Category: Gun Control

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Condemn Provisions in GOP Tax Plan that would Eliminate Gun Safety Measures

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement condemning provisions in the Republican tax plan that would weaken gun safety measures that have been in place since 1934 by eliminating registration and ownership requirements for gun silencers under the National Firearms Act, increasing danger for law enforcement officers while saving gun manufacturers millions in unpaid manufacturer taxes:

    “The Republican tax plan being pushed through Congress not only cuts critical services Virginians rely on in order to give huge tax breaks to billionaires, but it also makes our communities less safe by weakening gun safety measures on silencers. Part of the reason that these registration and ownership requirements exist is because silencers, like the one that was used in the Virginia Beach mass shooting, make it harder for law enforcement to locate and respond to an active shooter. Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities, and we will oppose this disastrous bill when it comes to the Senate floor.”

    A gun silencer, also known as a suppressor, is attached to the barrel of a firearm in order to curb its sound, muzzle flash, and kickback. A silencer poses great danger to the public and makes it more difficult for law enforcement officers to detect the location of and respond to an active shooter. A silencer also diminishes the effectiveness of gunshot detection technology that relies on audio sensors to record the sound, time, and location of loud noises. A gun silencer was used in the Virginia Beach mass shooting on May 31, 2019. Law enforcement has historically supported silencer regulations because silencers make it harder, if not impossible, to figure out where the shooter is in an active shooter situation.

    Warner and Kaine have been sounding the alarm about the effects of the GOP plan on Virginia families if Republicans in Congress continue to insist on gutting vital programs in order to pay for tax breaks for the richest Americans. The senators have noted that the GOP bill would strip health insurance from more than 262,000 Virginians, cut SNAP benefits for more than 204,000 people in Virginia, raise energy costs for Virginia households, and jeopardize more than 20,000 Virginia jobs. The bill would also raise the deficit by $3.8 trillion, eliminate a program allowing Americans to file federal taxes for free, and raise taxes on minimum-wage workers while giving the richest 0.1% a $188,000 tax cut.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cincinnati man sentenced to 25 years in prison for role in narcotics, firearms conspiracies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CINCINNATI – Mason Meyer, 32, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in federal court here today to 300 months in prison. Meyer is the final of 16 defendants charged in this case for their roles in narcotics and firearms conspiracies.

    The case originated with Meyer and another individual involved in an Aug. 7, 2020, police chase through Cincinnati that resulted in the deaths of two bystanders in Newport, Kentucky. Meyer and Kirsten Johnson, 26, of Cincinnati, were charged federally in August 2020. Ongoing investigation led to the additional 14 defendants and charges.

    According to court documents, officials with the ATF, Cincinnati Police and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force were surveilling Meyer in Cincinnati on Aug. 7, 2020, when Meyer drove away. Cincinnati police officers attempted to stop Meyer when he fled, causing a police chase through Cincinnati and into Covington and Newport, Kentucky.

    Local court documents detail that Meyer’s vehicle struck and killed a couple dining on the patio of Press on Monmouth in Newport, Kentucky. Two other pedestrians were struck and suffered minor injuries.

    At the time of the chase, Meyer and Johnson possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle.

    A grand jury indicted all 16 defendants in the federal case in July 2021, charging the defendants in a firearms conspiracy and in a narcotics conspiracy involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine and 10 grams or more of LSD, as well as detectable amounts of MDMA, DMT, marijuana and ketamine.

    In total, as part of this case, law enforcement seized 11 firearms and more than one kilogram of methamphetamine, more than 200 pounds of DMT, more than five kilograms of marijuana, more than 15 kilograms of hashish and hashish oil, more than one kilogram of MDMA, more than 19,000 dose units of LSD, fentanyl, cocaine, and other synthetic and counterfeit drugs.

    Meyer’s source of supply of methamphetamine, Ryan Haskamp, 36, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in February to 27 years in prison. Haskamp used at least five Cincinnati residences as stash houses to store and sell drugs. He also had others rent Airbnb locations and hotel rooms to further his drug trafficking. Haskamp had packages of drugs delivered to the Airbnb rental properties. Haskamp supplied drugs for redistribution in Cincinnati and Dayton via numerous co-defendants.

    Others convicted in this case include:

    Name Age City of Residence
    William Keith Jenkins 37 Cincinnati
    Michael Alden Mobley 42 Ghent, Ky.
    Michael Tyler Boeh 35 Cincinnati
    Victoria Stauffer 30 Cincinnati
    Quincy Pemberton 33 Cincinnati
    Damon Gene Wade 31 California, Ky.
    Kelly Marie Smart 35 Cincinnati
    Kevin Patrick Thiery 44 Cincinnati
    Crystal Randall 37 Cincinnati
    Rory Hartmann 30 Cincinnati
    Julie Renae Wetzel 34 Cincinnati
    Ashley Long 30 Cincinnati
    Haley Pennington 26 Moraine, Ohio

    Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Thomas A. Greco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge and agencies with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force and Drug Abuse Reduction Task Force (DART) announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case.

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    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mendota Man Pleads Guilty to Witness Tampering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McKinley Lee Shaffer Assaulted Another Inmate to Prevent the Inmate from Testifying

    ABINGDON, Va. – A Mendota, Virginia man – and self-described gang member- pled guilty yesterday to physically assaulting a fellow inmate at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority (SWVRJA) facility in Abingdon to prevent that individual from testifying in relation to a federal investigation.  

    McKinley Lee Shaffer, 32, pled guilty to one count of to using physical force against a witness in relation to the witness’s testimony and potential cooperation in an official proceeding. At sentencing, Shaffer faces a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison.

    The witness was involved in a federal investigation involving a March 2024 shots-fired incident in Abingdon and a related federal investigation. Investigation revealed that Lakin Garrett had fired a pistol at a victim as part of a drug-related dispute. On November 24, 2024, Shaffer assaulted the victim at the SWVRJA facility in Abingdon. Surveillance equipment recorded the assault and shows Shaffer punch the victim without warning, and an ensuing physical altercation. In a later recorded video “visit” with another person, Shaffer stated he was a gang member, and that the victim had robbed an “Aryan Princess” and “told on her” for shooting at the victim. Shaffer was referring to the March 2024 shots-fired incident in Abingdon. Shaffer said that he “had to go beat him up.”

    Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bristol, Virginia Police Department, and the Abingdon Police Department are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit Pierce is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rhode Island Man Sentenced for Setting Multiple Fires Around the Exterior of a Church; Assaulting Federal Officers

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE, RI – A Rhode Island man who intentionally set multiple fires around the exterior of a predominantly black church in North Providence, RI, in February 2024, and while detained at a federal detention center following his arrest assaulted two federal correctional officers, has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison.

    Kevin Colantonio, 36, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to malicious damage by means of fire, obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, and two counts of assault on a federal officer. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 78 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release.

    Colantonio previously admitted to a federal judge that on February 11, 2024, he used gasoline and a lighter he purchased minutes earlier at a gas station within walking distance of Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries, a predominantly black church with both an in-person and online following, to ignite five fires around the exterior of the church. The fires were quickly extinguished by North Providence officers who arrived at the church moments after the fires were lit, but not before the church sustained some damage.

    Due to the damage, church congregants were prevented from enjoying their free exercise of religious beliefs as church services were cancelled until the church could be reopened.

    Several hours prior to the fires being discovered, the pastor of Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries reported to police that he witnessed an individual on the church’s Ring camera doorbell attempting to break into the church. The pastor spoke to the male subject through the Ring camera, telling him, among other things, that the building was a church. The man continued trying to break in the door, and then broke the Ring camera off the side of the building. The pastor later identified Colantonio as the person he saw on the Ring camera.

    The day after lighting the fires, Colantonio privately messaged a family member that no one in the community cared about the arson; Colantonio called the church “Athiest God mockers,” adding that, “They’re busy dancing around collecting money.”

    During a February 15, 2024, court-authorized search of Colantonio’s residence, an accelerant detection canine indicated a positive reaction on several items of seized clothing. These items matched the clothing Colantonio was wearing on the night of the arson, based upon surveillance footage.  Also seized were notebooks with writings such as “Eliminate Rich Snob global Elite Pastors, burn churches down to ground, when congregants move to next church, do the same… .”  In a separate entry, Colantonio wrote, “hunt them down gun everyone down that isn’t white, if one is white spread the gospel. Always give our bloodline a chance.”

    In addition to admitting to setting the fires, Colantonio admitted to assaulting two federal correctional officers while he was detained at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility following his arrest. Colantonio admitted that he struck two federal officers with human bodily waste and fluid that were contained inside a mug he tossed at the officers.

    Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division made today’s announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter I. Roklan for the District of Rhode Island and Taylor Payne of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

    The fires set at the Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with members of the North Providence, RI, Police Department and the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal’s Office. The assault of the federal officers was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.

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    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: White River Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison For Possessing a Firearm As a Felon

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a White River man convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on May 27, 2025.

    Michael Bettelyoun, age 31, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Bettelyoun was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025.

    The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on June 19, 2024, in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Bettelyoun was videotaped shooting a pistol in a rural area outside of Norris, South Dakota. Law enforcement was subsequently alerted to Bettelyoun’s conduct and collected the firearm and video as evidence.

    Bettelyoun was previously convicted in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance in 2019. He was on supervised release for this conviction at the time of the instant offense. As a result of the prior felony conviction, Bettelyoun is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.

    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 Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.

    Bettelyoun was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Violent McKees Rocks Felon Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Prison for Possession of Firearm and Violation of Federal Supervised Release

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 17-and-a-half years in prison on his conviction of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and violating his federal supervised release, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Ernest Lee Terry, 46, on June 4, 2025.

    According to information presented to the Court, on May 12, 2024, Terry opened fire on another individual in broad daylight in McKees Rocks. Based on recovered evidence and surveillance video, Terry fired at least seven rounds at a vehicle as it fled from him. Two days later, when arrested for the shooting, Terry had a firearm in his waistband, which was later confirmed to be the same firearm Terry used during the May 12 shooting. Terry was on federal supervised release for a prior federal firearms conviction at the time of the offense. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

    “After a 15-year federal prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and while still serving a term of supervised release for that conviction, defendant Terry pulled a gun and fired at least seven rounds at a fleeing individual,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “Upon his arrest two days later for this egregious conduct, Terry had the same gun tucked into his waistband. We commend the Allegheny County Police Department for their outstanding work in apprehending this dangerous felon. This sentencing demonstrates that we remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners at all levels to prosecute violent recidivist offenders like Terry to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “ATF’s highest priority is reducing violent gun crime, and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous career criminals like Ernest Terry is a key means to protect public safety,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “We work tirelessly with our local, state and federal partners to prosecute the criminals that endanger our communities.”

    Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hornak stated that Terry’s conduct was “exceptionally serious,” and emphasized Terry’s significant criminal history. Judge Hornak described Terry’s conduct in committing the shooting as “calculated” and observed that Terry had “engaged in conduct that created a high risk of serious harm or death to other people.”

    Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Allegheny County Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Terry.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Resident Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Long Beach, California, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Derrick Polk, 62, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to Counts One and Three of the Superseding Indictment on June 4, 2025.

    In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Polk conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Further, in and around April 2021, Polk possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Polk was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others.

    Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for September 24, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Polk. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, law enforcement partners arrest 15 gang members, seize 16 firearms

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BATON ROUGE, La. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in collaboration with local, state and federal partners and the Violent Gun Reduction and Interdiction Program, arrested 15 gang members and seized 16 firearms and $44,000 in cash as part of the efforts to make local communities safer.

    “Our communities are safer today because of Homeland Security Investigations and law enforcement partners working together to stop crime on our streets,” said ICE HSI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune.

    The VGRIP is a multiagency, multijurisdictional approach to target violent gangs in East Baton Rouge Parish through the use of targeted enforcement operations focused on violent gangs and neighborhoods.

    Partnering agencies in the program include the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Agency, East Baton Rough Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Probation and Parole, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana National Guard Air Support and the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office.

    The VGRIP will be working the entire summer of 2025 in the Baton Rouge Capitol Area, working to make local communities safer.

    Members of the public with information about related crimes are encouraged to contact the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or submit information online via the ICE Tip Form.

    For more information about ICE HSI New Orleans and its efforts to enhance public safety in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, follow us on X at @HSINewOrleans.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saint Francis Man Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm As a Felon

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Saint Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on May 27, 2025.

    Randy Harlan Arcoren Jr., age 42, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Arcoren was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 26, 2025.

    The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in January 2024 in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On January 4, 2024, law enforcement was called to Arcoren’s home for an unrelated matter. Once inside the home, law enforcement located two firearms in Arcoren’s bedroom: a revolver and a shotgun. Law enforcement also found a small amount of methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia in the bedroom.

    Arcoren was convicted in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota of Robbery in 2006 and Prohibited Person in Possession of Ammunition in 2015. As a result of these felony convictions, it is illegal for Arcoren to possess firearms or ammunition. Arcoren will forfeit ownership of the firearms to the United States.

    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 Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.

    Arcoren was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Castle Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl, Fluorofentanyl

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

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Kailin Stewart, 38, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl between May 2021 and October 2022.

    According to information presented to the Court, Stewart was on state parole in 2022 following his release from an 11- to 40-year Pennsylvania state prison sentence for a conviction for conspiracy to commit homicide. The Court also was informed that Stewart was responsible for the trafficking of between 70 and 100 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and fluorofentanyl while on state parole.

    Judge Schwab ordered that Stewart’s federal prison sentence be served consecutive to any Pennsylvania state parole revocation sentence Stewart may receive. Judge Schwab also ordered that Stewart serve four years of supervised release following his federal prison sentence.

    Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Stewart.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Potter Museum of Art relaunches with the outstanding 65,000 Years, a Short History of Australian Art

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Benjamin, Professor in Art History, University of Sydney

    Installation view of 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art, Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne, 2025. Photography by Christian Capurro

    In the late 1970s, when I was a fine arts student, the Melbourne University Gallery was just one room in a neo-gothic quadrangle. It wasn’t until the mid 1990s that the university commissioned Nonda Katzalidis to design a four-story concrete gallery on a narrow site fronting Swanston Street.

    The Ian Potter Museum of Art quickly became a vital centre for displaying diverse university collections – from classical antiquities to post-war bark paintings and contemporary art.

    The re-opening of the museum, after it closed for renovations in 2018, is an art event of major proportions with the architectural clout to match.

    The newest addition by Randall Marsh of Wood Marsh Architects transforms an adjacent red-brick building. A polished-steel portal gives onto stylish spaces: high vaulted ceilings, a light-filled atrium, new teaching rooms and luxurious bathrooms. There is now a serious restaurant with a long dining room, open kitchen and balcony café.

    Named “Residence” for its annual chef-in-residence program, starting with the Michelin-starred Robbie Noble, this may well become the go-to space for visitors, academics and students alike.

    Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne.
    Photography by Christian Capurro.

    All expectations are exceeded by the opening exhibition 65,000 Years, a Short History of Australian Art. The title emphasises both the ancient Indigenous presence on this continent, and cheekily suggests that the main art that’s been made here is Aboriginal.

    As we recognise the monumental contributions of bark painting from the 1940s on, dot-painting from the 1970s on, and urban art starting in the 1980s, there is much to commend this view.

    Grand ambitions

    The exhibition, in eight main spaces over three floors, has an ambition and scope exceeding landmark surveys such as Dreamings: Art of Aboriginal Australia (1988) and Aratjara: Art of the First Australians (1993).

    There is a powerful curatorial will here, led by the legendary public intellectual and Indigenous scholar Marcia Langton, who initiated the project.

    She engaged one of the country’s most effective and knowledgeable curators in Judith Ryan, known for her series of field-defining exhibitions over four decades at the National Gallery of Victoria.

    Installation view of 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art, Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne, 2025.
    Photography by Christian Capurro

    Working together with associate curator Shanysa McConville, their exhibition is both politically astute in its management of tough historical issues, and visually stunning. The team has sourced superlative, large-scale examples of major artists’ work from private and public sources to sit alongside the university collections.

    It’s an exhibition that repays hours of looking, aided by the curators’ exemplary wall labels. A sumptuously illustrated 340-page tome published by Thames & Hudson Australia for the Potter supports a deeper dive. This includes 23 essays by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers who delve into specific groups of work.

    An example is the pungent essay by Grazia Gunn, who in 1973 exhibited the University’s rare barks from Groote Eylandt, presented in 1946 by the Jewish refugee Leonhard Adam.

    Installation view of 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art, Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne, 2025.
    Photography by Christian Capurro

    These barks can be seen again in the show, near a masterful assemblage of early barks from Yirrkala, painted in 1937 at the request of ethnographer Donald Thomson. This selection is unprecedented: a dozen barks with complete body designs for mardayin (mens’ ceremony), organised across clan groups.

    Truth telling

    Throughout 65,000 Years, there is a powerful truth-telling element on frontier wars and massacres. The early recognition of First Peoples’ work as art in the assembled barks goes some way to balancing Melbourne University’s own chapter of shame.

    In the side gallery, Langton and team present the role of Melbourne University medical anatomists, eugenicists and physical anthropologists in grave-robbing, and promoting the illicit collection and sale of Aboriginal remains, right up to the mid-1930s.

    On a big-screen video Langton, seated in a massive carved cathedral chair like a modern-day Delphic Oracle, dispassionately retells this grisly truth.

    The exhibition is comprehensive as it moves across regions and eras in a deft interplay with the building’s shifting levels. The ground floor (bar a stunning atrium enlaced with newly commissioned women’s baskets and “sun-mats”) deals with the imagery of contact from early colonial settlements.

    A group of French and British drawings of First Peoples are true portraits in the sense that the sitters are named. Late 19th century colour drawings by Barak or Mickey of Ulladulla are next to rare archival finds: distressing drawings of police reprisals by Oscar (Kuku-Yalanji), from 1898, and six lyrical drawings by Blak inmates of the Darwin Gaol, mounted together under the title “Dawn of Art” for display at the 1888 Melbourne Centenary Exhibition.

    Gordon Bennet (1955–2014), Big romantic painting (apotheosis of Captain Cook) 1993, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 182×400.5×4cm.
    The University of Melbourne Art Collection

    Entering this colonial/decolonial zone, the glowering work of the late, great Gordon Bennett sets the precedent for the current historical citation and appropriation of colonial imagery.

    His example has inspired artists from Richard Bell and Brook Andrew to Megan Cope and Daniel Boyd.

    Bennett, faithfully represented by Melbourne’s Sutton Gallery through his life, was a McGeorge Fellow at Melbourne Uni in 1993, producing the groundbreaking Mirrorama installation with Groote Eylandt barks in opposition to classical busts. A gentle man and great thinker in art, Bennett then, as now, adds lustre to the Potter.

    65,000 Years, a Short History of Australian Art is at the Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne, until November 22.

    Roger Benjamin has previously worked as an art selector for the Vizard Collection at the Ian Potter Museum of Art, is an art collector and donor, and a colleague of the exhibition curators; he was not involved in the curation of this exhibition.

    ref. The Potter Museum of Art relaunches with the outstanding 65,000 Years, a Short History of Australian Art – https://theconversation.com/the-potter-museum-of-art-relaunches-with-the-outstanding-65-000-years-a-short-history-of-australian-art-257640

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

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    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Self-managed superannuation fund annual return instructions

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Use the Self-managed superannuation fund annual return instructions (NAT 71606) to help you complete your annual return.

    You should refer to the instructions for the relevant year:

    A self-managed super fund assesses its own tax debt or refund. As such, a notice of assessment won’t be issued. This is because the lodgment of the return is deemed to be an assessment.

    For more information on accessing the SMSF annual return for the relevant year, refer to Self-managed superannuation fund annual returns (NAT 71226).

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: SFCT uncovers sophisticated scheme

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    A recent operation led by the ATO’s Serious Financial Crime Taskforce (SFCT) has resulted in jail time for a Victorian woman.

    Paolo Esmaquel implemented an elaborate scheme to obtain fraudulent GST refunds by assuming the identities of 3 different individuals.

    One of the assumed identities was registered by Ms Esmaquel as a tax practitioner with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB). To do this, she submitted forged documents to the TPB that falsely claimed she completed the required tertiary education to become a tax agent and forged a declaration from a chartered accountant.

    Following this, she set up a tax agent profile on ATO Online Services and linked several taxpayers to her account. Ms Esmaquel then lodged 10 fraudulent business activity statements on behalf of these taxpayers without their knowledge or consent.

    An investigation by the ATO and the Tax Practitioners Board uncovered the identity fraud and cancelled the fake tax agent registration.

    Read more about the recent prosecution in our media release.

    Protect yourself and your clients

    We all have a role to play in fraud prevention and this serves as a timely reminder to keep your client, business and personal information safe.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Amendments protocol

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Amending transactions, balances, and events

    When to amend

    If you discover any material errors or omissions in the balances, contributions, or events you have reported, you must amend your reporting within 30 days of becoming aware of these errors under Section 390-115 of Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (TAA).

    All monetary reporting errors are automatically considered material unless you’ve engaged with us to assess the specifics of a reporting issue as it relates to individual members and reporting years.

    Materiality is the threshold above which missing or incorrect information is considered to have any impact on the decision-making of the user. For example, if a contribution has been incorrectly classified as an employer contribution and it should have been classified as personal, this impacts you, the member and us.

    Even if the amount is small, if you’re aware of the error it must be corrected. You can’t make a decision based on an amount threshold as you don’t have the full details of the member’s taxation or financial position to understand the impact.

    The obligation to report amendments has no time limitation. It exists regardless of when you become aware of the material error or omission, and is not altered by any subsequent events such as:

    • closure of the member’s account
    • commencement of a pension.

    Example 1: amending errors on closed accounts

    Debra was nearing retirement age and for the last 5 years she had made regular personal contributions to Ridgeway Super to increase her superannuation balance. She retired in August 2023 aged 60 and rolled out her entire balance to Summerleas Retirement Scheme. Unknown to Debra, the staff at Ridgeway Super had made errors in processing her contributions and had not reported any of the personal contributions it received for her.

    Debra visited an accountant in September 2023 who realised she was entitled to a super co-contribution. She checked her records and contacted Ridgeway Super to ask why no co-contribution was received.

    Ridgeway Super accepted that an error was made but told Debra that they could not amend their reporting because her account was now closed. Debra wrote to the ATO to complain about this refusal. We advised Ridgeway Super of its obligation to correct all material errors even after an account is closed and confirmed that amendments can be made to accounts that have been reported closed with us.

    Ridgeway Super lodged the amendments more than 8 months after Debra first brought the error to their attention. We imposed a penalty on Ridgeway Super for failing to notify us within 30 days of becoming aware of a material omission.

    We paid the co-contribution directly to Debra as she had retired.

    End of example

    Correcting systemic reporting errors

    Ensure you have processes in place to identify and correct systemic reporting issues when you’re asked to correct an error for a member. Penalties may apply if you don’t take reasonable care.

    If a member brings an error to your attention, you need to:

    • correct the error for that member
    • check to see if the same error impacts other members so you can proactively fix it for them as well.

    Example 2: correcting systemic errors

    In the previous example, Ridgeway Super checked whether the errors their staff made in processing Debra’s personal contributions had occurred for other members.

    Ridgeway Super discovered another 3,000 members’ personal contributions weren’t reported to us. Ridgeway Super amended its reporting for these cases and developed new procedures to ensure the errors wouldn’t recur.

    End of example

    Only amend to correct a genuine error

    Only amend your reporting where genuine errors have occurred. For example, you shouldn’t amend because a member has decided that they wish to change the amount or character of the contributions they made during the year to avoid an excess contributions tax liability.

    Mistakes and returning contributions

    In limited circumstances, you may be required to amend your reporting when the retrospective operation of the law causes a transaction to be unwound or become void. This may occur when you return contributions credited to a member’s account in restitution of a legal mistake of law or mistake of fact.

    Contributions can’t be returned to a member because they regret making them or because they or their agents made an error in their decision to contribute.

    Whether or not contributions have been returned is not determinative of whether or not they should be reported, or an amendment lodged to remove them from a previous report.

    See ATO ID 2010/104Opens in a new window Excess contributions tax: restitution of a ‘mistaken’ contribution for an example of when a personal contribution will still be included in an individual’s non-concessional contributions for the financial year. This is where the trustee has repaid the contribution to the member in purported restitution of a mistaken payment when in fact there was no case for restitution on the grounds of mistake of law or of fact.

    If you correctly return contributions in accordance with the law of restitution, you must amend your reporting so that the contributions aren’t counted towards the member’s contributions caps. However, in circumstances where the law of restitution doesn’t apply to unwind or void a transaction, you must still report the contributions (and not amend any previous reporting) even if they have been returned.

    We apply considerable scrutiny to situations where contributions are returned to a member or they are re-characterised, after the member realises that they’ve exceeded a contributions cap. Understand your legal obligations in these situations and develop procedures and systems to ensure member requests of this nature are considered very carefully.

    While we scrutinise these decisions, we recognise there are many circumstances where a decision to amend is correct and a failure to do so would be a failure to report correctly.

    Example 3: provider administrative error

    An employer made contributions to a provider for a number of employees in June 2022. The provider’s administrative staff misread the instructions the employer provided with the contributions and allocated too much to one member and too little to another. The error was discovered in December 2022, after the provider had reported to us for each of the affected members.

    The provider had made a mistake of fact, to correct it they transferred amounts between the accounts of the affected members in December 2022. The reallocation of contributions was treated as having retrospective effect back to June 2022. Each member’s reporting was amended to reflect this.

    The fund also needs to amend each member’s account balance as this will impact the calculation of total super balance for the member and what the member sees in ATO online services.

    Example 4: member error in contribution classification

    Walter, a self-employed investor, and businessman made a super contribution to Big Super without the involvement of any other person or entity, using a personal cheque drawing on a bank account in his own name.

    In error, he entered this contribution on one of Big Super’s forms as a contribution made by an employer. He put his name down as both employer and employee and failed to indicate the nature of the contribution. He entered this despite a clear alert on the form that said, ‘All contributions will be treated as super guarantee contributions unless otherwise indicated’. Big Super recorded the contribution as an employer contribution and reported it as such to us.

    Walter received an excess contributions tax assessment based on the reporting that indicated he had exceeded the concessional contributions cap. Walter asked Big Super to amend their reporting. He provided evidence that he had made the contribution himself. Using their internal records, Big Super also considered the obvious errors in the form Walter had given them and the cheque’s drawer.

    Big Super agreed that the contribution had been mischaracterised by them when it was made based on Walter’s error. Even though Walter’s lack of care in completing the form was the source of the error, Big Super recognised its obligation to now amend the reporting involved, correcting what was now known to be a reporting error.

    Example 5: amendment to contribution causing an amendment to account balance and accumulation phase reporting

    In December 2022, a super fund realises that it has incorrectly recorded in its systems a $100,000 contribution from a member as $10,000 and had reported the $10,000 contribution to us on 30 May 2022. The fund reports an adjustment to the contribution by using the delta amount of $90,000 and the original details of the contribution. The fund also needs to amend the member’s balance as this will impact the calculation of total super balance for the member and what the member sees in ATO online services.

    The fund reports the new balance with the effective date of the previous balance to overwrite the incorrect balance. The fund had also reported an accumulation phase value for this member which was different from the 30 June balance and therefore cancels that report and re-reports accordingly. All these amounts are re-reported within the 30-day period the fund must correct an error or omission.

    End of example

    Actioning amendments via different channels

    Originally reported through MATS

    For amounts relating to the 2018–19 year onwards, providers will correct reporting of contributions, annual amounts, acknowledged notices of intent and balances using member account transaction service (MATS).

    Correcting the reporting of retirement phase events, personal injury and or structured settlement amounts, and accumulated phase value (APV) and retirement phase value (RPV), can only be done by cancelling the original lodgment and then lodging a new report with the correct information.

    Correcting annual amounts and balances (excluding APV and RPV) can be done by overwriting the original or cancelling and re-reporting.

    Originally reported through TBAR

    Cancellations are most effective if completed through their original channel. However, anything reported on the transfer balance account report (TBAR) can be cancelled through MATS if both:

    • a member account attribute service (MAAS) has been lodged for that account
    • the information in the cancellation report exactly matches the original lodgment.

    The new report with the correct information can be lodged using MATS.

    If you need to correct retirement phase event reporting for an account which has never been on-boarded to MAAS, the re-reporting will need to occur through the original channel. We are exploring options for these amendments and will provide further guidance when available.

    Originally reported through MCS

    Amendments to anything reported on the member contributions statement (MCS) in the 2017–18 income year and prior years should be done using Online services for business. For more information, see Member contributions statement.

    More information

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Flexible lodgment for those affected by NSW floods

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    If you or your clients have been affected by the recent NSW floods, we have a range of support options available to help you meet your obligations.

    We encourage those who can lodge on time to do so, but where lodgment is not possible, clients or agents within the declared natural disaster area as per Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP)External Link will have until 26 June to lodge the following obligations:

    • May monthly BAS with an original due date of 21 June
    • Income tax returns for the 2023–24 income year for individuals and small businesses (including sole traders and trusts), with a current lodgment due date between 29 May and 26 June 2025
    • individuals and small businesses (including sole traders and trusts) that may already have a lodgment deferral for the 2023–24 income tax return; or May activity statement lodgment obligation, may lodge up to 26 June.

    You won’t be penalised for lodging these obligations by the later date. If you already have a deferral, it will remain in place.

    These concessions automatically apply to agents and taxpayers identified as residing within the declared areas, only for those lodgments as listed above – so you don’t need to contact us for a deferral. There’s an indicator on the accounts of affected clients, which you can identify by running an on-demand Outstanding Lodgment Report for either Income Tax or Activity Statements in Online services for agents, or through practice management software.

    The payment due date for your obligations has not changed. General interest charge (GIC) will apply if payment is not made by the original payment due date.

    If your client is not able to pay by the due date, contact us to discuss their options. We will take an empathetic approach to your situation.

    You can find more information on flood support on our website.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: The final SG rate increase is coming on 1 July

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    The super guarantee (SG) rate will increase to 12% on 1 July 2025. The 12% rate will need to be applied for all salary and wages paid to eligible workers on and after 1 July. This is even if some or all of the pay period it relates to is before 1 July. This is the final scheduled increase.

    Remember to pay SG in full, on time and to the right fund. The next quarterly due date is 28 July. Contributions must be paid quarterly, but can be paid more frequently.

    The super guarantee contributions calculator can help you work out how much SG you need to pay.

    Visit the simple checks for super success checklist for more help in meeting your super obligations.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Sentenced in Eastern Panhandle Fentanyl Drug Trafficking Operation

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

    MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Eight people have been sentenced for their roles in an Eastern Panhandle drug trafficking organization.

    The indictment, returned in January 2024 against Gary Brown, Jr. and eighty-one others, charged that the defendants caused substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to be distributed in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.

    Those sentenced this week include:

    • Eric Garner, also known as “Pops,” age 58, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 300 months.
    • Gary Rodriguez, also known as “Mr. T,” age 34, of Lanham, Maryland, was sentenced to 240 months in prison.
    • Benjamin Paul Knotts, age 49, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 235 months in prison.
    • Damian Costello, age 28, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced to 180 months in prison.
    • Michael Bradley Decker, age 44, of Inwood, West Virginia, was sentenced to 97 months.
    • Gary Brown, III, age 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 36 months.
    • Wendy Diane Crites, age 58, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.
    • Michael Regale Luckett, age 47, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison.

    Of the 82 defendants, 81 have been convicted. Including this week’s eight, 70 defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.

    U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.

    Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service;  the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia).

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alamogordo Man Sentenced on Federal Firearms Offenses Related to the Murder of Alamogordo Police Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – An Alamogordo man was sentenced to 8 years in prison for federal firearms offenses connected to the murder of Alamogordo Police Officer Anthony Ferguson. United States District Judge Margaret Strickland ordered the 8-year federal sentence to run consecutive to De La O’s state life sentence following a request by United States Attorney Ryan Ellison.

    According to court records, on July 15, 2023, Dominic De La O fatally shot Officer Ferguson following an attempted traffic stop in Alamogordo, New Mexico. De La O used a sawed-off, unregistered shotgun supplied by Jonah Apodaca to kill Officer Ferguson after fleeing from a traffic stop and leading police on a pursuit. Officer Ferguson, a 11-year veteran of the Alamogordo Police Department and Field Training Officer, succumbed to his injuries on July 16, 2023.

    United States Attorney Ryan Ellison issued the following statement after the sentencing hearing:

    “Alamogordo Police Officer Anthony Ferguson faithfully served the people of Alamogordo for over 11 years—I know because I am one of them. My family still lives in Alamogordo and my mother attended Officer Ferguson’s funeral. An 8-year federal sentence for violations of federal firearms laws running consecutive to De La O’s state life sentence guarantees that he will never again see the outside of a prison cell. Acts of violence against those who serve and protect our communities will not be tolerated and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. It was my great privilege to meet with Officer Ferguson’s family and to personally prosecute this case to ensure that justice was served.”

    “Officer Anthony Ferguson’s death was a devastating and senseless act of violence,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brendan Iber. “Violence against our law enforcement officers and first responders must never be tolerated. Alongside our state, local and federal partners, we will relentlessly pursue justice—just as we did in this case. We continue to offer our heartfelt condolences to Officer Ferguson’s family, friends, the Alamogordo Police Department, and the entire community. His service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

    De La O was previously found guilty of first-degree murder and related state charges and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional six and a half years for tampering with evidence, aggravated fleeing, criminal trespass, and resisting or evading an officer.

    Jonah Apodaca pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for providing the weapon used in the fatal shooting.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Alamogordo Police Department, New Mexico State Police, the Otero County Sheriff’s Office, and the Twelfth Judicial District Attorney’s Office. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oktibbeha County Man Sentenced in OCDETF Illegal Firearm and Drug Trafficking Case

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

    Oxford, MS – A Starkville, Mississippi man was sentenced today to over six years for illegal gun possession and drug trafficking.

    According to court documents, Michael Anthony Doss, of Starkville, Mississippi, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to being a felon in possession of a firearm and trafficking methamphetamine. Doss was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown on Wednesday to 78 months in prison for the charges. He was further sentenced to three years supervised release following his release from prison.

    “Drug dealers and guns are a lethal combination, and I am extremely proud of the work done by our state and local partners and ATF to bring this defendant to justice and protect our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner.

    “This sentence sends a clear message that drug trafficking and gun violence will not be tolerated in Mississippi. I’m proud of the collaborative efforts of our local, state, and federal partners who worked tirelessly to bring this individual to justice. Together, we are making our communities safer,” said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.

    This investigation and resulting case 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    This case is also a 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.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods in Chicago

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

    CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced an expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”)—a key component of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy—to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city.

    The PSN program is a federally funded, nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  Until today, the PSN program was deployed in seven Chicago neighborhoods on the West and South sides of the city.  The expansion announced today will implement the program in parts of three police districts in downtown financial zones that represent the economic engines of the city and region, as well as on the CTA trains that bring residents and visitors to those areas from every neighborhood of Chicago and from the city’s two international airports.  Today’s announcement represents the first time anywhere in the country that the program will be deployed on mass transit.

    The PSN expansion was announced by U.S. Attorney Boutros and members of the PSN Chicago Task Force, including the Chicago Police Department.  Substantial assistance to the PSN program is provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

    “Downtown Chicago is the capital of the region’s economy and the cultural and civic heart of the Midwest, where interstate commerce runs strong,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros, who was sworn in as the United States Attorney on April 7, 2025.  “Many billions of dollars of revenue, taxes, and investments are anchored in our city’s financial districts, and when violence and criminal activity cause our residents, businesses, and tourists not to feel safe to live, invest, and shop in Chicago, everyone suffers, whether at the federal, state, or local level. By investing PSN resources in our urban economic centers and the public transit system that feeds into them, we will help foster a downtown that is both safe and friendly to economic vitality for everyone.  This initiative could not happen without a deep collaboration and shared commitment between the Department of Justice and our PSN partners to dedicate the resources necessary to support the downtown economic zones and the many millions of people who annually visit them, as well as the scores of businesses both large and small who serve them.”

    “Partnership and collaboration with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners are vital in reducing violence and making Chicago safer for all,” said Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling.  “Project Safe Neighborhoods reflects this spirit of collaboration and serves as an important tool in addressing crime in one of the busiest areas of our city.  The expansion of this program builds on the progress CPD is making in combating crime citywide.”

    “This new investment of federal resources is critically needed to address the threat that crime—including organized retail theft, carjacking, and armed robberies—pose to the heart of Chicago’s economy and to the transportation systems that tens of thousands of Chicagoans use to travel to and from the downtown,” said Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart.  “For years, my office has devoted significant resources to aggressively combat crime throughout downtown Chicago, the Magnificent Mile, and the surrounding areas, and we welcome the much-needed expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods to these areas.”

    “ATF is proud to work with our federal, state, and local partners on the expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said ATF Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Amon.  “By combining resources and expertise, we are proactively taking steps to disrupt violent crime in key transit and economic areas to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors.”

    “The FBI remains steadfast in our dogged pursuit of eliminating violent crime,” said FBI Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas S. DePodesta. “We continue to be thankful for the powerful collaboration between our many law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in this fight.  Our combined efforts reflect our unwavering commitment to ensure that anyone who seeks to endanger our community will be held accountable.”

    Originally launched in 2001, PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders, and partners with local prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.  PSN follows four key design elements: focused and strategic enforcement; prevention and intervention; accountability; and community engagement.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with its Chicago PSN Task Force partners to assist with applying for and obtaining federal PSN grants to support anti-violence strategies in Chicago.  By designating the downtown economic centers and CTA trains as PSN Enforcement Zones, PSN funds can now be deployed in various ways to help reduce violent crime in those areas, including:

    • Aggressively prosecuting violent offenders.

    • Hiring law enforcement personnel.

    • Paying certain overtime costs for law enforcement officers and others working downtown and aboard CTA trains.

    • Purchasing equipment to assist with violent crime reduction efforts.

    • Supporting multi-jurisdictional task forces.

    • Providing training and technical assistance under the national PSN program.

    • Expanding messaging to deter violence, including signage aboard CTA trains.

    The enforcement efforts in the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zones will focus on the investigation and prosecution of individuals and organized groups who engage in illegal firearm possession, drug trafficking, robberies, carjackings, and other violent offenses.  For violent offenders arrested downtown or aboard CTA trains, criminal prosecutors will bring appropriate charges to achieve maximum deterrence and will seek pretrial detention and substantial prison sentences for defendants who pose a danger to the community.

    In addition to all of the CTA rail lines in every neighborhood in Chicago, the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zone, depicted on this map (reproduced below), extends from Division Street on the Near North Side, between Lake Michigan and La Salle Drive (e.g., Magnificent Mile and Oak Street shopping corridors, Navy Pier, Loop, and Millennium Park), to I-55 between Clark Street and Lake Michigan on the Near South Side (e.g., Museum Campus and McCormick Place), and extends west to Ogden and Ashland Avenues, between Grand Avenue and I-290 (e.g., Fulton Market and West Loop business corridors).

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: California’s strong gun safety laws continue to save lives

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 4, 2025

    What you need to know: California leads the nation in strong gun safety laws, correlating with thousands of lives saved.

    Sacramento, CaliforniaYear after year, California is ranked as the #1 state in the country for its strong gun safety laws — along with some of the lowest rates of gun deaths — by Giffords Law Center and Everytown for Gun Safety. In states where officials have passed gun safety laws, fewer people die by gun violence. Texas and Florida, which ranked 32nd and 21st, respectively in gun law strength, had firearm mortality rates more than 50% higher than California.

    Gun safety laws save lives 

    Strong gun laws save lives. California has reduced its gun violence rate because of its leading gun safety laws. If the gun death rate in the rest of the U.S. matched California’s over the past decade, there would have been nearly 140,000 lives saved and potentially hundreds of thousands fewer gunshot injuries, according to the California Department of Justice’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

    Protection orders reduce gun violence 

    California was the first state in the nation to adopt a “red flag law” in 2016. This law builds off a bedrock of available protection orders – 9 in total – that prohibit firearm possession for people subject to orders ranging from domestic violence and workplace harassment. In the first three years of their existence, these protection orders were used to prevent 58 cases of threatened mass shootings. There have been significant increases in utilization of GVROs – increasing by 118% – from 2020 to 2023.

    California’s youth gun violence rate down, U.S. rate up 

    Nationwide, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents. Compared to the rest of the nation, California has made substantial long-term progress in reducing per capita rates of youth firearm homicide. CDC data showed that in 2022, California’s firearm homicide rate for youth under 25 was about 50% below the rate recorded for the rest of the U.S. By contrast, nationwide youth gun homicides increased over 46% from 2019-2021.

    Criminals take advantage of neighboring soft gun safety laws 

    California’s gun laws stop at our borders, meaning guns that are illegal in our state can still be used in criminal activity here if sourced in other states. In 2021, just over half (50.4%) of the firearms recovered by law enforcement during criminal investigations in California and successfully traced to a final dealer of record were traced to dealers located in other states.

    California’s gun safety laws at-a-glance

    • Assault weapons ban: California law strictly prohibits assault weapons. This includes possessing, distributing, selling and manufacturing assault weapons. 
    • Red flag law: California became one of the first states in the nation to enact a red flag law in 2016. California law allows law enforcement, family members, employers, coworkers and school employees to seek a Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) against an individual suspected of being a danger to themselves and others. If approved by a judge, the GVRO temporarily prohibits a person from possessing firearms.
    • Private right of action: California enacted the nation’s first law allowing individuals to sue those making, selling, transporting or distributing illegal assault weapons and ghost guns – guns made at home to avoid tracing – for damages of at least $10,000 per weapon involved.
    • Waiting period: California has a waiting period of 10 days for all gun purchases. The state is one of nine states and the District of Columbia that have waiting periods and California’s waiting period is among the strictest. 
    • Universal background checks: California requires background checks on all gun purchases and transfers, including private transfers and sales at gun shows. It is one of 14 states and the District of Columbia that require universal background checks.
    • Mental health reporting: California has some of the nation’s strongest laws preventing those with serious mental illness from acquiring firearms. California law requires the immediate reporting of involuntary inpatient and outpatient treatment, as well as those under guardianship. Mental health treatment facilities and psychotherapists are also required to report under certain circumstances.
    • Age restrictions: In California, you must be at least 21 years of age to purchase a handgun and at least 18 years of age to purchase a long gun.

    Last year, Governor Newsom signed a bipartisan legislative package to further reinforce California’s nation-leading gun laws and prevent traumatic incidents of mass violence.

    Click here to download this fact sheet.

    Press releases, Public safety

    Recent news

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Media Advisory: Global Energy Show Canada 2025 to Convene World Energy Leaders for Critical Industry Dialogue

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    WHAT: We are pleased to share the following major events taking place during the Global Energy Show (GESC), organized by dmg events, in Calgary from June 10-12, 2025.
       
      Media interviews and photo opportunities will be available with spokespeople for the duration of the event.
       
      REMINDER: All registered media must obtain their accreditation badge from the registration area. Media accreditation must be visible at all times and cannot be shared with others. The Media Room is located on the 2nd Floor, BMO Centre and will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 11, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 12.
       
    WHEN: Tuesday, June 10 – Thursday June 12, 2025
       
    WHAT: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
       
      7 a.m. – 9 a.m. – Pancake Breakfast
      • 9:20 a.m. – Opening Plenary: Joelle Tomlinson, Journalist, Media Personality and Global Energy Show Host and Mayor Jyoti Gondek, City of Calgary
      • 10 a.m. – Official Exhibition Opening
       10 a.m. – Keynote with His Excellency Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General, OPEC and conversation with Peter Mansbridge, former news anchor
      • 10:30 a.m. – Peter Mansbridge and Stastia West, Shell Canada President and Country Chair  
      • Site tours
      ο Details here.
       
      Wednesday, June 11, 2025
       
      • 10 a.m. – Keynote: Hon. Danielle Smith, Premier, Government of Alberta and conversation with Peter Mansbridge
       
      Tuesday, June 10 – Thursday June 12, 2025
       
      • Executive Conference
      ο Full program here.
      ο Speaker list here.
      • Energy Influencer Program
      ο Full schedule here.
      ο Speaker list here.
      • Executive Leadership Roundtables
      ο Sessions here.
       
      For more information on the exhibitions, conference features and special features, please visit https://www.globalenergyshow.com/.
      *Please note, schedule is subject to change.
       
    WHERE: BMO Centre at Stampede Park – Calgary
       
      Visitor Entrance: Corral Trail SE entrance of the NEW BMO Centre, 1912 Flores LaDue Parade, Calgary, Canada.
       

    For media inquiries, please contact:

    Shauna MacDonald
    Principal, Brookline PR
    403-585-4570
    smacdonald@brooklinepr.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Self-managed superannuation fund annual returns

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Record of SMSF annual returns

    The Self-managed superannuation fund annual return (NAT 71226) comprises your income tax, regulatory and member contributions reporting.

    Make sure your return is completed in its entirety, including SMSF auditor details. Otherwise, your lodgment will be rejected.

    As SMSFs assess their own tax debt or refund, a notice of assessment will not be issued. The lodgment of the return is deemed to be an assessment.

    For more information on the instructions for the relevant year, refer to Self-managed superannuation fund annual return instructions (NAT 71606).

    Lodgment due date

    Not all funds have the same lodgment due date. You should familiarise yourself with your fund’s lodgment obligations.

    For more information, refer to Lodge SMSF annual returns.

    Voluntary disclosure

    If you make a mistake in relation to information provided in your SMSF annual return, you may wish to make a voluntary disclosure. You can do this by lodging an amended SMSF annual return.

    To make a voluntary disclosure about an unrectified regulatory contravention, you should complete the SMSF regulatory contravention disclosure form or apply in writing.

    You can find out how and when to report using the SMSF early engagement and voluntary disclosure service.

    Amending the SMSF annual return

    To amend your SMSF annual return, (which is an approved form), you should resubmit the whole return, not just the parts you want to change. Let us know it’s an amendment by answering ‘yes’ at Question 5.

    If your amendment is for the 2010–11 or earlier income years, you must use the paper return form even if your agent lodged the original return online.

    If you have access to Online services for agents, you can lodge an amendment by providing a full SMSF annual return.

    SMSFs that have access to Online services for business can submit an amendment via a secure mail message.

    All other amendments must be requested using the paper SMSF annual return form.

    The Self-managed superannuation fund annual return instructions (NAT 71606) can assist you to complete the SMSF annual return.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Devonport man charged with trafficking

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Devonport man charged with trafficking

    Wednesday, 4 June 2025 – 3:15 pm.

    A man has been charged with major trafficking and police have seized significant quantities of ice and cannabis as part of an ongoing operation in the North West.
    The 43 year old Devonport man was charged yesterday after members from Western Drugs and Firearms Unit and Task Force Scelus, with the support of specialist police resources, executed a search warrant at a Devonport address.
    During the search police located and seized 25 grams of ice, 350 grams of cannabis, ammunition, and a chainsaw believed to have been stolen.
    The Devonport man was charged in relation to yesterday’s search as well as trafficking alleged to have occurred between December 2024 and June 2025.
    As part of the targeted operation, police have now seized a total of 65 grams of ice, and 1 kilogram of cannabis.
    The man has been charged with two counts of trafficking in controlled substance, possessing a controlled drug, dealing with proceeds of crime, possessing ammunition when not the holder of a firearms licence and unlawful possession of property.
    He was remanded in custody to appear in the Devonport Magistrates Court this afternoon.
    Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Serious Financial Crime Taskforce case studies

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Most people comply with their tax obligations. However, there are a small number of people who deliberately do the wrong thing. The ATO-led SFCT was established to respond to this, targeting the more serious financial crimes in Australia.

    The case studies on this page reinforce that those who deliberately cheat the system will be held to account.

    Stay up to date on the latest SFCT outcomes by subscribing to general email updates. Subscribers will receive updates on all new general content on our website, including the latest SFCT case studies.

    Government fraudster sentenced to jail

    Paolo Esmaquel was sentenced on 28 May 2025 in the Melbourne County Court to 18 months of imprisonment in addition to the jail time previously imposed for similar federal offences in November 2024.

    She was charged with 3 categories of offending against Government at both federal and state levels: tax fraud, identity and counterfeiting fraud, and social security fraud.

    The ATO worked collaboratively with other partner agencies across Government to hold Ms Esmaquel to account for her actions.

    An operation conducted by the ATO-led SFCT uncovered her elaborate scheme to commit tax fraud by stealing the identities of 3 different individuals.

    One of the assumed identities was registered by Ms Esmaquel as a tax practitioner with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB). To do this, she submitted forged documents to the TPB that falsely claimed she completed the required tertiary education to become a tax agent and forged a declaration from a chartered accountant.

    Following this, she set up a tax agent profile on ATO Online Services and linked several taxpayers to her account. Ms Esmaquel then lodged 10 fraudulent business activity statements on behalf of these taxpayers without their knowledge or consent.

    As a result of the investigation, the TPB cancelled her tax agent registration.

    Acting Deputy Commissioner and Serious Financial Crime Taskforce (SFCT) Chief Kath Anderson acknowledges the prevalence of identity crime, saying ‘With a rise in scammers and cyber criminals out in the community, it’s more important than ever to protect your personal identifying information. This case shows how far criminals will go to commit identity fraud and exploit the tax and super system.’

    ‘We have strengthened our systems against fraud and financial crime through prevention, early detection, containment and consequences, such as the jail time Ms Esmaquel received’.

    Read more in the media release.

    Former registered liquidator sentenced to prison

    Former liquidator Peter Amos has been sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for dishonestly gaining an advantage for his business and himself contrary to the Corporations Act.

    Mr Amos was a registered liquidator and business owner of Amos Insolvency Pty Ltd (Amos Insolvency).

    Between 6 October 2016 and 31 December 2022, Mr Amos transferred $2,498,546 from the accounts of Mikcon Employment Services Pty Ltd, TPC (Vic) Pty Ltd, P O W 4X4 Pty Ltd, A-Force Electrics Pty Ltd, and Conomi Group Pty Ltd to Amos Insolvency.

    ATO Deputy Commissioner and Serious Financial Crime Taskforce Chief John Ford welcomed the court’s decision, saying the sentencing is a warning to those looking to use their position to exploit the system.

    ‘This outcome sends a clear message to those who look to game the system to gain an unfair advantage – you will be caught,’ Mr Ford said.

    Read more about the outcome in the media releaseExternal Link.

    Woman sentenced for false claims and forged documents

    On 1 October 2024, Ashmita Sharma appeared before the Downing Centre Local Court in NSW for sentence.

    Ms Sharma received two 18-month suspended sentences, to be served concurrently. She pleaded guilty to committing GST fraud, JobKeeper fraud and attempting to pervert the course of justice, contrary to sections 134.2(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth) and 43(1) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) respectively.

    Ms Sharma was also ordered to be of good behaviour for 3 years and repay the remaining $26,426 in stolen funds to us.

    In August 2020, Ms Sharma lodged:

    • a false COVID-19 JobKeeper application on behalf of a dormant company that listed her father as the sole director, without his knowledge or authorisation
    • 3 separate business activity statements
    • a false claim for a Cashflow Boost Stimulus which was taken into account on sentence.

    In total, Ms Sharma received $30,926 as a result of the offending.

    During the course of the matter, Ms Sharma was also charged with one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice by forging a medical certificate to avoid attending court.

    Operation Hyacinth is part of a broader investigation by the SFCT into the misuse of government funds. Our message is clear; those who think they can steal and cheat the system for their own financial gain will be caught. Attempting to avoid these consequences can make the situation worse.

    This SFCT matter was prosecuted by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (CDPP) following a referral from the ATO.

    To report any known or suspected illegal behaviour you can either complete the tip-off form or phone us on our tip-off hotline on 1800 060 062.

    Find out more about the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce.

    Attempts to commit gold bullion fraud didn’t have the outcome 2 fraudsters had planned.

    The investigation, conducted under the ATO-led SFCT, revealed that Cedric Adrian Millner and Jonatan Kelu purchased GST-free gold bullion, refashioned it into scrap and then sold it inclusive of GST to a refiner. Millner and Kelu claimed GST input tax credits by falsely stating that the GST-free gold bullion was purchased inclusive of GST under the GST second-hand rules.

    The reward for engaging in this complex $40 million fraud activity was a sentence of 8 years in jail for both men, handed down in the Supreme Court of NSW.

    These criminals thought their actions would go undetected, but our expert team of investigators uncovered the fraud and worked to solve the case, bringing together thousands of documents and multiple data sets to form a solid brief that would ultimately be their downfall.

    Operation Nosean was established to look at network participants in the gold bullion and precious metals industry. This included refiners, bullion dealers, gold kiosks, dealers and buyers within established supply chains involved in gold recycling arrangements, seeking to exploit the GST rules in relation to precious metals.

    New laws were introduced in April 2017 to combat fraud in the gold bullion and precious metals industry.

    Our message is clear to those who seek to evade or cheat the tax system: there is no place for you to hide and we will not tolerate this behaviour.

    For more information see:

    Second sentencing for Australia’s largest tax fraud case

    On 29 March 2018, Michael Issakidis faced the Supreme Court of NSW for his involvement in the largest prosecuted tax fraud case in Australia’s history.

    Alongside his co-conspirator Anthony Dickson, Issakidis deliberately absorbed $450 million of otherwise assessable income. He did this using complex domestic and international trust and tax evasion structures. This caused a loss to the Commonwealth of $135 million. By creating a web of false identities and siphoning money offshore, the pair acquired approximately $63 million.

    Issakidis was sentenced to 10 years and 3 months jail for his involvement in the operation. This followed the 2015 sentencing of Dickson, whose original 11-year sentence was increased to 14 years on appeal.

    The significant penalties handed down to both Issakidis and Dickson demonstrate the success of the SFCT in dealing with those who deliberately cheat the system. As a member of the SFCT, we are equipped with the resources, data-matching capability and international and domestic intelligence-sharing relationships to uncover even the most complex tax evasion schemes.

    People who deliberately avoid paying the correct amount of tax will be caught and will face the full force of the law.

    For more information see:

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Keep up to date with the taskforce

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Taskforce results

    The Serious Financial Crime Taskforce (SFCT) started operation on 1 July 2015.

    From this date until 31 March 2025, the Taskforce has progressed cases that have resulted in:

    • completion of 2,526 audits and reviews  
    • conviction and sentencing of 71 people
    • raised over $2.9 billion in liabilities
    • collected more than $1 billion.

    Guidance and resources

    The SFCT has valuable resources to warn taxpayers of the risks of getting involved in these kinds of behaviours, including:

    • GST refund fraud – an Intelligence Bulletin warning businesses against using related-party structuring and false invoicing, and entering into artificial and contrived arrangements to cheat the tax and super systems.
    • False invoicing – an Intelligence Bulletin warning businesses against false invoicing arrangements. These schemes involve issuing invoices where no goods or services are provided.
    • Electronic sales suppression tools (ESSTs) – a new Intelligence Bulletin warning businesses against using ESSTs. Businesses use ESSTs to illegally manipulate transaction records and avoid their tax obligations.
    • Fraud in the precious metals refining industry – The illegal manipulation of the government’s interpretation of precious metals has been a focus for SFCT, which has investigated participants alleged to have been involved in gold bullion fraud.

    Case studies and tax crime prosecution results

    Case studies show that those who deliberately cheat the system will be held to account:

    Read our past SFCT media releases and listen to the audio grabs.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI USA: c-FIRST Team Sets Sights on Future Fire-observing Satellite Constellations

    Source: NASA

    Two NASA-developed technologies are key components of a new high-resolution sensor for observing wildfires: High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector (HOT-BIRD), developed with support from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), and a cutting-edge Digital Readout Integrated Circuit (DROIC), developed with funding from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

    A novel space-based sensor for observing wildfires could allow first responders to monitor burns at a global scale, paving the way for future small satellite (SmallSat) constellations dedicated entirely to fire management and prevention.
    Developed with support from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), the “Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral Tracker” (c-FIRST) is a small, mid-wave infrared sensor that collects thermal radiation data across five spectral bands. Most traditional space-based sensors dedicated to observing fires have long revisit times, observing a scene just once over days or even weeks. The compact c-FIRST sensor could be employed in a SmallSat constellation that could observe a scene multiple times a day, providing first responders data with high spatial resolution in under an hour.
    In addition, c-FIRST’s dynamic spectral range covers the entire temperature profile of terrestrial wild fires, making it easier for first-responders to detect everything from smoldering, low-intensity fires to flaming, high intensity fires.
    “Wildfires are becoming more frequent, and not only in California. It’s a worldwide problem, and it generates tons of by-products that create very unhealthy conditions for humans,” said Sarath Gunapala, who is an Engineering Fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and serves as Principal Investigator for c-FIRST.
    The need for space-based assets dedicated to wildfire management is severe. During the Palisade and Eaton Fires earlier this year, strong winds kept critical observation aircraft from taking to the skies, making it difficult for firefighters to monitor and track massive burns.
    Space-based sensors with high revisit rates and high spatial resolution would give firefighters and first responders a constant source of eye-in-the-sky data.
    “Ground-based assets don’t have far-away vision. They can only see a local area. And airborne assets, they can’t fly all the time. A small constellation of CubeSats could give you that constant coverage,” said Gunapala.
    c-FIRST leverages decades of sensor development at JPL to achieve its compact size and high performance. In particular, the quarter-sized High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector (HOT-BIRD), a compact infrared detector also developed at JPL with ESTO support, keeps c-FIRST small, eliminating the need for bulky cryocooler subsystems that add mass to traditional infrared sensors.
    With HOT-BIRD alone, c-FIRST could gather high-resolution images and quantitative retrievals of targets between 300°K (about 80°F) to 1000°K (about 1300°F). But when paired with a state-of-the-art Digital Readout Integrated Circuit (DROIC), c-FIRST can observe targets greater than 1600°K (about 2400°F).
    Developed by Copious Imaging LLC. and JPL with funding from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, this DROIC features an in-pixel digital counter to reduce saturation, allowing c-FIRST to capture reliable infrared data across a broader spectral range.
    Artifical intelligence (AI) will also play a role in c-FIRST’s success. Gunapala plans to leverage AI in an onboard smart controller that parses collected data for evidence of hot spots or active burns. This data will be prioritized for downlinking, keeping first responders one step ahead of potential wildfires.
    “We wanted it to be simple, small, low cost, low power, low weight, and low volume, so that it’s ideal for a small satellite constellation,” said Gunapala.
    Gunapala and his team had a unique opportunity to test c-FIRST after the Palisade and Eaton Fires in California. Flying their instrument aboard NASA’s B-200 Super King Air, the scientists identified lingering hot spots in the Palisades and Eaton Canyon area five days after the initial burn had been contained.
    Now, the team is eyeing a path to low Earth orbit. Gunapala explained that their current prototype employs a standard desktop computer that isn’t suited for the rigors of space, and they’re working to incorporate a radiation-tolerant computer into their instrument design.
    But this successful test over Los Angeles demonstrates c-FIRST is fit for fire detection and science applications. As wildfires become increasingly common and more destructive, Gunapala hopes that this tool will help first responders combat nascent wildfires before they become catastrophes.
    “To fight these things, you need to detect them when they’re very small,” said Gunapala.
    A publication about c-FIRST appeared in the journal “Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers” (SPIE) in March, 2023.
    For additional details, see the entry for this project on NASA TechPort.
    To learn more about emerging technologies for Earth science, visit ESTO’s open solicitations page.
    Project Lead:  Sarath Gunapala, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
    Sponsoring Organization: NASA ESTO

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: 50 Wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Here are 50 reasons why President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is the best chance in a generation to pass critical reforms for which Americans voted:
    It delivers the largest tax cut in American history. This means an extra $5,000 in Americans’ pockets with a DOUBLE-DIGIT percent DECREASE to their tax bills. Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 will pay around 15% less in taxes.
    It makes the Trump Tax Cuts permanent, preventing the largest tax increase ever. If the bill doesn’t pass, Americans will see the largest tax increase in history.
    It raises Americans’ take-home pay by as much as $13,300 and wages by as much as $11,600.
    It reverses the spending curse plaguing Washington, D.C. The bill delivers the largest deficit reduction in nearly 30 years, with $1.6 trillion in mandatory savings — the largest single reduction in mandatory spending in our country’s history.
    It delivers NO TAX ON TIPS and NO TAX ON OVERTIME. This makes good on two of President Trump’s cornerstone campaign promises and will benefit hardworking Americans where they need it the most — their paychecks.
    It provides historic tax cuts for seniors.
    It finishes President Trump’s border wall. As a result, 701 miles of primary wall, 900 miles of river barriers, 629 miles of secondary barriers, and 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers will be constructed.
    It boosts Border Patrol and ICE agents on the frontlines with the largest border security investment in history. This means funding to hire 10,000 new ICE personnel, 5,000 new customs officers, and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents to detain and deport at least one million illegal immigrants annually.
    It increases the child tax credit to $2,500 per family.
    It protects Medicaid for Americans who truly need it. This bill eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse by ending benefits for at least 1.4 million illegal immigrants who are gaming the system.
    It implements popular work requirements for able-bodied Americans receiving taxpayer-funded benefits. Through commonsense, Clinton-era work, volunteer, education, or training requirements, the One Big Beautiful Bill lifts Americans up to find a better quality of life through the dignity of work.
    It eliminates hundreds of billions of dollars in Green New Scam tax credits. The legislation immediately stops credits from flowing to China, saving taxpayers $500+ billion every year.
    It reverses electric vehicle mandates that let radical climate activists set the standards for American energy.
    It ends Biden’s war on American energy. The bill finally unleashes American energy dominance by opening federal lands and waters to oil, gas, coal, geothermal, and mineral leasing.
    It streamlines onerous permitting processes so America can get building again.
    It refills the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to safeguard America’s energy security.
    It repeals and rescinds every “green” corporate welfare subsidy in Democrats’ so-called “Inflation Reduction Act.”
    It stops illegal immigrants from receiving tax credits and taxes remittances sent to foreign countries.
    It supports small businesses by increasing the Section 199A deduction to 23% — promoting the growth and success of Main Street.
    It incentivizes MADE IN AMERICA. The bill rewards companies that build their products in America with lower taxes — and allows Americans who buy an American-made vehicle to fully deduct their auto loan interest.
    It creates new Trump Savings Accounts for newborns — allowing children across America to experience the miracle of compounded growth.
    It expands access to childcare for hardworking American families.
    It provides a historic increase in funding for the U.S. Coast Guard. This will help block illegal drugs and migrants from entering our country, protect our sovereignty in the Arctic, and promote our national security.
    It supports building new factories to grow domestic business operations. The bill renews 100% immediate expensing and interest deductions, increases the small business deduction, and establishes 100% immediate expensing for equipment and machinery.
    It helps American farmers, producers, and ranchers compete and sell products in foreign markets. The bill makes sure American farmers aren’t crowded out by foreign imports in liquid fuel production markets.
    It holds woke, elitist universities accountable by increasing the endowment tax on large universities.
    It protects hardworking taxpayers by canceling Biden’s illegal and unfair student loan bailouts.
    It ends taxpayer-funded sex changes. It reverses the Biden-era mandate that Medicaid cover so-called “gender transition” procedures — ending the taxpayer-funded chemical castration and mutilation of American children.
    It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to revolutionize our nation’s defense capabilities and protect the homeland against new threats by funding President Trump’s Golden Dome.
    It enhances the capacity of America’s naval fleet. The bill provides billions of dollars to revitalize America’s shipbuilding and maritime industrial base.
    It modernizes air traffic control — fulfilling President Trump’s plan to completely overhaul the systems that keep Americans flying safely and efficiently.
    It strengthens SNAP benefits. The legislation requires states to contribute a greater portion of the cost of administering benefits, thereby controlling costs, and closes the excessively broad loopholes for work requirements.
    It implements critical program integrity and cost containment provisions in Medicaid to strengthen it for future generations. These include removing deceased individuals from the program and limiting retroactive coverage from three months to one month prior to enrollment.
    It safeguards Second Amendment rights by removing tax and registration requirements for firearm silencers and eliminating silencers from the National Firearms Act.
    It provides critical disaster recovery funding to farmers, producers, and ranchers.
    It provides funding to rebuild America’s military — including $9+ billion to improve quality of life for our servicemembers, $20+ billion to bolster U.S. munitions production, and $12+ billion to modernize our nuclear arsenal.
    It expands health savings accounts to give Americans greater choice and flexibility in how they spend their money.
    It gives $10,000 bonuses annually over the next four years to Border Patrol and ICE agents on the frontlines.
    It incentivizes scholarships that empower American families and students to choose the education that best fits their needs.
    It repeals Democrats’ insane attack on the gig economy — ending the requirement that Venmo, PayPal, and other gig transactions over $600 be reported to the IRS.
    It reforms and streamlines the federal student loan program to drive down tuition costs and simplify repayment plans. This includes reasonable limits on amounts students can borrow.
    It strengthens accountability for students and taxpayers on federal student loans. The bill imposes “skin in the game” requirements to hold universities financially accountable to the government on defaulted federal student loans.
    It implements critical reforms to Pell Grants to make sure they prioritize students who truly need financial assistance while promoting completion. The legislation allows grants to be used for short-term, high-quality workforce training programs to support Americans who want to learn a trade instead of the traditional four-year colleges.
    It increases timber sales on federal lands. This means an increase in timber production and improvement to forest management — improving the resilience of timber and saving billions on future wildfire suppression costs.
    It authorizes the sale of expanded spectrum MHz to strengthen rural broadband and secure America’s technological dominance in AI and other emerging technologies.
    It creates permanent fees that illegal immigrants must pay for their applications so American taxpayers aren’t saddled with covering these costs. These fees will bring in over $77 billion to cover adjudication costs and fund immigration processes and enforcement actions.
    It protects family farmers. The bill prevents the greedy death tax from hitting two million family-owned farms who would otherwise see their exemptions cut in half and cuts taxes on farmers by over $10 billion.
    It ends abusive financing practices in Medicaid by freezing existing provider taxes and prohibiting new provider taxes. This ensures states cannot improperly increase the federal government’s cost-share of a state Medicaid program at the expense of taxpayers.
    It reins in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This brainchild of Sen. Elizabeth Warren has long functioned as another woke, weaponized arm of the bureaucracy — with minimal accountability or oversight — that leverages its power against certain industries and individuals disfavored by the so-called “elites.”
    It rolls back harmful Biden-era regulations that increase cost and administrative burdens with limited flexibility for states. These burdensome regulations, such as federal staffing mandates at nursing homes, lead to closures, reduced access to care, and increased costs, particularly in areas already overwhelmed by labor shortages.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: A new era for Tasmania: Opening of the new Bridgewater Bridge

    Source: Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority

    The Albanese and Rockliff Governments are proud to mark a historic milestone for Tasmania, with the official opening of the new Bridgewater Bridge – the largest transport infrastructure project in the state’s history.

    The $786 million project represents a significant investment in Tasmania’s future, delivering modern infrastructure that improves connectivity, enhances freight and passenger movement, and supports economic growth across the state.

    The Australian Government contributed $628.8 million to the transformative project, with the Tasmanian Government contributing the remaining $157.2 million. The new bridge has been delivered on time and on budget.

    The new four-lane bridge will deliver faster, more reliable travel times for commuters, freight operators and locals, significantly reducing bottlenecks on this key section of the highway network.

    The new bridge is the fifth to be built across the River Derwent at Bridgewater and symbolises the next chapter in the evolution of this critical transport link.

    It replaces ageing infrastructure with a state-of-the-art structure that will serve the people of Tasmania for decades to come. 

    The 1.2-kilometre-long crossing will improve safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, with new interchanges, a 3-metre-wide shared path and modern safety features.

    The bridge also includes improved access for marine traffic, with a higher clearance and no lift span, reducing delays and improving efficiency for both road and river users.

    It has been designed to support growth throughout the region and has been built with a vision towards the future of the state.

    Since construction began in October 2022, the project has supported around 1000 jobs, more than 25 per cent of which were employees from the local area.   

    Thanks to targeted employment and training programs, the project has created pathways for apprentices, trainees and people new to the civil construction industry to gain real-world experience on a nationally significant construction site.

    This ensures the state’s workforce is equipped for the pipeline of future Tasmanian infrastructure projects.

    The new bridge will open to traffic from tomorrow (Monday, 2 June) with all four lanes operating at 80 km/h.

    Works across the project site will continue over coming weeks, including landscaping, construction of the new roundabout linking Old Main Road and Gunn Street, and removal of the temporary bridge and barges.

    For more information about the project and to see the latest flythrough footage, visit the project website at bridgewaterbridge.tas.gov.au.

    Quotes attributable to Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese:

    “My Government is building Australia’s future by investing in transformative transport infrastructure like the Bridgewater Bridge.

    “We have worked with the Tasmanian Government to deliver a landmark project that will improve safety, deliver a better commuter experience, and boost productivity in this great state.

    “The Bridgewater Bridge is about more than meeting the needs of Tasmanians today – it’s about making sure that Tasmanians have the world class infrastructure they deserve for generations to come.”

    Quotes attributable to Premier of Tasmania Jeremy Rockliff: 

    “This is a bridge built by Tasmanians for Tasmanians, and is something that everyone in the State can be proud of.

    “The Bridgewater Bridge has been talked about for decades, but together with every person involved in this project, we have delivered it.

    “The new Bridge is a testament to what we can achieve in Tasmania when we work together.

    “Major infrastructure projects like this inspire, support our economy, upskill our people, and build a better Tasmania: now and for the future.

    “I want to acknowledge the Federal Government for working with us to deliver this inter-generational infrastructure for Tasmania.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:

    “The first Bridgewater Bridge opened in 1848, and today we’re opening the fifth, marking a historic milestone in the history of Tasmania.

    “Investing in major infrastructure projects doesn’t just keep people and goods moving, it provides an ongoing boost to local economies through more efficient and effective transport.

    “We are proud to partner with the Tasmanian Government and local industry to deliver this important project which will improve safety, support economic growth and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.”

    Quotes attributable to Tasmanian Minister for Infrastructure Kerry Vincent: 

    “This bridge stands as a testament to what can be achieved when we work together.

    “It is more than just concrete and steel. It is a once-in-a-generation project and a symbol of what the future holds for Tasmania.

    “I want to thank the local community for their patience and understanding during the construction period.

    “The resilience of the local community and the travelling public are what has made this landmark of national significance a success.”

    MIL OSI News