Former Fairmont Heights, Maryland, Police Officer Philip Dupree was sentenced today following his conviction at trial on June 17, 2024. Dupree was sentenced to six years and two months in prison.
During the weeklong jury trial, the evidence established that Dupree was on duty as a Fairmont Heights Police Officer on Aug. 4, 2019, when he conducted a traffic stop in the District of Columbia. After detaining a man, Officer Dupree pepper sprayed the man while he was handcuffed and seated in Dupree’s police car. The jury found that Dupree’s use of force constituted excessive force by a law enforcement officer.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Howland for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
Former Fairmont Heights, Maryland, Police Officer Philip Dupree was sentenced today following his conviction at trial on June 17, 2024. Dupree was sentenced to six years and two months in prison.
During the weeklong jury trial, the evidence established that Dupree was on duty as a Fairmont Heights Police Officer on Aug. 4, 2019, when he conducted a traffic stop in the District of Columbia. After detaining a man, Officer Dupree pepper sprayed the man while he was handcuffed and seated in Dupree’s police car. The jury found that Dupree’s use of force constituted excessive force by a law enforcement officer.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Howland for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
Former Fairmont Heights, Maryland, Police Officer Philip Dupree was sentenced today following his conviction at trial on June 17, 2024. Dupree was sentenced to six years and two months in prison.
During the weeklong jury trial, the evidence established that Dupree was on duty as a Fairmont Heights Police Officer on Aug. 4, 2019, when he conducted a traffic stop in the District of Columbia. After detaining a man, Officer Dupree pepper sprayed the man while he was handcuffed and seated in Dupree’s police car. The jury found that Dupree’s use of force constituted excessive force by a law enforcement officer.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Howland for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
Launched in 2017 and completed in 2024, the Cashew Development Support Project in the Comoé Basin for REDD+ (PADA/REDD+) exemplified sustainable development. The project combined poverty reduction, ecological transition and the empowerment of women and young people, achieving a remarkable implementation rate of 95 percent. It has revitalised the cashew nut industry, Burkina Faso’s third largest agricultural export after cotton and sesame.
The PADA/REDD+ project received support from the African Development Bank, which granted a loan of $4 million, and the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional funding window, with a grant of $1.39 million, representing 61 percent of the total project cost of $8.82 million. The government of Burkina Faso and the beneficiaries provided the remaining funding.
The project mobilised the necessary resources to contribute to the sustainable transformation of the Cascades, Hauts Bassins and South-West regions, with significant participation from women. It enabled producers to reduce maintenance costs, improve soil fertility and structure, and increase cashew productivity and incomes in a sustainable manner.
Climate action combined with agricultural production
The first component of the PADA/REDD+ focused on carbon sequestration. This resulted in the creation of seven tree parks, the production of more than 1.6 million improved seedlings and the development of approximately 27,000 hectares of agroforestry plantations. One-third of these plantations are maintained by women, underlining the project’s commitment to promoting social inclusion. A total of 35,340 producers, including 6,047 women, were trained in good agricultural and organic practices.
This capacity-building approach for producers and processors equipped each stakeholder with the skills required to meet their needs and expectations, particularly in mastering technical production and processing methods.
Adama Patrick Sombié, a cashew nut processor in Bérégadougou, confirms his satisfaction: “Before the project, there were no cashew tree parks in the village, only forest and a few orchards. When the project offered plots to promoters, I signed up and received two hectares.”
Access to finance and modernization of processing
The second component of the project focused on strengthening value chains. Long hampered by limited access to finance, the sector’s development has benefited from an innovative partnership with the umbrella organisation of Burkina Faso’s Caisses populaires banks, alongside savings and loan cooperatives.
This mechanism enabled investment loans to be granted based on a sliding scale of interest rates, financing 103 microprojects for a total of 888 million CFA francs, or approximately $500,000. The project also created 9,580 additional “green” jobs, 92.66 percent of which were for women, by financing micro-investment projects.
Thanks to the funding provided, seven processing units were modernised. A new unit called “Tensya” was established in the commune of Toussiana, and three warehouses were built, one of which is reserved for women. The project also enabled the purchase of 12 trucks and 45 tricycles, training in good practices for 631 people, strengthening the environmental skills of 477 stakeholders, and the construction and equipping of infrastructure such as a cooking and shelling centre for women in Diéri, entirely subsidised by the African Development Bank.
An inclusive and sustainable impact
These microprojects reached nearly 18,000 people, 61 percent of whom were women, further strengthening the inclusive approach of PADA/REDD+. “This project is a blessing for us. Thanks to the income generated, we can send our children to school and keep them healthy. Before, we used to sell our products at rock-bottom prices, but now, with our own processing units, we control the entire value chain,” says Aramatou Barro, a processor in Diéri.
Christiane Koné, a processor in Toussiana, confirms this postive impact: “Thanks to the project, we have been able to purchase six automatic shelling machines, which are twice as fast as our 25 manual shelling tables.”
At the same time, the project structured supply networks, ensured that 96 cooperatives complied with OHADA (Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa) standards and implemented an environmental management plan. Working conditions have improved significantly. Isso Kindo, a trader in Bobo-Dioulasso, says: “Transport was our main obstacle. Today, thanks to the truck financed by the project, I can transport up to 60 tonnes of nuts from the towns of Banfora and Mangodara.”
The impact of PADA/REDD+ can also be measured in terms of job creation for young people and rural entrepreneurs. In Orodara, Arzouma Zougouri, a producer and business owner, explains that “the project’s support has enabled me to better equip my processing unit. I’ve gone from 200 to 300 employees,” he says proudly.
By structuring the cashew nut sector sustainably, increasing productivity and strengthening local processing, PADA/REDD+ achieved its objectives whilst laying the foundations for more resilient rural development. Its contribution to carbon sequestration through agroforestry plantations strengthens its environmental impact. Perennial plantations, modernised agricultural practices, a strengthened local processing network and better access to finance were the pillars of this success.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The final XBRL taxonomy of the Bank of Russia (version 7.0), in comparison with the preliminary XBRL taxonomy of the Bank of Russia (version 7.0), contains architectural amendments to the supervisory and statistical reporting module, as well as control ratios of indicators of supervisory and statistical reporting of non-credit financial institutions, entities providing professional services in the financial market, and self-regulatory organizations in the financial market (hereinafter referred to as financial market participants).
The final XBRL taxonomy of the Bank of Russia (version 7.0) contains a finalized set of requirements for reporting data in terms of supervisory and statistical reporting for the following segments:
1) insurance organizations, mutual insurance societies, foreign insurance organizations (subject to the entry into force of the draft Bank of Russia instruction1);
2) non-state pension funds (subject to the entry into force of the draft Bank of Russia instruction2);
3) professional participants in the securities market, trade organizers, clearing organizations (subject to the entry into force of the draft Bank of Russia instruction3);
4) joint-stock investment funds, investment fund management companies, mutual investment funds, non-state pension funds (subject to the entry into force of the draft Bank of Russia instruction4);
5) specialized depositories (subject to the entry into force of the draft Bank of Russia instruction5);
6) credit rating agencies (subject to the entry into force of the draft Bank of Russia instruction6);
7) insurance brokers (subject to the entry into force of the draft Bank of Russia instruction7);
8) credit history bureau (subject to the entry into force of the draft Bank of Russia instruction8);
9) operators of investment platforms, operators of financial platforms, operators of information systems in which digital financial assets are issued, operators of digital financial asset exchange (subject to the entry into force of the draft Bank of Russia instruction9);
10) payment acceptance operators (subject to the entry into force of the draft Bank of Russia instruction10);
11) self-regulatory organizations in the financial market (submission in accordance with the current Bank of Russia Instruction dated 10.06.2024 No. 6744-U11).
The final XBRL taxonomy of the Bank of Russia (version 7.0) also contains a finalized set of requirements for reporting data on cash transactions (OKUD 0420011) (presentation in accordance with the current Bank of Russia Instruction dated 28.06.2024 No. 6789-U12) and requirements for reporting data of annual consolidated financial statements (presentation in accordance with the current Bank of Russia Instruction dated 20.07.2020 No. 5510-U13).
The specified version of the XBRL taxonomy of the Bank of Russia is intended for review.
In the future, it is planned to publish a corrective version of the final XBRL taxonomy of the Bank of Russia (version 7.1), which will include corrected control ratios and other targeted improvements, with a planned entry into force date of 01.01.2026.
Information about the pilot collection of test reporting will be provided additionally.
Please note that the final XBRL taxonomy of the Bank of Russia (version 7.0) does not contain requirements for the accounting (financial) reporting of non-credit financial institutions and persons providing professional services in the financial market.
1 The project of instructions of the Bank of Russia “On the Forms, Dates and Procedure of the Compilation and Presentation of the Reporting of Insurers to the Bank of Russia.” The project of the Bank of Russia “On Amending the Bank of Russia dated June 28, 2024 No. 6796-U”. and clearing organizations, as well as other information. ”4 Project of the Bank of Russia instructions“ On Amending the Bank of Russia dated October 5, 2022 No. 6292-U. ”Design of indicating the Bank of Russia“ On Amending the Bank of Russia dated September 27, 2022 No. 6270-U. ”The draft of the Bank of Russia instruction“ On the content of the reporting of the credit rating agency, the subject, form, form and form of terms and procedure, form, form and manner. its compilation and submission to the Bank of Russia. ”The project of instructions of the Bank of Russia“ On Amendments to the Bank of Russia dated June 28, 2024 No. 6795 ”.8 The draft Bank of Russia instructions“ On Amending the Bank of Russia dated September 27, 2022 No. 6267-U. ”9 Draft of the Bank of Russia instructions “On the procedure and the terms for the procedure and submission to the Bank of the reports of investment operators platforms, reporting of financial platforms operators, information systems operators in which digital financial assets are issued, digital financial assets exchange operators, reports of investment platform operators and the composition of the information included in them, financial platform operators, as well as the procedure for reporters of investment platforms, financial platform operators, and information operators. systems in which digital financial assets are issued, information exchange operators to the Bank of Russia information about persons who are entrusted with identification, simplified identification, updating information about customers, customer representatives, beneficiaries and beneficial owners .10 Project of the Bank of Russia “On the form, Preject of drawing up, terms and procedure for submitting to the Bank of Russia Bank reports of operators for receiving payments, on the procedure for the report of the Bank of Russia, information about persons who are entering the receipt of identification, updating information about clients, customer representatives, beneficiaries and beneficial owners .11 Bank of Russia indication dated 10.06.2024 No. 6744-U “On the content, forms, procedure and terms for compiling and submission to the Bank of Russia in the Bank of Russia Reporting of a self-regulatory organization in the field of the financial market. ”12 Bank of Russia indication dated 06.28.2024 No. 6789-U “On the forms, terms and procedure for drawing up and submission to the Bank of Russia reports on transactions with cash funds of individual non-credit financial organizations. ”13 Bank of Russia indication dated 20.07.2020 No. 5510-U“ On the Procedure and Dates for submission to the Russian Banking Bank Consolidated financial statements by organizations specified in paragraphs 2-5 of part 1 of Article 2 of the Federal Law of July 27, 2010 No. 208-ФЗ “On Consolidated Financial Reporting”.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Updated: 18.03.2024
The following persons have the right to insurance compensation:
– small businesses;
— non-profit organizations (NPOs) that operate in one of the following organizational and legal forms:
a) property owners’ associations;
b) consumer cooperatives, with the exception of financial institutions;
c) Cossack societies included in the register of Cossack societies;
d) communities of indigenous peoples of Russia;
d) religious organizations;
e) charitable foundations;
3) NPOs – providers of socially useful services that meet the requirements established by Federal Law No. 7-FZ of 12.01.1996 “On Non-Commercial Organizations”, information about which is contained in the register of non-commercial organizations – providers of socially useful services.
From 25.03.2024, the deposit insurance system will also extend to:
1) medium-sized enterprises included in the relevant register, with the exception of entities that are credit institutions and non-credit financial institutions in accordance with the Federal Law “On the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia)”;
2) socially oriented non-profit organizations, as well as trade unions (trade union organizations).
3) lawyers, notaries and other persons carrying out professional activities provided for by federal law.
The maximum amount of insurance compensation will be 1.4 million rubles for accounts and deposits in one bank.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The Bank of Russia has developed Code of Responsible Investment for banks, insurers, management companies, NPFs and other institutional investors who place funds in equity instruments. The regulator suggests that they adhere to a number of principles that will increase the return on investment not only through effective management of the securities portfolio, but also through active interaction with issuers.
Institutional investors are currently little involved in the corporate governance of joint-stock companies. The Code requires them to be more actively involved in the life of issuers in order to improve the long-term prospects of companies – primarily to help increase their shareholder value. When investing, “institutionalists” should pay attention primarily to companies that have adopted strategy to increase shareholder valueIf such a document does not exist, investors can exercise their corporate rights and encourage the issuer to develop it.
Those who adhere to the Code are required to publicly report annually on their compliance with these principles.
Compliance with the principles of the Code will contribute to the development of the equity capital market and increase the capitalization of the Russian stock market.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Headline: $2 Million State Grant Helps Charlotte Land the 2026 Major League Soccer All-Star Game
$2 Million State Grant Helps Charlotte Land the 2026 Major League Soccer All-Star Game lsaito
Raleigh, NC
Today in partnership with Major League Soccer and the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Governor Stein announced that Charlotte will host the 2026 Major League Soccer All-Star Game. This announcement was made possible by a new fund authorized by the legislature and offered by the Department of Commerce – the Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund. A grant of $2,028,950 will support the Charlotte Sports Foundation and other local partners as they host this major sporting event next year.
“I am proud that North Carolina has been chosen to host the 2026 Major League Soccer All-Star Game,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Our state’s new Major Events Fund puts us in a stronger position to compete for these highly visible, top-tier events that draw people and their resources to our state. Visitors to Charlotte will see that North Carolina is a great place to live, work, and play.”
“Bringing the MLS All Star Game to Charlotte will showcase the talent of one of the most dynamic and fast-growing sports leagues,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “The selection process for major events like this are very competitive, and we appreciate the General Assembly providing another tool to help the state to win more of these national-level events and attractions.”
In addition to supporting Charlotte’s bid for the 2026 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, earlier in the year the Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund provided a $2 million grant to the City of Winston-Salem in support of the NASCAR Clash race held February 2 at Bowman Gray Stadium. The fund also provided a $1.65 million grant to Richmond County in support of the NASCAR Xfinity, ARCA, and Truck series races held at the Rockingham Speedway in April.
The Commerce Department’s Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund was created as part of a law passed in 2023 that established sports betting in the state (Session Law 2023-42/House Bill 347). Wager activities are subject to a state tax, with 30 percent of the annual revenues from these taxes earmarked to support the Major Events Fund. Local governments and locally authorized organizing committees apply for grants from the fund, which then reimburses qualified expenses incurred in both securing and executing a major event.
More information on the Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund can be found here.
Effective 16 July 2025, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has designated Ms. Diene Keita as Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Ms. Keita, who has served as UNFPA’s Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director (Programme) since August 2020, will serve as Acting Executive Director of UNFPA until a new Executive Director is appointed. This designation follows the retirement of Dr. Natalia Kanem after her distinguished tenure of more than eight years at the helm of the organization.
Ms. Keita brings to the role over three decades of leadership in international development and public service. Her career includes service as Minister for Cooperation and African Integration for the Republic of Guinea, alongside extensive experience within the United Nations. She has held senior leadership positions within UNFPA, including as Representative in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo—two of the organization’s largest programmes. She has acted as United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mauritania, Benin, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ms. Keita began her United Nations career in 1990 with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Throughout her career, Ms. Keita has worked extensively on the empowerment of women and youth, inclusive growth, demographic issues, and sustainable human development. She has focused on addressing sexual and reproductive health, as well as on ending gender-based violence in humanitarian settings.
Ms. Keita holds a doctorate in Law and advanced degrees in International Economics and Development Law and International Relations from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. She is fluent in English, French and Italian.
July 16, 2025 – Truro, Nova Scotia – Department of Justice Canada
The Government of Canada is investing $2.2 million over five years to help Nova Scotia support more families of missing and murdered Indigenous people. This funding will enhance the province’s Family Information Liaison Unit and expand community outreach efforts through the Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association.
The announcement was made today by Jaime Battiste, Member of Parliament for Cape Breton–Canso–Antigonish, on behalf of Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, at the Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association.
Nova Scotia will use the funding to hire a full-time case coordinator for Victim Services, improving how families are supported through every step of the process. The Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association will also hire a full-time community outreach worker to help connect families with culturally grounded support and services.
The Family Information Liaison Unit works directly with families using a trauma-informed and culturally grounded approach. It helps gather answers from across government systems and connects families with Elders, cultural advisors, and other local supports. Units like this exist across Canada, supported by the Government of Canada in collaboration with provinces and territories.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to eight years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on June 13, 2024, Richmond Police officers observed Emanuel Leon Crawford, Jr., 33, in a parking lot area of a convenience store on Mosby Street in Richmond acting suspiciously. When they got out of their patrol vehicle, Crawford fled on foot. As Crawford was running, he removed a crossbody bag and threw it. Officers took Crawford into custody and recovered the bag, which contained a loaded .40 caliber handgun. Officers also recovered 18 multi-colored pressed pills containing methamphetamine.
On July 26, 2024, as officers served Crawford with a misdemeanor warrant, they found him in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun.
Crawford was convicted in 2013 of attempted unlawful wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and burglary of a residence. Crawford also was convicted in 2020 of possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I/II controlled substance. As a previously convicted felon, Crawford is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman and Third-Year Law Student Kevin C. Teel prosecuted 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 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-169.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Armando Reyes-Ascension, 43, a Mexican national, living in the United States illegally, was sentenced to 58 months’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to immigration and drug trafficking crimes. In less than three months, Reyes-Ascension, who was previously removed from the United States on three different occasions and criminally convicted of felony illegal reentry, was again found back in the United States and in possession of more than 9,000 fentanyl pills, a loaded firearm, several dangerous weapons, and more than $80,000 in cash.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups sentenced Reyes-Ascension to three years’ supervised release and ordered him to forfeit over $88,000.00 USD, a Smith and Wesson .380 caliber pistol, associated ammunition, including eight .380 rounds, nine knives and daggers, and nine collectors’ coins.
According to court documents and statements made at Reyes-Ascension’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on May 17, 2024, during an investigation, officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department seized 7,000 fentanyl pills, and $32,000 in cash from Reyes-Ascension’s apartment. On June 11, 2024, he was removed from the United States to Mexico by immigration officials. On August 7, 2024, Reyes-Ascension re-entered the United States illegally, and was found in Salt Lake County Metro jail after law enforcement had arrested him for drug crimes. During the arrest, officers seized 2,000 fentanyl pills and more than $55,000 cash, coins, and several dangerous weapons – including a firearm. See prior press release: Previously Removed Foreign National and Felon Indicted on Drug and Gun Crimes.
Prior to Reyes-Ascension’s May 2024 arrest and third removal on June 11, 2024, he was previously removed from the United States to Mexico on two separate occasions; one of which he was convicted of illegal reentry of a previously removed alien on March 4, 2020.
“Reyes-Ascension’s repeated criminal conduct is a complete and total disregard for the laws of this country, and it will not be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti, of the District of Utah. “The defendant is a clear danger to Utah and the United States as a whole. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to prosecute anyone who breaks our laws and pumps poison into our communities.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message that we will relentlessly pursue individuals who combine violent narcotics distribution with firearms offenses,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “Possessing poisonous dangerous drugs alongside a loaded firearm posed an imminent and grave threat to public safety. ATF remains committed to disrupting the nexus between illicit drugs and guns because every one of the weapons we take off the street is one less chance for tragedy in our communities.”
“Defendants like Reyes-Ascension knowingly put people’s lives at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI and our partners will not stand by as traffickers, especially those in the United States illegally, push dangerous drugs into our neighborhoods. We will aggressively pursue those who seek to profit by fueling the opioid epidemic.”
The case was investigated jointly by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Salt Lake City Police Department, and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Bryan N. Reeves of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted 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 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.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man illegally possessed ammunition has been indicted by a federal grand jury.
Brian H. Brown, 49, was charged today in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Brown on July 7, 2025.
The federal indictment charges Brown with being a felon in possession of ammunition on July 3, 2025.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original complaint, Kansas City, Mo. Police Department officers were dispatched to 97th Terrace and Holmes Avenue at approximately 6:30 p.m. for an accident involving a disturbance with an armed party. An officer contacted the suspect, who was identified as Brown. Brown began to tell the officer about the accident and the officer believed Brown was driving while intoxicated. The officer ordered Brown to place his hands behind his back and Brown refused the officer’s commands. A struggle ensued between Brown and the officer, and the officer observed a handgun in Brown’s shorts pocket. Brown was eventually arrested, and the handgun was removed from his pocket.
The firearm was identified as a Polymer 80, “P-80”, camouflage in color. It was loaded with eleven rounds of ammunition. The firearm did not have a visible serial number.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Brown has felony convictions for trafficking in drugs, distribution of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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).
Washington, D.C., 7/15/25… Today, Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17), María Elvira Salazar (FL-27), and Veronica Escobar (TX-16) introduced a new and improved version of the DIGNITY Act – the DIGNITY Act of 2025: a bold, historic, and commonsense immigration reform bill at a press conference at the Capitol.
Key provisions of the Dignity Act include:
Border Security: Fully funds modern border infrastructure and enforcement.
Mandatory E-Verify: Prevents illegal hiring and protects American jobs.
Asylum Reform: Ends catch-and-release, and ensures timely and credible outcomes.
Dreamer Protections: Grants legal status and a path to permanent residency.
The Dignity Program: A 7-year earned legal status program allowing undocumented immigrants to live and work legally, with renewable status based on good conduct and restitution.
Workforce Development: Expands training, apprenticeships, and education for American workers.
Legal Immigration Reform: Update visa categories to align with 21st-century economic needs.
“In conversations across NY-17, I’ve heard a lot of frustration, both from employers struggling to fill jobs and families looking to reunite with their loved ones,” said Congressman Lawler. “We must do this by fixing our broken legal immigration system, securing our borders, and creating a fair, earned process for those who are already here and contributing. The Dignity Act honors America’s legacy of being a nation of immigrants, and that’s why I’m proud to support it.”
“The Dignity Act of 2025 is a revolutionary bill that offers the solution to our immigration crisis: secure the border, stop illegal immigration, and provide an earned opportunity for long-term immigrants to stay here and work,” said Congresswoman Salazar. “No amnesty. No handouts. No citizenship. Just accountability and a path to stability for our economy and our future.”
“I have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of our broken immigration system, and as a member of Congress, I take seriously my obligation to propose a solution. Realistic, common-sense compromise is achievable, and is especially important given the urgency of this moment. I consider the Dignity Act of 2025 a critical first step to overhauling this broken system,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “Immigrants – especially those who have been in the United States for decades – make up a critical component of our communities and also of the American workforce and economy. The vast majority of immigrants are hard-working, law-abiding residents; and, most Americans recognize that it is in our country’s best interest to find bipartisan reforms. We can enact legislation that incorporates both humanity and security, and the Dignity Act of 2025 offers a balanced approach that restores dignity to people who have tried to navigate a broken system for far too long. The reintroduction of this legislation includes changes that reflect the challenges in today’s political environment. I’m proud of my bipartisan work with Representative Salazar, who has been a strong partner on this issue since December 2022. It is our hope that Congress seizes the opportunity to take an important step forward on this issue.”
“It’s past time for Congress to move reasonable immigration reform that restores law and order, ends illegal immigration, and provides a solution to undocumented immigrants—who meet certain requirements—the chance to live and work here legally,” said Congressman Valadao. “Immigration reform has long been one of my top priorities, and I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan effort to secure our border, fix our immigration system, and strengthen our economy.”
“As the grandson of Mexican immigrants and a former cop and soldier, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of a secure border and a fair immigration system,” said Congressman Evans. “I’m proud to help introduce Congresswoman Salazar’s bipartisan DIGNITY Act, which prioritizes border security while delivering a practical solution for immigrants who want to work hard, follow our laws, and be productive members of society. Our legislation accomplishes what Latino business owners and community members have been asking for: give immigrants positively contributing to our community an opportunity to pursue the American Dream.”
They were joined by a group of 20 members including David Valadao (CA-22), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Gabe Evans (CO-08), Marlin Stutzman (IN-03), Don Bacon (NE-02), Young Kim (CA-04), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Susie Lee (NV-03), Adam Gray (CA-13), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Mike Levin (CA-49), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Laura Gillen (NY-04), and Jake Auchincloss (MA-04).
Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.
SAN JUAN, PR—Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Devin J. Kowalski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), San Juan Field Office, announced today the arrest of Javier Santos-Alejandro (Santos-Alejandro).
Santos-Alejandro was charged under a Federal Criminal Complaint with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections:
2119(1) and (2): Carjacking—Aiding & Abetting
924(c)(1)(A)(ii) and (2): Brandishing of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence—Aiding & Abetting
2119(3) and (2): Attempted Carjacking Resulting in Death—Aiding & Abetting
Charges included in the complaint are related to events which took place July 2nd and July 5th, which led to the death of Natalia Aileen Santiago-Rivera.
“Today’s arrest is an important step in the journey to secure justice for Natalia’s family,” said SAC Kowalski. “I am proud of, and thankful for, the dedicated FBI Special Agents, Intelligence, and Professional Staff – as well as our incredible teammates at the Police of Puerto Rico and the United States Attorney’s Office – who have worked this case relentlessly. But we are not done, and you can expect us to persistently investigate this tragedy until everyone involved is held accountable. My advice to those who think they can get away with this: you won’t, so turn yourselves in.”
This case is being investigated by the FBI San Juan Field Office in partnership with the Police of Puerto Rico and is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.
Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. The FBI reminds the public that anyone with information on this case should contact the FBI San Juan Field Office immediately by calling 787-987-6500 or submit tips through the FBI’s Internet complaint portal at tips.fbi.gov. Tipsters may remain anonymous.
The public is reminded that a Federal Criminal Complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty by a court of law. The U.S. government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
NEW ORLEANS – ActingU.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that KRISTEN LEVIN a/k/a “KRISTEN CASSELS” (“LEVIN, age 42, of Shreveport, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on July 3, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to wire fraud in connection with her embezzlement from her employer.
According to court documents, LEVIN created and submitted fake invoices to her employer for payment. Specifically, in October of 2020, LEVIN submitted a fake invoice via email to another employee and requested payment. The invoice generated a wire transfer of approximately $4,600 to LEVIN’s personal account, unbeknownst to the employer.
Sentencing will occur on October 23, 2025. At sentencing, LEVIN faces up to twenty years in prison for the wire fraud, up to $250,000 in fines, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward J. Rivera, Katherine McHugh, both of the Financial Crimes Unit, and Sarah Dawkins, of the Violent Crimes Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
EXOSENS ACCELERATES INNOVATION CAPABILITIES IN NIGHT VISION AND EXPANDS TOTAL ADDRESSABLE MARKET WITH STRATEGIC ACQUISITION OF NVLS
PRESS RELEASE MÉRIGNAC, FRANCE– MADRID, SPAIN, JULY 16th, 2025
Exosens announces the closing of Spanish-based NVLS, a specialist in night vision equipment.
This strategic merger will enable the combined group to expand its total addressable market (TAM) and to provide high-end night vision goggles to end-users. It will also enable to accelerate the development of advanced night vision modules for our customers that meet the critical needs of future combat environments and next-generation soldiers
Exosens continue to strengthen manufacturing capacity and global footprint to capture all the significant increasing demand.
This acquisition will enable NVLS to further develop its business in Spain, Latin America and Asia thanks to Exosens global commercial reach
Exosens, a high-tech company focused on providing mission and performance-critical amplification, detection and imaging technology, today announces the closing of the acquisition of Spain-based company NVLS, a specialist developer and manufacturer of man-portable night vision and thermal devices.
This strategic move contributes to strengthening European sovereignty in image intensifier-based equipment technologies and capabilities to develop innovative devices to guarantee tactical advantages to the soldier.
“With the acquisition of NVLS, we will enhance our long-term innovation capabilities for multi-sensor platforms using detectors and cameras made by Exosens while expanding significantly our total addressable market (TAM). Combining our expertise will allow us to propose to all our customers and end-users additional solutions based on enhanced integration of sensors and optics meeting the evolving needs of the soldier of the future and unlocking additional growth potential. Facing a significant increasing demand, we will continue to serve our customers with high performance and quality ITAR-Free products. We contribute to strengthening the European industrial base by expanding our manufacturing capacity and global footprint.”commented Jérôme Cerisier, CEO of Exosens.
NVLS, based in Spain with 63 employees, has developed a strong expertise in the field of man-portable night vision equipment, offering ultra-compact large field of view devices that provide enhanced visibility for land and aviation missions. These devices have been introduced as the new standards within the Spanish Armed Forces, Customs Police and Guardia Civil.
“We are very pleased to join Exosens group with which we have built a strong supplier relationship since many years. Exosens’ support will provide us capabilities to scale up and to bring unrivaled performances to NATO armed forces.”stated Jorge de la Torre, CEO of NVLS.
ABOUT EXOSENS:
Exosens is a high‐tech company, with more than 85 years of experience in the innovation, development, manufacturing and sale of high‐end electro‐optical technologies in the field of amplification, detection and imaging. Today, it offers its customers detection components and solutions such as travelling wave tubes, advanced cameras, neutron & gamma detectors, instrument detectors and light intensifier tubes. This allows Exosens to respond to complex issues in extremely demanding environments by offering tailor‐made solutions to its customers. Thanks to its sustained investments, Exosens is internationally recognized as a major innovator in optoelectronics, with production and R&D carried out on 11 sites, in Europe and North America, and with over 1,800 employees.
Exosens is listed on compartment A of the regulated market of Euronext Paris ﴾Ticker: EXENS – ISIN: FR001400Q9V2﴿. Exosens is a member of Euronext Tech Leaders segment and is also included in several indices, including the SBF 120, CAC All-Tradable, CAC Mid 60, FTSE Total Cap and MSCI France Small Cap.
Certain information included in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions, including, without limitation, assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Exosens operates, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the forward-looking statements included in this press release.
Media contacts for Exosens: Brunswick group – exosens@brunswickgroup.com Laetitia Quignon, + 33 6 83 17 89 13
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)
July 16, 2025
Congressional Lawmakers Demand End to Illegal Obstruction and Partisan Discrimination at DHS Facilities
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35) and Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem condemning DHS for unlawfully obstructing and delaying Members of Congress seeking to conduct oversight visits to immigration detention facilities operated by DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the lawmakers highlighted repeated violations of federal law, specifically Section 527(a) of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, which clearly prohibits DHS from denying Members of Congress unimpeded access to detention facilities or making changes that alter what is observed during visits.
“For weeks, my office has been emailing DHS to schedule a visit, only to be met with shifting policies and ever-changing excuses for why Democratic Members of Congress can’t enter facilities,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres. “DHS is not above the law. Denying access to Democratic Members while granting Republican Members a free pass is not only illegal—it’s a dangerous abuse of power. Congressional oversight isn’t optional; it’s a constitutional duty. If DHS continues to obstruct and discriminate, then Congress must respond—through investigations, funding restrictions, or whatever tools are necessary to restore accountability and uphold the rule of law.”
“As Members of Congress, we visited the Adelanto ICE facility to ensure residents in our districts are not being subjected to inhumane conditions. The Department of Homeland Security’s sudden policy change requiring advance notice is unacceptable, unlawful, and clearly designed to block transparency and accountability,” said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25). “Congress has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight. We don’t need permission from DHS to lawfully do our jobs, and we won’t allow the Trump administration to keep moving the goalposts to avoid scrutiny.”
The lawmakers are demanding written assurances by Friday, July 18, 2025 that DHS will:
Cease all unlawful restrictions and partisan discrimination;
Fully comply with federal law regarding congressional access to facilities; and
Provide equal and prompt access to all Members of Congress regardless of party affiliation.
A Hanley store has been ordered to pay almost £18,500 after selling a knife to a person under 18.
Stoke Discount Ltd, trading as Hanley Discount Store, was found guilty at North Staffordshire Justice Centre last week after a member of staff sold a knife to an underage volunteer during a council-led test purchase. No attempt was made to check the young person’s age.
The exercise was carried out by the city council’s Trading Standards team following a previous inspection where the store had been advised on how to follow the law and prevent underage sales.
The test purchase was carried out in support of Staffordshire Police’s Ditch the Blade campaign, which works to reduce knife crime across the city.
The court also heard that the Stafford Street store had already been warned by Staffordshire Police to move knives into a secure display unit.
The store was ordered to pay a total of £18,404.15, including a £12,500 fine, a £5,000 victim surcharge and £904.15 in court costs.
Councillor Amjid Wazir, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement, and sustainability at the city council, said: “This is a very serious case and I welcome this guilty verdict. This work forms part of the council’s commitment to creating a safer city for all and we will not tolerate underage sales of knives. The message is clear – you will face serious consequences if you choose to sell products to underage residents.
“Our Trading Standards team work hard to keep people safe and this case shows the consequences for people who fail to follow the law. We’re proud to support Ditch the Blade and will continue doing everything we can to help prevent knife crime in Stoke-on-Trent.”
Anyone wishing to report underage sales can contact the Trading Standards Hotline 01782 238444 or visit www.stoke.gov.uk/tradingstandards
Headline: Ship Manager Pleads Guilty to Dumping Oily Waste into U.S. Waters Off Coast of New Orleans
Eagle Ship Management LLC (ESM), based in Stamford, Connecticut, pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) by deliberately polluting U.S. waters off the coast of New Orleans from the M/V Gannet Bulker, a foreign-flagged bulk carrier. If approved by the court, ESM would pay a criminal fine of $1,750,000 and serve a four-year term of probation that includes external audits by an independent technical expert.
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Lance L. Bermudez, 34, of Honolulu, Hawaii was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Chief Judge Derrick K. Watson to 360 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, racketeering conspiracy, and Hobbs Act Robbery. Bermudez is the last defendant to be sentenced for his role in the Miske Enterprise.
As part of his 2022 plea agreement, Bermudez admitted that he and other members of the Enterprise participated in a murder-for-hire conspiracy with codefendant Michael J. Miske and other Enterprise members. Miske put a murder contract out on an individual he believed was cooperating with law enforcement. Bermudez agreed to commit the murder for $60,000 and laid in wait outside of the victim’s home on multiple occasions, waiting for the right opportunity to kill the victim. The murder did not ultimately occur because Miske eventually rescinded the contract. Bermudez also admitted to taking part in multiple attempted murders where he shot victims from his vehicle. Further, Bermudez admitted to burning a van at Miske’s direction that Bermudez later discovered was utilized in the abduction and murder of 21-year-old Johnathan Fraser. Bermudez also admitted to committing several armed robberies of Honolulu area drug dealers and then selling the stolen drugs to others in the community.
Bermudez was charged alongside twelve other defendants, all of whom pled guilty except for Michael J. Miske who proceeded to trial and was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024.
Seven other members and associates of the Miske Enterprise pled guilty to various offenses in related cases.
“You terrorized this city and this county to a greater extent than anyone I can remember,” Judge Watson advised Bermudez during today’s sentencing before reciting the litany of racketeering acts for which the Court found Bermudez responsible. Judge Watson called out the “brazenness” and “unprecedented” nature of Bermudez’s acts of violence, noting that he had never seen the same level of violence even collectively among multiple coconspirators that here was attributed solely to Bermudez.
“For his grisly work in pummeling victims with his fists, Lance Bermudez was coined with the nickname, ‘The Hammah.’ Yesterday, Bermudez was at the business end of the federal justice hammer as U.S. District Chief Judge Derrick Watson sentenced him to a lengthy 30-year sentence for his violent role in promoting the nefarious and illicit activities of the Miske organization. Bermudez’s sentence is the final one to be handed down against the members of the Miske Enterprise and is the capstone of our investigation into the violent and corrupt activities of Michael Miske and his henchmen,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Our decade-long effort with our outstanding law enforcement partners has now resulted in the federal convictions of 20 Miske confederates who now can no longer victimize Hawaii’s citizens and communities. While the work against the Miske Enterprise is done, the people of Hawaii can rest assured that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii and our dedicated and resolute law enforcement partners at the Honolulu Division of the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, among others, will continue to tirelessly hunt down and prosecute those who operate violent criminal enterprises in our state and endanger our citizens.”
“Mr. Bermudez was a key member of the Miske Enterprise, actively participating in a longstanding pattern of violence and racketeering activity involving murder-for-hire, armed robbery, and drug trafficking,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This sentencing reflects years of collaboration between FBI Honolulu and our law enforcement partners. The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, hold their members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.”
“Mr. Bermudez’s account of attempted murder-for-hire reminds us that even the worst crimes have a price,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI follows the money to uproot organizations that profit from violence.”
“Today’s sentencing marks a significant step towards justice for the victims and the community terrorized by the Miske Enterprise. The severity of the crimes committed by Lance L. Bermudez underscores the necessity of our relentless collaborative efforts to dismantle such criminal organizations and ensure the safety and security of our citizens,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to holding accountable those who engage in such egregious acts of violence and criminal conduct.”
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Lance L. Bermudez, 34, of Honolulu, Hawaii was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Chief Judge Derrick K. Watson to 360 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, racketeering conspiracy, and Hobbs Act Robbery. Bermudez is the last defendant to be sentenced for his role in the Miske Enterprise.
As part of his 2022 plea agreement, Bermudez admitted that he and other members of the Enterprise participated in a murder-for-hire conspiracy with codefendant Michael J. Miske and other Enterprise members. Miske put a murder contract out on an individual he believed was cooperating with law enforcement. Bermudez agreed to commit the murder for $60,000 and laid in wait outside of the victim’s home on multiple occasions, waiting for the right opportunity to kill the victim. The murder did not ultimately occur because Miske eventually rescinded the contract. Bermudez also admitted to taking part in multiple attempted murders where he shot victims from his vehicle. Further, Bermudez admitted to burning a van at Miske’s direction that Bermudez later discovered was utilized in the abduction and murder of 21-year-old Johnathan Fraser. Bermudez also admitted to committing several armed robberies of Honolulu area drug dealers and then selling the stolen drugs to others in the community.
Bermudez was charged alongside twelve other defendants, all of whom pled guilty except for Michael J. Miske who proceeded to trial and was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024.
Seven other members and associates of the Miske Enterprise pled guilty to various offenses in related cases.
“You terrorized this city and this county to a greater extent than anyone I can remember,” Judge Watson advised Bermudez during today’s sentencing before reciting the litany of racketeering acts for which the Court found Bermudez responsible. Judge Watson called out the “brazenness” and “unprecedented” nature of Bermudez’s acts of violence, noting that he had never seen the same level of violence even collectively among multiple coconspirators that here was attributed solely to Bermudez.
“For his grisly work in pummeling victims with his fists, Lance Bermudez was coined with the nickname, ‘The Hammah.’ Yesterday, Bermudez was at the business end of the federal justice hammer as U.S. District Chief Judge Derrick Watson sentenced him to a lengthy 30-year sentence for his violent role in promoting the nefarious and illicit activities of the Miske organization. Bermudez’s sentence is the final one to be handed down against the members of the Miske Enterprise and is the capstone of our investigation into the violent and corrupt activities of Michael Miske and his henchmen,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Our decade-long effort with our outstanding law enforcement partners has now resulted in the federal convictions of 20 Miske confederates who now can no longer victimize Hawaii’s citizens and communities. While the work against the Miske Enterprise is done, the people of Hawaii can rest assured that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii and our dedicated and resolute law enforcement partners at the Honolulu Division of the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, among others, will continue to tirelessly hunt down and prosecute those who operate violent criminal enterprises in our state and endanger our citizens.”
“Mr. Bermudez was a key member of the Miske Enterprise, actively participating in a longstanding pattern of violence and racketeering activity involving murder-for-hire, armed robbery, and drug trafficking,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This sentencing reflects years of collaboration between FBI Honolulu and our law enforcement partners. The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, hold their members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.”
“Mr. Bermudez’s account of attempted murder-for-hire reminds us that even the worst crimes have a price,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI follows the money to uproot organizations that profit from violence.”
“Today’s sentencing marks a significant step towards justice for the victims and the community terrorized by the Miske Enterprise. The severity of the crimes committed by Lance L. Bermudez underscores the necessity of our relentless collaborative efforts to dismantle such criminal organizations and ensure the safety and security of our citizens,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to holding accountable those who engage in such egregious acts of violence and criminal conduct.”
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.
Source: US State of California Department of Justice
California will receive more than $4 million from multistate settlement in principle
OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 48 other attorneys general in securing $202 million from Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Gilead), for running an illegal kickback scheme to promote its HIV medications. Gilead allegedly violated federal law by illegally providing incentives – including awards, meals, and travel expenses – to healthcare providers to prescribe Gilead’s medications, resulting in millions of dollars of false claims submitted to government health care programs, including Medi-Cal. The settlement in principle, reached in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice and approved by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, provides $49 million for Medicaid programs nationwide, including $4,118,184 for California, with the remainder going to Medicare, Tricare, and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).
“The best interests of patients must always come first,” said Attorney General Bonta. “At this time of unprecedented funding cuts to Medicaid, it is particularly important to protect the program from illegal kick-back schemes that harm the program and patients alike. Today’s settlement returns critical funding to our communities and programs like Medicaid that keep them healthy.”
From January 2011 to November 2017, Gilead allegedly violated federal anti-kickback laws by providing gifts to healthcare providers who attended and spoke at promotional speaker programs for Gilead’s HIV drugs: Stribild, Genvoya, Complera, Odefsey, Descovy, and Biktarvy. Gilead paid high-volume prescribers tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to present as “HIV Speakers.” The company also covered travel expenses for speakers, including those traveling long distances and to attractive destinations, such as Hawaii, Miami, and New Orleans, and hosted dinners at high-end restaurants.
Gilead’s internal compliance mechanisms failed to halt these violations. The company’s internal policies and procedures failed to prevent its sales representatives from improperly offering incentives to induce prescriptions.
Joining Attorney General Bonta in securing settlements with Gilead are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of California. FY 2025 is from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.
SOUTH BEND – Yesterday, Quadir Quiroz, 20 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Quiroz was sentenced to 216 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Quiroz robbed a person at gunpoint and stole the person’s car. Ten days later, Quiroz robbed a gas station in South Bend. During the robbery, Quiroz struck a gas-station employee in the head with his gun.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
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.
Eagle Ship Management LLC (ESM), based in Stamford, Connecticut, pleaded guilty yesterday to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) by deliberately polluting U.S. waters off the coast of New Orleans from the M/V Gannet Bulker, a foreign-flagged bulk carrier. If approved by the court, ESM would pay a criminal fine of $1,750,000 and serve a four-year term of probation that includes external audits by an independent technical expert.
The chief engineer of the Gannet Bulker was prosecuted in a separate case and sentenced to serve a year and a day in prison for his role in the discharge of oil and obstructing justice.
The Coast Guard launched its investigation after a crew member sent a message via social media on March 14, 2021, indicating that the engine room had flooded and that the resulting oil-contaminated bilge waste had been deliberately pumped overboard at night. Flooded bilges can pose a serious threat to the safety of the ship and crew, including creating a risk of electrocution, loss of power, and inability to steer.
At the time, the Gannet Bulker was at an anchorage near the Southwest Passage of the Port of New Orleans, near the mouth of the Mississippi River. According to court records, the intentional overboard oily discharge into U.S. waters involved approximately 39 cubic meters (approximately 10,303 gallons), and was done without the use of required pollution prevention equipment or required recordkeeping
“The Department of Justice vigorously prosecutes violations of the laws that protect U.S. ports and waters,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The criminal conduct involved here was serious, including intentional pollution and a deliberate coverup.”
“Today’s announcement sends a clear message intended to deter deliberate pollution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “This office will continue to work with our agency partners to enforce the laws that were designed to protect U.S. ports and waters.”
“The United States Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Investigative Service remain steadfast in our commitment to enforcing maritime environmental laws to protect U.S. waters and ensure compliance with international regulations,” said Special Agent in Charge Damon J. Youmans of the Coast Guard Investigative Service’s Gulf Field Office. “We will continue to hold accountable those who violate these laws and endanger our marine environment.”
In pleading guilty, ESM admitted that its crew engaged in a variety of obstructive acts to conceal the internal flooding that was caused by a botched repair. The obstructive acts included retaliation against the whistleblower whose identity was known. Senior ship officers and crew also lied to the Coast Guard and destroyed evidence including a printout from the engine control room computer that contained key information. Additionally, senior ship officers created false and backdated personnel evaluations intended to discredit the whistleblower.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Oct. 16.
The Coast Guard Criminal Investigations Division and the Coast Guard Heartland District investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell of the ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Felia Allum, Professor of Comparative Organised Crime and Corruption, University of Bath
It has been 33 years since anti-mafia prosecutor Paolo Borsellino was blown up by Cosa Nostra in front of his mother’s home in Palermo, Sicily. His death on July 19 1992 came 57 days after the murder of his colleague, Giovanni Falcone. This was the peak of Cosa Nostra’s attack on state representatives.
A vital document was lost that day – a red notebook believed to have been in Borsellino’s work bag. This loss has hampered attempts to understand how deep into the Italian state Cosa Nostra’s activities run.
The early 1990s were a turbulent time in Italy. The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 broke the Italian party system and wiped out the traditional political parties, which had been based around the opposing forces of the Christian Democrats (supported by the US and the Vatican) and the Communist party.
The Christian Democrats, in power during the post-war period, had often protected Cosa Nostra. But losing power meant an inability to honour its “pact” with mafiosi. This led to the mafia attacking anyone who got in its way.
Falcone and Borsellino, as anti-mafia prosecutors, had got under the skin of Cosa Nostra. Their work zoned in on its mentality and activities. They were the driving force behind the 1986 “maxi trial” that saw hundreds of mafiosi prosecuted. This was the first time important mafia bosses were imprisoned. Falcone and Borsellino had brought a new understanding to the internal workings of the mafia, including its links with politics and money laundering operations.
The mafia was deploying terrorist tactics against state representatives and institutions in the early 1990s in what appears to have been an attempt to get the state to negotiate with it. Borsellino, it is believed, was investigating this when he was murdered.
The red notebook
Crucially, on the day Borsellino was murdered, his work bag, which contained his red notebook (“l’agenda rossa”) disappeared from the wreckage of his car.
He carried his red notebook around with him everywhere, making copious notes of his investigations and ideas. Had it been recovered, l’agenda rossa could have revealed the possible links between state representatives (including with the police and judiciary), businessmen and Cosa Nostra.
It could, in effect, have mapped out how and to what extent Cosa Nostra had infiltrated the Italian state and the nature of its relationships with the new political class, the business elite, freemasons and other covert actors.
A photograph of a police officer walking off with what looks very much like the bag that presumably contained the notebook has circulated ever since. But this is where the trail ends. The bag – minus the notebook – was later found in the office of the head of the flying squad, with no explanation as to how and why it got there.
The disappearance of the red notebook remains a persistent enigma – and one which continues to haunt contemporary Italy because of what it might suggest about the nation’s underworld and political class.
This photo could even suggest that the goal of killing Borsellino was not just to eliminate a zealous public prosecutor but to remove a pantheon of knowledge about organised crime and its infiltration into the public realm as part of a more orchestrated plan.
Then, in 1993, Cosa Nostra suddenly and inexplicably ceased its terrorist tactics against the state. It was as though a truce had been reached. Could this be the case?
The history of these dynamics between state and the mafia has since been written and re-written, dividing Italians and mafia scholars.
At the heart of all these disagreements lie two questions: was the notebook taken intentionally and why did Cosa Nostra stop its attacks on the state at the specific moment that it did?. The answer to these would essentially establish whether or not there was a negotiated peace between the mafia and the state.
Some legal experts and historians have argued that the theory of coordinated action by state representatives and mafiosi was always an absurd hypothesis. While there might have been some random informal contacts, they contest that there was never a formal pact. The end of Cosa Nostra‘s violence, they argue, was due to a combination of other factors, including greater enforcement of the law.
Others argue that there is evidence of a pact. These include first-hand accounts from former criminals. But of course it is hard to make these stories stick because all evidence of a relationship of this kind would, by definition, be covert and off the books. As with many trials and in particular, mafia trials, there are no facts, just interpretations of facts.
In 2018, some state representatives and mafiosi were found guilty. But in 2023, the Italian supreme court overturned the 2018 ruling and concluded that there was no pact and no state-mafia negotiation.
All involved were cleared for different reasons as the court attempted to draw a line under the intrigue by articulating a clear position. But with the mafia, answers are rarely that simple. And history is not only written in the courtroom.
Borsellino’s legacy is celebrated in Italy to this day – but the unresolved matter of his missing notebook haunts the country more profoundly. His bag – minus the notebook – has recently been put on show at the Italian senate to celebrate his life. The display is also a reminder of how much remains unresolved from that period.
Felia Allum 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.
A renewed partnership between the Province of Nova Scotia and Government of Canada will ensure that more families of missing and murdered Indigenous people have help when they need it most.
The agreement provides more funding for Nova Scotia’s Family Information Liaison Unit, a program co-ordinated through provincial Victim Services. A portion of funding also goes to the Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association for its work on community outreach and prevention.
With the additional funding, the unit will add a full-time case co-ordinator with Victim Services and a full-time community outreach position at the association.
“Through Nova Scotia’s Victim Services, we strive to provide supports that are culturally responsive and easy to navigate so that people can access justice and move toward healing,” said Attorney General and Justice Minister Becky Druhan. “The Family Information Liaison Unit is an important resource for Indigenous families, and I’m so pleased to see it continue and expand.”
The unit provides specialized support services to families of missing and murdered Indigenous people in a family-centred, culturally grounded and trauma-informed manner. It helps gather information from government sources about the family’s loved one, including assistance in addressing unanswered questions, and also makes connections between family members and cultural advisors, Elders and other culturally grounded community supports.
The funding is provided by Justice Canada through the Federal Victims Strategy’s Victims Fund. The new agreement provides a total of almost $2.2 million over five years, an increase of almost $800,000 from the previous five-year agreement.
Quotes:
“For many families, getting information about a missing or murdered loved one is an essential part of the healing process. This support will help more families in Nova Scotia get the answers they deserve. It means more staff on the ground to guide families, stronger outreach in Mi’kmaw communities across Nova Scotia, and services that are grounded in culture, compassion and trust.” — Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
“Too many Mi’kmaw families in Nova Scotia have faced barriers when searching for answers about their loved ones. This funding will ensure they’re met with compassion, understanding and culturally grounded care when it matters most.” — Leah Martin, Minister of L’nu Affairs
“We are committed to empowering women, girls and two-spirit people and providing them with vital resources and safe spaces for growth. This new funding is essential in our work towards improving safety, implementing preventative measures and raising awareness of the FILU program. The addition of an outreach and prevention worker will also enable us to provide direct support and resources to MMIWG2S families and survivors.” — Dawn McDonald, Executive Director, Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association
Quick Facts:
family information liaison units were established in 2016 and support the government of Canada’s commitments made in the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People
they are also a key mechanism to implement victims’ right to information under the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights
in 2023, the Government of Canada increased support to allow the units to serve families of all missing and murdered Indigenous people, including men and boys
there are units in all provinces and territories, funded through the federal Victims Fund
Additional Resources:
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1448633299414/1534526479029
Nova Scotia’s Family Information Liaison Unit: https://novascotia.ca/just/victim_services/_docs/17-46137_Family_Info_Liaison_Unit_Fact_Sheet.pdf
Nova Scotia Victim Services: https://novascotia.ca/just/victim_services/
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today said it strongly condemned organisations in the US and other Western countries for slandering and smearing the Hong Kong SAR Government for its handling, in accordance with the law, of the case of Lai Chee-ying and related custodial arrangements.
In a press statement, the Government said such slanders had fully exposed the malicious and despicable intentions of anti-China organisations and media to undermine the rule of law in Hong Kong.
The Government highlighted that it has emphasised time and again that as legal proceedings involving Lai Chee-ying are ongoing, it is inappropriate for anyone to comment on the case in an attempt to interfere with the court’s exercise of independent judicial power and to pervert the course of justice.
It said foreign organisations have nevertheless continued to distort the truth, discredit Hong Kong’s judicial system and trials, and make false and misleading statements about the treatment provided to Lai Chee-ying during his custody, in an attempt to glorify criminal behaviour and exert pressure on Hong Kong’s courts.
In addition, it stressed that while Lai Chee-ying’s legal representative has clarified that he has received suitable treatment and care in prison, foreign organisations have turned a blind eye to this in order to carry out malicious political manoeuvres and pursue ulterior motives.
The Hong Kong SAR Government stressed that it opposes all such actions.
Separately, the Correctional Services Department said that it handles matters relating to Lai Chee-ying no differently from those regarding any other persons-in-custody.
It also reiterated that Lai Chee-ying’s removal from association from other persons-in-custody has been in accordance his own request and was approved by the department after considering all relevant factors in accordance with the law.
The department remarked that remarks by organisations from the US and other Western countries regarding Lai Chee-ying’s solitary confinement therefore deliberately twist the facts, reflecting a malicious intention to smear and attack the Hong Kong SAR Government.
The Government also stressed that all cases in Hong Kong, including Lai Chee-ying’s case, are handled strictly on the basis of evidence and in accordance with the law. It said the Department of Justice controls criminal prosecutions, free from any interference and that all defendants in Hong Kong receive a fair trial under the safeguards of the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights.
With the future of a crucial water-sharing treaty between India and Pakistan up in the air, one outside party is looking on with keen interest: China.
For 65 years, the Indus Waters Treaty has seen the two South Asian rivals share access and use of the Indus Basin, a vast area covered by the Indus River and its tributaries that also stretches into Afghanistan and China.
For much of that history, there has been widespread praise for the agreement as a successful demonstration of cooperation between adversarial states over a key shared resource. But experts have noted the treaty has long held the potential for conflict. Drafters failed to factor in the effects of climate change, and the Himalayan glaciers that feed the rivers are now melting at record rates, ultimately putting at risk the long-term sustainability of water supply. Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict over Kashmir, where much of the basin is situated, puts cooperation at risk.
With treaty on ice, China steps in
That latest provocation threatening the treaty was a terrorist attack in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025. In response to that attack, which India blamed on Pakistan and precipitated a four-day confrontation, New Delhi temporarily suspended the treaty.
But even before that attack, India and Pakistan had been locked in negotiation over the future of the treaty – the status of which has been in the hands of international arbitrators since 2016. In the latest development, on June 27, 2025, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a supplementary award in favor of Pakistan, arguing that India’s holding of the treaty in abeyance did not affect its jurisdiction over the case. Moreover, the treaty does not allow for either party to unilaterally suspend the treaty, the ruling suggested.
Amid the wrangling over the treaty’s future, Pakistan has turned to China for diplomatic and strategic support. Such support was evident during the conflict that took place following April’s terrorist attack, during which Pakistan employed Chinese-made fighter jets and other military equipment against its neighbor.
Meanwhile, in an apparent move to counter India’s suspension of the treaty, China and Pakistan have ramped up construction of a major dam project that would provide water supply and electricity to parts of Pakistan.
But as an expert in hydro politics, I believe Beijing’s involvement raises concerns: China is not a neutral observer in the dispute. Rather, Beijing has long harbored a desire to increase its influence in the region and to counter an India long seen as a rival. Given the at-times fraught relationship between China and India – the two countries went to war in 1962 and continue to engage in sporadic border skirmishes – there are concerns in New Delhi that Beijing may respond by disrupting the flow of rivers in its territory that feed into India.
In short, any intervention by Beijing over the Indus Waters Treaty risks stirring up regional tensions.
Wrangling over waters
The Indus Waters Treaty has already endured three armed conflicts between Pakistan and India, and until recently it served as an exemplar of how to forge a successful bilateral agreement between two rival neighbors.
Under the initial terms of the treaty, which each country signed in 1960, India was granted control over three eastern rivers the countries share – Ravi, Beas and Satluj – with an average annual flow of 40.4 billion cubic meters. Meanwhile, Pakistan was given access to almost 167.2 billion cubic meters of water from the western rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.
In India, the relatively smaller distribution has long been the source of contention, with many believing the treaty’s terms are overly generous to Pakistan. India’s initial demand was for 25% of the Indus waters.
For Pakistan, the terms of the division of the Indus Waters Treaty are painful because they concretized unresolved land disputes tied to the partition of India in 1947. In particular, the division of the rivers is framed within the broader political context of Kashmir. The three major rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – flow through Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir before entering the Pakistan-controlled western part of the Kashmir region.
But the instability of the Kashmir region – disputes around the Line of Control separating the Indian- and Pakistan-controlled areas are common – underscores Pakistan’s water vulnerability.
Since Pakistan’s economy relies heavily on agriculture and the water needed to maintain agricultural land, the fate of the Indus Waters Treaty is of the utmost importance to Pakistan’s leaders.
Such conditions have driven Islamabad to be a willing partner with China in a bid to shore up its water supply.
China provides technical expertise and financial support to Pakistan for numerous hydropower projects in Pakistan, including the Diamer Bhasha Dam and Kohala Hydropower Project. These projects play a significant role in addressing Pakistan’s energy requirements and have been a key aspect of the transboundary water relationship between the two nations.
Doing so fits Beijing’ s greater strategic presence in South Asian politics. After the terrorist attack, China Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed China’s support for Pakistan, showcasing the relationship as an “all-weather strategic” partnership and referring to Pakistan as an “ironclad friend.”
And in response to India’s suspension of the treaty, China announced it was to accelerate work on the significant Mohmand hydropower project on the tributary of the Indus River in Pakistan.
Chinese investment in Pakistan’s hydropower sector presents substantial opportunities for both countries in regards to energy security and promoting economic growth.
The Indus cascade project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative, for example, promises to provide cumulative hydropower generation capacity of around 22,000 megawatts. Yet the fact that project broke ground in Gilgit-Baltistan, a disputed area in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, underscores the delicacy of the situation.
Beijing’s backing of Pakistan is largely motivated by a mix of economic and geopolitical interests, particularly in legitimizing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. But it comes at the cost of stirring up regional tensions.
As such, the alignment of Chinese and Pakistani interests in developing hydro projects can pose a further challenge to the stability of South Asia’s water-sharing agreements, especially in the Indus Basin. Recently, the chief minister of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, warned that Beijing’s hydro projects in the Western Tibet region amount to a ticking “water bomb.”
To diffuse such tensions – and to get the Indus Waters Treaty back on track – it behooves India, China and Pakistan to engage in diplomacy and dialogue. Such engagement is, I believe, essential in addressing the ongoing water-related challenges in South Asia.
Pintu Kumar Mahla is affiliated with the Water Resources Research Center, the University of Arizona. He is also a member of the International Association of Water Law (AIDA).
Pintu Kumar Mahla has not received funding related to this article.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Kevin Mullin California (15th District)
Washington, D.C. – In response to federal regulators weakening oversight as more driverless cars hit the roads, Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA-15) introduced a bill to require more robust safety data from autonomous vehicle (AV) manufacturers.
AVs are already operating in numerous states including California, Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Texas, with several manufacturers getting their start in the San Francisco Bay Area where Rep. Mullin’s district is located. Currently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires AV companies to report some collision data, but it isn’t required to provide other basic metrics that would help the public to determine how safe they actually are.
Rep. Mullin’s AV Safety Data Act would help ensure the public is entitled to basic transparency about how many miles driverless cars are traveling and when there are other types of incidents like unplanned stoppages or the blocking of emergency vehicles. Requiring this type of consistent data reporting would help compare safety rates across various manufacturers and help determine whether AVs are safer than human drivers.
“Every day, people are interacting with AVs in my district – whether they’re hailing a ride or walking across the street as one approaches. The public deserves to know how safe autonomous vehicles actually are and that the federal government is working to ensure we’re protecting people on the road,” Rep. Mullin said. “The technology behind autonomous vehicles is rapidly developing and has the potential to dramatically improve safety on our roads. While there is no doubt AV technology will continue to evolve, we simply will not know if it is getting better without more independent, verifiable data collected at the national level. AV companies that are performing well and prioritizing safety should welcome this basic transparency effort.”
In addition to codifying NHTSA’s existing collision data reporting requirements in law, the AV Safety Data Act would also require that companies report to NHTSA:
The number of miles traveled on public roads
AV collisions that result in any injuries to other human drivers, pedestrians or bicyclists
Information on unplanned stoppages and any impacts to law enforcement, first responders, or public transit agencies
Since 2021, over 3,000 crashes have been recorded involving AVs and Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, which resulted in 53 fatalities and 303 injuries. Yet earlier this year, NHTSA weakened its AV reporting requirements. Lawmakers have been urging NHTSA to improve its AV safety data collection for years, and Rep. Mullin led several letters calling upon federal regulators to act in 2024 and 2023. While Rep. Mullin supports advancements in the AV industry, his bill seeks to help increase transparency and prioritize public safety on our roads.
“Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are increasingly on our roadways. Yet, there are no minimum federal safety standards and insufficient data collection, transparency and accountability for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving systems (ADS). The AV Safety Data Act will enhance reporting requirements for these vehicles,” Cathy Chase, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. “Robust data is essential to evaluate performance, detect safety defects and inform sound policy. Advocates commends Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-CA) for his safety leadership and innovative thinking to introduce this bill and urges Congress to advance it. Road users, whether as drivers, passengers, pedestrians or bicyclists, deserve this oversight and consumer protection.”