to limit your exposure to ash, and wet debris to minimize breathing dust particles. People with asthma, COPD and/or other lung conditions should take precautions in areas with poor air quality, as it can worsen symptoms.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Embracing the Equinox

    Source: NASA

    Depending on your locale, equinoxes can be seen as harbingers of longer nights and gloomy weather, or promising beacons of nicer temperatures and more sunlight. Observing and predicting equinoxes is one of the earliest skills in humanity’s astronomical toolkit. Many ancient observatories around the world observed equinoxes along with the more pronounced solstices. These days, you don’t need your own observatory to know when an equinox occurs, since you’ll see it marked on your calendar twice a year! The word “equinox” originates from Latin, and translates to equal (equi-) night (-nox). But what exactly is an equinox?
    An equinox occurs twice every year, in March and September. In 2025, the equinoxes will occur on March 20, at exactly 09:01 UTC (or 2:01 AM PDT), and again on September 22, at 19:19 UTC (or 11:19 AM PDT). The equinox marks the exact moment when the center of the Sun crosses the plane of our planet’s equator. The day of an equinox, observers at the equator will see the Sun directly overhead at noon. After the March equinox, observers anywhere on Earth will see the Sun’s path in the sky continue its movement further north every day until the June solstice, after which it begins traveling south. The Sun crosses the equatorial plane again during the September equinox, and continues traveling south until the December solstice, when it heads back north once again. This movement is why some refer to the March equinox as the northward equinox, and the September equinox as the southward equinox.

    Our Sun shines equally on both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during equinoxes, which is why they are the only times of the year when the Earth’s North and South Poles are simultaneously lit by sunlight. Notably, the length of day and night on the equinox aren’t precisely equal; the date for that split depends on your latitude, and may occur a few days earlier or later than the equinox itself. The complicating factors? Our Sun and atmosphere! The Sun itself is a sphere and not a point light source, so its edge is refracted by our atmosphere as it rises and sets, which adds several minutes of light to every day. The Sun doesn’t neatly wink on and off at sunrise and sunset like a light bulb, and so there isn’t a perfect split of day and night on the equinox – but it’s very close.
    Equinoxes are associated with the changing seasons. In March, Northern Hemisphere observers welcome the longer, warmer days heralded by their vernal, or spring, equinox, but Southern Hemisphere observers note the shorter days – and longer, cooler nights – signaled by their autumnal, or fall, equinox. Come September, the reverse is true.
    Originally posted by Dave Prosper: February 2022
    Last Updated by Kat Troche: March 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Finalists Selected in NASA Aeronautics Agriculture-Themed Competition 

    Source: NASA

    Eight finalist teams participating in the 2025 NASA Gateways to Blue Skies Competition have been selected to present to a panel of judges their design concepts for aviation solutions that can help the agriculture industry. 
    Sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, this year’s competition asked teams of university students to research new or improved aviation solutions to support agriculture. The goal of the competition, titled AgAir: Aviation Solutions for Agriculture, is to enhance production, efficiency, sustainability, and resilience to extreme weather. Participants submitted proposals and accompanying videos summarizing their AgAir concepts and describing how they could demonstrate benefits by 2035 or sooner.  
    “We continue to see a growing interest in our competition with a tremendous response to this year’s agricultural theme – so many great ideas fueled by the passion of our future workforce,” said Steven Holz, NASA Aeronautics University Innovation assistant project manager and co-chair of the Gateways to Blue Skies judging panel. “We are excited to see how each finalist team fleshes out their original concept in their final papers, infographics, and presentations.” 
    The eight finalist teams will each receive stipends to facilitate their participation in the culminating Gateways to Blue Skies Forum, which will be held near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California, May 20-21 and livestreamed globally. Finalists will present to a panel of NASA and industry experts, and the winning team will have the opportunity to intern at one of NASA’s aeronautics centers during the coming academic year. 

    steven holz
    NASA Aeronautics University Innovation Assistant Project Manager

    The finalists’ projects and their universities are: 
    Proactive Resource Efficiency via Coordinated Imaging and Sprayer ExecutionAuburn University, in Alabama
    Precision Land Analysis and Aerial Nitrogen TreatmentBoston University
    Pheromonal Localization Overpopulation Regulation AircraftColumbia University, in New York
    Sky Shepherd: Autonomous Aerial Cattle MonitoringEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida
    Hog Aerial Mitigation SystemHouston Community College, in Texas
    Soil Testing and Plant Leaf Extraction DroneSouth Dakota State University, in Brookings
    RoboBeesUniversity of California, Davis
    CattleLog Cattle Management SystemUniversity of Tulsa, in Oklahoma
    The agriculture industry is essential for providing food, fuel, and fiber to the global population. However, it faces significant challenges. NASA Aeronautics is committed to supporting commercial, industrial, and governmental partners in advancing aviation systems to modernize agricultural capabilities.  
    The Gateways to Blue Skies competition is sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s University Innovation Project and is managed by the National Institute of Aerospace. 
    More information on the competition is available on the  AgAir: Aviation Solutions for Agriculture competition website. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Atmospheric Wave-Studying Mission Releases Data from First 3,000 Orbits

    Source: NASA

    Following the 3,000th orbit of NASA’s AWE (Atmospheric Waves Experiment) aboard the International Space Station, researchers publicly released the mission’s first trove of scientific data, crucial to investigate how and why subtle changes in Earth’s atmosphere cause disturbances, as well as how these atmospheric disturbances impact technological systems on the ground and in space.
    “We’ve released the first 3,000 orbits of data collected by the AWE instrument in space and transmitted back to Earth,” said Ludger Scherliess, principal investigator for the mission and physics professor at Utah State University. “This is a view of atmospheric gravity waves never captured before.”
    Available online, the data release contains more than five million individual images of nighttime airglow and atmospheric gravity wave observations collected by the instrument’s four cameras, as well as derived temperature and airglow intensity swaths of the ambient air and the waves.

    “AWE is providing incredible images and data to further understand what we only first observed less than a decade ago,” said Esayas Shume, AWE program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We are thrilled to share this influential data set with the larger scientific community and look forward to what will be discovered.”

    Atmospheric gravity waves occur naturally in Earth’s atmosphere and are formed by Earth’s weather and topography. Scientists have studied the enigmatic phenomena for years, but mainly from a few select sites on Earth’s surface.
    “With data from AWE, we can now begin near-global measurements and studies of the waves and their energy and momentum on scales from tens to hundreds and even thousands of kilometers,” Scherliess said. “This opens a whole new chapter in this field of research.”  
    Data from AWE will also provide insight into how terrestrial and space weather interactions affect satellite communications, and navigation, and tracking.
    “We’ve become very dependent on satellites for applications we use every day, including GPS navigation,” Scherliess said. “AWE is an attempt to bring science about atmospheric gravity waves into focus, and to use that information to better predict space weather that can disrupt satellite communications. We will work closely with our collaborators to better understand how these observed gravity waves impact space weather.”

    The tuba-shaped AWE instrument, known as the Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper or AMTM, consists of four identical telescopes. It is mounted to the exterior of the International Space Station, where it has a view of Earth.
    As the space station orbits Earth, the AMTM’s telescopes capture 7,000-mile-long swaths of the planet’s surface, recording images of atmospheric gravity waves as they move from the lower atmosphere into space. The AMTM measures and records the brightness of light at specific wavelengths, which can be used to create air and wave temperature maps. These maps can reveal the energy of these waves and how they are moving through the atmosphere.
    To analyze the data and make it publicly available, AWE researchers and students at USU developed new software to tackle challenges that had never been encountered before.
    “Reflections from clouds and the ground can obscure some of the images, and we want to make sure the data provide clear, precise images of the power transported by the waves,” Scherliess said. “We also need to make sure the images coming from the four separate AWE telescopes on the mapper are aligned correctly. Further, we need to ensure stray light reflections coming off the solar panels of the space station, along with moonlight and city lights, are not masking the observations.”
    As the scientists move forward with the mission, they’ll investigate how gravity wave activity changes with seasons around the globe. Scherliess looks forward to seeing how the global science community will use the AWE observations.
    “Data collected through this mission provides unprecedented insight into the role of weather on the ground on space weather,” he said.
    AWE is led by Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and it is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory built the AWE instrument and provides the mission operations center.

    By Mary-Ann MuffolettoUtah State University, Logan, UT
    NASA Media Contact: Sarah Frazier

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Meet the Johnson CLPS Team Supporting NASA’s Lunar Exploration Goals

    Source: NASA

    As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, managed out of Johnson Space Center in Houston, is paving the way for conducting lunar science for the benefit of humanity.
    Through CLPS, NASA teams worked closely with commercial companies to develop a new model for space exploration, enabling a sustainable return to the Moon. These commercial missions deliver NASA science and technology to the lunar surface, providing insights into the environment and demonstrating new technologies that will support future astronauts—on the Moon and, eventually, on Mars.

    2025: A Year of Lunar Firsts
    This year has already seen historic milestones. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 successfully delivered 10 science and technology instruments to the Moon on March 2, 2025. It touched down near a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium, a basin over 300 miles wide in the northeast quadrant of the Moon’s near side. Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 Mission, landed near the Moon’s South Pole on March 6, marking the southernmost lunar landing ever achieved.
    The lunar deliveries for NASA have collected valuable insights and data to inform the next giant leap in humanity’s return to the Moon, helping scientists address challenges like lunar dust mitigation, resource utilization, and radiation tolerance.
    Meet the Johnson employees contributing to lunar innovations that are helping to shape the future of human presence on the Moon.
    Mark Dillard: Pioneering Payload Integration

    Mark Dillard, Blue Ghost Mission 1 payload integration manager, has been at the forefront of space exploration for more than 40 years, including 28 years with the International Space Station Program. Beyond ensuring all NASA payloads are integrated onto the lunar landers, he oversees schedules, costs, and technical oversight while fostering strong partnerships with CLPS vendors and NASA science teams.
    “I believe NASA is about to enter its next Golden Age,” said Dillard. “The enthusiasm of Firefly’s engineering team is contagious, and it has been a privilege to witness their success.”
    Dillard’s career includes five years as NASA’s resident manager in Torino, Italy, where he oversaw the development of International Space Station modules, including three logistics modules, the European Space Agency’s Columbus module, and two space station nodes.

    “Like Apollo, Shuttle, and the International Space Station Programs, Artemis will add the next building block for space exploration,” said Dillard. “The CLPS initiative is a significant building block, aiming to establish reliable and long-term access to the lunar surface.”
    Susan Lederer: Guiding Science in Real Time

    Susan Lederer, IM-2 project scientist, has spent years ensuring all the NASA instruments are fully prepared for lunar operations. She oversees real-time science operations from IM’s Nova Control Center, working to maximize the mission’s scientific return and prepare for the next generation of astronauts to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
    “We have done our best with remote data, but the only way to truly understand the Moon—how to drill for resources, how to live on another celestial body—is to go there and do the experiments,” she said. “Now, we get to do that.”
    Lederer’s path to CLPS was shaped by a background in space exploration, astrophysics, and planetary science. She has contributed to multiple spacecraft missions, including NASA’s Deep Impact mission, which sent a projectile into Comet Tempel 1, and a separate mission that retrieved a sample from asteroid Itokawa.
    On Ascension Island, a remote joint U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force base, she co-led the construction of a 20,000-pound optical telescope to study space debris. Her work spans collaborations with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a tenure as a physics professor, and the design of impact experiments at NASA’s Experimental Impact Lab, where she used a vertical gun firing projectiles at speeds exceeding those of sniper rifles to study asteroid and comet collisions.
    Lederer has logged hundreds of hours conducting observing runs at professional observatories worldwide, where she refined both her scientific precision and her ability to repair instruments while working alone on remote mountaintops.
    As a private pilot and SciComm (the science equivalent of Capsule Communicator) for NASA’s Desert Research and Technology Studies, she honed her mission communication skills. She was also part of an international team that discovered two extrasolar planetary systems—one with a single Earth-sized planet and another with seven—orbiting ultracool red dwarf stars.
    Her expertise has uniquely prepared her to oversee real-time science operations for lunar missions in high-intensity environments.

    Lederer emphasizes the importance of both scientific discovery and the practical realities of living and working on another world—a challenge NASA is tackling for the first time in history.
    “Honestly, it’s when things don’t go as planned that you learn the most,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the surprises that we get to solve together as a team. That’s our greatest strength—the knowledge and teamwork that make this all happen.”
    Lederer credits the success of CLPS lunar deliveries to the dedication of teams working on payloads like Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 and Lunar Retroreflector Array, as well as peers within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Space Technology Mission Directorate, and Intuitive Machines.
    “What we do every day in CLPS creates a new world for exploration that is efficient in schedule, cost, and gaining science and technology knowledge in these areas like we’ve never done before,” said Lederer. “It feels very much like being a trailblazer for inspiring future generations of explorers – at least that’s my hope, to keep the next generation inspired and engaged in the wonders of our universe.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Columbia University Student Whose Visa Was Revoked for Supporting Hamas and Terrorist Activities Used CBP Home App to Self-Deport

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: VIDEO: Columbia University Student Whose Visa Was Revoked for Supporting Hamas and Terrorist Activities Used CBP Home App to Self-Deport

    lass=”text-align-center”>Another student who supported Hamas was arrested by ICE HSI for overstaying her student visa

       
    WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that one of the Columbia students who had her student visa revoked for advocating for violence and terrorism self-deported using the CBP Home App and ICE arrested a Palestinian student for overstaying her expired F-1 visa

     
    Ranjani Srinivasan, a citizen and national of India, entered the United States on a F-1 student visa as doctoral student in Urban Planning at Columbia University

    Srinivasan was involved in activities supporting Hammas, a terrorist organization

    On March 5, 2025, the Department of State revoked her visa

    The Department of Homeland Security has obtained video footage of her using the CBP Home App to self-deport on March 11

     
    Another student Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from West Bank, was arrested by ICE HSI Newark officers for overstaying her expired F-1 student visa

    Her visa terminated on January 26, 2022, for lack of attendance

    Previously, in April 2024 Kordia was arrested for her involvement in pro-Hamas protests at Columbia University in New York City

     
    The below statement is attributable to Secretary Noem:  
    “It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America

    When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country

    I am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home app to self-deport

    ” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse

    Source: NASA

    The phases of the lunar eclipse are visible in this time-lapse image of the Moon above the Space Environments Complex at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, OH on March 14, 2025.
    Toward the middle of the Moon’s track through the sky, it appears red – this is the Blood Moon. One meaning of a “Blood Moon” is based on its red glow. This blood moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse. During a total lunar eclipse, Earth lines up between the Moon and the Sun, hiding the Moon from sunlight. When this happens, the only light that reaches the Moon’s surface is from the edges of the Earth’s atmosphere. The air molecules from Earth’s atmosphere scatter out most of the blue light. The remaining light reflects onto the Moon’s surface with a red glow, making the Moon appear red in the night sky.
    Image credit: NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – Heʻeia State Park Banquet Hall Reopens, March 14, 2025

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – Heʻeia State Park Banquet Hall Reopens, March 14, 2025

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

    KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

     

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

    HE‘EIA STATE PARK BANQUET HALL IS REOPENED

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

    March 14, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – A valued location for community gatherings and celebrations in Windward Oʻahu is operating again. Since the reopening of the banquet hall at Heʻeia State Park on Saturday, March 1, there have been over 200 reservations and inquires for baby luaus, birthdays, graduations, weddings, anniversaries and other types of celebrations.

     

    The hall and associated facilities were closed for the last month after the previous lease to the nonprofit Kama‘aina Care, Inc. was canceled. The banquet facility has been managed by cooperating partners with the DLNR Division of State Parks (DSP) for the past 48 years, since He‘eia was acquired as a state park in 1977. Prior to that, Kealohi Point was known as and operated as “Ulumau Village.”  

     

    In January, another nonprofit, Halau Nohona Hawai‘i (HNH), was awarded a revocable permit by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) on a month-to-month basis. DSP is evaluating future management options and partnerships for enhancing the community’s experience, adding educational opportunities, estuary stewardship and to ensure that Heʻeia State Park is also known as Kealohi Point, a venerated cultural feature of Kāne’ohe Bay.

     

    “DSP has learned that HNH, through the culinary and event management skills of its co-founder Kaimana Chee, a kumu hula and a homegrown resident from Hauʻula, will be able to provide an affordable and quality standard for events in the banquet hall,” said Curt Cottrell, DSP Administrator.

     

    “With extensive experience in managing diverse culinary and events and operations across six continents, Kaimana and the HNH is bringing this depth of knowledge back home,” Cottrell added.

     

    To prepare for the reopening of the banquet hall, DSP received 300 new chairs and 40 tables. DSP staff hustled to unwrap and mark them as parks property. A DSP caretaker has been assigned to open the entrance gate each morning and to support service of the comfort station.

     

    For now, the grounds will be maintained through a contracted service, since DSP has not had staff assigned to this park for over 14 years due to Kamaʻaina Care doing all the maintenance. 

     

    The Puakea Foundation, led by Uncle Bobby Puakea, has a longstanding curatorship agreement in its halau waʻa onsite, and will continue its waʻa restoration and education programs that will now include paddling training and workshops.

     

    A new and critically needed additional partner in the park is DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) which is establishing a field station at the park and has installed an office trailer to support law enforcement operations on the windward coast. DOCARE will have the capacity to support park closure and ensure improved public safety. 

     

    Cottrell called DOCARE’s move “timely.” In December, someone broke into the banquet hall, damaged glass and stole expensive tools and materials owned by Kama‘aina Care, and DSP picnic tables and benches have been stolen. A few weeks ago, two arson fires were extinguished in the park.

     

    “Having DOCARE’s presence is enormously beneficial not only for He‘eia, but for the adjacent He‘eia Kea Small Boat Harbor and other facilities and lands in windward O‘ahu under DLNR jurisdiction,” Cottrell said.

     

    # # #

     

    RESOURCES

    (All images/video Courtesy: DLNR)

     

    HD video – He‘eia State Park and chair stenciling (Feb. 25-26, 2025): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oomyt0i38xd4ixrqeex04/Heeia-State-Park-Banquet-Hall-Reopens-media-clips.mov?rlkey=3ew4jgezg43vamp7spe3cpknx&st=m52v4unm&dl=0

     

     

    Photographs – He‘eia State Park and chair stenciling (Feb. 25-26, 2025): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/aiwa6j3ynsags7srd1pjr/ACaOdhdwo2frMdb4KHD0XBU?rlkey=ssf4fo6txxg2zgmdekzmzzv6l&st=9lrzex3p&dl=0

     

     

     

    Media Contacts: 

    Dan Dennison

    Communications Director

    Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396

    Email: DLNR.comms@hawaii.gov

     

    Patti Jette

    Communications Specialist

    Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396 

    Email: [email protected] 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: West Virginians Can Learn More About Rebuilding Their Homes

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: West Virginians Can Learn More About Rebuilding Their Homes

    West Virginians Can Learn More About Rebuilding Their Homes

    CHARLESTON, W

    Va

    — Residents in Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wayne, and Wyoming counties who were impacted by the winter flooding between February 15 – 18, 2025 can visit Jimmy’s Hardware and Supply in McDowell County to speak with a FEMA mitigation specialist about building their home back better

    FEMA can provide education and resources to residents on safe clean-up procedures and mitigation actions to reduce the effects of future events

    Mitigation staff can discuss opportunities on programs that are available to homeowners, explain the building and permitting process, and provide information on flood insurance and risk reduction techniques

     Jimmy’s Hardware and Supply23 County Rd 7 Roderfield, WV 24881 Hours of operation:Monday through Saturday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     Closed on SundaysResidents can also visit an open Disaster Recovery Center and speak with a FEMA mitigation specialist

    Mercer County Disaster Recovery CenterMcDowell County Disaster Recovery CenterLifeline Princeton Church of God250 Oakvale Road Princeton, WV 24740 Hours of operation:Monday to Friday: 9 a

    m

    – 5 p

    m

    Saturdays: 10 a

    m

    – 2 p

    m

    Closed Sundays Closed March 15, March 22, April 19Bradshaw Town Hall10002 Marshall HwyBradshaw, WV 24817 Hours of operation:Monday to Saturday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

    Closed SundaysMingo County Disaster Recovery CenterWyoming County Disaster Recovery CenterWilliamson Campus1601 Armory DriveWilliamson, WV 25661 Hours of operation:Monday through Saturday, 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     Closed on SundaysWyoming Court House24 Main AvePineville, WV 24874 Hours of operation:Monday through Friday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     Saturdays: 9 a

    m

    to 3 p

    m

    Closed on SundaysFor more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd

    wv

    gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www

    fema

    gov/disaster/4861, and www

    facebook

    com/FEMA

    ###FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters

    Follow FEMA online, on X @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol, on FEMA’s Facebook page or Espanol page and at FEMA’s YouTube account

    Also, follow on X FEMA_Cam

    For preparedness information follow the Ready Campaign on X at @Ready

    gov, on Instagram @Ready

    gov or on the Ready Facebook page

     
    kelly

    magarity
    Fri, 03/14/2025 – 16:29

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bahía Blanca Inundated

    Source: NASA

    Intense rainfall triggered deadly flash flooding in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, in late austral summer 2025. The city received approximately 400 millimeters (15.7 inches) of rain in 8 hours on March 7, local authorities told news outlets—about two-thirds the average amount the area sees in one year.
    The false-color images above show the city and its surroundings on January 30 (left) and March 11 (right), before and after the rainstorm. They were acquired with the OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9 and the OLI on Landsat 8, respectively. The band combination (7-5-4) used in the images makes it easier to distinguish between water, land, and vegetation. Flooded areas are visible in developed areas, particularly near the coast, as well as in the surrounding fields.
    The water level in the channels looks similar in the two images, but it fluctuates significantly with tides and weather. The average tidal range, or difference between high and low tides, at the Ingeniero White port is about 3.6 meters (11.8 feet). Prevailing winds that blow parallel to the main channels can accelerate or delay the tidal wave. Increases in suspended sediment after the storm may account for some of the variation in color between the two images. The rest of the estuary also appears more saturated.
    The intense rain on March 7 set a record for daily precipitation in Bahía Blanca, toppling the previous mark of 175 millimeters (6.9 inches) from 1930, officials reported. A cold front moving through the region triggered the severe weather, causing warm, humid air from a recent heatwave to rise, cool, and condense.
    Flash flooding submerged parts of the city in more than 2 meters of water, according to news reports. The deadly storm also forced the evacuation of a hospital and more than 1,000 residents from their homes. Floodwaters damaged roadways, causing multiple sections of National Route 3 to close. Bahía Blanca is home to more than 330,000 people and is a major port in Buenos Aires province.
    NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Data Supports Everglades Restoration

    Source: NASA

    This story is the second installment of a series on NASA’s mission to measure greenhouse gases in Florida’s mangrove ecosystem. Read the first part here.

    Along the southernmost rim of the Florida Peninsula, the arching prop roots of red mangroves line the coast. Where they dip below the water’s surface, fish lay their eggs, using the protection from predators that the trees provide. Among their branches, wading birds like the great blue heron and the roseate spoonbill find rookeries to rear their young. The tangled matrix of roots collects organic matter and ocean-bound sediments, adding little by little to the coastline and shielding inland biology from the erosive force of the sea.
    In these ways, mangroves are equal parts products and engineers of their environment. But their ecological value extends far beyond the coastline. 
    Tropical wetlands absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere with impressive efficiency. Current estimates suggest they sequester carbon dioxide 10 times faster and store up to five times more carbon than old-growth forests. But as part of the ever-changing line between land and sea, coastal wetlands are vulnerable to disturbances like sea level rise, hurricanes, and changes in ocean salinity. As these threats intensify, Florida’s wetlands — and their role as a critical sink for carbon dioxide — face an uncertain future.
    A new data product developed by NASA-funded researchers will help monitor from space the changing relationship between coastal wetlands and atmospheric carbon. It will deliver daily measurements of gaseous flux — the rate at which gas is exchanged between the planet’s surface and atmosphere. The goal is to improve local and global estimates of carbon dioxide levels and help stakeholders evaluate wetland restoration efforts.

    In the Everglades, flux measurements have historically relied on data from a handful of “flux towers.” The first of these towers was erected in June 2003, not far from the edge of Shark River at a research site known as SRS-6. A short walk from the riverbank, across a snaking path of rain-weathered, wooden planks, sits a small platform where the tower is anchored to the forest floor. Nearly 65 feet above the platform, a suite of instruments continuously measures wind velocity, temperature, humidity, and concentrations of atmospheric gases. These measurements are used to quantify the amount of carbon dioxide that wetland vegetation removes from the atmosphere — and the amount of methane released.
    “Hundreds of research papers have come from this site,” said David Lagomasino, a professor of coastal ecology at East Carolina University. The abundance of research born from SRS-6 underscores its scientific value. But the BlueFlux campaign is committed to detailing flux across a much larger area — to fill in the gaps between the towers.

    Part of NASA’s new greenhouse-gas product is a machine-learning model that estimates gaseous flux using observations made by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites. The MODIS instruments capture images and data of South Florida every one to two days, measuring the wavelength of sunlight reflected by the planet’s surface to produce a dataset called surface spectral reflectance.
    Different surfaces — like water, vegetation, sand, or decaying organic matter — reflect different wavelengths of light. With the help of some advanced statistical algorithms, modelers can use these measurements to generate a grid of real-time flux data.
    To help ensure the satellite-based model is making accurate predictions, researchers compare its outputs to measurements made on the ground. But with only a handful of flux towers in the region, ground-based flux data can be hard to come by.
    To augment existing datasets, NASA researchers use a relatively new airborne technique for measuring flux. Since April 2022, NASA’s airborne science team has conducted 34 flights equipped with a payload known colloquially as “CARAFE,” short for the CARbon Airborne Flux Experiment. The CARAFE instrument measures concentrations of methane, carbon dioxide, and water vapor, generating readings that researchers combine with information about the plane’s speed and orientation to estimate rates of gaseous flux at fixed points along each flight’s path.
    “This is one of the first times an instrument like this has flown over a mangrove forest anywhere in the world,” said Lola Fatoyinbo, a forest ecologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

    Early findings from space-based flux data confirm that, in addition to acting as a sink of carbon dioxide, tropical wetlands are a significant source of methane — a greenhouse gas that traps heat roughly 80 times more efficiently than carbon dioxide. In fact, researchers estimate that Florida’s entire wetland expanse produces enough methane to offset the benefits of wetland carbon removal by about 5%.
    “There are also significant differences in fluxes between healthy mangroves and degraded ones,” Fatoyinbo said. In areas where mangrove forests are suffering, say after a major hurricane, “you end up with more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” As wetland ecology responds to intensifying natural and human pressures, the data product will help researchers precisely monitor the impact of ecological changes on global carbon dioxide and methane levels.

    The Everglades today are roughly half their original size — primarily the result of a century’s worth of uninterrupted land development and wetland drainage projects. It’s difficult to quantify the impact of wetland losses at this scale. Florida’s tropical wetlands aren’t just an important reminder of the beauty and richness of the state’s natural history. They’re also a critical reservoir of atmospheric carbon and a source of drinking water for millions of South Florida residents.
    “We know how valuable the wetlands are, but we need this reliable science to help translate their benefits into something that can reach people and policymakers,” said Steve Davis, chief science officer for the Everglades Foundation, a non-profit organization in Miami-Dade County that provides scientific research and advocacy in an effort to protect and restore the Everglades.
    As new policies and infrastructure are designed to support Everglades restoration, researchers hope NASA’s daily flux product will help local officials evaluate their restoration efforts in real time — and adjust the course as needed.

    The prototype of the product, called Daily Flux Predictions for South Florida, is slated for release this year and will be available through NASA’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

    By Nathan Marder
    NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FDA Educational Efforts Prevented Nearly 450,000 Youth from Starting E-Cigarette Use in One Year

    Source: US Food and Drug Administration

    For Immediate Release:
    March 14, 2025

    Today, a study co-authored by U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists was released showing the agency’s youth e-cigarette prevention campaign, “The Real Cost,” successfully reduced e-cigarette use among youth. The campaign, which launched in 2018 under the leadership of President Trump, was found to have prevented an estimated 444,252 American youth (age 11 to 17 at study recruitment) from starting to use e-cigarettes between 2023 and 2024.
    The new study, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found evidence that the campaign contributed to the nearly 70% decline in e-cigarette use among American youth that has occurred since 2019. According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, the number of U.S. middle and high school students who currently use e-cigarettes has declined from 5.38 million in 2019 to 1.63 million in 2024, the lowest level in a decade.
    “As part of our work to Make America Healthy Again, we must ensure that children have a healthy start in life,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner, M.D., M.P.H. “This includes taking evidence-based actions to prevent youth tobacco product use.”
    Data from the evaluation, which followed a nationally representative sample of U.S. youth over time, showed that viewing ads from “The Real Cost” lowered chances that youth who had never used an e-cigarette would later initiate use. The survey collected information on how frequently youth were exposed to “The Real Cost” campaign and which youth went on to try e-cigarettes, among other variables.
    “Adolescence is a critical period for prevention efforts because most adults who use tobacco products begin using them in their teenage years,” said Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “Youth tobacco prevention campaigns not only work, but they are also a cost-effective approach to protecting young people from a lifetime of nicotine addiction.”  
    These data build on prior scientific studies showing that exposure to “The Real Cost” campaign is a cost-saving strategy by reducing the lifetime risks of tobacco-related disease and death, including from chronic disease. A previous study that evaluated “The Real Cost” Youth Cigarette Prevention Campaign found that the effort prevented up to 587,000 American youth from initiating smoking over a three-year period, half of whom might have gone on to become established adult cigarette users. The cigarette prevention campaign also was found to save $180 for every dollar spent on the effort in its first two years, totaling more than $53 billion in reduced smoking-related costs like early loss of life, costly medical care, lost wages, lower productivity and increased disability.  
    There is no safe tobacco product. Those who do not currently use tobacco products, especially youth, should not start. Additionally, there are medications that have been approved by the FDA to be safe and effective for adults who want to quit smoking. Adults who smoke should also know that different types of tobacco products exist on a spectrum of health risk, with smoked products such as cigarettes being the most harmful. Adults who fully switch from cigarettes to a lower-risk alternative tobacco product can generally reduce their health risks and exposure to toxic and cancer-causing chemicals.  
    “The Real Cost” Youth E-cigarette Prevention Campaign uses a variety of marketing tactics and creative advertising to reach youth. Advertising and prevention materials are delivered across communication channels relevant to teens, including digital and streaming platforms, social media and gaming platforms. These education efforts are one component of the agency’s strategy to reduce and prevent youth use of tobacco products. The agency’s activities also include compliance and enforcement actions across the supply chain – in coordination with federal partners using their unique authorities – to ensure that those that make, distribute or sell illegal tobacco products are held accountable to the law. All of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products’ efforts are 100 percent funded by tobacco user fees, which are fees paid by manufacturers and importers of certain classes of tobacco products.
    ###

    Boilerplate

    The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.

    Inquiries

    Consumer:
    888-INFO-FDA

    Content current as of:
    03/14/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Center in Mercer County will Temporarily Close on Saturday March 15

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Center in Mercer County will Temporarily Close on Saturday March 15

    Disaster Recovery Center in Mercer County will Temporarily Close on Saturday March 15

    CHARLESTON, W

    Va

    — The Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Mercer County will be temporarily closed on Saturday, March 15, and will re-open on Monday, March 17 at 8 a

    m

    It will also be temporarily closed on Saturday, March 22, but will re-open on Monday, March 24 at 8 a

    m

     A DRC is a one-stop shop where survivors can meet face-to-face with FEMA representatives, apply for FEMA assistance, get help understanding and responding to a FEMA letter, receive referrals to local assistance, apply with the U

    S

    Small Business Administration (SBA) for low-interest disaster loans, and much more

    To find the DRC closest to you, including addresses and hours, visit FEMA

    gov/drc or text DRC and a ZIP code to 43362

      There are other ways to stay in touch with FEMA

    Apply by phone at 800-621-3362Apply online at DisasterAssistance

    govApply with the FEMA AppDownload the free FEMA mobile app, available at Google Play or the Apple App StoreApply in person at one of our other FEMA West Virginia Disaster Recovery Centers:Mercer County Disaster Recovery CenterMcDowell County Disaster Recovery CenterLifeline Princeton Church of God250 Oakvale Road Princeton, WV 24740 Hours of operation:Monday to Friday: 9 a

    m

    – 5 p

    m

    Saturday: 10 a

    m

    – 2 p

    m

    Closed Sundays Closed March 15, March 22, April 19Bradshaw Town Hall10002 Marshall HwyBradshaw, WV 24817 Hours of operation:Monday to Saturday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

    Closed SundaysMingo County Disaster Recovery CenterWyoming County Disaster Recovery CenterWilliamson Campus1601 Armory DriveWilliamson, WV 25661 Hours of operation:Monday through Saturday, 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     Closed on SundaysWyoming Court House24 Main AvePineville, WV 24874 Hours of operation:Monday through Friday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     Saturday: 9 a

    m

    to 3 p

    m

    Closed on SundaysVisit fema

    gov/drc to find the latest recovery center informationFor more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd

    wv

    gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www

    fema

    gov/disaster/4861 and www

    facebook

    com/FEMA

    ###FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters

    Follow FEMA online, on X @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol, on FEMA’s Facebook page or Espanol page and at FEMA’s YouTube account

    Also, follow on X FEMA_Cam

    For preparedness information follow the Ready Campaign on X at @Ready

    gov, on Instagram @Ready

    gov or on the Ready Facebook page

    kelly

    magarity
    Fri, 03/14/2025 – 13:32

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Seabear Company Recalls Smoked Salmon Chowder and Alehouse Clam Chowder Because of Possible Health Risk

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    March 15, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    March 15, 2025
    Product Type:
    Food & Beverages
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Potential contamination with Clostridium botulinum

    Company Name:
    Seabear Company
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    Seabear

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Alehouse Clam Chowder and Smoked Salmon Chowder

    Company Announcement
    SeaBear Company of Anacortes, Washington is recalling two variations of seafood chowder (Smoked Salmon Chowder & Alehouse Clam Chowder), because it has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life- threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.
    Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.
    The Smoked Salmon Chowder and Alehouse Clam Chowder were distributed through physical retail stores in Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington and direct home delivery via SeaBear’s website (https://seabear.com/) nationwide between 10/1/2024 and 03/14/2025.
    The recalled SeaBear Smokehouse chowder products are shelf stable and packaged in a 12oz dark blue pouch. The impacted lot codes are found on back of pouch.

    Recall Product
    Brand
    UPC
    Impacted Lot Codes

    SeaBear Salmon Chowder Net wt.12oz.
    SeaBear Smokehouse
    0 34507 07001 3

    64242902 SALCH – Enjoy by: 10/2028
    64242912 SALCH – Enjoy by: 10/2028
    64242972 SALCH – Enjoy by: 10/2028
    64242982 SALCH – Enjoy by: 10/2028
    64243042 SALCH – Enjoy by: 10/2028
    64243052 SALCH – Enjoy by: 10/2028
    64243121 SALCH – Enjoy by: 11/2028
    64243131 SALCH – Enjoy by: 11/2028
    64243191 SALCH – Enjoy by: 11/2028
    64243201 SALCH – Enjoy by: 11/2028
    64243651 SALCH – Enjoy by: 12/2028
    64250031 SALCH – Enjoy by: 1/2029
    64250291 SALCH – Enjoy by: 1/2029
    64250301 SALCH – Enjoy by: 1/2029

    Alehouse Clam Chowder Net wt 12oz
    SeaBear Smokehouse
     0 34507 07021 1

    64241641 ALECH – Enjoy by: 6/2028
    64241643 ALECH – Enjoy by: 6/2028
    64241661 ALECH – Enjoy by: 6/2028
    64243251 ALECH – Enjoy by: 11/2028
    64243261 ALECH – Enjoy by: 11/2028
    64250222 ALECH – Enjoy by: 1/2029
    64250241 ALECH – Enjoy by: 1/2029

    No illnesses have been reported to date.
    SeaBear initiated a voluntary recall after they became aware of a pouch seal issue from a customer complaint. Upon further investigation, they identified a mechanical issue with equipment, which caused seals to not fully bond and made some pouches leak.
    Consumers who have purchased SeaBear’s Smoked Salmon Chowder or Alehouse Chowder are urged not to consume products and should contact SeaBear’s customer service team at 1-800- 645-3474 or smokehouse@seabear.com for a full refund. SeaBear’s customer service hours are Monday-Friday 7am-5:30pm PST.
    This recall is being made with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    Company Contact Information

    Media:
    Brad Pitalo
    800-645-3474

    Product Photos

    Content current as of:
    03/15/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor — News Release — Gov. Green Announces First One ‘Ohana Fund Disbursement

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Office of the Governor — News Release — Gov. Green Announces First One ‘Ohana Fund Disbursement

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI 
    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI 
     
    JOSH GREEN, M.D. 
    GOVERNOR
    KE KIAʻĀINA 
     

    GOVERNOR GREEN ANNOUNCES FIRST ONE ‘OHANA FUND DISBURSEMENT TO SURVIVORS

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    March 14, 2025

    HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green, M.D., today announced the initial disbursements from the $175 million One ‘Ohana Fund, a key initiative of the Maui Wildfires Compensation Program (MWCP). This fund was created to provide direct financial relief to the families of those who lost loved ones and to individuals who suffered serious physical injuries in the August 8, 2023, Maui wildfires.

    “While no amount of money can replace the lives lost or the suffering endured, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing timely and fair compensation,” said Governor Green. “Today marks a significant step forward in the long journey of recovery for the people of Maui.”

    Initial Disbursements and Program Progress:
    • The first $1.5 million payment has been issued to the estate of a wildfire victim.
    • A total of 26 wrongful death claims have been qualified:
    • One claim has been paid.
    • 22 additional payments will be made upon approval of good-faith settlement petitions.
    • Two claimants withdrew, and one claim was voided under program protocols.
    • Nine serious physical injury claims are in the final review process.
    • Phase One of the MWCP is expected to be fully completed by June 30, 2025.

    Larger Global Settlement and Future Payments:
    • The One ‘Ohana Fund will provide 23 wrongful death payments and nine injury case payments.
    • Families receiving disbursements may seek additional compensation from the $4 billion global settlement fund.
    • After these disbursements, the One ‘Ohana Fund will begin accepting up to 79 additional wrongful death claims, each receiving $1.5 million, with the ability to pursue further compensation.

    Ensuring Fairness and Transparency:
    • The state of Hawaiʻi has pledged $800 million to the global settlement, pending legislative approval.
    • A new oversight entity will be established to ensure efficient and equitable distribution of funds.
    • Maui Circuit Court Judge Peter Cahill will oversee the resolution of claims from subrogation insurers.

    “This process was designed to be accessible and fair,” Governor Green emphasized. “Nearly 65% of wrongful death claimants have represented themselves—an encouraging sign that our approach is working as intended.”

    The state remains committed to:
    • Ensuring that all displaced residents—regardless of ethnicity or citizenship—receive assistance.
    • Engaging the community in long-term planning for transitional and permanent housing.
    • Returning historically recognized lands to the Lahaina community.
    • Securing $500 million for Infrastructure Master Planning to support long-term rebuilding efforts.

    “I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Judge Ronald Ibarra (Ret.), our legal teams, pro bono attorneys, financial partners and community organizations for making today possible,” said Governor Green. “We will continue to stand with our families, our community and all those who need support. Together, we will rebuild Lahaina stronger.”

    To view the livestream, double-click here. 
    Photos from today’s news conference can be found here.
    Slides from today’s news conference can be found here.

    # # #

    Media Contacts:   
    Erika Engle
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
    Office: 808-586-0120
    Email: [email protected] 

    Makana McClellan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
    Cell: 808-265-0083
    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-43 AG LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2025-43 AG LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

     

     

    ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNE LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

     

     

    News Release 2025-43

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       

    March 14, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez issued the following statement after a federal judge in the United States District Court for Maryland issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) for 18 federal agencies, ordering them to stop the illegal mass layoffs of federal probationary employees and to reinstate fired employees by 1:00pm (ET) on Monday, March 17, 2025. 

     

    “President Trump blindsided the states when he fired thousands of federal probationary employees without giving them the 60-day notice required by law. He jeopardized these employees’ financial security and risked overwhelming the states’ ability to help those who were out of work.

     

    “This ruling not only requires the Trump administration to stop these indiscriminate and unlawful layoffs but also orders it to undo the harm inflicted across the country by restoring the jobs of hardworking federal employees.  

     

    “These mass firings reflect a disregard for both the law and the essential role of the civil service in maintaining government stability. Our office is committed to upholding the rule of law and will take every necessary legal step to ensure compliance with this court order.” 

     

    The TRO comes seven days after Attorney General Lopez joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in suing numerous federal agencies for causing irreparable injuries to the plaintiff states. The TRO stops the unlawful mass firings, orders the agencies to give those employees their jobs back, and applies to the following 18 federal agencies:

     

     

    The state of Hawaiʻi is represented in this matter by Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes and Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day.

     

    Information on the original lawsuit can be found here.

     

    Attorney General Lopez was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

     

    # # #

     

    Media contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284                                                  

    Email: [email protected]        

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
    Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office: 808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
    Email:     [email protected] 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 3.14.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Mar 14, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Janessa Goldbeck, of San Diego, has been appointed to the California Veterans Board. Goldbeck has been the Chief Executive Officer of Vet Voice Foundation since 2022 and the Principal of Sui Generis Strategies since 2017. She was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps from 2012 to 2019. Goldbeck was the National Field Director at Genocide Intervention Network from 2007 to 2011. She is a board member of the San Diego LGBT Community Center and Equality California. Goldbeck is a member of the San Diego Rotary Club 33 and the Truman National Security Project. She earned a Master of the Arts degree in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Goldbeck is a Democrat. 

    Courtney Welch, of Emeryville, has been appointed to the California Housing Partnership Corporation. Welch has been the Director of External Affairs of the California Housing Defense Fund since 2023 and a City Councilmember of the City of Emeryville since 2021. She held multiple roles at the City of Emeryville from 2022 to 2024, including Mayor and Vice-Mayor. She was the Director of Planning and Investigation at the California Housing Defense Fund from 2022 to 2023. She was the Director of Policy and Communications of the Bay Area Community Land Trust from 2021 to 2022. Welch was a Continuum of Care Specialist at EveryOne Home from 2020 to 2021. She was an Affordable Housing Program Coordinator at HomeownershipSF from 2018 to 2020. Welch is a member of the Alameda County Housing and Community Development Advisory Board, and the Children’s Hospital Consumer Advisory Board. She studied General Studies at Hampton University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Welch is a Democrat. 

    Indira Cameron-Banks, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Civil Rights Council. Cameron-Banks has been a Founding Partner of Cameron Banks Law, Cameron Jones LLP since 2021. She was Director at the Lawyers Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project, Inner City Law Center from 2020 to 2021. Cameron-Banks held multiple positions at the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Central District of California from 2007 to 2020, including Assistant United States Attorney, Special Counsel to the United States Attorney, and Chief of Financial Litigation Section. She is a member of the Social and Economic Policy Advisory Board for the RAND Corporation. Cameron-Banks earned her Juris Doctor degree from Boston University and her Bachelor of the Arts degree from the University of Chicago. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Cameron-Banks is a Democrat.

    Ricardo Sanchez, of Hollister, has been appointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy. Sanchez has been an Investigator at the California Department of Motor Vehicles since 1989. He is the Chief Financial Officer for the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and a Member of the San Benito Masonic Temple #211, Order of Eastern Star, Athena #46, California Mexican American Veteran Memorial Beautification and Enhancement Committee and El Solado Latino. Sanchez earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Union Institute and University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Sanchez is a Democrat. 

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Mar 14, 2025

    News What you need to know: Aided by $10 million from the State of California, LA Rises, Maersk and APM Terminals, LA-area grant program awards $2.7 million to fire-impacted small businesses, nonprofits and workers to navigate recovery and rebuilding.  LOS ANGELES –…

    Mar 13, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Andrew King, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Data Operations Strategy at the Office of Data and Innovation. King has been Manager of the Data Operations Section at…

    Mar 13, 2025

    News What you need to know: California is expanding its collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to leverage cutting-edge technologies to protect public health and help Los Angeles rebuild.  LOS ANGELES – As part of the state’s ongoing actions to support…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: LA’s rebuilding and recovery efforts continue with support from Governor Newsom and LA Rises

    Source: US State of California 2

    Mar 14, 2025

    What you need to know: Aided by $10 million from the State of California, LA Rises, Maersk and APM Terminals, LA-area grant program awards $2.7 million to fire-impacted small businesses, nonprofits and workers to navigate recovery and rebuilding. 

    LOS ANGELES – Yesterday, the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and City of Los Angeles announced the first round of grants for the LA Region Small Business and Worker Relief Funds that will provide direct cash assistance to impacted workers, small businesses, and non-profits. A total of $2.7 million was disbursed to 82 businesses and 324 workers in this initial phase, including those businesses and nonprofits that had physical brick-and-mortar locations destroyed in the fires.

    “We know that small businesses are not only key to a thriving economy but also make up the heart of healthy communities, and we’re committed to doing everything in our power to help them rise and rebuild. We applaud the City and County of Los Angeles for getting these critical funds out the door as quickly as possible to protect and support the businesses and workers that have been most impacted.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Supported by a $10 million investment from the State of California, Maersk and APM Terminals, and LA Rises, led by Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter, business leader and basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and Casey Wasserman, these relief funds are expected to award an additional $15.9 million later this month. This was the first investment by LA Rises, the unified recovery effort launched by the Governor in January.

    Donations to close the gap on the unmet needs of these funds are welcomed and can be made at lacounty.gov/relief.  

    Continuing to support recovery and rebuilding in LA 

    Late last month, the Governor was in Los Angeles to launch the California Jobs First Economic Blueprint as part of his continued tour of the state’s thirteen economic regions. The Blueprint was paired with $125 million in funding to support new, ready-to-go projects and $15 million for economic development projects for California Native American tribes.

    In addition, the Governor received the Los Angeles Jobs First Collaborative’s regional plan and announced $3 million to support their recovery efforts for the region, including for the launch of public-facing campaigns to promote small business support and the addition of capacity for near-term business and economic recovery. 

    Federal business and worker assistance resources still available 

    Last week, at Governor Gavin Newsom’s request, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) extended the deadline for survivors of the Los Angeles fires to register for federal aid. The deadline to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance was also extended. 

    Homeowners and renters who have incurred damage or losses from the Los Angeles County wildfires now have until Monday, March 31, 2025, to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance and Small Business Administration assistance. These programs provide financial and other assistance to eligible individuals and households to help meet their basic needs and supplement their wildfire recovery efforts.

    Recent news

    Mar 14, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Janessa Goldbeck, of San Diego, has been appointed to the California Veterans Board. Goldbeck has been the Chief Executive Officer of Vet Voice Foundation since 2022 and the Principal…

    Mar 13, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Andrew King, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Data Operations Strategy at the Office of Data and Innovation. King has been Manager of the Data Operations Section at…

    Mar 13, 2025

    News What you need to know: California is expanding its collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to leverage cutting-edge technologies to protect public health and help Los Angeles rebuild.  LOS ANGELES – As part of the state’s ongoing actions to support…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: HAWAI‘I JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 3.0 PERCENT

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    HAWAI‘I JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 3.0 PERCENT

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

     

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

    KA ʻOIHANA HOʻOMOHALA PĀʻOIHANA, ʻIMI WAIWAI A HOʻOMĀKAʻIKAʻI

     

    RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DIVISION

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA

    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

     

    1. EUGENE TIAN

    CHIEF STATE ECONOMIST

     

    HAWAI‘I JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 3.0 PERCENT 

    Jobs Increased by 9,900 Year-Over-Year

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    March 14, 2025

    HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 3.0 percent, the same as the previous six consecutive months after benchmark revision. In January, 662,850 persons were employed and 20,400 were unemployed, for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 683,250 statewide. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in January, down from 4.1 percent in December.

    The unemployment rate figures for the state of Hawai‘i and the U.S. in this release are seasonally adjusted in accordance with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology. The not-seasonally adjusted rate for the state was 2.7 percent in January, compared to 2.8 percent in December.

    Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey)

    In a separate measure of employment, total nonagricultural jobs decreased by 500 month-over-month, from December 2024 to January 2025. Job gains were experienced in Manufacturing (+100); Private Education & Health Services (+100); and Other Services (+100). Employment in Construction remained unchanged. Job losses occurred in Information (-100); Trade, Transportation & Utilities (-200); Financial Activities (-200); Professional & Business Services (-500); and Leisure & Hospitality (-1,100). Within Leisure & Hospitality, the bulk of the job contraction was in Food Services & Drinking Places. Government employment went up by 1,300 jobs, primarily due to a smaller-than-typical seasonal release of workers in both the Department of Education and the University of Hawai‘i system. Year-over-year, nonfarm jobs have gone up by 9,900, or 1.6 percent.

     

    Technical Notes:

    Labor Force Components

    The concepts and definitions used by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program are the same as those used in the Current Population Survey for the national labor force data:

    • Civilian labor force. Included are all persons in the civilian noninstitutional population ages 16 and older classified as either employed or unemployed. (See the definitions below.)
    • Employed persons. These are all persons who, during the reference week (the week including the twelfth day of the month), (a) did any work as paid employees, worked in their own business or profession or on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in an enterprise operated by a member of their family, or (b) were not working but who had jobs from which they were temporarily absent because of vacation, illness, bad weather, childcare problems, maternity or paternity leave, labor-management dispute, job training, or other family or personal reasons, whether or not they were paid for the time off or were seeking other jobs. Each employed person is counted only once, even if he or she holds more than one job.
    • Unemployed persons. Included are all persons who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work, except for temporary illness and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the four-week period ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been looking for work to be classified as unemployed.
    • Unemployment rate. The unemployed percent of the civilian labor force [i.e., 100 times (unemployed/civilian labor force)].

    Seasonal Adjustment

    The seasonal fluctuations in the number of employed and unemployed persons reflect hiring and layoff patterns that accompany regular events such as the winter holiday season and the summer vacation season. These variations make it difficult to tell whether month-to-month changes in employment and unemployment are due to normal seasonal patterns or to changing economic conditions. Therefore, the BLS uses a statistical technique called seasonal adjustment to address these issues. This technique uses the history of the labor force data and the job count data to identify the seasonal movements and to calculate the size and direction of these movements. A seasonal adjustment factor is then developed and applied to the estimates to eliminate the effects of regular seasonal fluctuations on the data. Seasonally adjusted statistical series enable more meaningful data comparisons between months or with an annual average.

    Current Population (Household) Survey (CPS)

    A survey conducted for employment status in the week that includes the twelfth day of each month generates the unemployment rate statistics, which is a separate survey from the Establishment Survey that yields the industry job counts. The CPS survey contacts approximately 1,000 households in Hawai‘i to determine an individual’s current employment status. Employed persons consist of 1) all persons who did any work for pay or profit during the survey reference week, 2) all persons who did at least 15 hours of unpaid work in a family-owned enterprise operated by someone in their household and 3) all persons who were temporarily absent from their regular jobs, whether they were paid or not. Persons considered unemployed are those that do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks and are available for work. Temporarily laid-off workers are counted as unemployed, whether or not they have engaged in a specific job-seeking activity. Persons not in the labor force are those who are not classified as employed or unemployed during the survey reference week.

    Benchmark Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data

    Statewide and sub-state data for 2019 to 2024 have revised inputs and data for 1990 to 2024 have been re-estimated to reflect revised population controls and model re-estimation.

    Change to Monthly Employment Estimates

    This release incorporates revised job count figures for the seasonally adjusted series. The revised data reflects historical corrections applied to unadjusted super sector or sector-level series dating back from 2018 through 2024. For years, analysts with the state of Hawai‘i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Research and Statistics Office have developed monthly employment estimates for Hawai‘i and its metropolitan areas. These estimates were based on a monthly survey of Hawai‘i businesses and analysts’ knowledge about our local economies. Beginning with the production of preliminary estimates for March 2011, responsibility for the production of state and metropolitan area (MSA) estimates were transitioned from individual state agencies to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

    For Hawai‘i, this means the transition of statewide, Honolulu and Kahului-Wailuku MSA estimates for both the seasonally adjusted and not-seasonally adjusted areas are produced by BLS. State agencies will continue to provide the BLS with information on local events that may affect the estimates, such as strikes or large layoffs/hiring at businesses not covered by the survey and to disseminate and analyze the Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates for local data users. BLS feels this change is designed to improve the cost efficiency of the CES program and to reduce the potential bias in state and area estimates. A portion of the cost savings generated by this change is slated to be directed toward raising survey response rates in future years, which will decrease the level of statistical error in the CES estimates. Until then, state analysts feel this change could result in increased month-to-month variability for the industry employment numbers, particularly for Hawai‘i’s counties and islands. BLS can be reached at 202-691-6555 for any questions about these estimates.

    The not-seasonally adjusted job estimates for Hawai‘i County, Kaua‘i County, Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i are produced by the state of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

    Labor Force Estimates for Small Areas

    Labor Force estimates for the islands within Maui County (Maui, Moloka‘i and Lānai) are produced by the state of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

    Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force and Unemployment Estimates for Honolulu and Maui County

    BLS publishes smoothed seasonally adjusted civilian labor force and unemployment estimates for all metropolitan areas, which includes the City and County of Honolulu and Maui County.

    BLS releases this data each month in the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release. The schedule is available at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/metro.toc.htm.

    Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization

     

    Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization for States, 2024 annual averages (percent)  
    Area Measure  
    U-1 U-2 U-3 U-4 U-5 U-6
                 
    United States 1.5 1.9 4.0 4.3 4.9 7.5
                 
    Hawai‘i 0.8 1.1 3.1 3.2 4.0 6.4

     

    The six alternative labor underutilization state measures based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) and compiled on a four-quarter moving-average basis defined as:

    U-1, persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force;

    U-2, job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force;

    U-3, total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (this is the definition used for the official unemployment rate);

    U-4, total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers;

    U-5, total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other marginally attached workers*, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers; and

    U-6, total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part-time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers.

    *Individuals who want and are available for work, and who have looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months (or since the end of their last job if they had one within the past 12 months) but were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the four weeks preceding the survey, for such reasons as childcare or transportation problems, for example. Discouraged workers are a subset of the marginally attached.

    Please note that the state unemployment rates (U-3) that are shown are derived directly from the CPS. As a result, these U-3 measures may differ from the official state unemployment rates for the latest four-quarter period. The latter are estimates developed from statistical models that incorporate CPS estimates, as well as input data from other sources, such as state unemployment claims data.

    ###

    Media Contacts:

     

    Dr. Eugene Tian

    Chief State Economist

    Research and Economic Analysis Division

    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

    Phone: 808-586-2470

    Email: [email protected]

    Laci Goshi

    Communications Officer

    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

    Cell: 808-518-5480

    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Secretary Wright Powers up American Energy at CERAWeek & the Houston Rodeo

    Source: US Department of Energy

    “We are unabashedly pursuing a policy of MORE American energy production and infrastructure, not less.” 

    — Secretary Chris Wright at CERAWeek 2025  

    At the 43rd annual CERAWeek by S&P Global, Secretary Wright outlined the administration’s strategy to enhance the production of affordable, reliable, and secure American energy. He emphasized the critical role of fossil fuels in meeting global energy demands and the need to “end the Biden administration’s irrational, quasi-religious policies on climate change that imposed endless sacrifices on our citizens.” 

    Read Secretary Wright’s full remarks here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney to strengthen ties with France and the United Kingdom and reaffirm Canada’s sovereignty

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    The Prime Minister and Canada’s new government are focused on what matters most right now: creating more higher-paying jobs, building new trade relationships with reliable partners, and making Canada more secure. 

    To that end, the Prime Minister announced today that he will travel to Paris, France, London, United Kingdom, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, from March 16 to 18, 2025, to strengthen two of our closest and longest-standing economic and security partnerships, and to reaffirm Canada’s Arctic security and sovereignty.

    In Paris, Prime Minister Carney will meet with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron. With the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement as the foundation, the leaders will focus on their shared commitment to build stronger economic, commercial, and defence ties. Prime Minister Carney will also emphasize Canada’s work to unleash the innovative and economic potential of artificial intelligence (AI) safely and responsibly. 

    In London, Prime Minister Carney will meet with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Keir Starmer. Their discussions will focus on strengthening transatlantic security, growing the AI sector, and the strong commercial relationship between Canada and the United Kingdom. The prime ministers will explore ways to deepen bilateral trade through the Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Prime Minister Carney will also have an audience with His Majesty King Charles III.

    The Prime Minister will then travel to Iqaluit, Nunavut, on March 18 to reassert Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic. He will meet with members of the Iqaluit Patrol of 1 Canadian Rangers Patrol Group – a group critical to Arctic stability and security. 

    Prime Minister Carney will also meet with the Premier of Nunavut, P.J. Akeeagok, to learn more about the evolving needs and priorities of Arctic and Northern communities. He will reaffirm the new government’s support for growing a stronger economy across the North, reinforcing its sovereignty and security, and emphasizing our continued commitment to advancing reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis throughout the country.

    Quote

    “Canada was built upon a union of peoples – Indigenous, French, and British. My visit to France and the United Kingdom will strengthen trade, commercial, and defence ties with two of our strongest and most reliable partners, and my visit to Nunavut will be an opportunity to bolster Canada’s Arctic sovereignty and security, and our plan to unlock the North’s full economic potential.”

    Quick Facts

    • This is Prime Minister Carney’s first trip abroad since becoming Prime Minister of Canada.
    • France and the United Kingdom are key allies for Canada on the international stage. They are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the G7, and the G20, as well as permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. France is a founding member of the European Union (EU) and a leading partner in La Francophonie. The United Kingdom is a key partner to Canada in the Commonwealth.
    • In 2024, France was Canada’s third-largest merchandise trading partner in the EU and its 11th-largest trading partner globally, with two-way merchandise trade totalling $14.2 billion.
    • The Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was signed in 2016 and has been provisionally applied since 2017. Since then, bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and the EU has grown by more than 60 per cent.
    • Canada and the UK share a sovereign, His Majesty King Charles III, and are among the oldest parliamentary democracies in the world.
    • The United Kingdom was Canada’s third-largest single-country trading partner for goods and services in 2024, with trade valued at $61 billion. Around 3,500 Canadian companies, 93 per cent of which are small and medium-sized enterprises, export goods to the United Kingdom.
    • In July 2023, Canada and 10 other members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) signed the United Kingdom Accession Protocol, welcoming the United Kingdom as the 12th member of the Agreement and the first successful accession candidate.
    • The Arctic region is central to Canada’s national identity, prosperity, and security. The Canadian Arctic covers 40 per cent of Canada’s territory and more than 70 per cent of its coastline. It is home to many Canadians, including Indigenous Peoples who have inhabited this land since time immemorial.

    Associated Links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Craig Statement on Senate Continuing Resolution Vote, Opposing Harmful and Radical Funding Proposal

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

    EAGAN, MN – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig released the following statement ahead of the Senate vote on the continuing resolution to fund the government.  

    “Senate Democrats have a responsibility to stand up against their Republican colleagues and block this harmful and radical funding proposal that betrays our commitments to our communities. Instead of a short-term extension that would give Members a chance to continue to work on a bipartisan budget, the Republicans proposed a partisan six-month temporary funding bill that essentially shuts down those negotiations.  

    “The Republicans’ partisan continuing resolution cuts funding for our veterans and seniors and fails to fund community projects we already negotiated – including efforts to make health care affordable, modernize critical infrastructure and keep our communities safe. 

    “I will work with anyone to cut wasteful government spending and lower costs for everyday Minnesotans. And I also will stand up to anyone who tries to take money from the middle class – so they can line the pockets of billionaires and the special interests. 

    “This week, I voted against this bill in order to defend Minnesotans against reckless funding cuts that would jeopardize their access to the critical services, community projects and public safety initiatives they rely on. I seriously hope my colleagues in the Senate will do the same.  

    “We’ve got to reject this dangerous proposal and instead fight for a short-term funding bill so that we can finish our job and pass a real budget.”

    Earlier this week, Rep. Craig voted against the continuing resolution when it was brought to the House floor. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scanlon, Raskin, Jayapal Mobilize House Dems to Demand Answers in Trump Administration Attack on Free Speech

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon(PA-5)

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, today joined Reps. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, in leading 103 Members of Congress in demanding answers from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Department of State Secretary Marco Rubio regarding the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil and attempt to revoke his Green Card.

    Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The administration does not allege that he has committed any crime nor that he has ever been charged with a crime. Instead, the administration has invoked an obscure clause in the Immigration and Nationality Act as justification for arresting and attempting to deport him. 

    “This maneuver evokes the Alien and Sedition Acts and McCarthyism. It is the playbook of authoritarians, not of elected officials in a democratic society who claim to be champions of free speech,” the members wrote. 

    The members continued, “The Constitution guarantees everyone in our country, including lawful permanent residents, the right to speak freely without fear of retribution from the government. (…) Weaponizing the immigration system to crush and chill protected free speech puts our nation on the side of authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.”

    “While there may be disagreement with Mr. Khalil’s speech, it is his Constitutional right in our democracy to express his political views. That is why every American should be outraged by this brazen attempt to use the power of the United States government to silence and punish people who do not agree with the sitting President. President Trump has said Mr. Khalil’s arrest and attempted removal is the ‘first of many.’ Silencing dissent is the work of despots, not democracies,” the members concluded.

    U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman issued an order temporarily preventing the government from removing Mr. Khalil while the court considers the legality of the arrest and detention. 

    The Members are requesting a response from Noem and Rubio by March 27th, 2025.

    Find the full letter here. 

    Find the full list of the 103 Members of Congress who signed onto the letter here. 

    The letter was endorsed by 18 Million Rising; A New Policy; Action Corps; Adalah Justice Project; Alliance of Baptists; America’s Voice; American Civil Liberties Union; American Friends of Combatants for Peace; American Friends Service Committee; American Humanist Association; American Immigration Council; American Immigration Lawyers Association; American Muslims for Palestine (AMP); Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action); Amnesty International USA; Arab American Institute (AAI); Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC; Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote); Bend the Arc: Jewish Action; CASA; Center for Constitutional Rights; Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law; Center for Jewish Nonviolence; Center for Victims of Torture; Christians for a Free Palestine; Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA); CODEPINK; Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP); Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim; Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR); DAWN; Defending Rights & Dissent; Detention Watch Network; Emgage Action; Franciscan Action Network ; Freedom Forward; Friends Committee on National Legislation; Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA); Hindus for Human Rights; Human Rights First; IfNotNow Movement; IMEU Policy Project; Immigrant Defense Project; Immigrant Justice Network ; Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC); Immigration Equality; Indivisible; International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN); International Refugee Assistance Project; J Street; Jewish Voice for Peace Action; Justice Democrats; MADRE; MoveOn; MPower Change Action Fund; Muslim Advocates; Muslim Legal Fund of America; Muslims for Just Futures; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum; National Immigrant Justice Center; National Immigration Law Center; National Immigration Project; National Iranian American Council; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; New Israel Fund; New Jewish Narrative; Nonviolent Peaceforce; P Street; Partners for Progressive Israel; Pax Christi Young Adult Caucus; Peace Action; Prayers for Peace Alliance; Presente.org; Project South; Rabbis for Ceasefire; ReThinking Foreign Policy; Right to the City Alliance; Rising Majority; RootsAction.org; Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC); Sunrise Movement; T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights; The Nexus Project; The Southern Poverty Law Center; Unitarian Universalist Association; United Church of Christ; United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR); United We Dream Network; US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action; USAHello; Win Without War; Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation ; Arlington For Palestine; Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago; Borderlands for Equity; CAIR- Philadelphia; CAIR-WA; Dignidad/The Right to Immigration Institute; Elmahaba Center; Estrella del Paso; Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef); Jews For Racial & Economic Justice; Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; Mennonite Action Philadelphia; Miami Valley Immigration Coalition; New York Immigration Coalition; North Carolina Muslim Bar Association; OneAmerica; Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans – PANA; Pax Christi New Jersey ; Peace Action Montgomery; Prayers for Peace Alliance; Saratoga Black Lives Matter; Showing Up For Racial Justice Bay Area; SURJ Northern Virginia; West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship; Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center; Woori Juntos.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Roy, McBath, Biggs, and Cohen Lead Bipartisan Effort to Simplify Federal Criminal Code

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Chip Roy (TX-21), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), and Steve Cohen (TN-09) re-introduced the “Count the Crimes to Cut Act of 2025” that would require the Department of Justice and federal agency heads to compile a comprehensive report detailing all federal criminal statutes and regulations entailing criminal penalties.

    Congressman Roy, Chairman on the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, said:“Freedom is just an illusion when the government buries its own citizens under ridiculous and never-ending criminal laws. Almost any adult in this country could be indicted for some kind of infraction at any given time, whether or not they were even aware they were in violation. This needs to change; getting a proper accounting is a necessary first step to fixing this problem and ensuring Americans are not in the crosshairs of overcriminalization.”

    Congresswoman McBath, Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, said:“My first priority in Congress has always been maintaining the safety and well-being of my constituents. With the Count the Crimes to Cut Act, Americans will no longer have to fear being excessively punished and criminal justice professionals can better protect the public. I’m proud to take up this bill, and I thank my colleagues for their collaboration as we seek to expand safety and justice for the American people.”

    Congressman Biggs, Chairman on the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, said: “An estimated 4,000 federal criminal offenses is dwarfed by an estimated 300,000 federal regulatory offenses, but no government agency can even provide an official count. We have a duty to protect Americans’ right to liberty, and this begins with scaling down the massive overreach in federal criminal offenses.”

    Congressman Cohen, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said: “Apparently no one knows how many federal crimes there are. Our founders warned of laws being too ‘voluminous’ or ‘incoherent’ that they could not be understood. The Count the Crimes Act simply seeks to request that information from the Department of Justice as a starting point for future reform. I am pleased to work with Congressman Roy and others on both sides of the aisle to pass this necessary legislation.”

    The Count The Crimes to Cut Act of 2025 would:
    Require the Attorney General, in cooperation with the agency heads, to produce a full report of all federal criminal statutes and federal regulations with criminal penalties.  For each offense, the report is required to provide the following details:

    • The elements of each offense.
    • The potential penalties for each offense.
    • The number of prosecutions brought in the last 15 years for each offense.
    • The mens rea required for each offense.

    The legislation is endorsed by Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the Due Process Institute, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the R Street Institute, and Right on Crime. 

    Read the full legislation here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of The United States by Tren De Aragua

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

    A PROCLAMATION

    Tren de Aragua (TdA) is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization with thousands of members, many of whom have unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States. TdA operates in conjunction with Cártel de los Soles, the Nicolas Maduro regime-sponsored, narco-terrorism enterprise based in Venezuela, and commits brutal crimes, including murders, kidnappings, extortions, and human, drug, and weapons trafficking. TdA has engaged in and continues to engage in mass illegal migration to the United States to further its objectives of harming United States citizens, undermining public safety, and supporting the Maduro regime’s goal of destabilizing democratic nations in the Americas, including the United States.

    TdA is closely aligned with, and indeed has infiltrated, the Maduro regime, including its military and law enforcement apparatus. TdA grew significantly while Tareck El Aissami served as governor of Aragua between 2012 and 2017. In 2017, El Aissami was appointed as Vice President of Venezuela. Soon thereafter, the United States Department of the Treasury designated El Aissami as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, 21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq. El Aissami is currently a United States fugitive facing charges arising from his violations of United States sanctions triggered by his Department of the Treasury designation.

    Like El Aissami, Nicolas Maduro, who claims to act as Venezuela’s President and asserts control over the security forces and other authorities in Venezuela, also maintains close ties to regime-sponsored narco-terrorists. Maduro leads the regime-sponsored enterprise Cártel de los Soles, which coordinates with and relies on TdA and other organizations to carry out its objective of using illegal narcotics as a weapon to “flood” the United States. In 2020, Maduro and other regime members were charged with narcoterrorism and other crimes in connection with this plot against America.

    Over the years, Venezuelan national and local authorities have ceded ever-greater control over their territories to transnational criminal organizations, including TdA. The result is a hybrid criminal state that is perpetrating an invasion of and predatory incursion into the United States, and which poses a substantial danger to the United States. Indeed, in December 2024, INTERPOL Washington confirmed: “Tren de Aragua has emerged as a significant threat to the United States as it infiltrates migration flows from Venezuela.” Evidence irrefutably demonstrates that TdA has invaded the United States and continues to invade, attempt to invade, and threaten to invade the country; perpetrated irregular warfare within the country; and used drug trafficking as a weapon against our citizens.

    Based upon a review of TdA’s activities, and in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, on February 20, 2025, acting pursuant to the authority in 8 U.S.C. 1189, the Secretary of State designated TdA as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

    As President of the United States and Commander in Chief, it is my solemn duty to protect the American people from the devastating effects of this invasion. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Alien Enemies Act, 50 U.S.C. 21 et seq., hereby proclaim and direct as follows:

    Section 1. I find and declare that TdA is perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States. TdA is undertaking hostile actions and conducting irregular warfare against the territory of the United States both directly and at the direction, clandestine or otherwise, of the Maduro regime in Venezuela. I make these findings using the full extent of my authority to conduct the Nation’s foreign affairs under the Constitution. Based on these findings, and by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including 50 U.S.C. 21, I proclaim that all Venezuelan citizens 14 years of age or older who are members of TdA, are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies. I further find and declare that all such members of TdA are, by virtue of their membership in that organization, chargeable with actual hostility against the United States and are therefore ineligible for the benefits of 50 U.S.C. 22. I further find and declare that all such members of TdA are a danger to the public peace or safety of the United States.

    Sec. 2. I direct the Attorney General, within 60 days of the date of this proclamation, to prepare and publish a letter under her signature declaring the policy described in section 1 of this proclamation as the policy of the United States and attaching this proclamation. I direct the Attorney General to transmit this letter to the Chief Justice of the United States, the chief judge of every circuit court of appeals, the chief judge of every district and territorial court of the United States, each Governor of a State and territory of the United States, and the highest-ranking judicial officer of each State and territory of the United States.

    Sec. 3. I direct that all Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation are subject to immediate apprehension, detention, and removal, and further that they shall not be permitted residence in the United States.

    Sec. 4. Pursuant to the Alien Enemies Act, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, consistent with applicable law, apprehend, restrain, secure, and remove every Alien Enemy described in section 1 of this proclamation. The Secretary of Homeland Security retains discretion to apprehend and remove any Alien Enemy under any separate authority.

    Sec. 5. All executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall collaborate with law enforcement officials of the United States and with appropriate State, local, and tribal officials, to use all lawful means to apprehend, restrain, secure, and remove Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation.

    Sec. 6. Pursuant to my authority under 50 U.S.C. 21 to direct the conduct to be observed on the part of the United States toward the Alien Enemies subject to this proclamation, to direct the manner and degree of the restraint to which such Alien Enemies shall be subject and in what cases, to provide for the removal of such Alien Enemies, and to establish any other regulations which are found necessary “in the premises and for the public safety,” I hereby direct the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to execute all the regulations hereinafter contained regarding the Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security are further directed to cause the apprehension, detention, and removal of all members of TdA who otherwise qualify as Alien Enemies under section 1 of this proclamation. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security are authorized to take all necessary actions under the Alien Enemies Act to effectuate this proclamation, consistent with applicable law. In doing so, and for such purpose, they are authorized to utilize agents, agencies, and officers of the United States Government and of the several States, territories, dependencies, and municipalities thereof and of the District of Columbia. All such agents, agencies, and officers are hereby granted full authority for all acts done by them in the execution of such regulations when acting by direction of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as the case may be.

    Pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Alien Enemies Act, 50 U.S.C. 21 et seq., I hereby declare and establish the following regulations which I find necessary “in the premises and for the public safety”:

    (a) No Alien Enemy described in section 1 of this proclamation shall enter, attempt to enter, or be found within any territory subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Any such Alien Enemy who enters, attempts to enter, or is found within such territory shall be immediately apprehended and detained until removed from the United States. All such Alien Enemies, wherever found within any territory subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, are subject to summary apprehension.

    (b) Alien Enemies apprehended pursuant to this proclamation shall be subject to detention until removed from the United States in such place of detention as may be directed by the officers responsible for the execution of these regulations.

    (c) Alien Enemies shall be subject to removal to any such location as may be directed by the officers responsible for the execution of these regulations consistent with applicable law.

    (d) All property in the possession of, or traceable to, an Alien Enemy, which is used, intended to be used, or is commonly used to perpetrate the hostile activity and irregular warfare of TdA, along with evidence of such hostile activity and irregular warfare, shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture.

    The Attorney General is further granted authority, pursuant to the Alien Enemies Act and 3 U.S.C. 301, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to issue any guidance necessary to effectuate the prompt apprehension, detention, and removal of all Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation. Any such guidance shall be effective immediately upon issuance by the Attorney General.
    This proclamation and the directives and regulations prescribed herein shall extend and apply to all land and water, continental or insular, in any way within the jurisdiction of the United States.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
    fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AFSCME’s Saunders: Cutting wages for workers and undermining unions is a promise broken

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

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after the White House moved to end the $15 minimum wage for federal contractors and re-direct federal infrastructure investments to anti-union companies:

    “The billionaires in the White House continue to find new ways to enrich themselves at the expense of working people. Ending the $15 minimum wage for federal contractors and redirecting taxpayer money to anti-union companies is just the latest example. This move is nothing more than an anti-worker measure to take money out of working peoples’ pockets, undermine their voice on the job and punish anyone who tries to speak out about unfair, unsafe working conditions. It’s also a slap in the face and promise broken to workers who are depending on this administration to lower rising costs, raise wages and make it easier for them to make ends meet.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC PDS Tornado Watch 46

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL6

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 46
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1225 PM CDT Sat Mar 15 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Western, Central, and Northern Alabama
    Southeast Mississippi

    * Effective this Saturday afternoon and evening from 1225 PM
    until 800 PM CDT.

    …THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION…

    * Primary threats include…
    Numerous tornadoes and several intense tornadoes expected
    Scattered damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 75
    mph likely
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2.5
    inches in diameter likely

    SUMMARY…Intense supercells capable of producing numerous tornadoes
    will spread eastward from Mississippi into Alabama this afternoon
    and evening. Given the very favorable environment, multiple intense
    to potentially violent tornadoes (EF-3/EF-4+) appear possible.
    Clusters of thunderstorms and embedded supercells will also pose a
    threat for severe/damaging winds of 60-75 mph, and large hail around
    1.5-2.5 inches in diameter.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 65 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 20 miles north northeast of Huntsville
    AL to 55 miles west southwest of Evergreen AL. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 44…WW 45…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 23040.

    …Gleason

    SEL6

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 46
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1225 PM CDT Sat Mar 15 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Western, Central, and Northern Alabama
    Southeast Mississippi

    * Effective this Saturday afternoon and evening from 1225 PM
    until 800 PM CDT.

    …THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION…

    * Primary threats include…
    Numerous tornadoes and several intense tornadoes expected
    Scattered damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 75
    mph likely
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2.5
    inches in diameter likely

    SUMMARY…Intense supercells capable of producing numerous tornadoes
    will spread eastward from Mississippi into Alabama this afternoon
    and evening. Given the very favorable environment, multiple intense
    to potentially violent tornadoes (EF-3/EF-4+) appear possible.
    Clusters of thunderstorms and embedded supercells will also pose a
    threat for severe/damaging winds of 60-75 mph, and large hail around
    1.5-2.5 inches in diameter.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 65 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 20 miles north northeast of Huntsville
    AL to 55 miles west southwest of Evergreen AL. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 44…WW 45…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 23040.

    …Gleason

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW6
    WW 46 TORNADO AL MS 151725Z – 160100Z
    AXIS..65 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    20NNE HSV/HUNTSVILLE AL/ – 55WSW GZH/EVERGREEN AL/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 55NM E/W /43ENE MSL – 33NE SJI/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23040.

    LAT…LON 34918550 31118680 31118900 34918779

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU6.

    Watch 46 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    High (>95%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    High (>95%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    High (70%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (60%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    High (70%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (60%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (>95%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AFSCME’s Saunders: We will continue to stand with workers and fight these efforts to destroy public service

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

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order Friday to dismantle seven federal agencies. The order could directly impact AFSCME members who work for Voice of America:

    “AFSCME members at Voice of America work tirelessly to provide objective and reliable news media to citizens across the globe. Their work – delivered in nearly 50 different languages – is a symbol of how a free press should operate. And last night, the administration just moved to shut them down and other important agencies as part of a slash-and-burn effort to destroy public services no matter the cost to working families or our communities.

    “This executive order also shamefully takes aim at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service which helps to prevent and resolve work stoppages and the Institute of Museum and Library Services which funds and supports countless cultural institutions. Investment in cultural funding ensures that AFSCME members can continue to inspire a love of learning, creativity, history and art at our nation’s museums and libraries.

    “Our union has been fighting these efforts to undermine the integrity of a nonpartisan, qualified public service. And we will continue to fight to protect workers against these thinly veiled attempts to politicize and eliminate the essential work they do.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –