NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tiffany Introduces Bill to End Visa Loophole for Universities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tom Tiffany (WI-07)

    The CAP Act Seeks Fairness in Visa Program, Encourages Universities to Hire American Professors

    WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Reps. Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Andrew Clyde (GA-09) introduced the Colleges for the American People Act, also known as the CAP Act. This legislation would remove the H-1B visa cap exemption for institutions of higher education.

    Under today’s Immigration and Nationality Act, the Department of State may issue 65,000 H-1B specialty-occupation visas each year. However, employees of higher-education institutions are exempt from that limit, which allows universities to hire unlimited foreign workers. The CAP Act would require all prospective university hires—from administrative staff to professors—to compete for an H-1B visa under the standard 65,000-visa cap.

    “American students spend years earning degrees, only to watch universities hand good-paying jobs to foreign workers on special visas,”said Congressman Tiffany.“The CAP Act ensures our institutions invest in the people they are meant to serve and ends the backdoor hiring practices that undercut American workers.”

    Background:

    This legislation follows a report by Wisconsin Right Now, which revealed that the University of Wisconsin System is currently employing 495 foreign nationals on H-1B visas, with total salaries approaching $43 million annually. At the same time, the UW System has raised tuition for students, citing increased operational costs. 

    The CAP Act eliminates the current exemption that allows colleges and universities to bypass the H-1B visa cap. Under this legislation, nonimmigrants seeking employment at higher education institutions would be required to go through the standard H-1B visa application process, just like applicants in other industries.

    The bill does not retroactively affect current visa holders. Extensions for existing H-1B employees at universities will not count against the cap and may continue until the normal six-year limit, after which the standard rules would apply. This commonsense reform ensures schools prioritize training and hiring Americans first.

    The text of the CAP Act can be found here. Click here for the Fox News exclusive. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Activities of Secretary-General in Brazil, 5-9 July

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday evening, 5 July, to attend the Seventeenth Summit of the BRICS [Brazil, Russian Federation, India and China] countries.

    On Sunday afternoon, 6 July, after being welcomed by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the President of Brazil, the Secretary-General addressed an outreach session on “Strengthening multilateralism, economic-financial affairs and artificial intelligence”.  He highlighted that artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping economies and societies, and that the fundamental test is how wisely we guide this transformation.

    The Secretary-General also emphasized that AI cannot be a club of the few, but must benefit all, and in particular developing countries, which must have a real voice in the governance of artificial intelligence.

    In the evening, the Secretary-General attended an official cocktail on the occasion of the BRICS Leader’s Summit, hosted by the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Janja Lula da Silva.

    On Monday morning, 7 July, soon after his arrival at the 17th Summit of the BRICS venue, the Secretary-General took part in the family photo. He then addressed an outreach session on “Environment, COP30 [Thirtieth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] and global health”, warning that our environment is being attacked on all fronts.  Mr. Guterres pointed out that across the world, lives and livelihoods are being ripped apart, and sustainable development gains left in tatters as disasters accelerate.

    The Secretary-General noted that the most vulnerable and the poorer pay the highest price and stressed that we need to tackle the point where climate and health meet.  He also emphasized that we need Governments to build on the progress of last year’s biodiversity COP, particularly reaching an ambitious agreement on finance, adding that we need to make COP30 a success.

    In the afternoon, in a bilateral meeting on the margins of the BRICS Summit, the Secretary-General and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, discussed the situation in the Middle East.  The Secretary-General noted the importance of the consolidation of the ceasefire to lay the groundwork for the resumption of negotiations.

    Immediately after, the Secretary-General held a bilateral meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, Hakan Fidan.  The Secretary-General and the Minister discussed the strong partnership between the United Nations and Türkiye.  They also exchanged views on the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the next round of meetings on Cyprus.

    Also in the afternoon, the Secretary-General met Sergio Diaz-Granados, the Executive President of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.

    On Tuesday morning, 8 July, the Secretary-General met with the Premier of the State Council of China, Li Qiang.  They discussed cooperation between the United Nations and China, sustainable development, climate change and financing.

    The Secretary-General commended China for its commitment to multilateralism and thanked China for its valuable contribution to the United Nations and its activities.

    The Secretary-General departed Rio de Janeiro in the afternoon of Tuesday, 8 July.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Laredo, Texas, Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Smuggling Over 100 Illegal Aliens in Locked Trailer

    Source: US FBI

    LAREDO, Texas – A 49-year-old resident of Laredo has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Juan Manuel Aguirre pleaded guilty Feb. 6.

    U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Aguirre to serve 63 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered Aguirre’s history of smuggling aliens on multiple occasions and the danger he posed by transporting them in a sealed, locked, dark and unventilated trailer that required authorities to open with a bolt cutter. 

    “Human smuggling is an incredibly dangerous enterprise, and it requires the trafficker to care absolutely nothing about the lives and safety of those they transport,” said Ganjei. “Fortunately, there were no deaths in this case, but the underlying facts indicate that several of those transported had difficulty breathing and feared for their life. The Southern District of Texas will make sure that all human smugglers pay a serious price for their callousness.”

    On Dec. 2, 2024, law enforcement observed several individuals being loading into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot. Aguirre was the driver of the truck hauling it. After he departed the location, authorities conducted a traffic stop which resulted in the discovery of 101 aliens locked inside the trailer, 13 of whom were children as young as 13 years old.

    Multiple illegal aliens reported they had difficulty breathing and feared for their life due to the conditions in the trailer. They were from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba and Honduras.

    Aguirre will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration and Webb County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Laredo, Texas, Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Smuggling Over 100 Illegal Aliens in Locked Trailer

    Source: US FBI

    LAREDO, Texas – A 49-year-old resident of Laredo has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Juan Manuel Aguirre pleaded guilty Feb. 6.

    U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Aguirre to serve 63 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered Aguirre’s history of smuggling aliens on multiple occasions and the danger he posed by transporting them in a sealed, locked, dark and unventilated trailer that required authorities to open with a bolt cutter. 

    “Human smuggling is an incredibly dangerous enterprise, and it requires the trafficker to care absolutely nothing about the lives and safety of those they transport,” said Ganjei. “Fortunately, there were no deaths in this case, but the underlying facts indicate that several of those transported had difficulty breathing and feared for their life. The Southern District of Texas will make sure that all human smugglers pay a serious price for their callousness.”

    On Dec. 2, 2024, law enforcement observed several individuals being loading into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot. Aguirre was the driver of the truck hauling it. After he departed the location, authorities conducted a traffic stop which resulted in the discovery of 101 aliens locked inside the trailer, 13 of whom were children as young as 13 years old.

    Multiple illegal aliens reported they had difficulty breathing and feared for their life due to the conditions in the trailer. They were from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba and Honduras.

    Aguirre will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration and Webb County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Issa Praises EPA’s Breakthrough Agreement to End Tijuana River Sewage Crisis

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50)

    “The Tijuana River sewage crisis has not only plagued our region for generations, it has also proved resistant to reform and grown worse over time.

    “Now a breakthrough has occurred. The Trump Administration and its Environmental Protection Agency took immediate steps upon taking office and worked with my office and regional partners to launch reform initiatives and engage the Mexican government. Most of all, they refused to accept the failed status quo and have turned decades of inaction into a durable solution that is built to last.

    “I congratulate my friend and longtime colleague Administrator Zeldin and his team for insisting this could be done and delivering lasting change in record time.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Securing Commitment from Social Security Head, Warren Asks Agency Watchdog to Investigate Long Call Wait Times, Impact of Staffing Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    July 25, 2025
    At Sen. Warren’s request, Bisignano agreed to independent audit of data collection, reporting during recent meeting 
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. — After U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) secured a commitment from Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Frank Bisignano to fully cooperate with an Inspector General audit in their recent meeting, Senator Warren sent a letter formally requesting the SSA’s Inspector General investigate wait times for Social Security services, specifically whether those wait times have worsened in the last six months, how caller wait time data is collected, and whether the Trump administration is providing the public with accurate information about those wait times.
    Since President Trump took office, his administration and Commissioner Bisignano have eliminated thousands of workers at the agency, closed regional offices, made the agency’s website less reliable, and implemented burdensome new requirements to access services.
    As a result of these changes, phone wait times have skyrocketed. A June investigation conducted by Senator Warren’s office found that wait times averaged nearly an hour and 45 minutes, with maximum wait times exceeding three hours. The Joint Economic Committee Minority Staff’s review found a similar increase in busy rates on the SSA phone hotline. Nonetheless, Commissioner Bisignano’s SSA reported that wait times had dropped dramatically to under 20 minutes — a number fully incompatible with SSA’s own public data, the results of Senator Warren’s investigation, and other independent reporting.
    “The challenges facing Social Security recipients are compounded by the evidently misleading information that SSA reports about wait times for basic services or the lack of any information at all,” wrote Senator Warren.
    During Senator Warren’s July 23rd meeting with Commissioner Bisignano, he agreed that an independent Inspector General investigation was necessary, and committed to fully cooperate with the audit.
    “Because of the critical importance of Social Security benefits for millions of Americans, I ask that you conduct this review and make your findings public as rapidly as possible,” concluded Senator Warren.
    Senator Warren requested the investigation cover: the change in wait times since January 20, 2025; an explanation of how the agency calculates key metrics; and how staffing decisions, including reassigning and cutting staff, at the agency have impacted its ability to deliver services; and any other factors that may be impacting the agency’s ability to deliver services.
    Senate Dems’ Social Security War Room is a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on Americans’ Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans’ agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: At Hearing, Nominee for Head of Naval Operations Says He’s “Fully Committed” to Right to Repair, Testifies Contractor Restrictions are “Dangerous” and Hurt Military “Self-Sufficiency”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    July 25, 2025
    Admiral Caudle on right to repair: “It is so ridiculous that sailors cannot actually enter a piece of equipment because of a contractual reason, a warranty violation…It is not sustainable, it’s dangerous.” 
    Admiral Caudle: “There should be nothing on board a ship that a sailor cannot repair…That’s how we make sure we are ready to fight.”
    Video of Exchange (YouTube)
    Washington, D.C. — At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) asked Admiral Daryl L. Caudle, nominee for Chief of Naval Operations, about the importance of the military’s right to repair its own equipment. Senator Warren also raised concerns about the removal of Admiral Lisa Franchetti, who was removed without explanation, which led to the nomination of Admiral Caudle to the post.
    Admiral Caudle explained that contractor repair restrictions, even in peacetime, are “not sustainable” and “dangerous” because service members do not get the opportunity to familiarize themselves with equipment or learn how it works.
    “It is so ridiculous that sailors cannot actually enter a piece of equipment because of a contractual reason, a warranty violation. It goes right to the heart of what we call self-sufficiency,” said Admiral Caudle.
    Asked by Senator Warren about the impact of the Navy not having the right to repair its equipment, Admiral Caudle said, “It is dangerous even where we operate now, even in peace…we’re actually acting as a deterrent [to conflict]…So, when a piece of equipment is down and our readiness is not 100 percent and it’s because I can’t repair it, then that’s unacceptable in my mind.”
    Admiral Caudle also expressed support for legislation to guarantee the right to repair for all of the services, saying “the idea of what you’re describing I’m fully committed to, Senator.”
    “In peace time, [repair restrictions are] expensive and inconvenient. In the middle of a conflict, that actually puts our security at risk…[Right to repair] makes us more resilient, enhances competition, grows the industrial base, helps with the training of our people,” said Senator Warren.
    During a hearing of the Armed Services Committee last month, Navy Secretary John Phelan shared his experiences with repair restrictions, saying sailors on the Gerald R. Ford carrier were not allowed to fix ovens or elevators themselves because defense contractors limited repair information.
    This month, Senator Warren introduced the bipartisan Warrior Right to Repair Act with Senator Tim Sheehy to guarantee all branches of the military the right to repair their equipment and require contractors to provide any information needed to repair the equipment. Both the House and Senate versions of the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act advance the military’s right to repair.
    Senator Warren also shared her concerns with the removal of Admiral Lisa Franchetti, which led to the vacancy Admiral Caudle was nominated to fill. Admiral Franchetti was removed by President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth without explanation.
    “[W]e need the best and brightest in this country to serve in the military, and we aren’t going to be able to compete with China or anyone else if women know that their talents and hard work are going to be tossed aside,” said Senator Warren. “Everyone in this room needs to take a hard look at what is happening at the Pentagon right now. Firing good people who do their jobs does not make us safer.”
    Transcript: Hearing to consider the nomination of Admiral Daryl L. Caudle, USN for reappointment to the grade of admiral and to be Chief of Naval OperationsSenate Armed Services CommitteeJuly 24, 2025
    Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and congratulations, Admiral Caudle, on your nomination.
    So, for years, defense contractors have slipped fine print into contracts that limit the Department of Defense’s ability to fix its own ships and fighter jets, MRI machines, radar systems. Last month, Secretary Phelan told this committee he saw firsthand that sailors on the Gerald R. Ford carrier couldn’t fix ovens or elevators themselves because they had to wait for contractors to come and do it.
    Now, the Government Accountability Office estimated that repair restrictions are costing the Navy billions of dollars – and also costing the Navy opportunities to train sailors to repair their own equipment in the field. In peace time, this is expensive and inconvenient. In the middle of a conflict, that actually puts our security at risk.
    So, Admiral Caudle, you have commanded sailors in the Pacific. If their equipment breaks in a warzone, is it a problem if contractors are not able or not willing to come to the front lines to be able to fix it?
    Admiral Daryl L. Caudle, nominee for Chief of Naval Operations: Senator Warren, let me say thank you for championing this right to repair initiative. It is so vital. It is so ridiculous that sailors cannot actually enter a piece of equipment because of a contractual reason, a warranty violation. It goes right to the heart of what we call self-sufficiency. So, I don’t like it in peacetime, and I certainly do not want it in war time. It is not sustainable, it’s dangerous. So, I’m 100% committed to understanding and more fully — I guess the language of the right to repair piece, but the idea of what you’re describing I’m fully committed to, Senator.
    Senator Warren: That’s right. And you know, I really do want to hit the point as well: that if sailors aren’t getting a chance to repair this equipment in peace time, you can’t just say, “Okay, if war comes, you go ahead and repair it now, because they don’t get the opportunities to learn it and know how all the pieces work. Is that a fair statement?
    Admiral Caudle: Senator, it’s 100 percent fair. It ties to how we build our schoolhouses. So the curriculum will change when I have the right to repair equipment that I’m not currently repairing. So it has these second and third order effects as well.
    Senator Warren: Well, I really appreciate your enthusiasm for making a change in this area. The Army has said that it will require contractors to provide the technical data and diagnostic tools necessary for the Army to be able to maintain weapon systems itself. It makes us more resilient, enhances competition, grows the industrial base, helps with the training of our people.
    I worked with Senator Sheehy and the members of this committee to secure a provision in the NDAA that you just referred to that will provide a right to repair for all of the services, and the House bill now includes similar language. Why are we still talking about this? Well, because the lobbyists for the defense industry are now pushing back. They like being able to get restrictions on your ability to repair because it means that they can not only charge you the initial price to sell you the piece of equipment, but they also can charge pretty much whatever they want if they have a monopoly on this to charge you for all the repairs and maintenance down the line.
    So, Admiral Caudle, as a Commander, what difference will it make to the war fighter for the Navy to have broad authority to secure the rights necessary to keep our fighter jets flying and our ships sailing wherever we need to keep Americans safe?
    Admiral Caudle: Well, Senator, it’s vital. There should be nothing on board a ship that a sailor cannot repair. That’s to say that simply. That’s how we make sure we are ready to fight. Things break all the time on our ships to keep them going sustained. That’s why this is not just a wartime — we need this equipment — it is dangerous even where we operate now, even in peace. They are not there just sailing
    around, we’re actually acting as a deterrent. We’re a vital part of that at the ready. So, when a piece of equipment is down and our readiness is not 100 percent and it’s because I can’t repair it, then that’s unacceptable in my mind.
    Senator Warren: Well, I very much appreciate that. Thank you and appreciate your statements here and look forward to working with you on this.
    I also want to say, I appreciate the qualifications you bring to this role, but we have to acknowledge the circumstances surrounding your nomination. Admiral Franchetti, the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations was removed by the President without any explanation. That’s not on you. But we need the best and brightest in this country to serve in the military, and we aren’t going to be able to compete with China or anyone else if women know that their talents and hard work are going to be tossed aside.
    Everyone in this room needs to take a hard look at what is happening at the Pentagon right now. Firing good people who do their jobs does not make us safer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren asks Social Security’s inspector general to evaluate customer service amid agency overhaul

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    July 24, 2025
    Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is asking the Social Security Administration’s inspector general to audit the agency’s customer service amid concerns that the Trump administration-spurred reorganization has hurt the agency’s ability to assist the public.
    Warren wants to know whether telephone and in-person wait times and other key metrics have worsened and how Commissioner Frank Bisignano is calculating the data, according to a letter the Democratic senator sent to the inspector general today and obtained exclusively by CNN. Also, Warren is asking whether the agency is providing accurate information to the public about its customer service metrics.
    The request from Warren, who met with Bisignano yesterday, comes at a time when the agency has shed roughly 7,000 employees and implemented a new AI tool on its national 800 number.
    Bisignano has promised to quickly improve customer service. However, he has greatly reduced the performance metrics that were previously posted online. A survey conducted by Warren’s staff last month found that telephone wait times averaged nearly an hour and 45 minutes.
    Meanwhile, the agency has touted its customer service achievements.
    Social Security handled nearly 70% more calls on its 800 number last week than the same period a year ago, while cutting its average speed of answer to six minutes, from 30 minutes last year, according to a press release posted yesterday.
    Warren has requested detailed data about customers’ ability to access phone services and have their issues resolved. She has also asked how staffing decisions have affected phone and in-person services.
    By:  Tami LuhbySource: CNN
    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Trespassing on Sensitive Government Property

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Mike Rounds (R-SD), members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), have introduced legislation to better ensure access to U.S. Intelligence Community property is only available to authorized personnel. The bipartisan Intelligence Community Property Security Act would strengthen the penalty for trespassing on sensitive property under the jurisdiction of the Intelligence Community.
    Currently, Title 18 of United States Code — which outlines laws pertaining to crimes and criminal procedures — does not express address criminal incursions onto U.S. intelligence sites. The bill would revise criminal penalties to address the severity of the crime, and the pointed threat repeat offenders pose to U.S. national security interests.
    “The 21st century threat landscape is complicated, but there are some simple and straightforward steps we can take to protect our security and operations — like make sure that our Intelligence Community facilities are not compromised by unauthorized trespassers,” said King. “The bipartisan Intelligence Community Property Security Act would take action to strengthen the penalties for bad actors and offenders attempting to intrude on intelligence sites. It’s commonsense legislation that will help better protect American people and interests.”
    “Having unauthorized personnel trespassing onto some of our nation’s most sensitive sites presents a grave national security risk. We can’t take these offenses lightly,” said Rounds. “Our legislation would strengthen the punishment for repeated offenses and, in turn, better deter those bad actors who may try to infringe on these properties. Now more than ever, it’s critical to protect our intelligence sites from foreign adversaries.”
    A member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Senator King is recognized as a thoughtful voice on national security and foreign policy issues. In addition to his committee work, Senator King serves on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, the Senate North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Observer Group, and is co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission — which has had dozens of recommendations become law. Earlier this year, he joined fellow Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) colleagues in writing a letter to the White House about the risks to national security by allowing unvetted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff and representatives to access classified and sensitive government materials.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Speaks with Nominees about Supporting Vets at SVAC Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with John Bartrum, President Trump’s nominee to be Under Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Jeremiah Workman, President Trump’s nominee to be Assistant Secretary for Training at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) during a Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) hearing. Sen. Tuberville spoke with the nominees about their plans to improve care for veterans, especially those living in rural areas. Some of the ways discussed included streamlining communication across agencies and expanding Community Care access.

    Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.

    ON IMPROVING COMMUNICATION WITH VETERANS IN RURAL AREAS:

    TUBERVILLE: “[Thank you,] Mr. Chairman. Thank you both for being here. I look forward to supporting you both. 

    Mr. Bartrum, one of the biggest complaints I hear about the VA healthcare services is communication. In my state of Alabama, we are very rural, and it’s a huge problem. If confirmed, how will you work with the Secretary in utilizing the new technology that we have for community service?”

    BARTRUM: “Thank you, sir. As you know—we talked a little bit about this when I met with you—rural veterans who live in the rural area are somewhere between 60-66% of our veterans. So, reaching out, and reaching to our veterans, and partnering with not only the VSOs and our service organizations that are out there, but using our technology that we have with our communication strategy, websites, and reaching out to folks with our provider network […] and community care partners is something that I wanna look into and work with you [to] partner on, and look at the strategies. I’m not steeped into what strategies VHA is using since I’m not in the role. But once I’m in the role, I would love to partner with you and bring back what we’re doing specifically and figure out how we can best reach out to our rural networks.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.”

    ON PLACING VETERANS IN LONG-TERM, QUALITY JOBS:

    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Workman, in your testimony, you highlighted the need for DOL vets to focus on outcomes and performances. If confirmed, how will you ensure veterans are not just a number, but instead placed in long-term, quality jobs?”

    WORKMAN: “Thank you for the question, Senator. I think when it comes to our veterans and when they’re transitioning from that [active veteran status], it is important for us to capture them as they’re leaving the door in what we call the Transition Systems Program (TAP). I believe a lot of folks are falling through the cracks, and for whatever reason, not attending TAP or just not soaking it in. I think that’s where it starts is that last six months to a year before they leave active duty or reserve status. Once out into small, wherever they go in America, that’s generally where we start to see issues. They lose that support network. That’s where our American job centers come into play. We need to make sure that the folks out there are properly trained and doing what they need to do to take care of our transitioning veterans and their family members.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.”

    ON INCREASED COMMUNITY CARE:

    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Bartrum, in May, the VA announced the policy change that would make it easier for veterans to access Community Care when a VA doctor determines it is in their best medical interest. What’s your opinion on this announcement?”

    BARTRUM: “I thought it was the right announcement, and it should have been done years ago. I believe that when a veteran and their doctor says they need to go to a referral on the outside and they both agree that that is enough to send them to the outside to get preferred.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.

    ON IMPROVING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DOD & VA:

    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Workman, as you know, the federal government is very siloed, and agencies often do not communicate with each other. [It] seems like we can’t get information from the DOD to the VA coordinated, because all the systems are different. It’s been a disaster since I’ve been here. We spent billions of dollars. We can’t seem to do it. But if confirmed, how will you improve coordination across agencies to veterans and put them first?”

    WORKMAN: “Thank you for the question, Senator. If confirmed, […] you’re 100% correct—we need to tighten up communications across the different departments and agencies. I feel like sometimes vets, [DOL vets], sometimes do not always have a seat at the table, and if confirmed, I can assure you that we will have a seat at the table with the DOD and also the VA, so it can better serve our veterans and their family members.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Are you aware of the problems that we’ve had [about all the information going from DOD to the veterans]?”

    WORKMAN: “Yes, Senator. I spent 10-11 years working at the VA. I’ve also worked for DOD in a civilian capacity, and I do know that it is a challenge. Like I said, if confirmed, we will have a seat at the table and we look forward to working with our counterparts.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Bartrum, you and I talked about this—but coinciding information—you cannot get something done unless you get both sides working together. What’s your thoughts on that?”

    BARTRUM: “I think we need to re-energize the sharing agreements of data and get data across the system. I also think we have to do a better job of coordinating data [within] VHA and VBA, because that data needs to flow smoother. So, I think there are lots of opportunities to do data sharing within the department and within intergovernmental agencies.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chariman.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Villa Named Interim Director of North Carolina Zoo

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Villa Named Interim Director of North Carolina Zoo

    Villa Named Interim Director of North Carolina Zoo
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    Diane Villa, deputy director and chief communications officer for the North Carolina Zoo, has been named interim director of the Zoo following the passing of Director and CEO Pat Simmons. The Zoo is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Villa will lead the N.C. Zoo during a national search for a new director.

    “Diane’s many years of experience at the Zoo and her role as a member of the senior leadership team make her uniquely qualified to lead the North Carolina Zoo through this transition period,” said DNCR Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell. “I am grateful for her willingness to take on this important role at one of North Carolina’s most beloved institutions.”

    During her 31 years working at the North Carolina Zoo, Villa has served as the Zoo’s director of communications and marketing, curator of design, and art director. In her current role of deputy director and chief communications officer, she leads the Zoo’s communications section, which includes marketing, public relations, social media, graphic design, guest services, special events, and park security/emergency operations. She is also involved in the community, serving on the Randolph County Tourism Development Authority Board of Directors.

    “I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead the North Carolina Zoo in this interim period,” Villa said. “Under Pat’s leadership, the Zoo built a thoughtful and creative community that I will continue to nourish as we move forward to opening Asia in 2026.”

    Villa holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from East Carolina University and served for five years with the United States Air Force prior to working at the North Carolina Zoo.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Jul 25, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jonesboro Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine

    Source: US FBI

          JONESBORO—Thomas Demetrius Williams, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 216 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Monday, July 21, 2025, by United States District Judge D. P. Marshall Jr.

          On April 29, 2024, Williams, 41, of Jonesboro, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Judge Marshall also sentenced Williams to five years’ supervised release. Williams was indicted on April 2, 2024, in a second superseding indictment, on two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone, and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

          On October 12, 2021, law enforcement officers received information that Williams was in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine. An investigation revealed that Williams was on parole with an active search waiver on file. As law enforcement officers approached Williams’ residence he shared with his girlfriend to conduct a parole search, they observed three vehicles in the driveway. While at the residence, law enforcement officers observed the girlfriend and a small child in the grey vehicle in the driveway. The girlfriend stated the vehicle belonged to Williams. At that time, law enforcement officers circled the block and when they arrived back at Williams’ residence, they observed the white vehicle that had previously been in the driveway was no longer there.

          During a parole search of Williams’ residence, law enforcement officers located a debit card in Williams’ name. While awaiting the arrival of a canine officer, Williams was observed driving by his residence in the white vehicle. Not long afterwards, Williams stopped his vehicle and made contact with the law enforcement officers at his residence. Upon arrival of the canine officer, it was deployed to search the area. The canine officer alerted to the presence of narcotics in the grey vehicle. Law enforcement officers searched the grey vehicle and located the bag the girlfriend had been carrying. During a search of the bag, it was revealed to contain 730.4 grams of pure methamphetamine, 299.5 grams of marijuana, 19.7651 grams of ecstasy pills, 4.7289 grams of oxycodone pills, $1,999 in cash, and a stolen Ruger, LCP .380 firearm.

          Williams was sentenced as a Career Offender on the drug conviction due to his criminal history that includes aggravated assault, three domestic battery convictions, a terroristic threatening conviction, three serious drug convictions, drug trafficking convictions, and felon in possession of firearm convictions. There is no parole in the federal system.

          This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

          The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

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

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Padilla Applaud Senate Judiciary Committee Passage of the TRACE Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) applauded the passage of the TRACE Act out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The TRACE Act is a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would require the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to include an additional category to the existing National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems (NamUs) database so the public and law enforcement partners can denote cases where the person went missing or was identified on federal land or territorial waters of the United States —including by providing specific location details. 
    The bill also requires DOJ to submit an annual report to Congress on the number of cases of persons missing or suspected of going missing on public lands or territorial waters of the United States from the previous year. With this new feature, family and friends of people who have gone missing on public lands could more easily find and include this information in NamUs, while law enforcement agencies can simultaneously work to improve the national records of individuals missing on public lands.  
    “Every year, people go missing on public lands without being recorded in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System,” said Senator Tillis. “This oversight is impeding law enforcement from keeping track of those who go missing to help search and rescue efforts. I applaud the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation so these cases can be added to the database and potentially save hundreds of lives in the future, and I look forward to supporting this legislation on the Senate floor.”
    “Thousands of people go missing on public lands every year in the United States, but without an effective tracking system, law enforcement faces significant challenges in finding them,” said Senator Padilla. “Public lands should be safe for everyone. That’s why I will keep working with Senator Tillis and my colleagues across the aisle to pass this bipartisan legislation to improve data accuracy and accessibility, give law enforcement better tools to resolve cases, and bring peace of mind to affected families.”
    Background:
    According to a NamUs report, over 600,000 people go missing in the United States annually. While the majority of these cases are resolved, tens of thousands of people remain missing every year. There are approximately 640 million acres of federal land which include national parks, national forests, and Bureau of Land Management lands. 
    Estimates suggest that at least 1,600 people have gone missing on public lands, though the number is likely much higher, as isolated or rugged terrain on public lands can make it especially difficult to find or identify people who go missing. Despite this, there is no functional system to report people who have gone missing on public lands. Having accurate data on how many people go missing on our public lands every year is crucial to aid search and rescue efforts and resolve cases. 
    NamUs is the main system used by law enforcement, families and friends of missing persons, medical examiners, and coroners to report unidentified remains and missing persons, and is also used by the public.  
    The TRACE Act is endorsed by the Public Lands Solution, Jewish Women’s Institute, Major County Sheriffs Association, Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), NDAA, Raven, National Association to End Sexual Violence, and the Outdoor Industry Association.
    Full text of the bill is available HERE.
      

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Luján, Markey Slam FCC’s Partisan Approval of Paramount, Skydance Merger

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    Merger approval comes 2 days after Paramount settles with Trump for $36 million 
    Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted today to approve a merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. 
    “The FCC’s approval of the Paramount-Skydance merger reeks of the worst form of corruption. The timing speaks for itself: Paramount settled with Trump for $36 million on Tuesday and the FCC approved the merger on Thursday. While we’re glad that the Commission took a vote on the deal, as we have repeatedly called for, the partisan vote is a dark day for independent journalism and a stain on the storied history of the Federal Communications Commission. The stench of this transaction will linger over the Commission for years.” 
    Senators Markey and Luján have aggressively pushed back on the Trump administration’s efforts to attack news organizations and intimidate the media. On July 18, Senator Markey wrote to Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone, demanding answers on the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” specifically requesting whether anyone in the Trump administration asked for the show to be cancelled. On July 10, Senators Markey and Luján wrote to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Olivia Trusty, urging the FCC to hold a full Commission vote on the Paramount and Skydance merger. In May 2025, Senators Markey and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) wrote to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, urging the FCC to take a vote on the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 25th, 2025 Heinrich Announces Committee Passage of Over $69 Million for New Mexico

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    Investments Heinrich championed support homeownership & homebuilding, rental & homelessness assistance, Tribal health & education, Southwest Border Regional Commission, & more

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced the bipartisan Senate Appropriations Committee passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Interior, Environment and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Bills. With Committee approval of these bills, Heinrich secured support for over $65 million for New Mexico, including $52 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for 39 local projects between these bills and their House-companions.

    “While these Appropriations bills aren’t perfect, they include resources and investments I negotiated for New Mexico that will fund Tribal health care and education, help Tribal law enforcement officers solve and reduce violent crime, and continue funding for the Institute of American Indian Arts for the 2026-2027 school year,” said Heinrich, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This legislation will help over 11,000 families in New Mexico afford rent, build new housing, and invest in border communities through the Southwest Border Regional Commission. Additionally, the bill protects the Amtrak Southwest Chief train service in New Mexico, restores waterfowl habitat, and builds on my work to clean up abandoned hardrock mines. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will always fight for investments that put New Mexico first.”

    Additionally, Heinrich offered an amendment to require the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service to hire and maintain a minimum number of Full Time Employees in order to manage wildfire preparedness, suppression, and other mission-critical support, in the FY26 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. Heinrich’s amendment would have also required the National Park Service to hire and maintain a minimum number of Full Time Employees for the operation of national park units, including administrative services. Despite Heinrich’s attempt to include the amendment in the Appropriations bill, the amendment was rejected by Republicans on the Committee.

    Heinrich is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

    Next, the two bills passed out of the Appropriations Committee will be considered by the full United States Senate.

    Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Key Points and Highlights

    Congressionally Directed Spending

    Heinrich successfully included $7.1 million in investments for the following ten local projects in the bill:

    • $1,075,000 for the City of Truth or Consequences to replace aged and damaged waterlines.
    • $1,000,000 for Zuni Pueblo to make improvements to their drinking water system.
    • $1,000,000 for Pueblo of Tesuque to remove Siberian elm trees to restore the Rio Tesuque bosque to its natural vegetation.
    • $1,000,000 for the Village of Questa to construct a well house to prevent contamination of their municipal well.
    • $1,000,000 for Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority to conduct wastewater system improvements in Carnuel.
    • $700,000 for the Mescalero Apache Tribe to restore coniferous forest and promote aspen stand growth along the Rio Ruidoso to prepare for the reintroduction of beavers, a culturally significant species.
    • $525,000 for Taos Pueblo to purchase wildfire preparedness equipment.
    • $500,000 for Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council for a Caja del Rio Ethnographic Study.
    • $150,000 for the Desert Tortoise Council to work on Bolson tortoise recovery efforts.
    • $150,000 for the Bureau of Land Management to work with existing partners to replace barbed-wire fences with wildlife-friendly fences on the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

    Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) successfully included $3.39 million for the following three projects:

    • $2,090,000 for the City of Rio Rancho to expand their aquifer reinjection system.
    • $800,000 for the Enchanted Forest Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association to develop a new water source pump house and appurtenances and to replace distribution lines.
    • $500,000 for the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs to make water system improvements at the Fort Selden Historic Site.

    Heinrich also successfully worked with his colleagues in the N.M. Delegation to include $2.18 million for the following two projects in the House-companion bill:

    • $1,092,000 for the Town of Bernalillo will rehabilitate their current wastewater facilities.
    • $1,092,000 for the City of Belen to rehabilitate their wastewater treatment plant.

    Heinrich also successfully included three amendments into the Manager’s Package. These include:

    1. An amendment for a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study comparing the per-patient funding levels for health care services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Additionally, the study would analyze potential recruitment and retainment strategies utilized by the VA that could be extended to IHS.
    2. An amendment ensuring that the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is included in reference to the reauthorization of the Legacy Restoration Fund to address deferred maintenance.
    3. An amendment for a Fish and Wildlife Service report on staffing levels and positions at National Wildlife Refuge System units and complexes.

    Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act Implementation: Heinrich successfully included $500,000 to implement the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act, a bipartisan law that Heinrich championed and passed in 2022 to prohibit the exporting of sacred Native American items and increase penalties for stealing and illegally trafficking Tribal cultural patrimony. Representing the first dedicated funding for this program, it would be used to halt the trade of culturally significant items and repatriate stolen pieces to the Tribal communities where they belong. Heinrich first introduced the STOP Act in 2016 after he helped halt the auction of a shield, stolen from the Pueblo of Acoma. Heinrich played a role in the effort to bring the shield home to Acoma by working with Governors Kurt Riley and Brian Vallo to call for its return.

    Tribal Programs: Heinrich fought for and successfully included $13,482,000 to the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development (IAIA). After the administration threatened to withhold IAIA’s funding earlier this year, Heinrich secured the release of FY 2025 funds earlier this month. This bill will ensure continued investment for IAIA through FY26, supporting its mission to advance Indigenous arts, culture, and education for future generations.

    Heinrich also successfully included funding to protect several Tribal programs, including $23,750,000 for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, $2,658,289,000 for Indian Health Services (IHS) Hospitals and Health Clinics, and funding for IHS Facilities and Construction. He also protected funding for Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Law Enforcement and included report language to ensure the continuation of the Tribal law enforcement training program in New Mexico.

    Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program: Heinrich successfully included continued funding for the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program, after championing the creation of the program in the Infrastructure Law. Hardrock mines and mining features are related to the extraction of metals like copper, gold, silver, and uranium. When not reclaimed, many hardrock mines pose a hazard to public health and the environment. This funding will be used to clean up federal, state, Tribal, and private land and water resources affected by abandoned hardrock mines.

    Southwest Ecological Research Institutes: Heinrich fought for and successfully maintained funding for the Southwest Ecological Research Institutes (SWERIs). Last month Heinrich pressed the U.S. Forest Chief on the Administration’s plan entirely to cut funding for the program in FY26. SWERIs offer unique opportunities for dedicated research in forest science and watershed health and represent the future of science in forest management. New Mexico Highlands University houses one center along with Colorado State University and Northern Arizona University. This funding would ensure the continuation of valuable research in southwestern forest and fire management.

    Conservation: Heinrich successfully protected funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund, which leverages private dollars to restore waterfowl habitat across the country. Senator Heinrich led the reauthorization of this fund last congress. He also protected core wildlife management and science capabilities at the Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey from the steep cuts proposed by the Trump administration.

    Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Key Points and Highlights

    Congressionally Directed Spending

    Heinrich successfully included $17.1 million in investments for the following 11 local projects in the bill:

    • $4,000,000 for Homewise to help moderate-income, first-time homebuyers purchase entry-level homes.
    • $2,300,000 for the City of Socorro to replace aged and damaged waterlines.
    • $2,073,000 for the City of Raton to upgrade its municipal airport infrastructure.
    • $1,500,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of San Juan County to renovate a community center.
    • $1,500,000 for DreamTree Project to complete the final phase of renovations to the Navigating Emergency Support Together (NEST) building and purchase land for on-site permanent supportive housing.
    • $1,000,000 Serenity Mesa Youth Recovery Center to expand their facilities to support increased substance use crisis stabilization, treatment, and housing for adolescents and young adults.
    • $850,000 for the Albuquerque Housing Authority will invest in necessary upgrades at public housing properties.
    • $692,000 for the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area to conduct an affordable housing pilot project.
    • $440,000 for Deming Silver Linings to provide emergency temporary housing for unhoused individuals.
    • $200,000 for Mesilla Valley Community of Hope to support individuals and families experiencing poverty and homelessness by providing affordable housing and wraparound services.

    Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) successfully included $16.3 million for the following nine projects:

    • $3,000,000 for Youth Development, Inc. for an early childhood development center.
    • $3,000,000 for the Agri-Cultura Cooperative Network and La Cosecha Community Supported Agriculture to create a Food Hub at the Sacred Roots farm site to create economic development opportunity in the local food system, provide education to students and community members, and increase access to healthy foods.
    • $2,500,000 for Santa Fe County to develop a Permanent Supportive Housing project designed to meet the urgent needs of the region’s unhoused population.
    • $1,800,000 for the Town of Mountainair to rebuild, repave, and upgrade approximately two miles of downtown Mountainair’s roadways.
    • $1,600,000 for the City of Raton to conduct an interchange alignment study as part of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Interstate Planning process.
    • $1,500,000 for Tierra Del Sol Housing Corporation to complete the first phase of construction for an affordable housing project in Vado, New Mexico.
    • $1,210,000 for the City of Bloomfield to plan, design, and construct the expansion of East Blanco Boulevard in Bloomfield.
    • $1,000,000 for the Pueblo of Acoma to construct new single-family homes for low-to-moderate income families on the Housing Authority’s waiting list.
    • $700,000 for Cuidando Los Niños of Albuquerque to expand its facility to house early childhood education and family wraparound services.

    Heinrich also successfully worked with his colleagues in the N.M. Delegation to include $8.4 million for the following four projects in the House-companion bill:

    • $2,900,000 for the Pueblo of Acoma to repair housing for senior community members and provide ADA accommodations.
    • $2,000,000 for the City of Albuquerque Health, Housing and Homelessness Department to improve security and accessibility at the city’s largest homeless shelter.
    • $2,000,000 for the City of Albuquerque to establish a modular Shelter Stability site for seniors.
    • $1,512,000 for Jemez Pueblo to demolish hazardous buildings within the Pueblo.

    Rental Assistance: Heinrich successfully secured increased funding for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (Housing Choice Vouchers) and Project-Based Rental Assistance, despite the administration’s attempts to completely defund both programs. The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program helps over 11,000 families in New Mexico afford rent. Heinrich also secured language urging HUD to expand resources to train public housing staff on how to use housing choice vouchers to make homeownership an attainable goal for residents of public housing.

    Tribal Programs: Heinrich successfully included a $25 million investment for Tribal Transportation Program High Priority Projects, a set-aside that provides funds to Tribes or a governmental subdivision of a Tribe whose annual allocation of funding received under the Tribal Transportation Program is insufficient to complete the highest priority project of the Tribe. Heinrich secured an increase in funding for Tribal housing programs. Heinrich also secured a legislative proposal that would make certain home loans on Tribal lands easier to keep if homeowners are delinquent on payments.

    Southwest Border Regional Commission: Heinrich successfully included a $5 million investment in the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC) for transportation infrastructure planning to support supply chain connectivity and economic development in southern New Mexico and along the southern border.

    Homelessness Assistance: Heinrich successfully secured an increase in funding for grant programs that address homelessness through emergency shelter, transitional and supportive housing, rapid re-housing, rental assistance and prevention, and supportive services. Heinrich successfully pushed back against the Trump administration’s attempts to curtail homelessness assistance funding by making grant match requirements overly burdensome for New Mexican service providers.

    Homebuilding and Homeownership: Heinrich secured funding for the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), a critical program that helps New Mexicans purchase or rehabilitate homes. The Trump administration also sought to cut all funding for this program. In New Mexico, HOME also provides gap funding for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects, which increases the supply of affordable rental units.

    Amtrak Southwest Chief: Heinrich secured language that protects existing Amtrak Southwest Chief train service in New Mexico from cuts and closure.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Haiti

    Source: Council of the European Union

    Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1429 of 15 July 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2022/2319 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Haiti.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: David Scott Demands SEC Accountability and Transparency for Massive Georgia Ponzi Scheme Operation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

    Read Letter PDF

    WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congressman David Scott (GA-13), a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins demanding answers over the agency’s failure to detect the sprawling $140 million Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Georgia-based lender First Liberty Building and Loan. The letter calls for greater transparency and accountability following the SEC’s federal seizure of First Liberty.

    In his letter, Congressman David Scott sharply criticizes the SEC for its years-long inability to detect or stop the fraud, which impacted hundreds of investors in Georgia and over a thousand investors nationwide. Despite numerous red flags, such as fabricated loan pools, implausible investment returns, and aggressive social media marketing, the SEC waited until July 10, 2025, to act, by which point nearly 90% of First Liberty’s loan portfolio had already defaulted. The congressman calls the SEC’s oversight breakdown “a catastrophic collapse of federal supervision.”

    “This is not just a regulatory lapse, it is a total failure of oversight that enabled a $140 million Ponzi scheme to thrive in broad daylight,” said Congressman David Scott. “The worst hit investors are not millionaires or billionaires, they are retirees, faith leaders, and veterans who were failed by the SEC and Georgia state regulators. Many have lost their life savings, retirement security, and the very opportunity to financially support their families. The fact that this level of fraud went undetected for so long is completely unacceptable. The people of Georgia, especially those whose future was shattered by this scheme deserve accountability—not silence.”

    Congressman David Scott’s letter aims at uncovering the full extent of the SEC’s oversight failures and identifying a path forward for victims to be made whole. The letter also questions why the SEC and state regulators—including the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance—failed to coordinate efforts, despite reportedly receiving multiple red flags and investor complaints. It demands a full accounting of:

    • When and how the SEC first became aware of First Liberty’s operation and whether SEC examiners reviewed the firm’s activities prior to July 2025
    • Why the firm was allowed to continue issuing unregistered offerings without disclosure or allowed to operate without registering as a broker dealer
    • What structural failures exist in the SEC’s regional supervisory and whistleblower processes that led to this apparent regulatory breakdown
    • What specific steps are being taken to pursue asset recovery, including offshore accounts or properties purchased with stolen investor funds

    Additionally, Congressman Scott is requesting the SEC commit to a full and timely public report outlining how this massive Ponzi scheme operation was able to go on without detection. He has called for congressional hearings and a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation into whether loopholes in Regulation D and resource shortfalls at the SEC are enabling widespread abuse in private financial markets.

    Congressman Scott remains committed to ensuring every victim receives justice and that the inexcusable regulatory failures which allowed this fraud to occur are addressed swiftly and thoroughly.

    Read full letter HERE.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Carter Installs Overdose Reversal Kits in House Office Buildings

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

    Headline: Carter Installs Overdose Reversal Kits in House Office Buildings

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) successfully advocated for the installation of overdose reversal kits near automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in House office buildings, shining a light on the need to make naloxone, an over-the-counter opioid reversal treatment, as accessible as a defibrillator. 

    Overdoses are the number one cause of death for adults aged 18-45. House Office Buildings are leading by example to normalize the presence of this safe and effective treatment and encouraging members of the public to learn how to properly administer it. 

    “This is a huge win for public safety,” said Rep. Carter. “By making opioid reversal kits as common as defibrillators and fire extinguishers, we will arm citizens with critical tools to combat the opioid epidemic. I am proud that the U.S. Capitol is leading the way. We can and must ensure that schools and other public and private buildings across the nation have similar access to this life-saving treatment.” 

    Currently, boxes have been installed near building entrances for Rayburn, Longworth, Cannon, Ford, and O’Neill. The Sergeant at Arms will soon fill the boxes with opioid reversal kits, which will be available in case of an emergency. 

    The boxes are located at:

    • Longworth House Office Building: Basement, NW corner near tunnel to Rayburn House Office Building 
    • Cannon House Office Building: First Floor, NW corner, across from NJ avenue entrance 
    • Rayburn House Office Building: First Floor, East side, across from the horseshoe S Capitol St. entrance
    • Ford House Office Building: First Floor, North side, near C St. entrance
    • O’Neill House Office Building: First floor North side, near C St. entrance

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Joins Malaysia Blockchain Week as Web3 Gains Ground in the Multicultural Market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial crypto wallet, joined founders, builders, and investors at Malaysia Blockchain Week to explore the country’s growing role in shaping Southeast Asia’s Web3 future. With over 3,300 participants from 20 countries gathering in Kuala Lumpur, the event marked a high point in Malaysia’s ongoing effort to position itself as a nexus of blockchain innovation and financial inclusion.

    Bitget Wallet’s Head of Growth, Will Wu, spoke at two panels during the week, including a main stage discussion on community-building and the Web3 Infra Day, where he was joined by representatives from Aptos, Polkadot, and Manta Network. The conversation focused on simplifying fragmented blockchain experiences, improving interoperability, and designing tools that lower barriers to entry for everyday users. “In Malaysia, you see communities where crypto is not just investment — it’s part of how people save, send, and increasingly, spend,” Wu said. “The momentum here is being driven not just by capital, but by local builders creating products that reflect how people actually live and transact.”

    While Singapore often dominates the regional narrative, Malaysia is quietly building a complementary path — one rooted in grassroots adoption, multicultural participation, and a younger, mobile-first demographic. The country’s multi-ethnic population, spanning Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous communities, offers a uniquely diverse testing ground for Web3 use cases that range from retail payments to creative economy tools.

    Bitget Wallet also joined Blockchain & AI Summit hosted by Pushpendra Singh as a supporting partner during the week. The summit drew over 300 builders for focused discussions on real-world adoption, decentralized identity, and the convergence of AI and Web3. Bitget Wallet’s involvement reflected its ongoing engagement with Southeast Asia’s grassroots developer and creator communities. In a setting that prioritized pragmatic use cases, the event reinforced a key theme of the week: Malaysia’s strength lies in its culturally rooted, multilingual builder ecosystem — one ready to localize blockchain for everyday use.

    Bitget Wallet’s participation underscored this shift from speculation to infrastructure. The wallet has leaned into utility-focused tools — from stablecoin payments to token discovery — that resonate with local behaviors. As Malaysia continues to carve out its place on the global Web3 map, its value may lie less in being the next crypto capital, and more in showing how diverse communities can make decentralized technology part of ordinary life.

    For more information, visit the Bitget Wallet official channels.

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is a non-custodial crypto wallet designed to make crypto simple and secure for everyone. With over 80 million users, it brings together a full suite of crypto services, including swaps, market insights, staking, rewards, DApp exploration, and payment solutions. Supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges. Backed by a $300+ million user protection fund, it ensures the highest level of security for users’ assets. Its vision is Crypto for Everyone — to make crypto simpler, safer, and part of everyday life for a billion people.

    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook

    For media inquiries, contact media.web3@bitget.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7bbbc4fe-79ed-4819-bedd-8919feaff3df

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Joins Malaysia Blockchain Week as Web3 Gains Ground in the Multicultural Market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial crypto wallet, joined founders, builders, and investors at Malaysia Blockchain Week to explore the country’s growing role in shaping Southeast Asia’s Web3 future. With over 3,300 participants from 20 countries gathering in Kuala Lumpur, the event marked a high point in Malaysia’s ongoing effort to position itself as a nexus of blockchain innovation and financial inclusion.

    Bitget Wallet’s Head of Growth, Will Wu, spoke at two panels during the week, including a main stage discussion on community-building and the Web3 Infra Day, where he was joined by representatives from Aptos, Polkadot, and Manta Network. The conversation focused on simplifying fragmented blockchain experiences, improving interoperability, and designing tools that lower barriers to entry for everyday users. “In Malaysia, you see communities where crypto is not just investment — it’s part of how people save, send, and increasingly, spend,” Wu said. “The momentum here is being driven not just by capital, but by local builders creating products that reflect how people actually live and transact.”

    While Singapore often dominates the regional narrative, Malaysia is quietly building a complementary path — one rooted in grassroots adoption, multicultural participation, and a younger, mobile-first demographic. The country’s multi-ethnic population, spanning Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous communities, offers a uniquely diverse testing ground for Web3 use cases that range from retail payments to creative economy tools.

    Bitget Wallet also joined Blockchain & AI Summit hosted by Pushpendra Singh as a supporting partner during the week. The summit drew over 300 builders for focused discussions on real-world adoption, decentralized identity, and the convergence of AI and Web3. Bitget Wallet’s involvement reflected its ongoing engagement with Southeast Asia’s grassroots developer and creator communities. In a setting that prioritized pragmatic use cases, the event reinforced a key theme of the week: Malaysia’s strength lies in its culturally rooted, multilingual builder ecosystem — one ready to localize blockchain for everyday use.

    Bitget Wallet’s participation underscored this shift from speculation to infrastructure. The wallet has leaned into utility-focused tools — from stablecoin payments to token discovery — that resonate with local behaviors. As Malaysia continues to carve out its place on the global Web3 map, its value may lie less in being the next crypto capital, and more in showing how diverse communities can make decentralized technology part of ordinary life.

    For more information, visit the Bitget Wallet official channels.

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is a non-custodial crypto wallet designed to make crypto simple and secure for everyone. With over 80 million users, it brings together a full suite of crypto services, including swaps, market insights, staking, rewards, DApp exploration, and payment solutions. Supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges. Backed by a $300+ million user protection fund, it ensures the highest level of security for users’ assets. Its vision is Crypto for Everyone — to make crypto simpler, safer, and part of everyday life for a billion people.

    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook

    For media inquiries, contact media.web3@bitget.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7bbbc4fe-79ed-4819-bedd-8919feaff3df

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Laos, Cuba reaffirm commitment to deepen ties

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Laos and Cuba on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening and further developing the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two states and peoples, Lao News Agency reported.

    Officials from the two countries held a political consultative meeting here on Friday, which was hailed by both sides as a positive step toward strengthening bilateral ties.

    Discussions centered on enhancing political cooperation, exchanging views and information, and reviewing past achievements to guide future collaboration. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of mutual support and solidarity that has long defined their relationship.

    The two sides agreed to continue implementing existing agreements and promoting cooperation in key sectors such as economy, health, education, agriculture, sports, and culture. They also discussed expanding collaboration into new and mutually beneficial areas, and enhancing trade and investment opportunities.

    Meanwhile, both parties shared updates on domestic developments and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Multi-State Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring Sentenced to Federal Prison

    Source: US FBI

    ROME, Ga. – Wilfort Foster, III, 41, of El Monte, California, was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to narcotics and money laundering conspiracy charges.  Foster, a convicted felon serving a sentence of probation during a portion of the offense, led an operation that moved hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as significant quantities of fentanyl, from California to the North Georgia area and elsewhere, and then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds. 

    “Our office partnered with a host of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to dismantle a significant, multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering network,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Foster’s 28-year prison sentence should serve as a robust warning to others who might consider trafficking deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine in North Georgia.”

    “DEA is committed to going after money laundering networks that move cash made from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “We will continue to follow the money trail while working alongside our partners to hold those accountable who profit from the distribution of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine.” 

    “This sentencing marks the end of a years-long effort to dismantle a dangerous drug trafficking network that was pushing lethal fentanyl and methamphetamine into our communities,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains focused on dismantling these dangerous organizations at every level—from supply to distribution to laundering the proceeds of their crimes.”

    “This significant sentence reflects the massive danger that fentanyl and illicit narcotics pose to our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of HSI and our law enforcement partners, Wilfort Foster, III, who led a major drug trafficking ring, will no longer be able to endanger lives with these deadly substances.”

    According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: Beginning in 2017 and continuing into 2022, Foster and others conspired to transport methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to Cartersville, Georgia and other areas. Foster ran a stash house and illegal gambling operation in his California barbershop, which he used to supply his network with large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine for sale. In one instance, Foster supplied a co-defendant with more than 22 kilograms of methamphetamine that law enforcement subsequently seized. 

    After Foster’s operation sold drugs, conspirators in Georgia laundered more than $600,000 in cash to Foster by using shell companies and flying with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to California. Foster maintained tight control of his network and once broke a co-defendant’s jaw during a feud over the co-defendant’s drug debt. 

    During the multi-agency investigation, law enforcement seized significant quantities of narcotics and more than a dozen firearms, including an AR-15. Foster continued his drug and money laundering operation in Georgia despite being on probation in California in a case involving the seizure of over nine kilograms of methamphetamine and two firearms. 

    Earlier today, United States District Judge William M. Ray II sentenced Foster to serve 28 years in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Foster was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering on January 6, 2025, after he pleaded guilty. 

    Another member of Foster’s organization, Steven Ham, 43, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release on November 26, 2024, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

    Additionally, the following defendants have pleaded guilty as part of this case and are awaiting sentencing:

    • Clifford Alexander, 39, of Gadsden, Alabama, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
    • Frank Miller, 47, of Cartersville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
    • Kenneth Antoine Scott, 41, of East Point, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
    • Lori Silvers, 46, of Rockmart, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
    • Nia Thomas, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Cartersville Police Department, Cedartown Police Department, Polk County Police Department, Acworth Police Department, Kennesaw Police Department, El Monte (CA) Police Department, Los Angeles (CA) Sheriff’s Department, Rutherford County (TN) Sheriff’s Office, Sevier County (TN) Sheriff’s Office, Kansas City (KS) Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III, Matthew R. LaGrone, and Jeffrey Brown; former Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Beaulieu and Zachary Howard; and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    This effort is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: UN chief welcomes China, EU commitment to strengthen cooperation on climate change

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    UNITED NATIONS, July 25 (Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the commitment of China and the European Union (EU) to strengthen cooperation on climate change and ensure a global just transition, Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Farhan Haq said on Thursday.

    “The Secretary-General believes that it is critical for China and the European Union, as the world’s two largest economies, to continue working together to ensure that the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil becomes a major turning point in global efforts to tackle the climate crisis,” Hack said in a statement.

    “The Secretary-General reiterates his call for all G20 countries to submit NDCs [nationally determined contributions to combat climate change by 2035],” he said.

    On Thursday, leaders of China and the EU issued a joint statement on stepping up efforts to combat climate change following the 25th China-EU summit in Beijing. At the meeting, the two sides acknowledged that strengthening China-EU cooperation on climate change will benefit the well-being of both peoples and is of great and special significance to upholding multilateralism and advancing global climate governance. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House GOP Passes 50 Trump Executive Orders

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — Six months into the Trump Administration, Republicans in the 119th Congress are delivering on President Trump’s America First agenda. With the historic passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill and many more separate pieces of legislation, House Republicans have already voted to codify 50 of President Trump’s executive actions. 

    “The American people gave President Trump a clear mandate to enact his America First agenda – and House Republicans are answering that call. To date, we’ve voted to codify 50 of the President’s Executive Orders into law, from reining in waste, fraud, and abuse, to cutting bureaucratic red tape that has strangled America’s innovators, job creators, and entrepreneurs,” said Speaker Johnson. “The last four years under President Joe Biden made painfully clear how quickly progress can be undone unless Congress steps in. That’s why House Republicans are working around the clock to codify President Trump’s executive actions and enshrine his historic agenda into law.”

    Executive Actions Passed by the House in the 119th Congress listed below and can be found here:

    1.      Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections

    2.      Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government

    3.      Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation

    4.      Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court

    5.      Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production

    6.      Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness

    7.      Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens

    8.      Small Business Administration Overhaul of the Reckless Biden-era Lending Program

    9.      Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders

    10.  Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful

    11.  Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies: Advancing United States Interests When Funding Nongovernmental Organizations

    12.  Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements

    13.  Radical Transparency About Wasteful Spending

    14.  Withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization

    15.  Withdrawing the U.S. from and Ending Funding to Certain U.N. Organizations and Reviewing U.S. Support to All International Organizations

    16.  Reevaluating and Realigning U.S. Foreign Aid

    17.  Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship

    18.  Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing

    19.  Securing Our Borders

    20.  Protecting Children from Surgical Mutilation

    21.  Expanding Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Full Capacity

    22.  Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization

    23.  Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance

    24.  Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the U.S.

    25.  Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry

    26.  Unleashing American Energy

    27.  Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential

    28.  Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday with the Garden of Heroes

    29.  Declaring a National Energy Emergency

    30.  Enforcing the Hyde Amendment

    31.  Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production

    32.  Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats

    33.  The Iron Dome for America

    34.  Clarifying The Military’s Role in Protecting the Territorial Integrity of the United States

    35.  Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation

    36.  Unleashing American Drone Dominance

    37.  Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Cost Efficiency Initiative

    38.  Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities

    39.  Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education

    40.  Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy

    41.  Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission

    42.  Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China as Applied to Low-Value Imports

    43.  The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Tax Deal (Global Tax Deal)

    44.  Protecting America’s Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

    45.  Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos

    46.  Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology

    47.  Honoring Jocelyn Nungaray

    48.  Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media

    49.  Restoring America’s Fighting Force

    50.  Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Press Release: FDIC Publishes Enforcement Orders for June 2025

    Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

    CategoriesBusiness, Commerce, MIL-OSI, United States Federal Government, United States Government, United States of America, US Commerce, US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC, US Federal Government, US Insurance Sector, USA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA President issues update on 2025 Representative Assembly

    Source: US National Education Union

    WASHINGTON — The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle: 

    “At the recent NEA 2025 Representative Assembly, a recommendation was sent to NEA’s Executive Committee that the National Education Association not partner with the Anti-Defamation League. As the NEA does not currently have a partnership with the ADL, this would have constituted a forward-looking declaration. 

    “Today, following the culmination of a thorough review process as governed by NEA rules, including a vote by NEA’s Executive Committee earlier this week, NEA’s Board of Directors—representing the broad and diverse membership of the NEA, including representatives from every state—voted not to implement this proposal. 

    “In our review, NEA considered multiple factors, including the rationale and concerns behind the proposal, its relationship to our policies and values, and how this would affect students, our members, our work, and our mission to champion excellence and justice in public education. We consulted with NEA state affiliates and civil rights leaders, including Jewish American and Arab American community leaders, and we also met with ADL leadership.

    “After consideration, it was determined that this proposal would not further NEA’s commitment to academic freedom, our membership, or our goals. Today’s vote by the NEA Board of Directors to not adopt this proposal completes NEA’s process.

    “There is no doubt that antisemitism is on the rise. Without equivocation, NEA stands strongly against antisemitism. We always have and we always will. Our Jewish students and educators deserve nothing less.  

    “As NEA members debated this issue on the floor of our Representative Assembly, they spoke about a variety of painful, frustrating, and dehumanizing experiences related to antisemitism and anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian bigotry. We know antisemitism and anti-Arab bigotry are very real and urgent problems in this country and around the world. They are insidious forms of hate, which is why NEA and our members actively work to fight them in our classrooms, on our campuses, and in our communities. 

    “We have increased our efforts to combat all forms of hate because we know freedom and safety for any of us depend on the freedom and safety of all of us. As educators, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring our schools and campuses are safe and welcoming for all students, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or identity—with no exceptions. That is fundamental to who we are as educators and the core of who we are as a union.

    “At our core, NEA’s work and mission are rooted in social and racial justice, and we have a long, proud history of fighting against hate in all its forms. In this time of division, fighting antisemitism, anti-Arab racism, and other forms of discrimination will take more resources, not fewer. We are ready.

    “Public education is vital to building respect for the worth, dignity, and equality of every individual in our diverse society. Our democracy depends on freedom of speech, and a great education depends on academic freedom, and inclusive and respectful debate. NEA opposes efforts to shut down debate, to silence voices of disagreement, and intimidation. We recognize the underlying concerns of the authors and supporters of the proposal, and we are committed to ongoing discussion with our community.

    “Not adopting this proposal is in no way an endorsement of the ADL’s full body of work. We are calling on the ADL to support the free speech and association rights of all students and educators. We strongly condemn abhorrent and unacceptable attacks on our members who dedicate their lives to helping their students thrive. Our commitment to freedom of speech fully extends to freedom of protest and dissent, whether in the public square or on college campuses.

    “NEA will continue our work to combat discrimination against all people, pursue justice inside and beyond our schools, and we will always ensure our members are supported in these efforts. Along with this vote, we commit to continue our ongoing work to stand strong against oppression and hatred, a prerequisite for a thriving public education system consistent with our core values. Even with passionately held views on emotionally charged issues, the moment calls for us to use care and grace with each other and to ensure we refrain from actions that harm vulnerable communities. 

    “Going forward, the NEA will use a diverse and knowledgeable group of NEA practitioners to review materials that we use in relation to antisemitism curriculum and tools to combat antisemitism.

    “As a union, our diverse backgrounds and perspectives make us stronger, and our interconnected safety comes only through solidarity. In light of the near-daily direct attacks being made against public education, our work together has never been more important. No amount of bullying can force us to abandon our commitment to our members and our values. And there is too much at stake to rest for even a moment.” 

    Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social  

    # # #

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Six months into Congo’s war, cholera is killing more than four people every day

    Source: Oxfam –

    • Aid cuts and humanitarian deadlock are fuelling a full-blown public health disaster. 

    • In Sake and Minova, 500 people are sharing a single water tap.   

    Six months since the renewed war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a full-blown public health emergency is accelerating, Oxfam warned today.  

    Since January, more than 35,000 suspected cholera cases and at least 852 related deaths have been reported – an average of more than four deaths every day and a 62 percent increase compared to 2024.  

    After M23 fighters seized Goma in January civilians were ordered to return to their villages within 72 hours. More than 3.16 million people have since returned back only to find their homes reduced to rubble, and aid system on the verge of collapse. 

    Water networks, including storage facilities have been obliterated, leaving families to drink from contaminated streams and stagnant lakes. Basic health services have crumbled, with hospitals out of medicine and sanitation systems in ruins. In some of the hardest-hit areas, like Sake and Minova, 500 people are now sharing a single water tap.  

    Dr. Manenji Mangundu, Oxfam’s Director in DRC said: 

    “This is a full-blown public health emergency. Families are returning to ruins—no shelters, no toilets, no clean water. In many areas, latrines have been flooded or stripped for firewood, forcing people to defecate in the open and contaminate the only water available. The air reeks of sewage. Hospitals are out of medicine, and we can’t reach cut-off communities with even the most basic aid.” 

    In South Kivu’s Uvira region, cholera is surging with 100 new cases being reported each day. Floodwaters from Lake Tanganyika routinely inundate homes and latrines overflow into the lake, even as families are forced to drink lake water.  

    The forced closure and destruction of more than 20 displacement sites in Goma alone has left 700,000 people without safe shelter, clean water or basic sanitation In Rusayo, Lushagal, and Bhimba —where Oxfam had been supporting over 100,000 people—entire sites have been razed or abandoned, including more than $700,000 worth of water and sanitation infrastructure, such as pipelines, latrines, and tanks. 

    “This is a full-blown public health emergency. Families are returning to ruins—no shelters, no toilets, no clean water. In many areas, latrines have been flooded or stripped for firewood, forcing people to defecate in the open and contaminate the only water available. The air reeks of sewage. Hospitals are out of medicine, and we can’t reach cut-off communities with even the most basic aid.” 

    Dr. Manenji Mangundu, Oxfam’s Director in DRC

    Oxfam

    Despite a US-brokered ceasefire, insecurity, roadblocks, and ongoing clashes have severed vital supply routes, cutting off communities from lifesaving food, clean water, and medicine. Aid agencies like Oxfam are now being forced to detour through Rwanda, severely hampering relief efforts. Cross-border access through Burundi has been entirely blocked, while illegal taxes and bureaucratic obstruction are further choking humanitarian deliveries.  

    Deep aid cuts since the start of 2025 have pushed the humanitarian response to the brink of failure. Only a fraction of the $2.54 billion needed this year as humanitarian aid in DRC has been received to date—forcing agencies like Oxfam to scale back or suspend life-saving operations. Even a UN investigation into possible war crimes has been frozen for lack of funding. 

    “People are suffering because we cannot reach them,” said Balume Loutre, Oxfam’s Public Health Engineering Team Leader in Eastern DRC. “They’re drinking from contaminated water sources, and we lack the resources to deliver even basic aid. In some villages, 15,000 families need help, but we can only support 500. We’re forced to make impossible choices, leaving thousands behind.”  

    The situation is particularly alarming for women and girls. Since the cuts to USAID funding, more than 8,200 people living with HIV have lost access to antiretroviral treatment. Emergency post-rape care kits are vanishing, even as a child is reported raped every half an hour in eastern DRC, according to UNICEF. 

    Despite the collapse of the aid system, Oxfam and its partners continue to deliver lifesaving assistance – constructing water systems, building latrines and distributing soap and hygiene kits, food and seed. But urgent funding is needed to reach 400,000 people in high-risk cholera zones.  

    “We need an immediate injection of funds, and all warring parties to commit to a permanent ceasefire and allow aid to flow freely. After six months of chaos, people need dignity and respite from relentless violence. The world cannot look away,” said Mangundu. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Plastic Greenpeace climbers abseil from Forth Bridge to block INEOS tanker in plastics protest An international team of Greenpeace activists has abseiled from Scotland’s Forth Road Bridge to block an INEOS tanker from delivering its cargo of fracked American gas to the Grangemouth petrochemical… by Graham Thompson July 25, 2025

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    An international team of Greenpeace activists has abseiled from Scotland’s Forth Road Bridge to block an INEOS tanker from delivering its cargo of fracked American gas to the Grangemouth petrochemical facility. 

    The Greenpeace protest is aimed at chemicals giant INEOS, owned by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which is opposing efforts by UN Member States to secure a Global Plastics Treaty to curb plastic pollution [1]. INEOS is the UK’s biggest plastics manufacturer, producing 30-35 billion nurdles (pellets) daily at its Grangemouth plant – enough to make 60 million plastic bottles.

    The action comes less than a fortnight before governments meet in Geneva, Switzerland, for the sixth and final round of negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty (5-14 August). Greenpeace is calling for these talks to agree to a cut in global plastic production of at least 75% by 2040, and for the UN to exclude lobbyists from INEOS and other fossil fuels companies from the treaty negotiations. Plastics producers including INEOS have collectively sent hundreds of lobbyists to exert their influence at every stage of the talks so far. Lobbyists have used tactics such as intimidation and harassment, to block an agreement that includes caps on plastic production.

    The 10 climbers are confronting the giant INEOS tanker ‘INDEPENDENCE’. The vessel spent the last 10 days crossing the Atlantic carrying 27,500 cubic metres of ethane bound for Grangemouth where it will be used by INEOS in the production of virgin plastic.

    Amy Cameron, Programme Director at Greenpeace UK said:

    “Plastic pollution has reached a crisis point: it’s poisoning our land, seas, air, even our bodies. The Global Plastics Treaty offers us a once in a generation chance to tackle the problem for good, so it’s no surprise INEOS and its billionaire boss, Jim Ratcliffe, are doing everything they can to stop it.

    Ratcliffe tries to distract us with sports teams and sponsorships, but we’re not going to let him fill our planet with plastic, so he can fill his pockets with profit. Ratcliffe is trying to block a strong Global Plastics Treaty, so today we’re blocking him.”

    An international team of Greenpeace activists abseil from Scotland’s Forth Road Bridge to block an INEOS tanker from delivering its cargo of fracked American gas to the Grangemouth petrochemical facility. The Greenpeace protest is aimed at chemicals giant INEOS, owned by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which is opposing efforts by UN Member States to secure a Global Plastics Treaty to curb plastic pollution. INEOS is the UK’s biggest plastics manufacturer, producing (pellets) daily at its Grangemouth plant – enough to make 60 million plastic bottles.© Luca Marino / Greenpeace

    The highly-trained Greenpeace climbers [2] abseiled from beneath the bridge’s service walkway, unfurling six giant ‘Plastics Treaty Now’ banners. They will remain suspended 25 metres above the main shipping lane of the River Forth [3], preventing the tanker from reaching port with its hazardous cargo. They are supported by a rescue crew on the bridge and a boat team in the river below. 

    The Greenpeace protest comes during Donald Trump’s visit to Scotland. Over the past three years, INEOS Energy has made investments exceeding $3bn in the US oil and gas sector, and the US petrochemicals industry is investing heavily in new chemical and plastics production projects. Like INEOS, US Fossil Fuel giants are attempting to weaken the Global Plastics Treaty to avoid caps on virgin plastic production. 

    ENDS

    Contact: 

    Greenpeace UK press office: press.uk@greenpeace.org / 020 7865 8255

    Greenpeace press officer on the ground at Forth Road Bridge: Kai Tabacek – 07984 127025

    Greenpeace spokespeople are available for interviews on the ground in Scotland and in London

    Please find all photos and videos of the protest HERE. Additional pictures and footage will be added as they become available.

    Notes to editors

    1. Speaking at the EFRA Parliamentary Committee on 8th July, on the UK Government’s priorities for the final plastics treaty negotiations, INEOS’s Technology Director, Peter Williams firmly opposed production caps because of potential “unintended consequences.”
    2. The international team of Greenpeace activists include climbers from: UK, Argentina, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands and Taiwan.
    3. The main span of the iconic Forth Road Bridge is a little over a kilometre long, around 50 metres above water level. The highly-trained Greenpeace climbers are spaced at intervals of around 20 metres in an attempt to block the INEOS tanker. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson Applauds France’s Decision to Recognize Palestinian Statehood, Calls for Renewed Push Toward Peace

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jonathan Jackson – Illinois (1st District)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    CHICAGO, IL – Today, Congressman Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) issued the following statement in response to France’s announcement that it will formally recognize a Palestinian state in September:  

    “I commend President Emmanuel Macron and the French government for their courageous and principled decision to recognize Palestinian statehood. This historic step reaffirms France’s commitment to justice, diplomacy, and a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  

    “A two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine coexisting in security and mutual recognition, remains the only viable path to lasting peace. France’s leadership moves the world closer to that reality. The United States and the international community must follow this example by supporting dialogue, de-escalation, and a negotiated settlement that upholds the rights and dignity of all people in the region.  

    “Now is the time for bold action. Let us seize this moment to advance peace, stability, and hope for future generations. We must break this cycle of violence and work towards a lasting peace and prosperity.  The work is not a singular act, but rather a commitment made to bring our world together. “

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI from Fox News: ‘Shirts and Skins’: How one Republican bridged the gap to pass Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    ICYMI from Fox News: ‘Shirts and Skins’: How one Republican bridged the gap to pass Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

    “‘Hey, we’re all on the same team,’ is a little tougher than what people think.”
    Washington, D.C. – ICYMI, Fox News published the following piece crediting U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin’s (R-OK) essential role in uniting House and Senate Republicans to accomplish President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill.’ The article highlights Mullin’s important role the “de facto liaison between the chambers” and specifically notes his importance in managing a SALT deal that “helped seal the deal for anxious blue state House Republicans.”
    Additionally, Fox News reported on the evolution of the senator’s negotiating style due to the leadership of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), writing, “for a time his negotiating style was arguing with lawmakers to convince them ‘why you’re wrong.’ But that style softened after watching Thune.”
    Read the full story from Fox News HERE and below:
    ‘Shirts and Skins’: How one Republican bridged the gap to pass Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
    By Alex Miller | July 24, 2025
    Passing President Donald Trump’s agenda was a team effort between the Senate and House, but one Senate Republican was key in smoothing over differences between the two chambers.
    “There’s an inherent mistrust between senators and representatives,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital in an interview. “There’s a deep, deep mistrust, and it’s like we’re playing shirts and skins with our own team.”
    “And trying to break down that barrier and let people know, ‘Hey, we’re all on the same team,’ is a little tougher than what people think,” he continued.
    House Republicans were dead set on crafting one, colossal package, while Senate Republicans preferred splitting the bill into two — even three — pieces. Then there were disagreements over the depth of spending cuts, changes to Medicaid and carveouts to boost the cap on the State and Local Tax Deduction (SALT).
    And while the House GOP worked to craft their version of the massive, $3.3 trillion tax cuts and spending package that eventually made its way to the Senate, Mullin was a crucial figure in bridging the roughly 100-yard gap between both sides of the Capitol.
    But it’s a job he never really wanted.
    Mullin, who has been in Washington for over a decade, got his start in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2021. He wanted to maintain “lifelong friendships” with his House colleagues, but becoming the de facto liaison between the chambers was more a decision of practicality than one he truly desired.
    “The first couple of deputy whip meetings we had when [Senate Majority Leader John Thune] was whip was discussing what the House is going to do, and no one knew,” Mullin said. “And I was like, ‘Man, it’s just down the hall, we can go walk and talk to them.’ So the first time I did that, I went to the [House GOP] conference and just talked.”
    “And then it just turned into me going to Thune and saying, ‘Hey, why don’t I just become a liaison between the two?’ So I didn’t, I never envisioned of doing that, other than just keeping a relationship, but it was a natural fit,” he continued.
    That role began when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who Mullin had a longstanding relationship with, led the House GOP, and has continued since House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., took the helm in 2023.
    And it paid dividends during the six-month slog to draft and pass Trump’s budget reconciliation bill, which required full buy-in from congressional Republicans to do so given that no Democrats were involved in the process.
    Markwayne said that before the bill even made it to the Senate in early June, he played a role in ensuring that House Republicans didn’t “dump a ton of stuff in there” that would be nixed by Senate rules.
    He effectively ping-ponged back and forth between the chambers, jetting from morning workouts to speak with lawmakers, meeting with House Republicans during their weekly conference confabs or holding smaller discussions with lawmakers, particularly blue state Republicans concerned about changes to SALT, to get everyone on roughly the same page.
    Much of it broke down to explaining how the Senate’s Byrd rule, which governs reconciliation and allows either party to skirt the Senate filibuster to pass legislation, worked.
    “I mean, even though I spent 12 or 10 years in the House, I never understood the Byrd rule, but why would I? I didn’t have to deal with it,” he said. “So really getting to understand that, and breaking down that barrier helped.”
    The flow of information wasn’t just one way, however. His discussions with House Republicans helped him better inform his colleagues in the upper chamber of their priorities, and what could and couldn’t be touched as Senate Republicans began putting their fingerprints on the bill.
    SALT was the main issue that he focused on, and one that most Senate Republicans didn’t care much for. Still, it was a make-or-break agreement to raise the caps, albeit temporarily, to $40,000 for single and joint filers for the next five years, that helped seal the deal for anxious blue state House Republicans.
    “Just keeping them informed through the process was very important,” he said. “But at the same time, talking to the House, and when we’re negotiating over here, I’d be like, ‘No guys, that’s a killer,’” he said. “We can’t do that if you, if you touch this, it’s dead over there for sure.
    Guaranteed, it’s dead.”
    Over time, his approach to the role has changed, an evolution he said was largely influenced by Thune.
    A self-described “bull in a China cabinet,” Mullin said that for a time his negotiating style was arguing with lawmakers to convince them “why you’re wrong.” But that style softened after watching Thune, he said, and saw him talking less and listening more.
    “I took his lead off of it to let people talk,” he said. “Sometimes you’re going to find out that they’re actually upset about something that had nothing to do with the bill, but they’re taking that, and they’re holding the bill hostage to be able to let this one point be heard.”
    “I don’t think it was a good indication that we were butting heads. Everybody was very passionate about this. I mean, they’ve been working for a long time. We looked at it as maybe a once in a generation opportunity for us to be able to get this done,” he continued. “We wanted to get it right, but everybody wanted to have their fingerprint on it and at the end of the day, we knew we [had] to bring it to the floor.”

    MIL OSI USA News –