TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Middlefield, on behalf of MRF 2025 Resource Limited Partnership (“MRF 2025” or the “Partnership”), is pleased to announce that it has completed the first closing of the initial public offering of MRF 2025 Class A and Class F units for total gross proceeds of $10.4 million. The maximum offering size is $50 million. The offering is being made in each of the provinces of Canada. The Partnership intends to have a second closing on March 26, 2025.
The objectives of the Partnership are to provide investors with capital appreciation and significant tax benefits to enhance after-tax returns to limited partners, including the deductibility of 100% of their original investment. The Partnership intends to achieve these objectives by investing in an actively managed, diversified portfolio comprised primarily of equity securities of Canadian companies involved in the resource sector.
Middlefield is a leading provider of flow-through share funds in Canada and has a strong track record of delivering positive after-tax returns. Since 1983, Middlefield has sponsored 70 public and private flow-through funds and has acted as agent or manager for over $2.5 billion of resource investments.
The syndicate of agents for the offering is being co-led by CIBC Capital Markets and RBC Capital Markets and includes BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., National Bank Financial Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., TD Securities Inc., Richardson Wealth Limited, Manulife Securities Incorporated, iA Private Wealth Inc., Canaccord Genuity Corp., Raymond James Ltd. and Wellington-Altus Private Wealth Inc.
For further information, please visit our website at www.middlefield.com or contact Nancy Tham in our Sales and Marketing Department at 1.888.890.1868.
This offering is only made by prospectus. The prospectus contains important detailed information about the securities being offered. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained from your CIRO registered financial advisor using the contact information for such advisor. Investors should read the prospectus before making an investment decision.
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
February 24, 2025
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, on Monday joined 17 of his Senate colleagues in supporting a bipartisan resolution acknowledging the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The resolution expresses the U.S. Senate’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while condemning Russia’s illegal aggression and attempts to seize Ukrainian territory. It also commends NATO, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, and the international community for their continued efforts to support Ukraine’s defense and the protection of human rights on its territory; recognizes Ukraine’s democratic progress during wartime; and emphasizes Ukraine’s right to be included in any discussions with Russia about its future.
U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) also cosponsored the resolution.
Full text of the resolution can be found HERE and below:
RESOLUTION acknowledging the third anniversary of Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine and expressing support for the people of Ukraine.
Whereas, on February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale, unprovoked, and illegal invasion of Ukraine, which followed Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its illegal occupation of parts of the Donbas region in 2014;
Whereas the international community recognizes the sovereignty and full territorial integrity of Ukraine within the 1991 borders; and
Whereas the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the people of Ukraine have demonstrated a determined resistance that has prevented Russia from taking control of their country: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—(1) expresses continued solidarity with the people of Ukraine and condolences for the loss of tens of thousands of Ukrainian people to Russian aggression;
(2) rejects Russia’s attempts to militarily seize sovereign territory in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe;
(3) reaffirms the support of the United States for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine;
(4) commends NATO, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, and the international community for their continued efforts to support Ukraine’s defense and the protection of human rights on its territory;
(5) supports Ukraine’s aspirations to integrate into Euro-Atlantic structures;
(6) recognizes Ukraine’s efforts to strengthen its democracy during wartime;
(7) encourages the transatlantic community to continue to denounce Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war in Ukraine and counter Russian aggression; and
(8) emphasizes that Ukraine must be a partici2 pant in discussions with the Russian Federation 3 about Ukraine’s future.
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, joined Democratic leaders of the Senate Judiciary and Appropriations Committees in sending a letter to President Trump denouncing his transfer of immigrants from the United States to the detention center at Guantánamo Bay as unlawful and asking for answers to basic questions yet to be provided to Congress.
“We write to object to your illegal and unjustified transfers of immigrants from the United States to the detention center at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, which follows your directive to the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to prepare the base to hold tens of thousands of noncitizens. These actions are unprecedented, unlawful, and harmful to American national security, values, and interests,” the senators wrote. “The United States has never sent anyone from the United States to be detained at Guantánamo before now.”
On the unlawful and unjustified nature of the directive, the senators wrote: “There is no basis in U.S. immigration law for transferring noncitizens arrested inside the United States to a location outside of the United States for detention prior to or for the purposes of conducting removal proceedings. Noncitizens inside the United States are entitled to numerous protections under U.S. immigration law and the U.S. Constitution. For example, removal processes under our immigration laws afford noncitizens due process and an opportunity to seek protection from removal to a place where they could face persecution or torture. These rights cannot be extinguished by transfer to a location outside the United States. Simply put, if the processes for obtaining a lawful removal order have not been followed, the forcible removal of a noncitizen to Guantánamo violates U.S. immigration law.”
They continued: “Individuals in civil immigration detention have a right to access counsel under ICE detention standards, and immigration laws governing removal proceedings. Impeding access to counsel for detained immigrants also may violate the Constitution in some circumstances. In addition, individuals in immigration detention may have appeal or other review rights and cannot be held indefinitely, and the only effective means by which a detained individual could assert these rights would be through access to counsel.”
On the Trump Administration’s false claim that only high-risk immigrants are detained, the senators wrote: “While no noncitizen should be sent from the United States to Guantánamo, it also appears that your Administration’s claims that it was sending ‘worst of the worst’ there are misleading. Public reporting indicates that noncitizens who DHS deemed low risk were sent to Guantánamo. In response to inquiries from Judiciary Committee staff, your Administration has even left open the possibility that families, including children, will be detained at Guantánamo, stating that future decisions regarding detention would be made on a ‘case-by-case basis.’”
The senators concluded: “Your efforts to house or detain noncitizens forcibly removed from the United States at the MOC and the Camp 6 law of war detention facilities at Guantánamo are cruel, unlawful, and unprecedented. Such hasty and unlawful actions will cause harms to the United States for years to come. As those familiar with the long history of operations at Guantánamo can tell you, detaining individuals there is not a quick fix. Congress has not appropriated funds for such purposes for good reason. Given the isolated location of the base, its controversial history, and the lack of legal authority to detain noncitizens there, continuing down this path will invite more litigation, drain resources, place undue strain on our servicemembers, diminish military readiness, undermine support from our allies, and harm our standing in the world.”
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) also signed the letter.
Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:
Dear President Trump: We write to object to your illegal and unjustified transfers of noncitizens from the United States to the detention center at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, which follows your directive to the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to prepare the base to hold tens of thousands of noncitizens. These actions are unprecedented, unlawful, and harmful to American national security, values, and interests.
The United States has never sent anyone from the United States to be detained at Guantánamo before now. More than three decades ago, the base was used temporarily to house sudden influxes of migrants from Haiti and Cuba who were interdicted at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard. Since then, the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have jointly provided housing and other services for a small number of migrants interdicted at sea at the Migrant Operations Center (MOC). Operations supporting even this limited number of migrants have proven challenging and there have been serious concerns regarding the living conditions of the MOC and insufficient access to basic legal rights and services.
There is no basis in U.S. immigration law for transferring noncitizens arrested inside the United States to a location outside of the United States for detention prior to or for the purposes of conducting removal proceedings. Noncitizens inside the United States are entitled to numerous protections under U.S. immigration law and the U.S. Constitution. For example, removal processes under our immigration laws afford noncitizens due process and an opportunity to seek protection from removal to a place where they could face persecution or torture. These rights cannot be extinguished by transfer to a location outside the United States. Simply put, if the processes for obtaining a lawful removal order have not been followed, the forcible removal of a noncitizen to Guantánamo violates U.S. immigration law.
Moreover, U.S. immigration law does not provide authority to detain noncitizens after their removal from the United States following a final order of removal. Immigration custody authority is based on immigration enforcement powers to seek and execute a removal order. Once an individual with a removal order departs the United States and arrives in a location outside the United States, the removal order has been executed. After that point, there is no basis under immigration law to retain custody of the individual. In addition, individuals in civil immigration detention have a right to access counsel under ICE detention standards, and immigration laws governing removal proceedings. Impeding access to counsel for detained noncitizens also may violate the Constitution in some circumstances. In addition, individuals in immigration detention may have appeal or other review rights and cannot be held indefinitely, and the only effective means by which a detained individual could assert these rights would be through access to counsel.
Based on information provided to the Judiciary Committee and in court filings, we are concerned that your Administration did not consider these serious legal concerns or have any plan to address them prior to transferring noncitizens from the United States to Guantánamo. In response to the Judiciary Committee’s inquiry regarding how noncitizens will access counsel once on the base, DHS stated, “Removable aliens housed will be those with final orders pending removal.” This suggests that noncitizens with final orders of removal do not need access to counsel, which is inaccurate. After individuals and legal organizations filed suit seeking access to the noncitizens, the Department of Justice filed a brief arguing that these noncitizens’ constitutional rights were not violated, because, though they did not have a right to meet with attorneys in person under the circumstances, other means of communicating with counsel, such as by telephone, were available. Yet just the day before, when the Judiciary Committee requested details regarding how noncitizens being held at Guantánamo could contact counsel when granted access to a phone, DHS did not know what, if any, procedures were in place to notify them of their rights or provide them with contact information for legal services. Your Administration’s actions and these responses raise serious legal concerns and call into question what effort, if any, was put into ensuring that the transfer of noncitizens complied with applicable laws and regulations.
While such clarification should be unnecessary, we must also emphasize that there is no colorable argument that noncitizens, including those convicted, accused, or suspected of crimes or criminal associations, can be held in law of war detention or in Department of Defense custody, whether at Guantánamo or anywhere else. The law of war detention facility at Guantánamo has been used to hold alleged members of al Qaeda and “associated forces” in connection with the armed conflict between the United States and these groups following the 9/11 attacks. While these detention operations have been the subject of significant controversy and criticism, these detainees have all been captured abroad and detained pursuant to the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force and Section 1021 of the FY 2012 National Defense Authorization Act.
While no noncitizen should be sent from the United States to Guantánamo, it also appears that your Administration’s claims that it was sending “worst of the worst” there are misleading. Public reporting indicates that noncitizens who DHS deemed low risk were sent to Guantánamo. In response to inquiries from Judiciary Committee staff, your Administration has even left open the possibility that families, including children, will be detained at Guantánamo, stating that future decisions regarding detention would be made on a “case-by-case basis.”
Your efforts to house or detain noncitizens forcibly removed from the United States at the MOC and the Camp 6 law of war detention facilities at Guantánamo are cruel, unlawful, and unprecedented. Such hasty and unlawful actions will cause harms to the United States for years to come. As those familiar with the long history of operations at Guantánamo can tell you, detaining individuals there is not a quick fix. Congress has not appropriated funds for such purposes for good reason. Given the isolated location of the base, its controversial history, and the lack of legal authority to detain noncitizens there, continuing down this path will invite more litigation, drain resources, place undue strain on our servicemembers, diminish military readiness, undermine support from our allies, and harm our standing in the world.
We urge you to heed these lessons, follow the law, refrain from any further expansion of facilities, and cease transferring noncitizens to Guantánamo. To inform our oversight of this situation, please answer the following questions by March 10, 2025:
What is your Administration’s claimed legal authority for transporting noncitizens from the United States to the Naval Station at Guantánamo Bay? Relatedly, what is your claimed legal basis for detaining noncitizens there, whether at the MOC, JTF-GTMO, or other facilities?
What are your Administration’s criteria for determining which noncitizens would be sent to Guantánamo?
Will you definitively state that families and children will not be sent to Guantánamo?
For what crimes, if any, were the individuals previously sent to Guantánamo convicted? Were individuals provided with representation in their criminal proceedings?
To what legal processes and rights does your Administration consider individuals sent to Guantánamo to be entitled, including relative to individuals in immigration detention inside the United States and individuals currently housed at the MOC?
How will your Administration ensure that these rights, such as access to counsel and administrative and judicial review, are upheld given the restricted access to Naval Station Guantánamo Bay?
How many ICE personnel are stationed at the MOC? How many are stationed at Camp 6?
What are the projected costs of expanding the MOC and any other operations or actions associated with the transfer of noncitizens to or from Naval Station Guantánamo Bay? How much have the actions already taken cost U.S. taxpayers and how does that compare to the cost of detaining immigrants inside the U.S.? What is the source of funding for these efforts?
What impact will these operations and expenditures have on military readiness and availability of funds for immigration detention and enforcement inside the United States?
How does your Administration plan to ensure the facilities meet required standards of care for housing, food, medical care, security, sanitation, education, employment, and the like for both detained noncitizens and U.S. military personnel at the base, given the already deteriorated state of facilities at the base? What contingency plans do you have in place for weather conditions or other emergency situations?
How does your Administration plan to ensure that Congress and the American people, including the press and civil society, have access to information regarding these operations, including who is, was, or will be detained there and under what conditions and authorities?
What is your long-term objective and strategy for these detentions, including your plan for individuals for whom repatriation or resettlement may not be feasible?
Reporting indicates that in one case, you have brought a noncitizen you had transferred to Guantánamo back to the United States. Is this true? If so, why, and under what authorities?
We look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh, and Rahman Natooshas, 71, of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, has been sentenced to five years in prison for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In July 2024, Hunt pleaded guilty to conspiring to export U.S.-origin goods to the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of the U.S. trade sanctions.
According to court documents, in May 2014, Hunt registered Vega Tools LLC with the Alabama Secretary of State, listing the nature of the business as “the purchase/resale of equipment for the energy sector.” He operated Vega Tools, including purchasing, receiving, and shipping U.S.-origin goods, from locations in Madison County, Alabama. Beginning at least as early as 2015 and continuing to the time of his arrest in November 2022, Hunt conspired with two Iranian companies located in Tehran, Iran, to illegally export U.S.-manufactured industrial equipment for use in Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.
Hunt engaged in a series of deceptive practices to avoid detection by U.S. authorities, including using third-party transshipment companies in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and routing payments through UAE banks, as well as lying to shipping companies about the value of his exports to prevent the filing of Electronic Export Information to U.S. authorities. Hunt lied to suppliers and shippers by claiming the items he purchased on behalf of the Iranian co-conspirators were destined for end-users in Turkey and UAE, while knowing the exports were ultimately destined for Iran. Hunt also lied to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers regarding the nature and existence of his business when questioned upon his return from a March 2020 trip to Iran.
Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama; Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement John Sonderman of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS); and Assistant Director Kevin Vorndran of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division announced the sentence.
BIS investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Cross and Henry Cornelius for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Emma Ellenrieder and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
About 19 million children under 5 around the world suffer from severe acute malnutrition every year. This life-threatening condition kills 400,000 of them – that’s one child every 10 seconds.
These numbers are staggering, especially because a lifesaving treatment has existed for nearly three decades: “ready-to-use therapeutic food.”
Nutriset, a French company, was founded by Michel Lescanne. He was one of two scientists who invented this product in 1996. A sticky peanut butter paste branded Plumpy’nut, it’s enriched with vitamins and minerals and comes in packets that require no refrigeration or preparation.
Health care professionals were quickly convinced of its promise. What was harder to figure out was how to manufacture as many packets as possible while cutting costs. In 2008, ready-to-use therapeutic food producers like Nutriset charged US$60 for one box of 150 packets – the number needed to treat one severely malnourished child for the 6-8 weeks needed for their recovery.
In a study we published in the Journal of Management Studies in October 2024, we explained how the international agencies, nongovernmental organizations, activists and for-profit companies involved in the product’s distribution managed to resolve a public controversy over the use of Nutriset’s patent and its for-profit business model.
Contrary to the expectations of activists and many humanitarian NGOs, this for-profit company managed to reduce its prices down to $39 per box of Plumpy’nut packets by 2019 and keep them consistently lower than any nonprofit or for-profit competitors could, all the while enforcing its patent rights.
We interviewed Jan Komrska, a pharmacist then serving as the ready-to-use therapeutic food procurement manager at UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children; Tiddo von Schoen-Angerer, a pediatrician who was leading the access to medicines campaign at Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity; and Thomas Couaillet, a Nutriset executive. We also studied documents issued over the course of a decade to find out why this company’s unusual approach to intellectual property protection was so successful.
Helping franchisees in low-income countries get started
Doctors Without Borders at first accused Nutriset of behaving like a big drugmaker, shielding itself from competition by aggressively enforcing its patents to charge excessively high prices. The nongovernmental organization demanded that Nutriset allow any manufacturer to make its patented packets, without any compensation for that intellectual property.
By 2012, Nutriset had changed course. It had stopped being almost the sole producer of ready-to-use therapeutic food and instead allowed licensees and franchisee partners, chiefly located in low-income countries, to make the packets without having to pay any royalties. It did, however, make an exception for the United States. It allowed Edesia, a Rhode Island-based nonprofit, to become a Nutriset franchisee.
It also provided these smaller producers with seed funding and technical advice.
Nutriset is still the world’s largest ready-to-use therapeutic food producer, we have determined through our research. It’s responsible for about 30% to 40% of the world’s annual production, down from more than 90% in 2008.
There are some other U.S. manufacturers, such as Tabatchnick Fine Foods, but they aren’t Nutriset partners.
Nutriset produced this video in 2012 to explain the scale of hunger around the world and how its ready-to-use therapeutic food packets can help.
Threatening legal action
At the same time, the company continued to threaten to take legal action against potential rivals located in developed countries that were replicating their recipe without authorization. Usually, cease-and-desist letters were sufficient.
Nutriset’s strategy of opening access to its patent selectively has enabled UNICEF to double the share of packets it buys from producers located in the Global South.
UNICEF, the world’s biggest buyer of ready-to-use therapeutic food, bought less than one-third of its supplies from those nations in 2011. That share climbed to two-thirds in 2022.
Nutriset’s reliance on local franchisees has helped create over 1,000 jobs in hunger-stricken regions while strengthening the supply chain and reducing the carbon emissions of transportation, according to UNICEF.
Nutriset’s creative patent strategy also helped its partner producers in low-income countries, which include nonprofit and for-profit ventures, compete with large corporations in developed countries by the time its patent expired in 2018.
In this instance, a for-profit company not only managed to keep its prices lower than its competitors, including nonprofits, but used its patent to support economic development in developing countries by shielding startup producers from international competition.
As a result of these successes, we found that nongovernmental organizations eventually stopped criticizing the French company and recognized that high prices were actually not due to Nutriset’s patent policy but rather to global prices of the packets’ ingredients.
In recognition of its contributions and innovation, Nutriset won the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patents for Humanity Award in 2015.
Offering a cheap, convenient and effective treatment
One of the biggest advantages of ready-to-use therapeutic food is that parents or other caregivers can give it to their kids at home or on the go. That’s more convenient and cheaper than the alternative: several months of hospitalization where children receive a nutrient-dense liquid called “therapeutic milk.”
The at-home treatment works most of the time. More than 80% of the children who get three daily food packets recover within two months.
Severe acute malnutrition deaths remain high because historically only 25% to 50% of children suffering from it get treated with ready-to-use therapeutic food, due to insufficient funding. The treatment programs are run by governments, UNICEF and other international agencies, and NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders.
At a time when the flow of development aid from several wealthy countries is declining, the precedent Nutriset set suggests that humanitarian organizations, by teaming up with international agencies, governments and for-profit companies, can help drive down the costs of saving lives threatened by hunger while increasing the nutritional autonomy of the Global South.
But the funding for ready-to-use therapeutic food and its distribution has to come from somewhere, whether it is from governments, foundations or other donors.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
President Donald J. Trump is removing illegal immigrant killers, rapists, and drug dealers from our streets and sending them back where they belong — but if politicians in so-called “sanctuary” locales had it their way, these vicious criminals would still be free to roam our streets.
Here is a tiny sample of the illegal immigrant criminals arrested in “sanctuary” destinations under President Trump:
In Saint Paul, Minnesota, ICE has arrested a Sudanese national convicted of rape of a victim under 13, a Mexican national convicted of criminal sexual conduct against a victim under 14, and a Laotian national convicted of child endangerment and criminal sexual conduct against a victim under 13.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison warns law enforcement of “liability if they enforce immigration detainers” and says protecting communities from violent illegal immigrant criminals is “not our job.”
Mayor Melvin Carter says targeting violent illegal immigrant criminals is “threaten[ing] our safe spaces” and calls it a “rapidly alarming situation.”
Saint Paul City Council Vice President Hwa Jeong Kim reminds constituents that the police department “cannot and does not cooperate with ICE.”
In Chicago, Illinois, ICE has arrested a Mexican national convicted of drunk driving resulting in a death (who had an order of removal from 2006), a Mexican national convicted of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute (who had an order of removal from 2022), and a Mexican national convicted of negligent manslaughter.
Rep. Delia Ramirez decries how “welcoming states and sanctuary cities that defend our neighbors” are a “target.”
Rep. Chuy García says “no one should live in fear” of an “immigration raid.”
Rep. Mike Quigley advises illegal immigrants “to become familiar with their rights.”
In Washington State, ICE has arrested a Salvadoran national convicted of sodomy/anal intercourse with a victim under 13.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown boasts that “state or local law enforcement” will not be utilized “for immigration enforcement actions.”
In Los Angeles, California, immigration authorities arrested a Mexican national convicted of rape (who had an order of removal from 1996).
Mayor Karen Bass says “no one should live in fear due to their immigration status.”
In New York City, New York, immigration authorities arrested a Chinese national convicted of murder.
S. 93 would reauthorize and expand activities administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency related to research, observation, and control of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia. Harmful blooms occur when colonies of algae grow uncontrollably and become toxic, which also may lead to reduced oxygen (or hypoxia) in the water. The bill would authorize the appropriation of $27.5 million annually from 2026 through 2030 for those purposes, which includes expanding the membership and activities of an existing interagency task force and establishing a new program to create technologies to mitigate and control harmful algal blooms. In 2024, those agencies allocated $40 million for activities to mitigate harmful algal blooms.
The bill also would authorize the appropriation of $2 million each year over the 2026-2030 period to address harmful blooms and hypoxia events that would have a significant detrimental effect on the environment, economy, or public health of a state.
CBO estimates that the bill will be enacted in 2025 and that the authorized amounts will be provided in each year. On that basis and using the spending patterns for similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $130 million over the 2025-2030 period and $17 million after 2030.
The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).
Table 1.
Estimated Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation Under S. 93
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2025-2030
Authorization
0
30
30
30
30
30
150
Estimated Outlays
0
18
25
29
29
29
130
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Aurora Swanson. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
Padilla, Barragán Introduce Bicameral Bill to Codify DOJ’s Office of Environmental Justice
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.-44) introduced bicameral legislation to permanently codify the Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). The Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act follows Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recent order eliminating all environmental justice efforts at the DOJ on her first day as Attorney General.
Bondi’s directive followed President Trump’s executive order dismantling all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives across federal agencies. As a result, programs designed to combat pollution in communities of color, indigenous communities, and low-income areas were effectively shut down. The Trump Administration also terminated several ENRD attorneys responsible for prosecuting environmental violations, including cases like the Volkswagen emissions scandal and the East Palestine train derailment.
“The Trump Administration’s systematic elimination of environmental justice efforts completely abandons millions of Americans whose communities have suffered from toxic pollution for decades,” said Senator Padilla. “Every federal agency has a responsibility to provide justice to these communities, and I remain committed to guaranteeing clean air and water for all. Our legislation would ensure that the Department of Justice holds polluters accountable for environmental crimes and works directly with communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis to rectify longstanding environmental harms.”
“The Trump Administration’s elimination of environmental justice safeguards at DOJ is a gift to corporate polluters. It has left communities of color and low-income communities vulnerable to disproportionate pollution and harm, with no protection,” said Congresswoman Barragán. “Our bill reestablishes and permanently codifies the Office of Environmental Justice to protect impacted communities and ensure polluters face accountability. No community should bear the health consequences of environmental injustice.”
The legislation will strengthen efforts at the Department of Justice to enforce environmental laws, hold polluters accountable, and support state and local environmental enforcement capacity. The Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act would also authorize $50 million in annual grant funding to assist state and local governments with their own environmental enforcement efforts.
During the Biden Administration, Padilla and Barragán introduced a version of this bill, which led to the DOJ establishing the Office of Environmental Justice. This office undertook the responsibilities that the lawmakers outlined in their original bill. Padilla has since led an appropriations push to provide $1.4 million annually to this office.
The Main Functions of the Environmental Justice Office include:
Developing and updating the environmental justice strategy for the DOJ
Promoting the right of the public to participate in DOJ’s environmental justice work and mission
Providing support to state and local governments on how to address environmental justice issues
Funding $50 million in annual grants to boost local and state agency capacity to hold polluters accountable
Managing a Senior Advisory Council made up of different components at DOJ to advise the Natural Resource Division’s Assistant Attorney General on matters of environmental justice
In the Senate, the Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). In the House, the legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.-03), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas-30), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.-01), Tim Kennedy (D-N.Y.-26), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12).
Senator Padilla is a champion for ensuring all communities can breathe clean air and drink clean water in California and across the country, including through improved enforcement on environmental violations. In addition to calling for the establishment of the Office of Environmental Justice, Padilla outlined recommendations to former Attorney General Merrick Garland to strengthen its environmental justice program to advance the nation’s environmental justice goals. Padilla has also called on the Department of Justice to improve enforcement of environmental laws in the Central District of California and explain their policy regarding the use of non-prosecution agreements that spare corporate polluters of criminal liability, specifically in communities in the Los Angeles area, which are severely impacted by multiple sources of pollution.
Last year, Senator Padilla helped secure $216.5 million the Inflation Reduction Act for 15 California projects to advance local, on-the-ground projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and strengthen workforce development. Following multiple pushes from Padilla, the EPA proposed to add the Exide Technologies – Vernon site, located in Vernon, California, to the Superfund National Priorities List last year. Padilla also applauded the EPA’s release of the strongest national greenhouse gas standards in history for heavy-duty vehicle emissions to begin in model year 2027, protecting environmental justice communities following a series of efforts he led.
Full text of the bill is available here.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation that would allow broadband developers to maximize the impact of federal funding in Maine’s underserved communities. The Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act would exclude broadband deployment grants awarded through certain federal programs from an organization’s taxable income. If passed, this would ensure the entirety of federal dollars awarded to companies for the purpose of deploying broadband around the country can be used for that purpose, rather than making their way back to the government through taxes.
According to the Maine Connectivity Authority, the majority of Maine locations (89%) now have access to broadband internet — a 3% increase from 2023, due in large part to federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act’s Capitol Projects Fund and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, championed by Senator King. The remainder of Maine people with unreliable internet access — or no internet access at all — is particularly high in rural communities.
“In today’s digital age, access to high-speed, affordable broadband is critical for Maine people to live, work and stay connected with one another,” said Senator King. “Every single dollar that is invested in broadband deployment is vital, and shouldn’t be clawed back by the government at the cost of connecting an extra community street or neighborhood that needs it. I want to thank my colleagues for coming together to help close the digital divide in rural and urban communities in Maine and across the nation.”
“The Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act will help ensure that necessary federal investments in broadband infrastructure are deployed as efficiently and effectively as possible, providing relief to small businesses, communities and consumers,” said Andrew Butcher, President of Maine Connectivity Authority. “Connectivity to high speed internet is a modern necessity and the BGTTA will help stretch critical funding as far as possible, accelerating deployment and reducing costs.”
In addition to Senator King, this legislation is cosponsored by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mark Warner (D-VA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Deb Fischer (R-NE).
Senator King is a longstanding advocate for the expansion of broadband access; his first op-ed as a Senate candidate in 2012 was to tout the social and economic potential of statewide connectivity. He has continued to push Maine in the direction of full statewide connectivity throughout his time in the Senate. Most recently, Senator King helped secure a $24.8 million investment in broadband infrastructure and digital literacy. He also introduced the Digital Equity Act of 2021, creating new federal investments toward programs promoting digital equity, and went on to be a key negotiator in securing $65 billion toward broadband infrastructure as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021.
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Proposed amendments to consumer protection laws in B.C. will crack down on predatory sales practices and ensure people are better protected when making new purchases.
“For too long, people in B.C. have faced unfair contract terms and predatory sales practices on everyday items,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General. “These new amendments will better protect people from unfair business practices in an increasingly complex marketplace.”
The proposed legislative changes modernize the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act (BPCPA) to reflect contemporary business practices. The amendments are designed to promote contract fairness and transparency and to strengthen consumer rights.
Key proposed changes in the legislation will:
require businesses to provide important contract terms up front, including improved remedies for consumers related to renewal, cancellation, return and refund policies, particularly for online orders, bringing more transparency to pre-purchase contracts;
introduce notification requirements for automatic subscription renewals and restrict significant contract changes without the customer’s consent;
prohibit contract terms that restrict participation in class-action lawsuits, restrict consumer reviews or require private arbitration for disputes;
ban direct sales of high-cost household products, such as air conditioners and furnaces, and prohibit offering credit as part of a direct sale, reducing the risk of predatory sales tactics;
provide clearer pathways for consumers to cancel contracts under specified conditions; and
give consumers the ability to use the Civil Resolution Tribunal to adjudicate disputes under the BPCPA.
“Our office hears from seniors who have fallen victim to scams and purchased an item or service they didn’t need due to high-pressure sales tactics,” said Dan Levitt, B.C. seniors advocate. “Many older British Columbians live on fixed incomes and take great care with their finances. Therefore, giving seniors and others space to review contracts in advance and prohibiting home sales will reduce the opportunities for older people to buy products and services they don’t need and can’t afford.”
The amendments were developed based on public and stakeholder engagement to ensure that B.C.’s most vulnerable consumers, including seniors, newcomers and people with lower incomes or disabilities, are aware of their rights and are protected.
The Province will continue to work with Consumer Protection BC and stakeholders to support a smooth transition to the changes and provide businesses with reasonable time to adjust their practices to meet the new requirements.
Learn More:
For more information about consumer protections for people in British Columbia, visit: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/
To read the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, visit: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/04002_00
Southwest Nova District RCMP has charged 21 people with more than 50 offences after executing search warrants at illegal cannabis storefronts throughout the District.
“Our teams, together with many partners, did an exceptional job of investigating and then coordinating enforcement across communities safely and with minimal disruption to residents,” said Supt. Jason Popik, District Policing Officer, Southwest Nova RCMP District, at a media availability today in New Minas. “Organized crime groups are among the suppliers of illicit cannabis and, as such, profit directly from the illegal sale of the product; they’re exploiting opportunities within our communities for their own benefit.”
The operation, dubbed Project Highfield, began in October 2024 and involved search warrants at 13 illegal storefronts in Kings, Lunenburg, Annapolis and Queens counties between February 4 and 13. Project Highfield was assisted by Kentville, Bridgewater, and Annapolis police services and involved multiple RCMP units. It resulted in the seizure of:
141.4 kgs of dried cannabis
189.29 kgs of cannabis edibles
46 kgs of liquid cannabis
23.4 kgs of hashish
9.5 kgs of psilocybin (magic mushrooms)
958 cartons of unstamped tobacco
18 firearms (17 long guns and a handgun)
$16, 143.14 in cash
3 ATMs
7 shed-like structures
Twenty-one people are facing 52 charges under the Cannabis Act, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Excise Act and the Criminal Code, including:
Possession of Cannabis for the Purpose of Selling
Unauthorized Sale of Cannabis
Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (psilocybin)
Possession of Unstamped Tobacco
Possession of Unstamped Cannabis
Careless Use of a Firearm
Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition
The individuals charged will begin their court appearances in June. The investigation is ongoing and further arrests and charges are expected.
Nova Scotians are encouraged to contact their nearest RCMP detachment or local police to report crime, including the illegal sale of drugs, in their communities. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or using the P3 Tips app.
ALBUQUERQUE – An El Paso man pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges after fleeing a Border Patrol checkpoint in Otero County, leading to a high-speed chase that ended in a head-on collision with a motorcyclist and the discovery of nearly 10 kilograms of pure methamphetamine in his vehicle.
According to court documents, on November 8, 2023, Jeffery Christopher Saint Louis, 28, drove through the Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 54 in Otero County. Upon being referred to secondary inspection, Saint Louis fled from the checkpoint towards Alamogordo. During his escape, Saint Louis drove at a high rate of speed on the wrong side of the road, resulting in a head-on collision with a motorcyclist.
Following the incident, the Otero County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for Saint Louis‘s vehicle. During the search, law enforcement discovered 9.982 kilograms of pure methamphetamine in a suitcase in the trunk of his vehicle. In his plea agreement, Saint Louis acknowledged that he was aware of the methamphetamine in his vehicle and admitted that it was his intention to distribute the drugs to other individuals.
At sentencing, Saint Louis faces not less than ten years and not more than life in prison, followed by up to five years supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with the assistance of the U.S. Border Patrol, Alamogordo Police Department, Otero County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devon Aragon Martinez and Maria Armijo are prosecuting the case.
The US president, Donald Trump, asserted in early February that Mexican drug-trafficking organisations have an “intolerable alliance” with the government of Mexico. His remarks have cast a pall over bilateral relations already strained by recent talk of tariffs and military interventions.
Although the two nations have sometimes clashed in the past, Mexico is today a close US ally. It is America’s top trading partner, with two-way commerce totalling US$807 billion (£640 billion) in 2023. And joint US-Mexican anti-narcotics collaborations stretch back nearly a century.
Trump’s accusation was, therefore, as unexpected as it was explosive. It has brought figures from across the Mexican political spectrum together in condemnation of what Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, called “baseless slander”.
The Mexican government is, on paper, a resolute enemy of the drug trade. However, the undeniable existence of drug-related corruption in Mexico means the reality is a little more complex.
Since the birth of the Mexico-US drug trade in the early 20th century, certain government officials have turned a blind eye to the activities of drug traffickers in exchange for bribes. This “indirect” government involvement in the drug trade has always been by far the most prevalent form of drug-related corruption in Mexico.
From the 1930s onwards, political bosses, police chiefs and military commanders in Mexico’s so-called “golden triangle” states of Sinaloa, Durango and Chihuahua taxed illicit opium production in the areas under their authority.
They also sabotaged anti-drugs campaigns waged by other branches of government, in order to avoid conflict with their constituents and take a cut of their profits. Similar intrigues took place in the key trafficking hubs on the US-Mexico border, like Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo.
Over the second half of the 20th century, Mexican and US drug enforcement efforts created an ever-more profitable black market. Low-level corruption accompanied the expansion of drug production and trafficking south into other areas of Mexico like Nayarit, Michoacán and Guerrero.
Nowadays, the indirect involvement of local representatives of the Mexican government in the drug trade has become a fact of life in such places. But zones of drug production or trafficking still constitute only a fraction of Mexico’s total territory. This means corrupt local officials comprise a tiny minority of the overall government workforce.
There are, however, also cases in which higher-level representatives of the Mexican state – or even entire government institutions – have participated directly in the production, transport or sale of illegal drugs.
Such cases are relatively rare. But, they are inherently higher profile than the more routine, “looking the other way” kind of corruption. They are, therefore, more likely to make headlines in the US and from there inform popular and even national political discourse.
The earliest such case is probably that of revolutionary military commander Esteban Cantú. Between 1915 and 1920, Cantú constructed a powerful political regime and funded important local development projects in the northern state of Baja California. He did so by taxing the import, sale and production of smoking opium first legally and then, when President Venustiano Carranza banned the practice, illegally.
High-level official involvement in the drug trade became more frequent as the trade itself became ever more illicit and profitable. In 1940, Sinaloa governor Rodolfo Loaiza cut a series of deals with the up-and-coming drug trafficking organisations of his native state. An attempt to double-cross them cost Loaiza his life in 1944.
Around the same time, political campaign manager Carlos Serrano looked to regional drug smugglers to help fund Miguel Alemán’s successful run for the presidency. Serrano was rewarded with command of the newly created, US-backed Federal Directorate of Security (DFS) secret police force. He soon used this position to move directly into opium trafficking himself.
After US president Richard Nixon declared a “war on drugs” on both sides of the border in 1971, increasing crackdowns provided more opportunities for the same Mexican officials charged with enforcing prohibition to cut deals with traffickers. Resulting squeezes on supply also caused prices to soar and made such deals increasingly lucrative for government officials.
By the mid-1980s, the DFS had become so deeply immersed in the drug trade that several of its agents were implicated in the Guadalajara Cartel’s murder of US Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. The agency was disbanded soon after.
But US demand for drugs continued unabated through the 1990s and into the 21st century. The profits offered by involvement in the drug trade proved hard to resist for a select number of high-ranking government officials, including members of the federal cabinet and state governors.
Even Genaro García Luna, the architect of Mexico’s modern “war on drugs” ended up on the take. He is now serving 38 years in a US prison for colluding with Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s Sinaloa Cartel.
Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán being led away by Mexican law enforcement personnel after his arrest in 2014. Octavio Hoyos / Shutterstock
An ‘intolerable alliance’?
The indirect involvement of Mexican government officials remains far more common than direct or institutional involvement in the drug trade.
Such corruption is largely opportunistic, rather than systematic, which is why it remains concentrated in areas where drug production and trafficking are particularly prevalent. It is also not limited to the Mexican side of the border. Plenty of crooked American cops and politicians have cut deals with traffickers over the years, too.
Trump’s recent attacks on the Mexican government are not an accurate diagnosis of a uniquely Mexican problem. They are more of a headline-grabbing shot across the bows in the context of the renegotiation of many different aspects of the US-Mexico relationship.
In the end, the issue of drug-related corruption in Mexico has less to do with its own government and more to do with American society’s own insatiable demand for drugs. Crackdowns on the cartels inevitably cause the price of drugs to rise, increasing the temptation of Mexican officials to try and grab a piece of the pie.
As a businessman like Trump should be able to see, it’s not government corruption that drives the US-Mexican drug trade, but the iron laws of supply and demand.
Nathaniel Morris has previously received funding from the Leverhulme Trust, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and University College London for research that has fed into this article. He is also a member of Noria Research.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in International Security, University of Portsmouth
Donald Trump is demanding reparations from Ukraine for the assistance that it has given to Kyiv during the Russian invasion. Trump has demanded Ukraine sign a US$500 billion (£394 billion) deal that would give the US access to, and revenue from, Ukraine’s rare and critical minerals, an essential resource in 21st century economy.
Trump has said that this would form part of a repayment of the aid given by the US to Ukraine. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has so far refused to sign such an agreement stating that the aid was a grant and not a loan, as agreed by Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden and the Republican-controlled Congress.
A key reason behind Trump’s push for this mineral deal is the US reliance on rare minerals such as gallium, which is critical for advanced defence technologies but is not readily available domestically.
China, a leading supplier of gallium, has used its control over the resource as leverage against the US. It has imposed a ban on rare minerals being exported to the US, as part of its retaliation to increased US tariffs on Chinese goods.
Other minerals are crucial for military technology such as missile system, electronics and electric vehicles. In Ukraine, there are deposits for 22 of the 34 minerals identified by the European Union as critical.
The problem for the US is that China currently accounts for a high proportion of certain crticial mineral imports.
So Trump sees a resolution to the Ukraine war as an opportunity to secure alternative sources of critical minerals, reducing US dependency on China and allowing Trump to take a more aggressive approach towards it. He also may not have predicted that China would hit back against the US tariffs with restrictions on these vital resources quite so quickly.
Gallium is valued by the defence manufacturing industry because it is reliable and durable. In particular, the element is seen as a crucial tool enhancing radar, satellite communication systems, and electronic warfare systems. It is also used in multi-chip modules utilised by navigation and air traffic control systems.
In addition to gallium, Ukraine has vast resources of graphite, an element that is used in the construction of electric vehicles and nuclear reactors, and a third of Europe’s supply of lithium, which is used in batteries.
Trump’s focus on critical minerals has also influenced his interest in Greenland which possesses significant reserves of critical minerals, making it a potential alternative to Chinese-controlled resources.
Trump’s concern over China is also driving his negotiations with Russia more generally. One of Trump’s core concerns is China’s partnership with Russia. There is no doubt that China is now the dominant force in the Sino-Russian alliance.
Given the increasing cooperation between the two nations in military, economic, and technological areas, Trump believes that China’s influence in global affairs needs to be countered aggressively. The Trump administration has sought to undermine the alliance by softening the US’s approach to Russia, a move that has shocked European leaders.
Trump has long viewed China as the major threat to the US, considering it their biggest economic rival and a significant obstacle to making America “great again”.
His economic policies have targeted Chinese trade practices, supply chain dependencies and geopolitical manoeuvres. One of his key trade advisers has argued American businesses are at a disadvantage from China’s state-controlled economy, intellectual property theft and trade imbalance.
The recent tariffs imposed by the US on hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese imports, were intended to make US products more competitive by driving up the cost of Chinese imports, thereby encouraging businesses and consumers to buy domestic goods instead.
At the same time, Trump sought to weaken China’s export economy by making it more difficult for Chinese companies to sell goods in the US. His tariff policies extended beyond China, with similar measures being considered for Europe.
By targeting multiple regions, Trump aimed to shift global supply chains and solidify the US as a manufacturing powerhouse. By ending the war in Ukraine, Trump believes the US can redirect funds and resources used in Europe toward countering China’s growing influence.
Trump has tried to justify the tariffs on China by claiming Chinese manufacturers are responsible for the mass production of fentanyl, which is then trafficked into the US through various channels. Trump has proposed stricter measures to curb the flow of fentanyl, including sanctions and tariffs on Chinese firms allegedly involved in its production.
Following China’s retaliation, Trump needs peace in Ukraine and the consequential mineral agreement with Kyiv before China’s ban on exports to the US affects critical US manufacturing. Such an agreement would then allow him to take an even more aggressive posture with China with fewer consequences.
However, Zelensky recently claimed that Russia has taken control of 20% of Ukraine’s minerals since the invasion. And it’s possible it will be years before any American investor gets any return on their money due to a chronic lack of investment in Ukraine’s minerals sector for almost a decade.
Even if Trump does get the deal he wants, he will have to wait a while before Ukraine’s minerals will fulfil all of the US’s needs.
Dafydd Townley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
IAM Local 698 and 475 (District 60) members from Michigan are getting ready to negotiate with Cummins, Inc., for a new collective bargaining agreement in April. The unit consists of 160 members who work out of five plants in Dearborn, Grand Rapids, Mt. Clemens, New Hudson, and Saginaw, Michigan.
Several of the six-person negotiating team members recently traveled to the IAM’s Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, Md. The team covered committee responsibilities and ground rules, developing a bargaining calendar, bargaining surveys, research for negotiations, power analysis, contract & proposal costing, drafting contract language, presenting proposals, membership communication, and membership mobilization strategies.
Watch the video report here.
“The team has worked extremely hard for the upcoming negotiations, and I’m very proud of their work,” said IAM Automotive Director Craig Hughes. “We are fully prepared to fight for what our membership deserves.”
Local 698 member Dustin Bennett, one of the negotiations team members, worked on contract proposals and sat through simulated negotiations.
“Everyone on the team is looking towards negotiations,” said Bennett. “We’re very prepared and looking to get the best collective bargaining contract for the membership.”
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
February 24, 2025
Durbin: We should make sure Ukraine’s sovereignty and future are secure and not given away in appeasement to Putin—a move that could cost us dearly in the future
WASHINGTON – On the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor in support of Ukraine. During his speech, Durbin condemned President Trump’s appeasement to Russian President Vladimir Putin—where Trump announced key concessions to Putin regarding Ukraine, while apparently ignoring Ukraine’s key demands. Durbin began his speech by reflecting on President Reagan’s powerful speech at the Berlin Wall where he told the Soviets to “tear down this wall.”
“Ronald Reagan understood all too well what the Soviet regime was all about—it was a regime that had seized eastern Europe and condemned millions of individuals to live under a cruel and repressive communist dictatorship. My mother’s family originally came from Lithuania—once an independent country then a republic of the Soviet Union. Now an independent, democratic country again. That country meant a lot and still does to my family. I certainly recall the stories of my grandparents leaving the Russian domination and coming to America. Until recently, Americans across the political spectrum—including Republican presidents and members of Congress—also saw such Russian tyranny for what it was—until now,” said Durbin.
“Today, we see President Trump doing the bidding of Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin,” Durbin continued. “That’s right—the President of the United States of America is using talking points that sound like they were whispered in his ear by the Kremlin—all while denigrating and bullying our true allies in the region.”
Durbin detailed how President Trump has spewed outrageous comments when talking about Ukraine. He claimed, Ukraine started the war with Russia. He then attacked the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—who was democratically elected in a free and fair election. Trump called Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections.” Both comments are similar to lies said by Putin.
Durbin said, “But it gets worse, with Donald Trump having negotiated away in public key concessions to Russia to end the war including appeasement of Ukraine’s sovereign borders or possible future NATO membership. Trump, with one phone call, gave those away without even negotiating and certainly didn’t involve the Ukrainians who have lost 46,000 brave Ukrainians who have died because of Putin’s invasion. Today, in a stunning, shameful move, the United States voted with Russia, North Korea, Belarus, and a handful of dictatorships at the United Nations against a resolution condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine.”
Former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said of this tragic and unbelievable state of affairs, that it sounded like there was a handout prepared by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov from which the Trump Administration is now reading. He warned if President Trump continues to back Russia, then, “threats to European security will grow immensely. Putin will get braver, meaning more war in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and beyond.”
“President Trump’s affinity for autocrats like Putin and selling out or bullying our allies will not make America stronger or our world safer. Nor will his petulant and bumbling weekend gutting of our top military officers—a troubling act that raises serious questions about the politicization of our proud, professional fighting force in America. Let me be clear: We cannot let President Trump rewrite history or upend proven alliances with decades of bipartisan support… And ultimately, only the Ukrainian people can decide Ukraine’s future. Doing the bidding of foreign dictators and playing politics with our military only undermines America’s [safety],” Durbin said.
Today, Durbin joined U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and others in leading a simple resolution that expresses continued solidarity with the people of Ukraine and condolences for the loss of thousands of lives to Russian aggression; rejects Russia’s attempts to militarily seize sovereign Ukrainian territory; reaffirms U.S. support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine; and states unequivocally that Ukraine must be at the table for negotiations over its future.
Durbin also introduced the Protecting our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act, legislation that would provide temporary guest status to Ukrainians and their immediate family members who are already in the United States through the “Uniting for Ukraine” parole process. The bill allows Ukrainians to stay and work in the U.S. until the Secretary of State determines that hostilities in Ukraine have ceased and it is safe for them to return.
“When the war started, Republicans across the country opened their hearts and communities to desperately fleeing Ukrainians, even actively petitioning President Biden to protect them from deportation. So far, not a single Republican has cosponsored my bill [the Protecting our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act]. But I urge them to join this simple act of American compassion. Standing up to dictators and speaking out for victims of war should never be a partisan issue,” Durbin said.
Durbin concluded his speech by showing a photo of himself and the late Senator John McCain (R-AZ) on a bipartisan delegation CODEL to Ukraine in 2014. At the time, Russia had begun its attempts to seize Crimea and capture additional territory in the eastern part of the country.
“We should show no less courage here, today on a bipartisan basis, in making sure Ukraine’s sovereignty and future are secure and not given away in appeasement to Putin—a move that could cost us all dearly in the future,” Durbin concluded.
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
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Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
February 24, 2025
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Caucus, today celebrated Senate passage of their bipartisan resolution to designate February 2025 as American Heart Month. The resolution reaffirms the government’s commitment to fighting cardiovascular disease by supporting research and improving access to affordable, quality care to reduce long-term disability and mortality.
“As the leading cause of death in the U.S., heart disease has touched nearly every American family. It’s critical that we advance clinical research and treatments to support those suffering from cardiovascular diseases,” said Durbin. “I’m encouraged that my Senate colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, saw the value in raising awareness around the damaging impacts of cardiovascular disease by passing my resolution with Senator Crapo. I hope together we can use American Heart Month to build support for our efforts.”
“Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in Idaho and in the United States. We can all make changes to our lifestyle that will decrease our risk of heart disease, as well as the risk to our family members. This month, the Senate reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to fighting cardiovascular disease,” said Crapo.
In 2022, cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of more than 940,000 Americans, making it the leading cause of death in the United States. Cardiovascular disease disproportionately affects women and communities of color. Increased awareness of cardiovascular disease can lead to prevention or treatment, ultimately saving thousands of lives annually.
Durbin is a strong advocate for advancing research and treatments for cardiovascular diseases, particularly through his work on the Senate Committee on Appropriations to secure increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In November 2024, Durbin’s bipartisan Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2024 was signed into law, extending funding for public health efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve childhood survival rates, prevent premature death and disability, and increase quality of life for the 2.5 million Americans living with congenital heart disease (CHD). Specifically, this funding supports data collection, research, and awareness efforts at the CDC for congenital heart defects, the most common and deadliest birth defect. Since 2018, Durbin has increased appropriations for the cause from $4 million to $8.25 million.
A copy of the resolution can be found here.
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Eastern Irrigation District, as an employer, pleaded guilty to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code for failing to ensure an intake mechanism was locked out before a dive began. The company was sentenced on Feb. 19 in the Brooks Court of Justice. The Crown withdrew nine other charges under OHS legislation.
The charges stem from an incident at the Lake Newell and Rolling Hills Reservoirs south of Brooks on Oct. 19, 2022. A diver was assessing, inspecting and completing work on the reservoirs’ gates and suffered fatal injuries during the dive.
Under a creative sentence, the court ordered the irrigation district to pay total penalties of $365,000. It was ordered to pay $300,000 to the Central Alberta Rescue Diving Society for equipment and training and $65,000 to the Alberta Underwater Council for a safety campaign directed toward divers and employers.
The OHS Act provides a creative sentence option in which funds that would otherwise be paid as fines are directed to an organization or project to improve or promote workplace health and safety.
Both the irrigation district and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalties.
Alberta’s OHS laws set basic health and safety rules for workplaces across the province. They provide guidance for employers to help them ensure their workplaces are as healthy and safe as possible while providing rights and protections for workers. Charges under OHS laws may be laid when failing to follow the rules results in a workplace fatality or serious injury.
Quick facts
Jobs, Economy and Trade does not provide sentence documents. These are available through the Brooks Court of Justice.
Victim fine surcharges apply to fines payable to the Crown.
Surcharges are not applied to payments to other entities under creative sentences.
Fatality investigation summaries are posted to alberta.ca/fatality-investigation-summaries 60 to 90 days after court proceedings conclude.
A federal jury in Detroit convicted a California man today for his role in defrauding Medicare of over $4 million in fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary urine drug testing for patients receiving pain management treatment.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sherif Khalil, 50, of Redondo Beach, conspired with others to submit claims to Medicare for the highest-reimbursing urine drug testing panels, which doctors did not want or order.
Sherif Khalil operated Spectra Clinical Labs, a toxicology lab located in Gardena, California. As the owner of Spectra, Khalil implemented a scheme to pay marketers a percentage of Medicare reimbursements and incentivize them to obtain doctors’ orders for expensive drug testing panels. Khalil concealed Spectra’s payments to marketers by routing the payments through nominally independent marketing companies that Khalil secretly controlled. To maximize Spectra’s profits and their own commission payments, Spectra’s marketers then trained staff members at doctors’ offices to send Spectra orders for medically unnecessary urine drug tests that doctors did not actually want or authorize. Khalil also knew that orders Spectra received from physician practices were not supported by documentation of medical necessity.
The medically unnecessary laboratory tests ordered in exchange for illegal kickbacks to marketers caused Medicare to pay more than $4 million to the Spectra Clinical Labs.
Khalil was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks. Khalil is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud count and five years in prison on the count for conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys S. Babu Kaza, Jeffrey A. Crapko, and Kelly Warner and Assistant Chief Shankar Ramamurthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
PARIS, France, February 25, 2025/APO Group/ —
Gil Holzman, President & CEO, Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas, will speak at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum 2025 in Paris this May as the company expands its presence in the Orange Basin, offshore South Africa.
The Canada-headquartered Eco Atlantic has recently expanded its presence in Africa through strategic transactions and exploration initiatives. In June 2024, Eco Atlantic farmed into Block 1 in the Orange Basin, further strengthening its exploration portfolio in the region. The block has extensive 2D and 3D seismic data already completed, with no additional seismic acquisition or well drilling planned during the three-year carried period. During this time, Eco will focus on interpreting and analyzing the existing data to inform its planned Work Program, leveraging its in-house exploration team. The company also holds interests in Blocks 2B and 3B/4B in South Africa, along with four licenses in Namibia.
IAE 2025 (http://apo-opa.co/3ETVwbj)is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visitwww.Invest-Africa-Energy.com.To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contactsales@energycapitalpower.com.
Eco Atlantic’s approach centers on exploring low-carbon intensity oil and gas in stable emerging markets close to infrastructure, aiming to deliver material value for its stakeholders while contributing to the energy transition. The company prioritizes efficient exploration strategies that minimize environmental impact while maximizing resource potential.
By focusing on proven basins with existing infrastructure, Eco Atlantic seeks to accelerate development timelines and enhance economic viability in its operating regions. The upcoming forum will highlight how oil and gas independents like Eco Atlantic are navigating Africa’s evolving energy landscape, driving investment and sustainable resource development.
Legislation introduced today, February 25, will help remove barriers to trade and investment between Nova Scotia and other Canadian provinces and territories that reciprocate.
The Free Trade and Mobility within Canada Act is the first of its kind in the country and will help foster an environment of mutual recognition of goods, services and labour mobility across all sectors.
“We want other provinces and territories to know that Nova Scotia is open for business; we’re ready to partner with other Canadian jurisdictions who are ready to do business with us,” said Premier Tim Houston, also the Minister of Trade. “This legislation just makes sense. It will allow goods and services to be sold in Nova Scotia without further testing or red tape and puts trust in other provinces and territories that have appropriate requirements to keep people safe.”
The act specifically addresses:
goods manufactured and produced in a reciprocating province or territory will be treated the same as those produced locally in Nova Scotia
this will eliminate any additional fees or testing requirements for goods from these provinces and territories
service providers and licensees that are properly certified or licensed in a reciprocating province will be recognized as if they are licensed in Nova Scotia
this ensures that businesses providing services can operate across provincial borders without the burden of additional licensing or certification.
Quotes:
“Premier Houston is leaving no stone unturned in supporting and protecting our economy and our people. He is leading the charge for Nova Scotia. And this internal trade bill is an example of his leadership on the national stage. While the tariff threat is a very serious situation with severe consequences, like many challenges, it has also opened up a new dialogue between government and business that will lead to meaningful change.” — Darren Czech, CEO, Cherubini Group of Companies
Quick Facts:
interprovincial exports contribute about 17 per cent of Nova Scotia’s gross domestic product
interprovincial exports make up about half of Nova Scotia’s total exports (about 48 per cent of all goods and services)
in 2023, the value of Nova Scotia’s interprovincial exports was nearly $29 billion
one-third of Canadian businesses participated in internal trade by buying or selling goods across provincial or territorial borders
more than $530 billion worth of goods and services moves across provincial and territorial borders every year – equal to 20 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product
Additional Resources:
Bills tabled in the legislature are available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-65-session-1
Humans may not be the only animals that ingest alcohol, research is suggesting. Studies on animals are showing they may be eating natural ethanol for its medicinal or nutritional properties.
Humans drink alcohol in almost every part of the world, apart from places where people abstain for religious reasons. In the past, many people believed alcohol consumption was unique to humans, but growing evidence is showing we aren’t alone in our taste for booze.
It has long been known that vinegar flies are closely linked to alcohol given their tendency to breed on fermented fruits. However, it turns out they are not an outlier.
When you think of alcohol, you may think of a pint of beer or a glass of wine. But there are many types of alcohol, most of which are extremely toxic. For example, isopropanol (rubbing alcohol), which is commonly used as a disinfectant.
Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, is the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, but ethanol is also prevalent in nature. Yeasts, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as brewer’s yeast, are widespread in the natural environment and produce ethanol (possibly to defend the plant’s sugary resource from competing microorganisms), when they metabolise sugars via fermentation. Many fruits, nectars and saps contain an abundance of sugars. Some of this sugar becomes ethanol when colonised by yeast.
Fruit from plants in Panama, Costa Rica, Singapore, Israel and Finland have been found to contain ethanol, as well as some nectars and saps. The concentration of ethanol in naturally fermenting fruit is typically much lower than those in human-made alcoholic beverages, but some overripe fruit, such as fruits of the black palm (Astrocaryum standleyanum) have ethanol levels similar to a standard beer (5%).
Although examples in the wild are rare, this may be due to lack of research rather than prevalence. Researchers are developing methods that make it easier to measure ethanol in the field, and as more research is conducted, more examples will probably be discovered.
Do animals get drunk?
There are many anecdotes of “drunk” animals, from moose to elephants, but none of these cases have actually been validated. From an evolutionary standpoint, being drunk is disadvantageous. Intoxicated animals could be more susceptible to injury or predation, and less likely to survive.
Instead, many scientists expect natural selection would favour adaptations for increased ethanol metabolism to avoid becoming “drunk”. This allows animals to eat fermented foods while minimising the negative effects of intoxication.
In animals, including humans, the primary metabolic route for ethanol is similar. Ethanol is first oxidised to acetaldehyde (a toxic intermediate) by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase.
Acetaldehyde is then converted to acetate (which is less toxic) by aldehyde dehydrogenase. Yet, the efficiency at which different animals metabolise ethanol varies. It can vary between humans too.
Some animals appear to have enhanced ethanol metabolism. Much like humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and bonobos share a mutation that make them particularly efficient at metabolising ethanol.
Interestingly, the only Asian great ape (orangutan), which is highly arboreal (tree-dwelling), doesn’t share this mutation. This may be because orangutans did not experience the same evolutionary pressures as the more terrestrial (ground-dwelling) African great apes.
For example, orangutans primarily feed in trees where fruit is expected to be less fermented than when it falls to the ground.
Adult female chimpanzee feeding on ripe Spondias mombin Kimberley Hockings, CC BY-NC-ND
It is possible that if sugary foods ferment naturally, then animals that eat these foods may consume ethanol without meaning to. Ethanol may have some benefits. It has antimicrobial properties and vinegar flies are known to use it to self-medicate against parasites. However, not much is known on whether other animals also use ethanol for medicinal purposes.
There are confirmed sightings of many animals, from chimpanzees to orangutans using plants for medication, so the use of ethanol in this way could be widespread. Animals may also ingest food with ethanol in it because ethanol itself is a source of calories and its presence indicates sugar and nutrient content.
Ambrosia beetles use the smell of ethanol as a cue to find suitable host trees to colonise. The ethanol increases the growth of fungi which the beetles feed on.
Many of us are keenly aware of ethanol’s cognitive impact, including feelings of relaxation. Ethanol might play a significant role in promoting sociality among humans. This may also apply to other species, but has yet to be studied in a natural context.
We still have much to learn about wild animals’ natural use of ethanol. Many
hypotheses remain untested, and we know little about whether animals seek out ethanol and fermented foods. But many animals ingest it. It is clear the party is growing, and we are just one of many species that partake in ethanol.
Anna Christina Bowland has received funding from the Primatological Society of Great Britain (PSGB) and the University of Exeter.
Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an op-ed published in the Charleston Gazette-Mail and the Wheeling Intelligencer, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, wrote about her priorities as Chairman of the EPW Committee for the 119th Congress, and how they relate to initiatives important to West Virginians.
“Now, as Chairman of the EPW Committee, I will continue to make certain West Virginia always has a seat at the table. That has been a central motivation of mine since I first came to Congress,” Chairman Capito writes.
“For West Virginia, this means unleashing the restraints that have delayed our ability to manufacture, build, and capitalize on economic development opportunities that create good-paying jobs. This means continuing to invest in our roads and bridges, improving the quality of our water infrastructure systems, and moving closer to final completion of vital projects like Corridor H. This means restructuring the regulations that stopped necessary investments to develop pipelines and build out reliable energy and electric infrastructure. West Virginia must continue to be an energy leader while still protecting the environment of the communities we live in,” Chairman Capito continues.
The full op-ed is available here and below.
West Virginia on my mind as Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman
By: U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
The Charleston Gazette-Mail, The Wheeling Intelligencer
February 18, 2025
After the American people made their voices heard in November, President Trump is now back in the White House with a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress. In this new Congress, my role has expanded. For the first time, I will serve as the senior-senator from West Virginia, the Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, and importantly, the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
The Environment and Public Works Committee, or the EPW Committee as it is typically called, is tasked with developing policies to address the infrastructure, economic development, energy, and environment challenges that our country faces. Those are matters that West Virginians know deeply, and my West Virginian roots will serve me well as I take on this role. I have served on the EPW Committee since I was first sworn into the U.S. Senate in 2015, and I understand what it takes to get things done through this panel.
Over the last four years as the EPW Committee’s Ranking Member, I worked hard to enact effective solutions for our state while in the minority, which was certainly a challenge. But through these efforts, I was able to achieve important successes. Now, as Chairman of the EPW Committee, I will continue to make certain West Virginia always has a seat at the table. That has been a central motivation of mine since I first came to Congress.
For West Virginia, this means unleashing the restraints that have delayed our ability to manufacture, build, and capitalize on economic development opportunities that create good-paying jobs. This means continuing to invest in our roads and bridges, improving the quality of our water infrastructure systems, and moving closer to final completion of vital projects like Corridor H. This means restructuring the regulations that stopped necessary investments to develop pipelines and build out reliable energy and electric infrastructure. West Virginia must continue to be an energy leader while still protecting the environment of the communities we live in.
One of my main priorities as Chairman is to unshackle American energy, including West Virginia’s natural resources like coal and natural gas. To do this, we must address unnecessary barriers under our environmental laws, which will also help us get back to building the manufacturing, farming, housing, and other projects that will drive our economy forward while still protecting public health and the environment. I will also work with President Trump to address the broad and, in some cases outright illegal, regulations from the Biden administration that harmed our communities and stifled innovation. We must work in tandem with the Trump administration to halt the endless regulatory costs imposed on Main Street America.
Additionally, I will work to repair and modernize our transportation and water infrastructure. The authorization for federal roads and bridges programs and funding, as well as the authorization for the drinking water and wastewater programs, expires in 2026. Reauthorizing these programs, which are critical to West Virginia and the nation, is a top priority for me as the Chairman of the EPW Committee.
Finally, the EPW Committee has an important role in approving the Trump administration’s nominees for key positions at federal agencies, and impacting the policies these agencies pursue. I will work to swiftly confirm high quality nominees within the EPW Committee’s jurisdiction, so they can get to work undoing the regulatory damage against the American economy created by the Biden administration.
If you know me, you know that West Virginia is always in the front of my mind. I am a proud, lifelong native of the Mountain State, and it is the honor of my life to represent our people in the U.S. Senate. I look forward to addressing the challenges ahead with my brand of eternal optimism, and to delivering solutions on the issues that matter most to the people of our great state.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito is the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and also serves on the Appropriations, Commerce, and Rules Committees. She is the Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, making her the fourth highest ranked Senate Republican.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Published: February 25, 2025
Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Jack Reed (D-RI) led a bipartisan group of 22 Senators in celebrating the critical role of public school teachers, administrators, parents, and students by designating February 24 through February 28 as “Public Schools Week.” Their resolution passed the Senate unanimously.
“This week, we celebrate the more than 100,000 public schools across the country that play an essential role in nurturing our nation’s youth, inspiring students, and equipping them with the tools needed to succeed as adults,” said Senator Collins. “I’ve had the privilege of visiting more than 200 schools in Maine throughout my Senate service, and I have seen the abiding commitment shared by educators and staff to provide students with a strong foundation for lifelong learning.”
“Public schools are the foundation of our democracy, where kids are put on a path towards reaching their full potential and are prepared to shape America’s future. They are unifying places of opportunity where kids with different backgrounds, beliefs, and abilities come together for the common purpose of learning and getting a healthy start. Every child deserves a great education. That means we must invest in public schools,” said Senator Reed.
The Senators’ resolution encourages state, local, and federal lawmakers to prioritize efforts to strengthen public education and bolster services that provide critical support for students, including counseling, extracurricular activities, and mental health resources. The resolution also urges Congress to support efforts to advance equal opportunities for students of all backgrounds, so that every child can receive a high-quality education, no matter who they are or where they live.
Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding the confirmation of Dan Driscoll as United States Secretary of the Army:
“Dan Driscoll steps into the role of Army Secretary at a pivotal moment. Today, we face an axis of aggressors in Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, and we owe it to our servicemembers and the American people to plan accordingly. The Secretary must take on the essential task of building up and maintaining the backbone of American hard power, work on which I intend to partner closely from the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. He must support our men and women in uniform and strengthen our Amy installations, such as the three premier installations in Kentucky. And importantly, Secretary Driscoll must bring a sea change to the way we plan for the future – preserving our peace not through one-time injections and half-measures, but by getting serious about strengthening our hand and sustaining America’s military edge long term.”
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
February 22, 2025
“[U]ltimately, the power is not actually in the White House. The power is not actually in the Congress. The power lies with the people, and that’s what I’m counting on.”
“[Billionaires like Elon Musk] believe that the rich can get even more squeezed out of this country and they can do it on the backs of everyone else in this nation, and they hope you won’t see that, and they are wrong. We see it, and we will stop it.”
“This is not just Republican versus Democrat. Not anymore. This is a whole lot bigger than that.”
Video of Remarks (YouTube)
Boston, MA – At a town hall in Framingham, Massachusetts, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) shared her thoughts on President Trump and Elon Musk’s work to “bring down our government from the inside,” and laid out her plan to fight back against the Trump administration’s policies that hurt Massachusetts families.
February 22, 2025 As Delivered
Senator Elizabeth Warren: Hello Framingham! Hello Massachusetts! Oh, sit down, sit down. Damn, it is good to be here with you all. Not that it’s not fun to be in Washington. But thank you all for being here.
This is such an extraordinary moment. I know there’s a lot you could be out doing, but you’re in here because you care. And I’m so glad we have this chance to be together, but I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s a hard time out there.
It is a hard time when our federal government is firing the people who are trying to do cancer research. It is a hard time when our federal government, under co-presidents Elon Musk and Donald Trump, is laying off the people who keep our nuclear materials safe. It is a hard time when our co-presidents are firing veterans. It is a hard time when they are trying to bring down our government from the inside. It is a hard time when President Elon Musk is out there mowing through every federal database that has all your personal financial information, and in some cases, medical information, all of the ways that you can be identified. It is a hard time when that little consumer agency—can we hear it for the CFPB? Yeah. When the cop on the beat that has discovered more than 20 billion dollars of scams over the last dozen years shut them down and made the scammers give the money back to the people they cheated, and now co-president Musk wants to shut that down—not on my watch. You bet. Yeah. Yeah. Not here. And it is a hard time when co-president Trump thinks that he’s going to rule by bullying people, whether those people are immigrants, whether those people identify differently he does, whether or not those people are the governor of Maine. It’s not going to work.
Here’s the deal. Yes, it is a hard time. I acknowledge that, and we came together to talk about it. We don’t have all the tools we want. I get it. Boy, can I count to exactly 47 Democrats in the United States Senate and 53 Republicans. I can do that math. I understand that. But the fact that we don’t have as many tools as we want does not mean that we have no tools at all. We are in this fight. You bet. So, I want to do something today. I want to tell you, just as our topper, we’re going to ask some questions in a minute, but I want to tell you what I’m working on and what we’re all trying to do right now.
So part one: what Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing in large parts of government is flatly illegal. It’s just illegal. It’s not like, “Well on the one hand, on the other.’ A big part of what they’re doing is illegal, and we are in the courts. We are in the courts, and we’re going to fight this out in the courts. That’s part one.
Part two: right in the United States Senate, we are the ones who are supposed to do advice and consent. Now, like I said, we’re in a 47-53. These nominees are horrible. It’s a term of art here. Right. They are terrible. We now have someone who’s going to be in charge of our Health and Human Services. Yep. Yep. Yep. Someone who’s in charge of the Department of Defense. The Director of National Intelligence. So, I see you’ve been reading, right? You’re staying up, you get who these people are.
The Republicans are going forward in the Senate with these people, Donald Trump has nominated them, going forward. Here’s the deal. We’re not giving it away for free. They can name horrible people, and maybe we don’t have the votes to stop them, but we are not giving it away for free. When RFK gets nominated—you bet—I tried to make clear with my questions: not only does he traffic in antiscience, traffic in antivaxx, but he’s making millions of dollars to do it, and that’s not right. When our Secretary of Defense is credibly accused of sexual assault, I managed to pry out the information: he paid $50,000 to hush that woman up. When he’s falling down drunk at work events and when he drove not one, but two nonprofits straight into the ground financially. We couldn’t stop him, but we didn’t give it away for free.
Here’s how I look at it, with all of these nominees. We’re putting a stink on them, and making sure the American people see it, and that every damn Republican who voted for him is going to feel a part of that stink now, and into the future. So, that’s part two. And part three is to try to raise a movement. To do it all across this country. Yep. If you’ve seen me on TV, if you’ve seen me on podcasts, if you’ve seen me out in the streets or sidewalks, you understand that’s what I’m trying to do and it’s what others are trying to do. Because ultimately, the power is not actually in the White House. The power is not actually in the Congress. The power lies with the people, and that’s what I’m counting on.
So, with that in mind, I know what we need. We’ve got people in this room. I don’t have to tell you not to give up. You don’t give up. You’re in this room because you were ready for this fight. So, I wanted to be here today to ask for three things. You know I always come with an ask. I mean everybody, anybody wants to meet me, “Oh, Elizabeth, what do you want now?” because that’s my job. So ask number one; tell the stories of what this means. Ask number one, that’s it.
Tell the stories of what it means if cancer research is halted.
Tell the stories about what it means if we’re going to shut down our national parks.
Tell the stories of what it’s going to mean if someone who has dedicated 22 years working in public service just gets laid off.
Tell the stories of what it means if you’re going to terrorize an immigrant community so that little business owners have to close their doors because people are afraid to be out on the sidewalks.
Tell the story about what it means when children are afraid to go to school.
Tell those stories.
And the reason for that is: we are at the moment of developing the national narrative for what Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing. It is bad, and we need to tell that story, and I need you to tell it. So that’s part one, and by the way, when I say tell it, tell it everywhere. Tell it online, do it on your Facebook, do it on Insta, do it texting, but also the group you went to school with, your group that you work on, anybody, anywhere around the country. Go on these chats and tell the stories, because this is how, as a nation, we make the voice of people heard. So that’s part one. Part two: do not underestimate the value of organizing. Indivisible. God bless them. Some of you, we have some Indivisible members. And other organizations. I’m all in. One voice is powerful. Two voices is more than twice as powerful. Organizing and getting energy behind it—we keep each other going. So please, organize, get in a group that’s organized. Work with others, build your own, bring in your neighbors, but come.
And then, part three, you’ve got to take care. These are hard times, and remember how they say on the airplane, ‘Adjust your own mask before helping the person sitting next to you.’ You actually do have to take a deep breath. This is a time when Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to undermine our confidence and our ability to be with each other, to make our voices heard, to make this government work. And we have to take care of ourselves.
And that’s going to be a lot of different things for different people. I have my own. We can talk about that. But with your friends, with yourself, you got to take care, because we’re not in this just until tonight. We’re not in this just until the end of this month. We are in this for the long haul to save our country.
I know it’s hard right now. It’s hard to maintain focus. There’s so much going on. I sometimes think of this as feeling like you’re in a sandstorm, right, and it’s just buffeting, and things are coming from every direction. Understand that is intentional. They are doing this because they don’t want people to be able to get focused and respond. Why is that? Why all this noise? Why are they doing all these pieces at once? Because they want you to not see the driving force behind it. There is a driving force here, and the driving force is that billionaires like Elon Musk and a handful of the other cronies, they want giant tax cuts so that they can be even richer and so they can run this country. And they want regular folks, people who depend on a little help from the federal government, to be able to stay in a nursing home. People who need, a little kid down the street from you who has a severe disability and he needs an aide to be able to be in a public school. They believe that the rich can get even more squeezed out of this country and they can do it on the backs of everyone else in this nation, and they hope you won’t see that, and they are wrong. We see it, and we will stop it. You bet. Yup. I think of this as what we fight for.
This is not just Republican versus Democrat. Not anymore. This is a whole lot bigger than that. This is truly what we think our government is for. Why we organize and get out there, why we vote, why we show up. The Republicans right now have completely caved in. It’s Elon Musk and whatever he wants to do, and Donald Trump wants to name himself King. That’s where they’re headed.
We are the people who actually believe that we can build an America that doesn’t just work for a handful at the top. We believe in an America where everybody gets a fighting chance, and what that ultimately means is that we make those investments so people can get them. We make the investment, damn it, in public education—can we hear it for our teachers? You bet. We make those investments in healthcare because healthcare is a basic human right. And we’re in the fight to make those investments in housing so everyone has an opportunity to buy a home and build some security.
I’m here because I’m an optimist. And yeah, this is, this is, this tests me. I get it. But I’m still an optimist. I’m an optimist because I truly see up close and personal what happens when we work together. I see the things we build, and I see the people right now here in Framingham, here in Massachusetts, who show up to say investing in our government is worth it. So we’re going to stay in this fight. Thank you.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement on the Trump Administration and Elon Musk’s continued attacks on the U.S. Agency for International Development:
“USAID supports programs that serve U.S. national interests overseas, but it is farmers here in America who grow the corn, wheat, beans, and peanuts. It is dairy farmers in Vermont who produce the powdered milk that USAID uses to feed millions of hungry children in Africa, Central America, and Asia. American companies manufacture the generators, water pumps, trucks, and computers for USAID’s programs, and American workers—in blue states and red states—implement those programs. Thanks to Elon Musk—an unelected billionaire—those American farmers and companies have lost their business with USAID, and workers are losing their jobs.
“If Donald Trump and Elon Musk were serious about rooting out wasteful spending, they would not have stopped programs in countries like Somalia where USAID is a key partner in counterterrorism efforts with the U.S. military. They would not have shut down the Famine Early Warning System, risking medicines and American-grown food aid to spoil in the supply chain. They would not have put more than a half dozen USAID lawyers on leave, including its ethics lawyers. They would not delay payment of invoices for work already completed on behalf of the U.S. government, incurring needless fees for violating the Prompt Payment Act. And they would not be incurring interest on late payments owed, penalties for early contract terminations, and legal fees.
“If this were truly about preventing waste, if this were truly about rooting out corruption, they would not empty U.S. embassies, leaving virtually no one trained in financial management and oversight.
“If there was any truth to their hyperbolic claims of corruption, for which DOGE has offered no credible evidence, they should have asked the USAID Inspector General to investigate rather than fire him without cause. And if they actually did discover programs they don’t support, they could have reprogramed the funds consistent with Congressional requirements and past practice. They also could have asked Congress to change the law.
“What is taking place right now is not about conducting a review, policy realignment, or addressing waste, fraud, and abuse. The Trump Administration’s own actions have made every one of those goals impossible to achieve.”
Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
February 25, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), issued the following statement after voting to confirm Dan Driscoll as U.S. Secretary of the Army:
“Dan Driscoll understands we must streamline the Army’s processes to increase munitions production and ensure our warfighters have what they need. He will drive innovation and modernization. I also appreciate his service in Iraq as a Cavalry Scout Platoon Leader.”