Source: New Zealand Police
Police can advise the teenage girl subject of an earlier missing person’s appeal has been located.
The 17-year-old girl, reported missing from Takapuna, is safe.
We appreciate the community’s assistance in sharing our appeal today.
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
Source: United States Small Business Administration
Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release
A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.
United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Malaina Chapman, 38, to 54 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ruiz further ordered Chapman to pay $1,297,178 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as a Disaster Relief Specialist with the SBA from September 28, 2020 through March 18, 2021. While employed by the SBA, Chapman became involved in multiple schemes to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as local credit unions and local and state programs designed to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On February 10, 2021, Chapman submitted an online loan application in the name of Upscale Credit Lounge, LLC to a lender. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Schedule C (Form 1040) that reported gross revenues of $103,674 and a tentative profit of $81,860 for 2020. The lender relied upon the representations in Chapman’s application to approve a loan in the amount of $17,052.50.
On February 19, 2021, Chapman submitted an online PPP loan application with the lender on behalf of DA TRAP, LLC. In her application, Chapman claimed that she had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $14,191. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Employers Quarterly Tax Return (Form 941), which purportedly documented the wages paid by DA TRAP. Relying on the representations in the application, the lender approved a loan in the amount of $35,477.50.
In total, Chapman received $230,246 for the loan applications she submitted on her own behalf.
Chapman also conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Six defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20079. For that conspiracy, Chapman was held accountable for losses of $837,716.
In addition to defrauding the PPP program, Chapman also took advantage of the State of Florida and the City of Miami’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.
Chapman spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Goyard, Chanel, Fendi, as well as a designer teacup puppy. Chapman also spent over $7,500 on a stay at a Key Largo luxury resort.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, SBA-OIG, and DOL-OIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein prosecuted the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20321.
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
MIAMI – A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.
United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Malaina Chapman, 38, to 54 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ruiz further ordered Chapman to pay $1,297,178 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as a Disaster Relief Specialist with the SBA from September 28, 2020 through March 18, 2021. While employed by the SBA, Chapman became involved in multiple schemes to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as local credit unions and local and state programs designed to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On February 10, 2021, Chapman submitted an online loan application in the name of Upscale Credit Lounge, LLC to a lender. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Schedule C (Form 1040) that reported gross revenues of $103,674 and a tentative profit of $81,860 for 2020. The lender relied upon the representations in Chapman’s application to approve a loan in the amount of $17,052.50.
On February 19, 2021, Chapman submitted an online PPP loan application with the lender on behalf of DA TRAP, LLC. In her application, Chapman claimed that she had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $14,191. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Employers Quarterly Tax Return (Form 941), which purportedly documented the wages paid by DA TRAP. Relying on the representations in the application, the lender approved a loan in the amount of $35,477.50.
In total, Chapman received $230,246 for the loan applications she submitted on her own behalf.
Chapman also conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Six defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20079. For that conspiracy, Chapman was held accountable for losses of $837,716.
In addition to defrauding the PPP program, Chapman also took advantage of the State of Florida and the City of Miami’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.
Chapman spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Goyard, Chanel, Fendi, as well as a designer teacup puppy. Chapman also spent over $7,500 on a stay at a Key Largo luxury resort.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, SBA-OIG, and DOL-OIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein prosecuted the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20321.
###
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
MIAMI – A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.
United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Malaina Chapman, 38, to 54 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ruiz further ordered Chapman to pay $1,297,178 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as a Disaster Relief Specialist with the SBA from September 28, 2020 through March 18, 2021. While employed by the SBA, Chapman became involved in multiple schemes to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as local credit unions and local and state programs designed to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On February 10, 2021, Chapman submitted an online loan application in the name of Upscale Credit Lounge, LLC to a lender. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Schedule C (Form 1040) that reported gross revenues of $103,674 and a tentative profit of $81,860 for 2020. The lender relied upon the representations in Chapman’s application to approve a loan in the amount of $17,052.50.
On February 19, 2021, Chapman submitted an online PPP loan application with the lender on behalf of DA TRAP, LLC. In her application, Chapman claimed that she had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $14,191. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Employers Quarterly Tax Return (Form 941), which purportedly documented the wages paid by DA TRAP. Relying on the representations in the application, the lender approved a loan in the amount of $35,477.50.
In total, Chapman received $230,246 for the loan applications she submitted on her own behalf.
Chapman also conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Six defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20079. For that conspiracy, Chapman was held accountable for losses of $837,716.
In addition to defrauding the PPP program, Chapman also took advantage of the State of Florida and the City of Miami’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.
Chapman spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Goyard, Chanel, Fendi, as well as a designer teacup puppy. Chapman also spent over $7,500 on a stay at a Key Largo luxury resort.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, SBA-OIG, and DOL-OIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein prosecuted the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20321.
###
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James D Metzger, Senior Lecturer in Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney
In November 2021, in the city of Chandler, Arizona, Chris Pelkey was shot and killed by Gabriel Horcasitas in a road rage altercation.
Horcasitas was tried and convicted of reckless manslaughter.
When it was time for Horcasitas to be sentenced by a judge, Pelkey’s family knew they wanted to make a statement – known as a “victim impact statement” – explaining to the judge who Pelkey had been when he was alive.
They found they couldn’t get the words right.
The solution for them turned out to be having Pelkey speak for himself by creating an AI-generated avatar that used his face and voice, allowing him to “talk” directly to the judge.
This marked the first time a United States court had allowed an AI-generated victim to make this kind of beyond-the-grave statement, and likely the first time something like this had occurred anywhere in the world.
The AI avatar was created by Pelkey’s sister Stacey Wales and her husband Tim, with Stacey writing the words “spoken” by Pelkey – words that were not taken from anything he actually said when he was alive but based on what she believed he would have said.
The avatar was created by using samples of Pelkey’s voice from videos that had been recorded before his death and photos the family had of him – specifically a photo used at his funeral.
In the video, Pelkey “says” he believes in forgiveness and “a God who forgives”, and that “in another life” he and Horcasitas could have been friends.
After the video was played in court, Judge Todd Lang, who had allowed the AI statement to be delivered, stated he “loved” the AI, adding he “heard the forgiveness” contained in it. He further stated he felt the forgiveness was “genuine”.
In the end, Horcasitas was sentenced to the maximum of ten-and-a-half years – more than the nine years the prosecution was seeking but equal to what Pelkey’s family asked for in their own victim impact statements.
In general, court rules are similar across Australian states and territories and it would be unlikely these technological advances would be acceptable in Australian sentencing courts.
These rules allow victims or their families to read their statement to courts, but this is limited to written statements usually edited by the prosecution, although victims may include drawings and photos where approved.
A victim will generally read their own statement to the court. However, where the victim has died, family members can make a statement speaking to their own trauma and loss.
Sometimes victims ask the prosecutor to read their statement, or the prosecutor merely hands over a written statement to the judge.
To date, no Australian court has permitted family members to speak for the deceased victim personally and family members are generally limited to describing harms they have directly suffered.
Victims may also be cross-examined by defence counsel on the statements’ content.
Creating an AI avatar would be time-consuming and expensive for prosecutors to edit. Cross-examination by the defence would be impossible.
Compared to the US, there is generally far less tolerance in Australian courts for dramatic readings of statements or using audio-visual materials.
In the US, victims enjoy greater freedom to invoke emotions, explore personal narratives and even show videos of the deceased, all to give the court a better sense of the victim as a person.
The use of an AI avatar, therefore, is not too far from what is already allowed in most US courts.
Despite these allowances, there is still concern the emotional impact of a more direct statement from an AI victim could be used to manipulate the court by putting words into the victim’s virtual mouth.
As can be seen in the Arizona sentencing, Judge Lang was clearly affected by the emotions generated by the AI Pelkey.
Changes to Australian law would be needed to ban use of AI recordings specifically. But even without such changes, Australian sentencing practice is already so restrictive as to essentially preclude such technology.
It seems Australia is some ways from joining Arizona in allowing an AI avatar of a deceased person speaking from “beyond the grave”.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Why a US court allowed a dead man to deliver his own victim impact statement – via an AI avatar – https://theconversation.com/why-a-us-court-allowed-a-dead-man-to-deliver-his-own-victim-impact-statement-via-an-ai-avatar-259045
Source: New Zealand Police
One person has died after a single vehicle incident in Redwoodtown, Blenheim.
At around 10:45am Emergency services received reports of the incident on Lewis Street.
The Serious Crash Unit is in attendance.
The circumstances of the incident are under investigation.
Lewis Street will remain closed until a scene examination has been carried out.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, spoke on the Senate floor following his forcible removal from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference, where he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed after attempting to ask a question. Padilla delivered a strong rebuke to the Trump Administration’s unprecedented militarization of Los Angeles and called for his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as well as the American people, to speak up against Trump’s abuse of power.
Last week, Trump deployed approximately 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles amid unrest caused by his indiscriminate immigration raids across the region. Padilla flew to Los Angeles to conduct oversight over the Trump Administration’s unprecedented military deployment to California — without Governor Newsom’s consent — and was in the high-security Los Angeles Federal Building for a scheduled oversight meeting with the commanding general in charge of the military presence in the region before law enforcement escorted him into Secretary Noem’s briefing room.
In the hopes of learning new information after having his requests ignored for months, Padilla tried to ask a question in response to Noem’s demonizing rhetoric toward immigrants and Los Angeles’ democratically elected leadership.
Padilla detailed his own background as the proud son of immigrants from Mexico who left behind his MIT engineering degree to protest against the vile anti-immigrant rhetoric in the 1990s that a Republican governor up for reelection spread across California. He said he felt he had to speak out against the Trump Administration’s “un-American” scapegoating of immigrants and California, and detailed the violent reaction to his question.
Padilla expressed his gratitude for the immense support for him and his family that poured in since his forcible removal. However, he emphasized that this fight was not about him but about the fundamental democratic rights of all Americans across the country.
Padilla set the record straight on Republican misinformation on undocumented immigrants as Trump has used the same playbook when the headlines turn against him: scapegoat immigrants and manufacture a crisis. Public reporting shows that the majority of immigrants currently in ICE custody have no prior criminal conviction, and under 10 percent of immigrants taken into ICE custody since October have serious criminal convictions. Yet, President Trump has blamed immigrants to distract from his failed policies, including Republicans’ billionaire-first budget reconciliation bill that would cut critical services like health care and nutrition for millions of working families across the country.
As President Trump takes unprecedented action to militarize Los Angeles without justification or the Governor’s request, Padilla warned of the stakes for cities across the United States and American democracy.
Padilla concluded his speech with a call to action for Angelenos and millions of Americans to stand up and keep peacefully protesting against the Trump Administration’s attack on fundamental rights.
Senator Padilla has been outspoken in calling out the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles and Trump’s misguided deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps. This weekend, Padilla led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty servicemembers to American cities. Last week, Padilla and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) demanded answers regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to deploy approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles. Padilla has spoken at a spotlight hearing and on the Senate floor multiple times to blast President Trump for manufacturing a crisis by launching indiscriminate ICE raids across Los Angeles and deploying the National Guard and active-duty servicemembers to the region. He also joined all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats today in calling on Chairman Grassley to schedule Department of Homeland Security Secretary Noem for a broad oversight hearing for testimony before the committee.
Padilla’s full remarks as prepared for delivery are available below:
[Mr./Madam] President,
Over the last two weeks in Los Angeles – my hometown – we’ve seen masked federal agents in tactical gear ordered into our communities . . .
We’ve seen a disturbing pattern of extreme and cruel immigration enforcement operations, targeting non-violent people at places of worship, schools, and courthouses.
All to meet an arbitrary quota.
Now, we’re seeing President Trump federalize and deploy the National Guard without the Governor’s consent . . .
Active-duty Marines have been deployed, escalating tensions in our city . . .
All without coordination with the state and local law enforcement.
Despite repeated requests for justification for these extreme actions…and after months of little to no response from the Administration on their aggressive and theatrical immigration raids…
The Trump administration has done everything in their power BUT provide transparency to the American people about their mission in Los Angeles.
So last week, I went home to try to get answers from the administration as they militarize our city.
What I heard should shock the conscience of our country.
One of the first items on my schedule last Thursday was a meeting with General Guillot, the four-star general in charge of U.S. Northern Command at the Federal Building in west Los Angeles, where they are overseeing these military operations.
When the United States military is deployed domestically…
When our own troops are deployed against the wishes of the Governor for the first time since 1965, against the wishes of the mayor, against even the wishes of local law enforcement — then we’re in uncharted territory.
So in an effort to do my duty to conduct congressional oversight — and to try to get answers from the Department of Defense that state and local officials were not receiving— I went to the federal building in West LA.
I was met at the entrance by a National Guardsman and an FBI agent, who escorted me through the security screening and up to a conference room for my scheduled briefing.
While waiting for my scheduled briefing with General Guillot, I learned that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was holding a press conference just down the hall and that the press conference was causing my briefing to be delayed.
The thought occurred to me that maybe I could attend and listen in, in the hopes of hearing Secretary Noem provide some new information that could help us make sense of what was happening.
I asked and was escorted by my National Guard and FBI escorts into the press conference. They opened the door for me. They accompanied me into the press briefing room.
It was there that I listened as the United States Secretary of Homeland Security said that the purpose of federal law enforcement and the United States military was to “liberate” Los Angeles from our governor and our mayor . . .
. . . To somehow liberate us from the very people we democratically elected to lead our city and our state.
Colleagues, let that fundamentally un-American mission statement sink in.
That’s not a mission focused on public safety.
That simply is not, and cannot be, the mission of federal law enforcement and the United States military.
To my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, are you truly prepared to live in a country where the President can deploy the armed forces to decide which duly elected governors and mayors should be allowed to lead their constituents?
Is that really the precedent you’re okay with setting?
As Secretary Noem herself said last year when serving as Governor of South Dakota, “If Joe Biden federalizes the National Guard, that would be a direct attack on states’ rights.”
Throughout the country’s history, we’ve had conflict, and we’ve had tumult. But we have never had a tyrant as a commander-in-chief.
That’s not by coincidence!
It’s because the American people have always been willing to speak up and exercise their First Amendment right to protest – especially when our fundamental rights have been threatened.
As the proud son of immigrants from Mexico, it’s that same right I came to revere when marching through the streets of Los Angeles in 1994 alongside friends and family protesting against the vile anti-immigrant rhetoric that was growing in California.
It was that year that a Republican Governor up for reelection and down in the polls, turned to scapegoating immigrants to try to improve his political standing.
That fight is what got me to leave an engineering career behind and dedicate myself to influencing government and politics. So, I’ve seen this before. Californians have seen this before.
So last week, when I heard something so blatantly un-American from the Secretary of Homeland Security — I was compelled, both as a Senator AND as an American, to speak up.
But before I could even get out my question, I was physically and aggressively forced out of the room — even as I announced I was a United States Senator, and I had a question for the Secretary.
And even as the National Guardsman and FBI agent who escorted me into the press conference stood by, silently, knowing full well who I was.
You’ve seen the video.
I was pushed and pulled, struggling to maintain my balance.
I was forced to the ground — first to my knees and then flat on my chest.
As I was handcuffed and marched down a hallway, I repeatedly asked why I was being detained. Not once did they tell me why.
In that moment, a lot of questions run through your head.
Where are they taking me?
Am I being arrested?
What will a city already on edge from being militarized think when they see their Senator has been handcuffed just for trying to ask a question? Or . . .
What will my wife and our three boys think?
I also remember asking myself: if this aggressive escalation is the result of speaking up against the abuses and overreach of the Trump administration, was it really worth it?
But colleagues, how many Americans in our nation’s history have marched, have protested, have shed blood and lost their lives to protect our rights?
How many Americans have served in wars overseas to protect our freedoms here at home?
And how many Americans in the year 2025 see a vindictive president on a tour of retribution, unrestrained by the majority of this separate but co-equal branch of government in this building, and wonder if it’s worth it to stand up or to speak out?
If a United States Senator is too afraid to speak up, how can we expect any other American to do the same?
Colleagues, you know me.
I’m not aware of anyone who would describe me as a flamethrower. I try to be respectful and considerate to every member of this body— regardless of your politics.
So I want to thank all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who reached out to share messages of support — whether it was public or in private.
In means a great deal to me and my family.
But if you watched what unfolded last week and thought this was about one politician or one press conference, you’re missing the point.
If that’s what this Administration will do to a United States Senator for having the audacity to simply ask a question, imagine what they’ll do to any American who dares to speak up.
If that’s what can happen when the cameras are on, imagine not only what can happen — but what is happening — when the cameras are off.
This isn’t about me. In fact, it’s not even just about immigrant communities or about Californians.
It’s about every single American who values their constitutional rights. It’s about anyone who’s ever exercised their First Amendment rights, or ever disagreed with a president, or who simply values living in a democracy and wants to keep it.
The President will tell you this is about undocumented immigrants, and about law and order and about targeting dangerous, violent criminals.
But we know differently.
Public data released by the administration shows that the majority of immigrants currently in ICE custody do not have a prior criminal conviction.
And new reporting shows that less than 10 percent of immigrants taken into ICE custody since October have serious criminal convictions.
Less than 10 percent!
Two weeks ago, Donald Trump was at the lowest point in his presidency so far.
He was drowning in a week of terrible headlines.
The American people were finally waking up to the realities of the budget reconciliation bill that will cut health care, nutrition assistance, and good paying clean energy jobs in order to cut taxes for billionaires.
He was losing his tariff wars as the costs of everyday goods were continuing to rise.
His promises to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were falling flat.
He’d been handed loss after loss in federal court.
And maybe the most embarrassing part was his public breakup with Elon Musk.
But we know what happens when the headlines turn on Donald Trump. Donald Trump turns to the same tired playbook he always has: when in doubt, scapegoat immigrants. And manufacture a crisis to distract the media from your failures.
That’s the reason he ramped up ICE raids in California.
And when Californians took to the streets to peacefully protest, that’s the reason he bypassed the Governor and federalized the National Guard. And as things began to settle in Los Angeles, he escalated even further by sending in the Marines.
He wants the spectacle — not just to distract, but to justify his undemocratic crackdowns and his authoritarian power grabs.
That’s the reason why even while the vast majority of protests have remained peaceful, the President, the Vice President, and their allies have called protestors insurrectionists!
Yes, this is the same man who provoked an actual insurrection on our Capitol on January 6th.
The same man who incited a violent mob, carrying confederate flags, against Congress.
The same man who then pardoned the convicted felons who assaulted our brave Capitol Police officers.
Trump is testing the boundaries of his power. And he’s surrounded himself with yes-men and underqualified attack dogs — from the DHS Secretary to the FBI Director to the Secretary of Defense — who will rubberstamp every anti-democratic step he takes.
This Administration’s officials and Congressional Republicans may choose not to do their job, but they cannot stop me from doing mine.
And I refuse to let immigrants be pawns on the path to fascism.
Again, if you really think this is just about immigrants, it’s time to wake up.
What’s happening isn’t just a threat to California, it’s a threat to everyone in every state.
If Donald Trump can bypass the Governor and activate the National Guard to put down protests for immigrant rights, he can do it to suppress your rights, too.
If he can deploy Marines to Los Angeles without justification, he can deploy them to your city, too.
If he can ignore due process, strip away First Amendment rights, and disappear people to foreign prisons without their day in court, he can do it to you too.
California is just Trump’s test case for the rest of the country.
Last week was a warning shot.
But I pray that it can be our wakeup call, too.
We’ve now seen Trump threaten to do the same in other cities run by elected Democrats.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican, a Democrat, or an independent — we all have a responsibility to speak up and to push back, before it’s too late.
So I encourage people to keep peacefully protesting. There’s nothing more patriotic than peacefully protesting for your rights.
No one will liberate Los Angeles but Angelenos.
No one will redeem America but Americans.
No one is coming to save us but us.
The cameras won’t always be on.
But if this Administration is this scared of just one Senator with a question, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans in the streets can do.
Thank you, [Mr./Madam] President, I yield the floor.
Source: New Zealand Police
Due to the extent of the spill from the single vehicle crash today at about 11.20am, all four lanes of traffic will be closed for some time.
Motorists should expect significant delays.
Police would like to thank motorists for their understanding and patience.
Traffic management is at the scene and emergency services continue to clear the road.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Matt Fitzpatrick, Professor in International History, Flinders University
In the late 1960s, the prevailing opinion among Israeli Shin Bet intelligence officers was that the key to defeating the Palestinian Liberation Organisation was to assassinate its then-leader Yasser Arafat.
The elimination of Arafat, the Shin Bet commander Yehuda Arbel wrote in his diary, was “a precondition to finding a solution to the Palestinian problem.”
For other, even more radical Israelis – such as the ultra-nationalist assassin Yigal Amir – the answer lay elsewhere. They sought the assassination of Israeli leaders such as Yitzak Rabin who wanted peace with the Palestinians.
Despite Rabin’s long personal history as a famed and often ruthless military commander in the 1948 and 1967 Arab-Israeli Wars, Amir stalked and shot Rabin dead in 1995. He believed Rabin had betrayed Israel by signing the Oslo Accords peace deal with Arafat.
It’s been 20 years since Arafat died as possibly the victim of polonium poisoning, and 30 years after the shooting of Rabin. Peace between Israelis and the Palestinians has never been further away.
What Amnesty International and a United Nations Special Committee have called genocidal attacks on Palestinians in Gaza have spilled over into Israeli attacks on the prominent leaders of its enemies in Lebanon and, most recently, Iran.
Since its attacks on Iran began on Friday, Israel has killed numerous military and intelligence leaders, including Iran’s intelligence chief, Mohammad Kazemi; the chief of the armed forces, Mohammad Bagheri; and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami. At least nine Iranian nuclear scientists have also been killed.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said:
We got their chief intelligence officer and his deputy in Tehran.
Iran, predictably, has responded with deadly missile attacks on Israel.
Far from having solved the issue of Middle East peace, assassinations continue to pour oil on the flames.
Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman’s book Rise and Kill First argues assassinations have long sat at the heart of Israeli politics.
In the past 75 years, there have been more than 2,700 assassination operations undertaken by Israel. These have, in Bergman’s words, attempted to “stop history” and bypass “statesmanship and political discourse”.
This normalisation of assassinations has been codified in the Israeli expression of “mowing the grass”. This is, as historian Nadim Rouhana has shown, a metaphor for a politics of constant assassination. Enemy “leadership and military facilities must regularly be hit in order to keep them weak.”
The point is not to solve the underlying political questions at issue. Instead, this approach aims to sow fear, dissent and confusion among enemies.
Thousands of assassination operations have not, however, proved sufficient to resolve the long-running conflict between Israel, its neighbours and the Palestinians. The tactic itself is surely overdue for retirement.
Israel has been far from alone in this strategy of assassination and killing.
Former US President Barack Obama oversaw the extra-judicial killing of Osama Bin Laden, for instance.
After what Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch denounced as a flawed trial, former US President George W. Bush welcomed the hanging of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as “an important milestone on Iraq’s course to becoming a democracy”.
Current US President Donald Trump oversaw the assassination of Iran’s leader of clandestine military operations, Qassem Soleimani, in 2020.
More recently, however, Trump appears to have baulked at granting Netanyahu permission to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
And it’s worth noting the US Department of Justice last year brought charges against an Iranian man who said he’d been tasked with killing Trump.
Elsewhere, in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, it’s common for senior political and media opponents to be shot in the streets. Frequently they also “fall” out of high windows, are killed in plane crashes or succumb to mystery “illnesses”.
Extra-judicial killings, however, have a poor record as a mechanism for solving political problems.
Cutting off the hydra’s head has generally led to its often immediate replacement by another equally or more ideologically committed person, as has already happened in Iran. Perhaps they too await the next round of “mowing the grass”.
But as the latest Israeli strikes in Iran and elsewhere show, solving the underlying issue is rarely the point.
In situations where finding a lasting negotiated settlement would mean painful concessions or strategic risks, assassinations prove simply too tempting. They circumvent the difficulties and complexities of diplomacy while avoiding the need to concede power or territory.
As many have concluded, however, assassinations have never killed resistance. They have never killed the ideas and experiences that give birth to resistance in the first place.
Nor have they offered lasting security to those who have ordered the lethal strike.
Enduring security requires that, at some point, someone grasp the nettle and look to the underlying issues.
The alternative is the continuation of the brutal pattern of strike and counter-strike for generations to come.
Matt Fitzpatrick receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
– ref. Iran war: from the Middle East to America, history shows you cannot assassinate your way to peace – https://theconversation.com/iran-war-from-the-middle-east-to-america-history-shows-you-cannot-assassinate-your-way-to-peace-259038
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced an award of $1,906,102 through the Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program for projects at several airports across North Dakota. The funding will be distributed as follows:
The AIG Program was established by the fully-paid-for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide airports with funding for modernization and safety projects. Since its creation, airports in North Dakota have received over $49 million in program funding.
Source: New Zealand Police
Attribute to Inspector Caroline Martin Hawke’s Bay Area Prevention Manager.
Police have made one arrest for the burglary of the Life Pharmacy on Monday 16 June.
Two alleged offenders entered the Emerson Street premises around 2.30am using a weapon to break through a glass door.
They took several items from the store before fleeing the area.
A short time later, Police located one of the vehicles on Venables Avenue and found items believed to be from the store.
After making enquiries, Police identified and located a youth, who was spoken to by Police. The youth has been referred to Youth Aid and the items have been returned to the store.
It is unacceptable to see young people committing these types of offences, but we are pleased that the public and Police working together resulted in one apprehension so far and recovery of the stolen items.
We understand the harm and concern this causes for those in our community, especially our retailers.
We hope these results are a reminder to the Napier community that we are taking offending of this nature seriously, and we will continue to take action.
Police are continuing to follow positive lines of inquiry and are appealing to the public for any information that may assist in our investigation.
Please contact Police through 105, either online or via phone and quote the reference number 250616/1867.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union
Municipalities in Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, and Missouri and Public Sector Union Win Injunction to Prevent Cuts at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Court Declines to Issue Nationwide Relief
Washington, D.C. — A coalition of major municipalities across the nation — including Harris County, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee; and Kansas City, Missouri — and public service workers represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) were granted an injunction today in their challenge to unlawful funding termination by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). That termination would have canceled grants that those municipalities and their public health workforce rely on to protect their constituents from infectious diseases and pandemics.
The injunction will stop the unlawful HHS funding termination, requiring the Department to issue the grants while the case proceeds. The court declined to issue a nationwide injunction, but left open the possibility of extending needed relief later in the case to public health employees across the country.
The municipalities filed suit in April in District Court for the District of Columbia, and the case is Harris County et al. v. Kennedy. Nashville and Davidson County, Kansas City, and Columbus are represented by Democracy Forward and the Public Rights Project. AFSCME is also represented by Democracy Forward. Harris County is represented by Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee.
“This ruling is a win for Harris County residents and public health departments across the country. The federal government cannot simply ignore Congress and pull the plug on essential services that communities rely on. Today’s decision ensures we can keep doing the work that protects our residents — from tracking disease outbreaks to providing vaccinations and supporting vulnerable families,” said Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee.
“When the executive branch claims virtually unlimited powers, we all rely on the courts to uphold the Constitution. Nashville cannot easily replace the five individuals laid off when the cancellation of the grant was initially announced, but we are grateful to the partners that pushed for this injunction and skillfully articulated why no administration has the authority to rescind grants previously authorized by Congress,” said Metro Nashville’s Director of Law, Wally Dietz.
“We are pleased the judge ruled that it was unlawful and a violation of the Constitution for the administration to rip this critical public health funding from our communities; however, we are disappointed by the decision to only deliver limited relief,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “Every tax dollar withheld means fewer staff responding to outbreaks, fewer vaccinations, and greater risk to the public — especially those most vulnerable. But this fight isn’t over. We will continue to push our case forward to ensure public dollars remain invested in public health.”
On March 24, 2025, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unlawfully eliminated congressionally-mandated federal funding designed to keep local governments safe from COVID-19 and from future pandemics. The terminated appropriations provided more than $11 billion worth of federal grants to local municipalities for the vital public health work of identifying, monitoring, and addressing infectious diseases; ensuring access to necessary immunizations, including immunizations for children; and strengthening emergency preparedness to avoid future pandemics.
“This injunction is important for public health,” said Joel McElvain, Senior Legal Advisor at Democracy Forward. “The Trump-Vance administration’s destructive agenda threatens to deprive residents of essential public health services in the midst of continuing dangers posed by COVID-19 and other diseases, including a deadly measles outbreak centered in Texas that has spread to Ohio, Tennessee, and other states across the country. The stakes here are real and immediate, and this injunction reflects that urgency. Democracy Forward is honored to represent this coalition, which is fighting to preserve crucial and lifesaving public health efforts.”
“This case is about stopping federal abuse of power that puts lives at risk,” said Jill Habig, founder and chief executive officer of Public Rights Project. “Local governments rely on this funding to track disease, maintain vaccinations and staff essential health programs. This ruling ensures communities nationwide — not just the ones that sued — can continue to count on these vital services.”
Though the reasoning offered by the Trump administration for canceling the grants was the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the programs canceled were not limited to work on COVID-19, and include work to stop outbreaks of avian flu and measles, two infectious diseases currently spreading in American neighborhoods.
The Democracy Forward legal team working on the matter includes counsel Joel McElvain,
Pooja Boisture, and Skye L. Perryman.
Please find the full complaint here and today’s ruling here.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Missouri affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding beginning April 29.
The disaster declaration covers the Missouri counties of Barry, Greene, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton and Washington.
Under this declaration, PNPs providing non-critical services of a governmental nature impacted by physical damages or financial losses directly related to the disaster are eligible to apply for both business physical damage loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the SBA. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools, and colleges.
PNPs may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes.
EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
Interest rates are as low 3.62% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA will set loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return physical damage applications is Aug. 11, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 9, 2026.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development
Scam warning: The ACCC is aware that scammers may call, email or text to falsely offer to help get compensation from various businesses. They may use this media release about compensation to convince people their contact is real.
STOP – Don’t give money or personal information to anyone if you’re unsure. Scammers will create a sense of urgency. Don’t rush to act. Don’t click on links even if the message appears to come from Optus. Say ‘no’, hang up, delete.
CHECK – Ask yourself could the call, email or text be fake? Scammers pretend to be from organisations and entities you know and trust. Contact the organisation using information you source independently, so that you can verify if it is real or not.
PROTECT – Act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank immediately if you lose money. If you have provided personal information call IDCARE on 1800 595 160. The more we talk the less power they have. Report scams to the National Anti-Scam Centre’s Scamwatch service at scamwatch.gov.au when you see them.
Optus Mobile Pty Ltd (Optus) has admitted to engaging in unconscionable conduct when selling telecommunications goods and services to hundreds of consumers, after court action brought by the ACCC.
In many instances the consumers did not want or need, could not use or could not afford what they were sold, and in some cases consumers were pursued for debts resulting from these sales.
Many of the affected consumers were vulnerable or experiencing disadvantage, such as living with a mental disability, diminished cognitive capacity or learning difficulties, being financially dependent or unemployed, having limited financial literacy or English not being a first language. Many of the consumers were First Nations Australians from regional, remote and very remote parts of Australia.
As part of an agreement announced today, the ACCC and Optus will jointly ask the Federal Court to impose a total penalty of $100 million on Optus for breaching the Australian Consumer Law. It is a matter for the Court to decide whether the penalty is appropriate and to make other orders.
Optus has admitted that its sales staff acted unconscionably when selling phones and contracts to over 400 consumers at 16 different stores across Australia between August 2019 and July 2023. Examples of the conduct engaged in by the sales staff included:
Optus has also signed an undertaking, accepted by the ACCC, that it will compensate impacted consumers and improve its internal systems, the commencement of which is subject to the Court making relevant orders.
“The conduct, which included selling inappropriate, unwanted or unaffordable mobiles and phone plans to people who are vulnerable or experiencing disadvantage is simply unacceptable,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
“During our investigation into this case, the ACCC heard many stories of the impact of this conduct on affected consumers.”
“Many of these consumers who were vulnerable or experiencing disadvantage also experienced significant financial harm. They accrued thousands of dollars of unexpected debt and some were pursued by debt collectors, in some instances for years,” Ms Lowe said.
“It is not surprising, and indeed could and should have been anticipated, that this conduct caused many of these people significant emotional distress and fear.”
“We are particularly concerned that Optus engaged debt collectors to pursue some of these consumers after it had launched internal investigations into the sales conduct,” Ms Lowe said.
“Optus has admitted to this conduct and has appropriately committed to changing its systems. It has begun compensating affected consumers.”
“We are grateful to the many advocates, financial counsellors and carers who assisted the impacted individuals. We also thank the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman for their role in drawing these issues to our attention.”
Optus has admitted that the inappropriate sales practices affected many consumers in its two Darwin stores and 24 individuals in stores around Australia.
In respect of the Mount Isa store, which has now closed, Optus pursued debts in circumstances where its senior management knew that those debts related to contracts for goods and services that had been or might have been created without the knowledge of the affected consumers, the majority of whom were First Nations Australians from Mount Isa and the Northern Territory.
Optus’s senior management became increasingly aware that Optus staff were engaging in the inappropriate sales practices and that Optus’s systems and controls could not stop the conduct. Optus acknowledged it failed to promptly take steps to fix deficiencies in its systems, which allowed the conduct to continue.
Commission-based sales arrangements for Optus’s sales staff had the potential to incentivise the inappropriate sales conduct, despite the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code requiring Optus, from 17 June 2022, to have regard to the ACCC’s best practice recommendations, which recommend businesses avoid commission-based selling because of its potential to exacerbate the vulnerability of consumers.
This case follows similar ACCC action against Telstra, which was ordered in May 2021 to pay a $50 million penalty for engaging in unconscionable conduct when it sold mobile contracts to 108 Indigenous consumers between at least 1 January 2016 and about 27 August 2018.
Optus has given an undertaking to provide remediation and has started compensating consumers. It has undertaken to address claims through a clear resolution process.
Optus has undertaken to make a $1 million donation to an organisation facilitating digital literacy of First Nations Australians.
Optus has undertaken to review its complaint handling, improve staff training, change its debt collection systems, and make other changes to systems and procedures.
It has undertaken to change the remuneration structure of sales staff to disincentivise them from engaging in similar conduct.
It has also commenced buying back 34 Optus licensee stores in the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia.
Consumers who think they may have been impacted by conduct similar to that outlined in the undertaking can call Optus’s specialist customer care team on 1300 082 820 for further information or support.
The undertaking offered by Optus, and accepted by the ACCC, is available at Optus Mobile Pty Ltd. It will come into force once the court makes final orders.
A First Nations consumer, who speaks English as a second language and lives in a remote community with no Optus coverage, was approached by Optus staff outside an Optus store and pressured to enter. They did not want or need a new phone. They thought staff were offering them a free phone and other free products and felt pressured by staff to accept.
They were contracted to two high-end phones, three phone plans, two Device Protect services and one accessories bundle, which had a total minimum cost of $3,808 over 24 months. The following day, the consumer was entered into a second contract for a phone plan and accessories, for a total minimum of $540. The consumer was not informed there was no coverage at their home address, and false information was entered into their credit check. The consumer had their debt referred to debt collectors and was contacted on many occasions by the debt collector. The consumer sought the assistance of a financial counsellor as they did not understand what the debt related to.
Another consumer, who lives with an intellectual disability, attended an Optus store with a support worker to purchase a $20 pre-paid recharge for their phone. The consumer’s main source of income was the disability support pension. They were told by Optus staff that they could get a new phone and a free speaker for $30 a month, and were pressured into the purchase.
Optus staff added a false ABN to their account and manipulated credit checks. The consumer was entered into three separate contracts for a phone, plans and a smart watch and accessories, which they could not afford and would cost over $8,000 over 36 months. The consumer went to a community legal centre who assisted them with cancelling the contracts with Optus.
In 2019 an internal Optus investigation into customer accounts at the Optus store in Mount Isa resulted in a report that identified that the store manager had falsified identification documents and consumer information to create services and had used the identities of First Nations consumers who were not aware that their identities had been used. The report identified 82 contracts that appeared to have been fraudulently completed without consumer knowledge.
After Optus was notified of the conduct the subject of the report, including through its senior management, it referred and sold outstanding debts associated with some of those contracts to third party debt collection and factoring agencies. Some consumers whose identities were associated with the relevant customer accounts were subject to threats of legal proceedings being commenced against them and of reporting defaults to credit reporting bodies. Some customers continued to be pursued by third party collections agencies until as late as July 2024 and Optus had not taken steps to stop that occurring.
Optus is Australia’s second largest telecommunications provider. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singtel Optus Pty Ltd, a foreign owned private company.
In Australia, Optus’s retail stores are either:
The ACCC commenced court action against Optus on 31 October 2024. The investigation was prompted by a referral from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
Source: New Zealand Police
At around 11:20am emergency services received reports of a single vehicle crash on the Waikato Expressway, south of Cambridge Road, Tamahere.
One north bound and one south bound lane are blocked.
No injuries have been reported at this stage.
Motorists should expect delays and avoid the area if possible.
Traffic management is on route and emergency services are working to clear the road.
ENDS
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.
Released 18/06/2025
The ACT Government is investing over $15 million in practical, targeted justice initiatives to ensure vulnerable Canberrans can continue to access the legal services they need, when they need them.
The 2025–26 ACT Budget is supporting key legal assistance services, justice reform initiatives, and the growing need for responsive support for victims of crime, people on low income, women, First Nations peoples and culturally diverse communities.
Attorney-General Tara Cheyne said the Budget would strengthen frontline legal services and improve outcomes for people facing disadvantage, hardship or discrimination.
“We know that early access to the right legal advice can make a huge difference, especially for those facing complex barriers to justice,” Minister Cheyne said.
“This Budget delivers for the community. It supports culturally safe, accessible legal help, expands frontline capacity in our courts, and continues critical programs that put the needs of vulnerable people at the centre of the justice system.”
Key measures in the 2025–26 ACT Budget include:
Treasurer Chris Steel said the Government was investing in long-term justice capability while continuing to target the areas of greatest community need.
“The ACT has a proud record of social justice and legal inclusion. These investments ensure justice is not just a principle, but a lived reality for people who need support the most,” Minister Steel said.
“We’re taking a whole-of-system view, supporting frontline organisations, reforming service delivery, and improving our ability to respond to challenges through programs like the Intermediary Service and increased court capacity.”
This package builds on the ACT Government’s commitment to a fair, inclusive and accessible justice system, especially for people who experience disadvantage or barriers in engaging with legal processes.
“By building legal capability and ensuring services are culturally safe and responsive, we’re not only supporting individuals, we’re reducing the long-term burden on the justice system as a whole,” Minister Cheyne said.
– Statement ends –
Chris Steel, MLA | Tara Cheyne, MLA | Media Releases
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Prospect Park Capital Corp. (the “Company”) is pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement (the “Offering”) of common shares (each, a “Common Share”) for gross proceeds of $165,000 through the issuance of 165,000,000 Common Shares at a price of $0.001 per share. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for operational, general and administrative purposes. The Common Shares issued pursuant to the Offering are subject to a four-month hold in accordance with applicable Canadian securities law.
Three of the four directors of the Company participated in the Offering accordingly such transactions are each a “related party transaction” as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (“MI 61-101”). The transactions were exempt from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101 since none of the securities of the Company are listed on a stock exchange specified in section 5.5(b) thereof, and from the minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to 5.7(1)(b) and/or 5.7(1)(e) of MI 61-101.
The Company’s board of directors now consists of four individuals, namely, James Greig, Toby Pierce, Alla Krutous and Ivan Riabov, and the Company’s audit committee now consists of James Greig, Toby Pierce, and Alla Krutous. Mr. Riabov is now the Chief Financial Officer. The board wishes to thank former director Anthony Zelen and former Chief Financial Officer Malcolm Davidson for their efforts over the last few challenging years and wishes them success in their future opportunities.
The Company also announces that effective June 3, 2025, it has, in accordance with regulatory requirements, appointed Horizon Assurance LLP as its auditor henceforth. The Company thanks DNTW Toronto LLP for their past professional service and support. In accordance with National Instrument 51-102, a notice of change of auditor, together with the required letters from the successor auditor and the former auditor have been filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.com).
In addition, the Company has called an annual general and special shareholders’ meeting (the “Meeting”) for July 21, 2025. At the Meeting, amongst other things, management of the Company will be seeking shareholder approval for a share consolidation; confirmation of an amended and restated By-Law No. 1; and approval of a new equity incentive plan. Additional information relating to the matters to be conducted at the Meeting will be included in the management information circular of the Company which will be available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ prior to the Meeting.
| For more information please contact: | James Greig |
| Chief Executive Officer | |
| Prospect Park Capital Corp. | |
| Tel: (778) 788-2745 |
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
Adriana Smith’s Family Was Denied the Right to Make Medical Decisions for Months, After She Was Declared Brain Dead, Due to Georgia Abortion Ban
Pressley Joins Williams, Jacobs in Introducing Resolution Condemning Anti-Abortion Laws that Denied Smith’s Dignity and Human Rights
Adriana’s Son Chance was Delivered via Postmortem Emergency C-Section and Adriana Will be Taken Off Life Support
Resolution Text (PDF)
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) released the following statement on the tragic case of Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old Georgia mother who was declared brain dead in February and had been kept on artificial life support without her family’s consent. The Georgia hospital where Adriana died indicated that the state’s extreme abortion ban mandated Adriana remain on life support because she was 9 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. On Friday, June 13, 2025, her infant son, named Chance, was born prematurely at approximately 4:41 a.m. via a postmortem emergency Cesarean section. Chance weighs about 1 pound, 13 ounces and is currently in the NICU. Adriana is being taken off life support today.
“Adriana Smith was a beloved daughter, a devoted mother, and a compassionate nurse denied dignity and basic human rights,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. “She and her family were failed by a broken system that ignored her pain and then forced them to endure months of trauma under cruel, dehumanizing laws. These laws stripped Adriana of her dignity and denied her family the right to make deeply personal medical decisions. I hope their experiences compel Congress and the states to finally end cruel abortion bans, end fetal personhood laws, and confront the Black maternal morbidity crisis once and for all. I am proud to join Congresswoman Williams and our colleagues on this resolution to honor Adriana’s life, uplift her family, and recommit ourselves to fighting for reproductive freedom, Black maternal health, the right to abortion care and the bodily autonomy of every person who calls this country home. We join Adriana’s family members in praying for strength for baby Chance and mourning the loss of Adriana.”
In light of this solemn update, Congresswoman Pressley joined Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) and Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51) in introducing a resolution recognizing the deeply disturbing case of Adriana Smith.
The resolution calls for urgent legislative and policy changes to protect the rights, autonomy, and dignity of pregnant people — particularly Black women, who are disproportionately impacted by systemic medical neglect and restrictive anti-abortion laws.
“I extend my sympathies to Adriana Smith’s family as they spend their final moments with Adriana on their terms. Adriana Smith deserved better at every point of this tragedy. Her family, along with baby Chance, remain in my family’s prayers as they navigate life after this unimaginably devastating situation that Georgia’s laws imposed on them. From my service in the State Senate when the LIFE Act was passed in 2019, I know that the bill was drafted in a way that created uncertainty among medical providers and my constituents in Georgia’s 5th District about what is permitted under the law and how the law would be enforced. The clear intention of this was to create a chilling effect on doctors providing essential maternal healthcare services and on patients seeking lifesaving medical treatment. We are now seeing this lack of clarity result in unimaginable cruelty to Adriana Smith and her family,” said Congresswoman Nikema Williams.
“My heart breaks for Adriana Smith, her family, and new baby Chance, who had to enter the world this way. Georgia’s fetal personhood law denied Adriana Smith’s family the ability to say goodbye to her on their own terms,” said Congresswoman Sara Jacobs. “Instead, she was kept on life support, breathing through machines for nearly four months to serve as an incubator. Women are worth more than their ability to get pregnant and give birth – we are human beings who should be trusted to make our own health care decisions. It’s devastating that Adriana is the latest casualty of our nation’s Black maternal health crisis and anti-abortion laws – but let’s ensure she’s the last. This needs to be the watershed moment to end anti-abortion and fetal personhood laws and guarantee the rights and dignity of everyone to make the best health care decisions for themselves and their families.”
Adriana Smith, a nurse and mother, sought medical care for symptoms, including an extreme headache, in early February but was not given adequate treatment. She returned the next day as her condition worsened and was declared brain dead while nine weeks pregnant on February 19. She has been kept on artificial support until her pregnancy reaches 32 weeks and the fetus can be delivered, meaning her bodily functions will have been supported for more than 5 months. Due to Georgia’s LIFE Act and uncertainty surrounding fetal personhood laws, Emory University Midtown Hospital began maintaining Adriana’s bodily functions without consent from her family.
The resolution urges the government to:
While Georgia’s Attorney General has stated that nothing in the LIFE Act explicitly mandates keeping a brain-dead patient on life support, the lack of a formal legal opinion or prosecutorial guidance leaves families and doctors in limbo.
Anti-abortion laws deprive people who can become pregnant of their autonomy by prioritizing the life of the fetus over the health, medical decisions, and rights of the pregnant person — a dehumanizing practice that violates their civil rights and reinforces systemic control over their bodies.
Out of fear of criminalization, family separation, or mistreatment like what Adriana Smith is experiencing, many pregnant people avoid healthcare settings even when they desire care, putting their health and the health of their fetus at risk.
The resolution declares that the House of Representatives stands with Adriana Smith’s family in their efforts to return dignity and justice to their family, condemns giving fetuses rights and taking them away from pregnant people in our laws, and condemns the troublingly common experience that Black women face in medical settings of having their pain not given full credence or treatment.
A copy of the resolution text can be found here.
On June 5, Rep. Pressley delivered an impassioned speech on the House floor demanding justice for Adriana Smith and sharing her family’s story. Pressley connected the horrific mistreatment of Adriana Smith to the brutal history of medical violence Black women have faced in America for centuries.
Last month, as Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, Rep. Pressley and Co-Chair Diana DeGette (CO-01) released a statement calling for the state of Georgia and the hospital in question to respect the fundamental rights of Adriana Smith and her family and condemned GOP abortion bans.
###
Source: New Zealand Police
NZ Police have this week dealt a significant blow to the manufacture and supply of methamphetamine by the Greazy Dogs MC in western Bay of Plenty this week, with the arrest of several members and associates of the gang, and the restraint of more than $1.5 million of assets.
On 17 – 18 June, Police carried out 35 search warrants at properties across Tauranga, including the Greazy Dogs MC pad. Those arrested as a result of these warrants include senior members of the Greazy Dog MC, including the national vice president and the sergeant at arms.
“The arrests and asset restraints this week mark the successful culmination of a National Organised Crime Group (NOCG) operation that began in late 2024,” says Detective Inspector Albie Alexander.
“This operation – Operation Kingtide – identified the Greazy Dogs MC as controlling the methamphetamine supply across the western Bay of Plenty, through local manufacture.”
Search warrants executed located firearms, ammunition, methamphetamine, chemicals and equipment used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, cannabis and approximately $25,000 in cash.
In addition, Police’s Asset Recovery Unit has restrained more than $1.5 million of assets to date, including two residential properties, two cars and three motorcycles.
Further search warrants are being carried out this week and more arrests and charges are likely.
“With the arrest of these senior gang members and the seizure of their equipment and assets, I’m confident we have dealt a significant blow to the Greazy Dogs’ methamphetamine operation, and the supply of methamphetamine in the western Bay of Plenty,” says Detective Inspector Alexander.
“Police will continue to focus on the enforcement and disruption of such criminal groups, who are dealing primarily in the sale and supply of methamphetamine into our most vulnerable communities.”
Bay of Plenty District Commander, Superintendent Tim Anderson, has welcomed the arrests of the Greazy Dogs MC members and associates, saying he has seen first-hand the immense harm that methamphetamine causes in communities in Bay of Plenty and across New Zealand.
“The Greazy Dogs MC, as with other gangs involved in the supply of methamphetamine in New Zealand, are in this for the money. They don’t care about the enormous damage the drug is doing to families in our communities, even though many of them are parents themselves. All they are interested in is how much money they can make for themselves and their associates.”
Working alongside the officers undertaking enforcement action this week has been the team from the Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities (ROCC) programme, which takes a multi-agency approach to help address the social conditions that feed the emergence or growth of organised crime, and the harms that flow from it.
Op Manawaroa (Resilience) has run alongside Operation Kingtide and is led by Bay of Plenty ROCC, with assistance from other ROCC regions including Eastern, Southern and Porirua.
“What this looks like in practice is officers and senior advisors from our ROCC team visiting homes after search warrants have been executed, looking to engage and support families and whānau of those arrested,” Superintendent Anderson.
“Our local ROCC team, with the support of other Police harm prevention work groups, local agencies, iwi and community partners, will continue to work with families and whānau of those affected. This is a long-term approach to prevention and in response to mitigating and preventing further harm and offending.”
Arrest and charge details to date:
25-year-old Tauranga man – charged with participating in an organised criminal group, supplying methamphetamine, offering to supply methamphetamine, and possession of methamphetamine
34-year-old Mt Maunganui man – charged with participating in an organised criminal group, supplying methamphetamine, offering to supply methamphetamine, and possession of methamphetamine for supply
34-year-old Papamoa man – charged with participating in an organised criminal group, supplying methamphetamine, offering to supply methamphetamine, and possession for supply of methamphetamine
33-year-old Mt Maunganui man – charged with participating in an organised criminal group, supplying methamphetamine, offering to supply methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine for supply, and conspiring to supply cocaine
37-year-old Tauranga man – charged with participating in an organised criminal group, supplying methamphetamine, offering to supply methamphetamine, and possession of methamphetamine for supply.
MEDIA ADVISORY:
Detective Inspector Albie Anderson and Superintendent Tim Anderson will be available to speak to media at Tauranga Police Station at 1pm today.
Media wishing to attend are asked to report to the front counter of the police station by 12.50pm.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) announced new federal investments to upgrade Georgia’s airports through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation championed by the senators for its investments in Georgia. Senators Warnock and Ossoff announced airports in Savannah, Albany, and six additional communities across Georgia will receive a total of $14,107,485 for infrastructure upgrades. The federal funding will be used for taxiway and runway upgrades, road construction, a planning study, and more.
“This new investment is a testament to the good we can accomplish when we center the people in policymaking,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Georgia is one of the most important aviation states in the nation, and I will always be committed to ensuring our economy and infrastructure can reach new heights.”
“Georgia’s airports are a key driver of job creation and economic competitiveness. Alongside Senator Reverend Warnock, we are pleased to announce this funding through the bipartisan infrastructure law for airport upgrades across the State of Georgia. Our bipartisan infrastructure law will continue to deliver long-overdue upgrades to Georgia’s infrastructure for years to come,” said Senator Ossoff.
More information on these federal grants can be found below:
| Locality | Airport | Description | Amount |
| Albany | Southwest Georgia Regional Airport | Taxiway upgrades, pavement upgrades | $1,757,262 |
| Blairsville | Blairsville Airport | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $159,000 |
| Butler | Butler Municipal Airport | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $110,000 |
| Canon | Franklin-Hart Airport | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $201,744 |
| Cochran | Cochran Airport | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $159,000 |
| Monroe | Cy Nunnally Memorial Airport | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $159,000 |
| Peachtree City | Atlanta Regional Falcon Field | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $162,710 |
| Savannah | Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport | Taxiway upgrades, road construction, planning study, expanded apron space | $11,398,769 |
A longtime champion for Georgia’s aviation industry, last year Senator Warnock secured provisions in the FAA Reauthorization law that will help transform the aviation industry, including provisions to bolster the aviation workforce pipeline and invest in our aviation economy. In May 2025, Senators Warnock and Ossoff announced more than $13 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to upgrade and help maintain Georgia’s regional airports. Last summer, Senator Warnock toured Gulfstream headquarters in Savannah, Georgia, as well as Savannah Tech’s Crossroads Aviation Campus to meet with current students who are training to work at Gulfstream or in Georgia’s aviation economy. In 2023, Senator Warnock visited Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport to review progress on federally funded projects, including construction of a security checkpoint expansion. In April 2023, Senator Warnock met with local aviation workers and leaders at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee, Georgia to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing workers on the frontlines of the aviation industry; following his visit, the Senator introduced the AIRWAYS Act to strengthen the aviation workforce by recruiting and training future industry workers from all zip codes. Additionally, in 2022 Senators Warnock and Ossoff secured $13.5 million to update nine airports across Georgia, including Augusta Regional Airport and Columbus Airport. The awards announced today were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included at least $619 million for Georgia’s airports to improve efficiency, upgrade terminals, and more.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) announced new federal investments to upgrade Georgia’s airports through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation championed by the senators for its investments in Georgia. Senators Warnock and Ossoff announced airports in Savannah, Albany, and six additional communities across Georgia will receive a total of $14,107,485 for infrastructure upgrades. The federal funding will be used for taxiway and runway upgrades, road construction, a planning study, and more.
“This new investment is a testament to the good we can accomplish when we center the people in policymaking,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Georgia is one of the most important aviation states in the nation, and I will always be committed to ensuring our economy and infrastructure can reach new heights.”
“Georgia’s airports are a key driver of job creation and economic competitiveness. Alongside Senator Reverend Warnock, we are pleased to announce this funding through the bipartisan infrastructure law for airport upgrades across the State of Georgia. Our bipartisan infrastructure law will continue to deliver long-overdue upgrades to Georgia’s infrastructure for years to come,” said Senator Ossoff.
More information on these federal grants can be found below:
| Locality | Airport | Description | Amount |
| Albany | Southwest Georgia Regional Airport | Taxiway upgrades, pavement upgrades | $1,757,262 |
| Blairsville | Blairsville Airport | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $159,000 |
| Butler | Butler Municipal Airport | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $110,000 |
| Canon | Franklin-Hart Airport | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $201,744 |
| Cochran | Cochran Airport | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $159,000 |
| Monroe | Cy Nunnally Memorial Airport | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $159,000 |
| Peachtree City | Atlanta Regional Falcon Field | Runway infrastructure upgrades | $162,710 |
| Savannah | Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport | Taxiway upgrades, road construction, planning study, expanded apron space | $11,398,769 |
A longtime champion for Georgia’s aviation industry, last year Senator Warnock secured provisions in the FAA Reauthorization law that will help transform the aviation industry, including provisions to bolster the aviation workforce pipeline and invest in our aviation economy. In May 2025, Senators Warnock and Ossoff announced more than $13 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to upgrade and help maintain Georgia’s regional airports. Last summer, Senator Warnock toured Gulfstream headquarters in Savannah, Georgia, as well as Savannah Tech’s Crossroads Aviation Campus to meet with current students who are training to work at Gulfstream or in Georgia’s aviation economy. In 2023, Senator Warnock visited Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport to review progress on federally funded projects, including construction of a security checkpoint expansion. In April 2023, Senator Warnock met with local aviation workers and leaders at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee, Georgia to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing workers on the frontlines of the aviation industry; following his visit, the Senator introduced the AIRWAYS Act to strengthen the aviation workforce by recruiting and training future industry workers from all zip codes. Additionally, in 2022 Senators Warnock and Ossoff secured $13.5 million to update nine airports across Georgia, including Augusta Regional Airport and Columbus Airport. The awards announced today were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included at least $619 million for Georgia’s airports to improve efficiency, upgrade terminals, and more.
Source: New Zealand Labour Party
Parliament today took an important step to improve women’s safety with the Government moving closer to Labour’s position on how stalking should be defined in law.
“Stalking should be a crime. It can make a victim feel extremely unsafe and insecure, and in some cases result in serious assault, or even death,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said.
“The tragic murder of Farzana Yaqubi highlighted the urgent need for change. The Independent Police Conduct Authority found that more should have been done to protect her. We owe it to Farzana, and to every other person who has lived in fear, to ensure stalking is taken seriously.
“The Justice Committee has now reported back a Bill that would make stalking a standalone offence, with key changes that reflect the recommendations of women’s advocates and parts of my Member’s Bill.
“One important change is the threshold for what constitutes stalking. Originally the Government bill required three incidents within a year, something victims’ advocates warned was too high. It has now been amended to two acts over two years, more closely matching the definition Labour proposed in our Member’s Bill.
“This is a constructive step forward. It shows that when parties listen to experts and work collaboratively, we can make better laws that protect people.
“I will continue to work with advocates to strengthen protections for victims and ensure the law keeps pace with the realities of stalking and harassment,” Ginny Andersen said.
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Source: New places to play in Gungahlin
From 7 December 2024, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Legacy Retirement Product Commutations and Reserves) Regulations 2024External Link (the Regulation) changes the way allocations from reserves count towards an individual’s contribution caps.
Before 7 December 2024, certain reserve allocations by a complying superannuation plan for an individual counted towards the individual’s concessional contributions cap. This could result in excess concessional contributions for the individual.
From 7 December 2024, the Regulation:
These changes are not limited to reserves associated with legacy pension products (although the changes may be applicable to such reserves).
See Other concessional and other non-concessional contributions for more information on when reserve allocations by Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) funds will need to be reported.
Before 7 December 2024, 2 classes of reserve allocation counted towards the concessional contributions cap:
In other words, for allocations other than assessable contributions (the first class mentioned above), a ‘catch-all’ mechanism counted towards the concessional contributions cap all allocations that did not fall within the specified exclusions (the second class mentioned above).
The exclusions (‘excluded allocations’) did not count towards the concessional contributions cap, with the result that they could be made without contribution cap taxation consequences for the member.
An allocation was a capped allocation unless it was an excluded allocation. The excluded allocations were:
From 7 December 2024, the Regulation counts capped allocations towards the non-concessional contributions cap instead of the concessional contributions cap. The mechanism for counting allocations has not changed: a reserve allocation counts towards the non-concessional contributions cap it if does not fall within specified exclusions.
Each class of exclusion specified for the concessional contributions cap before 7 December 2024 has been specified for the non-concessional contributions cap from that date. This means types of allocations that fell within those exclusions before 7 December 2024 continue to be uncapped if made from that date. The Regulation makes no change to the treatment of allocations of certain assessable contributions, which continue to count towards the concessional contributions cap.
The drafting of the ‘fair and reasonable’ and ‘pension reserve’ exclusions in the Regulation has been updated. As a result, the exclusions do not mirror those specified for the concessional contributions cap word-for-word. One class of excluded allocation – ‘pension reserve allocation except as a result of death – after commutation to commence another income stream’ – is not explicitly specified as an exclusion for the purposes of the non-concessional contributions cap, because it falls within a new pension reserve exclusion discussed below (‘excluded cessation allocation’).
The table below lists these exclusions for the concessional contributions cap and their non-concessional contributions cap equivalents (legislative references are to the Income Tax Assessment (1997 Act) Regulations 2021 (ITAR (1997 Act) 2021).
|
Class of excluded allocation |
Exclusion from counting towards concessional contributions cap – before 7 December 2024 (repealed) |
Exclusion from counting towards the non-concessional contributions cap – from 7 December 2024 |
|---|---|---|
|
Fair and reasonable allocation |
Former subsection 291‑25.01(4) |
Subsection 292-90.02(2) |
|
Pension reserve allocation – to satisfy pension liability |
Former paragraph 291‑25.01(5)(a) |
Subsection 292-90.02(3) |
|
Pension reserve allocation except as a result of death – after commutation to commence another income stream |
Former paragraph 291‑25.01(5)(b) |
Subsection 292-90.02(4) |
|
Pension reserve allocation after death – to discharge pension reserve liabilities as a result of death |
Former subparagraph 291‑25.01(5)(c)(i) |
Subsection 292-90.02(5) |
|
Pension reserve allocation after death – paid as lump-sum and death benefit |
Former subparagraph 291‑25.01(5)(c)(ii) |
Subsection 292-90.02(6) |
Counting allocations towards the non-concessional contributions cap instead of the concessional contributions cap will affect the amount that can be allocated to some individuals without incurring contribution cap taxation consequences.
For example, some individuals have a nil non-concessional contributions cap. If a reserve allocation counts towards the individual’s non-concessional contributions cap in those circumstances, the amount of the allocation will exceed their non-concessional contributions cap.
A superannuation fund maintains an operational risk reserve, the purpose of which includes the remediation of amounts wrongly charged to member accounts.
As part of one such remediation exercise, amounts are allocated to a class of members in the fund on 1 January 2025 in a manner that does not satisfy:
As the allocations were made for those members on or after 7 December 2024, they count towards the amount of the members’ non-concessional contributions for the 2024–25 financial year.
End of example
From 7 December 2024, the Regulation also excludes another broad class of pension reserve allocation for an individual. An allocation (an ‘excluded cessation allocation’) from a reserve of a complying superannuation plan for an individual is excluded if:
From 7 December 2024, the Regulation provides that a reserve is a pension reserve of a complying superannuation plan at a particular time if the reserve is used at that time solely for the purpose (the ‘pension liability purpose’) of enabling the plan to discharge all or part of its pension liabilities (contingent or not) as soon as they become due. This definition is relevant not only for excluded cessation allocations, but also for the other excluded allocations (other than fair and reasonable allocations).
In addition:
The new definition of pension reserve and the 2 additions above are only relevant for determining excluded allocations from 7 December 2024. They do not apply when determining whether a reserve is a ‘pension reserve’ for the purposes of determining whether allocations are excluded from counting toward the concessional contributions cap before that date.
From 7 December 2024, the Regulation provides, for the avoidance of doubt, that certain allocations (‘a deemed pension purpose allocation’) to a superannuation income stream recipient after the commutation or cessation of that income stream are taken to be made for the pension liability purpose: see subsection 292-90.02(8) of the ITAR (1997 Act) 2021. This ensures a reserve does not cease to be a pension reserve as a result of such allocations, including in at least the 2 following situations:
In the dormant reserve situation, the deemed pension purpose allocation does not prevent the reserve from ceasing to be a pension reserve for the purpose of making further cessation allocations.
There is no requirement that a deemed pension purpose allocation must be made within a specific period after the relevant commutation or cessation. If all other requirements for the allocation to be excluded are otherwise met, the allocations can be made long after the commutation or cessation.
A reserve established and used to support a single superannuation income stream:
Between the cessation of the income stream and 6 December 2024, the reserve was not used for any purpose. After 7 December 2024, the trustee allocates the remainder of the reserve to the recipient of the former income stream in circumstances that satisfy all other requirements to be an excluded cessation allocation.
The allocation itself is deemed to be for a pension liability purpose. As a result, the reserve is a pension reserve at the time of the allocation.
End of example
The Regulation also contains a transitional provision. That provision disregards certain allocations made before 7 December 2024 in working out whether a reserve of a complying superannuation plan is a pension reserve for the purposes of making excluded cessation allocations.
If one or more allocations before that date are the sole reason the reserve doesn’t otherwise meet the pension reserve definition for that purpose, disregarding the allocations ensures the definition is met.
An allocation from the reserve is disregarded if:
In the case where the reserve only ever supported one income stream, if the above criteria are met, allocations after the income stream commuted or otherwise ceased and before 7 December 2024 are disregarded.
In the case where the reserve was used to support more than one superannuation income stream, allocations made after the above requirements are met for the first time in relation to any of those income streams and before 7 December 2024 are disregarded. In effect, this could result in all allocations from the reserve occurring after that commutation or cessation being disregarded, even while the other income streams were still being supported by the reserve.
A reserve was established and used to support 2 lifetime pensions: income stream A and income stream B. Both commenced on 1 July 2005. Income stream A ceased on 1 July 2015, and income stream B ceased on 1 July 2020. The reserve met the definition of a pension reserve immediately before 1 July 2015. Between 1 July 2020 and 6 December 2024, fair and reasonable allocations were made to all members, but the reserve was otherwise used for no other purpose during that time.
After 7 December 2024, the trustee allocates a part of the reserve to the recipient of former income stream A in circumstances that satisfy all requirements for that allocation to be an excluded cessation allocation. In particular, the fair and reasonable allocations do not prevent the reserve from satisfying the requirement that it be a pension reserve because the transitional provision disregards all allocations between 1 July 2015 and 6 December 2024.
The cessation allocation itself is also deemed to be for a pension liability purpose. As a result, the reserve does not cease to be a pension reserve for the purposes of the Regulation because of the allocation, which may be relevant if a subsequent excluded cessation allocation is made to the recipient of former income stream B.
End of example
Source: New places to play in Gungahlin
From 7 December 2024, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Legacy Retirement Product Commutations and Reserves) Regulations 2024External Link (the Regulation) temporarily relaxes commutation restrictions for certain retirement income stream products (known as legacy retirement products).
Before 7 December 2024, providers of certain legacy retirement products had to ensure that those products could not be commuted under the relevant fund rules, contract, or terms and conditions of the product (the fund or product rules), except in limited circumstances.
The Regulation relaxes this restriction so that the relevant fund or product rules can also allow the products to be fully commuted within the 5-year period beginning on 7 December 2024 and ending on 6 December 2029.
The affected products that can be commuted are:
While the affected products are described as legacy retirement products, and many commenced before 20 September 2007, there is no requirement in the Regulation that the affected products must have commenced before a particular date.
The Regulation relaxes a restriction on what fund or product rules can allow: it does not change fund or product rules themselves. Fund or product rules may need to be changed by the fund or provider to allow commutation before a recipient can commute without the fund breaching those rules.
Rebecca starts receiving a lifetime pension from her SMSF on 1 July 2003. That pension is provided under fund rules that meet the standards in subregulation 1.06(2) of the SISR.
On 1 January 2025, the trustee amends the fund rules to allow full commutation within the 5-year period beginning on 7 December 2024 of lifetime pensions it provides.
On 1 March 2025, Rebecca fully commutes her lifetime pension. The commutation complies with the standards in the Regulation.
End of example
Isaac starts receiving a lifetime pension from his SMSF on 1 July 2003. On 1 July 2020, that lifetime pension is fully commuted and the resulting lump sum is used to directly purchase a market-linked pension from the same fund in circumstances that do not breach subregulation 1.06(2) of the SISR. The market-linked pension is provided under fund rules that meet the standards in subregulation 1.06(8) and regulation 1.07C of the SISR.
On 1 January 2025, the trustee amends the fund rules to allow full commutation within the 5-year period beginning on 7 December 2024 of market-linked pensions it provides. After that amendment, Isaac fully commutes his market-linked pension. The commutation complies with the standards in the Regulation.
End of example
If an affected legacy retirement product is commuted, in most cases the resulting entitlement can be dealt with by the former recipient in the same way as an entitlement from the commutation of most other superannuation income streams. Generally, the entitlement must be allocated to the member’s account and then can be:
In some cases, there may be other restrictions on how the entitlement can be dealt with. For example, if the legacy retirement product is a death benefit income stream, the entitlement may need to be paid from the fund to the recipient and not retained in the fund to comply with fund rules and requirements of the SISR.
Both the commutation of an affected legacy retirement product and any subsequent dealings with the resulting entitlement will also have taxation consequences for the former recipient. For example:
Many affected legacy retirement products are treated differently to account-based superannuation income streams for transfer balance cap purposes. For example, special valuation methods for determining transfer balance account debits and credits may be applicable.
Commuting a legacy retirement product may also have social security implications. Individuals may need to seek financial advice before making decisions about their legacy retirement products to avoid unintended taxation and social security consequences.
Some superannuation funds may have reserves associated with affected legacy retirement products. From 7 December 2024, the Regulation also changes the way that allocations from reserves are treated for taxation purposes, including but not limited to allocations from reserves associated with legacy retirement products. For further explanation of those changes, see Changes to reserve allocations.
Source: New Zealand Police
Southbound motorists are advised to expect delays on State Highway 1 north of Auckland.
Two cars collided around 10.10am between the Silverdale and Oteha Valley Road offramps.
There are no reports of injury although one of the vehicles is badly damaged.
Police are at the scene and ask motorists to be patient as there are long queues of traffic at the accident scene.
ENDS.
Nicole Bremner/NZ Police
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Know Your Immigration Rights
If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.
Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.
Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.
Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.
The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.
Learn more here: KNOW YOUR IMMIGRATION RIGHTS – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)
Yesterday Senate Republicans unveiled their version of legislation to extend and expand the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy. While scores for their altered bill are still forthcoming, the changes from the House-passed version are unlikely to significantly alter that bill’s distributional effects, which would result in the largest transfer of wealth from working people to the rich from a single law in American history.
As a reminder, here are some of the stories that legislation generated:
Wall Street Journal: GOP Megabill Boosts Wealthy Households While Hurting Poor, CBO Says
New York Times: Trump’s Big Bill Would Be More Regressive Than Any Major Law in Decades
CBS: GOP Tax Bill Could Cost Low-Income Americans $1,600 Per Year, CBO Says
Associated Press: GOP Tax Bill Would Cost Poor Americans $1,600 A Year And Boost Highest Earners By $12,000, CBO Says
CNN: The 10 Richest Americans Got $365 Billion Richer In The Past Year. Now They’re On The Verge Of A Huge Tax Cut
Washington Post: GOP Tax Bill Could Hurt The Poorest Households More Than It Helps Them
Bloomberg: Trump Tax Bill Would Help the Richest, Hurt the Poorest, CBO Says
Reuters: Trump Tax Bill Poses Limited Benefits, Higher Costs For Lower-Income Americans
New York Times: G.O.P. Tax Bill May Hurt the Lowest Earners and Help the Richest
NPR: The GOP’s Massive Bill Would Benefit The Rich The Most — While Hitting The Poor
Financial Times: Donald Trump’s Tax Bill Would Be A Boon For Richest Americans, Says Watchdog
Politico: Wealthy Gain, Low-Income People Lose From GOP Megabill, Analysis Finds
CNBC: House Republican Tax Bill Favors The Rich — How Much They Stand To Gain, And Why
Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
LAREDO, Texas – A illegal alien from Mexico pleaded guilty Tuesday to transportation of child pornography following an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Raul Velasco-Leon, 39, plead guilty to transporting child sexual abuse material on June 17.
“This guilty plea is a critical step in holding Velasco-Leon accountable for the disturbing crimes he committed,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Laredo Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mauro Lopez. “HSI remains committed to identifying, investigating and bringing to justice those who exploit children. We will continue working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure predators face the full consequences of their actions and that victims are not forgotten.”
According to court documents, on March 12, Velasco-Leon was traveling from Tennessee and approached the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge attempting to enter Mexico. While on the primary lane, authorities selected Velasco-Leon for further inspection and referred him to secondary. They conducted a search of his belongings and found what appeared to be a piece of youth-sized clothing with the words “Girl Power” tucked inside a jean pocket. Law enforcement also discovered multiple electronic devices, including 10 USB flash drives, two cell phones and a laptop. On one of the devices, they discovered six files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of minor victims approximately 10 years of age. The files contained approximately five photographs and one video that contained CSAM. The five images, displayed via video chat, depicted female minor victims showing their genital areas. The video had a split screen with the adult male, later determined to be Velasco-Leon, masturbating while the top of the screen displayed a montage of CSAM including a female minor victim being forced to perform oral sex on an adult male.
Velasco-Leon admitted he had been engaged in a video chat and when he saw the CSAM, he would watch and screen record it.
Judge will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Velasco-Leon faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Velasco-Leon remains in custody pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez from the Southern District of Texas is prosecuting the case.
Source: New Zealand Government
Repeat violent and sexual offenders are officially on notice Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.
“Tougher penalties are now in place as the Three Strikes law comes into force today and the message is clear. If you commit serious violent or sexual offences, expect to face increasingly severe consequences. New Zealanders have had enough – they want safer streets, safer homes, and a justice system that puts victims first,” Mrs McKee says.
The Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Act 2024 restores the regime scrapped under the previous government and is a central pillar in the Coalition’s drive to restore law and order and protect the public.
Under the Act:
For example, someone convicted of murder at second or third strike will face a minimum of 17 or 20 years behind bars with no early release.
The Act provides for some judicial discretion to prevent manifestly unjust outcomes. It also sets out principles and guidance to help the courts apply the law and allows a limited benefit for guilty pleas to spare victims further trauma and reduce court delays.
“Importantly, previous strike warnings still count if they meet the new sentencing threshold – ensuring serious repeat offenders can’t escape accountability. The Ministry of Justice has published guidance to help affected individuals, and their lawyers check for active strikes,” Mrs McKee says.