NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Keep AM Radio in New Vehicles

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) to reintroduce the bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. The legislation would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to require automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in their new vehicles at no additional charge.

    “AM radio is the backbone of our emergency alert system, especially for tens of millions of Americans in rural areas. It’s been a part of our daily commutes and road trips for decades. Iowans rely on AM radio to catch up on local news, weather and commodity and livestock markets, as well as to hear competing viewpoints about the important issues of the day. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act will protect this critical resource, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation,” Grassley said.

    “During weather disasters or power outages, AM radio is consistently the most reliable form of communication and is critical to keep millions of Texans safe. AM radio has long been a haven for people to express differing viewpoints, allowing free speech and our robust democratic process to flourish for decades. I am honored to once again partner with Sen. Markey on this bipartisan legislation on behalf of our constituents who depend on AM radio and public airwaves for access to news, music, talk, and emergency alerts,” Cruz said.

    “As we witness more tragic climate change-induced disasters like the wildfires in Los Angeles, broadcast AM radio continues to be a critical tool for communication. AM radio is a lifeline for people across the country for news, sports, and especially emergency information,” Markey said. “Tens of millions of listeners across the country have made clear that they want AM radio to remain in their vehicles. Our AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act heeds their words and ensures that this essential tool doesn’t get lost on the dial.”

    Additional cosponsors are Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.),    Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jim Justice (R-W.V.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wy.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and John Hoeven (R-N.D.).

    Read the bill text HERE.

    Background:

    Grassley and his colleagues previously introduced the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act during the 118th Congress. The legislation passed the Senate Commerce Committee in July 2023 and the House Energy and Commerce Committee in September 2024.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Welch Work to Provide Rural Hospitals with Financial Stability and Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHIGNTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced the bipartisan Rural Hospital Support Act to prevent rural hospital closures by extending and modernizing critical Medicare programs. 

    “As a lifelong resident of rural Iowa, I know the importance of having access to health care services close to home. In addition to providing life-saving care, rural hospitals are a source of economic security for many rural communities,” Grassley said. “Our bipartisan bill will ensure the continuity of these vital programs and help keep rural hospitals’ doors open.” 

    “Rural hospitals provide essential care to patients in rural communities, including to folks who rely on Medicare and Medicaid. In Vermont, rural hospitals are also job creators and economic drivers. But across the country, rural hospitals are struggling to stay open, and they need a lifeline,” Welch said. “Our bipartisan legislation will help ensure rural hospitals are reimbursed for resources they need to continue delivering vital care in our rural communities.” 

    Specifically, the Rural Hospital Support Act would: 

    • Permanently extend the Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) program to ensure eligible rural hospitals are reimbursed for their costs; 
    • Permanently extend the Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) program to level the playing field for rural hospitals whose operating costs often outpace their revenue; 
    • Update the rebasing year for Sole Community Hospitals (SCH) and MDHs to allow hospitals to tie reimbursement estimates to more recent trends in costs. 

    Cosponsors of the bill include Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.). 

    The Rural Hospital Support Act has garnered support from Iowa and national stakeholders, including the Iowa Hospital Association, MercyOne, UnityPoint Health, the Alliance for Rural Hospital Access, the American Hospital Association and the National Rural Health Association.  

    Download audio of Grassley discussing the bill HERE.

    Find bill text HERE and a summary HERE.

    Background:

    Rural hospitals provide critical care for patients, many of whom rely on Medicare and Medicaid. These hospitals also serve as economic anchors – accounting for around 14 percent of total employment in rural areas. 

    The MDH and LVH programs have supported rural communities for decades. The programs were last extended as part of the Continuing Resolution on December 20, 2024, and would expire on March 31, 2025, without congressional action. The Rural Hospital Support Act does not change other rural hospital Medicare programs including critical access hospitals (CAH), rural referral centers (RRC), Rural Community Hospital Demonstration or the new voluntary rural emergency hospitals (REH). Each of these rural programs offer unique flexibilities to ensure health care services are accessible in rural America.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Massachusetts Member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Sentenced to 44 Years in Prison for Terrorism Offenses

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    Minh Quang Pham, also known as “Amim”, 41, of Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 44 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for attempted suicide bombing in alliance with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

    “The defendant was sentenced for an attempt to commit an act of terrorism and plotting a suicide bombing on behalf of AQAP,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will not rest in seeking justice for acts of terrorism and will continue to thwart any attempt to jeopardize global security.”

    “Pham coordinated with known terrorist Anwar al-Aulaqi on a plot to conduct a suicide bombing at Heathrow International Airport which could have killed or injured many people, but fortunately that plan was stopped,” said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Pham also tried to recruit others to commit acts of terrorism. The FBI will work with our partners to hold accountable those who align themselves with terrorist organizations and attempt to carry out acts of violence.”

    “Minh Quang Pham’s actions were not just an affront to the safety of this country, but to the principles of peace and security that we hold dear,” said U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s sentencing underscores our collective resolve to stop terrorism before it occurs, and place would-be terrorists in prison.”

    According to court documents, in December 2010, Pham informed others that he planned to travel to Ireland while residing in London. From Ireland, he traveled to Yemen, the principal base of operations for AQAP. Pham traveled to Yemen in order to join AQAP, wage jihad on behalf of AQAP, and martyr himself for AQAP’s cause. After arriving in Yemen, he swore an oath of loyalty to AQAP in the presence of an AQAP commander.

    While in Yemen in 2010 and 2011, Pham provided assistance to and received training from Anwar al-Aulaqi, a U.S.-born senior leader of AQAP. Al-Aulaqi advised Pham to return to the U.K. for the purpose of finding and making contact with individuals who, like Pham, wanted to travel to Yemen to join AQAP. Al-Aulaqi also provided Pham with money, as well as a telephone number and e-mail address that Pham was to use to contact al-Aulaqi upon his return to the U.K. In addition, Pham exchanged his laptop computer with al-Aulaqi, who provided him with a new “clean” laptop to take with him when he returned to the U.K. so that the authorities would not find anything if they searched his computer.

    In or about June 2011, prior to his departure from Yemen, Pham approached al-Aulaqi about conducting a suicide attack whereby he would “sacrifice” himself on behalf of AQAP. Al-Aulaqi personally taught Pham how to create a lethal explosive device using household chemicals and directed Pham to detonate such an explosive device at the arrivals area of Heathrow International Airport following Pham’s return to the U.K. in 2011. Al-Aulaqi instructed Pham to carry an explosive in a concealed backpack and target the area where flights arrived from the U.S. or Israel. During this time, Pham made videos depicting his preparation to carry out that attack. In one video, Pham is shown wiring an electrical device for the use of making an explosive device. In another video, he sketches an explosive device to be contained in a backpack, and in a third, Pham wears a backpack with wiring for explosives on it, which he turns on in the video.

    During this time, around June or July 2011 — shortly before Pham returned from Yemen to the U.K. — Pham recorded a video in which he attempted to recruit and encourage individuals in the West to engage in violent jihad abroad or in their home countries. In this video, he also expresses a desire to martyr himself. At the outset of this video, consisting of an approximately 13-minute-long monologue, Pham states that, “America itself is not fighting a war with a group or an organization, they are fighting with the army of Allah, the believers.” He continues, in part, “We have that opportunity, that ability to be in their midst, in their land . . . and I advise the brothers inshallah to, whatever you can, to gather and prepare and strike the enemy in their own land . . . The saying, a thousand cuts, you hit them with as much as you can until inshallah the enemy will bleed to death.” During his time in Yemen, Pham also assisted with the preparation and dissemination of AQAP’s propaganda magazine, Inspire. Pham, who has college degrees in both graphic design and animation, worked directly with now-deceased U.S. citizen, Samir Khan, who was a prominent member of AQAP responsible for editing and publishing Inspire.  

    Pham also received a six-page document entitled “Your Instructions” from al-Aulaqi in Yemen, which provided detailed instructions on how Pham was to commit his suicide attack at Heathrow. The document from al-Aulaqi instructed Pham, “[d]o not do anything for the first three months” and “[y]ou should target Christmas/ New Year season[.]” The instructions from al-Aulaqi provided explicit direction about the importance of using shrapnel to kill as many people as possible, including that “[t]he proper use of shrapnel is as important as the main charge itself. The detonation wave from a main charge of AP by itself is most likely not going to cause the death of anyone except those who are in its immediate vicinity. It is the shrapnel that would do the job. You may imagine this IED as a shotgun that is firing in all directions.” The document therefore instructed Pham to take “special care” with the “proper arrangement and choice of shrapnel,” and to “poison” it to inflict maximum death.

    On July 27, 2011, Pham returned to the U.K. Upon his arrival at Heathrow, U.K. authorities detained Pham, searched him, and recovered various materials from him, including a live round of 7.62mm caliber armor-piercing ammunition, which is consistent with ammunition that is used in a Kalashnikov assault rifle, a type of weapon for which Pham received training from AQAP in Yemen. U.K. authorities released Pham and cautioned him for his possession of the live round of ammunition, before, in December 2011, arresting him pursuant to their authorities under U.K. immigration law. In searches of Pham’s residence, other locations, and vehicles, U.K. authorities recovered several pieces of electronic media. Among other things, a forensic analysis of Pham’s electronic media showed that he was accessing speeches and writings of al-Aulaqi as late as December 2011 — months after Pham’s return to the U.K.

    On May 24, 2012, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Pham with terrorism offenses and U.S. authorities sought Pham’s extradition from the U.K. He was provisionally arrested with a view towards extradition on June 29, 2012, and he was extradited to the United States on Feb. 26, 2015. On Jan. 8, 2016, Pham pleaded guilty to terrorism offenses related to certain of the same underlying conduct. On May 27, 2016, Pham was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan principally to a term of 40 years in prison. On Sept. 12, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed Pham’s conviction and sentence. Thereafter, Pham made a motion that, based on intervening Supreme Court decisions, resulted in the vacatur of one of the counts of his conviction. Ultimately, the government, with Pham’s consent, moved to vacate Pham’s earlier convictions. On April 8, 2021, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment, reinstating certain charges and filing other new charges against Pham, and which formed the basis for Pham’s May 11, 2023, guilty plea and conviction.

    The FBI Washington and New York Field Offices investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Metropolitan Police Service/SO 15 Counter Terrorism Command at New Scotland Yard, Crown Prosecution Service, and the Home Office provided assistance in the investigation, extradition, and prosecution of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob H. Gutwillig for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump Administration “Fork Directive” Unlawful as Written, Unions Urge Court to Find

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

    Offer, FAQs Are Misleading, Coercive

    Lawsuit Seeks to Stay February 6 Deadline, Require Agency to Articulate a Lawful Policy

    Massachusetts – In a legal challenge filed today, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AFGE Local 3707, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, (AFSCME), and the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) represented by Democracy Forward, are seeking a to halt the Trump-Vance administration’s “Fork Directive” Feb. 6 deadline and require the government to articulate a policy that is lawful, rather than an arbitrary, unlawful, short-fused ultimatum which workers may not be able to enforce. The complaint was filed in Federal District Court in Massachusetts.

    The “Fork Directive” is the latest attempt by the Trump-Vance administration to implement Project 2025’s dangerous plans to remove career public service workers and replace them with partisan loyalists. The “Fork Directive” amounts to a clear ultimatum to a sweeping number of federal employees: resign now or face the possibility of job loss without compensation in the near future. Even so, as employees face threats from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that failure to resign may result in being fired without compensation, workers are being offered a package that violates the law. For example, it is wholly unclear how the government can promise to pay workers for a deferred resignation when the funds to do so have not been appropriated.

    The complaint further describes FAQs made available promoting the “Fork Directive” that are misleading. For example, despite assertions that workers would be free to accept other jobs after resigning, longstanding federal ethics regulations place numerous restrictions on the outside employment opportunities that a current federal worker can accept.

    “AFGE is bringing this suit with our partners today to protect the integrity of the government and prevent union members from being tricked into resigning from the federal service,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley. “Federal employees shouldn’t be misled by slick talk from unelected billionaires and their lackeys. Despite claims made to the contrary, this deferred resignation scheme is unfunded, unlawful, and comes with no guarantees. We won’t stand by and let our members become the victims of this con.”

    “We are filing this lawsuit to stop the purge of qualified professionals from the federal government workforce. Not only are these actions illegal and a scam, but they are eroding the health and well-being of our communities. These workers do everything from making sure families receive their Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits on time to protecting our drinking water and the food we eat to overseeing our national security. If this chaos goes unchecked, it will have devastating impacts on working people,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders.

    “The ‘Fork Directive’ is a blatant attempt to undermine the merit-based foundation of our civil service,” said NAGE National President David J. Holway. “NAGE will not allow our members to be intimidated into making hasty decisions based on misleading information. The administration must be held accountable for this unlawful directive, and we are committed to protecting the rights and jobs of our members. NAGE stands firmly against any effort to replace qualified professionals with partisan loyalists at the expense of the American people.”

    “The vast majority—more than 90%— of Americans believe that government employees should be hired and promoted based on merit, not political loyalty. Yet, President Trump and his unelected associates are threatening that value and our hardworking, dedicated, and independent civil servants—individuals who swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution and the American people,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Civil service members deserve more than one-sided ultimatums and misleading schemes. Our team is proud to represent these unions that have been at the forefront of Trump’s attacks on our civil service, and we will continue to urge the court to act swiftly to examine unlawful ultimatums and protect our federal employees.”

    The complaint alleges the “Fork Directive” violates the federal Administrative Procedure Act as arbitrary and capricious and for exceeding statutory authority under the Antideficiency Act. A copy of the complaint is available here.

    ###

    AFGE is the largest federal employee union, representing more than 800,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia. For the latest AFGE news and information, visit the AFGE Media Center.
    NAGE represents over 125,000 public and private sector workers across the country, including 75,000 federal employees. Individuals who work tirelessly to support our communities, from keeping the lights on and water clean, highways safe, and state & federal Governments running, to providing essential EMS care and community protection services, NAGE members set the standard of service. For more information, please visit nage.org 
    Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Public invited to learn about SR 509 construction in south King County

    Source: Washington State News 2

    Open house on Feb. 11 includes roundabout displays, construction timeline, tolling information

    BURIEN – Construction work is ramping up on the State Route 509 Completion Project in Burien, Des Moines, Kent and SeaTac.

    The Washington State Department of Transportation is hosting an open house on Tuesday, Feb. 11, for people to learn more about the final stage of the completion project. This stage builds the remaining 2 miles of the tolled expressway between 24th Avenue South in SeaTac and South 188th Street, in addition to building new roundabouts at South 160th and South 188th streets in south King County.

    SR 509 completion open house information

    • When:       6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11
    • Where:     Burien Community Center
                        14700 Sixth Ave. SW
    • Details:     People are invited to stop in at any time. There is no formal presentation planned. WSDOT and contractor staff will be available to answer questions about planned construction, anticipated closures, roundabouts, noise, multimodal improvements, environment processes and studies, traffic and the toll-rate setting process.

    SR 509 Completion Project information

    The SR 509 Completion Project builds 3 miles of new tolled expressway between Interstate 5 and South 188th Street near the south end of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The new expressway will be completed in stages. The first mile between I-5 and 24th Avenue is currently under construction and scheduled to open in fall 2025. The entire project is planned for completion by 2029.

    Photos of construction work are available on the project’s Flickr page. An interactive project map that allows people to explore the new SR 509 Expressway, the SR 516 interchange and other elements of the completion project is also available online.  

    Puget Sound Gateway Program overview

    The SR 509 Completion Project is part of WSDOT’s Puget Sound Gateway Program, which also includes the SR 167 Completion Project in Pierce County. Combined, the two completion projects finish critical missing links in Washington’s highway and freight network.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Intelligence Committee Advances Gabbard Nomination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    February 4, 2025

    Senate Intelligence Committee Advances Gabbard Nomination

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today released the following statement after the committee voted 9-8 to report with a favorable recommendation Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be Director of National Intelligence:

    “I’m pleased that the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to advance the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence. Once confirmed, I look forward to working with Ms. Gabbard to keep America safe and to bring badly needed reforms to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Urges Action at Senate Judiciary Hearing on Fentanyl Epidemic Featuring Minnesota Mom’s Testimony

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WATCH KLOBUCHAR QUESTIONS HERE

    WASHINGTON – At today’s Senate Judiciary hearing on the fentanyl epidemic, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) highlighted the need for Congress to take action to stop online drug trafficking to save children’s lives and give law enforcement what they need to combat the crisis. 

    Bridgette Norring of Hastings, Minnesota testified about her son’s death from illicit fentanyl. Norring’s 19-year old son Devin died in April 2020 after buying a pill online for tooth pain that he thought was a painkiller but turned out to be a fentanyl laced counterfeit. Bridgette founded the Devin J. Norring Foundation to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and advocate for stronger drug prevention measures.

    “My husband and I are no different than every American parent doing the best we can to protect our kids from the constant threat that social media poses. We did our due diligence in spot-checking our children’s accounts when they were minors. We preached constantly about internet safety and etiquette. None of that stopped Snapchat from allowing my children to open multiple new accounts to avoid our scrutiny. It did not stop them from pushing products designed to addict and exploit America’s young people. It did not stop them from blaming parents when our kids died. And it is no different than when opioid companies created a product they knew was extremely harmful and addictive, told the public that it was safe, and then blamed the parents when kids died as a result,” said Norring at the hearing. 

    “Social media has been a gateway to drugs for too many kids, and we must meet this threat with the all-hands-on-deck response it requires. We need to crack down on the sale of fentanyl through social media platforms and pass the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act. And we need to stop these illicit drugs and fake pills from entering our borders in the first place, by making sure law enforcement has the resources they need, including cutting-edge technology to detect and intercept fentanyl at our borders. Thank you to Bridgette Norring for her bravery in coming forward and sharing her story,” said Klobuchar in a statement.

    In 2023, nearly 75,000 Americans lost their lives to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, including nearly 950 opioid-related deaths in Minnesota. In Hennepin County, fentanyl kills an average of one resident every day. The number of Minnesotans who died from opioids last year was more than double the total number of people who died from car accidents.

    Senator Klobuchar is a leader in the fight to pass the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act, which would require social media companies to report to the DEA when they know of the sale or distribution of illicit drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, or a counterfeit controlled substance on their platforms.

    Witnesses at the hearing include:

    Bridgette Norring Survivor Parent and Founder Devin J. Norring Foundation Hastings, MN; Jaime Puerta President and Co-Founder of Victims of Illicit Drugs (“V.O.I.D.”) Co-Chair of Project Facing Fentanyl Santa Clarita, CA; Timothy W. Westlake, M.D., FFSMB, FACEP Emergency Physician ProHealth Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital Oconomowoc, WI; Cecilia Farfán, Ph.D. Affiliated researcher Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, University of California San Diego San Diego, CA; Donald Barnes Vice President of Homeland Security, Major County Sheriffs of America Sheriff-Coroner of Orange County, California Orange County, CA.

    A transcript of Klobuchar’s full questioning is available below. Video is available HERE.

    Senator Klobuchar: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Norring, I think everyone was touched by your story and your bravery for coming forward. I’ve been honored to get to know you, and I want to thank you for everything that you’ve done. As you said, “all the hopes and dreams we as parents had for Devin were erased in the blink of an eye, and no mom should have to bury their kid.” Those were your words. And I know the words of your all of your friends there that stand there to support you and have had their own pain. All he did was buy a pill off Snapchat. Thought it was a Percocet. You were there for that testimony with the tech executives, and there’s a bunch of us here that have had some battle wounds going after them when we just want to put some sensible rules in place or get rid of this legal protections that they have that other companies do not have, as you so well pointed out, but no wounds compared to what you have. You heard their testimony back then in January 2024. Do you think the social media companies are doing enough to stop the sale of drugs to kids online?

    Bridgette Norring: I do not think that they are doing enough. In fact, it’s still continuing. I was introduced to two new families just last week from Minnesota, both with ties to fentanyl, with their children passing, so no, they’re not doing enough. They could be doing more. I was just informed that Evan Spiegel is in support of the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act. And I must ask then if you are in such support of it, all these companies are in support of the Kids Online Safety Act. Why? Why aren’t they implementing those features and doing the job now? Why do we have to come before Congress and … have you make them do that?

    Klobuchar: Good point, thank you. Mr. Puerta, do you think we should get rid of or reform Section 230 in some way? Just to make this very clear. 

    Jaime Puerta: Absolutely, Senator Klobuchar. In 1996, as we all know, this legislative body came up with Section 230 C of the Communication Decency Act, and what it was meant to do was to protect free speech. But what’s happening right now cannot be free speech. When you have a drug dealer selling illicit fentanyl to unsuspecting children, that’s not free speech. Or a grown man sending unwarranted pictures to young ladies, sexual exploitation. This is not free speech. This is criminal behavior. And like Ms. Norring said, if it’s criminal, if it’s a criminal act in the real world, then it should be as well in the social media world. 

    Klobuchar: So you’re looking for that reform, which also I appreciate you bringing up Senator Cruz and I have this TAKE IT DOWN Act. There’s a number of other bills involving pornography as well. Sheriff Barnes, … thank you for your testimony and being here. Funding, as we look into this next year, funding for law enforcement, do you think that that is important to take on this Fentanyl crisis, as well, as well as the HIDTA program that helps your deputies get fentanyl off the streets?

    Donald Barnes: Senator, yes, thank you for the question. The HIDTA funding has been stagnant and still for the last 10 years. Hasn’t grown. If you look at the time value of money, it’s about 1/3 reduction over the last 10 years, and our costs have gone up, so it’s about 50 cents on the dollar. It’s not a fully funded program. My HIDTA program is funded at about 1/6 of the costs that we put into it and mostly subsidized through my investment of stabilizing that as other municipal agencies have withdrawn personnel. So yes, I think at this, the nation’s worst time in history, we have to reinvest those monies. We have to look at the use of those monies. And I think we have to look at what I call a Super HIDTA, the original intent of the gateway HIDTA, to invest on the greatest offense, which is our border HIDTA, and stop as much as drugs as we can at the border before they make it into the content of the United States.

    Klobuchar: Thank you. Dr Westlake, why does class-wide scheduling reduce the incentives for drug cartels to create new fentanyl variants? 

    Timothy Westlake: So the incentives were there before because when they initially created these without under the normal Controlled Substances Act, they were legal. So they could modify it. Instead of putting an ethyl group in, you could put a methyl group in. It’s a legal substance. I was on the controlled substance board in Wisconsin 2015. We had nine different fentanyl variants, fentanyl-related substances that were killing people. We could schedule them immediately, and then they were illegal. And when you schedule them and make them illegal, there’s no incentive for them to be created anymore, and there’s a cookbook of changes that you can do easily, look up the research to find what different chemicals to use. So, it literally just stops the incentive. It doesn’t stop illicit fentanyl incentive, but it closes the speculative fentanyl substances.

    Klobuchar: Thank you. One last point. Ms. Norring, and we’ll talk more in this committee. I am so pleased that Senator Grassley and Durbin will lead this together on some of the social media issues that go way beyond the ones we’ve talked about now. But you’ve also embarked on an education campaign, along with a lot of our sheriffs in Minnesota, that I think has been pretty effective going back in the schools with “One Pill Can Kill.” Ten seconds on that, and I’m out of time. 

    Norring: We have to do it because nobody else is doing it. It falls back on us. If we sit by and say nothing, children continue to die. So we feel it’s our obligation to get out there educate our community and the children because, as the ranking chair mentioned, the conversation really begins at home. It really has to begin at home. 

    Klobuchar: Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn: Border and Fentanyl Crises Must be Addressed in Tandem

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – Today in the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed with Sheriff Don Barnes of Orange County Sheriff’s Department (California), who also serves as Major County Sheriffs of America’s Vice President responsible for Homeland Security, the ways the border and fentanyl crises are interconnected and how an all-of-the-above approach is necessary to prevent more American loss of life due to the deadly drug. Excerpts are below, and video can be found here.

    CORNYN: “Having visited with a number of families in Texas—its various school districts—I’ve come to believe that this requires a layered approach. Maybe starting at the kitchen table, with awareness of our children to the threat because none of them take these counterfeit drugs knowingly, at least, knowing that it will take their lives, that it contains contaminated fentanyl.”

    “It’s going to require all of us, from parents, families, to school districts and local law enforcement, state and federal law enforcement, and border security.”

    “Do you believe that with improved border security, we can begin to stop some of the flow of the illicit drugs coming across the border, including fentanyl?”

    BARNES: “Senator, what you described is a very complex system, almost a supply chain that starts in China, using transit going to Mexico—the pill presses.”

    “The border, obviously, is going to be the most significant issue, as we shut down the border and the pathway for illicit fentanyl to make its way back into the United States.”

    “The vast majority of the large quantities coming across has been, in my experience, are being conducted by Mexican nationals.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders on America’s Dangerous Movement Toward Oligarchy, Authoritarianism & Kleptocracy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today gave remarks on the floor of the Senate outlining the Trump administration’s movement toward oligarchy, authoritarianism and kleptocracy.

    Sanders remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be watched HERE:

    M. President: Today, we find ourselves in a pivotal moment in American history and millions of Americans, by their actions or lack of action, will determine the future of this country for decades.

    M. President: In my view, the Trump administration is moving this country very aggressively into an oligarchic form of society where extraordinary power rests in the hands of a small number of unelected multi-billionaires.

    The Trump administration is moving this country very aggressively into an authoritarian society where the rule of law, and our constitution, are being ignored and undermined in order to give more power to the White House and the billionaires who now control our government.

    In my view, the Trump administration is moving this country very rapidly toward a kleptocracy – where the function of government is not to serve the people of America, but to enrich those who are in power.

    M. President: I think that today is a good day to recall what one of our great presidents said at Gettysburg in November of 1863. Looking out at a battlefield where thousands of Union soldiers had just sacrificed their lives in the defense of freedom, Lincoln famously stated:

    “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

    “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

    M. President: Under President Trump we are not seeing a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Quite the contrary.

    We are seeing a government of the billionaire class, by the billionaire class, for the billionaire class. And it’s not being done secretly. It’s right out there for all to see.

    Several weeks ago, Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States. Standing right behind him were the three richest men in the country – Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg – worth a combined $920 billion. These 3 men have more wealth than the bottom half of America – 170 million people. And I should point out, and this should tell you exactly where we are going as a nation, these 3 men have become some $232 billion richer since Trump was elected. In just two weeks under Trump their wealth has exploded by $232 billion dollars.

    M. President: This is how an oligarchic system works. Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, and now a key part of the administration, spent over $277 million to get Trump elected. In other words, within a corrupt campaign finance system he helped buy the election for Donald Trump.

    Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, the second and third wealthiest people in our country, both kicked a million each into Trump’s inauguration fund.

    And let’s remember that Mr. Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, rescinded the endorsement of Kamala Harris of the Washington Post’s editorial board. Mr. Bezos was showing early on that he was willing to bend the knee for Donald Trump.

    Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, agreed to settle a lawsuit with Trump for $25 million.

    These three multibillionaires are working with Trump because they understand one very important reality. Trump’s policies are designed to make the very richest people in this country even richer.

    Since Trump’s election, Mr. Musk has become $154 billion richer, Mr. Bezos has become $35 billion richer, and Mr. Zuckerberg has become $43 billion richer.

    M. President: I am growing increasingly concerned that in our country, under the leadership of President Trump, we are moving rapidly towards authoritarianism.

    And all over this country people are alarmed and shocked by what they are seeing.

    Just a few examples.

    Last week, Trump attempted to suspend all federal grants and loans in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal law. As every 3rd grader knows, the power of the purse belongs to Congress, not the president.

    Let’s be clear. The president can recommend legislation, he can veto legislation, but he does not have the power to unilaterally terminate funding and legislation passed by the U.S. Congress. That is a dangerous and blatantly unconstitutional act.

    And I should add that Trump’s blocking of federal funding would have had an horrific impact on millions of Americans who utilize programs like Medicaid, Head Start, community health centers, Meals on Wheels, homeless veterans’ programs and many, many other initiatives.

    Tens of millions of Americans, including some of the most vulnerable people in our country, were impacted by that decision.

    But that’s not all.

    A few days ago, Trump fired 17 inspectors general – independent government watchdogs that were created by Congress, in the wake of the Watergate scandal, to prevent the abuse of power by the executive branch.

    Last week, President Trump fired a member of the National Labor Relations Board, and in so doing, effectively neutered the only federal agency in America with the authority to hold corporations accountable for illegal union busting and to protect the constitutional right of workers to form a union and to collectively bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions.

    Not only is this move blatantly illegal, it is exactly what Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla, and Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon, have been fighting for for months. This is a huge gift to the two wealthiest people in our country who are both strongly anti-union.

    The President also illegally fired members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – the only independent commission in our country that protects workers against discrimination in the workplace.

    Further, and this should upset every American regardless of political view, in direct violation of the Constitution and federal law, Trump is intimidating the media with lawsuits against ABC, CBS, Meta and the Des Moines Register. His FCC is now threatening to investigate PBS and NPR. Take a deep breath my fellow Americans.

    What Trump is essentially saying to every media outlet in America: If you say or do anything that is critical of me, that displeases me, you may be subject to a lawsuit or a federal investigation.

    If this is not a direct attack on the First Amendment, the U.S. Constitution and Freedom of Speech, I don’t know what is.

    But that’s not all.

    Elon Musk and his unelected minions at DOGE have forced out officials at the Treasury Department and illegally shut down US AID – a program which, among other things, helps feed and provide medical help to starving and desperate children all over the world. Presidents, much less unelected billionaires, do not have the unilateral right to shut down federal agencies established by Congress.

    When we talk about the dangerous movement towards authoritarianism let us not forget Trump’s pardoning of the January 6th insurrectionists who injured 174 police officers at the Capitol.

    Even worse, Trump is undermining the FBI by investigating the agents there who helped bring these violent criminals to justice.

    In other words, what Trump is saying is that violence against police officers, when done in his name is ok, but when law enforcement officers try to hold criminals accountable that is not ok.

    M. President: Under Trump, we are rapidly moving towards a kleptocracy as well.

    Just before Trump was inaugurated, he and his wife Melania launched their own cryptocurrency coins giving them the potential to earn tens of billions of dollars.

    M. President: If Wall Street CEOs tried to bribe the President with a bag full of money that would be against the law.

    But now, they don’t have to do that.

    Today, if a multi-billionaire or the head of a foreign country wants to curry favor with the President, all they have to do is buy his cryptocurrency coins and, when they do that, they are directly enriching Donald Trump and the First Lady.

    That is unacceptable and cannot stand.

    So, M. President, the question then becomes, where do we go from here?

    Instead of moving toward an economy which is designed to benefit the very richest people in our society we have got to fight hard to create a government that works for all of us, not just Mr. Musk or Mr. Bezos or Mr. Zuckerberg and other multi-billionaires.

    M. President, at a time of massive wealth and income inequality we must not provide more tax breaks to billionaires paid for by huge cuts in Medicaid and other programs that working families and low-income people desperately need.

    But let me tell you what we should be doing.

    At a time when 85 million Americans are uninsured or under-insured we have got to do what every major country on earth does and that is to guarantee health care as a human right to every man, woman and child in this country.

    At a time when 1 out of 4 Americans cannot afford the medicine that their doctors prescribe we have got to end the absurdity of Americans paying by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.

    We have got to cut the cost of prescription drugs in half.

    M. President: The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage. While 60% of our people live paycheck to paycheck, we must raise that minimum wage to a living wage, at least $17 an hour. If you work 40 hours a week, you should not be living in poverty.

    Mr. Musk and Mr. Bezos want to make it harder for workers to join unions. Well, we have got to do exactly the opposite. We must pass the PRO Act so that anti-union CEOs cannot act unconstitutionally to deny workers the right to join a union.

    At a time when we need the best educated workforce in the world, we need to have the best public schools in the world. And, among other things, that means we need to substantially raise teacher salaries. If we want the best and the brightest to become educators no teacher in America should earn less than $60,000 a year.

    M. President: All over this country, we have a major housing crisis. And it’s not just the 800,000 who are homeless. It is millions of working families who are spending 40, 50 or 60 percent of their limited incomes on housing. Instead of spending almost a trillion dollars a year on a wasteful and bloated Pentagon budget, we have got to build millions of units of low-income and affordable housing. And when we do that, we put large numbers of people to work at good-paying union jobs.

    M. President: I hear from Trump supporters that the president won the election and he has been given this huge mandate to do whatever he wants. Well, no president has the right to move us to oligarchy, authoritarianism and kleptocracy. But more importantly, let us not forget that while Trump did win this election he actually received 4 million fewer votes in 2024 than Biden did in 2020 when Biden won the election.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Human rights situation in Haiti remains ‘very alarming’, UN report finds

    Source: United Nations 4

    Human Rights

    Gang violence in Haiti continues to have a devastating impact on the population, according to a new report from the UN office in the country (BINUH) on human rights violations recorded during the last quarter of 2024.

    Released on Tuesday, the new report highlights that at least 5,626 people have been killed and more than 2,213 injured in the past year, due to the armed gangs who control much of the capital and the country at large.

    These figures reflect a sharp increase of over 1,000 fatalities compared to 2023, underscoring the unrelenting brutality gripping the nation.

    UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric highlighted the findings in Tuesday’s press briefing in New York, pointing to a severe deterioration in Haiti’s security landscape.

    Harrowing mass killings

    According to BINUH, the last quarter of 2024 saw an alarming rise in deadly gang-related attacks.

    At least 1,732 people were killed and 411 injured due to violence by armed groups, self-defence units and law enforcement operations.

    The report highlights three large-scale massacres that resulted in over 300 deaths, with the most severe attack occurring in the Wharf Jérémie neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince.

    Between 6 and 11 December, at least 207 people were slaughtered by a gang led by Monel Felix, known as “Micanor,” who accused the mainly elderly victims of practicing voodoo and being responsible for the death of his child.

    The armed gang executed people in their homes and a local place of worship before burning or dismembering bodies to conceal evidence. No law enforcement intervention was reported during the five-day attack.

    Similar atrocities took place in Pont Sondé and Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite, where coordinated gang offensives left at least 170 people dead in early December.

    The murders sparked reprisals by self-defence groups, further intensifying the violence

    State-sanctioned executions

    Haiti’s security forces have also been implicated in grave human rights violations.

    The report documents more than 250 executions carried out by police in 2024, with two children among the victims.

    Many individuals were executed after being detained, while others – including street vendors and motorcycle taxi drivers – were shot for failing to provide identification.

    The Public Prosecutor of Miragoâne was also cited for six extrajudicial executions, bringing the total killings by prosecutors to 42 in 2024.

    Despite calls for accountability, investigations into police abuses remain largely stalled. 
    BINUH noted that no officers have undergone vetting since June 2023, reflecting a deep-seated lack of supervision.

    Child exploitation

    Haiti has also experienced a 150 per cent surge in kidnappings with gangs increasingly targeting children.

    The report raised alarm over widespread sexual violence, with at least 94 cases of rape and sexual exploitation documented in the last quarter alone.

    Women and girls remain particularly vulnerable in gang-controlled areas, where they are subjected to systemic abuse.

    Additionally, child trafficking and forced recruitment by armed groups continue to rise.

    UNICEF has warned of a 70 per cent increase in child soldiers, with boys as young as 12 being used for kidnappings, armed confrontations and extortion.

    Judicial failures

    Despite the scale of the crisis, Haiti’s judicial system remains paralysed.

    While some efforts were made in late 2024 – including appointments to key judicial posts – progress on high-profile massacres and corruption cases remains slow.

    Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé ordered investigations into the Pont Sondé and Wharf Jérémie massacres, yet no arrests or judicial actions had been taken by the end of the year.

    International response

    The High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk emphasised the critical need to restore the rule of law and called on the international community to ensure the full deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission (MSS).

    The UN has also urged regional governments to intensify inspections of arms shipments destined for Haiti, in line with Security Council resolutions.

    With over one million people displaced and a humanitarian catastrophe continue to unfold, urgent international intervention is seen as vital to stabilising the country. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Morrilton Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

          LITTLE ROCK—Timothy Lee Highfield will spend 30 years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.

          On June 8, 2022, Highfield, 46, of Morrilton, Arkansas, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of production of child pornography. On January 9, 2024, Highfield pleaded guilty to the count in the Indictment. Chief Judge Baker sentenced Highfield to 360 months in federal prison a lifetime of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

          On approximately December 17, 2021, a citizen brought a phone containing child sexual abuse material to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). An investigation revealed the phone previously belonged to Highfield. During a search of the phone by FBI, a video made by Highfield was located on the phone. The video depicted a minor, believed to be less than seven years of age, performing oral sex on Highfield. The phone also contained multiple videos and images of child sexual abuse material and adults performing sexual acts with minors.

          The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kissimmee Man Sentenced To 25 Years For Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Stephen Michael Lippincott (70, Kissimmee) to 25 years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material. Lippincott was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender.   

    According to court records, on January 18, 2024, Lippincott was embarking on a four-day cruise to the Bahamas when his cellular phone was searched by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Jax Port Cruise Terminal. The search was precipitated by a tip CBP received about a possible warrant for indecent exposure Lippincott had out of New Jersey. The search led to the discovery that Lippincott was communicating with multiple female children ranging from ages 8 to 14 on a variety of social media platforms. Lippincott also had sent at least six female children money to watch him engage in sexual acts which he then recorded on his cell phone.   

    “Violating the innocence of a child is a detestable act and a betrayal of the trust that fortifies the safety of our communities,” said Tim Hemker, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville assistant Special Agent in Charge. “Alongside our partners at the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Jacksonville, HSI will not rest until every predator who seeks to sexually exploit children is brought to justice.”  

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office, and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. This case was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Hut 8 Operations Update for January 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Infrastructure upgrades near completion in advance of expected miner deliveries

    205 MW Vega project advancing on track for Q2 2025 energization

    MIAMI, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hut 8 Corp. (Nasdaq | TSX: HUT) (“Hut 8” or the “Company”), a leading, vertically integrated operator of large-scale energy infrastructure and one of North America’s largest Bitcoin miners, today released its operations update for January 2025.

    “With infrastructure upgrades for our initial fleet upgrade near completion, we believe we are well-positioned to energize new miners upon expected delivery in the coming weeks,” said Asher Genoot, CEO of Hut 8. “While these upgrades resulted in downtime during the month, we remain focused on optimizing returns from our existing fleet, leveraging Reactor to dynamically curtail operations, particularly at our Alpha site, where power prices were elevated.”

    “We continue to execute on key growth initiatives across our digital infrastructure layer. Data center construction at Vega is progressing rapidly, keeping us on schedule for energization in Q2 2025 as we prepare for the launch of our ~15 EH/s colocation agreement with BITMAIN. As we focus on AI data center development, we also advanced and expanded our development pipeline.”

    Highlights

    • Infrastructure upgrades near completion in advance of expected miner deliveries for initial fleet upgrade
    • Data center construction at Vega progressing rapidly, on track for Q2 energization (image to left)
    • Advanced AI data center development opportunities across development pipeline

    Operating Metrics

    Average during the period unless otherwise noted1 January 2025 December 2024
    Total energy capacity under management (mining)2,3,4 665 MW 665 MW
    Total deployed miners under management5 115.3K 121.4K
    Total hashrate under management6 12.7 EH/s 13.2 EH/s
         
    Self-Mining7    
    Deployed miners8,9 47.1K 53.2K
    Deployed hashrate10 5.0 EH/s 5.5 EH/s
    Bitcoin produced3,11 65 BTC 89 BTC
    Bitcoin held in reserve3,12 10,208 BTC 10,171 BTC
         
    Managed Services13    
    Energy capacity under management3 280 MW 280 MW
    Deployed miners under management9 85.7K 85.5K
    Hashrate under management 9.4 EH/s 9.4 EH/s
         
    Hosting    
    Deployed miners under management9,14 68.1K 68.2K
    Hashrate under management15 7.7 EH/s 7.7 EH/s
         

    Energy Infrastructure Platform3

            Current/Contracted Revenue Stream(s)16
    Site Location Owner17 Power
    Capacity    		 Self-
    Mining    		 Managed
    Services    		 Hosting HPC Power
    Sales
    Vega18 Texas Panhandle Hut 8 205 MW     Yes19    
    Medicine Hat Medicine Hat, AB Hut 8 67 MW Yes        
    Salt Creek Orla, TX Hut 8 63 MW Yes        
    Alpha Niagara Falls, NY Hut 8 50 MW     Yes    
    Drumheller20 Drumheller, AB Hut 8 42 MW          
    Kelowna Kelowna, BC Hut 8 1.1 MW       Yes  
    Mississauga Mississauga, ON Hut 8 0.9 MW       Yes  
    Vaughan Vaughan, ON Hut 8 0.6 MW       Yes  
    Vancouver II Vancouver, BC Hut 8 0.5 MW       Yes  
    Vancouver I Vancouver, BC Hut 8 0.3 MW       Yes  
    King Mountain21 McCamey, TX Hut 8 (JV) 280 MW Yes Yes Yes   Yes
    Iroquois Falls22 Iroquois Falls, ON Hut 8 (JV) 120 MW         Yes
    Kingston22 Kingston, ON Hut 8 (JV) 110 MW         Yes
    North Bay22 North Bay, ON Hut 8 (JV) 40 MW         Yes
    Kapuskasing22 Kapuskasing, ON Hut 8 (JV) 40 MW         Yes
    Total     1,020 MW          
                     

    Upcoming Conferences & Events

    • February 24–25, 2025: Capacity Media Metro Connect USA, Fort Lauderdale
    • February 24–28, 2025: Bitcoin Investor Week, New York
    • February 25–27, 2025: Infocast ERCOT Market Summit, Austin
    • March 3–6, 2025: Morgan Stanley Energy & Power Conference, New York

    Notes:

      (1) All figures exclude Hut 8’s managed services agreement with Ionic Digital Inc. (“Ionic”), which was terminated effective December 10, 2024.
      (2) Energy capacity under management (mining) includes (i) 180 MW of self-mining sites comprised of Alpha, Medicine Hat, and Salt Creek, (ii) 205 MW of hosting capacity at Vega, which is currently under construction, and (iii) 280 MW of capacity under management at King Mountain.
      (3) As of the end of the period.
      (4) Includes 205 MW of capacity at Vega as the site is expected to host miners for BITMAIN.
      (5) Includes all miners that are racked with power and networking, rounded to the nearest 100, in Self-Mining, Managed Services, and Hosting infrastructure with power and networking, including all miners at the King Mountain site.
      (6) Includes all Self-Mining, Managed Services, and Hosting hashrate, including 100% of the hashrate at the King Mountain site.
      (7) Self-Mining operations for Hut 8 include 100% of operations at the King Mountain site.
      (8) Deployed miners are defined as those physically racked with power and networking, rounded to the nearest 100; deployed self-mining miners net of the 50% share of the King Mountain JV held by Hut 8’s joint venture partner was 38.4K during January 2025 and 44.5K during December 2024.
      (9) Miners are rounded to the nearest 100.
      (10) Indicates the target hashrate of all deployed miners; deployed self-mining hashrate net of the 50% share of the King Mountain JV held by Hut 8’s joint venture partner was 4.7 EH/s during both January 2025 and December 2024.
      (11) Bitcoin produced net of the 50% share of the King Mountain JV held by Hut 8’s joint venture partner was 51 BTC during January 2025 and 74 BTC during December.
      (12) Includes 968 Bitcoin pledged and transferred to a third-party wallet to finance Hut’s previously announced fleet upgrade.
      (13) Managed Services includes 280 MW of capacity under management at King Mountain.
      (14) 34.1K deployed miners under management net of the 50% share of the King Mountain JV held by Hut 8’s joint venture partner during January 2025 and December 2024.
      (15) 3.8 EH/s under management net of Hut 8’s joint venture partner’s 50% share of the King Mountain JV during both January 2025 and December 2024.
      (16) Reflects revenue sources to Hut 8, its subsidiaries, and/or joint ventures in which they participate.
      (17) Owned denotes ownership of power infrastructure at owned or leased data center locations, except for HPC sites where owned denotes ownership of mechanical and electrical infrastructure at leased data center locations.
      (18) Site is currently under development.
      (19) Anticipated to begin generating revenue by Q2 2025.
      (20) Site currently shut down; Hut 8 maintaining lease with option value of re-energizing site.
      (21) Owned by a JV between Hut 8 and a Fortune 200 renewable energy producer in which Hut 8 has an approximately 50% membership interest.
      (22) Owned by a JV between Hut 8 and Macquarie in which Hut 8 has an approximately 80% membership interest.
         

    About Hut 8 

    Hut 8 Corp. is an energy infrastructure operator and Bitcoin miner with self-mining, hosting, managed services, and traditional data center operations across North America. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Hut 8 Corp. has a portfolio comprising fifteen sites: five Bitcoin mining, hosting, and Managed Services sites in Alberta, New York, and Texas, five high performance computing data centers in British Columbia and Ontario, four power generation assets in Ontario, and one non-operational site in Alberta. For more information, visit www.hut8.com and follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @Hut8Corp.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward–Looking Information

    This press release includes “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and United States securities laws, respectively (collectively, “forward-looking information”). All information, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that Hut 8 expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including such things as future business strategy, competitive strengths, goals, expansion and growth of the business, operations, plans and other such matters is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “allow”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “predict”, “can”, “might”, “potential”, “predict”, “is designed to”, “likely” or similar expressions. Specifically, such forward-looking information included in this press release includes statements relating to the completion of the Company’s infrastructure upgrades, the timing of the delivery and energization of Company’s initial fleet upgrade, the Company’s execution on key growth initiatives, the timing for the buildout and energization of the Company’s Vega site, and the Company’s continuing progress and expansion of its development pipeline.

    Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts, but instead represent management’s expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events based on certain material factors and assumptions at the time the statement was made. While considered reasonable by Hut 8 as of the date of this press release, such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to, security and cybersecurity threats and hacks; malicious actors or botnet obtaining control of processing power on the Bitcoin network; further development and acceptance of the Bitcoin network; changes to Bitcoin mining difficulty; loss or destruction of private keys; increases in fees for recording transactions in the Blockchain; erroneous transactions; reliance on a limited number of key employees; reliance on third party mining pool service providers; regulatory changes; classification and tax changes; momentum pricing risk; fraud and failure related to digital asset exchanges; difficulty in obtaining banking services and financing; difficulty in obtaining insurance, permits and licenses; internet and power disruptions; geopolitical events; uncertainty in the development of cryptographic and algorithmic protocols; uncertainty about the acceptance or widespread use of digital assets; failure to anticipate technology innovations; the COVID19 pandemic, climate change; currency risk; lending risk and recovery of potential losses; litigation risk; business integration risk; changes in market demand; changes in network and infrastructure; system interruption; changes in leasing arrangements; failure to achieve intended benefits of power purchase agreements; potential for interrupted delivery, or suspension of the delivery, of energy to mining sites and other risks related to the digital asset mining and data center business. For a complete list of the factors that could affect Hut 8, please see the “Risk Factors” section of Hut 8’s Transition Report on Form 10-K, available under the Company’s EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov, and Hut 8’s other continuous disclosure documents which are available under the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca and EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov.

    Hut 8 Corp. Investor Relations
    Sue Ennis
    ir@hut8.com

    Hut 8 Corp. Media Relations
    media@hut8.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d9acab77-45dc-4fc4-9d65-ccaa8aa90be2

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Diversified Royalty Corp. Announces February 2025 Cash Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diversified Royalty Corp. (TSX: DIV and DIV.DB.A) (the “Corporation” or “DIV”) is pleased to announce that its board of directors has approved a cash dividend of $0.02083 per common share for the period of February 1, 2025 to February 28, 2025, which is equal to $0.25 per common share on an annualized basis. The dividend will be paid on February 28, 2025 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 14, 2025.

    About Diversified Royalty Corp.

    DIV is a multi-royalty corporation, engaged in the business of acquiring top-line royalties from well-managed multi-location businesses and franchisors in North America. DIV’s objective is to acquire predictable, growing royalty streams from a diverse group of multi-location businesses and franchisors.

    DIV currently owns the Mr. Lube + Tires, AIR MILES®, Sutton, Mr. Mikes, Nurse Next Door, Oxford Learning Centres, Stratus Building Solutions and BarBurrito trademarks. Mr. Lube + Tires is the leading quick lube service business in Canada, with locations across Canada. AIR MILES® is Canada’s largest coalition loyalty program. Sutton is among the leading residential real estate brokerage franchisor businesses in Canada. Mr. Mikes operates casual steakhouse restaurants primarily in western Canadian communities. Nurse Next Door is a home care provider with locations across Canada and the United States as well as in Australia. Oxford Learning Centres is one of Canada’s leading franchisee supplemental education services. Stratus Building Solutions is a leading commercial cleaning service franchise company providing comprehensive janitorial, building cleaning, and office cleaning services primarily in the United States. BarBurrito is the largest quick service Mexican restaurant food chain in Canada.

    DIV’s objective is to increase cash flow per share by making accretive royalty purchases and through the growth of purchased royalties. DIV intends to continue to pay a predictable and stable monthly dividend to shareholders and increase the dividend over time, in each case as cash flow per share allows.

    Forward Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. The use of any of the words “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “will”, ”project”, “should”, “believe”, “confident”, “plan” and “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information, although not all forward-looking information contains these identifying words. Specifically, forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements made in relation to: the amount and timing of the February 2025 dividend to be paid to DIV’s shareholders; DIV’s objective to continue to pay predictable and stable monthly dividends to shareholders; and DIV’s corporate objectives. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events, performance, or achievements of DIV to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking information. DIV believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information included in this news release are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In particular there can be no assurance that: DIV will be able to make monthly dividend payments to the holders of its common shares; or DIV will achieve any of its corporate objectives. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned that forward-looking information included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance, and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. More information about the risks and uncertainties affecting DIV’s business and the businesses of its royalty partners can be found in the “Risk Factors” section of its Annual Information Form dated March 21, 2024 and in its most recent Management’s Discussion and Analysis, copies of each of which are available under DIV’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com.

    In formulating the forward-looking information contained herein, management has assumed that, among other things, DIV will generate sufficient cash flows from its royalties to service its debt and pay dividends to shareholders; the business and economic conditions affecting DIV and its royalty partners will continue substantially in the ordinary course, including without limitation with respect to general industry conditions, general levels of economic activity and regulations. These assumptions, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect.

    All of the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, DIV. The forward-looking information included in this news release is presented as of the date of this news release and DIV assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law.

    THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR THE ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

    Additional Information

    Additional information relating to the Corporation and other public filings, is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com.

    Contact:
    Sean Morrison, President and Chief Executive Officer
    Diversified Royalty Corp.
    (236) 521-8470

    Greg Gutmanis, Chief Financial Officer and VP Acquisitions
    Diversified Royalty Corp.
    (236) 521-8471

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister announces Terry Duguid as the new Ministerial Lead for Jasper

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, Terry Duguid, will also serve as Ministerial Lead for Jasper.

    In this role, Minister Duguid will continue the federal government’s work to support people and businesses in Jasper following last summer’s unprecedented wildfires that devastated the town. He will co-ordinate federal support with provincial, municipal, and Indigenous partners to accelerate the recovery process, report on its progress, and ensure environmental protection measures remain world-class. He will be supported in this role by a working group of Cabinet ministers – each with their own mandate in helping Jasper recover.

    Jasper is a home to Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial and a place of natural beauty that has long attracted visitors from all over the world. As the people of Jasper continue to rebuild their community, the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring this national treasure builds back stronger than ever before.

    Quote

    “Our government will always be there for the people of Jasper. With Minister Duguid as Ministerial Lead for Jasper, we’re making sure Jasper recovers, rebuilds, and continues to prosper, so its breathtaking beauty can be experienced for generations to come.”

    Quick Facts

    • The position of Ministerial Lead for Jasper was established in October 2024 to ensure the long-term recovery of Jasper.
    • Last week, the Government of Canada announced an additional $12.6 million in matching funds to the Canadian Red Cross’ 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appeal. These funds have contributed to a total of $40.4 million in support of people impacted by the wildfires in Jasper.

    Associated Link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Honduran indicted for illegal reentry, faces 10 years in prison

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    February 4, 2025Jacksonville, FL, United StatesNational Security, Enforcement and Removal

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Jacksonville has led to the unsealing of an indictment in the Middle District of Florida charging an illegal alien with illegal reentry after previous deportation.   

    Alex Rafael Gonzalez-Morales, 35, of Honduras, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison if convicted. His trial is set for March 3, 2025.  

    Gonzalez-Morales was previously convicted of unlawful reentry of a removed alien and was subsequently removed from the United States in November 2019, according to the indictment. Following his removal, Gonzalez-Morales did not receive the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. Gonzalez-Morales was found to be voluntarily in the United States on Jan. 14, 2025.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Lasry.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Florida Court Orders Brazilian Nationals to Pay Over $128 Million for Fraudulent Commodity Pool Scheme

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued an order of default judgment against Brazilian nationals Emerson Pires and Flavio Goncalves, as well as Florida resident Joshua Nicholas, for fraud in connection with the EmpiresX commodity pool scheme and other violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations.
    The order requires Pires and Goncalves to pay, jointly and severally, more than $32 million in disgorgement and more than $96 million in civil monetary penalties. Nicholas is required to pay $289,000 in disgorgement and $867,000 in civil monetary penalties. The order also permanently enjoins the three individual defendants from engaging in conduct that violates the CEA, as charged, and permanently bans them from registering with the CFTC and from trading in any CFTC-regulated markets.
    The order resolves a CFTC complaint filed on June 30, 2022. [See CFTC Press Release No. 8551-22.] 
    The court previously ordered commodity pool operator Empires Consulting Corp. to pay $64 million in monetary sanctions for the fraud scheme. [See CFTC Press Release No. 8879-24.]
    Case Background
    The order finds that beginning in approximately September 2020, the defendants fraudulently solicited individuals to trade commodity futures and options and other products through commodity interest pools under the name EmpiresX through the EmpiresX website and in online videos posted on social media platforms. During the relevant period, Pires and Goncalves, along with Empires Consulting, the Florida corporation that operated the EmpiresX commodity pools, accepted and pooled at least $41.6 million from over 12,500 individuals. The order finds Pires and Goncalves collectively retained over $32 million in ill-gotten gains. 
    According to the order, Pires, Goncalves, and Nicholas knowingly made false claims regarding the use of pool participant funds, the size of the pools, and participant returns. The order further finds Nicholas showed pool participants an account page he identified as EmpiresX’s profitable account with a large, well-known electronic trading platform, when in fact EmpiresX had no account with that platform, and defendants created a fake website that mimicked the platform’s website to mislead participants into thinking that EmpiresX was actually trading their funds. By November 2021, the defendants stopped honoring participant withdrawal requests. 
    The order finds Pires, Goncalves, and Nicholas acted as associated persons of a commodity pool operator, Empires Consulting Corporation, without registering as required, and committed fraud in connection with EmpiresX. It further finds Pires and Goncalves commingled pool funds in violation of the CEA.
    Parallel Criminal/Civil Enforcement Actions 
    On Sept. 8, 2022, the Department of Justice announced Nicholas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud in connection with his role in the EmpiresX scheme. [See DOJ press release here.]
    On June 21, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission obtained default judgment against Pires and Goncalves for their role in the EmpiresX scheme. SEC v. Empires Consulting Corp., No. 22-21995-Civ, ECF No. 48 (S.D. Fla. June 21, 2023).
    The CFTC thanks the SEC and National Futures Association for their assistance in this matter.
    The Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this matter are Heather N. Dasso, Ben Sedrish, Elizabeth N. Pendleton, Scott R. Williams, and Robert T. Howell. 

    * * * * * * *
    Fraud Advisory 
    The CFTC has issued several customer protection fraud advisories and articles, including the Commodity Pool Fraud Advisory, which provides information about a type of fraud involving individuals and firms — often unregistered — offering investments in commodity pools and how customers can detect, avoid, and report these scams. 
    The CFTC also strongly urges the public to verify a company’s registration with the CFTC at NFA BASIC before committing funds. If unregistered, a customer should be wary of providing funds to that company. 
    Suspicious activities or information, such as possible violations of commodity trading laws, should be reported to the Division of Enforcement via a toll-free hotline 866-FON-CFTC (866-366-2382), file a tip or complaint online, or contact the CFTC Whistleblower Office at whistleblower.gov. Whistleblowers may be eligible to receive between 10 and 30 percent of the monetary sanctions collected paid from the CFTC Customer Protection Fund financed through monetary sanctions paid to the CFTC by violators of the Commodity Exchange Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ASL Version – Governor Shapiro Unveils 2025-26 Budget Proposal to Cut Costs, Drive Economic Growth, Strengthen Public Safety, Fund Our Kids’ Education, and Continue to Get Stuff Done for Pennsylvanians

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    February 04, 2025 – Harrisburg, PA

    ASL Version – Governor Shapiro Unveils 2025-26 Budget Proposal to Cut Costs, Drive Economic Growth, Strengthen Public Safety, Fund Our Kids’ Education, and Continue to Get Stuff Done for Pennsylvanians

    Governor Josh Shapiro presented his 2025-26 budget proposal to the General Assembly and the people of Pennsylvania – a commonsense plan that builds on two years of progress, continues to solve problems, and paves the way for a stronger, more competitive Pennsylvania. The Governor’s budget proposal places a special emphasis on workforce development; reduces health care, housing, and energy costs; invests in economic development; and continues bipartisan efforts to support Pennsylvania students – all while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

    This budget will build on the foundation the Shapiro Administration has constructed over the past two years and move Pennsylvania forward as Governor Shapiro continues working across the aisle to get stuff done and ensure people across the Commonwealth have the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed.

    “Pennsylvania is on the rise, and this budget is a clear roadmap for tackling our challenges and building on the bipartisan foundation we’ve created over the last two years,” said Governor Shapiro. “My budget proposal is focused on solving problems for Pennsylvanians, expanding our workforce, cutting costs, investing in public safety and economic development – and so much more – to keep creating more opportunity for all Pennsylvanians. This budget strikes a balance by making historic investments while maintaining fiscal responsibility, continuing to cut taxes, and ensuring our Commonwealth’s surplus remains strong while we keep moving Pennsylvania forward. By working together with Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly, we will continue to tackle the challenges we face and drive growth for a stronger, more prosperous Pennsylvania.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Trump Signs Executive Orders in the Oval Office, Feb. 4, 2025

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

    The White House

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hWZ8oG_x9I

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: “Brazen and Illegal” — King, Colleagues Raise Alarm Over Trump Administration’s Attempt to Dismantle Critical National Security Agency

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and 36 of his colleagues have contacted Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressing their deep concern regarding the growing chaos at the U.S. Department of State and the Trump Administration’s attempt to abolish the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In a letter to Secretary Rubio, the Senators highlighted that USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support around the world to help ensure stability. By law, USAID is an independent agency and cannot be dismantled without approval from Congress.

    Yesterday, personnel at USAID were not permitted to enter the agency’s headquarters, and Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump agreed to close the agency and move it under the State Department — despite no legal authority to do so. The Trump Administration has also furloughed thousands of senior career civil servants, including two top security officials who denied Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency access to classified documents and systems.

    “…We are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners,” wrote the senators.

    The senators continued, “The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.”

    “Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat,” wrote the senators.

    They continued, “Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”

    The letter is signed by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

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

    +++

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    The effective administration of U.S. foreign assistance is critical to advancing core U.S. national security priorities, including countering the influence of China, Russia and Iran. As you acknowledged at your confirmation hearing, pushing back on China in particular is a top bipartisan priority. 

    As such, we are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners.

    The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.

    Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat.

    Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.

    We request immediate clarification on the following:

    Status of USAID:

    1. Confirmation of your understanding that any effort to abolish USAID or merge USAID into the Department of State absent Congressional consultation and approval is illegal.
    2. Confirmation of your understanding that adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran are quickly moving into the vacuum left by suspended USAID programs. 
    3. The Department of State’s assessment of Mr. Elon Musk’s financial ties to China and the impact of these ties to the decision-making process of Mr. Musk and his employees.
    4. Confirmation that neither you nor any member of your leadership team are taking direction from Mr. Musk with regards to the work of the Department of State or USAID, personnel or financial decisions for either agency, or any other matters relevant to U.S. national security. 
    5. Confirmation of the names and employment status of individuals directed by Mr. Musk to engage with USAID staff, the qualifications of these individuals, and the level of their security clearances – if any.

    Personnel:

    1. Confirmation of your understanding that any unauthorized access by or disclosure of classified information to individuals without appropriate security clearance could be considered a criminal offense.
    2. The legal authority and rationale under which, on January 28, more than 50 senior career civil and foreign service USAID officials were placed on administrative leave. This move was not only unprecedented, but also inconsistent with the Office of Personnel Management’s own guidelines for the use of administrative leave.
    3. The legal authority under which, on January 28, approximately 390 USAID Institutional Support Contractors (ISCs) were given stop-work orders, and clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this termination.
    4. Whether any Department of State career civil and foreign service or contractors have been placed on administrative leave or removed from their roles as a result of or relating to the assistance freeze or any directives from the Office of Foreign Assistance.
    5. Clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this mass furlough.
    6. Clarification of whether these individuals were directed to be terminated without cause.
    7. Confirmation that personnel will not face retaliation or retribution for performing their duties under the previous Administration’s policy direction.
    8. Under what authorities and by which official’s directive career civil service, foreign service, and Personal Services Contractors (PSC), and those under other hiring authorities have been removed from their roles or limited in their ability to execute their work.
    9. Confirmation that further career civil service, foreign service and USAID contractors will not be removed from their roles without cause or receive stop work orders.
    10. Whether, upon full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities, the Administration intends to re-hire contractors who have been removed from their roles.
    11. Any additional guidance provided to State and USAID staff regarding the foreign assistance freeze, including confirmation of whether direct hires, contractors, or implementing organizations have been directed not to speak publicly about the foreign assistance freeze.
    12. Public identification of the individual currently serving as the Director or Acting Director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance and as Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, and the dates upon which this individual was appointed to each position.
    13. Confirmation of your understanding that the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance has no authority to issue personnel directives for USAID.

    Resumption of Foreign Assistance:

    1. The specific process and anticipated timeframe for activities to receive exemptions or waivers, as referenced in your January 28, 2025 directive to State and USAID staff.
    2. The mechanisms and metrics established for this waiver process.
    3. The timeline for full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities.
    4. Clarification of what risk assessment or analysis of potential risk to U.S. national security interests were conducted prior to the decision to freeze foreign assistance activities.
    5. Confirmation of the Department of State’s obligation to comply with U.S. contract law and your responsibility as Secretary of State ensure the Department honors its commitments to contracting partners.

    We welcome your urgent attention to these questions. We and our staff stand ready to work with you to ensure U.S. foreign assistance funding continues to be deployed effectively to protect American citizens, at home and abroad.

    Respectfully,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Joins New Hampshire Health Care Leaders to Discuss Her Legislation to Prevent Skyrocketing Costs for Granite Staters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Concord, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined Granite State health care leaders to discuss the importance of preventing health care costs from skyrocketing, including by passing her bicameral legislation, the Health Care Affordability Act, to make permanent the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) for Marketplace coverage. If these credits are not extended, in New Hampshire alone, 10,000 Granite Staters would be priced out of their health insurance. The enhanced PTCs have led to record enrollment in ACA coverage, including more than 68,000 in New Hampshire, and a record low uninsured rate nationwide. In addition to Shaheen, participants included New Futures President, Michele Merrit, Lamprey Health Care CEO, Greg White and National Alliance on Mental Illness New Hampshire Executive Director, Susan Stearns. You can find photos from the event here.

    “For too many Americans, exorbitant costs are the biggest obstacle to purchasing health insurance leading to rationing medications and delaying appointments. Without an extension of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, that will only get worse,” said Senator Shaheen. “My bill to extend these lifesaving tax credits was the first I introduced this Congress because we need to act now to protect access to health care and prevent costs from rising at the end of this year.”

    The Health Care Affordability Act would make permanent the ACA PTCs for Marketplace coverage as passed in the American Rescue Plan Act and extended through the Inflation Reduction Act. Those enhanced tax credits increase the value of the tax credits available to people with income between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), while expanding eligibility for premium tax credits to include individuals with income above 400 percent of FPL. 

    At the end of last year, Shaheen, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), U.S. Representatives Richard E. Neal (D-MA-01) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), as well as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, secured new data from the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) detailing the impact on Americans’ health insurance should the ACA enhanced PTCs expire at the end of 2025. Shaheen’s legislation is cosponsored by 41 Senators.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Joins Young and Colleagues to Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Small Businesses Adopt Digital Tools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the former Chair and now a senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, joined U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Ted Budd (R-NC) in introducing bipartisan legislation to help small business owners integrate digital tools into their businesses. The Small Business Technological Advancement Act would clarify that small businesses can utilize the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 7(a) loan program to finance technology that supports daily operations, including inventory management, product delivery and accounting systems.

    “In an increasingly digital world, more and more companies are using technology to modernize operations and compete globally. To ensure our small businesses can compete too, we must cut red tape to allow them to utilize digital tools to help manage and grow their businesses,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our commonsense, bipartisan bill will empower small businesses to use SBA’s 7(a) loans to access new software, digital tools and online work.”

    The last few years have seen an accelerated digital transformation among small businesses, pushing the adoption of software for business continuity and customer engagement. The Small Business Technological Advancement Act would help small businesses continue to bridge this technological gap by amending the Small Business Act to clarify that 7(a) loan borrowers can finance business software or cloud computing services for the following:

    • Facilitating daily operations;
    • Product or service delivery;
    • Processing, payment, and tracking of payroll expenses;
    • Human resources;
    • Sales and billing functions; and/or
    • Accounting or tracking of supplies, inventory, records and expenses.

    Full legislative text can be found here.

    As a former small business owner and now a top member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, Shaheen fights for New Hampshire’s—and America’s—small businesses. During her time as Chair of the committee, Shaheen focused on addressing some of the biggest challenges small business owners face, reporting key legislation out of committee that included critical improvements to the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) and improved access to federal contracting opportunities for small businesses. Shaheen recently introduced the bipartisan Helping Small Businesses THRIVE Act with Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) that would direct SBA to create a new program that helps small businesses lock in the cost of commodities, like gasoline or lumber, in order to protect against the future volatile price of energy and other expenses.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from Senate Intel Vice Chair Warner on the FBI

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement:

    “Earlier today, my office finally received a copy of the order that was sent on Friday by the acting head of the Department of Justice to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, ordering that several of the most experienced and senior officials at the Bureau be terminated.

    “We need to be clear about why this matters. I am going to start by sharing a little bit about some of the individuals who were fired, and how they served our country.

    “At a time when we are facing threats to the homeland from ISIS and ISIS-inspired terrorists, the president fired the Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division. Bobby Wells began his career as an FBI special agent in 2003, and there are Americans who are alive today because he helped catch terrorists before they had a chance to carry out their plans to attack inside the United States.

    “While more than 100,000 Americans die every year due to drug overdoses, the president fired the Assistant Director of the FBI’s the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, which, among other myriad responsibilities, puts criminal organizations and drug traffickers behind bars. Michael Nordwall began his career with the FBI as a special agent in 2002, and he has worked at field offices in Phoenix, Tampa, Denver, Pittsburgh, as well as at FBI headquarters, investigating some of the most dangerous criminals in the United States and making sure that they face justice.

    “As we face espionage and counterintelligence threats from China, Russia, and other adversaries, the president fired the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Intelligence Branch. Ryan Young joined the FBI as a special agent in 2001, working counterintelligence cases out of Miami. In 2014, he moved to counterterrorism and established the Syria-Iraq Task Force to counter the threat from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, and has also worked in Dallas and Los Angeles, managing crises and counterterrorism investigations.

    “While new technologies are transforming crimefighting and our national security, the president fired the Assistant Director of the Science and Technology Branch. Jacqueline Maguire joined the FBI as a special agent in 2000. Among her other notable achievements, she was the lead agent for the investigation of the five hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77 after the 9/11 terror attacks.

    “As the FBI builds a workforce to manage the threats of today and tomorrow and keep adversaries like China from penetrating our secrets, the president fired the Assistant Director of the Human Resources Branch. Timothy Dunham joined the FBI as a special agent in 2002, and has overseen matters relating to counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and transnational organized crime.

    “The president fired the head of the Miami field office, which oversees crimefighting in nine busy counties in South Florida, including the president’s home in Palm Beach County, as well as extraterritorial violations of American citizens in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Jeffrey Veltri joined the FBI as a special agent in 2002, working on matters from health care fraud to terrorism. He also deployed to Iraq, where he supported the prosecution of Saddam Hussein.

    “In the memo, the acting director of the FBI was also ordered to fire the head of the Washington Field Office, one of the most important field positions in the entire FBI, with jurisdiction over federal crimes in and around Washington, D.C. David Sundberg joined the FBI in 2002 as a special agent, and, among other stops in a distinguished career, served as a leader on the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team.

    “These are people who have served our country, protected Americans, and put criminals behind bars. Now they have been pushed out simply for doing their jobs.

    “As we deal with a myriad of threats – to our homeland, to our cyber networks, to our economic competitiveness – this blatant abuse of power is making us all less safe.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Delivers Floor Speech in Support of RFK, Jr. to be HHS Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

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    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) spoke on the U.S. Senate floor today to detail his decision to vote for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to serve as U.S. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Cassidy delivered the speech after voting to advance Kennedy’s nomination in the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. The nomination now awaits a full vote in the U.S. Senate.
    Cassidy’s speech as prepared for delivery can be found below:
    Mr. President, I’d like to make a statement regarding my vote in Committee on behalf of Robert F. Kennedy to be the Secretary of HHS. First, I thank everyone who has contacted me over the last few days. Almost all have been respectful and seek the best for our country. And I’ve been contacted by text, by phone, by email. And if I did not respond to anyone, it was not to be rude. It’s just I was getting hundreds of messages a day personally and thousands through the office. And I just physically could not.
    Now Mr. President, believe it or not, of these hundreds of people calling me or contacting me, however they did, many of them disagreed with each other. Diametrically, three dimensionally, they disagreed. But the unifying factor is that they all desire the best for our country, even though they differ from each other so much. And maybe that kind of frames my feelings about this nomination.
    For context, before entering politics, before ever thinking running for political office, I practiced medicine for 30 years in a public hospital for the uninsured. Caring for those who otherwise would not have been able to afford the access to the care that I provided. After seeing patients die from vaccine preventable diseases, I dedicated much of my time to vaccine research and immunization programs. Personally witnessing the safety monitoring, and the effectiveness of immunization. But simply, vaccines save lives.
    This is the context that informed me when considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr as the nominee to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
    It was a decision I studied exhaustively. I took very seriously. As I said I would, I spoke with Mr. Kennedy not once, but multiple times over the weekend, including this morning. We had in-depth conversations about the medical literature and the science behind the safety of vaccines. He referred me to studies and people. I reviewed them and spoke to those whom he mentioned I should speak to.
    Now, the most notable opponents of Mr. Kennedy were pediatricians on the front lines of our children’s health who regularly have to combat misinformation; combating vaccine skepticism with correct information—correct information that comes from their education, training and experience as physicians. They are aware of the falling vaccine rates and the inevitability of increasing hospitalizations and deaths of children from vaccine-preventable diseases. They are aware that children are now contracting diseases that they would not have contracted if the children were vaccinated.
    I heard from others impassioned about the need to address chemicals in our food, and a belief that we are victims of large, impersonal forces maximizing profits while sacrificing our health. There is evidence for that. Although food safety is principally a USDA concern, I strongly agree that this is an issue society must address.
    Other RFK supporters are concerned regarding environmental risk. They fear these risks are being ignored by authorities. Mr. Kennedy’s history of environmental activism motivates their support. I pointed out that the Environmental Protection Agency monitors this, not the Department of Health and Human Services but they still feel that he can make a difference.
    So, as I looked how to resolve this, I returned to where I began. Would it be possible to have Mr. Kennedy collaborate in helping public health agencies re-earn the trust of the American people? 
    Regarding vaccines, Mr. Kennedy has been insistent that he just wants good science and to ensure safety. But on this topic, the science is good, the science is credible. Vaccines save lives. They are safe. They do not cause autism. There are multiple studies that show this. They are a crucial part of our nation’s public health response.
    But as someone who has discussed immunizations with thousands of people, I do recognize that many mothers need reassurance that the vaccine their child is receiving is necessary, effective, and most of all safe. 
    While I am aligned with Mr. Kennedy as regards to ultra-processed foods, reforming NIH, taking on chronic disease—once more, it still leaves vaccines.
    Now, Mr. Kennedy and the administration reached out seeking to reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination.
    To this end, Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed that he and I will have an unprecedently close collaborative working relationship if he is confirmed. We will meet or speak multiple times a month. This collaboration will allow us to work well together and therefore to be more effective.
    Mr. Kennedy has asked for my input into hiring decisions at HHS, beyond Senate-confirmed positions. This aspect of our collaboration will allow us to represent all sides of those folks that were contacting me this weekend. 
    He has also committed that he would work within the current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems, and not establish parallel systems. If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes. CDC will not remove statements on their website pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism. Mr. Kennedy and the administration also committed that this administration will not use the subversive techniques employed under the Biden administration, like sue and settle, to change policies enacted by Congress without first going through Congress.
    Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed to a strong role of Congress. Aside from us meeting regularly, he will come before the Committee on a quarterly basis, if requested. He committed that the HELP Committee Chair, whether it’s me or someone else, may choose a representative on any board or commission formed to review vaccine safety.
    If he is confirmed, HHS will provide a 30-day notice to the HELP Committee if the agency seeks to make changes to any of our federal vaccine safety monitoring programs, and HELP Committee will have the option to call a hearing to further review. 
    These commitments, and my expectation that we can have a great relationship to make America healthy again, is the basis of my support. He will be Secretary, but I believe he will also be a partner in working for this end. 
    If Mr. Kennedy is confirmed, I will use my authority as Chairman of the Senate Committee with oversight of HHS to rebuff any attempts to remove the public’s access to life-saving vaccines without ironclad, causational scientific evidence that can be defended before the mainstream scientific community and before Congress. I will carefully watch for any effort to wrongfully sow public fear about vaccines between confusing references of coincidence and anecdote. 
    But my support is built on assurances that this will not have to be a concern and that he and I can work together to build an agenda to make America healthy again.
    We need a leader at HHS who will guide President Trump’s agenda to Make America Healthy Again. Based on Mr. Kennedy’s assurances on vaccines and his platform to positively influence Americans’ health, it is my consideration that he will get this done. 
    As I’ve said, it’s been a long, intense process. But I’ve assessed it as I would assess a patient as a physician. Ultimately, restoring trust in our public health institutions is too important and I think Mr. Kennedy can get that done. And as Chairman of the Senate committee with oversight authority of HHS, I will do my best to make sure that is what we accomplish.
    I want Mr. Kennedy to succeed in making America healthy again. His success will be tied to the health of our nation. He has the opportunity to address the most pertinent issues affecting Americans’ health. We also need to reform our health institutions like FDA and NIH. Those, as already been indicated, are my priorities as Chairman of HELP Committee. I look forward to his support in accomplishing this.
    If confirmed, I look forward to working together with Mr. Kennedy to achieve President Trump’s mission of improving the health of all Americans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand, Schumer, Blackburn, Fischer, Clarke, Garbarino, Langworthy, and Torres Reintroduce E-bike Safety Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Deb Fischer (R-NE), along with Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), and Congressman Nick Langworthy (R-NY), reintroduced the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act. The bipartisan bill would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to publish a final consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes and other micromobility devices to protect against the risk of fires caused by such batteries. The bill is being reintroduced at a time when fires from lithium-ion batteries have become widespread in New York City. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) reports rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have caused more than 850 fires since 2021, resulting in more than 450 injuries, 34 deaths & damage to hundreds of structures. In 2024, there were 279 e-bike and e-mobility device battery fires in NYC, a dramatic increase from the 44 that occurred in 2020.

    “Far too many innocent lives have been lost in New York City and across the country to fires caused by faulty and improperly manufactured lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes and other micromobility devices,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “The Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act is a commonsense solution that brings us one step closer to stopping preventable fires, and I encourage my congressional colleagues to pass this bipartisan bill and create the first-ever mandatory consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility devices.”

    “We are in a time where technology is outpacing federal safety action in many ways, moving faster than the measures we need to keep the public safe, and there might be no better example of this dilemma than with the cheap, China-made lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes, e-scooters and other devices,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “The fires and injuries caused by these batteries have resulted in tremendous loss across New York and federal action is needed to protect consumers and our brave firefighters who are on the front lines of this new paradigm in fire prevention spurred by these unpredictable, and often times, very dangerous batteries—and that’s why we are reintroducing the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act to create a consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.”

    “Battery fires in e-bikes have caused far too many devastating injuries and deaths,” said U.S. Senator Deb Fischer. “We need effective, sensible safety standards for the batteries in motorized devices like e-bikes and e-scooters. Our bipartisan bill will protect people across America from these preventable tragedies.”

    “Since 2021, we’ve seen far too many avoidable deaths and injuries due to unregulated, unsafe lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes, e-scooters, and other mobility devices New Yorkers use to travel throughout the city delivering goods and services, said Rep. Yvette D. Clarke. “I fully support this legislation to improve public safety and ensure safety guidelines and standards to prevent fire risks – protecting our constituents and businesses from injury and loss of life.”

    “Unregulated lithium-ion batteries are one of the leading causes of fatal fires in New York, posing a serious threat to both the public and the firefighters who respond to these emergencies,” said Rep. Andrew Garbarino. “As the use of lithium-ion batteries in devices like e-scooters and e-bikes continues to grow, so do the risks. This legislation is a critical step toward preventing these fires and improving public safety.”

    “The safety of American consumers must always come first. Rechargeable lithium batteries power so many aspects of our daily lives, but without proper standards, they pose serious risks of fires and explosions,” said Rep. Nicholas Langworthy. “This legislation sets clear safety guidelines to protect families, first responders, and businesses from preventable hazards. I am proud to support this commonsense measure to ensure that these products meet rigorous safety standards before they reach the market.”

    “For years, it has been clear that unregulated lithium-ion batteries pose a clear and present threat to the public’s safety, and it’s long past time that we do something about it,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres. “My district specifically is acutely aware of the unmitigated disaster that urban fires pose and the urgent need for stronger safety standards. My colleagues and I fought throughout the last Congress to advance this legislation, and we will continue pushing it toward the finish line in the 119th — no matter the national political scene.”

    “Keeping our country safe from the dangers of lithium-ion batteries is incredibly important, because as we have seen time and time again, they present unique safety risks to the public and to first responders,” said NYC Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker. “We’re grateful to our partners in government for bringing back this legislation we know will save lives. We will continue to beat the drum on safe usage and best practices of these devices to help prevent tragedies in the future.”

    “I thank Senator Gillibrand, Representative Torres, and their allies for their continued leadership and perseverance on the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act,” said Chief Josh Waldo, President and Chair of the Board, the International Association of Fire Chiefs. “Fire departments across the country face numerous challenges when responding to these preventable incidents. We have gone far too long without any impactful changes to ensure the safety of humans around these devices. As we have seen, further injury and property damage is the result of inaction. It is time for Congress to act together and pass this life-saving legislation.”

    “Lithium-ion batteries, especially those of inferior quality, can be prone to explosion, thermal runaway, and other hazards. As devices powered by these batteries have become more common, so have the risks associated with them. I applaud Senator Gillibrand and Rep. Torres for introducing this bill, which would require lithium-ion batteries powering certain mobility devices to meet quality and safety standards, thereby reducing the fire risk these devices pose,” said Steven W. Hirsch, Chair, National Volunteer Fire Council.

    “Lithium-ion battery fires burn intensely, last longer than most fires, and release toxic fumes, putting fire fighters and the public at risk,” said International Association of Fire Fighters General President Ed Kelly. “The Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act is an important step toward preventing these fires, protecting our communities, and keeping fire fighters safe. The IAFF thanks Senator Gillibrand for her leadership on this critical issue.”

    “Lithium-ion battery safety has rapidly become a top priority for property owners and managers across the country, as we’re on the front lines of making sure that office buildings and other commercial spaces are kept safe,” said Manuel Moreno, Chair and Chief Elected Officer of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, the professional association representing the commercial real estate sector. “This legislation will help protect the safety of millions of people in the nation’s commercial buildings as well as the safety of first responders who have to confront these intense chemical fires. This legislation will save lives.”

    “We applaud Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Representative Richie Torres, and their Congressional colleagues for taking decisive action to address substandard lithium-ion batteries flooding in from overseas and help ensure that everyone can safely use these devices without fear that they may lack necessary safeguards,” said John Horton, Head of North America Public Policy at DoorDash. “DoorDash will continue to work with all stakeholders to help ensure certified safe lithium-ion batteries are used in our communities, but a safety floor must be put in place to keep unsafe batteries from the marketplace to begin with, and this bill does just that.”

    “Addressing the dangers posed by uncertified lithium-ion batteries is essential to protecting public safety,” said Kara Kelber, Grubhub’s Director of Federal Affairs. “Grubhub applauds Senator Gillibrand, Senator Schumer, Senator Blackburn and Senator Fischer for their continued leadership on this critical issue. The Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act shows a strong, bipartisan commitment to tackling this urgent safety concern and keeping unsafe products from infiltrating our streets and communities. We are eager to see the bill pass and ensure safer micromobility options for communities across the country.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Don’t default to the Rate of Last Resort

    [. While most ratepayers choose to sign competitive contracts with one of more than 50 electricity providers in the province’s uniquely competitive market, those who don’t are automatically enrolled on the Rate of Last Resort – the default electricity rate – and likely to pay more for their power.

    As part of ongoing efforts to help Albertans save more on their electricity bill, Alberta’s government is launching an advertising campaign to encourage Albertans to explore their electricity options and ensure they know they don’t have to settle for the Rate of Last Resort.

    “Albertans shouldn’t pay more on their power bill than they have to. Our government is taking action to ensure they have the tools they need to make informed decisions about their electricity so more of their hard-earned dollars can be used where they’re needed most for them and their families.”

    Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Affordability and Utilities

    Last year, tens of thousands of households made the switch from the Rate of Last Resort to a competitive contract. The campaign aims to ensure new Albertans and first-time ratepayers still on the Rate of Last Resort know they have choices when it comes to their power bill, and a better electricity option that could save them hundreds of dollars may be available to them.

    “Alberta’s competitive electricity market gives consumers choice, and for most Albertans, competitive retail rates are a better choice than the Rate of Last Resort. I encourage everyone to learn about their electricity options and contact the Utilities Consumer Advocate if you need help understanding your utilities.”

    Chantelle de Jonge, parliamentary secretary, Affordability and Utilities

    The campaign builds on existing consumer awareness initiatives and efforts to lower utility bills and protect ratepayers from volatile price spikes. New regulations came into effect Jan. 1 that require providers to clearly indicate on customers’ utility bills if they are on the Rate of Last Resort and inform them of their competitive retail market options. Every 90 days, the Utilities Consumer Advocate will contact all ratepayers on the Rate of Last Resort, confirm whether they would like to remain on the default rate and encourage them to explore their options.

    “Moving to a new place can be overwhelming and expensive, especially those moving from outside the province or country. Alberta’s government is helping ease stress and financial strain by making sure newcomers are informed about their electricity options.”

    Yuliia Haletska, case manager – Ukrainian, vulnerable population services, Centre for Newcomers

    To protect any Albertans who may not be able to sign a competitive contract from sudden, volatile price spikes, the Rate of Last Resort is set at approximately 12 cents/kWh. The rate is set every two years and can only be changed by a maximum of 10 per cent between two-year terms. Through these changes, Alberta’s government is making the Rate of Last Resort more stable and predictable for Albertans unable to sign a competitive contract. Albertans who are looking for help with their utility bills or are experiencing a dispute with their provider should contact the Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA).

    Quick facts

    • Albertans have three options when purchasing their electricity: the Rate of Last Resort, a competitive contract for a variable rate, or a competitive contract for a fixed rate.
    • Competitive retail contracts continue to provide the best, lowest cost options for Albertans.
    • The Rate of Last Resort is approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) and is not determined by the government.
    • Approximately 26 per cent of residential customers purchase electricity through the Rate of Last Resort.
    • Approximately 29 per cent of eligible commercial customers and 40 per cent of farm customers purchase electricity through the Rate of Last Resort.

    Related information

    • Utilities Consumer Advocate
    • Alberta Utilities Commission

    Related news

    • Rewiring Alberta’s electricity system (Dec. 10, 2024)
    • Introducing the Rate of Last Resort (Sept. 25, 2024)
    • Power rates slashed in half by new market rules (Sept. 5, 2024)
    • Power watchdog supports Alberta’s electricity market reforms (Aug. 6, 2024)
    • Making utility bills more affordable (April 22, 2024)
    • Making electricity more affordable (April 18, 2024)

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Canoe EIT Income Fund Announces February 2025 Monthly Distribution and Quarterly Distribution on Preferred Units

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canoe EIT Income Fund (the “Fund”) (TSX – EIT.UN) announces the February 2025 monthly distribution of $0.10 per unit. Additionally, the Fund announces a quarterly distribution for preferred units. Cumulative Redeemable Series 1 (EIT.PR.A) and Series 2 Preferred (EIT.PR.B) unitholders will receive a distribution of $0.30 per unit. Unitholders of record on February 24, 2025, will receive distributions payable on March 14, 2025.

    About Canoe EIT Income Fund
    Canoe EIT Income Fund is one of Canada’s largest closed-end investment funds, designed to maximize monthly distributions and capital appreciation by investing in a broadly diversified portfolio of high quality securities. The Fund is listed on the TSX under the symbol EIT.UN, and is actively managed by Robert Taylor, Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Canoe Financial.

    About Canoe Financial
    Canoe Financial is one of Canada’s fastest growing independent mutual fund companies managing over $19.5 billion in assets across a diversified range of award-winning investment solutions. Founded in 2008, Canoe Financial is an employee-owned investment management firm focused on building financial wealth for Canadians. Canoe Financial has a significant presence across Canada, including offices in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.

    For further information, please contact:
    Investor Relations
    1–877–434–2796
    www.canoefinancial.com
    info@canoefinancial.com

    Not for Distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for Dissemination in the United States of America.

    The Fund makes monthly distributions of an amount comprised in whole or in part of Return of Capital (ROC) of the net asset value per unit. A ROC reduces the amount of your original investment and may result in the return to you of the entire amount of your original investment. ROC that is not reinvested will reduce the net asset value of the fund, which could reduce the fund’s ability to generate future income. You should not draw any conclusions about the fund’s investment performance from the amount of this distribution.

    Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment funds. Please read the information filed about the fund on www.sedar.com before investing. Investment funds are not guaranteed and past performance may not be repeated.

    This communication is not to be construed as a public offering to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Such an offer can only be made by way of a prospectus or other applicable offering document and should be read carefully before making any investment. This release is for information purposes only. Investors should consult their Investment Advisor for details and risk factors regarding specific strategies and various investment products.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ChampionX Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Fourth-quarter revenue of $912.0 million
    • Fourth-quarter net income attributable to ChampionX of $82.8 million
    • Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA of $212.3 million
    • Fourth-quarter income before income taxes margin of 13.0%
    • Fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA margin of 23.3%
    • Fourth-quarter cash from operating activities of $207.3 million and free cash flow of $170.1 million
    • Full-year net income attributable to ChampionX of $320.3 million
    • Full-year adjusted EBITDA of $784.7 million
    • Full-year cash from operating activities of $589.7 million and free cash flow of $460.5 million

    THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ChampionX Corporation (NASDAQ: CHX) (“ChampionX” or the “Company”) today announced fourth quarter of 2024 and full year 2024 results. For the fourth quarter of 2024, revenue was $912.0 million, net income attributable to ChampionX was $82.8 million, and adjusted EBITDA was $212.3 million. Income before income taxes margin was 13.0%, and adjusted EBITDA margin was 23.3%. Cash provided by operating activities was $207.3 million, and free cash flow was $170.1 million.

    CEO Commentary

    “2024 was a year in which we continued to demonstrate the unique nature of ChampionX’s cash flow resiliency, driven by the strength of our high-margin operating model and capital-light portfolio of businesses. We delivered robust adjusted EBITDA margin expansion and generated strong free cash flow. Our differentiated performance is the direct result of our employees around the world remaining committed to serving our customers well and living our continuous improvement culture daily. I am thankful and humbled to lead such a remarkably dedicated team,” ChampionX’s President and Chief Executive Officer Sivasankaran “Soma” Somasundaram said.

    “During the fourth quarter of 2024, we generated revenue of $912 million, which increased 1% sequentially, driven by seasonal strength in our Production Chemical Technologies business. Sequential growth in Production Chemical Technologies was offset by typical seasonal declines in our Production & Automation Technologies business into the year-end holidays. For the full year 2024, we generated revenue of $3.6 billion, and we grew our North America revenue by 3% year-over-year, driven by particular strength in the Permian basin. We generated net income attributable to ChampionX of $83 million, income before income taxes margin of 13.0%, and delivered adjusted EBITDA of $212 million, representing a 23.3% adjusted EBITDA margin, our highest level as ChampionX, which speaks to the continued productivity and profitability focus of our team. For the full year 2024, we generated net income attributable to ChampionX of $320 million, income before income taxes margin of 12.2%, a 90 basis point increase over the prior year, and delivered adjusted EBITDA of $785 million, representing a 21.6% adjusted EBITDA margin, an increase of 107 basis points year-over-year.

    “We once again demonstrated our strong cash flow profile. Cash flow from operating activities was $207 million during the fourth quarter, which represented 250% of net income attributable to ChampionX, and includes a $48 million tax payment deferred from the fourth quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025. We generated robust free cash flow of $170 million during the fourth quarter, converting 80% of our adjusted EBITDA for the period. Cash flow from operating activities was $590 million for the full year 2024, which represented 184% of net income attributable to ChampionX. For the full year 2024, we generated free cash flow of $460 million and achieved 59% adjusted EBITDA to free cash flow conversion. Our balance sheet and financial position remain strong, ending the year with approximately $1.2 billion of liquidity, including $508 million of cash and $675 million of available capacity on our revolving credit facility.

    “As we look ahead to 2025, we expect global oil production to grow, and given our differentiated and resilient production-oriented portfolio, we expect another year of positive performance relative to general oil and gas market activity.”

    Agreement to be Acquired by SLB

    On April 2, 2024, SLB (NYSE: SLB) and ChampionX jointly announced a definitive Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) for SLB to purchase ChampionX in an all-stock transaction.   The transaction was unanimously approved by the ChampionX board of directors and the transaction received the approval of the ChampionX stockholders at a special meeting held on June 18, 2024.   The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

    ChampionX may continue to pay its regular quarterly cash dividends with customary record and payment dates, subject to certain limitations under the Merger Agreement.   Given the pending acquisition of ChampionX by SLB, ChampionX has discontinued providing quarterly guidance and will not host a conference call or webcast to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2024 results.

    Production Chemical Technologies

    Production Chemical Technologies revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $569.7 million, an increase of $10.1 million, or 2%, sequentially, due to seasonally higher volumes in certain international markets and higher volumes in North America.

    Segment operating profit was $103.6 million and adjusted segment EBITDA was $133.5 million. Segment operating profit margin was 18.2%, an increase of 259 basis points, sequentially, and adjusted segment EBITDA margin was 23.4%, an increase of 187 basis points, sequentially, in each case due to volumes and product mix.

    Production & Automation Technologies

    Production & Automation Technologies revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $269.6 million, a decrease of $6.1 million, or 2%, sequentially, due primarily to seasonality in our North American businesses into the year-end holidays.

    Revenue from digital products was $62.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, an increase of $4.4 million, or 7.5%, compared to $57.9 million in the third quarter of 2024.

    Segment operating profit was $39.0 million, and adjusted segment EBITDA was $70.7 million. Segment operating profit margin was 14.5%, an increase of 210 basis points, sequentially, and adjusted segment EBITDA margin was 26.2%, an increase of 100 basis points, sequentially, in each case due to productivity improvements and product mix.

    Drilling Technologies

    Drilling Technologies revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $51.9 million, an increase of $0.2 million, or flat, sequentially, in-line with flat sequential U.S. rig count activity.

    Segment operating profit was $10.7 million, and adjusted segment EBITDA was $12.3 million. Segment operating profit margin was 20.6%, a decrease of 160 basis points, sequentially, and adjusted segment EBITDA margin was 23.7%, a decrease of 112 basis points, sequentially, in each case due to slightly higher operating costs.

    Reservoir Chemical Technologies

    Reservoir Chemical Technologies revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $21.9 million, an increase of $1.4 million, or 7%, sequentially, due primarily to higher product volumes.

    Segment operating profit was $2.3 million, and adjusted segment EBITDA was $3.8 million. Segment operating profit margin was 10.5%, as compared to 8.2% in the prior quarter, and adjusted segment EBITDA margin was 17.1%, an increase of 106 basis points, sequentially, in each case due to higher product volumes.

    Other Business Highlights: Production Chemical Technologies and Reservoir Chemical Technologies

    • Chosen by a Canadian operator to be their sole supply partner for production chemical programs to support longer asset life for the customer’s project.
    • Awarded SAGD accounts with a Canadian oil sands operator after a well-executed ChampionX pursuit, trial and transition. This success is expected to lead to additional growth opportunities with the customer in 2025.
    • Achieved growth with a national oil company in Central Asia through technology and alignment to the customer’s key business drivers. Organized technical workshops and reviews leading to the implementation of a paraffin treatment program with the customer.
    • Secured a new contract for the provision of chemical injection skids for Drag Reducing Agents (“DRA”) as part of a new development in Eastern Africa.
    • Executed a successful field trial for an innovative AAHI (hydrate inhibitor) with a major operator in Egypt. This strategic initiative is expected to assist the customer with significantly boosting production and enhancing operational efficiency.
    • Successfully qualified corrosion inhibitors for an existing gas field in Qatar. This achievement marks a significant step in supporting asset integrity assurance and commitment to delivering reliable solutions to the industry.
    • Qualified a new Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitor for a major gas field operated by a major national oil company in the Middle East region. This innovative solution delivers higher value, efficiency, and a lower total cost of operation.
    • Instituted notable customer-centric innovations, including the Right Products campaign which delivered 12 new chemistry innovations, the ParaClear(R) program for paraffin remediation, and the full-time Flowback Team with new product lines and digital tools.
    • Advanced digital capabilities, including MyAnalytics platform for sales representatives, the Sensor Team for equipment monitoring, and a trial of a Centralized Ordering system to streamline orders.
    • Delivered on our first RenewIQ+(R) opportunity, pumping a Reservoir Chemical Technologies chemistry in conjunction with our standard RenewIQ(R) offering.
    • Gained significant commercial traction among key customers with Reservoir Chemical Technologies’ new acidizing technology. This innovative system has been evaluated by a major Middle East operator and recognized as one of the top-performing solutions in the market. This milestone underscores our commitment to providing sustainable, high-performance solutions that align with the evolving needs of the industry.

    Other Business Highlights: Production & Automation Technologies

    • Expanded the portfolio of recently acquired RMSpumptools into North America, delivering new solutions to a major oil company in the Permian basin using permanent magnet motor technology. Additional interest and growth with customers are building into 2025.
    • Introduced the SMARTEN™ Lite rod pump controller, which offers an economical automation solution for marginal, low-producing rod pump wells. This new technology was successfully operating on 60 new wells in Q4 2024, helping operators gain 24/7 surveillance and remote control of their rod pump assets with a low-cost edge computing device that requires minimal hardware and setup.
    • Continuing to see strong market penetration and interest in Artificial Lift Performance’s Pump Checker software offering. Software license counts have increased by more than 30% since the February 2024 acquisition, with a focused growth on gas lift/plunger lift well applications.
    • Successfully added well density to a performance-based integrated production optimization (“IPO”) project recently secured with a customer in the Permian basin, and extended the reach of this holistic solution with an additional customer in the Permian. The IPO solution combines artificial lift, chemicals and chemical injection systems with digital automation, controls, data management, and optimization services to drive incremental production with effective cost management for operators.
    • Deployed a large SOOFIE™ continuous emissions monitoring system for an operator in the Middle East. Based on initial results, the customer plans to deploy additional fixed emissions monitoring systems as well as incorporate the ChampionX Aura™ optical gas imaging camera in the field. Our technology was selected based on its proven capabilities and ChampionX collaboration with the field team to assure a steady stream of high-quality data. The SOOFIE continuous monitoring system provides real-time, 24/7 surveillance of methane and other greenhouse gases at oil and gas facilities and landfills.
    • Completed installations of ChampionX’s AnX™ coiled rod technology with a Middle East operator. Based on the excellent performance of this corrosion-resistant coiled rod, the customer has ordered product to install in additional wells in 2025. AnX recently won the Gulf Energy Excellence award for Best Production Technology and has demonstrated dramatic run life improvement in highly corrosive applications in multiple geographies around the world.
    • Successfully completed the initial installations of a full rod pumping solution on a very challenging application in Colombia. The solution brings together both the downhole rods and pump with ChampionX’s rod lift production optimization software. The customer reports that results are exceeding expectations, with production increasing by 35% while reducing operating costs through optimizing resources required to operate the wells.
    • Expanded production optimization software capabilities with customers in Peru and Argentina. Our XSPOC™ software has been implemented across more than 300 wells in Peru and additional licenses are planned in Q1 2025. In Argentina, a customer implemented the software across three fields. By delivering diagnostic insights and actionable recommendations, XSPOC software enables customers to enhance well performance, increase production, and reduce operating costs.

    About Non-GAAP Measures

    In addition to financial results determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), this news release presents non-GAAP financial measures. Management believes that adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted net income attributable to ChampionX and adjusted diluted earnings per share attributable to ChampionX, provide useful information to investors regarding the Company’s financial condition and results of operations because they reflect the core operating results of our businesses and help facilitate comparisons of operating performance across periods. In addition, free cash flow, free cash flow to adjusted EBITDA ratio, and free cash flow to revenue ratio are used by management to measure our ability to generate positive cash flow for debt reduction and to support our strategic objectives. Although management believes the aforementioned non-GAAP financial measures are good tools for internal use and the investment community in evaluating ChampionX’s overall financial performance, the foregoing non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or superior to, other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures is included in the accompanying financial tables.

    About ChampionX

    ChampionX is a global leader in chemistry solutions, artificial lift systems, and highly engineered equipment and technologies that help companies drill for and produce oil and gas safely, efficiently, and sustainably around the world. ChampionX’s expertise, innovative products, and digital technologies provide enhanced oil and gas production, transportation, and real-time emissions monitoring throughout the lifecycle of a well. To learn more about ChampionX, visit our website at www.ChampionX.com. 

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to the proposed transaction between SLB and ChampionX, including statements regarding the benefits of the transaction and the anticipated timing of the transaction, and information regarding the businesses of SLB and ChampionX, including expectations regarding outlook and all underlying assumptions, SLB’s and ChampionX’s objectives, plans and strategies, information relating to operating trends in markets where SLB and ChampionX operate, statements that contain projections of results of operations or of financial condition and all other statements other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that SLB or ChampionX intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future.   Such statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions made based on information currently available to management.   All statements in this communication, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements that may be identified by the use of the words “outlook,” “guidance,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “should,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “targets,” “may,” “can,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential,” “projected,” “projections,” “precursor,” “forecast,” “ambition,” “goal,” “scheduled,” “think,” “could,” “would,” “will,” “see,” “likely,” and other similar expressions or variations, but not all forward-looking statements include such words.   These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, and which may cause SLB’s or ChampionX’s actual results and performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements.   Factors and risks that may impact future results and performance include, but are not limited to those factors and risks described in Part I, “Item 1. Business”, “Item 1A. Risk Factors”, and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in SLB’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on January 24, 2024 and Part 1, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in ChampionX’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on February 6, 2024, and each of their respective, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. These include, but are not limited to, and in each case as a possible result of the proposed transaction on each of SLB and ChampionX: the ultimate outcome of the proposed transaction between SLB and ChampionX, including the effect of the announcement of the proposed transaction; the ability to operate the SLB and ChampionX respective businesses, including business disruptions; difficulties in retaining and hiring key personnel and employees; the ability to maintain favorable business relationships with customers, suppliers and other business partners; the terms and timing of the proposed transaction; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the proposed transaction; the anticipated or actual tax treatment of the proposed transaction; the ability to satisfy closing conditions to the completion of the proposed transaction (including the adoption of the merger agreement in respect of the proposed transaction by ChampionX stockholders); other risks related to the completion of the proposed transaction and actions related thereto; the ability of SLB and ChampionX to integrate the business successfully and to achieve anticipated synergies and value creation from the proposed transaction; changes in demand for SLB’s or ChampionX’s products and services; global market, political and economic conditions, including in the countries in which SLB and ChampionX operate; the ability to secure government regulatory approvals on the terms expected, at all or in a timely manner; the extent of growth of the oilfield services market generally, including for chemical solutions in production and midstream operations; the global macro-economic environment, including headwinds caused by inflation, rising interest rates, unfavorable currency exchange rates, and potential recessionary or depressionary conditions; the impact of shifts in prices or margins of the products that SLB or ChampionX sells or services that SLB or ChampionX provides, including due to a shift towards lower margin products or services; cyber-attacks, information security and data privacy; the impact of public health crises, such as pandemics (including COVID-19) and epidemics and any related company or government policies and actions to protect the health and safety of individuals or government policies or actions to maintain the functioning of national or global economies and markets; trends in crude oil and natural gas prices, including trends in chemical solutions across the oil and natural gas industries, that may affect the drilling and production activity, profitability and financial stability of SLB’s and ChampionX’s customers and therefore the demand for, and profitability of, their products and services; litigation and regulatory proceedings, including any proceedings that may be instituted against SLB or ChampionX related to the proposed transaction; failure to effectively and timely address energy transitions that could adversely affect the businesses of SLB or ChampionX, results of operations, and cash flows of SLB or ChampionX; and disruptions of SLB’s or ChampionX’s information technology systems.

    These risks, as well as other risks related to the proposed transaction, are included in the Form S-4 and proxy statement/prospectus that was filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction.   While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors presented in the registration statement on Form S-4 are, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. For additional information about other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, please refer to SLB’s and ChampionX’s respective periodic reports and other filings with the SEC, including the risk factors identified in SLB’s and ChampionX’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, respectively, and SLB’s and ChampionX’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date hereof.   Neither SLB nor ChampionX undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.

    Investor Contact: Byron Pope
    byron.pope@championx.com 
    281-602-0094

    Media Contact: John Breed
    john.breed@championx.com 
    281-403-5751

    CHAMPIONX CORPORATION
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (UNAUDITED)

      Three Months Ended   Years Ended
      Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,   December 31,
    (in thousands, except per share amounts)   2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Revenue $ 912,037     $ 906,533     $ 943,555     $ 3,633,983     $ 3,758,285  
    Cost of goods and services   600,154       608,764       661,337       2,445,281       2,618,646  
    Gross profit   311,883       297,769       282,218       1,188,702       1,139,639  
    Selling, general and administrative expense   184,722       180,501       147,415       720,632       633,032  
    (Gain) loss on sale-leaseback transaction and disposal group   —       57       —       (29,826 )     12,965  
    Interest expense, net   12,375       14,137       13,808       55,868       54,562  
    Foreign currency transaction losses (gains), net   1,697       3,505       14,651       2,490       36,334  
    Other income, net   (5,026 )     (2,176 )     (7,584 )     (3,337 )     (21,078 )
    Income before income taxes   118,115       101,745       113,928       442,875       423,824  
    Provision for income taxes   33,204       28,078       35,771       115,746       105,105  
    Net income   84,911       73,667       78,157       327,129       318,719  
    Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest   2,145       1,659       959       6,863       4,481  
    Net income attributable to ChampionX $ 82,766     $ 72,008     $ 77,198     $ 320,266     $ 314,238  
                       
    Earnings per share attributable to ChampionX:                  
    Basic $ 0.43     $ 0.38     $ 0.40     $ 1.68     $ 1.60  
    Diluted $ 0.43     $ 0.37     $ 0.39     $ 1.65     $ 1.57  
                       
    Weighted-average shares outstanding:                  
    Basic   190,586       190,496       193,191       190,578       196,083  
    Diluted   193,487       193,362       196,649       193,643       199,906  
                                           

    CHAMPIONX CORPORATION
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (UNAUDITED)

      December 31,
    (in thousands)   2024       2023  
    Assets      
    Current Assets:      
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 507,681     $ 288,557  
    Receivables, net   466,782       534,534  
    Inventories, net   496,831       521,549  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   92,603       80,777  
    Total current assets   1,563,897       1,425,417  
           
    Property, plant and equipment, net   755,422       773,552  
    Goodwill   718,944       669,064  
    Intangible assets, net   258,614       243,553  
    Other non-current assets   173,375       130,116  
    Total assets $ 3,470,252     $ 3,241,702  
           
    Liabilities      
    Current portion of long-term debt $ 6,203     $ 6,203  
    Accounts payable   455,531       451,680  
    Other current liabilities   324,138       324,866  
    Total current liabilities   785,872       782,749  
           
    Long-term debt   591,453       594,283  
    Other long-term liabilities   261,749       203,639  
    Stockholders’ equity:      
    ChampionX stockholders’ equity   1,846,437       1,676,622  
    Noncontrolling interest   (15,259 )     (15,591 )
    Total liabilities and equity $ 3,470,252     $ 3,241,702  
                   

    CHAMPIONX CORPORATION
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    (UNAUDITED)

      Years Ended December 31,
    (in thousands)   2024       2023  
    Cash flows from operating activities:      
    Net income $ 327,129     $ 318,719  
    Depreciation and amortization   245,825       235,936  
    (Gain) loss on sale-leaseback transaction and disposal group   (29,826 )     12,965  
    Loss on Argentina Blue Chip Swap transaction   7,086       —  
    Deferred income taxes   (22,873 )     (22,272 )
    (Gain) on disposal of fixed assets   (443 )     (1,046 )
    Receivables   76,569       70,021  
    Inventories   (8,924 )     18,753  
    Accounts payable   (399 )     (53,891 )
    Other assets   (15,152 )     20,395  
    Leased assets   (33,767 )     (51,247 )
    Other operating items, net   44,456       (8,062 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities   589,681       540,271  
           
    Cash flows from investing activities:      
    Capital expenditures   (141,310 )     (142,324 )
    Proceeds from sale of fixed assets   12,113       14,545  
    Proceeds from sale-leaseback transaction   44,292       —  
    Purchase of investments   (31,526 )     —  
    Sale of investments   24,358       —  
    Acquisitions, net of cash acquired   (123,269 )     —  
    Net cash used for investing activities   (215,342 )     (127,779 )
           
    Cash flows from financing activities:      
    Proceeds from long-term debt   —       15,500  
    Repayment of long-term debt   (6,203 )     (45,176 )
    Repurchases of common stock   (49,399 )     (277,575 )
    Dividends paid   (70,531 )     (64,980 )
    Other   (24,324 )     (934 )
    Net cash used for financing activities   (150,457 )     (373,165 )
           
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents   (4,758 )     (957 )
           
    Net increase in cash and cash equivalents   219,124       38,370  
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   288,557       250,187  
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 507,681     $ 288,557  
                   

    CHAMPIONX CORPORATION
    BUSINESS SEGMENT DATA
    (UNAUDITED)

      Three Months Ended   Years Ended
      Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,   December 31,
    (in thousands)   2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Segment revenue:                  
    Production Chemical Technologies $ 569,662     $ 559,539     $ 634,137     $ 2,288,886     $ 2,404,377  
    Production & Automation Technologies   269,568       275,700       241,294       1,042,369       1,003,146  
    Drilling Technologies   51,942       51,792       46,821       211,828       215,721  
    Reservoir Chemical Technologies   21,937       20,531       21,402       94,296       96,154  
    Corporate and other   (1,072 )     (1,029 )     (99 )     (3,396 )     38,887  
    Total revenue $ 912,037     $ 906,533     $ 943,555     $ 3,633,983     $ 3,758,285  
                       
    Income (loss) before income taxes:                
    Segment operating profit (loss):                  
    Production Chemical Technologies $ 103,567     $ 87,260     $ 102,179     $ 364,047     $ 350,216  
    Production & Automation Technologies   39,027       34,136       22,110       123,840       118,409  
    Drilling Technologies   10,703       11,501       8,679       78,469       45,481  
    Reservoir Chemical Technologies   2,294       1,675       3,907       12,078       10,541  
    Total segment operating profit   155,591       134,572       136,875       578,434       524,647  
    Corporate and other   25,101       18,690       9,139       79,691       46,261  
    Interest expense, net   12,375       14,137       13,808       55,868       54,562  
    Income before income taxes $ 118,115     $ 101,745     $ 113,928     $ 442,875     $ 423,824  
                       
    Operating profit margin / income (loss) before income taxes margin:                  
    Production Chemical Technologies   18.2 %     15.6 %     16.1 %     15.9 %     14.6 %
    Production & Automation Technologies   14.5 %     12.4 %     9.2 %     11.9 %     11.8 %
    Drilling Technologies   20.6 %     22.2 %     18.5 %     37.0 %     21.1 %
    Reservoir Chemical Technologies   10.5 %     8.2 %     18.3 %     12.8 %     11.0 %
    ChampionX Consolidated   13.0 %     11.2 %     12.1 %     12.2 %     11.3 %
                       
    Adjusted EBITDA                  
    Production Chemical Technologies $ 133,475     $ 120,622     $ 139,107     $ 489,549     $ 506,991  
    Production & Automation Technologies   70,739       69,604       52,800       259,531       232,672  
    Drilling Technologies   12,321       12,867       10,361       54,411       51,986  
    Reservoir Chemical Technologies   3,751       3,292       5,501       18,343       18,498  
    Corporate and other   (8,021 )     (8,873 )     (9,624 )     (37,112 )     (38,926 )
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 212,265     $ 197,512     $ 198,145     $ 784,722     $ 771,221  
                       
    Adjusted EBITDA margin                  
    Production Chemical Technologies   23.4 %     21.6 %     21.9 %     21.4 %     21.1 %
    Production & Automation Technologies   26.2 %     25.2 %     21.9 %     24.9 %     23.2 %
    Drilling Technologies   23.7 %     24.8 %     22.1 %     25.7 %     24.1 %
    Reservoir Chemical Technologies   17.1 %     16.0 %     25.7 %     19.5 %     19.2 %
    ChampionX Consolidated   23.3 %     21.8 %     21.0 %     21.6 %     20.5 %
                                           

    CHAMPIONX CORPORATION
    RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
    (UNAUDITED)

      Three Months Ended   Years Ended
      Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,   December 31,
    (in thousands)   2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net income attributable to ChampionX $ 82,766     $ 72,008     $ 77,198     $ 320,266     $ 314,238  
    Pre-tax adjustments:                  
    (Gain) loss on sale-leaseback transaction and disposal group(1)   —       57       —       (29,826 )     12,965  
    Russia sanctions compliance and impacts(2)   73       109       160       366       1,209  
    Restructuring and other related charges   2,704       5,317       2,407       17,657       13,387  
    Merger transaction costs(3)   14,434       8,312       —       37,805       245  
    Acquisition costs and related adjustments(4)   75       753       (6,817 )     2,634       (12,670 )
    Intellectual property defense   158       69       638       1,537       1,545  
    Merger-related indemnification responsibility(5)   100       —       —       100       722  
    Tulsa, Oklahoma storm damage   —       —       660       305       3,162  
    Foreign currency transaction losses, net   1,697       3,505       14,651       2,490       36,334  
    Loss on Argentina Blue Chip Swap transaction   —       —       —       7,086       —  
    Tax impact of adjustments   (5,565 )     (4,259 )     (2,600 )     (10,480 )     (12,650 )
    Adjusted net income attributable to ChampionX   96,442       85,871       86,297       349,940       358,487  
    Tax impact of adjustments   5,565       4,259       2,600       10,480       12,650  
    Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest   2,145       1,659       959       6,863       4,481  
    Depreciation and amortization   62,534       63,508       58,710       245,825       235,936  
    Provision for income taxes   33,204       28,078       35,771       115,746       105,105  
    Interest expense, net   12,375       14,137       13,808       55,868       54,562  
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 212,265     $ 197,512     $ 198,145     $ 784,722     $ 771,221  

    _______________________

    (1) Amounts represents the and the gain on the sale and leaseback of certain buildings and land during 2024. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the loss recorded to properly adjust the carrying value of our Chemical Technologies operations in Russia to the lower of carrying value or fair value less costs to sell .
    (2) Includes charges incurred related to legal and professional fees to comply with, as well as additional foreign currency exchange losses associated with, the sanctions imposed in Russia.
    (3) Includes costs incurred during 2024 in relation to the Merger Agreement with Schlumberger Limited, including third party legal and professional fees.
    (4) Includes costs incurred for the acquisition of businesses and revenue associated with the amortization of a liability established as part of the merger transaction with Ecolab Inc. (“Ecolab”) to acquire the Chemical Technologies business, representing unfavorable terms under the Cross Supply Agreement, as well as costs incurred for the acquisition of businesses. During the fourth quarter of 2023, we recorded a fair value adjustment to contingent consideration on a prior acquisition as well as the settlement of an item pursuant to the tax matters agreement with Ecolab.
    (5) Expense related to the June 3, 2020 merger transaction with Ecolab in which we acquired the Chemical Technologies business.
       
      Three Months Ended   Years Ended
      Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,   December 31,
    (in thousands)   2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Diluted earnings per share attributable to ChampionX $ 0.43     $ 0.37     $ 0.39     $ 1.65     $ 1.57  
    Per share adjustments:                  
    (Gain) loss on sale-leaseback transaction and disposal group   —       —       —       (0.15 )     0.06  
    Russia sanctions compliance and impacts   —       —       —           —  
    Restructuring and other related charges   0.01       0.03       0.01       0.09       0.07  
    Merger transaction costs   0.07       0.04       —       0.20       —  
    Acquisition costs and related adjustments   —       —       (0.03 )     0.01       (0.06 )
    Intellectual property defense   —       —       —       0.01       0.01  
    Merger-related indemnification responsibility   —       —       —       —       —  
    Tulsa, Oklahoma storm damage   —       —       0.01       —       0.02  
    Foreign currency transaction losses   0.01       0.02       0.07       0.01       0.18  
    Loss on Argentina Blue Chip Swap transaction   —       —       —       0.04       —  
    Tax impact of adjustments   (0.02 )     (0.02 )     (0.01 )     (0.05 )     (0.06 )
    Adjusted diluted earnings per share attributable to ChampionX $ 0.50     $ 0.44     $ 0.44     $ 1.81     $ 1.79  
                                           

    CHAMPIONX CORPORATION
    RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
    (UNAUDITED)

      Three Months Ended   Years Ended
      Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,   December 31,
    (in thousands)   2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Production Chemical Technologies                  
    Segment operating profit $ 103,567     $ 87,260     $ 102,179     $ 364,047     $ 350,216  
    Non-GAAP adjustments   2,251       7,073       11,194       19,108       51,717  
    Depreciation and amortization   27,657       26,289       25,734       106,394       105,058  
    Segment adjusted EBITDA $ 133,475     $ 120,622     $ 139,107     $ 489,549     $ 506,991  
                       
    Production & Automation Technologies                  
    Segment operating profit $ 39,027     $ 34,136     $ 22,110     $ 123,840     $ 118,409  
    Non-GAAP adjustments   75       1,656       1,231       9,807       5,246  
    Depreciation and amortization   31,637       33,812       29,459       125,884       109,017  
    Segment adjusted EBITDA $ 70,739     $ 69,604     $ 52,800     $ 259,531     $ 232,672  
                       
    Drilling Technologies                  
    Segment operating profit $ 10,703     $ 11,501     $ 8,679     $ 78,469     $ 45,481  
    Non-GAAP adjustments   306       54       109       (29,523 )     313  
    Depreciation and amortization   1,312       1,312       1,573       5,465       6,192  
    Segment adjusted EBITDA $ 12,321     $ 12,867     $ 10,361     $ 54,411     $ 51,986  
                       
    Reservoir Chemical Technologies                  
    Segment operating profit $ 2,294     $ 1,675     $ 3,907     $ 12,078     $ 10,541  
    Non-GAAP adjustments   39       3       4       69       1,486  
    Depreciation and amortization   1,418       1,614       1,590       6,196       6,471  
    Segment adjusted EBITDA $ 3,751     $ 3,292     $ 5,501     $ 18,343     $ 18,498  
                       
    Corporate and other                  
    Segment operating profit $ (37,476 )   $ (32,827 )   $ (22,947 )   $ (135,559 )   $ (100,823 )
    Non-GAAP adjustments   16,570       9,336       (839 )     40,693       (1,863 )
    Depreciation and amortization   510       481       354       1,886       9,198  
    Interest expense, net   12,375       14,137       13,808       55,868       54,562  
    Segment adjusted EBITDA $ (8,021 )   $ (8,873 )   $ (9,624 )   $ (37,112 )   $ (38,926 )
                                           

    Free Cash Flow

      Three Months Ended   Years Ended
      Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,   December 31,
    (in thousands)   2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Free Cash Flow                  
    Cash provided by operating activities $ 207,250     $ 141,298     $ 168,953     $ 589,681     $ 540,271  
    Less: Capital expenditures, net of proceeds from sale of fixed assets   (37,117 )     (33,248 )     (29,142 )     (129,197 )     (127,779 )
    Free cash flow $ 170,133     $ 108,050     $ 139,811     $ 460,484     $ 412,492  
                       
    Cash From Operating Activities to Revenue Ratio                  
    Cash provided by operating activities $ 207,250     $ 141,298     $ 168,953     $ 589,681     $ 540,271  
    Revenue $ 912,037     $ 906,533     $ 943,555     $ 3,633,983     $ 3,758,285  
                       
    Cash from operating activities to revenue ratio   23 %     16 %     18 %     16 %     14 %
                       
    Free Cash Flow to Revenue Ratio                  
    Free cash flow $ 170,133     $ 108,050     $ 139,811     $ 460,484     $ 412,492  
    Revenue $ 912,037     $ 906,533     $ 943,555     $ 3,633,983     $ 3,758,285  
                       
    Free cash flow to revenue ratio   19 %     12 %     15 %     13 %     11 %
                       
    Free Cash Flow to Adjusted EBITDA Ratio                  
    Free cash flow $ 170,133     $ 108,050     $ 139,811     $ 460,484     $ 412,492  
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 212,265     $ 197,512     $ 198,145     $ 784,722     $ 771,221  
                       
    Free cash flow to adjusted EBITDA ratio   80 %     55 %     71 %     59 %     53 %

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HCI Group Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The board of directors of HCI Group, Inc. (NYSE: HCI), a holding company with operations in homeowners insurance, information technology services, real estate, and reinsurance, has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend in the amount of 40 cents per common share. The dividend is scheduled to be paid March 21, 2025 to shareholders of record at the close of business February 21, 2025.

    About HCI Group, Inc.
    HCI Group, Inc. owns subsidiaries engaged in diverse, yet complementary business activities, including homeowners insurance, information technology services, insurance management, real estate, and reinsurance. HCI’s leading insurance operation, TypTap Insurance Company, is a technology-driven homeowners insurance company. TypTap’s operations are powered in large part by insurance-related information technology developed by HCI’s software subsidiary, Exzeo USA, Inc. HCI’s largest subsidiary, Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Inc., provides homeowners insurance primarily in Florida. HCI’s real estate subsidiary, Greenleaf Capital, LLC, owns and operates multiple properties in Florida, including office buildings, retail centers and marinas.

    The company’s common shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “HCI” and are included in the Russell 2000 and S&P SmallCap 600 Index. HCI Group, Inc. regularly publishes financial and other information in the Investor Information section of the company’s website. For more information about HCI Group and its subsidiaries, visit www.hcigroup.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This news release may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “confident,” “prospects” and “project” and other similar words and expressions are intended to signify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and conditions but rather are subject to various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance, for example, that changes in the company’s cash flow and cash balances will not impact the ability or willingness of HCI Group to pay a dividend. Some of these risks and uncertainties are identified in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should any risks or uncertainties develop into actual events, these developments could have material adverse effects on the company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. HCI Group, Inc. disclaims all obligations to update any forward-looking statements.

    Company Contact:
    Bill Broomall, CFA
    Investor Relations
    HCI Group, Inc.
    Tel (813) 776-1012
    wbroomall@typtap.com

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Matt Glover
    Gateway Group, Inc.
    Tel 949-574-3860
    HCI@gatewayir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Leads 37 Senators in Raising Alarm Over Trump Administration Chaos at Critical National Security Agencies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led 37 of his colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing their deep concern regarding the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State and the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support around the world to help ensure stability. Yesterday, personnel at USAID were not permitted to enter the agency’s headquarters, and Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump agreed to close the agency and move it under the State Department – which Trump has no legal authority to do. The Trump Administration, led by Musk, has also furloughed thousands of senior career civil servants, including two top security officials who denied Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency access to classified documents and systems.

    “…We are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners,” wrote the senators.

    The senators continued, “The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.”

    “Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat,” wrote the senators.

    They continued, “Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”

    The letter is signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Angus S. King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA).

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

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    The effective administration of U.S. foreign assistance is critical to advancing core U.S. national security priorities, including countering the influence of China, Russia and Iran. As you acknowledged at your confirmation hearing, pushing back on China in particular is a top bipartisan priority. 

    As such, we are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners.

    The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.

    Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat.

    Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.

    We request immediate clarification on the following:

    Status of USAID:

    1. Confirmation of your understanding that any effort to abolish USAID or merge USAID into the Department of State absent Congressional consultation and approval is illegal.
    2. Confirmation of your understanding that adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran are quickly moving into the vacuum left by suspended USAID programs. 
    3. The Department of State’s assessment of Mr. Elon Musk’s financial ties to China and the impact of these ties to the decision-making process of Mr. Musk and his employees.
    4. Confirmation that neither you nor any member of your leadership team are taking direction from Mr. Musk with regards to the work of the Department of State or USAID, personnel or financial decisions for either agency, or any other matters relevant to U.S. national security. 
    5. Confirmation of the names and employment status of individuals directed by Mr. Musk to engage with USAID staff, the qualifications of these individuals, and the level of their security clearances – if any.

    Personnel:

    1. Confirmation of your understanding that any unauthorized access by or disclosure of classified information to individuals without appropriate security clearance could be considered a criminal offense.
    2. The legal authority and rationale under which, on January 28, more than 50 senior career civil and foreign service USAID officials were placed on administrative leave. This move was not only unprecedented, but also inconsistent with the Office of Personnel Management’s own guidelines for the use of administrative leave.
    3. The legal authority under which, on January 28, approximately 390 USAID Institutional Support Contractors (ISCs) were given stop-work orders, and clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this termination.
    4. Whether any Department of State career civil and foreign service or contractors have been placed on administrative leave or removed from their roles as a result of or relating to the assistance freeze or any directives from the Office of Foreign Assistance.
    5. Clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this mass furlough.
    6. Clarification of whether these individuals were directed to be terminated without cause.
    7. Confirmation that personnel will not face retaliation or retribution for performing their duties under the previous Administration’s policy direction.
    8. Under what authorities and by which official’s directive career civil service, foreign service, and Personal Services Contractors (PSC), and those under other hiring authorities have been removed from their roles or limited in their ability to execute their work.
    9. Confirmation that further career civil service, foreign service and USAID contractors will not be removed from their roles without cause or receive stop work orders.
    10. Whether, upon full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities, the Administration intends to re-hire contractors who have been removed from their roles.
    11. Any additional guidance provided to State and USAID staff regarding the foreign assistance freeze, including confirmation of whether direct hires, contractors, or implementing organizations have been directed not to speak publicly about the foreign assistance freeze.
    12. Public identification of the individual currently serving as the Director or Acting Director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance and as Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, and the dates upon which this individual was appointed to each position.
    13. Confirmation of your understanding that the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance has no authority to issue personnel directives for USAID.

    Resumption of Foreign Assistance:

    1. The specific process and anticipated timeframe for activities to receive exemptions or waivers, as referenced in your January 28, 2025 directive to State and USAID staff.
    2. The mechanisms and metrics established for this waiver process.
    3. The timeline for full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities.
    4. Clarification of what risk assessment or analysis of potential risk to U.S. national security interests were conducted prior to the decision to freeze foreign assistance activities.
    5. Confirmation of the Department of State’s obligation to comply with U.S. contract law and your responsibility as Secretary of State ensure the Department honors its commitments to contracting partners.

    We welcome your urgent attention to these questions. We and our staff stand ready to work with you to ensure U.S. foreign assistance funding continues to be deployed effectively to protect American citizens, at home and abroad.

    Respectfully,

    MIL OSI USA News –