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  • MIL-OSI USA: Journalists, Federal Workers, and Unions File Lawsuit to Challenge Closure of U.S. Agency for Global Media

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    NEW YORK, N.Y.—Today, journalists, federal workers, and their unions sued the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), its Acting Director Victor Morales, and Special Adviser Kari Lake to challenge the unlawful shuttering of the agency and silencing of global media.

    The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, asserts that the agency has failed to fulfill its legally required functions and violated both the freedom of journalists and separation of powers when it ordered staff not to report to work, suspended contractors, turned off service, and locked the agency’s doors.

    The plaintiffs include the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), The NewsGuild-CWA, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and seven individual workers. VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara is the lead plaintiff.

    Government Accountability Project, a non-partisan civil rights defense and whistleblower protection organization, represents the seven individuals. New York City law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP represents 11 of the 12 plaintiffs. AFGE, AFSCME, NewsGuild-CWA and AFSA are represented by Democracy Forward and their respective in-house legal departments. State Democracy Defenders Fund represents Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), Reporters Without Borders (RSF USA), AFGE, and AFSCME.

    Altogether, these actions amount to an unprecedented attack on the freedom of press and threaten the reputation and credibility of VOA journalists and all USAGM networks. The filing reads:

    “The VOA Journalists have devoted their careers to helping to build USAGM’s networks into a credible media force with global audiences in the hundreds of millions. They are dedicated public servants of the utmost integrity whom Defendants have maligned without basis as incompetent and, even worse, as ‘terrorist sympathizers.’ What is happening to the VOA Journalists is not just the chilling of First Amendment speech; it is a government shutdown of journalism, a prior restraint that kills content before it can be created.”

    The plaintiffs seek immediate relief to reverse the shuttering of the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

    This assault on VOA is an attack on international democracy and journalistic integrity.

    “Voice of America was founded to spread the truth and fight propaganda from lawless authoritarian regimes—so it’s no surprise that the Trump administration is trying to dismantle it. This blatant political takeover isn’t just an attack on our members’ jobs—it’s an assault on press freedom, journalistic integrity, and democracy the world over,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley, whose union represents VOA and Office of Cuba Broadcasting employees. “These patriotic journalists and professionals have dedicated their careers to making sure regular people understand the truth, and AFGE will not stand by while this administration tries to silence them. That’s why we are joining this lawsuit with our partners—to defend our members, protect their rights, and uphold the truth they work tirelessly to promote across the globe.”

     “The Voice of America was created to promote freedom of press and advance democratic values across the globe. Silencing this agency is nothing short of anti-American and a retaliatory attack on the independent journalists and workers who have dedicated their careers to fighting oppressive regimes and censorship. The voices and reporting of VOA professionals, including AFSCME members, are a beacon of freedom to people everywhere. We refuse to stand by as this administration violates the constitution to obstruct their work and diminishes America’s standing in the world as a leading democracy,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders.

    “AFSCME members are proud of the work they do at Voice of America to develop and distribute free and independent news to hundreds of millions of citizens everywhere. The very existence of Voice of America is a testament to our nation’s commitment to protecting a free and independent press. This open assault on journalists and our jobs should alarm everyone, and we remain committed to fighting back whether we’re standing up to dictators abroad or our own leaders,” said AFSCME District Council 20 Executive Director Wayne Enoch.

    “Our union was established by journalists to protect the workers that make a free press possible, and we are proud to continue that fight 91 years later,” said NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss. “America’s founders passionately believed that everyone has the right to free speech and a free press. The work of journalists at Radio Free Asia, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and other newsrooms ensures that these fundamental American freedoms know no borders. Journalists across the globe fight every single day to hold power to account, expose corruption and provide communities with life-saving news. We’ll do whatever it takes to support that fight.”

    “The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for Global Media undermines America’s soft power and global credibility,” said Tom Yazdgerdi, president of the American Foreign Service Association. “Foreign Service members have long served as trusted messengers and conduits of a fact-based, independent press—core to our nation’s democratic values. AFSA stands firmly against any efforts that compromise this mission.”

    “This is another tragic attack on democracy. Over eight decades, VOA and its sister organizations have been renowned, evidenced by the over 400 million viewers, listeners and readers who tune in every day. That reputation is now in tatters. Our lawsuit is intended to stop the bleeding,” said David Seide, Government Accountability Project’s Senior Counsel.

    “Our firm is honored to represent these clients in this historic fight. The people who gather the news, who write the news, who deliver the news, and who operate the equipment that distributes the news are the lifeblood of a democracy. Without them, the landscape of ideas and information would be a desert. The Voice of America is many, many voices; we are committed to having those voices heard in court — so they can get back to the business of speaking to the world,” said Andrew G. Celli, Jr.

    “Free press is important for every American and is a cornerstone of our democracy. The abrupt and unlawful shutdown of the U.S. Agency for Global Media is yet another step in an accelerating extreme and authoritarian playbook that benefits no Americans and fails to make anyone in this country’s life better or easier. Silencing those who report the truth—especially those who have spent their careers countering disinformation worldwide—makes Americans less safe at home and abroad, and further compromises the United States’ leadership in the world. Democracy Forward is committed to protecting the American people and defending the integrity of a free and independent press,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward.  

    “The attempt to dismantle Voice of America and the US Agency for Global Media is an unconscionable and outright attack on press freedoms. A free and independent press is the bedrock of democracy both at home and abroad. We are proud to stand with Reporters Without Borders and coalition members in our critical fight to defend free and independent journalism,” said Ambassador Norman Eisen (ret.), executive chair of State Democracy Defenders Fund and counsel for Reporters Without Borders, AFGE and AFSCME.

    “Authoritarian censorship regimes like the Kremlin and the Chinese Communist Party are loudly cheering for the death of Voice of America. It’s clear that Donald Trump’s action will encourage harsher crackdowns against journalists and press freedom, putting VOA and RSF staff, correspondents, volunteers, and supporters in greater danger. RSF is compelled to act to protect VOA and the broader press freedom community,” said Clayton Weimers, Executive Director, RSF USA.

    “VOA reporting helps keep the public and local journalists informed about human rights violations, violence, protests and corruption — even in the world’s most censored countries. Trump’s decision is not only illegal, it’s a major blow to millions of citizens’ right to trustworthy information and an invaluable gift to the world’s biggest predators of press freedom. RSF is proud to champion this battle in US court, defending access to independent, reliable journalistic reporting for citizens worldwide,” said Thibaut Bruttin, Director General, Reporters sans frontières.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal jury convicts Virginia Beach man for auto loan scheme and identity theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Virginia Beach man today on 19 charges of bank fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false representation of a social security number.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Dion Lamont Camp, 40, spent years conning numerous women into romantic relationships and then leveraging those relationships to obtain fraudulent loans and credit cards.  He would show the women fake tax documents and ask for their help, claiming that the IRS had frozen his accounts and promising to repay the money when the matter was cleared up. Camp caused six fraudulent loans from a national credit union in 2020 through 2022 for cars that were either ghost purchased, meaning the car was never purchased at all and there was never any collateral securing the loan, or double financed, meaning Camp procured financing both from the credit union and from the car dealership for the same car, thereby obtaining the credit union loan proceeds and the car.

    As part of the scheme, Camp opened shell businesses with names closely resembling that of actual used car dealerships in Hampton Roads. He then persuaded two women, identified as Jane Doe (JD) 2 and JD5, to open corresponding business bank accounts. Once those accounts were open, Camp persuaded JD2, JD5, as well as four other women, JD3, JD4, JD6, and JD7, to apply for automobile loans in their own names at the credit union. Camp convinced the women he could not obtain a loan himself because his accounts were erroneously frozen and promised to pay them back.

    After the credit union approved the loan applications and provided checks to the women for the dealerships, they gave the checks to Camp. Camp, using a call spoofing service to make it appear as if he were calling from the legitimate car dealership, called the credit union, impersonated employees at the dealership, and pretended that the loan was being used for various luxury vehicles.  Providing the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) for those cars, he successfully obtained the code from the credit union necessary to release the check, which he then negotiated and funneled through the business accounts. JD2 and JD5 withdrew the loan proceeds from those accounts and gave the money to Camp.

    The four ghost-purchased cars were located across the country and never at the businesses in Hampton Roads. They were never purchased by Camp or the women using the credit union checks, depriving the credit union of its collateral to secure the loans. Camp also conned JD4 and JD7, who had already gotten loan checks from the credit union, to purchase two other luxury cars at a dealership in northern Virginia using in-house financing for over $100,000.  Again, Camp cashed the credit union checks, and the credit union was deprived of having the cars as collateral for the loan as the cars were double financed.

    For two of these fraudulent automobile loans, Camp obtained not only the money from the loan check, but also induced the women to trade in their own cars to help fund the credit union loans. He then sold their cars at local dealerships and kept that money as well.

    As part of his fraud, Camp also purchased a car in his own name from CarMax as repayment for a friend of the family who gave him money for a car years earlier. To obtain financing, Camp used false information, including that he had been a UPS employee for more than a decade. After Camp was arrested in this case and housed at Western Tidewater Regional Jail, the family friend feared the BMW would be repossessed. Camp called the finance company on a recorded jail call, using another inmate’s account to avoid detection, and convinced the finance company to give him a payment extension on the loan so long as he was still employed at UPS, which he falsely affirmed that he was.

    Camp also defrauded banks to give personal loans.  In 2019, JD8 and JD11 each had little income, so Camp provided them with fraudulent paystubs with inflated income to support personal loan applications to another local credit union. JD8 and JD11 each gave the loan proceeds to Camp, which again he had falsely promised to repay.

    Camp obtained an American Express credit card using JD3’s personal identifying information without her knowledge. He also obtained supplemental American Express credit cards from the accounts of JD5, JD3, and JD10 using the Social Security number of an individual identified as R.D. R.D., who testified at trial, has never met or had any relationship with Camp.

    The final charge for which Camp was convicted involved his application for a property rental in Virginia Beach using a false Social Security number, a fake credit report with a highly inflated credit score, and a false IRS business tax filing that showed that his alleged house flipping business, Camp Investments LLC, made hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. In truth, Camp’s business bank account rarely had any significant balance, and Camp never filed taxes for Camp Investments.

    The evidence at trial revealed that, during the scheme, Camp defrauded both women and banks out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

    Camp faces a minimum of two years and up to 392 years in prison when sentenced on Sept. 12. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Michael Feinberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen accepted the verdict.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Gantt and Elizabeth M. Yusi are prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-63.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: General Assembly Adopts Texts, Marks International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    The poison of racism remains in the veins of global institutions, laws and everyday practices and must be fought in all its forms, speakers urged the General Assembly today, as the body commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in addition to taking action on three draft texts.

    One of these, the draft resolution titled “Permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan” (document A/79/L.59), was introduced by that country’s representative.  She affirmed neutrality as a fundamental principle of her nation’s foreign policy — “a beacon of peace, stability and constructive engagement in the international community for three decades”.  The Assembly then adopted the draft resolution without a vote.

    By the text, the Assembly called on Member States to respect and support this status of Turkmenistan and to respect its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.  It further welcomed the decision of the Government of Turkmenistan to host an international forum, in December 2025, devoted to the International Year of Peace and Trust, the International Day of Neutrality and the thirtieth anniversary of the permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan.

    The Assembly also adopted without a vote the draft decision titled “United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities” (document A/79/L.61).  By its terms, the Assembly decided to convene the next such Conference in 2026.  Also adopted without a vote was the draft decision titled “Speakers for the opening segment of the ‘World Social Summit’ under the title ‘the Second World Summit for Social Development’” (document A/79/L.65).

    International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

    At the outset of the meeting, Philémon Yang (Cameroon), President of the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session, recalled that peaceful protesters stood against injustice in Sharpeville, South Africa, 65 years ago.  While 69 lives were lost that day, “their courage ignited a movement — one that continues today,” he stated.  And, on the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination — to which 182 Member States are party — he said:  “We must recommit to its provisions that prohibit racial discrimination in all its forms.”  Further, he called on the international community to “take decisive action to enforce antidiscrimination laws and ensure they are effective”.

    Urging States to invest in inclusive education, raise public awareness and challenge harmful stereotypes, he emphasized that the fight against racial discrimination is not just a moral duty, but essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  And, while Africa has long carried the weight of historical injustice, he stressed that the continent is also a beacon of resilience and leadership that “has shown the world how to successfully end abhorrent examples of institutional racism and bigotry”.  The international community must therefore listen to African voices and fully integrate their perspective into global anti-racism efforts.  Additionally, he called on the next generation to “carry forward the fight against racial discrimination with hope and determination”.

    Speaking next was Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, who said that the poison of racism is the toxic legacy of historic enslavement and colonialism.  Today, it continues to corrupt communities and erode the foundations of justice, stoked by “growing inequalities and algorithms that capitalize on polarizing content”, he stated.  Forged amidst the civil rights and anti-Apartheid movements of the 1960s, the Convention remains a beacon of hope.  Calling for its universal ratification, he urged business leadership, civil society and everyday people to take a stand against racism in all its forms.

    Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, then emphasized that race, colour, descent or origin must never silence people, block their opportunities, make them targets or endanger their lives.  While the Convention was a milestone treaty, she warned that “we once again find ourselves in a period of turmoil” — with racism still permeating institutions, social structures and everyday life in all societies.  While diversity is profoundly human and enriches societies, “because of it, millions of people are treated as sub-human”, she stated.  Condemning the resurgence of nationalist populism and ideologies of racial superiority, she called today’s gathering an opportunity for States, national human-rights institutions, civil society, the private sector and United Nations entities to commit to concrete steps to combat the scourge.

    Echoing calls for universal ratification, Michał Balcerzak (Poland), Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, also encouraged Member States to recognize the competence of his Committee to receive individual communications to provide effective access to justice for victims.  “Formal ratification is essential, but not sufficient,” he said, noting that various provisions were included in the Convention to address historical injustice and structural racism — such as the obligation to adopt special or affirmative measures.  “We witness today the challenging of these measures in many countries,” he pointed out, calling on States and judicial bodies to protect them.  He added:  “Racist and xenophobic discourse are not only increasing, but also encouraged by some politicians and public figures.  This is not the time to remain silent.”

    For her part, Sarah Lewis, Associate Professor at Harvard University, noted that she is “the descendant of enslaved men and women from, we believe, Ghana and Nigeria, and also from slave owners who came from the United Kingdom”.  While this anniversary is a chance to salute the extraordinary progress made to confront racial discrimination, she emphasized that “much more is needed today in many parts of the world to combat injustice”.  Stressing that the racial divide around the world is built on the fiction of racial superiority, she cited ignorance — for example, that slavery could ever be construed as beneficial for the skills it taught the enslaved.  She recalled the words of civil-rights leader Frederick Douglass, who spoke of internalized narratives that seemed to justify inequity, making the case for the power of culture as an overlooked tool for ending racism.  “He said it might take over 150 years for society here, and around the world, to understand these ideas,” she observed.

    During the ensuing discussion, South Africa’s delegate recalled that, “on this day 65 years ago”, people gathered around police stations in his country without carrying the dompas — the document that restricted the movement of people based on their race.  During this peaceful protest, Apartheid security forces and police opened fire on a crowd in Sharpeville, killing 69 and injuring 130.  “Most were shot in the back,” he said.  While the equal enjoyment of human rights is a basic principle of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — adopted in 1948 — he noted that, in 1965, “it was obvious that this was not a universal understanding”.  This is why the global community recognized the need to establish international law to protect human rights, regardless of race.  The Convention, he recalled, remains the only active legal instrument against racism and racial discrimination.

    Echoing those sentiments, the representative of Equatorial Guinea, speaking for the African Group, stressed the need to address contemporary forms of racism and new forms of slavery, such as human trafficking.  All States must eliminate systemic barriers and racial discrimination faced by people of African descent in housing, healthcare, education and other sectors.  Further, global reparatory justice is crucial for equitable sustainable development.  In a similar vein, Jamaica’s delegate, speaking for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said that the injustice of the transatlantic slave trade lingers and affects the lives of people of African descent today.  He also expressed concern about “the growing incitement of hatred and intolerance, including through the use of new and emerging technologies”.

    Echoing that, the representative of Greece, speaking for the Group of Western European and Other States, affirmed the collective “responsibility to address all factors that ignite racist harassment, hate speech, hate crimes and all other forms of incitement”.  Moreover, nationalist and populist ideologies and rhetoric that erode social cohesion have no place in societies.  The representative of Fiji, speaking for the Asia-Pacific Group, strongly condemned racial profiling and negative stereotyping on any grounds and against any persons.  Meanwhile, Suriname’s delegate, speaking for the Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries, expressed solidarity with all victims of racial discrimination around the world.  He further highlighted the intersection of racial and gender discrimination, calling for gender-responsive policies. 

    However, the representative of the Russian Federation recalled that the international community is far from consensus on fighting racism, with the various documents and decisions adopted by the General Assembly lacking support from Western countries.  “We all know that, in Europe, discrimination flourishes,” she said, spotlighting bans on studies in one’s native language and on participating in elections.  Condemning Western Governments for “turning a blind eye” to their racist, xenophobic and colonialist pasts, she voiced support for the objectives of the Second International Decade for People of African Descent.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From hempseed gruel to CBD: the curious history of cannabis as a health product

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lauren Alex O’Hagan, Research Fellow, School of Languages and Applied Linguistics, The Open University

    H_Ko/Shutterstock

    The cannabis-derived product CBD has been hailed “the wonder drug of our age”, offering potential health benefits without the high. From juices and coffee to truffles and ice cream, CBD products have flooded the market for consumers looking for an answer to health problems from anxiety to insomnia.

    But with CBD products in the UK and EU falling under “novel foods” regulations rather than pharmaceutical standards, they aren’t subjected to the same rigorous safety and quality controls as drugs. The UK’s Committee on Toxicology has even flagged potential health risks, such as liver injury, leading the Food Standards Agency to issue safety guidance.

    The regulatory gaps and health concerns of today reflect those of the 19th century when cannabis products were commercialised by the food industry.

    In the 1830s, William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, an Irish doctor, discovered that cannabis was effective in treating muscle spasms and stomach cramps. French psychiatrist Jacques-Joseph Moreau later explored its potential for mental illness. This led many 19th-century doctors to champion cannabis as a cure-all.

    It wasn’t long before patent medicine manufacturers began using cannabis as a common ingredient in their formulas. But soon, cannabis wasn’t just in pharmacies – it was in food.

    Surprisingly, this shift was not driven by the food industry, but by the free church environment in Sweden as part of efforts to combat tuberculosis – a leading cause of death across all social classes in the country at the time.

    Paul Petter Waldenström, leader of the Swedish Mission Covenant, wrote a letter to Svenska Morgonbladet about a woman reportedly cured of tuberculosis by a homebrewed gruel made with hempseed, rye flour and milk. His endorsement helped popularise the remedy and many started making their own “Waldenström gruel”, as it became known.

    Sensing a business opportunity, entrepreneur J. Barthelson developed a powdered commercial version with the elegant French name Extrait Cannabis. He marketed it as a dietary remedy for tuberculosis, chest diseases and low energy. As demand grew, competitors quickly jumped on the bandwagon, using fearmongering tactics to persuade consumers that they were putting their lives at risk without it.

    The rise and fall of Maltos-Cannabis

    The most striking cannabis-infused product of the era came from the Red Cross Technical Factory. Their “health drink”, Maltos-Cannabis, was a maltose and cannabis blend marketed as both nutritious and delicious, especially when mixed with cocoa.

    With an aggressive advertising campaign, the company raked in nearly SEK 290,000 a year (around £775,000 in modern money), opening factories in Chicago, Helsinki, Brussels and Utrecht.

    A particularly dramatic advertisement depicted the Grim Reaper fleeing from the light of science, shining from a lighthouse. Meanwhile, a mother and daughter raised their arms triumphantly, symbolising victory over death thanks to Maltos-Cannabis. The tagline boldly claimed that the product had “a big future”.

    Maltos-Cannabis advertisement, Hälsovännen, 1 February 1894.
    Wikimedia Commons

    However, questions swirled about its legitimacy. Newspapers debated whether the product was a groundbreaking remedy or “a pure scam product”. While some critics called the craze an “epidemic”, others argued coffee was more harmful – a hot topic in Sweden’s parliament at the time.

    In response, Red Cross published a half-page rebuttal signed by its executives, defending the product’s credibility. But scepticism persisted. After various lawsuits and growing concerns over its effectiveness and safety, sales of Maltos-Cannabis began to decline. By the 1930s, the product had disappeared entirely.

    History repeats itself?

    The 19th-century commercial cannabis market was able to thrive due to the absence of marketing regulations for both food and pharmaceutical products. Manufacturers freely advertised their products using pseudo-scientific claims and buzzword-heavy marketing – strategies we’re seeing again today in the thriving CBD industry.

    This is because CBD is a “borderline” product, existing in a regulatory grey area that allows for marketing strategies to flourish without stringent oversight. Much like in the past, brands tap into consumers’ health anxieties with promises of a wellness revolution. Most worryingly, social media influencers are being used to endorse CBD, making it particularly appealing for younger audiences.

    With the global CBD market valued at US$19 billion in 2023 and projected to grow by 16% annually until 2030, looking back at the broader, problematic history of commercial cannabis should serve as a cautionary tale.

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

    – ref. From hempseed gruel to CBD: the curious history of cannabis as a health product – https://theconversation.com/from-hempseed-gruel-to-cbd-the-curious-history-of-cannabis-as-a-health-product-251967

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand Answers on DHS, DOGE Requests to Access Sensitive IRS Information

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    March 21, 2025
    Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., today led Senate colleagues, including Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in a letter to top officials with the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demanding answers on reports that DHS and the self-styled “Department of Government Efficiency” have illegally requested sensitive taxpayer information from the IRS. 
    “We write about alarming reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has asked for unprecedented access to private taxpayer data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS),” the senators wrote Acting IRS Commissioner Melanie Krause, IRS Acting Chief Counsel Andrew De Mello and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “Elon Musk and his associates at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have also reportedly sought to cross-reference taxpayer data with sensitive personal data held by other agencies that provide public benefits.”
    According to a Washington Post report, DHS officials requested the IRS turn over home addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of more than 700,000 people in an apparent attempt to weaponize the tax system against those suspected of being undocumented immigrants. This unlawful move would target people paying taxes and contributing to U.S. communities and is the latest Trump Administration attempt to target immigrant communities. It was also reported that DOGE sought access to sensitive personal tax records, the sharing of which would be illegal.
    “In addition to violating tax privacy laws, the wholesale sharing of tax return information with DHS or DOGE, as described in the press, would also penalize individuals for complying with federal tax law and undermine the IRS’s core mission of tax collection by reducing voluntary tax compliance,” the senators wrote. “According to official government data, millions of taxpayers who do not have a social security number file their taxes with the IRS each year using an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), including many undocumented individuals. Such voluntary tax compliance depends on trust that the IRS will keep taxpayer data confidential.”
    The letter was led by Wyden and Cortez Masto. In addition to Wyden, Cortez Masto and Merkley the letter was signed by Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
    The full text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Murkowski Addresses the Alaska State Legislature

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
    03.19.25
    “We are all Alaskans; we are all invested in the future of this great place.”
    Juneau, AK – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today delivered her annual address to the Alaska State Legislature during a joint session at the Alaska State Capitol Building.
    Murkowski thanked many of the legislators for their good work and recapped the progress the delegation has made for Alaska over the past year. While celebrating many Alaskans’ accomplishments, she expressed her concern for the indiscriminate firing of federal employees and the impacts the federal funding freeze will have on the state. Murkowski also spoke to areas where Alaska can work closely with the new administration, particularly resource development.
    After her remarks, Murkowski took questions from the legislators on a variety of topics, which are available to watch in the video linked below.

    Senator Murkowski addresses the Alaska State Legislature on March 18, 2025.
    Click here to watch the Senator’s remarks.
    Below is the text of Murkowski’s remarks as delivered.
    Good morning. We’ve got a full house, full crowd, and it is good to be home with all of you.
    Mr. Speaker Edgmon and Mr. President Stevens, to our Majority Leaders Senator Giessel and Representative Kopp, Minority Leaders Senator Shower and Representative Costello, to all members of the Legislature: thank you for the opportunity to be back with you in these chambers.
    I’ve had a good morning. I think I’ve been able to meet with the vast majority of you, exchanging conversation as Alaskans and as fellow lawmakers. Thank you for the time you have given me already, and for the hour that we will have this morning.
    A lot of new faces, this is good to see. When you have a House with 10 new members, that’s impressive, this is good. And I love, and I will emphasize love, the fact that we have so many women in our House, more women than men. It has taken a little bit of time, but congratulations to all of you.  I look forward to the many contributions that we will see.
    At the same time that you see the new faces, there are many that I have known over the years. You have a few that I’ve actually served with. They’re more like friends and extended family. We’ve got Lyman back there in the corner. We’ve got Gary.
    I know I’m supposed to be using your formal titles here, but you know, you look at these guys in their tenure here, these are the giants of the place. I think of you as the Ted Stevens and the Don Young of the Legislature. I’ll let you figure out which one’s which, but you’ve been around, been around a little bit of time.
    Whether you’re new to public service or continuing this, thank you for stepping up. Thank you for engaging. Thank you for being in the arena at a time that our state needs each and every one of you.
    So, for those of you that are new, you need to know, I start out every one of my legislative addresses, not talking about you, but talking about my family, because our families are so important to who we are and what we do.
    When I got on the plane on Monday, coming out of Anchorage to come to Juneau, I run into Representative Costello, you, Mia, and I remembered when you first came to this body, your kids were young. They were about the same age as my kids were when I joined the Legislature. And I remember thinking mornings were when you’re leaving the kids and you’re saying, “have a good week,” instead of “have a good day at school.”
    So, to each and every one of you who leave your families behind, or who bring them here and who uproot them to be part of this, thank you for what you do. Thank you for the sacrifice that you are making. Your children will be better because of your service. So, thank you for making those trips every Monday.
    So, my family is doing well. The boys are good. They’re getting older, they’re both married. One is living in Anchorage, the other is living in Tennessee. They married great women. Verne is doing well, he is on both ends of the country, flying with me. We never fly on the same airplane, he’s always looking for more legroom, and I’m always so used to being squeezed into wherever I need to be.
    My parents are well, thank you for inquiring. Dad is turning 91 here at the end of the month. They are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary at the end of this month, so they’re hanging in there.
    As for me, I’ve spent a lot of time in Washington, DC this year. We’re beginning a new Congress and a new administration.  This is actually our first recess of the year. Usually I come here during President’s Day, but this is our first recess that we have had, so you’re not going to find anyone that is happier about being home right now than me. 
    I wasn’t quite sure it was actually going to happen. We managed to avoid a government shutdown. That’s a good thing. But the end result was less than desirable. The Continuing Resolution that we will be operating under from now through the end of September is not what I would have hoped. We were dealing with a situation that I think was best described as a Morton’s Fork. For those of you who are not familiar with this term, it’s okay to look it up. Basically, it’s a choice between two equally bad options: a shutdown, which is never good, and a continuing resolution that doesn’t do much, if anything, to reduce the level of spending. It takes away the work we had done to identify what our priorities would be, and tells the administration, “here is the money,” but we’re not providing you with the details to administer it.
    So, we’re moving forward and that’s going to be important. Beginning next week, we begin, in earnest, budget reconciliation. We can talk about it a little bit later if you want. But, before I get started, I want to recognize some of the good work that has gone on here, in this Legislature. Some of the good work that you are doing. 
    Representative Dibert, Senator Kawasaki, and Representative Carrick, I want to thank you for saying it loud and proud—it’s Denali. So, thank you for that. That resolution is really important. I thank you, I thank all 50 of you who voted for it.
    Senators Wielechowski, Tobin, Cronk, and Hughes, Speaker Edgmon and Representatives Himschoot, Johnson, and Ruffridge, all of you who have been tackling K-12 funding with the Governor—thank you for what you’re doing there. I know this is hard, but there is nothing more important that we can do for Alaska’s future than focusing on our kids’ education. So, thank you for working through those hard things. I appreciate that.
    To those of you who were part of the Joint Legislative Task Force on Alaska’s Seafood Industry, I’m not going to name all the names, but I was with you at the Commissioners’ task force meeting in January, and thank you for the good recommendations to help our fish, fishermen, fish processors, and coastal communities. Thank you. We need to take your recommendations and help you with implementation.
    Senator Hughes, I appreciate what you’re doing on food security. These are important initiatives. I’m proud to support your work through the microgrants program I was able to create for Alaska, so there’s good work going on there.
    Representative Stutes, Representative Tomaszewski, and all who supported HB 65—great work on your legislation for a new passenger dock in Seward and the economic development that will bring. Good work on so many of these initiatives that I appreciate.
    On a personal level, Senator Olson and Representative Dibert, we’re glad you’re better and back to work. Glad to know that you are on the mend. I was able to earlier congratulate Representative Schrage on the birth of your daughter. So again, congratulations to you and your wife on the birth of your daughter, Emily.
    Keep doing good work in all of these really important areas.
    I’ve got some friends and colleagues in the gallery I want to introduce. I am going to try to introduce folks in the gallery because you might not be familiar with because they haven’t been in the gallery yet.
    You’ve got a gentleman that is no stranger to you, Joe Plesha. He’s handling all of my communications. I don’t know whether we let him continue with the mustache, but I guess that’s who he is. 
    The gentleman seated on the end there, that is my Chief of Staff, Garrett Boyle. Garrett has been on my team now in this capacity since last April.
    Next to Joe is Hali Gruber, who is my advisor for energy and natural resources. She was working previously for Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers on the House side, and did a great job over there. So, we were able to pick her up.
    Next to her, we have my regional director here in Juneau, Kara Hollatz.  
    Next to Kara, we have Karina Waller. Karina has worked on the federal side for a long time before coming to me. She was with Senator Stevens a long time ago, btu has been heading up my state operations since last April.
    So those are the new faces you’re going to see. You’re going to see more of my team wandering the halls, having meetings with you. This is a good opportunity for us, again, to start figuring where we can partner and work together.
    I’m proud of the partnerships and relationships that we’re able to develop with one another. Don’t hesitate to call. Call me, call them, call all of us, get us engaged. 
    Back in Washington, DC, some of the things we’re doing there, we have made progress. It’s tough to sometimes think of what we did last year. It was an election year, right? Who was paying attention to anything about accomplishments. But we did.
    One of the things I know Dan and I are particularly proud of is the effort we were able to advance across the finish line, which is to secure a commercially available icebreaker, and the Coast Guard’s commitment to homeport that vessel, called the Storis, here in Juneau.
    We were able to secure cold weather pay for Alaska’s Air and Space Forces, and something that was quite personal to me, we were able to save the Alaska Air National Guard from cuts that would have cost 80 positions. That was really important.
    We were able to secure $300 million for fishery disasters and passed legislation to reform the declaration process to work better for Alaska. This is something we need to keep doing more on. We’ve improved it, but the fact of the matter is the process still does not work for our fisherman, so we’re not letting up on that.
    We broke ground on the Kenai Bluff Stabilization Project, this is one of many major infrastructure projects now underway around our state. This is one that many of you on the peninsula have been working on with us for a long time, so it’s good to see that going.
    We were able to work with our military leaders to help Kake, Angoon, and Wrangell secure long overdue apologies for the bombings that wiped out their Native villages in the late 1800s. So, to be part of those ceremonies was quite impactful.
    We increased funding to address natural hazards, including the landslides that continue to claim lives across Southeast. It’s great to see Jeremy Bynum here from Ketchikan, and to see the role that you played in your local government, and to see the impact that had on your community when we had a devastating loss just last year in Ketchikan.
    We’ve been able to make some headway, finally, for better, more reliable weather observing systems, which we will deliver through the Don Young Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative, but we have more that we need to be doing on that. After the devastating Bering Air crash outside Nome, I think we’re all rightly focused on what we can be doing on aviation safety.
    Then on the Congressionally Directed Spending process, we were able to advance dozens of community priorities. This was everything from housing for Sitka to the expansion of the University’s program for nurses and the allied healthcare workforce.
    Then we were able to finish up some things that have been outstanding for a long time. We secured nearly all funding needed for an Alaska Veterans Cemetery in Fairbanks. I remember when Representative Guttenberg started that ages ago. We’re putting a new roof on the Palmer Pioneer Home after years of delay, seeing the threats from heavy snowfalls. And, a personal one, this is big for Frank and Nancy Murkowski, we finally repainted the Wrangell Post Office. Sometimes you take your wins where you can.
    We also have good news this week.  I’ve told many of you in our conversations, but I’ve been working with Secretary Lutnick and Secretary Rubio, and I’m able to confirm that our fishermen will be able to get out on the water on Thursday for the black cod and halibut opener. That was caught up in a process that most fishermen will not know, they don’t care to know how the sausage is made, they just want to know they’ll be able to get out on the water and be able to do their fishing. We were able to do that for them, so that was a good win.
    We’ve accomplished a lot, and it takes hard work from the delegation, from you, from our teams, and from Alaskans across our state. Before I move on, I want to acknowledge someone that, as I’m looking in the gallery, I see my friend and our Lieutenant Governor, Nancy Dahlstrom. Thank you for joining us. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you back there before, but I don’t want to skip over your contributions and those of the Governor, and all that you do when we talk about working together to make things happen. So, thank you.
    It really is our people that make the difference. And that’s what I want to focus on today.      
    It’s not just the great Alaskans who make us proud at the Olympics, like Kristen Faulkner from Homer, or who receive top honors from the National Endowment for the Arts, like Chief Reverend Dr. Gilbert Trimble from Arctic Village.
    It’s not just the Alaskans who run James Beard award-winning restaurants, like Carolina and Heidi and Patricia at Lucky Wishbone in Anchorage. Or those who have built institutions, like Jack Hébert did with the Cold Climate Housing Research Center in Fairbanks. Or our military men and women, who we are proud to have serving in our state, and who come from all over the country.
    We celebrate them all, as we should. But today, I want to talk about another set of people who make a difference, and these are Alaska’s federal employees. There are about 15,000 of them across our state. On a per capita basis, we have more than just about any state outside of Maryland and a couple of others. I want to give them the credit they are due—and express how disturbed I am by how they have been treated recently.
    As I stand here, federal employees across Alaska are losing, or have lost, their jobs. 
    I can’t tell you with accuracy how many, because no one who has that information is either able to share it, or willing to share it. 
    What I do know is that these abrupt terminations have affected NOAA, the National Weather Service, the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, USDA Rural Development, the VA, and other federal agencies. 
    These terminations are indiscriminate and many, we are learning, are unlawful. They are being made regardless of performance and with little understanding of the function and value of each position. At a human level, they are traumatizing people and leaving holes in our communities. 
    As one couple said to us, they’re not just losing their jobs, they’re losing their lives. They’re losing their community. We heard that yesterday in a discission with some terminated employees.
    No one should feel good about that.
    Now I agree, and every single person in this chamber would agree that the federal government is too big. The debt is now above $36 trillion. We’re spending more on interest than national defense. So, I support the mission behind DOGE, to find efficiencies in government. This is our responsibility—you need to find them at the state level, we need to find them at the federal level. And reductions in the federal workforce make absolute sense, but let’s do it in the right way. 
    Not like this. 
    The Trump administration’s approach lacks the type of planning you need to avoid unintended consequences, and it lacks the fundamental decency you need when dealing with real people. Public servants are not our enemies. They’re our friends and neighbors; they are integral to our economy and our ability to function as a state and as a country.
    Their work may go underappreciated. Maybe we don’t know what it is they’re doing, but that doesn’t make it any less important.
    Just because I don’t know who is processing my renewal for my passport, all I care about is getting it in a timely manner. I’ll never know that person. And I’ll never know that they’ve been working at that same job for twelve years, and it is not glamorous, but they show up, and they work, and they give me and you what we’re hoping for. So, I want us to think about the value that comes to us from these public servants.
    Today, I asked if there was any update on Mount Spurr. We’re all wondering when she’s going to pop her top. Do we want to go back to the days of KLM Flight 867, which lost its engines and 14,000 feet of altitude after flying through a cloud of ash? I don’t want that.
    In a few weeks, I think it’s April 14, thousands of tourists will arrive here on the first cruise ship of the season—do we really think one or two people can handle them all at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center? I was out there yesterday, and I don’t think a couple of people are going to be able to do it.
    Do we no longer recognize that our weather forecasters save lives in our state? 
    Is it a good idea to fire the scientists who are tracking avian flu, given our status as a global flyway for migrating birds?  
    We had a conversation earlier this morning about the potential for a really bad fire season this year. With fire season starting yesterday, the earliest ever—do we really want to gut the support staff for the firefighters who will be on the front lines here?
    I was able to visit with some folks yesterday, one was a NOAA fish biologist, he’s one of the guys doing the trawl surveys, which are so necessary to be able to give direction to the council on the management of our fisheries. The fish aren’t going to be able to save themselves. We need our fish biologists, our stream ecologists, they need our help.
    I’m just as frustrated by the federal funding freeze—another area where Alaska faces disproportionate impact. 
    We have more than $1 billion in limbo, even though Congress approved the funding, a president signed it into law, and Alaskans secured these resources through competitive national processes. 
    Keep in perspective what’s being targeted will not put a dent in the deficit or balance the budget. But we’re going to see project costs go up. Construction seasons lost. Employees and contractors laid off. And we may lose some projects, entirely.
    We worked for more than 20 years to get funding for Angoon’s Thayer Creek hydro project, and let me assure you, we are not about to let go of that. So, we have to keep working to advance all of this.
    But again, this is happening indiscriminately, with little understanding of what projects mean for Alaska—how a small hydro project in the total scheme of things may not seem that substantial back in Washington, DC, but if you can reduce your reliance on expensive diesel in a community where you have no other option, don’t we want to encourage that? Making sure people understand the impacts, not only of a small little hydro project, but the impact on the victims of domestic violence who have no safe place to go.  
    I thank folks for weighing in. I kind of like this process, it can be a little unruly, a little rambunctious, but they are weighing in, and I welcome that. And then there are some very measured ways.
    President Stevens and Speaker Edgmon, I got your letter. Senator Kiehl and Representatives Story and Hannan, I got yours, too. I accept the challenge. And I want you to know that I’m doing everything in my power to make the best of this. 
    We are engaging every day to identify where we are seeing challenges presented to us in Alaska, and ways we can work to address it and get it unlocked. I’ve been working directly with Cabinet Secretaries and folks at the White House. We are making some progress, and that’s good. But, a reminder: I’m one of three in the delegation. We all need your help. I can’t do my job alone.
    When I ask you for these stories, when I ask you to share what you’re hearing from your folks back home, take us up on the offer. Don’t be afraid to give us too much. We can be more responsive and help more Alaskans when we do this all together. I’m opening the door to more work, but we’re going to pass it through both ways. 
    I also stood here in 2017 and said that as long as this Legislature wants to keep the Medicaid expansion, you should have that option. 
    My commitment remains to you. I did not support Medicaid cuts then, and I will not support them now. I know what it would mean to Alaskans, and I know what it would mean to you here in the Legislature. There may be some reasonable reforms we can make, and we have talked a little bit about them, about what we may be able to do in Medicaid, we do need to address the rising costs of these entitlement programs. But I just can’t be on board with anything that hurts our people or puts you in a budget hole.  
    Speaking of holes, I need to bring up a difficult subject: the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan. The STIP. The reality is Alaska is on pace to wind up hundreds of millions of dollars short of where we could and should be. I’m not here to point fingers, that is not my job, but I can’t solve this one. And the longer it takes to sort out, the more our contractors and communities will lose. So, let’s be working on that.
    The same goes for the Alaska Marine Highway System. We’re about to enter the final year of our bipartisan infrastructure law. We’ve delivered $700 million and counting for AMHS, but the system isn’t modernized. It’s not on track for the long-term. There’s a plan for that, but it’s a draft on paper. Unless the State steps up on capital and operating expenses, we’ll have wasted a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do right by all who depend on our ferries.
    Senator Bjorkman, I know you get it, and I commend your work on the Transportation Committee on federal funding, AMHS, the STIP, and more.  
    When federal dollars are on the table, we need to go after them, especially as spending is constrained. And when the delegation manages to throw a lifeline, I’d hope the State grabs it and uses it to reach stable ground.
    We have enough problems, without creating more for ourselves. But that seems to be what we are doing. 
    The environment in Washington, DC is, let’s just say…challenging.
    Take tariffs: that’s the topic of the day back in Washington, DC. But you can’t talk about them in isolation and say, “Washington, DC.” We can talk about it our own state’s Capitol here, and the impact.
    This afternoon I’m going to be meeting with folks from the Alaska Forest Association, and I am going to hear their concerns about tariffs, and what it may mean for some of our small operators down south from here, with China’s retaliatory tariffs.
    We also have Canada threatening tolls on goods trucked to our state. Whether they make good on that, we have no idea, but now we’re talking about what will we have to do to insulate ourself from that, will we have to revamp the PVSA. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t anticipate that we would be dealing with this in March of 2025.
    Or foreign policy, I think you’ve seen some of my comments, but I have been stunned by a turn of events that threatens to abandon Ukraine and collapse long-standing alliances from NATO to NORAD. 
    We have two close neighbors. We’ve got Russia over here, and Canada over here. How we came to a place where we are fighting with Canada and placating Russia is beyond me. As long as we have to send up fighter jets to chase off Russian Bear Bombers from our ADIZ, I won’t trust Putin, and I’m not going to be quiet, I will continue to stand up and speak out. 
    I want to acknowledge, it’s easy to stand here and say something, but I can’t tell you how proud I am of those who do get that call and who go up and lead on these intercepts. It’s the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron up north, and it’s our Air National Guard helping to facilitate these intercepts through their refueling mission. We should be so exceptionally proud of the men and women that are serving us, honoring us every day, and taking these threats that we see as just another day at work. They are my everyday heroes, and I’m just so very grateful.
    You’ve heard me describe a few things from the Trump administration that I oppose. When I feel strongly about it, I am going to say something about it. But there are also plenty of areas where I agree with the President. 
    We do need to secure our borders. We do need to stop the flow of fentanyl. Our trade relationships aren’t always fair. The war in Ukraine does need to end, and I am encouraged that there may be some progress here that we will actually see that end. Our partners and allies do need to step up for themselves and the defense of democracy.
    Things are going to be different, for the next two to four years or beyond.  We’re already seeing that.
    Some of it will be difficult—I’m acknowledging that Alaskans are out of jobs, projects are stuck or canceled, volatility in the markets, the potential for trade wars or the collapse of international partnerships, to name a few.   
    Some of it has been difficult for a while—like in our fisheries, which need every bit of help we can give amid Russia’s war on fish, trade manipulations, lawsuits from extreme environmental groups, and climate change. This has been hard.  
    But some of it is also going to be notably better. There are good people we can work with to do good things for Alaska.
    On fisheries, as we push to bring back our fish and crab, we recognize we have the ability to modernize. We need to reinvest. We need to recapitalize an aging fleet. The President’s push for more domestic shipbuilding can be great for us, and it can extend to Ketchikan, Seward, and more. So, these are good areas of cooperation.
    We also have a chance to grow our private sector and reduce our dependence on the federal government. We need to embrace that, because it will benefit and could define our economy, our budget, and our quality of life for a generation or more.
    We can put Alaska back on the global map for energy and resource production. Turn the NPR-A back into a petroleum reserve, as it was designated by law decades ago. We need to tap into the rich resources beneath a small fraction of the non-wilderness Coastal Plain. Reverse the political decision to reopen and reject the Ambler Road.
    We can get Graphite One through permitting. Produce antimony, copper, nickel, tungsten, tin, and other critical minerals. Restore our federal timber harvests to more than a single—but beautiful—Christmas tree in front of the U.S. Capitol. Lift public land orders, complete conveyances, and ensure our Alaska Native veterans receive their rightful allotments. We can not only approve, but build the life-saving road to King Cove that has been sought for so long.
    All of that is now right in front of us—and we are working hard through every person and every process available to us, including budget reconciliation—but there’s more. 
    After years of skepticism and doubt, I think we have a real chance to move forward on an Alaska natural gas pipeline. The President mentioned it in his recent address to Congress, and he’s given the project an incredible lift.
    Here in Alaska, Senator Sullivan and Governor Dunleavy have helped bring Japan, Korea, and Taiwan into the conversation. There is movement and there is reason for encouragement as we think about our natural gas resources. And I thank them for working this.
    You know I hate LNG imports with the white-hot fury of a thousand suns, but I will acknowledge, just this once, that maybe we can take those lemons and use them as part of a bigger plan to export our North Slope reserves. 
    There’s so much we can begin to partner on. Again, though, I would remind you—every one of our opportunities depends on our people. People make it all happen. People allow us to be resilient.     
    Resource development. Road construction. Fishing and tourism. Everything.   
    Our opportunities, our industries, require people. They depend on the essential workers who build our houses, keep us healthy, and teach and watch the kids while we work. To bring it full circle, our opportunities also depend on functional government—the men and women who do the trawls and the surveys, who issue permits, maintain visitor facilities, forecast the weather, and a whole lot more. 
    We have incredible potential, but it will take all sorts of people, doing all sorts of things, to realize it. 
    A big part of my job is to make sure we have people in place at the federal level who will help us. And at the state level, it’s a big part of yours. 
    We need to grow our own, for every facet of life in Alaska, so we can grow as a state. We need to take care of our own, so that people can stay and build and enjoy their lives here. And that means we need to work together to knock down every barrier we find in housing, schooling, childcare, healthcare, infrastructure, the cost of living, the cost of energy, and everything else.
    Through it all, we also need to treat people like people—because we are all Alaskans, we are all invested in the future of this great place, and we all contribute to it in our own way.       
    We must treat one another with the respect and dignity that we would wish to be treated with ourselves. So, I wish you all success in this session; we’ve got a lot of work to do. And I believe you will find it, if you keep the Alaskan people front and center in everything you do.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, FOLLOWING HISTORIC PENSION FIX LAW HE PASSED, ANNOUNCES HUDSON VALLEY IBEW UNION TO RECEIVE $45+ MILLION TO RESTORE AT-RISK PENSIONS FOR 850 UNION WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    NY’s International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1783, Representing Hundreds Of Electrical Workers, Who – Without Action – After A Lifetime Of Hard Work Would Have No Pension Benefits Remaining By 2030

    As Schumer’s First Major Act As Majority Leader, He Secured Pension Fix So Union Members Could Get Hard-Earned Pensions & Relief They Need And Earned

    Schumer: Hudson Valley IBEW Union Workers & Families Can Breathe Sigh Of Relief With The Restored Pensions They Rightfully Earned

    U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today announced that, after years of advocacy to secure relief for ailing multiemployer pension plans for union workers, New York’s International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1783 Fund covering electrical workers in the Hudson Valley will receive an approximately $45.9 million pension-fix from the Schumer-led American Rescue Plan. The federal relief will restore full pension benefits for approximately 850 union workers and their families.

    “Today, I am saying a promise made is a promise kept to hard-working union families at risk of losing their pensions through no fault of their own – at more than $45 million for 850 IBEW workers across the Hudson Valley and New York. These are the Hudson Valley union electricians who repair machinery and toil in the warehouses that drive our economy forward. They worked hard, played by the rules, and paid into pension plans that were at risk of being drastically cut or even completely disappearing,” said Senator Schumer. “I’m very proud to deliver over $45 million in federal relief to help hundreds of union construction workers ensure their hard-earned pension benefits and the retirement security they provide remain intact for many years into the future and ensure they can retire after a lifetime of hard work. I made sure as my first act as Majority Leader to pass the American Rescue Plan with a key provision to deliver the pension relief to our union brothers and sisters and their families they have desperately needed and earned. New York is and will forever be a union town and I always will work with my union brothers and sisters to deliver the benefits they deserve.”

    “One of the most concerning issues that will impact every American, not just Union members, is the inability to have retirement security. Until now, I have not seen a politician accomplish anything toward solving the massive and unrecognized retirement crisis that most Americans face. Our lives should not be that we work until we are too sick or drop dead at work because we cannot afford to retire. Unlike the 401k retirement plans that routinely get wiped out by market shifts, defined benefit pension plans promise a guaranteed future. But, the hardworking people who relied on those guarantees were nearly left destitute. Let’s all be thankful that Majority Leader Senator Schumer led the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Relief Act into successful passage through the American Rescue Plan. It has been the only meaningful accomplishment toward resolving the retirement crisis in some meaningful way in my past 25 years as a labor advocate,” said IBEW 1430 Local President Jordan El-Hag, which also includes IBEW Local 1783 workers following its merger in 1988.

    Tom Carey, President of the AFL-CIO Westchester Central Putnam Labor Body said, “Hardworking union workers contribute to our communities every day, trusting that the pensions they have earned will be available to them when they retire. When these pension plans faced jeopardy following the 2008 recession, many workers and retirees began to worry about their ability to achieve a dignified retirement. Thanks to Senator Schumer, who led the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Relief Act into successful passage through the American Rescue Plan, union workers, retirees, and their families can rest assured that the benefits they earned will be available to them in full for as long as they need them. Once again, Senator Schumer shows organized labor that we have a true friend in Washington.”

    Schumer said the Armonk-based IBEW Local 1783 Fund, which covers approximately 850 workers in the communications, electrical manufacturing, professional technical and clerical, and warehouse and supply industries, will receive approximately $45.9 million in special financial assistance. The IBEW plan was projected to become insolvent and run out of money in 2030. Without the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program funded through the American Rescue Plan, the Local 1783 IBEW Plan would have been required to reduce participants’ benefits to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) guarantee levels upon plan insolvency, which is roughly 25% below the benefits payable under the terms of the plan. That means, if not for the SFA Program, participants in the plan would have seen their monthly pension benefits reduced by roughly 25%. The SFA Program will enable the plan to continue to pay retirement benefits without reduction for many years into the future.

    Schumer fought to include the Butch Lewis Act in the American Rescue Plan – securing pension solvency in his very first major bill as majority leader. Before the American Rescue Plan over 200 multiemployer plans were on pace to become insolvent in the near term, risking benefits for millions of workers and their families. The law created the Special Financial Assistance program administered by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to protect benefits for millions of workers, reverse harsh pension cuts, and put existing plans on a path to solvency through 2051. To date, the program has provided billions in federal assistance to support thousands of construction industry workers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, MANNION DEMAND ANSWERS ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S POTENTIAL PLANS TO CLOSE SYRACUSE USDA OFFICES, LAYOFFS OF USDA STAFF WHO SERVE NEW YORKERS

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Closure Of Offices Could Mean End To Programs That Provide Grants And Loans To Farmers, Help Rural Communities Recover From Natural Disasters

    Today, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and Representative John Mannion are demanding answers on the Trump administration’s reported plans to potentially close the statewide offices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and USDA Rural Development (RD) in Syracuse. President Trump and Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” is terminating the lease for the building that houses these three agencies, leaving the future of the programs they administer uncertain. The administration has also laid off a number of workers, leaving New Yorkers unable to reach New York-based staff at the USDA over the phone.

    “We are writing to express our concern regarding reports of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plans to close the statewide offices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and USDA Rural Development (RD) in Syracuse, New York,” wrote the members. “These USDA agencies provide vital services to agricultural producers, scientists, and rural communities across New York. The planned termination of the lease for the Syracuse office space, as well as the recent staffing cuts in New York, could severely hamper rural New Yorkers’ ability to access crucial federal resources and assistance from the USDA. We urge you to not only keep the USDA’s NRCS, FSA, and RD office space in Syracuse open but to also ensure that the agencies have adequate staffing at their service centers to meet rural New Yorkers’ and farmers’ needs.”

    The full text of the representatives’ letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and Acting Administrator of the General Services Administration Stephen Ehikian is available here or below: 

    Dear Secretary Rollins and Acting Administrator Ehikian,

    We are writing to express our concerns regarding reports of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plans to close the statewide offices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and USDA Rural Development (RD) in Syracuse, New York. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has touted $498,273 in savings by terminating the lease through the General Services Administration (GSA) for the 33,548-square-foot space, which houses three critical USDA agencies for New Yorkers. However, this disastrous course of action imperils all three agencies’ ability to assist rural New York communities and our state’s farmers.

    It is our understanding that NRCS was the primary lease holder for the Syracuse office space, and by terminating this lease, DOGE has also recklessly harmed the work of FSA and RD throughout New York State. In recent weeks, these agencies have lost staff at the Syracuse offices and statewide to the buyout, layoffs, and paid administrative leave, which wastes taxpayer money and forces valuable employees to sit on the sidelines.

    These USDA agencies provide vital services to agricultural producers, scientists, and rural communities across New York. The Farm Service Agency offers financial assistance and loans to farmers and ranchers for conservation needs, post-disaster recovery, and income support. The NRCS manages and provides technical assistance to farmers, ranchers and landowners in New York for key conservation programs that mitigate the impacts of natural disasters, enhance water quality, safeguard wildlife habitats, and reduce soil erosion. USDA RD offers important loans, grants, loan guarantees, and technical assistance to residents, farmers, businesses, non-profits, and municipalities across rural areas in New York. Its programs create jobs, advance economic development, and support essential services, ranging from water, communications infrastructure, health care, and housing. The planned termination of the lease for the Syracuse office space, as well as the recent staffing cuts in New York, could severely hamper rural New Yorkers’ ability to access crucial federal resources and assistance from the USDA.

    Apart from the impact that this closure could have on those who are serviced by the Syracuse office, we are also concerned about the employees who work for NRCS, FSA, and RD throughout New York. This closure would affect—and recent terminations have affected—the USDA staff who have remained dedicated to providing New Yorkers with valuable information and high-quality services.

    Therefore, we urge you to not only keep the USDA’s NRCS, FSA, and RD office space in Syracuse open but to also ensure that the agencies have adequate staffing at their service centers to meet rural New Yorkers’ and farmers’ needs. We request a written response by March 31, 2025, to address the following questions and concerns:

    1. Please share why the proposed closure of the USDA’s Syracuse office space is under consideration.

    a. How would the potential closure of the Syracuse offices impact USDA’s capacity to serve New Yorkers?

    b. Additionally, how would the closure of the statewide Syracuse offices impact the coordination and collaboration across the USDA and with local service centers?

    c. In light of the Trump administration’s return-to-work requirements, where would employees at the Syracuse offices be relocated to? Does the administration have plans to close any of the local service centers across the state?

    2. We have received multiple reports that constituents have had difficulty reaching New York-based staff at the USDA over the phone. Please share current USDA staffing arrangements for New York. What plans does the administration have to restore staffing capacity in-state and ensure that New Yorkers continue to have access to the essential resources and programs overseen by FSA, NRCS, and USDA RD?

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Supports Legislation to Repeal EV Mandates and Protect Consumer Choice

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) recently led and joined in co-sponsoring several pieces of legislation to repeal various Biden-Harris Administration’s policies under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that implemented de facto electric vehicle (EV) mandates and restricted consumer choice and competition in the automotive market. 

    “The previous Administration put forward regulations that would essentially mandate the mass production of electric vehicles and a phase-out of gas-powered cars and trucks,” said Crapo.  “Idahoans deserve access to affordable, reliable vehicles fueled by American-made energy products.  We should block any efforts that restrict affordable choice for families and push our country toward greater dependence on China.”

    Crapo led reintroduction of the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act, which would repeal the EPA’s tailpipe emissions rule finalized under the Biden-Harris Administration.

    Crapo was joined by Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) in introducing a comprehensive legislative strategy to protect consumer choice in the automobile market.  As part of this effort, Crapo co-sponsored each of the additional pieces of legislation, including:

    • Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, led by Senator Mullin, which would prevent the implementation of the Biden EPA’s Advanced Clean Cars II regulation, which bans the sale of all conventional gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
    • Freedom to Haul Act, led by Senator Sullivan, which would safeguard the trucking industry from impractical and costly mandates by preventing the implementation of the EPA’s “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles-Phase 3” rule, a de facto EV mandate on the trucking industry.
    • Stop California from Advancing Regulatory Burden (CARB) Act, led by Senator Lee, which would eliminate the Clean Air Act waiver exemptions that allow California and other states to dictate national emissions standards.  California has over 100 active waivers that set higher emissions standards than the EPA, increasing costs and decreasing consumer choice in vehicles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Moran Statement on Michelle Bowman’s Nomination for Federal Reserve Board Vice Chair for Supervision

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today applauded President Donald Trump’s appointment of Michelle Bowman to serve as the Federal Reserve Board Vice Chair for Supervision:

    “While wielding significant power in the nation’s capital, Governor Bowman remains rooted in her home state and exemplifies the characteristics Kansans appreciate: independence, integrity, courage and a demonstrated record of service to her state and her country,” said Sen. Moran. “Since being appointed to the board in 2018, Governor Bowman has been a steadfast champion of community banks, and she understands the role that relationships play in business from her experience working at and supervising a small lender. Her perspective is desperately needed at the Federal Reserve, and I look forward to her confirmation.”

    Michelle Bowman was appointed to serve as a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in 2018. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Kansas State Bank Commissioner.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Moran, Marshall, Hawley Introduce Legislation to Provide Reliable, Affordable Energy to Kansas & Missouri

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation to help provide stable energy rates and a reliable electric grid to states in the Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA), including Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

    The Southwestern Power Administration Fund Establishment Act would give SWPA the authority to operate on a self-funding, revolving Treasury fund to help provide the administration with a long-term, reliable financing source. This would give SWPA more stable funding in order to lower customer rates, which can be highly volatile due to market demand and weather. Furthermore, this legislation would provide SWPA more clarity to help plan long-term infrastructure improvements and power replacement and allow SWPA to avoid drastic and unnecessary spikes in power rates charged to its wholesale customers in an extreme or multi-year regional drought situation.

    “It is critical that Kansans have access to reliable electricity at stable rates, especially during extreme and dangerous weather,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation will provide funding stability that will allow energy providers to make needed infrastructure improvements and prevent Kansans from suffering mass power outages.”

    “Kansans – especially our farmers and ranchers – need reliable and affordable power,” said Sen. Marshall. “Consumers have suffered from high energy costs for too long, and this bill will help deliver stable and affordable power while improving our power grid infrastructure. I am proud to stand with Senators Jerry Moran and Josh Hawley in supporting this important legislation.”

    “After the devastating tornadoes last weekend that left victims without power for days, Missourians deserve consistent and affordable energy,” said Sen. Hawley. “This legislation will ensure that every Missourian has access to power they can rely on.”

    “Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. and its member co-ops have strongly supported the Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act for its ability to provide appropriated dollars that will improve grid reliability while helping to stabilize rates,” said Lee Tafanelli, CEO, Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. “We thank our home state Sens. Moran and Marshall for bringing forward legislation that will have a positive impact on our rural electric cooperatives and their consumer-members.”

    “Federal hydropower is a reliably renewable generation resource,” said Nicki Fuller, Executive Director, Southwestern Power Resources Association. “This legislation recognizes the value of protecting that resource throughout the six-state region, making sure that these important assets are maintained. This legislation would go a long way toward ensuring grid reliability and affordably throughout the region for millions of homes, farms and small businesses. I thank Sens. Moran and Marshall for introducing this important bill that represents good business sense.”

    “NRECA supports the Southwestern Power Administration Fund Establishment Act. The self-financed revolving loan fund authorized by this bill would allow the Southwestern Power Administration to better manage infrastructure needs while being more responsive to market conditions and electric demands created by extreme weather events.” – National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

    “The American Public Power Association applauds the introduction of the Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act. Since 1943, not-for-profit public power utilities and rural electric cooperatives have successfully partnered with the Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA) to bring reliable hydropower produced at Army Corps dams to millions of customers in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. While SWPA customers pay all costs of generating and transmitting the electricity in their power rates, a complicated funding process has increasingly failed to provide the financial certainty necessary to steady power rates to customers during drought and extreme weather events. The Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act would streamline this process in a manner that would help avoid rate spikes and economic hardship for communities served by public power utilities and rural electric cooperatives while continuing to ensure that SWPA customers pay all costs associated with generating and transmitting hydropower produced at Corps dams. It is a win-win for the federal government and communities served by not-for-profit electric utilities.” – American Public Power Association

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Deaths of Dhal Apet and Lueth Mo

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the deaths of Dhal Apet and Lueth Mo, who died on September 6, 2023 following an encounter with a member of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) in DeWitt, Onondaga County. After a thorough investigation, which included review of nearby home security camera footage and 911 calls, interviews with civilian witnesses, ballistic and trace evidence analysis, video enhancement, consultation with experts in both shooting reconstruction and use of force, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer’s actions were justified under New York law.

    On the morning of September 6, an OCSO deputy responded to a 911 call in which the caller said he was seeing what he considered to be “suspicious activity” by people moving objects between two parked cars in a parking lot in a residential neighborhood in DeWitt. The responding deputy had been investigating a nearby burglary earlier that morning, and the 911 call appeared to relate to that burglary.

    When the deputy arrived at the parking lot, one of the cars immediately drove away. The deputy drove his police car nose to nose into the second car to prevent it from leaving, and parked. Mr. Mo was in the front passenger seat of car, and Mr. Apet was in the back seat. As the deputy got out of his police car, the driver of the car that Mr. Apet and Mr. Mo were in backed up and then drove forward, toward the deputy, apparently attempting to flee. The deputy fired his gun three times into the moving car.

    The car drove away and was later found on Mooney Avenue in Syracuse, with Mr. Apet and Mr. Mo inside. Mr. Apet was pronounced dead at the scene, and Mr. Mo was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead later that morning.

    Under New York’s justification law, a police officer may use deadly physical force when the officer reasonably believes it to be necessary to defend against the use of deadly physical force by another. Justification is a defense to criminal charges, and the prosecutor must disprove justification beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

    In this case, a car whose occupants were suspected of involvement in an earlier burglary was driving toward the deputy, who was standing in or near its path. Based on enhanced video, civilian statements, expert consultation on the path of the car and the position of the deputy, and expert consultation on the use of force, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the deputy reasonably perceived the car to be about to collide with him, nor disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the deputy reasonably believed that firing into the car was a way to prevent himself from being harmed. Therefore, OSI determined that criminal charges would not be pursued in this matter.

    OSI recommends that OCSO – and all police agencies – should equip officers with body-worn cameras and police vehicles with dashboard cameras. OCSO and all police agencies should also implement policies and training to ensure that police interactions such as these are captured on these cameras to aid in possible investigations such as this one.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Duluth Climbing Coach Sentenced to Over Six Years in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DULUTH, Minn. – Lucas Matthew Kramer, a Duluth man, was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possessing child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. He also was ordered to pay restitution to his victims and a $7,500 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act of 2018. 

    “Few crimes are as heinous as the sexual exploitation of minors,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “My office will continue to prioritize charging predators who hold positions of trust in our community.  Coaches, daycare providers, and others in positions of trust who prey on children will face federal justice.”  

    “The sentencing of Lucas Mathew Kramer concludes a successful investigation focused on those who seek to exploit our children. HSI will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who target our young people,” said ICE HSI Saint Paul Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt. “We appreciate the collaboration with our law enforcement partners and stand by our commitment to protecting our communities and securing our homeland.”

    According to court documents, on September 23, 2022, law enforcement received a tip that an online individual with the username “northernboy35” had used the Kik messenger application to upload 19 videos of child pornography to the internet. Less than a week later, the same username uploaded five additional child pornography videos to the internet. Law enforcement quickly determined that the uploaded files originated from Duluth, Minnesota, and linked the email and IP address for the “nothernboy35” moniker directly to Lucas Mathew Kramer, 45, a longtime collegiate climbing coach. 

    Law enforcement proceeded to execute a search warrant at Kramer’s residence and discovered that he had knowingly possessed over 600 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on numerous electronic devices. His CSAM collection included the graphic sexual abuse of prepubescent children—some as young as toddlers—and included videos depicting children being physically forced into sexual compliance. Kramer admitted that he downloaded and traded his CSAM collection with others on the internet. Law enforcement also discovered evidence of sexually explicit chats between Kramer and self-identified prepubescent minors, where he engaged the self-identified minors in sexually explicit conversations and encouraged them to take and send nude images of themselves.    

    Kramer pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on October 11, 2024. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud on March 19, 2024. When handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud remarked that Kramer’s conduct was “deeply troubling” and that his collection of CSAM materials “reflected depravity” and showed a “callous indifference” to the humanity of his victims.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Duluth Police Department. “The Duluth Police Department appreciates its partnership with Homeland Security Investigations in holding this offender accountable to the highest standards,” commented Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Las Vegas, Rosen Discusses Devastating Impact of Trump’s Tariffs with Local Construction Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    LAS VEGAS, NV – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) hosted a roundtable discussion with members of the Southern Nevada Building Trade Union (SNBTU) to hear about how Trump’s broad-based tariffs are impacting the construction industry, including by increasing costs on the materials needed to build affordable housing. In their discussion, Senator Rosen noted how these tariffs are hurting hardworking Nevada families and hindering our ability to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis. Earlier this month, she sent a letter urging the Trump Administration to reverse course on imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico to prevent housing prices from rising even further. Senator Rosen and the SNBTU members also discussed her work in Congress to protect workers and the importance of investing in workforce training programs like registered apprenticeships.
    “Donald Trump’s reckless, across-the-board tariffs are going to raise prices for Nevadans across the board, and they’re hurting important industries like building and construction,” said Senator Rosen. “Today, I was glad to sit down with construction workers in Las Vegas to hear about the challenges they’re facing from these tariffs, and how I can best support their work, including through new investments in workforce training. I’ll keep leading the charge in Congress to protect workers and address President Trump’s sweeping tariffs and the devastating effects they’re having on our state’s economy.”
    Senator Rosen has been fighting back against Donald Trump’s tariffs and the destructive impacts they’re having on Nevada’s economy. Rosen also helped introduce legislation to require the United States International Trade Commission to investigate how Donald Trump’s recent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada will impact the American people, and make that information public.
    Senator Rosen has also been a champion for workers, including in the construction industry. Earlier this month, she helped reintroduce the PRO Act, comprehensive legislation to protect workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain. In January, Rosen introduced bipartisan legislation to invest in skills training for the residential housing construction workforce in order to create good-paying jobs and address a key barrier to building more homes that can help lower housing costs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Warner & Colleagues Demand Answers Over Trump Administration’s Illegal Cancellation of Grants to Train and Retain Quality Teachers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Mark R. Warner (both D-VA) joined 23 of their colleagues in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon demanding detailed answers about the Trump Administration’s illegal cancellation of over $600 million in federal funding for teacher training grants, and to warn the Secretary of the detrimental effects the cancellation is already having on communities across the nation.
    “We write to raise serious objections and call for the immediate reinstatement of federal funding provided in the Department of Education’s (Department) appropriations laws intended to help strengthen our educator workforce in at least 34 states and improve teaching and learning for our nation’s students. It is shocking to us that the Department would take such disruptive action to take away funding from schools as they work to implement their approved plans to improve outcomes for our nation’s students,” the senators wrote.
    The senators continued, “The cancellation of these grants comes at a time when our country faces dire teacher shortages. A recent analysis of state-identified teacher shortages found that in recent school years, nationally, 1 in 8 of all teaching positions—or over 400,000 positions— are vacant or filled by a teacher who is not fully certified for their position. … Congress created and funded the Teacher Quality Partnership, Supporting Effective Educator Development, and Teacher and School Leader Incentive Fund programs in a bipartisan manner to ensure that all students have access to an effective educator workforce. The Department’s decision to terminate locally-driven grants previously awarded to schools, institutions of higher education, and other partners to address educator shortages and improve the quality of the teaching workforce will have long-term consequences on student outcomes.”
    Regarding the confusion and distress caused by the cancellation of funds already promised, the senators wrote, “Cutting off grant funds already adopted and in use in local budgets shows utter disregard to local officials who are now faced with a lengthy process for challenging the terminations and are required to adjust their adopted budgets and plans. These local communities may also face difficult decisions to curtail activities paid for by these terminated grant funds, such as recruiting teachers in rural communities, improving literacy, and mentoring early-career teachers to improve retention.  Ultimately, the Department’s decision to terminate these grant funds simply passes necessary expenses onto local and state taxpayers, who may have to sustain costs previously supported by federal funds that have been taken away by the Trump administration.”
    “We are deeply disappointed that despite claims of radical transparency from President Trump and other administration officials, the Department has not provided any transparency to Congress or the public about its teacher training grant terminations. Instead, the President’s disregard for the law and his desire to find savings to pay for his tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations seems to be driving these terminations. Given the need for actual transparency, stability, and productivity in government, as well as the bipartisan support these critical education training programs have received for many years, it is critical for the Department to provide accurate, timely responses on its use of taxpayer resources provided by the laws passed by Congress,” the senators wrote before concluding their request with a detailed list of questions for McMahon.
    The letter was led by Kaine and U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and signed by Warner and U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Edward Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Andy Kim (D-NJ).  
    The full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Secretary McMahon:
    We write to raise serious objections and call for the immediate reinstatement of federal funding provided in the Department of Education’s (“Department”) appropriations laws intended to help strengthen our educator workforce in at least 34 states and improve teaching and learning for our nation’s students. Approximately two weeks ago, the Department announced that it terminated “over $600 million in divisive teacher training grants” and created confusion for schools and institutions of higher education around our nation.[1][2][3] The amount of reported savings is misleading since many of the terminated grants had already been partially spent and were in active use. Further, it appears that terminated grantees received no information from Department staff in response to their requests for additional information, even for grants with obligated and spent funds.[4]  It is shocking to us that the Department would take such disruptive action to take away funding from schools as they work to implement their approved plans to improve outcomes for our nation’s students. Thankfully, a federal judge ordered the administration to temporarily restore these grants in eight states[5] and just yesterday, another federal judge ordered the reinstatement of more than 100 of these grants,[6] but every impacted grantee deserves immediate action. 
    U.S. students have not recovered from the devastating effects of the pandemic. National scores are below pre-pandemic levels in all tested grades and subjects, and gaps continue to grow between higher-performing and lower-performing students.  A February 2025 analysis found that our students are approximately half a grade level behind pre-pandemic achievement in math and reading.[7] With teachers and principals being the most important in-school factors to student learning, these grant cancellations will hinder pandemic learning recovery and break President Trump’s promises of “great principals and great teachers.”[8] 
    The cancellation of these grants comes at a time when our country faces dire teacher shortages. A recent analysis of state-identified teacher shortages found that in recent school years, nationally, 1 in 8 of all teaching positions—or over 400,000 positions— are vacant or filled by a teacher who is not fully certified for their position.[9] This school year, 49 states reported to the Department critical shortages in math, science, or special education teachers.[10] In rural America, to attract and retain teachers in many places, including in states like Colorado,[11] Louisiana,[12] Missouri,[13] and Texas,[14] districts were forced to move to 4-day school weeks, despite the unknown impact on student achievement. Research shows that principals are the second most important in-school factor to student learning and also impact teacher retention. Yet, about one in ten principals leave the field every year.[15]
    Congress created and funded the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP), Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED), and Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive Fund programs in a bipartisan manner to ensure that all students have access to an effective educator workforce.  The Department’s decision to terminate locally-driven grants previously awarded to schools, institutions of higher education, and other partners to address educator shortages and improve the quality of the teaching workforce will have long-term consequences on student outcomes. These terminations create confusion for dozens of local communities supported by now unavailable grant funds.[16]  Cutting off grant funds already adopted and in use in local budgets shows utter disregard to local officials who are now faced with a lengthy process for challenging the terminations and are required to adjust their adopted budgets and plans. [17] These local communities may also face difficult decisions to curtail activities paid for by these terminated grant funds, such as recruiting teachers in rural communities, improving literacy, and mentoring early-career teachers to improve retention.  Ultimately, the Department’s decision to terminate these grant funds simply passes necessary expenses onto local and state taxpayers, who may have to sustain costs previously supported by federal funds that have been taken away by the Trump administration. 
    We are deeply disappointed that despite claims of radical transparency from President Trump and other administration officials, the Department has not provided any transparency to Congress or the public about its teacher training grant terminations. Instead, the President’s disregard for the law and his desire to find savings to pay for his tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations seems to be driving these terminations. Given the need for actual transparency, stability, and productivity in government, as well as the bipartisan support these critical education training programs have received for many years, it is critical for the Department to provide accurate, timely responses on its use of taxpayer resources provided by the laws passed by Congress. We request you provide written answers to the following questions as soon as possible but not later than March 26, 2025:
    Please describe the policy and procedure established for the review of grants terminated on or after January 20, 2025.
    Are they the same as any grant terminations prior to this date?  If not, how and why were they different, including in the use of any program or technology not previously employed?
    Please identify the offices and titles of staff involved in the review.
    How many employees involved in the review were onboarded at the Department on or after January 20, 2025?  Please describe each of such employee’s role in the review.
    Please provide the total costs, including all personnel and non-personnel costs, of the review.
    Please identify any other program currently undergoing or planned for the same or similar review and the associated timeline for each such review. 
    Please specifically identify each program undergoing a different review and explain each difference and the reason for each such difference for such program.

    Please explain the policy and procedure for offering grantees the opportunity to clarify, explain or modify any element of their approved application prior to termination to avoid the disruption to grant activities that the Department’s termination has caused.  Please explain why an opportunity was not offered in each case of it not being offered. 
    Please explain the policy and procedure for offering grantees the opportunity to appeal their grant termination. When will appeals be reviewed, and when will grantees receive a decision on their appeal?
    For each program that includes a terminated grant, please provide the following about all such terminated grants:
    The total number of grants terminated by fiscal year of initial funding,
    The total amount of funding expected under the approved budgets of terminated grants on official documentation as of January 1, 2025 for each fiscal year,
    The total amount of funding outlaid as of the date of response to this letter for each fiscal year, and
    The total amount of funding deobligated by fiscal year as of the date of termination.

    For each program that includes a terminated grant, please provide the following about all such terminated grants:
    The total number of educators expected to participate in professional development activities,
    The total number of new educators expected to be prepared,
    The expected number of years of service that were expected from participants under each grant,
    The number of years of service that had already been completed,
    The total number of schools expected to benefit from any grant activities, and
    The total number of states in which any grant activities were expected to take place.

    For each program that includes a terminated grant, please provide the following:
    The name of each recipient of a grant not terminated by program and fiscal year of initial funding,
    An assurance that each non-terminated grant was subject to the same policy and procedure described in response to the first question, and as applicable, the reason for not doing so, and
    Please provide the most recent annual performance report submitted by each non-terminated grantee prior to January 1, 2025.

    For each terminated grant, please provide the most recent annual performance report submitted by such grantee prior to January 1, 2025, if applicable.
    For each terminated grant, please provide the following:
    The Department’s definition of divisive ideology,
    The Department’s definition of inappropriate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and
    The specific evidence demonstrating how the grantee’s approved grant activities are inconsistent with such definitions of divisive ideology and DEI.

    Please explain how and when you will comply with the temporary restraining orders issued by  federal judges on March 10, 2025 and March 17, 2025.
    Please provide a detailed plan on how the Department will prioritize training and preparing educators for the classroom.
    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your prompt response.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine Push USDA to Reverse Decision Cancelling Vital Food Service Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) wrote a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins urging the Trump administration to reverse their decision cancelling the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS), vital programs that support Virginia’s food banks, schools, and other food providers in purchasing food directly from local farms, ranchers and producers.
    Across the country, LFPA and LFS boost local economies by allowing states to procure local food and distribute to providers. With USDA’s decision, Virginia alone will lose out on nearly $21 million in federal funding that would directly support the Commonwealth’s farmers, ranchers and other food producers. Already in Virginia, the impact of these abrupt cancellations are felt, with local food banks struggling to make ends meet following the sudden loss of funding.
    “LFPA and LFS allow Virginia to procure local food and distribute to providers such as food banks and schools, benefitting producers, those experiencing food insecurity, and local economies,” the senators wrote. “In Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), Virginia was eligible to receive nearly $21 million through LFPA and LFS – including $10.1 million for schools and $3.4 million for childcare facilities – to support 183 farmers in providing fresh produce and other healthy foods to food-insecure households across the Commonwealth. With USDA’s decision to cancel these funds, Virginia farmers are deprived of a crucial market for this season and low-income communities face even greater barriers to access fresh, healthy foods.”
    They continued, “Cancelling LFPA and LFS, with the ~$21 million Virginia was to receive in FY25, hurts Virginia farmers, food providers, families, and those working tirelessly to support them.”
    A copy of letter is available here and text is below.
    Dear Secretary Rollins:
    We write to share our serious concerns regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to cancel the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS), both vital programs intended to support Virginia’s food systems by expanding purchases from local producers and distributing that fresh food to underserved communities. We strongly urge you to reverse this decision and continue these programs of great importance to Virginia’s local communities.
    LFPA and LFS allow Virginia to procure local food and distribute to providers such as food banks and schools, benefitting producers, those experiencing food insecurity, and local economies. In Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), Virginia was eligible to receive nearly $21 million through LFPA and LFS – including $10.1 million for schools and $3.4 million for childcare facilities – to support 183 farmers in providing fresh produce and other healthy foods to food-insecure households across the Commonwealth. With USDA’s decision to cancel these funds, Virginia farmers are deprived of a crucial market for this season and low-income communities face even greater barriers to access fresh, healthy foods.
    Communities across the Commonwealth work with USDA and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to ensure LFPA and LFS funding has the maximum impact among families, farmers, and local economies. In the first year of LFPA, for example, over 100 local producers were supported, providing over 100,000 Virginians with fresh, healthy food. This is fresh, nutritious produce for food-insecure families that often cannot afford healthy food, all while providing local farmers a dependable market for their products. Cancelling LFPA and LFS, with the ~$21 million Virginia was to receive in FY25, hurts Virginia farmers, food providers, families, and those working tirelessly to support them. 
    Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Education Department was inspired by the Heritage Foundation’s decades-long disapproval of the agency

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Fred L. Pincus, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

    The Heritage Foundation flag flies over its building on July 30, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    President Donald Trump issued an executive order on March 20, 2025, that calls for closing the U.S. Department of Education.

    The president needs congressional approval to shutter the department. The order, however, directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

    The executive order reflects many recommendations from the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a conservative political initiative to revamp the federal government. But it’s worth noting that the foundation’s attempt to abolish the Education Department goes back more than 40 years.

    The think tank first called for limiting the federal role in education in 1981. That’s when it issued its first Mandate for Leadership, a book offering conservative policy recommendations.

    As a sociology professor focused on diversity and social inequality, I’ve followed the Heritage Foundation’s efforts to eliminate the Department of Education since 1981. Although the idea didn’t garner enough support 44 years ago, the current political climate makes conditions more favorable.

    Mandate 1981

    In its 1981 mandate, the Heritage Foundation struck now-familiar themes.

    Its education policy recommendations included closing the Department of Education and “reducing its controls over American education.”

    Additionally, the think tank called on lawmakers to repeal the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provides federal funding for disadvantaged students in K-12, so that “the department’s influence on state and local education policy and practice through discretionary grant authority would disappear.”

    And the Heritage Foundation called for ending federal support for programs it claimed were designed to “turn elementary- and secondary-school classrooms into vehicles for liberal-left social and political change …”

    The Heritage Foundation building is seen on July 30, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
    Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    Education experts disputed these proposed reforms just a few years later.

    Four educational task forces, composed mainly of educators, corporate executives and politicians, published reports on education in 1983. All four reports were critical of the more liberal education policies of the 1960s and 1970s – such as an emphasis on student feelings about race, for example, rather than a focus on basic skills.

    But they all saw the need for a strong federal role in education.

    The four reports blamed the U.S. educational system for losing ground to Japan and Western Europe. And all called for more required courses rather than the “curriculum smorgasbord” that had become the norm in many public schools. They all wanted longer school days, longer school years and better-trained teachers.

    Nevertheless, President Ronald Reagan tried unsuccessfully to abolish the Department of Education in 1983.

    Project 2025

    Jumping ahead more than 40 years, Project 2025 reflects many of the main themes the Heritage Foundation addressed in the 1981 mandate. The first line of Project 2025’s chapter on education states: “Federal education policy should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated.”

    The charges of leftist indoctrination have expanded. Now, conservative advocates are calling to eliminate anything that has to do with diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI.

    Other executive orders that Trump has signed reflect these attitudes.

    For example, they call for defending women from “gender ideology extremism” and eliminating “radical” DEI policies.

    According to Project 2025, school choice – which gives students the freedom to choose schools that best fit their needs – should be promoted through tuition tax credits and vouchers that provide students with public funds to attend private school. And federal education programs should either be dismantled or moved to other federal departments.

    Current political climate

    In the 1980s, the Heritage Foundation was seen as part of the New Right, a coalition that opposed issues such as abortion, homosexuality and affirmative action. The GOP’s alliance with conservative evangelical Christians, mobilized by advocacy groups such as Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority, was picking up steam, but it was still seen as marginal.

    By 2025, things have moved significantly to the right.

    Conservative Republicans in Congress view the Heritage Foundation as an important voice in educational politics.

    The far right is emboldened by Trump after his Cabinet appointments and pardons of Jan. 6 rioters.

    And Christian Nationalism – the belief that the United States is defined by Christianity – has grown.

    Paul Dans, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, speaks at the National Conservative Conference in Washington, D.C., on July 10, 2024.
    Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

    Trump’s executive order does not abolish the Education Department. He needs congressional approval to do that.

    But he has already weakened it. His administration recently canceled nearly $900 million in contracts at the Institute of Education Sciences, the independent research arm of the Education Department.

    Despite public reluctance to eliminate the department – in February, 63% of U.S. residents said they opposed its elimination – it looks like Heritage Foundation influence could cause significant damage, with the additional firing of staff members and the reduced distribution of funds.

    McMahon sent a directive to department employees in early March calling the dismantling of their agency a “final mission.”

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

    – ref. Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Education Department was inspired by the Heritage Foundation’s decades-long disapproval of the agency – https://theconversation.com/trumps-executive-order-to-dismantle-the-education-department-was-inspired-by-the-heritage-foundations-decades-long-disapproval-of-the-agency-250605

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 14 Charged in Federal Indictment Following Takedown of Violent Indianapolis Drug Trafficking Ring

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    INDIANAPOLIS— 14 individuals have been charged in a federal indictment alleging a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in Indianapolis, Lafayette, and surrounding communities. The charges follow a successful law enforcement operation in which 13 total individuals have been arrested and are in federal custody. Eight individuals were arrested on March 21, 2025. The following lists the individuals indicted and the charges they face:

    Defendant Charge(s)
    Tanesha M. Turner, 39
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    • Kidnapping
    • Carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime
    • Accessory to a crime after the fact
    • Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
    Charles T. Dunson, 44
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    • Carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
    • Distribution of methamphetamine
    • Possession of a machinegun
    • Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
    Tre J. Dunn, 27
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    • Carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
    • Causing Death by Using a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime
    • Possessing, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime
    Nahamani I. Sargent, 34
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    • Retaliating against a witness
    • Use of fire or explosives
    • Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
    Byron A. Mason, 38
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    • Unlawful use of a cell phone
    Adrian J. Bullock, 34
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    • Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
    Avery J. Bullock, 27
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    • Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute
    John M. Whitfield, 37
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    • Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
    Aaliyah Hackett, 23
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    • Unlawful use of a cell phone
    Emorrie J. Dunn, 26
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Chancelor R. Walker, 38
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    D’Ericka Lee, 30
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Lamar T. Browning, 39
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Mark C. Marshall, 57
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances

    This was a multi-agency operation, involving ten agencies who assisted with the investigation and the arrests on the morning of March 21, 2025. Law enforcement has asked the public for assistance in locating fugitive Lamar T. Browning. He should be considered armed and dangerous. Those with information are asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

    According to the indictment, all 14 defendants allegedly operated a drug trafficking conspiracy, selling meth, fentanyl, cocaine and heroin out of several trap houses in Indianapolis.

    Some members of the conspiracy allegedly committed multiple acts of violence, including murder, firing gunshots, throwing Molotov cocktails at a home, kidnapping, and pistol-whipping in order to intimidate drug customers and rival drug dealers The violence was used as a tool to collect money owed to them by their drug customers, to protect the locations that they used to distribute drugs, and to retaliate against potential witnesses.

    Specifically, Nahamani Sargent allegedly fired gunshots and threw Molotov cocktails at the home of a customer, believing that the victim had provided information about the conspiracy to law enforcement.

    Additionally, Tanesha Turner allegedly kidnapped a victim at gunpoint and held them for ransom because they owed $40. Tre Dunn then allegedly shot the same victim for owing money and providing information to law enforcement.

    Tre Dunn also allegedly aided and abetted the murder of a man because he disrespected him and his associate during a failed drug deal. Tanesha Turner then allegedly aided Dunn by driving him to another location following the murder to prevent his arrest.

    If convicted, each defendant faces up to life in federal prison.

    The following investigative agencies collaborated to make this investigation and recent warrant execution possible:

    • Federal Bureau of Investigation (Indianapolis, Chicago, and Cincinnati SWAT)
    • Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, SWAT
    • Fishers Police Department, SWAT
    • Drug Enforcement Administration
    • United States Department of Agriculture
    • Indiana Capitol Police Department
    • Indiana Department of Homeland Security
    • Johnson County Sheriff’s Department

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley A. Blackington and Kelsey Massa, who are prosecuting this case.

    This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This operation is part of the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program.

    An indictment or criminal complaint are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Third week of March sees another nearly 250 cases in border security-related matters in Southern District of Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A total of 246 cases have been filed related to immigration and border security from March 14-20, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    Of those, 91 face allegations of illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses, among others. A total of 145 face charges of illegally entering the country, eight cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to other immigration matters and making false statements.

    Among those charged include Rogelio Jaimes-Rodriguez – a Mexican male who was allegedly found in the United States near Roma having previously been removed Feb. 12. The charges allege he had been previously convicted of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted of this illegal reentry charge, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Onesimo Salazar-Torres is also a Mexican citizen charged with illegal reentry. The criminal complaint alleges he was found in the United States near Edinburg having previously been removed in 2018 and has a conviction of indecency with child sexual contact. 

    Other relevant cases include two more illegal aliens with significant criminal histories that were sentenced in McAllen this week after being previously removed and unlawfully reentered again. Jose Eduardo Soto-Hernandez has prior felony convictions for sexual assault of a child and possession of a controlled substance. He has been removed from the United States two previous times, most recently in 2019. He will serve 27 months, while Salvador Eduardo Gonzalez-Ledezma was ordered to serve 46 months. He has prior felony convictions for assault family violence impeding breath and harboring aliens. Authorities removed him most recently in 2022, but he has a total of four prior removals.

    In Houston, Carlos Bedolla Sanchez pleaded guilty to using the identity of a U.S. citizen to fraudulently obtain a passport and identification. As part of the identity theft, he provided the name, Social Security number, date of birth and birthplace on the passport applications and fraudulently certified he was a citizen or non-citizen national of the United States. Sanchez began using the victim’s identity in approximately March 2009 to obtain state driver’s licenses and other U.S. identification.

    On Feb. 17, a Corpus Christi federal jury returned a guilty verdict against a South Texas man for transporting illegal aliens. They deliberated for less than 45 minutes before convicting Alberto Chavez Jr. following a one-day trial Feb. 17. Chavez had claimed his two passengers were his cousins, but evidence proved they were not related to him and were actually Honduran citizens illegally present in the United States. Testimony further revealed Chavez bought them clothes to make them appear more “American” and coached them on what to say when trying to pass through the checkpoint. 

    Another illegal alien was indicted in Laredo in a multi-year human smuggling conspiracy. The charges allege Giovana Lozano Hernandez used multiple cellular devices that had numerous digital images of paper ledgers regarding the scheme. Voice messages with co-conspirators also allegedly detailed the smuggling activity including the many illegal aliens who had already been transported and housed for whom there needed to be financial accountability. Law enforcement also found video messages depicting the transportation of illegal aliens, according to the allegations.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: At Statewide Virtual Town Hall, Hickenlooper Addresses Top Concerns from Coloradans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
    Hickenlooper answered questions about Trump admin threats to our economy, national parks, scientific research, veteran care, and more
    In case you missed it, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper held a statewide virtual town hall last week to answer questions from Coloradans about Trump’s attacks on our federal government and top-of-mind concerns from constituents.
    More than 8,000 Coloradans from across the state attended the event live to ask questions and hear from Hickenlooper. Hickenlooper plans to hold in-person town halls across Colorado in the coming weeks. Since the beginning of his term, Hickenlooper has held at least four public town halls every year. Last year he held in-person town halls in Alamosa, Cortez, Eagle, Pueblo, and Walden.

    Watch the full video of the event HERE or see excerpts below:
    On threats to Colorado’s public lands:
    “Coloradans overwhelmingly support protecting our public lands. You look at any poll there’s 75%, 80%, sometimes 85% of voters who support protections for our public lands. That doesn’t seem to stop or slow down the Trump administration. They’re threatening all of that.”
    “They’ve fired over 3,400 US Forest Service employees. 3,400. They fired another 2,300 workers from the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and there might even be another one. I mean, these are cuts that we’re going to feel. These are the folks who are being fired who are responsible for wildfire mitigation, for timber management, for all kinds of things. They are the people that remove hazardous fuels on federal lands, clean the campsites, or maintain the trails. This doesn’t all happen by itself. These cuts are going to put Colorado at a higher risk for wildfires. These cuts are going to hurt our economy.”
    On protecting Medicaid:
    “Health care is a right, not a privilege. Let’s recognize the Republicans’ budget for what it is: it’s a blatant attempt to strip critical services like Medicaid from Americans who need the help the most. They are stripping these critical services to fund these tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. Bottom line: millions are going to lose their healthcare and the ultra-wealthy get tax cuts that in all cases they don’t need, and in many cases they don’t want.” 
    “We have 1 million Coloradans that are enrolled in either Medicaid or CHIP: that’s almost 1 in 6 Coloradans. 60% of seniors in nursing homes are able to be there because they are covered by Medicaid. You cut Medicaid at that level, and you are going to have a lot of grandmothers and grandfathers out of their ear, bankrupt.”
    “We stayed up all night a month ago fighting for amendments to protect access, to protect Medicaid, investments in renewable energy, veterans benefits. The Republicans blocked every single one. I think we can use those votes to let the public know what the Republicans have been doing. In other words, they are on the record by those votes. We made them vote on those amendments and bills so that they are on the record and when the time comes we will be able to make sure that they can be held accountable. When they go back to their states or to Colorado when they hold town halls, they are going to have to answer for those votes.”
    On efforts to make government more efficient::
    “The first time I got into politics in 2003 I ran on the premise that I was going to come in as mayor and make the city government smaller and yet do more, but I didn’t come in and say I was going to use an axe to make cuts.”
    “…We went into each agency and made sure we knew what everyone was doing so we knew how we were spending the money and what we were getting for it so that we could really look for actual fraud, waste, and abuse. If that’s what we are about then I am game, but that’s not what the Trump administration is doing. They’re taking an axe and sledgehammer to our federal government without any concern on the impact it has on Coloradans or Americans. You just can’t throw our veterans, working families, or the services we all depend on under the bus by saying you are looking for fraud and abuse.”
    On supporting our veterans:
    “What is happening is a travesty of history… Ever since I got to the Senate I’ve made supporting veterans and enhancing VA care a priority. The PACT Act, like I said, advanced care to over a million veterans. The news that the Trump administration is planning to fire 80,000 staff from the Veterans Administration is beyond words. It’s insulting to our nation’s heroes.”
    “…We introduced an amendment during the reconciliation process, which of course they ignored, but this was an amendment seeking to reverse workforce cuts and fill frontline vacancies like at the Veteran Health Administration, particularly personnel who provide access to healthcare for rural veterans. We’ve joined many of our colleagues sending a very direct letter to President Trump demanding fired veterans be reinstated across the federal government. We also supported a resolution condemning mass termination of VA employees.”
    “I mean I just can’t imagine what these people are thinking… I mean, firing veterans serving our communities is not a way to find fraud, waste, and abuse. It is not waste. It is not fraud. It is not abuse.” 
    On the importance of trust in science:
    “The American people look to us, to science, for trust and for accurate, factual information so they can have the freedom to raise their families without fear. Now again, I’m not saying all science is perfect. I’m not saying that one agency or another hasn’t made mistakes, but when trust is broken, things fall apart.”
    “…Unfortunately, the new administration has elevated people into cabinet positions who peddle some of these anti-science claims and mistruths and misinformation. This threatens not just Coloradans but our country. It puts us at risk. That’s why funding for things like medical research through the NIH or climate research through NOAA is so important.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Security Council Speakers Warn of ‘Gazafication’ of West Bank, Urge Israel to End Illegal Settlements, Occupation

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Israeli West Bank Operations Aimed at Dismantling Iran’s Terror Networks, Says Delegate

    Speakers in the Security Council today warned of the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank and its “Gazafication” amid Israel’s ongoing counter-terrorism operations, which its representative described as efforts to dismantle Iran’s terror networks.

    “The relentless expansion of Israeli settlements is dramatically altering the landscape and demographics of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, presenting an existential threat to the prospect of a contiguous, viable, independent Palestinian State,” said Sigrid Kaag, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim.  Presenting the latest Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) — a measure calling on Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” — she pointed out that settlement activity has nevertheless continued at a high rate, with Israeli planning authorities advancing or approving approximately 10,600 housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank, including 4,920 in East Jerusalem.

    Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures accelerated across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, she continued, reporting that Israeli authorities demolished 460 structures and displaced 576 people, including 287 children and 149 women, because they did not possess Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain.  Meanwhile, “alarming levels” of violence continued, with 123 Palestinians, including 6 women and 19 children, killed amidst Israeli forces’ air strikes, operations, armed exchanges and other incidents, she said, adding:  “Most Palestinians were killed in the context of Israeli operations in Area A, including during exchanges of fire with armed Palestinians.”

    Israel’s largest operation in the occupied West Bank since 2002 began on 21 January and has since expanded across the northern West Bank in what Israeli authorities described as a counter-terrorism operation, displacing 40,000 people, she continued.  On 9 February, Israeli operations expanded into Nur Shams Camp in Tulkarem where Israel Defense Forces soldiers shot and killed two Palestinian women, one of whom was pregnant, she said, adding that two Palestinian children were killed by Israeli soldiers in incidents in Jenin and Hebron on 21 February, bringing the total number of children killed to eight across the occupied West Bank since the operation began.  Detailing other developments in the occupied West Bank, including widespread movement restrictions, the arrest of 1,711 Palestinians, settler-related violence in 11 Palestinian towns and villages, and Palestinian attacks against Israelis, she called on both parties to refrain from provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric, which has, unfortunately continued.

    Echoing the Secretary-General’s observations on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016), she drew attention to the emptying out of refugee camps in the northern West Bank during Israeli operations.  She also voiced concern that any long-term presence of Israeli security forces in the camps would further undermine the Palestinian Authority and contravene Israel’s obligation to end its unlawful continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice.

    Clear Response Needed at International Conference in June

    “Israel’s goal has always been maximum Palestinian land with minimum Palestinians,” said the Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, adding:  “Instead of ending its occupation, it is attempting to end the occupied people.”  Pointing to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the “most massive ethnic-cleansing campaign since 1967” in the northern West Bank, displacing 40,000 Palestinians in weeks, he underscored the need for accountability, emphasizing:  “Confronted with this unprecedented Israeli escalation, there must be an unprecedented escalation of international measures in response.”

    Voicing concern that Israel aims to entrench its occupation, rather than reverse or end it, he spotlighted the International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in June, hoping it would be a platform for mobilization and action.  “Israel’s intentions have never been clearer.  The international response needs to be equally clear,” he emphasized, calling for “unprecedented decisions by States” to change the course of history.

    Israel’s delegate, denouncing “morally obscene” remarks equating Israeli hostages with Palestinian terrorists “legally arrested by Israel”, said his country had “no choice” but to act decisively, considering Hamas’ rejection of the offer to release the remaining hostages for a continued ceasefire.  It has struck targets with precision, eliminating “arch-terrorists” such as Mahmoud Abu Watfa, head of Hamas’ internal security forces and Issam al-Daalis, head of Hamas’ Government in Gaza.  The group has a choice:  “Come back to the table and negotiate or wait and watch as its leadership falls one by one.”

    His country’s operations in “Judea and Samaria” intend to break down Iran’s terror networks there, he continued, citing 2,000 attempted terror attacks originating there over 11 months.  The Palestinian Authority left the job of “taking care of the terror cells” in [refugee] camps in Jenin and Tulkarm to his country, he said, stressing that terrorists will be given no sanctuary, in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Yemen or Iran.

    United States Dismisses Passage of Resolution 2334 (2016) as ‘Mistake’

    The United States’ delegate, characterizing the passage of the Council resolution 2334 (2016) as “a mistake”, called on the UN Secretary-General to join the United States in putting pressure on Hamas.  Just as Hamas could end the war by releasing the hostages, Iran “could chose to join the community of nations by ending its support for terrorist proxy groups and providing transparency on its nuclear programme”, she added, reiterating her Government’s support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Palestinian Authority Security Forces in rooting out extremists in Jenin and Tulkarm.  “The future of the Middle East must look different.  Fresh thinking is needed for a better tomorrow,” she added.

    France’s representative, however, stated that the reason evoked by Israel to justify its new massive bombardments does not hold water, and delays in the hostages’ release cannot justify the punishment of the entire people.  Noting that settlements in the West Bank are becoming more violent, with active participation of Israeli security forces, he reiterated that France opposes any annexation in the West Bank or Gaza.  To that end, his Government has been working with all countries to find a mechanism and to use ceasefire as a starting point for resuming dialogue.

    Pakistan’s representative warned that “daily military raids, settler violence and illegal land annexations are part of a systematic effort to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian people in the West Bank,” he said.  The Security Council, and the world community, cannot sit back and watch this ongoing ethnic cleansing.  “A failure to halt this brutal war will unleash the worst instinct of powerful and predatory States,” he said, urging the elected Council members to initiate measures to end “this cruel war”.  Somalia’s delegate called on States to present a united front against forced demographic changes, displacement from Palestinian communities or attempts to annex territories in either Gaza or the West Bank, a point echoed by China’s delegate, who urged Israel to “abandon its obsession with the use of force”.

    Unchecked Settlements Darken Prospect of Palestine’s Statehood

    Many speakers echoed alarm over the threat posed by unchecked settlement activities in the West Bank to the prospects for Palestinian statehood, with the representative of Denmark, Council President for March, who spoke in her national capacity, stating that such developments “rob Palestinians of their land, [and] push them into isolated enclaves, making it virtually impossible to form a connected and viable land for a future Palestinian State”.  Any unilateral attempt to change the geography of the occupied Palestinian territories is unacceptable, she said, stating that some settlements come about through settler violence.  She added:  “We have the frameworks.  What is needed is full implementation of resolution 2334 (2016).”

    “We have been witnessing what many are calling the Gazafication of the West Bank,” echoed Slovenia’s delegate, noting that, not only dights, but also dynamics “remind us of Gaza”.  “The one radical solution is a real peace,” he said, calling for the end of occupation and return of displaced persons.  Pages of history already written, including those contained in the reports of accountability mechanisms, must be a wake-up call for a new chapter to take place, he added.

    Greece’s representative, calling the Arab plan for Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction “a constructive proposal”, deplored the increase of settlement activity in the West Bank, a concern echoed by the representative of the Republic of Korea, who called the ongoing violence and vandalism by Israeli settlers unacceptable.

    On that, the representative of the United Kingdom highlighted three rounds of sanctions on violent settlers and their supporters imposed by his country to bring accountability for abuses of human rights, in the absence of sufficient Israeli action.  “The level of restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank are crippling,” he observed, underscoring the importance of ensuring that religious freedoms are respected, especially during Ramadan.

    Many speakers emphasized the urgent need for progress towards a political solution, including the delegates of Guyana and Panama, with the latter stating that, in the future, Gaza — free from extremist groups, together with the West Bank and East Jerusalem — can be integrated into a territorial and political structure.  Sierra Leone’s representative, also calling for the political process to be revitalized, expressed hope for the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza, guided by the proposal tabled by the League of Arab States in Egypt.

    Noting that the West Bank “risks repeating the Gaza scenario”, the representative of the Russian Federation underscored that what is happening in the West Bank is a “good illustration” that there is no alternative to political solutions.  Israel’s settlement actions are aimed to undermine a two-State solution, he said, adding that, while Israel is using “crude force” to ensure their security, he said it is not surprising that the radical forces are popular among regular Palestinians.  The only sensible alternative is for Israel to return to negotiations, he noted, stating that the Council can and should play a role in this process.

    Algeria’s delegate said that the Israeli occupying Power’s objective in the West Bank is clear:  total sovereignty over it.  Their modus operandi is also well-known:  killing, forced demolition, displacement, dispossession and settlement.  Over 40,000 people have been forcibly displaced in the past two months in the West Bank.  Striking a note of urgency, he asked:  “When will we rise to the level of our obligations and impose respect and implementation for our collective decision to establish a Palestinian State with Al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital?”

    Rounding out the meeting, the representative of Jordan recalled that the Arab League summit held in Cairo at the beginning of the month confirmed the bloc’s rejection of any attempt to displace the Palestinian people from their occupied lands, and approved the Gaza Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan presented by Egypt.  This is a comprehensive Arab plan, based on joint Egyptian-Palestinian efforts, to organize an international conference on recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, in cooperation with the UN, he said.  Deploring the dangerous escalation in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, marked by recurrent military incursions into Palestinian towns, population displacements and home demolitions, he called on the Council and the international community to address these violations.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Two arrested after caravan crash at Woodchester

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Two people have been arrested after a car and caravan crashed in the Adelaide Hills.

    It will be alleged that about 2.20am today (Saturday 22 March), a man called police after his Nissan Patrol 4WD was stolen from his house in Finniss.

    Police located the Nissan soon after driving east on Callington Road and pursued the vehicle. A second vehicle, a Great Wall station wagon towing a caravan then overtook the police car, sideswiping it as it drove past.

    Both officers inside the vehicle were not injured.

    The Great Wall station wagon and caravan then lost control and crashed on Callington Road at Woodchester, with the male driver running away from the scene.

    The 35-year-old Wellington man returned to the scene soon after and was arrested. He will face numerous charges including endanger life, drive disqualified and illegal use of a motor vehicle, after checks showed the caravan had been stolen from Mount Compass.

    The Great Wall station wagon was not stolen.

    The Nissan returned to the scene and the driver, a 30-year-old Murray Bridge woman was also arrested.

    She has also been charged with illegal use of a motor vehicle, breach of bail and drive unlicenced.

    Both people have been refused bail to appear in court on Monday.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: M.O.R.E Work Fund ‘elevates’ Boilermaker work

    Source: US International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

    Before the 1980s, Boilermakers were the craft that constructed most elevated water towers in cities and municipalities. That was before nonunion contractors stepped into the market with rock-bottom bids. Now, thanks to the M.O.R.E. Work Investment Fund, Boilermakers are regaining some of that work. And even better, the next five years look promising for additional projects.

    “We had a great portion of that work, and it’s slowly gone away over the last 30 years,” said Local 1 BM-ST Eric Davis. “I don’t even know the last time Local 1 has sent one of our members out who wasn’t a traveler.”

    Ray Moen, a sales manager at CBI Services, is working on a project where Boilermakers are building a water tower for the village of Grayslake, Illinois. Moen said a lot of elevated water tower work used to go union.

    “When some of [the cities] contract low price work, this process is repeated by other cities,” he said. “Since the ’80s it’s been a tough market for a union contractor.”

    But that’s changing. According to Moen, Grayslake wanted a union contractor to do the work. And thanks to the M.O.R.E. Work Investment Fund, the CBI Services bid was competitive enough to secure it.

    “Having an owner that actively wants union labor helps,” Moen said.

    Davis said he gets bid notifications through associations that alert the local of governmental work, and when he saw the request for bids for the water tower, he jumped at the opportunity. Initially he called CBI Services’ labor relations manager to alert him to bid the project. The manager met with engineers and the village, then created a proposal.

    “I do not believe we would have gotten the [Grayslake] job without the help of the M.O.R.E. Fund,” Davis said, noting the M.O.R.E. Work Fund also secured the bid for an elevated water tower in the village of Gardner, Illinois, completed around three years ago.

    Moen said he appreciates the cooperation between CBI Services and Local 1 to find work. “They help us sell the work. They help me see some of the other prospects.” The good news is that union work on elevated towers will continue.

    “I think there’s a lot coming out,” Moen said. “We have a lot with L-1 in the Chicago area. Over the next five years, for elevated water tanks, there’s a lot to look at.”

    That’s work Local 1 apprentice, David Dishman, can get behind. He’s currently working on the Grayslake tower project with around seven travelers, tankies from the National Transient Division, and an operating engineer. He worked nonunion for 10 years, so he’s not new to tank construction. He indentured into the Boilermakers three years ago because he wanted better working conditions, better tools and better benefits, and he said he found all these in the Boilermakers.

    On this job, Dishman’s first elevated tower work, he’s found that working up high comes with unique working conditions. He said it’s essential to be focused and deliberate when working, especially when workers are 150 to 200 feet in the air. “A huge part is communication,” he said. That’s why he appreciates the daily safety meetings. It’s why communication is essential, so everyone can go home at the end of the day.

    Boilermakers are welding and rigging on this project. On a typical day, following the safety meeting, three members stay on the ground working on assembly and sending tools and steel to the top to the rest of the crew. Dishman said there are challenges to elevated work, with the height of the tower being one.

    “We go over safety a lot because it’s always changing,” he said. “Every Wednesday we have a longer safety meeting.” Workers don’t have room for all their tools while working on the tower. If someone needs a tool they didn’t bring to the top, the ground crew needs to send it up. Dishman said it’s essential to think through the day’s work to determine what will be needed before climbing.

    Weather is unpredictable. Moen said if the wind is too high—and it’s always stronger on the tower than on the ground—they might have to shut down. They must be creative with ground assemblies if it’s snowing, raining, or the wind is too high.

    “You’re up 150 feet in the air so you’re really exposed,” he said. To get to the tower, members climb a ladder to reach the first floor before climbing a taller ladder 60 to 75 feet to a manhole that leads to three to five scaffolds. Then Boilermakers climb to the overhead cone ladder, a half oval that attaches at the top, so they can weld the vertical sections.

    When welding the outside of the tower, workers use a derrick—a machine that lifts heavy weights using a long beam with pulleys and cables—that connects to the shaft in the middle.

    “There’s so much going on and so many things that are dangerous,” Dishman said. “All the things that are dangerous on the ground are 10-fold more in the air.”

    Even so, he’s happy to be on the job. He’d heard for years that CBI Services was the “epitome of Boilermaker work.” And now on his first job with CBI Services, he understands why.

    “No one is questioning the need for safety or a need for tools to get the job done. And there’s no need to cut corners to get the job done [with CBI Services],” he said.

    Dishman is looking forward to more tower work in the future. It gives him a sense of pride to know the M.O.R.E. Work Investment Fund is opening the door to work the union hasn’t done for years.

    “It’s something we’ve been wanting to have back, and now we’re getting the chance to get that back,” he said. “It’s a motivating factor to get it done on time and do quality work.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A series that’s got parliament talking and an artist who influenced the civil service – what you should watch, see and play this week

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Naomi Joseph, Arts + Culture Editor

    The “manosphere” is an online realm comprising social media accounts, websites and blogs. It’s a place where innocuous advice around men’s issues like health and fitness sits alongside violent and dangerous misogynistic rhetoric. It’s where “incels” were born and where Andrew Tate became a household name. The effect of this side of the internet on young men is becoming an increasingly worrying and urgent issue, one which has been powerfully explored in the Netflix series, Adolescence.

    It follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller and his family after he is arrested on suspicion of the murder of a girl from his history class. Over its four episodes, it explores the rise of toxic masculinity, incel culture and the UK’s youth justice system.

    It’s a harrowing show that its writer and star Stephen Graham and co-writer Jack Thorne hope “causes discussion and makes change”. I’d say it’s been pretty successful in that aim as it’s already been talked about by politicians who have called for it to be aired in parliament and schools. Our reviewer Megan Smith-Dobric, an expert in the treatment of young offenders, found it to be a deeply affecting drama that challenged the stereotypes of young offenders and exposed the broken youth justice system.



    Read more:
    I research the dehumanising treatment of young offenders – Netflix’s Adolescence gets it spot on

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Art in Oxford, theatre in Bristol

    Art and culture can influence real-world change. Just look at the impact of Mr Bates vs The Post Office. The artist Barbara Steveni (1928 to 2020) harnessed the power of creativity when she set up the Artists Placement Group in 1966. This initiative sought to place artists in unlikely industries and institutions, like the civil service, with the idea that they could help solve problems and inform decisions from an outsider’s perspective.

    A new exhibition at Modern Art Oxford, Barbara Steveni: I Find Myself, explores the impact of such an approach to art and social activism in Steveni’s work and life. It features collaborative works, pieces where human interaction is key and an archive that spans her 70-year career. Our reviewer Martin Lang, an expert in visual art, found it to be a thought-proving show exploring her pioneering contributions and her lasting impact on the art world.

    Barbara Steveni: I Find Myself is on at Modern Art Oxford till June 8 2025



    Read more:
    Barbara Steveni: I Find Myself – a pioneering artist who influenced the civil service

    If you’re in Bristol or plan on visiting in the next week, why not spend a night at the theatre watching the Bard’s tragi-comedy A Winter’s Tale at The Tobacco Factory? It seems an opportune moment to see this play about the healing power of time, nature and the turn of the seasons, as we start to experience the first few moments of spring.

    Our reviewer Jo Lindsay Walton, a research fellow in arts, climate and technology, loves the original text but was relieved to find that theatre director and writer Robin Belfield had made some judicious cuts to some of the slower pastoral scenes. All in all, Walton found it to be a “secure, energetic, and richly nuanced” production.

    A Winter’s Tale is on at The Tobacco Factory in Bristol until March 29 2025



    Read more:
    The Winter’s Tale at The Tobacco Factory, Bristol – a marvellous production with much to say about the modern world

    Samurai and demons

    If you want to travel further afield, without leaving your home, can we suggest Assasin’s Creed Shadows?

    This new instalment takes on the Japanese civil war (1477 to 1600), where samurai and ninjas (known as shinobi) were fighting each other, the warlord Oda Nobunaga (aka “Demon King of the Sixth Heaven”) dominated and Japan as a whole was changing quickly. This provides for some truly sensational historical fiction and some wonderful wandering opportunities in the beautifully rendered world.

    However, not everyone has been happy. The creators’ choice to make a protagonist of Yasuke, a slave turned samurai under Nobunaga, has garnered criticism from those who see his presence as a black man in the period as historically inaccurate. Fynn Holm, an expert in Japanese studies, writes that Sasuke existed and such criticisms ignore evidence of foreign influence in 16th-century Japan.



    Read more:
    Assassin’s Creed Shadows introduces a black samurai – that’s not as unprecedented as critics claim

    If you and the family want to do something together, the record-breaking animated film Ne Zha 2 is finally hitting UK and Irish cinemas today. The film is about a legendary child warrior from Chinese mythology. Ne Zha was born a demon and is doomed to only to live three years. In this film, Ne Zha and squire Ao Bing must rebuild their souls after the epic events of the first film. However, before they can recover, a demon attacks their town.

    This tale of a feisty demon child has taken the box office by storm, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Ming Gao grew up with the tales of Ne Zha. He writes about the Chinese-language film as a showcase of the country’s ambitions to expand its soft power while growing economic and strategic influence.

    Ne Zha 2 is in cinemas now



    Read more:
    Ne Zha 2: the record-breaking Chinese animated film showcases China’s ambition on the global stage

    – ref. A series that’s got parliament talking and an artist who influenced the civil service – what you should watch, see and play this week – https://theconversation.com/a-series-thats-got-parliament-talking-and-an-artist-who-influenced-the-civil-service-what-you-should-watch-see-and-play-this-week-252763

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Heathrow closure: what caused the fire and why did it bring down the whole airport? Expert panel

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kirk Chang, Professor of Management and Technology, University of East London

    Heathrow Airport, the busiest airport in Europe, was shut down following a fire at a single electricity sub-station on the night of March 20. The fire at the North Hyde substation in Hayes, about 1.5 miles from Heathrow, seriously disrupted the local area’s power supply, including that of the airport.

    The closure has caused chaos, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. More than 1,300 flights have been affected, according to the plane tracking website Flightradar24. About 120 of these were already in the air.

    Below, a panel of experts offer their insights – and consider the implications of such a major incident. (Elements of this panel were sourced by the Science Media Centre, which published a version here.)

    Power in west London is highly constrained

    Barry Hayes, associate professor in electrical power systems, University College Cork

    It appears that a transformer fire in the North Hyde 275kV substation caused the power outage (videos from the scene clearly show one of the large power transformers ablaze). This is a large electrical substation which supplies the area to the northeast of Heathrow airport as well as the Heathrow airport site. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, the local electricity distributor, said 67,000 homes and businesses in the area were cut off overnight as a result of this issue.

    While the North Hyde substation is a very important part of the west London electricity grid, it is generally not expected that this would cause such a big impact at Heathrow airport. There are also dedicated supplies to other parts of the airport site.

    Typically, a critical electricity load such as Heathrow would be served from multiple supply points in the electricity grid, and therefore there would be an option to feed the loads at Heathrow from an alternative supply point. There are some reports that parts of the airport (for example, Terminal 5) have power.

    The exact reasons for such a big impact are unclear at this point, but we do know the North Hyde substation is in a highly constrained area of the UK electricity grid – an area where there has been “a steep increase in the number of new electricity connection requests across west London, driven by new housing developments, commercial investment and datacentres”.

    The UK power grid (as in many developed countries) is generally old or outdated, with many of its components at the end of their anticipated service lifetime and in urgent need of modernisation. These issues may be a factor in the power outage affecting Heathrow. However, it will take some time before the exact causes of this incident are established.

    Weather, ageing equipment or malicious attacks could be to blame

    Chenghong Gu, professor in smart energy systems, University of Bath

    This is a very rare event. Substations are built and operated according to very strict standards, and they are monitored 24/7. There are also many automatic devices in substations like this one to deal with faults.

    A substation has many components including transformers, circuit breakers, an isolator, busbars and measuring equipment. Transformers are the most vulnerable to fire. There is insulation oil in them and in high-temperature, high-pressure situations, they can explode – meaning the insulation oil leaks and can catch fire.

    However, it is very unusual for big substations like this to catch fire. One cause can be extreme weather such as lightning strikes, which could cause extreme high voltage on the equipment. Extreme hot weather together with high demand can also cause transformers to become overheated, thus leading to faults.

    Another factor is the ageing of transformers. The insulation gas can degrade, which could cause an explosion inside a transformer. Or there could be a malfunction of other auxiliary devices such as the insulator, switch gears or circuit breakers inside the substation.

    Other possible causes include a malicious attack on the substation – someone setting fire to it deliberately, for example. Cyber-attacks on IT systems can also cause a malfunction of devices in the substation, leading to fire.

    Serious questions about Heathrow’s back-ups

    Kirk Chang, professor of management and technology, University of East London

    The airport lost power because of the fire – we understand that. But the back-up system didn’t work. It’s difficult to understand how that could happen.

    There are two things we need to look at. Number one is the technical part. Why did the back-up machines not work? Maybe the machines did not have sufficient fuel, or for some reason the system was not linked to the grid. The backup should kick in immediately.

    The second point is more the human side. Who is responsible for the power management, and what intervention strategies were attempted? I would assume they would need a second back-up system if the first fails. It’s very unusual to see both Plan A (the back-up) and Plan B (the back-up to the back-up) not working.

    Usually, a main back-up (Plan A) will supply about 90% of the power the facility usually receives. Whereas Plan B will usually only supply a fraction of the power – maybe 50% or 30%. The reason is that Plan B is usually expensive to maintain all the time. It may be outsourced to a third party – either the power company or a software company which manages their power distribution network.

    Critical infrastructure arguably needs more security

    Paul Cuffe, assistant professor, School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University College Dublin

    An airport like Heathrow requires a lot of electricity to operate, equivalent to a large town. As such, it would be typical for it to be given a dedicated connection from the substation at Hayes.

    There is likely a dedicated power line and transformer there that connects the airport to the wider grid. When a major fire severs that link, it will no longer be possible to bring bulk electricity to the airport.

    I would anticipate that a major airport like Heathrow would have some on-site emergency capability to ride through a grid disturbance. I would hope the traffic control tower and runway lights weren’t totally plunged into darkness!

    However, processing planeloads of passengers requires Heathrow in its totality to consume a town’s worth of electricity, and the inability to meet this requirement is probably why the flights had to be cancelled.

    The failure is not overtly abnormal. We can anticipate that, from time to time, substation equipment will fail and downstream power outages will result. But one could argue that a critical piece of national infrastructure like Heathrow deserves special grid connection arrangements to secure its supply of electricity further. For instance, sometimes critical loads like this are fed from two separate substations to provide redundancy when outages happen.

    It is ultimately a political and economic question to determine the right level of capital investment into grid infrastructure to avoid the problems that outages like this cause. Redundant power supplies for an airport the size of Heathrow do not come free.

    Climate change means the grid will face more threats like this

    Hayley J. Fowler, professor of climate change impacts;
    Colin Manning, postdoctoral research associate in climate science; and
    Sean Wilkinson, professor of structural engineering, Newcastle University

    The closure of one of the world’s largest airports due to a failure of just one electricity substation underlines how important it is that critical national energy infrastructure – pylons, substations and so on – keeps functioning. This is only becoming more important as demand for electricity increases, thanks to transport and domestic heating switching to lower-carbon electrified alternatives – notably electric cars and heat pumps.

    Yet the UK’s energy system is facing growing threats from unprecedented risks. We still don’t know what caused the Heathrow fire, but it appears to be unusual in this regard, as threats to energy systems come mainly from extreme weather. In the UK, that tends to mean windstorms, flooding, heatwaves and associated wildfires, and cold spells.

    2024 was the warmest calendar year on record, and the “fingerprints” of climate change are increasingly evident in more intense and frequent extreme weather events. It is crucial to ensure the energy network can handle this weather.

    Gas and electricity operators in the UK have established protocols for managing networks in adverse weather, investing large amounts to protect critical assets. But recent events have exposed vulnerabilities. The storms Arwen and Éowyn left thousands without power for days, underscoring the previous UK government’s admission that the country is underprepared for extreme weather events.



    Read more:
    Heathrow fire shows just how vulnerable UK energy infrastructure is – we’ve simulated the major climate-related risks

    Barry Hayes has an active research collaboration with ESB Networks, and is an academic member of ESB Networks’ Innovation Stakeholder Panel.

    Colin Manning receives funding from UKRI.

    Hayley J. Fowler receives funding from UKRI, NERC, EPSRC, and the EU Horizon 2020 Programme. She is a member of the UK Climate Change Committee and was a member of the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero Science Expert Group (E-SEG) from 2021 to 2025. This article represents her own work and views, not the position of either of these organisations.

    Paul Cuffe has no direct links with the electricity industry in the UK. As an Irish academic, he has had occasional collaborations with Eirgrid, the transmission system operator, and ESB Networks, the distribution network operator. He has received funding as part the ESIPP and NexSys projects; these were co-funded by stakeholders in the Irish energy sector.

    Sean Wilkinson receives funding from EPSRC and DESNZ.

    Chenghong Gu and Kirk Chang do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Heathrow closure: what caused the fire and why did it bring down the whole airport? Expert panel – https://theconversation.com/heathrow-closure-what-caused-the-fire-and-why-did-it-bring-down-the-whole-airport-expert-panel-252834

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

    **Guest

    Alright.  Good afternoon, everyone.  As you know, tomorrow [22 March] is World Water Day.  I will be joined here shortly by Bhanu Neupane, the Process Coordinator for the UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] World Water Development Report, who will talk to you about the report.

    **Secretary-General’s Travel

    The Secretary-General is about to leave Brussels. Earlier today, he was in Leuven, where he accepted an honorary doctorate given to the United Nations by the universities KU Leuven and UC Louvain.  In his remarks, Mr. [António] Guterres said that by bestowing this honour, the universities are sending a message of support for the mission of the United Nations — a message of solidarity to all those working to make it real — and a message of inspiration for us to keep up the fight.

    He said the universities’ 600th anniversary coincides with a moment of reflection for the United Nations, which marks its own eightieth anniversary as an organization at the epicentre of multilateralism.  Standing here in Europe, the Secretary-General added, we know this same commitment to multilateralism is the beating heart of the European Union – a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to the world’s most vulnerable people, and proof that isolationism is an illusion, never a solution.

    Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Secretary-General renewed his appeal for the ceasefire to be restored, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be reestablished and for the remaining hostages to be released immediately and unconditionally.  His full remarks have been shared with you.

    This afternoon, the Secretary-General also had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Belgium, Bart De Wever.  I believe the readout of this meeting had just been made available. The Secretary-General will be back in the office on Monday morning.

    **Security Council

    Sigrid Kaag, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim, briefed the Security Council this morning on Israel and Palestine, and she said that hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. She strongly condemned the reported ill-treatment of hostages, as well as the fact that there are reasonable grounds to believe that hostages may be subjected to sexual violence and abuse.

    Ms. Kaag unequivocally condemned the widespread killing and injury of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, she said.  She mourned the UN staff killed in Gaza and strongly condemned the killing of all humanitarian personnel and called for the full investigation of all such incidents.

    The Special Coordinator reiterated her call for a sustained ceasefire and urged the parties to redouble efforts to end human suffering. She rejected the forced displacement of the Palestinian population from any part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which would constitute a grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.  Ms. Kaag added that the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank is deeply troubling.  Alongside the rising death toll, Palestine refugee camps in the northern West Bank are being emptied and are sustaining massive infrastructure damage during Israeli operations.

    **Occupied Palestinian Territory

    Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that as hostilities continue across the Strip, the Israeli closure of all crossings for incoming cargo has entered its twentieth day — the longest shutdown since 7 October 2023.  As a reminder, the crossings were also completely closed for two weeks starting on that date.  This latest closure is having a devastating impact on people already facing catastrophic conditions.  Each passing day further erodes the progress made by the UN and our humanitarian partners during the first six weeks of the ceasefire.

    Beyond the depletion of stocks, OCHA warns that humanitarian operations are now being severely hampered by hostilities.  Civilians, including aid workers, and civilian assets have come under attack.  The UN is seeking concrete assurances for the safety of our staff and operations in Gaza, following the killing of six UN personnel and injury of several others this week, including in the attack on a clearly designated UN compound.  As Tom Fletcher, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said Wednesday, we demand answers on their behalf and for those who continue the work.

    As attacks continue across multiple areas of the Gaza Strip, OCHA warns that the steady flow of trauma injuries is putting even more pressure on an already shattered healthcare system.  Our humanitarian partners estimate that more than 120,000 Palestinians have been displaced once again this week, driven by intensified attacks and new Israeli evacuation orders across the Gaza Strip.  That’s about 6 per cent of the surviving population.  A new evacuation order covering areas in northern Gaza was also issued today, following reports of rocket fire by Palestinian armed groups.

    And turning to the West Bank, OCHA has just released the findings of a rapid survey of movement obstacles across the occupied territory. It recorded nearly 850 checkpoints, gates and other physical obstacles — the highest number documented in any of the 16 surveys OCHA has conducted over the past two decades. In just the past three months, three dozen new movement obstacles have been established — most of them following the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire in mid-January.  Road gates account for a third of all obstacles — and most of them are frequently kept closed.

    Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), noted that today marks 60 days since Israeli began its military operations in Jenin Camp in the West Bank.  He said that such large-scale, militarized operations cannot become the new norm in the West Bank.  This trend of escalating violence — which started even before 7 October 2023 — must be reversed.  OCHA adds that it has received just over 4 per cent of the roughly $4 billion required to meet vast needs across the Occupied Palestinian Territory — in the West Bank and Gaza — this year.

    **Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that clashes continue in parts of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri.  In North Kivu Province, fighting continued yesterday in several areas of Walikale Territory, damaging a humanitarian partner’s logistics base and other civilian infrastructure.  We and humanitarian organizations in the area have relocated staff to Kisangani, in the neighbouring Province of Tshopo.

    In South Kivu, people from Burembo and Fizi-Centre have fled fighting among armed groups in several waves since 5 March.  And in Ituri, clashes in the town of Fataki yesterday continued to displace people.  Since 18 March, many humanitarian partners have suspended their activities there due to the ongoing insecurity.  OCHA reiterates that all parties to the conflict must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in military operations.

    **Sudan

    Turning to Sudan:  Today, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has condemned in the strongest terms the looting of vital humanitarian supplies from Al Bashair Hospital in Jabal Awlia in Khartoum.  These supplies are intended to support malnourished children and provide critical healthcare to mothers and newborns.

    The Al Bashir Hospital is one of the last functioning medical facilities in Jabal Awlia.  UNICEF had managed to deliver these critical supplies on 20 December 2024, marking the first successful humanitarian shipment to Jabal Awlia in over 18 months.  The looting of these supplies will compound an already dire humanitarian catastrophe for children and families in the area.  We reiterate our urgent call for an unimpeded humanitarian access to reach children and families in need and we call for the protection of hospitals and other civilian infrastructure in line with international humanitarian law.

    **South Sudan

    Our peacekeeping colleagues in South Sudan have an update on the intensive diplomacy that is under way in the country.  The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom, is working with international and regional partners, including Heads of States, the African Union and others, to try and de-escalate tensions and stop the aerial bombardment of civilian areas in Upper Nile State, which could spill over into wider conflict.

    Mr. Haysom is also engaging with influential national partners to promote a peaceful resolution.  He is urging the parties to adhere to the ceasefire and peace agreement, and to resolve tensions through dialogue rather than military confrontation. Mr. Haysom stresses that the already troubled region cannot afford another war.  And in fact, on Monday, our guest will be Nicholas Haysom.  He will join us virtually to brief on the situation in South Sudan.

    **Ukraine

    Today in Ukraine, authorities and our humanitarian partners confirmed that hostilities across multiple regions killed a dozen civilians and injured many others, with widespread damage to homes.  In Odesa, a large-scale drone attack injured children and damaged shops, warehouses and vehicles.  Most casualties were reported in the Donetsk region, while in the Kharkiv region, local authorities report intensified hostilities and disrupted electricity in Kupiansk town and neighbouring villages.

    Yesterday, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned an attack in the central Ukrainian city of Kropyvnytskyi, in which children were among many civilians injured.  Apartment buildings were also damaged.  Mr. Schmale stressed that international humanitarian law is clear:  Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected.

    Amid relentless hostilities, evacuations from high-risk areas continue, with scores of people leaving front-line areas each day.  Humanitarians are supporting the most vulnerable — especially families with children and people with limited mobility — through medical evacuations, psychosocial support and basic items.  Most evacuees have remained within their home regions, while some have been relocated to central and western Ukraine.

    OCHA reports that in the first two months of the year, seven humanitarian staff were injured in six separate incidents near the front line. Attacks also damaged humanitarian assets and facilities in the Kharkiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolai, and Sloviansk regions, further hampering the response.

    **Haiti

    Turning to Haiti, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the recent United States funding freeze is having a devastating impact on the overall HIV response, including treatment and prevention.  The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) says that, as a result of the freeze, most pre-exposure prophylaxis services, also known as PrEP — which are key to reducing HIV infections — had to be suspended, affecting 80 per cent of interventions.

    The National HIV Programme estimates that at least 35,000 people living with HIV and receiving antiretroviral treatment are being affected by the freeze on USAID-funded health services.  The Programme also foresees an increase between 30 and 50 per cent in new HIV infections in the absence of prevention activities.  HIV/AIDS affects an estimated 140,000 people in Haiti.

    The health sector, as part of the broader humanitarian response, needs $43.5 million to address the urgent needs for healthcare services and support to vulnerable people in Haiti.  The Government, World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS are exploring alternatives to ensure that health services can continue.

    **International Days

    Today we have multiple International Days.  It’s the Day of Days, as we call it.  Starting off with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.  In a message, the Secretary-General says that the poison of racism continues to infect our world.  He urges everybody, including business leadership, civil society and ordinary people to take a stand against racism in all its forms.

    Today is also the International Day of Nowruz.  In his message, Mr. Guterres says that Nowruz celebrates new beginnings and the arrival of spring.

    Today is World Down Syndrome Day.  People with Down syndrome need support to live and be included in the community, like everyone else.

    Today is also World Poetry Day.  On this Day, we celebrate one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression and identity.

    And moving on to environment-related days.  Today is the World Day for Glaciers, and coincidentally, this year was declared the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation.

    And if that’s not enough, today is also the International Day of Forests, and the theme this year is “Forests and Food”.

    And tomorrow is World Water Day and the theme this year is glacier preservation.  Our guests will be here to talk more about this, but I just want to mention that in his message, the Secretary-General said that glaciers may be shrinking, but we cannot shrink from our responsibilities.

    And Sunday is World Meteorological Day and the theme is “Closing the early warning gap together”.  So, those are all the days; anything before we go to our guest?  Yes, Edie.

    **Questions and Answers

    Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  Does the Secretary-General have any comment on the Israeli Defence Minister’s announcement ordering an increase in an intensified military operation in Gaza?

    Deputy Spokesman:  This is completely contrary to what the Secretary-General has been calling for days.  And even today, in Belgium, and in the previous days, he’s said repeatedly that what we need is to get back to a ceasefire.  In what I just read at the first part of this briefing, it’s clear that all of our efforts to help the people of Gaza are at a standstill as long as this goes on.  There are millions of people who need for this to end now.

    Question:  On Sudan, with the Government forces claiming they’re back in the Presidential Palace in Khartoum and other areas, is Mr. [Ramtane] Lamamra going to make any kind of a fresh effort to bring both sides together for peace talks?

    Deputy Spokesman:  Yeah.  On that, regarding Mr. Lamamra’s efforts, he continues to engage the parties with the aim of bringing them closer to a peaceful resolution.  He’s intensifying consultations with the parties and other key stakeholders on modalities to strengthen the protection of civilians and to deescalate the conflict.  A sustainable resolution to this devastating conflict can only be achieved through an inclusive political process.  And from the Secretary-General’s side, I can say that he, the Secretary-General, renews his appeal for the parties to immediately cease the fighting and take steps towards the lasting peace that the people in Sudan demand.  Benno?

    Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  There has been quite a number of stories of people that were either denied entrance to the United States recently or have been arrested and deported or tried to being deported.  I want to focus on these last cases.  In many cases, they were not based on actual crimes, but the authorities said the people were parts of protests that they deemed as antisemitic or dangerous for the United States’ security.  Do you have any comment on this ongoing situation in the United States?

    Deputy Spokesman:  I think it’s important that all of the basic rules in terms of dealing with entrants into the United States, including migrants, including refugees and others, follow the accepted norms of international law.  And part of what you’re saying is that there are many cases where people were moved without sufficient due process, and it’s important that everyone’s due process rights be respected.

    Question:  Do you see that there is an implication for free speech in the United States, especially when we see the Columbia [University] protest and other university protests last year?  Does the UN have an opinion or a standpoint if pro-Palestinian protests are also antisemitic protests at the same time?  This is how the US Government obviously portrays it right now.

    Deputy Spokesman:  Well, certainly for us, it’s important that freedom of speech and freedom of peaceful assembly be protected.  So, obviously, if there are expressions of racial hatred, of actual antisemitism, those are things that authorities need to respond to. But, that shouldn’t impede the rights of people to conduct peaceful protest.  Yes, Denis?

    Question:  So, there are reports that head of UNCTAD [United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), Rebeca Grynspan, will head to Moscow.  So, when will she go to Moscow, and what is her programme in here?

    Deputy Spokesman:  Yes, I can confirm that Rebeca Grynspan and her team will have their next consultation in Moscow on 24 March. That’s part of regular consultations to discuss the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the UN and the Russian Federation on food security.

    Question:  So, will she discuss alleviating sanctions from Russian fertilizers — so, easing the access of Russian fertilizers to world markets?

    Deputy Spokesman:  I think I’ll wait for the discussions to take place before we provide more details.  But, like I said, it’ll concern the various aspects of the memorandum of understanding.  Yes, please?

    Question:  Thank you.  Do you have any updates on the condition of the UN staff who were wounded in Gaza and their whereabouts?  Thank you.

    Deputy Spokesman:  They’re receiving hospital assistance.  As you know, there were five people who were injured. One of them was lightly injured; two of them, I believe, have ever remained in intensive care, and their condition is being monitored.  And we hope that they will all recover.

    Question:  Could you help with the nationality of the two who remain in intensive care, please?

    Deputy Spokesman:  I believe we’ll provide those details further down.  The hiring organization, the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), I believe is in touch with the respective Governments and family members at this stage.  Benny, I think you have a question online, and then we’ll go to Ephrem.  Are you there?  Are you there?

    Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  The ban on UNRWA, it’s been a few weeks now since it entered into effect.  How would you say it is being felt on the ground so far?

    Deputy Spokesman:  It’s affected the ability of UNRWA staff to move in and out in terms of getting visas for UNRWA personnel.  But, to the extent that UNRWA is capable of going about its work, including in Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA continues to go about its work.  And Benny, are you online?

    Question:  I have a question, Farhan.  Can you hear me?

    Deputy Spokesman:  I can hear you.

    Question:  Should I go ahead?  Farhan, I want to ask you about the Turkish Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza, which was built by Türkiye, and it was actually operated by local authorities as a cancer treatment centre.  You may have seen images online.  It was completely blown up by Israel.  And Israel argued that it was used being used by Hamas.  But, in fact, you may recall that after 7 October [2023], there are also many images that showed Israel deploying many military vehicles around the hospital.  So, I would just like to ask you, why is there no mention of this in your briefing today?  I mean, have we become so accustomed to Israel blowing up hospitals that we don’t need to bring it up?  And does the Secretary-General have a reaction to this hospital being blown up?  Thank you.

    Deputy Spokesman:  Yes.  On that, we certainly are against any of the attacks on medical infrastructure.  All attacks against medical infrastructure by any of the parties is a violation of international humanitarian law, and we stand opposed to this.  And we have reported, as you know, regularly on the fact that all of the hospitals in Gaza have sustained at least some damage over the course of this conflict, and that is an intolerable situation for the suffering population.  And with that, let me go to our guest.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The governments of Canada and British Columbia finalize an agreement for the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Richmond, British Columbia, March 21, 2025 — The governments of Canada and British Columbia have finalized an agreement under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF).

    The agreement provides $250 million in federal funding over five years for phase one of the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant project to enable more homes and improve densification. The funding is an equal cost match of the Province’s contribution toward the project in 2023 and helps secure the funding required for phase one of the project. The funding will support the Metro Vancouver Regional District to improve the facility for the health and safety of the residents in Metro Vancouver and the surrounding coastal waters.

    In reaching this agreement, the governments of Canada and British Columbia negotiated terms that better support communities across the province. These terms are designed to pave the way for the construction of more homes for people, as well as support infrastructure investments to address the growing population of the province.

    The terms include actions to reduce upfront costs for homebuilders that assist in paying for essential infrastructure. The Province is intending to change the installment payment timing of development cost charges (DCCs) that will give homebuilders more time to pay. It will in turn make life more affordable and help build more homes, faster.

    Thanks to this ambitious partnership, the Province is also working on extending the existing in-stream protection for housing projects that are subject to Metro Vancouver’s DCCs. These measures provide homebuilders with greater certainty and reduce financial pressures by lowering project costs, which keeps homes more affordable for people.

    The Province is also considering providing an avenue for local governments to waive DCCs for non-market homes within market housing projects, which could encourage the development of more affordable housing. This change would apply province-wide, helping local governments secure additional affordable housing options in their communities, making housing more accessible for people. The Province will share more details when this work is finalized.

    These measures are part of B.C.’s work to support growth in a balanced way to help more homes get built and address key infrastructure needs during uncertain financial times.

    The remainder of the $590-million allocation to B.C. will be redirected to the direct delivery stream under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada Strengthens Wildfire Response Through Training

    Source: Government of Canada News

    On March 21, 2025, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson announced a $16.3-million investment in 25 projects through the Government of Canada’s Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program (FMWCC) – Training Fund to increase fire management capacity across the country.  

    Project Name: Peerless Trout First Nation Firefighter Training
    Recipient: Peerless Trout First Nation
    Location: Peerless Lake, Alberta
    Funding from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan): $93,000
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 12 community members in Type II Wildland Firefighter Training, as they requested support to train additional crew members to ensure in-house capability to combat fires within their community.

    Project Name: Prince Albert Grant Council – Fire Guardians Pilot Project
    Recipient: Prince Albert Development Corporation Management Co. Ltd.
    Location: Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
    Funding from NRCan: $946,330
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 20 youth in wildfire prevention and mitigation by providing opportunities for skills development and job coaching in the wildland fire industry. This will aim to address the need identified by the communities to improve local and regional capacity in northern fire prone regions.   

    Project Name: Firefighter Training in the Whitefeather Forest
    Recipient: Whitefeather Community Resource Managment Authority
    Location: Red Lake/Pikangikum, Ontario
    Funding from NRCan: $1,579,655
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 144 community members in Type II Wildland Firefighter Training in Pikangikum, which aims to address the identified need to develop a firefighting workforce that can be quickly mobilized to increase community preparedness and to support Indigenous-led approaches.

    Project Name: Firetack Training
    Recipient: Sturgeon Lake Resources Ltd.
    Location: Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, Alberta
    Funding from NRCan: $214,272
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 48 community members in Type II Wildland Firefighter Training that is needed to address the low firefighter numbers available within the local community.

    Project Name: Wildland Firefighters TrainingRecipient: Sq’éwqel (Seabird Island)
    Location: Agassiz, British Columbia
    Funding from NRCan: $161,912
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 20 youth participants in Indigenous communities in wildfire prevention and mitigation by providing opportunities for skills development in the wildland fire industry, addressing a gap identified by the community to offer opportunity for youth to learn about wildfires, receive training and learn about career paths in this area. 

    Project Name: Fire for the Future
    Recipient: Muskeg Lake Cree Nation
    Location: Marcelin, Saskatchewan
    Funding from NRCan: $204,093

    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 30 community members in wildland fire training to address the need of the community to alleviate and mitigate the dangers of a wildfire by building capacity of First Nations in the region.

    Project Name: Community-led Wildfire Risk Assessments and Mitigation Strategies
    Recipient: Yukon First Nation Wildfire (YFNW)
    Location: Whitehorse, Yukon
    Funding from NRCan: $1,508,000
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 126 community members across various Yukon First Nations communities, situated in remote and forested areas, in basic wildfire training including traditional land management practices and emergency training to identify wildfire-risks and to host workshops to collaboratively develop mitigation strategies. This aims to address YFNW’s need to empower Indigenous communities to respond to wildfires.

    Project Name: IFNA Wildland Interface Firefighter Project
    Recipient: Independent First Nations Alliance (IFNA)
    Location: Sioux Lookout, Ontario
    Funding from NRCan: $1,999,999
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 50 participants in Type I Wildland Firefighter Training, while also leveraging partnerships, technology and youth engagement, and will aim to address the identified need for additional trained staff and crews in IFNA’s remote communities to increase the capacity to manage wildfires locally.

    Project Name: Enhancing Wildfire Resilience in KO Communities
    Recipient: Keewaytinook Okimakanak (KO)
    Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario
    Funding from NRCan: $329,109
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 25 youth in wildfire prevention and mitigation by providing opportunities for skills development and job coaching in the wildland fire industry, addressing the community’s need to build local fire management practices and enhance community resiliency to wildfires.

    Project Name: Lil’wat Forestry Wildland Firefighting Training
    Recipient: Lil’wat Forestry Ventures LP
    Location: Mount Currie, British Columbia
    Funding from NRCan: $1,232,460
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 72 community members in Type II Wildland Firefighter Training, which aims to address Lil’wat Nations’ identified need to enhance resiliency to wildfire through the development of a community-based workforce with the skills to both prevent and respond to wildfires in the local area.

    Project Name: Firetack Training Retreat – Treaty 7
    Recipient: Piikani Employment Services
    Location: Brocket, Alberta
    Funding from NRCan: $466,110
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 32 Treaty 7 First Nations and Métis community members in Type I Wildland Firefighter Training, addressing Piikani Employment Services’ identified need to have more trained and experienced wildland firefighters to respond to wildfires, both within Treaty 7 communities and Alberta.

    Project Name: Youth Wildfire Training
    Recipient: National Indigenous Fire Safety Council
    Location: Tyendinaga, Ontario
    Funding from NRCan: $909,100
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 420 youth across Canada in wildfire prevention and mitigation, addressing the pressing needs of Indigenous communities facing with the escalating threat of wildfires and bridging the gaps in the shortage of trained Indigenous peoples in wildfire management roles.

    Project Name: Mamow Wuskaweewin – Moving Together
    Recipient: Metis Settlements General Council
    Location: Edmonton, Alberta
    Funding from NRCan: $499,330
    Project Summary: This project supports training 320 participants in wildland firefighting, wildfire resiliency and reconciliation to address the need to involve and engage Metis Settlements people in wildfire management dialogues.

    Project Name: Fire Crew Training
    Recipient: Geraldton Community Forest Inc. in partnership with Matawa First Nations Management
    Location: Geraldton, Ontario
    Funding from NRCan: $933,312
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 36 community members to a Type II standard across the nine Matawa Tribal Council communities, which aims to address the need for enhanced trained crews within Indigenous communities that have a real need for increased forest fire safety.

    Project Name: OKIB Wildland Fire Training
    Recipient: Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB)
    Location: Vernon, British Columbia
    Funding from NRCan: $868,201
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 30 firefighters to a Type II and III standard, responding to OKIB’s need for improved wildfire response and addressing the shortage of certified Type II and III wildland firefighters within the community.

    Project Name: Responding to the Interface-Wildfire Training
    Recipient: International Association of Fire Fighters
    Location: Ottawa, Ontario
    Funding from NRCan: $1,077,661
    Project Summary: This project is in addition to a 2024 budget announcement and supports the training of wildland firefighter training to up to 925 structural and community-based fire personnel to address the need to better prepare and equip structural firefighters to fight wildfires, with a focus on the wildland urban interface.

    Project Name: MLTC Community Wild Fire Preparedness
    Recipient: Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC)
    Location: Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan
    Funding from NRCan: $278,000

    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 170 participants to a Type II and III standard to address the communities’ identified need for additional support for wildfire training to increase their capacity to prepare for and respond to wildfire events.

    Project Name: Firetrack Community Training Initiative
    Recipient: Neyaskweyahk Wildland Firefighting
    Location: Maskwacis, Alberta
    Funding from NRCan: $93,078
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 16 community members in Type II Wildland Firefighter Training in Ermineskin Cree Nation, which aims to address the community’s need to have fully trained and skilled community members to join the workforce to respond to wildfires within the nation and support the efforts of the provincial government.

    Project Name: Building Wildfire Response Capacity Through Engagement With Local Wildfire Response Agencies
    Recipient: Thompson Rivers University

    Location: Kamloops, British Columbia
    Funding from NRCan: $1,692,156
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of up to 260 firefighters. In partnership with BC Wildfire Service, Thompson Rivers University aims to address the need to enhance wildfire response capacity, particularly in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

    Project Name: St’at’imc Climate Emergency Response and Preparation
    Recipient: Lillooet Tribal Council
    Location: Lillooet, British Columbia
    Funding from NRCan: $612,916
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of five firefighters to a Type II standard and 90 firefighters to a Type III standard in five St’at’imc communities of Bridge River, Cayoose Creek, Ts’kw’aylaxw First Nation, Tsal’alh and Xaxli’p that are continually and increasingly impacted by climate emergencies with annual risks of wildfires continuing to increase in severity.

    Project Name: Onion Lake Cree Nation Wildland Fire
    Recipient: Onion Lake Cree Nation
    Location: Onion Lake, Saskatchewan
    Funding from NRCan: $31,050
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 16 firefighters to a Type II standard to address the identified need of Onion Lake Cree Nation for a well-trained local response team aiming to enhance community capacity and ensure an effective response to future wildfire events.

    Project Name: St’at’imc Youth Wildfire Pathways Project
    Recipient: Sqwem Sqwem Consulting Services
    Location: Lillooet, British Columbia
    Funding from NRCan: $88,211

    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 20 youth in wildfire prevention and mitigation by providing youth with opportunities for skills development and job coaching in the wildland fire industry, which aims to address the identified need of St’at’imc nations to increase local capacity and resources available.

    Project Name: Wildfire Training
    Recipient: Lower Similkameen Indian Band
    Location: Keremeos, British Columbia
    Funding from NRCan: $188,083
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 30 participants in pre-burn and post-burn assessments, traditional ecological knowledge and community engagement in order to address the identified need of Lower Similkameen Indian Band to increase wildfire management capacity to better respond to wildfire events within their community.

    Project Name: SP100 Training for Bimose Member Communities
    Recipient: Bimose Tribal Council
    Location: Kenora, Ontario
    Funding from NRCan: $157,033
    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 48 firefighters in SP-100 Wildland Fire Fighter Certification in the 10 member First Nations: Eagle Lake First Nation, Iskatewizaagegan #39 Independent First Nation, Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation, Shoal Lake #40 First nation, Washagamsis Bay First Nation, Wabuskang First Nation, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, Wabaseemoong Independent Nations and Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek. The project aims to address the pressing need for enhanced wildfire response capabilities within Bimose First Nation communities.

    Project Name: Riding Mountain Indigenous Fire Guardians
    Recipient: Keeseekoowenin First Nation
    Location: Elphinstone, Manitoba
    Funding from NRCan: $135,000

    Project Summary: This project supports the training of 30 Indigenous community members working towards becoming Indigenous Guardians, in collaboration with Parks Canada. This training will aim to provide participants with a variety of skills and competencies with the aim to increase the Nation’s capacity to actively and more efficiently manage wildfire on the traditional territory. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney needs to clearly state his position on the federal emissions cap: Premier Smith

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New Calwell townhouses ready for tenants

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The townhouses are ready to welcome tenants and families most in need of housing support.

    Construction is now complete on 30 new public housing homes in Calwell.

    The townhouses are ready to welcome tenants and families most in need of housing support.

    The 30 two- and three-bedroom townhouses are built to Class C Adaptable standards. This means they can be easily adapted to meet changing accessibility needs and support tenants to remain at home as they grow older.

    The new homes are located close to schools, shops, services and transport.

    They add to the category of public housing in highest demand – with approximately 80 per cent of all housing applicants able to be housed in a two-bedroom dwelling.

    Construction took less than nine months for this project, which began in November 2022.

    The project is a positive example of government and industry collaborating to deliver for the community.

    More than 500 homes have been delivered under the ACT Government’s commitment and another 700 homes are currently underway in design or construction.

    This is another step towards providing more people in need with safe, secure public housing.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –