NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Statement on the Release of Edan Alexander

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    SCHAUMBURG,IL – Following the news that Edan Alexander has been freed after more than 580 days in captivity, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement:

    “I am deeply relieved that Edan Alexander is finally coming home after more than 580 days in captivity. His release is a long-overdue moment of hope, and my thoughts are with him and his loved ones as they begin the healing process.

    We must remain unwavering in our efforts to secure the safe return of every remaining hostage and to advance a durable peace rooted in a two-state solution without Hamas — one that ensures Israel’s security, upholds dignity for the Palestinian people, and delivers a future free from terror and violence across the region.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Krishnamoorthi and Moulton Lead More Than 100 Democrats in Opposing Cuts to 988’s Specialized Services for LGBTQ+ Youth

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Seth Moulton (D-MA) joined in leading 107 House Democrats in calling on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump to scrap plans that would cut funding for the specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth who contact the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

    “America has a youth mental health crisis, and LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers,” the congressmen wrote in their letter. “The 988 hotline for LGBTQ+ youth has recently received an average of 2,100 contacts per day, and since 2022, it has received over 1.3 million calls, texts, and chats. America’s mental health crisis affects every community, and every family knows someone who has experienced distress. Mental health crises do not recognize partisan differences, and this is why support for 988 and its specialized services has always been firmly bipartisan.”

    The specialized services 988 offers, particularly for high-risk groups like LGBTQ+ youth and veterans, are critical to saving lives. Any proposal to cut funding in the President’s budget and thereby cut off access to this life-saving support for vulnerable young people run counter to the best practices in suicide prevention.

    “Cutting off specialized 988 services for LGBTQ+ youth in crisis is not just wrong, it’s dangerous,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “LGBTQI+ youth already face a heightened risk of suicide, and removing tailored support could have deadly consequences. Every American, regardless of who they are or whom they love, deserves access to compassionate, life-saving mental health care, especially in moments of deepest distress.”

    “Suicide remains a serious public health concern in the U.S., and we know from research that certain groups have higher risk, including Veterans and LGBTQ+ youth. This is why these groups have dedicated services within the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, where uniquely trained counselors help prevent suicide in these disproportionately impacted populations,” Robert Gebbia, CEO of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said. “We understand that funding may be eliminated for 988 LGBTQ+ specialized services, and we urge the administration to continue its existing support for crisis services, including those for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. These crisis response services are effective and save young lives.”

    “I am deeply grateful to these members of Congress for speaking out and urging the administration to reverse course on their proposal to end life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth across the U.S. Tailoring suicide prevention services to ensure they’re effective for the most at-risk groups should not be political; it is simply clinical best practice. I applaud these lawmakers for their vocal support of these evidence-backed, bipartisan crisis services that have already supported an estimated 1.3 million LGBTQ+ youth and counting,” Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, said.

    “988 is about providing hope and saving lives. Tragically, we lose too many young lives to suicide, especially LGBTQ+ young people,” Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said. “We thank these members of Congress for prioritizing resources for people who need them, and for working to maintain these services to provide vital, lifesaving support to our LGBTQ+ community.”

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

    Dear Secretary Kennedy,

    President Trump’s budget threatens to end specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth who contact 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Ending this mental health support for youth in distress would devastate a vital resource for some of our nation’s most vulnerable young people. This shortsighted and dangerous plan undermines 988’s ability to provide tailored support for a population with a higher risk of suicide and will have lethal consequences if enacted. Surely you can agree that every American deserves the resources necessary to prevent suicide and self-injury, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

    America has a youth mental health crisis, and LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. The 988 hotline for LGBTQ+ youth has recently received an average of 2,100 contacts per day and, since 2022, it has received over 1.3 million calls, text, and chats. America’s mental health crisis affects every community and every family knows someone who has experienced distress. Mental health crises do not recognize partisan differences, and this is why support for 988 and its specialized services has always been firmly bipartisan.

    When Congress established the 988 lifeline, signed into law by President Trump during his first term, we intended it to be a resource for any American experiencing mental distress. To a young person feeling alone and scared, 988 is truly a lifeline. The specialized services it is able to provide to individuals with a higher risk of suicidality, such as LGBTQ+ youth and veterans, are especially vital to provide high-risk groups with custom support. Consideration of cutting off this life-saving resource to vulnerable youth and young adults goes against best practices in suicide prevention. 

    We urge that you scrap this ill-advised plan. Our nation’s children deserve nothing less.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Louisiana Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Residents Affected by March Storms

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses, nonprofits, and residents in Louisiana of the June 16 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset physical damage caused by severe storms and flooding occurring March 29–April 2.

    The disaster declaration covers the Louisiana parishes of Acadia, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, St. Landry and Vermilion.

    Small businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include strengthening structures to protect against high wind damage, upgrading to wind rated garage doors, and installing a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage.

    “One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their storm readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s physical damage loans.”

    SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

    Interest rates can be as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.62% for nonprofits, and 2.75% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms, based on each applicant’s financial condition.

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

    The deadline to return physical damage applications is June 16.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Jersey Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns for Clients

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A New Jersey man pleaded guilty yesterday to preparing false tax returns for clients.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Vito A. Pascarella, of Somerset, ran a tax preparation business. Pascarella prepared, and caused to be prepared, false tax returns for clients. On those tax returns, Pascarella reported false wage numbers, falsely reported that taxpayers owned and operated businesses that they did not own or operate, and falsely reported that those purported businesses earned gross receipts and incurred business expenses that they did not.

    In total, Pascarella caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $550,000.

    Pascarella is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 15. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Assistant Chief Thomas F. Koelbl and Trial Attorney Emerson Gordon-Marvin of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from Governor Phil Scott on Need for Housing Legislation This Session

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Montpelier, Vt – Governor Phil Scott issued the following statement in response to housing bills, S.127 and H.479:

    “For the last eight years, I’ve been sounding the alarm about our housing crisis. Vermonters across the state are impacted by a lack of housing options – from renters, to first time homebuyers, and retirees looking to downsize. That’s why, in January, I proposed legislation to move the needle on the housing we desperately need.  

    “This included expanding infrastructure for housing and flood recovery by modifying the existing TIF program to include a project-based option – so smaller towns with fewer resources can access this economic tool as easily as larger cities and towns.

    “We proposed changes to our permitting process, because it’s difficult to navigate, which has led to project costs skyrocketing and fewer homes being built because it doesn’t make financial sense.

    “We also asked the legislature to expand and extend the Act 250 exemptions that are expiring soon, to give rural communities opportunities to thrive and grow. In addition, we proposed reforms to the wetlands permitting and appeals process which will help places like Barre, Montpelier and Plainfield, as they recover from recent flooding.

    As the legislative session comes to a close, I’m concerned we have not done nearly enough on housing. With 41,000 more homes needed by 2030 (just to catch up) we cannot afford to kick the can down the road again. Last session, the Legislature passed 70 bills in three days, so I’m confident there is still time to pass a housing bill that actually helps Vermont, because without action, we will fall further behind.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Johnson Joins Sen. Ricketts in Sending Letter Backing President Trump’s Call for Full Dismantlement of Iran’s Nuclear Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) joined U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) in sending a letter to President Donald Trump regarding the Administration’s ongoing negotiations with Iran. The letter calls on the Trump Administration to secure a deal that results in the full dismantlement of the Iranian nuclear program, including permanently ending the regime’s capacity to enrich uranium.
    “We write to express our strong support for your efforts to secure a deal with Iran that dismantles its nuclear program, and to reinforce the explicit warnings that you and officials in your Administration have issued that the regime must permanently give up any capacity for enrichment,” the senators wrote.
    “We cannot afford another agreement that enables Iran to play for time, as the JCPOA did. The Iranian regime should know that the Administration has Congressional backing to ensure their ability to enrich uranium is permanently eliminated. As always, we stand ready to provide you and your Administration whatever resources you need to advance American national security interests,” they continued. 
    Sens. Johnson and Ricketts were joined by U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Jim Justice (R-W. Va.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Curtis (R-Utah), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). 
    Full text of the letter can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Colleagues Demand Information on $400 Million Qatari Plane Bribe

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is joining his colleagues today in demanding the Department of Defense be transparent with them about the substantial national security risks of the $400 million Air Force One bribe from the Qatari royal family. Just days after Senator King told Scripps News that the jet transfer “poses a serious national security risk,” he signed a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, seeking answers about the unnecessary danger that an unsecure and unprotected Air Force One would present to the President.
    The Air Force has been working with Boeing to deliver two brand new 747 jets to be used as Air Force One. However, with the delivery date of the new aircraft not expected until 2027, the White House has proposed accepting the Qatari plane as a short-term alternative. Nevertheless, Article I of the Constitution, specifically the emoluments clause, bars anyone holding government office from accepting any gift or bribe from any “King, Prince, or foreign State,” without congressional consent.
    “[We] write today with alarm over the dangers to operational and national security presented by President Trump’s desire to execute an unconstitutional and unseemly acceptance of a $400 million gift from the Qatari royal family in the form of a luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft. To serve as Air Force One during his administration, the U.S. Department of Defense would be required to accelerate a comprehensive upgrade to the aircraft, with the direct cost to the American taxpayer likely exceeding $1 billion. We are especially concerned about the operational security and counterintelligence risks of potentially using this aircraft for sensitive Presidential travel— and the massive cost to American taxpayers to identify and close critical vulnerabilities,” the lawmakers said.
    The Senators continued, “Having the President travel without the necessary security precautions or secure communications renders the aircraft an easy target for adversaries to gain access to sensitive Presidential-level discussions or classified information, impeding the success of ongoing military operations and endangering our servicemembers… President Trump is claiming that this ‘gift’ of an aircraft worth $400 million is saving taxpayers money, but in reality, his decision will force taxpayers to foot an unnecessary bill – potentially more than $1 billion—to convert a foreign-provided aircraft into the fortress necessary to protect him and his communications—all while taxpayers are already paying at least $3.9 billion for the contract for two aircraft currently being built by Boeing to add to the Air Force One fleet.”
      
    In addition to King, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Assistant Minority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
    The full text of the letter can be found here and below.
    +++
    Dear Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Meink:
    We write today with alarm over the dangers to operational and national security presented by President Trump’s desire to execute an unconstitutional and unseemly acceptance of a $400 million gift from the Qatari royal family in the form of a luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft. To serve as Air Force One during his administration, the U.S. Department of Defense would be required to accelerate a comprehensive upgrade to the aircraft, with the direct cost to the American taxpayer likely exceeding $1 billion. We are especially concerned about the operational security and counterintelligence risks of potentially using this aircraft for sensitive Presidential travel— and the massive cost to American taxpayers to identify and close critical vulnerabilities.
    This announcement alone could pose a threat to Presidential protection now and in the future. President Trump’s public statement on May 12 that the U.S. would accept the Qatari aircraft— before the aircraft was in our Nation’s custody—provides a dangerous opportunity to exploit for foreign intelligence agencies and adversaries seeking to do harm to the United States, who have a great incentive to gain access to the aircraft and individuals with sensitive knowledge and understanding of the Qatar royal family’s “Palace in the Sky.”
    Importantly, protecting Air Force One from compromise, attack or disruption is a critical mission of the Air Force and the entire U.S. Department of Defense. A threat to an Air Force One aircraft would not only endanger the President, but also the Air Force pilots and servicemembers in the 89th Airlift Wing who serve on or maintain the aircraft.
    We know that the Air Force One fleet has extensive technical requirements each aircraft must meet in order to protect the President from any threats during travel, ensure the aircraft can continue to operate at the ranges necessary (such as through refueling capabilities) and guarantee that the President can communicate continuously and securely, a capability that would prove essential in an unforeseen foreign or domestic crisis. One of the most consequential aspects of this mission is to ensure nuclear command and control remains intact even while the President travels—a cornerstone of our deterrent.
    It is unclear whether and how, if President Trump proceeds with this plan to accept this aircraft, the Department plans to ensure the aircraft can meet the necessary high standards for operational security, counterintelligence and Presidential protection under the hastened timeframe arbitrarily set by President Trump to use it for travel before the end of his term in 2029.
    An unsecure and unprotected Air Force One presents clear dangers to our national security. Having the President travel without the necessary security precautions or secure communications renders the aircraft an easy target for adversaries to gain access to sensitive Presidential-level discussions or classified information, impeding the success of ongoing military operations and endangering our servicemembers.
    This potential move also presents concerning indications of waste, fraud and abuse. Experts estimate that upgrading this unvetted aircraft to meet essential security specifications could cost upwards of $1 billion. President Trump is claiming that this “gift” of an aircraft worth $400 million is saving taxpayers money, but in reality, his decision will force taxpayers to foot an unnecessary bill – potentially more than $1 billion—to convert a foreign-provided aircraft into the fortress necessary to protect him and his communications—all while taxpayers are already paying at least $3.9 billion for the contract for two aircraft currently being built by Boeing to add to the Air Force One fleet.
    One expert speaking to Defense News said that, to achieve all the features of Air Force One with this unvetted plane, this option would “be a step backward.” Instead of accelerating delivery of a secure plane for Presidential travel, as the administration contends, “they’d have to start over again with what they’ve been working on with the other 747-8” under the existing Boeing program. “Starting over again with the same plane would take a lot longer.”
    This administration has been vocal about its commitment to efficiency and cost-savings in the federal government. But spending taxpayer money on efforts to upgrade this Qatari jet – when the President currently travels securely – is unnecessary and wasteful. We require answers to the following questions regarding the operational risks surrounding the President’s possible acceptance of this aircraft, either in writing or in a briefing to us no later than June 1, 2025. Please provide answers at whatever classification level necessary.
    Please detail the mitigation steps and counterintelligence countermeasures that the U.S. Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community would take to prevent foreign intelligence services from exploiting the aircraft before it is safely in U.S. custody.
    Which agencies will perform counterintelligence and technical surveillance countermeasures?
    What resources will be required for these agencies to perform these countermeasures?
    Please detail the certification procedures and standard technical requirements for Presidential protection, operational security, counterintelligence and secure communications required of Air Force One.
    Please provide a detailed plan for how the Air Force will retrofit this aircraft to certify that it meets these standard requirements.
    Which agencies will be responsible for certifying that there are no physical or cyber vulnerabilities?
    What resources will be required for these agencies to perform these certifications?
    Please provide a cost estimate and required timeline for retrofitting this aircraft, including certifying against vulnerabilities, installing secure communications and installing other protective or other equipment necessary to meet the security and counterintelligence requirements for the Air Force One fleet.
    What timeline has been directed for clearing the aircraft for Presidential use, and can the required certifications and preparations be conducted in such timeline?
    What risks have you been directed to accept?
    What vulnerabilities will remain as a result?
    What mitigation steps will you take to address these remaining vulnerabilities?
    How will these vulnerabilities impact the operations of the 89th Airlift Wing?
    How will these vulnerabilities impact other core missions of the Department of Defense, such Presidential command and control during crises and contingencies?
    Please provide a risk assessment, in coordination with the Intelligence Community, regarding if and how increased public scrutiny of Air Force One capabilities has affected threats to our Presidential protection procedures and capabilities.
    Please provide details and documentation of what analysis of alternative aircraft or options the U.S. Department of Defense undertook before settling on the proposal for the Qatari aircraft.
    Please provide copies of any communications between the Department of Defense and the Qatari government or its representatives regarding this proposal.
    Reports indicate that the U.S. Department of Defense may be considering “loosening” requirements of the contract with Boeing to deliver 747-8 aircraft to serve in the Air Force One fleet in order to accelerate delivery from 2029 to 2027. Please provide details 3 of any proposed or decided changes to these requirements and documentation of the Department of Defense’s analysis of tradeoffs of this desired acceleration.
    Please provide the assessed impacts of the Department’s plans vis a vis this aircraft on the planned delivery timelines for the existing contract for the other Boeing 747-8 aircraft currently in development, including the potential diversion of specialized DoD personnel to conduct or oversee these upgrades as opposed to work on the existing contract.
    The American people deserve to understand this administration’s plans for securing this aircraft, the vulnerabilities its use will present to our national security and the price tag they will be asked to pay for President Trump’s decision to integrate this aircraft into our most sensitive fleet.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner Calls on OPM to Continue Protections for Federal Employees Whose Personal Information was Compromised in 2015 Hack

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – As Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues its purge of federal programs, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, is cautioning the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) against prematurely eliminating government contracts that protect millions of federal employees whose personal information was compromised in massive data breaches nearly 10 years ago.
    In 2015, OPM announced two separate cybersecurity incidents attributed to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that compromised the Social Security numbers, birthdates, and addresses of approximately 21.5 million individuals.
    “The federal workforce was dangerously exposed by the 2015 OPM breach, and millions of impacted individuals will continue to be at risk because of the breach, likely for the remainder of their lives. In addition to Social Security numbers, birthdates, and addresses, there were also 1.1 million sets of fingerprints and detailed financial and health records exposed—some of the most valuable information today on the dark web,” wrote Sen. Warner.
    In the immediate aftermath of the breach, Sen. Warner introduced legislation to protect federal workers affected by the attacks and eventually secured OPM-contracted identity protection services for those impacted by the breach. However, despite previous efforts by the Trump administration to protect federal workers whose data was compromised, DOGE has signaled that these protections may be in jeopardy. 
    Sen. Warner continued, “Given the recent personnel cuts to OPM and Elon Musk’s imminent departure from the Trump administration, I am deeply concerned that OPM is planning to curtail identity theft monitoring for millions of public servants and their families whose information was compromised in 2015. I urge you to ensure that identity theft protection services for the impacted individuals from the 2015 OPM breach continue, as required by law.”
    A copy of letter is available here and text is below.
    Dear Mr. Ezell:
    I write to bring your attention to a vital issue affecting the federal workforce, past and current, and their families. In 2015, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced two separate cybersecurity incidents. The Social Security numbers, birthdates, and addresses of approximately 21.5 million individuals were compromised in the breaches, including 19.7 million individuals who applied for background investigations and 1.8 million non-applicants (predominantly spouses or cohabitants of applicants).  In response to this massive security compromise, I co-sponsored the RECOVER Act, the original bill for OPM-contracted identity protection services for the impacted individuals.   Congress appropriated funds in section 633(a) of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017.   The Act and appropriation protected the 21.5 million impacted individuals with identity protection coverage and identity theft insurance.  This appropriation was “effective for a period of not less than 10 years,” and expires at the end of fiscal year 2026, on September 30, 2026. 
    The 2015 OPM cybersecurity breach was attributed to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).  In the decade since the breach, the PRC has mounted additional attacks to steal information about America’s leaders and public servants to disrupt and endanger the lives of everyday Americans, including recent cyber, critical infrastructure, and telecom security breaches. The federal workforce was dangerously exposed by the 2015 OPM breach, and millions of impacted individuals will continue to be at risk because of the breach, likely for the remainder of their lives. In addition to Social Security numbers, birthdates, and addresses, there were also 1.1 million sets of fingerprints and detailed financial and health records exposed—some of the most valuable information today on the dark web. 
    The risks and appropriate remedies for the compromise of sensitive information about public servants are well known to this administration. In March 2025, the Trump administration acknowledged the improper disclosure of sensitive information to former public servants when it disclosed the Social Security numbers, birthdates, and other sensitive information of hundreds of individuals in the release of the files pertaining the death of President John F. Kennedy.  To protect those compromised individuals, the Trump administration is reportedly providing credit monitoring and, in some cases, has issued new Social Security numbers to the impacted individuals.  While the March 2025 disclosure was a staggering unforced error, I applaud the administration’s swift response to protect the victims. Current and former public servants should not be abandoned to bear the risks of the federal government’s failure to protect their sensitive information. 
    It was not practicable to issue millions of new Social Security numbers to the Americans impacted by the 2015 OPM data breach, which is why the federal government responded at the time, followed by Congress appropriating funds to OPM to contract for identity theft protection services. Given the recent personnel cuts to OPM and Elon Musk’s imminent departure from the Trump administration, I am deeply concerned that OPM is planning to curtail identity theft monitoring for millions of public servants and their families whose information was compromised in 2015. I urge you to ensure that identity theft protection services for the impacted individuals from the 2015 OPM breach continue, as required by law. Any attempt to prematurely phase out services to the victims of the 2015 OPM breach will introduce tremendous risk to former and current federal employees and create an opportunity for America’s adversaries and criminals to target and potentially further compromise millions of Americans.
    If you do decide to alter or terminate the current contract(s) protecting over 21 million Americans from identity theft as a result of the 2015 OPM breach, please inform my office and the relevant committees of Congress as soon as you make any such determination.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Coons, Shaheen, Reed, Kelly, Himes, Krishnamoorthi on Trump’s Middle East AI Giveaway

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), as well as Congressmen Jim Himes (D-CT) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s artificial intelligence deals that were announced with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia this week:
    “Democrats and Republicans have long agreed that American companies must remain the undisputed leader in AI, a rapidly developing technology critical to the future of everything from our national security to manufacturing, finance to health care. We have worked hard to ensure the most powerful AI systems are built here, and we have fought to restrict the most sophisticated chips from reaching China – or those who would grant remote access to China – given Beijing’s use of AI to strengthen its military, crack down on domestic dissent, and compete with the U.S.
    “President Trump announced deals to export very large volumes of advanced AI chips to the UAE and Saudi Arabia without credible security assurances to prevent U.S. adversaries from accessing those chips. These deals pose a significant threat to U.S. national security and fundamentally undermine bipartisan efforts to ensure the United States remains the global leader in AI. Rather than putting America first, this deal puts the Gulf first.
    “The volume of AI chips Trump is offering for export would deprive American AI developers of highly sought-after chips needed here and slow the U.S. AI buildout. Under this deal, data centers and AI systems that would otherwise be built in America will be built in the Middle East – at the exact time that President Trump says he wants to bring jobs and key industries back home. This deal would incentivize U.S. firms to build the factories of the future overseas, creating significant vulnerabilities in our AI supply chain. If our leading AI firms offshore their frontier computing infrastructure to the Middle East, we could become as reliant on the Middle East for AI as we are on Taiwan for advanced semiconductors – and as we used to be on the Middle East for oil. We should not foster new dependencies on foreign countries for this premier technology.
    “Additionally, these deals will provide our highest end chips to G42, a company with a well-documented history of cooperation with the People’s Republic of China. We applaud the administration’s efforts to limit exports of advanced AI chips to China, including recent actions to further restrict exports of Nvidia chips. However, these efforts will be for nothing if G42 or other companies with ties to China are given large quantities of our most advanced chips. 
    “Proponents of the deal argue that China will fill the gap if we do not sell substantial quantities of advanced chips to these countries. This is false. China cannot and will not because China makes fewer chips as a nation than these deals offer, and each is inferior to their U.S.-designed equivalent. This is thanks to the bipartisan efforts under both the Trump and Biden administrations to cut off China’s access to advanced chip manufacturing equipment. These efforts have worked, and we should double down on this success rather than squander the leverage we have won.
    “If this deal succeeds, the offshoring of frontier American AI will be recorded as an historic American blunder. People around the world deserve to enjoy the benefits we will reap from AI. However, AI chips must only be exported to trusted companies, in reasonable numbers, and in concert with credible security standards and assurances. We welcome the opportunity to work with the administration to meet these objectives and urge our colleagues in Congress to do the same.”
    Senator Warner is Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Senator Coons is Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Senator Shaheen is Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Reed is Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator Kelly is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Congressman Himes is Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee. Congressman Krishnamoorthi is Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to 450 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Four Female Minors

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 14, 2025, United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll sentenced Efraín Pablo Cruz-González to 450 months (37 years and six months) in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for child exploitation charges against four female minor victims. Cruz-González, 36, from Toa Baja, PR, was indicted on February 15, 2024, and plead guilty on February 6, 2025.

    According to court documents, from August 2019 to May 2022, Efraín Pablo Cruz-González knowingly used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a female minor between the ages of seven and 10-years-old, and another female minor between the ages of four and seven years of age to engage in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant used a cellular phone to record the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

    On December 24, 2019, and August 19, 2021, the defendant used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced two other female minors of prepubescent ages to produce images of them engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

    “The defendant engaged in acts of sexual exploitation against defenseless children and produced videos of his sexual abuse for his personal gratification,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our equally-dedicated law enforcement partners to combat child exploitation and to bring these offenders to justice.”

    “Let this sentence serve as a clear warning—there is no safe haven in Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands for predators who exploit children,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of FBI San Juan Field Office. “This outcome is a direct result of the swift, relentless efforts of our agents and partners, who acted with precision and resolve. We are committed to defending the most vulnerable among us, and we will continue to pursue justice with urgency and focus wherever these crimes occur.”

    The FBI investigated the case and Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait Barreto of the United States Attorney’s Office Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case.

    Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute crimes. Citizens with information about child exploitation crimes or any other federal crime are asked to contact the FBI San Juan Field Office at 787-987-6500, or to submit tips through the FBI’s internet complaint portal at Tips.FBI.gov.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran National Charged with Reentry of Deported Alien

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ROSSEL GEOVANNY RECINOS ARITA (“RECINOS ARITA”), age 30, a native of Honduras, was charged in a bill of information on May 12, 2025, for reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).

    According to court documents, RECINOS ARITA, a Honduran national, was found in St. Tammany Parish on or around February 24, 2025. He had previously been deported to Honduras on June 19, 2018.

    If convicted, RECINOS ARITA faces a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline),  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).

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Juries in Bowling Green and Paducah, Kentucky Indict 5 Foreign Nationals from China, Guatemala, and Mexico for Immigration and Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Bowling Green and Paducah, KY – Federal grand juries in Bowling Green and Paducah, Kentucky, returned indictments on May 13 and 14, 2025, charging 5 individuals with immigration and firearms offenses.

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, and Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement made the announcement.

    According to the indictments:

    Artemio Ruiz-Medina, age 45, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Bowling Green with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about April 13, 2025, Ruiz-Medina was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about July 3, 2003, September 29, 2006, April 2, 2010, June 28, 2018, and July 28, 2023. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE ERO.

    Santos Pastor-Juarez, age 52, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged in Paducah with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about April 28, 2025, Pastor-Juarez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about on March 6, 1998. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE ERO.

    Zhouchen Yan, age 29, a citizen of China, was charged in Bowling Green with 3 counts of making false written statements intended to deceive a licensed firearms dealer, on a Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record. On the form, Yan falsely stated he was not an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, when in fact, as the defendant then knew, he was an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States. These crimes occurred between October 23, 2023, and December13, 2024 in Warren County. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. This case is being investigated by ATF.

    Ulises Macario Gonzaga-Guillen, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Paducah with 4 counts of making false written statements intended to deceive a licensed firearms dealer, on a Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record. On the form, Gonzaga-Guillen falsely stated he was not an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, when in fact, as the defendant then knew, he was an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States. He was also charged with falsely claiming to be a United Sates citizen while being an illegal alien in possession of firearms on 2 occasions. These crimes occurred between January 1, 2025, and April 21, 2025, in McCracken and Marshall counties. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 73 years in prison. This case is being investigated by ATF, HSI, and ICE ERO.

    Rodrigo Waldemarr Caal-Caal, age 22, a citizen of Guatemala, and Rodolfo Ruiz-Hernandez, age 27, a citizen of Mexico, were both charged in Paducah with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Caal-Caal and Ruiz-Hernandez admitted to possessing a firearm to Mayfield Police Department investigators during a death investigation. If convicted, both face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. This case is being investigated by ATF, HSI, ICE ERO, and the Mayfield Police Department.

    A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Nicholas Rabold and Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, and Seth Hancock and Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, are prosecuting the cases.

    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).

    An indictment is merely an allegation. 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: Coast Guard encourages safe fun on the water during National Safe Boating Week, Memorial Day weekend

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    05/16/2025 12:25 PM EDT

    NEW YORK — As National Safe Boating Week kicks off May 17–23 and Memorial Day weekend approaches, the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary are encouraging New Yorkers to get out and enjoy the region’s waterways — safely and responsibly. Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of the boating season across New York City and the Tri-State area. From the Hudson River to the East River, from Jamaica Bay to the open Atlantic, thousands of boaters, paddlers and beachgoers take to the water each year to soak in the season. While the Coast Guard remains ready to respond when things go wrong, the focus this week is on helping people have fun while staying safe. To view full news release, click the link above.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Sessions Introduces the Words Matter Act to Update Outdated Language in U.S. Code

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pete Sessions (TX-17)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Pete Sessions (TX-17) has introduced the bipartisan H.R. 3420, the Words Matter Act, a bill aimed at modernizing federal language to reflect dignity and respect for individuals with intellectual disabilities. He is joined in this effort by Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09).

    The Words Matter Act replaces more than two dozen instances of the term “mentally retarded” in U.S. Code with contemporary, respectful language. This update reinforces the principle that all individuals deserve to be treated with dignity.

    “As the proud father of a young man with Down syndrome, I know firsthand that words matter. My son Alex is an Eagle Scout, a loving uncle, and accomplished young man whose abilities far exceed his disabilities. This legislation ensures that federal law recognizes people like Alex with the God-given dignity they deserve,” said Congressman Sessions.

    “This bill just makes sense,” Congressman Pocan said. “Federal law should reflect the time in which we live and not include outdated, harmful slurs. The Words Matter Act will modernize our laws and remove offensive language from the U.S. Code. I thank my colleagues on both sides for supporting this effort and urge its swift passage so we can finally retire this language.” 

    “Words indisputably matter,” said Congresswoman Norton. “My own daughter Katherine has Down syndrome, and I’m appalled at the thought of anyone referring to her by using the R-word. It is inexcusable that this word is still part of the U.S. Code. Our country must be better than this, which is why I am proud to co-lead this bill with Rep. Sessions, Rep. Pocan and Rep. Hudson.”

    “The Words Matter Act is important for our friends, family and children who are uniquely-abled,” said Congressman Hudson. “This bill will ensure they can live their lives equal to their peers without insulting legal language. I’m proud to support this legislation.”

    This bill is endorsed by the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL).

    “NDSS is proud to support the Words Matter Act, a bipartisan effort to ensure that all individuals with disabilities, including those with Down syndrome, are treated with the dignity they deserve,” said Kandi Pickard, President and CEO of the National Down Syndrome Society. “In recent months, we’ve seen a troubling rise in the use of the R-word – a word that dehumanizes and marginalizes people with intellectual disabilities. Outdated, offensive terms like the R word have no place in our society and especially our federal code. We thank Congressman Pete Sessions and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, two champions for the Down syndrome community, for their leadership on this important issue.”

    “Words matter. The R-word is hurtful and wrong, and it should never be used to describe people like me,” said Kayla McKeon, Manager of Public Policy at the National Down Syndrome Society and the first registered lobbyist with Down syndrome. “I’m proud to use my voice to support the Words Matter Act so that our federal laws treat all people with disabilities with respect. This bill shows that people with Down syndrome are not invisible. We are strong, capable, and worthy of respect.”

    “The Global Down Syndrome Foundation applauds Representatives Sessions, Pocan, Hudson, and Holmes Norton, for reintroducing this important bipartisan legislation to remove derogatory and hurtful language from our federal laws,” said GLOBAL Co-Founder, President, and CEO, Michelle Sie Whitten.  “There has been an increase in the use of demeaning language in society, and I am honored to join our congressional champions in this effort to ensure people with intellectual disabilities are treated with dignity and respect.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Expect boats to be inspected

    Zebra and Quagga mussels destroy ecosystems, threaten shorelines and can cause hundreds of millions in damaged infrastructure. Alberta is currently 100 per cent free of zebra mussels and quagga mussels, but reports are increasing across Canada and the United States.

    To protect our borders, Alberta is introducing mandatory inspections for anyone travelling with a boat, jet ski, kayak or other watercraft across the province’s southern or eastern borders. By defending water bodies, ecosystems and infrastructure, Alberta’s government is protecting jobs, businesses and recreation opportunities across the province.

    A watercraft is inspected in Alberta (Credit: Alberta government)

    “Alberta is the first province in Canada to make watercraft inspections mandatory when travelling from high-risk areas to fight these tiny invasive species. With boating season now underway, we are stepping up to defend our water bodies and ecosystem to continue to protect Alberta jobs, businesses, and the water infrastructure we rely on.”

    Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

    “I’m proud to support our government’s commitment to keep protecting Alberta’s waterways and water infrastructure. These mandatory stops are part of a broader plan to safeguard our province against environmentally and financially devasting aquatic invasive species. Ensuring mandatory inspections further strengthens our mission to catch and stop any invasive mussel trying to enter our province.”

    Grant Hunter, chair of the Provincial Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force and MLA for Taber-Warner

    Invasive mussels and other species are rapidly increasing across Canada and North America. Zebra mussels alone cause up to $500 million annually in damages to power plants, water systems, and industrial water intakes in the Great Lakes region. One study estimated that introducing invasive mussels into Alberta’s Lake McGregor alone could cost $284 million a year in damages.

    “Our government is taking the threat of aquatic invasive species seriously. The added safeguards of mandatory inspections and proof-of-inspection stickers are critical for defending Alberta’s waters. Communities in my constituency of Chestermere-Strathmore will particularly benefit from these measures, and I know they are ready to do their part to defend our lakes, rivers, water and irrigation infrastructure.”

    Chantelle de Jonge, MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore

    “Preventing the introduction of invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels requires proactive action. The Alberta Invasive Species Council supports the Government of Alberta’s strengthened efforts, including mandatory boat inspections. These measures are essential to avoid long-term, costly ecological and economic impacts and to protect our waters and aquatic ecosystems before irreversible damage occurs.”

    Megan Evans, executive director, Alberta Invasive Species Council

    From June 1 until Sept. 30, it is mandatory for all motorized and non-motorized watercraft to be inspected at one of Alberta’s inspection stations when crossing from the eastern or southern borders. If the closest inspection station is closed, Albertans and visitors must get their watercraft inspected within seven days and before launching into Alberta’s waters.

    To help with these changes, Alberta is also launching a new proof-of-inspection sticker. Inspectors will provide a sticker to display once a watercraft has been inspected. Whether it is a paddleboard or a powerboat, failing to stop for a mandatory watercraft inspection could result in a $4,200 fine.

    Alberta’s government continues to step up in the fight against zebra mussels, quagga mussels and other invasive species. A record 11 inspection stations are being opened this year, with increased staff and extended operating hours, along with K-9 detection and mobile decontamination units.

    Albertans travelling with watercrafts can find information on stations, operating hours and more at alberta.ca/watercraftinspections. 

    Over the next year, even more work will be done to support aquatic invasive species prevention and response efforts, including implementing all the recommendations made by the Provincial Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force.

    Quick facts:

    • Mandatory inspections are required from June 1-Sept. 30, 2025.
    • Starting in 2026 and every year after, inspections will be mandatory from May 1 to Sept. 30 for anyone entering Alberta with watercraft through the eastern and southern borders.
    • It also remains mandatory for anyone travelling with a watercraft to stop when passing an open station.
    • In 2024, 13,408 watercraft inspections were completed – the most since 2019 – and 15 watercraft were confirmed positive for invasive mussels. 
    • About 20 per cent of drivers transporting watercraft attempted to bypass watercraft inspection stations in 2024. 
    • Budget 2025 is investing $18 million over five years to expand Alberta’s aquatic invasive species inspection, detection and rapid response programs.

    Related information

    • Provincial AIS Task Force Recommendations Report
    • Watercraft Inspections
    • Clean. Drain. Dry.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Introduces Point of Care Testing to Three More Rural Emergency Departments

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on May 16, 2025

    Residents of the Kamsack, La Loche and Shaunavon areas will benefit from enhanced access to emergency health care at their hospitals through an innovative approach to laboratory services, known as Point of Care Testing (POCT). 

    Expanding to these locations is part of the Government of Saskatchewan’s investment of $33,000 per site to provide emergency departments in rural and remote locations with POCT devices, enabling trained health care staff to conduct a critical range of specific diagnostics, like hemoglobin, white blood cell count, blood sugar and cardiac tests, delivering the results to providers in under 30 minutes.

    “Expanding point-of-care testing into rural and remote communities across Saskatchewan empowers our frontline professionals to deliver rapid diagnostic services and ensures patients receive important lab tests and necessary care when regular lab staff are not available,” Seniors and Rural and Remote Health Minister Lori Carr said. “We continue to support the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s efforts to recruit more lab staff in rural areas and will continue working to keep emergency services stabilized across the province.”

    “With point-of-care testing, local health care teams deliver rapid, accurate laboratory results without delay when laboratory staff are unavailable at the facility,” Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), Provincial Clinical and Support Services, Executive Director of Laboratory Medicine Brandi Keller said. “This approach ensures patients receive prompt access to diagnosis and treatment as close to their home as possible and supports reliable access to emergency departments in rural and remote communities.” 

    POCT is part of an overall strategy aimed at keeping rural and remote emergency departments open and accessible when regular local laboratory services are temporarily unavailable by providing physicians with vital information for quick decision-making in emergencies.

    Since it was first piloted in Leader, Maple Creek and Wynyard in 2023, POCT in the rural communities has safely and effectively prevented a total of 91 potential emergency department disruptions, as of April 15, 2025.

    The POCT model is a supplementary initiative aimed at filling temporary gaps in laboratory coverage to maintain access to emergency care in rural and remote communities, while the province remains committed to recruiting staff to rural laboratories. 

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Alternating lane closures on J.C. Van Horne Bridge

    Source: Government of Canada News

    For immediate release

    Campbellton, New Brunswick, May 16, 2025 – Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) wishes to advise motorists of intermittent alternating lane closures on the J.C. Van Horne Bridge for bridge cleaning work during the following period:

    • Monday, May 19, to Wednesday, May 28

    During this period, single lane closures may be encountered between 7 pm and 5 am (AT). Motorists can expect short delays.

    Pedestrians will have one sidewalk open at all times. Please obey all signage and instructions given by flag persons on site.

    PSPC encourages users to exercise caution when travelling on the bridge and thanks them for their patience. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Overnight closure planned for Highway 1 at Tank Hill

    Drivers are advised Highway 1 will be closed overnight on Monday, May 20, 2025, at Tank Hill, 14 kilometres east of Lytton.

    This closure will allow crane movements as work progresses on the washout recovery at Tank Hill.

    Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon will be closed for 36 km in both directions from midnight until 4 a.m. to allow crews to reposition the crane to continue girder and deck panel installation on the new bridge.

    Checkpoints will be set up at Lytton and Spences Bridge to provide travellers with information about alternative routes. The closures will be in place at the intersections of Highway 1 and Highway 12, and Highway 1 and Highway 8.

    Vehicles will not be permitted through during the stoppage. The Ministry of Transportation and Transit is working directly with emergency services to facilitate access through the site during this time.

    The Gladwin area and Nicomen River Road will remain accessible to local traffic. All other traffic will be detoured via Highway 12 and Highway 5. Traffic-control guidance will be provided through portable message boards in Lillooet and Ashcroft.

    Drivers travelling between the Interior and Lower Mainland can take Highway 3 or Highway 5 as alternative routes.

    For up-to-date information about this closure and road conditions on alternative routes, travellers should monitor the weather forecast and visit: https://DriveBC.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Statement on Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released the following statement on the Russia-Ukraine negotiations:
    “Just like President Trump, I want an end to this war that never should have started. The president has been working to bring both sides together, but Putin has shown his true colors and again refused to come to the table. I support President Trump’s efforts to get a peace deal done now and will keep working with my colleagues to equip the president to enforce crippling sanctions on Russia if they continue to drag out peace talks and the needless bloodshed.”
    Senator Ernst is a cosponsor of Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) bipartisan legislation to introduce primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. She is also leading the bipartisan Global Hunt for Offshore Smuggling and Trafficking (GHOST) Act to strengthen enforcement of U.S. sanctions against Russia.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Joins Welch, 28 Colleagues in Introducing Senate Resolution Decrying Two-Month Blockade on Food and Medicine in Gaza

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (May 15, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and 28 of their Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution calling on the Trump Administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to bring an end to the blockade of food and lifesaving humanitarian aid to address the needs of civilians in Gaza. In their resolution, the Senators express grave concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including the imminent starvation of tens of thousands of children.  
    On March 2, 2025, the Israeli Government began blocking all food and emergency aid—including food, medicine, infant formula, fuel, and other lifesaving humanitarian supplies—from reaching Palestinian civilians in Gaza. In the same month, all 25 World Food Program (WFP)-supported bakeries in Gaza closed, wheat flour and cooking fuel ran out, and food parcels distributed to families—with two weeks of food rations—were depleted. According to the United Nations, about 10,000 children have been identified as suffering from acute malnutrition since January 2025.  
    Joining the resolution are Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 
    The Senators’ resolution is supported by Anera, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, J Street, and Oxfam America. 
    “In Gaza today, children are starving, hospitals are collapsing, and families are in a state of desperation. This resolution is a call to conscience, a moment of moral reckoning. Will the world be complicit in Gaza’s collapse, or part of its recovery? We call on the U.S. government in the strongest terms to act swiftly, using all the leverage at its disposal, to urgently permit humanitarian organizations to deliver aid into Gaza. This resolution is a critical step in the right direction,” said Sean Carroll, President and CEO, Anera. 
    “The crisis in Gaza has reached a breaking point, with over two months of a total blockade cutting off food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. More than two million Palestinians are trapped, starving, and facing a potential famine that could claim thousands of lives. It’s encouraging to see Senator Welch and his colleagues introduce a resolution highlighting this urgent humanitarian suffering. Congress and the Trump Administration must use every diplomatic tool available to demand the immediate, full reopening of Gaza’s borders to deliver life-saving aid,” said Hassan El-Tayyab, Legislative Director for Middle East Policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation. 
    “This resolution comes at a moment of moral reckoning, as conditions in Gaza have become even more unbearable,” said Jeremy Ben-Ami, President, J Street. “Children are surviving on one meal every few days. To deliberately starve civilians is immoral. To use water, fuel, food as tools of war is unconscionable. Humanitarian aid must immediately be allowed to enter Gaza unconditionally.” 
    “The more than two-month-long siege, with no aid being allowed to enter, has now pushed nearly the entire population in Gaza to the brink of starvation. Every day, parents wake up and spend their days searching for something to feed their children – often coming back with nothing. Humanitarian organizations know how to reach the people who most urgently need food, water, medical care, and other lifesaving essentials when we have supplies and can do our work safely, but right now we can’t. We are in a race against time, and we need action from U.S. leaders to allow us to do our jobs, keep pushing for a permanent, immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access and an end to the siege, and a return of all hostages and unlawfully detained prisoners,” said Abby Maxman, President and CEO, Oxfam America. 
    Read and download the full text of the resolution. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Joins Van Hollen, Shaheen, Colleagues in Warning Rubio Abandoning U.S. Global Leadership on Human Rights Makes America, World Less Safe

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (May 15, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and 12 of their colleagues in pressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the Administration’s retreat from longstanding efforts to promote human rights and democracy worldwide. In their letter, the Senators stress that dismantling offices and scaling back reports focused on human rights conditions, among other actions, threaten the United States’ credibility and moral authority — strategic assets that help us advance peace, prosperity, and security at home and around the world. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) cosigned the letter. 
    “We write with grave concerns regarding ongoing moves at the State Department to abandon U.S. leadership on human rights. Demoting the department’s standalone human rights and democracy bureau, shutting down many of its offices, and severely scaling back the annual human rights reports would undermine America’s standing as a champion for human rights globally. A foreign policy rooted in American values, including support for human rights, is about more than just moral leadership – it is about using our influence to create a more peaceful and prosperous world where U.S. national security interests can flourish,” the Senators began.
    The Senators quote Secretary Rubio’s previous statements on this issue, writing, “Mr. Secretary, you yourself have said: ‘For over two centuries, the world has been a better place because America has strived to defend these fundamental human rights both at home and abroad. The State Department’s annual human rights report sheds light on foreign governments’ failure to respect their citizens’ fundamental rights.’”
    The Senators go on to note several of the harmful proposed changes put forward by the State Department, including relegating the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, sunsetting of the Office of Global Criminal Justice, and politicizing the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
    “The proposed changes to gut the State Department’s standalone human rights bureau and to emaciate and politicize the United States’ signature human rights reports – alongside dramatic cuts to U.S. funding to advance freedom and democracy – are a retreat from America’s global leadership to advance freedom in the world. America’s standing as a champion for human rights globally relies on a commitment to holding friends and foes alike accountable to the same standards. When the United States conveniently wields human rights principles as a political cudgel against our adversaries, but does not apply those same standards to our allies, countries like China and Russia are quick to point out such hypocrisy, and American influence on the world stage drops precipitously. Making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous requires embracing human rights as a pillar of U.S. foreign policy and dedicating resources to support that cause,” the Senators concluded.
    The full text of the letter is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan, Merkley, Curtis Condemn CCP’s Transnational Repression, Press for Sanctions on Hong Kong Judiciary Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan
    05.16.25
    WASHINGTON—This week, U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), incoming chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), co-chair of the CECC, and John Curtis (R-Utah) introduced the Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act, which would hold officials of Hong Kong’s judiciary accountable for human rights violations and support Hong Kongers facing persecution from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its accomplices in Hong Kong.
    Additionally, the senators this week introduced a resolution condemning the Chinese government for engaging in repression, coercion and intimidation beyond its own borders, targeting citizens of other nations, including in the United States. 
    The Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act requires the President to determine whether certain Hong Kong officials violated human rights and whether sanctions should be imposed in accordance with the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, or the Hong Kong Autonomy Act.
    “The Chinese Communist Party’s aggressive repression of dissent and appalling human rights record extend far beyond China’s borders,” said Sen. Sullivan. “Even American citizens and others lawfully living in our country have found themselves victims of the CCP regime’s intimidation and coercion tactics. In Hong Kong, the CCP has completely corrupted the local judiciary and is turning it into a tool of intimidation and injustice, contrary to the promises made to the world, including in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. America must stand firmly against the CCP’s flagrant violation of the civil rights of the Chinese people and citizens of nations across the globe. Senator Merkley, Senator Curtis and I are introducing legislation to hold Hong Kong judiciary officials accountable for their actions, and a resolution condemning the Xi dictatorship’s outrageous attempts to threaten and intimidate citizens and others within our own country.”
    “As Chinese officials continue to undermine the autonomy and freedoms of its peoples, the United States must continue to hold these officials accountable,” said Senator Merkley. “Republicans and Democrats are united in sending a clear message that we will not tolerate this brutal oppression, both within China and outside its borders. Our bipartisan resolution denounces these intimidation tactics, and our bill also imposes sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials for disregarding their treaty obligations and commitments to the people of Hong Kong.”
    “The United States must hold accountable those responsible for the erosion of freedoms and the persecution of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong,” said Senator Curtis. “By directing the Administration to review sanctions, our bipartisan legislation reaffirms America’s commitment to ensuring consequences for those who seek to undermine human rights and freedom.”
    The full text of the bill is available here. The full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Senate Foreign Relations Democrats Statement On Trump’s Middle East Trip

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    May 16, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), the Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday released the following statement on President Trump’s trip to the Middle East: 
    “The President’s first extended foreign trip abroad should have been about advancing U.S. interests in the Middle East. Instead, it has been an instructive lesson in how foreign governments can use their influence to benefit the president personally and those around him—all while creating substantial risks to our national security. 
    “The President has failed to engage in substantial dialogue on the most urgent strategic challenges facing the region. His Administration has failed to sustain the ceasefire he inherited in Gaza and has systemically undercut America’s diplomatic infrastructure in a way that has created an unprecedented opening for the People’s Republic of China.  
    “Promoting investment by our Gulf partners in the United States must not come at the expense of protecting our most valuable A.I. and advanced chip technology and it should never line the pockets of the President and his family or inner circle. President Trump must reject all ‘gifts’ and refocus the remainder of his trip on steps to make all Americans safer, secure and more prosperous—not just those with Trump in their name.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Cotton, Westerman Push Back on Army Plans with Possible Impact on Pine Bluff Arsenal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
    WASHINGTON––U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR-04) sent a letter to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll expressing opposition to plans to potentially downsize the Pine Bluff Arsenal that run contrary to the goal of accelerating munitions manufacturing in America. Closing the Pine Bluff Arsenal would not only circumvent current law, the lawmakers explained, but would ultimately result in a waste of taxpayer dollars and deepen America’s dependence on foreign countries to meet our military’s needs.
    “We appreciate your efforts through the Army Transformation Initiative to make the Army more lethal and more efficient, but the directive to potentially downsize Pine Bluff Arsenal—which is based on old, hidebound, bureaucratic recommendations—misses the mark and sets those goals back,” the Arkansas legislators wrote in part.
    Full text of the letter may be found here and below.
    The Honorable Dan P. Driscoll
    Secretary of the Army
    101 Army Pentagon
    Washington, DC 20310-0101
     
    Secretary Driscoll,
    We write to express our opposition to and disappointment with your directive to potentially downsize Pine Bluff Arsenal. As you may know, current law prohibits the Army from closing the arsenal, but your directive in effect evades this prohibition. Perhaps worse, the directive would undercut President Trump’s goal of accelerating munitions manufacturing in America, which we strongly support and foresee in Pine Bluff Arsenal’s future. As longtime supporters of the Army who would prefer to continue to work cooperatively with the Army on its priorities, we urge you to reverse immediately this ill-advised decision based on stale, years-old, bureaucratic plans—the exact kind of thinking President Trump was elected to upend.
    Though we agree with the Army Transformation Initiative’s broad goals to make the Army more efficient and more lethal, a downsizing at Pine Bluff Arsenal wouldn’t advance these goals. Secretary Hegseth directed the Army “to generate the ammunition stockpiles necessary to sustain national defense.” Unfortunately, the defense industrial base—including the Army’s arsenals—is too small, riddled with supply-chain issues, and often dependent on foreign sources for key materials. Neither the Army’s arsenals nor the larger defense industrial base can meet the munitions needs of our forces and allies. As we’ve explained for years—well before your appointment as secretary—the Army needs to use fully the resources it already owns, like Pine Bluff Arsenal, to meet these needs.
    Pine Bluff Arsenal is a solution for these challenges, not some redundant or outdated relic. While it’s true that the arsenal is under-used, that’s because the Army bureaucracy has repeatedly resisted our proposals to expand its operations. Pine Bluff Arsenal is the only site in America that produces vital white-phosphorous ammunition. Further, we have long advocated that the Army use Pine Bluff Arsenal to produce materials like, for instance, nitrocellulose and RDX—both key components of our munitions, but also chokepoints in the supply chain. The arsenal already has access to critical utilities, a significant transportation network, and proximity to raw materials and loading facilities to supply the Army’s needs. 
    The Army has never offered persuasive explanations for its bureaucratic hostility to expanding operations at Pine Bluff Arsenal. We’ve heard from the Army that commercial facilities or building new facilities are a less expensive, more efficient alternative to using the current arsenals for its munition needs. But this argument is far-fetched. Though commercial industry plays a role, recent experience has proven the extreme difficulty of acquiring sufficient quantities of 155mm rounds because commercial production lines have little to no room for expansion. Likewise, building a new ammunition plant from scratch is an expensive, time-consuming endeavor—at least four years and around a half a billion dollars. For instance, the necessary and overly complicated environmental permits alone can take years.
    By contrast, Pine Bluff Arsenal offers inherent advantages over any commercial site—advantages that likely cut in half the timeline for munitions production. The arsenal not only has the type and amount of land necessary to handle dangerous explosives, but also has the existing workforce with deep and irreplaceable expertise. Further, Pine Bluff Arsenal has operated in this space for decades and successfully navigated the burdensome environmental requirements. As we have before, we continue to insist that abandoning these advantages in favor of a speculative new commercial production line or, even worse, to buy ammunition from foreign sources is reckless and a waste of taxpayer money.
    We’ve also heard from the Army that its plan results in cost savings, but this argument doesn’t hold water either. Army Materiel Command may appear to save a little money up front by downsizing Pine Bluff from its current capacity or even closing it, but those costs will have to shift to another site to produce white phosphorus. The Army answers that those costs might decrease because of unspecified, magical “efficiencies”—a strange claim since no other site in America produces white-phosphorus ammunition. But any supposed savings from “efficiencies” would likely be dwarfed by the long-term costs of shutting down arsenal operations, safely disposing of explosive materials, conducting environmental remediation, and maintaining perpetual site security. While not gaining much on the munitions front, the Army would add needless costs to operate a virtual ghost town. To be frank, it appears that Army Materiel Command bureaucrats want to shift the costs off their books and onto other Army commands. But that doesn’t result in savings for the Army or the taxpayer, nor does it improve the Army’s munitions crisis.
    We appreciate your efforts through the Army Transformation Initiative to make the Army more lethal and more efficient, but the directive to potentially downsize Pine Bluff Arsenal—which is based on old, hidebound, bureaucratic recommendations—misses the mark and sets those goals back. We request an in-person briefing no later than May 22 from you and General George about this matter and how we can collaboratively ensure that Pine Bluff Arsenal will advance President Trump’s munitions goals and continue to contribute to our national security for years to come. 
    As we noted, we’ve long worked with the Army to support its priorities in the NDAA and the appropriations process, and lately to advance promptly its civilian nominees toward confirmation. We hope this cooperation can continue and grow, rather than be impaired by an unwise decision about the future of Pine Bluff Arsenal.
    Sincerely,
      
    Cc: Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Staff of the Army

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Starmer announces migration ‘return hubs’ on Albania visit, but Albania doesn’t want them – what’s going on?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andi Hoxhaj, Lecturer in Law, King’s College London

    Keir Starmer became the first British prime minister to visit Albania since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1921. During the visit, he announced that the UK plans to set up “return hubs” for asylum seekers whose claims are rejected by the UK.

    Just days after announcing his plans to reduce legal migration to the UK, this move on irregular migration is more evidence of the prime minister’s concern about losing voters to anti-immigration Reform UK.

    Before meeting with Albanian prime minister Edi Rama to sign a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries, Starmer said that the UK has begun formal talks with several countries to set up return migration hubs to send asylum seekers abroad. The specifics are yet to be announced, but it has been reported that these would probably be in the western Balkans.

    The plan has drawn comparison to the Conservative government’s Rwanda scheme, but is different in a number of ways.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Under the Rwanda scheme, people who arrived in the UK illegally would have been sent straight to Rwanda where their asylum claims would be processed. If accepted, they’d be offered asylum in Rwanda, not the UK. Starmer cancelled the plan in one of his first moves as prime minister.

    With Labour’s plan, people would only be sent to another country if their asylum claim is rejected and they’ve exhausted all legal options to stay in the UK. The rationale is that they would not be able to disappear into the informal economy and illegal actives in the UK after an asylum claim was not successful.

    The goal of both plans is to act as a deterrent to irregular migration, and to cut the high cost of hosting undocumented migrants and asylum seekers in the UK, which has become a major political issue.

    The return hubs plan also has the approval of the UN refugee agency, which condemned the legality of and the practically of the Rwanda scheme.

    However, it has already hit a roadblock. Albania was one of the UK’s preferred options for a return migration hub. But during a joint press conference with Starmer, Rama said that Albania will not take part in such a scheme.

    This is probably because a similar set-up with Italy has so far been unworkable, legally and politically .

    Under the Italy-Albania migration agreement signed in November 2023, Albania is meant to play host to two Italian processing centres, where they planned to send asylum seekers intercepted at sea. But after facing numerous legal challenges, Italy is instead using them as repatriation facilities to hold those whose claims have already been rejected while they await deportation.

    Partnership with Albania

    The UK has maintained a successful returns arrangement with Albania, set up by the last government.

    In 2022, Albanians accounted for over one-third (around 12,500) of all small boat entries, more than any other country. Arrivals from Albania have dropped by 95% in the last three years. And the number of Albanians returned to the country has more than doubled in the last two years, with 5,294 Albanians returning in 2024.

    The two countries set up a joint task force to tackle organised crime networks that were facilitating the illegal entry of Albanian nationals to the UK. Starmer began his visit at the Port of Durres, where British and Albanian law enforcement officials are stationed as part of the Joint Migration Task Force with Albania.

    Starmer indicated that the task force will be expanded to include the other western Balkan countries. This is because the western Balkan route is one of the main migratory paths into Europe. It was estimated that in 2023, 100,000 people used this route to come to the UK.

    The visit, which comes days after Albania’s parliamentary election, shines a light on some of the political tensions between the UK and Albania.

    The Albanian diaspora community in the UK in recent years has expressed feeling stigmatised and targeted due to inflammatory rhetoric of the last government.

    Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, called Albanians “criminals” while claiming migrants were “invading” the UK. Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, posted videos telling police to find Albanians and “lock them up” and “deport” them.

    In 2024, Albanians made up the highest percentage (13%) of foreign nationals in UK prisons, with over 1,272 people in custody. Along with Albanians, Polish (9%), Romanian (7%), Irish (6%) and Jamaican (4%) nationals account for around 12% of the overall prison population.

    Rama, who just won the election, was fully aware of voters’ sentiment towards the UK. There have also been protests in the country against the current migration arrangement with Italy. Any new agreement, particularly with the UK, could be politically damaging for the Albanian government.

    This visit could be a turning point for mending relations. Starmer declared that his government is fully committed to strengthening ties with Albania, and signed a strategic partnership agreement, with a focus defence and security.

    Starmer and Rama both said that the partnership will expand at the UK-Western Balkan Summit that Starmer will host in London in autumn, and it will include increasing trade, economics investment, education and managing migration.

    Andi Hoxhaj 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. Starmer announces migration ‘return hubs’ on Albania visit, but Albania doesn’t want them – what’s going on? – https://theconversation.com/starmer-announces-migration-return-hubs-on-albania-visit-but-albania-doesnt-want-them-whats-going-on-256831

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: National Police Week at the White House, 2025

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    They kiss their families goodbye, not knowing if they’ll ever return.

    Many politicians say they back the blue—then betray them. Never President Trump.

    This National Police Week, officers made it clear: “It truly makes a difference when you have a President who supports you.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJDsdhU9P2Y

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson pays tribute to the Honorable Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman

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

    This week, Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson honored the Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman.

    “My dear friends, we have gathered in this sacred hour not to weep without hope, but to give thanks—profound thanks—for a life that rose like a song from the rough soil of history. A life shaped by struggle, sustained by faith, and sanctified by service. We are here to remember, with grateful hearts, the Honorable Secretary Alexis Herman.

    She was a builder of bridges. She laid down tracks not of steel, but of freedom. She walked by her dear friend and my father, Reverend Jesse Jackson, as he lifted high a dream that many thought impossible—that an African American could aspire to be the president of this land. Children of slaves and those of slaveholders might move together toward a more perfect union. Alexis Herman helped hammer the nails and tie the rails.

    She understood something deep and necessary: that we could not simply resist the present—we had to build a future together. She walked in boardrooms and marched in communities. She spoke the language of labor and of liberation. She understood that work is sacred, that dignity is not reserved for the wealthy, and that policy must also have a conscience.

    So let us not say goodbye, but say fair you well. Fair you well, Secretary Herman. You ran your race. You kept the faith. You believed in us before we believed in ourselves.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Blasts Partisan SNAP Cuts After GOP Advances House Agriculture Reconciliation Bill

    Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.–  Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) voted against the House Republicans’ bill that slashes food assistance for working families, veterans, and seniors, and steals revenue from rural grocers and producers. Vasquez condemned it as a cruel and irresponsible attack on working families, small farmers, and rural New Mexico.

     

    “This bill is a direct attack on Americans,” said Vasquez. “It takes food off the plates of New Mexican families while handing tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk. We should be working to ensure that no child goes hungry, standing up for American farmers and ranchers, and not pulling the rug out from under hard-working families. This bill fails rural America.”

     

    WATCH: Rep. Gabe Vasquez’s Remarks During House Agriculture Committee

     

    Vasquez condemned the bill’s sweeping cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which are being used to fund massive tax breaks for the wealthy. If enacted, this legislation would cost New Mexican taxpayers over $250 million in 2026 alone and more than $2.4 billion over the next decade, forcing families to choose between groceries, medicine, and rent.

     

    “If you can’t feed a child on $6 a day, don’t you dare pass a law that expects them to,” said Vasquez. “Hungry kids can’t learn. Hungry families can’t thrive. And a hungry nation cannot prosper.”

     

    The reconciliation bill now moves forward solely on party lines. Vasquez vowed to continue fighting for working families, small farmers, and rural New Mexicans who Washington was leaving behind.

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Responds to New World Screwworm Crisis

    Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to growing concern over the spread of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico and its impact on cross-border livestock trade, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) issued a statement today outlining his leadership on the issue and calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take immediate steps to protect New Mexico’s ranchers and while balancing the interests of New Mexico’s small businesses.

     

    New World Screwworm, a parasitic fly that can cause fatal infestations in livestock, has recently led the USDA to restrict cattle, bison, and horse imports from Mexico. This has shuttered multiple U.S. ports of entry and stalled cattle crossings that border economies rely on. The three agriculture ports in New Mexico are among those affected, including Santa Teresa Port of Entry which is the largest cattle crossing in the U.S., and tens of thousands of cattle that would normally cross into the U.S. remain stranded.

     

    Rep. Gabe Vasquez has proactively recognized the threat the screwworm poses to the agricultural economy:

    • Earlier this year, Vasquez sent a letter to the USDA urging them to address the issue before it escalated further. 

     

    • Vasquez signed onto an appropriations letter supporting funding for a sterile fly facility within the U.S. to strengthen biosecurity and prevent future outbreaks. 
    • Most recently, Vasquez introduced bipartisan legislation with Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23) and Senators Cornyn and Cruz to combat the NWS outbreak and begin production on a sterile fly facility in the US.

     

    “I’ve been raising the alarm about the New World Screwworm threat because I know what it means for our ranchers, ports, and rural economies,” said Vasquez. “That’s why I introduced this bipartisan bill to fight this outbreak and protect our livestock industry. I was one of the first lawmakers to urge the USDA to take this seriously. Livestock auctions in New Mexico are already feeling the squeeze, and ranchers who depend on cross-border cattle trade are being left in limbo. USDA must be transparent about the timeline for reopening ports of entry, and they need to address the staffing and operational issues that are slowing things down. Our border economies can’t wait.”

     

    Rep. Vasquez continues to work with border community stakeholders, producers, and the USDA to ensure ports of entry can reopen as safely as possible, while supporting long-term investments to keep U.S. livestock herds protected.

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Honors Fallen New Mexico Officers and Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story During National Police Week

    Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – During National Police Week, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02)delivered remarks on the House floor honoring three New Mexico law enforcement officers who are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall and recognizing the leadership of Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story.

     

    WATCH: VASQUEZ FLOOR REMARKS

     

    “Every day, across our country and in my home state, law enforcement officers wake up, put on the badge, and commit themselves to protecting our neighbors,” said Vasquez. “It is a calling that demands bravery, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication. This week, we remember those who answered that call and never returned home.”

    This year, three fallen New Mexico officers are being recognized on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington:

    • Corrections Officer Roberto Rodriguez, Doña Ana County
    • Patrol Officer Jonah Hernandez, Las Cruces Police Department
    • Patrolman Justin C. Hare, New Mexico State Police

    Vasquez also recognized the following fallen officers: 

    • Police officer J.R. Stewart, Las Cruces Police Department
    • Police Officer Bianca Quintana, Albuquerque Police Department
    • Police officer Anthony “Tony” Ferguson, Alamogordo Police Department
    • Patrolman James M Sides, Alamogordo Police Department
    • State Police Officer Darian Jarrott, New Mexico State Police Department
    • Sheriff Michael Reeves, Curry County 

    Rep. Vasquez also called for stronger federal support for active law enforcement officers, emphasizing the need to invest in officer safety, mental health, and family well-being.

    In addition, Vasquez recognized Chief Jeremy Story of the Las Cruces Police Department for his exemplary leadership in times of crisis and ongoing dedication to public service.

    “Earlier this year, our community faced a horrific mass shooting—an act of senseless violence that shook Las Cruces to its core,” said Vasquez. “Chief Story responded swiftly and with compassion. His leadership was grounded in facts and empathy. He showed up—not just to lead, but to help us begin to heal.”

    Chief Story, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and New Mexico State University graduate, was named Citizen of the Year by the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce this May.

    “On behalf of all New Mexicans, I thank Chief Jeremy Story for his continued leadership and unwavering commitment to the people of Las Cruces,” said Vasquez.

    National Police Week honors law enforcement officers nationwide who have died in the line of duty and recognizes those who continue to serve their communities with bravery and professionalism.

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –