The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), will announce federal investments to bolster the global competitiveness and productivity at cutting-edge Alberta businesses in fields like manufacturing, agri-food, technology and health sciences.
Minister Olszewski will be joined by Doug Griffiths, President & CEO, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce; Corey Smith, President & CEO, RAM Elevators + Lifts; and, James Neufeld, Founder & CEO, samdesk.
Speakers will take questions from the media following the remarks.
Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. (MT)
Location: samdesk 10130 103 St, Unit 750 Edmonton, AB
Saul Morales-Garcia, an Illegal Alien, Charged with Attempted Second-Degree Murder
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Tuesday June 17, after leaving his office in downtown Albany, United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III was the victim of a life-threatening incident. Saul Morales-Garcia, an illegal alien from El Salvador, who entered the United States in 2021 after a prior deportation, lunged at Sarcone while brandishing a knife and yelling aggressively in a foreign language Sarcone could not readily identify. Sarcone ran to the lobby of the Hilton Hotel and Morales-Garcia stopped and still shouting in a foreign language turned and started to walk away. Sarcone immediately contacted Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple Sr. Sarcone went back to the street and maintained a safe distance and yelled out to Garcia-Morales to gain his attention to prevent Morales-Garcia from disappearing as Sarcone believed an innocent person would be killed by Morales-Garcia. Before law enforcement arrived, Morales-Garcia charged at Sarcone again screaming and yelling at Sarcone in a foreign language while wielding the knife to make a slitting-the-throat gesture at Sarcone. Sarcone again ran to the lobby of the Hilton where again Morales-Garcia stopped, turned and began to walk away but was apprehended when Sheriff’s deputies arrived. Morales-Garcia was taken into custody and the knife was recovered.
Sarcone was physically unharmed, but emotionally rattled and stated, “I felt an obligation to the public as the chief Federal law enforcement officer in the district that includes the city of Albany. I feared for my life but I couldn’t let this individual harm and potentially kill others.”
Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said: “U.S. Attorney John Sarcone’s selfless actions likely saved lives.”
Morales-Garcia was charged with attempted second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, and menacing in the second degree and remanded without bail. He made an appearance in Albany City Court yesterday and an order of protection was issued for Sarcone. Morales-Garcia may also face federal charges; the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations are involved in the ongoing investigation.
Sarcone was appointed U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of New York by Attorney General Pamela Bondi in March. “Public safety is our highest priority,” said U.S. Attorney Sarcone. “I am relieved that no one was harmed. I appreciated the swift response by the Albany County Sheriff’s office which was within minutes although it seemed like an eternity.” Sarcone emphasized that such brazen and violent behavior underscores the importance of public vigilance and the need for a strong collaboration between federal and local authorities. At Sarcone’s request, his office is recused from prosecuting Morales-Garcia for illegal re-entry into the country, which is a felony, and the case has been assigned to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York for prosecution.
Sarcone stated, “I have spent the last three months going to 27 of the 32 counties thus far in my district conducting meetings with the District Attorneys, Sheriffs, State Police and local police Chiefs accompanied by the heads of all the Federal law enforcement agencies in the Northern District to offer assistance from federal law enforcement and my office to help combat the infiltration of gangs, drug, human traffickers, and sexual predators. My offer of help has been well-received, and the results have been tremendous in helping these communities get rid of violent criminals. The citizens of Albany, and visitors who come to Albany, should be able to feel safe walking down our streets.”
St. Paul, Minn. – Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala, 39, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged federally with assault on a federal officer with a dangerous or deadly weapon and resulting in bodily injury, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
According to court documents, in December 2022, Munoz was charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a minor victim. He was ultimately convicted of Fourth-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, a felony offense.
On June 17, 2025, multiple federal agencies attempted to effectuate an administrative warrant for Munoz’s arrest due to lack of legal status in the United States. Officers and agents—clearly identified as “POLICE”—pulled Munoz over for a traffic stop. Munoz repeatedly refused to comply with commands from law enforcement officers to lower the windows and open the door. Officers told Munoz they would break a window if Munoz continued to refuse. When Munoz refused to comply, the victim in this case, an ERO Officer, used a spring-loaded window punch to break the rear window of the car and then reached into Munoz’s car to attempt to unlock the door.
While the ERO Officer’s arm was inside the car, Munoz put the vehicle in drive. Munoz drove up onto the curb and accelerated at a high rate of speed. The ERO Officer’s arm was caught in the car. As Munoz drove, the ERO Officer was dragged in the moving vehicle. The ERO Officer twice fired his taser at Munoz to get him to stop. Munoz was undeterred. He continued driving away as the ERO Officer screamed.
With the ERO Officer’s arm caught in the broken window and the ERO Officer being dragged along the road, Munoz began weaving back and forth, in an apparent attempt to shake the ERO Officer from the car. Munoz drove back and forth, driving up on the curb and weaving past a vehicle, all while dragging the ERO Officer. When Munoz got off the curb and reentered the street, the force knocked the ERO Officer free from the car. Munoz continued his flight. In total, Munoz dragged the ERO Officer approximately 100 yards down the street.
The ERO Officer was transported to the hospital, where he received treatment for injuries sustained from being dragged by Munoz. The ERO Officer suffered a significant cut to his right arm that required 20 stitches to close. He suffered a significant cut to his left hand that required 13 stitches. The ERO Officer also suffered abrasions to his left knee, elbows, and face.
“Law enforcement officers deserve our respect, our gratitude, and our protection,” said Acting
U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Defendant Munoz—a convicted sex offender illegally present in the country—violently assaulted a federal officer who was just trying to do his job. The injuries the officer sustained were severe but could have been so much worse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has no tolerance for violence against law enforcement officers.”
“Munoz had no legal right to be in this country—and certainly not free in the community after a conviction for sexually abusing a minor,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Instead of complying with a lawful immigration arrest, he chose to violently resist — dragging a deportation officer with his vehicle and putting that officer’s life at risk. The FBI takes any assault on a federal officer with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure this individual is held fully accountable. There is no tolerance for this kind of violence—not against federal agents, not against local officers, not against anyone who wears a badge.”
“This was a brazen and cowardly act by a criminal illegal alien who has complete disregard for the laws of our country and clearly places himself above the lives of others,” said Peter Berg, ICE ERO Field Office Director for St. Paul. “The deportation officer involved in this incident— someone who has dedicated his life to upholding the law and protecting this nation—was severely wounded by a fleeing suspect who should have never been in the United States in the first place.”
These cases are a result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, ERO, and HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raphael B. Coburn is prosecuting the case.
An earlier version of this press release noted that defendant Munoz-Guatemala is a citizen of Guatemala. He is in fact a citizen of Mexico.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A Chicago‑area man who acted as a money launderer for a Mexico‑based drug trafficking organization was sentenced June 11, 2025 to nearly five years in federal prison.
Jose Eladio Medina Valenzuela, age 45, from Cicero, Illinois, received the prison term after a January 6, 2025 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
n a plea agreement, Medina Valenzuela admitted that, from May 2020 to October 2020, he worked with others to obtain proceeds from the sale of methamphetamine in Iowa and transfer those proceeds to individuals in Mexico to promote and facilitate the drug trafficking organization and operation. Two drug traffickers obtained and distributed over 100 pounds of methamphetamine in Iowa, and they took a portion of those methamphetamine proceeds—over $335,000—to Medina Valenzuela in Cicero. Medina Valenzuela then worked with others to get the methamphetamine proceeds to sources of supply in Mexico.
Medina Valenzuela was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Medina Valenzuela was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Medina Valenzuela is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and Homeland Security Investigations. 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.
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jesse T. Hill, 35, of Hickman, Nebraska, entered a plea of guilty to an Information alleging that he committed conspiracy to commit bank fraud in front of United States Magistrate Judge Jacqueline M. DeLuca. Judge DeLuca scheduled Hill’s sentencing for September 11, 2025, at 3 p.m. before United States District Court Judge Susan M. Bazis. Hill faces a maximum possible penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $ 1 million, and a mandatory special assessment of $100. Hill additionally has agreed to pay restitution and forfeit his interest, if any, in a property in Puerto Rico, a PC-12/47E Pilatus Aircraft, and funds in a Charles Schwab account.
Individual 1 operated a real estate business in Nebraska. Individual 1 died on November 2, 2022.
Hill was an investment advisor operating in Nebraska. In 2013, Hill organized JT Equity Trading, LLC which operated as a hedge fund until 2018. Hill then organized First SOJO Capital Group, LLC (“First SOJO”) in 2019. First SOJO was a Registered Investment Advisor in Nebraska that managed two pooled investment vehicles: Outlier Fund I, LP and Outlier Fund II, LP. First SOJO used the services of Piedmont Fund Services from late 2021 until April 2022, when Piedmont Fund Services terminated their relationship with Hill due to significant investment losses. At no point in time did Piedmont Fund Services provide services to Individual 1 or any of Individual 1’s controlled entities.
Beginning in November 2020, Hill and Individual 1 began attempting to obtain loans from financial institutions throughout Nebraska and western Iowa. The loans were sought in the name of Individual 1 and/or Individual 1’s entities. It was represented that these loans were to be used for real estate investments and the alleged collateral for the loans was an investment account of Individual 1 and/or Individual 1’s entity that was managed by Hill. Hill and Individual 1 would grant a surety with the financial institution, typically in the form of a control agreement, a commercial security agreement, or an assignment of account. Hill would falsely claim that Individual 1 and/or Individual 1’s entities were clients of his through his own investment entities JT Equity or First SOJO. Hill would prepare and present fraudulent invoices from JT Equity or Piedmont Fund Services to the financial institutions. Hill would falsely represent values of alleged funds that Individual 1 and/or an entity of Individual 1 had in an account that Hill managed. Hill would falsely represent that no other financial institution had a security interest in these fictitious accounts. Throughout the process of obtaining or attempting to obtain the loans, Hill and Individual 1 would engage with each financial institution to facilitate the loan process to include meeting with the financial institution in person, communicating by telephone, communicating by text message, or communicating by email. Hill knew that the representations being made to the financial institutions in order to obtain loans by Individual 1 and/or Individual 1’s entity were false and were being done with the intent to defraud.
As a result of this scheme, Hill and Individual 1 attempted to obtain at least $45,650,000.00 in loans from at least 19 different financial institutions.
The majority of the funds that were fraudulently obtained went into a failed investment scheme. A portion of the proceeds from fraudulent loans obtained later in the scheme were used to pay off or pay down fraudulent loans obtained earlier in the scheme. Proceeds were deposited in a Charles Schwab account, were used to purchase a property in Puerto Rico, and were used to purchase an ownership interest in a PC-12/47E Pilatus Aircraft.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of the Inspector General, Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of the Inspector General, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System – Office of the Inspector General with assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol, Lincoln Police Department, and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Carinda M. Blair, 39, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 11, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Blair to 78 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Blair’s release from prison, she will begin a two-year term of supervised release.
Blair was charged as a result of her involvement with a Mexico Source of Supply (SOS) of methamphetamine and was a local courier who was distributing the SOS’s methamphetamine in Nebraska and Iowa.
On August 17, 2023, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration surveillance observed a suspected drug courier go to Blair’s Omaha apartment and conduct a drug deal. In a subsequent search warrant on the Mexico SOS’s phone number, messages confirmed that Blair had arranged the drug deal with the SOS. Messages indicated that Blair was a regular customer of the SOS beginning in March of 2023 and was consistently buying ounces of methamphetamine from the SOS on a weekly basis.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
What does it mean to live a good life? Psychologists and social scientists have been focusing on a new idea called flourishing – a sense of well-being that goes beyond just happiness or success. It’s about your whole life being good, including how you interact with other people and your community. So then, how do Africans fare when it comes to flourishing?
Victor Counted is a psychological scientist whose research across 40 African countries offers a data-rich rethinking of flourishing on the continent. His findings challenge the dominant narrative that Africa is “lagging behind” in development by showing a more nuanced picture of what it means to live a good life. We asked him more.
What is flourishing?
Flourishing is more than economic growth or individual happiness. It’s a multidimensional state of being that reflects how people feel about their lives and how well their lives are actually going. So it also measures people’s values within their community.
The idea of well-being often carries a Eurocentric emphasis on the individual – personal satisfaction, autonomy, achievement. Flourishing accounts for how whole a person is in relation to their environment.
It includes the social, spiritual and ecological contexts in which one lives. So, it’s not just about how one feels, but how one lives – fully, meaningfully and in a satisfying relationship with the world around us.
What’s the Global Flourishing Study?
The Global Flourishing Study tries to measure global patterns of human flourishing. It’s an ongoing five-year longitudinal study in over 200,000 participants across 22 countries.
I was one of the team of global scholars brought together to examine the trends on what it means to live well across cultures and life circumstances.
The study identifies six key dimensions of flourishing:
Happiness and life satisfaction
Mental and physical health
Meaning and purpose
Character and virtue
Close social relationships
Financial and material stability
Participants rate how they’re doing in each of these areas on a scale from 0 to 10. Further questions capture experiences related to trust, loneliness, hope, resilience, and other related well-being variables.
Of the 22 nations, five were African: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Egypt.
While these countries didn’t top the global rankings (Indonesia and Mexico did), Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt all reported relatively high flourishing scores, especially when well-being was considered apart from financial status.
Nigeria, for example, ranked 5th globally in flourishing scores that excluded financial indicators – ahead of many wealthier nations. Nigerians indicated strengths in social relationships, character and virtues (like forgiveness or helping others). But potential areas of growth included financial well-being, housing, ethnic discrimination and education.
Overall, this suggests that while material resources matter, they’re not the only thing that determines well-being. Kenya ranked 7th, Egypt 10th, Tanzania 11th and South Africa 13th. Each showed unique strengths in areas like meaning, social connection or mental health.
You did a separate study on flourishing in Africa. What did you find?
In a 2024 study we analysed data from the Gallup World Poll (2020–2022) to explore 38 indicators of well-being across 40 African countries.
This study offered a more detailed and culture-sensitive picture of how Africans experience and prioritise flourishing. The dimensions explored were derived from both local and universal sources, allowing for regionally relevant insights.
We found that African populations often score high in meaning, character and social relationships – despite economic hardship. This offers an important corrective to western assumptions about well-being.
Some of our key findings were:
● There is significant diversity between and within African countries. Mauritius consistently ranked highest in life evaluations (overall satisfaction with their lives), while countries like Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe scored lowest.
● East African countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia showed strong performance in social well-being indicators (like feeling respected or learning new things daily) even when economic indicators were low.
● Countries in West Africa, such as Senegal and Ghana, scored high in emotional well-being, with many people reporting positive daily emotions like enjoyment and laughter.
● Southern African nations, despite challenges like income inequality, displayed resilience through strong community ties and cultural practices rooted in the philosophy of ubuntu.
The results reinforced that flourishing in Africa cannot only be reduced to gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (a measure of the average economic output per person in a country) – nor to western norms of success.
What can African countries focus on to flourish?
In my view, the path to greater flourishing lies in embracing local knowledge and investing in culturally relevant development priorities. Instead of following western pathways – centred on individual advancement – Africa can model alternative flourishing pathways that reflect what matters most to African people.
1. Prioritise local knowledge systems
African ideas about a connected society – like ubuntu (southern Africa), ujamaa (east Africa), teranga or wazobia (west Africa), and al-musawat wal tarahum (north Africa) teach people to care for each other and live in peace. These values help people live meaningful lives and can inform leadership and legislation.
2. Redefine development metrics
Western development models focus on individual achievement, economic output and material consumption. GDP per capita fails to capture the everyday realities and aspirations of African communities. We should also measure things like how happy people are, how hopeful they feel about the future, how strong and resilient their communities are, and how clean, safe and dignifying their living environments are.
This is not a new idea – for years development scholars have called for a shift away from narrow economic indicators toward a focus on human dignity, agency, and the real opportunities people have to pursue the lives they value. What’s new is the growing availability of data and the momentum to take these alternative metrics seriously in shaping national policies and priorities.
3. Invest in education for character development
Quality education is essential to unlocking the continent’s potential to flourish. But Africa needs more than just academic skills and workforce readiness – it needs a strategy for intentional development of values and habits that shape how a person thinks, feels, and acts with integrity.
Part of the problem lies in how the humanities – fields like history, literature, philosophy, and religious studies – are often undervalued or underfunded in education systems. But it is precisely these disciplines that nurture moral imagination, critical reflection, and civic responsibility. We need educational models that form not just workers, but whole persons – people who can think ethically, act responsibly, and lead with character in their communities.
What does Africa offer the world in terms of flourishing?
Africa is not waiting to be saved. Across the continent, people are building communities of care, cultivating joy amid hardship, and passing on values of unity, faith, and compassion. This is what development looks like when rooted in human dignity.
Africa flourishing goals offer an alternative vision for development – one that starts with what Africa already has, not what it lacks. These are locally emic aspirations for well-being. They are shaped by Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems, cultural values, and religious/spiritual traditions. Pursuing these goals means prioritising wholeness over wealth, community over consumption, and resilience over rescue.
The continent has so much to offer the world: wisdom, strong community values, and ways of staying resilient and living fully even in hard times. But many of these local insights are missing in the global science of well-being.
Victor Counted consults for Africa Flourishing Initiative
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Victor Counted, Associate Professor of Psychology, Regent University
What does it mean to live a good life? Psychologists and social scientists have been focusing on a new idea called flourishing – a sense of well-being that goes beyond just happiness or success. It’s about your whole life being good, including how you interact with other people and your community. So then, how do Africans fare when it comes to flourishing?
Victor Counted is a psychological scientist whose research across 40 African countries offers a data-rich rethinking of flourishing on the continent. His findings challenge the dominant narrative that Africa is “lagging behind” in development by showing a more nuanced picture of what it means to live a good life. We asked him more.
What is flourishing?
Flourishing is more than economic growth or individual happiness. It’s a multidimensional state of being that reflects how people feel about their lives and how well their lives are actually going. So it also measures people’s values within their community.
The idea of well-being often carries a Eurocentric emphasis on the individual – personal satisfaction, autonomy, achievement. Flourishing accounts for how whole a person is in relation to their environment.
It includes the social, spiritual and ecological contexts in which one lives. So, it’s not just about how one feels, but how one lives – fully, meaningfully and in a satisfying relationship with the world around us.
What’s the Global Flourishing Study?
The Global Flourishing Study tries to measure global patterns of human flourishing. It’s an ongoing five-year longitudinal study in over 200,000 participants across 22 countries.
I was one of the team of global scholars brought together to examine the trends on what it means to live well across cultures and life circumstances.
The study identifies six key dimensions of flourishing:
Happiness and life satisfaction
Mental and physical health
Meaning and purpose
Character and virtue
Close social relationships
Financial and material stability
Participants rate how they’re doing in each of these areas on a scale from 0 to 10. Further questions capture experiences related to trust, loneliness, hope, resilience, and other related well-being variables.
Of the 22 nations, five were African: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Egypt.
While these countries didn’t top the global rankings (Indonesia and Mexico did), Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt all reported relatively high flourishing scores, especially when well-being was considered apart from financial status.
Courtesy Victor Counted
Nigeria, for example, ranked 5th globally in flourishing scores that excluded financial indicators – ahead of many wealthier nations. Nigerians indicated strengths in social relationships, character and virtues (like forgiveness or helping others). But potential areas of growth included financial well-being, housing, ethnic discrimination and education.
Overall, this suggests that while material resources matter, they’re not the only thing that determines well-being. Kenya ranked 7th, Egypt 10th, Tanzania 11th and South Africa 13th. Each showed unique strengths in areas like meaning, social connection or mental health.
You did a separate study on flourishing in Africa. What did you find?
In a 2024 study we analysed data from the Gallup World Poll (2020–2022) to explore 38 indicators of well-being across 40 African countries.
This study offered a more detailed and culture-sensitive picture of how Africans experience and prioritise flourishing. The dimensions explored were derived from both local and universal sources, allowing for regionally relevant insights.
We found that African populations often score high in meaning, character and social relationships – despite economic hardship. This offers an important corrective to western assumptions about well-being.
Some of our key findings were:
● There is significant diversity between and within African countries. Mauritius consistently ranked highest in life evaluations (overall satisfaction with their lives), while countries like Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe scored lowest.
● East African countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia showed strong performance in social well-being indicators (like feeling respected or learning new things daily) even when economic indicators were low.
● Countries in West Africa, such as Senegal and Ghana, scored high in emotional well-being, with many people reporting positive daily emotions like enjoyment and laughter.
● Southern African nations, despite challenges like income inequality, displayed resilience through strong community ties and cultural practices rooted in the philosophy of ubuntu.
The results reinforced that flourishing in Africa cannot only be reduced to gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (a measure of the average economic output per person in a country) – nor to western norms of success.
What can African countries focus on to flourish?
In my view, the path to greater flourishing lies in embracing local knowledge and investing in culturally relevant development priorities. Instead of following western pathways – centred on individual advancement – Africa can model alternative flourishing pathways that reflect what matters most to African people.
1. Prioritise local knowledge systems
African ideas about a connected society – like ubuntu (southern Africa), ujamaa (east Africa), teranga or wazobia (west Africa), and al-musawat wal tarahum (north Africa) teach people to care for each other and live in peace. These values help people live meaningful lives and can inform leadership and legislation.
2. Redefine development metrics
Western development models focus on individual achievement, economic output and material consumption. GDP per capita fails to capture the everyday realities and aspirations of African communities. We should also measure things like how happy people are, how hopeful they feel about the future, how strong and resilient their communities are, and how clean, safe and dignifying their living environments are.
This is not a new idea – for years development scholars have called for a shift away from narrow economic indicators toward a focus on human dignity, agency, and the real opportunities people have to pursue the lives they value. What’s new is the growing availability of data and the momentum to take these alternative metrics seriously in shaping national policies and priorities.
3. Invest in education for character development
Quality education is essential to unlocking the continent’s potential to flourish. But Africa needs more than just academic skills and workforce readiness – it needs a strategy for intentional development of values and habits that shape how a person thinks, feels, and acts with integrity.
Part of the problem lies in how the humanities – fields like history, literature, philosophy, and religious studies – are often undervalued or underfunded in education systems. But it is precisely these disciplines that nurture moral imagination, critical reflection, and civic responsibility. We need educational models that form not just workers, but whole persons – people who can think ethically, act responsibly, and lead with character in their communities.
What does Africa offer the world in terms of flourishing?
Africa is not waiting to be saved. Across the continent, people are building communities of care, cultivating joy amid hardship, and passing on values of unity, faith, and compassion. This is what development looks like when rooted in human dignity.
Africa flourishing goals offer an alternative vision for development – one that starts with what Africa already has, not what it lacks. These are locally emic aspirations for well-being. They are shaped by Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems, cultural values, and religious/spiritual traditions. Pursuing these goals means prioritising wholeness over wealth, community over consumption, and resilience over rescue.
The continent has so much to offer the world: wisdom, strong community values, and ways of staying resilient and living fully even in hard times. But many of these local insights are missing in the global science of well-being.
– Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being – https://theconversation.com/which-african-countries-are-flourishing-scientists-have-a-new-way-of-measuring-well-being-257458
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
June 21, 2025
[CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton today joined Chicago-area health care advocates, Medicaid recipients and their families to call out the Trump Administration and Republican’s dangerous, relentless attempts to slash Medicaid with their Big, Beautiful Betrayal. Duckworth spoke in support and defense of the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid including pregnant women, children with disabilities as well as people in nursing homes—and demanded that Republicans put their constituents’ lives ahead of Trump’s ego by working with Democrats to protect the critical basic needs program. Photos from the press conference are available on Senator Duckworth’s website.
“Republicans told us in Project 2025 that they’d come for Medicaid—and this is one of the rare times the GOP is actually keeping its word,” Duckworth said. “Make no mistake: there’s no way to pay for Trump’s $4 trillion tax break for billionaires without putting it on the backs of Americans who are already struggling to pay the bills. As Republicansthreatened health care for 16 million Americans—including 3.4 million Illinoisans—to appease Trump and his billionaire buddies, I’ll keep working with Illinois health care advocates to protect and defend Medicaid.”
“Since we saw the earliest versions of the Big Ugly Bill, it has been clear that Congressional Republicans have no intention of passing a budget that works for all, nor do they care about the harm that will fall on working families if they succeed. Nothing makes their priorities more obvious than the axe hovering over Medicaid.” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Grandparents thrown out of nursing homes, farmers and rural families with no hospital to call in an emergency – that’s who the Trump administration is throwing under the bus to cover a tax cut for billionaires. That’s not who we are in Illinois. Everyone – no matter their zip code or who they voted for – deserves access to healthcare.”
“Mental health is not optional. It is essential. And Medicaid is how we fund it. We must invest in the care that gives people a real chance at recovery,” said Sara Gray, Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Illinois.
“The proposed Medicaid cuts would have devastating consequences for older adults and the caregivers who support them. Medicaid is not just a safety net—it is a lifeline that provides access to home and community-based services, long-term care, and essential health coverage. These cuts would threaten the independence, dignity, and well-being of millions of older Americans. We urge lawmakers to prioritize the needs of aging adults and protect the integrity of Medicaid,” said Diane Slezak, President of AgeOptions.
“We are facing some of the most dangerous threats the disability community has seen,” said Karen Tamley, President and CEO of Access Living, a disability service and advocacy center in Chicago. “Congress is considering budget proposals that would slash billions from Medicaid—the lifeline that makes it possible for disabled people to live, work, and thrive. These aren’t just numbers on a page—these cuts would take away life sustaining healthcare, personal care assistants, medical equipment, and essential therapies our community relies on.”
Last month, Duckworth joined Caring Across Generations’ 24-hour Capitol Hill vigil to call out Donald Trump and Elon Musk for their heartless, relentless attempts to slash Medicaid funding.
Today, Education Minister Everett Hindley joined representatives from the Saskatoon Public School Division, Saskatoon Tribal Council, Gabriel Dumont Métis Local 11 and other partners to mark the start of construction on the new City Centre School in Saskatoon with a sod-turning ceremony.
“This school infrastructure project is a testament to our government’s commitment to providing safe and supportive learning environments for our province’s students,” Hindley said. “The new school will provide high-quality education spaces that serve the needs of students and families for years to come. This build will be in addition to the 11 new schools already completed in Saskatoon, since we formed government.”
“We are very excited to announce the start of construction on the Saskatoon City Centre School,” SaskBuilds and Procurement Minister David Marit said. “This build shows our province’s focus on building modern infrastructure for future generations and supporting strong and growing communities.”
The new school will accommodate up to 400 Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8 public school students from King George, Pleasant Hill, and Riversdale neighbourhoods, in addition to providing 74 new child care spaces.
“This is an exciting and significant milestone in realizing this long-awaited and much-needed school,” Saskatoon Public Schools Board of Education Chair Kim Stranden said. “This school will be the innovative facility that area students deserve.”
The total construction cost for the project is $31.3 million and covers both site work and construction. Since 2008, the Government of Saskatchewan has committed approximately $2.8 billion toward school infrastructure. This includes 74 new schools, 31 major renovation projects and 10 minor renovation projects.
IAM International President Brian Bryant has appointed Bill LePinske to serve as Midwest Territory Coordinator, effective June 1, 2025.
LePinske had served as an International Representative after joining the Midwest Territory’s staff in 2017. He has most recently served as the territory’s National Labor Relations Board representative, which helps file for union elections for workers to join the IAM.
“Bill is a longtime IAM member and has been instrumental in organizing and servicing our members throughout the Midwest for many years,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “We’re excited to welcome Bill to this new role and continuing to provide the best representation possible to our proud membership.”
LePinske initiated into IAM Local 701 in 2002 when he helped organize his Joliet Dodge shop. He served as Shop Steward before being appointed to the position of organizer in 2011, and then to the position of Business Representative in 2014.
He has also served as a delegate to the 2012 and 2016 IAM International Conventions, the IAM Illinois State Council, and the Chicago Federation of Labor.
The post Bill LePinske Appointed IAM Midwest Territory Coordinator appeared first on IAM Union.
A federal jury convicted Stephanie Hockridge, a founder of the lender service provider Blueacorn, on Friday in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hockridge, also known as Stephanie Reis, 42, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and previously of Arizona, conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications, including by fabricating documents that falsified income and payroll in order to receive loan funds for which they were not eligible.
“This defendant exploited a national emergency to personally profit from a taxpayer-funded program intended to support vulnerable individuals and small businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This conviction demonstrates the Department’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for defrauding the government and wasting taxpayer money.”
“During a time of crisis in our country, this defendant abused the generosity of the American people by stealing money dedicated to the survival of small businesses to fraudulently enrich herself,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas. “We are proud of the diligent work of our law enforcement partners to hold her accountable and bring her to justice. Make no mistake, our efforts to bring such fraudsters to justice are ongoing.”
“Hockridge’s conviction demonstrates the FBI’s continued commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs from fraud and abuse,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This program was designed to provide critical funds to those struggling during a national crisis, not line the pockets of people seeking to exploit government assistance. The FBI remains committed to pursuing anyone who abuses the public trust for personal gain.”
“Ms. Hockridge defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds for her own personal gain and has been brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jon Ellwanger of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Western Region. “We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners to hold Ms. Hockridge accountable.”
“Exploiting the Small Business Administration’s pandemic relief programs for personal gain is an egregious theft of taxpayer funds,” said Deputy Inspector General Sheldon Shoemaker of the SBA Office of Inspector General. “SBA OIG will aggressively root out fraud to protect the integrity of SBA’s programs, which are intended to provide vital assistance to the nation’s small businesses. I want to thank the U. S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
“This verdict is a victory for justice, accountability, and the American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “In a time of crisis, the Paycheck Protection Program was created as a lifeline to keep small businesses afloat and families fed. Ms. Hockridge saw it as an opportunity to enrich herself. Driven by greed, she used her business to steal millions of dollars intended for those in need. The women and men of IRS-CI will continue to protect what’s right and stand firmly with the honest business owners who play by the rules.”
As proven at trial, Hockridge co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020, purportedly to assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans. To get larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Hockridge and her co-conspirators fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation, and bank statements. Hockridge and her co-conspirators charged borrowers kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received.
As part of the scheme, Hockridge and others offered a personalized service to their clients called “VIPPP” to help potential borrowers complete PPP loan applications. Hockridge recruited co-conspirators to work as VIPPP referral agents and coach borrowers on how to submit false PPP loan applications. To get more kickbacks from borrowers and a higher percentage of lender fees from the SBA, Hockridge and her co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications that they knew contained materially false information. In total, Hockridge and her coconspirators processed tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent PPP loans. Hockridge was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and acquitted of four counts of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10 and faces up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI, IRS-CI, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board-CFPB Office of Inspector General, and SBA OIG investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U. S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www. justice. gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud
MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www. justice. gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A federal jury convicted Stephanie Hockridge, a founder of the lender service provider Blueacorn, on Friday in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hockridge, also known as Stephanie Reis, 42, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and previously of Arizona, conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications, including by fabricating documents that falsified income and payroll in order to receive loan funds for which they were not eligible.
“This defendant exploited a national emergency to personally profit from a taxpayer-funded program intended to support vulnerable individuals and small businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This conviction demonstrates the Department’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for defrauding the government and wasting taxpayer money.”
“During a time of crisis in our country, this defendant abused the generosity of the American people by stealing money dedicated to the survival of small businesses to fraudulently enrich herself,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas. “We are proud of the diligent work of our law enforcement partners to hold her accountable and bring her to justice. Make no mistake, our efforts to bring such fraudsters to justice are ongoing.”
“Hockridge’s conviction demonstrates the FBI’s continued commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs from fraud and abuse,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This program was designed to provide critical funds to those struggling during a national crisis, not line the pockets of people seeking to exploit government assistance. The FBI remains committed to pursuing anyone who abuses the public trust for personal gain.”
“Ms. Hockridge defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds for her own personal gain and has been brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jon Ellwanger of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Western Region. “We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners to hold Ms. Hockridge accountable.”
“Exploiting the Small Business Administration’s pandemic relief programs for personal gain is an egregious theft of taxpayer funds,” said Deputy Inspector General Sheldon Shoemaker of the SBA Office of Inspector General. “SBA OIG will aggressively root out fraud to protect the integrity of SBA’s programs, which are intended to provide vital assistance to the nation’s small businesses. I want to thank the U. S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
“This verdict is a victory for justice, accountability, and the American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “In a time of crisis, the Paycheck Protection Program was created as a lifeline to keep small businesses afloat and families fed. Ms. Hockridge saw it as an opportunity to enrich herself. Driven by greed, she used her business to steal millions of dollars intended for those in need. The women and men of IRS-CI will continue to protect what’s right and stand firmly with the honest business owners who play by the rules.”
As proven at trial, Hockridge co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020, purportedly to assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans. To get larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Hockridge and her co-conspirators fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation, and bank statements. Hockridge and her co-conspirators charged borrowers kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received.
As part of the scheme, Hockridge and others offered a personalized service to their clients called “VIPPP” to help potential borrowers complete PPP loan applications. Hockridge recruited co-conspirators to work as VIPPP referral agents and coach borrowers on how to submit false PPP loan applications. To get more kickbacks from borrowers and a higher percentage of lender fees from the SBA, Hockridge and her co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications that they knew contained materially false information. In total, Hockridge and her coconspirators processed tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent PPP loans. Hockridge was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and acquitted of four counts of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10 and faces up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI, IRS-CI, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board-CFPB Office of Inspector General, and SBA OIG investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U. S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www. justice. gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud
MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www. justice. gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
What you need to know: Thanks to California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, 48 projects — including 43 independent features — will be made in California, projected to generate $664 million in economic activity and employ over 6,500 cast and crew across the Golden State.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Newsom today continued his work in protecting film production jobs in Los Angeles and across the state with a new round of 48 projects approved for the California Film Commission’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program. Governor Newsom recently proposedto double down on this vital program, by expanding the tax credit from $330 million to $750 million to help boost this iconic industry and production in California.
“California didn’t earn its role as the heart of the entertainment world by accident — it was built over generations by skilled workers and creative talent pushing boundaries. Today’s awards help ensure this legacy continues, keeping cameras rolling here at home, supporting thousands of crew members behind the scenes and boosting local economies that depend on a strong film and television industry.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
Why this matters
This diverse slate of feature films — ranging from major studio productions to independent film — is expected to generate $664 million in total spending throughout the state, including $485 in qualified expenditures and more than $302 million in wages for California workers.
These projects, which include 43 independent films, are collectively expected to hire 6,515 cast and crew members, as well 32,000 background performers (measured in days worked), across 1,346 total California filming days.
More than half of the films will be shot in the Los Angeles area, helping to sustain the birthplace of this iconic industry and supporting the community as it recovers from recent wildfires. Enabling the industry’s reach throughout the state, 22 of the selected projects will conduct significant filming outside the Los Angeles area, contributing 329 out-of-zone filming days and substantial economic benefits in Ventura County (Make A Wish, The Teller, Things We Cannot Touch), San Francisco and the Bay Area (High Priestess of Souls, Our Kind of Cruelty), El Dorado and Placer Counties (Gold Mountain), San Bernardino and Riverside Counties (Superbloom, The Heidi Fleiss Story), Bakersfield in Kern County (Counting by 7s) and coastal communities such as Half Moon Bay and Costa Mesa (Sponsor, Doll).
Today’s slate of awards marks the ninth allocation in this fiscal year and reinforces California’s continued leadership as a global production hub, even as other states and countries pursue projects with their own incentive offerings.
“This industry is core to California’s creative economy and keeping production here at home is more important than ever,” said Colleen Bell, Director of the California Film Commission. “This round of tax credits shows our commitment to supporting both indie and studio productions while spreading the economic benefits of filming across the state.”
Highlights from this round of awards
Five major studio features, including Sony Pictures’ “One of Them Days Sequel” — the latest film produced by Issa Rae — which alone is projected to spend more than $39 million in qualified expenditures.
Six independently produced features with budgets over $10 million, such as “Gold Mountain,” “The Teller,” and “They Follow,” all of which plan to film primarily outside of the Los Angeles area.
37 independent projects with budgets of $10 million or less, contributing to the state’s goal of expanding access to underrepresented filmmakers and promoting more inclusive storytelling.
“Los Angeles was an essential backdrop to ‘One of Them Days’ and we are thrilled that Dreux and Alyssa will embark on another authentic escapade through the city’s streets in the sequel through the support of California’s Film and Television Tax Credit,” said Nicole Brown, President of TriStar Pictures.
Read more about today’s announcement, including a full list of productions that are part of the Film and Television Tax Credit Program here.
California is a creative economy powerhouse
Last fall, Governor Newsom proposed expanding California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program to $750 million annually, a massive increase from the current $330 million annual allocation, which would position California as one of the top states for capped film incentive programs.
As one of the strategic sectors outlined in the recently launched California Jobs First Economic Blueprint, the creative economy has deep roots in California’s history and continues to be an engine for innovation, cultural expression, and economic growth.
In 2023, California was home to 220,000 creative economy jobs, one in every four creative economy jobs in the U.S.
The average salary paid to creative workers in 2023 was $160,000, more than 50% higher than the California average.
And while the Los Angeles region leads the way in jobs generated by the creative economy, three other regions — Redwoods, the Bay Area, and the Southern Border — also identified film, TV, and the arts as a regional strategic sector.
About the Film and TV Tax Credit Program
The Film and Television Tax Credit Program provides tax credits based on qualified expenditures for eligible productions produced in California.
Since its launch in 2009 through May 2025, the program has approved 799 projects that have generated nearly $27 billion in economic activity, resulting in less runaway production, new career pathways for below-the-line workers and increased economic opportunity in rural, suburban and urban communities alike. The program further incentivizes projects that film outside the Los Angeles area or relocate to California from out-of-state. The program also requires projects to invest in building career exposure and training opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Looking ahead, the next television application window is slated for July 7-9, 2025. Film applications will be accepted August 25-27, 2025. Application dates and deadlines are posted on the California Film Commission website.
Recent news
Jun 20, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Soon-Sik Lee, of Bellevue, Washington, has been appointed Chief of Planning and Engineering at the California High Speed Rail Authority. Lee has been a Vice President – Senior Program…
Jun 19, 2025
News What you need to know: The Ninth Circuit rejected Trump’s sweeping claim that he can federalize the National Guard for any reason and avoid judicial scrutiny, even as it stayed an emergency district court order. This is a critical check on presidential overreach…
Jun 19, 2025
News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring “Juneteenth National Freedom Day: A Day of Observance” in the State of California.The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONJuly 4 is not the only…
What you need to know: Thanks to California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, 48 projects — including 43 independent features — will be made in California, projected to generate $664 million in economic activity and employ over 6,500 cast and crew across the Golden State.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Newsom today continued his work in protecting film production jobs in Los Angeles and across the state with a new round of 48 projects approved for the California Film Commission’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program. Governor Newsom recently proposedto double down on this vital program, by expanding the tax credit from $330 million to $750 million to help boost this iconic industry and production in California.
“California didn’t earn its role as the heart of the entertainment world by accident — it was built over generations by skilled workers and creative talent pushing boundaries. Today’s awards help ensure this legacy continues, keeping cameras rolling here at home, supporting thousands of crew members behind the scenes and boosting local economies that depend on a strong film and television industry.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
Why this matters
This diverse slate of feature films — ranging from major studio productions to independent film — is expected to generate $664 million in total spending throughout the state, including $485 in qualified expenditures and more than $302 million in wages for California workers.
These projects, which include 43 independent films, are collectively expected to hire 6,515 cast and crew members, as well 32,000 background performers (measured in days worked), across 1,346 total California filming days.
More than half of the films will be shot in the Los Angeles area, helping to sustain the birthplace of this iconic industry and supporting the community as it recovers from recent wildfires. Enabling the industry’s reach throughout the state, 22 of the selected projects will conduct significant filming outside the Los Angeles area, contributing 329 out-of-zone filming days and substantial economic benefits in Ventura County (Make A Wish, The Teller, Things We Cannot Touch), San Francisco and the Bay Area (High Priestess of Souls, Our Kind of Cruelty), El Dorado and Placer Counties (Gold Mountain), San Bernardino and Riverside Counties (Superbloom, The Heidi Fleiss Story), Bakersfield in Kern County (Counting by 7s) and coastal communities such as Half Moon Bay and Costa Mesa (Sponsor, Doll).
Today’s slate of awards marks the ninth allocation in this fiscal year and reinforces California’s continued leadership as a global production hub, even as other states and countries pursue projects with their own incentive offerings.
“This industry is core to California’s creative economy and keeping production here at home is more important than ever,” said Colleen Bell, Director of the California Film Commission. “This round of tax credits shows our commitment to supporting both indie and studio productions while spreading the economic benefits of filming across the state.”
Highlights from this round of awards
Five major studio features, including Sony Pictures’ “One of Them Days Sequel” — the latest film produced by Issa Rae — which alone is projected to spend more than $39 million in qualified expenditures.
Six independently produced features with budgets over $10 million, such as “Gold Mountain,” “The Teller,” and “They Follow,” all of which plan to film primarily outside of the Los Angeles area.
37 independent projects with budgets of $10 million or less, contributing to the state’s goal of expanding access to underrepresented filmmakers and promoting more inclusive storytelling.
“Los Angeles was an essential backdrop to ‘One of Them Days’ and we are thrilled that Dreux and Alyssa will embark on another authentic escapade through the city’s streets in the sequel through the support of California’s Film and Television Tax Credit,” said Nicole Brown, President of TriStar Pictures.
Read more about today’s announcement, including a full list of productions that are part of the Film and Television Tax Credit Program here.
California is a creative economy powerhouse
Last fall, Governor Newsom proposed expanding California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program to $750 million annually, a massive increase from the current $330 million annual allocation, which would position California as one of the top states for capped film incentive programs.
As one of the strategic sectors outlined in the recently launched California Jobs First Economic Blueprint, the creative economy has deep roots in California’s history and continues to be an engine for innovation, cultural expression, and economic growth.
In 2023, California was home to 220,000 creative economy jobs, one in every four creative economy jobs in the U.S.
The average salary paid to creative workers in 2023 was $160,000, more than 50% higher than the California average.
And while the Los Angeles region leads the way in jobs generated by the creative economy, three other regions — Redwoods, the Bay Area, and the Southern Border — also identified film, TV, and the arts as a regional strategic sector.
About the Film and TV Tax Credit Program
The Film and Television Tax Credit Program provides tax credits based on qualified expenditures for eligible productions produced in California.
Since its launch in 2009 through May 2025, the program has approved 799 projects that have generated nearly $27 billion in economic activity, resulting in less runaway production, new career pathways for below-the-line workers and increased economic opportunity in rural, suburban and urban communities alike. The program further incentivizes projects that film outside the Los Angeles area or relocate to California from out-of-state. The program also requires projects to invest in building career exposure and training opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Looking ahead, the next television application window is slated for July 7-9, 2025. Film applications will be accepted August 25-27, 2025. Application dates and deadlines are posted on the California Film Commission website.
Recent news
Jun 20, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Soon-Sik Lee, of Bellevue, Washington, has been appointed Chief of Planning and Engineering at the California High Speed Rail Authority. Lee has been a Vice President – Senior Program…
Jun 19, 2025
News What you need to know: The Ninth Circuit rejected Trump’s sweeping claim that he can federalize the National Guard for any reason and avoid judicial scrutiny, even as it stayed an emergency district court order. This is a critical check on presidential overreach…
Jun 19, 2025
News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring “Juneteenth National Freedom Day: A Day of Observance” in the State of California.The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONJuly 4 is not the only…
What you need to know: Thanks to California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, 48 projects — including 43 independent features — will be made in California, projected to generate $664 million in economic activity and employ over 6,500 cast and crew across the Golden State.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Newsom today continued his work in protecting film production jobs in Los Angeles and across the state with a new round of 48 projects approved for the California Film Commission’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program. Governor Newsom recently proposedto double down on this vital program, by expanding the tax credit from $330 million to $750 million to help boost this iconic industry and production in California.
“California didn’t earn its role as the heart of the entertainment world by accident — it was built over generations by skilled workers and creative talent pushing boundaries. Today’s awards help ensure this legacy continues, keeping cameras rolling here at home, supporting thousands of crew members behind the scenes and boosting local economies that depend on a strong film and television industry.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
Why this matters
This diverse slate of feature films — ranging from major studio productions to independent film — is expected to generate $664 million in total spending throughout the state, including $485 in qualified expenditures and more than $302 million in wages for California workers.
These projects, which include 43 independent films, are collectively expected to hire 6,515 cast and crew members, as well 32,000 background performers (measured in days worked), across 1,346 total California filming days.
More than half of the films will be shot in the Los Angeles area, helping to sustain the birthplace of this iconic industry and supporting the community as it recovers from recent wildfires. Enabling the industry’s reach throughout the state, 22 of the selected projects will conduct significant filming outside the Los Angeles area, contributing 329 out-of-zone filming days and substantial economic benefits in Ventura County (Make A Wish, The Teller, Things We Cannot Touch), San Francisco and the Bay Area (High Priestess of Souls, Our Kind of Cruelty), El Dorado and Placer Counties (Gold Mountain), San Bernardino and Riverside Counties (Superbloom, The Heidi Fleiss Story), Bakersfield in Kern County (Counting by 7s) and coastal communities such as Half Moon Bay and Costa Mesa (Sponsor, Doll).
Today’s slate of awards marks the ninth allocation in this fiscal year and reinforces California’s continued leadership as a global production hub, even as other states and countries pursue projects with their own incentive offerings.
“This industry is core to California’s creative economy and keeping production here at home is more important than ever,” said Colleen Bell, Director of the California Film Commission. “This round of tax credits shows our commitment to supporting both indie and studio productions while spreading the economic benefits of filming across the state.”
Highlights from this round of awards
Five major studio features, including Sony Pictures’ “One of Them Days Sequel” — the latest film produced by Issa Rae — which alone is projected to spend more than $39 million in qualified expenditures.
Six independently produced features with budgets over $10 million, such as “Gold Mountain,” “The Teller,” and “They Follow,” all of which plan to film primarily outside of the Los Angeles area.
37 independent projects with budgets of $10 million or less, contributing to the state’s goal of expanding access to underrepresented filmmakers and promoting more inclusive storytelling.
“Los Angeles was an essential backdrop to ‘One of Them Days’ and we are thrilled that Dreux and Alyssa will embark on another authentic escapade through the city’s streets in the sequel through the support of California’s Film and Television Tax Credit,” said Nicole Brown, President of TriStar Pictures.
Read more about today’s announcement, including a full list of productions that are part of the Film and Television Tax Credit Program here.
California is a creative economy powerhouse
Last fall, Governor Newsom proposed expanding California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program to $750 million annually, a massive increase from the current $330 million annual allocation, which would position California as one of the top states for capped film incentive programs.
As one of the strategic sectors outlined in the recently launched California Jobs First Economic Blueprint, the creative economy has deep roots in California’s history and continues to be an engine for innovation, cultural expression, and economic growth.
In 2023, California was home to 220,000 creative economy jobs, one in every four creative economy jobs in the U.S.
The average salary paid to creative workers in 2023 was $160,000, more than 50% higher than the California average.
And while the Los Angeles region leads the way in jobs generated by the creative economy, three other regions — Redwoods, the Bay Area, and the Southern Border — also identified film, TV, and the arts as a regional strategic sector.
About the Film and TV Tax Credit Program
The Film and Television Tax Credit Program provides tax credits based on qualified expenditures for eligible productions produced in California.
Since its launch in 2009 through May 2025, the program has approved 799 projects that have generated nearly $27 billion in economic activity, resulting in less runaway production, new career pathways for below-the-line workers and increased economic opportunity in rural, suburban and urban communities alike. The program further incentivizes projects that film outside the Los Angeles area or relocate to California from out-of-state. The program also requires projects to invest in building career exposure and training opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Looking ahead, the next television application window is slated for July 7-9, 2025. Film applications will be accepted August 25-27, 2025. Application dates and deadlines are posted on the California Film Commission website.
Recent news
Jun 20, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Soon-Sik Lee, of Bellevue, Washington, has been appointed Chief of Planning and Engineering at the California High Speed Rail Authority. Lee has been a Vice President – Senior Program…
Jun 19, 2025
News What you need to know: The Ninth Circuit rejected Trump’s sweeping claim that he can federalize the National Guard for any reason and avoid judicial scrutiny, even as it stayed an emergency district court order. This is a critical check on presidential overreach…
Jun 19, 2025
News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring “Juneteenth National Freedom Day: A Day of Observance” in the State of California.The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONJuly 4 is not the only…
What you need to know: Thanks to California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, 48 projects — including 43 independent features — will be made in California, projected to generate $664 million in economic activity and employ over 6,500 cast and crew across the Golden State.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Newsom today continued his work in protecting film production jobs in Los Angeles and across the state with a new round of 48 projects approved for the California Film Commission’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program. Governor Newsom recently proposedto double down on this vital program, by expanding the tax credit from $330 million to $750 million to help boost this iconic industry and production in California.
“California didn’t earn its role as the heart of the entertainment world by accident — it was built over generations by skilled workers and creative talent pushing boundaries. Today’s awards help ensure this legacy continues, keeping cameras rolling here at home, supporting thousands of crew members behind the scenes and boosting local economies that depend on a strong film and television industry.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
Why this matters
This diverse slate of feature films — ranging from major studio productions to independent film — is expected to generate $664 million in total spending throughout the state, including $485 in qualified expenditures and more than $302 million in wages for California workers.
These projects, which include 43 independent films, are collectively expected to hire 6,515 cast and crew members, as well 32,000 background performers (measured in days worked), across 1,346 total California filming days.
More than half of the films will be shot in the Los Angeles area, helping to sustain the birthplace of this iconic industry and supporting the community as it recovers from recent wildfires. Enabling the industry’s reach throughout the state, 22 of the selected projects will conduct significant filming outside the Los Angeles area, contributing 329 out-of-zone filming days and substantial economic benefits in Ventura County (Make A Wish, The Teller, Things We Cannot Touch), San Francisco and the Bay Area (High Priestess of Souls, Our Kind of Cruelty), El Dorado and Placer Counties (Gold Mountain), San Bernardino and Riverside Counties (Superbloom, The Heidi Fleiss Story), Bakersfield in Kern County (Counting by 7s) and coastal communities such as Half Moon Bay and Costa Mesa (Sponsor, Doll).
Today’s slate of awards marks the ninth allocation in this fiscal year and reinforces California’s continued leadership as a global production hub, even as other states and countries pursue projects with their own incentive offerings.
“This industry is core to California’s creative economy and keeping production here at home is more important than ever,” said Colleen Bell, Director of the California Film Commission. “This round of tax credits shows our commitment to supporting both indie and studio productions while spreading the economic benefits of filming across the state.”
Highlights from this round of awards
Five major studio features, including Sony Pictures’ “One of Them Days Sequel” — the latest film produced by Issa Rae — which alone is projected to spend more than $39 million in qualified expenditures.
Six independently produced features with budgets over $10 million, such as “Gold Mountain,” “The Teller,” and “They Follow,” all of which plan to film primarily outside of the Los Angeles area.
37 independent projects with budgets of $10 million or less, contributing to the state’s goal of expanding access to underrepresented filmmakers and promoting more inclusive storytelling.
“Los Angeles was an essential backdrop to ‘One of Them Days’ and we are thrilled that Dreux and Alyssa will embark on another authentic escapade through the city’s streets in the sequel through the support of California’s Film and Television Tax Credit,” said Nicole Brown, President of TriStar Pictures.
Read more about today’s announcement, including a full list of productions that are part of the Film and Television Tax Credit Program here.
California is a creative economy powerhouse
Last fall, Governor Newsom proposed expanding California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program to $750 million annually, a massive increase from the current $330 million annual allocation, which would position California as one of the top states for capped film incentive programs.
As one of the strategic sectors outlined in the recently launched California Jobs First Economic Blueprint, the creative economy has deep roots in California’s history and continues to be an engine for innovation, cultural expression, and economic growth.
In 2023, California was home to 220,000 creative economy jobs, one in every four creative economy jobs in the U.S.
The average salary paid to creative workers in 2023 was $160,000, more than 50% higher than the California average.
And while the Los Angeles region leads the way in jobs generated by the creative economy, three other regions — Redwoods, the Bay Area, and the Southern Border — also identified film, TV, and the arts as a regional strategic sector.
About the Film and TV Tax Credit Program
The Film and Television Tax Credit Program provides tax credits based on qualified expenditures for eligible productions produced in California.
Since its launch in 2009 through May 2025, the program has approved 799 projects that have generated nearly $27 billion in economic activity, resulting in less runaway production, new career pathways for below-the-line workers and increased economic opportunity in rural, suburban and urban communities alike. The program further incentivizes projects that film outside the Los Angeles area or relocate to California from out-of-state. The program also requires projects to invest in building career exposure and training opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Looking ahead, the next television application window is slated for July 7-9, 2025. Film applications will be accepted August 25-27, 2025. Application dates and deadlines are posted on the California Film Commission website.
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Pearl River, NY – 6/16/2025… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler, the Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement condemning the targeting of innocent civilians in Israel by the extremist Iranian regime. More than 20 Israeli civilians have lost their lives in recent days due to the Iranian regime’s indiscriminate missile attacks.
“I am outraged at how Iran has been conducting itself in this conflict – indiscriminately killing Jews and Arabs alike,” said Congressman Lawler. “While Israel has sought to defend itself and eliminate the threat posed by a nuclear Iran, The Ayataollah has shown himself to be a bloodthirsty dictator and his actions back up Iran’s consistent rhetoric that they want to wipe the state of Israel off the face of the earth.”
“With hypersonic and ballistic missiles raining down on Tel-Aviv, Haifa, and across Israel, and with civilians hiding in shelters for days on end, it’s imperative that the United States stand by our staunch ally, Israel,” concluded Lawler. “I urge President Trump to continue working with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and to keep all options on the table for dealing with Iran.”
Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.
Pearl River, NY – 6/16/2025… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler, the Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement condemning the targeting of innocent civilians in Israel by the extremist Iranian regime. More than 20 Israeli civilians have lost their lives in recent days due to the Iranian regime’s indiscriminate missile attacks.
“I am outraged at how Iran has been conducting itself in this conflict – indiscriminately killing Jews and Arabs alike,” said Congressman Lawler. “While Israel has sought to defend itself and eliminate the threat posed by a nuclear Iran, The Ayataollah has shown himself to be a bloodthirsty dictator and his actions back up Iran’s consistent rhetoric that they want to wipe the state of Israel off the face of the earth.”
“With hypersonic and ballistic missiles raining down on Tel-Aviv, Haifa, and across Israel, and with civilians hiding in shelters for days on end, it’s imperative that the United States stand by our staunch ally, Israel,” concluded Lawler. “I urge President Trump to continue working with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and to keep all options on the table for dealing with Iran.”
Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.
Pearl River, NY – 6/16/2025… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), reacts to the draft release of the Senate version of the Big Beautiful Bill that passed the House on May 22, raising the SALT cap to $40,000 with an income limit. The Senate’s version, released today, would return the SALT Cap to $10,000.
“I have been clear since Day one: sufficiently lifting the SALT Cap to deliver tax fairness to New Yorkers has been my top priority in Congress,” said Congressman Lawler. “After engaging in good faith negotiations, we were able to increase the cap on SALT from $10,000 to $40,000. That is the deal, and I will not accept a penny less. If the Senate reduces the SALT number, I will vote NO, and the bill will fail in the House.”
“I, along with my fellow SALT Caucus members, are actively engaging with Senators, House Leadership, and the White House and am confident the deal as previously negotiated will be in the final bill that is signed into law,” concluded Congressman Lawler.
Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.
Pearl River, NY – 6/16/2025… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), reacts to the draft release of the Senate version of the Big Beautiful Bill that passed the House on May 22, raising the SALT cap to $40,000 with an income limit. The Senate’s version, released today, would return the SALT Cap to $10,000.
“I have been clear since Day one: sufficiently lifting the SALT Cap to deliver tax fairness to New Yorkers has been my top priority in Congress,” said Congressman Lawler. “After engaging in good faith negotiations, we were able to increase the cap on SALT from $10,000 to $40,000. That is the deal, and I will not accept a penny less. If the Senate reduces the SALT number, I will vote NO, and the bill will fail in the House.”
“I, along with my fellow SALT Caucus members, are actively engaging with Senators, House Leadership, and the White House and am confident the deal as previously negotiated will be in the final bill that is signed into law,” concluded Congressman Lawler.
Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) fought for expanded access to healthcare in rural and Indigenous communities during an Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee hearing.
Her bill, theIHS Provider Expansion Act,was reintroduced earlier in the month, and testimony about the legislation was heard during the subcommittee hearing.
Watch video of thehearing.
The legislation would establish an Office of Graduate Medical Education Programs within the Indian Health Service (IHS). This legislation would expand the existing IHS Residency Program, building from the Shiprock-University of New Mexico (SUNM) Family Medicine Residency which is the first in the nation.
“Access to healthcare should not be determined by history or geography,” saidRep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). “The IHS Provider Expansion Act is a vital step towards ensuring that Native and Indigenous communities can access healthcare and grow the number of medical professionals serving Native communities. By investing in medical education within the Indian Health Service, we can help expand healthcare and bridge the gap in healthcare disparities that have persisted for far too long.”
Testifying about the importance of the legislation was Dr. Adriann Begay from theNavajoNation HEAL Initiative.Dr. Begay is Tábaahi (Edge of the Water clan) and born for Bít’ahnii (Folded Arms People clan). Her maternal grandparents are Ta’néészahnii (Badlands People clan) and paternal grandparents are Tl’aashchí’í (Red Cheek People clan).
She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Arizona; and received a medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine through the Indians into Medicine program. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Arizona and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice. Adriann worked for the Indian Health Service for 21 years initially at Salt River Clinic under Phoenix Indian Medical Center for 4 years as a primary care provider. Then at Gallup Indian Medical Center as an urgent care physician and administrator for 17 years.
Watch video of Dr. Begay’stestimony.
More about the bill and its impact:
In New Mexico, which is home to 23 Tribal Nations and a population that is nearly 12% Native, access to healthcare services is a pressing issue. Currently, IHS provides services in 37 states to about 2.2 million out of 3.7 million Indigenous people in the country.
This bill is projected to directly impact millions of people across the country served by the IHS to improve access to healthcare and medical professionals who understand the unique health challenges faced by Tribal communities.
By expanding access through IHS, this bill will also help to address the significant deficit of rural primary healthcare providers across the country. Recent data from theU.S. Department of Health and Human Servicesshows rural areas across the country face a significant deficit in primary care providers, with more than 80 million Americans living in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
By expanding graduate medical education opportunities through IHS, we can expect an increase in the number of physicians willing to practice in these underserved regions.
Key Provisions of the Legislation:
Establishment of the Office: The Secretary of Health makes permanent the Office of Graduate Medical Education Programs to oversee residency and fellowship initiatives within the IHS.
Creating a Pipeline: The Office will facilitate opportunities for future healthcare professionals, paraprofessionals, and other health-related workers to engage in residency and fellowship programs.
Oversight of Residency Programs: The Office will oversee existing residency and fellowship programs at IHS facilities and support the creation of additional programs aimed at recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals.
Coordination with Academic Institutions: The Office will work in collaboration with academic institutions to strengthen educational ties and enhance training opportunities.
Interagency Working Group: An interagency working group, involving various federal agencies, will assist in the implementation and sustainability of the Office, ensuring ongoing support and resources.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)
ALBUQUERQUE—Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) issued the following statement:
“The U.S. Constitution is clear: the authority to declare war sits solely with Congress. President Trump may not declare war or engage in offensive military action without the explicit consent of both the United States House of Representatives and Senate.
Just in case they forgot — a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including myself, has joined a resolution to reaffirm our Congressional authority. Now is the time for diplomacy.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)
ALBUQUERQUE—Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01)joined New Mexico state lawmakers and community leaders for a veterans town hall to answer questions directly from veterans on issues that impact them in light of the Trump administration’s cuts to the VA, and attacks on our service members by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The Congresswoman joinedNew Mexico State Representative Debbie Sariñana (D-Albuquerque),New Mexico State Senator Harold Pope Jr. (D-Albuquerque), and U.S. Marine Corps veteranFrank Smith.
Rep. Sariñana and Sen. Pope both served in the U.S. Air Force.
Watch the videohere.
“The most patriotic thing we can do is to resist,” saidRep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). “The most patriotic thing we can do right now is to speak out. The most patriotic thing we can do is engage in acts of resistance and supporting our communities. And the most patriotic thing we can do is continue to serve our communities, to fight for our communities, and to fight for our democracy because we will win.”
Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed cuts aimed at what’s being labeled “wasteful” spending:
Over $580 million in contracts and programs have been canceled.
Major cuts include $1.8 billion from consulting contracts at the Defense Health Agency, $1.4 billion from cloud IT services, and $500 million from Navy business consulting.
Eleven contracts related to DEI, climate change, and COVID-19 were also terminated.
A $500 million DARPA help desk contract was cut due to duplication.
The Department of Defense is working with DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), which has identified $800 million in additional spending to eliminate.
There are plans to in-source IT roles, shifting those duties to civilian staff.
The VA started aggressive contract reviews and program cuts:
Effective May 1, the VA ended the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program, which had been the only available mortgage assistance tool for many at-risk veterans. This has increased the risk of foreclosure for thousands of veteran families.
VA has canceled 585 contracts worth $1.8 billion, redirecting about $900 million to healthcare and benefits. Most of the canceled contracts were described as non-mission critical, but some provided administrative or support services that may now fall back on already strained internal resources.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pat Fallon (TX-04)
“President Trump made the tough, but absolutely correct decision in the best interest of America’s national security to order strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites,” said Rep. Fallon.
“These highly successful strikes, carried out by B-2 stealth bombers, have shown Iran, and near-pear adversaries such as Russia and China that when the U.S. military is called to act, it will do so with precision and utter lethality to accomplish its objectives. This was not some trivial task to destroy Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities—the courage and training of the U.S. Air Force pilots who undertook these missions is exceptional and I thank them for their steadfast commitment to duty and excellence that is core to our military’s ethos.”
Rep. Fallon continued, “President Trump has made clear for years that Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons under any circumstances. This past weekend’s strikes are a profound act of deterrence that signals not only to Iran, but to rogue states and bad actors on the world stage that the U.S. is fully committed to protecting our nation’s interests as well as restoring security for ourselves and our allies and partners.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s announcement of U.S. airstrikes on Iran nuclear sites.
“Today, President Trump acted with strength and clarity to eliminate a grave threat to our nation, our allies, and the world. After Iran refused every diplomatic path and persisted in its dangerous pursuit of nuclear weapons, the President was left with no choice but to defend American interests and global security.
“We honor and salute the brave men and women of the United States military who executed this critical mission with precision, courage, and professionalism. By destroying Iran’s nuclear sites, President Trump demonstrated bold leadership, unshakable resolve, and an unwavering commitment to safeguarding our homeland and our allies.
“This action sends a unmistakable message: the United States will never tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran, and we will stand firm and unflinching against aggression and terror.
“I stand with the President and our heroic service members as they defend peace and protect the American people.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) issued the following statement in response to the recent U.S. military escalation in Iran:
“Congress — not any one president — has the constitutional authority to declare war. Military escalation in Iran puts American troops, our allies, and global stability at great risk. The American people want peace, not another prolonged war.
Acting unilaterally to toss aside years of diplomacy for military action is reckless and dangerous. This kind of unchecked executive action undermines our democratic institutions and sets a perilous precedent. I urge the president to bring us back from the brink of war and pursue a strategy grounded in strength, diplomacy, and lasting peace.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, released the following statement regarding recently announced guidance by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) limiting access to immigration detention facilities:
“Today’s announcement is in direct violation of federal law and is just the latest attempt to undercut congressional oversight and dismantle all manner of oversight related to detention facilities – centers that too often have credible reports of inhumane treatment.
“The idea that the administration is claiming that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Field Offices, where immigrants are being held for lengthy periods, are not considered a location that is ‘used to detain or otherwise house’ immigrants and therefore not subject to congressional oversight is absurd. It is our responsibility to do oversight of ICE’s enforcement, and these new policies will not stop us.
“This is nothing but an attempt to hide the truth that President Trump lied to the American people when he promised to arrest and deport only the ‘worst of the worst.’ When I visited a detention facility just last month, the only detained people I was allowed to talk to were a woman who has been in this country for 20 years and was detained less than a week before she was to be married to a U.S. citizen; as well as a legal permanent resident, who has been here 31 years, is a proud member of the Machinists Union, and is married to a U.S. citizen with three U.S. citizen children.”
Earlier this year, the Trump administration also terminated the DHS Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman crippling internal oversight of the Department.
Appropriations language states: SEC. 527. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Homeland Security by this Act may be used to prevent any of the following persons from entering, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens, or to make any temporary modification at any such facility that in any way alters what is observed by a visiting Member of Congress or such designated employee, compared to what would be observed in the absence of such modification:
(1) A Member of Congress.
(2) An employee of the United States House of Representatives or the United States Senate designated by such a Member for the purposes of this section.
(b) Nothing in this section may be construed to require a Member of Congress to provide prior notice of the intent to enter a facility described in subsection (a) for the purpose of conducting oversight.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Rutherford (4th District of Florida)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Saturday, U.S. Congressman John H. Rutherford (FL-05) released the following statement on U.S. Armed Forces attacks on nuclear sites in Iran:
“I am fully behind President Trump and our Armed Forces in the action taken in self-defense, which precludes any need for an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). The President gave Iran every opportunity to make a deal for peace to end this long conflict, but they refused. This is what peace through strength looks like. The world is safer without the threat of a nuclear bomb in the hands of an Iranian regime.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)
LOWELL, MA — Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) issued the following statement after President Donald Trump announced unauthorized U.S. military strikes in Iran: “I am deeply grateful that the American servicemembers who carried out this mission returned safely. Their professionalism, precision, and bravery are unmatched, and we owe them and their families a debt of gratitude for their unwavering commitment to our country.” “Absolutely no one wants to see the Iranian regime acquire nuclear weapons. That shared goal has guided years of bipartisan diplomatic and strategic engagement to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed state. President Trump’s decision to launch direct military strikes without congressional approval threatens to undermine those efforts and drag the United States into another costly, endless war in the Middle East.” “Acting without the consent of Congress, without a clear strategy, and without the backing of our allies puts American lives at risk and risks further destabilizing an already volatile region. It also flies in the face of the president’s campaign promise to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, end the war in Gaza, and bring home the hostages still held by Hamas.” ###
