NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Outcome of the EU leaders’ retreat on 3 February 2024 – 07-02-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    European Union leaders met in Brussels on 3 February 2025, for their first-ever meeting dedicated solely to defence issues. In the current challenging geopolitical context, the purpose of this first meeting of EU Heads of State or Government in 2025 – described as an ‘informal retreat’ – was to make ‘progress in discussions on building the Europe of defence’. The ‘frank, open, and free discussion’ covered three main issues: i) defence capabilities, ii) financing EU defence priorities, and iii) strengthening EU defence partnerships, with a focus on cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the transatlantic partnership, and the relationship with the United Kingdom (UK). The informal retreat was not intended to produce formal conclusions, but rather to provide the European Commission President and the High Representative with political guidance for the upcoming white paper on defence due on 19 March 2025. It also aimed at preparing the ground for important decisions on defence to be taken by the EU and the Member States in the coming months. Following recent statements by the President of the United States (US) Donald Trump, discussions also covered Greenland, and trade relations with the US in the context of the transatlantic partnership.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – World Trade Organization’s concerns regarding the EU’s F-gas Regulation – E-000401/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000401/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Miriam Lexmann (PPE)

    Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gas Regulation) envisages a complete phaseout of F-gases in several industrial applications by 2035. As F-gases are important for numerous industries within global supply chains, this Regulation prompted concerns from several World Trade Organization (WTO) members, including the United States, Australia, Japan and Canada. These concerns highlighted the EU’s duty to avoid creating unnecessary trade barriers under the WTO’s Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement.

    With the new Trump administration in the United States, the risk of protectionist policies, including retaliatory trade measures against the EU, is rising. New tariffs, for example on cars, would have a devastating impact on Europe’s automotive industry, including in Slovakia.

    • 1.Is the Commission willing to remove full bans on F-gases for certain applications from Annex IV before these bans enter into force in the 2030s, respecting the principle of technological neutrality?
    • 2.Regarding Article 35(5), will the Commission consider carrying out a review of F-gas restrictions earlier than 2030, maybe in 2025, in order to alleviate the concerns of WTO members?
    • 3.Would the review consider the specific role of HFOs as an alternative to the previous generation of F-gases (HFCs), especially given their low global warming potential and the fact that no impact assessments on their full ban have previously been carried out?

    Submitted: 29.1.2025

    Last updated: 7 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Jason Esteves and Rep. Phil Olaleye to Host Press Conference Urging State Lawmakers to Invest in Georgia Public Schools

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (February 7, 2025)—On Monday, February 10, at 12:30 p.m., Sen. Jason Esteves (D–Atlanta) and Rep. Phil Olaleye (D–Atlanta) will hold a press conference alongside Georgia students and parents to announce their legislation to increase public education funding for K-12 students who live in poverty.

    EVENT DETAILS:                      

    • Date: Monday, February 10, 2025
    • Time: 12:30 p.m.
    • Where: Georgia State Capitol, South Steps, 206 Washington St SW, Atlanta, GA, 30334
    • This Event is Open to the Public.

    MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:

    We kindly request that members of the media confirm their attendance in advance by contacting Jantz Womack at SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Food Safety Tips for Game Day Celebrations; Safer Cheese Choices / Consejos de seguridad alimentaria para las celebraciones el día del partido; Opciones más seguras de quesos

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    Ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is sharing food safety tips to make sure foodborne illness isn’t invited to your gathering. Many game day favorite foods, like pizza, chicken wings, chili, and dips cannot stay at room temperature for more than 2 hours. When perishable foods are left at room temperature, bacteria can grow and cause foodborne illness.

    Make a game plan to keep food at a safe temperature:

    � If you’re transporting food over an hour away, use an insulated bag. � If you plan to keep food out for more than two hours: o Keep cold foods at a temperature of 40 degrees F or below by keeping food nestled in ice. o Keep hot foods at a temperature of 140 degrees F or above by placing food in a preheated oven, warming trays, chafing dishes or slow cookers. � If you do not plan to use cold or heating sources to keep food hot or cold during the game, split food into multiple portions � and serve only one portion at a time to ensure food is not out for more than 2 hours. � Perishable food should be discarded if left out for longer than 2 hours. To prevent food waste and enjoy leftovers after the game, refrigerate or freeze perishable items within 2 hours.

    There are other steps you can take to keep family and friends safe from foodborne illness. Follow these food safety tips:

    � Clean: Wash hands for 20 seconds before and after handling your takeout or delivered food, as well as any raw meat or poultry you prepare at home. Clean hands, surfaces and utensils with soap and water before and after meal prep and sanitize any surfaces that may have come in contact with food with a commercial or homemade cleaning solution (1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water). � Separate: Use separate cutting boards, plates, and utensils to avoid cross-contamination between your takeout or delivery foods and any raw meat or poultry you are preparing at home. � Cook: Confirm foods are cooked or reheated to a safe internal temperature by using a food thermometer (165 F for poultry, ground meat, and leftovers). Cooking or reheating food to the right temperature kills germs.

    Safer Cheese Choices for People at Higher Risk for Listeria Infection

    RIDOH recommends that people at higher risk for a Listeria infection avoid any unheated queso fresco-type cheeses, even if made with pasteurized milk. This recommendation is based on updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to better protect people at higher risk of Listeria infection.

    Listeria infection is rare but can be especially harmful for some people. People who are pregnant, newborn babies, people who are 65 years or older, and people with weakened immune systems are all at higher risk for Listeria infection.

    People can get infected with Listeria by eating contaminated food. Some foods are more likely than others to be contaminated with Listeria. Learn more about preventing Listeria infection from food.

    The FDA and CDC guidance includes avoiding unheated queso fresco, or similar fresh, soft cheeses such as queso blanco and reques�n. People at higher risk can still safely enjoy these cheeses if they are heated, cooked, or grilled before eating to 165�F or until steaming hot. Heating these cheese kills harmful germs like Listeria. CDC and FDA continue to recommend that people avoid any type of cheese when made with raw unpasteurized milk, especially if they are at higher risk of infection.

    People at higher risk of Listeria infection can lower their risk by choosing safer cheese, such as: � Hard cheeses made with pasteurized milk, such as asiago, cheddar, parmesan, or swiss/gruyere/emmental; � Cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, feta, and mozzarella, when made with pasteurized milk; and � Heated queso fresco-type cheeses or heated unpasteurized (raw) milk cheeses, when heated to 165�F or steaming hot.

    RIDOH recommends people talk to their healthcare professional know if they possibly ate contaminated food. This is especially important if they are pregnant, are 65 years or older, or have a weakened immune system. If you ate food possibly contaminated with Listeria and do not feel sick, most experts believe you do not need tests or treatment. Talk to your healthcare professional if you have questions about what to do.

    This updated guidance from CDC and FDA includes new information from an analysis on the latest US Listeria outbreak data and findings. From 1998 through 2022, 11 out of the 15 Listeria outbreaks linked to queso fresco-type cheeses were made with pasteurized milk. This indicates that contamination likely occurred during or after cheese-making, not from the milk. More Listeria outbreaks were linked to queso fresco-type cheeses than any other type of cheese during this period.

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    Consejos de seguridad alimentaria para las celebraciones el d�a del partido El Departamento de Salud de RI comparte opciones m�s seguras de quesos para personas con mayor riesgo de infecciones por Listeria

    Antes del domingo del Super Taz�n, el Departamento de Salud de Rhode Island (RIDOH) comparte consejos de seguridad alimentaria para asegurarse que enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos no sean invitadas a su reuni�n. Muchos de los alimentos favoritos durante los d�as de juego, como la pizza, las alitas de pollo, el chili y las salsas, no pueden permanecer a temperatura ambiente durante m�s de 2 horas. Cuando los alimentos perecederos se dejan a temperatura ambiente, pueden crear bacterias y causar enfermedades transmitidas a trav�s de ellos.

    Haga planes para mantener los alimentos a una temperatura segura:

    � Si va a transportar alimentos a m�s de una hora de distancia, utilice bolsas termicas. � Si planea dejar los alimentos a temperatura ambiente por m�s de dos horas: o Mantenga los alimentos fr�os a una temperatura de 40 grados Fahrenheit o menos coloc�ndolos sobre hielo. o Mantenga los alimentos calientes a una temperatura de 140 grados Fahrenheit o m�s colocando los alimentos en un horno precalentado, bandejas calentadoras, platos para calentar u ollas de cocci�n lenta. � Si no planea utilizar fuentes de fr�o o calor para mantener los alimentos calientes o fr�os durante el juego, divida los alimentos en varias porciones y sirva solo una porci�n a la vez para asegurarse que los alimentos no permanezcan a temperatura ambiente durante m�s de 2 horas. � Los alimentos perecederos deben desecharse si se dejan a temperatura ambiente. Para evitar el desperdicio de alimentos y disfrutar de las sobras despu�s del juego, refrig�relos o cong�lelos dentro de las dos horas siguientes.

    Existen otras medidas que puede tomar para proteger a sus familiares y amigos de las enfermedades transmitidas por los alimentos. Siga estos consejos de seguridad alimentaria: � Limpie: L�vese las manos durante 20 segundos antes y despu�s de manipular los alimentos preparados ya sea para llevar o que le entreguen a domicilio, as� como cualquier carne o ave cruda que prepare en casa. Lave las manos, las superficies y los utensilios con agua y jab�n antes y despu�s de preparar los alimentos y desinfecte cualquier superficie con los que puedan haber estado en contacto, usando una soluci�n de limpieza comercial o casera (1 cucharada de leg�a o blanqueador l�quido con cloro sin aroma por cada gal�n de agua potable). � Separe: Use tablas de cortar, platos y utensilios separados para evitar la contaminaci�n cruzada entre los alimentos ya sea para llevar o que le entreguen a domicilio y cualquier carne o ave cruda que est� preparando en casa. � Cocine: confirme que los alimentos est�n cocidos o recalentados internamente a una temperatura segura usando un term�metro para alimentos (165 �F para aves, carne molida y sobras). Cocinar o recalentar los alimentos a la temperatura adecuada mata los g�rmenes.

    Opciones de queso m�s seguras para personas con mayor riesgo de infecci�n por Listeria

    El RIDOH recomienda que las personas con mayor riesgo de contraer una infecci�n por Listeria eviten los quesos frescos sin calentar, incluso si est�n hechos con leche pasteurizada. Esta recomendaci�n se basa en las directrices actualizadas de los Centros para el Control y la Prevenci�n de Enfermedades (CDC) y la Administraci�n de Alimentos y Medicamentos (FDA) para proteger mejor a las personas con mayor riesgo de contraer una infecci�n por Listeria.

    La infecci�n por Listeria es poco frecuente, pero puede ser especialmente da�ina para algunas personas. Las personas embarazadas, los reci�n nacidos, las personas de 65 a�os o m�s y las personas con sistema inmunol�gico d�bil tienen mayor riesgo de contraer una infecci�n por Listeria.

    Las personas pueden infectarse con Listeria al comer alimentos contaminados. Algunos alimentos tienen m�s probabilidades que otros de estar contaminados con Listeria. Obtenga m�s informaci�n sobre c�mo prevenir la infecci�n por Listeria a trav�s de los alimentos.

    Las recomendaciones de la FDA y los CDC incluyen evitar el queso fresco sin calentar o quesos frescos y blandos similares, como el queso blanco y el reques�n. Las personas con mayor riesgo pueden disfrutar de estos quesos de manera segura si se calientan, cocinan o asan a la parrilla antes de comerlos a 165 �F o hasta que est�n humeantes. Calentar estos quesos mata los g�rmenes da�inos como la Listeria. Los CDC y la FDA siguen recomendando que las personas eviten cualquier tipo de queso elaborado con leche cruda no pasteurizada, especialmente si tienen un mayor riesgo de infecci�n.

    Las personas con mayor riesgo de contraer una infecci�n por Listeria pueden reducir su riesgo eligiendo quesos m�s seguros, como: � Quesos duros elaborados con leche pasteurizada, como asiago, cheddar, parmesano o suizo/gruy�re/emmental; � Reques�n, queso crema, queso en hebras, feta y mozzarella, cuando se elaboran con leche pasteurizada; y � Calentar los quesos tipo queso fresco o quesos de leche cruda (sin pasteurizar) son m�s seguros cuando se calientan a 165 �F o est�n muy calientes.

    Si se siente enfermo, el RIDOH recomienda que hable con un profesional de salud para saber si es posible que haya consumido alimentos contaminados. Esto es especialmente importante si est� embarazada, tiene 65 a�os o m�s o tiene un sistema inmunol�gico d�bil. Si comi� alimentos posiblemente contaminados con Listeria y no se siente enfermo, la mayor�a de los expertos creen que no necesita pruebas ni tratamiento. Hable con un profesional de la salud si tiene preguntas sobre qu� hacer.

    Esta gu�a actualizada de los CDC y la FDA incluye nueva informaci�n de un an�lisis de los �ltimos datos y hallazgos sobre brotes de Listeria en EE. UU. (analysis on the latest US Listeria outbreak data and findings) Entre 1998 y 2022, 11 de los 15 brotes de Listeria relacionados con quesos tipo queso fresco se elaboraron con leche pasteurizada. Esto indica que es probable que la contaminaci�n se haya producido durante o despu�s de la elaboraci�n del queso, no debido a la leche. Durante este per�odo, se relacionaron m�s brotes de Listeria con quesos tipo queso fresco que con cualquier otro tipo de queso.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Wright joins CNBC’s Brian Sullivan – February 7th, 2025

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCtRS_wg77s

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Wright joins FOX’s Dana Perino – February 6th, 2025

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv9EiLFb4to

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy Keynote Address | 2025 AASHTO

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy addresses the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) during the 2025 Washington Briefing.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLyIzRglG1g

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: This Week at Interior February 7, 2025

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    This Week: Former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is sworn in as the 55th Secretary of the Interior, and welcomed aboard at the Steward Lee Udall Building by an enthusiastic gathering of Interior employees; the new Secretary stressed the vital importance of Interior’s energy portfolio and the Department’s efforts to make America Energy Dominant; Secretary Burgum got right to work, signing several Secretary’s Orders to address the national energy emergency, unleash American energy, deliver emergency price relief for American families, and tap the State of Alaska’s abundant and largely untapped supply of natural resources. Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X.

    http:/www.facebook.com/usinterior
    http:/www.instagram.com/usinterior
    http:/www.x.com/Interior

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_58UKmHg2rM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Making America Safe Again, Week 2

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    Making America Safe Again for the Week of January 31, 2025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4vcLH4HJL0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Making America Safe Again, Week 1

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    Making America Safe Again for the Week of January 27, 2025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pf7pnuM3RM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ecuadorian Man Charged with Being in the United States Illegally After Having Been Previously Removed by Immigration Officials

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that during an arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on February 5, 2025, Alex Patin-Patin, 28, of Ecuador, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with being unlawfully present in the United States after having been previously removed by immigration officials. At a detention hearing held on February 6, 2025, Judge Doyle ordered that Patin-Patin be detained during the pendency of this matter.

    According to court records, Patin-Patin unlawfully entered the United States in or around February 2022, and was then removed from the United States by federal authorities in or around July 2022. It is unknown where or when Patin-Patin re-entered the United States, but in April 2024 Patin-Patin was arrested in South Burlington, Vermont, and charged by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office with, among other charges, aggravated domestic assault. Because Patin-Patin had not obtained permission to re-enter the United States, his presence in the country was in violation of U.S. law.

    The federal grand jury returned the indictment charging Patin-Patin with this offense in October 2024 and at that time a federal warrant for his arrest was issued. Court records indicate that Patin-Patin’s arrest earlier this week followed surveillance indicating he had been living at an address other than that required by conditions imposed on him by the Vermont Superior Court in connection with his state domestic assault prosecution.

    The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Patin-Patin is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Patin-Patin faces up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement/ Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service.

    The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Lasher and Michelle Arra. Patin-Patin is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Postal Employee Guilty of Delay of Election Mail

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 5, 2025, a federal jury convicted María De Lourdes Martínez-Garriga, a former United States Postal Service City Carrier, for unlawfully delaying and not delivering four pieces of election mail.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on August 5, 11 and 15, 2022, Martínez-Garriga, 34, a then City Carrier assigned to the 65th Infantry Postal Office in San Juan, Puerto Rico unlawfully delayed four certified mail envelopes containing ballots for the 2022 Special Election for the District of San Juan. All affected voters confirmed, and four of them testified at trial, that despite having requested early vote ballots from the Puerto Rico Elections Commission they never received the Election Mail envelopes.

    “Our democracy depends on the right of eligible voters to cast a ballot and to have that ballot counted. If voters do not receive their ballots, they cannot execute one of our fundamental rights as United States citizens — the right to vote,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office along with our law enforcement partners will continue to protect this fundamental pillar of our society.”

    “Placing mail into the hands of the Postal Service is an act of public trust all postal employees must uphold,” said Tammy Hull, Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service. “Ms. Martínez violated that trust by delaying the delivery of election mail. Through our investigation USPS OIG special agents brought her to justice and she has been convicted of her crimes by a jury.”

    “The FBI is committed to protecting the integrity of our democratic processes, including ensuring that every voter’s voice is heard. Any attempt to interfere with election mail is a violation of public trust and a threat to the foundation of our democracy,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This case is the result of our unwavering dedication to holding accountable those who undermine the electoral system.”

    Three other former U.S. Postal Service employees were charged in separate indictments, and they are all pending trial. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

    The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) is investigating the case with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), consistent with the mission to ensure efficiency, accountability, and integrity in the U.S. Postal Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Colón and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania Salas-De Jesús from the USPS-OIG are prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PSI Chairman Johnson to Meta CEO Zuckerberg: Turn Over Facebook’s Records on Censorship of COVID-19 Vaccine Injured

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson
    WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms, Inc., the company that owns Facebook, regarding the social media platform’s alleged censorship of COVID-19 vaccine injured individuals. 
    The letter details Facebook’s apparent targeting of the vaccine injured by shutting down their support groups and even concealing private messages they exchanged, which came to light in a recent book entitled Worth a Shot?. The book chronicled the experience of Brianne Dressen, an AstraZeneca clinical trial participant who was involved in these once-accessible Facebook support groups. 
    Within twenty-four hours of Chairman Johnson’s June 28, 2021 roundtable, which featured individuals who were experiencing adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines, including Mrs. Dressen, Facebook reportedly began shutting down vaccine injury support groups. In response, Mrs. Dressen and others sought refuge in what was the “largest COVID vaccine injury support group in the world,” only for Facebook to shut it down five days after the chairman’s roundtable.
    In a recent appearance as a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Mr. Zuckerberg blamed the Biden administration for pressuring Facebook to take down certain posts that were critical of the COVID-19 vaccines. Mr. Zuckerberg said that Biden officials “pushed [Facebook] super hard to take down things that were honestly were true[.]” He also noted that the Biden administration pressured Facebook to take down “anything that says that vaccines might have side effects,” threatening repercussions if Facebook were to disobey.
    Chairman Johnson wrote, “Facebook’s alleged censorship campaign against the vaccine injured, as detailed in Worth a Shot?, is the latest evidence of Big Tech’s efforts, in conjunction with the Biden administration, to silence anything critical of the COVID cartel and the vaccines.”
    The chairman’s letter directs Mr. Zuckerberg to provide all records with any federal entity that may show the extent to which the Biden administration pressured Facebook to censor COVID-19 vaccine injured individuals and shut down their support groups.
    Read more about Chairman Johnson’s letter in Breitbart.
    The full letter can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Demands Answers from Treasury Secretary Bessent on DOGE’s Access to Federal Payment Systems and Americans’ Highly Sensitive Information, Urges Him to Reverse Potentially Dangerous Decision

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), alongside Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), are demanding answers from U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent regarding his decision to grant Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its team access to critically important federal payment systems – including highly sensitive personal information linked to Medicare, Social Security and veterans’ benefits.
    The delegation wrote, in part: “Not only does DOGE now have access to the personal information of our constituents…but he may also soon have the tools to unlawfully shut down specific payments that he disagrees with. DOGE may also be able to use this sensitive information to gain an advantage over individuals and companies that pose competition to Mr. Musk’s businesses…Initial reports indicated that you gave DOGE access to the payment systems on a “read-only” basis…However, other reporting has stated that Marko Elez, a member of Mr. Musk’s team, has or had administrator-level privileges and can in fact write code to Treasury payment systems, including the Payment Automation Manager and Secure Payment System.”
    The delegation asked the following questions:
    “In detail, what level of access has each member of the DOGE team, including but not limited to Marko Elez, been given to Treasury’s federal payment records and systems, both currently and in the past?
    Have any changes to Treasury’s federal payments or its payment systems been made either by a member of the DOGE team or at their direction as of the time of this letter?
    Has Treasury taken any actions to discourage discussion of the activities of the DOGE team at Treasury, especially within the Bureau of the Fiscal Service?
    What steps has Treasury taken to ensure that Treasury employees understand their protections should they wish to share information with Congress and others?”
    The delegation concluded: “We urge you to reconsider this potentially dangerous decision and work to ensure that Americans can trust their sensitive personal information is protected from Mr. Musk and his associates. Thank you for your prompt attention to this issue and given the urgent nature of this issue, we respectfully request a response to this letter as soon as possible.”
    Click here for the full letter to U.S. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent.
    For months, Shaheen has sounded the alarm on Elon Musk’s outsized influence on the U.S. Government.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. NAVY LEADERS OBSERVE JOINT TASK FORCE SOUTHERN GUARD OPERATIONS

    Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

    NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba   –  

    (Feb 6, 2025) – Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, and Rear Adm. John Hewitt, Commander, Navy Region Southeast, visited Joint Task Force Southern Guard onboard Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB) February 5 and 6, as the Joint Task Force prepares to receive illegal aliens from the United States. Sardiello and Hewitt accompanied Adm. Alvin Holsey, Commander, U.S. Southern Command, during the visit.

    At the direction of the President to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. military service members are supporting Illegal Aliens holding operations led by DHS at NGSB. U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) has set up Joint Task Force Southern Guard at the Naval Station to execute the directive.

    “The Naval Station is fully committed to ensuring we have the infrastructure and resources in place to support this vital mission,” said Capt. Michael Stephen, Commander, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. “From the moment we received the mission, our team has worked with urgency, executing contingency plans, and rapidly strengthening our capabilities.

    “The level of teamwork—both within the base and across the joint force—has been outstanding,” said Stephen “Everyone is engaged, working together seamlessly to tackle challenges and ensure we’re ready for what’s ahead. The progress we’ve made in such a short time is a testament to their dedication and professionalism,” he said.

    As the United States’ oldest overseas military installation, established in 1903, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is in the USSOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet serves as USSOUTHCOM’s maritime component commander and therefore has responsibilities in contingency plans involving the naval station. U.S. Navy Region Southeast manages and oversees shore installation support for the naval station as it does for a total of 18 Navy bases in the Southeast region.

    “We are very proud of our Sailors, Marines and civilians who have responded to this contingency plan at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, which is a critical forward-operating base that enables the United States to maintain a persistent presence in the Caribbean,” said Rear Adm. Sardiello. “This mission exemplifies how we integrate and deploy all-domain combat power to respond to crises, maintain regional security, and protect U.S. interests.”

    Military service members and contractors have provided the manpower and organization to accommodate thousands’ illegal aliens.  Additional phases of expansion will follow to meet the President’s directive to host up to 30,000 illegal aliens. This work includes the construction of large, secure tent facilities to house illegal aliens, the installation of high-security fencing and barriers to protect all personnel, and a huge increase in providing essential services, including food, medical care, and housing, to all DOD and DHS personnel. The Navy is also delivering comprehensive logistical support, ensuring the infrastructure and resources needed to sustain operations are in place.

    Naval Station Guantanamo Bay ensures the freedom of action in the maritime domain and contributes to enhancing U.S. alliances and partnerships throughout the region. By executing this critical role in the enforcement of national immigration policies, the station continues to be an integral asset in supporting the defense and security objectives of the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Kensington Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Charges in Connection with Transnational Criminal Operation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on February 6, 2025, to charges of violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    James Pinkston, 35, pleaded guilty to Counts One, Three, and Four of the Second Superseding Indictment before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.

    In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around August 2021 to in and around June 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Pinkston conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Pinkston was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others. Similarly, in and around March 2023, Pinkston possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine. Further, from in and around April 2022 to in and around March 2023, Pinkston conspired to commit money laundering by using a payments app to receive and initiate payments for drug transactions.

    Pinkston was one of 35 individuals indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown in December 2023 on narcotics, conspiracy, and money laundering charges for their participation in a violent transnational drug and money laundering operation. The Second Superseding Indictment alleges that the operation imported from Mexico millions of fentanyl pills, kilograms of fentanyl powder, hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, and dozens of kilograms of cocaine that then were distributed and sold throughout the United States (read the news release regarding the Second Superseding Indictment here). Pinkston served as the western Pennsylvania connection to the Phoenix, Arizona, drug trafficking organization responsible for importing the drugs from Mexico.

    Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Pinkston. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Trump Holds a Press Conference with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of Japan

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

    The White House

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMiAE9X-Wig

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Cotton, Crapo Introduce Hearing Protection Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON––U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) joined Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) to introduce the Hearing Protection Act, legislation to help law-abiding gun owners better access suppressors to preserve hearing and safety. The bill would reclassify suppressors and treat them like traditional firearms for the purpose of regulation. 

    “Increasing access to hearing protection for sportsmen and hunters is common sense,” said Boozman. “Law-abiding, responsible gun owners should not have to fight burdensome regulations to enjoy their hobbies safely and with the accessories that can protect their hearing. I am proud to join my colleagues to update unreasonable limitations on suppressors and stand with shooting sports enthusiasts.”

    “Burdensome regulations on firearm suppressors are doing more harm than good to sportsmen and women,” said Cotton. “Our legislation will ensure law-abiding gun owners can easily access hearing protection without having to navigate bureaucratic red tape or exorbitant taxes.” 

    “Federal red tape continues to follow the false Hollywood narrative that suppressors are silent, and ignores the reality that they serve a genuine purpose in protecting the hearing of law-abiding American citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights,” said Crapo. “It is past time Congress removes the burdensome barriers to accessing this equipment for the safety of Idaho’s hunters and sportsmen.” 

    Specifically, the Hearing Protection Act would:

    • Remove suppressors from regulation under the National Firearms Act (NFA);
    • Replace the burdensome federal transfer process with an instantaneous National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background check, making the purchase and transfer process for suppressors equal to the process for a rifle or shotgun; and 
    • Increase funding into state wildlife conservation agencies by taxing suppressors under the Pittman-Robertson Act instead of the NFA.

    On average, suppressors diminish the noise of a gunshot by 20-35 decibels, roughly the same sound reduction provided by earplugs or earmuffs.  The most effective suppressors on the market can only reduce the peak sound level of a gunshot to around 110-120 decibels, which is roughly equivalent to a jackhammer. 

    The legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Rick Scott (R-FL), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Jim Justice (R-WV), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Kennedy (R-LA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Steve Daines (R-MT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Hoeven (R-ND), Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Ron Johnson (R-WI).

    The Hearing Protection Act is endorsed by the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the American Suppressor Association (ASA), Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA).

    “The Hearing Protection Act will increase access to important hearing protection for millions of Americans,” said President of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology Amyn Amlani, Ph.D. “While the use of conventional hearing protection tools, such as earplugs and earmuffs are fundamental for preventing noise induced hearing loss in firearm users, conventional hearing protection alone does not always offer adequate protection from noise exposure. Firearm noise suppressors can be an effective supplement to traditional hearing protection.”

    “These safety devices reduce the report of a firearm to a level that won’t cause instant and permanent hearing damage,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. “Despite Hollywood’s depictions, they do not silence the sound of a firearm. The focus should be on removing barriers to safe and responsible use of firearms and dedicating resources to ensuring firearms are safeguarded from those who should never possess them. Strict regulatory control of firearm accessories, and the parts of those accessories that have no bearing on the function of a firearm, is unnecessary and not the wisest use of federal resources.”

    “It’s absurd that our unrestrained federal bureaucracy requires Americans to jump through hoops to buy simple hearing protection devices. Momentum continues to grow for common sense reforms that would end the stranglehold of government on the rights of her people,” said President and Executive Director of the American Suppressor Association Knox Williams.

    “Gun owners around the world are using suppressors to reduce the impact of noise and hearing loss while using their firearms. Even in countries with the strictest firearms laws, suppressors are often unregulated products that anyone can buy over the counter. However, outdated federal law makes it difficult for Americans to access these useful safety devices,” said Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action John Commerford.  

    Click here for full text of the legislation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Colleagues Push to Expand Access to Job Training Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON––U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) to introduce the Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, bipartisan legislation to help more Americans get good-paying jobs by allowing students to use federal Pell Grants –– need-based education grants for lower-income individuals –– to pay for shorter-term job training programs for the first time.

    Currently, Pell Grants can only be used at two- and four-year colleges and universities. By expanding Pell Grant eligibility, the JOBS Act would help close the skills gap by opening access to job training that students might otherwise be unable to afford but need for careers in high-demand fields.

    “Increasing the supply of workers ready and able to fill in-demand jobs is exactly what our economy needs to thrive. As more students choose to pursue skills-based careers, we can ensure this pathway is open to everyone including those who need financial assistance to start that journey. I’m pleased to champion this bipartisan effort that can help more Americans receive job training,” Boozman said.

    “No one should be priced out of an education—including a technical education—but I hear from many Virginians that access to high-quality job training programs that align with their goals is out of reach because of financial barriers,” said Kaine. “Simultaneously, I hear from employers throughout the Commonwealth about their struggles to fill skilled labor positions. With these Virginians in mind, I wrote the JOBS Act to help remedy these issues and provide more workers with the skills they need to get good-paying jobs and provide for their families. This bill is good for workers, good for employers, and good for our economy as a whole.”

    “Job training programs are proven, successful tools that help people gain the skills they need to prepare for rewarding careers,” said Collins. “By helping students in Maine and across the country access this career pathway, this bipartisan legislation would assist young people with obtaining good-paying jobs and make it easier for businesses to find qualified workers.”

    The JOBS Act would allow Pell Grants to be used for high-quality job training programs that are at least eight weeks in length and lead to industry-recognized credentials or certificates. Under current law, Pell Grants can only be applied toward programs that are over 600 clock hours or at least 15 weeks in length, rendering students in shorter-term, high-quality job training programs ineligible for crucial assistance.

    Specifically, the JOBS Act would amend the Higher Education Act by:
    • Expanding Pell Grant eligibility to students enrolled in rigorous and high-quality, short-term skills and job training programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials and certificates and ultimately employment in high-wage, high-skill industry sectors or careers.
    • Ensuring students who receive Pell Grants are earning high-quality postsecondary credentials by requiring that the credentials:
    o Meet the standards under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), such as meaningful career counseling and aligning programs to in-demand career pathways or registered apprenticeship programs;
    o Are recognized by employers, industry or sector partnerships;
    o Align with the skill needs of industries in the state or local economy; and
    o Are approved by the state workforce board in addition to the U.S. Department of Education.
    • Defining eligible job training programs as those providing career and technical education instruction at an institution of higher education, such as a community or technical college that provides:
    o At least 150 clock hours of instruction time over a period of at least eight weeks;
    o Training that meets the needs of the local or regional workforce and industry partnerships;
    o Streamlined ability to transfer credits so students can continue to pursue further education in their careers; and
    o Licenses, certifications, or credentials that meet the hiring requirements of multiple employers in the field for which the job training is offered.
    The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Dan Sullivan (D-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The JOBS Act is supported by Advance CTE, the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association for Career and Technical Education, the Association of Community College Trustees, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Business Roundtable, the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance, Higher Learning Advocates, HP Inc., the Information Technology Industry Council, Jobs for the Future, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, NAF, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, the National Skills Coalition, the Progressive Policy Institute and Rebuilding America’s Middle Class.

    Click here to view text of the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Homeland Security Investigations supports seizure of Venezuelan aircraft involved in violations of US export control and sanctions laws

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations played a key role, alongside the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security and other partners, in an announcement Feb. 6 by the Justice Department that Dominican Republic authorities, working in coordination with U.S. federal law enforcement and based on violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws, seized a Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft used by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company.

    “This seizure demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. export control and sanctions laws around the globe,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Santo Domingo Country Attaché Edwin F. Lopez. “By working closely with our partners in the Dominican Republic and across the U.S. government, we successfully prevented the violation of U.S. laws designed to protect national security and foreign policy interests. HSI will continue to collaborate with domestic and international law enforcement partners to ensure accountability and uphold the rule of law.”

    The Bureau of Industry and Security Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from ICE HSI Santo Domingo.

    The Justice Department previously announced in September 2024 the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft in the Dominican Republic that was owned and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros and persons affiliated with him in Venezuela.

    “The seizure of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft provides yet another example of this office’s commitment to enforcing America’s export control laws against Venezuelan-owned PdVSA and other sanctioned entities,” said Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne. “Asset forfeiture is a powerful law enforcement tool, which we will continue to use aggressively to deter, disrupt, and otherwise combat criminal activity.”

    “The use of American-made parts to service and maintain aircraft operated by sanctioned entities like PdVSA is intolerable,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with its federal law enforcement partners, will continue to safeguard our national security by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling schemes aimed at procuring American goods in violation of our sanctions and export control laws.”

    “Today’s announcement — the seizure of a sanctioned aircraft used by the Maduro regime — clearly shows that sanctions and export control laws have teeth,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Kevin J. Kurland of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security. “BIS will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who violate our regulations.”

    According to the U.S. investigation, in July 2017, PdVSA purchased the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft from the United States and exported it to Venezuela, where it was registered under tail number YV-3360. Following the imposition of sanctions on PdVSA and identification of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft as blocked property of PdVSA, the aircraft was serviced and maintained on multiple occasions using parts from the United States. The servicing

    included a brake assembly, electronic flight displays, and flight management computers — all in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

    President Trump issued Executive Order 13884 in August 2019, which, among other things, prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of PdVSA. Pursuant to the EO, on Jan. 21, 2020, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control identified 15 aircraft as blocked property under U.S. law, which generally prohibits transactions by U.S. persons within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in blocked property.

    According to a public statement issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, since at least January 2019, the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft has transported Venezuelan Oil Minister Manuel Salvador Quevedo Fernandez, who is also sanctioned by the U.S. government, to an Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meeting in the United Arab Emirates and has been used to transport senior members of the Maduro regime in a continuation of the regime’s misappropriation of PdVSA assets.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and ICE HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami provided significant assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorge Delgado and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and Ajay J. Alexander for the Southern District of Florida also assisted.

    The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston arrests illegal Dominican drug dealer charged with assault, battery with dangerous weapon

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended an illegally present Dominican national convicted of heroin distribution crimes, who is currently charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and shoplifting crimes when ICE officers arrested Santor Aibar, 56, in East Boston Jan. 22. 

    “Santos Aibar is exactly the kind of alien offender who needs to be removed from the streets of Massachusetts,” said ICE Boston Enforcement and Removal Operations acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “He has already been convicted of peddling poison to our neighborhoods, and he currently stands accused of assaulting a resident with a box cutter. ICE Boston will not tolerate such threats to the people of our New England communities. We stand committed to our mission of arresting and removing such egregious alien threats.”

    Aibar illegally entered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location, and without being admitted, inspected, or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.

    The West Roxbury District Court in Massachusetts convicted Aibar Sept. 29, 2008, for distribution of of heroin and sentenced him to one year in prison.

    ICE officers arrested Aibar at the Nashua Street Jail in Boston July 2, 2010, and served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.

    The immigration judge ordered Aibar removed from the U.S. on Sept. 30, 2010, and ICE removed Aibar to the Dominican Republic Nov. 17, 2010.

    Aibar illegally re-entered the U.S. on an unknown date, at an unknown location, and without being admitted, inspected, or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.

    ICE encountered Aibar Feb. 28, 2023, following his arrest by local authorities, and issued an immigration detainer against Aibar with the Boston Police Department.

    ICE determined that the state of Massachusetts released Aibar on Feb. 25, 2024, without honoring the immigration detainer.

    The South Boston District Court arraigned Aibar Sept. 03, 2024, for the offenses of assault with dangerous weapon and shoplifting. 

    Aibar remains in custody following his apprehension by ICE.

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Doechii’s Thom Browne look at the Grammys bridged street culture and luxury fashion

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Pierre-Yann Dolbec, Associate Professor of Marketing, Concordia University

    American rapper Doechii turned heads on the Grammy Awards red carpet on Feb. 2 in a striking Thom Browne ensemble: an off-the-shoulder corset suit dress with exaggerated hips, paired with a crisp white shirt and grey tie.

    The look was both classic and undeniably subversive — a fitting image for the transformation of the fashion world since the early 2000s. Not too long ago, the idea of a rap artist spotlighting a luxury tailor’s creation would have seemed jarring.

    Streetwear and high fashion once lived in separate worlds. Luxury brands sold exclusivity; haute couture, hand-stitched gowns and fine tailoring. Streetwear, on the other hand, was about authenticity and everyday life, with deep ties to subcultures around skateboarding and hip-hop.

    While designers at major high fashion houses occasionally took inspiration from street style in the 1990s and early 2000s — for instance, borrowing stylistic innovations from hip-hop and grunge — high fashion brands kept streetwear brands and designers at a distance.

    When Harlem designer Daniel R. Day — better known as Dapper Dan — repurposed Louis Vuitton and Gucci prints into custom streetwear pieces in the late 1980s, luxury labels sued him out of business. When Supreme used Louis Vuitton’s monogram on its skateboards in 2000, the fashion house hit them with a cease-and-desist order.

    Yet, Doechii’s four custom Thom Browne looks for the Grammys highlight how close hip-hop culture and high fashion now are.

    The birth of luxury streetwear

    The clear divide between streetwear and luxury fashion didn’t happen by accident. In the early 2010s, designers such as Virgil Abloh, Jerry Lorenzo and Shayne Oliver bridged the gap between streetwear and high fashion by pioneering what came to be known as “luxury streetwear.”

    This emerging style blended streetwear staples with luxury fashion production, values and beliefs. Designers crafted hoodies in Italy, integrated sneakers and tees into showstopping runway presentations. Like high fashion houses, they anchored their collections around artists and elevated conceptual work, transforming streetwear-inspired design into an art form.

    By mixing streetwear’s authenticity with high fashion exclusivity, brands like Fear of God, Hood by Air and Off-White gained the respect of luxury consumers and critics alike while retaining street culture’s cool factor.

    High fashion embraces streetwear

    By the mid-2010s, the same high-fashion elite that once kept streetwear at a distance began to see its commercial and cultural potential. Major fashion houses like Burberry and Dior experimented with limited-edition collaborations with streetwear designers, borrowing not just an aesthetic but also distribution tactics like “drops” — a limited, time-sensitive product release by fashion brands.

    The luxury streetwear shift came full circle when Gucci collaborated with Dapper Dan and when Louis Vuitton joined forces with Supreme in 2017. These collections sold out in hours and also served to draw in younger consumers initially uninterested by high fashion.

    Leading fashion houses started hiring luxury streetwear designers in top creative positions and, in some cases, acquiring established luxury streetwear brands.

    This strategy not only refreshed their brand image, but also expanded their appeal to new audiences. It reflected a broader culture shift where luxury is increasingly characterized by authenticity, shared community and pop culture relevance, rather than old-money status signals.

    These shifts opened the door for artists and figures from hip-hop and adjacent creative fields to take on prominent roles. Artists Rihanna, Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar have fronted high fashion campaigns, and rappers like A$AP Rocky and Travis Scott have walked the runway for high fashion houses and worked on high fashion collections, leading critics to claim that “rappers are fashion’s new royalty.”

    Doechii’s watershed moment

    The influence of streetwear on luxury was on full display at this year’s Grammys. When Doechii accepted her groundbreaking award — becoming only the third female artist to earn a Grammy for Best Rap Album — she wore another Thom Browne creation: a cropped, short-sleeved grey jacket with a tie, paired with dramatically structured and tiered balloon pants.

    Once considered an unlikely pairing, Doechii’s choice of a luxury label famed for its avant-garde suits reflected the dismantling of a boundary long separating high fashion from hip-hop culture.

    During her acceptance speech, Doechii addressed tearing down another boundary:

    “So many Black women out there that are watching me right now and I want to tell you … Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, that tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark or that you’re not smart enough or that you’re too dramatic or you’re too loud. You are exactly who you need to be, to be right where you are, and I am a testimony.”

    Her fashion choice and her message ran in parallel: just as her Thom Browne looks reflected a broader cultural shift, one in which a once-marginalized culture has claimed space at the pinnacle of luxury, her words underscored the continued need to break down societal barriers that have sidelined Black women.

    Tensions behind the scenes

    Despite the celebratory tone surrounding luxury’s embrace of streetwear, deeper tensions persist behind the scenes. The key question is not just about influence but about who wields control and reaps the financial benefits.

    Rather than merely adopting streetwear’s aesthetics, high fashion has strategically absorbed it, spotlighting select designers to project an image of inclusivity while ensuring that the status hierarchy remains intact.

    This process offers genuine opportunities for a few, but ultimately reinforces existing power dynamics, allowing luxury brands to appear progressive while maintaining their dominance and capturing the value created by the less powerful.

    As the fashion industry evolves, it must address issues of cultural appropriation and elite capture to and ensure that the voices behind these influential styles receive due recognition and compensation.

    But for consumers on the outside looking in, Doechii’s Grammys moment illustrates a power shift. High fashion, once sealed-off and hierarchical, has become more open, fluid and reflective of diverse backgrounds and artistic visions.

    Pierre-Yann Dolbec receives funding from Concordia University, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Fonds de Recherche du Québec.

    – ref. Doechii’s Thom Browne look at the Grammys bridged street culture and luxury fashion – https://theconversation.com/doechiis-thom-browne-look-at-the-grammys-bridged-street-culture-and-luxury-fashion-249334

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Kelly Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Non-Opioid Treatments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  This week, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) led the introduction of the Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation (Alternatives to PAIN) Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide greater access to non-opioid treatments for pain management for seniors.

    “The opioid crisis continues to wreak havoc on families and communities across the country, including in North Carolina,” said Senator Tillis. “This bipartisan, pragmatic legislation will help prevent opioid addiction before it starts by leveling the playing field for non-opioid alternatives, ensuring seniors have uninterrupted access to non-opioid, non-addictive alternatives.”

    “Arizona seniors managing pain deserve real choices—not a system that steers them toward addictive opioids just because they’re the cheaper option,” said Senator Kelly. “By expanding affordable access to safer, non-opioid treatments, we’re helping prevent addiction and giving seniors better options for attending their health.” 

    “One way to prevent opioid addiction is by avoiding unnecessary exposure to prescription opioids,” said Chris Fox, Executive Director, Voices for Non–Opioid Choices. “To do so, providers and patients must have easy and equal access to non-opioid pain management options. Unfortunately, non-opioid approaches are all-too-often out of reach for many Americans due institutional preferences and economic incentives that lead to our reliance on opioids to treat pain. This results in millions of Americans developing a new, long-term opioid use pattern every year. The Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation (“Alternatives to PAIN”) Act would ensure that non-opioid approaches are just as easily accessible as other medications. The legislation will go a long way towards ensuring that all Americans in all settings can access such approaches. It is a much needed step towards preventing opioid addiction in America and Voices for Non-Opioid Choices proudly supports and urges enactment of this critical legislation.” 

    Background:

    The Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation (Alternatives to PAIN) Act is cosponsored by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ted Budd (R-NC), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Cornyn (R-TX), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jim Banks (R-IN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Mark Warner (D-VA). 

    The United States is facing a public health crisis caused by prescription drug addiction. Unfortunately, our country’s seniors are not immune to the worsening opioid epidemic. In 2021, 1.1 million seniors were diagnosed with an opioid use disorder, and 50,000 seniors experienced an opioid overdose-from prescription opioids, illicit opioids, or both. Tragically, the number of Americans aged 65 and older who died as the result of a natural or semisynthetic opioid overdose increased 63 percent between 2012 and 2020.

    Now, more than ever, we must prevent unnecessary opioids from becoming prevalent in medicine cabinets, homes, and communities. We can do this by increasing the use of non-opioids for pain management. Non-opioid treatments and therapies can be successful in replacing, delaying, or reducing the use of opioids which is why we believe it is necessary for Congress to advance policies that give practitioners and patients more access to these non-addictive treatments.

    The opioid epidemic is estimated to cost U.S. taxpayers $1.5 trillion every year. Too often, cost considerations incentivize Medicare Part D sponsors to employ utilization management practices intended to steer patients towards lowest cost options, which typically end up being generic opioids. This has resulted in opioid prescribing in Medicare Part D increasing over the past decade. In fact, Medicare Part D’s share of overall opioid prescriptions dispensed in the United States has increased 75 percent just since 2011. With several new opioid alternatives in the pipeline and others currently on the market, it is essential we encourage robust access to these therapies for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. 

    This bipartisan legislation would: 

    • Limit patient cost-sharing for patients receiving non-opioid based pain relief under Medicare Part D plans;
    • Prohibit the utilization of step therapy and prior authorization for these drugs; and
    • Encourage the continued dialogue between patients and their healthcare professionals about preferences in pain management choices.  

    This legislation builds on the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NO PAIN) Act, legislation supported by Senator Tillis that was signed into law in December 2022. The NO PAIN Act directed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide separate Medicare reimbursement for non-opioid treatments used to manage pain in both the hospital outpatient department (HOPD) and the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) settings. Prior to the NO PAIN Act being signed into law, hospitals received the same payment from Medicare regardless of whether a physician prescribed an opioid or a non-opioid. As a result, hospitals relied on opioids, which are typically dispensed by a pharmacy after discharge at little or no cost to the hospital. 

    The Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation (Alternatives to PAIN) Act is supported by the following organizations:  Voices for Non-Opioid Choices, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, American Addiction Recovery Coalition, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Psychological Association Services, Asheville Equine Therapy, A Better Life-Brianna’s Hope, A Voice in the Wilderness Empowerment Center, Blue Water Recovery & Outreach Center, CA Black Health Network, Center of Addiction & Faith, Chatham Drug Free, Clean Living Exceptional Alternative Recovery Residences (CLEARR), Danny’s Ride, Dove Recovery Center for Women, Elderly Advocates, Families of Addicts, Freedom Through Recovery, Georgia for Recovery, Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, Healing On The Fly Inc, Hear Alex’s Story, Hep Free Hawaii, Hernando Community Coalition, Herren Project, Holistic Homes for Us, Hope Haven, Inclusive Recovery, InStep Indy, Iron Tribe Network, Jake’s Reach, Journey House Foundation, LITE Recovery Café, Lifeboat Addiction Services, Medicare Rights Center, Mental Health America, Mental Health America of Illinois, Metro Drug Coalition, Michigan Women Veterans Empowerment, National Association of Social Workers, National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Rural Health Association, National Safety Council, National Transitions of Care Coalition, Operation First Response, Inc, Operation PAR, Overdose Lifeline, Parrott Creek Child and Family Services, Partnership for A Healthy Iowa, Partnership to End Addiction, Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers Association, Pledge for Life Partnership, Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction, Inc. (PAACA), Prevention Action Alliance, Prevention Alliance of Tennessee, Psychophysiologic Disorders Association, PTSD Awareness Summit, REAL LIFE, Recovery Café- Ft. Wayne, Recovery Café- Muncie, Recovery Mobile Clinic, RetireSafe, Safe Haven Recovery Engagement Center, Salvage USA, Shatterproof, She Recovers Foundation, Sobar, Society for Opioid-Free Anesthesia, Society of Behavioral Medicine, South End – Roxbury Community Partnership, Stayin Alive 24 Coalition, Team Sharing, Inc., The Battle Within, U.S. VETS, VetPark’s A.T.V., Veterans National Recovery Center, Voices For Awareness, Warren Coalition, Warrior Path Home, West Warwick Prevention Coalition, Will Bright Foundation, Wyoming Valley Drug & Alcohol Services, and Young People in Recovery.

    Full text of the legislation is available HERE. 

    Additional statements of support are available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Joins Markey, Hirono in Reintroducing Legislation to Codify Right to Contraception

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    February 06, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) reintroduced the Right to Contraception Act, legislation that would create a statutory right to obtain and use contraceptives and ensure health care providers have a right to provide contraceptives, contraception and share information about this essential care. Last June, Senate Republicans shamefully blocked the bill from passing the Senate.

    “Ever since the Supreme Court threw out Roe v. Wade, we’ve seen extreme MAGA Republicans across the country work to roll back health care and tear reproductive freedom away from Americans—which has cruelly threatened birth control, plan B, IUDs and other forms of contraception,” said Senator Duckworth. “I refuse to let my daughters grow up in a world with fewer rights than I had. As MAGA Republicans continue their anti-choice, anti-science crusade, it is as important as ever that the Senate acts to codify the right to contraception into law so that every American in every state—regardless of their skin color, zip code or income—has equal access to basic, necessary health care. I’m proud to join Senators Markey and Hirono in reintroducing our Right to Contraception Act to do just that.”

    “The right to contraception is essential for people’s freedom to make decisions about their lives and their health without politicians getting in the way,” said Senator Markey. “Contraception is essential not only for sexual and reproductive health, but also to treat a wide array of medical conditions and decrease the risk of certain cancers. The Right to Contraception Act will protect the right for people to get contraception and for providers to give it in the face of President Trump and Republicans’ relentless attacks on reproductive justice.”

    “Contraception is essential health care that millions of people across the country rely on,” said Senator Hirono. “The Right to Contraception Act simply protects patients’ right to access contraception, as well as providers’ right to provide it. I’m proud to join Senator Markey and Representative Fletcher in reintroducing this important bill. The right to control your own body, free from government interference, is as fundamental as it gets, and we’ll continue doing everything we can to protect the reproductive rights of all Americans.” 

    Throughout her time in the Senate, Duckworth has made protecting reproductive freedom a top priority in the face of Republicans’ anti-choice crusade. Duckworth has long pushed to pass her Right to IVF Act—which Senate Republicans blocked not once, but twice last year—that would both establish a right to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology (ART), expand access for hopeful parents, Veterans and federal employees, as well as lower the costs of IVF for middle class families across the country. This marked the fourth time Senate Republicans blocked Duckworth-led legislation that would protect access to IVF nationwide—Duckworth’s Access to Family Building Act, which builds on previous legislation she introduced in 2022.

    Duckworth was the first Senator to give birth while serving in office and had both of her children with the help of IVF. In 2018, she advocated for the Senate to change its rules so she could bring her infant onto the Senate floor.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth to Oppose All Remaining Top-Level Cabinet Nominees Until Donald Trump Stops Illegal Power Grabs at the Expense of Middle-Class Americans and National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    February 06, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement announcing she will vote no on all remaining cabinet-level nominations until President Trump stops his relentless spree of illegal power grabs that are hurting middle-class Americans and endangering our national security:

    “I take the Senate’s advise and consent responsibility seriously and have always thoroughly considered the cabinet nominees of every President based on their individual merit, qualifications and ability to do the job. But until Donald Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk stop their relentless spree of illegal power grabs that are inflicting pain on the middle class and damaging our national security, I’ll be voting no on all remaining top-level cabinet nominees.

    “Despite running on a promise to lower costs and deliver for middle-class Americans, Donald Trump is instead putting the needs of the billionaire class above those he swore he’d look out for—effectively giving the keys to our government away to the richest man in the world who no one elected while he works to dismantle core agencies and programs that Americans depend on. It has become clear that I cannot trust the promises these nominees make—after all, Senator Rubio promised he wouldn’t come for USAID.

    “I already voted no on DOT Secretary Duffy and VA Secretary Collins after originally intending to support their nominations and I refuse to aid and abet these illegal and harmful power grabs by voting for any of this Administration’s remaining cabinet-level nominees.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal Call On VA Secretary To Step Up And Defend Veterans’ Private Information From Elon Musk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), along with 25 of their Senate colleagues, sent a letter urging U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to take immediate actions to secure veterans’ personal information provided by VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). This call follows Musk’s takeover of the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, which includes private information of veterans and their families, and reports of DOGE employees accessing VA computer systems at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

    “Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans…Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain,” the senators wrote.

    “Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information,” the senators added.

    “Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties,” they continued.

    There are millions of veterans’ medical records stored in VA’s computer systems. These confidential records include veterans’ prescriptions, diagnoses, and procedures they have undergone. Access to these medical records could give Musk and DOGE the ability to identify veterans who have received abortions or abortion counseling in the past. The Million Veteran Program, which manages the genomic data of its more than one million veteran participants for authorized research programs, also stores its data in VA data systems. In addition, the U.S. Treasury’s payment system stores private information of veterans, surviving spouses, and their families, including their monthly disability compensation amount, home address, and bank account numbers.

    The senators concluded, “During your confirmation process, you claimed you would be focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at VA, and committed to following the laws passed by Congress. We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files.”

    U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) also signed the letter.

    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

    Dear Secretary Collins,

    Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans. Today, we call on you to immediately secure any personal and related information regarding veterans provided by VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and associates under the auspices of the “Department of Government Efficiency” established under Executive Order 14158. Further, we call on you to deny and sever their access to any VA or other government system that includes information about veterans, and to require them to immediately and permanently delete any information in their possession. Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.

    Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information. Veterans and VA employees entrusted the Department with this information with the understanding that it would be kept private and only used to help deliver the highest quality of services to veterans, their families, and survivors.

    Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties.

    These actions are in direct violation of federal laws meant to protect our national security and the privacy of our citizens’ personal information. This includes information on Social Security payments, Medicare, Medicaid, student loans, veterans’ disability compensation payments, GI Bill payments, federal civil servants’ personnel records, and much more. With every hour, we see DOGE further expand its efforts to create a massive private database of previously guarded data outside the federal government’s cyber and legal protections. It is an abhorrent and illegal overreach of executive powers, which conflicts with various federal statutes, including the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, the Privacy Act, the EGovernment Act of 2002, and likely several other cyber and national security laws.

    During your confirmation process, you claimed you would be focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at VA, and committed to following the laws passed by Congress. We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Colleagues Introduce Antitrust Legislation To Take On Algorithmic Price Fixing, Bring Down Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    February 07, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined their Senate colleagues in introducing the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to prevent companies from using algorithms to collude to set higher prices. As recent reporting, a Justice Department lawsuit, and multiple private lawsuits have shown, big corporations are using algorithms to raise prices and limit competition, including companies like RealPage that have facilitated collusion to increase rents by more than $3 billion in 2023 alone. This legislation would make such collusion illegal to lower costs for families and support small businesses.

    “These pricing algorithms are just one more tactic corporations use to get around the law and screw regular people. It’s how the poultry industry colludes to keep the price of chicken high,” said Murphy. “If we really care about lowering costs and disrupting the corrupt status quo, this is the kind of bill that Congress should pass.”

    “Predatory algorithms significantly suppress competition in today’s markets and allow companies to collude to raise prices to unaffordable levels. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act will eliminate coercive anticompetitive software and empower consumers,” said Blumenthal.

    Price fixing and other forms of collusion are illegal under current antitrust laws. However, current antitrust laws may be insufficient when competing companies delegate their pricing decisions to an algorithm without agreeing to fix prices. Current law requires proof of an agreement to fix prices before condemning the conduct. When pricing decisions of multiple competitors are delegated to a single algorithm, that agreement may not exist even though the use of the algorithm may have the same effect as a traditional agreement to fix prices. This type of conduct has already occurred in rental housing, and we must ensure that it does not spread to other sectors of our economy with the proliferation of algorithmic pricing.  

    To strengthen current price fixing law, this legislation would:

    1. Close a loophole in current law by presuming a price-fixing “agreement,” when direct competitors share non-public information through a pricing algorithm to raise prices;
    2. Increase transparency by requiring companies that use algorithms to set prices to disclose that fact and give antitrust enforcers the ability to audit the pricing algorithm when there are concerns it may be harming consumers;
    3. Ban companies from using non-public, competitively sensitive information from their direct competitors to inform or train a pricing algorithm; and
    4. Direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study pricing algorithms’ impact on competition. 

    U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) also cosponsored the legislation.

    The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act is endorsed by Consumer Reports, the Open Markets Institute, and Accountable.US. 

    Full text of the legislation is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford Introduces Bill to Prevent Trafficking in Government Contracts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

    WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Ensuring Accountability and Dignity in Government Contracting Act of 2025 to close gaps in federal rules that allow human trafficking to persist in government contracting while strengthening agency oversight, accountability, and reporting requirements. Representative David Valadao (R-22) led the introduction of this bill in the House of Representatives. 

    “It is unthinkable that taxpayer dollars would fund human and labor trafficking,” said Lankford. “Lax standards and procedures have enabled traffickers to continue their abuse of vulnerable people. This bill puts proactive measures in place to make sure that no taxpayer funds are spent on federal contracts that don’t safeguard against trafficking.”

    “The United States has a zero-tolerance policy for human trafficking, yet recent reports make it clear that federal agencies are failing to take meaningful action to prevent trafficking in government contracts,” said Valadao. “I’m proud to introduce this bill which will ensure contractors have anti-trafficking compliance plans in place and guarantee that when violations occur, there are consequences. American taxpayers should never be complicit in human trafficking, and this legislation takes critical steps to prevent that from happening.”

    The Ensuring Accountability and Dignity in Government Contracting Act of 2025 would:

    • Require contractors to provide anti-trafficking compliance plans for covered contracts to contracting officers.
    • Provide federal contracting officials with relevant information they can use when developing plans to oversee contractors’ trafficking prevention efforts, by expanding and strengthening the current contractor certification requirements.
    • Require the Inspector General to investigate all credible information about potential human trafficking violations, including when recipients report it and indicate they have taken actions to address it.
    • Direct OMB to assess and report on the feasibility of enhancing government anti-trafficking efforts by amending relevant laws for contractor compliance assessments, streamlining reporting processes, and mandating training for contracting personnel.
    • Upon receipt of an Inspector General report of alleged noncompliance, suspend grant payments until the contractor has taken appropriate remedial action.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Barrasso Bill Fixes Unfair Funding Issues for Rural Hospitals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), joined by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), recently introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure that hospitals caring for large numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients in Wyoming and other rural states receive their fair share of federal funding.
    The Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act would establish a nationwide federal funding minimum for disproportionate share hospitals (DSH). Current payment levels are based on a 1992 formula that has seen few updates and has assigned Wyoming the lowest payments of any state by far. In 2023, Wyoming’s DSH funding totaled only $300,000 while the second-lowest state received $11 million.
    “Wyoming’s hospitals serve more Medicaid and low-income patients than other states, but our share of funding hasn’t caught up for decades,” said Senator Barrasso. “We’ve been overlooked for our fair share while our rural hospitals fight to keep their doors open. This legislation will fix outdated funding issues for hospitals across Wyoming and rural America.”
    “By enabling states to increase payments to hospitals providing uncompensated care, our bill will help more uninsured and low-income people across Hawai‘i access the care they need,” said Senator Schatz.
    “I joined my colleagues in introducing the Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act to ensure hospitals receive appropriate support to care for Medicaid and uninsured patients,” said Cramer. “By establishing a new federal floor for rural states like North Dakota, this legislation will support access to care for our state’s most vulnerable patients.”
    “Hospitals in rural communities like Vermont are seeing more and more Medicaid and low-income patients. These hospitals provide essential health care services, so it’s crucial they get the support they need,” said Senator Welch. “I am proud to join Senator Barrasso to introduce this bipartisan legislation to provide stable funding for these hospitals to continue to do the important work of serving our most vulnerable patients.”
    The Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act:
    Establishes a federal floor of $20 million per state for the Medicaid DSH program, which will then grow at a “low” DSH percentage inflation rate after the first five years.
    Increases DSH funding to Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
    Full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Labrador Letter – Women Are Winning: Title IX and Women’s Sports

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Dear Friends,
    This has been an extraordinary week for women and girls across the country. Surrounded by female athletes of all ages, President Trump signed an executive order safeguarding their opportunities and safety by preventing biological males from competing in women’s sports. This decisive action came just days after the Trump Administration’s Department of Education rescinded Biden’s Title IX rewrite—an overreach that forced schools to allow men into girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms and mandated the use of preferred pronouns under the guise of gender identity discrimination. With these rules now overturned, sanity, common sense, and biological reality have been restored in our schools.
    As Idaho’s Attorney General, I’ve been on the front lines of this fight, defending Idaho’s laws in federal court in Roe v. Critchfield and Hecox v. Little. I have also joined lawsuits alongside other attorneys general challenging Biden’s unlawful Title IX revisions. A U.S. District Court in Louisiana issued an injunction protecting Idaho and a small group of plaintiffs, while a District Court in Kentucky went even further, issuing a nationwide injunction against Biden’s Title IX rewrite, deeming it “unlawful.” Currently, Roe v. Critchfield, which addresses whether biological males can access girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms, is before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Meanwhile, Hecox v. Little, which upholds Idaho’s ban on biological males competing in women’s sports, is awaiting a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on whether it will be taken up for review. President Trump’s actions this week could have a meaningful impact on these cases, reinforcing the constitutional and legal foundation we have been defending.
    Perhaps most rewarding is knowing that Idaho has led the way on these issues long before President Trump’s executive order. In 2020, Idaho became the first state in the nation to pass a law barring men from competing in women’s sports—thanks to the leadership of State Representative Barbara Ehardt, a former high school and NCAA women’s basketball coach. Dozens of states followed suit, modeling their laws after Idaho’s HB500. Rep. Ehardt has been a tireless advocate for female athletes, fighting for fairness, safety, and equal opportunities. Idaho owes her a debt of gratitude for her unwavering dedication. Today, what started here in Idaho has become the law of the land.
    That victory did not come without fierce opposition. Major businesses and their lobbyists in Idaho fought against it. Five former attorneys general urged a veto. My predecessor in the Attorney General’s office at the time wrote a legal opinion which gave the bill’s opponents their talking points. Democratic leadership called the legislation “disgusting and disappointing.” Editorial boards across the state attacked it. But as the saying goes, if doing the right thing were easy, more people would do it.
    Opponents argued that we should have surrendered women’s sports to political correctness, allowing fairness and safety to be sacrificed. But standing up for what is right often invites criticism from those who lack the moral clarity and courage to do so themselves. While the battle over women’s sports and girls’ privacy in school bathrooms may be won for now, there will always be new fights on the horizon. It is this very reason I worked so hard to become Idaho’s Attorney General—so I could uphold the values of the people of Idaho and defend what is right.
    I am honored to serve you and will continue to stand firm in this fight.
    Best regards,
    Not yet subscribed to the Labrador Letter?  Click HERE to get our weekly newsletter and updates.  Miss an issue?  Labrador Letters are archived on the Attorney General website.

    MIL OSI USA News –