ST. LOUIS – A man from Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday admitted being caught with over 58 kilograms of cocaine in a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in Phelps County, Missouri.
Rene Alejandro Valdivia-Gonzalez, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine. On Sept. 21, 2024, Valdivia-Gonzalez was stopped in a Mercedes Sprinter van by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department for a traffic violation. After receiving consent to search the van, the deputy spotted an after-market compartment that had been installed to create a cavity under the original floorboards. The deputy found rectangular bricks wrapped in plastic and tape that weighed about one kilogram each. Investigators also found bricks hidden behind the dashboard. The 53 bricks contained cocaine weighing a total of 58.85 kilograms.
Valdivia-Gonzalez, who was living in Phoenix, is scheduled to be sentenced October 2. He faces at least 10 years in prison.
The Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is recognized each year on June 15, and FBI Philadelphia is taking this time to continue the dialogue on the issue of elder fraud and the effects it has on our community. The abuse of older Americans can come in various forms, to include physical, emotional, mental, or financial exploitation. According to the 2024 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Elder Fraud Report, the FBI received over 147,000 complaints from victims over the age of 60, with reported losses of approximately $4.8 billion. In 2024, Pennsylvanians over the age of 60 field over 6,300 complaints of various frauds and scams with over $151 million in reported losses. “Elder abuse—whether through fraud, neglect, or exploitation—has a devastating impact on victims, their families, and the broader community,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is a reminder of our responsibility to protect older Americans. It’s a chance to reaffirm our commitment to investigating those who prey on the vulnerable, to educate the public on how to safeguard themselves and their loved ones, and to encourage victims to come forward and report scams and abuse to the FBI.”
Education and outreach are vital in bringing awareness to these crimes, protecting against victimization, and reinforcing the importance of reporting. FBI Philadelphia Community Outreach and field office personnel frequently engage with community groups and partners to bring awareness to the scams impacting our community. Some ways to protect yourself and your loved ones include:
Recognize scam attempts and end all communication with the perpetrator. This includes the very simple step to hang up the phone!
Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a sense of urgency to lure victims into immediate action, typically by instilling trust and inducing empathy or fear, or the promise of monetary gains, companionship, or employment opportunities.
Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings, and door-to-door services offers.
Never give or send any personally identifiable information, money, jewelry, gift cards, checks, or wire information to unverified people or businesses.
Make sure all computer anti-virus and security software and malware protections are up to date. Use reputable anti-virus software and firewalls.
Be careful what you download. Never open an e-mail attachment from someone you don’t know and be wary of e-mail attachments forwarded to you.
Combatting elder fraud continues to be a priority for the Department of Justice, which operates the Elder Justice Initiative. The Elder Justice Initiative supports and coordinates the DOJ’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s seniors. FBI Philadelphia has Victim Specialists who work to ensure victims have the resources they need, as well as support in navigating the criminal justice process. If you think or someone you know may have been a victim of elder fraud, contact FBI Philadelphia at (215) 418-4000 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. You can also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
Next May’s Senedd (Welsh parliament) election won’t just be another trip to the polls. It will mark a major change in how Welsh democracy works. The number of elected members is increasing from 60 to 96, and the voting system is being overhauled. These changes have now passed into law.
But what exactly is changing – and why?
When the then assembly was first established in 1999, it had limited powers and just 60 members. Much has changed since then and it now has increased responsibility including primary law-making powers over matters such as health, education, environment, transport and economic development.
The Wales Act 2014 also bestowed a number of new financial powers on the now Senedd, including taxation and borrowing powers. But its size has stayed the same.
Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox.Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.
This led to concerns about capacity and effectiveness. In 2017, an independent expert panel on electoral reform concluded that the Senedd was no longer fit for purpose. It warned that 60 members simply weren’t enough to scrutinise the Welsh government, pass legislation and respond to constituents. A bigger chamber, it argued, would improve both the quality of lawmaking and democratic accountability.
Wales also has fewer elected politicians per person than any other UK nation. Scotland has 129 MSPs, while Northern Ireland has 90 MLAs. Even with next year’s changes, Wales will still have fewer elected members per citizen compared with Northern Ireland.
It’s a similar picture when Wales is compared with other small European nations.
More Senedd members could ease workloads, improve local representation and importantly, may encourage a more diverse pool of people to stand for office.
How is the voting system changing?
Alongside expansion will be a change in how Senedd members are elected.
From 2026, that system will be replaced by a closed list proportional system, using the D’Hondt method. It’s a system which is designed to be fairer, ensuring that the proportion of seats a party wins more closely reflects the votes they get. But it also means voters will have less say over which individuals get elected.
Wales will be divided into 16 constituencies, each electing six MSs. Instead of voting for a single candidate, voters will choose one party or independent candidate.
Parties will submit a list of up to eight candidates per constituency. Seats will then be allocated based on the overall share of the vote each party gets, with candidates elected in the order they appear on their party’s list.
For example, if a party wins a percentage share of the vote equating to three seats, the top three people on their party list will be elected. The calculation for this is defined by the D’Hondt formula. The decision to adopt this method in Wales was one of the recommendations of the special purpose committee on Senedd reform in 2022.
Jeremy Vine explains just how the D’Hondt system of proportional representation works.
Several countries across Europe use this system for their elections, including Spain and Portugal. In countries with small constituency sizes, D’Hondt has sometimes favoured larger parties and made it harder for smaller parties to gain ground. That’s something observers in Wales will be watching closely.
An alternative method, Sainte-Laguë, used in Sweden and Latvia, is often seen as more balanced in its treatment of small and medium-sized parties, potentially leading to more consensual politics. But it too has its downsides. In countries which have many smaller parties, it can lead to fragmented parliaments and make decision-making more difficult.
In sum, no system is perfect. But D’Hondt was chosen for its balance between proportionality, simplicity and practicality.
The Senedd chamber will house 36 more members from May 2026 onwards. Senedd Cymru
Could this confuse voters?
One concern is the growing differences between electoral systems across the UK, and even within Wales itself.
At the UK level, first-past-the-post (FPTP) is the method used for Westminster elections. Meanwhile, some Welsh councils are experimenting with the single transferable vote method, which lets voters rank candidates in order of preference.
So, some people in Wales could find themselves navigating three different voting systems for three different elections. Obviously, this raises the risk of confusion. Voters who are used to one vote and the “winner takes all” nature of FPTP may be confused by how seats are allocated in Wales come 2026.
With numerous different systems, the risk is that people do not fully understand how their vote translates into representation. In turn this risks undermining confidence and reducing voter turnout.
Voters will need clear, accessible information on how their vote works – and why it matters. But this is particularly challenging when UK-wide media often defaults to FPTP-centric language and framing surrounding debates, which can shape public expectations. News about Wales often barely registers beyond its borders, while news about politics in Wales barely registers within.
Electoral reform often prompts broader conversations. As Welsh voters adjust to the new proportional system, some may begin to question Westminster’s FPTP model, especially if the Senedd better reflects the diversity of votes cast. FPTP is frequently criticised for producing “wasted votes” and encouraging tactical voting, particularly in safe seats.
Under a more proportional system, tactical voting becomes less necessary, which has the potential to shift voter habits in Wales.
If the 2026 reform leads to a more representative and effective Senedd, it may not only reshape Welsh democracy, but reignite debates about electoral reform across the UK.
Stephen Clear does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined U.S Representatives Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02) this week in celebrating the House passage of the bipartisan, bicameral Baby Changing on Board Act. This bill would require each Amtrak train to be outfitted with baby changing stations in all accessible restrooms and to post adequate signage indicating their availability. The Baby Changing on Board Act directs Amtrak to utilize current funding streams to install baby changing stations on new cars until Amtrak can meet a minimum service requirement.
“A lack of safe and sanitary spaces for parents to care for their children while traveling can make any journey more challenging. Longer train rides can be especially stressful for parents who need to utilize baby changing stations more than once when riding the rails. While some trains are equipped with these crucial facilities, Amtrak can—and must—do more to increase access to these private, sanitary spaces to care for their children,” said Senator Welch. “The House’s passage of our bipartisan bill brings us one step closer to ensuring a smooth ride for rail passengers with infants.”
“The route from Memphis to New Orleans – the main Amtrak route used by Tennesseans – is almost nine hours, meaning families need access to changing facilities for their children,” said Senator Blackburn. The Baby Changing on Board Act would ensure that families traveling by Amtrak are supported with baby changing stations in all accessible restrooms.”
“Parents and caregivers shouldn’t have to worry about whether there’s a safe, clean place to care for their kids while traveling,” said Rep. Underwood. “I am so pleased that this legislation has passed the House and is now one step closer to becoming law. This common-sense, bipartisan legislation is a practical and necessary step to make sure families have access to the amenities they need on Amtrak.”
“Ensuring families have access to baby changing stations in Amtrak train cars is a simple, common-sense solution that will make a world of difference,” said Rep. Van Drew. “As a parent myself, I know how important it is for families traveling with young children to feel comfortable and supported during their journeys. By tapping into existing funding to put in these stations, we are meeting a real need and making travel a lot easier for parents and their little ones. Every family deserves that kind of support on their journeys.”
The Baby Changing on Board Act is endorsed by A Better Balance, MomsRising Together, and the National Women’s Law Center.
In Fiscal Year 2024, Amtrak set an all-time ridership record with 32.8 million passenger trips and operated routes connecting 46 states, Washington D.C. and two Canadian provinces. The average duration of a trip on Amtrak’s most traveled route, the Northeast Regional, can last between 3.5 and 8 hours, from D.C. to New York and from D.C. to Boston, respectively. Amtrak’s longest route, connecting Los Angeles to Chicago, can take passengers 65 hours to travel. Parents and families who are traveling often need to change a newborn child’s diaper every two hours, making accessible, safe, and comfortable changing facilities essential.
Learn more about the Baby Changing on Board Act.
Read the full text of the bill.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (43rd District of California)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) today reintroduced bicameral legislation designed to strengthen students’ ability to hold for-profit colleges accountable in court for their misconduct. TheCourt Legal Access and Student Support (CLASS) Actwould enhance accountability for for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving Title IV federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or otherwise restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court.
“For decades, for-profit colleges have used the fine print in student enrollment agreements to force students to give up their rights to go to court over the predatory behavior of these institutions,” said Durbin. “Students should have the right to hold for-profit colleges responsible for defrauding them in court. I’m reintroducing theCLASS Actwith Congresswoman Waters to end the for-profit college industry’s ability to use this shady practice to evade accountability.”
“I am proud to reintroduce theCLASS Actwith Senator Durbin to hold predatory for-profit colleges accountable when they defraud students,”said Waters, the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee. “The for-profit college industry is rife with bad actors that lure potential students into expensive academic programs, while knowingly and fraudulently misrepresenting the quality of the programs. These unscrupulous schools then use mandatory arbitration clauses to prevent students from taking them to court, thereby shielding themselves from being held responsible for wrongdoing. Our legislation will ensure that defrauded students retain the right to sue predatory schools and have their day in court.”
Specifically, theCLASS Actwould enhance the accountability of for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by:
Prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court;
Ensuring that theFederal Arbitration Act, which governs the enforcement of arbitration proceedings, would not apply to student enrollment agreements;
Taking effect one year after enactment to allow schools to make any necessary changes; and
Exempting legitimate non-profit colleges and universities because these institutions do not include mandatory arbitration clauses in their enrollment agreements. TheCLASS Actthus squarely focuses on schools that might seek to profit off of students while hiding from accountability in a court of law.
Along with Durbin, theCLASS Actis cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
The bill has earned the endorsement of Consumer Action; The Institute for College Access and Success; National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients); National Association for College Admission Counseling; Veterans Education Success; National Association of Consumer Advocates; American Association for Justice; Center for Justice and Democracy; Woodstock Institute; Public Justice; Earthjustice; Public Citizen; The National Employment Lawyers Association; Americans for Financial Reform; National Consumers League; Consumer Federation of America; Young Invincibles; and Center for Responsible Lending.
WASHINGTON – Jovan James, 45, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced yesterday to 69 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition on November 25, 2024.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
James pleaded guilty on March 5, 2025, to one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon ordered James to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Nov. 25, 2024, at about 4:55 p.m., MPD officers were patrolling the 5000 block of H Street SE, when they noticed James smoking marijuana in a public space. Officers placed James under arrest. During a search incident to arrest, officers recovered a loaded black Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number from James’s waistband. The handgun was loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition.
James was previously convicted of first degree murder while armed in February 1998 in the District of Columbia and sentenced to a 30-year prison term. James was resentenced in August 2019 to a 22-year prison term and placed on supervised probation for five years under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA).
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sabena Auyeung.
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the Acting Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Edward Gallashaw, announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging six defendants – MICHAEL EDWARDS, a/k/a “Only1Giela”; SHAKEEMO HILL, a/k/a “Keemo,” a/k/a “LBA Menace,” a/k/a “Lex”; WILLIAM HILL, a/k/a “Eway,” a/k/a “Skinny”; ALIXANDRIA LAUTURE, a/k/a “A$”; SHURON MALONE, a/k/a “First Name Last Name”; and CARLOS MERCADO, a/k/a “Kiz,” a/k/a “Kizzle” – with participating in a scheme to steal millions of dollars in checks from the mail. EDWARDS and MERCADO were previously taken into custody on related charges, and SHAKEEMO HILL, WILLIAM HILL, LAUTURE, and MALONE were arrested earlier today. SHAKEEMO HILL, WILLIAM HILL, and LAUTURE are expected to be presented before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn, and MALONE is expected to be presented in the Middle District of Florida. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl.
“As alleged, the six defendants charged today lined their pockets by stealing checks destined for hard working New Yorkers and others,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Together with our partners at the Postal Inspection Service, we will fight to protect the integrity of the U.S. mail system—a public service upon which millions of Americans rely every day to send items of financial, professional, and personal importance.”
“The arrests today should send a very clear message that those who engage in mail theft and bank fraud will be held accountable,” said USPIS Acting Inspector in Charge Edward Gallashaw. “These charges highlight the commitment of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to bring individuals to justice who steal from USPS customers. Thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our investigative partners for working tirelessly on this case, and helping to maintain the public’s trust of the U.S. Postal Service.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:[1]
From at least in or about January 2022 through at least in or about July 2024, the defendants perpetrated a massive scheme to steal millions of dollars in checks from Postal Service collection boxes in New York and elsewhere. As part of their scheme, the defendants conspired to buy or otherwise obtain keys that would allow them to unlock the Postal collection boxes and steal mail, bank cards, and other bank account information.
After stealing checks from the mail, the defendants and their coconspirators fraudulently altered the information on those checks either by digitally altering the checks and printing them on check stock, or by chemically “washing” the checks to remove the ink. To avoid getting caught, the defendants also conspired to obtain and exchange information for bank accounts held in the names of third parties for the purpose of depositing the fraudulently altered checks.
In total, the fraud ring posted millions of dollars in checks for sale on a third-party messaging application, and also deposited millions of dollars in fraudulently altered checks in bank accounts at national banks along the East Coast.
The members of the conspiracy played different roles. EDWARDS served as the leader of the organization, coordinating the purchase of postal keys with others, such as WILLIAM HILL, and the use of those keys to steal mail from postal boxes with other coconspirators, such as WILLIAM HILL, SHAKEEMO HILL, and MERCADO. The organization’s activities were lucrative: in the early morning hours of July 10, 2023, EDWARDS and MERCADO used a postal key to steal approximately $176,000 in checks from the mail. Other members of the conspiracy, such as EDWARDS, WILLIAM HILL, SHAKEEMO HILL, LAUTURE, and MALONE recruited people they knew to supply their bank account information, including account balances and log-in information. And because the stolen checks were not made out to the names on the third-party bank accounts, the members of the fraud ring—including EDWARDS and SHAKEEMO HILL—altered the checks to match the names on those bank accounts. After the checks were altered, the members of the conspiracy, including EDWARDS, WILLIAM HILL, SHAKEEMO HILL, LAUTURE, and MALONE, deposited or recruited others to deposit them into third-party bank accounts.
* * *
A chart containing the defendants’ names, ages, charges, and maximum penalties is set forth below.
The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the USPIS and Homeland Security Investigations. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut for their assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerry J. Fang and William K. Stone are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
SHAKEEMO HILL, a/k/a “Keemo,” a/k/a “LBA Menace,” a/k/a “Lex,” 22;
WILLIAM HILL, a/k/a “Eway,” a/k/a “Skinny,” 29;
ALIXANDRIA LAUTURE, a/k/a “A$,” 27;
SHURON MALONE, a/k/a “First Name Last Name,” 29
30 years in prison
2
Conspiracy to commit theft of a postal key
18 U.S.C. § 371
MICHAEL EDWARDS, a/k/a “Only1Giela,” 30;
WILLIAM HILL, a/k/a “Eway,” a/k/a “Skinny,” 29;
CARLOS MERCADO, a/k/a “Kiz,” a/k/a “Kizzle,” 22
Five years in prison
3
Conspiracy to commit theft of mail and receipt of stolen mail, and sale and receipt of stolen money
18 U.S.C. § 371
MICHAEL EDWARDS, a/k/a “Only1Giela,” 30;
SHAKEEMO HILL, a/k/a “Keemo,” a/k/a “LBA Menace,” a/k/a “Lex,” 22;
WILLIAM HILL, a/k/a “Eway,” a/k/a “Skinny,” 29;
CARLOS MERCADO, a/k/a “Kiz,” a/k/a “Kizzle,” 22
Five years in prison
4
Theft of a postal key
18 U.S.C. §§ 1704 and 2
MICHAEL EDWARDS, a/k/a “Only1Giela,” 30;
CARLOS MERCADO, a/k/a “Kiz,” a/k/a “Kizzle,” 22
10 years in prison
5
Theft of mail and receipt of stolen mail
18 U.S.C. §§ 1708 and 2
MICHAEL EDWARDS, a/k/a “Only1Giela,” 30;
CARLOS MERCADO, a/k/a “Kiz,” a/k/a “Kizzle,” 22
Five years in prison
6
Aggravated identity theft
18 U.S.C. §§ 1028A(a)(1), 1028A(b), and 2
MICHAEL EDWARDS, a/k/a “Only1Giela,” 30;
SHAKEEMO HILL, a/k/a “Keemo,” a/k/a “LBA Menace,” a/k/a “Lex,” 22;
WILLIAM HILL, a/k/a “Eway,” a/k/a “Skinny,” 29;
ALIXANDRIA LAUTURE, a/k/a “A$,” 27;
SHURON MALONE, a/k/a “First Name Last Name, 29”
Mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to run consecutive to any other prison term
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the descriptions of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[2] Counts One, Three, and Six charge EDWARDS with committing those offenses while on pretrial release, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 3147, which subjects him to an additional maximum sentence of 10 years in prison consecutive to any other prison term imposed.
The devices, commonly called “switches,” could convert handguns into fully automatic weapons
BOSTON – A Lowell man has pleaded guilty to multiple federal crimes after he was recorded illegally selling numerous guns, thousands of methamphetamine pills and machineguns.
Billy Chan, a/k/a “Juju,” 20, pleaded guilty on June 6, 2025 to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license; one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and one count of transfer and possession of a machinegun. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2025.
On five different dates in Lowell between March 2023 and June 2023, Chan sold three handguns, four machinegun conversion devices and approximately 2,000 pills marketed as “Adderall,” to undercover law enforcement. Laboratory testing confirmed that the “Adderall” pills were homemade methamphetamine pills pressed with caffeine and designed to look like the genuine pharmaceutical product. Chan trafficked the counterfeit pills with an alleged co-conspirator who was a member of the Asian Boyz gang. The investigation revealed that, in 2023, Asian Boyz gang members and associates had access to a plentiful supply of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine, which they distributed widely across the Merrimack Valley region.
During a recorded meeting with a cooperating source, Chan said he worked at a machine shop, could make the machinegun conversion “switch” devices himself and gave instructions and demonstrations on how to install the “switches” on a pistol. A few days later, Chan sent the source a video of a person shooting a fully automatic handgun into the air, with the message: “I let my boys test the switch.”
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant in the case is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ha Noi, Viet Nam – 12 June 2025 – Today, the Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam (MPS), in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), successfully convened an international forum under the theme: “Enhancing the Participation of Female Police Officers in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations –Global perspectives and Viet Nam’s Contribution.”
The event marks a significant milestone affirming the strong commitment of the Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam to promoting gender equality and empowering female police officers to play a more active role in global peacekeeping efforts.
The Forum brought together more than 100 national and international participants, including high-ranking officials such as Senior Lieutenant General Le Quoc Hung, Deputy Minister of Public Security of Viet Nam; H.E Jean-Pierre Lacroix, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations; Mr. Faisal Shahkar, United Nations Police Adviser and Director of the Police Division at the UN Department of Peace Operations. Representatives from relevant ministries, Vietnamese police peacekeepers, and embassies of Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, Australia, Indonesia, the United States, among others, also participated.
Viet Nam has actively deployed female police officers to United Nations peacekeeping missions, achieving a participation rate of over 30%—significantly surpassing the UN’s minimum target of 20%. This achievement has been recognized and commended by the international community. However, to ensure the sustainability, effectiveness, and long-term impact of such efforts, continued improvement of policy frameworks, expansion of international cooperation, and strengthened awareness across the police force on the role of women in peacekeeping are essential.
In his opening remarks, Senior Lieutenant General Dr. Le Quoc Hung, Deputy Minister of Public Security, emphasized: “The Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam has proactively implemented policies and strategies to increase the participation of female police officers in UN peacekeeping operations. This not only reflects Viet Nam’s international commitments but also demonstrates a modern, human-centered, and globally integrated approach to security.”
United Nations Under-Secretary General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, expressed appreciation for Viet Nam’s steadfast support to peacekeeping operations, and for its commitment to achieve the goal of having more women in peacekeeping, particularly more female police officers. “There are several avenues to achieve that goal: first, by providing more training opportunities; second, by Member States nominating more female candidates including
for leadership positions; and third, by creating work environments which are more welcoming for women. I look forward to continue strengthening the already excellent partnership with Viet Nam in all of these areas”.
The forum featured in-depth discussions among experts and practitioners on issues including: the current status and challenges faced by female peacekeepers; UN policies and requirements on gender equality in peacekeeping; and experiences from other countries regarding the deployment of female police officers to peace operations. The event also highlighted current policy gaps and put forward concrete recommendations to enhance the role, representation, and quality of participation of female officers—including those from the Viet Nam People’s Public Security Force—in UN peacekeeping operations.
Speaking at the Forum, Ms. Angela Pratt, Acting United Nations Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam, stated: “Increasing women’s representation in peacekeeping is not only a matter of gender equality—it also improves the effectiveness of peace operations. Viet Nam is currently exceeding global benchmarks for the deployment of female police officers. We encourage Viet Nam to continue its efforts, particularly in advancing women’s leadership and ensuring their presence in key mission positions.”
UN Women and the United Nations system in Viet Nam reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Viet Nam in its peacekeeping journey through technical assistance, capacity building, and resource mobilization—including connecting Viet Nam to funding mechanisms such as the Elsie Initiative Fund.
The Forum also reinforces Viet Nam’s implementation of its first-ever National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2024–2030), while contributing meaningfully to the global agenda under the United Nations Pact for the Future. The event concluded with a strong call for gender-responsive leadership and coherent policies to advance gender equality in peace and security.
—
Media Contacts: Vu Viet Hung Standing Office for UN Peacekeeping Operations, Ministry of Public Security Email: ppko@mps.gov.vn
Hoang Bich Thao Communications and Advocacy Analyst, UN Women Viet Nam
The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (OSNS) and the Police Force’s National Security Department (NSD) conducted a joint operation today in respect of a suspected case of “collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security”.
The joint operation was conducted pursuant to the Hong Kong National Security Law, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and the Safeguarding National Security (Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Regulation.
In the case, six people and an organisation were suspected of having committed the offence of “collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security” under the Hong Kong National Security Law between November 2020 and June 2024.
The OSNS, with the approval from its Director, requested assistance and support from the NSD, including arranging interviews with the people involved in the case for the OSNS, pursuant to the Safeguarding National Security (Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Regulation.
The NSD, with warrants issued by the court under the Implementation Rules for Article 43 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, searched the places of residence of the six people and the office of the organisation involved in the case in a commercial building in Kwai Chung and seized exhibits, including bank documents and devices, for further investigation.
The NSD also conducted interviews with the people involved in the case and, pursuant to the Implementation Rules for Article 43 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, required those people, by notices issued by the court, to surrender their travel documents.
The case is still under investigation, and the NSD will continue to provide assistance and support to the OSNS in accordance with the law.
Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after meeting with Memphis Mayor Paul Young today to discuss the importance of local and federal cooperation to expand economic opportunity in Memphis and efforts to crack down on violent crime:
“It was a pleasure to meet with Mayor Paul Young this afternoon to discuss ways we can continue working together to grow Memphis’s economy and fight violent crime that has blighted the city for too long,” said Senator Blackburn. “FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi are working closely with me to Make Memphis Safe Again, and Mayor Young will be a critical part of our federal efforts to address the unacceptable violence in this city that we all love.”
Click hereto download this photo of Senator Blackburn and Mayor Young.
BACKGROUND
Last year, Tennessee was ranked among the top ten states for motor vehicle thefts, and Tennessee saw a nearly 200% increase in auto theft crime by juveniles in 2023.
The current federal carjacking statute requires prosecutors to prove defendants had an “intent to cause death or bodily harm,” which has made it harder to bring federal carjacking prosecutions and accounts for the decrease in federal carjacking prosecutions in certain parts of the country.
The Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act would fix this drafting error by requiring prosecutors only have to prove the knowing taking of a motor vehicle.
In cases in which death results following a carjacking, the bill would maintain the higher “intent to cause death or bodily harm” requirement.
Senator Blackburn introduced the AFTER SCHOOL Actto establish a grant program administered through the U.S. Department of Justice for localities to receive funds to establish, maintain, and strengthen after school programs proven to reduce juvenile crime and recidivism.
Much of the crime committed in Memphis is driven by juvenile offenders, who are committing more and more aggravated assaults, robberies, and carjackings against innocent city residents;
The gap of time after school and before their parents get home is prime time for violent behavior among youth, and the four hours following the end of the school day (around 2:00 to 6:00 PM) is typically the peak of violent crime.
Senator Blackburn also introduced the Restoring Law and Order Actto increase funding for law enforcement and help keep violent criminals behind bars by establishing a “Make America Safe Again” federal grant program to:
Hire more police officers and detectives, so that states can better target violent crime;
Provide funding for law enforcement agencies to target drug-related crimes such as fentanyl;
Detain and deport illegal aliens who have committed crimes in the United States;
Use public safety tools such as bail and pretrial detention to prevent dangerous offenders from returning to communities; and
Give state and local governments the funds to eliminate investigatory backlogs and more-quickly process criminal evidence.
WASHINGTON — A Tennessee man was sentenced yesterday in the Western District of Kentucky for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; obstructing a sex trafficking investigation; interstate transportation for prostitution; and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Portier Q. Govan, 37, of Memphis, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release after a jury found Govan guilty in December 2024.
Evidence presented during the trial established that Govan and his co-defendant, Brittany R. Howard, 25, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, recruited and enticed the victim to engage in commercial sex by preying on her young age and financial situation, and by making false promises of easy money. To establish his control over the victim, Govan threatened to kill her by pressing a pistol against her head while she was in the front passenger seat of a car, and then lowered and discharged the gun, firing a bullet across her lap and missing her body by inches. Govan also showed her a video of himself torturing a defenseless man tied to a chair. He sexually assaulted her and compelled her to engage in commercial sex acts for his profit by making her fear for her life.
“The defendant used brazen acts of violence to compel the 18-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex, even holding a gun to the victim’s head,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This significant sentence reflects the severity of the defendant’s conduct and sends a clear message that the DOJ will relentlessly prosecute and hold accountable human traffickers who abuse and exploit others for financial gain.”
The FBI Louisville Field Office, Bowling Green Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Bowling Green Police Department.
“This sentence is the culmination of a tremendous joint effort between the Bowling Green Police Department and the FBI’s Bowling Green Resident Agency,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky Kyle G. Bumgarner. “Thanks to their efforts, Portier Govan will spend a significant portion of his adult life in federal penitentiary for his depraved conduct. While his sentence is lengthy, there is no sentence that sufficiently remedies the trauma he inflicted on his victim—who will continue to have unwavering support from our office”
“Depriving an innocent victim of their civil rights by violently forcing them to engage in commercial sex is unconscionable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Portier Govan’s criminal activity. The FBI, in collaboration with our state and local law enforcement partners, will never stop working to identify and hold accountable violent criminals and to help victims receive the support needed as they recover from significant trauma.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking
WASHINGTON — A Tennessee man was sentenced yesterday in the Western District of Kentucky for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; obstructing a sex trafficking investigation; interstate transportation for prostitution; and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Portier Q. Govan, 37, of Memphis, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release after a jury found Govan guilty in December 2024.
Evidence presented during the trial established that Govan and his co-defendant, Brittany R. Howard, 25, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, recruited and enticed the victim to engage in commercial sex by preying on her young age and financial situation, and by making false promises of easy money. To establish his control over the victim, Govan threatened to kill her by pressing a pistol against her head while she was in the front passenger seat of a car, and then lowered and discharged the gun, firing a bullet across her lap and missing her body by inches. Govan also showed her a video of himself torturing a defenseless man tied to a chair. He sexually assaulted her and compelled her to engage in commercial sex acts for his profit by making her fear for her life.
“The defendant used brazen acts of violence to compel the 18-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex, even holding a gun to the victim’s head,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This significant sentence reflects the severity of the defendant’s conduct and sends a clear message that the DOJ will relentlessly prosecute and hold accountable human traffickers who abuse and exploit others for financial gain.”
The FBI Louisville Field Office, Bowling Green Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Bowling Green Police Department.
“This sentence is the culmination of a tremendous joint effort between the Bowling Green Police Department and the FBI’s Bowling Green Resident Agency,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky Kyle G. Bumgarner. “Thanks to their efforts, Portier Govan will spend a significant portion of his adult life in federal penitentiary for his depraved conduct. While his sentence is lengthy, there is no sentence that sufficiently remedies the trauma he inflicted on his victim—who will continue to have unwavering support from our office”
“Depriving an innocent victim of their civil rights by violently forcing them to engage in commercial sex is unconscionable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Portier Govan’s criminal activity. The FBI, in collaboration with our state and local law enforcement partners, will never stop working to identify and hold accountable violent criminals and to help victims receive the support needed as they recover from significant trauma.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking
GREAT FALLS – A Wolf Point man accused of distributing methamphetamine to a minor admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Brickie Cole Jackson, 36, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine to a person under 21 years of age. Jackson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 1 year, a maximum term of 40 years, a $2,000,000 fine, and at least 6 years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for October 30, 2025. Jackson was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in November 2023, law enforcement responded to Wolf Point High School after a student, Jane Doe, admitted drug use and tested positive. Doe, a 16-year-old female, disclosed she had gone to Jackson’s house, and he provided her with methamphetamine. Doe said she had gone to the house multiple times over multiple days and Jackson provided her with methamphetamine on several occasions in November.
In January 2024, Doe again admitted to hanging out with Jackson at his house over multiple days. He again provided Doe with methamphetamine.
Jackson was interviewed. He admitted providing Doe with methamphetamine but said he believed she was 18 years old. Jackson said Doe stayed with him on two occasions, and he gave her about a gram of meth each time she stayed at his house.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, and Wolf Point Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 10, 2025, Deven Moffitt, 34, of Bennington, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 150 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 7-year term of supervised release. Deven Moffitt previously was convicted by a jury on May 16, 2024 of possessing fentanyl and cocaine with the intent to distribute, knowingly possessing firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking, and of possessing firearms while being a convicted felon after a four-day trial.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Moffitt was arrested by the Vermont State Police in Bennington, Vermont on June 1, 2022. During a search of the bags Moffitt was carrying that day, law enforcement recovered over 3,500 individual bags containing fentanyl, additional bags of cocaine and cocaine base, as well as two firearms: a .22 High Standard Manufacturing Corporation revolver and a 9mm Hi-Point semi-automatic pistol. Both guns were loaded, and the 9mm pistol had a bullet in its chamber, with its safety off. Moffitt also possessed over $16,000 in cash upon his arrest.
“Vermont State Police encountered Deven Moffitt, as he possessed two fully loaded handguns, one with a bullet chambered and the safety off,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher. “He possessed those weapons to protect his stash of over 3500 bags of fentanyl and more than $16,000 in drug proceeds. It was a likely just a matter of time before the danger of armed drug dealing would have become a violent reality. We recognize the courage and skill of the VSP for their efforts protecting the public not only in this case, but everyday across the state.”
“This sentence of more than 12 years in prison sends a strong message that our communities will not tolerate those who traffic illegal drugs, especially when they bring firearms into these already extremely dangerous situations,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police. “We are grateful for the efforts of our federal partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement to investigate and prosecute offenses of this nature, collaborating with us to ensure accountability and make Vermont a safer place for everyone.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Gilman as well as Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia “Jules” Torti. Deven Moffitt was represented by Kevin Henry, Esq.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
From 1 June 2025, the sale of single use vapes will be officially banned across England under new national legislation designed to protect public health and the environment.
Birmingham City Council will continue to lead the way in enforcement through Operation CLOUD, its multi-agency crackdown on illicit tobacco, vape, and counterfeit goods.
The new legislation bans the supply of single-use vapes—also known as disposable vapes—across England. This includes both nicotine and non-nicotine products, whether sold in shops, at markets, or online. Retailers found in breach may face fines, product seizures, and legal action.
The Council’s Trading Standards team has already seized 14,243 illegal or non-compliant vapes across Birmingham from September 2024 to date. In support of the new law, the team carried out a Day of Action on Tuesday 3 June 2025 in partnership with West Midlands Police, targeting rogue traders and retailers who continue to stock banned or illicit vaping products.
The new legislation, announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), is part of the government’s broader environmental and public health priorities. According to Defra, five million single use vapes are thrown away every week in the UK, contributing significantly to plastic and lithium battery waste, and often being marketed in a way that appeals to children.
Councillor Jamie Tennant, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities at Birmingham City Council, said:
“The ban on single-use vapes is a major step forward in protecting both our environment and our communities. These products are not only harmful to health and worryingly attractive to young people — they also create vast amounts of unnecessary plastic and battery waste. Birmingham’s Trading Standards team has already been doing fantastic work tackling the illegal vape trade through Operation CLOUD, and this new legislation gives us even greater power to act. We will continue to take robust enforcement action to safeguard our streets, our young people, and our planet.”
Operation CLOUD continues to target the supply chain of illicit goods in Birmingham, with enforcement focusing on high-risk premises and community intelligence. The Council is encouraging residents to report sales of single use vapes or other suspected illegal products by contacting Trading Standards via Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 or online at https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/tradingstandards.
Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)
Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, sent letters to multiple organizations launching an investigation into the funding behind the Los Angeles riots and requesting the preservation of key information. The letter also condemns the demonstrations’ “lawless mob actions” and calls for their end.
“Credible reporting now suggests that your organization has provided logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions,” Senator Hawley wrote. “Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct.”
He sent letters to Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Union del Barrio.
Read the full letter here or below.
June 11, 2025
Angélica SalasExecutive DirectorCoalition for Humane Immigrant Rights2533 West 3rd St, Suite 101Los Angeles, CA 90057
Dear Ms. Salas,
I write in my capacity as Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism regarding your organization’s alleged role in financing and materially supporting the coordinated protests and riots that have engulfed Los Angeles in recent weeks. While peaceful protest is a cornerstone of American democracy, these demonstrations have escalated into lawless mob actions. They have obstructed federal law enforcement, endangered public safety, and disrupted the rule of law. This lawlessness is unacceptable. It must end.
Credible reporting now suggests that your organization has provided logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions. Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct. Accordingly, you must immediately cease and desist any further involvement in the organization, funding, or promotion of these unlawful activities.
Furthermore, please preserve the following records from November 5, 2024 to present:
All internal communications, including emails, text messages, chat logs, and messaging applications, relating to protest planning, coordination, or funding.
All financial documents related to protests, demonstrations, or mobilization efforts in Los Angeles or elsewhere relating to immigration enforcement.
All third-party contracts or vendor agreements, including any arrangements with event organizers, transportation providers, security personnel, or communications consultants relating to immigration enforcement or the Los Angeles protests, or similar protests elsewhere.
Grant applications and funding proposals that relate to or reference immigration enforcement.
Travel and lodging records for individuals or groups supported or reimbursed in connection with protest activities.
Media or public relations strategies, including talking points, press releases, and coordination with journalists or influencers relating to immigration protests.
Donor lists.
Failure to comply will result in additional action by this Subcommittee, including potential referral for criminal investigation.
Sincerely,Josh HawleyChairmanSubcommittee on Crime and CounterterrorismU.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary
As AI tools disrupt conventional subject boundaries, educators face a dilemma: some seek to ban these tools, while others are seeking ways to embrace them in the classroom.
Both approaches risk missing a deeper transformation that was predicted 60 years ago by Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan.
McLuhan’s insights can help educators — and all of us grappling with the meaning, uses and misuses of AI — to think about how to cultivate a new mindset, one that integrates human agency and machine capabilities consciously and critically.
‘Oracle of the electric age’
In the mid-1960s, McLuhan published Understanding Media, earning a reputation as the “oracle of the electric age.”
In the chapter, “Automation: Learning a Living,” McLuhan opens with a provocative observation: “Little Red Schoolhouse Dies When Good Road Built.” Technological change, he suggested, doesn’t merely augment existing systems — it transforms them.
While roads once expanded access to specialized education, automation reverses this logic, he argued.
This is because disciplinary boundaries are dissolved, and the intersection of learning and work is redefined. He wrote:
“Automation … not only ends jobs in the world of work, it ends subjects in the world of learning.”
McLuhan foresaw that computing would enable new forms of pattern recognition, requiring fundamentally different ways of thinking — more integrative, relational and responsive — rather than simply accelerating old methods.
Automation makes the arts mandatory
Crucially, McLuhan argued that far from making the liberal arts obsolete, automation makes them mandatory. In an age where machine intelligence is integrated into communication and creativity, the humanities, with their focus on cultural understanding, ethical reasoning and imaginative expression, become more essential than ever.
The “adjacent possible” refers to the set of opportunities and innovations that become accessible when new combinations of existing ideas and technologies are explored.
This gives rise to what I refer to as AI-adjacency: a framework that treats artificial intelligence not as a replacement for human intelligence, but as a partner in strategic collaboration and creative inquiry.
6 ways AI can be a partner in creative inquiry
1. Critical discernment
AI-adjacent learning begins with critical discernment: the ability to assess intellectual and cultural value regardless of whether AI was involved in the creation process.
When game designer Jason Allen’s AI-assisted image, Théâtre D’opéra Spatial, won first place in a digital arts competition at the 2022 Colorado State Fair — and Allen shared information about it on social media — controversy ensued.
Commenters were unsure how to evaluate artistic merit when creative direction is shared with AI. Allen reportedly spent more than 80 hours crafting over 600 text prompts in Midjourney, and also digitally altered the work. The debate illustrates how critical discernment moves beyond detecting AI use to asking deeper questions about authorship, effort and esthetic judgment.
2. Strategic collaboration
Strategic collaboration requires nuanced decision-making about when and how to involve AI tools in a creative process. A recent study reports that “the impact of ChatGPT as a feedback tool on students’ writing skills was positive and significant.”
As one student in the study noted: “When you use ChatGPT in a classroom with your classroom, you’re doing it with several people. So much talk going on simultaneously! It’s kinda cool. The conversations are so meaningful and without noticing, we are working together and writing.”
The value here is in an AI-facilitated collaboration that encourages students to become more interested in learning how to express themselves through writing.
3. Voice and vision stewardship
Stewarding voice and vision means ensuring that technology serves individual expression, not the other way around. At Berklee College of Music in Boston, with varied instructors, students are encouraged to explore AI’s varied potential uses in enhancing their creative process. If it’s used, instructors emphasize outputs must reflect the artist’s own style, not just the algorithm’s fluency. This fosters self-awareness and creative authorship amid technological collaboration.
4. Cultural and social responsibility
AI tools are not neutral, but they can be powerful allies when developed with cultural and social responsibility. Researchers on Vancouver Island are developing AI voice-to-text technology specifically for Kwak’wala, an endangered Indigenous language.
Unlike existing systems designed for English, this AI must be built from scratch because Kwak’wala is verb-centred rather than noun-based.
The project demonstrates how AI can amplify marginalized voices. In this case, Indigenous communities control the development process and cultural knowledge remains in community hands.
5. Adaptive expertise
Adaptive expertise means knowing when to innovate beyond routine solutions. Medical education researchers Brian J. Hess and colleagues define it as “the capacity to apply not only routinized procedural approaches but also know when the situation calls for creative innovative solutions.”
In an AI-integrated world, students must distinguish between when AI-generated responses are appropriate and can enhance productivity, versus when situations require human, slower, in-depth thinking and creative analysis.
Students must distinguish between when AI-generated responses can enhance productivity, versus when situations require human thinking. (Allison Shelley for EDUimages), CC BY-NC
For example, history students can use AI to quickly process archival materials and identify patterns, but must also learn how to use AI to help them interpret the cultural significance of those patterns, which requires innovative analytical approaches grounded in a liberal arts education.
6. Creative and intellectual agency
Creative and intellectual agency represents a central pillar of humanities education, rooted in the German concept of Bildung, which is developing oneself through critical engagement with complex ideas.
This principle of cultivating independent thinking and deep attention to challenging problems remains essential in an AI-integrated world. The challenge facing higher education is find ways to amplify intellectual agency through creative collaboration with AI tools. At Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, humanities students work with computer scientists to develop interdisciplinary courses like “Algorithms and Social Justice,” which involves applying humanistic perspectives throughout data analysis processes.
McLuhan’s warning: loss of self-awareness
‘Narcissus,’ by Italian baroque painter Caravaggio, circa 1597–99. (Wikimedia Commons)
McLuhan also offered a powerful warning through the myth of Narcissus in Understanding Media.
Contrary to popular view, McLuhan argued Narcissus didn’t fall in love with himself; instead, he mistook his reflection for someone else.
This “extension of himself by mirror,” McLuhan writes, “numbed his perceptions until he became the servomechanism of his own extended … image” — meaning, Narcissus became dependent on his own reflection.
The real danger of AI isn’t replacement. It’s the loss of self-awareness. We risk becoming passive users of our own technological extensions and allowing them to shape how we think, create and learn without realizing it. In McLuhan’s terms, we become tools of our tools.
AI-adjacent practices offer a way out. By engaging consciously with technology through the six dimensions, students learn to use AI critically and creatively — without surrendering their agency.
Gordon A. Gow receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
PROVIDENCE – A previously deported Guatemalan national illegally present in the United States has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island on two counts of assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, or interfering with federal officers engaged in official duties, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
It is alleged that on April 30, 2024, Miguel Tamup-Tamup, a/k/a Miguel US Tamup, 28, struggled with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents as they attempted to apprehend him as authorized by an arrest warrant. An HSI agent suffered a serious injury during the encounter.
Charging documents reflect that on April 19, 2025, Tamup-Tamup was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence after his car allegedly collided with another vehicle. He was subsequently arraigned and released. Tamup’s fingerprints matched ICE fingerprint records associated with a person flagged as being in the United States illegally.
It is alleged that on April 30, 2025, an ICE deportation officer and Homeland Security Investigations agents stopped a car that Tamup-Tamup was operating. After he refused to exit, Tamup-Tamup was guided out of the vehicle. While the agents attempted to place Tamup-Tamup in handcuffs, he allegedly resisted, threw his upper body and shoulders against the agents, flailed his arms, and broke an agent’s hold. During the encounter, one of the agents fell to the ground and suffered a serious leg injury. Tamup-Tamup fled as the injured agent was attended to.
On May 16, 2025, ICE and HSI agents located Tamup-Tamup at a Providence residence and took him into custody. He has been detained since making an initial appearance on that date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
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).
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind Shah.
Wildlife rangers have humanely euthanised a large crocodile near Mareeba on Tuesday 10 June, following a crocodile sighting report on 6 June 2025.
A site investigation by wildlife rangers on the weekend confirmed the presence of the crocodile, in a farm drain near Two Mile Creek at Biboohra, north of Mareeba.
Director Northern Wildlife Operations at DETSI, Lindsay Delzoppo said rangers had located the crocodile on the property after multiple reports from the community.
“By removing the crocodile, we have prioritised community safety, and we thank the people who submitted crocodile sighting reports last Friday.
“We encourage anyone who sees what they believe to be a crocodile to report it to the department in a timely manner, all reports will be investigated.”
Crocodile sightings can be reported by using the QWildlife app, completing a crocodile sighting report on the DETSI website, or by calling 1300 130 372. The department investigates every crocodile sighting report received.
Under the Queensland Crocodile Management Plan, the Two Mile Creek area at Biboohra is in Zone F (Atypical Habitat Zone). In Zone F, any crocodile confirmed to be present is targeted for removal from the wild, regardless of its size or behaviour.
Conservation and Ecosystem Management students from Nambour TAFE join with Gympie-based QPWS rangers to tackle destructive and invasive weeds in the Amamoor State Forest.
A powerful new partnership between Nambour TAFE and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is giving the next generation of conservation professionals hands-on experience in protecting native ecosystems.
Twenty Conservation and Ecosystem Management students from Nambour TAFE joined forces with Gympie-based QPWS rangers in late May to tackle the destructive weeds that threaten native rainforests in the Amamoor State Forest.
The unique collaboration was coordinated by QPWS Sunshine Coast Ranger David Wolters, himself a graduate of the same TAFE course, and TAFE Queensland conservation and ecosystem educator Alissa George.
David and Elissa, who recognised the opportunity to blend practical learning with meaningful environmental outcomes, said partnerships like these played an important role in combatting invasive species and protecting fragile ecosystems.
“This was a great experience for Nambour TAFE Conservation and Ecosystem Management students,” Alissa said.
“The students benefited from real industry experiences and learning the techniques used by QPWS to eradicate environmental weeds including Cats Claw creeper, Dutchman’s Pipe, and Lantana.
“They eagerly listened to the rangers explain the importance of the site ecologically.
“We saw the effects of the biocontrol for Cat’s Claw Creeper – the leaf sucking tingid bug – which the students were excited to see.
“TAFE Nambour is very excited to continue this volunteering opportunity as it has been the highlight of the course for the students,” Alissa said.
Throughout the day, students honed skills in identifying and removing invasive species including Cat’s Claw Creeper (Dolichandra unguis-cati), Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia elegans), and Lantana (Lantana camara).
The experience also gave them direct access to seasoned rangers, allowing for deep conversations around conservation careers and techniques used in the field.
For David Wolters, the day was a full-circle moment.
“I’ve always been driven by a desire to support and protect our natural environment,” David said.
“Studying Conservation and Ecosystem Management at TAFE provided me with the hands-on fieldwork and practical training that shaped my skills.
“Now working in national parks,
“I’m proud to contribute to the protection of our unique ecosystems and landscapes.
“I’ve reconnected with TAFE to help current students gain valuable experience in the field, something that made a big difference during my own studies.
“I’m passionate about sharing the knowledge I’ve gained working for Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and look forward to continuing my work with Alissa George and her students in the years ahead.”
QPWS Gympie Ranger Jim Martin, who also attended, praised the impact of the students’ involvement.
“It’s great to have such a big group here keen to get stuck into the Cats Claw, which can feel like an insurmountable task at times,” Jim said.
“Staying on top of the initial treatments we’ve made with solid follow-up work is what will make a real difference here, so the potential benefits of having TAFE groups out here to lend a hand and learn is huge.”
The initiative not only delivered tangible benefits for the environment but also inspired and equipped the next generation of conservation professionals.
Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting the field trip as a defining moment in their studies.
With the groundwork laid and the vines pulled, both TAFE and QPWS are looking forward to building on this successful partnership – one weed at a time.
India on Thursday strongly condemned the vandalisation of the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore – historically called the Rabindra Kachharibari – in the Sirajganj district of Bangladesh, urging the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in the country to take strict action against the extremist elements involved in the incident.
“We strongly condemn the despicable attack and vandalisation of the ancestral home of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore by a mob on June 8, 2025. The violent act is a disgrace to the memory and the inclusive philosophy and the teachings that the Nobel laureate espoused in Bangladesh. The attack falls in a broad pattern of systematic attempts by extremists to erase the symbols of tolerance and eviscerate the synchronic culture and cultural legacy of Bangladesh,” said Randhir Jaiswal, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during a weekly media briefing.
“We urge the interim government to rein in the terrorists and take strict action against the perpetrators to prevent recurrence of such incidents that sadly have become a repetitive feature,” he added.
The MEA also reiterated that it wants to establish a positive and constructive relationship with the South Asian neighbour.
“Our approach to engagement with Bangladesh and our ties with the country are well known. I have stated this from this podium several times. We seek a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh, one that is anchored in the aspirations of the people of both countries,” mentioned Jaiswal.
Bangladeshi media reported that a mob of 50–60 people broke into the Rabindra Kachharibari, which also houses a memorial museum, and vandalised the auditorium and custodian’s office, causing significant damage to the historic building.
“There were visitors at the site who panicked due to the sudden attack. We took shelter during the attack and informed police immediately,” Bangladesh’s Daily Star quoted Habibur Rahman, a custodian of the Kachharibari, as saying.
One of the visitors, Enamul Haque, who had arrived with his family, criticised the attack. “Criminal activities at a historic site like Shahzadpur Rabindra Kachharibari are unacceptable,” he said.
Confirming the incident, Shahzadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC)stated, “A complaint was lodged earlier. We are investigating the matter.”
The leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, had also raised the issue during his speech at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in Kolkata, on Wednesday.
“The sacred legacy of our most precious Kobiguru Rabindranath Thakur was desecrated in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, where a mob led by BNP and Chhatra Shibir activists vandalised the historic Rabindra Kachari Bari. This shameful and utterly disgraceful act of destruction targetted a site that embodies Bengal’s cultural soul and Tagore’s universal message of humanity. Windows shattered, furniture ruined, and a Global Icon’s memory insulted,” he posted on X.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Joint operation by Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR and Police National Security Department
The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (OSNS) and the National Security Department (NSD) of the Hong Kong Police Force, pursuant to the Hong Kong National Security Law, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and the Safeguarding National Security (Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Regulation, conducted a joint operation today (June 12) in respect of a suspected case of “collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security”.Issued at HKT 22:12
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey attorney was sentenced to 21 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $300,000 in COVID-19 relief benefits, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Morton Chirnomas, 62, of Clifton, New Jersey previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an Information charging him with wire fraud. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence in Camden federal Court. Chirnomas was also ordered to serve three years’ supervised release.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From May 2020 to September 2020, Chirnomas fraudulently obtained a $150,000 loan through the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans program. He also falsely obtained $200,000 in unemployment insurance benefits using the names and identities of other people without their authorization.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone; and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
###
Defense counsel: Saverio A. Viggiano, Newark, New Jersey
BOSTON – A Lawrence man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for leading a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine.
Joseph Correa, 35, was sentenced by on Friday, June 6, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley to 18 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In November 2024, Correa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and other controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Correa was a target of a long-term investigation into a network of fentanyl and cocaine distributors based in and around Lawrence. The investigation showed that Correa obtained fentanyl from local suppliers, and that he and co-defendants and brothers Jose Martinez and Luis Martinez regularly traveled to Puerto Rico to purchase wholesale quantities of cocaine, which they mailed to addresses in New England for redistribution in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Correa employed co-defendants, as well as an uncharged co-conspirator, to store and process drugs at their residences and to distribute drugs on his behalf. Correa was regularly intercepted over court-authorized wiretaps discussing distribution of fentanyl and cocaine and obtaining, possessing and using firearms. He and co-defendant Mayi Rosario conspired to launder drug proceeds via various financial transactions and purchases. During the course of the investigation, fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, cocaine and drug proceeds were seized from Correa and his associates and from packages mailed by or for Correa. On Dec. 15, 2021, Correa was arrested in Caguas, Puerto Rico. At the time of his arrest, Correa was holding a loaded firearm that had a Glock slide and a privately manufactured grip, and that had been converted into a fully automatic weapon.
In May 2024, Jose Martinez was sentenced to 90 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In February 2025, Luis Martinez was sentenced to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. In August 2024, Rosario was sentenced to 30 months in prison, to be followed by one year of home detention and 26 months of supervised release.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lawrence Police Department; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Essex County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Ferguson and J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Defendant is an alleged gang associate who sold four pistols – two with defaced serial numbers – and more than one hundred rounds of ammunition to gang members over the course of a month
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national unlawfully residing in Chelsea was charged with allegedly making multiple illegal firearms sales.
Melbi Ovidio Ortez, 40, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Ortez was arrested this morning. Following an initial appearance this afternoon, he was ordered detained pending probable cause and detention hearings scheduled for July 18, 2025.
According to charging documents, Ortez was identified as an 18th Street Gang associate who supplied firearms and controlled substances to gang members. On four different occasions between April 3, 2025 and May 2, 2025, Ortez allegedly sold firearms and ammunition behind his Chelsea residence. It is alleged that Ortez sold a Glock 9mm caliber pistol; a Sturm and Ruger .22 caliber revolver; a Glock .40 caliber pistol; a Colt .380 caliber pistol; magazines; and over one hundred rounds of ammunition. It is further alleged that the serial numbers on both the Glock 9mm pistol and the Colt .380 pistol had been defaced, and that the Glock 9mm pistol had been purchased only 20 days earlier from a licensed firearms dealer in New Hampshire. Ortez also allegedly sold suspected cocaine on two times during that same period.
The charge of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Boston Division; and Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments; Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Fraud Detection and National Security Unit; Massachusetts Department of Correction; and the Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
WASHINGTON – On Thursday, the United States filed a complaint against the State of New York, challenging state policies that blocked immigration officials from arresting individuals at or near New York courthouses. Specifically, the complaint challenges a law, called the Protect Our Courts Act, that purposefully shields dangerous aliens from being lawfully detained at or on their way to or from a courthouse and imposes criminal liability for violations of the shield. This law and accompanying polices violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution because they obstruct the execution of federal immigration authorities.
“Lawless sanctuary city policies are the root cause of the violence that Americans have seen in California, and New York State is similarly employing sanctuary city policies to prevent illegal aliens from apprehension,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This latest lawsuit in a series of sanctuary city litigation underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to keeping Americans safe and aggressively enforcing the law.”
New York’s law comes after Executive Order 10866, Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border, which directs the Department of Homeland of Security to issue guidelines for the safe and effective enforcement of immigration laws around the country, specifically at or near courthouses. As is true in all types of law enforcement, conducting an arrest at or near a courthouse often reduced the risk of flight and potential safety risks to the public, law enforcement officers, and targets themselves due to the enhanced security screenings in place at courthouses. New York’s law runs counter to common sense and endangers communities by eliminating safe places for law enforcement officers to act.
As explained in the complaint, filed by newly confirmed Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, “Through these enactments, New York obstructs federal law enforcement and facilitates the evasion of federal law by dangerous criminals, notwithstanding federal agents’ statutory mandate to detain and remove illegal aliens.”
This is the latest in several lawsuits the Department of Justice has filed challenging state interference with immigration enforcement. In May, the Department sued several New Jersey cities who had enacted sanctuary policies.
The Labour government has made economic growth its top priority, committing to planning reforms, business partnerships and millions of pounds of investment in science and technology.
But economic growth is not just about innovation, investment and businesses. How the law functions is of fundamental importance for economic growth. The UK’s highly-regarded system of justice plays an important role in creating the environment of trust that underpins commerce and investment.
The legal system should be regarded as part of the national infrastructure, just as much as rail or electricity networks, or health and education. But like them, it has suffered a sustained drop in funding. And with the civil courts now in a state of neglect, their reputation – and the trust placed in them – is at risk of crumbling.
For both people and businesses, the forum for resolving disputes and securing rights against one another, or against the state, involves the legal system. County courts, tribunals and bodies such as Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) are just a few of the bodies involved in civil and administrative law, employment law, tax law and corporate law.
The Ministry of Justice budget for England and Wales, which funds courts and tribunals, started to fall in real terms in the 2011-12 financial year. This has led to under-resourcing, underequipping, and understaffing of services. Justice is an “unprotected” government department, and continues to be a low priority compared to others such as health and education.
Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox.Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.
The chancellor’s spending review announced “up to £450 million additional investment per year for the courts system by 2028-29, compared to 2025-26”, which the government says will help tackle court backlogs. But years of decline have already deteriorated the system significantly.
The key question to measuring the success of publicly-funded legal systems is, are they fast, fair and predictable? It would be difficult today to answer positively.
There are large backlogs due to staff shortfalls compared to caseloads. When it comes to civil claims in the courts, aside from the very smallest claims, the average period from a claim to a hearing is now 77 weeks. This is an increase from 48 weeks pre-austerity. In either case, it’s plenty of time for a small business or startup to go under while trying to reclaim a debt.
The position in the tribunals is not much better. According to the latest Ministry of Justice statistics, the backlog of open tribunal cases rose by 4% overall in the quarter to June 2024, to 668,000. There was a 17% jump in employment tribunal open cases, and a huge surge in appeals to the special educational needs and disability tribunal, taking the backlog up 61% to 9,200.
Another example is the 79,000 appeals outstanding at the social security and child support tribunal, where eligibility for personal independence payments for disabled people is determined. This was up 12% on the year in mid-2024, causing a large number of mostly financially struggling people to wait too long for the money they are due. This has the effect of draining spending power in the local economies that need it most.
So much for speed. What about whether people and businesses can rely on justice that is fair and predictable? Unfortunately, the tribunal statistics contain worrying signs that this is not reliably happening. For instance, with the social security and child support tribunal, three-fifths of hearings resulted in administrative decisions being overturned in favour of the claimant.
Effect on the economy
The economic impact of fraying civil justice is hard to discern. The academic and policy literature alike tend to focus on the high-profile areas of law that affect corporations, such as property and contract disputes.
Yet there are assuredly costs across the system. Employers may be unable to recruit staff until a tribunal case is settled; meanwhile, employees can’t find a new job. And small businesses may be unable to get bills paid, even for large amounts well over what their cash flow can sustain.
For countries where slow and unpredictable justice has long been acknowledged as a problem, there is solid evidence of its detrimental effect on the economy. For example, Italian growth has been shown to be hampered by the uncertainty around civil law processes, increasing the risks involved in business decisions. Economists – including Nobel prizewinners Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson – have identified the legal system as essential underpinning for the economy.
The justice system needs to be regarded as part of national infrastructure, the collection of physical and institutional systems and networks without which the economy cannot function. People do not want courts any more than they want bridges or cables for their own sake, but for all the indispensable activities they enable.
The value of the courts is indirect but fundamental. If they crumble, the economic transactions and investment enabled by a predictable, rapid justice system are held back.
Civil and administrative justice does not leap to mind when contemplating the demands of the growth mission: battery factories, graphene labs and building sites all provide ministers with better photo ops. But unless there is improvement in the timeliness of decisions by courts and tribunals, growth in the UK will be facing yet another powerful headwind.
Diane Coyle has received funding from the Nuffield Foundation’s Public Right to Justice programme.
Cabinet has welcomed the swift response by the Department of Agriculture following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) that has affected KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
“Despite the warnings that were issued, FMD was imported into Gauteng as people continued to move livestock to the province of Gauteng,” Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Thursday in Cape Town.
The department has ordered over 900 000 doses of vaccines, with the first batch expected to arrive soon.
“All infected properties are placed under quarantine. No movement is allowed into, out of, or through these areas or farms.
“Large areas, where individuals cannot be served with quarantine notices, are declared Disease Management Areas, and the same restrictions apply.
In addition, plans are underway to establish a biosecurity council that will bring together the South African Police Service (SAPS), veterinarians, scientists, the Border Management Authority and captains of industry to better respond to future outbreaks and manage the related risks,” Ntshavheni said.
She was addressing the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 11 June 2025. – SAnews.gov.za
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today officiated at the opening ceremony of the “5th Anniversary of Promulgation & Implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law Thematic Exhibition” at the Museum of History.
Mr Lam reiterated the three “must-nots” – must not forget history, turn a blind eye to reality and stand idly by.
He said traditional Chinese wisdom has it that “history, if not forgotten, can serve as a guide for the future”.
“We all surely remember the 2019 legislative amendment turmoil, which posed a grave threat to national security and severely undermined the peaceful and stable environment we took for granted.”
Mr Lam also stated that “remain vigilant in times of peace” is another traditional Chinese wisdom.
“Although Hong Kong society has restored stability and national security, threats are often not immediately visible. It is obvious that hostile states and forces continue to try to suppress our country’s development.
“Since national security is closely related to individuals’ well-being, people must naturally take concrete steps and shoulder responsibilities in safeguarding national security.”
Mr Lam pointed out that a robust legal system has long been the cornerstone of Hong Kong’s success. It is the prerequisite for the city to thrive as an international financial, trade, and shipping centre.
On the foundation of three “must-nots”, Hong Kong must uphold the rule of law in safeguarding national security, he added.
Also officiating at the ceremony, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests is not only a constitutional duty of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, but also a fundamental obligation of every citizen.
Mr Tang further stated that hostile forces have not given up and he reminded citizens to remain vigilant against the risks.
The security chief explained that external hostile forces continue to attempt to undermine national security through smears and “sanctions” while anti-China destabilising elements in the city who have fled overseas continue to engage in activities and behaviours that threaten national security.
Local terrorism and “soft resistance”, where individuals with ulterior motives exploit fake news and misinformation to divide society and incite hatred are the other risks, Mr Tang added.
The exhibition is now open, with the aim to facilitate the public’s understanding of and appreciation for the hard-won situation that Hong Kong is now enjoying, and to motivate all to work together to help the city shine on the global stage.
