NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Petitpas Taylor to announce supports for Veterans and their families

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, will make an announcement about support for Veterans and their families through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund (VFWF) at an event hosted by Sistema New Brunswick in Moncton.

    Moncton, NB – The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, will make an announcement about support for Veterans and their families through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund (VFWF) at an event hosted by Sistema New Brunswick in Moncton.

    Minister Petitpas Taylor and other event participants will be available to media following the event.

    Date: Monday, November 4, 2024
    Time: 11:00 a.m. AST

    Media who wish to participate and obtain additional event details are asked to register by contacting media@veterans.gc.ca with the name(s) of their attendee(s) and media outlet by 10:00 a.m. AST on Monday, November 4.

    If you anticipate any accessibility barriers, please let us know and we will work with you to enable your participation.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Davis, Bacon, and Raskin Join National Child Advocates in Thanking the Social Security Administration and Children’s Bureau for Taking an Important Step to Protecting the Federal Benefits of Foster Youth

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Danny K Davis (7th District of Illinois)

    Washington, DC:  November 1, 2024 – Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) welcome the opportunity provided by the joint Request for Information (RFI) on the use and conservation of federal benefits for foster youth, as well as other ways federal agencies may play an appropriate role supporting broader Federal, State, and local efforts to improve the outcomes of foster youth who receive federal benefits, published today by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Children’s Bureau, an office of the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

    In December 2022, Representatives Davis, Bacon, and Raskin urged the Biden Administration to use its executive branch authority to limit the state practice of using the assets and benefits of foster youth to reimburse state costs of care until more comprehensive legislation is enacted. Although Congress will need to act to permanently stop this practice all together, SSA and HHS have statutory and regulatory authority to stop or at least limit this practice now. 

    In August 2023, the Biden Administration encouraged reform efforts and reminded states and tribal child welfare agencies of their responsibility to foster youth when serving as a Social Security Representative Payee for foster youth via a joint letter issued by SSA and ACF.  Further, SSA has taken multiple additional steps to educate its staff and child welfare agencies about the responsibilities of an agency Representative Payee, and ACF has hosted webinars focused on state and local efforts to conserve the federal benefits of foster youth.   

    Importantly, states can stop this practice without any action by the federal government, and many are working to do so.  Four states and jurisdictions (Arizona, Oregon, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia) have enacted comprehensive reform, and an additional six states or jurisdictions (California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, and New York City) have adopted substantial reforms to protect some of the assets and benefits of orphaned and disabled foster youth.  Nine more (Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Washington) have adopted more limited reform ranging from legislation, executive order, resolution, agency policy, state trust, or litigation. Unfortunately, the majority of states still choose to bolster their own financial security rather than help the orphaned and disabled youth, often without the youth, their attorneys, or other caring adults knowing. 

    Today, SSA and the Children’s Bureau took a critical step to better protect foster youth.  The Request for Information from youth, families, and stakeholders on how the use and conservation of federal benefits could improve outcomes for foster youth will serve as the foundation for agency reform – giving the agencies important perspectives on what actions are possible and how to implement those actions to best improve child well-being.  

    “I thank Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley and Administration on Children, Youth and Families Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston for taking the important step of collecting information from youth, families, and stakeholders about how Federal, State, and local governments can use and conserve the federal benefits of foster youth to improve their well-being,” said Rep. Davis.  “I proudly lead legislation to protect the benefits and assets of foster youth by stopping states from taking the youths’ funds.  This new request for information serves as a foundation for future agency action.  I am proud to have partnered with Representatives Don Bacon (R-NE) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) to urge executive branch action to help states stop this practice until more comprehensive legislation is enacted. My home state of Illinois is a national leader in this area, and I greatly appreciate the Biden-Harris Administration’s multiple steps to encourage states to protect foster youth.”

    “Foster youth should be able to keep their social security benefits and not be stolen from them by their state,” said Rep. Bacon. “In 2020, Nebraska received over $2.6 million in social security benefits from youth in care. That is their money and being a foster youth is hard enough without the expectation that they pay for the care they received when they were placed into the care of the state due to no fault of their own. The Executive Branch must take action to address this problem.” 

    “States have a duty to care for vulnerable foster children, yet many smash their piggy banks and seize their Social Security benefits to reimburse the costs of their care,” said Rep. Raskin. “I am grateful to Commissioner O’Malley, the Social Security Administration and Children’s Bureau for heeding our calls and taking a closer look to ensure federal benefits are best serving all children and young people in foster care. I have been working to solve this problem since my time in the Maryland State Senate, and today I’m proud to stand with Rep. Danny Davis and Rep. Don Bacon to applaud this further step by the Biden-Harris administration to protect foster kids across America.”

    “Foster youth deserve a fair chance to benefit from their benefits. Now that a majority of states have initiated or taken action to protect foster youth assets, this RFI paves the way for meaningful rules that will help beneficiaries in care thrive. We are grateful for the leadership of SSA and Commissioner O’Malley and look forward to collaborating with SSA and ACF on behalf of impacted youth.” Amy C. Harfeld, JD, National Policy Director, Children’s Advocacy Institute

    “Child welfare agencies have long been taking Social Security benefits from foster children who are disabled or have deceased parents, leaving the children penniless. I applaud the leadership of the Social Security Administration—and the efforts of Representatives Davis, Bacon, and Raskin—in this important step towards better protecting foster youth’s resources for their struggle against the odds as they leave foster care.” Daniel Hatcher, Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore and author of The Poverty Industry

    “Listen to courageous foster youth like Marissa Pike, Katrina White, Ian Marks, Justin Kasieta,  and Anthony Jackson. The Center for the Rights of Abused Children remains focused on stopping states from taking foster youth’s federal benefits and delivering comprehensive reform in a child-centric way. We appreciate federal policymakers engaging on this issue, and we encourage governors and state legislators to take action today.”  J. Kendall Seal, Vice President of Policy, Center for the Rights of Abused Children.

    A copy of the letter by Reps. Davis, Bacon, and Raskin is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Watson Coleman & County Executive Benson Celebrate $47 Million Federal Grant for Mercer to Replace Lincoln Avenue Bridge in Trenton

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman

    October 31, 2024

    Trenton, NJ (Thursday, October 31, 2024)  — Today, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Mercer County Executive Dan Benson announced a $47 million federal grant award to replace the Lincoln Avenue Bridge in Trenton.

    The grant is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program (BIP), a Biden-Harris Administration initiative to replace, rehabilitate, improve, and preserve bridges across the country. The program is a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Rep. Watson Coleman voted for, and President Biden signed. At the beginning of this year, Rep. Watson Coleman sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, encouraging the Department to approve Mercer County’s application for this grant. Senator Cory Booker also strongly advocated for Mercer County’s grant application, providing letters of support for three consecutive years, including in January of this year.

    As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Rep. Watson Coleman works tirelessly to ensure the Department of Transportation has the resources necessary for grant programs like the BIP.

    “I am so excited to announce this significant investment from the Biden-Harris Administration to replace the Lincoln Avenue Bridge,” said Rep. Watson Coleman. “This funding will replace the existing structure with a safer, more reliable, and more durable passage across Assunpink Creek. Thousands of Trentonians rely on the Lincoln Ave bridge, which provides a key footpath to Trenton Central High School. I’m incredibly grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration, Secretary Buttigieg, Mercer County, and the City of Trenton for their partnership.”

    “The Lincoln Avenue Bridge has served Trenton’s residents for generations but has now reached the end of its lifespan,” said Senator Booker. “I am proud to have helped secure this unprecedented $47 million investment to replace this century-old bridge, and ensure everyone in Mercer County has access to safe and reliable infrastructure for years to come.”

    “I’m pleased to see such dedicated investment in our nation’s infrastructure thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration,” said Senator George Helmy. “It’s imperative that the safety of New Jersey commuters is a top priority and this funding from the Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program ensures that drivers and passengers alike can feel secure traveling across the Lincoln Avenue Bridge. I would like to thank President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for their tireless work in updating our nation’s infrastructure, as well as Congresswoman Watson Coleman, Trenton Mayor Gusciora, and Mercer Country Executive Dan Benson for fighting on behalf of their constituents and their needs.”

    Spanning 687 feet, the Lincoln Avenue Bridge is the longest county-owned bridge in Mercer, and at ninety-three years it is also one of the oldest. The bridge crosses both the Assunpink Creek and Amtrak’s busy Northeast Corridor Rail Line, connecting neighborhoods and serving as a primary conduit for students on their way to and from Trenton Central High School.

    Mercer County began Concept Development on the Bridge Replacement Project in 2015, as it became clear that the current structure was reaching the end of its lifespan. The Federal BIP grant will cover most of the project’s estimated $63 million cost, with the remainder coming from Mercer County and from funds provided by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).

    “I want to thank Senator Booker and Congresswoman Watson Coleman for partnering with us to procure the largest infrastructure grant in Mercer County history,” said Mercer County Executive Dan Benson. “For nearly a century, the Lincoln Avenue Bridge has tied together neighborhoods in our Capital City, and by replacing the aging structure we ensure that this corridor remains safe and accessible to Trenton residents for generations to come. We’re excited to kick off another major public works project for Mercer County, and we look forward to using local union labor to build under a Project Labor Agreement.”

    Planning on the project is expected to finish next year, and has included input from various stakeholders, including the City of Trenton, Amtrak, NJ Transit, The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. The bridge will be replaced in phases so that one lane will remain open at all times.

    “The DOT’s Bridge Investment Program funding is essential for advancing the Lincoln Avenue Bridge project,” said Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora. This funding will not only enhance accessibility and safety for our community, but will also ensure that our infrastructure is equipped to meet the needs of today and tomorrow. We are grateful for this investment in our Capital City.”

    “In 2024, Mercer County has made significant strides to ensure our financial house is in order,” said Mercer County Commissioner Chair John Cimino. As an engineering professional, I recognize that a $47 million grant for a single bridge is an uncommon achievement. I look forward to many more successes like this in the future.”

    “New Jersey appreciates the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to investing in transportation infrastructure to improve our local communities,” said NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor. “This $47 million federal grant to replace the Lincoln Avenue Bridge over Amtrak and the Assunpink Creek in Trenton provides critical funding to get this project to construction to ensure we have a safe transportation system for all users – whether they are driving, biking, walking, or riding a train.”

    “The residents of Trenton and greater Mercer County lead busy lives, which has put strain on our aging infrastructure. This substantial federal grant to replace the Lincoln Avenue Bridge will help ensure that every trip made is safe and efficient for years to come,” said Senator Shirley K. Turner. “I thank Rep. Watson Coleman and County Executive Benson for their dedication to this project and their commitment to improving our community’s transportation system.”

    “This is a sterling example of when government and community partners come together to do big things for the benefit of the community they serve,” said Assemblyman Anthony S. Verrelli. “Repairing, replacing, and maintaining infrastructure like the Lincoln Ave. Bridge is critical to bring social and economic equity to the local neighborhood, the City of Trenton, and Mercer County as a whole. Thank you, County Executive Benson and our federal partners, for their leadership and financial support of the critical endeavor.”

    “Today’s announcement is a victory for Trenton residents and for all who travel through our community. I am so grateful to see local, county, state, and federal partners coming together in support of this grant, this is what good government looks like” said Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson. “This project is an investment in our future; it ensures that our infrastructure evolves to meet the needs of our growing community and literally and figuratively keeps our residents more connected.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fighting for South Central Pennsylvania’s Freedoms in Congress

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10)

    During the Speaker selection in January 2023, I fought for important process reforms that decentralized power in the House of Representatives, opened up the legislative process, and ensured that rank and file members are able to effectively represent their constituents. These process reforms included:

    The Single Subject Rule, which requires bills to be narrowed to a single subject to ensure that leadership cannot combine a bunch of unrelated provisions into a large package. Allows each topic to be voted upon on its own merits.

    The 72 Hour Rule, which requires a bill to be released 72 hours prior to voting on the floor. This allows Members and their constituents to read and evaluate the policies in each bill prior to voting on them.

    Allowing  appropriations cuts through amendments, making in order all appropriations amendments that reduce spending.

    The Holman Rule, which allows Congress to cut spending for the salary of a federal government employee or eliminate funding for a specific office within an agency. This allows Congress to hold federal employees and agencies accountable for their actions by imposing serious penalties for inappropriate actions.

    Motion to Vacate, which restores the long running procedure that allows any Member of Congress to offer a privileged resolution to remove the Speaker of the House by a majority vote. This important provision holds the Speaker of the House accountable to the Members of their party and allows rank and file members to address grievances with leadership.

    Placing Conservatives on the Rules Committee, which secured three positions on the Rules Committee for conservative Members of Congress. This ensures that conservatives have a seat at the table and can reject bad legislation before it gets to the floor.

    A new Weaponization Subcommittee on the Judiciary Committee to investigate the weaponization of the federal government against American Citizens.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Justice announces October revenue collections, highlights state’s record of responsible spending and smart tax cuts

    Source: US State of West Virginia

    CHARLESTON, WV — Gov. Jim Justice announced that West Virginia’s revenue collections surpassed $393 million in October, the fourth month of Fiscal Year 2025. 

    Current fiscal year revenue estimates are on track to exceed estimated expenses by more than $80 million.

    This demonstrates West Virginia’s recent record of responsible spending and strategic tax cuts, which allow the state to deliver a surplus that benefits taxpayers while meeting essential funding needs.

    “West Virginia’s revenue numbers show exactly what we’ve been working so hard to achieve,” Gov. Justice said. “We’re proving that responsible spending and smart tax cuts can go hand-in-hand. We are still on track for another solid surplus that allows Toby and Edith to have more money in their pockets. We’ve been able to cut over a billion dollars in taxes. Think about what that means. That’s a billion dollars that helps put Thanksgiving dinner on the table, presents under the Christmas tree, or gas in the tank to visit loved ones. We’re growing, we’re investing, and we’re showing the nation what’s possible. When I first took office, I immediately recognized that West Virginia had all the instruments, and it just needed a leader of the band. That’s exactly what I’ve tried to be over the last eight years. I won’t be your Governor much longer, but I can tell you without a doubt that West Virginia is on a winning streak, and we’re not slowing down.”

    For more detailed information, you can access the monthly revenue and cash flow reports from the West Virginia State Budget Office by clicking here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Allvin continues drumbeat for integrating, reshaping Air Force at think tank

    Source: United States Air Force

    Headline: Allvin continues drumbeat for integrating, reshaping Air Force at think tank

    Carrying fresh insights from a recent tour of the Pacific, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin re-emphasized Oct. 31 the need to aggressively integrate and reshape the service to confront China’s rising threat, as well as the malign actions of other adversaries.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $7.7M Awarded to WA Tribes to Boost Drinking Water Safety and Supply

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    11.01.24
    $7.7M Awarded to WA Tribes to Boost Drinking Water Safety and Supply
    $3.4M to Lummi, $2.3M to Kalispel, $1.8M to Makah, $111K to Colville, & $74K to Hoh for water infrastructure projects
    EDMONDS, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, announced that five tribes in Washington state will receive grants totaling $7,768,391 for projects to address inadequate water infrastructure and improve the safety and supply of drinking water for their members.
    The money comes from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Tribal Domestic Water Program, one of many important investments championed by Sen. Cantwell in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).  
    The Lummi Tribe received $3,410,000 for a project to increase water supply, upgrade arsenic treatment, and manage saltwater intrusion risk.
    “This money will fund important planning projects for water treatment, alternative water sources, and assessing saltwater intrusion risk,” said Sen. Cantwell. “The projects will help secure supplies of safe, available drinking water for members of the Lummi Tribe.”
    The Tribe will complete a study for an alternative water source, prepare plans and designs for a water treatment plant, and complete necessary environmental compliance and permitting. The Tribe will also complete a Saltwater Intrusion Risk Study and Saltwater Intrusion Risk Management Plan, which aim to mitigate the contamination of freshwater aquifers by the ocean.
    The Kalispel Tribe of Indians received $2,357,536 for water infrastructure planning and design.
    “This funding will jumpstart a Kalispel Tribe project to develop new water sources that the Tribe will own and operate, ensuring reliable access to safe drinking water,” said Sen. Cantwell.
    The Tribe will plan, design, and acquire permits for a domestic drinking water project on the Kalispel Reservation. The project will provide planning and design to develop new water sources owned and operated by the Tribe, and to integrate the new sources with the existing system, providing access to safe, regulated, and clean drinking water to underserved homes and public facilities.
    The Makah Tribe received $1,813,991 for their Community Water System Critical Infrastructure, Community Health & Safety project.
    “The Makah Tribe will use these funds to address water quality and availability issues by finding and developing new sources of water,” said Sen. Cantwell.
    The Tribe will evaluate and identify alternative water supply sources to address water quantity and quality issues impacting water availability for the Makah Community Water System and the health of the community.
    The Confederated Tribes of the Colville received $111,995 for their Keller Water System Main Loop Replacement Design project.
    “The Colville Tribe will use this funding to replace water infrastructure that was destroyed in a flood, reestablishing a second supply of water for residents of the rural town of Keller,” said Sen. Cantwell.
    The Tribe will replace a crucial component of the water system for the isolated Tribal town of Keller, WA. Recent severe floods broke a looping line for the town’s water system. Now the town is reliant on a single water supply line, at risk of interruptions to its water supply from impacts to the main trunk line and water quality degradation from line dead ends. This project proposes to design a replacement looping line suspended from the Silver Creek Road bridge, which will be more resilient in the face of future flood events.
    The Hoh Indian Tribe received $74,869 for their Hoh Tribe Highlands Water System Expansion Plan Development project.
    “This funding will help the Hoh Tribe build infrastructure to ensure that they can provide enough safe drinking water to meet current and future needs,” said Sen. Cantwell.
    The Tribe will develop a Water System Plan to guide the development of an expanded water delivery system and long-term system management in the Highland area. The plan will confirm current water use amounts, estimate future water demand, develop a water system piping network, water quality monitoring and reporting protocols and procedures, and formulate a long-term operations and financial plan.
    Tribal Domestic Water Program funding is available to communities in the 17 western U.S. states served by the Bureau of Reclamation, which will implement the program in two phases. The phase one funding is for planning, design, or construction in fiscal year 2024; and phase two funding will be for construction in fiscal years 2027 and 2028. 
    The IRA invests an overall $550 million to ensure communities or households have reliable access to clean domestic water supplies in historically disadvantaged communities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: Capito Tours Berkshire Hathaway Site, Wraps Up Productive Week of Visits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) traveled to Jackson County, W.Va. where she toured BHE Renewables’, a Berkshire Hathaway Energy business, first-of-its-kind solar energy microgrid-powered industrial site. The new plant, which will operate under the PCC subsidiary Titanium Metals Corporation, Inc. (TIMET), will employ approximately 200 people to manufacture titanium products for the aerospace and other industries, and is considered one of the largest development announcements in the state’s history. Senator Capito has been supportive of the project and last visited the site for the groundbreaking ceremony in March 2023.

    “BHE Renewables has the potential to transform and spark development in Jackson County. My staff and I have been involved in this process from the very beginning because we recognize the importance of smart economic growth to our state. I enjoyed the opportunity to see the progress firsthand today and learn more from the leaders about what’s ahead,” Senator Capito said.

    In addition to today’s visit, Senator Capito spent the rest of the week meeting with community leaders and professionals from a wide range of industries, as well as touring businesses and projects that are contributing to economic development across West Virginia.

    On Monday, Senator Capito delivered the keynote address at the Keystone Space Collaborative’s 2024 Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa. This event examines the impact of a thriving space industry on the regional Appalachian economy and job market. Learn more about the event here.

    On Tuesday, Senator Capito, who serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), delivered remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new West Virginia University (WVU) Medicine Thomas Orthopedic Hospital. The orthopedic hospital offers inpatient and outpatient surgical units, physical therapy, occupational therapy, as well as six orthopedic, spine, and nerve physician offices. Senator Capito also visited the West Virginia Hospital Association’s (WVHA) LEAD (Learn, Excel, Achieve, Deploy) pilot program training for new health care managers. Learn more here.

    On Wednesday, Senator Capito participated in the West Virginia Energy Summit in Charleston, W.Va. where she met with leaders in the energy space, delivered remarks, and received the inaugural West Virginia Women in Energy “Woman of the Year” award. Next, Senator Capito spoke to members of the West Virginia Broadcasters Association about some of the issues that are important to the industry. Learn more about the visits here.

    In case you missed it, Senator Capito also joined Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Network’s, “Mornings with Maria” on Tuesday to discuss border security, inflation, and more. You can watch Senator Capito’s interview here.

    Photos from this week’s events are below:

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) at the BHE Renewables solar energy microgrid-powered industrial site in Ravenswood, W.Va. on Friday, November 1, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) attends the 2024 Keystone Space Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Monday, October 28, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) at the WVU Medicine Thomas Orthopedic Hospital ribbon cutting ceremony in Charleston, W.Va. on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) at the WVHA LEAD pilot program training in Charleston, W.Va. on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) accepts the first annual West Virginia Women in Energy “Woman of the Year” award and provides acceptance remarks at the 2024 Governor’s Energy Summit in Charleston, W.Va. on Wednesday, October 30, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) participates in the Women in Energy Breakfast at the 2024 Governor’s Energy Summit in Charleston, W.Va. on Wednesday, October 30, 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su En Route Philadelphia,  PA

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Aboard Air Force OneEn Route Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    2:43 P.M. EDT
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right, everybody.  Hey, everyone.
    Q    Hi.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Hi, hi, hi.  Okay.  I know this is a short flight, but I do have a couple things at the top that’s important.
    So, to start, I wanted to mention that open enrollment in the Federal Care Act marketplace, where more than 20 million Americans get health insurance, starts today.  More than a decade after passage of the law, Americans’ health care remains under threat.  Just this week, Speaker Johnson promised massive reform to the ACA.  The Republican Study Committee budget cuts a staggering $4.5 trillion from the ACA, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, consistent with every budget proposed by the former president.
    Senator J.D. Vance has taken aim at the very idea of the risk pooling between healthy and sick which lies at the heart of the ACA.  And Republicans in Congress have made clear that one of their first orders of business would be raising premiums in ACA health insurance by an average of 800 bucks per person per year.
    President Biden and Vice President Harris have done the po- — the opposite, bringing health insurance to more than ev- — more than ever — mor- — more people than ever before, lowering ACA premiums by 800 bucks per year, getting rid of red tape that the prior administration used to try to keep people from enrolling and expanding enrollment support.
    The president and vice president will keep standing up for the affordable health insurance, and they will block any attempt to rip it away. 
    Shifting gears just a second, I wanted to quickly discuss a recent ProPublica series highlighting reports of women in states like Texas and Georgia who have died after being denied the lifesaving care they need because of extreme abortion bans.  The stories are heartbreaking, scary, and sickening a- — sickening.  It’s hard to believe or accept as reality, and it’s completely unacceptable. 
    This should never happen in America, but, sadly, it is, and tho- — and these abortion bans that are denying women lifesaving care are only possible because the former president appointed three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.  The devastating and gut-wrenching consequences of these bans put in place are — enforced by Republican elected officials are very clear. 
    President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that women in every state must have the right to make deeply personal decisions about their health.  They also believe that no woman should ever be denied the care she needs.  They will continue to fight back against these extreme bans and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law.
    And finally, we’re en route, as you all know, to Philadelphia, where the president will announce new actions to further his administration’s historic support for unions.  While in Philadelphia, he’ll announce that his administration has protected 1.2 million pensions because of the American Rescue M- — Rescue Plan’s Butch Lewis Act.  During the visit, President Biden will announce new funding to prevent cuts to the earned pensions benefits of 29,000 UFCW workers and retirees.
    As you can see to my right, I’m joined by acting secretary — Labor Se- — Labor — Labor, Julia Su, who will share more about today’s action and the historic work the President Biden — the president and the vice president have done to support unions.
    ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Thank you so much, Karine.  Thank you all for being here.  And so, Karine mentioned this.  We are headed to Philadelphia to announce the restoration of the UFCW Tri-State Pension Fund.  This is part of the president’s commitment, which he has had from day one, to do right by working people.  We know that when jobs are good, when working people are protected, our economy is stronger; our nation is stronger. 
    This is the third event that I’m doing like this.  The — the first one was with the carpenters in Detroit.  The second was with the Teamsters in Centralia, Illinois.  Again, you know, a situation where working people who had worked a lifetime and were expecting to be able to retire with dignity because of their pensions were seeing the end of those pensions and were going to see their — their benefits slashed dramatically.
    Because of the Butch Lewis Act, because of the actions of President Biden and Vice President Harris — noting that Vice President Harris cast the deciding vote to pass the American Rescue Plan, of which the Butch Lewis Act is a part — because of that, these individuals are now going to be able to retire, to be able to live with dignity, to be able to take care of themselves and their families as they expected.
    This announcement also comes, obviously, on the same day that we’ve had a jobs day, and, you know, it’s always a time to talk about good jobs, because this administration now, you know, has presided over more jobs being created than any other administration in the same time period.  It’s now over 16 million jobs.  GDP remains strong.  Inflation is still falling.  Wages are still increasing.  Wages have grown faster than inflation for now 17 months straight.  And the unemployment rate remains at 4.1 percent, so it’s been around 4 percent for the longest stretch since the 1960s.
    So, labor market remains very strong, and this shows what happens when you have a president and a vice president who are fighting for workers every single day.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Thank you.   Go ahead.
    Q    Thank you, Secretary.  On the jobs report, should Americans be concerned of — that the economy is cooling in this moment, and what is the administration doing at the moment to ensure that jobs continue to be generated going forward?
    ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Great.  So, two questions and two answers.  No, we should not be concerned about cooling.  There were some anomalies last month that led to a much lower jobs number.  One was, of course, the devastating hurricanes — back-to-back hurricanes that hit the southeast part of the country.  You know, we saw people who lost their lives, lost their homes, lost their businesses.  The federal government was on the ground immediately, working with state and local authorities to do everything from search and rescue to clearing roads to making sure that people had water and power back.
    But in terms of the jobs numbers, it meant that there were employers who, you know, would have been hiring or may have been even ramping up because of the holiday season coming up who just simply couldn’t do that.  So, the hurricanes had a really big effect.
    And then, of course, there were workers on strike — over 30,000 of them.  And the — when they’re on strike, their numbers also, you know, show up as a decrease in the jobs.  Just the — the nature of the — of the numbers.
    But what do we need to do to continue the incredible economy that we have had is to keep on making the investments that the Biden-Harris administration has had, you know, the — where we’ve got over 60,000 infrastructure projects going on around the country.  I’ve visited many of them.  We have apprenticeship programs bursting at the seams.  People being able to look for jobs and get jobs in communities that were shuttered, where factories were closed in the last administration, now opening up again.  And we just need to keep up that work.
    Q    Can I ask about the Boeing strike situation?  It sounds like there’s a vote set for Monday, if memory serves.  Can you speak to what your view is — is on the latest on that and whe- — whether membership will accept?  Will you expect that this will pass —
    ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Yes.
    Q    — as opposed to the previous time when it (inaudible)?
    ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Yes.  So, I was in Seattle from Monday to Wednesday.  I brought the parties together at the — at my office in Seattle.  They, you know, deserve a lot of credit.  I want to acknowledge the leadership of both the machinists and Boeing for coming to the table and doing the hard work of negotiating. 
    You know, the president says this all the time; the vice president acknowledges this all the time: Collective bargaining works.  It doesn’t always look pretty from the outside, but when workers have a voice, when unions are strong and workers are able to help determine the conditions of their work, their wages, the future of their industry, it’s better for everybody. 
    And so, now they have a — an unprecedented offer on the table that many people thought was impossible.  And — and they’re — they’re going to vote on it on Monday. 
    Q    Sounds like you think it’ll pass. 
    ACTING SECRETARY SU:  I don’t know.  You know, I — you know, we believe as — that — that it’s up to the members, of course.  You know, but these workers have not seen a wage increase like this in a very, very long time. 
    In fact, the first-year wage increase is more than what they’ve had in — in the last many years combined.  So, it’s a — it’s really a sign of collective bargaining working. 
    And, you know, workers exercise their right.  They — you know, i- — that they’re part of what we’re seeing in a Biden-Harris America of — of a new era of worker power, and it is resulting in not just the tremendous job growth we keep talking about but really more equity and more — more powerful working people. 
    Q    You touched on this.  But just to be specific, because the president said in his statement that job growth is expected to rebound in November as the hurricane recovery and rebuilding efforts continue, can you give us a sense of what you would project that that could look like?  What could the November picture be?
    ACTING SECRETARY SU:  So, obviously, the — the devastating weather-related phenomena that we have been facing, you know, has an impact — right? — has a devastating, direct, personal impact on communities that are affected.  It also has an impact on the economy. 
    And so, barring something else like that, you know, that was not a sign of weakness in the economy.  That was really a — you know, a weather-related phenomena.  And so, barring that, we expect, you know, those communities to recover. 
    We’re obviously not just watching it happen or hoping it happens.  We’re in there helping it to happen. 
    And so, you know, again, the investments that we’re making is really the key here, right?  We would not have seen the kind of economy — the 16 million jobs created — without that.  This is not an administration that has just, you know, hoped for the best.  It’s one that inherited the economy that was still reeling from a global pandemic that the last administration had no idea how to address. 
    And what we have done is, you know, really, you know, exceeded all expectations on the recovery.  We need to keep on doing that work.  We need to make sure that those infrastructure projects keep breaking ground; that the fabs that are being built, you know, are completed.  And having union workers do that is a part of that too. 
    And so, you know, there’s no reason to expect that the resilient economy that we’ve seen so far will not bounce back from the anomalies of October. 
    Q    Was President Biden’s transcript altered — 
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Hold on — hold on a second.  Wait a minute. 
    Q    Yeah.  (Laughs.)
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Wait a minute.  Is — any other for the secretary?  Can I have her sit down if — if we’re done?
    Q    Keep it tight, because we’re going to land soon.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Oh, okay.  All right.
    Q    Thank you so much.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Be careful.
    ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Thank you all.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Be careful.  Hold on.  I’m going to let AP go first. 
    Go ahead, AP.
    Q    Thank you, Karine.  On AP’s reporting from last night about the potential doctored co-  — about the doctored comments in the recent transcript.  Were you aware that the Press Office — White House Press Office had done this before the stenographer had taken an approval?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, I was asked this question — multiple versions of this question on Wednesday.  I don’t have anything else more to share.  What I can say is — and the president put out a statement that was tweeted out — that’s on X, obviously — ver- — being very clear what he meant, understanding that his words could have been taken out of context. 
    He was talking about the comedian.  He was talking about the hateful rhetoric coming out of — from the comedian at the Sunday rally in Madison Square Garden. 
    And I said this on Wednesday, and I’m going to keep saying this is that the president is always going to continue to call out hateful rhetoric. 
    But of course — of course — and you see this today with the pensions announcement; you saw it this week when he went to Baltimore to an- — to announce some ports infrastructure investment, $147 million that went to Baltimore — to Maryland, specifically; 27 states, 11 of those states are red states.  I mean, these are things that the president wants to continue about, and he always will be a president for everyone, even if you did not vote for him. 
    I don’t have anything else to share beyond that.  What I — what we want to make sure — we think what the most important thing for Americans to know is that this is a president that went back and wanted to clarify what he said, because he didn’t want to take it out of context.  I think that says a lot about this president.
    And we’ve been pretty consistent about him wanting to be a president and continuing to be a president for all Americans.  And that’s what you’re going to see.  I don’t have anything else to add beyond that.
    Q    What does the — have you all received reports about Iran potentially having a re- — a strike against — a retaliatory strike from its proxies?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, as you said, there are reports that Israeli in- — intelligence suggests Iran is preparing to attack Israel from Iraqi territory in the coming days, possibly before the U.S. presidential election.  Is — is that the U.S. view as well?  You know, I’m not — I’m going to be really careful.  I’m not going to — to your question, I’m not going to speculate or discuss intelligence assessments on this from here.
    So — but we’ve been very clear that Iran should not respond.  I said this on Wednesday.  We will continue to support Israel.  Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad.  And — and if they choose this to do so, obviously we will continue to support Israel as they continue to protect themselves and their security. 
    So, I don’t have anything to share.  I’m not going to read into that.
    Q    Is the president aware of former President Trump’s comments about Liz Cheney that he made last night?  And does he have a reaction to that?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, he’s aware.  Obviously, you all have done — have covered — covered those remarks.  Here’s what I would say to that.  It is — it is unacceptable; it is dangerous to — to — to s- — to speak to political violence, to talk about political vi- — violence, to lift up political violence. 
    And what we are doing and we will continue to do is denounce that, condemn that.  There is no place, anywhere, for any type of violence, no place for political violence. 
    And it — and this is a time we shouldn’t be using inflammatory language.  We should be specifically focusing on bringing the country together, and that’s what this president wants to see, and that’s what he’s going to continue to speak to. 
    Q    Do you think those comments put Liz Cheney at risk?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, look, I can’t speak to that.  I can’t get into hypotheticals.  What we know is that those type of comments tend to be dangerous, right?  They can be dangerous. 
    That’s — we’re hearing violent rhetoric, and we’re going to continue to condemn that.  It is inappropriate in the political space, and — and it is inflammatory language that should not be said by anyone, certainly by — not when someone has a — a leadership — national leadership.
    Q    Has there been any discussion about heightening the security preparations this week in response to what we’ve seen?  Whether it’s, you know, ahead of the election, after the election for certain members of Congress, what does that look like at this point?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  For certain members of Congress specifically?
    Q    Well, just for that and then broader security preparations.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, look, I — I would have to — as it relates to Congress, obviously, that’s the — something for — the Capitol Police can speak to.  I can’t speak to that.
    Look, I think that what you’ll see from this — from this president is that, you know, free and fair elections and especially peaceful election are the cornerstone of our democracy.  And election officials and poll workers are dedicated to public servants who make our democracy work, and they deserve to do their job — their job safely and freely without harassment, without threat of violence. 
    So, we strongly condemn anyone who threatens or harasses them.  And so — but I also believe and we also believe that people should trust in our institutions and trust that this will be a free and fair election.
    Q    What about Lebanon?  Can you give us a status report?  Are those talks dead?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, a couple of things.  As you know, Brett and —
    AIR FORCE ONE CREW MEMBER:  Going to need everyone to take their seats, please.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Well, we got to go.
    AIR FORCE ONE CREW MEMBER:  There’s going to be some turbulence.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ll — we’ll have more fo- — we can share — I would reach out to the NSC team, and they’ll share more about things.  But we have to sit down.
    Thanks, everybody. 
    Q    Thanks, Karine.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Be careful.  It’s really bumpy.
    2:59 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence Itinerary for Veterans’ Week

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, will participate in a number of events, meetings and activities during Veterans’ Week, which runs from November 5 to 11, 2024.

    Ottawa, ON – The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, will participate in a number of events, meetings and activities during Veterans’ Week, which runs from November 5 to 11, 2024.

    The theme for Veterans’ Week 2024 is “CAF around the world,” recognizing the service of Canadians here at home and abroad. The theme ties together commemorative anniversaries marked this year, including the 10th anniversary of the end of Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan, the 60th anniversaries of the establishment of the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus and the end of Canada’s participation in the First UN Mission to the Congo (ONUC), the 80th anniversaries of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, the Liberation of Belgium, and the Battle of the Scheldt, and the centennial anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

    Throughout the week, Minister Petitpas Taylor will meet with Veterans and their families, stakeholders and partner organizations across the country to commemorate and recognize the service and sacrifice of Canada’s Veterans. She will also make a series of announcements aimed at honouring and supporting Veterans.

    After visiting the Region of Waterloo, Sunday, for a Sikh Veterans’ Ceremony of Remembrance, she will begin the week in Moncton, before returning to Ottawa to officially mark the beginning of Veterans’ Week. She will spend time with Veterans, serving members and their families in Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax, and Montreal before returning to Ottawa to attend the National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial.

    Detailed media advisories will follow.

    Note for media:

    – Photos of each visit will be available upon request.

    Associated Links:

    Remembrance Day & Veterans’ Week

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on Middle East Force Posture Updates

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following statement:

    In keeping with our commitments to the protection of U.S. citizens and forces in the Middle East, the defense of Israel, and de-escalation through deterrence and diplomacy, the Secretary of Defense ordered the deployment of additional ballistic missile defense destroyers, fighter squadron and tanker aircraft, and several U.S. Air Force B-52 long-range strike bombers to the region. These forces will begin to arrive in coming months as the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group prepares to depart.

    These deployments build on the recent decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system to Israel as well as DoD’s sustained Amphibious Ready Group Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) posture in the Eastern Mediterranean. These movements demonstrate the flexible nature of U.S. global defense posture and U.S. capability to deploy world-wide on short notice to meet evolving national security threats.

    Secretary Austin continues to make clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Katie Hobbs Proclaims November as Arizona Family Caregiver Month

    Source: US State of Arizona

    Phoenix, AZ – Today, Governor Katie Hobbs proclaimed November as Arizona Family Caregiver Month, recognizing the many Arizonans who take on the responsibility of caring for loved ones. Almost 12% of Arizonans are providing care to a family member living with dementia, a chronic disease, a disability, or who is an older adult. These individuals provide essential support, often putting their own lives on hold to ensure the well-being of others. Family caregivers fill an invaluable role within Arizona’s healthcare landscape, and devote more than 800 million hours each year, or the equivalent of $14.5 billion unpaid work.

    “Family caregivers are unsung heroes, providing critical and compassionate care for loved ones that goes above and beyond what’s provided through the healthcare system,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “These selfless individuals deserve to be recognized for their dedication and hard work. I am so proud to proclaim November as Arizona Family Caregiver Month, honoring the essential role they play in creating a healthy Arizona for everyone.”

    The Arizona State Plan on Aging for 2023-2026 and the Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia State Plan for 2024-2029 provide multi-agency frameworks to support older Arizonans and their caregivers.

    “Family Caregivers are the backbone of our Long-Term Care System,” said Arizona AARP State Director Dana Kennedy. “In Arizona there are 850,000 family caregivers that provide billions of dollars of unpaid care to families and loved ones. AARP Arizona and our members commend Governor Hobbs and all of her staff for making Family Caregiving a priority and acknowledging all the work that they do every single day. This proclamation is an example of all the work that has gone into supporting family caregivers and the work they have done to provide a caregiver roadmap. AARP Arizona is looking forward to working together to continue to support family caregivers, in November and in the future.”

    Read the proclamation here.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Freddie “Bankroll Freddie” Gladney, III Sentenced to Over 12 Years in Federal Prison Following Guilty Verdict at Jury Trial on Firearm and Drug Trafficking Charges

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

          LITTLE ROCK—Freddie “Bankroll Freddie” Gladney, III, will spend the next 150 months in federal prison after being convicted of multiple narcotics offenses, including a firearms offense, which involved a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of marijuana in and around central Arkansas. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.

          Following a four-day trial, Gladney, 30, of Helena, was convicted by a federal jury on April 12, 2024. The jury found Gladney guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of using a telephone in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

          In addition to the 150 months’ total imprisonment, which is more than twelve years, Judge Moody sentenced Gladney to three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Gladney was also ordered to pay a $242,000 money judgment as part of his conviction. 

          Gladney was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 3, 2023, in a 32-count superseding indictment that charged him with numerous offenses related to a conspiracy that was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

          Two FBI operations, each focused on a rival gang, were created to address violence and drug trafficking in the corridor between Pine Bluff and Little Rock. The investigations focused on rival gangs responsible for violence throughout central Arkansas, with one operation focused on the EBK or Every Body Killas gang and resulting in the indictment of 35 defendants.

          An investigation revealed that on April 14, 2022, an Arkansas State Police trooper observed a black truck speeding and conducted a traffic stop in Marion. The trooper noted the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and asked Gladney to exit the vehicle. Gladney began to exit the vehicle but then reentered and started reaching for something in the vehicle. Because Gladney refused to exit the vehicle, the trooper was forced to remove him.

          During a search of Gladney’s vehicle, law enforcement officers located in the passenger seat near the area where Gladney had been reaching, a Romarm/Cugie Model Micro Draco 7.62x39mm caliber firearm and a Polymer 80 Model PF940C, 9mm privately made firearm (also known as a “ghost gun”). Additionally, during a search of the back seat of the vehicle, law enforcement officers located a duffle bag containing 21.4 pounds of high-grade marijuana and $33,662, which was located in the center console along with seven magazines, five of which were extended and fully loaded.

          At sentencing, Gladney received a 4-level increase for being an organizer or leader of criminal activity that involved five or more participants. Gladney received a 2-level increase in his guideline range for obstruction of justice related to a May 25, 2021, wiretap call in which he instructed a codefendant to remove guns and scales used for weighing illegal drugs from his Helena residence in anticipation that it would be searched by law enforcement. 

    GLADNEY III:           So where, what you got in the house in Helena?

    CODEFENDANT:     I got everything out of there.

    GLADNEY III:           You got everything out of there already?

    CODEFENDANT:     Yeah.

    GLADNEY III:           Scales and everything?

    CODEFENDANT:     Naw, I gotta, gotta, lemme call them. Send em back in to get that. I gotta find out where all they at.

    GLADNEY III:           Scales and shit. Get everything out the house. Any guns, anything.

    CODEFENDANT:     Alright, let me..

    GLADNEY III:           Where that MAK-90 at?

    CODEFENDANT:     It’s not there.

    GLADNEY III:           Alright get everything else out that house before they go search that b***h.

    CODEFENDANT:     Alright.

          Judge Moody cited the ghost gun in increasing Gladney’s sentence 2.5 years above the guidelines range. Judge Moody noted that based on trial testimony, it was apparent that Gladney’s ghost gun, which did not have a back plate, was either ready to receive a “switch,” or had recently had a “switch” on it, that would turn the ghost gun from a semi-automatic firearm to a fully-automatic firearm. Judge Moody also recognized that Gladney was on probation from a drug and gun case in Memphis at the time he was intercepted on the wiretap in this case. 

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

          The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Department of Community Corrections, Little Rock Police Department, North Little Rock Police Department, Pine Bluff Police Department, and Jonesboro Police Department. FBI’s GETROCK Task Force was formed in 2017 in response to the escalation in gang and gun violence in Little Rock. The unit’s investigations and operations are coordinated out of FBI Little Rock’s field office, and GETROCK continues to serve as the clearinghouse for gang-related law enforcement activity in Central Arkansas. Additional support was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Postal Inspection Service; Arkansas National Guard Counterdrug Joint Task Force; and the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie Peters, Amanda Fields, and Reese Lancaster.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

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

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Joly and Minister Blair meet with Korean counterparts

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, met today in Ottawa with their Republic of Korea counterparts, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul and Minister of National Defence Kim Yong-hyun for the inaugural Canada-ROK Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting.

    November 1, 2024 Ottawa, Ontario- – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, met today in Ottawa with their Republic of Korea counterparts, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul and Minister of National Defence Kim Yong-hyun for the inaugural Canada-ROK Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting.

    Through new announcements and initiatives, Canada and the Republic of Korea will deepen cooperation as strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific, including through our shared priorities in the North Pacific, and further the significant progress already achieved in our bilateral relations.

    This builds on Minister Joly’s visit to South Korea in July 2024 to launch the Canada-Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Action Plan with Minister Cho, and Minister Blair’s visit in September 2024 to co-host the Republic of Korea-United Nations Command Member States Defence Ministerial with Minister Kim.

    Canada and the Republic of Korea have issued a joint statement to deepen cooperation on shared regional and global issues and to condemn in the strongest possible terms the growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch, and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

    Canada and the Republic of Korea are gravely concerned that large numbers of North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia. This is a significant escalation with dangerous implications for security and stability in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. Together, Canada and the Republic of Korea call on North Korea and Russia to withdraw North Korean troops from Russia. 

    For more than 60 years, Canada and the Republic of Korea have enjoyed a close friendship and longstanding peace and security cooperation that dates back to the Korean War. 

    Today, this partnership facilitated discussions that will help expand collaboration in the years ahead, including during Canada’s G7 Presidency and when the Republic of Korea hosts APEC in 2025. 

    These discussions touched on the Indo-Pacific strategies of our two countries that outline a common vision for ensuring the region remains secure, free and prosperous into the future.

    To help realize this objective, Canada and the Republic of Korea agreed to launch the Canada-Korea Indo-Pacific Dialogue to allow direct collaboration between our Special Envoys for the Indo-Pacific.

    Both countries have agreed to hold these ministerial dialogues on an ongoing basis to continue advancing Canada-ROK cooperation on a range of shared priorities.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada-Republic of Korea Foreign and Defence (2+2) Ministerial Meeting joint statement

    Source: Government of Canada News

    We, the ministers of foreign affairs and ministers of national defence of Canada and the Republic of Korea (ROK) met on November 1, 2024, in Ottawa, Canada, for the inaugural Canada-ROK Foreign and Defence (2+2) Ministerial Meeting (“the ministerial”). The ministerial builds upon the elevation of our diplomatic relationship to that of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and is a key deliverable of the CSP Action Plan launched in July 2024.

    November 1, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    We, the ministers of foreign affairs and ministers of national defence of Canada and the Republic of Korea (ROK) met on November 1, 2024, in Ottawa, Canada, for the inaugural Canada-ROK Foreign and Defence (2+2) Ministerial Meeting (“the ministerial”). The ministerial builds upon the elevation of our diplomatic relationship to that of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and is a key deliverable of the CSP Action Plan launched in July 2024.

    Today, through several new announcements and initiatives, we demonstrate our resolve to deepen cooperation to reinforce global stability in the face of interconnected challenges in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. In this, Canada and the ROK are stronger together.

    Partners for global stability

    We condemn in the strongest possible terms North Korea’s deepening military cooperation with Russia in violation of multiple United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, including the provision of millions of rounds of ammunition and ballistic missiles to support Russia’s brutal and unjustifiable war of aggression in Ukraine. We are gravely concerned that large numbers of North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia, which is a significant escalation with dangerous implications for security and stability in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. We are closely monitoring what Russia provides North Korea in return for weapons and military personnel, including Russia’s possible provision of sensitive technology to advance North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs. We call on North Korea and Russia to immediately cease these unlawful and destabilizing activities and to withdraw North Korean troops from Russia. Recognizing that the security of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions are increasingly interconnected, we commit to actively pursuing further measures together with the international community. 

    We call on Russia to withdraw its forces immediately, completely, and unconditionally from all Ukrainian territory to its internationally recognized borders; we reiterate our unwavering support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect and defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

    We express our deep concern with any nation’s efforts to support Russia’s war economy, such as through the transfer of dual-use materials, including weapons components and equipment, which enable Russia to prolong and sustain its illegal war in Ukraine.

    We condemn North Korea’s nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs, and continued missile launches, including its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test on October 31 (local time), which threatens peace and stability in the region and across the globe, are in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) and international law. It only demonstrates that North Korea continues to prioritize its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people, and we call on North Korea to cease its destabilizing actions. We reaffirm that any further nuclear test by North Korea would be met with a strong and resolute response from the international community. We continue to call for the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea’s WMDs. The ROK reiterated the goals of its Audacious Initiative and ‘August 15 Unification Doctrine’ and

    Canada expressed strong support for the ROK’s efforts to achieve a denuclearized, free, peaceful, prosperous, and unified Korean Peninsula.

    Both countries remain committed to multilateral sanctions evasion monitoring efforts and Canada will continue to provide assets via the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operation NEON. 

    We were pleased to join other participating countries last month in launching the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). We reaffirm the goal of assisting all UN Member States in implementing UN sanctions on North Korea by publishing information on sanctions violations and evasion attempts.

    We highlight the valuable contributions of the United Nations Command (UNC) to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. The ROK commends Canada for its unwavering support of the UNC since its inception, and Canada’s current leadership role within the UNC through its provision of its Deputy Commander. The co-hosting of the UNC Ministerial together this year is a symbol of our powerful ties and shared priorities in the areas of security and defence, and we will continue to collaborate closely to strengthen cooperation among the ROK, UNC and its Member States.

    The ROK and Canada are committed to working together to actively promote and protect human rights in the Indo-Pacific and around the world, including within North Korea and to seeking accountability for human rights violations.

    We reiterate that the situation of human rights in North Korea is intrinsically linked to international peace and security, and we call on North Korea to engage fully and constructively with the international community, including during its upcoming Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council. We also look forward to the next iteration of the Canada-ROK North Korean Human Rights Dialogue.

    Canada and the ROK affirm our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, based on the rule of law and the peaceful resolution of disputes. We continue to advocate for peace and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region.  We oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific. We reaffirm that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is indispensable to international security and prosperity.

    Canada and the ROK express their support for the global maritime order based on international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We express concern about developments in the South China Sea, and emphasize the importance of maintaining peace, security, stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in and above the South China Sea , consistent with UNCLOS.

    Canada appreciates the ROK’s participation in the Conference on the Human Dimension of Ukraine’s 10-Point Peace Formula, hosted by Canada, Ukraine and Norway in Montreal on October 31st, demonstrating our joint resolve to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Canada and the ROK will continue to discuss ways to jointly support Ukraine’s Peace Formula, while providing the support Ukraine requires to secure a just and lasting peace.

    Indo-Pacific partners

    Canada and the ROK acknowledge the Indo-Pacific region’s pivotal role in shaping global geopolitical and economic relations in the 21st century, with long-term implications for our shared prosperity and security. Canada and the ROK share a common vision for the region to be more secure, free, peaceful, prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable.

    In this context, we congratulate the organizers of the successful Canada-Korea Forum held on October 24-26, 2024 in Montreal, and the Korean Peninsula Symposium on October 23, 2024, co-organized with the Embassies of Japan, and the United States.

    To deepen and implement bilateral collaboration in the region, we announce today the launch of the Canada-Korea Indo-Pacific Dialogue, where our respective Special Envoys for the Indo-Pacific will engage on identifying synergies and joining action on shared regional priorities.

    We also look forward to the Indo-Pacific High-Level Forum, co-hosted by the ROK and Australia, in Seoul on December 13, as we recognize the importance of cooperation with the broader community of Indo-Pacific partners.

    In 2025, we look forward to Canada’s G7 Presidency and the ROK’s hosting of APEC. We further elaborated today how our two countries will establish synergies and use our leadership for cooperation on regional and global challenges. Canada looks forward to working with the ROK on advancing G7 priorities as relevant, including building economies that benefit everyone, fighting climate change, and managing rapidly evolving technologies. Furthermore, the ROK and Canada look forward to working together for a productive APEC in 2025.

    As actively engaged global partners, we will deepen our collective engagement with ASEAN, leveraging the ROK-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Canada-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, while reaffirming our commitment to the principle of ASEAN Centrality.

    Partners in security and defence   

    Canada and the ROK are committed to deepening partnerships in security and advancing shared defence priorities through bilateral and multilateral initiatives.   Canada and the ROK will strengthen bilateral and multilateral exercises, including holding regular Army Staff Talks, with the inaugural edition to be hosted in Canada.  

    We are committed to jointly delivering and collaborating on Women, Peace and Security, so that women have full, meaningful and equal participation in defence and security, peace operations and peace negotiations. As we seek to enhance women’s participation in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and post-conflict state building, Canada and the ROK will leverage the ROK’s 2024-2025 UNSC seat to jointly advance the Women, Peace, and Security agenda globally as well as in the Indo-Pacific region.

    We will continue to cooperate on maritime safety, and combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, including through detecting dark vessels and joint patrols under Operation North Pacific Guard. We will also continue to explore ways of addressing maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific through enhanced maritime domain awareness and relevant instruments such as the Regional Cooperation Agreement Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

    We will further utilize the Canada-Korea Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Materiel Cooperation to share technical information, discuss defence equipment and technology issues of mutual interest, and identify opportunities for bilateral defence materiel cooperation, and hold the 3rd Joint Meeting (Materiel) in Canada in 2025.

    We agree to expand our work within the Canada-Korea Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Research and Development, to encourage collaboration between respective defence research and development organizations.

    Canada welcomes the contribution of the ROK as a NATO partner and commits to working with the ROK to advance its Individually Tailored Partnership Programme. Canada further welcomes the ROK’s recent participation at the NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels. 

    Addressing non-traditional security challenges

    We recognize that climate change is the defining challenge of our time and a threat multiplier that impacts our collective security, including within the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic areas, and we affirm our strong support for NATO’s Climate Change and Security Agenda. 

    We acknowledge that our democratic values, institutions and processes, and our citizens’ fundamental freedoms, are increasingly vulnerable to hybrid and digital threats, such as foreign interference and disinformation, and we will continue to expand our cooperative efforts to combat these threats.

    We are committed to addressing threats and seizing opportunities linked to cybersecurity and emerging technologies, including threats to the rule of law, democracy, and critical infrastructure. We are pleased to announce today that we will hold Canada-Korea Cyber Policy Consultations to exchange information on each other’s policies, strategies and capabilities. Canada is also pleased to note the ROK’s fruitful engagement with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallin, Estonia, of which Canada is also a member.

    We recognize the importance of the responsible use of artificial intelligence, including in the military domain. Canada commends the ROK for hosting several high-level international gatherings on AI to advance discussions on global AI governance, including the AI Seoul Summit in May 2024, and the Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military domain (REAIM) Summit in September 2024, in Seoul. We strongly support the Seoul Declaration for safe, innovative, and inclusive AI and the principles for the responsible development, deployment, and use of AI in the military domain articulated in the REAIM Blueprint for Action.

    The relationship between our two nations dates back centuries; reinforced by our countries’ collective efforts to defend peace and security on the Korean Peninsula since the Korean War. We commit to meeting in this format on a biennial basis and look forward to the next iteration of this Ministerial in 2026, where we will reflect on and examine how we may further build upon the achievements stemming from today’s discussion.

    Annex – announcements

    Today, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence of Canada and the Republic of Korea announced that our countries have agreed to:

    • Hold this Ministerial on a biennial basis and look forward to its next iteration in 2026 to follow-up on the achievements of today’s discussion.
    • Launch the Canada-Korea Indo-Pacific Dialogue, where our respective Special Envoys for the Indo-Pacific will engage on identifying synergies and joint action on shared regional priorities, including in the North Pacific.
    • Advance bilateral diplomatic intelligence cooperation and analytic exchanges between our respective foreign ministries.
    • Expedite the negotiations to finalize the Agreement on the Protection of Classified Military/Defence Information.
    • Explore measures to facilitate and deepen military operational cooperation.
    • Strengthen bilateral and multilateral exercises, including holding regular Army Staff Talks, with the inaugural edition to be hosted in Canada.
    • Hold the 3rd Joint Meeting (Materiel), hosted by Canada in 2025 under the Canada-Korea Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Materiel Cooperation, and continue to identify and expand opportunities for defence cooperation.
    • Hold Canada-Korea bilateral Cyber Policy Consultations.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Marshall joins National Report: President Trump Has the Backs of American Farmers & Ranchers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Kansas City, Kansas. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined National Report on Newsmax to discuss the White House altering records of President Joe Biden calling Trump supporters ‘Garbage,’ and how Kamala Harris has sidelined American agriculture. 
    Senator Marshall highlighted his new op-ed, Farmers and Ranchers Turn to Trump to Deliver, that contrasts President Trump’s Farmers First agenda with the past four years of the Biden-Harris anti-agriculture agenda.
    [embedded content]
    You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    Highlights from the interview include:
    On White House Altering Record of Biden Calling Trump Supporters ‘Garbage’: 
    “I think this is the next chapter on why don’t Americans trust their federal government anymore. We see our jobs numbers again, were doctored as well, and we got a very horrible jobs report today.”
    “At the end of the day, I think that people in the Midwest that we’re concerned about our values being attacked and lying and deceit is the opposite of the values that we were raised on. That we were raised on values like faith and family, and country. And here we have a Democrat Party, the leading candidate for the President of the United States of the Democrats, thinks that boys should compete in girls’ sports, that we should be paying for transgender surgeries, that boys should be in girls’ lockers. One more example of our values being attacked.”
    On Kamala Harris’ Sidelining American Agriculture:
    “Kamala Harris is going to continue this same aggressive assault on American agriculture, American energy, and those are really the same thing. Look, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris gave us a record drop in net farmer income… and they just drowned us in regulations. That drop in income occurred because our energy costs went up, fuel and fertilizers, but interest rates just swamped our farmers as well.”
    “President Trump, on the other hand – we did great under him in the agricultural world. He rolled back regulations; he gave us trade agreements… Kamala Harris has not done one trade agreement. She’s not even tried to do a trade agreement. As I think of those Midwest states that are up for grabs, dairy is so important to them. Thanks to President Trump, our trade agreements have increased exports of milk products from $6 billion to $9 billion a year. So, President Trump has always prioritized agriculture. Every time I see President Trump, he asks me, Roger, how are your farmers doing? You know, he gave farmers $28 billion in that tariff money from China when they were manipulating markets as well. So, President Trump has the back of American farmers and ranchers.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Marshall and Colleagues Press Biden-Harris Admin on Destruction of U.S. Immigration Policies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    ​
    Overland Park, Kansas – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined his colleagues in sending a letter calling out President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for fueling a national security crisis at the southern border through a series of destructive executive orders.
    “Instead of addressing the flow of illegal immigration and illicit drugs across our borders, your administration has turned its back on those who wish to immigrate here legally and welcomed illegal aliens with open arms. Instead of directing resources to securing our borders and processing legal immigrant applications, your administration has crippled our immigration enforcement capabilities and prioritized amnesty applications,” the Senators wrote. “The administration has one job—to enforce the law of the land. Instead of detaining and deporting illegal aliens, your administration has shown a blatant disregard for the rule of law and national security.”
    Senator Marshall joined Senator Jim Risch’s (R-Idaho) letter with Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in demanding the Biden-Harris administration answer for their direct role in eroding the U.S. immigration system and compromising the safety of American families.   
    The full letter can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins RFDTV to Discuss Improving 45Z Biofuel Tax Credit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Kansas City, KS – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined Market Day Report on RFDTV to discuss the 45Z Biofuel Tax Credit and how we can ensure American Agriculture is being put first.

    [embedded content]

    You may click HERE or on the link above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    Highlights from Senator Marshall’s interview include:
    On The Current 45Z Tax Credit: 
    “I think that when they write the rules for this, there’s some big glitches. What I know is I don’t like China benefiting from it, which is what they’re doing right now. They’re manipulating the system. Look, I think that tax credits should be only for American farmers, and other countries shouldn’t enjoy any type of tax credit.”
    “What China is doing right now is they’re bringing in cooking oil. Used cooking oil, but blending it with palm oil, which is not the right way to do this. So, they’re cheating and getting the tax credit. That’s why we need a president that understands agriculture. I just sat down with President Trump, spent half a morning with him, took two Kansas farmers with me, and discussed this very issue. That if 45Z is going to help other countries, we don’t even want it.”
    “The way the Biden-Harris administration is doing this is wrong, as usual. Just remind your listeners, President Trump was the first person back in 2016 who embraced E15 and then gave us year-round E15 when he was president.”
    On the Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act: 
    “The farmers and ranchers need certainty, and that’s exactly what we’re speaking with President Trump about, is we need long term certainty and to be much better at these big, big investments.”
    “Right now, we have a project in Kansas where we’re going to take corn stock and turn it into jet fuel, working with Southwest Airlines. So, I think that’s the future, but without this 45Z I think that project goes away… we need consistent rules, that working with the Treasury Department and getting USDA to give some voice there at the Treasury Department, exactly how this works out, but we need to put American farmers and ranchers first, not second. This tax credit is not meant to help other foreign entities and, frankly, farmers from other countries.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Marshall joins Varney & Co. on The Migrant Surge at The Border

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Kansas City, Kansas. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined Fox Business’ Varney & Co. to discuss the migrant surge at the southern border leading up to a potential Trump presidency, and his new op-ed, Farmers and Ranchers Turn to Trump to Deliver, that contrasts President Trump’s Farmers First agenda with the past four years of the Biden-Harris anti-agriculture agenda.
    Highlights from the interview include:
    On Migrant Surge at The Border:
    “That’s why we’re seeing a massive increase of people headed to the border right now trying to beat President Trump. Look, we have two administrations here. President Trump secured the border, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris made the situation worse. This is why over 90% of Kansans don’t feel safe in their own homes right now, in their own communities. We’re losing a young Kansan every day to fentanyl poisoning across the country, 300 deaths to fentanyl poisoning every day.”
    On President Trump Delivering for Rural America: 
    “Well, they’re going to get more trade markets, they are going to get less regulations. What Joe Biden and Kamala Harris gave us is a record drop in net farm income, a record drop in net farm income with increased regulations. They buried us in their regulations. Biden then Harris’s fuel prices, fertilizer prices and interest rates have just killed American farmers.”
    “President Trump rolled back regulations, but he gave us these trade markets as well. He gave us USMCA. He gave us Japan and South Korea as well. And all of that has been increased trade for American farmers. I think dairy is a great example. You think of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin – dairy states. We’ve increased dairy exports from 6 billion to $9 billion thanks to President Trump’s trade agreements. And of course, the answer to how many trade agreements did Kamala Harris get done? And the answer is zero.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall, Lee, and Tuberville Demand Accountability from Secretary Mayorkas on Border-Caused Tuberculosis Surge

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. and Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, holding him accountable for a surge in Tuberculosis (TB) cases across the United States due to lax enforcement of border laws under the Biden-Harris administration. The senators make clear that this administration’s policies are jeopardizing public health, risking a re-emergence of TB along with violent crime, human trafficking, and drug smuggling as a direct result of an unsecured border.
     “When Secretary Mayorkas became the Homeland Security Secretary, he solemnly vowed to protect the United States. He has failed. Millions of illegal aliens have crossed our southern border, spreading not only crime but also deadly diseases like tuberculosis that can threaten the lives of American citizens,” said. Sen. Marshall. “We cannot allow Secretary Mayorkas to continue to put the American people at risk. Secretary Mayorkas, along with President Biden and Vice President Harris, must take immediate action to close the southern border to protect Americans.” 
    “The Biden-Harris administration’s destruction of America’s southern border has resulted in violent crime, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and now a surge in a disease that was declining for nearly three decades before they took power,” said Sen. Lee. “Secretary Mayorkas must answer for his part in this disaster.”
    “For the past 4 years, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have willfully opened our borders, allowing millions of criminals, murderers, drug dealers, and terrorists to flood into our country unchecked,” said Sen. Tuberville. “As a result, innocent Americans like Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray have been brutally murdered by illegal aliens. But it doesn’t stop there – there have been no health screenings of these populations. Since the creation of the administration’s illegal parole programs, we have seen a 16% rise in Tuberculosis cases between 2022 and 2023 alone. How many more Americans have to needlessly lose their lives before the Biden-Harris administration will take the open border seriously? I join my Republican colleagues in calling on Secretary Mayorkas, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris to secure the border and save American lives.”  For a PDF version of the letter, click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: USDA Awards Nearly $500,000 to Dakota Angus, LLC

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    BISMARCK, N.D. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an award of nearly $500,000 to Dakota Angus, LLC. This funding, awarded through the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP), will add up to five new routes for farm to consumer beef distributions and expand wholesale business through grocery stores, food hubs, convenient stores, and schools in underserved markets. The award will expand market opportunities for livestock producers, create additional local jobs, and diversify consumers’ options.

    Dakota Angus, located in Drake, which represents two, third-generation livestock farms, has incorporated a value-added farm to its consumer beef program. 

    The LFPP, implemented under the Local Agriculture Market Program, supports projects to develop, coordinate, and expand local and regional food business enterprises and increase access to locally and regionally produced agricultural products.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ciscomani, Hinson Host Roundtable on the Fentanyl Epidemic

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Ciscomani (Arizona)

    TUCSON, AZ – U.S. Representatives Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) and Ashley Hinson (IA-02) hosted a roundtable with those impacted by the fentanyl epidemic to hear their stories and discuss how Congress can continue to work to make a lasting impact combating this crisis.  

    “In my district, and across the United States, fentanyl has infiltrated our communities, affecting people from all walks of life,” said Ciscomani. “Too many lives have been forever changed and countless families have had to endure the pain of losing a loved one. Amid the ongoing border crisis, the amount of fentanyl entering our country has spiked to record levels. The stakes could not be clearer, Congress must come together to secure the border, implement stronger prevention efforts, and expand access to care and resources for those battling addiction. I am grateful to Rep. Hinson for joining this roundtable with me and sharing her perspective from Iowa.” 

    “Deadly fentanyl is pouring in through the Southern Border because of Kamala Harris’ open border policies,” said Hinson. “Congressman Ciscomani is doing incredible work to combat the scourge of fentanyl in Arizona and across the country, and I’m grateful he included me in this crucial conversation as we continue working to secure the border, combat the drug cartels, and save American lives.” 

    Background 

    • Ciscomani co-introduced the Combating Cartels on Social Media Act (H.R. 2393) to crack down on cartels using social media and online platforms to recruit Americans for smuggling operations along the southern border.   
    • Ciscomani introduced the End the Border Catastrophe Act (H.R. 3602) to address the border crisis by:  

      • Restarting construction of the border wall   

      • Hiring new Border Patrol agents   

      • Reinstating Remain in Mexico and ending catch-and-release   

      • Streamlining the asylum process and raising the credible fear standard   

      • Ending abuse of parole   

      • Reimbursing states for local law enforcement activities related to the border.  

      • Providing grants for border states to construct and repair border barriers.  

    • In September 2024, Ciscomani delivered a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives about the impact of the fentanyl epidemic and the need to hold drug cartels and traffickers accountable.   
    • In May 2024, Ciscomani hosted a field hearing with the House Judiciary Committee in Sahuarita, Arizona to hear from parents and individuals impacted by the fentanyl epidemic.  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Lee, Marshall, Slam DHS for Tuberculosis Surge in U.S. as a Result of Open Southern Border

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    “There are many laws on the books to combat illegal immigration and its harmful effects, and it is past time for this administration to use them.”
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) in demanding answers from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as to how the department plans to address the surge in tuberculosis (TB) from illegal aliens being released into the U.S.
    In a letter to Secretary Mayorkas, the senators admonished his management of the worst border crisis in U.S. history, which has put the lives and property of Americans at risk of harm. They also demand answers, by November 13, 2024,  on whether the department is releasing aliens with TB, and what measures are being taken to prevent TB from spreading.
    “For the past 4 years, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have willfully opened our borders, allowing millions of criminals, murderers, drug dealers, and terrorists to flood into our country unchecked,” said Senator Tuberville. “As a result, innocent Americans like Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray have been brutally murdered by illegal aliens. But it doesn’t stop there – there have been no health screenings of these populations. Since the creation of the administration’s illegal parole programs, we have seen a 16% rise in Tuberculosis cases between 2022 and 2023 alone. How many more Americans have to needlessly lose their lives before the Biden-Harris administration will take the open border seriously? I join my Republican colleagues in calling on Secretary Mayorkas, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris to secure the border and save American lives.”
    Full text of the letter can be found here and below.
    October 30th, 2024
    The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas
    Secretary
    U.S. Department of Homeland Security
    Washington, D.C. 20528
    Secretary Mayorkas,
    Your mismanagement of the border continues to jeopardize the health and safety of American citizens. Due to your negligence and refusal to enforce our current laws, tuberculosis (TB) is rapidly spreading through the millions of unscreened illegal immigrants released into the interior of the United States putting American lives and health at severe risk.
    While the United States previously had one of the lowest TB rates globally, steadily declining for 27 years, your appointment as the Secretary of Homeland Security in February 2021 ushered in a new era. Since then, TB case counts have continuously increased each year with a 16% increase from 2022 to 2023 alone. It is well-documented by academics and government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes for Health (NIH) that foreign-born persons represent the greatest threat for the spread of TB, some of whom come from countries with TB rates as high as 60 times the U.S. rates.
    Despite this increasing human health risk, you have turned what was once border security into a rubber-stamp for any individual seeking access to the interior. Since the start of Fiscal Year 2021, Customs and Border Protection recorded nearly 11 million inadmissible encounters and roughly two million known “gotaways” who evaded Border Patrol agents with unknown numbers of illegal aliens evading detection altogether. Rather than requiring immigrants to apply for status prior to arriving at the border, and undergo health screenings, your policies encourage immigrants to unlawfully enter the interior with no meaningful processing, screening, or security analysis. As reported by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the top seven nationalities encountered by CBP—Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, Colombia, and Haiti—all have significantly higher TB case rates than the U.S. There can be no doubt that your administration’s failure to enforce the law is the cause for the dramatic and dangerous rise of TB in the U.S.
    While unscreened illegal immigrants are bringing TB into the U.S., they are not the only ones suffering from it. As the CDC noted on March 24, 2024, “National [TB] case counts increased among all age groups and among both U.S.-born and non-U.S.-born persons” [emphasis added]. Given TB’s status as one of the world’s leading airborne infectious diseases, it is no wonder that a frightening number of Americans are contracting it. While FAIR correctly details in its report how border counties are bearing the brunt of the TB influx, it is abundantly clear that Americans across the U.S. are feeling the harmful effects of open border policies. The Biden Harris Administration’s border crisis has made every town in America a border town.  Just this month, an illegal Chinese immigrant in Louisiana exposed hundreds of individuals in the U.S. to a rare and aggressive form of TB with high mortality rates.
    There are many laws on the books to combat illegal immigration and its harmful effects, and it is past time for this administration to use them. In addition to closing the border, detaining and deporting inadmissible aliens, and working with the administration to re-instate the Remain-in-Mexico policy, we request that you reinstate Title 42 expulsion authority for this dangerous communicable disease. It is your duty to protect the health and safety of the American people.  
    Given the severity and time-sensitive nature of this crisis, please provide detailed responses to the following inquiries no later than November 13, 2024:
    Does DHS recognize the correlation between increased illegal immigration to the U.S. from countries with high TB rates and the increase in TB cases in the U.S., including among U.S.-born persons?
    Has DHS taken any meaningful steps to mitigate the spread of TB from illegal immigrants entering the country from high-rate countries?  If yes, please explain.
    Does DHS recognize the increase in tuberculosis cases as a public health crisis?
    Has any DHS employee consulted with the White House on this issue?

    Since January 20th, 2021, how many illegal immigrants has DHS screened for TB or referred to HHS for screening?
    Are illegal immigrants screened for active and latent TB upon transfer to a detention facility?
    If an illegal immigrant tests positive for either form of TB, what are the quarantine/removal protocols to protect border patrol agents and other detainees from infection?

    Has DHS knowingly released or paroled illegal immigrants into the U.S. with an active or latent TB infection?
    Does DHS have a contingency plan to address the rising number of TB-positive illegal immigrants entering the U.S. and prevent the spread to Americans? 
     If so, please explain.
    Does this plan include coordination with the CDC and HHS to strengthen screening and testing protocols for TB-positive illegal immigrants?
     Does this plan include using Title 42 expulsion authority under 8 U.S.C. §1182 to render immigrants with TB inadmissible?

    Have you discussed this issue with HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra?
    If so, did the discussion include using Title 42 authority to declare TB a communicable disease of public health significance, thereby rendering immigrants with TB inadmissible?
    If not, why not?

    Have you discussed this issue with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy?
    If so, did the discussion include using Title 42 expulsion authority to suspend entry for immigrants with TB?
    If not, why not?

    Sincerely,
    MORE:
    ICYMI: Tuberville Reacts to Kamala Harris’ Failure to Answer for Failed Border Policies
    ICYMI: Tuberville Joins Fox Business to Discuss Biden’s Border Crisis
    Tuberville Forces Vote on Border Safety and Security Act
    Tuberville Honors Border Crisis Victims
    Tuberville: “Our Priority Should Be Securing Our Border, Not A War In Eastern Europe”
    Tuberville Stands With Texas on Border Security
    Tuberville: Not One Dime For Ukraine Until The Border is Secure
    U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Tommy Tuberville, Bill Hagerty Hold DOJ Accountable for Failure to Prosecute Wrongful Voter Registration by Illegal Border Crossers
    Tuberville Questions Pentagon Nominees On Defense Spending, Border Wall Sales
    Tuberville Introduces Amendment to Secure the Border and Stop the Flow of Deadly Fentanyl
    Tuberville Demands Biden Admin Protect Unaccompanied Children at the Border From Traffickers, Criminals
    Tuberville Continues Fight to Secure Southern Border
    Tuberville Demands Answers from DHS Regarding Chinese Nationals and Suspected Terrorists Exploiting the Open Southern Border
    Tuberville, Colleagues Introduce Secure the Border Act of 2023
    Tuberville, Armed Services Republicans Call for Halt to Border Wall Materials Auctions
    Tuberville, Colleagues Introduce Resolution to Strike Down Dangerous Biden Border Policy
    Tuberville, Carter Reintroduce Empowering Law Enforcement Act as Border Crisis Intensifies
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 11.01.2024 Sen. Cruz Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Amicus Brief Defending Texas Energy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to rehear or rehear en banc City of Port Isabel v. FERC. Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Kennedy (R-La.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) joined Sen. Cruz’s brief. Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas-02) co-led the amicus brief in the House of Representatives and was joined by Representatives Steve Scalise (R-La.-01), Brian Babin (R-Texas-36), Michael C. Burgess (R-Texas-26), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas-28), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas-34), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas-38), August Pfluger (R-Texas-11), and Randy K. Weber (R-Texas-14).
    Sen. Cruz stated, “I’m proud to lead this bipartisan, bicameral effort. My number one priority in the U.S. Senate is jobs. There are 7,000 jobs and billions in investment in the Rio Grande Valley at stake. This decision and the current environmental process threaten the economic and energy security of Texas and America, and would cede America’s energy dominance to adversaries and rivals such as Russia, which advance their own interests through gas exports. The D.C. Circuit should rehear and reverse this erroneous decision.”
    Rep. Crenshaw said, “Texas has the resources to supply the world with clean, affordable LNG. Unprecedented decisions that inject massive uncertainty into future investments aren’t just short-sighted—they’re morally indefensible. We cannot afford to hand the global energy market to adversaries like Russia, who produce dirtier, high-emission fuels.”
    BACKGROUND:
    In August, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit vacated reauthorizations for the Rio Grande LNG and Texas LNG projects, threatening 7,000 jobs and undermining $24 billion in investments in the Rio Grande Valley. Sen. Cruz is leading this amicus brief to overturn that disastrous decision and defend high-paying Texas jobs and investments in the Rio Grande Valley.
    In addition to his amicus brief, Sen. Cruz sent a letter urging the Biden-Harris administration to appeal the decision. Additionally, he was joined by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in introducing the Protect LNG Act to ensure that a court cannot vacate a previously authorized LNG permit, clarify the venue for LNG lawsuits before federal courts, and mandate that courts grant expedited decisions in these cases.
    Sen. Cruz’s amicus brief is available here and here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Following Months of Advocacy, Peters Applauds DHS Decision to Designate Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    Published: 11.01.2024

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, applauds the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to designate Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 11,000 Lebanese individuals currently in the United States. This decision follows months of advocacy by Peters calling on DHS to take this action that will allow Lebanese nationals who are approved to remain safely in the United States due to the ongoing armed conflict in the region.
    “The concerning and rapidly changing situation in Lebanon presents a serious safety risk for the many Lebanese nationals who are currently in the United States,” said Senator Peters. “This announcement is very welcomed news. I pressed the Administration to designate Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status to ensure that the nearly 11,000 workers, students and tourists will be able to remain safely in the United States and work legally to support themselves and their families during the ongoing conflict in the region.”  
    Peters previously sent a letter in June and in early October urging the Administration to make the TPS designation. Following Peters’ first letter, the Administration authorized Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Lebanese nationals in the United States. DHS then issued guidance outlining the application process for eligible individuals to apply for DED-based employment authorization. The recent TPS designation for Lebanon will allow eligible individuals to remain safely in the United States for 18 months and give them the ability to work legally to support themselves.
    Below are statements in support of Peters’ calls for Lebanon to be designated for TPS.
    “NNAAC welcomes the decision to extend TPS for Lebanon designation that we have pursued along with Senator Peters while we grieve the loss of so many loved ones in Lebanon. Our priority remains an immediate ceasefire however we will continue pursuing all pathways to protect the safety of our community members,” said Rima Meroueh, Director, National Network for Arab American Communities.
    “These are important protections extended by the Biden-Harris Administration, and a welcomed reprieve for the thousands of Lebanese nationals currently in the country because of the ongoing war on Lebanon. Ensuring that Lebanese nationals in the U.S. are not forced back into harm’s way is an important step,” said Abed Ayoub, National Executive Director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). “ADC thanks Senator Peters for his commitment to providing these protections.”
    “It is a great relief that the Biden Administration has provided protection to Lebanese nationals here in the United States through TPS, DED, and special student relief. Using the Secretary of Homeland Security’s immigration authority to protect individuals is a positive step that will undoubtedly save lives and keep families together,” said American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Executive Director Ben Johnson. 
      

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Representative Lawler Issues Statement on House Education and Workforce Committee’s Damning Report on Campus Antisemitism

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17)

    Representative Lawler Issues Statement on House Education and Workforce Committee’s Damning Report on Campus Antisemitism

    Washington, DC, November 1, 2024

    Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) issued the following statement in response to a damning new report by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce detailing the extant of campus antisemitism on college campuses and how administrators have enabled the abusers.

    “Yesterday’s report from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce shows that campus antisemitism is even worse than many thought,” said Congressman Lawler. “College administrators have an obligation to ensure the safety of the students at their universities. Unfortunately, through a long list of actions and inactions, these campus leaders have shown more sympathy to the antisemitic Hamas sympathizers than to the Jewish students being terrorized by them. This is exactly why I introduced the Antisemitism Awareness Act and why this common sense bipartisan bill is so necessary.”

    “The Antisemitism Awareness Act will provide the tools we need to do what colleges have failed to do– ensure the safety of every student,” Congressman Lawler concluded. “It’s outrageous this bill has stalled in the Senate for five months after passing the House of Representatives in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote. Shame on the college administrators who fail to stand up to evil, and shame on Senator Schumer for stonewalling the Antisemitism Awareness Act.” 

    Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of the 118th Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casey Announces Thousands of Grocery Store Workers’ Pensions Saved by the American Rescue Plan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey

    Almost 11,000 Pennsylvania workers and retirees’ pensions will be protected

    Pension plan secures retirement for food and commercial workers

    President Biden credited Casey’s work to protect pensions

    American Rescue Plan has saved the pensions of more than 65,000 workers and retirees in PA-based plans

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that the pensions of almost 11,000 Pennsylvania grocery store workers and retirees from United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 152 will be protected, thanks to the American Rescue Plan. Casey voted to pass the American Rescue Plan, which has saved the pensions of more than 65,000 Pennsylvanians to date. The UFCW Employers Tri-State Pension Plan (UFCW Tri-State Plan) will receive approximately $684.4 million from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBCC) to save 10,934 Pennsylvania workers and retirees’ pensions. Without this fix, workers and retirees’ pension plans would have run out of money by 2028 and their benefits would have been subject to a 15 percent cut and a federal takeover at taxpayer expense.

    “Workers are the backbone of our Commonwealth and thanks to the American Rescue Plan, tens of thousands of families can continue relying on their pensions without worrying that their plans may be cut,” said Senator Casey. “I fought for this fix because I know how critical pensions are to the futures of thousands of Pennsylvania families, and how scary it was for those families to face the possibility of the rug being pulled out from underneath them. I will always fight to ensure workers and retirees’ hard-earned benefits are theirs to keep.”

    The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) announced approximately $684.4 million in relief to the UFCW Tri-State Plan, which is based in Plymouth Meeting, PA. Workers in this plan include employees and retirees of Acme Markets and other stores. In total, 29,233 workers and retirees’ pensions will be saved. This is the eighth Pennsylvania-based pension plan that has received relief; others include the Western Pennsylvania Teamsters and Employers Pension Fund, the Carpenters Industrial Council Eastern PA Pension Plan, the Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia Pension Plan, IUE-CWA Pension Plan, the National Integrated Group Pension Plan, which includes United Steelworkers and United Auto Workers, and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union.

    The funding comes from the PBGC’s Special Financial Assistance program, which was created by the American Rescue Plan. The American Rescue Plan passed the Senate by a vote of 50-49, and the House of Representatives by a vote of 220-211. No Republican Member of Congress voted in support of the law. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Blinken remarks at a Diwali reception

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken remarks at a Diwali reception at the Department of State, on November 1, 2024.

    Transcript: https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-at-a-diwali-reception/
    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/StateDept
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
    Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/

    Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
    Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw

    State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
    Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
    White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
    Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csS8BgGDguk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Inslee activates some Washington National Guard members to support public safety activities related to the 2024 elections

    Source: Washington State News

    Today, Gov. Jay Inslee activated some Washington National Guard members to be on stand-by in the event they are asked to support local law enforcement and the Washington State Patrol during election week. The governor has given The Adjutant General the authority to determine how many members of the Guard will be activated. 

    This is a purely precautionary measure taken in response to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s nationwide warnings regarding threats to election infrastructure and other recent activities that have occurred in southwestern Washington.

    The Guard will be on stand-by for four days, beginning Monday, November 4, and ending just after midnight on Thursday, November 7, 2024. 

    Read the governor’s letter to Major General Gent Welsh activating the National Guard. Full text is also below. 

    November 1, 2024

    Major General Gent Welsh
    The Adjutant General
    Washington Military Department
    Building 1
    Camp Murray, WA 98430-5000

    Re: Activation of Washington National Guard assets to support public safety activities related to the 2024 Elections.

    Dear Major General Welsh:

    Based upon general and specific information and concerns regarding the potential for violence or other unlawful activity related to the 2024 general election, I want to ensure we are fully prepared to respond to any potential additional civil unrest of the type described in RCW 38.08.040 occurring within Washington State leading up to, on, and potentially extending beyond November 5, 2024, the date of the 2024 general election.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has warned that threats to election infrastructure during the 2024 election cycle remains high. The southwest region of Washington state has already experienced specific instances of election-related unrest. On October 28, 2024, an incendiary device was set off in a drop box in Vancouver, Washington, damaging or destroying hundreds of ballots, and a similar device targeted a ballot box in Portland, Oregon.

    In response to the situation described above and the potential for further violence and illegal activity, I am directing the Washington National Guard (WANG) to prepare to provide critical public safety support by activating necessary Washington National Guard personnel in a standby status. In this role, the WANG will support local law enforcement and the Washington State Patrol as needed. Our state depends on these skilled individuals for critical support to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, to include support necessary to protect vital infrastructure related to carrying out free and fair elections and to respond to any unrest related to the 2024 general election.

    Preparation to respond to civil unrest of the type already experienced will also require state level coordination and the activation of additional support functions within Washington’s Emergency Management System.

    Under RCW 38.08.040, I am authorized to order the Washington National Guard, or any part thereof, into active service of the State to perform such duty as I deem proper when required for the public health, safety, or welfare and to prepare for events described in RCW 38.08.040. I find that such preparation, and this activation of the Washington National Guard, is required now for the protection of the public health, safety, or welfare of Washington State agencies and the people they serve.

    Therefore, I, Jay Inslee, Governor of the state of Washington, pursuant to RCW 38.08.040 and in response to the above-referenced request, and believing such action is necessary for preserving public health, safety and welfare, order into temporary active state service for up to four days, beginning Monday, November 4, 2024, as many members of the Washington National Guard as may be necessary and deemed appropriate for the circumstances described above in the opinion of The Adjutant General of the Washington State Military Department to support public safety efforts related to the 2024 elections, as well as activation of support functions within Washington’s Emergency Management System.

    This order of activation expires at 12:01 a.m. on November 8, 2024.

    Very truly yours,

    Jay Inslee
    Governor

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Christmas Day Robbery Gets Woman Prison Term

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Derricka Burton, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to six years in prison for a Christmas Day robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                The Honorable Robert Salerno sentenced Burton to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Burton was found guilty on June 20, 2024 of two counts of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, following a jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

                According to the government’s evidence, at around 2:38 p.m. on December 25, 2023, Burton and three co-conspirators saw the victims, a couple spending time together at the Alethia Tanner Park, located at 227 Harry Thomas Way Northeast. Video footage showed Burton and her co-conspirators huddle together before two of her co-conspirators walked up to the victims and robbed them. Burton’s co-conspirators pointed a gun at the victims and demanded the victims’ Canada Goose brand jacket, cellphone, and other items. The co-conspirators then walked back to Burton and the other co-conspirators. The group conferred with each other and left together. As they did so, one of the co-conspirators dropped some of the stolen property, which Burton picked up before she left with the group.  Police arrested Burton on February 12, 2024.

               In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Toogun and Katrenia Shelly, who prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –