Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) are releasing legally protected whistleblower disclosures that prove the genesis of the federal election interference case brought against President Trump began at the hands of a prolific anti-Trump FBI agent who acted outside of established protocol for opening cases.
Internal FBI emails and predicating documents provided to Grassley and released jointly by the two senators show Timothy Thibault, a former FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) who was forced to retire from the Bureau after Grassley exposed his public anti-Trump bias, authored the initial language for what ultimately became Jack Smith’s federal case against Trump regarding the 2020 presidential election. Records show Thibault essentially opened and approved his own investigation. The FBI titled the ensuing investigation “Arctic Frost.”
Records further reveal Richard Pilger, an official in the Justice Department (DOJ)’s Public Integrity Section, reviewed and approved the FBI’s Arctic Frost investigation, authorizing DOJ to move forward with a full field criminal and Grand Jury investigation that ultimately transformed into the Trump elector case. Grassley published a 2021 report that raised concerns regarding Pilger’s troubling record at DOJ.
Grassley in 2022 additionally questioned Thibault’s role at the FBI, writing, “I remain very concerned that political bias by a select group of Justice Department and FBI officials has infected the Justice Department’s and FBI’s usual process and procedure to open and pursue high-profile and politically charged investigations.” Grassley and Johnson in November called on Jack Smith to preserve all records related to Trump-targeted investigations.
The records released by Grassley and Johnson are linked below:
Grassley provided an overview of the records in his opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on Kash Patel’s nomination to be FBI Director. Excerpts from Grassley’s opening statement follow:
“In my hand are a series of FBI emails.
“The first is an email that Thibault sent to a subordinate agent on February 14, 2022.
“He said, ‘Here is draft opening language we discussed.’ The draft opening was attached, and it included material that would later become part of Jack Smith’s elector case.
“The second email is a February 24, 2022, email from Thibault to John Crabb, a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, saying, ‘I had a discussion with the case team and we believe there to be predication to include former President of the United States Donald J. Trump as a predicated subject.’ This FBI case would later be codenamed Arctic Frost.
“The third email is a February 24, 2022, email from Thibault to John Crabb noting that Attorney General and FBI Director approval will be sought to open the case.
“The fourth email is a February 25, 2022, email from Thibault’s subordinate agents saying they added Trump, and others, as a criminal subject to the case. Thibault responded ‘Perfect.’
“The fifth email is a March 22, 2022, email from Thibault emailing a version of an investigative opening for approval. This didn’t include President Trump as a criminal subject.
“The sixth email is an April 11, 2022, email from Thibault approving the opening of Arctic Frost.
“The seventh email is an April 13, 2022, email from an FBI agent to Thibault stating that the FBI Deputy Director approved its opening.
“The eighth email on that same date had Thibault emailing John Crabb that the elector case was approved. Crabb responded, ‘Thanks a lot. Let’s talk next week.’
“Between March 22 and April 13, other versions of the document opening the investigation existed, because a ninth email shows that the FBI General Counsel’s office made edits on March 25.
“Was Trump still removed as an investigative subject? If so, which Justice Department and FBI officials – other than Jack Smith – later added him for prosecution?
“I expect the production of all records on this matter to better understand the full fact pattern and whether other records exist.”
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A los pueblos les asiste el derecho a decidir su propio destino colectivo según lo estableció la Conferencia de Bandung en 1955 y el Pacto Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Políticos de 1966, lo cual no fue gratuito, sino producto de la lucha de los países periféricos por su descolonización. Ante esta realidad, Estados Unidos nunca renunció a extender la doctrina Monroe hasta el presente. Empeorando la situación, el irredentismo imperial con el presidente Donald Trump se hace explícito. La desconfianza de la población hacia la élite política en esta coyuntura se está reproduciendo en el imaginario colectivo en un marcado desinterés por el irredentismo imperial de Trump. Esto último, busca la anexión y recuperación de territorios, aunque no compartan fronteras, como el caso de Groenlandia y Panamá. Y, no se trata del capricho de una persona, en este caso Trump, sino de una racionalidad imperial.
Ante las amenazas de Trump de anexarse territorios, recuperar otros, como el Canal de Panamá y, ultrajar a países como Canada, Colombia, México, Cuba y Venezuela con falacias y sanciones, una vía para resistir es la organización de los pueblos y la puesta en marcha de una agenda en común cuyo contenido sea la autodeterminación de los pueblos, la integración regional y la unidad nacional popular. La élite política panameña no necesariamente va a defender los más caros intereses del pueblo. Estados Unidos es nuestro principal socio comercial y con el coloso del Norte mantenemos una relación de dependencia. Nuestra élite es cipaya en esa conjunción. Lo demuestra cada vez que puede, con la soga al cuello patea el banco. Recientemente ante el altercado en redes sociales entre los presidentes Gustavo Petro y Trump, el Gobierno de la República de Honduras, ocupando la presidencia Pro Tempore de la CELAC, convocó a una reunión urgente para atender la situación, pero fue cancelada por “falta de consenso” (https://surl.li/ctjijs).
En el caso particular de Panamá, las élites políticas panameñas tienen más de un siglo negociando con los estadounidenses en beneficio propio. Al pueblo le tocará organizarse para garantizar los suyos, así como lo hizo el 9 de enero de 1964. Los intereses del pueblo no necesariamente son los mismos de la élite, aunque por momentos puedan coincidir. El problema de fondo no es Trump, sino, el irredentismo imperial. Hoy es Trump, mañana será otro presidente y, en el fondo, subyace esa racionalidad irredentista. Por lo tanto, es necesario diseñar mecanismos de defensa y resistencia, táctica y estratégicamente. Es imperativo enrumbar las acciones hacia una correlación regional de fuerza distinta en función de la unidad latinoamericana hasta la constitución de un nuevo “bloque histórico” como diría Gramsci.
Siguiendo con el espíritu irredentista expresado por el presidente Trump en su red social Truth Social y, en su discurso presidencial, la Comisión Marítima Federal de los Estados Unidos convocó a una audiencia para discutir la supuesta presencia China en el Canal. El internacionalista Julio Yao hizo un análisis de la resolución de la Comisión y concluye con la necesidad de consultar a la Corte Internacional de Justicia si las peticiones de Estados Unidos no constituyen una violación al derecho internacional. Peticiones a todas luces injerencistas. En particular: “EE. UU. no puede instar a Panamá “a reafirmar su compromiso con el Tratado de Neutralidad permanente del Canal”, ya que Panamá lo ha hecho siempre, contrario a EE. UU. que lo ha violado cada vez y exclusivamente para satisfacer sus intereses de seguridad para sus fuerzas armadas” (https://surl.li/mwpuos).
Ese es el argumento de fondo del irredentismo imperial, invocar el Tratado Concerniente a la Neutralidad Permanente del Canal y el Funcionamiento del Canal de Panamá, en particular la Enmienda DeConcini: la cual posibilita que Estados Unidos “pueda tomar medidas militares en suelo panameño sin el consentimiento del Gobierno de Panamá” (https://surl.li/kvxhkh). Para justificar esta acción han recurrido a falacias sobre la presencia China en Panamá hasta la cantidad de muertos en la construcción del Canal por los estadounidenses en 1914. El historiador y diplomático Omar Jaén Suarez aclaró este último punto en uno de sus recientes artículos, “La mortalidad durante la construcción del Canal interoceánico […] entre 1904 y 1914, sólo hay 350 estadounidenses (6 %) según la Comisión del Canal Ístmico, mientras que los empleados afroantillanos muertos fueron 4.049 (72 %) […] los datos no señalan más de 6.280 muertes entre los empleados de las compañías del canal francés desde 1881 hasta 1903” (https://surl.li/kybccq). Y, así sucesivamente el irredentismo imperial se sostiene sobre falacias para justificar su interés de recuperar el Canal.
Como señala Greg Grandin, profesor en Yale, en un reciente artículo en el New York Times: el “lenguaje desinhibido [que utiliza Trump] aumenta la volatilidad de un mundo ya de por sí volátil” (https://surl.li/oziinq), esa táctica de choque, en la cual una de sus principales armas son las redes sociales, busca desestabilizar para alcanzar sus objetivos. En última instancia, MAGA (Make America Great Again) es su sueño por “un nuevo imperio estadounidense”, como lo planteó Grandin. Para ese cometido, necesitará doblegar aún más a sus ya arrodillados socios. Allí cobra importancia las posiciones antiimperialistas y descolonizadoras, cuando ya muchos la daban por muertas. No se trata de sacar una bandera panameña a última hora e invocar un patriotismo abstracto; a diferencia del pueblo panameño consciente y organizado de su historia de lucha, que recuerda a sus mártires de la lucha generacional por la recuperación de nuestra soberanía.
En esa misma línea de Grandin, el abogado y académico panameño Alonso Illueca, escribió en el El País: “Parado sobre una tradición sepultada a mediados del siglo XX, Trump relanzó el pasado 20 de enero de 2025 la política expansionista del destino manifiesto y la doctrina Monroe” (https://surl.li/zzqzdx), en detrimento nuestro, particularmente por sus “criterios” en torno al manejo del Canal; pero, también como policía del mundo, inicia una cruzada contra la izquierda como en los grises días de la guerra fría. No es casualidad que los presidentes en la asunción de Trump tengan algo en común: odian a la izquierda. Su toma de posesión fue un retrato a cuerpo entero, rodeado de los milmillonarios magnates de la tecnología. Veremos un despliegue del fetichismo del capitalismo digital, hostigamiento hacia las izquierdas y contra defensores de Derechos Humanos.
No vemos a una élite política defendiendo los más caros intereses del pueblo panameño ante la afrenta imperial, en cambio sí sus privilegios. La unidad popular no es otra cosa que la unidad en base a intereses colectivos. Sin la autodeterminación de los pueblos, la integración regional y la unidad nacional popular sobre la mesa, el patriotismo abstracto de la élite política negociará sus privilegios en el marco del irredentismo imperial.
Photo credit: Pedro Silva
Abdiel Rodríguez Reyes esDoctor en filosofía por la Universidad del País Vasco y profesor e investigador en la Universidad de Panamá
Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) and Government of Yukon host conference on Indigenous Conservation Economies jlutz
This is a joint release between the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) and the Government of Yukon.
The Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) and the Government of Yukon welcomed representatives from 28 Indigenous nations, along with representatives from diverse sectors, governments and conservation-focused organizations to the Yukon North Slope Conference 2025: Indigenous Conservation Economies in Whitehorse from January 28 to 30.
The goal of the conference is to promote public discussion of co-management of the Yukon North Slope area. It is also an opportunity to celebrate Inuvialuit culture and successes in collaborative implementation of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.
This year’s theme, Indigenous Conservation Economies, was inspired by the new Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Traditional Conservation Area on the Yukon North Slope. The theme provided Indigenous governments and groups, as well as other partners, the opportunity to connect and discuss how Indigenous Peoples can use their traditional economies to thrive across a variety of sectors and geographies. This includes Indigenous-led conservation areas, conservation finance, harvesting and on-the-land support, guardians and monitoring programs, climate adaption initiatives, ecotourism, research economies and artistry.
Frank Brown, a Hereditary Chief of the Heiltsuk Nation from Bella Bella in British Columbia gave the keynote address to over 200 participants attending from across the Canadian North. The Yukon North Slope Conservation Award was also given out during the conference and a film celebrating the Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Traditional Conservation Area Agreement premiered during the conference.
The Inuvialuit Final Agreement was signed in 1984 and identified the Yukon’s North Slope as a place for conservation of wildlife, habitat and traditional Inuvialuit use. 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. This year’s conference is the 11th Yukon North Slope Conference since the agreement was signed.
Statement from Premier Pillai on the crime prevention programming available with the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce jlutz
This statement has been updated to correct the name and title of the representative from the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce.
Premier and Minister of Economic Development Ranj Pillai has issued the following statement:
“In December, the Government of Yukon and the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce announced joint efforts to address community safety in downtown Whitehorse. Today, I was pleased to be joined by Chair of the Safety Committee of the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce Joel Gaetz to formally announce the Safebiz: Whitehorse Community Safety Pilot Program, designed to support businesses and non-government organizations with practical tools to enhance safety and security.
“This program is funded by the Government of Yukon and administered by the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce. Based on program models in British Columbia, Manitoba and Alberta, as well as discussions with members of the Whitehorse business community, phase 1 of the Safebiz program will help provide businesses with funding for security assessments, safety and de-escalation training and resources to help businesses improve their security measures.
“Business owners and organizations can sign up for the program by visiting whitehorsechamber.ca/safebiz. Appointments for comprehensive security assessments are available now on a first-come, first-served basis. Business owners and organizations can also sign themselves and their employees up for training sessions designed to enhance security.
“I want to thank the chamber’s Executive Director Andrei Samson and their Executive Committee for all their hard work and continued partnership in supporting the Yukon’s entrepreneurs. The Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce is highly regarded by our business community and I am grateful that they are taking on this critical task that will make our capital city a safer place for people to work, live and visit.
“Our territory’s entrepreneurs are known for their community-centric practices and for giving back to those in need. My hope is that this program will empower local businesses to create safer spaces for their staff and customers so they can continue their important work with fortitude.
“This program is only one piece of a larger picture and we know there is more work to do. Improving security in our downtown area means addressing a multitude of social inequities in our community and supporting both prevention and policing. Our government remains committed to working on these issues alongside our partners. Together, we will continue work to foster a vibrant and safe downtown community.”
The Government of Yukon is extending the pause of intakes to the micro-generation renewable energy program until January 15, 2026. The area of the pause is expanding to include all communities connected to the Yukon grid.
The pause began in December 2023 to allow the Government of Yukon and the utilities time to assess what system upgrades are needed to ensure the grid remains reliable and stable as more renewable energy comes online. The Government of Yukon has completed phase one of a two-part study which recommends not adding any additional micro-generation systems at this time while additional analysis is completed. The second phase is expected to be completed in 2025 and will focus on evaluating the effects of proposed micro-generation and utility system upgrades.
The micro-generation program remains open for intake for Watson Lake, Beaver Creek, Old Crow, Burwash Landing and Destruction Bay – with limits in place.
MIDLAND, Texas, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Viper Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNOM) (“Viper”) announced today the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 24,640,000 shares of its Class A common stock at a price to the public of $44.50 per share (the “Primary Offering”). Viper’s offering of 24,640,000 shares of Class A common stock represents a 2,640,000 share upsize to the originally proposed 22,000,000 share offering. The underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,696,000 shares of Class A common stock from Viper at the public offering price (less the underwriting discount).
Net proceeds to Viper from the sale of the 24,640,000 shares of its Class A common stock, after the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses, will be approximately $1.1 billion (or $1.2 billion, if the underwriters exercise their option in full).
Viper intends to use the net proceeds from the Primary Offering to fund the cash consideration for its previously announced pending acquisition of all of the equity interests of certain mineral and royalty-interest owning subsidiaries of Viper’s parent, Diamondback Energy, Inc. (the “Pending Drop Down”), if it closes. If the Pending Drop Down does not close, Viper will use the net proceeds from the Primary Offering for general corporate purposes.
The Primary Offering is expected to close on February 3, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.
J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, Mizuho and Morgan Stanley are acting as joint book-running managers for the Primary Offering. Copies of the written base prospectus and prospectus supplement for the Primary Offering may be obtained on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission, www.sec.gov or, when available, may be obtained from J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 or by email at prospectus-eq_fi@jpmchase.com; Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at (800) 831-9146; Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Attn: Equity Capital Markets, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020, by telephone at 1-212-205-7600 or by email at US-ECM@mizuhogroup.com; or Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014.
The Class A common stock will be issued and sold pursuant to an effective automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3ASR previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Registration Statement”).
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. The Primary Offering may only be made by means of a prospectus supplement and related base prospectus.
About Viper Energy, Inc.
Viper is a publicly traded Delaware corporation that owns and acquires mineral and royalty interests in oil and natural gas properties primarily in the Permian Basin.
The information in this press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, regarding the completion of the Primary Offering, Viper’s strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words “could,” “may,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “goal,” “plan,” “target” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Be cautioned that these forward-looking statements are subject to all of the risk and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Viper’s control, incident to the development, production, gathering and sale of oil and natural gas. These risks include, but are not limited to, commodity price volatility, inflation, lack of availability of drilling and production equipment and services, risks relating to the Pending Drop Down, including its consummation or the realization of the anticipated benefits and synergies therefrom. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, but not limited to, those set forth in Viper’s filings with the SEC, including the base prospectus and prospectus supplement relating to the Primary Offering, the Registration Statement, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, under the caption “Risk Factors,” as may be updated from time to time in Viper’s periodic filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement in this press release speaks only as of the date of this release. Viper undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws.
TORONTO, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mount Logan Capital Inc. (Cboe Canada: MLC) (“Mount Logan” or the “Company”) today announced it has successfully completed its previously announced minority investment in Runway Growth Capital LLC (“Runway”), alongside BC Partners and its affiliates, which are acquiring the remaining outstanding ownership in Runway. On closing, Mount Logan issued to former Runway members an aggregate of 2,693,071 common shares of Mount Logan at a deemed price of C$2.67, which was determined based on the 20-day volume-weighted average price prior to and including January 27, 2025.
With approval of a new investment advisory agreement, Runway will continue to serve as investment adviser to its managed funds, including Runway Growth Finance Corp. (Nasdaq: RWAY) (“Runway Growth Finance”), a business development company, and to other private funds. Mount Logan looks forward to working with BC Partners and Runway’s management and investment teams to capitalize on the opportunities available in the North American credit markets.
Management Commentary
Ted Goldthorpe, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Mount Logan, stated, “We are thrilled to officially welcome David and the talented team at Runway to the Mount Logan family. We are excited about partnering with the Runway team to scale their specialized capabilities in providing financing solutions to late-stage growth platforms. Since the announcement, we have already seen significant benefits of our alignment with the Runway team. Runway’s expertise enhances our credit capabilities, and we are confident in our ability to leverage their strong investment acumen to expand our product suite and further diversify our private credit fund offerings.”
Advisors
Wildeboer Dellelce LLP acted as Canadian legal counsel to Mount Logan. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal counsel to BC Partners. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Runway Growth Capital LLC. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz acted as legal counsel to Runway Growth Capital LLC and Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP acted as legal counsel to the independent directors of Runway Growth Finance.
About Mount Logan Capital Inc.
Mount Logan Capital Inc. is an alternative asset management and insurance solutions company that is focused on public and private debt securities in the North American market and the reinsurance of annuity products, primarily through its wholly owned subsidiaries Mount Logan Management LLC (“ML Management”) and Ability Insurance Company (“Ability”), respectively. Mount Logan also actively sources, evaluates, underwrites, manages, monitors and primarily invests in loans, debt securities, and other credit-oriented instruments that present attractive risk-adjusted returns and present low risk of principal impairment through the credit cycle.
ML Management was organized in 2020 as a Delaware limited liability company and is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The primary business of ML Management is to provide investment management services to (i) privately offered investment funds exempt from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) advised by ML Management, (ii) a non-diversified closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company, (iii) Ability, and (iv) non-diversified closed-end management investment companies registered under the 1940 Act that operate as interval funds. ML Management also acts as the collateral manager to collateralized loan obligations backed by debt obligations and similar assets.
Ability is a Nebraska domiciled insurer and reinsurer of long-term care policies and annuity products acquired by Mount Logan in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2021. Ability is also no longer insuring or re-insuring new long-term care risk.
About Runway Growth Capital LLC
Runway Growth Capital LLC is the investment adviser to investment funds, including Runway Growth Finance Corp. (Nasdaq: RWAY), a business development company, and other private funds, which are lenders of growth capital to companies seeking an alternative to raising equity. Led by industry veteran David Spreng, these funds provide senior term loans of a target of $30 million to $150 million to fast-growing companies based in the United States and Canada. For more information on Runway Growth Capital LLC and its platform, please visit www.runwaygrowth.com.
About Runway Growth Finance Corp.
Runway Growth Finance is a growing specialty finance company focused on providing flexible capital solutions to late- and growth-stage companies seeking an alternative to raising equity. Runway Growth Finance is a closed-end investment fund that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Runway Growth Finance is externally managed by Runway Growth Capital LLC, an established registered investment advisor that was formed in 2015 and led by industry veteran David Spreng. For more information, please visit www.runwaygrowth.com.
About BC Partners & BC Partners Credit
BC Partners is a leading international investment firm in private equity, private debt, and real estate strategies. BC Partners Credit was launched in February 2017, with a focus on identifying attractive credit opportunities in any market environment, often in complex market segments. The platform leverages the broader firm’s deep industry and operating resources to provide flexible financing solutions to middle-market companies across Business Services, Industrials, Healthcare and other select sectors. For further information, visit www.bcpartners.com/credit-strategy.
This press release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the expressions “seeks”, “expects”, “believes”, “estimates”, “will”, “target” and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the current expectations of the Company regarding future results or events and are based on information currently available to it. Certain material factors and assumptions were applied in providing these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements discussed in this release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the Company’s business strategy, model, approach and future activities; portfolio composition, size and performance, asset management activities and related income, capital raising activities, future credit opportunities of the Company, portfolio realizations, the protection of stakeholder value, the expansion of the Company’s loan portfolio, including through its investment in Runway, synergies to be achieved by both the Company and Runway through the Company’s strategic minority investment, any future growth and expansion of each of both the Company and Runway, any change in earnings potential for the Company as a result of any growth of Runway, the business and future activities and prospects of Runway and the Company. All forward-looking statements in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions; however, the Company can give no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized by certain specified dates or at all. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including that the expected synergies of the investment in Runway may not be realized as expected; the risk that each of the Company and Runway may require a significant investment of capital and other resources in order to expand and grow their respective businesses; the Company has a limited operating history with respect to an asset management oriented business model and the matters discussed under “Risk Factors” in the most recently filed annual information form and management discussion and analysis for the Company. Readers, therefore, should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further, a forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any such statement or to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances except as required by securities laws. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release.
This press release is not, and under no circumstances is it to be construed as, a prospectus or an advertisement and the communication of this release is not, and under no circumstances is it to be construed as, an offer to sell or an offer to purchase any securities in the Company or in any fund or other investment vehicle. This press release is not intended for U.S. persons. The Company’s shares are not registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Company is not registered under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). U.S. persons are not permitted to purchase the Company’s shares absent an applicable exemption from registration under each of these Acts. In addition, the number of investors in the United States, or which are U.S. persons or purchasing for the account or benefit of U.S. persons, will be limited to such number as is required to comply with an available exemption from the registration requirements of the 1940 Act.
Contacts Mount Logan Capital Inc. 365 Bay Street, Suite 800 Toronto, ON M5H 2V1 info@mountlogancapital.ca
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke during the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee confirmation hearing for President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services(HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Sen. Tuberville and Mr. Kennedy discussed the harmful ingredients used in American food products and ways to Make America Healthy Again.
Earlier today, Sen. Tuberville penned an op-ed explaining why he supports Kennedy for HHS Secretary.
Read excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.
ON THE OVER-PRESCRIPTION OF MEDICATION: TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Kennedy, for being here. Being a few months older than me, I’m going to be respectful to my elders. [laughs] […]
Thank you for bringing light to what this is all about. It’s about the health in our country. There might have been a half a dozen people in [here for the hearing of] the last Health and Human Services nominee—nobody was interested. A lawyer who worked from home in California—didn’t do a damn thing in terms of what we needed when COVID was in full steam.
So, thank you. Thank you for getting our young people involved. My two boys, 28 and 30, a year ago or so were gonna vote for you for President of the United States. You know why? Because you’re trying to save their group of people from the chemicals and the things that we have in our food. They’re fired up about it. And you brought light to that. And thank God you’ve done that. You brought importance to what we’re doing.
You know, I coached for 40 years. In the last four or five years I coached, I’d never seen the run on drugs our young people are being given by doctors across this country. We have an attention deficit problem in this country. When you and I were growing up, our parents didn’t use a drug, they used a belt and whipped our butts, you know, and told us to sit down. Nowadays, we give them Adderall and Ritalin like candy across college campuses and high school campuses. Mr. Kennedy, what are we gonna do about that?”
RFK JR: “Today, 15% of American kids are on Adderall. And there’s clearly a major problem with over-prescription, not just with our children, with our entire population. We have 4.2% of the world’s population, and we take fifty percent of the pharmaceutical drugs. And there’s a recent study by Peter Gotzsche, who is one of the founders of the Cochrane Collaboration that showed that prescription drugs are now the third largest cause of death in our country after cardiac arrest or colon cancer. We’re not getting healthier. Americans are getting less and less healthy. 70% of pharmaceutical profits will globally come from our country, which has 4.2% of the world’s population. We’re the only country that allows full-scale pharmaceutical ads on TV. And we’re all being told that you can eat anything you want, you can smoke anything you want, you can do anything you want and there’ll be a drug to fix you in the end. And it is not a good formula. And our kids are getting sicker and sicker. They’re not getting better. Nobody here—all the people here who are defending this current system and defending these pharmaceutical industry profits—many of whom are taking huge amounts of money from the pharmaceutical industry, millions of dollars for many of these senators. And none of that is making our country healthier. It’s making us sicker. We need to get rid of these conflicts. We need good science, and we need good leadership. [I’m] able to stand up to these big industries and not bend over for them.”
ON VACCINES:
TUBERVILLE: “And you brought to light the vaccines over the last couple of years. I’ll have my first granddaughter here in a couple of weeks, and my son and his wife have done their research about vaccines. And she’s not going to be a pin cushion. We’re not going to allow that to happen. But you brought that up, as you and I talked about with vaccines—let’s empower scientists to do their job. You know, don’t just do something for the pharmaceutical companies. So, I appreciate you doing that.”
ON FOOD INGREDIENTS: TUBERVILLE: “One other thing is—you and I talked about Red Dye No. 3. It just happens that you and I talked about that and a few days later, in this room, we had the FDA director. And I asked him, why don’t we use Red Dye Three in our cosmetics, [but] use it in our food? Yet we don’t use it [in] cosmetics because it causes cancer. What the heck is going on? Well, a few weeks later because of that, [the Biden administration] dropped it. So, tell me about dyes and things that you’re concerned about. I [hear more] about that than anything.”
RFK JR: “We have 10,000 ingredients in our food in this country because the FDA employs a standard called the GRAS standard. And it looks at any new chemical as innocent until proven guilty. Europe, they have 400 ingredients in their foods. Kellogg’s makes fruit loops for the United States alone. It is loaded with a red dye, blue, a yellow dye, and many, many other ingredients. They make the same product for Canada [with] all vegetable dyes. And for Europe, if you eat a McDonald’s French fry in this country, it has 11 ingredients. You eat the same product in Europe, it has three. We are allowing these companies because [of] their influence over this body, over our regulatory agencies, to mass poison American children. And that’s wrong. It needs to end, and I believe I’m the one person who’s able to end it.”
BACKGROUND:
As Alabama’s voice on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and a co-founder of the Senate “Make America Healthy Again” Caucus, Senator Tuberville is a strong supporter of President Trump’s nomination of RFK Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sen. Tuberville shares Kennedy’s view that increased transparency is needed for our food and health care systems, especially the chemicals that are being put in America’s food. The FDA recently announced its decision to ban Red Dye 3 following Senator Tuberville questioning top FDA officials on the harm of these chemicals in a HELP hearing last month.
MORE:
Tuberville: “America is facing a public health crisis; We must confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr.”
Tuberville Joins Sen. Marshall in Launching Make America Healthy Again Caucus
Tuberville, MAHA Caucus Celebrate FDA’s Decision to Ban Dangerous Red Dye No. 3 from Foods
1819 News: Tuberville questions FDA over red dyes no. 40 and no. 3 in America’s food supply — ‘It’s not a conservative or a liberal standpoint’
Tuberville Exposes Harmful Chemicals in American Food and Beverage Industry
ICYMI: Tuberville Joins “National Report” on Newsmax
Tuberville Meets with RFK Jr. and Todd Blanche
Coach’s Monthly Column: All in for Trump’s America First nominees
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
“They are all outstanding choices and should be confirmed to President Trump’s cabinet as soon as possible.”
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke on the Senate floor about the need to quickly confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Kash Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard to key roles in President Trump’s cabinet. Sen. Tuberville defended each nominees’ qualifications and their commitments to making America healthy, more just, and secure again. During the speech, Sen. Tuberville denounced the baseless attacks aimed at these nominees by the media and career politicians as nothing but dishonest attempts to tank President Trump’s nominations.
Read Senator Tuberville’s remarks below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.
“Mr. President,
I’d like to start by thanking Leader Thune for President Trump’s cabinet nominees so far. President Trump is on the verge of having his full team. We’ve confirmed Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem, Scott Bessent and many others who are doing an outstanding job implementing President Trump’s America First agenda, but there are more critical nominees that President Trump still needs to confirm. This includes Robert Kennedy, Kash Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard, along with a few others.
I’ve gotten the chance to meet with each of these nominees. I’ve been very impressed. They are all outstanding choices and should be confirmed to President Trump’s cabinet as soon as possible.
First, I’d like to express my complete and total support for Robert F. Kennedy’s nomination to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. You know, last November, we saw millions of Americans, especially young Americans, flock to the MAGA movement after Bobby Kennedy endorsed President Trump.
Both my sons, 28 and 30, Tucker and Troy, were huge fans of RFK and I know there’re just millions of young people who RFK [has] brought to the table and into the fold, opening our eyes towards something they had never really been involved in, and that’s the health of their generation and all generations across the country.
As we know, Bobby started [the] Make America Healthy Again movement, known as MAHA, which eventually joined forces with President Trump. MAHA isn’t just a political slogan. It’s not just a political slogan. It’s a movement. That has swept our Nation. For the first time, important issues like the effectiveness of vaccines, the dangers of prescription medicines, and the chemicals in our food and household products are part of our national political [discourse], as it should be. And it’s all because of the work of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
You know, before entering the arena, Bobby spent four decades, environmental law, and in healthcare policies, specializing in issues like water pollution, vaccines, and food safety. Four decades. He is an accomplished attorney who attended Harvard, the London School of Economics, and the University of Virginia. And he’s authored multiple best-selling books that I would suggest anybody, that’s concerned about the health of our country, should read.
Throughout his career, he has committed to discovering the truth about what is causing the chronic disease epidemic in America today. And his presidential campaign exposed the fact that we have a serious, a very serious public health crisis facing our country today and in the future.
For example, in his hearing yesterday, Bobby Kennedy laid out that over seventy percent of adults and one third of our children are overweight or obese. The rate of diabetes is ten times more prevalent today than it was in 1960. Cancer among our young people is rising by one or two percent every year. Auto immune diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders, and addiction cases are hugely on the rise. Depression and anxiety rates are absolutely through the roof. Meanwhile, more Americans are reliant on pharmaceutical drugs than ever before.
I saw that in my formal life of being a coach of players years ago, very few on any kind of drug such as Adderall or Ritalin for attention deficit. But the last few years, it was a huge uptick in prescription drugs and many, many young people across the country. These findings are alarming, and they should, and they had better shock, all of us.
Thank God, Bobby has dedicated his life to getting to the bottom of what’s causing these trends. As he did in his hearing yesterday, Bobby is an expert on the health issues facing our country and has the facts, the data, and the evidence to prove it. And he will bring his commitment to evidence-based science, transparency to our national health agencies. And it’s simple: Americans want access to all the facts so they can decide what’s best for themselves and for their families. Bobby is committed to giving Americans the information that they need to be informed and make informed decisions.
Recently, I’ve seen the mainstream media, and some politicians attempt to smear Bobby Kennedy as anti-vax, anti-industry, or an enemy of food producers. All of this couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s just a political attack. We’ve even heard from prominent Republicans like former -Vice President Mike Pence who is running ads on TV criticizing Bobby Kennedy for not being sufficiently pro-life.
Bobby addressed this himself yesterday. He believes every abortion is a tragedy, and he will work with President Trump to implement his pro-life policies. These attacks are nothing more than dishonest attempts by the DC establishment to tank his nomination. We’ve seen that in the last couple of weeks on all nominees.
Sure. Bobby Kennedy may not be the typical pick for the job, but the American people don’t want a typical pick. The one we picked four years ago for President Biden was a lawyer, lived in California, and very seldom came to Washington D.C., worked from home. We got nothing done in health and human services.
They gave us a mandate in November, 77 million people, to deliver Trump, President Trump’s agenda. And that includes Making America Healthy Again. As far as I’m concerned, Bobby is not part of being the healthcare establishment class. That’s a really good thing. We don’t need that. Look where it’s got us. The pharmaceutical industry and industrial food complex won’t be running the show anymore when Bobby Kennedy is confirmed. Instead, he will restore our health agencies to the gold standard of [scientific] research and explore [holistic] healthcare alternatives as part of our efforts to end chronic disease epidemics across this country.
Ultimately, this will lower cost for Americans and ease the burden on our entire healthcare system, which is being overrun by all of the conditions that we have popping up today. With the many public health crisis we’re facing as a country, we have no time to waste. Hope my colleagues will join me in supporting Bobby for HHS Secretary and help President Trump Make America Healthy Again.
Our next nominee, I’d like to turn to Kash Patel.
He is on the Hill today going through his confirmation hearings. Kash is President Trump’s pick to be the FBI Director, who testified in front of the Senate all morning long. Kash is an excellent choice, and he has my full support.
It’s clear to the American people that the culture at the top of our top police agency in this country, the FBI, is rotten. It’s rotten to the core. We have some good people. But the people in charge have made devastating decisions against a lot of people across this country. It is far past time to clean house at the FBI.
Over the last four years, we’ve seen the Bureau become politicized and weaponized. The Biden administration turned the FBI into the ‘fake bureau of investigation.’ The scales of justice were never fair and balanced under the last administration. Christopher Ray, the director, went after parents at school boards [and] pro-lifers. He went after Catholics. He went after grandmas who peacefully protested right outside this building on January the sixth. He went to their homes and arrested them. Not to mention the unprecedented raid on President Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
What we’ve seen unfold at our nation’s premiere law enforcement agency over the last four years is a complete and absolute disgrace to the American people and to our Constitution.
Not only has the public’s trust in [the] FBI been completely eroded, it’s been a disservice to all the great men and women in the FBI, who commit every day to defending the Constitution and protecting us as American citizens. It’s going to take a lot of hard work to right this ship. Trust has to be put back into the FBI. Kash Patel is the right man to do [the] job.
He’s qualified and has an impressive resume. He served in several national security and intelligence roles, as [a] federal prosecutor, and as a public defender. Not only is Kash qualified, but he also has the courage and the resolve needed to restore our faith in the FBI. Despite the media’s lies, Kash won’t have his enemies list when he takes a job, unlike the Biden administration. If crimes are committed, he will open an investigation, follow facts wherever they lead. No bias, no partiality.
Kash will bring back truth and transparency, uphold the rule of law and the Constitution, and protect Americans against its enemies, foreign, and domestic. He will ensure that the government works for the American people and not the other way around.
Let’s confirm Kash quickly and give President Trump an important component of his national security team. I look forward to supporting Kash Patel, and I hope my Republican colleagues will do the same.
Finally, we need to confirm Tulsi Gabbard to be our next Director of National Intelligence. Like Kash, Tulsi will play a critical role on President Trump’s national security team.
She just had her hearing in front of the Senate Intel Committee this morning. Her hearing only further confirmed to me that Tulsi is the perfect candidate for the DNI role. She is a decorated lieutenant colonel, over twenty years of service in the military. Tulsi served in combat in the Iraq War and is currently active in [the reserves]. She has a top security clearance, having passed five background checks to receive it.
Tulsi served in Congress for eight years, where she sat on the Homeland Security, Armed Services, and Foreign Relations Committee. And as a member of Congress, she consistently participated in high-level intelligence briefings. [As] she has displayed throughout her entire career in the military and as an elected official, Tulsi will bring a fearless spirit to the DNI role.
I have to tell you my meeting with Tulsi is one of the most impressive meetings I’ve had since I’ve been in this office going on five years. [Her] knowledge and expertise is unmatched. I have no doubt she will keep our country secure while protecting the Constitution and the constitutional rights of all Americans. She will help us return to peace through strength and put an end to Americans costly foreign wars.
The attacks on her, questioning her loyalty to the United States are absolutely disgusting. It’s insulting. Tulsi has devoted her entire life to serving this country, [in] the military, and in public service.
To the Senators criticizing Tulsi for not fitting the typical mold of a DNI director, [it] might just be a good thing. Have the last several years shown us that the status quo is working? No. I don’t think so. And I don’t think the American people think so either, and they’re the ones that count.
Tulsi brings a fresh perspective to the job in the America that we all want and deserve. We do not need another James Clapper. Like the FBI, we’ve seen our intelligence community weaponized to target opponents of the regime. The IC conspired to take down President Trump in 2016 and 2020. And maybe most recently [in] the election a couple months ago.
For that reason, I think Tulsi is exactly the change agent we need leading our intelligence community. Like Bobby Kennedy, Tulsi switched her party affiliation because she saw the status quo as a threat to the American people and our constitutional rights. As Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi will check her politics at the door just like she’s done the last twenty years serving in our military.
She will come to DNI without any bias. She will fix our broken intelligence community, and folks, it is broken. I look forward to confirming Tulsi to DNI.
I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting for Tulsi. She will play a major role in President Trump’s team in restoring faith in our intelligence community.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) questioned President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Army, Daniel Driscoll, in his Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) confirmation hearing. Sen. Tuberville and Mr. Driscoll discussed delays in military construction at Redstone Arsenal. Sen. Tuberville also discussed the need to better incentivize new military recruits, following the announcement of his new Chairmanship of the SASC Subcommittee on Personnel.
Read excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.
ON ARMY PILOT TRAINING PROGRAMS:
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Driscoll, thanks for being here. Thanks for your service. I wanna echo the thoughts about what’s happened last night here [in] our home territory is devastating. […] Fort Novosel in my state of Alabama, you know, we train all the vertical lift Army pilots, as you well know. […] I wanna get your thoughts on what you think about the new curriculum for a flight school that the Army has proposed. This affects all the pilots in the Army. And I wanna get your commitment continuing an open dialogue about the Army’s intent on how best to leverage existing resources. We’re cutting back on sorties. We’re not putting money in training like we used to—like we need to do. We’re undertrained in some areas. So, I’d like to get your thoughts on the curriculum and your thoughts about the future of vertical lift, especially with the new vertical lift that the Army is purchasing for the future fights that we might have.”
DRISCOLL: “Senator, to your comment on what occurred last night, I think we’re all collectively gonna have to take a deep dive and figure out what occurred there. The early indicators from what I’ve seen on television—I have no other access to information—is that it might have been a training exercise gone wrong that had catastrophic outcomes. And so, we’re going to have to work together to make sure that never occurs again or at least to mitigate the odds that it could ever occur again. And then specifically the future of vertical flight—if you look at the contested airspace with our peer China and what we will have to do. Our vertical assets are going to have to be able to get further and faster with lower signature than they do today. That being said, if you look at FARA, the current push for the Army, it is early in its development, it is incredibly expensive, and we are likely going to have to work with the Black Hawk’s and the Chinook’s and the assets that we have today. And so, if confirmed, I would wanna get briefed on this and do a deep dive with the team to figure out how are we going to position ourselves and what training do we need for the next one day to five years until we can get to a better state.”
ON MILCON DELAYS:
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. I want to discuss an issue that affects many of our installations, including mine in Huntsville, [Alabama] at Redstone, Arsenal. The issue is military construction—MILCON as we know it—we need to move fast, and the traditional military construction process is far too slow. Back at Redstone Arsenal, there are two warehouses as we speak being constructed, one for military by the [Army] Corps of Engineers and one by the FBI. These warehouses are roughly the same […], but the FBI has got a huge amount of bells and whistles, more than the military warehouse. The military warehouse is going to cost almost $56 million and it’s going to take 48 months—four years—to build this. Where the FBI facility is going to cost $40 million and [should take] take only basically a year and a half. We [have] got a problem. Okay? How on earth does this make any sense? The Army is currently running a repair by replacement pilot program that is being tested at a couple of installations to demolish older barracks and replace them with new modern facilities. The key part of this program is that it is using operations and maintenance dollars versus traditional MILCON dollars. Are you familiar with this?”
DRISCOLL: “Senator, I had the opportunity to talk with you about in your office. Yeah—and this is the type of thing that makes my blood boil on behalf of soldiers. The Army has a limited budget to begin with. We have to be good stewards of the American taxpayer’s dollars. And when we are not, it is both the taxpayer and the soldier—and these soldiers are my friends—it is my friends that live in these barracks and raise their families there. And we need to stretch these dollars as far as we can.”
ON MILITARY RECRUITING:
TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. And the other small point I want to bring up, we’ve talked about recruiting. I won’t get into that. The new recruit in the army makes $25,000 a year before taxes. We just gave [them] a raise, but we can’t expect to attract the best and the brightest young men and women in the military unless we do something else […]. I know we give them a lot of perks at the end of the day, but we have got to understand [that] $25,000 [is not enough]. I mean, most of them can make that in two months’ time in some kind of big tech [job] or whatever. So, just keep that in mind as you get into recruiting. We have got to start taking care of these young men and women if we’re gonna build the fighting force that we need. Thank you.”
DRISCOLL: “Yes, Sir.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
Chinese live-action, fantasy epic film “Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force” opened Wednesday, the Chinese Lunar New Year’s Day, in a limited theatrical release in North America.
The highly-anticipated film is being released by Well Go USA Entertainment in Mandarin with English subtitles in over 180 selected theaters in more than 30 cities across North America, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Austin, Chicago, New York, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver and a few other cities with a large overseas Chinese population.
The film is available in IMAX theaters starting Wednesday and will be available in both IMAX and other theaters starting Friday.
Based on the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel “Fengshen Yanyi,” or “The Investiture of the Gods,” the film is the second instalment of the Fengshen Trilogy and the sequel to 2023’s box office hit “Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms,” which grossed over 373 million U.S. dollars worldwide.
Directed by Chinese filmmaker Wuershan, “Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force” stars Huang Bo, Yu Shi, Naernaxi, Chen Muchi, Kris Phillips (known in China as Fei Xiang), Naran among others.
The film, released simultaneously in China and the United States, is a huge success in China with an impressive debut of 477 million yuan (around 65.78 million U.S. dollars), according to Chinese movie-ticketing and film data platform Maoyan.
It has received positive feedback from Chinese moviegoers with a rating of 9.2 points out of 10 from over 49,000 viewers on the Maoyan platform.
SAN DIEGO – Carlos Manuel da Silva Santos, the founder and chief executive officer of San Diego-based Ethos Asset Management, Inc., which offered financing to domestic and international businesses, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft today in federal court.
Santos, a Portuguese national, has been in custody since his arrest on November 13, 2023, in Newark, New Jersey, after arriving in the United States from abroad.
According to his plea agreement, Santos admitted he and co-conspirators held Ethos out to the public as a “full-service project financing” company that offered loans to prospective borrowers in exchange for an upfront fee as collateral for Ethos to use. However, on many occasions when a borrower gave Ethos the upfront fee as collateral, Ethos’ funding never materialized.
To induce prospective borrowers to send Ethos an upfront fee as collateral and enter into loan agreements, Santos and his co-conspirators lied about Ethos’ history of funding projects, the source of Ethos’ money, the amount of capital available to disburse loans, and how Ethos used the collateral upfront fees. For instance, Santos admitted that he used money from the upfront collateral fees to release collateral deposited by other borrowers and to disburse loans to other borrowers.
Santos also admitted that he and others altered otherwise legitimate financial account statements to inflate the amount of money Ethos appeared to have at its disposal to finance projects for the purpose of luring prospective borrowers to provide collateral and financial institutions to lend money. For example, in August 2021, Santos successfully induced a borrower to wire money as a collateral upfront fee by sending a bank statement that falsely represented Ethos having $100,304,447.46 when, in fact, it did not.
In February and May 2023, Santos again induced borrowers to provide collateral upfront fees by emailing a copy of Ethos’ annual financial statements reflecting falsely that Ethos had over $2.2 billion in total assets and that an accounting firm had audited the statements. Indeed, Santos admitted that he knowingly forged the signature of an employee at a bookkeeping firm on Ethos’s 2022 annual financial statement to falsely indicate that the firm had audited the statement. In each noted example, Ethos fraudulently obtained upfront fees and failed to disburse loan payments as promised.
Santos further admitted Ethos’ project financing scheme was international in nature, with a presence in the United States, Brazil, Turkey, and elsewhere. Santos admitted his scheme resulted in $17,125,000 in losses to certain U.S. based victims. The plea agreement also explains that the parties will request a restitution hearing allowing the United States to offer evidence that Santos owes significantly more money to various other victims.
According to the plea agreement, Santos also forged the signature of an employee at an accounting firm to make it appear that the firm had audited Ethos’ annual financial reports.
“Untold numbers of people fall victim to fraud schemes every year,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Whether it’s a simple email scam or an elaborate investment scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue accountability for the defendants and restitution for the victims.”
“Today’s guilty plea underscores Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) unwavering commitment to combating financial crimes,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge for HSI San Diego. “This successful outcome is the result of an extensive, long-term investigation where our dedicated agents and partners assigned to the Costa Pacifico Financial Task Force worked tirelessly and diligently to gather all the evidence and bring this individual to justice. Their unwavering commitment and thorough efforts have been instrumental in protecting our community and upholding the law.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 18, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Robert S. Huie.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Christopher Beeler, Carl F. Brooker IV, and Amy B. Wang.
If you believe you are a victim of Carlos Santos and his company Ethos Asset Management, Inc., contact Homeland Security Investigations at ethos-victim@hsi.dhs.gov.
DEFENDANT
Carlos Manuel da Silva Santos Age: 30 Portugal
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349
Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison and $250,000 fine
Aggravated Identity Theft – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 1028A
Maximum penalty: Mandatory two years in prison consecutive to the term for the underlying felony
Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today questioned Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), at his Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing.
On the politicization of the FBI:
GRAHAM: “The reason you’re here is because most of the public, almost every Republican, believes that the FBI has been used continuously in a political fashion, ignoring evidence, making up evidence, lying to get Donald Trump. And when it came to the Hunter Biden laptop, [the FBI] told every social media company, ‘oh that’s Russian disinformation.’ That was BS too… do you promise all of us those days are over at the FBI?”
PATEL: “Yes Senator, they are.”
GRAHAM: “…Do you think that’s why you’re here today, to make sure that never happens again?”
GRAHAM: “[Former FBI agent Lisa Page] responds [to former FBI agent Peter Strzok] a couple months later, ‘[Trump] is not ever going to be president, right?’ …Strzok [responded]: ‘No. No he won’t. We’ll stop him.’ Is it fair to say that the people in charge of investigating Crossfire Hurricane hated Trump’s guts?”
PATEL: “Well you don’t have to take my word for it…”
GRAHAM: “Are those days over in the FBI, you hope?”
GRAHAM: “Do you believe that Crossfire Hurricane was one of the most disgusting episodes in FBI history of a corrupt investigation led by corrupt people who wanted to take Donald Trump down?”
PATEL: “Yes, sir.”
GRAHAM: “Do you think that’s why you’re here in this chair today? To fix that?”
PATEL: “I think that’s a big reason.”
On Democrats’ attacks on Patel’s character:
GRAHAM: “Have you ever been subject to racism as an individual?”
PATEL: “Unfortunately, Senator, yes. I don’t want to get into those details with my family here.”
GRAHAM: “Let’s get into a few of them. Tell me about it.”
PATEL: “Well, if you look at the record from January 6th, where I testified before that committee, because of my personal information being released by Congress, I was subjected to a direct and significant threat on my life. And I put that information in the record. I had to move. In that threat, I was called a detestable, and I apologize if I don’t get it all right, but it’s in the record, a detestable [expletive] who had no right being in this country. ‘You should go back to where you came from. You belong with your terrorist home friends.’ That’s what was sent to me. That’s just the piece of it, but that’s nothing compared to what the men and women in law enforcement face every day, and that’s why they have my support.” https://youtu.be/KoHclcynkNI?si=RkOg1tDKXzfFDO8_&t=7
Click here to watch Graham question Kash Patel
Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), announced her subcommittee appointments for the Senate Appropriations Committee, which helps shape the federal government’s spending policies. This year, Senator Fischer has added a sixth subcommittee: Financial Services and General Government.
“For the past two years, my position on the Appropriations Committee has given Nebraska a seat at the table in allocating precious taxpayer dollars. These key subcommittee appointments for the 119th Congress will give Nebraskans continued input into the programs and agencies that directly impact our state. Particularly as a member of the Agriculture and Military Construction subcommittees, I look forward to advocating for Nebraska’s number one industry and our critical military facilities like Offutt Air Force Base,” said Senator Fischer.
Senator Fischer will serve on the following Appropriations Subcommittees:
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Has jurisdiction over U.S. Department of Defense facilities and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Justice.
Legislative Branch
Has jurisdiction over the U.S. Capitol Police, Architect of the Capitol, Congressional Budget Office, and Library of Congress.
Financial Services and General Government
Has jurisdiction over several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Treasury, Small Business Administration, Federal Trade Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Click here for the full list of federal agencies.
Senator Fischer will continue to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; and the Senate Agriculture Committee; the Senate Rules Committee; and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Published: January 30, 2025
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins applauded the signing of the Laken Riley Act into law. Senator Collins joined 52 of her Senate colleagues as cosponsors of this bipartisan legislation, which passed the House of Representatives and the Senate by votes of 263-156 and 64-35, respectively. The bill will require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal immigrants who are charged with, arrested for, or convicted of certain crimes including theft or burglary, and was amended to expand the list of crimes to include assault of a police officer or an offense that resulted in serious bodily harm or death.
“The horrific murder of Laken Riley by an illegal immigrant who had a criminal record was preventable,” said Senator Collins. “The Laken Riley Act will provide immigration and law enforcement authorities with the legal tools they need to help prevent such tragedies in the future.”
Laken Hope Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student who was brutally killed during a jog around the University of Georgia’s intramural fields. Her killer is a 26-year-old Venezuelan citizen who unlawfully entered the United States in 2022, had no personal connection to Laken, and had been arrested for criminal activity – including acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17, shoplifting, and other violations – after illegally entering the country. Despite these arrests, he was not detained and subsequently murdered Laken.
The complete text of the bill can be read here.
Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding the confirmation of Doug Burgum as U.S. Secretary of the Interior:
“Doug Burgum will be a great asset at the Department of the Interior. From serving as Governor of North Dakota, he understands the real-world consequences of the Department’s actions, and he knows that balance is key to safeguarding our nation’s beautiful landscapes and natural treasures. I’m particularly encouraged by Doug’s enthusiasm for restoring American energy dominance and shoring up supply chains critical to national security. Secretary Burgum’s dedication to the responsible stewardship of our public lands without threatening American prosperity and security is just what we need at the helm of the Department of the Interior.”
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and 10 colleagues in introducing the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act to combat illegal fentanyl and keep communities safe.
This legislation makes permanent the temporary classification of fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This permanent scheduling will give law enforcement the tools they need to keep extremely lethal and dangerous drugs off our streets and ensure scientists can research and better understand these substances. Overdoses, largely driven by fentanyl, are the leading cause of death among young adults 18 to 45 years old. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl account for 66 percent of the total U.S. overdose deaths.
“Far too many Nevadans have lost their lives due to fentanyl, and we need to give law enforcement the tools they need to keep our communities safe,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “My bipartisan bill will keep this deadly drug off our streets, save lives, and make it easier for law enforcement to bring drug traffickers to justice.”
The HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently schedule illicitly produced fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs and streamline the regulatory process for scientists seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to research Schedule I substances. The drug’s Schedule I classification is set to expire on March 31, 2025. Senators Cortez Masto, Cassidy, Grassley, and Heinrich were joined by U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-V.W.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Kennedy (R-La.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in introducing the legislation. A one-pager can be found here and the bill text can be found here.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023. This was primarily fueled by synthetic opioids, including illegal fentanyl, which are largely manufactured in Mexico from raw materials supplied by China. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the HALT Fentanyl Act in March 2023.
Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
(Washington, DC) – In case you missed it: Last night, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to condemn the Trump administration’s order to take away federal grants and loans that families, seniors and small businesses in all 50 states rely on for critical, often life-saving services. Shaheen illustrated the chaos caused by the extreme order by sharing the stories of many Granite Staters she has heard from this week. Click here to watch the Senator’s speech.
Key quotes from Senator Shaheen:
“This is a decision that does not lower costs, it does not create jobs, it does not enhance public safety or keep our communities safe. It’s a decision that actually will hurt people in my state of New Hampshire and too many across the country who rely on services that are now in jeopardy.”
“People in our states can’t get the housing that they’re counting on. If they can’t get their funding, that means more people are forced to live in their cars, on the streets. It means more people can’t get the help they need with substance use disorders or finding work. It means more people are stuck without permanent housing. And these are veterans, they’re families, they’re victims of domestic violence – they’re all placed at risk because of this order.”
“Another of my constituents, Kathleen, lives in housing for seniors. She has debilitating medical issues that make it hard for her to leave her home. She gets all of her food from a local food bank. She called my office because she’s worried that if this funding stops, she’ll be on the street, and she doesn’t know where her meals will come from. That’s what this order and these cuts are threatening.”
“Common sense calls for all of us to work on a bipartisan basis to help our constituents and put an end to the chaos that has been created by this administration in only its second week. I hope we can do that.”
Remarks as delivered can be found below:
Mr. President, I come to the floor this evening to join my colleagues to express my deep concerns about the Trump Administration’s extreme decision to take away services that millions of families and small businesses rely on.
This is a decision that does not lower costs, that does not create jobs, that does not enhance public safety or keep our communities safe. It’s a decision that actually will hurt people in my state of New Hampshire and too many across the country who rely on services that are now in jeopardy.
On Monday night, more than 2,600 federal programs were ordered to cease activities with less than 24 hours’ notice. They were given little guidance on how this should be carried out, and in every state across the country, confusion and panic among too many people followed.
Since that order, I have heard from countless Granite Staters who are worried about what this means for them and their families–from healthcare providers to nonprofit organizations to so many who are doing essential, lifesaving work.
Many of these organizations are waiting on promised funding for projects that they have already completed, funding that they went through the process, that they were guaranteed they were going to get these awards, and now they are in jeopardy.
The Trump Administration claims it wants to lower costs for folks. Well, let me be clear: this unprecedented decision does nothing to bring down the price of food, the price of housing, the price of childcare, the price of medications, or other lifesaving needs that families have.
So what we saw this afternoon is that the Administration tried to walk back their order; they rescinded the memo. But sadly, uncertainty and confusion remains, because the White House says that they rescinded the memo but the freeze wasn’t rescinded. So like a lot of people in New Hampshire, I’m concerned, and I’m frustrated. In my state and across much of the country, there is an affordable housing crisis. Because of the Administration’s actions, housing organizations across New Hampshire are not able to use federal funds.
I heard from the Executive Director of the housing authority in the city of Rochester. They said they have 170 families who are at risk of being homeless if they can’t get their operating funding–and that is just one housing authority.
Despite what the Administration said about rental assistance not being affected, at no point yesterday did the Department of Housing and Urban Development say that this money would continue to be available. Housing funding that keeps all of these families and hundreds more across New Hampshire in their homes is at risk of being cut off.
Yesterday, we also heard from the mortgage bankers association. They were asking for clarity because they couldn’t be sure if they could help families complete the purchases of their homes.
The person we talked to said: “Americans are going to the closing table tomorrow and deserve to know that their loan will close on their home purchase. Without this clear assurance that the federal government will ensure new loans or pay claims under these programs, there will be severe harm to borrowers and disruption to the mortgage market.” Well, HUD gave that clarity for single-family mortgage insurance but not for multifamily properties, such as apartment buildings. That affects 20 percent of the multifamily housing construction across the country. Let me just say that again. It affects 20 percent of the multifamily housing construction that is happening right now. We are talking about 130,000 apartments nationally that are jeopardized by this administration’s actions.
Our housing shortage is much of why the most recent point-in-time count for homelessness found it up 18 percent across the country. We have far too many people in this country who don’t have a roof over their heads, and that is especially dangerous during these winter months.
Meanwhile, even though 2 weeks ago New Hampshire nonprofits and state and local governments were awarded more than $14 million to help shelter people and support them, today, they couldn’t access that money. That means they won’t have the funding they need for rent or to get reimbursed for supportive services.
And I want to be clear: even after a judge stayed the order, my constituents still cannot access their funding. The presiding officer is a former governor. He knows what that means. People in our states can’t get the housing that they are counting on. If they can’t get their funding, that means more people are forced to live in their cars, on the streets. It means more people can’t get the help they need with substance use disorders or in finding work. It means more people are stuck without permanent housing. These are veterans; they are families; they are victims of domestic violence. They are all placed at risk because of this order.
I heard from one constituent who has a mortgage from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She has owned her home for 20 years now. She is almost at the point where she has paid off that mortgage, but without the mortgage assistance that she gets from the USDA, she is worried that she might lose her home entirely.
Another of my constituents, Kathleen, lives in housing for seniors. She has debilitating medical issues that make it hard for her to leave her home. She gets all of her food from a local food bank. She called my office because she is worried, if this funding stops, she will be on the street, and she doesn’t know where her meals are going to come from.
That’s what this order and these cuts are threatening–leaving seniors without a roof over their heads, not knowing where their next meal is going to come from.
It is not just in housing that people are concerned. The effects on communities are significant. The chaos of this order is hurting communities that have been promised funding for improvements they have made to their water infrastructure, to their energy use, and even to city parks.
We heard from the town of Conway, which is in the heart of the Mt. Washington valley in the white mountains. With help from the environmental protection agency, Conway has fixed an aging sewer pipe, their sewer main, to keep sewage from leaking into the groundwater.
New Hampshire is really good at working at the local, state, and federal level to address critical infrastructure. This week, Conway received word that, at least for now, they can’t get paid, thanks to this order from the Trump Administration. Conway has already done the work, they have already paid the contractors, and as of today, they are waiting for reimbursement of about $400,000 from the federal government. That is a big deal for a town in a rural area that has fewer than 10,000 people. It affects their tax base. If the federal government doesn’t come through with the money that has been promised, then taxpayers in Conway are going to have to make up that difference.
It is unacceptable for the administration to suggest that it won’t pay this bill, leaving families on the hook for unaffordable rate hikes.
I have also heard from one town administrator who is not yet sure how broad the scope of the administration’s order is and how it is going to affect their ongoing wastewater infrastructure project that is using a mix of federal and non-federal funds.
Their pump station relies on tarps to keep out the elements. The structure and equipment that keep the sewer system functioning face imminent failure. Without the federal funding–which, just to be clear again, has already been committed–there is no way this town can complete this project. That the whims of an unconfirmed budget director can create this degree of uncertainty is maddening.
I have heard from Kristen Murphy, who is with the town of Exeter. She is very concerned about the pause and the impact it will have on energy efficiency funding.
The energy efficiency community block grant program was poised to host a presentation in February for resident-owned manufactured housing on funding opportunities for energy efficiency. That is particularly important for those people who live in manufactured housing. And I did when my husband and I were in graduate school. We lived in what we called a mobile home; now it is manufactured housing. I know how challenging it is to keep them heated and warm and comfortable for the people who live there.
As Kristen pointed out, support for these manufactured housing communities is essential because a greater percentage of their annual income goes to home heating costs than it does for most people.
The Administration’s actions also threaten other projects in Exeter, like a landfill solar array that is currently under construction, improvements to critical stormwater infrastructure, and funding for a multigenerational community center.
There are a dozen other small towns in my state–from Gorham in the northern part of New Hampshire to Keene in the west over the Connecticut River Valley along Vermont—who have made improvements to their parks and community spaces through the land and water conservation fund. These towns have matched federal funding dollar for dollar to improve quality of life in their communities, and as of today, because of the uncertainty and the way this order is being interpreted, taxpayers are left holding the bag.
In the area of childcare and nutrition, the chaos and confusion from the White House over the past 2 days have created significant uncertainty for early education programs, and it risks further fueling the childcare crisis.
Again, like housing, we have a childcare crisis in New Hampshire. The cost of childcare for the average family, if they have a toddler and an infant, is over $30,000 a year.
Now, fortunately, the timing of this uncertainty has not disrupted services in New Hampshire so far, but I am hearing stories of programs in other states that had to temporarily stop serving families because they were not able to access the funds they needed.
It is unclear what the impacts of these shifting policies will be on child care and development block grants, which working families rely on to be able to afford care for their children while parents are at work.
My office has heard from the Childcare Network Collaborative in New Hampshire with significant concerns that childcare providers may be prevented from accessing community development block grant funding that they have already been awarded. These funds are intended for the purchase of a building that will prevent huge rent increases for childcare providers and help fuel an expansion of childcare in the rural parts of northern New Hampshire.
Childcare programs are also concerned about the potential impacts on other federal programs that the families they serve rely on. For example, while the Administration eventually said yesterday that SNAP payments wouldn’t be affected, programs are finding it hard to reassure families about whether they will actually get their monthly payments on time given the disruptions that we have already seen to programs that were not supposed to be affected according to the Administration’s own words. So more chaos and uncertainty.
That is why so many of my constituents are telling me they simply do not trust what they are hearing from the White House.
Families relying on programs like SNAP for food and WIC for women, infants, and children to keep from going hungry already struggle to make their benefits last until the beginning of the next month. Any payment delays, even if it is just a few days, will cause needless suffering for hungry children. It is cruel to be putting struggling families through this unnecessary anxiety. When it comes to law and order, the president often speaks about his commitment to law and order. In 2020, he criticized democrats who supposedly wanted to “defund” and “abolish” the police. Yet here we are with the president stopping federal funds from going to police and law enforcement agencies. Make no mistake, this stoppage could place lives and livelihoods in jeopardy.
I heard from Strafford County Sheriff Kathyrn Mone about how the cutoff of funds will affect them. I live in Strafford County, so I know the sheriff there very well. Strafford County was awarded a $715,000 COPS technology grant to buy much needed modern and interoperable portable and mobile radios for first responders. The U.S. Department of Justice notified the county on Monday that they are going to withhold these funds, forcing the county to place a hold on the order of new, updated radios. Now, this may not sound like a big deal to some, but this equipment helps Strafford County first responders protect Granite Staters. If first responders can’t communicate effectively, by definition, they can’t respond to emergencies and crimes.
When I was governor, we had a horrible shooting in northern New Hampshire. Two state troopers, a judge, and a newspaper editor were killed. As they were trying to get the perpetrator, our state police couldn’t talk to local police, they couldn’t talk to the Vermont law enforcement, they couldn’t talk to the Canadians, and they couldn’t talk to Maine–all of whom were involved in trying to catch the perpetrator–because they didn’t have the communication, the radios they needed to keep people safe.
In the same vein, the town of Newington on the Seacoast was awarded $80,000 to replace 20-year-old radios and technology that can’t communicate with modern equipment. The town was on the verge of submitting its invoices to be reimbursed for buying this crucial public safety equipment when the trump administration stopped the flow of federal funds.
If they are in an emergency, like a natural disaster or a mass shooter, Newington’s police and fire departments would not be able to communicate on their current radio equipment to coordinate an effective response with federal, state, and local partners. This lack of coordination among first responders could result in Newington’s police or fire department not arriving in time to fight a fire or to rescue people in need of help. The lack of modern radio communications could result in people not getting medical care quickly enough.
Again, this is much needed equipment that allows officers to communicate quickly and effectively to not only protect the people they serve but to protect each other.
Thanks to President Trump, Newington is being forced to pause its upgrade of 20-year-old equipment.
It should also be noted that the White House payment freeze means that the businesses who sold Newington the radios and associated equipment are not going to get paid in a timely fashion.
So let’s call it what it is: stopping funds to law enforcement and first responders puts lives and businesses in jeopardy.
It also affects defense contractors. New Hampshire has a strong defense industrial base. We have a lot of companies that do great work to protect our men and women who are serving. The federal funding freeze is hitting those small businesses and manufacturers that rely on defense contracts to pay their workforce, which is critical to maintaining our national security.
For example, the New Hampshire APEX accelerators program relies on grants from the Department of Defense to help small businesses navigate federal contracting. In New Hampshire, government contracts and subcontracts totaled $4 billion last year.
Now, that is not just some number that helps fuel our economy. For people from big states, maybe that doesn’t sound like a lot of money in your economy, but in New Hampshire’s economy, that is a lot of money, and it is an investment in our national defense. It is a manufacturing worker’s ability to support their family. So let’s not lose sight of what and who we are talking about here.
The freeze blocks funding under the Defense Production Act, which expands the defense industrial base under national security emergencies. Right now, we have a lot of businesses in New Hampshire that are receiving funding under the defense production act to support their operations. These grants strengthen military readiness and capacity.
In the area of health, this pause will also cause real harm to healthcare providers and patients across our state. Everyone from our largest hospitals down to individual patients is reaching out to my office. They are confused, and they are scared.
The most immediate consequences will be felt by safety net providers like community health centers. They are vital to caring for our most vulnerable populations. Their patients are often uninsured for healthcare. Sometimes they are homeless. Some of them suffer from substance use disorders or mental illness. They rely on their community health centers just to get through the day.
As much as 50 percent of community health center funding comes from federal grants, and their operating margins are slim.
Lamprey Health Care in Newmarket, in the southern part of New Hampshire, tried and failed to draw down federal funds yesterday. They have another scheduled drawdown for early next week. This means that Lamprey has a limited number of days before the Trump Administration’s order limits the services they can provide to the community.
Amoskeag Health–another one of our community health centers–provides services in Manchester, our largest city. It would also suffer from a funding pause. Thirty-five percent of their funding comes from federal grants, and they only have 19 days of cash on hand, which would cover just 1 week of payroll. They are scheduled to get funding on Monday, and that is now in the lurch.
Federal funding to train the healthcare workforce is also being threatened. New Hampshire struggles to retain and recruit healthcare providers, and federal funding is critical to ensuring we have enough providers in rural and underserved areas.
Last week, Elliot Hospital–one of the largest hospitals in the largest city, in Manchester–received notice that $3 million in funding for its nursing expansion grant program was put on hold. There are currently 80 potential students enrolled in this program. The program is designed to address the acute nursing workforce shortage by attracting local applicants in the greater Manchester community. The funding freeze now puts that effort in jeopardy. And Coos County Family Health, the northernmost county in New Hampshire, up along the Canadian border, is another community health center where access to healthcare can be extremely limited. Patients frequently have to drive hours to get access to some of the most basic services.
Coos County Family Health received a planning grant through the Health Resources and Services Administration, HRSA, to establish a rural medical residency program. Just this week, they received their accreditation, which is so exciting. They were so excited. And now the process begins to recruit and retain future doctors. The sole purpose of this program is to train health providers in Coos County, an area that struggles to attract talent. When we train these doctors in rural areas, they are more likely to stay after residency and become core members of the community. Any other week, this would be great news: more doctors to treat patients in need. But, today, their future funding through HRSA is at risk, thanks to the uncertainty created by these executive orders.
Training doctors to treat sick or injured patients shouldn’t be a controversial issue, but according to this administration, it is.
Coos County Family Health also uses federal funding to support the victims of domestic violence that come into their practice. Specialized staff offer the victims counseling and support services–things like access to shelter. The staff connects victims with law enforcement and even offers prevention programs in local schools. Without federal funding, they will be forced to lay off these staff members.
I don’t know, does the Administration think that domestic violence survivors are unworthy of our support? Does this administration believe that causing chaos is more important than protecting our most vulnerable? Maybe this is what President Trump meant when he said he wanted disrupters. I don’t believe this is what the public wanted.
Mental health programs are also at risk. New Hampshire’s suicide rate is higher than the national average, and we need every available resource to help address this issue.
Northern Human Services and the National Alliance on Mental Illness use funding from the Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Grant to provide afterschool support to youth experiencing suicidal ideation or those who have recently attempted suicide. We are literally talking about taking away services from children who are thinking about committing suicide. I heard from the folks at NAMI, the New Hampshire Alliance on Mental Illness. They almost in tears when they talked about what was going to happen if they couldn’t serve these kids who need help.
And there is also navigating recovery, offering around-the-clock substance use disorder services in the city of Laconia. They are a small nonprofit, and they make use of every dollar they get by offering 24/7 support for individuals that have just overdosed, and that includes literally going into the hospital to be with the patient as they recover. They offer wrap-around services like connecting individuals to housing, job opportunities, and childcare so they can find stability as they go through recovery.
53 percent of Navigating recovery’s funding comes from federal sources, including the State Opioid Response Grant Program. I have worked for years to get dollars to the state under that SOR program, including last year when New Hampshire was awarded nearly $30 million.
And I have to say, in the first term of the Trump Administration, President Trump was very supportive of these dollars. We worked with his administration to get additional funding to address the fact that New Hampshire was one of the hardest hit states. So I don’t know why, suddenly, they are willing to put that funding at risk by this freeze, because it has done more to prevent fatal overdoses and support recovery services than any other federal program. Navigating recovery uses those dollars on the ground. Without it, they would only have weeks before they start laying off staff and stop offering services.
Despite what this administration claims, it is the individuals who will pay the price of this uncertainty and chaos. This spending freeze is yet another example of the Administration ignoring how their policies affect individuals’ peace of mind, the livelihoods and the health of Americans at risk.
And then we are seeing broader attacks by the Office of Management and Budget on federal employees. The Trump Administration didn’t stop at ripping funding away from vulnerable Americans this week. While much of the public’s focus has been held by that order, they have continued their relentless attack on federal employees.
Over 2 million civil servants working in thousands of essential fields–from healthcare to law enforcement to national security–who keep our country running, are under attack. And listen, I think we need to be more efficient and more effective, and we may have people who are not doing their jobs the way we want them to, but what this order has done is created confusion over the spending freeze–the hiring freeze instituted by the President’s executive order.
The Administration claims this is temporary, but thousands of Americans who had job offers on the table saw those offers revoked–even those who were ready to fill some of our most urgent vacancies, like at the VA. Even though the Department of Veterans Affairs said it would not apply this hiring freeze to many VA positions dedicated to providing veterans’ healthcare and benefits, many crucial programs that veterans depend on will not be able to hire staff to serve our veterans.
For example, the VA will not be hiring caseworkers who help veterans get into permanent housing and related support. They won’t be able to hire the personnel that literally keep the lights on and buildings running, such as fire protection, housekeeping, plumbing, boiler plant operation, laundry services, and other essential roles.
And we should remember that, year after year, the VA has had challenges in addressing these critical gaps. Last year, the VA reported almost 3,000 severe occupational staffing shortages. But that didn’t stop this administration from pulling every pending job offer the day they took office. And while some have been reinstated, others are still in limbo. In just one example, VA employees at a facility focused on research and care for veterans with late-stage cancer were told their jobs were under review and they may be terminated altogether. Now, I know everybody in this chamber believes that we have made a commitment to those who have served this country in uniform, and we don’t want to fail our veterans when they return home and enter civilian life. So how does this firing of people who take care of them help us fulfill that commitment?
And then, if we want to talk about jobs that keep Americans safe, let’s talk about keeping planes from falling out of the sky or colliding on runways. I worked closely with the National Air Traffic Control Union and the FAA’s collaborative resource working group to adopt a new staffing model in last year’s FAA reauthorization bill.
We have a significant number of air traffic controllers in New Hampshire. They do a great job of keeping people in the flying public safe as they enter North America, all the way down to New York, in some of the most congested airspaces in the country. Now, the FAA made good progress in hiring last year as a result. They are still more than 3,500 controllers, however, short of their staffing target, and the controllers we do have work 6-day weeks, 10-hour days on a good week. They are exhausted; they are overworked; and they face severe mental health challenges as a result.
The FAA estimated that 10 percent of the federal air traffic controller workforce would depart last year as a result of these conditions. And despite this, these air traffic controllers still haven’t been told conclusively whether or not air traffic controllers are exempt from the hiring freeze.
Now, if preventing us from filling shortages and taking care of some of our most vulnerable wasn’t enough, OMB is actively trying to get rid of the civil servants we do have. This week, millions of federal employees received emails offering to pay their salaries for the rest of the fiscal year in exchange for resigning now–and that included every single air traffic controller in the country.
Now, you might be asking yourselves why, when we are short more than 3,500 air traffic controllers, did we offer to pay the ones we have not to work? Well, like the hiring freeze, this order is an irresponsible, reckless, nontargeted effort that could have devastating consequences for critical positions.
What’s more, they are trying to convince us that this will save money, making it clear that even if we lose thousands of employees with no plans to replace them, we will be better off.
Well, that is bad news for tourism in New Hampshire, for those who work closely with U.S. Forest service personnel and depend on sound management of the White Mountain National Forest, and it is bad news for people who value clean air and clean water.
This message was also sent to more than 780,000 civilian employees who work for the department of defense. In New Hampshire, we have almost 8,000 civilians who work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard that we share with the state of Maine. There are four public shipyards in the United States. Our employees in Portsmouth have the best on-time, on-budget record of any of the public shipyards. These employees contribute to the maintenance of our nuclear submarines, an essential tenet of our national security and a crucial capability to deter major conflict. Any impact to their workforce will strain a shipbuilding industrial base that is already saturated with demand to meet the requirements of our navy.
The bottom line: if the shipyard can’t get boats to the fleet on time, our nation is less safe.
The freeze on federal assistance also affects critical programs that support men and women in uniform, including DOD’s financial assistance and grant programs that support servicemembers and their families.
This administration has said repeatedly that it wants to “restore the warrior ethos” at the Pentagon. I don’t know about you, but slashing our defense workforce doesn’t help me sleep any better at night. I don’t think that restores the warrior ethos.
So in conclusion–I see my other colleagues here, and I know they are waiting to speak–the actions this week have only created confusion, chaos, and stress. That is the best-case scenario, if it ends right now. But if not, if the Trump Administration and Elon Musk get their way and cut these programs, working Americans will be the ones to suffer the most.
The need for housing, sewers, and childcare doesn’t go away when this administration says they don’t want to pay the bills. These costs just get pushed down to towns and end up coming out of people’s paychecks. It ends up being paid on the backs of our local taxpayers.
Now, again, the Administration tried to walk this back by rescinding Monday’s memo, but then they added confusion by claiming that the underlying funding freeze was still in place. And they are unable to answer basic questions about who and what will be affected.
Maybe it is just me and the hundreds of Granite Staters whom I have heard from, but if you are going to stop all the critical funding that helps seniors, children, and families across this country, you need a better answer than we’re hearing from this White House.
Instead, what we heard during the white house briefing–when asked one of these basic questions, Americans were told: we’ll check on that and get back to you.
So to Granite Staters who have called my office in distress, wondering what this far-reaching, unprecedented move means for their lives and their livelihoods: don’t worry. The White House is going to get back to you.
That’s outrageous–and this, despite not one but two federal judges who have ordered the White House to stop holding these funds. The Administration has made it clear that they intend to move forward with vague, irresponsible executive orders that jeopardize billions in infrastructure, energy, healthcare, workforce, and educational investments.
Hard-working families, businesses, and nonprofits have been calling my office asking for clarity, and this administration hasn’t been willing to provide any.
Common sense calls for all of us to work on a bipartisan basis to help our constituents to put an end to the chaos and uncertainty that has been created by this administration in only its second week.
I hope we can do that.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
On Monday, the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced a sweeping executive order pausing almost all forms of federal assistance to states, nonprofits, non-governmental organizations and more. Senator Shaheen immediately condemned the move and emphasized the impact it will have on communities. The full list that agencies were directed to review encompasses over 2,600 assistance programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), community health centers, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), transportation and highway funding, energy assistance programs, water infrastructure funding, State Opioid Targeted Response grants, GI Bill, veteran compensation for service connected disabilities, Section 8 vouchers, school breakfast and lunch, Title I education grants, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Head Start.
Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies, and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, are today introducing the bipartisan Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act to strengthen efforts to address the substance use disorder crisis that is impacting communities across the nation. The bipartisan bill would help prevent youth opioid use and overdoses by establishing a new grant program that allows current or former Drug-Free Communities (DFC) coalitions to partner with schools to provide resources educating students about the dangers of synthetic opioids.
“Our bipartisan bill will help save lives by educating students and young people across the country about the dangers of synthetic opioids,” said Shaheen. “We’ve made progress in recent years to stem the substance use epidemic, but there’s more we can and should do to ensure kids know just how deadly opioids can be. Our bipartisan Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act would help do just that.”
“Stamping out drug abuse in our communities and schools demands an all-hands approach. One piece of the puzzle is supporting drug prevention programs that educate young people about synthetic opioids and preventable resources,” Grassley said. “I’m glad to support this vital and fiscally responsible bill to protect our next generation from the dangers of addiction.”
The Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act would authorize $7 million per year for five years for a new grant program eligible to DFC grantees and other qualifying DFCs. The bipartisan bill allows DFC grantees to apply for additional funding to partner with schools to plan, implement and evaluate comprehensive school-based substance use prevention programing.
Shaheen has spearheaded crucial legislation and funding to stem the opioid epidemic, including through her leadership on the pivotal U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, which funds the U.S. Department of Justice. Shaheen has also worked to increase access to substance use treatment in New Hampshire. Last year, Shaheen led the state’s congressional delegation in fighting for $29,880,604 in State Opioid Response (SOR) grants directed to New Hampshire. Shaheen fought to secure this investment in the government funding legislation for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 that was signed into law. Additionally, the Shaheen-led State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act increased funding and provided critical flexibilities for states administering SOR spending. In recent years, Shaheen successfully pushed the Department of Health and Human Services to maintain SOR funding levels for New Hampshire and avoid significant cliffs in funding year-over-year. Shaheen’s efforts have led to a more than tenfold increase in federal treatment and prevention funding for New Hampshire.
Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a top member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), led 18 of her colleagues on SASC and the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense—U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of SASC, Patty Murray (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Angus King (I-ME), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)—in releasing the following statement on the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) rescission of policy that allowed service members to get reimbursed for travel and transportation for non-covered reproductive care. Earlier this week the Senator’s office obtained a memo that updates the Joint Travel Regulations to rescind this policy.
“This decision strips away service members’ ability to access the reproductive care they need, which is nothing short of abhorrent. It runs contrary to a core goal of the Department of Defense – to ensure the health and wellbeing of all our service members so that our force remains ready at all times to protect Americans and keep this nation safe.
“U.S. service members have no control over where they are stationed and what state laws may govern their bodies. The policy that the Department of Defense took away from our servicewomen and military families provided them the ability to travel to another state to seek out the care they need. Rescinding that does nothing to enhance military readiness.
“At a time when we are already facing military recruitment and retention challenges, we should do all we can to assure those who answer the call to serve America that we will do everything in our power to support them and their families. Instead, this extreme action does the opposite and sends a message to servicewomen—who make up more than 17 percent of our military’s active duty—that they are not as valuable as their male counterparts.
“We will do everything in our power to mitigate the impact that this extreme decision will have on members of our military and ensure their health and safety comes first.”
Last Congress, Shaheen introduced the Protecting Service Members and Military Families’ Access to Health Care Act – legislation that would codify the DoD’s February 16, 2023 policy to ensure service members and their families can access non-covered reproductive health care, including abortion services, regardless of the state in which they are stationed.
Strength in numbers is what gathered many at the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation hall recently. Many are workers for Delta Air Lines in and around Minneapolis and St. Paul, and they all could agree on one thing – costs for everyday living are getting out of hand.
“No matter what part of the plane you’re at, eggs cost the same, rent costs the same, no matter what part of the plane you’re working on,” said Marcia Howard, President of the Minnesota Federation of Teachers. “Collectively, how are we going to stand? Side to side, shoulder to shoulder, and I am telling you, it’s going to be here.”
A packed union hall already had many standing side to side, shoulder to shoulder, just to hear speakers.
WATCH:Delta workers push for a vote to unionize in MNKARE-TV Minneapolis
U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum and Campaign Manager Raquel Sidie-Wagner for U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, spoke about how powerful and mighty a union could be for Delta ramp, cargo, and tower workers, who are organizing with the IAM Union, and their siblings who are Delta flight attendants, organizing with the AFA-CWA, across the country.
The push is on to ensure that union authorization cards signed are less than one year old.
“As long as you keep fighting you’re gonna win. We are absolutely going to win,” IAM Associate Organizer Tiffany Lopez told the prospective members.
She, along with other organizers working on the Delta organizing campaign, put this rally together to keep people together and focused on what a unionized Delta workforce could accomplish.
“There is nothing wrong with wanting more,” said Lopez. “There is nothing wrong with needing and demanding the respect you deserve.”
Rob LaVigne, a Delta ramp worker in Minneapolis, spoke to the crowd as his daughter, Aubrielle, looked on.
“Sweetie, I am going to say some words. Don’t repeat them,” said LaVigne.
He asked if anyone in the hall thinks it’s fair that Delta’s healthcare coverage, which covers his daughter, has changed three times in the past four years.
“I am going to talk about respect,” said LaVgine. “Do you feel respected by Delta Air Lines? Respect is not fearing that you are going to lose your full time schedule every six months because the company wants to make $4.7 billion in profit, instead of $4.6 billion. They come to the ramp to make cuts.”
“It’s not a movement trying to crush the company into oblivion,” said LaVigne. “We’re trying to raise up this airline and raise up the workers that made the airline.”
“A strong union makes company management better,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “If the company’s relationship with their workers has power and meaning, they have to respect that workforce when decisions are made. These workers are trying to organize so that they have power and a voice on the job. I am so proud that the IAM is helping with that movement.”
Amanda Goodman Berry knows what it’s like to try to move Delta management to make change. As a Delta ramp worker in Minneapolis, she championed a campaign to update a company MLK Day video including not only his “I Have A Dream Speech,” but the foundation of his work building up the working class and standing for worker rights.
“Dr. King was organizing sanitation workers back in 1968 [hours before his assassination], so I invited Delta to match their words to what they were saying,” said Goodman Berry. “The solidarity of the various people that came out today was very important to us. This was a powerhouse of leaders, groups, and people supporting the [Delta] ramp know that we will 100% get to the finish line with the IAM, and the IAM has given us unwavering support.”
It’s a numbers game, and for Delta ramp, cargo and tower, along with flight attendants – it’s game on.
The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republican Governors Association Chair Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued the following statement after Doug Burgum was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the Secretary of the Interior.
“Congratulations to our new Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum! Secretary Burgum will bring innovative solutions, common sense, and pragmatic leadership to the Department of the Interior.
“Republican governors look forward to working with President Trump and Secretary Burgum to maximize the responsible use of America’s natural resources, and unleash American energy.”
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury in New Mexico has found Robert Haack guilty of wire fraud, mail fraud, and violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act for selling counterfeit Charles Loloma jewelry on eBay, following a 4-day trial that concluded after approximately 4 hours of deliberation.
Charles Loloma is one of the most well-known Native American jewelry-makers of the 20th century. Today, his work is featured in many galleries and museums across the southwest. His authentic pieces can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Evidence presented at trial revealed that Haack engaged in a sophisticated scheme to defraud buyers by creating counterfeit Loloma jewelry pieces in his California home and selling them for several thousands of dollars per piece on eBay. As part of the investigation into Haack, undercover federal agents purchased two pieces, pictured below, from him off of eBay in order to have them analyzed for authenticity.
Loloma’s niece, Verma Nequatewa, a jeweler who studied under her famous uncle, examined the two pieces purchased from Haack by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agents and testified at trial that they were fakes.
The jury was also presented with evidence seized from Haack‘s home, including raw materials for jewelry-making, unfinished Loloma-style jewelry, engraving tools hidden in a boot, practice Loloma signatures on metal shards, and design sketches.
It is estimated that Haack sold more than four-hundred thousand dollars’ worth of fake Loloma jewelry before he was charged. The scheme spanned several years, causing significant harm not only to the victims who were defrauded but also to Loloma’s legacy and the broader Native American art community.
“We will protect the sacred cultural heritage and unique history of authentic Native American artistry as well as consumers from scammers,” said U.S Attorney Uballez.
“Robert Haack’s counterfeit operation significantly impacted the Native American art and craft marketplace,” said Doug Ault, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Native American art fraud is a serious crime that exploits consumers and severely undermines the economic and cultural livelihood of Native American artists and Tribes. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is equipped with a dedicated team of special agents focused on enforcing the Indian Art and Crafts Act on behalf of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board. Through these investigations, the Service endeavors to protect and preserve the authenticity of art produced by our Nation’s Native American artisans. We thank our partners at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board for their assistance with this investigation.”
“Native American art fraud is a serious crime that exploits consumers and severely undermines the economic and cultural livelihood of Native American artists and tribes,” said Doug Ault, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “We thank our partners at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board for their assistance with this investigation.”
“Counterfeit Indian art – like Robert Haack’s jewelry that he misrepresented and sold as made by Charles Loloma — the father of contemporary Indian jewelry — tears at the very fabric of Indian culture, livelihoods, and communities,” said Meridith Stanton, Director of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB). “The IACB by statute is responsible for administering the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA), an anti-counterfeiting law that protects Indian artists and consumers. Mr. Haack’s actions demean and rob authentic Indian artists who rely on the creation and sale of their artwork to put food on the table, make ends meet, and pass along these important cultural traditions and skills from one generation to the next. His actions undermine consumers’ confidence in the Indian art market in the Southwest and nationwide. Due to the outstanding work of the Office of the U.S. Attorney-District of New Mexico and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service IACA Investigative Unit, Mr. Haack is being held accountable and the message is clear. For those selling counterfeit Indian art and craftwork it is important to know that wherever you are we will diligently work to find you and prosecute you under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.”
Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Haack remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Haack faces up to 20 years in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Amy Lueders, Southwest Region Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, made the announcement today.
The U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Law Enforcement investigated this case with assistance from the Indians Arts and Crafts Board. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
China’s exports to over 160 countries and regions saw growth in 2024, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).
The country’s exports grew 7.1 percent year on year, reaching 25.45 trillion yuan (about 3.55 trillion U.S. dollars) last year, marking the eighth consecutive year of growth, according to the latest data released by the GAC.
Exports to Brazil, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia increased by 23.3 percent, 19.2 percent and 18.2 percent year on year, respectively. Exports to ASEAN countries and nations participating in the Belt and Road Initiative grew by 13.4 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, exports to traditional markets, such as the European Union and the United States, rose by 4.3 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively.
Lyu Daliang, a GAC official, said that despite growing uncertainties and challenges, China’s exports — characterized by a wide range of products — are expected to remain resilient and dynamic, supported by both incremental and existing policies.
Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement on X after Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) falsely claimed he did not know about Senator Blackburn’s requests to subpoena the Jeffrey Epstein flight logs when he was Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Click here to download video of Senator Blackburn’s remarks during the confirmation hearing of Federal Bureau of Investigation Director nominee Kash Patel.
Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Kennedy (R-La.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in introducing bipartisan legislation to provide relief for impacted taxpayers in states that have issued state-level disaster declarations. Currently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has the authority to postpone filing deadlines in the event of a presidentially-declared federal disaster, but this does not extend to state-level emergencies.
“When a disaster like Hurricane Helene hits, the last thing Tennesseans should have to worry about is meeting a tax-filing deadline,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act empowers the governor to extend tax deadlines, giving Tennesseans the flexibility to focus on disaster recovery.”
“Nevadans experiencing natural disasters deserve tax relief, regardless of whether the state receives a federally recognized disaster declaration,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “My bipartisan, bicameral bill would ensure that Nevada taxpayers impacted by wildfires, winter storms, floods, and more have the financial flexibility they need to recover.”
“Louisianians have worked tirelessly to rebuild after historic storms took their toll, so giving them the time they need to file taxes after a natural disaster is a no-brainer. Since Louisiana can’t always rely on Washington to get us the relief we need when we need it, this bill would make sure that Louisianians get tax extensions that are crucial for recovering after our state declares a natural disaster. I’m glad to partner again with Sen. Cortez Masto on this effort,” said Senator Kennedy.
“When disaster strikes, the burden families face on the long road to recovery is overwhelming. This bipartisan bill provides financial flexibility for Americans impacted by disaster so they can focus on rebuilding their lives and livelihoods,” said Senator Van Hollen.
FILING RELIEF FOR NATURAL DISASTERS ACT:
The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act would allow the governor of a state or territory to extend a federal tax filing deadline in the event of a state-declared emergency or disaster, which happens automatically for federally-declared disasters. Extending this authority to states gives them the ability to provide relief independent of the federal government’s involvement in an emergency or natural disaster.
The legislation would also expand the mandatory federal filing extension from 60 days to 120 days.
Representatives David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) and Judy Chu (D-Calif.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scientists comment on final draft guidance from NICE on the use of exagamglogene autotemcel (exa-cel) for severe sickle cell disease.
Dr Diana Hernandez, director of immune and advanced therapies at UK stem cell charity Anthony Nolan, said:
“Today’s decision from NICE to grant access, on the NHS, to the UK’s first ever CRISPR-based therapy for some patients with sickle cell disease, represents a leap forward in the treatment of this debilitating and life-threatening condition. Sickle cell disease is caused by abnormally shaped red blood cells that can block blood vessels, causing fatigue, chronic pain and increased risk of infection. By modifying the DNA of the patient’s own stem cells so they produce healthy red blood cells, the treatment provides a ‘functional cure’ for people who otherwise have limited options.
“This treatment offers hope to thousands of patients in the UK, the majority of whom are from African and African-Caribbean backgrounds and have experienced years of feeling ignored, and is a glimpse into the exciting possibilities of gene therapies to treat diseases that have previously been considered incurable.”
Dr Alena Pance, Senior Lecturer in Genetics, University of Hertfordshire, said:
“Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel) is based on the innovative gene-editing tool CRISPR, which won its inventors the Nobel Prize in 2020
“This approach is a great medical advancement because gene-editing may represent a possible cure rather than a treatment of this inherited genetic disease and stem cell technology makes it possible to use patient-specific cells which avoid immunological issues.
“The background is that sickle cell disease is caused by mutation of one of the proteins that form haemoglobin. This is the main component of red blood cells that transports oxygen around the body. In adulthood, it consists of 4 globin proteins, 2 alpha and 2 beta, that form a tetramer with an iron core which binds the oxygen. During development however, the haemoglobin in the foetus is made with gamma globin instead of beta globin. This is because Gamma globin has higher affinity for oxygen, which is less abundant in the womb. At birth, there is a switch that silences Gamma globin which is no longer made and induces Beta globin to be made instead.
“When Beta globin is mutated long inflexible chains of haemoglobin form, called sickle haemoglobin that leads to a change in the morphology of the red blood cells which also become stiff and get stuck in small capillaries. This causes pain and loss of red blood cells or anaemia, which increases in situations of high need or use of oxygen, such as exercise or high altitude.
“What this therapy does is to switch off the factor that silences Gamma globin so that it can be produced in the red blood cells and substitute the faulty Beta globin. Because it is a blood disease, the gene-editing can be performed in the stem cells from the bone marrow from which all the cells in the blood originate. This means that the stem cells are extracted from the patient, modified and expanded in the lab and then put back into the patient where they will be able to reconstitute the blood. As a consequence, there is no immunological difference between the modified cells and the patient necessitating immunosuppressing medication for life and once the modified stem cells establish themselves in the bone marrow of the patient, they can repopulate the bone marrow and produce Gamma globin red blood cells technically for ever. An additional advantage this strategy has is that because it does not aim to correct the mutation (fix the faulty beta globin) it can be generally applied not just to sickle cell disease but also to beta-thalassemia. This is because there is a wide range of mutations in the beta globin gene and so fixing it would become patient-specific which would be even more costly and difficult.”
“There are some set backs to this approach and it is certain that the technology will continue improving, but at this moment in time, it is the greatest advance seen so far in the application of these technologies to health.”
Prof Ewan Birney, Deputy Director General of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and Director of EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), said:
“This is an exciting development for practical CRISPR based gene therapy. After impressive clinical trials worldwide, the technology provides a way for certain sickle cell disease individuals to have a far better life. This CRISPR based therapy uses an interesting molecular mechanism, where the gene therapy acts on a different, related gene (fetal haemoglobin), boosting this gene’s expression in adulthood which mitigates the effect of the sickle cell changed adult haemoglobin. The mechanism was discovered by genetic studies in particular from cohorts in Sub-Saharan Africa and people with recent African ancestries.
“Looking ahead, this technology has the potential to treat many other rare diseases with precise genetic diagnoses.”
Prof Felicity Gavins, Professor of Pharmacology,Brunel University of London, said:
“The approval of Exa-cel for NHS use in England is a very exciting moment, not only because this marks the first approval of a CRISPR-based gene therapy for SCD in the NHS, but also because it offers a potentially curative treatment for eligible patients. By addressing the genetic cause of SCD, Exa-cel reduces or eliminates vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), decreases hospitalisations, and improves quality of life.
“Of the 15,000 people in England with SCD, approximately 1,750 may be eligible for Exa-cel treatment. The therapy works by editing the patient’s BCL11A gene to reactivate fetal haemoglobin production, preventing red blood cells from sickling and blocking blood flow which cause VOCs and disease complications.
“However, while Exa-cel is a breakthrough, it is not a cure for all SCD patients, and uncertainties remain about its long-term effectiveness, safety and accessibility. It is critical to continue funding research to develop treatment that benefit the broader SCD population and address remaining challenges in care.”
Professor Laurence D. Hurst,Professor of Evolutionary Genetics, The Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, said:
“The recommendation of exa-cel (alias Casgevy, alias Exagamglogene autotemcel) by NICE is a potential step change for sufferers (and their carers) of a common genetic disorder, sickle cell disease (SCD) that particularly affects UK individuals with a Caribbean and Black African ancestry. It will come as a very welcome reversal of a prior draft recommendation (March 2024) by many within the at-risk communities.
“Part of NICE’s recommendation was based on the observation that the disorder is especially prevent in ethnic minority backgrounds and seeks to redress inequality in health access. This is a good news day for sufferers of severe SCD and for these communities.”
Why is there a need for a “cure” for sickle cell disease?
“Current treatments may be considered the equivalent of plastering over a wound repeatedly, rather than getting to the cause of the wound and curing it.
“SCD patients need regular blood transfusions and with that treatment to absorb excess iron. Some qualify for a drug therapy, Hydroxycarbamide, also used as in cancer chemotherapy, that reduces VOC rates. This increases rate of production of foetal globin and reduces red cell stickiness. There are very few treatments to stop symptoms and what is available often has intolerable side effects. A further issue is that while treatments may reduce VOC frequency they tend to increase pain associated with each VOC. They do not address the underlying cause.”
“Stem cell transfusion – the best current “cure” – is potentially different as you are replacing the cells that make red blood cells in the patient with those from a donor who doesn’t have SCD. However, only 15% of patients have a potential donor and this treatment can lead to immune rejection (graft versus host disease).
“Exa-cel is potentially a life-long cure – the patients can make their own non SCD inducing blood, thus immune rejection should not be an issue.”
How does this CRISPR therapy work?
“For many single gene genetic disorders gene therapy is now being actively researched and, in some cases, making it to clinic. To date the successful ones, have taken the strategy of adding in a copy of the properly functioning version of the gene (as in recent gene therapies for haemophilia A and B). Exa-cel is different as it involves “editing” your own DNA, not adding genes.
“It relies on the fact that as foetuses our haemoglobin was different. Indeed, foetal haemoglobin is a little better than the adult version at carrying oxygen. Adult haemoglobin consists of two beta globins and two alpha globins. In foetuses we use gamma globin instead of beta globin. Shortly after birth a protein BCL11A helps in the switch from foetal to adult haemoglobin, from gamma to beta. Exa-cel edits the gene for BCL11A preventing it from being made, and in so doing forces the cells to upregulate gamma globin so making more foetal haemoglobin.
“It does this by editing a part of the switch that turns the BCL11A gene on in developing blood cells. This causes BCL11A to not be made which in turn allows gamma globin to be produced, as BCL11A switches gamma globin off. As such – it is a CRISPR mediated gene edit – it is unlike the standard mode of gene therapy which involves addition of the correct gene. The treatment involve removing relevant cells from the patient, editing in the lab and replacing them into the patient.
“Given its mode of action it is a potential therapy for any genetic disease involving badly functioning beta-globin, notably sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.
“Importantly it is also likely that making gamma globin is safe – it is our own protein. In addition, most of us fail to fully inactivate the foetal/gamma version and so well all have a bit of gamma globin. Indeed, with conditions like SCD, the higher the level of gamma globin the lesser the symptoms.”
The therapy is life transforming
“The evidence for the efficacy and safety of Casgevy for SCD is good, although sample numbers are low. Base line the patients had 2.6 VOCs per year. Of 43 patients 29 were followed long enough. 28 of 29 had no VOCs for at least a year. None were hospitalised.
“There is a further issue, however, that it can be difficult to collect cells in patients with SCD and some of those not followed up were because the treatment couldn’t be given.
What is the new decision?
“This new decision is not a statement about safety and efficacy. The therapy has been approved for use in the UK (late 2023), EU (spring 2024) and USA (late 2023) on safety and efficacy grounds. What is new is that NICE now recommends funding this with “managed access*” via the NHS as it is deemed adequately cost effective (or rather it was happy with the high level of uncertainty on cost effectiveness given the circumstances). This is a reversal of its prior draft recommendation in March 2024.
“It is restricted to those for whom a stem cell transplant donor cannot be found and with severe SCD ie recurrent VOCs meaning 2 or more in the prior 2 years.
“The defence for the opening of access was based on the health inequalities faced by people with SCD, the technology being innovative and the fact that prior decision had failed to capture the quality of life of the carers.
“Earlier this year NICE approved the same therapy for beta thalassemia -also owing to beta glogin issues- for a restricted number of patients.”
What does the treatment cost?
“The treatment is a one-off procedure. The headline cost per treatment £1,651,000 but the actual cost to the NHS is a commercial secret.”
What are the uncertainties?
“There are two main uncertainties:
“First, being a new treatment how long it will last is unknown. Why the treatment might revert is unclear but only time will tell.
“The second is whether there are downstream side effects. CRISPR as an application for example involves send a molecule to cut DNA at a designated site in our DNA. Sometimes, however, the cuts also happen at sites we didn’t want to have cut. These are so-called “off-target” effects. The early data from the research team behind found no evidence for such off-target effects but they remain a possibility. More classical forms of gene therapy – involving adding genes to our DNA – have been associated with induction of cancer and so the field is naturally cautious.”
What is SCD?
“Sickle cell disease is a genetic disease associated with a different form of a gene and its derived protein that make up part of the molecular that transports oxygen from the lungs to the body, heamoglobin, in our red blood cells. The affected gene/protein is “beta globin”.
“Sufferers have pain 4 days out of every seven and unpredictable episodes of severe pain, termed vaso-occlusive crises [VOCs] that can require hospitalization. Over 2 years about 2/3 of sufferers need emergency care 2 to 3 times and about a quarter spend 1-2 weeks in hospital. Higher rates of both define severe SCD. It causes ongoing anaemia (lack of red blood cells) and widespread organ damage. Even with access to medical support, life expectancy is typically around 50 years.”
Why is SCD so prevalent in ethnic minorities?
“Globally locations with endemic malaria have higher rates of the disorder. This is because individuals with a mix of beta globin genes (we all have two versions, one inherited from mother one from father) are less likely to die young from malaria. This selection favouring individuals with a mix of beta-globins maintains the two versions of the beta globin gene at relatively high frequencies. However, it also means that the rate at which individuals will inherit two of the SCD causing version of the gene is also high – if mum and dad were both carriers a quarter of their kids will get SCD. Having two SCD versions is needed for the full blown SCD. In sub-Saharan Africa up to 1-3% of the population suffer SCD making it a remarkably prevalent genetic disease.”
Professor David Rees, Professor of Paediatric Sickle Cell Disease, King’s College London, said:
“It is encouraging that Exa-cel has been approved for use to treat patients with sickle cell disease in England, particularly as it is based on discoveries made at King’s College London by Dr Stephan Menzel and Professor Swee Lay Thein. The treatment uses CRISPR gene editing technology to increase the level of fetal haemoglobin in people with sickle cell disease, which has a major effect in reducing the severity of the condition. The treatment is not curative in the traditional sense of the word, in that the patients still have some features of sickle cell disease, but early studies suggest that successfully treated patients have very few symptoms of the condition, at least in the medium term.
“Exa-cel has been approved for patients getting episodes of acute pain over the age of 12 years, and potentially more than 5000 people with sickle cell disease may be eligible for this in the UK. However, it is difficult to know how many people will actually benefit, because of the very high cost and potential toxicity of the treatment. Exa-cel treatment still requires very strong chemotherapy, similar to having a bone marrow transplant, which causes problems with reduced fertility and sometimes more serious complications, and it seems likely that it will most benefit patients with severe and progressive problems caused by sickle cell disease.
“Despite these concerns, the availability of Exa-cel is a major advance and offers a really important new treatment option for some patients with sickle cell disease. Excitingly, advances in gene editing are happening very rapidly at the moment and it seems likely that cheaper, safer and more effective forms of gene editing will emerge for sickle cell disease over the coming years, offering the prospect of a curative treatment which is universally applicable, even in low income countries where the majority of patients live.”
NICE’s final draft guidance on Exagamglogene autotemcel for treating severe sickle cell disease in people 12 years and over was published at 00:01 UK time on Friday 31 January 2025.
Declared interests
Professor David Rees: “I don’t think I have any significant conflicts of interest.”
Prof Ewan Birney: No conflict of interest.
Dr Alena Pance: No conflicts.
For all other experts, no response to our request for DOIs was received.
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Rosa Ventura, 34, of Fresno, and Claudia Gonzales, 38, of Fresno, charging them with conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, and kidnapping involving a child, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on May 8, 2024, a woman reported her boyfriend after a domestic violence incident, which resulted in his arrest. In retaliation for calling the police, the boyfriend’s sister, Rosa Ventura, took the woman’s 5-month-old daughter away and drove her and her 9-year-old daughter to an unknown field outside Fresno.
At the field, Ventura’s friend and accomplice, Claudia Gonzales, revealed herself after hiding in the car’s trunk area. Ventura and Gonzales then drove the mother and child straight to Tijuana, Mexico, and stranded them at an unknown bus station in order to dissuade the mother from testifying in the state domestic violence case where she was a victim. The mother and child were held against their will during the drive. At one point, the mother and child attempted to flee at a gas station, but Ventura and Gonzales chased them down and physically forced them back into the car.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Veneman-Hughes and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting the case.
The defendants are in custody pending trial. Their next appearance is Feb. 5, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean for their initial appearance on the indictment.
If convicted, Ventura and Gonzales face a statutory minimum of 20 years to a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Earlier today and throughout the past few weeks, in federal court in Brooklyn, five members and associates of the Luchese organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra pleaded guilty to multiple crimes, including racketeering, money laundering and illegal gambling related to criminal activities throughout New York City. The proceedings were held before United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto. Today, Luchese crime family soldier Anthony Villani pleaded guilty to racketeering, money laundering and illegal gambling. As part of Villani’s plea agreement, he will pay $4 million in forfeiture. His co-defendants have agreed to pay an additional approximately $1 million in forfeiture. Villani and his co-defendants operated a large-scale, illegal online gambling business (the Gambling Business) that operated under the protection of the Luchese crime family across the New York metropolitan area. The gambling business, known as “Rhino Sports,” operated since the early 2000s and brought millions in illicit profits annually.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty pleas.
“These guilty pleas represent a victory for the rule of law over the pernicious activities of organized crime that undermine the safety of our communities,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Illegal gambling businesses require enforcement and protection from mob rivals that carry the persistent threat of violence. However, the defendants’ luck ran out and, thanks to the hard work of the team of prosecutors and investigators, they will be held accountable for their crimes and pay their debt to society.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy stated: “Our investigations involving members of the Five Families don’t make the same headlines as they have historically. However, the men pleading guilty in this case illustrate how entrenched the traditional mafia are in their noxious and familiar criminality. They are less flashy these days – and a lot of that is due to the incredible cunning and tenacity agents and investigators on our FBI New York Westchester Organized Crime Task Force use to pursue members of these organizations.”
As detailed in the indictment and court filings, for over 25 years, Villani has been involved in significant gambling operations, principally based in the Bronx and Westchester, New York, that were affiliated with multiple organized crime families. Villani owned and operated the Gambling Business since at least 2004. The Gambling Business was hosted using servers in Costa Rica and employed local bookmakers to pay and collect winnings. Villani’s bookmakers included members and associates of the Luchese crime family and other La Cosa Nostra families. As part of the scheme, Villani employed trusted individuals, including defendants Louis Tucci, Jr. and Dennis Filizzola, to assist in operating the business and collecting at least $1 million annually. Records obtained of the Gambling Business’s website indicated that Villani’s illegal gambling operation regularly took bets from between 400 and 1,300 bettors each week, most of whom were based in New York City and the metropolitan area. At Villani’s direction, Filizzola took proceeds from the Gambling Business and used them to purchase U.S. Postal Service money orders in false names, which were then made payable to one of Villani’s property companies to appear as legitimate rental payments.
When sentenced, Villani faces up to 20 years in prison. Louis Tucci, Jr., pleaded guilty on January 27, 2025 to illegal sports betting and faces up to five years in prison. Filizzola pleaded guilty on January 21, 2025 to illegal sports betting and money laundering and faces up to five years in prison and up to 20 years in prison on those counts respectively. James Coumoutsos pleaded guilty on January 21, 2025 to illegal sports betting and faces up to five years in prison. Michael Praino pleaded guilty on January 10, 2025 to illegal sports gambling and faces up to five years in prison. A sixth defendant remains at large.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorney Antoinette N. Rangel is in charge of the prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendants:
ANTHONY VILLANI Age: 60 Elmsford, NY
JAMES COUMOUTSOS (also known as “Quick”) Age: 62 Bronx, NY
DENNIS FILIZZOLA Age: 61 Cortlandt Manor, NY
MICHAEL PRAINO (also known as “Platinum”) Age: 47 Lake Worth, Florida
LOUIS TUCCI, JR. (also known as “Tooch”) Age: 61 Tuckahoe, NY
CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CalAmp, a leading provider of telematics and connected intelligence solutions, is pleased to announce the integration of Okta Single Sign-On (SSO) across its iOn™ Fleet and Device Management applications. This feature provides customers with a secure, efficient way to manage user access through a single login, enhancing security and simplifying IT management for organizations using Okta as their Identity and Access Management provider.
Through Okta SSO, CalAmp delivers:
Simplified, Secure Access: Users can log in once to access all CalAmp applications and their other company apps, reducing password fatigue while enhancing security with a single, trusted login.
Enhanced Security with MFA: Multi-Factor Authentication via Okta adds an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access.
Centralized IT Management: IT teams can manage and revoke user access from a single platform, improving operational efficiency and control.
Customizable Security Settings: Organizations can tailor security policies, enabling either strict or flexible SSO enforcement to meet their specific needs.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Manage user permissions across iOn™ and Device Management with inherited role-based access, ensuring appropriate access to tools and data.
“Our priority is always to deliver meaningful improvements that enhance both security and user experience,” said Paul Washicko, Senior Vice President of Product Management at CalAmp. “Partnering with Okta, the most recognized industry leader in identity management, enables us to provide our customers with stronger security and more efficient access management across CalAmp applications.”
Customers interested in enabling Okta SSO for their CalAmp applications can contact the CalAmp support team for setup assistance.
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