ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico filed a Notice of Intent to seek the death penalty against Labar Tsethlikai.
Tsethlikai, 52, an enrolled Member of Zuni Pueblo, is charged in a 17-count Second Superseding Indictment as follows:
Count 1 (October 22, 2022): Kidnapping Resulting in Death of John Doe 1
Count 2 (January 18, 2024): First Degree Murder of John Doe 2
Count 3 (January 18, 2024): First Degree Felony Murder of John Doe 2
Count 4 (January 18, 2024): Kidnapping Resulting in Death of John Doe 2
Count 5 (May 19, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 3
Count 6 (June 15, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 4
Count 7 (June 15, 2023): Assault with Intent to Commit Murder of John Doe 4
Count 8 (June 15, 2023): Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury of John Doe 4
Count 9 (July 13, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 5
Count 10 (July 13, 2023): Aggravated Sexual Abuse of John Doe 5
Count 11 (August 24, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 6
Count 12 (August 24, 2023): Assault with a Dangerous Weapon of John Doe 6
Count 13 (September 7, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 7
Count 14 (September 15, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 8
Count 15 (February 16, 2024): Kidnapping of John Doe 9
Count 16 (April 5, 2024): Kidnapping of John Doe 10
Count 17 (April 11, 2024): Kidnapping of John Doe 11
The maximum penalty for the kidnapping resulting in death charges is death, and Attorney General Bondi has authorized and directed the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico to pursue capital punishment in this case. Consistent with that authorization, the U.S. Attorney filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Tsethlikai.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office is investigating this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department’s Homicide Unit, Sex Crimes Unit, and Air Support Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McGinley and Jack E. Burkhead are prosecuting the case.
The FBI continues to investigate Tsethlikai’s involvement in crimes against other victims. If you have reason to believe you or someone you know may be a victim, or have information about Tsethlikai, please call the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ (IA-02)
Davenport, IA– Today, U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) joined Secretary of the Army Driscoll for a site visit and mission briefing at the Rock Island Arsenal, one of the nation’s most critical logistics and manufacturing hubs.
“Rock Island Arsenal has always been a pillar of strength for our national defense and the Quad Cities region,”said Miller-Meeks. “As a 24-year Army veteran, it was an honor to join Secretary Driscoll today and hear directly from the dedicated men and women who keep this installation running. I remain committed to protecting the Arsenal, supporting its workforce, and ensuring it continues to serve our nation for generations to come.”
During the visit, Miller-Meeks and Secretary Driscoll toured the installation’s manufacturing operations, met with Army personnel and civilian employees, and discussed how provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, like full expensing, can modernize the Arsenal’s equipment production capabilities and drive innovation in defense manufacturing.
Background:
This visit follows Miller-Meeks’ April 25, 2025letterto Secretary Driscoll urging him to protect Rock Island Arsenal amid reports of a potential reduction in force due to a consolidation of Joint Munitions Command (JMC) and Army Sustainment Command (ASC). In the letter, Miller-Meeks emphasized that Rock Island Arsenal is not only essential to America’s military readiness but also a cornerstone of the Quad Cities economy.
According to the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, Rock Island Arsenal supports more than 15,000 jobs and contributes over $1.2 billion annually to the regional economy. The installation provides command support to the Army Contracting Command, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and plays a unique role in advanced manufacturing, including 3-D printed parts for troops deployed abroad.
Miller-Meeks, who serves on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has been a consistent advocate for protecting and strengthening Rock Island Arsenal through the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Nearly half of Arsenal employees live in Iowa, and many are veterans continuing to serve their country in civilian roles.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03)
Washington, D.C. – Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act, a landmark, bipartisan bill that protects Americans with disabilites from being denied life-saving organ transplants solely based on their disability. This legislation, sponsored by Representatives Kat Cammack (R-FL-03) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), ensures that disability is never used as a barrier to receiving critical medical care.
This bill upholds, clarifies, and builds upon protections established under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. It prohibits discrimination by covered entities–including hospitals, transplant centers, and insurance providers–in the organ transplant process.
Specifically, the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Act bars the following actions solely based on disability:
Determining that an individual is ineligible to receive an organ transplant
Denying an organ transplant or related medical services
Refusing to refer an individual to a transplant center
Declining to place an individual on a transplant waiting list
Denying insurance coverage for a transplant or related services
“Baby Zion, a young infant with Down syndrome in Florida’s Third Congressional District, was denied a lifesaving heart transplant in 2021, and passed away. His life was worth saving, and we’re fighting to end discrimination in the organ transplant system so the same thing never happens again,”said Congresswoman Cammack.“I am honored to work alongside Congresswoman Dingell and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in safeguarding the rights of those with disabilities.”
“It’s unthinkable that people with disabilities are passed over for life-saving transplants based on discriminatory and subjective assumptions about their ability to comply with post-operative care,”said Congresswoman Dingell.“This bill takes important action to ensure that all Americans, regardless of disability status, receive equitable access to the care they need. I’m thankful to Rep. Kat Cammack for her partnership, and most of all, I’m thankful to Charlotte for her incredible energy, advocacy, and commitment to making a positive change. I’m glad to see it one step closer to becoming law. We need to get it done.”
Background:
Named for Charlotte Woodward, an adult with Down syndrome who received a lifesaving heart transplant over a decade ago, the bill also recognizes the importance of auxiliary aids and services, the ability of an individual’s support network to assist with post-operative care, and the need for reasonable modifications to policies and procedures to make organ transplant systems and facilities more accessible to those with disabilities.
Rep. Cammack’s inspiration for introducing the legislation is Baby Zion Sarmiento, from Ocala, Florida. Zion was born with Down syndrome and a heart defect in June 2021. After spending 40 days in the NICU and enduring five open-heart surgeries, Zion passed away after being denied a heart transplant because of his disability.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today, alongside Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), reintroduced the Remembering Our Local Heroes Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to provide funding for memorials honoring veterans, law enforcement officers, and firefighters.
“Our veterans, first responders, and law enforcement officers embody the very best of our nation, and we must honor their courage and selflessness. This includes preserving local memorials, which serve as powerful reminders of these heroes’ legacies and sacrifices. The Remembering Our Local Heroes Act ensures that communities in New York and across the country have the resources needed to maintain and restore these tributes for future generations,”said Congresswoman Tenney.
“First responders, members of the military, and all those who have served our nation deserve to be honored and remembered for their service and sacrifice. This bipartisan legislation will help communities in New Hampshire and across the country build, maintain, and restore memorials honoring our heroes, ensuring that they will never be forgotten,” said Congressman Pappas.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have introduced a bill to impose sanctions on foreign actors responsible for human rights violations against LGBTQI+ communities abroad.
“For far too long, the LGBTQI+ community has faced bigotry, hate, and violence all across the globe,” Wyden said. “We can’t let oppressive regimes get away with jailing or murdering individuals simply because of who they love and how they identify. This bill sends a clear message to bad actors overseas: there is no place for violence and discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community.”
“We are living in a time in which governments around the world continue to make dangerous threats against our LGBTQI+ family, friends, and neighbors,” said Merkley, author of the Equality Act. “Every person—regardless of who they are, whom they love, or where they live—has the right to be treated with decency and respect. We need legislation like theGlobal Respect Act to send a clear message to the world that the United States is committed to defending these critical human rights.”
Specifically, the Global Respect Act would:
Require the Executive Branch to biannually send Congress a list of foreign persons responsible for, or complicit in, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment of an individual, prolonged detention of an individual without charges or trials, causing the disappearance of an individual by abduction and clandestine detention of an individual, and other flagrant denials of the right to life, liberty or the security of an individual.
Authorize the Administration to deny or revoke visas to individuals placed on the list.
Require the annual State Department Report on Human Rights to include a section on LGBTQI+ international human rights, as well as an annual report to Congress on the status of the law’s effectiveness.
Require the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor to designate a senior officer responsible for tracking violence, criminalization and restrictions on the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms in foreign countries based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The legislation has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the Council for Global Equality, American Jewish World Service and Human Rights First.
The bill is led by Senators Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.
During the Africa Energy Forum, Huawei, together with several African electric utilities, officially released the fgOTN (fine grain OTN) White Paper for Electric Power, offering critical insights and guidance for African utilities on building next-generation power communication networks.
The white paper is designed to support power companies in navigating the evolving digital landscape, which is increasingly defined by AI integration and emerging service demands.
Addressing Legacy Network Challenges
As the power sector continues its digital transformation, traditional communication technologies such as SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) are reaching the end of their lifecycle, with limited evolution and outdated infrastructure.
In response, the newly released white paper introduces fgOTN, a next-generation solution that provides a reference architecture and construction roadmap for power communication networks, leveraging fine-granularity Optical Transport Network (OTN) technology.
fgOTN: Built for Africa’s Power Sector
The fgOTN technology is a small-granularity hard pipe system derived from the OTN standard, offering secure, isolated data transmission through rigid hard pipe channels. This architecture boosts bandwidth efficiency and ensures reliable, high-performance communications, meeting both current and future demands of African power networks.
The white paper outlines how power communication networks should be:
Fully automated
Digitalised and intelligentised
Able to support centralised, unattended operations
Optimised for enterprise digital workflows and market-based transactions
These capabilities will significantly enhance the sector’s ability to observe, control, and manage grid systems in real time.
Industry Support and Technical Leadership
Luo Xin, Optical Product Director at Huawei Southern Africa Region, stated:
“fgOTN is a new ITU-T-defined technology that inherits the safety and stability of SDH and adds the scalability and intelligence of OTN. It’s tailor-made for the power industry. In April, CIGRE established the D2.65 working group to explore its application in the energy sector. With this white paper, we aim to empower African utilities to embrace fgOTN as a core enabler of smart grid communications.”
As Africa positions itself to lead in the green hydrogen economy, one vital resource sits at the centre of this transformation: water.
Green hydrogen production via electrolysis requires large quantities of water — a pressing challenge on a continent where water scarcity already threatens communities, agriculture, and industry.
Join ESI Africa for a live webinar unpacking the complex connection between hydrogen development and water resource management across Africa. This session will explore the opportunities, trade-offs, and innovations shaping the continent’s sustainable hydrogen future.
What You’ll Learn:
The water intensity of green hydrogen — and what it means for Africa
Technologies enabling hydrogen production with minimal freshwater use
Planning and policy tools to align hydrogen development with water sustainability
Africa’s potential to lead a balanced, green hydrogen economy
This is a critical conversation for energy planners, water authorities, hydrogen developers, policymakers, and anyone working at the intersection of Africa’s energy and environmental future. Learn how Africa can scale hydrogen without compromising water security.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) — The China Coast Guard (CCG) on Monday conducted law enforcement patrols in the territorial waters around Huangyan Dao Island and its surrounding areas.
In its statement, the BOC said it had continuously strengthened patrols in the territorial waters around Huangyan Dao Island and its adjacent areas in June, conducting tracking and monitoring, verbal warning, interception and expulsion operations in accordance with laws and regulations.
As the BOC emphasized, these steps were aimed at strengthening governance and control in the relevant maritime areas, and firmly protecting China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. –0–
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On June 27, 2025, the final of the All-Russian competition of final qualification works in the format “Startup as a Diploma” was held at the National Center “Russia”, the winner of which was a student of the State University of Management.
The author of the best startup in Russia, a 4th-year student of the Institute of Industry Management of the State University of Management of the educational program “Small and Medium Business Management” Danila Yakovlev, has developed a glass processing technology that allows obtaining a finished product for sale – glass pebbles. The project “
The Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov, the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Olga Petrova and the Deputy Director of the Department of State Youth Policy and Educational Activities of the Ministry of Education and Science Alexander Vedekhin, as well as the First Deputy Chair of the Committee on Science and Higher Education of the State Duma Ksenia Goryacheva addressed the young entrepreneurs and guests of the event with welcoming words.
Our student’s performance did not leave the members of the expert jury indifferent – following the results of the final pitches, Danila Yakovlev became the absolute winner of the competition and took 1st place. In addition, he received a special prize from the Moscow School of Management “Skolkovo”, a certificate for participation in the acceleration program “Academy of Innovators” and other gifts from the competition partners. The scientific director of the project Victoria Degtyareva received special gratitude.
Only 14 finalists presented their innovative ideas to the expert jury. The podium of honor looks like this:
1st place – startup “Innovative glass pebbles”#Proesklo “, State University of Management;
2nd place – startup “Automated irrigation system – Control’s”, Russian State Agrarian University – MSCHA named after K.A. Timiryazeva;
3rd place – Startup Recyclix – plastic processing, Far Eastern Federal University.
The event brought together over 400 participants – students from different regions of Russia, experts, entrepreneurs, industry representatives, universities and government bodies. The hosts were Olga Serebryannikova, Director of the Project Office for the Development of Youth Entrepreneurship in Higher Education Institutions, and Andrey Goryachev, a finalist of the 2024 Startup as a Diploma competition. The young entrepreneurs and guests of the event were addressed with welcoming speeches by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Valery Falkov, First Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Science and Higher Education of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Ksenia Goryacheva, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Olga Petrova and Deputy Director of the Department of State Youth Policy and Educational Activities of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia Alexander Vedekhin.
The final became an important part of the large-scale joint work of university teams, mentors and partners in the development of youth entrepreneurship. Students and employees of the State University of Management, including his scientific supervisor, Associate Professor of the Department of Innovation Management Victoria Degtyareva, came to support Danila at the final stage of the competition. Also on the day of the final, an exhibition of the TOP-50 projects of the Startup as a Diploma competition of 2025 was held at the site of the National Center “Russia”, where one could get acquainted with another innovative development of the State University of Management – the project of the Business Incubator resident Mikhail Zorin HolterTECH (a wireless Holter designed to monitor the work of the heart), which was also highly appreciated by the experts of the competition this year.
We asked Danila Yakovlev for details about his project.
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What is unique about your product and what advantages does it provide? — The technology itself is not unique, but for some reason large businesses do not use it. Construction companies tried to make materials cheaper with this technology, but we transferred the product to another industry where people are willing to pay for beauty and comfort. In addition, we were able to significantly reduce the time and labor costs of the processing process, which allows us to save on electricity and human resources. Plus, given the integration into an existing business, our raw material cost is negative, that is, the waste generator pays us to take this glass from them. It should also be added that the production line can fit on 100 square meters, and only two operators can control it. In terms of numbers, this is a very promising project.
What investments will be required to fully launch the project? – We have outlined several stages of investment. At the first stage, we will need 3.5 million rubles to purchase equipment to complete the first line, launch and adjust the process.
What difficulties do you face in the process of project implementation and how do you overcome them? — The main problem today is that I have 24 hours in a day, like everyone else. I understand that all entrepreneurs are busy people. Every hour is not that expensive, but it is very valuable. Sometimes there is simply not enough time to sleep or spend time with family. In addition, unemployment in Russia is now extremely low, everyone works somewhere, but for some reason no one wants to here. Fortunately, there are young ambitious students who are eager to work not for money, but for the sake of prospects. And in general, you can’t say “problems”. There are tasks that need to be solved. And there are dreams. I invite everyone to achieve them together. We now need a warehouse manager, even a young one with no experience, we need simple warehouse employees, sales managers. We need everyone. If you want, we will accept everyone. We have a lot of ideas, we have an agreement with the State University of Management and students can do paid internships with us. I think together we can build a cool future.
How do you see the future?
The full interview with Danila Yakovlev will soon be available on the GUU channel on RuTube.
We are posting Danila’s contact on Telegram for those who would like to join his project or do an internship: https://t.me/yakovleff_dan
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.
The IAEA and The World Bank announced a partnership today to support the safe, secure and responsible use of nuclear energy in developing countries.
This partnership agreement, signed by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, marks the World Bank Group’s first concrete step to reengage with nuclear power in decades.
Our organizations will work together in three key areas:
➡️ Expand the World Bank Group’s understanding of nuclear
➡️ Extend the lifespan of existing nuclear power plants
➡️ Accelerate the development of small modular reactors With electricity demand in developing countries expected to more than double by 2030, this collaboration will support nuclear as part of a clean energy future.
With electricity demand in developing countries expected to more than double by 2030, this collaboration will support nuclear as part of a clean energy future.
Niki Sharma, Attorney General, has released the following statement about the Commission of Inquiry into Community Events Safety in B.C.
“On Saturday, April 26, 2025, British Columbia experienced one of the worst moments in our history, when a senseless act of violence turned a Lapu-Lapu Day celebration into a tragedy that left 11 people dead and countless more injured and traumatized.
“In the aftermath, British Columbians understandably raised questions about enhancing public safety so people can feel safe attending and celebrating community events of all sizes this summer. That is why Premier David Eby commissioned a public inquiry into safety at community events, with recommendations to be delivered by June 30, 2025.
“The commission was established to examine and report on ways to strengthen security and safety at community events. It was tasked with providing practical information and recommendations to event organizers, local governments and public safety officials.
“I am pleased to have received the report from the commissioner of inquiry into community events safety in B.C., Christopher E. Hinkson. The report will be presented to cabinet in the coming days, in accordance with the Public Inquiry Act. Following cabinet’s review, the report will be filed with the clerk of the legislative assembly and made available to the public.
“I thank Commissioner Hinkson for the work he and his team have done over the past six weeks to enhance and protect our right to gather and celebrate safely and ensure that fear does not prevent communities from coming together.”
Source: US National Agricultural Statistics Service
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimated 95.2 million acres of corn planted in the United States for 2025, up 5% from last year, according to the Acreage report released today. Soybean area planted is estimated at 83.4 million acres, down 4% from last year.
Following up on the Prospective Plantings report released in March, NASS surveyed approximately 67,700 farm operators during the first two weeks of June to gather information on what farmers actually planted. Key findings released in the Acreage report include:
Corn
Growers expect to harvest 86.8 million acres of corn for grain, up 5% from 2024.
Ninety-four percent of all corn acres planted in the United States are biotech varieties, the same as 2024.
Soybeans
Soybean harvested area for 2025 is estimated at 82.5 million acres, down 4% from last year.
Producers planted 96% of the soybean acreage using herbicide resistant seed varieties, the same as 2024.
Cotton
All cotton planted area for 2025 is estimated at 10.1 million acres, 10% below 2024.
Upland cotton planted is estimated at 9.95 million acres, down 9% from last year.
American Pima planted area is estimated at 171,000 acres, down 17% from 2024.
Ninety-seven percent of Upland cotton planted acres are biotech varieties, up 1% from last year.
Wheat
All wheat planted area for 2025 is estimated at 45.5 million acres, down 1% from last year.
Winter wheat planted area is estimated at 33.3 million acres, down less than 1% from 2024.
Other spring wheat planted area is estimated at 10.0 million acres, down 5% from 2024.
Durum wheat planted area is estimated at 2.11 million acres, up 2% from last year.
Today, NASS also released the quarterly Grain Stocks and Rice Stocks reports to provide estimates of on-farm and off-farm stocks as of June 1. Key findings in those reports include:
Grain Stocks
Corn stocks totaled 4.64 billion bushels, down 7% from the same time last year.
On-farm corn stocks were down 16% from a year ago, and off-farm stocks were up 6%.
Soybeans stored totaled 1.01 billion bushels, up 4% from June 1, 2024.
On-farm soybean stocks were down 12% from a year ago, while off-farm stocks were up 18%.
All wheat stored totaled 851 million bushels, up 22% from a year ago.
On-farm all wheat stocks were up 32% from last year, while off-farm stocks were up 20%.
Durum wheat stored totaled 27.9 million bushels, up 32% from June 1, 2024.
On-farm stocks of Durum wheat were up 41% from June 1, 2024.
Off-farm stocks of Durum wheat were up 25% from a year earlier.
Grain Stocks
Rough rice stocks totaled 69.7 million hundredweight, up 15% from June 1, 2024.
On-farm rice stocks were up 94% from a year ago, while off-farm stocks were up 7%.
Long grain rice varieties accounted for 69% of the total rough rice, medium grain accounted for 30%, and short grain varieties accounted for 1%.
Milled rice stocks totaled 6.09 million hundredweight, up 26% from a year ago.
Milled rice stocks were comprised of 4.01 million hundredweight of whole kernel rice and 2.08 million hundredweight of second heads, screenings, and brewers rice.
All NASS reports are available online at nass.usda.gov/publicationsnass.usda.gov/publications. Join NASS’s Lance Honig for a live Stat Chat about the Acreage, Grain Stocks, and Rice Stocks reports @usda_nass on X at 1:30 p.m. ET today. Have a question about the report? Ask any time with #StatChat in your question.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kerontrez Lamar Kenon, 23, of Midway, Florida, was sentenced to one year in prison after previously pleading guilty to engaging in a sexual relationship with a ward. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court records, Kenon was employed as a correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Tallahassee during June and July 2023, when he engaged in sexual intercourse with a female inmate who was under his custodial authority. Kenon also brought the inmate cigarettes and food, against regulations, and helped the inmate set up a CashApp so that other inmates could pay her for cigarettes. At the time that the inmate reported the incident, Kenon was no longer employed by FCI Tallahassee. Kenon’s prison sentence will be followed by five years’ supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “A correctional officer’s abuse of his position is intolerable. My office will work with our federal partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute any officer who violates their oath through the abuse of inmates entrusted to their care and custody.”
“No inmate should ever experience sexual abuse or mistreatment of any kind by those responsible for their safety and custody. The Office of the Inspector General is committed to holding violators accountable and seeking justice for these victims of exploitation,” said Eric Fehlman, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Southeast Region.
“The FBI will stop at nothing to seek justice for victims of crime, including inmates who suffer abuse while housed in corrections facilities,” Jason Carley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “This case is even more egregious, having been committed by someone who was in a position of authority. Our investigators will continue to work tirelessly in coordination with our law enforcement partners to identify those who violate their oath to protect and serve.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
The FBI, along with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office, are investigating the homicide of an adult male from Vernal, Utah. The incident happened in the Whiterocks community, on the Uinta and Ouray Indian Reservation on June 26, 2025.
Leroy Casper Poowegup Reed, an enrolled member of the Ute Indian Tribe, was taken into tribal custody. A federal arrest warrant has been issued for Reed, who is charged by criminal complaint with murder in the second-degree while within Indian Country.
According to the complaint, a deceased individual was found in a running vehicle with an arrow impaled in his neck. Further investigation by the BIA and Uintah County Sheriff’s Office led to Reed, who was arrested at his residence in the Whiterocks community.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The State of Qatar expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist attack that targeted a military convoy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, resulting in deaths and injuries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates the States of Qatar’s stance rejecting violence, terrorism and criminal acts, regardless of their motives and causes.
The Ministry extends the State of Qatar’s condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the government and people of Pakistan, and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.
The State of Qatar expresses full solidarity with the sisterly Republic of Sudan following the collapse of a gold mine in the Howaid area, which results in multiple deaths and injuries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveys Qatar’s sincere condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the government and people of Sudan, and wishes a swift recovery to those injured.
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, announced his amendments to President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ budget megabill in an attempt to thwart the legislation’s most catastrophic impacts. The partisan proposal—which Republicans are ramming through Congress using a legislative process that enables them to expedite it and pass it with a fewer number of votes than most Senate legislation—would slash critical funding for programs that Virginians rely on to disproportionately give tax cuts to the wealthy.
“We should be focused on growing and supporting the middle-class, not passing Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ Hurt People, Kill Jobs, and Spike the Debt to Reward the Rich Act,” said Kaine. “I’m filing amendments to protect Americans from some of the worst of the worst from this Administration and its partisan megabill—from safeguarding our rural hospitals and preventing Americans from losing their health insurance, to keeping families from going hungry, standing up for our veterans, and preventing energy cost increases. I’m also filing amendments to address ways this bill is uniquely bad for Virginia, including to restore funding the Richmond Water Treatment Plant desperately needs and to address the proposed transfer of the Space Shuttle Discovery from Chantilly to Houston at enormous expense to the American taxpayer. The fact that these amendments are necessary in the first place goes to show that Republicans will stop at nothing to give the wealthiest a massive tax break.”
Kaine filed a series of amendments, including:
To rename the legislation the “Hurt People, Kill Jobs, and Spike the Debt to Reward the Rich Act.”
To protect Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from cuts by reversing tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and large corporations.
To protect Virginia’s rural hospitals by mitigating changes to the Medicaid provider tax program.
To crack down on the Trump Administration’s mass firing of veterans from the federal workforce, by prohibiting firings of federal employee veterans without submitting a report to Congress.
To protect Virginians’ health care coverage by eliminating the estate tax cut for multi-millionaires.
To provide small businesses, farmers, and low- and moderate-income families with relief from Trump’s senseless trade wars.
To prevent the weakening and destruction of unions representing federal workers.
To require agencies to cease illegal mass firings and illegal withholdings of appropriated funding.
To prevent utility bill increases by blocking Republicans’ effort to create a new tax on wind and solar power and undo energy efficiency tax credits Kaine helped create through the Inflation Reduction Act.
To include Kaine’s bipartisan Jumpstarting Our Businesses By Supporting Students (JOBS) Act to help more Americans get good-paying jobs by allowing students to use federal Pell Grants—need-based education grants for lower-income individuals—to pay for shorter-term job training programs for the first time.
To restore funding for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program within the Federal Emergency Management Agency. BRIC grants were canceled by the Trump Administration for projects across Virginia, including a $12 million grant for the Richmond Water Treatment Plant and a $24 million grant to enhance the Lake Meade Dam in Portsmouth.
To prevent the transfer of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia—where it is available for viewing to the public free of charge—to Houston, Texas. The transfer would cost hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars and force Americans to pay an admission fee to view the shuttle.
To align a portion of munitions procurement spending to the European Deterrence Initiative to support European partners’ capacity to provide their own national security.
To prevent Republicans from hiding the true cost of their bill and violating long-standing Senate rules.
Full text of Kaine’s amendments is available here.
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
Baldwin: “This bill will make it harder for working families to have the opportunity to get ahead. Harder for parents to get their kids health care. Harder for families to put food on the table.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) spoke on the Senate floor, condemning the Republicans’ budget bill, which terminates health care for 17 million of Americans, cuts food assistance programs, and increases costs for Wisconsin families – all to make room in the budget to give corporations and the wealthy unfair tax breaks.
Over the past several months, Senator Baldwin traveled across Wisconsin talking to constituents deeply concerned about the impact the Republicans’ budget bill would have on their families and communities. Because of this bill, over 250,000 Wisconsinites will be kicked off their healthcare, and 90,000 Wisconsinites will lose some or all of their food assistance, while the top 0.1 percent of earners will receive a tax cut of more than $250,000 every year.
A video of the speech can be is available for download here.
HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received a phone call on Monday from HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic George Gerapetritis.
The call discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them. It also discussed the developments in the region, in addition to a number of topics of common concern.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
June 30, 2025
Massively profitable contractors are pushing for retroactive tax break for investments already made as Congressional Republicans slash health care and food assistance for working families
Text of Letter to Northrop Grumman (PDF) | Text of Letter to Lockheed Martin (PDF)
Text of Letter to RTX Corporation (PDF) | Text of Letter to General Dynamics (PDF)
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Finance and Senate Armed Services Committees, wrote to Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, RTX Corporation, and General Dynamics, pressing them to explain their lobbying for retroactive tax breaks in Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” at the expense of working families—while already raking in huge profits.
In President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), Congressional Republicans changed the Research and Experimentation (R&E) deduction so that companies could no longer deduct the full cost of R&E expenses the year they are made. Instead, starting in 2022, companies had to write off these expenses over five or fifteen years.
Now, these wealthy companies are lobbying to bring full expensing back into the tax code, and Congressional Republicans are delivering. Alongside deep cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act that will cause 16 million Americans to lose their health care coverage, the Republican tax bill passed by the House of Representatives last month includes a return to same-year R&E expensing. The Senate’s proposed text of the “Big, Beautiful Bill” goes even further and includes allows R&E expensing all the way back to 2022.
“These retroactive benefits cannot incentivize investments that have already been made – they are simply a handout to corporations for past investments. This outrageous [handout] is an insult to the millions of Americans facing threats of losing their healthcare coverage to fund tax giveaways to wealthy corporations in the Republican tax bill,” Senator Warren continued.
Big corporations claim that the current deduction schedule “significantly limits businesses’ ability” to invest in R&E. However, tax experts have relieved that “[t]here is no evidence that spreading out the cost of (R&E) deductions have any effect on corporations’ decision to invest in research.”
In fact, Lockheed Martin’s 2021 assessment of the expiration of R&E expensing determined that the financial impact on the company would “be immaterial by 2027.”
“[G]iant, wealthy corporations do not need even larger tax breaks, especially if they come at the expense of middle-class families,” wrote Senator Warren.
If R&E expensing is restored, these defense contractors are set to be gifted billions in deductions (nearly $1 billion for Northrop Grumman and $500 million for Lockheed Martin) for past years’ R&E investments, all at the expense of Americans’ health care, education, food assistance, and more.
Senator Warren asked the companies to provide clarity on how much they would save on their taxes in 2025 if this tax break is approved and how it would affect their outlook for stock buybacks and executive compensation by July 6, 2025.
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
Baldwin: “This bill will make it harder for working families to have the opportunity to get ahead. Harder for parents to get their kids health care. Harder for families to put food on the table.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) spoke on the Senate floor, condemning the Republicans’ budget bill, which terminates health care for 17 million of Americans, cuts food assistance programs, and increases costs for Wisconsin families – all to make room in the budget to give corporations and the wealthy unfair tax breaks.
Over the past several months, Senator Baldwin traveled across Wisconsin talking to constituents deeply concerned about the impact the Republicans’ budget bill would have on their families and communities. Because of this bill, over 250,000 Wisconsinites will be kicked off their healthcare, and 90,000 Wisconsinites will lose some or all of their food assistance, while the top 0.1 percent of earners will receive a tax cut of more than $250,000 every year.
A video of the speech can be is available for download here.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
June 30, 2025
“Congressional Republicans should not gut health care and food assistance for American familiesto pay for tax breaks for billionaire corporations, especially when those tax breaks have no conceivable purpose besides enriching President Trump’s wealthy friends.”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote to the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), a nonpartisan Congressional committee dedicated to analyzing tax legislation, asking the committee to provide information on the revenue impact of giving billionaire corporations retroactive tax breaks.
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, amidst a slew of giveaways to the wealthy and big corporations, ended corporations’ ability to immediately expense research and experimentation (R&E) costs starting in 2022. Since then, companies have been required to spread out their R&E deductions over a 5-year or 15-year window, increasing their overall tax liability.
Now, as Congressional Republicans try to pass their “Big, Beautiful Bill” to give trillions in tax breaks to billionaires and giant corporations, they have proposed restoring R&E expensing and making this tax break retroactive back to 2022.
“[I]t is impossible to incentivize investment decisions already made in the past. Instead, these retroactive tax cuts are likely to represent a huge, one-time cash infusion for corporations that can be used for higher executive pay or shareholder handouts in the form of buybacks and dividends,” said Senator Warren.
Senator Warren asked JCT to provide a breakdown, for each year from 2025 to 2034, of the revenue generated by denying corporations this retroactive tax break.
Headline: Microsoft Flight Simulator: City Update 11 spotlights US Northeast states
Plymouth: The Mayflower Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620, making it one of the most important historical sites in the United States. Called “America’s Hometown,” Plymouth is located 40 miles south of Boston and is the oldest settlement in New England.
New Jersey
Northeastern New Jersey: Cities include Newark, Hackensack, and Paterson, all of which are members of the greater New York metropolitan area. Newark, one of the oldest cities in the United States, is renowned for its contribution to the industrial development of the country and as a modern transportation hub. Hackensack is known for its historical importance during the American Revolution where George Washington established a headquarters. Paterson became a key location in the Industrial Revolution due to the energy supplied by the Great Falls of the Passaic River, around which the city was initially constructed.
Central Jersey: This AOI focuses on cities in the eastern portion of Central Jersey, including Elizabeth, New Brunswick, and Edison. Elizabeth was the first capital of New Jersey and is one of the state’s oldest cities. New Brunswick played an important role in the American Revolution and is an important university center. Edison (originally called Raritan Township) was named after famed American inventor Thomas Edison who established his research laboratory in the area and created several important innovations, including the incandescent light bulb and the phonograph.
New York
Brooklyn: Located on the western end of Long Island, Brooklyn is the most populous of the five boroughs of New York City. It lies just south of the borough of Queens and is connected to the borough of Manhattan by one tunnel and three bridges that span the East River. Brooklyn offers some of the most stunning views in all of New York City, notably of the Brooklyn Bridge, the East River, and lower Manhattan.
Manhattan: Manhattan is one of the most renowned urban centers in the world. The smallest borough by area of the five boroughs that compose New York City, Manhattan is often cited as the capital of several global industries, including finance, media, and entertainment. Known for its iconic architecture, Manhattan is home to the tallest building in both the United States and the Western Hemisphere, One World Trade Center (1,776 feet tall), and the second tallest in the Nation and the Western Hemisphere, Central Park Tower (1,550 feet tall).
Long Island’s East End: One of the most beautiful areas in the northeastern United States, Long Island’s East End is renowned for its pastoral landscapes, historic villages, colonial architecture, and maritime vistas. The update includes Southampton, one of the core towns of the well-known Hamptons resort area, and Montauk, the easternmost point in New York State and home to the spectacular Montauk Point Lighthouse.
Rhode Island
The update’s Rhode Island AOI covers all major cities in the state, including Providence, Cranston, and Warwick. Providence, established in 1636, is the capital and most populous city in the state. Providence, along with the cities of Cranston and Warwick to its south, are located along the mouth of the Providence River at the northern extremity of Narragansett Bay, which opens to the Atlantic Ocean.
City Update 11: Northeastern United States is available FREE to all owners of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Ensure that you have the latest simulator version installed (1.38.2.0 for MSFS2020 / 1.3.23.0 for MSFS2024 / 1.3.25.0 for MSFS2024 on Windows PC – Steam as of 06/27/2025), download City Update 11, and take to the skies above the Northeastern United States!
Microsoft Flight Simulator is available for Xbox Series X|S and PC with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Windows, and Steam, and on Xbox One and supported mobile phones, tablets, and lower-spec PCs via Xbox Cloud Gaming. For the latest information onMicrosoft Flight Simulator, stay tuned to@MSFSOfficialon Twitter.
Welcome to Microsoft’s Copilot Release Notes. Here we’ll provide regular updates on what’s happening with Copilot, from new features to firmware updates and more. Copilot Vision on mobile now available for free in the US Copilot Vision is now available to try for free in the US on iOS and Android devices. Vision will also be rolling out to all users worldwide in the coming weeks. With Copilot Vision, you can use
Welcome to Microsoft’s Copilot Release Notes. Here we’ll provide regular updates on what’s happening with Copilot, from new features to firmware updates and more.
Copilot Vision on mobile now available for free in the US
Copilot Vision is now available to try for free in the US on iOS and Android devices. Vision will also be rolling out to all users worldwide in the coming weeks. With Copilot Vision, you can use your phone’s camera to show Copilot what you’re seeing—and get real-time help, guidance, or conversation, just like you would with a friend.
Whether you’re:
Exploring a new city
Rearranging your living room decor
Navigating a confusing airport terminal
Trying to identify a strange object
Or just asking, “Does this setup look right?”
Please note that you must be signed in to Copilot with a Microsoft account (MSA) to use the Vision features on your Copilot mobile app.
Copilot Vision on Windows is here
We’re also excited to share that Copilot Vision on Windows is now available in the US and coming to more non-European countries by mid-July. When enabled, Copilot can see what you see on your screen and offer helpful, voice-guided support—whether you’re working across apps, browsing the web, or navigating a tricky task.
Need help finding an app? Want tips while editing a photo? Trying to understand a form or complete a task in a new tool? Copilot Vision can follow along, offer insights, and even highlight exactly where to click with Highlights, all while you stay in control.
Copilot Vision is fully opt-in and only activates when you choose to turn it on. You can start or stop sharing at any time with a single click.
Learn more in the official blog post.
Deep Research now in the Copilot app on Windows
Copilot Pro users can now access Deep Research directly from the Copilot app on Windows, the mobile app, and on Copilot.com. This powerful feature helps you tackle complex, multi-step research tasks by finding, analyzing, and synthesizing information from across the web, potentially saving you hours of work in the process.
Copilot Actions expands to more countries
Copilot Actions, our new feature that lets Copilot complete web tasks on your behalf (like booking hotels, placing shopping orders, or making dinner reservations), is now available to Copilot Pro users in the US, along with the following additional countries:
Australia
Canada
Great Britain
India
New Zealand
South Africa
Copilot Actions is available on Copilot.com on Windows and Mac. To get started, Pro users can open the dropdown menu in the Copilot composer and select Actions. Visit Copilot.com/Labs to learn more.
Cryptocurrency Finance Cards are now live
We’ve expanded our Copilot Cards collection with a new category: Cryptocurrency. These interactive cards are now fully rolled out across Copilot.com and bring real-time insights to your crypto-related questions. Here’s what’s new:
Interactive Charts: Real-time 24-hour data, just like our current finance cards.
Detailed Dashboards: View performance summaries, related news, and other trending cryptocurrencies.
Expanded Support: Now covers over 100 of the most popular global cryptocurrencies.
Local Currency Support: Ask for prices in your local currency such as “Bitcoin in CAD” or “Solana in INR.”
This update builds on the cards we recently introduced for Sports, Videos, Weather, and Stocks, giving you quick, visual answers across a growing range of topics. Crypto cards are available on web, with mobile and Windows support rolling out in the coming weeks.
Headline: Excited to share two advances that bring us closer to real-world impact in healthcare AI: …Together, these advances offer a blueprint for how AI can help deliver precision and efficiency in healthcare, and we’re looking forward to working with healthcare partners and the entire ecosystem on these advances making a difference.
Excited to share two advances that bring us closer to real-world impact in healthcare AI: SDBench introduces a new benchmark that transforms 304 NEJM cases into interactive diagnostic simulations. AI must ask questions, order tests, and weigh costs, mirroring the complexity of real clinical decision-making. MAI-DxO is a model-agnostic orchestrator that simulates a panel of virtual physicians. It achieves 85.5% diagnostic accuracy—four times that of experienced doctors—while cutting diagnostic costs. Together, these advances offer a blueprint for how AI can help deliver precision and efficiency in healthcare, and we’re looking forward to working with healthcare partners and the entire ecosystem on these advances making a difference. https://lnkd.in/gd5nd4qF
England have named an unchanged team on Monday for the second test against India, set to begin on July 2 at Edgbaston, with fast bowler Jofra Archer remaining sidelined.
The England and Wales Cricket Board retained the lineup that secured a five-wicket win at Headingley to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Archer, who was added to England’s test set-up last week for the first time since 2021, missed training on Monday due to a family emergency, British media reports said.
The 30-year-old is expected to rejoin the squad on Tuesday.
ENGLAND PLAYING XI
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
England have named an unchanged team on Monday for the second test against India, set to begin on July 2 at Edgbaston, with fast bowler Jofra Archer remaining sidelined.
The England and Wales Cricket Board retained the lineup that secured a five-wicket win at Headingley to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Archer, who was added to England’s test set-up last week for the first time since 2021, missed training on Monday due to a family emergency, British media reports said.
The 30-year-old is expected to rejoin the squad on Tuesday.
ENGLAND PLAYING XI
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)
June 30, 2025
Honoring and Celebrating Immigrant Heritage Month
Washington, D.C. – In honor of Immigrant Heritage Month, Chair Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35) and Co-Chair Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) have officially relaunched the bipartisan New Americans Caucus for the 119th Congress. This Caucus is composed of first-generation Members of Congress dedicated to advancing awareness and policies that uplift new Americans across the nation.
“As the only Member of Congress born in Guatemala, I am committed to amplifying the voices of new and aspiring Americans,” said Congresswoman Torres. “Our immigrant communities are the backbone of our country’s growth and innovation. Many new Americans continue to face systemic obstacles on their journey toward citizenship and full participation in society, especially during these difficult times. This caucus will continue to serve as a powerful platform to educate Congress and advocate for meaningful reforms that ensure everyone has the chance to succeed.”
“I’m proud to join Congresswoman Torres as Co-Chair of the New Americans Caucus during the 119th Congress and look forward to continuing our collective efforts to ensuring the rights of newly naturalized citizens to our nation,” said Rep. Espaillat, the first Dominican American and only formerly undocumented immigrant to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. “Our nation is facing unprecedented challenges, which is exacerbated for immigrant families amid this current administration. For many, the path to becoming citizens can mean life or death. We must do all it takes to support new Americans and their families through the citizenship process in ways that will afford them equal opportunities in America today and for future generations.”
The Caucus membership includes: Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Victoria Spartz (IN-05), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10).
The New Americans Caucus was founded in 2017 and honors the diverse origins of its members, who hail from countries including Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, India, Somalia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Mexico, South Korea, and Cuba.
Dr. Cato T. Laurencin is the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, recognized as the leading voice in the field, published by Springer Nature.
“We are proud to work with Professor Sir Cato Laurencin on the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. As the Founding Editor-in-Chief of this important journal, he has made great strides in the advancement of research on racial and ethnic health disparities. The journal’s 2024 CiteScore is 7.5, ranking 5 out of 524 journals in the Anthropology category,” said Katherine Lang, executive publisher, Journals – Springer Nature.
Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin is the University Professor at UConn and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, professor of Chemical Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is the chief executiveoOfficer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute created and named in his honor at UConn.
He completed his B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering at Princeton. At the same time, he completed the Program in African-American Studies at Princeton. He received his M.D., Magna Cum Laude from the Harvard Medical School and his Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology from M.I.T. Under the auspices of King George III of England, Laurencin was bestowed Knighthood by the Governor-General of St. Lucia.
Laurencin is a professor of Africana Studies at the University of Connecticut and chaired the Inaugural World Congress on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, held in 2025 in St. Lucia. He received the Herbert V. Nickens Award from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) for his work in advancing social justice and fairness. The NAACP awarded him the Spingarn Medal, given for “the highest or noblest achievement by an African American.” Previously the award was given to Dr. Charles Drew, Martin Luther King Jr., and Maya Angelou, among others. The W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute and the National Medical Association created the Cato T. Laurencin Lifetime Research Achievement Award in his honor, bestowed at the opening ceremonies of the National Medical Association meeting.
When former President Joe Biden revealed in May that he had been diagnosed with an advanced and aggressive form of prostate cancer, the news rattled UConn’s Reza Amin ’18 Ph.D., ’19 MS.
Amin is the CEO and Founder of Bastion Health, the first and largest virtual urology group in the country. Bastion, a UConn startup, addresses men’s health care through at-home diagnostics, specialist-led care, and elimination of impediments to medical attention.
Detecting prostate cancer in its most treatable stage is more than a professional interest for Amin. He lost his grandfather to the disease and wants to spare others from that heartbreak.
“Prostate cancer is a cruel disease because it can often be asymptomatic and, without testing, men don’t know they have it,’’ he says. “The good news is that if prostate cancer is diagnosed early, the survival rate is close to 100 percent. Diagnosed later, it falls to about 40 percent.
“Our work at Bastion is about changing that equation—by offering early, accessible, and private care for our male patients,’’ he says. Bastion also addresses prostate, hormonal, and reproductive issues, as well as cancer prevention.
“Improving men’s access to care is at the heart of what we do. We’re building a future where men don’t delay care because of stigma, access issues, or inconvenience,’’ he says. “When care is confidential, virtual, and designed around them, men are more willing to use it.’’
Men’s Health a Growing Concern
Bastion Health is based at the UConn Technology Incubation Program (TIP) in Farmington, which unites research, facilities, and business support for high-impact startups.
The company, created in 2020, contracts with large employers who offer the medical service to their employees. Some 120,000 men—in all 50 states— have access to Bastion’s services. The company is growing quickly and is set to expand, adding multiple Fortune 500 employers to its ranks next year.
The statistics about men’s health are concerning. About one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. In the last seven years or so, there has been a spike in men being diagnosed with late-stage disease.
Reza Amin (courtesy of Bastion Health)
Bastion offers at-home testing, supported by a team of more than 60 board-certified urologists, who deliver comprehensive virtual care and guide patients every step of the way, offering fast referrals when in-person support is needed.
New patients begin with an app-based intake, followed by a nurse practitioner visit and at-home diagnostic kits delivered to their door. The tests cover blood, urine, semen, and stool. Samples are processed by certified labs, and results are reviewed by board-certified urologists to initiate treatment.
“The clinical accuracy matches traditional in-office care, but with greater convenience, faster follow-through, and a better patient experience,’’ Amin says. The normalization of telehealth following the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated Bastion’s growth, making virtual specialty care not just viable—but preferred, he added.
The traditional health care system hasn’t evolved with men’s needs, and as a result, many men bypass it, Amin says. Long waits in a doctor’s office, missed time at work, embarrassing test requirements, and difficulty scheduling follow-up appointments result in men avoiding life-enhancing or life-saving care.
“Men deserve care that’s private, seamless, and designed for them, especially when it comes to issues ‘under the belt,’” Amin says. “We’re a team of technologists, physicians, nurses, and health professionals building the future of men’s health. With AI-powered telehealth, nationwide urologist access, and integrated at-home testing, we’re redefining specialty care—delivered from home, anywhere in the country. We are always keeping the patient in mind in whatever we do.”
The medical service not only improves outcomes and prevents late-stage diagnoses, but also reduces health care spending for employers and payers.
“Not only are we saving lives, but we are also saving companies a great deal of money. Every cancer patient who is diagnosed early saves employers and payers $300,000. That’s just huge,” Amin says. “In many cases that savings alone covers the cost of the program for the entire employee population.’’
From Avid Researcher to Business Entrepreneur
Amin’s business idea began 10 years ago when he was completing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, with a focus on medical diagnostic system design, at UConn. He published his first paper on at-home testing and how it can help with cancer detection.
“It started as an idea on paper, but it pieced things together,’’ he says. As the idea took root, Amin realized he wanted to create something more impactful than a testing company. He wanted to transform access to care.
“We dove into everything—regulations, diagnostics, emerging tech,” he says. “Today, we’re an AI-powered virtual care platform integrating at-home testing and automated clinical workflows. With help from AI, we streamline medical documentation, enhance clinical decision-making, and engage patients more effectively, improving the experience for both patients and providers. It’s about reducing friction, increasing satisfaction, and delivering high-quality care at scale.”
The year after completing his Ph.D., Amin added a master’s degree in global entrepreneurship from UConn to his resume. He is also the co-founder of Encapsulate, a precision personalized cancer therapy program.
Urologists Often Difficult to Find
Because urology practices are most frequently located in cities, some 62% of United States counties don’t have a single urologist, Amin says. That makes it difficult for many men, even those who are health-conscious, to get an appointment and schedule follow-ups if a problem is detected.
At Bastion, the team tries to make accessing care as seamless as possible. A dedicated care coordinator alerts men to appointments, testing, and medication refills. If follow-up care is needed, the patient is quickly referred to a health care system that can address even complex treatment.
If men are comfortable receiving care at home, let’s bring it to them there. We are leading the market but not abandoning high-quality service. — Reza Amin, Bastion Health
Through Bastion’s focus on patient satisfaction, Amin and his team reviewed and adopted technologies designed with the male patient experience in mind—making it easy to collect blood, urine, semen, and stool from home.
“We strive to be tech-savvy and futuristic thinking,” he says. “If men are comfortable receiving care at home, let’s bring it to them there. We are leading the market but not abandoning high-quality service.”
UConn Instrumental in Bastion’s Success
Bastion Health has also benefitted from numerous UConn entrepreneurship programs through the School of Business, College of Engineering, the Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. As an entrepreneur, Amin says, he ran into many people who discouraged his efforts. The support from UConn offset the challenges.
“Our company is a UConn spinoff. We’re Huskies through and through. We’ve had great support, lab and office space, and we utilize talent from UConn,” Amin says.
Amin has also competed in prestigious entrepreneurship competitions, including Connect Next, Mayo Clinic Incubator, Mass Challenge, and Plug & Play.
Bastion has been recognized in Forbes twice and as a Top 100 Healthcare Tech Company by Healthcare Tech Report Nation. He was also chosen as a “40 Under Forty” award recipient by the Hartford Business Journal.
“In growing this business, I realized that talent is key. I wanted to spend enough time to find the right people. Technology and funding are important, but it is talent that brings the ideas, builds the culture, and shares the vision that creates value,’’ he says. “Our partnerships and alignment are very important.’’
‘It Impacts Everyone and Everything’
Although Amin is focused on caring for men’s health, he recognizes the work he does has a profound ripple effect.
“Whether you’re addressing men’s health, women’s health, or children’s health, it is all family health,” he says. “Everyone wants a healthy family and if any one member has a problem, it impacts everyone and everything, from fear and disruption to employment and income concerns.”
“Losing lives to conditions that are treatable, when solutions exist and can’t be accessed, is failure,” he says. “We hope to save many families from going through the terrible experience of advanced prostate cancer.’’