NewzIntel.com

Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Labor investigation of 33-year-old worker’s fatal injuries finds Huntsville countertop company failed to protect employees from stone slabs

    Source: US Department of Labor

    HUNTSVILLE, AL – A U.S. Department of Labor workplace safety investigation has found that a Huntsville countertop installation company could have prevented a 33-year-old employee from being struck by a stone slab weighing thousands of pounds by following federal safety standards at a Huntsville job site.

    Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined that employees of Huntsville Granite and Marble LLC were using a forklift to take stone slabs off a storage rack when the slab became unsecured and struck the worker. OSHA found that an improperly secured load and a damaged rigging hook with a missing safety latch contributed to the incident.

    OSHA determined the company violated federal regulations by doing the following: 

    • Failing to develop and institute safe procedures, including worker training, for moving stone slabs. 
    • Permitting workers to use a damaged rigging hook missing the safety latch. 
    • Allowing workers to use worn and damaged security straps. 
    • Failing to ensure forklift attachments were manufacturer approved. 
    • Neglecting to evaluate forklift operators’ performance at least every three years. 

    “Huntsville Granite and Marble didn’t uphold its duty to keep workers safe,” said OSHA Area Office Director Joel Batiz in Birmingham, Alabama. “With the right procedures, equipment, and training, this tragedy could have been avoided. We call on employers to make workplace safety a priority and use OSHA resources to safeguard their employees.”

    OSHA issued five serious citations to Huntsville Granite and Marble for violations related to its failures to protect workers from struck-by, crushed-by and fall hazards. OSHA has proposed $29,035 in penalties to address the violations, an amount set by federal statute. 

    Established in 2006, Huntsville Granite and Marble LLC is a family-owned company serving North Alabama and Southern Tennessee. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

    Learn more about OSHA. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UPDATED: FDIC Board of Directors Meeting

    Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

    CategoriesBusiness, Commerce, MIL-OSI, United States Federal Government, United States Government, United States of America, US Commerce, US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC, US Federal Government, US Insurance Sector, USA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canadians want politicians who reflect their views. Is that what they get?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jack Lucas, Professor of Political Science, University of Calgary

    Right now, in provincial election campaigns across Canada, voters are trying to work out which political parties and local candidates might be their best representatives.

    In British Columbia, the NDP and Conservative parties are running neck and neck ahead of this weekend’s election. In New Brunswick, the race between the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives is equally tight. In Saskatchewan, Premier Scott Moe’s lead over the NDP appears to be more comfortable.

    In each of these elections — and in the important municipal elections that are also happening across the country in weeks and months ahead — voters face the task of working out which candidate is best equipped to serve as their representative.

    In the work that our politicians do on our behalf — their legislative votes, their policy advocacy, their casework, their community service — we want them to behave in ways that reflect our policy attitudes and priorities.

    But do they?

    Pathways to representation

    In political science research, the relationship between politicians and citizens is typically thought to arise through one of two pathways.

    In the first pathway, politicians represent their constituents’ preferences because they share those preferences — they agree with their constituents. We call this the “congruence” pathway.

    In the second pathway, politicians represent their constituents’ preferences because they know those preferences and choose to represent them. This is the “knowledge” pathway.

    Both pathways are thought to lead to the same destination: representation of constituents’ preferences by politicians.

    But think for a moment about which pathway you would prefer for your representative to take: congruence or knowledge? Which option do you think provides the best representation for citizens?

    We’ll tell you our own answers to these questions shortly. But first we need to understand just how different these pathways really are.

    Measuring policy representation

    In an upcoming article, our goal was to explore how well politicians perform on the congruence pathway and how many perform well on the knowledge pathway.

    To answer these questions, we began with a very large survey of the Canadian public, asking more than 10,000 Canadians for their opinions on nine policy issues. These included gun control, immigration, trade with China, taxes, public transit investment and climate change — a wide variety of important policies.

    We used this survey to make an estimate of the proportion of people who supported and opposed each policy statement across hundreds of municipalities.

    Then, using the Canadian Municipal Barometer’s annual survey of municipal politicians, we asked politicians to guess the percentage of their constituents who support each policy statement. We also asked for each politician’s personal opinion on each statement.

    These two surveys — one of the Canadian public, and the other of hundreds of Canadian municipal politicians — allowed us to measure and compare the two pathways.

    Two pathways or one?

    Let’s start with the good news: In general, politicians do a good job on both pathways. Across nine issues and hundreds of politicians, we found that nearly 60 per cent of politicians performed well on both pathways, and another 19 per cent performed well on at least one pathway.

    The bad news is that politicians’ performance on both pathways is highly variable. On some policy issues, like gun control, nearly all politicians perform extremely well. On other issues, like immigration, politicians struggle.

    But the most striking thing we discovered in our data was that the two pathways are closely related: Politicians who performed well on one pathway also tended to perform well on the other.

    It turns out that these “pathways to representation” may not be very distinct after all.

    Choosing your pathway

    So, returning to our earlier question:

    Which should you prefer? Should citizens choose politicians who represent their views through the congruence pathway or the knowledge pathway?

    Our research suggests that most of the time, citizens don’t have to make the choice, because the two skills are so strongly connected. But suppose you did have to choose — what should you prioritize?

    Personally, we’d choose congruence and would recommend focusing on finding a candidate who agrees with you on the things you care about, and support them.

    Why prefer congruence? Because recent research shows that politicians struggle to think beyond their own beliefs when making guesses about their constituents’ attitudes. When politicians think about what their constituents want, they tend to assume that their constituents agree with them on various issues.

    Our research has shown that they’re often right — congruence and knowledge are closely related. But this isn’t always the case, and politicians tend to think (much like the rest of us) that other people agree with them even when, sometimes, they don’t.



    Read more:
    Power to the people: How Canada can build a more connected and responsive Parliament

    Ask policy questions

    The good news is that politicians do tend to do reasonably well on both pathways, according our findings, so in real-world elections, you won’t typically be faced with this choice.

    But when a political candidate comes to your door asking for your vote, here’s our advice: don’t quiz them about local public opinion, or ask them how often they’d conduct public opinion polls after they get elected.

    Instead, ask them some questions about policy issues you care deeply about, and pick the candidate who shares your views.

    You’ll be making your choices based on congruence — one of the two possible pathways to representation. But our research suggests that if your local representative aligns well with constituents, they’ll be a good performer on knowledge as well.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Canadians want politicians who reflect their views. Is that what they get? – https://theconversation.com/canadians-want-politicians-who-reflect-their-views-is-that-what-they-get-241331

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: B.C. election: Debate over the rights of gender-diverse youth continues as their school safety declines

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Elizabeth Saewyc, Director & Professor, School of Nursing & Executive Director, Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre, University of British Columbia

    The treatment of gender-diverse youth in some Canadian schools has become a contentious issue. (Alex Van der Marel/Health and Well-being Report), CC BY-SA

    The treatment of sexual minority and gender-diverse youth in Canadian schools continues to be a contentious issue among parents and political parties, particularly in provinces like Alberta and British Columbia.

    In the run-up to the upcoming B.C. election, discussions around a sexual minority framework for schools and the SOGI 123 initiative are prominent.

    What is SOGI 123?

    Introduced into B.C.’s public schools in 2016, SOGI 123 aims to make schools safer and more inclusive for students of all gender identities and sexual orientations. The initiative provides resources to help educators combat and address discrimination and bullying, and foster supportive and inclusive environments for 2SLGBTQ+ students.

    The push for SOGI 123 was informed by a 2014 study which included data from the McCreary Centre Society’s 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey. That study showed that schools with an established Gay Straight Alliance or Gender Sexuality Alliance, along with anti-homophobic policies, lowered the odds of sexual minority students reporting discrimination, mental health issues and suicide attempts compared to students in schools without such initiatives. Notably, heterosexual students also benefited from these inclusive settings.

    In 2018, a subsequent BC Adolescent Health Survey of more than 38,000 youth aged 12-19 — including almost 1,000 children who identified as gender diverse — revealed that gender-diverse youth, including those identifying as transgender or non-binary, faced high rates of bullying, both in-person and online. The findings highlighted the importance of strong school and family relationships, which were linked to better mental health and lower rates of substance use and suicidal thoughts.

    Despite hopes that SOGI 123 would bridge the health and well-being disparity gap for gender-diverse and cisgender youth, recent events may be undermining those efforts. Over the past two years, there has been a notable rise in vocal opposition to the rights of trans and non-binary students across the country, with schools becoming a backdrop for protests and counter-protests.

    In response to these challenges, researchers at the University of British Columbia teamed up again with McCreary Centre Society to analyze the BC Adolescent Health Survey data from 2023 to see what, if anything, has changed for trans, non-binary, and questioning young people in B.C. since 2018.

    Key findings from the 2024 report

    Improved family support: Some positive findings from the 2024 report include improved family support for gender-diverse youth with a noted reduction over time in these young people running away or getting kicked out of home.

    Decreased feelings of safety: Results for students’ experiences at school were less positive, with decreases in feeling safe at school for both gender-diverse and cisgender youth. Gender-diverse young people were the least likely to report feeling safe in different parts of their school, and particularly in less supervised locations such as changing rooms and washrooms.

    Increased reports of bullying: The majority of gender-diverse youth had experienced at least one type of in-person or online bullying in the past year, and rates of experiencing online bullying were at least twice those of cisgender boys.

    Rising discrimination: Compared to five years earlier, there was an increase in gender-diverse youth reporting they had experienced discrimination, and the majority had experienced at least one form of discrimination in the past year. The most common location where discrimination occurred was at school: 32 per cent of trans girls and 57 per cent of trans boys reported they had experienced discrimination at school, compared to 29 per cent of cisgender girls and 20 per cent of cisgender boys.

    School connectedness is crucial for mental well-being: Similar to past studies, strong school connections remained a strong protective factor for health and well-being, linked to reduced suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. For example, trans boys with the highest school connectedness were 99 per cent less likely to report seriously considering suicide in the past year compared to those with lower school connections. Likewise, trans girls with strong connections were 8.7 times more likely to report good or excellent mental health compared to other trans girls with low school connections.

    B.C. election issue

    As the debate about SOGI 123 continues during this election cycle, the recent data from more than 76,000 Grade 7-12 students serves as a crucial and timely reminder.

    It highlights the importance of considering the experiences and perspectives of B.C.’s youth in discussions about how to create safe and inclusive school environments for all.

    Elizabeth Saewyc receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the US National Institutes of Health. She also provides consultation to the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and other UN Agencies on adolescent health indicators and health measures.

    Annie Smith 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. B.C. election: Debate over the rights of gender-diverse youth continues as their school safety declines – https://theconversation.com/b-c-election-debate-over-the-rights-of-gender-diverse-youth-continues-as-their-school-safety-declines-239922

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Designing against the deaf tax: How we can flip the script on tokenism

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Designing against the deaf tax: How we can flip the script on tokenism

    Inclusive Design – UX/UI

    How we can flip the script on tokenism

    By

    Toby Fitch

      –   The estimated reading time is 11 min.

    “Your baby has failed” isn’t a phrase any parent wants to hear. Yet for parents born with deaf children, babies are labeled failures before even leaving the hospital because they don’t pass mandated hearing tests. The weight and impact of that label is never felt by the hearing population because in an audio-dominant world, there’s no such thing as a mandatory sign language test. It’s no surprise, then, that systems fail to design for what dominant culture does not see or value: the creativity, brilliance, and depth of deaf culture.

    When my parents found out I was deaf, my mother cried, worrying that I would have to navigate the challenges she and my father endured. Like me and my sister, both of my parents are deaf. As author Isabel Wilkerson describes in her book about race, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, my parents experienced firsthand how our world is run by a caste system that is “about respect, authority and assumptions of competence — who is accorded these and who is not.”

    American Sign Language for “born failures” is made up of three signs: ‘BORN, FAIL, FINISH’

    From medicine to education, our systems are developed and implemented based on policies, attitudes, and institutional practices. It’s not biology that disables people in the Deaf or Disability community; it is the mismatches between our abilities and designed systems not designed for us. As disability rights activist Haben Girma put it, “They designed this environment for people who can see and hear. In this environment, I am disabled. They place the burden on me to step out of my world and reach into theirs.” Those mismatches place a disability tax on Deaf people at an early age. For example, fighting for accommodations like sign language interpreters for school, work, or receiving healthcare, or having the courage to speak up in the face of discrimination.

    Despite the exclusion, ridicule, and language deprivation — my parents didn’t learn sign language until I entered elementary school because their [hearing] parents were told that they had to ‘talk’ (eg: speech) to succeed in life — they were never without hope. “Deaf people can do anything hearing people can, except hear,” said Dr. I. King Jordan, the first Deaf president of Gallaudet University. When a child endures language deprivation, they don’t get adequate exposure to other forms of effective communication, thus delaying their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Ultimately, having my sister and I would give new meaning to my parents’ personal histories and broaden their perspective in profound ways. As a born failure, I grew up in a world of mismatches, but as desktop computers became more readily available, those mismatches would lead me down a path of using my lived experience to break barriers in society, design and technology.

    American sign language for “accessibility” shows a dominant hand moving under the non-dominant hand in a motion that implies the ability for anyone to go in and out of a space with ease.

    Technology cracks the door open

    Growing up, there weren’t really computers in classrooms and since most kids my age didn’t care for them, I was one of the first kids in my area to start using a computer. Since I had limited access to communicate with my classmates, computers helped me fill the time. My first computer was a PowerMac G3 Desktop, gifted by my cousin who ran his own design firm. I tinkered with different programs and video games like Backyard Baseball (1998) and the door to my future slowly opened.

    I got my second computer in 7th grade because my parents were trying to be creative in how I would keep up in class with note taking. Pencil and paper weren’t working for me. My eyes were focused on my interpreter, the whiteboard, and just taking everything in. Couple that with the fact that teachers don’t stop speaking just because you’re looking down to write, and it’s not a surprise that I missed a lot of information. Typing notes was much faster than writing, so my school provided a PC and that widened the doorway to technology. It was a Dell Inspiron 8100 with Windows 2000 that was built like a tank, and it was really heavy! I sank a lot of time on that computer and surfed on the Internet quite often to learn just about anything. Ask Jeeves was my best friend, eventually replaced by MSN search and Google.

    Access to information was my lifeline to learning about the world… and I did it through technology because I didn’t receive my information from conversations around the room. This wasn’t from lack of effort. I took over 15 years of speech training and learned to speak quite well to try and meet people halfway. The problem was, when they responded, I would only partially or pretend to understand, nodding my way through communication mismatches. This led to shallow interactions and pretending didn’t feel good because there was always something lacking — a missed opportunity for true human connection — when people were not willing to meet me halfway. These days, I rarely speak. Primarily using sign language gives me 100% access. I also use a notetaking app using speech-to text on my phone to interface with folks who don’t know sign language.

    American Sign Language for “design” shows a dominant hand expressively drafting something in one swooping motion on the non-dominant hand with an open palm representing a canvas.

    Using a Deaf lens at Microsoft

    Designing at Microsoft, I often think about my lived experience and bringing empathy to the mismatches I face daily. I may be an avid user of technology, but there is plenty of room for technology to grow and fill accessibility gaps. I advocate for accessibility not because I want to, but because I have to. Design should be about how Deaf people experience the world, anticipating every need, and shifting left to prevent issues later in the product cycle. Differing lived experiences inform our unique perspectives, creating an exchange that can open opportunities. Overlooked problems get discovered and the approach to solving them become very mindful and effective.

    As a profession, design has evolved tremendously in the past few years, moving from the aspirational towards the functional. UX mismatches in the systems we use still exist because, while they’re made based on a very wide set of users, they still lack all of the necessary elements for me to be accommodated. To solve these problems, we sometimes need to focus on “design for one and solve for many.” In other words, when we focus on designing for a single problem (or disability), it helps us to navigate the problem space writ large using empathy, our lived experiences, and leveraging co-design principles.

    Part of what catalyzed many recent changes in design thinking was the 2020 Pandemic and rapid transition to remote work. For Deaf folks, we quickly found that video conferencing was the great equalizer because for once we were on equal footing with our peers. Meetings were more mindful and easier to track because people couldn’t talk over each other. This made work easier for Deaf people as others modified their behaviors to ensure clear audio or taking turns when speaking in meetings. Deaf people could also rely on captions to figure out who was speaking or catch the dropped information that interpreters may miss due to accents or things being lost in translation. For the first time, millions of people were experiencing Deaf gain. Communication and human connection through technology was improved by the Deaf community because anyone could use those features (including folks forced to mute their audio thanks to a screaming kid in the background!).

    UX for Sign Language View in Teams. The D/HH experience in Microsoft Teams has driven the development of accessibility features like Sign Language View, designed specifically for those who rely on sign language for communication. Through a collaborative, co-design process with the D/HH community and sign language interpreters, we have developed features that ensure sign language users can perform at their best in any virtual collaboration setting. Key enhancements — such as the ability to manage and prioritize a list of signers, improved video quality for clearer sign language visibility, and simplified meeting controls — empowering D/HH users to engage quickly, fully and confidently.

    The creation of Sign Language View in Teams

    One shortfall of this new way of working, however, was the existing captioning solutions. It was painful for my Deaf peers and I to have to turn on captions with each call. Every time, you had to look for and prioritize the interpreters, open the chat window, and then finally be ready to participate in meetings. This design mismatch led to two Deaf employees (myself and a coworker) innovating an UX proposal for Microsoft Teams that would be more accommodating for Deaf users. Sign Language View was born out of a mismatch that we as employees faced daily, to the point that it was weighing on our disability tax. These days, I can now join meetings with less friction than I had before — but there are still more doors to open and work to do!

    With AI, it’s truly an exciting time in tech and so much is yet to be determined. This makes it critical to enter the space with curiosity, humility, and nuance. People in the Deaf and Disabled community operate outside of societal norms, attuning us to gaps often missed by others. That creates a very sensitive, nuanced lens and curiosity is also often at play. When your ability to succeed is determined by how creatively you can hack a system that doesn’t work for you, it necessitates innovation. In totality, this gives us a lens to approach problems in ways that may be more holistic than traditional design best practices.

    Co-design is great, but representation is an even better way to ensure people with lived experiences work directly to solve problems for their own communities. Ultimately, this leads to more equitable products for everyone and potentially more enjoyable ones, too. With sign language, for example, people often see it as a lesser form of communication but it’s highly expressive and an integral part of our cultural identity. People often want to travel to other countries to enrich their own lives by better understanding different ways of living. Living without sound is another way of experiencing life, and Deaf culture has its own social beliefs, behaviors, traditions, art, and values.

    American Sign Language for “empathy” shows two people, one of which is the signer. With one hand close to the heart, both hands sign the word ‘UNDERSTAND,’ showing how sign language can expressively convey empathy for different viewpoints.

    So, of the 90% of deaf children born to hearing parents, what if instead of being given the “bad news,” they were told they now had the chance to dive into a culture rich with language and expression? I think it could help erode the disability tax over time, leading to products and systems that are truly meant for all.

    Header imagery by Karan Singh.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Miller’s Statement on the USITC’s Ruling on Russian Ferrosilicon

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-W) released a statement on the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) ruling that all imports of ferrosilicon from Russia will harm U.S. industries. This decision requires the Department of Commerce to place additional anti-dumping and countervailing tariffs on ferrosilicon, which will generate more production in West Virginia.

    “The U.S. ferrosilicon industry and hundreds of American workers have been negatively impacted by the unfair foreign trade of ferrosilicon metals. There is no replacement for ferrosilicon and therefore, it is critical to promote a strong American ferrosilicon industry to protect the communities that rely on its manufacturing and to defend our national security. I, along with a bipartisan group of my colleagues, sent a letter to the USITC Chair Amy Karpel urging her to enact U.S. trade enforcement mechanisms that benefit U.S. energy production and manufacturing. This correction by the USITC and the Department of Commerce is long overdue, and the United States’ will be stronger and safer for it,” said Congresswoman Miller.

    Background:

    • Congresswoman Miller sent a letter to U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) Chair Amy Karpel urging her to investigate the effect dumped and subsidized ferrosilicon from other countries, including Russia, is having on U.S. production.
    • The ferrosilicon production site in West Virginia currently has unused capacity, partly because of the unfair pricing scheme caused by other countries subsidizing their ferrosilicon.
    • In 2023, Congresswoman Miller introduced the Increasing American Ferrosilicon Production Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill that impose a tariff on Si 75% ferrosilicon, the last remaining Russian ferrosilicon product that is imported into the United States duty free. Si 75% ferrosilicon will now be subjected to anti-dumping and countervailing tariffs.  

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Rep. Castor, SBA Administrator Open Small Business Recovery Center to Aid Businesses, Individuals, Renters & Nonprofits Damaged or Economically Harmed By Hurricanes

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

    TAMPA, FL – U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman marked the opening of a new SBA Business Recovery Center (BRC) at the Entrepreneur Collaborative Center in Ybor City to support recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

    The SBA BRC is available to assist businesses, homeowners and renters with advice and applications for low-interest disaster loans.

    “Tampa Bay small businesses fuel our economy, but back-to-back hurricanes have hurt local business owners,” said Rep. Castor. “The new Business Recovery Center will provide on-the-ground support to homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits and help them bounce back. I’m grateful to SBA, USF Small Business Development Center and other dedicated disaster teams for helping our community recover. A low-interest disaster loan is a better option than a credit card with a high interest rate.”

    SBA can make disaster loans of up to $500,000 to homeowners to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters may be eligible for up to $100,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property. Businesses may be eligible for up to $2 million for both physical damage and economic injury from business disruption.

    SBA received approximately 37,000 applications for relief submitted from those impacted by Hurricane Helene. The SBA has already made over 700 Helene loan offers totaling about $48 million. For Hurricane Milton, SBA has received over 12,000 applications. 

    Due to a lapse in funding, SBA has paused disbursement until Congress acts, but the SBA application portal remains open, and individuals and small businesses are strongly encouraged to apply for loans. Disaster survivors should start the application process immediately so SBA can review applications and position eligible applicants to receive offers and funds.

    Rep. Castor stands ready to return to Washington to vote for additional disaster funding immediately.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why are some Australian students having to pay to do PE at public schools?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Amy Sears, Lecturer, School of Education, Charles Sturt University

    mattimix/Shutterstock

    Health and physical education is one of the key subjects students learn at school. In Australia it is mandatory for students from the first year of school to Year 10.

    It involves theory and practical components to help students manage their health and wellbeing. This includes healthy eating habits, sexual health, cyber safety and mental health. It also incorporates fundamental movement skills (such as throwing and catching), sports (such as swimming, gymnastics and football) and team-building.

    Because it is a core, compulsory part of the curriculum it is supposed to be free for students at government schools. But our research shows some students are being asked to pay – and those who cannot are missing out.

    Our research

    In our recent study, we looked at the staffing and delivery of health and physical education in New South Wales government schools.

    We surveyed 556 schools, which make up about 30% of public schools in the state. This included primary and high schools with a mix of locations and levels of advantage.

    We used an online survey, which was completed by the teacher in charge of health and physical education.

    Many schools are outsourcing lessons

    We asked survey respondents who was teaching health and physical education to students at their schools. Some schools were using more than one option.

    • For all schools: 67% were using external provider, 44.5% were using a specialist teacher and 55.4% were using another teacher.

    • For primary schools: 78.4% were using an external provider, 17.9% were using a specialist teacher and 48% were using another teacher.

    • For high schools: 44.8% were using an external provider, 95.9% were using a specialist teacher and 69.2% were using another teacher.

    Previous research has shown how schools outsource to external providers to “fill the gap” of teachers lacking confidence and competence to provide quality health and physical education lessons.

    This study did not measure how frequent outsourcing was, however, comments from respondents suggests it is regular. For example, one teacher said: “a typical [outsourced] class would have one lesson a week for a term”.

    Another teacher similarly said

    one 40 min[ute] lesson per week. Company comes in with equipment and young university students to run different activities. They also assess our students for us.

    Another teacher told us:

    We use [company name], they offer different sports/programs that run for one lesson a week per term.

    Families are being asked to pay

    Of the schools who were outsourcing lessons, 78% of the schools outsourcing lessons said they were asking parents to help pay for these lessons.

    One respondent told us, the costs were “A$45 for one term, $80 for two”.

    Of this group, 64% reported students who did not pay did other school work (either for health and physical education or another core subject). About one fifth of schools said students that don’t pay just had to “sit and watch”.

    This suggests some students are missing out on basic learning opportunities at school for financial reasons. As one teacher told us:

    the school uses some off-campus sporting/gaming facilities that students can choose to pay extra for instead of free on-campus teacher run [activities].

    Some students are just made to ‘sit and watch’ if they can’t pay.
    nannycz/Shutterstock

    Why is this a problem?

    The outsourcing of health and physical education lessons comes in the middle of an ongoing teacher shortage in Australia and around the world.

    A 2024 UN report estimates a global shortage of more than 44 million teachers, with many teachers teaching outside of their areas of expertise.

    Specific shortages of health and physical education teachers have been noted for more than a decade.

    However, outsourcing lessons away from qualified teachers, is a significant concern. Little is known about the external providers’ qualifications or quality. Unlike teachers, they are not subject to registration requirements or professional standards.

    Even more concerning is some students are missing out on lessons or some components of lessons because their families have not been able to pay.

    This links to wider concerns about unequal access to sport in the school system. This includes some private schools with new Olympic pools and boat ramps when other public schools don’t have access to council playing fields.

    More research is needed

    Our study suggests more research is needed. We need further information on staffing, outsourcing and lesson delivery in other areas of the country and in other subjects.

    We need to be sure all students are being taught the core curriculum, free of charge and by qualified teachers – ideally specialists.

    Jessica Amy Sears is affiliated with ACHPER (Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation) NSW.

    Rachel Wilson 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. Why are some Australian students having to pay to do PE at public schools? – https://theconversation.com/why-are-some-australian-students-having-to-pay-to-do-pe-at-public-schools-239489

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A decade after the US version ended, Australia remakes The Office. It’s not new, but it’s funny

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philippa Burne, Honorary Fellow (Screenwriting), Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne/PhD Candidate, UniSA Creative, The University of Melbourne

    Amazon/Bunya Entertainment

    Firstly, let’s revisit the question: why are they remaking The Office?

    Just over ten years after the United States version of the British series ended, Australia has decided to make its own version. It follows franchises in Canada, Greece, India, Sweden and Poland, to name a few.

    But we all have offices to go to, we all have our particular office cultures, co-workers and complaints. Post-pandemic, office life is becoming routine again. The more things change, the less things change, and that could be the theme of The Office Australia.

    In fact, this is probably the perfect timing for this remake: post work-from-home, when large corporations are demanding workers return (often unwillingly) to shared workplaces. That’s the premise of the pilot episode of The Office Australia – everyone stops working remotely and reunites at the office. It’s timely and a good way of updating the concept to make it relatable.

    ‘A riddle, swallowed by an idiot …’

    Modern nods, same old business

    A few more nods to contemporary office culture are included, such as Zoom meetings and standing desks. But apart from that, the Australian Office could be set anytime from the 1990s onwards in terms of the look, practices and low-fi tech of the office itself.

    The remake mirrors closely the US version: a romance storyline, tensions between office and warehouse, an old-school boss who loves, craves and needs camaraderie, and a staff for whom work life comes second to what they’d rather be doing.

    The original United Kingdom series of The Office, by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, only had 12 episodes, which is still surprising to realise given how much it defined television sitcom in the decades following. Parks and Recreation (2009–2015) owes a huge debt to The Office. Whether we would have had Utopia (2014–present) without it is debatable. The late, great John Clarke broke in Australia with The Games (1998–2000) and Australia has long done this sort of observational comedy very well.

    Will Australia’s version capture local flavour? It does feature the Melbourne Cup.
    Amazon

    Despite a deep vein of experience and success to draw on, The Office Australia sticks closely to The Office format in terms of stories, characters, tone, look and laughs.

    This might be because the show – made by Amazon and BBC Australia – is launching into around 240 countries and territories. It needs to find a line between being Australian and being international. That said, it has probably veered more into the international end of the scale, with enough Australiana (venomous snakes, barbecues) to ground it here, but still universal enough to be widely relatable and understandable.

    The US version had 201 episodes, giving it scope to develop the characters and the storylines and make it a massively popular and frequently rewatched series. (There’s a follow up series in the works called The Paper.) So it’s no wonder writers Julie De Fina and Jackie van Beek looked to the this version for guidance for the Australian series. This is less an adaptation than a remake with a different accent.

    Familiar and new faces

    Hannah Howard (Felicity Ward) is the devoted office manager who loves her job too much and runs an under-performing, dysfunctional workplace of uninterested staff.

    The show centres on her, with the familiar mockumentary style. Like David Brent and Michael Scott before her, Hannah Howard is optimistic, naive, relentless and terrible at staff management. She forces pyjama days and bus trips on her employees, who are clearly unwilling yet never actively rebel. There is plenty of comedy in the awkwardness and small moments.

    Felicity Ward plays the boss (sort of) of this particular office.
    Amazon

    Her devoted assistant and receptionist Lizzie (Edith Poor), a former Scout, wears a grey suit and will pursue any idea no matter how ill-conceived or illegal to make Hannah’s plans come to fruition.

    Long-suffering human resources manager Martin (Josh Thomson) tries to keep them from actually breaking laws, while Nick (Steen Raskopoulos) and Greta (Shari Sebbens) gaze awkwardly across their workstation divider at each other in a slow-burning love story. There are the usual office roles which offer story beats: accounting, IT, sales.

    The first Australian season of The Office might not be anything new, but I kept watching. It felt safe, even comforting. Perhaps in a similar way going to someone else’s family for Christmas lunch can feel familiar: recognisable foods, decorations, known characters – but with the frisson that maybe something different will happen this time.

    This remake knows what it is. It’s been made to satisfy an audience wanting to be in a world that reflects their own experiences, but takes it just that bit too far. It’s not setting out to break moulds, but to bring the mould up to date and give it an Australian voice for the world to hear.

    The Office premieres on October 18 on Prime.

    Philippa Burne 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 decade after the US version ended, Australia remakes The Office. It’s not new, but it’s funny – https://theconversation.com/a-decade-after-the-us-version-ended-australia-remakes-the-office-its-not-new-but-its-funny-241356

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DeLauro Renews Call for Emergency Disaster Supplemental

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)

    Today, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released a statement renewing calls for a comprehensive disaster relief package following news that the Small Business Administration (SBA) had exhausted funds for new disaster loans:

    “For the last year, I have consistently called for a comprehensive emergency supplemental in response to several disasters – from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, to Connecticut flooding and other localized extreme weather events fueled by climate change, to wildfires, to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The SBA’s funds for disaster loans are now exhausted while small businesses and communities across the country still face the impact of these events. While we provided $20 billion for FEMA in the funding bill we passed at the end of September to ensure that they could provide immediate assistance, it is clear now that more is needed. It is far past time for Speaker Johnson to agree to a comprehensive disaster package to help American families, farms, businesses, and communities recover.”

    While the SBA has exhausted funds for its disaster loan program, its loan application portal remains open, as well as SBA disaster centers across the country. The agency will continue to accept new loan applications and ready borrowers to get their disaster loans as soon as funds are available. You can find the application for SBA’s disaster loan program here. If you require relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), you can find more information here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Helps Introduce Legislation to Protect Michigan Small Businesses Impacted by Low Snowfall

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    Published: 10.17.2024
    Legislation Would Extend Federal Disaster Relief to Businesses Suffering Losses Due to Milder Winters, Low Snowfall Levels

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped introduce legislation to protect small businesses that have been harmed by milder winters and low snowfall levels in recent years. The Winter Recreation Small Business Recovery Act would ensure small businesses that rely on strong winters are eligible for disaster relief through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program during winters with below average snowfall or snow cover.
    “With visitors traveling from around the world to experience the benefits of Michigan winters, snowfall is a critical component of our state’s economy, particularly for communities Up North,” said Senator Peters. “I’m proud to help lead this commonsense bill that would not only protect Michigan small businesses and workers, but also the unique character of the communities they support.”
    The EIDL program provides small businesses with the resources they need to remain operational while recovering from a disaster. Under current law, disasters that qualify for assistance include droughts, ice storms, and blizzards, but do not account for winters without enough snow. However, last winter, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared 42 Michigan counties as drought disaster areas due to lack of snow. As a result, small businesses across Michigan suffered severe losses and were forced to cut staff or close their doors completely due to lack of visitors or demand for their services. The State of Michigan has lost millions of dollars in revenue and Michigan’s ski hills lost an estimated $41 million last season. Additionally, according to the Michigan Snowsports Industries Association, over 3,400 employees that operate Michigan’s ski hills were laid off due to the unseasonably warm winter.
    Michigan’s winter recreation industry is driven by snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and sleigh rides, as well as snowboard manufacturers and snow removal services. By extending a crucial safety net to these small businesses, the Winter Recreation Small Business Recovery Act would help protect the livelihoods of Michiganders, particularly in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, by ensuring they are eligible for federal relief during unseasonably warm winters.
    Peters introduced the bill with U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Wicker Announces Nearly $130 Million to Improve Mississippi Infrastructure

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker

    MISSISSIPPI – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., announced $127,296,812 to improve freight corridors in Jackson and on the Gulf Coast. The funding stems from the infrastructure bill that Senator Wicker helped negotiate as the then highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

    The funding will upgrade SR 67 to a Superstreet Corridor on the Gulf Coast. It will also resurface approximately 32 linear miles and update bridge structures along the Interstate 20/ Interstate 55 Freight Corridor in Jackson.

    “Infrastructure investments make Mississippi an even better place to live, work, and visit. These improvements will help attract more people and economic development to the Gulf Coast and Jackson area,” Senator Wicker said. “Supporting infrastructure will continue to be one of my top priorities in Congress.”

    Senator Wicker sent letters of support to the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for these projects.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: b1BANK Promotes Jerry Vascocu to President

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BATON ROUGE, La., Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — b1BANK, the banking subsidiary of Business First Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: BFST), announced today that N. Jerome “Jerry” Vascocu Jr. will be the bank’s new president, reporting to Jude Melville, who will retain the title of chairman and CEO.

    Vascocu, who joined b1BANK in 2022 as chief administrative officer, oversees the coordination of banking, operations, risk and credit functions for the bank. He has also led several functions for the bank including correspondent banking, wealth management, human resources and marketing, where he recruited additional strong teammates, developed new products and introduced new technology.

    “With an extensive and varied 30-year career, Jerry’s proven leadership and broad-based banking experience is especially relevant to the challenges and opportunities we anticipate facing as we continue to grow our impact on behalf of clients across the regions in which we operate,” said Jude Melville, chairman and CEO of b1BANK. “Most important, he’s a good person and I look forward to partnering with him in this new role.”

    Before joining b1BANK and relocating to Baton Rouge, La., Vascocu led the development and implementation of client-focused strategies for commercial banking teams across the Southeast at First Horizon Bank. During his 17-year career at IBERIABANK and First Horizon, he also served as market president in multiple markets across Louisiana and Arkansas. Vascocu started his banking career immediately after earning his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Vanderbilt University.

    “b1BANK continues to build momentum in all our markets and across our various business units. This is a direct result of our teams’ dedication to our clients and to the communities we serve,” said Vascocu. “I am fortunate to be part of a great organization and thankful for the opportunity to serve in an expanded leadership role. I am excited about what is ahead for b1BANK.”

    Vascocu remains focused on community development, economic development, education and healthcare, having served in board leadership roles across Louisiana most recently for One Acadiana, Ochsner Lafayette General Hospital and Foundation, University of Louisiana at Lafayette College of Business and Athletic Foundation.

    About Business First Bancshares, Inc.

    As of June 30, 2024, Business First Bancshares, Inc., (Nasdaq: BFST) through its banking subsidiary b1BANK, had approximately $6.7 billion in assets, $6.1 billion in assets under management through b1BANK’s affiliate Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC (SSW) (excludes $0.9 billion of b1BANK assets managed by SSW) and operates Banking Centers and Loan Production Offices in markets across Louisiana and Texas, providing commercial and personal banking products and services. Commercial banking services include commercial loans and letters of credit, working capital lines and equipment financing, and treasury management services. b1BANK was awarded #1 Best-In-State Bank, Louisiana, by Forbes and Statista and is a multiyear winner of American Banker’s “Best Banks to Work For.” Visit b1BANK.com for more information.

    Misty Albrecht
    b1BANK
    225.286.7879
    Misty.Albrecht@b1BANK.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6f3fe29c-03e2-468c-afd8-4ed162d7727e

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Prepare Fraudulent Loan Applications Totaling More Than $400,000

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    MIAMI – On Oct. 15, Lakeisha Black a/k/a/ “Lakeisha Pierce,” pled guilty in federal court in Fort Lauderdale to conspiracy to make false statements to the Small Business Administration in connection with myriad fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

    From July 2020 through June 2021, Black charged between $2,000 and $6,000 to prepare fraudulent PPP loans for at least 14 other individuals, including three former Broward County Sheriff’s Office deputies, who all previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy in separate cases and have been sentenced. In total, Black is responsible for over $400,000 in fraudulent PPP loans. 

    The sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith. Black faces up to 5 years in prison for the conspiracy. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau;  Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office; Sheriff Gregory Tony of Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

    FRB-OIG, DCIS, BSO, and FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Latoya C. Brown and Trevor C. Jones are prosecuting it.

    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.

    On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud.  The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.

    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.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-60137.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley Travels to Buncombe and Henderson Counties

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley Travels to Buncombe and Henderson Counties

    North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley Travels to Buncombe and Henderson Counties
    hejones1

    North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley traveled to Henderson and Buncombe counties Thursday to survey damage and meet with people impacted by Hurricane Helene. Secretary Kinsley was joined by Senators Jim Burgin and Julie Mayfield and began the day meeting with people who have relocated to one of the state-operated shelters in Fletcher, N.C. The group then traveled to the Henderson County Department of Public Health and spoke to Health Director Dave Jenkins and Social Services Director Lorie Horne. The visit to Henderson County concluded with a stop by the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Center in the Blue Ridge Commons Shopping Center. Beginning tomorrow, people impacted by Hurricane Helene who are not currently an FNS participant will be able to apply for assistance to buy food for their families. 

    The Secretary then traveled to Asheville to meet with people impacted by the catastrophic damage Hurricane Helene left behind. He toured BeLoved Asheville, which is a community-based organization that provides assistance to those who need it.  During the visit, Secretary Kinsley highlighted the following points in storm recovery:  

    The health and well-being of people impacted by Hurricane Helene continue to be a top priority for NCDHHS as it works to ensure communities have access to food, infant formula, medical care and life-saving medication. 

    • 400,000 gallons of water supplied to Buncombe County and 140,000 gallons to Henderson County.  
    • 98,000 hot meals provided to Buncombe County and 50,000 hot meals provided to Henderson County.  
    • More than 1 million meals ready to eat supplied to Buncombe County and 304,000 meals ready to eat supplied to Henderson County.
    • Eight pallets (between 120-144 cases of formula per pallet) of formula sent to 34 feeding sites across impacted counties. 
      • 6,411 cases of infant formula received in Buncombe County 
      • 2,805 cases of infant formula received in Henderson County 
    • More than 11 million diapers distributed to impacted counties through partnership with Diaper Bank of NC. 
    • Worked in partnership with the NC Medical Board to track all open community medical practices. 
      • More than 100 are open in Buncombe County 
      • 37 are open in Henderson County 
    • Each of the 25 counties with major damage and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Area have at least one pharmacy open and filling prescriptions. Visit http://www.ncdhhs.gov to search for open pharmacies and medical practices. 

    Whether directly or indirectly, millions of people in North Carolina have been impacted by Hurricane Helene. Natural disasters are traumatic for individuals, families and communities, and there is no right or wrong way to feel.   

    • NCDHHS has ramped up staffing at the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Folks in immediate crisis or contemplating self harm should not hesitate to call.    
    • The Disability Disaster Hotline, 800-626-4959, provides information, referrals and guidance to people with disabilities and their families during disasters.    
    • The Disaster Distress Helpline specializes in post-disaster trauma and provides counseling services 24/7. If you would like to speak with someone, please call or text 1-800-985-5990.   
    • People can walk into a clinic for mental health or substance use care the same way urgent care clinics help people with immediate physical health needs. Blue Ridge Health in Brevard, N.C., is open and accepting patients.  
    • Mobile Crisis teams can send trained clinicians to a home, community or shelter to respond to an urgent need. To get connected with a mobile crisis team, you can call Vaya Health at 1-800-849-6127.   

    More than 300,000 people in or near flood-impacted areas in western North Carolina are estimated to rely on private wells, and the number on septic systems is estimated to be slightly higher. 

    • Wells that were damaged or submerged in flood waters require disinfection first and then must be tested to ensure the water is safe to use.  
    • Individuals can contact their local health department for assistance with disinfection or to get a well testing kit.  
      • NCDHHS has distributed more than 1,900 free private well water collection kits to local health departments. 
      • NCDHHS is working with FEMA and the EPA to establish certified mobile testing laboratories in high-need locations to support local testing efforts.  

    Individuals in 25 western counties and EBCI households who reside in the 28719 zip code impacted by Hurricane Helene can apply for help buying food through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).  

    • D-SNAP is open to individuals and households not currently receiving FNS benefits who were impacted by the storm. There are some income requirements, but it varies depending on impact, so we encourage everyone to apply.   
    • A family of four may be eligible to receive up to $975. 
    • On Oct. 18, people can apply by phone, online or in person. For more information, go to http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dsnap. If you think you may be eligible, please call the D-SNAP Virtual Call Center at 1-844-453-1117.   
    • The application period will close on Oct. 24, 2024.  

    Other SNAP Flexibilities:  

    • People who have EBT cards have more time to report a food loss as a result of Hurricane Helene.    
    • EBT cards can be used to purchase hot prepared foods from retailers that accept EBT. This applies to all 100 counties in North Carolina and the nearly 700,000 households enrolled in the program.    
    • EBT cards had 70% of the previous month’s benefits automatically reloaded onto their EBT card due to losing food from sustained power outages.    

    “My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one or is facing the devastating impacts of this storm. Seeing the western North Carolina communities come together to care for and support each other is inspiring. We will continue to work hard now and over the coming weeks, months and years to help rebuild.” — NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. 

    Photos available HERE.

    Oct 17, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Cooper Joins United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in Western North Carolina to Survey Storm Damage and Receive Briefings on Recovery Efforts

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Cooper Joins United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in Western North Carolina to Survey Storm Damage and Receive Briefings on Recovery Efforts

    Governor Cooper Joins United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in Western North Carolina to Survey Storm Damage and Receive Briefings on Recovery Efforts
    bconroy

    Today, Governor Roy Cooper joined United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in Western North Carolina for a briefing on recovery efforts with federal officials and view damaged areas in Asheville and Canton. The Governor and Secretary Buttigieg also visited a damaged section of I-40.

    “Today I spent time on the ground in Asheville, Canton and at a damaged portion of I-40, helping federal, state and local recovery efforts to open up roadways and help communities recover,” said Governor Cooper. “I’m grateful for the efforts of Secretary Buttigieg and the Biden-Harris Administration to provide critical federal funding and resources to Western North Carolina as we recover from this storm.”

    In Asheville, the Governor and Secretary Buttigieg received a storm recovery briefing from federal officials and then joined Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer for a briefing on the River Arts District, which sustained significant damage from Helene. In Canton, the Governor and Secretary Buttigieg joined Mayor Zeb Smathers for a walking tour of damaged areas in the town. Lastly, the group traveled to a damaged I-40 site near the North Carolina-Tennessee border where they received a briefing from federal and state transportation officials regarding ongoing efforts to reopen the interstate with the help of federal funding.

    Yesterday, Governor Cooper issued an emergency Executive Order authorizing the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Employment Security, to increase the amount of weekly unemployment payments available to North Carolinians in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. As a result of this Order, weekly unemployment benefits will increase from a maximum of $350 a week to a maximum of $600 a week. Prior to the executive order, many low-income and part-time workers would have received less than the $350 weekly maximum. To ensure that these workers receive necessary benefits in the wake of Helene, the order will also increase benefits by $250 a week (up to the $600 cap) for all eligible workers. This order is tied to the State of Emergency for Hurricane Helene, and will remain in effect until the end of the Emergency or until it is rescinded.

    North Carolina National Guard and Military Response

    Over 3,500 Soldiers and Airmen are working in Western North Carolina. Joint Task Force- North Carolina, the task force led by the North Carolina National Guard is made up of Soldiers and Airmen from 12 different states, two different XVIII Airborne Corps units from Ft. Liberty, a unit from Ft. Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division, and numerous civilian entities are working side-by-side to get the much-needed help to people in Western North Carolina.

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams. Residents can track the status of the public water supply in their area through this website.

    FEMA Assistance

    Nearly $107 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western North Carolina disaster survivors and approximately 187,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. Approximately 2,100 households are now housed in hotels through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance.

    Approximately 1,400 FEMA staff are in the state to help with the Western North Carolina relief effort. In addition to search and rescue and providing commodities, they are meeting with disaster survivors in shelters and neighborhoods to provide rapid access to relief resources. They can be identified by their FEMA logo apparel and federal government identification.

    North Carolinians can apply for Individual Assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 from 7am to 11pm daily or by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov, or by downloading the FEMA app. FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs.

    Help from Other States

    More than 1,600 responders from 38 state and local agencies have performed 145 missions supporting the response and recovery efforts through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This includes public health nurses, emergency management teams supporting local governments, veterinarians, teams with search dogs and more.

    Beware of Misinformation

    North Carolina Emergency Management and local officials are cautioning the public about false Helene reports and misinformation being shared on social media. NCEM has launched a fact versus rumor response webpage to provide factual information in the wake of this storm. FEMA also has a rumor response webpage.

    Efforts continue to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, using both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. Food, water and commodity points of distribution are open throughout Western North Carolina. For information on these sites in your community, visit your local emergency management and local government social media and websites or visit ncdps.gov/Helene.

    Storm Damage Cleanup

    If your home has damages and you need assistance with clean up, please call Crisis Cleanup for access to volunteer organizations that can assist you at 844-965-1386.

    Power Outages

    Across Western North Carolina, approximately 9,500 customers remain without power, down from a peak of more than 1 million. Overall power outage numbers will fluctuate up and down as power crews temporarily take circuits or substations offline to make repairs and restore additional customers.

    Road Closures

    Some roads are closed because they are too damaged and dangerous to travel. Other roads still need to be reserved for essential traffic like utility vehicles, construction equipment and supply trucks. However, some parts of the area are open and ready to welcome visitors which is critical for the revival of Western North Carolina’s economy. If you are considering a visit to the area, consult DriveNC.gov for open roads and reach out to the community and businesses you want to visit to see if they are welcoming visitors back yet.

    NCDOT currently has approximately 2,000 employees and 900 pieces of equipment working on approximately 7,100 damaged road sites.

    Fatalities

    Ninety-five storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. This number is expected to rise over the coming days. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will continue to confirm numbers twice daily. If you have an emergency or believe that someone is in danger, please call 911.

    Volunteers and Donations

    If you would like to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate. Donations will help to support local nonprofits working on the ground.

    For information on volunteer opportunities, please visit nc.gov/volunteernc.

    Additional Assistance

    There is no right or wrong way to feel in response to the trauma of a hurricane. If you have been impacted by the storm and need someone to talk to, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. Help is also available to anyone, anytime in English or Spanish through a call, text or chat to 988. Learn more at 988Lifeline.org.

    If you are seeking a representative from the North Carolina Joint Information Center, please email ncempio@ncdps.gov or call 919-825-2599.

    For general information, access to resources, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ncdps.gov/helene.

    If you are seeking information on resources for recovery help for a resident impacted from the storm, please email IArecovery@ncdps.gov.

    ###

    Oct 17, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement by Vice Chairman Travis Hill on Board Merger and Deposit Insurance Application Review Process

    Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

    CategoriesBusiness, Commerce, MIL-OSI, United States Federal Government, United States Government, United States of America, US Commerce, US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC, US Federal Government, US Insurance Sector, USA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Dundee Corporation Announces Acquisition of Shares of Greenheart Gold Inc.

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In accordance with regulatory requirements, Dundee Corporation (TSX: DC.A) (“Dundee”) announces that its wholly owned subsidiary, Dundee Resources Limited, has acquired 2,000,000 common shares of Greenheart Gold Inc. (TSXV – GHRT) (the “Issuer”) at the price of C$0.50 per share for aggregate consideration of C$1,000,000 as part of the Issuer’s bought deal private placement.

    Immediately prior to the acquisition of securities described in this news release, Dundee and its affiliates owned 9,768,366 common shares of the Issuer representing an approximate 12.07% interest in the Issuer on an undiluted basis. Immediately following the transaction that triggered the requirement to file this news release, Dundee and its affiliates own or control an aggregate of 11,768,366 common shares representing an approximate 7.68% interest in the Issuer on an undiluted basis.  

    Dundee acquired the securities of the Issuer for investment purposes only. Dundee intends to review, on a continuous basis, various factors related to its investment, including (but not limited to) the price and availability of the securities of the Issuer, subsequent developments affecting the Issuer or its business, and the general market and economic conditions. Based upon these and other factors, Dundee may decide to purchase additional securities of the Issuer or may decide in the future to sell all or part of its investment.

    This news release is being issued in accordance with National Instrument 62-103 – The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues in connection with the filing of an early warning report. The early warning report respecting the acquisition will be filed on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (“SEDAR”) at http://www.sedar.com under the Issuer’s profile. To obtain a copy of the early warning report filed by Dundee, please contact:

    Dundee Corporation
    Legal Department
    80 Richmond Street West, Suite 2000
    Toronto, Ontario M5H 2A4
    Tel: (416) 365-5172

    ABOUT DUNDEE CORPORATION

    Dundee Corporation is a public Canadian independent holding company, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “DC.A”. Through its operating subsidiaries, Dundee Corporation is an active investor focused on delivering long-term, sustainable value as a trusted partner in the mining sector with more than 30 years of experience making accretive mining investments.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

    Investor and Media Relations
    T: (416) 864-3584
    E: ir@dundeecorporation.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Georgians in Taliaferro County Now Eligible for FEMA Assistance After Hurricane Helene

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Georgians in Taliaferro County Now Eligible for FEMA Assistance After Hurricane Helene

    Georgians in Taliaferro County Now Eligible for FEMA Assistance After Hurricane Helene

    ATLANTA – Homeowners and renters in Taliaferro County who had uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Helene can now apply for FEMA disaster assistance.

    FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. 

    Previously, Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fulton, Glascock, Glynn, Hancock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, McIntosh, Montgomery, Newton, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Wheeler counties were approved for assistance to households.

    There are several ways to apply: Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or visit a Disaster Recovery Center. The FEMA Helpline is open every day and help is available in most languages. 

    The deadline to apply is Dec. 2, 2024.

    What You’ll Need When You Apply

    • A current phone number where you can be contacted.
    • Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying.
    • Your Social Security number.
    • A general list of damage and losses.
    • Banking information if you choose direct deposit.
    • If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name.

    If you have homeowners, renters or flood insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.

    For the latest information about Georgia’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4830. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.

    ###

    FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters.

    larissa.hale

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Rogers Announces $10 Million Earmark to Expand Morehead State University’s Space Science Network

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Harold Hal Rogers (KY-05)

    Recognizes U.S. Lunar Mission “Saviors” with Congressional Tribute

    MOREHEAD, KY (Oct. 17, 2024) – U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) visited Morehead State University’s Space Science Center on Thursday to announce a federal earmark totaling nearly $10 million in Community Project Funding to broaden the region’s highly competitive deep space network. The funding will be used to enhance the two space tracking stations on campus to support future government-funded and commercial space programs.
     
    “The staff and students at Morehead State are now involved in some of the United States’ most innovative and historic space missions. This project will allow the space science center to support future NASA programs, including NASA’s Near Space Network, Artemis and the Moon to Mars Program,” said Congressman Rogers, chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee that funds science-related federal agencies. “This means that students here at MSU will have first-hand access to more lunar and deep space tracking services that they cannot get anywhere else in the country.” 
     
    “We are incredibly grateful for the support and leadership of Congressman Hal Rogers in securing this critical funding for Morehead State’s Space Science Program. His dedication to advancing science and technology in our region has been instrumental in positioning MSU as a leader in space research and exploration,” said Dr. Jay Morgan, President of Morehead State University. “This funding will allow us to expand our capabilities, provide our students with unmatched hands-on experiences, and contribute to the growing space economy in our region and in Kentucky. It’s an exciting time for Morehead State, and we thank Congressman Rogers for helping make this possible.”
     
    Congressman Rogers also requested a $7.5 million Community Project Funding earmark for fiscal year 2025 MSU’s Space Science Center to provide payload operations for government and commercial space stations. The funding request was approved by the House Appropriations Committee and is pending on-going budget negotiations.
     
    “This funding is a game-changer for Morehead State’s Space Science Program. It enables us to further enhance our research and technological capabilities, allowing our students and faculty to participate in groundbreaking projects that contribute directly to the future of space exploration,” said Dr. Ben Malphrus, Director of the MSU Space Science Center. “We’re deeply thankful to Congressman Hal Rogers for his vision and continued support, which is helping us shape the next generation of space scientists and engineers right here in Eastern Kentucky.”
     
    To highlight the importance of investing in Morehead State’s work at the Space Science Center, Congressman Rogers recognized the staff and students who saved the United States’ latest mission to the moon after a troubled landing damaged the Odysseus Lander, “Odie,” cutting-off communications back to Earth. 
     
    “Morehead State was the only conduit between NASA and the private company that sent the lunar lander to the moon to conduct research. The multi-million-dollar mission was in jeopardy of failure, until the staff and students here in our Appalachian Mountains worked around the clock for 72 hours to save that historic mission,” said Congressman Rogers. “I submitted a tribute in the Congressional Record to commemorate the team that NASA Administrator Bill Nelson dubbed as the ‘saviors’ of the nation’s first lunar landing since the Apollo era.”
     
    The Congressional Record is preserved in the Library of Congress, recognizing the work of MSU staff members, Dr. Malphrus, Chloe Hart from Ashland, Emily Walter from Pikeville, Nathan Fite, Christopher Smith and Seifala Moustaffa, as well as students Mila Shearer and Carrie Bruce. 
     
    For more information about Congressman Rogers work in Washington and at home in Kentucky, visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement meeting with CoreCivic

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    October 17, 2024Washington, DC, United StatesStatement

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chief of Staff Michael Lumpkin met with CoreCivic leaders today to discuss detained noncitizens’ needs and the agency’s unflagging commitment to maintaining the highest standards in detained noncitizen care.

    CoreCivic, like many other contracting companies, plays an integral role within ICE’s detention system. ICE is bound by law to detain noncitizens who meet certain criteria, including those who pose public safety or national security threats. The agency must also detain noncitizens in other circumstances, such as when doing so is required by law or an order from an immigration judge. Regardless of the reasons the U.S. government is required to detain noncitizens, ICE detention is not punitive. The agency and its public- and private-sector partners strive to provide appropriate care for those in custody.

    ICE is committed to remaining transparent with the American public. The agency regularly engages with stakeholders, including government officials and other law enforcement agencies, private-sector entities, faith-based and activist organizations, and colleges and universities. The agency fosters these relationships to ensure that its future decisions are fact-based, data-driven, humane and effective.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Five Defendants Sentenced for Long-Running Bid-Rigging Conspiracy in Georgia Concrete Industry

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Four executives and a corporation were sentenced for participating in a long-running conspiracy to fix prices, rig bids and allocate jobs for ready-mix concrete in the greater Savannah, Georgia area.

    James Clayton Pedrick, Gregory Hall Melton, John David Melton, Timothy “Bo” Strickland and Evans Concrete LLC were charged in September 2020 with conspiring to fix prices, rig bids and allocate jobs for the sale of ready-mix concrete used in residential, commercial and public projects. Pedrick, Strickland and Evans Concrete later pleaded guilty for their participation in this conspiracy. Gregory Hall Melton and John David Melton were convicted by a jury in the U.S. District Court in Savannah earlier this year. Argos USA LLC separately admitted to its role in the conspiracy and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division in January 2021.

    Gregory Hall Melton was sentenced today to 41 months in prison, and three years of supervised release and to pay a $50,000 fine. John David Melton was sentenced today to 26 months in prison, three years of supervised release and to pay a $10,000 fine. The court previously sentenced Strickland to five months in prison and to pay $150,000 fine, Pedrick to one year of probation and Evans Concrete to pay a $2.7 million fine. Argos USA LLC paid a $20 million criminal penalty as part of its DPA.

    According to court documents, the defendants effectuated their conspiracy by coordinating the issuance of price-increase letters to customers, allocating specific ready-mix concrete jobs in the coastal Georgia area, and submitting bids to customers at collusive and noncompetitive prices. The charged conspiracy began as early as 2010 and continued until about July 2016.

    “These sentences reflect the egregious nature of rigging bids for materials like ready-mix concrete which are essential to the American economy,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will hold accountable those who seek to exploit the critical need for these materials to harm consumers.”

    “Concrete is an essential material in construction projects, with prices set in the free market by the forces of supply and demand,” said U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia. “However, the defendants in this case for several years illegally rigged the system to benefit themselves at the expense of customers and are being held accountable for their conduct.”

    “Activities related to bid-rigging and collusion do not promote an environment conducive to open competition which harms the consumer,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). “The sentencing in this case represents a win for all law enforcement agencies who investigate those who engage in this type of harmful conduct to ensure that justice is served.”

    “The sentences imposed today send a clear message to anyone who chooses corporate greed over open and fair competition,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Harris of the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG), Southern Region. “Our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners and DOJ’s Antitrust Division is unwavering as we continue to pursue and uncover corrupt conduct and hold companies that intentionally engage in wrongdoing accountable.”

    The FBI Washington Field Office, DOT OIG and USPS OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Patrick S. Brown and former Trial Attorney Julia M. Maloney of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Greg Gilluly Jr. for the Southern District of Georgia prosecuted the case.

    Anyone with information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation or other anticompetitive conduct in the ready-mix concrete industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Berry Corporation to Report Third Quarter 2024 Results and Hold Conference Call November 7

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Berry Corporation (NASDAQ: BRY) (“Berry” or the “Company”) today announced it will report third quarter 2024 results on Thursday, November 7, 2024, before the open of U.S. financial markets and will host a conference call and webcast that morning to discuss these results; details and links are provided below.

    Earnings Call Information

    Call Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024
    Call Time: 11:00 am a.m. Eastern Time / 10:00 a.m. Central Time / 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time
     

    Join the live listen-only audio webcast at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/tysxczje or at https://bry.com/category/events

    If you would like to ask a question on the live call, please preregister at any time using the following link:
    https://register.vevent.com/register/BIe48b23e273834c71bc53e0d17114932f.
    Once registered, you will receive the dial-in numbers and a unique PIN number. You may then dial in or have a call back. When you dial in, you will input your PIN and be placed into the call. If you register and forget your PIN or lose your registration confirmation email, you may simply re-register and receive a new PIN.

    A web based audio replay will be available shortly after the broadcast and will be archived at https://ir.bry.com/reports-resources or visit https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/tysxczje or https://bry.com/category/events

    About Berry Corporation

    Berry is a publicly traded (NASDAQ: BRY) Western United States independent upstream energy company with a focus on onshore, low geologic risk, long-lived oil and gas reserves. We operate in two business segments: (i) exploration and production (“E&P”) and (ii) well servicing and abandonment. Our E&P assets are located in California and Utah, are characterized by high oil content and are predominantly located in rural areas with low population. Our California assets are in the San Joaquin basin (100% oil), while our Utah assets are in the Uinta basin (60% oil and 40% gas). We operate our well servicing and abandonment segment in California. More information can be found on the Company’s website at bry.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: Breast Cancer – 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed in her lifetime

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    Q: Is early detection and treatment for breast cancer moving in the right direction?
    A: As a lead sponsor of the bipartisan Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act of 2000, I’m glad to see measurable strides indicating early detection and breast screenings are helping to lower female death rates from breast cancer. The 24-year-old federal law expanded on earlier legislation that directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to create the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). Our bill allowed states to offer patients diagnosed with cancer under this federal program to access treatment services through Medicaid. It provides a lifeline of hope for tens of thousands of patients who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford timely access to cancer screening, diagnostics and treatment. In 2023, the federal program provided cancer screening and diagnostic services to 273,989 women, diagnosing 1,761 invasive breast cancers. Although we’ve made progress in the battle against breast cancer, more work remains. The National Cancer Institute estimates 310,720 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024 and 42,250 people will lose their battle to the disease. The CDC says breast cancer is still the second most common cancer among women in the United States, following skin cancer diagnoses. Breast cancer also is the second leading cause of cancer death among women, following only lung cancer. Raising public awareness is central to advancing strides for life-saving prevention, detection and treatment.
    Losing a beloved mother, wife, aunt or sister to breast cancer is a devastating loss to families in communities across the country. I encourage Iowans to check in with their loved ones. Take advantage of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month to prompt a friend or family member to make their screening appointment. Non-invasive mammography screenings can alert health care providers long before symptoms arise. A recent FDA rule requires mammography facilities to include a breast density assessment as part of a patient’s medical report. Having this information can help lead to better patient outcomes. My wife Barbara is a 37-year breast cancer survivor. She credits early detection for putting her on the road to healing and recovery.
    Q: What efforts have you led to help cancer patients survive and thrive?
    A: From my consistent support for breast cancer research, including the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, I also steered bipartisan legislation across the finish line to enact the Lymphedema Treatment Act that closes a coverage gap for Medicare patients for physician-prescribed compression therapy items, including for breast cancer survivors. I’m a vocal champion for rural health care initiatives to ensure patients in Rural America aren’t left behind, such as expanded medical residency positions to grow Iowa’s health care workforce and efforts to strengthen stability and security for rural hospitals and clinics that are the safety net providers for millions of Americans. From the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal health care programs, I champion policies to help ensure rural hospitals, local pharmacies and health care clinics keep their doors open for the community. I also keep the spotlight shining on market-driven solutions to reduce drug costs and lower barriers to care, such as expanding telehealth services and cutting red tape for kids with complex medical needs. Oncology patients can avoid the expense and tiring experience of a long road trip by seeing health care providers via the convenience and flexibility provided by a telehealth appointment. The bipartisan infrastructure law I supported is helping expand internet access needed for rural health clinics to provide telehealth services, including diagnosis and prescribing medicine. I’ve also joined a bipartisan effort to push for an expansion of Medicare coverage for telehealth services and make permanent pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities. I’ll continue pushing to lower barriers to care and raise awareness so that the one in eight women diagnosed with breast cancer survives and thrives to enjoy a high quality of life for years to come.
    October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Free or low-cost screening services are available for eligible recipients, learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/breast-cervical-cancer-screening/about/screenings.html#IA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Natural Gas Producer Agrees to Settlement to Reduce Emissions in New Mexico

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Settlement Includes $9.4M Civil Penalty and Compliance Measures that Will Result in Reduction of Over 113,000 Tons’ Worth of CO2 Pollution

    The Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) today announced a settlement with Hilcorp Energy Company resolving Clean Air Act and New Mexico state law violations at the company’s oil and gas production operations in New Mexico.

    Under the settlement, Hilcorp agreed to pay a civil penalty of $9.4 million for violations resulting from Hilcorp’s failure to reduce emissions during well completion operations. The civil penalty will be split between the U.S. and the State of New Mexico. In addition, the company must employ an EPA-approved third-party auditor to ensure compliance with all applicable Clean Air Act and New Mexico Air Quality Control Act requirements.

    Hilcorp is further directed to account for the excess volatile organic compound (VOC) and methane emissions released through improper well completions by replacing, on a faster timeline than federal regulations require, old process control equipment with equipment that does not emit air pollution. This mitigation project will occur on Tribal lands of the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation, in Rio Arriba County, and on Navajo Nation Off-Reservation Trust Land in San Juan and Sandoval counties; all of these areas have potential environmental justice concerns.

    The work that Hilcorp will do under this agreement will result in the equivalent of over 113,000 tons of reduced carbon dioxide emissions over the next three years, similar to the number of reductions achieved by taking 24,000 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate nearly 583 tons of VOC emissions annually.

    The case is the first to address violations of the Clean Air Act New Source Performance Standards covering well completions following hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking.”

    “Hilcorp is a large, sophisticated natural gas producer and should know better than to violate Clean Air Act requirements to capture and control gas produced as a result of fracking,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to upholding the rule of law and holding industry accountable. Today’s settlement importantly includes commitments to make infrastructure upgrades that will result in significant reductions of methane and VOC emissions.”

    “Oil and gas production results in significant air pollution, including emissions of methane that are one of the leading sources of near-term climate change, which makes today’s settlement with Hilcorp Energy a huge win for the environment and the planet,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is requiring Hilcorp to pay a $9.4 million penalty and make substantial investments in Clean Air Act compliance, which will reduce climate damaging emissions and improve air quality for all New Mexico residents, including communities with environmental justice concerns.”

    “This settlement holds one of the San Juan Basin’s largest polluters accountable for their contribution to climate change and ozone pollution,” said Secretary James Kenney of the New Mexico Environment Department. “If we want to make New Mexico’s air safe for future generations then Houston-based Hilcorp Energy Corporation executives need to step up their game and comply with federal and state rules.”

    Federal Clean Air Act and New Mexico state air regulations require oil and gas producers to capture gas that flows back to the surface following fracking using equipment that can accommodate flowback and to implement a reduced emission completion control, commonly referred to as a green completion. Producers have several green completion options to choose from. If none are technically feasible, producers may route the captured gas to a pollution control device like a flare.

    Based on EPA’s and NMED’s investigations, the U.S. and the state allege that Hilcorp conducted at least 192 well completion operations in Rio Arriba and San Juan counties from Aug. 2, 2017, through Aug. 1, 2019.

    At 145 of these well completions, Hilcorp captured none of the gas and instead released into the atmosphere all gas that flowed back following fracking. At the remainder of well completions, Hilcorp captured a portion of the gas and directed it to a flare but did not demonstrate that all green completion options were infeasible. Hilcorp’s actions resulted in thousands of tons of harmful methane and VOC emissions being released into the environment. Methane is a climate super pollutant and potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs adversely affect human health in multiple ways, including being involved in the formation of ground level ozone.

    Hilcorp is one of the nation’s largest privately-owned oil and gas exploration and production companies, and a top producer of natural gas in New Mexico from 2018-2021. New Mexico is one of the top ten producing states for natural gas in the United States for 2018-2023. In 2022, on-shore oil and gas industry data reported to EPA showed that Hilcorp’s San Juan Basin operation emitted the most methane in the U.S. among all oil and gas operations.

    The settlement is part of EPA’s Mitigating Climate Change National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, which focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources. Like all EPA’s national enforcement initiatives, the Mitigating Climate Change initiative prioritizes communities already overburdened by pollution and other potential environmental justice concerns.

    More information on the settlement agreement is available on EPA’s Hilcorp Energy Company webpage.

    The consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico and is subject to a 30-day comment period. Information on providing public comment and the complaint and proposed consent decree are available on the Justice Department’s website at http://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

    EPA and NMED investigated the case.

    Attorneys of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: Breast Cancer – 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed in her lifetime

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    Q: Is early detection and treatment for breast cancer moving in the right direction?
    A: As a lead sponsor of the bipartisan Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act of 2000, I’m glad to see measurable strides indicating early detection and breast screenings are helping to lower female death rates from breast cancer. The 24-year-old federal law expanded on earlier legislation that directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to create the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). Our bill allowed states to offer patients diagnosed with cancer under this federal program to access treatment services through Medicaid. It provides a lifeline of hope for tens of thousands of patients who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford timely access to cancer screening, diagnostics and treatment. In 2023, the federal program provided cancer screening and diagnostic services to 273,989 women, diagnosing 1,761 invasive breast cancers. Although we’ve made progress in the battle against breast cancer, more work remains. The National Cancer Institute estimates 310,720 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024 and 42,250 people will lose their battle to the disease. The CDC says breast cancer is still the second most common cancer among women in the United States, following skin cancer diagnoses. Breast cancer also is the second leading cause of cancer death among women, following only lung cancer. Raising public awareness is central to advancing strides for life-saving prevention, detection and treatment.
    Losing a beloved mother, wife, aunt or sister to breast cancer is a devastating loss to families in communities across the country. I encourage Iowans to check in with their loved ones. Take advantage of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month to prompt a friend or family member to make their screening appointment. Non-invasive mammography screenings can alert health care providers long before symptoms arise. A recent FDA rule requires mammography facilities to include a breast density assessment as part of a patient’s medical report. Having this information can help lead to better patient outcomes. My wife Barbara is a 37-year breast cancer survivor. She credits early detection for putting her on the road to healing and recovery.
    Q: What efforts have you led to help cancer patients survive and thrive?
    A: From my consistent support for breast cancer research, including the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, I also steered bipartisan legislation across the finish line to enact the Lymphedema Treatment Act that closes a coverage gap for Medicare patients for physician-prescribed compression therapy items, including for breast cancer survivors. I’m a vocal champion for rural health care initiatives to ensure patients in Rural America aren’t left behind, such as expanded medical residency positions to grow Iowa’s health care workforce and efforts to strengthen stability and security for rural hospitals and clinics that are the safety net providers for millions of Americans. From the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal health care programs, I champion policies to help ensure rural hospitals, local pharmacies and health care clinics keep their doors open for the community. I also keep the spotlight shining on market-driven solutions to reduce drug costs and lower barriers to care, such as expanding telehealth services and cutting red tape for kids with complex medical needs. Oncology patients can avoid the expense and tiring experience of a long road trip by seeing health care providers via the convenience and flexibility provided by a telehealth appointment. The bipartisan infrastructure law I supported is helping expand internet access needed for rural health clinics to provide telehealth services, including diagnosis and prescribing medicine. I’ve also joined a bipartisan effort to push for an expansion of Medicare coverage for telehealth services and make permanent pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities. I’ll continue pushing to lower barriers to care and raise awareness so that the one in eight women diagnosed with breast cancer survives and thrives to enjoy a high quality of life for years to come.
    October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Free or low-cost screening services are available for eligible recipients, learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/breast-cervical-cancer-screening/about/screenings.html#IA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 17th, 2024 JEC Chairman Martin Heinrich Hosts “Pro-Worker, Pro-Business Opportunities” Roundtable

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    PHOTOS & VIDEO
    Heinrich highlights how federal legislation is expanding pathways to in-demand jobs in New Mexico
    ALBUQUERQUE — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chairman of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee (JEC), hosted a “Pro-Worker, Pro-Business Opportunities” roundtable to talk directly with New Mexicans about how federal legislation he helped pass into law is creating careers in high-demand sectors and strengthening New Mexico’s health care, skilled trades, early childhood education, and union workforce.   

    Heinrich Hosts “Pro-Worker, Pro-Business Opportunities” Roundtable on October 17, 2024.
    “The manufacturing and clean energy renaissance driven by historic investments from the Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act is creating career opportunities across New Mexico. We need to build on this momentum by expanding access to apprenticeships, supporting new, high-quality jobs in the building and skilled trades, growing pathways to health care careers, and strengthening our early childhood education workforce. I will continue fighting to address workforce shortages, build the middle class, grow our economy, and provide more New Mexicans with the careers they can build their families around in their home communities,” said Heinrich.
    Thanks to recently enacted legislation that Heinrich helped pass into law, like the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Law, New Mexico is now at the center of a clean energy “manufacturing renaissance,” which is creating hundreds of jobs in New Mexico that people can build their families around.  
    Heinrich discussed his work with community leaders to create more pathways to in-demand careers, including through jobs training and registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. He also highlighted the success of the domestic manufacturing tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act that have expanded clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing in New Mexico.
    Through his role as Chairman of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee (JEC), Heinrich has held hearings on job training in the clean energy sector, the domestic boom in manufacturing, and investing in early childhood education. Heinrich has also released reports on growing registered apprenticeship programs, job training for the clean energy transition, the manufacturing renaissance, addressing rural health worker shortages, the economic benefits of early childhood education, employing women in the clean energy sector, and growing the labor force in New Mexico.
    Heinrich has long been committed to creating new pathways to careers for New Mexicans in the communities where they grew up, while tackling shortages in in-demand sectors like health care and early childhood education.  
    Heinrich introduced the Apprenticeship Pathways Act, legislation to create pathways to careers for high school students by expanding access to apprenticeship programs for occupations with high need, including the building trades, healthcare, manufacturing, technology, telecommunications, and early childhood education. 
    Earlier this year, Heinrich introduced the Pre-Apprenticeships To Hardhats (PATH) Act, legislation to strengthen the pipeline for careers in New Mexico, address rising workforce shortages, and grow the state’s economy through quality pre-apprenticeship programs.  
    In March, Heinrich introduced the Providing Resources and Opportunities for Health Education and Learning (PRO-HEAL) Act, legislation that will tackle the health care provider shortage in New Mexico and nationwide by expanding pathways to high-quality, in-demand health care careers that medical professionals can access in their communities. Specifically, the PRO-HEAL Act addresses medical provider shortages by incentivizing states and institutions of higher education to expand or create health care provider pipeline programs, particularly in underserved and rural communities. The legislation is inspired by the success of the Combined BA/MD Degree Program at the University of New Mexico, where over 65% of students who have graduated from their program practice medicine in New Mexico.   
    Last year, Heinrich introduced the Pathways to Health Careers Act, legislation that reauthorizes and modernizes the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program to help address health care shortages in New Mexico and across the country and create pathways to high-quality, in-demand health care careers.  
    The HPOG program has a proven track record of successfully educating workers for jobs in the health care industry, while also providing career coaching, job placement, and a mix of other support services. The Pathways to Health Careers Act would restart and expand the HPOG Program, providing $425 million to make HPOG available nationwide from FY2024 through FY2028 and includes set asides for Tribes and U.S. Territories. 
    In 2021, Heinrich introduced the Championing Apprenticeships for New Careers and Employees in Technology (CHANCE in Tech) Act, legislation to create earlier pathways to high-paying careers in the information technology (IT) industry. 
    Investments in Clean Energy and Advanced Manufacturing:
    Heinrich has been fighting hard to pass legislation and secure investments that are growing the state’s economy, building the middle class, and expanding high-quality jobs New Mexicans can build their families around.  
    In 2022, Heinrich helped author and pass into law the landmark Inflation Reduction Act,which has created a manufacturing renaissance in the state and established New Mexico at the center of the nation’s clean energy future. Heinrich marked the two-year anniversary of the legislation being signed into law in August, highlighting how its incentives have expanded and spurred a number of new clean energy projects across New Mexico. 
    Earlier this year, Heinrich highlighted $20 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for Pajarito Powder to scale production of components for electrolyzers and fuel cells. Heinrich invited the U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to tour the facilities of Pajarito Powder in Albuquerque, N.M. 
    In June, the N.M. Delegation welcomed $23.9 million from the CHIPS and Science Act for SolAero, an Albuquerque, N.M.-based manufacturing company, to increase its production of compound semiconductors for spacecraft and satellites, as part of an expansion and modernization of their facility. Heinrich, Luján, and Stansbury, along with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, welcomed U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves and White House CHIPS Coordinator Ryan Harper to New Mexico to highlight this investment.  
    In April, Heinrich and Luján welcomed Energy Secretary Granholm to break ground on a new 216,000-square-foot Array Technologies manufacturing campus — a $50+ million investment located on Albuquerque’s Westside — which will employ over 300 additional New Mexicans to facilitate the production, assembly, design, engineering, and customer service of solar tracking technology.  
    That same day, Heinrich, Granholm, and Vasquez participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the production of the first wind towers coming off the Arcosa Wind Towers manufacturing line. The ribbon-cutting ceremony came nearly nine months after Heinrich welcomed President Biden to the Belén manufacturing facility — a $60 million investment that will have a $314 million economic impact and create 250 jobs in the region.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Infrastructure Dividend Split Corp. Announces Preferred Distribution and Increase to Class A Distribution Rate

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Infrastructure Dividend Split Corp. (TSX: IS and IS.PR.A) (the “Company”), is pleased to announce an increase in the monthly distribution rate of Class A shares from $0.125/share to $0.14/share. The distribution increase is supported by dividend growth from several of the Company’s portfolio holdings and the strong performance and outlook for the infrastructure sector.  

    On May 6, 2024, the Class A shares were converted from units of the International Clean Power Dividend Fund (TSX: CLP.UN) at a value of $15.00 per share. As of October 16, 2024, the Net Asset Value per Class A share is $17.93. In addition, the Company has paid cumulative monthly distributions to Class A shareholders of $0.75 per share since inception.

      Record Date   Payable Date Distribution Per
    Equity Share
    October 31, 2024 November 15, 2024 $0.14
         

    The Company also announces the second quarterly distribution of 2024 will be payable to preferred shareholders as follows:

      Record Date   Payable Date Distribution Per
    Preferred Share
    October 31, 2024 November 15, 2024 $0.18
         

    The equity and preferred shares both trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the respective symbols IS and IS.PR.A.

    The Company invests in a diversified, actively managed portfolio of dividend-paying securities of issuers operating in the infrastructure sector, focusing on issuers that that Middlefield Capital Corporation, the investment advisor of the Company, believes are undervalued and well-positioned to benefit from the outlook for a gradual reduction in interest rates, the global decarbonization, and favourable demographics.

    For further information, please visit our website at http://www.middlefield.com or contact our Sales and Marketing Department at 1.888.890.1868.

    This press release contains forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is based on historical information concerning distributions and dividends paid on the securities of issuers historically included in the portfolio of the Company. Actual future results, including the amount of distributions paid by the Company, may differ from the monthly distribution amount. Specifically, the income from which distributions are paid may vary significantly due to: changes in portfolio composition; changes in distributions and dividends paid by issuers of securities included in the Company’s portfolio from time to time; there being no assurance that those issuers will pay distributions or dividends on their securities; the declaration of distributions and dividends by issuers of securities included in the portfolio will generally depend upon various factors, including the financial condition of each issuer and general economic and stock market conditions; the level of borrowing by the Company; and the uncertainty of realizing capital gains.  The risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results are described under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s prospectus and other documents filed by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The forward-looking information contained in this press release constitutes the Company’s current estimate, as of the date of this press release, with respect to the matters covered hereby. Investors and others should not assume that any forward-looking statement contained in this press release represents the Company’s estimate as of any date other than the date of this press release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casey Announces More than $18.4 Million for Workforce Development, Community Revitalization in Pennsylvania Coal Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey

    Recipient

    Grant

    Project

    Bedford County Development Association

    $498,840

    Bedford County Business Park II -Site Preparation

    Bedford County Technical Center

    $50,000

    Bedford County Technical Center: Expanding Opportunity in Coal Impacted Appalachia

    Catalyst Connection

    $2,000,000

    Pennsylvania Career Pathways to Advanced Manufacturing:  “Forging Your Future”

    Center for Employment Opportunities

    $50,000

    Transitional Employment for Justice Impacted Pittsburgh Residents

    Center for Population Health

    $751,057

    Growth of Community Health Workers inCambria/Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania

    Corry Community Development Corporation D/B/A Impact Corry (nonprofit)

    $887,000

    Corry City Center Trail Link

    Enterprise Development Center of Erie County, Inc.

    $2,000,000

    Ironworks Square: Smart Redevelopment in Coal Impacted Regions

    Greene County Commissioners

    $50,000

    Greene County Barriers to Workforce Study

    IUP Research Institute

    $452,326

    NWPAMade — Galvanizing and empowering the region’s creative economy

    JARI Growth Fund, Inc.

    $1,000,000

    Startup Alleghenies Ecosystem Capital and Technical Assistance Expansion – Capital

    JARI Growth Fund, Inc.

    $879,253

    Startup Alleghenies Ecosystem Capital and Technical Assistance Expansion- Technical Assistance

    Jewish Healthcare Foundation

    $1,990,867

    Revitalizing Community Jobs—Building, Training and Supporting the Frontline Workforce for Nursing Homes in Pennsylvania

    Lycoming County

    $1,867,395

    Susquehanna River Walk Extension Trail Construction Project

    O.S. Johnson Technical Institute

    $50,000

    Planning for Vehicle Maintenance Technology Jobs of the Future

    Office of Child Development, University of Pittsburgh

    $49,751

    Two-Generational Literacy to Strengthen the Workforce Pipeline

    Pittsburgh Robotics Network (PRN)

    $750,000

    Maturing Appalachia’s Robotics Workforce

    Saint Vincent College (SVC)

    $662,672

    Equipment and Technology for a Nursing Education and Lab Facility at Saint Vincent College

    Screen Arts Institute

    $400,000

    The Broadcast Arts Initiative

    The ClearWater Conservancy of Central Pennsylvania, Inc.

    $2,000,000

    ClearWater Community Conservation Center Ecotourism, Agritourism, and Agribusiness Hub

    The University of Scranton

    $1,321,980

    The University of Scranton: Technology Driven Transformation in Workforce Development and Innovation

    Westmoreland Hospital

    $769,193

    Building an Innovative Nursing Workforce Model: Bridging the Gap from Student to Expert

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Six defendants arrested in retail theft ring, charged with stealing and selling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that six defendants were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, transportation and sale of stolen goods in interstate commerce, money laundering, and conspiracy, for their roles in a retail theft ring in the Rochester, NY, area. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Named in the complaint are:

    •              Shabon Banks, 41

    •              Amanda Reeves, 40

    •              Chad Lewis, Jr., 20

    •              Chanc Lewis, 22

    •              Dominic Sprague, 40

    •              James Civiletti, 33, all of Rochester, NY.

    Defendant Shabon Banks is also charged with aggravated identity theft.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the criminal complaint, in November 2023, the Greece Police Department began an investigation after it became aware that serial larcenist, Shabon Banks, had been engaged in an unusually large number of transactions at the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop in Greece. The investigation uncovered a theft ring involving defendants Banks, Reeves, Lewis, Jr., and Lewis (the larcenists), who have been engaged in an ongoing retail theft conspiracy involving the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop and its operators, defendants Sprague and Civiletti, since December 2021. As part of the scheme, the larcenists stole new-in-box items from store shelves, which they then sold to Sprague, Civiletti, and others at the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop, for a fraction of the actual retail value. Sprague and Civiletti then resold the stolen merchandise on eBay at much higher prices, resulting in significant profits for the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop. The merchandise was stolen from various stores including Home Depot, Target, Lowes, Walmart, and Kohls.

    Since December 7, 2021, the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop has purchased 37,936 new-in-box items from the larcenists on more than 670 occasions, paying the larcenists $290,000.00. The investigation determined that the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop paid the larcenists 30% of the actual retail value of the stolen items. Therefore, the actual losses to the victim-retailers and resulting profit to the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop are estimated to be much higher.

    Sprague and Civiletti engaged in multiple financial transactions involving the proceeds of the fraud in violation of federal money laundering statutes. In total, between January 2022, and August 7, 2024, the New York Gold Diamond Pawn shop resold more than 48,000 new-in-box items via eBay for $2,467.847.46, the majority of which are believed to have been stolen.

    The complaint is the culmination of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter.

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –