NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Ricketts Reintroduce Legislation to Codify Oversight on Foreign Purchases of American Farmland

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    Alabama has fourth-highest amount of foreign owned farmland with 2.2 million acres

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) to reintroduce the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act to bolster reporting requirements for foreign owners of American farmland. The legislation would codify recommendations to the original AFIDA of 1978 that were published in January 2024 by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) after it found that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is not prepared to fully combat foreign ownership of American farmland by foreign adversaries.

    “Over the past several decades, China has been buying up American farmland in an attempt to infiltrate our agriculture supply chains,” said Senator Tuberville. “Food security is national security, and we cannot give the CCP a foothold. Thankfully, President Trump and Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins are working to make American Farmland American Again. I’m proud to join this legislation with Senator Ricketts to update our reporting requirements for foreign purchases of our farmland for the first time in nearly 50 years. As Alabama’s voice on the Senate Ag Committee, I will always support our great farmers and work to protect them from bad actors like China.”

    “Agriculture is the heart and soul of Nebraska and of America,” said Senator Ricketts. ”American farmland should remain in the hands of American farmers and ranchers, not foreign adversaries. Food security is national security.”

    U.S. Representative Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    BACKGROUND:

    According to USDA data from December 2023, foreign investors own more than 45 million acres of U.S. agricultural land. And in Alabama, we have the FOURTH-HIGHEST amount of foreign-owned land in the U.S. with 2.2 million acres.

    Senator Tuberville has been a staunch leader in protecting America’s farmland and agricultural supply chains from foreign influence. Earlier this year, he reintroduced two pieces of legislation—the Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act and the Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act—to further safeguard our domestic agriculture resources.

    The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act would:

    • Increase information sharing between the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and USDA
    • Require updates to the AFIDA handbook
    • Establish a deadline by which USDA must set up an online AFIDA system
    • Require AFIDA reporting for foreign persons holding more than 1% interest in American agricultural land

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Banks Move to Protect Americans’ Financial Data from the CCP

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and U.S. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) took action to ensure Americans’ financial data is protected from exposure to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through popular financial trading platforms.

    In a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins, Senators Tuberville and Banks asked that the SEC ensure two Chinese-linked companies are complying with American laws and regulations. The companies, Webull Financial, LLC (Webull) and Moomoo, Inc. (Moomoo), are widely-used stock trading platforms operating within the United States.

    “The biggest threat facing our country today is communist China,” said Senator Tuberville. “Thankfully, we now have a Commander-in-Chief in President Trump who is taking the threat of China incredibly seriously. China doesn’t need a spy balloon to steal our information — they’ve got spies in the smartphones of millions of Americans, harvesting valuable information every second. The United States must protect the personal data of our citizens from falling into the hands of our greatest adversary.”

    “Webull has a track record of collecting highly sensitive personal data from American consumers, including Social Security numbers,” said Senator Banks. “We cannot allow any platform like this tied to the Chinese Communist Party to sidestep our rules and jeopardize Americans’ personal data. That is why I am demanding the SEC ensures that any foreign platform is complying with American regulations, so long as they have access to our financial markets.” 

    The full text of the letter can be found here and pasted below.

    “Chairman Paul Atkins

    Securities and Exchange Commission

    100 F Street NE

    Washington, D.C. 20549

    Chairman Atkins:

    Congratulations on your confirmation as the 34th Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Over the last four years, your predecessor, Gary Gensler, mismanaged the SEC and pushed a radical anti-business, anti-investor, and anti-innovation agenda that stifled our financial markets, harmed retail investors, and made America less competitive. Fortunately, President Trump is acting quickly and decisively to reverse the Biden administration’s many failures and restore the American economy to greatness. Your pro-growth, pro-investor leadership is needed now more than ever to reestablish the SEC’s credibility, unleash the full power of America’s financial markets, and provide more opportunity for millions of Main Street Americans who want to invest for the future.

    While former Chairman Gensler prioritized multiple regulatory solutions in search of problems, such as his illegal “climate change” disclosure rule and his enforcement program designed to systematically destroy the cryptocurrency industry in the U.S., he ignored the very real threats against retail investors that we and our colleagues repeatedly brought to his attention related to the infiltration of our capital markets by Chinese-owned broker-dealers with possible ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including Webull, MooMoo, and Prometheum.[i]  For example, in May 2023, then-Congressman, now Senator, Banks and I wrote to Chairman Gensler and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) CEO Robert Cook:

    As you are aware, Webull and Moomoo collect highly sensitive personal information from millions of their U.S. customers, including personally identifiable information (PII) such as Social Security numbers, mailing addresses, and financial account data. . . . In light of Beijing’s increasingly strict privacy laws barring many Chinese companies from sharing data with Western regulators, the presence of Webull registered representatives in the PRC raises serious concerns regarding (1) Webull’s ability to meet its supervisory obligations under SEC and FINRA rules; (2) the SEC’s and FINRA’s ability to oversee and examine Webull and its registered representatives and associated persons located in the PRC; (3) the adequacy of Webull’s compliance with all SEC and FINRA recordkeeping requirements; (4) the ability of the SEC and FINRA to adequately enforce federal securities laws, including the ability to obtain documents and information from Webull employees located in the PRC; and (5) the potential for U.S. customer PII to be shared or exfiltrated to Webull employees or affiliated entities located in the PRC.[ii]

    Since then, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (Select Committee) and several State Attorneys General, led by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, have opened separate inquiries into Webull’s ties to the CCP and have exposed troubling facts which call into question the safety of these platforms for U.S. retail investors.[iii]  For example, the Select Committee discovered that an affiliate or subsidiary of Webull (Hunan Weibu Information Technology Co., Ltd., ) “received multiple grants from the Changsha Municipal Government’s special fund to optimize foreign investment through cost offsets supporting offshore service outsourcing,” pursuant to which “recipients of this special fund are required to ‘support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.’”[iv]  Similarly, the State Attorneys General inquiry found that “Webull appears to have an affiliated research and development facility (R&D Facility) with hundreds of employees in Changsha, China. SEC filings indicate that the R&D Facility may provide services or support to Webull’s US brokerage operations.”[v]  In fact, Webull’s May 9, 2025, Prospectus states:

    “[O]ur mainland China subsidiary, Hunan Weibu Information Technology Co., Ltd., employs 731 employees, representing 61% of our employees as of December 31, 2024, and is subject to the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China. We cannot be certain that future laws, rules, or regulations will not be drafted in a way that brings us within their scope and that such laws will not materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.”

    We were disappointed to see that earlier this year, the SEC approved Webull to proceed with its Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) transaction, which now allows Webull to fully exploit U.S. markets – and, by extension, American investors who put their hard-earned money to work in these markets – as a public company listed on Nasdaq. Webull’s March 2025 Investor Presentation filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025, and its May 2025 Prospectus, appear to contain many of the same troubling connections between Webull and the CCP that legislators and law enforcement authorities have repeatedly raised to your predecessor, including continued ownership and control by individuals and entities that appear to be domiciled in China.[vi]The SEC should not allow Chinese companies to list on U.S. exchanges and enjoy the benefits of our capital markets, while failing to adhere to U.S. law. As Senator Rick Scott noted in a letter to you earlier this month, “These companies consistently fail to meet the requirements of our markets – misleading American investors and putting their investments and U.S. national security and economic security at risk[.]” The risks posed by Chinese companies listed in the U.S. were the recent subject of an April 9, 2025 joint House-Senate hearing titled, “Financial Aggression: How the Chinese Communist Party Exploits American Retirees and Undermines National Security.”[vii]   

    Relatedly, the notion of registering broker-dealers with ties to the CCP – especially firms with affiliates, operations, and owners based in China – is entirely inconsistent with the federal securities laws, FINRA rules, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act of 2020.[viii]  As you know, neither the SEC nor FINRA have the authority to conduct examinations or enforcement investigations of Webull’s substantial operations and employees in mainland China which, as noted above, may support the U.S. brokerage.   

    We urge you to take immediate action to delist all Chinese companies from the U.S. markets and rescind Chinese-owned broker-dealers’ licenses to operate in the U.S.

    Sincerely,”

    BACKGROUND:

    Webull and Moomoo are two widely-used stock trading platforms operating in the United States that are registered with the SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The parent companies of Webull and Moomoo are owned by Chinese entities with close ties to Chinese telecom giants Xiaomi and Tencent, which have reportedly aided the Chinese Communist Party in its efforts to surveil and suppress its citizens.

    Despite their ties to China, the SEC and FINRA allow Webull and Moomoo to operate as registered broker-dealers in the United States and to freely collect and store personally identifiable information — including Social Security numbers, mailing addresses, and sensitive financial account data — for millions of U.S. citizens.

    Senator Tuberville first called for an investigation into Webull and Moomoo in July 2022. In a letter to SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, Senator Tuberville and his colleagues Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Braun (R-IN), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) expressed concerns over these firms’ data sharing practices and ties to the CCP – both of which could put U.S. investors at risk.

    Senator Tuberville and Senator Banks sent a similar letter to the SEC and FINRA in 2023.

    Senator Tuberville believes the Communist Chinese Party seeks to overtake the United States as the top global superpower and that America must face China’s growing military and non-military threats with clear-eyed resolve.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Honors Curt Griffith of Florence as June “Veteran of the Month”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – Today,U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) released a video honoring U.S. Marine Corps Seargent Curt Griffith as the June “Veteran of the Month.”

    Excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s remarks can be found below, and complete remarks can be found here. 

    “Our veterans have a unique way of turning hardship into opportunities. No one displays that better than Sergeant Curt Griffith of Florence, Alabama.

    Curt experienced tragedy at a young age, losing his dad when he was only six years old. Despite growing up in a single-parent household, he found a sense of community and purpose in the Marine Corps. And now, he helps bring that same feeling of community to children in the Shoals.

    […]

    Curt also put his military skills to use—particularly getting involved with the local Marine Corps League and Toys for Tots charity. Thanks to Curt’s leadership, the program has expanded to five counties in Northeast Alabama: Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Winston, and Marion. The program helps meet needs of children in the local community, especially at Easter and Christmas. Through Curt’s leadership, the children Toys for Tots serves has grown its reach from 200 to almost 2,000 children in just a few short years. He works around the clock each year, to help remind children they are not alone.

    Curt is a great example of what strong leadership and a will to serve those in need can do. It’s my honor to recognize Curt Griffith as the ‘June Veteran of the Month.’”

    Senator Tuberville recognizes a different Alabama veteran each month for their service and contribution to their community. Constituents can nominate an Alabama veteran and submit their information to Senator Tuberville’s office for consideration by emailing press_office@tuberville.senate.gov. 

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: People urged to prepare as warming temperatures increase wildfire, drought risk

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    With warmer, drier conditions expected to increase across B.C., people are advised to stay prepared for climate-related emergencies.

    “As temperatures rise, so does the risk of wildfire and prolonged drought throughout B.C.,” said Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “The Province stands ready to support communities and people during an emergency, and I urge people to take action now to increase their household preparedness. Visit PreparedBC.ca for information on how to prepare for common hazards such as heat and wildfire.”

    People are encouraged to prepare grab-and-go bags, create an emergency and evacuation plan, create an Emergency Support Services profile through their B.C. Services Card app and ensure they have renter’s or homeowner’s insurance for their property.

    If you are placed under evacuation alert for any reason, you should immediately:

    • Get prepared to leave your home on short notice.
    • Get your grab-and-go bags ready (which should include several days of clothing, food, water, toiletries and medication), as well as your emergency plan, copies of important documents (including renters and home insurance) and important mementos.
    • Listen to local emergency officials for further information on the situation.

    If you are placed under evacuation order for any reason, you must:

    • Leave the area immediately.
    • Follow the directions of local emergency officials and evacuate using the route(s) they have identified.
    • Do not return home until you have been advised that the evacuation order has been rescinded.

    In the event of an evacuation, Emergency Support Services will be available to provide temporary support to people who don’t have resources to meet their basic needs, such as accommodation, clothing and food.

    Wildfire preparedness

    Warm and dry conditions are expected throughout the province this month, and with that comes an elevated risk of wildfire. Northeastern B.C. is continuing to experience prolonged drought and is expected to remain at high risk for wildfire this summer.

    Regardless of where people live or travel in B.C., it’s critical that everyone does their part to reduce the risk of wildfire. People are urged to be aware of their local fire danger, including open burning prohibitions and report wildfires on the BC Wildfire app or by calling *5555.

    “It has been an intense start to the wildfire season across Canada, but I am incredibly proud of our BC Wildfire Service. BCWS has been there for our neighbours while also keeping us safe here at home,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “Summer is nearly here, and with it will come wildfires. It’s a tough season ahead for communities here in B.C., but know that we will have your back. Your role is to stay informed, prepared and FireSmart.”

    The Province is working to keep communities safe by focusing on all four phases of emergency management: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. BC Wildfire Service is a year-round operation that enables:

    • out of province deployment to assist partner agencies;
    • improved firefighter recruitment, training and First Nations boot camps;
    • wildfire-prevention work including cultural and prescribed burning;
    • expanded BCWS contract opportunities for heavy equipment and aerial support; and,
    • incorporating new technologies to better support firefighting.

    Drought preparedness

    In addition to wildfire risk, the Province is also closely monitoring key indicators of drought risk, including snowpack. The River Forecast Centre’s latest snowpack survey, released on June 9, shows B.C.’s overall snowpack is at 44% of normal. Low snowpack, early snowmelt and warm seasonal weather forecasts point to the potential for elevated drought this summer. While these are important early indicators, rainfall in the coming weeks will also be a key factor in how drought conditions evolve throughout the province.

    Drought levels measure the severity of dryness and are updated weekly on the B.C. Drought Information Portal. This year, the drought portal features monitoring summaries, providing an overview of B.C.’s current drought conditions, impacts and outlook.

    People, communities and businesses are encouraged to take steps to use water more efficiently and prepare for potential drought conditions.

    “Drought affects the well-being of people, businesses, wildlife and ecosystems that rely on healthy watersheds,” said Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. “By staying informed, planning ahead and conserving water, we can work together to safeguard both our communities and the environment.”

    People can find more information about preparing for climate-related hazards at https://PreparedBC.ca 

    Quick Facts:

    • On June 6, the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness announced $7 million to support 139 emergency operation centre projects, benefiting 183 communities through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF).
    • Since 2017, the Province has provided approximately $550 million to First Nations and local governments for approximately 2,800 disaster-preparedness and mitigation projects.
    • For wildfire-prevention initiatives through BCWS, FireSmart initiatives and the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. (FESBC), $90 million has been allocated in 2025.
    • There are 88 cultural and prescribed burn projects planned for 2025; 48 were completed in 2024.

    Learn More:

    To learn more about how to prepare for emergencies, including information about grab-and-go bags, household emergency plans and hazard-specific guides, visit https://PreparedBC.ca

    For information about active evacuation alerts and orders, visit https://EmergencyInfoBC.ca or follow @EmergencyInfoBC on X

    For more information about the Summer Outlook, visit: https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/category/seasonal-outlook/ 

    To learn about how to prepare for wildfires, visit: https://FireSmartBC.ca/

    To view burning prohibitions and restrictions, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions

    For real-time wildfire information, visit: https://wildfiresituation.gov.bc.ca or the BC Wildfire Service mobile app, which is available for Apple and Android users.

    To pre-register with Emergency Support Services, visit https://ESS.gov.bc.ca

    To access the B.C. Drought Information Portal, visit: https://droughtportal.gov.bc.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Read More (Rep. Steube: Reduce Bureaucracy, Codify President Trump’s Executive Orders Now)

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

    June 09, 2025 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today introduced the Federal Government Reform Act of 2025, a comprehensive bill that codifies five of President Trump’s executive orders addressing waste, restoring accountability, and modernizing the federal government.“This bill locks in President Trump’s America First reforms and strikes at the heart of the bloated federal bureaucracy. For too long, unelected bureaucrats have operated without consequence, pushing regulations that punish the American people while protecting themselves. My bill puts a stop to it,” said Rep. Steube. “We are eliminating useless agencies, restoring accountability in the federal workforce, reducing overcriminalization, and modernizing government operations. To put it simply, this bill delivers the accountability that the deep state fears.”The Federal Government Reform Act of 2025 codifies:

    The elimination of the outdated Federal Executive Institute (EO 14207)
    The modernization of Treasury payment systems (EO 14247)
    Stronger probationary periods for federal employees (EO 14284)
    A crackdown on overcriminalization in federal regulations (EO 14294)
    Efficiency upgrades at the Office of the Federal Register (EO 14295)

    The bill strengthens the federal workforce by enforcing performance standards, improves regulatory transparency, and modernizes how the federal government serves the American people.
    Rep. Steube serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and continues to lead on efforts to shrink government and defend taxpayers.Read the full bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor to offer prevailing wage webinars in June for current, prospective federal contractors on prevailing wage requirements

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Wage and Hour Division will offer webinars on prevailing wage requirements in 2025 for contractors, contracting agencies, unions, workers, and other stakeholders involved in federally funded construction and service contracts. 

    Part of its ongoing effort to increase awareness and improve compliance, the division will host two-day online seminars with sessions on the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, Service Contract Act, and other topics. Participants can choose between the sessions offered on either of the two days. 

    Webinars are scheduled for June 25-26 and Sept. 24-25. Learn more about related federal wage regulations and check for updates on the seminars.

    These events help educate federal contractors seeking opportunities to employ skilled workers in communities across America. These programs are part of the department’s commitment to providing employers with useful training and assistance to avoid non-compliance with prevailing wage laws.

    Seminar attendance is free, but registration is required. Once registered, additional information including links to sessions will be provided. 

    For more information about the Davis-Bacon Act, the Service Contract Act, and other federal wage laws, please call the division’s toll-free helpline at 1-866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor takes ‘America First’ mission to world stage at International Labour Conference

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Labor Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling will participate in the 113th International Labor Conference in Geneva this week, leading a U.S. delegation focused on promoting the Trump administration’s America First labor agenda. 

    Deputy Secretary Sonderling will give high-level remarks during the conference that champion the U.S.’s dominant gig economy and advocate for policies that promote innovation, freedom, and economic opportunity. His mission comes as the International Labour Organization considers new global standards that could threaten millions of businesses and workers in the U.S. and abroad.

    “The United States is a global leader in the gig economy, and this administration intends to keep it that way by pushing back against international efforts to impose burdensome regulations that stifle innovation, harm growth, and kill jobs. President Trump has been clear: we will fight for American workers and American businesses each and every day – both at home and on the world stage. Amplifying that message and standing up for our people will be my key priorities at this year’s conference,” said Deputy Secretary Sonderling.

    The gig economy has become a significant driver of economic growth, offering new pathways to good-paying jobs for millions of workers globally. U.S.-developed platforms have become driving leaders for gig work, powering everything from software development to rideshare and delivery services.

    Deputy Secretary Sonderling will also host a roundtable to promote the U.S. as the premiere international leader in artificial intelligence, as well as hold bilateral meetings with representatives from various governments. He will also meet with ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo to discuss a shared commitment to ensure American workers and businesses are not undercut by unfair labor practices.

    The 113th International Labour Conference runs from June 2 to June 13, 2025, in Geneva. More than 6,000 delegates are registered to attend the conference, representing governments, as well as employers’ and workers’ organizations, from the ILO’s 187 Member States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Michelle W. Bowman sworn in as Vice Chair for Supervision of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

    Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve

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    Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock (
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    ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Over Six Years in Prison on Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia Jail

    Source: US State of California

    A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for failing to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Q.B. died as a result of the officers’ assault. Ashley Toney, 25, was sentenced to 78 months in prison.

    According to her plea agreement, then-Correctional Officer Toney acknowledged that she responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. Toney and other officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. and then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where multiple officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone, as punishment for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Toney admitted that she had an opportunity to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting Q.B. but chose not to make any reasonable effort to do so.  

    Toney pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on Aug. 8, 2024.

    “This former corrections officer violated her duty as a law enforcement officer, and the public trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I thank our Civil Rights Division prosecutors and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who saw these cases through appropriate sentencing.”

    “The defendant’s inaction led to the death of a 37-year-old man, and afterwards she attempted to shield herself and fellow officers from being held accountable for his death,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia. “Through her criminal conduct, the defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system she swore to uphold. I commend the Civil Rights Division for their outstanding advocacy in this case.”

    Six corrections officers were charged in this case. In November 2024, three of those defendants — Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters — each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. In August 2024, Jacob Boothe pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, Walters, and Toney are scheduled for July 9.

    On Jan. 27, 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, Judge Goodwin sentenced Lester to 210 months.

    Prior to their respective indictments, former correctional officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. On May 8, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to 108 months. Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Volk on July 14.

    Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.

    The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.

    Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: $HAREHOLDER ALERT: The M&A Class Action Firm Investigates the Merger of Know Labs, Inc. (NYSE: KNW)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating Know Labs, Inc. (NYSE: KNW) related to its sale to Goldeneye 1995 LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, the Buyer will acquire that number of shares of the Company’s common stock obtained by dividing (i) the sum of 1,000 Bitcoin and a cash sum to retire existing debt, redeem outstanding preferred equity and provide additional working capital, by (ii) the per share purchase price of $0.335.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/know-labs-inc/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

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    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
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    MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC
    The Empire State Building
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    New York, NY 10118
    United States of America
    jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com
    Tel: (212) 971-1341

    Attorney Advertising. (C) 2025 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com).  Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazilian National Charged with Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Brazilian national residing in Somerville has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

    Paulo Vinicius Cardozo Pereira, 43, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Cardozo Pereira was arrested by immigration authorities on May 10, 2025 and will appear in federal court in Boston on June 24, 2025.

    According to the indictment, Cardozo Pereira was deported from the United States on July 25, 2014. It is alleged that sometime after his July 2014 removal, Cardozo Pereira illegally reentered the United States without permission.

    The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murkowski Engages with Education and Labor Nominees on Alaska Priorities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

    06.09.25

    Washington, DC – This week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing to consider the nominations of Dr. Penny Schwinn to be Deputy Secretary of Education, Kimberly Richey to be Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education (ED), Daniel Aronowitz to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Department of Labor (DOL), and David Keeling to be Assistant Secretary  of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

    U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), pressed the nominees on a number of Alaska priorities, including requirements to meaningfully engage with Tribal representatives on education policy, support for State-Tribal Education Compact Schools (STECs), the importance of clear regulations for Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP), and ensuring the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has the resources to support Alaska’s employees’ safety.

    Click here to watch the Senator’s full line of questioning.

    The full transcript of Murkowski’s questions during this week’s HELP hearing is below.

    TRANSCRIPT

    Murkowski: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and welcome ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, for your willingness to serve.

    I want to start with you, Dr. Schwin. As you know Alaska has the greatest number of Indian Tribes in any state. A lot of the focus now on what more we can be doing on the education front. Alaska Native leaders, and parents are really interested in doing more when it comes to self-determination over their children’s education.

    In the last reauthorization of ESSA, I included language to require states and school districts to engage in meaningful consultation with tribal representatives. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen a lot of engagement as we had hoped since 2017, and it’s been across multiple administrations here. So, I would just like to put this to your attention. Recognizing that it is important to meet the requirements of meaningful consultation, whether it is in the Department of Education, or whether it is in Interior, it is across our government and so I put that in front of you here today.

    Another issue that I’d like to bring to your attention, the State of Alaska is moving forward with a pilot program to create what we call STEC [State Tribal Education Compact] Schools. Secretary McMahon has met with some of the STEC school’s representatives. This would effectively, with this education compact with the tribes, would be public schools that are open to all students to offer culturally relevant educational models. I don’t know if you’ve been brought up to speed, if you’ve had any conversations on these, but we’re hoping that you would be able to effectively advocate for additional support as we move forward with these initiatives in Alaska.

    Dr. Schawn: Thank you. I will go ahead and say that your staff gave me a little bit of information and gave me some information to follow up on, if I’m so confirmed. But I really look forward to working with your office on that and want to just congratulate you on what I think is a really innovative program and look forward to seeing more about it.

    Murkowski: Well, feel like we need to be innovative because the status quo has not helped our Native students. When our Native students did not do well, Alaskan students writ large do not do well. So, we want to be doing more in this area.

    Let me turn to you, Mr. Aronowitz. You’re probably very familiar with the angst that’s been expressed by some about the need for a single clear regulatory definition of good-faith effort for valuing ESOP stock. The concern is that instead of having a clear definition that’s spelled out in regulation, ESOPs have been operating under this kind of patchwork of litigation and investigation. There’s also been some concern that the department has taken excessive enforcement actions against ESOPs. Can you speak very briefly to your views on these?

    Mr. Aronowitz: I believe that Congress wants ESOPs, and everybody’s for ESOPs except the Department of Labor the last 20 years, and I will end the war on ESOPs. I think it’s the best way for employees to get an additional benefit, and ownership in an American company. The valuation companies have all been sued by the Department of Labor, that can’t be right that every single one of them are doing it wrong. What the department is doing is nitpicking the professional judgment of the valuation professionals. I’m going to put an end to that, because I think unless there is a clear conflict of interest, then the valuation is appropriate, when done by an independent valuation firm.

    Murkowski: Well, there are so many in my state where the ESOP is really looked at and valued as that commitment to not only business, but employee security as well. So, thank you for that.

    Mr. Keeling, OSHA has traditionally relied on NIOSH data and recommendations for many of the workplace safety standards. I come from a state where we, unfortunately, have a high incidence of accidents on the workforce. The commercial fishing industry has been tagged as one of the most dangerous occupations in the country. We have significant and severe wildfires every year, so we worry about health and safety risks to our firefighters. We have seen the administration moving forward with some pretty significant cuts to NIOSH, and I’m concerned that this is going to hamper some of the vital research that’s out there. So, I don’t know if you can speak to whether we have a plan on how we fill the data and information gap if NIOSH is unable to produce what we need in terms of timely data and recommendations, as you work to inform rule making.

    Mr. Keeling: Yes, Senator. Thank you for the question.

    There is a gap if you will, if NIOSH doesn’t exist, right? But there are ways through that, I think. Use of private entities to fill some of those gaps. Obviously, I’m not in place, I have not spoken to anyone on the career side from OSHA on that point, and NIOSH doesn’t directly report to the Department of Labor, so, there’s a little bit of a difference there, a separation there, as well. I will have questions as well, if I’m lucky enough to be confirmed, about how we do that. But I think there are paths through. I think through using the professional groups that are out there, and by using some private resources, there are ways to fill the gap. Not necessarily easily, but there are ways.

    Murkowski: Right. we don’t want to see those gaps. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Founder of Cryptocurrency Payment Company Charged with Evading Sanctions and Export Controls, Defrauding Financial Institutions, and Violating the Bank Secrecy Act

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Defendant Allegedly Laundered More Than $500M Through the U.S. Financial System, Including by Facilitating Transactions with Sanctioned Russian Banks

    A 22-count indictment was unsealed today charging Iurii Gugnin, also known as Iurii Mashukov and George Goognin, 38, a resident of New York and citizen of Russia, with various offenses related to using his cryptocurrency company Evita to funnel more than $500 million of overseas payments through U.S. banks and cryptocurrency exchanges while hiding the source and purpose of the transactions.

    According to court documents, Gugnin is charged with wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, failing to implement an effective anti-money laundering compliance program, failing to file suspicious activity reports, money laundering, and related conspiracy charges. Gugnin was arrested and arraigned today in New York.

    “The defendant is charged with turning a cryptocurrency company into a covert pipeline for dirty money, moving over half a billion dollars through the U.S. financial system to aid sanctioned Russian banks and help Russian end-users acquire sensitive U.S. technology,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to bring to justice those who imperil our national security by enabling our foreign adversaries to sidestep sanctions and export controls.”

    “As alleged, Gugnin came to the United States and set up a money laundering operation under the guise of a cryptocurrency start-up, which he then used to evade sanctions and export controls and defraud U.S. financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s arrest demonstrates that this Office will vigorously prosecute those who abuse the U.S. financial system in furtherance of criminal activity, particularly when it undermines national security.”

    “Gugnin’s cryptocurrency company allegedly served as a front to launder hundreds of millions of dollars for sanctioned Russian entities and to obtain export-controlled technology for the Russian government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Let this serve notice that using cryptocurrency to hide illegal conduct will not prevent the FBI and our partners from holding you accountable.”

    As alleged in the indictment, Gugnin is the founder, President, Treasurer, and Compliance Officer of U.S-based Evita Investments Inc. (Evita Investments) and Evita Pay Inc. (Evita Pay) (collectively, Evita). Gugnin used both companies to enable foreign customers — many of whom held funds at sanctioned Russian banks — to provide him with cryptocurrency, which he then laundered through cryptocurrency wallets and U.S. bank accounts. Gugnin ultimately converted the funds into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies and then made payments through bank accounts in Manhattan on behalf of his foreign customers. In the process, the sources of the funds were obscured, disguising the audit trail and hiding the true counterparties to the transactions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, Gugnin used Evita to facilitate the movement of approximately $530 million through the U.S. financial system, most of which he received in the form of a cryptocurrency stablecoin known as Tether, or “USDT.”

    To effectuate the scheme, Gugnin defrauded various banks and cryptocurrency exchanges through which he converted funds and made wire transfers. Gugnin repeatedly lied to these banks and exchanges, telling them that Evita did not conduct business with entities in Russia and did not deal with sanctioned entities. In fact, many of Gugnin’s customers were located in Russia, and he facilitated payments in funds held at sanctioned Russian banks, including PJSC Sberbank, PJSC Sovcombank, PJSC VTB Bank, and JSC Tinkoff Bank. Gugnin maintained personal accounts at two sanctioned Russian banks, JSC Alfa-Bank and PJSC Sberbank, with which he transacted while residing in the United States. Gugnin also facilitated payments by foreign customers to procure sensitive electronics, including an export-controlled server designed by a U.S. technology company, and laundered funds from a Moscow-based supplier to purchase parts for Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear technology company. To conceal his activities, Gugnin regularly obfuscated invoices by digitally “whiting out” the names and addresses of his Russian customers.

    Gugnin also failed to implement Evita’s own purported anti-money laundering program and failed to file suspicious activity reports, as required under the Bank Secrecy Act. Although Gugnin represented to banks and cryptocurrency exchanges that Evita followed rigorous anti-money laundering and know-your-customer requirements, in practice he flouted those requirements, as well as the requirement to file reports of suspicious activities with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Gugnin ultimately registered Evita Pay as a money transmitter with FinCEN and the state of Florida but did so by making materially false statements to the state of Florida about Evita Pay’s business. Gugnin used that fraudulently obtained state license to induce a cryptocurrency exchange to process transactions on his behalf.

    In the course of his scheme, Gugnin conducted web searches that confirmed his awareness that he was breaking the law, including searches for “how to know if there is an investigation against you”; “evita investments inc. criminal records search”; “Iurii Gugnin criminal records”; “money laundering penalties US”; and “penalties for sanctions violations EU luxury goods.” He also visited website pages titled, respectively “am I being investigated?”; “signs you may be under criminal investigation”; and “what are the best ways to find out if you’re being investigated and what can someone do when they think they might be under investigation.”

    If convicted, Gugnin faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for each count of bank fraud; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the wire fraud, IEEPA, money laundering, and related conspiracy counts; a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for failure to implement an effective anti-money laundering program and failure to file suspicious activity reports; and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Dallas Kaplan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell for the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.

    Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and the University of Ottawa Accelerate Low Dose Radiation Research and Foster Next Generation of Scientists

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHALK RIVER, Ontario, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa), one of Canada’s most innovative universities, are pleased to announce a new partnership to advance knowledge, education, research and innovation in low dose radiation (LDR) exposure health effects.

    Leveraging the leading research organizations’ complementary capabilities, the new partnership builds on CNL’s global leadership in LDR research with the establishment of a CNL-led LDR innovation hub, accelerating research critical to public safety and the health of Canadians. It will also serve to increase capabilities, education and training opportunities to graduate students and early career researchers.

    The partnership will also extend uOttawa researchers’ access to Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s world class facilities at Chalk River Laboratories, including the unique Biological Research Facility, associated irradiation facilities and LDR Tissue Bank, and establishes a CNL satellite laboratory within uOttawa’s new Advanced Medical Research Centre (AMRC) – set to open in 2026. This physical presence will be co-located with the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology (OISB) as well as uOttawa state-of-the-art Core Facilities, which altogether will support new research directions in radiation sciences and advanced organoid-based systems biology. These areas are rapidly developing strengths at uOttawa, positioning the university as a national, and potentially international, leader in this field. uOttawa will also offer reciprocal access to key research facilities on campus, in addition to those located at the faculty of medicine and in AMRC.

    “As a major player in the global research and development effort to support LDR research, CNL is focused on the prevention or reduction of radiation exposure effects in workers, patients and the larger population,” says Dr. Stephen Bushby, Vice-President, Science & Technology, CNL. “We are very excited to include uOttawa as a major partner in the work needed to shed light on this complex field of research.”

    As part of this partnership, CNL will be contributing towards the acquisition of a mass spectrometer, which will be installed in the in the Metabolomics Core Facility at uOttawa. This strategic investment, supporting collaborative initiatives between OISB and CNL, will enable leading-edge single-cell metabolomics and spatial metabolomics, a rapidly advancing field with transformative potential in biomedical research. This will be the only equipment of its kind in eastern Canada, offering unique capabilities for high-resolution chemical imaging at the cellular level. The instrument will not only serve researchers at uOttawa, but also attract national and international collaborators, firmly establishing uOttawa as a leader in metabolomics and precision health research.

    The mass spectrometer will be a central component of the new Spatial Biology and Single-Cell Suite (3S) within the AMRC. This cutting-edge suite will integrate transformative new technologies into a coordinated workflow that complements and enhances five existing and intensively used Core Facilities: Flow Cytometry, Metabolomics, Gene Editing, Cellular Imaging, and Bioinformatics. By bridging these platforms, 3S will significantly expand research capabilities in some of uOttawa’s strongest areas of discovery, particularly brain, heart, and cancer biology—driving breakthroughs in systems biology, precision medicine, and therapeutic development.

    “This new equipment, the only one of its kind in Eastern Canada, positions the University of Ottawa as a leader in metabolomics and precision health research, while attracting national and international collaborations,” says Julie St-Pierre, Interim Vice-President, Research and Innovation, uOttawa.

    This new partnership builds on over a decade of collaborative research involving CNL and multiple uOttawa faculties, including Engineering, Science and Medicine. These collaborations have advanced understanding of the biomedical impacts of LDR, including studies on DNA damage and repair, protein synthesis, epigenetics, mitochondrial biology, metabolism, immunity, and stem cell functions. As part of this partnership, CNL has also provided funding support for postdoctoral fellow stipends, further enabling high-impact research and talent development.

    With the field of LDR research growing and Canadian leadership in LDR research well-recognized, both organizations will continue to explore additional opportunities to further strengthen this partnership.

    About CNL

    As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL fulfills three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.

    By leveraging the assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.

    To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.

    About the University of Ottawa

    The University of Ottawa is powered by research. Located in Canada’s capital, we bring together energetic and creative scholars to tackle urgent global challenges and to respond to emerging opportunities.

    As one of Canada’s most innovative universities, we generate breakthroughs and discoveries that make a real difference in communities across Ontario, Canada and the world. Our thought leaders provide evidence-based insights that inform policy and support industry.

    Our influence keeps growing due to our vast range of international partnerships, including our membership in the U7+ Alliance. As the world’s largest French-English university, we are a driving force in the Francophonie.

    To learn more about uOttawa, please visit www.uottawa.ca.

    CNL Contact:
    Philip Kompass
    Director, Corporate Communications
    1-866-886-2325
    media@cnl.ca

    uOttawa contact:
    media@uottawa.ca

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8c4cd1c0-401a-44e6-83ce-e65ea78dc6b4

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Game Changers: Alberta’s 2024 Sport Stars

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Dallas leads DHS effort removing 122 illegal aliens aboard Special High Risk Charter flight

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    DALLAS — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement led a Department of Homeland Security effort of returning 122 illegal aliens to the Peoples Republic of China June 3. The flight manifest included 96 males and 26 females with final orders for removal coming from ICE detention facilities across the country. Ages ranged from 19 to 68.

    “Through our interagency partnerships and coordination across ICE field offices, we have successfully removed these individuals, many who were convicted of egregious crimes,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson. “This operation not only enhances the public safety of our communities across the U.S. but also strengthens national security. “Our colleagues at ICE come to work every day to identify, arrest and remove illegal aliens who attempt to circumvent our nation’s immigrations laws.”

    As part of its routine operations, ICE arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws. All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality.

    Those aboard the flight included illegal aliens convicted of murder/homicide, lewd/lascivious acts with a minor, human smuggling, rape, and drug trafficking.

    Notable removals include:

    • A 47-year-old male with a conviction for murder.
    • A 49-year-old male with a conviction for drug trafficking.
    • A 27-year-old male with a conviction for rape.
    • A 50-year-old female with a conviction for bribery.
    • A 55-year-old male with a conviction for human smuggling.

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

    Learn more about ICE Dallas’ mission to increase public safety in our North Texas and Oklahoma communities on X at @ERODallas.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Types of Disaster Assistance Available

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Types of Disaster Assistance Available

    Types of Disaster Assistance Available

    AUSTIN – A major presidential disaster declaration was approved after the severe storms and flooding that occurred March 26-28, 2025, in Texas

    It authorizes FEMA to provide assistance in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties

     Disaster assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help residents and business owners recover from the impacts of the disaster

    FEMA’s Individual Assistance program directly helps disaster survivors with uninsured or underinsured basic critical needs such as returning a home to a safe, sanitary, functional and accessible environment during their recovery from a disaster

     Under Individual Assistance, FEMA provides several types of financial and direct assistance to eligible individuals and families

    These may include, but are not limited to:Housing AssistanceRental Assistance to rent alternate housing while an applicant is displaced from a disaster-damaged primary residence

    Rental Assistance and Continued Temporary Housing Assistance may be used to rent a house, apartment, manufactured home, recreational vehicle, or efficiency unit at a hotel or motel while your damaged residence is being repaired

    Lodging Expense Reimbursement for hotels, motels or other short-term lodging while an applicant is displaced from a disaster-damaged primary residence

    Home Repair Assistance to help restore an owner-occupied, disaster-damaged primary residence to safe and sanitary condition

    Replacement Assistance to help homeowners replace an owner-occupied primary residence when it is destroyed by a disaster

    Other Needs AssistanceDisplacement: Helps with housing needs if you cannot return to your home because of the disaster

    Serious Needs Assistance: An upfront, flexible “per household” payment for essential items such as food, water, baby formula, breast-feeding supplies, medicine and other serious disaster-related needs

    Note: This is not a reimbursement for loss of power or replacing food

    It is intended for emergency needs only

    Childcare: Assistance for childcare expenses or an increase in childcare expenses caused by a disaster

    Medical/Dental: Assistance to help cover expenses related to disaster-caused injuries or illnesses

    Personal Property: Helps repair or replace appliances, room furnishings, and a personal or family computer damaged in the disaster

    Transportation: Assistance to repair or replace a vehicle damaged by the disaster when you don’t have another vehicle to use

    Miscellaneous Items: Assistance that may help pay for specific items that were purchased or rented after the disaster to help you recover

    For example, a chainsaw to help clear fallen trees that prevent safe access to your home

    Moving and Storage: Assistance moving and storing personal property from your home to prevent additional damage, usually while making repairs to your home or moving to a new place due to the disaster

    Learn more about FEMA’s Individual Assistance program at fema

    gov/assistance/individual

    Disaster assistance to Texas for the March 26-28 severe storms and flooding includes:$34

    2 million in FEMA awards to 6,541 individuals and households, including nearly $58,000 for rental of temporary housing and basic repair of damaged dwellings$2

    4 million in U

    S

    Small Business Administration disaster loansTo meet survivors where they are, FEMA, SBA and the State of Texas are operating seven Disaster Recovery Centers in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties

    More than 3,400 people have visited these centers

    Survivors in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties may apply for federal assistance if they had damage in the March 26-28 storms

    The deadline to apply is July 22, 2025

     There are several ways to apply

    Visit a Disaster Recovery Center

    To find a center close to you, go online to: DRC Locator, or text DRC along with your Zip Code to 43362 (Ex: DRC 78552)

    Go to DisasterAssistance

    gov; download the FEMA App for mobile devices; or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a

    m

    and 10 p

    m

    CT

    Help is available in most languages

     If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, you can give FEMA your number for that service

     For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance, go to Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTubeFor more information, visit fema

    gov/disaster/4871

    Follow FEMA Region 6 on social media at x

    com/FEMARegion6 and at facebook

    com/FEMARegion6/
    toan

    nguyen
    Mon, 06/09/2025 – 18:16

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Central Brazil Cerrado

    Source: NASA

    On May 19, 2025, Landsat 9 captured this image of the Serra de Caldas in the state of Goiás, Brazil. The oval plateau is covered by a biologically rich savanna and grassland ecosystem called Cerrado. The Cerrado covers about one-fifth of Brazil’s land area and represents the second-largest biome in South America behind the Amazon. These lands are home to thousands of plant, bird, reptile, and mammal species, many of which are found nowhere else on the planet.
    Learn more about this area sometimes referred to as the “cradle of waters.”
    Text credit: Lindsey Doermann
    Image credit: NASA/Wanmei Liang; Landsat data: USGS

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s TROPICS Mission: Offering Detailed Images and Analysis of Tropical Cyclones

    Source: NASA

    Introduction
    Tropical cyclones represent a danger to life, property, and the economies of communities. Researchers who study tropical cyclones have focused on remote observations using space-based platforms to image these storms, inform forecasts, better predict landfall, and improve understanding of storm dynamics and precipitation evolution – see Figure 1.

    The tropical cyclone community has leveraged data from Earth observing platforms for more than 30 years. These data have been retrieved from numerous instruments including: the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)–Series R satellites; the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI); the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI); the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) on the Defense Meteorological Satellite (DSMP) satellites; the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) on Aqua; AMSR2 on the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Global Change Observation Mission–Water (GCOM-W) mission; the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) on Aqua and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) on the NASA–NOAA Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP), NOAA-20, and NOAA-21; the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra and Aqua Platform; and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on Suomi NPP, as well as on the first two Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) missions (i.e., NOAA-20 and NOAA-21).
    Despite having decades of data at their disposal, scientists lack data from instruments placed in low-inclination orbits that provide more frequent views within tropical regions. This limitation is especially pronounced in the tropical and subtropical latitudes, which is where tropical storms develop and intensify.
    The NASA Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) grew from the Precipitation and All-weather Temperature and Humidity (PATH) to address a need for obtaining three-dimensional (3D) temperature and humidity measurements as well as precipitation with a temporal revisit rate of one hour or better – see Figure 2. TROPICS uses multiple small satellites flying in a carefully engineered formation to obtain rapid revisits of measurements of precipitation structure within the storms, as well as temperature and humidity profiles, both within and outside of the storms, including the intensity of the upper-level warm core. In addition, the instruments provide a median revisit time of about one hour. The data gathered also informs changes in storm track and intensity and provides data to improve weather prediction models.
    The imagery is focused on inner storm structure (near 91 and 205 GHz), temperature soundings (near 118 GHz), and moisture soundings (near 183 GHz). Spatial resolution at nadir is approximately 24 km (16.8 mi) for temperature and 17 km (10.6 mi) for moisture and precipitation, covering a swath of approximately 2000 km (1243 mi) in width. Researchers can use TROPICS data to create hundreds of high-resolution images of tropical cyclones throughout their lifecycle.

    This article provides an overview of the two years of successful science operations of TROPICS, with a focus on the suite of geophysical Level-2 (L2) products (e.g., atmospheric vertical temperature and moisture profiles, instantaneous surface rain rate, and tropical cyclone intensity) and the science investigations resulting from these measurements. The complete article, available in the Proceedings Of The IEEE: Special Issue On Satellite Remote Sensing Of The Earth, provides more comprehensive details of the results.
    From Pathfinder to Constellation
    A single TROPICS satellite was launched as a Pathfinder vehicle on June 30, 2021, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare into a Sun-synchronous polar orbit. TROPICS was originally conceived as a six-satellite constellation, with two satellites launched into each of three low-inclination orbits. Regrettably, the first launch, on June 22, 2022 aboard an Astra Rocket 3.3, failed to reach orbit. While unfortunate, the mission could still proceed with four satellites and meet its baseline revisit rate requirement (with no margin), with the silver lining of an extra year of data gathered from TROPICS Pathfinder that allowed the tropical cyclone research community to prepare and test communications systems and data processing algorithms before the launch of the four remaining constellation satellites. These satellites were deployed on two separate launches – May 8, 2023 and May 26, 2023 aboard a Rocket Lab launch vehicle. The early testing accelerated calibration and validation for the constellation.
    Collecting Data Critical to Understanding Tropical Cyclones
    Tropical cyclone investigations require rapid quantitative observations to create 2D storm structure information. The four radiance data products in the TROPICS constellation [i.e., antenna temperature (L1a), brightness temperature (L1b), unified brightness temperature, and regularized scan pattern and limb-adjusted brightness temperature (L1c)] penetrate below the cloud top to gather data at greater frequency for a lower cost than current operational systems. The constellation data has been used to evaluate the development of the warm core and evolution of the ice water path within storms – two indicators of storm formation and subsequent changes in intensity.
    The upper-level warm core is key to tropical cyclone development and intensification. Precipitation may instigate rapid intensification through convective bursts that are characterized by expanding cold cloud tops, increasing ice scattering, lightning, and towers of intense rain and ice water that are indicative of strong updrafts. TROPICS frequencies provide a wealth of information on scattering by precipitation-sized ice particles in the eyewall and rainbands that will allow for researchers to track the macrostructure of convective bursts in tropical cyclones across the globe. In addition, TROPICS data helps clarify how variations in environmental humidity around tropical cyclones affect storm structure and intensification.
    Upper-level Warm Core
    Analysis of the upper-level warm core of a tropical cyclone reveals valuable information about the storm’s development. The tropical cyclone community is using data from TROPICS to understand the processes that lead to precipitating ice structure and the role it plays in intensification – see Figure 3. While the warm core has been studied for decades, TROPICS provides a new opportunity to get high-revisit rate estimates of the atmospheric vertical temperature profile. By pairing the temperature profile with the atmospheric vertical moisture profile, researchers can define the relative humidity in the lower-to-middle troposphere, which is critical to understanding the impact of dry environmental air on storm evolution and structure.

    Ice Water Path and Precipitation
    Another variable that helps to provide insight into the development of tropical cyclones is the ice water path, which details the total mass of ice present in a vertical column of the atmosphere and is therefore useful for characterizing the structure and intensity of these storms. Increasing ice water path can reflect strengthening convection within a storm and thereby be an indicator of likely intensification – see Figure 4. TROPICS is the first spaceborne sensor equipped with a 205-GHz channel that, along with the traditional 89, 118, and 183 GHz channels, is more sensitive to detecting precipitation-sized ice particles. In addition, the TROPICS Precipitation Retrieval and Profiling Scheme (PRPS) provides an estimate of precipitation. This scheme is based solely on the satellite radiances linked to precipitation rates, which can be used to generate products across time scales, from near-real-time to climatological scales.

    Collaborations and TROPICS Data in Action
    To evaluate and enhance the data gathered by TROPICS, the TROPICS application team enlisted the assistance of operational weather forecasters that formed the TROPICS Early Adopters program. In 2018, the program connected the application team to stakeholders interested in using TROPICS data for research, forecasting, and decision making. This collaboration improved approaches to diagnose and predict tropical cyclones. For example, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) found that the new TROPICS channel at 204.8 GHz offered the best approach to capture convective storm structure, followed by the more traditionally used 91-GHz channel. In addition, the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) has been using TROPICS data to center-fix tropical cyclones and identify cloud formations. In particular, the JTWC team found that the 91-GHz channel was most useful for identifying cloud structure. Both NHC and JTWC found the TROPICS high revisit rate to be beneficial.
    In 2024, the TROPICS applications team developed the TROPICS Satellite Validation Module as part of the NOAA Hurricane Research Division’s annual Advancing the Prediction of Hurricanes Experiment (APHEX). The module coordinated data collection from NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft beneath TROPICS satellite overpasses to provide data to calibrate and validate TROPICS temperature, moisture, and precipitation measurements. Using this approach, the Hurricane Hunter team tracked Hurricane Ernesto over the central North Atlantic on August 15 and 16, 2024 and used the data to characterize the environment of Ernesto’s rain bands – see Figure 5.

    In addition, the team used TROPICS observations in combination with GPM constellation precipitation estimates to characterize the lifecycle of Hurricane Franklin, which formed on August 19, 2023 and underwent a period of rapid intensification about eight days later. Intensification of the storm, in particular the period of rapid intensification (45 knot increase in maximum winds in 24 hours), occurred in association with a decrease in environmental vertical wind shear, a contraction of the radius of maximum precipitation, and an increase in the precipitation rate. Intensification ended with the formation of secondary rainbands and an outward shift in the radius of maximum precipitation.
    Conclusion
    TROPICS data offer the potential for improving forecasts from numerical weather prediction models and operational forecasts using its high spatial resolution and high revisit rates that enable enhanced characterization of tropical cyclones globally. To date, the TROPICS mission has produced a high-quality aggregate data record spanning 10 billion observations and 10 satellite years, using relatively low-cost microwave sounder constellations. All L1 (i.e., radiances) and L2 (i.e., geophysical products) data products and Algorithm Theoretical Basis Documents are available to the general public through the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). The GES DISC data discussed in this article include L1 and L2 products for TROPICS-1, TROPICS-3, TROPICS-5, and TROPICS-6.
    TROPICS data has aided hurricane track forecasting for multiple storms as forecasters have used the data at multiple operational tropical cyclone forecast centers. Data gathered by TROPICS will soon be complemented by multiple commercial constellations that are coming online to improve the revisit rate and performance.
    William Blackwell MIT Lincoln Laboratorywjb@ll.mit.edu
    Scott BraunNASA GSFC, TROPICS Project Scientistscott.a.braun@nasa.gov
    Stacy KishEarth Observer StaffEarthspin.science@gmail.com

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Comet-Catching NASA Technology Enables Exotic Works of Art 

    Source: NASA

    Consisting of 99% air, aerogel is the world’s lightest solid. This unique material has found purpose in several forms — from NASA missions to high fashion.
    Driven by the desire to create a 3D cloud, Greek artist, Ioannis Michaloudis, learned to use aerogel as an artistic medium. His journey spanning more than 25 years took him to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge; Shivaji University in Maharashtra, India, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
     A researcher at MIT introduced Michaloudis to aerogel after hearing of his cloud-making ambition, and he was immediately intrigued. Aerogel is made by combining a polymer with a solvent to create a gel and flash-drying it under pressure, leaving a solid filled with microscopic pores. 
    Scientists at JPL chose aerogel in the mid-1990s to enable the Stardust mission, with the idea that a porous surface could capture particles while flying on a probe behind a comet. Aerogel worked in lab tests, but it was difficult to manufacture consistently and needed to be made space-worthy. NASA JPL hired materials scientist Steve Jones to develop a flight-ready  aerogel, and he eventually got funding for an aerogel lab. 

    The Stardust mission succeeded, and when Michaloudis heard of it, he reached out to JPL, where Jones invited him to the lab. Now retired, Jones recalled, “I went through the primer on aerogel with him, the different kinds you could make and their different properties.” The size of Jones’ reactor, enabling it to make large objects, impressed Michaloudis. With tips on how to safely operate a large reactor, he outfitted his own lab with one. 
    In India, Michaloudis learned recipes for aerogels that can be molded into large objects and don’t crack or shrink during drying. His continued work with aerogels has created an extensive art portfolio. 
    Michaloudis has had more than a dozen solo exhibitions. All his artwork involves aerogel, drawing attention with its unusual qualities. An ethereal, translucent blue, it casts an orange shadow and can withstand molten metals. In 2020, Michaloudis created a quartz-encapsulated aerogel pendant for the centerpiece of that year’s collection from French jewelry house Boucheron. Michaloudis also captured the fashion and design world’s attention with a handbag made of aerogel, unveiled at Coperni’s 2024 fall collection debut. 
    NASA was a crucial step along the way. “I am what I am, and we made what we made thanks to the Stardust project,” said Michaloudis. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Paul Morris: Filming the Final Frontier

    Source: NASA

    Video Producer – Goddard Space Flight Center
    What sparked your interest in video production, and what drew you to NASA? 
    Ever since I saw “Star Wars” at nine years old, I knew I wanted to make movies. I would make little stop action videos with my action figures.
    How did you land this role at NASA, and what do your duties entail?
    I was working with a company in New York for about eight years, producing a daily live interactive show on Facebook. I’ve always been obsessed with NASA, so when I saw the job opportunity I knew I had to take a shot. To this day I still can’t believe how lucky I am to work here. I’ve been working with the Hubble mission for the past five years, but I’ve begun to work on other missions like the James Webb Space Telescope, MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN), Osiris-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer), and the incredible Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

    How has your style evolved over time?
    My previous job was very steeped in “internet culture,” so it was a lot more fast-paced and crazy style videos. The main goal was to get the audience to watch past the ad break. With NASA I’ve been able to slow down my videos a bit more and focus more on quality and explaining the science result.

    What guides your process when you start a new assignment?
    Let me be clear, I feel that all astro science is super cool and interesting. However, some of it is less interesting to the general public. Therefore, the first thing I think about when approaching a potential new story is by asking the question: “Would a fifth grader think this story is awesome?” Black holes, giant explosions, stars dying…if the story is there then the imagery will be there too. 

    What’s been your favorite project so far? 
    A few years back, Hubble just celebrated the 30th anniversary of the first servicing mission, (the one that corrected the mirror flaw). I got to interview some of the biggest Hubble legends of all time and created a seven-part series from the perspectives of all of these genius engineers, scientists, and even astronauts. I was super proud of how all those videos came out.

    [embedded content]

    Do you have any major goals you hope to achieve or projects you’d like to tackle someday?
    I’d love to do a full-length movie following a project from its conception to its deactivation. Obviously, this is rather hard to do and will take years, potentially decades, but there are a few projects that are on the “ground floor” at the moment, so I’d love to just check in with them every year or so.
    How has your work influenced your understanding or appreciation of space science and technology?
    I’ve been absolutely obsessed with all things NASA since around third grade, so I’ve always loved space science and technology. However, I had no idea how much the technology of space telescopes has led to incredible advances in Earth technologies. From Olympic speed skating to breast cancer research or saving whale sharks, there’s just such a huge return on investment with NASA research.

    Where do you draw inspiration from?
    The incredibly talented and creative people I work with always make me strive to make better videos.
    What hobbies fill your time outside of work?
    I’ve gotten really into running and CrossFit since Covid. I also direct plays from time to time at a local theatre near my house.

    What advice do you have for others who are interested in doing similar work?
    Always look for ways to add to your creative skillset. There are a lot of amazing training options available online, and there’s always something new you can do to make yourself even better than you are today.
    By Ashley BalzerNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Home Inspections Underway for Oklahoma Wildfire Survivors

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Home Inspections Underway for Oklahoma Wildfire Survivors

    FEMA Home Inspections Underway for Oklahoma Wildfire Survivors

    OKLAHOMA CITY – After Oklahoma residents apply for FEMA assistance for the March wildfires, a home inspection may be necessary to help determine whether the home is safe, sanitary and livable, or to confirm its present condition

    FEMA recognizes that many survivors of the March wildfires suffered significant or total loss of property

    The FEMA inspection process requires in-person verification of the applicant, co-applicant or someone authorized to speak on their behalf, as well as the address of the damaged dwelling

    Providing photographs or video of the damaged property before and after the disaster can help the inspector to accurately assess the extent of the damage

    FEMA inspectors do not make any decisions about eligibility for assistance

    Information gathered during the inspection is only one of several criteria FEMA uses to determine if applicants are eligible for federal assistance

     If the home is standing, the housing inspector will consider:The structural soundness of the home, both inside and outside

    Whether the electrical, gas, heat, plumbing and sewer/septic systems are in working order

    Whether the home is safe to access and can be entered and exited safely

    If the home is not standing, the housing inspector will:Verify the current state of the property to accurately assess the extent of the damage

    All FEMA representatives have official identification

    Housing inspectors will make an appointment with the applicant before the visit

    They will already have the applicant’s FEMA application number

     They carry photo identification and will show it to the applicant

    For security reasons, federal identification may not be photographed

    Inspectors will never ask for, or accept, money

    Their service is free

     FEMA inspectors will call or text applicants to arrange to meet at the home

    They will leave messages and/or texts at the phone number listed on the FEMA application

    These communications may come from unfamiliar phone numbers so it is important that applicants respond to ensure their applications continue to move forward

    A typical home inspection takes about 45 minutes to complete

    After the inspection, applicants should allow seven to 10 days for processing

    If they have questions about the status of their application, they can call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

    To learn more about FEMA home inspections and how to identify an inspector, visit FEMA Home Inspections

    For the latest information about Oklahoma’s recovery, visit  fema

    gov/disaster/4866

     Follow FEMA Region 6 on social media at x

    com/FEMARegion6 and at facebook

    com/FEMARegion6/

    thomas

    wise
    Mon, 06/09/2025 – 14:00

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: INITIAL PUBLIC NOTICE SAN JOAQUIN COUNTYWIDE BACKUP GENERATORS AND PUMPS

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: INITIAL PUBLIC NOTICE SAN JOAQUIN COUNTYWIDE BACKUP GENERATORS AND PUMPS

    INITIAL PUBLIC NOTICE SAN JOAQUIN COUNTYWIDE BACKUP GENERATORS AND PUMPS

    INITIAL PUBLIC NOTICE SAN JOAQUIN COUNTYWIDE BACKUP GENERATORS AND PUMPS SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIALPDM-PJ-09-CA-2024-001The U
    S
    Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) intends to provide federal financial assistance under the Legislative Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program to San Joaquin County in San Joaquin County, California, to improve water and storm drainage system reliability and resiliency against power outages during storm and flood events
    The proposed action would mitigate impacts from flood hazards by installing five emergency backup generators and upgrading one pump at existing pump stations
    Pursuant to Executive Order 11988 (Floodplain Management) and FEMA’s implementing regulations at Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 9, FEMA hereby provides interested parties with a notice of its intent to carry out an action affecting a floodplain
    The purpose of the proposed action is to reduce flood hazards
    The proposed action would occur at five pump station locations and consists of installing a new gas generator and upgrading the existing pump at one location, replacing an existing generator with a new gas generator at another location, and installing new gas generators at three other locations
    The generators would be installed with new gas connections, automatic transfer switches, and electrical connections with new electrical service
    The proposed generators would be placed on concrete pads
    Services would feed from the public right-of-way to each site with new gas meters installed prior to connection of each generator
    The proposed pump improvements would discharge flows to Fourteen Mile Slough which is in the 100-year floodplain as depicted on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), Map Number 06077C0455F, effective date October 16, 2009
    The FIRM shows that Fourteen Mile Slough lies within Zone AE, an area that has a 1-percent probability of flooding every year and where predicted floodwater elevations have been established
    Additional information about FEMA’s proposed action, including maps showing the potential impacts on floodplains, may be obtained by writing the FEMA Region 9 Environmental Officer at FEMA, 1111 Broadway, Suite 1200, Oakland, California 94607, or fema-rix-ehp-documents@fema
    dhs
    gov
    All requests should be received within 15 days after publication of this notice

    eileen
    chao
    Mon, 06/09/2025 – 16:04

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SR 161 fish passage improvements begin Monday, June 23, north of Eatonville

    Source: Washington State News 2

    Temporary traffic signals and a bypass road will help keep people moving

    EATONVILLE – Travelers who use State Route 161 between Graham and Eatonville will see temporary changes to the roadway this summer. 

    The work is part of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s efforts to remove barriers to fish under state highways. Crews will remove two culverts just north of 280th Street East in Pierce County. The culverts carry tributaries to South Creek.

    Project specifics

    Starting Monday, June 23, crews will begin clearing vegetation before building a temporary single-lane bypass road to keep traffic moving during construction. Temporary traffic signals will alternate travelers through the work zone around the clock. The speed limit on SR 161 between mileposts 14.5 and 15.2 will be lowered from 55 mph to 25 mph.

    At the traffic signal, a push button will allow for longer travel time between signals for bicyclists. 

    Remove barriers to fish

    The existing culverts are a barrier to fish. The construction will open potential habitat for coho, steelhead and resident trout in South Creek’s tributary. 

    Crews will replace the blocking culverts with a large box culvert that is fish friendly. Workers will rebuild the stream to improve fish habitat. The larger structure will also allow wildlife to pass under the roadway.

    Major construction is expected to finish in fall 2025.

    WSDOT travel tools

    Travelers can receive email updates about these projects and other major roadwork on state highways in Pierce County. Real-time information is available on the WSDOT app and Travel Center Map.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Online open house for SR 167 Completion Project construction in Pierce County begins June 9

    Source: Washington State News 2

    Public can learn where, when and how construction will affect them

    PUYALLUP – Construction work on a new stage of the State Route 167 Completion Project in Pierce County will begin picking up steam in summer 2025. To help people in the Puyallup, Edgewood, Sumner and Milton areas understand how construction will affect them, the Washington State Department of Transportation is launching an online open house on Monday, June 9.

    People who visit the online open house will learn more about the project, which builds a portion of a new expressway between SR 410 and North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup. It also includes a new interchange at North Meridian Avenue, two new bridges, a section of the spuyaləpabš Trail, and ramp and surface street improvements. The online open house outlines the phases of construction and what people can expect if they live, work or travel through the area.

    SR 167 online open house information

    When:  Monday, June 9 – Saturday, Aug. 9

    Where:  engage.wsdot.wa.gov/sr-167-completion-project/

    Details:  The online open house will be available in Spanish, Russian, Korean and Tagalog. Visitors also can leave comments or ask questions.

    Internet access

    • Free, temporary internet access is available to those who do not have broadband service and wish to participate in the online open house:
    • Sumner Library, 1116 Fryar Ave., Sumner
    • WSU Puyallup Research Center, 2606 W. Pioneer Ave., Puyallup
    • Milton/Edgewood Library, 900 Meridian E., Suite 29, Milton
    • Fife Library, 6622 20th St. E., Fife
    • Bonney Lake Library, 18501 90th St. E., Bonney Lake

    SR 167 Completion Project information

    The SR 167 Completion Project builds 6 miles of new tolled highway between Puyallup and the Port of Tacoma. The new expressway will be built in stages. The first stage of work completed the new Wapato Way East bridge and SR 99 roundabout in Fife. The second stage builds the expressway between I-5 and the Port of Tacoma. It’s scheduled to open in 2026.  Work on the third stage between SR 161/North Meridian Avenue and SR 410 began in 2025. Construction of the last stage between North Meridian Avenue and I-5 will begin in 2026. The entire project is planned for completion by 2030. 

     Photos of construction work are available on the project’s Flickr page. A 3D video tour is also available on WSDOT’s YouTube page.

    Puget Sound Gateway Program overview

    The SR 167 Completion Project is part of WSDOT’s Puget Sound Gateway Program, which also includes the SR 509 Completion Project in south King County. Together, the two completion projects finish critical missing links in Washington’s highway and freight network.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom suing President Trump and Department of Defense for illegal takeover of CalGuard unit

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jun 9, 2025

    “An unmistakable step toward authoritarianism”

    What you need to know: Standing up for state sovereignty throughout the nation, California Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta are suing the Trump administration for its illegal takeover of the California National Guard (CalGuard). 

    LOS ANGELES – Following President Trump’s call to arrest Governor Gavin Newsom, the Governor and Attorney General Rob Bonta today are filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration to end the illegal and unnecessary takeover of a CalGuard unit, which has needlessly escalated chaos and violence in the Los Angeles region. The lawsuit, which names President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the Department of Defense, outlines why the takeover violates the U.S. Constitution and exceeds the President’s Title 10 authority, not only because the takeover occurred without the consent or input of the Governor, as federal law requires,  but also because it was unwarranted.

    “Donald Trump is creating fear and terror by failing to adhere to the U.S. Constitution and overstepping his authority. This is a manufactured crisis to allow him to take over a state militia, damaging the very foundation of our republic. Every governor, red or blue, should reject this outrageous overreach. This is beyond incompetence — this is him intentionally causing chaos, terrorizing communities, and endangering the principles of our great democracy. It is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism. We will not let this stand.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    “President Trump’s order calling federalized National Guard troops into Los Angeles – over the objections of the Governor and local law enforcement – is unnecessary and counterproductive. It’s also deeply unfair to the members of the National Guard who are hard at work every day protecting our state, preparing for and responding to emergencies, and training so that, if called, they can fight our nation’s wars,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion. The President is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends. Federalizing the California National Guard is an abuse of the President’s authority under the law– and not one we take lightly. We’re asking a court to put a stop to the unlawful, unprecedented order.”

    Under the California Constitution, Governor Newsom is the Commander-in-Chief of the California National Guard. In the lawsuit, Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta explain that the federal government has overstepped its legal authority and bypassed the Governor’s approval to take over a unit of CalGuard, in a situation where federal government intervention was not needed and did not meet the necessary criteria for federalization. The unrest in Los Angeles is nowhere close to rising to the level of a “rebellion” beyond the capacity of local and state authorities to control, nor is it different in kind from other similar situations in recent years that were brought under control by local authorities with no need for military intervention. The Department of Defense’s mobilization order also failed to comply with President Trump’s own direction to coordinate with the Governor and the National Guard. 

    Trump’s illegal takeover

    On Friday, June 6, 2025, the federal government, through Immigration and Customs Enforcement, began conducting widespread operations throughout Los Angeles without providing notification to local law enforcement. During the course of these operations, ICE officers took actions that inflamed tensions, including the arrest and detainment of children, and military-style operations that sparked panic in the community. The Department of Homeland Security reported that its enforcement activities on June 6 resulted in the arrest of 44 individuals, two of whom appear to have been minors. Only five of those arrested reportedly had any criminal history. 

    In response, community members began protesting to express opposition to these violent tactics, the President’s heavy-handed, violent immigration agenda, and the arrest of innocent people, and to express solidarity with and concern for the individuals and families most directly impacted by the enforcement actions taking place in their community. Protests continued for two more days, and although some violent and illegal incidents were reported — leading to justified arrests by state and local authorities — these protests were largely nonviolent and involved citizens exercising their First Amendment right to protest. At no point did these protests necessitate federal intervention, and local and state law enforcement remained in control of the situation.  Local law enforcement, despite no communication or advanced notice from the federal government, responded quickly and did not request federal assistance. 

    No basis for takeover

    Soon after protests began, on June 7, President Trump issued a memorandum entitled “Department of Defense Security for the Protection of Department of Homeland Security Functions,” purporting to authorize the Department of Defense to call up 2,000 National Guard personnel into federal service for a period of 60 days, and declaring a “rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States” and directing the Secretary of Defense to coordinate with state governors and the National Guard to commandeer state militias. This order was not specific to California and suggests that the President could assume control of any state militia. 

    President Trump then began posting to social media that the protests in California were out of control and that the federal government had taken over the California National Guard — further inflaming fear in the community, inciting fear and violence, and endangering state sovereignty. Notably, by the time the National Guard arrived on Sunday morning, the protests had dissipated thanks to local law enforcement, and the streets were quiet. The President’s Actions and the military presence inflamed the very protest and violence it was supposedly meant to suppress.

    President Trump’s unprecedented order attempts to usurp state authority and resources via 10 U.S.C. § 12406, a statute that has been invoked on its own only once before in modern history and for highly unusual circumstances  —  when President Richard Nixon called upon the National Guard to deliver the mail during the 1970 Postal Service Strike. This is also the first time since 1965 — when President Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators — that a president has activated a state’s National Guard without a request from the state’s governor. 

    And as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem previously said, federalization of the National Guard “would be a direct attack on states’ rights.”

    Ending Trump’s abuse of power

    Today, Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta stand up for all states’ authority through this lawsuit. The lawsuit asks the court to end the federal government’s gross overstep of authority and require President Trump and Secretary Hegseth to follow the appropriate legal steps to take over any state militia, including an order issued through the Governor. 

    The lawsuit also explains that:

    • The federalization of the California National Guard deprives California of resources to protect itself and its citizens, including those working on drug interdiction at the border, and of critical responders in the event of a state of emergency — such as the January 2025 firestorm in Los Angeles, which CalGuard responded to. 
    • 10 U.S.C. § 12406 requires that the Governor consent to federalization of the National Guard, which Governor Newsom was not given the opportunity to do prior to their deployment.
    • The President’s unlawful order infringes on Governor Newsom’s role as Commander-in-Chief of the California National Guard and violates the state’s sovereign right to control and have available its National Guard in the absence of a lawful invocation of federal power.
    • The situation in Los Angeles didn’t meet the criteria for federalization, which includes invasion by a foreign country, rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States, and being unable to execute federal laws. At no point was this the case in the Los Angeles area, where local and state law enforcement remained in control. 

    WHAT THEY WERE SAYING: 

    Donald Trump: In a Townhall with ABC in 2020, Trump said he couldn’t move the National Guard into Democratic-run cities without the Governor’s approval. See here and here for the full transcript.          

    STEPHANOPOULOS: Mr. President, you promised four years ago at the Republican Convention, I’m going to restore law and order.

    TRUMP: And I have, except in Democrat run cities. Look, we have laws. We have to go by the laws. We can’t move in the National Guard. I can call insurrection but there’s no reason to ever do that, even in a Portland case.

    We can’t call in the National Guard unless we’re requested by a governor. If a governor or a mayor is a Democrat and they — like in Portland, we call them constantly. I just spoke to the governor yesterday because we’re giving them relief on the fires. We’re giving them a — an emergency declaration.

    Kristy Noem:

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jun 8, 2025

    News In case you missed it, every single Democratic governor agrees: Donald Trump’s attempts to militarize California are an alarming abuse of power. Democratic Governors Association: “President Trump’s move to deploy California’s National Guard is an alarming abuse…

    Jun 8, 2025

    News In case you missed it, last night, President Trump – disregarding Governor Newsom – federalized California National Guard troops in Los Angeles at a time when there were no unmet law enforcement needs. In fact, local law enforcement efforts successfully…

    Jun 7, 2025

    News Los Angeles, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued the following statement in response to speaking out peacefully on the federal government’s immigration actions: The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Canadian Father and Son Plead Guilty to Illegal Entry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 6, 2025, Van Hoa Phung, 49, and Reason Phung, 18, both citizens of Canada, pleaded guilty to criminal complaints charging them, respectively, with illegally entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities, and illegally entering the United States by making willfully false statements.

    According to court records, on June 5, 2025, at approximately 2:35 p.m., the United States Border Patrol observed a man walking south and crossing the United States-Canada international border near the Haskell Free Library in Derby Line, Vermont. The Haskell Free Library and its vicinity do not constitute a time or place as designated by immigration officers to lawfully enter the United States.

    After entering the U.S., the man, who was wearing a red shirt with shorts, entered the passenger side of a Red Tesla motor vehicle. Border Patrol agents stopped the vehicle in a parking lot in Derby, Vermont and identified the driver as Reason Phung, and the passenger as Van Hoa Phung, Reason Phung’s father. Van Hoa Phung was wearing a red shirt with shorts consistent with the description of the individual who illegally crossed the border.

    During the vehicle stop, Border Patrol determined that the Red Tesla previously crossed through a legal port of entry in Derby, Vermont. At the time the vehicle entered, Reason Phung was the only occupant.

    Reason Phung admitted that he travelled to the border where he dropped off his father, Van Hoa Phung, at the Haskell Free Library in Derby Line, Vermont. Thereafter, Reason Phung entered through the port of entry, and then picked his father up in the U.S. after Van Hoa Phung illegally crossed the border in the vicinity of the library. Reason Phung intended to transport his father to an airport and then return to Canada.

    When he entered through the Port of Entry earlier, Reason Phung stated his purpose in entering the United States was to visit his grandparents. Because his real purpose was to pick up and transport his father and then return to Canada, that statement was false.

    Van Hoa Phung and Reason Phung had their initial court appearances before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on June 6, 2025, where they each pleaded guilty, and both received time-served sentences.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol and United States Customs and Border Protection.

    The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Stendig. Van Hoa Phung is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. Reason Phung is represented by Robert Behrens, Esq.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sánchez on ICE’s violent detention of SEIU California President David Huerta

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after ICE detained and injured David Huerta, president of SEIU California and SEIU-United Service Workers West, while he exercised his First Amendment rights:

    “Violently detaining and injuring a labor leader for exercising his constitutional rights is an attack not just on him, but on every worker and immigrant.

    “This wasn’t about law enforcement. It was political violence meant to intimidate anyone who dares to speak out against ICE’s Gestapo tactics. But we will not be silenced.

    “The Trump administration’s brutality only sharpens our resolve to continue resisting every assault on our community and our rights.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sánchez condemns ICE detention of immigrants at Los Angeles federal building

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) issued the following statement in response to reports that hundreds of immigrants were being detained while attending routine check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles:

    “This is yet another cruel and deliberate act by the Trump administration in its ongoing campaign to dehumanize immigrants. Detaining individuals, some U.S. citizens, for appearing at their immigration hearings – doing exactly what the system demands of them – is a betrayal of justice.

    “Immigrants are constantly told: ‘Follow the rules, do things the right way and you’ll be given an opportunity.’ But now, families who are following the rules are being ambushed, handcuffed and locked away in the basement of a federal building.

    “They’re not being punished for breaking the law, but for trusting it. These inhumane actions by ICE upend our centuries-old due process protections and destroy the integrity of our immigration system.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: In Impassioned Speech, Pressley Calls for Justice for Adriana Smith, Condemns GOP’s Cruel Abortion Bans

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    30-Year-Old Pregnant Mother Declared Brain-Dead at 9 Weeks Pregnant Mandated to Remain on Life Support Under Georgia’s Cruel Abortion Ban

    “This is cruelty. The latest episode in a long history of the experimentation and exploitation of Black bodies. I grieve for Adriana’s family. For the torture they are experiencing, layered with the daily uncertainty they are navigating as they try to do right by their daughter and lay her to rest peacefully. Her parents are by her bedside. Her 5-year-old asks when will mommy wake up.”

    Video (YouTube)

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, delivered an impassioned speech on the House floor demanding justice for Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was declared brain dead in February and forcibly remains on life support due to Georgia’s abortion ban. She underscored that Adriana’s case is far too common in the unjust history of denying Black women their dignity, humanity, and right to bodily autonomy – and that GOP abortion bans such as Georgia’s deepen this pain and bar critical healthcare freedom.

    A transcript of the Congresswoman’s remarks, as delivered, is available below, and the full video is available here.

    Transcript: In Impassioned Speech, Pressley Calls for Justice for Adriana Smith, Condemns GOP’s Cruel Abortion Bans

    U.S. House of Representatives

    June 5, 2025

    Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of Adriana Smith.

    Adriana Smith was a 30-year-old nurse from Georgia. 

    The mother of a vibrant 5-year-old boy. 

    She started to experience debilitating headaches, and she sought medical care. 

    She was discharged, her pain dismissed – as is so often the case in this country and certainly in our healthcare system for Black women. 

    The next morning, Adriana woke up gasping for air and was taken to Emory Hospital where she was declared brain dead.

    There are no words to provide healing for a pain this deep. 

    A dedicated and loving mother, a compassionate nurse, gone at the age of 30. 

    In the days that followed, Adriana’s family and son should have been able to make a solemn independent decision about what happened next as they celebrated her life, as they mourned this devastating loss, as they pieced their lives back together and began helping their 5-year-old cope with the grief and loss of his precious mother.

    But the state of Georgia denied Adriana her bodily autonomy and dignity in death. In the days and weeks that followed her family found themselves in a desperate battle with Emory Hospital. 

    The hospital believed that the anti-abortion bill that Georgia enacted in 2022 following the gutting of Roe v. Wade tied the hospital’s hands, mandating that Adriana’s body – her brain-dead body – remain hooked to machines, not because there was any chance of survival – she had already transitioned. 

    But because Adriana was 9 weeks pregnant, about a month past a missed period. 

    Adriana’s body has been turned into an incubator. 

    An incubator with no medical rationale, no ethical reason, and no compassion.

    Mr. Speaker, from the days of enslavement Black women’s bodies have been subject to medical abuse, assault, and degradation in this country. 

    We are more likely to die in childbirth. We are routinely denied medical care. We are dehumanized. And like the case of Adriana Smith, our bodies and our dignity are desecrated in death.

    This is cruelty. The latest episode in a long history of the experimentation and exploitation of Black bodies.

    I grieve for Adriana’s family. For the torture they are experiencing, layered with the daily uncertainty they are navigating as they try to do right by their daughter and lay her to rest peacefully. 

    Her parents are by her bedside. Her 5-year-old asks when will mommy wake up.

    Adriana should be here today – her blood clots treated, her voice trusted, her pain believed. 

    She should be decorating a nursery for her little son with her family and celebrating her son’s last day of kindergarten. 

    But Adriana’s body lies hooked to machines, in a hospital bed as part of an unjust medical experiment for more than 3 months. 

    No family should have to endure this. None of us are free until all of us are free. 

    I yield.  

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    MIL OSI USA News –