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  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: Trump & Elon’s Layoffs Jeopardize Essential Services Americans Rely On, Threaten Critical Agency Objectives Keeping Americans Safe & Healthy 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) responded to the Trump administration’s mass firings of federal workers who are on their “probationary” period—meaning: federal workers who were hired or promoted within the past 1-2 years.  

    There is nothing efficient about indiscriminate mass firings. Although the exact number of employees in their probationary period changes with each pay period, data from March 2024 shows more than 220,000 federal employees were within their probationary period. More than one quarter, or 56,000, were employees at the Veterans Health Administration. The Partnership for Public Service estimates that there are now closer to 250,000 federal employees in their probationary period. Moreover, these employees are younger (around 27% are under the age of 30) and have the highest rates of employee engagement among all government workers. President Trump has also recently signed an Executive Order, which mandates that only one employee be hired for every four who are fired or depart.

    In a statement, Senator Murray said:

    “There is nothing ‘efficient’ about indiscriminately firing thousands upon thousands of workers in red and blue states whose work is badly needed. 

    “We are talking about safety engineers at the Hanford nuclear cleanup site, VA doctors and nurses, utility line workers in my home state, CDC health experts who investigate disease outbreaks, and so many others.

    “Two billionaires who have zero concept of what the federal workforce does are breaking the American government—decimating essential services and leaving all of us worse off. 

    “The lives upended by these callous firings will not just be the federal workers who lose their jobs, but the millions of Americans who rely on services these employees provide: health care, food safety, housing, lifesaving research, and so much else. 

    “Let’s be clear that these sweeping layoffs do not address fraud or waste. These firings are totally arbitrary–pushing out high performers and the promising next generation of our federal workforce who won’t be easily replaced. 

    “The scale and scope of Trump and Elon’s purge will set our country back decades, but we are not powerless in this moment. It is incumbent on every one of us to speak out for a government that works for middle-class families and working people—not just billionaires who will never need to call about their Social Security benefits or file a disability claim at VA.”

    SEE BELOW FOR A SELECT, NON-COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THE IMPACTS OF THESE LAYOFFS:

    VETERANS AFFAIRS: In 2022, Congress passed the largest expansion of veterans’ benefits in two decades, requiring a significant influx of resources and staff to ensure veterans are getting the medical care and benefits they are owed. 

    • The Trump administration’s mass firing of more than 1,000 VA employees just yesterday will badly undercut VA’s ability to process the significant uptick in claims and benefits the agency has seen since the PACT Act was signed into law. The Trump administration has not explicitly exempted doctors, nurses, medical researchers, or disability claims raters from the layoffs. 
    • These layoffs likely mean longer wait times for veterans trying to receive medical care, and they could mean that ongoing clinical trials may be forced to come to an abrupt halt. They likely also mean veterans will wait longer for their disability claims to be processed and approved, and that training for new claims raters that VA has invested in over the last year would go to waste.  
    • There is already a shortage of VA doctors and nurses across the country–in red and blue states. The hiring freeze prohibits new disability claims raters from coming on board, and with the firing of recently hired raters, the backlog of unprocessed claims will grow above 254,000. 

    SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA): The SBA provides essential resources and support to small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country. This week, the Trump administration reportedly moved to fire 720 employees, including those recently hired to help small businesses and homeowners recover from devastating disasters. Communities and main streets across the country–from North Carolina to California–are still reeling from the impacts of hurricanes and wildfires; laying off SBA employees will curtail the SBA’s efforts to help small businesses on the ground recover. 

    OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (OPM): OPM serves as the chief human resources and personnel policy manager for the federal government and processes retirements for all federal workers, including those in the postal service. OPM employees help ensure federal employees in every part of the country receive their paychecks and retirement benefits. Without adequate staffing levels, federal workers will experience disruptions in essential services OPM provides. 

    • On February 13, OPM fired 250 probationary employees. Management was not notified that the agency would be firing people that day and probationary employees were given 30 minutes to leave the building. There were no exceptions given for high-performing employees or those that managers had prioritized on requested forms. 

    GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (GSA): GSA oversees most government contracts, manages federal property, and oversees basic federal government functions. Housed at GSA, Technology Transformation Services is responsible for FedRAMP, which sets cybersecurity standards for federal contractors, and Login.gov, which the American public uses to access their Social Security statements online. GSA was one of the earliest DOGE targets. 

    • An estimated 100 tech workers at GSA have been laid off this week alone. These employees assist with important federal initiatives, including the Direct File program, which is finally helping Americans file their taxes directly with the IRS–for free.  

    HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: The nationwide housing shortage is one area in which both sides of the aisle agree needs urgent solutions, and HUD plays a critical role in working to tackle the crisis. Without sufficient staff to keep things moving at HUD, hundreds of projects across the country are going to be delayed. Many projects will fall apart completely, exacerbating the housing crisis. Even one month of delays on a multimillion-dollar project can cost builders immensely. In just a few weeks of hasty decisions, the Trump administration has proposed drastic cuts that will hurt some of the most vulnerable people and families across the country, undercut economic development, and stunt disaster recovery.

    • Even under current staffing levels, grantees struggle to receive adequate and timely customer service and processing from HUD, and these actions will make it devastatingly worse.
    • Based on current estimates, Trump’s personnel actions to date will result in about a 13% reduction in HUD’s entire workforce.
    • This figure could grow to 50% percent based on reported plans for additional staff cuts across HUD’s programs. One component was directed to reduce staff by 84%, and that office oversees the community and economic development, long-term disaster, and homeless assistance funding that cities around the country, in red and blue states, rely on.  

    DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY: The Department of Energy is responsible for overseeing U.S. energy policy and production, our nuclear weapons program, and national nuclear policy. Among other things, Department of Energy staff plays an essential role in turbocharging American innovation, creating new good-paying jobs, lowering families’ energy bills, strengthening America’s energy security, and maintaining our nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile.

    • The Department of Energy has now laid off 1,800 employees out of 15,850 employees, which is roughly 11% of its workforce. The layoffs have occurred Department-wide; however, the climate and infrastructure deployment offices have been hit hardest, including the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and the Manufacturing and Grid Deployment Offices. These layoffs will seriously hamper the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, which have created hundreds of thousands of new jobs–compounding the incredible damage that this administration has already caused with its illegal freeze of funding provided by the two landmark laws. The layoffs include staff responsible for ensuring that funding to lower households’ energy costs gets out the door.
    • In Washington state alone, more than a dozen employees at the Hanford Site and more than 600 at the Bonneville Power Administration have been laid off–which will have cascading ripple effects on the cleanup efforts at the Hanford site and the security of the Pacific Northwest energy grid. Notably, these numbers do not include employees who opted into the “deferred resignation” program.

    INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE: The Indian Health Service provides direct health care to 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, but has, for years, been plagued with chronic staffing challenges and consistently high vacancy rates (upwards of 29%) across all service areas. The staffing shortage has, for decades, undercut the quality of care to Tribal communities across the country. Congress has consistently identified recruitment and retention as a high priority for the agency and has worked on a bipartisan basis to fully fund staffing at IHS facilities and to increase hiring incentives to provide relief.

    • The Trump administration’s mass firing of more than an estimated 850 employees includes doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and lab technicians–and will devastate the Indian Health Service’s ability to provide services for patients and make an already dire situation worse. These indiscriminate cuts to IHS’ health care workforce will leave thousands without access to critical care and could cost lives.
    • American Indians and Alaska Natives have a life expectancy rate of 11 years less than the national average of 65.2 years old. That’s the same life expectancy rate as the overall population of the United States in 1944.

    DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR: The Interior Department is responsible for the management of public lands, waters, and natural resources, including both conservation and development on federal lands under the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management, as well as administering programs affecting Native Americans. The Department is reportedly laying off 2,300 employees.

    • These layoffs will lead to a damaging loss of full-time staff at the National Park Service, which is already operating well below prior staffing levels despite significant increases in visitation. As a result of onerous budget caps during the 2010s, the National Park Service lost 15% of its staff while park visitation also increased by 15%. National Park units experience a summer surge in visitation that peaks in July, and the Service hires more than 6,000 seasonal employees to manage that extra work. Without full-time or seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will not be properly maintained, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether canceled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable.
    • These indiscriminate cuts are also likely to jeopardize the President’s own “America-First” energy agenda, delaying the processing, planning, permitting, environmental compliance, and approval of new and expanded transmission lines, renewable energy projects, oil and gas leasing and drilling, critical minerals mines, coal mining, and other development on federal lands or waters.

    Federal Bureau of Investigation: The FBI is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. The Bureau is reportedly amassing a list of thousands of probationary employees, including special agents, for possible layoffs–which comes at a time of incredible uncertainty at the FBI. The FBI already faces a salaries and expenses resources shortfall, because of the Fiscal Responsibility Act’s tight constraints, which has already resulted in roughly 1,000 fewer staff. A purge—possibly in the thousands—of FBI employees will worsen an already bad situation–seriously undermining the FBI’s ability to combat terrorism, violent crime, cybercrime, drugs and gangs, transnational organized crime, and child and sex trafficking exploitation. 

    • The FBI has over 2,800 probationary employees, nearly 600 of which are special agents. 
    • The first year cost alone of recruiting, hiring, and training a new FBI special agent is nearly $250,000. Firing hundreds of new agents would be a colossal waste of American taxpayers’ dollars. 

    FOREST SERVICE: The Forest Service is responsible for managing 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands and is reportedly laying off 2,400 employees. While some exemptions are expected for law enforcement and firefighters, many of those being let go are qualified to help respond to wildfires and are a vital resource during the height of fire season. Other recent hires were brought on to accelerate hazardous fuels reduction and community wildfire defense projects to decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires to communities across the country.

    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: Approximately 1,700 EPA staff have so far been notified they could be terminated. As of December 2024, EPA had 15,572 total full-time employees on staff, which include scientists, toxicologists, biologists, staff overseeing cleanups at Superfund sites in red and blue states, and many more. Indiscriminate layoffs will seriously jeopardize energy projects that have created good jobs, efforts to keep American families’ water supply clean and safe, waste site cleanup efforts, and much more.

    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: HHS’ civil service and nonpartisan leadership consists of scientists, researchers, medical professionals, child welfare specialists, and other dedicated public servants. Its nonpartisan leadership is tasked with implementing laws spanning HHS’ far-reaching responsibilities and accordingly is retained to continue building on advances made in medicine, public health, and social services. HHS’ nonpartisan career leadership does not routinely turn over between administrations.

    • Nonetheless, Secretary Kennedy, now having been confirmed, is expected to seek the unprecedented resignation of HHS nonpartisan career leadership and has already begun firing thousands of probationary employees across HHS. 
    • Injecting politics deep into HHS will undermine everything from biomedical research to public health to substance use treatment to child welfare. This is how now-Secretary Kennedy will substitute his own beliefs for established scientific consensus. 
    • Additionally: firing thousands of staff across the Department will have far-reaching impacts on basic government services, potentially including the administration of Medicare. Firings so far have included nurses, pharmacists, patient care technicians, and other staff critical for patient care at NIH’s clinical center, as well as hundreds of early career scientists and researchers.

    DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: So far, Department of Education employees have already been put on administrative leave simply because they took a training encouraged by the first Trump administration. Other employees fired or expected to be fired at the Department of Education will put cybersecurity efforts, ongoing work on the FAFSA, and maintenance of student aid processing systems in serious jeopardy. 

    AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE: ARS is the USDA’s principal in-house research agency that seeks to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority. This includes research related to ensuring high-quality, safe food, assessing the nutritional needs of Americans, and sustaining a competitive U.S. agricultural economy.

    • The blanket firing of hundreds of scientists and technicians across the country who were in probationary periods will undercut new, ongoing, and urgent research projects studying livestock and crop production, food safety, environmental stewardship, human nutrition, and value-added agriculture. 

    ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE: Scores of employees from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) were abruptly fired regardless of performance status. APHIS protects our country against the emergence of deadly animal and zoonotic diseases and prevents the introduction of destructive invasive pests. This work is vital to ensuring our farmers and ranchers can safely feed the world. As avian influenza rages across poultry and dairy farms and continues to infect people, the last thing our country needs is a shortage of staff focused on addressing this threat.  

    RURAL DEVELOPMENT: Hundreds of employees working to help rural communities across the country were laid off overnight. Rural Development provides financial assistance for communities to have safe drinking water, affordable housing, high-speed internet, and access to health and safety services. Without adequate staffing, loans and grants will not be processed, and these communities will not have the resources they need to thrive.

    NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE: Hundreds of employees working to assist producers with access to voluntary conservation programs and practices were laid off. Those employees are based in offices across the country and provide technical assistance to help improve soil quality, reduce the energy used on farms, and provide other climate mitigation benefits. 

    NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION: NOAA is the nation’s leading scientific and regulatory agency charged with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, and managing marine and coastal resources. Americans rely on the National Weather Service’s data forecasts daily but the critical nature of the mission to life and property comes to light during hurricanes, drought, wildfires, tornados, and other extreme weather events. The National Weather Service already struggles with staffing shortages but has made a concerted effort to increase the number of meteorologists. As such, many meteorologists have only been in the role for less than a year and are within their probationary period. 

    • Reports that NOAA will be required to lay off more than a thousand probationary employees, including meteorologists, which amount to 10% of NOAA’s workforce would result in disruptions to weather forecasts. 
    • Similar impacts could be felt to the sustainable management of the nation’s fisheries since NOAA relies on wage mariners to staff the fisheries’ survey vessels that perform stock assessments that feed into accurate sustainable catch limits on which the fishing industry relies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Final two defendants of 76 indicted in Operation Ghost Busted sentenced to federal prison

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Brunswick, GA:  The last of 76 defendants in a major south Georgia drug trafficking operation have been sentenced to federal prison, wrapping up an investigation into a gang-coordinated conspiracy that operated inside and outside Georgia prisons.

    David D. Young, a/k/k “Khaos,” 44, of Hortense, Georgia, was sentenced to 235 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. A co-defendant, Blake K. Screen, 36, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 100 months in prison just five months after his conviction at trial on charges of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered each of the defendants to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    “Altogether as adults, the 76 defendants in Operation Ghost Busted have been convicted of more than 250 felonies – and more egregiously, this investigation linked their drug trafficking operation to multiple deaths from dozens of overdoses,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. “Our community is demonstrably safer with these drug distributors off the streets, and we applaud our law enforcement partners for the outstanding investigative work to put these defendants behind bars and bring this case to a successful conclusion.”

    Young and Screen were among the 76 defendants indicted in December 2022 in USA v. Alvarez et al., dubbed Operation Ghost Busted. For more than two years, investigators from the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with multiple federal, state, and local agencies to identify the sprawling drug trafficking network. Operating inside and outside Georgia prisons, the conspiracy was coordinated by members of the Ghost Face Gangsters working with affiliates of other criminal street gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples.

    Both Young and Screen served as dealers and sources of supply to the operation. After the December 2022 indictment and subsequent sweep to bring the defendants into custody, Young was a fugitive for more than a year until he was identified through his extensive Ghost Face Gangsters facial tattoos and taken into custody in March 2024 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, after being featured on “America’s Most Wanted.”

    In addition to long histories of arrests and felony convictions, all of the defendants in Operation Ghost Busted have a history of illegal drug use, including several who survived repeat overdoses. Fifty of the defendants are high school dropouts.

    Believed to be the largest drug trafficking prosecution in the history of the Southern District of Georgia, Operation Ghost Busted was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

    Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office; and sheriff’s offices from Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indiana man sentenced to prison for conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant’s company took in more than $4 Million remotely deleting pollution control software on diesel trucks

    Tacoma – A 44-year-old Columbia, Indiana man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to four months in prison and a $25,000 fine for conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act for his scheme to interfere with pollution control software on diesel trucks, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jonathan Achtemeier pleaded guilty in November 2024, admitting that between 2019 and 2022, he tampered with the monitoring devices on hundreds of vehicles nationwide so those trucks would not detect that their owners removed pollution control hardware systems. Achtemeier advertised his services on the internet and was able to tamper with the monitoring devices in diesel trucks remotely. Between 2019 and 2021 Achtemeier’s company grossed $4.3 million. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright said, “This offense is characterized as a lack of respect for the law and a flaunting of the law…. The harm that comes from this type of offense is serious.”

    “From the comfort of his home, this defendant caused environmental damage across the country, tampering with pollution controls on diesel trucks so that they spewed 30 to 1200 times the pollutants of a legally configured truck,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “His motivation was money – but the rest of us will pay the price with dirty air and contamination in our soil and waterways.”

    According to records filed in the case, Achtemeier conspired with mechanics in garages and operators of truck fleets to manipulate the monitoring software installed on diesel trucks. Coconspirators who wanted to disable their trucks’ pollution control hardware system—a process commonly known as “deleting”—sought Achtemeier’s help to trick the truck’s software into believing the emissions control systems were still functional, a process known as “tuning.” Monitoring devices on a deleted truck will detect that the pollution control hardware is not functioning and will prevent the truck from running. Achtemeier disabled the monitoring software on his client’s trucks by connecting to laptops he had provided to various coconspirators. Some of the coconspirators would pass the laptop on to others seeking to have the anti-pollution parameters disabled or modified on their trucks. Once the laptop was hooked up to the truck’s onboard computer, Achtemeier could access it from his computer and tune the computer designed to monitor the pollution control equipment.  Achtemeier could “tune” trucks remotely, which enabled him to maximize his environmental impact and personal profit.

    Removing the pollution control equipment and disabling the monitoring device results in trucks polluting at 30 to 1,200 times the level of a truck with pollution control systems.  Tampering with a monitoring device is a violation of the Clean Air Act.

    Achtemeier charged as much at $4,500 per truck for work that often took him two hours or less. Achtemeier advertised his services on social media nationwide using images of semi-trucks spewing black exhaust. His company operated under the name Voided Warranty Tuning (VWT) or Optimized Ag.

    In their request for an 18-month prison sentence and $100,000 fine, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Achtemeier spent years building a business dedicated to illegal tuning. He advertised his services on diesel-focused Facebook groups like West Coast Trucking where he had access to thousands of truck owners and enthusiasts.  He encouraged customers to pass along his name and even provided them computers so they could help friends and neighbors delete their vehicles and use Achtemeier for tuning. This enabled him to quickly grow his business into a multi-million-dollar enterprise.”

    The coconspirators in this case have service garages or truck fleets in various areas of Washington State. The trucks that were altered range from pick-ups such as a Dodge R3500 to Kenworth and Freightliner semi-trucks.

    The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID).

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Watts Staniar and Dane Westermeyer, with Special Assistant United States Attorney Karla Perrin.  Ms. Perrin is an attorney with the EPA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Responds to Administrator Zeldin’s Unfounded Attack on Climate Bank, Urges Citibank Not to Give in to Fearmongering

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Boston (February 14, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement after Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin attacked the lawfully established and properly structured deployment of funds through the National Clean Investment Fund and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. These programs, which were included in the Inflation Reduction Act, are expected to mobilize $150 billion in private and public capital to lower energy bills, support community resiliency and clean environments, and create good-paying jobs.  

    “Congress passed a law with a majority of votes that directed the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a national clean financing network to provide financing for local economic development and energy projects across the country. The EPA followed the law—a concept that is apparently unfamiliar to the Trump-Musk administration—and entered into legally binding contracts with grant recipients so these federal dollars can start helping families and small businesses lower their energy bills and create local economic opportunity. Financial Agency Agreements, like the one that EPA developed with Citibank for this program over the course of a rigorous yearlong process, have been available to the U.S. Treasury since the 1860s. These agreements allow federal grant recipients to account for funds they are legally entitled to on their balance sheets, enabling them to leverage private sector dollars. This process has always been transparent—all processes and decisions were based on timelines set by law and with full disclosure to EPA’s Office of the Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office.

    “Make no mistake—this is just another attempt by the administration to fund their millionaire and billionaire tax breaks off the backs of hardworking Americans,” continued Senator Markey. “I urge Citibank not to give into the administration’s fact-free fearmongering and bullying. Administrator Zeldin said clearly that the agency hasn’t found any evidence of fraud. He’s just kicking up dust so you can’t see the administration’s true intent—taking money away from our communities for their own billionaire giveaways. The contracts for this national clean financing network are clear: the funding needs to be accessible to recipients. Laws passed by Congress and contracts between parties can’t legally be broken on a whim. No matter what reality the Trump-Musk administration is operating in, it can’t ignore that fact.”  

    Senator Markey secured numerous provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, including the creation of a $27-billion national climate financing network based on his National Climate Bank Act. Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, Senators Markey and Van Hollen and Congresswoman Dingell—the House lead on the climate financing legislation—welcomed the launch of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in April 2023. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miami Federal Prosecutors Charge Two Foreign Nationals Headed for Florida Coast on Boat with 20 Alien Passengers

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – A Bahamian national and a Haitian national face federal charges in the Southern District of Florida after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents stopped a go-fast boat heading towards South Florida, finding the two defendants at the helm accompanied by 20 other aliens – 12 from China, seven from Haiti, and one from Jamaica.

    A criminal complaint charges both Demetrius Luciano Kemp, 27, of the Bahamas, and Mikewendzly Nestar Norelus, 22, of Haiti, with failure to heave to, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2237(a)(1). In addition, it charges Kemp with unlawfully encouraging or inducing aliens to come to, enter, and reside in the United Sates, in violation of 8 U.S.C. §1324(a)(1)(A)(iv), and re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of 8 U.S.C. §1326(a).

    According to the charging affidavit: On Feb. 9, a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) cutter spotted a 25-foot go-fast boat about three nautical miles west of Bimini, Bahamas. The cutter followed the boat as it traveled (in the dark and with its lights off) from Bahamian and through international waters. Once the boat entered U.S. territorial waters, a CBP Air and Maritime Operations vessel approached. Agents activated the CBP vessel’s lights and siren and commanded the go-fast boat drivers to stop. The boat kept going, despite these and further commands, as well as warning shots. CBP had to disable the go-fast boat to get it to stop.

    The affidavit also says that on boarding the boat, CBP agents found 22 aliens: Norelus at the helm and Kemp in the first mate seat, accompanied by 12 Chinese nationals, seven Haitian nationals, and one Jamaican national. Biometrics testing and other checks showed that no one on the go-fast boat had permission or authorization to enter the United States on the date of the interdiction. They also showed that Kemp had been previously removed from the United States in July 2024.

    Defendants were arrested, charged, and will remain in federal detention pending trial. The other 20 aliens were returned to the Bahamas, where the journey began.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

    HSI Miami is investigating the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), 7th Coast Guard District provided valuable assistance in this matter. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl is prosecuting it.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20255.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury convicts wife of murdering husband on military installation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal jury convicted a Kansas woman of murdering her husband who was a U.S. Army soldier assigned to Fort Riley, a federal military installation in Kansas. 

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Margaret E. Shafe, 31, was found guilty of murder in the second degree for shooting and killing her husband Greg Shafe in February 2024 at their home on Fort Riley.

    Shafe faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division, and Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Walton and Lindsey Debenham and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham are prosecuting the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Backs Effort to Permanently Repeal the Death Tax

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) and 44 additional Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation that would permanently repeal the federal estate tax, commonly known as the death tax.  The Death Tax Repeal Act would end this purely punitive tax that can hit family-run farms, ranches, and businesses as the result of the owner’s death.

    “Small businesses are the lifeblood of Idaho’s economy, and family farmers, ranchers and entrepreneurs have often worked lifetimes to grow their businesses,” said Crapo.  “The death tax can be a devastating blow to American families who want to pass down their farm or small business to the next generation.  It’s time to permanently provide relief from this unfair tax.”

    “Family farms and ranches play a vital role in our economy and are the lifeblood of rural communities in South Dakota,” said Thune.  “Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many. It’s time to put an end to this punishing, burdensome tax once and for all so that family farms, ranches and small businesses can grow and thrive without costly estate planning or massive tax burdens that can threaten their viability.”

    The legislation is supported by the Idaho Cattle Association and the Idaho Farm Bureau.

    “The Idaho Cattle Association supports full repeal of the ‘Death Tax,’” said Cameron Mulrony, Executive Vice President of the Idaho Cattle Association.  “The long-term success of our historic industry has been predicated on the ability to provide profitability and transfer over generations.  The repeal of this tax is critical in the continual success of multi-generational operations and the legacy of our industry.”

    “The Idaho Farm Bureau Federation applauds efforts to permanently repeal the Death Tax,” said Bryan Searle, President of the Idaho Farm Bureau.  “One of the best ways to support multi-generation family farms and ranches is to not penalize the new generation. Farm Bureau thanks Senators Thune and Crapo for leading on this important issue.”

    Additional co-sponsors of the legislation include U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jim Banks (R-Indiana), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Curtis (R-Utah), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Lindsay Graham (R-South Carolina), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) and Todd Young (R-Indiana).  Representative Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    The bill is supported by more than 190 members of the Family Business Coalition and more than 105 members of the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition, which includes the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Restaurant Association, the National Association of Home Builders and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Wins Come All Day Under President Donald J. Trump

    Source: The White House

    It was another week filled with endless wins for the American people under President Donald J. Trump.

    Here are only a few of the many victories from the past week:

    • President Trump brought home an American citizen wrongfully detained in Russia and another American detained in Belarus — the tenth and eleventh hostages freed since he took office.
      • Michael McFaul, U.S. Ambassador to Russia under President Obama, reacted to Marc Fogel’s release and said: “Hallelujah! Fantastic news! Praise be to President Donald Trump … This is just fantastic news for anybody who cares about patriotic Americans.”
    • President Trump restored a 25% tariff on steel imports and elevated the tariff to 25% on aluminum imports to protect these critical American industries from unfair foreign competition.
      • The Steel Manufacturers Association released a statement applauding “President Trump for putting the American steel industry and its workers first by imposing a 25 percent tariff on all steel imports. President Trump understands that America’s steel industry is the backbone of our economy. A thriving domestic steel industry is critical to U.S. national, energy and economic security.”
      • The president of the Aluminum Association said: “We appreciate President Trump’s continued focus on strong trade actions to support the aluminum industry in the United States.”
      • Colorado Springs-based, family-owned Western Steel, Inc., praised the move: “What we hope that the tariffs will bring is some sort of stability to U.S. pricing. It allows a little bit more money to be made … on the intermediate level like us.”
    • President Trump unveiled a plan for fair and reciprocal trade, making clear to the world that the United States will no longer tolerate being ripped off.
      • The Renewable Fuels Association said: “The Brazilian tariff on U.S. ethanol now stands at 18 percent and has virtually eliminated all market access for U.S. ethanol producers. We thank President Trump for taking this action and hope this reciprocal tariff will help encourage a return to free and fair ethanol trade relationship with Brazil.”
    • President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in pursuit of finally securing peace.
    • President Trump hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who announced the Kingdom will accept 2,000 sick children from Gaza “as quickly as possible.”
    • President Trump joined Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce new deals between the two countries on immigration, trade, energy, and artificial intelligence.
    • The Department of Energy approved the first liquefied natural gas project since the prior administration banned LNG exports last year.
    • President Trump declared all foreign policy must be conducted under the President’s direction, ensuring career diplomats reflect the foreign policy of the United States at all times.
    • President Trump paused enforcement of the overregulation of American business practices abroad, which negatively impacted national security.
    • Hamas agreed to free additional Israeli hostages after President Trump declared “all hell is going to break out” if the terrorist group delayed.
    • Taiwan pledged to boost its investment in the United States amid President Trump’s tariffs.
    • President Trump received his highest ever approval rating in a CBS News poll — with 70% of Americans agreeing he is keeping his promises.
    • President Trump attended Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, becoming first sitting President to do so and bringing back tradition of pre-Super Bowl interviews.
    • Illegal border crossings have hit lows not seen in decades.
    • Hundreds of illegal aliens from Venezuela were repatriated back to their own country on Venezuelan-owned planes.
    • Illegal aliens have started turning around in droves amid the Trump Administration’s crackdown on dangerous illegal immigration.
    • The Department of Homeland Security “clawed back” tens of millions of dollars in funds paid by rogue FEMA officials to house illegal aliens in luxury New York City hotels.
    • President Trump instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to stop production of the penny, which costs 3.69 cents to make.
    • Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins were confirmed by the Senate — continuing the Trump Administration’s rapid pace of confirmations.
    • President Trump signed an executive order barring COVID-19 vaccine mandates in schools that receive federal funding.
    • President Trump established the National Energy Dominance Council to advise on achieving energy dominance.
    • President Trump established the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which redirects the national focus to promoting health rather than simply managing disease.
    • President Trump signed an executive to end the use of paper straws.
    • President Trump shut down the Biden-era “Climate Corps” work program.
    • President Trump secured the resignations of 75,000+ federal workers, or approximately 3.75% of the federal workforce, in an effort to eliminate inefficiency at taxpayer expense.
    • President Trump commenced his plan to downsize the federal bureaucracy and eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity — including an order that agencies hire no more than one employee for every four employees who leave.
    • The Trump Administration ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — the brainchild of Elizabeth Warren, which funneled cash to left-wing advocacy groups — to halt operations.
    • President Trump ended the wasteful Federal Executive Institute, which had become a training ground for bureaucrats.
    • President Trump ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard following years of woke ideologies infiltrating U.S. service academies.
    • Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth restored Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to “Fort Bragg,” in honor of a World War II hero.
    • President Trump instructed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to terminate Biden-era regulations restricting water flow and mandating inadequate lightbulb standards.
    • President Trump proclaimed “Gulf of America Day” after the Department of the Interior officially changed the name on its mapping databases.
      • Google Maps and Apple Maps both updated their apps to reflect the new name.
    • The Department of Justice filed suit against the State of New York and its elected officials over their willful failure to follow federal immigration law.
    • The Environmental Protection Agency canceled tens of millions of dollars in contracts to left-wing advocacy groups and announced an investigation into a scheme by Biden EPA staffers to shield billions of dollars from oversight and accountability.
    • The Department of Education announced an investigation into the Minnesota State High School League and California Interscholastic Federation for violation of federal anti-discrimination law by allowing men to compete in women’s sports.
    • The Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered 2,400 additional records on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which were never provided to the board tasked with reviewing and disclosing the documents. The discovery happened due to President Trump’s executive order calling for the declassification of JFK assassination documents.
    • The Department of Veterans Affairs implemented a new flag policy to promote the prominence of the American flag and ensure consistency among its facilities.
    • President Trump was unanimously elected as Chairman of The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees and fired a slew of the Center’s board members over their obsession with perpetuating radical ideologies.
    • U.S. crude oil stockpiles continued to rise, which they have done every week since President Trump took office.
    • Chicago Lurie Children’s Hospital paused sex change surgeries for minors in response to President Trump’s executive order ending the radical practice.
    • Taxpayer-funded PBS closed its DEI office and Disney dropped two of its DEI programs after President Trump’s executive order reining in such discriminatory practices.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, multi-agency partners arrest suspected TdA gang member previously convicted of attempting to smuggling firearms

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    February 14, 2025Austin, TX, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

    ICE Austin along with law enforcement partners arrested a suspected TdA gang member for being in the country illegally. He is a prior felon who was convicted and sentenced for firearms smuggling. He is now facing removal from the U.S.

    AUSTIN, Texas – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Texas Department of Public Safety arrested an illegally present Venezuelan national who is also a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua prison gang.

    The 34-year-old male gang member was arrested Feb. 6 during a routine daily enforcement action. During record checks, agents learned that he was previously convicted and sentenced for attempting to smuggle firearms out of the United States.

    “The arrest of a suspected TdA gang member, previously convicted of firearms smuggling, marks a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to enhance public safety,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “This apprehension is a testament to the diligent work of our law enforcement agencies in rooting out criminal activity and safeguarding our communities.”

    He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

    Individuals can report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-2423) or by completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE HSI’s mission to increase public safety in Central and South Texas communities on X: @HSI_SanAntonio.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: South Texas man pleads guilty to smuggling 36 aliens in tractor trailer following investigation by ICE, US Border Patrol

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A South Texas man pleaded guilty Feb. 13 to smuggling 36 undocumented aliens in the back of a tractor trailer following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol.

    Eusebio Cavazos, a 33-year-old resident of Alamo, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to transporting aliens into or within the U.S. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 15 and faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 possible fine.

    “The days of transnational criminal organizations raking in billions in illicit profits each year by trampling on our nation’s sovereignty and flooding our country with millions of unvetted aliens who could present a threat to public safety or national security are over,” said ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “The law enforcement community in Southeast Texas is united in our effort to restore law and order along the southern border by aggressively pursuing and dismantling human smuggling organizations and other criminal organizations who are bold enough to test our collective resolve.”

    During the hearing it was revealed that Cavazos drove a tractor-trailer into the primary inspection lane at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita Dec. 13, 2024. Upon initial inspection, a K-9 alerted to the possible presence of humans in the trailer. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where they discovered 36 undocumented aliens in the back of the trailer and nothing else.

    A total of 36 aliens were discovered in the trailer including 15 from Guatemala, 10 from Honduras, eight from Mexico and three from El Salvador. All 36 had illegally entered the U.S. and five have pending charges for allegedly illegally re-entering the U.S. after previously being removed.

    During an investigation by ICE HSI Corpus Christi, Cavazos admitted that someone had hired him to drive all 36 illegal aliens from a point near Donna to Houston and promised to pay him $1,000 per alien that he smuggled.

    Cavazos will remain in custody pending his sentencing.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting the case.

    For more news and information on how ICE HSI combats human trafficking and human smuggling in Southeast Texas follow us on X at @HSIHouston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Prison for Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking and Illegal Weapons Possession Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alberto Gonzalez Salgado, 45, of Sacramento, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to 13 years and one month in prison and ordered to forfeit $100,000 to the government for drug trafficking and firearms crimes, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, in 2019 and 2020, Salgado trafficked fentanyl pills, heroin, marijuana, and firearms. On multiple occasions Salgado sold heroin and fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills and illegal short-barreled rifles to a confidential source. Salgado also maintained a stash house in Sacramento where he grew over 100 marijuana plants and also kept a firearm to protect his drug trafficking operation. When law enforcement attempted to stop Salgado’s vehicle to arrest him on the way to a fentanyl pill deal in October 2020, Salgado fled, leading law enforcement on a high-speed vehicle chase on public roadways that lasted over an hour and a half and endangered law enforcement officers and the public.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Bernard Parish Man Guilty of Federal Gun and Drug Violations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ABE JYLES (“JYLES”), age 44, a resident of St. Bernard Parish, pled guilty on February 4, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter to Counts 1, 2, and 3 of a superseding bill of information that was filed against him.  Count 1 charged JYLES with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c).  Count 2 charged him with possession, with the intent to distribute, a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, and cocaine, in violation of Title 21 USC § 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).  Count 3 charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18 USC § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).  JYLES faces the following sentences as to each count:

    As to Count 1, JYLES faces a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than 5 years  up to a maximum of life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. Any jail sentence imposed in connection with Count 1 must run consecutive to any other count.  He will also face up to five years of supervised release.  He will also face up to five years of supervised release.

    As to Count 2, JYLES faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000.00 fine, and a term of supervised release of not less than three years up to life.

    As to Count 3, JYLES faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.

    Additionally, as to each charged count, JYLES faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

    On February 29, 2024, JYLES was identified as the driver and sole occupant of a vehicle.   involved in a traffic stop by St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office personnel.  After law enforcement personnel noticed the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, they detained JYLES and searched the vehicle.  During the search, multiple illegal narcotics, a scale, drug paraphernalia, and four firearms were found inside the vehicle.

    At the time of his arrest, JYLES was on federal supervised release due to his 2008 federal drug trafficking conviction.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Middle School Teacher Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the arrest of ROSS LANVIN for possession of child pornography.  LANVIN is charged with possessing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography that depict children ranging from approximately 3 to 4 years old to pre-pubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  LANVIN was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron in Manhattan federal court.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “As alleged, Ross Lanvin, who had close contact with students as a teacher at a public school in Manhattan, possessed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.  Together with our partners at the NYPD and Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigations for the NYC School District, we will continue to work to root out those who possess child pornography, especially when those individuals work in positions that give them access to children—some of the most vulnerable members of our community.  Our investigation into Lanvin is ongoing, and we encourage anyone with information to contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, at 866-874-8900 or wendy.olsen@usdoj.gov.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]

    LANVIN is currently a math teacher at a public middle school located in Manhattan, New York (“School-1”).  He was employed by the New York City Department of Education from in or about 2006 through in or about 2013, and again beginning in or about 2016.

    From at least in or about September 2021 through in or about December 2024, LANVIN possessed hundreds of images and videos constituting child pornography on a Google account held under a fake name.  On or about December 20, 2024, Google terminated access to this account upon finding that it contained suspected child pornography.

    On February 13, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at LANVIN’s Manhattan apartment and found child pornography on at least one of LANVIN’s electronic devices.   

    *                *                *

    LANVIN, 41, of New York, New York, is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, including images and videos of prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained 12 years of age, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  

    The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department Special Investigations Unit, Computer Crimes Squad, the Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigations for the NYC School District, as well as the Task Force Officers and Investigative Analysts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Phillips is in charge of the prosecution.

    The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
     

    [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the texts of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Indictment Unsealed Charging Merced Man with Trafficking Hundreds of Kilograms of Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Heroin, and Fentanyl

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — An indictment was unsealed today charging Jesus Magana Mellin, aka “Compadre,” 34, of Merced, with possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, between October and November of 2022, Magana Mellin conspired with others to traffic substantial amounts of controlled substances in California and elsewhere. After a joint federal, state, and local investigation, law enforcement officers executed search warrants on two storage units connected to Magana Mellin’s drug trafficking ring. Inside the storage units, officers found 160 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, 158 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 14 kilograms of heroin, 7 kilograms of cocaine, and 40 grams of fentanyl pills. Three of Magana Mellin’s associates—Vanessa Arauza, Pedro Duarte Sanchez, and Luis Higuera Lopez—have been charged and convicted in the case.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Merced Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET). Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Magana Mellin faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Pedro Cerna Arias, 62, a Mexican national residing in Milpitas, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to five years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, on April 9, 2020, Cerna Arias sold approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine to an undercover officer in Milpitas, in a deal that was initially negotiated between the undercover officer and a Mexico-based drug trafficker. On Oct. 8, 2021, law enforcement searched Cerna Arias’s residence and found about a kilogram of methamphetamine, a bucket with methamphetamine residue, drug ledgers, drug packaging material, and $6,165 in cash. Cerna Arias admitted to law enforcement that the methamphetamine was his and that he distributed methamphetamine in pound quantities.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, the California Highway Patrol, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.

    Co-defendant Jose Moreno Albestrain was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Dec. 19, 2024, by Judge Calabretta for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Georgia Fugitive in Omaha

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Omaha, NE – The U.S. Marshals Omaha Metro Fugitive Task Force has arrested a man wanted on multiple warrants issued in Georgia.

    Patrick Lamar Edwards, 26, was wanted in Rockdale County, Georgia, on outstanding warrants for aggravated assault with a firearm, terroristic threats, and entering a stolen vehicle. These charges stem from a shooting that occurred in Conyers, Georgia, on May 15, 2024.

    Acting on information provided by the Conyers Police Department and the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Marshals determined that Edwards had recently relocated to the Omaha area after evading authorities for several months. Investigators traced Edwards to a residence near the intersection of North 36th Street and Crown Point Avenue.

    As Task Force members moved in to execute the arrest, Edwards attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended at a neighboring property.

    Edwards was subsequently booked into Douglas County Corrections, where he will remain pending extradition to Georgia.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Fundamental Global Inc. Declares Cash Dividend on Its 8.00% Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Mooresville, NC, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fundamental Global Inc. (Nasdaq: FGF) (the “Company” or “Fundamental Global”) today announced that it has declared a quarterly cash dividend on its 8.00% Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A (the “Preferred Stock”), for the period commencing on December 15, 2024, and ending on March 14, 2025.

    In accordance with the terms of the Preferred Stock, the board of directors of the Company declared a Preferred Stock cash dividend of $0.50 per share for the period commencing on December 15, 2024, and ending on March 14, 2025. The dividend is payable on March 17, 2025, to holders of record on March 3, 2025. The Preferred Stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market and trades under the ticker symbol “FGFPP”.

    Fundamental Global Inc.

    Fundamental Global Inc. (Nasdaq: FGF, FGFPP) and its subsidiaries engage in diverse business activities including reinsurance, asset management, merchant banking, and managed services.

    The FG® logo and Fundamental Global® are registered trademarks of Fundamental Global LLC.

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These statements are therefore entitled to the protection of the safe harbor provisions of these laws. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “budget,” “can,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “envision,” “estimate,” “expect,” “evaluate,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “indicate,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “outlook,” “plan,” “possibly,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “probably,” “pro-forma,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “view,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result” or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. In particular, discussions and statements regarding the Company’s future business plans and initiatives are forward-looking in nature. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates, and projections. While we believe these to be reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, and may impact our ability to implement and execute on our future business plans and initiatives. Management cautions that the forward-looking statements in this release are not guarantees of future performance, and we cannot assume that such statements will be realized or the forward-looking events and circumstances will occur. Factors that might cause such a difference include, without limitation: risks associated with our inability to identify and realize business opportunities, and the undertaking of any new such opportunities; our lack of operating history or established reputation in the reinsurance industry; our inability to obtain or maintain the necessary approvals to operate reinsurance subsidiaries; risks associated with operating in the reinsurance industry, including inadequately priced insured risks, credit risk associated with brokers we may do business with, and inadequate retrocessional coverage; our inability to execute on our equity holdings and asset management strategy, including our strategy to invest in the risk capital of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs); our ability to maintain and expand our revenue streams including our digital cinema products and installation services; potential interruptions of supplier relationships or higher prices charged by suppliers; our ability to successfully compete and introduce enhancements and new features that achieve market acceptance and that keep pace with technological developments; our ability to maintain our d reputation and retain or replace significant customers; the potential impact of a challenging global economic environment or a downturn in the markets; the effects of economic, public health, and political conditions that impact business and consumer confidence and spending, including rising interest rates, periods of heightened inflation and market instability; potential loss of value of equity holdings; risk of becoming an investment company; fluctuations in our short-term results as we implement our business strategies; risks of being unable to attract and retain qualified management and personnel to implement and execute on our business and growth strategy; failure of our information technology systems, data breaches and cyber-attacks; our ability to establish and maintain an effective system of internal controls;; the requirements of being a public company and losing our status as a smaller reporting company or becoming an accelerated filer; any potential conflicts of interest or different interests between us and our stockholders; potential conflicts of interest between us and our directors and executive officers; risks associated with our related party transactions and equity holdings; and risks associated with our investments in SPACs, including the failure of any such SPAC to complete its initial business combination. Our expectations and future plans and initiatives may not be realized. If one of these risks or uncertainties materializes, or if our underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected, estimated or projected. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof and do not necessarily reflect our outlook at any other point in time. We do not undertake and specifically decline any obligation to update any such statements or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any such statements to reflect new information, future events or developments.

    Investor Contact:

    investors@fundamentalglobal.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Appoints Associate Circuit Judge for 21st Judicial Circuit, Fills Four Boards and Commissions Vacancies

    Source: US State of Missouri

    FEBRUARY 14, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe appointed a new Associate Circuit Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit and filled four vacancies on various boards and commissions.

    Justin W. Ruth, of University City, was appointed as Associate Circuit Judge for Saint Louis County in the 21st Judicial Circuit.

    Mr. Ruth is a principal attorney at Riezman Berger, PC. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. He is also an active member of several bar associations, including the Missouri Bar, St. Louis County Bar, and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, where he has previously held leadership roles. Ruth was previously appointed by the Supreme Court of Missouri as a member of the OCDC Disciplinary Committee for Region XL. Mr. Ruth will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Nancy Watkins McLaughlin.

    Alfred Brandt, of Linn, was appointed as a member of the State Milk Board.

    Mr. Brandt was previously the owner of Brandt Dairy Farms, and has been a member of the State Milk Board since 2009, serving as the president from 2011 to 2024. He is also an active member of the Holstein Association USA Board and the St. George Parish Council. Previously, he served as President of Missouri Dairy and was a member of the Midwest Dairy Board for the MO-KAN division. Mr. Brandt holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Lincoln University.

    Louise Secker, of Joplin, was appointed to the Missouri Community Service Commission.

    Ms. Secker is a licensed real estate salesperson for Keller Williams Realty Elevate. She previously served as the Director of Development for Lafayette House in Joplin, Missouri. Beyond her professional career,  Ms. Secker has demonstrated a strong commitment to community service, holding leadership roles on the boards of Jasper County CASA, the Joplin Regional Community Foundation, and the Mount Hope Cemetery. She is also serves on the steering committee for One Joplin Collaborative and is an active member of the Friends of St. Avips, a nonprofit organization that supports fundraising efforts for the Spiva Center for the Arts.

    Jennifer Keller, of Lee’s Summit, was appointed as a member of the State Committee of Psychologists.

    Ms. Keller is a licensed psychologist and serves as Senior Director of Behavioral Health – Counseling Clinics and Psychology at University Health. She is also the Section Chief of Psychology and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine. She holds a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, has completed an APA-accredited Pre-Doctoral Internship and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy. With extensive experience in clinical psychology and behavioral health, Ms. Keller has held key leadership positions, including Preadolescent Program Director and Clinical Coordinator of Counseling. Since 2005, she has been an active member of the American Psychological Association and, since 2017, has served on the Missouri Psychological Association’s Evidence-Based Practice Committee.

    Timothy Flora, of Ellisville, was appointed to the Missouri State Board of Private Investigators and Private Fire Investigator Examiners.

    Mr. Flora is the President and Certified Licensed Polygraph Examiner at Mid-West Protective Service, Inc., with over 40 years of experience in law enforcement, investigation, and fire safety. He holds a Master of Arts in Legal Studies from Webster University, a Bachelor of Science in Management from Tarkio College, and a Criminal Justice Certificate from Northeast Missouri State University. Mr. Flora has served in key leadership roles, including Director of the Metro West Fire Protection District and Chairman of the Central County Emergency 911 Dispatch Center. He has been a board member of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis since 2005, and currently serves on the St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Metairie Man Guilty of Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that KEVIN LILLIS (“LILLIS”), age 51, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, pled guilty today, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, to distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), in violation of   18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2).

    According to court documents, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents executed a search warrant at LILLIS’s residence in March 2024.  During the execution of the warrant, agents seized and searched electronic devices belonging to LILLIS.  These devices contained files depicting the sexual victimization of children and obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.  Specifically, the items seized included more than 600 images and 6 videos, 1 of which was almost 12 minutes long, depicting the sexual victimization of children, as well as dozens of other images and videos depicting obscene visual representations.  Among the files LILLIS searched, downloaded, stored, and distributed, were images of newborn infants engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and files portraying violent sadistic or masochistic conduct.  LILLIS distributed the files numerous times between January 2024 and March 11, 2024.  Agents also discovered conversations LILLIS had with other individuals on encrypted messaging applications during 2023-2024, in which LILLIS admitted having hands-on sexual contact with multiple young prepubescent minors over the past two decades.

    LILLIS faces a mandatory minimum of five (5) years in prison up to a  maximum of twenty (20) years imprisonment, as to each of Counts 1, 2, and 3.  LILLIS also faces at least five years, and up to a lifetime, of supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine per count.  Additionally, he faces payment of a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.  LILLIS may also be required to register as a sex offender.  Sentencing before Judge Milazzo has been scheduled for May 14, 2025.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Founder of Miami-Based Cryptocurrency Token CluCoin Sentenced for Wire Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – The founder of CluCoin, a cryptocurrency token project in Miami, was sentenced to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution and forfeit assets in the amount of $1.14 million. The sentence comes after the defendant pleaded guilty to wire fraud in August 2024.

    Austin Michael Taylor, 41, of Sykesville, Maryland, was the founder of a cryptocurrency project CluCoin and owner of CLU LLC, a company incorporated and headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Fla., that handled CluCoin’s operations.

    Taylor leveraged his sizable social media following to generate interest in a digital token he called “CLU.” Taylor generated interest in CLU’s initial coin offering (ICO), which is a capital raising event in which an entity offers investors a unique digital token in exchange for a more established cryptocurrency or fiat currency. Taylor created a “white paper” for CluCoin, which was meant to educate and entice investors to participate in the ICO, which promised to have a charitable focus. After raising investor funds, Taylor successfully launched CluCoin’s ICO on May 19, 2021. Taylor then shifted CluCoin’s focus to other projects he devised: the minting of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the development of a computer game and a metaverse platform.

    Taylor organized and paid for an event called “NFTCon: Into the Metaverse,” which took place in a hotel in Miami on April 4 and 5, 2022, to drive interest and investment in CLU, CluCoin and related projects. Shortly after the conference, in May 2022, Taylor gained the ability to make withdrawals from the cryptocurrency address he controlled into which a portion of the CLU investor funds automatically flowed. From May through December 2022, Taylor sent approximately $1.14 million in investor funds to his personal account at a virtual currency exchange and then used the funds at multiple online casinos, where he lost these investor funds to gambling.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin E. Fleck of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra.

    FBI Miami and the Washington Field Offices investigated the case. Assistant U.S Attorney Manolo Reboso prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.

    Identified victims were notified via NFT. If you invested in CLU, believe you are a victim, and/or received an NFT, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/CluCoinInvestors to provide relevant information to the FBI.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20308.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz Hold Joint Media Availability

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    UNKNOWN: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the press conference in the Ministry of National Defense. We have here Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and Secretary of Defense of the United States, Mr. Pete Hegseth. Deputy Prime Minister, can you please take the floor?

    DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ: Good morning. Good morning, everyone. It is a great moment. It is a great moment for myself, for my wife, together with whom we are hosting Secretary of Defense of the United States together with his wife. Welcome very cordially. Thank you for choosing Poland as the first venue of your first official bilateral visit, that you decided to come to Poland.

    It is a testimony to our partnership. It is also a testimony to our friendship and shared strategy of security for the United States, for Poland, Europe and the whole world. That is our great duty. It is a great honor for myself to host Secretary Pete Hegseth to Poland today and talk about the most important challenges related to the security of Poland, the United States, Europe and the world.

    Thank you very much for a very good discussion. Well, first, we had a [Inaudible] and then we had a bilateral meeting with delegations to talk about our alliance and the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance. Polish American Alliance has never been as strong as it is today, and we can do everything possible to make it even stronger overnight.

    And this is what we agreed on, that we will have a joint investment and shared security guarantees, as well as increasing capabilities. Poland is a country that understands threats, that it can see it, and we can sense it. We have our own history and we know how it happened, that in our country, in our beloved homeland, the war was waged. We were deprived of our own independence for years.

    For years, we didn’t also have the self-determination capacity when we restored it. We know how important security is, how important freedom is and peace. The values that bring us together need strength. Freedom needs strength. The peace also needs strength. Security takes a lot of strength, and that strength is not possible without spendings, without the money that we have to spend on security, without increasing our capabilities and investment in our armed forces, the alliance and the society.

    We know this perfectly well and this is something that we definitely share. Thank you very much for that. Poland is an example of such a such a country and Secretary of Defense gave an example of Poland in public in Brussels, that Poland is actually an example how to care for our own security and the allied security.

    Because whatever we do, the protection of our borders, five percent of defense spending is modernization and transformation of the Polish armed forces, the acquisition of the state-of-the-art equipment from our strategic partner in the area of defense, which is the United States and this is an absolute priority for our country.

    Everyone in Poland absolutely accepts that and agrees with that. We want to thank our taxpayers, thanks to whom we are able to execute that great plan of the transformation of the Polish Armed Forces. Without them, it would not be possible. We can do that, thanks to them, because they contribute to this and they understand this.

    Poland is a country that understands that the greater defense spendings are definitely a must. Europe must spend more. This is the message with which Secretary of Defense came to the meeting of defense ministers of the alliance. Well, we must spend more to protect our territory better and the United States wants to cooperate.

    And the United States will do everything possible to be together for the alliance to be stronger and stronger, but Europe also must demonstrate its contribution. We understand this perfectly well and we are true to our commitments. We are true to our allied obligations. We were together in Iraq. We were together in Afghanistan.

    We were in different anti-terror missions. After the terrorist attacks in the United States, we were the first country that was ready to support the US and we continue to do so. We will support the United States. We are a steadfast and loyal ally and thank you very much for the presence of the American troops in Poland.

    It is incredibly important for us. It is crucial and it gives us a sense of security and it really provides tangible security. We want to thank for every single American serviceman and servicewomen training together with Polish troops for giving us strengths and capabilities and our power. You are very much welcome here.

    Come to us. This is your home, and you will always be treated like that because it is a great privilege for us and a great pleasure. I am also very happy with our conversation about the future, further spendings that we want to make in the United States, further acquisitions. We will definitely continue that effort.

    We also want to develop the cooperation of our defense industries. We also talked about that investment joint venture, Polish American Investment to increase the capabilities for our production, especially the capacity to produce munitions and the capacity for armament, production that is not sufficient in Europe.

    Europe must wake up. Europe must invest in defense industry and we want to create joint venture companies with the United States to be able to use these resources better. Poland can and should be a hub of infrastructure for maintenance, for economy and businesses of the United States. Our strategy is to be like a transatlantic bond, bringing the United States and Europe together because Poland is best prepared to do that and Poland understands best all the actions that are undertaken by the United States today.

    And I think that Poland has very good awareness of the situation. After this conversation, I am absolutely convinced that it is the case. We want to be a service hub that will be used for the American equipment used by our allies along the eastern border of NATO. We also talked about illegal migration that we stop at the Polish Belarusian border.

    We talked about the challenges the United States is also facing to this extent and very good information that I want to share with you. You know that there is the review of different spendings in the United States, that there are different executive orders that were issued by President Trump and the objective is to review the justification of the spendings.

    But there is something as foreign military financing. This is the fund that is used to modernize, for example, the Polish armed forces and we use it, billions of dollars. And that executive order of President Trump about freezing the funding of different programs to support modernization and transformation, they do not apply to Poland.

    Thank you very much, Secretary of Defense for the decisions about the that, for a very clear presentation of the case. It is a great example and we are ironclad partners. We are friends for better and for worse, for good times and worse times. We are together with each other, Poland and the United States.

    The United States and Poland are true and loyal friends and our cooperation will be even at a higher level.

    UNKNOWN: Thank you. Now, Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense of the United States.

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: Well, thank you, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister. Thank you for your incredibly strong words, which I echo and concur completely. Our friendship, our bond is ironclad and we came here specifically to reinforce that. I also want to thank your wife for being a part of this as well today, and your entire delegation.

    The warmth of the Polish people is very, very clear. It is a privilege to be here and I do want to emphasize that it’s quite intentional that our first European bilateral is right here in Poland. The symbolism is not lost, in fact, it is intentional. We see Poland as the model ally on the continent, willing to invest not just in their defense, but in our shared defense and the defense of the continent.

    Our relationship is strong and growing stronger every day. Poland, a strategic frontline partner on NATO’s eastern flank. Poland, a staunch US ally. Poland, a, as I said, model ally, not only in words. Words are cheap, but in deed and in actions. Poland leads by example, on a lot of things, including defense spending, building up Polish military readiness.

    Yesterday in Brussels, we both talked a lot about spending and the need for hard power. Diplomacy is important. Talk is important. Negotiations are important. But ultimately, beans and bullets and tanks and helicopters and hard power still matters. Poland understands that and so do we. They’re exceeding NATO burden sharing commitments and we’re looking for even more ways to partner.

    You mentioned joint ventures, strategic partnerships. We are open and look forward to further solidifying how we can work together as it pertains to our defense industrial bases. We want to achieve peace through strength together. Deterrence, that defense industrial base, that’s Apaches, F-35s, HIMARS, Patriots, you name it. The more you have, the stronger we are.

    The more we can cooperate with those systems, the more interoperable our capabilities are, the better. I also want to thank you and the Polish people for the outstanding support of our forces that are deployed here. We have over 8,000 American troops in Poland. I had a chance to spend the morning with some of some of those US troops.

    We ran the streets of Warsaw this morning in the snow. I’m from Minnesota, so I was used to it. It was about 25 to 30 US Soldiers and Marines, had a chance to talk to them while we ran and did push-ups. And I asked them about their experience here in Poland and some worked directly with troops, others worked in military sales.

    Some work in POW and MIA remains recovery still. Each one of them had nothing but gushing compliments for the Polish people, for the Polish military, for the amount of support that they receive, for the true partnership, for the eagerness with which Polish troops work alongside American troops. We’ve seen plenty of examples across the globe as the United States of America, or where you work with allies who sometimes you wish wanted it just as much as we did.

    That’s not a problem we have with Polish troops or here in Poland, and we thank you and we thank your military for the immense amount of support they provide to ours. We also, investments by Poland makes it easier for us to be here as well. Generous contributions from the Polish Treasury for infrastructure and logistics support for our troops to be here reduces the US taxpayer burden.

    I know that’s something that President Trump worked with Poland on his first four years in office. We will continue to do that together as well. The level of partnership, just to underscore here, is unmatched in Europe. The common bond between our forces is unlike others in Europe. We have a shared warrior ethos, which we talked about, something I’m emphasizing, we’re emphasizing at Donald Trump’s Department of Defense.

    We’re ready, we’re lethal, we’re capable and we want to reinvest the warrior spirit. We want to rebuild our military and reestablish deterrence. I heard the exact same things from you and from your leadership in our bilateral meeting, which is incredibly encouraging. No truer friend, no tougher foe than the Polish soldier.

    As I mentioned, we saw it in Iraq, we saw it in Afghanistan and it goes all the way back to World War II and Market Garden. The Polish military has stood alongside America and we stand alongside you. So, thank you again for that robust partnership, for being a friend around the table of nations. Yes, at NATO, we are all friends, but sometimes you look out and see those that say we are with you when there are tough conversations to be had and you were, and I know you will be. We look forward to leading those conversations and ensuring our deeds match our words, and your friendship is incredibly valued.

    On behalf of the American people, thank you for welcoming us. It’s an honor to be here, sir. Thank you.

    UNKNOWN: Now we have time for four short questions. The first question, Jan Piotrowski, TVN 24.

    Q: — Hegseth. Sir, just recently you’ve ruled out the possibility of restoring Ukrainian pre-2014 borders, but do you believe that there is a possibility to restore the border as it was before the full-scale invasion back in February 2022? Thank you.

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: Thank you for the question, sir. I think anything is possible. I, as the Secretary of Defense, have a specific lane of the portfolio of what America is representing inside these negotiations. So, my job today and in Brussels was to introduce realism to the conversation, the reality that returning to 2014 borders as part of a negotiated settlement is unlikely.

    The reality of US troops in Ukraine is unlikely. The reality of Ukraine membership in NATO as a part of a negotiated settlement, unlikely. And I stand by the comments that I made on that first day in the Ukraine contact group and that’s for all the press out there who it’s difficult for them to understand that.

    We stand by the statements we made in reality about the status of US forces or Ukraine’s involvement in NATO and the unlikely nature of that. That said, I would never put constraints around what the president of the United States would be willing to negotiate with the sovereign leaders of both Russia and Ukraine.

    I’m not here to put a left and right limit on those discussions. We’ve been here just simply to introduce realism into the expectations of our NATO allies to incentivize the opportunity for that negotiation. So, what those borders ultimately look like, sir, remains to be seen and I think is part of the discussion that would be had between our President, Zelenskyy, Putin and likely Europe’s involvement in those discussions as well.

    Thank you, sir.

    Q: Mr. Secretary, are US troops in Ukraine on the table? Vice President Vance says it is. And [untranslated], under what condition would Poland send forces to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission?

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: Well, the president has said multiple times inside his framework for discussions of this, and I just want to lay out that these are not comments or statements that I make in a vacuum or make without direct consultation with our team. So, President Trump’s national security team, from Mike Waltz to the vice president to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, we’re all on the same page.

    And our job is to ensure that our commander in chief, the president of the United States, has the full spectrum of options to bring this conflict, to bring the killing to an end, to an end. And my message to the Ukraine contact group was I do not believe as a part of those negotiations that US troops will be on the ground.

    You can say that and I believe that to be true. That’s what President Trump has said. That is what he has emphasized, that this is a for Europeans to resolve alongside Ukraine and Russia and that US boots will not be on the ground. Again, negotiations happen, the president has latitude and what happens in those negotiations is his prerogative because he is the American people’s representative on the world stage.

    There’s no daylight in those conversations. There’s no daylight between myself and the vice president. We are collective advocates on behalf of the president. He reserves the right to have any option as he discusses troops and partnerships and investment opportunities and front-line limits. Those are all what President Trump will negotiate with his counterparts.

    DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ: [Inaudible] just started. I would like to thank for this question. The negotiation, which President Trump chairs, is just the first step. We’ve talked about it. Well, some thought that this is the finale, that this is the end. Well, it was just launched and it is worthwhile not only in Poland, but also in Ukraine across the world to realize.

    And what just was said by Pete Hegseth, what will be the finale, it is to be seen. It is in front of us. What is for sure, we need to be strong and united as allies and this is what we have between Poland and the United States. Poland has been doing a lot to support Ukraine. We’ve been doing that from the first day.

    Without the Polish participation, we could not be able to send assistance to Ukraine. 95 percent of hardware humanitarian assistance goes through logistical hub in Poland, and this has been happening for three years. We’ve been securing this. We’ve involved our forces which are protecting this process. We would like to thank our allies from the US, other countries, that they are supporting this transfer process and protection process of the donations which have been transferred to Ukraine.

    And this is the role for Poland, of the logistical support in many issues rather than sending our troops to Ukraine, what we can do for sure. And I think we’re going to do it together soon to send our companies, joint venture companies or joint venture partnerships to Ukraine. The companies investing in the defense industry also using various capabilities to elevate the level of security of Ukraine and the eastern flank of NATO developing these possibilities.

    If we invest in Ukraine, the United States, Europe and Poland, this is a great guarantee of security. I think it is also in the strategy that the United States is presenting broadly and this is also going to be a subject of the discussion. So, our role as a logistical support that we’ve been doing, it is very important.

    Without that, we could not support fighting Ukraine and the peace in Ukraine.

    UNKNOWN: Thank you very much. Next question, there will be two more questions.

    Q: Mr. Secretary, would the US consider lowering troops number in eastern Europe as a part of the deal with Russia, or would it consider giving up its permanent military presence in Poland?

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: Well, I will state definitively as I did in Brussels, that America is committed to the NATO alliance. Our message has been – and as we discussed, we believe, heard loud and clear that member countries in NATO need to spend more, need to invest more, need to have more skin in the game for their collective defense.

    That is not just a suggestion from the United States of America, that is a direct request, which we will follow up on as a reflection of their desire and commitment to actually defend their own backyard. That’s a serious aspect of NATO becoming a serious alliance in the future. As I mentioned, you can have as many flags as you want, but if you don’t have hard power, you’re not an actual alliance.

    And unfortunately, our adversaries look at that and they judge accordingly. Right now, on the continent, the American presence is robust and it has been. And that partnership is real and important. And the troops that we have here in Poland is an investment in that, is a recognition of that. And frankly, the invitation we receive here, if anything, would make me want to welcome more troops to Poland, as the Secretary of Defense.

    That’s not a policy statement. That’s just how I feel. The welcome is warm. At the same time, our president is in the middle of negotiations, but he has recognized, as have I, that American presence on the continent is important to deter Vladimir Putin and send that signal of solidarity. But I think it’s really important what the deputy prime minister said.

    This is the beginning of negotiations. I’m not here to set the terms of how my president of the United States will debate this. I’m here to give him my best military advice alongside him of what may or may not be most useful to reach the peaceful end state that we want. From my perspective, the American troop levels on the continent are important.

    What happens five or 10 or 15 years from now is part of a larger discussion that reflects the threat level, America’s posture, our needs around the globe, but most significantly, the capability of European countries to step up. And that’s why our message is so stark to our European allies, now is the time to invest because you can’t make an assumption that America’s presence will last forever.

    America has to stare down a lot of threats to include, as I mentioned, the Communist Chinese and if that’s the case, then countries like Poland and others will continue to step up. But as of today, we are very proud of our partnership in Europe. Thank you.

    UNKNOWN: [Inaudible] Fox News [Inaudible].

    Q: — Fox News. These questions are for both you gentlemen. Do you believe the warnings from NATO allies that allowing Putin to keep Ukrainian territory, will one day embolden him to launch future attacks, perhaps even invade the eastern flank of the NATO alliance? Is this Yalta 2.0 or perhaps even Munich 2.0? Do you trust Vladimir Putin to live up to any potential agreement?

    And finally, in light of the Russian drone attack on Chernobyl last night, should there be a ceasefire during these negotiations? Thank you.

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: Do you want to go? Go ahead.

    DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ: Well, what I believe is the strength which protects us from evil. On the strong, we are able to defend ourselves from Putin on the strength the terrorists in our freedom. Our freedom will not be protected by beautiful words, by diplomatic meetings. Our freedom and independence will be only defended and protected by the strength of our alliance.

    This is the only thing that can protect us, nothing else. And we’ll never have a calm day. There are no calm days across the world. There are only those who have slept the last 30 days, years, because they thought that they lived in the calm world. The world will never be calm. The world will also always require from us activity.

    We always need to invest that. We have to remember that Putin or other dictator may come, which can threaten our security. It never ends. This is what history teaches us. And I think it was a bit too good for us. For some, it was too good. Maybe they didn’t have the experiences that we’ve had in Poland, that they just slept over this time.

    And right now, it’s time to wake them up and the voice which came from Brussels, from Pete Hegseth, and more spending was finally heard. We’ve been talking about, we’ve been showing that and we need it. Not to replace the American troops in Europe because without them the world and Europe will not be saved.

    But to maintain them to keep them, Europe must show that they want it, not in the words but in the deeds and many European countries is already doing that, but many more needs to do it and we want to do it. So, there is no other security guarantee than your strength.

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: Well, I appreciate those words and I agree. First, your second question on a ceasefire, I think the president has stated that that could be part of a good faith aspect of the beginning of negotiations, which the president’s goal is to stop the killing and the violence and the death. Part of doing that could be a ceasefire, and that could be a welcome development.

    As far as Vladimir Putin being emboldened, he’s going to declare victory no matter what. You can expect that no matter what the outcome is. Thankfully, the bravery of the Ukrainians and allies that came alongside them, especially early in the war, deterred and defeated Vladimir Putin from achieving what he wanted, which was all of Ukraine.

    So, now you have a more defined front line and whether he declares victory or not will be up to him. Whether he’s emboldened speaks exactly to what the deputy prime minister talked about and NATO’s willingness to step up. If NATO’s response to this situation is to truly increase capabilities, truly increase inputs and spending to think more like Poland, to think more like the Baltics who are closer to the threat and recognize the reality of the threat, then I don’t think Vladimir Putin will be emboldened by this outcome.

    It will be a recognition that the collective ability of the west to deter him was something that actually happened. Is there trust there? No. I mean, you don’t have to operate under a position of trust in order to negotiate a deal. But again, I’m the Secretary of Defense, it’s not my job to read the mind of Vladimir Putin.

    President Trump will be the one at the table with Zelenskyy and Putin. You don’t have to trust somebody in order to negotiate with them. But as Ronald Reagan said, if you don’t trust, you need to verify and so there will be a follow up and ensuring that whatever peace is negotiated is a lasting and enduring peace.

    UNKNOWN: Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you, prime minister and secretary.

    DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ: Thank you one more time.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Fairfax India Amends Credit Agreement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

    (Note: All dollar amounts in this news release are expressed in U.S. dollars, except as otherwise noted).

    TORONTO, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fairfax India Holdings Corporation (“Fairfax India” or the “Company”) (TSX: FIH.U) announces that, it has amended its existing credit agreement (“Credit Agreement”) with a syndicate of lenders to (i) provide for the issuance of letters of credit under its revolving credit facility (for the term of the Credit Agreement), and (ii) increase the borrowing limit of its revolving credit facility from $175.0 million to $250.0 million, which shall be reduced to $175.0 million over a period of approximately eighteen months, in accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement. All other terms of the Credit Agreement remain unchanged. At December 31, 2024, the revolving credit facility was undrawn.

    As previously disclosed, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, has entered into an agreement to acquire an additional 10% equity interest in Bangalore International Airport Limited (“BIAL”) from Siemens Project Ventures GmbH, part of Siemens Financial Services (“Siemens”) for, in aggregate, $255.0 million (the “Purchase Price”). The Purchase Price is payable in three installments, with the initial installment ($84.2 million) to be paid on the closing date of the BIAL transaction, which as previously announced, is to occur in Q1 2025. The second and third installments (collectively, the “Deferred Purchase Price”) are to be paid on August 31, 2025 (as to $94.4 million) and July 31, 2026 (as to $76.5 million), respectively. The Company’s wholly owned subsidiary is required to deliver on the closing of the BIAL transaction a letter of credit in favour of Siemens representing the Deferred Purchase Price, being, in aggregate, $170.9 million. The Siemens letter of credit expires on September 30, 2026. The amendments to the Company’s Credit Agreement are intended to facilitate the issuance of the letter of credit to Siemens on the closing of the BIAL transaction while ensuring that the Company maintains its liquidity for the period the letter of credit is outstanding.

    About Fairfax India

    Fairfax India is an investment holding company whose objective is to achieve long-term capital appreciation, while preserving capital, by investing in public and private equity securities and debt instruments in India and Indian businesses or other businesses with customers, suppliers or business primarily conducted in, or dependent on, India.

    For further information, contact:       John Varnell, Vice President, Corporate Affairs
    (416) 367-4755
         

    This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements may relate to the company’s or an Indian Investment’s future outlook and anticipated events or results and may include statements regarding the financial position, business strategy, growth strategy, budgets, operations, financial results, taxes, dividends, plans and objectives of the company. Particularly, statements regarding future results, performance, achievements, prospects or opportunities of the company, an Indian Investment, or the Indian market are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate” or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “will” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. 

    Forward-looking statements are based on our opinions and estimates as of the date of this press release, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the following factors: oil price risk; geographic concentration of investments; foreign currency fluctuation; volatility of the Indian securities markets; investments may be made in foreign private businesses where information is unreliable or unavailable; valuation methodologies involve subjective judgments; financial market fluctuations; pace of completing investments; minority investments; reliance on key personnel and risks associated with the Investment Advisory Agreement; disruption of the company’s information technology systems; lawsuits; use of leverage; significant ownership by Fairfax may adversely affect the market price of the subordinate voting shares; weather risk; taxation risks; emerging markets; MLI; economic risk; trading price of subordinate voting shares relative to book value per share risk; and economic disruptions from the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Additional risks and uncertainties are described in the company’s annual information form dated March 8, 2024 which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the company’s website at www.fairfaxindia.ca. These factors and assumptions are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors and assumptions that could affect the company. These factors and assumptions, however, should be considered carefully.

    Although the company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Underscores Importance of Lowering Health Care Costs in Speech Opposing RFK Nomination to Lead HHS  

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Underscores Importance of Lowering Health Care Costs in Speech Opposing RFK Nomination to Lead HHS  

    On Wednesday evening, Senator Reverend Warnock held the Senate floor for nearly an hour to bring attention to the danger of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

    During his speech, Senator Reverend Warnock highlighted Mr. Kennedy’s refusal to support lowering health care premiums and inconsistent views on supporting low-income Georgians’ access to coverage

    Senator Reverend Warnock also addressed Mr. Kennedy’s disturbing comments and long-held beliefs that threaten health care costs, quality, and access for Americans

    Senator Reverend Warnock also used the speech to highlight personal stories from Georgians who would be impacted by Mr. Kennedy’s potential poor stewardship of HHS

    Senator Reverend Warnock: “Mr. Kennedy won’t work to lower Georgians’ health care costs or increase access to health care for my constituents who are caught right now in the health care coverage gap”

    Above: Senator Reverend Warnock speaks on the Senate floor in opposition to Mr. Kennedy’s HHS nomination

    Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday evening, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate highlighting his opposition to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee to be the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

    During his nearly hour-long speech, Senator Warnock highlighted how Mr. Kennedy would not stand in the way of Washington Republicans’ attempt to raise Georgians’ health care premiums to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. The Senator highlighted Mr. Kennedy’s inconsistent positions on providing Georgians’ access to health care.

    “I asked him, yes or no, if he supports Congress extending these [premium] tax credits, which lower Americans’ premiums, something he told me was a priority for him [during their private meeting]. Suddenly, Mr. Kennedy could not give me a yes or no answer,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.“I wonder why?

    “He told me in private that he cared about health care. He said he was aware that these tax credits were set to expire at the end of the year,” continued the Senator.“He said he wanted to lower health care costs. When I asked him whether he would support Congress extending these tax credits, the crusader, all of a sudden, became a politician and couldn’t give me a yes or no answer. That’s not a good sign. It’s a pretty simple question to the nominee to run the federal agency tasked with protecting the health of all Americans, do you support lowering health care premiums and keeping millions of people insured? That question, apparently, was a bit too challenging for Mr. Kennedy, so if a nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services cannot tell me if he supports preventing Georgians’ health care costs from spiking… I cannot support his nomination.”

    Watch Senator Warnock’s speech HERE.

    Below key excerpts from Senator Warnock’s speech:

    “Mr. President,

    “I rise today in strong opposition to the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To lead the Department of Health and Human Services.”

    “It’s no overstatement for me to say that it’s hard for me to imagine a nominee less qualified that would actually be presented for the job of HHS secretary. Robert F. Kennedy, not only does he not pass muster, this is not even close. I still can’t believe we’re even having this discussion. He is a conspiracy theorist who is so focused on his conspiracy theories, when you think of what we need the HHS secretary to do, Robert F. Kennedy is a hazard to our health.”

    “Certainly we can do better than this. He’s just manifestly unqualified. I don’t know how else to put it.”

    […]

    “Mr. Kennedy won’t work to lower Georgians’ health care costs or increase access to health care for my constituents who are caught right now in the health care coverage gap. I’m so proud that in my first few months in the Senate, I was able to play a critical role in passing the American Rescue Plan, which, among other things, lowered Georgians’ health care premiums by hundreds of dollars on average. It is, quite frankly, the kind of thing that makes this job worth it to me. Being able to help ordinary folks.”

    “That tax cut literally helped bring health care into reach for tens of thousands of Georgians and millions of Americans. These tax cuts are so critical that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that the number of Americans without health care would grow by 3.8 million in just one year, in just one year, 3.8 million without health care if the premium subsidies that we now enjoy were allowed to expire. We know that that would impact thousands of Georgians who have only recently been able to receive health care coverage.”

    “If these tax credits are allowed to expire, a 45-year-old in Georgia with $62,000 annual income would see premiums go up by $1,414 a year. A 60-year-old couple in Georgia with an $80,000 annual income would see their premiums go up by a staggering $18,157 a year. Can you imagine someone making $80,000 a year, 60-year-old couple, and all of a sudden their health insurance for the year goes up by more than $18,000? We know what that is. That’s the difference between having health care coverage and not having it at all.”

    “Nearly one-third of Americans have less than $500 in savings in their bank account, and so these folks don’t have that kind of extra dough. They don’t have that kind of extra cash on hand to pay for something that is vitally necessary, and we don’t know, we never know when we will really need our health insurance.”

    “So, every single day, as we watch the games that Washington politicians play — for me, this is no game. I often say that if we would center ordinary people, we have a chance at getting the public policy right. If we will center people rather than politics, we might manage to get the right policy.”

    […]

    “I asked the nominee for HHS, what do you think about this? Mr. Kennedy told me when I met him privately in my office that he wanted to work with President Trump to lower health care premiums. I said, good.”

    “That’s why I was deeply troubled when I questioned Mr. Kennedy on his support for these tax credits in his hearing in front of the Senate Finance committee, I asked him, yes or no, Mr. Kennedy, are you aware that the premium subsidies that help save Georgians and average of $531 a month are set to expire at the end of the year? He said, yes, he is aware. Then I asked him, yes or no, if he supports Congress extending these tax credits, which lower Americans’ premiums, something he told me was a priority for him. Suddenly, Mr. Kennedy could not give me a yes or no answer. I wonder why?”

    “He told me in private that he cared about health care. He said he was aware that these tax credits were set to expire at the end of the year. He said he wanted to lower health care costs. When I asked him whether he would support Congress extending these tax credits, the crusader all of a sudden became a politician and couldn’t give me a yes or no answer. That’s not a good sign.”

    “It’s a pretty simple question to the nominee to run the federal agency tasked with protecting the health of all Americans, do you support lowering health care premiums and keeping millions of people insured? That question apparently was a bit too challenging for Mr. Kennedy, so if a nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services cannot tell me if he supports preventing Georgians’ health care costs from spiking and keeping people like Cassie Cox on her health care plan, I cannot support his nomination.”

    “I don’t work for him. I don’t work for the insurance companies. I work for Cassie Cox and the other Georgians like her.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Shareholders of ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. and The First of Long Island Corporation Approve Proposed Merger

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. and MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNOB) (the “Company” or “ConnectOne”), parent company of ConnectOne Bank (the “Bank”), and The First of Long Island Corporation (Nasdaq: FLIC) (“First of Long Island”), parent company of The First National Bank of Long Island, today announced that at separate special meetings the shareholders of both companies approved proposals relating to the pending merger of ConnectOne and First of Long Island. Closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2025, subject to the receipt of regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.

    “We are pleased that shareholders demonstrated strong support for this compelling transaction,” commented Frank Sorrentino III, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ConnectOne. “Our integration teams have been working diligently to prepare for the combination, and we look forward to bringing together our two highly complementary cultures to create a truly premier New York-metro community bank.”

    Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company will operate under the ConnectOne brand, and will have approximately $14 billion in total assets, $11 billion in total deposits, and $11 billion in total loans. The combination will establish ConnectOne as one of the top 5 banks on Long Island, in terms of deposit market share.

    “We’re excited about the prospect of combining with ConnectOne, which presents attractive opportunities for our respective clients, employees, and investors,” said Chris Becker, CEO of First of Long Island. “We look forward to beginning this next chapter in our bank’s history.” As previously announced, Mr. Becker will become Vice Chairman of ConnectOne following the close of the transaction.

    About ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc.
    ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc., is a modern financial services company that operates, through its subsidiary, ConnectOne Bank, and the Bank’s fintech subsidiary, BoeFly, Inc. ConnectOne Bank is a high-performing commercial bank offering a full suite of banking & lending products and services that focus on small to middle-market businesses. BoeFly, Inc. is a fintech marketplace that connects borrowers in the franchise space with funding solutions through a network of partner banks. ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. is traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the trading symbol “CNOB,” and information about ConnectOne may be found at https://www.connectonebank.com.

    About The First of Long Island Corporation
    The First of Long Island Corporation (Nasdaq: FLIC) is the parent company of The First National Bank of Long Island, a local bank founded in 1927 in Glen Head, New York. Through its branch network branded as First National Bank LI, the Bank focuses on business and consumer needs on Long Island and in New York City. We offer a broad set of lending, deposit, investment, and digital products. First National Bank LI is known for its culture of delivering extraordinary service and a “Customer First” banking experience to small and middle market businesses, professional service firms, not-for-profits, municipalities and consumers. The Bank’s tagline “Go First, Go Far” communicates the benefits of its employees’ commitment to helping customers reach their financial goals. For more information about the Bank and Corporation visit fnbli.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain statements contained herein are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward looking statements may be identified by reference to a future period or periods, or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “may,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “continue,” or similar terms or variations on those terms, or the negative of those terms.

    Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in such statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results expressed in the forward-looking statements: failure to consummate the merger for any reason, including the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals (and the risk that such approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect the combined company) or failure to satisfy any of the other closing conditions in a timely basis or at all; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the merger agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against ConnectOne or FLIC; and potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the transaction. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are discussed in ConnectOne’s and FLIC’s reports (such as the Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and available at the SEC’s Internet website (www.sec.gov). Except as required by law, ConnectOne and FLIC do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statement is made.

    ConnectOne Investor Contact:
    William S. Burns
    Senior Executive VP & CFO
    201.816.4474; bburns@cnob.com

    First of Long Island Investor Contact:
    Janet T. Verneuille
    Senior Executive VP & CFO
    516.671.4900 Ext. 7462; janet.verneuille@fnbli.com

    Media Contact:
    Mitchell Mevorah
    MikeWorldWide
    646.306.1965; mmevorah@mww.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Synaptics Reports Inducement Grants Following Completion of Broadcom Agreement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Synaptics® Incorporated (Nasdaq: SYNA) today announced that on February 17, 2025, it will grant restricted stock unit (“RSU”) awards to new employees who joined Synaptics in connection with the previously announced asset purchase transaction between Synaptics and Broadcom Inc. which closed on January 30, 2025. Pursuant to that transaction, Synaptics also entered into a licensing agreement with Broadcom that includes Broadcom’s Wi-Fi® 8, ultra-wideband, Wi-Fi 7, advanced Bluetooth®, and next-generation GPS/GNSS products and technology for the IoT and Android™ ecosystem, further accelerating Synaptics’ Edge AI strategy.

    “We are excited to welcome our new team members to Synaptics and look forward to building a bright and successful future together,” said Venkat Kodavati, SVP Wireless Products Group.

    The RSU awards will be granted to these 104 newly hired non-executive employees under Synaptics’ 2025 Inducement Equity Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The aggregate number of RSUs awarded will be 1,006,506 and are being made as a substitution of Broadcom equity awards and are being granted as a material inducement to the employees’ acceptance of employment with Synaptics. The Plan and the RSU awards were approved by the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors.

    Fifty percent of the RSUs will vest on the first anniversary of the grant date, and the remaining fifty percent will vest quarterly thereafter until fully vested on the second anniversary of the grant date, subject to the employees’ continued service with the Company through the relevant vesting dates. The RSU awards also are subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the inducement award agreement covering the RSU awards.

    About Synaptics Incorporated
    Synaptics (Nasdaq: SYNA) is driving innovation in AI at the Edge, bringing AI closer to end users and transforming how we engage with intelligent connected devices, whether at home, at work, or on the move. As a go-to partner for forward-thinking product innovators, Synaptics powers the future with its cutting-edge Synaptics Astra™ AI-Native embedded compute, Veros™ wireless connectivity, and multimodal sensing solutions. We’re making the digital experience smarter, faster, more intuitive, secure, and seamless. From touch, display, and biometrics to AI-driven wireless connectivity, video, vision, audio, speech, and security processing, Synaptics is the force behind the next generation of technology enhancing how we live, work, and play. Follow Synaptics on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook, or visit www.synaptics.com. 

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains statements that are not historical facts but rather forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include those that address activities, events or developments that the Company or its management believes or anticipates may occur in the future. All forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations or various assumptions. Our expectations and assumptions are expressed in good faith, and we believe there is a reasonable basis for them. However, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will materialize or prove to be correct as forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual future results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those set out in the forward-looking statements, including risks related to our ability to consummate and realize anticipated benefits from the transaction and our ability to grow sales and expand into the serviceable wireless market as expected, and other risks as identified in the “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business” sections of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q; and other risks as identified from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission reports. For any forward-looking statements contained in this or any other document, we claim ​the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we assume no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events, except as required by law.

    Synaptics and the Synaptics logo are trademarks of Synaptics in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

    For further information, please contact:

    Investor Relations
    Munjal Shah
    Synaptics
    +1-408-518-7639
    munjal.shah@synaptics.com

    Media Contact
    Patrick Mannion
    Synaptics
    +1-631-678-1015
    patrick.mannion@synaptics.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: This Week in Trump Administration Oversight and Accountability: Senator Luján Standing Up for New Mexico Amidst the Chaos, Confusion, and Corruption

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    Washington, D.C. – This week, amidst the chaos, confusion, and corruption shown by Elon Musk and the Trump administration, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) took the following actions to hold the Administration accountable and stand up for New Mexicans in Washington:
    Senator Luján and the New Mexico Delegation on Thursday night urged the Trump administration to stop the unlawful mass firings of probationary federal employees. In New Mexico, there are approximately 2,200 federal employees in their probationary period – including individuals who serve in critical roles across key agencies, including the Veterans Health Administration, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among others.
    “Abruptly terminating these employees without due process would not only undermine the delivery of essential government services but would also have widespread economic consequences for our state. Federal employment is a major contributor to New Mexico’s economy, supporting thousands of families and generating significant local revenue. Large-scale firings of probationary employees would ripple through our communities, reducing consumer spending, straining local businesses, and creating unnecessary economic instability,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to President Trump.
    Senator Luján, a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, joined colleagues to tell Elon Musk and “DOGE” to keep their hands off Americans’ Medicaid and Medicare. In New Mexico, one in three New Mexicans rely on Medicare and over 780,000 individuals rely on Medicaid to access health care.
    The lawmakers urged, “It is dangerously unacceptable that an unelected Musk and his unqualified acolytes have access to sensitive CMS systems and are ready to bypass Congress to make life and death decisions affecting millions of Americans. No one asked for this lawless approach to our critical government health care systems. We urge you to stop this threat to Americans’ health care, now.”
    Senators Luján and Heinrich joined all Senate Democrats in raising alarm over the Trump administration pushing illegal indiscriminate funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and derailing life-saving research. New Mexico universities conduct research from substance use disorders to cancer treatment and are among the institutions impacted.
    “Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted,” the Senators wrote to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
    Senator Luján and members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee condemned the weaponization of the Federal Communications Commission against broadcasters and public media. Across New Mexico, 15 public media organizations rely on over $5.8 million in grants through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to deliver news, entertainment, and much more.
    The lawmakers said, “We urge you both to follow the Constitution, immediately cease abusing the FCC’s legal authority, and return to the evidence-based decision-making that has been a staple of the Commission’s long and storied history.”
    Senators Luján and Heinrich joined their colleagues to fight for the safety of families and communities in the wake of the funding freeze preventing the hiring and onboarding of seasonal fighters. This comes as the West continues to be ravaged by deadly wildfires.
    “Although there is an urgent need to hire more federal firefighters, the Trump Administration’s hiring freeze does the opposite and is pausing hiring at a critical time for this already understaffed workforce,” they continued. “We urge you to put the safety of families and communities across the country first and allow the federal seasonal firefighter hiring process to continue without delay.”
    Senate Democratic Leadership announced this week a new portal for federal employees who want to disclose information about wrongdoing, abuses of power, and threats to public safety.
    “In just three weeks, President Trump has shown New Mexicans that his administration is willing to disregard the rule of law, recklessly terminate civil servants, and disband government agencies that Americans depend on. Senate Democrats are committed to holding the Trump administration accountable and courageous whistleblowers will be invaluable to the mission of providing a check on the Executive Branch,” the Senator said.
    Additionally, Senator Luján voted against the following nominees this week to stand up for New Mexicans’ security, health and well-being, and economic opportunities:
    Tulsi Gabbard to serve as the Director of National Intelligence. Ms. Gabbard has a long history of spreading lies, defending America’s adversaries, sympathizing with dictators, and is a threat to our national security. Read Senator Luján’s full statement here.
    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – who has pushed and profited off of conspiracy theories – to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Throughout Mr. Kennedy’s nomination process, he made it abundantly clear that he will continue to push conspiracy theories and health misinformation while being a rubber stamp for President Trump at the expense of American families’ health care. Read Senator Luján’s full statement here.
    Brooke Rollins to serve as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. The Trump administration abandoned New Mexico’s farmers, ranchers, and acequia parciantes and left them on the hook for millions of dollars. Read Senator Luján’s full statement here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: Arrest following indecent act, Epsom

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Greaves, Area Investigations Manager Auckland City East:

    Police have arrested a man wanted for allegedly performing an indecent act in Epsom this week. 

    After receiving information from members of the public who recognised the wanted vehicle from our media release, Police made the arrest yesterday, Friday 14 February, and charged the man.

    The 32-year-old man is due to appear in the Auckland District Court on Wednesday 19th February charged with two counts of indecent act.

    Police wish to thank the public for their help.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hot Spring County Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Concealing a Material Fact from a Governmental Agency

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    EL DORADO – A Malvern, Arkansas, man entered a plea of guilty today to one count of Engaging in a Scheme to Conceal a Material Fact from a Governmental Agency. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the change of plea hearing, which took place in the United States District Court in El Dorado.

    According to the plea agreement, Derek” Scott” Finkbeiner, age 47 the elected Sheriff of Hot Spring County (Malvern), admitted that from approximately August 19, 2023, through August 24, 2023, he intentionally misled and concealed material facts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about the true nature of his relationship with a target of an FBI investigation.  Finkbeiner admitted that he was present at the target’s residence when the FBI conducted a controlled purchase of narcotics and that he “smoked” crack cocaine and methamphetamine with the target.  Further, Finkbeiner admitted that once he learned of the FBI’s investigation, he intentionally lied about the nature of his and the Hot Spring County Sheriff Department’s relationship with the target, all in an effort to convince the FBI to cease its investigation.

    Finkbeiner’s sentencing is expected to take place in approximately four months. Finkbeiner faces a maximum penalty of up to 5 years in prison for the crime to which he plead guilty. Chief District Judge Susan Hickey will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

    First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Harris and Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Achorn and Trent Daniels of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas are prosecuting the case.

    Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mexican citizen sentenced to 15 months in prison, following ICE, law enforcement partner investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SEATTLE – A criminal alien and transporter for a northern border human smuggling conspiracy was sentenced Feb. 10, in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 months in prison, announced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy and U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.

    Jesus Ortiz-Plata, 46, of Independence, Oregon was arrested May 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington, with aliens who had been smuggled into the United States from Canada.

    “This defendant played a key role in a dangerous and exploitative human smuggling operation that risked the lives of vulnerable individuals for financial gain. By using freight cars to smuggle people across the northern border, he demonstrated a callous disregard for human safety,” said ICE HSI Seattle acting SAC Murphy. “ICE HSI remains committed to dismantling these dangerous smuggling networks and holding individuals like Ortiz-Plata accountable for their role in facilitating these illegal activities.”

    “This defendant was a cog in a conspiracy that transported people into the U.S. from across the northern border in an extremely dangerous smuggling scheme loading people into freight cars on trains traveling from Canada into the U.S.,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “These transnational smuggling groups charge thousands of dollars and risk the lives of those trying to reach the U.S. We will continue to investigate these smuggling groups to hold members accountable.”

    Since late 2022, as Border Patrol and investigators encountered non-citizens who had illegally attempted to cross the border. As part of the investigation, agents frequently encountered a phone number that was later linked to Ortiz-Plata. After substantial investigation, Ortiz-Plata was identified, and law enforcement obtained court permission to track his location. After months of surveillance and monitoring, on May 23, 2024, Ortiz-Plata traveled from his home in Oregon and was surveilled by agents from Seattle to an apartment in Everett. Ortiz-Plata left the apartment with three men – all aliens who entered his vehicle. All four were taken into custody. Two had crossed the border in a freight train car and one claimed he had walked across the border and been picked up on the U.S. side.

    On Nov. 20, 2024, Ortiz-Plata pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport certain aliens for profit.

    In asking for the 15-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted that the defendant did not run the smuggling ring, but still played an important role in its success. “Ortiz-Plata admits that he knew the noncitizens he picked up were using freight trains to get into the United States; but nevertheless, he proceeded to participate. Even if he, himself, was not the one directing the noncitizens to jump on, Ortiz-Plata continued to facilitate, and thereby promote, this extremely dangerous smuggling route, multiple times, over the course of at least a year.”

    Ortiz-Plata will likely be removed from the United States following his prison term.

    The case was investigated by ICE HSI Border Security Enforcement Team, Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Celia Lee and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Collins.

    Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE HSI’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X at @HSISeattle.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE arrests criminal alien convicted of secretly recording others in bathroom

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    February 14, 2025Houston, TX, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

    HOUSTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a criminal alien Feb. 11 who was previously convicted of secretly recording others in the bathroom.

    ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Houston arrested Daniel Alejandro Tristan-Guerra, a 28-year-old criminal alien from Mexico, in Hallettsville and he was taken to the Victoria County Jail for processing.

    “The residents in Southeast Texas can rest easier today knowing this predator has been removed from the community,” said ICE HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “Working alongside our partners in Lavaca County, ICE HSI special agents were able to safely apprehend him when his guard was down and minimize any threat to the public.”

    Tristan-Guerra was convicted Aug. 23, 2021, on two counts of invasive visual recording in a bathroom following an investigation by ICE HSI Houston and the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office.

    For more news and information on ICE HSI Houston’s efforts to combat transnational crime in Southeast Texas follow us on X at @HSIHouston.

    MIL OSI USA News –