CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, who served as a federal prosecutor in Chicago for nearly eight years before entering private law practice, took the Oath of Office today as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall administered the Oath of Office after Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Mr. Boutros as the United States Attorney. Mr. Boutros signed the Oath of Office this morning.
“I am humbled and honored to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “I am grateful to President Donald J. Trump, Attorney General Bondi, as well as the many others involved in my selection for their trust and confidence in me. As U.S. Attorney, I am committed to working alongside old and new colleagues to tackle the important problems that face our District. In addition, I look forward to working with our law enforcement partners to continue the Office’s longstanding tradition of pursuing justice on behalf of the citizens of the Northern District of Illinois.”
Mr. Boutros has selected Morris Pasqual, who for the past two years served as Acting United States Attorney, to be the Office’s First Assistant United States Attorney, a leadership role Mr. Pasqual previously held.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2008 to 2015, U.S. Attorney Boutros investigated and prosecuted hundreds of cases, many of which involved matters of national and international significance. U.S. Attorney Boutros’s notable convictions included the world’s largest online drug trafficker on the dark web, one of the country’s “Top Ten Most Wanted” mortgage fraud defendants, and the owner of a Chicago hospital who thwarted collection of more than $188 million in civil judgments. U.S. Attorney Boutros also successfully prosecuted a series of cases involving unprecedented criminal violations of international trade, customs, and anti-dumping laws.
U.S. Attorney Boutros received numerous awards and accolades for his work as a federal prosecutor. The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association selected him as the National Prosecutor of the Year, presenting him with the National Prosecutorial Award. The American Bar Association honored U.S. Attorney Boutros with the Criminal Justice Section’s Norm Maleng Minister of Justice Award for best exemplifying the prosecutor’s duty to seek justice. U.S. Attorney Boutros also received honors from the FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
From 2015 until his appointment as United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney Boutros worked in private law practice in Chicago, holding various leadership roles. For 15 consecutive years, U.S. Attorney Boutros has taught an advanced criminal law course at the University of Chicago Law School. While practicing law full time, Mr. Boutros has also written and spoken extensively on criminal law and criminal law adjacent topics, including publishing two books, authoring nearly 160 articles and book chapters, and presenting at 90 speaking engagements.
U.S. Attorney Boutros earned a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from Virginia Tech, and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
ABINGDON, Va. – Two more of the 17 defendants charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, commit program fraud, and commit mail fraud in connection to a scheme involving filing fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits, were sentenced last week in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.
Last week, Clinton Michael Altizer and Jeramy Blake Farmer were each sentenced to 12 months and 1 day for their roles in the conspiracy.
Previously sentenced as part of the conspiracy were: Christopher Webb, 20 months; Russell Stiltner, 24 months; Jessica Lester, 19 months; Cara Camille Bailey, 19 months; Justin Meadows, 18 months; Terrence Vilacha, 18 months; Joseph Hass, 27 months; Brian Addair, 24 months; and Stephanie Amber Barton and Hayleigh McKenzie Wolfe were each sentenced to 12 months and 1 day.
Jonathan Webb, the individual charged with recruiting others to file fraudulent claims, mostly inmates at local jails, was sentenced to 48 months was ordered to pay $150,218 in restitution.
All defendants were also ordered to pay restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission for the amount of their individual fraudulent claims.
According to court documents, between March 2020 and September 2021, Josef Brown, Jonathan Webb, and Crystal Shaw developed a scheme to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment befits via the Virginia Employment Commission website. The scheme involved the collection of personal identification information (PII) of inmates housed at SWVRJA-Haysi and Abingdon, as well as personal friends and acquaintances of Brown, Webb, and Shaw. The conspirators used that information to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment benefits for incarcerated individuals and others who were ineligible for the benefits.
In all, the defendants stole $341,205 in pandemic relief to which they were not entitled.
As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General were charged with identifying major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. According to the United States Department of Labor, Virginia paid approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the sentences.
Agencies that assisted with this investigation included the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority, the FBI, U.S. Department of Labor, and the Virginia Employment Commission.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – With the Trump Administration arbitrarily laying off tens of thousands of skilled government workers, many with security clearances and expertise in critical fields, foreign government intelligence agencies are ratcheting up efforts to increase spies.
According to intelligence recently distributed by the U.S. Coast Guard Counterintelligence Service: “New intelligence indicates agents from China, Russia, and other countries have set their sights on recently fired probationary workers, or those with security clearances, hoping to obtain valuable information about U.S. critical infrastructure or national security interests.”
U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) says it is just one more example of how the Trump Administration short-sighted, chaotic approach to slashing government is making America less safe.
“Espionage threats against America are rising as Donald Trump continues to weaken U.S. national security and enable America’s adversaries to conduct foreign malign influence operations. The Trump Administration is handing foreign-linked entities a target-rich environment to recruit willing or unwitting participation in their intelligence gathering operations. We know China, Russia, and others are trying to exploit the Trump Administration’s missteps and they’re increasingly targeting those who have been fired or could soon be ousted – especially defense workers,” said Reed, the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and an ex officio member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “Russia, China, and others are using sophisticated methods and deceptive techniques and fronts to try to lure unsuspecting, recently laid off U.S. government employees into divulging sensitive information. And when U.S. government employees see how careless Trump’s Secretary of Defense, national security advisor, and National Director of Intelligence are with sensitive information on group chats, they may do the same. We can’t let that happen. President Trump also allows a lot of unvetted people to influence him and apparently direct him to take specific actions, like firing the head of the NSA. That is very worrisome.”
Last week, President Trump abruptly fired the director of the National Security Agency without explanation and has also targeted the CIA, FBI, and DOJ for mass-layoffs, including the purging of career civil servants who the Trump Administration deems insufficiently loyal to the MAGA political agenda.
According to CNN: “A document produced by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said the intelligence community assessed with “high confidence” that foreign adversaries were trying to recruit federal employees and “capitalize” on the Trump administration’s plans for mass layoffs, according to a partly redacted copy reviewed by CNN.
“It added that foreign intelligence officers were being directed to look for potential sources on LinkedIn, TikTok, RedNote and Reddit.
“At least one foreign intelligence officer directed an asset to create a company profile on Linkedin and post a job advertisement, and to actively pursue federal employees who indicate they are “open to work,” the NCIS document says.”
All intelligence agencies use similar exploits. Countries with high levels of internal division, economic turmoil, and vulnerable populations may be more susceptible.
Senator Reed stressed that the increased risk of Americans becoming foreign intelligence assets is not a matter of loyalty, but a matter of sophisticated intelligence tactics designed to trick American workers, such as the use of fake job ads or realistic front companies.
Reuters noted: “Max Lesser, a senior analyst on emerging threats with the Washington-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said some companies placing recruitment ads were “part of a broader network of fake consulting and headhunting firms targeting former government employees and AI researchers.”
The story continued: “Asked about the research, three intelligence analysts told Reuters the network appeared to be a prime example of how foreign-linked entities are trying to gather intelligence from staff fired or forced into retirement by President Donald Trump and billionaire tech tycoon Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
“Once employed by the network, federal employees could then be asked to share increasingly sensitive information about government operations, or recommend additional people who might be targeted for willing or unwitting participation, the analysts said.””
The Coast Guard’s bulletin noted a telltale sign of foreign agents attempting to recruit former government officials is if something that is too good to be true, it probably is.
“Your contact might overly praise or focus on your skills/experience, especially if your government affiliation is known,” the notice stated, adding that flattery, scarcity, and a sense for urgency might be an indicator as well.
An active-duty U.S. army sergeant was recently charged with selling and transmitting sensitive military and national defense secrets to co-conspirators working on behalf of China.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael David Barker, 47, of Foster, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Barker admitted to a scheme to defraud the Boone County Schools system by more than $3.4 million while employed as the maintenance director.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from about November 2019 through December 2023, Barker ordered custodial and janitorial supplies for Boone County Schools from Jesse Marks and his company, Rush Enterprises. These supplies included hand soap, trash can liners, face masks, face shields, and hand sanitizer.
Barker admitted that he and Marks agreed that Rush Enterprises would overbill the Boone County Board of Education for these supplies. As part of this scheme, Barker approved invoices on behalf of Rush Enterprises that significantly inflated the number of products that were actually delivered to Boone County Schools. Barker submitted these fraudulent invoices to the Boone County Board of Education, which relied on them to mail checks to Rush Enterprises using the United States Mail.
Marks deposited the checks from Boone County Schools into the business bank account for Rush Enterprises, wrote himself checks on that account that he cashed at various banks, and personally delivered some of that cash to Barker in manila envelopes. Barker admitted that he spent the cash delivered by Marks to buy vehicles and equipment and make substantial improvements to his residence in Foster.
Marks deducted the cost of the products actually delivered to Boone County Schools from the proceeds of the overbilling scheme. Boone County Schools paid Rush Enterprises $4,310,714.82 from in or about November 2019 through in or about December 2023. Barker admitted that approximately 80 percent of the total payments received by Rush Enterprises, or $3,448,571.85, was based on fraudulent invoices.
Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Barker also owes $3,400,000 in restitution.
“Mr. Barker took advantage of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds and put his own greed above the interests of the Boone County School system and the children it serves,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “His actions caused serious reputable harm and diminished the trust in the Boone County School system.”
Marks, 65, of Rush, Kentucky, pleaded guilty on February 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2025.
Barker’s parents, Michael P. Barker, 68, and Lana Barker, 66, both of Foster, pleaded guilty on March 3, 2025, to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions. They admitted to making 11 cash deposits to their bank accounts totaling $97,215 starting on or about November 7, 2023, through on or about November 28, 2023. Financial institutions are required to report cash deposits of more than $10,000, and federal law prohibits structuring multiple cash deposits to avoid this reporting requirement. The deposits were in amounts ranging from $8,000 to $9,500 specifically to avoid the currency reporting requirement. The structuring scheme was uncovered by the same investigation that resulted in the indictment of their son. Michael P. Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025, and Lana Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1, 2025.
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Education-Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the West Virginia State Police, and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Department of Education.
“This case is a result of outstanding teamwork and reflects the tireless dedication of this office and its law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who stole from the American people during a national emergency,” Johnston said. “We will continue to pursue all available avenues to recover defrauded public funds and identify and prosecute those responsible.”
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-194.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
arc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced a federal jury in New Haven today found LUIS PEREZ, 46, of Waterbury, guilty of a firearm offense related to an extensive gun trafficking investigation.
According to court documents, statements made in previous court proceedings, and evidence presented during the trial, in May 2023, members of the FBI Waterbury Safe Streets Task Force conducted three controlled purchases of a total of nine firearms, and one controlled purchase of cocaine, from Perez. An expanded investigation revealed that Perez was acquiring numerous firearms, most of which were purchased by straw purchasers from licensed gun dealers in Kansas and then shipped through the U.S. Mail to a stash location maintained by Perez’s associate, Algelly Diaz, in Hartford. Perez then sold the firearms, which included assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to others throughout Connecticut. Perez and Diaz are previously convicted felons who cannot lawfully purchase or possess firearms.
The investigation further revealed that, between August 2020 and May 2023, one of Perez’s co-conspirators purchased at least 73 firearms from a licensed gun dealer in Deerfield, Kansas.
Perez and Diaz were arrested on May 19, 2023. On that date, investigators executed search warrants at locations in Connecticut, Kansas, and California. A search of Perez’s residence and vehicle revealed nine firearms; more than 200 rounds of ammunition; distribution quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl/heroin; items used to process and package narcotics for street sale; and more than $7,000 in cash. In addition, a search of Diaz’s residence revealed approximately 90 rounds of ammunition, and a search of a package that was shipped to Diaz and seized from the mail stream revealed an additional three firearms.
The jury found Perez guilty of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On March 19, 2025, Perez pleaded guilty to the other nine counts of the indictment in which he was charged, including one count of firearms trafficking conspiracy, three counts of firearms trafficking, two counts of mailing nonmailable firearms, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Perez faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Perez has been detained since his arrest.
Diaz pleaded guilty and, on February 4, 2025, was sentenced to 48 months of imprisonment. Three others charged as a result of this investigation also pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Connecticut State Police; and the Waterbury, Meriden, Hartford, Manchester, East Hartford, West Hartford, and Chino (Calif.) Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Christopher J. Lembo through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
MINNEAPOLIS– On Friday, April 4, 2025, a federal jury convicted Andrew David Munsinger, 41, a resident of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition as a felon and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to evidence presented at trial, Munsinger was a member of the Aryan Freedom Network, a white supremacist organization, and he was the subject of a year-long FBI investigation that gathered multiple audio- and video-recordings of Munsinger possessing and shooting firearms, purchasing and using ammunition, and admitting that he could not legally possess a firearm. On February 7, 2024, FBI agents executed search warrants at Munsinger’s residence in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, his two vehicles, and a farm near Lake Lilliam, Minnesota. Law enforcement seized a total five firearms, including two personally made semi-automatic rifles, two shotguns, and a nine-millimeter pistol, hundreds of rounds and casings of ammunition, multiple high-capacity magazines and other firearm accessories, and a tactical bullet-resistant vest. They also discovered over five pounds of marijuana in heat-sealed packages, a marijuana grow operation, and $24,300 cash in $100-bill denominations. Because Munsinger has prior felony convictions, he was prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.
“The safety and security of Minnesotans is of the upmost importance to my office. We will ensure Munsinger—and all others who bring violence and drugs to Minnesota—sees federal justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “We are grateful to the FBI for their work on this this investigation.”
“A convicted felon with a cache of firearms, ammunition, and drugs is a clear threat to public safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our partners will not tolerate individuals who break the law and promote extremist views that incite violence. Together, we will continue to disrupt violent extremists and prevent convicted felons from arming themselves and endangering others.”
After a five-day jury trial before Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court, Munsinger was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of firearms, one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, and one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar and Raphael B. Coburn tried the case.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
UFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jeremy Hodge, 39, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 4, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Hodge’s Ernst Avenue residence and his vehicle. Investigators seized a loaded 9mm firearm, a loaded magazine, ammunition, quantities of suspected heroin and fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia. Hodge was arrested at the scene. He has three prior felony convictions and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This case 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).
Hodge made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
COFACE SA: Disclosure of trading in own shares (excluding the liquidity agreement) made on March 31 to April 4, 2025
Paris, April 7, 2025 – 17.45
Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of 16 April 2014 on market abuse1
The main features of the 2024-2025 Share Buyback Program have been published on the Company’s website (http://www.coface.com/Investors/Disclosure-requirements, under “Own share transactions”) and are also described in the 2024 Universal Registration Document.
Q1-2025 results: 5 May 2025 (after market close) Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting: 14 May 2025 H1-2025 results: 31 July 2025 (after market close) 9M-2025 results: 3 November 2025 (after market close)
FINANCIAL INFORMATION This press release, as well as COFACE SA’s integral regulatory information, can be found on the Group’s website: http://www.coface.com/Investors
For regulated information on Alternative Performance Measures (APM), please refer to our Interim Financial Report for H1-2024 and our 2024 Universal Registration Document (see part 3.7 “Key financial performance indicators”).
Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity on the websitewww.wiztrust.com.
COFACE: FOR TRADE As a global leading player in trade credit risk management for more than 75 years, Coface helps companies grow and navigate in an uncertain and volatile environment. Whatever their size, location or sector, Coface provides 100,000 clients across some 200 markets. with a full range of solutions: Trade Credit Insurance, Business Information, Debt Collection, Single Risk insurance, Surety Bonds, Factoring. Every day, Coface leverages its unique expertise and cutting-edge technology to make trade happen, in both domestic and export markets. In 2024, Coface employed ~5,236 people and registered a turnover of €1.84 billion.
COFACE SA is listed in Compartment A of Euronext Paris ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA
1 Also in pursuant to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 (and updates); Article L.225-209 and seq. of the French Commercial Code; Article L.221-3, Article L.241-1 and seq. of the General Regulation of the French Market Authority (AMF); AMF Recommendation DOC-2017-04 Guide for issuers on their own shares transactions and for stabilization measures.
INFORMATION ON TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTING RIGHTS AND NUMBER OF SHARES PURSUANT TO ARTICLE L.233-8 II OF THE FRENCH COMMERCIAL CODE AND ARTICLE 223-16 OF THE GENERAL REGULATION OF THE FRENCH FINANCIAL MARKETS AUTHORITY
Date
Class of shares
Number of shares
Number of theoretical voting rights
Number of exercisable voting rights (excluding shares bought back by the Company (deprived of voting rights) and shares deprived of voting rights in accordance with art. L. 233-14 of the French Commercial Code)
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually exploiting a 13-year-old girl and producing child pornography.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, Kevin Vallo, 41, was on supervised released after serving a sentence for first degree murder when he used the social media app, Telegram, to communicate with Jane Doe, a 13-year-old girl, while falsely claiming to be 16 years old. On February 19, 2024, Vallo persuaded Jane Doe and two other minors to visit his Albuquerque apartment where he engaged in sexual acts with Jane Doe and another minor. Vallo also recorded explicit videos of him engaging in sexual acts with Jane Doe. Vallo later sent the explicit videos to Jane Doe via Telegram.
The investigation began when one of the other minors disclosed the abuse during a medical appointment. Law enforcement identified Vallo through witness accounts and executed a search warrant on May 9, 2024, recovering multiple videos of Vallo engaging in sexual acts with Jane Doe from Vallo‘s phone. During a subsequent interview, Vallo admitted to the sexual encounters and to recording the acts.
Upon his release, Vallo will be subject to 30 months of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case 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. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
SAN ANTONIO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) April 6–12, by recognizing recent criminal cases involving victims.
This year’s NCVRW theme—Connecting Healing—recognizes that shared humanity drives vital connections to services, rights, and healing. KINSHIP is where victim advocacy begins. The annual observance challenges us to build a world where every connection built through KINSHIP — between survivors, advocates, and communities — holds the potential to heal. It asks us to ensure that resources are available to all survivors and that we show up for one another with empathy and intention.
With a dedicated team of prosecutors and victim assistance professionals who work together to ensure victims of crime receive the services and support they need, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and is home to an estimated population of 7.6 million people.
“Federal crimes against victims will not be tolerated in this district—regardless of whether they are violent crimes, drug crimes, or white collar,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “It is a priority of our prosecutors, our victim assistance specialists, and the entire Department of Justice, that we advocate in the best interests of victims and that crime victims have access to proper effective resources.”
Recently prosecuted cases include the 40-year federal prison sentence of Saint Jovite Youngblood in Austin for four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Youngblood committed wire fraud against his victims by claiming Mexican drug cartel members were planning to commit violence against them. Youngblood falsely claimed to have been part of the U.S. Army’s Delta Force special operations unit and offered protection to his victims from the cartels in exchange for money. Youngblood also represented that funds obtained from his victim “investors” would be paid back with a significant return on the money. Instead, Youngblood used most of the money on junkets to Las Vegas to gamble in casinos. Over the course of his scheme, Youngblood defrauded 32 victims for more than $12 million, which he was ordered to pay in restitution.
In Waco, a former U.S. sailor was sentenced to life in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of coercion and enticement of a minor. Bailey Warren Lowe used a Snapchat account to request sexually explicit images from a 13-year-old girl on multiple occasions. If she acted slowly or the photos did not meet his expectations, Lowe would become angry and threaten to expose her. On one occasion, in early 2022, Lowe drove to the minor’s residence, where they engaged in sexual activity in his vehicle. Lowe did not use a condom and, when the minor repeated that she was 13 years old, he demanded she not tell anyone about them because he was 22 and could get in trouble. An FBI investigation revealed multiple chat conversations and instances of sexual exploitation between Lowe and additional victims between the ages of 10 and 15 years old.
In July 2024, an Odessa man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for carjacking and discharging a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Isaac Ramirez Carrasco carjacked a couple on Jan. 30 by pointing a shotgun at the driver and ordering both occupants out of their vehicle. The victim did not initially comply, and Carrasco fired the shotgun at least one time in the air before returning his aim to the victim. The couple ultimately exited the truck and Carrasco drove away in it. Odessa Police were able to track the truck to a nearby residence, where they also located Carrasco and the shotgun.
In November, Alex Georges Tannous, of Ain-Akrine, Lebanon, was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 240 months in prison for wire fraud. Tannous told his victims he was a prince from Dubai who was charged with bringing U.S.-based businesses to market in Dubai. He claimed millions were available, but that an initial payment from the victim was required to initiate the flow of funds. Once the funds were secured, he used the money to support his lavish lifestyle and the lifestyles of multiple family members. In total, Tannous stole more than $2 million from his victims. In addition to his 20-year federal prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $2.2 million in restitution.
And most recently, David Manuel Garcia was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison on March 20 for engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. Garcia had traveled from the U.S. to Mexico between July 2003 and August 2008 and engaged in forced sexual acts with a minor victim under the age of 18, which resulted in the birth of two children. Records indicate that the victim was 13 years old at the time of the first birth, and 15 years old when she gave birth to the second child.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas will commemorate NCVRW 2025 throughout the week in various ways. Most publicly, employees will be encouraged to wear this year’s theme colors of “midnight,” “mauve,” and “melon,” or colors closely similar, on Thursday, April 10. Community members across the district and beyond are invited to join the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this endeavor, using the hashtag #NCVRW2025 and tagging @USAO_WDTX on X (formerly known as Twitter), as a symbol of solidarity.
On April 9, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will host the 2025 NCVRW Candlelight Vigil at 3:30pm (EST) to pay tribute to victims of crime and the many dedicated professionals and volunteers who advocate on their behalf. We hope you’ll save-the-date and join via the livestream at www.ovc.ojp.gov/live or www.justice.gov/live.
NCVRW began in 1981 to honor victims and survivors of crime, raise awareness of victims’ rights and services and recognize the dedication of those who work with crime victims.
For more ideas on supporting crime victims, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
A former employee of the First Judicial District of the State of Iowa who misused credit cards to steal money intended to be used for children in the Juvenile Court System was sentenced today to two months in federal prison.
Nicole Foelske, age 41, from Jesup, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 14, 2024, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.
In information contained in a plea agreement and disclosed at the sentencing hearing, Foelske admitted she worked in the Juvenile Court Services section of the First Judicial District of the State of Iowa located in Waterloo. In that position, she was provided with a credit card to purchase items and gift cards for juveniles in the Court system, including juveniles in Child in Need of Assistance cases. Foelske, however, used the credit card to purchase household items for herself and gift cards from stores and then used the gift cards to either purchase items for herself or to transfer the value of the cards to her bank account. All told, Foelske made over 200 improper purchases on the credit card totaling more than $100,000.
Foelske was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Foelske was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment and fined $2,000. Foelske was also sentenced to serve six months of home confinement following her imprisonment. She was ordered to make $107,745.46 in restitution to the Iowa Judicial Branch, which Foelske has already paid. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Foelske was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
NEW YORK, NY—The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Carlos Martinez. Martinez, who is also known as “B-Way”, is wanted for his alleged connection with a racketeering investigation in New York. On March 18, 2025, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Martinez in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, White Plains, New York, after he was charged with Racketeering Conspiracy; Continuing Criminal Enterprise; Possession of Ammunition After a Felony Conviction; and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances. The public should consider Martinez to be armed and dangerous. Martinez is known to have connections to both New York and Pennsylvania. If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office, submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov, or contact the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
Lánasjóður sveitarfélaga hefur ákveðið að efna til útboðs á skuldabréfaflokkunum LSS 39 0303 og LSS151155 fimmtudaginn 10. apríl 2025. Lánasjóðurinn stefnir að því að taka tilboðum að fjárhæð 500 til 1.500 milljónir króna að nafnvirði í skuldabréfaflokknum LSS151155 og að fjárhæð 500 til 1.500 milljónir króna að nafnvirði í skuldabréfaflokknum LSS 39 0303. Lánasjóðurinn áskilur sér rétt til að hækka og lækka útboðsfjárhæð útboðsins, taka hvaða tilboði sem er eða hafna þeim öllum. Lánasjóðurinn hefur boðið aðalmiðlurum sjóðsins Arion banka, Íslandsbanka, Kviku banka, Landsbankanum og Fossum fjárfestingabanka að taka þátt í útboðinu.
Óskað er eftir tilboðum í samræmi við eftirfarandi lýsingu:
Fyrirkomulag: “Hollensk” uppboðsaðferð þar sem allir tilboðsgjafar fá sömu ávöxtunarkröfu og hæst er tekið. Heimilt er að afturkalla eða breyta tilboði með sama hætti og tilboðum er skilað inn, sé það gert fyrir lok útboðsfrests.
Tilboð: Í tilboði skal taka fram ávöxtunarkröfu án þóknunar og tilboðsfjárhæð.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LIS Technologies Inc. (“LIST” or “the Company”), a proprietary developer of advanced laser technology and the only USA-origin and patented laser uranium enrichment company, today announced that its Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Christo Liebenberg will be in attendance and is scheduled to participate in a Panel Discussion at the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle (WNFC) 2025 conference, held in Montreal, Canada on April 8-10th, 2025
The panel titled, “Enriching the future: opportunities and challenges” will be held on Wednesday, April 9th from 14:00-15:15. Other panelist include representatives from Constellation Energy, Orano USA, Centrus Energy Corp. and Urenco.
Jointly organized by the World Nuclear Association and the Nuclear Energy Institute, World Nuclear Fuel Cycle (WNFC) is a top-level international forum co-organized by the Nuclear Energy Institute and World Nuclear Association. The conference offers a timely opportunity for attendees to gain insights into critical developments affecting the commercial nuclear fuel cycle and the evolving dynamics of the fuel marketplace.
Figure 1 – LIS Technologies Inc. Co-Founder and CEO Christo Liebenberg to Participate in Panel Discussion at the Upcoming World Nuclear Fuel Cycle 2025 Conference.
“This international forum will feature leading companies and executives with real-world understanding of the intricacies of the fuel cycle,” said Christo Liebenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of LIS Technologies Inc. “I expect the panel to prove to be a fundamental occasion to share key insights into the industry and the delve into the opportunities, both current and upcoming, present in the United States and abroad. I look forward to an exciting and informative event that will help shape the future of this industry in the years to come.”
“The fuel cycle is vital to the nuclear energy sector, and this event is undoubtedly one of the year’s key milestones,” said Jay Yu, Executive Chairman and President of LIS Technologies Inc. “We are proud to be the only U.S. origin, patented and independently verified Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 laser uranium enrichment technology company to be represented at WNFC 2025. Our cutting-edge approach represents a significant advancement in enrichment capabilities and holds the potential to reshape the global industry and guide the future of nuclear energy.”
About LIS Technologies Inc.
LIS Technologies Inc. (LIST) is a USA based, proprietary developer of a patented advanced laser technology, making use of infrared lasers to selectively excite the molecules of desired isotopes to separate them from other isotopes. The Laser Isotope Separation Technology (L.I.S.T) has a huge range of applications, including being the only USA-origin (and patented) laser uranium enrichment company, and several major advantages over traditional methods such as gas diffusion, centrifuges, and prior art laser enrichment. The LIST proprietary laser-based process is more energy-efficient and has the potential to be deployed with highly competitive capital and operational costs. L.I.S.T is optimized for LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) for existing civilian nuclear power plants, High-Assay LEU (HALEU) for the next generation of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Microreactors, the production of stable isotopes for medical and scientific research, and applications in quantum computing manufacturing for semiconductor technologies. The Company employs a world class nuclear technical team working alongside leading nuclear entrepreneurs and industry professionals, possessing strong relationships with government and private nuclear industries.
In 2024, LIS Technologies Inc. was selected as one of six domestic companies to participate in the Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Enrichment Acquisition Program. This initiative allocates up to $3.4 billion overall, with contracts lasting for up to 10 years. Each awardee is slated to receive a minimum contract of $2 million.
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For LIS Technologies Inc., particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following which are, and will be, exacerbated by any worsening of global business and economic environment: (i) risks related to the development of new or advanced technology, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, development of competitive technology, loss of key individuals and uncertainty of success of patent filing, (ii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations and (iii) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to commercially deploy a competitive laser enrichment technology, (iv) risks related to the impact of government regulation and policies including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in this and our other filings with the SEC. Only after successful completion of our Phase 2 Pilot Plant demonstration will LIS Technologies be able to make realistic economic predictions for a Commercial Facility. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.
SOMERSET, N.J., April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —CareCloud, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: CCLD, CCLDO), a leading provider of practice management, healthcare technology and AI-driven solutions to medical practices across the country, is pleased to announce its participation in the 15th Annual LD Micro Invitational at the Westin Grand Central Hotel in New York on April 9-10, 2025. The Company is scheduled to present on April 10, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
CareCloud’s management team will deliver a corporate presentation highlighting the Company’s recent developments, innovative solutions, and strategic growth initiatives. Additionally, the team will participate in one-on-one meetings with institutional and individual investors to explore opportunities and discuss CareCloud’s roadmap for continued growth and value creation.
“We are excited to highlight CareCloud’s recent milestones, including two recent acquisitions, the conversion of our Series A preferred stock, and our significant profitability growth throughout 2024,” said Stephen Snyder, Co-CEO of CareCloud.
About LD Micro
LD Micro, a wholly owned subsidiary of Freedom US Markets, was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the micro-cap space. Through the LD Micro Index and annual investor conferences, LD has served as an invaluable asset to all those interested in discovering the next generation of great companies. For more information on LD Micro, visit www.ldmicro.com.
About CareCloud
CareCloud brings disciplined innovation and generative AI to the business of healthcare. Our suite of technology-enabled solutions helps clients increase financial and operational performance, streamline clinical workflows and improve the patient experience. More than 40,000 providers count on CareCloud to help them improve patient care while reducing administrative burdens and operating costs. Learn more about our products and services including revenue cycle management (RCM), practice management (PM), electronic health records (EHR), business intelligence, patient experience management (PXM) and digital health at www.carecloud.com.
This press release is for information purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains various forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to anticipated future events, future results of operations or future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “shall,” “should,” “could”, “intends,” “expects,” “plans,” “goals,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “possible,” “potential,” “target,” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.
Our operations involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control, and any one of which, or a combination of which, could materially affect our results of operations and whether the forward-looking statements ultimately prove to be correct.
Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements reflecting management’s expectations for future financial performance and operating expenditures, expected growth, profitability and business outlook, the impact of pandemics on our financial performance and business activities, and the expected results from the integration of our acquisitions.
These forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are only predictions, are uncertain and involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our (or our industry’s) actual results, levels of activity or performance to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of the risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements, including without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to the Company’s ability to manage growth, migrate newly acquired customers and retain new and existing customers, maintain cost-effective global operations, increase operational efficiency and reduce operating costs, predict and properly adjust to changes in reimbursement and other industry regulations and trends, retain the services of key personnel, develop new technologies, upgrade and adapt legacy and acquired technologies to work with evolving industry standards, compete with other companies’ products and services competitive with ours, and other important risks and uncertainties referenced and discussed under the heading titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by the Company on its website or otherwise. The Company does not assume any obligations to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
SOURCE CareCloud
Company Contact: Norman Roth Interim Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller CareCloud, Inc. nroth@carecloud.com
Investor Contact: Stephen Snyder Co-Chief Executive Officer CareCloud, Inc. ir@carecloud.com
Non-human primate pharmacokinetics data suggests IBIO-600, a potentially best-in-class long-acting anti-myostatin antibody, could have a human half-life as long as 130 days
Additional interim in vivo data for a first-in-class Activin E antibody shows muscle sparing weight loss alone and in combination with a GLP-1 receptor agonist
iBio remains on track to submit a regulatory submission for IBIO-600 in Q1 2026
SAN DIEGO, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iBio, Inc. (Nasdaq: IBIO), an AI-driven innovator of precision antibody therapies, today announced data from a non-GLP non-human primate (NHP) pharmacokinetics (PK) study suggesting IBIO-600, the company’s novel lead asset and a potentially best-in-class long-acting anti-myostatin antibody designed for subcutaneous administration, could provide a significantly extended half-life in humans and a weight loss treatment option while preserving and promoting muscle growth.
The results were observed in a recently completed exploratory study in obese and elderly NHPs designed to analyze the potential of IBIO-600 in NHPs in order to closely mimic the human obese patient population by determining the antibody’s half-life in serum and evaluating changes in lean and fat mass. The study consisted of two dose levels, a low dose of 5 mg/kg and a high dose of 50 mg/kg, with a single administration in each case. In addition to monitoring PK in serum, the study analyzed body composition changes over time by employing DEXA scans, measuring lean and fat mass.
Despite the study not being powered to demonstrate statistical significance, and only having a single administration of the antibody, the results indicate IBIO-600 promoted a dose-dependent increase in lean mass and a reduction in fat mass from baseline values. The effect peaked after 8 weeks, when the NHPs receiving the low-dose had a 3.1% (163g) increase in lean mass and a 5.1% (270g) increase in the NHPs receiving the high-dose.
Standard PK calculations indicated the half-life of IBIO-600 in NHPs was 40 to 52 days. By using multiple allometric scaling approaches1,2, the half-life in humans of IBIO-600 has an estimated range of 57-130 days. This extended half-life could potentially enable a once every 3 to 6-month dosing schedule and positions IBIO-600 as a best-in-class therapeutic for muscle preservation and high-quality weight loss.
“The promising data suggest IBIO-600 could possibly exhibit the longest half-life among any other anti-myostatin candidates — potentially leading to best-in-class muscle preservation and growth with a significantly reduced dosing burden for patients with a few doses a year,” said Martin Brenner, Ph.D., DVM, iBio’s CEO and Chief Scientific Officer. “IBIO-600’s extended half-life and muscle-building potential make it a transformative candidate for high-quality weight loss, further strengthening our expanding cardiometabolic and obesity pipeline. It is truly remarkable we’ve been able to advance this potentially best-in-class long-acting anti-myostatin antibody to clinical candidate selection in under a year and remain fully on track for a regulatory submission in Q1 2026. This incredibly rapid progress highlights our commitment to accelerating innovation and redefining obesity treatment with cutting-edge therapeutics.”
iBio is also pleased to announce preclinical data for a first-in-class Activin E antibody disclosed in January, highlighting its potential as a novel treatment for obesity. The antibody effectively blocks Activin E signaling in human adipocytes and is currently being evaluated in an exploratory study with obese mice, both as a monotherapy with bi-weekly dosing and in combination with semaglutide dosed daily. After only two weeks of dosing, monotherapy resulted in fat-selective weight loss of approximately 4%, with a significant 18% reduction in total body fat compared to placebo. Notably, when combined with semaglutide, the Activin E antibody demonstrated a strong synergistic effect, enhancing total weight loss by an additional 9% beyond GLP-1 therapy alone, leading to an overall weight reduction of 34%. This combination also resulted in a remarkable 72% reduction in body fat over the treatment period, as measured by DEXA scans. These compelling findings underscore the potential of Activin E inhibition as a transformative approach to obesity treatment, supporting further development and clinical advancement.
1 Genki Nakamura, Kazuhisa Ozeki, Miho Nagayasu, Takeru Nambu, Takayuki Nemoto, Ken-ichi Hosoya, Predicting Method for the Human Plasma Concentration–Time Profile of a Monoclonal Antibody from the Half-life of Non-human Primates, Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 2020, Volume 43, Issue 5, Pages 823-830, Released on J-STAGE May 01, 2020, Online ISSN 1347-5215, Print ISSN 0918-6158, https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.b19-01042, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/43/5/43_b19-01042/_article/-char/en
iBio (Nasdaq: IBIO) is a cutting-edge biotech company leveraging AI and advanced computational biology to develop next-generation biopharmaceuticals for cardiometabolic diseases, obesity, cancer and other hard-to-treat diseases. By combining proprietary 3D modeling with innovative drug discovery platforms, iBio is creating a pipeline of breakthrough antibody treatments to address significant unmet medical needs. Our mission is to transform drug discovery, accelerate development timelines, and unlock new possibilities in precision medicine. For more information, visit www.ibioinc.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” “predict,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “intend” or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and include statements regarding non-human primate pharmacokinetics data suggesting IBIO-600, a potentially best-in-class long-acting anti-myostatin antibody, could have a human half-life as long as 130 days; remaining on track to submit a regulatory submission for IBIO-600 in Q1 2026; IBIO-600 providing a significantly extended half-life in humans and a weight loss treatment option while preserving and promoting muscle growth; the extended half-life potentially enabling a once every 3 to 6-month dosing schedule and positioning IBIO-600 as a best-in-class therapeutic for muscle preservation and high-quality weight loss; IBIO-600 possibly exhibiting the longest half-life among any other anti-myostatin candidates — potentially leading to best-in-class muscle preservation and growth with a significantly reduced dosing burden for patients with a few doses a year; IBIO-600’s extended half-life and muscle-building potential making it a transformative candidate for high-quality weight loss, further strengthening our expanding cardiometabolic and obesity pipeline; and the potential of Activin E inhibition as a transformative approach to obesity treatment, supporting further development and clinical advancement. While iBio believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the ability of IBIO-600 to have a half-life as long as 130 days; the ability of iBio’s innovative pipeline of therapeutics in cardiometabolic disease and obesity to promote healthy weight loss and muscle-building; and iBio’s ability to create a pipeline of breakthrough antibody treatments to address significant unmet medical needs; iBio’s ability to obtain regulatory approvals for commercialization of its product candidates, or to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements; regulatory limitations relating to iBio’s ability to promote or commercialize its product candidates for specific indications; acceptance of iBio’s product candidates in the marketplace and the successful development, marketing or sale of products; and whether iBio will incur unforeseen expenses or liabilities or other market factors; and the other factors discussed in iBio’s filings with the SEC including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2024 and its subsequent filings with the SEC on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and iBio undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
On April 4 and 5, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University hosted a training seminar on “Comprehensive Security in a Higher Education Organization” for rectors of Russian universities. The event was organized by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the National Anti-Terrorism Committee. Participants discussed issues of comprehensive security for universities under the jurisdiction of the ministry.
The seminar was opened by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia Valery Falkov. In his video address, he drew the attention of university rectors to the need to personally monitor student safety issues.
In the context of a special military operation, the topic of comprehensive security of universities is more relevant than ever. External national threats – extremism, terrorism, “school shooting”, “Columbine”, interethnic and interfaith conflicts – are taking place against the backdrop of an unprecedented hybrid war declared against our state. Today, personal attention and participation of university management in ensuring anti-terrorist security is necessary, – emphasized Valery Falkov.
In this regard, on behalf of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia has developed and launched a refresher course on “Integrated Security in a Higher Education Organization” for rectors of universities subordinate to the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. As a result of the training, participants will gain knowledge of effective methods of countering threats among young people and a corresponding certificate.
Every rector without exception should know the basics of comprehensive security. All universities should develop their own comprehensive security program, which is designed to preserve the lives and health of students, teachers and staff. The management should approach the development of security measures in a comprehensive manner, not only include in the program measures to increase the level of physical security, but also conduct training for staff and students on emergency response measures, noted Valery Falkov.
The Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation called on university leaders to establish cooperation with regional authorities and law enforcement agencies on all issues, especially those related to security. He emphasized that universities should do a lot of work to debunk myths and refute unreliable facts in connection with the information attack, which is primarily aimed at young people.
Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Konstantin Mogilevsky also addressed the participants.
We thank the rector of SPbPU Andrey Ivanovich Rudskoy for organizing the venue for the event. Polytechnic University is an outstanding university, one of our leading universities, so everyone will surely find something interesting here. Rectors face many tasks, and the most important of them is to create conditions for our young people to receive a quality education, to train highly qualified specialists. And such issues as comprehensive security must definitely be in the rectors’ field of vision, – said Konstantin Mogilevsky.
He said that comprehensive security is a multi-level system that can be divided into two areas: physical protection of facilities and preventive work. Together with the NAC, the Russian Ministry of Education and Science’s universities have developed algorithms for the actions of personnel, employees of private security organizations and students in the event of the commission (threat of commission) of terrorist crimes. Interaction with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Russian Guard, the FSB has also been defined, and a model of behavior for offenders has been developed. Konstantin Mogilevsky presented the activities of the Coordination Council and coordination centers on issues of developing an active civic position among young people, preventing interethnic and interfaith conflicts, countering the ideology of terrorism and preventing extremism.
Rector of SPbPU Andrey Rudskoy shared the experience of the Polytechnic University in the field of ensuring comprehensive security.
This task is one of the priorities for our university community. Taking into account modern realities, we must ensure the sustainable functioning of educational institutions, create safe conditions for students to study for the benefit of Russia’s further development. In recent years, the Polytechnic University has created a fairly effective system of measures to ensure the safety of students and employees, Andrey Rudskoy emphasized.
Andrey Ivanovich spoke about the technical equipment of the university facilities, interaction with law enforcement agencies and security organizations, and the activities of the University Security Center. The Polytechnic regularly conducts training in various areas with the involvement of the city’s law enforcement agencies. Particular attention is paid to issues of prevention of possible involvement of employees and students in illegal activities using phones and other messengers. Also, the Polytechnic carries out extensive information work in the field of security.
State Secretary — Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Denis Ashirov spoke about joint work with the National Anti-Terrorism Committee. First Deputy Head of the Office of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee Igor Kulyagin gave a lecture on “Comprehensive Security of an Educational Organization of Higher Education in Counteracting Terrorism. The Structure of Preventive Work”. Director of the National Center for Information Counteraction to Terrorism and Extremism in the Educational Environment Sergey Churilov spoke about ensuring anti-terrorist security within the framework of comprehensive security of an educational organization of higher education.
The seminar participants considered the most important issues of security in universities, discussed anti-terrorist activities, information threats, and the prevention of illegal actions. In addition, they were given a tour of the laboratories of the Technopolis Polytech research complex.
On April 5, Andrey Tolmachev, Director of the Department of Information Policy and Comprehensive Security of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, presented certificates to rectors who had completed the training.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
SPIRIT OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION IS TO TREAT ALL CITIZENS EQUALLY, PROVIDE THEM WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND INTEGRATE MARGINALIZED AND BACKWARD SECTIONS OF SOCIETY INTO ‘MAINSTREAM OF PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT’: LOK SABHA SPEAKER IN RECENT YEARS, PARLIAMENT OF INDIA HAS PASSED SEVERAL LEGISLATIONS THAT PROMOTE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SECURITY AND ENCOURAGE INCLUSION OF ALL SECTIONS OF SOCIETY: LOK SABHA SPEAKER
INDIA HAS ESTABLISHED PRIMACY OF JUSTICE BY REPLACING ‘INDIAN PENAL CODE’ WITH THE ‘BHARATIYA NYAY SANHITA’: LOK SABHA SPEAKER
LOK SABHA SPEAKER DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT 150th ASSEMBLY OF INTER PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU) IN TASHKENT
LOK SABHA SPEAKER WISHES THE GATHERING AT 150TH IPU ON THE OCCASION OF RAM NAVAMI
Posted On: 06 APR 2025 8:20PM by PIB Delhi
Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla today highlighted the inclusive and welfarist nature of Constitution of India, mentioning that “the spirit of the Indian Constitution is to treat all citizens equally, provide them with equal opportunities, and integrate the marginalized and backward sections of society into the ‘mainstream of progress.”
Delivering the Keynote Address on the theme “Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice” at the historic 150th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at Tashkent, Uzbekistan,Shri Birla observed that “In recent years, the Indian Parliament has passed several legislations that promote social justice and security and encourage the inclusion of all sections of society.”On the occasion, he also extended Ram Navami greetings to the gathering at the 150thassembly of IPU.
Referring to the Parliament’s perennial concern for safeguarding the interests of the vulnerable segments of society, he added that “Bills like the ‘Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act-2016’, the ‘Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019’, and the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam-2023’ safeguard the interests of all sections of society.” in this context, he also referred to new Labor laws and codes passed by Parliament for the welfare and social security of workers in the unorganized sector.
Stressing that Indian Parliament has taken several measures prioritising justice and rule of law, Shri Birla mentioned that “By replacing the ‘Indian Penal Code’ with the ‘BharatiyaNyay Sanhita’, India has established the primacy of justice”. Referring to functioning of Parliamentary Committees in achieving the goals of development and social justice, Shri Birla noted that the various Parliamentary Committees, often referred to as Mini Parliaments, perform a complimentary function to the efforts of Parliament and the government. He highlighted that the Committees on Social Justice and Empowerment; Committee on Women Empowerment; Committee on Labour and Skill Development, and other diverse committees monitor welfare programmes leading to implementation of schemes with effectiveness and accountability.
Shri Birla stressed that Government of India works with a mission to achieve targets set for key human development indicators. In this regard, he specifically mentioned that “Under the world’s largest health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri – Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), free health insurance is being provided to the bottom 40% of India’s population”.
Praising the strong and visionary leadership of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, Shri Birla said “Under Prime Minister Shri Modi’s leadership, India has achieved the distinction of being the world’s fastest-growing major economy with a 105% GDP growth over the past decade and is rapidly progressing towards its goal of Viksit Bharat in 2047.” Noting that India is the fifth-largest economy in the world and is on its way toward becoming the third-largest economy, Shri Birla said that India is playing a leading role in the world in fields like Innovation, AI, Startups, Space and Defense Technology, IT, Fintech, Pharma, and others.
He hoped that the discussions at the IPU Assembly would provide all delegations with new perspectives and will allow Parliaments around the world to be able to take concrete steps toward building a just, inclusive, and prosperous society.
Speaking on the role of IPU in the present world order, Shri Birla mentioned that the IPU continues to add new dimensions to global parliamentary cooperation. He underlined that the theme chosen for the 150th IPU Assembly reflects the expansion of the spirit of ‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam,’ which is deeply rooted in Indian culture, tradition, and philosophy.
INDIA AND VIETNAM ARE PROGRESSING TOWARD SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, DRIVEN BY THEIR RESPECTIVE VISIONS AND SHARED GOALS OF DEVELOPMENT
On the sidelines of the 150th IPU Summit, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met HE. Mr. Tran Thanh Man, President, the National Assembly of Vietnam. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Birla fondly recalled his visit to Vietnam in April 2022, marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam. He also emphasized the close cultural and historical ties between the two countries, which have strengthened through high-level discussions in recent years. Shri Birla expressed satisfaction that both countries are progressing toward sustainable development, driven by their respective visions for 2047 (India) and 2045 (Vietnam).
Shri Birla emphasized that cooperation in various sectors such as defense, technology, infrastructure, and nuclear energy has helped shape their future frameworks. Shri Birla noted that both countries’ parliamentary institutions play a key role in meeting people’s expectations and promoting public welfare, with India utilizing emerging technologies to enhance parliamentary processes and citizen participation. He also informed that the “Digital Parliament” initiative in India has improved efficiency, transparency, and productivity in parliamentary operations. He also highlighted the significant number of Vietnamese students benefiting from educational and training scholarships in India.
President of the National Assembly of Vietnam emphasized the cultural ties between the two countries. The President also underlined the need for strengthening the close defence and technology ties between India and Vietnam. He extended an invitation to Shri Birla to visit Vietnam. Formation of friendship group between India and Vietnam were also discussed.
DALLAS, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beneficient (NASDAQ: BENF) (“Ben” or the “Company”), a technology-enabled platform providing exit opportunities and primary capital solutions and related trust and custody services to holders of alternative assets through its proprietary online platform AltAccess, today announced it has closed on the financing of a $9.6 million primary capital commitment for Pulse Pioneer Fund, LP (“Fund”), a fund managed by Pulse Pioneer GP, LLC, an asset manager that manages venture capital funds that invest in scalable climate companies within its target interdependent investment verticals. The transaction represents Ben’s first GP Primary transaction of the fiscal year. In exchange for an interest in the Fund, the Fund received approximately $9.6 million in stated value of shares of the Company’s Resettable Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”), which is convertible at the election of the holder into shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, subject to the terms and conditions of the transaction documents. As a result of the transaction, the collateral for Company’s ExAlt loan portfolio is expected to increase by approximately $9.6 million of interests in alternative assets.
“Successfully completing another GP primary capital transaction reinforces our ability to execute on our core liquidity and primary capital strategy by delivering innovative financing solutions for alternative asset holders and managers,” said Beneficient management. “We believe this financing reflects our ability to drive shareholder value while supporting impactful, vertically integrated investment strategies that enhance the value of the collateral backing our ExAlt loan portfolio. We’re excited to build on this momentum as we enter the new fiscal year and we continue to pursue additional opportunities that align with our strategic vision and growth objectives.”
Upon closing of the previously announced Public Stockholder Enhancement Transactions (the “Transactions”), the Company believes this transaction will result in the addition of approximately $1.28 million (and an aggregate of approximately $10.46 million) of tangible book value attributable to the Company’s stockholders.
Beneficient’s GP Primary Commitment Program is focused on providing primary capital solutions and financing anchor commitments to general partners during their fundraising efforts while immediately deploying capital into our equity. Through the program, Beneficient seeks to help satisfy the up to $330 billion of potential demand for primary commitments to meet fundraising needs.
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The following tables reconciles these non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures as of December 31, 2024, on an actual basis and pro forma assuming the Transactions occurred on December 31, 2024.
(dollars in thousands)
Actual
Pro forma – Transactions(1)
Pro forma – Transactions and GP Primary(3)
Tangible Book Value
Total equity (deficit)
14,260
14,260
23,680
Less: Goodwill and intangible assets
(13,014
)
(13,014
)
(13,014
)
Plus: Total temporary equity
90,526
90,526
90,526
Tangible book value
91, 772
91,772
101,372
Actual
Pro forma – Transactions(1)
Pro forma – Transactions and GP Primary(3)
Tangible book value attributable to Ben public company stockholders
Tangible book value
91,772
91,772
101,371
Less: Tangible book value attributable to Beneficient Holdings noncontrolling interest holders
(91,772
)
(82,595
)
(90,915
)
Tangible book value attributable to Ben’s public company stockholders
–
9,177(2)
10,457(4)
Market Capitalization of Ben’s Class A and Class B common stock as of April 4, 2025 (5)
$
2,728
(1)
Assumes the Transactions closed on December 31, 2024 including that the Beneficient Holdings limited partnership agreement was amended to provide that Ben, as the indirect holder of the Class A Units and certain Designated Class S Ordinary Units of Beneficient Holdings, would receive in the event of a liquidation of Beneficient Holdings 10% of the first $100 million of distributions of Beneficient Holdings following the satisfaction of the debts and liabilities of Beneficient Holdings on a consolidated basis.
(2)
Pro forma for the Transactions, represents 10% of the first $100 million of distributions of Beneficient Holdings in the event of the liquidation of Beneficient Holdings following the satisfaction of the debts and liabilities Beneficient Holdings on a consolidated basis.
(3)
Assumes the Transactions closed on December 31, 2024 including that the Beneficient Holdings limited partnership agreement was amended to provide that Ben, as the indirect holder of the Class A Units and certain Designated Class S Ordinary Units of Beneficient Holdings, would receive in the event of a liquidation of Beneficient Holdings (i) 10% of the first $100 million of distributions of Beneficient Holdings following the satisfaction of the debts and liabilities of Beneficient Holdings on a consolidated basis and (ii) 33.3333% of the net asset value of the added alternative assets of up to $5 billion in connection with ExAlt Plan liquidity and primary capital transactions entered after December 22, 2024.
(4)
Pro forma for the Transactions, represents (i) 10% of the first $100 million of distributions of Beneficient Holdings in the event of the liquidation of Beneficient Holdings following the satisfaction of the debts and liabilities Beneficient Holdings on a consolidated basis and (ii) 33.3333% of the net asset value of the added alternative assets of up to $5 billion in connection with ExAlt Plan liquidity and primary capital transactions entered after December 22, 2024.
(5)
Based upon the closing price of the Class A common stock as reported by Nasdaq as of market close on April 4, 2025.
About Beneficient Beneficient (Nasdaq: BENF) – Ben, for short – is on a mission to democratize the global alternative asset investment market by providing traditionally underserved investors − mid-to-high net worth individuals, small-to-midsized institutions and General Partners seeking exit options, anchor commitments and valued-added services for their funds− with solutions that could help them unlock the value in their alternative assets. Ben’s AltQuote® tool provides customers with a range of potential exit options within minutes, while customers can log on to the AltAccess® portal to explore opportunities and receive proposals in a secure online environment. Its subsidiary, Beneficient Fiduciary Financial, L.L.C., received its charter under the State of Kansas’ Technology-Enabled Fiduciary Financial Institution (TEFFI) Act and is subject to regulatory oversight by the Office of the State Bank Commissioner.
Contacts Matt Kreps: 214-597-8200, mkreps@darrowir.com Michael Wetherington: 214-284-1199, mwetherington@darrowir.com Investor Relations: investors@beneficient.com
Important Information and Where You Can Find It
This press release may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of a vote of stockholders to approve an amendment to approve the issuance of the Company’s Class A common stock upon conversion of the Series B-6 Preferred Stock pursuant to the transaction. In connection with the requisite stockholder approval, Ben will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a preliminary proxy statement and a definitive proxy statement, which will be sent to the stockholders of Ben, seeking such approvals related to the transaction.
INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF BEN AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES ARE URGED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSACTION, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BEN AND THE TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain a free copy of the proxy statement, as well as other relevant documents filed with the SEC containing information about Ben, without charge, at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of documents filed with the SEC by Ben can also be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to Investor Relations, Beneficient, 325 North St. Paul Street, Suite 4850, Dallas, Texas 75201, or email investors@beneficient.com.
Participants in the Solicitation of Proxies in Connection with Transaction
Ben and certain of its directors, executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the requisite stockholder approvals under the rules of the SEC. Information regarding Ben’s directors and executive officers is available in its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on July 9, 2024 and certain current reports on Form 8-K filed by Ben. Other information regarding the participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the proposed transaction and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC. Free copies of these documents, when available, may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.
Not an Offer of Securities
The information in this communication is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute, or form a part of, an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. The securities that are the subject of the transaction have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.
Forward Looking Statements
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Transactions, including receipt of required approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions and excepted timing of closing of the Transactions, and expectations of future plans, strategies, and benefits of the Transactions. The words ”anticipate,” “believe,” ”continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” ”plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are based on our management’s beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, them. Because such statements are based on expectations as to future financial and operating results and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ materially from those projected.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, among others: the ultimate outcome of the transaction, including obtaining the requisite vote of securityholders; the Company’s ability to meet expectations regarding the timing and completion of the transaction; and the risks, uncertainties, and factors set forth under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, subsequent events, or circumstances or other changes affecting such statements except to the extent required by applicable law.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel demanding an immediate and thorough investigation into high-ranking Trump Administration officials’ mishandling of highly sensitive and likely classified information relating to recent U.S. national security operations on the messaging app, Signal:
“I write with grave concern for American national security given the recent report in The Atlantic that several high-ranking members of the Trump Administration, including Vice President J.D. Vance, mishandled sensitive and likely classified information about U.S. national security operations. Any American who values the sacrifices our troops make to keep our country safe should be deeply outraged by this report.”
“It is unconscionable that the very individuals entrusted with keeping our nation safe may have compromised national security and endangered the lives of American troops with grossly negligent actions. National security experts have opined that, based on the messages from the group chat that have been released, the information discussed would be highly restricted, if not classified at some of the highest levels,” Beatty wrote in the letter. “This would make the mention of these details to unauthorized persons – including a reporter like Mr. Goldberg – unlawful and its discussion outside of a secure location like a SCIF, let alone on personal devices, while traveling internationally, and through a commercially available application like Signal, also improper.”
“As the Department of Justice, you have the responsibility – as part of your stated mission – ‘to uphold the rule of law and keep our country safe,’ and to ‘follow the facts and the law wherever they may lead, without prejudice.’’ Despite this Administration’s clearly demonstrated belief that it is above the law, it is imperative that you fulfill the duties of the positions you swore an oath to serve in,” Beatty continued in the letter, “I therefore demand that you conduct a timely, thorough, and proper investigation into the reported mishandling of national defense-related information by senior Trump Administration officials and take all resulting steps necessary to hold those who committed violations of federal law fully accountable. I look forward to your timely response.”
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
04.06.25
Momentum Growing: Large and Small Business Orgs Line Up Behind Bipartisan Cantwell Trade Bill Due to Concerns Costs on Consumer Goods Will Rise, She Announces On Face the Nation
70% of U.S. GDP is consumer spending – new tariffs and falling consumer confidence will shrink the economy, not grow it
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, announced on CBS’s Face the Nation that nine major U.S. business organizations have endorsed her new bipartisan legislation that would reassert Congress’ role in overseeing trade and roll back the president’s ability to unilaterally impose tariffs.
“Organizations who know their bread and butter comes from consumer spending, which is a big part of our economy … are very anxious about a plan,” said Sen. Cantwell.
“Consumers are saying: ‘How is this helping me in a time of inflation? You are adding to my costs with a tax on my consumer goods.’ And so I think that’s why we are gaining support from these organizations today.”
These organizations have announced their support for the legislation; statements by most are below:
Consumer Technology Association (CTA)
Retail Industry Leaders Association
American Apparel & Footwear Association
USA Pulses Coalition
Outdoor Industry Association
Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA)
Main Street Alliance
Washington Council on International Trade
Washington Distillers Guild
Video of Sen. Cantwell’s appearance on Face the Nation can be found HERE, audio HERE and a transcript HERE.
The bipartisan Trade Review Act currently has a total of 14 co-sponsors – seven Democrats and seven Republicans.
Statements of Support forTrade Review Act:
Consumer Technology Association
“The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) applauds Senators Maria Cantwell and Chuck Grassley for introducing the Trade Review Act of 2025 at this deeply concerning time when tariffs are about to destroy the U.S. economy. This bipartisan legislation is a crucial step toward ensuring that tariffs and trade policies are established transparently and democratically. By requiring the President to explain the reasoning and impacts of new tariffs to Congress within 48 hours and setting a 60-day expiration unless explicitly approved by Congress, this act reaffirms Congress’ essential role in shaping U.S. trade policy. This is a necessary step by the Congress to reclaim its constitutional authority on trade from the executive branch. We urge Senators in both parties to sponsor and pass it.” — Ed Brzytwa, Vice President of International Trade, CTA
Retail Industry Leaders Association
“Congress is vested by the Constitution with the power to levy taxes and it should play an integral role in deciding what tariffs are imposed to protect American industry and families. Tariffs are taxes and have the potential to hit family budgets hard by pushing up prices on clothes, school supplies, food and other household goods. By one estimate, the tariffs announced yesterday will cost the average American family a staggering $2,100. We applaud Senators Chuck Grassley and Maria Cantwell for introducing the Trade Review Act of 2025, an important step for Congress in upholding its Constitutional role in tax and trade policy. The nation’s leading retailers urge Congress to pass this legislation.” — Blake Harden, Vice President of International Trade, Retail Industry Leaders Association
American Apparel & Footwear Association
“We welcome the introduction of the Trade Review Act of 2025 and urge its immediate consideration and enactment. Durable and predictable trade policy requires greater transparency and robust consultation with stakeholders and Congress, which is not happening now. With 97 percent of the goods?we sell in the U.S.?being imported,?and with 96 percent of the people who wear?clothes and shoes on the planet living outside our borders, successful fashion companies need access to global consumers and suppliers to compete. That’s only possible with active Congressional participation in trade policy. On behalf of the 3.5 million trade dependent American workers in our industry, we thank?Senators Cantwell and Grassley for their leadership on this legislation and for their efforts to restore Congressional primacy on trade and tariff policy, as enshrined in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.” –?Steve Lamar, President and CEO, American Apparel & Footwear Association
USA Pulses Coalition
“USA Pulses would like to thank Senator Grassley and Senator Cantwell for introducing legislation to review and approve changes to tariffs on countries that could impact grower sales of pulses (dry peas, lentils, chickpeas and dry beans) and the processors and exporters who provide needed jobs in rural America. We applaud their bipartisan leadership on this important issue. Free and fair trade is important to everyone in rural America and this legislation would give Congress the opportunity to review the potential impacts of increased tariffs on the rural economy and vote on their approval.”
Main Street Alliance
“Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs are a direct hit to working families and small businesses—jacking up prices on everyday goods and costing households $3,000–$4,000 a year. It’s a tax hike on the middle class, just as inflation cools. Worse, it’s a sleight of hand—meant to distract Americans from the massive tax breaks Trump is promising billionaires and big corporations. Tariffs aren’t strategy—they’re sabotage. Congress must pass the Trade Review Act of 2025 and stop this economic shell game before Main Street pays the price.” – Richard Trent, Executive Director, Main Street Alliance
Washington Council on International Trade
“The secret sauce for the U.S. form of government isn’t a secret – it is built on checks and balances to ensure a balanced, thoughtful approach. Trade policy is one area that is out of balance. Congress needs to reassert its role in trade policy, including trade agreements and tariffs. We applaud Senators Cantwell and Grassley’s leadership to restore Congressional oversight on tariffs and urge Congress to quickly approve the Trade Review Act of 2025. It maintains the ability of the President to quickly enact tariffs in response to emergency situations while also guaranteeing Congressional agreement.” – Lori Otto Punke, President, Washington Council on International Trade
Washington Distillers Guild
“The WA Distillers’ Guild supports the bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Cantwell and Grassley to provide oversight, structure and accountability to the tariff process. Our Main Street, family owned small businesses need certainty in everyday operations and adding rules based oversight from Congress will help to ensure that the tariffs enacted help American manufacturers.” — Mhairi Voelsgen, President, Washington Distillers Guild
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Watch 131 Status Reports
STATUS REPORT #4 ON WW 131
VALID 061330Z – 061440Z
SEVERE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES RIGHT OF A LINE FROM 45 SSE MEI TO 35 SE MEI TO 50 ENE MEI TO 20 ESE TCL TO 10 SSW GAD TO 30 ENE GAD TO 10 W RMG TO 20 E CHA.
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STATUS REPORT #3 ON WW 131
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STATUS REPORT #1 ON WW 131
VALID 060930Z – 061040Z
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THE WATCH STATUS MESSAGE IS FOR GUIDANCE PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE REFER TO WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION STATEMENTS FOR OFFICIAL INFORMATION ON COUNTIES…INDEPENDENT CITIES AND MARINE ZONES CLEARED FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WATCHES. $$
Top/Watch Issuance Text for Watch 131/All Current Watches/Forecast Products/Home
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MSNBC’s The Weekend where he emphasized that Donald Trump’s reckless tariffs will raise costs on hardworking American taxpayers.
MICHAEL STEELE: Joining us now to discuss is Democratic Leader and friend of the show, Hakeem Jeffries. Welcome, sir.
ALICIA MENENDEZ: Leader Jeffries, while we were on air, you had the President saying this on Truth Social. ‘This is an economic revolution, and we will win. Hang tough. It won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic.’ Do you think he means historic good or historic bad?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the results will definitively be historically bad. These Trump tariffs represent the largest tax increase on the American people since at least 1968. What we’re seeing is that he is crashing the economy in real time. Costs are going up. The Trump tariffs are likely to result in thousands of dollars in additional costs on the American people in terms of groceries and gas and goods. And at the same time, we’re seeing the retirement savings of the American people plummeting as well. This guy is driving us toward a recession. And this is not what the American people voted for or expected.
MICHAEL STEELE: Leader, I mentioned in the last hour conversations I’ve been having over the last few weeks with a buddy of mine who is a blue collar worker, been able, over the last 30 years, to save money in his retirement, his 401K. And he has lost about $32,000 in the last three weeks from his retirement savings for him and his wife. Talk to him. What would you say to him? What is the message he needs to hear from you as Leader of the Democratic Party in this hour as he’s watching, they’re now having to recalculate how he’s going to retire because Donald Trump has taken $32,000 out of his life savings.
LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s very painful. And as I travel the country, these are stories that I am hearing over and over and over again. And that is one of the reasons why we are going to continue to aggressively show up, stand up and speak up against these Trump tariffs, which are doing real damage to everyday Americans. And we’re calling upon both House and Senate Republicans to join us. In the House, all we need on any given bill is basically three House Republicans to stand up for their constituents and act like they actually work for the American people, as opposed to bending the knee consistently for Donald Trump or Elon Musk, even when these two out of control individuals are doing real damage to their constituents. This is one of the reasons why, as we travel the country, Democrats we’re going to continue to engage the American people, have town hall meetings in our districts and in Republican districts in blue states and red states and in purple states, so that we can raise awareness of what’s happening and make sure that these Republicans in Congress are being held accountable for their complicity and failure to act in the best interests of the people they were sent to Washington to represent.
SYMONE SANDERS-TOWNSEND: You know, Leader Jeffries, Congress could do something about this today if they wanted to. Have you, I know that House Democrats are ready to stand up for the American people. And you would vote, is it correct to say, that you would vote in support of taking back the power of deciding tariffs with Congress? You would, that’s something you would support.
LEADER JEFFRIES: That’s absolutely something that I would support. And we have legislative efforts that will intensify this week in response to these reckless Trump tariffs. I know that at least one Republican House Member, Congressman Don Bacon, has also introduced legislation or is planning to to address this. So we’re going to be in conversation with a handful of our Republican colleagues, because Congress can stop this carnage from happening. And one of the things that hopefully will cause some people to change their perspectives. You know, Donald Trump, the biggest lie that this guy ever told was that he cared about you, the American people. He does not. He cares about himself and his billionaire donors like Elon Musk. And as if we didn’t need any additional proof, but at the same time that the retirement savings is crashing, the stock market is crashing, the economy is crashing, Donald Trump is on the golf course? This is what he chooses to do? And so we have to continue to press our case aggressively on the economy, on health care, on social security. And we’ll continue to do just that.
ALICIA MENENDEZ: He’s on the golf course to the tune of $26 million, Symone. Taxpayer dollars.
SYMONE SANDERS-TOWNSEND: A lot of I mean, truly like bleeding the American people dry while their 401ks and pensions are plummeting. I just have to have to ask then. So Don Bacon, my Congressman, I’m from Nebraska. He represents district two. He is a very vulnerable Republican that could lose his seat next November. What about the Speaker? Has he indicated a willingness, because it’s about the people like Michael talked about. I’m also thinking about the small business owners, the taxes on food and beverage, the restaurants. I mean, I went out last night and I had to order some champagne because I didn’t know if I’d be able to get it three months from now given what Donald Trump is doing to this economy.
MICHAEL STEELE: Oh you would normally order champagne.
SYMONE SANDERS-TOWNSEND: Here you go.
LEADER JEFFRIES: It does. I think one of the challenges that we’ll continue to have is that Republican leadership has shown no willingness to stand up to Donald Trump and his administration. But that doesn’t mean we can’t find rank and file Republicans to do it, joining us with a unified Democratic opposition, particularly as the pressure continues to intensify on them. They’ve already taken so many different reckless votes as it relates to the budget resolution that initially passed in the House. That’s the largest Medicaid cut in American history. Now they’re trying to dismantle Social Security, undermining veterans benefits, literally trying to take food out of the mouths of babies by cutting nutritional assistance. And what is this all being done for? To enact a massive tax break for billionaire donors like Elon Musk? The whole thing is a Ponzi scheme. That’s the Ponzi scheme that is being visited upon the American people right now.
ALICIA MENENDEZ: Just to put a finer point on what you have just said. There seems to be disagreement among Republicans in the two chambers about how to proceed on this question of the budget. Let me read you this from The Hill: ‘The budget debate revealed the biggest looming fight between Senate and House Republicans is over Medicaid. House Republicans have slated the program for tens of billions of dollars in cuts, something that several Republican senators have warned they would oppose in any final reconciliation bill.’ Where is this headed, Leader Jeffries?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’re going to continue to stand up for the health care of the American people and point out that what House Republicans have already voted to do, and have not walked away from, is a potential Medicaid cut of up to $880 billion. Here’s what this means. Children will be devastated. Women will be devastated. Older Americans will be devastated. Everyday Americans with disabilities are going to be devastated. Hospitals and nursing homes and community health clinics are going to close. That affects people who are on Medicaid, almost 90 million Americans, but also people who get their health insurance in other forms, because if the hospital closes, it doesn’t matter whether you’re on Medicaid or not, you are going to be hurt. And so we will continue to be very clear that these Medicaid cuts are completely and totally unacceptable. I think the Senate Democrats have done exactly the same thing as this process unfolds. And we’re going to work as hard as we can to find just a handful of Republicans who are now on the run on this Medicaid issue to do the right thing by their constituents.
MICHAEL STEELE: Congressman, we have been talking about voting in the last hour or so minutes and the the reality of it is, we saw how Republicans, under Elon’s leadership and the president’s backing, dropped $26 million dollars into a race to try to convince voters to go with a MAGA candidate. They rejected it. We saw Democrats close the gap in Florida in two congressional districts, which are are R +30. Democrats took 14 points to 17 points off, respectively, closing that gap. So there’s momentum there, but there’s something even a little bit more close to the ground relative to your chamber. You’ve now threatened a lawsuit in the state of Texas over a delayed Texas special election, noting the Houston area district, Texas 18, which is a predominantly Hispanic and Black population, has now had its previous two members die in office, could go as long as seven months without representation in this Congress, unless the governor calls an emergency election. Talk to us about what’s happening there in terms of those two seats and why you think there’s an effort to stall this to get passed this Congress.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you, Michael, for that question. The Honorable Sylvester Turner, who was a great public servant, former Mayor of Houston, sworn into Congress this year on January 3rd, unexpectedly and tragically passed on March 5th, exactly one month ago. He was funeralized during his homegoing service on March 15th. Yet weeks have passed, and the governor of Texas is conspiring with House Republicans to keep the seat vacant. Why? Because they are on the run legislatively, and they know their margins are tight, and they’re trying to do everything they can to rig the system in order to jam their GOP tax scam down the throats of the American people and in the process, take away health care from everyday Americans and do a bunch of damage. This is what this is all about. There’s no reason that the governor of Texas has not called a special election over the last few weeks. It’s a fraudulent scheme, and it’s connected to what we’re seeing taking place all over the country, including in North Carolina right now. By the way, North Carolina is a particularly bad actor because the three seats that Republicans took away from Democrats in North Carolina, they were extreme partisan gerrymandering in the middle of the decade, after redistricting had already taken place, and it was sanctioned by this right-wing Supreme Court. Those three seats actually make the difference between Democrats being in the majority right now and the House Republicans. And so that’s a bad lesson that they’ve learned and they’re not going to walk away from it which is why we have to continue to raise the alarm, mobilize the American people and then hold them responsible, accountable for their anti-democratic actions.
ALICIA MENENDEZ: Very quickly sir then, are you concerned that Republicans across the board in key districts across the country will attempt to deny Democrats and frankly, you the Speakership, if you are successful in November. If the numbers from Florida hold, I mean, dropping a +30 district and a Republican only winning it by 15, 14, 17 points. That to me feels dangerous. So are you concerned that they might try to steal the election? And are you all prepared?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Yes. We have to be incredibly vigilant across the board to call out their schemes well in advance, which will help stop them. From the standpoint of public sentiment, from engaging in it, this is one of the reasons why the Wisconsin State Supreme Court race was so critical, because that’s a battleground state for next November, let alone in 2028. At least two competitive congressional seats in Wisconsin. And we got to make sure that we are protecting the integrity of the courts all across the country and in many of the battleground states where this next election will be decided, you do have enlightened State Supreme Courts. So that’s the good news. We’re also suing Donald Trump, I’m suing him personally, along with Leader Schumer, House Democrats, Senate Democrats, the Democratic Governors Association and the Democratic National Committee, all of us together to make sure that we can get his executive order, which is all about voter suppression, declared unlawful and unconstitutional. And I believe we’ll be successful in doing just that.
MICHAEL STEELE: All right. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you, sir, for your time. Really appreciate it.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
HOUSTON – A total of 225 cases have been filed in border security-related matters from March 28-April 3, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
As part of those cases, 70 face allegations of illegally reentering 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 144 people face charges of illegally entering the country, nine cases involve various instances of human smuggling with others relating to firearms and assault of a federal officer.
Among those charged as part of these cases include an illegal alien and a McAllen resident who are now in custody for alien smuggling resulting in two deaths. Vicente Garcia Jr. was allegedly transporting one illegal alien whom he was to transfer to Jose Alexis Baeza-Combaluzier. Baeza-Combaluzier had four other illegal aliens in his vehicle and departed the area with the passengers but eventually came to a stop due to a flooded road, according to the charges. When authorities attempted to make an approach, he allegedly accelerated and drove through a flooded area and eventually drove into a canal. Law enforcement immediately began rescue operations, but two drowned, including a 14-year-old child, according to the charges. If convicted they face up the life in prison or the possibility of a death sentence.
Four of those charged in illegal reentry cases include two El Salvadoran males who are identified as potential MS-13 gang members. Authorities found Edwin Geovanny Parada-Granados near Hidalgo less than a year after he was previously removed, according to the charges. Misael Antonio Mendez-Mendez was allegedly found near Mission having previously been removed less than six weeks ago. The charges allege he is also a convicted felon.
Another El Salvadorian male is alleged to be a convicted sex offender. Nicolas Alberto Hernandez-Lopez was previously sentenced to 60 months for second degree sexual assault, according to the charges and had been removed in 2023. However, he was found again in the United States near Escobares.
Law enforcement also encountered Cesar Humberto Leal-Garcia unlawfully in the country and attempted to place him into custody, according to a criminal complaint. At that time, he allegedly assaulted two Border Patrol agents. Leal-Garcia is now charged with illegal reentry and assault on a federal officer. He has four prior convictions for illegal reentry after removal, according to the allegations.
Also charged this week is a Mexican national facing charges of trafficking firearms and smuggling goods from the United States. Pedro Cardiel Rodriguez allegedly attempted to transport a 9 mm pistol and 1,852 rounds of ammunition to Mexico through the Brownsville Gateway International Bridge. He purchased the pistol on behalf of an individual in Mexico, according to the allegations.
Other relevant matters announced this week include the sentencing of a repeat illegal alien offender sent to prison for 33 months in a case out of the Brownsville Division. Fidel Jose-Ramirez has other criminal convictions including driving while intoxicated, assault family violence, criminal mischief and possession of a controlled substance. He was first ordered removed from the United States in 2019 and was previously convicted of being an alien unlawfully found in the United States after removal in 2023. After his conviction and subsequent removal, he had illegally reentered the country Jan. 3, 2024, after crossing the Rio Grande River.
In Corpus Christi, an illegal alien with seven DWIs was also ordered to prison. In handing down the 24-month sentence, the court noted Arturo Cruz-Badillo’s previous driving while intoxicated convictions (DWI) and how they are very dangerous for communities and its citizens. He has seven prior DWI convictions in addition to a conviction for battery and was removed from the country three times between 2012 and 2023. However, on Aug. 22, 2024, law enforcement discovered Cruz-Badillo again in the country along with 10 other illegal aliens being smuggled in a commercial cargo trailer.
Also announced this week was the conviction of another human smuggler in an event that resulted in death. Jose Guadalupe Antonio-Arredondo admitted to assisting in the smuggling of an illegal alien July 12, 2024. He guided the illegal alien and a brush guide to the border wall before he returned to Mexico. However, after they crossed the wall, the alien had trouble breathing and ultimately collapsed. The alien was pronounced deceased July 17, 2024.
Also in McAllen, a Mexican citizen illegally residing in San Benito was indicted for using someone else’s identity to pose as an American citizen. Cristina Amezcua Valencia allegedly applied for a U.S. passport, claiming the identity of another individual. She later utilized the passport containing the individual’s name and date and place of birth so she could enter the U.S. from Mexico, according to the charges. If convicted, Amezcua faces up to 10 years for the false statement in application of a U.S. passport and up to three years for false claim to U.S. citizenship. She will also be ordered to serve a mandatory two years for identity theft, upon conviction, which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
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 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.
South Korea’s constitutional court on Friday upheld a motion by the National Assembly to impeach the country’s president Yoon Suk-yeol over his short-lived martial law imposition.
The conservative leader officially lost all presidential power, becoming the country’s second sitting president to be forcibly removed from power following former conservative President Park Geun-hye’s ouster through impeachment in 2017.
WHAT ABOUT YOON
Moon Hyung-bae, acting chief of the court, read a ruling on Yoon’s impeachment, saying it was a unanimous decision of eight justices.
The acting chief said Yoon broke his duty of protecting the constitution as he damaged the constitutional institutions, such as the parliament, and violated the basic rights of people by mobilizing the military and the police.
Following his removal from office, Yoon must vacate the presidential residence in central Seoul. Local media predicted that he may return to his private house, but it remains unclear whether he will leave the official residence immediately.
According to South Korea’s law on the treatment of former presidents, a president who is removed from office due to impeachment loses most of the post-retirement privileges granted under normal circumstances.
This includes the loss of pension, office space, vehicle, and secretarial support. Only basic security protection will be provided.
Yoon will face criminal trial as a normal citizen over his alleged involvement in an attempted insurrection. South Korea’s prosecution indicted Yoon on an insurrection charge on Jan. 26 after he was arrested in the presidential residence on Jan. 15.
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CONFLICTS
Yoon had been facing challenges from opposition parties since he took office. Last April, the ruling party suffered a crushing defeat in parliamentary elections, further weakening the government.
After over two years in office, Yoon used veto power 25 times against bills passed by the opposition-led National Assembly. As a result, issues such as healthcare and pension reform, led by the Yoon administration, have faced significant legislative resistance.
The political conflicts have deepened social conflict. A report by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs released in March found that public perception of “social conflict” reached its highest level since 2018, with the most severe divide between progressives and conservatives.
Local newspaper Chosun Ilbo observed that ideological conflicts, more than regional or wealth disparities, have become a major obstacle to South Korea’s social unity.
After a motion to impeach Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec. 14 over his botched martial law imposition, polarization and conflicts became even more pronounced, leading to growing hatred and extreme emotions.
The delay in the constitutional court has also intensified conflicts between conservative and progressive factions, making street protests a daily occurrence and further fracturing society, said Lee Jaemook, a professor at the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
EARLY ELECTION
After Yoon is removed from office, South Korea must hold an early presidential election within 60 days. Currently, the leading candidate is Lee Jae-myung from the Democratic Party of Korea, though uncertainty remains.
According to an NBS poll on Thursday, Lee has a 33-percent approval rating, leading by about 24 percentage points over the second-highest contender, the minister of employment and labor, Kim Moon Soo.
Given the deepening political polarization and Yoon’s impeachment, the key to determining the election outcome will be the support of centrist voters and the non-partisan electorate, according to local media reports.
Although the impeachment has created a more favorable environment for progressives, the conservative camp remains unified, which could lead to a balanced contest, said Professor Choi Yong-tae of Chonnam National University.
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While public opinion of Israel plummets, each day the genocide continues without significant repercussions only reinforces that they can ignore this opinion, writes Alex Foley.
SPECIAL REPORT:By Alex Foley
Israel announced that Hossam Shabat was a “terrorist” alongside six other Palestinian journalists. Hossam predicted they would assassinate him.
He survived several attempts on his life. He wrote a brief obituary for himself at the age of 23, carried on reporting, and then on March 24, 2025, Israel killed him.
For those of us outside of Gaza, helpless to stop the carnage but unable to look away, a begrudging numbness has set in, a psychic lidocaine to cope with the daily images of the shattered bodies of dead children.
The other pro-Palestinian advocates and activists I speak with all mention familiar brain fogs and free-floating agitations.
By this point, I am accustomed to opening my phone and steeling myself for the horrors. But learning of Hossam’s death cut through me like a warm knife.
Through whatever fluke of the internet, many of the friends I have made over the course of the genocide are from the city of Beit Hanoun, like Hossam Shabat.
One was his classmate. Another walked with him through the bombed-out ruins of the North. Looking upon his upturned face, splattered with three stripes of crimson blood, I could not help but imagine each of them lying there in his place.
“Hossam Shabat wasn’t alone. He carried the grief of Beit Hanoun, the cries of children trapped under rubble, the aching voices of mothers queuing for bread, and the gasps of the wounded in hospitals that no longer functioned as hospitals.”
Many will remember the video of 14-year-old aspiring journalist Maisam Al-Masri greeting Hossam Shabat in his car, elated that he had not been killed when the occupation first took the North.
Separated from family Hossam remained in Northern Gaza throughout the genocide, separated from his family, in full knowledge that staying and working was a death sentence. His reports were an invaluable insight into the occupation’s crimes, and for that they killed him.
In death, his eyes remained open, bearing witness one last time.
The Israeli account is, of course, very different. The Israeli army has claimed that Hossam Shabat was a “Hamas sniper” with the Beit Hanoun Battalion.
It is the kind of paper-thin lie we have grown accustomed to, dutifully repeated by the Western press. I am no military tactician, but I find it hard to believe that a young man with a high profile who reported his location frequently, including in live broadcasts, would be an effective sniper.
In the weeks before he was assassinated, Hossam Shabat was tweeting up to a dozen times a day.
Hasbara killed Hossam Shabat because it’s losing the PR war A qualitative shift has occurred over the course of the genocide; Israel no longer seems interested in or capable of convincing the rest of the world that its actions are just. Rather, they are preoccupied with producing increasingly flimsy justifications with the sole aim of quelling internal dissent.
The Hasbara machine is foundering.
How could it not? For 17 months we have experienced a daily split screen between the endless stream of atrocities committed against the Palestinians and the screeching histrionics of Zionist influencers. While the people of Gaza endure blockade and bombing, Noa Tishby and Michael Rapaport moan about campus demonstrations.
The campus encampments are also the subject of a new documentary, October 8, currently in theatres throughout the US. Originally titled October H8te, the film claims to be a “searing look at the eruption of antisemitism in America that started the day after Hamas’ attack on Israel”.
The trailer is a series of to-camera interviews of the usual suspects, all decrying the lack of support Zionists discovered in the wake of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza. They cite social media censorship and foreign interference as reasons for Zionism’s wild unpopularity among college students.
It never seems to occur to them that it might be Israel’s actions doing the damage.
In a recently shared clip, former Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg, leans into the victim role, fighting through tears that do not come while relaying a story of asking a close friend if she would hide her while the pair were on a walk. Sandberg attributes her friend’s confusion at the question to the woman not being Jewish and not to the fact that it is a frankly absurd thing for a woman worth over $2 billion to ask.
‘Disappearing’ student protesters The reality is, while Sandberg talks about how unsafe she feels in the US because of the university encampments, the government itself has begun “disappearing” student protesters on her behalf.
Plainclothes ICE agents are continuing to abduct student activists like Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk at the behest of Betar USA, a far-right militant movement founded by Jabotinsky that has been providing the Trump administration with deportation lists.
The violent fantasies that Sandberg argues warrant a global outpouring of sympathy for Zionists are being enacted on an almost daily basis against the very students she claims are a threat.
The hysteria around the encampments has reached a new ludicrous pitch with a lawsuit filed by a group including the families of hostages taken on October 7 against students at Columbia, among them Khalil, whom they allege have been coordinating with Hamas.
The “bombshell” filing includes such evidence as an Instagram post by Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine published three minutes before Hamas’ attack that stated, “We are back!!” after the account was dormant for several months.
The reasonable person might note that the inactivity on the account coincided with the Summer holidays. They might point out that it seems unlikely Hamas was coordinating with student groups in the US about an operation that required the element of surprise.
They might even question what the American students could provide that would make such a risk worth it.
Securing flow of weapons But Hasbara is no longer concerned with the reasonable person; its sole purpose is securing the flow of weapons. Despite the government announcing earlier this year that they are spending an additional $150 million on “international PR,” Israel seems increasingly uninterested in convincing anyone other than the Western governments that still back them.
While public opinion of Israel plummets, each day the genocide continues without significant repercussions only reinforces that they can ignore this opinion.
This is reflected in the degree to which the goalposts have shifted. First, we were told Israel would never bomb a hospital, then we were shown elaborate schematics of nonexistent subterranean command centres, and now they execute and bury first responders without so much as a shrug.
The perverse result of Hasbara falling apart is more brazen, ruthless killing.
While legacy media may still run interference for Israel and universities continue to roll over for the Trump administration, Israel is facing a real threat. It can kill and kill — the number of journalists they have slain far outstrips other major conflicts — but for every Hossam Shabat they kill, there is a Maisam waiting in the wings, ready to shed light on their crimes.
Alex Foley is a researcher and painter living in Brighton, UK. They have a background in molecular biology of health and disease. They are the co-founder of the Accountability Archive, a web tool preserving fragile digital evidence of pro-genocidal rhetoric from power holders. Follow them on X:@foleywoley Republished from The New Arab under Creative Commons.
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 97 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, bringing in aliens for financial gain, receipt of bribes by public official, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week, includes:
On March 24, Customs and Border Protection Officers Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez were arrested and charged with Conspiracy to Bring in Aliens for Financial Gain, Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Receipt of Bribes by Public Official. According to court records, the officers allowed dozens of cars carrying undocumented immigrants to pass through their inspection lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry from August 2024 through January 2025, in exchange for cash.
On March 29, Osvaldo Parra Franco, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Parra attempted to cross into the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl hidden in a spare tire and tailgate of his vehicle. He was intercepted by Customs and Border Protection officers after an alert from a narcotics detection canine.
On March 30, Jesus Eduardo Carrasco-Romero, a Mexican national, was arrested three miles east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and charged with illegally entering the U.S. after previously being deported on March 20 in El Paso, Texas.
On March 31, Francisco Anguiano Rios, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with importation of a controlled substance after Customs and Border Protection officers found 209 packages containing 547 pounds of cocaine concealed in the fuel tank of the tractor trailer Rios was driving as it attempted to cross the border at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
On March 31, Miguel Angel Gonzalez Lujan and Jesus Miguel Gonzalez Garcia, Mexican nationals, were arrested in Campo near the U.S.-Mexico border and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens after Border Patrol agents used a spike strip to deflate the front tires of their fleeing vehicle. Four undocumented immigrants were inside.
Federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On April 2, 2025, a federal judge ordered that 34-year-old Michelle Denise McIntyre, a resident of Tallassee, Alabama, receive a sentence of 114 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges related to grants received through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund program, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. Following her prison sentence, McIntyre will be on supervised release for three years. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), which was directly administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), was established in March 2021 by the American Rescue Plan Act. The RRF was a financial assistance program designed to provide eligible restaurants with funding equal to their COVID-19 pandemic-related revenue losses. RRF recipients were not required to repay the funding as long as they used the funds for eligible expenses.
According to her plea agreement, McIntyre admitted that, in May of 2021, she applied for RRF grants falsely claiming she began operating a catering business on December 16, 2019. In the application, McIntyre included false receipts and documents purporting to show food orders for the business. McIntyre’s false representations in her application and in supporting documents caused the SBA to award her grants totaling $131,478.76. Court documents indicate McIntyre did not use the funds for eligible expenses. Instead, McIntyre used the illegal proceeds to purchase a vehicle, among other unauthorized personal expenses.
According to court records and statements made during her sentencing hearing, McIntyre was also responsible for fraudulently applying for Paycheck Protection Program Loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Advances, and additional RRF money on behalf of herself and others. All of these funds were intended to help struggling small businesses amidst the COVID-19 disaster. McIntyre operated a business where she charged up-front fees to file pandemic relief applications on others’ behalf, regardless of their eligibility. If an application was successful, she required her clients to pay her a portion of the money they received. All told, McIntyre caused losses to the Small Business Administration exceeding $700,000; and if all of her false applications had been funded, the SBA would have suffered additional losses exceeding $14 million. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
“Fraud committed against federal programs is fraud against the American taxpayer,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “I commend the investigative agencies for their diligent work in this case. My office will continue to do its part in prosecuting those who seek easy profit at the expense of every hard-working United States citizen.”
“Exploiting SBA’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund and COVID relief programs for personal gain is a serious offense that diverts critical resources away from legitimate small businesses in need,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
“Five years after the enactment of the CARES Act, individuals who defrauded the programs intended to help Americans are still being held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents, law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s office will continue their aggressive pursuit of those who defrauded the programs under the CARES Act.”
The Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, U.S. Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the FBI Mobile Field Office investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Megan A. Kirkpatrick prosecuted.