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Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Canada is not for sale’ — but new Ontario law prioritizes profits over environmental and Indigenous rights

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Martina Jakubchik-Paloheimo, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Canada

    Despite provincewide protests, Ontario’s Bill 5 officially became law on June 5. Critics warn of the loss of both environmental protections and Indigenous rights.

    The law empowers the province to create special economic zones where companies or projects don’t have to comply with provincial regulations or municipal bylaws.

    Bill 5, also known as the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, reduces the requirements for environmental assessment. By doing so, it weakens ecological protection laws that safeguard the rights of Indigenous Peoples and at-risk species.

    Indigenous rights and Indigenous knowledge are critical for planetary health. But the bill passed into law with no consultation with First Nations. Therefore, it undermines the duty to consult while seemingly favouring government-aligned industries.

    Indigenous Peoples have long stewarded the environment through sustainable practices that promote ecological and human health. Bill 5’s provisions to allow the bypassing of environmental regulations and shift from a consent-based model to one of consultation violate Aboriginal and Treaty rights. Métis lawyer Bruce McIvor has described the shift as a “policy of legalized lawlessness.”

    Compounding environmental threats

    Wildfires that are currently burning from British Columbia to northern Ontario are five times more likely to occur due to the effects of climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

    On the federal level, Bill C-5, called the Building Canada Act, was introduced in the House of Commons on June 6 by Prime Minister Mark Carney. This bill further compounds the threat to environmental protections, species at risk and Indigenous rights across the country in favour of resource extraction projects.

    It removes the need for the assessment of the environmental impacts of projects considered to be of “national interest.”

    Ring of Fire — special economic zone?

    Ford and Carney want to fast-track the so-called Ring of Fire mineral deposit within Treaty 9 territory in northern Ontario by labelling it a “special economic zone” and of “national interest.” The proposed development is often described as a potential $90 billion opportunity.

    But scientists say there are no reliable estimates of the costs related to construction, extraction, benefit sharing and environmental impacts in the Ring of Fire.

    The mining development could devastate traditional First Nations livelihoods and rights. It could also worsen the effects of climate change in Ontario’s muskeg, the southernmost sea ice ecosystem in the world.

    Northern Ontario has the largest area of intact boreal forest in the world. Almost 90 per cent of the region’s 24,000 residents are Indigenous. The Mushkegowuk Anniwuk, the original people of the Hudson Bay lowlands, refer to this area as “the Breathing Lands” — Canada’s lungs. Cree nations have lived and stewarded these lands for thousands of years.

    Journalist Jessica Gamble of Canadian National Geographic says the James Bay Lowlands, part of the Hudson Bay Lowlands, are “traditional hunting grounds” and “the largest contiguous temperate wetland complex in the world.”

    This ecosystem is home to 200 different migratory bird species and plays a critical role in environmental health through carbon sequestration and water retention. The Wildlands League has described the area as “home to hundreds of plant, mammal and fish species, most in decline elsewhere.”

    Northern Ontario, meantime, is warming at four times the global average.

    Jeronimo Kataquapit is a filmmaker from Attawapiskat who is spearheading the “Here We Stand” campaign in opposition to Bill 5 with Attawapiskat residents and neighbouring Mushkegowuk Nations and Neskantaga First Nation. As the spokesperson for Here We Stand, he said: “Ontario’s Bill 5 and Canada’s proposed national interest legislation are going to destroy the land, pollute the water, stomp all over our treaty rights, our inherent rights, our laws and our ways of life.”

    Endangered species — polar bears

    An estimated 900 to 1,000 polar bears live in Ontario, mostly along the Hudson Bay and James Bay coasts.

    But there has been a 73 per cent decline in wildlife populations globally since the 1970s, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In Canada, species of global concern have declined by 42 per cent over the same time. Canada’s Arctic and boreal ecosystems, once symbols of the snow-capped “Great White North,” are now at risk.

    Polar bears, listed as threatened under the Ontario Endangered Species Act and of “special concern” nationally, are particularly sensitive to human activities and climate change. Polar bears and ringed seals are culturally significant and serve as ecological indicators for ecosystems.

    Melting sea ice has already altered their behaviour, forcing them to spend more time on land.

    Cree First Nations in Northern Ontario’s biodiverse Treaty 9 territory are collaborating with federal and provincial governments and conservationists to protect polar bears. Right now, there is recognition of the importance of Cree knowledge in planning and the management of polar bears.

    The new Ontario law removes safeguards protecting the province’s endangered species, such as the Endangered Species Act. It strips key protections for at-risk wildlife, such as habitat protections, environmental impact assessments and ecosystems conservation.

    Climate change and weaker environmental protections will lead to irreversible damage to our environment and biodiversity. The ecosystem services that each animal, insect and plant provides — like cleaning the air we breathe and water we drink — are essential for a healthy province.

    The impact of Bill 5 and C-5 on these species is likely to be severe.

    Short-term gains at the expense of long-term damage

    Ontario could benefit from improved infrastructure and economic growth, but development requires careful planning and collaboration. It should rely on innovative science-based solutions, especially Indigenous sciences. And it should never infringe on Indigenous rights, bypass environmental assessments or threaten endangered species.

    While Bill 5 commits to the duty to consult with First Nations, it falls short of the free, prior and informed consent required by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Since becoming Canadian law in June 2021, the federal government has been obligated to align its laws with UNDRIP.

    With Bill 5 in place, some of Ontario’s major projects may be fast-tracked with minimal safeguards. Both Bill 5 and the proposed C-5 prioritize short-term economic gains that will cause irreversible environmental damage and violate legal obligations under UNDRIP.

    Lawrence Martin, Director of Lands and Resources at the Mushkegowuk Council, contributed to this article.

    Martina Jakubchik-Paloheimo works in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) at York University as a Postdoctoral Fellow, facilitating a collaborative project on human-polar bear coexistence in Hudson Bay and James Bay.

    – ref. ‘Canada is not for sale’ — but new Ontario law prioritizes profits over environmental and Indigenous rights – https://theconversation.com/canada-is-not-for-sale-but-new-ontario-law-prioritizes-profits-over-environmental-and-indigenous-rights-258553

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bethel Park Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Exploitation and Prison Contraband Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation of minors and possession of contraband in prison, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Seth Hollerich, 30, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV.

    In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Hollerich distributed material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors on two occasions—in March 2021 and September 2021. Further, in November 2024, while in prison for these crimes, Hollerich was found to be in possession of a prohibited object intended to be used as a weapon. Specifically, Hollerich possessed an 8.5-inch shank with a 3-inch sharpened plastic tip, and two additional 4-inch shanks with sharpened foil tips.

    Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for October 14, 2025. As to the child sexual exploitation crimes, the law provides for a total sentence of not less than five (5) years and not more than twenty (20) years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, or both. As to the contraband matter, the law provides for a total sentence of not more than five (5) years, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Pending sentencing, Hollerich remains detained.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Heidi M. Grogan and Kelly M. Locher are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Department of Homeland Security, United States Marshals Service, and Butler County Prison conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hollerich.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brothers-in-Law Indicted for Bank Takeover Scheme and Aggravated Identity Theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A 17-count indictment was unsealed today charging Ayman Alaaraj, 48, of Sacramento, and Ahmad Nassar, 38, of Elk Grove, with operating a scheme to defraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    The indictment charges the defendants with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft and also charges Nassar with access device fraud. In 2019, Nassar was convicted of unlawfully possessing 15 or more access devices, aggravated ID theft; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He served time in prison and was released on March 4, 2021. He is currently in custody after being arrested on Feb. 7, 2024, for allegedly violating the terms of his supervised release. Alaaraj was ordered to self-surrender on Wednesday morning.

    According to court documents, in May 2023, Nassar took over multiple bank accounts belonging to two elderly victims at two separate banks. Nassar employed sophisticated techniques to take over the victims’ accounts such as porting over the phone number belonging to one victim. This allowed him to gain access to the accounts and defeat the banks’ dual-factor authentication protections.

    Once Nassar established control over the victims’ bank accounts, he — occasionally assisted by Alaaraj — drained the accounts and ran up unpaid credit card debits that, in total, resulted in more than $794,000 in losses to the victims. The defendants funneled the stolen money through pass-through accounts Nassar created in the victims’ names. The defendants also funneled more than $100,000 through Alaaraj’s businesses, Balance Bookkeeping, Tax and Notary and Atheer Investments. They then ultimately disbursed the money to themselves using ATM cash withdrawals, personal checks, Western Union transactions, Zelle transactions, payments to credit cards, online gambling, and towards the purchase of a Mercedes.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice – Bureau of Gambling Control. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot C. Wong is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Nassar and Alaaraj face a maximum statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count of bank fraud, and a mandatory term of two years in prison and a statutory maximum fine of up to $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or gross loss for the aggravated identity theft count. Nassar also faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of access device fraud. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wapato Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Three Children

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker announced that Jose Antonio Saldana, age 43, of Wapato, Washington, was sentenced on three counts of Abusive Sexual Contact and of Aggravated Sexual Abuse. Saldana was found guilty on March 12, 2025, following a jury trial. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Saldana to 45 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

    Based on court documents and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, beginning in August 1999, and continuing to January 2014, Saldana sexually abused three children under the age of 13 in Wapato, Washington. During trial, the victims recounted the abuse they suffered, which included Saldana touching them under their clothing and attempting to sexually abuse one of the victims.

    “Mr. Saldana’s significant sentence reflects the seriousness of his conduct.  I want to commend the brave victims who testified to the abuse they suffered and identified Mr. Saldana as their abuser,” stated Acting United States Attorney Barker. “My office will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable and support survivors on their path to healing.”

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Yakama Nation Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy.

    1:24-cr-02040-MKD

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jefferson County Sex Offender Admits Molesting, Soliciting Images from Teen

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender living in Park Hills, Missouri on Tuesday admitted molesting a 14-year-old boy and providing cash and marijuana in exchange for nude images.

    Reginald M. Miller, 57, of Park Hills, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to coercion and enticement of a minor as a repeat offender, solicitation of child pornography as a prior offender and receiving child pornography as a prior offender.

    Miller admitted molesting the 14-year-old victim beginning in 2023 by touching his genitals without consent. Miller gave the victim alcohol and marijuana and paid him in attempt to keep him from reporting the molestation. Miller later offered the victim money or marijuana to expose himself in video calls. On Jan. 4, 2024, Miller sent a text to the victim saying that there was no escape from their “friendship,” the plea agreement says.

    At Miller’s sentencing, scheduled for October 15, the U.S. Attorney’s office will request a sentence of 40 years in prison.

    In 1999, Miller was convicted of the felony offense of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree and two misdemeanor offenses of assault in the third degree in St. Louis County Circuit Court and sentenced to jail and probation. In 2008, Miller was convicted of charges including statutory sodomy in St. Louis Circuit Court and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

    The LaSalle Police Department, LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office, Park Hills Police Department and FBI’s St. Louis Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: In Uganda: procuring responsibly | Forest Stewardship Council

    Forests account for 11.5% of Uganda’s land and are vital to the nation’s ecosystem. They provide timber, food, fuel, and medicines for many Ugandans. However, this green heart of Africa is facing a serious challenge.

    In 2023 alone, Uganda lost 37.6 thousand hectares of its natural forests, according to Global Forest Watch. If this trend continues unchecked, it could lead to the disappearance of these essential natural forests in the coming decades, along with a wealth of irreplaceable biodiversity.

    The impact of deforestation is deeply felt by local communities that rely on forests for their daily needs. For instance, Bangazi Edward, a resident of Buwala village in Jinja District, Eastern Uganda, highlights the growing pressure on the land: “We are having a problem with firewood because we have few trees, and the population is really big.” This situation underscores the urgent need for sustainable solutions.

    Bold government policy

    Fortunately, there is hope on the horizon. Uganda has recognized this danger and is taking action by enacting public policies and processes that promote sustainable public procurement. This strategic approach not only aims to preserve the environment but also enables the nation to meet its environmental and climate commitments.

    Uganda aspires to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 12, particularly Target 12.7, which encourages sustainable public procurement practices in alignment with national policies and priorities. Lawrence Semakula, Accountant General in the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development said, “we have developed a national action plan for sustainable procurement, which we are integrating into the government procurement cycle.” This plan is meant to strengthen the inclusion of sustainability as a core part of public procurement and reduce environmental impacts of public development projects.

    Responsible sourcing: a reality

    As the nation rises to meet these challenges, it seeks to ensure that procurement is responsible and paves the way for a sustainable future.

    One positive example of responsible procurement of wood for development in Uganda is Adrift Eco Lodge, an eco-conscious African lodge located near the Kalagala Falls on the Nile River in Eastern Uganda. Constructed using 70% FSC-certified timber sourced from the Busoga Forest Company (BFC), this eco-lodge demonstrates the possibilities of sustainable building practices. Leanne Haigh, Chief Executive Officer of Adrift, stated, “For us, it was a no-brainer about how we were going to build this property; procuring FSC sustainable wood was just part of that process.”

    Scaling up sustainable sourcing in Uganda

    Annah Agasha, Deputy Director of FSC Africa, believes the sustainable sourcing example in Uganda can be scaled. “Adrift’s use of certified timber from Green Resources to build their ecolodge is a significant milestone,” she says. “It demonstrates how businesses can contribute to sustainability while enhancing their own credentials. We aim to support them in showcasing this responsibility to their customers.”

    The Busoga Forestry Company Ltd. (BFC), a subsidiary of Green Resources AS, is dedicated to sustainable forest management and increasing the availability of responsibly sourced certified products in Uganda.

    In 2019 and 2020, BFC obtained the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody certificate and Forest Management Certificates, respectively. The FSC-FM certificate ensures responsible forest management, while the FSC-COC certificate guarantees the traceability of responsibly sourced wood and products from the forest to the consumer.

    Benefits of responsible sourcing

    BFC’s impact goes beyond just responsible sourcing. With approximately 900 employees, primarily from local communities, the company supports over 16,000 individuals, fostering economic stability.

    Through social funding, BFC invests in essential infrastructure, including schools, clinics, and clean water solutions, significantly improving local living standards. Recognizing the importance of education, BFC offers bursary programs and training opportunities that empower individuals and promote community development. Furthermore, BFC champions gender equality, with 32% of its workforce being women in various roles from middle management to equipment operators.

    David Kiyingi Nyimbwa, Commissioner of the Procurement Policy and Management Department at the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, believes that FSC certification can promote legal forestry and strengthen the registration of sustainable forestry companies. “With FSC, we believe we can work together to promote legal forests and help in the registration of potential and actual [sustainability wood product] providers,” says David Kiyingi Nyimbwa.

    The advantages of responsible forestry extend beyond environmental benefits and lead to positive changes in the lives of local people. Uganda’s economic development is greatly reliant on forests, and there is promise. By carefully considering each procurement decision, making responsible choices, and sourcing wisely for development projects, Uganda can secure a sustainable future.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Forest Stewardship Council.

    Media contacts:
    Frida Salim
    Market Development and Communication Specialist-East Africa

    FSC Africa Regional Office
    Nairobi, Kenya
    East Africa
    f.salim@fsc.org

    Israel Bionyi
    Senior Regional Communications Manager
    FSC Africa
    i.bionyi@fsc.org

    FSC Africa
    www.Africa.FSC.org
    T: +49 (0) 228 367 66 0 
    F: +49 (0) 228 367 66 65 

    About FSC:
    The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) is a nonprofit organization governed by environmental, social, and economic perspectives equally – covers more than 150 million hectares of certified forests and is the global benchmark for sustainable forestry. NGOs, consumers, and businesses alike trust FSC to protect and enhance healthy and resilient forests, for all, forever.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Name release: Fatal crash, SH2, Maharahara

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police are now in a position to release the name of the woman who died following a crash involving two Ute’s on State Highway 2, Maharahara on 13 June.

    She was 69-year-old, Philipa Beech.

    Police extends our condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time.

    Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Joins Wyden, Ocasio-Cortez to Demand Answers from Palantir About Plans to Build IRS “Mega-Database” of American Citizens

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Right-Wing Aligned Tech Company Is Assisting Trump in Likely Mass Violations of Privacy Act and Tax Privacy Laws

    Washington (June 17, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), today joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and seven other Members of Congress in questioning Palantir about reports that Palantir is helping the IRS to build a government-wide, searchable, “mega-database,” connecting sensitive tax and other data the government holds about American citizens. Building such a database likely violates multiple federal laws limiting the accessing and sharing of Americans’ private information, including the Privacy Act and tax privacy laws. 

    “The unprecedented possibility of a searchable, ‘mega-database’ of tax returns and other data that will potentially be shared with or accessed by other federal agencies is a surveillance nightmare that raises a host of legal concerns, not least that it will make it significantly easier for Donald Trump’s Administration to spy on and target his growing list of enemies and other Americans,” the members wrote to Palantir CEO Alex Karp. 

    The letter is cosigned by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Representatives Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.). 

    Sections 6103 and 7213A of the tax code protect tax returns and return information from unauthorized access or disclosure, with criminal penalties for violations, the members pointed out, while the Privacy Act of 1974 requires detailed transparency and procedural steps for accessing and combing government data about Americans. Contractors like Palantir are not exempt from those laws. 

    “The IRS hiring Palantir to help it establish a ‘mega-database”’ of government-held personal data, including sensitive taxpayer data, for seamless processing for a limitless number of purposes blatantly violates the notice, transparency, and procedural requirements of the Privacy Act,” the members wrote. “As you should be aware, contractors are explicitly covered by many of the Privacy Act’s requirements.”

    The full scope of Palantir’s work for the Trump Administration is unclear, but publicly available contracts indicate its tendrils are reaching nearly every corner of the federal government. The Department of Defense recently awarded Palantir a $795 million contract – which could increase to $1.3 billion – to lead data fusion and artificial intelligence programs throughout the U.S. military. The Trump Administration has deployed Palantir’s Foundry software at the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health.

    The company is reportedly helping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement combine data sets in order to speed up deportation of immigrants. Trump’s deeply unpopular deportations have included raids on hotels and construction sites and U.S. citizens being wrongly targeted in order to meet arbitrary quotas set by the White House. 

    The members requested Palantir answer the following questions: 

    • Please provide a list of all current Palantir contracts with the United States government. For each contract, please provide the following information: the dollar value of the award, the agency that awarded the contract, the name of the Palantir software or product being deployed as part of the contract, and a detailed description of the services being performed as part of the contract.
    • Has Palantir sought or received assurances from the U.S. government that its executives, board members, and employees will not be held responsible for violations of federal law, including the internal revenue code?
    • Has Palantir provided insurance coverage or commitments to pay legal costs and fines to any of its executives, board members, or employees in connection with the company’s work for the U.S. government or any foreign government.
    • What services, features, or assistance, if any, has the Trump Administration requested and Palantir declined to provide, due to concerns related to privacy, civil liberties, or potential violations of federal, state, or international law.
    • Is Palantir aware of the requirements placed on agencies and contractors by the Privacy Act of 1974?  Have you advised the government of those requirements, or offered to assist in their compliance?  Do you believe the government is currently satisfying its requirements under the Privacy Act? 
    • Does the company have a “red line” for potential violations of human rights, U.S. law or international law by the Trump Administration that would result in Palantir terminating its services for the U.S. government?
    • How many Palantir employees have quit since January 20, 2025, citing the company’s work for the Trump Administration?

    Read the full letter to Palantir here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Along with the ideals it expresses, the Declaration of Independence mourns for something people lost in 1776 − and now, too

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Maurizio Valsania, Professor of American History, Università di Torino

    The committee assigned to draft the Declaration of Independence, from left: Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston and John Adams. Currier & Ives image, photo by MPI/Getty Images

    Right around the Fourth of July, Americans pay renewed attention to the country’s crucial founding document, the Declaration of Independence. Whether Republican or Democrat or independent, some will say – with reverence – that adherence to the values expressed in the declaration is what makes them American.

    President Barack Obama, in his second inaugural address, gave voice to this very conviction.

    “What binds this nation together,” he stated, “is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names.” What truly makes Americans American, he resolved, “is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago.”

    The declaration still stands today as a manifesto. There are its lofty, “self-evident” principles, of course: that “all men are created equal” and that they are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights” such as “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

    But I’m a historian of the early republic, and I wish to remind you that the declaration doesn’t just go all pie in the sky. And it’s more than an academic paper waxing on and on about the fashionable philosophical doctrines of the 18th century – freedom and equality – or the coolest philosopher ever, John Locke.

    The declaration provides a realistic depiction of a wounded society, one shivering with fears and teetering on the brink of disaster.

    The declaration has been central to American identity; here, a 1942 poster, printed during World War II, reminds Americans of its history.
    Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

    Repeated injuries and usurpations

    On June 11, 1776, the Continental Congress asked five of its members to prepare a text that would notify the British king and his Parliament of America’s firm intention to get a divorce.

    The drafting committee comprised Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and a man who had a stellar reputation as a gifted writer, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia.

    Jefferson didn’t waste time. He locked himself up in a rented room near the State House in Philadelphia, and within a couple of days he was ready to submit a draft to his four teammates for revision.

    The committee was smitten by the clarity and effectiveness of the document. Other than suggesting a few corrections, Jefferson’s colleagues were elated by the text.

    The Continental Congress promptly received the document, discussed it, made a handful of alterations, and in the late morning of July 4, 1776, adopted it.

    Late that night, Philadelphia printer John Dunlap was given the historic task of issuing the first copies of the final Declaration of Independence.

    In retrospect, all of this may sound like a tale of fearless heroes eager to break the chains of oppression and single-handedly affirm their boundless love of freedom.

    However, when Thomas Jefferson took the pen in his hand, he didn’t think of himself as a hero. Rather, looking ahead at the immediate future and the drama that would inexorably unfold, he felt overwhelmed. A war, pitting brethren against brethren, the Colonists against their mother country, had already started.

    The situation was tense and painful, because 18th-century Americans didn’t quite see themselves as Americans. They trusted they were active members of a powerful, expanding British Empire.

    What had begun as yet another crisis over Parliament’s right to tax its overseas possessions had quickly transformed into a turning point over whether the Colonies should become independent.

    As a consequence, readers of the declaration cannot escape the impression that this document carries a sense of reluctance, betrayal, fear and even sadness.

    We Colonists thought we were free, the logic of the declaration goes, but now we are waking up to the dismal realization that the king and the Parliament treat us like their personal slaves.

    Jefferson’s words appear to longingly express how wonderful it would be for “one people” not to be put in the condition to “dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another.” How desirable it would have been if a way to renew “the ties of our common kindred” could be found.

    Unfortunately, what Jefferson calls “repeated injuries and usurpations” have created enemies out of a common ancestry, thus stifling the “voice of justice and of consanguinity.”

    How not to grieve at these “injuries”? The king is guilty for “abolishing our most valuable Laws”; he has “excited domestic insurrections amongst us”; he has sent “Officers to harass our people”; he has obstructed “the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners”; and he has “made Judges dependent on his Will alone.”

    Americans didn’t seek a revolution, the declaration concludes, but Colonists must accept “the necessity” of a separation: “Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.”

    Painter N.C.Wyeth’s depiction of Thomas Jefferson writing the text of the Declaration of Independence.
    Bettman/Getty Images

    ‘Forget our former love for them’

    Americans today may believe that the Declaration of Independence belongs to them – which it does. The declaration is an American document.

    But to an even larger extent, it belongs to Thomas Jefferson. It’s a Jeffersonian document.

    One of the most consequential American philosophers, the author of the declaration poured into the text his theories of society and of human nature.

    For him, human beings should not live as isolated atoms in constant competition against each other. Jefferson was a communitarian, which means that he believed that the very happiness voiced in the declaration could occur only when individuals regard themselves as functional parts of a larger whole made of other human beings.

    The declaration was built upon the tenet that, as Jefferson would explain many years later, “Nature hath implanted in our breasts a love of others, a sense of duty to them, a moral instinct in short, which prompts us irresistibly to feel and to succour their distresses.”

    As a moral philosopher, Jefferson wasn’t perfect, obviously – and his views on race and slavery prove that. But the declaration puts forth the argument that the British king and the Parliament are also to blame for having transformed a united people, a people who used to love each other, into a mass of foreigners suspicious of each other.

    In Jefferson’s account, this king has carried out the supreme betrayal – like tyrannical powers often do. He has stabbed the Americans as well as the British. He has split them into antagonistic parties. And we Americans, as Jefferson wrote in a telling passage of the declaration that didn’t survive revisions, “must endeavor to forget our former love for them.”

    The American nation was born of the traumatic experience of an amputation. It’s a residual half of a former whole that one way or another managed to learn to become a whole again.

    But after 250 years, America appears once more a people who seem to have lost what binds them together. Those “political bands which have connected them with another” are being tested; “the ties of … common kindred” are frayed.

    Such words describe a time, centuries ago, of great uncertainty, fear and sadness. It seems America has arrived yet again at such a time.

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

    – ref. Along with the ideals it expresses, the Declaration of Independence mourns for something people lost in 1776 − and now, too – https://theconversation.com/along-with-the-ideals-it-expresses-the-declaration-of-independence-mourns-for-something-people-lost-in-1776-and-now-too-258529

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Senate Approves Reed’s Bill to Reign in Abusive Mortgage “Trigger Leads” & Cut Down on Unwanted Spam Calls, Texts and Emails

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Buying or refinancing a home can be a fraught and stressful experience, and now the U.S. Senate is one step closer to making it a little easier by preventing your personal information from being sold and triggering a title wave of unsolicited spam credit offers.

    In an effort to give prospective homebuyers more control over their personal information and crackdown on unfair and deceptive lending practices, the U.S. Senate passed the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (S.1467) to dramatically reduce spam calls, texts, and emails from irresponsible players in the mortgage industry.

    The bipartisan bill, led by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN), would halt the misuse of mortgage “trigger leads” – which occur when a consumer’s credit inquiry “triggers” the sale of their information to third-party lenders and businesses.  When a mortgage lender runs a credit check during the process to buy a home, it appears on the consumer’s credit report. The major credit reporting bureaus (including Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) may then sell that information to other lenders or brokers, which then use it to contact consumers unprompted, often in a predatory manner, to solicit business.

    According to the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) president Jim Nabors: “It is not unusual for bank customers to receive 100+ misleading texts, phone calls and emails within the first 24 hours of applying for a mortgage and the passage of this bill will go a long way in relieving this burden to homebuyers.”

    Prospective homebuyers who are bombarded by these kinds of solicitations typically have no idea their information was sold without their consent.

    The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act would limit the ability of credit reporting bureaus to sell trigger leads to mortgage brokers and lenders when the bureaus learn that a consumer has applied for a mortgage. This legislation would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to include specific restrictions on the use of trigger leads in the residential mortgage lending space, with very limited exceptions for institutions that a consumer currently knows and trusts.

    “Buying a home is already a complex and stressful process. Consumers should not have their private information sold to spammers who then target them with unsolicited, predatory offers.  Passing this bill is a smart, bipartisan solution to halt abusive trigger leads,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. “This is a rare data privacy win.  The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act will put consumers back in the driver’s seat and help cut down on the spam.  It will help reduce predatory practices and provide much needed relief from unwanted industry calls, texts, and emails.”

    “Unsolicited phone calls caused by trigger leads have become an intolerable nuisance to many Tennesseans,” said Senator Hagerty. “I’m pleased that the Senate has passed this bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will protect Americans’ data and help reduce endless spam calls.”

    This bill would prohibit credit reporting bureaus from selling a trigger lead unless a mortgage broker or lender certifies to the bureau that they already have a deep financial relationship with the consumer, such as an existing mortgage loan or a deposit account.  Trigger leads would also be permitted if a consumer affirmatively opts in to receiving them.

    There are currently eight states — Rhode Island, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin – that restrict the use of trigger leads in some fashion, and Idaho (new law effective July 2025) and Arkansas (new law effective August 2025) have also recently passed trigger lead laws that will soon take effect.

    Cosponsors in the U.S. Senate include Senators: Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tom Tillis (R-NC), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tina Smith (D-MN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), James E. Risch (R-ID), Angus King (I-ME), Tommy Tuberville, Tommy (R-AL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Peter Welch (D-VT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Gary Peters (D-MI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ed Markey (D-MA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Jim Banks (R-IN), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Hoeven (R-ND), Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Rick Scott (R-FL).

    At the federal level, the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act is supported by a broad coalition of consumer advocacy groups and financial trades, including the Mortgage Bankers Association, the Independent Community Bankers of America, the American Bankers Association, the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, the Broker Action Coalition, Community Home Lenders of America, the National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients), the Consumer Federation of America, Americans for Financial Reform, and others.

    Identical bipartisan legislation (H.R.2808) has been introduced in the House by Congressman John Rose (R-TN-06) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15) and has support from over 80 cosponsors.  On June 10 it was unanimously advanced by the House Financial Services Committee to the full House for debate and consideration.  The bill must be approved by both chambers of Congress before it can be sent to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Senate Approves Reed’s Bill to Reign in Abusive Mortgage “Trigger Leads” & Cut Down on Unwanted Spam Calls, Texts and Emails

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Buying or refinancing a home can be a fraught and stressful experience, and now the U.S. Senate is one step closer to making it a little easier by preventing your personal information from being sold and triggering a title wave of unsolicited spam credit offers.

    In an effort to give prospective homebuyers more control over their personal information and crackdown on unfair and deceptive lending practices, the U.S. Senate passed the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (S.1467) to dramatically reduce spam calls, texts, and emails from irresponsible players in the mortgage industry.

    The bipartisan bill, led by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN), would halt the misuse of mortgage “trigger leads” – which occur when a consumer’s credit inquiry “triggers” the sale of their information to third-party lenders and businesses.  When a mortgage lender runs a credit check during the process to buy a home, it appears on the consumer’s credit report. The major credit reporting bureaus (including Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) may then sell that information to other lenders or brokers, which then use it to contact consumers unprompted, often in a predatory manner, to solicit business.

    According to the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) president Jim Nabors: “It is not unusual for bank customers to receive 100+ misleading texts, phone calls and emails within the first 24 hours of applying for a mortgage and the passage of this bill will go a long way in relieving this burden to homebuyers.”

    Prospective homebuyers who are bombarded by these kinds of solicitations typically have no idea their information was sold without their consent.

    The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act would limit the ability of credit reporting bureaus to sell trigger leads to mortgage brokers and lenders when the bureaus learn that a consumer has applied for a mortgage. This legislation would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to include specific restrictions on the use of trigger leads in the residential mortgage lending space, with very limited exceptions for institutions that a consumer currently knows and trusts.

    “Buying a home is already a complex and stressful process. Consumers should not have their private information sold to spammers who then target them with unsolicited, predatory offers.  Passing this bill is a smart, bipartisan solution to halt abusive trigger leads,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. “This is a rare data privacy win.  The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act will put consumers back in the driver’s seat and help cut down on the spam.  It will help reduce predatory practices and provide much needed relief from unwanted industry calls, texts, and emails.”

    “Unsolicited phone calls caused by trigger leads have become an intolerable nuisance to many Tennesseans,” said Senator Hagerty. “I’m pleased that the Senate has passed this bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will protect Americans’ data and help reduce endless spam calls.”

    This bill would prohibit credit reporting bureaus from selling a trigger lead unless a mortgage broker or lender certifies to the bureau that they already have a deep financial relationship with the consumer, such as an existing mortgage loan or a deposit account.  Trigger leads would also be permitted if a consumer affirmatively opts in to receiving them.

    There are currently eight states — Rhode Island, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin – that restrict the use of trigger leads in some fashion, and Idaho (new law effective July 2025) and Arkansas (new law effective August 2025) have also recently passed trigger lead laws that will soon take effect.

    Cosponsors in the U.S. Senate include Senators: Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tom Tillis (R-NC), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tina Smith (D-MN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), James E. Risch (R-ID), Angus King (I-ME), Tommy Tuberville, Tommy (R-AL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Peter Welch (D-VT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Gary Peters (D-MI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ed Markey (D-MA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Jim Banks (R-IN), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Hoeven (R-ND), Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Rick Scott (R-FL).

    At the federal level, the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act is supported by a broad coalition of consumer advocacy groups and financial trades, including the Mortgage Bankers Association, the Independent Community Bankers of America, the American Bankers Association, the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, the Broker Action Coalition, Community Home Lenders of America, the National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients), the Consumer Federation of America, Americans for Financial Reform, and others.

    Identical bipartisan legislation (H.R.2808) has been introduced in the House by Congressman John Rose (R-TN-06) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15) and has support from over 80 cosponsors.  On June 10 it was unanimously advanced by the House Financial Services Committee to the full House for debate and consideration.  The bill must be approved by both chambers of Congress before it can be sent to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Read More (Rep. Steube: Hold South Africa Accountable for Antisemitism)

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

    June 17, 2025 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today introduced the Addressing Hostile and Antisemitic Conduct by the Republic of South Africa Act of 2025.  This bill would suspend direct assistance to South Africa while imposing targeted sanctions on political leaders responsible for their government’s antagonism towards the United States and its allies, lawfare against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and aligning with Iranian economic and military interests. “It is clear as day that the Government of South Africa is unfairly targeting the State of Israel and inciting hostility towards the United States and our allies,” said Rep. Steube. “South Africa’s purported grievances against Israel are nothing more than antisemitism wrapped in a bad-faith interpretation of international law. America has no business engaging with a corrupt government that weaponizes its political system against the Jewish people while jeopardizing our national security interests by indulging terrorist organizations and their sponsors. That is why I have proposed cutting off all direct assistance to South Africa and sanctioning their leaders until they stop abusing international institutions and catering to Iran and its terrorist proxies.”Background:

    The Government of South Africa has aligned itself with enemies of the United States, including Iran and the terrorist organization Hamas. Only ten days after the October 7th attacks, South Africa’s foreign minister expressed support for Hamas in a phone call with representatives of the terrorist organization.
    Two months following the October 7th attacks, Hamas sent a senior delegation to South Africa for the Fifth Global Convention of Solidarity with Palestine. Shortly thereafter, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa welcomed representatives of Hamas for formal meetings in Johannesburg.
    In 2023, Iran and South Africa signed a cooperation agreement expanding economic ties between their two nations, including the development of five oil refineries in South Africa by the Iranian Oil Ministry. 
    While the Government of South Africa has used lawfare to accuse the State of Israel of genocide before the International Court of Justice, it has repeatedly turned a blind eye to the atrocities committed by Hamas and Iran against Israel and the United States.
    By suspending direct assistance to the Government of South Africa and imposing targeted sanctions on its political leadership, the Addressing Hostile and Antisemitic Conduct by the Republic of South Africa Act of 2025 would help codify provisions of President Trump’s Exec. Order No. 14204 (2025), Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa.

    Read the full bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The Weimar triangle: how Germany’s new government could reinvigorate an important European security alliance

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rachel Herring, PhD candidate, Department of Politics, History and International Relations, Aston University

    Decisions made by German chancellor Friedrich Merz when he came to power in May indicate that a somewhat dormant regional partnership is about to take on new significance in Europe. Merz immediately travelled to Paris and Warsaw to meet Emmanuel Macron and Donald Tusk, suggesting the so-called Weimar triangle is a top priority for his government.

    Following Merz’s visit to Poland, Polish prime minister Tusk declared “a new beginning, perhaps the most important in the history of the last dozen or so years, in Polish-German relations”.

    If Tusk is right, the Weimar triangle – an alliance between France, Germany and Poland – will have a key role to play. The Weimar triangle was established in 1991 as a forum for the three countries to work together in the interest of European security. This involved integrating Poland into the EU, as well as providing another channel for Germany to pursue friendship and reconciliation with its neighbours.

    The Franco-German “special relationship” was already established, along with their shared reputation as Europe’s “motor”. But Poland’s inclusion was crucial. As a large, influential country in Central Europe, it was well placed to become a pillar of European security and a partner in European expansion following the collapse of Communist regimes.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    As well as being a smaller security forum in which Germany, France and Poland can find common ground on EU security and foreign policy, the Weimar triangle has at times taken on an active international role. During the 2014 Ukraine crisis, ministers from the three Weimar triangle countries took the lead and negotiated on behalf of the EU.

    However, the importance and effectiveness of the format has declined in recent years due to deteriorating relations between the French, German and Polish governments.

    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 elevated the significance of the Weimar triangle once again. But in the early days of the war, although all three governments condemned the invasion, Poland, Germany and France were far from being on the same page.

    Germany’s cautious response provoked criticism in Poland – and indeed in other Central European countries. Many in the region had long been sceptical of Germany’s Russia policy and had warned of Russian aggression, but did not feel taken seriously.

    While the Polish government was quick to commit significant military support to Ukraine, Germany, under former chancellor Olaf Scholz, soon gained a reputation for being overly cautious in the eyes of its more hawkish allies. This led the Polish government to begin turning to security alliances in Scandinavia and the Baltics.

    Meanwhile, Scholz’s hesitancy and orientation towards Washington for leadership was also met with frustration in France, where the idea of “European sovereignty” in security issues had more traction.

    When the new Merz government made it clear that it wanted to prioritise foreign policy and the Weimar triangle, there was a sense that things were about to change. It is still early days, but the rhetoric of all three Weimar triangle leaders signals a commitment to making the alliance finally deliver, as well as an awareness of earlier failures.

    New challenges in Poland

    It won’t be plain sailing from here though. The election of nationalist Karol Nawrocki as president in Poland in early June was a blow for those that support a new, strong Weimar triangle.

    Poland’s current government is a centrist coalition led by pro-European prime minister Donald Tusk, but the concern now is that Nawrocki will block pro-European legislation as his predecessor did, given that he has the support of the nationalist, Eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party. The PiS party (in government from 2015-2023) has a record of anti-German and anti-EU rhetoric.

    Nawrocki has not yet questioned Poland’s military aid to Ukraine but the Tusk government must now continue to balance pursuing its own more liberal agenda and more pro-German and pro-European approach with the alternative views that Nawrocki represents, and which are clearly backed by a significant portion of Polish voters.

    What next for the Weimar triangle?

    Given the centrality of the Weimar triangle countries in Europe and the EU, their alliance has consequences that go far beyond the bilateral and regional levels. With the ongoing war in Ukraine and the uncertain status of the US as a security partner since Donald Trump’s re-election, a strong and unified pillar at the centre of Europe would be an asset to the EU and European security.

    So far, the Weimar triangle has failed to deliver on the expectations attached to it, often due to domestic differences. However, it holds untapped potential. A divided Europe and EU is in the interest of Putin’s government, and is not the unified ally Ukraine needs.

    The Weimar triangle, in bringing together three key member states – crucially including from Central Europe – can both symbolically and practically strengthen European foreign and security policy.

    This will involve finding compromises to build a united front on security at the EU level, bringing issues and policies to the table, and strengthening understanding where security perspectives diverge. The positions and signals of France, Germany and Poland matter to other EU member states and to Ukraine. Joint efforts could have even more clout.

    Rachel Herring receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    – ref. The Weimar triangle: how Germany’s new government could reinvigorate an important European security alliance – https://theconversation.com/the-weimar-triangle-how-germanys-new-government-could-reinvigorate-an-important-european-security-alliance-257995

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The UK failed grooming gang victims by not seeing ‘children as children’

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle McManus, Professor of Safeguarding and Violence Prevention, Co-Director of the Institute for Children’s Futures, Manchester Metropolitan University

    Mariana Serdynska/Shutterstock

    The announcement of a national inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation raises urgent questions: How did we end up here again? Haven’t there been enough reports? Why weren’t children protected the first time? And will these reforms actually change anything?

    As someone who has worked for years in safeguarding policy and research into grooming, county lines drug trafficking and child criminal exploitation, I believe this moment could be different. For the first time in years, there is political momentum, public scrutiny and survivor-led demand for change all converging. But we have to honest about how we got here.

    The inquiry, which will have full statutory powers, follows crossbench peer Louise Casey’s rapid national audit into grooming gangs. Her report lays bare what the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, described as a “collective failure” over 15 years. This phrase reflects not just high-profile cases in Rotherham, Rochdale or Telford, but a nationwide pattern of authorities disbelieving victims, delaying action and denying the scale of the problem.

    Since 2014, inquiry after inquiry has revealed how children, often girls, care-experienced young people, or those from marginalised backgrounds were not listened to, with some dismissed by social services as making “life choices”. Despite the Jay report, the 2022 Telford inquiry, and the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, victims were often not seen as victims at all.

    Seeing ‘children as children’

    One of the most striking lines in Lady Casey’s audit came just before her 12 recommendations: “We need to see children as children.” This cuts to the heart of how so many victims were failed. When professionals view teenagers as complicit, consenting, or “making choices”, they stop seeing the child in need of protection.

    Casey revealed that even today, many victims are still falling through the cracks because their exploitation doesn’t fit assumptions. The report revealed that cases involving 13- to 15-year-olds were too often dropped or downgraded from rape, with professionals referencing that the child was “in love” or had “consented”.

    These interpretations ignore the law — which sets the age of consent at 16 — and more importantly, they ignore the power imbalance and coercion at the heart of grooming. Casey has called for the law to be unambiguous: any penetrative sex with a child under 16 must be classified as rape.

    This failure to see children as victims is deeply embedded. In 2023, 706 group-based child sexual exploitation offences were recorded. A number dwarfed by the estimated 500,000 annual cases of child sexual abuse in England and Wales.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

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    One reason for this gap, as Casey’s audit acknowledges, is that “the results tend to obscure rather than clarify the picture of group-based child sexual exploitation”. Much abuse is made invisible by confusing and inconsistently applied definitions, where grooming is recorded under unrelated offence types such as gang or drug crime, rather than identified as exploitation.

    In my own research and parliamentary evidence, I’ve repeatedly warned that when a child is caught carrying drugs or cash, they are too often seen as a criminal first — not as someone coerced, groomed or harmed.

    These assumptions directly shape the outcome of a case. In earlier grooming gang cases identified in the various inquiries, girls were seen as “promiscuous” or as having “chosen” to associate with older men. These narratives made it easier for agencies to downplay reports, delay interventions or ignore disclosures altogether.

    Casey rightly highlights how exploiters have taken advantage of the blurred legal and professional treatment of 13- to 15-year-olds in sexual exploitation cases. But it is concerning that proposed legislation (the crime and policing bill) appears to replicate the same flaws in how it treats child criminal exploitation. The bill introduces different assumptions about a young person’s “awareness” or involvement, even where grooming or coercion is present.

    This risks embedding a double standard: one where a 14-year-old can’t consent to sex, but can be seen as knowingly trafficking drugs. Without urgent scrutiny, we risk repeating the same failures but under the banner of criminal exploitation. It is still child exploitation.

    What’s different about these reforms?

    The government has accepted all 12 of Casey’s recommendations, including making ethnicity data collection mandatory and fast-tracking rape charges for adults abusing under-16s.

    It has also promised mandated data-sharing to finally resolve the communication failures that have dogged policing, social care and health services for decades.

    The Casey audit underscores how urgent these reforms are. It found that two-thirds of recorded perpetrators had no ethnicity data captured, making it impossible to draw clear national conclusions. In areas like Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire, there was evidence of over-representation among men of Asian ethnicity.

    But the data-sharing failures go far beyond demographics. In many serious case reviews, including ones I’ve worked on, key information held by one agency (such as frequent missing episodes recorded by police) were never pieced together across agencies. Mandated data-sharing could have allowed professionals to spot patterns of grooming earlier and intervene before exploitation escalated.

    We’ve seen versions of these promises before. The independent inquiry into child sexual abuse made over 80 recommendations. The Jay report outlined repeated missed chances to intervene. In 2022, the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse called for urgent reforms to how police and social workers identify and respond to child sexual exploitation. Many of those changes were either delayed, diluted or quietly dropped.

    Some changes, such as the statutory inquiry’s power to compel evidence, are welcome. But legal duty doesn’t automatically translate into professional confidence or competence. The systems and infrastructure needed to enable professionals to share data consistently and safely still do not exist.

    I’ve observed how even the most robust policy and guidance fails in practice because professionals are underresourced, overwhelmed, lack experience, or are unprepared to challenge risk-averse decision making.

    For example, mandated data-sharing has been a goal since the 1980s. It was a central recommendation in the 1987 Cleveland inquiry and the 2000 Victoria Climbié inquiry, both of which dealt with child abuse. It has remained a consistent theme in reviews from the child safeguarding practice review panel and in my own national evaluations.

    Yvette Cooper delivers a speech on the ‘collective failure’ in the handling of grooming gangs cases.
    House of Commons/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

    Case reviews across four decades have cited the same failures: organisations not talking to each other, files siloed, risks misunderstood. In the cases explored in the Casey audit, better data-sharing could have helped agencies identify patterns of concern much earlier, including young people going missing from home or school, presenting at sexual health clinics, or being repeatedly reported in distress by family members, teachers and health practitioners.

    Instead, these signs remained isolated. Without a full picture, no single agency recognised what was happening. Children were left unprotected while perpetrators continued to offend.

    Unless we address why so many professionals have historically avoided taking action, whether due to fear of being seen as racist, fear of reputational harm, or simply not believing children, reforms may look good on paper but fall short in reality.

    The Casey audit shows we haven’t just failed to act, we’ve failed to learn. “Collective failure” is a powerful phrase, but without collective responsibility, we risk repeating the cycle.

    Michelle McManus has received funding from Home Office, Department for Education and National Independent Safeguarding Board Wales. She is also currently seconded as part of a Chancellor’s Fellowship at Manchester Met, with the VKPP, which is part of the National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection.

    – ref. The UK failed grooming gang victims by not seeing ‘children as children’ – https://theconversation.com/the-uk-failed-grooming-gang-victims-by-not-seeing-children-as-children-259098

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Secures Ruling Striking Down Terminations and Withholding of Medical and Public Health Research Grants

    Source: US State of California

    Judge sides with States, calling out the Trump Administration for an “appalling” pattern of discrimination against vulnerable communities

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta yesterday secured a ruling by U.S. District Judge William Young, a Reagan Administration appointee in the District of Massachusetts, who ruled that the Trump Administration’s directives to terminate National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants to public health research institutions in plaintiff states were unlawful. The court struck down both the termination of the grants and the underlying executive orders under the Administrative Procedure Act. Judge Young stated that the Trump Administration’s conduct represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community, and that he had “never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable” in his 40 years on the bench. With this decision, the court ordered the terminated grants in plaintiff states to be restored. This will allow California universities to resume their work of life-saving biomedical advancement while the case proceeds. The court will consider next steps in the case, including addressing the issue of whether NIH has unreasonably delayed new grant applications. 

    “The Trump Administration’s illegal attack on NIH grants is an assault on life-saving medical research, and our diverse communities who rely on it, and I’m glad to see the court has recognized the merits of our case,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today’s decision restores grant funding to research institutions in plaintiff states that were terminated due to the Trump Administration’s reckless and discriminatory anti-DEI directives. The California Department of Justice will continue to fight for our diverse communities and the research institutions that do crucial work to advance our understanding of human disease and potential treatments.”

    Background

    On April 4th, 2025, Attorney General Bonta co-led a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the NIH for failing to disperse grant funds and for unlawfully terminating existing grants for medical and public health research institutions across the country. The lawsuit alleged that NIH had terminated large swaths of already-issued grants for projects that are currently underway based on the projects’ perceived connection to “DEI,” “transgender issues,” “vaccine hesitancy,” and other topics disfavored by the current Administration. In boilerplate letters issued to the grants’ recipients, NIH claimed that each cancelled project “no longer effectuates agency priorities.” On April 14th, the coalition filed an amended complaint and motion for preliminary injunction. The court later set the case for trial on the merits dividing the case into two parts, the first being whether the termination of existing grants was illegal and the second whether the delay in processing new grants was unreasonable. 

    NIH is the federal agency responsible for biomedical and public health research. Over 80% of Congressional funding supports NIH research and training at external labs, schools, and hospitals. It is estimated that every $1 invested in NIH research generates $2.56 of economic activity.

    Over the years, NIH-supported research has had a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of the American people. NIH scientists pioneered the rubella vaccine, eradicating a disease that, in the 1960s, killed thousands of babies and left thousands more with lifelong disabilities. NIH studies led to the discovery of the BRCA mutation, helping countless Americans reduce their risk of breast and ovarian cancer. NIH research fueled the development of treatments for HIV and AIDS, transforming what used to be a fatal disease into one with a nearly normal life expectancy.   

    The coalition will be filing a proposed order with the court in the coming days.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Plastics threaten ecosystems and human health, but evidence-based solutions are under political fire

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Tony Robert Walker, Professor, School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University

    Negotiations toward a global, legally binding plastics treaty are set to resume this summer, with the United Nations Environment Programme announcing that the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on plastic pollution will reconvene in August.

    The committee was established to develop an international legally binding instrument — known as the plastics treaty — to end plastic pollution, one of the fastest-growing environmental threats.



    Read more:
    Here’s how the new global treaty on plastic pollution can help solve this crisis

    Globally, 40 per cent of plastics production goes into the production of single-use plastic packaging, which is the single largest source of plastic waste and is a threat to wildlife and human health. Without meaningful action, global plastic waste is projected to nearly triple by 2060, reaching an estimated 1.2 billion tonnes.

    As the world prepares for another round of talks, Canada’s own plastic problem reveals what’s at stake, and what’s possible for the future.

    Canada’s plastic problem

    Canada is no exception to the global plastic crisis. Nearly half (47 per cent) of all plastic waste in Canada comes from the food and drink sector, contributing 3,268 million tonnes annually. Canadians use 15 billion plastic bags annually and nearly 57 million straws daily, yet only nine per cent of plastics are recycled — a figure that is not expected to improve.

    Most of Canada’s plastic — except for plastic bottles made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) — are uneconomical or difficult to recycle because of the complexity of mixed plastics used in our economy. As a result, 2.8 million tonnes of plastic waste — equivalent to the weight of 24 CN Towers — end up in landfills every year.

    This is not a trivial problem, as Ontario is projected to run out of landfill space by 2035. Plastic pollution poses growing risks to both urban and rural infrastructure.

    In addition to landfill overflow, around one per cent of Canada’s plastic waste leaks into the environment. In 2016, this was 29,000 tonnes of plastic pollution. Once in the environment, plastics disintegrate into tiny particles, called microplastics (small pieces of plastic less than five millimetres long).

    We drink those tiny microplastic particles in our tap water, and eat them in our fish dinners. Some are even making their way into farmland.

    Plastics are everywhere, including inside us

    More than 93 per cent of Canadians have expressed concerns over single-use plastics used in food packaging and have supported government bans. There is a good reason for concern over the mounting levels of plastics in the environment, in our food and in us.

    Growing evidence indicates that plastics can cause harmful health effects in humans and animals. Microplastics and smaller nanoplastics (less than one micron in length) have been found in humans, including infants and breast milk. They can cause metabolic disorders, interfere with our immune and reproductive systems and cause behavioural problems.

    These health problems may be caused by chemicals added to plastics, including single-use plastics, of which 4,200 chemicals have been identified as posing a hazard to human and ecosystem health.

    It is for these reasons that the Canadian government introduced a ban on single-use plastics in 2022 as part of a plan to reach zero plastic waste in Canada by 2030.

    The decision was based extensive public and industry consultation, as well as decades of data on plastic pollution gathered from the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. This data shows the most common plastic litter items found in the environment across Canada, known as the “dirty dozen” list.

    Six of these items were included in the federal ban. Three eastern Canadian provinces had already implemented single-use plastic bag bans before the federal government, with little to no public or industry opposition. Prince Edward Island was the first Canadian province to implement a province-wide plastic bag ban in July 2019, closely followed by Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia in October 2020.

    The politics of plastic

    Despite overwhelming scientific consensus, debates around plastic pollution are becoming increasingly politicized.

    In February in the United States, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to “stop purchasing paper straws and ensure they are no longer provided within federal buildings.”

    Trump told reporters at the White House: “I don’t think plastic is going to affect a shark very much, as they’re munching their way through the ocean.” Almost 2,000 peer-reviewed studies have reported, however, that more than 4,000 species have ingested or been entangled by plastic litter.

    In Canada, plastic has also become a political flashpoint. During the recent federal election, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he would scrap the federal government’s ban on single-use plastics and bring back plastic straws and grocery bags. He argued the government’s ban was about “symbolism” rather than “science,” saying, “the Liberals’ plastics ban is not about the environment, it’s about cost and control.”

    His promise would have harmed Canadians by dismissing the overwhelming scientific evidence showing that plastics in our bodies are linked to health impacts. Legislation to ban single-use plastics can be highly effective, ranging from 33 to 96 per cent reductions in plastic waste and pollution in the environment, depending on the policy and jurisdiction.

    Canada’s single-use plastics ban is a great example of evidence-based policymaking. The latest data from the conservation group Ocean Wise shows there was a 32 per cent drop in plastic straws found on Canadian shorelines in 2024 compared to the previous year.

    Science-based policies are needed

    It is indisputable that growing plastic production is directly related to plastic pollution in the environment and in human beings. Increasing plastic pollution is a global threat to human and ecosystem health, regardless of borders and political affiliation.

    As negotiators gear up for another round of talks to finalize a Global Plastics Treaty to end plastic pollution, the need for policies that are supported by scientific evidence is more urgent than ever.

    Future generations deserve a healthy and sustainable planet. The path towards a healthy and sustainable planet requires supporting action based on scientific evidence, not misinforming people with catchy phrases and political rhetoric.

    Tony Robert Walker receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, and Research Nova Scotia. He is also a non-remunerated member of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty.

    Miriam L Diamond receives funding from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, Future Earth, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. She is affiliated with the University of Toronto, serves as a paid expert for the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global Environment Facility, and has non-remunerated positions with the International Panel on Chemical Pollution (Vice-Chair), is a member of the Scientist Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, and sits on the board of the Canadian Environmental Law Association.

    – ref. Plastics threaten ecosystems and human health, but evidence-based solutions are under political fire – https://theconversation.com/plastics-threaten-ecosystems-and-human-health-but-evidence-based-solutions-are-under-political-fire-256764

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: B.C.’s mental health law is on trial — and so is our commitment to human rights

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Anne Levesque, Assistant professor, Faculty of Law, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

    The British Columbia Supreme Court has begun hearing a long-awaited constitutional challenge to the province’s Mental Health Act.

    The case, nearly a decade in the making, is now drawing greater attention in the wake of the tragedy at the Filipino Lapu Lapu Day street festival earlier this year that left 11 people dead in Vancouver.

    The event has shaken many in the community, leaving behind grief and fear. Furthermore, in light of reports that the person accused of the crime was under Mental Health Act supervision, difficult questions arise. The pain is real, and any conversation about mental health must begin with compassion for all of those affected.



    Read more:
    Vancouver SUV attack exposes crowd management falldowns and casts a pall on Canada’s election

    At the same time, it’s important to ensure this moment of reckoning leads to thoughtful dialogue, not reactive policy. Unfortunately, much of the public discourse has become mired in fear and misinformation, creating a false and dangerous choice: that Canada must sacrifice individual rights in order to protect public safety.

    As a legal scholar in equality rights and public interest litigation, I don’t believe Canadians have to choose. A mental health system that respects Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms can also promote safety.

    What’s the case is about?

    The case currently before the B.C. Supreme Court was initiated by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), a national human rights organization led by people with disabilities. The group is fighting provisions in the province’s Mental Health Act that strip patients of any right to choose their own health care, or to appoint a loved one to make health care decisions on their behalf.

    The CCD’s motto — “Nothing about us without us” — reflects a longstanding commitment to ensuring that people most affected by policies and systems have a voice in shaping them. This litigation will amplify the voices of people who underwent psychiatric treatment without consent and to shine a light on the deep and lasting harms they have suffered.

    Let’s be clear about what this Charter challenge actually seeks and what it doesn’t. It doesn’t aim to eliminate involuntary hospitalization. It does not change who can be detained, how long they can be held or the legal criteria for involuntary admission.

    What it does seek is something far more modest and humane: to ensure that when psychiatric care is forced, it is delivered with dignity, oversight and the involvement of trusted supporters in accordance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

    One of the key reforms that CCD has long advocated for is the right for people to name a family member or friend to be involved in treatment decisions. Far from undermining care, this kind of involvement can help bridge the gap between medical necessity and personal dignity.

    It’s a safeguard that respects patients’ values and builds trust, which the current system desperately lacks. And yes, it could even enhance public safety. Reports suggest that a family member of the man accused in the Lapu Lapu mass murders in April was concerned about his deteriorating mental health and had reached out for help just before the tragedy occurred. A more responsive system with the embedded involvement of trusted decision-makers might have made a difference.



    Read more:
    Fraudulent crowdfunding after the Lapu Lapu tragedy highlights the need for vigilance and oversight

    Reforming the Mental Health Act

    British Columbia is currently an outlier in Canada. It’s the only province where people detained under mental health laws are automatically deemed to consent to any treatment authorized by the facility — regardless of their actual wishes or capacity.

    There’s no right to name a substitute decision-maker, no ability to appeal a treatment decision, no independent oversight, and treatment is often imposed through isolation, physical restraints or security force.

    Advocates have been calling for change for decades. But in the wake of the Lapu Lapu attack, some politicians are proposing not a more compassionate or rights-respecting approach, but harsher, more coercive powers over people with mental health issues. That would be a mistake.

    The current system, which experts have long said is inconsistent with human rights, did nothing to prevent this tragedy. Violating the rights of people in crisis did not and will not keep the public safer.

    B.C. Premier David Eby has acknowledged the shortcomings in the current system, but has said that engaging in law reform while litigation is undergoing would pose a risk. Instead, he says it’s better to wait to hear what the court decides before changing the law.

    That logic is arguably akin to a citizen saying it’s risky to stop driving at a speed they know is over the lawful limit until they’re pulled over.

    Pointless to wait

    Waiting for the courts to force change wastes precious time, and public resources, that could be better spent on designing a new, Charter-compliant mental health system in collaboration with experts, service providers, families and people with lived experiences.

    Meanwhile, substantial public funds are being spent on government lawyers to fight a legal battle defending a regime that is clearly unconstitutional and fails both patients and public safety.

    That money would be far better spent consulting with experts, families and people with lived experiences and developing legislation that upholds constitutional rights and keeps communities safe.

    The time for delay is over. The B.C. government must act now to rewrite the Mental Health Act in order to protect the public and respect Charter rights.

    Anne Levesque is co-chair of the Disability Justice Litigation Initiative of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.

    – ref. B.C.’s mental health law is on trial — and so is our commitment to human rights – https://theconversation.com/b-c-s-mental-health-law-is-on-trial-and-so-is-our-commitment-to-human-rights-258671

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How to make sure the new grooming gangs inquiry is the last

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aisha K. Gill, Professor of Criminology, Centre for Gender and Violence Research, University of Bristol

    Motortion Films/Shutterstock

    Louise Casey’s recent report on grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation in the UK lays bare institutional failings. It highlights that, at present, victims cannot rely upon the criminal justice system – and that it has badly let them down in the past.

    One of Lady Casey’s 12 recommendations is a new national inquiry into child sexual exploitation. This inquiry would review reported cases that did not result in prosecution, and review police and children’s services to identify children at risk. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accepted this recommendation, and a statutory inquiry will go ahead into child sexual exploitation and grooming gangs.

    As an activist and researcher with over 20 years’ experience focused on violence against women and children, if this new inquiry is to go ahead, I believe its remit must be clear and it must be delivered promptly: within the next two to three years. Importantly, it must avoid duplicating the previous independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, led by Alexis Jay and published in October 2022. It is a sign of institutional failure that those recommendations have still not been implemented.

    Professor Jay’s inquiry revealed the failure of many schools, local authorities and other institutions to protect and safeguard the children in their care. Survivors and experts criticised a widespread lack of effort on the part of the police, local safeguarding authorities and the government to better protect children from sexual abuse.

    The inquiry made 20 recommendations for action, including mandatory reporting of abuse by people who work with children, and better, more unified data on victims and perpetrators. However, there has been little evidence of such action taking place in the intervening years. None of those recommendations have been fully implemented.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    One of the problems facing this new inquiry is how to address the current crisis of confidence and doubt over whether the government will heed these calls for change. In January 2025, Jay questioned whether a national inquiry was the most effective way to address the inherent problems associated with investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators, as well as supporting the victims, of child sexual exploitation.

    The findings of her 2022 review revealed ample evidence that schools, police officers, council chiefs and social services acted improperly. It found that they failed to protect victims and those at risk of becoming victims, either by victim blaming or turning a blind eye.

    But since Jay’s report was released, survivors of child sexual exploitation remain inadequately supported. This has compounded distrust of, and dissatisfaction with, the police and local systems of government.

    Ultimately, the consequence of these multiple government failures is that victims of child sexual exploitation are reluctant to reach out to law enforcement. They fear they will be disbelieved or even blamed for what happened to them. Casey’s recent review states that victims have to live with “an overall system that compounds and exacerbates the damage, [and] rarely acknowledges its failures to victims”.

    Heeding calls for change

    Identifying the failures of the police and local authorities is key to this process. Victims I have spoken to over the years have described being “fobbed off” – told that something was being done when in fact their cases were not progressing at all.

    Some action is underway. Since January 2025, the police have reopened for review more than 800 historic cases of group-based child sexual abuse.

    In response to Casey’s review, the Home Office has announced that the National Crime Agency has been tasked with working with police forces to deliver “long-awaited justice” for victims whose cases have not yet progressed through the criminal justice system. It is also intended to improve how local police forces investigate such crimes.

    But in my opinion, other factors must also be considered as part of these processes. Above all, adequate training for all professionals involved in identifying, investigating and prosecuting these cases is critical to preventing children from becoming prey.

    Healthcare providers, for example, must be equipped with the skills to make sure concern about a child leads to action. They often come into contact with exploited children and so need to know how to identify victims and the signs of exploitation. Hospital staff should be aware of the controlling behaviour that may be displayed by predatory groomers.

    This will also provide an opportunity to develop multi-agency screening tools that enable health professionals to help all victims. Some may require care due to pregnancy or injuries arising from the abuse.

    Casey’s report is a diplomatically framed, national snapshot audit. All who are concerned about child sexual exploitation can find points with which they agree.

    Nevertheless, even if positive legislative changes are implemented, disjointed, dysfunctional practices will continue if education is not put in place. The police, social workers, educators, health workers and community workers should receive effective, consistent training about the issues faced by children who are at risk of exploitation.

    Until the government holistically addresses child sexual exploitation, its efforts to shift the dial will remain no more than a sticking plaster. The new inquiry should thus ensure the issues underlying these crimes are fully investigated and addressed. The legal system must bring perpetrators to justice and support all victims on the path to seeking justice and accountability.

    Aisha K. Gill is affiliated with End Violence Against Women Coalition and Ashiana Network.

    – ref. How to make sure the new grooming gangs inquiry is the last – https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-sure-the-new-grooming-gangs-inquiry-is-the-last-259096

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Congressman Sorensen Helps Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Fully Staff National Weather Service Offices Across the Country

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    The “Weather Workforce Improvement Act” Ensures the National Weather Service is Fully Staffed Going into This Year’s Hurricane and Severe Weather Season

    Last week, Congressmen Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Mike Flood (NE-1), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Frank Lucas (OK-3), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) introduced their bipartisan Weather Workforce Improvement Act to help the National Weather Service (NWS) fully staff critical positions at their offices as the country prepares for severe weather and hurricanes this summer.

    Read more about the bipartisan legislation:

    • CNN: Rep. Sorensen discusses bipartisan legislation to help staff the National Weather Service during severe weather and hurricane season 

      • Congressman Sorensen: “We need to make sure that we are understanding that the National Weather Service meteorologists are there to care for our communities, but they are essential. They are as essential to our safety as TSA and air traffic controllers. I’m so thankful – as being the only meteorologist in Congress – that we’re able to work across the aisle. Congressman Flood from Nebraska and myself realized that ‘hey, we’re in severe weather season – we’re going to be ramping up into hurricane season.’ We need to make sure that we have the staffing levels that are needed. We have too many people that have been let go. This administration needs to hire them back.” 
         

    • New York Times: Law would make most National Weather Service workers hard to fire 

      • A bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Friday would make it harder to fire most employees of the National Weather Service and give the agency’s director the authority to hire new staff directly, months after it lost nearly 600 employees to layoffs and retirements as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to the federal work force. 

      • The bill’s other sponsors include Representative Frank Lucas, Republican of Oklahoma, as well as Democratic Representatives Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Jimmy Panetta of California, and Eric Sorensen of Illinois. All represent states that have been hit by severe weather this year. 

      • “Severe weather affects both blue states and red states, and ensuring Americans have access to reliable and accurate weather forecasting is something everyone should support regardless of their political affiliation,” said Mr. Sorensen, who is the only meteorologist in Congress. “I’m grateful for Congressman Flood’s partnership on bipartisan legislation that will help fully staff National Weather Service offices across the country during severe weather and hurricane season.” 
         

    • NBC News: Tired in tornado alley 

      • NBC News joined a congressional tour — at the invitation of Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., Congress’ only meteorologist and a critic of the administration — to see the effects of the Trump administration’s cuts at the Quad Cities forecasting office for Iowa and Illinois.

      • Sorensen, who worked for 22 years as a TV meteorologist, has signed on to co-sponsor Flood’s bill, along with Reps. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif. Sorensen said he’s concerned a mistake by a worn-down meteorologist will lead to unnecessary deaths. He compared the situation to a used car — once trusty and now headed for a lapse.

      • “It’s not running the way that it was supposed to,” Sorensen said of the service. “Meteorologists, we’re human, you know. We will make mistakes, and I don’t want to ever see us in a situation where funding or a lack of funding has now caused there to be a loss of life.”
         

    • NBC News: Rep. Sorensen highlights importance of the National Weather Service in his congressional district 

      • Reporter: […] Congressman Eric Sorensen visited his local weather office to listen to and encourage the forecasters stretched thin. So thin, that sometimes they can’t do basic things, like launch a weather balloon.

      • […]

      • Reporter: Now, (Rep.) Flood is partnering with Sorensen on a bipartisan bill to further protect weather service forecasters by reclassifying them as public safety, alongside FBI agents and air traffic controllers.

      • Congressman Sorensen: “We have to make sure that we’re protecting [National Weather Service meteorologists] because they don’t just serve my constituents here. They serve constituents of every Member of Congress.” 
         

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging Kentucky Regulation Providing Reduced In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens

    Source: US State of California

    WASHINGTON – Today the United States is challenging a Kentucky regulation that provides reduced in-state tuition for illegal aliens. This law unconstitutionally discriminates against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same privilege, in direct conflict with federal law. The Department of Justice has filed the complaint in the Eastern District of Kentucky. This challenge builds upon a recently successful lawsuit against the state of Texas on a similar law.

    “No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice just won on this exact issue in Texas, and we look forward to fighting in Kentucky to protect the rights of American citizens.”

    In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of a Kentucky regulation that requires public colleges and universities to provide reduced in-state tuition rates for illegal aliens who are deemed to be Kentucky residents. Federal law prohibits public institutions of higher education from providing benefits to illegal aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. This regulation blatantly conflicts with federal law and thus is unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

    This lawsuit follows two executive orders recently signed by President Trump that seek to ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment.

    Read the complaint HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Ending Trump’s unlawful militarization of Los Angeles

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jun 17, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Ahead of today’s court hearing in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to stop Trump’s unlawful militarization of Los Angeles, learn more about what Governor Gavin Newsom has done to protect Californians.

    I’m confident in the rule of law. I’m confident in the Constitution of the United States. I’m confident in the reasoned decision issued last week by a very well respected federal judge. And I’m confident that common sense will prevail here: The U.S. military belongs on the battlefield, not on American streets.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Taking action early 

    On Friday, June 6, 2025, the federal government, through Immigration and Customs Enforcement, began conducting widespread operations throughout Los Angeles without notifying local law enforcement. ICE officers sparked panic with military-style operations and the arrest and detention of children. This panic quickly grew into outrage, as community members stood up to make their voices heard through spontaneous protests. Local law enforcement, despite the lack of communication or advance notice about the raids from the federal government, responded quickly to keep the peace and quell any unrest. California has a robust array of law enforcement resources, which it quickly began to mobilize, without requesting federal assistance. Despite the lack of need to escalate the response, President Trump declared on July 7 that he was taking over the state’s National Guard and would begin deploying thousands of soldiers into the Los Angeles community.

    Trump’s action was unnecessary, unwelcome, and unsafe. Before Trump federalized the National Guard, Governor Newsom had already deployed additional California Highway Patrol officers to Los Angeles to assist with safety on regional highways and enlisted local law enforcement mutual aid partners to help keep the peace.

    • LA Police Department Chief has said: “We’re nowhere near a level where we would be reaching out to the governor for the National Guard.”

    • LA County Sheriff has said: “We have access to a lot of other law enforcement agencies.”

    And again, as is standard practice, Governor Newsom mobilized, through a pre-deployment, additional resources across the Golden State ahead of the “No Kings” nationwide protests — which went peacefully. Instead of easing tension, Trump’s deployment of military officials to Los Angeles only drew more protesters, requiring state law enforcement officials to increase their efforts to maintain order. 

    Requesting immediate removal  

    On Sunday, June 8, the day after Trump’s unprecedented takeover of a California National Guard unit , Governor Newsom formally requested the federalization of the National Guard members be rescinded — and the state regain control, rightfully.

    Action in the courts

    Governor Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit requesting a stay on Trump’s unlawful order to federalize the National Guard unit, and shortly afterwards, filed an emergency motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). Read a step-by-step blog post about why Trump’s militarization is illegal. 

    On Thursday, June 12, a federal judge in San Francisco sided with the Governor — ordering the Trump Administration to return the federalized National Guard unit (at this point numbering 4,000 soldiers) back to Governor Newsom’s command. A 3-judge appellate panel will now decide whether to let the district court judge’s order take effect sometime after June 17. See the Governor’s argument in support of the Judge’s order here.

    Governor Newsom is standing up for the rights of all Americans, as President Trump’s order was not only directed at California, but suggested he could assume control of any state’s militia, using soldiers as a police force against American citizens.

    Hypocrisy of the Trump Administration 

    In 2020, President Trump told George Stephanopoulos: “We have laws. We have to go by the laws. We can’t move in the National Guard — I can call an insurrection — but there is no reason to ever do that, even in a Portland case. We can’t call in the National Guard unless we’re requested by a Governor.” 

    In 2024, Secretary Kristi Noem — then a sitting Governor — said to Sean Hannity on Fox News: “If Joe Biden federalizes the National Guard, that would be a direct attack on state’s rights…South Dakota defends the Constitution.”

    See the prior times the Trump Admin didn’t federalize a state’s national guard — though conditions were likely worse than Los Angeles.

    Military veterans speaking out

    Veterans are speaking out over the unnecessary and inflammatory actions.  

    • Janessa Goldbeck, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Senior Advisor of VoteVets said: “When a president uses the military to police his own people, we are no longer in the realm of democratic governance—we are witnessing the rehearsal of authoritarian rule.” 

    And former secretaries of the Army and Navy and retired four-star admirals and generals filed an amicus brief warning of the grave risks associated with the Trump administration’s illegal militarization of downtown Los Angeles.

    • Former U.S. Army and Navy secretaries and retired four-star admirals and generals have said: “While the President is entitled to criticize his opponents in political terms, involving the military in domestic political controversies risks harming the military’s ability to recruit and retain servicemembers and garner broad public support for its budgets and programs, therefore undermining its ability to achieve its core mission of protecting the nation. It is precisely for this reason that the military should be kept out of domestic law enforcement whenever possible.”

    $134 million reasons why this is wrong 

    As the federal government adds to the open deficit tab, taxpayers are footing the $134 million militarization display in Los Angeles where Trump illegally took control over state National Guard units. Trump federalized 4,000 National Guard soldiers and deployed 700 Marines to use as pawns in Los Angeles – turning the military into his own personal police force. Even as tensions rise in the Middle East, in an unprecedented move, there are now more American troops deployed in Los Angeles than in Iraq and Syria combined.

    Threats to Californians 

    Governor Newsom launched a new effort to recruit for one of the world’s leading firefighting departments, CAL FIRE. The effort coincides with President Trump’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles cuts into valuable firefighting resources — roughly 300 California National Guard fire crews have been diverted to armories in the Los Angeles region, cutting CalGuard’s firefighting force by three-quarters. This is on top of the Trump administration’s cuts to the U.S. Forest Service, which also threatens the safety of communities across the states.

    President Trump’s proposing to gut public safety funding across the country — putting the safety and lives of all Americans at risk. At a time when violent crime is dropping, Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill” threatens to erase substantial progress on public safety, at a time when exactly the opposite is needed.

    In constant contact with law enforcement

    The Governor has met multiple times with local law enforcement leaders on the ground, and with state officials. The Governor announced that 800+ local and state law enforcement would be “surged” into the Los Angeles area to de-escalate the situation manufactured by Trump.

    Bigger picture: Transforming the Mental Health Services Act into the Behavioral Health Services Act and building more community mental health treatment sites and supportive housing is the last main pillar of Governor Newsom’s Mental Health Movement – pulling together significant recent reforms like 988 crisis line, CalHOPE, CARE Court, conservatorship reform, CalAIM behavioral health expansion (including mobile crisis care and telehealth), Medi-Cal expansion to all low-income Californians, Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (including expanding services in schools and on-line), Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative, Veterans Mental Health Initiative, Behavioral Health Community Infrastructure Program, Behavioral Health Bridge Housing, Health Care Workforce for All and more.

    Learn more: The Governor launched a new website to track the chaos campaign Trump is pursuing in his militarization of LA

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jun 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: President Trump’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles is hamstringing firefighting resources in California just as peak fire season begins. SACRAMENTO – All 14 Joint Task Force Rattlesnake teams responded to the Los Angeles fires in…

    Jun 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: Against the backdrop of President Trump’s massive and costly bill gutting laws protecting against AI-generated child pornography, scams, and other criminal activity, Governor Newsom is continuing his leadership by releasing a groundbreaking…

    Jun 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: As Governor Newsom’s motion to block the Trump Administration’s illegal militarization of downtown Los Angeles heads to the Ninth Circuit, former military leaders agree – Trump’s takeover poses grave risk to both servicemembers and…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison for Attempted Extortion

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Glenn Boyd was in prison at the time he committed this offense. 

    GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Alexis Sanford today announced that Glenn Daeward Boyd, 36, of Kershaw, South Carolina, was sentenced to a total of 272 months in the Bureau of Prisons. A jury convicted him in February of attempted extortion, stalking, and five counts of wire fraud. 

    Boyd was serving a sentence at a prison in South Carolina for voluntary manslaughter, assault with intent to kill, assaulting a correctional employee, and inciting a riot. According to the evidence at trial, Boyd used a contraband cell phone to pretend to be “Jad,” an 18-year-old girl from Grand Rapids, Michigan on the dating application “Plenty of Fish.” As “Jad,” he communicated with B.G. beginning in August 2023. Two days after their first communication, Boyd, continuing to pose as “Jad,” told B.G. he was a 15-year-old girl. Boyd then assumed the identity of “Jad’s grandparents,” threatening B.G. that “they” would contact police and B.G.’s family to report B.G. as a pedophile if B.G. did not send money. Boyd also used a Facebook profile to post on an account related to B.G.: “He is a pedophile I have all the evidence if anyone wants to see it.” In response, and on the same day of the threats, B.G. reported Boyd’s extortion scheme to the police and died by suicide.  B.G. was 22 years old.

    “Yesterday’s sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the grave nature of Mr. Boyd’s predatory actions specifically, his heinous crimes of sexual exploitation and extortion that have tragically resulted in a profound loss of life,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “As we stand in solidarity with the victim’s loved ones, the FBI is unwavering in its commitment to deliver justice. We will collaborate with our law enforcement partners throughout the state to identify and hold accountable those who perpetrate acts of online exploitation.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wyoming Police Department, South Carolina Department of Corrections, South Carolina Department of Corrections – Office of Inspector General, Newaygo County Sheriff’s Department, and Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Constance R. Turnbull and Jonathan Roth prosecuted it.

    The FBI provides the following six tips on how people can protect themselves from sextortion schemes:

    • Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
    • Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
    • Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
    • Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
    • Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
    • Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone.

    If you have information about or believe you are a victim of sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at http://tips.fbi.gov. More information is available at https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leessa Augustine, Former Sewerage & Water Board Special Agent and New Orleans Police Officer, Pleads Guilty to Multiple Fraud Schemes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LEESSA AUGUSTINE (“AUGUSTINE”) age 46, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025, to several charges related to her involvement in fraud schemes while employed as a Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (“S&WB”) Senior Special Agent.  In this role, AUGUSTINE was tasked with investigating the alleged misconduct of other Sewerage & Water Board employees.

    According to court records, in one scheme, AUGUSTINE, who also served as a New Orleans Police Department reserve officer, billed a police detail customer for hours not actually worked.  During some of the times AUGUSTINE was supposed to be working the police detail for the Downtown Development District, she used her S&WB-issued computer to conduct a second fraud scheme, that involved obtaining a mortgage loan and federally funded assistance for low-income homebuyers.  In that home-purchase scheme, AUGUSTINE created fake documents, including a fake W-2 form, fake pay stubs, and fake bank statements. In a third scheme, AUGUSTINE obtained federally funded unemployment benefits by concealing her Senior Special Agent income.  Finally, in a fourth scheme, AUGUSTINE obtained federally funded emergency rental assistance from the City of New Orleans, by submitting a fake lease and a termination letter from a fictitious employer. At various times during the schemes, AUGUSTINE provided her S&WB-issued cellphone number as a contact number for three different persons she impersonated.  As a result of her fraud schemes, AUGUSTINE pled guilty to three counts of wire fraud.  She also pled guilty to one count of making false statements, for lying to investigators. 

    The wire fraud charges are each punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment, which may be followed by up to five years of supervised release.  The false statement charge is punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, which may be followed by up to three years of supervised release.  Each count may also include a fine of up to $250,000 and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  Sentencing is set for September 16, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson expressed his appreciation for the valuable assistance and contributions of the New Orleans Office of Inspector General, and the New Orleans Police Department in connection with this case.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Labor, and the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leessa Augustine, Former Sewerage & Water Board Special Agent and New Orleans Police Officer, Pleads Guilty to Multiple Fraud Schemes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LEESSA AUGUSTINE (“AUGUSTINE”) age 46, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025, to several charges related to her involvement in fraud schemes while employed as a Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (“S&WB”) Senior Special Agent.  In this role, AUGUSTINE was tasked with investigating the alleged misconduct of other Sewerage & Water Board employees.

    According to court records, in one scheme, AUGUSTINE, who also served as a New Orleans Police Department reserve officer, billed a police detail customer for hours not actually worked.  During some of the times AUGUSTINE was supposed to be working the police detail for the Downtown Development District, she used her S&WB-issued computer to conduct a second fraud scheme, that involved obtaining a mortgage loan and federally funded assistance for low-income homebuyers.  In that home-purchase scheme, AUGUSTINE created fake documents, including a fake W-2 form, fake pay stubs, and fake bank statements. In a third scheme, AUGUSTINE obtained federally funded unemployment benefits by concealing her Senior Special Agent income.  Finally, in a fourth scheme, AUGUSTINE obtained federally funded emergency rental assistance from the City of New Orleans, by submitting a fake lease and a termination letter from a fictitious employer. At various times during the schemes, AUGUSTINE provided her S&WB-issued cellphone number as a contact number for three different persons she impersonated.  As a result of her fraud schemes, AUGUSTINE pled guilty to three counts of wire fraud.  She also pled guilty to one count of making false statements, for lying to investigators. 

    The wire fraud charges are each punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment, which may be followed by up to five years of supervised release.  The false statement charge is punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, which may be followed by up to three years of supervised release.  Each count may also include a fine of up to $250,000 and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  Sentencing is set for September 16, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson expressed his appreciation for the valuable assistance and contributions of the New Orleans Office of Inspector General, and the New Orleans Police Department in connection with this case.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Labor, and the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leessa Augustine, Former Sewerage & Water Board Special Agent and New Orleans Police Officer, Pleads Guilty to Multiple Fraud Schemes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LEESSA AUGUSTINE (“AUGUSTINE”) age 46, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025, to several charges related to her involvement in fraud schemes while employed as a Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (“S&WB”) Senior Special Agent.  In this role, AUGUSTINE was tasked with investigating the alleged misconduct of other Sewerage & Water Board employees.

    According to court records, in one scheme, AUGUSTINE, who also served as a New Orleans Police Department reserve officer, billed a police detail customer for hours not actually worked.  During some of the times AUGUSTINE was supposed to be working the police detail for the Downtown Development District, she used her S&WB-issued computer to conduct a second fraud scheme, that involved obtaining a mortgage loan and federally funded assistance for low-income homebuyers.  In that home-purchase scheme, AUGUSTINE created fake documents, including a fake W-2 form, fake pay stubs, and fake bank statements. In a third scheme, AUGUSTINE obtained federally funded unemployment benefits by concealing her Senior Special Agent income.  Finally, in a fourth scheme, AUGUSTINE obtained federally funded emergency rental assistance from the City of New Orleans, by submitting a fake lease and a termination letter from a fictitious employer. At various times during the schemes, AUGUSTINE provided her S&WB-issued cellphone number as a contact number for three different persons she impersonated.  As a result of her fraud schemes, AUGUSTINE pled guilty to three counts of wire fraud.  She also pled guilty to one count of making false statements, for lying to investigators. 

    The wire fraud charges are each punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment, which may be followed by up to five years of supervised release.  The false statement charge is punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, which may be followed by up to three years of supervised release.  Each count may also include a fine of up to $250,000 and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  Sentencing is set for September 16, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson expressed his appreciation for the valuable assistance and contributions of the New Orleans Office of Inspector General, and the New Orleans Police Department in connection with this case.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Labor, and the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug Trafficking Organization Faces Federal Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    INDIANAPOLIS- John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney, announced a federal indictment charging 21 individuals from Indianapolis to Phoenix, Arizona for their alleged roles in an Indianapolis-based drug trafficking organization led by Eric Robinson.

    On Friday, June 13, 2025, a multiple-agency operation consisting of 19 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies served search and arrest warrants at 21 locations in Indianapolis and Phoenix, Arizona, ultimately leading to the arrest of 19 individuals. During the investigation, law enforcement officers seized approximately 56 firearms, $12,000 in currency, 75 pounds of methamphetamine, eight kilograms of cocaine, two pounds of fentanyl, 100 suspected fentanyl pills, one-half pound of heroin, 2 ounces of crack cocaine, and one-half pound of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

    The following individuals were apprehended and charged on Friday:

    Defendant Charge(s)
    Eric L. Robinson, 55
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Jonhy Chacon-Hernandez, 28
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Genaro Tapia, 25
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Monte D. Scruggs, 44
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Joshua P. Sheehy, 32
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Heather A. Hill, 40
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Richard N. Irwin, II, 39
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    William Cox, 54
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Michael P Brandenburg, 35
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Eliud Chavez-Delgado, 45
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Theodore Sweat, 67
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Andrea Clayton, 36
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Jeremiha Dailey, 46
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Aaron Mooney, 37
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Hirohito Causeway, 61
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Michael Graham, 61
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Lawrence Davis, 50
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Timothy Barnes, 51
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
    Cory J. Alcorn, 45
    • Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances

    According to the indictment, Eric Robinson was the alleged leader of a drug trafficking organization that operated in Indianapolis.  Robinson received methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and Xanax from primary sources of supply in Texas and Arizona and alternative sources of supply in Indianapolis.  Robinson then delivered the controlled substances to numerous other individuals in the Indianapolis area for redistribution.

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

    • Drug Enforcement Administration
    • Internal Revenue Service
    • Indianapolis Metropolitan Drug Task Force
    • Hamilton Boone Drug Task Force
    • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
    • Department of Homeland Security
    • U.S. Marshal Service
    • Indiana State Police
    • Beech Grove Police
    • Lawrence Police
    • Brownsburg Police
    • Fishers Police
    • Carmel Police
    • Greenfield Police
    • Plainfield Police
    • Whitestown Police
    • Zionsville Police
    • Morgan County Sheriff’s Office

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

    This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This operation is part of the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Six Defendants Indicted For Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy And Gun Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAS VEGAS – A 13-count indictment was unsealed on June 11, 2025, charging five men and one woman for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine and gun offenses.

    Alex Gonzalez, also known as “Luis Carlos Caloca-Castenada;” Aaron Wolski; Richard Allen Williams, also known as “Steve Watley;” Shane Kunkle; Charles Wade McCall; and Maria Paola Ortiz-Sanchez are each charged with one-count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Additionally, Wolski is charged with one-count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, and five-counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Kunkle is charged with one-count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, two-counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and seven-counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Williams is charged with two-counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Gonzalez is charged with three-counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Ortiz-Sanchez is charged with one-count of distribution of methamphetamine. McCall is charged with one-count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    According to allegations contained in the indictment, from about June 2024, and continuing to June 10, 2025, the defendants conspired with each other to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. As alleged, from about February 14, 2025, and continuing to May 20, 2025, Wolski and Kunkle, not being a licensed dealer, engaged in the business of dealing firearms. Additionally, Kunkle allegedly possessed firearms despite having prior felony convictions in Clark County, Nevada; Ector County, Texas; and the Western District of Texas. He is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.

    A jury trial is scheduled for August 11, 2025, before United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro.

    If convicted, they each face up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafik Mattar for the FBI Las Vegas Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Buenaventura, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, ATF, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Brister and Tina Snellings are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: King Cosponsors Bipartisan Bill to Combat National Security Threats from China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), is cosponsoring legislation to counter threats to U.S. national security posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Countering Chinese Espionage Reporting Act would direct the Attorney General to prepare a report on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) efforts to combat threats from China and espionage in the United States, so that the federal government can better form a fact-based, up-to-date strategy to contain and confront China.
    China poses one of the greatest threats to the United States’ national security and economy. In February 2023, the United States Air Force shot down a Chinese spy balloon that had traveled through American airspace for several days — an apparent act of Chinese provocation. It was also revealed last year that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has secretly been operating “service centers” across America — raising questions about China’s surveillance efforts in our country. Additionally, China has leveraged much of its legal system to steal American intellectual property. It leads America’s adversaries as the top thief of United States’ intellectual property (IP). According to the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, the CCP has stolen IP that is estimated to cost the United States from $225 billion to $600 billion every year.
    “For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has consistently worked to undermine our national security, weaken our economy and steal intellectual property,” said Senator Angus King. “The first step in combatting any threat is to ensure we have a clear understanding of the facts. The bipartisan Counting Chinese Espionage Reporting Act would be a commonsense, invaluable step forward in countering these serious threats posed by Chinese agents. By using our own intelligence and annual reporting from the Department of Justice, we can better protect our communities and companies from foreign bad actors.”
    The Countering Chinese Espionage Reporting Act would:
    Direct the U.S. Attorney General, in coordination with other relevant government agencies, to prepare an annual report on the DOJ’s efforts to counter threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
    Specifically, the report would include details pertaining to:
    The theft of American intellectual property (IP) and research
    Threats from non-traditional collectors, such as researchers in laboratories, at universities and at defense industrial base facilities
    An accounting of DOJ resources dedicated to combating threats from the CCP
    A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as a thoughtful voice on national security and foreign policy issues. Alongside the Maine delegation he urged the DOJ to crackdown on illegal Chinses-owned marijuana operations in Maine. In the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), he secured a key provision requiring the Secretary of Defense to submit yearly reports focused on deterring hostility from adversaries like China and Russia. During hearings, Senator King has been a vocal advocate for strengthening the United States’ deterrence strategy to defend itself from multiple forms of Chinese aggression.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: The Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging Kentucky Regulation Providing Reduced In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    WASHINGTON – Today the United States is challenging a Kentucky regulation that provides reduced in-state tuition for illegal aliens. This law unconstitutionally discriminates against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same privilege, in direct conflict with federal law. The Department of Justice has filed the complaint in the Eastern District of Kentucky. This challenge builds upon a recently successful lawsuit against the state of Texas on a similar law.

    “No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice just won on this exact issue in Texas, and we look forward to fighting in Kentucky to protect the rights of American citizens.”

    In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of a Kentucky regulation that requires public colleges and universities to provide reduced in-state tuition rates for illegal aliens who are deemed to be Kentucky residents. Federal law prohibits public institutions of higher education from providing benefits to illegal aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. This regulation blatantly conflicts with federal law and thus is unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

    This lawsuit follows two executive orders recently signed by President Trump that seek to ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment.

    Read the complaint HERE.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DAUPHIN COUNTY – Shapiro Administration to Promote Safe Driving During Summer Travel

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    June 18, 2025 – Middletown, PA

    ADVISORY – DAUPHIN COUNTY – Shapiro Administration to Promote Safe Driving During Summer Travel

    Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) and Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project (PA TIPP) will gather to promote safe summer travel, urging motorists to follow traffic laws for the safety of all road users.

    The statewide Fourth of July impaired driving enforcement campaign began Monday and runs through July 6.

    WHO:
    Mike Carroll, Secretary, PennDOT
    Mark Compton, CEO, PA Turnpike
    Sgt. Logan Brouse, Communications Office Director, PSP
    Kelly Whitaker, Central Regional Coordinator, PA TIPP

    WHEN:
    Wednesday, June 18 at 1:00 PM

    WHERE:
    PA Turnpike TIP Building, 2850 Turnpike Industrial Drive, Middletown, PA. Event is outside, at the back of the main entrance parking lot. See map for details. In case of inclement weather, the event will move indoors.

    See Full Advisory for Map

    RSVP:
    Media interested in attending should RSVP with the name of reporter/photographer to morbanek@paturnpike.com.

    MIL OSI USA News –