NewzIntel.com

Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI Germany: German balance of payments in January 2025

    Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English

    Sharp decrease in current account surplus
    Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €11.8 billion in January 2025, down €9.1 billion on the previous month’s level. This was attributable to a lower surplus in the goods account and especially in invisible current transactions, which comprises services as well as primary and secondary income.
    The surplus in the goods account fell by €1.3 billion to €9.2 billion in January because expenditure increased more sharply than receipts. The surplus in invisible current transactions declined by €7.9 billion to €2.6 billion. Net receipts in primary income decreased by €5.5 billion to €14.1 billion. This was mainly attributable to the countermovement on the revenue side to the EU agricultural subsidies that were paid out to Germany in December 2024. In addition, in investment income receipts declined more sharply than expenditure. Moreover, the deficit in the services account expanded by €5.5 billion to €6.0 billion. Receipts fell more sharply overall than expenditure, chiefly due to computer services and other business services. Net expenditure on travel also increased. By contrast, the deficit in the secondary income account narrowed by just €3.1 billion to €5.5 billion. In particular, lower general government payments for current transfers relating to international cooperation and smaller payments to the EU budget in connection with financing related to gross national income played a role here.   
    Net capital exports down
    In line with the decline in the current account surplus, German net capital exports were also down in January compared with the previous month (€14.6 billion, following €44.5 billion in December 2024).
    Direct investment generated net capital imports of €3.6 billion in January (following net capital exports of €18.8 billion in December 2024). Foreign enterprises provided their German affiliates with additional direct investment funds (€16.4 billion), issuing additional intra-group loans to the tune of €12.9 billion and raising their equity capital by €3.5 billion. German enterprises stepped up their foreign direct investment by €12.8 billion, boosting equity capital by €9.0 billion and increasing the lending volume to affiliates by €3.8 billion. 
    Germany’s cross-border portfolio investment recorded net capital exports of €15.7 billion in January (after €30.6 billion in December 2024). Domestic investors added €51.3 billion worth of securities issued by non-residents to their portfolios on balance. They purchased foreign bonds (€25.1 billion), mutual fund shares (€20.3 billion) and shares (€6.2 billion), while selling money market paper (€0.4 billion). Foreign investors acquired German securities worth €35.5 billion net, primarily buying bonds (€41.3 billion) as well as a modest volume of shares (€0.9 billion) and mutual fund shares (€0.1 billion). By contrast, they disposed of money market paper (€6.8 billion).
    In January, transactions in financial derivatives resulted in net outflows of €3.8 billion (after inflows of €0.8 billion in December 2024). 
    Other statistically recorded investment – which comprises loans and trade credits (where these do not constitute direct investment), bank deposits and other investments – registered net inflows of capital amounting to €2.5 billion in January (following €2.1 billion in December 2024). Bundesbank account transactions recorded net capital exports (€61.5 billion), with its TARGET claims on the ECB increasing by €21.7 billion, while the Bundesbank’s external liabilities in the form of currency and deposits decreased significantly, as is often the case at the start of the year. By contrast, the other investment account recorded net capital imports of €85.5 billion from cross-border transactions by other monetary financial institutions. Furthermore, general government also recorded net inflows of capital (€0.8 billion). Transactions by enterprises and households led to net capital exports (€22.2 billion).
    The Bundesbank’s reserve assets rose – at transaction values – by €1.2 billion in January.

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI German News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Urgently Issues Consumer Alert for 23andMe Customers

    Source: US State of California

    Friday, March 21, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    Californians have the right to direct the company to delete their genetic data 

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert to customers of 23andMe, a genetic testing and information company. The California-based company has publicly reported that it is in financial distress and stated in securities filings that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue, which is a growing concern. Due to the trove of sensitive consumer data 23andMe has amassed, Attorney General Bonta reminds Californians of their right to direct the deletion of their genetic data under the Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) and California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA). Californians who want to invoke these rights can do so by going to 23andMe’s website. 

    “California has robust privacy laws that allow consumers to take control and request that a company delete their genetic data,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Given 23andMe’s reported financial distress, I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.” 

    To Delete Genetic Data from 23andMe:

    1. Consumers can delete their account and personal information by taking the following steps:
    2. Log into your 23andMe account on their website. 
    3. Go to the “Settings” section of your profile.
    4. Scroll to a section labeled “23andMe Data” at the bottom of the page. 
    5. Click “View” next to “23andMe Data”
    6. Download your data: If you want a copy of your genetic data for personal storage, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding.
    7. Scroll to the “Delete Data” section. 
    8. Click “Permanently Delete Data.” 
    9. Confirm your request: You’ll receive an email from 23andMe; follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request.

    To Destroy Your 23andMe Test Sample:

    If you previously opted to have your saliva sample and DNA stored by 23andMe, but want to change that preference, you can do so from your account settings page, under “Preferences.”

    To Revoke Permission for Your Genetic Data to be Used for Research:

    If you previously consented to 23andMe and third-party researchers to use your genetic data and sample for research, you may withdraw consent from the account settings page, under “Research and Product Consents.”

    Under GIPA, California consumers can delete their account and genetic data and have their biological sample destroyed. In addition, GIPA permits California consumers to revoke consent that they provided a genetic testing company to collect, use, and disclose genetic data and to store biological samples after the initial testing has been completed. The CCPA also vests California consumers with the right to delete personal information, which includes genetic data, from businesses that collect personal information from the consumer.   

    To learn more about the CCPA, please visit here.  

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Way, Washington woman indicted for bank and wire fraud for fake investment scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Preyed on members of the Korean community falsely claiming status as an investment advisor

    Seattle – A 52-year-old Federal Way, Washington woman was indicted this week by a federal grand jury for three counts of wire fraud and two counts of bank fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jenni Yoon Jeong Lee allegedly held herself out to elderly members of the Korean community as an investment advisor. In reality, the investments went into accounts controlled by Lee and were used for her personal expenses. Lee allegedly defrauded at least 28 victims of over $3 million that was used for her expenses, her family’s expenses or to pay off earlier investors in the style of a Ponzi scheme.

    “Ms. Lee held herself out as an experienced investment advisor offering her victims a guaranteed return on the funds they placed with her,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “However, the indictment notes that none of the money was invested and in fact, nearly $1 million of investor funds were accessed and spent at area casinos.”

    According to the indictment, Lee created various business entities with names that made it seem they were financial investment companies. Lee opened and controlled bank accounts for these shell companies.

    Lee held herself out as a financial advisor employed at the shell companies. She claimed both orally and in writing that she would place victim investments in funds that would guarantee a safe return, sometimes as high as 10%.  She often represented that the principal was fully guaranteed so there was no risk associated with the investment.

    Lee allegedly got the victims to write checks to one of the shell companies for ‘investment,’ or she induced the client to fund a self-directed IRA at a legitimate financial services company and give Lee access to manage the account. Lee would sometimes provide the financial services company with a promissory note to make it appear the client was loaning money to one of Lee’s shell companies. In this way she gained control of the investor funds.

    In all Lee took in at least $3 million. Some money was paid back to investors making the full loss amount approximately $2.2 million. Of that, over $900,000 was withdrawn and spent at casinos.

    The three counts of wire fraud are for specific transfers of funds from self-directed IRA accounts. The two counts of bank fraud are for depositing client checks into one of the shell corporation accounts. These counts are representative acts of the alleged scheme.

    The charges in the indictment are punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

    The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean H. Waite

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI | America’s Nuclear Renaissance: How the TVA Can Lead Our Energy Future

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    ‘President Trump and Secretary Wright must apply their best-in-class leadership to rescue TVA from itself…We won’t be satisfied by half-measures. Nor will President Trump. Nor will the American people. The time for bold action is now.’

    America’s Nuclear Renaissance: How the TVA Can Lead Our Energy Future
    By: Senators Hagerty and Blackburn
    March 20, 2025
    Link here.

    You may have heard of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), our nation’s largest public utility and source of cheap, clean, and reliable electricity for 10 million people. You may even know that its Board of Directors is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate, making it directly accountable to the American people.

    But one thing you might not know: the TVA is facing a historic moment that could decide our nation’s energy security for decades to come.

    With the right courageous leadership, TVA could lead the way in our nation’s nuclear energy revival, empower us to dominate the 21st century’s global technology competition, and cement President Trump’s legacy as “America’s Nuclear President.”

    President Trump’s Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, has charted the course. “The long-awaited American nuclear renaissance must launch during President Trump’s administration,” he declared in a February order. “As global energy demand continues to grow, America must lead the commercialization of affordable and abundant nuclear energy.”

    Wright is right. The 21st century will be America’s next Golden Age only if we can supply the vast amounts of power required to run artificial intelligence, quantum computers, and advanced manufacturing. Nuclear energy is the only viable solution, but the industry has been stagnant for decades. We’ve lacked national ambition.

    Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party has been ramping up its nuclear industry, announcing plans last year to build 11 new nuclear reactors to power its economy. As we face this global competition, TVA could be to the nuclear race what NASA was to the space race.

    How? TVA holds the nation’s only early site permit for a next-generation small modular reactor, known as SMR. SMR is the new nuclear technology that has the best chance of being deployed in the United States within the next decade.

    The beauty of SMR technology is its simplicity. It’s just a smaller version of the nuclear technology that powers much of America today, with the benefit of being safer, more replicable, and more efficient. It’s not a science project, it’s a proven commodity.

    Yet, having the ticket to build the first made-in-America SMR won’t take TVA very far if the status quo of a hidebound bureaucracy gets in the way. As it stands now, TVA and its leadership can’t carry the weight of this moment.

    The presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed, TVA Board of Directors lacks the talent, experience, and gravitas to meet a challenge that clearly requires visionary industrial leaders. The group looks more like a collection of political operatives than visionary industrial leaders.

    The current TVA board focused on the diversity of its executives ahead of job creation for hungry workers in the region it is supposed to serve. It has fallen victim to paralysis by analysis, encumbering TVA’s SMR project with studies and hurdles that will bog it down.

    Absent world-class vision, fiduciary competence, and the courage to effectively balance risks and rewards, TVA’s board has allowed the nation’s largest public utility’s role in leading America’s “Nuclear Renaissance” atrophy. And when TVA’s current CEO announced his retirement in February, the board quickly hired a tiny headhunter firm with an apparent aim to ensure TVA’s next CEO would be hired from within. While maintaining the status quo, an “inside job” forgoes the chance to recruit a top-quality leader from the outside.

    What’s required at this moment is clear. President Trump and Secretary Wright must apply their best-in-class leadership to rescue TVA from itself. An interim CEO trusted by the president must be appointed to clean up this mess and lay the groundwork for a new, long-term leader. United States senators who have an interest in the future of TVA—and all of them should—must demand strong, competent, visionary board leadership—a departure from its current culture of patronage. Once TVA’s leadership is on a steady course, the interim CEO must:

    • Immediately file an SMR construction application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
    • Seek funding from the Department of Energy Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor Program.
    • Stop analysis paralysis from getting in the way of producing a first-in-class SMR.
    • Articulate a plan, and the resources necessary, for the nation’s largest public utility to command a lead in the provision of energy for the country’s technological innovations that will ensure American leadership throughout this century and beyond.

    If we, as a nation, fail to meet this moment, American leadership in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, and the ability to win conventional wars will be put at risk. If we choose to lead, a Golden Age lies ahead.

    We won’t be satisfied by half-measures. Nor will President Trump. Nor will the American people. The time for bold action is now.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Top Pacific diplomats ready for direct talks on Bougainville independence

    By Leah Lowonbu, Stefan Armbruster and Harlyne Joku of BenarNews

    The Pacific’s peak diplomatic bodies have signalled they are ready to engage with Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Government of Bougainville as mediation begins on the delayed ratification of its successful 2019 independence referendum.

    PNG and Bougainville’s leaders met in the capital Port Moresby this week with a moderator to start negotiations on the implementation of the UN-supervised Bougainville Peace Agreement and referendum.

    Ahead of the talks, ABG’s President Ishmael Toroama moved to sideline a key sticking point over PNG parliamentary ratification of the vote, with the announcement last week that Bougainville would unilaterally declare independence on September 1, 2027.

    The region’s two leading intergovernmental organisations — Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) — have traditionally deferred to member state PNG on discussion of Bougainville independence as an internal matter.

    But as a declaration of nationhood becomes increasingly likely and near, there has been a subtle shift.

    “It’s their [PNG’s] prerogative but if this matter were raised formally, even by Bougainville themselves, we can start discussion on that,” PIF Secretary-General Baron Waqa told a press briefing at its headquarters in Fiji on Monday.

    “Whatever happens, I think the issue would have to be decided by our leaders later this year,” he said of the annual PIF meeting to be held in Solomon Islands in September.

    Marked peace deal
    The last time the Pacific’s leaders included discussion of Bougainville in their official communique was in 2004 to mark the disarmament of the island under the peace deal.

    Waqa said Bougainville had made no formal approach to PIF — a grouping of 18 Pacific states and territories — but it was closely monitoring developments on what could eventually lead to the creation of a new member state.

    PNG Prime Minister James Marape (second from left) and Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama (right) during mediation in the capital Port Moresby this week. Image: Autonomous Government of Bougainville/BenarNews

    In 2024, Toroama told BenarNews he would be seeking observer status at the subregional MSG — grouping PNG, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia’s FLNKS — as Bougainville’s first diplomatic foray.

    No application has been made yet but MSG acting Director-General Ilan Kiloe told BenarNews they were also keeping a close watch.

    “Our rules and regulations require that we engage through PNG and we will take our cue from them,” Kiloe said, adding while the MSG respects the sovereignty of its members, “if requested, we will provide assistance” to Bougainville.

    “The purpose and reason the MSG was established initially was to advance the collective interests of the Melanesian countries, in particular, to assist those yet to attain independence,” he said. “And to provide support towards their aim of becoming independent countries.”

    Map showing Papua New Guinea, its neighboring countries and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Map: BenarNews

    The 2001 peace agreement ended more than a decade of bloody conflict  known as the Bougainville crisis, that resulted in the deaths of up to 15,000 people, and laid out a roadmap for disarmament and the referendum in 2019.

    ‘We need support’
    Under the agreement, PNG retains responsibility for foreign affairs but allows for the ABG to engage externally for trade and with “regional organisations.”

    “We need countries to support us, we need to talk to those countries [ahead of independence],” Toroama told BenarNews last September.

    The referendum on independence was supported by 97.7 percent of Bougainvillians and the outcome was due to be ratified by PNG’s Parliament in 2020, but was deferred because of the covid-19 pandemic.

    Discussions by the two parties since on whether a simple or two-thirds majority vote by parliamentarians was required has further delayed the process.

    Toroama stood firm on the issue of ratification on the first day of discussions moderated by New Zealand’s Sir Jerry Mataparae, saying his people voted for independence and the talks were to define the “new relationship” between two independent states.

    Last week, the 15 members of the Bougainville Leaders Independence Consultation Forum issued a statement declaring PNG had no authority to veto the referendum result and recommended September 1, 2027 as the declaration date.

    Bougainville Leaders Consultation Forum declaration setting September 1, 2027, as the date for their independence declaration. Image: AGB/BenarNews

    “As far as I am concerned, the process of negotiating independence was concluded with the referendum,” Toroama said.

    Implementation moderation
    “My understanding is that this moderation is about reaching agreement on implementing the referendum result of independence.”

    He told Marape “to take ownership and endorse independence in this 11th Parliament.”

    PNG’s prime minister responded by praising the 25 years of peace “without a single bullet fired” but warned Bougainville was not ready for independence.

    “Economic independence must precede political independence,” Marape said. “The long-term sustainability of Bougainville must be factored into these discussions.”

    “About 95 percent of Bougainville’s budget is currently reliant on external support, including funding from the PNG government and international donors.”

    Proposals to reopen Rio Tinto’s former Panguna gold and copper mine in Bougainville, that sparked its civil conflict, is a regular feature of debate about its economic future.

    Front page of the Post-Courier newspaper after the first day of mediation on Bougainville’s independence this week. Image: Post-Courier/BenarNews

    Marape also suggested people may be secretly harbouring weapons in breach of the peace agreement and called on the UN to clarify the outcome of the disarmament process it supervised.

    “Headlines have come out that guns remain in Bougainville. United Nations, how come guns remain in Bougainville?” Marape asked on Monday.

    “You need to tell me. This is something you know. I thought all guns were removed from Bougainville.”

    PNG relies on aid
    By comparison, PNG has heavily relied on foreign financial assistance since independence, currently receiving at about US$320 million (1.3 billion kina) a year in budgetary support from Australia, and suffers regular tribal violence and massacres involving firearms including assault rifles.

    Bougainville Vice-President Patrick Nisira rejected Marape’s concerns about weapons, the Post-Courier newspaper reported.

    “The usage of those guns, there is no evidence of that and if you look at the data on Bougainville where [there are] incidents of guns, it is actually very low,” he said.

    Further talks are planned and are due to produce a report for the national Parliament by mid-2025, ahead of elections in Bougainville and PNG’s 50th anniversary celebrations in September.

    Republished from BenarNews with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal jury convicts Virginia Beach man for auto loan scheme and identity theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Virginia Beach man today on 19 charges of bank fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false representation of a social security number.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Dion Lamont Camp, 40, spent years conning numerous women into romantic relationships and then leveraging those relationships to obtain fraudulent loans and credit cards.  He would show the women fake tax documents and ask for their help, claiming that the IRS had frozen his accounts and promising to repay the money when the matter was cleared up. Camp caused six fraudulent loans from a national credit union in 2020 through 2022 for cars that were either ghost purchased, meaning the car was never purchased at all and there was never any collateral securing the loan, or double financed, meaning Camp procured financing both from the credit union and from the car dealership for the same car, thereby obtaining the credit union loan proceeds and the car.

    As part of the scheme, Camp opened shell businesses with names closely resembling that of actual used car dealerships in Hampton Roads. He then persuaded two women, identified as Jane Doe (JD) 2 and JD5, to open corresponding business bank accounts. Once those accounts were open, Camp persuaded JD2, JD5, as well as four other women, JD3, JD4, JD6, and JD7, to apply for automobile loans in their own names at the credit union. Camp convinced the women he could not obtain a loan himself because his accounts were erroneously frozen and promised to pay them back.

    After the credit union approved the loan applications and provided checks to the women for the dealerships, they gave the checks to Camp. Camp, using a call spoofing service to make it appear as if he were calling from the legitimate car dealership, called the credit union, impersonated employees at the dealership, and pretended that the loan was being used for various luxury vehicles.  Providing the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) for those cars, he successfully obtained the code from the credit union necessary to release the check, which he then negotiated and funneled through the business accounts. JD2 and JD5 withdrew the loan proceeds from those accounts and gave the money to Camp.

    The four ghost-purchased cars were located across the country and never at the businesses in Hampton Roads. They were never purchased by Camp or the women using the credit union checks, depriving the credit union of its collateral to secure the loans. Camp also conned JD4 and JD7, who had already gotten loan checks from the credit union, to purchase two other luxury cars at a dealership in northern Virginia using in-house financing for over $100,000.  Again, Camp cashed the credit union checks, and the credit union was deprived of having the cars as collateral for the loan as the cars were double financed.

    For two of these fraudulent automobile loans, Camp obtained not only the money from the loan check, but also induced the women to trade in their own cars to help fund the credit union loans. He then sold their cars at local dealerships and kept that money as well.

    As part of his fraud, Camp also purchased a car in his own name from CarMax as repayment for a friend of the family who gave him money for a car years earlier. To obtain financing, Camp used false information, including that he had been a UPS employee for more than a decade. After Camp was arrested in this case and housed at Western Tidewater Regional Jail, the family friend feared the BMW would be repossessed. Camp called the finance company on a recorded jail call, using another inmate’s account to avoid detection, and convinced the finance company to give him a payment extension on the loan so long as he was still employed at UPS, which he falsely affirmed that he was.

    Camp also defrauded banks to give personal loans.  In 2019, JD8 and JD11 each had little income, so Camp provided them with fraudulent paystubs with inflated income to support personal loan applications to another local credit union. JD8 and JD11 each gave the loan proceeds to Camp, which again he had falsely promised to repay.

    Camp obtained an American Express credit card using JD3’s personal identifying information without her knowledge. He also obtained supplemental American Express credit cards from the accounts of JD5, JD3, and JD10 using the Social Security number of an individual identified as R.D. R.D., who testified at trial, has never met or had any relationship with Camp.

    The final charge for which Camp was convicted involved his application for a property rental in Virginia Beach using a false Social Security number, a fake credit report with a highly inflated credit score, and a false IRS business tax filing that showed that his alleged house flipping business, Camp Investments LLC, made hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. In truth, Camp’s business bank account rarely had any significant balance, and Camp never filed taxes for Camp Investments.

    The evidence at trial revealed that, during the scheme, Camp defrauded both women and banks out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

    Camp faces a minimum of two years and up to 392 years in prison when sentenced on Sept. 12. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Michael Feinberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen accepted the verdict.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Gantt and Elizabeth M. Yusi are prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-63.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta: Unlicensed Room and Board Operator Charged with Grand Theft from an Elder

    Source: US State of California

    Friday, March 21, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND– California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced today announced that felony grand theft charges have been filed against an unlicensed Room and Board Operator who allegedly stole from an elder resident while the resident was hospitalized. The California Department of Justice initiated an investigation based on a complaint referral from Contra Costa County Adult Protective Services regarding allegations of financial exploitation, neglect, psychological abuse, and isolation at unlicensed facilities operated in Contra Costa. The investigation revealed from May to September 2021, the Room and Board Operator fraudulently withdrew money on multiple occasions from the elder adult’s bank account.  
     
    “Caregivers of seniors and dependent adults bear a significant responsibility to prioritize the safety and overall health of those in their care,” said Attorney General Bonta. “At the California Department of Justice, we are dedicated to combating all forms of elder abuse and neglect. We will act swiftly to hold accountable anyone who harms or takes advantage of these at-risk members of our community.”
     
    The complaint was filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court and charges include grand theft from an elder adult and grand theft by access card. The defendant self-surrendered to the Contra Costa Superior court  and will be arraigned on April 16, 2025.

    It is important to note that criminal charges must be proven in a court of law. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    DMFEA works to protect Californians by investigating and prosecuting those responsible for abuse, neglect, and fraud committed against elderly and dependent adults in the state, and those who perpetrate fraud on the Medi-Cal program.
     
    The Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of California. FY 2025 is from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.
     
    A copy of the complaint can be found here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: MINILUXE ANNOUNCES THE CONVERSION OF ALL ITS OUTSTANDING CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURES

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    With conversion of all outstanding convertible debentures at a 25% premium to market, MiniLuxe reduces debt on balance sheet by 30% percent netting a positive $2.7M (~$3.86M) capital-enhancing transaction

    Boston, MA, March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MiniLuxe Holding Corp. (TSXV: MNLX) (“MiniLuxe” or the “Company”) today announces the successful completion of the previously announced and anticipated conversion of its convertible debentures (the “Debentures”) following its recent oversubscribed private placement. Notably, the Company has finalized agreements to convert all outstanding Debentures at a deemed price of US$0.50, representing a ~25 percent premium to yesterday’s closing price of MNLX at CDN$0.56.

    With this conversion, MiniLuxe has eliminated all convertible debt, further strengthening its financial foundation and momentum. Overall, inclusive of a recent expansion of new investment of $1.675M from Flow Capital, overall debt on the Company’s balance sheet has been reduced by 30 percent.

    The Debentures will be converted into Subordinate Voting Shares of the Company at a deemed price of US$0.50 (~CDN$0.70) per share pursuant to debt settlement agreements with Debentureholders, with an effective conversion date of March 15, 2025. In this final round of conversions, the Company settled an aggregate of approximately USD$2.7 million (~CDN$3.86 million) of outstanding debt related to the principal and accrued but unpaid interest on the outstanding Debentures. This is in addition to USD$2,141,521 (~CDN$3 million) of principal and interest on Debentures converted in the first and second tranches of conversions, as previously announced on January 2, 2025, and February 25, 2025. Following this conversion, no Debentures of the Company will remain issued or outstanding.

    Alongside the Debenture conversions, an aggregate of 60,000 Subordinate Voting Shares will be issued to certain arm’s length non-management employees at a price of per share of US$0.50, in satisfaction of an aggregate of USD$30,000 previously owing by the Company to the employees pursuant to earnout bonuses. The share for debt issuance as part of employee compensation signals the team’s belief in the long-term prospects of the Company’s growth and equity value. The issuances of these shares to employees is also consistent with MiniLuxe’s compensation philosophy of substituting a portion of base or bonus cash for equity to be more aligned with shareholder value-creation.

    Collectively across the Debenture conversions and employee earnotus a total of 5,473,785 Subordinate Voting Shares will be issued. The completion of both debt settlements remains subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

    This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this news release. Such securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and, accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of persons in the United States or “U.S. Persons”, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements.

    About MiniLuxe

    MiniLuxe, a Delaware corporation based in Boston, Massachusetts. MiniLuxe is a lifestyle brand and talent empowerment platform servicing the beauty and self-care industry. Through its company-owned and partner-operated studios, Company delivers high-quality nail care and esthetic services that incorporate the brand’s proprietary products. For over a decade, MiniLuxe has been elevating industry standards through healthier, ultra-hygienic services, modern design, ethical labor practices, and better-for-you, cleaner products. MiniLuxe’s vision is to radically transform the highly fragmented and under-regulated self-care and nail care industry through its brand, standards, and technology platform that together enable better talent and client experiences.

    Towards building long-term durable value for its stakeholders, MiniLuxe is expanding its reach through franchising and operating JV partners seeking ownership and impact with a brand recognized as the best nail salon franchise. Through self-care and self-expression, MiniLuxe is empowering one of the largest hourly work forces through professional development, economic mobility, and equity ownership. Since its founding, MiniLuxe has performed over 4.5 million services.

    For further information

    Christine Mastrangelo
    Investor Relations, MiniLuxe Holding Corp.
    cmastrangelo@MiniLuxe.com
    MiniLuxe.com

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Murkowski Addresses the Alaska State Legislature

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
    03.19.25
    “We are all Alaskans; we are all invested in the future of this great place.”
    Juneau, AK – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today delivered her annual address to the Alaska State Legislature during a joint session at the Alaska State Capitol Building.
    Murkowski thanked many of the legislators for their good work and recapped the progress the delegation has made for Alaska over the past year. While celebrating many Alaskans’ accomplishments, she expressed her concern for the indiscriminate firing of federal employees and the impacts the federal funding freeze will have on the state. Murkowski also spoke to areas where Alaska can work closely with the new administration, particularly resource development.
    After her remarks, Murkowski took questions from the legislators on a variety of topics, which are available to watch in the video linked below.

    Senator Murkowski addresses the Alaska State Legislature on March 18, 2025.
    Click here to watch the Senator’s remarks.
    Below is the text of Murkowski’s remarks as delivered.
    Good morning. We’ve got a full house, full crowd, and it is good to be home with all of you.
    Mr. Speaker Edgmon and Mr. President Stevens, to our Majority Leaders Senator Giessel and Representative Kopp, Minority Leaders Senator Shower and Representative Costello, to all members of the Legislature: thank you for the opportunity to be back with you in these chambers.
    I’ve had a good morning. I think I’ve been able to meet with the vast majority of you, exchanging conversation as Alaskans and as fellow lawmakers. Thank you for the time you have given me already, and for the hour that we will have this morning.
    A lot of new faces, this is good to see. When you have a House with 10 new members, that’s impressive, this is good. And I love, and I will emphasize love, the fact that we have so many women in our House, more women than men. It has taken a little bit of time, but congratulations to all of you.  I look forward to the many contributions that we will see.
    At the same time that you see the new faces, there are many that I have known over the years. You have a few that I’ve actually served with. They’re more like friends and extended family. We’ve got Lyman back there in the corner. We’ve got Gary.
    I know I’m supposed to be using your formal titles here, but you know, you look at these guys in their tenure here, these are the giants of the place. I think of you as the Ted Stevens and the Don Young of the Legislature. I’ll let you figure out which one’s which, but you’ve been around, been around a little bit of time.
    Whether you’re new to public service or continuing this, thank you for stepping up. Thank you for engaging. Thank you for being in the arena at a time that our state needs each and every one of you.
    So, for those of you that are new, you need to know, I start out every one of my legislative addresses, not talking about you, but talking about my family, because our families are so important to who we are and what we do.
    When I got on the plane on Monday, coming out of Anchorage to come to Juneau, I run into Representative Costello, you, Mia, and I remembered when you first came to this body, your kids were young. They were about the same age as my kids were when I joined the Legislature. And I remember thinking mornings were when you’re leaving the kids and you’re saying, “have a good week,” instead of “have a good day at school.”
    So, to each and every one of you who leave your families behind, or who bring them here and who uproot them to be part of this, thank you for what you do. Thank you for the sacrifice that you are making. Your children will be better because of your service. So, thank you for making those trips every Monday.
    So, my family is doing well. The boys are good. They’re getting older, they’re both married. One is living in Anchorage, the other is living in Tennessee. They married great women. Verne is doing well, he is on both ends of the country, flying with me. We never fly on the same airplane, he’s always looking for more legroom, and I’m always so used to being squeezed into wherever I need to be.
    My parents are well, thank you for inquiring. Dad is turning 91 here at the end of the month. They are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary at the end of this month, so they’re hanging in there.
    As for me, I’ve spent a lot of time in Washington, DC this year. We’re beginning a new Congress and a new administration.  This is actually our first recess of the year. Usually I come here during President’s Day, but this is our first recess that we have had, so you’re not going to find anyone that is happier about being home right now than me. 
    I wasn’t quite sure it was actually going to happen. We managed to avoid a government shutdown. That’s a good thing. But the end result was less than desirable. The Continuing Resolution that we will be operating under from now through the end of September is not what I would have hoped. We were dealing with a situation that I think was best described as a Morton’s Fork. For those of you who are not familiar with this term, it’s okay to look it up. Basically, it’s a choice between two equally bad options: a shutdown, which is never good, and a continuing resolution that doesn’t do much, if anything, to reduce the level of spending. It takes away the work we had done to identify what our priorities would be, and tells the administration, “here is the money,” but we’re not providing you with the details to administer it.
    So, we’re moving forward and that’s going to be important. Beginning next week, we begin, in earnest, budget reconciliation. We can talk about it a little bit later if you want. But, before I get started, I want to recognize some of the good work that has gone on here, in this Legislature. Some of the good work that you are doing. 
    Representative Dibert, Senator Kawasaki, and Representative Carrick, I want to thank you for saying it loud and proud—it’s Denali. So, thank you for that. That resolution is really important. I thank you, I thank all 50 of you who voted for it.
    Senators Wielechowski, Tobin, Cronk, and Hughes, Speaker Edgmon and Representatives Himschoot, Johnson, and Ruffridge, all of you who have been tackling K-12 funding with the Governor—thank you for what you’re doing there. I know this is hard, but there is nothing more important that we can do for Alaska’s future than focusing on our kids’ education. So, thank you for working through those hard things. I appreciate that.
    To those of you who were part of the Joint Legislative Task Force on Alaska’s Seafood Industry, I’m not going to name all the names, but I was with you at the Commissioners’ task force meeting in January, and thank you for the good recommendations to help our fish, fishermen, fish processors, and coastal communities. Thank you. We need to take your recommendations and help you with implementation.
    Senator Hughes, I appreciate what you’re doing on food security. These are important initiatives. I’m proud to support your work through the microgrants program I was able to create for Alaska, so there’s good work going on there.
    Representative Stutes, Representative Tomaszewski, and all who supported HB 65—great work on your legislation for a new passenger dock in Seward and the economic development that will bring. Good work on so many of these initiatives that I appreciate.
    On a personal level, Senator Olson and Representative Dibert, we’re glad you’re better and back to work. Glad to know that you are on the mend. I was able to earlier congratulate Representative Schrage on the birth of your daughter. So again, congratulations to you and your wife on the birth of your daughter, Emily.
    Keep doing good work in all of these really important areas.
    I’ve got some friends and colleagues in the gallery I want to introduce. I am going to try to introduce folks in the gallery because you might not be familiar with because they haven’t been in the gallery yet.
    You’ve got a gentleman that is no stranger to you, Joe Plesha. He’s handling all of my communications. I don’t know whether we let him continue with the mustache, but I guess that’s who he is. 
    The gentleman seated on the end there, that is my Chief of Staff, Garrett Boyle. Garrett has been on my team now in this capacity since last April.
    Next to Joe is Hali Gruber, who is my advisor for energy and natural resources. She was working previously for Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers on the House side, and did a great job over there. So, we were able to pick her up.
    Next to her, we have my regional director here in Juneau, Kara Hollatz.  
    Next to Kara, we have Karina Waller. Karina has worked on the federal side for a long time before coming to me. She was with Senator Stevens a long time ago, btu has been heading up my state operations since last April.
    So those are the new faces you’re going to see. You’re going to see more of my team wandering the halls, having meetings with you. This is a good opportunity for us, again, to start figuring where we can partner and work together.
    I’m proud of the partnerships and relationships that we’re able to develop with one another. Don’t hesitate to call. Call me, call them, call all of us, get us engaged. 
    Back in Washington, DC, some of the things we’re doing there, we have made progress. It’s tough to sometimes think of what we did last year. It was an election year, right? Who was paying attention to anything about accomplishments. But we did.
    One of the things I know Dan and I are particularly proud of is the effort we were able to advance across the finish line, which is to secure a commercially available icebreaker, and the Coast Guard’s commitment to homeport that vessel, called the Storis, here in Juneau.
    We were able to secure cold weather pay for Alaska’s Air and Space Forces, and something that was quite personal to me, we were able to save the Alaska Air National Guard from cuts that would have cost 80 positions. That was really important.
    We were able to secure $300 million for fishery disasters and passed legislation to reform the declaration process to work better for Alaska. This is something we need to keep doing more on. We’ve improved it, but the fact of the matter is the process still does not work for our fisherman, so we’re not letting up on that.
    We broke ground on the Kenai Bluff Stabilization Project, this is one of many major infrastructure projects now underway around our state. This is one that many of you on the peninsula have been working on with us for a long time, so it’s good to see that going.
    We were able to work with our military leaders to help Kake, Angoon, and Wrangell secure long overdue apologies for the bombings that wiped out their Native villages in the late 1800s. So, to be part of those ceremonies was quite impactful.
    We increased funding to address natural hazards, including the landslides that continue to claim lives across Southeast. It’s great to see Jeremy Bynum here from Ketchikan, and to see the role that you played in your local government, and to see the impact that had on your community when we had a devastating loss just last year in Ketchikan.
    We’ve been able to make some headway, finally, for better, more reliable weather observing systems, which we will deliver through the Don Young Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative, but we have more that we need to be doing on that. After the devastating Bering Air crash outside Nome, I think we’re all rightly focused on what we can be doing on aviation safety.
    Then on the Congressionally Directed Spending process, we were able to advance dozens of community priorities. This was everything from housing for Sitka to the expansion of the University’s program for nurses and the allied healthcare workforce.
    Then we were able to finish up some things that have been outstanding for a long time. We secured nearly all funding needed for an Alaska Veterans Cemetery in Fairbanks. I remember when Representative Guttenberg started that ages ago. We’re putting a new roof on the Palmer Pioneer Home after years of delay, seeing the threats from heavy snowfalls. And, a personal one, this is big for Frank and Nancy Murkowski, we finally repainted the Wrangell Post Office. Sometimes you take your wins where you can.
    We also have good news this week.  I’ve told many of you in our conversations, but I’ve been working with Secretary Lutnick and Secretary Rubio, and I’m able to confirm that our fishermen will be able to get out on the water on Thursday for the black cod and halibut opener. That was caught up in a process that most fishermen will not know, they don’t care to know how the sausage is made, they just want to know they’ll be able to get out on the water and be able to do their fishing. We were able to do that for them, so that was a good win.
    We’ve accomplished a lot, and it takes hard work from the delegation, from you, from our teams, and from Alaskans across our state. Before I move on, I want to acknowledge someone that, as I’m looking in the gallery, I see my friend and our Lieutenant Governor, Nancy Dahlstrom. Thank you for joining us. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you back there before, but I don’t want to skip over your contributions and those of the Governor, and all that you do when we talk about working together to make things happen. So, thank you.
    It really is our people that make the difference. And that’s what I want to focus on today.      
    It’s not just the great Alaskans who make us proud at the Olympics, like Kristen Faulkner from Homer, or who receive top honors from the National Endowment for the Arts, like Chief Reverend Dr. Gilbert Trimble from Arctic Village.
    It’s not just the Alaskans who run James Beard award-winning restaurants, like Carolina and Heidi and Patricia at Lucky Wishbone in Anchorage. Or those who have built institutions, like Jack Hébert did with the Cold Climate Housing Research Center in Fairbanks. Or our military men and women, who we are proud to have serving in our state, and who come from all over the country.
    We celebrate them all, as we should. But today, I want to talk about another set of people who make a difference, and these are Alaska’s federal employees. There are about 15,000 of them across our state. On a per capita basis, we have more than just about any state outside of Maryland and a couple of others. I want to give them the credit they are due—and express how disturbed I am by how they have been treated recently.
    As I stand here, federal employees across Alaska are losing, or have lost, their jobs. 
    I can’t tell you with accuracy how many, because no one who has that information is either able to share it, or willing to share it. 
    What I do know is that these abrupt terminations have affected NOAA, the National Weather Service, the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, USDA Rural Development, the VA, and other federal agencies. 
    These terminations are indiscriminate and many, we are learning, are unlawful. They are being made regardless of performance and with little understanding of the function and value of each position. At a human level, they are traumatizing people and leaving holes in our communities. 
    As one couple said to us, they’re not just losing their jobs, they’re losing their lives. They’re losing their community. We heard that yesterday in a discission with some terminated employees.
    No one should feel good about that.
    Now I agree, and every single person in this chamber would agree that the federal government is too big. The debt is now above $36 trillion. We’re spending more on interest than national defense. So, I support the mission behind DOGE, to find efficiencies in government. This is our responsibility—you need to find them at the state level, we need to find them at the federal level. And reductions in the federal workforce make absolute sense, but let’s do it in the right way. 
    Not like this. 
    The Trump administration’s approach lacks the type of planning you need to avoid unintended consequences, and it lacks the fundamental decency you need when dealing with real people. Public servants are not our enemies. They’re our friends and neighbors; they are integral to our economy and our ability to function as a state and as a country.
    Their work may go underappreciated. Maybe we don’t know what it is they’re doing, but that doesn’t make it any less important.
    Just because I don’t know who is processing my renewal for my passport, all I care about is getting it in a timely manner. I’ll never know that person. And I’ll never know that they’ve been working at that same job for twelve years, and it is not glamorous, but they show up, and they work, and they give me and you what we’re hoping for. So, I want us to think about the value that comes to us from these public servants.
    Today, I asked if there was any update on Mount Spurr. We’re all wondering when she’s going to pop her top. Do we want to go back to the days of KLM Flight 867, which lost its engines and 14,000 feet of altitude after flying through a cloud of ash? I don’t want that.
    In a few weeks, I think it’s April 14, thousands of tourists will arrive here on the first cruise ship of the season—do we really think one or two people can handle them all at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center? I was out there yesterday, and I don’t think a couple of people are going to be able to do it.
    Do we no longer recognize that our weather forecasters save lives in our state? 
    Is it a good idea to fire the scientists who are tracking avian flu, given our status as a global flyway for migrating birds?  
    We had a conversation earlier this morning about the potential for a really bad fire season this year. With fire season starting yesterday, the earliest ever—do we really want to gut the support staff for the firefighters who will be on the front lines here?
    I was able to visit with some folks yesterday, one was a NOAA fish biologist, he’s one of the guys doing the trawl surveys, which are so necessary to be able to give direction to the council on the management of our fisheries. The fish aren’t going to be able to save themselves. We need our fish biologists, our stream ecologists, they need our help.
    I’m just as frustrated by the federal funding freeze—another area where Alaska faces disproportionate impact. 
    We have more than $1 billion in limbo, even though Congress approved the funding, a president signed it into law, and Alaskans secured these resources through competitive national processes. 
    Keep in perspective what’s being targeted will not put a dent in the deficit or balance the budget. But we’re going to see project costs go up. Construction seasons lost. Employees and contractors laid off. And we may lose some projects, entirely.
    We worked for more than 20 years to get funding for Angoon’s Thayer Creek hydro project, and let me assure you, we are not about to let go of that. So, we have to keep working to advance all of this.
    But again, this is happening indiscriminately, with little understanding of what projects mean for Alaska—how a small hydro project in the total scheme of things may not seem that substantial back in Washington, DC, but if you can reduce your reliance on expensive diesel in a community where you have no other option, don’t we want to encourage that? Making sure people understand the impacts, not only of a small little hydro project, but the impact on the victims of domestic violence who have no safe place to go.  
    I thank folks for weighing in. I kind of like this process, it can be a little unruly, a little rambunctious, but they are weighing in, and I welcome that. And then there are some very measured ways.
    President Stevens and Speaker Edgmon, I got your letter. Senator Kiehl and Representatives Story and Hannan, I got yours, too. I accept the challenge. And I want you to know that I’m doing everything in my power to make the best of this. 
    We are engaging every day to identify where we are seeing challenges presented to us in Alaska, and ways we can work to address it and get it unlocked. I’ve been working directly with Cabinet Secretaries and folks at the White House. We are making some progress, and that’s good. But, a reminder: I’m one of three in the delegation. We all need your help. I can’t do my job alone.
    When I ask you for these stories, when I ask you to share what you’re hearing from your folks back home, take us up on the offer. Don’t be afraid to give us too much. We can be more responsive and help more Alaskans when we do this all together. I’m opening the door to more work, but we’re going to pass it through both ways. 
    I also stood here in 2017 and said that as long as this Legislature wants to keep the Medicaid expansion, you should have that option. 
    My commitment remains to you. I did not support Medicaid cuts then, and I will not support them now. I know what it would mean to Alaskans, and I know what it would mean to you here in the Legislature. There may be some reasonable reforms we can make, and we have talked a little bit about them, about what we may be able to do in Medicaid, we do need to address the rising costs of these entitlement programs. But I just can’t be on board with anything that hurts our people or puts you in a budget hole.  
    Speaking of holes, I need to bring up a difficult subject: the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan. The STIP. The reality is Alaska is on pace to wind up hundreds of millions of dollars short of where we could and should be. I’m not here to point fingers, that is not my job, but I can’t solve this one. And the longer it takes to sort out, the more our contractors and communities will lose. So, let’s be working on that.
    The same goes for the Alaska Marine Highway System. We’re about to enter the final year of our bipartisan infrastructure law. We’ve delivered $700 million and counting for AMHS, but the system isn’t modernized. It’s not on track for the long-term. There’s a plan for that, but it’s a draft on paper. Unless the State steps up on capital and operating expenses, we’ll have wasted a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do right by all who depend on our ferries.
    Senator Bjorkman, I know you get it, and I commend your work on the Transportation Committee on federal funding, AMHS, the STIP, and more.  
    When federal dollars are on the table, we need to go after them, especially as spending is constrained. And when the delegation manages to throw a lifeline, I’d hope the State grabs it and uses it to reach stable ground.
    We have enough problems, without creating more for ourselves. But that seems to be what we are doing. 
    The environment in Washington, DC is, let’s just say…challenging.
    Take tariffs: that’s the topic of the day back in Washington, DC. But you can’t talk about them in isolation and say, “Washington, DC.” We can talk about it our own state’s Capitol here, and the impact.
    This afternoon I’m going to be meeting with folks from the Alaska Forest Association, and I am going to hear their concerns about tariffs, and what it may mean for some of our small operators down south from here, with China’s retaliatory tariffs.
    We also have Canada threatening tolls on goods trucked to our state. Whether they make good on that, we have no idea, but now we’re talking about what will we have to do to insulate ourself from that, will we have to revamp the PVSA. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t anticipate that we would be dealing with this in March of 2025.
    Or foreign policy, I think you’ve seen some of my comments, but I have been stunned by a turn of events that threatens to abandon Ukraine and collapse long-standing alliances from NATO to NORAD. 
    We have two close neighbors. We’ve got Russia over here, and Canada over here. How we came to a place where we are fighting with Canada and placating Russia is beyond me. As long as we have to send up fighter jets to chase off Russian Bear Bombers from our ADIZ, I won’t trust Putin, and I’m not going to be quiet, I will continue to stand up and speak out. 
    I want to acknowledge, it’s easy to stand here and say something, but I can’t tell you how proud I am of those who do get that call and who go up and lead on these intercepts. It’s the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron up north, and it’s our Air National Guard helping to facilitate these intercepts through their refueling mission. We should be so exceptionally proud of the men and women that are serving us, honoring us every day, and taking these threats that we see as just another day at work. They are my everyday heroes, and I’m just so very grateful.
    You’ve heard me describe a few things from the Trump administration that I oppose. When I feel strongly about it, I am going to say something about it. But there are also plenty of areas where I agree with the President. 
    We do need to secure our borders. We do need to stop the flow of fentanyl. Our trade relationships aren’t always fair. The war in Ukraine does need to end, and I am encouraged that there may be some progress here that we will actually see that end. Our partners and allies do need to step up for themselves and the defense of democracy.
    Things are going to be different, for the next two to four years or beyond.  We’re already seeing that.
    Some of it will be difficult—I’m acknowledging that Alaskans are out of jobs, projects are stuck or canceled, volatility in the markets, the potential for trade wars or the collapse of international partnerships, to name a few.   
    Some of it has been difficult for a while—like in our fisheries, which need every bit of help we can give amid Russia’s war on fish, trade manipulations, lawsuits from extreme environmental groups, and climate change. This has been hard.  
    But some of it is also going to be notably better. There are good people we can work with to do good things for Alaska.
    On fisheries, as we push to bring back our fish and crab, we recognize we have the ability to modernize. We need to reinvest. We need to recapitalize an aging fleet. The President’s push for more domestic shipbuilding can be great for us, and it can extend to Ketchikan, Seward, and more. So, these are good areas of cooperation.
    We also have a chance to grow our private sector and reduce our dependence on the federal government. We need to embrace that, because it will benefit and could define our economy, our budget, and our quality of life for a generation or more.
    We can put Alaska back on the global map for energy and resource production. Turn the NPR-A back into a petroleum reserve, as it was designated by law decades ago. We need to tap into the rich resources beneath a small fraction of the non-wilderness Coastal Plain. Reverse the political decision to reopen and reject the Ambler Road.
    We can get Graphite One through permitting. Produce antimony, copper, nickel, tungsten, tin, and other critical minerals. Restore our federal timber harvests to more than a single—but beautiful—Christmas tree in front of the U.S. Capitol. Lift public land orders, complete conveyances, and ensure our Alaska Native veterans receive their rightful allotments. We can not only approve, but build the life-saving road to King Cove that has been sought for so long.
    All of that is now right in front of us—and we are working hard through every person and every process available to us, including budget reconciliation—but there’s more. 
    After years of skepticism and doubt, I think we have a real chance to move forward on an Alaska natural gas pipeline. The President mentioned it in his recent address to Congress, and he’s given the project an incredible lift.
    Here in Alaska, Senator Sullivan and Governor Dunleavy have helped bring Japan, Korea, and Taiwan into the conversation. There is movement and there is reason for encouragement as we think about our natural gas resources. And I thank them for working this.
    You know I hate LNG imports with the white-hot fury of a thousand suns, but I will acknowledge, just this once, that maybe we can take those lemons and use them as part of a bigger plan to export our North Slope reserves. 
    There’s so much we can begin to partner on. Again, though, I would remind you—every one of our opportunities depends on our people. People make it all happen. People allow us to be resilient.     
    Resource development. Road construction. Fishing and tourism. Everything.   
    Our opportunities, our industries, require people. They depend on the essential workers who build our houses, keep us healthy, and teach and watch the kids while we work. To bring it full circle, our opportunities also depend on functional government—the men and women who do the trawls and the surveys, who issue permits, maintain visitor facilities, forecast the weather, and a whole lot more. 
    We have incredible potential, but it will take all sorts of people, doing all sorts of things, to realize it. 
    A big part of my job is to make sure we have people in place at the federal level who will help us. And at the state level, it’s a big part of yours. 
    We need to grow our own, for every facet of life in Alaska, so we can grow as a state. We need to take care of our own, so that people can stay and build and enjoy their lives here. And that means we need to work together to knock down every barrier we find in housing, schooling, childcare, healthcare, infrastructure, the cost of living, the cost of energy, and everything else.
    Through it all, we also need to treat people like people—because we are all Alaskans, we are all invested in the future of this great place, and we all contribute to it in our own way.       
    We must treat one another with the respect and dignity that we would wish to be treated with ourselves. So, I wish you all success in this session; we’ve got a lot of work to do. And I believe you will find it, if you keep the Alaskan people front and center in everything you do.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, FOLLOWING HISTORIC PENSION FIX LAW HE PASSED, ANNOUNCES HUDSON VALLEY IBEW UNION TO RECEIVE $45+ MILLION TO RESTORE AT-RISK PENSIONS FOR 850 UNION WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    NY’s International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1783, Representing Hundreds Of Electrical Workers, Who – Without Action – After A Lifetime Of Hard Work Would Have No Pension Benefits Remaining By 2030

    As Schumer’s First Major Act As Majority Leader, He Secured Pension Fix So Union Members Could Get Hard-Earned Pensions & Relief They Need And Earned

    Schumer: Hudson Valley IBEW Union Workers & Families Can Breathe Sigh Of Relief With The Restored Pensions They Rightfully Earned

    U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today announced that, after years of advocacy to secure relief for ailing multiemployer pension plans for union workers, New York’s International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1783 Fund covering electrical workers in the Hudson Valley will receive an approximately $45.9 million pension-fix from the Schumer-led American Rescue Plan. The federal relief will restore full pension benefits for approximately 850 union workers and their families.

    “Today, I am saying a promise made is a promise kept to hard-working union families at risk of losing their pensions through no fault of their own – at more than $45 million for 850 IBEW workers across the Hudson Valley and New York. These are the Hudson Valley union electricians who repair machinery and toil in the warehouses that drive our economy forward. They worked hard, played by the rules, and paid into pension plans that were at risk of being drastically cut or even completely disappearing,” said Senator Schumer. “I’m very proud to deliver over $45 million in federal relief to help hundreds of union construction workers ensure their hard-earned pension benefits and the retirement security they provide remain intact for many years into the future and ensure they can retire after a lifetime of hard work. I made sure as my first act as Majority Leader to pass the American Rescue Plan with a key provision to deliver the pension relief to our union brothers and sisters and their families they have desperately needed and earned. New York is and will forever be a union town and I always will work with my union brothers and sisters to deliver the benefits they deserve.”

    “One of the most concerning issues that will impact every American, not just Union members, is the inability to have retirement security. Until now, I have not seen a politician accomplish anything toward solving the massive and unrecognized retirement crisis that most Americans face. Our lives should not be that we work until we are too sick or drop dead at work because we cannot afford to retire. Unlike the 401k retirement plans that routinely get wiped out by market shifts, defined benefit pension plans promise a guaranteed future. But, the hardworking people who relied on those guarantees were nearly left destitute. Let’s all be thankful that Majority Leader Senator Schumer led the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Relief Act into successful passage through the American Rescue Plan. It has been the only meaningful accomplishment toward resolving the retirement crisis in some meaningful way in my past 25 years as a labor advocate,” said IBEW 1430 Local President Jordan El-Hag, which also includes IBEW Local 1783 workers following its merger in 1988.

    Tom Carey, President of the AFL-CIO Westchester Central Putnam Labor Body said, “Hardworking union workers contribute to our communities every day, trusting that the pensions they have earned will be available to them when they retire. When these pension plans faced jeopardy following the 2008 recession, many workers and retirees began to worry about their ability to achieve a dignified retirement. Thanks to Senator Schumer, who led the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Relief Act into successful passage through the American Rescue Plan, union workers, retirees, and their families can rest assured that the benefits they earned will be available to them in full for as long as they need them. Once again, Senator Schumer shows organized labor that we have a true friend in Washington.”

    Schumer said the Armonk-based IBEW Local 1783 Fund, which covers approximately 850 workers in the communications, electrical manufacturing, professional technical and clerical, and warehouse and supply industries, will receive approximately $45.9 million in special financial assistance. The IBEW plan was projected to become insolvent and run out of money in 2030. Without the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program funded through the American Rescue Plan, the Local 1783 IBEW Plan would have been required to reduce participants’ benefits to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) guarantee levels upon plan insolvency, which is roughly 25% below the benefits payable under the terms of the plan. That means, if not for the SFA Program, participants in the plan would have seen their monthly pension benefits reduced by roughly 25%. The SFA Program will enable the plan to continue to pay retirement benefits without reduction for many years into the future.

    Schumer fought to include the Butch Lewis Act in the American Rescue Plan – securing pension solvency in his very first major bill as majority leader. Before the American Rescue Plan over 200 multiemployer plans were on pace to become insolvent in the near term, risking benefits for millions of workers and their families. The law created the Special Financial Assistance program administered by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to protect benefits for millions of workers, reverse harsh pension cuts, and put existing plans on a path to solvency through 2051. To date, the program has provided billions in federal assistance to support thousands of construction industry workers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, MANNION DEMAND ANSWERS ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S POTENTIAL PLANS TO CLOSE SYRACUSE USDA OFFICES, LAYOFFS OF USDA STAFF WHO SERVE NEW YORKERS

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Closure Of Offices Could Mean End To Programs That Provide Grants And Loans To Farmers, Help Rural Communities Recover From Natural Disasters

    Today, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and Representative John Mannion are demanding answers on the Trump administration’s reported plans to potentially close the statewide offices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and USDA Rural Development (RD) in Syracuse. President Trump and Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” is terminating the lease for the building that houses these three agencies, leaving the future of the programs they administer uncertain. The administration has also laid off a number of workers, leaving New Yorkers unable to reach New York-based staff at the USDA over the phone.

    “We are writing to express our concern regarding reports of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plans to close the statewide offices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and USDA Rural Development (RD) in Syracuse, New York,” wrote the members. “These USDA agencies provide vital services to agricultural producers, scientists, and rural communities across New York. The planned termination of the lease for the Syracuse office space, as well as the recent staffing cuts in New York, could severely hamper rural New Yorkers’ ability to access crucial federal resources and assistance from the USDA. We urge you to not only keep the USDA’s NRCS, FSA, and RD office space in Syracuse open but to also ensure that the agencies have adequate staffing at their service centers to meet rural New Yorkers’ and farmers’ needs.”

    The full text of the representatives’ letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and Acting Administrator of the General Services Administration Stephen Ehikian is available here or below: 

    Dear Secretary Rollins and Acting Administrator Ehikian,

    We are writing to express our concerns regarding reports of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plans to close the statewide offices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and USDA Rural Development (RD) in Syracuse, New York. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has touted $498,273 in savings by terminating the lease through the General Services Administration (GSA) for the 33,548-square-foot space, which houses three critical USDA agencies for New Yorkers. However, this disastrous course of action imperils all three agencies’ ability to assist rural New York communities and our state’s farmers.

    It is our understanding that NRCS was the primary lease holder for the Syracuse office space, and by terminating this lease, DOGE has also recklessly harmed the work of FSA and RD throughout New York State. In recent weeks, these agencies have lost staff at the Syracuse offices and statewide to the buyout, layoffs, and paid administrative leave, which wastes taxpayer money and forces valuable employees to sit on the sidelines.

    These USDA agencies provide vital services to agricultural producers, scientists, and rural communities across New York. The Farm Service Agency offers financial assistance and loans to farmers and ranchers for conservation needs, post-disaster recovery, and income support. The NRCS manages and provides technical assistance to farmers, ranchers and landowners in New York for key conservation programs that mitigate the impacts of natural disasters, enhance water quality, safeguard wildlife habitats, and reduce soil erosion. USDA RD offers important loans, grants, loan guarantees, and technical assistance to residents, farmers, businesses, non-profits, and municipalities across rural areas in New York. Its programs create jobs, advance economic development, and support essential services, ranging from water, communications infrastructure, health care, and housing. The planned termination of the lease for the Syracuse office space, as well as the recent staffing cuts in New York, could severely hamper rural New Yorkers’ ability to access crucial federal resources and assistance from the USDA.

    Apart from the impact that this closure could have on those who are serviced by the Syracuse office, we are also concerned about the employees who work for NRCS, FSA, and RD throughout New York. This closure would affect—and recent terminations have affected—the USDA staff who have remained dedicated to providing New Yorkers with valuable information and high-quality services.

    Therefore, we urge you to not only keep the USDA’s NRCS, FSA, and RD office space in Syracuse open but to also ensure that the agencies have adequate staffing at their service centers to meet rural New Yorkers’ and farmers’ needs. We request a written response by March 31, 2025, to address the following questions and concerns:

    1. Please share why the proposed closure of the USDA’s Syracuse office space is under consideration.

    a. How would the potential closure of the Syracuse offices impact USDA’s capacity to serve New Yorkers?

    b. Additionally, how would the closure of the statewide Syracuse offices impact the coordination and collaboration across the USDA and with local service centers?

    c. In light of the Trump administration’s return-to-work requirements, where would employees at the Syracuse offices be relocated to? Does the administration have plans to close any of the local service centers across the state?

    2. We have received multiple reports that constituents have had difficulty reaching New York-based staff at the USDA over the phone. Please share current USDA staffing arrangements for New York. What plans does the administration have to restore staffing capacity in-state and ensure that New Yorkers continue to have access to the essential resources and programs overseen by FSA, NRCS, and USDA RD?

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Moran, Marshall, Hawley Introduce Legislation to Provide Reliable, Affordable Energy to Kansas & Missouri

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation to help provide stable energy rates and a reliable electric grid to states in the Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA), including Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

    The Southwestern Power Administration Fund Establishment Act would give SWPA the authority to operate on a self-funding, revolving Treasury fund to help provide the administration with a long-term, reliable financing source. This would give SWPA more stable funding in order to lower customer rates, which can be highly volatile due to market demand and weather. Furthermore, this legislation would provide SWPA more clarity to help plan long-term infrastructure improvements and power replacement and allow SWPA to avoid drastic and unnecessary spikes in power rates charged to its wholesale customers in an extreme or multi-year regional drought situation.

    “It is critical that Kansans have access to reliable electricity at stable rates, especially during extreme and dangerous weather,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation will provide funding stability that will allow energy providers to make needed infrastructure improvements and prevent Kansans from suffering mass power outages.”

    “Kansans – especially our farmers and ranchers – need reliable and affordable power,” said Sen. Marshall. “Consumers have suffered from high energy costs for too long, and this bill will help deliver stable and affordable power while improving our power grid infrastructure. I am proud to stand with Senators Jerry Moran and Josh Hawley in supporting this important legislation.”

    “After the devastating tornadoes last weekend that left victims without power for days, Missourians deserve consistent and affordable energy,” said Sen. Hawley. “This legislation will ensure that every Missourian has access to power they can rely on.”

    “Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. and its member co-ops have strongly supported the Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act for its ability to provide appropriated dollars that will improve grid reliability while helping to stabilize rates,” said Lee Tafanelli, CEO, Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. “We thank our home state Sens. Moran and Marshall for bringing forward legislation that will have a positive impact on our rural electric cooperatives and their consumer-members.”

    “Federal hydropower is a reliably renewable generation resource,” said Nicki Fuller, Executive Director, Southwestern Power Resources Association. “This legislation recognizes the value of protecting that resource throughout the six-state region, making sure that these important assets are maintained. This legislation would go a long way toward ensuring grid reliability and affordably throughout the region for millions of homes, farms and small businesses. I thank Sens. Moran and Marshall for introducing this important bill that represents good business sense.”

    “NRECA supports the Southwestern Power Administration Fund Establishment Act. The self-financed revolving loan fund authorized by this bill would allow the Southwestern Power Administration to better manage infrastructure needs while being more responsive to market conditions and electric demands created by extreme weather events.” – National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

    “The American Public Power Association applauds the introduction of the Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act. Since 1943, not-for-profit public power utilities and rural electric cooperatives have successfully partnered with the Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA) to bring reliable hydropower produced at Army Corps dams to millions of customers in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. While SWPA customers pay all costs of generating and transmitting the electricity in their power rates, a complicated funding process has increasingly failed to provide the financial certainty necessary to steady power rates to customers during drought and extreme weather events. The Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act would streamline this process in a manner that would help avoid rate spikes and economic hardship for communities served by public power utilities and rural electric cooperatives while continuing to ensure that SWPA customers pay all costs associated with generating and transmitting hydropower produced at Corps dams. It is a win-win for the federal government and communities served by not-for-profit electric utilities.” – American Public Power Association

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Coming Soon: 2025 IMF Spring Meetings Curtain Raiser

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    Coming Soon: 2025 IMF Spring Meetings Curtain Raiser

    April 17, 2025

    Join us virtually on Thursday, April 17, from 10 AM to 10:45 AM ET (2 PM to 2:45 PM GMT) for the 2025 IMF Spring Meetings Curtain Raiser event.

    Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva will deliver a speech on the outlook for the global economy and policy priorities for member countries. The event will be livestreamed on this page.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER:

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/04/17/sp041725-spring-meetings-2025-curtain-raiser

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: LeddarTech Announces Receipt of Nasdaq Deficiency Notice

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    QUEBEC CITY, Canada, March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech® Holdings Inc. (“LeddarTech” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LDTC), an automotive software company that provides patented disruptive AI-powered low-level sensor fusion and perception software technology, LeddarVision™, today announced that it has received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC indicating that, based upon the closing bid price of the Company’s common shares for the 30 consecutive business day period from February 4, 2025 through March 18, 2025, the Company did not meet the minimum bid price of US$1.00 per share required for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Listing Requirement”). The letter also indicated that the Company will be afforded a period of 180 calendar days to regain compliance.

    The Company intends to actively monitor the closing bid price of its common shares and will evaluate available options to regain compliance with the Listing Requirement. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with such Listing Requirement or maintain compliance with any of the other Nasdaq Capital Market continued listing requirements.

    The letter has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s common shares, which will continue to be listed and traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “LDTC,” subject to the Company’s compliance with the other continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market.

    The foregoing also should be read in conjunction with the disclosures set forth in the Company’s Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and under the Company’s SEDAR+ profile on the date hereof, and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended September 30, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and under the Company’s SEDAR+ profile on December 26, 2024, including the disclosures set forth under “Item 3.D – Key Information – Risk Factors” contained therein.

    About LeddarTech

    A global software company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Quebec City with additional R&D centers in Montreal and Tel Aviv, Israel, LeddarTech develops and provides comprehensive AI-based low-level sensor fusion and perception software solutions that enable the deployment of ADAS, autonomous driving (AD) and parking applications. LeddarTech’s automotive-grade software applies advanced AI and computer vision algorithms to generate accurate 3D models of the environment to achieve better decision making and safer navigation. This high-performance, scalable, cost-effective technology is available to OEMs and Tier 1-2 suppliers to efficiently implement automotive and off-road vehicle ADAS solutions.

    LeddarTech is responsible for several remote-sensing innovations, with over 170 patent applications (87 granted) that enhance ADAS, AD and parking capabilities. Better awareness around the vehicle is critical in making global mobility safer, more efficient, sustainable and affordable: this is what drives LeddarTech to seek to become the most widely adopted sensor fusion and perception software solution.

    Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Facebook and YouTube.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this Press Release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which forward-looking statements also include forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws), including, but not limited to, statements relating to LeddarTech’s anticipated strategy, future operations, prospects, objectives and financial projections and other financial metrics. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend” and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: (i) our ability to continue to maintain compliance with Nasdaq continued listing standards following our transfer to the Nasdaq Capital Market; (ii) our ability to timely access sufficient capital and financing on favorable terms or at all; (iii) our ability to maintain compliance with our debt covenants, including our ability to enter into any forbearance agreements, waivers or amendments with, or obtain other relief from, our lenders as needed; (iv) our ability to execute on our business model, achieve design wins and generate meaningful revenue; (v) our ability to successfully commercialize our product offering at scale, whether through the collaboration agreement with Texas Instruments, a collaboration with a Tier 2 supplier or otherwise; (vi) changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs and plans; (vii) changes in general economic and/or industry-specific conditions; (viii) our ability to retain, attract and hire key personnel; (ix) potential adverse changes to relationships with our customers, employees, suppliers or other parties; (x) legislative, regulatory and economic developments; (xi) the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings; (xii) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, acts of terrorism, outbreak of war or hostilities and any epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak, as well as management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors; and (xiii) other risk factors as detailed from time to time in LeddarTech’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the risk factors contained in LeddarTech’s Form 20-F filed with the SEC. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Except as required by applicable law, LeddarTech does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Contact:
    Chris Stewart, Chief Financial Officer, LeddarTech Holdings Inc.
    Tel.: + 1-514-427-0858, chris.stewart@leddartech.com

    Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, VAYADrive, VayaVision and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.

    LeddarTech Holdings Inc. is a public company listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LDTC.”

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Las Vegas, Rosen Discusses Devastating Impact of Trump’s Tariffs with Local Construction Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    LAS VEGAS, NV – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) hosted a roundtable discussion with members of the Southern Nevada Building Trade Union (SNBTU) to hear about how Trump’s broad-based tariffs are impacting the construction industry, including by increasing costs on the materials needed to build affordable housing. In their discussion, Senator Rosen noted how these tariffs are hurting hardworking Nevada families and hindering our ability to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis. Earlier this month, she sent a letter urging the Trump Administration to reverse course on imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico to prevent housing prices from rising even further. Senator Rosen and the SNBTU members also discussed her work in Congress to protect workers and the importance of investing in workforce training programs like registered apprenticeships.
    “Donald Trump’s reckless, across-the-board tariffs are going to raise prices for Nevadans across the board, and they’re hurting important industries like building and construction,” said Senator Rosen. “Today, I was glad to sit down with construction workers in Las Vegas to hear about the challenges they’re facing from these tariffs, and how I can best support their work, including through new investments in workforce training. I’ll keep leading the charge in Congress to protect workers and address President Trump’s sweeping tariffs and the devastating effects they’re having on our state’s economy.”
    Senator Rosen has been fighting back against Donald Trump’s tariffs and the destructive impacts they’re having on Nevada’s economy. Rosen also helped introduce legislation to require the United States International Trade Commission to investigate how Donald Trump’s recent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada will impact the American people, and make that information public.
    Senator Rosen has also been a champion for workers, including in the construction industry. Earlier this month, she helped reintroduce the PRO Act, comprehensive legislation to protect workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain. In January, Rosen introduced bipartisan legislation to invest in skills training for the residential housing construction workforce in order to create good-paying jobs and address a key barrier to building more homes that can help lower housing costs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Applauds Trump Executive Order to Increase Domestic Mineral Production 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    March 21, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) released the following statement applauding President Trump’s executive order increasing American mineral production.
    “President Trump’s executive order unleashing America’s vast mineral resources is a welcomed change to the previous administration’s overbearing federal regulations that have eroded our nation’s production capabilities and made us dangerously dependent on foreign adversaries for the minerals that power everything from our smartphones to military equipment,” said Lummis. “This decisive action ensures our national security, defense capabilities, and future technologies rely upon a secure, predictable supply of minerals that Wyoming and western states are uniquely positioned to provide. This action will create good-paying American jobs across western mining communities that will fuel prosperity while restoring our rightful position as the world’s leading mineral producer, proving that putting American works and interests first strengthens both our economy and national security.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren and Duckworth Demand Answers from Hegseth on Reports of Musk’s Planned Top-Secret Briefing on U.S. War Plans for China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    March 21, 2025
    Musk has extensive conflicts of interests, allegations of illegal drug use, and reports of previous problems protecting national security information 
    “Although they may satisfy his curiosity, there is no legitimate national security or other rationale for providing (top-secret war plans) to Mr. Musk.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote to the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, demanding clarity on meetings held by Elon Musk at the Pentagon today, with questions about whether he received a “top-secret briefing on U.S. war plans for China” that media reports indicated would have provided him with access to information that is “among the military’s most closely guarded secrets.”
    Initial reports from the New York Times, later confirmed by the Wall Street Journal, indicated that Elon Musk was scheduled to receive such a briefing today, “because he asked for one.” But President Trump, Elon Musk and Secretary Hegseth indicated that they may have reversed course after this news became public. However, it still remains unclear what information Mr. Musk received at the Pentagon today.
    “We hope that you did not share top-secret war plans with Mr. Musk today and do not do so in the future,” wrote the senators. “Although they may satisfy his curiosity, there is no legitimate national security or other rationale for providing this information to Mr. Musk – who is not a military or national security expert, is not a member of the President’s cabinet, and is not even serving as a permanent federal employee.”
    Although Mr. Musk is ostensibly engaged in an effort to cut wasteful spending with his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), there is no need for him to obtain access to some of our most sensitive secrets in order to do so. Meanwhile, Mr. Musk’s conflicts of interest also raise significant concerns.
    Mr. Musk has extensive business interests in China through his automotive company, including a factory in Shanghai that “was built with special permission from the Chinese government” and “now accounts for more than half of (the company)’s global deliveries.” Along with Mr. Musk’s “extensive financial interests in China,” in public, Mr. Musk has “avoided criticizing Beijing and signaled his willingness to work with the Chinese Community Party (CCP).” He has parroted CCP talking points – contrary to the current official U.S. foreign policy – that Taiwan is “an integral part of China”  and should become a special administrative zone like Hong Kong.
    “The military’s top-secret information is classified as top secret for a reason,” concluded the senators. “The unauthorized disclosure of such information to any one of our adversaries could pose exceptionally grave national security risks.”
    The senators asked Secretary Hegseth a series of questions to establish an accurate accounting of Mr. Musk’s briefing, including precisely what information was provided to Mr. Musk today and why.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Announces Three Appointments to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission, Fills One County Office Vacancy

    Source: US State of Missouri

    MARCH 21, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced three appointments to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Council and the appointment of a new Atchison County Treasurer.

    Roye Cole, of Rogersville, was appointed to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission.

    Mr. Cole has served as Sheriff of Webster County since 2008 and has been a certified police officer since 2003. He previously worked as a deputy juvenile officer for the State of Missouri and as a security guard at Drury University. Cole holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminology and a Master of Business Administration from Drury University, with expertise in leadership, management, and economics.

    Amanda Grellner, of Linn, was appointed to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission.

    Ms. Grellner has served as the prosecuting attorney for Osage County since 2002. In addition to her prosecutorial work, Grellner has held leadership roles in various organizations such as the Community Health Center of Central Missouri, Missouri Association of Treatment Court Professionals, Rape and Abuse Crisis Service, and the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri School of Law.

    Kurt D. Marquart, of Lee’s Summit, was appointed to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission.

    Mr. Marquart is a retired attorney, and has operated a private law practice since 1991. Before practicing law, he served as a Missouri State Highway Patrolman. Marquart is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association, and the Knights of Columbus. He also serves as a director for the Missouri Association of State Troopers Emergency Relief Society (MASTERS). He earned his Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement from Southeast Missouri State University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.

    Tasha Zach, of Rock Port, was appointed as the Atchison County Treasurer.

    Ms. Zach is currently filling the vacant county treasurer position, having been appointed by the county commission in December of 2024. She previously served as an accounts payable deputy and the election deputy in the Atchison County clerk’s office for over nine years. Ms. Zach holds an Office Information Systems Technology certificate from Iowa Western Community College.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Third week of March sees another nearly 250 cases in border security-related matters in Southern District of Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A total of 246 cases have been filed related to immigration and border security from March 14-20, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    Of those, 91 face allegations of illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses, among others. A total of 145 face charges of illegally entering the country, eight cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to other immigration matters and making false statements.

    Among those charged include Rogelio Jaimes-Rodriguez – a Mexican male who was allegedly found in the United States near Roma having previously been removed Feb. 12. The charges allege he had been previously convicted of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted of this illegal reentry charge, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Onesimo Salazar-Torres is also a Mexican citizen charged with illegal reentry. The criminal complaint alleges he was found in the United States near Edinburg having previously been removed in 2018 and has a conviction of indecency with child sexual contact. 

    Other relevant cases include two more illegal aliens with significant criminal histories that were sentenced in McAllen this week after being previously removed and unlawfully reentered again. Jose Eduardo Soto-Hernandez has prior felony convictions for sexual assault of a child and possession of a controlled substance. He has been removed from the United States two previous times, most recently in 2019. He will serve 27 months, while Salvador Eduardo Gonzalez-Ledezma was ordered to serve 46 months. He has prior felony convictions for assault family violence impeding breath and harboring aliens. Authorities removed him most recently in 2022, but he has a total of four prior removals.

    In Houston, Carlos Bedolla Sanchez pleaded guilty to using the identity of a U.S. citizen to fraudulently obtain a passport and identification. As part of the identity theft, he provided the name, Social Security number, date of birth and birthplace on the passport applications and fraudulently certified he was a citizen or non-citizen national of the United States. Sanchez began using the victim’s identity in approximately March 2009 to obtain state driver’s licenses and other U.S. identification.

    On Feb. 17, a Corpus Christi federal jury returned a guilty verdict against a South Texas man for transporting illegal aliens. They deliberated for less than 45 minutes before convicting Alberto Chavez Jr. following a one-day trial Feb. 17. Chavez had claimed his two passengers were his cousins, but evidence proved they were not related to him and were actually Honduran citizens illegally present in the United States. Testimony further revealed Chavez bought them clothes to make them appear more “American” and coached them on what to say when trying to pass through the checkpoint. 

    Another illegal alien was indicted in Laredo in a multi-year human smuggling conspiracy. The charges allege Giovana Lozano Hernandez used multiple cellular devices that had numerous digital images of paper ledgers regarding the scheme. Voice messages with co-conspirators also allegedly detailed the smuggling activity including the many illegal aliens who had already been transported and housed for whom there needed to be financial accountability. Law enforcement also found video messages depicting the transportation of illegal aliens, according to the allegations.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

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

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: 3D Systems Announces Date of Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ROCK HILL, S.C., March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced today it will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2024 and provide 2025 guidance after the U.S. stock markets close on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. The company will hold a conference call and simultaneous webcast to discuss these financial results and outlook on Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

    Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results Conference Call
    Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
    Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time
    Listen via webcast: www.3dsystems.com/investor
    Participate via telephone: 201-689-8345

    The webcast replay will be available approximately two hours after the end of the conference call at www.3dsystems.com/investor.

    About 3D Systems
    More than 35 years ago, 3D Systems brought the innovation of 3D printing to the manufacturing industry. Today, as the leading Additive Manufacturing solutions partner, we bring innovation, performance, and reliability to every interaction – empowering our customers to create products and business models never before possible. Thanks to our unique offering of hardware, software, materials, and services, each application-specific solution is powered by the expertise of our application engineers who collaborate with customers to transform how they deliver their products and services. 3D Systems’ solutions address a variety of advanced applications in healthcare and industrial markets such as medical and dental, aerospace & defense, automotive, and durable goods. More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Silvaco Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silvaco Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SVCO) (“Silvaco” or the “Company”), a provider of TCAD, EDA software and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation, today announced that Chief Financial Officer, Ryan Benton, has resigned, effective April 11, 2025, to pursue a new career opportunity  outside of the semiconductor design industry. Mr. Benton will assist the Company to ensure a successful transition of his responsibilities prior to his departure. His resignation is not the result of any disagreement regarding the Company’s operations, accounting, or other policies or practices.

    Effective upon Mr. Benton’s resignation, Dr. Babak Taheri, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, will assume the roles of principal financial officer and principal accounting officer on an interim basis. Keith Tainsky, who leads the Company’s Financial Planning and Analysis function, will report directly to Dr. Taheri as Interim Chief Financial Officer upon Mr. Benton’s departure. Mr. Tainsky has held CFO and finance leadership positions at public and private companies in the semiconductor industry, including Exar Corporation and Amkor Technology. He joined Silvaco in 2023 and has been instrumental in the Company’s financial and business functions, including strategic planning, financings, mergers and acquisitions, and investor relations. In addition, Sherry Lin, Corporate Controller, will report directly to Dr. Taheri. She joined Silvaco in November 2023 and has been instrumental in leading the Company’s accounting and public company reporting function, preparation of periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and establishing the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

    Silvaco has begun the process of engaging a search firm to assist in identifying Mr. Benton’s replacement.

    “On behalf of our employees and Board of Directors, I want to thank Ryan for his leadership and contributions to the financial management and strategic direction of the Company. We wish him much success in his future endeavors,” said Silvaco CEO Babak Taheri. “I have the utmost confidence in Keith’s ability to lead our finance organization and ensure a seamless transition. Keith’s experience and deep understanding of our financial operations will be instrumental as we enter a new chapter for the company.”

    “It has been a privilege to serve on Silvaco’s leadership team, and I am proud of our accomplishments,” said Mr. Benton. “The dedicated team at Silvaco is well-positioned to continue executing on its strategic vision to create shareholder value.”

    In addition to announcing the Chief Financial Officer transition, the Company today reaffirmed its previously disclosed guidance for the first quarter and full year fiscal 2025, as provided in the Company’s press release issued on March 5, 2025. The Company expects to report first quarter fiscal 2025 results on May 7, 2025.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release contains forward-looking statements based on Silvaco’s current expectations. The words “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “project”, “will”, and similar phrases as they relate to Silvaco are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current views and assumptions of Silvaco and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations.

    These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to, statements regarding our future operating results, financial position, and guidance, our business strategy and plans, our objectives for future operations, our development or delivery of new or enhanced products, and anticipated results of those products for our customers, our competitive positioning, projected costs, technological capabilities, and plans, and macroeconomic trends.

    A variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, the following: (a) market conditions; (b) anticipated trends, challenges and growth in our business and the markets in which we operate; (c) our ability to appropriately respond to changing technologies on a timely and cost-effective basis; (d) the size and growth potential of the markets for our software solutions, and our ability to serve those markets; (e) our expectations regarding competition in our existing and new markets; (f) the level of demand in our customers’ end markets; (g) regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; (h) changes in trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs; (i) proposed new software solutions, services or developments; (j) our ability to attract and retain key management personnel; (k) our customer relationships and our ability to retain and expand our customer relationships; (l) our ability to diversify our customer base and develop relationships in new markets; (m) the strategies, prospects, plans, expectations, and objectives of management for future operations; (n) public health crises, pandemics, and epidemics and their effects on our business and our customers’ businesses; (o) the impact of the current conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Hamas and the ongoing trade disputes among the United States and China on our business, financial condition or prospects, including extreme volatility in the global capital markets making debt or equity financing more difficult to obtain, more costly or more dilutive, delays and disruptions of the global supply chains and the business activities of our suppliers, distributors, customers and other business partners; (p) changes in general economic or business conditions or economic or demographic trends in the United States and foreign countries including changes in tariffs, interest rates and inflation; (q) our ability to raise additional capital; (r) our ability to accurately forecast demand for our software solutions; (s) our expectations regarding the outcome of any ongoing litigation; (t) our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act and as a smaller reporting company under the Exchange Act; (u) our expectations regarding our ability to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce intellectual property protection for our technology; (v) our status as a controlled company; (w) our use of the net proceeds from our initial public offering, and (x) our ability to successfully integrate, retain key personnel, and realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of Cadence’s PPC product line.

    It is not possible for us to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Accordingly, you should not rely on any of the forward-looking statements. Additional information relating to the uncertainty affecting the Silvaco’s business is contained in Silvaco’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of Silvaco’s website at http://investors.silvaco.com/. These forward-looking statements represent Silvaco’s expectations as of the date of this press release. Subsequent events may cause these expectations to change, and Silvaco disclaims any obligations to update or alter these forward-looking statements in the future, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    About Silvaco

    Silvaco is a provider of TCAD, EDA software, and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation. Silvaco’s solutions are used for semiconductor and photonics processes, devices, and systems development across display, power devices, automotive, memory, high performance compute, foundries, photonics, internet of things, and 5G/6G mobile markets for complex SoC design. Silvaco is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has a global presence with offices located in North America, Europe, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. Learn more at silvaco.com.

    Investor Contact:
    Greg McNiff
    investors@silvaco.com

    Media Contact:
    Farhad Hayat
    press@silvaco.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: At Statewide Virtual Town Hall, Hickenlooper Addresses Top Concerns from Coloradans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
    Hickenlooper answered questions about Trump admin threats to our economy, national parks, scientific research, veteran care, and more
    In case you missed it, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper held a statewide virtual town hall last week to answer questions from Coloradans about Trump’s attacks on our federal government and top-of-mind concerns from constituents.
    More than 8,000 Coloradans from across the state attended the event live to ask questions and hear from Hickenlooper. Hickenlooper plans to hold in-person town halls across Colorado in the coming weeks. Since the beginning of his term, Hickenlooper has held at least four public town halls every year. Last year he held in-person town halls in Alamosa, Cortez, Eagle, Pueblo, and Walden.

    Watch the full video of the event HERE or see excerpts below:
    On threats to Colorado’s public lands:
    “Coloradans overwhelmingly support protecting our public lands. You look at any poll there’s 75%, 80%, sometimes 85% of voters who support protections for our public lands. That doesn’t seem to stop or slow down the Trump administration. They’re threatening all of that.”
    “They’ve fired over 3,400 US Forest Service employees. 3,400. They fired another 2,300 workers from the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and there might even be another one. I mean, these are cuts that we’re going to feel. These are the folks who are being fired who are responsible for wildfire mitigation, for timber management, for all kinds of things. They are the people that remove hazardous fuels on federal lands, clean the campsites, or maintain the trails. This doesn’t all happen by itself. These cuts are going to put Colorado at a higher risk for wildfires. These cuts are going to hurt our economy.”
    On protecting Medicaid:
    “Health care is a right, not a privilege. Let’s recognize the Republicans’ budget for what it is: it’s a blatant attempt to strip critical services like Medicaid from Americans who need the help the most. They are stripping these critical services to fund these tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. Bottom line: millions are going to lose their healthcare and the ultra-wealthy get tax cuts that in all cases they don’t need, and in many cases they don’t want.” 
    “We have 1 million Coloradans that are enrolled in either Medicaid or CHIP: that’s almost 1 in 6 Coloradans. 60% of seniors in nursing homes are able to be there because they are covered by Medicaid. You cut Medicaid at that level, and you are going to have a lot of grandmothers and grandfathers out of their ear, bankrupt.”
    “We stayed up all night a month ago fighting for amendments to protect access, to protect Medicaid, investments in renewable energy, veterans benefits. The Republicans blocked every single one. I think we can use those votes to let the public know what the Republicans have been doing. In other words, they are on the record by those votes. We made them vote on those amendments and bills so that they are on the record and when the time comes we will be able to make sure that they can be held accountable. When they go back to their states or to Colorado when they hold town halls, they are going to have to answer for those votes.”
    On efforts to make government more efficient::
    “The first time I got into politics in 2003 I ran on the premise that I was going to come in as mayor and make the city government smaller and yet do more, but I didn’t come in and say I was going to use an axe to make cuts.”
    “…We went into each agency and made sure we knew what everyone was doing so we knew how we were spending the money and what we were getting for it so that we could really look for actual fraud, waste, and abuse. If that’s what we are about then I am game, but that’s not what the Trump administration is doing. They’re taking an axe and sledgehammer to our federal government without any concern on the impact it has on Coloradans or Americans. You just can’t throw our veterans, working families, or the services we all depend on under the bus by saying you are looking for fraud and abuse.”
    On supporting our veterans:
    “What is happening is a travesty of history… Ever since I got to the Senate I’ve made supporting veterans and enhancing VA care a priority. The PACT Act, like I said, advanced care to over a million veterans. The news that the Trump administration is planning to fire 80,000 staff from the Veterans Administration is beyond words. It’s insulting to our nation’s heroes.”
    “…We introduced an amendment during the reconciliation process, which of course they ignored, but this was an amendment seeking to reverse workforce cuts and fill frontline vacancies like at the Veteran Health Administration, particularly personnel who provide access to healthcare for rural veterans. We’ve joined many of our colleagues sending a very direct letter to President Trump demanding fired veterans be reinstated across the federal government. We also supported a resolution condemning mass termination of VA employees.”
    “I mean I just can’t imagine what these people are thinking… I mean, firing veterans serving our communities is not a way to find fraud, waste, and abuse. It is not waste. It is not fraud. It is not abuse.” 
    On the importance of trust in science:
    “The American people look to us, to science, for trust and for accurate, factual information so they can have the freedom to raise their families without fear. Now again, I’m not saying all science is perfect. I’m not saying that one agency or another hasn’t made mistakes, but when trust is broken, things fall apart.”
    “…Unfortunately, the new administration has elevated people into cabinet positions who peddle some of these anti-science claims and mistruths and misinformation. This threatens not just Coloradans but our country. It puts us at risk. That’s why funding for things like medical research through the NIH or climate research through NOAA is so important.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Court Orders Recovery of Nearly $2.3M for Victims of an Online Romance Scam

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona issued a default judgment against Debiex, a purported digital asset platform. The order, issued March 13, finds Debiex liable for fraud in connection with digital asset commodity trading and misappropriating over $2 million in customers’ funds. [See CFTC Press Release No. 8850-24.]
    The order bans Debiex from trading in any CFTC regulated markets or registering with the CFTC. It also requires Debiex to pay a $221,466 civil monetary penalty and over $2.2 million in restitution.
    As part of the scheme, relief defendant Zhāng Chéng Yáng acted as a money mule when his digital asset wallet was used by Debiex to misappropriate at least one customer’s funds. Zhang is believed to be a Chinese national. By separate order issued on March 12, the court ordered the remaining digital assets in Zhang’s digital asset wallet be returned to the Debiex customer from whom they were fraudulently taken. These digital assets are worth approximately $120,000 before transfer fees.
    “This judgment demonstrates the CFTC’s ongoing commitment to protecting U.S. citizens from online scams,” said Director of Enforcement Brian Young. “I commend Jenny Chapin, Dmitriy Vilenskiy and former Division Deputy Director Joan Manley for their diligent and innovative work on this matter.”
    The CFTC cautions that orders requiring repayment of funds to victims may not result in the recovery of any money lost because the wrongdoers may not have sufficient funds or assets. The CFTC will continue to fight vigorously for the protection of customers and to ensure the wrongdoers are held accountable.
    Case Background
    These orders stem from a complaint filed by the Commission on Jan. 17, 2024, which alleged Debiex operated publicly accessible internet domains, which it used to target victims with a sophisticated fraudulent scheme involving purported digital asset commodity trading. As detailed in the complaint, the scheme involved the coordinated efforts of three groups: (1) “Solicitors,” who contacted customers via at least one U.S.-based social media platform and pretended to befriend or romance the customers to solicit them to open and fund trading accounts with Debiex; (2) “Customer Service,” which purported to set up and service Debiex trading accounts on behalf of the customers; and (3) “Money Mules,” such as, but not limited to, Zhang, whose digital asset wallets were used by Debiex to accept and/or misappropriate customer funds. As further alleged, instead of using the funds to trade on behalf of the customers, as promised, Debiex misappropriated the customers’ digital assets. Unbeknownst to the customers, and as alleged, the Debiex websites merely mimicked the features of a legitimate live trading platform and the “trading accounts” depicted on the websites were a complete ruse. No actual digital asset trading took place on the customers’ behalf.   
    The Division of Enforcement thanks and acknowledges the assistance of the FBI’s Phoenix Office.
    The DOE staff responsible for this case are Jenny Chapin, Dmitriy Vilenskiy, and former CFTC Deputy Director Joan Manley. Additional DOE staff who assisted include Jennifer Diamond, Mary Lutz, and Elizabeth Padgett from the DOE’s International Enforcement Cooperation Unit.    
    * * * * * *
    CFTC’s Efforts in Fighting Online Scams
    The CFTC has issued several customer protection advisories about Romance Frauds | CFTC, which warns users of online dating and social media platforms about an increase in scams that lure victims into sending their money to fraudulent websites that claim to trade foreign currency exchange (forex) contracts, precious metals contracts, and/or digital assets. 
    The CFTC also strongly urges the public to verify a company’s registration with the CFTC at NFA BASIC before committing funds. If unregistered, a customer should be wary of providing funds to that entity.
    Suspicious activities or information, such as possible violations of commodity trading laws, can be reported to the Division of Enforcement via a toll-free hotline 866-FON-CFTC (866-366-2382) or file a tip or complaint online or contact the Whistleblower Office. Whistleblowers are eligible to receive between 10 and 30 percent of the monetary sanctions collected, paid from the Customer Protection Fund financed through monetary sanctions paid to the CFTC by violators of the CEA.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Christopher Reese Convicted Of Fraud And Unauthorized Practice Of Law

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that a jury convicted CHRISTOPHER REESE, a/k/a “Christopher Eugene Thomas,” yesterday for his participation in a scheme to defraud criminal defendants and their family members out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees paid to REESE, who is not a lawyer, to perform unlicensed legal services in federal court. REESE, who is already in federal custody in connection with a separate case, will be sentenced on June 26, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Christopher Reese committed fraud through his bogus legal practice. He promised his victims that he would get their family members out of prison when he knew he had no way to guarantee that outcome, and induced them into paying him for legal services he knew he wasn’t authorized to provide. As a unanimous jury has now found, Reese’s promises were lies designed to enrich Reese at the expense of his victims. Running an unlicensed law business is a crime, and Reese now faces serious federal prison time for his fraudulent conduct.”

    According to the Indictment and the evidence at trial:

    For years, REESE ran a scam targeting federal inmates, their family members, and friends. To carry out his fraud scheme, REESE promised favorable results in criminal cases that he could not actually obtain, rendering legal services he was not authorized to provide in exchange for hefty fees. REESE styled himself as a “legal assistant” or “paralegal,” but worked without the supervision of a licensed lawyer and offers services that only a lawyer is authorized to provide, including drafting and submitting legal filings in federal courts. REESE brought in business by promising beneficial outcomes to prisoners and their family members that he cannot guarantee, while knowing—but failing to disclose—that his unlicensed legal practice was illegal.

    REESE induced victims—criminal defendants and their family members—to pay him thousands of dollars per legal filing. He did this, for example, by promising that defendants would be “immediately released” based on motions REESE would file in exchange for fees in the thousands of dollars. Sometimes REESE also offered to provide a refund if his motions were unsuccessful; but when they failed, REESE kept the money. And when his fraud succeeded, and inmates or their family members paid REESE his fees, REESE engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, by making a business of drafting and filing legal motions and briefs in federal cases, including cases heard by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit at 40 Foley Square in Manhattan, a federal enclave where New York State’s prohibition on the unauthorized practice of law applies via the Assimilative Crimes Act. 

    REESE earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from this scheme. And REESE committed additional crimes in connection with these fraud proceeds. First, REESE was on supervised release in connection with a separate federal criminal case in this District during most of the scheme. And in connection with his supervision, and in order to avoid paying criminal restitution that he owed, REESE made false statements to the U.S. Probation Office. Second, REESE laundered the proceeds of his scheme by using a co-conspirator to engage in financial transactions designed to conceal the source and movement of the fees REESE collected from his victims.

    *               *                *

    REESE, 57, of East Meadow, New York, was convicted of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; unauthorized practice of law in a federal enclave, which carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison; making false statements to the U.S. Probation Office, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. REESE was found not guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

    The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. 

    The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josiah Pertz, Kingdar Prussien and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada invests in Cape Breton wilderness experience

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Jajiktek Seawall Hiking Trail to connect visitors and locals with the island’s unique coastal landscape

    March 21, 2025 · Port Hood, Nova Scotia · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

    Tourism plays a vital role in Atlantic Canada, creating jobs and strengthening communities. The Government of Canada is supporting eco-friendly, year-round tourism that creates memorable outdoor experiences while protecting the environment and growing the local economy.

    New Coastal Trail Coming to Cape Breton

    Today, Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton—Canso, announced a non-repayable contribution of $3 million to the Municipality of the County of Inverness. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

    This funding will help the municipality design and build the Jajiktek Seawall Hiking Trail, a 50-kilometre coastal trail in Cape Breton’s Northern Highlands. This project includes constructing overnight huts at three sites along the trail. Once completed, the trail will offer multi-day hikes, guided tours, and will expand possibilities for seasonal activities such as ski touring and snowshoeing. It is expected to attract visitors to stay and explore the region in all four seasons, enhance recreation opportunities for surrounding community members, and generate new tourism prospects for nearby businesses.

    Today’s announcement further demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to supporting sustainable tourism, strengthening communities, and protecting natural spaces for future generations.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The governments of Canada and British Columbia finalize an agreement for the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Richmond, British Columbia, March 21, 2025 — The governments of Canada and British Columbia have finalized an agreement under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF).

    The agreement provides $250 million in federal funding over five years for phase one of the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant project to enable more homes and improve densification. The funding is an equal cost match of the Province’s contribution toward the project in 2023 and helps secure the funding required for phase one of the project. The funding will support the Metro Vancouver Regional District to improve the facility for the health and safety of the residents in Metro Vancouver and the surrounding coastal waters.

    In reaching this agreement, the governments of Canada and British Columbia negotiated terms that better support communities across the province. These terms are designed to pave the way for the construction of more homes for people, as well as support infrastructure investments to address the growing population of the province.

    The terms include actions to reduce upfront costs for homebuilders that assist in paying for essential infrastructure. The Province is intending to change the installment payment timing of development cost charges (DCCs) that will give homebuilders more time to pay. It will in turn make life more affordable and help build more homes, faster.

    Thanks to this ambitious partnership, the Province is also working on extending the existing in-stream protection for housing projects that are subject to Metro Vancouver’s DCCs. These measures provide homebuilders with greater certainty and reduce financial pressures by lowering project costs, which keeps homes more affordable for people.

    The Province is also considering providing an avenue for local governments to waive DCCs for non-market homes within market housing projects, which could encourage the development of more affordable housing. This change would apply province-wide, helping local governments secure additional affordable housing options in their communities, making housing more accessible for people. The Province will share more details when this work is finalized.

    These measures are part of B.C.’s work to support growth in a balanced way to help more homes get built and address key infrastructure needs during uncertain financial times.

    The remainder of the $590-million allocation to B.C. will be redirected to the direct delivery stream under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney needs to clearly state his position on the federal emissions cap: Premier Smith

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Circular economy strategy to boost sustainable businesses

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Thor Diesendorf, founder and owner of Thor’s Hammer which makes use of recycled timber.

    The ACT Government is providing a plan to create new jobs and develop innovative sustainable businesses by delivering Canberra’s first Circular Economy Strategy and action plan.

    The new circular economy strategy recognises benefits of supporting businesses that reduce waste, while supporting solutions to product development and investment.

    Through the strategy and plan, the Government wants to give businesses the tools they need to support more sustainable jobs, create stronger supply chains that reduce waste, and make the most of materials.

    The strategy and action plan aims to achieve this across a broad range of industries, from technology and hardware, right through to food waste and building products.

    It also addresses land use for businesses that might need to process materials that support resource recovery or to help design waste out of our systems in the first place.

    The strategy identifies six areas of the economy to lead first efforts:

    1. Food and garden organics
    2. The built environment
    3. Emerging and problematic waste streams
    4. Consumer goods
    5. A circular economy innovation precinct
    6. Procurement, skills, and governance.

    Importantly this strategy is backed by a series of individual action plans, which outline specific objectives of Government, industry, business and our community.

    Major reforms have already started to improve resource recovery outcomes for the region.

    This includes the bulky waste pick-up service, building a new materials recycling facility, a food organics collection service pilot and the ACT container deposit scheme.

    Canberrans are also demonstrating leadership in growing the circular economy, with some great initiatives such as repair cafes, Community Toolbox Canberra, Lids for Kids and thriving second-hand markets.

    Once the strategy is in place across a broad range of industries, the ACT Government aims to make further changes to supply chains and education, and help make jobs and businesses more innovative, sustainable, equitable, fair, and profitable.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE joins US Department of the Treasury in announcing sanctions against Mexico-based transnational criminal organization leader responsible for smuggling migrants into the US

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement joined the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in announcing sanctions against Jumilca Sandivel Hernandez Perez, a prominent leader of the Lopez Human Smuggling Organization, March 18. Hernandez Perez has coordinated smuggling operations with members of the violent, U.S.-sanctioned drug trafficking group La Linea and engaged in criminal activity tied to some of the most reprehensible acts in recent history, including the 2019 murders of nine American citizens, six of them children, in the Mexican state of Sonora. The Lopez HSO is a Guatemala-based transnational criminal organization responsible for smuggling thousands of migrants from Guatemala, through Mexico, and into the United States.

    ICE Homeland Security Investigations El Paso special agents, along with the assistance of multiple law enforcement partners, initiated an operation against the Lopez HSO in 2023 that spanned three states and resulted in a series of indictments and arrests. On July 25, 2024, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico announced additional indictments against the Lopez HSO and a La Linea cartel member who has assisted in the organization’s human smuggling operations across Mexico and into the United States. La Linea, also known as the Juarez Cartel, was most recently designated pursuant to Treasury’s counternarcotics authorities in 2021.

    “ICE is committed to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations that exploit vulnerable individuals and jeopardize border security,” said ICE HSI acting Executive Associate Director Robert Hammer. “These sanctions, targeting a key leader of the Lopez Human Smuggling Organization responsible for orchestrating the illegal smuggling of thousands of migrants across the U.S. Southern Border, hold accountable those who profit from human trafficking and other illicit activities, while reinforcing our efforts to safeguard the security and integrity of our communities.”

    Hernandez Perez coordinated with La Linea to bring illegal aliens into the United States. The Lopez HSO smuggled illegal aliens from Guatemala to the United States via Mexico. The organization has primarily smuggled illegal aliens to New Mexico, Arizona, and California but also has run operations through parts of Texas and transported illegal aliens to Virginia and other states far from the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Members of the Lopez HSO, including Hernandez Perez, have exploited the U.S. financial system with their criminal activity, utilizing U.S. banks to receive and issue payments as part of their human smuggling operations. The Lopez HSO is believed to have generated between $104 million and $416 million in illicit proceeds from their human smuggling activities between September 2020 and 2023, charging smuggled persons between $13,000 and $16,000 each.

    This sanctions reflect a whole-of-government effort to counter the smuggling illegal aliens into the United States, which included collaboration between ICE HSI El Paso Field Office, the ICE HSI Human Smuggling Unit, OFAC, the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Canberra’s Skykraft take to space with PIP grant

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Skykraft’s Air Traffic Management satellites take off from California in June this year on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

    A Canberra-based company is taking their satellites to space and notching up world first achievements in both the space industry and the global air navigation sector.

    Skykraft is developing a constellation of more than 200 satellites in low-earth orbit to provide global Air Traffic Management (ATM) services from space.

    These services will provide surveillance and communication capabilities for air traffic control, especially over remote or oceanic regions not covered by ground-based infrastructure.

    In 2018-19 Skykraft applied for and won $1 million dollars in matched funding from the ACT Government’s Priority Investment Program (PIP). PIP grants foster innovation and collaboration between, industry, research institutions and universities to solve industry needs.

    Skykraft was established in 2017 as a spin-off from The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra. Skykraft’s CEO, Dr Michael Frater, said funding early on from the ACT Government was the financial boost they needed to get things off the ground.

    “The confidence from receiving the PIP funding, rather than being drip-fed small grants, created a big shift for us. It gave us the ability to build our team and focus on developing our product,” he said.

    Skykraft’s recent successful trial of space-based voice communications in the Very High Frequency (VHF) aviation band demonstrated the feasibility of satellite communication directly with aircraft using existing equipment. This use of satellites in place of ground-based radio systems will allow global real-time communications between pilots and air traffic controllers for the first time.

    “We are proud to have taken another step to bringing this world-first capability to market,” said Dr Michael Frater, CEO of Skykraft.

    “VHF voice and data communication that covers the entire extent of an aircraft’s journey is the missing piece for Air Traffic Management and will unlock efficiency gains globally.”

    Skykraft’s satellite manufacturing facility in Canberra is the centre for the design, build and operation of the more than 200 satellites that will make up the constellation providing space-based ATM services, which will commence operations in 2025.

    This constellation will be maintained with a regular five-year satellite replenishment cycle. It will support a sustainable space manufacturing capability in the nation’s capital producing 40-50 satellites annually.

    “Our manufacturing capability provides long-term employment for Canberrans in the advanced manufacturing sector,” Dr Frater said.  “We’re also creating opportunities for companies from the Canberra region to input to the manufacturing process, with suppliers in Queanbeyan, Wodonga and Newcastle.”

    In 2023, Skykraft put 10 satellites into space across two launches, more than tripling the total mass of Australian manufactured space objects ever placed in orbit.

    Skykraft will continue this rapid pace as they deploy the full satellite constellation to deliver their ATM service globally.

    The ACT Government’s PIP grant is currently open until 31 October 2023.

    For more information visit the PIP website: act.gov.au/pip

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    MIL OSI News –