NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta, Secretary of State Weber Secure Court Ruling Invalidating Fresno County’s Unlawful Voter Law, Measure A

    Source: US State of California

    Monday, June 2, 2025

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

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. today issued a statement following the California Superior Court’s decision invalidating Measure A, which attempted to amend Fresno County’s charter to move elections for district attorney and sheriff away from the presidential cycle to the gubernatorial cycle. Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber filed a lawsuit challenging Measure A last year, arguing that Measure A is preempted by a state law that explicitly requires counties to hold these elections during the presidential election cycle, which traditionally has higher turnout. In its decision, the Superior Court permanently blocks Fresno County from enforcing Measure A, finding that the measure violates California’s election law.

    “There is nothing more fundamental to American democracy than the right to vote and make your voice heard,” said Attorney General Bonta. “With Measure A, Fresno County threatened to undermine that fundamental right, intentionally seeking to move elections for sheriff and district attorney to off years when voters are far less likely to show up and cast a ballot. Our democracy works best when everyone can participate. I’m proud to have worked with Secretary of State Weber to have permanently blocked this unlawful measure.”

    “Our democracy works best when more citizens can participate in our elections,” said Secretary of State Weber. “Today’s ruling helps ensure more voices are heard through the ballot box in Fresno County’s elections for district attorney and sheriff.”

    A copy of the court’s order is available here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Gomez and Waters, Local Leaders Rally to Protect Job Corps Program at LA Center

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

    Los Angeles, CA – Today, Representatives Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) and Maxine Waters (CA-43), as well as LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis, labor leaders, and Job Corps graduates rallied outside the LA Job Corps Center to demand that the Trump administration reverse its harmful decision to shut down all contractor-operated Job Corps centers by June 30. The Job Corps program provides free vocational training, housing, and GED programs for young people ages 16-24, especially those from underserved communities.

    “Job Corps isn’t just about teaching basic skills—it creates real opportunity and has launched tens of thousands of young people into successful careers,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez. “Shutting down job corps doesn’t just hurt these students — it hurts our economy. This program has saved taxpayers millions by helping at-risk youth become self-sufficient. We can’t let the administration take that away.”

    “[Congress] included funding to enroll students in Job Corps centers for the new program year starting in 2025, and the administration must faithfully implement Job Corps with the resources Congress appropriated,” said Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43). “Ending it now without congressional approval would be yet another example of this administration’s disregard for Congress and our constitutional role in federal spending.”

    “Many of these students will be the first in their families to earn a high school diploma or GED, an apprenticeship certificate, or go on to college,” said Hilda Solis, LA County Supervisor and former Department of Labor Secretary. “I’ve seen Job Corps graduates thrive in the healthcare industry and culinary arts, and many more.”

    “Since coming to Job Corps, I had to teach myself basic math. I’ve earned my BLS certification and CNA certification, and now, my classmates and I are just four months away from getting our LDN licenses. Job Corps gave me the chance to build a better future,” said Emily, an LA Job Corps graduate and a constituent of Rep. Gomez.

    Job Corps, established in 1964 under the Economic Opportunity Act, has long had broad bipartisan support, serving more than 2 million people. It equips young people with real job skills, helping them earn diplomas and certifications to secure good-paying jobs in high-demand trades. But under Trump’s Project 2025 — an extremist conservative blueprint to dismantle federal social programs — his administration is cutting off these vital supports.

    Rep. Gomez has been fighting back against the Trump administration’s attacks on working families, including efforts to stop illegal funding freezes and extremist cuts. Earlier this year, he visited Echo Park CDC Head Start to hear from parents about the harm these actions could cause. He and his colleagues also rallied at the U.S. Treasury Department to demand answers about Elon Musk’s unprecedented access to Americans’ sensitive financial data, including Social Security numbers, as well as bank and routing account information. Trump is still pushing cuts even after public pressure and some injunctions from lower courts forced the White House to reverse its blanket funding freeze — and with Project 2025 architect Russell Vought now leading the Office of Management and Budget, Rep. Gomez is holding the line in Congress to protect these essential programs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Update on the Golden State Plan to Counter Antisemitism

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jun 2, 2025

    Protecting Jewish Californians, strengthening campus safety, and ensuring California’s universities remain places of learning — not hate

    To the People of California,

    Recent years have seen a troubling spike in reported hate crimes and manifestations of bigotry. In response, California launched a robust anti-hate agenda that includes significant investments and actions to support and protect all the state’s communities from hate-motivated violence, to build mutual understanding and tolerance to prevent acts of hate and bigotry, and to redouble the state’s efforts to advance equity and fight discrimination. 

    Last year, as part of that agenda, my administration published the Golden State Plan to Counter Antisemitism, a roadmap for addressing hate and discrimination against the Jewish community in our state, and a call to remain vigilant amid new and evolving threats. Since the plan was released, California has taken bold action to ensure this vital California community feels safe and respected on their college campuses and schools, secure at their houses of worship, and supported and included in their communities.

    I would like to update the state on our progress since the plan was released last spring. Since then, we’ve doubled down on our efforts, requiring California’s higher education institutions to take concrete steps to prevent discrimination, protect student safety, and ensure civil discourse. We’ve also made new investments in nonprofit security and expanded resources to promote robust Holocaust and genocide education in California schools.

    Here’s what we’ve done together:

    • In partnership with the Jewish Caucus, enacted key legislation to protect student safety:
      • SB 1287 (Glazer) requires the CSU Trustees and requests the UC Regents to: adopt rules and procedures in the student codes of conduct that prohibit violent, harassing, intimidating, or discriminatory conduct that creates a hostile environment on campus; prohibit conduct that limits or denies a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the free exchange of ideas or the educational mission of the segment; and develop mandatory training programs for students; and require each student to acknowledge the code of conduct. 
      • AB 2925 (Friedman) establishes requirements for anti-discrimination training offered at California college and university campuses that receive state financial assistance.
      • SB 153 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) expressly prohibits the adoption of any curriculum that would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination if used in a classroom. The new law also empowers individuals to seek enforcement of this prohibition through a complaint process and authorizes a fiscal penalty for violations.  
      • The 2024-25 Budget Act requires every CSU and UC campus to prepare a campus climate action notification annually, with campus plans for fostering healthy and safe discourse, bringing together campus community members with different viewpoints, and promoting the exchange of ideas in a safe and peaceful manner. 
    • Added funding to bolster security for faith communities: 
      • The 2024-25 Budget includes an additional $160 million for the Non-Profit Security Grant Program, $80 million each year in 2024-25 and 2025-26, bolstering safety and security for faith communities. 
      • In July 2024, announced California was expediting the deployment of funds and accepting applications for $76 million in grant funding available to bolster safety and security for nonprofits  — including synagogues — that are at higher risk of hate-based crimes. 
      • In March 2025, in partnership with the Legislature, announced this funding was being awarded to 347 community groups and nonprofit organizations to protect them from hate-motivated violence.
    • Added new resources to strengthen Holocaust and Genocide education across the state:
      • Signed SB 1277 (Stern), which established the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education (Collaborative) in statute. The collaborative is creating a statewide professional development program on genocide for school district, county office of education, and charter school teachers.
      • In 2021, created the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education. In January 2025, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Council released “Holocaust and Genocide Education in California: A Study of Statewide Context and Local Implementation.” The Council assessed and made recommendations for how to improve Holocaust and genocide education in our schools. The Council  is now working to promote best practices for educators, schools and organizations and sponsor Holocaust and genocide remembrance.
    • Expanded efforts to counter discrimination and address hate. 
      • In 2024, the California Civil Rights Department collaborated with community groups and other organizations at nearly 200 events across 66 cities to support community-based anti-discrimination outreach and training sessions.
      • The Commission on the State of Hate, supported by the CA Civil Rights Department, is partnering with UCLA researchers on a first state-sponsored survey to estimate the prevalence of hate across California.

    Last year, I signed Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel’s legislation to help California residents recover art and personal property stolen from their families during the Holocaust. That small step toward resolving a historic wrong from 80 years ago was a vivid reminder that we cannot forget our history, and that the fight against hate is far from over. 

    Today, we face a tide of hate and violence, one that is not easily stemmed. California remains committed to protecting its people from hatred and abuse, providing individuals with the tools they need to stand up for their neighbors, and creating a better future where no one is afraid because of who they are. 

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Press releases

    Recent news

    Jun 1, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom and Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis issued the following statement regarding the death of Baldwin Park Police Department Officer Samuel Riveros:“We mourn the tragic loss of one of California’s brave law enforcement officers,…

    May 31, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring May 2025, as “Mental Health Awareness Month.”The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONDuring Mental Health Awareness Month, we recognize the…

    May 30, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Connie Nakano, of Elk Grove, has been appointed Assistant Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Equity at the California Department of Aging. Nakano has been Assistant…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two-Hundred-Eighty-Two Charged in New Cases Related to SDTX’s Continuing Efforts to Secure Southern Border

    Source: US FBI

    HOUSTON – In support of Operation Take Back America, the Southern District of Texas has filed another 281 cases in immigration and border security-related matters from May 23-29, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    Among those are 105 people who face charges of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 163 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while seven cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration crimes, child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and firearms.

    One such person charged this week is Carlos Enrique Gonzalez-Pena, an alien present in the United States with a work visa who was allegedly found in possession of CSAM. The charges allege he had visited the darknet where he viewed child pornography sites. A forensic examination of his computer allegedly resulted in the discovery of two video files involving a female child approximately four to six years of age, one of which showed her being sexually assaulted. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. 

    Another one of the cases involves Humberto Vasquez – a Mexican male who allegedly attempted to exit the United States via the Donna Port of Entry. Upon inspection, law enforcement discovered four pistols belonging to him as well as 870 rounds of assorted ammunition, according to the charges. The complaint alleges he did not possess an export license that would authorize him to transport such items into Mexico and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of illegal exportation of firearms. 

    Authorities also found three Mexican nationals near Mission this week with no legal permission to be in the United States, according to the complaints against them. Victor Manuel Ornelas-Ochoa, Alfredo Samuel Gallegos-Esquivel and Exequiel Solano had allegedly been previously removed from the country and have felonies to include possession with intent to deliver marijuana, human smuggling and aggravated sexual assault of a child, respectively. They are all charged with illegal reentry and could receive up to 20 years in prison. Another man who faces the same charges and penalty is Julio Sanchez-Lorenzo. He is a Mexican male who had just been removed from the United States via Brownsville May 21 with no permission to return, according to the charges. However, authorities allegedly found him just six days later near Roma. 

    In addition to the new cases, a federal jury in Houston convicted a Mexican citizen for illegally reentering the United States under an assumed identity. On June 11, 2024, authorities found Jose Martin Valdez-Galvan in Laredo. At that time, he provided a false name and claimed to be a U.S. citizen. Testimony revealed Valdez-Galvan originally stole the person’s identity to avoid previous charges for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Valdez-Galvan was an illegal alien who had been previously removed but returned to the United States without permission. He had assumed the other person’s identity in 2015 after his second removal. He faces up to a 20-year prison sentence. 

    “Both public safety and basic common sense require us to know who is entering and residing in our country. Those that adopt false or stolen personas to hide their identities pose an increased criminal risk to our community,” said Ganjei. “Theft of an American citizen’s identity by a foreign national will not be tolerated, and those that engage in such criminality will be charged, punished, and, if appropriate, deported.”

    In Corpus Christi, an intoxicated driver admitted he was an alien illegally in possession of firearm. Honduran national Josias Eliseo Ulloa-Pavon had been driving under the influence of alcohol before crashing Feb. 18. Upon arrival at the scene, authorities found him pinned inside the fully overturned vehicle. He had red bloodshot eyes, appeared unsteady on his feet and had a strong odor of alcohol. A search revealed a magazine containing six rounds of ammunition in his pocket and a Bersa Model Thunder .380 caliber pistol in his car.  

    Two men from Brownfield admitted to conspiring to transport illegal aliens in Laredo federal court this week. On March 22, authorities observed a Ford Expedition circumventing a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Laredo. Mac Quese Howard was driving, and De Richardson Miller was in the front passenger seat providing directions. Authorities conducted a traffic stop and found three illegal aliens hidden in the back seat. Miller and Howard admitted they had travelled to Laredo for the sole purpose of picking up the aliens and transporting them to San Antonio for payment.

    Also announced was the sentencing of a Mexican national with a felony criminal history and multiple prior removals for illegally reentering the country again. Juan Humberto Lara Molina’s has a lengthy drug, weapons and immigration criminal history including two other illegal reentry convictions. He was also convicted of dealing cocaine in Indiana and unlawful sale of firearms in Illinois and was previously ordered removed from the United States on multiple occasions, most recently in November 2021. However, law enforcement discovered him at the Falfurrias BP checkpoint Dec. 12, 2024. He was one of seven individuals being transported farther north by human smugglers in a tractor-trailer. He was ordered to serve 24 months in federal prison. 

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The cases are 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: West Columbia, South Carolina, Man Indicted for Directing the Sex Abuse of Children in Brazil by Livestream, Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Florence has returned a 13-count indictment charging Stephen Todd Greene, 55, of West Columbia, with conspiracy to produce child sexual abuse material, two counts of production of child sexual abuse material, four counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material, three counts of receipt of child sexual abuse material, possession of child sexual abuse material, and two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor into illegal sexual conduct.

    The indictment alleges that from June 2023 through September 2024, Greene worked with a woman in Brazil, referred to in the indictment as C0-Conspirator 1, to sexually exploit her nieces, who are 3 years old and 9 years old as of the date of the indictment. Co-Conspirator 1 abused the children in person and Greene abused the children virtually, including by livestreaming their sex abuse to his home in West Columbia and by directing Co-Conspirator 1 to engage in certain abuse over livestream, according to the indictment.

    Greene and Co-Conspirator 1 used Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, and FaceTime to facilitate the scheme, as well as a series of cameras installed in Greene’s home and in Co-Conspirator 1’s home in Brazil, which allowed a livestream from both locations.  According to the indictment, Greene produced, received, distributed, and possessed child sexual abuse material, and he engaged in sexually explicit conduct on video and caused the minor victims to watch.  During the scheme, Greene travelled twice to Brazil, where he gained direct access to the children, and he transferred money during the scheme to Co-Conspirator 1 through a wire service, according to the indictment.

    Agents with the FBI Columbia field office arrested Greene and he was arraigned in federal court earlier this afternoon. He was ordered detained pending a bond hearing.

    Greene faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.  He also faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years on the conspiracy to produce child sexual abuse material and the production of child sexual abuse material charges, a mandatory minimum of 10 years on the coercion and enticement charges, and a mandatory minimum of five years on the receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material charges. Greene also faces up to a $250,000 fine, restitution payable to the minor victims for damages incurred as a result of the conduct, a special assessment of $5,000, lifetime supervision by the U.S. Probation Office following any term of incarceration, and potential sex offender registry requirements.

    The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office and the Brazilian Federal Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case.

    The FBI’s Columbia field office is seeking any information regarding additional potential victims in this investigation. Tips can be provided at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

    U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Stirling stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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    * The term “pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase “child pornography.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Johnson Earns High Marks For Voting Record, Engagement on Intellectual Property Policies

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

    Congressman receives “A” on Council for Innovation Promotion Congressional Scorecard for Working to Strengthen America’s IP Ecosystem

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet, announced June 2 that he received an “A” from the Council for Innovation Promotion (C4IP) for consistently introducing and supporting bills and policies that strengthen America’s IP framework.

    “Intellectual property laws protect the rights of inventors and creators by granting them patents, trademarks, and copyrights,” said Johnson. “In doing so, these laws boost America’s competitiveness and export growth, create millions of jobs, and affect virtually every segment of the U.S. economy. In many ways, IP laws are the drivers of the American Dream. I will continue to focus on intellectual property policies that foster the innovation and creativity we need to drive human progress. I am proud to represent so many hardworking artists, innovators, and small businesses working to make their dreams a reality.”

    C4IP is a bipartisan coalition dedicated to promoting strong and effective intellectual property rights that are necessary for innovation, increased economic competitiveness, and improved lives everywhere.

    The Scorecard evaluated Congress across three dimensions: political, legislative, and policy activity. It assesses both current congressional activity and relevant past activity by current members across 116th, 117th and 118th Congresses.

    The report highlighted some of Congressman Johnson’s most important legislative priorities, including his SHOP SAFE Act, and bills he’s cosponsored such as the RESTORE Patent Rights Act.

    “The United States is not only the world’s largest economy — it is also, by scale and substance, the global leader in innovation and creativity,” the report states. “Indeed, many, if not most, of the revolutionary technologies developed globally over the past half-century originated in the United States. A robust innovation-driven economy relies on a strong system of intellectual property (IP) rights, both now and in the future.”

    To read the report, click HERE. To learn more about C4IP, click HERE.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Pressley, Advocates, Families Tell ICE: Hands Off Our Immigrant Neighbors

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

    Convening Comes Amid Disturbing Uptick in ICE Activity Across Massachusetts 7th

    Press Conference (YouTube) | Photos (Dropbox)

    EAST BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) convened a roundtable and press conference in East Boston with immigrant justice advocates, local leaders, and impacted families to tell Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): Hands off our immigrant neighbors. The convening came amid an uptick in ICE activity across the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District and the Commonwealth, including a series of harrowing incidents in East Boston, Chelsea, Everett, and other communities.

    “Donald Trump wants a citizenry that is inactive and indifferent to the suffering of their neighbors, including our immigrant families in the Massachusetts 7th. But we will not stand idly by while he and ICE carry out their cruel, unlawful, and inhumane mass deportation agenda,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. “We stand with our immigrant neighbors. Children should not live in fear of their parents disappearing. Elders should not live in fear of going to the grocery store or their faith house. I was proud to convene an urgent and timely discussion about how we can push back against this harmful agenda, uplift impacted families, and share resources. I’m grateful to our advocates, families, and local partners for joining us.”

    Congresswoman Pressley was joined at the convening by State Senator Lydia Edwards, State Senator Sal DiDomenico, State Representative Adrian Madaro, Boston City Councilor Gabriela Coletta-Zapata, Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez, Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal of Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston, Nicole Eigbrett of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), Caitlyn Burgess of MacMurray and Associates, Mercedes Pineda, an East Boston resident, Yolanda, a Randolph resident, Kenia Guerrero, a Chelsea resident, as well as impacted families, local elected officials, and community members.

    “East Boston is a proud, resilient, and diverse community — and our immigrant neighbors are the heart of it. The recent escalation in ICE activity is not only cruel, it’s dangerous,” said Senator Lydia Edwards, State Senator for Third Suffolk. “No one should live in fear for simply existing in their own neighborhood. I stand with Congresswoman Pressley, local advocates, and the families impacted in calling for humanity, accountability, and the end of these terrorizing practices. Our communities deserve safety, dignity, and the freedom to thrive.”

    “The cities I represent are vibrant and resilient because we welcome people from all parts of the world with open arms and lift each other up,” said State Senator Sal DiDomenico. “The Trump administration is tearing families apart and stoking fear, hoping that we will all sit back and not respond. I am proud to speak up against this abhorrent assault on our freedoms and our communities alongside my colleagues at all levels of government, impacted loved ones, and advocates on the ground fighting to protect our neighbors and keep families together. I want to thank Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley for convening this roundtable and continuing to sound the alarm about this crisis.”

    ”Our immigrant neighbors help form the backbone of our communities,” said State Representative Adrian Madaro. “They are caring parents, dedicated workers, and courageous dreamers who came here seeking a better life for themselves and their loved ones. Entire sectors of our economy that are essential to our collective wellbeing depend on their labor. Yet ICE has been harassing and targeting them in East Boston and surrounding communities for weeks, going as far as taking individuals with legal status and no criminal histories. Their desperation to fill jails with immigrants has torn families apart and inflicted deep emotional trauma. It has left many facing staggering legal costs. ICE is operating with alarming disregard for both the law and human dignity. They’ve sent ripple effects through several of our school communities, waiting outside during drop off, tearing parents from their children for all to see. These actions do not make us safer — they fracture the trust that holds our communities together. This is cruelty, not justice. Our neighbors deserve protection, not persecution.”

    “East Boston is home to vibrant, resilient immigrant communities who deserve to live without fear. We stand in solidarity with our neighbors and with leaders like Congresswoman Pressley in calling for dignity, safety, and justice. No one should be targeted for simply trying to build a better life. When they come for our neighbors, they come for all of us,” said Boston City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata.

    “The recent actions by federal immigration agents have inflicted fear and trauma in our community. This is not just about immigration enforcement—this is about the violent persecution of our residents and the destruction of trust between government and the people we serve. Chelsea is a city of immigrants. We will not stand by while our neighbors are racially profiled, ripped from their homes and families, and treated with cruelty and inhumanity. We stand united in defense of every resident’s dignity and right to live without fear,” said Fidel Maltez, Chelsea City Manager.

    “Today, I stood in full support of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s powerful call to action in East Boston, where she convened a roundtable and press conference with immigrant justice advocates, local leaders, and families impacted by increased ICE activity,” said Boston City Councilor Enrique Pepén. “The message was clear: Hands off our immigrant neighbors. Here in the City of Boston, we are unwavering in our commitment to protect and uplift our immigrant communities. Immigrants are an integral part of our city’s fabric—they are our neighbors, colleagues, caregivers, and small business owners. They are not only welcome here; they are essential to the strength, diversity, and vibrancy of Boston. We reject the fear tactics and inhumane practices that target our immigrant families. As leaders, we must stand up to any efforts that seek to divide or dehumanize our communities. I will continue to advocate on behalf of our immigrant neighbors and proudly support Congresswoman Pressley’s efforts to demand dignity, safety, and justice for all.”

    “Federal agents say that they target people with terrorist ties, but they are the ones terrorizing the people of Chelsea,” said Chelsea City Councilor Roberto Jiménez-Rivera. “They kidnap bread winners, hard working people with legal status, and children. Chelsea and other immigrant communities are getting punched in the face every day, and we need other communities to stand up with us and defend Massachusetts. Congresswoman Pressley is doing everything she can, and it would be a dereliction of duty for every other level of government to ignore this call to action. We must do as much as possible to pass legislation that protects our immigrant neighbors everywhere.”

    “The Trump administration has chosen to deliberately attack and break my community in the city of Chelsea,” said Chelsea City Councilor Manuel Teshe. “Now is when we come together and fight because we’re the last line of defense against this tyranny. I stand strong next to Congresswoman Pressley who courageously represents each and every one of us in D.C.”

    “The federal government’s unlawful targeting of our immigrant residents makes our communities less safe. The people of Cambridge stand with our immigrant neighbors to demand due process for everyone because none of us are safe unless we all are,” said Cambridge City Councilor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler.

    ““As an immigrant from Cameroon and a public official in Somerville, I know firsthand the fear and uncertainty that many in our communities face. Today, I stand not only as a policymaker but as someone who understands what it means to seek safety, dignity, and belonging in a new land. The recent ICE raids are a cruel reminder of how fragile that sense of safety can be. I’m deeply grateful to Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley for organizing this moment of solidarity. Her leadership reminds us that our communities are strongest when we stand together to defend the rights and humanity of every resident—no exceptions,” said Somerville City Councilor Wilfred Mbah.

    “Lawyers for Civil Rights applauds elected officials for standing with the community. We demand that the federal government uphold the Constitution and respect the rule of law. We will safeguard civil rights to prevent their erosion under the guise of immigration enforcement,” said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, Executive Director of Lawyers for Civil Rights.

    “At MacMurray and Associates, LLC, our mission is to empower the immigrant community by providing strong legal representation in both immigration court and before USCIS. In the wake of the recent ICE raids in our district, we have stood on the front lines—defending the rights of those detained, working tirelessly to reunify families, and ensuring that due process is not abandoned. Our partnership with the community and Congresswoman Pressley has been essential in responding rapidly and effectively to these injustices, giving voice and strength to those most vulnerable. Together, we continue to fight for a system where dignity and justice are not denied to immigrants seeking safety and opportunity, “ said Attorney Caitlyn Burgess.

    “The Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) thanks Congresswoman Pressley for her partnership in this struggle for immigrant justice since the first Trump administration, during the height of raids and deportations in the Cambodian community,” said Nicole Eigbrett, Co-Executive Director of AARW. “Now, in his second term, we are experiencing Asian immigrants targeted on multiple fronts, including undocumented Asian workers, Chinese and Muslim international students, Southeast Asians with past criminal records, and TPS holders from Nepal. AARW will continue organizing to stop ICE raids, detentions, deportations within our community — but also across race and nationalities for solidarity with all immigrant communities in Massachusetts.”

    Video of the press conference is available here and photos are available here.

    Rep. Pressley has been a vocal advocate for our immigrant neighbors and everyone harmed by Donald Trump’s unlawful, anti-immigrant, and anti-free speech agenda. Congresswoman Pressley, who serves as Co-Chair for the House Haiti Caucus and represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the country, has also been an outspoken critic of the Trump Administration’s ending of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti, Venezuela, El Salvador, and other countries grappling with humanitarian crises.

    Rep. Pressley has also been an outspoken critic against the unlawful detention of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts PhD student, Somerville resident, and constituent of the Congresswoman’s who was unlawfully detained for weeks in retaliation for her protected speech. After weeks of advocacy and Congressional oversight, including a visit to detention centers in Louisiana, Rep. Pressley and Senator Ed Markey welcomed Ms. Öztürk to Massachusetts following her arrival from ICE detention in Louisiana.

    Rep. Pressley has also spoken out against reports of ICE activity in Boston and other municipalities in Massachusetts.

    In January 2025, Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues in reintroducing the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, legislation that would repeal the antiquated Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which has been used to target innocent immigrants based on nothing more than national origin without affording due process rights, and which Donald Trump has used in his plans for mass deportations.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DAUPHIN COUNTY – Shapiro Administration Ends Receivership for Harrisburg City School District

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    June 03, 2025 – Harrisburg, PA

    ADVISORY – DAUPHIN COUNTY – Shapiro Administration Ends Receivership for Harrisburg City School District

    Pennsylvania Department of Education Acting Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe will join Sen. Patty Kim, Rep. Dave Madsen, and officials from the Harrisburg City School District to announce that effective June 17, the district will no longer be in Receivership. The district entered Financial Recovery in December 2012 and entered Receivership in June 2019.

    The Shapiro Administration is committed to ensuring schools have access to the investments and resources they need to serve learners in communities across the Commonwealth. Governor Shapiro’s proposed 2025-26 budget requests a $75 million increase for public K-12 schools and a $526 million increase for the Ready To Learn Block Grant; a $40 million increase for special education; and establishes a statewide cyber tuition rate of $8,000 per student per year to more closely align tuition with the actual costs of providing an online education, which is expected to save school districts an estimated $378 million annually.

    WHAT:
    Shapiro Administration Ends Receivership for Harrisburg City School District

    WHEN:
    Tuesday, June 3, 2025; 10:00 AM

    WHERE:
    Harrisburg City School District Administration Building Board Room
    1010 N. 7th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102

    VISUALS:
    Officials speaking at podium, ceremonial letter signing and presentation to school district

    NOTE:
    A PA Cast will follow

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Charged with Hate Crime in Attack on Boulder Gathering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Mohammed Sabry Soliman, age 45, of Colorado Springs, has been charged with one count of a hate crime involving actual or perceived race, religion, or national origin.

    According to the criminal complaint, on June 1, 2025, at approximately 2pm, Soliman threw two lit Molotov cocktails at individuals participating in a gathering near the Boulder Courthouse of members of “Run for Their Lives,” which organizes weekly walks to call attention to the Israeli hostages in Gaza.  When he threw the Molotov cocktails, Soliman yelled “Free Palestine!”  The Molotov cocktails ignited in the crowd of people, causing burn injuries to eight individuals.

    The complaint also alleges that when Soliman was detained by local law enforcement, at least fourteen unlit Molotov cocktails and a backpack weed sprayer, potentially containing a flammable substance, were found nearby.  A car registered to Soliman, parked a block away, contained a red gas container, red material consistent with rags used in the Molotov cocktails, and paperwork with the words, “Israel,” “Palestine,” and “USAID.”

    The complaint further alleges that, during an interview with local and federal law enforcement, Soliman stated that he had researched on YouTube how to make Molotov cocktails, purchased the ingredients to do so, and constructed them.  He traveled to Boulder in his vehicle with the Molotov cocktails and threw two of them at individuals participating in the gathering.  He stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead.  He stated that he would do it (conduct an attack) again.  Throughout the interview, Soliman stated that he hated the “Zionist group” and did this because he needed to stop them from taking over “our land,” i.e., Palestine.  He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year.

    The charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations Denver Field Office and the Boulder Police Department.  The prosecution is being handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the Civil Rights Division and the National Security Division, both of the Department of Justice, and in coordination with the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office (Twentieth Judicial District).

    Case Number:  25-mj-000108-NRN

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, ENR Colleagues Urge Interior Inspector General to Investigate Threats Posed by Workforce Reductions at Bureau of Reclamation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, ENR Colleagues Urge Interior Inspector General to Investigate Threats Posed by Workforce Reductions at Bureau of Reclamation

    Senators to DOI Acting Inspector General: “We are concerned that the Administration’s actions to gut the agency of qualified public servants could leave critical water infrastructure and communities vulnerable to operational disruptions”
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, joined his ENR colleagues in urging U.S. Department of the Interior Acting Inspector General (IG) Caryl Brzymialkiewicz to evaluate the consequences of the Trump Administration’s workforce reductions at the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). The Senators warned that these cuts are preventing the agency from fulfilling its statutory mission and implementing relevant programs and activities authorized by Congress, including supporting essential water infrastructure projects in California and across the West.
    According to reports, BOR has lost 1,400 public servants — approximately 25 percent of the agency’s entire workforce — since the Trump Administration began its assault on the federal workforce in January. Additionally, President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request proposes a $600 million (34 percent) cut to BOR funding, jeopardizing important water infrastructure projects.
    “Recent reductions in workforce significantly threaten BOR’s ability to safely and reliably deliver water to communities and farmers, keep waterways flowing for fish and wildlife across the western United States, and produce reliable electricity,” wrote the Senators.
    BOR is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States — operating many critical California water management projects and delivering trillions of gallons of water to more than 31 million people and 10 million acres of farmland. The farmland managed by BOR produces over 60 percent of the nation’s vegetables and more than 25 percent of its fruits and nuts.
    BOR is also the second-largest producer of hydroelectric power in the country. The facilities BOR operates generate 40 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year.
    The Senators expressed concern over the lack of strategy and harm to public safety that these workforce reductions pose.
    “Rapid reductions to BOR’s workforce raise significant concerns about the Bureau’s ability to meet its core responsibilities, particularly inspecting dams and identifying threats to public safety,” continued the Senators.
    “BOR needs experienced personnel with the necessary expertise to manage critical infrastructure. We are concerned that the Administration’s actions to gut the agency of qualified public servants could leave critical water infrastructure and communities vulnerable to operational disruptions,” added the Senators.
    The Senators concluded by pushing the IG to investigate whether recent workforce reductions at BOR prevent the Bureau from carrying out its obligations. The letter was led by ENR Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and signed by fellow ENR Democratic members U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    Earlier this year, Senators Padilla and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) pushed the Department of the Interior to prevent further federal workforce cuts to BOR, warning of the devastating effects of these reductions on water supply systems in California and across the nation. In that letter, Padilla and Schiff highlighted three vital water projects that depend on the expertise of Reclamation staff for managing water in the West: the Klamath Project, the Central Valley Project (CVP), and the Lower Colorado Regional Office. In the face of public pressure from the Senators and 14 California water officials, BOR paused a planned additional round of workforce cuts. Padilla and Schiff previously urged the Department of the Interior to immediately stop its freeze of Inflation Reduction Act funding for the Lower Colorado River System Conservation and Efficiency Program, which is managed by BOR.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Acting Inspector General Brzymialkiewicz:
    We write to request that your office evaluate the extent to which workforce reductions at the Bureau of Reclamation (“Bureau” or “BOR”) prevent the agency from fulfilling its statutory mission and implementing relevant programs and activities authorized by Congress. The Bureau is the largest wholesaler of water in the United States—delivering trillions of gallons of water to more than 31 million people. The Bureau is also the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the country. The facilities BOR operate generate 40 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year. However, recent reductions in workforce significantly threaten BOR’s ability to safely and reliably deliver water to communities and farmers, keep waterways flowing for fish and wildlife across the western United States, and produce reliable electricity.
    According to reports, BOR has lost 1,400 public servants since the administration began its assault on the federal workforce. The positions reportedly eliminated include mechanics, engineers, and fish biology specialists—personnel with considerable expertise. Through firings of probational workers, buyouts, early retirements, and other related actions, BOR has shrunk by 25 percent. This workforce reduction has lacked a coherent, mission- and safety- driven strategy and instead led to the departure of experienced personnel—some with over 20 years of experience—leaving the Bureau susceptible to operational disruptions.
    Rapid reductions to BOR’s workforce raise significant concerns about the Bureau’s ability to meet its core responsibilities, particularly inspecting dams and identifying threats to public safety. BOR manages over 450 dams throughout 17 western states. Previously, BOR’s dam safety program identified over 300 high and significant hazard dams at more than 200 facilities. The age and complex nature of dam systems necessitates having experienced staff trained in the operation of such systems. In fact, as your office identified in a September 2023 report, approximately 90 percent of BOR’s dams are more than 50 years old and “[a]ging dams increase the risk of dam failures.” BOR needs experienced personnel with the necessary expertise to manage critical infrastructure. We are concerned that the administration’s actions to gut the agency of qualified public servants could leave critical water infrastructure and communities vulnerable to operational disruptions.
    Your office is responsible for promoting “accountability, integrity, economy, efficiency, and effectiveness within” the DOI and identifying “ways to improve the DOI’s programs and operations by offering specific, actionable recommendations that lead to positive change.” We therefore urge you to evaluate whether recent workforce reductions at BOR inhibit the Bureau from carrying out its obligations.
    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor Calls on Department of Labor to Keep Doors Open at Pinellas Job Corps Center

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) urged the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Lori Chavez-Remer to reverse DOL’s decision to close the Pinellas County Job Corps Center. 

    The abrupt decision to pause Job Corps operations nationwide is creating deep concerns for the more than 250 students affected by the order.

    “This harsh and arbitrary decision casts students into an uncertain future, disrupts job training, and creates housing insecurity for hundreds of young people across Florida,” said Rep. Castor. “This move will upend more than 60 years of progress and take away a vital resource that helps young people succeed. I urge the Department to reverse this order and work with our community to ensure these students are not left behind.”

    The Pinellas County Job Corps Center provides job training, education and housing for at-risk youth from across the state. DOL’s directive to pause operations at all contractor-run centers by June 30 follows the release of a report that purportedly relied on narrow and incomplete data. Castor is demanding transparency from DOL regarding this hasty decision – which has a significant impact on at-risk youth – including the reliability of student performance numbers and how pandemic-related challenges were factored into the report.

    U.S. Rep. Castor is calling on the Department to delay the pause, revisit the data and commit to keeping opportunities alive for Florida students.

    Read the full letter here:

    Dear Secretary Chavez-DeRemer: 

    Thank you for the opportunity to relay my deep concern for the Department of Labor’s (DOL) decision to suddenly and arbitrarily close the Pinellas County, Florida Job Corps Center and cast 300 students into an uncertain future. I respectfully urge you to reverse the decision and answer the questions posed below. 

    For decades, Job Corps has provided a vital pathway to education, job training and self-sufficiency for young people who deserve a second chance. I am concerned, however, that DOL has proposed dismantling Job Corps, contrary to the direction of Congress. I have heard from local teachers and students how the sudden and arbitrary closure will undercut the mission and leave students in the lurch. The Pinellas County Job Corps Center serves 300 students who hail from across the state of Florida, 285 of whom receive housing, and employs 124 staff members. This order will displace students in the midst of their training, create housing insecurity, lay off dedicated staff and leave communities scrambling to fill the gap. 

    Staff and students have raised concerns about the cancellation of national contracts that provide critical services such as Wi-Fi access on-site, the halt of background checks for applicants, thus stopping the enrollment process, and now the pause of operations at all contractor-operated Job Corps centers scheduled to occur by June 30, 2025. This comes after the Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) released the first-ever Job Corps Transparency Report. This report analyzed the financial performance and operational costs of the most recently available metrics of program year 2023. Coming to such a swift decision is both alarming and hasty. 

    Please answer the following questions by June 15, 2025:

    • The Job Corps Transparency Report claims there are less than 25,000 students participating in Job Corps nationally. What data was used to determine this number? 
    • How many students receive housing through this initiative? 
    • The report claims that the graduation rate is less than 38.6 percent. Why was the analysis not performed on a date range larger than July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024? 
    • How are the impacts of COVID-19 taken into consideration? 
    • The analysis weighs incident occurrences against outcomes. What criteria are used to determine what an “incident” is? 
    • The report claims that the initiative is no longer meeting set outcomes. How have graduates’ wages compared to wage goals set by DOL for the last 10 years? 
    • Are there efficient structural changes that can be made prior to stopping operations? 

    The report suggests the initiative has become expensive, yet Job Corps has not received a funding increase in 8 years. This move will upend more than 60 years of progress, leaving current and future at-risk young people with one less pipeline to personal and professional development. Halting Job Corps contracts will deepen inequality and rob young people in need of critical tools to thrive. DOL should be investing in our communities and resources with effective tools like Job Corps to break the cycle of poverty and help young people succeed. I trust that we share the same goal of serving all Americans and bolstering our workforce. I respectfully urge you to delay the pause in operations, review this Transparency Report and include a longer dataset for analysis, and take actions to ensure the success of Job Corps.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Reducing American antisemitism requires more than condemning opposition to Israel and targeting elite universities

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By David Mednicoff, Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Public Policy, UMass Amherst

    Law enforcement officials dress in protective gear to investigate after an attack on a march in Boulder, Colo., on June 1, 2025, calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

    Violent antisemitism in the U.S. isn’t limited to the far right wing of the political spectrum. This was tragically obvious in two recent events – the June 1, 2025, attack using Molotov cocktails to burn participants in a Boulder, Colorado, march supporting Israeli hostages in Gaza, and the murders of two Israeli embassy staffers, an American Jew and an Israeli, on May 21, 2025, outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

    As an expert on the Middle East, including Israel, my research and administrative work have included contributing to a global effort to define antisemitism and addressing antisemitism on my own campus.

    Antisemitism can be defined simply as “discrimination, prejudice, hostility or violence against Jews as Jews (or Jewish institutions as Jewish).” What actually constitutes it is more contested, especially with respect to links between Jews and the state of Israel.

    President Donald Trump claims he is taking “unprecedented” steps to combat antisemitism.

    American Jews perceive antisemitism as rising since 2016, largely because, as one study put it, “people who hold anti-Semitic views now feel more free to express them.” But the current federal fight against antisemitism in the U.S. may have more to do with the agendas of members of the American and Israeli governments than with the concerns of most American Jews.

    First, the Trump administration’s attacks on antisemitism center on elite universities, where the president claims antisemitism runs rampant. Second, the current Israeli government tries to blur the lines between pro-Palestinian activism and antisemitism.

    These factors polarize and complicate the landscape for combating antisemitism effectively.

    GOP nominee for president Donald Trump speaks to prominent Jewish donors at an event called Fighting Anti-Semitism in America on Sept. 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    Targeting speech at universities by charging ‘antisemitism’

    Trump’s administration has taken dramatic actions in the name of curbing antisemitism. Yet, his policies are notable for what they ignore as well as what they target.

    Right-wing antisemitism was responsible for the deadliest attack on a Jewish community in U.S. history in Pittsburgh in 2018. Yet the administration’s model for fighting antisemitism is not based in fighting white supremacist hatred toward Jews, which relates back to the Nazis in Germany.

    In fact, members of Trump’s administration, including senior adviser Stephen Miller and former Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk, have supported white supremacist ideas or groups. Trump’s own words have evoked right-wing antisemitic tropes, such as assuming American Jews are loyal to Israel or adept at making money.

    Trump administration policies on antisemitism are most vocal around punishing leading American universities as unsafe for Jews. As the leading target of the president’s ire, Harvard University has acknowledged that some activism against Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza has contributed to antisemitism on campuses.

    However, federal actions targeting Harvard ostensibly seek to punish antisemitism by demanding sweeping federal oversight of Harvard’s curriculum and self-governance. Billions of dollars in research funds have been cut. Neither action connects clearly to Harvard’s patterns or policies around antisemitism.

    Given this, Harvard sued the government in April.

    Many American Jews believe that Trump’s true purpose is to use the antisemitism issue as one means to curb free expression at universities.

    Defending Israeli policy by charging ‘antisemitism’

    National governments naturally seek political and material support from powerful allies. Israel’s efforts to encourage Americans to champion that support fit this pattern.

    Israel receives more U.S. aid than any other country. Thus, its government has an interest in enlisting diverse people and organizations in a sustained way to support its policies.

    The Israeli intervention has grown because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government is unpopular in both Israel and the U.S. Its war in Gaza, provoked by Hamas, is highly destructive and globally unpopular.

    Most experts and policymakers now argue that Israel, along with Hamas, has committed international war crimes.

    The Israeli government recently increased its funding to US$150 million for global public relations efforts. This is a major acceleration of policies that Israeli has pursued for decades known in Hebrew as “hasbara,” which translates to “explanation.”

    Documenting specific links between Israel’s government and groups promoting its agenda in the U.S. can be difficult. This may be a deliberate strategy by Israeli leaders to conceal their efforts.

    Yet, mainstream Israeli-run organizations such as the Jewish Agency have played up links between pro-Palestinian activism and antisemitism since Hamas triggered the war in Gaza. Groups whose funding and leadership are hard to trace maintain public blacklists labeling vocal pro-Palestine activists as antisemites. Those lists have been used by Israeli government bureaucrats to bar visitors to the country.

    U.S.-based groups aligned with Israeli government messaging engage in persistent strategies to discredit opposition voices. Some attack publicly vocal activists, including some American Jews. Others press organizations, political bodies and institutions to adopt a definition of antisemitism that makes it easy to conflate criticism of Israeli policy with antisemitism.

    Anti-Israel behavior in the U.S. can be antisemitic, such as asserting that American Jews, because they are Jews, are responsible for Israeli state actions. And some American Jews support crackdowns on pro-Palestinian activists.

    However, characterizing antisemitism in the U.S. mostly in terms of speech and activism against the Israeli government augments the Trump administration’s neglect of dangerous right-wing antisemitism.

    Presidential adviser Elon Musk interviews via video the German right-wing party AfD leader Alice Weidel at AfD’s election campaign launch on Feb. 23, 2025.
    Hendrik Schmidt/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Polarization and antisemitism in the US

    Taken together, the politics pursued by Trump and the Netanyahu government combine to target legally protected speech in the U.S. more than they deter antisemitism.

    By contributing to polarization, the conflation of antisemitism with a wide range of speech critical of Israel could add to threats faced by Jews and other religious minorities. Those who wish to undermine work toward Palestinian-Israeli coexistence benefit from the charge that most pro-Palestinian activists are antisemitic. This worsens already visible divides among American Jews over how Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians squares with their Jewish identities.

    Supported by the most aggressive pro-Netanyahu groups, the Trump administration links concerns against antisemitism to efforts to deport immigrants who have expressed pro-Palestine views, such as Tufts doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk. Deporting people in the name of policing speech critical of Israel also runs a risk that Jews will be blamed for government actions many Americans find objectionable.

    Let’s be clear. Some pro-Palestinian activism embraces Jew-hatred, as the attacks in Washington and Boulder highlight. But lumping together as antisemitic most pro-Palestinian speech, as current American and Israeli leaders do, complicates seeing antisemitism clearly and countering it.

    In addition, most Americans – and Israelis – seek an end to the war, mounting deaths and humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Any potential to blur this with antisemitism augments the few, loud American voices that support one side in the conflict by dehumanizing the other side.

    Americans believe other minority groups face greater discrimination than Jews. Yet, antisemitism from diverse directions is the worst I have seen in my lifetime.

    As with any policy problem, the way to deal with this issue is to focus on all facets of the problem, including right-wing racism and Christian nationalism.

    Current national politics around antisemitism may serve many purposes. Yet most American Jews doubt that these policies actually protect them.

    David Mednicoff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Reducing American antisemitism requires more than condemning opposition to Israel and targeting elite universities – https://theconversation.com/reducing-american-antisemitism-requires-more-than-condemning-opposition-to-israel-and-targeting-elite-universities-257290

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Grassley Celebrate C-SPAN’s Historic Senate Coverage, Call for Public Access Across Platforms, Including Streaming

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    C-SPAN provides the transparency and accountability our democracy needs, and it is important all Americans are able to access it 
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced a resolution to mark the 39th anniversary of C-SPAN 2’s first Senate broadcast on June 2, 1986. The resolution urges all television providers, including streaming services, to carry the network. 
    “C-SPAN has connected the Senate with the American people for nearly 40 years—providing the public an opportunity to see their government at work on the Senate floor and in committee meetings,” Klobuchar said. “Access to this live coverage on all platforms is essential to keeping the American people informed and engaged in their democracy.”
    “Transparency brings accountability, and C-SPAN’s coverage of the Senate has certainly brought transparency to the people’s business. Our resolution celebrates C-SPAN 2’s nearly 40-year commitment to give Americans a front row seat in the Senate, all without accepting a dime of taxpayer dollars. This public service strengthens our system of self-government by boosting civic engagement, and ought to be available on all television and streaming platforms,” Grassley said. 
    Over 39 years, C-SPAN2 has recorded more than 43,830 hours of Senate action, including more than 169,000 speeches from a broad range of ideologies. The network has documented more than 23,493 roll call votes, acting as a living ledger of Senate decision-making. 
    Find text of the resolution HERE.?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: OPINION: Relief, Retention, and Responsibility—Why This Special Session Matters

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JUNE 2, 2025

    By Governor Mike Kehoe

    This special session is about showing up for our communities—from the families across our state picking up the pieces after devastating storms, to the employees and small businesses whose livelihoods depend on the jobs and economic activity provided by the sports franchise businesses on the western side of our state. It’s about proving that we can act swiftly to help those in crisis, while also making smart decisions that secure opportunity for the future.

    The General Assembly achieved so much for our state this spring, so I am both thankful for their efforts and optimistic that we can work together to use this rare opportunity to benefit the future of our state. Because helping Missourians today—and building the kind of future they deserve tomorrow—isn’t just possible; it’s the kind of leadership Missourians expect from us.

    Disaster Relief

    Every storm reveals what matters most and who we are here for. We’ve seen firsthand how Missourians weather hardships and show up for their neighbors with courage and compassion. Now, it’s our turn to meet that same standard. We have the chance to pull together – not as rivals, but as public servants united by purpose.

    In this special session, we are asking legislators to take direct action to provide financial relief and housing assistance to those affected by natural disasters across our state. One key provision is a new income tax deduction—capped at $5,000 per household per disaster—for insurance deductibles paid by homeowners and renters in disaster-affected areas.

    We’re also strengthening support for those in need by expanding eligibility for emergency grants and rental assistance through the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC). If passed by the General Assembly, the income eligibility threshold for these grants would be expanded from 50% to 75% of the regional Area Median Income. MHDC would also receive an additional $25 million appropriation to support the expanded disaster relief grands.

    Business Retention

    Sports teams have tremendous value beyond any financial measure. Our efforts are about retaining jobs, protecting local businesses, and preserving major economic drivers that benefit not just Kansas City, but the entire state.

    The Show Me Sports Investment Act is a step in the right direction for economic stability and job retention through tax credits and bonds that are performance-based and capped to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals right here in Missouri where they belong.

    Let me be clear: We are not handing out blank checks to billionaires.

    The legislation allows teams to independently bond money from the state based on the taxes they already contribute. Only money generated by the sports teams can be used to repay the bond and any new or existing revenue above the bond payment will go to the state as it currently stands. Finally, this legislation gives each team a one-time $50 million tax credit if they first spend $500 million of their own dollars on renovating their stadium.

    If we fail to act, Missouri stands to lose thousands of jobs and millions in annual revenue. This isn’t a giveaway—it’s a strategy to ensure Missouri remains competitive with other states that would gladly take this opportunity for themselves.

    Budgetary Responsibility

    This special session call also contains critical appropriations that didn’t make it across the finish line in the regular session, including $25 million in General Revenue funds for the Radioisotope Science Center at the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). The MURR has developed life-saving medicines for patients around the world, and Missouri is proud to be home to this incredible nuclear resource.

    We are also asking the General Assembly to appropriate funding from funds other than the General Revenue for various projects such as a new 200-bed mental health hospital in Kansas City, a new crime lab in Highway Patrol Troop E, new livestock and stalling barns at the Missouri State Fairgrounds, and various projects at parks and Missouri National Guard facilities across the state.

    We are not asking the General Assembly to forgive and forget the actions taken by members of an opposing party or chamber. Instead, we are asking them to set those feelings aside to get to work on issues that matter to the people we serve.

    We understand that tension doesn’t vanish with the gavels that close one session and open another. It lingers – in priorities left unresolved and personal strains that follow difficult debates. As a former legislator, I know it can be tough to move on from these moments. The echoes of disagreements still ripple beneath the surface. But we must turn the page.

    A special session is not just a procedural tool – it’s an invitation to rise above all the noise. It’s a chance to demonstrate that principled public servants can come together with resolve to do what’s right. Leadership isn’t proven by how loudly we defend our corners, but by how we willingly find solutions that work. Missourians are watching, and they’re ready for us to meet the moment.

    This special session isn’t just another item on the legislative calendar to check off – it’s a moment Missouri simply cannot afford to coast through. There are families still waiting for relief, jobs hanging in the balance, and communities counting on us to make wise, forward-thinking investments that won’t just fix short-term, hot-button problems – but shape a stronger future.

    It’s time to rise above the noise and govern with the people in mind. Because Missourians didn’t send us here to work for ourselves. We’re here to serve them.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: North Dakota Department of Commerce Announces $15 Million Destination Development Grant to Boost Tourism and Economic Growth

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The North Dakota Department of Commerce is excited to announce the launch of the 2025 Destination Development Grant Program, a $15 million initiative aimed at enhancing the state’s tourism industry. This program, funded by the 69th Legislative Assembly, is designed to support the development and expansion of tourism experiences and attractions that contribute to North Dakota’s economic growth and diversification.

    “Tourism plays an essential role in North Dakota, contributing to a strong economy, by attracting visitors who spend money and pay taxes,” said Gov. Kelly Armstrong. “This grant program will support projects that offer legendary experiences that make our state a unique destination.”

    The Destination Development Grant Program provides financial support for projects that increase the number of unique visitor experiences, support workforce recruitment and retention, and enhance the quality of life for North Dakota residents. Eligible projects include the construction or expansion of tourism, recreation, entertainment, historic, or cultural attractions, as well as infrastructure investments that directly support tourism.

    “By creating more experiences that attract visitors and expanding the potential for extended stays, we are also enhancing the quality of life for our residents,” said Commerce Tourism and Marketing Director Sara Otte Coleman. “This grant program is a fantastic opportunity for communities and businesses across North Dakota to develop and expand their tourism offerings, ultimately driving economic growth and diversification.”

    Grant requests should range between $25,000 and $5,000,000, with a required 1:1 match contribution from non-state sources. Eligible entities include for-profit and non-profit organizations or businesses involved in tourism. Private and non-profit tourism entities using government buildings or public property are also eligible if the grant dollars are used to improve items belonging to the business or non-profit.

    The grant portal will be open from July 1 through July 31, 2025. Applicants must submit all materials online, including a detailed project description, budget, and letters of support. Competitive applications will demonstrate a clear vision, strategic alignment with tourism goals, and long-term value.

    Information on the Destination Development Grant will be available at https://ndgov.link/DestinationDevelopment.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Protects Iowans’ Second Amendment Rights

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    DAVENPORT, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined local gun owners at the Davenport Guns & Shooting Club to announce her new bill to protect Iowans’ Second Amendment rights and lawful gun dealers after the Biden administration’s “zero-tolerance” crackdown.

    After the roundtable, Ernst got in some target practice at the shooting range.
    Click here to download more photos.
    Ernst’s Fighting Irrational Regulatory Enforcement to Avert Retailers’ Misfortune (FIREARM) Act prevents the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from shuttering Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) over minor clerical mistakes and allows them to correct self-reported errors.
    “The Biden administration’s zero-tolerance policy empowered gun grabbers in Washington to infringe on the Second Amendment and shutter small businesses,” said Ernst. “Iowans spoke loud and clear in November that they were tired of bureaucratic overreach. My FIREARM Act disarms the out-of-control ATF and ensures that the rights of law-abiding gun owners are protected.”
    Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is introducing companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    “For four years, the Biden administration undermined the Second Amendment and weaponized government against law-abiding citizens and small businesses of the lawful firearms industry,” said Issa. “It is now a new day and a different Washington, and that’s why my friend Senator Ernst and I are advancing the FIREARM Act. We can stop the targeting of our citizens and prevent it from ever happening again.”
    “It’s such a relief to know that Senator Ernst understands and appreciates the importance of the Second Amendment,” said Jeanelle Westrom, Iowa Director for Women for Gun Rights and the owner of Davenport Guns & Shooting Club. “Being a small business owner is hard, and it’s even harder when our agencies like the ATF are used as an end run around the Constitution. As the Iowa Director for Women for Gun Rights and the owner of Davenport Guns, I’m proud to stand by Senator Ernst and her FIREARM Act.”
    “Senator Joni Ernst’s ‘FIREARM’ Act will ensure that future administrations cannot weaponize the ATF as a political gun control tool for special interests,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel. “Under the Biden administration, the firearm and ammunition industry witnessed the ATF being weaponized to carry out that administration’s extreme antigun policies. That damaged the cooperative relationships between firearm retailers, who are on the frontline preventing illegal straw purchases of firearms, and the ATF, which enforces laws to safeguard our communities. NSSF is thankful for Senator Ernst’s leadership to provide remedies that repair this necessary public trust in our federal agencies.”
    Specifically, the FIREARM Act:

    Creates a safe harbor for FFLs to self-report violations, so they can correct any accidental errors;
    Requires the ATF to work collaboratively with FFLs to fix violations and help avoid future violations;
    Addresses the “willfulness” issue by defining it to mean a voluntary, intentional violation of a known legal duty achieved through specific intent or deliberate planning, excludes previous conduct, and creates a rebuttal if the conduct is not willful; and
    Allows for direct judicial review of license revocations to avoid the ATF from serving as both the judge and prosecutor.

    Click here to view the bill.
    Background:
    Because of her tireless commitment to protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners and fighting back against bureaucratic overreach, Senator Ernst earned an “A+” rating from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schumer, Murray Statement on President Trump’s Expected Rescissions Request

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following joint statement on the rescission request President Trump is expected to submit to Congress this week:
    “Let’s be honest about what this is: President Trump is looking to go after PBS and NPR to settle political scores and muzzle the free press, while undermining foreign assistance programs that push back on China’s malign influence, save lives, and address other bipartisan priorities. The Trump administration continues to take their eye off the ball and is not focused on helping lower middle-class families’ costs. Instead, they are pursuing political retribution to appease the most right-wing factions. They are blowing up the national debt to give the wealthiest few and biggest corporations huge tax breaks while ripping health care away from millions of Americans. Donald Trump’s misplaced priorities are exactly why Americans have quickly turned on his presidency.
    “If Republicans choose to go along with this rescission package, they will follow Trump at their peril. The power of the purse is one of Congress’s most fundamental Constitutional responsibilities. Democrats will not allow Republicans to play games with the budget.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Over 175 Students, Dozens of Staff at Exeter Job Corps in Limbo After Trump Halts Job Corps Operations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    EXETER, RI — Once again, President Donald Trump is trying to eliminate the federal Job Corps program, which offers free vocational and career-training for underserved youth to help produce skilled workers.  Job Corps serves low-income youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who face barriers to education and employment.

    A week after U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) called out the Trump Administration for effectively ‘pausing’ Job Corps enrollment by preventing new students from getting background checks, the Trump Administration formally announced a “phased pause in operations” for all Job Corps centers nationwide, including the center in Exeter. 

    Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, denounced Trump’s Job Corps suspension as counterproductive and pledged to work on a bipartisan basis to reopen, improve, and continue to fund the centers, which teach eligible youth the skills they need to become employable and independent.

    Reed stated: “Job Corps helps expand economic opportunity and prepare young people for good-paying jobs in in-demand fields.  It literally helps people turn their lives around and we shouldn’t turn our back on this program, we should strengthen it to improve outcomes for more young people.  The Exeter Job Corps Center is a high performing center that helps produce skilled workers in some of the trades we need most, like submarine manufacturing.  I strongly oppose President Trump’s attempt to dismantle vital resources for young people seeking education and opportunity and I will work to prevent the elimination of Job Corps.”

    “The Trump Administration’s Job Corps pause is putting the economic futures of young people across the country on hold.  Students trying to enroll are stuck in limbo.  Job Corps offers young people a second chance to complete their high school education, receive technical training, and prepare for a career.  The Trump Administration is attempting to take that away, but we will work hard to reverse it, because it would be a real blow to these young people and our regional economy,” Reed continued.

    At a May 22 hearing of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H), Senator Reed questioned U.S. Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer about the Trump Administrations efforts to terminate Job Corps.

    During the hearing, Reed noted: “And it’s not only critical to these young men and women to develop their talents and be productive members of our society, but also it’s a key aspect of our submarine production with their relationships to electric boat at Quonset Point Rhode Island. If we don’t have these trained and skilled workers, we will fall behind further and further in terms of submarine production, which will be a detrimental — is an understatement to our national security.”

    Earlier this week, Reed joined Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) in sending a letter to U.S. Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer requesting detailed information on Job Corps — including contracts, background check processing, and evaluation plans.  The bipartisan letter noted: “We would be pleased to work with you to improve Job Corps and make needed changes to the program, such as some of those that were included in the bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, but we expect you to faithfully implement the program with the resources we have appropriated.”

    Since 1964, Job Corps has served more than three million low-income youth and young adults in all parts of the country.

    This is not the first time President Trump has tried to terminate Job Corps. In 2019, during Trump’s first term, his Administration announced it would be closing Job Corp centers. But thanks to public outcry and bipartisan efforts from Reed, Collins, and other members of Congress, the federal government reversed those decisions.

    Exeter Job Corps Center, which opened in 2004, provides free job training in a variety of fields, including: computers, culinary arts, construction, hospitality, health fields, manufacturing, and other career paths, as well as transportation and dormitory-style housing for those who need it. The programs are aligned with industry credentials and include work-based learning.

    Enrollment at Exeter Job Corps Center, located at the site of the former Ladd Center off Route 2 in Exeter, with a capacity for 185 students, with rolling admissions throughout the year.  Exeter Job Corps Center employs a staff of about 85 and offers vocational training in 6 trades, a GED program, and two high school diploma programs. Most participants are from Rhode Island or neighboring states.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Delivers $29.6 Million for RI Economic Development & Housing Initiatives

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    PROVIDENCE, RI – In an effort to help strengthen local neighborhoods and support economic development and affordable housing programs throughout the state, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced that Rhode Island will receive $29,614,503 in new federal aid from several federal housing and community development programs.

    Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, who helped secure the funds in the fiscal year 2025 continuing resolution (CR) appropriations bill, noted this year’s funding levels are based on the Biden Administration’s final budget, which was untouched by cuts from the Trump Administration when Congress passed the full-year CR in March.  

    As a result, Rhode Island’s allocations include:

    • $16,616,289 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds
    • $5,825,296 from the Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) program
    • $3,001,259 from the Housing Trust Fund
    • $1,469,265 from the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program
    • $1,484,128 from the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA)
    • $1,218,265 through the Recovery Housing Program (RHP)

    The federal investments are administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which Senator Reed oversees as both an authorizer on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and as an appropriator on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD).

    “This federal funding will help strengthen neighborhoods, advance opportunities for local economic development, and ensure more Rhode Islanders have a healthy and safe place to live.  These programs help cities and towns expand housing options and move forward with capital improvement projects that can spur economic growth and development.  Unlike President Trump, whose Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal calls for the elimination of many of these essential government programs. I’m committed to improving public infrastructure, boosting housing supply, and upgrading community assets.  From increasing affordable housing opportunities, to repairing roads and extending sidewalks, to enhancing parks and clean water infrastructure, these funds help revitalize neighborhoods and enhance economic development.  With Rhode Island experiencing an alarming affordable housing supply shortage, this critical funding will also bring millions to our state to help preserve and build more affordable housing,” said Senator Reed.

    President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 preliminary budget request to Congress would eliminate the CDBG and HOME programs and devastate HUD with a 43 percent cut in funding. Furthermore, it would place a massive burden on state and local budgets by cutting HUD rental assistance programs by nearly half and shrinking federal homeless assistance programs.

    CDBG provides local communities with a flexible source of federal funding to address a wide range of neighborhood development needs.  The funds may be used for capital-improvement projects or distributed to non-profit organizations to increase housing, supportive service, and job opportunities.  Eligible communities may also apply to the state, which annually allocates federal CDBG funds through a competitive process.  CDBG funds may also be used to address a variety of needs from revitalizing distressed areas by removing blight and assisting with infrastructure projects.

    Several Rhode Island cities will split over $16.6 million from this round of CDBG funding, including allocations for:

    1. Cranston: $1,085,975
    2. East Providence: $772,761
    3. Pawtucket: $1,776,064
    4. Providence: $5,227,138
    5. Warwick: $948,131
    6. Woonsocket: $1,050,583
    7. Rhode Island statewide: $5,755,637
    8. TOTAL: $16,616,289

    HOME is a major federal block grant program providing funding to state and local governments to expand and preserve the supply of quality, affordable housing for working families.  Providence will receive $1,414,533 in HOME funds, while Pawtucket will receive $520,010, Woonsocket will receive $333,115, and a pot of funds for communities across the state will total $3,557,637.

    Senator Reed created the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF) in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  The HTF is an affordable housing production and preservation program.  Under the law, government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are required to contribute annually to the HTF.

    ESG provides annual grants to state and local governments to upgrade and expand emergency homeless shelters.  In this round of funding, Providence will receive $476,119 in ESG funds, Pawtucket will receive $155,836, Woonsocket will receive $93,908, and communities across the state will share an additional $743,402.

    Providence will also receive $1,484,128 in HOPWA funds, which help communities and nonprofit organizations offer housing assistance and related supportive services to low-income individuals who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

    To help more effectively combat the opioid crisis and ensure people with substance abuse disorders can access safe housing, Rhode Island will also receive $1,218,265 in Recovery Housing Program (RHP) funds.  Senator Reed backed this program as part of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act.  This federal funding will help Rhode Island provide stable, temporary housing to individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: June 2nd, 2025 Heinrich, Luján Urge FEMA to Implement Reforms to Better Address Disasters in New Mexico, Western States

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    “FEMA was originally structured to respond to large-scale hurricanes and disasters on the East Coast, and its current – and outdated – model reflects that legacy.”

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to implement practical reforms to better address the unique and growing disaster risks faced by Western U.S. communities, particularly in the aftermath of catastrophic wildfires.

    The letter requests FEMA modernize its outdated response model, improve infrastructure reimbursement policies to facilitate smarter rebuilding, and expand individual and community assistance to reflect actual recovery costs. The letter also calls for FEMA to address gaps in support for high-risk areas where insurance is no longer accessible.

    “Western states face a distinct and growing threat: namely, catastrophic wildfires followed by cascading disasters such as landslides, flooding, and water system failures that compound damage and slow recovery. These cascading events – which can happen years after an initial fire – are devastating, and FEMA has repeatedly struggled to respond effectively,” the lawmakers wrote.

    “As New Mexicans learned in the wake of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire and Californians in the wake of the Palisades fire, and Hawaii residents after the Maui wind-driven fires, FEMA’s protocols and funding mechanisms aren’t built to address the rapid domino effect that occurs after major wildfires. Events that are interconnected are treated as isolated occurrences, leaving affected communities without the timely, comprehensive support they deserve,” the lawmakers continued.

    Heinrich, Luján, and the New Mexico Delegation have secured $5.45 billion for recovery efforts following the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire. The fire, which was started by the U.S. Forest Service, caused widespread damage and uprooted the lives of many New Mexicans.

    The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

    Dear Secretary Noem and Acting Administrator Richardson:

    Thank you for the opportunity to provide public comments on FEMA’s disaster response and recovery operations. We are writing to ask you to consider practical reforms to improve the organization and administration of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA was originally structured to respond to large-scale hurricanes and disasters on the East Coast, and its current – and outdated – model reflects that legacy. Practical reforms are warranted to better serve communities in the Western United States.

    We want to emphasize that serious, targeted reform is the answer to these pressing problems – not dismantling FEMA altogether. The federal government has an important role to play in assisting state and local governments in the wake of natural disasters. Weakening or eliminating federal disaster assistance when state and local resources across the West are overwhelmed and depleted would be a dangerous step backwards. FEMA’s mission is simply too important to abandon.

    Western states face a distinct and growing threat: namely, catastrophic wildfires followed by cascading disasters such as landslides, flooding, and water system failures that compound damage and slow recovery. These cascading events – which can happen years after an initial fire – are devastating, and FEMA has repeatedly struggled to respond effectively. As New Mexicans learned in the wake of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire and Californians in the wake of the Palisades fire, and Hawaii residents after the Maui wind-driven fires, FEMA’s protocols and funding mechanisms aren’t built to address the rapid domino effect that occurs after major wildfires. Events that are interconnected are treated as isolated occurrences, leaving affected communities without the timely, comprehensive support they deserve.

    FEMA’s reimbursement formulas and policies currently require that public infrastructure be rebuilt to its pre-disaster condition in order to qualify for full reimbursement. While we understand the intent behind these rules—to restore essential infrastructure equitably—they do not adequately address the unique and escalating risks associated with post-wildfire environments, especially with regard to flood-related infrastructure such as culverts, bridges, and drainage systems.

    After a wildfire, watersheds are severely destabilized. Vegetation loss, soil degradation, and hydrophobic soils result in dramatically altered runoff patterns, increasing both the speed and volume of post-fire flooding. The City of Las Vegas, New Mexico lived this harsh reality during the Fiestas last year, when floods paralyzed the city over a year after the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire. As a result of these floods, the business community lost out on their largest income-generating event of the year. These harsh post-fire flooding conditions mean that infrastructure like culverts, which may have been appropriately sized before a fire, are no longer adequate or safe in the changed landscape. Rebuilding these structures “as they were” effectively ensures that they will be overwhelmed during the next major rain event. FEMA’s reimbursement formula should be revised to allow and encourage local governments and agencies to rebuild smarter and stronger, particularly in high-risk post-wildfire areas. If infrastructure is likely to fail under new, foreseeable conditions like post-wildfire floods, federal policy should not prohibit communities from adapting their designs accordingly.

    In addition, individual assistance offered by FEMA is insufficient to help families and small businesses get back on their feet. Many disaster survivors are shocked to learn that reimbursements for personal property loss, home repairs, or temporary housing fall far short of the actual costs. This disparity leaves middle- and low-income families and businesses facing a steep financial cliff, even after receiving federal aid. While Congress has stepped in to fully reimburse New Mexico families for losses from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire after the Federal government started the largest fire in the state’s history, comprehensive financial reimbursement is not the norm. In Maui, recovery is estimated to exceed $12 billion, a total of four times what the federal government is anticipated to contribute. The property and economic damage in California is as high as $275 billion. We need to revisit how individual assistance is calculated and ensure it reflects real-world rebuilding and living expenses.

    Last but not least, a growing number of Western disaster survivors lack insurance altogether. In high-risk areas like wildfire zones, insurance has become prohibitively expensive—or unavailable entirely. This leaves many households completely dependent on FEMA for recovery support. Yet FEMA’s systems and standards often assume a baseline level of private insurance coverage that no longer exists for a significant portion of affected residents. FEMA must adapt its policies and funding levels and work with other Federal agencies to meet the needs of those who fall into this widening gap and ensure that recovery is possible for those who, through no fault of their own, can’t obtain insurance.

    Thank you again for the opportunity to contribute to this critical dialogue. We hope FEMA will take this input seriously and act swiftly to adapt to the changing landscape of disaster response.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Modernize Investor Disclosure

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ted Budd (R-NC), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Katie Britt (R-AL) recently introduced the Improving Disclosure for Investors Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation requiring the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to propose rules allowing for the default electronic delivery of regulatory documents to investors. 

    “U.S capital markets have embraced the digital age and rely on far less paper now than they did 25 years ago, and it is past time that we bring disclosure requirements into the 21st century,” said Senator Tillis. “Nearly 80% of surveyed Americans already utilize electronic delivery and this commonsense legislation will heighten efficiency and cut down on unwanted paper while still preserving investors’ ability to receive printed hard copies if they wish.”  

    “Today’s economy runs in the digital age, and we need to catch up,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “Cutting red tape is as simple as going paperless.” 

    “As business and industry modernize, the SEC must allow financial firms to do the same,” said Senator Budd. “Making E-Delivery the default for firms and their clients will enhance security and cut unnecessary red tape. I am proud to work alongside Senator Tillis and my colleagues to ensure investors can efficiently access to their information without experiencing delays caused by outdated paper systems.”

    “As our capital markets have evolved and digitized, investor communications must adapt,” said Senator Britt. “This commonsense legislation would allow for more efficient and convenient access to financial information for investors who already overwhelmingly choose electronic delivery to receive these disclosure documents. This legislation saves time and resources and reduces unnecessary costs for both financial firms and consumers.”

    “The time is overdue to make electronic delivery the default means for delivering investor communications, while giving investors the power to choose paper delivery if preferred. Survey results show that a large majority of retail investors, regardless of income or age, want e-delivery for its environmental benefits, speed, and convenience. SIFMA commends Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ted Budd (R-NC), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Katie Britt (R-AL) for introducing The Improving Disclosure for Investors Act. This important bipartisan legislation is the natural next step in modernizing the SEC’s framework in light of changing investor preferences and technology.”- Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA)

    “The bipartisan Improving Disclosure for Investors Act will allow millions of investors to receive information electronically, the overwhelming preference for most Americans,” said ICI CEO and President Eric J. Pan. “This is a big step forward in modernizing information delivery, while allowing those that prefer to receive paper statements to continue to do so. ICI applauds Senators Hickenlooper, Tillis, Shaheen, Rounds, Peters, Budd, and Britt for furthering this important legislation in the interest of investors. Their leadership in enhancing the retail investment experience will make US capital markets even stronger. We urge the swift passage of this legislation.”

    “Fidelity Investments applauds Senators Thom Tillis and John Hickenlooper for the bipartisan re-introduction of the Improving Disclosure for Investors Act, which directs the SEC to make electronic delivery (eDelivery) the primary way to receive disclosures, with significant investor protections in the transition. eDelivery has been shown to be a more secure, effective, and timely way to receive critical investment information. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress and the SEC to advance this commonsense reform.” – Fidelity Investments 

    “Charles Schwab commends Senators Tillis and Hickenlooper for their efforts in crafting this legislation, which would require the SEC to promulgate rules to default to the e-delivery of regulatory documents required under the securities laws, while still allowing those who prefer to receive documents in paper form. Default e-delivery is long-overdue, as a large majority of investors prefer the speed and convenience of receiving documents electronically. E-delivery allows Schwab to deliver our products at lower cost, avoids waste, and is environmentally friendly. Schwab looks forward to working with these Senators and their colleagues to move this important legislation forward.” – Charles Schwab 

    “LPL Financial supports the Improving Disclosure for Investors Act of 2025, introduced by Senators Tillis, Hickenlooper, Rounds, Shaheen, Budd, Peters, Britt. The benefits of e-delivery have been well documented. Disclosures can be available on demand, interactive, and easier to navigate. Reducing paper helps the environment. The visually impaired and savers whose first language is not English can benefit from features of digital communications, including translation options. And for those who want paper delivery, the ability to receive one at any point assures continued access. We applaud the Senators for introducing this bill and look forward to working with lawmakers to enact this bipartisan legislation.” – LPL Financial

    “Environmental Paper Network commends this bipartisan effort to reduce waste and improve efficiency while preserving consumer choice. Mandated paper delivery of investor documents results in over 830 million printed pages each year, consuming 101,000 trees and producing emissions equal to nearly 7,000 cars. The Improving Disclosure for Investors Act updates outdated rules by making electronic delivery the default. Most investors prefer faster, more convenient digital access. This common-sense shift will cut costs and environmental harm while still allowing anyone to opt for paper.” – Environmental Paper Network 

    Background: 

    The SEC currently permits electronic delivery of certain documents, subject to requirements that a registrant provides notice that the information is available electronically, the investor has adequate access to such information, and the registrant either obtains evidence to show actual delivery or obtains informed consent from the investor (“opt-in” requirement). The SEC has not comprehensively updated this framework in over 20 years. This legislation requires the SEC establish a means for investment disclosure documents to be delivered electronically by default, while still providing a clear pathway for investors to opt out of electronic delivery and revert to paper documents at any time.  

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Heinrich Urge FEMA to Implement Reforms to Better Address Disasters in New Mexico, Western States

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    “FEMA was originally structured to respond to large-scale hurricanes and disasters on the East Coast, and its current – and outdated – model reflects that legacy.”

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to implement practical reforms to better address the unique and growing disaster risks faced by Western U.S. communities, particularly in the aftermath of catastrophic wildfires.

    The letter requests FEMA modernize its outdated response model, improve infrastructure reimbursement policies to facilitate smarter rebuilding, and expand individual and community assistance to reflect actual recovery costs. The letter also calls for FEMA to address gaps in support for high-risk areas where insurance is no longer accessible.

    “Western states face a distinct and growing threat: namely, catastrophic wildfires followed by cascading disasters such as landslides, flooding, and water system failures that compound damage and slow recovery. These cascading events – which can happen years after an initial fire – are devastating, and FEMA has repeatedly struggled to respond effectively,” the lawmakers wrote.

    “As New Mexicans learned in the wake of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire and Californians in the wake of the Palisades fire, and Hawaii residents after the Maui wind-driven fires, FEMA’s protocols and funding mechanisms aren’t built to address the rapid domino effect that occurs after major wildfires. Events that are interconnected are treated as isolated occurrences, leaving affected communities without the timely, comprehensive support they deserve,” the lawmakers continued.

    Senators Luján and Heinrich and the New Mexico Delegation have secured $5.45 billion for recovery efforts following the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire. The fire, which was started by the U.S. Forest Service, caused widespread damage and uprooted the lives of many New Mexicans.

    The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

    Dear Secretary Noem and Acting Administrator Richardson:

    Thank you for the opportunity to provide public comments on FEMA’s disaster response and recovery operations. We are writing to ask you to consider practical reforms to improve the organization and administration of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA was originally structured to respond to large-scale hurricanes and disasters on the East Coast, and its current – and outdated – model reflects that legacy. Practical reforms are warranted to better serve communities in the Western United States.

    We want to emphasize that serious, targeted reform is the answer to these pressing problems – not dismantling FEMA altogether. The federal government has an important role to play in assisting state and local governments in the wake of natural disasters. Weakening or eliminating federal disaster assistance when state and local resources across the West are overwhelmed and depleted would be a dangerous step backwards. FEMA’s mission is simply too important to abandon.

    Western states face a distinct and growing threat: namely, catastrophic wildfires followed by cascading disasters such as landslides, flooding, and water system failures that compound damage and slow recovery. These cascading events – which can happen years after an initial fire – are devastating, and FEMA has repeatedly struggled to respond effectively. As New Mexicans learned in the wake of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire and Californians in the wake of the Palisades fire, and Hawaii residents after the Maui wind-driven fires, FEMA’s protocols and funding mechanisms aren’t built to address the rapid domino effect that occurs after major wildfires. Events that are interconnected are treated as isolated occurrences, leaving affected communities without the timely, comprehensive support they deserve.

    FEMA’s reimbursement formulas and policies currently require that public infrastructure be rebuilt to its pre-disaster condition in order to qualify for full reimbursement. While we understand the intent behind these rules—to restore essential infrastructure equitably—they do not adequately address the unique and escalating risks associated with post-wildfire environments, especially with regard to flood-related infrastructure such as culverts, bridges, and drainage systems.

    After a wildfire, watersheds are severely destabilized. Vegetation loss, soil degradation, and hydrophobic soils result in dramatically altered runoff patterns, increasing both the speed and volume of post-fire flooding. The City of Las Vegas, New Mexico lived this harsh reality during the Fiestas last year, when floods paralyzed the city over a year after the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire. As a result of these floods, the business community lost out on their largest income-generating event of the year. These harsh post-fire flooding conditions mean that infrastructure like culverts, which may have been appropriately sized before a fire, are no longer adequate or safe in the changed landscape. Rebuilding these structures “as they were” effectively ensures that they will be overwhelmed during the next major rain event. FEMA’s reimbursement formula should be revised to allow and encourage local governments and agencies to rebuild smarter and stronger, particularly in high-risk post-wildfire areas. If infrastructure is likely to fail under new, foreseeable conditions like post-wildfire floods, federal policy should not prohibit communities from adapting their designs accordingly.

    In addition, individual assistance offered by FEMA is insufficient to help families and small businesses get back on their feet. Many disaster survivors are shocked to learn that reimbursements for personal property loss, home repairs, or temporary housing fall far short of the actual costs. This disparity leaves middle- and low-income families and businesses facing a steep financial cliff, even after receiving federal aid. While Congress has stepped in to fully reimburse New Mexico families for losses from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire after the Federal government started the largest fire in the state’s history, comprehensive financial reimbursement is not the norm. In Maui, recovery is estimated to exceed $12 billion, a total of four times what the federal government is anticipated to contribute. The property and economic damage in California is as high as $275 billion. We need to revisit how individual assistance is calculated and ensure it reflects real-world rebuilding and living expenses.

    Last but not least, a growing number of Western disaster survivors lack insurance altogether. In high-risk areas like wildfire zones, insurance has become prohibitively expensive—or unavailable entirely. This leaves many households completely dependent on FEMA for recovery support. Yet FEMA’s systems and standards often assume a baseline level of private insurance coverage that no longer exists for a significant portion of affected residents. FEMA must adapt its policies and funding levels and work with other Federal agencies to meet the needs of those who fall into this widening gap and ensure that recovery is possible for those who, through no fault of their own, can’t obtain insurance.

    Thank you again for the opportunity to contribute to this critical dialogue. We hope FEMA will take this input seriously and act swiftly to adapt to the changing landscape of disaster response.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Boozman Propose Tax Credit to Assist Blind Americans with Obtaining Access Technology

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) introduced the bipartisan Access Technology Affordability Act to create a refundable tax credit to help blind Americans afford the technology and tools that can enhance their ability to perform daily, necessary functions.

    According to the American Community Survey, 64 percent of blind Americans in 2022 were unemployed or underemployed, in part due to the expenses surrounding access technology that are often not covered by medical insurance. The Access Technology Affordability Act would create a tax credit to offset the cost of “qualified access technology,” which includes hardware, software and other information technology with the primary function of adapting information represented in visual formats unusable by blind Americans.

    “Obtaining necessary technology is a life-changing opportunity for blind and visually impaired Americans – but high costs often stand in the way,” said Luján. “I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation to make this essential technology more affordable and accessible. By removing financial barriers, we can ensure more Americans have a fair shot at education, employment, and staying connected.”

    “As an optometrist, I know first hand how vital these tools are to the blind and visually impaired community – especially in an increasingly technical world,” said Boozman. “Providing financial support that helps put access technologies in their hands is a strong step forward in ensuring blind Americans can utilize them to not only secure gainful employment, but also live fulfilling, active lives.”

    The Access Technology Affordability Act has been endorsed by the National Federation of the Blind.

    “Blind Americans want to work among our non-blind peers. The Access Technology Affordability Act will provide more people access to the technology needed to compete equally in the workforce and it will shrink the staggeringly high ratio of the blind community who are not working or underemployed, which is currently 65 percent of our working-age population,” said President of the National Federation of the Blind Mark A. Riccobono.

    The bill text is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Decade in Prison for Fentanyl Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Braintree man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for leading a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl sourced from Latin America.

    Jonathan Melendez Decatro, a/k/a “Jacha,” 32, of Braintree, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In January 2025, Melendez Decatro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Melendez Decatro was indicted in June 2023.  

    In 2019, Melendez Decatro was identified as the leader of a large-scale DTO operating in the Brockton area, who sourced narcotics directly from Colombia, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. On two dates in 2021, packages intended for Melendez Decatro were intercepted by law enforcement and each found to contain a kilogram of cocaine. Additionally, on several dates in the spring of 2023, Melendez Decatro conspired with an individual who resided in the Dominican Republic to distribute 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl to another individual in Braintree. It was later determined that the purity of the fentanyl ranged from 54% to 79% and also contained xylazine. During of search of Melendez Decatro’s residence, over $11,000 in drug proceeds and clothing worn during the fentanyl transactions were recovered.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Bogota; United States Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Brockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

    This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four-Hundred-Thirteen New Immigration Cases This Week in the Western District of Texas

    Source: US FBI

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 413 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 23 through May 29.

    Among the new cases, Salvadoran national Jaqueline Del Carmen Aleman-Aguilar was charged with one count of illegal re-entry in San Antonio. According to a criminal complaint, Aleman-Aguilar was convicted for transportation of aliens in June 2015 and sentenced to six months in federal prison. She was then removed from the United States to Mexico in July 2015.

    Christian Ruben Corea-Benavides, a Nicaraguan national, was charged in El Paso with attempting to transport illegal aliens. U.S. Border Patrol agents allegedly observed Corea-Benavides pick up five illegal aliens just over four miles west of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. A criminal complaint alleges that during a traffic stop, the investigating USBP agent observed a female passenger in the front seat of the vehicle, and four additional passengers lying on top of one another in the backseat—all appearing to be wet and muddy.

    Mexican national Sabino Renteria-Alvarado was arrested May 28 at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry after he attempted to enter through the pedestrian entrance and allegedly presented the Customs and Border Protection officer (CBPO) with a false claim that he had been a Legal Permanent Resident, but that police in Nevada possessed his LPR card. The CBPO referred Renteria-Alvarado to Passport Control Secondary, where records revealed he had been previously removed in January 2024 through Nogales, Arizona. His criminal record includes a 15-year prison sentence for a sexual assault of a minor conviction in 2017. Renteria-Alvarado is currently charged with one count of illegal re-entry.

    Two U.S. citizens were arrested in the Del Rio area as the result of separate human smuggling attempts, as alleged in criminal complaints. Nancy Anna Gwyn, of Houston, was encountered during a May 22 traffic stop near Carrizo Springs. USBP agents allegedly uncovered three passengers in her vehicle who were identified to be citizens of foreign countries and illegally present in the U.S. On May 24, an immigration checkpoint inspection near Eagle Pass allegedly revealed that Anastasia Lee Daneill Godfrey, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was attempting to transport two illegal aliens to San Antonio in the trunk of a sedan.

    Honduran national Walter Alonso Martinez-Chandias is charged with illegal re-entry. He has one prior removal—in June 2013 through Alexandria, Louisiana—and a lengthy criminal record that includes convictions in Birmingham, Alabama for drug trafficking and homicide, for which he was sentenced in 2018 to five years and 20 years in prison, respectively. In 2017, he was convicted in Birmingham for unlawful transport of firearms and sentenced to 81 months in prison. A criminal complaint alleges that when he was arrested on May 25, Martinez-Chandias refused to comply with Border Patrol agents’ commands and resisted attempts to be placed in custody and handcuffs by running and kicking.

    Luis Alberto Olivarez-Hernandez, of Mexico, was arrested May 27 near Eagle Pass for illegal re-entry. He has two prior removals, the last one being Feb. 25 through Laredo, five days after a felony conviction for unlawfully carrying a weapon in prohibited places. Additionally, Olivarez-Hernandez was convicted in 2010 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

    Armando Vazquez-Ruiz, also a Mexican national, is charged with illegal re-entry after being found near Eagle Pass less than two weeks after his most recent removal. Vazquez-Ruiz had been convicted in Georgetown May 7 for assault causing bodily injury and was deported May 8 through Laredo.

    In Austin, Mexican national Basilio Luna-Luna was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Travis County Jail May 24, where he was detained for what would be his seventh DWI, if convicted. Luna-Luna was previously removed from the U.S. in November 2014 and voluntarily returned to Mexico twice—once in 1998 and once in 2009.

    Juan Alberto Zarate-Salgado, also of Mexico, was encountered at the Travis County Jail as well and is charged with illegal re-entry. Zarate-Salgado has two prior removals and multiple convictions for assault of a family/household member and assault causing bodily injury to a family member.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

    These cases are 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).

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Father and Son Indicted for Providing Material Support to Mexican Cartel Engaged in Terrorism

    Source: US FBI

    Defendants are alleged to have illegally imported tens of millions of dollars in crude oil

    BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Two family members with ties to South Texas have been charged with allegedly conspiring to materially support a Mexican cartel previously designated as a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to commit money laundering and related smuggling charges, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    The superseding indictment, returned May 22, alleges Maxwell Sterling Jensen, 25, Draper, Utah, and James Lael Jensen, 68, Sandy, Utah, conspired to provide material support to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) in the form of U.S. currency. The Secretary of State designated CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization Feb. 20. 

    “This case underscores the more aggressive and innovative approach the Southern District of Texas is taking towards combatting the scourge of drug cartels,” said Ganjei. “This strategy focuses not just on the traffickers and trigger-pullers directly employed by the cartels, but also targeting their confederates and enablers. Whether you are handing the cartel a gun, providing a car or safehouse for smugglers, or putting money in the cartel’s pocket, you will be held to account.”

    The Jensens allegedly operated Arroyo Terminals, an enterprise based in Rio Hondo.

    Both are also charged with allegedly conspiring to conduct financial transactions to conceal and disguise the nature and source of the proceeds of illegally smuggled goods, crude oil. They also aided and abetted the fraudulent entry of approximately 2,881 shipments of the oil in violation of the Tariff Act, according to the charges.  

    “Cases like this highlight the often-dangerous relationships between alleged unscrupulous U.S. businesses and terrorist organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio. “Through strong collaborations and relentless investigative work, we and our partners exposed a possible large-scale operation that allegedly attempted to move millions in illicit crude oil and launder the proceeds. HSI remains committed to protecting our economy and holding offenders accountable.”

    “What began as a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) drug trafficking investigation evolved into a multifaceted case involving an alleged complex criminal operation generating millions of dollars from crude oil – the largest funding source for Mexican drug cartels,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of DEA – Houston. “Given the charges have profound implications for both the United States and Mexico, we will continue to explore all leads and identify any believed to be involved. The collaboration with federal law enforcement, prosecutors, and state agencies proved critical to unraveling these alleged crimes and will continue until such operations are destroyed.”

    “It is a top priority of the FBI to eliminate foreign terrorist organizations by depriving them of the funding they need to operate and by seizing their most valued assets,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the San Antonio Field Office. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will use every resource and capability at our disposal to ensure violent cartels and anyone who corruptly facilitates their operations are held accountable to the American people and unable to establish a foothold in our communities.”

    “Our commitment to taking down drug cartels and organized crime leverages IRS Criminal Investigation’s (CI) specialty in forensic accounting that identifies the alleged money trail and shuts down the flow of cash, just like we did in this case,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan, of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “Some of our best special agents are using their law enforcement expertise to build unshakeable cases to ensure criminals are taken off the streets and their ill-gotten gains are returned to the American people.”

    At the time of the initial arrests, authorities seized four tank barges containing crude oil, three commercial tanker trucks, an Arroyo Terminal pickup truck and one personal vehicle. The Arroyo Terminal property in Rio Hondo, crude oil contained Arroyo Terminal storage tanks and additional real properties are also sought for forfeiture. The superseding indictment also contains notice that the United States will seek a $300 million money judgment upon conviction. 

    The conspiracies to provide material support and to commit money laundering both carry a possible prison term of up to 20 years. If convicted of aiding and abetting the smuggling of goods into the United States and doing so by means of false statements, both men could also face up to 10 and five years, respectively. James Jensen also faces one count of money laundering spending which carries an additional 10 years in prison, upon conviction.  

    With the exception of the money laundering charge which has the possibility of up to a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved, the remaining counts carry a maximum $250,000 potential fine. 

    The investigation was a joint effort among many law enforcement partners to include FBI, ICE-HSI and DEA with substantial assistance of IRS CI along with Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service and Texas Department of Public Safety.

    Operation Liquid Death involved the combined efforts of DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI and IRS CI and others and 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 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.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) James Sturgis and Laura Garcia are prosecuting the case. AUSAs Mary Ellen Smyth and Tyler Foster are handling seizure and forfeiture matters.

    An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Petrus Resources Declares Monthly Dividend for June 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Petrus Resources Ltd. (“Petrus” or the “Company”) (TSX: PRQ) is pleased to confirm that its Board of Directors has declared a monthly dividend in the amount of $0.01 per share payable June 30, 2025, to shareholders of record on June 16, 2025. The dividend is designated as an eligible dividend for Canadian income tax purposes.

    Dividend Reinvestment Plan (“DRIP”)
    Petrus’ DRIP enables eligible shareholders to reinvest all or part of their cash dividends into additional common shares of the Company. Participation in the DRIP is optional. Eligible shareholders who elect to reinvest their cash dividends under the DRIP will receive common shares issued from treasury at a discount of 3% from the market price of the common shares.

    To participate in the DRIP, registered shareholders must deliver a properly completed enrollment form to Odyssey Trust Company (“Odyssey”) before 4:00 p.m. (Calgary time) on the 5th business day immediately preceding a dividend record date. Beneficial shareholders who wish to participate in the DRIP should contact their broker or other nominee through which their Common Shares are held to determine their eligibility and provide appropriate enrollment instructions. Participation by shareholders that are not resident in Canada may be restricted.

    A complete copy of the DRIP is available on the Company’s website at www.petrusresources.com and on Odyssey’s website at https://odysseytrust.com/faq/. A copy of the enrollment form for use by registered shareholders is available on Odyssey’s website at https://odysseytrust.com/faq/. For further information regarding the DRIP, please contact Odyssey at 1-888-290-1175 (Toll free in North America) or 1-587-885-0960.

    ABOUT PETRUS
    Petrus is a public Canadian oil and gas company focused on property exploitation, strategic acquisitions and risk-managed exploration in Alberta.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
    Ken Gray
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    T: 403-930-0889
    E: kgray@petrusresources.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s steel tariffs are unlikely to have a big impact on Australia. But we could be hurt by what happens globally

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott French, Senior Lecturer in Economics, UNSW Sydney

    Shestakov Dymytro/Shutterstock

    Just one day after the US Court of Appeals temporarily reinstated the Trump Administration’s Liberation Day tariffs of between 10% and 50% on nearly every country in the world, Trump announced tariffs on all US imports of steel and aluminium will increase from 25% to 50%.

    He told the rally of steel workers in Pennsylvania the increase would come into effect Wednesday US time.

    Trump said the increase “will even further secure the steel industry in the United States.” But Australia’s trade and tourism minister, Don Farrell, called them “unjustified and not the act of a friend” and “an act of economic self-harm that will only hurt consumers and businesses who rely on free and fair trade.”

    There was hope Australia would obtain an exemption from the original tariffs introduced in February. But it now seems clear Trump is intent on applying the tariffs across the board. And, unlike the Liberation Day tariffs, these are unlikely to face significant legal challenges.

    So, how will the steel tariffs affect Australians? To understand this, it is important to understand how it will affect the US and its other trading partners.

    The direct effect will be small

    As with the original 25% tariffs, the direct effect on Australian steel and aluminium producers will not be profound.

    Only about 10% of Australia’s steel and aluminium exports, and less than 1% of its overall production, goes to the US. Australia’s own BlueScope Steel’s North Star mill in Ohio is actually set to benefit from the tariffs.

    But most Australians will feel the effects of the tariffs through the indirect effects on US manufacturing and America’s trading partners.

    Impact on the US

    We know a lot about how US manufacturing will be affected because this has all happened before. In 2002, George W. Bush imposed tariffs of 8%-30% on steel products, before withdrawing them less than two years later. And Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium in his first term.

    Research has shown the tariffs did slightly increase US metal production but at great cost. In addition to increasing prices for US consumers, as tariffs typically do, the Bush steel tariffs reduced overall employment, as manufacturers that use steel as an input laid off workers or went out of business.

    Further, while these tariffs were only in place for a short time, the affected US industries took years to recover, and many never have.

    The same thing happened with the tariffs from Trump’s first term, where any gains in steel and aluminium production were more than offset by losses in metal-consuming industries.

    For Australians, this means many products we buy from the US are going to get more expensive. This includes vehicles and aircraft as well as machinery and medical equipment used by Australian producers. And if the past is a guide, many products will simply become unavailable.

    Effects on trading partners

    While Australia does not export large amounts of steel and aluminium to US, other countries do. The higher tariffs will further depress the Canadian and Mexican metals industries, which can affect Australian industry in several ways.

    First, if North American consumers are buying less of everything, that reduces demand for Australia’s exports, both directly and indirectly as the reduced spending makes is way down the supply chain.

    Australia exports very little steel to the US so is less likely to be hurt by the direct impact of the tariffs.
    IndustryViews/Shutterstock

    Second, the affected metals manufacturers will look for other markets for their products. Canada is not likely to flood Australia with cheap aluminium, but it may, for example, displace some of our exports to South Korea. And this is happening as the OECD is warning of excess steel capacity, driven in part by China’s outsized steel subsidies.

    But this is not all bad news for Australians. While local steel and aluminium producers will suffer from the diversion of supply from the US, a temporary fall in prices would offer some relief after the post-pandemic rise in building and infrastructure costs.

    Retaliatory tariffs

    On top of all these effects are the effects of retaliatory tariffs by other countries, as the EU has already threatened. Like the US tariffs, these tariffs will make consumers on both sides poorer, reducing demand for Australian exports. But they will open new markets as well. For example, China’s retaliatory tariffs on US almonds have caused a boom in Australian exports.

    The big question for Australia is how this will affect the price of iron ore, by far our largest export. So far, we have not seen major price swings. But if the latest salvo in Trump’s trade war causes the global economy to slow significantly, or if China backs off its steel subsidies, this could change.

    State of uncertainty

    And perhaps the most significant impact of the latest change in US tariff policy is the effect of ongoing uncertainty over US and global trade policy. Trade policy uncertainty reduces international trade flows and chills business investment.

    Whether a business is considering a venture dependent on an input that will be affected by tariffs or, like BlueScope’s Ohio steel mill, might stand to benefit from US tariffs, the uncertainty over what the policy will be tomorrow, let alone five years from now, will make any company hesitant to commit major funds.

    A case in point is Whyalla Steelworks, which has received a $2.4 billion rescue package and is currently in administration and seeking a buyer.

    With Donald Trump able to upend the global steel industry again at any moment, buyers will be thinking twice before investing billions of dollars, which is bad news for nearly everyone, not least of which the residents of Whyalla, who await the fate of a major local employer.

    Scott French does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump’s steel tariffs are unlikely to have a big impact on Australia. But we could be hurt by what happens globally – https://theconversation.com/trumps-steel-tariffs-are-unlikely-to-have-a-big-impact-on-australia-but-we-could-be-hurt-by-what-happens-globally-257959

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Death of an inmate from Regional Psychiatric Centre 

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 2, 2025 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Correctional Service Canada

    On June 2, 2025, Barry Nygren an inmate from Regional Psychiatric Centre, died while in our custody of apparent natural causes.

    At the time of death, the inmate was 78 and had been serving a sentence of two years, since November 18, 2024.

    The inmate’s next of kin have been notified.

    As in all cases involving the death of an inmate, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will review the circumstances. CSC policy requires that the police and the coroner be notified.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Newhouse Demands Accountability in Regional EPA Office

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

    Headline: Newhouse Demands Accountability in Regional EPA Office

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin requesting an investigation into communications between anti-agriculture activist organizations and federal civil service employees. 

    “I am writing today to request you investigate collaboration between environmental activist groups and career staff that has appeared to permeate throughout the Region 10 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office in Seattle, Washington,” Rep. Newhouse wrote. 

    “The purpose of the federal government is to provide Americans with essential services, including navigating the complex regulatory burden placed on farmers. This coordination is appalling and should be investigated; if career staff did in fact coordinate with activists to target farmers, then those staff are not worthy of a taxpayer-funded salary.” 

    Earlier this year, the Cow Palace dairy in Yakima County, Washington, closed its doors after years of litigation from the EPA. This follows the closure of Liberty Dairy, also in Yakima County, in the fall of 2024. 

    Dan Wood, Executive Director, Washington State Dairy Federation, said “We appreciate efforts by Rep. Newhouse to bring appropriate review of years-long suspect behavior by certain EPA staff. Activists, their attorneys, EPA staff, and DOJ staff have been coordinating together to drive animal agriculture out of business.  They have changed science reports, coordinated legal strategies, and hidden public documents. This sort of waste, fraud, and abuse needs to be brought to light and ended. Government at all levels must act with integrity, work within the bounds of laws for accountability, and refrain from carrying activist agendas.” 

    Ben Tindall, Executive Director, Save Family Farming, said “Washington state’s farmers have waited far too long for accountability from the EPA. While rogue officials in Region 10 have run unchecked, family farms and rural communities—especially in Central Washington—have suffered real and lasting harm. We are grateful to Congressman Newhouse for raising this issue directly to the top leadership in Washington DC. His efforts are an important step toward exposing and ending the abuse of power that has gone on for years behind closed doors.” 

    Read the full letter here. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –