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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy: Hegseth Will Run The DOD Into The Ground. Find Somebody Else.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    January 24, 2025

    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Friday spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to oppose the confirmation of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. Murphy called on Republicans to reconsider advancing Hegseth’s nomination in light of serious unanswered questions about his character and conduct, troubling past statements and positions, and inadequate experience for this demanding and critical job.
    “It is not hyperbole to say that we have never seen a candidate, at least in modern times, to lead our soldiers and our troops, who is as dangerously and woefully unqualified as Pete Hegseth,” said Murphy. “I think his history of personal misconduct in and of itself is disqualifying. It is just an embarrassment to the country at a moment when we want to win more friends and allies. It’s just the wrong match for a department that oversees the moral and professional development of young men and women, to have someone with that kind of history leading the agency. But it is also important [to consider] the views that he has expressed on how he would run the Department of Defense, because I fear he will run it into the ground.”
    Murphy warned that Hegseth’s commitment to advancing Donald Trump’s ‘war on woke’ would sow mistrust, paranoia, and instability within the military: “He has promised to fire top-end military leaders who are engaged in his nebulous ‘war on woke.’ So if you care about making sure that you’ve got troops from different backgrounds and different parts of the country, maybe that’s a ‘war on woke.’ If you promote a woman, maybe that’s a ‘war on woke.’ If you care about making sure that your troops don’t engage in unethical conduct, maybe that’s a ‘war on woke.’ If you contract with a local business that may not be aligned with Donald Trump, maybe that’s part of the ‘war on woke.’ We have no idea. And so what will happen inside the Department of Defense is just a constant sense of paranoia, a constant looking over your shoulder, a grinding to a halt of business-as-normal because nobody knows what is a fireable offense and what isn’t. How do I stay on the good side of Pete Hegseth? What gets me on the bad side?”
    On Hegseth’s comments in his book, ‘We need moms, but not in the military. Especially in combat units,’ Murphy said: “What an insulting thing to say. What a disgusting thing to believe. ‘Dads push us to take risks, moms put the training wheels on our bikes.’ My mom taught me to take risks. My dad told me to take risks, too. But is there a single United States senator here who believes that our mothers, the women in our lives, aren’t risk takers? That they didn’t push us to be better? Pete Hegseth believes–he just believes this–that women hold us back. That women hold men back. That women hold their sons back. And it just doesn’t matter that he has walked back these statements. Magically, he had a conversion on the issue of women in the military. Magically, he started saying less offensive things about women, right after he was nominated to be Secretary of Defense. Nobody believes this conversion. This is a conversion for political reasons only. It does not mask the fact that this is what Pete Hegseth believes. That he believes that women are inferior to men.”
    Murphy added: “Many have pointed out the real impacts [Hegseth’s] ideas will have surrounding women in combat, and what those comments could mean for our more general readiness. Why? Because there are 360,000 women serving in the U.S. military today, in a variety of capacities. They are essential to keeping this nation safe. And now every single one of them knows that the man taking over the Department of Defense doesn’t think they are worthy to serve, and that their prospects for advancement upon his elevation in the Department of Defense are compromised. Their ability to get fair treatment inside the Department of Defense has been compromised. And it won’t shock anybody if we see many of those women leave the service, and if we see many fewer women sign up to protect this country. That would come at an enormous cost–an enormous cost to the security of this nation.” 
    Murphy pointed to Hegseth’s dismissal of concerns about  extremism within the military, warning of the risks posed by failing to address the issue: “Hegseth has said that this issue of whether the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys have influence inside the military–and there are plenty of reports that there are lots of active channels of communication and recruitment between these right-wing groups and the military–he says that that problem is fake, it’s fake. Now, I don’t know the extent of this problem, but I know it’s something we should talk about, and I’m very, very worried to have a Secretary of Defense who doesn’t believe it’s a problem even worth mentioning.”
    On Hegseth’s blatant disregard for international law and military justice processes , Murphy said: “Lastly, madam president, I want to talk about what I maybe think is the most dangerous part of Pete Hegseth’s views on the military, and that is his history of support for war criminals, his low regard for the code of military justice, and his disbelief, his nonbelief, in the concept of international law and the laws of war…He is interested in obliterating the rules of engagement. He doesn’t want any constraints on our soldiers. And while it is true that many of the enemies that we fight don’t follow any rules at all, it is not good for the United States’ security more broadly to give up on international law, the rules of war and the rules of engagement, and just accept a race to the bottom.”
    Murphy concluded: “These questions about women in combat, about the political campaigns that will be run inside the department that will breed a sense of paranoia, about taking seriously small but growing real threats to us, like extremism in the military, and then this bigger question of making sure that we have fealty to the laws of war and prohibitions against torture, I think all of those really concerning views of this nominee– even if the misconduct didn’t exist–would be enough for us to say, find somebody else. Find somebody else who is just going to do the job, instead of trying to bring these political agendas, whether it’s misogyny or anti-wokeism or anti-multilateralism, into a job that really should be pretty simple. Lead our troops, protect the nation, lift up America’s standing in the world. I know the cake may be baked at this point, but I just want to make one more plea to my Republican colleagues to reconsider their decision to confirm to lead the Department of Defense somebody who seems just hell-bent mostly on pursuing a political, not military, agenda, that I truly believe is certain to weaken our armed forces and threaten our national security.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Relief Still Available to Nebraska Private Nonprofits Hit by April Storm: Don’t Miss the Deadline to Apply for an SBA Disaster Loan!

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Nebraska of the Feb. 24, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the severe winter storm and straight-line winds that occurred April 6–7, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Banner, Cheyenne, Dawes, Garden, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff and Sioux.

    Under the declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs that provide non-critical services of a governmental nature and suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. Examples of eligible non-critical PNPs include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools, and colleges.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.

    “When disasters hit rural communities, access to working capital offers a lifeline to impacted small businesses and private nonprofits,” said Randle Logan, acting associate administrator for the SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. “SBA’s EIDL program is designed to help keep businesses operational during recovery, covering financial obligations and necessary expenses until normal operations resume.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.25%, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    For more information and to apply online visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than Feb. 24.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Relief Still Available to Iowa Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Hit by May Storms: Don’t Miss the Deadline to Apply for an SBA Disaster Loan!

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP)organizations in Iowa of the Feb. 24, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that occurred May 20-31, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Adair, Adams, Audubon, Boone, Cass, Cedar, Clinton, Dallas, Fremont, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hardin, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Mills, Montgomery, Muscatine, Page, Polk, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Ringgold, Scott, Story, Tama, Taylor, Union and Warren.

    Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs that suffered financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.

    “When disasters strike, businesses and nonprofits face significant challenges,” said Randle Logan, acting associate administrator for the SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. “These SBA loans provide the financial support they need to manage costs and continue moving forward.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    For more information and to apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than Feb. 24.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Relief Still Available to Texas Private Nonprofits Hit by Spring Storms: Don’t Miss the Deadline to Apply for an SBA Disaster Loan!

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Texas of the Feb. 24, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by severe storms, straight‑line winds, tornadoes and flooding that occurred April 26–June 5, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Anderson, Austin, Bailey, Baylor, Bell, Blanco, Bosque, Bowie, Brown, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cass, Cherokee, Clay, Cochran, Coke, Coleman, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Delta, Eastland, Falls, Fannin, Freestone, Gonzales, Grimes, Hamilton, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Henderson, Hockley, Hopkins, Houston, Jasper, Kaufman, Lamar, Lampasas, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Lynn, Madison, McCulloch, Milam, Mills, Montgomery, Morris, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Panola, Polk, Rains, Red River, Robertson, Rockwall, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, San Saba, Shelby, Smith, Sterling, Terrell, Titus, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker, Waller and Washington.

    Under the declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs that provide non-critical services of a governmental nature and suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. Examples of eligible non-critical PNPs include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools, and colleges.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.

    “When disasters hit rural communities, access to working capital offers a lifeline to impacted small businesses and private nonprofits,” said Randle Logan, acting associate administrator for the SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. “SBA’s EIDL program is designed to help keep businesses operational during recovery, covering financial obligations and necessary expenses until normal operations resume.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.25%, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    For more information and to apply online visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than Feb. 24.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tucson Woman Sentenced to 60 Months for Transporting Illegal Aliens for Profit

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TUCSON, Ariz. – Sharnesia Latrice Cooley, 31, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 60 months in prison for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit and Transporting Illegal Aliens for Profit. Cooley was found guilty at trial on November 1, 2024.

    On February 2, 2024, near Naco, a United States Border Patrol camera operator observed four suspected undocumented noncitizens approach a 2011 Volkswagen Routan. Another Border Patrol agent responded and observed the group get into the Routan. When Border Patrol was able to stop the vehicle, they found that it was only occupied by Cooley, who was the driver, her two-year-old minor son and a co-defendant, Mariana Garcia-Tapia. A search of the area revealed four seriously injured people strewn along the road just east of the San Pedro Bridge. Their injuries were consistent with having jumped from a moving vehicle. It was determined that all four were illegally present within the United States. One of the undocumented noncitizens admitted that they made arrangements to be smuggled into the United States for a sum of money. All four were transported to the hospital with injuries including serious head trauma.

    The co-defendant, Garcia-Tapia, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person on July 10, 2024. She was sentenced on November 15, 2024, to 60 months in prison by Judge Rash with an additional 12 months in prison to run consecutive to her sentence for violating the conditions of her supervised release in a separate case (CR-22-00816-002-PHX-DJH).

    Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Renee Quezada and Caroline Allen, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:            CR 24-00910-TUC-SHR
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-009_Cooley

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Reintroduces Resolution to Fight Back Against President Trump’s Day-One Withdrawal of United States from Paris Climate Agreement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Resolution Text (PDF)
    Washington (January 24, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Green New Deal resolution and member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today introduced the We Are Still In resolution with 21 colleagues to express support for continued work on every level to achieve the goals set out in the Paris climate agreement, in response to President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the agreement through a day-one executive order. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) is leading a similar effort in the House.
    The We Are Still In resolution signals ongoing support for U.S. climate ambition by leaders in Congress, who are continuing to work with and highlight local, state, regional, Tribal, and nongovernmental climate partners. The resolution underscores significant climate and clean energy actions taken by local and state governments, critical investments made through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, and widespread support for the Paris climate agreement garnered through the America is All In coalition. With President Trump’s withdrawal, the United States joins Iran, Yemen, and Libya as the only countries in the world not party to the Paris climate agreement.
    “Over the past four years, the United States has supercharged its international climate leadership with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate and clean energy investment in history, which has already created more than 400,000 jobs and unleashed $420 billion in clean energy investments nationwide. By withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, President Trump is attempting to sacrifice our leadership on the world stage and put our livable future at risk—all for the benefit of Big Oil billionaires,” said Senator Markey. “But our national climate agenda doesn’t live or die by President Trump’s pen, which is why I am reintroducing the We Are Still In resolution, signaling that climate action will continue to create good-paying jobs and a healthy environment regardless of our official stature within the Paris climate agreement. To our international allies: when it comes to fighting the climate crisis by your side, we still mean business.” 
    “The climate crisis unfolding before our eyes is already costing the U.S. tens of billions of dollars every year, which is why Congress has passed historic investments over the past four years to transition to a clean energy economy, slow climate change, and create good-paying jobs. Legislation such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act demonstrated America’s commitment and leadership to the rest of the world. President Trump’s irresponsible decision to pull out of the Paris agreement sends a shameful signal to our allies and adversaries alike, showing that the U.S. is turning its back on the health and safety of our planet. This ill-considered decision puts us at a competitive disadvantage to adversaries like China and will certainly lower global ambitions to tackle climate change with the seriousness and urgency it demands,” said Congressman Schneider.
    Cosponsors include Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).
    The resolution is endorsed by Union of Concerned Scientists and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
    On November 4, 2020, the first Trump administration withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement. The Biden administration re-entered the United States back into the agreement in January 2021. In December 2024, the Biden administration released an updated Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris climate agreement, which established an emission-reduction target of 61 to 66 percent below 2005 levels by 2035.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Alberta tourism shines on the national stage

    The eyes of the nation are once again on Alberta as the province’s tourism sector garners recognition for its industry-leading innovation and dedication to excellence. Several Albertans and Albertan businesses were nominated and won Canadian Tourism Awards for outstanding success, innovation and leadership in Canada’s tourism industry.

    The accolades highlight Alberta as a top-tier tourism destination and recognize the outstanding Albertans that elevate the province’s reputation nationally and internationally. As an advocate for Canada’s tourism sector, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada presents the Canadian Tourism Awards annually.

    “We are incredibly proud of the achievements of Alberta’s tourism operators, whose passion and innovation continue to set new standards of excellence. The individuals and businesses nominated reflect the rich variety of experiences that make Alberta unique. Their dedication and innovation are at the heart of our thriving tourism sector, and their recognition on the national stage reflects the world-class experiences Alberta offers visitors each day.”

    Joseph Schow, Minister of Tourism and Sport

    The following Alberta-based organizations and individuals received Canadian Tourism Awards:

    • Business of the Year Award: CanaDream RV, Rocky View County
    • Business Event of the Year Award: National Gathering of Elders, Edmonton
    • Culinary Tourism Experience Award: Bar OA Farms, Strathcona County
    • Lifetime Achievement Award: Cindy Ady, former CEO of Tourism Calgary and former Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation
    • Under-30 Tourism Trailblazer Award: Sierra Murray, Leduc County

    Notably, former Tourism Calgary CEO and former Alberta Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation, Cindy Ady received a lifetime achievement award for her commitment to Alberta’s tourism sector. As CEO of Tourism Calgary, Cindy positioned Calgary as a year-round, globally competitive destination, and as Alberta’s Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation, Cindy sponsored the Travel Alberta Act, establishing Travel Alberta as a provincial agency in 2009.

    “Alberta’s tourism community is remarkable, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute to its success. I am truly humbled to have received this Lifetime Achievement Award, but it’s not just about me – it’s a testament to the hard work and vision of an entire community, one that has come together to position this province as a leader in the global tourism landscape.”

    Cindy Ady, former CEO of Tourism Calgary and former Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation

    In addition, Travel Alberta received recognition for its film Sky Painter, which won gold in Brand Building at the 2024 Canadian Marketing Awards and second place in the Tourism Products category at the World Tourism Film Awards. The Travel Alberta film To be Albertan won first place in the Region Promotion category at the World Tourism Film Awards. 

    In the past year, Alberta has received global recognition with a nomination for the Most Desirable Region (Rest of the World) category in the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards 2024, and Skift IDEA awards in industry innovation and travel technology. In addition, Travel Alberta films won awards at the Japan’s World Tourism Festival and in the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards.

    These achievements build on Alberta’s rich tradition of tourism excellence and highlight the significant contributions of the industry to the province’s economy. Alberta’s government remains committed to supporting its tourism operators as they continue to shape the future of Canadian tourism.

    Quick facts

    • The following Alberta organizations, events and individuals received nominations for the Canadian Tourism Awards:
      • Culinary Tourism Experience Award: Bar OA Farms, Strathcona County
      • Indigenous Tourism Award: Dragonfly Spirit CreeAtions Ltd, Spruce Grove
      • Indigenous Tourism Award: Métis Crossing, Smoky Lake
      • Innovator of the Year Award: Rural Rivers, Sturgeon County
      • Tourism Employer of the Year Award: Indigenous Box, Leduc County

    Related information

    • The Canadian Tourism Awards 2024
    • World Tourism Film Awards 2024
    • Canadian Marketing Association Awards 2024

    Multimedia

    • “To Be Albertan” video entry by Travel Alberta
    • “Sky Painter” video entry by Travel Alberta

    Related news

    • Global recognition for Alberta’s tourism sector (Sept. 27, 2024)
    • Alberta’s tourism soars to new heights (Sept. 25, 2024)
    • Alberta films captivate the world (March 18, 2024)
    • Growing Alberta’s visitor economy (Feb. 14, 2024)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Expanding the Suffolk Crime Analysis Center

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the expansion of the Suffolk Crime Analysis Center, one of 11 in the nationally recognized, one-of-a-kind network funded and supported by the State Division of Criminal Justice Services in partnership with local law enforcement agencies statewide. New York State invested nearly $1 million to triple the center’s size and double the number of professionals who respond to requests for assistance and provide investigative support that helps local law enforcement agencies solve, prevent and reduce crime. Preliminary data show 44 shooting incidents with injury reported last year by the Suffolk County, Nassau County, and Hempstead police departments, the fewest on record since 2006, when the three departments began reporting this data to the State. Meanwhile, preliminary data from January through September 2024, the most recent available, showed a 7 percent reduction in reported crime on Long Island when compared to the same nine-month period in 2023.

    “Public safety is my number one priority — and this expansion enables law enforcement to share intelligence, analysis and support to identify hotspots and crime patterns that help them work smarter,” Governor Hochul said. “The intelligence-sharing and coordination facilitated by these centers allows law enforcement agencies across the State to focus resources where they are needed most, maximizing our ability to keep New Yorkers safe.”

    Located at the Suffolk County Police Department Headquarters in Yaphank, the Suffolk Crime Analysis Center is more than triple its original size: 5,000 square feet compared to 1,700 square feet when it was first established in 2019.The Center now accommodates seating for 45, up from 16, and features a state-of-the-art, 24-foot-wide, 4.5-foot-high video wall. The Center is staffed with crime analysts and law enforcement personnel, funded by State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS); the Suffolk County Police Department; the county’s District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department, and Child Protective Services; Nassau County Police Department; the New York City Police Department; MTA Police Department, the New York State Police; the New York Air National Guard; the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision; and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.

    New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “Crime analysts play a critical role in supporting law enforcement investigations. At our Crime Analysis Centers, these professionals work with local, state and federal law enforcement personnel who share their knowledge and expertise and leverage technology to access information and data that results in a more targeted, strategic approach to solving and deterring crime. I applaud the work of these dedicated public servants, commend our partners in Suffolk County and across the state for their continued collaboration and support, and thank Governor Hochul for her investment in this vital work and commitment to keeping New Yorkers safe.”

    New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “I applaud Governor Hochul for her continued support and for recognizing the critical role that crime analysis plays in solving and addressing the crimes that impact our neighborhoods and communities daily. Resources like the Suffolk Crime Analysis Center are imperative to collecting and sharing crucial data with our law enforcement partners so that together, we can solve crimes more quickly and prevent future incidents.”

    The Suffolk County, Nassau County, and Hempstead police departments are among the 28 police departments and other law enforcement agencies in 21 counties that receive nearly $36 million through the State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative to reduce shootings and save lives. Those three Long Island agencies collectively reported double-digit declines in the shooting metrics GIVE agencies are required to report to the State. When comparing last year to 2023:

    • Shooting incidents with injury declined 39 percent (44 v. 72).
    • The number of individuals injured by gunfire decreased 35 percent (59 v. 91).
    • There were six fewer individuals killed by gun violence, a 38 percent decrease (10 v. 16).

    Preliminary index crime reported by police agencies on Long Island showed a 7 percent reduction from January through September 2024 vs. 2023. Violent crime (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) decreased 4 percent and property crime (burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft) declined 7 percent.

    Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, DCJS has received record-level funding for the Crime Analysis Center Network ($18 million), GIVE ($36 million), SNUG Street Outreach Program ($21 million) and Project RISE ($20 million), four key initiatives that provide funding and support to local law enforcement and community partners working to address the causes and consequences of gun violence and other crime.

    In her FY26 Executive Budget, Governor Hochul continues those investments and adds another $13 million to establish the New York State Crime Analysis and Joint Special Operations Command Headquarters. The command headquarters would be a strategic information, technical assistance and training hub for the 11 centers and enhance existing partnerships and expand information sharing with the New York State Intelligence Center operated by the State Police, the locally run Nassau County Lead Development Center, and the State’s Joint Security Operations Center, which focuses on protecting the State from cyber threats.

    Last year alone, staff at the Suffolk Center received 30,010 requests for service – nearly a quarter of the 130,928 total requests received by the network – and assisted 70 different law enforcement agencies with cases ranging from hit and run crashes to murders. An executive board of directors oversees the center, composed of officials from DCJS, the Suffolk County Police Department, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, and Shelter Island Police Department, which represents the Suffolk County Chiefs of Police Association.

    Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said, “Suffolk County’s number one priority is to keep our communities safe. As host to one of the largest intelligence centers in the state, we further our commitment to public safety through the implementation of advanced technology and allocation of necessary resources for our local law enforcement agencies to effectively investigate and deter crime.”

    Suffolk County Acting Police Commissioner Robert Waring said, “The Crime Analysis Center is a great resource that brings representatives from law enforcement agencies together in one location, allowing for easy communication and shared resources. By having the technology in this center, along with analysts identifying trends and patterns, we are furthering our mission of solving and deterring crime.”

    Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said, “The expansion of the Suffolk Crime Analysis Center (CAC) is a great step towards transparency and collaboration with all our law enforcement partners. The CAC is a vital support system for the men and women in law enforcement and who are out in the field day in and day out putting their lives on the line for the citizens of Suffolk County. Having representatives from multiple organizations in the same room sharing intelligence in real time is the key to effective policing. There is no replacement for communication, collaboration and the open flow of information between all law enforcement agencies. It is a key to success.”

    Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. said, “The expansion of the Suffolk Crime Analysis Center is a strategic investment in public safety and will further improve the effectiveness of law enforcement operations. By increasing staffing and expanding the center’s footprint, Suffolk County law enforcement agencies will be better equipped to coordinate intelligence, streamline investigations, and bring more criminals to justice. Thank you to Governor Hochul and our New York State partners for their support in ensuring Suffolk County remains at the forefront of innovation to keep our communities safe.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: National Guard, SOUTHCOM Leaders Discuss Partnerships in Latin America, Caribbean

    Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

    Adjutant generals and other senior National Guard leaders from 19 states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, met at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) in Doral, Fla, Jan. 22-23 to discuss their longstanding partnerships with countries in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

    The discussions, which also included senior SOUTHCOM leaders, were part of the 2025 Adjutant General Strategic Leadership Seminar. Discussions focused on ways to increase cooperation with partner militaries and public-security forces, support U.S. and regional security strategies, and help regional partners strengthen capabilities under the National Guard’s State Partnership Program.

    The State Partnership Program supports the security cooperation objectives of the United States and geographic combatant commands, like SOUTHCOM, by developing enduring relationships with partner countries and carrying out activities to build partner capacity, improve interoperability, and strengthen multinational ties while increasing the readiness of U.S. and partner forces to meet emerging challenges.

    The State Partnership Program has 105 partnerships with 115 nations, including 30 in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the first of those partnerships were established in 1996 between Kentucky and Ecuador, Louisiana and Belize, Missouri and Panama, and West Virginia and Peru.

    In Fiscal Year 2024, the states completed almost 322 engagements and events with partners in the Caribbean, Central America and South America. More than 300 are slated for in the region for Fiscal Year 2025.

    Security cooperation under the State Partnership Program ranges from exercises and subject matter expert exchanges to workshops and familiarization visits. The engagements focus on topics of mutual interest such as aviation, logistics, engineering, communications, cyber, health, humanitarian assistance, disaster preparedness and professional development.

    The origins of the State Partnership Program date back a quarter century, when the Department of Defense established it to link the unique capabilities of its states’ National Guard with military and security forces around the world, expanding U.S. defense cooperation and strengthening its global security partnerships.

    State partnerships also allow for expanded bilateral engagements between various government departments in each state and their counterparts in the region, including those with expertise in healthcare, law enforcement, education, and emergency management.

    Coverage of recent SPP engagements in Caribbean, Central America and South America

    Aug. 12, 2024: Kentucky Guard Hosts Ecuadorian Military for Exchange

    July 25, 2024: South Carolina Guard Bridging Unit Trains With Colombian Partners

    May 6, 2024: Kentucky National Guard Partner Ecuador Receives C-130H

    Feb. 14, 2024: South Carolina Guard Comes to Aid of Partner Colombia

    Feb. 14, 2024: Kentucky Guard Hosts Ecuadorian Military for Leader Engagement

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Releases Revealing Investigative Report On Inadequate Care In Customs And Border Protection Facilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    January 24, 2025
    The culmination of a months-long investigation instigated by the tragic death of an eight-year-old girl, the Democratic staff report features a first-of-its-kind map of CBP medical processes, and analysis of inadequate medical care in CBP facilities, powerful whistleblower testimony, and seven recommendations to hold CBP accountable
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released an interim staff report and the findings of a months-long investigation into the chronic failure to provide adequate medical care to vulnerable individuals in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody, including a first-of-its-kind map of CBP medical processes, analyses of deficient medical care in CBP facilities, powerful testimony from impacted whistleblowers, and seven recommendations to hold CBP and its medical contractor accountable.
    Entitled “The Failure to Provide Adequate Care to Vulnerable Individuals in CBP Custody,” the Democratic staff report provides an overview of the Committee’s oversight efforts and key findings regarding CBP medical care, including systemic problems such as understaffing, lengthy detention of children, the failure to document and assess medical records, unclear and inadequate guidance for treating children and other vulnerable individuals, and CBP’s failure to conduct meaningful oversight of its medical contractor.
    This oversight work was prompted by the death of Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez, an eight-year-old Panamanian girl, at a CBP detention facility in Harlingen, Texas, on May 17, 2023.
    On the report’s release, Durbin released the following statement:
    “Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez likely would still be alive if she received adequate emergency medical care in CBP custody. She was eight years old when she died. Her mom couldn’t call her an ambulance while in custody and begged medical staff to help her—to no avail. We should always care about the health and safety of children, especially when they’re in the government’s care.
    “For too long, CBP has failed to meet basic medical needs and wasted taxpayer dollars. Whistleblowers have been key to our investigation, and I thank those who bravely came forward to speak truth to power.
    “While some steps were taken under the Biden Administration, more needs to be done. That’s especially true as formal monitoring of CBP medical care may soon end without court intervention. As the Trump Administration begins its aggressive and undisciplined anti-immigrant agenda, I urge CBP to adopt these recommendations. We must have increased monitoring, stricter oversight, and adequate care for vulnerable people, especially children, in government custody.”
    Key findings and takeaways from the investigation include:
    Children are held too long in CBP custody, putting them at risk.
    CBP facilities are chronically understaffed.
    Staff have not properly used medical records systems to track critical information about medically vulnerable individuals.
    Medical personnel are not always empowered to seek emergency medical services without approval from nonmedical personnel.
    Contracted medical personnel need consistent oversight by CBP to ensure the successful implementation of guidance to improve medical care for vulnerable individuals, including children.
    The report includes the following seven recommendations:
    Reduce time in custody and strengthen protections for medically vulnerable populations.
    Ensure staffing needs are met and increase access to physicians.
    Continue to improve the existing electronic medical record (EMR) system, ensure contracted medical staff access medical records in the EMR system, and share health information after release from CBP custody.
    Ensure medical services staff are empowered to seek higher-level care when appropriate.
    Enhance transparency of medical care oversight.
    Discontinue the use of isolation units except when a medical quarantine is needed.
    Ensure robust monitoring of medical care in CBP facilities by medical experts.
    For a PDF copy of the full report with appendices, click here.
    For a PDF copy of the report only, click here.
    For a PDF copy of the appendices only, click here.
    The report is the latest step in Durbin’s ongoing inquiry into medical and mental health care in the Department of Homeland Security’s facilities. Durbin pressed for further investigation into deficient medical care in CBP detention facilities after whistleblower reports alleged systemic failures by DHS to ensure proper oversight of its medical care contractor.
    Durbin continues to actively investigate care in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities, which he initiated with letters to ICE and the Government Accountability Office. A June 2024 report from the American Civil Liberties Union, Physicians for Human Rights, and American Oversight found that 95 percent of documented deaths in ICE custody between 2017-2021 were likely preventable.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE ERO Boston arrests Haitian gang member with numerous convictions

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston apprehended an illegally present 25-year-old Haitian national who has 17 criminal convictions in Massachusetts. ICE officers from ERO Boston arrested Wisteguens Jean Quely Charles, a member of a violent Haitian street gang, in Boston Jan. 22. Charles’ convictions include multiple drug, weapons, and assault and battery crimes.

    “Mr. Charles illegally entered the United States and has consistently broken our laws causing significant harm to the residents of Massachusetts,” said acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “ERO Boston will not tolerate the repeated victimization of our New England neighborhoods. We will continue our mission to apprehend such illegal alien offenders and remove them from our communities.”

    Charles entered the U.S. lawfully July 13, 2013 in Miami, Florida; however, he violated the terms of his lawful admission.

    Charles has been arrested, charged, and convicted for 17 crimes between Aug. 16, 2022, and Aug. 14, 2024, including both possession of and possession to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, trespassing, carrying dangerous weapon to wit brass knuckles, possession of a firearm without a permit and possession of ammunition without a permit, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, and resisting arrest.

    ICE ERO encountered Charles April 15, 2023, following one of these arrests. ERO Boston issued an immigration detainer against Charles with the Norfolk House of Correction in Massachusetts. However, the correctional facility released Charles Oct. 20, 2023, without honoring the immigration detainer.

    Officers with ICE ERO Boston arrested Charles Jan. 22, in Boston and issued him a Notice to Appear before a DOJ immigration judge, and he remains in ICE custody.

    As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

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

    Learn more about ERO Boston’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dyersburg Man Sentenced in Federal and State Courts

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Jackson, TN – A Dyersburg man was recently sentenced to prison in both federal and state courts for sexual abuse. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, and Danny H. Goodman, Jr., District Attorney General for the Twenty-Ninth Judicial District, jointly announced the sentence today.

    According to the information presented in court, Robert Galler, 52, traveled to Iowa in 2020 and returned to Tennessee with a victim, identified as Minor A in the indictment. In 2022, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services received a referral of sexual abuse at Galler’s residence in Dyersburg. Upon arrival, DCS workers encountered three minor females who each alleged sexual and physical abuse by Galler. The victims underwent forensic interviews with the Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse detailing the abuse, which had occurred continually over four years.

    On September 11, 2024, Galler pled guilty in federal court to transporting a minor with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. On January 8, 2025, Senior United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Galler to 300 months in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release and lifetime placement on the sex offender registry. There is no parole in the federal system.

    Following federal sentencing, Galler returned to state custody. On January 21, 2025, he entered guilty pleas to one count of rape of a child and one count of rape. Dyer County Circuit Court Judge Mark Hayes sentenced Galler to 25 years’ imprisonment, placement on the sex offender registry, and lifetime supervision. Pursuant to state law, Galler must serve 100% of the sentence. The sentences between both courts were ordered to run concurrently.

    District Attorney General Danny H. Goodman, Jr., who assigned Andrew Hays as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, stated, “I would first like to thank Assistant District Attorney, Andrew Hays, for the time he dedicated to this case. The goal of the Office of the District Attorney General is to seek justice on behalf of the State of Tennessee and victims of crime. This case is a perfect example of how the partnership with our office and the United States Department of Justice allowed us to accomplish that goal. This office will always prosecute crimes involving children with as much zeal as possible.”

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, and the Dyersburg Police Department.

    Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Hays for the Western District of Tennessee, who prosecuted the case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated it.  

    ###

    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fifth Defendant in San Antonio Firearm Burglary Crew Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison as the final defendant in a case involving a five-man burglary crew.

    According to court documents, Victor Valenciana aka Vick, 30, and his four co-conspirators targeted and burglarized Ford pickup trucks in the parking lots of retail locations, malls and restaurants. Together they stole firearms, high-value items and occasionally the vehicles themselves. To evade law enforcement detection, the individuals would rent vehicles and use them to travel to the burglary locations. Additionally, they would steal license plates from similar-looking vehicles and install the stolen license plates on the rental vehicles. In all, the group stole and sold more than 100 firearms from vehicles in the San Antonio area between July 2021 until January 2022.

    On Oct. 5, 2022, Valenciana, Alejandro Arias, 26, Richard Hernandez aka Panek, 26, Andrew Blue Riojas, 26, and Aureliano Villareal aka AJ, 28, all from San Antonio, were charged in a 17-count indictment, which included on count of conspiracy to receive and possess stolen firearms and multiple counts of felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. Valenciana was arrested Nov. 17, 2022 and has remained in federal custody. He pleaded guilty Aug. 14, 2024, to the conspiracy charge and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

    “These five criminals will spend a combined 53 years in federal prison for their activity thanks to the investigative work and partnerships of our outstanding federal and local law enforcement agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “I continue to ask residents to ensure that, if you must leave a firearm in your vehicle, you do so safely and properly. Thieves continue to target specific vehicles and can successfully break in and escape in a matter of seconds.”

    “This sentence serves as notice to would be offenders that ATF is committed to breaking the cycle of firearms trafficking no matter how it occurs,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Houston Division. “The vast majority of firearms stolen from vehicles, end up being used as crime guns. We encourage gun owners to practice safe storage of firearms and to remember that your vehicle is not a safe. ATF will continue to leverage every resource that we have to see to it that each offender is held to account for their criminal behavior.”

    “Criminal networks that steal firearms and high-value items not only jeopardize public safety, but also fuel illegal activity across our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division. “These defendants were part of a poly-criminal organization that targeted vehicles to steal firearms, which were then sold and trafficked, some recovered in Mexico, posing a serious threat to public safety. This sentencing underscores HSI’s commitment to dismantling these criminal networks and protecting the American public.”

    “We sincerely thank our federal partners for their vital support in cracking down on vehicle burglars targeting firearms,” said Chief William McManus for the San Antonio Police Department. “Their collaboration is making our community safer.”

    Valenciana and his co-conspirators received a combined 639 months in federal prison. Arias was sentenced to 150 months on Jan. 16; Hernandez was sentenced to 78 months in prison Dec. 19, 2024; Riojas was sentenced to 151 months Aug. 15, 2024; and Villareal was sentenced to 140 months July 16, 2024.   

    ATF, HSI and SAPD investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Varney & Co. on Fox Business to Discuss Debanking Conservatives, Support for Hegseth, Panama Canal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations, Banking, and Foreign Relations Committees and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business to discuss the egregious debanking of conservatives, his strong support for Pete Hegseth, and President Donald Trump’s concerns about China’s influence on the Panama Canal.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Partial Transcript
    Hagerty on banks debanking conservatives: “I certainly side with President Trump on this one because I’ve seen it myself. Look, you’ve got these big banks that have DEI and ESG narratives that they’re trying to follow. You’ve got regulators; I think that’s the most pernicious aspect of this. You’ve got regulators here in Washington, bank supervisors that don’t have to put out a written warning. What they have to do is suggest that perhaps there’s some reputational risk associated with a particular entity or a particular customer, even Barron Trump has had difficulty getting a bank account. I think President Trump has felt this in his own family. Christian ministry groups are having a difficult time. It’s absolutely amazing to me and, I think, to all Americans that the banking system isn’t open and available to everybody in America. We’re going to change that. Now that the gavel has shifted here in the Senate, the Banking Committee is under Republican control. We fully intend to take supervisory action to get a very hard look at this. And on the Executive Branch side, I can guarantee you President Trump is going to dig into this too. It’s got to come to an end.”
    Hagerty on his strong support for Pete Hegseth: “Pete is also a hometown favorite for me. He’s from Tennessee. I’ve been friends with Pete for years; I’m delighted to see him into this position. I think if anybody watched the four and a half hours of Pete’s confirmation hearing, what they’ve seen is somebody that’s patriotic, someone that’s bright, someone that’s energetic. Pete’s the type of person that’s going to be transformative at the Pentagon at a time when we really need it. Pete has been clear: he’s going to be focused on lethality and competence, not on pronouns. And he is going to be the type of person that inspires, that helps us recruit and retain the type of military personnel that we need. We’re in a great deficit right now; that’s about to change when Pete Hegseth becomes our next Secretary of Defense, which he will […] [Pete has] the warfighter’s mentality. He understands what they need, and I think he’s going to be a shot in the arm for the Pentagon. It really is going to be a good, positive move.”
    Hagerty on the Panama Canal: “David, as you well know, Chinese entities have contracts and operate on both ends of the Panama Canal. I don’t think [President] Jimmy Carter ever anticipated this when he gave the Panama Canal away. This is a strategic asset that was built with American dollars and American lives, frankly. And it’s something that we need to take very seriously. I’ve negotiated with President Trump in the past when I was U.S. Ambassador to Japan. He delivered the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement; I was deeply involved in those negotiations. And one of the things I know for sure is [that] you don’t get ahead of the president.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA February 2025 Seminar

    Source: US Geological Survey

    On February 26th the Saline Lakes Ecosystems project science leads will be discussing their projects and plans for the 2025 field season. The science leads will give a presentation followed by time for audience questions and discussion with scientists.

    Click on the button below to register and learn updates about this project! 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Reaction to Trump’s Threat to Overhaul or Eliminate FEMA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement after President Trump said he would consider an Executive Order to ‘get rid of’ the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) while visiting victims of natural disasters today:
    “FEMA needs reforms, and I’m willing to work with President Trump on that—but to do away with FEMA altogether would leave families, businesses, and communities hammered by disaster beyond desperate and destitute. We will never abandon our fellow Americans.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden: Over $15 Million for Natural Disaster Recovery in Oregon

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    January 24, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is sending a total of $15,064,295 to reimburse the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for their vital repairs to roads and other critical infrastructure that were deeply damaged during several years of severe weather events.
    “Oregonians in every corner of the state have faced dangerous storms in recent years, which have taken a heavy toll on the infrastructure they need to move safely,” Merkley said. “ODOT went to work to repair and rebuild the roads and other important infrastructure that powers our communities, and these investments will help cover the cost of their essential efforts. I will keep working to ensure Oregon has the tools needed to recover and become more resilient in the face of future storms while we take on the climate chaos that is intensifying these disasters.”
    “Big storms leave big bills for small communities, and these federal resources will help Oregon to foot the bill for repairs ODOT provided for local roads and other key community infrastructure damaged by severe weather,” Wyden said. “I’m glad our state has secured these funds, and I’ll keep battling both for similar resources when natural disasters strike as well as for smart and science-based approaches that reduce the risks from the climate crisis.”
    “When these storms caused widespread damage to Oregon’s transportation system, our crews stretched themselves to their limits to keep Oregonians safe,” said ODOT Director Kris Strickler. “I want to thank Senators Merkley and Wyden, and the rest of Oregon’s federal delegation, for helping fund ODOT’s response and for helping Oregon recover from these tough storms.”
    The four new awards for Oregon were granted by the former Biden Administration through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s FHWA Emergency Relief Program, which helps agencies repair communities hurt by natural disasters and catastrophic events. These investments further build off the nearly $43 million Merkley and Wyden announced in September 2024 for Oregon’s state and local agencies to repair damaged roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure damaged by severe weather in recent years. 
    Details of the new federal funding awards to further reimburse ODOT’s natural disaster recovery work are as follows:
    $9,428,695 for work that repaired damages sustained during severe winter weather in December 2022. The significant rains during this time caused flooding and landslides across the state. One of these landslides threatened to block I-84, and a large portion of a hillside came down and wiped-out Highway 101.
    $5,031,448 for ODOT’s infrastructure repairs following the January 2024 ice storm. This significant winter storm covered much of Oregon in ice, causing trees and power lines to come down across roads and damage signs. The same storm dropped several inches of rain in Southern Oregon, causing flooding and landslides.
    $325,510 for repairs following a series of severe thunderstorms that caused major flooding in Eastern Oregon in June 2023. This flooding occurred in Harney and Malheur counties, causing landslides that closed Highway 20 completely for five days and required significant efforts to clean up and repair the damage.
    $278,642 for repairs following a series of storms in early December 2023. The atmospheric rivers brought heavy rain and flooding, causing washouts of several roads and culverts, particularly impacting communities west of the Cascades.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Oregon, There’s Always a Way—It’s the OREGON WAY

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    Today at 11:25 AM
    When I became a U.S. senator to serve my fellow Oregonians, I vowed to visit every nook and cranny of the state by holding open-to-all town halls in each county, every year. Last weekend I held my first 2025 town halls in Marion and Yamhill Counties. After more than 1,100 town halls, I was gratified by the thoughtful questions and concerns voiced by Oregonians in those counties.  
    Oregonians want to be able to pay all our bills (grocery, energy, gas, healthcare, childcare and all the others that come – expected and unexpected), and live in communities with flourishing small businesses, good schools, healthcare and safe roads. We also want a secure future to pass down to our kids, both economically and environmentally. Oregonians want to know we are safe today and that America’s robust support system won’t fail us.
    This year, Oregonians in my first town halls of the new year are worried that America has lost its way among hateful rhetoric and the degradation of our Constitution. In true Oregon fashion, these caring residents asked how we could find our way back to kindness, empathy and humanity during this current administration. 
    Here’s my take:
    When things look rough, there is always a way. It’s called the Oregon Way. 
    When Oregonians participate in open-to-all town hall meetings, your voice is heard. I listen and take your concerns and ideas back to DC with me. Open-to-all town halls in every county of the state is a phenomenon unique to Oregon. Maybe if more legislators came out and listened to actual people and not oligarchs, things would look different.  
    I heard what Oregonians wanted when I worked to pass the  Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act. Both have benefited Oregon, creating real economic opportunities, as well as many other places in the U.S., including Texas and New York, New Mexico and Michigan, and more. Republicans will have to answer to their constituents if they tear down legislation that benefits ALL Americans simply because those laws were passed and implemented by Democrats. 
    Hearing what Oregonians last weekend told me they wanted, I will continue to fight to lower prescription drug costs despite the President’s executive order to reverse efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs for people on Medicare and Medicaid. I will work to rein in pharmacy benefit managers and am willing to work with members of any party open to logic and serving their constituents over oligarchs.
    Speaking of oligarchs, while this current administration has shown that billionaires are far more important to them than working families, I’ll continue my drumbeat for billionaires to pay their fair share of taxes. It’s despicable that teachers, nurses and firefighters in the middle class and working class pay more in taxes than America’s gluttony class. 
    To recap, in terms of basketball, we have a rules book the other team must abide by and I’m holding them to it.  I’m putting on a full-court press on any and all efforts to undermine Americans’ rights and freedoms, no matter their color, race, religion or gender. Through our federal courts, we’ll ensure officiating is fair and impartial and will call foul when the other team tries to cheat to win. The best offense is a good defense and I’m blocking out bad policies and nominees, setting us up for a rebound. I’m in this game to win for Oregonians. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Senate Floor Speech, Murray Lays Out Case Against Controversial DoD Nominee Pete Hegseth, Slams Him for Refusal to Meet Prior to Confirmation Vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: Murray, Duckworth Lead Senators in Introducing Resolution Recognizing the Service of Women in Combat
    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Pete Hegseth Canceling Meeting with Her, Refusal to Meet Ahead of Probable Confirmation Vote
    Murray: “Our military uniforms do not say Democrat. They do not say Republican. They just don’t. You cannot be an effective commander if your people don’t trust you. But how are troops supposed to trust you to keep them safe in combat if you think half the nation is the enemy?”
    ***VIDEO of Senator Murray’s floor speech HERE***
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, took to the Senate floor to lay out her strong opposition to Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Murray articulated the many grave concerns she has with Mr. Hegseth’s qualifications, positions, and his character—and slammed him for refusing to meet with her before his confirmation vote.
    On Saturday, Murray called out Hegseth for refusing to meet with her until after his confirmation vote, and today on the Senate floor, she reiterated that every nominee should be willing to meet with senators to answer basic questions about how they would approach their role if confirmed, calling it: “beneath the dignity of the role he aspires to for Mr. Hegseth to refuse to meet one-on-one with most Democrats.”
    “I mean, if Mr. Hegseth is afraid of me, how is he going to stand up to China? Meeting with members on both sides isn’t just some formality—if you are confirmed, it is part of the job,” Murray said.
    “Let’s be perfectly clear about the stakes here—we are talking about who we will put in command of the most powerful military in the world. There is nothing on Mr. Hegseth’s resume that remotely suggests he has the experience for the role,” Murray continued. “I have a deep appreciation for his service to our country—I do. But let’s not kid ourselves here. I don’t see how being a Fox TV host prepares you to lead three million servicemembers and civilians. I don’t see how bankrupting a veterans’ nonprofit through wasteful spending qualifies you to manage a budget of nearly $900 billion dollars. Moreover, we really truly have no sense of what his understanding of military policy is or what his strategic priorities would be.”
    Murray pointed out that, because senators had had to spend so much time at Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation hearing asking him basic questions about his questionable character and fitness—questions Republicans refused to ask—they had little time to ask him about how he would do his job.
    “How does he plan to reduce costs and development times for key military capabilities that are critical to our national security? How would he invest in our defense industrial base and public shipyards, like the one in my home state in Washington? How does he view the pacing threat in the Indo-Pacific and how would he work with our partners and allies to prepare for a potential conflict? Does he have any thoughts on that at all?,” Murray asked. “This is just not a serious candidate who has thoughtful positions on the challenges we face.”
    “You know what position he is serious about? What he has stated over and over again? ‘I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.’ He said that last November,” Murray said on the Senate floor. “He has also made clear he has little regard for the Geneva Conventions. Now maybe this is a bit old fashioned of me, but I think we should have a Secretary of Defense who is firmly against war crimes. Not one who has spoken in favor of torture like water boarding, in favor of people convicted of war crimes, and questioned whether we should follow the Geneva Conventions.”
    “And let’s not forget—in addition to having no real qualifications, and many alarming positions, Mr. Hegseth also has many red flags that raise serious concerns about his character and conduct… There is no world where we should have a predator running the Department of Defense that is responsible for the wellbeing of millions of women and men in uniform.”
    Murray concluded by saying, there is no world where the person in charge of the U.S. military should see his fellow Americans as the enemy. In Hegseth’s book American Crusade, published in 2020, Hegseth wrote: “The other side, the left, is not our friend. We are not esteemed colleagues, nor mere political opponents. We are foes. Either we win or they win. We agree on nothing else.”“How are troops supposed to trust you to keep them safe in combat if you think half the nation is the enemy? How are Muslim servicemembers supposed to trust you if you think their religion is a threat to the country? How are women servicemembers supposed to trust you if you think they should be at home?,” Murray asked on the Senate floor.
    “I don’t have an answer to that. Maybe Mr. Hegseth doesn’t either—maybe that is why he won’t meet with me. And then again, maybe it’s because he thinks I’m his foe because I’m a Democrat, or maybe he doesn’t think I should have a say in the military issues because I’m a woman. But I do have a say—and I say someone like Mr. Hegseth is grossly unqualified to take on one of the most important jobs in the world,” Murray said.
    As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray helps author and negotiate defense spending each year. In Fiscal Year 2024, Murray prioritized investments in our servicemembers and military families, including by delivering on a 5.2% pay raise for servicemembers, expanding child care services, increasing funding for sexual assault prevention services, and boosting mental health and suicide prevention resources. Senator Murray also played a leading role in negotiating and delivering on a comprehensive national security supplemental in April of 2024 to extend aid to Ukraine, provide badly needed humanitarian relief, and support key partners in the Indo Pacific while deterring aggression by the Chinese government.
    Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered on the Senate floor today, are below and video is HERE:
    “Mr. President. I realize some Republicans were hoping we would cut this process short, but I have no problem coming to the floor, and having a lengthy discussion about Mr. Hegseth’s nomination to be Defense Secretary.
    “I am eager to talk about it. The only person who doesn’t seem to want to talk about the Hegseth nomination is actually Mr. Hegseth himself! Because, Mr. President, I have been trying for weeks to schedule a meeting with Mr. Hegseth prior to his confirmation vote.
    “I genuinely want a chance to ask him directly about my concerns with his character and fitness, yes, but also about the serious challenges facing our nation—whether it’s competition with China or aggression from Russia.
    “As Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I help write the bill that funds the Defense Department—every year. And that bill only passes with bipartisan support. I don’t think it’s asking a lot to be able to meet with the person nominated to lead that department.
    “I’ve had the opportunity to meet with ten of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees, and I look forward to meeting with more before they are confirmed by the Senate. Conducting these meetings is the absolute bare minimum given the role of each Senator and the constituents they represent.
    “But Mr. Hegseth refused to meet with me and has refused to meet with many of my Democratic colleagues.
    “I think most Americans would agree you shouldn’t get the job if you decide you can just skip the job interview. Every nominee—every nominee—should be willing to meet with Senators, regardless of their party, to answer basic questions about how they would approach their role if confirmed.
    “It’s honestly beneath the dignity of the role he aspires to for Mr. Hegseth to refuse to meet one-on-one with most Democrats.
    “What is he afraid of? Are the questions we have to ask really that hard? I mean, if Mr. Hegseth is afraid of me, how is he going to stand up to China?
    “Meeting with members on both sides isn’t just some formality—if you are confirmed, it is part of the job. So this is a serious concern, and one of many concerns I have with Mr. Hegseth’s qualifications, his positions, and his character.
    “Let’s be perfectly clear about the stakes here—we are talking about who we will put in command of the most powerful military in the world. There is nothing on Mr. Hegseth’s resume that remotely suggests he has the experience for that role.
    “I have a deep appreciation for his service to our country—I do. But let’s not kid ourselves here.
    “I don’t see how being a Fox TV host prepares you to lead three million servicemembers and civilians. I don’t see how bankrupting a veterans’ nonprofit through wasteful spending qualifies you to manage a budget of nearly $900 billion dollars.
    “Moreover, we really truly have no sense of what his understanding of military policy is, or what his strategic priorities would be. Now thanks to Senator Duckworth, we know that he is someone who can’t name a single country in ASEAN—I mean, that ignorance is alarming.
    “Senators had just seven minutes during his confirmation hearing to ask questions—many asked the questions we knew our Republican colleagues would not, regarding Hegseth’s questionable character and fitness. Important questions, absolutely!
    “But because we had to spend so much time understanding if he even could do this job at the most basic level—we had precious little time to ask him about how he would do his job!
    “How would Pete Hegseth ensure our servicemembers and their families have the resources they need at home and abroad? How does he plan to reduce costs and development times for key military capabilities that are critical to our national security? How would he invest in our defense industrial base and public shipyards, like the one in my home state of Washington?
    “How does he view the pacing threat in the Indo-Pacific, and how would he work with our partners and allies to prepare for a potential conflict? Does he have any thoughts on that at all?
    “This is just not a serious candidate who has thoughtful positions on the challenges that we face.
    “You know what position he is serious about? What he has stated over and over again?
    “And I quote: ‘I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.’ He said that last November. Or, ‘we need moms. But not in the military, especially in combat units.’
    “Now that is infuriating, and disqualifying—I don’t have to try very hard to imagine how that kind of condescending attitude will go over with our women in uniform.
    “And after decades of comments like this denigrating the role of women in the military in ways that simply do not square with reality, Mr. Hegseth’s recent about-face on this topic is just not convincing.
    “He has also made clear he has little regard for the Geneva Conventions. Now, maybe this is a bit old fashioned of me, but I think we should have a Secretary of Defense who is firmly against war crimes. Not one who has spoken in favor of torture like waterboarding, in favor of people convicted of war crimes, and questioned whether we should follow the Geneva Conventions.
    “And let’s not forget—in addition to having no real qualifications, and many alarming positions, Mr. Hegseth also has many red flags that raise serious concerns about his character and his conduct.
    “There is the report that he and his management team pursued women on his staff.  There is the report that he took his employees to a strip club and got drunk. There is the report he got drunk in uniform, and had to be carried out of a strip club. There is the report he chanted ‘kill all Muslims’ while he was drunk.
    “And beyond reporting, there are the police records backing up the account of a woman who told a nurse she may have been drugged and then raped by Pete Hegseth.
    “Now, we couldn’t hear from that woman because Mr. Hegseth reached a financial settlement and he has now threatened to sue her for speaking out. And we almost didn’t hear about that incident at all since he didn’t even disclose it when he was vetted!
    “But there are other people we have heard from. We know his mother once wrote to her son, directly criticizing him as an abuser of women. We know his former sister-in-law, in a signed affidavit, has shared she saw Mr. Hegseth drink to excess, and understood his ex-wife feared for her safety with him.
    “And we know that same ex-wife told the FBI, ‘he drinks more than he doesn’t.’ That is an awful lot of smoke for us to be ignoring the fire.
    “There is absolutely no world where someone who has a history of running up debts at nonprofits should be responsible for overseeing half of our discretionary spending.
    “There is no world where someone with a history of failing to address his irresponsible alcohol use should be given one of the most stressful jobs imaginable, and should be making life and death decisions on a daily and an hourly basis.
    “There is no world where we should have a predator running the Department of Defense that is responsible for the wellbeing of millions of women and men in uniform. I don’t get how that is complicated.
    “Mr. President, let me just end on this: there is no world where the person in charge of our military should see his fellow Americans as the enemy.
    “But Mr. Hegseth has made clear that is his view. Regarding Democrats and Republicans, he has written, and this is him: ‘The other side, the left, is not our friend. We are not esteemed colleagues, nor mere political opponents. We are foes. Either we win or they win. We agree on nothing else.’
    “That is an especially dark view of our country. Our military uniforms do not say Democrat. They do not say Republican. They just don’t.
    “Mr. President, you cannot be an effective commander if your people don’t trust you. But how are troops supposed to trust you to keep them safe in combat if you think half the nation is the enemy?
    “How are Muslim servicemembers supposed to trust you if you think their religion is a threat to our country? How are women servicemembers supposed to trust you if you think they should be at home?
    “I don’t have an answer to that. Maybe Mr. Hegseth doesn’t either—maybe that’s why he won’t meet with me. And then again, maybe it’s because he thinks I’m his foe because I’m a Democrat. Or maybe he doesn’t think I should have a say in the military issues because I’m a woman.
    “But Mr. President, I do have a say—and I say someone like Mr. Hegseth is grossly unqualified to take on one of the most important jobs in the world.
    “And I will be voting against him. And I urge my Republican colleagues to seriously consider the message it will send to confirm someone for Secretary of Defense who has failed, time and again, to meet the most basic standards of conduct our women and men in uniform are required to live up to.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: CBP Inauguration Security – Non-Intrusive Inspections (NII) | CBP

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

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provided security and support for the 60th presidential inauguration.

    The Office of Field Operations (OFO) provided the use of Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technologies to conduct inspections of cargo and conveyances for contraband as part of its mission to stop illicit imports to facilitate lawful travel and trade.

    Instagram ➤ https://instagram.com/CBPgov
    Facebook ➤ https://facebook.com/CBPgov
    Twitter ➤ https://twitter.com/CBP
    Official Website ➤ https://www.cbp.gov

    #cbp
    #inauguration
    #lawenforcement
    #president

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XcTnoMST4I

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Leads Multistate Coalition to Defend NHTSA’s Fuel-Economy Standards for Passenger Vehicles and Trucks

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    OAKLAND — On behalf of California and leading a multistate coalition of 15 attorneys general, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed an amicus brief in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA)’s fuel-economy standards for passenger cars, light trucks, and heavy-duty trucks. The NHTSA standards are designed to enhance fuel efficiency for vehicles and benefit consumers across the country. Currently, Republican-led states and oil industry groups are not only challenging these federal fuel-economy standards but also using their lawsuit to attack California’s unrelated zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standards. The amicus brief explains why that attack on state-law emission standards—designed to reduce smog-forming and planet-warming air pollution—has no place in a challenge to federal-law fuel efficiency standards.

    “Efficient vehicles and clean vehicles should not be partisan issues. Yet, we continue to see politically motivated attacks,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We are at a critical juncture in protecting our people and the environment, and that’s why, I, alongside attorneys general nationwide, are unwavering in our commitment to defend these standards that will better protect our communities.”

    The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) requires NHTSA to prescribe Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards at the “maximum feasible” average fuel economy level that manufacturers can achieve. These standards are intended to conserve fuel, which, in turn, saves consumers money at the pump, insulates the U.S. from global oil price instability, and reduces the impact of oil consumption on public health and the environment. Last June, NHTSA announced updated standards for model years 2027 to 2031 requiring automakers to achieve higher fuel efficiency across their fleets of cars as well as light and heavy-duty trucks. NHTSA projects that the 2027-31 standards will save consumers nearly $23 billion in fuel costs by reducing gasoline consumption by about 70 billion gallons, which will also prevent 710 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions through 2050.

    In trying to undo those fuel-economy standards, the challengers argue NHTSA is required to develop CAFE standards as if the millions of electric vehicles that automakers sell do not exist. That fiction would lead to artificially low, do-nothing standards, and NHTSA was right to reject it. The challengers also fault NHTSA’s model of the auto industry for recognizing that automakers are already selling electric vehicles at levels consistent with California’s ZEV standards. The challengers have used NHTSA’s modeling as an excuse to attempt to shoehorn into their lawsuit a claim that California’s ZEV standards are unlawful based on a baseless theory that courts rejected over a decade ago.  

    California’s ZEV standards are a critical component of California’s vehicle emissions program that protects Californians against the health and environmental effects of vehicle exhaust pollutants including ozone, particulate matter, and toxic emissions. These emission standards have nothing to do with federal fuel-economy standards, and the Clean Air Act explicitly allows California to set its own vehicle emissions standards. The Clean Air Act also allows other states to adopt those standards for themselves if they choose.

    In the amicus brief, the coalition expresses support for NHTSA’s stringent fuel-economy standards while defending California’s ZEV standards against the challengers’ improper collateral attack. Specifically, the amicus brief highlights that a federal rule challenge is the wrong place to attack state laws.

    Attorney General Bonta leads the attorneys general of Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia in filing this amicus brief. 

    A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Delivers Localized State of the State Address to Business, Community, and Local Colorado Springs Leaders

    Source: US State of Colorado

    COLORADO SPRINGS/PUEBLO – Today, Governor Polis delivered his localized State of the State Address to leaders in Colorado Springs. Governor Polis discussed Colorado’s leadership in increasing the supply of housing people can afford, investing in a convenient transit system to save people time and money, protecting our clean air and public spaces, making our communities safer, preparing Colorado students for success, and creating a competitive business environment and workforce to foster growth and innovation. 

    “Over the past year, we have been laser-focused on saving people money and lowering the cost of living, and there’s a lot more we need to do. Colorado needs to lead the way in building more housing that Coloradans and families can afford, expand transit options to protect our clean air, make our communities and neighborhoods safer, and much more,I look forward to the work ahead to build on our successes, keep Colorado’s economy and workforce strong, and make Colorado a model of personal and economic freedom for the nation,” said Governor Jared Polis. 

    Earlier this year, Governor Polis delivered his seventh State of the State Address to the Colorado General Assembly. Governor Polis highlighted Colorado’s leadership across the board to lower the cost of living and protect the rights and freedoms of all Coloradans. He outlined work ahead to continue building more housing Coloradans can afford near jobs and transit options. 

    In his address, Governor Polis echoed his State of the State address to the General Assembly, and called for smart stair reform to empower builders to create apartments that fit in our neighborhoods, not just city blocks, allowing houses of worship to use the land they own to help address our housing shortage, and double down on Colorado’s investment in innovative modular housing solutions. 

    Governor Polis also will met with AmeriCorps members in Pueblo to learn how AmeriCorps is utilizing apprenticeships and increasing opportunities for members to get credentials that prepare service members for success and strengthen our economy. 

    “In Colorado, we are building a future where success and good-paying jobs are available to more Coloradans through many different low-cost educational paths. Connecting Coloradans with opportunities to gain credentials and develop skills with a paid apprenticeship will strengthen our workforce and economy, and I am thrilled that AmeriCorps is doing exactly that in Pueblo and around our state,” said Governor Polis. 

    Later today, Governor Polis will meet with Pueblo Community College President Dr. Chato Hazelbaker and will tour the school’s welding labs, which were renovated in 2020. These renovations were supported by remaining state funding from SB17-267, Sustainability Of Rural Colorado. This funding helped the weld shop expand to more than 6,000 square feet and add ten new welding stations along with numerous enhanced safety features, new lighting and dedicated space for major fabrication equipment. These facilities are helping strengthen Colorado’s workforce and helping more Coloradans get the skills they need to fill in-demand welding jobs. 

    “Strengthening our workforce and helping more Coloradans build needed skills that lead to good paying jobs is good for our communities and our economy. I applaud the work Pueblo Community College is doing to support Coloradans in working to build careers,” said Governor Jared Polis. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: HERSHEY – Shapiro Administration to Highlight Efforts to Improve Care for Mothers and Babies

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    January 27, 2025 – Hershey, PA

    ADVISORY – HERSHEY – Shapiro Administration to Highlight Efforts to Improve Care for Mothers and Babies

    Shapiro Administration officials will join Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine leaders in Hershey to highlight efforts across the state to improve care for pregnant women and babies.

    The Shapiro Administration funded the creation of four regional maternal health coalitions to support local organizations that will implement recommendations from the 2024 Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) report to improve maternal health outcomes for mothers and babies.
    The Administration has prioritized using data and recommendations from the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, feedback from a statewide survey, and participated in listening sessions to develop a multi-agency Maternal Health Strategic Plan.

    Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has charged his Administration with finding ways to improve the health of the Commonwealth’s mothers and babies. The Governor’s 2024-2025 bipartisan budget secured a $2.6 million increase for work to address and prevent maternal mortality, especially among Black mothers, who are disproportionately affected.

    WHO:
    Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen
    Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones
    Department of Human Services Special Advisor Sara Goulet
    Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center President Don McKenna
    Penn State College of Medicine Dean Dr. Karen Kim
    Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Chair Dr. Richard Legro
    Penn State College of Medicine Assistant Professor Dr. Kristin Sznajder

    WHEN:
    MONDAY, January 27, 2025, at 12:30 PM

    WHERE:
    Penn State Health Children’s Hospital
    600 University Drive
    Hershey, PA 17033
    (Room T2500 – Second Floor)

    PARKING: Event parking can be obtained by contacting Penn State Health’s Public Relations and Multimedia team Lead, Scott Gilbert, by emailing sgilbert1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu or calling 717-782-1121.

    MEDIA RSVP: Media interested in attending must RSVP with the name of the reporter and photojournalist to ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Hosts Fifth Regional Convening on Immigrant Rights in San Diego

    Source: US State of California

    SAN DIEGO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today held the fifth and final in a series of regional convenings with immigrant rights groups, elected officials, and others in San Diego, California. During the convening, the Attorney General and California Department of Justice (CADOJ) staff shared resources, heard concerns, and discussed CADOJ’s ongoing efforts to protect California’s immigrant communities. Over the past two months, the Attorney General has released a number of guidances to help California immigrants better understand their rights and protections under the law and assist law enforcement, prosecutors, and public institutions in complying with state law. The resources, many available in multiple languages, can be accessed at oag.ca.gov/immigrant/resources.

    “We’ve been preparing for this day for months – hearing concerns through these regional convenings and issuing guidance for immigrants, local law enforcement, prosecutors, school officials, and public institutions, all in anticipation of the President attempting to see through his destructive immigration agenda,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I’m disappointed, but not surprised, by the President’s executive orders. But I want to be clear that California will not waiver in its commitment to upholding the rights and protections of all of our residents, including the nearly 11 million immigrants who call this state home. We hear your concerns, and we will continue to use the full force of the law and tools of this office to stand up for you.” 

    Know Your Immigration Rights and Protections Under the Law  

    • You have the right to apply for and secure housing without sharing your immigration status. California law prohibits housing providers from asking about your immigration status unless you are applying for affordable housing funded by the federal government. Additionally, housing providers cannot harass or intimidate you by threatening or sharing information about your immigration status to ICE, law enforcement, or other government agencies.
    • You have the right to access emergency medical care. Federal laws and regulations ensure the rights of all people to access emergency medical care, including undocumented immigrants.
    • You have the right to an attorney. If you are arrested by police, you have the right to a government-appointed attorney. If you are detained by ICE and/or are facing immigration proceedings, you have the right to seek legal assistance through an attorney. 
    • State and local law enforcement cannot ask for your immigration status. California law expressly prohibits law enforcement from inquiring about a person’s immigration status for immigration enforcement purposes.
    • State and local law enforcement cannot share your personal information. This includes sharing your home or work address for immigration purposes, unless that information is available to the public or unless that information involves previous criminal arrest, convictions or similar criminal history.
    • State and local law enforcement cannot assist ICE with immigration enforcement, with very limited exceptions. This means they cannot investigate, cannot interrogate, cannot arrest, and cannot detain you unless it is as part of joint federal task force where the primary purpose is not immigration enforcement.  

    Guidance for Immigrant Students and Families

    • Right to a Free Public Education: All children have a right to equal access to free public education, regardless of their or their parents’/guardians’ immigration status.
    • Information Required for School Enrollment: Schools must accept a variety of documents from the student’s parent or guardian to demonstrate proof of child’s age or residency and schools are not required to keep a copy of the document used as proof of a child’s age.
    • Confidentiality of Personal Information: Federal and state laws protect student education records and personal information. These laws generally require that schools obtain written consent from parents or guardians before releasing student information, unless the release of information is for educational purposes, is already public, or is in response to a court order or subpoena.

    Protect Yourself from Immigration Scams

    If you need help applying for immigration relief, be careful who you hire. Watch out for immigration scams that can cost you thousands of dollars and/or harm your immigration status! Here are some tips and resources to help: 

    • Go to a legitimate legal aid organization for free legal help. Many nonprofit organizations provide free immigration help to low-income individuals, such as those found through the resources below. To find a legal aid organization near you, go to lawhelpca.org. 
    • Keep your original documents in a safe place. Don’t give your original documents to anyone unless you see proof that the government requires the original document. If you give someone an original, they may lose it or refuse to return it unless you pay them.
    • Do not hire an immigration consultant or a notary. Only lawyers, accredited representatives, and recognized organizations can give you legal advice or represent you in immigration court. Immigration consultants – who may call themselves immigration experts, notarios, notaries public, or paralegals – cannot do so.
    • Do not give money or personal information to anyone who calls, texts, or emails you claiming that there is a problem with your immigration matter. No federal or state agency, including USCIS, will ever ask for your personal information or payment over the phone, by email, or text.  

    Resources for the Reporting of and Response to Hate Crimes 

    In light of the President’s xenophobic rhetoric and an anticipated uptick in hostility toward immigrant communities, the Attorney General issued updated guidance and resources for law enforcement, prosecutors, and victims of hate crimes: 

    Guidance and Model Policies for Public institutions 

    Attorney General Bonta issued updated guidance to help staff develop practical plans to protect the rights of immigrants and their families to safely access public institutions by limiting support of immigration enforcement activity at these institutions. While the guidance is tailored to certain types of public institutions, any institution that is accessible to the public may choose to adopt a similar policy to protect the rights and safety of their patrons.   

    Guidance for State and Local Law Enforcement

    Attorney General Bonta issued an updated bulletin describing local and state law enforcement agencies’ obligations under SB 54, which prohibits the use of state and local resources to assist with federal immigration enforcement, with very limited exceptions.  The bulletin can be found here.

    Guidance for Prosecutors and Defense Counsel

    The Attorney General issued new guidance to provide defense counsel and prosecutors with information regarding their obligations under Section 1016.3 of the Penal Code to affirmatively let defendants know about the immigration consequences of a proposed plea deal. A copy of the guidance is available here.

    Access Free and Low-Cost Legal Assistance 

    Visit Law Help CA or Immigration Law Help to find immigration assistance near you.

    File a Complaint 

    If you believe your rights have been violated, report it to the California Department of Justice at oag.ca.gov/report. 

    If you believe you were subject to discrimination, harassment or retaliation, report it to the California Civil Rights Department at calcivilrights.ca.gov/complaintprocess/.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dartmouth — Nova Scotia RCMP release annual provincial impaired statistics for 2024

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    As Nova Scotia’s Provincial Police, road safety is a top priority. To keep citizens informed about enforcement on our roadways, the Nova Scotia RCMP is releasing statistics for all RCMP detachments in Nova Scotia for 2024 on drivers charged for driving impaired by drugs or alcohol.

    In 2024, Nova Scotia RCMP charged 1398 drivers with impaired related offences:

    • 695 charged with Impaired Operation of a Conveyance by Alcohol
    • 40 charged with Impaired Operation of a Conveyance by Drug (18 more awaiting lab results)
    • 166 charged with Refusal of a Demand Made by a Peace Officer
    • 479 issued driving suspensions for Impaired Operation.

    “Public education and awareness campaigns have been ongoing for many years, and still almost 1400 people were caught committing impaired driving offences in 2024,” says Constable Bryan Martell with the RCMP’s Southeast Traffic Services.

    Every year the Nova Scotia RCMP participates in MADD Canada’s Candlelight Vigil, remembering and honouring the victims and survivors of impaired driving.

    “I encourage everyone to visit MADD Canada’s memorial and tribute website (Tributes – MADD Canada Tributes) to look at the pictures and read the stories,” says Constable Martell. “It is a sobering reminder that these are family members, friends, coworkers – real people whose lives were cut short or otherwise affected by someone’s choice to drive impaired.”

    Remember too that road safety is a shared responsibility. The public is asked to call 911 immediately if you see a driver who is driving erratically or unsafely. Here are some signs of an impaired driver:

    • Driving unreasonably fast, slow or at an inconsistent speed
    • Drifting in and out of lanes
    • Tailgating and changing lanes frequently
    • Making exceptionally wide turns
    • Changing lanes or passing without sufficient clearance
    • Overshooting or stopping well before stop signs or stop lights
    • Disregarding signals and lights
    • Approaching signals or leaving intersections too quickly or slowly
    • Driving without headlights, failing to lower high beams or leaving turn signals on
    • Driving with windows open in cold or inclement weather

    Once you call 911, you will be asked to provide the following, if possible:

    • Your location
    • A description of the vehicle, including the license plate number, colour, make and model
    • The direction of travel for the vehicle
    • A description of the driver if visible.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: January 24th, 2025 Heinrich, Senate Democrats Demand Trump Except All VA Employees from Hiring Freeze

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and 24 Democratic senators called on President Trump to put veterans first and immediately exempt all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees from the hiring freeze he issued on Monday. In a letter to Trump, the senators stressed concerns about the negative impact the hiring freeze will have on the delivery of veterans’ health care and benefits nationwide – if not quickly reversed.
    “As written, this Memorandum could dramatically impair the ability of veterans across the country to get the care and benefits they desperately need,” the senators wrote. “It could also delay or deny various other services across VA – from burial services to job training to assistance for homeless veterans to life-saving assistance from the Veterans Crisis Line. That is why it is imperative for you to provide an immediate, clear, and full exemption to this hiring freeze for VA so it can continue to deliver on its sacred mission for veterans.”
    The senators also underscored that despite assurances of exemptions, they have heard from employees on the ground that the hiring freeze will extend to certain positions promised to be exempt: “In your Memorandum, little detail is provided to understand the scope of its exemptions. And despite assurances that VA benefits would be exempt, we have become aware the hiring freeze will extend to the Veterans Benefits Administration – a decision that will dramatically impact the processing of disability claims, growing the backlog and making it more difficult for veterans to access their earned benefits, including those promised in the PACT Act.”
    The senators pressed Trump for scaling back on VA employees, rather than continuing efforts to address chronic workforce shortages Congress has implemented over the last few years: “Instead of building upon those efforts, one of your first actions was to stop them entirely, and to issue new directives to VA personnel across the country to not only leave vacancies unaddressed, but to revoke job offers that have already been made. That is a betrayal of trust to veterans on day one of your Administration, and it is a betrayal of trust to prospective VA employees intent on serving veterans – an action that will undoubtedly have long-term impacts on VA’s ability to effectively recruit and retain the physicians, nurses, and other critical positions that make VA the preferred option for care for veterans.”
    The letter was led by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). Alongside Heinrich, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
    The full text of the Senators’ letter is available here and below:
    Dear President Trump,
    We write with urgent concerns about the Presidential Memorandum issued on January 20, 2025, which instituted an immediate hiring freeze, with few exceptions, across the federal civil service. Veterans have earned and deserve the best quality health care and benefits possible. Delivering on that sacred promise starts with ensuring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has the appropriate personnel in place to serve them. As written, this Memorandum could dramatically impair the ability of veterans across the country to get the care and benefits they desperately need. It could also delay or deny various other services across VA – from burial services to job training to assistance for homeless veterans to life-saving assistance from the Veterans Crisis Line. That is why it is imperative for you to provide an immediate, clear, and full exemption to this hiring freeze for VA so it can continue to deliver on its sacred mission for veterans.
    In your Memorandum, little detail is provided to understand the scope of its exemptions. And despite assurances that VA benefits would be exempt, we have become aware the hiring freeze will extend to the Veterans Benefits Administration – a decision that will dramatically impact the processing of disability claims, growing the backlog and making it more difficult for veterans to access their earned benefits, including those promised in the PACT Act. Additionally, there is no explicit exemption for employees serving the more than 9.2 million veterans enrolled in VAhealth care.
    Veterans deserve the best care possible from the best medical professionals in the country. To deliver on that obligation, VA continues to utilize various hiring authorities and incentives provided by Congress to address chronic medical workforce shortages, particularly in rural areas. Instead of building upon those efforts, one of your first actions was to stop them entirely, and to issue new directives to VA personnel across the country to not only leave vacancies unaddressed, but to revoke job offers that have already been made. That is a betrayal of trust to veterans on day one of your Administration, and it is a betrayal of trust to prospective VA employees intent on serving veterans – an action that will undoubtedly have long-term impacts on VA’s ability to effectively recruit and retain the physicians, nurses, and other critical positions that make VA the preferred option for care for veterans.
    Mr. President, to prevent the delay or denial of life-saving services and benefits for our nation’s heroes, we urge you to provide an immediate, clear, and full exemption to VA personnel from your hiring freeze. Thanks largely to the PACT Act and the leadership of the Biden Administration, VA is providing more care and more benefits to more veterans than at any time in its history. We are hopeful to work with you to build upon our nation’s promise to these men and women, but we also vow to fight every effort that dishonors their service and reneges upon that sacred promise.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Situation in Venezuela following the usurpation of the presidency on 10 January 2025 – P10_TA(2025)0007 – Thursday, 23 January 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on Venezuela, in particular that of 19 September 2024 on the situation in Venezuela(1),

    –  having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to other UN human rights treaties and instruments,

    –  having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

    –  having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC),

    –  having regard to the Venezuelan Constitution,

    –  having regard to the statements of the Carter Center of 30 July 2024 on the Venezuelan election, and of 2 October 2024 legitimising the electoral records presented by the democratic opposition,

    –  having regard to the detailed findings of the independent international fact-finding mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela of 14 October 2024,

    –  having regard to the report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of 27 December 2024 on human rights violations following the elections in Venezuela,

    –  having regard to the statement of 10 January 2025 by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on behalf of the European Union on the events of 10 January 2025,

    –  having regard to the statement of 15 January 2025 by the Spokesperson of the European External Action Service (EEAS) on recent decisions by the Venezuelan authorities,

    –  having regard to the Partial Agreement on the Promotion of Political Rights and Electoral Guarantees for All, signed by Nicolás Maduro’s regime and the Venezuelan opposition alliance, the Unitary Platform, in October 2023 (the Barbados Agreement),

    –  having regard to Rule 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A.  whereas on 28 July 2024, the Venezuelan people voted peacefully and in large numbers to determine the future of their country, demonstrating outstanding civic and democratic behaviour; whereas after voting closed, the regime-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) refused to publish the official record of electoral records (‘actas’) and falsified the results of the election, announcing the false victory of Maduro; whereas millions of Venezuelans voted for democratic change by supporting Edmundo González Urrutia by a significant majority (67,05 % of votes cast), according to publicly available copies of electoral records corroborated by the only credible and impartial international observers, the UN mission and the Carter Center;

    B.  whereas in the aftermath of the election, peaceful protests took place across the country to contest the fraudulent display by the Maduro regime; whereas these protests were met with extreme violence and repression, resulting in at least 23 deaths and over 2 500 arrests and enforced disappearances, including of approximately 120 children; whereas Venezuelan non-governmental organisations have reported that, as of 1 January 2025, there are at least 1 697 political prisoners in the country;

    C.  whereas several foreign nationals, including EU citizens, remain under arrest on false charges of ‘destabilisation’;

    D.  whereas the democratic opposition to the regime faced ongoing persecution even before the elections of 28 July 2024, but this harassment has escalated significantly since then, in particular through enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests; whereas María Corina Machado remains forced to live clandestinely because of threats against her life and Edmundo González Urrutia was forced to flee the country with his family as a result of serious threats; whereas since 20 March 2024, six close collaborators of Vente Venezuela have sought refuge in the Argentinian embassy in Caracas, where they continue to face increasing pressure and harassment by the Venezuelan security forces;

    E.  whereas human rights violations continue, including arbitrary detentions, excessive use of force, unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, harassment, persecution and prosecution of citizens exercising their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, as well as violations of due process; whereas in addition to the political and institutional crisis, Venezuela is experiencing a deep economic, social and demographic crisis that is severely affecting the lives of its citizens;

    F.  whereas on 19 September 2024, Parliament recognised Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate and democratically elected President of Venezuela and María Corina Machado as the leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela; whereas other democratic states in the region and throughout the world have recognised González as President-elect; whereas he should have been sworn in on 10 January 2025; whereas on 17 December 2024, Parliament awarded the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to María Corina Machado, as the leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela, and to President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, representing all Venezuelans inside and outside the country fighting for the reinstitution of freedom and democracy;

    G.  whereas just days before 10 January 2025, the regime kidnapped Edmundo González’s son-in-law Rafael Tudares and his whereabouts remain unknown; whereas, in the same way, the regime harassed María Corina Machado’s mother in her own house; whereas many other politicians and staff of the democratic opposition to the regime have also faced persecution, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances, including presidential candidate Enrique Márquez;

    H.  whereas on 9 January 2025, the Venezuelan people, led by María Corina Machado, protested in the streets against Nicolás Maduro’s latest attempt to illegitimately seize power; whereas María Corina Machado was abducted by the regime’s forces while attempting to leave the protest, and was later released, in a blatant act of targeted intimidation and harassment that received widespread international condemnation;

    I.  whereas on 10 January 2025, dictator Nicolás Maduro illegitimately took power in a fraudulent act, without any democratic legitimacy and verifiable evidence of electoral integrity; whereas the ceremony was attended by no democratically elected head of state or government; whereas the borders of the country were closed and the airspace was heavily guarded, which prevented Edmundo González Urrutia from travelling to Venezuela;

    J.  whereas since the fraudulent and illegitimate seizure of power, the Maduro regime has ordered the diplomatic presence of some EU Member States to be considerably reduced, in an arbitrary manner, which the regime justifies as being in response to ‘the hostile behaviour of the governments of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, France, and Italy, characterised by their support for extremist groups and their interference in internal affairs’;

    K.  whereas according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), around eight million Venezuelans have left the country since 2014, the largest exodus in Latin America’s recent history and one of the largest displacement crises in the world;

    L.  whereas on 10 January 2025, the Council decided to adopt a new package of targeted sanctions against 15 individuals responsible for undermining democracy, the rule of law or human rights in Venezuela;

    1.  Condemns in the strongest possible terms the usurpation of the presidency by Nicolás Maduro and highlights that his regime is illegitimate and his usurpation of the presidency constitutes an unlawful attempt to remain in power by force;

    2.  Recalls that on the basis of the electoral records submitted by the democratic opposition to the regime and as stated by the independent international organisations present at the elections on 28 July 2024, namely the United Nations mission and the Carter Center, Parliament recognised Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate winner of the presidential elections, a victory acknowledged by the EU and its Member States;

    3.  Reiterates its call in its resolution of September 2024, and also expressed on numerous occasions by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on the regime-controlled CNE to publish the electoral records of the elections of 28 July 2024;

    4.  Coincides with the Member States that the Venezuelan regime has missed a key opportunity to respect the will of the people and ensure a transparent democratic transition in the country and that as a result Maduro lacks any democratic legitimacy and therefore Parliament does not recognise him;

    5.  Welcomes the statement of the High Representative on behalf of the EU Member States recognising the victory of Edmundo González Urrutia by a significant majority, and Parliament considers that he should have taken the presidential oath on 10 January 2025; also welcomes the commitment by the EU to continue to address the urgent needs of the people of Venezuela, who are suffering the consequences of the long humanitarian crisis;

    6.  Commends the democratic opposition’s resilience and the Venezuelan people’s commitment to democracy in the face of repression and adversity; reiterates that respecting the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed in the elections remains the only way for Venezuela to restore democracy, allowing for a peaceful and genuine transition, and to solve the current humanitarian and socio-economic crisis; urges the Venezuelan regime to revoke the unjustified arrest warrant issued for Edmundo González Urrutia;

    7.  Welcomes the recent Council decision of 10 January 2025 to extend the targeted sanctions to 15 additional individuals; calls for these sanctions to be strengthened and expanded to include Nicolás Maduro, his inner circle and their families, including Jorge Rodríguez and Vladimir Padrino López, and all those responsible for violations of human rights, the illegitimate assertion of authority, the usurpation of official functions and all repressive acts in Venezuela;

    8.  Expresses concern for Alberto Trentini, an Italian citizen and a volunteer for the non-governmental organisation Humanity & Inclusion that helps people with disabilities, who was arrested by the Venezuelan authorities on 15 November 2024 during a humanitarian mission and of whom there has been no news since his arrest; highlights that Mr Trentini also suffers from health problems and does not have medicines or any basic necessities with him;

    9.  Further condemns the persecution perpetrated by the regime against the democratic opposition to the regime and the Venezuelan people, as well as against many EU citizens who have been arbitrarily detained and remain unjustly imprisoned; calls for an end to the systematic pattern of human rights violations; demands the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons; demands that the Maduro regime cease its policy of human rights abuses and violations and hold those responsible to account, and that it ensure that all fundamental freedoms and human rights are fully respected;

    10.  Fully supports the ICC investigations into the Venezuelan regime’s extensive crimes and acts of repression;

    11.  Urges the EU, its Member States and all democratic regional and international actors to unconditionally align, as a moral duty, with the democratic forces of Venezuela and to do their utmost to restore democracy in the country in order to show solidarity with and respect for the Venezuelan people and their legitimate will and right to live in freedom and peace in a democratic system; reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the Venezuelan people and to defending democracy, the rule of law and human rights; stands in solidarity with Venezuela’s democratic forces;

    12.  Welcomes the return to Caracas of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); believes that the OHCHR, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, the ICC and relevant regional mechanisms should operate freely and without interference;

    13.  Draws attention to the fact that the illegitimate seizure of power by Maduro has exacerbated a pre-existing dire humanitarian crisis, which had already driven over eight million Venezuelans to seek refuge abroad, and will likely force even more to flee, leading to renewed and escalating migratory pressure that will be felt most acutely in the direct neighbourhood of Venezuela; recalls that the situation of Venezuelan refugees and migrants demands long-term solutions; recognises the numerous efforts by neighbouring countries to provide not only food and housing, but also regular legal documentation, schooling and medical support; calls for the EU to do its utmost to assist Venezuelans leaving their country in line with international standards and existing legal pathways;

    14.  Deplores the decision of January 2025 by the Venezuelan authorities to substantially reduce the accredited diplomatic staff of several Member States in Caracas and urges the immediate reversal of this unacceptable unilateral action;

    15.  Believes that in the disjunction between democracy and dictatorship, there is no room for ambiguity or middle ground, as one is either on the side of the democrats and those that suffer from repression, or on the side of the dictators;

    16.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States summit participants, the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly, the Organization of American States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the authorities of the Venezuelan regime.

    (1) OJ C, C/2024/7215, 10.12.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/7215/oj.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fort Mill man arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material* and related chargesRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Wesley Keith Zimmer, 30, of Fort Mill, S.C., on five charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the York County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, also a member of the state’s ICAC Task Force, the Greenup County Sheriff’s Office, and the Russell Police Department, both out of Kentucky, all assisted with the investigation.

     

    Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led them to Zimmer. Investigators state Zimmer produced child sexual abuse material, distributed and possessed files of child sexual abuse material, and sent sexually explicit images to a minor.

     

    Zimmer was arrested on January 23, 2025. He is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, first degree (§16-15-395), a felony offense punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment; one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment; two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree (§16-15-410), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count; and one count of dissemination of obscene material to a person under age eighteen (§16-15-345), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

     

     

    This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

     

    Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

     

     

     

    * Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. “Pornography” can imply the child was a consenting participant.  Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Export of asbestos banned in the EU – P-002866/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Regulation (EU) No 649/2012[1] implements the United Nations Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade.

    The export notification is built on the principle that it is for importing countries to decide whether to consent to the import of certain chemicals ( including asbestos ) and that exporting countries must respect those decisions.

    According to the Commission’s information, in the past 5 years Chrysotile was exported in 2021 from France to India in a quantity of 0.001 tonnes in the form of articles containing the fibre (contained in aircrafts).

    As regards exports of asbestos fibres ( Actinolite, Amosite, Anthophyllite, Chrysotile, Crocidolite, Tremolite) in the past 5 years, according to the database on export notifications[2], exports from EU Member States had only been planned in 2020 (to Australia, Canada, China, Israel, Switzerland, Singapore, Taiwan, United States) and in 2022 (to the United Kingdom).

    These exports are exempted from the scope of the PIC Regulation as the chemicals are ‘exported for the purpose of research or analysis in quantities that are unlikely to affect human health or the environment and that in any event do not exceed 10 kg from each exporter to each importing country per calendar year’[3]. But the Commission does not know whether these exports took place and in which quantity below 10 kg.

    In parallel, the Chemicals strategy for sustainability[4] states that the EU will, in line with international commitments, ensure that hazardous chemicals banned in the EU are not produced for export, including by amending relevant legislation if and as needed. A study on this initiative is ongoing and will inform about the available options.

    • [1] Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 concerning the export and import of hazardous chemicals (recast), OJ L 201, 27.7.2012, p. 60-106.
    • [2] https://echa.europa.eu/fr/information-on-chemicals/pic/export-notifications
    • [3] Article 2(3) of the PIC Regulation.
    • [4] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/chemicals-strategy_en

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – The EU’s new bilateral security and defence partnerships – 24-01-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The Strategic Compass, adopted by the 27 EU Member States in March 2022 – only weeks after the onset of Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression on Ukraine –emphasised the need for robust partnerships, for the EU to be able to achieve its objectives in the area of security and defence. Alongside ‘acting’ (operations), ‘securing’ (resilience) and ‘investing’, ‘partnering’ is one of the four main pillars of the Compass. The document itself outlines specific targets and deadlines to measure progress in this area. While the EU has partnered with other security and defence actors (essentially states and international organisations) in the past, a new model of tailored security and defence partnership was launched shortly after the adoption of the Compass, as a reinforced framework for enhanced partnership. To date, the EU has signed six such partnerships – with (by date of signature) Norway, Moldova, South Korea, Japan, Albania and North Macedonia, and more are envisaged. While the partnerships vary in content, depending on the assessed mutual interests of the EU and each individual partner, some ten areas of cooperation are common to all six. The European Parliament has highlighted the significance of the Strategic Compass’s partnership dimension and, in particular, the value of security and defence dialogues with partners from the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership, as well as with key partners in strategic maritime areas such as the Southern Neighbourhood and the Indo-Pacific. Parliament has underlined that cooperation with countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Ukraine, Georgia, the Western Balkans, Japan, Australia and certain African countries serves as a key element of the common security and defence policy. In 2023, it called for deeper military and defence cooperation with Japan and South Korea, and for closer cooperation with partners in Latin America and the Caribbean.

    MIL OSI Europe News –