NewzIntel.com

Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI Video: Not All Heroes Wear Capes

    Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)

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    A @U.S.CoastGuard Air Station Savannah helicopter crew rescued a passenger from his stranded vessel near St. Helena Sound, S.C. and transferred him to safety.

    For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov
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    Keep up with the Department of Defense on social media!

    Like the DoD on Facebook: http://facebook.com/DeptofDefense
    Follow the DoD on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeptofDefense
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    Follow the DoD on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/DeptofDefense

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujf3l_XmPJI

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Wyden Slam Trump Health Nominee Dr. Oz for Medicare Tax Avoidance

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    March 20, 2025

    Dr. Mehmet Oz, who would oversee Medicare as CMS head, appears to have avoided paying over $400,000 in Medicare taxes over past three tax years

    “If you are unwilling to pay your legal and fair share of taxes into Medicare, there is little reason to believe you will be a good steward of the program for the tens of millions of seniors and people with disabilities who rely on it.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, slammed Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Trump’s nominee for the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), for his reported Medicare tax avoidance following his confirmation hearing last week. As head of CMS, Dr. Oz would oversee Medicare — the same agency he has potentially defunded by reportedly avoiding hundreds of thousands of dollars in Medicare and Social Security taxes in the past few years.

    “If you are unwilling to pay your legal and fair share of taxes into Medicare, there is little reason to believe you will be a good steward of the program for the tens of millions of seniors and people with disabilities who rely on it,” wrote the lawmakers.

    A recent review of Dr. Oz’s financial records by Senate Finance Committee staff revealed that he appeared to have avoided over $400,000 in Medicare taxes over the past three tax years by improperly claiming “limited partner” status in his own company, which provided him with an exemption from the Medicare tax. When approached by the Finance Committee and offered the chance to amend his tax returns to bring them in line with the positions of the IRS, Treasury Department, and the Tax Court, Dr. Oz refused.

    “Medicare is funded by the tax contributions of millions of hardworking Americans. Yet, you misused a tax loophole to avoid paying your fair share,” wrote the lawmakers.

    Medicare provides vital and lifesaving services for nearly 70 million Americans. As nearly all Americans eventually enroll in Medicare, nearly all working Americans are required to pay a portion of their income in Medicare tax. For the vast majority of Americans who receive a paycheck from their employer, this contribution is automatically removed from their paychecks. But for wealthy individuals like Dr. Oz who receive income from partnerships, they pay Medicare taxes by appropriately documenting and designating income and paying the required 3.8% of their income in accordance with federal law. It appears that Dr. Oz failed to do so.

    The lawmakers requested that Dr. Oz answer a series of questions regarding this apparent tax avoidance prior to any Senate Finance Committee vote on his nomination, including whether he will commit to paying the IRS the full amount of taxes he has seemingly avoided, whether he will commit to making his tax filings from the last five years public, and whether or not he believes that Americans have the right to refuse to pay their Medicare taxes as required by federal law.

    Senator Warren has scrutinized Dr. Oz through his confirmation process for his conflicts of interest and his anti-abortion views: 

    • In March 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Dr. Oz ahead of his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing, demanding answers to questions about his plan to eliminate Traditional Medicare, his serious conflicts of interest, his dangerous anti-abortion views, and more.
    • In March 2025, Senator Warren wrote to Dr. Oz, criticizing his serious conflicts of interest and asking him to make a series of commitments to mitigate them. 
    • In February 2025, Senator Warren and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) criticized Dr. Oz’s  hostile anti-abortion record. As CMS Administrator, Dr. Oz would be in charge of Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage, exercising broad authority over reproductive health care access.
    • In December 2024, Following his nomination, Senator Warren pressed the nominee on his advocacy to eliminate Traditional Medicare and his deep financial ties to private health insurers that would benefit from that move. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President calls for Europe to increase its collective deterrent

    Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development

    Published on March 20, 2025

    Statement by M. Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic, in Berlin (excerpts) (March 18, 2025)

    Check against delivery)

    Thank you very much, Chancellor, cher Olaf. (…)

    I’d like to return to a few points – first of all, to congratulate you on the Bundestag’s historic vote, which is good news for Germany and good news for Europe. It’s good news because it will enable us to do more for defence and investments, and we need that. Secondly, to get back to the issue of Ukraine, we’re continuing to support the Ukrainian army in its war of resistance against the Russian aggression, and we’re right to be doing so. We’re also in the process of raising funding that we’re fully committed to. I’m thinking of the European share of the G7 loan, and the €18 billion of revenues from frozen Russian assets to finance military support in particular. And it’s important to continue lending support at this time, when Russia has been stepping up the conflicts in recent days and again in recent hours, and continue standing by the Ukrainian people and their defence.

    You’re aware of what our position is. We were upholding peace, I would say, before the first day, because both of us did everything together in February 2022 to prevent a further operation after the annexation of Crimea and the initial, partial annexation of the Donbas that followed the operations of 2014. And so we’ve always been on the side of peace. In this regard, we mustn’t give in to any sort of inversion of values or discourse. That’s the historic role of Germany and France together and of Europe as a whole alongside the Ukrainians. The latest discussions are a step in the right direction, and indeed we want a solid, lasting settlement for Ukraine and for security in Europe.

    And in this regard, thanks to the work with the United Kingdom and Germany we have, I believe, done some useful work to persuade President Zelenskyy, and I believe he made a very good decision to have the courage to take a peace initiative with President Trump by agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire. The Chancellor has reported on the discussions we had before that conference. The first stages are being put in place, but the goal must remain the same: to have a measurable, verifiable ceasefire that is fully complied with, and to begin detailed, full peace talks that will allow for a solid, lasting peace and the guarantees that go with it. That’s still our aim. And obviously it’s inconceivable without the Ukrainians being around the table. That’s what we’ve also steadfastly argued for.

    In addition to Ukraine, on defence, tomorrow the Commission will present its White Paper, and there again our shared desire is to speed up the implementation of the plan we validated at the Council a few days ago, roll out the speediest and most efficient processes in order to have joint programmes, and basically continue defending ourselves, defending ourselves better, increasing our collective deterrence capabilities, and doing so by developing more equipment and capabilities in Europe – which means joint research, joint programmes, more simplicity and more speed. But this European added value which tends towards the strategic autonomy we both uphold is absolutely critical for us. It’s what we launched together in March 2022 with the so-called Versailles agenda, following the Russian aggression.

    We’re now in the implementation and action phase for issues of defence, production, joint procurement, simplification, standardization, and the release of available funding by the European Investment Bank and our national budgetary capabilities. On the issue of the economy – and the one doesn’t go without the other, because there’s no strategic autonomy in terms of defence and security unless Europe is also strongly competitive –, together we built in Meseberg a road map which is strategic for us, which remains totally valid as the Chancellor pointed out, which also, to a great extent, inspired the Commission’s guidelines, and which is also being rolled out, precisely with necessary reforms for simplification. And in this regard, the decisions at the end of February are a step in the right direction: regulatory simplification, lightening the burden, support for industry, clean tech, artificial intelligence, defending the plans for the automotive industry and for steel presented in recent days to our European manufacturers, and for the chemical industry of course, which all go in the same direction, which are support measures in the face of the world’s deregulation, measures of simplification, measures for greater competitiveness.

    In addition to simplification, strengthening the single market, defence policies and safeguarding clauses, we obviously built a historic agreement in Meseberg on the union of capital markets, with the desire in fact for European savings to fully finance major European innovation and investment projects. On each of these points we’re working together.

    And the Chancellor’s been very comprehensive – I don’t want to paraphrase him here – but I wanted to come back to these few points before this summit, which will essentially be about Ukraine, the implementation of our defence strategy and competitiveness. So we’ll meet again the day after tomorrow to continue this work, and certainly in the coming days and weeks, to continue not only this work for Europe but also this joint action alongside Ukraine for the sovereignty of our Ukrainian friends and the defence and security of all us Europeans. (…)./.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor accepting applications from employers for 2025 HIRE Vets Medallion Award until April 30

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor is accepting employers’ applications for the 2025 HIRE Vets Medallion Award through April 30, 2025, as part of its annual program to recognize employers for excellence in the recruitment, hiring, and retention of America’s military veterans.

    Initiated by the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act, the award recognizes small businesses, non-profit organizations, and large companies for their leadership in promoting veterans’ employment. Employers that receive the award in 2025 will join more than 2,000 employers that the department has recognized for their support of America’s veterans.

    To apply, employers must verify their organization meets award requirements, pay the application fee, and comply with the award program’s rules. 

    Apply for a HIRE Vets Medallion Award by the April 30, 2025, deadline.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: India-Based Chemical Manufacturing Company and Top Employees Indicted for Unlawful Importation of Fentanyl Precursor Chemicals

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    WASHINGTON — An India-based chemical manufacturing company and three high-level employees were charged in federal court in Washington, D.C., today related to illegally importing precursor chemicals used to make illicit fentanyl.

    According to the indictment, Vasudha Pharma Chem Limited (VPC), VPC Chief Global Business Officer Tanweer Ahmed Mohamed Hussain Parkar, 63, of India and the United Kingdom; VPC Marketing Director Venkata Naga Madhusudhan Raju Manthena,  48, of India; and VPC Marketing Representative Krishna Vericharla, 40, of India, were charged with multiple counts of manufacturing and distributing a List I fentanyl precursor chemical for unlawful importation into the United States, and attempting and conspiring to do the same.

    It is alleged VPC advertised fentanyl precursor chemicals for sale worldwide on its website, in marketing materials, and at international trade shows. From March through November 2024, the defendants conspired to distribute a fentanyl precursor chemical knowing it would be unlawfully imported into the United States and used to make fentanyl that would be unlawfully imported into the United States, according to the indictment. On two occasions, in March 2024 and August 2024, the defendants sold an undercover agent 25 kilograms of the fentanyl precursor chemical 1-(tert-Butoxycarbonyl)-4-piperidone, also called N-BOC-4-piperidone, (N-BOC-4P), a List I chemical.

    It is further alleged that between August and September 2024, defendants and the undercover agent negotiated a four-metric-ton (4,000 kilogram) purchase of N-BOC-4P – two metric tons of N-BOC-4P to be shipped to Sinaloa, Mexico, and another two metric tons of N-BOC-4P to be shipped to the United States – for a total price of approximately $380,000, knowing that the N-BOC-4P would be unlawfully imported into the United States and used to manufacture fentanyl that would be unlawfully imported into the United States.

    The four-count indictment charges all defendants with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute a listed chemical for unlawful importation into the United States and for the manufacture and distribution of a controlled substance for unlawful importation into the United States; manufacture and distribution of a listed chemical for unlawful importation into the United States; and attempted manufacture and distribution of a listed chemical for unlawful importation into the United States and for the manufacture and distribution of a controlled substance for unlawful importation into the United States. Additionally, defendants VPC, Vericharla, and Manthena are charged with a second count of manufacture and distribution of a listed chemical for unlawful importation into the United States. If convicted, the individual defendants face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. VPC faces a fine of $500,000 on each count.

    Federal agents arrested Parkar and Manthena in New York City this morning.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA Miami Field Division made the announcement.
     

    The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division’s Counternarcotic Cyber Investigations Task Force, a DEA-led multi-agency task force with members from Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, and state and local agencies from south Florida, are investigating the case. The Special Operations Unit of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section provided support.

    Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth and Trial Attorneys Jayce Born and Lernik Begian of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CEO Of Georgia HVAC Company Charged With Illegally Importing Harmful Greenhouse Gases Into The United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TRENTON, N.J. – The chief executive officer of a Georgia-based HVAC company has been charged with illegally importing 500 cylinders of potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) into the United States from Peru, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced today. This case is the second prosecution in the United States under the AIM Act, and the first prosecution of a corporate executive.

    William Randolph Hires a/k/a “Randy Hires,” 57, of Woodstock, Georgia and Lima, Peru, is charged by complaint with violating the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act) by unlawfully importing 500 cylinders of HFCs. Hires appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court.

    HFCs include refrigerants used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems commonly known as “Freon.” The global warming impact of an HFC can be hundreds to thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. Because of this, in 2020 Congress enacted the AIM Act, which authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs by 85 percent over time. 

    “The defendant’s actions in this case not only violated the AIM Act and created a threat to the environment they also unfairly disadvantaged other law-abiding U.S. businesses,” said Dan Meyers, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division. “Today’s charges send a clear message: Enforcement of the law protects our air, land, and water, ensuring a brighter future for our citizens and a level playing field for American businesses and workers.”

    “Hires disregarded our nation’s environmental laws and put our country at risk with shipments containing potent greenhouse gases,” said ICE HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “HSI Newark successfully conducts investigations into violations of U.S. import and export laws to ensure national security and protect the public’s health and safety. We will hold individuals and corporations accountable for violating global trade regulations.”
    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    In April 2022, on behalf of his company, Hires purchased 500 cylinders of HFCs in Peru. Over the next several months, EPA officials explained to Hires’s employees that, under the AIM Act and its implementing regulations, Hires’s company could not lawfully import the HFCs to the United States because it did not have the required EPA-issued allowances. In a July 22, 2022 email to one of Hires’s employees, an EPA official stated, in substance, “it is not possible to import bulk HFCs without consumption allowances.”

    Hires’s employees conveyed this information from the EPA to Hires on several occasions. On one occasion, an employee forwarded to Hires an email that the employee had received from an EPA official which stated, “[t]he HFC you listed (R-410A) is a regulated substance. So if you do not have allowances, you cannot import those bulk HFC refrigerants.” In another email exchange between Hires and an employee, the employee informed Hires that, based on a video conference the employee had with EPA officials, shipping without the necessary allowances would violate import laws so “[i]t is out of our hands.”

    Hires nevertheless instructed his employees to illegally import the HFCs into the United States. In a July 28, 2022 email, Hires stated to his employees: “[y]eah you have to be careful what agencies you’re reaching out to because the EPA . . . can create a hassle and they can hold our stuff up in customs there[.]” In a subsequent email, Hires instructed his employees to “get [the HFCs] on the ship and get it out to sea . . . don’t care what it takes[.]” Hires later instructed his employees via email: “Do not call the EPA please do not.”  

    The violation of the AIM Act with which Hires is charged carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    U.S. Attorney John Giordano credited special agents of the Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Divisions, under the direction of Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dan Meyers;  special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel; and officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Francis J. Russo, Director of Field Operations, New York Field Office, with the investigation leading to today’s charge.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Ecker and Bernard J. Cooney of the Health Care Fraud Unit, and Senior Trial Counsel Barbara Ward of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit, in Newark, and Trial Attorney Ronald A. Sarachan of the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Environmental and Natural Resources Division.

    The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: March Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments Announced

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments.

    The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

    Dylan Ray Alexander. Second Degree Murder in Indian Country;   Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (superseding). Alexander, 31, of Bartlesville and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with unlawfully killing Kevin Holden and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Additionally, Alexander is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bartlesville Police Department, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Dunn and Tara Heign are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-052

    Daniel Allen Ash; Amber Dawn Murphy.Second Degree Murder in Indian Country (Count 1); Child Neglect in Indian Country (Counts 2 through 5); Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country; (Count 6); Second Degree Murder in Indian Country (Count 7); Child Neglect in Indian Country (Counts 8 through 11). Both from Commerce, Ash, 32, and Murphy, 30, a member of the Cherokee Nation, are charged with unlawfully killing a minor child in Sep. 2024 and willfully neglecting the health, safety, and welfare of four minor children. Ash is further charged with engaging in a sexual act with a minor child under 12 years old. The FBI and Quapaw Nation Marshal Service are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-088

    Eric Lee Blanchard. Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country; Production of Child Pornography; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Blanchard, 21, of Broken Arrow and a member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, is charged with knowingly engaging in sexual activity with a minor under 16 years old and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce material showing the sexual abuse of children. Further, he is charged with coercing and enticing a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Homeland Security Investigations, Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-094

    Pedro Vazquez Camacho. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Camacho, 52, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Jun. 2009. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-089

    Kenneth Troy Cooper. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (superseding). Cooper, 58, of Drumright, is charged with possessing several firearms and various rounds of ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Creek Country Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-006

    Leonardo Giovanni Segura Curiel. Drug Conspiracy; Distribution of Fentanyl. Curiel, 26, a Mexican national, is charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl and intentionally distributing fentanyl. Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-082

    Karina Garcia-Salazar; Jorge Augusto Prieto-Gamboa. Conspiracy to Transfer Identification Documents; Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Use or Transfer Five or More Documents; Aggravated Identity Theft. Garcia-Salazar, 46, of Tulsa, Prieto-Gamboa, 40, a Mexican National, are charged with conspiring to make false identification documents in exchange for payment. They further conspired to knowingly possess with intent to transfer more than five identification documents, such as a United States Permanent Resident Card or Social Security Card, without lawful authority. Garcia-Salazar is additionally charged with unlawfully possessing and using the identification of others to create counterfeit permanent resident and social security cards. Homeland Security Investigations, Office of the Inspector General – Social Security Investigations, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-099

    Hayden Barclay Greene. Abusive Sexual Contact by Force or Threat in Indian Country; Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Suffocating in Indian Country; Assault by Striking, Beating, and Wounding in Indian Country (Misdemeanor). Greene, 47, of Tulsa and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is charged with engaging in a sexual act by force and threat. Additionally, Greene allegedly strangled an intimate dating partner and physically assaulted a second victim. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-095

    Phyllis Christine Henson. Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Henson, 63, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing she was previously convicted of a felony. She is charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana with intent to distribute. Additionally, Henson possessed a firearm while involved in drug trafficking and maintained a residence for the purposes of drug distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-096

    Patrick Kanaley; Teia Newberry. Drug Conspiracy; Distribution of Methamphetamine. Kanaley, 47, and Newberry, 45, of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from May 2024 through Jan. 2025. They are further charged with intentionally distributing a substance that contains a detectable amount of methamphetamine. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-097

    Steven Shain McDaniel. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. McDaniel, 49, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-098

    Jimmie Dewayne Martin. Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country (Count 1); Production of Child Pornography (Counts 2 through 4). Martin, 75, of Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting children under 12 years old engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Further, Martin is charged with using three minor children to produce images or videos that show the child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Ashley Robert are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-086

    Geovani Narvaez-Ramirez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Narvaez-Ramirez, 29, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Feb. 2017. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-090

    Adrian Marquez Rodriguez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Aggravated Identity Theft (superseding). Rodriguez, 46, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Nov. 2005. He is further charged with unlawfully using another person’s identification to stay in the United States. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office and Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-054

    Jose Juan Salas-Esparza. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Salas-Esparza, 47, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Dec. 2014. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-091

    E’Mari Yatel Stancle. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. Stancle, 27, of Muskogee, is charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and discharging a firearm while drug trafficking. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-105

    Joseph Austin Wagener. Theft in Indian Country – Over $1,000. Wagener, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with stealing personal property exceeding $1,000 in value. The Homeland Security Investigations and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-100

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: India-Based Chemical Manufacturing Company and Top Employees Indicted for Unlawful Importation of Fentanyl Precursor Chemicals

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    WASHINGTON — An India-based chemical manufacturing company and three high-level employees were charged in federal court in Washington, D.C., today related to illegally importing precursor chemicals used to make illicit fentanyl.

    According to the indictment, Vasudha Pharma Chem Limited (VPC), VPC Chief Global Business Officer Tanweer Ahmed Mohamed Hussain Parkar, 63, of India and the United Kingdom; VPC Marketing Director Venkata Naga Madhusudhan Raju Manthena,  48, of India; and VPC Marketing Representative Krishna Vericharla, 40, of India, were charged with multiple counts of manufacturing and distributing a List I fentanyl precursor chemical for unlawful importation into the United States, and attempting and conspiring to do the same.

    It is alleged VPC advertised fentanyl precursor chemicals for sale worldwide on its website, in marketing materials, and at international trade shows. From March through November 2024, the defendants conspired to distribute a fentanyl precursor chemical knowing it would be unlawfully imported into the United States and used to make fentanyl that would be unlawfully imported into the United States, according to the indictment. On two occasions, in March 2024 and August 2024, the defendants sold an undercover agent 25 kilograms of the fentanyl precursor chemical 1-(tert-Butoxycarbonyl)-4-piperidone, also called N-BOC-4-piperidone, (N-BOC-4P), a List I chemical.

    It is further alleged that between August and September 2024, defendants and the undercover agent negotiated a four-metric-ton (4,000 kilogram) purchase of N-BOC-4P – two metric tons of N-BOC-4P to be shipped to Sinaloa, Mexico, and another two metric tons of N-BOC-4P to be shipped to the United States – for a total price of approximately $380,000, knowing that the N-BOC-4P would be unlawfully imported into the United States and used to manufacture fentanyl that would be unlawfully imported into the United States.

    The four-count indictment charges all defendants with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute a listed chemical for unlawful importation into the United States and for the manufacture and distribution of a controlled substance for unlawful importation into the United States; manufacture and distribution of a listed chemical for unlawful importation into the United States; and attempted manufacture and distribution of a listed chemical for unlawful importation into the United States and for the manufacture and distribution of a controlled substance for unlawful importation into the United States. Additionally, defendants VPC, Vericharla, and Manthena are charged with a second count of manufacture and distribution of a listed chemical for unlawful importation into the United States. If convicted, the individual defendants face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. VPC faces a fine of $500,000 on each count.

    Federal agents arrested Parkar and Manthena in New York City this morning.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA Miami Field Division made the announcement.
     

    The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division’s Counternarcotic Cyber Investigations Task Force, a DEA-led multi-agency task force with members from Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, and state and local agencies from south Florida, are investigating the case. The Special Operations Unit of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section provided support.

    Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth and Trial Attorneys Jayce Born and Lernik Begian of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Vengeful ghost cat, divorce lizard, phantom horse: the animals that haunted Ancient Rome and Greece

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Willis, PhD Candidate, Classics and Ancient History, University of Newcastle

    djkett/Shutterstock

    You wake up at night sensing a weight on your legs that you thought was your pet dog – only to remember they died years ago. Or perhaps you know someone who swears they can still hear their childhood cat moving around the house, scratching at the door at night.

    Tales of ghost animals in our modern world are often framed as a comfort; the beloved pet returning to visit. But this has not always been the case.

    In ancient Greece and Rome, you might assume that the close relations between humans and animals would result in many tales of animal ghosts, but this is not the case. In fact, such stories are actually incredibly rare.

    And the handful of examples that do exist depict the ghostly animals not as friendly visitors but as mere tools for humans – often to do evil.

    1. Revenge of the ghost cat

    One such example comes from the Greek Magical Papyri, a document from Graeco-Roman Egypt that’s written mostly in ancient Greek.

    This handbook of spells and magic rituals was used by professional magicians dating from the second century BCE to the fifth century CE.

    It includes a spell that allows a practitioner of magic to use a ghost cat to get revenge on their enemy.

    This spell, listed in the document as “PGM III 1-164” does not have a specific goal but is described as suitable for:

    every ritual purpose: a charm to restrain charioteers in a race, a charm for sending dreams, a binding love charm, and a charm to cause separation and enmity.

    A translation note observes that all of these are forms of malicious magic.

    In this spell, the ghost cat is a mere tool of a nefarious human.
    Evgrafova Svetlana/Shutterstock

    The focus of this spell is the ritual drowning of a cat. While holding the cat’s body underwater, the magician recites an incantation and calls to the “cat-faced god[ess]” to inform them of the mistreatment that their sacred animal is suffering.

    However, the magician boldly lies to the god, claiming that it is their chosen human target who is responsible for the killing.

    The enterprising magician then offers a solution to this affront, asking the god to allow the cat to return as a ghost to serve them as a daimon (a supernatural being with mystical powers).

    With the god’s support the magician was then free to curse or bind their chosen victim, suitably reframing the action as the cat’s own revenge against its presumed murderer.

    2. The divorce lizard

    Our second example also comes from the Greek Magical Papyri (listed as “PGM LXI. 39-71”).

    Like many erotic spells of antiquity, this spell was designed to attract a chosen target to the magician.

    However, some targets were easier to attract than others.

    This text offers a ritual solution to would-be magicians whose chosen victim was already married. By harnessing the power of another ghostly animal daimon, this ritual aims to destroy the marriage.

    The text begins by instructing the magician to find a spotted lizard “from the place where bodies are mummified”, kill it with hot coals and make it into a ghostly daimon.

    Take one lizard ‘from the place where bodies are mummified’…
    Cheshir.002/Shutterstock

    While the lizard is dying, the magician recites an incantation. This spell aims to destroy the couple’s relationship by making them hate each other.

    Later, hiding outside the couple’s home with the lizard’s ashes, the magician calls upon the newly dead lizard to return as a ghost daimon and force the target to abandon her marital home using its supernatural powers.

    Once complete, the target would become especially vulnerable to an attraction spell.

    3. The ghostly cavalry

    The final example comes from a document known as Descriptions of Greece, written by Greek traveller and geographer Pausanias in the second century CE.

    The author recounts a local tale about a haunted field where the Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BCE.

    Here, Pausanias claims, the sounds of “horses neighing and men fighting” can be heard every night as the ghosts of fallen Greek and Persian soldiers continue to do battle.

    Interestingly, Pausanias is careful to warn his readers that those who deliberately seek out these ghosts will suffer their wrath. Thankfully, though, anyone that stumbles upon them by accident will remain safe.

    Unlike the first two examples, these ghost horses are not facilitated by magic or divine power. So, why were they believed to return as ghosts when other horses did not? Just as the ghosts of infantry men retained their swords and shields so they could continue to battle each night, the horses remained an essential tool for the ghosts of the cavalrymen.

    The sound of ‘horses neighing and men fighting’ can be heard at one battlefield, Greek traveller Pausanias reports.
    knight of silence/Shutterstock

    Animals with a ghostly purpose

    These examples provide a fascinating window into the perception of animals in antiquity.

    It is well evidenced that the Greeks and Romans adored their pets, and in everyday life animals were given many different roles in society.

    However, after death these roles are drastically narrowed. In ancient times, animals seem only to return as ghosts in situations where they exist as tools for human use.

    It remains to be seen what afterlife the ancients believed would be experienced by animals without a ghostly purpose.

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

    – ref. Vengeful ghost cat, divorce lizard, phantom horse: the animals that haunted Ancient Rome and Greece – https://theconversation.com/vengeful-ghost-cat-divorce-lizard-phantom-horse-the-animals-that-haunted-ancient-rome-and-greece-249482

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The viability of some charities could rest on how they’re taxed – we should be cautious about changing the rules

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Juliet Chevalier-Watts, Associate Professor, Law School, University of Waikato

    Ground Picture/Shutterstock

    There have long been calls for New Zealand’s charity-linked businesses to lose their tax exemption status. Under the current rules, companies such as Sanitarium, which is wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist church pay no income tax.

    This could all change very soon.

    Inland Revenue recently opened consultation on rule changes that would include taxing business income unrelated to a charity’s charitable purpose. The consultation period runs until the end of this month.

    But overhauling the tax rules could undermine the sustainability of some charities, making it harder for them to continue their work.

    Our ongoing research looks into the economic contribution of the sector and, in particular, focuses on religious charities. The total value of the services provided by these charities in 2018 alone was NZ$6.1 billion – the equivalent of around 3% of annual government expenditure.

    Other studies have shown the substantial contributions charities make to education, sports, the arts, the environment and other activities that don’t get enough support from the government.

    Making a profit

    There are more than 29,000 registered charities in New Zealand. To register as one, an entity must meet strict legal criteria entrenched in the Charities Act 2005.

    Charities have to fall within one of four legally-recognised charitable purposes: relief of poverty, advancement of education, advancement of religion, and any other purposes beneficial to the community.

    The government recognises the high bar charities have to meet by giving some tax exemptions. This allows the charities to focus on providing benefits to communities rather than having to divert funds to the government. The exemptions are on both passive income (stocks, for example) as well as business income.

    But the issue is not as simple as certain criticisms might imply.

    Charities need to sustain themselves over time – particularly as donations fluctuate. Untaxed profits from charity-linked businesses allow them to do this, and changing the rules could undermine future cash flow for these groups.

    This argument should not be overstated. Removing the exemption won’t completely wipe out a charity’s profits. But it takes a portion of income that would then need to be covered by an increase in donations.

    The Inland Revenue discussion paper also only offers examples of businesses in the primary industry (farming, for example) and manufacturing sectors. But it is silent about the financial and services sectors. It appears charities’ income from interest or financial assets will still be exempt.

    This is not necessarily a bad thing.

    Holding assets such as a portfolio of stocks or bonds can improve charities’ ability to plan for the long term. But the tax rules should remain consistent between financial assets and non-financial assets, such as a farm or business.

    The Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company, the manufacturer of Weet-Bix, Marmite and other well known grocery items, is wholly owned by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and doesn’t pay income tax.
    Adam Constanza/Shutterstock

    Will the gains be worth the cost?

    To better balance the contribution of charities to wider society with efforts to mak tax rules fair, there are a few points the government needs to consider.

    • Firstly, society benefits from having a wide variety of charities. Allowing them to build a stable financial base allows them to grow and continue to do their work.

    • There will always be gaps in what the government is able to provide. It’s arguably more efficient to address unmet need with charities than by leaving it to individuals to find donations themselves.

    • Charities should be able to structure themselves in ways that make them less dependent on donations.

    • The government needs to also consider what it would cost to overhaul the current tax rules when it comes to charities. Administrative costs for everyone could end up being greater than the revenue gained.

    • Finally, the impact of the proposed changes would extend beyond religious organisations to include gaming trusts, universities and asset-holding charities that provide significant funding for sports, arts, cultural and welfare organisations.

    Having public consultation on Inland Revenue’s proposed changes is a good start, but it is just that.

    More needs to be done to understand the implications for communities should tax changes occur – and what could be lost if charities are substantially less sustainable. So, if the government delivers a plan, let’s read and evaluate the small print.

    The authors thank Steven Moe, Partner at Parryfield Lawyers, for his significant help and mahi in contributing to this article.

    Juliet Chevalier-Watts receives funding from The Wilberforce Foundation and the InterChurch Bureau.

    Over four decades I have served as a volunteer and trustee for a range of development, educational, health and religious charities.

    – ref. The viability of some charities could rest on how they’re taxed – we should be cautious about changing the rules – https://theconversation.com/the-viability-of-some-charities-could-rest-on-how-theyre-taxed-we-should-be-cautious-about-changing-the-rules-251137

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IP Bryant, GVP Bennett Visit IAM Rail Division Local 2741 Members Building New Amtrak Trainsets

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM Union International President Brian Bryant, Special Assistant to the International President for the Rail Division Josh Hartford, and Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett recently visited Alstom Transportation’s Hornell, N.Y., plant where IAM Local 2741 (District 19) members build and refurbish locomotives, commuter and passenger rail cars, and track equipment, including the next-generation Acela trainsets for Amtrak. 

    Members of Alstom’s international leadership joined the IAM delegation for a site tour.

    Click here for photos of the visit. 

    “We are here to assist in every way we can when the membership benefits,” said Bryant. “We want Alstom to thrive because we want our members to thrive. We hope to aid Alstom in growing demand for rail projects and building a strong, enduring workforce to supply it.”

    IAM Union recently organized Alstom employees at their Plattsburgh, N.Y., location as well, and the union has worked to help the company acquire contracts that will require more hiring to meet demand. The IAM is currently bargaining a first contract for Alstom members in Plattsburgh.

    “We worked very closely together with the company throughout the pandemic,” said Hartford. “It’s a good relationship. We are all invested in passenger rail flourishing for our country and in supporting the workers who will make it happen.”

    “We are all looking forward to the future of passenger train service, including high speed rail, in the United States,” said Bennett. “We’re incredibly proud to represent these members.”

    Share and Follow:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Announces District Court Appointments

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Announces District Court Appointments

    Governor Stein Announces District Court Appointments
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today, Governor Josh Stein announced the following judicial appointments:

    Jennifer Wells to the District Court for Judicial District 1, serving Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, and Perquimans Counties. Wells is filling the vacancy created after Judge Edgar Barnes retired.  

    • Wells most recently served as an Assistant Public Defender with the Office of the First Judicial District Public Defender. She received her B.A. from Tulane University and her J.D. from Campbell University School of Law.  

    Cameron “Chip” Harrison to the District Court for Judicial District 38, serving Gaston County. Harrison is filling the vacancy created after Judge Craig Collins was elected to the Superior Court.

    • Harrison most recently served as an Assistant Public Defender with the Gaston County Public Defender’s Office. He has also served as an Attorney at Law at the Law Office of Aaron Bradshaw and was an Instructor of Business Law at Alamance Community College. Harrison received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina – Wilmington, and his J.D. from North Carolina Central University.  

    “Given their experience and record as public defenders, I am proud to appoint Jennifer and Cameron to the District Courts,” said Governor Josh Stein. “They will be fair and hard-working jurists, and I look forward to their service.”  

    Mar 20, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc. Announces Increased Quarterly Cash Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: NECB) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per common share. The dividend will be paid on or about May 6, 2025 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on April 7, 2025.

    “We are pleased to increase our quarterly dividend to shareholders,” said Kenneth A. Martinek, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. “The payment of dividends continues to represent one part of our long-term commitment to enhancing shareholder value.”

    About NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc.

    NorthEast Community Bancorp, headquartered at 325 Hamilton Avenue, White Plains, New York 10601, is the holding company for NorthEast Community Bank, which conducts business through its eleven branch offices located in Bronx, New York, Orange, Rockland, and Sullivan Counties in New York and Essex, Middlesex, and Norfolk Counties in Massachusetts and three loan production offices located in New City, New York, White Plains, New York, and Danvers, Massachusetts. For more information about NorthEast Community Bancorp and NorthEast Community Bank, please visit www.necb.com.

    Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding anticipated future events and can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” and “intend” or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may.” These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include, but are not limited to, changes in market interest rates, regional and national economic conditions (including higher inflation and its impact on regional and national economic conditions), legislative and regulatory changes, monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government, including policies of the United States Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board, the quality and composition of the loan or investment portfolios, demand for loan products, decreases in deposit levels necessitating increased borrowing to fund loans and securities, competition, demand for financial services in NorthEast Community Bank’s market area, changes in the real estate market values in NorthEast Community Bank’s market area, the impact of failures or disruptions in or breaches of the Company’s operational or security systems, data or infrastructure, or those of third parties, including as a result of cyberattacks or campaigns, and changes in relevant accounting principles and guidelines. Additionally, other risks and uncertainties may be described in our annual and quarterly reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are available through the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating any forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, the Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to release publicly the result of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

       
    CONTACT: Kenneth A. Martinek
      Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
    PHONE: (914) 684-2500
       

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: York County Tax Preparer Indicted for Submission of Fraudulent PPP Loan Applications and Destruction of Records

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dommonick T. Chatman, age 49, of York, Pennsylvania, was indicted on twenty counts of bank fraud and one count of destroying records in a federal investigation.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Chatman either submitted or caused to be submitted false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications and supporting documentation in order to obtain funds for his clients and kickback payments to himself.

    The PPP program was created by the March 2020 CARES Act, as part of the United States government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public’s health and economic well-being. The PPP program was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses.

               According to the indictment, Chatman operated a business located in York, PA, known as The Chatman Group, LLC, through which he offered tax-preparation services. It is alleged that Chatman discussed the PPP and funds available through the PPP with existing and prospective clients of his company. If the clients decided to move forward with PPP loan applications, Chatman prepared a PPP loan application for and on behalf of a client or directed an employee of The Chatman Group to prepare an application using information that he provided. Chatman then knowingly inserted false and fraudulent information into clients’ applications and supporting documentation. For example, several loan applications were supported by a Schedule C—an official IRS tax form for the reporting of business income by a sole proprietor—claiming over $100,000 in gross receipts when, in reality, the taxpayer either did not file a Schedule C for the corresponding tax year or filed a Schedule C reporting gross receipts of less than $15,000.

    A financial institution, including at times an unnamed financial institution headquartered in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, then approved such loans in reliance on the documentation submitted to it.

    The indictment contains twenty individual charges of bank fraud, each of which is based on an allegedly false and fraudulent PPP loan application filed during March and April 2021. Most of the applications were for a requested amount of approximately $20,833, which was the maximum possible amount for a sole proprietor with no employees. 

    The indictment also alleges that in November and December 2022, after being contacted and interviewed by members of federal law enforcement, Chatman knowingly destroyed records—including electronically stored PPP loan applications of clients and a hard copy list of PPP loan applications of clients—with the intent to obstruct a federal grand jury investigation. 

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case. 

    The maximum penalty under federal law for bank fraud is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty for destruction of records in a federal investigation is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

    Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    # # #

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Glastonbury is as popular as ever, but complaints about the lineup reveal its generational challenge

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adrian York, Senior Lecturer in Commercial Music Performance, University of Westminster

    Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock since 1970 you will be aware of the five-day Glastonbury festival held every June (apart from “fallow” years to rest the land and the organisers), near Pilton in Somerset. Glastonbury is as much a pillar of the English summer as tennis at Wimbledon or opera at Glyndebourne.

    It’s a white, middle-class rite of passage and an easy win for people wishing peer approval and the cultural capital that comes with the price of a ticket. It’s expensive and exclusive and the booking policy reflects its audience.

    This year’s headliners include indie pop-rock darlings The 1975, angry girl supreme Olivia Rodrigo, old-school superstar Neil Young with his band the Chrome Hearts, with family favourite Rod Stewart filling the Sunday teatime “legend” slot.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Other acts filling the 100-plus stages include Brat popster Charli XCX, English hip-hopper Loyle Carner, original bad boys The Prodigy (without original frontman Keith Flint, RIP) plus Raye, Doechii, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, and old pros Alanis Morissette, En Vogue and Gary Numan.

    With tickets costing £378.50 for Glastonbury 2025, are the 210,000 attendees getting value for money?

    A Reddit thread titled “Glastonbury 2025 lineup, thoughts?”, gives a flavour of some commonly aired opinions. Disappointed customer praf973 “tried to get tickets but was unsuccessful. I’m not bitter, but the line up isn’t really looking that great.” Another commenter, Whilst-I-was-forced, declared: “Nothing to get excited about. It’s gone too commercial and sterile.”

    Ok_Handle_3530 gave a different perspective: “This line-up looks … great, people are too hard to please.” ShankSpencer opined, “There are no good line-ups any more. No one young listens to bands any more, so there are no headline acts.”

    The exceptionally popular festival sold out in 35 minutes this year even before the artists had been announced, raising the question: has Glastonbury become a victim of its own success?

    Last year there were issues with overcrowding at some of the smaller stages creating issues for fans wanting to see acts such as the Sugababes. Some sets were even being stopped early because of crowd surges.

    But what’s really behind these complaints about the lineup and are they justified? There’s been a changing of the guard as the veteran generation of performers from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s step back from performing because they have retired, are too ill or have died.

    There doesn’t seem to be enough credible stadium acts from the 1990s onwards to fill their shoes, leading to a lack of enthusiasm for the current offerings. The new generation of acts have an opportunity to impress, but many of them don’t have the volume of hits that legacy acts such as Elton John or Paul McCartney provide – nor the cross-generational appeal.

    There is also a growing sense that the cultural importance of the rock band is fading. Gen Z has far more in the way of distractions than previous generations with myriad forms of social media and digital entertainment. With so much competition for their attention, the tribal allegiances that bands used to command may feel dated and irrelevant to many younger people.

    On their single Guys, one of this year’s headliners, The 1975 trill: “The moment that we started a band was the best thing that ever happened.” Perhaps lead singer Matty Healy’s love affair with the mythology of rock’n’roll is no longer widely shared.

    Glastonbury has also been criticised for a lack of diversity. Clubbing magazine Mixmag made the point that in 2023, “the number of male acts playing this year’s Glastonbury Festival is nearly double that of female acts”.

    Similarly, the festival’s lineup and audience are predominantly white and fail to adequately reflect the British music industry. Though there have been a few black bands and artists headlining over the years, it wasn’t until 2019 that the first solo black British performer headlined on the Pyramid stage, with an unforgettable set from London rapper Stormzy in a black Union Jack stab vest designed by Banksy.

    For Glastonbury to move with the times, a more diverse booking policy is needed to widen the audience demographic and the festival’s appeal. Despite having enjoyed the event, mixed-heritage music journalist and academic Jenessa Williams noted: “I was still left with the feeling that certain punters saw black artists as a mockable novelty, a by-product to tolerate rather than truly a piece of the event’s heart and soul.”

    And then there’s the issue of cost. According to a 2024 report, two-thirds of UK adults feel that music festivals are becoming too expensive. Popular music artists have had to pivot towards live events for income generation because of the poor returns from streaming compared to selling albums.

    So are major tours and larger festivals such as Glastonbury sucking revenue out of the music economy? Research shows that while big high-profile event tours are making millions, at the other end of the spectrum grassroots venues – where new talent is incubated – are buckling under a lack of support and the prohibitive costs of running their operations.

    Glastonbury won’t be making an appearance in 2026, the next fallow year for rest and recovery. This will create an opportunity for organiser Emily Eavis to reflect on some of the more problematical issues the festival faces, from diversity in the audience and artists, to the sustainability of the talent pipeline.

    Maybe the last word should go to American rapper Azealia Banks commenting on this year’s festival lineup: “Glastonbury is kinda cooked.”

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

    – ref. Glastonbury is as popular as ever, but complaints about the lineup reveal its generational challenge – https://theconversation.com/glastonbury-is-as-popular-as-ever-but-complaints-about-the-lineup-reveal-its-generational-challenge-252588

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Meets Business Leaders in Metairie, Tours DSC Dredge Facility in Reserve

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    METAIRIE – Yesterday in Metairie, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) met with the Jefferson Business Council, a collection of Presidents and CEOs of major companies in Jefferson Parish. They discussed their concerns about issues affecting families and business owners in the parish.
    “The members of the Jefferson Business Council had great questions about making flood insurance affordable and vaccinating children against measles,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We will work together with Congress and President Trump to meet these goals, so this community can be healthier and more affordable for families.”
    A priority for both families and business owners in the New Orleans area is keeping flood insurance affordable. Last Thursday, Cassidy went to the Senate floor to call on Congress to renew the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for another two years, instead of having to rely on short-term extensions. He also proposed the bipartisan Flood Insurance Affordability Tax Credit Act in February, which would give low- and middle-income households enrolled in the NFIP a 33% refundable tax credit to combat rising flood insurance premiums.
    Cassidy is also working to renew the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, which he supported and helped pass into law late that year. To that end, Cassidy recently met with President Trump as a Republican member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, to discuss how to renew the TCJA while also providing more tax relief to middle-class families and balancing the budget.
    Cassidy was welcomed to the meeting by Mr. Mark Rosa, Chairman of the Jefferson Business Council.
    “On behalf of the Jefferson Business Council, it is a pleasure to meet with Senator Cassidy,” said Mr. Rosa. “Members of the JBS always welcome hearing from our representatives in Washington to speak to us on matters that will potentially impact the quality of life of the residents of Jefferson Parish.”
    Later, Cassidy visited DSC Dredge in Reserve, where he learned how they build custom dredges and dredge control systems that make harbors and shipping channels navigable to keep the flow of commerce going.
    “DSC Dredge is an incredibly innovative company based in Louisiana whose dredges are being used from the LSU Lakes to Bangladesh,” said Dr. Cassidy. “And they beat the competition.”
    Cassidy’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) included $109 million for federal projects sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge and repair damages caused by Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta. Another $808 million was included for the Mississippi River and tributaries, and $251 million for flood and coastal emergencies, directly benefiting Louisiana. Thanks to these efforts, dredging for various Corps projects was funded months after the passage of the IIA, including for the Atchafalaya River and Bayous Chene, Boeuf and Black, the Barataria Bay Waterway, the Freshwater Bayou, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
    While at DSC Dredge, Cassidy toured the facility and met both with executives and employees of the company. Cassidy was welcomed by Mr. Bob and Bill Wetta, brothers and co-owners of DSC Dredge.
    “Our team takes great pride in designing and building dredges that keep America’s waterways open, provide critical infrastructure materials and perform environmental restoration and mitigation services,” said the Wettas. “We appreciate Senator Cassidy’s commitment to supporting industries like DSC Dredge that manufacture products critical to this mission. During the roundtable, our employees had the valuable opportunity to speak with the Senator, ask questions on key issues, and gain insights they wouldn’t have otherwise received. We are grateful for the time he took to engage directly with our team and hear their perspectives firsthand.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Crapo, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Correct Biden-Harris Attack on Louisiana Commuters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and a group of Republican colleagues reintroduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act to repeal the aggressive Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tailpipe rule from President Biden and Vice President Harris amid their efforts to phase out gas-powered cars and trucks. The CARS Act protects Louisianans’ right to choose what cars they drive and works to prevent future regulations on affordable, reliable vehicles. “Making Louisiana families pay for EV tax breaks for rich peoples’ cars was one of the many bad things the Biden Administration did,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The CARS Act helps fix this damage!”“The rule-making process under the previous Administration pushed a radical green agenda that harmed consumer choice in the automobile industry,” said Senator Crapo. “Americans deserve to have access to affordable, reliable vehicles fueled by American-made energy products. However, the EPA’s tailpipe rule will hurt everyday Americans while simultaneously helping China. Consequences of rules and regulations such as these restrict consumer choice and raise costs for the average American family.”
    Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the EPA finalized a rule titled “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Year 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles,” which sets stringent emissions standards for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses for these vehicles and is a de facto EV mandate.  Under the rule, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles–which still represent the overwhelming majority of new car sales–can make up no more than 30 percent of new sales by 2032.  
    The average price of an electric vehicle (EV) is still significantly higher than the average price of a gas-powered vehicle, even with massive government subsidies for EVs paid for by American taxpayers.  EV mandates threaten to hurt everyday Americans and cost auto workers their jobs while simultaneously helping China, given that China continues to dominate the EV supply chain.  In recent years, demand for EVs made up less than ten percent of new car sales.
    The CARS Act would:
    Rescind the EPA tailpipe emissions rule;
    Prohibit the use of authority under the Clean Air Act to issue regulations that mandate the use of any specific technology or that limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine type.  This includes any regulation prescribed on or after January 1, 2021;
    Require the EPA to update any regulations since January 1, 2021, that result in the limited availability of new vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine within two years; and
    End the EPA’s radical agenda, which is driving up costs for people and handing the keys of America’s auto industry to China.
    Cassidy and Crapo were joined by U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Florida), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) in cosponsoring the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Marshall Visits Key Kansas Agriculture Sites on National Ag Day 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Wichita –In honor of National Agriculture Day on Tuesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) visited Tractor Supply in Eureka, Flickner Innovation Farm in Moundridge, and Cargill Innovation Center in Wichita. After touring the sites and discussing issues impacting the agriculture industry with staff, researchers, and farmers, Senator Marshall released the following statement.
    “National Agriculture Day serves as a platform to recognize the amazing contributions of our farmers and ranchers who work tirelessly to keep America supplied with nutritious food and critically important resources like biofuels,” said Senator Marshall. “The United States has the safest, most affordable, and most available real food supply on earth — and it’s not even close. I will always fight to advance Kansas’ agricultural priorities, support our farmers and ranchers, and strengthen our food supply.”
    Highlights from the visits include: 
    Tractor Supply
    At the Tractor Supply location in Eureka, Senator Marshall met with staff and discussed the company’s initiatives, including expanding access to rural broadband. Tractor Supply is the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States.

    Flickner Innovation Farm
    At Flickner Innovation Farm, topics of discussion included new irrigation technologies and the NASA Farm Innovation Ambassador Team program. Additionally, Senator Marshall, scientists, and farmers discussed Flickner’s research into fertilizer application systems, the use of lime on soil, and groundwater nitrate levels.
    Flickner Innovation Farm is a working farm and research hub that focuses on testing and implementing innovative agricultural technologies and practices to improve soil health, water conservation, and overall sustainability in farming. 

    Cargill Innovation Center
    At Cargill Innovation Center in Wichita, Senator Marshall toured the 75,000-square-foot facility that features state-of-the-art labs, a USDA-inspected pilot plant, and more. While there, Senator Marshall and Cargill staff discussed the company’s food safety innovations, product consistency testing, and the center’s role in supporting the global food industry.
    Cargill is a global, privately held American multinational food corporation and agribusiness company, founded in 1865, that provides food, agricultural, financial, and industrial products and services worldwide. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Statement on Jury Decision in Lawsuit Over DAPL Protests

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    03.19.25

    BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after a North Dakota jury ruled in favor of Energy Transfer in the company’s lawsuit against Greenpeace over its role in the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

    “The Dakota Access Pipeline was built with the latest, greatest technology and safety features, and the company went through all of the required regulatory and permitting steps. These facts are reaffirmed by today’s decision in court,” said Senator Hoeven. “This pipeline is important not only to North Dakota’s success as a global energy powerhouse, but our nation’s energy security. We will continue working to provide regulatory certainty for this and energy projects across the country, taking the handcuffs off our energy producers to make the U.S. truly energy dominant.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Media Advisory: Infrastructure Announcement in Edmonton

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Edmonton, Alberta, March 20, 2025 — Members of the media are invited to an infrastructure announcement with the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, and Marjorie Bencz, CM, Executive Director of Edmonton’s Food Bank.

    Date:
    Friday, March 21, 2025

    Time:
    9:00 a.m. [MDT]

    Location:
    Edmonton’s Food Bank (main building)
    11508 120 ST, NW
    Edmonton AB T5G 2Y2

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operators Of Jacksonville Roofing Business Sentenced To Federal Prison For Payroll Tax Fraud And Workers’ Compensation Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Jacksonville residents Travis Morgan Slaughter and Tripp Charles Slaughter to 41 months and 21 months in federal prison, respectively, for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud related to Jacksonville roofing businesses they operated. The Slaughters pled guilty on November 25, 2024.

    As part of their sentence, the court entered an order of forfeiture against Travis Slaughter in the amount of $2,780,947.56 and against Tripp Slaughter in the amount $416,799.66, which were proceeds traceable to the mail and wire fraud offenses. The court also ordered Travis Slaughter to pay restitution in the amount of $6,768,612.32 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for payroll tax losses, $2,780,947.56 to two insurance companies for unpaid workers’ compensation insurance premiums, and $271,217.39 to the same two companies for two paid workers’ compensation claims. The court ordered Tripp Slaughter to pay restitution of $623,269.64 to the IRS for payroll tax losses, $416,799.66 to an insurance company for unpaid workers’ compensation insurance premiums, and $137,778.39 to the same company for a paid workers’ compensation claim.

    According to court documents, beginning in 2007, Travis Slaughter operated a roofing business in Jacksonville, first under the name Great White Construction and then under the name Florida Roofing Experts. In January 2020, the business began operating under the name 5 Star Roofing Services, which Tripp Slaughter incorporated. Although the name changed, each business operated in the same manner, banked at the same financial institutions, and employed the same employees.

    The company contracted with professional employer organizations (PEOs) to prepare payroll checks for employees, after making deductions for payroll taxes, and to file payroll tax returns and forward tax payments to governmental authorities. However, the company did not provide the PEOs with information about all the hours worked by, or all the wages due to, its employees. Instead, the company also paid the employees directly, with separate checks drawn on company bank accounts, and did not deduct payroll taxes from these checks. By paying employees with “split checks”—one from the PEO and one from the company—the company avoided paying the full amount of payroll taxes due to the IRS. For the period of October 2015 through June 2020, the company paid a total of approximately $23,079,680 in wages that were not reported to the IRS. The payroll taxes due to the IRS on this amount total approximately $4,292,429. The PEOs also secured workers’ compensation insurance coverage for the company. The premiums charged by the workers’ compensation insurers were based on the total amount of payroll that the company reported to the PEOs. If the company had reported the actual amount of payroll, the insurers would have charged additional premiums totaling approximately $2,780,947.

    In addition to causing the company to underreport their payroll to the IRS, the Slaughters also underreported their personal income to the IRS. For the tax years 2014 through 2019, the unpaid taxes due on Travis Slaughter’s unreported income totaled approximately $2,467,183. For the tax years 2015 through 2019, the unpaid taxes due on Tripp Slaughter’s unreported income totaled approximately $263,614.

    “The actions of these two defendants represent a blatant disregard for U.S. law and our financial systems. Despite operating successful construction businesses that generated millions of dollars in wealth, their greed drove them to lie and cheat for years,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker, of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Tampa Field Office. “Their scheme to evade millions of dollars in taxes not only undermined the integrity of our tax system but also created an unfair advantage in which law-abiding competitors cannot compete for bids.  Our job is to make sure dishonest offenders like these two face the consequences of their criminal activities.”

    “The Slaughters defrauded insurance companies of millions in workers’ compensation insurance premiums and will be responsible for financial restitution for the loss of insurance premiums and death and injury claims,” said ICE HSI Tampa, Jacksonville office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker. “As part of this criminal enterprise, they also exploited the labor of hundreds of illegal aliens.”

    This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Controller Indicted for Embezzling Over $1 Million from Fresno Fruit Wholesaler

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — On Feb. 27, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Sergio Zacarias Lopez, 57, a Mexican citizen residing in Fresno, charging him with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following his arrest today.

    According to court documents, between January 2016 and June 2023, Zacarias Lopez abused his position as the accounting supervisor and controller to defraud a family-run Fresno fruit wholesaler. Zacarias Lopez would write multiple company checks payable to “cash” and then deposit them into his own personal bank account through local ATMs. He signed the fraudulent checks using the signatures of other employees with signatory authority, including one of the founders of the company. Through this scheme, Zacarias Lopez embezzled more than $1 million before he was eventually detected by one of the banks and terminated by the company. To secure his accounting role in the first place, Zacarias Lopez stole a valid social security number and used that along with other falsified employment documents to conceal his lack of legal status. The indictment also states that Zacarias Lopez was previously removed from the United States in 2000 and has not been permitted to return to the United States.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Lee is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted of bank fraud, Zacarias Lopez faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. If convicted of aggravated identity theft or illegal re-entry of a removed alien, he faces a penalty of two years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Baltic Horizon Fund plans to redeem early part of the bonds

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Baltic Horizon Fund is proceeding with the execution of its previously announced plan to reduce bond exposure and will redeem the fourth part of its bonds in the total nominal amount of EUR 3,000,001.20 on 10 April 2025. The redemption is planned to be carried out by way of decreasing the nominal value of the bonds and the new nominal value would be EUR 45,238.09 per bond. The amount payable to investors per one Bond is EUR 7,264.43, including redemption payment and accrued but unpaid interestThe total nominal amount of the bonds before the redemption is EUR 21,999,999 and after the redemption would be EUR 18,999,997.8. The list of bondholders will be fixed at the end of the working day of the Nasdaq CSD settlement system on 4 April 2025.

    For additional information, please contact:        

    Tarmo Karotam
    Baltic Horizon Fund manager
    E-mail tarmo.karotam@nh-cap.com
    www.baltichorizon.com

    Baltic Horizon Fund is a registered contractual public closed-end real estate fund managed by Alternative Investment Fund Manager license holder Northern Horizon Capital AS. Both the Fund and the Management Company are supervised by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority.

    Distribution: Nasdaq, GlobeNewswire, www.baltichorizon.com

    To receive Nasdaq announcements and news from Baltic Horizon Fund about its projects, plans and more, register on www.baltichorizon.com. You can also follow Baltic Horizon Fund on www.baltichorizon.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and YouTube.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Meriwest Credit Union Named Best in Silicon Valley 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SILICON VALLEY, Calif., March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meriwest Credit Union proudly announces its recognition as “Best in Silicon Valley 2025” by the Mercury News Readers’ Choice Awards. This accolade highlights Meriwest’s continuing commitment to making a meaningful impact in the lives of its members and the greater community.

    Meriwest continues to build on its reputation as a trusted financial partner in Silicon Valley by taking bold steps to support the community. Among these, Meriwest team members hosted financial literacy workshops that provided essential knowledge for financial success to over 8,600 residents. Meriwest also actively engaged in nearly 550 events to promote financial education and support while aiding 23 local nonprofit organizations.

    Meriwest’s dedication reaches beyond community outreach, fostering an inclusive environment for employees and members alike. In 2024, the Silicon Valley Business Journal and San Francisco Business Times named Meriwest a “Best Place to Work,” for a 5th year in a row, an honor reflecting its workplace culture.

    “At Meriwest, our actions speak louder than words,” said Lisa Pesta, President and CEO of Meriwest Credit Union. “Being named a Best in Silicon Valley 2025 winner is a testament to our team’s passion for enhancing financial well-being and building a stronger community. We’re honored to serve Silicon Valley and remain committed to a future where everyone prospers.”

    With a legacy of innovation and service since 1961, Meriwest Credit Union continues to lead the way in financial empowerment. Join us on this journey toward a brighter, more secure tomorrow—Because We’re YouSM.

    About Meriwest Credit Union

    Founded in San Jose, California in 1961, Meriwest Credit Union, ($2.1B in assets) is one of Silicon Valley’s most established financial institutions. Dedicated to delivering advice-based, personal, convenient, and innovative financial services to over 80,000 families and businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Pima County, Arizona, Meriwest offers a wide array of personal banking, business services, and wealth advisory services. Meriwest has been voted one of the ‘Best Credit Unions in Silicon Valley’ in the Mercury News’ Annual ‘Readers’ Choice Awards’ and a “Best Place to Work” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal 2020 through 2024. More information can be found at www.meriwest.com.

    Media Contact:
    Jeffrey Zane
    Meriwest Credit Union
    Public Relations
    408-612-1484
    jzane@meriwest.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement on Certain Proof-of-Work Mining Activities

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    Introduction

    As part of an effort to provide greater clarity on the application of the federal securities laws to crypto assets,[1] the Division of Corporation Finance is providing its views[2] on certain activities on proof-of-work networks known as “mining.” Specifically, this statement addresses the mining of crypto assets that are intrinsically linked to the programmatic functioning of a public, permissionless network, and are used to participate in and/or earned for participating in such network’s consensus mechanism or otherwise used to maintain and/or earned for maintaining the technological operation and security of such network. We refer in this statement to these crypto assets as “Covered Crypto Assets”[3] and their mining on proof-of-work networks as “Protocol Mining.”[4]

    Protocol Mining

    Networks rely upon cryptography and economic mechanism design to eliminate the need for designated trusted intermediaries to verify network transactions and provide settlement assurances to users. The operation of each network is governed by an underlying software protocol, consisting of computer code, that programmatically enforces certain network rules, technical requirements, and rewards distributions. Each protocol incorporates a “consensus mechanism,” or method for enabling the distributed network of unrelated computers (known as “nodes”) that maintain the peer-to-peer network to agree on the “state,” or authoritative record of network address ownership balances, transactions, smart contract code, and other data, of the network. Public, permissionless networks allow anyone to participate in the network’s operation, including the validation of new transactions to the network in accordance with the network’s consensus mechanism.

    Proof-of-work (“PoW”) is a consensus mechanism that incentivizes network transaction validation by rewarding network participants, called “miners,” who operate nodes adding computational resources to the network.[5] PoW involves validating transactions on a network and adding them in blocks to the distributed ledger. The “work” in PoW is the computational resources that miners contribute to validate transactions and add new blocks to the network. Miners do not have to own the network’s Covered Crypto Asset to validate transactions.

    Miners use computers to solve complex mathematical equations in the form of cryptographic puzzles. Miners compete with their peers to solve these puzzles, and the first miner to solve a puzzle is tasked with accepting batches of transactions from other nodes and validating (or proposing) new blocks of transactions to the network. In exchange for providing validation services, miners earn “Rewards” in the form of newly “minted” or created Covered Crypto Assets that are delivered under the terms of the protocol.[6] In this way, PoW creates an incentive for miners to invest the resources necessary to add valid blocks to the network.

    A miner providing validation services receives the Reward only after the other nodes in the network verify, through the protocol, that the solution is correct and valid. To this end, once a miner finds the correct solution, it broadcasts this information to other miners who can verify whether the miner properly solved the puzzle to receive the Reward. Once verified, all miners then add the new block to their own copies of the network. PoW is designed to secure the network by requiring miners to spend considerable time and computational resources to authenticate transactions. When the validation process functions in this way, it not only makes it less likely that someone would seek to undermine a network but also makes it less likely that miners could include altered transactions, such as those enabling the “double spending” of Covered Crypto Assets.[7]

    In addition to self (or solo) mining, miners can join “mining pools,” which allow miners to combine their computational resources to increase their chances of successfully validating transactions and mining new blocks on the network. Mining pools have developed into various types, each with differing methods of operation and Reward distribution.[8] A pool operator typically is responsible for coordinating the miners’ computational resources, maintaining the pool’s mining hardware and software, overseeing the pool’s security measures to protect against theft and cyberattacks, and ensuring that the miners are paid their Rewards. In return, the pool operator charges a fee that is deducted from the miners’ share of the Rewards earned by the mining pool. Reward payouts vary among pools, although Rewards often are distributed across the mining pool in proportion to the amount of computational resources that each miner contributes to the pool. Miners have no obligation to stay in a pool and can choose to leave a pool at any time.

    Division’s View on Protocol Mining Activities

    It is the Division’s view that “Mining Activities” (defined in this statement) in connection with Protocol Mining, under the circumstances described in this statement, do not involve the offer and sale of securities within the meaning of Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and Section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).[9] Accordingly, it is the Division’s view that participants in Mining Activities do not need to register transactions with the Commission under the Securities Act or fall within one of the Securities Act’s exemptions from registration in connection with these Mining Activities.

    Protocol Mining Activities Covered by this Statement

    The Division’s view pertains to the following Protocol Mining activities and transactions (“Mining Activities” and each a “Mining Activity”): (1) mining Covered Crypto Assets on a PoW network; and (2) the roles of mining pools and pool operators involved in the Protocol Mining process, including their roles in connection with the earning and distribution of Rewards. Only Mining Activities undertaken in connection with the following types of Protocol Mining are addressed in this statement.

    • Self (or Solo) Mining, which involves a miner mining Covered Crypto Assets using its own computational resources. The miner may work alone or together with others to operate a node and mine Covered Crypto Assets.
    • Mining Pool, which involves miners combining their computational resources with other miners to increase their chances of successfully validating transactions and mining new blocks on the network. Reward payments may flow from the network directly to the miners or indirectly to them through the pool operator.

    Discussion

    Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act and Section 3(a)(10) of the Exchange Act each defines the term “security” by providing a list of various financial instruments, including “stock,” “note,” and “bond.” Because a Covered Crypto Asset does not constitute any of the financial instruments that are specifically enumerated in the definition of “security,” we conduct our analysis of certain transactions involving Covered Crypto Assets in the context of Protocol Mining under the “investment contract” test set forth in SEC v. W.J. Howey Co.[10] The “Howey test” is used to analyze arrangements or instruments not listed in those statutory sections based on their “economic realities.”[11]

    In evaluating the economic realities of a transaction, the test is whether there is an investment of money in an enterprise premised on a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others.[12] Federal courts since Howey have explained that Howey’s “efforts of others” requirement is satisfied when “the efforts made by those other than the investor are the undeniably significant ones, those essential managerial efforts which affect the failure or success of the enterprise.”[13]

    Self (or Solo) Mining

    A miner’s Self (or Solo) Mining is not undertaken with a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others. Rather, a miner contributes its own computational resources, which secure the network and enable the miner to earn Rewards issued by the network in accordance with its software protocol. To earn Rewards, the miner’s activities must comply with the rules of the protocol. By adding its computational resources to the network, the miner merely is engaging in an administrative or ministerial activity to secure the network, validate transactions and add new blocks, and receive Rewards. A miner’s expectation to receive Rewards is not derived from any third party’s managerial or entrepreneurial efforts upon which the network’s success depends. Instead, the expected financial incentive from the protocol is derived from the administrative or ministerial act of Protocol Mining performed by the miner. As such, Rewards are payments to the miner in exchange for services it provides to the network rather than profits derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others.

    Mining Pool

    Likewise, when a miner combines its computational resources with other miners to increase their chances of successfully mining new blocks on the network, the miner has no expectation of profit derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others. By adding its own computational resources to a mining pool, the miner merely is engaging in an administrative or ministerial activity to secure the network, validate transactions and add new blocks, and receive Rewards. In addition, any expectation of profits that the miners have is not derived from the efforts of a third party, such as a pool operator. Even when participating in a mining pool, individual miners still perform the actual mining activity by contributing their computational power to solve the cryptographic puzzles for validation of new blocks. Moreover, whether a miner self (or solo) mines or mines as a member of a mining pool does not alter the nature of Protocol Mining for purposes of the Howey analysis. In either case, Protocol Mining, as described in this statement, remains an administrative or ministerial activity. Further, a pool operator’s activities in operating the mining pool using the combined computational resources of participating miners primarily are administrative or ministerial in nature. While some of the pool operator’s activities may benefit the group of miners, any such efforts are not sufficient to satisfy Howey’s “efforts of others” requirement because miners primarily are relying on the computational resources that they provide in conjunction with other members to the mining pool to earn profits. To this end, a miner does not join a mining pool based on the ability to earn profits passively from the activities of the pool operator.

    For further information, please contact the Division’s Office of Chief Counsel by submitting a web-based request form at https://www.sec.gov/forms/corp_fin_interpretive.

     

    [1] For purposes of this statement, a “crypto asset” is an asset that is generated, issued, and/or transferred using a blockchain or similar distributed ledger technology network (“crypto network”), including, but not limited to, assets known as “tokens,” “digital assets,” “virtual currencies,” and “coins,” and that relies on cryptographic protocols. In addition, for purposes of this statement, a “network” refers to a crypto network.

    [2] This statement represents the views of the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (the “Division”). It is not a rule, regulation, guidance, or statement of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”), and the Commission has neither approved nor disapproved its content. This statement, like all staff statements, has no legal force or effect: it does not alter or amend applicable law, and it creates no new or additional obligations for any person.

    [3] This statement only addresses certain activities involving Covered Crypto Assets that do not have intrinsic economic properties or rights, such as generating a passive yield or conveying rights to future income, profits, or assets of a business enterprise.

    [4] This statement only addresses transactions involving Covered Crypto Assets in connection with Protocol Mining and not other transactions involving Covered Crypto Assets.

    [5] This statement addresses PoW generally rather than all of PoW’s variations or any specific PoW protocol.

    [6] The protocol establishes rules on Rewards. Miners cannot change the Rewards they receive as the Reward structure is predetermined by the protocol.

    [7] Double spending involves the same crypto assets being sent to two recipients and can occur when ledger entries are altered.

    [8] For example, in a “pay-per-share” model, miners receive a payment for each valid share or block they contribute to the mining pool; regardless of whether the pool successfully mines a block; in a “peer-to-peer” model, the pool operator’s role is decentralized among pool members; and in a “proportional” model, miners receive Rewards proportional to the amount of work they contribute to successfully mine a block. There also may be hybrid pools that offer a combination of different operational and payout methods.

    [9] The Division’s view is not dispositive as to whether any specific Mining Activity (defined in this statement) involves the offer and sale of a security. A definitive determination requires analyzing the facts relating to the specific Mining Activity. Where facts vary from those presented in this statement – such as the way in which pool members may be compensated, how miners or other persons may participate in mining pools, or the activities conducted by pool operators – the Division’s view as to whether the specific Mining Activity involves the offer and sale of a security may be different.

    [10] 328 U.S. 293 (1946).

    [11]  See Landreth Timber Co. v. Landreth, 471 U.S. 681, 689 (1985), in which the U.S. Supreme Court suggested that the proper test for determining whether a particular instrument that is not clearly within the definition of “stock” as set forth in Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act, or that otherwise is of an unusual nature, is the economic realities test set forth in Howey. In analyzing whether an instrument is a security, “form should be disregarded for substance,” Tcherepnin v. Knight, 389 U.S. 332, 336 (1967), “and the emphasis should be on economic realities underlying a transaction, and not on the name appended thereto.” United Housing Found., Inc. v. Forman, 421 U.S. 837, 849 (1975).

    [12] Forman, 421 U.S. at 852.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A brief guide to vitamin and mineral supplements – when too much of a good thing can become toxic

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University

    KucherAV/Shutterstock

    Around half of UK adults currently take a food supplement – but vitamins and minerals are usually only needed in small amounts and too much of a good thing can be bad for you.

    Here’s what you need to know about the benefits and risks of some of the most common vitamins and minerals.

    Vitamin A

    Vitamin A aids the immune system in fighting off infections, helps you see better in the dark and is needed for healthy skin. Most people can get enough vitamin A from eating dairy, oily fish and liver. Yellow and red vegetables such as carrots and peppers, contain beta-carotene, which breaks down into vitamin A in the body. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 700 micrograms and 600 micrograms for men and women respectively.

    Although your body will store excess vitamin A, some research shows having more than 1.5mg a day over many years may weaken bones. In older people, this can lead to fractures as they are more likely to get osteoporosis. In severe cases, people may experience irreversible liver damage.

    If you are pregnant, you should avoid vitamin A supplements completely – excess vitamin A can cause birth defects and miscarriage.

    Vitamin B6

    Also called pyridoxine, this vitamin is needed to make healthy red blood cells and help the body store energy from food. The RDA is 1.4mg and 1.2mg a day for men and women respectively. This can be obtained by eating, for example, fortified cereal, chicken and soya beans. More than 10mg a day is not recommended as the effects are unclear.

    But taking 200mg or more a day has been linked to peripheral neuropathy – when the nerves in the body’s extremities are damaged. This can start with tingling in the arms and legs and lead to loss of feeling. In some patients the effect will stop once the vitamin B6 is stopped. In other patients, nerve damage can be permanent.

    Folic acid

    Folic acid or folate is needed to make healthy red blood cells. Good sources of folic acid include green leafy vegetables, chickpeas and fortified cereals. The RDA is 200 micrograms daily.

    In patients who are pregnant, folic acid is recommended to prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida. Doctors may prescribe higher than recommended doses (5mg) in high risk patients.

    Consuming more than 1000 micrograms (1mg) of folic acid can mask symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, such as tiredness, tingling hands and feet, sore tongue and muscle weakness. These can indicate a vitamin B12 anaemia. By correcting the anaemia symptoms caused by a B12 deficiency, high folate levels can prevent the detection of an underlying B12 problem, which could lead to brain damage if left untreated.

    Vitamin D and calcium

    The amount of calcium in the body is controlled by vitamin D. Both nutrients help with healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D is also needed for the immune system, muscles and nerves. Some foods like fortified cereal contain vitamin D but it is mostly made in the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. The RDA for vitamin D is 10 micrograms. Those with a vitamin D deficiency may be prescribed higher doses.

    People with darker skin or who do not have much exposure to sunlight may benefit from taking a daily supplement. But too much vitamin D over many years can cause kidney failure and irregular heartbeats. It may even be bad for the bones.

    A Canadian study found that high doses could be linked to weakened bones. This is because high vitamin D intake causes too much calcium to build up in the body. The body starts to break down bones to lower the calcium.

    Iron

    Iron is an important nutrient needed to make red blood cells. Sources include red meat and beans. Iron deficiency is the world’s most common cause of anaemia; however, taking too much can be toxic. The RDA for iron varies depending on your sex and age but you shouldn’t take more than 17mg a day. Higher doses can be bought from a pharmacy or prescribed if there is a diagnosed deficiency.

    Taking more than 20mg of iron everyday can cause stomach problems such as vomiting, diarrhoea and pain. Prolonged use or higher doses can cause organ damage such as liver failure. This is because it builds up in the organs and interferes with normal cell function.

    Fish oil

    These supplements contain omega-3 fatty acids. Different fats are needed to support the cells in the body and also to keep the heart, lungs, blood vessels and immune system working properly. Some are essential for brain and eye development in babies. Fish oil has been linked to a lower chance of heart disease. However, studies have mixed results about how effective these really are.

    A recent study showed that healthy people taking fish oil supplements may have an increased risk of heart issues like stroke or atrial fibrillation. The benefits are mainly seen in people who already have heart disease. However, there are still benefits from eating food rich in omega-3s such as oily fish.

    The British Dietetic Association says it’s better to improve diet before considering supplements. Some groups, like infants, pregnant women and those with a diagnosed deficiency, need supplements. Different supplements have different amounts of vitamins and minerals so always read the label to make sure you’re taking the recommended dose – and avoid taking multiple supplements that could increase your intake of a particular vitamin or mineral beyond safe levels. Ask your doctor, pharmacist or dietitian to check if you need a supplement before taking anything.

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

    – ref. A brief guide to vitamin and mineral supplements – when too much of a good thing can become toxic – https://theconversation.com/a-brief-guide-to-vitamin-and-mineral-supplements-when-too-much-of-a-good-thing-can-become-toxic-251528

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Turkey: a favourable international climate is spurring Erdoğan’s crackdown on democracy

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Massimo D’Angelo, Research Associate in the Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, Loughborough University

    The Turkish judiciary has finally succeeded in sidelining Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, at the fourth attempt. On the morning of March 19, the 53-year-old posted a video on social media announcing that police had arrived at his home to arrest him on charges of corruption, aiding a terrorist organisation and organised crime.

    “Hundreds of police are at my door”, he said in a voice message. “This immoral and tyrannical approach will undoubtedly be overturned by the will and resilience of our people”.

    Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has consistently excelled at positioning himself on the international stage, adeptly seizing opportunities left by others and turning them to his advantage. He has demonstrated this once again by orchestrating the arrest of İmamoğlu, his main political rival.

    With global events bolstering his leverage over the west, Erdoğan is well placed to act with impunity, knowing that his strategic importance will likely shield him from serious repercussions.

    The judiciary’s first attempt to remove İmamoğlu through legal means came in 2019, shortly after he won the Istanbul mayoral election by a narrow margin (around 13,000 votes). Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) contested the results, citing irregularities.

    Under intense pressure from the government, the Supreme Electoral Council annulled the vote and ordered a rerun. İmamoğlu not only retained, but significantly increased his lead. He secured victory over the AKP’s candidate, Binali Yıldırım, by more than 800,000 votes.

    Then, in 2022, İmamoğlu was sentenced to two years in prison for having called two public officials “fools” three years earlier. Ultimately, he was not arrested. But the sentence severely undermined his presidential ambitions, prompting him to forgo running for the presidency the following year.

    The third attempt occurred just days ago, when the government revoked the validity of İmamoğlu’s academic degree on bureaucratic grounds. Turkey’s political future looks to be entering a new and more precarious phase.

    İmamoğlu was born in Akçaabat, a district of Trabzon province on north-east Turkey’s Black Sea coast. He graduated in economics at Istanbul University and worked as a construction entrepreneur before entering politics.

    He is married with three children and, like Erdoğan, is passionate about football. In his youth, he was both a footballer and the managing director of his hometown’s football club, Trabzonspor.

    In 2024, İmamoğlu was reelected as mayor of Istanbul. Over the past six years, he has become a highly prominent political figure and, given the city’s size and his broad popularity, he has often been regarded as a natural candidate for the Turkish presidency.

    Many expected him to run as the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate in the 2023 presidential election. But the party chose its leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, instead.

    This decision was partly driven by internal power struggles between the party’s old guard and newer leadership. However, the insult lawsuit against İmamoğlu alarmed many within the CHP, who feared that a potential arrest during the campaign would plunge the contest into chaos.

    Kılıçdaroğlu is less popular than İmamoğlu, and is from an older generation of opposition politicians who have repeatedly failed to challenge Erdoğan effectively. He ultimately lost to Erdoğan in the second round of voting.

    Despite state-led media campaigns to discredit İmamoğlu, his popularity has continued to rise. As a leading CHP figure, he was the frontrunner in the party’s primaries scheduled for March 23, ahead of the 2028 presidential elections. The arrest of İmamoğlu is widely seen as Erdoğan’s latest attempt to obstruct his candidacy.

    A pattern of political suppression

    Along with İmamoğlu, Turkish authorities have detained 87 people as part of an investigation into alleged terrorism and organised crime in Istanbul.

    Prosecutors accuse İmamoğlu of leading a criminal organisation, engaging in bribery, extortion and bid rigging. The inquiry also links him to financial misconduct and alleged ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), which the Turkish state categorises as a terrorist organisation.

    This is not the first time prominent political leaders in Turkey have been arrested on such charges. İmamoğlu’s case closely mirrors that of Selahattin Demirtaş, a Kurdish politician and former co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP), who has been imprisoned since November 2016.

    Demirtaş, who was arrested during Erdoğan’s crackdown on political opposition after an attempted coup in 2016, was charged with “terrorist propaganda” and “undermining state unity”. In elections the previous year, his presidential campaign had gained widespread support, allowing the HDP to surpass Turkey’s 10% electoral threshold for entering parliament for the first time.

    Despite international calls for his release, including rulings from the European Court of Human Rights, Demirtaş remains incarcerated. In 2024, he was sentenced to a total of 42 years. Much like İmamoğlu today, his continued detention is widely regarded as politically motivated.

    In their influential work, How Democracies Die, Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue that the willingness to curtail civil liberties, such as controlling the media and suppressing dissent, is typical of populist leaders determined to tighten their grip on power.

    This latest crackdown is yet another episode in the continued erosion of democratic space in Turkey. However, Erdoğan currently operates in an unusually favourable global climate, with multiple strategic negotiations placing him centre stage.

    Although he has not hesitated to sideline rivals in the past, this environment has shifted further in his favour. The US president, Donald Trump, has rarely opposed such actions or condemned the suppression of political rights in other countries. On several occasions, Trump has even demonstrated his willingness to subject the US justice system and his opponents to his own will.

    The EU, distracted by internal conflicts and the Russian threat, also appears keen to keep Turkey onside. Turkey has Nato’s second-largest army and a Black Sea coastline, and is seeking to assume a key role in Europe’s security following Washington’s pivot away from the region. Across the Middle East, democracy often serves more as a bargaining chip than a genuine priority.

    Erdoğan has recently launched a “new Kurdish process”, aimed at reconciling with the PKK. This makes İmamoğlu’s arrest all the more surprising. The move may be intended to distance Kurdish voters from the CHP.

    Some citizens have attempted to protest the arrest despite a government ban on public gatherings. It remains to be seen how resilient the Turkish people will prove. Ultimately, Erdoğan’s success depends on the opposition’s ability to unite against him.

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

    – ref. Turkey: a favourable international climate is spurring Erdoğan’s crackdown on democracy – https://theconversation.com/turkey-a-favourable-international-climate-is-spurring-erdogans-crackdown-on-democracy-252694

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 03.20.2025 ICYMI: Sen. Cruz, USDA Secretary Rollins, Rep. De La Cruz Address Agricultural Challenges in the Rio Grande Valley

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    McAllen, Texas – Today, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), joined by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, and Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas-15), hosted a roundtable and press conference in San Juan, Texas, to address challenges producers are facing in the Rio Grande Valley.

    Sen. Cruz said, “I was proud to lead the effort in the U.S. Senate to secure this $280 million block grant, which is critical for Texas producers in the Rio Grande Valley, and to work with Secretary Rollins and President Trump in getting it across the finish line. Secretary Rollins is a champion of agriculture, and we are working together on the crisis facing Texas agriculture across the board, including holding Mexico accountable for its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty.”
    USDA Secretary Rollins said, “Farmers and ranchers in the Rio Grande Valley have worked for generations to feed communities across Texas, the U.S., and beyond. A lack of water has already ended sugarcane production in the Valley and is putting the future of citrus, cotton, and other crops at risk. Through this grant, USDA is expediting much-needed economic relief while we continue working with state leadership to push for long-term solutions that protect Texas producers.”
    Sen. Cornyn said, “The Texas agriculture community helps feed, clothe, and fuel our entire country, and it is critical that they have the help and resources they need to keep their industry thriving. Today’s announcement of more than $280 million in emergency assistance is great news for South Texans, many of whom have been greatly impacted by Mexico’s failure to deliver water under the 1944 Water Treaty. I was proud to help lead the fight to secure this important funding alongside Senator Cruz, Congresswoman De La Cruz, and Senate Ag Committee Chairman Boozman, who joined me in the Rio Grande Valley last year to hear firsthand from farmers about the challenges they are facing. I will continue advocating for the needs of Texas farmers and ranchers in Washington, and with the help of the Trump administration, I look forward to seeing this industry continue to grow.”
    Rep. De La Cruz said, “Farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our South Texas communities and economy. The funding deployment announced by Secretary Rollins today will provide critical relief for the South Texas agricultural industry after suffering tremendous losses due to drought conditions and the Government of Mexico’s refusal to comply with the 1944 Water Treaty. I am proud to work alongside the Administration to deploy this critical aid and deliver solutions for the families, businesses, and communities across the nation that rely on Texas agriculture to thrive.”
    BACKGROUND
    Sen. Cruz is a key defender of Texan producers:

    Sen. Cruz championed a provision providing support for South Texas agricultural producers suffering from Mexico’s blatant failure to meet its obligations under the 1944 Treaty on Utilization of Waters of the Colorado, Tijuana, and Rio Grande Rivers. This funding will provide immediate relief for hardworking Texans.
    Sen. Cruz introduced the Livestock Indemnity Program Enhancement Act to help Texas livestock producers recover from wildfires in the Texas Panhandle.
    U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,spearheaded the passage of legislation to streamline the permitting process for new and expanded bridges across the Rio Grande in Brownsville, Laredo, and Eagle Pass, Texas, into law. This victory was made possible by a bipartisan and bicameral coalition of Texas legislators dedicated to expanding Texas’s economy and enhancing our bilateral relationship with Mexico, including Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), and Monica de la Cruz (R-Texas). 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scottish Parliament urged to curb investment in Elon Musk companies

    Source: Scottish Greens

    20 Mar 2025 Economy

    Our parliament should not be supporting Elon Musk or his businesses.

    More in Economy

    Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell has called for the Scottish Parliament Pension Scheme to fully divest in Tesla and any other Elon Musk-owned companies that it has investments in.

    This follows press reports revealing that, while the total has reduced over recent years, the scheme has holdings in Tesla via Baillie Gifford which controls the fund.

    Speaking at Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body questions today, Mr Ruskell said:

    “It is quite clear that Elon Musk has promoted extremism and misinformation.

    “He is part of a Trump administration that has shown utter contempt for human rights across the world. He is a toxic individual, and that’s just one of the reasons why the value of shares in Tesla is collapsing right now, which will be impacting our pensions.

    “I welcome the news that Baillie Gifford who runs our pension funds has been reducing their investment in Tesla. I would like to see total divestment from all Elon Musk’s companies as well.

    “Will members reflect on the fact that the Scottish Parliament Pension Scheme is conducting its triannual review? The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body as an employer could and should encourage all members of the scheme to give feedback on these kinds of ethical issues.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada Invests $2.7 million in London to Enhance Climate Resilience and Community Spaces

    Source: Government of Canada News

    London, Ontario, March 20, 2025 — Today, MP Peter Fragiskatos, Rodger J. Moran, Co-Executive Director Finance & Administration at ReForest London, and Tom Partalas, Optimist Club of London, announced $2.7 million in funding through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings fund.

    Up to $2.1 million will be invested in Reforest London for the Perth Centre for Community Forestry in London will support the transformation of a 1940s Veterans facility into an energy-efficient, solar-powered, climate resilient centre.

    This facility will offer community forestry programs focused on combating climate change, particularly extreme heat, through tree planting and other nature-based solutions. The centre will provide a variety of free programs, events, and services to the public.

    London Optimist Sports Centre will receive an investment of $600,000 towards green improvements. This will retrofit windows and minimize energy loss, and update outdated mechanical systems and HVAC equipment to optimize performance and reduce environmental impact. The project will provide a more eco-friendly facility, benefiting the London community and its over 600,000 annual visitors by improving comfort and lowering operational costs.

    The federal government recognizes the importance of community spaces and remains committed to strengthening and revitalizing Canadian communities, ensuring we remain connected through common interest and shared spaces.

    MIL OSI Canada News –