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Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI USA: Biden-Harris Administration Prepared for Multi-State Event as Hurricane Helene Approaches, FEMA Encourages People in Storm’s Path to Listen to Local Officials

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Biden-Harris Administration Prepared for Multi-State Event as Hurricane Helene Approaches, FEMA Encourages People in Storm’s Path to Listen to Local Officials

    Biden-Harris Administration Prepared for Multi-State Event as Hurricane Helene Approaches, FEMA Encourages People in Storm’s Path to Listen to Local Officials

    At the Direction of President Biden, FEMA Administrator to Travel to Florida to Survey Impacts

    WASHINGTON — Hurricane Helene is a massive, dangerous storm and FEMA is prepared for anticipated multi-state impacts. In advance of Hurricane Helene’s landfall in Florida, the Biden-Harris Administration approved pre-landfall emergency declarations for Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. These declarations enable FEMA to provide federal resources to the states for emergency protective measures like reimbursement for evacuations and sheltering and aid initial response and recovery efforts.

    FEMA urges people in the path of Hurricane Helene to take immediate action to protect themselves as the storm approaches. Hurricane Helene is expected to continue strengthening and bring life-threating storm surge and hurricane conditions to Florida starting today. There is also the risk for dangerous flash and flooding in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

    “The Biden-Harris Administration is ready for this event. We are prepared and postured for response,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “People in Hurricane Helene’s path need to take this seriously. Listen to your state and local elected officials. If they tell you to evacuate, evacuate. If they tell you to shelter in place, stay where you are. These decisions can save lives.”

    FEMA, the entire federal family and partner organizations are actively coordinating response efforts across Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. There are over 1,100 personnel actively supporting from across the federal government, which include Urban Search and Rescue Teams, Coast Guard, the Department of Defense and power restoration teams from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. An additional 700 FEMA team members already deployed across the region from previous events. To help people who may need to evacuate, the American Red Cross is actively standing up shelters in the areas likely to feel the impacts from Helene.

    Safety Tips During the Storm

    Residents in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina can find a list of state, tribal and local resources such as evacuation, shelter and important storm updates on FEMA.gov.

    • Pay attention to local officials. Weather conditions can change quickly. Make sure to heed their warnings and evacuate immediately if told to do so.
    • NOW is the time to finish preparations. Today is the day to prepare for this storm. Take action immediately to protect yourself, your family, your pets and your home. Finish gathering any supplies like food, water, medication, flashlights and food for your pets now. If possible, include cash in your emergency kit, as ATMs may not work after the storm.
    • If you did not evacuate, stay safe at home. Gather your supplies including flashlights, battery operated radio and food and water and keep them on a high shelf or upper level. Find a safe location to ride out the storm, such as a designated storm shelter or interior room for high winds.
    • Be in the know about your evacuation route. Several counties in Florida issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders. Visit Evacuation Orders | Florida Disaster to see the full list. Florida residents can call 800-729-3413 for shelter locations. People in Florida, Alabama and Georgia should be prepared to evacuate quickly if they are in the path of this storm and are told to do so.
    • Have several ways to receive alerts. People in areas along Florida’s Panhandle, west coast and into Alabama and Georgia should follow the forecast carefully and instructions of state and local officials by monitoring local radio or television stations for updated emergency information. Sign up for community alerts in your area and be aware of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), which require no sign up. You can also download the free FEMA App available in English and Spanish languages to receive real-time weather alerts and find local emergency shelters in your area.
    • Your neighbors are your lifeline. Check on your neighbors, especially older adults or those who may need additional assistance, to make sure they have what they need to ride out the storm. Have a plan to remain in contact during and after the storm.
    • Power outage and generator safety. If you lose power, use only flashlights or battery-powered lanterns for emergency lighting. If using a generator, remember to always use them outdoors and keep it at least 20 feet from doors and windows. Additionally, make sure to keep the generator dry and protected from rain or flooding. De-clutter drains and gutters, bring in outside furniture and put up hurricane shutters if you have them.
    • Stay out of floodwater. Walking, swimming or driving through flood waters is extremely dangerous. Standing water may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines or contain hazards such as wild or stray animals, human and livestock waste and chemicals that can lead to illness.
    • Turn Around. Don’t Drown™. Driving through a flooded area can be extremely hazardous. Almost half of all flash flood deaths happen in vehicles. When in your car, look out for flooding in low lying areas at bridges and at highway dips. As little as 6 inches of water may cause you to lose control of your vehicle or fall if you are walking through it. Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-ups.
    • Keep important documents safe. Save copies of birth certificates, passports, medical records and insurance papers in a safe, dry place. Keep important documents in a waterproof container and create password-protected digital copies. Take photos or videos of your belongings and property on your phone or upload them to the internet. Move valuables like photo albums, heirlooms and other treasured items to higher levels.

    mashana.davis

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Integrated Youth Services Site Opens in Humboldt

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on September 26, 2024

    Today, the province’s first Integrated Youth Services (IYS) site, or hub, opened its doors in Humboldt, delivering supports to young people ages 12 to 25 and their caregivers. 

    The hub is located at 307 Main Street and will operate under the name HOMEBASE. It will provide co-located access to mental health and addictions services; physical health services; peer supports; education, employment and training supports; cultural and traditional supports; and social and community supports.

    “We are proud to have our first youth-focused and youth-friendly services center opening in Humboldt,” Humboldt-Watrous MLA Donna Harpauer said on behalf of Mental Health and Addictions Minister Tim McLeod. “Integrated Youth Services is an innovative way to connect young people and their caregivers with the resources they need to enhance their wellbeing.”

    The HOMEBASE team within the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan (JHSS) is leading the implementation of hubs across the province with $3.4 million in funding from the Government of Saskatchewan for development and operations. 

    “We are thrilled to have our first HOMEBASE youth hub opening in Humboldt,” Integrated Youth Services HOMEBASE Director Pam Reimer said. “Our lead agency and their local youth co-design team have been hard at work to create a safe, inclusive, barrier-free environment to serve the youth of Humboldt and the surrounding area.”

    PARTNERS Family Services has been contracted by the JHSS to operate HOMEBASE Humboldt, which also has support from local school divisions, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Humboldt and District Community Services, Sask Central Victim Services and other community partners.

    “Our team has been working tirelessly with our youth, caregivers, and community partners to shape HOMEBASE Humboldt and our service delivery model,” PARTNERS Family Services Executive Director Hayley Kennedy said. “We are so excited to bring this model to Humboldt and offer barrier-free access to mental health and wellbeing supports, physical health care, and other areas of need as identified by our diverse youth community.”

    IYS is a national and international movement, aimed at reimagining how youth and their caregivers find and access the resources, services and supports they need.

    In January 2024, the JHSS announced that the first IYS hubs were selected with partner organizations. In the coming weeks, HOMEBASE hubs in Regina and Moose Jaw will also become operational. Sturgeon Lake First Nation is the fourth community to host a hub, after previously hosting one as part of a national research project. HOMEBASE Sturgeon Lake will open later in 2024-25.

    Additional information on HOMEBASE’s integrated youth services is available at homebasesask.ca and Integrated Youth Services.

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Federal government invests in housing in Salt River First Nation

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    News release

    Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, September 26, 2024 — New homes in Salt River First Nation Reserve in Fort Smith are one step closer after an investment of $205,000 from the federal government was announced today by MP McLeod. This funding was used to purchase equipment to assist with the construction of new homes on reserve.

    Supporting the needs of the most vulnerable people in Canada is one of the goals of Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. The funding announced today for the Salt River First Nation is being used to address territorial homelessness by helping to build dedicated housing for individuals and families experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness.

    Quotes

    “The federal government is committed to working with communities and Indigenous partners to increase the availability of safe, inclusive housing options. By investing in housing and relevant supports, we can create stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities for generations to come.”

    Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

    “Developing our new reserve to meet the critical housing needs of our people is a high priority for SRFN. Chief and Council value the support from Canada as we collaborate  to build a better future for our nation”

    Elizabeth Westwell, Chief Executive Officer of Salt River First Nation

    Quick facts

    • Reaching Home is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding and support to urban, Indigenous, territorial, rural, and remote communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.

    • Funding under this program is allocated to 64 Designated Communities (urban centres), three territorial capitals, 30 Indigenous communities, and rural and remote communities across Canada. The program also makes funding available to Indigenous partners to support distinctions-based approaches to homelessness services.

    • Through Reaching Home, the federal government is investing $4 billion over 9 years to address homelessness. Budget 2024 announced an additional $1 billion over four years from 2024-25 to 2027-28 to stabilize funding for Reaching Home. This includes $50 million to accelerate community-level reductions in homelessness.

    • Budget 2024 also announced $250 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness. This initiative envisions working with provinces and territories to cost-match federal investments.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    For more information (media only), please contact:

    Sofia Ouslis
    Communications Advisor
    Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
    Sofia.ouslis@infc.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
    613-960-9251
    Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
    Email: media-medias@infc.gc.ca
    Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
    Web: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: HMCS Vancouver completes rearmament in Australia

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    September 26, 2024 – Broome, Australia – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

    His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Vancouver completed a forward rearmament in Australia on September 23, 2024, more than halfway through its six-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region on Operation HORIZON.

    This forward rearmament with Australia was a first for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The rearmament coordination and execution were nine months in the making, with planning having commenced in January 2024, and were made possible in part thanks to the close coordination and cooperation of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

    Having the capability to rearm far from a Canadian homeport is a significant achievement. Accomplishing it with the support of our allies and partners demonstrates the strength of Canada’s relationships in the Indo-Pacific region. This rearmament process allows the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to strengthen its interoperability and interchangeability through the sharing of information, techniques, and lessons learned that will allow for more agility moving forward.

    Since HMCS Vancouver’s deployment in June 2024, the ship has participated in three different multinational maritime exercises and expended munitions, including two vertically launched missiles at Exercise RIM OF THE PACIFIC (RIMPAC) 2024.

    Ammunition for the rearmament was transported from Canada to Darwin, Australia, via a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-177 Globemaster, where it was stored until the ship’s arrival. It was then transported to Broome, Australia, by the Australian Air Force and civilian contractors, and loaded onto the ship. During the rearmament itself, Canadian Forces Ammunition Depot staff members were on the ground, with members from the Australian Defence Industry (ADI) and the Royal Australian Navy to support.

    The logistics of facilitating a technical rearmament process occurring far from a Canadian Naval Base are complex and support from elements of the ADF and ADI were instrumental in the success of this mission.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kean Constituent Services Return Over $10 Million to NJ-07 Residents

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07)

    (September 26, 2024) BERNARDSVILLE, NJ – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) announced that his casework team has returned more than $10,012,316 to constituents. 

    Since the office opened in January of 2023, Congressman Kean and his team have closed over 2,730 constituent cases, representing over $10,012,316 dollars returned back to New Jerseyans in the 7th Congressional District. From the beginning of Congressman Kean’s term in office, Team Kean has helped constituents save money and obtain benefits from the VA, IRS, Social Security Administration, and other federal agencies. The top three groups of people served are seniors, veterans, and families. 

    “$10,000,000 back to constituents is an incredible milestone that demonstrates the positive impact of the work we do to help our fellow New Jerseyans,” said Congressman Kean. “I am committed to serving my district to ensure every constituent receives the benefits and assistance to which they are entitled.” 

    Below are testaments from constituents who have received assistance from Team Kean with their federal agencies. 

    “The staff was very helpful through the process and they were reassuring. I appreciate the great assistance!!” -Payal from Flemington  

    “Thank you to the Congressman Kean’s office for your help with expediting my EAD! It was expedited so quickly and truly appreciate your help. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the customer service on the phone. It was great there were no automated phone systems and I was able to reach a rep right away and they were very courteous. Overall a very positive experience.” -Aparajitha from Somerville  

    “Congressman Keans staff was highly responsive and helpful in resolving my issue. They reached out numerous times and even when the problem was resolved they followed up to ensure all was well. Thank you for all of your help.” -Antonio from Ledgewood  

    “I emailed the office late in the evening after business hours and they responded around 9am the next morning. By 4:00pm that day, the social security worker called me and gave me her direct extension, apologized, and said she would process the application immediately. Congressman Kean’s office went above and beyond my expectations and I am truly grateful. It gives me great faith that he will do what he says he will do.” -Amber from Washington  

    Team Kean is always here to help. If you or someone you know needs help with a federal agency, please do not hesitate to contact the office. You can find more information here: https://kean.house.gov/services/help-federal-agency or call (908) 547-3307. Team Kean also hosts frequent Satellite Office Hours, the first week of every month. Make sure to follow Congressman Kean for updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @CongressmanKean. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/BANGLADESH – Apostolic Nuncio on the situation of Christians and aid for Rohingya refugees (with the help of the Pope)

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 26 September 2024

    by Fabio BerettaDhaka (Agenzia Fides) – “The situation in Bangladesh”, where Christians represent only 0.30% of the population, “is very delicate. In general, Christians live in a peaceful context, but there have also been cases of harassment by their neighbors,” said Archbishop Kevin Randall, Apostolic Nuncio in Bangladesh since 2023, interviewed by Fides after his recent meeting with the Chief Advisor to the interim government. He spoke to Fides about the country’s society and the commitment and support of the local Church and of Pope Francis for Rohingya refugees.What is the situation in Bangladesh after the recent protests and social unrest?The situation in Bangladesh is very delicate. With a transitional government, some wonder when there will be elections. Others want to rewrite the constitution. Still others say that a transitional government does not have the power to rewrite the Constitution. In the meantime, citizen violence dominates the country and the rule of law is limited.How are Christian communities experiencing this historic moment?In general, Christians live in a relatively peaceful context, but there have also been cases of harassment by their neighbors. The police are powerless. After Sheik Hasina left the country, many officials became afraid and went into hiding. They took off their uniforms to wear civilian clothes and stopped going to work.Do Christian communities have special expectations compared to the rest of the population?Yes, the Christian community hopes that the transitional government will protect minorities during this transitional period. Christians’ villages are under threat because there are people who want to take over their land, even if they belong to their own ethnic group. Many citizens, whether Christian, Buddhist or Hindu, are treated as undesirables, “as if they were foreigners,” although they are not. The Constitution declares Bangladesh a secular state with one official religion: Islam. However, there are some who confuse the phrase “official State religion” with the idea that “minorities do not belong here” and that the country is “an Islamic State.”During the meeting with Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor to the interim government, the need to “protect” minorities was raised. Where does this concern come from?According to the 2022 census, Christians in Bangladesh make up 0.30% (about 500,000 believers) of the population. There have been cases of threats against villages, houses and especially schools. In many Catholic schools, there have been attempts at intimidation, with several teachers threatened with expulsion. Some Muslims reported to the school administration that their children would dress in a certain way in the future, especially if they were girls. However, wearing the burqa violates our uniform regulations. With Muhammad Yunus, I raised issues that concern Christians, but also Buddhists and Hindus. One must not forget that the Hindu minority is about 8%. Many of their temples have been destroyed and their shops burned down. And the Chief of the interim government agreed that all minorities must be protected and promised that he would try to create a law that can bring order.Recently, the establishment of a body for interreligious dialogue between the Holy See and the scholars of Islam in Bangladesh was proposed. How was this idea received?The idea of having an interreligious dialogue is not mine. The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue asked for it in a letter years ago, when Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran was the head of the then Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Tauran himself spoke about it with former Prime Minister Sheik Hasina during one of his visits here in Bangladesh. I have already raised this idea with Sheik Hasina, and recently I have also asked Muhammed Yunus and his team to think about this possibility in concrete terms. The concept has been well received, but I think they have other concerns at the moment.Are there already concrete steps towards this project?No, but we can propose them. But we cannot force them. Unlike in the United Arab Emirates, where Pope Francis signed the document on fraternity, or in Indonesia, where the Pope recently signed a new document on tolerance and praised the “tunnel of friendship” that connects the cathedral with the mosque in Jakarta, interreligious dialogue does not find much support in Bangladesh, even if it takes place at the level of academic discussions.Regarding humanitarian aid for the Rohingya refugees, Mohammed Yden has reportedly asked the Vatican for support. How can this request be met?The Chief Advisor of the interim government did not directly ask for the Holy See’s help, as has been reported in various media. He asked for the Holy See’s support in the reforms he and his government want to implement, but not for financial help, including for the Rohingya.It was the one who asked on behalf of the Pope to continue to help and protect the Rohingya. I explained that the Catholic Church’s Caritas organization has been continuously helping the displaced since 2017, but that funds are decreasing. Before I traveled to Bangladesh, Pope Francis asked me not to forget the Rohingya. These refugees have experienced violence in their own country and came to Bangladesh to ask for help. But unfortunately, the Rohingya are considered by the local population as an ethnic and religious group that belongs to “this country”, Bangladesh.Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario and I paid them an official visit. The living conditions are very difficult. Children and young people do not receive an education. In addition, by law, 25 percent of our aid must go to the Bengali community. However, I am happy to announce that the Pope is sending further financial aid. This gesture of his will help many. (Agenzia Fides, 26/9/2024)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mfume, Ruppersberger, Bipartisan Group Secures SNAP Theft Reimbursement in Stop-Gap Funding Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Victims of food stamp theft will continue to be reimbursed thanks to a provision in a stop-gap funding bill secured by a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger. H.R. 9747, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives today in a 341-82 vote, keeping the government funded – and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits flowing – through December 20, 2024. It is expected to be taken up in the U.S. Senate quickly.

    Last month, Ruppersberger, along with Representatives Kweisi Mfume (D-Maryland), Mike Lawler (R-New York),  Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Oregon), James P. McGovern (D-Massachusetts), Dan Goldman (D-New York), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), Anthony D’Esposito (R-New York), Marc Molinaro (R-New York), Brittany Pettersen (D-Colorado) and Grace Meng (D-New York) sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to allow victims of SNAP theft to continue to be reimbursed from federal and state coffers.

    Reports of SNAP theft – in which perpetrators use skimming devices to steal SNAP benefits distributed on electronic debit cards (EBT) – are skyrocketing across the nation. States are currently required to replace stolen benefits under a measure included in the 2023 omnibus funding bill passed by Congress at the end of 2022. But that provision was set to expire on September 30.

    “It is appalling that Americans are being targeted at record rates in major SNAP benefit theft. These sickening crimes are carried out against veterans, families, low-income workers, children, the elderly, and the disabled – all of whom are just trying to put food on their table,” said Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07). “Our letter represented a unified effort, across the political aisle, to bring justice to victims in all our respective Congressional Districts. Today’s triumph was a culmination of fierce collaboration between both Democrats and Republicans and boldly fighting for justice on behalf of all households that rely on SNAP,” he concluded. 

    “I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who recognize the dire straits that SNAP theft leaves its victims, which often include veterans, families, low-income workers, children, the elderly and the disabled,” said Congressman Ruppersberger (MD-02). “While Congress continues to work toward its long-term and strategic spending bills, I am relieved to know these innocent constituents will not lose their primary source of healthy food.”

    “Ensuring that SNAP recipients who have their benefits stolen are made whole is my top priority and is deeply important to New York families,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17). “That’s why I joined colleagues in both parties and chambers to introduce the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act to protect these programs from fraud, and it’s why I have been adamant about the need to include SNAP protections in FY25’s appropriations. I was pleased to see these provisions in the CR being voted on this week. We must complete our appropriations work while protecting the most vulnerable in our society.”

    “I was proud to join this bipartisan group of my colleagues in urging congressional leaders to prevent critical SNAP theft reimbursements from ending,” said Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05). “I’m glad our message was heard and an extension was included in this stopgap funding bill. I’ll keep working to ensure victims of SNAP theft are protected.”

    “I am proud to have helped secure an extension that will allow states to use existing federal funding to reimburse vulnerable victims of SNAP theft so that families in need can put food on the table,” Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) said. “SNAP theft can be devastating for working families and these reimbursements are a critical lifeline that allows working families to make ends meet. I will continue fighting alongside my colleagues to ensure that states retain this authority when Congress passes its final budget at the end of the year.”

    “Families that rely on SNAP to put food on the table each day should never go hungry, especially as a result of their benefits being stolen,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. “That’s why I fought to help over 36,000 New Yorkers recover more than $17.5 million in stolen SNAP benefits. I’m glad to see that this provision was included and extended in this critical government funding bill. I’ve also been fighting to make EBT benefit cards more secure to deter scams, and I’m excited that this bill includes language that will hopefully lead to more secure EBT cards. Many beneficiaries in Queens and across the country continue to be targeted by these scams, and we must continue fighting for the families in our communities experiencing the greatest needs.”

    “Because of our bipartisan push, victims of SNAP theft will continue to be protected through the SNAP Reimbursement Extension,” said Congressman Marc Molinaro (NY-19). “I’m proud to have helped lead the effort to ensure Upstate New York families who rely on SNAP benefits always have access to the meals they deserve.”

    “Thousands of Bucks and Montgomery County residents depend on SNAP to put food on their tables, which is why I was proud to join my colleagues in the critical fight to prevent SNAP theft reimbursements from ending. This common-sense reimbursement provision is essential to safeguarding the integrity of the SNAP program and ensuring families in my community and nationwide who have fallen victim to SNAP theft can quickly recover their benefits. Today’s victory is a powerful reminder that when we unite across party lines, we can achieve meaningful change and stand firm in our commitment to uplift our communities and safeguard the well-being of those who need it most,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1).

    “SNAP recipients who had their food benefits stolen—through no fault of their own, I would add—should not be kicked while they’re down by an indifferent government that tells them ‘too bad’ and leaves them to fend for themselves,” said Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02). “Especially when the average SNAP benefit is barely over $2 per person, per meal. We’re talking about people who rely on these benefits to feed themselves and their families. When they are stolen, people go hungry. I’m glad that because of our continued advocacy, Congress is making sure that food insecure families are protected through the end of the year.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Statement on Federal Approval of Minnesota Broadband Infrastructure Plan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, announced that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce approved Minnesota’s plan for broadband infrastructure deployment. This development advances Minnesota to the next step in their planned affordable broadband rollout across the state.
    Klobuchar’s Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act was incorporated into the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and was the basis for the significant federal funding to Minnesota for expanding high-speed internet access.
    “Internet access is necessary for everything from education to healthcare, not to mention for keeping in touch with friends and family. However, many households in Minnesota currently don’t have a reliable broadband connection,” said Klobuchar. “That is why I fought to secure this game changing investment that will deliver affordable and reliable high-speed internet to everyone in Minnesota. With the approval of Minnesota’s rollout plan, we are one step closer to connecting every corner of our state.” 
    Klobuchar has long led efforts to expand broadband access, support rural broadband, and bridge the digital divide.
    In June 2023, Klobuchar announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce had awarded major federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bring reliable, affordable, high-speed internet access to every household in Minnesota. The Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, Klobuchar’s legislation with Former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to expand high-speed internet nationwide, served as the basis for the program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 
    In March 2023, Klobuchar and Senators John Thune (R-SD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to expand broadband access to rural communities. The Reforming Broadband Connectivity Act would strengthen funding mechanisms for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF), which promotes universal access to broadband and other telecommunications services. Currently, the USF is primarily funded through landline fees, disproportionately impacting seniors, who are more likely to use landlines than other Americans. 
    In February 2023, Klobuchar introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to strengthen broadband access for rural communities. The Rural Broadband Protection Act would ensure that providers applying for federal funding can reliably deliver broadband to underserved, rural communities. 
    In July 2021, Klobuchar introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to expand rural broadband access by streamlining the funding process and removing barriers for broadband connectivity in hard-to-serve rural areas.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty, Kaine Applaud Senate Passage of Legislation to Honor Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    September 26, 2024

    Bipartisan legislation would award a Congressional Gold Medal honoring U.S. and foreign diplomats who risked their lives and careers to save Jews during the Holocaust
    WASHINGTON—United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today applauded Senate passage of their Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal Act (S. 91), a bill to honor 60 World War II-era diplomats from the United States and around the world who risked their careers and, in many instances, their lives to save others during the Holocaust. The Hagerty-Kaine legislation would posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal collectively to these diplomats who took heroic actions to save Jews fleeing Nazi Germany, including issuing passports and travel visas and setting up safehouses and getaways to hide Jews from Nazi authorities. A version of this legislation led by Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15) passed the House of Representatives on June 11, 2024.
    “As U.S. Senator and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, I applaud Senate passage of this bipartisan legislation to posthumously honor U.S. and foreign diplomats who risked their lives and careers to assist Jews who were fleeing Nazi tyranny during the Holocaust,” said Senator Hagerty. “During a time of unimaginable darkness in the world, these diplomats went above their official obligations and beyond the call of duty to save the lives of so many. Current and future generations of diplomats—and everyone else who hears their stories—can look to these men and women of courage and be inspired by their lives of heroism and sacrifice.”
    “These courageous diplomats from nations across the world took initiative and serious risks to save Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe. The Congressional Gold Medal is a small overdue gesture to honor righteous deeds in the most difficult times,” said Senator Kaine. “As living memory of the Holocaust fades with the passing of 80 years, it will soon be up to us to remember humanity’s capacity for evil alongside our capacity for empathy and courage. Senator Hagerty and I aren’t Jewish, but we led this legislation because the duty of remembrance isn’t on the Jewish community alone; it is on all of us.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: MSF scales up response in Lebanon as bombings continue News Sep 26, 2024

    Source: Doctors Without Borders –

    NEW YORK/BEIRUT, September 26, 2024 — Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) remains committed to providing aid to people in Lebanon as the conflict with Israel continues to escalate and people’s medical and humanitarian needs grow. 

    “On Monday morning at 6:30 a.m. we woke up to powerful strikes on mountains and valleys, shelling villages from Baalbek to Hermel,” said Maram Sukkariyeh, a health promotion supervisor with MSF. “All we could hear was the sound of ambulance sirens. We saw smoke with each strike, and the bombs were hitting very close to houses. The strikes in northern Bekaa have not stopped for three days now and the sounds of drones and jets never leave us.”

    MSF teams unload medical supplies and other essential items to support the needs of people affected by the escalation of violence.
    Lebanon 2024 © Salam Daoud/MSF

    According to Lebanon’s disaster risk management unit, more than 104,000 people have been displaced by the recent conflict—often quickly and without necessities like medications. Many are traumatized from losing homes and loved ones, including MSF’s own staff. In addition to medical support, people are in need of basic supplies like mattresses and hygiene products as the shelters and schools currently housing them were not prepared to accommodate so many people.

    The strikes in northern Bekaa have not stopped for three days now and the sounds of drones and jets never leave us.

    Maram Sukkariyeh, MSF health promotion supervisor

    “People who left their homes need all kinds of support,” Sukkariyeh said. “Everyone is scared and worried and no one knows where to seek safety. With every strike, people are losing their lives, including children. The future is unknown and deciding what to do is very difficult. Everyone seeks safety for their families and children.”

    To help fill some of the gaps, MSF teams are distributing supplies, running mobile health clinics, and stepping up mental health efforts. MSF mobile clinics recently visited two locations in Mount Lebanon where displaced people have taken shelter to provide medical and mental health consultations. MSF also donated essential items including mattresses, blankets, and hygiene kits to displaced people in eight sites in Saida and Tripoli. Additionally, MSF reopened its clinic in Baalbek-Hermel to provide patients with much-needed medications for chronic conditions. Mental health helplines run by MSF are receiving over 60 calls a day from people experiencing rising mental health needs.

    Smoke seen in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley following bombings.
    Lebanon 2024 © Salam Daoud/MSF

    MSF is gravely concerned about Israel’s bombing campaign in Lebanon, much of which is taking place in densely populated urban areas. An immediate de-escalation of hostilities is critical to prevent further suffering, injury, and loss of life.

    MSF is assessing people’s needs in order to scale up support and will continue to coordinate closely with partners and hospital networks as the situation develops. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: Travis Credit Union Launches Generation Wealth at Benicia High School

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VACAVILLE, Calif., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Travis Credit Union (TCU) unveiled Generation Wealth, its newly refreshed and rebranded award-winning, interactive youth financial education initiative, today at Benicia High School. Formerly known as Mad City Money, more than 13,000 students have attended the TCU program since its inception in 2009.

    Generation Wealth is aimed at empowering students with essential skills for successful money management throughout their lives. Through immersive scenarios, participants are tasked with navigating real-life situations that include jobs, salaries, bills, families, and credit scores, giving them a practical understanding of budgeting, saving, and financial decision-making.

    “Wealth means something different to Gen Z than it does to previous generations,” said Steward Pimienta, youth engagement officer at Travis Credit Union. “Each person has their own definition of wealth. We want to make sure all students feel empowered by their definition and comfortable building the foundation to reach their unique financial goals.”

    With expert guidance and discussions, Generation Wealth is designed to provide students with practical experience in managing real-life household budgets using the four pillars of financial wellness:

    • Plan: Employing a financial plan to make manageable decisions, stay on track and be prepared for the unexpected
    • Save: How to meet savings goals and be in control
    • Spend: Using financial tools to manage everyday spending
    • Borrow: Learning how to get the lowest interest rates to stay on budget

    “Generation Wealth is a reimagination of our successful and long-running ‘Mad City Money’ program,” said Jennifer Victor, vice president of branch sales and service at Travis Credit Union. “The new name reflects the ideals of this generation and the concept of generating prosperity. It emphasizes that anyone can achieve their life goals with financial literacy and healthy spending habits.”

    In conjunction with this impactful program, Mayor Steve Young will officially proclaim September 26 as Generation Wealth Day in Benicia, recognizing the importance of youth financial literacy.

    “We’re thankful for our ongoing partnership with Travis Credit Union and the work they do to emphasize the importance of financial literacy for our high school students. Thank you to Joan Westerman for bringing this partnership to Benicia Unified School District to equip and empower our students with the skills they will need to make informed decision and achieve their goals,” remarked Trudy Barrington, chief business officer at Benicia Unified School District.

    For more information about the Generation Wealth program or to get involved, please visit https://traviscu.org/generationwealth or email TCUCommunityRelations@traviscu.org.

    About Travis Credit Union
    Travis Credit Union, based in Vacaville, Calif., has been recognized at the federal, state and local levels for its longstanding financial education and financial advocacy efforts. In 2022, TCU was once again selected as a Best-In-State Credit Union by Forbes. It has also earned the U.S. Air Force Distinguished Credit Union of the Year award in recent years. Founded in 1951 on Travis Air Force Base, TCU today serves 12 Northern California counties. It is the twelfth largest credit union in California, with 250,000 members and $5 billion in assets. Learn more about our mission at traviscu.org.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Transporting a Minor with the Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – John Oathout, age 54, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on Friday to 25 years in prison for transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    As part of his guilty plea, Oathout admitted that after a romantic relationship ended with the victim’s mother, the victim’s mother permitted the defendant to take her daughter on overnight trips to Virginia and New York.  During the week of Thanksgiving 2021, the defendant arranged to pick up the 5-year-old child from her home in Delaware and transport her to a hotel in Kingston, New York, where he subjected the child to sexual contact. 

    In addition to sentencing Oathout to serve 25 years in prison, Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 20-year term of supervised release, which Oathout will begin serving after he is released from prison, at which time Oathout will also be required to register as a sex offender.

    The FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated this case.  The Task Force includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorney Carling Dunham prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

    Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).  Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locates, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis Nonprofit Executive Accused of More Than $2 Million Dollar Student Meal Fraud

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    ST. LOUIS – The owner of a nonprofit was indicted Wednesday and accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $2 million in funds intended to feed low-income Missouri children, both before and during the coronavirus pandemic.

    Cymone McClellan, 31, of St. Louis, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on four felony counts of wire fraud.

    The indictment says McClellan owned and ran a non-profit organization called Sister of Lavender Rose (S.O.L.R.). From about January 2019 to June 2022, McClellan and her nonprofit submitted false and fraudulent meal reimbursement claims to Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).  S.O.L.R. submitted reimbursement claims to the Food and Nutrition Programs for Children claiming that she served 860,876 meals to children but only bought enough food and milk to serve fewer than one-quarter of those meals, the indictment says. According to the indictment, McClellan defrauded the State of Missouri out of more than $2 million through her fraudulent reimbursement claims.

    The indictment says McClellan attempted to cover up her crime by providing bogus sign-in sheets to DHSS falsely claiming to have taken the attendance of meal recipients at certain food distribution locations. S.O.L.R. submitted management plans to DHSS falsely asserting that state meal reimbursement dollars were spent only in connection with the provision of meals to low-income children, and that the nonprofit did not use meal money to make purchases over $5,000. The indictment says McClellan spent $60,000 on a down payment on a house in Collinsville, Illinois and also bought five vehicles and a house in Florissant, Missouri.

    One of the addresses where McClellan informed the State of Missouri that she was purportedly preparing food for low-income children belonged to an adults-only nightclub called Elmo’s Love Lounge, the indictment says.

    The indictment seeks the forfeiture of the real estate, as well as a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse, a 2012 Chevrolet Express G3500 van, a 2020 Mercedez-Benz Metris van, a 2012 Ford E350 box truck and a 2018 Lexus RX SUV.

    Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The wire fraud charges carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.  

    Anyone with information about pandemic fraud should call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or report via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Missing Navajo Woman

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Tre C. James, 31, of Pinon, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to life in prison on count one and an additional 10 years in prison on count two to run consecutively, for the murder of Jamie Yazzie, a woman classified as a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person from the Navajo Nation. A federal jury previously found James guilty of First Degree Murder for Yazzie’s death. The jury also found James guilty of several acts of domestic violence committed against three other women, all members of the Navajo Nation. Judge Rayes sentenced James to an additional 10 years in prison to run concurrently, and five years of supervised release for each of those assaults.   

    “Securing justice for missing victims of violence necessitates courage, discipline, and collaboration,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “It also requires all of us to demonstrate our commitment with alacrity: for communities to report their missing loved ones as soon as possible; for victim advocates to engage early and often with next of kin; and for agents and prosecutors to charge cases as soon as they are ready to be charged.”

    “Today’s sentence underscores the fact that Jamie Yazzie was not forgotten by the FBI or our federal and tribal partners,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “Our office is committed to addressing the violence that Native American communities in Arizona face every day and we will continue our efforts to protect families, help victims and ensure that justice is served in each case we pursue.”

    James shot and killed Yazzie on the Navajo Nation in the summer of 2019. He hid her remains on the Hopi Reservation, where they remained concealed for almost three years. Multiple agencies worked together to investigate Yazzie’s disappearance, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Services, Navajo Nation Police Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Navajo County Sheriff’s Office.

    Investigators faced significant challenges, including the fact that Yazzie had not been reported missing for several days, James had cleaned the crime scene, and the murder occurred while James and Yazzie were home alone together; the global pandemic, which hit the Navajo Nation particularly hard, also presented significant challenges. Investigators persevered and, during the investigation, discovered the assaults against other women, many of which had never been reported to law enforcement.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer E. LaGrange and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon K. Sexton, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. Ms. Yazzie’s mother, father, grandmother and other relatives provided support to the investigation and prosecution over several years.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-08073-PCT-DLR
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-126_James

    # # #

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Students Experience ‘Authentic’ Greece During New Study Abroad Program

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Seven undergraduate students got an authentic perspective on Greece this summer as part of a new study abroad course designed by professor of anthropology Dimitris Xygalatas.      

    “This is a field school that relates both to my own culture and my background as an anthropologist. [I am Greek and] I did my doctoral fieldwork in Greece,” Xygalatas says.     

    Xygalatas created the 16-day Greek History and Culture field study course to highlight the connection between ancient Greece and modern Greece using an anthropological lens.     

    “I wanted the students to get a sense of the impact of our past on our heritage and our contemporary culture, but I also wanted them to get a sense of some of the problems that Greek society is facing,” Xygalatas says.    

    Participants began in Athens before moving on to Olympia, Sparta, Monemvasia, and Kythira, a small island of 3,000 people.    

    Students participated in guided tours, discussions, and workshops. They were also able to interact with locals.     

    The program featured archeological and sociocultural activities, including trips to popular historical sites, and allowed the participants to experience everyday Greek life firsthand.    

    Xygalatas touched on a wide range of topics, from looking at the archeological sites of major Greek cities to discussing Greece’s financial crisis, sports, violence, and the desertification of small towns.    

    Seven students participated in the Greek History and Culture study abroad summer program. (Contributed by James Gaston)

    Connecting Ancient Greece to modern culture

    Xygalatas used his experience to highlight the sociocultural elements of the tours and sites students visited. Avery Hemingway ’27 (CAHNR) says that this made the experience more enriching for her.    

    “He was a native,” Hemingway, an allied health major and anthropology minor, says. “He would tell us stories [and] explain his family’s various traditions. [He connected] ancient Greek life to his family.”    

    James Gaston ’25 (CLAS), an anthropology major, says he enjoyed getting a local take on Greece. In Kythira, for example, the students had a Greek cooking lesson in the home of a former mayor. Gaston says it’s unlikely the group would have had an opportunity like that in a large city.    

    “It [showed us] Greek hospitality, a big part of their culture.  [It allowed us] to see more of what their home life is like,” Gaston says.    

    Since this was the first time Xygalatas offered this course, he was skeptical of how students would feel about the itinerary. However, he says he was eventually really happy to see how much they enjoyed the destinations and experiences. 

    The program was modeled after Xygalatas’ summer course in Mauritius, where he also does fieldwork. He hopes to refine the Greece course and collaborate with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki so students can develop a better cultural exchange.   

    Xygalatas allowed students to focus on their interests throughout the trip and for the final assignment.    

    “It’s one of the most fun parts of the program for me to see what grabs their attention,” he says.    

    Hemingway created a vlog of her time in Greece for her final assignment. She says she spotted some striking differences between Greek life and life in the United States, including how connected Greeks appear to be with their culture.    

    “Everyone was just very welcoming,” she says. “I think the biggest thing I took away would be that they’re very enriched in the history of their land.  Everyone knows everything about ancient Greece, which always fascinated me.”   

    Gaston was fascinated by the culture around food and eating. He liked that the Greeks ate much later at night and that people spent hours in restaurants without servers interrupting them. He chose to write a paper on Greece’s culinary culture.    

    “I like trying a lot of new foods, and there was a lot of that to try in Greece,” he says.    

    Greece. (Contributed by James Gaston)

    A lasting impression   

    Xygalatas says this course gets students to interact with people and ideas outside their bubble.    

    “I always tell my students they should take two things out of their university education. The first is a proper understanding of the scientific process, and the second thing [which this program highlighted] is engaging with other people’s perspectives and putting yourself into other people’s shoes,” he says, adding that learning about other people’s experiences is especially important in a global and polarized society.    

    Hemingway, who loves to travel, says she’s looking forward to seeing more remote places during future adventures.    

    “As a regular tourist, you’re just listening and looking around and not fully taking it in,” she says. “But, when you slow down and reflect on what you just experienced, it brings it to a different level.” 

    Gaston says he never thought he would study abroad or travel on his own.    

    “Before this, I’d never really traveled by myself,” he says. “I always traveled with my family. But after the trip, I realized it’s not too complicated and opens more opportunities in my eyes.” 

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSWOMAN CLARKE ISSUES STATEMENT ON MAYOR ERIC ADAMS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke (9th District of New York)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    September 26, 2024

    MEDIA CONTACT: 

    e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov

    c: 202.913.0126

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement:

    “Today marks a solemn chapter in the history of New York City. In time, Mayor Adams will confront a jury of his peers. As we ready for their verdict, we must not fail to remember that every American, from working people to public officials, are entitled to the presumption of their innocence when accused of wrongdoing. And so, I pray the Mayor faces a fair trial, and I pray its judgment is centered in justice.

    “New Yorkers are defined by our resilience and ability to persevere through any obstacle that has come our way. I am certain that, like all the rest, this too shall pass.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Smith Announces Upcoming Staff Outreach Events

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

    Washington, D.C.– Constituents of Third District Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) are invited to meet with a member of his staff during the month of October in the communities of Osceola, Fairbury, and Central City.

    A staff outreach event is an opportunity for constituents to meet directly with a member of Smith’s staff about federal issues, receive assistance with a federal agency, or take advantage of the services available through his office.

    Smith, who has offices in Grand Island, Scottsbluff, and Nebraska City, will provide a staff member at the following times and locations:

    Tuesday, October 1st

    Polk County Courthouse
    400 Hawkeye Street, Osceola
    10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CT

    Tuesday, October 15th

    Jefferson County Courthouse
    411 4th Street, Fairbury
    10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CT

    Tuesday, October 22nd

    Merrick County Courthouse
    1518 18th Street, Central City
    10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CT

    For additional information, please contact Smith’s Grand Island office at (308) 384-3900, his Scottsbluff office at (308) 633-6333, or his Nebraska City office at (402) 874-6050.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact sheet: Fourth Ministerial Meeting on the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and  Protection

    Source: The White House

    On June 10, 2022, President Biden launched the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection with leaders from across the Western Hemisphere to tackle together the challenge of migration and forced displacement. Under this framework, the United States has worked with partner countries to collaboratively reduce irregular migration and advance a safe, humane, and orderly approach to migration across the hemisphere. Over the last two years, the 22 endorsing countries have achieved substantial progress across the Los Angeles Declaration’s three core pillars:

    1. addressing root causes and supporting the integration of migrants to foster long-term stabilization;
    2. expanding lawful pathways for migration and protection; and
    3. strengthening humane enforcement.

    On September 25, 2024, Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted the fourth Los Angeles Declaration Ministerial with White House Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall, White House Coordinator for the Los Angeles Declaration Marcela Escobari, and foreign ministers and senior representatives from the other 21 endorsing countries.

    On behalf of the United States, Secretary Blinken announced more than $686 million in new humanitarian, development, economic, and security assistance to support partner countries to respond to urgent humanitarian needs, strengthen humane enforcement efforts, expand lawful pathways, and facilitate the regularization and integration of migrants within the region. With this announcement, the United States has now committed over $1.2 billion under the Los Angeles Declaration framework in 2024 alone, reflecting the Biden-Harris Administration’s unwavering commitment to collaboratively addressing this hemispheric challenge.

    The United States also announced expanded enforcement partnerships to deter irregular migration, including a removal pilot program with the Government of Panama and new visa restrictions against travel agencies and tour operators that prey on vulnerable migrants. These actions aim to hold accountable those who exploit migrants for profit and to dissuade migrants from attempting dangerous irregular journeys.

    Endorsing countries agreed to further institutionalize the Los Angeles Declaration through the establishment of a Secretariat, which will be managed by the Pan American Development Foundation and the Organization of American States and will ensure that coordinated progress on migration management is sustained into the future under this framework. The Government of Colombia formally announced that it will assume the role of rotating Country Chair over the next year and will host the fifth Los Angeles Declaration Ministerial in 2025.

    The endorsing countries presented progress toward their commitments under the Los Angeles Declaration and announced the following new initiatives:

    Strengthening Humane Enforcement

    • On June 4, 2024, President Biden announced executive actions to bar migrants who cross the U.S. Southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum during times when high levels of encounters exceed our ability to deliver timely consequences.  Since June 4, encounters between ports of entry have dropped by more than 50% and remain at their lowest level in years. Encounters in July and August 2024 dropped to the lowest levels since September 2020.
    • Panama is implementing a U.S.-funded removal program that has resulted in the removal of hundreds of foreign nationals who did not have a lawful basis to remain in Panama, after they were screened for protection needs.
    • The United States continues to take steps to impose visa restrictions on executives of travel agencies and charter air and maritime transportation companies around the globe that are facilitating irregular migration to the United States. On September 24, 2024, the State Department imposed additional visa restrictions against multiple executives of travel agencies operating in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East that are knowingly facilitating illegal migration.
    • Partner countries reaffirmed their commitment to stem extracontinental irregular migration through the strategic use of entry and transit visas and passenger vetting. In total, Los Angeles Declaration endorsing countries have taken over 300 new visa policy actions to restrict travel intended solely for irregular migration.
    • The United States has mobilized resources to increase investigations, arrests, and prosecutions of human smuggling and trafficking networks, including in partnerships with other Los Angeles Declaration countries.  In August, for example, Guatemalan law enforcement—in an investigation supported by the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security— dismantled a human smuggling network based in Guatemala that was responsible for the deaths of 53 migrants in a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas in June 2022.
    • Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the United States has sanctioned eight human smuggling networks, including over 30 individuals and entities, to hold accountable those responsible for the exploitation of migrants.  On September 24, 2024, for example, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned five Colombian nationals and two Mexican-based businesses, including two individuals affiliated with the Clan del Golfo transnational criminal organization, who are responsible for the control of migrant flows through the Darien Gap. Colombian authorities are offering a reward of 50 million Colombian pesos for the capture of both wanted criminals.
    • The United States has enhanced biometric sharing capabilities throughout the region, enabling law enforcement actions against criminal actors before they enter any of our countries. Guatemala, with support from the United States, announced a new biometric program at La Aurora International Airport to cross-reference travelers with U.S. security databases in near-real time in order to identify high-risk arriving passengers.

    Expanding Lawful Pathways for Migration and Protection

    • The Biden-Harris Administration has rebuilt the United States’ refugee resettlement program and led a historic expansion of lawful pathways to the United States and partner countries. The United States is now on track to welcome 100,000 refugees from around the world this fiscal year, the largest number in three decades.
    • Under the U.S. Government’s Safe Mobility Initiative, over 23,000 refugees from within the Western Hemisphere have been resettled safely and legally in the United States in Fiscal Year 2024, a four-fold increase over FY 2023.
    • The United States is incorporating Labor Neighbors as part of the Safe Mobility Initiative to refer migrants to more lawful pathways and help match labor demand to labor supply across the hemisphere.
    • Belize announced it is establishing a seasonal migrant worker program focused on agriculture and construction.
    • Canada seeks to support labor mobility through its Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot.
    • Ecuador is launching a new labor mobility unit with U.S. support.
    • As part of the Safe Mobility Initiative, the United States continues to provide migrants and displaced persons with information and resources though the Safe Mobility Offices in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador.
    • Costa Rica and the United States announced that the Safe Mobility Offices in Costa Rica will be extended until December 2025. Costa Rica will also expand eligibility criteria to include nationals from eligible countries who were present in Costa Rica on or before September 15, 2024.
    • Canada began receiving referrals from the Safe Mobility Offices in the hemisphere and expects arrivals to Canada starting in 2025.
    • The Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) parole processes have helped reduce irregular flows from these four countries, enabling migrants to apply from where they are for lawful entry to the United States.

    Addressing Root Causes and Supporting the Integration of Migrants to Foster Long-term Stabilization

    • A significant portion of the United States’ $686 million in new funding announced on September 25, 2024 will support regional efforts to respond to urgent humanitarian needs, like basic food, shelter, and health care for migrants and displaced persons, including nearly 8 million Venezuelans. U.S. funding also supports regional partners’ efforts to absorb and integrate migrants, promoting migrants’ financial inclusion and labor market insertion, and supporting host communities. 
    • More than half of Los Angeles Declaration endorsing countries have implemented policies that provide regular status and help migrants integrate and rebuild their lives in Latin America and the Caribbean, stemming further displacement and reducing migrant vulnerability. Their combined efforts have enabled 4.4 million Venezuelans to attain legal status to date. The following countries took new actions since May to provide regular status and help integrate more migrants:
    • Argentina announced a special admission and regularization program that allows Venezuelans with expired identity documents (within the last 10 years) to seek residency in Argentina, and to verify identity or criminal record through a sworn statement in the absence of documents.
    • Canada announced a new Francophone minority community student program that will give program participants access to settlement services while they are studying to help them integrate successfully into their communities.
    • Colombia announced the signing of a regularization plan that could benefit an estimated 600,000 undocumented parents and legal guardians of children with valid Colombian Temporary Protective Status.
    • Ecuador extended its regularization process until April 2025, allowing approximately 100,000 Venezuelan migrants to gain legal status. Separately, Ecuador committed to renew nearly 95,000 two-year visas previously issued to regularized Venezuelans. As part of the U.S. funding announcement, the U.S. is helping Ecuador unlock additional World Bank lending to support Ecuador’s Social Safety Net project that contributes to stabilizing and integrating the 450,000 Venezuelan migrants currently in the country.
    • Mexico committed to opening a Multi-Purpose Processing Center in Chiapas to streamline the processing of migrants seeking refuge and to provide them integration support through access to financial, health, and education services. 
    • Panama announced the intent to begin a process that would allow migrants currently living in Panama irregularly to apply for legal status and obtain work authorizations.
    • Peru, working closely with United Nations implementing agencies, announced plans to prioritize documenting migrant children and adolescents in the public education system. Through these efforts, Peru will provide protection and basic services to minors and their families.
    • Uruguay approved two decrees to grant legal status to approximately 25,500 non-citizens living in Uruguay with pending asylum claims who likely would not qualify for asylum. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Air National Guardsman Pleads Guilty in Murder-for-Hire Scheme

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    NASHVILLE – Josiah Ernesto Garcia, 23, of Toledo, Ohio, formerly of Hermitage, Tennessee, has pleaded guilty to federal charges after meeting with an undercover FBI agent to finalize a deal to murder an individual for payment, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.

    Garcia pleaded guilty to using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.

    According to court records, Garcia needed money to support his family and in mid-February 2023 began searching online for contract mercenary jobs and found the website http://www.rentahitman.com. Originally created in 2005 to advertise a cyber security startup company, the company failed and over the next decade it received many inquiries about murder-for-hire services. The website’s administrator then converted the website to a parody site that contains false testimonials from those who have purported to use hit man services, and an intake form where people can request services. The website also has an option for someone to apply to work as a hired killer.

    Garcia submitted an employment inquiry indicating that he was interested in obtaining employment as a hit man and that he had “military experience, and rifle expertise.” Garcia followed up on this initial request and submitted other identification documents and a resume indicating he was an expert marksman and had been employed in the Air National Guard since July 2021. The resume also provided that Garcia was nicknamed “Reaper” which was earned from military experience and marksmanship. Garcia continued to follow up with the website administrator indicating that he wanted to go to work as soon as possible. 

    An FBI undercover agent spoke with Garcia by phone then met him in person to discuss his application. Both conversations were recorded. The agent then met with Garcia at a park in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and provided him with a target packet of a fictional individual, which included photographs and other information about the individual to be killed, and a down payment of $2,500. After agreeing to the terms of the murder arrangement, Garcia asked the agent if he needed to provide a photograph of the dead body. Garcia was then arrested by FBI agents, who in a subsequent search of his home, recovered an AR style rifle.

    Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on February 7, 2025. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Resident Agency, Memphis Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke K. Schiferle prosecuted the case.

    # # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: About 140,000 children displaced by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, many arriving in shelters severely distressed

    Source: Save The Children

    Save the Children staff walking with a girl in a school used as a shelther, South Lebanon [Imad Achkar / Save the Children]

    BEIRUT, 26 September 2024 – About 140,000 children have been forced from their homes in southern Lebanon in the past four days, with many arriving at shelters showing signs of severe distress, according to Save the Children staff. 

    Over 400,000 people have been displaced since the start of Israeli airstrikes on Sunday in the latest escalation in cross-border violence, with numbers expected to increase in the coming days. 

    This brings the total number forced from their homes in Lebanon in nearly a year of cross-border violence to 500,000, or nearly 10% of the population, including 175,000 children. According to media reports, about 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from their homes in northern Israel. 

    Latest figures from Lebanon’s Ministry of Health report nearly 600 people have been killed in Lebanon this week, including 50 children, while nearly 1,800 have been injured. 

    Save the Children has this week distributed mattresses, blankets, pillows, water and other essential items to nearly 5,000 people in 30 shelters across the country, including in the north, the south, the Bekaa area and Mount Lebanon. 

    Save the Children staff have reported growing concern over the psychological impact on children, many of whom are showing signs of severe distress due to the displacement and constant shelling.  

    Mahmoud, a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Promotion Technician described the chaotic scenes he witnessed at one of the shelters supported by Save the Children in Beirut. He said: 

    “I’ve seen many in tears, completely devastated.  One woman was carrying her child along with several bags. Another woman’s child fell from her arms. The situation was tragic, and simply heartbreaking. People are still arriving, there are families sitting on the floor, waiting to be organised between different rooms. 

    There was also an incredible mobilisation by the community, with volunteers showing up to support, bringing pillows, bags, anything they could to help others.” 

    All schools in Lebanon have been closed, impacting all of the country’s 1.5 million children, with Lebanon’s already critical mental health crisis worsening as the hostilities continue to escalate.  

    Jennifer Moorehead, Save the Children’s Country Director in Lebanon said: 

    “Children are telling us that it feels like danger is everywhere, and they can never be safe. Every loud sound makes them jump now. Many children’s lives, rights and futures have already been turned upside down and now their capacity to cope with this escalating crisis has been eroded.   

    “It is still possible to avert a humanitarian catastrophe, but we must act now. We urge all parties to immediately de-escalate tensions and for international actors to pressure all parties to comply with international humanitarian law. This must happen now to prevent further suffering for children and their families.” 

    Save the Children has been working in Lebanon since 1953. Since October 2023, in response to the escalating cross-border situation, we’ve been scaling up our response in southern Lebanon, supporting children and families displaced by the violence. This includes displaced Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian children and families. Since October 2023, we’ve supported 60,000 people, including 25,000 children with cash, blankets, mattresses and pillows, food parcels, water bottles and kits containing essential hygiene items. 

    Note to Editors:

    • At least 500,000 people have fled their homes as a result of the increasing insecurities in recent months, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For the week of September 23, around 400,000 people were displaced in a matter of days, including an estimated 140,000 children.   

    For further enquiries please contact: 

    Randa Ghazy, Regional Media Manager for North Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe: Randa.Ghazy@savethechildren.org; 

    Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409 

    Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements, and location Vlog

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government on Track to Hire 1,000 Net New Health-Care Workers

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    September 26, 2024

    Manitoba Government on Track to Hire 1,000 Net New Health-Care Workers

    One year into its first term and six months into its first provincial budget, the Manitoba government is over halfway to its goal of hiring 1,000 net new health-care workers, Premier Wab Kinew and Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced today at Grace Hospital. 

    “Manitobans told us clearly they want more nurses, doctors and health-care professionals working in our province,” said Kinew. “We made an ambitious promise to add 1,000 net new people into our system and today we’re proud to say we’re more than halfway to that goal. Setting big goals like this is exactly what government is for. When we work together, we can get things done that aren’t possible on our own.” 

    The premier noted the staff means Manitoba is making progress on the government’s commitment to hire hundreds of specific professions over the four-year term. From April 1 to Aug. 31, 873 net new health-care workers have been added, of which 116 are physicians, 304 are nurses, 290 are health-care aides and 87 are allied health. Staff has come into the system across the province, with increases in staffing in every region and at CancerCare Manitoba. 

    “Every new health-care worker in our province takes us one step closer to repairing the damage done by the previous government,” said Asagwara. “With staff at our side, we can make progress on shortening wait times and delivering the best quality care. “We’ve left no stone unturned when it comes to adding more staff into the system and we’re going to keep going so we can start to turn the corner on some of the most important priorities in health care. To every person who decided to pursue a career in health care, or came back to the system, thank you.” 

    The plan laid out steps taken to recruit new health-care workers, entice staff back into the system from private health care, expand opportunities for new graduates and reset the relationship with health-care staff after years of disrespect under the previous government, noted the premier. 

    The government has:

    • taken steps to change the culture in health care including sending letters to every new graduate, holding five listening tour town halls and working to hire every new graduate into the system;
    • improved safety measures for staff at major hospitals;
    • increased seats in training programs for medicine, physician assistants, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and nursing;
    • increased the number of training spots for internationally educated medical graduates;
    • launched a new Healthcare Retention and Recruitment Office focused on helping internationally educated health-care professionals find jobs or training in Manitoba;
    • changed the requirements to make it easier for nurses to return to practice; and
    • increased flexibility for nurses joining the provincial float pool.

    “Growing up watching my mom work as a nurse for over 36 years guided me to this profession that I am so fortunate to be a part of,” said Tiana Wyryha, a newly graduated nurse working in Children’s Emergency, Health Sciences Centre. “I’m so glad to work in Manitoba’s health-care system because Manitoba is my home and I strive to give back to those within my community.” 

    “Manitoba has given a lot to me. I grew up here and attended the University of Manitoba for undergrad, med school and residency,” said Dr. Matthew Buchok, psychiatrist, Health Sciences Centre. “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to stay and practice in Manitoba and have a positive impact on our community.” 

    The premier noted the numbers are a result of the government’s investments in retaining, recruiting and training more health-care workers including adding new training seats, streamlining licensing for internationally educated health-care workers and emphasizing community recruitment. The premier and minister have also sent a letter to every recent graduate to welcome them to Manitoba’s health-care system. 

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: REPS. HILL AND GOTTHEIMER INTRODUCE BILL TO PROTECT CREDIT SCORE OF AMERICAN HOSTAGES OR WRONGFUL DETAINEES

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. French Hill (R-AR) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) introduced the Fair Credit for American Hostages Act to safeguard the credit score of American hostages or wrongful detainees. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) recently introduced similar legislation in the Senate.

    Rep. Hill said, “Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad already have so much to worry about when they arrive home after this unimaginable situation. I thank my colleague Rep. Gottheimer for joining me in leading our legislation that makes it easier for these Americans to get their lives back on track and some sense of normalcy.”

    Rep. Gottheimer said, “After being held for days, weeks, and months by terrorists and our adversaries, facing unimaginable horrors, and making it home, the last thing Americans should have to worry about is a hit to their credit score. That’s why I’m proud to lead the Fair Credit for American Hostages Act with my colleague Congressman French Hill.”

    Sen. Tillis said, “It’s crazy to think an American held hostage in a foreign nation could return to a ruined credit score and financial turmoil because of their inability to make timely payments. This commonsense legislation ensures that Americans wrongfully detained abroad can move forward without worrying about how a poor credit score impacts their financial future.”

    Sen. Coons said, “Americans who have been wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad shouldn’t have to worry about their credit score when they come home, and the Fair Credit for American Hostages Act will ensure they don’t have to. I applaud Representatives Hill and Gottheimer for introducing this critical, bipartisan legislation in the House, and I’ll continue to support American hostages and their families when they come home.”

    Further Background:

    H.R. 9830 – Fair Credit for American Hostages Act: This legislation stipulates that if a former detainee or hostage provides authenticated documentation of their detention, then the credit bureaus must strike adverse information from the time of their detention. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RI Delegation Announces $11.36 Million in State Opioid Response Grants

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02)

    WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to save lives and better connect Rhode Islanders struggling with opioid use disorder to treatment, recovery, and prevention services, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today announced $11,363,011 for Rhode Island through the federal State Opioid Response (SOR) grant, administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

    SOR funding supports evidence-based practices to help states strengthen prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction programs in their communities.  Rhode Island may use the federal grant to fund a wide range of action, including expanding access to the opioid overdose-reversal drug naxolone — better known by its brand-name Narcan — along with recovery support for those struggling with addiction.

    The three–year grant aims to connect more people to services and help prevent opioid addiction statewide; reduce the number of prescription drug/opioid overdoses; and increase access and reduce unmet needs through prevention, treatment, and by gathering data on addiction treatment and recovery resources.  The state has also used federal funding to improve data collection and tracking mechanisms to gauge the effectiveness and reach of its initiatives, creating a public dashboard at PreventOverdoseRI.org (PORI). 

    PORI provides the public with up-to-date resources for overdose prevention supplies, access to treatment, and public events.  According to PORI, using data collected from the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), accidental overdose deaths in Rhode Island have been trending downward in recent years, from 436 in 2022 to 164 so far in 2024.

    “Too many families have lost loved ones to overdoses and opioid addiction has shattered too many lives.  This federal funding will strengthen the state’s coordinated response to combat addiction, reduce overdose rates, and put recovery within reach for more Rhode Islanders.  It will better connect people in need to services across the continuum of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery.  This is a needed investment in saving lives, healthier communities, and helping residents affected by opioid addiction get the care and treatment they need,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services (L-HHS), who helped include $1.575 billion for State Opioid Response Grants in the 2024 appropriations law, as well as $2 billion for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant.

    “The opioid crisis has taken a heartbreaking toll on families from all walks of life in every corner of our state.  We need to ensure treatment, prevention, and recovery services are reaching the Rhode Islanders who need them,” said Senator Whitehouse, author of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, the federal law guiding the federal response to the opioid epidemic.  “This federal funding will help ensure that support is available to anyone seeking out the long, noble road of recovery.”

    “Opioid addiction has impacted far too many Rhode Islanders, and we need to ensure treatment and support is readily available to those struggling with substance use,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “This federal funding will save lives by expanding access to services for people in recovery and overdose prevention medication like naloxone.” 

    “Opioid use disorder has impacted countless Rhode Island families,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “Today, I’m proud to stand with my delegation colleagues as we announce more than $11 million dollars in federal funding to expand prevention, treatment, and recovery programs in our state. Let’s keep going.”

    America’s overdose crisis has been fueled by the presence of fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid that has been linked to a number of overdose fatalities in Rhode Island and nationwide.  Fentanyl, which is mixed with other substances like cocaine or heroin, is dangerously potent.  Last year, 85 percent of overdoses involved any opioid, including fentanyl, while 78 percent involved fentanyl, according to RIDOH. 

    Deaths from accidental overdoses decreased by 7.3 percent last year in Rhode Island (from 436 in 2022 to 404 in 2023), the first time in four years that the number has gone down, according to the Governor’s Overdose Task Force.  Rhode Island’s decrease in overdoses was over twice the national average, with America experiencing a 3 percent decrease in accidental overdose deaths in 2023.

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevent (CDC) credits Rhode Island for taking steps to streamlined naloxone distribution: “Based on an assessment of community need, Rhode Island increased the availability of naloxone kits and launched a new central online ordering system to better coordinate the distribution and tracking process. This multi-agency effort streamlined naloxone procurement and distribution across the state. 

    Since 2018, Rhode Island has received over $63.2 million in SOR funding to combat opioids. 
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Erdoğan’s Address to the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

    Source: Republic of Turkey

    ADDRESS TO THE 79TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
    by
    THE PRESIDENT of the REPUBLIC of TÜRKİYE,
    H.E. RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN
    (24 SEPTEMBER 2024, NEW YORK)

    Mr. President, 
    Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
    Mr. Secretary General,
    Esteemed Delegates,
    I greet you with my most heartfelt feelings and respect on behalf of myself, my country and my nation.
    I am very pleased to have the opportunity to address the United Nations General Assembly once again today.
    I wish the 79th General Assembly to be beneficial to our countries and to all humanity.
    I would like to congratulate Mr. Dennis FRANCIS, who has completed his Presidency of the General Assembly, and I wish success to Mr. Philemon YANG, who assumed this duty.
    I would like to express our pleasure in seeing the Representative of the friendly and brotherly Palestine in the place he deserves among the member states, after lengthy struggles.
    I wish this historic step to be the last stage on the way to Palestine’s membership in the United Nations.
    I also invite other states, that have not yet done so, to recognize the State of Palestine as soon as possible and take their place on the right side of history at this very critical period.
    Distinguished Delegates…
    We are living through and trying to manage the crises minute by minute that most of my friends here watch on TV screens.
    Therefore, I am addressing you today as the leader of a country that is not far from the tensions, but right in their epicentre.
    Even if some feel uncomfortable, even if some will once again criticize us, I wish to speak out certain truths openly today, in the name of humanity, from the common rostrum of humanity.
    Let’s consider… the United Nations, under whose roof we are now, was established to maintain international peace and security after the Second World War, during which millions of people lost their lives.
    With the establishment of the United Nations, expectations for global stability, peace and justice blossomed again, and hopes for peace revived.
    However, we observe with regret that in recent years, the United Nations is struggling to fulfill its founding mission and is gradually turning into a dysfunctional, unwieldy and inert structure.
    We need the values represented by the maxim “THE WORLD IS BIGGER THAN FIVE”, more and more nowadays.
    We witness that international peace and security are too important to be left to the arbitrariness of the “privileged five”.
    The most dramatic example of this is the massacre that has been going on in Gaza for 353 days.
    More than 41 thousand Palestinians have lost their lives in the ongoing Israeli attacks since October 7.
    41 thousand people, 41 thousand lives brutally taken away, most of whom are children and women.
    Similarly, the whereabouts of more than 10 thousand Gazans, most of whom are children, is unknown.
    In the same way, about 100 thousand people have been injured and become disabled.
    172 journalists have been killed while trying to do their job under difficult conditions.
    More than 500 paramedics working to save lives have been killed.
    Humanitarian aid workers and more than 210 United Nations personnel, who rushed to the rescue of the people of Gaza struggling with hunger and thirst, have been killed.
    They hit 820 mosques and 3 churches that should be protected even at war.
    They hit tens of hospitals, hundreds of schools, and more than 130 ambulances carrying patients.
    By tearing down the Charter of the United Nations at the United Nations rostrum, they shamelessly challenged the whole world, all the conscientious people right from here, from this rostrum.
    Friends…
    The leaked images from the prisons that Israel has turned into “concentration camps” indicate very clearly what kind of persecution we are facing.
    As a result of the Israeli attacks, Gaza has become the largest cemetery for children and women in the world.
    More than 17 thousand children have been the targets of Israeli bullets and bombs.
    HİND RAJAB was only 6 years old.
    Their vehicle was hit by Israeli forces while she was searching for a safe place with her relatives.
    Her uncle, aunt-in-law, and cousins all died, only she survived.
    For 12 days she waited desperately to be rescued.
    She waited for a helping hand to reach out to her for 12 days, saying, “WILL YOU COME TO PICK ME UP? I AM SCARED!”
    Despite the level of development which our world has reached, despite the technology at our disposal; despite our organisations with huge budgets employing thousands of personnel under their roofs, unfortunately, as humanity of 8 billion, we have not been able to save a 6-year-old girl, an injured sparrow fluttering in front of our eyes.
    Hundreds of Gazan children have died so far because they were not able to find a bite of dry bread, a sip of water or a bowl of soup, and they are still dying.
    Not only children are dying in Gaza; the United Nations system is also dying, the truth is dying, the values that the west claims to defend are dying, the hopes of humanity to live in a fairer world are dying one by one.
    I am asking you frankly from here…
    HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS!
    Are the ones in Gaza, the ones in the West Bank not human beings? 
    The children in Palestine, do they not have the right to study, live, and play in the streets?
    INTERNATIONAL PRESS ORGANISATIONS!
    The journalists that Israel massacred on live TV, whose offices were raided, are they not your colleagues?
    THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL!
    What are you waiting for to prevent the genocide in Gaza and to say “stop” to this cruelty, this barbarism?
    What more are you waiting for to stop the massacre network that endangers also the lives of its own citizens along with the Palestinian people and drags the entire region into war for the sake of its political prospects?
    AND THOSE WHO UNCONDITIONALLY SUPPORT ISRAEL!
    For how long will you continue to bear the shame of looking on this massacre, of being accomplices in this atrocity?
    Distinguished Friends…
    While children are dying in Gaza, Ramallah, Lebanon, and babies are dying in incubators, unfortunately, the international community has also given a very bad account of itself.
    What is happening in Palestine is an indicator of a huge moral breakdown.
    I believe that all the peoples of the world, leaders, international organisations should reflect on this painful picture.
    I also want to hereby express a truth loud and clear.
    Ignoring basic human rights, the Israeli government, is practicing ethnic cleansing, an overt genocide against a nation, a people, and occupying their territory step by step.
    Palestinians, whose freedom, independence and the most basic rights have been usurped, are very rightly exercising their “LEGITIMATE RIGHT OF RESISTANCE” against this occupation and these ethnic cleansing activities.
    The rightful resistance of the Palestinian people against those who occupy their land is too noble, honourable, heroic to be portrayed as illegitimate.
    From here, I wholeheartedly salute once again my Palestinian brothers who defend their country at the cost of their lives.
    The only reason for Israel’s aggression against the Palestinian people is the unconditional support of a handful of countries to Israel.
    The countries that have an influence over Israel are openly becoming accomplices of this massacre with the policy of “run with the hare, hunt with the hounds”.
    Those who are supposedly working for a ceasefire in the limelight continue to send weapons and ammunition to Israel behind the stage, so that it can continue its massacres.
    This is inconsistency and insincerity.
    Please consider … there’s a document that has been going back and forth since May.
    HAMAS has repeatedly declared its acceptance of the ceasefire proposal.
    However, the Israeli government has very clearly indicated that it is the party that does not want peace by continuously hampering the process, constantly finding excuses, perfidiously killing the interlocutor it negotiated with at a time when the ceasefire was closest.
    There should be no more credit given to Israel’s distraction and deception moves.
    In an environment where United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735 is not being implemented, coercive measures against Israel should be put on the agenda.
    Israel’s attitude has once again shown that it is essential for the international community to develop a protection mechanism for Palestinian civilians.
    Just as HITLER was stopped by the alliance of humanity 70 years ago, Netanyahu and his murder network must be stopped by the “alliance of humanity”.
    We believe that the power of the General Assembly to make recommendations on the use of force, as it exists in the “Uniting for Peace Resolution dated 1950”, should definitely be considered in this process.
    An immediate and permanent ceasefire should be achieved, a hostage-prisoner exchange should be carried out, and humanitarian aid should be delivered to Gaza in an unhindered and uninterrupted way.
    We have to extend a helping hand to the people of Gaza trying to survive, especially before winter when conditions will deteriorate.
    Please consider, 70 percent of the water resources and 75 percent of the ovens in Gaza have been destroyed until now.
    95 percent of health centres have been partially or completely damaged.
    150 thousand houses were completely destroyed, 200 thousand houses were partially destroyed, 80 thousand houses became uninhabitable.
    Infectious diseases, especially polio and hepatitis, are gradually increasing.
    The people of Gaza can only reach a quarter of the amount of aid they need.
    As Türkiye, we have maintained and are continuing to maintain our humanitarian aid activities for our Palestinian brothers since the first day.
    With the amount of aid exceeding 60 thousand tons, Türkiye is the country that sends the highest amount of aid to Gaza. 
    In the same way, by stopping commercial transactions with Israel, we have demonstrated our sensitivity on this issue.
    We also stand with the people and government of Lebanon, where Israel has stepped up its attacks in recent days.
    Now we can all see this truth:
    Our conscience cannot be at peace until those who massacred 41 thousand people are held accountable for the crimes they committed, from the person who gives the order to the ones who pull the trigger, and drop the bomb.
    The bill for the billions of dollars of damage at the destroyed, wiped out, demolished cities must and will definitely be compensated by the perpetrators.
    We support the lawsuit filed by the Republic of South Africa at the International Court of Justice to ensure that the crimes committed by Israel do not go unpunished.
    We will take all necessary steps to ensure that justice is served in this case in which we have applied for intervention.
    We will make every legal struggle to find justice for our daughter Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, who was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers during a peaceful protest in Nablus.
    Although there is an urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the main issue is the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel.
    Creation of an independent, sovereign and geographically contiguous Palestinian State on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital can no longer be delayed.
    I would like it to be known that we are also closely following the increasing attacks against our first Qibla, Al-Masjid al-Aqsa and Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
    While saying all this as Tayyip Erdoğan, I never speak with empty words from this rostrum.  
    Here, I am speaking with the courage that I get from my history and the conscientious and fair stance of my ancestors. 
    Because we are a nation that has always been on the side of the oppressed and stood against oppressor and tyranny throughout history.
    We had welcomed the Jews who escaped from the inquisition 500 years ago and the Jews who escaped from Hitler’s concentration camps.
    I tell it frankly; as a country and as a nation, we have no hostility towards the people of Israel.
    We are against ANTI-SEMITISM in the same way that we are against the targeting of Muslims just because of their beliefs.
    Our problem is with the policies of massacre of the Israeli government.
    Our problem is again with the oppressor and tyranny, just as it was 5 centuries ago.
    Everyone should know that we do not refrain from crying out the truth.
    Even if some feel uncomfortable, we are not afraid to tell the truth.
    Insha’Allah, we will continue to stand by the righteous until the end and speak of what we know as truth, even if it is harsh. 
    Hereby, I would also like to thank all the brave people who show solidarity with the Palestinian people without distinction of faith, country, language or religion, and raise their voice against the massacre in Gaza by filling the streets almost every week.
    Distinguished Delegates…
    Unfortunately, in the 14th year of the conflict, Syria is also still far from stability.
    The economic and humanitarian situation in the country, which is in the grip of terrorist and separatist organizations remains dire.
    We hope that the political process will be advanced and national reconciliation will be achieved on the basis of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254.
    We are determined to maintain our position in favour of a realistic dialogue with sincerity.
    While our neighbour Iraq continues its struggle against terrorism, it is taking decisive steps towards development, reconstruction and reintegration with the region.
    The international community should support these efforts of Iraq.
    It is important in this context to implement initiatives that will benefit the entire region, such as the Development Road Project.
    The success of all these efforts depends on the elimination of the terrorist threat in Iraq, especially from the PKK.
    We believe that taking steps towards reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with our other neighbour Iran will contribute to the establishment of the environment of trust and stability in the region. 
    As the third year of the war in Ukraine comes to an end, we are still far from reaching a just and lasting peace.
    As the armament race accelerates, the field of diplomacy is gradually narrowing.
    We will further increase our support to the efforts to end the war through diplomacy and dialogue, on the basis of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
    In this process, we will continue to meticulously implement the Montreux Convention.
    We support the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and we hope that the work will be completed with good news as soon as possible.
    We are also taking mutually positive steps on the Türkiye-Armenia track.
    The developments that can be achieved in the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process will also have a positive impact on the Türkiye-Armenia normalization process.
    Esteemed Friends…
    We play a constructive role for the prosperity and peace of the Balkans, of which we are an integral part, and act in close cooperation with all actors in the region. 
    As a member of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council, we emphasize the importance of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty, political unity and territorial integrity on every platform, and we continue to contribute to the EUFOR-ALTHEA Operation.
    We successfully continue the KFOR command that we assumed last year and support the Belgrade-Prishtina Dialogue process.
    We want to see the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean as a region of stability and prosperity where the legitimate interests of all parties concerned are respected.
    The limitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in accordance with international law, freedom and safety of navigation, and the development of cooperation, especially on maritime trade issues, are to the common interest of the entire region.
    Türkiye is ready for constructive cooperation on all issues, especially energy and environment.
    We expect the same approach from our neighbours.
    As the country with the longest coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye’s key role is undeniable.
    Türkiye has rights to the north and west of the Island of Cyprus in the declared continental shelf and Turkish Cypriots have rights all around the Island.
    It has been 50 years since the Cyprus Peace Operation and 61 years since the Cyprus issue emerged as a result of the usurpation of the partnership state by Greek Cypriots.
    From that day to this, peace and tranquillity have prevailed on the Island.
    It has always been the Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye that have shown a sincere will to bring about a just, permanent and sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue.
    The federation model has now completely lost its validity.
    There are two separate states and two separate peoples on the island.
    The sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriots, which are their inherent rights, should be reaffirmed, and the isolation should now come to an end.
    Today, I once again call on the international community to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and establish with it diplomatic, political and economic relations.
    We provide active support to the establishment of stability in Libya and the preservation of the unity and integrity of the country.
    We call on all states to take a sincere stand by Libya during this sensitive period and to contribute to the establishment of trust between the parties.
    We need to exert more efforts to end the conflicts in Sudan.
    We all have a responsibility to deliver humanitarian aid to millions of Sudanese displaced due to conflicts.
    Africa has a very huge potential with its young and dynamic population, rich natural resources and fertile extensive lands.
    On the basis of the principles of equal partnership and mutual respect, we support the Continent’s peace, stability and development efforts with the African peoples.
    We will continue to be in full solidarity with our African brothers and sisters.
    We are deepening our engagement with regional organizations, such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association, the Pacific Islands Forum and particularly ASEAN.
    We maintain our will to develop our relations with BRICS, which brings together emerging economies.
    We share a deep-rooted history with the Central Asian countries; we further strengthen our cooperation on bilateral and multilateral grounds.
    Our Organisation of Turkic States is increasingly turning into a centre of attraction.
    The Organisation is becoming an exemplary model of cooperation, also with the contributions of observer members Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
    As the Turkic world, we will further strengthen our unity and solidarity.
    Within the framework of respect for China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we are in close dialogue with China to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Uighur Turks, with whom we have strong historical, cultural and human ties.
    We are trying to advance the friendly ties we have established with all the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to a further stage.
    Distinguished Delegates…
    We are obliged to work together to eliminate global injustice.
    The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’ notion of “leave no one behind” is a guide for these efforts.
    As one of the countries that provide the highest aid in proportion to its national income, Türkiye’s activities contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
    We support the activities that will ensure fair, inclusive growth and development on all international platforms, especially within the G20.
    We believe that all nations should benefit equally from the transformative power of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
    The United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries that we host is a concrete manifestation of our efforts in this direction.
    The “cyber terrorist attacks” perpetrated against Lebanon last week demonstrated how these technologies can at the same time turn into a fatal weapon.
    We address climate change with a similar approach.
    No country can cope with the emission reduction and adaptation process to climate change alone.
    The most important issues for developing countries are financing, technology transfer and capacity building.
    I believe that the COP29 Climate Summit to be held in Baku will contribute to the solution of these issues.
    With the vision of a more sustainable and cleaner world, we have carried the Zero Waste Movement, which we launched under the auspices of my Spouse, Mrs. Emine Erdoğan, to a global level with the resolution co-sponsored by 105 countries and adopted unanimously at the United Nations General Assembly.
    Hereby, I invite all countries, international organisations and non-governmental organisations to become partners in our movement.
    We see that Islamophobia, xenophobia and racism are enveloping the world like a poison ivy.
    Hardly a day goes by that we do not witness attacks on mosques and our holy book, the Holy Quran.
    In the middle of Europe, people’s houses are being set on fire; their lives are being targeted; their most fundamental rights are being usurped because of their ethnic and religious identities.
    No one can ignore this growing danger any longer.
    As stipulated in the resolution adopted on 15 March 2024, we expect the appointment of a “Special Envoy for Combating Islamophobia” at the United Nations as soon as possible.
    Distinguished Friends…
    Today I would like to draw your attention once again to a danger that I raised at this rostrum last year.
    The attacks against the family institution, which is the basic pillar of society, are intensifying.
    The disgrace staged at the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games has revealed the dimensions of the threat we face as humanity.
    A sports event followed by innocent children and hundreds of millions of people of all ages and faiths has been used, in a very ugly manner, for degenderization propaganda.
    Those wicked scenes have deeply wounded not only the Catholic world, the Christian world, but also Muslims and everyone who respects the sacred.
    The issue of desexualisation is now turning into a global imposition rather than a “preference”, literally a war against the sacred and the creation.
    Anyone who raises a voice against this destruction project and shows the slightest reaction is silenced and becomes the target of lynching campaigns.
    Türkiye is determined to break this siege and resist this climate of fear at all cost.
    For this purpose, we became a member of the United Nations Group of Friends of the Family.
    Insha’Allah, we will not hold back from defending the family, the human being and the creation in solidarity with other member states.
    I invite the countries that share the same concerns with us to support this struggle.
    With these thoughts, I wish that the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly will be beneficial for all humanity.
    I salute you all once again with affection and respect.
    May you all remain in good health…

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Coons introduce resolution celebrating wildlife, Louisiana wetlands

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    MADISONVILLE, La. – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced a bill designating Oct. 13 through 19 as National Wildlife Refuge Week. The resolution praises the benefits of national wildlife refuges and recognizes their role in promoting hunting, fishing and conservation.
    “Louisiana is home to more than 23 refuges that help protect our state’s unique species and make us the sportsman’s paradise. This Wildlife Refuge Week, I am grateful for the opportunity to promote America’s natural environment as we preserve these ecosystems for future generations to revel in and enjoy,” said Kennedy. 
    “For over 100 years, the National Wildlife Refuge System has protected our wildlife and ecosystems in Delaware and across the nation while strengthening local economies. Wildlife refuges like Bombay Hook and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuges, which collectively cover over 10,000 acres, maintain a healthy ecosystem, local aesthetics, and recreational opportunities in the First State. I am proud to lead the bipartisan National Wildlife Refuge Week resolution alongside Senator Kennedy as we continue to support and conserve biodiversity,” said Coons. 
    The National Wildlife Refuge System generates more than $3.2 billion for local economies and supports 41,000 jobs.
    The resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy secures flood insurance, disaster aid wins for Louisianians

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, helped secure an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as part of the recent government funding package. Kennedy also helped secure language in the bill to help provide urgent disaster aid to Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Francine.
    “Our state is still picking up the pieces that Hurricane Francine left behind, and our communities need all the help they can get. I’m thankful we’ve delivered Louisianians additional disaster aid and protected their flood insurance so that the program doesn’t expire in the middle of hurricane season,” said Kennedy.
    Kennedy helped prevent the NFIP from expiring on Sept. 30 by securing an extension of the program until Dec. 20, 2024. 
    Kennedy also helped secure disaster relief in the continuing resolution that will help Louisianians recover from Hurricane Francine by allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide aid for future storms. 
    These disaster funds can provide Louisiana with emergency shelter, food and medical assistance, as well as long-term recovery efforts such as rebuilding public infrastructure, housing assistance and supporting small businesses. The funds may also cover mitigation measures to reduce the risk of future disasters and help communities become more resilient.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: America250 and America 250 NC Open Submissions for America’s Field Trip Contest

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: America250 and America 250 NC Open Submissions for America’s Field Trip Contest

    America250 and America 250 NC Open Submissions for America’s Field Trip Contest
    jejohnson6

    America250, the official nonpartisan entity charged by Congress with planning the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Semiquincentennial, in collaboration with BNY and America 250 NC, kicked off the second installment of “America’s Field Trip” — a nationwide scholastic contest where students have the opportunity to earn a special behind-the-scenes experience at an iconic American historical and cultural site. Starting today through Wednesday, April 16, 2025, America’s Field Trip invites students in grades 3-12 to submit artwork or a piece of writing to reflect on what America means to them.

    Earlier this year, thousands of students from nearly every U.S. state and territory submitted inspiring entries for the inaugural America’s Field Trip contest. During July and August 2024, first-place awardees — including three students from North Carolina — participated in special field trip experiences at the Statue of Liberty, Yellowstone National Park, the National Archives, and more. Three second-place recipients from North Carolina received cash awards.

    The 2024 awardees from North Carolina include:

    First Place 
         • Taliesin Robert Allen R., Greensboro, 5th Grade 
         • Elizabeth B., Winston-Salem, 8th Grade 
         • Mya F., Raleigh, 11th Grade

    Second Place 
         • Charleston D., Rougemont, Elementary School (Grades 3–5)     
         • Ethan K., Kernersville, High School (Grades 9–12) 
         • Abigail P., Winston Salem, High School (Grades 9–12)

    The full list of 2024 awardees and their submissions can be found online at america250.org/fieldtrip/awardees. 

    Watch this video to learn more about the America’s Field Trip contest, and see some of the incredible places awardees visited this summer.

    Next summer, 75 first-place awardees and their designated chaperone will be provided airfare, lodging, and access to an unforgettable field trip experience at one of our nation’s select historical and cultural sites across the country. Second-place awardees will receive a $500 cash award. Summer 2025 field trip experiences and partners include: 

        • Behind-the-scenes tour of the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center and sleepover at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C.
         • Exclusive visits to two Washington, DC institutions: a trip into the National Archives Vault on the National Mall and private tour of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
         • Exclusive tour of Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia and visit to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
         • Storytelling, history, and commemoration under the stars at Mount Rushmore National Memorial
         • Private tours of Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, the International African American Museum, and the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, S.C.
         • Exclusive tours of the Alamo in San Antonio and the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas.
         • Backstage tour of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio
         • Beyond the ropes tour of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pa.
         • Guided visit to Angel Island Immigration Station and candlelight tour of Fort Point at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Calif.
         • Private guided tour of Yellowstone National Park in Montana and Wyoming
         • Ranger-led hikes and tours of the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado
         • Private tour of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida

    The full list and descriptions of 2025 Field Trips are available HERE.

    “America’s 250th anniversary is an opportunity for everyone to share their stories, their thoughts on the past, and their hopes and dreams for the future — especially our young people,” said America250 Chair, Rosie Rios. “America’s Field Trip is more than just a contest; it’s an investment in our country’s future. When we provide students with special opportunities to explore our nation’s iconic landmarks, we’re not just creating incredible memories; we’re fostering a deeper understanding of our shared history and values. These experiences will inspire the next generation of leaders to build a stronger, more united America.”

    “Students represent the voices of future leaders and innovators, and we want to hear their voices,” said North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson. “On behalf of our agency team leading the America 250 NC commemoration planning, we encourage all North Carolina students to engage in the America’s Field Trip contest.”

    “BNY is excited to continue our partnership with America250 and support this exceptional opportunity for young people to explore the accomplishments and potential of our nation,” said Jayee Koffey, Global Head of Enterprise Execution and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for BNY. “Students are the architects of tomorrow and we believe America’s Field Trip will inspire the next generation to continue our nation’s long history of innovation.”

    America250 has also partnered with edtech leader Discovery Education to develop customized educational resources including lesson plans and student activities that empower educators to bring America’s 250th anniversary into their classrooms. New for the 2024-2025 school year, an educator-facing instructional video from Discovery Education is designed to help teachers align the contest prompt, “What does America mean to you,” with standards frameworks.

    “America’s Field Trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to step out of the classroom and into the heart of our nation’s history and culture,” said Amy Nakamoto, General Manager of Corporate Partnerships at Discovery Education Experience. “As we approach this important milestone, we are excited to work with America250 and BNY to spark curiosity and bring this national contest to life for students nationwide.”

    How to Participate in America’s Field Trip

    Students must develop their submissions individually and must have a teacher, parent, or legal guardian submit on their behalf. Students at each grade level will respond to the question, “What does America mean to you?” Students, families, and teachers can find more information, including resources, contest rules, release forms, and toolkit materials to integrate the contest into classroom activities at america250.org/FieldTrip.

    The contest has different submission requirements for each grade band and is available to any student in elementary school (third to fifth grade), middle school (sixth to eighth grade), and high school (ninth to twelfth grade). The contest will remain open until 5 p.m., April 16, 2025. First- and second-place award recipients will be announced in May 2025, and field trips will occur in July and August 2025.

    Educators can help spread the word about America’s Field Trip for the chance to win a cash award! The educator associated with the top-scoring entry in each grade band will each receive a $1,000 cash award. 

    NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest begins 12 a.m. ET on Sept. 16 and ends 5 p.m. ET on April 16, 2025. Open to U.S. students (3rd – 12th grade); student’s parent/legal guardian or teacher with parental permission must submit entry on student’s behalf (unless student is the age of majority). Submission includes grant of license rights to entry’s content. First Prize awardees must travel with parent/legal guardian on designated dates. See Official Rules for full details including how to enter, eligibility requirements, prize description/restrictions and judging procedure. Void where prohibited.

    About America250
    America250 is a nonpartisan initiative working to engage every American in celebrating and commemorating the Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is spearheaded by the congressionally appointed U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission and its sole-supporting nonprofit organization, America250.org, Inc., together known as America250. This multi-year effort kicked off with America’s Invitation on July 4, 2023: a national public engagement campaign inviting all Americans to share their stories and their hopes and dreams for the future of this country. Leading up to July 4, 2026, America250 is working to provide opportunities for all Americans to pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look to the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond. To learn more, visit America250.org, and follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

    About BNY
    BNY is a global financial services company that helps make money work for the world – managing it, moving it and keeping it safe. For 240 years BNY has partnered alongside clients, putting its expertise and platforms to work to help them achieve their ambitions. Today BNY helps over 90% of Fortune 100 companies and nearly all the top 100 banks globally to access the money they need. BNY supports governments in funding local projects and works with over 90% of the top 100 pension plans to safeguard investments for millions of individuals, and so much more. As of June 30, 2024, BNY oversees $49.5 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration and $2.0 trillion in assets under management.

    BNY is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Headquartered in New York City, BNY employs over 50,000 people globally and has been named among Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies and Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators. Additional information is available on http://www.bny.com. Follow on LinkedIn or visit the BNY Newsroom for the latest company news.

    1Funding provided by The Bank of New York Mellon Foundation.

    About Discovery Education 
    Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at http://www.discoveryeducation.com.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Sep 24, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Transcript: Spotlighting CHIPS Workforce Training Program

    Source: US State of New York

    Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul attended a roundtable discussion between the U.S. Department of Commerce, American Federation of Teachers, and Micron Technology to celebrate and highlight the partnership created in Syracuse.

    VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

    Thank you. Thank you, Secretary Raimondo. I want to thank you for having your door wide open to us here in the State of New York. I was a brand new Governor. We had our first conversation about how do we land Micron? How do we make sure they come to New York? And we were able to work with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the local team here, led by the Mayor, Ben Walsh. I want to thank him for his engagement intensely. Our County Executive McMahon was very involved, as John Mannion, our Senator was very involved, but I had the best economic development team in the country led by Hope Knight. I want to give her a round of applause.

    I’ll be brief. I want to hear the question. We are so proud of this. I brag about it everywhere I go. Everybody now knows that this is going to be the home of Micron. And more important than having a company come to a physical place here in upstate New York, it telegraphs a confidence in our economy that is contagious.

    I can’t tell you the supply chain companies that are now coming even 50, 100 miles down the road as a result of this. So we’ve created a whole ecosystem with the decision to put forth a $10 billion from the State of New York for our own Green CHIPS and Science Act as well. So, this is how government working with local communities can make a difference, but it’s all about the workforce.

    And when I had my first meeting with the Micron leaders, supposed to be a quick meeting during a snowstorm in Syracuse a couple of winters ago, it ended up, April, right? It went on for hours, because I wouldn’t let him leave until Sanjay said yes.

    But he made me promise I would get him the workforce he needed. And of course he said, “No problem, we’re going to do it, this is New York.”

    And today is about that. This is about planting the seed in young people, and getting them excited about these careers that will lift their families out of their circumstances.

    And I thank Micron for going to the heart of the City of Syracuse where people do not have that chance. They do not have a family member who’s going to be able to show them the path forward. We will do that. And Micron’s local investments are making that difference. So every child has a shot at the American Dream when they get the education we’re going to be talking about here today and also replicating that all over the State of New York.

    So, this is why I’m most excited about this project of anything and the Biden-Harris administration made it happen. I’m forever grateful to them as well. Thank you, Madam Secretary.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden introduces bill to restore American manufacturing with 10 percent tariff on all imports

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today introduced the BUILT USA Act, to incentivize American manufacturing and job creation and address the nation’s ballooning trade deficit by levying a 10 percent tariff on all imports. 

    “America must once again become a nation of producers, not just consumers,” Golden said. “Decades of globalization have transformed our country from an industrial superpower to one that relies on other countries for basic goods. To secure our future in an increasingly competitive world, we must move toward self-sufficiency, industrial strength and the homegrown innovation that goes hand-in-hand with a strong, productive economy. These tariffs put us on a path to that future.”

    Upon enactment, the BUILT USA Act (formally the Balance Unequal International Labor and Trade for the United States of America Act) would assess a ten percent tariff to all goods and services imported into the United States. Each subsequent calendar year, this duty would increase or decrease by 5 percent depending on whether America maintains a trade deficit or surplus, respectively. 

    Tariffs have been embraced by presidents of both parties, with former President Donald Trump setting new tariffs on Chinese imports, which were kept on the books and in some cases expandedunder President Joe Biden. 

    “Recent history is bipartisan recognition that the era of free-wheeling free-trade that cost Maine so much must come to an end, as a matter of both national security and economic interest,” Golden said. “We must act to reposition ourselves in the world economy, to a place of strength and self-sufficiency.”

    The trade balance — the difference between U.S. exports and U.S. imports — has been in deficit since the mid-70s. In recent years, the figure has approached nearly $1 trillion. 

    “America’s ever-expanding trade deficit is a clear sign that the current global trade regime is stacked against U.S. workers, industries, and communities,” Oren Cass, founder and chief economist of American Compass, said. “Rep. Golden’s BUILT USA Act will address this global trade imbalance head on, reassert U.S. economic interests, and help reestablish the industrial base that made America the most innovative, prosperous, and resilient nation in the world.”

    Background: 

    Seventy years ago, employment in manufacturing made up over 40 percent of nonfarm jobs in Maine, according to the Maine Department of Labor. Today, it’s less than 10 percent. The losses accelerated in the 1990s with the signing of NAFTA, after which Maine lost one in three manufacturing jobs — with 25,000 lost to outsourcing alone. Forty percent of those who lost jobs had to take new ones with lower pay.

    Golden has been a leading voice for reconfiguring U.S. trade policy in favor of American industry and workers. In May, he introduced legislation that would raise tariffs on Chinese imports of automobiles and energy components to ensure America’s industrial base, and thus its future, is strong. He published an essay the same month on the importance of a robust production economy for national security and middle-class prosperity. 

    In 2019, he was one of only 41 House members to vote against the United States-Mexico -Canada Agreement, which he called “a missed opportunity to deliver real and lasting change” to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). 

    Full text of his legislation can be found here.

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Eric Adams indictment: How campaign finance violations often grow into dramatic scandals

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Charlie Hunt, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boise State University

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been charged with bribery and fraud following a spiraling federal investigation into his administration.

    Among other accusations, federal prosecutors alleged in their September 2024 indictment that Adams received campaign donations from the Turkish government for his 2021 mayoral race and sought to conceal these illegal foreign contributions.

    Adams is New York’s first mayor to be charged with a crime, but he is hardly the only politician to run afoul of rules that govern how political campaigns can raise and spend funds in U.S. elections.

    And as we document in our new podcast, “Scandalized,” discovering campaign finance violations is often just the first chapter in a much wilder story.

    Why campaign finance law matters

    The U.S. has federal rules that govern how political campaigns can raise and spend money in U.S. elections. For example, they limit how much money individuals and groups can contribute to candidates’ campaigns. Federal rules also restrict how campaign funds may be used and require the disclosure of all campaign expenditures, ensuring candidates can’t spend campaign money on whatever they want.

    Legally, candidates may use campaign donations on expenses directly related to their race for office. Allowable expenditures include advertising, travel and costs related to fundraising, such as renting an event space or buying food for guests. Candidates may use excess campaign funds after the election is over to pay down outstanding loans, or they can transfer it to other campaigns or party organizations.

    Campaign funds may not, however, be spent at any time on purely personal expenses. Candidates cannot pay their mortgage or rent out of their election war chest, or purchase clothing or household supplies.

    The disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos, a Republican from New York, was a particularly egregious violator of the rules related to personal expenses.

    Santos pleaded guilty in August 2024 to nearly two dozen counts of campaign finance violations – a smorgasbord of crimes. According to The New York Times, he rerouted “tens of thousands of dollars of campaign money toward personal expenses, including luxury goods, Atlantic City casinos, rent payments and a website primarily known for explicit sexual content.”

    Santos, who served for just under a year until he was expelled from Congress in December 2023, is a prime example of how the complicated U.S. campaign finance system can unearth other, even more scandalous actions by politicians.

    Former U.S. Rep. George Santos outside court after pleading guilty to 23 felony counts on Aug. 19, 2024, in West Islip, N.Y.
    Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    A window into bigger scandals

    A key element of campaign finance law is disclosure. Candidates must publicly report donations over US$200, for example, and document everything they spend those donations on during and after their campaigns.

    For former U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr., a California Republican, failure to comply with disclosure laws during his 2016 election campaign resulted in a federal investigation. The Justice Department found that Hunter used campaign donations to fund family vacations, video game purchases and hotel rooms for multiple extramarital affairs. In 2020, he was sentenced to 11 months in prison.

    Former President Donald Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, also failed to disclose a contribution to his boss’s 2016 presidential campaign. But the real scandal was what that money actually went for: paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels for her silence about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to making an unlawful contribution.

    Many, if not most, campaign finance violations are minor. Small mistakes such as filing a late donor disclosure report or miscategorizing an expense usually incur little more than a small fine.

    When technical campaign finance violations shed light on a big scandal, however, they attract attention. Voters and the media latch onto the fact that not only are donors’ funds not going where they intended, but in many cases the money has been spent to subsidize candidates’ personal misbehavior and corrupt activity.

    High-profile political scandals erode the public trust

    Just about every recent survey shows Americans’ levels of faith and trust in government at historic lows. In the 1960s, three-quarters of voters said they trusted the government to do the right thing most or all of the time. Today, only one-fifth do.

    Unseemly behavior by politicians, including by candidates who misspend their supporters’ donations, may contribute to this declining trust. Americans have real fears about money in politics. For example, 84% of Americans worry that wealthy lobbyists and interest groups have undue influence on elections, and 80% say campaign donations have corrupting effects on politicians.

    Even when candidates aren’t technically breaking the law, they often use campaign funds in ways donors may not realize – or appreciate.

    Sometimes, investigations into seemingly technical campaign violations uncover a wilder story.
    Filo via Getty

    In the 2024 election, for example, political campaigns, both major parties and private fundraising entities on both sides of the aisle have spent millions in campaign funds on the legal fees of candidates fighting court battles over allegations of serious criminal misconduct.

    Beneficiaries include Trump, who has been indicted for suspected mishandling of classified documents, and New Jersey’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Mendendez, who was recently convicted on federal corruption charges.

    The bottom line: Donations made to help a candidate win their race are not always going where donors actually intended or believed they would.

    Still, the U.S. political climate is so polarized that these scandals may not dramatically affect voters’ decision-making. Political scientists sometimes refer to today’s voters as “calcified” in their partisan identities, meaning they are so loyal to their own party that campaign-finance violations and other scandals cannot change their views much.

    Research shows voters are also increasingly motivated not so much by their support or affection for their own party but rather by their fear and loathing of the other party. As a result, partisan voters are willing to accept or forgive scandalous behavior from their own side in the interest of beating the opposition. Hardcore partisans are also adept at finding ways to justify or rationalize these transgressions.

    With record amounts of money flowing in and out of political campaigns in 2024, the coming months are bound to bring more campaign finance scandals. But our research indicates they are unlikely to have major effects at the polling station.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Eric Adams indictment: How campaign finance violations often grow into dramatic scandals – https://theconversation.com/eric-adams-indictment-how-campaign-finance-violations-often-grow-into-dramatic-scandals-238971

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –