Source: The White House
The past week has shown Americans everything they need to know about Democrats’ priorities.
Today, four more Democrats — Rep. Robert Garcia of California, Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida, Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, and Rep. Maxine Dexter of Oregon — are in El Salvador, picking up their party’s mantle of prioritizing a deported illegal immigrant MS-13 gang member over the Americans they represent.
Why hasn’t Rep. Dexter spoken about these illegal immigrants putting her region at risk?
Alvaro Flores-Barboza, a 24-year-old citizen of Venezuela, escaped from an ICE processing facility before he was arrested in Portland, Oregon. He has convictions for assault, reckless driving, and felony use of a weapon.
Juan Jose-Sebastian, a 26-year-old citizen of Guatemala, was arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is wanted for 2017 rape and sexual assault charges in Washington County, Oregon. He was arrested in Florida in 2024 for driving without a license — but was released onto the streets because the Biden Administration refused to take custody of him and Oregon officials refused to extradite him.
Why hasn’t Rep. Ansari spoken about these illegal immigrants putting her region at risk?
Bonifacio Renteria-Cruz, a 48-year-old citizen of Mexico, was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona. He has ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and has convictions for aggravated assault and weapons charges. He also has an active arrest warrant for homicide in Mexico.
Jose Escobar-Robles, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona. He is believed to be illegally funneling money to Mexico to benefit violent cartels engaged in drug smuggling and human trafficking.
Luis Garcia-Sanchez, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona. He is connected to the notorious 18th Street Gang and has been wanted for felony narcotics charges dating back to 1987.
Edgar Guadalupe Jimenez-Aguilar, an illegal immigrant, was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona. He was wanted on charges of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Why hasn’t Rep. Frost spoken about these illegal immigrants putting his region at risk?
Franklin Jose Jimenez-Bracho, a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, was arrested near Orlando, Florida. He was wanted for human trafficking and smuggling.
Juan Andres Borolo Moreno Romero, a 25-year-old citizen of Venezuela, was arrested by ICE in Orlando, Florida. He is a known member of the brutal Tren de Aragua gang.
Paula Hernandez Lazaro, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested near Orlando, Florida. She crashed into a patrol car and another vehicle, sending a police officer to the hospital.
Five illegal immigrant members of the brutal Tren de Aragua gang were arrested after a string of liquor store thefts and robberies in Polk County, Florida. The five have lengthy criminal histories, including “immigration violations, thefts, robbery, drug possession, resisting arrest, fraudulent use of and possession of personal identification, false reports to law enforcement, robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence (listed as armed and dangerous), and driver’s license offenses.”
Why hasn’t Rep. Garcia spoken about these illegal immigrants putting his region at risk?
Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, a 43-year-old citizen of El Salvador, arrested in Los Angeles. He is charged with first-degree murder in the brutal slaying of a 13-year-old soccer player in Los Angeles, who was found discarded on the side of the road, and with the sexual assault of another young teenager in 2022.
Noe Diaz De Leon, a citizen of Mexico, arrested by ICE Los Angeles. He has convictions for attempted murder of a peace officer, burglary, and possession of a controlled substance.
Boxiao Song, a citizen of China, arrested by ICE Los Angeles. He is a convicted child sex offender.
Seung Hun Baik, a 39-year-old citizen of South Korea, arrested by ICE Los Angeles. He is wanted in his home country for an aggravated offense involving psychotropic drugs.
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
04.21.25
Cantwell Hears From Healthcare Providers in Wenatchee: Medicaid Cuts Would be Devastating
Cantwell continues tour of WA to fight back against proposed Medicaid cuts; Cantwell reports highlight impacts to WA State health care if GOP cuts Medicaid to pay for lower taxes for the ultra-wealthy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, heard from health care providers in the Wenatchee Valley about the dangers of cuts to Medicaid being considered by Republican lawmakers.
At an April 17 roundtable hosted by U.S. Representative Kim Schrier (D, WA-08) and joined by Sen. Cantwell, health care providers warned that such cuts would devastate the region’s health care system and limit access to lifesaving care.
Cutting Medicaid, Sen. Cantwell said, “affects the programs, then affects the hospital, then it affects the workforce, then you end up with shortages, then you end up with deserts. Then you end up with, ‘Who wants to have a business there?’ It keeps cascading,” Sen. Cantwell said. “This is a crazy idea. This is not a sledge hammer — this is like a ticking time bomb that’s blowing up the foundation of the system. And we have to take your stories and go back [to D.C.] and convince these people that it’s not even worth thinking about.”
Wenatchee marked the fourth stop in Sen. Cantwell’s tour around the state to hear from folks who would be directly impacted by cuts to Medicare. Last month, Sen. Cantwell heard from voices across Washington state about the dangers of President Trump and the GOP’s proposed cuts to Medicaid. Doctors, patients, and health care providers in Seattle, Spokane, and the Tri-Cities warned that such cuts would devastate Washington state’s health care system and limit access to lifesaving care.
WATCH:
FOX 13 Seattle: WA health leaders join Sen. Cantwell against proposed Medicaid cuts
KREM 2 Spokane: Spokane doctors, patients speak at Medicaid roundtable hosted by Sen. Cantwell
KAPP 35 Tri-Cities: MARIA CANTWELL: How proposed cuts to Medicaid could impact South Central Washington
In February, Sen. Cantwell released a snapshot report highlighting the impact that slashing Medicaid to fund tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-wealthy would have on Washington state’s health care system — especially in Central and Eastern Washington. In March, Sen. Cantwell released a second snapshot report highlighting impacts on the Seattle-area health care delivery system.
READ MORE:
The Seattle Times: Cuts to Medicaid would hurt WA’s children, poor
The Spokesman Review: Medicaid could be on chopping block after Northwest Republicans help pass House budget measure
The Tri-City Herald: Newhouse backs House GOP budget plan that could lead to cuts for Tri-Cities Medicaid users
Medicaid is the federal program that insures many low-income adults and children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. Washington state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health, ensures that eligible Washingtonians can afford to seek health care and see providers when they need to. The program also ensures that hospitals — which are required to treat everyone, regardless of their ability to pay — receive reimbursements for the significant number of low-income people they serve. Over 1.9 million Washingtonians are enrolled in Apple Health.
The House of Representatives has passed a budget resolution that would necessitate $880 billion in cuts from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid. Supporters of the bill claim that the text includes no mention of Medicaid — however, the extent of the cuts required by the legislation would mean that the committee has essentially no other options other than to hack away at Medicaid.
Video of yesterday’s roundtable in Wenatchee is HERE; photos are HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s opening and closing remarks are HERE.
The wealthiest people should pay the most to fund services.
More in Finance
Proposals for a ‘mansion tax’ on the sale of the million pound homes have been tabled in Parliament by Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer, with the money raised being used to protect public services.
Scottish Greens finance spokesperson Ross Greer has tabled amendments to the Housing Bill which would introduce a new band of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax on the most expensive homes.
Currently, the top rate of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax for residential properties is 12% from £750,000. The Scottish Greens are proposing a further rate from £1 million, which they have suggested be set at 15%.
“A mansion tax on the biggest and most luxurious houses is one of many ways we can raise more money to support services like the NHS and schools while only impacting the very wealthiest people.
“There is more than enough wealth in Scotland to end injustices like child poverty tomorrow, but far too much of it is in the hands of a very small number of extremely rich people and big companies.
“The powers needed to tax them fairly mostly sit at Westminster rather than Holyrood, but we can use tools like Scottish property taxes to make sure the richest people in society pay a bit more when they are buying a new house.”
Mr Greer added:
“The Scottish Greens have already delivered an income tax system for Scotland which raises £1.7 billion more every year for public services like our schools and NHS. If we want to protect these services though, we need to go further.”
In 2023, the Scottish Greens delivered new powers to double Council Tax on second homes. The party has also doubled the Additional Dwelling Supplement, a tax paid when buying second and holiday homes.
Alongside the Mansion Tax plan, Ross Greer is also tabling proposals to end the tax exemptions currently enjoyed by two types of companies notorious for tax avoidance and property speculation and by foreign militaries buying property in Scotland, to create an additional charge for overseas buyers of Scottish properties and to allow councils to further increase Council Tax on holiday homes.
elcome to this twenty-fourth Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues – and thank you for bringing the voices, insights, aspirations, and concerns of Indigenous Peoples to this global stage.
The world’s Indigenous Peoples are magnificently diverse in cultures, languages, histories, and traditions…
But united by common features and common challenges.
You are the pre-eminent stewards of the world’s biodiversity and of the environment.
Your knowledge and traditional practices are leading models of conservation and sustainable use – reflecting your commitment to living life in harmony with Mother Earth, and to the wellbeing and rights of future generations.
The world has much to learn from your wisdom, insights and approaches, which prioritise the health of ecosystems over short-term economic gains…
As we tackle the many challenges that we face – building sustainable food systems, moving to sustainable ways of livings, and more, we must recognize that the world does not always value you as it should.
Dear Friends,
The difficulties facing Indigenous Peoples around the world are an affront to dignity and justice. And a source of deep sorrow for me personally.
Indigenous women face particular challenges – including barriers to political participation, economic opportunities, and essential services.
On a trip to Suriname three years ago, I had the honour of visiting the Kaliña Peoples.
I witnessed how climate change is devastating their lands, and destroying their way of life.
And I heard how mercury from illegal mining is harming Indigenous Peoples in the region, as in many others, namely, including Brazil – poisoning their water and food supplies.
Everywhere, Indigenous Peoples are on the frontline of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss – despite having done nothing to create these crises and everything to try to stop them.
Eviction and illegal exploitation continue to harm your people and grossly violate your rights.
You face marginalisation, discrimination, unemployment, economic disadvantage and horrendous violence – particularly as you seek to defend our common home.
And too often you are excluded from decisions that directly impact your land and territories – threatening your ways of life and food security.
Meanwhile, a looming threat grows – the race for minerals critical to the global energy transition – a large proportion of which are located on or close to Indigenous Peoples’ territories.
As demand soars, too often we see dispossession; exclusion and marginalisation in decision-making; the rights of Indigenous Peoples trampled and health jeopardised, all as you are denied the benefits you deserve.
Dear Friends,
We know how to right these wrongs.
Eighteen years ago, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples laid out a blueprint for securing the survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous Peoples everywhere.
The Declaration has been used by courts, parliaments and communities, to secure rights and galvanise political action.
And multilateralism has delivered progress. In the past year, countries have made important new commitments:
In the Global Digital Compact – to build digital skills and capacities, including among Indigenous Peoples…
In the Pact for the Future’s call to “recognize, respect, promote and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples, their territories, lands and ecosystems, while safeguarding their traditions, spiritual beliefs and ancestral knowledge” – and to help do so by ensuring a seat at decision-making tables…
And at COP16 on biodiversity. Countries committed to create a permanent new subsidiary body – a space for Indigenous Peoples and others to participate in decision-making on biodiversity.
And they agreed on sharing the benefits of digital genetic information – with a portion of the new Cali Fund supporting Indigenous Peoples.
Indigenous Peoples – particularly members of this Forum – also contributed to the work of the United Nations Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.
The Panel’s principles and recommendations are grounded in human rights, including the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Yet, we know there is much further to go.
And I hear your calls for greater and more meaningful participation in the United Nations.
The focus of this year’s session is implementing the Declaration within Member States and within the United Nations system.
This is an urgent call to action.
And I would point to four specific areas.
First, strengthening the Permanent Forum.
We need Member States to ensure high-level representation.
And we need to fortify the Trust Fund on Indigenous Issues – broadening the donor-base and increasing contributions.
This is vital to enabling the Forum to deliver its work, including through participation and representation at international meetings.
Second, I urge governments and institutions to ensure that the leadership, rights and needs of Indigenous Peoples are recognized and acted upon across the board.
In a world in flux, it is particularly important that Governments are alert to the impacts on Indigenous Peoples.
Governments must honour their obligations in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – without delay.
And bring Indigenous Peoples, particularly women, into all forms of decision-making, and support political participation.
Third, international finance providers should make Indigenous Peoples a key consideration – so that finance flows to their self-determined priorities and projects are including interactions.
And fourth, I urge countries, companies and more, to work with us to deliver on all the recommendations of the Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.
In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against al Shabaab on April 16, 2025.
The airstrike occurred in the vicinity of Adan Yabaal, Somalia.
AFRICOM’s initial assessment is that no civilians were harmed.
Al Shabaab has proved both its will and capability to attack U.S. forces.
AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade al Shabaab’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.
Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) announced Jennifer Schachterle, senior vice president of sales and business development, is scheduled to speak on a panel focused on letters of credit during the 2025 California Municipal Treasurers Association (CMTA) annual conference on April 24 in Monterey, California.
During the conference attended by local government officials with fiduciary responsibility for public funds, Schachterle will discuss how letters of credit can be a secure and efficient way for municipalities to make sure that deposits are covered over insured limits and serve as a favorable alternative to other forms of credit risk management.
“Municipal letters of credit issued by Federal Home Loan Banks to state and local governments can often be an effective tool to secure public fund deposits in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and National Credit Union Insurance Fund limits,” said Schachterle. “I’m looking forward to connecting with attendees at the CMTA annual conference and joining my fellow panelists to share insights on this fast and efficient alternative form of collateral.”
On the panel, Schachterle will be joined by Denise de Bombelles, senior vice president, global investor relations with the Federal Home Loan Bank Office of Finance and Hubie White, CFA CTP, chief investment officer with the City and County of San Francisco, in a discussion for how municipal letters of credit can help safeguard public unit deposits.
The 2025 CMTA Annual Conference is taking place April 22-25, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa in Monterey, California.
Jennifer Schachterle joined FHLBank San Francisco in June 2023 as SVP of Sales and Business Development. She leads a team dedicated to sales, business development and new member recruitment and oversees relationships with the Bank’s over 330-member financial institutions across its three-state district of Arizona, California, and Nevada. Ms. Schachterle has experience in the areas of sales, credit risk, counterparty approval, policy, and mortgage acquisition. Over the course of her more than 25 years in banking, Schachterle has held positions of increasing seniority in operations, credit, and sales in the banking and mortgage finance industry. Since 2019, she has served on the board of directors for the California Mortgage Bankers Association. She has a degree from the University of Denver and enjoys volunteering to teach children financial literacy.
Visit FHLBank San Francisco for more information about letters of credit and learn which member banks and credit unions are available to issue letters of credit.
About Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions — commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions — propel homeownership, finance quality affordable housing, drive economic vitality, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant and resilient.
Depending on who becomes prime minister, parents now paying $10 a day for child care could continue to do so and many additional parents could access affordable day care in the future due to plans to expand. Or, the cap on child-care fees could be eliminated in a return to market provision of child-care services, in at least some provinces.
Both leaders have said they want to preserve affordable child care but have presented their proposals in significantly different ways.
As an economist with specialization in the economics of child care and early childhood education, I believe looking beneath surface statements reveals major differences that would affect parents, children and their families.
Strengthening the $10-a-day policy
The Liberal Party’s newly released platform highlights the protection and strengthening of the $10-a-day early learning and child care system. The platform promises the building of 100,000 new child-care spaces by 2031, better compensation for child-care educators, the expansion of child care in public institutions and a stronger link between housing development and child care when housing is supported by federal funds.
In the Liberal leadership debate, Carney said we “absolutely have to keep in place the progress that the government has made on crucial things such as child care….” The Liberal platform affirms this, takes credit for introducing the existing system and notes: “In just a few short years, this program has become a core part of Canada’s social infrastructure.”
Since January, among the provinces and territories, all but Alberta and Saskatchewan have approved or tentatively approved five-year extensions to early learning and child-care funding agreements with the federal government.
Those extensions are key, as they represent commitments from 11 provinces and territories to use the federal government’s additional $37 billion to continue building the $10 a day program through 2031.
However, he did discuss ideas and major criticisms in a March 25 campaign stop in Vaughan, Ont.
He said: “We all believe that there should be more affordable child care in this country.” But then he criticized the current system as “bureaucratic” and “top down,” saying that “provinces can decide how to deliver those services on the front line with more flexibility and freedom for parents, provinces, and providers….”
Clearly his “affordable child care” will not look anything like the burgeoning $10-a-day system.
Poilievre’s wording is very similar to that of a new lobby organization of for-profit child care operators.
The group calls for a shift from “federally controlled funding to no-strings-attached childcare funding for the provinces …” It also calls for a “funding-follows-the-family approach” which they believe will encourage parental and operator choice and minimize bureaucratic administrative costs and red tape.
The Poilievre position, then, is an update from former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole’s policy proposals during the 2021 federal election.
It harkens back to the cash-for-care approach Stephen Harper’s Conservative government had in place from 2006 to 2015. Conservatives prefer and encourage the provision of cash, a tax credit or voucher that parents can spend on child care.
Such a Conservative approach is known as demand-side funding rather than supply-side funding — giving parents money to pay some of their child-care costs instead of funding child-care providers to ensure the services are available for families.
Examining Conservative criticisms
The “flexibility and freedom” that come with demand-side funding would mean removing conditions such as a guaranteed parent fee of $10 a day, targets for expansion of licensed child care, growth primarily by public and non-profit provision, and requirements for public financial accountability, from the federal funding agreements with the provinces and territories.
There are substantial problems with Poilievre’s suggestion of overhauling the $10-a-day program. First, his March 25 criticisms are flawed:
He said “120,000 fewer children have daycare spaces than when the program was created,” but Statistics Canada surveys show a growth in attendance at child-care centres of an additional 177,900 children from late 2020 to the first half of 2023.
Poilievre said “child care now is worse than when the Liberals took office.” In fact, the main indicators of availability and affordability of child care are much better. Between 2015, when the Liberals took office, and 2023, the number of child care spaces grew by 426,203 to a total of 1,627,211 total licensed spaces. Child-care affordability is also greatly improved. By 2023, child-care fees had dropped by between 40 per cent and 75 per cent nearly everywhere across Canada, varying by geography and child age. As a proportion of after-tax family income, parents’ average spending on child care in January 2025 was less than one third of what it was before 2021, declining from just under 16 per cent to five per cent.
Poilievre said “most of the money has been consumed by bureaucracy.” In fact, child-care fees have dropped to an average of $10 a day (or less) in
Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Québec, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland/Labrador, and all the remaining provinces have lowered parent fees substantially.
This would not have been possible if “most of the money was consumed by bureaucracy,” something easily seen in readily available public data on how child-care funds are spent.
Demand-side funding solutions
Demand-side funding solutions with no cap on fees would be a dream for private corporations looking to enter a Canadian child-care market rich with public funds but a nightmare for cash-strapped parents who are desperate for child care.
Australia is the poster child for generous demand-side funding of child care.
In the Australian model, parents spend funds however they like, and there is no restriction on the fees providers can charge and no requirement for financial reporting. Funds are paid directly to child-care providers from the government on behalf of parents and corporate child-care thrives. Under this funding model, Australia has seen a sixfold increase in child-care fees since the early 1990s, twice as much as the increase in consumer prices.
It’s time to redouble efforts to provide affordable, quality child care for all who need it rather than to abandon these major combined efforts of federal, provincial and territorial governments to build a dependable and affordable child-care system.
Gordon Cleveland receives funding for expenses from an SSHRC project “Re-imagining care/work policies/Réinventer les politiques soins/travail”. He is a member of the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care. He volunteers for Building Blocks for Child Care. He is a research associate with L’Équipe de recherche Qualité contextes éducatifs de la petite enfance.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Daniel Horen Greenford, Lecturer and postdoctoral researcher in Ecological Economics and Climate Policy, Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University
With a federal election on the horizon, economic policy is once again taking centre stage. Yet missing from the national debate is a serious reckoning with the failures of neoliberalism and the urgent need for alternatives.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney, with his experience across banking and global finance, is one figure who could potentially steer that shift. Carney’s career, spanning Morgan Stanley, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England and Brookfield Asset Management, has exemplified his competence within the bounds of economic orthodoxy.
As the Bank of Canada’s governor, Carney pre-emptively cut interest rates to cushion the blow of the 2008 financial crisis. Standard measures like interest rate cuts and quantitative easing are meant to keep economies afloat during downturns. While necessary, these steps remained squarely within the bounds of conventional economic thinking.
Today, however, those old tricks aren’t enough. The twin crises of climate collapse and socioeconomic inequality demand bolder policy and braver leadership from policymakers.
MMT scholars argue that countries that issue their own currency, like Canada, have monetary sovereignty. These governments don’t need to rely on bond markets for funding; instead, they can create money directly through public spending. And, when they do sell debt, there’s never a shortage of demand for it.
From this perspective, the real constraint isn’t money, but productive capacity: materials, energy and labour. Public debt is neither inherently dangerous, nor is it “owed” to anyone.
MMT also argues the “tax and spend” perspective is backwards — taxes are not needed to fund public spending. In its view, governments spend first, then tax to remove money from circulation to keep inflation under control.
Inflation risk stems not from government spending, but from economic over-demand or supply constraints. During periods of low growth, spending is not just safe — it’s essential, as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inflation during the pandemic was driven predominantly by supply chain disruptions and gas price spikes, not overspending. Strategic taxation can be used to curb demand and reduce inequality when inflation emerges.
MMT’s job guarantee
The hallmark policy of MMT is a job guarantee — a public option for employment that would employ anyone wanting to work. This would effectively end structural unemployment while improving conditions for those employed in the private sector through competition.
Such an initiative would help unlock productivity needed to revitalize and decarbonize housing, transport, energy and other critical infrastructure.
Yet instead of embracing such ideas, centrist parties like the Canadian Liberal Party and United Kingdom’s Labour Party cling to outdated concerns over “fiscal responsibility,” echoing debates that have been outdated since the end of the gold standard in the 1970s.
The cost of playing it safe
Carney appears to have retreated into political caution and has avoided challenging fiscal conservatism in any substantive way. Immediately upon taking office, he capitulated to misleading narratives promoted by politicians like Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and cut the consumer carbon price.
According to the government’s own analysis, only the top 0.13 per cent of Canadians stood to lose from a modest increase in the inclusion rate for taxing unearned income.
During the Liberal leadership race, Carney advocated for using public investment to attract private capital during a CBC News interview. Sidestepping a direct answer about whether he’d balance the overall budget, he instead committed to balancing “operational spending.” When pressed, he said he would run deficits when necessary to “invest [in] and grow Canada’s economy.”
Carney’s approach frames public spending as a way to mobilize private capital, rather than as a driver of public-led economic transformation. True to his background, his language casts the government as a shrewd investor, not a driver of structural change.
Carney also framed public investment as “borrowing,” which MMT clarifies is a misnomer: unlike a household or a business, a currency-issuing government doesn’t need to borrow in the traditional sense and faces no risk of running out of its own currency.
A bolder path forward is needed
Canada needs more than cautious tweaks to the status quo. A climate jobs program, like a Youth Climate Corps, could guarantee well-paid, meaningful work in communities across the country for anyone ready to contribute. Public opinion is already there: more than half of Canadians support a climate corps.
Public-sector competition in industries like housing and renewable energy could keep private firms efficient and accountable. During World War II, engineer and businessman C.D. Howe became Minister of the Department of Munitions and Supply and oversaw the creation of 28 Crown corporations that drove wartime production.
Canada already has a Crown corporation mandated to support affordable housing: the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. This agency could be expanded to not only finance, but also tender contracts and build housing. It could be a federal landlord, with long-term goals of community management and ownership.
The more affordable units kept out of an increasingly profit-driven market, the more accessible housing will be. This would stabilize the market and provide a floor (and roof) for affordability.
Some MMT scholars and social movements have even called for a homes guarantee — a federally-funded program to guarantee a place to live for anyone squeezed out of the housing market.
Critics might say bold investment is politically infeasible. But is it? Or could one of Canada’s federal parties champion policies that inspire instead of capitulate? Traditionally, the NDP would pick up this mantle, but they ceded their place as the progressive vanguard after former NDP Leader Tom Mulcair promised to balance the budget in 2015.
The real risk isn’t ambitious reform, but relying on outdated tricks in a world that demands new solutions.
Daniel Horen Greenford receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Canadians watched the two leaders’ debates unfold last week in Montréal. The debates, and this election, occur at a pivotal moment in history. Canadians go to the polls as the future of global democracy and governance, and in fact the very independence of the country, is in the balance.
In crucial ways, the debates failed to meet the moment — and therefore will likely be forgotten as Canadians vote cast their ballots in a week. Unlike a past debate that focused on Canadian sovereignty between John Turner and Brian Mulroney in 1988, this one featured few knockout punches or memorable moments.
Shadows of the past
In the weeks prior to the debates, observers drew comparisons to that momentous English-language leaders’ showdown 37 years ago. That debate laid out a clear question for voters: Are you in favour of entering a free-trade agreement with the United States?
Prime Minister Mulroney was supportive of the agreement, while Liberal Leader Turner was sharply opposed, fearing for the country’s independence.
In the end, both Mulroney and Turner had a point. In the ensuing decades, free trade with the U.S. has brought both prosperity and dependence on the country as the Canadian economy became ever more deeply intertwined with that of the United States.
A hinge point in history
In 2025, we face an even more pivotal moment. The global order is shifting.
Given the gravity of the moment however, we heard comparatively little during the debates about how Canada must respond at this hinge point in history as Canadians adapt to a predictably unpredictable future.
There was some talk during the debate of Canada trying to reach the (Trump-demanded) NATO military target for military spending, but nothing about the fact that the future of the alliance is uncertain. European states are openly questioning the credibility of American support in the event of an attack and European leaders discussing defence strategies without American involvement for the first time since the Second World War.
It’s clear from such silences on the debate stage that Canadian voters, journalists, debate moderators and politicians alike are all still coming to terms with the depth of change in the world around them.
The debate was filled with talk of pipelines, housing strategies and domestic law and order. In fact, neither debate was much different from those of the past 20 years.
That’s not to suggest domestic challenges don’t require substantive discussion and policy proposals. As I and others have argued, the populist anti-incumbent wave that we saw sweeping Canadian and global politics in recent years can be traced to the sense that a portion of the population — younger voters in particular — feel left behind and ignored.
Nonetheless, in focusing so heavily on domestic and not global threats, the debate verged at times on the parochial.
Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet, for instance, tried to keep provincial jurisdiction and Québec’s interests top of mind. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s message, at its most effective, was that as the country turns to face new challenges, it cannot forget about the marginalized in Canadian society and abroad. Worthy points, but secondary to the larger moment.
Ultimately, the debate was dominated by the other two men on the stage with a real chance to govern the country next week: Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
The two appeared united in their passion for the country and pipelines, and share some other priorities, notably facilitating interprovincial economic integration.
Conservative base is divided
In other respects, the two leaders diverged significantly in their views. Of all the leaders, Carney was the most willing to discuss the Trump threat, including when he suggested in his closing English remarks that Trump is “trying to break us so the U.S. can own us.”
For the majority of the debates, however, the Liberal leader focused primarily on the economic threat. He argued that the country must look away from the U.S., and instead build inward with investment in housing and energy at home, and build outward by identifying more reliable markets and allies abroad.
Poilievre’s messaging was more nuanced, moving in different directions to suit different audiences. No doubt this is because the country’s Conservative voting base is itself deeply divided between mainstream conservatives who share their fellow Canadians’ concerns about Trump and a populist faction that tends to identify with the MAGA movement in numerous ways.
In attempting to square that circle, Poilievre has signalled strong opposition to Trump and his tariffs — a point he repeatedly discussed during the debate — and called for measures to enhance Canadian productivity, notably in the energy sector.
At the same time, however, he endorsed other policies that evoke aspects of Trump’s own political agenda, something he largely avoided mentioning during the debates. Notable among are Poilievre’s promised war on “woke” culture. While not discussed in detail during the debates, disruptive questions from right-wing media outlets following the French debate illustrated just how close to the surface such issues remain.
The ‘new abnormal’
In the absence of a significant gaffe, knockout blow or other dramatic twist, the debates are unlikely to change many minds, and seem likely to soon fade from memory.
Initial post-debate polling suggests as much. Anyone leaning one way or another heard enough to affirm their views as they tuned into the debates, and nothing to make them question their choice.
Answers to larger questions about how Canada should move forward in this emergent new global order, amid daunting new threats to peace and democracy, remain only hinted at. Whoever wins the election, those questions will continue to be asked with increased urgency in the coming years.
Stewart Prest 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.
Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
Head Start supports 11,600+ Colorado kids, ensuring they are set up for lifelong success
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and the Colorado Democratic delegation wrote a letter urging President Trump to fully fund Head Start in the upcoming budget. The letter follows alarming reports that the Trump administration is considering a proposal to eliminate funding for the program.
“Colorado families face a child care crisis: child care is neither affordable nor accessible, and most families face a lengthy enrollment waitlist,” wrote the lawmakers. “The elimination of Head Start funding would further imperil an already fragile state of affairs – particularly for rural communities, where local child care facilities are often oversubscribed or nonexistent. Head Start facilities often serve as the only affordable option.”
In Colorado alone, more than 11,600 children rely on Head Start services every year, and the program supports over 5,000 jobs. Head Start provides child care, early education, nutrition, and health services to children in low-income households, while also offering parents opportunities for employment and education.
Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:
Dear President Trump:
We write to express our concerns with any proposal that cuts or eliminates Head Start and Early Head Start (Head Start), and we request that the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Budget Request includes sufficient funding to support these vital programs.
From the inception of Head Start 60 years ago, every Administration, including yours, has supported and recognized this program’s foundational role in solidifying life’s earliest years. Head Start benefits more than 40 million children across the United States each year, offering child care, health, and nutrition services to children, as well as employment and educational support to parents. Presidents have endorsed Head Start because it prepares children for success in school and beyond, helps families achieve greater stability and self-sufficiency, supports working parents, and boosts local economies.
Given more than half a century of unwavering support for Head Start, we write to share our deep concerns with the USA Today article citing that your Administration is considering a budget proposal that would eliminate funding for Head Start. In Colorado alone, this proposal would
impact the well-being of more than 11,600 children, 5,000 jobs, and thousands of families, some of whom live in rural areas that lack access to early care and education programs.
Colorado families face a child care crisis: child care is neither affordable nor accessible, and most families face a lengthy enrollment waitlist. The elimination of Head Start funding would further imperil an already fragile state of affairs – particularly for rural communities, where local child care facilities are often oversubscribed or nonexistent. Head Start facilities often serve as the only affordable option. Since the 1990s, the cost of child care has more than tripled, outpacing wages, the cost of groceries, and even housing. Reducing critical funding for Head Start would reverse decades of bipartisan investment in children amidst a cost-of-living crisis, compounding potential harm for working families.
As you continue your work developing the FY26 Budget Request, we urge you to keep in mind the well-being of children and families who depend on Head Start. Again, we stress our deep concerns with reports that the Administration intends to eliminate Head Start funding and urge you to include robust funding for these essential programs in the FY26 Budget Request.
Welcome to this twenty-fourth Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues – and thank you for bringing the voices, insights, aspirations, and concerns of Indigenous Peoples to this global stage.
The world’s Indigenous Peoples are magnificently diverse in cultures, languages, histories, and traditions…
But united by common features and common challenges.
You are the pre-eminent stewards of the world’s biodiversity and of the environment.
Your knowledge and traditional practices are leading models of conservation and sustainable use – reflecting your commitment to living life in harmony with Mother Earth, and to the wellbeing and rights of future generations.
The world has much to learn from your wisdom, insights and approaches, which prioritise the health of ecosystems over short-term economic gains…
As we tackle the many challenges that we face – building sustainable food systems, moving to sustainable ways of livings, and more, we must recognize that the world does not always value you as it should.
Dear Friends,
The difficulties facing Indigenous Peoples around the world are an affront to dignity and justice. And a source of deep sorrow for me personally.
Indigenous women face particular challenges – including barriers to political participation, economic opportunities, and essential services.
On a trip to Suriname three years ago, I had the honour of visiting the Kaliña Peoples.
I witnessed how climate change is devastating their lands, and destroying their way of life.
And I heard how mercury from illegal mining is harming Indigenous Peoples in the region, as in many others, namely, including Brazil – poisoning their water and food supplies.
Everywhere, Indigenous Peoples are on the frontline of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss – despite having done nothing to create these crises and everything to try to stop them.
Eviction and illegal exploitation continue to harm your people and grossly violate your rights.
You face marginalisation, discrimination, unemployment, economic disadvantage and horrendous violence – particularly as you seek to defend our common home.
And too often you are excluded from decisions that directly impact your land and territories – threatening your ways of life and food security.
Meanwhile, a looming threat grows – the race for minerals critical to the global energy transition – a large proportion of which are located on or close to Indigenous Peoples’ territories.
As demand soars, too often we see dispossession; exclusion and marginalisation in decision-making; the rights of Indigenous Peoples trampled and health jeopardised, all as you are denied the benefits you deserve.
Dear Friends,
We know how to right these wrongs.
Eighteen years ago, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples laid out a blueprint for securing the survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous Peoples everywhere.
The Declaration has been used by courts, parliaments and communities, to secure rights and galvanise political action.
And multilateralism has delivered progress. In the past year, countries have made important new commitments:
In the Global Digital Compact – to build digital skills and capacities, including among Indigenous Peoples…
In the Pact for the Future’s call to “recognize, respect, promote and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples, their territories, lands and ecosystems, while safeguarding their traditions, spiritual beliefs and ancestral knowledge” – and to help do so by ensuring a seat at decision-making tables…
And at COP16 on biodiversity. Countries committed to create a permanent new subsidiary body – a space for Indigenous Peoples and others to participate in decision-making on biodiversity.
And they agreed on sharing the benefits of digital genetic information – with a portion of the new Cali Fund supporting Indigenous Peoples.
Indigenous Peoples – particularly members of this Forum – also contributed to the work of the United Nations Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.
The Panel’s principles and recommendations are grounded in human rights, including the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Yet, we know there is much further to go.
And I hear your calls for greater and more meaningful participation in the United Nations.
The focus of this year’s session is implementing the Declaration within Member States and within the United Nations system.
This is an urgent call to action.
And I would point to four specific areas.
First, strengthening the Permanent Forum.
We need Member States to ensure high-level representation.
And we need to fortify the Trust Fund on Indigenous Issues – broadening the donor-base and increasing contributions.
This is vital to enabling the Forum to deliver its work, including through participation and representation at international meetings.
Second, I urge governments and institutions to ensure that the leadership, rights and needs of Indigenous Peoples are recognized and acted upon across the board.
In a world in flux, it is particularly important that Governments are alert to the impacts on Indigenous Peoples.
Governments must honour their obligations in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – without delay.
And bring Indigenous Peoples, particularly women, into all forms of decision-making, and support political participation.
Third, international finance providers should make Indigenous Peoples a key consideration – so that finance flows to their self-determined priorities and projects are including interactions.
And fourth, I urge countries, companies and more, to work with us to deliver on all the recommendations of the Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2
Media Advisory Monday, April 21, 2025
Overall death rates from cancer declined steadily among both men and women from 2001 through 2022.
What Overall death rates from cancer declined steadily among both men and women from 2001 through 2022, even during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2024 Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. Among men, overall cancer incidence, measured as the rate of new cancer diagnoses, decreased from 2001 through 2013 and then stabilized through 2021. Among women, overall cancer incidence increased slightly every year from 2003 through 2021, with the exception of 2020. The report appeared April 21, 2025, in Cancer. Progress in reducing cancer deaths overall is largely the result of declines in both incidence and death rates for lung cancer and several other smoking-related cancers, the researchers noted. New diagnoses and deaths from lung cancer, for example, have declined in both men and women over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, the incidence of cancers associated with obesity has been rising. These include female breast, uterus, colon and rectum, pancreas, kidney, and liver cancers. The report also shows that new diagnoses of breast cancer gradually increased over the study period, but the overall breast cancer death rate decreased. Cancer death rates in children declined steadily over the study period; those for adolescents and young adults also declined until recently, when the decline slowed and stabilized. From 2018 to 2022, cancer deaths decreased for each major racial and ethnic population group. From 2017 to 2021 (excluding 2020), cancer incidence was stable among men in each major racial and ethnic population group but increased among women in each major racial and ethnic population group. During the same time period, among men, incidence was highest in non-Hispanic Black men, whereas among women, incidence was highest in American Indian and Alaska Native women. The report also included an analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on observed cancer incidence in individual states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for the first two years of the pandemic. Cancer incidence declined sharply in 2020, likely due to pandemic-related disruptions in health care, but returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2021. The magnitude of the 2020 decline was similar across states, despite variations in COVID-19 policy restrictions. The researchers noted that these findings underscore the importance of providing access to health care, even during public health emergencies, to ensure the timely diagnosis of cancer. The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer is a collaborative effort among the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the American Cancer Society (ACS); and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).The report provides annual updates on cancer trends in the United States. The report is based on cancer incidence data from population-based cancer registries, funded by CDC and NCI and compiled by NAACCR, and on cancer death data from the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Vital Statistics System. For more about the report, see: https://seer.cancer.gov/report_to_nation/. Who
NAACCR: Recinda L. Sherman, Ph.D., M.P.H. ACS: Ahmedin Jemal, D.V.M., Ph.D. CDC: Jane Henley, M.S.P.H., and Lisa C. Richardson, M.D., M.P.H. NIH: Serban Negoita, M.D., Dr.P.H., and Kathleen A. Cronin, Ph.D., M.P.H.
The Study “Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, Featuring State-Level Statistics after the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic” appears April 21, 2025, in Cancer. About the National Cancer Institute (NCI): NCI leads the National Cancer Program and NIH’s efforts to dramatically reduce the prevalence of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI website at cancer.gov or call NCI’s contact center, the Cancer Information Service, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). About the American Cancer Society (ACS): The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. For more than 100 years, the American Cancer Society has been the preeminent cancer-fighting organization in the United States through research, education, advocacy, and patient services. We have helped lead the evolution in the way the world prevents, detects, treats, and thinks about cancer. For more information go to www.cancer.org. About the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC’s world-leading experts protect lives and livelihoods, national security and the U.S. economy by providing timely, commonsense information, and rapidly identifying and responding to diseases, including outbreaks and illnesses. CDC drives science, public health research, and data innovation in communities across the country by investing in local initiatives to protect everyone’s health. For more information, see www.cdc.gov. About the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR): The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc., is a professional organization that develops and promotes uniform data standards for cancer registration; provides education and training; certifies population-based registries; aggregates and publishes data from central cancer registries; and promotes the use of cancer surveillance data and systems for cancer control and epidemiologic research, public health programs, and patient care to reduce the burden of cancer in North America. For more, see naaccr.org. About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov. NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health® ###
EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a landmark settlement with Westchester County Health Care Corporation (WMC) and HealthAlliance, Inc. (HealthAlliance), collectively known as WMCHealth, that will expand access to inpatient psychiatric care in the Hudson Valley and overhaul how the hospital system treats patients experiencing mental health crises. An Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigation found that three WMCHealth hospitals in the Hudson Valley – Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla (WMC-Valhalla), MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, and HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston – put vulnerable patients at risk by discharging them without adequate mental health crisis evaluation or stabilization and improperly left much-needed inpatient psychiatric beds closed for years. Under the settlement, WMCHealth has agreed to restore inpatient psychiatric beds that were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and implement extensive reforms to better serve emergency room patients experiencing mental health and substance use challenges.
“For too long, vulnerable New Yorkers experiencing mental health or substance use crises have been met with inadequate care when they went to an emergency room for help,” said Attorney General James. “Mental health care is medical care, and mental health crises must be treated as the emergencies they are. This settlement should serve as a patient care model for hospitals in every corner of our great state. My office will continue to fight to ensure all New Yorkers have access to quality, compassionate emergency mental health care.”
This is the first settlement in the nation reached by an attorney general for an investigation of a hospital’s inadequate treatment of mental health and substance use disorder patients under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals to screen and stabilize any patient who presents with an emergency medical condition. The OAG investigation also found violations of the New York Public Health Law, the New York Mental Hygiene Law, and state regulations that provide minimum standards for treatment of patients in emergency departments and prohibit hospitals from taking licensed inpatient psychiatric beds offline without state approval.
The OAG launched an investigation in 2022 after hearing and receiving powerful testimony at Attorney General James’ Mental Health Hearings, which highlighted the serious impact of inpatient psychiatric bed closures at HealthAlliance Hospital and raised questions about inadequate care of young children in mental health crisis at WMC-Valhalla. The ensuing investigation uncovered troubling lapses in patient care at the three hospitals, including:
Discharging patients with active suicidal ideation or other emergency psychiatric conditions without proper stabilization;
Improperly medicating agitated children without sufficiently attempting to de-escalate their behavior or documenting those efforts;
Failing to follow protocols to protect vulnerable patients from leaving the hospital before being properly discharged, leading to preventable tragedies;
Failing to obtain vital input from family members and community providers; and
Maintaining incomplete or inaccurate medical records and violating WMCHealth’s own policies.
The investigation revealed that many patients who sought care at WMCHealth emergency rooms were discharged prematurely or received inadequate care or supervision. For example:
In one instance, an adolescent who had recently attempted suicide was deemed actively suicidal and recommended for inpatient care by a WMCHealth psychiatrist. Instead, she was discharged without properly reassessing and monitoring her behavior to ensure she was stable enough for discharge.
In another case, a teenager in acute distress was physically restrained and heavily medicated within minutes of arrival. Although she was so agitated that staff administered medications twice more, she was discharged quickly thereafter, without adequate time for monitoring to ensure her condition had stabilized and with insufficient documentation that emergency room staff first tried non-invasive interventions or de-escalation techniques.
In a third instance, an emergency room psychiatrist ordered constant monitoring for a patient, noting that he had recently left a treatment facility against medical advice. Despite this, the patient remained unsupervised, necessary precautions were not taken, and the patient successfully left the hospital without discharge, tragically passing away shortly thereafter.
The OAG investigators also found that WMCHealth kept an inpatient psychiatric unit at HealthAlliance Hospital closed for far longer than allowed by the state, forcing patients in crisis to travel longer distances for care and filling up local emergency rooms with mental health or substance use patients awaiting beds. In March 2020, HealthAlliance Hospital closed the 40-bed unit to increase capacity for COVID-19 patients – but the beds were never ultimately used to treat any COVID patients, and the beds remained out of service long after June 2021, when pre-COVID regulatory requirements went back into effect.
Declining capacity for inpatient psychiatric beds has harmed communities across the state, especially in the Hudson Valley, where there are very few other hospitals in the region that provide this service. As one WMCHealth nurse testified at Attorney General James’ 2022 Mental Health Hearing, the continued closure of HealthAlliance Hospital’s psychiatric unit “eliminated all in-patient psych beds in Ulster County” and forced patients to instead travel up to 90 minutes for care. Another mental health provider called the loss of beds “horrible for the patients” and said, “85 percent of the patients I used to see on a regular basis are gone and I have no idea where they are.” The provider testified that as a result of the lost capacity, “patients are spending more time in the ER than they should,” and that people were “stuck for days waiting for a bed,” often sleeping on stretchers in hallways, and that the emergency room was “just not set up to hold patients for longer periods.”
Following OAG’s investigation, WMCHealth finally reopened 20 of the psychiatric beds at HealthAlliance Hospital in December 2024 and has announced plans to construct an additional 20-bed psychiatric unit at MidHudson Regional Hospital. These additions will finally restore pre-COVID inpatient psychiatric capacity across the three hospitals, and as part of today’s settlement, WMCHealth cannot close any of its reopened inpatient beds for the next three years. For the two years thereafter, the health system must consult with OAG before making any changes to inpatient capacity.
As a result of the investigation, WMCHealth must implement extensive reforms at its emergency rooms in Valhalla, Poughkeepsie, and Kingston. For one, the hospital must modify its policies and procedures to ensure adequate screening for suicide risk, substance use disorders, violence risk, and elopement safety risk for all patients who come to the emergency room. The settlement requires WMCHealth hospitals try to gather information about patients’ conditions from past medical records, family members, treatment providers, or other sources, and to consider this information when making determinations about the patients’ treatment plans. WMCHealth must also establish relationships and open lines of communication with community behavioral health agencies and residential facilities that frequently send patients to the emergency room – making it easier to coordinate care and ensure all relevant providers are connected to best treat the patient.
To set patients with complex needs (including patients who repeatedly visit the emergency room for mental health conditions) up for success post-discharge, staff will be required to evaluate whether patients may struggle to transition to community-based care after being discharged. For these patients, WMCHealth must develop individualized discharge plans to ensure patients have access to necessary follow-up mental health care and, where appropriate, develop care plans to improve treatment for patients upon any return visit to the emergency room.
In addition, WMCHealth must develop new protocols for using restraints and medication to treat agitated patients, particularly children – meaning emergency room staff will be required to clearly and thoroughly document all uses of restraints or medication to treat agitation, provide adequate clinical justification for use, and demonstrate and document specific efforts to use less restrictive alternatives to deescalate the patients’ behavior.
To guarantee these changes are made, Attorney General James and WMCHealth have agreed to robust oversight measures. WMCHealth will develop a training protocol to enact the settlement requirements and appoint an internal compliance administrator, who will ensure all three hospitals adhere to the agreement and submit compliance reports to OAG every six months for at least two years. WMCHealth must pay $400,000 in penalties and fees and/or costs to New York state and, if it fails to comply with the terms of the agreement, it will be liable for an additional $10,000 penalty per violation.
WMCHealth has also committed to making new and meaningful investments in implementing a new behavioral health service, such as deploying peer counselors in the emergency room, making mental health providers available at its primary care clinics, expanding substance use disorder treatment at the HealthAlliance Hospital and MidHudson Regional Hospital emergency rooms, and enacting an evidence-based procedure to make post-discharge follow-up calls to patients who are screened for moderate or high-risk of suicide.
“Children experiencing serious psychiatric distress were put in danger by inadequate hospital protocol and procedures. Now, thanks to Attorney General James, the children in our care and many others in Westchester will be able to get the emergency care they need,” said Ron Richter, CEO of JCCA. “We are grateful to AG James for listening – and responding – to our struggles trying to get the right urgent care for our kids. She is a true partner in making New York a better place for all. It does take a village, including our state’s hospital system, to ensure the safety of our kids and all community members.”
“After the death of my son Harris by accidental overdose, I founded the Harris Project to drive systemic change for young people, and their loved ones, impacted by co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders,” said Stephanie Marquesano, Founder of The Harris Project. “This settlement acknowledges the real harm caused by fragmented care and creates a powerful opportunity to reimagine emergency departments as compassionate, clinically competent entry points to healing. With restored psychiatric beds, stronger protocols, and meaningful oversight, we can increase access to care, implement quality co-occurring services, and rebuild trust across Westchester and the Mid-Hudson region. Through our Co-Occurring System of Care Committee, we’re bringing people together to listen, learn, and lead—and we welcome Westchester County Health Care Corporation to be part of creating lasting change.”
“We want to thank New York State Attorney General Letitia James for her steadfast commitment to supporting mental health services in Westchester County,” said Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins. “When our residents are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, it is often a matter that must be attended to immediately, and the care these patients receive at Westchester Medical Center is of utmost importance. Ultimately, this settlement means that vulnerable patients who are admitted will not be put at risk or discharged prematurely without adequate mental health crisis intervention. By requiring WMCHealth Hospitals to gather more detailed information about patients’ conditions before determining their treatment, we are ensuring higher quality, more compassionate care.”
“I deeply appreciate this thorough and detailed investigation by Attorney General James into the inadequate treatment of patients experiencing mental health crises,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “The findings on past practices are unacceptable and deeply concerning, and the settlement’s requirements for extensive reforms of policies and procedures, from intake through treatment and release, will ensure that our residents receive the proper mental health care they need and deserve. Ulster County will soon open an around-the-clock Crisis Support Center just blocks from the hospital, and we look forward to partnering with both HealthAlliance and the Office of the Attorney General as we all collectively work to strengthen our system of care for residents struggling with mental health and substance use.”
“Too many families in the Hudson Valley have watched loved ones fall through the cracks of a broken mental health system,” said Senator Nathalia Fernandez. “This agreement marks a turning point in how we treat and value psychiatric care. I commend Attorney General James for stepping in and securing reforms that put patient safety, accountability, and compassion back at the center of care.”
“For years, our Ulster County community has been sounding the alarm about the devastating loss of local mental health and substance use disorder care in Kingston,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “We’re grateful that Attorney General Letitia James has joined us in this fight, leading to new service protections and patient-centered care that will be implemented at Kingston HealthAlliance and across all WMCHealth hospitals so our neighbors have greater access to the life-saving services they deserve.”
“Today’s announcement by New York Attorney General Letitia James marks a significant milestone in tackling the mental health crisis in New York,” said Senator Shelley B. Mayer. “This settlement establishes a robust precedent, ensuring that individuals in crisis receive the essential care they need and rightfully deserve. I commend Attorney General James for her unwavering commitment to the people of New York and for her leadership in driving all hospitals and psychiatric units to make substantial improvements in delivering dignified and high-quality mental healthcare.”
“Comprehensive psychiatric care is not just vital for the safety and well-being of individuals, but for all of society,” said Senator James Skoufis. “Our communities, schools, and families are safer when patients get the care they need. I’m very grateful for Attorney General James’ successful efforts here in the Hudson Valley.”
“This settlement, the first of its kind in the nation, is incredibly welcome news,” said New York Assemblymember Dana Levenberg. “The expansion of access to psychiatric evaluation and care at Westchester Medical Center will save lives in my district. I applaud our Attorney General for her tireless efforts on behalf of New Yorkers, which are truly appreciated.”
“This settlement represents a vital step forward in treating mental health with the urgency, dignity, and care it deserves,” said New York Assemblymember Nader Sayegh. “I commend Attorney General James for holding institutions accountable and ensuring that no patient in crisis is turned away, neglected, or left without a path to healing. This agreement offers not just reform, but hope for families, youth, and individuals who need to know that their lives and well-being matter.”
“Congress passed EMTALA in 1986 to ensure that individuals experiencing mental health crises receive the full, stabilizing care they need,” said Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky. “I am happy that the parties involved here have arrived at this robust settlement, which should restore and improve acute mental health care for Hudson Valley residents. We in state government are well aware New York must keep building its capacity for these critical, and often complex, cases. To that end I will continue to support greater investments in psychiatric and mental health care in the 2025-2026 State Budget and in subsequent budgets—including training and incentives for more mental health professionals to enter the field as providers of inpatient and outpatient services.”
This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Michael Reisman and Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant to the First Deputy Gina Bull, under the supervision of Health Care Bureau Chief Sudarsana Srinivasan. The Health Care Bureau is part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict against a California man after he assaulted a federal officer while law enforcement attempted to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.
Gabriel Gigena, 41, of Valley Springs, CA, was charged by indictment on July 10, 2024.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Saturday May 4, 2024, members of the United States Marshal Service (USMS) were summoned to assist with the apprehension of Gigena, who was wanted for a warrant issued by the State of California. Law enforcement learned Gigena was at a park with his twin three-year-old daughters in Park City, Utah. In a briefing, members of the arrest team outlined their goal to take Gigena into custody while ensuring the safety of his children and others.
According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, as Gigena walked down a parking lot, two task force officers with the USMS were tasked with apprehending Gigena and securing the children. However, security concerns hastened law enforcement’s approach, which resulted in officers charging at and tackling Gigena. During the tackle, one of the officers pushed Gigena’s hands away from the two young girls. As this officer and Gigena fell to the ground Gigena placed his arm around the officer’s neck and started to strangle him. The officer testified in court that Gigena applied maximum force to his neck. Other officers on scene called out “police” and told Gigena to stop. Meanwhile, additional agents arrived on scene in vehicles that had flashing red and blue lights. These additional officers also assisted in taking control of Gigena. At one point, another officer displayed and threatened the use of a taser to get Gigena to comply. Another officer gained control of Gigena’s arm and removed it from the officer’s neck. Officers testified that Gigena never relented his assault or resistance of law enforcement until he was forced to do so.
According to witness testimony, Gigena made multiple statements about being the “chief of the Indian people” and that they were not allowed to arrest him. Gigena was taken into custody soon after the assault.
“His resistance was aimed at injuring the officer,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Yeates during closing arguments. “Despite multiple warnings, despite multiple commands, the defendant fought to the bitter end until he was finally placed in handcuffs.”
Gigena’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 1, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. in courtroom 8.3 before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Pead and J. Drew Yeates of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement on the passing of Pope Francis:
“Pope Francis has been an inspiring faith leader whose transformative papacy has shown the Spirit of Christ through his humility, his open-hearted engagement with the world, his tireless advocacy for peace, and his focus on the poor and the marginalized. I had the blessing of meeting the Holy Father twice, and was inspired by his teachings. I was struck by both his words and his actions when he visited the United States to address Congress in 2015. He called on us to overcome our partisan political differences to work together in service of the poor and the planet, and while in the U.S., he spent time meeting with migrants, the homeless, and the imprisoned to show us how to live out Christ’s teachings.
“Pope Francis often reminded us that “we are all in the same boat”—that no one can thrive and live well without the support of others. His ministry was infused with mercy, grace, and love, and particularly in times of strife he reminded us that through acts of unrestricted kindness, we can overcome any storm, any moment of challenge, together.
“The church and the world will miss his welcoming leadership and his engagement on questions of justice, climate change, migration, income inequality, and reconciliation. I join with many around the world in gratitude for his ministry and in praying for his eternal rest.”
Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Kansas of the May 20, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the severe storm, straight‑line winds, tornadoes and flooding occurring May 19, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the Kansas counties of Barton, Ellsworth, Harvey, Hodgeman, Lincoln, Morris, Ottawa, Pawnee, Reno, Rush, Russell, Stafford, Wabaunsee and Wyandotte.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs providing non-critical services of a governmental nature who suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. Examples of eligible non-critical PNPs include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low 3.25% and terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is May 20.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
(MERIDEN, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, state and local police officers, and safety advocates gathered today at an active work zone in Meriden to recognize the start of National Work Zone Awareness Week, which is observed from April 21 to 25, 2025, and urge motorists in Connecticut to take an active role in protecting roadway workers and drivers.
The event included remarks from local, state, and federal officials, as well as the family of Andrew DiDomenico, a Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) worker who was tragically killed on the job last year. A representative from the Meriden project spoke about the growing number of weekly work zone crashes.
National Work Zone Awareness Week honors the workers and professionals who help keep construction zones safe, including highway crews, public works, utility companies, contractors, and law enforcement. Thethemeof this year’s awareness week, “Respect the Zone So We All Get Home,” reinforces the importance of safe driving in active work zone areas. Governor Lamont has also signed a proclamation declaring Work Zone Awareness Week in Connecticut.
“Every person working on our roads deserves to make it home safely at the end of the day,” Governor Lamont said. “This week is a reminder that behind every cone and barrier are our neighbors doing essential work to keep our infrastructure safe and strong. Together, we can prevent tragedies and make Connecticut’s roads safer for everyone.”
For more than 25 years, CTDOT’s volunteer-led Work Zone Safety Awareness Committee has worked to eliminate work zone fatalities through education and outreach initiatives.
Work zone crashes remain a major safety issue in Connecticut and nationwide. According to data from the Connecticut Crash Data Repository at UConn, between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024, there were more than 2,000 crashes and six fatalities in Connecticut work zones. Nationally in 2022, the most recent year of verifiable data, there were 891 work zone fatalities.
“Roads are not racetracks,” Commissioner Eucalitto said. “This past year has been especially difficult for us at CTDOT as we lost one of our own, Andrew DiDomenico, in a tragic work zone crash. We need drivers to slow down, stay alert, and Obey the Orange because their choices behind the wheel impact real people, real families, and entire communities.”
“Completing work on the highway is a challenge when vehicles are driving by at high speeds,” Colonel Daniel Loughman, commanding officer of the Connecticut State Police, said. “Please remember that our first responders and CTDOT crews work on the roads at all hours of the day, and we count on drivers to slow down in work zones. At the end of their shifts, they want to return home.”
In 2023, during Connecticut’s one-year pilot program for work zone speed safety cameras, nearly 25,000 motorists received written warnings for exceeding speed limits by 15 miles per hour or more in designated work zones. A permanent work zone camera program is expected to launch again in 2025.
How the public can support Work Zone Awareness Week
There are several ways people can raise awareness about work zone safety.
Wednesday, April 23, is Go Orange Day, and CTDOT is inviting the public to wear orange and post photos on social media with the hashtags #NWZAW, #ObeyTheOrange, and #Orange4Safety to promote work zone safety awareness.
On Friday, April 25, at 12:00 p.m., CTDOT is encouraging everyone to pause for a moment of silence to honor the 39 CTDOT employees and all people who have tragically lost their lives in work zone crashes.
For up-to-date information, safety tips, and news regarding work zone safety, visitObeyTheOrange.com.
The UK firmly rejects all acts designed to destabilise Haiti: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Minister Counsellor, at the UN Security Council meeting on Haiti.
The UK is extremely concerned by the significant escalation of violence in Haiti.
Over 2,600 Haitians have been murdered over the past three months, including nearly 400 women and children.
We continue to hear horrifying accounts of sexual and gender-based violence targeting women, girls and boys.
One third of cases of sexual violence against children in Haiti in 2024 were gang rapes.
Through coordinated attacks on civilian communities, including the deliberate destruction of schools, churches and businesses, gangs continue to target the innocent and inflict horror on the people of Haiti.
Mr President, there are troubling reports of coordination between criminal gangs in order to destabilise Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council as they try to ensure security across the country.
We firmly reject all acts designed to destabilise Haiti.
The UK is committed to maintaining pressure via the implementation of sanctions on those who seek to destabilise Haiti, and we call for the full implementation of the UN sanctions regime and the arms embargo in Haiti.
The UK supports the efforts of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, Prime Minister Fils-Aimé and all stakeholders to work towards a secure and stable Haiti.
But now is the time for even greater action to restore security and to allow for elections to enable a transfer of power to an elected successor in February 2026.
This includes an urgent need for the Haitian National Police, supported by the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, to re-establish control over all areas of Port-au-Prince.
The UK thanks Kenya for its continued leadership of the MSS mission and pays tribute to those, both Kenyan and Haitian, who have lost their lives in the pursuit of restoring security for the Haitian people.
In light of the deteriorating security situation, it is clear that the MSS mission and the Haitian security forces need to be adequately supported to fulfil their mission.
This Council needs urgently to consider the recommendations of the Secretary General and agree how we can support the enhanced UN security support to Haiti.
Collectively, we must find a way to deliver stability and lasting peace for the people of Haiti.
As part of its mandate to monitor the digital information ecosystem during the general election, the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force has observed a transnational repression (TNR) operation targeting the 45th general election.
Sample Images
These are just some examples among many. It is important for the SITE Task Force to avoid amplifying this type of transnational repression campaign any further.
Background
In December 2024, Hong Kong Police announced they would provide monetary rewards for information that would lead to the arrest of six individuals living overseas, including two Canadians.
The decision by Hong Kong to issue international bounties and cancel the passports of democracy activists and former Hong Kong lawmakers, is deplorable. This attempt by Hong Kong authorities to conduct TNR“>TNR abroad, including by issuing threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or those in Canada, will not be tolerated.
One of the six individuals targeted by Hong Kong is Joe Tay, Conservative Party candidate for Don Valley North,
and known for his opposition to PRC“>PRC laws and practices in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC), including Mainland China and Hong Kong, uses a variety of tactics to carry out TNR activities. It exploits PRC-based family members to pressure those in Canada to cease certain activities the PRC views as hostile, or to return to the PRC. It also threatens PRC-based family members with a range of potential coercive actions, including detention or financial penalties. The PRC also leverages overseas actors to monitor, surveil and report on others in Canada.
To support its TNR activities, the PRC uses its diplomatic missions, PRC-linked organizations affiliated with the United Front Work Department, community organizations and influential community leaders, among others.
About transnational repression
Transnational Repression (TNR) takes place when foreign governments reach beyond their state borders to advance their interests or silence criticism and dissent using intimidation, threats or violence, often against diaspora and exile communities.
TNR activities typically target political dissidents, human rights and democracy defenders, and religious and ethnic minority groups. But TNR also increasingly targets the people and organizations that defend the victims. This can include activists, international students and scholars, lawyers and doctors, as well as journalists.
Hostile state actors will use a variety of tactics to extend their reach into Canada:
Physical intimidation and violence: Monitoring and surveillance, vandalism, threats, abduction, assault, or attempted murder. Actors can use coercion or assault as punishment or to influence opinion, and hostile state actors sometimes hire organized crime groups or proxies for this.
Threats against overseas relatives and other connections: Threats against relatives and partners in the home country, to relay messages or force an action in Canada. This creates a sense of vulnerability, as close relations abroad may be victim to the laws and regulations of a non-democratic country.
Legal manipulation: Foreign states abusing legal mechanisms for coercive purposes, like libel suits, extraditions agreements, bounties for information on individuals, Interpol Red Notices, imposing sanctions, and refusing visa applications for personal or professional travel.
Community ostracism: Rejection from community associations, use of labels such as ‘extremist’ or ‘traitor’, or loss of access to social events and employment opportunities.
Malicious Digital Activity: Hacking, cyberbullying, targeted deepfakes, online defamation and disinformation, doxxing, or threatening online messages.
Impact
TNR causes harm both to the victims and the community.
At the individual level, there is a profound psychological impact on victims who experience TNR. They might experience fear, anxiety, and stress due to the continuous surveillance and harassment they face. In fact, just knowing that a foreign government can monitor their activities or harm their families can lead many victims of TNR to self-censor or withdraw from public life.
At the community level, TNR creates mistrust and division. Targeted communities may become fragmented as individuals fear infiltration by foreign agents or retaliation for associating with activists.
Transnational Repression Operation
During the writ period, SITE has observed two significant trends related to Mr. Tay across multiple social media platforms.
Inauthentic and coordinated amplification of content related to the bounty and arrest warrant against Mr. Tay, as well as content related to his competence for political office.
The SITE Task Force has seen that multiple accounts or platforms published or interacted with content at similar times and dates – sometimes within minutes or even seconds of each other. This creates an increased volume of content, making it more likely that users of these platforms are exposed to the amplified narratives.
Deliberate suppression of search results, or “keyword filtering” censoring Mr. Tay’s name in simplified and traditional Chinese on platforms based in the PRC.
The SITE Task Force is observing deliberate efforts to suppress any new content about Mr. Tay, and when users search his name, the search engine only returns information about the bounty.
This is not about a single incident with high levels of engagement. It is a series of deliberate and persistent activity across multiple platforms – those in which Chinese-speaking users in Canada are active, including: Facebook, WeChat, TikTok, RedNote, and Douyin, a sister-app of TikTok for the Chinese market.
Overall engagement levels since December 2024 have been low, with an increase at various points during the writ period. The combined instances, inauthentic and coordinated amplification across multiple platforms, and the concerning trend of deliberate search suppression on platforms frequented by Canadians, have led us to determine that voters need to be aware.
It is clear that this was a deliberate attempt to amplify inauthentic content. However, at least until this point, that content has not generated much traction.
Reporting transnational repression
If you are in immediate danger, always call 9-1-1.
Take a record of events: As soon as it is safe, write down or record the situation as precisely as possible. Include descriptive details about the person, date and time, location, other witnesses, and event. For instance: Did it happen in-person? Was it a phone call? An email? Any security cameras or witnesses nearby?
Report it: Contact your local police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Clearly articulate why you believe you are being targeted and mention that you believe this is transnational repression.
Even if the piece of information provided may not on its own be something that meets a criminal threshold, it may be a building block that helps police to identify threats, support a larger police response, or even contribute to another ongoing investigation.
When the matter concerns your vote, you can also reach out to the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, and the SITE Task Force.
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Meat and poultry products inspected by state programs are limited to markets within their particular state, even when inspection at a state facility meets or exceeds federal inspection standards.
U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) in introducing the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act to allow meat and poultry products inspected by state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs to be sold across state lines.
This bill does not eliminate or phase out the Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program and does not explicitly allow for products inspected by state MPI programs to be exported. The CIS program supports the “expansion of business opportunities for state-inspected meat and poultry establishments,” and helps North Dakota access additional markets in neighboring states. The New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act builds on this success by opening even more options without repealing the program.
Cramer and his colleagues previously led this legislation in earlier sessions of Congress. Following meatpacking plant shutdowns and supply chain shortages for meat products in 2020, the group wrote an op-ed advocating for the bill’s passage with COVID-19 relief packages.
“Despite meat and poultry products passing rigorous inspection standards across the nation, high-quality, state-inspected meats cannot be sold across state lines,” said Cramer.“This puts our producers and consumers at a disadvantage. Our bill removes this unnecessary barrier by expanding market opportunities for North Dakota ranchers and provides out-of-state consumers with more choices at the grocery store.”
“South Dakota is home to a robust and diverse agriculture industry. Despite not serving on the Senate Agriculture Committee, I continue to work on addressing issues that impact our farm and ranch operations in South Dakota,” said Rounds. “This includes updating safety net programs to make certain producers are receiving fair coverage for their products, allowing state-inspected meat and poultry products to be sold across state lines and reforming the Natural Resources Conservation Service to protect landowners from unnecessary government overreach. I’m looking forward to working with Chairman Boozman and the Senate Agriculture Committee to get these priorities included in the Farm Bill and across the finish line. I will continue to work to support farmers and ranchers in South Dakota and across the country.”
This legislation is cosponsored by Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), John Barrasso (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Tina Smith (D-MN).
Click here for bill text. Click here for one-page summary.
Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet and Congressman Joe Neguse wrote a letter to Acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino urging him to ensure on-time and reliable mail delivery in rural and mountain communities along the Western Slope, upon reports the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) entered into an agreement with the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”).
In their letter, the Colorado lawmakers highlighted how the implementation of DOGE’s “wrecking ball”approach to cutting government could erode the USPS universal service mission to provide the nation and Colorado communities with reliable, affordable, universal mail service. They also called to attention the continuous impacts of staffing shortages, pushing back on further cuts to the workforce.
“Coloradans need reliable mail service to vote in elections, conduct business, pay their bills, receive medications, and stay in touch with loved ones,” wrote the lawmakers. “While we appreciate the need for USPS to continue to improve efficiency and address the many challenges facing the agency, it cannot come at the expense of Colorado’s rural small businesses, seniors, and families.”
Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:
Dear Acting Postmaster General Tulino:
We write to request that you maintain your agency’s commitment to reliable and consistent mail service for rural and mountain communities in Colorado, as directed by the agency’s universal service mandate. Following your agency’s announcement that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) entered into an agreement with the General Service Administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), we urge you to consider how any proposed changes could exacerbate mail delivery issues in Colorado’s Western Slope communities prior to any agreement to undertake such actions.
As you are well aware, many rural and mountain communities on Colorado’s Western Slope have consistently faced challenges receiving on-time and reliable mail delivery despite the efforts of hardworking front-line USPS employees. We are concerned that these problems will only be exacerbated by the recently-announced partnership with DOGE, which so far has demonstrated a haphazard and irresponsible approach to change other federal agencies in the name of efficiency. DOGE’s efforts across numerous federal agencies across the nation have only led to increased chaos, uncertainty, and inefficiencies. While we understand your interest to proactively engage with DOGE to address inefficiencies within USPS, we have considerable concerns that there will, instead, be further mail delivery disruptions for our constituents.
We are also deeply concerned by President Trump and DOGE’s suggestion to privatize USPS or move it under the Department of Commerce. Privatizing the agency or reducing its independence is contrary to its universal service mission. Staffing shortages, space limitations, and lack of home delivery service have already made USPS mail delivery difficult and unreliable for communities across the Western Slope. Any further staffing cuts in particular would be untenable on Colorado’s Western Slope where staff levels are already so low that Post Offices face unexpected closures and delayed mail. Therefore, we urgently request that you do not take any actions under any agreement with DOGE that would further reduce the reliability of mail delivery for rural and mountain communities on Colorado’s Western Slope.
Coloradans need reliable mail service to vote in elections, conduct business, pay their bills, receive medications, and stay in touch with loved ones. While we appreciate the need for USPS to continue to improve efficiency and address the many challenges facing the agency, it cannot come at the expense of Colorado’s rural small businesses, seniors, and families.
We urge you to ensure that any changes within USPS would not result in slower mail delivery for our Western Slope communities and erode the agency’s universal service mission, and we request advance notification and briefing of any proposed changes.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in Nature Climate Change assesses temperature-related deaths in urban heat islands.
Dr Chloe Brimicombe, Climate Scientist and Extreme Heat Impact Researcher, University of London, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said:
“The paper shows how urban greening (maintaining parks and planting trees) and cool roofs, painting roofs white are intervention which reduces the rise in heat in cities and are associated with reduced heat related mortality.
“In the paper all the results are related to a general U-shaped relationship this is where we see more deaths when it’s cold and hot in comparison to when it’s just warm. This is a global trend but there are actually local differences so sometimes we see a J shape where there’s a point at which heat related mortality rises faster than cold related mortality. It’s also different for age, cause of death and for socio-economic factors like wealth, type of housing and ethnicity.
“Also, there is what we call a lagged effect, someone could take up to a month to die from cold, whereas it is 3 days to a week with heat – when we consider our body, they affect us differently – you shiver when cold and sweat when hot.
“In addition, this paper does not take into account humid heat which is more deadly than dry heat. And we have seen in other recent studies that urban greening may be affecting this and therefore heat during the night-time and mortality.
“This is a problem in UK towns and cities, there has been local research showing that green roofs are associated with reduced heat-mortality in London. We see a rise in cold and heat related mortality in UK cities, we all remember how unbearable UK urban areas were in the July 2022 heatwave. This paper gives evidence that more funding should be set aside so that local towns and cities can increase adaptation strategies including maintaining parks, planting trees and vegetation, increasing coverage of cool roofs and reflective roofing which may reduce the burden of heat related mortality.
“With all this in mind the paper demonstrates really how we need to take into account local contexts and there is a lot that local cities are doing, and we should celebrate these efforts, but adaptation alone is not enough we need to urgently prioritise transitions to net zero and beyond.”
Dr Clare Heaviside, Associate Professor (Cities, Climate and Health), University College London (UCL), said:
“Urban adaptations influence local temperatures year-round, impacting human health. These complex effects vary across populations, cities and geographic and climatic zones. Therefore, maximising benefits and minimising negative impacts in specific settings requires location-specific modelling and data (health and meteorology), rather than relying on generalised results that extrapolate sparse data to different settings.
“That is why our (and many other) modelling studies use locally derived temperature-mortality relationships, daily mortality data and detailed regional urban climate modelling to best assess the impacts of adaptations like greening and cool roofs. For example, we modelled the health impacts of the UHI in summer and winter in the West Midlands, and found a protective effect of the UHI on winter mortality as well as a (larger) negative impact of the UHI in summer.
“Cool roofs reduced summer mortality and had a negligible effect in winter, so even with cool roofs present all year round, the reduced solar radiation in winter meant that the cool roofs did not diminish the beneficial impact of the UHI during cold weather. Therefore we found an annual net positive health impact of cool roofs, due to the larger benefits in summer. Of course this is highly context specific and will not necessarily be the case everywhere, so we would need similar data and modelling in other locations to test similar impacts of adaptations.”
Dr Madeleine Thomson, Head of Climate Impacts and Adaptation at Wellcome, said:
“While the study’s modelling provides valuable insights into global trends, it assumes adaptation strategies have the same impact across seasons around the world.
“Local context matters. Effective climate adaptation must be tailored to the place — and the people — it’s meant to protect. Many cities are already doing this with evidence-based approaches that consider the impact year-round.
“Copenhagen, for example, planted deciduous trees that offer shade in summer to reduce urban heat, while shedding their leaves in winter to let sunlight in—helping to cool the city in summer without intensifying winter cold. This seasonal adaptability makes them an effective tool against the urban heat island effect.”
“Extreme heat is a rising global threat due to climate change, putting vulnerable groups — including older adults, children, and pregnant women — at serious health risks. Cities must act with urgency, using local evidence to protect lives now and into the future.”
‘Dual impact of global urban overheating on mortality’ by Shasha Wang et al. was published in Nature Climate Change at 16:00 UK time Monday 21 April 2025, which is when the embargo will lift.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in Nature Medicine looks at blood pressure control for dementia.
Dr Julia Dudley, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:
“This large trial of over 33,000 people in rural China provides further evidence that addressing high blood pressure could be one way to reduce dementia risk. This is consistent with a landmark report published in The Lancet last year, which highlighted untreated high blood pressure as one of 14 risk factors that account for almost half of global dementia cases. Existing medicines and lifestyle changes to reduce blood pressure could present a more accessible way to lower dementia risk for those with high blood pressure.
“While the results from this trial are reassuring, further studies are needed to understand how other risk factors like genetics interact with factors like high blood pressure to influence dementia risk. It will also be interesting to see whether interventions trialed in this study can work in other populations across the world.
“Looking after our heart and blood vessel health is something we can all do to improve our overall wellbeing and reduce our risk of dementia. With no current treatments available on the NHS to slow or stop the diseases that cause dementia, there has never been a more pressing need to promote good brain health and to gain a deeper understanding of how we can reduce our risk of developing dementia.
“The government also has a vital role to play in tackling the health and lifestyle factors that influence dementia risk – including cardiovascular health. This could mean introducing policies to reduce salt, sugar, and calories in processed foods, and lowering the NHS Health Check eligibility age in England from 40 to 30, so more people can start managing their blood pressure earlier in life.
“If you’re worried about your blood pressure, or haven’t had it checked for a while, speak to your GP or your local pharmacy may offer this service. If you’re over 40, you should ideally have your blood pressure checked at least every five years.”
Prof James Leiper, Director of Research, British Heart Foundation, said:
“There has been evidence for a long time that people who have high blood pressure have a higher risk of developing dementia, especially vascular dementia. The findings of this large trial, involving high blood pressure treatments that are already widespread, offer strong evidence that enhanced treatment of high blood pressure could in turn reduce the heightened dementia risk that comes with it.
“It will be important to see whether this reduced risk continues for longer than the four-year follow up period in the study, and whether similar effects are seen in other populations that receive the same treatment. If so, wider use of high blood pressure treatment in people with the condition could be recommended to fight the growing impact of dementia.”
Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research and Innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. The condition is progressive and although no single behaviour is guaranteed to prevent dementia, we know that what’s good for your heart is often also good for your head.
“This study is one of the first big trials to test whether treating high blood pressure, supported by health coaching can reduce dementia risk, and the results appear to be promising.
“It is encouraging that the intervention worked in real-world, rural settings using non-physician healthcare workers, which may have implications for delivering care in areas with limited resources in the future. However, this four-year study cannot tell us whether the benefits will last in the long-term so we will continue to follow this trial.
“Research will one day beat dementia. This study takes another step forwards and we will be keen to see further studies provide more information about the impact of blood pressure control over the longer term and in other populations.”
Prof Sir Mark Caulfield, Vice Principal for Health for Queen Mary’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, said:
“the findings reported in Nature Medicine show that optimizing blood pressure control convincingly reduces risk of dementia. There have been prior studies suggesting correlation of blood pressure level and dementia risk -especially vascular dementia – but this is a very emphatic outcome of a trial. The trial is in a Chinese population so some people might say it isn’t generalisable, but we know from other research that the correlation of blood pressure level with adverse outcomes is consistent across populations. This is a really major advance in dementia prevention and will transform global blood pressure guidance and prevention strategies.”
Prof Ian Maidment, Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, Aston University, said:
“There is already good evidence that we should control hypertension to reduce the potential risk of dementia.
“The study here showed that the intervention reduced the risk of dementia (as expected). However, the intervention would require significant modification. It was delivered by “village doctors” in rural villages in China. It would require significant changes for the UK and other similar healthcare systems; although potentially community pharmacists could deliver a similar programme.
“There are also a number of further limitations to consider before we should consider changing UK practice. The cohort were relatively young at baseline (62/ 63 years old) and only followed up for 48 months. In part due to these two factors, very few dementia cases actually arose during the trial: 4.59% (n=668) intervention vs 5.40% (n=734) in control. This represents 66 excess cases (734 minus 668; although the denominator is different. There were 17,407 people in the intervention group vs 16,588 in the control group). There was also no health economic data for the intervention delivered across 163 villages for 48 months.”
Prof Masud Husain, Professor of Neurology, University of Oxford, said:
“This is a landmark study with a very large sample size and a robust effect. It’s a wake-up call to treat high blood pressure intensively, not just to protect the heart but also the brain.”
“Remarkably, within just four years, there was a significant reduction in the incidence of dementia by aggressively treating raised blood pressure. Although many patients and their GPs understand how important it is to treat blood pressure, they might not appreciate what a risk it poses for developing dementia. In my clinic, I recommend keeping BP consistently below 140/80.”
Prof Tara Spires-Jones, Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Group Leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, and President of the British Neuroscience Association said:
“This paper by He and team based at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center tested whether treatment for high blood pressure was associated with a reduction in risk of developing dementia. The team randomly assigned 163 villages in rural China to treat people with high blood pressure with medication and coaching to help them manage blood pressure and in 163 similar villages, people received standard care. The team observed that the people in the group receiving treatment for two years had a 15% reduced risk of developing dementia to the control group . This randomized, controlled trial provides further strong evidence supporting the importance of managing blood pressure and other cardiovascular risks to protect the brain during ageing. It is important to note that treating high blood pressure was not a fool-proof guarantee as some people receiving treatment still developed dementia. Although lifestyle modification is not a guarantee of avoiding dementia, strong evidence suggests there are things we can all do to keep our brains healthy and reduce dementia risk as we age including keeping mentally, physically, and socially active, treating conditions like hearing loss and high blood pressure, and avoiding things like head injury, too much alcohol, and smoking.”
Prof Atticus Hainsworth, Professor of Cerebrovascular Disease, St George’s, University of London (SGUL), said:
“It is encouraging to see further support for the concept that intensive blood pressure control reduces dementia risk. Jiang He and colleagues report a large clinical study, sampling older people from over 300 Chinese villages (almost 34,000 participants). Blood pressure was treated with cheap, readily-available drugs, managed by community healthcare workers who were not specialist doctors. They found a significant reduction in dementia risk among those villages where blood pressure was treated intensively. The implication is clear. We have an intervention that moves the needle on dementia risk, that can be delivered to large numbers of people in their communities, at modest cost.
“There are parallels with a previous large clinical trial of intensive blood pressure lowering in older North Americans (the SPRINT-MIND study). The reduction in risk was similar – about 15%. In both studies, the beneficial effect did not depend on using specific drug type to lower blood pressure. And in both, an effect of treatment was apparent after 12-18 months (though both studies continued for a longer duration).
“Replicating experimental findings doesn’t always happen. Here we are looking at similar findings from two big trials in different settings – rural China and (largely urban, primarily white) North America. These concordant findings may prompt changes in healthcare policy guidelines.”
Prof Toby Richards, Department of Allied and Public Health, School Of Health, Sport And Bioscience at the University of East London, said:
“Dementia is a rising problem in society today.
“In this large community based clinical trial in 34,000 people, the authors have shown two important findings. Firstly, that non-medical staff can provide medical information and deliver primary care protocols effectively in a community setting. And secondly that effectively lowering blood pressure to
“The data reinforce recent European Society of Cardiology 2024 guidelines aiming for a lower blood pressure and a structured algorithm of treatment.
“This has important ramifications for individuals. Blood Pressure can be relatively easy to measure at home enabling individuals to take control and autonomy for their health and these data show benefit in reducing the risk for developing dementia.
“In a resource strapped NHS these data also show that an algorithm of Treatment based on the European Society guidelines can be implemented by non-health care professionals, potentially at pharmacy level.
“In summary these data support treating blood pressure to
‘Blood pressure reduction and all-cause dementia in people with uncontrolled hypertension: an open-label, blinded-endpoint, cluster-randomized trial’ by Jiang He et al. was published in Nature Medicine at 16:00 UK time on Monday 21st Monday.
Prof James Leiper: No conflicts of interest to declare.
Prof Sir Mark Caulfield: Mark Caulfield was President of the British and Irish Hypertension Society between 2009-11 and served on the European Society of Hypertension Council.
Between 2013-21 he was Chief Scientist for Genomics England, a Department of Health and Social Care Company
Prof Ian Maidment: No declarations of interest.
Prof Masud Husain: I don’t have any conflicts of interest.
Prof Tara Spires-Jones: I have no conflicts with this study but have received payments for consulting, scientific talks, or collaborative research over the past 10 years from AbbVie, Sanofi, Merck, Scottish Brain Sciences, Jay Therapeutics, Cognition Therapeutics, Ono, and Eisai. I am also Charity trustee for the British Neuroscience Association and the Guarantors of Brain and serve as scientific advisor to several other charities and non-profit institutions.
Prof Atticus Hainsworth: I have co-authored a publication with one of the authors, Dr Jeff Williamson, on a related topic. I lead the Vascular Experimental Medicine group in DementiasPlatformUK. I serve on a scientific panel for AriBio Ltd.
Prof Toby Richards: Professor Richards has declared no conflicts of interest.
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
The team of the Department of Youth Policy and Educational Work of the State University of Management took part in organizing the forum “School of Information and Spiritual Security”.
The goal of the forum is to develop a methodology for creating popular media content in the area of preserving traditional spiritual and moral values, fostering religious culture, patriotism and all-Russian civic identity, taking into account the experience of young people.
Speakers at the Forum included the Chairman of the All-Russian Interethnic Union of Youth, Director of the Scientific, Methodological and Project Center for Strengthening Interethnic Friendship and Citizenship of the State University of Management Kantemir Khurtayev, expert of the Council for Interethnic Relations under the President of the Russian Federation Alexey Vaits, expert of the State Duma Committee on Nationalities Anna Bakaeva, head of the Department of Educational and Cultural Work of the Department of Youth Policy and Educational Work of the State University of Management Alexandra Kobylyanskaya and others.
The event was attended by 50 people: opinion leaders, activists of youth national communities and regional associations, as well as interethnic student associations of Moscow universities, representatives of the Central Asian republics and the republics of the North Caucasus Federal District, bloggers and residents of the Center for New Media.
Participants had the opportunity to analyze effective methods and tools for preserving traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, get acquainted with the key principles of forming religious culture, and improve their skills in creating popular content based on modern methods of conveying values. The leisure part included a screening and discussion of the film “Paradise Under the Feet of Mothers” and a house concert.
The organizers were the All-Russian public movement for promoting friendship and harmony among young people “All-Russian Interethnic Union of Youth”, the Centralized religious organization “International Islamic Mission” and the Scientific, Methodological and Project Center for Strengthening Interethnic Friendship and Citizenship of the State University of Management under the Coordination Council of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia with the assistance of the Fund for the Support of Islamic Culture, Science and Education.
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 21.04.2025
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I want to extend my deepest condolences to Catholics, and all those around the world, inspired by the extraordinary life and example of His Holiness Pope Francis.
Pope Francis was a messenger of hope, humility and humanity.
He was a transcendent voice for peace, human dignity and social justice.
He leaves behind a legacy of faith, service and compassion for all — especially those on the margins of life or trapped by the horrors of conflict.
Pope Francis was a man of faith for all faiths — working with people of all beliefs and backgrounds to light a path forward.
Through the years, we at the United Nations were greatly inspired by his commitment to the goals and ideals of our organization — a message I was honoured to convey in my meetings with him as Secretary-General.
Pope Francis also understood that protecting our common home is, at heart, a deeply moral mission and responsibility that belongs to every person.
Many of us find great meaning in his final Easter message delivered just yesterday.
He appealed for us not to yield to – as he called it – the “logic of fear”.
Instead, he urged the world to invest in what he referred to as the “weapons of peace” – to help the most vulnerable, to fight hunger, to advance development.
Our divided and discordant world will be a much better place if we follow his example of unity and mutual understanding in our own actions.
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April 21, 2025
Albany, NY
Photos of Governor Hochul and His Holiness Pope Francis Are Available Here
“I join Catholics around the world in mourning the loss of His Holiness Pope Francis.
“Pope Francis embodied the values Christ taught us every day: helping the less fortunate, calling for peace and ensuring every person is treated as a child of God. He led with compassion, humility and inclusivity, emphasizing that God does not disown any of his children. He reminded us of our collective responsibility to protect this beautiful planet, our shared home. And he was a man of peace, and a fighter for social and economic justice.
“Last year I was honored to be invited to the Vatican to deliver remarks at a Pontifical Summit to discuss climate change. His Holiness delivered a remarkable address calling on the world to save our planet and take care of the most vulnerable in our society. He then spoke individually to each of the leaders assembled, and blessed Bill and I on the occasion of our 40th wedding anniversary. It is a moment I will never forget.
“We should all strive to carry on his legacy. May His Holiness rest in peace.”
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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xiu Ping Li, 48, residing in Skillman, New Jersey, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to five years in prison and four years of supervised release for three counts of manufacturing marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Li operated multiple residential marijuana grows in Sacramento and Placer Counties that yielded more than 8,000 marijuana plants and 21.4 pounds of processed marijuana found during the execution of search warrants in 2016 and 2017. Li also acknowledged using proceeds from a marijuana grow to buy another property to continue growing marijuana.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Elk Grove Police Department, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal grand jury in Lafayette, Louisiana has returned an indictment charging a Lafayette man and his two daughters with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Child and Adult Care Food Program (“the Program”), a federal program operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.
The indictment charges Brian Desormeaux, 64, and his two daughters, Amy Desormeaux Hernandez, 38, and Lenzi Desormeaux Babineaux, 34, each with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. According to the indictment, Regional Nutrition Assistance, Inc. (“RNA”) was a Louisiana non-profit corporation located in Scott, Louisiana and was owned and operated by Brian Desormeaux and he served as its Executive Director. Amy Desoremaux Hernandez served as its Assistant Director and Lenzi Desormeaux Babineaux served as its Senior Program Manager.
RNA was a “Sponsoring Organization” for the Program and was responsible for administering it in certain locations, including “Day Care Homes,” which are organized childcare programs for children enrolled in a private home. The Program authorizes assistance to states through grants-in-aid and other means to assist non-profit food service programs for children and adult participants in non-residential institutions that provide care. It is intended to provide aid to the participants and family or group day care homes to provide nutritious foods for the health and wellness of young children, older adults, and chronically impaired persons.
The indictment alleges that the defendants had access to KidKare/Minute Menu HX, the online portal used by Sponsoring Organizations to administer the Program. It is alleged that it was part of the conspiracy that defendant Amy Hernandez would access the online portal at the beginning of the month to change Day Care Home Providers to “inactive” status to avoid monitoring and oversight by the Louisiana Department of Education (“LDOE”). Then at the end of the month, she would change those “inactive” Day Care Home providers back to “active” status so that claims could be submitted to LDOE for reimbursement by USDA.
Allegations in the indictment state that all three defendants submitted or caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to LDOE for reimbursement from USDA, to include claims that children were being cared for and fed at Day Care Home providers when in fact, they were not. In fact, it is alleged that some of those Day Care Home providers were deceased at the time claims were made on their behalf.
The indictment also alleges that Lenzi Desormeaux Babineaux submitted false and fraudulent state fire marshal inspection reports for Day Care Home providers so that they would be in compliance with LDOE’s requirements for inclusion in the Program, which was necessary for reimbursements. The indictment further alleges that these three defendants submitted false and fraudulent claims seeking reimbursement they were not entitled to, causing LDOE and USDA to pay at least $400,000 in fraudulent claims.
If convicted, each defendant faces not more than 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on each count.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Louisiana State Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren L. Gardner.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The President’s directive to expand timber production touches on a number, whole-of-government efforts needed to improve forest management. The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) plays an important role in defending those agencies’ actions, and recently the division successfully defended projects in Montana, Idaho, and California that underscore this work.
In Montana, ENRD defended the Forest Service’s South Plateau Landscape Area Treatment Project on the Custer Gallatin National Forest. The project is designed to increase landscape resiliency to insects and disease, help protect a nearby community from wildland fire and contribute to a sustained yield of timber products. The magistrate judge recommended the district court uphold the project after finding, among other things, consistent and science-based support in the project’s approach to grizzly bear and lynx and their habitat.
In the Central District of California, ENRD defended the North Big Bear Landscape Restoration Project in the San Bernardino National Forest. The project will thin trees and reduce wildfire risk, and the district court’s decision affirmed the Forest Service’s review of the science and makes clear that thinning trees is not always controversial and thus subject to additional levels of scrutiny.
A third case in Idaho focused on two large forest health restoration projects on Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests in Idaho. The projects will improve forest health, reduce fire risk, and provide timber that will support the social and economic structure of local rural communities and provide for regional and national needs. The Forest Service had done an extensive environmental impact statement and other work to comply with a 2021 order from the district court. The court found that the Forest Service’s work addressed its concerns and provided thorough analyses, paving the way for the projects to proceed.
FORT IRWIN, Calif., April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At the U.S. Army’s premier technology innovation event, Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PC-C5), Overland AI successfully demonstrated its autonomous ground vehicle integrated with uncrewed aerial system (UAS)-capable payloads as part of a joint breaching experimentation effort with the Sandhills Project and the 20th Engineer Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps.
Operating under the direction of the Sandhills Project, Overland AI integrated its full stack, ground autonomy capability, consisting of both software and hardware, into General Dynamics Land Systems’ Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET) vehicle. The SMET, originally controlled via tethered hand remote, was upgraded with Overland AI’s OverDrive software stack, SPARK hardware infrastructure, and OverWatch tactical interface to enable autonomous operation.
Overland AI integrated its ground autonomy capability, including the company’s OverDrive software stack and SPARK hardware infrastructure, into the General Dynamics Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET).
U.S. Army Soldiers from the 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade trained directly on Overland’s system during PC-C5, learning to independently operate, troubleshoot, and maintain the fully autonomous platform. By the end of the exercise, Soldiers executed breaching missions, successfully starting up the system, conducting missions, and shutting it down independently.
The demonstration included two payload integrations: a trailer equipped with a mine-clearing UAS designed for breaching lanes, and a Stratin Engineering-developed drone launcher mounted on the SMET to deploy small attritable drones.
Overland AI’s autonomy enables tactical operators to seamlessly integrate multiple payloads into ground platforms, including this UAS designed for breaching lanes that is being towed with an Overland-designed autonomous hitch.
“Soldiers independently and successfully operated our ground autonomy for two consecutive weeks during Project Convergence Capstone 5,” said Byron Boots, co-founder and chief executive officer of Overland AI. “Breaching exercises continue to demonstrate the maturity of our capability and the tactical benefit of removing humans from some of the most dangerous missions.”
Overland AI directly supported the Sandhills Project’s objective, such as minefields, wire, and ditches, while enabling distributed operations across a breach. The 20th Engineer Brigade has taken possession of the upgraded SMET vehicle for continued experimentation, with Overland AI providing field support and a software license per contract.
PC-C5 is a cornerstone of the Army’s persistent experimentation campaign and focuses on evaluating next-generation warfighting capabilities, including cross-domain operations in the INDOPACOM theater. The Overland AI ground team onsite included experts across hardware integration, autonomy software, infrastructure, field operations, product, and program management.
Overland AI continues to advance the state of ground autonomy for defense, having previously secured an $18.6 million contract with the U.S. Army and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to develop autonomy software for the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program.
To learn more about Overland AI and see open roles, visit www.overland.ai.
About Overland AI Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Overland AI is powering ground operations for modern defense. The company leverages over a decade of advanced research in robotics and machine learning, as well as a field-test forward ethos, to deliver advanced autonomy for unit commanders. Hazardous missions in austere and electronically denied environments demand that this technology is reliable and resilient. Overland AI’s SPARK autonomy upfit and OverDrive stack enable ground vehicles to navigate off-road without GPS or direct operator control. The company built its fully autonomous tactical vehicle, ULTRA, in-house by integrating SPARK and OverDrive into a modular and attritable platform that is currently in production. Overland AI developed OverWatch, its intuitive C2 interface, to provide commanders with the precise coordination of autonomous ground systems that is vital for complex missions to succeed. Overland AI has achieved the end-to-end integration of ground autonomy, from operator to effect, and is putting this capability into the hands of tactical operators today.