NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Colleagues Call on Trump Admin to Address Impact of Fired IVF Researchers, Support Access to IVF

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    CDC, under Trump admin orders, fired the IVF team responsible for unbiased information for American families seeking fertility treatment

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper joined 12 of his Senate colleagues to call on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to address the impact of the Trump administration’s reckless decision to fire the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) team responsible for providing support and unbiased information for American families seeking fertility treatment.

    “The Trump administration is now moving beyond broken promises to purposely dismantling the very system that provides hopeful families with accountability and transparency regarding fertility clinic success rates,” wrote the senators.

    Specifically, the administration fired the Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance and Research team (ARTS), a team of deeply qualified scientists and public health practitioners who analyzed IVF clinic data success rates and conducted important clinic oversight. ARTS provided unbiased information for patients seeking fertility treatment, collecting and maintaining data on approximately 98 percent of all IVF and assisted reproductive technology cycles performed in the United States.

    “Your actions threaten hopeful parents and families’ ability to access high-quality, safe, and effective fertility care,” continued the senators.

    Full text of the letter available HERE and below.

    Dear Secretary Kennedy:

    We write regarding reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) eliminated the team responsible for tracking assisted reproductive technology success rates, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), across the country. These firings impede HHS’s ability to comply with the law and have devastating consequences for all people who are trying to become parents and rely on this information to thoughtfully and safely grow their families.

    Infertility affects millions of Americans throughout their lifetimes, and can have a profound impact on a person, couple, and family. IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies can be a lifeline. As of 2021, almost 90,000 infants born were conceived through IVF, a significant increase over the 47,818 infants born in 2011, just ten years prior, who were conceived through IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies. Because IVF is a complicated and expensive process, the American people deserve access to the best information possible to inform their family building journey.

    Unfortunately, hollowing out National Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Surveillance System capabilities and capacity is consistent with Donald Trump’s deceitful and disingenuous rhetoric on IVF. Just last year, then-candidate Trump promised the American people that if elected, Donald Trump would make IVF free for every American, declaring, “[w]e are going to be, under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment” and claiming, “[w]e’re going to be mandating that the insurance company pay [for IVF].” These comments have proven to be bold-faced lies.

    Roughly one month after being sworn in, Donald Trump issued an IVF Executive Order that did nothing to fulfill his promise to make IVF free for every American. The Trump administration is now moving beyond broken promises to purposely dismantling the very system that provides hopeful families with accountability and transparency regarding fertility clinic success rates.

    The Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992 (FCSRCA), authored by Senator Ron Wyden, is the cornerstone of consumer protections as people seek to grow their families through IVF. It was passed in large part to assure transparency for patients seeking IVF care. The law requires all fertility clinics to report pregnancy success rates to the federal government in a standardized manner and for this information to be published publicly. These responsibilities are delegated to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is also responsible for establishing licensure and accreditation processes for IVF laboratories and delegating the oversight of these responsibilities to an approved organization. Since the passage of FCSRCA, the increase in IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies has been substantial and, consequently, the importance of the law’s mandates has only grown.

    The Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance and Research team (ARTS) was housed within the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health. This team of six carried-out the CDC’s statutorily mandated responsibilities under the FCSRCA, including conducting IVF clinic data analysis related to success rates, yearly audits and site visits, and monitoring lab certification status. The team collects and maintains data on approximately 98 percent of all IVF and assisted

    reproductive technology cycles performed in the United States.

    The team was composed of deeply qualified and trained scientists, including statisticians, doctors, and people with advanced degrees in epidemiology and public health. Across the team, there were combined decades of experience and deep expertise in the complex field of assisted reproductive technology. The ARTS team was also a careful steward for decades worth of highly sensitive, personally identifiable information (PII) related to IVF procedures, including the

    medical history of both hopeful parents undergoing IVF and their children, demographic information, and more.

    The ARTS team was uniquely well-suited to carry-out the CDC’s extensive responsibilities under FCSRCA, and its positive impact on the field and the lives of millions of Americans is impossible to quantify. The team’s work increased the likelihood of healthy pregnancies and births conceived via IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies. No other resource or dataset exists that comprehensively tracks as many IVF and other assisted reproductive

    technology cycles across the country as the ARTS team did.

    The ARTS team also played a major role in informing clinical guidelines and improving IVF safety and access. This team also built a patient-facing IVF success estimator to help people make informed, individualized decisions about where, when, and how to receive fertility care.

    The ARTS team was also passionate about being a source of unbiased information for fertility patients. Given the broad range of specialized knowledge required to carry-out these duties, it is hard to imagine that others at CDC, or any agency, would be able to step-in and fill these roles.

    Your actions threaten hopeful parents and families’ ability to access high-quality, safe, and effective fertility care. The American people deserve assurances that their rights under the FCSRCA will continue to be guaranteed, as Congress intended. In closing, we demand that you immediately rehire every civil servant formerly on the ARTS team. Further, please respond to the questions below by Friday, May 16:

    1. When will you reinstate the entirety of the ARTS team?
    1. How many employees on the ARTS team, and any supporting contracts, have been fired since January 20, 2025? Please provide a complete breakdown by position, provide information on GS level and veteran status, and clearly state the justification for termination. This accounting should include any employees who have since been reinstated or placed on administrative leave, noting that change in status.
    1. Which officials at HHS were involved in these staffing reduction decisions and what planning, if any, was undertaken prior to these reductions? Please describe the events that unfolded and name each office that was involved in the decision. Further, please name the official(s) who approved the staffing reductions as well as specifically indicate if any of the below individuals, or direct reports to these individuals, were involved in the decision-making. Name any such direct reports.
      1. Elon Musk, Special Government Employee, DOGE.
      2. Amy Gleason, Acting Administrator, DOGE.
      3. Susan Monarez, Acting Director, First Assistant to the Director, Principal Deputy Director, CDC.
    1. Without an ARTS team, how will the CDC continue to carry-out its statutorily-required responsibilities under FCSRCA? Please provide a detailed plan, including noting who has the expertise, skills, capacity, and resources to carry-out the responsibilities formerly carried-out by the ARTS team.
    1. Have, or will, any of the CDC’s responsibilities previously carried-out by the ARTS team been contracted out?
      1. If so, what assurance will you give the American people that the data and analysis produced will be comprehensive, transparent, publicly accessible and cover all IVF cycles annually, as the ARTS team did?
      2. If so, please describe the cost of contracting out these services.
    1. In some instances, the HHS’s Reduction In Force (RIF) efforts have been characterized as final. Those same people have stated that, as per the nature of the layoffs, the roles and responsibilities previously carried out by fired staff cannot be refilled. Is this characterization of the RIF efforts correct?
      1. If so, how can the CDC continue to carry-out its statutorily required responsibilities under FCSRCA?
    1. What communication, if any, has been given to IVF clinics in connection with the ARTS layoffs and how to report data going forward? If any such communication was distributed, please produce it.
    1. Does the CDC continue to collect data from IVF clinics across the country?
      1. If so, who is responsible for collecting that data and where is the data presently being stored?
    1. People considering and undergoing IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies rely on up-to-date information to make informed medical decisions. Each year, CDC collects data from IVF clinics across the country and standardizes this information into a public-facing website and report.
      1. As of the ARTS team’s firings, the 2023 data had been fully collected. What is the anticipated release date for the 2023 IVF report? Has this timeline been impacted by the ARTS layoffs?
      2. Have any of the information categories published in previous years been removed or altered? If so, please describe the changes that have been made to information categories and provide a rationale for any changes.
    1. The ARTS team was operational for over 30 years and the historical information it held related to ARTS is uniquely instructive to public health efforts and contains sensitive PII about hopeful parents undergoing IVF and their children. How will the CDC maintain patient confidentiality, protect PII, and sustain this critical database moving forward? Please provide a detailed plan.
      1. Further, who is presently in charge of the historical information previously held by the ARTS Team and where is this information held?
    1. Was the decision to dismiss the ARTS team made in consultation with any nongovernmental entities, including nonprofits, think tanks, advocacy organizations, research or educational institutions, or public policy research organizations.
      1. If so, please provide any written documents or correspondence that informed this decision and name all non-governmental entities involved in the decision to terminate the ARTS team.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Same Day Senate Republicans Strip Internet Access from Students and Educators, President Trump Attempts to Illegally End Bipartisan Law to Connect Seniors, Veterans, and Rural Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    Trump’s NTIA Nominee Testified: “I commit to implementing NTIA’s statutory requirements, including with respect to the Digital Equity Act”
    New Mexico Was Expected to Receive $14.3 Million in Grants, Covers 91.7% of State Population
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s announcement that he will “end” the Digital Equity Act (DEA), which Congress passed as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law:
    “On the same day Senate Republicans voted to strip internet access from students and educators, President Trump is illegally attempting to end a program that connects millions of people to the online world. In New Mexico, we know the difference between slow internet, fast internet, and no internet and the challenges that come with it. Our students, seniors, veterans, and small businesses rely on internet access for education, health care, economic opportunity, and public safety. President Trump is leaving our communities in the dark.
    “The President does not have the authority to unilaterally end this bipartisan law, deem it unconstitutional, or withhold funding that was appropriated by Congress. Congressional Democrats will fight back – and Republicans must stand up to defend this law that benefits all of our constituents.”
    In April, President Trump’s nominee to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) told members of the Senate Commerce Committee, “I commit to implementing NTIA’s statutory requirements, including with respect to the Digital Equity Act.”Yet on Thursday, President Trump announced that he would illegally end this bipartisan law, jeopardizing billions of dollars that states rely on to expand broadband access. On the same day, Senate Republicans voted to strip internet access millions of students and educators. 
    In 2020, then-U.S. Representative Luján introduced the Digital Equity Act to provide funding for state and community digital inclusion efforts. In 2023, Senator Luján introduced the Digital Equity Foundation Act, legislation to establish a nonprofit foundation to channel public and private investments toward closing the digital divide and advancing digital equity, inclusion, and literacy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Griffith Statement on Justice Souter Passing

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

    Griffith Statement on Justice Souter Passing

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter has died at the age of 85. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

    “I am saddened to hear of the passing of Justice Souter. His service to the country’s highest court is to be commended and celebrated by all Americans.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reconciliation Recommendations of the House Committee on Homeland Security

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    Legislation Summary

    H. Con. Res. 14, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, instructed the House Committee on Homeland Security to recommend legislative changes that would increase deficits up to a specified amount over the 2025-2034 period. As part of the reconciliation process, the House Committee on Homeland Security approved legislation on April 29, 2025, that would increase deficits.

    Estimated Federal Cost

    The reconciliation recommendations of the House Committee on Homeland Security would increase deficits by $67.1 billion over the 2025-2034 period. The estimated budgetary effects of the legislation are shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within budget functions 450 (community and regional development) and 750 (administration of justice).

    Table 1.

    Estimated Budgetary Effects of Reconciliation Recommendations Title VI, House Committee on Homeland Security, as Ordered Reported on April 29, 2025
     

    By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars

    		    
     

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029

    2030

    2031

    2032

    2033

    2034

    2025-2029

    2025-2034
     

    Increases in Direct Spending

    		    

    Budget Authority

    69,007

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    69,007

    69,007

    Estimated Outlays

    *

    1,978

    4,963

    8,683

    12,250

    13,458

    11,145

    7,984

    4,556

    2,130

    27,874

    67,147
     

    Net Increase in the Deficit

    From Changes in Direct Spending

    		    

    Effect on the Deficit

    *

    1,978

    4,963

    8,683

    12,250

    13,458

    11,145

    7,984

    4,556

    2,130

    27,874

    67,147

    Basis of Estimate

    For this estimate, CBO assumes that the legislation will be enacted in summer 2025. CBO’s estimates are relative to its January 2025 baseline and cover the period from 2025 through 2034. Outlays of appropriated amounts were estimated using historical obligation and spending rates for similar programs.

    Direct Spending

    Enacting this legislation would increase direct spending by $67.1 billion over the 2025-2034 period (see Table 2). All of that amount would result from specified direct appropriations for activities performed by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

    Border Barrier System Construction, Invasive Species, and Border Security Facilities Improvements. Section 60001 would appropriate $51.6 billion for border barrier system construction and related activities, increasing outlays by $49.7 billion over the 2025-2034 period, CBO estimates.

    Border Barrier System and Technology. The legislation would appropriate $46.5 billion for CBP to construct, upgrade, and replace components of the barrier system along the southwestern, northern, and maritime borders of the United States.

    Based on an analysis of information from CBP and historical rates of spending on border construction projects, CBO estimates that enacting the provision would increase outlays by $44.6 billion over the 2025-2034 period.

    CBO expects that all of the funds provided by the legislation will be obligated before the period of availability expires at the end of 2029. However, we do not expect that all funds will be spent during the 2025-2034 period based on the historical spending patterns for other federal construction projects and because the pace of spending for construction projects typically spans more than five years from the time funds are obligated. (Under the rules that govern the federal budget, CBP would need to return any unspent funds to the Treasury on September 30, 2034.)

    CBP Facilities and Checkpoints and Invasive Species Eradication. The legislation also would appropriate $5.0 billion for CBP to lease, acquire, and construct new facilities and checkpoints, and to upgrade or replace existing facilities and $50 million to eradicate invasive plant species along the border, increasing outlays by those amounts over the 2025‑2034 period.

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection Personnel and Fleet Vehicles. Section 60002 would appropriate $8.3 billion for CBP to recruit, hire, and train, personnel and to procure new vehicles and technology, increasing outlays by $8.3 billion over the 2025-2034 period.

    CBP Personnel and Training. The legislation would appropriate the following amounts for CBP personnel and training:

    • $4.1 billion for CBP to hire, train, and, in some cases, rehire federal employees as border patrol agents, field operations officers, air and marine agents, and support staff; and
    • $2.1 billion for signing and retention bonuses.

    CBP currently employs about 19,000 border patrol agents, 26,000 officers, and 1,400 air and marine operators. The agency indicates that the funding provided by the legislation would be used to hire approximately 8,500 employees, including 5,000 officers and 3,000 border patrol agents. Using information from the agency, CBO expects that officers and agents would be hired gradually over the next 10 years, with most additions occurring in the next five years, and that enacting this provision would increase outlays by $6.2 billion over the 2025-2034 period.

    Training, Recruitment, and Screening and Patrol Vehicle Procurement. Additionally, the legislation would appropriate the following amounts, increasing outlays equal to the appropriated amounts over the 2025-2034 period:

    • $750 million for CBP to train staff at Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers and to improve those facilities;
    • $600 million for marketing, recruitment, applicant screening, and programs to facilitate staff reassignments and relocation; and
    • $813 million for CBP to lease or purchase patrol vehicles.

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection Technology, National Vetting Center, and Other Efforts to Enhance Border Security. Section 60003 would appropriate $6.3 billion for CBP to procure, upgrade, and integrate new technology into the border control system, increasing outlays by $6.3 billion over the 2025-2034 period.

    The funding would include:

    • $4.5 billion for surveillance towers, linear ground detection systems, nonintrusive inspection systems, and scanners for the agency’s biometric entry and exit program;
    • $1.2 billion for CBP to acquire or upgrade various air and marine systems, including aircraft, watercraft, and unmanned aircraft systems, which CBO expects would be procured in bulk purchases; and
    • $517 million for other CBP activities, including funds to combat drug trafficking, to support screening of applicants by the National Vetting Center, and for other activities including commemorations of events related to border security.

    State and Local Law Enforcement Presidential Residence Protection. Section 60004 would appropriate $300 million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reimburse state and local law enforcement agencies for costs incurred to protect the private residences of the President, increasing outlays by $300 million over the 2025-2034 period. Most of those amounts would cover overtime pay for officers and other personnel.

    State Homeland Security Grant Program. Section 60005 would appropriate $2.6 billion for FEMA to support state and local law enforcement agencies addressing security threats, increasing outlays by $2.6 billion over the 2025-2034 period.

    The funding would include:

    • $1 billion to reimburse state and local governments for security, planning, and other costs related to hosting the 2028 Olympic Games;
    • $625 million for similar activities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup;
    • $500 million for FEMA to enhance state and local governments’ detection and monitoring of threats from unmanned aircraft systems; and
    • $450 million for the Operation Stonegarden Grant Program, which covers costs for personnel and equipment incurred by state and local governments as part of joint operations to secure U.S. borders.

    Uncertainty

    Significant uncertainty surrounds CBO’s projections of the pace at which CBP would obligate funds and the total amount the agency could spend by 2034 to construct walls, fences, facilities, and checkpoints for the border barrier system. These amounts significantly exceed amounts previously provided for similar activities. For example, over the 2018‑2021 period, lawmakers appropriated about $5.5 billion for physical barriers on the southwestern border of the United States. By the end of 2024, CBP had spent roughly $2.6 billion—less than half of the amount provided.

    How quickly funds provided in this legislation would be spent will depend on factors that include the availability of contractors; fluctuations in the cost and availability of materials; and CBP’s ability to acquire private land or obtain access to state, local, or tribal property.

    Based on information from the agency, CBO expects that some stages of the process could progress more quickly than they might have in the past—many aspects of planning, land acquisition, and permitting for certain segments of the border have been completed or streamlined. However, the pace of spending on construction funded by the legislation is uncertain and the total amounts spent over the 2025-2034 period could be larger or smaller than CBO estimates here.

    Considerable uncertainty also surrounds projections of the pace at which CBP would hire new personnel, particularly border patrol agents and officers. Although the legislation would provide funding for signing and retention bonuses and increase spending on marketing, recruitment, and screening of new employees, significant uncertainty exists about how responsive the labor supply might be to fill those positions. In recent years, because of background checks, training requirements, and other pre-employment processes, the time to recruit and hire new officers has ranged from 300 to 600 days. As a result, the pace of spending on personnel over the 2025-2034 period could be faster or slower than CBO estimates here.

    Pay-As-You-Go Considerations

    The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or revenues. The net changes in outlays that are subject to those pay-as-you-go procedures are shown in Table 1.

    Increase in Long-Term Net Direct Spending and Deficits

    CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not increase net direct spending or on‑budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2035.

    Mandates

    The legislation contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

    Mandates: Rachel Austin

    Estimate Reviewed By

    Justin Humphrey
    Chief, Finance, Housing, and Education Cost Estimates Unit

    Kathleen FitzGerald
    Chief, Public and Private Mandates Unit

    Christina Hawley Anthony
    Deputy Director of Budget Analysis

    H. Samuel Papenfuss 
    Deputy Director of Budget Analysis

    Chad Chirico 
    Director of Budget Analysis

    Phillip L. Swagel

    Director, Congressional Budget Office

    [Table 2 begins on the next page.]

    Return to Reference

    Table 2.

    Estimated Changes in Direct Spending Under Reconciliation Recommendations Title VI, House Committee on Homeland Security, as Ordered Reported on April 29, 2025
     

    By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars

    		    
     

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029

    2030

    2031

    2032

    2033

    2034

    2025-2029

    2025-2034
     

    Increases in Direct Spending

    		    

    Sec. 60001, Border Barrier System Construction, Invasive Species, and Border Security Facilities Improvements

    		                    

    Budget Authority

    51,550

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    51,550

    51,550

    Estimated Outlays

    *

    934

    2,850

    5,505

    8,208

    9,776

    9,333

    7,031

    4,124

    1,929

    17,497

    49,690

    Sec. 60002, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Personnel and Fleet Vehicles

    		                    

    Budget Authority

    8,316

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    8,316

    8,316

    Estimated Outlays

    *

    427

    842

    1,399

    1,949

    2,093

    763

    408

    257

    178

    4,617

    8,316

    Sec. 60003, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Technology, National Vetting Center, and Other Efforts to Enhance Border Security

    		                    

    Budget Authority

    6,266

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    6,266

    6,266

    Estimated Outlays

    *

    212

    577

    1,023

    1,403

    1,330

    991

    534

    173

    23

    3,215

    6,266

    Sec. 60004, State and Local Law Enforcement Presidential Residence Protection

    		                    

    Budget Authority

    300

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    300

    300

    Estimated Outlays

    *

    11

    74

    106

    84

    21

    4

    0

    0

    0

    275

    300

    Sec. 60005, State Homeland Security Grant Program

    		                  

    Budget Authority

    2,575

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    2,575

    2,575

    Estimated Outlays

    *

    394

    620

    650

    606

    238

    54

    11

    2

    0

    2,270

    2,575

    Total Changes

    		                        

    Budget Authority

    69,007

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    69,007

    69,007

    Estimated Outlays

    *

    1,978

    4,963

    8,683

    12,250

    13,458

    11,145

    7,984

    4,556

    2,130

    27,874

    67,147
     

    Net Increase in the Deficit

    From Changes in Direct Spending

    		    

    Effect on the Deficit

    *

    1,978

    4,963

    8,683

    12,250

    13,458

    11,145

    7,984

    4,556

    2,130

    27,874

    67,147

    * = between zero and $500,000; Budget authority includes specified amounts only.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Two Startups Secure $255,000 in Funding Through North Dakota’s Angel Match Program

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The North Dakota Department of Commerce announced today that two companies were approved for a total of $255,000 in investment through the Angel Match Program (AMP) during the first quarter of 2025.

    “The Angel Match Program is designed to empower entrepreneurs who are tackling real-world challenges with bold ideas,” said Commerce Deputy Director – Economic Development & Finance / Head of Investments and Innovation, Shayden Akason.

    “Whether it’s helping consumers navigate complex insurance claims or creating smarter, more transparent supply chains, these companies represent the kind of innovation we’re proud to support in North Dakota.”

    Investment highlights:

    • Tugboat Solutions, Inc., received a $100,000 investment. Tugboat helps home insurance policy holders overturn and correct wrongfully denied and underpaid insurance claims that would otherwise go uncontested.
    • Verdethos, Inc. was approved for a $155,000 investment for working capital. Verdethos is a software solution for supply chain logistics & traceability of commodities.

    Established in 2021, the North Dakota Angel Match Program (AMP) supports early-stage, high-growth North Dakota businesses by matching private investment commitments. The program is managed by the North Dakota Development Fund. To date, fifteen companies have secured AMP funding.

    More information about the NDDF and the AMP can be found at belegendary.link/North-Dakota-Development-Fund.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18s to conduct flyby for the Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa

    Source: Government of Canada News

    May 9, 2025 – Ottawa, ON. – National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces

    Four CF-18 aircraft from 3 Wing Bagotville will fly over Ottawa to mark the start of the Canadian Tulip Festival as part of a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. The flyover will take place on May 10th between 11:00 and 11:30 AM over the Tulip Festival beside Dow’s Lake in Ottawa.

    To ensure public safety, the flyovers of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aircraft are meticulously planned and closely monitored. They are also dependent on weather and flight conditions.

    The RCAF is proud to participate in Second World War commemorations in collaboration with Veterans Affairs Canada.

    For more details about the RCAF and its aircraft, please visit the following website: https://www.canada.ca/en/air-force.html

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Indigenous NFB documentary and animation featured at imagineNATIVE. Four new works from the National Film Board of Canada as the festival marks 25 years.

    Source: Government of Canada News

    May 8, 2025 – Toronto – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

    Four films from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) will showcase powerful Indigenous documentary and animated storytelling as the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto celebrates its milestone 25th anniversary.

    Filmmakers Kim O’Bomsawin and Sinakson Trevor Solway delve into themes of Indigenous youth and masculinity in a pair of compelling feature documentaries. There’s excellence and innovation in short filmmaking, too, from Amanda Strong and legendary Abenaki creator Alanis Obomsawin.

    imagineNATIVE’s in-person screenings will take place June 3 to 8 in Toronto, with its online festival streaming June 9 to 15. Unless indicated, all NFB films are available in-person and online.

    NFB selection at imagineNATIVE

    Ninan Auassat: We, the Children by Kim O’Bomsawin (93 min) | TORONTO PREMIERE
    Thursday, June 5, at 11:00 a.m. | TIFF Lightbox 3

    • Shot over more than six years, Abenaki director Kim O’Bomsawin’s Ninan Auassat celebrates the power and vitality of Indigenous youth from three different nations—Atikamekw, Eeyou Cree and Innu. Filmed from “a child’s eye-view” and without adult voices, the film reveals the dreams of a new generation poised to take flight.

    Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man by Sinakson Trevor Solway (77 min)
    Saturday, June 7, at 2:30 p.m. | TIFF Lightbox 1 (screening in-person only) | Filmmaker in attendance

    • Siksika filmmaker Sinakson Trevor Solway intimately portrays the lives of Blackfoot men as they navigate identity, kinship and the complex expectations of manhood. Through unfiltered moments set against the breathtaking landscape of the Prairies, Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Manreimagines what it means to be a Native man.

    My Friend the Green Horse by Alanis Obomsawin (11 min 20 s) | ONTARIO PREMIERE, filmmaker in attendance
    Sensory Friendly Screening: Wednesday, June 4, at 11 a.m., TIFF Lightbox 2
    Short Film Program: FAMILY MATTERS | Sunday, June 8, at 1 p.m. | TIFF Lightbox 3

    • Often feeling alone in her waking life, a young Alanis Obomsawin found friendship with the Green Horse, a benevolent being she visited regularly in her dreams. In this short film combining stop-motion animation and live action, the Green Horse and other animal spirits guide Alanis to realize the immensity of the gift of life and the power of kindness.
    • Alanis will also take part in ReMatriate the Lens, a women’s roundtable discussion on Friday, June 6, at 4:15 p.m. at The Well, presented as part of imagineNATIVE Industry Days.

    Inkwo for When the Starving Return by Amanda Strong (Spotted Fawn Productions/NFB, 18 min 27 s)
    Short Film Program: WITCHING HOUR | Friday, June 6, at 10 p.m. | TIFF Lightbox 3 | Filmmaker in attendance

    • Michif/Métis creator Amanda Strong’s Inkwo is a stop-motion animated adaptation of a short story by Richard Van Camp in which a gender-shifting warrior uses their Indigenous medicine (Inkwo) to protect their community from a swarm of terrifying creatures. Featuring such voice talents as Paulina Alexis and Tantoo Cardinal.

    – 30 –

    Stay Connected

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    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Law Enforcement Seizes Nine DDoS-for-Hire Webpages as Part of Global Crackdown on ‘Booter’ and ‘Stresser’ DDoS Services

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department today announced the court-authorized seizure of nine internet domains associated with some of the world’s leading DDoS-for-hire services. Poland’s Central Cybercrime Bureau simultaneously announced the arrests of four administrators of such services, investigations which were assisted by U.S. authorities. Several of the arrested administrators operated websites seized pursuant to previous operations by the Central District of California. 

    Federal law enforcement continues to seize websites that allow paying users to launch powerful distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks flood targeted computers and servers with information to prevent them from being able to access the internet.

    Booter services such as those named in this action allegedly attacked a wide array of victims in the United States and abroad, including schools, government agencies, gaming platforms, and millions of people. In addition to affecting targeted victims, these attacks can significantly degrade internet services and completely disrupt internet connections. 

    The websites targeted in this operation were used for hundreds of thousands of actual or attempted DDoS attacks targeting victims worldwide. While some of these services claimed to offer “stresser” services that purportedly could be used for network testing, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) determined these claims to be a pretense, and “thousands of communications between booter site administrators and their customers…make clear that both parties are aware that the customer is not attempting to attack their own computers,” according to an affidavit filed in support of court-authorized warrants to seize the booter sites.

    Today’s announcement builds on the success of the prior cases by targeting all known booter sites, shutting down as many as possible, and undertaking a public education campaign. In the last four years more than 11 defendants have been charged in Los Angeles and Anchorage for facilitating DDoS-for-hire services. More than 75 domains associated with such services have been seized.

    “Booter services facilitate cyberattacks that harm victims and compromise everyone’s ability to access the internet,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “This week’s sweeping law enforcement activity is a major step in our ongoing efforts to eradicate criminal conduct that threatens the internet’s infrastructure and our ability to function in a digital world.”

    “DDoS for hire criminal booter services impact internet services for victims in every corner of the United States, including Alaska,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This threat highlights the continued need to pursue cybercrime services like booter providers. We remain committed to bolstering our collaborative partnerships in the U.S. and abroad to address threats to critical internet infrastructure and services.”

    “The enforcement actions launched today, made possible by enduring partnerships between law enforcement and private industry, represents continued pressure on DDoS-for-hire services and the cybercriminals and hacktivists who use them.” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office. “This success demonstrates the resolve of the DCIS to relentlessly pursue those who target our warfighters and their information systems.”

    In conjunction with the website seizures, Homeland Security Investigations, DCIS, and the Netherlands Police have launched an advertising campaign using targeted placement ads in search engines, which are triggered by keywords associated with DDoS activities. The purpose of the ads is to deter potential cybercriminals searching for DDoS services in the United States and around the globe, and to educate the public on the illegality of DDoS activities.

    In recent years, booter services have continued to proliferate as they offer a low barrier to entry for users looking to engage in cybercriminal activity. These types of DDoS attacks are so named because they result in the “booting” or dropping of the targeted computer from the internet.

    For additional information on booter and stresser services and the harm that they cause, please visit: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/anchorage/fbi-intensify-efforts-to-combat-illegal-ddos-attacks.

    The seizures announced today were performed by DCIS’s Cyber-West Resident Agency.

    These law enforcement actions were taken in conjunction with Operation PowerOFF, an ongoing, coordinated effort among international law enforcement agencies aimed at dismantling criminal DDoS-for-hire infrastructures worldwide, and holding accountable the administrators and users of these illegal services. Principal partners in Operation PowerOFF include EUROPOL; the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska; The Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS); FBI’s Anchorage and Los Angeles field offices; HSI’s Columbus field office; Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA); United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA); Netherlands Police; Polish Central Cybercrime Bureau; Brazilian Federal Police, Japan’s National Police Agency, France’s Police Nationale, and many others.

    Assistance was provided by Akamai, Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare, Digital Ocean, Flashpoint, Google, PayPal, The University of Cambridge, and Unit 221B.

    Assistant United States Attorneys James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section and Aaron Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are handling this investigation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Three Men in the District of Alaska

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “This joint initiative underscores the unwavering commitment of our law enforcement partners to find alleged child predators and protect children from exploitation and lasting harm,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “I want to thank the FBI Anchorage Field Office, and our law enforcement partners statewide for their dedicated efforts in safeguarding Alaska’s children—one of our most vital and vulnerable populations.”

    “Through collaborative efforts, this wide-ranging operation was designed to identify and apprehend those accused of child sexual exploitation crimes, regardless of where they live or operate,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Protecting our children is one of the highest callings in law enforcement. I commend the outstanding work by members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as our law enforcement partners across Alaska, in their commitment to fostering safer communities for our children.”

    As a result of the operation, the following individuals are now facing charges alleged through three separate indictments in the District of Alaska:

    U.S. v. Herra:

    Jonathan Herra, 25, of Kenai, was arrested at his mother’s residence in Kenai on April 24, 2025, for allegedly purchasing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from an online platform.

    Herra is charged with one count of sexual attempted receipt of child pornography, one count of access with intent to view child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces between 5-20 years in prison.

    U.S. v. Nungasak:

    Donovan Nungasak, 31, of Utqiagvik, was arrested at his residence on April 28, 2025, for allegedly producing and possessing child pornography.

    In August 2024, the FBI received a tip suggesting that Nungasak had CSAM on his phone. The tip prompted an investigation that revealed Nungasak allegedly had sexually explicit conversations with a minor victim on a digital messaging application. Law enforcement also found 27 images of suspected CSAM on Nungasak’s phone that appeared to depict prepubescent victims.

    Nungasak is charged with one count of production or attempted production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces between 15-30 years in prison.

    U.S. v. Seward:

    Kristian Seward, 30, of Anchorage, was arrested in California on April 28, 2025, for allegedly receiving and possessing child pornography.

    On June 21, 2024, Seward allegedly received and attempted to receive CSAM using a digital device. Between June 21, 2024, and Oct. 8, 2024, Seward also possessed and attempted to possess CSAM using a digital device.

    Seward is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces between 15-40 years in prison.

    Operation Restore Justice was led by the FBI Anchorage Field Office, with substantial assistance from the Anchorage Police Department, as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Operational assistance was provided by the Alaska State Troopers, North Slope Borough Police Department and Kenai Police Department in conducting the arrests. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ainsley McNerney, Mac Caille Petursson and Carly Vosacek.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims. 

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were 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 CEOS, 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

    A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ivorian Men Arrested for International “Sextortion” and Money Laundering Scheme Resulting in Minor’s Death

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    Four men in Côte d’Ivoire have been arrested on criminal charges relating to their role in an international “sextortion” scheme that targeted thousands of victims, including minors, throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Italy.

    In February 2022, Ryan Last, a 17-year-old high school senior from San Jose, California committed suicide hours after being sextorted online by an individual pretending to be a 20-year-old woman. Through a lengthy, coordinated investigation involving U.S. and Ivorian law enforcement, the evidence ultimately led law enforcement to identify Alfred Kassi, an Ivorian citizen living in Côte d’Ivoire, as the individual allegedly conducting the sextortion. On April 29, Kassi was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement. At the time of his arrest, Kassi allegedly still had the sextortion messages he sent to the 17-year-old victim in February 2022 on his phone.

    Additionally, the investigation identified several alleged money laundering accomplices who helped Kassi move the money he received from the 17-year-old victim, who had paid $150 in order to prevent his intimate images from being disseminated. One of those alleged money launderers is Oumarou Ouedraogo, who was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement on April 25. In addition, Ivorian law enforcement arrested two other individuals, Moussa Diaby and Oumar Cisse. Both Diaby and Cisse were part of Kassi’s alleged sextortion network and admitted to their own sextortion crimes. A U.S.-based accomplice, Jonathan Kassi (unrelated to Alfred Kassi), was convicted in 2023 in a California State Court and sentenced to 18 months in jail.

    The government of Côte d’Ivoire does not extradite its own citizens, so these defendants will be prosecuted in their own country under Ivorian cybercrime statutes.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins for the Northern District of California, and Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

    The FBI is investigating the case, with substantial assistance from the San Jose Police Department, the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, and Meta, which provided critical information that assisted with the identification of the offenders. The government of Côte d’Ivoire, specifically the Anti-Terrorist Operational Intelligence Center (CROAT), conducted the investigation and arrests in Côte d’Ivoire.

    Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Harris for the Northern District of California provided legal support throughout the investigation, including compiling and presenting the evidence to Ivorian authorities.  

    If you, your child, or someone you know is being exploited via sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or report it online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additional resources can found at Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI

    All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Scholten Introduces Bipartisan Bill to End Tax Breaks for Drug Ads, Focus on Affordability and Innovation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Hillary Scholten – Michigan

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI03), alongside Reps. Greg Murphy, M.D., Angie Craig, and Nick Begich, introduced the bipartisan No Handouts for Drug Advertisements Act, which would no longer allow for-profit drug companies to receive special tax breaks for the advertising of their products.

    “I’m committed to rooting out waste and abuse in our budget at every turn, and this is a big one,” said Rep. Scholten. “This bill alone would cut our federal deficit by billions annually. Families in West Michigan and across the country are feeling the pinch of rising health care and prescription drug costs, and every dollar spent on TV ads is a dollar not going to lowering drug prices or funding life-saving research. The No Handouts for Drug Advertisements Act is a smart, bipartisan step to lower health care costs and rein in waste in our budget.” 

    By removing the tax deduction for ads, the No Handouts for Drug Advertisements Act would help curb wasteful spending and increase federal tax revenue—an estimated $1.5 to $1.7 billion annually from just ten of the largest pharmaceutical companies. These are the kinds of bipartisan solutions that should be considered by Congress, rather than the proposed drastic cuts to Medicaid. For nearly one in four Americans, affording medication is a struggle. While drug companies rake in tens of billions, millions of Americans are forced to decide whether to skip doses or stop taking their medications altogether, simply because they cannot afford the prescriptions they need.

    The United States is one of only two countries in the world that even allows direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising at all. These marketing campaigns drive up consumer demand for costly, brand-name medications—often when cheaper or more appropriate alternatives are available—without improving health outcomes. In 2023 alone, pharmaceutical spending in the U.S. rose 13.6% compared to the previous year, reaching a staggering $722.5 billion. Drug companies currently spend around $6 billion per year on advertising.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: More Than 26,000 Hawai‘i Residents Join Schatz’s Statewide Telephone Town Hall

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – More than 26,000 Hawai‘i residents today joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz’s (D-Hawai‘i) statewide telephone town hall. Senator Schatz heard from constituents, listened to their priorities and concerns, provided updates on his work in the Senate, and took questions on federal funding for Hawai‘i, Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, FEMA, and recent actions from the Trump administration, among many others.

    “To represent Hawai‘i as effectively as I can in the Senate, it’s essential that I hear from people all across our state,” said Senator Schatz. “Mahalo to the tens of thousands of people who joined me today to share their stories, their priorities, and their concerns. We will continue working to protect and deliver federal resources to every part of the state.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Blumenthal, Senators Pen Letter To HHS Secretary Kennedy, FDA Commissioner Makary Urging Them To Halt Efforts To Weaken Food Oversight

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    May 09, 2025

    FDA “is one of the best positioned federal offices to help ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ but the Trump Administration has undermined the program,” the Senators wrote in their letter

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and three of their Senate Democratic colleagues today sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary raising concerns about recent changes to the FDA that will weaken the Human Foods Program, which spearheads all food safety and nutrition efforts at FDA.  The Senators’ letter comes as Secretary Kennedy has slashed staffing at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), terminating 10,000 employees, including 19 percent of the FDA workforce. 

    “The Human Foods Program oversees 78 percent of food in the United States.  It enforces federal laws, coordinates with other federal agencies and state and local governments, and distributes public health information.  Further, it combats diet-related chronic diseases, such as heart disease and certain cancers, that shorten lives and contribute to rising health care costs,” the Senators wrote in their letter. 

    “The Human Foods Program is one of the best positioned federal offices to help ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ but the Trump Administration has undermined the program through workforce terminations, funding cuts, and haphazard ‘reorganizations,’ all of which will put the health and well-being of Americans at risk,” the Senators continued their letter.

    Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary have signed off on massive cuts to FDA, damaging critical operations at the Human Foods Program.  In addition to laying off 3,500 FDA employees, including hundreds of workers in the Human Foods Program and Office of Inspections and Investigations, FDA has slashed funding for state inspection offices that review processed food facilities, produce facilities, and restaurants.

    “The Government Accountability Office found that food inspections need to be strengthened to prevent outbreaks.  However, HHS’ changes will force food inspectors to spend valuable time booking their own travel and seeking approvals, rather than inspecting food facilities.  This is careless and will lead to even fewer inspections—and less safe food,” the Senators wrote.

    Further, Secretary Kennedy has senselessly chosen to consolidate HHS’ 28 divisions into 15 while reducing HHS regional offices from 10 to five, resulting in the closure of HHS’ Chicago office that worked with state and local governments to address outbreaks and other public health concerns. 

    “Eliminating these regional offices will reduce state and local governments’ access to HHS resources, and the decision to shutter laboratories across the nation—some which had been working to curb the spread of bird flu—will lead to even slower response times to future outbreaks.  Further, reports that FDA is considering combining all product offices into a single Office of Product Evaluation and Regulation would further undermine oversight and enforcement,” the Senators wrote.

    The Senators concluded their letter, urging Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary to reconsider their decision to ax HHS and FDA’s workforce at the detriment of Americans’ health.

    “Americans deserve access to the safest and healthiest food.  But, too often, it has been a source of sickness, rather than a source of health.  The Trump Administration’s recent actions, sadly, will not change that—and will not ‘Make America Healthy Again.’  Americans will become even sicker.  We encourage HHS and FDA to abandon these plans and invest in improving the health and well-being of Americans,” the Senators concluded their letter.

    In addition to Durbin and Blumenthal, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Tina Smith (D-MN) signed onto the letter.

    In April, Durbin led the Illinois Democratic Delegation in sending a letter to Secretary Kennedy vocalizing their strong opposition to his decision to close the HHS Region 5 office in Chicago.  In addition to ripping away billions in promised federal funding, Secretary Kennedy has overseen the destruction of HHS’ workforce and infrastructure, putting thousands of dedicated career civil servants out of a job while gutting critical federal agencies.  Since President Trump’s inauguration, 10,000 HHS employees have left the agency or been fired.  A couple weeks ago, HHS announced that an additional 10,000 public health workers will be fired, including 3,500 from the Food and Drug Administration, 2,400 workers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,200 workers from the National Institutes of Health, and 300 workers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

    Full text of the letter follows:

    May 9, 2025

    Dear Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary,

                We write with concern about recent changes at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that will weaken the Human Foods Program.  We urge you to abandon these plans before Americans become even sicker.

                The Human Foods Program oversees 78 percent of food in the United States.  It enforces federal laws, coordinates with other federal agencies and state and local governments, and distributes public health information.  Further, it combats diet-related chronic diseases, such as heart disease and certain cancers, that shorten lives and contribute to rising health care costs.  The Human Foods Program is one of the best positioned federal offices to help “Make America Healthy Again,” but the Trump Administration has undermined the program through workforce terminations, funding cuts, and haphazard “reorganizations,” all of which will put the health and well-being of Americans at risk.

    For example, in March, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to eliminate 3,500 FDA employees, including hundreds of workers in the Human Foods Program and nearly 170 workers in the Office of Inspections and Investigations, who helped to book travel for inspectors and processed reimbursements.  In addition, FDA is cutting funding to state inspection offices, which conduct more than 50 percent of inspections at processed food facilities, 90 percent of inspections at produce facilities, and all inspections at restaurants.  In the face of too many serious outbreaks and recalls, FDA has not taken the steps necessary to inspect food facilities or address serious issues, such as prior to the nationwide infant formula recall in 2022.  The Government Accountability Office found that food inspections need to be strengthened to prevent outbreaks.  However, HHS’ changes will force food inspectors to spend valuable time booking their own travel and seeking approvals, rather than inspecting food facilities.  This is careless and will lead to even fewer inspections—and less safe food.

    HHS also announced a significant reorganization, including the closure of regional offices in Chicago, New York, Boston, Seattle, and San Francisco, and the closure of laboratories across the nation.  Eliminating these regional offices will reduce state and local governments’ access to HHS resources, and the decision to shutter laboratories across the nation—some which had been working to curb the spread of bird flu—will lead to even slower response times to future outbreaks.  Further, reports that FDA is considering combining all product offices into a single Office of Product Evaluation and Regulation would further undermine oversight and enforcement.

    Americans deserve access to the safest and healthiest food.  But, too often, it has been a source of sickness, rather than a source of health.  The Trump Administration’s recent actions, sadly, will not change that—and will not “Make America Healthy Again.”  Americans will become even sicker.  We encourage HHS and FDA to abandon these plans and invest in improving the health and well-being of Americans.

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Discusses Trump Cuts To AmeriCorps Programs With Program Alumni

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    May 09, 2025

    CHICAGO   ?  U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined leaders from Public Allies Chicago and North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN) , as well as AmeriCorps alumni, to discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s elimination of federal funding for AmeriCorps programs.

    “From rebuilding homes and providing rural health care, to tutoring kids after school and cleaning up after natural disasters, AmeriCorps supports our most under-resourced communities,” said Durbin. “Service providers like Public Allies and North Lawndale Employment Network are left in the lurch thanks to President Trump’s decision to eliminate this critical, bipartisan-supported funding. I will continue urging my Republican colleagues to fight against this Administration’s senseless attempts to eliminate such small amounts of funding that have such incredible, positive impact in their communities like here in Chicago.”

    “Since its founding 1993, Public Allies Chicago has equipped young community leaders with the skills to improve the lives of Chicagoans through service placements at more than 400 local nonprofit and government partners working on critical issues like education, violence prevention and underemployment,” said Mark Payne, Executive Director, Public Allies Chicago. “In just the last few years, Public Allies Chicago has turned $3.7 million in federal funds into a $7.5 million investment in Chicago’s communities. Cuts to AmeriCorps harm Chicago’s service-minded young people and our most vulnerable communities.”

    “Public Allies has been an incredible capacity builder for NLEN, enhancing our ability to serve the community effectively while investing in residents like Michael Bradley and Ronnie Branch, our community leaders of tomorrow.” said Brenda Palms-Barber, NLEN CEO

    Photos of today’s meeting are available here.

    The Trump Administration’s elimination of federal funding for AmeriCorps will lead to the shuttering of 1,000 programs and will end service for more than 32,000 AmeriCorps members across the nation. In Illinois, $12 million in federal grants will be terminated, impacting 632 AmeriCorps employees, including Public Allies Chicago and North Lawndale Employment Network, which provide critical community and career services to Chicagoans.

    Earlier this week, Durbin spoke on the Senate floor about the direct impact that eliminating AmeriCorps funding will have on Illinois, including the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House in East St. Louis, Illinois, which Durbin visited last month.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The NFB at the 2025 Sommets du cinéma d’animation. Artist’s Talk, closing film, six shorts in the Canadian Competition, and more.

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    May 7, 2025 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

    The NFB will be prominently featured at this year’s Sommets du cinéma d’animation, taking place May 26 to 31 at the Cinémathèque québécoise in Montreal. Highlights include an Artist’s Talk, a closing film and six short films in the festival’s Canadian Competition, spotlighting new voices in animation. Montreal audiences will be among the first to see Montreal-based filmmaker Martine Frossard’s Hypersensible (Hypersensitive), which will be shown a few days after its screening in Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The Sommets will also feature the world premiere of Le bruit des choses qui brûlent (The Sounds of Things Ablaze), directed by Hayat Najm, with an original score by pianist Jean-Michel Blais.

    The NFB at the 2025 Sommets

    • Participation in the professional program: An Artist’s Talk with Eloi Champagne, the NFB’s Technical Director
    • Event: A special screening of the cult film L’affaire Bronswik (The Bronswik Affair) by Robert Awad and André Leduc, with the filmmakers in attendance
    • L’écran d’épingles: nouvelles avenues program, including three NFB productions made using the legendary pinscreen
    • Free outdoor screening: Two NFB shorts screening as part of the Sommets à la belle étoile program
    • Canadian Competition, professional category: Six short films selected – Le bruit des choses qui brûlent (The Sounds of Things Ablaze) by Hayat Najm, Hypersensible (Hypersensitive) by Martine Frossard, Inkwo for When the Starving Return by Amanda Strong, Imprint by Duncan Major, Hairy Legs by Andrea Dorfman and Samaa by Ehsan Gharib

    Sommets x NFB Artist’s Talk: Eloi Champagne, Technical Director, NFB
    Saturday, May 31, at 1:30 p.m., Fernand Seguin screening room

    • What does a technical director actually do when it comes to animation? For this Artist’s Talk, Eloi Champagne will draw on his experience at the NFB to explore the unique ways in which technology and creativity intersect in the genre, using recent films he and his team have worked on as examples, such as Inkwo for When the Starving Return by Amanda Strong and Bread Will Walk by Alex Boya.
    • Champagne will describe how specific artistic challenges have yielded innovative technical approaches and how technical problems have resulted in unexpected creative breakthroughs.

    L’affaire Bronswik (The Bronswik Affair)
    Wednesday, May 28, at 5 p.m., Norman McLaren screening room – free admission

    • In today’s era of fake news and disinformation, Robert Awad and André Leduc’s The Bronswik Affair is as topical as ever, whether on a first or a repeat viewing. The screening will be attended by the filmmakers as well as Vincent Zikkar, the grandson of Antonio Zikkar, a victim of the Bronswik affair.
    • With a deft blend of fiction and reality, this mockumentary is a harsh critique of the power of television advertising. It won nine Canadian and international awards and was selected for the short film competition at Cannes in 1978.

    Closing Film

    Pourquoi l’écran d’épingles?  by Brice Vincent (a Bastille Films production, 2024, 55 min 46 s, distributed by the NFB in Canada and the United States)
    Saturday, May 31, at 7:30 p.m., Main screening room

    The pinscreen is an iconic device created in the 1930s to produce animated films. This film explores the painstaking act of creating by hand in an era when speedy digital technology dominates. Among the artists featured are NFB filmmakers Jacques Drouin, to whom the film is dedicated, and Michèle Lemieux.

    L’écran d’épingles: nouvelles avenues program
    Tuesday, May 27, at 8 :15 p.m., Fernand Seguin screening room (repeat screening on Thursday, May 29, at 8 p.m.)

    Three NFB productions are part of this program:

    Les Sommets à la belle étoile – Free outdoor screening
    Friday, May 30, at 9:30 p.m., Cinémathèque québécoise terrasse

    The short films Samaa by Ehsan Gharib and Imprint by Duncan Major, both of which are also in the Canadian Competition, are part of the lineup for this outdoor screening.

    Canadian Competition, professional category:

    • Imprint by Duncan Major (NFB, 5 min)
      Canadian Competition 1 – Tuesday, May 27, at 6 p.m., Main screening room (repeat screening the next day at 8:30 p.m.)
    • Hypersensible (Hypersensitive) by Martine Frossard (NFB, 6 min 44 s) and Hairy Legs by Andrea Dorfman (NFB, 17 min)
      Canadian Competition 2 – Wednesday, May 28, at 6:30 p.m., Main screening room (repeat screening the next day at 5:30 p.m.)
    • Le bruit des choses qui brûlent (The Sounds of Things Ablaze) by Hayat Najm (NFB, 6 min 35 s)
      Canadian Competition 3 – Thursday, May 29, at 7:15 p.m., Main screening room (repeat screening the next day at 9:15 p.m.)
    • Inkwo for When the Starving Return by Amanda Strong (Spotted Fawn Productions/NFB, 18 min 27 s) and Samaa by Ehsan Gharib (NFB, 2 min 27 s)
      Canadian Competition 4 – Friday, May 30, at 7:30 p.m., Main screening room (repeat screening the next day at 3 p.m.)

    – 30 –

    Stay Connected

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    Curator’s perspective | Director’s notes

    About the NFB

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Signs Legislation Expanding the Connecticut Firefighters Cancer Relief Program

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed into law legislation making several updates to the Connecticut Firefighters Cancer Relief Program, including adding skin cancer to the types of cancer covered under the program, and modifying the language governing its eligibility to make it clear that all firefighters statewide have access to the program, regardless of whether they work for a state or municipal fire department.

    The legislation is Senate Bill 1426, An Act Making Changes to the Firefighters Cancer Relief Program.

    “This program was created with the understanding that firefighters have high-risk jobs and are exposed to toxins that can wreak havoc on their health and put them at risk for cancer,” Governor Lamont said. “Expanding its coverage and making it clear that all firefighters in Connecticut are eligible is the right thing to do. I appreciate lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for crafting this legislation, voting in favor of it, and sending it to my desk. I am glad to sign it into law.”

    The program, which was recently created, provides workers’ compensation-like benefits to firefighters who have certain cancers and meet other criteria.

    According to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, skin cancer is one of the top ten cancers that firefighters develop. Other types of cancer already covered by the program include those affecting the brain or the skeletal, digestive, endocrine, respiratory, lymphatic, reproductive, urinary, or hematological systems.

    Last month, Governor Lamont and Comptroller Sean Scanlon announced that they’ve made an administrative change to the state employee health plan and Partnership Plan that will provide firefighters with free, enhanced cancer screenings every two years. These comprehensive, full-body screenings are designed to detect cancers early – often before symptoms appear – when treatment is more effective, and outcomes are significantly better. That benefit went into effect on May 1, 2025.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration over “Declaring a National Energy Emergency” Executive Order

    Source: US State of California

    20th lawsuit against Trump Administration asks court to block executive order and directive to expedite non-emergency permitting procedures

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s Executive Order (EO) entitled “Declaring a National Energy Emergency,” along with the actions taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation pursuant to the EO. Although national energy production reached an all-time high under President Biden and has continued growing, President Trump unlawfully invoked authority under the National Emergencies Act to improperly declare a national energy emergency. Congress passed the National Emergencies Act to prevent Presidents from declaring national emergencies for frivolous or partisan matters — exactly what the President has done here.  Based on that declaration, the EO directs federal agencies to exercise their emergency authorities – reserved for disaster prevention and recovery – to facilitate and expedite the development of energy projects. Notably, the directives under the EO would expedite fossil fuel projects but exclude solar and wind power. Attorney General Bonta and the multistate coalition allege that the President’s directive is not only unlawful, but will unnecessarily fast-track non-emergency projects, which the states allege will result in damage to their states’ waters, historic properties, and tribal lands and the people and wildlife that rely on our precious natural resources.  

    “Just another unlawful directive from the President, this time acting well beyond the scope of his emergency powers,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The invocation of the country’s emergency authorities is reserved for actual emergencies— not changes in Presidential policy or because the President feels like it. These procedures misuse authorities meant for disaster response and bypass important health and environmental protections for the benefit of the fossil fuel industry. That’s why my fellow attorneys general and I are filing this lawsuit to hold the President accountable for breaking the law, again.” 

    On January 20th, his first day in office, President Trump issued an executive order, which declared a “national energy emergency” under the National Emergencies Act. Pursuant to this directive, the Corps was instructed to identify projects for accelerated permitting under the Clean Water Act (CWA). Under Section 404 of the CWA, the Corps issues permits for the discharge of dredged or fill materials into navigable waters nationwide, typically for water resource projects such as dams and levees, infrastructure development such as highways and airports, mining projects, and flood control projects. The Corps subsequently issued “special emergency permit processing procedures” for Corps districts across the country. Other agencies, including the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, have followed suit, issuing emergency procedures and/or guidance to expedite permitting of energy projects. Until now, federal agencies have used emergency procedures during actual emergencies such as hurricanes and catastrophic oil spills — for example, the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Now agencies are acting under emergency procedures only due to the President’s decision to declare a national energy emergency when no such emergency actually exists. 

    In the lawsuit, the attorneys general allege that the President’s directive, and federal agencies’ subsequent implementation of it, violate multiple federal laws, including the Administrative Procedure Act. The attorneys general are asking the Court to declare the President’s directive illegal and prevent the Administration from taking any action to pursue emergency permitting for non-emergency projects.

    Joining California Attorney General Bonta and Washington Attorney General Brown in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

    A copy of the complaint can be found here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National and Malden Man Indicted for Distributing Cocaine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – Two men have been indicted for allegedly conspiring to distribute cocaine.

    Erick Sandoval-Perez, 43, a Guatemalan national living in Malden and Christhian Castillo, 32, also of Malden, were indicted for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine and distribution of 500 or more grams of cocaine.  Sandoval-Perez was also charged with distribution of cocaine. Castillo and Sandoval-Perez were charged by criminal complaint in February 2025. Castillo was ordered held pending further proceedings and Sandoval-Perez was released on conditions.

    Sandoval-Perez and Castillo allegedly worked together to sell cocaine on several occasions to an undercover law enforcement officer. On Feb. 12, 2025, Sandoval-Perez allegedly arranged to sell a kilogram of cocaine to an undercover. Castillo was arrested when he allegedly handed the kilogram of cocaine to the undercover and Sandoval-Perez was arrested nearby.  

    The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine, and the charge of distribution of 500 or more grams of cocaine, both carry a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000,000. The charge of distribution of cocaine carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sandoval-Perez is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.        

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Chief Ryan Malatos of the Leominster Police Department; and Chief Brian W. Coyne of the Clinton Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Malden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.  

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons, colleagues urge Trump to press for immediate resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza and return to Israel-Gaza hostage and ceasefire negotiations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), along with Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) led a letter of 25 Democratic senators to President Trump in advance of the president’s upcoming travel to the Middle East next week, urging him to take an active role in pressing for humanitarian aid and a return to ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas in order to ensure Israel’s security and end more than 15 months of devastating conflict in Gaza.
    When Trump took office, the January 15 ceasefire deal negotiated under the presidential transition of the Biden administration was in effect––30 Israeli hostages were reunited with their families, Hamas’ military capacity had been effectively obliterated, and humanitarian aid was reaching Gaza. In the months since Trump’s inauguration, however, negotiations towards long-term regional security have collapsed, and dozens of hostages remain imprisoned by Hamas.
    Before next week’s visit, the senators wrote to President Trump that “the United States is not providing much needed leadership to drive peace forward in the region.” President Trump’s planned visit to the region does not include a stop in Israel.  He has chosen to conclude a truce with Houthi terrorists even as they pledge to continue striking Israel. He also appears to be turning a blind eye towards the core task of ensuring Israel’s security for today and for the long term. 
    The senators described Gaza’s catastrophic humanitarian crisis under a months-long blockade of aid. More than 116,000 metric tons of food assistance have been stuck outside Gaza, and an estimated 90 percent of Gaza’s population face high levels of acute food and water insecurity. According to the United Nations, most civilians face emergency or crisis levels of hunger.
    This week, Israel also announced its intent to expand military operations and pursue a long-term occupation of Gaza. “The announcement has already escalated tensions in the Middle East, once again threatening to engulf the volatile region in conflict,” wrote the senators. “The Houthis struck Israel’s Ben Gurion airport on May 4 and have vowed to further retaliate against the proposed occupation. Jordan, one of our most important regional security partners, is facing intensifying pressure amid continued public anger over Gaza. Saudi Arabia has made it clear there can be no progress towards normalization with Israel without a pathway toward Palestinian statehood.”
    “Israel’s proposed occupation plans take us further away from permanently ending the Israel-Gaza war and upholding Israel’s security, both goals that you have promised to achieve under your administration,” the senators added. 
    Specifically, the senators asked Trump to press all parties to agree to a deal that: 
    Secures the immediate release of all remaining hostages
    Ushers in a ceasefire
    Works towards the creation of a security force backed by Arab partners to administer Gaza without Hamas
    Creates a path toward a lasting solution that will allow the Israeli and Palestinian people to live in security, dignity, and prosperity
    The senators ended the letter by reaffirming their unequivocal commitment to Israel’s security and its right to defend itself.  
    “It has been nearly 20 months since Hamas murdered more than 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages, including American citizens,” the senators concluded. “This period has also been marked by severe humanitarian suffering of civilians in Gaza, where more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed and millions displaced. All of us are longstanding advocates of the U.S.-Israel security partnership, and we will continue to fight for the defense of the Israeli people. That is why, today, we stand with the nearly three-quarters of the Israeli public who are fighting for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza in exchange for a ceasefire.”
    In addition to Senator Coons, Reed, Schatz, Shaheen, and Warner, the letter is signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
    Senator Coons is the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
    You can read the full letter here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: China supports Cuba in defending sovereignty, resisting foreign interference – Xi Jinping

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    Moscow, May 9 (Xinhua) — China firmly supports Cuba in defending its national sovereignty and opposing foreign interference and blockade, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in the Russian capital on Friday.

    Xi Jinping made the statement during a meeting with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on the sidelines of celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    As the Chinese President noted, the Chinese side also supports Cuba’s efforts to promote socio-economic development. The two countries, as important members of the Global South, should strengthen coordination and cooperation within such structures as BRICS and the China-CELAC Forum (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), oppose power politics and unilateral bullying, and uphold international fairness and justice, the Chinese leader stressed. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking News: China Will Always Firmly Support Venezuela in Safeguarding Sovereignty, National Dignity, Social Stability: Xi Jinping

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    Xinhua | 10. 05. 2025

    Keywords: Xi Jinping, sovereignty protection, PRC Chairman, social stability, national dignity, support, China, Venezuela, urgently, during the meeting, jointly develop, in the field of celebrations, each other, anniversary of the victory, Venezuela are, Jinping

    Moscow, May 9 (Xinhua) — China and Venezuela are reliable partners who trust each other and develop together. China will always firmly support Venezuela in safeguarding its sovereignty, national dignity and social stability, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

    Xi Jinping made the statement during a meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on the sidelines of celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War. –0–

    Source: Xinhua

    Urgent: China will always firmly support Venezuela in safeguarding its sovereignty, national dignity and social stability: Xi Jinping Urgent: China will always firmly support Venezuela in safeguarding its sovereignty, national dignity and social stability: Xi Jinping

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Valadao Introduces Legislation to Expand Domestic Energy Production

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) joined Reps. Jen Kiggans (VA-02), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Mark Amodei (NV-02), and Dan Newhouse (WA-04) in introducing the Certainty for Our Energy Future Act. This legislation would provide some much-needed clarity surrounding renewable energy projects and ensure our nation’s resources do not enrich adversarial nations.

    “The Central Valley is leading the way in renewable energy production, and our communities deserve policies that provide stability and certainty for the future,” said Congressman Valadao. “The Certainty for Our Energy Future Act preserves the clean energy tax credits farmers and energy producers rely on, while phasing out long-term subsidies for technologies that can now stand on their own. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to expand domestic energy production and keep the door open for new technologies to grow and compete.”

    “The Certainty for Our Energy Future Act is a critical step toward aligning our clean energy priorities with today’s economic and national security realities,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “By responsibly phasing out subsidies for technologies like wind and solar, and ensuring foreign adversaries like China and Russia can’t exploit American tax benefits, we are safeguarding both our energy independence and our taxpayers. Energy security is national security, and the bottom line is that in order to increase American energy dominance, we need to protect as much production and innovation as possible. I am proud to introduce this legislation and help secure America’s energy future!”

    “Certainty for the energy industry is essential to securing American energy dominance, driving innovation, and lowering costs for consumers,” said Congressman Garbarino. “The Certainty for Our Energy Future Act provides the predictability businesses need to invest with confidence while protecting taxpayers from foreign threats. I look forward to working with my colleagues to responsibly deliver on the President’s energy agenda and meet our nation’s growing energy demand with a stronger, more secure energy future.”

    “America’s path to energy independence must involve an all-of-the-above clean energy approach that puts American manufacturers at the center,” said Rep. Amodei. “By excluding foreign adversaries from tax benefits and prioritizing American innovation, we are one step closer to a more secure and self-reliant energy future.”

    “The United States has the opportunity to lead the world in clean energy production while lowering costs for consumers,” said Congressman Newhouse. “By phasing out tax incentives supporting wind and solar projects, Congress can provide long-term certainty to utilities and investors. This legislation provides critical protections to ensure federal investments are not being utilized by foreign adversaries, including Communist China. I thank Rep. Kiggans for her leadership as we work to ensure American clean energy is safe, reliable, and affordable as new forms of energy emerge.”

    “CRES is grateful for the leadership of Reps. Kiggans, Valadao, Newhouse and Amodei on introducing the Certainty for Our Energy Future Act,” said Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. “Right sizing policies in parallel with offering business and investment certainty is both critical and commonsense.  As America seeks to beat China in the global AI race, legislation like this strengthens our nation’s competitive edge while also ensuring American energy remains abundant and affordable.”

    “ACP commends Reps. Kiggans, Garbarino, Valadao, Newhouse, and Amodei for introducing the Certainty for our Energy Future Act. The Act ensures that we protect business certainty for projects currently under planning and development and offers a very constructive starting point for discussions on the clean energy tax credits. With electricity demand projected to increase by up to 50% over the next 15 years, we need an all-of-the-above energy strategy. This legislation helps provide a roadmap to lawmakers as they continue to address this important issue,” said Frank Macchiarola, Chief Advocacy Officer, American Clean Power Association.

    “As electric companies work to meet growing customer demands for electricity and to strengthen our nation’s energy security, we must have policy certainty. We are grateful to Reps. Kiggans, Amodei, Garbarino, Newhouse, and Valadao for their ongoing leadership and for recognizing that clear timelines for tax credits and access to tools like transferability support investment in critical energy infrastructure, while helping to keep costs to customers as low as possible,” said Edison Electric Institute interim President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn. “We look forward to continuing to work with Reps. Kiggans, Amodei, Garbarino, Newhouse, Valadao, and other leaders in Congress as they deliberate on tax policy changes that could impact the costs customers pay for electricity.”

    The Certainty for Our Energy Future Act would:

    • Extend the 45Y and 48E tax credit for solar and wind projects with a phase out in 2030.
    • Ensure safe harbor rules apply for 10 years on public lands and 4 years everywhere else—codifying rules already in effect.
    • Restrict or disqualify companies created, organized, or owned by foreign entities of concern (FEOC) from claiming energy tax credits. FEOCs include China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

    Read the full bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RIDOT to Open Additional Lanes for Providence Viaduct Northbound Service Road in Providence

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    At 9 p.m. on Friday, May 16, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will begin work to open additional travel lanes off I-95 North on the northbound Providence Viaduct service road at Exit 38 (Route 146/State Offices) in Providence. The lanes will enable easier access to the service road and provide more room for merging traffic. They will be open by 6 a.m. Saturday, May 17.

    The new service road was constructed as part of RIDOT’s project to replace the structurally deficient northbound viaduct. The service road was built adjacent to the I-95 North through lanes, and carries traffic entering the highway from Atwells Avenue, Route 6/10, and downtown, as well as traffic taking the Route 146 or State Offices exits. It permits I-95 through lanes to flow freely, allows all merges to take place on the service road, and eliminates chronic congestion associated with entrance and exit ramps that were spaced too closely together.

    Highlights of the traffic improvements on the northbound service road include:

    � At Atwells Avenue Merge: An additional lane will be provided here so traffic coming onto the service road from Atwells Avenue will have its own lane over the bridge. At this point there will be three travel lanes instead of two.

    � At Route 6/10 & Downtown Merge: An additional lane will be open here; traffic coming onto the service road from Route 6/10 or downtown Providence will have its own lane. At this point there will be four travel lanes instead of three.

    � At Route 146: There will be two lanes to the left for traffic to Route 146 and two lanes to the right for traffic to I-95 North. The right lane should be used for anyone wishing to take the State Offices exit.

    � On the ramp to I-95 North: RIDOT will move the merge from two lanes to one lane several hundred feet to the north of its current location. This will make it easier for traffic to merge before joining I-95.

    In preparation for the traffic shift, RIDOT will be paving various areas of the service road. Drivers may encounter milled and uneven surfaces over the next week for this work.

    By mid-June, RIDOT is scheduled to begin milling and paving the entire area of the Viaduct, the I-95 express lanes and the service road, with the permanent, final layer of asphalt. This work will take approximately two to three weeks with overnight lane closures required. At the conclusion of this work, all travel lanes will be in their final configuration.

    The I-95 North Viaduct carries more than 220,000 vehicles per day over numerous local roads and highway ramps, Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, and the Woonasquatucket River. It is the busiest section of I-95 in Rhode Island and one of the most heavily trafficked highway bridges on the East Coast. In addition to replacing the nearly 1,300-foot long Viaduct, this project, slated for completion in fall 2025, is rebuilding 10 additional bridges, many of which are of critical safety concern. More project information is available at www.ridot.net/ProvidenceViaduct.

    All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.

    The Providence Viaduct Northbound project is made possible by RhodeWorks and the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Improvement Act. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island’s infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Enacted Budget Cuts Taxes for Middle-Class New Yorkers

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today signed new legislation as part of the FY26 Enacted Budget to put money back in the pockets of millions of New Yorkers. This includes tripling the size of New York’s Child Tax Credit, cutting taxes for middle class New Yorkers, sending inflation refund checks to millions of households and ensuring free school meals for students statewide. These initiatives help address the rising cost of living for families of all sizes and across the income spectrum. When accounting for their collective impact, these policies will deliver nearly $5,000 of relief for many families of five in New York over the coming year and beyond.

    “The cost of living is still too damn high, so I promised to put more money in your pockets — and we got it done,” Governor Hochul said. “Putting money back in the pockets of millions of families means helping New Yorkers afford the rising costs of groceries, raising kids, and just enjoying life. When I said your family is my fight, I mean it — and I’ll never stop fighting for you.”

    Expanding New York’s Child Tax Credit

    The FY 2026 Budget includes Governor Hochul’s plan to give 1.6 million New York families an annual tax credit of up to $1,000 per child under age four and up to $500 per child from four through sixteen. This is the largest expansion of New York’s child tax credit in its history — and it will benefit approximately 2.75 million children statewide. Governor Hochul’s expansion of the credit will double the size of the average credit going out to families from $472 to $943.

    This historic expansion of New York’s child tax credit will drive significant assistance to families with the youngest children and help families across the income spectrum. By eliminating a longstanding provision that restricted New York’s poorest families from accessing the credit while also delivering new relief to many middle-class families whose incomes were previously too high to qualify for the credit. As a result, more than 187,000 children will now be newly eligible for the credit.

    The revamped credit will be instrumental in helping to address child poverty in New York State, cutting poverty among children statewide by 8.2 percent, and when combined with other measures already advanced by Governor Hochul, including drastically expanding subsidized child care, reducing child poverty by 17.7 percent.

    For example, under New York’s newly expanded child tax credit, a family of four with a toddler and school-age child, and a household income up to $110,000, would receive a credit of $1,500 per year — representing nearly $1,000 more per year than what that family receives under the current program. Additionally, the expanded credit means that even a family of four with household income of $170,000 would receive over $500 per year. That family would not have qualified for any credit under the current program.

    Cutting Taxes for the Middle Class

    The FY 2026 Budget includes Governor Hochul’s plan to cut taxes for more than 75 percent of all tax filers in New York. This huge win will deliver nearly $1 billion annually in tax relief to 8.3 million New Yorkers. This will provide savings to taxpayers earning up to $323,000 for joint filers.

    Under this tax cut, nearly 80% of New Yorkers will start to see fewer state taxes taken out in your first payroll check of 2026.

    Once the rate change is fully phased in, the middle class tax cut will deliver hundreds of dollars in average savings to three out of every four taxpayers in the state. This will bring taxes for the middle class to their lowest level in 70 years.

    Sending Inflation Refund Checks to New Yorkers

    While inflation has driven prices higher, sapping the income of New Yorkers, it has also driven sharp increases in the State’s collection of sales tax. Governor Hochul believes that money belongs to hardworking New York families and should be returned to their pockets as an Inflation Refund.

    The FY 2026 Budget includes Governor Hochul’s plan to send New York’s first-ever inflation refund checks, which will put $2 billion back in the pockets of over 8 million New York taxpayers. Later this year, New York State will send direct payments to everyday New Yorkers.

    Joint tax filers with income up to $150,000 will receive a $400 check, and joint filers with income over $150,000 but no greater than $300,000 will receive a $300 check. Single tax filers with income up to $75,000 will receive a $200 check, and single filers with incomes over $75,000 but no greater than $150,000 will receive a $150 check.

    There are no age restrictions. Filers do not need to do anything to receive a refund. If you filed a tax return, are below the income (NYS AGI) thresholds, and no one else claimed you as a dependent, you will receive a refund.

    More details regarding the timing for sending inflation refund checks will be announced in the near future.

    Free School Meals for New York Students

    The FY 2026 Budget includes Governor Hochul’s plan to ensure all of New York’s over 2.7 million students can receive breakfast and lunch for free at school, including roughly 280,000 students who would not otherwise be eligible for free meals. This monumental program will help save parents money, address food insecurity among New York kids, and create more opportunities for students to succeed.

    By eliminating any financial requirements to receive this benefit, New York State will level the playing field and give parents back the money they would be spending. Free school meals are estimated to save families $165 per child in grocery spending each month and have been shown to support learning, boost test scores, and improve attendance as well as classroom behavior.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine, Colleagues Push Trump Administration to Fill Sudan Special Envoy Position as Civil War Continues

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to work with President Trump to appoint a new Special Envoy for Sudan, build out key senior Africa roles at the State Department and the National Security Council, and to hold accountable both internal and foreign actors prolonging the conflict.
    The ongoing violence in Sudan has led to a massive humanitarian crisis. Since the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began in April 2023, it’s estimated that the conflict has claimed the lives of tens of thousands to potentially over one hundred thousand individuals, and in the region, an estimated 30 million Sudanese are in need of immediate assistance.
    Warner and Kaine have led efforts to address this crisis, including introducing the Response to Conflict in Sudan Act, legislation to bolster and coordinate the U.S. response to the war in Sudan. The senators also previously pushed the Biden administration to take steps to better address the chaos and violence displacing millions of people in Sudan and the surrounding regions by appointing a Special Envoy for Sudan. Following the senators’ calls for a special envoy, President Biden appointed former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello to the position, but the position has remained vacant under the Trump administration.
    The senators wrote, “Since its outbreak, this conflict has displaced more than 14 million people – an estimated 11.5 million internally, plus an additional 3 million fleeing to neighboring countries and regions. Approximately 30 million people – more than half of Sudan’s population – are in urgent humanitarian need. By some estimates, the conflict has killed upwards of 150,000 people, in what the U.S. government has officially declared a genocide. Belligerents on both sides stand accused of atrocities, including killings, abductions of civilians, and horrific instances of sexual violence against women and children.”
    The senators highlighted continued bipartisan efforts to respond to the crisis in Sudan and the need to fill crucial roles in countries impacted by the ongoing civil war. 
    Added the senators, “We urge the Administration to fill the Special Envoy position, which would align with bipartisan Congressional intent expressed through the passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which included provisions of the Response to Conflict in Sudan Act. We also strongly urge you to work with the President to nominate senior officials responsible for Africa, including the Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, ambassadors to countries impacted by or otherwise implicated in the conflict, and push for the appointment of a Senior Director for Africa at the National Security Council to coordinate interagency efforts.”
    In addition to the need to fill these crucial roles, the senators highlighted the impact that outside influences are having on this crisis, and the need for the U.S. to hold accountable any foreign actors exacerbating the crisis. 
    “To date, the Office of Foreign Assets Control added SAF and RSF members to the Specially Designated Nationals List and taken action against numerous UAE companies for potentially violating U.S. sanctions. We encourage you, alongside allies and partners, to continue to hold accountable external actors that support and/or finance the conflict, using all available tools,” they wrote. 
    In addition to Warner and Kaine, the letter was signed by Todd Young (R-IN), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).
    A copy of letter is available here and text is below.
    Dear Secretary Rubio,
    Now into the third year of destructive conflict in Sudan, with escalating violence and atrocities between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), U.S. engagement to bring a resolution to this conflict is more critical than ever. You can send a strong signal to the region by working with the President to appoint a new Special Envoy for Sudan and holding accountable both Sudanese and foreign actors prolonging the conflict. 
    Since its outbreak, this conflict has displaced more than 14 million people – an estimated 11.5 million internally, plus an additional 3 million fleeing to neighboring countries and regions. Approximately 30 million people – more than half of Sudan’s population – are in urgent humanitarian need. By some estimates, the conflict has killed upwards of 150,000 people, in what the U.S. government has officially declared a genocide. Belligerents on both sides stand accused of atrocities, including killings, abductions of civilians, and horrific instances of sexual violence against women and children.
    We urge the Administration to fill the Special Envoy position, which would align with bipartisan Congressional intent expressed through the passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which included provisions of the Response to Conflict in Sudan Act.  We also strongly urge you to work with the President to nominate senior officials responsible for Africa, including the Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, ambassadors to countries impacted by or otherwise implicated in the conflict, and push for the appointment of a Senior Director for Africa at the National Security Council to coordinate interagency efforts.
    In addition to naming an envoy, we urge you to hold accountable external actors – including the UAE, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt – and foreign businesses fueling the gruesome atrocities. The recent large-scale offensive by the RSF in Darfur – which has included storming and systematically burning down the Zamzam refugee camp, killing hundreds of people in a massacre that has also forced hundreds of thousands more to flee the camp in a matter of days – exemplifies the depravity that is being enabled by these external forces.
    To date, the Office of Foreign Assets Control added SAF and RSF members to the Specially Designated Nationals List and taken action against numerous UAE companies for potentially violating U.S. sanctions. We encourage you, alongside allies and partners, to continue to hold accountable external actors that support and/or finance the conflict, using all available tools.
    Conflicts rarely stay localized, and the longer this horrific war drags on, the more combustible this region becomes – an outcome that creates a power vacuum that extremists, terrorists, and our foreign adversaries will only be too happy to fill. The war’s continuation not only harms millions of innocent civilians, but also poses serious risk to American security interests in the region.
    We strongly support U.S. engagement and leadership in Sudan. The appointment of a new Special Envoy would send a strong signal. We look forward to working together to support your efforts to end the conflict in Sudan, address the humanitarian crisis, hold accountable those responsible for atrocities, and stop the actors fueling this crisis inside and outside Sudan.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Turkish national pleads guilty to selling counterfeit goods at mall kiosks

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DAYTON, Ohio – A man who operates kiosks at a local mall pleaded guilty in federal court here to trafficking counterfeit goods.

    Emre Teski, 25, is a citizen of Turkey and illegally entered the United States from Mexico in September 2022. Teski admitted to illegally crossing the international boundary without being inspected by an immigration officer at a designated Port of Entry. On Jan. 3, 2024, Teski was ordered removed from the United States, but has since appealed this decision and was permitted employment authorization while his appeal is pending. Teski operates kiosks selling alleged counterfeit goods at the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek.

    According to court documents, Teski ran one kiosk that primarily sold replica professional soccer jerseys and hats containing trademarked soccer teams, including FC Barcelona, Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, Manchester City and Arsenal. Teski operated another kiosk that sold primarily oversized slippers that look like sneakers and included Nike and Air Jordan trademarks. 

    Teski allegedly sold an investigator counterfeit Nike slippers that illegally used the trademark Nike Swoosh. It is alleged that he also sold a counterfeit pink Messi jersey.

    The total domestic value for all items seized by federal agents is nearly $150,000.

    Teski was arrested in March 2025. Trafficking counterfeit goods is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

    Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; announced the plea entered on May 8 before Senior U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Western District of Texas Adds 316 Immigration Cases in First Week of May

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 316 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 2 through May 8.

    Among the new cases, Cirilo Delgado-Alderete, Dilan Karim Valenzuela-Baca, and Antelmo Eligio Ramirez-Bernardo were arrested at an alleged stash house in Anthony, New Mexico. According to an affidavit, U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations agents observed three vehicles that had been identified as being used to smuggle illegal aliens to Albuquerque, New Mexico, parked at the residence. When agents questioned Ramirez-Bernardo, a Guatemalan national, they allegedly discovered he possessed a key to the residence on his keychain. Agents then located 25 individuals inside the residence who admitted to being citizens of Mexico, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, and Pakistan without documentation to be in the U.S. Two of the individuals, Delgado-Alderete and Valenzuela-Baca, were identified as alleged stash house caretakes and drivers to harbor and transport the illegal aliens. Delgado-Alderete, Valenzuela-Baca, and Ramirez-Bernardo are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.  The drivers allegedly picked up aliens in El Paso before transporting them to New Mexico.

    Mexican national Erasmo Soto-Aguilar and Cesar Jared Garcia-Raucho, a U.S. citizen, were charged with statutes related to harboring illegal aliens after agents arrested them outside an alleged stash house in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges that Soto-Aguilar had been involved in multiple smuggling schemes in which he coordinated pick-up drivers to meet and exchange illegal aliens. The complaint also alleges that Garcia-Raucho admitted to working as an illegal alien caretaker.

    Leonel Sotelo-Santillan, a Mexican national, was arrested after allegedly entering a National Defense Area near El Paso illegally on May 2. Sotelo-Santillan is a convicted felon with two 2015 convictions for domestic abuse battery and theft in Louisiana, as well as a felony conviction in June 2024 for illegal re-entry. He has two prior removals, the last one being Dec. 28, 2024.

    In San Antonio, Mexican national Joandel De Jesus Tierrablanca-Tellez aka Joandel Tierras Blanca was arrested after law enforcement officers allegedly observed him sell four firearms to a buyer in New Braunfels. Homeland Security Investigations had previously learned the firearms were to be sold and trafficked to Mexico for a predetermined amount of U.S. currency. A search of Tierrablanca-Tellez’s vehicle allegedly revealed his Mexican passport and an additional firearm along with .223 caliber and .308 caliber ammunition. Tierrablanca-Tellez is charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and, if convicted, faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

    Alejandro Mata-Zavala, also a Mexican national, was arrested during a traffic stop in Guadalupe County on May 6. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) immigration history inquiry determined Mata-Zavala had been convicted in April 2021 for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, and was removed from the U.S. to Mexico on or about June 2, 2022. He’s currently charged with one count of illegal re-entry and faces up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.

    USBP agents arrested Mexican national Tomas Medina-Martinez near Brackettville on May 1. Medina-Martinez is a two-time convicted felon with three prior removals from the U.S., the most recent being Feb. 12. Mexican national Mauro Morales-Lopez was also arrested by USBP on May 1 near Eagle Pass. Morales-Lopez was deported Nov. 12, 2024 through Atlanta, Georgia following multiple violent misdemeanor convictions for family violence.

    On May 5, Mexican national Sergio De La Cruz-Ruiz was arrested near Brackettville for being illegally present in the U.S. His criminal record includes nine deportations and multiple felony convictions. De La Cruz-Ruiz was also convicted in January 2024 for assault on a family member. His latest removal was April 18 through Harlingen.

    Jorge Luis Benavides-Alvarado, a Mexican national, was encountered by federal law enforcement at the Williamson County Jail and charged with illegal re-entry. He was convicted for possession of a dangerous drug in Georgetown on May 7. In 2017, Benavides-Alvarado was convicted for aggravated robbery in Dallas. He was removed from the U.S. July 26, 2019. Also encountered at the Williamson County Jail, Mexican national Agustin Ruiz-Vazquez was convicted May 7 for assault causing bodily injury. Federally charged with illegal re-entry, Ruiz-Vazquez was previously removed from the U.S. July 10, 2014, two years after being convicted of injury to a child in Austin.

    And in Midland, Salvadoran national Edenilzon Hernandez was encountered at the Ector County Detention Center in Odessa, where he was being held for indecency with child sexual contact. Now facing a federal illegal re-entry charge, Hernandez has three prior removals and a criminal history that includes convictions for burglary of a habitation, assault on a public servant and an additional assault charge.

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

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

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

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: HUGE: First Lady Trump helped secure a $25M investment for youth transitioning out of foster care.

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

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

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: WATCH: Press Sec highlights the Trump Admin’s efforts to modernize the air traffic control system

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

    WATCH: Press Sec highlights the Trump Admin’s efforts to modernize the air traffic control system

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTWOJ8Uf68w

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: SIRT Investigating in Custody Death at Melfort RCMP Detachment

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on May 9, 2025

    On Tuesday May 6, 2025 at approximately 7:13 p.m., the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) received a notification from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) regarding an in-custody death at the Melfort RCMP Detachment. 

    SIRT’s Civilian Executive Director accepted the notification as within SIRT’s mandate and directed an investigation by SIRT.

    On May 6 at approximately 9:48 a.m., members of the Melfort RCMP detachment responded to a disturbance call at a residential address in Melfort, where they encountered a 44-year-old man who was acting erratically and had sustained an injury to his hand. The man was taken into custody pursuant to the provisions of The Mental Health Services Act. The man was transported to the Melfort RCMP Detachment, where at 10:14 a.m., he was lodged in a cell, pending the arrival of EMS who had been contacted on the drive to the detachment. At approximately 10:18 a.m., the man was assessed by EMS, and following that examination was transported to hospital by EMS. The man was unrestrained during transport in the ambulance. The EMS vehicle transporting the man was accompanied to hospital by a member of the RCMP in an RCMP vehicle.

    The man arrived at hospital at approximately 10:27 a.m. While the man was being examined, a further disturbance occurred and he was taken back into custody by the accompanying RCMP member. During the process of taking the man back into custody, a physical altercation occurred. The man was handcuffed and transported back to the Melfort RCMP Detachment, and at approximately 10:44 a.m., was once again placed in a cell.

    The man remained in custody at the Melfort RCMP Detachment until approximately 5:10 p.m., when he was observed to have gone into medical distress. RCMP members entered the man’s cell, commenced first aid, and contacted EMS. The man was moved into the cellblock hallway by RCMP members to allow for more room for first aid. At approximately 5:16 p.m., EMS arrived and assumed responsibility for the man’s care before transporting him to hospital at 5:36 p.m. The man was treated at hospital, but despite resuscitation efforts, was pronounced deceased. 

    Following the notification, a SIRT team consisting of the Civilian Executive Director and five SIRT investigators was deployed to Melfort to begin their investigation. A community liaison will also be appointed pursuant to S.91.12 (1) (a) of The Police Act, 1990. SIRT’s investigation will examine the conduct of police during this incident, including the circumstances surrounding the man’s arrest and the cause of his death. The RCMP will maintain responsibility for any investigation into the original incident. No further information will be released at this time. A final report will be issued to the public within 90 days of the investigation ending.

    SIRT’s mandate is to investigate alleged cases of serious injury, death, sexual assault or interpersonal violence arising from the actions or omissions of on and off-duty police officers, or while an individual is in police custody.

    For updates on SIRT investigations, follow SIRT on X, formerly known as Twitter, at Serious Incident Response Team – Saskatchewan (@SIRT_SK) / X.

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –