NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Idaho Supreme Court Upholds Majority of AG’s Ballot Titles in Abortion Initiative Case

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom Idaho Supreme Court Upholds Majority of AG’s Ballot Titles in Abortion Initiative Case

    BOISE – Today, the Idaho Supreme Court rejected most of the legal challenges brought against the ballot titles drafted by Attorney General Raúl Labrador for an initiative that seeks to legalize elective abortion in Idaho.
    The Court affirmed the neutrality and legality of the Attorney General’s drafting, rejecting claims by initiative sponsors that the ballot titles were biased. The Court’s only disagreement with the drafting centered on the 20-word short title, finding that it should have referenced additional features from the 1,226-word initiative text.
    In its opinion, the Court acknowledged the difficulty of summarizing such a lengthy and complex initiative in only 20 words, calling it “a challenging task.” Notably, the initiative sponsors’ own proposed title failed to capture the key features the Court considered important.
    The Court also issued a ruling on the Department of Financial Management’s fiscal impact statement, concluding it did not meet statutory requirements. Although the Attorney General did not draft the statement, his office defended it in court.
    “I’m pleased the Court upheld the majority of our ballot title work, especially rejecting the unfounded claims of bias and acknowledged the challenging task of summarizing a 1,226-word initiative in just 20 words,” said Attorney General Labrador. “We will move swiftly to revise the short title in accordance with the Court’s guidance.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: G7 summit kicks off with emerging disagreements among leaders

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

    The Group of Seven (G7) leaders met for the first day of the two-day summit in Kananaskis in the province of Alberta, Canada, on Monday with emerging disagreements.

    According to CNN, U.S. President Donald Trump does not intend to sign a joint statement calling for de-escalation between Israel and Iran.

    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa held a press conference Sunday night saying that Israel has a right to defend itself and that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.

    French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were also hoping to finalize a consensus among the leaders about the Middle East situation.

    Trump’s decision not to sign on to the statement set up an immediate divide with his counterparts, said the report, although a senior Canadian official said that European leaders are still engaged in the hopes of reaching a consensus.

    In the meantime, trade issues are to dominate discussions with Trump, and observers are watching to see whether he will soften his position.

    After meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump was asked what is holding up a trade-security deal with Canada, and he replied that it’s not a matter of it being held up, but rather “different concepts.”

    “I have a tariff concept and Mark has a different concept,” Trump said. “We will see if we can get to the bottom of it today.”

    “I think Mark has a more complex idea, but also very good. We are going to look at both and we’ll see what we will come out with,” said Trump.

    Trump also said it was a mistake to boot Russia from the G8 table, making it the current G7 and that there wouldn’t be war in Ukraine if Russia hadn’t been ejected.

    The G7 summit unveiled its slimmed-down agenda on Sunday, prioritizing discussions on the global economy and energy security.

    Originally scheduled to begin over the weekend, the summit has been shortened to two days and officially started on Monday.

    The G7 is an informal bloc comprising seven of the world’s advanced economies — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, and the United States — along with the European Union.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Simeone refuses to blame heat after Atletico defeat

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

    Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone refused to blame the scorching temperatures at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl for his side’s heavy 4-0 loss to Paris Saint Germain in their Club World Cup opener on Sunday.

    Atletico was outplayed for most of the game, with Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha giving PSG a 2-0 lead at halftime. Late goals from Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-in sealed the win, while Atletico finished with 10 men following Clement Lenglet’s red card.

    “The first half, we didn’t play as we should have,” admitted Simeone, who acknowledged the team improved after the break, but noted that “Lenglet’s sending off made things more complicated.”

    “They (PSG) have a very young team, and they rounded it off in a great way,” said the Atletico coach. He dismissed suggestions that the 30-plus degree heat was a factor.

    “It’s the same heat in August (in Spain), so I don’t blame that, and it was hot for both sides,” he said, while praising PSG for their quality.

    “They played better than us, they play a team game with very young players and wingers who can change a game … they won the Champions League, the League, the Cup,” said Simeone, who admitted Atletico must now “get good results” in upcoming matches against Seattle Sounders and Botafogo.

    Botafogo moved into second place in the group later in the day with a narrow 2-1 win over Seattle, who tested the Brazilian side throughout the match. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER: UNDER GOP PLAN, ENERGY TAX HIKES COULD DECIMATE ROCHESTER’S #1 FASTEST-GROWING BUSINESS, DRIVE UP COSTS FOR ROCHESTER FAMILIES & SMALL BIZ; STANDING AT HOME WITH NEWLY-INSTALLED SOLAR PANELS,…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Rochester’s GreenSpark Solar, Named Rochester’s #1 Fastest-Growing Business & A Rochester Top Workplace, Has Already Been Forced To Lay Off 20 Workers Due To GOP Clean Energy Attacks, And Worries About Future Of Business Under GOP Job-Killing Bill

    House GOP Rushed Trump’s Tax Giveaway To Billionaires, Gutting Fed Clean Energy Tax Credits That Lower Energy Costs and Boost & Local Jobs – Now Even House Rs Are Regretting It, Asking Senate GOP To Reverse Cuts They Voted For; Senator With Impacted Rochester Businesses, Families Demands GOP Block Cuts

    Schumer: ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Is A ‘Big, Bad Blow’ To Rochester-Finger Lakes Jobs, Families & Businesses

    Standing at a Rochester family home that will soon see lower monthly energy bills thanks to newly installed solar panels, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer warned how the GOP plan to kill clean energy tax credits could raise energy costs for families and devastate Rochester’s HVAC and energy installation companies like GreenSpark Solar, named Rochester’s #1 fastest-growing business and a top place to work in Rochester for the seventh year in a row. 

    Schumer explained these unpopular, job-killing cuts in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” have already created panic among House Republicans and companies, and even House Republicans who voted for this bill last month are now begging to save these tax credits. Schumer said GreenSpark Solar is just one of many local Rochester businesses that could be decimated by this bill and demanded the GOP block these tax hikes that could devastate Rochester families and small businesses.

    “Right now, we are at Defcon 1 for America’s clean energy future, and it’s jobs here in Rochester and monthly energy bills for New York families and businesses that are on the line. The Clark family’s house here in the Rochester area tells the story of today. Last year, they hired Rochester’s fastest-growing business to install solar panels on their roof with help from our Inflation Reduction Act, lowering their monthly energy bill over 65%, from over $100 to $35,” said Senator Schumer. “Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ would deal a ‘big bad blow’ to families here in Rochester, raising their costs and killing good-paying jobs at companies like Rochester’s GreenSpark Solar, which employs hundreds of workers. It guts one of the most effective tax credits middle-class families use to lower their monthly energy bills in order to give bigger breaks to billionaires; it’s outrageous. That’s why I’m demanding Republicans to stop this plan to gut America’s clean energy future and block these cuts that will hurt Rochester’s families’ wallets and decimate jobs.”

    Schumer was joined by workers from leading Rochester HVAC, solar, and geothermal energy installation companies, including ACES Energy, Halco Home Solutions, Wise Home Energy, Schuler-Haas Electric, and GreenSpark Solar, who said the elimination of these investments would be a massive blow to their work, employees, and customers. Rochester’s GreenSpark Solar employs 150 workers, and on any given day, also employs an additional 150-300 union subcontractors from Rochester companies like Schuler-Haas Electric to help build their installations.

    Just two years ago, they were named Rochester’s #1 fastest-growing business and have been able to double their workforce in recent years thanks to customer demand unleashed by the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits. GreenSpark Solar purchases equipment and supplies from local Rochester-area suppliers, boosting the local supply chain, and has just relocated to the heart of downtown Rochester, bringing life to an abandoned building and the surrounding area.

    However, GreenSpark Solar recently had to lay off 20 workers in anticipation of the GOP’s job-killing “Big, Beautiful Bill’s” tax increases on clean energy projects, driving down demand for their business. Schumer said if this bill passes, it will pull the rug out from under GreenSpark Solar just as it is growing, rendering their investments in Rochester worthless and forcing them to lay off local workers.

    “When I first joined the solar industry, I knew almost nothing – but the people at GreenSpark taught me everything: how solar works, how it strengthens communities, and how it builds careers,” said Rory Patrie, Field Service Administrator for GreenSpark Solar. “I believe in it so deeply I had solar installed on my own home. It’s helped me fight inflation, keep my bills low, and become more resilient. The proposed elimination of federal renewable energy investments threatens my livelihood, my coworkers, and the everyday families we serve. I’m glad to stand here with Senator Schumer to defend the credits that support this work – and I thank Senator Schumer for recognizing what’s at stake for workers like me.”

    Kevin Schulte, CEO of GreenSpark Solar said, “I’ve been in the renewable energy business for 26 years, and every time the Federal Government attacked our industry, New York State stepped up, helping us build the fifth largest solar market in the country. Solar and battery storage are the fastest, most affordable forms of electricity on the grid today; we won’t meet our energy goals with offshore wind, nuclear, or even natural gas—it will also come from solar. I’m proud to stand with Senator Schumer to defend the policy that supports this critical work and provides quality jobs and affordable energy to many New Yorkers.”

    The Clark family, who just hired GreenSpark Solar to install solar panels last year with help from the Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit, has already seen their monthly electricity bill decrease by over 65%, from over $100 to $35. Now, they are considering installing additional panels and a battery backup system that can store electricity, making them better prepared for power outages during extreme weather. However, if Republicans repeal the tax credits, the cost of making their home more energy efficient will skyrocket. Thousands of families across New York State are waiting to see what the GOP does in Washington and are holding off on new clean energy installations, hurting companies like GreenSpark Solar and the thousands of workers in the clean energy industry.

    The GOP bill would kill clean energy incentives already benefiting hundreds of New York businesses with ongoing projects and the families who are using them to help improve their homes’ energy efficiency and lower their energy bills. Schumer specifically highlighted how the bill:

    • Eliminates the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit, which provides families in New York up to $3,200 to help weatherize their homes for better protection in the harsh winters and make improvements to their home’s energy efficiency, lowering their energy bills with qualifying items like doors, windows, better insulation and heat pumps, and
    • Eliminates the Residential Clean Energy Credit, which gives New York families a 30% discount on home energy improvements, like solar panels, heat pumps, or energy storage, that help lower energy bills and keep the lights on during power outages.

    Penfield homeowners also joined Schumer, including Al Hibner, who lowered his monthly heating costs by 44% with his geothermal heat pump installed by Rochester’s ACES Energy, and homeowner Katie Ryggs, who has saved $1650 a year on her utility bills thanks to solar panels installed by GreenSpark and geothermal installed by ACES. Her monthly bills went from $200 to $60, plus she’s saved thousands on gasoline costs because she was able to switch to an electric vehicle and charge at home, reducing her monthly energy costs by more than 70%. 

    In the past two decades, more than 5 million American households have put solar panels on their roofs – this skyrocketed after the Inflation Reduction Act expanded these tax credits three years ago. However, one analysis estimates residential solar installations could fall by half in the next year if this House GOP bill goes through.

    “The Energy Tax Credit helped us install solar panels and slash our electric bill from over $100 to just $25 a month,” said Steve & Amy Clark, Penfield homeowners. “We were looking forward to adding additional solar panels and battery storage in the future – but if these credits are cut, that would put those plans out of reach. We appreciate Senator Schumer’s support for these essential tax credits that make clean energy possible for homeowners like us.”

    Penfield homeowner Katie Rygg said, “These tax credits put geothermal, solar, and our first EV within reach for my family – helping us create a better future for our daughters – with the added benefits of having less pollution in the house and saving money on our monthly energy bills. In the summer, we use 1/6 of the electricity to cool our house and in winter, we use 1/4 of the energy to heat our home. We hope that Congress will fight to preserve these clean energy tax credits so that many more families will be able to access the savings, comfort, and health benefits that come with electric homes and vehicles.”

    Schumer was joined by Rochester-Finger Lakes businesses across the clean energy sector who said this bill would hurt their businesses immediately.

    Andrew (AJ) Heiligman, President, ACES Energy & Renewable Rochester said, “Geothermal heat pump Federal tax credits have empowered everyday Americans to invest in clean, domestic energy, lowering utility bills, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and generating well-paying local jobs. These incentives benefit more than just homeowners; they strengthen local economies and sustain the skilled workers driving our clean energy transition. Rolling them back now would stall momentum that’s delivering real results for people, the environment, and communities alike.”

    Ryan Puckett, General Manager at Wise Home Energy said, “The Federal tax credits for beneficial electrification and weatherization are critical tools for reducing carbon emissions in our buildings. These incentives drive investment in cleaner, more resilient technologies, reducing costs and improving living conditions for New Yorkers. Removing them would not only hinder progress toward energy independence but also place unnecessary burdens on contractors and families striving for sustainable solutions. Wise Home Energy thanks Senator Schumer for supporting clean energy policy that benefits us all.”

    Schumer was also joined by Rochester Building Trades workers who, with the help of IRA’s Clean Electricity Investment Tax credits, just built New York’s first grid-scale solar project, Morris Ridge Solar, in Livingston County that created 550 jobs, provided a $70 million boost to the local economy, and is powering 47,000 households. These workers, who are now constructing the 2nd largest solar project in New York – the Excelsior Energy solar farm in Genesee County that is creating 290 construction jobs, $117.5 million in economic impact, and will power 74,000 homes – fear these thousands of jobs will now be lost.

    Grant Malone, President of the Rochester Building & Construction Trades Council said, “Good-paying family sustaining local construction jobs will be obliterated by the job-killing “Big, Beautiful Bill’s” repeal of clean energy incentives. Our hundreds of local skilled trades members who are on the job today building solar farms in Rochester to power hundreds of thousands of homes are proof that these federal investments are a win-win. We are proud to stand with Senator Schumer to oppose any attempts to eliminate these investments and kill the thousands of construction jobs they are set to unleash.”

    Schumer said clean energy tax incentives have spurred a clean energy boom in New York State, and rolling them back would have devastating impacts. The Clean Economy Tracker estimates the Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives have spurred over $5 billion worth of investments in clean manufacturing in New York, creating over 7,200 jobs. Data from NERA Economic Consulting shows that repealing clean energy tax credits could cause New York to lose up to 20,300 jobs as clean energy projects are cancelled or scaled back, with a whopping nearly $3.5 billion hit to the state’s GDP, and New Yorkers paying up to $650 in higher energy costs each year by 2032 if these devastating cuts become law.

    Already, Republicans have shown doubts about the provisions in this bill. Earlier this month, thirteen House Republicans sent a letter to Senate Republican leaders urging them to scale back clean energy cuts in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” – the very bill their votes helped pass in the House. Last week, House Republicans voted for a second time to pass this job-killing bill after deleting various provisions.

    “The fight is far from over. House Republicans’ latest flipflopping shows our pressure is working, and we have a real opportunity to get them to go back to the drawing board on this bill, and stop their attacks to totally eliminate these clean energy tax credits. And we are doing that by showing the real-world impacts, the jobs lost and lives devastated by their brutal cuts,” added Schumer.

    Schumer said if this House Republican plan goes through, many of the clean energy projects spurred by the IRA could be forced to scale back or even stop, the workers building the future of American energy would be laid off, and projects that otherwise would have plugged into the grid will never come to fruition. That would impact both major NY employers and manufacturers in the clean energy, manufacturing, electric vehicle, battery, and research sectors, and also our small businesses and major economic projects slated to come to New York. Schumer said the House Republican bill would repeal the very parts of the Inflation Reduction Act that have helped companies grow in New York and spurred millions of investments, many of which are in Republican districts such as:

    1. Eliminates the Clean Electricity Investment & Production Credits that support more cheap, clean electricity. With natural gas turbines on a five-year delay, the IRA’s clean electricity tax credits have ensured a robust buildout of wind and solar power while spurring demand for American-made energy products and helping keep electricity prices from increasing.
    2. Sabotages the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit that has generated a more than five-fold increase in investment in manufacturing in the solar and EV supply chains, creating thousands of good-paying jobs and shifting these industries out of China to the U.S.
    3. Eliminates the IRA’s Electric Vehicle Tax Credits that make it cheaper to buy new and used electric and plug-in hybrid cars, and has led to a massive onshoring of EV and battery supply chain manufacturing, undercutting China and bolstering American companies.
    4. Eliminates the New Energy-Efficient Home Credit that makes it cheaper to build new, highly efficient and affordable homes, expanding the housing supply while reducing energy costs.
    5. Eliminates the Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit that supports American-made clean hydrogen, led by New York companies like Plug Power and Air Products, to be used for clean manufacturing and agriculture.

    Graham Hughes, Director of Policy & Advocacy of the Climate Solutions Accelerator said, “Investments in clean energy made through the Inflation Reduction Act have allowed people in the Finger Lakes Regions to upgrade our homes, lowered the cost of our energy, and created good paying jobs in a growing sector of the economy. Cutting these tax credits will roll back this progress and make our region more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We need congress to protect these investments and ensure the green economy continues to grow in New York.”

    Monroe County Legislator Susan Hughes-Smith & Climate Solutions Accelerator Co-founder said, “The federal clean energy tax credits are good for our economy, health, and environment. The Solar Energy Industry Association calculates that the elimination of just the solar tax incentives would result in 330,000 jobs lost across the country, close or cancel 331 factories and squander nearly $300 billion in local investments. These credits should be preserved.”

    Repealing the clean energy tax incentives would also be a disaster for America that Schumer said would cede energy manufacturing leadership to China, which already produces a significant amount of the world’s clean technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries. If companies can no longer support clean energy manufacturing in the United States, they will bring these projects to America’s competitors, and jobs that would’ve otherwise been created in America will be created in countries like China. This will destabilize American supply chains and make American families and businesses reliant on China and other foreign countries for cheap energy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brownley Statement on Israeli and Iranian Air Strikes 

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) issued the following statement on the Israeli and Iranian air strikes.

    “Donald Trump has done virtually nothing to stop Iran’s continued enrichment of weapons-grade nuclear material or to curb its support for terrorist organizations that threaten Israel, destabilize the Middle East, and endanger U.S. interests since he walked away from the nuclear weapons treaty Obama negotiated.

    “While I’m not generally supportive of Prime Minister Netanyahu, as he often seems intent on addressing every security challenge through military means, Israel unquestionably has the right to defend itself. And Iran has unquestionably and repeatedly threatened the security of Israel, directly and through their proxies.

    “While I have hope, I also have little faith, that Donald Trump has the leadership skills or the interest to stabilize the region or secure lasting peace for Israel, but in the leadership vacuum he’s created, one thing is clear: Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and they have continued, in defiance of international nonproliferation treaties, to move toward acquiring nuclear weapons. Let’s be clear, a nuclear-armed Iran would endanger not just Israel — but the entire world.

    “I would like both Israel and Iran to de-escalate the current conflict. But ultimately, there will be no stability in the Middle East, which requires a secure Israel, hope for the Palestinian people, and a denuclearized Iran, without diplomacy and U.S. engagement. The President needs to step up and provide the leadership this moment demands.”

    ###

    Issues: 119th Congress

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grants Pass and Douglas County Fire District No. 2 Receive High-Tech Water Rescue Equipment through Oregon’s SPIRE Grant Program

    Source: US State of Oregon

    ALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is proud to announce the delivery of advanced water rescue equipment to two Oregon communities as part of the State Preparedness and Incident Response Equipment (SPIRE) grant program.

    The City of Grants Pass Fire Rescue and Douglas County Fire District No. 2 have each received an Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard (E.M.I.L.Y.) – a swift water rescue device designed to support life-saving efforts in dangerous water conditions. These compact, remote-controlled, battery-powered devices can travel through swift current to bring a flotation device directly to a person in distress, making them a vital tool for rapid water rescue.

    “We are excited to have received our Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard (E.M.I.L.Y.) devices through the SPIRE grant program,” said Joseph Hyatt of Grants Pass Fire Rescue. “This device will provide rescuers with a much-needed tool to mitigate water rescue incidents safely and successfully.”

    Douglas County Fire District No. 2 also recognized the immediate value of the device. “On behalf of Central Douglas County Fire & Rescue, and the constituents we serve, we are thankful to have been recipients of E.M.I.L.Y.,” said Fire Chief Rob Bullock. “We quickly realized the benefits and life-saving ability this will bring to our response area, ultimately aiding in a high success for survivability to the people that call for our aid. Deployment is quick, it’s effective and practical, and was immediately implemented into our response package.”

    The equipment was received in May by the City of Grants Pass Fire Rescue and the Douglas County Fire District No. 2. These cutting-edge tools represent the state’s commitment to enhancing local emergency response capabilities through SPIRE – a grant program designed to bolster disaster preparedness by equipping first responders with essential technology and tools.

    SPIRE-funded resources are mapped on Oregon’s SPIRE Hub (spire-geo.hub.arcgis.com), a public platform that provides information and coordination opportunities for emergency response assets across the state. The availability of this equipment on the SPIRE map enhances situational awareness and promotes mutual aid support across jurisdictions.

    To learn more about the SPIRE program and see where life-saving equipment is located throughout Oregon, visit: https://spire-geo.hub.arcgis.com

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer’s Paid Family & Medical Leave Tax Credit Included in Senate Finance Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) issued the following statement after the Senate Finance Committee released legislative text as part of the reconciliation process which includes her Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit: 

    “I want to thank Chairman Crapo for working with me to make sure my Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy is made permanent in the Senate Finance bill. Since securing the nation’s first-ever and only PFML policy in 2017, it has helped employers of all sizes offer PFML plans to their employees. I’m pleased we are continuing to build upon this important effort to benefit America’s working families.”

    In May, the House Way & Means Committee 

    included Fischer’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit as part of their tax bill, which passed the House.

    Fischer’s work on Paid Family and Medical Leave:

    Fischer and Senator Angus King (I-Maine) established the country’s first-ever nationwide PFML policy, which was     included in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and implemented in 2018. Fischer and King reintroduced the bill in February, which builds upon the 2017 law to better serve working families. It also provides additional ways for employers to qualify for the paid leave tax credit, such as paying for PFML insurance products.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer’s Paid Family & Medical Leave Tax Credit Included in Senate Finance Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) issued the following statement after the Senate Finance Committee released legislative text as part of the reconciliation process which includes her Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit: 

    “I want to thank Chairman Crapo for working with me to make sure my Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy is made permanent in the Senate Finance bill. Since securing the nation’s first-ever and only PFML policy in 2017, it has helped employers of all sizes offer PFML plans to their employees. I’m pleased we are continuing to build upon this important effort to benefit America’s working families.”

    In May, the House Way & Means Committee 

    included Fischer’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit as part of their tax bill, which passed the House.

    Fischer’s work on Paid Family and Medical Leave:

    Fischer and Senator Angus King (I-Maine) established the country’s first-ever nationwide PFML policy, which was     included in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and implemented in 2018. Fischer and King reintroduced the bill in February, which builds upon the 2017 law to better serve working families. It also provides additional ways for employers to qualify for the paid leave tax credit, such as paying for PFML insurance products.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Introduces No War Against Iran Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, June 16 – Following Israel’s military strikes against Iran, which threaten to further destabilize the Middle East and draw the United States into yet another military conflict, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today introduced the No War Against Iran Act to prohibit the use of federal funds for any use of military force in or against Iran absent specific Congressional authorization. The bill contains an exception for self-defense as enshrined in the War Powers Act and applicable U.S. law.

    Joining Sanders on this legislation are Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.). Sanders first introduced this legislation in January 2020 with Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and then-Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as cosponsors.

    “Netanyahu’s reckless and illegal attacks violate international law and risk igniting a regional war. Congress must make it clear that the United States will not be dragged into Netanyahu’s war of choice,” Sanders said. “Our Founding Fathers entrusted the power of war and peace exclusively to the people’s elected representatives in Congress, and it is imperative that we make clear that the President has no authority to embark on another costly war without explicit authorization by Congress.”

    “Another war in the Middle East could cost countless lives, waste trillions more dollars and lead to even more deaths, more conflict, and more displacement,” Sanders continued. “I will do everything that I can as a Senator to defend the Constitution and prevent the U.S. from being drawn into another war.”

    “Our taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund another reckless, open-ended conflict instigated by Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Welch said. “War has badly damaged this region. Millions of civilians face acute hunger and need lifesaving aid in Gaza right now. Netanyahu just upended U.S.-led negotiations to limit Iran’s nuclear program in favor of recklessly escalating tensions. Congress needs to listen to the American people, as our founders intended, before getting involved.”

    “The Constitution is clear: Congress decides when our country goes to war, not the President or the Netanyahu government,” Warren said. “The Trump administration must prioritize de-escalation to prevent this spiraling into a war that jeopardizes U.S. troops and destabilizes the Middle East.”

    “As strikes between Israel and Iran continue, we need de-escalation and restraint from all sides. Trump’s reckless decision to abandon the JCPOA nuclear agreement, cheered on by Netanyahu, helped bring us to this dangerous moment. This bill makes clear: the President cannot launch another war in the Middle East without Congressional authorization. It’s long past time for Congress to reassert its constitutional role and prevent another disastrous conflict,” Merkley said.

    “Instead of bringing wars to an end, Trump is facilitating them — leading to civilian deaths and threatening American lives in the region. Only the Congress has the constitutional power to declare war, and President Trump must not drag us further into this conflict without Congressional approval,” Van Hollen said.

    “Our Constitution and laws give Congress, not the President, the exclusive powers to authorize military force and declare war. Congress must reassert that authority so that we are not drawn into a catastrophic regional war that would further imperil the safety of American citizens and forces, the stability of Middle East, and the lives of innocent civilians,” Markey said.

    Read the bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Reaction to Tax Bill Text, Unveiled by Senate Finance Committee 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    Bill will hurt Vermonters and tank the economy 
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today released the following reaction to the recently unveiled text of the Republicans’ reconciliation bill:  
    “Republicans’ tax bill poses a very real threat to the American people and the American economy. This bill makes painful cuts to Medicaid, which will limit or block access to care for millions of seniors, families and people with disabilities, and hurt the rural hospitals millions of patients rely on. The Republicans’ bill will rip away nutrition assistance kids and families need. Green energy jobs across America will be cut. Interest rates will go up, trillions will be added to the deficit, and the economy will get tanked.   
    “In Vermont, nobody comes up to me to ask about how this bill will affect their taxes, but they do ask about their access to health care and food assistance. They ask about the trusted community institutions—like our hospitals and health centers—that will close. They ask why Republicans in Washington are forcing a tax cut that will benefit the wealthy, but not everyday, hardworking people.  
    “This bill hurts folks in blue and red states alike. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to consider how this bill will inflict real pain in their state. They should stand up for the needs of their constituents, not the demands of the president.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement From Office of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur On Heightened Law Enforcement Presence Following Events In Minnesota

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Toledo, Ohio — Today, the office of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) released the following statement upon receiving notice that Congresswoman Kaptur was named in writing by an individual suspected of the targeted assassination of lawmakers in the State of Minnesota:

    “Congresswoman Kaptur is exceedingly grateful to law enforcement for keeping our Great Lakes communities safe on several occasions over these past few years and for their work around the clock this weekend in Minnesota.

    “Political extremism in America is cause for serious reflection and concern. The inclusion of Congresswoman Kaptur’s name in the Minnesota suspect’s writings is a matter better left for law enforcement and investigators — but it will not deter her work to make life better for families across Northwest Ohio. 

    “Uplifting those who she has the honor to serve has been her sole focus every single day she has served and nothing will deter her from doing so now. 

    “At this time out of respect to law enforcement working around the clock locally, and nationwide to keep law makers safe, we will not be providing further public comment on this matter.”

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pakistan native arrested, charged with illegal reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Saima Qamar, 55, a citizen of Canada and native of Pakistan, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Qamar was detained by the Lewiston Police Department, which reached out to U.S. Border Patrol for assistance in identifying the defendant. A records check determined that Qamar was a citizen of Canada and national of Pakistan who was illegally present in the United States after previously having been removed in April 2019.

    Qamar made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained.

    This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

    The complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol Niagara Falls Station, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Brady Waikal.

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.   

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: Capito Attends White House Signing of her Resolution Ending California’s EV Mandate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, attended a White House ceremony where President Trump signed her joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal California’s attempted electric vehicle mandate through their “Advanced Clean Cars II” regulation that prohibits the sale of new gas-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035.

    “With President Trump’s signature today, we have successfully ended California’s attempt to establish a nationwide EV mandate that would have hurt our economy, eliminated jobs, and removed consumer choice across our country. Despite the best efforts of the Biden administration and Congressional Democrats, the voice of the American people has been heard and put into action through the repeal of this rule. I’m proud to have led this effort and thank President Trump and my Republican colleagues in Congress for their work and support throughout this process,” Chairman Capito said. 

    TIMELINE OF SENATOR CAPITO’S EFFORTS:

    • May 22, 2025: The Senate passed Senator Capito’s CRA to repeal California’s EV mandate through their “Advanced Clean Cars II” regulation.
    • May 21, 2025: Senator Capito spoke on the Senate floor outlining the importance of ending California’s EV mandate, and the Congressional Review Act process she led to repeal California’s waiver. 
    • May 1, 2025: Senator Capito applauded the House of Representatives’ passage of joint resolutions of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to repeal California’s EV mandate.
    • April 4, 2025: Senator Capito, joined by Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) introduced joint resolutions of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to repeal California’s EV regulations that prohibit the sale of new gas-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035 and set unrealistic and stringent requirements for heavy-duty trucks and heavy-duty diesel engines.
    • December 18, 2024: Senator Capito pledged to work to reverse the Biden administration’s lame duck action of approving California’s waiver to implement its “Advanced Clean Cars II” regulation.
    • February 28, 2024: Senator Capito joined Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.-05), Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.-13), in a bicameral letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan warning of the legal and economic consequences of granting a Clean Air Act waiver for the Advanced Clean Cars II regulation, which would enable the state to require 35 percent of automobile sales to be electric vehicles in model year 2026, and 100 percent of them by 2035.

    PHOTOS:

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) with President Donald Trump at the White House signing ceremony for her resolution to end California’s nationwide electric vehicle mandate.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) with President Donald Trump at the White House signing ceremony for her resolution to end California’s nationwide electric vehicle mandate.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Joins Cassidy, Republican Colleagues in Demanding an End to Biden-Era Flood Insurance Premiums

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) recently joined Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and eight other Republican senators in demanding the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) finally end the Biden era policy, Risk Rating 2.0, which caused flood insurance premiums to skyrocket. 

    “Since the Biden Administration’s rollout of Risk Rating 2.0, premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) increased in every state. By FEMA’s own estimates, 77 percent of all NFIP policies now pay more than under the old system,” the senators said.

    “The lack of transparency surrounding Risk Rating 2.0 is beyond troubling. FEMA has never allowed for meaningful public comment nor has it published the underlying data or assumptions used to justify the steep premium increases and refuses to disclose its actuarial model. Without transparency, communities cannot plan mitigation projects, lenders cannot accurately underwrite mortgages, and citizens cannot appeal punitive rate increases. Worse still, rising costs encourage policy lapses—shifting risk back to taxpayers when disasters strike,” the senators continued.

    Read the full letter here or below. 

    Dear Acting Administrator Richardson,

    We write to draw your urgent attention to the increasingly untenable flood insurance premiums paid by American homeowners as a result of the Biden era policy, Risk Rating 2.0, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). We respectfully ask for your leadership to halt further premium increases under Risk Rating 2.0 and implement much needed transparency from FEMA.

    On January 20, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order (EO) 13990, directing every federal agency to target and modify Trump era regulations under the auspice of combating climate change. A few months later, Biden signed EO 14030, requiring agencies to integrate up-to-date flood risk considerations into federal actions. Collectively, both of these EOs laid the groundwork for FEMA’s implementation of a new rating system known as Risk Rating 2.0, which was enacted on October 1, 2021.  

    Since the Biden Administration’s rollout of Risk Rating 2.0, premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) increased in every state. By FEMA’s own estimates, 77 percent of all NFIP policies now pay more than under the old system. According to a 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, premiums on primary residences under Risk Rating 2.0 are subject to a maximum 18 percent increase each year until such premiums reflect “the full risk loss of the insured property,” as determined by FEMA.

    Families in the following Republican states are especially hard-hit.

    Louisiana:

    • It is estimated that 80 percent of Louisiana NFIP policyholders experienced monthly premium increases in 2025 as a result of Risk Rating 2.0.
    • In 2023 alone, the average flood insurance premium in our state jumped by 234 percent, forcing more than 52,000 Louisianans—many of them seniors on fixed incomes—out of the program.
    • Coastal parishes, which depend on flood insurance to secure mortgages and rebuild after storms, are now facing premiums that exceed 2 percent of median household income—a threshold that federal guidance deems “cost prohibitive.”

    West Virginia:

    • It is estimated that 83% of West Virginia NFIP policyholders experienced monthly premium increases in 2025 as a result of Risk Rating 2.0.
    • As of August 2023 (the latest available FEMA data), Risk Rating 2.0 would increase annual NFIP premiums for homeowners in West Virginia by ~176%
    • Over the last 12 months, ~600 West Virginians have left the NFIP as a result of premium increases.

    Texas:

    • It is estimated that 86% of Texas NFIP policyholders experienced monthly premium increases in 2025 as a result of Risk Rating 2.0.
    • As of August 2023 (the latest available FEMA data), Risk Rating 2.0 would increase annual NFIP premiums for homeowners in Texas by ~53%.
    • Over the last 12 months, ~26,300 Texans have left the NFIP as a result of premium increases. 

    Alabama:

    • It is estimated that 79% of Alabama NFIP policyholders experienced monthly premium increases in 2025 as a result of Risk Rating 2.0.
    • As of August 2023 (the latest available FEMA data), Risk Rating 2.0 would increase annual NFIP premiums for homeowners in Alabama by ~106%.
    • Over the last 12 months, ~1,200 Alabamians have left the NFIP as a result of premium increases.

    Mississippi:

    • It is estimated that 84% of Mississippi NFIP policyholders experienced monthly premium increases in 2025 as a result of Risk Rating 2.0.
    • As of August 2023 (the latest available FEMA data), Risk Rating 2.0 would increase annual NFIP premiums for homeowners in Mississippi by ~103%.
    • Over the last 12 months, ~2,200 Mississippians have left the NFIP as a result of premium increases.

    Rural and low-income homeowners, along with high-risk coastal areas, are being priced out at far higher rates than urban or wealthier communities. In ten states, full risk NFIP premiums today exceed 2 percent of median household income.  This undermines home values, depresses property tax revenues, and ultimately inflates federal disaster assistance costs when uninsured homeowners cannot rebuild.

    The lack of transparency surrounding Risk Rating 2.0 is beyond troubling. FEMA has never allowed for meaningful public comment nor has it published the underlying data or assumptions used to justify the steep premium increases and refuses to disclose its actuarial model. Without transparency, communities cannot plan mitigation projects, lenders cannot accurately underwrite mortgages, and citizens cannot appeal punitive rate increases. Worse still, rising costs encourage policy lapses—shifting risk back to taxpayers when disasters strike.

    The President has long championed policies that reduce federal overreach and protect everyday Americans from burdensome costs. To limit the damage caused by this harmful Biden era policy, we urge you to:

    1. Direct FEMA to terminate the Risk Rating 2.0 pricing methodology.
    2. Require FEMA to publish all actuarial inputs and outputs of future flood insurance premium increases exceeding the 5% statutory minimum so stakeholders can verify fairness and accuracy.
    3. Restore targeted affordability measures for coastal, low income, and historically underinsured communities—ensuring NFIP remains accessible to those who need it most.

    Time is of the essence. Each month that Risk Rating 2.0 continues unchecked, more families are forced to abandon their insurance coverage, neighborhoods face economic strain, and entire communities risk collapse after the next disaster. We respectfully urge you to act now—before further harm is done—to protect vulnerable Americans, preserve homeownership, and ensure the NFIP fulfills its mission as Congress intended.

    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito and Justice Release Statement Following Flooding in Ohio and Marion Counties

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) issued a statement following the devastating flooding in Ohio and Marion counties:

    “Our hearts go out to the families and communities across West Virginia who are being impacted by the devastating flooding we have seen these last few days, especially those who have lost or are missing loved ones. I am also incredibly grateful to our first responders who have been on the ground and working tirelessly. I have and will continue to closely monitor the situation, and remain in close contact with local and state officials to ensure every available resource is available and deployed as quickly as possible. I urge all West Virginians to remain cautious, and continue helping friends and neighbors in need. Although the recovery won’t happen overnight, West Virginia is strong, and we will rebuild—just as we always do,” Senator Capito said.

    “Unfortunately, West Virginia is no stranger to flooding. As a result of the storms from this weekend, we’ve lost multiple West Virginians, and some folks are still missing. My heart breaks for the families who are grieving and those who are still waiting to hear from their loved ones. Cathy and I are certainly holding them close in our prayers. Our first responders deserve more thanks than we could ever put into words. When the water came rushing in, they didn’t blink—they ran straight into the danger, no questions asked. That’s just who they are. They’re heroes through and through. I’ve been talking with our emergency folks on the ground, and we’re going to do everything in our power to get help where it’s needed. When West Virginia gets knocked down, we don’t stay down. We pull the rope together and we lift each other back up. That’s exactly what we’re going to do because these folks need all of us badly right now,” Senator Justice said.

    BACKGROUND:

    • Ohio County was under a flash flood warning beginning Saturday night and around 8:00 p.m., up to four inches of rain fell in just 30 minutes, causing rapid and dangerous flooding.
    • Numerous roadways, homes, and neighborhoods in the area sustained significant damage.
    • On Sunday, a second round of storms brought additional flash flooding across parts of the state.
    • Marion County was particularly impacted, with severe damage reported in Fairmont and surrounding areas.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Provincial Fire Ban Lifted

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 16, 2025

    Due to recent rainfall and cooler weather, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is rescinding the provincial fire ban effective at 5 p.m. on Monday, June 16, 2025. 

    The fire ban will be lifted on all Crown lands, provincial parks, and provincial recreation sites located north of the provincial forest boundary up to the Churchill River, along with the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District. 

    The public is reminded that provincial parks, municipalities and R.M.s may still have their own local fire ban, restriction or advisory in place. A list of fire restrictions in provincial parks and recreation sites can be found here and the SPSA interactive fire ban map can be found here.

    Municipalities and provincial parks should continue to monitor local conditions and implement fire bans or burning restrictions as required. 

    The latest fire risk maps, fire prevention tips, an interactive fire ban map and frequently asked questions can be found at saskpublicsafety.ca.

    Anyone who spots a wildfire can call 1-800-667-9660 or dial 9-1-1.

    Established in 2017, the SPSA is a treasury board Crown corporation responsible for wildfire management, emergency management, Sask911, SaskAlert, the Civic Addressing Registry, the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program and fire safety.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney meets with Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the Prime Minister of Japan, Ishiba Shigeru, at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.

    As Pacific nations and key Indo-Pacific partners, Prime Minister Carney emphasized the dynamic trade, defence, and commercial relationship between Canada and Japan. The leaders shared partnership opportunities between Canada and Japan in sectors such as aerospace and shipbuilding, as well as on emerging technologies.

    Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Ishiba also welcomed the conclusion of the Canada-Japan Security of Information Agreement, supporting greater co-operation on defence.

    The leaders discussed the impacts of growing trade disruptions and the imperative for stable and reliable partners to increase co-operation.

    The prime ministers agreed that, in the months and years to come, Canada and Japan will collaborate to build growth, expand bilateral investment, and deliver prosperity for the people of both nations. The leaders will remain in close contact.

    Associated Link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Zealand hosts Asia Pacific privacy regulators

    Source: Privacy Commissioner

    Privacy authorities from 14 jurisdictions met last week to share information on emerging technology and challenges to privacy regulation.

    The Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA) Forum provides privacy authorities in our region with an opportunity to form partnerships and to discuss best practices.

    Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster, who chaired the two-day forum, says it’s important that common privacy issues and challenges can be discussed with other privacy authorities.

    “The APPA Forum is a great way to learn about the efforts other jurisdictions are making to anticipate and regulate global privacy disruptors such as AI and biometrics, as well as exchanging ideas about privacy regulation and the management of privacy breaches.”

    “Emerging technologies are an issue we all face, and there are several different approaches to how the associated privacy challenges are managed. The APPA Forum helps us all learn from our various experiences.”

    Issues discussed at APPA 63 included Artificial Intelligence, the use of biometrics for retail crime and public safety, and the importance of ensuring privacy regulation is fit for purpose in the digital age.

    APPA was formed in 1992 and is the principal forum for privacy and data protection authorities in the Asia Pacific region. Members meet twice a year to discuss and focus on different topical issues. Each year one of the forums is virtual, and one is in person. New Zealand hosted the 2025 virtual forum (APPA 63) on 11-12 June.

    Past topics discussed include cross-border privacy rules, children’s online privacy, employee surveillance, artificial intelligence, and privacy-enhancing technologies.

    The 14 jurisdictions that attended APPA 63 were Australia and the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, Canada and the state of British Columbia, the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions of China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and the state of California from the United States of America.

    The full communique for APPA 63 is available here.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Washington state will receive up to $105.6 million from national settlement with Purdue Pharma

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE – Attorney General Nick Brown today announced that all 55 attorneys general, representing all eligible states and U.S. territories, agreed to sign on to a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family.

    This settlement in principle is the nation’s largest to date with individuals responsible for the opioid crisis. The Attorney General’s Office estimates Washington state and its local governments will receive as much as $105.6 million from this settlement over the next 15 years.

    “The Attorney General’s Office recovery of more than one billion dollars has empowered state, local, and tribal governments to combat the opioid crisis,” Brown said. “Today’s agreement means even more money will flow to fund treatment centers, support first responders, and improve Washingtonians’ lives. We must do more to help communities on the frontlines of the opioid crisis and today’s settlement will do exactly that.”

    Under the Sacklers’ ownership, Purdue made and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, fueling the largest drug crisis in the nation’s history. The settlement ends the Sacklers’ control of Purdue and their ability to sell opioids in the U.S. Communities across the state will directly receive funds over the next 15 years to support addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery.

    The 55 attorneys general represent all of the state states and U.S. territories eligible to be part of the resolution and it will resolve the litigation against Purdue and Sacklers for their role in the creating and worsening the opioid crisis across the country. With the conclusion of the state sign-on period, local governments across the country will be asked to join the settlement contingent on bankruptcy court proceedings.  

    Most of the settlement funds will be distributed in the first three years. In Washington state, the funds must be split evenly between state and local governments and must be used to fund programs that combat the opioid epidemic.

    Like prior opioid settlements, the settlement with Purdue and the Sacklers will involve resolution of legal claims by state and local governments. The local government sign-on and voting solicitation process for this settlement moving forward will be contingent on bankruptcy court approval. A hearing is scheduled on that matter in the coming days.

    Including this new settlement, Washington state has recovered nearly $1.29 billion from companies that helped fuel the opioid epidemic.

    Washington state is joined in securing this settlement in principle by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, Wyoming.

    -30-

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

    Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Washington state will receive up to $105.6 million from national settlement with Purdue Pharma

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE – Attorney General Nick Brown today announced that all 55 attorneys general, representing all eligible states and U.S. territories, agreed to sign on to a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family.

    This settlement in principle is the nation’s largest to date with individuals responsible for the opioid crisis. The Attorney General’s Office estimates Washington state and its local governments will receive as much as $105.6 million from this settlement over the next 15 years.

    “The Attorney General’s Office recovery of more than one billion dollars has empowered state, local, and tribal governments to combat the opioid crisis,” Brown said. “Today’s agreement means even more money will flow to fund treatment centers, support first responders, and improve Washingtonians’ lives. We must do more to help communities on the frontlines of the opioid crisis and today’s settlement will do exactly that.”

    Under the Sacklers’ ownership, Purdue made and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, fueling the largest drug crisis in the nation’s history. The settlement ends the Sacklers’ control of Purdue and their ability to sell opioids in the U.S. Communities across the state will directly receive funds over the next 15 years to support addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery.

    The 55 attorneys general represent all of the state states and U.S. territories eligible to be part of the resolution and it will resolve the litigation against Purdue and Sacklers for their role in the creating and worsening the opioid crisis across the country. With the conclusion of the state sign-on period, local governments across the country will be asked to join the settlement contingent on bankruptcy court proceedings.  

    Most of the settlement funds will be distributed in the first three years. In Washington state, the funds must be split evenly between state and local governments and must be used to fund programs that combat the opioid epidemic.

    Like prior opioid settlements, the settlement with Purdue and the Sacklers will involve resolution of legal claims by state and local governments. The local government sign-on and voting solicitation process for this settlement moving forward will be contingent on bankruptcy court approval. A hearing is scheduled on that matter in the coming days.

    Including this new settlement, Washington state has recovered nearly $1.29 billion from companies that helped fuel the opioid epidemic.

    Washington state is joined in securing this settlement in principle by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, Wyoming.

    -30-

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

    Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Honors Louisiana Students Accepting Service Academies Appointments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    BATON ROUGE – On Saturday, in Baton Rouge, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) honored twenty-two Louisiana students who accepted appointments this year to the U.S. Military, Naval, and Air Force Academies.

    “We celebrate these students’ commitment to our country, their willingness to defend our nation, and their parents’ investment in their lives,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We’re grateful for their future service.”
    Of the twenty-two students, three are headed to the U.S. Military Academy, eleven to the U.S. Naval Academy, and eight to the U.S. Air Force Academy. They will depart for the Academies this month, where they will enter basic training programs before starting their fall semesters as cadets and midshipmen. Upon graduation, they will serve as commissioned officers in the U.S. military.

    At the event, retired Air Force Brigadier General Paul Tibbets, IV gave a keynote address, where he drew upon stories from his service and that of his grandfather to inspire the students.
    “I’m so proud of our young people today,” said General Tibbets. “One of my heroes, President Reagan, said many years ago that it’s up to each generation to step up and serve this country and defend this nation. Since we became a Republic, we’ve been doing that. But we rely on these young people of today and of tomorrow to make that leap. Today, we got to celebrate that with numerous Academy appointees that will now be our future leaders in the various services of our Armed Forces. I couldn’t be more proud to recognize them, to honor them, and to let them know that what they’re doing matters. This Republic, this United States of America, depends on them to continue to preserve our liberty and our freedoms for future generations.”
    For high school students who are interested in attending the U.S. Military, Naval, Air Force or Merchant Marine Academies, they must receive a nomination, and most nominations come from Members of Congress. Students who will be high school seniors in the fall should visit Senator Cassidy’s nomination website, where they can fill out a preliminary nomination application. They will later be sent a full application. Additionally, any high school student can attend a Service Academy Day event to learn more about the Academies. They will all occur in September, and more information on those events can be acquired by emailing the Senator’s Service Academy Coordinator at shawn_hanscom@cassidy.senate.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Introduces Bill to Remove Barriers to Telemental Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced the Telemental Health Care Access Act to remove barriers to telemental and behavioral health services for Medicare beneficiaries by removing the statutory requirement that Medicare beneficiaries be seen in person within six months of being treated for mental or behavioral health services through telehealth.
    “Every Louisianan with a mental health condition must have access to telehealth services. For those in rural areas in my state who have a far drive to the nearest specialist, telehealth saves lives,” said Dr. Cassidy.  
    Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) in introducing the legislation.
    U.S. Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Troy Balderson (R-OH) introduced a companion version of this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    BackgroundIn 2020, Congress permanently allowed Medicare patients to be treated for mental health services at home or other non-clinical sites, but it also included an in-person visit requirement that limits access. This legislation eliminates that mandate and brings mental health telehealth rules in line with how Medicare covers substance use disorder services without requiring an in-person visit.
    The Telemental Health Care Access Act is supported by dozens of leading mental health, provider, and telehealth organizations, including: Alliance for Connected Care, Alliance of Community Health Plans, American Counseling Association, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association,American Psychological Association, American Telemedicine Association, ATA Action,Association for Behavioral Health & Wellness, Association of American Medical Colleges, California Medical Association, Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law, Centerstone, Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action, Health Innovation Alliance, Hims & Hers, HIMSS, Included Health, Mental Health America, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association for Behavioral Healthcare, National Association of Social Workers, Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, REDC Consortium, Talkspace, Teladoc Health, United States of Care.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Give Bureau of Prisons Officers Fair Pay

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced the Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act to ensure fair pay for U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees in rural areas. The bill will help to address staffing shortages at Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Oakdale in Allen Parish and FCC Pollock in Grant Parish by allowing for competitive pay that better reflects the cost of living, commute times, alternative careers, and the hard work and dedication of BOP employees.
    “Underpaying correctional officers leads to fatigue, which leads to mistakes and safety risks. If we want criminals to remain behind bars, then we need to provide Bureau of Prisons employees with workable conditions. This goes for FCC Oakdale, Pollock, and the rest of Louisiana,”said Dr. Cassidy.
    U.S. Representative Randy Weber (TX-14) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    “Every day, federal correctional officers put their lives on the line to maintain order, enforce the law, and keep dangerous criminals behind bars,”said Representative Weber. “They serve with grit, integrity, and resolve—and they deserve to be paid accordingly. This bill delivers a long-overdue pay raise to correctional officers across the country. It’s a common-sense investment in public safety that will help us recruit and retain the best in the field.”
    Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in introducing the legislation.
    Background
    The shortage of correctional officers has grown each year over the past four years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 7% decline in correctional officers by 2032. Understaffed prisons and overworked employees have created increasingly dangerous work environments.
    FCC Oakdale houses approximately 2,000 federal inmates and faces unsustainably low staffing levels. These vacancies force FCC Oakdale to rely on mandatory overtime and using support staff to guard inmates just to meet the basic safety needs of its mission. FCC Pollok is facing similar shortages.
    Under current policies, BOP uses cooks, teachers, and nurses to guard inmates. This temporary fix pulls employees away from their usual duties and negatively impacts inmates by limiting visitations, recreational time, and academic enrichment opportunities.
    BOP employees are usually paid on the General Schedule (GS) pay scale, with slight pay modifications for correctional officers. Locality raises are determined by comparisons of local private sector salary rates, not by cost of living. An individual’s rate is based on where he or she works, not where he or she lives. Places located outside of these locality pay areas are compensated on a lower Rest of US (RUS) pay scale.
    Cassidy has urged the BOP to address staffing shortages in the past, highlighting the challenges at FCC Oakdale in 2022 and calling for staffing increases at both Oakdale and Pollock.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Opens Business Recovery Center in Pulaski County Kentucky

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the opening of Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Pulaski county to assist small businesses, private nonprofits and residents affected by the severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes occurring March 16-17.

    Beginning Monday, June 16, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the Business Recovery Center to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their application. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov.

    Business Recovery Center (BRC-02)

    Pulaski County

    Emergency Management Office

    25 Jessie Lane

    Somerset, KY 42501

    Opening:     Monday, June 16, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

    Hours:    Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

    Closed: Sunday

    Permanently Closing: TBD

    The BRC hours of operation is listed below:

    “SBA’s Business Recovery Centers have consistently proven their value to business owners following a disaster,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “At these centers, “Business owners can visit these centers to meet face-to-face with specialists who will guide them through the disaster loan application process and connect them with resources to support their recovery.”

    Disaster survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying for a disaster loan. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan.

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

    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July 23, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 23, 2026.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Don’t risk Dutton on TAFE

    Source: Reserve Bank of Australia

    15 April 2025

    The 2025 Federal Election will set the path for many aspects of the lives of TAFE students, teachers and educators, but none more pressing than the future of TAFE.

    We have seen landmark improvements to the sector since Anthony Albanese’s Labor government took office. TAFE once again holds its rightful place as the pre-eminent provider of vocational education in Australia. TAFE as a public institution must be supported and fully funded by state, territory and federal governments.

    In the three years since the election of the Albanese government, significant elements of the AEU’s Rebuild with TAFE campaign have been realised:

    • Major new sources of guaranteed funding for TAFE have been delivered realising that at least 70 per cent of total government vocational education funding is allocated to TAFE.

    • The contestable funding model that had marketised vocational education funding for more than a decade is being dismantled.

    • The mammoth task of restoring and investing in the TAFE workforce has begun with new workers employed across Australia and VET Workforce Blueprint projects underway.

    • Hundreds of thousands of students now have access to TAFE because of Free TAFE, many of whom would have been excluded from vocational education due to cost.

    • TAFE is once again recognised as the anchor of the vocational education system.

    • The creation of TAFE Centres of Excellence has recognised the outstanding quality of vocational education provided through TAFE and creates a mechanism for this to be coordinated and shared across Australia.

    • In a further recognition of the quality of TAFE, pilot programs are underway to empower TAFE to self-accredit qualifications at AQF level 5 and above.

    • TAFE workers are more central to decision making about government policy and actively involved.

    • Thousands of TAFE workers have security of employment through industrial relations reform and legislation restricting the indiscriminate use of fixed-term employment.

    • New collective bargaining laws have ensured that TAFE workers in several jurisdictions are the beneficiaries of long-overdue salary increases that have begun to address the imbalance between income and the cost of living.

    • The AEU has been elevated to a primary role as the voice of teachers and educators in TAFE, with critical roles on major new government bodies charged with setting policy and implementing change in vocational education, including Jobs and Skills Australia and the 10 Jobs and Skills Councils.

    The importance of the next government

    We have seen strong support in Parliament from the Australian Greens and members of the crossbench for Free TAFE and for progressive policies. But there’s more to be achieved, especially in terms of staff retention and attraction, boosting infrastructure funding, facilities and resources, and strengthening student support, and to achieve this and ensure that all the gains are not dismantled, the next federal government is key.

    Labor wants to legislate Free TAFE, recognising the value of TAFE and cementing its long-term future. Hundreds of thousands of people in Australia are enrolling in Free TAFE, they are getting the flexibility they need to study, work and raise families without a financial penalty.

    Already, Free TAFE has had a disproportionately positive impact for priority cohorts such as Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people with disability, young people and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

    Impact and reach of Free TAFE

    Data provided by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to the Senate inquiry indicates that more than 568,000 students have so far enrolled in Free TAFE courses, and many of these enrolments have been in national priority industry areas.

    In 2023:

    • Aboriginal Students and Torres Strait Islander Students represented 6.7 per cent of students in Free TAFE compared with 3.5 per cent in the wider VET sector.

    • Students with disability were 7.6 per cent compared with 3.8 per cent.

    • Women were 61.8 per cent compared with 46.2 per cent.

    • Regional and remote students were 35.9 per cent compared with 26.8 per cent.

    This demonstrates that Free TAFE is assisting those that need it most.

    Beyond just these cohorts, Free TAFE programs have also enabled many parents and older Australians to re-enter the workforce, or to make a change in their careers towards an in-demand area.

    Risks of a Coalition government

    Peter Dutton has threatened to end Free TAFE if he’s elected prime minister.

    The Coalition cut $3 billion from TAFE last time they were in government and almost 10,000 jobs were lost. When the current Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley says: “TAFE is just the state-government-run trainer, just like public schools. The Liberal Party believes that you do not value something unless you pay for it” and Liberal MP Luke Howarth says: “We’ve said we won’t do Free TAFE, that’s another $1.5bn saved”, the same cuts are again expected.

    Dutton has not yet announced any policy but is already hinting at sending more federal funds to private RTOs rather than public TAFE. Australia cannot risk the Coalition getting in and stopping its investment in TAFE like they did last time they were in government.

    Also at risk is the suite of industrial reforms won under the Albanese government, which has seen swathes of the TAFE and AMEP workforce transitioned from contract to permanent positions, sector wage increases, allowed multi-employer bargaining, the right to disconnect from work after hours and strengthening workers’ rights across the board. The Coalition has already spoken of dismantling these worker-centred gains in favour of big business.

    Dutton has spent the last three years attacking and undermining teachers. He wants to spend $330 billion on nuclear power stations while investing nothing in building and upgrading public schools and public TAFE.

    TAFE needs a government that supports public education.

    Party Platform Comparisons

    ALP

    Climate action
    Supports:
    • Paris Climate Agreement
    • Net zero emissions by 2050
    • Just Transition to a clean energy
    Actions:
    • Has enshrined into law an emissions cut target of 43 per cent by 2030
    • A carbon cap for the biggest emitters
    • Legislated a Net Zero Authority
    • Restored the role of the Climate Change Authority (CCA)

    Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islander People
    • Considering pathways to self-determination
    • Supports the states that want to work towards Treaty
    • Believes in community consultation

    Workplace Relations
    • Worker-friendly, inclusive of unions
    • Stronger worker protections
    • Introduced permanency for many workers, stronger protections for casuals, multi-employer bargaining, the right to disconnect
    • Delivered wage increases to ECEC workers
    • Supportive of the Fair Work Commission

    Schools
    • Fully funding public schools
    • Addressing teacher shortages and engaging with AEU
    • Addressing Aboriginal Teacher and Torres Strait Islander Teacher representation and engaging with Community experts

    TAFE
    • Supports Free TAFE and making it permanent
    • Centres TAFE as the anchor of vocational education in Australia
    • Supports Rebuilding TAFE and the TAFE workforce
    • Ongoing rollout of TAFE Centres of Excellence
    • Plans to establish a National TAFE Network to foster cross-country collaboration and innovation

    Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)
    • Three day guarantee – a childcare subsidy for three days a week to all families earning up to $530,000 a year from January 2026
    • Scrapped the activity test
    • $1 billion Building Early Education Fund, which is the next step in creating a universal Early Childhood Education and Care system in Australia
    • 15 per cent pay rises for ECEC teacher and educator wages

    COALITION

    Workplace Relations
    • Unwind Labor’s industrial relations changes
    • Revert to a simple definition of a casual worker
    • Revoke the laws which provide for multi-employer bargaining
    • Remove the “right to disconnect”
    • Curtail unions in workplaces

    Schools
    • Believes government should continue to overfund private schools and that the federal government should only fund private schools
    • Says “children taught the basics – reading, writing and maths – through explicit instruction across our primary education system – and ensuring classrooms are places of education, not indoctrination”, which is the same coded language the Trump government used before banning books and threatening teachers in the USA
    • Has failed to declare their commitment to fully fund public schools

    TAFE
    • Opposes Free TAFE Bill and Free TAFE as a whole

    ECEC
    • Opposes scrapping the activity test

    Climate action
    Against climate action, instead:
    • Make our nation a mining powerhouse
    • Defund the Environmental Defenders Office
    • Slash resource approval timeframes in half
    • Stop the renewable energy roll-out, ramp-up domestic gas production and move to nuclear energy

    Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islander People
    Against self-determination and Truth-telling, instead choosing punitive responses:
    • A full audit into spending on Aboriginal programs and Torres Strait Islander programs
    • Reintroduce the Cashless Debit Card
    • Bolster law and order in crime-heavy communities
    • A Royal Commission into Sexual Abuse in Indigenous Communities

    GREENS

    TAFE
    • Increase access and opportunity for people with disability and remove barriers to tertiary education for people with disability
    • Abolish all student debt, including HELP, SFSS, and VET, starting 1 July 2025

    ECEC
    • Fix the current broken system
    • Extend free preschool for three-year-olds to at least 15 hours a week

    Climate action
    • No new coal or gas
    • Protect precious water resources
    • Expand publicly owned renewable energy
    • End the billions in handouts to coal, oil and gas corporations
    • End native forest logging
    • Save koalas and wildlife from extinction
    • Create thousands of jobs during renewable transition

    Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islander People
    • Truth, Treaty, Justice for Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
    • Connect kids to Country by funding school-based programs guided by Elders to learn about culture, language, and Country as a means of holistic healing and growth
    • Support language revival and bilingual instruction in schools

    Workplace Relations
    • Defend workers’ rights, lift wages

    Schools
    Make public schools free and fully funded:
    • Fully fund all public schools to 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS)
    • Ensure sustainable funding by indexing public school funding to the higher of the Wage Price Index, Consumer Price Index, or SRS indexation factor
    • Restore $5 billion to the system by closing Morrison-era loopholes
    • Abolish public school fees and charges with an additional allocation of $2.4 billion over the forward estimates
    • Establish a new capital grants fund for public schools to invest in capital works of $1.25 billion in its first year, and then $350 million annually
    • Develop a National Inclusive Education Transition Plan in collaboration with people with disability, families, unions and experts
    • $800 ‘back to school’ payments to parents

    Article by Correna Haythorpe, AEU Federal President
    Originally published in The Australian TAFE Teacher, Autumn 2025

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Truck Driver Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Kidnapping Leading to Death

    Source: US FBI

    A truck driver who kidnapped a 25-year-old woman and dumped her dead body in the woods in August 2024 was sentenced today to life in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.

    Naasson Hazzard, 28, of Austin, was indicted in October 2024 on federal charges of kidnapping resulting in death, which carried a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.  Hazzard’s victim was an army veteran who entered the military immediately after high school.  Information shared during the sentencing hearing today revealed that there were full military honors at her funeral.

    After an eight-day trial in late January this year, a jury convicted Hazzard.  Today, U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay sentenced him to life in federal prison.

    “The tremendous, relentless work of multiple law enforcement partners brought the terrible acts of this predator to light, and the jury answered the call for justice by finding him guilty,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “Now, the life sentence he will serve reflects the value and sanctity of this victim’s life.  We hope that this sentence helps her family in the healing process.”

    “This defendant has been justly sentenced to prison for his abhorrent actions, ensuring that society will be safe from his predatory behavior for the remainder of his life,” said Travis Pickard, Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “I applaud the unwavering commitment of the North Texas Trafficking Task Force, and all the law enforcement partners whose persistence led to this outcome.  May today’s judgment provide some solace to the victim’s family, reassuring them that HSI will never relent in our pursuit of sexual predators who aim to exploit and harm unsuspecting victims.”

    According to evidence presented at trial, surveillance video caught Hazzard’s victim, a young woman, entering his semi-truck in Dallas at 9:27 p.m. on Aug. 15, 2024.  Eight days later, her decomposing body was found in a wooded area off Texas Highway 11 in Pittsburg, Texas with a black plastic bag tied around her head.  

    Cell phone records showed that on the evening of Aug. 15, Mr. Hazzard traveled from the pickup location to a nearby parking lot, where he remained for approximately 17 minutes.  Evidence at trial reflected that Hazzard picked up the victim with the expectation of engaging in a sex act.  He then drove over three hours to a wooded area off Highway 11 in Pittsburg, Texas, where he texted his boss that he would be out sick the following day and remained for almost an hour before completing a load for work.

    The next day, he and his wife returned to the scene before going to dinner in Tyler, Texas.

    In the days that followed, Mr. Hazzard switched cell phones and deleted his Google and Life360 location sharing accounts.  He also cleaned the truck with bleach and searched “how many years for first second and third degree murders.”  Meanwhile, his wife searched for “Pittsburg Texas news.”

    On Aug. 23, the same day the victim’s body was recovered, agents found the victim’s cell phone shattered on the side of the road along Mr. Hazzard’s route the night she was killed.  

    “Your Honor, Naasson didn’t just take a life.  He destroyed futures.  He created a ripple effect of suffering that reaches further than he could ever understand,” the victim’s brother told the Court during his impact statement at today’s sentencing hearing.  “I ask you, please don’t see my sister as just a name in a case file.  She was a daughter.  A sister.  A mother.  A light in the lives of everyone who knew her.  Her life mattered.  And her death must mean something.”

    The North Texas Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of the following agencies: the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, the Dallas Police Department, the Midlothian Police Department, the Texas Rangers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Titus County Sheriff’s Office, the Buda Police Department, the Austin Police Department, the Hayes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.  Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office leads the Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandie Wade and Renee Hunter prosecuted the case with the help of appellate liaison AUSA Jonathan Bradshaw.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Joins Local Leaders, Army Corps Of Engineers To Celebrate Progress of Cahokia Heights Sewer Trunkline Project

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    June 13, 2025

    Phase I of the city’s sewer trunkline project was supported by $3.5 million in federal funding Durbin secured through an earmark in the FY23 government funding bill

    CAHOKIA HEIGHTS – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined state and local officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a news conference to celebrate the completion of Phase I of the city’s sewer trunkline project, which was supported by $3.5 million in federal funding Durbin secured through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS)—more commonly known as an earmark—in the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) government funding bill, as well as the announcement earlier this year of $10 million in federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) funding for St. Clair County.

    “For far too long, the residents of Cahokia Heights have endured the devastating impact of failing storm and sanitary water infrastructure, facing not only property damage, but also threats to their health and safety,” said Durbin. “The sanitary sewer trunkline project will address the immediate needs of the community while laying the foundation for more secure infrastructure and economic investment for generations to come. While there is still more work to be done, Phase I’s completion and the announcement of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief Funding is representative of what federal, state, and local collaboration and cooperation can bring to communities like Cahokia Heights.”

    “This is a transformative moment for our community,” said Mayor Curtis McCall Sr. “Thanks to this funding, we are now able to move forward with meaningful, permanent solutions to problems that have affected our residents for far too long.”

    “Our continued partnership with Cahokia Heights reflects a deep, shared commitment to advancing critical initiatives that benefit the community. By working closely together, we are able to combine federal resources and local expertise to ensure effective, sustainable outcomes. We remain dedicated to supporting this collaboration and look forward to building on the strong foundation we’ve established, driving progress that truly makes a difference,” said COL Andy J. Pannier, Commander St. Louis District, United States Army Corps of Engineers.

    “These needed infrastructure dollars will go a long way to improve the lives of many St. Clair County residents. These problems have long existed and we appreciate the work of Senators Durbin and Duckworth and Representative Budzinski,” said Mark Kern, St. Clair County Chairman.

    Durbin increased the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) authorized funding limit for the Metro East in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 and secured language in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 government funding bill supporting the Corps’ expansion of its ongoing study focusing on the Canal 1 Watershed to a broader area of Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis.  After severe storms devastated St. Clair County in July 2022, Durbin led the Illinois Congressional Delegation in a letter to President Biden, supporting Governor Pritzker’s request for federal assistance.  President Biden declared a Presidential Disaster Declaration, unlocking St. Clair County’s eligibility for the CDBG-DR funds now being distributed for the sewer project.

    Durbin also led a December 2023 letter with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL13) to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) urging the agency to conduct a public health assessment on the impact of decades of flooding in Cahokia Heights.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Join Padilla, Entire Senate Democratic Caucus In Demanding Trump Remove Military Forces From Los Angeles

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    June 14, 2025

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty service members to American cities.

    The letter comes after Trump’s unprecedented move to federalize and deploy the California National Guard without the consent of the California Governor and mobilize U.S. Marine Corps elements, deploying approximately 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles amid unrest created by the President’s indiscriminate and intentionally inflammatory immigration enforcement raids across the region. The first 200 Marines arrived at the Los Angeles Federal Building yesterday, marking the first time in more than 30 years that the Marines have been deployed in the United States.

    Trump deployed these military personnel without the request or support of Governor Newsom, manufacturing a crisis and repeatedly escalating the conflict in order to create a spectacle. The federalizing of California’s National Guard marked the first time the Guard had been deployed without a Governor’s consent since 1965.

    “We write to express deep concern over your decision to deploy the National Guard and United States Marine Corps to Los Angeles without consultation or coordination with the Governor and local leaders,” wrote the Senators. “This unilateral action represents an alarming abuse of executive authority, continues to inflame the situation on the ground, and undermines the constitutional balance of power between the federal government and the states. We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles unless their presence is explicitly requested by the Governor and local leaders.”

    The Senators slammed the deployment of military personnel as an abuse of power that undermines state and local leadership, interferes with critical law enforcement operations, and wastes military resources and taxpayer dollars. They also expressed concern for the dangerous precedent Trump’s misguided deployment of military forces could set for mobilizing military personnel to other cities across the country.

    “For the federal government to deploy military forces into American cities without consulting the Governor and local leaders is a dangerous misuse of federal power that has actively disrupted local law enforcement efforts to maintain peace and order,” continued the Senators. “Deploying military personnel should always be a last resort – not a first step – and should only occur when local law enforcement makes a specific request for such federal resources. The decision to use military personnel to create a spectacle has escalated tensions on the ground and created confusion among local law enforcement. Significantly, it also pulls military assets away from other critical missions and is a waste of taxpayer dollars.”

    “We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles in recent days and to cease any further threats of deploying National Guard or active-duty military personnel into American cities absent a request from the Governor,” concluded the Senators. “Respect for our Constitution and for our civilian law enforcement demands nothing less.”

    In addition to Senator Durbin, Duckworth, and Padilla, the letter to President Trump was signed by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, including Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN.), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    June 14, 2025

    Dear President Trump,

    We write to express deep concern over your decision to deploy the National Guard and United States Marine Corps to Los Angeles without consultation or coordination with the Governor and local leaders. This unilateral action represents an alarming abuse of executive authority, continues to inflame the situation on the ground, and undermines the constitutional balance of power between the federal government and the states. We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles unless their presence is explicitly requested by the Governor and local leaders.

    For the federal government to deploy military forces into American cities without consulting the Governor and local leaders is a dangerous misuse of federal power that has actively disrupted local law enforcement efforts to maintain peace and order. Deploying military personnel should always be a last resort – not a first step – and should only occur when local law enforcement makes a specific request forsuch federal resources. The decision to use military personnel to create a spectacle has escalated tensions on the ground and created confusion among local law enforcement. Significantly, it also pulls military assets away from other critical missions and is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

    We are particularly concerned by the precedent that this ill-conceived deployment of military personnel to Los Angeles sets for other cities and states. Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guards when operating within state borders. As Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said last year when serving as Governor of South Dakota, “If Joe Biden federalizes the National Guard, that would be a direct attack on states’ rights.”

    We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles in recent days and to cease any further threats of deploying National Guard or active-duty military personnel into American cities absent a request from the Governor. Respect for our Constitution and for our civilian law enforcement demands nothing less.

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Merkley, Daines Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Train Next Generation of Wildland Firefighters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Jeff Merkley, and Steve Daines recently introduced the bipartisan Civilian Conservation Center Enhancement Act of 2025, which would create a pipeline for young people to enter into careers fighting fires and caring for public lands.  

    Specifically, this bill directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to offer wildland firefighter training to Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center students. 

    “Colorado’s wildfires are growing more intense. We all agree that we can’t wait to act,” said Hickenlooper. “Our bill sets students on a direct path to stable careers caring for our public lands, and builds a firefighting force that’s ready to meet the urgent threat of climate change.” 

    The Job Corps is the nation’s largest job training and education program for students from 16 to 24 years of age. The U.S. Forest Service operates 24 Civilian Conservation Centers (CCCs) nationwide, including one in Colorado. 

    During the 2024 fire season, CCC youth across the country completed 205,882 hours of work on wildland firefighting efforts and prescribed burns to reduce hazardous fuels and the risk of catastrophic wildfire, and 11,410 hours on other fire management support functions, including providing meals through mobile kitchens.

    The Civilian Conservation Center Enhancement Act would further strengthen the program by setting a goal for both the USDA and the DOI to hire 300 students a year and providing direct hire authority specific to CCC graduates to expedite that process. It would also create a pilot program to use students at CCCs to address the lack of workforce housing for wildland firefighters.

    The full text of the bill is available HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Resume Processing DACA Applications

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently limited a nationwide injunction giving the Administration the green light to resume processing initial DACA applications

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Michael Bennet, and 39 of their Democratic Senate colleagues sent a letter pushing the Trump administration to immediately resume processing applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

    “Noncitizens brought to the United States as children, often known as Dreamers, are American in every way but their immigration status…Americans overwhelmingly support providing Dreamers a path to citizenship, and in December 2024, President Trump stated that he supported protections for Dreamers to remain in the United States,” the senators wrote.

    “Consistent with this statement, we implore you to use your authority at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume processing initial applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and provide such protections for Dreamers immediately,” they continued.

    In 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen halted the DACA program, temporarily preventing USCIS from approving any new DACA applications nationwide. While the program was on pause, USCIS continued to accept and hold initial applications. Then, in 2022, the Department of Homeland Security published the DACA Final Rule, which codified the 2012 memorandum establishing the DACA program into regulation.

    Earlier this year, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision limiting Judge Hanen’s injunction to Texas. The ruling gives the Trump administration the green light to resume processing DACA applications until a final decision is made. More than 100,000 initial DACA applications are currently pending with USCIS.

    Senator Hickenlooper has called for a legal pathway for citizenship for DREAMers, as well as TPS recipients, and essential workers, and is a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform.

    Full text of the letter available HERE and below: 

    Dear Acting Director Alfonso-Royals:

    Noncitizens brought to the United States as children, often known as Dreamers, are American in every way but their immigration status. Many only know this country as their home, and they contribute every day to this great nation by paying taxes and serving in critical roles, such as police officers, teachers, and nurses. Americans overwhelmingly support providing Dreamers a path to citizenship,1 and in December 2024, President Trump stated that he supported protections for Dreamers to remain in the United States.2 Consistent with this statement, we implore you to use your authority at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume processing initial applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and provide such protections for Dreamers immediately.

    In 2001, the Dream Act was introduced on a bipartisan basis to provide a path to citizenship to undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children but remained vulnerable to deportation. Since that time, the Dream Act has been introduced in every Congress. It has passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate with bipartisan majority votes, but no version has yet to be signed into law.3 In response to bipartisan pressure to protect Dreamers until Congress acted, 4 the Obama Administration implemented DACA through a policy memorandum in 2012.

    Since 2012, more than 825,000 people have received deferred action pursuant to DACA. Many DACA recipients report that deferred action—and the accompanying employment authorization —allowed them to apply for their first job or move to a higher-paying position more commensurate with their skills.7 Since its establishment, DACA recipients have contributed an estimated $140 billion to the U.S. economy in spending power, and $40 billion dollars in combined federal, payroll, state, and local taxes.

    In 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen halted the DACA program and enjoined USCIS from approving any new DACA applications nationwide. While the program was enjoined, USCIS has continued to accept and hold initial applications, and in 2022, the Department of Homeland Security published the DACA Final Rule, codifying the 2012 memorandum establishing DACA into regulation. Over 100,000 initial DACA applications are pending with USCIS.

    On January 17, 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision limiting Judge Hanen’s injunction to Texas. 11 Pursuant to the order, in Texas, DACA must resume as a limited program providing protection from deportation for current DACA recipients, but without access to work authorization or driver’s licenses as part of those renewals. This order went into effect on March 11, giving USCIS the authority to start processing initial DACA applications from states other than Texas. However, three months later, USCIS has not made any public announcement on whether new DACA applications will be processed; nor has the agency begun processing initial applications that have been pending with the agency for years.

    We urge you to begin processing these DACA applications immediately, consistent with the Fifth Circuit decision and existing regulations, and to ensure Dreamers eligible to file initial DACA applications can do so as soon as possible.

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –