Two Ukrainian nationals who were extradited from the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States in September 2024 were sentenced today on charges related to labor-staffing companies they operated in Florida. Oleg Oliynyk and Oleksandr Yurchyk were each sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Oliynyk, Yurchyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in South Florida — including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC — from at least April 2008 and August 2021. Through these staffing companies, Oliynyk, Yurchyk and co-defendants Oleksandr Morgunov, Mykhaylo Chugay and Volodymyr Ogorodnychuk facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in the hospitality industry who were not authorized to work in the United States and helped evade the assessment and collection of more than $25 million of federal income and employment taxes.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez ordered Oliynyk and Yurchyk to each serve three years of supervised release, pay $10,863,233.05 in restitution to the United States and to forfeit $11 million.
Oliynyk and Yurchyk are the latest defendants sentenced as part of Operation RoomKey, a joint criminal investigation initiative led by the Tax Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Co-defendant Chugay, was convicted at trial in June 2022, and was sentenced in August 2022 to more than 24 years in prison. Co-defendants Morgunov and Ogorodnychuk each pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 96 months in prison and 48 months in prison, respectively.
In March 2022, Mikus Berzins, former City of Key West Police Officer Igor Kasyanenko, Roman Riabov and Andrejs Kozlovs each pleaded guilty to their crimes in the operation of the labor staffing company, Phoenix ADB Services Inc. (Phoenix ADB), which, according to court records, facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization.
In May 2022, the court sentenced Igor Kasyanenko and Riabov to 22 months and 18 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the tax and immigration conspiracy. The court also sentenced Berzins and Kozlovs to 28 months and 12 months in prison, respectively, for knowingly hiring ten or more aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. Later, in September 2023, Nataliya Vasylivna Kasyanenko, a former housekeeping manager at a large Key West hotel, was sentenced for participating in the tax and immigration conspiracy related to the operation of Phoenix ADB.
Batyr Myatiev, the owner and operator of two labor staffing companies, AmeriHos LLC and Golden Sands Management LLC, pleaded guilty in March 2023 and was sentenced in June 2023 to 32 months in prison. According to court records, Myatiev’s labor staffing companies caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $3.5 million and facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization.
In July 2023, Eka Samadashvili and Davit Pavliashvili were sentenced for their respective roles in the operation of several labor staffing companies, including PSEB Services JD Inc., Paradise Hospitality Solutions LLC, Paradise Hospitality Group LLC, Paradise Hospitality Inc. and HBSM Corp. According to court records, these labor staffing companies caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $8.4 million and facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in hotels, bars and restaurants in Key West and elsewhere who were not authorized to work in the United States.
Finally, in March 2024, Petr Sutka was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in operating a series of labor staffing companies — including PSEB Specialty Service Inc., Perfect Service Excellent Benefits Services Inc., Starline Hospitality Inc., Norbert Janitorial Service Inc., E.S.F. Services Inc. and Expert Services F.S. Inc. — which, according to court records, caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $3.5 million and facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization. In April 2024, Sutka’s co-defendants, Zdenek Strnad and Vasil Khatiashvili, were each sentenced to more than three years, respectively, for their roles in the tax and immigration conspiracy.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
HSI and IRS-CI are investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft, Matthew C. Hicks and Wilson Rae Stamm of the Tax Division and Senior Litigation Counsel Chris Clark for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
“The Walkbury Map: Explore partner businesses and enjoy exclusive discounts with a valid UConn or OLLI ID. Designed by Airey Lau.”
Last fall, UConn Waterbury launched Walkbury, an innovative program designed to harmonize the campus community with the vibrant culture, history, and businesses of downtown Waterbury. The initiative encourages students, staff, faculty, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) members to explore the city’s unique offerings and deepen their connection to the local community.
This program is part of the larger Ideas + Impact initiative, which also launched last fall thanks to a generous donation from UConn Waterbury alumnus Mike Peluso (Business ’99). Ideas + Impact supports student-initiated and campus-initiated social impact projects, empowering students to make meaningful contributions to their communities. Walkbury embodies the spirit of Ideas + Impact by fostering engagement, building connections, and creating opportunities for learning and growth.
“Ideas + Impact is about giving students the tools to make a difference, and Walkbury is a perfect example of that mission in action,” said Peluso. “It’s rewarding to see how UConn Waterbury is inspiring students to engage with their community in meaningful ways.”
A Semester of Engagement and Exploration
“UConn Waterbury students enjoy local flavors at Grand Street Tavern. Photo by Steve Bustamante, UConn Library”
Over the fall semester, Walkbury hosted four (and more to come!) food and cultural tours in partnership with Waterbury Regional Chamber’s Main Street Waterbury that brought the UConn community directly into the heart of downtown Waterbury. The tours, held during lunch hours and morning coffee meetups, offered opportunities to visit local landmarks, enjoy the city’s culinary delights, and hear from community leaders including alumni.
The food tours featured stops at popular eateries, including Seven Villages, Grand Street Tavern, and Nature’s Love Juice Bar, where participants sampled delicious offerings while meeting business owners. These events provided a taste of what downtown has to offer and underscored the importance of supporting local businesses.
Adding depth to the experience, UConn Waterbury emeritus faculty member Ruth Glasser led the historical and cultural components of the tours. Participants learned about Waterbury’s architectural gems, including City Hall and the iconic clock tower inspired by Torre del Mangia in Siena, Italy.
“UConn Waterbury students learn about the city’s history from emeritus professor Ruth Glasser. Photo by Steve Bustamante, UConn Library”“UConn Waterbury students engage in a discussion with Mayor Pernerewski at City Hall. Photo by Steve Bustamante, UConn Library”
During the tours, Mayor Paul Pernerewski welcomed the group at City Hall, sharing insights on the city’s ongoing revitalization and hosting a Q&A session focused on career development and civic engagement.
The tours also drew the attention of prominent Connecticut leaders, including State Senator Joan Hartley and State Representative Geraldo Reyes, who joined participants to emphasize the significance of community involvement and partnership.
“This program is about more than walking tours or discounts,” said Dr. Fumiko Hoeft, dean and chief administrative officer of UConn Waterbury. “It’s about fostering understanding and building harmony between UConn and the community. Walkbury is a natural extension of Ideas + Impact, as both aim to inspire students and encourage them to engage meaningfully with the world around them.”
Community and Collaboration
At its heart, Walkbury is about creating meaningful connections. Through partnerships with local businesses, participants receive exclusive discounts upon presenting a valid UConn or OLLI ID. These collaborations encouraged the UConn community to explore downtown, discover new favorites, and contribute to the local economy.
Lynn Ward, president and CEO of the Waterbury Regional Chamber, applauded the initiative: “Programs like Walkbury not only drive business but also create lasting relationships between the campus and the city. We’re thrilled to see so many UConn members engaging with downtown.”
Spirit Café Opens to All
One of the highlights of the Walkbury initiative was the public opening of Spirit Café, located in the Rectory Building next to the Palace Theater. Previously available only to UConn students and staff, the café now serves as a welcoming space for both the campus and local community to gather over breakfast and lunch.
“The Spirit Café represents what Walkbury is all about,” said Hoeft. “It’s a space where people from all walks of life can connect, share ideas, and enjoy great food in the heart of downtown.”
Celebrating Waterbury’s Charm
From cozy cafes to cultural landmarks, Walkbury celebrates Waterbury as a city of rich history and vibrant culture. By offering students, faculty, staff, and OLLI members the chance to explore and engage with the city, the initiative highlights what makes Waterbury unique and fosters a sense of belonging for all UConn members.
Mayor Pernerewski praised the program, stating, “Walkbury is an excellent example of how a university and a city can work together to build community. It’s about making sure every UConn member feels at home here in Waterbury.”
Looking Ahead
With a successful first semester under its belt, Walkbury is poised to continue its mission of fostering harmony between UConn Waterbury and the downtown community. As part of the broader Ideas + Impact initiative, the program will continue to empower students and the entire UConn Waterbury community to engage with the city and make a lasting difference.
For more information or to share ideas for collaboration, email walkbury@uconn.edu or contact Heather Price at 203-236-9846.
Through Walkbury and Ideas + Impact, UConn Waterbury is creating bridges between campus and community, showing that when we walk together, we grow together.
Following reports of a disturbance at a cabin area near South Brook, known as West Bottom, on January 24, 2025, 41-year-old Matthew Burton was arrested by Springdale RCMP. He is charged with arson and a number of other criminal offences.
Burton allegedly damaged a neighbouring property using his truck and further used his truck to block access to another neighbour’s driveway, while continually sounding the vehicle’s alarm system. Further to this, Burton allegedly cut down a property’s fence and lit it on fire.
Upon police arrival, Burton ignored officers’ commands and ran into a residence. He was arrested inside the home where officers located and seized a loaded shotgun and additional ammunition that was improperly stored and readily available.
Burton is charged with the following criminal offences:
Mischief under $5000.00 – damage to property – two counts
Mischief – obstructing the lawful enjoyment to property
Arson – damage to property
Unsafe storage of a firearm
Resisting/Obstructing a peace officer
He attended court on January 25 and was held in custody. He appears in court today for a bail hearing.
President Donald Trump has begun to radically change how the U.S. government handles immigration, from challenging long-held legal concepts about who gets citizenship to using the military to transport migrants back to their countries of origin.
Trump’s administration is doing more than reshaping the approach of the federal government toward migrants: It has now ordered state and local officials to comply with all federal immigration laws, including any new executive orders. It has warned that if those officials refuse, it may criminally prosecute them.
The specter of a federal prosecutor putting a city’s mayor or a state’s governor in jail will raise what may be the greatest source of conflict in the U.S. Constitution. That conflict is how much power the federal government can wield over the states, a long-standing and unresolved dispute that will move again to the front and center of American politics and, in all likelihood, into American courtrooms.
A sign prohibiting the entry of ICE or Homeland Security personnel is posted on a door at St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church in New York City. Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images
In the Jan. 21, 2024, memo, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, one of Trump’s former private attorneys, directs federal prosecutors to “investigate … for potential prosecution” state and local officials who “resist, obstruct, or otherwise fail to comply” with the new administration’s immigration orders.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove asserted in a recent memo that the Constitution and other legal authorities ‘require state and local actors to comply with the Executive Branch’s immigration enforcement initiatives.’ Jeenah Moon-Pool/Getty Images
By ordering federal prosecutors to potentially arrest, charge and imprison state and local officials, it strikes at a fundamental tension embedded in the nation’s constitutional structure in a way that Trump’s other orders do not. That tension has never been fully resolved, in either the political or legal arenas.
The practicalities of this dual sovereignty – where two governments exercise supreme power – have had to play out in practice, with often very messy results. The crux of the problem is that the Constitution explicitly grants power to both federal and state governments – but the founders did not specify what to do if the two sovereigns disagree or how any ensuing struggle should be resolved.
As Bove correctly noted in his memo, Article 4 of the U.S Constitution contains the supremacy clause, which declares that federal laws “shall be the supreme Law of the Land.”
But Bove failed to mention that the Constitution also contains the 10th Amendment. Its language, that “(a)ll powers not granted to the federal government are reserved to the states or to the people, respectively,” has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to create a sphere of state sovereignty into which the federal government may not easily intrude.
This is not to say that the federal government is barred from making policies in these areas. Indeed, the great puzzle of federalism – and the great challenge for courts – has been to figure out the boundaries between state and federal power and how two sovereigns can coexist.
If it sounds confusing, that’s because it is. The country’s best legal minds have long wrestled with how to balance the powers granted by the supremacy clause and the 10th Amendment.
Push and pull
In a 1997 opinion, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the Constitution barred the federal government from ‘impress[ing] into its service…the police officers of the 50 States.’ Alex Wong/Getty Images
Reflecting this tension, the Supreme Court developed a pair of legal doctrines that sit uneasily alongside each other.
The first is the doctrine of “preemption,,” in which federal law can supersede state policy in certain circumstances, such as when a congressional statute expressly withdraws certain powers from the states.
At the same time, the court has limited the reach of the federal government, particularly in its ability to tell states what to do, a doctrine now known as the “anti-commandeering rule.” Were the Trump administration to go after state or local officials, both of these legal principles could come into play.
The anti-commandeering rule was first articulated in 1992 when the Supreme Court ruled in New York v. United States that the federal government could not force a state to take control of radioactive waste generated within its boundaries.
The court relied on the doctrine again five years later, in Printz v. United States, when it rejected the federal government’s attempt to require local law enforcement officials to conduct background checks before citizens could purchase handguns.
In an opinion authored by conservative icon Antonin Scalia and joined by four other Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices, the court held that the Constitution’s framers intended states to have a “residuary and inviolable sovereignty” that barred the federal government from “impress[ing] into its service … the police officers of the 50 States.”
“This separation of the two spheres is one of the Constitution’s structural protections of liberty,” Scalia wrote. Allowing state law enforcement to be conscripted into service for the federal government would disrupt what James Madison called the “double security” the founders wanted against government tyranny and would allow the “accumulation of excessive power” in the federal government.
Justice John Paul Stevens dissented, pointing out that the 10th Amendment preserves for states only those powers that are not already given to the federal government.
What happens at the Supreme Court?
The anti-commandeering and preemption doctrines were on display again during the first Trump administration, when jurisdictions around the country declared themselves “sanctuary cities” that would protect residents from federal immigration officials.
Subsequent litigation tested whether the federal government could punish these locales by withholding federal funds. The administration lost most cases. Several courts ruled that despite its extensive power over immigration, the federal government could not financially punish states for failing to comply with federal law.
One circuit court, in contrast, formulated an “immigration exception” to the anti-commandeering rule and upheld the administration’s financial punishment of uncooperative states.
The Supreme Court has never directly ruled on how the anti-commandeering rule works in the context of immigration. While the Printz decision would seem to bar the Justice Department from acting on its threats, the court could rule that given the federal government’s nearly exclusive power over immigration, such actions do not run afoul of the anti-commandeering doctrine.
Whether such a case ever makes it to the Supreme Court is unknown. Recent events, in which a Chicago school’s staff denied entry to people they thought were immigration agents, seem to be heading toward a federal and state confrontation.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Angadh Nanjangud, Lecturer in Aerospace/Spacecraft Engineering, Queen Mary University of London
Of all the things that Donald Trump’s return as US president could mean, one is that Elon Musk’s plan to use Starship rockets for long-distance flights on Earth could move forward. Dubbed Starship Earth to Earth, this would see passengers transported by rocket between cities. They would briefly leave the planet’s atmosphere during the journey before flying back down to reach their destination.
Musk claims it will be possible to travel to anywhere on Earth within an hour. His rocket company, SpaceX, has given examples such as New York to Paris in 30 minutes and London to Hong Kong in 34 minutes. In response to a post about it on his X platform, Musk responded: “This is now possible.”
Unlike previous governments, this Trump administration appears focused on reducing regulatory barriers hindering technological progress in all areas. This could make it easier for Musk to rapidly push towards realising this futuristic travel option. But what hurdles must be overcome first?
On whether Musk is right about the technical feasibility, the answer is “sort of”. The necessary technology was arguably first proven when Nasa achieved a Mars landing in 2012.
This was the first to land retropropulsively, meaning touching down softly on a planetary surface with rocket engines (technically called retrorockets). In contrast, previous Mars landings had used parachutes for the entry phase and airbags for the landing phase.
The 2012 landing opened the door to rockets and boosters becoming reusable, thereby greatly reducing the cost of launch. It was repeated in SpaceX’s historic Falcon 9 rocket landings in 2016, using some of the same Nasa engineers who had worked on the Mars landers. This technological shift has been vital for rockets becoming an economically viable alternative to aircraft.
Starship’s Earth to Earth journeys would involve visiting low Earth orbit (LEO), some 110 miles to 1,240 miles above the Earth’s surface. To do this, the rocket would use two stages. The first, known as the super heavy booster, would lift it through the dense lower atmosphere, approximately 5 to 9 miles above the Earth.
This would break away some 40 miles above the Earth, then begin a controlled descent back to the planet’s surface. SpaceX has matured this technology by leaps and bounds in the past decade, including better heat shields, adjustable lattice fins, improved aerodynamics and state-of-the-art landing algorithms.
The second stage – known just as Starship – would contain the passengers and take over the flight to reach LEO after the first stage has detached. There is still work to be done before this is passenger ready, as demonstrated when a second stage blew up during a Starship testflight on January 16.
There will be no more Starship launches until the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed its formal investigation into the cause. On the upside, the incident occurred within predefined hazard areas to ensure public safety.
Of course, this is the very purpose of a testflight: to learn what could go wrong and iteratively solve it, meaning repeatedly making improvements after each failure. No one can compete with SpaceX’s cost-effective iteration process, for example in its crewed trips to the International Space Station (ISS).
The malfunction of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in August was a recent reminder here: it left two Nasa astronauts stranded on the ISS, awaiting a return trip on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule in the coming weeks.
Other considerations
Other long-term challenges pertain to how passengers access the vehicle. Videos of astronauts boarding the Space Shuttle indicate that entering one’s seat in a vertically parked rocket takes a few people to help buckle you in. Making that workable over the length of a rocket will require clever engineering.
Building spaceports in different countries also won’t be trivial; we’ve seen considerable pushback against efforts to build a UK spaceport, for instance. The same goes for worldwide regulatory approvals. It’s already standard for rocket companies to need a launch licence per flight, while America’s FAA also requires them to obtain re-entry licences before launch.
Of course, regulatory hurdles can be overcome for transformational tech (once it’s proven to be safe and reliable). No doubt lawyers will have many things to say about these issues, though I doubt any will be insurmountable. And SpaceX must know a thing or two about dealing with regulations, having launched the world’s largest constellation of satellites into orbit.
Finally, rockets expel significant quantities of microscopic particles (particulates) into the upper reaches of the atmosphere. This would have seriously detrimental effects if they were flying in anything like the numbers of long-distance airliners.
Starship’s Raptor engines use methalox, a combination of liquid methane and liquid oxygen. Unlike the kerosene that has traditionally powered rockets, liquid methane prevents the build-up of sooty residue in the engine and is also safer to work with than liquid hydrogen. While Starship still burns vastly more fuel per trip than conventional aircraft, its potential to slash intercontinental travel times could drive critical research into carbon-neutral methane production. This would be integral to making a viable long-haul alternative.
At present, UK rocket companies Skyrora and Orbex are among those developing alternatives to traditional fuels. Skyrora is developing Ecosene, an aerospace grade kerosene made from unrecyclable plastic waste. Orbex’s Prime rocket will make use of a BioLPG derived from plant and vegetable waste.
Both tackle different sustainability problems, but are unlikely to meet the performance demanded by larger Starship-class vehicles. Another promising alternative is nuclear-powered engines, but using them close to Earth will likely be fiercely resisted by environmental campaigners.
In sum, we are in uncharted territory with landing second stages of rockets, but the general trend from 2012 to today indicates that such technical challenges are solvable. Doing so with crews will be even more challenging, but it does align with SpaceX’s mission to make humans multiplanetary. The same technology will be used to land humans safely on Mars, so developing it is probably inevitable.
Uncrewed Starship launches to Mars are supposed to happen in 2026. Crewed Mars missions will follow, without the same landing-related regulations as would be required on Earth. I suspect crewed Earth-to-Earth transport will only be approved after humans have landed on Mars safely.
If there’s one team that can’t be bet against turning visions into reality, it’s the SpaceX engineers who have been revolutionising launch vehicles for over ten years.
Angadh Nanjangud does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
We are now well beyond the 24 hours that Donald Trump had promised it would take him to secure an end to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. But Trump’s first week since his inauguration on January 20, 2025, has nonetheless been a busy one regarding Ukraine.
In his inauguration address, Trump only made a passing and indirect reference to Ukraine, criticising his predecessor Joe Biden of running “a government that has given unlimited funding to the defence of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders”.
Trump’s first more substantive statement on Ukraine was a post on his TruthSocial network, threatening Russia taxes, tariffs and sanctions if his Russian counterpart doesn’t agree to make a deal soon. He reiterated this point on January 23 in comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos, adding that he “really would like to be able to meet with President Putin”.
Donald Trump/Truth Social
Trump’s nominee for treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, had already backed Trump’s approach during his Senate confirmation hearing on January 16. Like Trump, Bessent specifically emphasised increasing sanctions on Russian oil companies “to levels that would bring the Russian Federation to the table”.
The following day, Putin responded by saying that he and Trump should indeed meet to discuss Ukraine and oil prices. But this was far from a firm commitment to enter into negotiations, and particularly not with Ukraine.
Putin alluded to an October 2022 decree by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, banning any negotiations with the Kremlin after Russia formally annexed four regions of Ukraine. Zelensky has since clarified that the decree applies to everyone but him, thus signalling that he would not stand in the way of opening direct talks with Russia.
Yet, Putin is likely to continue playing for time. The most likely first step in a Trump-brokered deal will be a ceasefire freezing the line of contact at the time of agreement. With his forces still advancing on the ground in Ukraine, every day of fighting brings Putin additional territorial gains.
Nor are there any signs of waning support from Russian allies. Few and far between as they may be, China, Iran and North Korea have been critical in sustaining the Kremlin’s war effort. Moscow now has added a treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership with Iran to the one it had sealed with North Korea in June 2024.
Meanwhile, the Russia-China no-limits partnership of 2022, further deepened in 2023, shows no signs of weakening. And with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko winning a seventh consecutive term on January 26, Putin is unlikely to be too worried about additional US sanctions.
Zelensky, like Putin, may play for time. Trump’s threat of sanctions against Russia is likely an indication of some level of frustration on the part of the US president that Putin seems less amenable to cutting a deal. Russia may continue to make territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, but it has not achieved any strategic breakthrough.
War of attrition
A significant increase in US military assistance to Ukraine since September 2024, as well as commitments from European allies, including the UK, have likely put Kyiv into a position that it can sustain its current defensive efforts through 2025.
Ukraine may not be in a position to launch a major offensive but could continue to keep costs for Russia high. On the battlefield, these costs are estimated at 102 casualties per square kilometre of Ukrainian territory captured. Beyond the frontlines, Ukraine has also continued its drone campaign against targets inside Russia, especially the country’s oil infrastructure.
This is not to say that Trump is going to fail in his efforts to end the fighting in Ukraine. But there is a big difference between a ceasefire and a sustainable peace agreement. And while a ceasefire, at some point, may be in both Russia’s and Ukraine’s interest, sustainable peace is much more difficult to achieve.
Putin’s vision of total victory is as much an obstacle here as western reluctance to provide credible security guarantees for Ukraine.
The two options most regularly raised: Nato membership for Ukraine or a western-led peacekeeping force that could act as a credible deterrent, both appear unrealistic at this point. It is certainly inconceivable that Europe could muster the 200,000 troops that Zelensky envisaged as a deployment in Ukraine to guarantee any deal with Putin. But a smaller force, led by the UK and France, might be possible.
Kyiv and Moscow continue to be locked in a war of attrition and neither Putin nor Zelensky have blinked so far. It is not clear yet whether, and in which direction, Trump will tilt the balance and how this will affect either side’s willingness to submit to his deal-making efforts.
So far, Trump’s moves are not a gamechanger. But this is the first serious attempt in nearly three years of war to forge a path towards an end of the fighting. It remains to be seen whether Trump, and everyone else, has the imagination and stamina to ensure that this path will ultimately lead to a just and secure peace for Ukraine.
Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.
Headline: Public Invited to Review Flood Maps in Montgomery County, MD
Public Invited to Review Flood Maps in Montgomery County, MD
PHILADELPHIA– FEMA is proposing updates to the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for Montgomery County, Maryland. Community partners are invited to participate in a 90-day appeal and comment period. The 90-day appeal period began on Jan. 17, 2025.The updated maps were produced in coordination with local, state and FEMA officials. Significant community review of the maps has already taken place, but before the maps become final, community partners can identify any corrections or questions about the information provided and submit appeals or comments. Residents, business owners and other community partners are encouraged to review the updated maps to learn about local flood risks and potential future flood insurance requirements. They may submit an appeal if they perceive that modeling or data used to create the map is technically or scientifically incorrect.An appeal must include technical information, such as hydraulic or hydrologic data, to support the claim. Appeals cannot be based on the effects of proposed projects or projects started after the study is in progress.If property owners see incorrect information that does not change the flood hazard information—such as a missing or misspelled road name in the Special Flood Hazard Area or an incorrect corporate boundary—they can submit a written comment.The next step in the mapping process is the resolution of all comments and appeals. Once they are resolved, FEMA will notify communities of the effective date of the final maps.Submit appeals and comments by contacting your local floodplain administration staff:For the City of Gaithersburg: Nancy Schumm at nancy.schumm@gaithersburgmd.gov, 240-805-1327.For the City of Rockville: Meredith Neely by email at mneely@rockvillemd.gov, 240-314-8874.For Montgomery County and any other municipalities: Bill Musico by email at william.musico@montgomerycountymd.gov, 240-777-6340.Changes resulting from the new preliminary maps for Montgomery County can also be viewed online at the FEMA Region 3 Flood Map Changes Viewer. More information can also be found on Montgomery County’s website, including interactive flood data and frequently asked questions.For more information about the flood maps:Use a live chat service about flood maps at FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange (FMIX). Click on the “Live Chat” icon.Contact a FEMA Map Specialist by telephone; toll free, at 1-877-FEMA-MAP (1-877-336-2627) or by email at FEMA-FMIX@fema.dhs.gov. Most homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover flooding. There are cost-saving options available for those newly mapped into a high-risk flood zone. Learn more about your flood insurance options by talking with your insurance agent and visiting https://www.floodsmart.gov.Montgomery County Flood Mapping MilestonesSept. 12, 2023 — Community Coordination and Outreach Meeting to review Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map and discuss updates to local floodplain management ordinance and flood insurance.Feb. 2024 — Multiple Public Open House Meetings jointly hosted by Montgomery County and the Cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville.Jan. 17, 2025 — Appeal Period starts.Fall 2025* — Finalization of preliminary data following appeal resolutions and communities to commence ordinance adoption process. Spring 2026* — New Flood Insurance Rate Map becomes effective and flood insurance requirements take effect. *Timeline subject to change pending completion of the appeal review process.If you have any questions, please contact FEMA Region 3 Office of External Affairs at femar3newsdesk@fema.dhs.gov. ###FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.Follow us on “X” at twitter.com/femaregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3 erika.osullivan Mon, 01/27/2025 – 18:30
HOUSTON, Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — U.S. Energy Corp. (NASDAQ: USEG, “U.S. Energy” or the “Company”) announced today the closing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of 4,871,400 shares of its common stock, which includes 635,400 shares sold pursuant to the exercise in full by the underwriters of their over-allotment option, par value $0.01 per share, at a public offering price of $2.65 per share, for total net proceeds, after underwriting commissions, of approximately $12.1 million.
U.S. Energy plans to use the net proceeds of the offering to fund growth capital for its industrial gas development project, including new industrial gas wells and processing plant and equipment, and to support upcoming operations. The proceeds received by the Company from the exercise of the over-allotment option may be utilized to purchase shares of common stock from Sage Road Capital, LLC, a related party, or its affiliates at a price equal to the net offering price received by the Company.
Roth Capital Partners acted as sole book-running manager for the offering. Johnson Rice & Company and D. Boral Capital acted as co-managers for the offering. The Loev Law Firm, PC represented the Company and K&L Gates LLP represented the underwriters in the offering.
The offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, including a base prospectus, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and became effective on September 15, 2022. The prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to the offering are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained by sending a request to: Roth Capital Partners, LLC, 888 San Clemente Drive, Suite 400, Newport Beach, CA 92660, (800) 678-9147, email at rothecm@roth.com.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the shares of common stock or any other securities, nor shall there be any sale of such shares of common stock or any other securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.
ABOUT U.S. ENERGY CORP.
We are a growth company focused on consolidating high-quality assets in the United States with the potential to optimize production and generate free cash flow through low-risk development while maintaining an attractive shareholder returns program. We are committed to being a leader in reducing our carbon footprint in the areas in which we operate. More information about U.S. Energy Corp. can be found at www.usnrg.com.
Certain of the matters discussed in this communication which are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Words such as “strategy,” “expects,” “continues,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “would,” “will,” “estimates,” “intends,” “projects,” “goals,” “targets” and other words of similar meaning are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying these statements. Important factors that may cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements include, without limitation: (1) the expected use of proceeds, including, but not limited to the repurchase of certain shares of common stock; (2) the ability of the Company to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; (3) risks associated with the integration of recently acquired assets; (4) the Company’s ability to comply with the terms of its senior credit facilities; (5) the ability of the Company to retain and hire key personnel; (6) the business, economic and political conditions in the markets in which the Company operates; (7) the volatility of oil and natural gas prices; (8) the Company’s success in discovering, estimating, developing and replacing oil, natural gas and helium reserves; (9) risks of the Company’s operations not being profitable or generating sufficient cash flow to meet its obligations; (10) risks relating to the future price of oil, natural gas, NGLs and helium; (11) risks related to the status and availability of oil, natural gas and helium gathering, transportation, and storage facilities; (12) risks related to changes in the legal and regulatory environment governing the oil, gas and helium industry, and new or amended environmental legislation and regulatory initiatives; (13) risks relating to crude oil production quotas or other actions that might be imposed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producing countries; (14) technological advancements; (15) changing economic, regulatory and political environments in the markets in which the Company operates; (16) general domestic and international economic, market and political conditions, including the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the global response to such conflict; (17) actions of competitors or regulators; (18) the potential disruption or interruption of the Company’s operations due to war, accidents, political events, severe weather, cyber threats, terrorist acts, or other natural or human causes beyond the Company’s control; (19) pandemics, governmental responses thereto, economic downturns and possible recessions caused thereby; (20) inflationary risks and recent changes in inflation and interest rates, and the risks of recessions and economic downturns caused thereby or by efforts to reduce inflation; (21) risks related to military conflicts in oil producing countries; (22) changes in economic conditions; limitations in the availability of, and costs of, supplies, materials, contractors and services that may delay the drilling or completion of wells or make such wells more expensive; (23) the amount and timing of future development costs; (24) the availability and demand for alternative energy sources; (25) regulatory changes, including those related to carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions; (26) uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil, natural gas and helium reserves and projecting future rates of production and timing of development activities; (27) risks relating to the lack of capital available on acceptable terms to finance the Company’s continued growth, potential future sales of debt or equity and dilution caused thereby; (28) the review and evaluation of potential strategic transactions and their impact on stockholder value and the process by which the Company engages in evaluation of strategic transactions; and (29) other risk factors included from time to time in documents U.S. Energy files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its Form 10-Ks, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks. Other important factors that may cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements included in this communication are described in the Company’s publicly filed reports, including, but not limited to, the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and future annual reports and quarterly reports. These reports and filings are available at www.sec.gov. Unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on the Company’s future results.
Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined NewsNation: The Hill to discuss President Trump’s first week in office, promises made and promises kept, and Cabinet confirmation hearings, including RFK. Jr who will be testifying this week in front of both the Finance Committee and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Senator Marshall sits on both committees, and has been an advocate for RFK Jr. and Making America Health Again.
You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
Highlights from Senator Marshall’s interview include:
On Trump’s Removal of Inspectors General:
“First of all, remind everybody President Reagan did basically the same thing. Look, these inspector generals have lost their way, and this is part of President Trump’s promises made, promises kept. He said he was going to drain the swamp over the past several years, record amounts of improper payments from the federal government – $250 billion of improper payments. The inspector generals have turned from a watchdog into somebody who’s protecting the agency. So he’s cleaning house, he’s starting over, and I think it’s a great move.”
“There are some really good people there, right? But I think when you sit there trying to sort out the good guys from the bad guys, sometimes you have to let them all go, and then, like President Reagan, maybe you rehire some of them as well, but we’ll get the reports eventually. But we need people working for the American people, not for the agency.”
On RFK Jr. Path Forward for Confirmation:
“Farmers and ranchers, just like Bobby Kennedy and myself, want America to be healthy again, and they’re all in. I think that Bobby would share with you is that the farmers and ranchers are indeed the heroes. I think that Bobby recognizes that 90% of rural America supported President Trump. Every time I see President Trump, the first thing he asks me is, Roger, how are your farmers and ranchers doing.”
“We’re already doing so many of the things that Bobby is talking about. Precision agriculture is not a dream anymore, that we are growing more with less. We’re growing more food with less fertilizers, with less pesticides. Soil health we’re embracing, that nobody more than sorghum is in the sorghum industry… We’re doing regenerative soil practices already.”
“Last point I’ll make is this- President Trump ran on two things, I think. He ran on making America more prosperous, and then on security. And one of the things he said is grocery prices, so we can’t do anything that’s inflationary. So we got to thread this needle. We need more innovation, but we don’t need inflation. And you know, my job is to help bridge that gap, and I’m just all in with Bobby to help Make America Healthy Again. 60% of Americans with a chronic disease right now, and I think a lot of that’s impacted by what they eat and the toxins exposed to.”
“I think Bobby, like myself, believes in the sanctity of the relationship between the patient and the doctor, and I want to make sure that we provide the mom, whether it’s my daughter or my daughter in law… We want to make sure that they have the right information, and I don’t think the CDC has done a good job on providing us that information… mostly there’s not enough transparency around it. A little common sense is going to go a long way. And I think Bobby Kennedy will thread the needle… I think the priority will be nutrition and the toxins that we are exposed to.”
“I think what you’re going to hear Bobby say is the President’s policies are my policies. Bobby and I don’t agree on everything, but we agree that we want to Make America Healthy Again. We share the same goals. He’s a game changer. I think that, and more importantly, is this, there is an army, a groundswell of people out there that are supporting him.”
On Kansas Troops Deployed to Southern Border:
“So I’m very grateful for those people that volunteered to wear the uniform, realizing that the southern border is a national security issue, if anybody understands and appreciates their families. I served my dad, served my brother, served my son is serving. I appreciate them, and some 300 soldiers are going to be going to that border.”
“But what I’m upset about is this summer, 3,000 soldiers from Fort Riley are going to Europe next year, another 5,000 soldiers from Fort Riley going to Europe. Why do we need 100,000 soldiers from the United States in Europe?”
The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) met this afternoon to hear about further progress to reconnect power and reopen rail lines and schools following Storm Éowyn.
It heard:
5,900 properties are without power, with the vast majority expected to be reconnected in the course of today or tomorrow
Network Rail has restored enough infrastructure to allow around 75% of services to resume, and is working at pace to open up the remaining lines
At least two schools are confirmed to be closed tomorrow
Justice and Home Affairs Secretary Angela Constance said:
“Three days after the worst of Storm Éowyn, we can see how the sheer scale of the damage continues to impact Scotland’s return to normal. I want to thank everyone who is playing their part, day and night, to get services back up and running.
“Utilities companies are working as fast as possible, in often challenging in weather conditions, and have reconnected over 280,000 properties. Around 5,900 properties are still without power and companies are in touch with those households to estimate restoration times and offer welfare or other support.
“While trunk roads and ferries are largely operating as normal, the railway continues to recover and Network Rail has experienced over 500 incidents. ScotRail were scheduled to operate 50% of services today but this has increased to around 73% over the course of today. We can however expect continued disruption on some lines to last until later this week, so I would ask passengers to be patient and check ScotRail and Network Rail information before they travel.
“A very small number of schools will be closed tomorrow and relevant councils will be in touch with parents and pupils where appropriate.”
Background
SGoRR was chaired by Justice and Home Affairs Secretary Angela Constance and attended by Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth, Rural Affairs and Islands Secretary Mairi Gougeon and Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity Jim Fairlie. They were joined by representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, SEPA, transport and utilities companies and resilience partners.
Insecurity in work, housing, and health among working people has emerged as the key finding from the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi’s 2025 annual Mood of the Workforce survey.
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff says the survey, which polled more than 1900 people, shows immense concern that the Government is taking Aotearoa New Zealand in the wrong direction.
“We’ve been running this survey since 2019, and I have never seen such a negative response. People are in fear for their jobs and their businesses, their ability to keep their homes, and for their health,” said Wagstaff.
“They also don’t trust this Government to make it better because they are feeling firsthand the damage that’s been done with austerity policies that are only benefiting an already privileged few.
“The message that the Government has no interest in helping working people, who are the majority of New Zealanders, is coming through strongly in people’s comments on the tax system, the health system, and their work.
“People are sharing stories of losing their jobs or struggling to cover the work of colleagues who have already lost their jobs. These are heartbreaking to hear. But so are the stories of families being broken up as people’s kids leave the country to find better job prospects, or of parents having to act as a safety net for their adult children. These children have been hit hardest by the recent downturns, and an unfair and unforgiving housing market.
“A consistent theme is an overwhelming sense that something is very wrong, both in our society and with the economy.
“We’ve seen that at a statistical level in things like the recent Curia polling which showed people feel we are on the wrong track as a nation, but the results from our workforce survey give a close up and troubling picture of what that means in people’s lives.
“My great concern is that rather than admit that their policy direction is hurting people and damaging our economy, the Government is doubling down on it in their recent announcements.
“Whether that’s because of the Government’s arrogance or because they live in a bubble of privilege and don’t understand the damage they are doing is immaterial. People want a change of direction and to see things done a different and better way.
“Any politician or political party that ignores working people and their communities does so at their peril,” said Wagstaff.
Two Ukrainian nationals who were extradited from the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States in September 2024 were sentenced today on charges related to labor-staffing companies they operated in Florida. Oleg Oliynyk and Oleksandr Yurchyk were each sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Oliynyk, Yurchyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in South Florida — including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC — from at least April 2008 and August 2021. Through these staffing companies, Oliynyk, Yurchyk and co-defendants Oleksandr Morgunov, Mykhaylo Chugay and Volodymyr Ogorodnychuk facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in the hospitality industry who were not authorized to work in the United States and helped evade the assessment and collection of more than $25 million of federal income and employment taxes.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez ordered Oliynyk and Yurchyk to each serve three years of supervised release, pay $10,863,233.05 in restitution to the United States and to forfeit $11 million.
Oliynyk and Yurchyk are the latest defendants sentenced as part of Operation RoomKey, a joint criminal investigation initiative led by the Tax Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Co-defendant Chugay, was convicted at trial in June 2022, and was sentenced in August 2022 to more than 24 years in prison. Co-defendants Morgunov and Ogorodnychuk each pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 96 months in prison and 48 months in prison, respectively.
In March 2022, Mikus Berzins, former City of Key West Police Officer Igor Kasyanenko, Roman Riabov and Andrejs Kozlovs each pleaded guilty to their crimes in the operation of the labor staffing company, Phoenix ADB Services Inc. (Phoenix ADB), which, according to court records, facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization.
In May 2022, the court sentenced Igor Kasyanenko and Riabov to 22 months and 18 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the tax and immigration conspiracy. The court also sentenced Berzins and Kozlovs to 28 months and 12 months in prison, respectively, for knowingly hiring ten or more aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. Later, in September 2023, Nataliya Vasylivna Kasyanenko, a former housekeeping manager at a large Key West hotel, was sentenced for participating in the tax and immigration conspiracy related to the operation of Phoenix ADB.
Batyr Myatiev, the owner and operator of two labor staffing companies, AmeriHos LLC and Golden Sands Management LLC, pleaded guilty in March 2023 and was sentenced in June 2023 to 32 months in prison. According to court records, Myatiev’s labor staffing companies caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $3.5 million and facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization.
In July 2023, Eka Samadashvili and Davit Pavliashvili were sentenced for their respective roles in the operation of several labor staffing companies, including PSEB Services JD Inc., Paradise Hospitality Solutions LLC, Paradise Hospitality Group LLC, Paradise Hospitality Inc. and HBSM Corp. According to court records, these labor staffing companies caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $8.4 million and facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in hotels, bars and restaurants in Key West and elsewhere who were not authorized to work in the United States.
Finally, in March 2024, Petr Sutka was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in operating a series of labor staffing companies — including PSEB Specialty Service Inc., Perfect Service Excellent Benefits Services Inc., Starline Hospitality Inc., Norbert Janitorial Service Inc., E.S.F. Services Inc. and Expert Services F.S. Inc. — which, according to court records, caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $3.5 million and facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization. In April 2024, Sutka’s co-defendants, Zdenek Strnad and Vasil Khatiashvili, were each sentenced to more than three years, respectively, for their roles in the tax and immigration conspiracy.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
HSI and IRS-CI are investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft, Matthew C. Hicks and Wilson Rae Stamm of the Tax Division and Senior Litigation Counsel Chris Clark for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
The Crew Was Armed with Machine Guns and Mass Marketed on 3 Dedicated Websites and Social Media Platforms
WASHINGTON –Abubakr Banire, 27, of Washington D.C, was sentenced today to 111 months in prison for leading the “LA Dank DMV Crew,” a sophisticated drug trafficking conspiracy that was responsible for bringing hundreds of pounds of high-grade marijuana from California to the metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Banire, aka “Swave,” pleaded guilty on September 29, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute marijuana; unlawful possession of a machine gun; unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
In addition to the 111-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Banire to serve three years of supervised release. As part of Banire’s guilty plea, he admitted to operating as a leader of the drug distribution conspiracy.
As part of their distribution scheme, members of the crew relied heavily on mass marketing through three dedicated LA Dank websites, as well as social media platforms like Instagram where individual crew members would advertise the LA Dank brand and LA Dank branded marijuana for sale. Crew members also used rental properties to set up stash houses or points of sale that were used to conduct drug distribution operations for a short period of time before moving on to different locations.
The crew is known, and was found to possess numerous firearms, including semi-automatic and fully automatic machine guns, and devices used to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns. Certain members of the crew also plead guilty to the possession of firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking operations. In total, approximately 122 pounds of marijuana, 19 firearms, and 10 machine gun conversion devices were recovered. Three of these nineteen firearms were discovered to be operational machine guns that had been modified with machinegun conversion devices. Seven of these machine gun conversion devices were found in an “LA Dank” branded bag. Two of these firearms were privately made AR-pistol style machine guns, sometimes referred to as “ghost guns.”
Ledgers and receipts show that the crew trafficked well over 100 kilograms of marijuana into the DMV area for distribution.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, and Anne Arundel County Police Department.
LA DANK DMV
Defendant
Sentence
Abubakr Banire, aka “Swave,” of Los Angeles, CA
Pleaded guilty September 29, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute marijuana; unlawful possession of a machine gun; unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Sentenced Jan. 27, 2025, to 111 months in federal prison.
Christopher Akinduro aka “Oshay,” of Upper Marlboro, MD
Pleaded guilty October 3, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilos or more of marijuana.
Sentenced Jan. 17. 2024, to 74 months in federal prison.
Issac Akinduro, aka “Black,” of Washington D.C.
Pleaded guilty October 11, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilos or more of marijuana.
Sentenced March 14, 2024, to 41 months in federal prison.
Kavon Duncan, aka “Babyk,” of Upper Marlboro, MD
Pleaded guilty October 3, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilos or more of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Sentenced Jan 26, 2024, to 71 months in federal prison.
Avery Bost, aka “Avenue” and “Left,” of Brandywine, MD
Pleaded guilty October 27, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Sentenced May 22, 2024, to 37 months in federal prison.
Joe Blyther, aka “Hawk,” of Bowie, MD
Pleaded guilty November 8, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute marijuana; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; possession of a machine gun; and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
Sentenced May 22, 2024, to 120 months in federal prison.
Randall Lance, aka “Mike Lambo,” of Washington D.C.
Pleaded guilty May 23, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.
Sentenced Oct. 10, 2023, to 63 months in federal prison.
Omar Butler, aka “O,” of Washington D.C.
Pleaded guilty Nov. 3, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
Sentenced March 4, 2024, to 18 months in federal prison.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin F. Song and Meredith E. Mayer-Dempsey of the Federal Major Crimes Section and Thomas Strong of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
LOS ANGELES – Federal law enforcement has arrested eightdefendants charged in an indictment alleging a conspiracy among logistic companies’ executives, warehouse owners and truck drivers to smuggle hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of counterfeit and other illegal goods from China into the United States via the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the Justice Department announced today.
The 15-count indictment, returned last month and unsealed Friday, charges nine defendants with conspiracy, smuggling and breaking customs seals. The defendants allegedly took containers flagged for off-site secondary inspection, unloaded the contraband, then stuffed the targeted containers with filler cargo to deceive customs officials and evade law enforcement.
During the investigation into this group, investigators seized more than $130 million in contraband, and the organization is believed to be responsible for smuggling at least $200 million worth of goods. According to the indictment, a search of one warehouse used by the group led to the seizure in June 2024 of $20 million worth of counterfeit items including shoes, perfume, luxury handbags, apparel and watches.
Seven defendants were arrested Friday, an eighth was taken into custody Saturday evening, and one defendant is a fugitive. The seven arrested last week were arraigned Friday in United States District Court, where each pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. A trial date was scheduled for March 18. The eighth defendant, who was arrested on unrelated state charges, is expected to be arraigned in federal court in the coming days.
“Secure seaports and borders are critical to our national security,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “The smuggling of huge amounts of contraband from China through our nation’s largest port hurts American businesses and consumers. The charges and arrests here demonstrate our commitment to enforce our customs laws and keep the American public safe.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles and its partners are committed to enforcing customs laws and practices, facilitating legitimate trade, and protecting the integrity of the nation’s supply chain,” said HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “The $1.3 billion dollars’ worth of contraband seized during the investigation into this type of scheme illuminates how complex smuggling schemes try to exploit our legitimate trade practices and the American consumer.”
The 15-count indictment details a conspiracy to coordinate the shipment of large quantities of contraband from China to the United States through the Port of Los Angeles from at least August 2023 to June 2024. The defendants charged are:
Weijun Zheng, 57, a.k.a. “Sonic,” of Diamond Bar, the lone fugitive in the case, who controls several logistics companies operating in the Los Angeles area;
Hexi Wang, 32, of El Monte, who manages K&P International Logistics LLC, a City of Industry-based company that hires commercial truckers to transport shipping containers from the Port of Los Angeles;
Jin “Mark” Liu, 42, of Irvine, the owner of K&P International Logistics LLC and who managed the finances of one of the warehouses where contraband was unloaded and issued payments to truck drivers who transported smuggled goods;
Dong “Liam” Lin, 31, of Hacienda Heights, who – along with Zheng – controlled and operated one of the contraband warehouses;
Marck Anthony Gomez, 49, of West Covina, the owner and operator of Fannum Trucks LLC, a West Covina-based company that coordinated the movement of shipping containers from the Port of Los Angeles, including large shipments of contraband smuggled into the United States from China;
Andy Estuardo Castillo Perez, 32, of Apple Valley, a driver for M4 Transportation Inc., a Carson-based company that transports shipping containers from the Port of Los Angeles;
Jesse James Rosales, 41, of Apple Valley, who coordinated truckers from the ports to warehouses;
Daniel Acosta Hoffman, 41, of Hacienda Heights, worked with Rosales to bring cargo containers from the Port of Los Angeles to warehouses; and
Galvin Biao Liufu, 33, of Ontario, directed and managed truck drivers to bring the contraband into the warehouses.
According to the indictment, Zheng, Wang, Liu and others maintained and operated warehouses to store, conceal and sell large amounts of contraband goods that were illegally imported into the United States from China. When the contraband containers were selected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for inspection, the defendants hired commercial truck drivers to transport the containers from the Port of Los Angeles to locations that the conspirators controlled, including warehouses in the City of Industry that were controlled or managed by Zheng, Wang and others.
At these locations, co-conspirators broke the security seals on the shipping containers and removed the contraband from inside. Then, they affixed counterfeit security seals onto the containers to conceal that cargo had been removed from them. Zheng, Wang and others then directed co-conspirators to transport the containers – after they had been emptied of much of their original cargo and re-secured with counterfeit seals – to CBP-authorized locations for the remaining cargo to be presented to customs officials for inspection.
Zheng, Wang, Liu and others paid fees to co-conspirators, including Gomez and Castillo Perez, that were substantially above normal trucking fees to transport the contraband shipping containers.
To date, law enforcement has seized more than $1.3 billion worth of counterfeit goods associated with this and similar seal-swapping schemes.
“It was a team of CBP agriculture specialists assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport who in 2023, during a routine examination of a container made the initial discovery,” said Cheryl Davies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. “This case attests to their unwavering vigilance, upmost professionalism, and keen focus in protecting the integrity of lawful trade, a key component of our critical national security mission.”
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted of all charges, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each conspiracy count, up to 10 years in federal prison for each count of breaking customs seals, and up to 20 years in prison for each smuggling count.
Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Coast Guard Investigative Services are investigating this matter.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Assistant United States Attorneys Colin S. Scott and Amanda B. Elbogen of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this matter.
Today, Governor Mike Kehoe ordered U.S. and Missouri flags be flown at half-staff at government buildings in Oregon County, the Fire Fighters Memorial of Missouri in Kingdom City, and firehouses statewide on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, from sunrise to sunset in honor of Thomasville Volunteer Fire Department Firefighter William “Bill” Nix.
“In his retirement, Bill Nix answered a calling to serve Oregon County by becoming a volunteer firefighter,” Governor Mike Kehoe said. “A retired trucker, Bill could handle the Thomasville Volunteer Fire Department’s large tanker. He also expertly maintained the department’s other trucks, earning the 2022 Thomasville Volunteer Firefighter of the Year award for his dedicated service. Firefighter Nix’s commitment to helping others and his devotion to supporting his community serve as inspiration to all of us to give back. Claudia and I send our heart-felt prayers and condolences to the Nix family and the entire Thomasville Volunteer Fire Department.”
On the evening of January 16, Firefighter Nix was responding to a structure fire as a passenger in a Thomasville Volunteer Fire Department fire engine when the vehicle overturned on U.S. Highway 160 four miles south of Thomasville, causing Nix’s death.
The flags will be held at half-staff on the day of Nix’s memorial services. To view the Governor’s proclamation, click here.
DES MOINES, Iowa – An Illinois man was sentenced on Friday, January 17, 2025, to 35 years in federal prison for enticement and attempted enticement of a minor and for committing an offense while a registered sex offender.
According to public court documents, in 2020, Anthony Alan Anderson, 40, while serving in the United States Air Force, was convicted via general court martial of two counts of attempting to commit a lewd act with a person he believed to be a child who had not attained the age of 16 years old. As a result of that conviction, Anderson was required to register as a sex offender in his state of residence. Anderson moved to Illinois in 2022.
From May to November 2023, Anderson, from his residence in Illinois, used text messaging and social-media applications to communicate with a 14-year-old child from Ottumwa, Iowa. During their communications, Anderson convinced the child to produce and send him child pornography. In September 2023, Anderson traveled from his home in Illinois to Ottumwa, where he picked the child up from her residence and took her to a hotel. There, he and the child engaged in sex acts. Anderson also captured child sexual abuse material of the child while in the hotel.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Anderson will be required to serve a ten‑year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Ottumwa Police Department with assistance from the Illinois State Police.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
A consultation has opened on proposals to deliver new, fit for purpose services and more school places that support Queensferry’s growing population
Residents are being asked to share their feedback on new ideas to create a community campus on Burgess Road, bringing together more modern services in a central location for the whole of Queensferry.
Plans for the new project, which have been designed using the findings of past consultations and reports, focus on:
A new Early Years Centre on the north end of Burgess Park, providing children with better quality outdoor space and a modern environment for learning and development.
Enhancing greenspace and extending Burgess Park by removing the Road Depot on adjacent land.
Moving an improved and larger Queensferry library to the campus, with more community spaces and provision to deliver expanded services with our partners.
Providing additional classrooms at Queensferry Primary School by moving the Early Years facility to a new building and repurposing space within the school.
Expanding playground space at Queensferry Primary School, replacing existing buildings in poor condition.
The proposals for the hub are part of the Queensferry Living Well Locally project to help make Queensferry greener, healthier and safer for everyone.
The project aligns with the 20-minute neighbourhood strategy to help local people meet most of their daily needs within a short walk, wheel or cycle from their home.
Information on further plans to improve walking, wheeling and cycling connections to shops, services, and facilities in the local area will follow as related projects are developed.
Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener, said:
With Queensferry’s population continuing to grow, we need more school places to meet demand, while some of our existing community buildings are reaching the end of their usable life and are no longer fit for purpose. We firmly believe that doing nothing is not an option, and we need to invest in local community facilities for today and tomorrow. We are looking to deliver this through a place-based approach that reflects what people in the area want and need.
We are keen to hear from as many people as possible who use services in the area. The proposals have been designed partly using the feedback from previous engagement, but we need to make sure they work for everyone. This consultation is a fantastic opportunity to make sure people’s views are heard and considered when plans are developed in more detail.
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener, said:
We know from previous engagement that people would like modern community services and facilities in a central location that is easy for people from all over the local area to access. Our ideas for a new community hub on Burgess Road address these issues.
The proposals for the new early years centre and expanded primary school have the potential to create a modern learning and development environment for children in Queensferry, while allowing us to provide vital new classroom spaces.
The survey is now live on the Consultation Hub and will run until Monday 21st April. A number of in-person events will be held in venues across Queensferry, where officers will be available to discuss plans and listen to people’s views.
The first of these will take place on Thursday 6th February at Queensferry Library (12pm – 2pm) and Scotmid Co-Op (4pm – 6pm). Details of further dates and times will be published on the Council’s website and Consultation Hub.
Beyond this, the project team is also meeting with local community groups and organisations as part of the consultation process.
Eighty years ago, the Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp was liberated. The cruelty committed within its walls must never be forgotten. During the Holocaust, the Nazis senselessly killed six million Jews. They also murdered 500,000 Roma and Sinti people and millions of others, including Poles, prisoners of war, people with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ people. Today, amid a disturbing rise in antisemitism around the world, we stand united to remember the victims of the Holocaust, listen to the stories of survivors, and reaffirm the solemn vow to never forget.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today concluded the first day of his visit to Poland, where he attended a commemorative event to mark 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp. He was accompanied by Canadian Holocaust survivors as well as Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, Deborah Lyons.
In Kraków, Prime Minister Trudeau highlighted a $90.5 million package of measures announced in Budget 2024 to combat antisemitism, preserve Holocaust remembrance, and educate against Holocaust denial and distortion. He also announced almost $3.4 million in new funding to strengthen Holocaust education and awareness efforts in Canada and around the world. This includes new funding to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Montréal Holocaust Museum, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, the Toronto Holocaust Museum, the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem, and the Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island.
In meetings with Canadian Holocaust survivors, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Canada’s unwavering commitment to building a country where Jewish people can live open and proud Jewish lives, without intimidation or fear.
Let the resilience, courage, and strength of Holocaust survivors inspire us to be better – and do better. Together, let us honour their memories, re-tell their stories, and continue our work to build a world that is more just and more peaceful.
Quotes
“The Holocaust and the unimaginable cruelty of the Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp must never be forgotten. In Kraków today, we announced a new suite of initiatives to increase Holocaust education and awareness in Canada, and we reaffirmed our solemn vow: Never forget. Never again.”
“Eighty years ago, humanity saw one the darkest chapters in history with the murder of over six million Jews during the Holocaust. We have a responsibility to never forget and ensure the events of the Holocaust are never repeated. As we see a rise in antisemitism today, we must be reminded that it is our collective responsibility to combat hate in all its forms. That is why we introduced the new National Holocaust Remembrance Program, which will support initiatives to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and teach Canadians how they can play an active role in combatting antisemitism now and into the future.”
“Every generation must know the enduring significance of ‘never again’. As we mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau, let us pay tribute to the lives we have lost during the Holocaust. Because ‘never again’ is not just a reminder – it is our solemn responsibility. Together, we must uphold this promise and always stand against antisemitism and hate.”
“For the last 80 years, the Holocaust has reminded us of humanity’s capacity for inhumane cruelty. It has also stood as a warning to never again allow such hatred and horror to go unchecked. With antisemitism once again on the rise, we all have a responsibility to take concrete action, and that’s why the federal government is convening provinces, territories, municipalities, police, and civil society to the National Forum on Combatting Antisemitism. Our synagogues, schools and community centres must be safe spaces for our people. Jewish Canadians must be able to live without fear.”
Quick Facts
The Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp was the largest camp under Hitler’s regime. One million Jewish people were murdered in Auschwitz Birkenau alone.
Canada has the fourth largest Jewish community in the world, following Israel, the United States, and France. According to the 2021 census, 335,000 Canadians identify as Jewish. As of December 2024, Canada’s Holocaust survivor population is roughly 9,800 – one of the largest around the globe.
The position of Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism was created in 2020 as part of the federal government’s commitment to strengthening national and international efforts to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and honour the stories of survivors. Irwin Cotler was appointed Canada’s first Special Envoy in November 2020 and was succeeded by Deborah Lyons in October 2023. The Special Envoy works to combat antisemitism, hatred, and racism, while promoting and defending democracy, pluralism, inclusion, and human rights.
Canada’s commitment to protecting human rights and combatting antisemitism at home and abroad is anchored in our membership in – and work with – the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). As the only international institution mandated to focus on issues related to the Holocaust, the IHRA works to raise awareness of the global impact of antisemitism and seeks ways to end it. In 2022, Canada announced it would double its annual contribution to the IHRA.
In October 2024, the Government of Canada released the Canadian Handbook on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. Using Canadian examples, the Handbook serves as a tool to identify and address antisemitism across various sectors. Notably, it is the first such handbook produced by a national government.
In 2022, the federal government amended Canada’s Criminal Code to make it a crime to willfully promote antisemitism by condoning, denying, or downplaying the Holocaust.
In addition to the $90.5 million package of measures on Holocaust remembrance, Budget 2024 also invested over $273 million over six years to implement Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate, including over $29 million ongoing to combat hate crimes and enhance community security.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong resident rescued from detention in Southeast Asian country returns to Hong Kong smoothly Hong Kong resident rescued from detention in Southeast Asian country returns to Hong Kong smoothly ******************************************************************************************
The Security Bureau (SB) today (January 28) said that a Hong Kong resident, who had been detained for illegal work in Myanmar and was recently rescued, has smoothly returned to Hong Kong from Thailand last night (January 27) with members of the SB’s dedicated task force. The dedicated task force set off for Bangkok on January 21 to follow-up promptly on the case upon confirmation that a Hong Kong resident had been rescued in Myanmar and arrived in Thailand. With the co-ordination and liaison with different units by the task force over the past few days and concerted efforts by various parties, the individual was able to return to Hong Kong in a short period of time and reunite with his family before the Chinese New Year. The dedicated task force expressed gratitude to the Thai authorities for their humane way of handling the case with the approach of special arrangements for special circumstances by compressing the procedures to within a few days, allowing the Hong Kong resident to return to Hong Kong as soon as possible. While meeting the rescued Hong Kong resident in the detention centre in Bangkok, members of the task force were moved to be able to bring the individual back to Hong Kong and return home together. The Hong Kong resident expressed gratitude for the visit to Thailand by the task force members to follow up on his case. He was also very pleased to learn that he would be able to return to Hong Kong to reunite with his family before the Chinese New Year. The SB thanked various parties, including the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chiang Mai, the Consulate-General of Myanmar in Hong Kong, the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok, and the relevant Thai authorities for their support and assistance. The dedicated task force has all along been following up proactively on the remaining 10 request-for-assistance cases in which the relevant people have not yet returned to Hong Kong, including maintaining communication, exchanging intelligence and sparing no efforts in following up on each case with the Director of Special Investigation and the Director of Human Trafficking under the Ministry of Justice of Thailand during the team’s stay in Thailand. A member of the dedicated task force will stay in Bangkok to strive to do his utmost for the early return of the remaining 10 people to Hong Kong.
A report from UN human rights investigators for Syria released on Monday has laid bare the systematic use of arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearances by the deposed Assad regime.
The findings from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria detail crimes against humanity and war crimes that left a legacy of trauma for countless Syrians, representing some of the worst violations of international law committed during more than a decade of brutal conflict.
“We stand at a critical juncture. The caretaker government and future Syrian authorities can now ensure these crimes are never repeated,” said Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Chair of the Commission.
“We hope our findings from almost 14 years of investigations will help end impunity for these patterns of abuse.”
The fall of the Assad regime last month and subsequent release of prisoners have been pivotal for many Syrians, but for tens of thousands of families, the agony persists. The discovery of mass graves has deepened fears for those whose loved ones remain missing.
In December and January, Commission teams visited several grave sites and former detention facilities, including Sednaya Military Prison and branches of the former intelligence services in Damascus.
While significant amounts of evidence and documentation had been destroyed, some materials were preserved, offering a glimmer of hope for families seeking answers.
“For Syrians who did not find their loved ones among the freed, this evidence, alongside testimonies of freed detainees, may be their best hope to uncover the truth about missing relatives,” said Commissioner Lynn Welchman.
“We commend the new authorities for their commitment to protecting mass graves and evidence and encourage further efforts, with the support of relevant Syrian civil society and international actors.”
The report outlines harrowing accounts of abuse, including severe beatings, electric shocks, rape, mutilation and prolonged psychological and physical torture.
Survivors and witnesses described dire prison conditions including malnutrition, disease and injuries left untreated. Some detainees were executed, while others succumbed to their injuries in overcrowded, unsanitary cells.
A path to justice
Having gained access to Syria for the first time since 2011, the Commission plans to expand its investigations with unprecedented access to sites and survivors who no longer fear reprisals.
The report emphasises the importance of safeguarding evidence and archives, calling for coordinated efforts with Syrian civil society and international actors.
“Cases brought before national courts outside Syria, relying on the principle of universal jurisdiction, have led to important convictions of mid- and lower-level perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity,” said Commissioner Hanny Megally.
“We now hope to see credible national justice initiatives, in which survivors and families can play a central role. We stand ready to assist alongside Syrian human rights and family associations and our UN partners.”
Independent investigators
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic was established in August 2011 by the UN Human Rights Council, with a mandate to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law since March 2011.
The Council also tasked the Commission with establishing the facts and circumstances surrounding alleged crimes and identifying those responsible, in an effort to hold them accountable.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi (left) visits the Immigration and Passports Office at Jdaidet Yabous border crossing between Lebanon and Syria.
Global action for returnees
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi concluded a visit to Syria on Monday, calling for urgent international support to aid those returning home.
Since September, over 500,000 refugees have made the journey, but they face overwhelming challenges: destroyed homes, shattered infrastructure and widespread poverty, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
The agency is working with Syrian caretaker authorities and neighbouring countries to support returns, provide legal aid, transportation and cash assistance.
Families returning to cities like Aleppo described harsh realities, such as limited access to electricity and water, emphasising the urgent need for investment in healthcare, education and employment.
Act now
“This is a pivotal moment,” Mr. Grandi said.
“The world must act now to support Syria’s recovery. Cooperation between neighbouring countries, donors and the Syrian caretaker authorities is essential to bring much-needed peace and stability to Syria and the entire region.”
UNHCR estimates that 27 per cent of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries, including Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, plan to return home within the next year – an increase from less than two per cent before the collapse of the regime.
Crédit Agricole Personal Finance & Mobility finalizes the GAC Leasing equity project to support the growth of GAC Group’s electric vehicle sales in China
CA Personal Finance & Mobility finalizes the planned acquisition of 50% of the equity interests of GAC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd. (GAC Leasing), which becomes Guangzhou GAC-Sofinco Finance Leasing Co Ltd (GAC-Sofinco Leasing), the leasing company of one of the largest Chinese manufacturers Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC Group), via a reserved capital increase.
With this new joint venture, CA Personal Finance & Mobility will offer financial and operational leasing solutions on the Chinese market in 2025 and will thus promote the deployment of electric vehicles in China.
This transaction consolidates a partnership existing since 2009 between CA Personal Finance & Mobility and GAC Group with the creation of GAC-Sofinco AFC, a 50-50 joint venture. The latter operates throughout China and offers automotive financing and services to the GAC-Honda, GAC-Toyota, AION, HYPTEC and GAC Motor networks, serving more than 3,000 dealers.
CA Personal Finance & Mobility becomes a 50% shareholder in GAC-Sofinco Leasing
Following a reserved capital increase, CA Personal Finance & Mobility owns 50% of GAC-Sofinco Leasing. The company has been operating on the Chinese market since 2004 and offers financial and operational leasing solutions to GAC customers and its dealer network.
Through this transaction, CA Personal Finance & Mobility and GAC group are strengthening the leasing offer proposed to Chinese customers, thereby stimulating the sale of electric vehicles, which already represent 60% of the leasing contracts of the new GAC-Sofinco Leasing on a portfolio of more than 200,000 vehicles.
All necessary authorizations from competition authorities and competent regulators have been obtained. The impact on the CET1 ratio of Crédit Agricole S.A. and that of the Crédit Agricole group will be very limited.
« This transaction reaffirms the importance of our long-standing partnership with GAC group. It will enable us to support together and over the long term the development of the particularly dynamic electric automobile market in China. »
Stéphane PRIAMI – CEO of Crédit Agricole Personal Finance & Mobility
Key figures:
In 2023, GAC group was the 4th largest automotive group in China
More than 2.5 million vehicles sold in 2023 worldwide
Crédit Agricole Personal Finance & Mobility is a leader in personal financing and a provider of access to all mobility solutions in Europe. It distributes directly, at the point of sale or on its partners’ e-commerce platforms, a wide range of financing solutions – amortizable credit, revolving credit, leasing and credit buyback – with associated services including insurance, split payment solutions and services dedicated to mobility, with the aim of meeting the challenges of energy transition in mobility, housing and consumption. Its financing solutions and services are offered in France via Sofinco, in Italy via Agos, in Germany via Creditplus, in Portugal via Credibom, in Spain via Sofinco Espana, in Morocco via Wafasalaf, and in China via GAC-Sofinco (automotive financing only). Crédit Agricole Personal Finance & Mobility aims to be the leader in electric mobility in Europe and offers a mobility continuum in the 22 countries where it is present (leasing, medium and short-term rental, subscription, car sharing, installation of charging stations, etc.). The company relies on Leasys, a joint venture equally owned by Stellantis, CA Auto Bank and Drivalia, the pan-European leader in automotive financing, rental and mobility, Crédit Agricole Mobility Services, a comprehensive service offering dedicated to mobility and the development of automotive financing in its universal subsidiaries in Europe and in Crédit Agricole Regional Banks and at LCL via Agilauto. CA Personal Finance & Mobility acts every day in the interest of its 17.2 million customers and society. As of December 31, 2023, CA Personal Finance & Mobility managed €113 billion in outstanding credit. More information: www.ca-personalfinancemobility.com
NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fluent, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLNT), a leading commerce media solutions company, today announced it has been recognized as one of Ad Age’s 2025 Best Places to Work, appearing on the list as #18.
Ad Age Best Places to Work is an annual ranking of companies that set the standard in terms of pay, benefits, corporate culture, and leadership. The 2025 list honors 50 companies that demonstrated excellence and adaptability as the advertising industry and media landscape continued to evolve over the past year.
With nearly 200 employees across the US and Canada, Fluent will continue to invest into its commerce media team as it executes a strategic pivot toward a growing suite of commerce media solutions.
“We are honored to be recognized in Ad Age’s 2025 Best Places to Work rankings,” said Patrick Sweeney, VP of People at Fluent. “Our commitment to cultivating top talent and fostering a performance-driven culture allows us to deliver outstanding experiences for consumers and measurable results for clients. As an emerging leader in the commerce media space, we’re proud to celebrate this milestone as we continue to drive positive momentum for our business and people.”
Fluent is dedicated to building a collaborative and supportive work environment where innovation and creativity thrive. Offering benefits that prioritize well-being and professional growth, employees enjoy access to mental health services, flexible paid time off and work schedules, and mentorship programs that connect junior staff with senior leaders. Fluent’s commitment to giving back is equally strong, with annual community service events and a generous donation-matching program empowering employees to support the causes they care about.
“The companies on Ad Age’s 2025 Best Places to Work list have shown a deep commitment to building workplaces where employees truly want to be—no small feat in today’s challenging labor market,” said Dan Peres, President of Ad Age. “Earning this recognition isn’t just a win for company culture; it also strengthens an organization’s reputation, making it a more attractive place for top talent.”
Ad Age produced Best Places to Work 2025 in partnership with Workforce Research Group, a research firm specializing in identifying and recognizing great places to work. The competition was open to agencies, ad tech firms, data and research firms, brand or corporate marketing departments or groups, and in-house agencies of marketers.
Ad Age’s scoring system factors in employee responses and a company’s policies and practices on topics including pay and benefits, work/life balance, recruitment, training, and development. The winners reflect the highest overall numerical scores based on an analysis of questionnaires submitted by employers and survey responses from their employees.
Fluent, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLNT) is a commerce media solutions provider connecting top-tier brands with highly engaged consumers. Leveraging diverse ad inventory, robust first-party data, and proprietary machine learning, Fluent unlocks additional revenue streams for partners and empowers advertisers to acquire their most valuable customers at scale. Founded in 2010, Fluent uses its deep expertise in performance marketing to drive monetization and increase engagement at key touchpoints across the customer journey. For more insights visit https://www.fluentco.com/.
About Ad Age
Created in 1930 to cover a burgeoning industry with objectivity, accuracy and fairness, Ad Age continues to be powered by award-winning journalism. Today, Ad Age is a global media brand focusing on curated creativity, data and analysis, people and culture, and innovation and forecasting.
Contact Information
Investor Relations Fluent, Inc. InvestorRelations@fluentco.com
The sixth intake of the Connecting Communities BC funding program will be open for applications until June 30, 2025.
In March 2022, B.C. and Canada announced a partnership to invest as much as $830 million, contributing $415 million each, toward high-speed connectivity infrastructure projects in rural and remote areas.
Through Connecting Communities BC, the Province aims to provide all remaining underserved households and First Nation communities with access to high-speed internet by 2027. This program also fulfils a Call to Action in the Declaration Act Action Plan.
Eligible applicants can apply for funding to support the expansion of high-speed internet in any area of the province, with a focus on specific areas that do not have access to internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download speed and 10 Mbps per second upload speed.
The Connecting Communities BC program completed five intakes between September 2022 and December 2024. Projects applying for the sixth intake will be evaluated as they are received. Successful project applications from previous intakes will continue to be announced when they are approved.
Learn More:
Areas of interest are outlined in the Connecting Communities Application Guide available here:: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/services-policies-for-government/initiatives-plans-strategies/internet-in-bc/connecting-communities-bc-application-docs/ccbc_application-guide.pdf
Deputy Carina Alves has given an update on the International Cultural Centre:
“As Assistant Chief Minster with responsibility for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, I am pleased to provide an update on the future and the direction of the International Cultural Centre.
Earlier this week, I met with members of the International Cultural Centre Steering Group to outline my future plans for the service. Although more detailed plans are now under development, which I’ll be able to share at a later date, the International Cultural Centre will be re-focussed on the support of most vulnerable in Jersey’s communities.
Services provided by the ICC will maintain independence as far as possible, working in partnership with Government where necessary to ensure appropriate support is provided to those seeking it.
I know that there can be many challenges for vulnerable people in Jersey, and so have dedicated my time over the past 12 months to ensuring that the International Cultural Centre will support those most in need and provide a much-needed safe space for them to seek independent, but well linked support.
We want the ICC to have the greatest impact possible with the resources available. I believe that focussing the ICC’s efforts on the people most in need, who might normally be reluctant to approach Government services, is the best way to build trust, and foster belonging amongst our community. To do so, we must show that we can offer real help to everyone, regardless of their work or residential status, and that the ICC will provide that opportunity.
I look forward to sharing more in the near future when the service becomes fully operational, and in the meantime would encourage interested individuals or groups within our community to reach out to me directly.”
Nelson Monument, one of Edinburgh’s most iconic landmarks, is set to temporarily close for the final phase of essential refurbishment works and the reinstallation of its historic Timeball and mast.
The refurbishment will include inspection and restoration to the monument’s external walls and windows, the installation of some new internal lighting, as well as the reinstallation of the Timeball mechanism to full working order.
Museum items have been safely secured in preparation for the closure. Visitors will be unable to access the monument from Monday 27 January 2025, with the scheduled reopening expected in July 2025.
Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener, said:
We are excited to embark on this next stage of the important refurbishment of the Nelson Monument, ensuring that both the iconic structure and its fascinating history continue to be celebrated for generations to come. The restoration and reinstallation of the Timeball and the enhancements to the monument will provide visitors with an even richer experience, connecting them to the legacy of Charles Piazzi Smyth and the monumental role this site has played in both Edinburgh’s heritage and the history of navigation.
The Nelson Monument, designed by architect Robert Burn in the shape of an upturned telescope, has stood proudly on Calton Hill for over 200 years. The monument’s Timeball, added in 1853 by Charles Piazzi Smyth, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, was once crucial for ships navigating the Firth of Forth and Port of Leith, helping them to adjust their clocks for accurate navigation.
The Timeball was raised daily before 1pm and lowered at precisely 1pm, with the One O’Clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle providing an audible signal.
As well as the Timeball, the Nelson Monument offers one of the finest panoramic views of Edinburgh, with views stretching across the city to the Pentland Hills, the Firth of Forth, and Fife. Visitors can also explore the current exhibition inside the monument, which highlights the life and achievements of Charles Piazzi Smyth, a pioneering figure in astronomy, photography, and Egyptology. His innovative work at Calton Hill contributed significantly to global astronomical practices.
It also forms part of the wonderful visitor experience available at Calton Hill which is home to several neoclassical structures, including the National Monument, the City Observatory and the Dugald Stewart Monument.
The Monument will re-open in July 2025. This year marks 220 years since Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar in 1805.
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is forwarding to the Connecticut General Assembly the nominations of several jurists to serve in positions on Connecticut’s courts, including the Honorable William H. Bright, Jr. as an associate justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable Robin L. Wilson as a judge of the Appellate Court, and 13 other jurists as judges of the Superior Court.
Additionally, the governor is nominating two jurists to serve as family support magistrates and three as administrative law judges on the Workers’ Compensation Commission.
“Nominating judges to serve on our courts is one of the most important responsibilities of a governor, especially because judges are the final authority on the interpretation of the law and the constitution, and for ensuring that justice is administered fairly and without prejudice,” Governor Lamont said. “Judge Bright has been an excellent leader of our Appellate Court over these last four and a half years, and he has had an impressive career handling all types of cases both on the trial and appellate levels. Likewise, Judge Wilson is an incredibly well-respected member of Connecticut’s legal community, having served in the Superior Court for more than two decades. I am confident that these nominees each have the high standards and qualifications the people of Connecticut deserve to have serving for them on the bench.”
Judge Bright, 62, of Columbia, is currently the chief judge of the Appellate Court. He is being nominated to fill the associate justice seat on the Supreme Court that was most recently held by the Honorable Raheem L. Mullins, who was recently nominated by Governor Lamont to become chief justice.
Judge Bright has served on the Appellate Court since 2017 and as chief judge since 2020. In the role of chief judge, he has been responsible for managing the operations of the Appellate Court, in addition to sitting on a full docket of cases, assigning cases to authoring judges, reviewing all opinions of the court before publication, overseeing clerks for judge trial referees, and addressing personnel and building management issues.
Immediately prior to his nomination to the Appellate Court, Judge Bright served as a judge of the Superior Court from 2008 to 2017, presiding over criminal, civil, habeas corpus, and juvenile trials. While on the Superior Court, he served as the presiding judge of the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s statewide mediation program in 2017, chief administrative judge for civil matters from 2015 to 2017, administrative and presiding judge for the Tolland Judicial District from 2013 to 2017, and presiding judge of a civil complex litigation docket from 2011 to 2013.
Before being nominated to the bench, he was a partner with the law firm of McCarter and English from 2003 to 2008, and with Cummings and Lockwood from 1987 to 2003. With both firms, he worked as a trial attorney, handling cases in both state and federal courts and representing individuals, government entities, and small and large businesses in environmental, property, and commercial matters.
Judge Bright graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, summa cum laude, and earned a Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from the University of Chicago Law School. He is a James W. Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation and a member emeritus of the Oliver Ellsworth Inn of Court.
“I want to thank Governor Lamont for his faith and confidence in me,” Judge Bright said. “It is truly an honor to be nominated and considered for a position on our state’s highest court. It has been my distinct pleasure to serve the people of Connecticut as a judge of the Superior Court and the Appellate Court over the past 17 years. If confirmed, I promise to bring to my job as an associate justice of our Supreme Court the same work ethic, fidelity to the law, and respect for the parties and attorneys who appear before us that I have strived to demonstrate every day since becoming a judge.”
Judge Wilson, 64, of New Haven, is currently a judge of the Superior Court, where she has served since 2003. She is being nominated to fill the seat on the Appellate Court that will become vacant following the confirmation of Judge Bright to serve on the Supreme Court.
Judge Wilson is presently assigned to the Waterbury Complex Litigation Docket, presiding over complex civil cases. Prior to this, she served in the Civil Division of the New Haven Judicial District for 15 years, also presiding over complex civil cases, including medical and legal malpractice cases, motor vehicle accident cases involving catastrophic injuries, and commercial contract disputes.
Immediately prior to her nomination to the Superior Court, she served as an administrative law judge on the Workers’ Compensation Commission from 1994 to 2003. She also worked from 1986 to 1994 as an assistant attorney general in the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, serving in both the Child Support Department and the Workers’ Compensation Department.
In recognition of her influence and leadership, Judge Wilson has been honored as one of the NAACP’s 100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut and as one of the 100 Women of Color Leadership in the State of Connecticut.
Judge Wilson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government, with honors, from Connecticut College, a Juris Doctor degree from Northeastern University School of Law, and a Master of Laws degree in labor relations from New York University School of Law.
“I am deeply honored and humbled by Governor Lamont’s nomination to serve as an Appellate Judge for the State of Connecticut,” Judge Wilson said. “It is an absolute honor and privilege to have this opportunity. If confirmed by the legislature, I am committed to upholding the principles of fairness, justice, and integrity as I take on this important responsibility and will work hard every day to prove myself worthy of the governor’s trust. Thank you, Governor Lamont, for entrusting me with this opportunity to serve our great state.”
There are currently 22 judicial vacancies in the Superior Court. The 13 nominations Governor Lamont is making to fill those positions include:
David G. Bothwell, 55, of Fairfield: Bothwell graduated from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law. He currently serves as legal counsel and legislative liaison to the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles. Prior to that, he spent his entire career as a criminal defense attorney in both his own private practice, as well as many years with the Connecticut Division of Public Defenders.
Tracie C. Brown, 53, of Windsor: Brown graduated from Southern Connecticut State University and obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. She is currently the chief operating officer for the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Previously, she was the assistant legal director for the Connecticut Department of Correction, where she focused on constitutional and employment law. Prior to that, she served as a principal attorney and commission counsel for the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission. In that capacity, she presided over contested cases as a hearing officer and represented the commission at the Connecticut Superior Court, Appellate Court, and Supreme Court.
Michael C. D’Agostino, 53, of Hamden: D’Agostino graduated from the University of Virginia and obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is currently a partner at Morgan Lewis and Bockius, residing in its Hartford office, where he handles a wide range of commercial litigation matters for clients in Connecticut’s courts, as well as courts across the country. From 2013 to 2025, he served the 91st Assembly District of Hamden in the Connecticut House of Representatives, and in this capacity severed for several years as the House chair of the General Law Committee.
Jesse Giddings, 43, of North Haven: Giddings graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park and obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Roger Williams University School of Law. He is currently a supervisory assistant state’s attorney in the Hartford State’s Attorney Office. Prior to that, he served as an assistant state’s attorney in Hartford, focusing primarily on the prosecution of serious felony cases.
Diana M. Gomez, 42, of Easton: Gomez graduated from Central Connecticut State University and obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law. She is currently an assistant public defender in the Ansonia-Milford Judicial District, specializing in criminal defense of indigent defendants. She has worked in the Connecticut Division of Public Defender Services for the past eleven years. Prior to serving as a public defender, she worked in private practice. Additionally, she serves on many boards, committees and commissions.
Donald R. Green, 58, of Meriden: Magistrate Green graduated from Trinity College and obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He is currently a family support magistrate and has served in this capacity for six years. He presides over cases involving adjudication of parentage, child support, modifications, and contempt petitions. He was formerly an assistant attorney general at the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, where he served primarily in the Child Protection Department.
Kaitlin A. Halloran, 41, of West Hartford: Halloran graduated from New York University and obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. In 2010, she co-founded Halloran & Halloran, where her practice focused on personal injury, wrongful death claims, medical malpractice and business litigation. Halloran & Halloran merged with BBB Attorneys in 2021, where she litigated complex cases. Halloran also maintains a very active pro bono special education law practice and has helped many families navigate the system and access services for their children.
Angeline Ioannou, 55, of West Hartford: Ioannou is a graduate of Sacred Heart University and obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Widener University School of Law (now Widener University Commonwealth Law School) in Wilmington, Delaware. She is currently the managing partner of the Hartford office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard and Smith, LLP. Ioannou has more than 25 years litigating complex tort and medical malpractice matters involving wrongful death and catastrophic injuries.
Kevin C. Kelly, 65, of Stratford: Kelly obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts, a Master of Arts degree from Fairfield University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He is currently an attorney and owner of Kevin Kelly and Associates, a practice that is focused on elder law, estate planning, probate administration and litigation, and municipal law. Prior to his legal career, he worked for the Connecticut Department of Social Services. From 2011 to 2025, he served the 21st Senatorial District of Monroe, Seymour, Shelton, and Stratford in the Connecticut State Senate, and in this capacity represented his caucus for several years as minority leader.
Daniel Shapiro, 58, of Westbrook: Shapiro graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and obtained his Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School, where he also obtained a Master of Studies in environmental law. He is currently a deputy associate attorney general and chief of health and education for the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. He has practiced law for more than 30 years with a primary focus on health and education matters. Prior to his current role, Shapiro worked as an attorney for the Connecticut Department of Public Health and as an attorney for the Connecticut Legislative Commissioners’ Office.
Kevin Shea, 58, of Madison: Shea graduated from the University of Connecticut and obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He is a partner with Clendenen and Shea, LLC in New Haven, where he has practiced for the past 24 years representing individuals, companies, institutions, and municipalities as both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of civil litigation. He was previously an associate with Delaney, Zemetis, Donahue, Durham, and Noonan, P.C., and Wiggin and Dana, LLP, and worked as an in-house litigation attorney with United States Surgical Corporation in Norwalk.
Latonia C. Williams, 41, of West Hartford: Williams graduated from Howard University and obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. She is currently a partner at Shipman and Goodwin LLP, where her practice focuses on a range of commercial litigation matters in both state and federal courts, including commercial bankruptcies, landlord-tenant disputes, and commercial foreclosures. Additionally, she serves on the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Client Security Fund Committee, the board of directors for Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc., and as her firm’s hiring chair.
Yonatan Zamir, 48, of Woodbridge: Zamir graduated from University of Illinois and received his Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law. He is currently a staff attorney at New Haven Legal Assistance Association, where his focus is on housing law and eviction prevention. He also co-teaches the Reentry Clinic at Yale Law School, through which he supervises students in serving clients facing barriers to reentry in areas such as housing and employment, as well as in assisting those clients’ seeking pardons or criminal conviction erasure. Prior to coming to Connecticut, he served as counsel to a member of Congress and a Congressional committee. He started his legal career at the Legal Aid Society of New York.
The two family support magistrate nominees include:
Benedict R. Daigle, 43, of Cromwell: Daigle obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Connecticut, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He currently serves as an assistant public defender, legislative/family magistrate for the Connecticut Division of Public Defender Services. Prior to that, he held roles with the City of Hartford, the Connecticut Association for Community Action, and other government and nonprofit entities. He serves in several roles within the Connecticut Bar Association, including as a member of the House of Delegates and Board of Governors and co-chair of the Legal Aid and Public Defense Committee. He has served as a board member of various nonprofit organizations.
LeeAnn Neal, 39, of Waterbury: Neal graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law. She is currently an assistant attorney general in the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, serving in the child protection section. In this role, she represents the Connecticut Department of Children and Families in state court proceedings. Prior to her current position, she worked as a staff attorney at the Center for Children’s Advocacy, where she advocated for youth in education and delinquency cases. She also previously served as an assistant state’s attorney with the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice, representing the state in both adult criminal and juvenile delinquency matters in the New Britain and Waterbury Judicial Districts.
The three workers’ compensation administrative law judge nominees include:
Michael L. Anderson, 54, of North Stonington: Anderson graduated from the University of New Hampshire and the University of Connecticut, and obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Vermont Law School. He is currently a trial lawyer with Anderson Trial Lawyers in Norwich, where he represents injured workers in the Workers’ Compensation Commission and those seriously injured due to the negligence of others. He currently serves as chairman of the Town of North Stonington Board of Finance. He has been practicing law for more than 20 years.
Christine Conley, 42, of Groton: Conley graduated from Bay Path University in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and obtained her Juris Doctorate from Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts. She is currently an attorney with McGann, Bartlett and Brown, LLC, where she represents employers and municipalities in defending work-related injuries. She has experience in worker’s compensation and personal injury, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. She is a Connecticut board certified workers’ compensation specialist. She formerly worked for Embry, Neusner and Arscott, and the Law Offices of Lori M. Comforti, representing individuals with workers’ compensation and personal injury cases. Prior to representing individuals, she was an associate at Murphy and Beane. From 2017 to 2025, she served the 40th Assembly District of Groton and New London in the Connecticut House of Representatives.
Colette Griffin, 66, of Newtown: Griffin graduated from the University of Bridgeport and obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac School of Law. She is currently a partner with Strunk Dodge Aiken Zovas and has served as the chair of both the workers’ compensation and animal law sections of the Connecticut Bar Association. She was previously a partner with Howd and Ludorf, LLC, where she began and ran their workers’ compensation practice. She serves on the workers’ compensation legal advisory and medical advisory committees.
NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission (Pine Barrens Commission) today filed a lawsuit against Long Island developer David Roberts and his company, Roberts Premier Development, LLC (Roberts Premier), for removing trees and vegetation to construct a commercial cabinetry and woodworking business on protected Pine Barrens land without proper approval. The Pine Barrens are located on top of Long Island’s largest source of drinking water, and their preservation is necessary to ensure residents’ access to clean water. Roberts damaged 13,000 square feet of this land by clearing natural vegetation and grading soil to build a 5,500 square foot commercial barn without authorization from the Pine Barrens Commission, harming the Pine Barrens’ delicate ecosystem. With this lawsuit, Attorney General James and the Pine Barrens Commission seek to require Roberts to remove the barn and associated infrastructure, restore the property to its previous state, and pay civil penalties for the destruction he caused.
“Long Island’s Pine Barrens are one of New York’s most precious environmental treasures, and we are committed to protecting it,” said Attorney General James. “Preserving this land is critical to the health of Long Island’s drinking water. Any bad actor that takes action to harm our protected lands must be held accountable. I am grateful to the Commission for their partnership and look forward to continuing our work together to ensure the Pine Barrens are preserved for generations to come.”
“We’re happy to partner with Attorney General James in this action against Roberts Premier Development. There’s a reason the Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act included a Comprehensive Land Use Plan that has for three decades guided land use in this spectacular region,” said Central Pine Barrens Commission Executive Director Judith Jakobsen. “It’s because there’s a place for development in the Central Pine Barrens and a place for ecological preservation. When someone breaks the rules, they should suffer the consequences.”
The Long Island Central Pine Barrens is a 106,000-acre natural area in Suffolk County that is home to some of New York’s greatest ecological diversity, including many endangered or threatened animal and plant species. In 1993, New York adopted the Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act, which established the Pine Barrens Commission to safeguard the Pine Barrens and develop and oversee a comprehensive land use plan for the area. The Act designated 55,000 acres of the Pine Barrens as a core preservation area and specified that any entity seeking to engage in development activities such as clearing, excavation, or construction in the area must apply for and receive a waiver from the Pine Barrens Commission.
Roberts Premier acquired a four-acre Pine Barrens property in Brookhaven, Suffolk County in July 2022. The property falls within a residential zoning district that strictly prohibits any non-residential use of land. In August 2022, Roberts applied for a permit from the town to build a new 5,500 square foot barn but did not apply for any waiver from the Pine Barrens Commission for its planned clearing, excavation, and construction on protected Pine Barrens land. Before hearing back from the town on his building permit application, Roberts moved forward with the project, clearing vegetation, grading the land, and fully constructing a new barn. Roberts was issued a building permit on November 28, 2022.
In March 2023, the town alerted the Pine Barrens Commission that approximately 13,000 square feet of natural vegetation had been removed from Roberts’ property and that a new barn had been constructed in its place. By this time, Roberts Premier had added storage containers, which are not permitted in residential districts, and set up parking areas and paved roadways on the protected land. The Commission discovered in June 2023 that a custom cabinetry and millwork business, Green Leaf Cabinet Corp., had set up a website citing the Pine Barrens property as its business address and included a map directing potential customers to the newly constructed barn.
The compound built by Roberts Premier on protected Pine Barrens land.
In April 2023, the Pine Barrens Commission issued a Notice of Violation to Roberts and Roberts Premier, stating that the company had engaged in prohibited conduct by building the new barn for non-residential use and clearing Pine Barrens land without authorization. In June 2023, the Commission inspected the property and found extensive evidence that Roberts was conducting a commercial carpentry business on the property, including industrial-grade manufacturing woodworking equipment and machinery, commercial-grade power supply, construction equipment, and industrial-grade HVAC equipment.
The lawsuit filed today seeks to mandate the removal of the unauthorized structure and associated infrastructure and require the development and implementation of a restoration plan for the affected land under the Commission’s supervision. Attorney General James is also seeking civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation and $1,000 for each day the violations persist. The lawsuit follows unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a resolution with Roberts Premier and Roberts.
This matter was handled for the Pine Barrens Commission by Executive Director Judith Jakobsen, Pine Barrens Manager Julie Hargrave, Enforcement Officer Frank Carbone, and Counsel John C. Milazzo.
This matter was handled for OAG by Assistant Attorney General Abigail Katowitz-Liu and Section Chief Elizabeth Morgan of the Environmental Protection Bureau under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Monica Wagner. The Environmental Protection Bureau is led by Bureau Chief Lemuel M. Srolovic and is part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Ahoskie gang member was sentenced to 100 months in prison and five years of supervised release, after authorities found drugs and a firearm in his home. On September 30, 2024, Rodney Lamont Evans, a.k.a. “Woo,” pled guilty to the charges.
“This case is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our local, state, and federal partners,” said Hertford County Sheriff Dexter Hayes. “Their relentless efforts to investigate, prosecute, and bring to justice those who threaten the safety of our citizens reflect our shared commitment to a safer community.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, authorities in Ahoskie received information on August 8, 2022, that Evans, 47, a member of the Bloods gang, was distributing narcotics out of his home on McGlohon Street. On that date, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Evans’s residence. Upon their arrival, Evans fled through a window and attempted to hide on the roof but was soon found. Inside Evans’s home, authorities discovered nearly 360 grams of cocaine, over 5 grams of crack, over 1,700 grams of marijuana, a firearm, ammunition, multiple digital scales, and drug packaging materials. The investigation also revealed that Evans had previously participated in the sale of homemade machinegun conversion devices, or “switches,” with a fellow member of the Bloods.
Evans was previously convicted of indecent liberties with a child and multiple charges of possession with intent to sell cocaine in North Carolina.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF); the Down East Drug and Violent Crime Task Force; and the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Lori Warlick and Sarah Nokes prosecuted the case.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, January 27, 2025/APO Group/ —
African Mining Week (AMW) 2025, taking place in Cape Town from October 1-3, will center on the theme, From Extraction to Beneficiation: Unlocking Africa’s Mineral Wealth. The event will highlight initiatives aimed at enhancing Africa’s mineral value chains and promoting local processing to drive economic growth.
Research indicates that Africa could generate up to $2 billion in additional mining revenue and create up to 3.8 million jobs by 2030 through expanded manufacturing of value-added mining products. As Africa’s premier mining platform, AMW 2025 will convene global investors, policymakers and industry leaders to explore opportunities in Africa’s midstream and downstream sectors, featuring panel discussions, project showcases and high-level deal signings.
Africa stands as a global leader in mining, home to unparalleled reserves of the minerals essential for shaping the future of technology and industry. To harness this vast potential, African Mining Week will serve as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across the continent. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference (https://AECWeek.com/) from October 1-3, offering delegates access to the full scope of energy, mining and finance leaders in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more bycontactingsales@energycapitalpower.com
Africa’s push for local mineral processing is gathering momentum. In Zimbabwe, a ban on raw lithium exports implemented in 2022 has resulted in over $1 billion in processing investments. Key projects include the Rwizi Rukuru refinery, Shengxiang Investments’ lithium processing facility in Goromonzi, and Chengxin Lithium’s Sabi Star Mine concentrator, all contributing to domestic processing capacity. Similarly, Tanzania’s recent ban on raw lithium exports is driving international investment into value-added projects, while Nigeria has partnered with Avatar New Energy to establish a 400,000-ton-per-day lithium refinery launched in 2024.
Ghana has also made headway with the inauguration of the Royal Ghana Gold Refinery last August, which represents its first facility for refining gold for export and aligns with the nation’s strategy to drive economic growth through value addition. Guinea is collaborating with Emirates Global Aluminium to establish an alumina refinery, leveraging its substantial mineral resources.
South Africa remains a leader in mineral beneficiation, utilizing its resources and industrial expertise to advance downstream processing. Key projects include the Thaba Joint Venture, set to begin production in early 2025, with an annual target of 13,000 ounces of platinum group metals and 400,000 tons of metallurgical-grade chrome concentrate from tailings and run-of-mine deposits. Meanwhile, the $4.5 billion KwaZulu-Natal Titanium Beneficiation Complex, led by Nyanza Light Metals, aims to produce 80,000 tons of titanium dioxide annually, reinforcing South Africa’s position in advanced mineral processing.
AMW 2025 will be held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference, offering delegates access to key players across mining, energy, and finance industries. Together, these events will provide unparalleled opportunities for collaboration and investment, driving Africa’s vision for value-added mining development.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in Nature Medicine estimates heat and cold related deaths in Europe as a result of climate change.
Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, Lecturer at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, said:
Is this good quality research? Are the conclusions backed up by solid data?
“The study is of high quality, offering a thorough assessment of future scenarios regarding net changes in temperature-related mortality, factoring in various climate, demographic, and adaptation scenarios. Its conclusions are strongly supported by solid data. However, it’s important to note that the applicability of these results is primarily limited to European urban settings.”
What does this study add to our understanding of heat/cold deaths after climate change? Was there doubt before now that on balance deaths would increase in Europe with warmer temperatures?
“Previous estimates based on historical data have suggested that for every heat-related death, there are roughly 10 cold-related deaths. This raises important questions about the net impact of temperature changes due to anthropogenic climate change. This new study underscores a crucial point: without any adaptation to temperature, projections suggest that temperature-related deaths are likely to increase overall, with heat-related deaths surpassing cold-related ones. A related study in Europe also highlighted the significance of mitigation efforts in shaping this net effect, noting that in the most extreme scenarios, mitigation could lead to a positive outcome, balancing the impact of temperature change (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(21)00150-9/fulltext).”
What does the study tell us about excess heat deaths even under relatively optimistic scenarios?
“In the most optimistic scenario—warming is kept below 2°C—while assuming no adaptation to heat, heat-related deaths are projected to outnumber cold-related deaths by 12 per 100,000 person years in 2050-2054. By the end of the century, this gap is expected to widen, with heat-related deaths potentially exceeding cold-related deaths by 50 per 100,000 person years.
“It is clear a hotter world is a more dangerous world. With every fraction of a degree of warming, we will also face increased spread of mosquito-transmitted disease and more intense extreme weather, among other threats to human health.”
Dr Luke Parsons, Applied Climate Modeling Scientist, Global Science, The Nature Conservancy, said:
“I appreciate that this study used different temperature-mortality relationships for different age groups, because we know that different age groups in different locations can respond differently to temperature extremes.
“Additionally, these researchers derived local temperature-mortality relationships and did not extrapolate spatially to grossly different geographies- for example, many studies have tried to estimate global temperature-related mortality changes under warming, but we these studies often lack data for most of Africa (outside of South Africa) and many other countries, so studies often have to make very broad assumptions about how people will react to temperatures without concrete local health data to validate form relationships.
“Despite these strengths, something I worry about that I didn’t see addressed in this paper:
“Heat waves are often associated with increases in deaths, but many studies also find increased deaths in cold times of year, concluding that cold season deaths are due to colder temperatures; therefore, as the globe warms and the cold season becomes warmer, we should see decreases in deaths. However, a variety of other factors could lead to cold-season deaths (such as respiratory infections during the cold season)- if we are indeed over-counting cold-season deaths and their potential reductions in a warmer world, the net impacts of increasing temperatures could result in even larger numbers of early deaths than studies like this estimate. However, we also don’t know how humans will react to the heat- as far as I can tell, these studies don’t take into account migration (for example, do people leave exceedingly hot areas in southern Europe in a warmer world?) or other possible factors- although they do try to account for potential adaptation.
“Additionally, as the authors acknowledge, the health data are aggregated to the city level, and within cities, people can respond quite differently in disparate neighborhoods to temperature extremes depending on social networks, income, housing, and other factors. We have this problem with health data in the US often as well- to keep data anonymous, it is often aggregated, but then we lose really important local information about how more and less vulnerable areas within cities are being impacted by climate change.”
Dr Matthew Maley, Lecturer in Environmental Ergonomics at Loughborough University, said:
Is this good quality research? Are the conclusions backed up by solid data?
“The study should be commended for accounting for variations in demographics (i.e. age) whilst presenting various future climate change scenarios in various adaptation scenarios.”
What does this study add to our understanding of heat/cold deaths after climate change? Was there doubt before now that on balance deaths would increase in Europe with warmer temperatures?
“This study confirms a consistent trend of increasing heat-related deaths, particularly under high-warming scenarios. The study also extends what we know by including European regions not included in previous studies.”
The study focuses on a relatively low mitigation and adaptation scenario – (SSP3-7.0) – can you comment on this? How likely/unlikely is it considered to be?
“It’s certainly a pessimistic scenario but one that could be our reality given current emission trajectories and failure to achieve our international climate change goals.”
What does the study tell us about excess heat deaths even under relatively optimistic scenarios?
“The more optimistic scenarios (SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5) predict an increase in heat-related deaths, though to a lesser extent than SSP3-7.0. This emphasises that adaptation measures must accompany mitigation efforts to manage heat-related health impacts effectively.”
The study suggests that a significant amount of these deaths could be reduced with adaptation. In the cities where the largest death tolls are predicted (Barcelona, Rome, Naples, Madrid, Milan, Athens), what kinds of adaptation measures would be most effective?
“Effective adaptation measures for these Mediterranean cities could include:
Increase green space to enhance urban ventilation and implement reflective building materials.
Develop early warning systems akin to storm warning systems.
Targeted interventions for vulnerable populations (e.g. older adults).
Encourage behaviour change (e.g. advise to not go outdoors in peak temperatures).”
Dr Christopher Callahan, Postdoctoral Scholar in Earth System Science, Stanford University, said:
“This study is an impressive synthesis of heat- and cold-related mortality across Europe. While climate change may reduce cold-related deaths in winter, these results are unambiguous that increased heat-related mortality will outweigh these potential benefits, with an escalating death toll for every degree of global warming.
“One limitation of this study is that their numbers only account for about 40% of the population of the countries analyzed. The total death toll of climate change in these countries is likely substantially greater than these numbers indicate.
“One of the scenarios the authors examine is SSP3-7.0, which is a scenario of relatively high warming. While the most extreme emissions scenarios appear less likely today than previously, we should not discount the potential for very high levels of warming even given current climate policy. Many countries are on track to miss their stated emissions targets, and the rise of the second Trump administration in the United States may impede further progress on emissions reductions.”
Dr Raquel Nunes, Assistant Professor in Health and Environment at the University of Warwick Medical School, said:
“The findings of this study have serious implications for public health. As climate change leads to more extreme heat events, the number of heat-related deaths is expected to rise, putting additional pressure on healthcare systems. Vulnerable groups, such as older adults, those with chronic illnesses, and low-income communities, will be at the highest risk. Without strong adaptation measures, public health systems could struggle to cope with the increased demand for emergency services and hospital admissions.
“To protect public health, governments and policymakers need to invest in early warning systems, public education campaigns, and infrastructure improvements to help individuals stay cool and safe. Health professionals must also be trained to recognise and respond to heat-related illnesses. Additionally, social policies that provide support for vulnerable populations, such as access to cooling centres and affordable healthcare, will be essential in reducing the impact of extreme temperatures.
“This study highlights the urgent need for a coordinated public health response to climate change, focusing on prevention, preparedness, and adaptation to reduce future health risks. A significant proportion of current and future heat-related illnesses and deaths is preventable. What is essential now is the development and implementation of policies and actions aimed at minimising both morbidity and mortality.”
Prof Tim Osborn, Director of the Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (UEA), said:
“Cold weather and hot weather kill tens of thousands of people across Europe every year. Climate change is bringing less severe cold weather but more frequent hot weather, but it isn’t yet known if that means more or fewer people will die from temperature-related deaths in future. The clear finding of this new research is that the net effect of climate change will be more temperature-related deaths in future. Put bluntly, the increase in hot weather will kill more people than the decrease in cold weather will save.”
“While this new study isn’t the final say on the matter, and more research will certainly refine and could still change the overall prediction of future temperature-related deaths, it does break new ground by scrutinizing people’s vulnerability to extreme temperatures by age and by city to a much better level of detail than previous work. This extra level of detail ought to make the new study’s results more reliable.”
“This study also confirms two more general features about climate change. First, the harm from climate change impacts people very unevenly (in this case, with far greater increases in temperature-related deaths predicted for southern Europe than for northern Europe, where milder winters may even reduce the number of deaths). Second, we can greatly reduce the harm from climate change by adaptation — making changes that increase our resilience to extreme weather — but these adaptations are far more successful if we also limit the amount of climate change that we are faced with by accelerating the move away from fossil fuels as our primary energy source.”
Prof Simon Gosling, Professor of Climate Risks & Environmental Modelling at University of Nottingham, said:
“This is a high quality study that uses established modelling methods. It shows an increase in the overall number of deaths from temperature due to future global warming could be avoided if society makes big adaptations to heat. However, we are talking about a really big level of adaptation here – a level where the risk of dying from the heat is half of what it is nowadays. The models aren’t specific about how such a high level of adaptation could be achieved in reality. The way that this might be seen in the real world is through a combination of societal adjustments – in our cities, our homes, public services and work environments. Examples include increasing the amount of green spaces in our cities to help keep them cool, providing cooling centres where people can get relief from the heat, changing our work environments and work policies so that people are at less risk from heat stress at work, and by ensuring the people most vulnerable to heat are cared for and protected. There are some great examples of how this is starting to happen, but it’s a challenge that society has to rise to and achieve at scale, because this study very clearly shows that without high levels of adaptation, we are looking at an overall increase in deaths due to temperature in the future. Reducing global warming is also really important – lowering greenhouse gas emissions will help to significantly lessen the blow on society if we don’t achieve the high levels of adaptation needed to avoid an increase in deaths in the future.”
‘Estimating future heat-related and cold-related mortality under climate change, demographic and adaptation scenarios in 854 European cities’ by Pierre Masselot et al. was published in Nature Medicine at 16:00 UK time on Monday 27 January 2025.
DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-03452-2
Declared interests
Professor Tim Osborn: No interests to declare.
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
.jpg){kind=link}
