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  • MIL-OSI Global: La Maison captures the drama, intrigue and intense rivalry of the luxury fashion world

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Elizabeth Kealy-Morris, Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Dress and Belonging, Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University

    With the release of dramas Cristóbal Balenciaga, The New Look and Becoming Karl Lagerfeld, the fashion drama miniseries has become a staple for streaming television in 2024.

    The latest offering, French-language drama La Maison on Apple TV, captures the essence of the drama and intrigue surrounding Maison Ledu, a fictional luxury haute couture house controlled by the Ledu family.

    The dynamics between key characters are well outlined, and explore universal themes such as love, power, ambition and betrayal, as well as a longing for connection, acceptance and identity. In this way La Maison has little to do with apparel and clothing in their materiality: the camera does not linger over sketches or runway collections. The series, instead, engages with fashion on a more abstract level, highlighting how it intersects with broader human concerns.

    Vincent Ledu (Lambert Wilson) is the celebrated designer whose scandal threatens to the future of Maison Ledu. His racist tirade against a wealthy Korean client was captured by catering staff at a pubic function and posted on social media by Ledu’s scheming nephew in a bid to ruin his uncle’s reputation.

    Perle Foster (Amira Casar) is Vincent’s former principal model and inspiration who, despite her lasting attachment to Vincent, is crucial in the house’s post-scandal revival. Paloma Castel (Zita Hanrot) is the orphaned mixed-heritage daughter of Vincent’s long-time gay lover. Neither were accepted into the family and this tension of class, race, and sexual orientation difference is central to the plot throughout the series.

    The character of Paloma, in her early 30s, represents millenial indifference to tradition, hierarchy and heritage. We meet her in the first episode as the co-designer of a Berlin-based luxury eco-focused ready-to-wear brand. It’s marking a milestone with its first runway show at Paris Fashion Week with other brands’ deadstock (unsold inventory) forming the runway collection.

    The trailer for La Maison.

    In a bid to ensure the Ledu brand makes radical shifts in creative leadership after the racism scandal, Perle seeks to sideline Vincent and draw Paloma into Maison Ledu as the next-generation designer who will bring innovation and hope to Maison’s restoration. Diane Rovel (Carole Bouquet), the iron-fisted CEO and matriarch of the Rovel Luxury Group, represents the archetype of the fashion conglomerate within fashion markets, controlled by the monetary interests of anonymous shareholders. Viewers learn early that her acquisition plans for Maison Ledu are driven by strategic interest and personal vendetta.

    The luxury fashion market

    The series effectively sets up the central conflict, the stakes involved and the potential for dramatic and strategic manoeuvres. It paints a vivid picture of the internal and external pressures faced by Maison Ledu as it struggles to navigate its crisis, a problem that has notably rocked actual luxury fashion houses in recent years. An interesting aspect of the series is the contemporary understanding of the role social media plays in creating spectacle that brings people together as well as divides.

    The luxury fashion market seeks to protect and extend agreed assumptions of how such brands function via rarity, exclusivity and uniqueness to add value to their brand DNA, products and businesses. Luxury brands must ensure coherence between values, narratives, highly skilled craft and artistic techniques, with space for both tradition and innovation. By integrating these elements harmoniously, a brand can sustain its luxury status and build a lasting impression of excellence and exclusivity.

    Luxury fashion, clothing and apparel markets depend on the objects they design becoming status symbols. But they also rely on the allure, appeal, imagination and magic promised through fashion stories that are told through photography and videography. This latest AppleTV+ fashion drama is released against the backdrop of shifting consumer expectations in the luxury sector, particularly in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

    There has been a transformative shift from traditional “show-and-tell” marketing to more immersive and interactive brand experiences. Consumers now seek to “join and experience” luxury brands rather than merely observe – and this is driving brands to create engaging content that extends beyond the product itself. This evolution has given rise to innovative strategies, including online videos, interactive events and sophisticated uses of technology to enhance post-purchase engagement.

    The rise of the fashion series is a direct response to these changing consumer preferences. By integrating high-quality media narratives with brand storytelling, these series offer a novel avenue for brands to convey their history and ethos, creating a platform for the fashion industry to captivate audiences and deepen their connection with the brand narrative.

    As streaming platforms continue to gain prominence, the collaboration between fashion houses and media producers is likely to expand. This means that in the future, the intersection of fashion and storytelling will become increasingly integral to brand identity and consumer connection.

    So while both Maison Ledu and Rovel Luxury Group are fictitious brands, shows like La Maison as a general marketing tool for real-world fashion houses and brands. Meanwhile the location of Paris for this series is testament to that city as the global centre of haute couture – and the stakes involved in it remaining so.


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    Elizabeth Kealy-Morris does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. La Maison captures the drama, intrigue and intense rivalry of the luxury fashion world – https://theconversation.com/la-maison-captures-the-drama-intrigue-and-intense-rivalry-of-the-luxury-fashion-world-239233

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The science of polarisation: our model shows what happens when political opponents lose their personal connection

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simon Schweighofer, Assistant Professor in Media and Communication, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

    Bob Korn/Shutterstock

    What do immigration, inheritance taxation and cannabis legalisation have in common? Not much, actually. Yet if we know somebody’s stance on one of these issues, we can make a good guess about their view on the others.

    Politics often seems to work in one dimension: parties and politicians are located on a spectrum stretching from from far left to far right. Knowing someone’s opinion on a single wedge issue is often enough to place them on this ideological dimension, which in turn makes it possible to predict their positions on other issues. And in countries such as the US we’ve seen more and more people polarised into opposing political camps at either end of this spectrum.

    One-dimensional politics can seem as natural to us as an apple falling from a tree – it’s simply how we think about politics. But just like gravity, the mysterious force shaping our politics in this way does warrant a scientific explanation.

    My colleagues and I wanted to understand how people end up so profoundly divided, and the study we published earlier this year proposes a model for how it might work. It suggests the less we are able to separate politics from personal relations, the more polarised we become.

    This is more than just an academic matter. If politics is reduced to a single ideological dimension it can keep us from finding innovative solutions to our most urgent problems.

    If, for example, the best solution to a housing crisis were a combination of deregulation and public investment, it might not be possible to enact if each half of the solution were rejected by one side of the political spectrum. That makes understanding how politics can become so polarised important on a very practical level.

    The problem is that, no matter how far we look into the past, we overwhelmingly find politics organised along one main dimension of ideological conflict: before left v right, it was Catholics v Protestants, Roundheads v Cavaliers, all the way back to Optimates v Populares in ancient Rome.

    The issues may have changed, but the basic dichotomy has remained stable. This makes it very difficult to investigate the origins of one-dimensional politics. After all, we can’t experiment with whole societies – at least not in real life.

    Simulating societies

    To overcome this limitation, we decided to opt for an unusual approach. We created virtual societies, each populated by a multitude of simulated people, known as agents.

    Each agent had a variety of opinions, represented as coordinates in a space with several dimensions. We didn’t give specific meanings to the coordinates or the dimensions, but you can think of them as representing disconnected issues like defence spending, railway nationalisation or abortion rights.

    At the start of each simulation, the agents’ positions were purely random and not organised along a single ideological dimension of left versus right. But over time, the agents interacted and influenced each other, organising themselves into new collective states.

    These simulated societies therefore provided us with a testbed for different theories used in political science, such as the assumption that people are rational, to see whether they could explain one-dimensional politics and the emergence of political polarisation.

    To do this, we translated these theories into computational protocols that governed the agents’ interactions and the way they adapted their opinions. We then checked whether these protocols were enough to trigger the emergence of a single ideological dimension.

    Initially, we modelled our agents as rational decision makers in the tradition of mainstream political science. When encountering other agents, they would either meet them halfway, or reject them, But either way, this did not give rise to a single ideological dimension. Agents would either converge on a consensus or remain scattered.

    However, politics isn’t a purely rational affair. It’s often characterised by gut feelings and anger. But political science hasn’t always been successful in integrating emotion into decision-making models. So for inspiration we looked to one of the founders of social psychology.

    In the 1950s, Austrian-born psychologist Fritz Heider coined the term cognitive balance theory, which claims that people strive for consistency in their mental patterns. For example, we find it disconcerting when two of our friends hate each other, or a friend is in love with someone we despise. Similarly, we try to avoid disagreeing with people we like just as much as we avoid agreeing with people we dislike.

    We translated this balance mechanism into our simulation. When two of our agents encountered each other, they first determined how much they agreed or disagreed on various political issues. Then, they translated agreement into sympathy and disagreement into dislike. Finally, they adjusted their issue positions in a way that increased consistency.

    If they met someone with whom they mostly agreed, they adjusted their opinions to defuse the remaining disagreements. In the opposite case, they tried to make their disagreement stronger.

    All this happened in tiny increments every time agents met. But through a myriad of interactions, agents finally self-organised into single ideological dimensions – no matter how many issue dimensions we started the simulation with.

    We should make an effort to understand each other.
    Troy Walker/Shutterstock

    Where exactly individual agents ended up on this ideological continuum depended on one crucial factor: the strength of the connection between disagreement on issues and personal dislike.

    If this connection is weak – meaning agents could dislike each other but still agree, or like each other and disagree – agents remained close to the centre. If it was strong, the simulated society broke into two opposed camps – it became polarised.

    This suggests polarisation is linked to people’s ability to connect to others on a personal level. When we lose sight of the fact that those we disagree with are usually decent human beings with good intentions, we may find ourselves diverging more and more on political issues, with less room for compromise.

    This is notable at a time when so much political debate is conducted online through impersonal or anonymous social media accounts. The real world is much more complex than a one-dimensional view of politics would suggest. And people are much more than the political views they share online.

    In the end, we will never be able to eliminate the force of cognitive balance – just as we can’t get rid of gravity. But we can find ways to increase the personal connection between people who hold different political views.

    Simon Schweighofer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The science of polarisation: our model shows what happens when political opponents lose their personal connection – https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-polarisation-our-model-shows-what-happens-when-political-opponents-lose-their-personal-connection-239130

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Who’s to blame when climate change turns the lights off?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chris Medland, PhD Candidate in Climate Change Resilience, University of Surrey

    Deadly Storm Boris has flooded large areas of central Europe and the UK, destroying homes and displacing thousands of people.

    With the flooding of sub-stations, the scouring of the foundations of pylons and river embankment failures, the rainstorm has also caused power outages many miles away. This will create yet more disruption as sewage pumping stations stall, train and tram services halt and vehicle charging points fail.

    The UK saw this ripple of infrastructure failure in the 2007 summer floods. The compound failures caused by flooding in Gloucestershire alone, a county in south-west England, left 350,000 people without mains water for over two weeks and 42,000 people without power.

    Commuters were stranded on the railway network and the M5 motorway. The floods also made thousands of people homeless. Similar floods struck the UK again in 2013 and 2020.

    All systems fail occasionally. But infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable to disruptions caused by extreme weather, which is being made more severe and frequent as a result of climate change. The UK’s national risk register lists nine impacts of climate change that could seriously damage infrastructure (including storms, heatwaves and wildfires) that is increasingly complex and interconnected. A single failure can create a cascade of them.

    Risky business

    Your home may not be in the path of the next storm but the infrastructure it relies on might be. So who is responsible for making sure that the power stays on, the toilets can still flush and water keeps running from taps? Whose job is it to ensure infrastructure is resilient to climate change?

    People are responsible for their own resilience and that of their homes and private companies are responsible for the resilience of their operations. However, companies that operate services such as public transport, communications networks or utilities are overseen by regulators such as Ofgem (energy) and Ofwat (water).

    The resilience of the networks owned by companies is not subject to regulation directly, there is no minimum standard of resilience that must be maintained and no fines for failure. Instead, people affected by power outages, for example, can claim compensation after a certain degree of disruption.

    Installations were, generally, designed and built in an earlier climate.
    David Calvert/Shutterstock

    Within the government, the Cabinet Office takes the lead on planning the country’s resilience and is responsible for the government’s response to emergencies and for producing the national security risk assessment and the national risk register. Each risk is designated a lead government department, which works with agencies and public bodies that fall under its jurisdiction.

    For example, flood risk is considered by the Environment Agency which reports to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (or Defra). Advisory bodies like the Climate Change Committee and the National Infrastructure Commission make recommendations to the government and assess its performance but have no powers to enforce action.

    There are 427 public bodies and agencies working under the legal frameworks set by the 24 government departments – none have a minimum standard for infrastructure resilience.

    The previous government committed to publishing resilience standards by 2025. Such standards would instruct utility companies and infrastructure operators on what measures were needed to prevent power cuts and other failures in the future. Discussions are happening in Whitehall that will shape the quality of life of millions of people for many years to come.

    Three futures

    Without taking all infrastructure into public ownership, or without all homes generating their own power and somehow meeting their own needs, what does the future look like? Is it down to homeowners to fend for themselves while landlords assume responsibility for the power and water of their tenants? In the worst-case scenario, will people be left to their own devices in a world reminiscent of Mad Max?

    There are three possibilities. The first is that society simply accepts more frequent failures and a lower standard of living for most. The second option includes the electricity grid, roads and railways, sewage treatment plants and other national infrastructure being updated and improved, with all the attendant costs.

    The third option would see people take direct action by adapting homes and communities to make them less dependent on national infrastructure. In this scenario, services are more localised such that communities or households become self-sufficient to varying degrees, perhaps establishing autonomous off-grid settlements.

    Renewable energy technology offers its generators a degree of autonomy.
    Hazel Plater/Shutterstock

    No government would be elected promising to preside over falling living standards. The other options come with many challenges. Option two assumes a great degree of government intervention and a high level of investment in new and improved infrastructure: flood defences, additional power cables, new rail way lines. Option three implies less involvement from central government and more power to local authority and community bodies to generate electricity and treat water for example.

    The future may well be a combination of these scenarios, but doing nothing isn’t an option. It’s not a question of if serious floods will happen again, but when.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get our award-winning weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Chris Medland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Who’s to blame when climate change turns the lights off? – https://theconversation.com/whos-to-blame-when-climate-change-turns-the-lights-off-236446

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks by President  Biden, Prime Minister Modi of the Republic of India, Prime Minister Kishida of Japan, and Prime Minister Albanese of Australia Before Quad Leaders’ Summit Meeting | Claymont, DE (September 21,  2024)

    Source: The White House

    Archmere Academy
    Claymont, Delaware

    4:05 P.M. EDT

    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, I’ll say to my fellow leaders: Welcome to Delaware.  Welcome to Claymont, Delaware.  It used to be a steel town here years ago.  And welcome to the border of Wilmington, Delaware.  (Laughs.) 

    And I’m really pleased that you were able to be in my home and — and see where — where I grew up.  I got a chance to do that in Hiroshima.  I got a chance to do that in other places, and I’m glad you got to see it.

    You know, welcome.  We’re democracies.  We’re democracies who know how to get things done.  That’s why, within the first days of my presidency, I reached out to each of you — each of your nations to propose we elevate the Quad, make it even more consequential.

    Four years later, our four countries have more strategically — are more strategically aligned than ever before.  And today, we’re announcing a series of initiatives to deliver real, positive impact for the Indo-Pacific that includes providing new maritime technologies to our regional partners so they know what’s happening in their waters; launching cooperation between coast guar- — coast guards for the first time; and expanding the Quad fellowship to include students from Southeast Asia.

    So, I want to thank you all again for being here.  You’ve come a long way to get here, and I appreciate it. 

    And while challenges will come, the world will change, because the Quad is here to stay, I believe — here to stay.

    And I’m going to turn it over now to all of you.  And I’d like to start by recognizing Prime Minister Modi. 

    PRIME MINISTER MODI:  (As interpreted.)  Your Excellencies, President Biden, Prime Minister Kishida, and Prime Minister Albanese, it gives me immense pleasure to participate at this Quad Summit today with friends very early on in my third term. 

    There cannot be a better place than President Biden’s own hometown of Wilmington to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Quad.  The way you are associated with this city and with Delaware as “Amtrak Joe,” your relationship with Quad also is somewhat similar. 

    Under your leadership, in 2021 the first summit was held.  And in such a short span of time, we have enhanced our cooperation in every sphere in ways unprecedented.  Your personal role in this has been extremely important.

    I express my heartfelt gratitude to you for your firm commitment, your leadership, and your contribution towards the Quad.

    Friends, we are meeting at a time when the world is surrounded by conflicts and tension.  At such a time, it is important for all of humanity that the members of the Quad move forward based on shared democratic values. 

    We are not against anybody.  All of us support a rules-based international order, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful resolution of all disputes.  A free, open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific is our shared priority and shared commitment. 

    We have together taken several positive and inclusive initiatives in areas such as health security, critical and emerging technologies, climate change, and capacity-building. 

    Our message is clear: Quad is here to stay — to assist, to partner, and to complement.

    Once again, my warmest greetings to President Biden and all friends present here.  In 2025, we will be happy to host the Quad Leaders’ Summit in India. 

    Thank you.  Thank you very much.

    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you very much, Prime Minister. 

    Now I’d like to hear from my good friend, Prime Minister Kishida.  Over to you.

    PRIME MINISTER KISHIDA:  (As interpreted.)  It is a pleasure to get together with the leaders of the Quad at the alma mater of Joe to discuss the future of the Indo-Pacific.  May I express my gratitude to Joe’s friendship for ourselves and for your leadership and hospitality, which demonstrates your emphasis on the Quad.

    During my tenure, I have consistently emphasized, underscored the efforts by the Quad.  Following the last meeting held in my hometown of Hiroshima, this meeting, I believe, could not have been better suited for my last foreign visit as the prime minister. 

    The security environment surrounding ourselves are becoming increasingly severe, and a free and open international order based on the rule of law is under threat. 

    Under this backdrop, it is ever more important for us, the Quad, who share values such as freedom and democracy, to continue to demonstrate our firm commitment to our common vision of FOIP, the free and open Indo-Pacific, to the international community.

    In order to realize a FOIP, it is crucial to coordinate with the regional countries and to materialize our vision by concrete actions.

    I look forward to a fruitful discussion today so that we may listen to the voices of the regional countries, including ASEAN, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands, and to further promote practical cooperation that will be a genuine benefit for the region.

    Thank you.

    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you.  (Inaudible) Prime Minister.  (Laughs.)  (Inaudible.)

    PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE:  “Anthony” is fine.  (Laughs.)

    Thank you, Mr. President.  And can I thank you for giving us the honor of hosting us in this wonderful venue where you went to school and for your very warm welcome here to your home state.

    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  (Inaudible.)

    PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE:  (Laughs.)  I’m — I’m sure — I’m absolutely certain that my headmaster would be shocked that I find myself here as well.  (Laughter.)

    So, it is — it is absolutely delightful to be here amongst friends.  And I thank — I thank you, Mr. President, for hosting us in your — your home state, your home school, and for giving us an insight into what’s made you such an extraordinary world leader.

    And it’s fantastic as well to be here, of course, with Prime Minister Kishida.  We met earlier, and we — we certainly wish you well.  And Prime Minister Modi will be hosting us next year, and I look forward to that as well.

    Unlike some international forums, the — the Quad is not — it doesn’t have a long history.  That means it’s not defined by tradition, but it also means it’s not confined by it.  It means that, as it develops, it can evolve.  And that is, I believe, what is happening.

    We represent, in this region, the — the fastest-growing region of the world in human history.  With that comes enormous opportunity but also comes some challenges.  Through the Quad, our four countries collaborate and we coordinate on the issues facing our communities but the region as a whole. 

    Through the Quad, we leverage our significant resources and expertise to contribute in meaningful ways to dealing with challenges facing countries in the region, and we ensure that we assert the view that national sovereignty is important, that security and stability is something that we strive for, as well as shared prosperity in our region. 

    The Quad is about practical, meaningful outcomes in strategic areas, ranging from clean energy and dealing with the challenge but also the opportunity that climate change represents, health security, to critical and emerging technologies, cyber resilience, infrastructure, and maritime security, and, of course, counterterrorism as well. 

    We’ll always be better off when like-minded countries and our four great democracies work together.  All of this, the promise in the region, does depend on continued peace and stability and the wise management of strategic competition and disputes. 

    Partnerships like the Quad are crucial, providing us with an avenue to discuss shared responsibilities and goals and strengthening the enduring relationships necessary for lasting stability, which is why we commit today to continue to work with our Indo-Pacific neighbors, our friends, and our partners.

    So, I think, today, we have some practical initiatives that we’ve been working on together.  The sum of the four individual parts, when comes — when it comes together, mean that it’s more effective, the work that we can do.  And — and I look forward to some practical outcomes in the tradition that the Quad has — has created.

    And it’s wonderful to be here, Mr. President.

    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, thank you very much.  (Inaudible.)

    4:17 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: FACT SHEET: PRESIDENT BIDEN AND VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS ISSUE REPORT ON PROGRESS MADE TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE ONE YEAR AFTER CREATING WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF GUN VIOLENCE  PREVENTION

    Source: The White House

    Statement from the President: “I’ve spent countless hours meeting with families impacted by gun violence as they mourn their loved ones. They’ve all had the same simple message for their elected officials: ‘do something.’ Vice President Harris and I responded to their call: I signed the most significant gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years, and we announced dozens of executive actions to reduce gun violence. But we knew more was needed. That’s why I established the first-ever White Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by the Vice President. In just one year, it has accelerated my Administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence and save lives.”

    Statement from the Vice President: “President Biden and I have worked to address the epidemic of gun violence with the urgency it demands by enacting the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years – and launching the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. In the year since President Biden asked me to oversee this Office, our administration has improved and expanded background checks, announced the single largest investment in youth mental health in history, and been an unprecedented resource to states, cities, and local communities. We have also supported, convened, and worked alongside gun violence survivors, the families of those who have lost loved ones to shootings, and other impacted individuals to tackle the trauma caused by gun violence. I am committed to continuing this urgent work to ensure that every person in our nation has the freedom to live safe from gun violence.”

    After the prior Administration oversaw the largest one-year increase in murders ever recorded, President Biden and Vice President Harris took historic action from the start of their Administration to reduce violent crime. Because firearms are used in approximately 80% of murders in the United States, addressing gun crime is essential to addressing violent crime. The President and Vice President secured funding through the American Rescue Plan—which every Republican in Congress voted against—for law enforcement and community violence interventions. President Biden and Vice President Harris announced executive actions to keep guns out of dangerous hands and, by the middle of 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration had already taken more executive action to reduce gun violence than any other administration. On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act—the most significant new gun violence prevention law in nearly 30 years. Year-over-year comparisons show that 2023 had the single largest homicide rate drop in recent history.

    After two and a half years of significant progress, President Biden and Vice President Harris’s next step was to establish a White House office dedicated to coordinating across the federal government and partnering with gun violence survivors, law enforcement, state and local officials, and community leaders on our shared goal of reducing gun violence.  After championing this issue for decades, President Biden asked Vice President Harris to oversee the White House Office of Gun Violence because he knows that she has a proven record as a leader for gun violence prevention.

    The past year, the reduction in homicide has only accelerated, with the Department of Justice reporting that, from January to June, homicides dropped 17% compared to the same time last year. In addition, data from the Gun Violence Archive indicates that the number of mass shootings to date in 2024 has decreased by 20 percent compared to the same period last year.

    Today, the White House is releasing a report on progress made by the Biden-Harris Administration to reduce gun violence in the one year since President Biden created the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The report provides a summary, but not an exhaustive list, of how the Biden-Harris Administration has taken action to fulfill the four objectives President Biden gave the office:

    1. Expedite implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and already-announced executive actions;
    2. Coordinate more support for survivors of gun violence;
    3. Identify new executive actions; and
    4. Expand our coalition of partners in states and cities across the country.

    For President Biden, this work is the culmination of well over 30 years of national leadership to reduce gun violence and save lives. He played a critical role in securing passage of the Brady Bill in 1993 and the assault weapons ban in 1994. In the early 2000s, when the National Rifle Association was experiencing growing power in Washington and claiming to “work out of [the President’s] office,” then-Senator Biden was a key voice taking votes opposing their dangerous agenda. From 2012 to 2013, then-Vice President Biden led the Obama-Biden Administration’s efforts to develop and implement over two dozen executive actions after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He has continued this work throughout his own presidency by actually establishing an Office of Gun Violence Prevention and forcefully calling on Congress to pass an assault weapons ban and repeal PLCAA.

    As President Biden emphasized during his State of the Union address earlier this year, Vice President Harris continues to lead the Administration’s work to address the epidemic of gun violence and keep communities safe while overseeing the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Since taking office, there have been more than 80 instances where the Vice President has put a focus on gun violence prevention. This includes mourning with families and consoling communities that have been directly impacted by gun violence across the nation – from Buffalo and Highland Park to Nashville, Monterey Park, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Parkland.

    This dedicated work is a continuation of the Vice President’s decades-long record of taking on gun violence and advancing gun safety policies. As District Attorney of San Francisco, she prosecuted homicide cases and saw first-hand the devastation of gun violence. She also invested in community violence intervention efforts by championing Community Response Networks. While overseeing the second largest Department of Justice in America as Attorney General of California, Vice President Harris worked to get illegal firearms off the street and to prosecute gun trafficking. And as Senator, she co-sponsored several pieces of gun safety legislation, including an assault weapons ban.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine drone strikes demonstrate its continuing intent to fight the long war against Russia

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    Ukraine recently launched a long-range drone strike on a Russian ammunition depot in the Tver region of Russia. Ukraine followed up the strike with additional drone strikes near Tver and Krasnador.

    These strikes were notable for two reasons. First, the destruction may represent Ukraine’s most successful drone strikes in the current phase of the Russia-Ukraine war.

    Second, Toropets, where the first strike took place, is approximately 480 kilometres from the Russia-Ukraine border.

    The success of the attack has caused considerable elation among Ukraine’s supporters.

    The drone strikes, however, will not fundamentally alter the current battlefield. But they are part of broader efforts by Ukraine to undermine Russia’s ability to wage war. These efforts are unlikely to bear fruit in 2024, but do improve Ukraine’s position for 2025 and potentially beyond.

    The failed search for fast victory

    Both Ukraine and Russia have sought rapid victories in the war.

    Russia, based on captured documents, believed that its invasion in 2022 would only take 10 days to result in total Ukrainian capitulation. Ukrainian resolve and the weaknesses of Russian armed forces, however, doomed this effort.

    Ukraine and its supporters, likewise, placed too much hope in a decisive victory in the 2023 summer offensive. But their hopes were quashed by a Russian army that was not only superior to its 2022 iteration and fighting on the defensive, but also by structural weaknesses in the newly constituted Ukrainian units as well.

    The reality of the Russia-Ukraine war is that rapid and decisive victories for either side are impractical. Instead, both Ukraine and Russia are undertaking efforts to win in 2025 and beyond.

    Russian tactical actions

    Ukraine realized it was in an existential fight from the outset of Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s focus on a rapid victory in Ukraine, however, meant Russia was unprepared for a protracted conflict.

    Russia, however, adapted to the prolonged war, using the mercenary Wagner Group to stabilize its position in Ukraine. Russia’s efforts to find soldiers for the war effort included giving the Wagner Group the green light to recruit from Russian prisons.



    Read more:
    Russians flee the draft as the reality of the war in Ukraine hits home

    These efforts, however, were more akin to patching holes in the Russian war effort than addressing its underlying issues. In September 2022, Putin announced a partial mobilization of Russian reservists, totalling 300,000 additional soldiers.

    A Russian recruit and his wife kiss and hug each other outside a military recruitment centre in Volgograd, Russia, in September 2022.
    (AP Photo)

    This mobilization and subsequent recruitment efforts gave Russia the personnel advantages it had at the beginning of the conflict. The reinforcements have allowed Russia to resume grinding offensive operations in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Notably, Russian forces are now nearing the strategic city of Pokrovsk.

    Economic sanctions have affected Russia’s ability to produce high-end weapons. Nevertheless, it’s still able to acquire arms at scale from its domestic arms industry as well as from countries like Iran and North Korea.

    Combined with Russia’s diplomatic offensive in Africa, Putin is not as isolated as western countries commonly believe.

    Ukrainian morale

    The Russia-Ukraine conflict is a war of attrition, and most analyses have assumed that type of war plays to Russia’s advantage given its material superiority. A factor neglected by many analysts in wars of attrition, however, is the importance of morale.

    The Ukrainian government and armed forces have not neglected this crucial point. The recent and ongoing drone strikes help to boost declining Ukrainian morale as the war takes it toll and as hopes of a rapid conclusion have faded, both among Ukrainians themselves and their allies.

    Ukrainian efforts over the summer should be viewed through this morale lens. When doing so, it also becomes evident that Ukraine is fighting the long war versus seeking decisive victories.

    None of Ukraine’s major efforts over the summer, when viewed in isolation, have a serious chance of changing the war in a significant manner. The Ukrainian army’s occupation of parts of the Kursk region this summer brought the conflict to Russian territory. The amount of territory taken by Ukraine, however, is negligible.

    Each operation improves Ukraine’s ability to fight a protracted war, however, while simultaneously undermining Russia’s material and moral resources. They also boost the country’s morale while humiliating Putin at the same time.

    Long-term vision

    Russia staked considerable political capital and material benefits in acquiring support in Africa through the Wagner Group.

    Ukrainian special operation forces efforts in Africa against the Wagner Group undermine Russia’s ability to acquire diplomatic support and other resources.



    Read more:
    Ukrainian special operations abroad are part of its broader war effort against Russia

    Ukraine’s drone strikes will not alter Russian military supplies in a permanent way. But the strikes, using domestically produced drones, creates pressure on Ukraine’s allies to allow western weapons to be used with potentially greater effect.

    The daily news cycle focuses on the importance of individual acts. In assessing how the conflict is developing, however, it’s important to understand how these acts, ranging from drone strikes to ground offensives, are connected to an overall strategy. Each is designed to improve Ukraine’s position while undermining Russia’s during a protracted war.

    James Horncastle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Ukraine drone strikes demonstrate its continuing intent to fight the long war against Russia – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-drone-strikes-demonstrate-its-continuing-intent-to-fight-the-long-war-against-russia-239438

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN HOSTS BREAKFAST TO HONOR HUDSON VALLEY VETERANS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pat Ryan (New York 18th)

    Congressman Pat Ryan Hosts Breakfast to Honor Hudson Valley Veterans

    Ryan hosted Hudson Valley veterans for a breakfast to thank them for their service and honored veterans Ralph Osterhoudt, Vincent Serrano, and David Harris for outstanding contributions to the Hudson Valley community 

    NEW WINDSOR, NY – On Saturday, Congressman Pat Ryan hosted a breakfast for Hudson Valley veterans to thank and honor them for their service. At the breakfast, Ryan recognized veterans Ralph Osterhoudt, Vincent Serrano, and David Harris for their heroism in military service and outstanding contributions to the Hudson Valley community. Ryan, a West Point graduate and Army veteran, has prioritized recognizing Hudson Valley veterans for their heroism and ensuring they receive the benefits, support, and recognition they earned. 

    “Our veterans have led lives grounded in service – motivated not out of self-interest, but out of a deep belief in our country’s principles of equality and freedom for all,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “That heroism and selflessness deserves to be honored and uplifted. I want our veterans to know that their sacrifices do not go unrecognized. Today and every day, I’m fighting to make sure our men and women in uniform receive the benefits that they earned and that our government upholds the promises it made to them.”

    “A true Patriot is someone who puts his life on the line in the service of his country,” said Juan Figueroa, Retired Marine Chief Warrant Officer and Sheriff of Ulster County.  “Sergeant David Harris continues to serve his community as a Deputy Sheriff in Ulster County. He took an oath and is selfless in his commitment to protect our rights and freedoms.” 

    “Ralph Osterhoudt is not only a Dutchess County hero; he’s an American hero whose service in the 575th Field Artillery Battalion saved the lives of countless Auschwitz prisoners in Nazi Germany,” said Adam Roche, Director of Dutchess County Veterans Affairs. “Mr. Osterhoudt’s service did not end when he returned home, as he’s advocated for decades for his fellow Dutchess County veterans, like myself. He is a tribute to the American ideals his fellow veterans have fought to uphold; and an inspiration for all of us to live a life of service.”

    “Veteran Vincent Serrano and his wife Ely, are both very patriotic and involved in veteran as well as community activities. It is an honor to have Vinny as a member of the Veteran Center Board,” said Colonel Bob Anderson of the Orange County Veterans Center.

    “It’s great seeing Congressman Ryan doing so much work with Veterans. I’ve grown up hearing how much they have been through, so seeing him in their corner is really fulfilling,” said Mia Serrano, daughter of Vincent Serrano. “I’m also really happy I was able to help honor my father. I love seeing how excited he is to help and how it gives him a huge sense of purpose.”

    “Congressman Ryan is an honest man with integrity. He is invested in the community and specifically for veterans,” said Middletown veteran Nicholas White. “His office helped me empathetically and efficiently with my VA claims. Today’s breakfast reflects the commitment that he and his staff have for our veterans’ community.”

    Ralph Osterhoudt, a Staatsburg WWII veteran, was injured in a blast only weeks after deploying to the European front, but went on to fight in the Battle of the Bulge and helped liberate the Auschwitz concentration camp. Osterhoudt’s personal narrative of his time in service is included in the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. He is the recipient of three Bronze Stars and the French Medal of Honor. After his service, Osterhoudt continued serving the Hudson Valley community, including working at the Staatsburg Post Office. He pushed to keep the Castle Point VA Medical Center open alongside then-Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan and a coalition of Hudson Valley veterans and advocates. Osterhoudt continues to be an invaluable force of nature within the Hudson Valley veterans community.

    Newburgh’s Vincent Serrano is a Marine veteran of the Vietnam War and recipient of a Purple Heart, Vietnam Service Medal, and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. He is the senior vice commandant of the Marine Corps League Greater Newburgh Detachment #249 and was instrumental in organizing National Welcome Home Vietnam War Veterans Day observances in the Hudson Valley. He is a fierce advocate for his fellow veterans and is a robust presence in the Hudson Valley veterans community, frequently partnering with Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties to provide events and services that honor and support his fellow veterans. He is a Board Member of the Orange County Veterans Center and active member of VFW Post 973, American Legion Post 353, the D.A.V., AM/VET, and Vietnam Veterans of America. During the COVID pandemic, Serrano worked tirelessly to package and deliver food to Hudson Valley families struggling during the crisis. He is also the coordinator for the Hudson Valley’s Toys-4-Tots.

    Kingston native David Harris served three tours in Afghanistan over eight years in the Marine Corps. During that time, he earned the Bronze Star with Valor for his heroism and bravery in combat. Harris grappled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after returning from combat. He found purpose and direction through service again, this time leaning on the criminal justice college degree he had earned prior to his military service and attending the police academy. He now serves as an Ulster County Sheriff’s Deputy, continuing to bravely and selflessly protect the Hudson Valley community.

    Congressman Pat Ryan is the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in Congress and is an Army veteran of two combat tours in Iraq. He has prioritized delivering for Hudson Valley veterans and recognizing them for their service. Earlier this year, Ryan delivered $1 million in federal funds for the Rumshock Veterans Foundation to build ten homes for unhoused veterans in Orange County as part of its Veterans Village Project. After pushing for months for a partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD), Ryan announced this summer that Hudson Valley veterans will now be able to access expanded healthcare services at Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point.  

    Congressman Ryan has fought to ensure that veterans, service members, and military families can easily access the benefits that they’ve earned. Ryan has utilized his mobile office, the C.A.R.E.S. Van, to bring assistance with federal agencies like the VA directly to Hudson Valley veterans with events at Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) across the Hudson Valley. This spring, Ryan brought together over 35 organizations, government offices, and community partners from across the Hudson Valley for an all-in-one Veterans and Military Families Resource Fair. 

    Congressman Ryan is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Ryan has spearheaded legislation that expands benefits and improves quality of life for veterans, servicemembers, and military families, including introducing the Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2023, the Expanding Home Loans for Guard and Reservists Act, and the Never Forgotten Korean War POW Act. Ryan has also championed legislation that protects reproductive freedom for women veterans and service members, including by cosponsoring the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act and the Access to Reproductive Care for Servicemembers Act.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: The Government of Canada recognizes Won Alexander Cumyow as a person of national historic significance

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French 1

    Won Alexander Cumyow played a leading role in the fight for voting rights for Chinese Canadians

    Won Alexander Cumyow played a leading role in the fight for voting rights for Chinese Canadians.

    September 23, 2024 Gatineau, Quebec Parks Canada

    National historic designations recall moments of greatness and triumph or invite us to revisit complex and painful moments that helped define the Canada of today. By bringing these stories back to Canadians, we hope to foster greater understanding and spark discussion about the histories, cultures and realities of Canada’s history.

    Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of Won Alexander Cumyow as a person of national historic significance under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration.

    Born in 1861 in Port (Fort) Douglas, British Columbia, Won Alexander Cumyow was the first known person of Chinese descent to be born in what would become Canada. While he hoped to become a lawyer and articled at two law firms, discriminatory laws prevented him from voting and practicing law. As a community broker and court interpreter, he advocated for the rights of people of Chinese origin and descent in Canada in the early 20th century. He fought to end racist voting laws and voted for the first time in 1949, at the age of 88, two years after Chinese Canadians regained the right to vote.

    Throughout his life, Mr. Cumyow was an active community activist and was often called upon to serve as a leader, speaker or translator at activities organized by Chinese and Asian Canadians to combat racism.

    The designation process under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration relies largely on nominations from the public. To date, more than 2,240 designations have been made nationally. To nominate a historic person, place or event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/proposer-nominate.

    -30-

    “I can think of no more fitting person to receive this honour than Won Alexander Cumyow. An iconic figure in Canadian history, he exemplifies the perseverance and resilience of Chinese-Canadian pioneers. For over thirty years, he dedicated himself to his community from his office in Vancouver’s Chinatown, using his legal and linguistic skills to help it settle. At the national level, he was a strong advocate for equal rights, playing a crucial role in shaping the inclusive country we are privileged to call home.”

    Carol Lee, President of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation.

    Oliver AndersonDirector of CommunicationsOffice of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change819-962-0686oliver.anderson@ec.gc.ca

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pfluger Fly-By: September 13, 2024

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Pfluger Fly-By: September 13, 2024

    Washington, September 13, 2024

    September 13, 2024

    Blocking Confucius Institutes from American Universities

    This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed my legislation to stop the Chinese Communist Party from infiltrating American university campuses.

    The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operates “Confucius Institutes” on college campuses under the guise of promoting Chinese language and culture throughout the country. In reality, these organizations are used as Trojan horses to gain access to critical American research and exert the global influence of the CCP.

    My legislation is crucial. It prevents the Department of Homeland Security from funding American universities that host a Confucius Institute or have ties with a Chinese entity of concern. We must not underestimate the credible and real threat that the CCP poses to the United States.

    Click here or below to watch my full floor remarks.

    Remembering 9/11

    Wednesday marked twenty-three years since the horrific 9/11 attacks on our country. May we never forget the 2,977 innocent American lives lost, which included many first responders who ran straight into danger.

    As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, I have sounded the alarm on the rise of activity from aggressive terrorist groups. I have introduced legislation aimed at slowing the global recruitment and planning of attacks. The terror threat landscape is as high as it has ever been, especially with hundreds of known and suspected terrorists flowing across our southern border and the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.

    September 11, 2001, will forever be ingrained in our minds. The fight against evil is not finished. Thank you all to my fellow servicemen and women and their families for their sacrifice. My prayers continue to remain with the families of the victims and survivors of 9/11.

    Biden-Harris Energy Agenda is Hurting Americans

    The Biden-Harris Administration’s war on fossil fuels has led to high energy bills for American families and businesses across the country. This week, I joined my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy to learn more about the impacts of the Administration’s energy policies over the last three years. We heard directly from a generational family farmer whose business is struggling due to skyrocketing inflation and increasing production costs.

    In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2024 farm income forecast painted a bleak picture for American agriculture. It projects that net farm income will decline nearly 25% in two years, with substantial losses in crop receipts and continued pressure from rising costs. Meanwhile, interest rates are at the highest level seen in 40 years.

    Congress must pass a strong Farm Bill to protect not only our farmers and ranchers but also the American food supply. Watch here or below for my full line of questioning.

    2024 Angels in Adoption Honoree

    Congratulations to Matt Waller of Midland on being named a 2024 Angels in Adoption Honoree. I enjoyed visiting with him to hear about his work to establish The Attic Foster Network and the Heart Gallery of West Texas. I thank Matt for his dedication and commitment to bettering the lives of children and families across our state.

    Examining the FDA’s Role in Protecting Americans

    On Tuesday, I joined my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee to oversee the FDA’s regulation of food and tobacco. Since 2020, illegal disposable e-vapor products from China have flooded the U.S. market, with 65% of the market being illegal and targeting teens. The FDA has failed to stop these imports and hasn’t provided clear guidance to retailers on unauthorized products. The FDA must be held accountable for failing to protect Americans’ health. Watch here or below for my full line of questioning.

    Congress Must Take Action to Secure Medical Supply Chains

    I joined Representatives Brad R. Wenstrup, D.P.M. (OH-02), Blake D. Moore (UT-01), and Mark Green, M.D. (TN-07) in releasing a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit feedback for strengthening and enhancing domestic medical supply chains.

    Securing our nation’s medical supply chains is not just a matter of economic importance; it is a matter of national security. Congress must prioritize revitalizing our domestic medical supply chains to eliminate our reliance on adversaries, like China, for essential medical supplies. Read more about the RFI here.

    Applications Closing for Congressional Youth Advisory Council

    I am excited to announce the re-launch of the Congressional Youth Advisory Council for high school juniors and seniors in the 11th Congressional District of Texas. This esteemed program offers a unique opportunity for passionate and driven young leaders to engage with government, collaborate with peers, and serve their communities.

    Participants will have the chance to interact directly with me, special guests, and senior staff members in up to four interactive virtual meetings. Additionally, CYAC participants will be provided special admittance to the Pfluger Youth Leadership Conference in Spring 2025 (Date TBD).

    Interested students are encouraged to apply by completing an application at pfluger.house.gov/services/cyac.htm.

    The deadline for submissions is TODAY September 13, 2024.

    For questions about the program or application, please contact Corbette Padilla in the Midland district office at 432-687-2390.

    Upcoming Service Academy Night

    My office will soon be hosting a Service Academy Night on September 30th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. for high school students interested in pursuing an education and military career through the U.S. military service academies.

    The event will be held at the Angelo State University Houston Harte University Center in the CJ Davidson Conference Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive, San Angelo, Texas, 76901.

    Students, parents, and educators are encouraged to attend! If you have questions or would like to RSVP, please reach out to Mary O’Connor in my office at mary.oconnor@mail.house.gov.

    2024 Congressional App Challenge

    My office is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Congressional App Competition. The competition is open to all 6-12 grade students in the 11th Congressional District of Texas and is an opportunity for students to develop their skills in computer science and STEM skills.

    The deadline is October 24th, 2024 at 12:00 pm ET. Students can register and upload their app here.

    Step-by-Step Video Guide

    The Congressional App Challenge website has a step-by-step video guide that walks students, parents, and educators through the application process. Clickhereto access the video guide.

    PRIZES

    The winner from the 11th Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on the House of Representatives website, House.gov, as well as on CongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app will also be displayed in the U.S. Capitol among other winners from across the country. Additional sponsor prizes to be announced.

    RULES

    · Students will create an application (aka app) for PC, web, tablet, robot, mobile, etc Any programming such as C, C++, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or “block code” will be accepted.

    · There are NO LIMITS on the application theme or topic.

    · Students may work individually or in teams made up of no more than four.

    Students are highly encouraged to review the competition’s complete rules and regulations on the Congressional App Challenge’s website. For more information, please visit congressionalappchallenge.us/or contact Kathy Keane in the San Angelo Office at Kathy.Keane@mail.house.gov.

    Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates.

    Rep. August Pfluger

    Member of Congress

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: UN security council: African countries face hurdles and dangers in getting permanent seats

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, Professor of International and Diplomacy Studies, Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, University of South Africa

    There is growing global consensus among the members of the United Nations that the UN security council, responsible for maintaining international peace and security, requires reform or restructuring to reflect the current balance of forces, and to improve its working methods and ability to do its work.

    There is also growing consensus among members of the African Union that Africa deserves a permanent presence at the council.

    The debate took a new turn on 13 September, when the US announced it would support the creation of two new permanent seats for African countries, and a non-permanent seat for small island developing nations. This came after a pledge in 2022 by the Biden administration to support the expansion of the security council.

    The new permanent seats would come without the power of a veto vote.

    Read more: Africa on the UN security council: why the continent should have two permanent seats

    There are several reasons why, in my view, this quest to expand the council is likely to fail. I have followed and published on the South African experience of the UN security council and believe there is need for a sober assessment of what is achievable.

    First, those with permanent seats and veto power (Russia and China, the US, the UK and France) are reluctant to share it, for fear of diluting their own interests and influence.

    Second, if there was agreement on expansion, who would be worthy to fill the extra seats, and how would they be chosen? There are many deserving candidates, from Latin America to Europe and Asia.

    Third, how would Africa go about selecting two of its own to represent the continent on the council?

    Fourth, what would prevent such newcomers from being co-opted by the powerful (in this case, the US) to support or help implement western peace and security agendas at the expense of African and global south agendas?

    To offset the attractiveness and prestige of joining the premier international security club, Africa should be mindful of the entry requirements (namely, diplomatic nous, experience with peacekeeping and the ability to finance such), lest it find itself relegated to serving the security council’s longstanding members.

    Africa would be wise to select and support candidates that have experience, resources and a credible peacebuilding track record on the continent.

    Hurdles and dangers

    It is far from obvious that the continent’s two economic giants, Nigeria and South Africa, should represent Africa. Size counts but doesn’t always translate into attractiveness or credibility at home – a key requirement for a successful role in regional and international affairs.

    The unfortunate reality is that Africa remains divided on the basis of region, language and culture. The continent struggles to speak with one voice on critical matters such as peace and security – the priority of the UN security agenda.

    Under these conditions, a drawn-out and perhaps even unsuccessful process of selecting two out of the 54 members of the African Union is likely.

    In addition, the offer by the west for Africa to take up seats should not be viewed as an act of benevolence. Bringing Africa into the western sphere of influence is a strategic calculation to counter the growing impact of Russia and China on global affairs.

    The emergence of a new world order produces stresses and strains. The west, led by the US, continues to exercise hard power but declining influence, while an assertive alliance of global south states, led by China, is bent on eventually determining international affairs.

    Read more: Pan-Africanism remains a dream: four key issues the African Union must tackle

    Prominent members of the global south are enticed or pressured to partner with one or the other power bloc.

    Africa in particular is being courted precisely because of its large voting number (54 countries can swing decisions at multilateral meetings) but more strategically, because it constitutes the reservoir of the world’s future economy. Apart from being blessed with a youthful demographic, Africa can come into central focus due to its unique endowment of green transition minerals like cobalt, lithium and nickel.

    Where to from here?

    If all obstacles are overcome, the chosen countries would have their work cut out for them. Serving – never mind shaping – the UN security council agenda is a demanding, full-time task. The chosen African countries would have to commit significant human and financial resources, peacebuilding capacity and diplomatic leadership skills.

    South Africa is arguably the best placed to meet these criteria and can play a constructive role pushing the African agenda. But it needs to be wary.

    Read more: Rating agencies and Africa: the absence of people on the ground contributes to bias against the continent – analyst

    The country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, was quick to respond to the US statement. On the eve of departing for the annual UN general assembly talk show he told the media

    We have been campaigning and the concept has been accepted and of course Africa continues to play through various countries on the continent, important roles, peacekeeping missions not only on our continent but around the world. So, we [have] got the capability, we know how and Africa needs to be given its rightful place in the UN system and its various structures.

    Some critical questions need to be answered by all African leaders first:

    • What are the benefits for an African country taking up a permanent seat on the UN security council?

    • How would it contribute, and what would it receive in return?

    • Would it be able to set agendas and norms, or would it be forced to carry out the tasks of those who allowed it a seat at the table?

    Africa is not unfamiliar with the workings of the United Nations system. It has benefited immensely from UN involvement as it strove for decolonialisation and overcoming the apartheid system. It works closely with the UN as it faces the challenges of underdevelopment, unequal trade, extreme weather and the ongoing exploitation of its human and natural resources.

    It is fitting and ethical for Africa to take up permanent seats at the apex institution and put the security council to work to address Africa’s peace and security challenges.

    To do so, its chosen members must chart an African course of action, supported by the other members of the council.

    – UN security council: African countries face hurdles and dangers in getting permanent seats
    – https://theconversation.com/un-security-council-african-countries-face-hurdles-and-dangers-in-getting-permanent-seats-239642

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pfluger Fly-By: September 20, 2024

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Pfluger Fly-By: September 20, 2024

    Washington, September 20, 2024

    September 20, 2024

    Increasing Security for Presidential Candidates

    Following the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Sunday, it is clear that more protection is needed to protect President Trump and his family.

    Today, I was proud to vote for theEnhanced Presidential Security Act of 2024, introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17). This bill directs the Director of the United States Secret Service to apply the same standards for determining the number of agents required to protect Presidents, Vice Presidents, and major Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates.

    The Senate must immediately take up the measure and provide President Trump with increased protection.

    Biden-Harris Border Policies Invite Chaos

    This week, I chaired a joint hearing in the Committee on Homeland Security with Rep. Clay Higgins to examine the variety of terror threats to the United States because of the wide-open southern border.

    It is no secret our nation is in the midst of a dire crisis at our nation’s borders. Over the last four years, a record number of migrants from across the globe have descended on our borders and have created security challenges our nation has never experienced.

    Specifically, border encounters under the Biden administration have surpassed 10.1 million aliensencountered nationwide, with over 8.2 million encountered along the Southwest border. These are only the number of individuals encountered at one of our borders.

    Experts estimate that nearly two million individuals have evaded arrest by CBP officials and are known to be “gotaways.”

    The most glaring statistic that alarms me the most is the 382 individuals whose names appear on the terrorist watchlist were stopped trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally between ports of entry from FY2021 to FY2024 year to date. This is compared to the 11 individuals apprehended from FY2017 – FY2020.

    If we know that nearly two million individuals are considered “gotaways,” how many of these individuals also appear on the terror watch list?

    During the hearing, it was deeply troubling to hear from a former U.S. Chief of Border Patrol about how he was barred from speaking publicly about the increase in threatening individuals.

    We need strong border security now. Watch here or below for my full opening remarks.

    Celebrating the 77th Anniversary of the United States Air Force

    This Wednesday marked the 77th anniversary of the United States Air Force. For twenty years, I had the honor of serving our country in uniform as a fighter pilot. As a Member of Congress, I remain committed to advocating for all service members and their families. The U.S. House Air Force Liaison Office joined me in celebrating the significant milestone. Fly-Fight-Win!

    New Report on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Unprecedented Border Crisis

    The House Committee on Homeland Security majority released a comprehensive new report documenting how President Joe Biden, Vice President and Biden-appointed “border czar” Kamala Harris, and other administration officials schemed together to open our borders, gut interior enforcement, and spark a historic flood of illegal immigration—from immediately after the 2020 election through the present day.

    Read the full report here.

    Defunding Sanctuary Cities

    Sanctuary Cities are communities and states that refuse to enforce immigration laws or cooperate with federal law enforcement and immigration officials. These policies actively incentivize illegal immigration and ignite the crises we are seeing across the country.

    In New York City alone, free hotels, healthcare, and debit cards have attracted more than 100,000 migrants since the spring of 2022, and more than 65,000 remain in the city’s care.

    Today, House Republicans passed The No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act to prevent sanctuary cities from receiving federal funding that would benefit illegal immigrants and bail out sanctuary cities from the crisis they created.

    Paul Whelan is Free

    I had the honor of meeting former US Marine Paul Whelan who was wrongfully detained in Russia for the last five years. It is an incredible relief to have Mr. Whelan home sharing his story and advocating on behalf of those who remain wrongfully imprisoned around the world. The United States will not tolerate its citizens being used as political pawns.

    United States Air Force Cadets in Washington

    It was great meeting with a group of U.S. Air Force Cadets during their visit to Washington. These young men and women have heeded the call to service and are the future of our armed forces. As a graduate of the Air Force Academy, I continue to be inspired by these incredible students who have chosen to pursue a career rooted in service.

    STEP Program Enrollment

    The U.S. State Department recently enhanced its Smart Traveler Enrollment Platform, known as STEP. This is an excellent resource and free service for U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad to receive safety and security alerts and other local updates by email from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Sign up at STEP.

    September is Passport Month

    Are you planning to travel abroad in the coming year? Now is the perfect time to start the passport application process or check your current passport’s expiration date.

    If you are having trouble renewing or are experiencing a longer than normal processing time, our six district offices are ready to help you out.

    Visit this link to get started on your application or renewal process today.

    Applications Extended for Congressional Youth Advisory Council

    I am excited to announce the re-launch of the Congressional Youth Advisory Council for high school juniors and seniors in the 11th Congressional District of Texas. This esteemed program offers a unique opportunity for passionate and driven young leaders to engage with the government, collaborate with peers, and serve their communities.

    Participants will have the chance to interact directly with me, special guests, and senior staff members in up to four interactive virtual meetings. Additionally, CYAC participants will be provided special admittance to the Pfluger Youth Leadership Conference in Spring 2025 (Date TBD).

    Interested students are encouraged to apply by completing an application HERE.

    The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2024.

    For questions about the program or application, please contact Corbette Padilla in the Midland district office at 432-687-2390.

    Upcoming Service Academy Night

    My office will be hosting a Service Academy Night on September 30th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. for high school students interested in pursuing an education and military career through the U.S. military service academies.

    The event will be held at the Angelo State University Houston Harte University Center in the CJ Davidson Conference Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive, San Angelo, Texas, 76901.

    Students, parents, and educators are encouraged to attend! If you have questions or would like to RSVP, please reach out to Mary O’Connor in my office at mary.oconnor@mail.house.gov.

    2024 Congressional App Challenge

    My office is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Congressional App Competition. The competition is open to all 6-12 grade students in the 11th Congressional District of Texas and is an opportunity for students to develop their skills in computer science and STEM skills.

    The deadline is October 24th, 2024, at 12:00 pm ET. Students can register and upload their app here.

    Step-by-Step Video Guide

    The Congressional App Challenge website has a step-by-step video guide that walks students, parents, and educators through the application process. Clickhereto access the video guide.

    PRIZES

    The winner from the 11th Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on the House of Representatives website, House.gov, as well as onCongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app will also be displayed in the U.S. Capitol among other winners from across the country. Additional sponsor prizes to be announced.

    RULES

    · Students will create an application (aka app) for PC, web, tablet, robot, mobile, etc Any programming such as C, C++, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or “block code” will be accepted.

    · There are NO LIMITS on the application theme or topic.

    · Students may work individually or in teams made up of no more than four.

    Students are highly encouraged to review the competition’s complete rules and regulations on the Congressional App Challenge’s website. For more information, please visit congressionalappchallenge.us/or contact Kathy Keane in the San Angelo Office at Kathy.Keane@mail.house.gov.

    Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates.

    Rep. August Pfluger

    Member of Congress

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan’s Health Human Resources Action Plan Shows Strong Results at Two-Year Anniversary

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on September 23, 2024

    Innovative Saskatchewan-Based Solutions to Recruit, Train, Incentivize, and Retain Enhance Competitiveness

    This month marks the two-year milestone of Saskatchewan’s historic Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan, which has delivered extraordinary health system progress within a short period of time.

    Since the launch of the HHR Action Plan in September 2022, over $300 million has now been invested in initiatives guided by the plan’s four pillars. These initiatives have expanded the current professional workforce to keep pace with provincial growth and supported stronger, more resilient future health care teams by opening doors to more educational seats and programs.

    The HHR Action Plan has advanced critical areas of the provincial health system in the past 24 months through targeted initiatives that have attracted top specialists, family physicians, registered nurses, and other in-demand health professionals to the province.

    “When our government unveiled the HHR Action Plan, we recognized it was ambitious but necessary to stabilize and reinforce our valued healthcare professionals,” Health Minister Everett Hindley said. “Each pillar has had major positive impacts by recruiting hundreds of high priority health care workers, adding hundreds of post-secondary training seats and new programs for students, delivering incentives to benefit health service delivery in rural and northern Saskatchewan communities, attracting specialists, and investing in supportive programs to retain our valued health care workforce.”

    The HHR Action Plan is the result of ongoing support, collaboration and partnerships between multiple ministries, health employers, health partner agencies and post-secondary institutions, as well as professional regulators. A key step was establishing the Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency (SHRA) to accelerate and broaden efforts to recruit physicians, nurses, and other high priority professionals.

    “The establishment of SHRA brings the recruitment of health professionals to Saskatchewan under one umbrella,” SHRA CEO Terri Strunk said. “Our sole mandate is to implement strategies and best in practice activities to facilitate the regional, national and international recruitment, retention, transition and placement of health professionals in Saskatchewan. In collaboration with provincial and local stakeholders such as our health employers, provincial regulators, local health committees, and municipalities, we have made significant progress. There is still more work to do, but with the focused strategy of the Health Human Resources Action Plan, we are attracting top talent and addressing healthcare needs across the province.”

    Recruit

    Saskatchewan has seen impressive recruitment results since September 2022, with 218 physicians being recruited to Saskatchewan from outside of the province and 35 physicians from outside the country. These efforts resulted in 87 family physicians and 131 specialists establishing their practice in the province.

    Highly sought specialized health care providers recently hired include a pediatric gastroenterologist, four new psychiatrists, two perfusionists and a new physician assistant.

    The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has hired more than 1,400 recent nursing graduates from in-and out-of-province, and nearly 400 internationally educated nurses (IENs) have arrived from the Philippines. Approximately 280 IENs have successfully completed a transition to nursing in Canada programming and been placed in over 70 communities around the province. The remaining IENs are in the clinical portion of their training to obtain licensure.

    Twenty-seven new permanent Nurse Practitioner positions are posted in rural communities, and eight have already been filled.

    Train

    Advanced Education is centered on the “Train” pillar of the HHR Plan and targeted investments into health-related training programs have been achieved over the last two years, with over $100 million already invested to create approximately 870 new training seats in 33 health care programs at post-secondary institutions across the province.

    “The Ministry of Advanced Education has been playing a significant role in supporting the Health Human Resources Action Plan since its inception, and I am very proud of the work done in partnership with our institutions to operationalize this ambitious initiative,” Advanced Education Minister Colleen Young said. “Saskatchewan students now have more opportunities than ever before to train for a career in health care, which is pivotal for the sector and the people it serves.”

    The expanded seats will produce more graduates in critical health care fields such as nursing, mental health and addictions, medical diagnostic imaging, physicians, and many other professions. Saskatchewan is also introducing four new programs not previously offered in the province: occupational therapy, speech language pathology, respiratory therapy and physician assistants.

    Expanded seats and new programs are being made available at university and polytech campuses in Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert, as well as some programs offered at various regional colleges across province including psychiatric nursing at North West College in North Battleford, sonography at Suncrest College in Yorkton, Mental Health and Wellness at Northlands College in La Ronge and Continuing Care Assistants at Southeast College in Weyburn.

    Incentivize

    A range of attractive incentive programs, such as the Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive (RRRI) that includes a return-of-service agreement with recipients, has directly benefited over 50 communities across the province with more than 350 hard-to-recruit positions successfully filled.

    The Rural Physician Incentive Program was enhanced in 2024, and new incentives were introduced to support recruitment and retention of specialists in high demand, such as anesthesia, psychiatry, breast and interventional radiology in approved sites and certain pediatric subspecialities.

    The province has also disbursed over $1.3 million in bursaries, such as nearly 150 Final Clinical Bursaries, nearly 150 paramedic bursaries and other scholarships and available grants to encourage students to pursue a health care career. In addition, many graduates are eligible for the Graduate Retention Tax Credits and student loan forgiveness programs.

    “Our competitive HHR Action Plan has attracted a diverse group of new health care professionals to our vibrant and welcoming communities across rural and northern Saskatchewan,” Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health Minister Tim McLeod said. “These smaller centres provide unique opportunities to use a full range of skillsets and expertise within the workplace. It is exciting to see our young people receive rewarding employment opportunities upon graduation right here in Saskatchewan.”

    Retain

    Retention of health care staff has been a key area of focus by promoting the rewarding benefits of a career in health care, such as hiring 245 new and enhanced full-time permanent positions in high-priority occupations, including registered nurses, to stabilize staffing in rural and northern areas. Another 65 registered nurse positions have been increased from part time to full time in rural and remote locations with 36 positions filled.

    Scope of practice for pharmacists, nurse practitioners and advanced care paramedics has expanded to benefit patients and increase access to services for people living in rural communities, shorten wait times for primary care and give more options for obtaining certain health services.

    The SHA has implemented a variety of programs to enhance work environments and staff engagement opportunities including a mentorship program with over 200 participants, and actively engaging with First Nations and Métis communities and educational institutions to develop a First Nations and Métis recruitment and retention strategy.

    The SHA has also introduced multiple volunteer and career learning opportunities that are available to Saskatchewan high school students.

    “Our health care teams are the backbone of our health system,” SHA CEO Andrew Will said. “They are essential for delivering on our commitment to provide high-quality, culturally responsive and patient-centred care as close to home as possible. Our Health Human Resource strategies not only involve Saskatchewan Health Authority staff and physicians, but also leverage the strength of our volunteers, patient and family advisors, traditional knowledge keepers, and our network of community and health system partners.”

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pettersen Joins Bipartisan Effort to Protect and Support Transitional Housing Services

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brittany Pettersen (Colorado 7th District)

    WASHINGTON –U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) joined Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), Young Kim (CA-40), and Robert Garcia (CA-42) in introducing the Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act. The bipartisan proposal redefines the meaning of chronic homelessness in current law to ensure more people experiencing homelessness can access the resources they need to get back on their feet. It would also help transitional housing providers offer more services to those in need.

    “Colorado is facing a housing crisis that has pushed many people into homelessness,” said Pettersen. “Finding temporary housing or accessing transitional housing should not preclude people experiencing homelessness from receiving assistance that can lead to long-term stable housing. This legislation removes bureaucratic hurdles that are preventing people from getting the support they need.”

    “To help our homeless population transition into stable housing,” said Chavez-DeRemer. “We must ensure the floor doesn’t fall out from underneath them while they take concrete steps to get back on track. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act, which builds on my previous efforts to reduce homelessness by protecting and expanding critical resources. This bill would help ensure that our most vulnerable populations receive the comprehensive support they need”

    “We must ensure that our most vulnerable community members can get the services they need when moving into temporary housing, which is why we’re expanding the definition of ‘chronically homelessness’,” said Garcia. “Experiencing homelessness is already extremely tough, and we need to make sure our government doesn’t let folks slip through the cracks during transition periods. I will always fight to make funding available for those struggling with homelessness,”

    “Rising housing costs only make life harder for our homeless population to get back on their feet. We must ensure our most vulnerable can receive support,” said Kim. “The Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act aims to bridge the gap in affordable housing and provide hope to those struggling. I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan, commonsense bill and will keep working to support our communities.” 

    The Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act would require the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to:

    • Update its existing definition of chronic homelessness to include individuals who have experienced homelessness for at least one year — whether continuously or cumulatively within three years — to ensure they are eligible for support services;
    • Include individuals residing in transitional housing for fewer than 90 days to be considered chronically homeless if they met the original criteria before entering the program – ensuring short-term residents of transitional housing are not excluded from critical assistance; and
    • Make these changes within 180 days of the enactment of this legislation.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    The bipartisan proposal is supported by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

    “The current definition of chronic homelessness is overcomplicated and creates barriers to services,” said Cathy Alderman, Chief Communications and Public Policy Officer for Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “The new proposed definition will make it easier and cleaner for direct service staff to complete verifications of homelessness and get people connected with critical resources quickly by reducing time spent on the complicated math of documenting repeat episodes of homelessness. This is a step in the right direction.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Sophos Named a Leader in 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Endpoint Protection Platforms

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OXFORD, United Kingdom, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, today announced that it has once again been named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP). This is the 15th consecutive time that Sophos has been positioned as a Leader in the report.

    Sophos’ market-leading endpoint security solutions, including Sophos Intercept X Endpoint, protect more than 300,000 organizations against advanced cyberthreats with anti-exploit, anti-ransomware, deep learning artificial intelligence (AI), and other sophisticated technologies. This includes the ability to detect remote ransomware, an attack that attempts to encrypt data over the network from a compromised remote device, by stopping it in real-time and automatically rolling devices to their original state. It also includes Adaptive Attack Protection, an industry-first feature which automatically disrupts attackers and dynamically adjusts protections based on threat context to stop in-progress attacks. The feature provides defenders with valuable additional time to respond when under active attack. Through a partnership with Tenable, Sophos Managed Risk provides attack surface visibility, continuous risk monitoring, vulnerability prioritization, investigation, and proactive notification to prevent early-stage cyberattacks, reducing the workload for security teams tasked with tackling vulnerability and exposure management. Account Health Check capabilities further monitor and correct security configuration changes, enabling organizations to promptly re-establish security best practices.

    “Organizations are facing an unprecedented level of cyberattacks, with our Sophos X-Op research showing that adversaries are doing far more than accelerating their attacks and covering their tracks. Attackers are shifting their tactics, techniques, and procedures to evade and disable EDR tools – signaling that choosing a tested and hardened solution with a track record for consistent innovation is a ‘must have,’ not optional,” said Rob Harrison, senior vice president, product management at Sophos. “Sophos has been recognized as a 15-time Leader in Endpoint Protection Platforms, we feel this would have not been possible without moving as quickly and aggressively as the adversaries we are fighting every day. ​​Sophos’ technology is rooted in its unique prevention-first approach that reduces breaches, adapts defenses in response to an attack, and improves detection and response outcomes.”

    Already this year, Sophos was named a Customers’ Choice in the Gartner® Peer Insights™ Voice of the Customer for Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP) report. This recognition follows Sophos being named Gartner Customers’ Choice for EPP for the third consecutive year​.

    Sophos is also named a G2 Leader in Endpoint Protection, EDR, MDR, Firewall, and XDR in its Fall 2024 G2 Grid® Reports. Sophos Intercept X is also recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Modern Endpoint Midsize Business and the IDC MarketScape for Modern Endpoint Small Business.

    Like Intercept X Endpoint, Sophos Managed Detection and Response is the top-rated MDR solution on Gartner Peer Insights and a leader. As the most widely used MDR offering with more than 24,000 customers, Sophos MDR is the only MDR service that can be delivered across end users’ existing third-party security deployments as well as Sophos offerings. Organizations can integrate telemetry sources from dozens of vendors, including Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Check Point, Okta, Darktrace, and many others, through the Sophos Marketplace.

    Sophos endpoint solutions are a key part of the company’s portfolio of end-to-end integrated security products and services that protect customers at every layer, even across distributed organizations. In addition to endpoint, the portfolio includes network, email, and cloud solutions, as well as managed security and incident response services. All of the solutions feed into the Sophos Adaptive Cybersecurity Ecosystem and are powered by threat intelligence from Sophos X-Ops for faster and more contextual and synchronized protection, detection and response.

    To learn more about Sophos’ recognition in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for EPP, visit our website and read the blog.

    To learn more about Sophos Intercept X Endpoint, visit https://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/endpoint-antivirus.

    Gartner disclaimers:
    Gartner® Magic Quadrant™: Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP), Evgeny Mirolyubov, Franz Stefan Hinner, Chris Silva, Deepak Mishra, Satarupa Patnaik, September 23, 2024.

    Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
    GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark, Peer Insights and MAGIC QUADRANT is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    About Sophos
    Sophos is a global leader and innovator of advanced security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, including Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and incident response services and a broad portfolio of endpoint, network, email, and cloud security technologies. As one of the largest pure-play cybersecurity providers, Sophos defends more than 600,000 organizations and more than 100 million users worldwide from active adversaries, ransomware, phishing, malware, and more. Sophos’ services and products connect through the Sophos Central management console and are powered by Sophos X-Ops, the company’s cross-domain threat intelligence unit. Sophos X-Ops intelligence optimizes the entire Sophos Adaptive Cybersecurity Ecosystem, which includes a centralized data lake that leverages a rich set of open APIs available to customers, partners, developers, and other cybersecurity and information technology vendors. Sophos provides cybersecurity-as-a-service to organizations needing fully managed security solutions. Customers can also manage their cybersecurity directly with Sophos’ security operations platform or use a hybrid approach by supplementing their in-house teams with Sophos’ services, including threat hunting and remediation. Sophos sells through reseller partners and managed service providers (MSPs) worldwide. Sophos is headquartered in Oxford, U.K. More information is available at www.sophos.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Releases 2023 Crime in the Nation Statistics

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

    The FBI released detailed data on over 14 million criminal offenses for 2023 reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program by participating law enforcement agencies. More than 16,000 state, county, city, university and college, and tribal agencies, covering a combined population of 94.3% inhabitants, submitted data to the UCR Program through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and the Summary Reporting System.

    The FBI’s crime statistics estimates, based on reported data for 2023, show that national violent crime decreased an estimated 3.0% in 2023 compared to 2022 estimates:  

    • Murder and non-negligent manslaughter recorded a 2023 estimated nationwide decrease of 11.6% compared to the previous year.  
    • In 2023, the estimated number of offenses in the revised rape category saw an estimated 9.4% decrease.  
    • Aggravated assault figures decreased an estimated 2.8% in 2023. 
    • Robbery showed an estimated decrease of 0.3% nationally.  

    In 2023, 16,009 agencies participated in the hate crime collection, with a population coverage of 95.2%. Law enforcement agencies submitted incident reports involving 11,862 criminal incidents and 13,829 related offenses as being motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity.  

    To publish a national trend, the FBI’s UCR Program used a dataset of reported hate crime incidents and zero reports submitted by agencies reporting six or more common months or two or more common quarters (six months) of hate crime data to the FBI’s UCR Program for both 2022 and 2023. According to this dataset, reported hate crime incidents decreased 0.6% from 10,687 in 2022 to 10,627 in 2023.  

    The complete analysis is located on the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer.   

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: UN security council: African countries face hurdles and dangers in getting permanent seats

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, Professor of International and Diplomacy Studies, Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, University of South Africa

    There is growing global consensus among the members of the United Nations that the UN security council, responsible for maintaining international peace and security, requires reform or restructuring to reflect the current balance of forces, and to improve its working methods and ability to do its work.

    There is also growing consensus among members of the African Union that Africa deserves a permanent presence at the council.

    The debate took a new turn on 13 September, when the US announced it would support the creation of two new permanent seats for African countries, and a non-permanent seat for small island developing nations. This came after a pledge in 2022 by the Biden administration to support the expansion of the security council.

    The new permanent seats would come without the power of a veto vote.



    Read more:
    Africa on the UN security council: why the continent should have two permanent seats

    There are several reasons why, in my view, this quest to expand the council is likely to fail. I have followed and published on the South African experience of the UN security council and believe there is need for a sober assessment of what is achievable.

    First, those with permanent seats and veto power (Russia and China, the US, the UK and France) are reluctant to share it, for fear of diluting their own interests and influence.

    Second, if there was agreement on expansion, who would be worthy to fill the extra seats, and how would they be chosen? There are many deserving candidates, from Latin America to Europe and Asia.

    Third, how would Africa go about selecting two of its own to represent the continent on the council?

    Fourth, what would prevent such newcomers from being co-opted by the powerful (in this case, the US) to support or help implement western peace and security agendas at the expense of African and global south agendas?

    To offset the attractiveness and prestige of joining the premier international security club, Africa should be mindful of the entry requirements (namely, diplomatic nous, experience with peacekeeping and the ability to finance such), lest it find itself relegated to serving the security council’s longstanding members.

    Africa would be wise to select and support candidates that have experience, resources and a credible peacebuilding track record on the continent.

    Hurdles and dangers

    It is far from obvious that the continent’s two economic giants, Nigeria and South Africa, should represent Africa. Size counts but doesn’t always translate into attractiveness or credibility at home – a key requirement for a successful role in regional and international affairs.

    The unfortunate reality is that Africa remains divided on the basis of region, language and culture. The continent struggles to speak with one voice on critical matters such as peace and security – the priority of the UN security agenda.

    Under these conditions, a drawn-out and perhaps even unsuccessful process of selecting two out of the 54 members of the African Union is likely.

    In addition, the offer by the west for Africa to take up seats should not be viewed as an act of benevolence. Bringing Africa into the western sphere of influence is a strategic calculation to counter the growing impact of Russia and China on global affairs.

    The emergence of a new world order produces stresses and strains. The west, led by the US, continues to exercise hard power but declining influence, while an assertive alliance of global south states, led by China, is bent on eventually determining international affairs.



    Read more:
    Pan-Africanism remains a dream: four key issues the African Union must tackle

    Prominent members of the global south are enticed or pressured to partner with one or the other power bloc.

    Africa in particular is being courted precisely because of its large voting number (54 countries can swing decisions at multilateral meetings) but more strategically, because it constitutes the reservoir of the world’s future economy. Apart from being blessed with a youthful demographic, Africa can come into central focus due to its unique endowment of green transition minerals like cobalt, lithium and nickel.

    Where to from here?

    If all obstacles are overcome, the chosen countries would have their work cut out for them. Serving – never mind shaping – the UN security council agenda is a demanding, full-time task. The chosen African countries would have to commit significant human and financial resources, peacebuilding capacity and diplomatic leadership skills.

    South Africa is arguably the best placed to meet these criteria and can play a constructive role pushing the African agenda. But it needs to be wary.



    Read more:
    Rating agencies and Africa: the absence of people on the ground contributes to bias against the continent – analyst

    The country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, was quick to respond to the US statement. On the eve of departing for the annual UN general assembly talk show he told the media

    We have been campaigning and the concept has been accepted and of course Africa continues to play through various countries on the continent, important roles, peacekeeping missions not only on our continent but around the world. So, we [have] got the capability, we know how and Africa needs to be given its rightful place in the UN system and its various structures.

    Some critical questions need to be answered by all African leaders first:

    • What are the benefits for an African country taking up a permanent seat on the UN security council?

    • How would it contribute, and what would it receive in return?

    • Would it be able to set agendas and norms, or would it be forced to carry out the tasks of those who allowed it a seat at the table?

    Africa is not unfamiliar with the workings of the United Nations system. It has benefited immensely from UN involvement as it strove for decolonialisation and overcoming the apartheid system. It works closely with the UN as it faces the challenges of underdevelopment, unequal trade, extreme weather and the ongoing exploitation of its human and natural resources.

    It is fitting and ethical for Africa to take up permanent seats at the apex institution and put the security council to work to address Africa’s peace and security challenges.

    To do so, its chosen members must chart an African course of action, supported by the other members of the council.

    Anthoni van Nieuwkerk does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. UN security council: African countries face hurdles and dangers in getting permanent seats – https://theconversation.com/un-security-council-african-countries-face-hurdles-and-dangers-in-getting-permanent-seats-239642

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 09.23.2024 Cruz, Warren, Babin, Garamendi Introduce Bipartisan RIDER Act to Improve Federal Assistance to Communities Recovering from Major Disasters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced the Regional Impact of Disasters and Emergencies Relief (RIDER) Act to improve access to and delivery of federal relief to disaster-struck communities. This bipartisan, bicameral bill would amend existing law to better address the on-the-ground experiences of communities affected by major disasters.
    Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, “Texas is no stranger to natural disasters, and we must do more to ensure our communities can rebuild in times of need. That’s why I’m focused on enhancing the disaster declaration process, ensuring Texans—from small towns and rural areas—can access the resources needed to restore our homes, businesses, and livelihoods. I am proud to partner with Senator Warren alongside Representatives Babin and Garamendi to introduce bipartisan legislation to ensure no community is left behind in the wake of catastrophe.”
    Sen. Warren, “The growing climate crisis means natural disasters and emergencies are only going to become more common. Part of tackling the crisis head on is making sure we’re ready to deliver critical relief to impacted communities when they need it most — the RIDER Act does exactly that.”
    Chief Nim Kidd, Texas Division of Emergency Management said, “Texans are no strangers to natural disasters, and bureaucratic processes that must be endured to unlock federal assistance. The RIDER Act would enhance the flow of federal aid, by cutting through the red tape of technicalities and subjective federal standards to ensure that Texans are able to receive the relief and resources needed to fully recover.”
    Reps. Brian Babin (R-Texas-36) and John Garamendi (D-Calif.-8) have introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    BACKGROUND
    The RIDER Act will:
    Improve the distribution of disaster relief funds by allowing all communities directly affected by a major disaster to be eligible for federal relief, regardless of county or state lines.
    Enable the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to declare major disasters based on cumulative damage to a community over a 12-month period, addressing concerns that existing federal regulations do not sufficiently account for the impact of cumulative disasters on a region.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Contributes $100,000 to Human Trafficking Summit #Notinmycity in 2025

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on September 23, 2024

    The Government of Saskatchewan has announced that it will contribute $100,000 toward The Maddison Sessions, hosted by #NotInMyCity in Saskatoon this upcoming spring, as part of its commitment to address interpersonal violence in the province. Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Laura Ross and Minister of Justice and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre joined Canadian country star Paul Brandt at an announcement this morning.

    Brandt founded #NotInMyCity in 2017. In 2023, the organization launched the first Maddison Sessions conference in Lake Louise, Alberta, for frontline investigators, including police officers and crown prosecutors, to share knowledge and resources to combat human trafficking across Canada. A second conference was held in Kelowna, British Columbia, in 2024.

    The Maddison Sessions is named in honour of Maddison Fraser, who lost her life as a victim of human trafficking in Alberta. This summit helps frontline investigators develop a network of contacts at a national level to work together to combat human trafficking, sexual exploitation and gender-based violence.

    “Awareness, prevention and intervention are all necessary to stop human trafficking and help those affected by this horrible crime,” Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Laura Ross said. “Our government has launched an awareness campaign, and we fund programs and services. Now, by partnering with #NotInMyCity, by helping to bring together those in law enforcement working on the frontlines, we can do more to support survivors and help them find justice.”

    “This is part of the Government of Saskatchewan’s investment of $27 million this year to combat interpersonal violence,” Minister of Justice and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre said. “We are doing everything we can to extend protection to victims, increase enforcement and promote awareness about human trafficking and its consequences.” 

    “Awareness, combined with a ‘no borders’ approach to law enforcement ends exploitation,” founder and CEO of #NotInMyCity Paul Brandt said. “The Government of Saskatchewan’s support of ‘The Maddison Sessions’, a national front-line human trafficking investigator operational summit, sends a powerful message that human trafficking will not be tolerated in Saskatchewan. Not here. Not anywhere.”

    Funding from the Saskatchewan Government is provided through the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.

    “Human trafficking is an abhorrent crime and all levels of government must collaborate to eliminate it from Canada,” Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien said. “The federal government is urgently participating in this effort through the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence, which is funding initiatives like The Maddison Sessions that work on the frontlines to address human trafficking and support survivors.”

    This investment builds on Saskatchewan’s ongoing work to address human trafficking, including:

    • $1.2 million over four years in Hope Restored Canada, to secure housing, counselling and treatment for survivors of human trafficking, through the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence;
    • implementing legislation that allows for protection orders against human traffickers and enables survivors to initiate lawsuits against traffickers impacted by coerced debts; and
    • $6.4 million to fund police positions in the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team. 

    The 2024-25 Provincial Budget dedicates $31.7 million to a range of initiatives across government which address prevention of interpersonal violence and exploitation, including:

    • $439,000 to support 211 Saskatchewan and the Re:CONNECT crisis hotline for those at risk of interpersonal violence, including services available in 175 languages;
    • annualized funding of $328,000 (nearly $1 million over three years) dedicated to second-stage shelters for those escaping abuse;
    • an increase of $577,000 for community-based organizations, including those that provide supports and services to individuals and their families impacted by interpersonal violence and abuse; and
    • ongoing partnerships with community service providers for Family Intervention Rapid Support Teams.

    Anyone seeking support and information about supports for survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation can visit: https://abuse.sk.211.ca/.

    For additional information on Saskatchewan’s ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking, visit:

    https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2024/may/07/government-launches-campaign-to-raise-awareness-of-human-trafficking-and-sexual-exploitation.

    https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2023/december/08/province-invests-12m-to-support-survivors-of-human-trafficking.

    https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2023/november/23/government-introduces-new-protections-for-human-trafficking-survivors.

    https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2021/november/24/province-introduces-new-policing-team-to-fight-drugs-illegal-weapons-and-human-trafficking.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MEMORANDUM: EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 24-208 (Emergency Management – Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine)

    Source: US State of Florida

    TO:                Members of the Press

    FROM:          Bryan Griffin, Director of Communications, Governor Ron DeSantis

    DATE:           Monday, September 23, 2024

    RE:                Executive Order Number 24-208 (Emergency Management – Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine)

    Today, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order (EO) 24-208, Emergency Management – Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, declaring a state of emergency in 41 Florida counties ahead of the storm.

    To read the full executive order, click here or read below:

    STATE OF FLORIDA
    OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
    EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 24-208
    (Emergency Management – Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine)

    WHEREAS, as of 11:00 AM EDT on Monday, September 23, 2024, showers and thunderstorms located over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and portions of Central America have been associated with a broad area of low pressure, now identified as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine; and

    WHEREAS, based on atmospheric and oceanic data, highly conducive environmental conditions are forecast to organize and develop Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine into a tropical depression or tropical storm during the next day or two over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and southeastern Gulf of Mexico, where further development and strengthening is expected; and

    WHEREAS, forecast models indicate that this system will have a vast areal extent, and its impact will likely extend well beyond its center, along the northeast Gulf Coast; and

    WHEREAS, there is a significant threat of storm surge, coastal flooding and erosion, heavy rainfall and flash flooding, and damaging winds to the Florida Gulf Coast; and

    WHEREAS, due to the impacts from Hurricane Debby, the water tables and riverine levels across North and West-Central Florida remain above normal, and the additional incoming heavy rainfall will likely cause significant riverine flooding for an extended period; and

    WHEREAS, the incoming heavy rainfall, flooding, and gusty winds will cause widespread power outages due to fallen trees and powerlines; and

    WHEREAS,     these conditions could damage the operational capability of major interstates, roadways, bridges, airports, schools, hospitals, power grids and other critical infrastructure; and

    WHEREAS, as Governor of Florida, I am responsible to meet the dangers presented to the State of Florida and its people by this emergency.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ron DeSantis, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution and by the Florida Emergency Management Act, as amended, and all other applicable laws, promulgate the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:

    Section 1.        Because of the foregoing conditions, which are projected to constitute a major disaster, I declare that a state of emergency exists in Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington counties.

    Section 2.        I designate the Executive Director of the Division of Emergency Management (“Director”) as the State Coordinating Officer for the duration of this emergency and direct him to execute the State’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and other response, recovery, and mitigation plans necessary to cope with the emergency, including any logistical, rescue or evacuation operations.  Pursuant to section 252.36(1)(a), Florida Statutes, I delegate to the State Coordinating Officer the authority to exercise those powers delineated in sections 252.36(6)-(12), Florida Statutes, which he shall exercise as needed to meet this emergency, subject to the limitations of section 252.33, Florida Statutes.  In exercising the powers delegated by this Executive Order, the State Coordinating Officer shall confer with the Governor to the fullest extent practicable.  The State Coordinating Officer shall also have the authority to:

    A. Invoke and administer the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (“EMAC”) (sections 252.921-252.9335, Florida Statutes) and other compacts and agreements existing between the State of Florida and other states, and the further authority to coordinate the allocation of resources from such other states that are made available to Florida under such compacts and agreements so as to best meet this emergency.

    B. Seek direct assistance and enter into agreements with any and all agencies of the federal government as may be needed to meet this emergency.

    C. Direct all state, regional, and local governmental agencies, including law enforcement agencies, to identify personnel needed from those agencies to assist in meeting the response, recovery, and mitigation needs created by this emergency, and to place all such personnel under the direct command and coordination of the State Coordinating Officer to meet this emergency.

    D. Direct the actions of any state agency as necessary to implement the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Disaster Recovery Framework.

    E. Designate Deputy State Coordinating Officers and Deputy State Disaster Recovery Coordinators, as necessary.

    F. Suspend the effect of any statute, rule, or order that would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay any mitigation, response, or recovery action necessary to cope with this emergency. In accordance with section 252.3611(1), Florida Statutes, any such order, declaration, or other action shall specify each statute or rule being amended or waived, if applicable, and the expiration date for the order or action.

    G. Enter orders as may be needed to implement any of the foregoing powers; however, the requirements of sections 252.46 and 120.54(4), Florida Statutes, do not apply to any such orders issued by the State Coordinating Officer.  No such order shall remain in effect beyond the expiration of this Executive Order, including any extension thereof.

    Section 3.        I order the Adjutant General to activate the Florida National Guard, as needed, to deal with this emergency.  I further order the Director of the Florida State Guard to activate the Florida State Guard, as needed, to respond to this emergency.

    Section 4.        I find that the special duties and responsibilities resting upon some state, regional, and local agencies and other governmental bodies in responding to this emergency may require them to suspend or waive certain statutes, rules, ordinances, and orders they administer.  Therefore, I issue the following authorizations:

    A. Pursuant to section 252.36(6)(a), Florida Statutes, the Executive Office of the Governor may suspend all statutes and rules affecting budgeting to the extent necessary to provide budget authority for state agencies to cope with this emergency.  The requirements of sections 252.46 and 120.54(4), Florida Statutes, do not apply to any such suspension issued by the Executive Office of the Governor.  No such suspension shall remain in effect beyond the expiration of this Executive Order, including any extension thereof.

    B. Each state agency may suspend the provisions of any regulatory statute prescribing the procedures for conduct of state business or the orders or rules of that agency, if strict compliance with the provisions of any such statute, order, or rule would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with the emergency.  This includes, but is not limited to, the authority to suspend any and all statutes, rules, ordinances, or orders which affect leasing, printing, purchasing, travel, and the condition of employment and the compensation of employees.  In accordance with section 252.3611(1), Florida Statutes, any agency order, declaration, or other action suspending a statute or rule shall specify each statute or rule being amended or waived, if applicable, and the expiration date for the order or action.  The requirements of sections 252.46 and 120.54(4), Florida Statutes, shall not apply to any such suspension issued by a state agency. No such suspension shall remain in effect beyond the expiration of this Executive Order, including any extension thereof.

    C. In accordance with section 252.38(3), Florida Statutes, each political subdivision within the State of Florida may waive the procedures and formalities otherwise required of the political subdivision by law pertaining to:

    1) Performance of public work and taking whatever prudent action is necessary to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the community;

    2) Following local procurement and contracting policies;

    3) Entering into contracts; however, political subdivisions are cautioned against entering into time and materials contracts without a ceiling as defined by 2 CFR 200.318(j) or cost plus a percentage of cost contracts prohibited by 2 CFR 200.324(d);

    4) Incurring obligations;

    5) Employment of permanent and temporary workers;

    6) Utilization of volunteer workers;

    7) Rental of equipment;

    8) Acquisition and distribution, with or without compensation, of supplies, materials, and facilities; and

    9) Appropriation and expenditure of public funds.

    D. All agencies whose employees are certified as disaster service volunteers within the meaning of section 110.120(2)(d), Florida Statutes, may, in accordance with section 110.120(3), Florida Statutes, release any such employees for such service as requested by the employee to meet this emergency.

    E. The Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) may:

    1) Waive the collection of tolls and other fees and charges for the use of the Turnpike and other public highways, to the extent such waiver may be needed to provide emergency assistance or facilitate the evacuation of the affected counties;

    2) Manage the flow of traffic or close any and all roads, highways, and portions of highways as may be needed for the safe and efficient transportation of evacuees to those counties that the State Coordinating Officer may designate as destination counties for evacuees in this emergency;

    3) Suspend enforcement of the registration requirements pursuant to section 316.545(4), Florida Statutes, for commercial motor vehicles that enter Florida to provide emergency services or supplies, to transport emergency equipment, supplies or personnel, or to transport FEMA mobile homes or office style mobile homes into or from Florida;

    4) Waive by special permit the warning signal requirements in the Utility Accommodations Manual to accommodate public utility companies from other jurisdictions which render assistance in restoring vital services; and

    5) Waive the size and weight restrictions for divisible loads on any vehicles transporting emergency equipment, services, supplies, and agricultural commodities and citrus as recommended by the Commissioner of Agriculture, allowing the establishment of alternate size and weight restrictions for all such vehicles for the duration of the emergency.  The DOT shall issue permits and such vehicles shall be subject to such special conditions as the DOT may endorse on any such permits.

    Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed to allow any vehicle to exceed weight limits posted for bridges and like structures, or relieve any vehicle or the carrier, owner, or driver of any vehicle from compliance with any restrictions other than those specified in this Executive Order, or from any statute, rule, order, or other legal requirement not specifically waived or suspended herein or by supplemental order by the State Coordinating Officer.

    F. The Executive Director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) may:

    1) Suspend enforcement of the registration requirements pursuant to sections 316.545(4) and 320.0715, Florida Statutes, for commercial motor vehicles that enter Florida to provide emergency services or supplies, to transport emergency equipment, supplies or personnel, or to transport FEMA mobile homes or office style mobile homes into or from Florida;

    2) Waive the hours-of-service requirements for such vehicles;

    3) Suspend the enforcement of the licensing and registration requirements under the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) pursuant to chapter 207, Florida Statutes, and the International Registration Plan (IRP) pursuant to section 320.0715, Florida Statutes, for motor carriers or drivers operating commercial motor vehicles that are properly registered in other jurisdictions and that are participating in emergency relief efforts through the transportation of equipment and supplies or providing other assistance in the form of emergency services;

    4) Waive fees for duplicate or replacement vessel registration certificates, vessel title certificates, vehicle license plates, vehicle registration certificates, vehicle tag certificates, vehicle title certificates, handicapped parking permits, replacement drivers’ licenses, and replacement identification cards and to waive the additional fees for the late renewal of or application for such licenses, certificates, and documents due to the effects of adverse weather conditions; and

    5) Defer administrative actions and waive fees imposed by law for the late renewal or application for the above licenses, certificates, and documents, which were delayed due to the effects of adverse weather conditions, including in counties wherein the DHSMV has closed offices, or any office of the County Tax Collector that acts on behalf of the DHSMV to process renewals has closed offices due to adverse weather conditions.  Recordkeeping and other applicable requirements for existing IFTA and IRP licensees and registrants are not affected by this Executive Order.  The DHSMV shall promptly notify the State Coordinating Officer when the waiver is no longer necessary.

    G. In accordance with section 465.0275(2), Florida Statutes, pharmacists may dispense up to a 30-day emergency prescription refill of maintenance medication to persons who reside in an area or county covered under this Executive Order and to emergency personnel who have been activated by their state or local agency but who do not reside in an area or county covered by this Executive Order.  In accordance with section 465.019(4)(b), Florida Statutes, a hospital that operates a Class II or Class III institutional pharmacy located in an area or county covered under this Executive Order may prescribe and dispense a supply of medicinal drug lasting up to 72 hours.

    H. All state agencies responsible for the use of state buildings and facilities may close such buildings and facilities in those portions of the State affected by this emergency, to the extent necessary to meet this emergency.  I direct each state agency to report the closure of any State building or facility to the WebEOC system utilized by the Division of Emergency Management.  Under the authority contained in section 252.36, Florida Statutes, I direct each county to report the closure of any building or facility operated or maintained by the county or any political subdivision on a daily basis to the WebEOC system.  Furthermore, I direct the Secretary of the Department of Management Services to:

    1) Maintain an accurate and up-to-date list of all such closures; and

    2) Provide that list daily to the State Coordinating Officer.

    I. All State agencies may abrogate the time requirements, notice requirements, and deadlines for final action on applications for permits, licenses, rates, and other approvals under any statutes or rules under which such application are deemed to be approved unless disapproved in writing by specified deadlines.  All such time requirements that have not yet expired as of the date of this Executive Order are suspended and tolled to the extent necessary to meet this emergency.

    J. All agencies shall implement Selected Exempt Services (SES) Extraordinary Payment Plans and Career Service Regular Compensatory Leave Payment Plans for:

    1) All essential agency personnel who are required to work extraordinary hours when state-owned or state-operated facilities are closed in response to an emergency condition.  Employees who are eligible to receive extraordinary pay under the agency’s activated plan shall accrue special compensatory leave credits for work performed during facility closures up to the number of hours in the employee’s established workday.  For these employees, any additional time worked beyond the employee’s established workday during facility closures will result in extraordinary pay;

    2) All agency personnel who are assigned to the State Emergency Operations Center and are required to work extraordinary hours; and

    3)  All agency personnel who are deployed throughout the state in response to an emergency condition and are required to work extraordinary hours.

    K. All State agencies may waive the forty-day time limit to issue a warrant pursuant to section 215.422(3)(b), Florida Statutes.  This waiver applies to invoices and reimbursement requests arising from this emergency that were received, inspected, and approved by the agency prior to the expiration of this Executive Order, including any extension thereof.  This waiver of section 215.422(3)(b), Florida Statutes, and all waivers based upon this waiver shall expire upon the expiration of this Executive Order, including any extension thereof.

    L. The provisions of section 934.50, Florida Statutes, excluding subsection (4), are waived for state and local agencies conducting emergency operations arising from the state of emergency for the limited purpose of capturing aerial evidence concerning the amount of damage sustained to private and public property; to assist in search, rescue, and recovery activities; and prevent imminent danger to life or serious damage to property.

    Section 5.        All public facilities, including elementary and secondary schools, community colleges, state universities, and other facilities owned or leased by the state, regional or local governments that are suitable for use as public shelters shall be made available at the request of the local emergency management agencies to ensure the proper reception and care of all evacuees.  Under the authority contained in section 252.36, Florida Statutes, I direct the Superintendent of each public-school district in the State of Florida to report the closure of any school within its district to the Commissioner of the Florida Department of Education.  Furthermore, I direct the Commissioner of the Department of Education to:

    A. Maintain an accurate and up-to-date list of all such closures; and

    B. Provide that list daily to the State Coordinating Officer.

     Section 6.        I find that the demands placed upon funds specifically appropriated to state and local agencies for disaster relief or response are unreasonably great and that such funds may be inadequate to pay the costs of coping with this emergency.  In accordance with section 252.37(2), Florida Statutes, I direct that sufficient funds be made available, as needed, by transferring and expending moneys from the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund.

     Section 7.        All state agencies entering emergency orders, emergency rules, or other emergency actions in response to this emergency shall advise the State Coordinating Officer contemporaneously or as soon as practicable thereafter, and, pursuant to section 252.36(3)(b), Florida Statutes, shall submit the order or declaration to the Division of Administrative Hearings within five (5) days of issuance.

    Section 8.        Medical professionals and workers, social workers, and counselors with good and valid professional licenses issued by states other than the State of Florida may render such services in Florida during this emergency for persons affected by this emergency with the condition that such services be rendered to such persons free of charge, and with the further condition that such services be rendered under the auspices of the American Red Cross or the Florida Department of Health.

    Section 9. Pursuant to section 501.160, Florida Statutes, it is unlawful and a violation of section 501.204, Florida Statutes, for a person to rent or sell or offer to rent or sell at an unconscionable price within the area for which the state of emergency is declared, any essential commodity including, but not limited to, supplies, services, provisions, or equipment that is necessary for consumption or use as a direct result of the emergency.

    Section 10.        Under the authority contained in sections 252.36(6)(a), (g), and (m), Florida Statutes, I direct that, for the purposes of this emergency, the term “essentials”, as defined by section 252.359(2), Florida Statutes, shall be the same as and no more expansive than the term “commodity”, as defined by section 501.160(1)(a), Florida Statutes (hereinafter referred to collectively or alternatively as “essential commodities”).  Accordingly, any person who delivers essential commodities to a location in the area(s) declared to be under a state of emergency by this Executive Order, and when necessary to ensure that those commodities are made available to the public, may travel within evacuated areas and exceed curfews, provided the State Coordinating Officer determines, after consultation with the appropriate Emergency Support Function(s), that:

    A. Law enforcement officials in the declared area(s) can provide adequate security to protect the essential commodities from theft;

    B. The weight of a delivery vehicle will not jeopardize the structural integrity of any roadway or bridge located within the declared area;

    C. Delivery vehicles will not negatively impact evacuation activities in the declared area(s); and

    D. Delivery vehicles will not negatively impact any response or recovery activities occurring within the declared area(s).

    After consulting with the appropriate Emergency Support Function(s), and after consulting with local officials, the State Coordinating Officer may dictate the routes of ingress, egress, and movement within the declared area(s) that drivers must follow when delivering essential commodities.

    Provided he or she is actually delivering medications, any person authorized to deliver medications under chapter 893, Florida Statutes, qualifies as a person delivering essential commodities.

    In order to qualify as a person delivering essential commodities under this section, a person must be in the process of delivering essential commodities only.  If an individual is transporting both essential and non-essential commodities, then this section shall not provide any authorization for that individual to enter into or move within the declared area(s).

    Section 11.        Consistent with Executive Order 80-29, nothing in this Executive Order shall prevent local jurisdictions in any area not declared to be under a state of emergency by this Executive Order from taking prompt and necessary action to save lives and protect the property of their citizens, including the authority to compel and direct timely evacuation when necessary.

    Section 12.         I authorize the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to distribute funds pursuant to section 420.9073, Florida Statutes, to any county, municipality, or other political subdivision located within the area(s) declared to be under a state of emergency by this Executive Order.  The authority of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to distribute funds in connection with this emergency shall expire six months after the expiration of this Executive Order, including any extension thereof.

         Section 13.      All actions taken by the Director of the Division of Emergency Management with respect to this emergency before the issuance of this Executive Order are ratified.

    Section 14.     This Executive Order is effective immediately and shall expire sixty (60) days from this date unless extended.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Overturning the Biden-Harris De Facto EV Mandate

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04)

    Exactly six months ago, the Biden-Harris Administration’s EPA announced its overreaching and unrealistic vehicle tailpipe emissions rule, which is essentially a de facto ban on the sale of gas-powered and traditional hybrid vehicles, forcing automakers to produce and sell more electric vehicles (EVs). This tone-deaf rule was just another attempt by the Biden-Harris Administration to cater to extreme climate activists.

    Not only are EVs proven less reliable than vehicles with internal combustion engines, but they can also present major financial challenges for consumers in rural areas, like much of the 4th District. This is a reality that can’t be ignored. To make matters worse, scientific data shows that the Biden-Harris Administration’s preposterous push for electrification may actually do more harm than good for our environment.

    If all U.S. passenger cars and light-duty trucks were magically converted to EVs overnight, global greenhouse gas emissions would [theoretically] only be reduced by less than 1% (0.89%), according to data from the U.S. Government. That statistic doesn’t even consider the embedded carbon in EVs due to the massive amounts of mining and mineral processing required to build EVs, nor does it consider the added electricity generation required to meet the needs to power that many EVs. On top of all this, we’re handing the keys to China to produce EV batteries, while taxpayers foot the bill for hundreds of billions of dollars to fund it. This is not only flawed science and lousy policy but would also result in devastating environmental outcomes and economics.

    While EVs are an innovative technology that may be right for some consumers, they are not the solution for long-term and meaningful emissions reductions. They certainly should not be forced onto the American consumer by the federal government, nor should taxpayer dollars fund their production under the false guise of saving the planet.

    I am committed to standing up to onerous rules like this that threaten Americans’ consumer rights. I’m proud to share that this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J. Res 136, a Congressional Review Act (CRA), that I cosponsored to overturn the EPA’s asinine tailpipe vehicle emissions rule. CRAs are tools that Congress can utilize to protect Americans from overreaching rules issued by federal agencies, such as this one. H.J. Res 136 will be a major step in safeguarding our environment and defending Americans’ consumer choice. With the Passage of this CRA, we’re ensuring that American consumers – not the Biden-Harris EPA – decide for themselves what vehicle works best for their families.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During January 6 Capitol Breach

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

                WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was sentenced to prison after he was previously found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                William Dunfee, 59, of Frazeysburg, Ohio, was sentenced on Sept. 19, 2024, to 30 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. Judge Walton sentenced Dunfee on one felony offense of civil disorder and a misdemeanor offense of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.

                Dunfee was convicted of two felony offenses of obstruction of an official proceeding or aiding and abetting and civil disorder and the misdemeanor offense of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds following a bench trial before Judge Walton on Jan. 22, 2024.

                According to court documents, Dunfee, a pastor of the New Beginnings Ministry Warsaw, in Warsaw, Ohio, posted a video to social media on Dec. 27, 2020, via the Ministry’s Facebook page, telling his congregation that “The Government, the tyrants, the socialists, the Marxists, the progressives, the RINOs, they fear you. And they should. Our problem is we haven’t given them reason to fear us.” Later he stated, “As I said earlier in another previous sermon is this, they used to tell us, you know what, you settle your differences at the ballot. How did that work out for us? It’s not over.” He added, “January 4th through 6th … Are you ready?”

                On Jan. 6, 2021, Dunfee illegally entered the Capitol grounds and, using a bull horn, he repeatedly exhorted the crowd. In a video filmed at the Capitol, Dunfee tells the mob: “This election has been stolen right out from underneath of our noses and it is time for the American people to rise up. Rise up. Rise up. Today is the day in which it is that these elected officials realize that we are no longer playing games. That we are not sheeple that are just going to be corralled according to their whims and their wills.” Later in the video, Dunfee stated, “We will stand up for our country. We are standing up for our freedoms. We are standing up for our president. And today is the day these elected officials, these senators and these congressmen, understand that we are not going to allow this to continue any longer.”

                At 1:35 p.m., Dunfee announced: “Mister police officers, we want you to understand something. We want you to understand something. We want Donald Trump and if Donald Trump is not coming, we are taking our house. We are taking our house.”

                Minutes later, at 1:44 p.m., Dunfee pushed a metal barricade against officers with the U.S. Capitol Police, who were attempting to hold the line. He pushed against the barricade a second time at approximately 1:58 p.m. He moved to the front of a crowd of rioters at the East Front entrance to the Capitol. Dunfee walked away from the East Front doors as others moved into the building, but he remained in the area. As rioters exited the building, one stated, “We did it. We shut ‘em all down. We did our job.” Dunfee responded, “Hallelujah,” and told the crowd, “Mission accomplished.”

                Surveillance cameras captured Dunfee’s actions that day. Videos and images show Dunfee physically resisting U.S. Capitol Police by pushing against a metal barricade and subsequently entering the restricted areas of the U.S. Capitol grounds. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

                This case was investigated by the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

                In the 44 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,504 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 560 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

                Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas “Proud Boy” Found Guilty of Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Action During January 6 Capitol Breach

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

             WASHINGTON – A Texas man and member of the Proud Boys was found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges on September 18, 2024, related to his conduct during the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

             Jeffrey David Reed, 49, of Rosanky, Texas, was found guilty of a felony offense of civil disorder and misdemeanor offenses of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

             Reed was convicted by U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg following a bench trial in District Court for the District of Columbia. Chief Judge Boasberg will sentence Reed on December 20, 2024.

             According to evidence presented during the trial, Reed, a member of the Proud Boys’ Hudson Valley chapter in New York, participated in the January 6, 2021, events in Washington, D.C., as part of the group’s organized efforts. Specifically, Reed was part of the group who broke through metal bike rack barriers, and snow fencing with “Area Closed” signs, to push through a line of officers at the first breach of the restricted perimeter near the Peace Circle.

             This forced police officers, overrun by the numbers of the crowd, to run back up the Pennsylvania Walkway toward the Capitol and regroup, forming a second police line between rioters and the Capitol. As the crowd advanced, Reed ran up to the front of the mob and reached the next set of barricades, consisting of metal bike racks. Capitol Police had erected these barriers to protect the Capitol and keep the crowd at bay. Reed grabbed one of the bike racks with both hands, lifted it, and moved it aside, clearing a path for thousands of rioters to push forward toward the Capitol building. The overwhelmed police officers, outnumbered by the advancing mob, were forced to retreat on the West Plaza.

             Reed continued onward toward the Capitol, confronting a third police line formed by officers behind a metal railing that was part of the construction for the Inaugural Stage. At this point, still at the front of the crowd, Reed was face to face with officers—yelling and pointing at them. Despite law enforcement’s efforts to hold the line for over an hour, they were ultimately overrun. The mob, emboldened by their numbers, surged forward once again, overpowering the police and advancing onto the Capitol’s West Plaza. During the crowd’s efforts to stop the crowd from gaining access to a critical access point—the Southwest staircase—Reed physically pulled another metal bike rack with both hands, using his body weight to try to yank the bike rack away from a police officer. This struggle ended in an officer falling to the ground. The crowd, including Reed, stormed the Southwest staircase and the Inaugural Stage before breaching the Capitol building itself.

             At approximately 2:26 p.m., Reed entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing Door, stepping over broken glass and into the chaos. Once inside, he made his way to the Speaker’s Lobby, just outside the House Chamber. Reed exited the Capitol approximately 16 minutes later, through the East Rotunda Door, at around 2:49 p.m. Once exiting the Capitol, Reed remained on Capitol grounds in the restricted area on the East front—climbing on top of law enforcement vehicles and ripping up a “Police Lives Matter” flag on the East steps of the Capitol.

              This case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

             This case is being investigated by the FBI’s San Antonio and Washington Field Offices, as well as the New York Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

             In the 44 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,504 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 560 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

             Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Men Sentenced for Actions During January 6 Capitol Breach

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

              WASHINGTON – Four men from Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia were sentenced to various terms after they were convicted of multiple felony and misdemeanor charges related to their conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

              Sentenced on Sept. 19, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb are Stephen Chase Randolph, 34, of Harrodsburg Kentucky; James Tate Grant, 31, of Cary, North Carolina; Jason Benjamin Blythe, 28, of Fort Worth, Texas; and Paul Russell Johnson, 38, of Lanexa, Virginia.

              Randolph was sentenced to 8 years in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

              Grant was sentenced to 36 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

              Blythe was sentenced to 30 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

              Johnson was sentenced to five years of probation, conditions of which include, intermittent confinement on the weekends for the first year, followed by two years of home and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and $2,000 in restitution. 

              A fifth defendant, Ryan Samsel, 40, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, will be sentenced on February 4, 2025

              All five defendants were convicted of civil disorder. Ryan Samsel and Steven Chase Randolph were found guilty of assaulting Officer C.E. with a deadly or dangerous weapon and inflicting bodily injury (a metal crowd control barrier). James Tate Grant, Paul Russell Johnson, and Benjamin Blythe were found guilty of assaulting Officer D.C. with a deadly or dangerous weapon (a metal crowd control barrier). Randolph was convicted of an additional felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding Officer D.C. Samsel was convicted of additional felony charges of civil disorder, assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon (a wooden plank).

              According to evidence presented during the trial, the group participated in the first breach of the restricted Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, and led the initial attack on United States Capitol Police (USCP) officers. Their attack paved the way for thousands of rioters to storm the Capitol grounds.

              At approximately 12:40 p.m., the five men joined with other rioters at the Peace Circle, across from the Capitol grounds. Here, the sidewalk at the edge of the Capitol grounds across the street from the Peace Circle was blocked by linked bike-rack barricades. A second set of bike rack barricades, with signs that read “Area Closed By Order of the United States Capitol Police Board” and reinforced with snow fencing and zip ties, barred the way up the Pennsylvania Walkway, a footpath that runs from the Capitol to the sidewalk across the street from the Peace Circle.

              At about 12:50 p.m., Samsel approached the first barricade, opened a section, entered the restricted grounds, and approached the Capitol via the Pennsylvania Walkway. This marked the first breach of the restricted perimeter. Grant followed closely behind Samsel and waived the crowd forward onto the restricted grounds. Defendants Johnson, Blythe, Randolph, and others in the crowd followed Grant and Samsel past the first barricade and walked toward the officers standing behind the second barricade. At around that same time, Johnson shouted a series of exclamations, including “Let’s go!” “We pay your bills!” and “You back the f— off!” over his megaphone.

              Samsel and Grant then began to forcibly push and pull on the second barricade while officers held it in place. Samsel stopped pushing long enough to remove his denim jacket, hand it to someone off-camera, and turn his red “Make America Great Again” hat around backward. Johnson handed off his megaphone and backpack to someone behind him in the crowd. Randolph began to forcibly push and pull on the fence directly across from USCP officers. Johnson, Grant and Samsel joined Randolph in lifting the linked metal bike rack barricade off the ground. Blythe moved forward and grabbed the barricade with the other four defendants, and the five drove the metal bike rack barricade into a line of USCP officers.

              As they drove the metal bike rack barricade at the police line, one officer was struck in the face. The force of the strike threw the officer backward and caused the officer to slam their head twice: first against a metal handrail, then against the stairs. The officer lost consciousness and suffered a concussion. Another officer was driven several feet backward by the metal bike rack barricade until the back of their body ran into the stairwell and handrail behind them.

              After the five defendants pushed the metal bike rack barricade into the USCP officers, Randolph jumped over the barricade and grabbed an officer. By this point, the barricades were down, and the officers outmanned. The defendants and the rest of the rioters quickly overwhelmed the police line, and the USCP officers retreated backward toward the Capitol building. The rioters, including the five defendants, then walked to the Capitol building.

    Each of the five men continued to fuel the riot on January 6th. Samsel assaulted other officers, Johnson incited the crowd over a megaphone, and Grant entered the Capitol building, while Blythe and Randolph climbed to the Upper West Terrace. The five remained at the Capitol for hours. Samsel’s additional assaultive and destructive conduct included grabbing the riot shield of a law enforcement officer while rioters were attempting to overtake police, tearing through the tarp in the scaffolding on the Capitol grounds, waving a flag in the officers’ faces, and taking a 2×4 plank of wood from the scaffolding and throwing it at a group of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers as they struggled to maintain a police line.

              Defendant Grant climbed through one of the broken windows next to the Senate Wing door and into the Capitol building at approximately 2:50 p.m. He then stormed the halls with other rioters and was recorded with others inside Senator Merkley’s office. Blythe stayed on the Capitol grounds for hours. He climbed the media tower at the steps of the Capitol and joined others in resisting officers who were attempting to clear rioters.

              Johnson moved with rioters to the West Plaza. Using his megaphone, Johnson loudly and continuously shouted commands to the crowd, alerted them to what he perceived to be happening inside the building, and encouraged them to take action to stop the Congressional proceedings from taking place. Randolph also remained on Capitol grounds for hours, eventually climbing onto the Upper West Terrace, where he observed law enforcement engaged in a struggle with rioters inside and outside the inaugural archway, also known as the Tunnel.

              This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Eastern District of North Carolina, Eastern District of Virginia, Eastern District of Kentucky, and the Northern District of Texas.

              This case was investigated by the FBI field offices in Philadelphia, Charlotte, Norfolk, Louisville, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. Samsel was identified as BOLO #51, Grant #50, Johnson #49, Randolph #168, and Blythe #52 on the FBI’s seeking information photos.

              In the 44 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,504 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 560 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

              Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Last Two Defendants in the Violent Kennedy Street Crew Case Plead Guilty to Narcotics and Firearms Counts

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

    The KDY Crew Operated Open-Air Drug Markets in Northwest Washington D.C.

               WASHINGTON – Khali Ahmed Brown, 23, Keion Michael Brown, 21, members of the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), pleaded guilty today to narcotics and firearms charges for their roles in a massive drug trafficking organization that operated open-air markets in Northwest Washington D.C. 

               Khali Brown, aka “Migo Lee,” of Washington D.C., who many view as the face of KDY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, fentanyl, and oxycodone. He also pleaded guilty to charges of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and assault with a dangerous weapon for his role in a November 18, 2022, shooting just outside Jackson-Reed High School.

               His brother, Keion Michael Brown, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and oxycodone and a charge of possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell scheduled sentencing on December 12, 2024, for both men. 

               The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Washington Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office.

                “The prosecution targeted leaders and key members of the KDY street crew–one of the largest, oldest, and most violent street crews in our city,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “With these guilty pleas, every defendant charged in connection with this investigation has now pled guilty to charges that will ensure that they will be removed from, and no longer driving violence in, our community.”

                “DEA’s top operational priority is combatting the current fentanyl crisis and the drug-related violence that is devastating the very foundation of our community and family structures,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division.  Today’s guilty plea clearly shows that Mr. Brown, aka “Migo Lee,” and his associations with violent criminal drug trafficking networks like the Kennedy Street Crew showed little respect for the wellbeing of the community.  We are taking a strong stance and implementing strict measures to protect every city neighborhood.”

               According to court documents, KDY members operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate its drug trade and defend its territory from rival crews. During the charged conspiracy, from June 2019 to June 2023, on KDY territory there were five homicides, resulting in the deaths of seven and the wounding of six additional individuals, one assault with intent to kill with three wounded, and 19 assaults with a deadly weapon.

               Khali Brown was among the charged defendants who played a key role in smuggling bulk quantities of marijuana from the West Coast to the DMV area, which allowed the crew to sell at significant profits and thereby fuel its operations.

               Both defendants maintained stash houses of KDY’s controlled substances and fire power.  By way of illustration, on January 26, 2023, law enforcement conducted an interdiction at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) in anticipation of several KDY members, including Khali Brown, smuggling marijuana back to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area through BWI via an overnight flight from LAX. During the interdiction, law enforcement seized five of the checked bags containing 39.2 kilograms of marijuana, but Khali Brown and his co-defendant Herman Signou evaded law enforcement with some of their luggage and  traveled to a stash house at the 1700 block of D Street NE.

               Hours later, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence, where officers found Khali Brown, Keion Brown, and co-defendants Tristan Ware, Jovan Williams, and Herman Signou, among other KDY associates. Inside, law enforcement seized ten firearms (including two machine guns), assorted ammunition, 21 kilograms of marijuana, 39.5 grams of fentanyl-laced pills, and oxycodone pills in suitcases consistent with those taken from the airport during the BWI interdiction. Among the firearms recovered was the Glock 17 9mm firearm that Khali Brown and his co-conspirators had used in the November 18, 2022, shooting outside Jackson-Reed High School.

               When Khali Brown and two co-defendants were arrested on June 26, 2023, at yet another stash house in the 1300 block of 5th Street NW, inside the residence were approximately 3.5 kilograms of marijuana, $2,710 in cash and five machine guns, and one firearm. 

              Keion Brown was a wanted fugitive when, on November 17, 2023, officers tracked him and his associates, including Jovan Williams, to a laundry room on the 4700 block of Benning Road NE. Law enforcement arrested Keion Brown, Jovan Williams, and an associate and found four firearms concealed within the laundry room, including Keion Brown’s machine gun.

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

               It was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, ATF’s Washington Field Division, with assistance from FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office.

               It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi, of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Lynch.

    DEFENDANTS

    NAME

    AGE

    CHARGES
    Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga 27 Pleaded Guilty 9/15/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee” 23 Pleaded Guilty 9/20/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, Fentanyl, and Oxycodone; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
    Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford” 21 Sentenced 8/16/2024, to 60 Months for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Keion Michael Brown 21 Pleaded Guilty 9/20/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and Cocaine Base; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy” 23 Pleaded Guilty 7/11/2024 to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Jovan Williams, aka “Chewy” 19 Pleaded Guilty on 9/5/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana and Armed Carjacking.
    Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour” 23 Sentenced 3/22/2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.
    Cameron Xavier Reid 26 Sentenced 5/31/2024, to Five Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.
    Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby” 27 Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base.
    David Penn, aka “Turtle” 30 Pleaded Guilty 6/27/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute 40 Grams of Fentanyl and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy” 29 Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King” 22 Sentenced 2/8/2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment.
    Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle” 27 Sentenced 4/26/2024, to 15 months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base.
    Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui” 29 Pleaded Guilty 6/12/2024, to Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub 26 Sentenced 5/16/2024, to 90 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Juwan Demetrius Clark, aka “Juan” and “Squirrel” 28 Pleaded Guilty 9/17/2024, to Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments.
    Adebayo Adediji Green 30 Sentenced 8/16/2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense.

    Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA. Green is from Hyattsville, MD. All remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.

    23cr0202

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mount Pleasant — Mount Pleasant man arrested on child pornography charges

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Nova Scotia RCMP’s Provincial Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit has arrested a Mount Pleasant man for child pornography offences.

    On September 11, ICE and RCMP Digital Forensic Services, assisted by Cumberland County District RCMP and the Cumberland Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit, executed a search warrant at a home in Mount Pleasant.

    Investigators were directed to the residence after an electronic service provider notified law enforcement that child pornography was being shared using their service.

    As a result of the search and subsequent investigation, Winston Kechego, 31, has been charged with two counts of Transmitting Child Pornography and three counts of Possessing Child Pornography.

    Kechego was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in Amherst Provincial Court on November 4.

    In Nova Scotia, it is mandatory for citizens to report suspected child pornography. This means that anyone who encounters child pornography material or recordings must report it to police. Failure to report could result in penalties similar to failure to report child abuse under the Child and Family Services Act. The RCMP encourages citizens to be a voice for children who are victims of sexual exploitation by reporting suspected offences to their local police or by using Canada’s national tip line: www.cybertip.ca.

    File #: 2023-1855956

    Note: The Cumberland Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit includes members of the Cumberland County District RCMP and the Amherst Police Department.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to High-Level Side Event: Ways to Include Women in the Future of Afghanistan [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The women and girls of Afghanistan face a deep crisis of gender-based discrimination and oppression.

    The new law enacted last month formalized the systematic erasure of women and girls from public life.

    Afghan women and girls are largely confined to their homes, with no freedom of movement and almost no access to education or work.

    They are even banned from singing or raising their voices in public.

    The law is the latest in a series of edicts and decrees that strip Afghan women and girls of their rights and freedoms across the board.

    At the same time, Afghan women suffer high rates of gender-based violence, so-called honour killings, and rising maternal mortality.

    They have told the United Nations that they feel unsafe, isolated and powerless as they lose the ability to provide for their families or contribute to their communities.  

    Many Afghan women speak of losing hope and living like shadows, moving around silently in the darkness, and always fearing punishment.

    Dear friends,

    Extreme gender-based discrimination is not only a systematic abuse of women and girls and a violation of human rights conventions and laws.

    It is self-harm on a national scale.

    It completely undermines the de facto authorities’ stated objective of economic self-reliance.

    Educating girls is one of the fastest ways to kick-start economic development and improve the health, wellbeing and prosperity of communities and entire societies.

    Women’s participation and leadership has proven benefits for peace and security, social protection, environmental stability and more. 

    Afghanistan faces serious challenges in all these areas.

    Without educated women, without women in employment, including in leadership roles, and without recognizing the rights and freedoms of one-half of its population, Afghanistan will never take its rightful place on the global stage.
     
    Countries and organizations around the world, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, have called strongly for respect for the fundamental rights of Afghan girls and women.

    I join them in demanding that the de facto authorities remove all discriminatory restrictions against women and girls immediately, and reopen schools and universities to girls beyond grade six.

    Dear friends,

    The United Nations continues to engage with Afghan women and women’s groups, to preserve the space for them to operate, and to serve as a conduit for dialogue with the de facto authorities.

    Afghan women show remarkable courage in demanding and pursuing their rights, running businesses in difficult conditions, delivering humanitarian aid, and in online campaigns.

    The international community stands in solidarity with them.

    We will continue to amplify the voices of Afghan women and call for them to play a full role in the country’s life, both inside its borders and on the global stage.

    We will never allow gender-based discrimination to become normalized anywhere in the world.

    What is happening in Afghanistan can be compared with some of the most egregious systems of oppression in recent history.

    I thank the Permanent Missions of Ireland, Qatar, Indonesia and Switzerland and the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan for convening these important discussions on how women and girls can play a full role in Afghanistan’s future.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to High-Level Side Event: Ways to Include Women in the Future of Afghanistan [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations – English

    he women and girls of Afghanistan face a deep crisis of gender-based discrimination and oppression.

    The new law enacted last month formalized the systematic erasure of women and girls from public life.

    Afghan women and girls are largely confined to their homes, with no freedom of movement and almost no access to education or work.

    They are even banned from singing or raising their voices in public.

    The law is the latest in a series of edicts and decrees that strip Afghan women and girls of their rights and freedoms across the board.

    At the same time, Afghan women suffer high rates of gender-based violence, so-called honour killings, and rising maternal mortality.

    They have told the United Nations that they feel unsafe, isolated and powerless as they lose the ability to provide for their families or contribute to their communities.  

    Many Afghan women speak of losing hope and living like shadows, moving around silently in the darkness, and always fearing punishment.

    Dear friends,

    Extreme gender-based discrimination is not only a systematic abuse of women and girls and a violation of human rights conventions and laws.

    It is self-harm on a national scale.

    It completely undermines the de facto authorities’ stated objective of economic self-reliance.

    Educating girls is one of the fastest ways to kick-start economic development and improve the health, wellbeing and prosperity of communities and entire societies.

    Women’s participation and leadership has proven benefits for peace and security, social protection, environmental stability and more. 

    Afghanistan faces serious challenges in all these areas.

    Without educated women, without women in employment, including in leadership roles, and without recognizing the rights and freedoms of one-half of its population, Afghanistan will never take its rightful place on the global stage.
     
    Countries and organizations around the world, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, have called strongly for respect for the fundamental rights of Afghan girls and women.

    I join them in demanding that the de facto authorities remove all discriminatory restrictions against women and girls immediately, and reopen schools and universities to girls beyond grade six.

    Dear friends,

    The United Nations continues to engage with Afghan women and women’s groups, to preserve the space for them to operate, and to serve as a conduit for dialogue with the de facto authorities.

    Afghan women show remarkable courage in demanding and pursuing their rights, running businesses in difficult conditions, delivering humanitarian aid, and in online campaigns.

    The international community stands in solidarity with them.

    We will continue to amplify the voices of Afghan women and call for them to play a full role in the country’s life, both inside its borders and on the global stage.

    We will never allow gender-based discrimination to become normalized anywhere in the world.

    What is happening in Afghanistan can be compared with some of the most egregious systems of oppression in recent history.

    I thank the Permanent Missions of Ireland, Qatar, Indonesia and Switzerland and the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan for convening these important discussions on how women and girls can play a full role in Afghanistan’s future.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: FACT SHEET: President  Biden Commemorates Historic Climate Legacy during Climate Week  NYC

    Source: The White House

    President Biden will deliver remarks tomorrow highlighting his climate, conservation, clean energy, and environmental justice agenda, which is lowering costs, creating good-paying and union jobs, and reducing harmful emissions

    Meanwhile, House Republicans continue reckless attempts to roll back climate, conservation, and clean energy investments

    When President Biden took office, he pledged to restore America’s climate leadership at home and abroad. Every day since, the Biden-Harris Administration has led and delivered on the most ambitious climate, conservation, clean energy, and environmental justice agenda in history, including securing the largest ever climate investment and unleashing a clean energy manufacturing boom that has attracted hundreds of billions of dollars in private sector investment; created hundreds of thousands of new clean energy jobs; and lowered energy costs for families while delivering cleaner air and water for communities across the country.

    As business leaders, government officials, young people, and other advocates from around the world gather in New York City to participate in Climate Week, tomorrow President Biden will deliver remarks in New York City highlighting his Administration’s unprecedented progress in tackling the climate crisis, cutting energy costs for everyday Americans, and creating good-paying union jobs.

    Meanwhile, as President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to implement their Investing in America agenda, many Congressional Republicans continue to deny the impacts of climate change and are actively working to roll back this Administration’s historic and urgent climate investments – in fact, House Republicans have voted more than 50 times to repeal parts of President Biden’s climate investments. The contrast couldn’t be clearer.

    From replacing toxic lead pipes and modernizing our electric grid to reducing air pollution and conserving our nation’s lands and waters, President Biden and Vice President Harris have positioned America to lead the global effort against climate change and protect the health, safety, and economic vitality of our communities and our environment for generations to come. 

    Biden-Harris Administration’s Top Climate Accomplishments

    Deploying Clean, Affordable Electricity and Strengthening America’s Power Grid
    Through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, President Biden has secured unprecedented investments in a clean power sector, unleashing a boom in American solar, wind, battery storage, nuclear, and other clean energy technologies that are creating good-paying jobs and saving families money on utility bills. President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is supporting the U.S. offshore wind industry, transmission buildout and other power grid upgrades, residential solar for low-income households, investments in clean electricity across rural America, efficient permitting to get new projects built, and American manufacturing of clean energy technologies. Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, the US has added more than 100 gigawatts of new clean energy – enough to power more than 25 million homes. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, clean energy project developers get access to expanded tax incentives if they pay workers prevailing wages and employ registered apprentices,  build their projects with domestic content, or locate projects in historic energy communities—provisions that are helping make more clean energy jobs good-paying and union jobs, supporting American manufacturing, and driving clean energy investment to the places that can benefit the most.

     
    Bolstering Climate Resilience and Adaptation

    The Biden-Harris Administration is taking a whole-of-government approach to addressing climate impacts, including through Federal climate adaptation planning and integrating consideration of climate impacts into Federal policies, programs, and funding. The Administration released a National Climate Resilience Framework and President Biden secured more than $50 billion for climate resilience and adaptation investments that are upgrading aging roads and bridges, including critical evacuation routes; restoring critical waterways, forests, and urban greenspaces; building forest health and reducing wildfire risk; bolstering water infrastructure and drought resilience across the American West; reducing the risk to federal assets from future floods; and modernizing our electric grid. Through portals like Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) and Heat.gov, the Administration is equipping communities with the information and resources they need to assess climate risks and implement adaptation actions in their communities. With historic investments from the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Administration stabilized the short-term security of the Colorado River and is making investments to ensure the long-term stability of the Colorado River Basin.
     
    Accelerating a Clean Transportation Future

    Last year, the Biden-Harris Administration released the National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, a landmark strategy for eliminating nearly all greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. transportation sector by 2050. The Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act invest tens of billions to decarbonize maritime,  trucking, transit, rail, and aviation, all while making communities more walkable, bikeable, and connected. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is also investing $7.5 billion to build a nationwide network of convenient, reliable electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure along corridors and within communities, and $5 billion to put clean school buses on our roads. In addition, the President rallied automakers and autoworkers around a historic goal of having electric vehicles account for at least 50% of new passenger vehicles sold by 2030. To support this goal while driving down consumer costs, the Administration secured tax credits that reduce the cost of new or used clean vehicles by thousands of dollars directly at the dealership as well as tax credits to deploy EV charging and alternative fueling infrastructure to support clean vehicle deployment needs for individuals and businesses within rural and low income communities. The Administration is also leading by example to electrify the federal vehicle fleet, including 66,000 U.S. Postal Service delivery vehicles over five years.

     
    Cutting Energy Costs and Pollution at Homes, Schools, and in Communities

    Last year, 3.4 million American families saved $8.4 billion from IRA home energy tax credits for heat pumps, insulation, solar, and other clean energy technologies, and today states across the US are rolling out IRA rebates of up to $14,000 per household to help low- and middle-income families afford cost-saving electric appliances and energy efficiency improvements. The President established a $20 billion national clean energy financing network that will support tens of thousands of clean energy projects and cost-saving retrofits, reducing or avoiding up to 40 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually over the next seven years. The Biden-Harris Administration has also strengthened energy efficiency standards to save households and businesses money, with standards updated by DOE for dozens of appliances expected to provide nearly $1 trillion in consumer savings over 30 years, saving the average household more than $100 a year while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2 billion metric tons. Schools across the country are using IRA clean energy tax credits and elective pay to install solar, energy storage, and ground source heat pumps.

    Revitalizing American Manufacturing for the Clean Economy

    President Biden’s Investing in America agenda has helped catalyze historic manufacturing growth, with factories opening across the nation. The private sector has committed over $910 billion in investments in American manufacturing and clean energy, including sectors central to our industrial strength. The President’s agenda is helping to make U.S. manufacturing the cleanest and most competitive in the world. The Inflation Reduction Act is investing more than $6 billion to slash climate pollution and support workers and community health at U.S. factories producing the steel, aluminum, cement, and other materials that form the backbone of our economy, nearly $2 billion to support shuttered or at-risk auto facilities retain or re-hire workers to support manufacturing in the electric vehicle supply chain, over $3 billion to bolster battery manufacturing, and over $4 billion through the Federal Buy Clean Initiative to bolster markets to buy cleaner materials. The Biden-Harris Administration’s historic steps to reduce super-polluting methane and hydrofluorocarbons are also harnessing American innovation and creating good-paying union jobs. 
     
    Advancing Environmental Justice

    Since Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized a whole-of-government approach to environmental justice. The President signed a historic Executive Order that mobilizes the federal government to bring clean energy and healthy environments to all and mitigate harm to those who have suffered from pollution and environmental burdens like climate change. Through the Justice40 Initiative, over 500 programs across 19 federal agencies are being reimagined and transformed to maximize the benefits of President Biden’s unprecedented investments – from clean energy projects to floodwater protections to wastewater infrastructure – to communities that need them most. At the same time, the Administration is taking unprecedented action to protect communities from PFAS pollution, accelerate Superfund and brownfield cleanups, tighten standards for hazardous air pollutants, and enhance air quality enforcement. To ensure the voices, perspectives, and lived experiences of communities with environmental justice concerns are heard in the White House and reflected in federal priorities, policies, investments, and decision-making, President Biden also created the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
     
    Delivering Clean Water and Replacing Lead Pipes

    President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting to ensure a future where every American has access to clean, safe water. The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests over $50 billion in upgrading the nation’s water infrastructure – the largest investment in clean water in American history. The Administration has already launched over 1,700 projects to expand access to clean drinking water, replace lead pipes, improve wastewater and sanitation infrastructure, and remove PFAS pollution in water. The Biden-Harris Administration invested over $1 billion from the President’s Investing in America agenda to specifically accelerate the delivery of drinking water and community sanitation infrastructure projects in Indian Country, where almost 50% of communities are lacking this basic human right. President Biden has also made a commitment to replace every toxic lead pipe in the country within a decade, protecting families from lead poisoning that can irreversibly harm brain development in children.


    Empowering Every Community to Advance Climate Solutions

    The historic set of federal actions that the Biden-Harris Administration has taken are supporting communities across the country in seizing opportunities in the clean energy economy. The Administration has mobilized billions of dollars in investment in the energy communities and workers that have powered our nation for generations. To help young people access skills-based training for good-paying careers in the clean energy and climate resilience economy, the Administration launched the American Climate Corps, which will mobilize a new, diverse generation of more than 20,000 Americans. And with direct support from the Administration’s Investing in America Agenda, more than 45 states and more than 200 Tribes, territories, and metro areas have now developed their own Climate Action Plans. All of these foundational efforts will support climate solutions in the near-term and for years to come, helping the nation achieve the goal of reducing climate pollution by 50-52% below 2005 levels in 2030 and reaching a net-zero economy by no later than 2050.

    Conserving our Lands and Waters

    President Biden’s America the Beautiful initiative is supporting and accelerating voluntary, locally led conservation and restoration efforts across the country, and with 42 million acres already protected under President Biden, the U.S. is on track to meet the first-ever national goal to conserve at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030. The Biden-Harris Administration has established or expanded eight national monuments and restored protections for three more; created five new national wildlife refuges and significantly expanded five more; established two new national marine sanctuaries and begun the process to designate or expand protections for five more; created one new national estuarine research reserve; protected the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, the nation’s most visited wilderness area; safeguarded Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska from the impacts of mining; protected the Arctic Ocean from oil and gas development; and withdrawn Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and Thompson Divide in Colorado from further oil and gas leasing which will protect pristine lands and thousands of sacred sites. The Administration also directed the conservation of old-growth and mature forests, put conservation on equal footing with development in managing our public lands, launched the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge to protect, restore, and reconnect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of our nation’s river and streams, protected vast areas of caribou habitat in the Western Arctic for future generations, and is advancing the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of California.
     
    Rallying Leaders of the World’s Largest Economies to Raise Global Climate Ambition

    President Biden has restored America’s climate leadership at home and abroad. Under his leadership, the Administration is securing commitments from more than 155 countries to reduce methane emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030; successfully galvanizing other countries at COP28 to commit, for the first time, to transition away from unabated fossil fuels, stop building new unabated coal capacity globally, and triple renewable energy globally by 2030 and nuclear energy by 2050; launching a new Clean Energy Supply Chain Collaborative to work with international partners to diversify supply chains that are critical to a clean and secure energy transition; mobilizing other governments to follow the U.S. lead and commit to achieve net-zero government emissions by 2050 through a new Net-Zero Government Initiative; and becoming a world leader in innovative debt-for-nature swaps that have helped countries restructure over $2 billion in debt and unlock hundreds of millions of new financing for nature and climate.

    Accelerating Federal Permitting to Deliver Clean Energy and Infrastructure More Quickly

    The Biden-Harris Administration has taken action to accelerate clean energy infrastructure and deliver other critical projects by securing and directing long overdue resources to improve and accelerate permitting and environmental reviews. The Administration also finalized the Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule to address climate change, protect public health, encourage better environmental outcomes, and promote meaningful public input on Federal decisions and projects.

    House Republicans Continue Attempting to Roll Back Climate Protections

    As President Biden and Vice President Harris implement the most ambitious and impactful climate and conservation agenda in history, House Republicans are taking action right now that would roll back investments in climate, clean energy, and public health. House Republicans’ efforts to gut climate protections through a variety of avenues – including appropriations bills, Congressional Review Act resolutions, and other legislative actions – would raise consumer energy costs, undermine public health protections, worsen the impacts of extreme weather events, and destroy environmental safeguards for our lands and waters.

    Ongoing attempts by Congressional Republicans to roll back climate and environmental protections would:

    Raise Consumer Energy Costs, including by:

    Gut Public Health Protections, including by:

    • Trying to overturn Biden-Harris Administration rules that protect communities from coal plants’ water pollution, air pollution, and waste disposal.
    • Trying to overturn a Biden-Harris Administration rule that will reduce by 96% the number of people with elevated cancer risk near certain chemical plants, by reducing emissions of toxic chloroprene and ethylene oxide from those facilities.
    • Rolling back the Clean School Bus program that will reduce climate pollution and provide cleaner air for our nation’s children.
    • Undermining clean air progress by trying to overturn rules that reduce pollution from power plants, cars and trucks , and industrial sources.
    • Taking steps to block new Biden-Harris Administration rules to protect coal and other miners from toxic silica dust.

    Destroy Protections for Our Lands and Waters, including by:

    • Trying to eliminate Presidential authority to establish national monuments altogether.
    • Working to dismantle President Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative.
    • Threatening to expose cherished landscapes to new drilling, including 13 million acres of special areas in the Western Arctic.
    • Planning to reduce accountability for oil and gas companies.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $400K restitution in the mail to Ilwaco mobile home park residents as a result of successful AG lawsuit

    Source: Washington State News

    Owners issued unlawful eviction and utility shut-off notices to residents

    OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that approximately $400,000 in restitution is on its way to current and former residents of an Ilwaco mobile home park. The owners, Michael and Denise Werner and their companies, including Deer Point Meadows Investments, are paying nearly $1.1 million as part of a legally binding resolution to Ferguson’s consumer protection lawsuit over the Werners’ unlawful eviction and utility shutoff notices.

    In 2022, the Werners and their agents distributed eviction and utility shutoff notices to residents of the Beacon RV mobile home park, signed by “Management,” despite not yet owning the park. While distributing the notices, two of the agents were visibly armed with firearms.

    In written communication, Denise Werner described the Beacon RV residents as “filth.” Michael Werner stated he was not concerned about the Beacon residents’ rights and that he did not believe the law applied to him.

    A judge in Pacific County Superior Court previously ruled the notices were unlawful. The legally binding resolution requires the Werners to pay back their current and former tenants, plus interest, as well as covering the costs of the Attorney General’s investigation and enforcement.

    The approximately 40 current and former tenants will receive a letter from the Attorney General’s Office explaining the resolution. Each tenant will receive a check for $10,000. This is in addition to $57,000 in administrative fines from the Attorney General’s prior enforcement for violations of Washington’s Manufactured/Mobile Housing Landlord Tenant Act, and a court order to provide $2,000 or actual relocation costs to tenants, whichever is greater.

    “This resolution gives significant relief to tenants — many of whom are elderly, disabled, low-income or veterans — and provides accountability for the park owners’ illegal conduct,” Ferguson said. “Washington law is clear: Mobile home landlords must deal fairly with their tenants. My office will continue to be a watchdog for Washingtonians.”

    Ferguson filed a lawsuit in Pacific County Superior Court asserting the Werners violated the Consumer Protection Act and Manufactured/Mobile Housing Landlord-Tenant Act during their purchase and operation of Beacon Charters and RV Park.

    The Werners are based in Vancouver, Wash., and own and operate dozens of mobile home and RV parks across the state. Approximately 4,000 people live in those parks.

    On April 11, 2022, the Werners purchased Beacon, intending to convert the park to short-term rentals. Prior to completing the sale, the Werners began issuing eviction notices to Beacon’s 45 long-term residents on Feb. 25, 2022. The notices were signed by “Management.”

    On April 6, 2022 – still prior to owning the park – the Werners issued a utility shut-off notice, also signed by “Management.” The former CEO of Deer Point testified that this was “standard practice” for the Werners. The Werners attempted to shut off the power, but the local utility provider refused.

    Judge Katherine Svoboda, a Grays Harbor judge who presided over the case in Pacific County court, ruled that the notices were unfair and deceptive, in violation of the Consumer Protection Act. When issuing the notices, and subsequent notices around the park, two of the Werners’ employees were visibly armed with firearms, at the direction of Michael Werner. In addition, the Werners had refused to keep the park clean and safe, as required by law, allowing a rat infestation, piles of garbage and feces-smeared bathroom facilities.

    One resident said people at the park were “shocked and scared.”

    An 81-year-old resident who has lived at the park for eight years said she “worried we might get kicked out onto our butts in the street. … How on Earth can [the Werners] do that legally?”

    A 78-year-old resident undergoing cancer treatment said she saw “rats running all over the place. … I had to borrow money for a lot of things” in order to move.

    In response to the Werner’s notices, a majority of the Beacon residents were forced to leave the property. Some Beacon residents feared for their safety, believing the Werners would kick them out on the streets or tow away their homes.

    One Beacon resident feared having an eviction on her record, which could prevent her from securing low-income housing.

    Another Beacon resident was prevented from seeing his young child because of the Werner’s threats of utility shut-off and safety concerns stemming from the Werner employees openly carrying firearms. Some Beacon residents experienced physical harm from the stress and physical exertion required to move their homes, requiring hospitalization and ongoing care.

    Other tenants had difficulty finding parks with availability to accept their mobile homes.

    Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution program helps tenants and landlords

    The Attorney General’s Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program received 13 complaints from 10 tenants at Beacon.

    The Legislature created the program in 2007 to help enforce Washington’s Manufactured/Mobile Housing Landlord-Tenant Act (MHTLA) and help resolve disputes between landlords and manufactured home owners. The act applies to situations where the tenant owns their manufactured or mobile home, but rents the space the home sits on.

    Both landlords and tenants can file complaints with the program. The program serves as a neutral party, not an advocate for either side.

    The law directs the program to attempt to bring parties into compliance with the law prior to taking enforcement actions. Enforcement can include administrative measures and litigation.

    Tenants and landlords can file complaints with the program online here: https://fortress.wa.gov/atg/formhandler/ago/MHLTComplaintForm.aspx

    Assistant Attorney General Sebastian Miller, investigator Scott Henderson, paralegal Emin Aliiasov and legal assistant Chris Kiefer handled the case. Former Assistant Attorney General Shidon Aflatooni also worked on the case.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Brionna Aho, Communications Director, (360) 753-2727; Brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov

    General contacts: Click here

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner and Kaine Announce Nearly $2 Million in Federal Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects in Southwest Virginia

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $1,945,692 in federal funding for Lee and Wise counties and the Town of Clintwood to support infrastructure projects that will improve and extend waterline and sewer systems to additional homes. The funding is awarded by the Appalachian Regional Commission, an economic development partnership that invests in building community and strengthening local economies.
    “High-quality water infrastructure is crucial to the health and well-being of any community,” said the Senators. “We’re glad to have helped bring nearly $2 million in funding to Clintwood and Lee and Wise counties to expand waterlines to dozens of homes and improve our wastewater systems.”
    The funding is allocated as follows:
    $700,000 for Lee County to connect 12 households to the county public water system and ensure safe, reliable drinking water to residents in the county.
    $700,000 for the Town of Clintwood to support ongoing water and sewer renovations in Dickenson County. The funding will ensure that 45 households receive potable water along Backbone Ridge Road.
    $545,692 for Wise County to connect 22 households to the county wastewater system and address the lack of public wastewater service to underserved areas. This funding will ensure the community has access to a safe, reliable wastewater treatment system.  
    Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to expand and improve infrastructure across the Commonwealth, including voting to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which has brought over $8.4 billion in funding to Virginia so far. Last November, the senators announced $62.4 million in federal funding to make clean water infrastructure upgrades across the Commonwealth. 

    MIL OSI USA News –