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  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Establishes the National Energy Dominance Council

    Source: The White House

    POSITIONING AMERICAN ENERGY FOR THE NEXT CENTURY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the National Energy Dominance Council.

    • The National Energy Dominance Council will be established within the Executive Office of the President, chaired by the Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and vice-chaired by the Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and comprised of members of President Trump’s cabinet and key government agencies.
    • The Council will advise President Trump on strategies to achieve energy dominance by improving the processes for permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, and transportation across all forms of American energy.
    • It will recommend a National Energy Dominance Strategy to the President aimed at cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments, and advancing innovation.
    • The Council will facilitate cooperation between the federal government and domestic energy partners, ensuring policy consistency.
    • It will also consult with various public and private sector stakeholders to expand energy production and address cost barriers.

    LOWERING PRICES AND STRENGTHENING AMERICAN ECONOMIC SECURITY: Championing domestic energy production is vital both for mitigating price shocks to American families and de-risking the energy supply chain for our Nation as well as our allies.

    • American energy dominance is the most reliable way to ensure the stability and affordability of American energy prices.
      • Gasoline prices, as well as overall household energy prices, increased 30% under President Biden.
      • The Biden-Harris Administration dramatically slowed the growth rate of American energy production and development, including by instituting a federal oil leasing moratorium, increasing energy permitting times by multiples of what they had been under President Trump, and removing hundreds of million acres from being available for energy production.
      • Over the last four years, it is estimated that our Nation produced over two billion fewer barrels of oil than anticipated by trend (had President Trump’s energy policies been kept intact), a vast quantity of lost supply that could have lessened the burden of energy prices on American families.
    • Developing American energy resources will enable our Nation to reduce its reliance on foreign entities, including strategic adversaries.
      • While creating policies to restrict American production, the Biden Administration asked OPEC+ to increase production to meet American energy demand.
      • As energy prices rose, the Biden Administration was reluctant to enforce American oil sanctions on rogue regimes, allowing Iran to export over one million barrels of oil per day through lax enforcement (up from a low of approximately 70,000 under the Trump administration) and temporarily lifting oil sanctions altogether on the Maduro regime in Venezuela.
      • The United States is also highly dependent on China for a range of critical minerals, which has put our Nation’s supply chain at risk, as exemplified by China’s recent weaponization of its resources through bans on exporting germanium, gallium, and antimony to the United States.
      • As our Nation makes rapid advancements in next generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence (along with the associated data centers), and energy demand rises, it will be all the more important to expand domestic energy supply.
    • American energy leadership is vital not only for our Nation’s economic and national security, but also for the security of our allies.
      • America’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry has played a critical role in helping Europe reduce its dependence on Russian energy, with LNG exports to Europe rising 141% in 2022, and continuing to increase to fill the gap.
      • President Trump warned Western Europe as early as 2017 to rely on American natural gas rather than Russian energy.

    RESTORING AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE: President Trump has a demonstrated track record of empowering American energy production, and will return our Nation to energy dominance.

    • During President Trump’s first term, our Nation became a net exporter of energy for the first time in nearly 70 years and transformed into the world’s leading oil producer.
    • President Trump expedited the LNG export license process (achieving licensing times one-sixth as long as those seen during the Biden Administration, which revoked these reforms), reduced the permitting time for drilling on federal lands (increasing permit applications by 300%), fixed the New Source Review (which punished companies for repairing and upgrading coal power plants), and opened up millions of acres for domestic energy development.
    • Under President Trump’s leadership, American families saved an average of $2,500 per year in utility and gas costs, while the economy at large saw the creation of new American energy jobs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: La Traviata reflects topical issues

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    At the heart of the National Centre for the Performing Arts’ production of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata lies an exquisite visual element: a giant mirror that dominates the stage. This stunning set piece, 260 square meters in size, serves not just as a backdrop, but also as a metaphor for the opera’s central themes of illusion, self-deception, and the fragile line between the real and the imagined.

    The mirror transforms the stage into a space where reality blurs into fantasy, mirroring the inner turmoil of Violetta, the opera’s tragic heroine, whose life is a constant negotiation between love and sacrifice.

    When Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva first saw the stage set, she was impressed and had hopes of one day playing the role of Violetta in the production.

    “Finally, my dream has come true,” said Gimadieva, sitting in her dressing room in Beijing on Monday. “It will be my 18th time playing the role.”

    The NCPA is staging its ninth production of La Traviata in Beijing, which runs until Sunday, with Gimadieva as Violetta. The China NCPA Orchestra and China NCPA Chorus will perform onstage, conducted by Yu Long.

    She says that she was also drawn to the production’s costumes, which are designed to reflect 19th-century Parisian society, adding an authentic touch to the depiction of the fashion and social norms of the time.

    Verdi’s 1853 work is one of the great operas. The central character Violetta is a mid-19th-century courtesan: freewheeling, attractive, and doomed. Fatally ill, she meets the affluent Alfredo, who confesses his love for her. They embark on an affair, but Violetta reluctantly abandons him under intense pressure from Alfredo’s father. Alfredo feels betrayed but after a series of fateful twists and turns, the lovers reunite on Violetta’s deathbed, and she finally succumbs, dying in the arms of the man she loves.

    According to Gimadieva, Violetta has a particular effect on sopranos due to challenges and demands. Her first encounter with the character was in a DVD of a performance at the Salzburg Festival when she was a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. She found her instantly compelling.

    In 2011, she made her debut as Violetta in a production of La Traviata by the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Since then, it has become one of her signature roles. She has performed at prestigious opera houses and venues across Europe and the United States, including the Royal Opera House in Britain and the Opera National de Paris in France, and made her US debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

    “I always find new challenges, new pleasures and new experiences in playing the role. Violetta is so complicated and charming. She loves desperately, and she is capable of self-sacrifice,” says Gimadieva.

    For this run in Beijing, she is performing with longtime friend, Shi Yijie, the tenor playing Alfredo.

    In an earlier interview, Shi, who graduated from the Toho College of Music in Japan, said he had been preparing for the role for over a decade.

    In 2010, the NCPA premiered its production of La Traviata, with German director Henning Brockhaus and legendary French-American conductor Lorin Maazel. Known for his exceptional vocal talent — he had previously wowed audiences with his high C notes — Shi made his debut as Alfredo in 2019 for the NCPA’s fifth round of performance of its production of La Traviata.

    “It was a special milestone for me when I took on the role for the first time,” Shi, 42, says. “Aging has benefited my voice. Compared to 2019, it is much more mature now. As I get older, my voice develops depth and richness.”

    Shi adds that over the years, he has refined his technique through consistent practice and performance, giving him greater control.

    La Traviata is significant in the context of Chinese opera history. In 1956, the China National Opera House staged an all-Chinese production at Beijing’s Tianqiao Theater, making it one of the first Western operas to be performed on a Chinese stage.

    Since then, it has become one of the most beloved and familiar Western operas to Chinese audiences. Its enchanting melodies, especially the famous duet Libiamo ne’ lieti calici (“Let us drink from joyful cups”), resonate deeply with the public.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Energy Department Acts to Lower Prices and Increase Consumer Choice with Household Appliances

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WASHINGTON—Led by President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today announced the Department of Energy will postpone the implementation of seven of the Biden-Harris administration’s restrictive mandates on home appliances. Today’s actions are a key step in undoing the previous administration’s burdensome policies that have driven up costs, reduced choice and diminished the quality of Americans’ home appliances.

    “A top priority for President Trump is lowering costs for American families,” Secretary Wright said. “Today’s announcement will foster consumer choice and lower prices – it is a win for all Americans. The people, not the government, should be choosing the home appliances and products they want at prices they can afford.”

    Today’s actions postpone the efficiency standards for the following home appliance rules:

    • Central Air Conditioners
    • Clothes Washers and Dryers
    • General Service Lamps
    • Walk-In Coolers and Freezers
    • Gas Instantaneous Water Heaters
    • Commercial Refrigeration Equipment
    • Air Compressors

    Additionally, the Department of Energy is creating a new energy efficiency category for natural gas tankless water heaters. Creating a new category for these popular and low-cost water heaters exempts these products from the Biden-Harris Administration’s onerous rules and gives the American people the power to choose the best option for their homes and budgets.

    Under the leadership of President Trump, Federal agencies continue to slash unnecessary red tape and regulations that raise prices, reduce consumer choice, and frustrate the American people. These actions were announced alongside action taken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to overhaul all Biden-Harris administration WaterSense specifications. The list of specifications developed during the last administration have encouraged the sale of bathroom and kitchen faucets, residential toilets and sprinkler nozzles that just don’t work well.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cuts Make Colorado Less Protected Against Wildfires and Increase Costs Further

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER –  It was recently reported that the Trump administration fired at least 90 people in Colorado and 3,400 Forest Service employees as part of much broader cuts to programs that protect health and safety with no replacement plans to deliver basic services.

    “It’s reckless endangerment to Coloradans and could increase homeowners insurance costs further for the Trump Administration to take a hammer to those who help protect us against wildfires through watershed protection and forest management, tipping the scale toward more fire danger with potentially devastating consequences. It’s fine if they don’t like how the federal government works today, but risking our health and safety with no replacement is reckless,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

    While firefighters were spared from the cuts, other jobs that do important wildfire prevention work such as road maintenance, forest management, and watershed restoration were slashed.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Flower industry blossoms during Spring Festival holiday

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Standing beneath a “flower cascade,” visitors felt like they had entered a floral wonderland. The display of thousands of butterfly orchids mesmerized everyone and became a popular photo spot.

    It was a standout attraction at Beijing Garden of World’s Flowers during the Spring Festival. This year, the garden has been bursting with vibrant colors and fragrant blooms, making it a must-visit destination.

    Another highlight of the garden was the Hippeastrum exhibition, which featured 35 varieties from around the world and nearly 1,000 plants.

    Hippeastrum, known for its auspicious name “Zhu Ding Hong” (a homophone for “certain to thrive” in Chinese), symbolizes good luck and prosperity, according to Shi Wenfang, director of the Beijing Garden of World’s Flowers.

    “This is our first time displaying so many Hippeastrum varieties, half of which are imported. Their unique shapes, bright colors, and symbolic meanings have made them a major attraction,” said Shi. “During the Spring Festival holiday, we welcomed around 35,000 visitors, a 20 percent increase from last year.”

    As China’s Spring Festival gains global attention, it has become an opportunity for the world to share in the Chinese market. Throughout the holiday, flowers from both domestic and international growers decorated parks, malls and homes, adding to the festive vibes and driving economic growth.

    Statistics show that Beijing’s parks welcomed about 9.38 million visits during the 8-day holiday. Popular flower-related events, like the family flower arrangement at Yuyuantan Park and the orchids exhibition at Zhongshan Park, attracted many visitors to enjoy the beauty of flowers.

    During the holiday, flower sales also achieved remarkable success.

    “More than 50,000 bunches of Hippeastrum have nearly sold out. Our overall sales of flowers around Chinese New Year have increased by about 30 percent compared to the same period last year,” said Liu Meng, head of Beijing Hualanzi Technology Co., Ltd.

    Ecuadorian roses were also very popular, with over 40,000 sold before and during the Spring Festival holiday. The easier import channels and lower prices made them a top choice, according to Liu.

    As living standards rise, there’s a growing demand for diverse, high-quality flowers. Liu said the import of flowers provides consumers with more options, helping to meet their needs and becoming a key part of holiday shopping for younger generations.

    This year, a “New Year Flower Treasure Map” was introduced to simplify flower shopping in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province. With a simple QR code scan, buyers can find district-specific flower varieties, farm locations, and purchasing details down to individual growers, their locations, varieties and quantities.

    In Guangzhou’s Zengcheng District, 18 villages in Zhongxin Township have developed a flower industry that generates an annual output value of 57 million yuan (about 7.95 million U.S. dollars). With nearly 2,000 mu (about 133 hectares) of planted area, it has helped over 1,500 villagers boost their income.

    China has emerged as the world’s largest flower producer, with a flower planting area of 1.5 million hectares and over 5 million workers in the industry, according to the China Flower Association.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: What China’s record-breaking film reveals about its economic vigor

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    This photo taken on Feb. 13, 2025 shows a poster for the Chinese animated film “Ne Zha 2” at a cinema in Chaoyang District of Beijing, capital of China. [Photo/Xinhua]

    As the credits rolled on “Ne Zha 2” in a packed cinema, Zhou Jianmin, CEO of Zhejiang Huaguoshan Cultural Media, felt a surge of pride, perfectly articulating it with, “Seeing our team’s names on the screen made every hardship of the past year worthwhile.”

    “This film proves that China’s animation industry can rival global giants in both storytelling and technical prowess,” Zhou added.

    The Chinese New Year blockbuster reached a milestone on Thursday, with ticket sales hitting 10 billion yuan (about 1.39 billion U.S. dollars), making it the first animated film in global cinema history to achieve this in a single market.

    Beyond its cinematic success, the film’s ripple effects on tourism, retail, and capital markets provide a glimpse into China’s evolving economic dynamism.

    SMALL PLAYERS POWERING A BLOCKBUSTER

    According to data provided by the film’s creative team, “Ne Zha 2” featured nearly 2,000 visual effect shots, an impossible scale for a single studio to handle.

    This herculean task was achieved through a production network comprising 138 companies, with over 80 percent, or 115 firms, being small and medium enterprises (SMEs) scattered across tech hubs like Beijing, Chengdu, Suzhou, and Shenzhen.

    These firms handled multiple production stages including animation development, visual effects compositing, and art design — tasks that are often outsourced overseas by Hollywood studios.

    Chengdu-based animation studio Yunhai Tianju, for instance, dedicated about 30 employees to work onsite with lead animator Chengdu Coco Cartoon Co., Ltd. for over two years. “‘Ne Zha 2’ brought together top talents from across the country, elevating the film and television industry,” said Han Yunlong, general manager of the studio.

    “Through dynamic exchanges and technical collaboration among professionals, national industry standards are continuously being raised,” Han added.

    Meanwhile, industry titans like Enlight Media, the film’s major producer, streamlined funding and distribution, triggering a 264 percent stock surge within just eight trading days after release.

    The model mirrors China’s animation industry playbook: SMEs inject niche expertise and cost efficiency, while conglomerates scale output. “The collaboration of outstanding animation companies nationwide is like the ‘wanlinjia,’ or armor of 10,000 scales, of the animation industry,” said Shi Chaoqun, the film’s visual effects director.

    FROM SILVER SCREEN TO TOURIST TRAILS

    Beyond theaters, the film’s success has sent ripples through China’s cultural tourism market. Cities tied to Ne Zha’s legend are racing to transform cinematic buzz into economic gains, introducing innovative tourism products centered on the mythical figure.

    Tourism platform Tongcheng reported a fivefold spike in searches for “Ne Zha-themed trips.” In Sichuan’s Yibin, home to ancient temples honoring the mythical hero, visitors flocked to newly launched attractions like the “Dragon Palace” experience and themed events, driving a 34 percent jump in hotel bookings in Yibin’s Cuiping district.

    Tianjin, meanwhile, leaned into its claim as Ne Zha’s “hometown,” blending the deity’s lore with local landmarks.

    “Cultural and tourism consumption is a key driver of service-based spending,” said Zeng Guang, assistant director of the Economic Research Institute at Guosen Securities.

    He noted that the growth rate of service consumption, led by tourism, will likely outpace the overall economic growth rate.

    MERCHANDISING GOLD RUSH

    On top of tourism heat, Ne Zha merchandise, from toys to limited-edition figurines, is flying off shelves. Hunan Sunny&Sandy Toys Manufacturer Co., Ltd., holding the exclusive license of 3D plastic candy toys for the movie “Ne Zha 2,” saw its cumulative sales for Ne Zha figurines on online and offline platforms top 200 million yuan since Jan. 31.

    To cater to the surge in market demand, the company had to adjust its production schedule, recalling over 500 employees to return to work during the Spring Festival, said Yang Zhenlin, assistant to the president of Sunny&Sandy.

    Currently, with nearly 60 production lines operating simultaneously, the firm’s monthly production capacity for Ne Zha-themed products has reached 6 to 8 million units.

    The craze reflects China’s consumption upgrade, where fans splurge beyond tickets. “Many consumers have commented on social media and livestream platforms that they loved our products,” Yang said.

    The historic box office success demonstrates both the enhanced global competitiveness of China’s domestic animation industry, and the pivotal role played by the rise of China-chic cultural trends, Yang added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Sudan, ‘the most devastating humanitarian and displacement crises in the world’

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    Sudan’s ruinous civil war is approaching its third year, leaving a legacy of malnutrition, massive population displacement and chronic insecurity. As the UN system prepares to launch a call for record funding of $4.2 billion to support aid operations in the country, here are some of the main things to know about what have been described as “the largest and most devasting displacement, humanitarian and protection crises in the world today”.

    1) The war: 2023 Khartoum clashes herald end of peace process

    By the end of 2022, there were hopes that a UN- backed peace process would finally lead to a civilian administration in Sudan, after a tumultuous period which saw the fall of long-term dictator Omar al-Bashir in a military coup, followed by the harsh suppression of protests in favour of civilian rule.

    “A final political agreement should pave the way towards building a democratic State”, saidformer UN Special Representative for Sudan, Volker Perthes, in December 2022. Ominously, however, he warned that “critical contentious issues” remained, not least a merger of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), separate military groups which had teamed up to depose al-Bashir.

    Tensions between the two sides grew in early 2023, marked by intermittent clashes, but the start of the current civil war came with the RSF attack on the capital Khartoum on 15 April. The fighting, which then spread to other parts of the country, forced the UN to evacuate Khartoum, and base operations in the relatively stable city of Port Sudan, on the Red Sea.

    On Friday, the Secretary-General, described the situation in Sudan as a catastrophe of “staggering scale and brutality” at the AU’s high stakes annual meeting in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, and warned that it is increasingly spilling into the wider region. The UN has strongly condemned the fighting, and the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, continues to support peace efforts, in close collaboration with regional organizations, including the African Union (AU). 

    2) Humanitarian crisis: More than 30 million need aid

    The war has been catastrophic for Sudan’s civilians and the numbers are staggering. Some 30.4 million people – over two thirds of the total population – are in need of assistance, from health to food and other forms of humanitarian support. The fighting has led to an economic collapse, sending the prices of food, fuel and other basic goods soaring, putting them beyond the reach of many households.

    Acute hunger is a growing problem. Over half the population faces high levels of acute food insecurity, and famine conditions have been confirmed in five locations in North Darfur and the eastern Nuba mountains. Famine is expected to spread to five more areas by May of this year.

    “This is a critical moment, as the consequences of food insecurity are already being felt in parts of South Kordofan, where families are surviving on dangerously limited food supplies, and malnutrition rates are rising sharply,” warned Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan.

    Humanitarian efforts are severely hampered by the lack of security, which is putting severe constraints on humanitarian access, complicating the movement of supplies and endangering aid workers.

    Despite the dangers, the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to reach vulnerable populations. The World Food Programme – the UN’s emergency food aid agency – is saving thousands of lives every day and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) successfully distributed seeds to over half a million households during the planting season. In all, some 15.6 million people received at least one form of aid from the UN in 2024.

    The country’s health system is on its knees, with health facilities attacked and many health workers forced to flee. The World Health Organization and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are still operational, supporting immunization for cholera and malaria, and deploying mobile medical teams.

    3) Massive displacement: Equivalent to the entire Swiss population

    Huge numbers of people have been forced to flee their homes for areas of relative safety, both within Sudan and in neighbouring countries, adding to regional instability. Over three million people are classified as refugees, and almost nine million are internally displaced. The total displaced population is greater than the entire population of Switzerland.

    Because of the shifting frontlines, there have been successive waves of displacement, making the task of reaching those in need increasingly complicated. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has described the situation in Sudan as “the largest as well as the fastest growing displacement crisis globally.”

    The displaced population, whether they remain in Sudan or have moved abroad, face reduced access to food, scarce natural resources and limited access to essential services. In addition, outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and measles are rampant in camps for refugees and internally displaced people.

    Many of the surrounding nations have their own economic and security problems, and some are among the poorest in the world, with limited and overstretched services. Where possible, the UN migration agency (IOM) and UNHCR are protecting lives, supporting states hosting refugees, and ensuring that the needs of those fleeing are met with dignity.

    © WFP/Eulalia Berlanga

    South Sudan. Sudanese refugees waiting to receive cash assistance from WFP.

    4) Insecurity: Women and girls highly vulnerable

    Over 18,800 civilians have been reported killed since the beginning of the conflict, and the levels of violence in Sudan are getting worse. At the beginning of February, at least 275 people were killed in just one week, a threefold increase on the previous week’s death toll.

    Civilians are being hit by artillery shelling, airstrikes and aerial drone attacks: the worst affected regions are South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. As well as the general population, aid workers have been targets of intimidation and violence, with reports that some have been falsely accused of collaborating with the RSF.

    A UN fact-finding mission has documented a range of harrowing human rights violations committed by both the SAF and RSF, and called for investigations into the violations, and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

    In an interview with UN News, Edmore Tondhlana, the deputy head of the UN humanitarian office (OCHA), explained that women and girls are the most severely impacted by the conflict, with reports of rape, forced marriage and abductions. “If you look at the recent attack in South Kordofan, in which about 79 people were killed, the majority of victims were women and girls.”

    However, teenage boys are also at high risk. “They cannot easily travel between frontlines. They will be suspected of spying,” added Mr. Tondhlana. Large numbers of children have been recruited into armed groups, forced to fight or spy against the other side.

    © WFP

    Sudan. Offloading of barge transported food aid

    5) Funding: Billions needed

    A lack of sufficient funds is severely limiting the UN’s ability to help Sudan’s population. UNHCR and partners have been able to provide less than the bare minimum of support for refugees, and food rations have been drastically cut, adding to food insecurity.

    On Monday, OCHA and UNHCR will launch an appeal for funding, based on their respective response plans to the crisis. Humanitarian needs have been estimated at a record (for Sudan) $4.2 billion, with an additional $1.8 billion needed to support those hosting refugees in neighbouring countries.

    Whilst the amount needed might seem large, Mr. Tondhlana emphasizes that, given the numbers in dire need, it barely scratches the surface. “We’re trying to reach 21 million people, so this essentially $200 per person over the whole year. If we break it down even further, this is around $.0.50 per day.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

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

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Policy Experts Agree: Significant Infrastructure Investments Needed in America’s Arctic—Alaska

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

    02.14.25

    Sen. Sullivan Highlights Escalating Incursions by Adversaries Near Alaska

    WASHINGTON—Several Arctic policy experts at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) testified strongly this week in support of increasing infrastructure investments in Alaska, which constitutes the entirety of America’s Arctic. While the hearing was focused on Greenland’s geostrategic importance to the United States, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of CST, argued that Alaska offers every potential resource and national security benefit of Greenland, but has too often been treated like one big “national park” by Democratic administrations, most recently by the Biden administration. Sen. Sullivan made this argument in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed titled, “Greenland is nice, but Alaska is better.”

    In his questioning of the experts, Sen. Sullivan highlighted the significant escalation in incursions by Russian and Chinese military aircraft and vessels in Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Each of the witnesses agreed with Sen. Sullivan that the increasing aggression toward Alaska by America’s adversaries warrants deploying new military assets to the state, including personnel, vessels, aircraft, ports and bases.

    Sen. Sullivan was optimistic about the prospect of further investments in Alaska given President Donald Trump’s focus on the state, including a comprehensive day-one executive order, “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential,” which directed many of the Biden administration’s harmful policies and actions related to Alaska lands and resources to be rescinded and many policies of the first Trump administration to be reinstated.

    [embedded content]

    Officials testifying before the committee were Alexander Gray, senior fellow in national security affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council; Anthony Marchese, chairman of Texas Mineral Resources; Dr. Jennifer Mercer, section head for Arctic sciences at the National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs; and Dr. Rebecca Pincus, director of the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute.

    Below is a full transcript of Sen. Sullivan’s exchanges in the CST hearing.

    SEN. DAN SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you very much for holding this very important hearing. Arctic issues are something that, as the senator representing the only Arctic state in the country, I care deeply about. I appreciate the chairman focusing on this. I want to first mention, I think the idea of the President looking to purchase Greenland has already been mentioned by a number of the panelists. Other presidents have thought about this. I think it’s a wonderful idea if we can pull it off. Truman, Andrew Johnson, others did. But I also think it’s important to remember—this is an op-ed I wrote in the Wall Street Journal a couple of weeks ago saying—hey, Greenland’s nice, good to go if we can get it, but remember our Arctic state, Alaska. Because everything that people talk about with regard to Greenland we have in spades already in America—it’s called Alaska: Arctic location, strategic and critical minerals, oil and gas, the cornerstone of America’s missile defense. It’s all there. The problem is, as the panelists know, when Democrats get in power—Biden was the latest example—they want to turn Alaska into a national park, not recognizing our state for what it is, which is a strategic crown jewel for America. The father of the U.S. Air Force, General Billy Mitchell, in testimony before Congress in the mid-1930s, called Alaska the “most strategic place on the planet.” And it is. So that’s what we’re focused on. Don’t forget Alaska. Fortunately, unlike President Biden, President Trump has already made it very clear that he’s not going to forget Alaska. On day one, the president signed an executive order called “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.” I want to thank President Trump and his team for doing that. It goes into everything that this hearing has talked about: strategic minerals, oil and gas, natural gas, getting the military involved. We just introduced my legislation called the IRON DOME Act, which is all about missile defense. Alaska is the cornerstone of our country’s missile defense, and we can build that out even better. I appreciate what President Trump is already doing on Alaska. But it’s not as if our adversaries don’t recognize the strategic importance of Alaska or the Arctic. Next slide. This is what doesn’t make a lot of news in the Lower 48. In the last [few] years, we have had an enormous amount of Russian incursions into our airspace—America’s airspace—Alaska’s ADIZ, naval incursions into EEZ. Just in the past year, these are some depictions of this. This is another slide we have. This gives you all of the Russian-Chinese joint strategic bomber incursions in our ADIZ and, very disturbingly, joint naval task forces into our EEZ. Our adversaries clearly understand the Arctic. That’s a wind up to a question I want to ask the panelists. Mr. Gray, why don’t we start with you. Given this, how important is America’s Arctic? I’ve been talking to Secretary Hegseth, the President, and others in Alaska, not just for missile defense, but to push back on what is clearly happening. We had a meeting on what we’re going to be doing on the border. A lot of discussion with the President’s team on the northern border. This is the northern border, and our adversaries are all over it. In my view, what we need is a lot more infrastructure, a lot more military, a lot more missile defense, a lot more unleashing Alaska’s critical minerals, oil and gas. We couldn’t have a better partner right now with President Trump. The contrast between him and President Biden, who wanted to make my state a national park—he issued 70 executive orders—70—singularly focused on Alaska to shut us down. President Trump’s wiped that out. What’s your sense on how we need to respond to this in America’s Arctic, which is Alaska, and the potential that Greenland could add to this, because that’s the other part of the Arctic, not the Alaska part of the Arctic?

    GRAY: Senator, it’s incredibly important. I think we have to look at our hemisphere holistically, from the Aleutians to Greenland, from pole to pole, and have a—President Trump began this process in his first term—this holistic Arctic strategy that I was pleased to be involved in. We have to, from a military standpoint, we’ve talked about icebreakers, but we have to…

    SULLIVAN: Wait, just real quick, on icebreakers: Russia has 54, some of which are nuclear, many of which are weaponized. We have two and one is broken. Do you think that’s “peace through strength” when it comes to icebreakers? It isn’t. Continue. Sorry to interrupt you.

    GRAY: It’s obviously—the icebreakers are key, particularly when we think about what the adversaries are doing: nuclear-powered icebreakers, growing their fleet. When we think about the limited C-130 capacity that we have now for Arctic takeoff and landings, when we think about just the general attrition of Arctic warfighting capabilities since the end of the Cold War and the lack of investment in them, I know DOD will likely have its own Arctic strategy. We have to have Arctic warfighting capacity and deterrence as a much higher-level priority. I think your chart and what your state’s dealing with is a perfect example of why.

    __________

    SULLIVAN: First, going back to this chart, I want to get a sense of why you think this has been a pretty dramatic increase from Russia and China in unprecedented joint naval and strategic bomber task forces into our airspace, into our water EEZ? And related to that, Mr. Gray, you talked about presence. You can’t have presence without infrastructure. I think it’s high time that we start looking at more infrastructure to be able to address this. We’re going to have a hearing with the NORTHCOM commander in the Armed Services Committee tomorrow. I’m going to talk a lot about looking at potential bases. There’s an incredible Navy base out here, the Adak Naval Base. It was closed during a BRAC. That could be a great sub base, Naval air station base, surface warship base. Huge refueling capacity right there flanking the Russians, Chinese. Very strategic. We’re trying to get a strategic port built in Nome, Alaska, but otherwise, we have very little infrastructure from which to launch military, economic, icebreaker capabilities. So maybe just a quick question for all the panelists. Do we need more infrastructure in America’s Arctic? I’m not talking Greenland. This hearing is about strategic interests in the Arctic. We’re an Arctic nation solely because of that great state, Alaska. What’s your sense, for all the panelists, on infrastructure in the Arctic to combat what is a very aggressive move by our adversaries? By the way, just talking to the NORTHCOM commander, we had one of the busiest times ever in terms of aggressive incursions, joint Chinese-Russian operations. That’s unprecedented. He thinks this year, it’s going to be even more. We’ve got to be ready for protecting America. Now, what’s the sense of the panel on infrastructure in America’s Arctic?

    GRAY: Senator, I couldn’t agree more. We have to have more infrastructure, not just from a defensive presence standpoint to protect our homeland, but also from a power projection standpoint. We’ve allowed our Arctic infrastructure, in addition to a lot of just our general defense industrial infrastructure, to atrophy. I think this would be a huge way to boost our capacity to deter in the Arctic.

    SULLIVAN: Great. Mr. Marchese, do you have a view on that?

    MARCHESE: Senator, I couldn’t agree with you more. You’re preaching to the converted. We, in my opinion, need significantly more infrastructure spending, not only in Alaska, but in the United States. There’s nothing wrong with fishing at your feet. We have everything we need here. It’s great that we’re going to Greenland, but let’s concentrate on what we can control, which is United States investment.

    SULLIVAN: Great. Thank you. Dr, Mercer?

    MERCER: Thank you for the question, sir. As I said before, America is the world’s leader in scientific research. That’s certainly true in the polar regions. We rely heavily, in order to be the leader in research in the polar regions, on Coast Guard icebreakers, the LC-130 aircraft, the C-17 aircraft, the Space Base Pituffik in Greenland. As I noted in my opening testimony, we’re in the design process to recapitalize and modernize Summit Station at the center of the Greenland ice sheet.

    SULLIVAN: Great. Thank you. Dr. Pincus?

    PINCUS: Thank you, Senator. I agree that we are seeing increased adversary presence in the region because they perceive weakness on their part. And so they’re pressing us there.

    SULLIVAN: By the way, it’s not on this chart. I have another one that shows they’re—I think some of the witnesses said this earlier—they’re building up their infrastructure, particularly military, but also energy and critical mineral infrastructure, in a huge way in the Arctic. We’re still kind of, I agree, exuding weakness.

    PINCUS: I would also note that we face multiple challenges in Alaska. In addition to extending and expanding our presence there, we have challenges with coastal erosion and some of the permafrost issues. So there’s money that needs to be put into current DOD installations to harden them. We’re also seeing the expansion of wildland fires and other novel challenges. I think efficient spending decisions to get as much bang for our buck is important, so we can meet the full range of national security through economic and community concerns related to that really wide range of challenges. I would put the Coast Guard at the top of the list, because it’s got a broad mission set and its assets can be utilized for a lot of different purposes. Obviously, DoD assets can be applied to civil disasters as well. And then, new technology that can help us respond effectively and juggle competing demands, whether it’s from a massive wildfire, a big coastal storm, like some of the storms we’ve seen in western Alaska, or military challenges. We have to do all of those at the same time. It’s a real big problem set and I appreciate you flagging it.

    SULLIVAN: Good. Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Phoenix Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 151 Months After Agents Seize Over 90 Pounds of Fentanyl and Over 40 Pounds of Cocaine from Stash House

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Miguel Angel Gaytan-Ramirez, 34, an undocumented Mexican National living in Phoenix, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 151 months, followed by three years supervised release. Gaytan-Ramirez pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl on November 5, 2024.

    According to court documents, on January 25, 2024, an undercover agent working for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agreed to purchase 150,000 fentanyl pills (approximately 15 kilograms) from a member of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Mexico. The individual in Mexico instructed the undercover agent to travel to a parking lot in Phoenix to complete the transaction.

    At the parking lot, investigators identified a Dodge Ram pickup truck as the vehicle in which a DTO member was located. A man later identified as Gaytan-Ramirez called the undercover agent and said that he was occupying the Dodge Ram pickup. Thereafter, investigators moved in and detained Gaytan-Ramirez.

    After detaining Gaytan-Ramirez, investigators identified a nearby apartment used by Gaytan-Ramirez to store narcotics. Gaytan-Ramirez provided investigators consent to search the apartment. Inside a closet in the apartment investigators seized a black American Tactical Omni Hybrid 5.56 NATO caliber rifle with an AOMEKIE Scope, approximately 34 kilograms (74.9 pounds) of blue pills stamped M30 which contained fentanyl, 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) of fentanyl powder, and 19 kilograms (41.9 pounds) of cocaine. Authorities also seized over $18,000 in drug proceeds from Gaytan-Ramirez’s vehicle and the stash house.

    Drug Enforcement Administration, Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jospeh K. Nwoga and Stuart J. Zander, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-00257-PHX-DJH
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-017_Gaytan-Ramirez

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Killing Girlfriend Inside Apartment

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Koran Brown, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today, to 21 years in prison for shooting Cynthia Barringer insider her apartment at 2312 Green Street, S.E., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Brown pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed in November 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.   

                According to the government’s evidence, Brown and Ms. Barringer argued around 3:45 pm on the day of the murder. During the argument, Brown shot Ms. Barringer one time in the head with a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. He then started a fire in the bedroom where the shooting occurred and fled the building. Brown was captured on surveillance video leaving the building and arriving shortly thereafter at the home of a family member, where he left his bloody t-shirt and the murder weapon. After that evidence was recovered during a search warrant, DNA testing linked the items to both the defendant and the victim.

                In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity and Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington Williams. Finally, they commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Rickard and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana Joseph and Andrea Antonelli, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

    ###
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USINDOPACOM commander addresses Honolulu Defense Forum

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

     Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, delivered the keynote address at the Honolulu Defense Forum in Waikiki, Hawaii, Feb. 13, 2025. 

    The forum provided an opportunity for senior government and military officials, academic experts and business leaders from across the Indo-Pacific and Europe to discuss operationalizing urgency for readiness and deterrence in the region. This year’s event focused on leveraging geography, public-private partnerships, and alliances to enhance resilience by building and sustaining defense capabilities, harnessing critical technologies at scale, and driving innovation and competitiveness in security initiatives. 

    Paparo underscored the critical importance of promoting regional security through warfighting readiness and lethality, highlighting numerous opportunities for defense collaboration. “We need cooperative production agreements that multiply our industrial output among our friends and allies. By coordinating our efforts, we can achieve the surge production that the environment demands,” he stated.

    USINDOPACOM’s primary mission is the protection and defense of the homeland of the U.S., its people and its interests, by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, fighting to win.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Shaheen Helps Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Establish Permanent Air Guard Tuition Assistance Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and Co-Chair of the U.S. Senate National Guard Caucus, along with U.S. Senators John Hoeven (R-ND), Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to establish a permanent federal tuition assistance (FTA) program benefitting Air National Guard members. The Air Guard Standardizing Tuition Assistance to Unify the Services (STATUS) Act requires the Secretary of the Air Force to provide tuition assistance to drill-status members of the Air National Guard, consistent with the program available to the Army National Guard.  

    “Ensuring that the brave women and men serving in the Air National Guard have access to educational opportunities will not only help our recruitment and retention but will also enhance our overall military preparedness and provide service members the benefits they deserve,” said Senator Shaheen. “Passing our bipartisan legislation will make tuition more affordable for the Air National Guard and bring their educational benefits in line with the other service branches. Let’s get this done.” 

    “Our Air Guard members deserve to receive the same benefits as their counterparts, both in the reserve and active duty components of the military,” said Senator Hoeven. “Our legislation makes the Air Guard FTA pilot program that we first worked to establish in 2020 permanent and available to drill-status Guard members across the country. Doing so will ensure the Air Guard, like the Happy Hooligans in Fargo, can continue to recruit the best and brightest members to support the increasingly high-tech missions they take on in defense of our nation.” 

    “Colorado is home to over 1,500 Air National Guardsmen whose dedication and sacrifice helps keep our state and country safe,” said Senator Bennet. “Our bipartisan bill will help attract, develop, and retain members of the Air National Guard and ensure servicemembers nationwide have the educational benefits they deserve.” 

    “The men and women in the Air National Guard work alongside their active-duty counterparts to protect our nation and serve our communities,” said Senator Moran. “Providing the same educational benefits to the Air National Guard that the Army National Guard receives will help increase recruitment rates and make certain our servicemembers have access to the benefits they deserve.” 

    “We must take care of the servicemembers who take care of our nation. One way to show our gratitude is to invest in their future through federal tuition assistance,” said retired Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn, NGAUS President. “We must equally provide for our Soldiers and our Airmen. This bill corrects a long-standing gap in National Guard benefits and will empower our Airmen to reach new heights in knowledge and skill. We thank Senators Hoeven and Shaheen for their efforts and continued support of the National Guard.” 

    Shaheen and Hoeven have championed efforts in the U.S. Senate to establish a federal tuition assistance (FTA) program for Air National Guard members. This legislation follows efforts by Hoeven and Shaheen to establish and fund an FTA pilot program and ensure that North Dakota and New Hampshire Air Guardsmen had access to this important benefit. The Senators secured a total of $18.8 million across fiscal years (FY) 2020-2023 to support the program. The legislation is supported by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS). 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Commission for Social Development Concludes Annual Session, Recommending Adoption of 4 Resolutions by Economic and Social Council

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    The Commission for Social Development concluded its 2025 annual session today, recommending four resolutions, including a text on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, to the Economic and Social Council for their adoption.

    “The call to address systemic challenges, including poverty, hunger and social exclusion, resonates more powerfully than ever before,” said Krzysztof Maria Szczerski (Poland), Chair of the Commission, as he delivered closing remarks for the session.  Discussions during this session highlighted the centrality of gender equality, human rights and the promotion of social cohesion, he noted, adding that ensuring equitable access to health, education, decent work and housing is fundamental to creating just and inclusive societies. 

    The second World Summit for Social Development to be held in November in Doha represents a vital opportunity to reset global priorities and renew our collective resolve.  “As we prepare for this landmark event, it is essential that we remain steadfast in our pursuit of structural reforms,” he went on to say, emphasizing the need to promote quality employment, eliminate barriers to technology and create resilient social protection systems.

    E/CN.5/2025/L.7

    The Commission approved the draft resolution “Future organization and methods of work of the Commission for Social Development” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.7) without a vote, forwarding it to the Council.

    By the text, the Council would decide that the priority theme for the sixty-fourth session of the Commission, which shall allow it to contribute to the work of the Council, will be “Advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable and inclusive policies”.

    E/CN.5/2025/L.5

    The Commission also approved, without a vote, the draft resolution “Social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.5), recommending its adoption by the Economic and Social Council.

    By the text, the Council would, recognizing that New Partnership for Africa’s Development programmes have become the cornerstone of development in the continent, urge African Governments to fast-track the implementation of the revised Africa Health Strategy for the period 2016–2030 and stress the importance of improving maternal and child health.  It would encourage Member States to continue to provide capacity-building support to African countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes. Further, it would encourage African countries to accelerate actions for eradicating extreme poverty, provide decent jobs and tackle the climate emergency by investing in a sustainable, inclusive and just transition. 

    E/CN.5/2025/L.4

    Acting without a vote, the Commission approved the draft resolution “Strengthening solidarity, social inclusion and social cohesion to accelerate the delivery of the commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development as well as the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.4) and recommended its adoption by Council.

    By the text, the Council would recognize the need for strengthening international cooperation to provide necessary financial assistance, technical support and capacity-building to developing countries for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Reaffirming that eradicating poverty in all its forms is the greatest global challenge, it would encourage States to invest in programmes for poverty eradication and the promotion of equitable and universal access to basic services and resilient infrastructure, including healthcare services, education, safe drinking water and sanitation and affordable housing.

    E/CN.5/2025/L.6

    The Commission approved the draft resolution “Modalities for the fifth review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.6), sending it to the Council.

    The text would have the Council decide that the procedure for the fifth review and appraisal of the Madrid Plan of Action will follow the set procedure of the fourth review and appraisal exercise, and the global review and appraisal will be held by the Commission on the third day of its sixty-sixth session, in 2028.  It would also request the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission at its sixty-fifth session, in 2027, a report, including an analysis of the preliminary findings of the fifth review and appraisal exercise, and at its sixty-sixth session, in 2028, a report, including the conclusions of the fifth review and appraisal exercise.

    E/CN.5/2025/L.3

    The Commission also adopted the draft resolution “Policies and programmes involving youth” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.3) without a vote.

    The text would have the Commission urge States to ensure that youth issues are adequately addressed in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promote the full and effective participation of young people and youth-led and youth-focused organizations in decision-making processes. Relatedly, it would call on donors to actively contribute to the United Nations Youth Fund to facilitate the participation of youth representatives from developing countries in UN activities, considering the need for greater geographical and gender balance of youth representation, as well as to accelerate the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth.  In this regard, it would request the Secretary-General to take appropriate action to encourage contributions to the Fund.

    In other business, the Commission nominated Olivier de Schutter (Belgium) and Graziella Moraes Silva (Brazil) to serve as members of the Board of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development for the additional term from the date of confirmation by the Economic and Social Council to 30 June 2027, and Jenina Joy Chavez (Philippines) for a four-year term from the date of confirmation by the Council to 30 June 2029.

    The Commission also adopted the provisional agenda and documentation for its sixty-fourth session (document E/CN.5/2025/L.1) and the draft report of its sixth-third session (document E/CN.5/2025/L.2).

    Following the closure of the sixty-third session, the Commission opened its sixty-fourth session, electing Khrystyna Hayovyshyn (Ukraine) as Chair, and Céline Pierre Fabre (Haiti) and Stefano Guerra (Portugal) as Vice-Chairs.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

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

    Source: The White House

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

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Establishing the National Energy Dominance Council

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

         Section 1.  Policy.  America is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and is a leader in energy technologies and innovation that are critical to the economic prosperity and national security of the American people, as well as our partners and allies.  We must expand all forms of reliable and affordable energy production to drive down inflation, grow our economy, create good-paying jobs, reestablish American leadership in manufacturing, lead the world in artificial intelligence, and restore peace through strength by wielding our commercial and diplomatic levers to end wars across the world.  By utilizing our amazing national assets, including our crude oil, natural gas, lease condensates, natural gas liquids, refined petroleum products, uranium, coal, biofuels, geothermal heat, the kinetic movement of flowing water, and critical minerals, we will preserve and protect our most beautiful places, reduce our dependency on foreign imports, and grow our economy — thereby enabling the reduction of our deficits and our debt.
    It shall be the policy of my Administration to make America energy dominant.

         Sec. 2.  Establishment.  There is hereby established within the Executive Office of the President the National Energy Dominance Council (Council).

         Sec. 3.  Membership.  (a)  The Secretary of the Interior shall serve as Chair of the Council.  The Secretary of Energy shall serve as Vice Chair of the Council.
    (b)  In addition to the Chair and the Vice Chair, the Council shall consist of the following members:
    (i)      the Secretary of State;
    (ii)     the Secretary of the Treasury;
    (iii)    the Secretary of Defense;
    (iv)     the Attorney General;
    (v)      the Secretary of Agriculture;
    (vi)     the Secretary of Commerce;
    (vii)    the Secretary of Transportation;
    (viii)   the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
    (ix)     the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
    (x)      the United States Trade Representative;
    (xi)     the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy;
    (xii)    the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy;
    (xiii)   the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs;
    (xiv)    the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy;
    (xv)     the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality;
    (xvi)    the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers;
    (xvii)   the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and
    (xviii)  the heads of such other executive departments and agencies (agencies) as the President may, from time to time, designate.

         Sec. 4.  Functions.  (a)  The Chair shall convene and preside over meetings of the Council, in consultation with the Office of the Chief of Staff, provided that in his absence the Vice Chair shall preside.
    (b)  The Council shall:
    (i)    advise the President on how best to exercise his authority to produce more energy to make America energy dominant;
    (ii)   advise the President on improving the processes for permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, and export of all forms of American energy, including critical minerals;
    (iii)  provide to the President a recommended National Energy Dominance Strategy to produce more energy that includes long-range goals for achieving energy dominance by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the energy-producing economy, focusing on innovation, and seeking to eliminate longstanding, but unnecessary, regulation;
    (iv)   advise and assist the President in facilitating cooperation among the Federal Government and domestic private sector energy partners; and
    (v)    advise the President on facilitating consistency in energy production policies included in the Strategy developed under subsection (b)(iii) of this section.
    (c)  In performing the advisory functions listed under subsection (b) of this section, the Council, through the Chair, shall, when appropriate, coordinate with the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.  The functions of the Council shall report to the Office of the Chief of Staff.
    (d)  Within 100 days of the date of this order, and from time to time thereafter as deemed appropriate by the Chair, the Council shall:
    (i)    recommend to the President a plan to raise awareness on a national level of matters related to energy dominance, such as the urgency of reliable energy; the improvements in technology achieved through reliable energy sources; the national security concerns with removing reliable and affordable energy sources; the jobs supported by the energy sector; and the regulatory constraints driving up the cost of reliable energy to consumers;
    (ii)   advise the President regarding the actions each agency can take under existing authorities to prioritize the policy objective of increasing energy production, such as rapidly and significantly increasing electricity capacity; rapidly facilitating approvals for energy infrastructure; approving the construction of natural gas pipelines to, or in, New England, California, Alaska, and other areas of the country underserved by American natural gas; facilitating the reopening of closed power plants; and bringing Small Modular Nuclear Reactors online;
    (iii)  provide to the President a review of markets most critical to power American homes, cars, and factories with reliable, abundant, and affordable energy;
    (iv)   advise the President regarding incentives to attract and retain private sector energy-production investments;
    (v)    advise the President on identifying and ending practices that raise the cost of energy; and
    (vi)   consult with officials from State, local, and Tribal governments and individuals from the private sector to solicit feedback on how best to expand all forms of energy production.

         Sec. 5.  Administration.  (a)  The Council shall have such staff and other assistance as may be necessary to carry out its functions.
    (b)  Agencies shall cooperate with the Council and provide such assistance, information, and advice to the Council related to policies that affect energy dominance as the Chair or, at the Chair’s direction, the Vice Chair, shall reasonably request, to the extent permitted by law.

         Sec. 6.  Representation on the National Security Council.  The Secretary of the Interior, as Chair of the Council, shall serve as a standing member of the National Security Council.

         Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        February 14, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard cutter returns to Washington following law enforcement patrol

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 02/14/2025 06:30 PM EST

     

    02/14/2025 06:04 PM EST

    The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Active (WMEC 618) returned home to Port Angeles, Friday following a 65-day law enforcement patrol off the coast of Southern California. As America’s maritime law enforcement agency, the Coast Guard is increasing presence in key areas to protect U.S. maritime borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, 17 Colleagues Introduce Bill to Raise Minimum Age to Buy Assault Weapons

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    February 14, 2025

    WASHINGTON—On the seventh anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined 17 of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Age 21 Act, legislation to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21—the same age requirement that already applies to purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers. Individuals under 21 have used assault weapons in some of the most devastating school shootings in U.S. history, including the mass shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

    “From Uvalde to Parkland, it’s just a fact the profile of these shooters are often teenagers who were able to legally get their hands on a deadly weapon like an AR-15. A majority of Americans support raising the age to purchase assault weapons or handguns to 21. Congress should do it,” said Murphy.

    “Too many innocent lives lost, too many individuals facing relentless grief—we must take action to stop the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our nation. By raising the minimum age requirement for purchasing assault weapons, the Age 21 Act keeps guns out of the hands of individuals who lack the necessary maturity to handle firearms, combatting gun violence hurting our communities. This legislation takes meaningful action to prevent senseless, unnecessary tragedies,” said Blumenthal.

    Gun violence is a national crisis, claiming over 46,000 lives in 2023 — the third-largest number of gun-related deaths in American history. Assault weapons, originally engineered for military combat to maximize damage, are frequently used in mass shootings because of their ability to inflict catastrophic harm in mere seconds. More than 85 percent of deaths in public mass shootings involving four or more fatalities were caused by assault rifles. Furthermore, shootings involving assault weapons or large-capacity magazines result in more than 2.5 times as many people being shot compared to incidents involving other firearms.

    The bill’s restrictions on the sale of assault weapons, handguns, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and related ammunition to individuals under the age of 21 would apply to both federally licensed and private sellers. Additionally, the legislation would bar most individuals under 21 from possessing these items, with limited exceptions for specific circumstances such as service in law enforcement or the armed forces.

    U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also cosponsored the legislation.

    The Age 21 Act is endorsed by organizations including Brady: United Against Gun Violence, March for Our Lives, Giffords, Newtown Action Alliance, and Everytown for Gun Safety.

    A one-pager on the bill is available HERE. Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Colleagues Tell Trump: Hands Off Medicare And Medicaid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), joined 30 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Donald Trump demanding the Trump administration, Elon Musk, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) make no cuts to Medicare and Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. This follows reports that Elon Musk and DOGE officials gained access to key payment and contracting systems at the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), which administers Medicare and Medicaid.

    In 2024, 68 million seniors and people with disabilities relied on Medicare coverage for essential health care, including hospital visits, screenings for cancer, diabetes, and depression, and prescription drugs. Nearly 80 million Americans relied on Medicaid, making it the largest public health insurance program in the United States.

    “We write to say no to Elon Musk and DOGE, and demand hands off Medicare or Medicaid,” the lawmakers wrote. “We strongly oppose any efforts by Musk – or anyone else in your administration – cutting or damaging these vital programs. Medicare and Medicaid must not be raided to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Every cut risks Americans paying more, waiting longer, and wading through more insurance red tape for care. Every cut risks hospitals and community health centers struggling harder to keep their doors open and forcing health providers and workers out of their jobs.”

    They added: “We continue to fight for a health care system that works better for all Americans, so they experience lower costs, shorter wait times, and receive better care. But your Administration, Elon Musk, and DOGE have already made that harder. Your Administration is already responsible for the shut-down of Medicaid portals across all 50 states, disruptions to vital health care communication, closures of community health centers, and significant delays in funding for life-saving health research. Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will only serve to deepen the harm.”

    The lawmakers concluded: “It is dangerously unacceptable that an unelected Musk and his unqualified acolytes have access to sensitive CMS systems and are ready to bypass Congress to make life and death decisions affecting millions of Americans. No one asked for this lawless approach to our critical government health care systems. We urge you to stop this threat to Americans’ health care, now.”

    U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.),  Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter. 

    The full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

    Dear President Trump:

    We write with alarm at recent actions by your Administration that put Medicare and Medicaid at risk – threatening access to care for 140 million Americans. On February 5, Elon Musk and representatives of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access to key payment and contracting systems at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that administers these vital programs. Masquerading as a false crusade against waste, fraud, and abuse, Musk appears intent to break the programs that seniors, people with disabilities, children, and families rely on to get their health care. We write to say no to Elon Musk and DOGE, and demand hands off Medicare or Medicaid. We strongly oppose any efforts by Musk – or anyone else in your administration – cutting or damaging these vital programs. Medicare and Medicaid must not be raided to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

    Medicare and Medicaid are lifelines for millions of Americans. In 2024, 68 million seniors and people with disabilities seniors relied on Medicare coverage for essential health care, including hospital visits, screenings for cancer, diabetes, and depression, and prescription drugs. Nearly 80 million Americans relied on Medicaid, making it the largest public health insurance program in the United States. Medicaid provides funding to states for services at nursing homes, hospitals, rural health clinics as well as home health services, addiction and mental health services, and family planning. Americans rely on Medicaid for pregnancy and childbirth, as well as long-term services and supports to care for people with disabilities, older adults, and chronically ill Americans.

    But now, DOGE is invading CMS, posing immeasurable risks to Americans’ health care. DOGE representatives, with no training or expertise, could make unilateral, politically motivated decisions to target both beneficiaries and health care providers while blocking access to care and essential payments for services. Every cut risks Americans paying more, waiting longer, and wading through more insurance red tape for care. Every cut risks hospitals and community health centers struggling harder to keep their doors open and forcing health providers and workers out of their jobs.

    We continue to fight for a health care system that works better for all Americans, so they experience lower costs, shorter wait times, and receive better care. But your Administration, Elon Musk, and DOGE have already made that harder. Your Administration is already responsible for the shut-down of Medicaid portals across all 50 states, disruptions to vital health care communication, closures of community health centers, and significant delays in funding for life-saving health research. Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will only serve to deepen the harm.

    It is dangerously unacceptable that an unelected Musk and his unqualified acolytes have access to sensitive CMS systems and are ready to bypass Congress to make life and death decisions affecting millions of Americans. No one asked for this lawless approach to our critical government health care systems. We urge you to stop this threat to Americans’ health care, now.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Improving Health Access Through the Black Church

    Source: US State of New York

    February 14, 2025

    Albany, NY

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced increased funding for United Way of New York City to support the expansion of Choose Healthy Life, a program dedicated to increasing access to health services in underserved communities through the Black church. The expanded initiative will add 10 Choose Healthy Life–funded churches in New York State to the 20 existing churches in New York City, bringing critical health services and wellness programs to five New York cities: Albany, Buffalo, Newburgh, Rochester and Syracuse. The Governor announced that Choose Healthy Life is receiving nearly $5 million, a $1.5 million increase over the prior fiscal year to fund the expansion which affirms her commitment to improving health outcomes in Black communities. Additionally, the Governor proposes adding another $1 million in her FY26 Executive Budget, bringing the total funding amount to $5.9 million over the lifespan of the program.

    “Black churches play an indispensable role in neighborhoods across New York State: connecting people with services and resources that enrich their lives and our communities as a whole,” Governor Hochul said. “Your family is my fight — that’s why I’m committing new funding to expand Choose Healthy Life and the critical health and wellness services they provide.”

    Choose Healthy Life National Black Clergy Health Leadership Council Co-Chair Rev. Al Sharpton said, “Governor Hochul’s unwavering leadership in advancing the health and safety of New York’s most underserved neighborhoods deserves our deepest gratitude. Her partnership with Choose Healthy Life exemplifies the bold action required to save lives.”

    [embedded content]

    [embedded content]

    Governor Hochul made the announcement at Choose Healthy Life’s (CHL) Inaugural Summit which convened CHL clergy leaders, faith-based health navigators and elected officials from across New York State. The convening included the newest Upstate church pastors and navigators that are part of the expansion.

    In partnership with UWNYC, the 20 CHL churches in New York City have been highly successful in addressing persistent health disparities by serving over 100,000 individuals through the Black church. Guided by the clergy, an individual is chosen from each church community and trained to serve as a full-time health navigator. These trusted health navigators have been central to successfully serving nearly 9,000 individuals for social determinants of health needs, providing over 6,000 individuals with Blueprint for Wellness screening reports documenting their health status, and generating over 900 referrals for social support services.

    Choose Healthy Life was founded in 2021 amid the COVID pandemic and grew to fund 120 churches across 13 states. New York, with 30 churches, has more CHL churches than any other state.

    The newly participating churches in CHL’s expanded efforts include:

    • Albany: Macedonia Baptist Church, Metropolitan Baptist Church
    • Buffalo: First Shiloh Baptist Church, True Bethel Baptist Church
    • Newburgh: AME Zion of Newburgh, One Accord Christian Church
    • Syracuse: People’s AME Zion, Tucker Missionary Baptist Church
    • Rochester: New Bethel CME, Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church

    Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State agenda is aimed at enhancing resources for families in New York, helping them build a strong foundation for their children. The Governor’s bold proposals and investments include:

    • putting New York on a path towards universal child care;
    • providing universal free school meals;
    • investing $110 million in child care capital funding;
    • advancing a nation-leading birth allowance — the New York State BABY Benefit;
    • expanding access to infertility treatments;
    • and distributing free diapers and other supplies to the families of nearly 100,000 babies.

    Your family is my fight — that’s why I’m committing new funding to expand Choose Healthy Life and the critical health and wellness services they provide.”

    Governor Hochul

    United Way of New York City President and CEO Grace Bonilla said, “Nearly three million people in New York City, which represent half of working-age households, do not earn enough to cover their basic needs, making access to healthcare a challenge. Choose Healthy Life is a critical program that addresses this crisis, ensuring that families, especially those historically overlooked, have access to screenings, vaccinations, and early interventions that can prevent serious health issues. We are honored that our success in New York City has yielded an additional investment by Governor Hochul, allowing us to partner with our sister United Way agencies across the state to deliver health services to New Yorkers in some of the most vulnerable cities in our state. Through these services, we are working toward lasting, systemic change to create a healthier, more equitable future for all New Yorkers.”

    Choose Healthy Life Founder and Board Chair Debra Fraser-Howze said, “This new chapter in Choose Healthy Life’s mission would not have been possible without the continued investment from Governor Hochul and the invaluable support of United Way of New York City. Choose Healthy Life is successful because of the strong collaboration that exists with clergy, government, and community leaders to carry forward our shared vision of healthier communities.”

    Choose Healthy Life Executive Director Rev. Kimberly L. Williams said, “New York has been a shining example of what can be accomplished when you provide Black churches with the resources to bring about change. Together with Governor Hochul and United Way of New York City, we’re transforming health outcomes for underserved communities across the state. By offering free health screenings, community wellness programs, access to vaccinations, and much more, Choose Healthy Life is lifting up families and empowering individuals to take charge of their own health.”

    Choose Healthy Life New York State Clergy Leader Rev. Jacques Andre DeGraff said, “The expansion of Choose Healthy Life across the state is a monumental step forward in our mission. This anointed partnership brings both the best of faith and science together ensuring that our dedicated health navigators can be effective on the front lines.”

    Embedded Flickr Album

    About United Way of New York City:

    For 87 years, United Way of New York City has been at the forefront in the fight to drive equity and ensure dignity for all New Yorkers, no matter their zip code. They unite by mobilizing the best ideas, relevant data, internal and external experts and resources. United Way of New York City maximizes impact by coordinating and aligning service providers, companies, local government and New Yorkers to help families eliminate barriers and gain the agency to improve their lives for the better. To learn more, visit unitedwaynyc.org.

    About Choose Healthy Life:

    Choose Healthy Life (CHL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to health services through the Black church by funding, establishing and training a trusted faith-based health navigator to educate, deliver and connect the community to much-needed health services. Founded in 2021, CHL funded 120 churches across 13 states. Since then, CHL has hosted over 9,000 events, vaccinated, tested and distributed self-test kits to over 350,000 individuals, and screened over 20,000 for comprehensive health risks. Today, CHL’s health navigators are focused on addressing the underlying lack of access to health services in their respective communities, to help individuals take control of their health. For more information, visit choosehealthylife.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bogota Financial Corp. Reports Results for the Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TEANECK, N.J., Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bogota Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: BSBK) (the “Company”), the holding company for Bogota Savings Bank (the “Bank”), reported a net loss for the three months ended December 31, 2024 of $930,000 or $0.07 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $1.2 million or $0.09 per basic and diluted share for the comparable prior year period. The Company reported a net loss for the year ended December 31, 2024 of $2.2 million or $0.17 per basic and diluted share compared to net income of $643,000, or $0.05 per basic and diluted share, for the prior year. 

    On April 24, 2024, the Company announced it had received regulatory approval to repurchase up to 237,090 shares of its common stock, which was approximately 5% of its then outstanding common stock (excluding shares held by Bogota Financial, MHC). The program does not have a scheduled expiration date and the Board of Directors may suspend or discontinue the program at any time. As of December 31, 2024, 188,047 shares have been repurchased under this program at a cost of $1.4 million.

    Other Financial Highlights:

    • Total assets increased $32.2 million, or 3.4%, to $971.5 million at December 31, 2024 from $939.3 million at December 31, 2023, largely due to an increase in cash and cash equivalents and other assets, offset by a decrease in net loans and premises and equipment.
    • Cash and cash equivalents increased $27.3 million, or 109.5%, to $52.2 million at December 31, 2024 from $24.9 million at December 31, 2023, as increases in deposits and borrowings and loan and security maturities outpaced loan growth.
    • Securities decreased $1.2 million, or 0.9%, to $140.3 million at December 31, 2024 from $141.5 million at December 31, 2023.
    • Net loans decreased $3.0 million, or 0.4%, to $711.7 million at December 31, 2024 from $714.7 million at December 31, 2023 due to decreases in residential and construction loans, offset by an increase in commercial real estate loans.
    • Total deposits at December 31, 2024 were $642.2 million, increasing $16.9 million, or 2.7%, as compared to $625.3 million at December 31, 2023, primarily due to a $14.7 million increase in interest-bearing deposits and by a $2.1 million increase in non-interest bearing checking accounts. The average rate paid on deposits increased 31 basis points to 3.73% for 2024 from 3.42% for 2023 due to higher interest rates and an increase in NOW accounts, which increased $14.1 million, or 34.0%, to $55.4 million at December 31, 2024 from $41.3 million at December 31, 2023. The yield on such accounts also increased 63 basis points to 2.53% for 2024 from 1.90% for 2023.
    • Federal Home Loan Bank advances increased $4.5 million, or 2.7% to $172.2 million at December 31, 2024 from $167.7 million as of December 31, 2023.

    The Bank completed a balance sheet restructuring consisting of two key transactions in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Bank entered into a sale-leaseback transaction whereby the Bank sold three of its branch offices resulting in a $9.0 million pre-tax gain. Subsequently, the Bank realized a pre-tax loss of $8.9 million on the sale of approximately $66.0 million in amortized cost ($57.1 million in market value) of securities with a weighted average life of approximately 5.5 years and a weighted average yield of 1.89%. The Bank reinvested $32.7 million of these proceeds into securities with a weighted average life of approximately 29.6 years and a weighted average yield of 5.60%. As of December 31, 2024 all securities were classified as available for sale and marked to market.

    Kevin Pace, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We were able to accomplish a key piece of our strategic plan this quarter. The sale-leaseback transaction gave us the ability to dispose of underperforming legacy investments without deteriorating regulatory capital. We were able to utilize this strategy to strengthen our balance sheet and improve future earnings. Reinvesting those funds in securities and loans at current market rates, as well as paying down higher cost borrowings, will provide both short- and long-term benefits. 

    “Uncertainty around rates continues to be a necessary consideration when planning for growth. The repositioning will help with this process while improving our net interest margin. We were able to achieve modest asset and deposit growth for the year while remaining focused on prudent lending practices. The high cost of funds, in particular in our competitive market, continued to pressure earnings. As we continue with our current stock buyback program, we remain committed to adding shareholder value.”

    Income Statement Analysis

    Comparison of Operating Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023

    Net income increased by $248,000, or 21.0%, to a net loss of $930,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from a net loss of $1.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023. This increase was primarily due to an increase of $1.0 million in interest income, a $1.3 million decrease in non-interest expense and a decrease of $998,000 in income tax expense, offset by a $1.5 million increase in interest expense.

    Interest income increased $1.0 million, or 10.7%, from $9.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 to $10.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 due to higher yields on interest-earning assets and higher average balances. 

    Interest income on cash and cash equivalents increased $46,000, or 31.7%, to $191,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from $145,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2023 due to a $4.1 million increase in the average balance to $13.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from $9.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023, reflecting the increase of liquidity due to lower loan originations. Due to rate cuts enacted in the third and fourth quarter of the year, the yield on cash and cash equivalents decreased 47 basis points from 6.08% for the three months ended December 31, 2023 to 5.61% for the three months ended December 31, 2024.

    Interest income on loans increased $299,000, or 3.6%, to $8.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to $8.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 due primarily to 16 basis point increase in the average yield from 4.57% for the three months ended December 31, 2023 to 4.73% for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and by a $3.0 million increase in the average balance to $717.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from $714.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023.

    Interest income on securities increased $612,000, or 58.8%, to $1.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from $1.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 primarily due to a $42.1 million increase in the average balance to $175.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from $133.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and due to a 65 basis point increase in the average yield from 3.12% for the three months ended December 31, 2023 to 3.77% for the three months ended December 31, 2024.

    Interest expense increased $1.5 million, or 22.1%, from $6.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 to $8.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 due to higher costs on interest-bearing liabilities and by a $58.9 million increase in the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities from $747.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 to $805.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024. During the three months ended December 31, 2024, the use of the cash flow hedges reduced the interest expense by $280,000.

    Interest expense on interest-bearing deposits increased $954,000, or 18.2%, to $6.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from $5.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023. The increase was due to a 61 basis point increase in the average cost of deposits to 4.02% for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from 3.41% for the three months ended December 31, 2023. The increase in the average cost of deposits was due to the higher interest rate environment. The average balances of certificates of deposit increased $4.7 million to $501.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from $497.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 while NOW and money market accounts and savings accounts decreased $148,000 and $430,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2024, respectively, compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023.

    Interest expense on Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings increased $513,000, or 37.1%, from $1.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 to $1.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024. The increase was due to an increase in the average balance of borrowings of $54.8 million to $192.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from $137.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023, which was partially offset by a decrease in the average cost of 7 basis points to 3.92% for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from 3.99% for the three months ended December 31, 2023 as new borrowings in the second half of the year were at slightly lower rates. At December 31, 2024, cash flow hedges used to manage interest rate risk had a notional value of $65.0 million, while fair value hedges totaled $60.0 million in notional value. 

    Net interest income decreased $439,000, or 14.9%, to $2.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from $2.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023. The decrease reflected a 27 basis point decrease in our net interest rate spread to 0.61% for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from 0.88% for the three months ended December 31, 2023. Our net interest margin decreased 26 basis points to 1.09% for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from 1.35% for the three months ended December 31, 2023.

    We recorded a $218,000 recovery for credit losses for the three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to a no provision for credit losses for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023. The recovery in the fourth quarter of 2024 reflects the decrease in the loan and securities portfolio. 

    Non-interest income increased by $136,000, or 48.2%, to $419,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from $283,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2023. Bank-owned life insurance income increased $16,000, or 7.7%, due to higher balances during 2024. Gain on sale of assets was $74,000 as proceeds from the sale-leaseback transaction exceeded the loss on securities.

    For the three months ended December 31, 2024, non-interest expense decreased $1.3 million, or 26.9%, over the comparable December 31, 2023 period. Salaries and employee benefits decreased $776,000, or 25.2%, due to lower headcount. Professional fees decreased $141,000, or 56.9% due to lower legal costs in 2024. FDIC insurance premiums increased $12,000, or 12.1%, due to a higher assessment rate in 2024. Data processing expense increased $23,000, or 9.3%, due to higher processing costs. Director fees increased $14,000, or 9.9%, due to higher pension expense. The decrease in advertising expense of $35,000, or 36.4%, was due to reduced promotions for branch locations and less promotions on deposit and loan products. Other expense decreased $456,000, or 68.2%, as 2023 expenses were elevated due to a pending fraud claim that was under review with the insurance company.

    Income tax expense increased $998,000, or 182.1%, to an expense of $450,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from a benefit of $548,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2023. The increase was due to tax reserves on uncertain deferred tax assets.

    Comparison of Operating Results for the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023

    Net income decreased by $2.8 million, or 437.8%, to a net loss of $2.2 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from net income of $643,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease of $4.4 million in net interest income, offset by a decrease of $1.2 million in non-interest expense and by an increase of $209,000 in non-interest income and $209,000 in income tax benefit.

    Interest income increased $4.4 million, or 12.0%, from $37.3 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 to $41.7 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 due to increases in the average balances of and higher yields on interest-earning assets.

    Interest income on cash and cash equivalents increased $38,000, or 6.7%, to $606,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $568,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 due to a 71 basis point increase in the average yield from 5.23% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 to 5.94% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 due to the higher interest rate environment for most of 2024. This was offset by a $671,000 decrease in the average balance to $10.2 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $10.9 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, reflecting the use of excess liquidity primarily to fund securities purchases.

    Interest income on loans increased $1.4 million, or 4.3%, to $33.4 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 compared to $32.0 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 due primarily to a 20 basis point increase in the average yield from 4.49% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 to 4.69% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. The increase was offset by a $661,000 decrease in the average balance to $713.1 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $713.8 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.

    Interest income on securities increased $2.7 million, or 66.7%, to $6.9 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $4.2 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 due to a 101 basis point increase in the average yield from 2.87% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 to 3.88% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and by a $33.8 million increase in the average balance of securities to $178.7 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $144.9 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.

    Interest expense increased $8.9 million, or 39.9%, from $22.3 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 to $31.2 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 due to increases in the average balance of and higher costs on interest-bearing liabilities. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, the use of the cash flow hedges reduced the interest expense on the Federal Home Loan Bank advances by $1.5 million.

    Interest expense on interest-bearing deposits increased $6.6 million, or 36.4%, to $24.6 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $18.0 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023. The increase was due to a 112 basis point increase in the average cost of interest-bearing deposits to 3.97% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from 2.85% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, offset by a $12.3 million decrease in the average balance of interest-bearing deposits. The increase in the average cost of deposits was due to the higher interest rate environment and a change in the composition of the deposit portfolio. The average balances of certificates of deposit increased $10.2 million to $508.3 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $498.1 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 while NOW and money market accounts and savings accounts decreased $18.1 million and $4.4 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, respectively, compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.

    Interest expense on Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings increased $2.3 million, or 54.4%, from $4.3 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 to $6.6 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. The increase was due to an increase in the average balance of borrowings of $59.2 million to $176.0 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $116.8 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023. The increase was due to an increase in the average cost of 9 basis points to 3.76% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from 3.67% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 due to the new borrowings at higher rates. At December 31, 2024, cash flow hedges used to manage interest rate risk had a notional value of $65.0 million, while fair value hedges totaled $60.0 million in notional value. 

    Net interest income decreased $4.4 million, or 29.5%, to $10.6 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $15.0 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023. The decrease reflected a 62 basis point decrease in our net interest rate spread to 0.66% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from 1.28% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023. Our net interest margin decreased 55 basis points to 1.16% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from 1.71% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.

    We recorded a $148,000 recovery of credit losses for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 compared to a $125,000 recovery for credit losses for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2023 which reflected a decrease in the loan and securities portfolios, as well as no charge-offs during the years. This recovery was inclusive of the effect due to the transfer of certain securities from the held to maturity portfolio to the available for sale portfolio, which resulted in a $108,000 recovery for credit losses.

    Non-interest income increased by $209,000, or 18.4%. Gain on sale of assets increased $74,000 while fee and service charged income increased $22,000 or 10.6%, and income related to bank owned life insurance increased $90,000, or 11.5%, due to higher balances during 2024.

    For the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, non-interest expense decreased $1.2 million, or 7.4%, compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2023. Salaries and employee benefits decreased $1.1 million, or 10.9%, as 2023 amounts included an accrual of a severance contract for the retirement of the previous President and a higher employee count when compared to 2024. Professional fees increased $129,000 or 19.5%, due to higher legal expense. Data processing increased $234,000, or 24.1%, due to higher processing costs. Other expense decreased $369,000, or 27.8%, as 2023 amounts included charges for a pending fraud claim that is under review with the insurance company.

    Income tax benefit increased $209,000, or 129.1%, to a benefit of $372,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from a benefit of $162,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023. The increase in benefit was due to $3.0 million, or 629.2%, of lower taxable income. The effective tax rate for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 was (14.62%) and (33.76%), respectively. The benefit would have been higher but there were valuation reserves on certain deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2024.

    Balance Sheet Analysis

    Total assets were $971.5 million at December 31, 2024, representing an increase of $32.2 million, or 3.4%, from December 31, 2023. Cash and cash equivalents increased $27.3 million during the period primarily due to loan payments received and growth in deposits and borrowings. Net loans decreased $3.0 million, or 0.4%, due to $63.8 million in repayments, partially offset by new production of $61.2 million. Due to the interest rate environment, we have seen a decrease in demand for residential and construction loans, which have been primary drivers of our loan growth in recent periods. Securities held to maturity were reclassified to securities available for sale which decreased an aggregate $1.2 million or 0.9%, due to the repayments of mortgage-backed securities and maturities of corporate bonds. Right of use assets increased $10.8 million due to new right-of-use lease assets recognized as part of the sale-leaseback transaction.

    Delinquent loans increased $1.7 million to $14.3 million, or 2.01% of total loans, at December 31, 2024. The increase was mostly due to one commercial real estate loan with a balance of $755,000 and two residential mortgages totaling $653,000, all of which are classified as nonaccrual. During the same timeframe, non-performing assets increased to $14.0 million and were 1.44% of total assets at December 31, 2024. The Company’s allowance for credit losses was 0.37% of total loans and 18.77% of non-performing loans at December 31, 2024 compared to 0.39% of total loans and 21.81% of non-performing loans at December 31, 2023. At that date, $10.9 million, or 76.0%, of the total non-performing loans consisted of one construction loan with a loan-to-value of 45%, which required no specific reserve. The Bank does not have any exposure to commercial real estate loans secured by office space.

    Total liabilities increased $32.0 million, or 4.0%, to $834.2 million mainly due to a $16.8 million increase in deposits and by a $4.5 million increase in borrowings. Lease liabilities also increased $10.8 million due to new lease liabilities recognized as part of the sale-leaseback transaction. Total deposits increased $16.9 million, or 2.7%, to $642.2 million at December 31, 2024 from $625.3 million at December 31, 2023. The increase in deposits reflected increases in NOW, money market and savings accounts, which increased by $14.7 million from $101.5 million at December 31, 2023 to $116.2 million at December 31, 2024 and by an increase in non-interest bearing accounts, which increased by $2.1 million to $32.7 million from $30.6 million at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2024, brokered deposits were $101.6 million or 15.8% of deposits and municipal deposits were $30.7 million or 4.8% of deposits. At December 31, 2024, uninsured deposits represented 6.9% of the Bank’s total deposits. Federal Home Loan Bank advances increased $4.5 million, or 2.7%. Total borrowing capacity at the Federal Home Loan Bank is $280.4 million, of which $172.2 million is advanced.

    Total stockholders’ equity increased $116,000 to $137.3 million, which was largely unchanged from last year. The increase was due to a reduction in the accumulated other comprehensive loss on the securities portfolio of $2.9 million, offset by a net loss of $2.2 million and the repurchase of 221,130 shares of stock at a total cost of $1.7 million. At December 31, 2024, the Company’s ratio of average stockholders’ equity-to-average total assets was 14.10%, compared to 14.89% at December 31, 2023.

    About Bogota Financial Corp.

    Bogota Financial Corp. is a Maryland corporation organized as the mid-tier holding company of Bogota Savings Bank and is the majority-owned subsidiary of Bogota Financial, MHC. Bogota Savings Bank is a New Jersey chartered stock savings bank that has served the banking needs of its customers in northern and central New Jersey since 1893. It operates from seven offices located in Bogota, Hasbrouck Heights, Newark, Oak Ridge, Parsippany, Teaneck and Upper Saddle River, New Jersey and operates a loan production office in Spring Lake, New Jersey.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements about the Company and the Bank. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding anticipated future events and can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” and “intend” or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may.” Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include increased competitive pressures, changes in the interest rate environment, inflation, general economic conditions or conditions within the securities markets, potential recessionary conditions, real estate market values in the Bank’s lending area, changes in liquidity, including the size and composition of our deposit portfolio, including the percentage of uninsured deposits in the portfolio; changes in the quality of our loan and security portfolios, increases in non-performing and classified loans, monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the imposition of tariffs or other domestic or international governmental policies, a failure in or breach of the Company’s operational or security systems or infrastructure, including cyberattacks, the failure to maintain current technologies, failure to retain or attract employees and legislative, accounting and regulatory changes that could adversely affect the business in which the Company and the Bank are engaged.

    The Company undertakes no obligation to revise these forward-looking statements or to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.

     
    BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
    (unaudited)
     
        As of
    December 31, 2024    		     As of
    December 31, 2023    		  
    ASSETS                
    Cash and due from banks   $ 18,020,527     $ 13,567,115  
    Interest-bearing deposits in other banks     34,211,681       11,362,356  
    Cash and cash equivalents     52,232,208       24,929,471  
                     
    Securities available for sale     140,307,447       68,888,179  
    Securities held to maturity (fair value of $70,699,651 at December 31, 2023)     –       72,656,179  
    Loans, net of allowance $2,620,949 and $2,785,949, respectively     711,716,236       714,688,635  
    Premises and equipment, net     4,727,302       7,687,387  
    Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) stock     8,803,000       8,616,100  
    Accrued interest receivable     4,232,563       3,932,785  
    Core deposit intangibles     152,893       206,116  
    Bank owned life insurance     31,859,604       30,987,851  
    Right of use asset     10,776,596       –  
    Other assets     6,682,035       6,731,500  
    Total assets   $ 971,489,884     $ 939,324,203  
                     
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                
    Liabilities                
    Deposits                
    Non-interest bearing   $ 32,681,963     $ 30,554,842  
    Interest bearing     609,506,079       594,792,300  
          642,188,042       625,347,142  
                     
    FHLB advances-short term     29,500,000       37,500,000  
    FHLB advances-long term     142,673,182       130,189,663  
    Advance payments by borrowers for taxes and insurance     2,809,205       2,733,709  
    Lease liability     10,780,363       –  
    Other liabilities     6,249,932       6,380,486  
    Total liabilities     834,200,724       802,151,000  
                     
    Stockholders’ Equity                
    Preferred stock $0.01 par value 1,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024, and 2023     —       —  
    Common stock $0.01 par value, 30,000,000 shares authorized, 13,059,175 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 13,279,230 at December 31, 2023     130,591       132,792  
    Additional Paid-In capital     55,269,962       56,149,915  
    Retained earnings     90,006,649       92,177,068  
    Unearned ESOP shares (382,933 shares at December 31, 2024 and 409,750 shares at December 31, 2023)     (4,520,594 )     (4,821,798 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (3,597,448 )     (6,464,774 )
    Total stockholders’ equity     137,289,160       137,173,203  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 971,489,884     $ 939,324,203  
     
    BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    (unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended     Year Ended  
        December 31,     December 31,  
        2024     2023     2024     2023  
    Interest income                                
    Loans   $ 8,522,844     $ 8,224,488     $ 33,411,221     $ 32,046,033  
    Securities                                
    Taxable     1,641,126       1,027,755       6,888,462       4,070,144  
    Tax-exempt     11,483       13,135       50,892       91,428  
    Other interest-earning assets     418,634       300,656       1,399,170       1,072,240  
    Total interest income     10,594,087       9,566,034       41,749,745       37,279,845  
    Interest expense                                
    Deposits     6,200,367       5,245,865       24,584,690       18,023,772  
    FHLB advances     1,894,789       1,382,244       6,613,845       4,282,603  
    Total interest expense     8,095,156       6,628,109       31,198,535       22,306,375  
    Net interest income     2,498,931       2,937,925       10,551,210       14,973,470  
    Provision (credit) for credit losses     (218,000 )     —       (148,000 )     (125,000 )
    Net interest income after provision (credit) for credit losses     2,716,931       2,937,925       10,699,210       15,098,470  
    Non-interest income                                
    Fees and service charges     64,285       47,382       228,685       206,763  
    Gain on sale of loans     20,232       —       31,942       29,375  
    Gain on sale of properties     9,005,245       —       9,005,245       —  
    Loss on sale of securities     (8,930,843 )     —       (8,930,843 )     —  
    Bank-owned life insurance     223,616       207,453       871,753       781,526  
    Other     36,202       27,711       141,622       121,371  
    Total non-interest income     418,737       282,546       1,348,404       1,139,035  
    Non-interest expense                                
    Salaries and employee benefits     2,345,404       3,082,176       8,750,350       9,820,128  
    Occupancy and equipment     348,778       359,937       1,467,517       1,474,107  
    FDIC insurance assessment     110,464       98,525       424,090       418,215  
    Data processing     274,889       251,485       1,203,181       969,398  
    Advertising     60,840       95,681       371,790       465,064  
    Director fees     155,699       141,639       622,799       619,650  
    Professional fees     107,129       248,526       789,646       661,045  
    Other     212,632       668,220       960,230       1,329,520  
    Total non-interest expense     3,615,835       4,946,189       14,589,603       15,757,127  
    (Loss) income before income taxes     (480,167 )     (1,725,718 )     (2,541,989 )     480,378  
    Income tax (benefit) expense     449,834       (547,958 )     (371,569 )     (162,157 )
    Net (loss) income   $ (930,001 )   $ (1,177,760 )   $ (2,170,420 )   $ 642,535  
    Earnings (loss) per Share – basic   $ (0.07 )   $ (0.09 )   $ (0.17 )   $ 0.05  
    Earnings (loss) per Share – diluted   $ (0.07 )   $ (0.09 )   $ (0.17 )   $ 0.05  
    Weighted average shares outstanding – basic     12,686,765       12,767,410       12,767,628       12,891,847  
    Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted     12,686,765       12,767,410       12,767,628       12,891,847  
     
    BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.
    SELECTED RATIOS
    (unaudited)
     
        At or For the Three Months Ended December 31,     At or For the Twelve Months Ended December 31,  
        2024     2023     2024     2023  
    Performance Ratios (1):                                
    (Loss) return on average assets (2)     (0.09 )%     (0.51 )%     (0.22 )%     0.07 %
    (Loss) return on average equity (3)     (0.68 )%     (3.43 )%     (1.59 )%     0.46 %
    Interest rate spread (4)     0.61 %     0.88 %     0.66 %     1.28 %
    Net interest margin (5)     1.09 %     1.35 %     1.16 %     1.71 %
    Efficiency ratio (6)     123.93 %     153.59 %     122.61 %     97.04 %
    Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities     113.67 %     115.71 %     114.48 %     116.95 %
    Net loans to deposits     110.83 %     114.29 %     110.83 %     114.29 %
    Equity to assets (7)     13.99 %     14.94 %     14.10 %     14.89 %
    Capital Ratios:                                
    Tier 1 capital to average assets                     13.34 %     15.24 %
    Asset Quality Ratios:                                
    Allowance for credit losses as a percent of total loans                     0.37 %     0.39 %
    Allowance for credit losses as a percent of non-performing loans                     18.77 %     21.81 %
    Net charge-offs to average outstanding loans during the period                     0.00 %     0.00 %
    Non-performing loans as a percent of total loans                     1.95 %     1.79 %
    Non-performing assets as a percent of total assets                     1.44 %     1.36 %
    (1 ) Certain performance ratios for the three-month periods are annualized.
    (2 ) Represents net income divided by average total assets.
    (3 ) Represents net income divided by average stockholders’ equity.
    (4 ) Represents the difference between the weighted average yield on average interest-earning assets and the weighted average cost of average interest-bearing liabilities. Tax exempt income is reported on a tax equivalent basis using a combined federal and state marginal tax rate of 27.5%.
    (5 ) Represents net interest income as a percent of average interest-earning assets. Tax exempt income is reported on a tax equivalent basis using a combined federal and state marginal tax rate of 27.5% for 2024 and 2023.
    (6 ) Represents non-interest expenses divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income.
    (7 ) Represents average stockholders’ equity divided by average total assets.
         

    LOANS

    Loans are summarized as follows at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

        December 31,     December 31,  
        2024     2023  
    Real estate:     (unaudited)          
    Residential First Mortgage   $ 472,747,542     $ 486,052,422  
    Commercial Real Estate     118,008,866       99,830,514  
    Multi-Family Real Estate     74,152,418       75,612,566  
    Construction     43,183,657       49,302,040  
    Commercial and Industrial     6,163,747       6,658,370  
    Consumer     80,955       18,672  
    Total loans     714,337,185       717,474,584  
    Allowance for credit losses     (2,620,949 )     (2,785,949 )
    Net loans   $ 711,716,236     $ 714,688,635  
                     

    The following tables set forth the distribution of total deposit accounts, by account type, at the dates indicated (unaudited).

        At December 31,  
        2024     2023  
        Amount     Percent     Average Rate     Amount     Percent     Average Rate  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
    Noninterest bearing demand accounts   $ 32,681,963       5.09 %     — %   $ 30,554,842       4.89 %     — %
    NOW accounts     55,048,614       8.62       2.53       41,320,723       6.61       1.90  
    Money market accounts     24,578,021       2.18       0.58       14,641,846       2.34       0.30  
    Savings accounts     47,001,817       7.3       1.90       45,554,964       7.28       1.76  
    Certificates of deposit     482,877,627       76.81       4.37       493,274,767       78.88       4.00  
    Total   $ 642,188,042       100.00 %     3.73 %   $ 625,347,142       100.00 %     3.42 %
                                                     

    Average Balance Sheets and Related Yields and Rates

    The following tables present information regarding average balances of assets and liabilities, the total dollar amounts of interest income and dividends from average interest-earning assets, the total dollar amounts of interest expense on average interest-bearing liabilities, and the resulting annualized average yields and costs. The yields and costs for the periods indicated are derived by dividing income or expense by the average balances of assets or liabilities, respectively, for the periods presented. Average balances have been calculated using daily balances. Nonaccrual loans are included in average balances only. Loan fees are included in interest income on loans and are not material.

        Three Months Ended December 31,  
        2024     2023  
        Average     Interest and     Yield/     Average     Interest and     Yield/  
        Balance     Dividends     Cost (3)     Balance     Dividends     Cost (3)  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
        (unaudited)  
    Assets:                                                
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 13,547     $ 191       5.61 %   $ 9,433     $ 145       6.08 %
    Loans     717,433       8,523       4.73 %     714,380       8,224       4.57 %
    Securities     175,308       1,653       3.77 %     133,241       1,041       3.12 %
    Other interest-earning assets     9,711       227       9.37 %     7,216       156       8.70 %
    Total interest-earning assets     915,999       10,594       4.61 %     864,270       9,566       4.40 %
    Non-interest-earning assets     63,511                       56,543                  
    Total assets   $ 979,510                     $ 920,813                  
    Liabilities and equity:                                                
    NOW and money market accounts   $ 67,362     $ 366       2.16 %   $ 67,510     $ 310       1.82 %
    Savings accounts     44,425       213       1.91 %     44,855       205       1.81 %
    Certificates of deposit     501,875       5,621       4.46 %     497,147       4,731       3.78 %
    Total interest-bearing deposits     613,662       6,200       4.02 %     609,512       5,246       3.41 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank advances (1)     192,196       1,895       3.92 %     137,445       1,382       3.99 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     805,858       8,095       4.00 %     746,957       6,628       3.52 %
    Non-interest-bearing deposits     32,734                       34,835                  
    Other non-interest-bearing liabilities     3,837                       1,454                  
    Total liabilities     842,429                       783,246                  
    Total equity     137,081                       137,567                  
    Total liabilities and equity   $ 979,510                     $ 920,813                  
    Net interest income           $ 2,499                     $ 2,938          
    Interest rate spread (2)                     0.61 %                     0.88 %
    Net interest margin (3)                     1.09 %                     1.35 %
    Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities     113.67 %                     115.71 %                
    1. Cash flow hedges are used to manage interest rate risk. During the three months ended December 31, 2024, the net effect on interest expense on the Federal Home Loan Bank advances was a reduced expense of $280,000.
    2. Interest rate spread represents the difference between the weighted average yield on interest-earning assets and the weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
    3. Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.
       
        Twelve Months Ended December 31,  
        2024     2023  
        Average     Interest and     Yield/     Average     Interest and     Yield/  
        Balance     Dividends     Cost (3)     Balance     Dividends     Cost (3)  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
        (unaudited)  
    Assets:                                                
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 10,197     $ 606       5.94 %   $ 10,868     $ 568       5.23 %
    Loans     713,138       33,412       4.69 %     713,799       32,046       4.49 %
    Securities     178,684       6,939       3.88 %     144,880       4,162       2.87 %
    Other interest-earning assets     9,106       793       8.71 %     6,389       504       7.89 %
    Total interest-earning assets     911,125       41,750       4.58 %     875,936       37,280       4.26 %
    Non-interest-earning assets     59,511                       54,925                  
    Total assets   $ 970,636                     $ 930,861                  
    Liabilities and equity:                                                
    NOW and money market accounts   $ 67,561     $ 1,359       2.01 %   $ 85,663     $ 1,399       1.63 %
    Savings accounts     43,975       821       1.87 %     48,351       580       1.20 %
    Certificates of deposit     508,327       22,405       4.41 %     498,129       16,045       3.22 %
    Total interest-bearing deposits     619,863       24,585       3.97 %     632,143       18,024       2.85 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank advances (1)     175,997       6,614       3.76 %     116,816       4,283       3.67 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     795,860       31,199       3.92 %     748,959       22,307       2.98 %
    Non-interest-bearing deposits     31,572                       38,636                  
    Other non-interest-bearing liabilities     6,303                       4,627                  
    Total liabilities     833,735                       792,222                  
    Total equity     136,901                       138,639                  
    Total liabilities and equity   $ 970,636                     $ 930,861                  
    Net interest income           $ 10,551                     $ 14,973          
    Interest rate spread (2)                     0.66 %                     1.28 %
    Net interest margin (3)                     1.16 %                     1.71 %
    Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities     114.48 %                     116.95 %                
    1. Cash flow hedges are used to manage interest rate risk. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, the net effect on interest expense on the Federal Home Loan Bank advances was a reduced expense of $1.5 million.
    2. Interest rate spread represents the difference between the weighted average yield on interest-earning assets and the weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
    3. Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.
       

    Rate/Volume Analysis

    The following table sets forth the effects of changing rates and volumes on net interest income. The rate column shows the effects attributable to changes in rate (changes in rate multiplied by prior volume). The volume column shows the effects attributable to changes in volume (changes in volume multiplied by prior rate). The net column represents the sum of the prior columns. Changes attributable to changes in both rate and volume that cannot be segregated have been allocated proportionally based on the changes due to rate and the changes due to volume.

        Three Months Ended December 31,     Twelve Months Ended December 31,  
        2024 Compared to Three     2024 Compared to Twelve Months  
        Months Ended December 31, 2023     Ended December 31, 2023  
        Increase (Decrease) Due to     Increase (Decrease) Due to  
        Volume     Rate     Net     Volume     Rate     Net  
        (In thousands)  
        (unaudited)  
    Interest income:                                                
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 114     $ (68 )   $ 46     $ (37 )   $ 75     $ 38  
    Loans receivable     33       266       299       (30 )     1,396       1,366  
    Securities     369       243       612       1,108       1,669       2,777  
    Other interest earning assets     58       13       71       232       57       289  
    Total interest-earning assets     574       454       1,028       1,273       3,197       4,470  
    Interest expense:                                                
    NOW and money market accounts     (5 )   $ 61     $ 56       (328 )     288       (40 )
    Savings accounts     (12 )     20       8       (57 )     298       241  
    Certificates of deposit     45       845       890       335       6,025       6,360  
    Federal Home Loan Bank advances     676       (163 )     513       2,221       110       2,331  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     704       763       1,467       2,171       6,721       8,892  
    Net decrease in net interest income   $ (130 )   $ (309 )   $ (439 )   $ (898 )   $ (3,524 )   $ (4,422 )
                                                     

    Contacts
    Kevin Pace – President & CEO, 201-862-0660 ext. 1110

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Nominates 57 Alabama Students to U.S. Service Academies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) announced his nomination of 57 Alabama students to multiple U.S. service academies including the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and U.S. Naval Academy as part of the class of 2029. This is Senator Tuberville’s fourth round of nominations since assuming office. Earlier this year, Senator Tuberville was named as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Personnel for the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he is positioned to help bolster military recruiting and retention. 
    “Our young people are the number one commodity we have in this country, and Alabama is home to the best and brightest,” said Senator Tuberville. “I’m proud to represent a state with so many patriotic young leaders who want to serve in our nation’s military. It’s an honor to nominate 57 of these students for a service academy appointment. I have no doubt they will continue to make our state and country proud.”
    A complete list of Senator Tuberville’s nominees for the class of 2029 can be found below.
    *indicates additional service academy nomination
    United States Air Force Academy:
    Madeline Ashley Alford: Birmingham, AL; Homewood High School;daughter Josh Alford and Ashley Davenport
    Sarah R. Brock: New Market, AL; Whitesburg Baptist Christian School; daughter of Jason and Heather Brock
    Madelyn Bushong: Daleville, AL; Ridgecrest Christian School;daughter Benjamin and Vanessa Bushong
    John David Dallas: Auburn, AL; Auburn High School; son of Doug and Heather Dallas
    Julianna Ruth Gingrich: Enterprise, AL; Enterprise High School; daughter of Shane and Christina Gingrich
    Samuel Vaughn Holmes: Montgomery, AL; Loveless Academic Magnet Program High; son of Harry and Tina Holmes
    Kenneth Lee Jimmerson Jr.: Montgomery, AL; USAFA Prep School; Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School; son of Kenneth Sr. and Michelle Jimmerson
    Anna Elizabeth Martin: Andalusia, AL; Andalusia High School;daughter of Travis and Heidi Martin
    Jack Messervy: Owens Cross Roads, AL; Huntsville High School;son of Chris and Kim Messervy
    Jackson Noah Mitchell: Adger, AL; Oak Grove High School;son of Paul and Amy Mitchell
    *William McCarton Mitchell: Huntsville, AL; Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering; son of Thomas and Irene Mitchell
    John Willis Parsons: Auburn, AL; Auburn High School;son of Robert and Ashley Parsons
    Richard Dean Rutledge III: Albertville, AL; Plainview High School; son of Richard D. Rutledge II and Susan Rutledge
    Benton Nathanael Shelton: Cecil, AL; Pike Road High School; son of Brian and Carolyn Shelton
    Landon Alexander Ward: Spanish Fort, AL; Spanish Fort High School;son of Eddie and Natasha Ward
    United States Military Academy:
    Trinity Gwenyth Bentley: Springville, AL;  St. Clair County School Virtual Preparatory Academy; daughter of Patrick and Madelyn Bentley
    Matthew James Buhl: Harvest, AL; Westminster Christian Academy; son of Joshua and Rachel Buhl
    Katherine Grace Chatfield: Huntsville, AL; St. Michael’s Academy; daughter of Joseph and Diane Chatfield
    Jackson Best Cook: Mountain Brook, AL; USMA Prep School; Mountain Brook High School; son of Jackson and Catherine Cook
    Cooper Daniel Gillis: Birmingham, AL; Homewood High School; son of Brent and Brooke Gillis
    Sprinnia Anne Gregory:  Mountain Brook, AL; Mountain Brook High School; daughter of Mark and Theresa Gregory
    Heinrich Kai Hanada: Huntsville, AL; German School Tokyo Yokohama; son of Heinrich Miki Hanada
    Aiden Elliot Harkey: Dothan, AL; Slocomb High School; son of Kathi Crick
    Daniel Clark Hill II:  Daphne, AL; Daphne High School; son of Daniel and Linda Kay Hill
    David Wayne Hudry: Decatur, AL; Decatur Heritage Christian Academy; son of Wayne and Twila Hudry
    Charles Hillman Jacobs III: Decatur, AL; Providence Classical School; son of Charles and Christy Jacobs
    Jaden A. Johnson: Huntsville, AL; New Century Technology High School; son of Carl and Valisha Johnson
    Aaron Jacob Lee: Orange Beach, AL; Marion Military Institute; son of Larry and Heidi Lee
    Jason P. Love: Chelsea, AL; Briarwood Christian School; son of Brad and Pam Love
    Judd Johnston Lunsford: Huntsville, AL; Randolph School; son of Bill and Ingrid Lunsford
    Stanley Hawkins McConnell Jr.: Mobile, AL; UMS-Wright Preparatory School; son of Stan and Anna McConnell
    *William McCarton Mitchell: Huntsville, AL; Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering; son of Thomas and Irene Mitchell
    Jason J. Park: Madison, AL; James Clemens High School; son of Eun and Taesoo Park
    Andrew Martin Paul: Athens, AL; St. John Paul II Catholic High School; son of James and Laura Paul
    Spencer Joseph Perkins: Prattville, AL; Prattville Christian Academy; son of Ryan and Alora Fisher 
    Thomas B. Sigler: Madison, AL; Bob Jones High School; son of Jason and Brooke Sigler
    Emily Chambers Spooner: Vestavia Hills, AL; Vestavia Hills High School; daughter of Alan and Melanie Spooner
    Cammi Emma Tillery: Enterprise, AL; Enterprise High School; daughter of Robert and Heidi Tillery
    Emily Minh Chau Tran: Auburn, AL; Alabama School of Math & Science; daughter of Nam Tran
    Savannah Grace Trejo: Auburn, AL; Auburn High School; daughter of Charles and Jazzmin Trejo
    Ava Yasmin Valadi: Phenix City, AL; Brookstone School; daughter of Nojan and Jennifer Valadi 
    *Madison Lydia Walz: Auburn, AL; Auburn High School; daughter of Paul and Heather Walz
    Caiden Williams: Harvest, AL; Life Christian Academy; son of Charles and Rebra Kay Williams
    Ethan Sunghyun Yi: Montgomery, AL; The Montgomery Academy; son of Lee and Heejin Yi
    United States Naval Academy:
    Joshua Robert DeFour: Madison, AL; Sparkman High School; son of Robert and Mary DeFour
    Jonathan Lawrence Ellsworth Eddingfield: Daphne, AL; Daphne High School; son of Lawrence and Valerie Eddingfield
    Hagen Kristopher Holley: Hoover, AL; Spain Park High School; son of Steve and Ramona Holley
    Jonathan Levi Hulcher: Mobile, AL; Alabama School of Math and Science; son of Steve and Peggy Hulcher
    Maggie Christine Mae Ingram: McCalla, AL; Heritage Christian Academy; daughter of Jason and Cheryl Ingram
    Jackson Thomas Kalnoske: Birmingham, AL; Chelsea High School; son of Tom and Courtney Kalnoske
    Truman Lee: Mountain Brook, AL; Mountain Brook High School; son of Tommy and Nidia Lee
    Natalie Holland McCabe: Tuscumbia, AL; Muscle Shoals High School;daughter ofTrip and Jill McCabe
    Millicent Elizabeth McCormick: Pelham, AL; Pelham High School;daughter ofRonald and Amanda McCormick
    Jack Pritchett: Montgomery, AL; Loveless Academic Magnet Program High;son of Bill and Anna Pritchett
    Lillian Litton Rand: Birmingham, AL; St. Andrew’s School; daughter of Edward and Anne Rand 
    Steven David Satcher: Madison, AL; Bob Jones High School; son of Ted and Laura Satcher
    Ellen Mary Vegerita: Brownsboro, AL; Huntsville High School; daughter of Frank and Christian Vegerita
    *Madison Lydia Walz: Auburn, AL; Auburn High School; daughter of Paul and Heather Walz
    George Austin Wright: Demopolis, AL; Demopolis High School; son of Hess and Carrie Wright
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Benefits of Surviving Military Spouses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee, is cosponsoring legislation to allow surviving spouses of fallen servicemembers to retain certain survivor benefits if they choose to remarry. Under current law, most benefits from the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are terminated for surviving spouses who remarry before age 55. The Love Lives On Act would allow surviving spouses to retain these benefits upon remarriage regardless of age.

    “Every day, military spouses show tremendous courage and dedication to our country as they support their servicemember,” said Senator King. “These men and women deserve full access to the benefits they’ve earned alongside their spouses. However, a current rules penalizes a widow or widower of a fallen servicemembers if they choose to remarry before the age of 55. The bipartisan Love Lives On Act is commonsense legislation that eliminates having to choose between taking care of your family and continuing your life with a new partner — and allows families the opportunity to heal from a tremendous loss on their own terms.”

    The Love Lives On Act is cosponsored by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Martin Heinrich (D-NN), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Fetterman (D-PA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

    Representing one of the states with the highest rates of military families and veterans per capita, Senator King has been a staunch advocate for America’s servicemembers and veterans. Last year, he led the bipartisan Military Spouse Employment Act — pieces of which passed into law in the FY2024 NDAA — which allows military spouses to have a remote work career with any federal agency and helps them to maintain consistent employment should they move with their spouse. He also introduced the Improving Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families Act to expand military family care to cover critical health care during pregnancies. Most recently, he joined the bipartisan Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act to improve financial security for military families by ensuring life insurance packages for servicemembers and veterans adjust for increases in cost of living and inflation.


    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Visit to Australia by Canadian Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development

    Source: Minister for Trade

    Today I will welcome Canada’s Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, the Hon Mary Ng MP, to my home state of South Australia, before we attend the Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum in Sydney.

    Australia and Canada’s two-way goods and services trade is worth around $11 billion. Canada is also our eighth largest source of investment, with Canadian investment in Australia totalling $104 billion.

    Minister Ng’s visit to Australia and the Forum is an opportunity to showcase Australia as a top destination for trade and investment, including across agriculture, clean energy, and technology. Increased Canadian investment in Australia will help create more Australian jobs, and opportunities for our businesses and exporters.

    Over 140 Canadian businesses will be travelling to Australia as part of Minister Ng’s Team Canada delegation, to build stronger relationships with Australian businesses and look at new investments that will create opportunities for Australian industry and workers.

    I look forward to meeting with Minister Ng and Canadian business representatives to advance the close Australia-Canada economic relationship.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Join Entire Democratic Caucus To Raise Alarm Over Trump Administration Pushing Illegal, Indiscriminate Funding Cuts To NIH, Derailing Lifesaving Medical Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    February 13, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL)  today joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), as well as the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. expressing serious alarm over the Trump Administration’s recent decisions that threaten to undermine America’s biomedical research infrastructure and setting progress back generations.  The steps the Trump Administration has taken would create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, threaten to undermine progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, and could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars while threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers. 

    “As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others.  President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks.  In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research.  While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds,” the lawmakers wrote.

    Last week, NIH announced it would set the maximum reimbursement rate for indirect costs to 15 percent—creating a serious funding shortfall for research institutions of all types across the country.  This move would dismantle the biomedical research system and stifle the development of new cures for disease.  It won’t produce cost savings—it will just shift costs to states who can’t afford to pay the difference.  Importantly, this action by the Trump Administration is illegal—Congress’ bipartisan Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill prohibits modifications to NIH’s indirect costs.

    “This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on.  The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly,” the Senators wrote.  On Monday, a federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the NIH rate cut and set a hearing for February 21.

    The Senators’ letter points out that, in addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023 and every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity. 

    “The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country.  Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications ‘pause’ enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work.  These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments.  These disruptions do not just slow research—they cost lives,” the Senators continued.

    “Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration.  We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted,” the lawmakers wrote.

    The letter was signed by the entire Senate Democratic caucus.  In addition to Duckworth, Durbin and Murray, U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) signed onto the letter.

    The copy of the letter is available below:

    February 13, 2025

    Dear Secretary Kennedy,

    We write to express our serious concern with the Trump Administration’s recent decisions that threaten to undermine the nation’s biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations. The steps the Trump Administration has taken will create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, threaten to undermine progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars, and threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers. 

    As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others. President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks. In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research. While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds.

    Just last week, NIH announced an illegal plan to cap indirect cost rates that research institutions rely on. In capping indirect cost rates at 15 percent for NIH-funded grants, this policy would cut funding essential for conducting research, such as operating and maintaining laboratories, equipment, and research facilities. This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on. The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly.

    These confusing and harmful policy changes threaten patient safety. The strength of the American research enterprise – recognized as the best in the world – is built on Congress’ bipartisan commitment to supporting essential research infrastructure. This funding, which Congress has long appropriated on a bipartisan basis, fuels groundbreaking medical discoveries and cements the United States’ position as the global leader in biomedical research.

    In addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with everyone from custodians, to research trainees, to scientists facing potential layoffs. NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023. Every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity. These reckless policy changes not only threaten biomedical innovation and research, but also the livelihoods of thousands of workers in every state across the nation.

    The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country. Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications “pause” enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work. These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments. These disruptions do not just slow research – they cost lives.

    The NIH plays a critical role in our nation’s efforts to fund scientific advancements that improve health and save lives. Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted.

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner and McConnell Introduce Vital Bill To Support Bourbon Production And Environment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the introduction of the White Oak Resilience Act of 2025, which will mobilize greater federal resources and direct research into safeguarding our nation’s White Oak tree population.

    White Oak trees are vital to the environmental ecosystem, as well as several trademark American industries, like bourbon and furniture production. Considered the most important hardwood tree in the eastern United States, White Oak trees provide sustenance and shelter for a host of wildlife species across the country.

    White Oak trees can take up to 25 years to reach full maturity, but a lack of seedlings has created an impending shortage that threatens the future of this species and the billions of dollars in economic impact they generate nationwide. This bipartisan legislation will help reverse the depletion of this iconic tree and address the threat its extinction poses to the American economy.

    “Kentucky bourbon is synonymous with the White Oak tree, used to age our state’s signature spirit in its wooden barrels. As we face an impending White Oak shortage, I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation that will help protect this species and preserve Kentucky’s iconic bourbon industry that bolsters our economy and supports thousands of jobs across the Commonwealth. This is commonsense conservation at its best,” said Senator McConnell. 

    “Virginia is home to one of the highest concentrations of White Oak trees in the country, and they play an indispensable role in our ecology and our economy,” said Senator Warner. “These trees have tremendous utility as both food for many species and material for the forestry industry, but without further action, we could face a severe shortage soon. I’m glad to sponsor bipartisan legislation that will get ahead of that crisis by bolstering a plan to regenerate our White Oak trees, keeping Virginia beautiful and investing in one of the forestry industry’s most valuable species.”

    In a statement from Brown-Forman, the largest American-owned spirits and wines company: “We are pleased to see the introduction of the White Oak Resilience Act to the Senate. Brown-Forman depends on healthy forests to provide the White Oak for our bourbon barrels. White Oak barrels are more than just a container, they’re an important ingredient that provides all of the color and more than half the flavor to our whiskeys. We are committed to the conservation of the existing hardwood forests we rely on and have undertaken several initiatives to support sustainable forestry practices. We are appreciative of the leadership from Senators McConnell and Warner, supporting this key legislation will provide critical resources for White Oak restoration.”

    “Sazerac commends Senators McConnell and Warner for introducing the Senate companion to HR 5582, the White Oak Resilience Act. Although Sazerac has locations in numerous states, we have distilleries in both Kentucky and Virginia (Buffalo Trace and 1792 in Kentucky; A. Smith Bowman in Virginia) making it particularly significant that these two senators have come together to recognize the importance of this species. The spirits industry has found the ideal wood in White Oak for our barrels and has endeavored to regenerate it for years to come,” said Elizabeth Wise, Chief Global Government and Public Affairs for Sazerac.

    “Kentucky Bourbon is an iconic industry with a history of finding ways to endure and prosper through multitudes of opportunities and challenges. Just like the Bourbon that ages in barrels made from its wood, White Oak trees and the land they grow on must go through a special process to ensure the species remains available long into the future,” said Kentucky Distillers’ Association President Eric Gregory. “With industry champions like Senator McConnell and Senator Warner leading the way, The White Oak Resilience Act is one more piece of the puzzle to guarantee that Kentucky Bourbon – America’s native spirit – can be enjoyed for generations to come.”

    “On behalf of the University of Kentucky, I want to extend our sincere thanks to Senators McConnell and Warner for introducing the White Oak Resilience Act that addresses White Oak sustainability, which is crucial to Kentucky’s signature bourbon industry. The research this measure directs will allow us to leverage our scientific expertise, particularly in genetics and genomics, to support the health and resilience of White Oak tree populations. As a land-grant institution committed to the Commonwealth’s economic development, we are well-positioned to translate our findings into practical applications for the bourbon industry,” said University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto.

    “White Oak is a keystone species that supports over 500 types of wildlife while also bolstering rural economies and providing wood products to cities and towns across America,” said Jason Meyer, Executive Director of the White Oak Initiative. “We’d like to thank Senators Warner and McConnell for their leadership in bringing this bill forward and working together to ensure a long, sustainable future for this critical American resource.”

    “Virginia’s upland oak forests are incredibly important for wildlife and sustainable forestry, and are facing many challenges,” said Virginia State Forester Robert W. Farrell. “The White Oak Resilience Act will help Virginia’s forest landowners care for their hardwood forests and ensure White Oak is on the Virginia landscape for generations to come.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Help Unveil Bill To Raise Minimum Age To Buy Assault Weapons

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 14, 2025

    WASHINGTON – On the seventh anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) in announcing legislation to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21, the same age requirement that already applies to purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers.  Individuals under 21 have used assault weapons in some of the most devastating school shootings in U.S. history, including the mass shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.“Gun violence continues to shatter families and communities throughout America.  Our existing laws allow far too many guns to fall into the wrong hands.  That is why I’m signing onto the Age 21 Act, which prohibits the sale of assault weapons, handguns, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and related ammunition to individuals under the age of 21,” said Durbin.  “This legislation is one of many steps we must take to address the gun violence epidemic across the United States.”

    “Congress cannot sit by and do nothing while gun violence remains the number one killer of children in America,” said Duckworth.  “As we remember the 17 lives cut short at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, we must honor their memory with action.  The Age 21 Act is commonsense gun safety legislation that would help prevent mass shootings and do more to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who would seek to harm themselves or others.  If Republicans were truly ‘pro-life,’ they would support our bill and help us save lives.”

    Gun violence is a national crisis, claiming over 46,000 lives in 2023 — the third-largest number of gun-related deaths in American history.  Assault weapons, originally engineered for military combat to maximize damage, are frequently used in mass shootings because of their ability to inflict catastrophic harm in mere seconds.  More than 85 percent of deaths in public mass shootings involving four or more fatalities were caused by assault rifles.  Furthermore, shootings involving assault weapons or large-capacity magazines result in more than 2.5 times as many people being shot compared to incidents involving other firearms.

    The bill’s restrictions on the sale of assault weapons, handguns, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and related ammunition to individuals under the age of 21 would apply to both federally licensed and private sellers.  Additionally, the legislation would bar most individuals under 21 from possessing these items, with limited exceptions for specific circumstances such as service in law enforcement or the armed forces.

    In addition to Durbin, Duckworth, and Padilla, the Age 21 Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The Age 21 Act is endorsed by organizations including Brady: United Against Gun Violence, March for Our Lives, Giffords, Newtown Action Alliance, and Everytown for Gun Safety.

    Durbin and Duckworth are fierce advocates for common-sense gun safety legislation that would help save lives.  Durbin and Duckworth were strong supporters of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which cracks down on straw purchasing and gun trafficking, expands background checks for buyers under 21 years of age, takes steps to close the “boyfriend loophole,” supports state red flag laws, and offers billions in funding for counseling, mental health, and trauma support for victims of gun violence. Durbin and Duckworth are also continuing to push for the Assault Weapons Ban and additional gun safety measures.

    While Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin held a full committee hearing on public safety and gun safety laws in a post-Bruen America; filed an amicus brief in opposition to legal challenges in U.S. v. Rahimi, in which the Supreme Court ultimately ruled to uphold a ban on firearm possession for domestic violence offenders; condemned the Supreme Court decision in Garland v. Cargill, which ruled a bump stock does not convert a rifle into a machine gun; and introduced legislation to curb firearms trafficking enabled by weak American gun laws, among other efforts.

    A one-pager on the bill is available here.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –