NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Louisiana Men Receive Lengthy Federal Prison Sentences for Trafficking Controlled Substances

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that several men have been sentenced in related Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) cases involving the trafficking of controlled substances. James Cordell Zeno, 37, of Jennings, Blaze Duhon, 27, of Kinder, Jamarcus Jamall Epps, 31, of Many, and James Spikes, 28, of Zwolle, have all been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr.  Another defendant, Desmond Antoine Jackson, 40, of Zwolle, has pleaded guilty and is currently awaiting sentencing. 

    Zeno was sentenced to 282 months (23 years, 6 months) in prison, and Duhon was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to information presented in court, in July 2022, the United States Postal Inspector intercepted a suspicious package that was destined for Duhon’s residence. Agents obtained a search warrant for the package and found it contained suspected methamphetamine.  The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office then obtained a search warrant for the residence, and Duhon was located inside.  Days after the search warrant, the United States Postal Inspector intercepted a second suspicious package destined for Duhon’s residence.  Agents obtained a search warrant for this package and found it also contained suspected methamphetamine.  A search of Duhon’s phone revealed text messages between him and Zeno.  Two text messages sent by Zeno to Duhon contained photos of United States Postal Service receipts containing tracking information for two packages.  The tracking information matched both packages of methamphetamine that were intercepted by the United States Postal Inspector.   

    The suspected methamphetamine from both packages was seized and sent to the crime laboratory for testing and the results were positive for methamphetamine with a total weight of 280 grams.  Zeno and Duhon were indicted, and both pleaded guilty. 

    Jamarcus Jamall Epps and Desmond Antoine Jackson were also charged as the result of an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the Sabine Parish area.  In December 2021, the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office Tactical Narcotics Team conducted a controlled purchase of a Taurus PT738 .380 caliber pistol from Epps. An audio/video recording of the transaction was captured by law enforcement. An examination of the firearm by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) determined that the firearm sold by Epps was a working firearm. At the time of the sale of this firearm, Epps was a convicted felon, with a prior conviction of aggravated second degree battery in 2019 and he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Epps pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 77 months (6 years, 5 months) in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    Approximately one month later, law enforcement agents conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Jackson and that transaction was also recorded. The suspected controlled substance was sent to the crime laboratory for analysis and determined to be pure methamphetamine weighing at least 50 grams.  Jackson was charged and pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine in February 2025 and is awaiting sentencing. 

    James Spikes was also involved in the trafficking of methamphetamine in the Sabine Parish area. In August 2022, an audio/video recording was made of a controlled purchase from Spikes in connection with this investigation. The suspected controlled substance purchased from Spikes was sent to the crime laboratory for testing and confirmed to be approximately 62 grams of pure methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison.

    These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, ATF, and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy. These cases were part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Unveils Effort to Save Taxpayer Dollars by Rooting Out Medicare and Medicaid Fraud

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

     ***VIDEO AVAILABLE***

    Senator Cortez Masto Spoke at a Press Conference Today About Her Proposal, which Comes as Senate Republicans Unveil Plan to Cut Americans’ Health Care

    FTPs for TV stations is available here.

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) unveiled draft legislation to invest in and improve the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program (HCFAC). HCFAC was created to combat fraud across federal health programs, primarily Medicare and Medicaid. Cortez Masto’s legislation would strengthen the program and provide the government with a real, effective way to root out fraud and abuse in the health care system without kicking millions of Americans off of their health care. Footage of her speaking about this legislation today can be found here.

    In 2022, HCFAC related activities recovered $11 for every $1 the program spent to support health care audits and investigations. Following its investigations, HHS-OIG estimates that 2,332 individuals and entities were banned from doing business with Medicare and Medicaid as a result of alleged fraud and abuse. Infractions include egregious neglect of beneficiaries (like residents at nursing homes), inappropriate billing practices, and supporting fraudulent providers and suppliers.

    “As the former Attorney General of Nevada, I know first-hand the importance of investing in oversight for our government programs,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This draft legislation increasing HCFAC funding is exactly what our agencies need to root out real fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid while protecting Americans’ access to care. I hope to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make sure this commonsense, cost-effective bill becomes law.”

    HCFAC is a joint initiative by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to combat fraud across federal health programs, primarily Medicare and Medicaid. The program needs additional support and funding in order to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated health care fraud schemes.

    This draft legislation would increase mandatory HCFAC funding for HHS, CMS, and DOJ. This legislation would also allow HCFAC funding to be used to conduct oversight of all CMS programs, including the Affordable Care Act Insurance Marketplace and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

    The bill text can be found here and a summary can be found here.

    Senator Cortez Masto has worked to strengthen the Medicare and Medicaid programs. She passed legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices and cap the cost of insulin at $35-a-month for Medicare recipients through the Inflation Reduction Act. She has also pushed pharmacy benefit managers to help continue to lower prescription drug costs. As Nevada Attorney General, Cortez Masto worked with the Nevada Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to go after bad actors, rooting out fraud and abuse within the system.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Body found following fire, Waihi

    Source: New Zealand Police

    One person has been found deceased following a fire this morning in Waihi.

    At around 7:50am emergency services received reports of a fire on Montrose Road.

    Police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand investigators are carrying out a scene examination.

    The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairwoman McClain’s Statement on President Trump Signing into Law Legislation That Repeals Burdensome Biden Emissions Rules

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    Chairwoman McClain’s Statement on President Trump Signing into Law Legislation That Repeals Burdensome Biden Emissions Rules

    Washington, June 12, 2025

    WASHINGTON—Today, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) praised President Trump’s signing of three Congressional Review Act resolutions that repeal emissions regulations implemented under the Biden administration, granting California biased waivers. The regulations sought to force a nationwide shift to electric vehicles—posing a direct threat to Michigan’s auto industry, its workers, and the future of American manufacturing.

    “These resolutions represent a major victory for American workers, consumers, and small businesses,” Chairwoman McClain said. “The emissions rules were rushed, unworkable, and out of touch with our nation’s economic realities. Signing them into law means restoring Congressional oversight and protecting industries that drive innovation and opportunity nationwide.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USAID Official and Three Corporate Executives Plead Guilty to Decade-Long Bribery Scheme Involving Over $550 Million in Contracts; Two Companies Admit Criminal Liability for Bribery Scheme and Securities Fraud

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Four men, including a government contracting officer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and three owners and presidents of companies, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a decade-long bribery scheme involving at least 14 prime contracts worth over $550 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars.

    • Roderick Watson, 57, of Woodstock, Maryland, who worked as a USAID contracting officer, pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official;
    • Walter Barnes, 46, of Potomac, Maryland, the owner and president of PM Consulting Group LLC doing business as Vistant (Vistant), a certified small business under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) contracting program, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud;
    • Darryl Britt, 64, of Myakka City, Florida, the owner and president of Apprio, Inc. (Apprio), a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official; and
    • Paul Young, 62, of Columbia, Maryland, the president of a subcontractor to Vistant and Apprio, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official.

    In addition, Apprio and Vistant, both of which contracted with USAID, have agreed to admit criminal liability and enter into three-year deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) in connection with criminal informations filed today in the District of Maryland. As part of these resolutions, both Apprio and Vistant admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud. The DPAs entered into with Apprio and Vistant require each company to, among other obligations, provide ongoing cooperation with and disclosures to the Justice Department, implement a compliance and ethics program, and report to Justice Department regarding remediation and implementation of these compliance measures.

    “The defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers through bribery and fraud,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their scheme violated the public trust by corrupting the federal government’s procurement process. Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID. Those who engage in bribery schemes to exploit the U.S. Small Business Administration’s vital economic programs for small businesses — whether individuals or corporations acting through them — will be held to account.” 

    “Watson was entrusted to serve the interests of the American people — not his own — and his criminal actions for his own personal gain undermine the integrity of our public institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Public trust is a hallmark of our nation’s values, so corruption within a federal government agency is intolerable. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and prosecute corruption at every level to ensure accountability and protect public trust.”

    “The guilty pleas reflect the FBI’s unwavering commitment to holding accountable all those who abuse the authority and responsibility of public service,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox. “The actions of the defendants in this scheme serve to erode public trust. The FBI is focused on rebuilding this trust and protecting American taxpayers from corruption through investigations such as these.”

    “Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated. Watson abused his position of trust for personal gain while federal contractors engaged in a pay-to-play scheme,” said Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary of the USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG). “USAID-OIG is firmly committed to rooting out fraud and corruption within U.S. foreign assistance programs. Today’s announcement underscores our unwavering focus on exposing criminal activity, including bribery schemes by those entrusted to faithfully award government contracts. We appreciate our longstanding partnership with the Department of Justice in holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers.”    

    “Watson exploited his position at USAID to line his pockets with bribes in exchange for more than $550 million in contracts. While he helped three company owners and presidents bypass the fair bidding process, he was showered with cash and lavish gifts,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Through its financial crime investigations, IRS-CI works to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure government funds are awarded based on merit — not corruption. In close coordination with our law enforcement partners, IRS-CI helped put an end to their greed and criminal conduct. Now, Watson and his co-conspirators will face justice.”

    Overview of Bribery Scheme

    According to court documents, beginning in 2013, Watson, while a USAID contracting officer, agreed with Britt to receive bribes in exchange for using Watson’s influence to award contracts to Apprio. As a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, which helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, Apprio could access lucrative federal contracting opportunities through set-asides and sole-source contracts exclusively available to eligible contractors without a competitive bid process.

    Vistant was a subcontractor to Apprio on one of the contracts awarded through Watson’s influence. After Apprio graduated from the SBA 8(a) program and it was no longer eligible to be a prime contractor for new contracts with USAID under this program, the scheme shifted so that Vistant became the prime contractor and Apprio became the subcontractor on USAID contracts awarded through Watson’s influence between 2018 and 2022.

    During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant. Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.

    In exchange for the bribe payments, Watson influenced the award of contracts to Apprio and Vistant by manipulating the procurement process at USAID through various means, including recommending their companies to other USAID decisionmakers for non-competitive contract awards, disclosing sensitive procurement information during the competitive bidding process, providing positive performance evaluations to a government agency, and approving decisions on the contracts, such as increased funding and a security clearance.

    Apprio and Vistant also agreed to resolve concurrently with the Justice Department in its separate Civil False Claims Act investigations relating to the bribery scheme.

    Overview of Vistant Securities Fraud Scheme

    According to court documents, in 2022, Barnes and Watson defrauded a licensed small business investment company (SBIC), in furtherance of the bribery scheme, by inducing it into executing a credit agreement with Vistant. Through the credit agreement, Barnes caused Vistant to issue stock warrants that, if exercised, would result in the SBIC having a 40% equity stake in Vistant. The credit agreement also provided for a $14 million loan to Vistant from which Barnes could pay himself a $10 million dividend. Prior to executing the credit agreement, Watson agreed at Barnes’s request to speak with the SBIC about Vistant’s performance as a government contractor on USAID contracts. When speaking with the SBIC, Watson omitted that Barnes had bribed Watson to obtain USAID contracts for years. Watson’s endorsement of Vistant thereafter induced the SBIC to enter into the credit agreement with Barnes.

    Overview of Apprio Securities Fraud Scheme

    According to court documents, in 2023, Apprio, acting through Britt, engaged in a scheme in which Apprio fraudulently induced a private equity firm, which had an investment pool that was licensed as a SBIC, to purchase from Apprio’s parent company a 20% equity stake in the company for $4 million and simultaneously extend it a $4 million loan secured by shares of Apprio stock. In addition to making false material representations in the stock purchase and loan agreements, Britt intentionally omitted during his negotiations the material fact that he had bribed Watson for years, which was intended to deceive and induce the private equity company into executing the agreements.

    Deferred Prosecution Agreements with Apprio and Vistant

    The Justice Department reached its resolution with Apprio based on several factors, including Apprio’s credit for clearly accepting responsibility for its criminal conduct, fully cooperating in the investigation and engaging in timely remedial measures. Based on these factors, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 10% reduction off the bottom of the applicable Guidelines fine range pursuant to the Criminal Division Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). According to court documents, Apprio agreed that the appropriate criminal penalty based on the law and facts in its case is $51,673,185; however, Apprio also met its burden of establishing an inability to pay the criminal penalty sought. Based on the Justice Department’s independent analysis, it determined that paying a criminal penalty and civil settlement greater than $500,000 would substantially threaten the continued viability of Apprio. Accordingly, the Justice Department determined that the appropriate resolution of this case is a DPA and a payment of $500,000 in a civil settlement.

    Similarly, the Justice Department reached its resolution with Vistant based on a number of factors, including Vistant’s credit for clearly accepting responsibility for its criminal conduct and cooperating with the investigation. Although Vistant’s cooperation was initially delayed and limited, Vistant began to fully cooperate thereafter. Vistant also received credit for engaging in timely remedial measures. Based on these factors, the penalty calculated under the Guidelines reflects a 5% reduction off the bottom of the applicable Guidelines fine range pursuant to the CEP. Vistant agreed that the appropriate criminal penalty based on the law and facts in its case is $86,407,740; however, Vistant also met its burden of establishing an inability to pay the criminal penalty sought. Based on the Justice Department’s independent analysis, it determined that paying a criminal penalty and civil settlement greater than $100,000 would substantially threaten the continued viability of Vistant. Accordingly, the Justice Department determined that the appropriate resolution of this case is a DPA and a payment of $100,000 in a civil settlement.

    Watson is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Young is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 3 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Britt is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Barnes is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 14 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

    The FBI, USAID-OIG, and IRS-CI are investigating the cases.

    Trial Attorneys Matt Kahn and Brandon Burkart of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Kibbe for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the cases. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran man sentenced on illegal reentry charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – A Honduran man who entered the U.S. illegally after two prior removals and corresponding convictions was sentenced today to 99 days in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Carlos Alexis Ponce-Lopez, 33, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to one of illegal reentry.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that Ponce-Lopez was originally ordered removed by an Immigration Judge on November 11, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas and was removed on December 23, 2011. Ponce-Lopez illegally entered again on March 31, 2014. Ponce-Lopez’s original order of removal was reinstated and he was removed on August 18, 2014. On each of those occasions, Ponce-Lopez was also convicted in federal court for illegal entry prior to being removed.

    On February 21, 2025, the Montana Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on I-90 near Billings, Montana. Ponce-Lopez was a passenger in the vehicle. The driver was cited and all three subjects were released, including Ponce-Lopez.

    On March 4, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents found Ponce-Lopez at a house in Shelby, Montana. As they walked towards the home, Ponce-Lopez walked outside. One of the agents called out to Ponce-Lopez, “Carlos Ponce?” Ponce-Lopez responded in Spanish, “Si, es mi (Yes, that’s me).” The agents then conducted an immigration inspection. Ponce-Lopez said he was removed before and reentered illegally. He admitted he had no documents to enter, live, or stay in the United States legally and was not pending any immigration hearings. He was arrested and transported to the Sweetgrass Border Patrol Station for further processing.

    There are no records within the Department of Homeland Security that Ponce-Lopez ever applied for readmission into the United States.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, Montana Highway Patrol, and Toole County Sheriff’s Office.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indictment Charges Waterbury Man with Drug and Gun Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging TIMEEK HEATH, 41, of Waterbury, with drug and firearm offenses.

    The indictment was returned on June 4, 2025.  Heath appeared today in Hartford federal court, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for June 17.

    As alleged in the indictment, on two occasions in August and September 2024, Heath distributed fentanyl.  Also, on September 5, 2024, Heath sold a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber pistol to an individual he knew was a convicted felon.

    It is further alleged that Heath’s criminal history includes felony convictions for manslaughter and larceny offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

    The indictment charges Heath with two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; one count of sale of a firearm by a prohibited person, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; and one count of firearms trafficking, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.

    U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: US Army’s image of power and flag-waving rings false to Gen Z weary of gun violence − and long-term recruitment numbers show it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacob Ware, Adjunct Professor of Domestic Terrorism, Georgetown University

    A recruit participates in the Army’s future soldier prep course at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., on Sept. 25, 2024. AP Photo/Chris Carlson

    The U.S. Army will celebrate its 250th birthday on Saturday, June 14, 2025, with a parade in Washington, D.C., in which about 6,600 soldiers and heavy pieces of military equipment will roll through the streets. The parade aims to display the Army’s history and power.

    “It’s going to be incredible,” President Donald Trump recently said. Trump’s 79th birthday also occurs on June 14.

    Despite the festivities, however, the parade will occur amid bleak times for the U.S. military, as it experiences a multiyear decline in recruitment numbers. In the face of a pandemic and a strong civilian job market, the Army, Air Force and Navy all missed their recruitment goals in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the Army missed its quota by 25%.

    In 2024, the U.S. military met its recruitment target, which supports the argument that the bump is not due to Trump, as recruitment levels began to rise again before his reelection. But in some cases, the U.S. military has met its recruitment goals by lowering target numbers.

    And as a scholar of terrorism and targeted violence, I believe a close reading of available data on military recruitment suggests U.S. gun violence may be largely to blame for the lack of interest in joining the military.

    Gun violence data

    Regardless of one’s personal politics, the data on U.S. gun violence makes for painful reading.

    Almost 47,000 Americans died from gun-related injuries in 2023. In 2022, there were 51 school shootings in which students were injured or killed by guns. And gun injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans between ages 1 and 19.

    Data about the perceptions of gun violence is equally staggering, especially among American youth between ages 14 and 30.

    Four out of five American youth believe gun violence to be a problem, and 25% have endured real active-shooter lockdowns, according to data compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety, where I serve as a survivor fellow, the Southern Poverty Law Center and American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab.

    Moreover, these perceptions have considerable impacts on youth mental health and their sense of safety. Studies have linked concern over school shootings among adolescents with higher rates of anxiety and trauma-related disorders.

    As Arne Duncan, who served as President Barack Obama’s secretary of education during the Sandy Hook tragedy, said in 2023: “Unfortunately, what’s now binding young people across the country together is not joy of music, or sports, or whatever, it’s really the shared pain of gun violence – and it cuts through race and class and geography and economics.”

    National security threat

    In the past couple of years, polls taken of Generation Z youth, born between 1997 and 2012, suggest mental health and mass shootings are among the most important political issues motivating this band of voters.

    Gun violence, in other words, is a national security emergency, undermining the U.S. government’s ability to protect its citizens in their schools, places of worship and communities.

    As former Marine Gen. John Allen wrote in 2019: “Americans today are more likely to experience gun violence at home than they might in many of the places to which I deployed in the name of defending our nation.”

    U.S. Army National Guard members stand outside the Army National Guard office during training on April 21, 2022, in Washington.
    AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File

    Rewriting American culture

    Accordingly, gun violence has undercut American patriotism, corroding the U.S. government’s soft power within its own borders. Generation Z, termed by some as the “lockdown generation,” is often derided as less patriotic than its predecessors.

    Surprising Gen Z Research.

    Also, the belief in American exceptionalism is dropping among millennials, born between 1981 and 1996. That perception is combined with less confidence in U.S. global engagement and the efficacy of military solutions.

    American culture has long inspired military service, with recruits seduced by action movies and promises of heroic returns to the U.S. But American culture today is being rewired into one of suffering, pain and victimhood.

    A fear of violence

    Gun violence destroys youth tolerance for the violence that defines a career in the U.S. military.

    Internal U.S. military surveys of young Americans show that “the top three reasons young people cite for rejecting military enlistment are the same across all the services: fear of death, worries about post-traumatic stress disorder and leaving friends and family — in that order.”

    Generations already suffering a shattered sense of safety and place do not see the military as a viable option.

    The explanations the U.S. Defense Department gives for dismal recruitment levels focus on the younger generation’s supposed lack of backbone or hatred of America.

    D’elbrah Assamoi, from Cote d’Ivoire, signs her U.S. certificate of citizenship after a military training ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, in San Antonio, Texas, in April 2023.
    Vanessa R. Adame/U.S. Air Force via AP

    Republicans, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, have blamed alleged “wokeness” for low recruitment levels.

    And the Trump administration’s statements about improving recruitment numbers over the past several months overlook both a late Biden-era surge after a pandemic slump as well as the reality that numbers remain depressed due to military services repeatedly lowering their recruitment goals.

    Very rarely are introspective questions publicly debated today about the objective attractiveness of military service or the appetite for violence among young people. The problem, I believe, is not that young people are insufficiently patriotic – it’s that they have already been fighting a war, daily, for their entire lives.

    In reversing the slide in recruitment, then, the military could improve its sensitivity to these important concerns.

    Highlighting the range of careers within the services that do not involve front-line combat and physical danger could encourage more reluctant would-be recruits to volunteer.

    Mental health support also could be made an essential element of military training and lifestyle − not a resource only for those bearing the hidden side-effects of life in the ranks. Encouraging those suffering from treatable mental health issues to seek meaning in service could also boost recruitment numbers.

    Jacob Ware is a gun violence survivor and serves as a Survivor Fellow at Everytown for Gun Safety.

    – ref. US Army’s image of power and flag-waving rings false to Gen Z weary of gun violence − and long-term recruitment numbers show it – https://theconversation.com/us-armys-image-of-power-and-flag-waving-rings-false-to-gen-z-weary-of-gun-violence-and-long-term-recruitment-numbers-show-it-257090

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Lawler and Riley Introduce Bipartisan Leaps Act to Help Farmers Cut Costs, Conserve Water, and Reduce Emissions

    Source: US Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17)

    Washington, D.C. – 6/12/25… Today, Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Josh Riley (NY-19)  introduced the Leveraging Efficiency Awareness for Pumping Systems (LEAPS) Act, a commonsense, bipartisan bill to help farmers, ranchers, and aquaculture producers save money on energy costs, conserve water, and reduce carbon emissions by modernizing irrigation and water management systems.

    The legislation directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide clear, accessible information and tools to farmers on the benefits of upgrading to energy-efficient pumping systems. These systems are essential to agricultural irrigation, livestock watering, aquaculture, and waste management operations across the country.

    The LEAPS Act requires USDA to:

    • Publish user-friendly educational materials on cost and energy savings, water conservation, and emissions reductions achievable through energy-efficient pumping systems.
    • Develop an online pre-assessment tool to help farmers estimate potential energy and cost savings from upgrades.
    • Provide targeted training for USDA energy auditors on pumping system efficiency.
    • Expand USDA’s Conservation Stewardship Program to explicitly include energy-efficient pumping systems.

    According to the bill’s findings, over 600,000 irrigation pumping systems are currently in use across the United States, many of which still rely on outdated and inefficient equipment. Upgrading these systems could save farmers over $1.8 billion annually in energy costs and eliminate more than 8 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year.

    “In today’s economy, farmers are already grappling with rising input costs and increasing weather challenges,” said Congressman Lawler. “This is about using smarter tools to support the people who feed our country. By equipping farmers with the right resources, we can boost productivity, cut waste, and strengthen rural economies—all while protecting our environment.”

    “Farmers know it when their systems are outdated, but figuring out what to upgrade, how much it costs, and where to start is harder than it should be,” said Congressman Riley. “This bill gives farmers the tools they need to make smart decisions—and when they upgrade, it creates work for manufacturers right here in Upstate New York. It’s a win for our farmers, our factories, and anyone who wants Washington to actually get something done.”

    Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

    ###

    Full text of the bill can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Fire Update – June 12

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 12, 2025

    As of 11:00 hours on Thursday, June 12, there are 23 active wildfires in Saskatchewan. Of those active fires, three are categorized as contained, six are not contained, 12 are ongoing assessment and two are listed as protecting values.

    This year, Saskatchewan has had 258 wildfires, which is well above the five-year average of 147 to date. 

    Of these fires, approximately 44 have been caused by lightning. The remaining fires are human caused and can be categorized by the following: 

    • Recreation: a wildfire caused by people or equipment engaged in recreational activities such as fishing, picnicking, hiking or quadding.
    • Resident: a wildfire resulting from activities performed by people or machines for agriculture or an accidental fire caused by activity associated with normal living in a forested area.
    • Industry: a wildfire that is caused by an industrial activity such as land clearing, harvesting or power distribution.
    • Incendiary: a device used to cause a wildfire for the purpose of mischief, also called arson.

    Most human-caused fires are accidental. At this time, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) believes approximately 30 fires have been intentionally set. People are encouraged to call Crimestoppers or the SPSA at 1-855-559-5502 to report individuals who intentionally started a fire.

    The SPSA can confirm more than 290 values have been lost in the wildfires. This number could increase to over 400 as damage continues to be assessed by verification activities.

    The provincial fire ban remains in effect for the area north of the provincial forest boundary up to the Churchill River. This includes provincial parks, provincial recreation sites within the boundary and the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District. The fire ban continues to prohibit the use of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs), any open fires, controlled burns and fireworks. 

    Repatriation efforts remain underway as 34 communities have repatriated or are in the process or repatriating. A full list of communities actively repatriating can be found on saskpublicsafety.ca. 

    Support for wildfire evacuees is provided by the SPSA, the Canadian Red Cross, or the community from which residents have evacuated. 

    If a resident’s community is supported by the Canadian Red Cross, they can call 1-800-863-6582 from 8 a.m to 10 p.m. daily to be connected to supports.

    If their community is supported by SPSA’s Emergency and Community Support (ECS) program, they can register through the Sask Evac App then call 1-855-559-5502 for assistance. Once a person has registered and called 1-855-559-5502, the SPSA will contact them with details about support depending on your family situation.

    Anyone who spots a wildfire can call 1-800-667-9660, dial 9-1-1 or contact their closest SPSA Forest Protection Area office.

    People can find the latest information, an interactive fire ban map, frequently asked questions, fire risk maps and fire prevention tips at saskpublicsafety.ca.

    A list of fire restrictions in provincial parks and recreation sites can be found here.

    Established in 2017, the SPSA is a treasury board Crown corporation responsible for wildfire management, emergency management, Sask911, SaskAlert, the Civic Addressing Registry, the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program and fire safety. 

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Statement on the Passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) released the following statement on the House passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act:

    “The United States has made tremendous progress in the fight to protect our communities from fentanyl, and while there is still much more to be done, the HALT Fentanyl Act is far too broad and ignores all medical uses of ‘fentanyl-related substances.’ These substances need to be controlled — but when prescribed and used as directed, many of them serve as critical pain management tools for countless Americans.

    “This legislation is just another performative overreach by Republicans to say that they know better than doctors about what is best for their patients. We don’t need to criminalize care and expand harsh mandatory minimum sentencing requirements. We need well-thought-out and meaningful solutions that address the root causes of addiction, expand resources to help those struggling, and work with medical professionals.

    “But that’s not what President Trump and Republicans are doing. Instead of expanding funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) — which supports naloxone programs, treatment programs, and prevention efforts — President Trump has essentially dissolved the agency, firing more than a third of its staff and proposing a budget that cuts $1 billion of its funding. Republicans are also working to cut at least $600 billion from Medicaid, which will seriously undermine our ability to address the opioid epidemic. If President Trump and Republicans were serious about addressing these issues, there are proven solutions we can act upon to save lives — but the HALT Fentanyl Act is not one of them.”

    Issues: Public Safety & Criminal Justice

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Judicial Conduct Panel to inquire into Judge’s conduct

    Source: New Zealand Government

    A Judicial Conduct Panel will inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken, Acting Attorney-General Paul Goldsmith says.

    “Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct at the Northern Club on 22 November 2024 was the subject of a preliminary examination by the Judicial Conduct Commissioner.

    “The Commissioner recommended a Panel be set up to inquire into what happened. I have accepted that recommendation.

    “Following an inquiry, the Panel will provide me with a report, including its opinion as to whether consideration of Judge Aitken’s removal is justified.

    “Members of the Panel will be appointed following consultation with the Chief Justice.

    “I won’t be making any further comment until then.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Missing person located, Taranaki

    Source: New Zealand Police

    The woman reported missing in New Plymouth on Tuesday 10 June has been located and is safe.

    Police would like to extend our appreciation to the members of the public who provided information and assisted with search efforts.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Good Police work coughs up the dough

    Source: New Zealand Police

    A nocturnal thief has lost his crust after Police busted his alleged nighttime crime spree.

    Beginning in early April the alleged offender has targeted a range of different South Auckland locations in the early hours of the morning.

    “Police will allege the man carried out a spree of opportunistic thefts,” Counties Manukau West Area Prevention Manager Inspector Mohammed Atiq says.

    “Some of this offending including taking items left outside or allegedly breaking in.

    “He has acquired a large haul including multiple 20 litre cans of soyabean oils, dozens of water slabs, 150 loaves of bread, and even a wallet and phone from a car parked at a residential property.”

    After piecing together reports and identifying a vehicle of interest in all the thefts, Ōtāhuhu Tactical Crime Unit set about identifying the offender.

    Soon after enquiries began, the vehicle was seen travelling on Roscommon Road, Manurewa and was signalled to stop.

    Inspector Atiq says the vehicle tried to evade Police before returning to an address of interest nearby.

    Ōtāhuhu TCU arrived at the address and could clearly see loaves of bread, and the crate they were delivered on, in the back of the vehicle.

    The alleged offender was taken into custody.

    “We are always pleased to apprehend those who think this kind of brazen offending is acceptable,” Inspector Atiq says.

    A 53-year-old male appeared in the Manukau District Court charged with burglary. He was remanded in custody to reappear on 25 June.

    ENDS

    Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Beatty Sponsors Bill to Break Housing Barriers So Every Student Can Succeed

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

    Washington D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH-01), Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE-02), and Congressman Zach Nunn (R-IA-03) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to help vulnerable students pay for college campus housing.

     

    Congresswoman Beatty, Congressman Landsman, Congressman Lawler, Congressman Bacon, and Congressman Nunn have reintroduced the Campus Housing Affordability for Foster Youth Act – bipartisan legislation that would allow eligible students in, or formerly in, foster care as well as emancipated youth, to use the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Choice Voice Program – known as Section 8 vouchers – to pay for college campus housing.

     

    Currently, the HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program cannot be used by college students, whether they live on or off campus. The Campus Housing Affordability for Foster Youth Act would allow the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to waive requirements and provisions in the program, allowing foster care and emancipated youth to use Section 8 vouchers for college housing on college campuses.

     

    The Campus Housing Affordability for Foster Youth Act has been endorsed by the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare, National Foster Youth Institute, and the Foster Care Alumni of America.

    Congresswoman Beatty:

     

    “Every student deserves a safe place to call home and a fair shot at pursuing higher education. That’s why I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation alongside Reps. Greg Landsman, Don Bacon, Mike Lawler, and Zach Nunn to ensure that students who are emancipated or in foster care have access to stable campus housing,” said Congresswoman Beatty. “Young Americans must overcome significant barriers to achieve the dream of higher education and economic success, and this bill helps address one of those major hurdles, giving low-income students the boost they need to thrive academically and propel their lives forward.”

    Congressman Landsman:

     

    “We have a real opportunity to change lives with this bipartisan bill. By covering housing, it removes so many barriers for these vulnerable students. They can live in a dorm, with their peers instead of feeling isolated off-campus, which can lead to better academic performance and greater success.”

     

    Congressman Lawler:

     

    “In New York, where the cost of housing is some of the highest in the country, too many students, especially those coming out of foster care and emancipated youth, are being forced to reconsider pursuing a college degree due to financial burden. This bipartisan bill helps students stay housed and in school by expanding access to HUD support. It’s a practical step that opens doors for young people who deserve a real opportunity to succeed.”

    Congressman Don Bacon:

     

    “As a foster care parent, I understand it can be challenging for foster youth students to attend college,” said Bacon. “This legislation removes restraints on college students from receiving housing assistance. With a high rate of homelessness prevalent amongst foster youth amongst youth transitioning out of foster care, this bill will help remove a barrier and ensure more foster youth can complete college. I am happy to join Rep. Landsman again on this bipartisan legislation to help foster youth.”

     

    Congressman Zach Nunn:

    “As a father and former foster parent to two wonderful girls my wife Kelly and I adopted, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges kids face aging out of the system. This bipartisan bill ensures foster youth aren’t forced to choose between safe housing and getting an education. It’s a commonsense, compassionate solution that puts our most vulnerable students on a path to success.” 

     

    Rebecca Louve Yao – CEO, National Foster Youth Institute:

     

    “Young people with lived experience in foster care have been calling for housing solutions that reflect the realities of their lives and Representative Landsman listened. This bill is a direct response to what National Foster Youth Institute program participants and other youth across the country have shared: that the lack of safe, stable housing can derail their entire educational journey. We’re proud to see their voices reflected in this legislation and grateful for leaders in Congress who are turning those voices into action.”

     

    April M. Curtis – Board Chair, Foster Care Alumni of America:

     

    “At Foster Care Alumni of America, we know first-hand how unstable housing can derail college dreams. I was homeless in college in between semesters.  The Campus Housing Affordability for Foster Youth Act will finally give students who’ve experienced foster care the year-round, affordable on-campus housing they need to stay enrolled, graduate, and build thriving futures.”

    The full text of the Campus Housing Affordability for Foster Youth Act can be found here. 

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: USAID Official and Three Corporate Executives Plead Guilty to Decade-Long Bribery Scheme Involving Over $550 Million in Contracts; Two Companies Admit Criminal Liability for Bribery Scheme and Securities Fraud

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: USAID Official and Three Corporate Executives Plead Guilty to Decade-Long Bribery Scheme Involving Over $550 Million in Contracts; Two Companies Admit Criminal Liability for Bribery Scheme and Securities Fraud

    Four men, including a government contracting officer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and three owners and presidents of companies, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a decade-long bribery scheme involving at least 14 prime contracts worth over $550 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Convicted Felon Sentenced to 73 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Possession of Firearms, including Two Assault Rifles

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced on June 10, 2025, for his role in distributing cocaine, possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, and possessing three firearms, including two assault rifles with high-capacity magazines, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Azmar Carter, a/k/a “Bizzy,” 32, of East Orange, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to a superseding information charging him with two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    In 2021, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking organization that operates primarily in and around Orange, New Jersey and distributes narcotics throughout Essex County. During the investigation, Carter distributed cocaine to law enforcement in May 2021 and in July 2021. Subsequently, on August 18, 2021, law enforcement searched Carter’s residence and car in East Orange, New Jersey and recovered the following items: one Draco AK 47 rifle; one Smith and Wesson AR rifle; one .40 caliber pistol; ninety-four rounds of associated ammunition; a distribution quantity of heroin and cocaine; and approximately $7,177.00.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Carter to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.; members of the Orange Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Todd Warren, Chief Vincent Vitiello and Captain Brian Mooney; members of the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Giacomo Sacca and Police Director Earl J. Graves; members of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis Bindi; member of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda and Chief of Police Sharonda Morris; and the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrests.

    This case is part of Operation Orange, which is a part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, the Orange Police Department and the Irvington Police Department.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.

                                                                                                             ###

    Defense counsel: Christopher D. Adams, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US Army’s image of power and flag-waving rings false to Gen Z weary of gun violence − and long-term recruitment numbers show it

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jacob Ware, Adjunct Professor of Domestic Terrorism, Georgetown University

    A recruit participates in the Army’s future soldier prep course at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., on Sept. 25, 2024. AP Photo/Chris Carlson

    The U.S. Army will celebrate its 250th birthday on Saturday, June 14, 2025, with a parade in Washington, D.C., in which about 6,600 soldiers and heavy pieces of military equipment will roll through the streets. The parade aims to display the Army’s history and power.

    “It’s going to be incredible,” President Donald Trump recently said. Trump’s 79th birthday also occurs on June 14.

    Despite the festivities, however, the parade will occur amid bleak times for the U.S. military, as it experiences a multiyear decline in recruitment numbers. In the face of a pandemic and a strong civilian job market, the Army, Air Force and Navy all missed their recruitment goals in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the Army missed its quota by 25%.

    In 2024, the U.S. military met its recruitment target, which supports the argument that the bump is not due to Trump, as recruitment levels began to rise again before his reelection. But in some cases, the U.S. military has met its recruitment goals by lowering target numbers.

    And as a scholar of terrorism and targeted violence, I believe a close reading of available data on military recruitment suggests U.S. gun violence may be largely to blame for the lack of interest in joining the military.

    Gun violence data

    Regardless of one’s personal politics, the data on U.S. gun violence makes for painful reading.

    Almost 47,000 Americans died from gun-related injuries in 2023. In 2022, there were 51 school shootings in which students were injured or killed by guns. And gun injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans between ages 1 and 19.

    Data about the perceptions of gun violence is equally staggering, especially among American youth between ages 14 and 30.

    Four out of five American youth believe gun violence to be a problem, and 25% have endured real active-shooter lockdowns, according to data compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety, where I serve as a survivor fellow, the Southern Poverty Law Center and American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab.

    Moreover, these perceptions have considerable impacts on youth mental health and their sense of safety. Studies have linked concern over school shootings among adolescents with higher rates of anxiety and trauma-related disorders.

    As Arne Duncan, who served as President Barack Obama’s secretary of education during the Sandy Hook tragedy, said in 2023: “Unfortunately, what’s now binding young people across the country together is not joy of music, or sports, or whatever, it’s really the shared pain of gun violence – and it cuts through race and class and geography and economics.”

    National security threat

    In the past couple of years, polls taken of Generation Z youth, born between 1997 and 2012, suggest mental health and mass shootings are among the most important political issues motivating this band of voters.

    Gun violence, in other words, is a national security emergency, undermining the U.S. government’s ability to protect its citizens in their schools, places of worship and communities.

    As former Marine Gen. John Allen wrote in 2019: “Americans today are more likely to experience gun violence at home than they might in many of the places to which I deployed in the name of defending our nation.”

    U.S. Army National Guard members stand outside the Army National Guard office during training on April 21, 2022, in Washington.
    AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File

    Rewriting American culture

    Accordingly, gun violence has undercut American patriotism, corroding the U.S. government’s soft power within its own borders. Generation Z, termed by some as the “lockdown generation,” is often derided as less patriotic than its predecessors.

    Surprising Gen Z Research.

    Also, the belief in American exceptionalism is dropping among millennials, born between 1981 and 1996. That perception is combined with less confidence in U.S. global engagement and the efficacy of military solutions.

    American culture has long inspired military service, with recruits seduced by action movies and promises of heroic returns to the U.S. But American culture today is being rewired into one of suffering, pain and victimhood.

    A fear of violence

    Gun violence destroys youth tolerance for the violence that defines a career in the U.S. military.

    Internal U.S. military surveys of young Americans show that “the top three reasons young people cite for rejecting military enlistment are the same across all the services: fear of death, worries about post-traumatic stress disorder and leaving friends and family — in that order.”

    Generations already suffering a shattered sense of safety and place do not see the military as a viable option.

    The explanations the U.S. Defense Department gives for dismal recruitment levels focus on the younger generation’s supposed lack of backbone or hatred of America.

    D’elbrah Assamoi, from Cote d’Ivoire, signs her U.S. certificate of citizenship after a military training ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, in San Antonio, Texas, in April 2023.
    Vanessa R. Adame/U.S. Air Force via AP

    Republicans, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, have blamed alleged “wokeness” for low recruitment levels.

    And the Trump administration’s statements about improving recruitment numbers over the past several months overlook both a late Biden-era surge after a pandemic slump as well as the reality that numbers remain depressed due to military services repeatedly lowering their recruitment goals.

    Very rarely are introspective questions publicly debated today about the objective attractiveness of military service or the appetite for violence among young people. The problem, I believe, is not that young people are insufficiently patriotic – it’s that they have already been fighting a war, daily, for their entire lives.

    In reversing the slide in recruitment, then, the military could improve its sensitivity to these important concerns.

    Highlighting the range of careers within the services that do not involve front-line combat and physical danger could encourage more reluctant would-be recruits to volunteer.

    Mental health support also could be made an essential element of military training and lifestyle − not a resource only for those bearing the hidden side-effects of life in the ranks. Encouraging those suffering from treatable mental health issues to seek meaning in service could also boost recruitment numbers.

    Jacob Ware is a gun violence survivor and serves as a Survivor Fellow at Everytown for Gun Safety.

    – ref. US Army’s image of power and flag-waving rings false to Gen Z weary of gun violence − and long-term recruitment numbers show it – https://theconversation.com/us-armys-image-of-power-and-flag-waving-rings-false-to-gen-z-weary-of-gun-violence-and-long-term-recruitment-numbers-show-it-257090

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal Fight Back Against Trump’s Hateful Anti-LGBTQ+ Policies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    June 12, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today joined a new effort to push back against the Trump Administration’s assault on the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ Americans nationwide.
    The No Place for LGBTQ+ Hate Act would ensure that President Trump’s hateful executive orders targeting LGBTQ+ Americans have no force or effect and would ensure that no federal funds are used to implement, administer, enforce, or carry out those executive orders. With anti-LGBTQ+ hate on the rise across the United States, this bill fights back against these harmful federal policies, expands freedom, and opens the doors of opportunity for all Americans.
    “Trump repeatedly bullies gay and transgender people in schools, sports, and the military just because of who they are. That’s wrong, and this legislation makes it clear that everyone deserves safety and equality under the law,” said Murphy.
    “Trump’s executive orders cruelly attack the LGBTQ+ community – denying them anti-discrimination protections and health care access,” said Blumenthal. “This legislation shields the community from the dangerous impact of these new federal policies. I’m proud to join the fight against Trump’s spiteful assault on LGBTQ+ Americans.”
    The No Place for LGBTQ+ Hate Act takes aim at the Trump Administration’s anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders, including:
    The Day One executive order to mandate discrimination against transgender, non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming individuals.
    An executive order to reinstate and expand the transgender military ban.
    An executive order to prevent medically necessary health care from being provided to transgender youth.
    An executive order to prohibit transgender students from participating in school sports.
    An executive order requiring schools to deny the existence of transgender people.
    U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also cosponsored the bill.
    U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (D-VT.-AL), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.-03), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.-05), Jasmine Crockett (D-Tex.-30), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.-03), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.-10), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), Sarah McBride (D-Del.-AL), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09), Mark Takano (D-Calif.-39), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.-07), and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.-05) cosponsored the bill in the House of Representatives.
    The bicameral bill is endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, Advocates for Trans Equality, ACLU, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Reproductive Freedom for All, and Planned Parenthood. 
    Full text of the legislation is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DMV Lawmakers Call on Department of Transportation, Army To Investigate Deadly January 29th Plane Crash

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (Virginia 4th District)

    Lawmakers urge DOT and Army Inspectors General to investigate actions leading up to and after the tragic crash

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04) joined U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and U.S. Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), Glenn Ivey (D-MD-04), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) to write to the Inspectors General (IGs) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Army pushing for respective investigations into Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Army policies and procedures that may have contributed to the January 29, 2025 mid-air collision at Ronald Reagan National Airport that took 67 lives.

    In their letters the lawmakers highlighted the need for a deeper investigation into potential organizational failures that may have contributed to the tragedy.
     
    To the Department of Transportation, the lawmakers wrote, “Any lapses in internal accountability, interagency coordination, and safety oversight must be uncovered and addressed swiftly for the families of those lost that day, for the safety of the flying public and residents of the National Capital Region, and for the integrity of the National Airspace System.”

    In their letter to the DOT, the lawmakers requested an investigation into:

    1. FAA training and operations in the National Capital Region;
    2. The concurrent use of helicopter routes and runways at DCA;
    3. Pre-January 29, 2025 safety incidents at DCA between airplanes and helicopters, and FAA risk pattern identification, escalation and sufficiency of policy responses;
    4. Post-January 29, 2025 safety incidents at DCA between airplanes and helicopters, and FAA risk identification, escalation, and sufficiency of responses to those incidents and the January 29 crash;
    5. FAA Air Traffic Controller staffing, training, and real-time responses at DCA, including on January 29; and
    6. U.S. Army, federal law enforcement, and FAA interagency communication, including effectiveness of established working groups, and FAA follow-through.

    To the U.S. Army, they wrote, “While the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the immediate actual and proximate causes of the January 29, 2025 DCA aviation incident, the Department of the Army Inspector General has the authority to uncover the deeper institutional failures that enabled this tragedy. Emerging evidence points to longstanding lapses in internal accountability, safety oversight, safety culture, and interagency coordination.”

    Additionally, the lawmakers requested that the Army investigate the following:

    1. TAAB training activities and operations in the National Capital Region, including whether training standards, operational planning decisions, risk identification, or compliance with routes or equipment contributed to operational risk;
    2. Army and TAAB policy and practice on aircraft collision-avoidance systems, including the rationale for and coordination around the August 2024 ADS-B Out directive, and whether longstanding near-miss patterns were adequately identified, escalated, and addressed;
    3. Army, federal law enforcement, and Federal Aviation Administration interagency communication; and
    4. Army actions taken in response to the January 29, 2025 crash, including any policy changes, coordination efforts, transparency with oversight bodies, and measures to prevent further incidents.
       
      Sens. Warner and Kaine have been closely involved with the in the investigation of the January 29th collision, meeting with first responders and offering condolences to the families and loved ones of the 67 lives lost immediately following the tragedy. Last week, Sens. Warner and Kaine introduced comprehensive aviation safety legislation in response to the tragic mid-air collision. The senators also saw through passage of a legislation to remember the victims of the crash. Sens. Warner and Kaine also requested answers from FAA on its plans to protect the flying public in the wake of the January 29 collision. In March of this year, the senators responded to the preliminary National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report on the crash. The senators have also sounded the alarm for years about the need for increased safety for the flying public, including fighting against additional flights out of DCA that contribute to overcrowding. 
       
      A copy of the letter to the DOT is available here. A copy of the letter to the Army is available here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko congratulated citizens on Russia Day at the opening of the Museum of Crimea and Novorossiya in Sevastopol after the exhibition was updated

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On Russia Day, the Museum of Crimea and Novorossiya opened its updated permanent exhibition at the New Chersonesus museum and temple complex in Sevastopol. Before the opening, a flag parade took place, presenting the history of Russia through the evolution of its flags – from the banner of Dmitry Donskoy to the modern tricolor. Each flag reflected its era and its values.

    “I congratulate everyone on Russia Day! All the flags that passed in the parade were in one way or another related to historical events that took place many centuries ago. But, of course, the most important event is the baptism of Rus, which predetermined the future of the statehood of our country and the unification of the Slavic peoples,” said Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    The Deputy Prime Minister, together with Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea, the Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev and the head of the Foundation for the Support of Humanities “My History” Ivan Yesin assessed the new exhibition.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko added that the opening of the updated exhibition is a very important event for the further development of the spiritual and educational center “New Chersonesos”.

    “We see a continuing interest in all the exhibits: over half a million people have visited the exhibition in six months. I am sure that after the opening of the updated exhibit, the number will increase even more. Memory is probably the most important thing we should preserve. And as our President says, while respecting our memory, we should be focused on the future, learning from the lessons of our history,” he said.

    The updated exhibition has received a fundamentally new format. Each hall is an interactive “paragraph of a living history textbook” combining modern technologies and proven scientific material. Instead of traditional showcases, there are documentaries, historical reconstructions, archival photos and maps visualized with the help of artificial intelligence. The technological platform of the exhibition is based on new-generation multimedia solutions: artificial intelligence is used not only to visualize historical stories, but also to create reconstructions of urban landscapes, household items, architecture and images of people from different eras. All digital materials have been collected and verified by professional historians and employees of specialized museums.

    The museum has become a space for historical immersion, where the past comes to life in meaningful halls: from the map of Prince Vladimir’s campaign to Korsun, which marked the beginning of Christian Rus’, to the manifesto of Catherine II on the annexation of Crimea. The exhibition takes the viewer through the drama of the collapse of the USSR and the difficult fate of Crimea and Novorossiya, the era of the all-Union health resort and the turning points of the Yalta Conference to the military valor of the peninsula during the Great Patriotic War and the history of the Black Sea Fleet. The route ends with halls dedicated to outstanding people who played a key role in the history of Crimea, and historical events that shaped its modern appearance.

    “The museum and temple complex presented two grand projects today. The flag parade – a brilliant idea of Bishop Tikhon – demonstrated the course of history, the formation of Russian statehood. The new exhibition of the Museum of Crimea and Novorossiya is a truly exciting spectacle that will allow all Sevastopol residents and guests of our city to visually immerse themselves in the history of our country. And now we are all creating the future with our own hands. I am sure that it will be even greater. The progressive movement of our country will continue if we all put maximum effort into it,” said Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev.

    The updated exhibition is oriented towards both independent visits and excursion formats.

    The initiative to create a spiritual and educational center in Sevastopol was first expressed by the President of the Russian Federation during a visit to the Chersonesos Taurica Museum-Reserve in 2015.

    Also in Sevastopol, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev laid flowers at the Eternal Flame at the Soldier and Sailor monument. Teenagers from the governor’s school labor teams also took part in the laying ceremony.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: In Sevastopol, Dmitry Chernyshenko and Metropolitan Tikhon discussed traditional values and the national project “Youth and Children” with young people

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea held a meeting with young people on Russia Day at the Tochka Opory center. Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev also took part in it.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko congratulated everyone on Russia Day and noted that this time it is especially significant: “2025 is the year of the 80th anniversary of our Great Victory and the year declared by our President Vladimir Putin as the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland.”

    He stressed the importance of preserving and transmitting traditional spiritual and moral values.

    “An entire national project was launched – this is also a precedent, there is nothing like it anywhere in the world – “Youth and Children”. It has a large number of events, more than 160. And since you guys are active, leaders of the youth movement, you must navigate these events and understand how these events will work to strengthen the values that are enshrined in the presidential decree,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko spoke about the measures of the national project “Youth and Children”.

    Thus, within the framework of the national project, the competition “Region for the Young” is being held. A year ago, President Vladimir Putin opened 12 year-round youth educational centers. For example, in Crimea and Sevastopol, this is the Academy of Creative Industries “Meganom” and the youth historical and cultural center “Istoki”.

    The key events in these centers will be the Rosmolodezh forums, of which there will be 27 this year with the participation of about 20 thousand people. Among them are the Territory of Meanings forum, the Tavrida.ART educational trips at the Meganom Academy, the Mashuk forum at the Mashuk knowledge center, the Shum media forum in the Kaliningrad region, etc.

    “The national project includes many different subprojects: development of volunteerism, for example, the “Region of Good Deeds” competition, implementation of international programs and events based on 90 open friendship clubs or at the annual youth rally. By the way, this year it will be held in Nizhny Novgorod and will unite 2 thousand people from different countries. One cannot help but recall patriotic projects, including the “Orlyata Rossii” and “Zarnitsa 2.0″ programs,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

    During the meeting, Dmitry Chernyshenko answered questions from young people. For example, the coach of the International Volunteer Corps of the 80th Anniversary of Victory, Kristina Menshakova, asked how to understand that you are a patriot of your homeland. And the curator of the governor’s school labor teams, Sergei Sychev, asked about mentors: how the vice-premier understands the word “mentor” and whether he had any.

    Answering questions, Dmitry Chernyshenko mentioned that he himself is a mentor to Hero of Russia Stepan Belov within the framework of the “Time of Heroes” program.

    “It is here, in Sevastopol, that there is a special place of power for our country, and in all centuries our enemies have tried to lay claim to this place, to hatch various plans. We understand the significance of the baptism of Rus, which ensured our future statehood. In difficult moments of our Fatherland, the words of Admiral Kornilov “Defend Sevastopol!” came to mind. In the life of our and your generation, there is now a time when we must again defend both Sevastopol and our values. But I am sure: we will cope with everything,” said Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE investigation nets 10-year sentence for leader of drug trafficking organization

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON — A Massachusetts man was sentenced June 2 in federal court in Boston after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation into his role leading a large-scale drug trafficking organization found he distributed fentanyl sourced from Latin America.

    Jonathan Melendez Decatro, aka “Jacha,” 32, of Braintree, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In January 2025, Melendez Decatro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Melendez Decatro was indicted in June 2023.  

    In 2019, Melendez Decatro was identified as the leader of a large-scale DTO operating in the Brockton area, who sourced narcotics directly from Colombia, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. On two dates in 2021, packages intended for Melendez Decatro were intercepted by law enforcement and each found to contain a kilogram of cocaine. Additionally, on several dates in the spring of 2023, Melendez Decatro conspired with an individual who resided in the Dominican Republic to distribute 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl to another individual in Braintree. It was later determined that the purity of the fentanyl ranged from 54% to 79% and also contained xylazine. During of search of Melendez Decatro’s residence, over $11,000 in drug proceeds and clothing worn during the fentanyl transactions were recovered.

    The investigation was led by the ICE Homeland Security Investigations New England Strike Force with the Massachusetts State Police, the FBI Boston Division, and the DEA New England Field Division. Valuable assistance was provided by DEA Bogota, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Brockton Police.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Men Convicted after Cleaning Crew Locates More Than $30K of Cocaine in Hotel Room

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — A federal jury convicted Vincent Ellis Wilson, 54, and Ervin Lee Smith, 50, both of Fort Pierce, Florida, of conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and a quantity of crack cocaine after a two-day trial in Florence.

    Evidence introduced at trial showed that during the evening hours of Feb. 25, 2021, Wilson and Smith checked in to an oceanfront hotel in Myrtle Beach.  Wilson and Smith are both from Florida and they would later tell police that they were simply “passing through” Myrtle Beach when they had car trouble that required them to put their truck in a shop in Myrtle Beach.  That night, however, they met with a local individual who agreed to serve as a middleman to help Wilson and Smith sell more than a half kilogram of cocaine and a small quantity of crack cocaine they had brought with them to South Carolina.  The next morning, before the drug deal could be done, Wilson and Smith left their room to go to breakfast at a nearby restaurant.  While they were gone, hotel staff, believing the room had been vacated, went in to clean the room and stumbled upon a grocery bag containing more than $30,000 worth of drugs in a dresser drawer.  The hotel contacted Myrtle Beach Police who responded and collected the illicit substances.  Later that morning, Wilson and Smith returned to the hotel to attempt to collect their belongs, including the drugs.  Police interviewed them and they were released pending further investigation.

    Through an ongoing partnership between the Myrtle Beach Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, authorities were later able to connect this drug seizure to a much larger drug trafficking organization that was already under federal investigation.  Once that connection was made, Wilson and Smith were charged by a federal grand jury with being suppliers to the drug trafficking organization.  All the other defendants in the federal case pled guilty. Wilson and Smith denied their involvement, but were convicted after the jury heard the evidence of their involvement. 

    Court records show that Wilson has a prior state conviction for possession with intent to distribute narcotics in Maryland from 2003, and Smith has a prior federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine from 2004.  U.S. District Judge Sherri A. Lydon presided over their trial and will sentence the two after reviewing a presentence report from the U.S. Probation Office.  They each face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and may be sentenced up to the 40-year maximum. 

    “These defendants brought a significant quantity of cocaine and crack cocaine into South Carolina, intending to profit from its distribution,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Thanks to the diligent work of the Myrtle Beach Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, what started as a hotel cleaning led to the dismantling of a larger drug trafficking operation. This conviction underscores our unwavering commitment to prosecuting individuals who bring dangerous narcotics into our communities.”

    “This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.”

    “The Myrtle Beach Police Department is fortunate to work with partners and community members to assist us holding those accountable who bring poison into our community,” said Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock. “Our mission has not and will not change, the safety of our community will always be our priority.”

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Myrtle Beach Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Jasmin Salehi Fashami prosecuted the case in close coordination with the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.     

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lynn Woman Sentenced to More Than One Year in Prison for Coercing and Enticing Two Victims to Engage In Prostitution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Lynn woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for sex trafficking.

    Latasha Anderson, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 20 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In March 2025, Latasha Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement. Latasha Anderson was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023, along with her co-defendants Jermall Anderson and Jennifer Fortier.

    From 2012 through 2016, Latasha Anderson, along with her co-conspirators and at the direction of Jermall Anderson, used threats and the giving and withholding of heroin and cocaine to force two different victims to prostitute on their behalf. Jermall Anderson’s wide-ranging sex trafficking operation targeted vulnerable victims, specifically those struggling with drug addiction, homelessness and lack of economic resources and coerced them into providing commercial sex for the defendants’ benefit. Latasha Anderson coerced and enticed these victims to engage in prostitution throughout New England, New York and New Jersey.  

    In March 2025, Jermall Anderson was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In March 2025, Fortier was sentenced to 58 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

    Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the HSI Office in New Haven, Conn., the Lynn and Tewksbury Police Departments (Mass.) and the Hampden (Conn.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey, Leader Schumer, Wyden, Merkley Release Data Detailing Hundreds of Rural Hospitals Across U.S. at Risk Due to Republican Health Care Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Over 300 Rural Hospitals at Disproportionate Risk of Closure, Conversion, or Service Reductions
    Lawmakers Also Provided Data to President Trump, Leader Thune, and Speaker Johnson in Letter
    Letter and Data | Sheps Response
    Washington (June 12, 2025) – Following House Republicans’ passage of a bill that would impose the largest cuts to health care in U.S. history, slashing funding for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by more than $1 trillion and triggering more than $500 billion in Medicare cuts, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y), Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, released detailed data from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill concluding that Republican health care cuts could place over 300 rural hospitals across the U.S. at disproportionate risk of closure, conversion, or service reductions. The data is based on financial indicators including: share of Medicaid patients served, previous years of negative total margins, and data modeling on future financial distress.
    The lawmakers also sent the data in a letter to President Trump, Leader John Thune, and Speaker Mike Johnson, writing, “Addressing the crisis in rural health care access is a national, bipartisan priority, and it should be bipartisan to not worsen that crisis. However, if your party passes these health care cuts into law, Americans in rural communities across the country risk losing health care services and jobs supported by their local hospitals. We urge you to read the attached report and reconsider your position. It is not too late to stop these cuts. Billionaire tax breaks are not worth the cost to American lives and livelihoods.”
    The response from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill states, “Substantial cuts to Medicaid or Medicare payments could increase the number of unprofitable rural hospitals and elevate their risk of financial distress. In response, hospitals may be forced to reduce service lines, convert to a different type of health care facility, or close altogether.” The data shows the following regarding at-risk rural hospitals:
    Over 338 rural hospitals are at particular risk of closure, conversion, or service reduction from substantial health care cuts because the hospitals either take a high relative share of Medicaid patients, or have experienced 3 years of negative total margins, or both. This includes 33 hospitals in Louisiana, 35 hospitals in Kentucky, and 21 hospitals in Oklahoma.
    In Alaska, 4 rural hospitals – more than 40 percent of rural hospitals with available data – serve high concentrations of Medicaid patients.
    In West Virginia, nearly a quarter of rural hospitals are serving high concentrations of Medicaid patients, and 15 percent of rural hospitals are at the highest relative risk of financial distress.
    In Alabama, 8 rural hospitals – nearly 20 percent of rural hospitals with available data – are in the highest relative risk category of financial distress.
    In Tennessee, 9 rural hospitals – or 18 percent of rural hospitals in the state with available data – have experienced 3 years of negative total margins, and 9 rural hospitals are at highest relative risk of financial distress.
    In the face of these Republican cuts, a majority of adults living in rural areas are concerned that health care cuts will “negatively impact hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care providers in [their] community.” Rural hospitals are struggling; in 2023, there were 50 fewer rural hospitals than in 2017, and a lack of health care access in rural America is contributing to worse health outcomes. Faced with additional cuts to their revenue, many rural hospitals may be forced to stop providing certain services, including obstetric, mental health, and emergency room care, convert to clinics or standalone emergency centers, or close altogether. Rural hospitals are often the largest employers in rural communities, and when a rural hospital closes or scales back their services, communities are not only forced to grapple with losing access to health care, but also with job loss and the resulting financial insecurity.
    “If Republicans plan to pass drastic cuts to Medicaid and Medicare and effectively repeal the Affordable Care Act, communities should know exactly what they stand to lose,” said Senator Markey. “These health care cuts won’t just kick millions off their insurance. These cuts will plunge hospitals across the country into financial chaos, and as this data demonstrates, hundreds of rural hospitals across the country may be forced to stop providing care, limit their services, or close altogether. If hospitals close, many rural communities will lose the biggest employer they have. Seniors, the disabled, and pregnant people will have to travel farther to access care. Families will lose access to care. People will die. The more information we have about this bill, the worse it seems. No life or job is worth a yes vote on this big billionaire bill. We must make sure every American can see how Republicans are willing to pay for billionaire tax breaks with people’s lives, and we must defeat this ugly bill.”
    “As this report proves, the Republicans’ ‘Big, Ugly Betrayal’ is a matter of life and death for millions of Americans. The cruel and far-reaching cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are putting hundreds of rural hospitals at risk of closure, limiting services, or mass layoffs,” said Leader Schumer. “Rural Americans already face more obstacles to getting healthcare and many are the lifeblood and major employers of their communities, all of which Republicans are risking to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.”
    “As I hold town hall meetings in each of Oregon’s 36 counties, I frequently hear about struggles folks have in accessing health care in their communities. This isn’t a red state or blue state issue. Medicaid helps every state – especially rural communities,” said Senator Merkley. “More than 300 rural hospitals will be at risk of shutting down – in Oregon and across the country – if Republicans betray middle class families and make these drastic cuts to Medicaid, all so that billionaires can pay less in taxes. This is the Republican plan: families lose, and billionaires win.”
    The lawmakers sent a letter to the Sheps Center director on June 4, 2025, requesting the Center’s expert analysis of how this bill will impact rural hospitals and the communities they serve, particularly inquiring about which rural hospitals in the country treat the highest share of Medicaid recipients; how many rural hospitals are currently in financial distress or at risk of closure; and if the health care cuts in the House-passed budget reconciliation bill were to become law, would the rural hospitals with the highest share of Medicaid recipients or that are currently in financial distress face risk of closure or have to reduce services.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Sunday Too Far Away at 50: how a story about Aussie shearers launched a local film industry

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Walsh, Associate Professor, Screen and Media, Flinders University

    Released 50 years ago, Sunday Too Far Away deals episodically with a group of shearers led by Foley (Jack Thompson), and the events leading up to the national shearers’ strike of 1956.

    The shearers are a ragtag group held together by rum, unionism and competitiveness – as Foley must deal with the camp cook from hell, as well as a threat to his “gun” status.

    As we celebrate the anniversary, it is hard to overstate its importance for the Australian film industry and for its producer, the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC).

    The beginnings of a funding body

    After the Liberal and Country League had held control over the state government for 32 years under a “Playmander”, named for premier Thomas Playford, the Labor party, lead by Don Dunstan, was elected in 1970 on a progressive platform.

    As part of Dunstan’s project of moving the state’s economy away from its Playford-era reliance on manufacturing to more knowledge-based service industries, the SAFC was founded in 1972.

    Central to Dunstan’s plan was the imperative that the SAFC should produce feature films – despite an initial consultant’s report that advised against this.

    Dunstan’s plan was visionary, making South Australia the first state government to directly produce features. But it was also flawed.

    The Dunstan government authorised the SAFC to borrow A$400,000 (approximately $5 million in 2025 money) for the production of up to five features per year, with the remainder of the budgets coming from Commonwealth funds and private investors.

    Don Dunstan, then premier of South Australia, around 1972 when the South Australian Film Corporation was established.
    State Library of South Australia B 64310/106

    The plan was that the SAFC’s productions would be self-supporting within five years, with the initial pump-priming loans repaid.

    By 1973 a slate of features was in the works, though none would reach production.

    One of these was Gallipoli, to be made in conjunction with Melbourne-based Crawford Productions, with screenwriter John Dingwell attached.

    The film was shelved, but Dingwell maintained his relationship with Matt Carroll, the SAFC’s head of feature production. They developed a script titled Shearers, based on anecdotes from one of Dingwell’s relatives.

    Sunday Too Far Away (as the film was retitled) was budgeted at $231,000, with the Commonwealth Government’s Australian Film Development Corporation, established in 1970 to invest in local films, providing half this figure.

    An ‘emotional experience’

    Gil Brealey, the SAFC’s first CEO, was desperate to get a feature started and was prepared to find the whole of the budget if necessary. (The SAFC would put up an additional $14,000 in budget overruns caused by wet weather in the semi-arid locations around Port Augusta and Quorn.)

    It was a remarkable demonstration of maximum involvement by a government body intent on intervening dramatically to generate a production industry in a state that would otherwise lose out to the larger states on the eastern seaboard.

    At the recent 50th anniversary screening hosted by the SAFC, producer Matt Carroll referred to the film shoot as “an extraordinary emotional experience” for all involved, stressing the strong camaraderie among the actors, which mirrored that of the shearers in the film.

    It is useful to compare Sunday to 1971’s Wake in Fright.

    Both centre on rural male mateship, but while Wake in Fright is revolted by it, Sunday strives for an elegiac celebration that might have drawn from Henry Lawson, of union-based mateship as the only defence again the harshness of life.

    Fraught politics

    Brealey and the SAFC were functioning under enormous political pressure for this film to be not only a critical, but also a popular success.

    From the outset, the SAFC had been identified with Dunstan, and it was under almost daily attack in Parliament, led by Liberal frontbencher Stan Evans.

    Quoted in the Adelaide Advertiser in May 1975, Evans denounced the SAFC “for actively producing and manufacturing films when its role under the Act precluded it from this field”.

    He was joined in these attacks by elements of the local press, as well as a handful of filmmakers who felt slighted by talent imported by Brealey.

    The board was forced to issue a statement, complaining of

    a very small vocal minority who, apparently, find the success of the corporation personally offensive and make every effort to ‘knock’ its work.

    The acceptance of the film into the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, the first Australian film bestowed the honour, was a godsend. It went on to win eight of the 12 awards on offer at the Australian Film Institute Awards.

    Brealey wryly told me that “we had this appalling reputation in Adelaide and everyone else thought we were marvellous”.

    The film renaissance

    In order to shore up its local standing, the SAFC ran a film day at the Adelaide Festival Centre, culminating in a “world premiere” of Sunday attended by Gough Whitlam.

    The next day, the SAFC released the film itself in Adelaide, hiring the Warner cinema where it ran for 26 weeks under an arrangement that gave the producer the entire gross, less the exhibitor’s expenses.

    Brealey was extremely suspicious of Australian distributors. Roadshow distributed the film throughout the rest of Australia. By October, they were reporting box office grosses of over $182,000 – though the SAFC had only received $11,000 in returns.

    The bitter lesson was that SAFC had clearly been founded on overly optimistic expectations of returns to producers. Feature production in Australia would need on-going government support.

    The success of Sunday Too Far Away, followed closely by Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and Storm Boy (1976) succeeded in establishing the SAFC as a prime mover in Australian film.

    Locally, it won bipartisan local support for the SAFC and nationally it established a model for emulation by other states.

    It demonstrated that Australian films could combine local and international appeal, and that government agencies had a vital role at the heart of the film renaissance.

    Michael Walsh is a consultant for the SAFC on its digitisation project. He has previously written a commissioned history for the organisation.

    – ref. Sunday Too Far Away at 50: how a story about Aussie shearers launched a local film industry – https://theconversation.com/sunday-too-far-away-at-50-how-a-story-about-aussie-shearers-launched-a-local-film-industry-258576

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Introduces Legislation to Protect Domestic Workers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) is today leading 104 Members of Congress in reintroducing the National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. The groundbreaking legislation will finally extend common workplace rights and protections to the 2.2 million domestic workers in the United States, who are currently excluded from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and other key labor and safety laws that the majority of the workforce relies on. The legislation would also improve job quality by ensuring paid sick days, written agreements, and other benefits.

    “Domestic workers are too often called essential, but treated as expendable,” said Jayapal. “These workers, who are predominantly women of color and immigrants, make all other work possible. This landmark legislation ensures that domestic workers are finally included in our existing labor laws, giving them access to the basic protections they deserve in the workplace, including overtime pay, guaranteed rest and meal breaks, time off, and legal protections from unsafe working conditions and harassment. It will finally give our domestic workers the dignity and respect they deserve. This legislation is more important now than ever as the Trump Administration works to strip many of the programs domestic workers rely on to survive, like Medicaid and food assistance.”

    Since they are unprotected from labor laws, domestic workers are more likely to live in poverty than workers in other, protected sectors. In 2023, the typical domestic worker earned $20,926 per year, which is not enough to afford a one-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States. Four in five domestic workers also do not receive sick days, and one in three do not receive breaks during work. 

    “Domestic workers have always been essential,” said Jenn Stowe, Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. “For generations, women of color and immigrant women have provided the care that powers our economy and strengthens our communities. Yet today, that essential work is under threat—from looming Medicaid cuts that would devastate workers and care recipients alike, to harmful immigration enforcement that destabilizes families and instills fear in communities where there should be safety. The reintroduction of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights is a declaration that no one should have to live or work in fear, and that every worker deserves dignity, safety, and respect.”

    The legislation amends the Civil Rights Act and the FLSA to ensure domestic workers are able to earn overtime, sick days, and are able to request time off for personal reasons, that their employment is subject to a written agreement, that they are provided meal and rest breaks, that their privacy is protected, and that they are protected from workplace discrimination and harassment. It would also create additional resources to better implement these protections and rights and establish a National Domestic Worker Hotline where workers can call to seek assistance on employment issues. 

    The legislation is cosponsored by Alma S. Adams, PhD (NC-12), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-00), Rep. Nanette Barragan (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Don Beyer (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Shontel Brown  (OH-11), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Andre Carson (IN-07), Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sean Casten (IL-06), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Suzan DelBebe (WA-01), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Al Green (TX-09), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr.  (GA-04), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernández  (NM-03), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Doris Matsui  (CA -07), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Rob Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), David Scott (GA-13), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie G. Thompson  (MS-02), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Bonnie Watson Coleman  (NJ -12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24). 

    It is also endorsed by A Better Balance, A.Y.U.D.A Inc., Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Black Labor Week Project Inc., Border Workers United, Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy , Caring Across Generations, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Centro Cultural de Mexico, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Coalition on Human Needs, Community Change Action, Detroit Disability Power, Family Values @ Work, Freedom Network USA, Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network, Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Just Solutions, Justice for Migrant Women, Justice in Aging, Michigan Disability Rights Coalition , MomsRising, National Council of Jewish Women, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Employment Law Project, National Organization for Women, National Partnership for Women & Families, New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, New Orleans Workers’ for Racial Justice, Oxfam America, Paid Leave for All, People’s Action Institute , PHI, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Seventh Generation Interfaith Coalition for Responsible Investment, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, The Restaurant Opportunity Center of Pennsylvania (ROC PA), Women Employed, Women’s March.

    Issues: Jobs, Labor, & the Economy

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Ivey Appoints Laurie Hoyt to Baldwin County Circuit Judgeship

    Source: US State of Alabama

    MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday announced the appointment of Laurie Hoyt to serve on the Baldwin County Circuit Court.

    “A longtime resident of Baldwin County, Judge Hoyt is well versed in the law, both criminal and civil,” said Governor Ivey.  “She brings to the bench a broad range of legal experience spanning from private practice to representing the public’s interests in a major state agency.  I am confident she will honorably serve the people of Baldwin County as the newest circuit judge on the 28th Judicial Circuit.”

    “I am honored and grateful that Governor Ivey appointed me to serve as the next Circuit Court Judge in Baldwin County,” said Judge Hoyt.  “I look forward to serving the citizens of Baldwin County and working hard on their behalf.”

    Hoyt assumes the judgeship position vacated by Baldwin County Circuit Court Judge Carmen Bosch who announced her retirement on June 4, 2025.

    Hoyt began her legal career at the firm of James Dorgan, PC, in Fairhope, while also serving as an adjunct substitute Business Law professor at Spring Hill College.  Afterwards, she devoted 18 years as an attorney with the Alabama Department of Human Resources.  As an Assistant Attorney General, she represented the Department in all legal matters, including juvenile and domestic relations cases and complex litigation, and administrative personnel hearings and administrative child abuse/neglect hearings in Baldwin and Escambia counties.

    Hoyt received her Bachelor of Science degree from Spring Hill College in Mobile in 2002 and her Juris Doctor from Loyola University College of Law in 2006.

    Laurie Hoyt and her husband, Baldwin County District Judge Michael Hoyt, have three children and live in Daphne, Alabama.

    Hoyt’s appointment is effective immediately.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Sues Notorious Landlord Mike Nijjar and PAMA Management for Violating California Housing Laws and Exploiting Tenants

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Bonta today filed a lawsuit against a group of property management and real estate holding companies owned by Southern California rental-housing tycoon Swaranjit “Mike” Nijjar, his sister Daljit “DJ” Kler, and other members of his family. The lawsuit filed today, after a three-year investigation, alleges Nijjar’s companies, commonly known as PAMA Management, egregiously violated numerous California laws by subjecting tenants to unsafe units marked by cockroach and rodent infestations, leaking roofs, overflowing sewage, and other problems. The lawsuit also alleges that the companies discriminate against applicants with Section 8 housing vouchers, overcharge some tenants for rent, and use leases that deceive tenants about their legal rights, among other violations. Most tenants living in PAMA properties have low or fixed incomes, and many are faced with the horrible choice between enduring serious and sometimes catastrophic conditions or becoming homeless. In the complaint filed today in Los Angeles County, Attorney General Bonta seeks penalties, full restitution for financial harm to tenants, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, and injunctive relief barring Mr. Nijjar, PAMA, and related companies from continuing these unlawful and appalling business practices. 

    “PAMA and the companies owned by Mike Nijjar and his family are notorious for their rampant, slum-like conditions — some so bad that residents have suffered tragic results. Our investigation into Nijjar’s properties revealed PAMA exploited vulnerable families, refusing to invest the resources needed to eradicate pest infestations, fix outdated roofs, and install functioning plumbing systems, all while deceiving tenants about their rights to sue their landlord and demand repairs,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Nijjar and his associates have treated lawsuit after lawsuit and code violation after code violation as the cost of doing business and have been allowed to operate and collect hundreds of millions of dollars each year from families who sleep, shower, and feed their children in unhealthy and deplorable conditions. Enough is enough — today, I step in. I am grateful to all the people who came forward, including the DOJ Consumer Protection Team, California reporters who sounded the alarm, local code enforcement officers who tirelessly respond to tenant complaints, and, most of all, PAMA tenants who spoke out about their distressing experiences.” 

    Background 

    The Nijjar family and their related companies own and manage over 22,000 rental housing units statewide, primarily in low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Kern Counties — but also spanning up to Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties. Code enforcement officers in these communities routinely cite the Nijjar family’s properties for violating minimum habitability standards. In recent years, the family’s companies have settled dozens of lawsuits alleging habitability defects and unsafe conditions; these lawsuits have involved hundreds of tenants, including some children who have become seriously injured at PAMA properties. In 2016, an infant died in a fire at one of PAMA’s mobile homes in Kern County — which was not permitted for human occupancy. 

    Through this all, it has been business as usual for Mike Nijjar and his corporate entities, which continue to buy new properties, ignore tenants’ pleas for repairs, and operate under an expanding list of company names that makes it difficult for tenants to understand who they are renting from. Tenants may know them by the names of their current and recent property management companies: not only PAMA Management, but also, I E Rental Homes, Bridge Management, Equity Management, Golden Management, Hightower Management, Legacy Management, Mobile Management, Pro Management, and Regency Management. 

    Following extensive reporting from the press and stakeholders, the California Department of Justice began an investigation into PAMA in late 2022 that uncovered widespread habitability violations and other egregious violations of tenants’ rights. 

    Violation of Basic Habitability Standards 

    The Attorney General’s lawsuit alleges that, through their failure to properly maintain units, PAMA and related companies put tenant safety and health at immediate risk. While PAMA units suffer from extensive maintenance issues, among the most common are:

    • water intrusion from leaking roofs and outdated plumbing; 
    • structural damage caused by water intrusion and deferred maintenance;
    • malfunctioning plumbing, including surfacing sewage; and 
    • cockroach and rodent infestations. 

    These violations are not just a mistake; they are part of ongoing business practices. PAMA defers necessary investments in maintenance in favor of quick and cheap repairs; uses unskilled handymen even for specialized work; provides little to no training to staff, many of whom have no experience in property management; and fails to track maintenance requests in any systematic, routine fashion — requests are often lost or never completed. PAMA is aware of these issues and knows their operations lead to uninhabitable conditions, yet these business practices have persisted for years.

    Deceptive Lease Terms

    The lawsuit also alleges that PAMA and related companies entered into tens of thousands of leases with unlawful and deceptive terms that attempt to invalidate rights guaranteed by law. Such rights include the tenant’s right to sue their landlord and present their case to a jury; to make repairs that the landlord neglected and deduct the cost of such repairs from rent; and to have the landlord exercise a duty of care to prevent personal injury or personal property damage.

    PAMA also violated California law by refusing to provide Spanish translations of these leases and other important documents, despite intentionally soliciting Spanish-speaking tenants through dual-language advertising and the hiring of Spanish-speaking employees to fill vacant units and communicate with tenants.  

    Discrimination against Tenants with Section 8 Vouchers

    The lawsuit further alleges that PAMA and related companies discriminate against applicants with Section 8 vouchers who are looking for a home. Section 8 vouchers help low-income families rent housing from private landlords, allowing the family to pay part of the rent while the government pays the rest. In California, it is unlawful to discriminate against a tenant or housing applicant based on their source of income, including their receipt of Section 8 rental assistance. Management companies related to PAMA have violated the law by telling applicants with vouchers that there is a waiting list for units, or that no rental units are available, even when units are in fact available and are being rented to applicants without Section 8 vouchers. 

    Unlawful Rent Increases and Other Misconduct

    The Attorney General’s lawsuit also alleges violations of California’s Tenant Protection Act (TPA) at over 2,000 units, where PAMA and related companies shifted certain mandatory utilities costs — which used to be paid by the landlord — onto their tenants. For tenants protected by the TPA, it is unlawful for landlords to ignore the rent cap when requiring tenants to pay new or increased fees or utility charges. The complaint alleges that these companies began charging tenants for shared utilities, like water, through a ratio utility billing system, known as “RUBS,” forcing tenants to pay for utility charges beyond their control. The combination of these new utility fees and annual rent increases resulted in total increases of up to 20% — more than double the TPA’s rent cap. Furthermore, PAMA and related companies violated the TPA’s notice requirements by failing to include in tenants’ leases legally mandated disclosures to let a tenant know whether the TPA’s protections — which include rent-increase controls and limitations on evictions — apply to them. 

    In addition to the violations above, the lawsuit alleges that PAMA and related companies issued unlawful eviction notices to dozens or hundreds of tenants, and also that the companies have failed to comply with basic real-estate licensing requirements since 2020.

    Anyone – including current or former tenants – who has information that might be relevant to this case are encouraged to share their stories with our office by going to oag.ca.gov/report. To learn more about your rights as a tenant, please visit here.  

    A copy of the complaint can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –