NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley Announce More Than $81 Million In Additional Federal Funding For the CREATE Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    10.18.24

    CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) today announced $81,301,065 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) INFRA (Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects) Program for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program, which aims to reduce traffic delays, increase rail junction safety, and improve mobility throughout Chicago.

    DOT’s INFRA Grant Program provides federal funding for large projects of regional significance and is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that the lawmakers worked to pass in 2021.

    Last month, Durbin, Duckworth, and Quigley announced $209 million in federal funding for the CREATE Program through DOT’s Mega Grant Program, bringing the total with today’s announced funding to $291,179,049.

    “Today’s additional funding announcement is a major investment in the future of our transportation infrastructure. Chicagoans will be better connected because of the CREATE Program, which will improve the safety and quality of our rail system and roadways,” said Durbin. “Senator Duckworth, members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, and I have long supported these investments, and I’m glad to see these federal dollars go toward improving safety and alleviating congestion in a region that desperately needs it.”

    “Investing in our transportation infrastructure is about growing our economy and making it easier, faster, safer and more efficient so people and goods can get where they need to go,” Duckworth said. “This significant federal investment in the CREATE Program—which Senator Durbin, members of the Illinois Delegation and I have been championing for years—will help us modernize our rail system for all Chicagoans while supporting good-paying South Side jobs and strengthening our region’s economy.”

    “The CREATE Program is fundamentally changing rail operations in Chicago for both commuters and freight. Last month, we secured $209 million in funding for this program. Today’s announcement marks another significant step toward fulfilling CREATE’s mission to improve safety, alleviate congestion, and boost mobility throughout our city,” said Quigley.

    The CREATE Program brings together the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Metra, Amtrak, and the nation’s freight railroads in a partnership to eliminate transit bottlenecks, boost the economy, and improve overall safety of the Chicagoland area.

    Today’s announced funding will advance the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, a three-mile elevated rail corridor on Chicago’s South Side, which approximately 90 freight trains and 30 Metra commuter trains use daily. The project will reconfigure track segments and signals at Belt Junction, add a third track to the Norfolk Southern line, replace and restore 14 aging bridge and viaduct structures, and implement mobility improvements on surface streets throughout the corridor.

    Durbin and Duckworth have long championed rail improvements, having helped secure $132 million in federal funding to begin this project in 2018.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Arctic Circle Assembly: Minister Doughty Plenary Speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    UK Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories outlines the UK’s commitment to the Arctic in the face of rising global challenges.

    Location:
    Reykjavik
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Thank you very much. It is a genuine pleasure to be here, President Grímsson and all of you at the Arctic Circle, distinguished guests and friends across the room.

    It’s a pleasure to be here representing the new government in the United Kingdom, and it has been fantastic to be part of some fascinating discussions – yesterday following my visit with my ministerial colleague in Tromsø, at the Framsenteret in Norway, and in Oslo, and then here in Reykjavik, and meeting with many colleagues from across the Arctic region.

    I am glad of the opportunity to be able to say a few words to you about the UK’s valuable work with all of you as fellow friends of the Arctic.

    I reflect on many of my own personal relationships with people and communities across this incredible region. I have friends from Iqaluit to Nuuk, from Tromsø to Tórshavn, and here in Reykjavik too.

    I reflect back on a moment I spent as a 19-year-old in Finnish Lapland, in the Millenium New Year’s Eve, in a little cabin in the snow, in minus 25, enjoying the sauna and some skiing. 

    But like many that night, I thought a lot about the world, the future of the world in this century, my place in it and what the future might hold.

    And as I sat there amid the incredible beauty and peace, little could I have imagined how the world would look nearly a quarter of a century on.

    With Putin’s war raging on the European continent, and all of the implications that brings for regional and global security.

    And with climate change and biodiversity loss advancing at such a frightening pace, wrecking precious ecosystems and destroying livelihoods.

    And with me as the British minister responsible for Europe, North America and indeed our relations in the Polar regions, I am very conscious that I have to work with all of you to address those challenges.

    And of course that is a daunting responsibility.

    But it is also an immense privilege to hold this role and to be here with you all, united in concern and care for the Arctic, and indeed both polar regions, and determined to navigate the challenges ahead in a spirit of co-operation and respect.

    So there are three areas I wanted to focus on briefly with you today – firstly, our relationships, secondly, our shared security, and thirdly, our efforts to tackle the climate and nature crises.

    Firstly, let me confirm to you that the new UK government is putting internationalism and multilateralism at the heart of all that we do. 

    We are resetting and deepening relationships with friends in Europe and beyond – many here in this room – to better face global challenges. 

    The UK’s Arctic Policy Framework continues to guide our approach, and we continue to update and develop that, guided by science and indeed the strategic challenges that we face.

    And, as it makes clear, we are committed to the Arctic Council in our role as a State Observer, recognising that it has been at the heart of a stable and peaceful region for much of the past three decades. 

    And indeed, the Council has an important role to play in articulating a strong voice and delivering effective governance.

    It has potential to act as a multilateral ‘glue’, with the strength to bind together a fragmented world.

    So, our objectives for the Council are characterised by strong co-operation and constructive dialogue – objectives I think we all share in this room.

    And I commend Norway’s work as Chair of the Council to re-start the technical engagement in the face of the very significant geopolitical challenges.

    We will do what we can to further those efforts, as part of our commitments to the multilateral system.

    But we are of course not naïve. The security of the Arctic is clearly at risk – the impacts of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine cannot be underestimated, let alone the wider geopolitical cooperation and competition landscape, and that will impact on all of us in this important region.

    So alongside our resolute support for Ukraine, we are working tirelessly with partners for peace, security and stability, particularly for all of those areas of Europe on what I call the flanks – including the Western Balkans, the Nordic states and beyond.

    We recognise Russia’s rights and role as an Arctic state.

    But we will not tolerate attempts to wreck regional stability, disrupt critical infrastructure or restrict freedom of navigation. 

    There is no global security without Arctic security. So, we are ready to protect and – if necessary – assert our rights.

    And on Wednesday, I was privileged to take a tour with the Norwegian Coastguard in Tromsø, to see how security threats and environmental changes are monitored in the High North.

    They have a tough job in tough conditions – and all credit to them.

    And as someone who’s participated alongside our training with Royal Marines in Northern Norway, I have huge respect for all of those who regularly brave the Arctic wilderness to ensure we are ready to protect it.

    And let me be clear that the UK’s commitment to NATO, to the Joint Expeditionary Force, the Northern Group, and the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable is ironclad, including of course our close partnership with our hosts, Iceland.

    And the NATO alliance is of particular significance to me personally. Many members of my family have served in NATO operations over many years, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with allies.

    Of course, beyond Putin’s menace, climate change and the global marine biodiversity loss that we are tragically seeing is the other immense threat that we are all discussing here looming over the Arctic.

    We are witnessing devastating impacts – on glaciers, fish stocks and weather patterns – with implications for us all.

    And we are painfully aware that global warming is driving geopolitical competition over resources beneath the ice too.

    And so that’s why my colleague, the Foreign Secretary David Lammy, made clear in his first major policy speech last month that efforts to address the climate and nature crisis are central to our new government’s work. 

    So at COP29 we will press the global community to accelerate ambition to reduce our emissions and push for an agreement on an ambitious new climate finance goal.

    And we have also seen how research to understand and assess climate change – including through the Arctic Council – has been an important basis to build collaboration. We will continue to back this.

    But we have already invested over one hundred and thirty-five million pounds in Arctic research over the last decade, including through UK centres of expertise.

    Our Royal Research Ship, Sir David Attenborough, paid its first visit to Greenland over the summer, and I was delighted to hear about their work here last night.

    That data gathered will help us understand crucial changes and their impacts on the Arctic Ocean and beyond.

    Now, our Advanced Research and Invention Agency has launched an eighty-one-million-pound call for proposals for further research around Greenland. 

    This new programme will develop an early warning system for ‘tipping points’, providing climate data of local and global importance.

    And we are committing further funds to collaborations with Arctic Council Working Groups, helping to enhance understanding of climate impacts on the livelihoods of Arctic indigenous people, including many other things.

    And I think it’s important to say here that, while we tend to focus on modern science for solutions, indigenous knowledge often holds the key to understanding and responding to the climate and nature crises, on top of the absolute necessity of working in respect and partnership with all of those communities and peoples who live in these wonderful lands, understand these lands, and steward their resources, and indeed their beauty.

    So further research will be key, and will build on our programmes, for example with Canada and the Inuit Nunangat, which is looking into climate-driven changes in that Arctic homeland, as well as impacts on health and wellbeing. I have been delighted to meet representatives of communities from across the Arctic at this fantastic conference.

    So this is just a brief flavour of our work, of our partnerships, of our hope for the future.

    But let me say in conclusion that the future of the Arctic depends on every one of us, working together, in a spirit of strong collaboration and co-operation.

    I hope that when we look back, 25 years from now, it’ll be from the perspective of a more secure, peaceful and indeed sustainable era. Not least here in the Arctic, but also globally.

    Thank you very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government Announces Plans for New Playground in Thompson

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    October 21, 2024

    Manitoba Government Announces Plans for New Playground in Thompson

    – – –
    Consultation Will Ensure Planned Playground Meets Needs of Community: Smith

    The Manitoba government is inviting Thompson residents of Manitoba Housing to provide feedback on designs for a new playground in the community by participating in consultations beginning later this month, Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith announced today.

    “Our government recognizes that play is a crucial part of child development that teaches kids about the world around them and helps them cultivate social skills they will carry forward for the rest of their lives,” said Smith. “I’m pleased to announce our government is investing in the future of children in Thompson by building a new playground at the housing complex. I encourage residents to share their feedback on the proposed plans to ensure they address community needs now and into the future.”

    Manitoba Housing is considering three design options for a new playground at 539 Princeton Dr., and a companion swing set and benches nearby at 8 Brandon Cres. The playground will be accessible and will feature Indigenous cultural elements. Community consultations on the new playground will begin in the coming weeks, the minister noted.

    “Thompson families want the same thing all Manitobans want, the freedom to raise a healthy family in a safe community,” said Kathy Valentino, deputy mayor, City of Thompson. The new playground reflects the values of our community and build relationships between youth and their families.”

    These in-person consultations will also be an opportunity for Manitoba Housing residents to connect with staff to ask questions and share ideas. A playground-themed colouring and drawing station will be available for children at the session, the minister added.

    Manitoba Housing owns and operates 95 rental units in Thompson. Of those, 55 units are townhouse properties designated for families, and 40 units in two apartment blocks are designated for families or tenants aged 50 and over.

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Climate futures for lizards and snakes

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Have you found your niche? 

    For us humans that usually means we’ve found a job or hobby that is perfectly suited to our interests and skills. A climate niche is similar—it’s the combination of temperature and precipitation that is perfectly suited to a species’ needs. Climate is particularly important for lizards and snakes because they are ectotherms, commonly referred to as “cold-blooded.”  That means they depend on the environment for warmth since their bodies don’t generate heat on their own. 

    It’s no surprise then that the southwestern U.S. and Mexico are home to the most lizard and snake species in western North America. However, as the climate warms and water availability becomes more variable, the locations of species’ climate niches could change. Parts of the continent that were previously suitable for a species could become too warm, while areas farther north or higher in elevation that were previously too cold for reptiles could become “just right.” 

    This classic Goldilocks story was the focus of a recent study by U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Forest Service researchers. Where will those ideal climate conditions be as climate change unfolds across the West? Answering that question could help us predict where species will live in the future, providing valuable information for those working today to sustain biodiversity tomorrow.

    Scientists gathered data on the recent distributions of 130 lizard and snake species found from Mexico to western Canada. 

    The climate in each species’ current range defined its “climate-niche distribution” or the area where the temperature and precipitation have been suitable for survival and reproduction over the last 30 years or so. 

    Then, the team looked at where those same climate conditions may occur later in the century based on multiple climate change scenarios. 

    Overall, future climate-niche distributions are predicted to shift northward and towards higher elevations. 

    By the end of the century, 68% of the 130 species are predicted to have an expanded climate-niche distribution, potentially resulting in new species arriving across state and international borders if there are no barriers to dispersal. 

    Idaho and Colorado are the states predicted to have the most species knocking at their door. Both states border vast deserts to the south and have remarkable elevation gradients.

    Dede Olson, research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station says:

    “As species migrate northward, they could cross jurisdictional boundaries, such as private lands, state lines, or even international borders. Natural resource agencies might find themselves managing species that were not previously within their regions.”

    On the map to the right, areas shaded in yellow have suitable climate for a larger number of reptile species. The maximum number of species is 68 in the recent time period and 69 in the future scenario. Areas in purple are suitable for fewer species. 

    Although most species are predicted to enjoy an expanded climate niche, 8.5% of species—mostly in the southwest United States and Mexico—could lose climate-niche space as parts of their current ranges become too warm and dry for survival. The states of Chihuahua and Sonora in Mexico are predicted to lose climate-niche space for the most species.

    The researchers behind the study released the full data set to the public and developed a data visualization tool to make it easy to explore the results and learn more about how climate change could impact local species. The data release includes downloadable data, including full-page illustrations of climate-niche predictions for each species. 

    Anyone from scientists and resource managers to local residents interested in the wildlife in their own backyard can use the tool. The interactive figures display the results by species, state, or elevation.

    Michelle Jeffries, a biologist with the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center says:

    “We created this data visualization tool so resource managers will be able to quickly identify which species may need attention as the climate changes. The tool brings the figures from the paper to life. It allows users to interact with the data, filter it, and create their own figures tailored to their specific needs or interests.”  

    Whether those reptile species can actually move towards cooler climates and survive in new habitats depends on many factors. Human-created barriers like cities or roads could block the way, or natural obstacles like rivers and canyons could halt progress. 

    On the map to the right, areas shaded in brown are predicted to lose climate-niche space for reptile species in the future. Areas in teal are predicted to gain species. These simulated dispersal scenarios are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Actual changes in climate-niche species richness will likely fall somewhere in between: some species will be able to disperse and others will not.

    There could be other habitat suitability considerations as well, like food availability or predators. It’s also possible that some species will adapt to the changing climate of their current range and stay put. Populations with enough genetic variation could evolve tolerance to warmer temperatures over generations. In other words, a shift in climate-niche doesn’t necessarily mean a species’ distribution will shift accordingly.

    David Pilliod, research ecologist with the USGS and lead author of the publication said:

    “Researchers around the world are looking at links between genetics and climate adaptation, temperature and reproduction, the timing of life history events and migrations…it’s a long list. Reptiles are a very diverse but understudied group, and we know they’re particularly sensitive to changes in environmental temperature. We wanted to try and focus attention on species and habitats that could be impacted by climate change relatively soon.”

    This early warning that climate-niche distributions could change, and reptile species could be gained or lost, gives wildlife managers a chance to prepare. The results of this study are relevant to managers across 47 states and provinces from Mexico to western Canada with responsibilities for species conservation and habitat management. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2024 American Women Quarters Rolls and Bags™ Honoring Zitkala-Ša on Sale October 28

    Source: United States Mint

    WASHINGTON – The United States Mint (Mint) 2024 American Women Quarters rolls and bags honoring Zitkala-Ša will be available for purchase on October 28 at noon EDT. The Zitkala-Ša quarter is the 15th coin in the American Women Quarters™ Program, a four-year program that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women who have shaped our Nation’s history and helped pave the way for generations that followed.

    The rolls and bags product options include:

    • Priced at $45.00, a bag of 100 circulating quality quarters minted in Philadelphia (product code 24WBJ)
    • Priced at $45.00, a bag of 100 circulating quality quarters minted in Denver (product code 24WBK)
    • Priced at $40.00, a two-roll set containing a total of 80 circulating quality quarters minted in Philadelphia and Denver (product code 24WRJ)
    • Priced at $60.00, a three-roll set containing a total of 120 circulating quality quarters minted in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco (product code 24WRK)

    Orders for the 100-coin bags are limited to 10 per household on the first day, while orders for the two-roll and three-roll sets are limited to three per household on the first day.

    Sign up to receive “Remind Me” alerts by visiting the official product listing page.

    Because of overwhelming demand, much of the production of the three-roll sets is accounted for through subscription. A limited quantity will be available for purchase on October 28 at noon EDT.

    The American Women Quarters rolls and bags are available for purchase through the Mint’s Product Subscription Program. These subscriptions work like a magazine subscription. After you sign up, you will receive the next product released in the series and continue to receive products until you end your subscription. Visit our subscriptions page to learn more.

    The American Women Quarters will also be available at the Mint’s sales centers at the Philadelphia Mint, 151 N. Independence Mall East, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (on 5th Street between Arch Street and Race Street); the Denver Mint, 320 West Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80204 (on Cherokee Street, between West Colfax Avenue and West 14th Avenue); and the Mint Headquarters Coin Store in Washington, D.C., 801 9th St. NW, Washington, DC 20220.

    The reverse (tails) depicts Zitkala-Ša in traditional Yankton Sioux dress. She is holding a book, which represents her work as an author as well as her successful activism for Native American rights. Behind her, a stylized sun represents her work on The Sun Dance Opera, while a cardinal symbolizes her name, which translates to “Red Bird.” A Yankton Sioux-inspired diamond pattern sits underneath the sun. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “AUTHOR,” “ACTIVIST,” “COMPOSER,” “25 CENTS,” and “ZITKALA-ŠA.” Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Designer Don Everhart created the design, which Mint Medallic Artist Renata Gordon sculpted.

    Each coin in this series features a common obverse (heads) design depicting a portrait of George Washington. This design was originally composed and sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser as a candidate entry for the 1932 quarter, which honored the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth. The inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “2024.”

    Launched in 2022, and continuing through 2025, the Mint is issuing five new quarter dollar reverse designs each year. The American Women Quarters Program is authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-330).

    Inspire women everywhere. Shop the American Women Quarters Program today and start collecting this historic series honoring extraordinary women whose achievements, triumphs, and legacies reflect the strength and resilience of our Nation.

    The groundbreaking American Women Quarters Program is an excellent way to remind future generations what can be accomplished with vision, determination, and a desire to improve opportunities for all. Subscribe to the program today to ensure fulfillment of your favorite product through 2025.

    Please use the United States Mint catalog site at https://catalog.usmint.gov/ as your primary source of the most current information on product and service status or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing and speech impaired customers with TTY equipment may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468).

    About the United States Mint
    Congress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.

    Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, the United States Mint will not accept, nor honor orders placed prior to the official on-sale date of October 28, 2024, at noon EDT. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. John Albers Named 2024 TAG Legislator of the Year

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (October 21, 2024) —The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) recently named Sen. John Albers (R–Roswell) as the 2024 Legislator of the Year for his continued commitment to fostering Georgia’s technology ecosystem. TAG, the state’s largest technology trade association, awards this honor annually to elected officials who demonstrate leadership in advancing Georgia’s tech sector.

    “I’m deeply honored to be recognized by TAG as the 2024 Legislator of the Year,” said Sen. Albers. “As technology continues to shape our future, it is essential that Georgia remains at the forefront of innovation. I will continue to work closely with industry experts and my colleagues to address the opportunities and challenges technology poses. I am committed to ensuring that our state’s regulatory framework remains competitive and conducive to growth as we continue positioning Georgia as a global technological leader.”

    TAG represents more than 30,000 members across Georgia, driving innovation within Georgia’s technology sector, inspiring industry leaders and fostering inclusivity by utilizing four key principles: connect, promote, influence and educate.

    “We are pleased to honor Senator John Albers with the 2024 TAG Legislator of the Year Award,” said Larry K. Williams, President and CEO of TAG. “Senator Albers is a technology champion, and we look forward to our ongoing partnership to ensure Georgia is the #1 place to do business and a global hub of innovation.”

    More information on TAG can be found here.

    # # # #

    Sen. John Albers serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety. He represents the 56th Senate District which includes portions of Cherokee, Cobb and North Fulton counties. He may be reached at his office at 404.463.8055 or by email at john.albers@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: BOEM Completes Environmental Review of Wind Lease Areas Offshore New York and New Jersey

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    TRENTON – In support of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed an environmental review to assess potential wind development activities within six wind lease areas covering over 488,000 acres offshore New York and New Jersey in an area known as the New York Bight. BOEM estimates that full development of the lease areas could generate up to 7 GW of offshore wind energy, enough to power up to two million homes.

    “BOEM has collected input from Tribes, Federal and state government agencies, local communities, ocean users, and key stakeholders as part of our comprehensive environmental review,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “We appreciate the feedback we have received, and we believe our regional approach will provide a solid baseline for future environmental reviews for any proposed offshore wind projects in the New York Bight.”

    In February 2022, BOEM held an auction that brought in over $4.3 billion for the rights to six lease areas in the New York Bight – a record amount for any U.S. offshore renewable or conventional energy lease sale.

    BOEM prepared a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to analyze potential environmental impacts of offshore wind activities in the six New York Bight lease areas. The Proposed Action for the PEIS identifies avoidance, minimization, mitigation, and monitoring (AMMM) measures that BOEM may require as conditions for approval for activities proposed by lessees in the individual construction and operations plans submitted for these six lease areas. Additional environmental analyses specific to each proposed project would build on the PEIS. This is the first time BOEM has conducted a regional analysis of offshore renewable energy development activities across multiple lease areas.

    In early 2024, BOEM held five public meetings and eight regional environmental justice forums between 2022 and 2024 to receive input on the Draft PEIS from Tribal Nations, local community members, government partners, and ocean users. This public engagement was supported by funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. BOEM sought information on important resources and issues, potential impacts to the environment, and AMMM measures found in the Draft PEIS. BOEM received 1,568 unique comments from 560 submissions, which informed the Final PEIS, including the categorization and analysis of the AMMM measures. The Final PEIS analyzes 58 AMMM measures that have been applied previously to offshore wind activities, and eight that have not been applied previously but may help reduce potential impacts.

    Under the Biden-Harris administration, the Department of the Interior has approved more than 15 gigawatts of clean energy from ten offshore wind projects, enough to power nearly 5.25 million homes. It has also held five offshore wind lease auctions, including a record-breaking sale offshore New York and New Jersey and the first-ever sales offshore the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts. Earlier this year, Secretary Haaland announced a schedule of potential additional lease sales through 2028.  

    The “Notice of Availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Expected Wind Energy Development in the New York Bight” will publish in the Federal Register on October 25, 2024.

    For more information, see BOEM’s website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Atlanta Attorney Pleads Guilty in Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax Scheme

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Attorney is 12th Individual Convicted in Scheme Involving Sale of Over $1.3B in Fraudulent Tax Deductions

    A Georgia man pleaded guilty last week to obstructing the IRS related to his participation in the promotion of abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Vi Bui was an attorney and partner at Sinnott & Co., an Atlanta-based company. Beginning in at least in 2012 and continuing through at least May 2020, Bui participated in a scheme to defraud the IRS by organizing, marketing, implementing and selling illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters created and organized by Jack Fisher, Sinnott and others. For their involvement in the scheme, Fisher and Sinnott were convicted at trial and in January sentenced to 25 and 23 years in prison, respectively.

    The scheme entailed the creation of partnerships that would purchase land and land-owning companies and then donate conservation easements over that land or the land itself. Appraisers would allegedly generate fraudulent and inflated appraisals of the conservation easements. The partnerships then claimed a charitable contribution tax deduction based on the inflated value of the conservation easement, resulting in a fraudulent tax deduction flowing to the wealthy clients who purchased units in the partnership. Many of these clients joined the tax shelters after the donation of the interest in land and after the close of the relevant tax year. Bui knew that, to make it appear that the participants had timely purchased their units in the tax shelters, Fisher, Sinnott and others backdated and instructed others to falsify documents, including subscription agreements, checks and other documents. And in at least one instance, Bui falsified documents himself.

    Bui anticipated that the syndicated conservation easement transactions would be audited. To deceive the IRS, Bui and others took steps to make the partnerships appear as legitimate real estate development companies. They would create and disseminate lengthy documents disguising the true nature of the transaction, institute sham “votes” for what to do with the land that the partnership owned despite knowing that outcome was predetermined and falsify paperwork, such as appraisals and subscription agreements.

    In one instance, when investigators conducted an undercover operation in 2018, Bui, believing that the IRS was auditing an individual’s 2014 tax return, prepared false documents that made it appear that the materials were executed before the purported donation of the conservation easement in 2014 and before the 2014 tax returns had been filed.

    Bui earned substantial income for his role in the illegal scheme. He also used the fraudulent tax shelters to evade his own taxes, filing false personal tax returns from 2013 through 2018 that claimed false tax deductions from the illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters.

    Bui is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 13, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. Bui also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    To date, in addition to the convictions of Fisher and Sinnott noted above, nine additional defendants have pleaded guilty to criminal conduct related to the syndicated conservation easement tax shelter scheme, including appraiser Walter Douglas “Terry” Roberts, accountants Stein Agee; Corey Agee, CPA; Ralph Anderson, CPA; James Benkoil, CPA; Victor Smith, CPA; William Tomasello, CPA; Herbert Lewis,  CPA; and Attorney Randall Lenz.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia and Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement. They also thanked U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina for her office’s assistance.

    IRS-CI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Richard M. Rolwing, Parker Tobin, Jessica Kraft and Nicholas J. Schilling Jr., of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Huber and deputy chief of the complex frauds section for the Northern District of Georgia  are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Inquest Into the Death of Kristin Grant

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on October 21, 2024

    A public inquest into the death of Kristan Grant will be held November 18 to 22, 2024, at the Kenosee Inn, 100 Kenosee Drive, in Kenosee.

    The first day of the inquest is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Subsequent start times will be determined by the presiding coroner.

    Grant, 36, called police regarding a complaint with people in her house on November 8, 2021 at approximately 20:57 hours. RCMP members responded, found her agitated and noted some injuries present on her body. While the RCMP members attempted to calm her down, she became more agitated. The RCMP members deemed she was becoming a danger to herself, put her in handcuffs and placed her in the back seat of the police car to await for EMS to arrive. Upon arrival of a first responder, Kristin Grant became unresponsive and life saving measures were initiated. EMS arrived and continued resuscitation on route to the Kipling Hospital. She was pronounced deceased by an attending physician at the hospital at 02:29 hours on November 9, 2021.

    Section 20 of The Coroners Act, 1999 states that the Chief Coroner shall hold an inquest into the death of a person who dies while an inmate at a jail or a correctional facility, unless the coroner is satisfied that the person’s death was due entirely to natural causes and was not preventable.

    The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, unexpected deaths. The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner’s jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.

    Coroner William Davern will preside at the inquest.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Jim Costa Announces $98 Million for Tulare’s State Route 99

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

    FRESNO, Calif. – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) announced $98 million to widen State Route 99 in Tulare County at the Paige Avenue multimodal interchange, relieving traffic congestion for San Joaquin Valley drivers. This funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects (INFRA) grant program and is significantly strengthened by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

    “Thanks to the support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are taking significant steps toward creating a more efficient and reliable transportation network for our community,” said Rep. Jim Costa. “This vital funding will directly benefit the people of Tulare County by reducing traffic congestion and improving access to local businesses and essential services.”

     “This $98.4 million in federal funding will support dramatic improvement to Highway 99 in the City of Tulare, finally widening this section to six lanes to improve safety and reduce congestion. Highway 99 has been the most dangerous road in America for years, but we are changing that by working with our partners throughout the Valley,” said TCAG Chairman and City of Woodlake Mayor Rudy Mendoza. “We competed for this funding against projects from across the nation and could not have been successful without the support of the Valley’s home team in Congress, Congressmen David Valadao, Jim Costa, and Vince Fong. Our Congressional delegation has gone to bat for the Valley time and time again, and this funding is another demonstration of their effectiveness.”

    BACKGROUND
    The California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) will utilize this funding to expand about 5.4 miles of freeway from four to six lanes, adding one lane in each direction.

    The project will also reconstruct four ramps to form a cohesive multimodal interchange that includes roundabouts at the ends of the ramps and nearby intersections. Furthermore, the funding will help build 10-foot-wide shared-use paths on both sides of Paige Avenue, creating an east-west corridor for different modes of transportation.

    Learn more about the project HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Robert Vroom named Producer with NFB’s Eastern Documentary Unit in Montreal. Working to strengthen English-language filmmaking across Quebec

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Veteran film producer Robert Vroom is joining the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as the new Producer with the Eastern Documentary Unit, Executive Producer Nathalie Cloutier announced today.

    October 21, 2024 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

    Veteran film producer Robert Vroom is joining the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as the new Producer with the Eastern Documentary Unit, Executive Producer Nathalie Cloutier announced today.

    Based in Montreal, Rob will work closely with anglophone directors and co-producers in the Montreal region and across Quebec to strengthen English-language non-fiction storytelling.

    He brings a deep knowledge of the Quebec film sector to his new post, along with a commitment to collaborating with underrepresented communities and helping to guide inspiring stories to the screen.

    Rob has been working in the film and TV industry for over 25 years. After receiving his MFA from the American Film Institute, he emersed himself in television series, both scripted and documentary.

    After seven years of living in LA and travelling the world, Rob moved to Vancouver to work on the CSA-nominated documentary series The Beat, where he helped showcase the struggles of the Downtown Eastside. He then went on to be a part of the Webby Award-winning Best Documentary series Heritage and the James Beard Award-nominated feature-length documentary Funke.

    In 2012, Rob returned to his hometown of Montreal to start his own production company with the intent to collaborate with auteur filmmakers. His feature film credits include Pat Kiely’s Three Night Stand and Another Kind of Wedding, Jeff Barnaby’s Blood Quantum, and Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky’s You Can Live Forever.

    – 30 –

    Stay Connected

     

    Online Screening Room: nfb.ca
    NFB Facebook | NFB Twitter | NFB Instagram | NFB Blog | NFB YouTube | NFB Vimeo
    Curator’s perspective | Director’s notes

    About the NFB

    Lily Robert
    Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
    C.: 514-296-8261
    l.robert@nfb.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine, Minister Responsible for Gender Equity, on International Day of the Girl

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    October 11, 2024

    Statement from Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine, Minister Responsible for Gender Equity, on International Day of the Girl

    Today is International Day of the Girl – a day we acknowledge the rights of girls and the unique challenges they face including barriers to education, food insecurity, forced child marriage, female genital mutilation, sexual violence and access to legal and medical rights.

    Girls and gender-diverse youth are disproportionately impacted by the rising tide of political instability, violence, climate change, economic inequality, child sex human trafficking and all the devastating armed conflicts we see across the world.

    The world’s conflicts and wars – whether in the Congo, Haiti, Chad, Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan or elsewhere – are fought at the expense of girls: their rights, their bodies, their education, their futures and their very lives.

    The ongoing climate crisis also exacerbates these issues, with girls often being the first to lose access to vital resources like food and water, making them more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

    Despite these immense challenges, girls and gender-diverse youth continue to lead the way in creating positive change. Whether in their families, their communities, their nations or beyond, they are standing up as advocates, innovators and leaders, often at great personal risk.

    I know so many incredible girls and gender-diverse youth, and they continue to inspire me with their courage, resilience and determination. These are smart, fierce and brave young citizens who not only stand strong in the face of adversity but envision a world where equality, justice and opportunity are within reach for all.

    What we want for girls in Manitoba, we want for girls around the world: a safe and nurturing environment, connection to communities caring for them, access to quality health care and education, and the freedom to pursue their dreams.

    We must continuously speak and stand up for girls here at home and across the world. We must be unapologetically relentless in building an equitable world.

    To all girls in Manitoba, and beyond, your dreams and ideas are powerful. You are strong and beyond capable. You are transformative agents of change. You deserve every opportunity.

    Don’t be afraid to lead, to speak up, take up space and to make your indelible mark on the world.

    You are the future!

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: World’s largest investment managers see assets hit $128 trillion in return to growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Total assets under management (AUM) at the world’s 500 largest asset managers reached USD 128.0 trillion at the end of 2023, according to new research from leading global advisory, broking and solutions company WTW’s (NASDAQ: WTW) Thinking Ahead Institute.

    Despite not yet reaching 2021 levels, this amounts to 12.5% annual growth and marks a significant recovery from the major correction the year before (AUM dropped by $18 trillion in 2022).

    The research also reveals the continued evolution of active vs. passive assets under management among the largest investment managers. For the first time, passive investment strategies now account for more than one third of AUM among the 500 largest firms (33.7%), though this still leaves almost two thirds of assets managed by the world’s largest managers in active strategies.

    Asset class allocations have also evolved, with renewed growth of private markets. Core equity and fixed income remain the dominant asset classes, comprising 77.3% of total AUM (48.3% equity and 29.0% fixed income). However, this marks a slight decrease of 0.2% compared to the previous year, as investors turned to alternatives such as private equity and other illiquids in search of returns.

    Partly down to the recent dominance of US equities as performance drivers, North America experienced the largest growth in AUM with a 15.0% increase, followed closely by Europe (including the U.K.) with a 12.4% rise. Japan saw a slight decline, with AUM decreasing by 0.7%. As a result, North America now accounts for 60.8% of the total AUM in the top 500 managers, with USD 77.8 trillion at the end of 2023.

    At the very top of the rankings, U.S. managers make up 14 of the top 20, and account for 80.3% of the assets of the top 20.

    Turning to individual asset managers, the research shows that BlackRock remains the world’s largest asset manager, with its assets now above $10 trillion once more. Vanguard Group holds a strong second place at almost $8.6 trillion AUM and both remain significantly ahead of Fidelity Investments and State Street Global – ranked third and fourth respectively.

    Notable risers in the full rankings in the last 5 years include Charles Schwab Investment, up 34 places to reach 25th place from 59th place. Geode Capital Management, also U.S. based, is up 31 places to reach 23rd place from 54, while Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management is up 29 places from 60th to 31st.

    “Asset managers have experienced a year of consolidation and change. While there has been a return to strong market performance, the last year has also seen forces of change,” said Jessica Gao, director at the Thinking Ahead Institute. “Macro factors have played a key part in the story, with notable highs in interest rates during 2023 exerting varied pressure on different asset classes, geographies and investment styles. As this now gradually switches to a rate cutting environment, equity markets are beginning to return positive performance also driven by improving expectations of earnings growth. Uncertainties looking ahead are now focused on geopolitical events and several major elections.

    “We have continued to see net flows into passive strategies as they continue to offer a compelling value proposition, particularly in terms of lower fees and simplicity. Yet growing market volatility and issues with concentration, which typically highlights the need for expertise to outperform benchmarks, may be a source of caution from some allocators to passive market trackers.

    “Meanwhile, asset managers continue to face major pressure to evolve their own business models. Investment in technology remains essential not just to maintain a market edge, but also to meet evolving client requirements and expectation in reporting and customer service. Increased competition, fee compression, and the growing demand for more personalised, technology-driven investment solutions are challenging traditional structures. We have witnessed notable successes of independent asset managers versus many of the more affiliated insurer-linked vs bank-linked asset managers,” concluded Gao.

    The world’s largest money managers as of December 31, 2023
    Ranked by total AUM, in U.S. millions.

    Rank Fund Market Total Assets (US$)
    1. BlackRock U.S. $10,008,995
    2. Vanguard Group U.S. $8,593,307
    3. Fidelity Investments U.S. $4,581,980
    4. State Street Global U.S. $4,127,817
    5. J.P. Morgan Chase U.S. $3,422,000
    6. Goldman Sachs Group U.S. $2,812,000
    7. UBS Switzerland $2,620,000
    8. Capital Group U.S. $2,532,813
    9. Allianz Group Germany $2,454,495
    10. Amundi France $2,250,226
    11. BNY Investments U.S. $1,974,322
    12. Invesco U.S. $1,585,344
    13. Legal & General Group U.K. $1,475,442
    14. Franklin Templeton U.S. $1,455,506
    15. Prudential Financial U.S. $1,449,673
    16. T. Rowe Price Group U.S. $1,444,500
    17. Northern Trust U.S. $1,434,500
    18. Morgan Stanley Inv. Mgmt U.S. $1,373,456
    19. BNP Paribas France $1,364,099
    20. Natixis Investment Managers France $1,288,581

    Notes to editors:

    Figures were the latest available as of Dec. 31, 2023

    About the Thinking Ahead Institute

    The Thinking Ahead Institute was established in January 2015 and is a global not-for-profit investment research and innovation member group made up of engaged institutional asset owners and service providers committed to changing and improving the investment industry for the benefit of the end saver. It has over 55 members around the world and is an outgrowth of WTW Investments’ Thinking Ahead Group, which was set up in 2002.

    About WTW Investments

    WTW’s Investments is an investment advisory and asset management firm focused on creating financial value for institutional investors through its expertise in risk assessment, strategic asset allocation, fiduciary management and investment manager selection. It has over 900 colleagues worldwide, more than 1,000 investment clients globally, assets under advisory of over US$4.7 trillion and US$187 billion of assets under management.

    About WTW

    At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance.

    Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you.

    Learn more at wtwco.com

    Media contacts

    Ed Emerman: +1 609 240 6766
    eemerman@eaglepr.com

    Ileana Feoli: +1 212 309 5504
    Ileana.feoli@wtwco.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Manchin Announces $50 Million for West Virginia Power Grid Updates

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin
    October 18, 2024
    Charleston, WV- Today, Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, announced that First Energy will receive a $50 million award from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program to increase the reliability of electric power in West Virginia and surrounding states. The funding was provided by Chairman Manchin’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is the third award from this program directly benefiting West Virginia.
    “Modernizing our state’s power grid is critical to ensuring the Mountain State has energy it needs,” said Chairman Manchin. “Thanks to my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are building a more reliable power grid to lower electric bills and improve the lives of West Virginians while also creating good paying jobs.”
    Other GRIP Program Awards secured by Chairman Manchin for West Virginia:
    To learn more about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, click here.
    To learn more about the GRIP Program, click here.
    To learn more about the selected project, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin, San Diego Congressional Delegation Call for Federal Support for South Bay Air Quality Monitoring

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    October 18, 2024

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Mike Levin (CA-49), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), and Scott Peters (CA-50) called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide support to the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) as they work to monitor the air quality in communities impacted by Tijuana River Valley pollution.

    This summer, South Bay communities were overwhelmed by strong sewage odors from the Tijuana River Valley, and hydrogen sulfide was detected in higher-than-normal amounts for short periods of time. Because exposure to hydrogen sulfide can cause adverse health effects like headaches and difficulty breathing, it is important that our communities have access to continuous and robust air quality monitoring that will give public health officials the information they need to help keep people safe.

    “In the past year, researchers discovered that toxins and bacteria from the Tijuana River can be aerosolized and become airborne– unveiling an apparent threat not only to our water ecosystems, but the air in our communities. A recent heat wave in the region intensified the odors, and led constituents to report that the fumes have caused them to wake up in the middle of the night,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    “The [APCD] needs additional resources to ensure that they can properly measure and respond to the reported increase of noxious fumes,” the lawmakers continued. “That is why we are requesting that the EPA deploy whatever available federal resources to assist the San Diego County APCD with establishing a network of reference-grade monitoring equipment that can provide precise and real-time data.”

    Read the full letter HERE.

    The San Diego Congressional delegation has been focused on combating pollution in the Tijuana River Valley for years. 

    Together, the San Diego Congressional delegation has secured $400 million in federal funding which will be used to help improve and expand the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant. Construction on the plant will begin soon. 

    In May, the Congressional delegation called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to look into the contaminants in the water, soil, and air in our communities and the potential connection to reported increases in illnesses and other symptoms. Thanks to their request, the CDC has begun an investigation into the public health impacts of the Tijuana River Valley sewage pollution.

    Earlier this year, the San Diego Congressional delegation reiterated their call to the President to declare a federal state of emergency to help address the pollution. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK infrastructure companies visit Costa Rica to explore opportunities

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    British Embassy officials facilitated meetings with key stakeholders in the infrastructure sector.

    Representatives of five British companies travelled to Costa Rica this week to participate in an infrastructure mission focused on identifying business opportunities and generating strategic alliances with potential partners in Costa Rica.

    Representatives from Arup, Bechtel, QGMI, Steer Group and WSP, world-renowned for their expertise in engineering, construction, mobility solutions, and design and implementation of infrastructure projects, among other services, held meetings with Congresswoman Carolina Delgado, Secretary of the Infrastructure Commission of the Legislative Assembly, and with officials from the National Concessions Council (CNC), the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) and the firm Arias Law.

    They also spoke with officials from institutions like the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (MIDEPLAN), the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) and the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) at a reception at the Residence of the British Ambassador, Ben Lyster-Binns.

    At these meetings, the British companies explored opportunities to strengthen their presence in the country, learning more about Costa Rica’s aspirations to update and expand infrastructure projects at the highest international standards.

    Ambassador Ben Lyster-Binns noted:

    The companies that visited us this week are among the leaders in their respective fields and represent the best of what the UK has to offer in the infrastructure sector, from urban planning to sustainable transport projects to designing future-proof cities.

    They are also committed to implementing innovative solutions that support the UK Government’s clean growth agenda.

    The topic of public-private partnerships (PPPs) was of particular interest, since, according to the Embassy’s Director for Business and Trade, Camila Toscana:

    this model provides an opportunity to develop infrastructure projects that are of key importance for Costa Rica’s sustainable growth and to improve the quality of life of the citizens.

    Many of the companies that took part in the mission have offices in the Latin American region, so their interest in the Costa Rican market represents a natural step in expanding their regional presence, offering quality solutions that comply with international best practices.

    The delegation finalized the mission meeting with representatives of CoST, the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative, financed by the UK Government, which promotes transparency and accountability in public infrastructure projects.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Anderson Man Arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material* ChargeRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of George Charles Lapierre, Jr.,  40, of Anderson, S.C., on one charge connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Anderson Police Department made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, both also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with the investigation.

     

    Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led them to Lapierre.  Investigators state Lapierre distributed files of child sexual abuse material.  

     

    Lapierre was arrested on October 15, 2024. He is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), 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 USA: First Lady Cathy Justice, WV Dept. of Arts, Culture and History invite artists to create wreath-themed ornaments for the 2024 Artistree

    Source: US State of West Virginia

    CHARLESTON, WV — First Lady Cathy Justice and the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History invite West Virginians of all ages, including artists of all disciplines, to create and submit hand-crafted wreath-themed ornaments to be displayed on a Christmas tree at the West Virginia Culture Center this December. This holiday season will be the 13th season of the First Lady Artistree initiative.

    “We are thrilled to invite West Virginians of all ages and artistic abilities to share their creativity by designing a special Christmas wreath ornament,” First Lady Justice said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the unique talent found in every corner of our state while spreading the joy and spirit of the holiday season. I can’t wait to see the beautiful and imaginative wreaths that our artists will create.”

    Ornaments must be hand-crafted and suitable for hanging on a tree. Size and weight should be taken into consideration. Ornaments should be no larger than 6 inches wide by 6 inches long.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Mfume, Team Maryland Announce More Than $38 Million for Critical Transportation & Port Infrastructure Projects in Baltimore

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Congressman Kweisi Mfume, Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, Governor Wes Moore (all D-Md.), and Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeldtoday announced $38,406,076 in U.S. Department of Transportation awards to rehabilitate the Dundalk Marine Terminal and the Curtis Creek Drawbridge. This investment will improve vital infrastructure at and around the Port of Baltimore, which is critical to Maryland’s economy.

    “This monumental federal investment is a transformative display of the continued unity among us in Team Maryland to deliver for all of those who have been personally affected by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and continue to navigate the recovery alongside us. After speaking with so many of those impacted, I was and remain inspired by their grit, fierceness, and commitment to getting through this disaster together,” said Congressman Kweisi Mfume.

    “With these grants, the federal government is recognizing that Baltimore is home to nationally significant supply chain infrastructure that is overdue for investment and improvement. We are seeing once again how the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is delivering for Maryland, and we will continue to push for federal commitments to our infrastructure, including the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” said Senator Cardin. 

    “Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we continue to deliver historic resources to upgrade everything from our transportation network to the Port of Baltimore. With these major federal investments, we are priming the Port for future growth – while sustaining the thousands of jobs it already supports – and modernizing an essential bridge for commuting and commerce. These efforts will help drive Baltimore’s economic success and create more good paying jobs for Marylanders,” said Senator Van Hollen.

    “These two projects reinforce the Moore-Miller Administration’s commitment to making Maryland more competitive by investing in our critical infrastructure, including our world-class Port of Baltimore,” said Governor Moore. “We are grateful for the partnership from the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation and our Congressional delegation in supporting projects that will serve all Marylanders and help expand our growing economy.”

    “Together, these federal grants will support increased economic growth at the Port of Baltimore and the greater Baltimore region,” said Secretary Wiedefeld. “The funding will support critical rehabilitation efforts at the Dundalk Martine Terminal, the largest publicly owned terminal in the Port, and the Curtis Creek Drawbridge on I-695.  Thank you to our federal delegation and partners for their continued commitment in rebuilding Baltimore’s infrastructure better than before.”

    “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden-Harris administration is carrying out ambitious, complex transportation projects that will shape our country’s infrastructure for generations to come,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With this latest round of awards, dozens of major and much-needed projects – projects that are often difficult to fund through other means – are getting the long-awaited investment they need to move forward.”

    The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Grant Program (INFRA), which has administered historic levels of federal investments through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

    1. $30,906,076, Dundalk Marine Terminal: Awarded to the Maryland Port Administration to reconstruct Berth 11, consisting of the rehabilitation and replacement of 597 linear feet of wharf deck including pilings, substructure, storm water drainage, utilities, and installation of new mooring bollards, cleats, pneumatic fenders, flood barriers, and tidal gates.

    1. $7,500,000, Curtis Creek Drawbridge Rehabilitation: Awarded to the Maryland Transportation Authority to rehabilitate parallel drawbridges over Curtis Creek on I-695. The project will replace portions of the reinforced concrete deck, perform repairs to the exposed steel superstructure and existing catwalks, remove and replace bridge parapets, traffic lights, and low-level lights, and install new electrical service systems, drainage systems, and pavement markings.

    The Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Grant Program provides funding for multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of freight and people in and across rural and urban areas. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: The Riverside Company Signs Definitive Agreement to Sell Its PFB Insulation Products Business to Carlisle Companies

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CLEVELAND, Oct. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Riverside Company, a global investment firm focused on the smaller end of the middle market, together with its portfolio company PFB Corporation (PFB), is pleased to announce the firm has signed a definitive agreement to sell PFB’s Plasti-Fab and Insulspan business units to Carlisle Companies Incorporated (NYSE: CSL). The sale price for the business is approximately USD $260 million, and the transaction is expected to close in Q4 2024.

    Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, PFB is a leading vertically integrated provider of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)-based insulation products throughout North America. PFB’s Plasti-Fab division operates eight manufacturing facilities in Canada and three locations in the Midwestern U.S. and provides a full suite of EPS building materials and insulation products, including roofing and wall panels, insulated concrete forms and geofoam blocks for infrastructure applications. The Insulspan business unit designs and manufactures Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) that lower construction costs and improve energy efficiency for residential and commercial buildings. The company sells its products into the reseller, distributor, contractor, builder and infrastructure channels. Following the sale, PFB will retain and continue to operate its PFB Custom Homes Group subsidiary.

    Since taking PFB private in December 2021, Riverside worked closely with the PFB leadership team to expand distribution and invest in automation and increased manufacturing capacity. With these initiatives, PFB’s earnings more than doubled during Riverside’s investment period, and the enterprise value of the business tripled.

    Robert Graham, PFB CEO, said, “We greatly appreciate Riverside’s support and partnership as we’ve executed our strategic growth plan over the past three years. We’re also incredibly proud of the hard work and commitment to excellence demonstrated by the entire PFB team in reaching this milestone. Our insulation products business fits very well strategically with Carlisle, and we are thrilled to join the Carlisle Companies to contribute to their continued growth.”

    Sean Ozbolt, Riverside Managing Partner, added, “It has been extremely rewarding to partner with Rob and the PFB team. On behalf of our investors, we’re grateful for the vision and strong execution by PFB’s leadership.” PFB was the first Riverside company to partner with Ownership Works, a non-profit organization committed to facilitating broad-based employee ownership across private equity portfolio companies.

    Houlihan Lokey acted as financial advisor to PFB and Paul Hastings and Blakes acted as legal counsel in connection with the transaction.

    The Riverside Company
    The Riverside Company is a global private equity firm focused on investing in growing businesses valued at up to $400 million. Since its founding in 1988, Riverside has made more than 1,000 investments. The firm’s international private equity and structured capital portfolios include more than 140 companies. For more information, visit http://www.riversidecompany.com

    Contact:
    Holly Mueller                                                               
    Marketing Consultant                                                       
    The Riverside Company                                               
    216 535 2236                                                
    hmueller@riversidecompany.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schakowsky, Warren, Welch Push to Increase Funding for Medical Research, Require Law-Breaking Drug Companies to Reinvest in NIH and FDA

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)

    Bill applies to pharmaceutical companies who are found guilty or are accused of breaking the law and settle with the federal government.

    Full Text of Bill (PDF) | One Pager (PDF)

    EVANSTON – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), along with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Medical Innovation Act of 2024 to increase funding for medical innovation by requiring large pharmaceutical companies that are accused of breaking the law and settle with the federal government to reinvest a percentage of their profits into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    In 2023, the NIH only had funds for 23% of the applications it received, contributing to a huge medical innovation gap. At the same time, pharmaceutical companies have been accused of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid, marketing drugs for unapproved uses, illegally incentivizing doctors to prescribe drugs, lying about the safety of their drugs, and violating other criminal and civil laws. The companies have settled many of these claims with the federal government, treating the fines as a cost of doing business. Most recently, Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed to pay the Justice Department $450 million to settle a set of lawsuits alleging that the company defrauded Medicare and conspired with other drug-makers to illegally inflate the prices of two generic drugs.

    Between 2019 and October 2024, the Department of Justice pursued new actions against or settled cases with at least 40 pharmaceutical companies. 

    The Medical Innovation Act would: 

    • Require pharmaceutical companies accused of breaking the law to reinvest a small percentage of their profits in NIH and FDA. These payments would increase with the severity of the settlement penalty, and would only be required of companies that rely on federally-funded research to develop billion-dollar, “blockbuster” drugs.  
    • Invest in life-saving medical innovation through the NIH and FDA. Payments collected through this bill would be used to develop treatments and diagnostics to address unmet medical needs; support research grants for early career scientists; research diseases that disproportionately contribute to federal health care spending; and advance basic biomedical research, among other uses.
    • Promote sustained investments in biomedical research. To ensure that the Act results in a net increase in funding for medical research, money from the supplemental settlement fees would only be available in years that annual appropriations for NIH and FDA are equal to or greater than appropriations for the agencies in the prior fiscal year.   

    “For too long, drug companies that rely on federally-funded research to develop their blockbuster drugs have gotten away with defrauding consumers and taxpayers,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “The Medical Innovation Act would make it more difficult for these drug companies to game the system by requiring them to provide a share of their profits to increase investments in biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration. We can continue to be a leading force in medical innovation and this legislation will help ensure that we have the means to cure diseases and save lives.” 

    “Big Pharma shouldn’t be able to defraud the federal government and get away with just a slap on the wrist,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “This bill will help us save lives by ensuring giant drug companies that enter into settlement agreements with the federal government chip in to fund the next generation of medical research.”

    “The Medical Innovation Act is a commonsense way to advance more medical research by holding shady pharmaceutical companies accountable when they break the law,” said Senator Peter Welch. “I led this bill as a member of the House and am fighting today with my colleagues Senator Warren and Representative Schakowsky to maintain America’s leadership in biomedical science.”

    This bill is endorsed by the following organizations: National Women’s Health Network, AIDS United, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Society of Behavioral Medicine, Families USA, Public Citizen, and Massachusetts Medical Society. 

    “The Medical Innovation Act reinvests in vital research. This legislation is a crucial step toward holding the pharmaceutical industry accountable while ensuring that taxpayer-funded research leads to tangible advancements in health. With women historically underrepresented in clinical trials, it’s imperative that we close the innovation gap. The Network thanks Senator Elizabeth Warren for her leadership on this issue and we are hopeful that together, we can create a healthier future for all women,” said Denise Hyater-Lindenmuth, Executive Director, National Women’s Health Network.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Continues Supporting HUD’s Efforts to Fight Housing Discrimination

    Source: US State of California

    Monday, October 21, 2024

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND — As part of a coalition of 19 attorneys general, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced joining an amicus brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Discriminatory Effects Rule. The rule imposes liability under the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) for housing practices that may appear neutral but in reality are discriminatory and have a “disparate impact” on certain populations. The insurance industry — specifically, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America — is challenging the rule and appealing the trial court’s March 2024 decision granting summary judgment in favor of HUD. Attorney General Bonta also joined an amicus brief in support of the rule on October 17, 2023 before the trial court in this case.  

    “Housing discrimination has no place in our country. While we have made progress in combatting this problem, there is still more work to do,” said Attorney General Bonta. “My office has previously supported the Biden-Harris Administration’s defense of the Discriminatory Effects Rule in court, and we are continuing to back them today. Individuals should be able to bring disparate-impact claims to remedy ongoing discrimination in the insurance industry.” 

    In the amicus brief, the coalition of attorneys general argues that: 

    • Despite the enactment of the FHA, vestiges of residential segregation persist in American social life, and the discriminatory effects doctrine, including disparate-impact liability, is a crucial tool to fight ongoing housing discrimination — whether intentional or unintentional. 
    • Discrimination in homeowner’s insurance can take many forms — such as offering insurance policies with inferior coverage, ignoring interested customers, and imposing different terms and conditions based on neighborhood — and disparate-impact claims have helped to redress discrimination in the homeowner’s insurance market. 
      • For instance, Black plaintiffs recently brought a class action lawsuit against State Farm for its use of algorithms that “allegedly resulted in statistically significant racial disparities in how the insurer processed claims.” According to the plaintiffs, Black claimants had to wait longer to receive payouts as compared to white claimants. The court ruled that the claimants had successfully stated a disparate-impact claim under the FHA. 
    • While the insurance industry argues that state insurance laws categorically shield homeowner’s insurers from federal disparate-impact liability, the attorneys general underscore that federal law and state insurance laws like California’s work together to prohibit both intentional and disparate-impact discrimination.
    • The availability of a disparate-impact claim under the FHA was reinforced by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc.

    A separate challenge to the Discriminatory Effects Rule was brought by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies and remains pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. On July 11, 2024, Attorney General Bonta joined an amicus brief supporting the rule in that separate challenge.  

    In filing today’s amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

    A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 35 Years Ago: STS-34 Sends Galileo on its Way to Jupiter

    Source: NASA

    On Oct. 18, 1989, space shuttle Atlantis took off on its fifth flight, STS-34, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Its five-person crew of Commander Donald E. Williams, Pilot Michael J. McCulley, and Mission Specialists Shannon W. Lucid, Franklin R. Chang-Díaz, and Ellen S. Baker flew a five-day mission that deployed the Galileo spacecraft, managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, to study Jupiter. The astronauts deployed Galileo and its upper stage on their first day in space, sending the spacecraft on its six-year journey to the giant outer planet. Following its arrival at Jupiter in December 1995, Galileo deployed its atmospheric probe while the main spacecraft entered orbit around the planet, studying it in great detail for eight years.
    Left: The STS-34 crew of Mission Specialists Shannon W. Lucid, sitting left, Franklin R. Chang-Díaz, and Ellen S. Baker; Commander Donald E. Williams, standing left, and Pilot Michael J. McCulley. Middle: The STS-34 crew patch. Right: The Galileo spacecraft in Atlantis’ payload bay in preparation for STS-34.
    In November 1988, NASA announced Williams, McCulley, Lucid, Chang-Díaz, and Baker as the STS-34 crew for the flight planned for October 1989. Williams and Lucid, both from the Class of 1978, had each flown once before, on STS-51D in April 1985 and STS-51G in June 1985, respectively. Chang-Díaz, selected in 1980, had flown once before on STS-61C in January 1986, while for McCulley and Baker, both selected in 1984, STS-34 represented their first spaceflight. During their five-day mission, the astronauts planned to deploy Galileo and its Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) on the first flight day. Following the Galileo deployment, the astronauts planned to conduct experiments in the middeck and the payload bay.
    Left: Voyager 2 image of Jupiter. Middle: Galileo as it appeared in 1983. Right: Illustration of Galileo’s trajectory from Earth to Jupiter.
    Following the successful Pioneer and Voyager flyby missions, NASA’s next step to study Jupiter in depth involved an ambitious orbiter and atmospheric entry probe. NASA first proposed the Jupiter Orbiter Probe mission in 1975, and Congress approved it in 1977 for a planned 1982 launch on the space shuttle. In 1978, NASA renamed the spacecraft Galileo after the 17th century Italian astronomer who turned his new telescope toward Jupiter and discovered its four largest moons. Delays in the shuttle program and changes in the upper stage to send Galileo from low Earth orbit on to Jupiter resulted in the slip of its launch to May 1986, when on Atlantis’ STS-61G mission, a Centaur upper stage would send the spacecraft toward Jupiter.
    The January 1986 Challenger accident not only halted shuttle flights for 31 months but also canceled the Centaur as an upper stage for the orbiter. Remanifested onto the less powerful IUS, Galileo would require gravity assist maneuvers at Venus and twice at Earth to reach its destination, extending the transit time to six years. Galileo’s launch window extended from Oct. 12 to Nov. 21, 1989, dictated by planetary alignments required for the gravity assists. During the transit, Galileo had the opportunity to pass by two main belt asteroids, providing the first closeup study of this class of objects. Upon arrival at Jupiter, Galileo would release its probe to return data as it descended through Jupiter’s atmosphere while the main spacecraft would enter an elliptical orbit around the planet, from which it would conduct in depth studies for a minimum of 22 months.
    Left: The Galileo atmospheric probe during preflight processing. Middle: The Galileo orbiter during preflight processing. Right: Space shuttle Atlantis arrives at Launch Pad 39B.
    The Galileo atmospheric probe arrived at KSC on April 17 and the main spacecraft on May 16, following which workers joined the two together for preflight testing. Meanwhile, Atlantis returned to KSC on May 15, following the STS-30 mission that deployed the Magellan spacecraft to Venus. The next day workers towed it into the Orbiter Processing Facility to prepare it for STS-34. In KSC’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), workers began stacking the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) on June 15, completing the activity on July 22, and then adding the External Tank (ET) on July 30. Atlantis rolled over to the VAB on Aug. 22 for mating with the ET and SRBs. Galileo, now mated to its IUS, transferred to Launch Pad 39B on Aug. 25, awaiting Atlantis’ arrival four days later.
    The next day, workers placed Galileo into Atlantis’ payload bay and began preparations for the Oct. 12 launch. The Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test took place on Sept. 14-15, with the astronauts participating in the final few hours as on launch day. A faulty computer aboard the IUS threatened to delay the mission, but workers replaced it without impacting the planned launch date. The five-member astronaut crew arrived at KSC Oct. 9 for final preparations for the flight and teams began the countdown for launch. A main engine controller problem halted the countdown at T minus 19 hours. The work required to replace it pushed the launch date back to Oct. 17. On that day, the weather at the pad supported a launch, but clouds and rain at the Shuttle Landing Facility several miles away, and later rain at a Transatlantic (TAL) abort site, violated launch constraints, so managers called a 24-hour scrub. The next day, the weather cooperated at all sites, and other than a brief hold to reconfigure Atlantis’ computers from one TAL site to another, the countdown proceeded smoothly.
    Left: STS-34 astronauts pose following their Sept. 6 preflight press conference. Middle: Liftoff of Atlantis on the STS-34 mission. Right: Controllers in the Firing Room watch Atlantis take to the skies.
    Atlantis lifted off Launch Pad 39B at 12:53 p.m. EDT on Oct. 18. As soon as the shuttle cleared the launch tower, control shifted to the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where Ascent Flight Director Ronald D. Dittemore and his team of controllers, including astronaut Frank L. Culbertson serving as the capsule communicator, or capcom, monitored all aspects of the launch. Following main engine cutoff, Atlantis and its crew had achieved orbit. Forty minutes later, a firing of the two Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) engines circularized the orbit at 185 miles. The astronauts removed their bulky Launch and Entry Suits (LES) and prepared Atlantis for orbital operations, including opening the payload bay doors.
    Left: Galileo and its Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) in Atlantis’ payload bay, just before deployment. Middle: Galileo and its IUS moments after deployment. Right: Galileo departs from the shuttle.
    Preparations for Galileo’s deployment began shortly thereafter. In Mission Control, Flight Director J. Milton Heflin and his team, including capcom Michael A. Baker, took over to assist the crew with deployment operations. The astronauts activated Galileo and the IUS, and ground teams began checking out their systems, with the first TV from the mission showing the spacecraft and its upper stage in the payload bay. Lucid raised Galileo’s tilt table first to 29 degrees, McCulley oriented Atlantis to the deployment attitude, then Lucid raised the tilt table to the deploy position of 58 degrees. With all systems operating normally, Mission Control gave the go for deploy.
    Six hours and 20 minutes into the mission, Lucid deployed the Jupiter-bound spacecraft and its upper stage, weighing a combined 38,483 pounds. “Galileo is on its way to another world,” Williams called down. The combination glided over the shuttle’s crew compartment. Williams and McCulley fired the two OMS engines to move Atlantis a safe distance away from the IUS burn that took place one hour after deployment, sending Galileo on its circuitous journey through the inner solar system before finally heading to Jupiter. The primary task of the mission accomplished, the astronauts prepared for their first night’s sleep in space.
    STS-34 crew Earth observation photographs. Left: The Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex. Middle left: Jamaica. Middle right: Greece. Right: The greater Tokyo area with Mt. Fuji at upper left.
    For the next three days, the STS-34 astronauts focused their attention on the middeck and payload bay experiments, as well as taking photographs of the Earth. Located in the payload bay, the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet experiment, managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, measured ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere and compared the results with data obtained by weather satellites at the same locations. The comparisons served to calibrate the weather satellite instruments. Baker conducted the Growth Hormone Concentrations and Distributions in Plants experiment, that investigated the effect of the hormone Auxin in corn shoot tissue. Three days into the mission, she placed plant canisters into a freezer to arrest plant growth and for postflight analysis. Chang-Díaz and Lucid had prime responsibility for the Polymer Morphology experiment, developed by the 3M Company. They used a laptop to control experiment parameters as the hardware melted different samples to see the effects of weightlessness. Baker conducted several medical investigations, including studying blood vessels in the retina, changes in leg volume due to fluid shifts, and carotid blood flow.
    Left: The Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet experiment in Atlantis’ payload bay. Middle: Ellen S. Baker, right, performs a carotid blood flow experiment on Franklin R. Chang-Díaz. Right: Chang-Díaz describes the Polymer Mixing experiment.
    Left: The STS-34 crew poses on Atlantis’ fight deck. Middle: Atlantis touches down at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Right: The STS-34 astronauts pose in front of Atlantis.
    On Oct. 23, the astronauts awakened for their final day in space. Because of high winds expected at the primary landing site at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), managers moved the landing up by two revolutions. In preparation for reentry, the astronauts donned their orange LESs and closed the payload bay doors. Williams and McCulley oriented Atlantis into the deorbit attitude, with the OMS engines facing in the direction of travel. Over the Indian Ocean, they fired the two engines for 2 minutes 48 seconds to bring the spacecraft out of orbit. They reoriented the orbiter to fly with its heat shield exposed to the direction of flight as it encountered Earth’s atmosphere at 419,000 feet. The buildup of ionized gases caused by the heat of reentry prevented communications for about 15 minutes but provided the astronauts a great light show. The entry profile differed slightly from the planned one because Atlantis needed to make up 500 miles of cross range since it returned two orbits early. After completing the Heading Alignment Circle turn, Williams aligned Atlantis with the runway, and McCulley lowered the landing gear. Atlantis touched down and rolled to a stop, ending a 4-day 23-hour 39-minute flight, having completed 79 orbits of the Earth. Following postlanding inspections, workers placed Atlantis atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing-747, and the combination left Edwards on Oct. 28. Following refueling stops at Biggs Army Airfield in Texas and Columbus AFB in Mississippi, Atlantis and the SCA arrived back at KSC on Oct. 29. Workers began to prepare it for its next flight, STS-36 in February 1990.
    Left: An illustration of Galileo in orbit around Jupiter. Right: Galileo’s major mission events, including encounters with Jupiter’s moons during its eight-year orbital study.
    One hour after deployment from Atlantis, the IUS ignited to send Galileo on its six-year journey to Jupiter, with the spacecraft flying free of the rocket stage 47 minutes later. The spacecraft’s circuitous path took it first to Venus on Feb. 10, 1990, back to Earth on Dec. 8, 1990, and again on Dec. 8, 1992, each time picking up velocity from the gravity assist to send it on to the giant planet. Along the way, Galileo also passed by and imaged the main belt asteroids Gaspra and Ida and observed the crash of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 onto Jupiter. On Dec. 7, 1995, the probe plummeted through Jupiter’s dense atmosphere, returning data along the way, until it succumbed to extreme pressures and temperatures. Meanwhile, Galileo entered orbit around Jupiter and far exceeded its 22-month primary mission, finally plunging into the giant planet on Sept. 21, 2003, 14 years after leaving Earth. During its 35 orbits around Jupiter, it studied not only the planet but made close observations of many of its moons, especially its four largest ones, Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io.
    Left: Galileo image of could formations on Jupiter. Right: Closeup image of terrain on Europa.
    Of particular interest to many scientists, Galileo made 11 close encounters with icy Europa, coming as close as 125 miles, revealing incredible details about its surface. Based on Galileo data, scientists now believe a vast ocean lies beneath Europa’s icy crust, and heating from inside the moon may produce conditions favorable for supporting life. NASA’s Europa Clipper, launched on Oct. 14, 2024, hopes to expand on Galileo’s observations when it reaches Jupiter in April 2030.
    Enjoy the crew narrated video of the STS-34 mission. Read Williams‘ recollections of the STS-34 mission in his oral history with the JSC History Office.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins Warren, Schakowsky in Pushing to Require Law-Breaking Drug Companies to Reinvest Profits in NIH & FDA for Medical Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Medical Innovation Act applies to pharmaceutical companies who are found guilty or are accused of breaking the law and settle with the federal government.
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) in introducing the Medical Innovation Act of 2024, which would require large pharmaceutical companies that are accused of breaking the law and settle with the federal government to reinvest a small percentage of their profits into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 
    “The Medical Innovation Act is a commonsense way to advance more medical research by holding shady pharmaceutical companies accountable when they break the law,” said Senator Welch. “I led this bill as a member of the House and am fighting today with my colleagues Senator Warren and Representative Schakowsky to maintain America’s leadership in biomedical science.” 
    “Big Pharma shouldn’t be able to defraud the federal government and get away with just a slap on the wrist,” said Senator Warren. “This bill will help us save lives by ensuring giant drug companies that enter into settlement agreements with the federal government chip in to fund the next generation of medical research.” 
    “For too long, drug companies that rely on federally-funded research to develop their blockbuster drugs have gotten away with defrauding consumers and taxpayers,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “The Medical Innovation Act would make it more difficult for these drug companies to game the system by requiring them to provide a share of their profits to increase investments in biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration. We can continue to be a leading force in medical innovation and this legislation will help ensure that we have the means to cure diseases and save lives.” 
    In 2023, the NIH only had funds for 23% of the applications it received, contributing to a huge medical innovation gap. At the same time, pharmaceutical companies have been accused of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid, marketing drugs for unapproved uses, illegally incentivizing doctors to prescribe drugs, lying about the safety of their drugs, and violating other criminal and civil laws. The companies have settled many of these claims with the federal government, treating the fines as a cost of doing business. Most recently, Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed to pay the Justice Department $450 million to settle a set of lawsuits alleging that the company defrauded Medicare and conspired with other drug-makers to illegally inflate the prices of two generic drugs. Between 2019 and October 2024, the Department of Justice pursued new actions against or settled cases with at least 40 pharmaceutical companies.  
    The Medical Innovation Act would:  
    Require pharmaceutical companies accused of breaking the law to reinvest a small percentage of their profits in NIH and FDA. These payments would increase with the severity of the settlement penalty, and would only be required of companies that rely on federally-funded research to develop billion-dollar, “blockbuster” drugs.   
    Invest in life-saving medical innovation through the NIH and FDA. Payments collected through this bill would be used to develop treatments and diagnostics to address unmet medical needs; support research grants for early career scientists; research diseases that disproportionately contribute to federal health care spending; and advance basic biomedical research, among other uses. 
    Promote sustained investments in biomedical research. To ensure that the Act results in a net increase in funding for medical research, money from the supplemental settlement fees would only be available in years that annual appropriations for NIH and FDA are equal to or greater than appropriations for the agencies in the prior fiscal year.     
    Senator Welch introduced the Medical Innovation Act as a Member of the House of Representatives in the 114th Congress alongside Senator Warren and they have pushed for the legislation since 2015. The Medical Innovation Act is cosponsored this Congress by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).  
    This bill is endorsed by the National Women’s Health Network, AIDS United, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Society of Behavioral Medicine, Families USA, Public Citizen, and the Massachusetts Medical Society.  
    View the bill text of the Medical Innovation Act.   
    Read more about the Medical Innovation Act.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pierce County business owner must pay $360K for scamming local gas station owners

    Source: Washington State News

    Kevin Wilkerson and his companies illegally charged tens of thousands of dollars for shoddy work that increased the risk of underground fuel leaks

    TACOMA — On Friday, a Pierce County judge ordered a local business owner to pay more than $360,000 in penalties and restitution for unlawfully charging gas station owners for unfinished, unnecessary, or shoddy work on underground fuel storage tanks. The order is the result of a consumer protection lawsuit filed by Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Wing Luke Civil Rights Division.

    The judgment includes full restitution, plus interest, for nine gas station owners — all but one of whom identify as Korean or South Asian — who were scammed by Kevin Wilkerson and his companies, Northwest Environmental Services and Core Environmental Group. Wilkerson collected payment from the small businesses for work he did not perform or performed so poorly the businesses had to pay thousands more to other companies for the same services. In many cases, Wilkerson stopped responding to the owners of the gas stations when they attempted to contact him and refused to refund what they paid.

    “My office stands up for Washington small businesses that follow the rules and contribute to our economy,” Ferguson said. “Wilkerson and his companies not only took advantage of Washingtonians trying to follow the rules, he put their livelihoods at risk. We are committed to protecting hardworking small businesses from bad actors who prey on them.”

    An Olympia gas station owner, who immigrated to the U.S. 40 years ago, told the Attorney General’s Office: “(Wilkerson) took my money and then didn’t respond to me and made excuses. I trusted him. He was supposed to be an expert in the field. He was supposed to know what he’s doing. If he had said something needed to be done, I listened and asked him to do it because I relied on his word. Instead, (Wilkerson) and NES did work they were not qualified to do and cost me thousands of dollars in the process.”

    Wilkerson’s unlawful conduct affected small businesses in Pierce, King, Snohomish, Thurston, Grays Harbor and Lewis counties.

    Wilkerson’s unlawful conduct violated the state Consumer Protection Act. On Friday, Pierce County Superior Court Judge Clarence Henderson, Jr., found that Wilkerson violated the law and ordered Wilkerson to pay a total of $360,741, which includes $195,000 in enhanced civil penalties for harming individuals in Washington based on their national origin. Wilkerson must pay nine gas station owners a total of $165,741, amounting to full restitution plus interest.

    Moreover, Wilkerson and his companies must cease all unlawful conduct or face further penalties from the court.

    Wilkerson’s companies advertise maintenance services for underground storage tanks, which are used by gas stations across Washington to store fuel. There are approximately 8,700 underground storage tanks located at more than 3,400 sites statewide. Gas stations, which are primarily independently owned and operated, are responsible for periodic testing, maintenance and servicing for underground storage tanks. Service providers for this maintenance work must be certified, follow state regulations, and report the services they perform to the state Department of Ecology, which enforces regulations for underground storage tanks. Despite advertising a “skilled and certified in-house team” that “performs to the highest of standards,” Wilkerson and his companies have been taking advantage of small business owners since at least 2015, including:

    • Accepting payment for services that were not completed or only partially completed;
    • Completing services that violated regulations and exposed customers to liability for environmental damages;
    • Misrepresenting certifications to customers;
    • Persuading gas station owners to purchase and install unnecessary equipment and make unnecessary, expensive repairs; and
    • Telling gas station owners they had submitted required documentation to Ecology when they had not.

    In one instance, an Indian gas station owner in Toledo paid Wilkerson a $50,000 deposit to install new underground fuel storage tanks at his gas station. Six months later, the business owner learned that Wilkerson had not applied for the permits and, as a result, the work could not begin on time. The gas station owner had already purchased two new underground tanks, each capable of holding 25,000 gallons of fuel. With nowhere to install them, the owner had to pay an additional $7,000 to store them above ground behind the gas station. The gas station owner has hired a different contractor to complete the work, which will not be done until summer 2025. As a result, the business will lose a significant portion of monthly sales until then. The court ordered Wilkerson to repay the business owner $94,119 for this and other shoddy work, an amount that includes 12 percent interest. 

    In another instance, a Korean gas station owner in Olympia paid Wilkerson nearly $9,000 for upgrades to the gas station’s cathodic protection system, which protects underground storage tanks from corrosion to prevent underground fuel leaks. Wilkerson performed the work without proper certification and never returned to do required testing to ensure the system was working properly. When the gas station owner paid another service provider to come out to do the required testing, the system failed. The owner discovered Wilkerson had used incorrect parts and had to pay to have all the work redone. Wilkerson stopped responding to the gas station owner and never refunded the money he was paid for the shoddy work. The court ordered Wilkerson to repay the business owner $13,163, which includes 12 percent interest.

    While the restitution provided by the court on Friday is limited to the nine impacted business owners who submitted declarations to the court, the Attorney General’s Office believes more businesses may have been harmed by Wilkerson’s conduct. Business owners who wish to report harm from Wilkerson or his companies should contact the Attorney General’s Office at civilrights@atg.wa.gov or toll-free by calling 1-833-660-4877 and selecting option 1. 

    Assistant Attorneys General Emily C. Nelson and Alyssa P. Au, Investigator Rebecca Pawul, and Paralegal Logan Young handled the case for Washington.

    Ecology asks Attorney General to investigate Wilkerson’s repeat violations

    The Attorney General’s Office filed the lawsuit against Wilkerson in March after the state Department of Ecology requested the office’s intervention. For years, Wilkerson repeatedly violated state regulations and disregarded penalties from Ecology.   

    Ecology received repeated complaints over many years from gas station owners and operators regarding Wilkerson. He faced multiple complaints for shoddy work that increased the risk of environmental damages, such as underground fuel leaks.

    Despite the penalties, Wilkerson remains undeterred. Ecology continues to receive new complaints about similar conduct by Wilkerson.

    To report a complaint to Ecology’s underground storage tank program, email tanks@ecy.wa.gov or call the UST Hotline at 800-826-7716.

    Anyone who believes they are the victim of unfair or deceptive business practices should file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office: https://www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint

    Read the Korean translation of this press release here. 

    Read the Punjabi translation of this press release here.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit http://www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Brionna Aho, Communications Director, (360) 753-2727; Brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov

    General contacts: Click here

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Radium Hot Springs Aquacourt: Federal Infrastructure Investment Completion and 75th Anniversary of Kootenay National Park

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Federal Infrastructure Investment Completion and 75th Anniversary Kootenay National Park.

    Renovations and improvements

     

    From 2016 to early 2024, Parks Canada completed $29 million in federally funded infrastructure updates at the Radium Hot Springs Aquacourt to improve safety while modernizing and enhancing the visitor experience. Special attention was taken to hire local contractors wherever possible to ensure that the local community, for whom the hot springs are a primary economic driver, continued to benefit while construction was underway.

    This work was part of a strategic effort to preserve the historical significance of the site while improving its facilities to meet contemporary standards of comfort and to improve accessibility. This included updates to the bathing pools and amenities. Upgrades to technology were also achieved.

    ·  Infrastructure Improvements: The Aquacourt infrastructure was upgraded to ensure safety and efficiency. This included updates to plumbing, electrical systems, mechanical systems and some structural enhancements to prolong the lifespan of the facility. These improvements also support conservation with the incorporation of green technologies.

    ·  Accessibility Enhancements: Efforts were made to improve accessibility for all those who visit. This involved installing and upgrading handrails and lifts and improving entry and exit to the site. The facility can now better accommodate individuals with mobility challenges.

    ·  Aesthetic and Comfort Upgrades: The interior and exterior of the Aquacourt underwent renovations to enhance the aesthetic appeal and comfort of the facility. This included renovating the restaurant, gift shop, and change rooms.

    ·  Environmental Sustainability: Measures were taken to promote environmental sustainability during the renovation process by installing energy-efficient geothermal energy systems to reduce the Aquacourt’s carbon footprint. Structural upgrades to culverts under the building have also safeguarded nearby fish habitats.

                                                                                                                  -30-

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hobbs Administration Issues Cease & Desist to Prevent Illegal Development in Rio Verde Foothills Lacking Assured Water Supply

    Source: US State of Arizona

    Actions Shut Down Developer Exploiting Loopholes to Profit At Expense of Arizonans

    PHOENIX – This week, the Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE) took action to prevent illegal subdividing, also known as “wildcat development,” in Rio Verde Foothills east of Scottsdale. Governor Hobbs previously directed the ADRE to prevent illegal developments that evade Arizona’s consumer protection requirements to the fullest extent allowed under current law.  

    This week ADRE sent a Cease & Desist Order against a real estate developer, and today that Order was recorded with the Maricopa County Recorder. In the Order, the Department alleges the developer group failed to obtain a subdivision public report, which among other statutory requirements, in an AMA requires a certificate of assured water supply from the Arizona Department of Water Resources or a written commitment of water service from a designated provider.

    “Today I am glad to report the Arizona Department of Real Estate has taken swift action to prevent what it believes is a blatant evasion of consumer protection and water security laws,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “Rio Verde Foothills has suffered enough as a result of bad apple developers skirting the law and building without first securing a water supply. While we can take action in this case, our laws still fall short of offering true solutions that protect consumers. We must take legislative action to crack down on the loopholes being exploited by developers to profit at the expense of everyday Arizonans.”

    This investigation and enforcement action from the Hobbs Administration is part of the Governor’s commitment to protect the water supplies of all Arizonans. Governor Hobbs has prioritized preventing development that circumvents Arizona’s real estate and water laws, and puts Arizonans at risk. By recording the Cease & Desist, ADRE will prevent the final sale of homes until a reliable, 100-year water supply has been identified and proven as a part of the project’s public report.

    This investigation was conducted in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office, and is part of the Executive Branch’s coordination on efforts to protect Arizona consumers.

    “Protecting consumers from unscrupulous developers is a top priority for the Attorney General’s Office,” said Attorney General Kris Mayes. “My office remains firmly committed to holding accountable those who violate state law and put Arizonans at risk, especially in areas like Rio Verde Foothills where water is limited. We will continue to work closely with the Arizona Department of Real Estate and the Governor’s Office to protect Arizona consumers.”

    “ADRE is charged with protecting Arizona’s property owners and the public in real estate transactions. Arizona’s laws require certain disclosures to ensure prospective purchasers understand, among other limitations or available resources, whether there is water available and what water sources the potential buyer may expect.  Education of developers is key but when subdivision Public Report requirements are not followed, buyers are exposed to an unacceptable risk,” stated Commissioner Susan Nicolson.

    In 2023, Governor Hobbs signed Senate Bill 1432, after working across party lines to secure a water solution for the Rio Verde Foothills area, following her veto of an unworkable, partisan bill. Governor Hobbs also charged her Water Policy Council with identifying solutions to the long-standing challenge of wildcat development, which resulted in a slate of consensus recommendations. Unfortunately, real solutions were not introduced by the legislature, and citizens in Rio Verde Foothills and elsewhere remain vulnerable to loopholes that can be exploited to skirt Arizona’s development and water laws. 

    More information regarding the Governor’s Water Policy Council Recommendations can be found here.

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Significant federal infrastructure improvements completed at Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay National Park

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Upgrades and repairs to beloved Aquacourt ensures the future of this heritage building.

    Upgrades and repairs to beloved Aquacourt ensures the future of this heritage building.

    October 21, 2024            Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia             Parks Canada

    The Radium Hot Springs Aquacourt, located in Kootenay National Park, hosts more than 200,000 visitors each year. The hot mineral waters that flow from the ground have drawn people to this place since time immemorial. These hot springs were known and used, both recently and historically, by the Ktunaxa and Secwépemc people for their therapeutic properties. They are sacred places of healing and rejuvenation.

    Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the completion of a federal infrastructure project to update and renew the Radium Hot Springs Aquacourt building of approximately $29 million. Members of the community marked the completion of the renovations at an event that also recognized the 75th anniversary of the start of construction of the Aquacourt. Building the Aquacourt was the first major construction project undertaken in the western national parks following the Second World War. The upgrades means that the Radium Hot Springs Aquacourt now offers a modern, safe, accessible and inclusive experience for visitors and community members alike.

    Investments in the Radium Hot Springs Aquacourt modernized the mechanical and electrical systems, including the installation of energy-efficient technology to leverage geothermal energy from the hot springs. The building was made more resilient to climate change through upgrades to the cold pool that help protect it from flooding and improve visitor safety. The installation of culverts under the building direct water flow to protect the foundation from erosion while safeguarding nearby fish habitats. The renovated restaurant, gift shop, and change rooms will support improved visitor experiences, along with a new rooftop sundeck and upgraded accessibility features including handrails, lifts, and improvements to the site entry and exit.

    Through infrastructure investments, the Government of Canada protects and conserves national treasures, while supporting local economies and contributing to growth in the tourism sector. By investing in the Radium Hot Springs Aquacourt, a Classified Federal Heritage Building, the Government of Canada is ensuring that future generations can continue to connect with nature in Kootenay National Park for years to come. These repairs and improvements ensure public safety and positive visitor experiences, support Parks Canada conservation efforts by incorporating green technologies and safeguarding natural habitats, strengthen climate resilience and protect built heritage in Canada. 

                                                                                                             -30-

    Hermine Landry
    Press Secretary     
    Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    873-455-3714
    hermine.landry@ec.gc.ca

    Lindsay McPherson
    External Relations Manager
    Lake Louise, Yoho, Kootenay Field Unit
    Parks Canada
    867-678-5667
    Lindsay.McPherson@pc.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Issues Comprehensive Proposed Rule Addressing National Security Risks Posed to U.S. Sensitive Data

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Proposed Rule Would Establish New Program to Implement Executive Order to Prevent Access to Americans’ Sensitive Personal Data by Russia, Iran, China, and Other Countries of Concern

    Note: Read the Department’s fact sheet on this matter here.

    The Justice Department today issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to implement President Biden’s Executive Order 14117 (the E.O.) of Feb. 28, “Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern.” The E.O. addresses the national security threat posed by the continued effort of certain countries of concern to access and exploit certain kinds of Americans’ sensitive personal data. The President charged the Justice Department with the responsibility of establishing and implementing this new national security regulatory program to address these risks. On March 5, the Department’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) was published in the Federal Register. Informed by extensive stakeholder outreach and careful consideration of comments the NPRM addresses public comments received on the ANPRM and proposes a rule to establish this new program and implement the E.O.

    This comprehensive proposed rule would implement the E.O. by establishing categorical rules for certain data transactions that pose an unacceptable risk of giving countries of concern or covered persons access to government-related data or bulk U.S. sensitive personal data. Among other things, the proposed rule identifies classes of prohibited and restricted transactions, identifies countries of concern and classes of covered persons to whom the proposed rule applies, identifies classes of exempt transactions, explains the Department’s methodology for establishing bulk thresholds, provides the Department’s initial assessment of economic and other regulatory impacts, establishes processes to issue licenses authorizing certain prohibited or restricted transactions, issue advisory opinions, and designate covered persons, and addresses recordkeeping, reporting, and other due-diligence obligations for covered transactions.

    The Justice Department’s National Security Division requests public comment on the proposed rule within 30 days of its publication in the Federal Register. The Department seeks comments on the proposed rule from industry, trade association groups, civil society, subject-matter experts, organizations and entities potentially affected by the proposed rule, and others with interest in the rule or expertise on data security and cybersecurity. The public may submit written comments on the NPRM at http://www.regulations.gov.

    The proposed rule is tailored to address the specific national security risks stemming from access by countries of concern and covered persons to Americans’ bulk sensitive personal data and certain sensitive U.S. government-related data. These measures complement the United States’ commitment to promoting an open, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet; protecting human rights online and offline; supporting a vibrant, global economy by promoting cross-border data flows that are required to enable international commerce and trade; and facilitating open investment.

    As previewed in the ANPRM, the proposed rule does not authorize the imposition of generalized data localization requirements to store Americans’ bulk sensitive personal data or U.S. Government-related data or to locate computing facilities used to process such data in the United States. As also previewed in the ANPRM, the proposed rule also does not broadly prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in commercial transactions, including exchanging financial and other data as part of the sale of commercial goods and services with countries of concern or covered persons, or impose measures aimed at a broader decoupling of the substantial consumer, economic, scientific, and trade relationships that the United States has with other countries. To reflect this, the NPRM proposes a new exemption for telecommunications services, provides further clarity on exemptions regarding financial services and intra-corporate-group transfers that were previewed in the ANPRM, and seeks public comment on a new proposed exemption for clinical-trial data.

    The proposed rule’s prohibitions and restrictions are consistent with other access restrictions on sensitive personal data that have been imposed in other contexts, including for transactions reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Services Sector (Team Telecom). As the ANPRM previewed, the proposed rule exempts several classes of data transactions from the scope of its prohibitions and restrictions, including certain personal communications, financial services, corporate group transactions, transactions authorized by Federal law and international agreements, investment agreements subject to a CFIUS action, telecommunication services, biological product and medical device authorizations, clinical investigations, and others.

    As explained in the NPRM, countries of concern can use their access to these types of data to engage in malicious cyber-enabled activities and malign foreign influence activities, bolster their military capabilities, and track and build profiles on U.S. individuals (including members of the military and other Federal employees and contractors) for illicit purposes such as blackmail and espionage. Countries of concern can also exploit this data to collect information on activists, academics, journalists, dissidents, political opponents, or members of nongovernmental organizations or marginalized communities to intimidate them, curb political opposition, limit freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, or association, or enable other forms of suppression of civil liberties.

    The proposed rule would require vendor agreements, employment agreements, and investment agreements that qualify as restricted transactions to comply with the separately proposed security requirements that have been developed by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) in coordination with the Justice Department. These proposed security requirements require U.S. persons engaging in a restricted transaction to comply with organizational and system-level requirements, such as ensuring that basic organizational cybersecurity policies, practices, and controls are in place, and data-level requirements, such as data minimization and masking, encryption, and privacy-enhancing techniques. CISA is concurrently making these proposed security requirements available for public comment at http://www.regulations.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Kat Cammack Responds To FDA Response On H.R. 1750 & Florida Citrus Industry

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) response regarding H.R. 1750, the Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act of 2023 introduced by Rep. Scott Franklin (R-FL-18), Rep. Cammack raised several important issues central to the Florida citrus industry. 

    During an Energy & Commerce Committee hearing earlier this summer, Rep. Cammack raised issues about the state of Florida citrus and the need to adjust the BRIX level in the Standard of Identity (SOI) with FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones. During the conversation, she reinforced the importance of passing H.R. 1750, which would alleviate the burden for the industry, especially when the FDA’s been sitting on a petition that was sent to them over two years ago. 

    The FDA assured that it was working diligently to publish a proposed rule to amend the SOI due to the lack of health risks with the proposal. Congresswoman Cammack looks forward to seeing the addition of the proposed rule as part of the Fall 2024 Unified Agenda based on follow-up from the FDA. This will also provide the FDA’s projected timeframe for publication of a rule. 

    “Florida’s citrus producers who depend on this prized domestic commodity need relief now,” said Rep. Cammack. “We appreciate the FDA’s focus and look forward to finding any available path to changing the out-of-date standard as quickly as possible.”

    View Congresswoman Cammack’s remarks during the Energy & Commerce Committee on September 10, 2024 here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –