Big animals of the ocean go about their days mostly hidden from view. Scientists know this marine megafauna – such as whales, sharks, seal, turtles and birds – travel vast distances to feed and breed.
But almost a third are now at risk of extinction due largely to fishing, shipping, pollution and global warming.
Protecting them can be difficult, because we don’t often know where these animals are.
New research I led sought to shed light on the issue. My colleagues and I gathered 30 years of satellite tracking data to map hotspots of megafauna activity around the globe.
We tracked 12,794 animals from 111 species to find out where they go. The results reveal underwater “highways” where megafauna crisscross the global Ocean. They also show where megafauna dwell for feeding and breeding. Now we know where these special places are, we have a better chance of protecting them.
Satellite tracking reveals marine megafauna migration pathways and places of residence. Sequeira et al (2025) Science
Pulling all the data together: a mega task
For more than 30 years, marine biologists have tagged large animals in the sea with electronic devices and tracked their movements via satellite. The trackers capture data on everything from speed of travel, to direction of movement and where the animals spend most of their time.
I put a call out to the global research community to bring together the tracking data. I hoped it would help scientists better understand the animals’ movements and identify their favourite places.
Some 378 scientists from 50 countries responded. We assembled the world’s largest tracking dataset of marine megafauna. It includes species of flying birds, whales, fishes (mostly sharks), penguins, polar bears, seals, dugongs, manatees and turtles. They were tracked between 1985 and 2018, throughout the world’s oceans.
Ana Sequeira swimming with a whale shark in Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, to collect samples. Australian Institute of Marine Science
Mapping reveals a lack of protection
When we started analysing the data, it showed the tagged animals used some parts of the ocean more frequently than others. Most of them travelled to the central Indian Ocean, northeast Pacific Ocean, Atlantic north, and waters around Mozambique and South Africa.
It’s likely this reflects a lack of data from elsewhere. However, these species are known to go to places where they are most likely to find food, so we expect some areas to be used more than others (including the areas we detected).
Currently only about 8% of the global ocean is protected. And only 5% of the important marine megafauna areas we identified occur within these existing marine protected areas.
This leaves all of the other important marine megafauna areas we identified unprotected. In other words, the species using those areas are likely to suffer harm from human activities taking place at sea.
More than 90% of the important marine megafauna areas we identified are exposed to high plastic pollution, shipping traffic or to intensifying global warming. And about 75% are exposed to industrial fishing.
We also found marine megafauna tend to spend most of their time within exclusive economic zones. This area lies beyond the territorial sea or belt of water 12 nautical miles from the coast of each country, extending 200 nautical miles from shore. The presence of megafauna in these exclusive economic zones means individual countries could increase the protection afforded within their jurisdictions.
About 40% of the important marine megafauna areas were located in these zones. But about 60% were on the high seas.
The future of marine megafauna conservation
The High Seas Treaty, recently adopted by the United Nations and signed by 115 countries, governs the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological biodiversity on the open ocean.
Working alongside this treaty, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to protect 30% of the global ocean by 2030. This presents an opportunity to ensure important marine megafauna areas are well represented.
We used an optimisation algorithm to identify the best areas to protect, when it comes to marine megafauna. We gave priority to areas that are potentially used for feeding, breeding, resting and migrating across all the different species.
But even if important marine megafauna areas are selected when 30% of the ocean is protected, about 60% of these areas would still stay unprotected.
Significant risks from human activities will remain. Management efforts must also focus on reducing harm from fishing and shipping. Fighting climate change and cutting down noise and plastic pollution should also be key priorities.
Like for most megafauna on land, the reign of marine megafauna might come to an end if humanity does not afford these species greater protection.
Ana M. M. Sequeira receives funding from the Australian Research Council and a Pew Marine Fellowship from the Pew Charitable Trusts. She is also affiliated with the University of Western Australia.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joseph Ibrahim, Professor, Aged Care Medical Research Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care, La Trobe University
The Coroners Court of Victoria is undertaking an inquest into the deaths of eight aged care residents across six facilities, over a nine-month period in 2021.
Each death occurred after an interaction between residents, known as resident-to-resident aggression.
If your loved one is living in aged care, it’s natural to be distressed and concerned for their safety after hearing about these deaths.
Here’s what we know about when and where it’s more likely to happen, how relatives can safeguard their loved ones, and what’s happening across the system to reduce the risk of it occurring.
What does it look like?
Resident-to-resident aggression refers to aggressive and intrusive interactions between long-term care residents that would likely be unwelcome and potentially cause the recipient physical or psychological distress or harm. It includes physical, sexual and verbal aggression.
However, the term “aggression” is potentially misleading. In most cases, the residents involved are not consciously intending to cause harm.
The prevalence of resident-to-resident aggression in aged care has been estimated at 20%, but is likely under-reported. This means that over a month, 20% of aged care residents are likely to experience an incident of resident-to-resident aggression. This is usually verbal abuse or an invasion of privacy.
The variation in reported prevalence rates makes it hard to know if the rate is increasing.
The consequences of resident-to-resident aggression range in seriousness from functional decline, to psychological or physical injury, to death.
In 2017, we published a national study of deaths from resident-to-resident aggression in nursing home residents in Australia. Over 14 years, we identified 28 deaths.
Almost 90% of residents involved – either as an “exhibitor” (often referred to as the aggressor) or a target – had dementia. Three-quarters of those diagnosed with dementia had a history of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, including wandering and physical aggression.
Exhibitors of aggressive behaviour were mostly male (85.7%), often younger, and more recently admitted to the aged care facility than the target.
Resident-to-resident aggression leading to death was most likely to occur between two male residents.
Half of all incidents leading to death involved a resident pushing and the target falling, leading to injuries such as hip fracture and head injury. This underscores the vulnerabilities posed by physical frailty among aged care residents.
Incidents resulting in death occurred mostly in communal areas, reflecting the ongoing challenges of an aged care system that relies on residents living together.
Learning from past incidents
Resident-to-resident aggression was previously brought to national attention by the death of a resident at the Oakden facility in South Australia. This led to a coronial inquest and the facility closed in 2017.
The case raised issues including the need for residents exhibiting potentially aggressive behaviour to have regular clinical reviews, accurate and detailed documentation, and adequate escalation and reporting of any incidents of aggression.
Since 2021, facilities have been required to report incidents of “unreasonable use of force”. The Australian Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission monitors these events through the Serious Incident Response Scheme.
The last report, from March 2023, provides a series of case studies and highlights the need for better approaches to behaviour support and risk assessment.
However, prevention requires a broader systems-based approach to better understand the problem, and generate and evaluate interventions. This should include reviewing trends at the facility, provider and national level.
Approaching individual situations
Resident-to-resident aggression is expected to become more common as more people are diagnosed with dementia.
Cognitive impairment in both the exhibitor of aggressive behaviour and targets makes this more complex, as a resident could become either one, depending on the precipitating circumstances.
In one-third of the cases we analysed, the exhibitor of aggressive behaviour and the target had been involved in an earlier incident together in the past 12 months. This suggests there are opportunities for intervention.
Are police involved?
When serious injury or death occurs, it is the role of police to investigate the incident and refer to the Office of Public Prosecutions, if appropriate.
Attributing legal responsibility is problematic and criminal charges are rarely filed. This may be because the residents involved are unfit for police interview or unfit to stand trial.
Alternatively, prosecution may not be deemed in the public interest.
Managing symptoms of dementia
Dementia may impair a person’s ability to reason, express their needs and manage their emotions. It can also impair their ability to respond, in a socially acceptable way, to interpersonal conflict.
Behaviour-management strategies to support the person with dementia include having a calm environment with a familiar routine and clear communication.
Over the past decade, more formal services have become available to help manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Managing dementia symptoms requires multidisciplinary expertise spanning the aged care, disability and mental health sectors. Yet integrating these services remains a challenge.
The federal government has committed to addressing the sub-optimal management of residents living with dementia.
Supporting your loved one
If you’re worried about your loved one, the first step is to express these concerns directly to the facility staff, as you would with any other matter. Open communication helps the facility staff to get to know your loved one and provide more tailored support.
The Older Persons Advocacy Network is available to residents for free, independent and confidential support. They can advocate for you if you feel your concerns aren’t being heard or your loved one’s care is compromised.
What happens next with the inquest?
The Coroners Court will investigate this important and distressing issue and aims to reduce the number of preventable deaths.
The coroner will hear the evidence, and may make formal recommendations about how to improve resident safety. Government agencies are required to consider and respond to these recommendations.
It’s clear we have a long way to go to safeguard the rights of older people living in residential care.
Joseph Ibrahim is a medical specialist in geriatrics and an academic with over 30 years of clinical experience. He is a Professor with the Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care, La Trobe University and an Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University. He previously received funding from state and national government for research into the safety and quality of aged care homes and resident-on-resident aggression. He has also been an expert witness for criminal and coroners court cases as well as the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
Amelia Grossi 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.
Mould in houses is unsightly and may cause unpleasant odours. More important though, mould has been linked to a range of health effects – especially triggering asthma.
However, is mould exposure linked to a serious lung disease in children, unrelated to asthma? As we’ll see, this link may not be real, or if it is, it’s so rare to not be a meaningful risk. Yet we still hear mould in damp homes described as “toxic”.
Indeed, mouldy homes can harm people’s health, but not necessarily how you might think.
What is mould?
Mould is the general term for a variety of fungi. The mould that people have focused on in damp homes is “black mould”. This forms unsightly black patches on walls and other parts of damp-affected buildings.
Black mould is not a single fungus. But when people talk about black mould, they generally mean the fungus Stachybotrys chartarum or S. chartarum for short. It’s one of experts’ top ten feared fungi.
The focus on this species comes from a report in the 1990s on cases of haemorrhagic lung disease in a number of infants. This is a rare disease where blood leaks into the lungs, and can be fatal. The report suggested chemicals known as mycotoxins associated with this species of fungus were responsible for the outbreak.
Hundreds of different chemicals are listed as myocytoxins. These include ones in poisonous mushrooms, and ones associated with the soil fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus.
The fungus typically associated with black mould S. chartarum can produce several mycotoxins. These include roridin, which inhibits protein synthesis in humans and animals, and satratoxins, which have numerous toxic effects including bleeding in the lungs.
While the satratoxins, in particular, were mentioned in the report from the 90s in children, there are some problems when we look at the evidence.
The amount of mycotoxins S. chartarum makes can vary considerably. Even if significant amounts of mycotoxin are present, getting them into the body in the required amount to cause damage is another thing.
Inhaling spores in contaminated (mouldy) homes is the most probable way mycotoxins enter the body. For instance, we know mycotoxins can be found in S. chartarumspores. We also know direct injection of high concentrations of mycotoxin-bearing spores directly in the noses of mice can cause some lung bleeding.
Stachybotrys chartarum mycotoxins have been blamed for lung issues after exposure to black mould. Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock
But just because inhaling spores is the probable route of contamination doesn’t mean this is very likely.
Moulds can affect human health in ways unrelated to mycotoxins, typically through allergic reactions. Moulds including black moulds can trigger or worsen asthma attacks in people with mould allergies.
People with impaired immune systems (such as people taking immune-suppressant medications) may also be prone to mould infections.
In a nutshell
There is sufficient evidence that household mould is associated with respiratory issues attributable to their allergic effects.
However, there is no strong evidence mycotoxins from household mould – and in particular black mould – are associated with substantial health issues.
Ian Musgrave has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council to study adverse reactions to herbal medicines and has previously been funded by the Australian Research Council to study potential natural product treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. He is currently a member of one of the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s statutory councils.
As part of its resource management reforms, the government will soon allow “super-sized granny flats” to be built without consent – potentially adding 13,000 dwellings over the next decade to provide “families with more housing options”.
This represents genuine progress in reducing regulatory barriers. But the scale of the housing crisis means we have to ask whether incremental reforms can deliver meaningful change.
The numbers provide important context. Against current consenting rates of 40,000 to 50,000 new dwellings per year, those projected 70-square-metre granny flats represent a 2.6% increase in housing supply.
In Auckland, where housing pressure is most acute, 300 additional units might be built annually. For some, that’s likely to be useful. But for a country already facing a housing crunch, it’s insignificant.
The costs of a granny flat
The numbers also reveal who can participate in this proposed solution. Building a basic 70-square-metre granny flat will cost between NZ$200,000 and $300,000. Add site works, utility connections and mandatory licensed building practitioner supervision, and total project costs will be closer to the upper end of that range.
At current interest rates, financing $250,000 requires approximately $480 weekly in loan payments. While rents of $500-$600 per week are achievable in urban markets, these thin margins assume optimal conditions.
For property owners with existing equity, this presents a viable investment. For those seeking affordable housing – young families, essential workers, recent immigrants – the benefits remain largely theoretical.
This dynamic illustrates a persistent challenge in market-based housing solutions: policies intended to improve affordability often primarily benefit those with capital to deploy.
Pressure on the pipes
Each granny flat requires full residential infrastructure – water, wastewater and stormwater connections. The development contributions – fees councils charge on new builds to fund infrastructure – will help fund network upgrades. But New Zealand already faces a $120-185 billion water infrastructure deficit over the next 30 years, just to fix existing systems.
The challenge is particularly acute in established suburbs where these units are most likely to appear. Parts of Christchurch serviced by vacuum sewers already operate at capacity. Auckland’s combined sewer areas face overflow risks during heavy rainfall. Wellington’s ageing pipes struggle with current demand.
Adding thousands of dispersed infill units to stressed networks poses genuine engineering challenges that funding alone cannot solve.
Transport infrastructure faces similar pressures. With minimum parking requirements axed across the nation, these new granny flats will likely increase on-street parking demand and local traffic.
While some granny flat residents may rely on public transport or active modes, New Zealand’s car ownership rates – 837 vehicles per 1,000 people – suggest most will own vehicles.
Auckland’s sewer systems are already under pressure. New granny flats will add strain on the infrastructure. Janice Chen/Getty Images
Approved but not always built
International experience offers instructive parallels. California’s 2017 Accessory Dwelling Unit legislation provides the closest comparison. After removing similar regulatory barriers, California saw permits increase from 1,000 in 2016 to 13,000 in 2019.
However, construction costs and infrastructure constraints limited actual completions to roughly 60% of approved units.
Australian cities report similar patterns. Despite permissive regulations in many areas, only 13-23% of suitable properties actually added secondary dwellings. High construction costs and infrastructure limitations proved more binding than regulatory constraints.
Closer to home, Auckland’s experience with minor dwellings under the Unitary Plan suggests cautious optimism. Since 2016, the city has averaged 300-400 secondary dwelling consents annually where permitted. The number of units actually constructed is unknown.
Allowing one-storey detached 70-square-metre units without building consent may increase this modestly. But they are unlikely to dramatically accelerate production given persistent cost and capacity constraints.
Another form of wealth transfer
The policy’s benefits flow primarily to existing property owners. They will gain new development rights without competitive tender or public process. While perhaps justified by broader housing benefits, it’s worth acknowledging this is a form of wealth transfer.
For renters, benefits depend on how many units actually materialise and at what price point. Secondary units often rent at 20-30% below comparable standalone houses due to their size and backyard location.
This could meaningfully expand options for singles and couples. But families requiring larger accommodation will see limited benefits.
The policy’s design constraints also tell us what kind of urban density is acceptable. Single-storey height limits, two-metre boundary setbacks and standalone requirements essentially mandate the least efficient form of intensification.
Units could share walls and services, and two-storey designs that use less land could be permitted. Instead, the granny flat exemption favours the one configuration that maintains suburban aesthetics while delivering minimal extra housing.
A modest response to the housing crisis
The granny flat exemption exemplifies New Zealand’s approach to housing challenges: acknowledging a crisis while implementing modest responses.
Despite severe shortfalls in housing supply, the medium-density development common in comparable countries remains largely unrealised. An estimated 180,000 households could be accommodated through comprehensive densification.
There are genuine benefits worth acknowledging, of course. The exemption reduces bureaucratic barriers, enables some additional housing and gives property owners new options.
The question isn’t so much whether the new policy should be embraced. But rather whether the government is willing to complement it with larger changes the housing crisis demands.
Timothy Welch 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.
Since coming to power in 2022, the Albanese government has focused strongly on the Indo-Pacific.
The prime minister’s recent trip to Indonesia was the latest high-level bilateral summit as Australia seeks to recalibrate relationships, enhance security and, where possible, win the battle for hearts and minds in the region.
In a world slipping further into “strategic atrophy,” art, music, food, culture, sport and other forms of soft power are no longer peripheral.
In the foreword to the recently launched Australian Sports Diplomacy 2032+ strategy, for example, Labor MP Tim Watts stated:
Sport is an important tool for Australia’s diplomatic engagement at a time when Australia needs to use every dimension of our national power to advance our interests.
The First Nations of Australia are mentioned in this strategy but it fails to reflect the depth, power and influence Indigenous sports diplomats could bring.
Arguably, our sports diplomacy would be more authentic, unique and effective (especially in the Pacific) if First Nations people, perspectives and programs were genuinely integrated from the outset – baked in, not bolted on.
The epic history of First Nations sport
Indigenous Australians were the first people to play sport on this land.
Though sometimes hostile, these communities shared a common language: sport.
Physical pursuits served, and still serve, many purposes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: fostering communication, preserving lore, teaching youth to be effective providers and most importantly, practising survival skills.
Sport was also a civilising force used for social, cultural and diplomatic ends. Games and carnivals increased contact between clans, easing tension, division, xenophobia and misunderstandings that could spark violence.
Battendi (spear-throwing), Marngrook (football), Koolchee (ball games), and Prun (mock war) are examples of diplomatic games that predate the ancient Greek Olympics by tens of thousands of years.
Sport became central to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture, identity and diplomacy.
“Deadly” – a term meaning excellent – sports diplomacy is a more fitting way to describe this unique form of diplomacy. Done well, it offers a more accurate, authentic brand of Australia to the region and beyond.
The battle for the Blue Pacific
The “Blue Pacific” – a term describing a shared Pacific culture, identity and collective diplomatic strategy – offers an opportunity to harness the power of deadly sports diplomacy.
If Australia hopes to win Pacific hearts and minds, it should send more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sports diplomats and teams to countries such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and New Zealand, because the nations of the Blue Pacific deeply respect the old, wise First Peoples of Australia.
These relationships are built on shared values: culture, family, spirituality and sport.
The Black Swans – Australia’s First Nations netball team, which debuted at the PacificAus Sports netball series in 2024 – are included as a case study in Sports Diplomacy 2032+. However, it’s the government’s A$600 million NRL project in PNG that has dominated headlines.
The Albanese government’s backing of this initiative has sparked criticism among supporters of other codes in Australia with strong ties to Pacific nations – especially rugby union, which until recently was the code of choice in Fiji and throughout Polynesia.
A rise in Pacific Island interest in rugby league may impact rugby union, some argue.
However, rugby league may be a more effective sports diplomacy tool. It enjoys growing popularity in those locations and has undisputed national sport status in PNG, the most populous Pacific nation by far.
It’s also arguably more “deadly,” with its Indigenous All Stars team and an Indigenous Round.
In the NRL, 48% of players have Pasifika heritage, and 12% identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, compared to 3% across the Australian population.
Should rugby union receive similar support? Perhaps, but first, it must address the absence of Indigenous players.
Since Rugby Australia’s founding in 1949, only 15 Aboriginal men have played Test rugby for Australia.
What about similar funding for soccer, the national obsession of strategically important near neighbours Solomon Islands and Vanuatu?
It too has had a relative absence of Indigenous players at Australia’s highest levels, notwithstanding the pioneering careers of Charlie Perkins, John Moriarty, Archie Thompson and recent Matildas Lydia Williams and Mackenzie Arnold.
Extra time
Integrating the world’s oldest living culture in Australia’s sports diplomacy program can only enhance our relationships, diplomacy and national brand.
Established in 2020, it connects elite First Nations athletes with respected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mentors.
Throughout the year, athletes and mentors meet online, attend monthly storytelling sessions and attend an annual cultural connection camp at the AIS campus.
Mainstream sport can be challenging but having the unwavering support of mob keeps me grounded and focused on my goals.
The fact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have practised sports diplomacy for more than 60,000 years is a powerful story. It is one that should be celebrated at every international sporting event we attend, bid for, or host.
Including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, programs and perspectives would strengthen and innovate our strategies, add vital cultural iconography, inspire like-minded nations and help win hearts and minds from Honiara to Hawaii.
The authors would like to thank Kombumerri woman Emily Pugin (DFAT) and Butchulla/Goreng Goreng Paul Martin for their contribution, teaching and help in commissioning and drafting the report that informs this article.
Stuart Murray receives funding from The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Narelle Bedford 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.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Charles Kurzman, Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Taliban fighters guard the former U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 5, 2025.AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi
The Trump administration on June 4, 2025, announced travel restrictions targeting 19 countries in Africa and Asia, including many of the world’s poorest nations. All travel is banned from 12 of these countries, with partial restrictions on travel from the rest.
The presidential proclamation, entitled “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” is aimed at “countries throughout the world for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a full or partial suspension on the entry or admission of nationals from those countries.”
The latest travel ban reimposes restrictions on many of the countries that were included on travel bans in Trump’s first term, along with several new countries.
But this travel ban, like the earlier ones, will not significantly improve national security and public safety in the United States. That’s because migrants account for a minuscule portion of violence in the U.S. And migrants from the latest travel ban countries account for an even smaller portion, according to data that I have collected. The suspect in Colorado, for example, is from Egypt, which is not on the travel ban list.
As a scholar of political sociology, I don’t believe Trump’s latest travel ban is about national security. Rather, I’d argue, it’s primarily about using national security as an excuse to deny visas to nonwhite applicants.
The Trump administration says the U.S. cannot appropriately vet visa applicants in countries with uncooperative governments or underdeveloped security systems. That claim is false.
The State Department and other government agencies do a thorough job of vetting visa applicants, even in countries where there is no U.S. embassy, according to an analysis by the CATO Institute.
The U.S. government has sophisticated methods for identifying potential threats. They include detailed documentation requirements, interviews with consular officers and clearance by national security agencies. And it rejects more than 1 in 6 visa applications, with ever-increasing procedures for detecting fraud.
Members of the Yemeni community and others wave American and Yemeni flags as they gather on the steps of Brooklyn’s Borough Hall to protest President Donald Trump’s first travel ban on Feb. 2, 2017, in New York. AP Photo/Kathy Willens
The thoroughness of the visa review process is evident in the numbers.
Authorized foreign-born residents of the U.S. are far less likely than U.S.-born residents to engage in criminal activity. And unauthorized migrants are even less likely to commit crimes. Communities with more migrants – authorized and unauthorized – have similar or slightly lower crime rates than communities with fewer migrants.
If vetting were as deficient as Trump’s executive order claims, we would expect to see a significant number of terrorist plots from countries on the travel ban list. But we don’t.
Two of them were arrested after plotting with undercover law enforcement agents. One was found to have lied on his asylum application. One was an Afghan man who killed three Pakistani Shiite Muslim immigrants in New Mexico in 2022.
Such a handful of zealots with rifles or homemade explosives can be life-altering for victims and their families, but they do not represent a threat to U.S. national security.
Degrading the concept of national security
Trump has been trying for years to turn immigration into a national security issue.
In his first major speech on national security in 2016, Trump focused on the “dysfunctional immigration system which does not permit us to know who we let into our country.”
His primary example was an act of terrorism by a man who was born in the U.S.
The first Trump administration’s national security strategy, issued in December 2017, prioritized jihadist terrorist organizations that “radicalize isolated individuals” as “the most dangerous threat to the Nation” – not armies, not another 9/11, but isolated individuals.
If the travel ban is not really going to improve national security or public safety, then what is it about?
Protesters wave signs during a demonstration against President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban on May 15, 2017, in Seattle. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
Second, invoking national security allows Trump to pursue this goal without the need for accountability, since Congress and the courts have traditionally deferred to the executive branch on national security issues.
Norfolk, Va. – The order to cancel evening flights came down at 8:15 p.m. on April 7, 2025, a reprieve from a rapidly approaching storm that promised to shroud USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in darkness and rain.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Hageman welcomed a Wednesday announcement confirming that cooperating agencies will have an opportunity to once again meet with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to discuss amendments to the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan (RMP).
“The long-term economic harm of this RMP cannot be overstated. The current Biden plan fundamentally conflicts with the decades-long work undertaken by the stakeholders as they developed a reasonable RMP that complies with FLPMA. The previous administration, in its effort to elevate “conservation” over the statutory required multiple use policies, violated long-standing land use law.” Hageman stated, “As BLMreturns to the drawing board, it is important that they protect our legacy industries and access for recreation. FLPMA is clear in its mandate regarding what types of uses are allowed on these federal lands, and BLM need look no further than the law itself to carry out congressional intent. I have every expectation that the current administration will fully engage with the local community and the cooperators and we will end up with a more robust RMP as a result.”
Congresswoman Hageman has engaged with the BLM since being elected and has urged them to select the alternative that protected our long history of multiple-use management, including energy production, mining, grazing and recreation. Upon the BLM’s publication of the revised RMP in the fall of 2023, through which it chose the most restrictive alternative possible, Congresswoman Hageman has worked to block its implementation, including introducing a bill to do just that.
Background:
The Rock Springs RMP covers 3.6 million acres of BLM-administered surface estate and 3.7 million acres of mineral estate in portions of southwest Wyoming.
Of the four alternatives analyzed during the planning process, the BLM selected the most restrictive and least studied of them all.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)
Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) is preparing to defend access to food for working families, children, seniors, and veterans as the House Agriculture Committee meets to consider a Republican proposal to cut over $300 billion from critical programs. These cuts are expected to fall almost entirely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps more than 42 million Americans—including over 16 million children—afford groceries.
“I won’t stand by while House Republicans try to balance the budget by taking food away from the people I represent,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen. “Cutting SNAP by $290 billion isn’t about fiscal responsibility—it’s a reckless attack on our neighbors who are struggling to keep up with rising food prices.”
In Illinois’ 17th District, 64,000 families rely on SNAP to help make ends meet. Local grocers, farmers markets, and food producers also depend on SNAP purchases to stay afloat contributing to the local economy while feeding their communities. In 2023, SNAP supported over $3.9 billion in purchases from small grocers and nearly $70 million in purchases from farmers and farmers markets across the country.
Congressman Sorensen will speak out against these proposed cuts during today’s Agriculture Committee meeting, urging his colleagues to protect SNAP and defend the health and well-being of everyday Americans.
You can view and download a video of Congressman Sorensen’s message to Illinois families during the Agriculture Committee hearinghere.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)
Congressman Sorensen is Calling on Congress to Provide $50 Million to the Critical Supply Chain Site Development Grant Program Established by His Bipartisan ONSHORE Law
Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging them to fund the Critical Supply Chain Site Development Grant Program at the Department of Commerce in the Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations bills with $50 million. The Critical Supply Chain Site Development Program provides grants to local communities for site readiness improvements, such as connecting sites to utilities, completing environmental reviews, and investing in workforce training.
“Business in the Quad Cities and beyond are telling me they’re ready to break ground and hire new workers thanks to the passage of my bipartisan ONSHORE Act,” said Congressman Sorensen. “This law has the potential to unlock untapped economic development, but we need to make sure the resources are there to make these new projects a reality. I’m calling on Congress to ensure we fully fund the grant program under the law, so we can help uplift communities across Illinois’ 17th district.”
“The Quad Cities is primed for investment, but site readiness is impeding growth,” said Peter Tokar, President & CEO of the Quad Cities Chamber. “Like the rest of the country, we are in need of new tools in the toolbox to meet our region’s full economic potential.”
“We applaud Congressman Sorensen and the bipartisan coalition that helped pass the Critical Supply Chain Site Development Program into law and the current bipartisan effort to deliver funding for this necessary tool,” said Ryan Sempf, Executive Director Government Affairs for the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.
The program was established by Congressman Sorensen and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ (IA-01) bipartisanOpportunities for Non-developed Sites to Have Opportunities to be Rehabilitated for Economic Development (ONSHORE) Act.The law focuses on attracting new manufacturing jobs and businesses to communities like the Quad Cities by addressing the issue of unused sites and making them shovel-ready for development. Local leaders and businesses have said that preparing sites for development is one of the biggest obstacles to attracting manufacturing businesses to the area.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)
Congressman Sorensen Spoke Out Against the Republican Budget Plan Earlier This Week on the House Floor
Today, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) voted no against Republican’s partisan big billionaire bailout that makes massive cuts to the SNAP food assistance program and Medicaid health insurance to pay for a huge tax break for billionaires.
“I voted no against a partisan Republican bill because I’m against taking food away from my hungry neighbors and striping them of their health insurance, all so the rich can get a big break on their taxes,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen. “I will continue to speak out against a bill that will blow a $5 trillion dollar hole in our national debt and go after the most vulnerable among us: our kids, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities.”
Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper made stops in Denver, Estes Park, and Evans last week to call out Trump administration attacks on Colorado’s public lands, small businesses, and rural health care.
On Tuesday, Hickenlooper held a press conference with Colorado business owners at Four Noses Brewing Company to highlight how the Trump administration’s erratic tariff policies are harming local businesses.
“Tariffs cramp businesses and provide a level of uncertainty that is almost untenable and ends up meaning that people can’t make the investments in their business to grow,” said Hickenlooper. “…I think we are perilously close to sliding into a recession or maybe even worse, stagflation.”
Then on Wednesday, Hickenlooper joined Congressman Joe Neguse, public lands advocates, and local elected officials to call out the Trump administration’s threats to Colorado’s national parks and public lands – including Rocky Mountain National Park.
Watch the recap HickTok HERE
“Our lands are under siege… But we fight, we’re beaten, we rise and fight again,” Hickenlooper said at the press conference.
He highlighted the damage caused by the DOGE layoffs at the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service, and warned that proposed budget cuts could hamstring wildland firefighting efforts. He also criticized the Trump administration proposals to sell our public lands and emphasized the importance of continued collective action to fight back.
Afterwards, Hickenlooper visited Sunrise Community Health at the Monfort Family Clinic in Evans to highlight the dangerous cuts to Medicaid proposed in the House-passed Republican budget. Cuts of more than $700 billion from Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage would strip health care from 16 million Americans.
Check out the event coverage below.
WATCH: CBS Denver: Hickenlooper Tours 4 Noses Brewing Company to Highlight Tariffs
WATCH: ABC Denver 7: Senator Hickenlooper Highlights Tariffs at 4 Noses Brewery
WATCH: Fox 31 Denver: Hickenlooper Talks About Tariffs with Area Business Owners
Colorado Public Radio: Hickenlooper Highlights Trump’s Erratic Trade War
Colorado Newsline: Colorado businesses struggle amid uncertainty of fluctuating Trump tariffs (Company leaders tell Sen. Hickenlooper they seek stability)
Colorado small businesses from various sectors have made changes to their operations and even lost customers as a result of uncertainty around Trump administration tariffs.
…Hickenlooper said people well versed in economics tell him that “tariffs have never worked” except in specific situations. He said all tariffs do is create “a level of uncertainty that is almost untenable” and prevents businesses from growing and maintaining supply chain relationships.
“All these tariffs, in one way or another, they’re not bringing manufacturing back to this country,” Hickenlooper said. “What they’re doing is putting an unbearable burden on small businesses like we see here.”
Colorado Times Recorder: Hickenlooper Meets With Small Business Owners Who Face Tariff Uncertainty
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) met with small business owners from across Colorado today, all of whom emphasized that the uncertainty of federal tariff policy has caused market chaos.
…“The fact that we have tariffs at a time when most of the people I know who really understand economics believe that tariffs have never worked except in very surgical situations in the past,” Hickenlooper said. “Tariffs [as they are being implemented] provide a level of uncertainty that is almost untenable and ends up with people being unable to make the investments they need to make for their business to grow. We’ve seen that over the past couple of months. We are perilously close to sliding into a recession or… even stagflation.”
Colorado Public Radio: Hickenlooper highlights the tariff pain inflicted on Colorado companies
President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff policy is whipsawing Colorado’s entrepreneurs.
“Predictability matters,” Sen. John Hickenlooper said Tuesday during a press conference with business owners at 4 Noses Brewing Company in Denver. “Being able to count on your relationships with your supply chain, your wholesalers, your retailers, to build a business. Those are the essential characteristics and we’re losing that literally in the blink of an eye.”
No corner of the state’s business ecosystem is untouched by President Trump’s on-again-off-again approach to levying tariffs. Hickenlooper was joined by representatives from a diverse set of Colorado companies, including a pet food manufacturer, a craft brewery, an environmental equipment manufacturer and a machine part manufacturer.
Axios Denver: Colorado breweries fret about tariffs amid trade war
…Driving the news: U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, a former Wynkoop Brewing owner, is raising awareness about the tariffs’ potential to hike the price of ingredients, equipment and packaging.
“Tariffs cramp businesses and provide a level of uncertainty that is almost untenable,” Hickenlooper said during a visit earlier this week to Denver’s 4 Noses Brewing, where he sipped a beer fresh from the canning line and listened to local business owners talk about how the tariffs are hurting their businesses.
WATCH: MSNBC: Long lines, dirty bathrooms, overflowing trash – Trump cuts leave national parks in crisis
WATCH: Denver 7: Hickenlooper hosts press conference in Estes Park
Estes Park Trail Gazette: Sen. John Hickenlooper from Lake Estes: ‘Our lands are under siege’
…With the Rocky Mountains serving as his backdrop, Hickenlooper encouraged backers to take to social media and create a groundswell of support for his bill aimed at establishing a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to preventing the use of proceeds from public land sales, and to reduce the federal deficit, according to the bill.
“What we need to do is use social media like we’ve never used it before. We need to make sure our networks of people, tell their networks of people, what this really means, what this could do when you cripple an outdoor recreation economy that is actually paying for the maintenance, the preservation, and the access to these incredible public lands,” Hickenlooper said.
“Our lands are under siege, between what DOGE has done, the firings, if you add the people at the Forest Service, the National Parks, basically the Department of the Interior, all the different components that it takes to run our parks. That’s 6,000 people that have either been fired or pushed out of their jobs,” Hickenlooper said.
“We’re being attacked in every direction, especially in climate change. But we fight, we’re beaten, we rise and fight again.”
Colorado Newsline: Public lands advocates fear for Colorado’s national parks under Trump budget proposals
After the 2013 Colorado floods devastated communities surrounding Rocky Mountain National Park, locals worked tirelessly to get their businesses back up and running in time for the peak fall season.
The federal government shut down for about two weeks shortly after the flood, but U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat who was governor at the time, said Colorado agreed to pay the salaries for every employee in Rocky Mountain National Park so the park could still be open to visitors.
“That’s the way the state government, the federal government used to work together around public lands, and I think it’s worth revisiting that it was a team effort, that everyone was on the same page,” Hickenlooper said. “The businesses desperately needed that retail period to be open to maximize the largest influx of visitors’ to Estes Park, and we got it.”
That spirit of cooperation is a far cry from the threatened cuts to National Park Service staff and funding under President Donald Trump’s administration, Hickenlooper and other public lands advocates said in Estes Park Wednesday. Hickenlooper and U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat, called on Congress and Trump to reverse the cuts and maintain protections for the country’s public lands.
…Hickenlooper said over 6,000 people who work to take care of national parks and national forests across different agencies have either been fired or left their jobs.
“We’re going to see more risk this summer and this spring from wildfires, from extreme weather,” Hickenlooper said. “We’re going to see more risks than we’ve seen before in all … aspects of the droughts we’ve had and the water we have to use, at a time when we’re dramatically diminishing the number of firefighters we’re going to have available to fight fires in the West.”
Outside Magazine: John Hickenlooper: The Fight Over America’s Public Lands Has Become “All Out War”
On Wednesday, May 28, Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper stood alongside state congressman John Neguse near the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. The two lawmakers spoke about the ongoing fight to protect public lands and the federal agencies that oversee them.
Greeley Tribune: Sen. Hickenlooper visits Sunrise Community Health to discuss Medicaid cuts
If lawmakers in the U.S. Senate vote to pass new Medicaid requirements recently approved by the House, Sunrise Community Health CEO Mitzi Moran estimates about a quarter of patients in the nonprofit health care system could lose coverage.
“Seven thousand to 14,000 of our patients could fall off Medicaid as a result of these changes,” Moran told U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper on Wednesday. “That’s disastrous for them. While they could still come to us because we offer a sliding fee scale, what happens if they have a hospital visit or if they need to see a specialist?”
Hickenlooper visited the Monfort Family Clinic in Evans on Wednesday to discuss the potential cuts with staff and local members of the health care community.
…Though patients would still be able to utilize that sliding pay scale even without Medicaid, Hickenlooper and Moran expressed concerns about how these cuts would still jeopardize the clinic. If Sunrise receives less pay for the care it provides, Moran said it would need to become a very different organization to remain operational.
…Current estimates from the Congressional Budget Office indicate the changes to Medicaid would result in 8.6 million Americans losing coverage, including more than 1 million in Colorado.
“I can’t believe our House members pushed this budget,” Hickenlooper said.“There are four Republican House members from Colorado, and I know they’ve received calls about Medicaid. If all four of our guys voted together, they could’ve stopped it.”
Hickenlooper believes his tour of the Monfort clinic and discussions about the bill’s impacts will help in his fight to stop the bill from being passed in the Senate. However, he is unsure whether it will be sufficient to convince enough senators to push back.
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) were joined today, during the first week of Gun Violence Awareness Month, by U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) in leading a group of 81 members of Congress in introducing the bicameral Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, legislation to ensure that victims of gun violence have their day in court and that negligent gun companies and gun sellers are not shielded from liability when they disregard public safety. The bill would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), passed by Congress in 2005, which gives the gun industry a unique and unjustifiable legal liability shield that protects gun manufacturers from lawsuits.
Murphy, Blumenthal, Swalwell, Schiff, Evans, and Thompson announced the legislation today during a virtual press conference joined by leading gun violence prevention advocates: Kris Brown, president of Brady; Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action; and Adam Skaggs, chief counsel and vice president of GIFFORDS Law Center. Video of the press conference is available here.
“There’s absolutely no reason why the gun industry should get special treatment when it comes to negligence. Their immunity from lawsuits effectively gives them a license to kill. It’s past time for Congress to repeal PLCAA and allow gun violence victims their day in court,” said Murphy.
“PLCAA is the ultimate sweetheart deal – legal immunity afforded to basically no other industry for a product that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year,” said Blumenthal. “Despite the strength and perseverance of the Sandy Hook, Uvalde, and Highland Park families – and the tenacity of their legal teams – this is a problem that cannot be solved only through the courts. PLCAA must be repealed by Congress.”
“No industry in American has a liability shield like gun manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers,” said Swalwell. “The NRA and their GOP stooges made sure that the gun industry has a unique immunity from accountability. This bill ends that ridiculous carve out. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act will finally repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) once and for all, allowing victims of gun violence to bring civil suits against gun producers and sellers. The time has long since come for Congress to be clear – if you put the most dangerous weapons in the hands of the most dangerous people, you will be held accountable.”
“More than a 100 Americans are killed by a gun every single day in America. And yet, Congress does nothing to hold the gun industry accountable when the negligence of gun makers and dealers is responsible for the tragic consequences their products have on our kids, our families, and our communities. As long as gun violence continues to take the lives of so many in California and across the nation, I will fight to repeal the liability shield that wrongly protects negligent gun industry actors from liability,” said Schiff.
“Victims and survivors should be able to hold the gun industry accountable in court for negligent behavior. But right now, the gun industry is shielded from any liability when they disregard public safety. That’s wrong,” said Crow. “I’m introducing this bill so we can finally hold the gun industry responsible.”
“As someone who’s advocated for this concept in Pennsylvania’s legislature and now in Congress, I’m proud to be a co-lead on this bill to restore this basic right of victims and survivors – a right that a heavy-handed federal government took away 20 years ago. So many American gun deaths could be avoided if we held companies accountable for things like illegal sales, defective guns and irresponsible marketing. State attorneys general were able to hold Big Tobacco accountable in the 1990s, and they should be able to hold gun manufacturing companies accountable in the 21st century since thousands of lives depend on it. This legislation would be an important tool in the toolbox to protect our citizens from gun violence,” said Evans.
“In the 20 years since PLCAA was passed, it’s become clear that negligent gun manufacturers and dealers have taken advantage of the law. Responsible manufacturers and dealers don’t need this legal protection – and irresponsible ones are hiding behind it. As a hunter, combat veteran and responsible gun owner, I’m proud to work with Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell to introduce this sensible legislation,” said Thompson, Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.
When Congress passed PLCAA, its supporters argued that it was necessary to protect the gun industry from frivolous lawsuits, and that victims of gun violence would not be shut out of the courts. In reality, numerous cases around the nation have been dismissed on the basis of PLCAA, even when the gun dealers and manufacturers acted in a fashion that would qualify as negligent if it involved any other product. Victims in these cases were denied the right to even discover or introduce evidence. This legislation allows civil cases to go forward against irresponsible bad actors.
In 2005, the National Rifle Association (NRA) identified PLCAA as their “number one” legislative priority, and the NRA celebrated the passage calling it the “most significant piece of pro-gun legislation in twenty years.” Letting courts hear these cases would provide justice to victims and their families, while creating incentives for responsible business practices that would reduce injuries and deaths. Effectively, the gun industry would once again be subject to the same laws as every other industry, just as it was prior to 2005.
The legislation is endorsed by Brady, GIFFORDS Law Center, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives, Guns Down America, Newtown Action Alliance, and Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund.
U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also cosponsored the bill.
U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.-01), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.-04), Wesley Bell (D-Mo.-01), Don Beyer (D-Va.-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Sean Casten (D-Ill.-06), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.-05), Danny Davis (D-Ill.-07), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.-04), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.-01), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.-17), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.-03), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas-07), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.-10), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.-10), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.-26), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.-02), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.-04), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10), Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.-25), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.-03), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.-06), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.-05), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine-01), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.-05), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.-05), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09), Brad Schneider (D-Ill.-10), David Scott (D-Ga.-13), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12) and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii-02) also cosponsored the bill in the House of Representatives.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)
Today, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) announced his office is seeking applicants for the 2025 Fall Internship Program, to be offered in his Washington, D.C. office.
This program is open to college students and young professionals interested in learning about the legislative process and assisting with the responsibilities of a congressional office. Interns will perform a range of tasks including constituent outreach, legislative writing, and more, with the possibility of earning school credit. Fall internships will be offered from August to December 2025, with specific dates to be discussed during the interview process. All applications must be submitted via Congressman Allen’s website by Monday, July 7th, 2025.
Upon the announcement, Congressman Allen issued the following statement:
“Working in a congressional office provides a unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience into how our government operates and network with individuals from all walks of life. In our office, we employ a bottom-up approach to empower others to be the best they can be. Many of our past interns have used the skills gained during their internships to transition into a variety of successful career paths. My staff and I look forward to welcoming these talented young professionals in the coming months.”
Those interested in a fall internship can apply on Congressman Allen’s website.
A new mobile ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist clinic has been launched in Northland, bringing high-quality specialist care directly to local communities, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey say.“This is a significant step toward improving access to care for people in rural and remote parts of Northland,” Health Minister Simeon Brown says.The initiative began in May with the first of several rural outreach clinics held in Kawakawa. Additional clinics are planned for Kaikohe and Rawene this month.“In just two days, the mobile clinic saw 53 patients – more than half of whom had been waiting over 10 months for an appointment, mostly for a first specialist assessment. Others were seen after spotting the clinic parked in their community.“These patients would otherwise have had to travel to Whangārei Hospital. That’s why initiatives like this make a real difference in improving timely access to care and delivering services closer to home.“They also support our focus on reducing wait times for first specialist assessments and elective surgeries by easing pressure on hospital waitlists.”Patients were assessed for a range of conditions, including hearing loss, grommet and tonsil concerns, chronic ear disease, nasal and sinus obstruction, and head and neck lumps.Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says the mobile clinic is a welcome development for the region.“Access to healthcare is one of the biggest concerns for people living in rural and remote communities.“This mobile clinic is fully equipped with advanced diagnostic and treatment technology, providing a standard of care on par with what patients receive at Whangārei or Kaitaia hospitals – exactly what rural communities deserve.”The service supports procedures such as endoscopy, vertigo manoeuvres, treatment for otitis media, adult grommet insertions, and removal of foreign bodies from the ear, nose, or throat. It also enables outpatient bookings for ENT surgeries including adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, and mastoidectomy.“This initiative is a practical example of how we’re working to bring services closer to home and reduce long waits for specialist care.“Our focus is on ensuring all New Zealanders, regardless of where they live, can get the care they need without having to travel long distances or face lengthy delays,” Mr Doocey says.
Southern Police are asking motorists to drive to the conditions and take extreme care today with black ice forming on Southland roads and snow incoming later throughout Otago.
Police have already attended one black-ice related crash this morning and are aware of another.
Thankfully no one has been injured but we want to ensure everyone gets to their destination safely.
Drivers need to be aware of the potential for slippery road surfaces and to drive the conditions.
Alert emphasizes the importance of lawful and consistent processing of Builder’s Remedy applications across California
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a legal alert to help California local officials understand the importance of the consistent statewide interpretation and application of California’s Housing Accountability Act (HAA) — including local governments’ responsibility to timely process Builder’s Remedy applications. In the alert, Attorney General Bonta analyzes two recent court cases involving the cities of La Cañada Flintridge and Goleta to explain these responsibilities and highlight that local governments’ faithful and expedient discharge of their duties is essential to resolving California’s housing shortage crisis and making housing more affordable for all Californians.
“California courts have been very clear about the interpretation of California housing law and the responsibility of local governments to follow the law and swiftly process Builder’s Remedy applications,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The legal alert today is intended to ensure local governments understand their responsibility to facilitate affordable housing: California expects nothing less and is committed to ensuring that all cities and counties are part of the solution — no exceptions.”
Background on Housing Element and the Builders Remedy
Under the state’s Housing Element Law, every city and county in California must periodically update its housing element to meet its share of the regional and statewide housing needs. Among other things, a compliant housing element must include an assessment of housing needs, an inventory of resources and constraints relevant to meeting those needs, and a program to implement the policies, goals, and objectives of the housing element.
Under California’s HAA, failure to adopt a timely and compliant local housing plan triggers the so-called “Builder’s Remedy.” Under the HAA’s Builder’s Remedy provision, local governments subject to the Builder’s Remedy may not deny certain housing projects — in particular, those that include certain thresholds of low- or moderate-income units — for inconsistency with zoning or land use designation. While developers have submitted dozens of Builder’s Remedy applications in the past years, many noncompliant jurisdictions have been failing to process those applications in a timely fashion, leaving the state of California no choice but to step in.
In the legal alert today, Attorney General Bonta highlights the results of two cases that make clear local governments’ responsibility and legal duty to process builders remedy applications.
Cal. Housing Defense Fund v. City of La Cañada Flintridge
In 2023, Attorney General Bonta, Governor Newsom, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) filed a request to intervene in Cal. Housing Defense Fund v. City of La Cañada Flintridge, in order to uphold California’s housing laws, and reverse the City of La Cañada Flintridge’s denial of a mixed-use affordable housing project after it failed to comply with Housing Element Law between October 15, 2021 and November 17, 2023 — also the time period in which the project’s application was considered. The affordable housing project, pursuant to the Builder’s Remedy, would bring approximately 80 mixed-income residential dwelling units, 14 hotel units, and 7,791 square feet of office space to the community.
In 2024, the court held that La Cañada Flintridge did not have a housing element in substantial compliance with state law at the time a Builder’s Remedy application was submitted and ordered the City to process the application in accordance with the law. La Cañada Flintridge appealed this decision and was subsequently ordered to either post an appeal bond of $14 million or dismiss its appeal. La Cañada Flintridge dismissed its appeal.
The key takeaways in this case include:
A Builder’s Remedy application vests at the time of submission of a SB 330 preliminary development application — a city cannot ‘backdate’ its housing element compliance date to an earlier date so as to avoid approving a Builder’s Remedy application.
The refusal to process a timely Builder’s Remedy application is a violation of the HAA.
Shelby Family Partnership, L.P. v. City of Goleta
In 2024, Attorney General Bonta filed an amicus brief in support of a proposed affordable housing project in Goleta — a city located in Santa Barbara County that is experiencing an acute housing shortage. A housing development project by the Shelby Family Partnership would have created 56 single-family homes, 13 of which would be affordable to lower-income households. In 2023, Goleta unlawfully refused to process an SB 330 preliminary application, seeking to add the aforementioned affordable homes, based on its theory that SB 330 applies only to “new” projects.
On February 26, 2025, the superior court issued an order requiring Goleta to process the at-issue affordable housing project pursuant to state law, finding that:
SB 330 is not limited only to “new” development projects and does not prevent applicants from amending an existing project — including submitting an application under the Builder’s Remedy; and
Local governments cannot disapprove qualifying housing development projects, except in narrowly defined circumstances pursuant to the HAA.
The legal alert goes on to explain consequences for the failure to properly implement in the Builder’s Remedy, such as a referral to and intervention by the Attorney General and penalties under the HAA — including a minimum fine of $10,000 per unit of the proposed project. If a local government appeals a court order finding that the local government violated the HAA, the local government must post an appeal bond or dismiss its appeal. The appeal bond guarantees that a project remains financially viable if the city or county loses the appeal. In 2024, La Cañada Flintridge appealed the decision ordering it to process a lawful builder’s remedy application, and was ordered to either post an appeal bond of $14 million or dismiss its appeal. La Cañada Flintridge dismissed its appeal. These consequences emphasize the importance of the HAA and California’s intent to further promote housing development projects.
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with Cheryl Mason, President Trump’s nominee to be Veterans’ Affairs Inspector General during her nomination hearing at the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. They discussed the role the Inspector General’s office will have in combatting veteran suicide.
Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Mason, thank you for being here. The Office of Inspector General recently put out a report highlighting reports within the fiduciary program such as failures with training protocol. Can you commit to working with me and my staff to developing solutions to make the program work better for our most vulnerable veterans?”
MASON: “Thank you, Senator Tuberville. Absolutely, I can commit to do that. I think that’s extremely important.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. The Inspector General has put out several reports highlighting failures with the suicide crisis line. How would you work with Secretary Collins to ensure these recommendations are implemented to support veterans and reduce suicide?”
MASON: “Thank you for the question, Senator Tuberville. As we discussed in your office, […] suicide is very personal to me. I’ve had two suicides in my family, both were veterans. So, I take that very seriously. And I’ve looked at the IG reports and I’ve looked at the other things the Department is doing. And there are several activities going on now currently as a senior advisor or EEO. I’m looking at some of the suicide actions that are being taken [to do prevention awareness] in our partnerships, and I would continue to advise to do that.
If confirmed as IG, I would continue to look at those actions, to include the grants on mental health and suicide that the Department has, make sure there’s appropriate oversight into that as well as what the crisis line is doing, ensure that they are properly staffed and have the right support and resources they need to answer those calls because those calls do save lives.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. When confirmed, what will be your first thing that you want to do as the new IG?”
MASON: “Thank you, Senator, for that question. I think, you know, the first thing I want to do is really get a good assessment of the office. I want to make sure that the accountability is extremely important, and the integrity of that office is extremely important. And I have no reason to think that they don’t operate that way now. But [the] IG has to operate that way as independent and impartial. And so, I want to make sure that they, one, are operating that way in everything they do, but [two,] they also have the adequate resources. And then find out what their current investigations are [and] see where they are in those investigations. But right behind that is follow-up on those open, unimplemented recommendations and figure out […] how we bring those to close with the Department and with this Committee.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. I yield my time.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Justice (R-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) in introducing the Energy Choice Act of 2025. The Biden administration and many blue states took energy freedom away from consumers by restricting specific sources of energy—effectively targeting natural gas and fossil fuels. This legislation would bar states and local governments from taking away consumer choice and work toward advancing President Trump’s vision of unleashing American energy.
“For four years, Joe Biden and woke Democrats took a sledgehammer to American energy production,” said Sen. Tuberville. “We need to rein-in blue states who caved to the climate-cult and imposed ridiculous regulations that are deeply unpopular with hardworking Americans. Thankfully, President Trump is working around the clock to unleash America’s energy potential. I’m proud to join my colleagues to support President Trump, restore American energy dominance, and preserve consumer choice.”
“I am an energy guy from an energy-rich state. I know how important freedom of energy production is – which is why I’m proud to introduce Energy Choice Act of 2025. President Trump has stated the need to unleash American energy, and this bill helps facilitate just that. We have too great an energy crisis in this country, and we don’t have the luxury of picking the winners and losers when it comes to energy production. Americans ought to have the right to choose what is best for their energy needs,”said Sen. Justice.
American Exploration and Production Council, American Gas Association, American Public Gas Association, Americans for Prosperity, Consumer Energy Alliance, Energy Marketers of America, GPA Midstream Association, GPSA Midstream Suppliers, Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Oil and Energy Service Professionals, National Energy and Fuels Institute, National Propane Gas Association, Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors – National Association, Pool & Hot Tub Alliance have endorsed the bill.
U.S. Representative Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23) is leading the effort in the House of Representatives.
Read full text of the bill here.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with the Honorable Daniel Driscoll, Secretary of the Army, and General Randy George, Chief of Staff of the Army, during a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing. Sen. Tuberville spoke with the top Army officials about the quality of recruits in the Army, ways to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Quantum Computing in the military.
Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.
ON RECRUITING REQUIREMENTS IN THE ARMY:
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Good morning, gentlemen. Congratulations on your recruiting.
I know how hard that is in my former profession, getting the right people. General, are we keeping our qualifications, discipline, values, and physical requirements when we recruit these people?”
GEORGE: “I think we definitely are, Senator, and one of the things that we have been having discussions [on] is how we’re raising our standards because of what, you know, what we’re having [come] in and doing that. So, we’ve had fewer at the Future Soldier Prep Course. We’re gonna keep that as an option. We do have times where we have some really brilliant soldiers out there that maybe need to spend a couple of weeks getting in a little bit better shape to join our formation. And that’s what that’s for, but [we are] really pleased with the path that we’re on.”
TUBERVILLE: “As long as we’re putting them through that, and they can handle it—”
GEORGE: “Yep.”
TUBERVILLE: “Again, I’ve been through that before. A lot of people need to get in better shape.”
ON AI IN THE ARMY:
TUBERVILLE: “In Secretary Hegseth’s memo directing the Army Transformation Initiative, it states that the Army will begin enabling AI driven Command and Control by 2027. Secretary Driscoll, how will the Army be using Artificial Intelligence to help decision making?”
DRISCOLL: “Senator, we think of the Army as kind of two discrete functions when General George and I talk about it. One is like a large enterprise business that moves people and things across the country and the world. The other is hopefully an incredibly lethal killing machine and war fighting machine. And so, I think AI and Generative AI will meaningfully impact both spaces. The first thing we’re working on is creating a data layer that basically allows for our people and our things and our sensors to all communicate in near real time. On the war fighting function, once you can have that occur, you can layer-in Generative AI for things like fires targeting, or air and missile defense—it’s incredibly valuable. I would estimate that we’ll start to see that at scale in kind of 12-18 months. On the Army and enterprise business side, we’re incredibly optimistic. We have 200 plus enterprise systems right now that are oftentimes siloed. Oftentimes we’ve had software created just for us that we have to maintain that is decades out of date, and we think Generative AI will be able to help us with all sorts of tasks in the coming months. I’m excited to announce, or just give credit to the recruiting team, [that] they’ve onboarded a very common CRM—customer relationship management—tool called Salesforce. Generative AI can be applied to a lot of the things that we do as we recruit soldiers and bring them into the Army.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. You know, right outside the gate at Redstone Arsenal—Secretary, have you been there yet?”
DRISCOLL: “Would you mind repeating that?”
TUBERVILLE: “Have you been to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville yet?”
WICKER: “What state is that in?”
TUBERVILLE: “That’s in Alabama.”
DRISCOLL: “I have.”
ON QUANTUM COMPUTING:
TUBERVILLE: “Okay. If you haven’t, we need to get in there. And by the way, you’re making decisions and transforming our military. I’m good with that. You’re actually cutting some contracts and things in my state. If it helps [save taxpayer dollars], I’m all for it. And so, we’ll work with you as much as we can.
But right outside the gate at Redstone, a partnership between Davidson Technologies and D-Wave have completed the assembly of a quantum computer system that should be soon complete [with] its calibrations and readiness tests. Secretary, how can the Army leverage these new systems in successfully implementing its transformation and optimize the future the right way?”
DRISCOLL: “Senator Slotkin and I were at a dinner a couple nights ago talking about quantum computing. And what quantum computing is going to be able to do to help our ability to process information as human beings is otherworldly. It [can be used for] something as simple as convoy routes for transportation all the way up to—you could probably start to plan out where should you put air and missile defense systems and how would they react in near real time to threats. And so, any sort of innovation like that we are completely supportive of.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. A lot of good things going on, especially with AI. I hope we all understand too that for AI and all the future big tech stuff, we’re gonna need energy, big time. China doubles our energy every three years that we have in this country. We’re way behind, and we can talk about all these technologies that we want. Unless we have energy, which is gonna be, should be, a national security threat, then we’re gonna have huge problems. If you agree with that, Secretary.”
DRISCOLL: “Yes.”
TUBERVILLE: “General?”
GEORGE: “Yes, Senator. I do.”
TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. I would hope we start talking about it a lot more. Make sure that, you know, with all these things we got coming down the pipe that we have the availability to number one, be able to build them and number two, have the energy to run all of our data centers and mega data centers in the future. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Washington (June 5, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and co-chair of the Senate Climate Change Task Force, today released the following statement after Senate Republicans released the Environment and Public Works portion of their reconciliation bill text.
“Time is revealing Senate Republicans’ willingness to abandon communities nationwide and put Oil Above All —above the law, above the economy, and above the health and wallets of working families. Their proposed cuts would eliminate the safeguards and funding needed to reduce harmful air pollution and environmental health risks. Their cuts would also destroy the $20 billion climate bank I secured in the Inflation Reduction Act, which was already at work creating jobs, lowering Americans’ energy costs, strengthening our energy independence, and combating the climate crisis.
“Republicans have no interest in bringing down costs or helping everyday Americans. Instead, they are picking winners and losers to deliver a big bonus to Big Oil and Gas. Republicans want to cut funding for clean energy, community resilience, and pollution reduction, all while giving polluters a golden ticket to skirt any meaningful reviews to get their projects permitted – rubberstamping dangerous polluting infrastructure.
“These Republican cuts will ensure frontline and fenceline communities continue to bear the burden of disproportionate levels of pollution. Ripping away the tools needed to curb methane and reduce carbon and hazardous pollutants will only make Americans sicker while the rich get richer. We must say no to these dangerous cuts and stop this big billionaire sell-out once and for all.”
Senator Markey secured numerous provisions in the historic Inflation Reduction Act, including the creation of a $27 billion national climate financing network based on his National Climate Bank Act with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06). He also secured historic environmental justice funding for air quality monitoring, environmental inequity mapping, and addressing extreme heat.
Senator Markey has been a champion of vehicle emission standards that would be rolled back by the Senate reconciliation text, which would increase pollution and force drivers to pay more at the pump. He has also long championed a robust National Environmental Policy Act, which the Senate Republican bill undermines with an opt-in fee for project sponsors to pay to expedite their project’s environmental review and avoid judicial review – rubberstamping potentially harmful infrastructure.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Senate Republicans recently voted to repeal an FCC rule increasing access to Wi-Fi hotspots for students and educators at home
Washington (June 5, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, hosted a virtual listening session Wednesday to hear from digital equity advocates about the impacts of the Trump administration’s efforts to cut funding for digital equity programs in Massachusetts and across the country. From the administration’s termination of Digital Equity Act funding, to Republican efforts to block E-Rate funding for Wi-Fi hotspots for students and educators at home, these actions have had dire consequences for efforts to close the digital divide. More than 200 digital equity champions from across Massachusetts joined the Senator’s listening session to share their stories.
“Trump’s decision to cancel funding for Digital Equity Act grants is reckless, short-sighted, and illegal,” said Senator Markey. “These grants were promises — real, actionable investments in real communities to bridge the very real gaps in internet access, digital skills, and opportunity. I appreciated listening to and learning from the many digital equity advocates in Massachusetts about the impact these cuts will have on their organizations and the populations they serve. I will carry their stories with me in our fight for a just digital future.”
“Everyone deserves access to the internet. It’s essential for being able to participate in our economy and utilize the resources and services that so many of us rely on,” said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. “It’s terrible that the Trump Administration is blocking our efforts to bring internet access to veterans, rural communities and individuals with disabilities across the state. They need to restore this funding.”
“Massachusetts is committed to empowering our most vulnerable citizens with digital skills training, devices and other resources to thrive in our digital society,” said Michael Baldino, Director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute. “As we work to achieving universal access to reliable broadband service, we are disappointed that the federal government has stripped critical funds that are necessary for us to implement our statewide digital equity plan.”
“Through Ameelio’s work, correctional staff see how connection to the outside world betters everyone behind bars – the incarcerated people and their fellow officers alike,” said April Feng, CEO of Ameelio. “When people are connected to those who they love and those who love them, to the best parts of their lives, they have hope. And that hope will sustain them to serve their time meaningfully, go to school, find a job, build a home, and enable a future. Investing in digital equity behind the walls is not just a matter of improving conditions for incarcerated individuals — it is a public safety and economic imperative.”
Senator Markey is the House author of the E-Rate program, which has invested nearly $62 billion to connect schools and libraries to the internet across the country. Massachusetts schools and libraries have received more than $895 million from the E-Rate program and another $97 million from the Emergency Connectivity Fund, a $7 billion program that Senator Markey created within the American Rescue Plan to provide devices and connectivity for students and educators at home.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Bill Text (PDF)
Washington (June 5, 2025) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Representative Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02), member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, today announced the introduction of the Protecting Community Television Act, legislation that would undo rulemaking from the first Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that effectively limited the resources available for public, educational, and government (PEG) channels.
Under the Communications Act, cable companies negotiate franchise agreements with local governments to provide cable services in a community. The Act caps franchise fees that a cable company pays to the local government at 5% of revenue. This revenue helps fund PEG stations, as well as other community services such as public libraries and emergency responders. In addition, cable companies historically paid up to 5% cap and provided additional, in-kind support to the community, such as free cable service to schools or access to building studios. In 2019, the FCC issued a new rule that counted those in-kind contributions towards the 5% cap, meaning cable companies could reduce their cash payments by claiming the value of those services. With fewer cash resources, local governments were forced to choose between investing in PEG programming or supporting other public services. The result has been less funding for PEG stations.
“Millions of Americans rely on community television to keep up with the news that matters most to them, stay plugged into enriching, educational programming, and hold their local governments to account. But the Trump administration has forced communities across the country to pull the plug on public programming,” said Senator Markey. “At a time when news and media have become more consolidated than ever before, I am proud to partner with Senator Baldwin and Representative Carter to reintroduce the Protecting Community Television Act to uphold local access to public, education, and government channels for every household in our country.”
“I’m proud to cosponsor this bill and stand with communities that depend on local media to stay informed, connected, and heard. PEG channels are lifelines for civic engagement and public education, especially in times of crisis, and they shouldn’t be collateral damage in a corporate accounting maneuver. This legislation restores the original promise Congress made: that local governments should have the tools they need to meet community needs without being forced to choose between vital services and local voices,” said Congressman Carter.
The legislation is endorsed by Democratic Leader Schumer (D-N.Y), and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Me.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).
The Protecting Community Television Act is endorsed by Alliance for Community Media, National Association of Counties, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, National League of Cities, MassAccess, and Maine Community Media Association.
“The Alliance for Community Media welcomes the re-introduction of the Protecting Community Television Act and want to thank Senator Markey and Representative Carter for their support for community access television. Passage of the Act will reduce fees that drain away monetary support for local community media channels across the country. At a time when we have fewer and fewer local journalists and reliable local information sources, cities and towns need community access television more than ever, and this bill will help sustain our operations,” said Mike Wassenaar, President & CEO, Alliance for Community Media.
“Counties rely on public communications channels to disseminate local news and updates to residents in a timely manner,” said Matthew Chase, Executive Director of the National Association of Counties. “By preserving monetary support for public, educational and government channels through franchise fees, counties would ensure that essential local content remains accessible to residents. Counties thank Senators Ed Markey and Tammy Baldwin for introducing the Protecting Community Television Act and urge its swift passage”
“The Protecting Community Television Act (PCTA) is elegant legislation that seeks to protect benefits consistent with the Cable Act and cable franchising principles since 1984. In 2019, the Federal Communications Commission issued an order that undermines this ability by redefining the term “franchise fees” as used in the Cable Act and substituting its definition for that written by Congress in 1984. The Protecting Community Television Act remedies that altered meaning by protecting local public, educational and community access television so folks in communities across the country can continue to access relevant and timely local news that they rely on. Thanks to Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA) for continuing to advocate for the PCTA, which reaffirms Congress’ original intent to protect the long-standing ability of local governments to manage public property and provide for local media through public, educational and governmental access channels (PEG Access) in cable franchise agreements,” said Mike Lynch, Legislative Director for National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
NEWARK, N.J. – This afternoon, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) hosted a virtual discussion with American Jewish Committee (AJC) New Jersey board members to discuss the rise of antisemitism nationwide. Following the event, Senator Booker said:
“We’re seeing a disturbing rise of antisemitism across our country. In less than a month, we’ve witnessed two horrifying violent antisemitic attacks, one that claimed the lives of two young staffers working at the Israeli embassy, including one American, as they were walking out of an event in Washington, D.C., and another that injured a dozen peaceful Jewish marchers in Boulder, Colorado. It’s moments like these when we must come together and reaffirm our commitment to eradicate hate and bigotry in all its forms. I’m humbled to have been joined by leaders of AJC New Jersey this afternoon to hear about their concerns, their vital work, and how we can continue to bolster our partnership to safeguard the wellbeing of Jewish people across New Jersey and our nation,” said Booker.
Convening the meeting on the heels of the murder of two young staffers working at the Israeli embassy, including one American, as they were walking out of a Jewish event, the horrifying attack against peaceful Jewish marchers in Boulder, Colorado, and against the backdrop of an increasing trend of antisemitism nationwide, Senator Booker and AJC New Jersey leadership members spoke candidly about the challenges facing the Jewish community. AJC board members asked the Senator about federal initiatives and legislation to support state and local efforts to curb antisemitism and outlined the issues specifically affecting Jewish New Jerseyans.
“We deeply appreciated Senator Booker once again spending time in dialogue with our American Jewish Committee’s New Jersey leadership. After recent days that saw the shocking murders of two young Jewish leaders at an AJC event in Washington, D.C., and the horrifying attack on peaceful Jewish marchers in Boulder, CO, Sen. Booker’s profound expressions of care, concern, and resolve were deeply appreciated,” said Rabbi David Levy, Regional Director AJC New Jersey.
Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and Chair of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, introduced the bipartisan Secure Space Act of 2025. The legislation aims to strengthen America’s national security by preventing foreign adversaries from accessing and compromising America’s satellite systems.
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) is co-leading the bill with Fischer. Companion legislation – sponsored by House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) – passed the U.S. House on April 28, 2025.“Americans rely on crucial communications services provided by our satellite systems now more than ever. That’s why we must prevent foreign adversaries like Communist China and Russia from undermining our ability to utilize these services safely and reliably. My bill strengthens our communications infrastructure against these vulnerabilities to make Americans’ network access more secure,” said Fischer.
“As satellite technology continues to advance, so do the threats to our national security. The Secure Space Act blocks satellite licenses for untrusted entities and protects our skies from foreign adversaries. This bill would help protect U.S. innovation and defend our communications networks from foreign entities that seek to hijack our future,” said Luján. Background:
The Secure Space Act of 2025 prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from granting satellite licenses or U.S. market access for foreign-licensed satellite systems to any entity or its affiliates that produce or provide communications equipment or services deemed a national security risk.
It amends the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 to extend this prohibition to both geostationary and non-geostationary orbit satellite systems and includes gateway stations within its scope. It applies to new licenses and authorizations issued after the bill’s enactment and requires the FCC to establish implementing regulations within one year.
Click here to read text of the bill.
Headline: Governor Stein and Emergency Management Officials Provide Updates at the Start of Hurricane Season, Urge North Carolinians to Stay Safe
Governor Stein and Emergency Management Officials Provide Updates at the Start of Hurricane Season, Urge North Carolinians to Stay Safe lsaito
Raleigh, NC
Today Governor Josh Stein, Director of Emergency Management Will Ray, Attorney General Jeff Jackson, First Sergeant Chris Knox of the North Carolina Highway Patrol, and Colonel Patrick Henderson of the North Carolina Army National Guard held a briefing to provide updates and guidance at the start of hurricane season. Governor Stein urged North Carolinians to have a plan in place in case of emergency and shared resources to help people prepare and stay safe.
“As our state braces for hurricane season, I encourage North Carolinians be aware of emergency management warnings and resources so that they have a plan to stay safe in case of an emergency,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Emergency Management continues to prepare amidst uncertainty on the federal level – we must stay the course and do everything in our power to keep North Carolinians safe no matter what happens in Washington, DC.”
“Hurricane season has begun and there are steps to be taken to protect yourself, your family, and your property if a hurricane or tropical weather does strike,” said North Carolina Director of Emergency Management Will Ray. “Remember to put together an emergency kit, have multiple avenues from which you can receive emergency announcements, and take the steps needed to protect your home.”
The State Emergency Response Team has begun preparations for the 2025 hurricane season by reviewing lessons learned from previous storms as well as polices and procedures and exercising key processes to ensure all resources are available to local communities should a storm impact the state. The focus of the State Emergency Response Team is to support local emergency management and first responders, but it is imperative that all North Carolinians take the time to prepare their household for tropical weather. Preparedness builds resilience.
Last month Governor Stein published an op-ed about smart ways to reform FEMA in USA Today as North Carolina braces for hurricane season. The Governor outlines his recommendations to reform FEMA, including focusing on permanently rebuilding homes and businesses, implementing a common application for survivors to apply for aid, and moving away from reimbursement programs. There is much room for improvement in FEMA, but abolishing FEMA exacerbates the problem as we enter another hurricane season.
Make sure your family is prepared before disaster strikes. Below are some things you can do immediately to get prepared:
Put together an emergency kit, including non-perishable food and water (1 gallon per person per day) for 3 to 7 days, a battery-powered or hand crank radio or a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio with extra batteries, and prescriptions and over the counter medication.
Be aware of any unique needs for babies, elderly, or disabled members of your household, as well as pets.
Have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings such as the weather alert app on your phone, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio, or local TV news.
Build an emergency plan in case you and your family need to evacuate, including a plan for communication. Have printed copies of family members’ phone numbers, social media handles, email addresses, and important medical information in case mobile devices die. Plan where you will meet if you are separated from your family and have copies of important papers such as birth and adoption certificates, driver’s licenses, or military ID’s.
Take steps to protect your home by preparing a full list of personal items to help with insurance settlements or tax deductions.
Be sure you know how to shut off your utilities safely. Water, electricity and gas are key services that can also cause special problems during an emergency. Do NOT try to turn the gas back on yourself. Always call a trained expert.
Get involved in your community’s preparedness activities:
Learn about the emergency plans for your children’s schools, your workplace, and your neighborhood.
Participate in community preparedness exercises and drills.
Volunteer with a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to learn about disaster preparedness and receive training in basic disaster response skills.
Contact the NC Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster for more ways to help.
Click here to view the full Emergency Management briefing.
Click here for more tips on how to be prepared for hurricane season.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On June 5, 2025, Dan Roark, 48, currently of Knoxville Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Roark agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with, one count of exploitation of a child in violation of 18 U.S.C.§ 2251(a); and one count of receipt of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2). Roark was sentenced to 300 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Roark will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
In early October 2023, Scott County Virginia Sheriff’s Department (SCVSD) received an anonymous tip that a juvenile female (JV) was sending child pornography through the internet to other potential internet users. A forensic examination of a cellphone belonging to JV’s mother revealed child pornography images of JV as well as text messages between JV’s mother and Roark while he was employed with the Knoxville Police Department. In the text message communications, Roark demanded that JV’s mother provide child pornography depicting JV. JV’s mother complied by sending child pornography images and videos depicting JV to Roark.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the SCVSD, 9th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office (9th JDAGO), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force. This investigation was led by Detective Daniel Ross of SCVSD, HSI Task Force Officer Cortney Dugger, and Investigator Chanel Finnell of the 9th JDAGO.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
MIAMI – Elaine A. Escoe, 40; Alfred L. Davis, 51; Gino J. Jourdan, 37; Cher L. Davis, 53; Latoya T. Clark, 39; and James G. McGhow, 69, have been indicted with conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $34 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds.
According to allegations in the indictment, from May 2020 through November 2021, the defendants conspired to submit more than 90 false and fraudulent applications for funds under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). The applications allegedly contained materially false representations regarding employee counts, payroll expenses, and business revenues. In support of the applications, the defendants are alleged to have submitted falsified IRS tax documents and fabricated bank statements.
The indictment alleges that the scheme resulted in the wrongful disbursement of approximately $29.1 million in PPP funds, $1.2 million in RRF funds, and $3.8 million in SVOG funds. After the funds were disbursed, the defendants allegedly directed payments to each other and to businesses they controlled, withdrew large sums in cash, and used blank, signed checks to conceal the origin and nature of the proceeds.
Each of the six defendants is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each defendant also faces multiple substantive counts of wire fraud and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison on each wire fraud charge and up to 10 years in prison on each money laundering charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, made the announcement.
FBI Miami’s West Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the case. HSI Miami assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Bailyn is prosecuting the case. Legal Administrative Specialist Matthew Neff is helping with litigation technology.
An indictment is a mere allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-80076-AMC.
In January-March 2025, the cost of a classic MTPL policy for ordinary motorists was on average 5.1% lower than a year earlier (7.3 thousand rubles). They issued almost 8.3 million such compulsory motor insurance contracts.
Another 1.5 million classic MTPL policies were issued to other categories of policyholders (public transport, business representatives, etc.). In the first quarter, about 0.9 million were concluded.short-term OSAGO contractsThese policies are in demand mainly among taxi drivers, who took them out for an average of two days for 272 rubles.
The total amount of premiums under compulsory motor third party liability insurance amounted to 73.9 billion rubles, and payments amounted to 51.7 billion rubles.
Overall, the insurance market in Q1 increased almost 1.5 times, to 845.4 billion rubles. As in the previous year, almost all of the growth was provided by the segment of accumulative and investment life insurance. The volume of payments for this period increased more than twofold, to 602.5 billion rubles. Read more about the situation on the market in“Review of key performance indicators of insurers”.
Preview photo: LeManna / Shutterstock / Fotodom
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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