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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Transport Minister kicks off regional tour with communities to shape the future of integrated transport

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Passengers, businesses, and local leaders have their say on how to transform transport.

    • Local Transport Minister visits Manchester as 11 regional roadshows are launched to gather ideas from local leaders and passengers on how to improve transport
    • new ‘people-centred’ Integrated National Transport Strategy, to join up transport networks, empower local leaders and drive economic growth
    • roadshows across the country, including Newcastle, Cornwall and Brighton, will learn from successful integrated systems like the Bee Network and consider the best options for rural areas

    Passengers, businesses and local leaders are having their say on how to transform transport, as Local Transport Minister visits Manchester to launch 11 regional roadshows today (12 February 2025).

    Simon Lightwood will be speaking to local leaders, for their input on how transport can work for their specific area, realising there is no one-size-fits-all solution and each region has its own transport challenges.

    Starting in Newcastle and ending in Milton Keynes, the roadshows, which involve a series of roundtables and discussions, will gather insights from councils, businesses and communities to shape a 10-year strategy for seamless, integrated journeys that empower local leaders to build the best transport system for their communities. 

    Integrated transport could look like better technology to manage traffic, coordinated bus and train timetables – so passengers do not have to wait for 20 minutes for the next transport mode to arrive, and parking options all in one app. It is a national vision of transport but delivered by local people, where the power belongs.

    Linking up transport is an essential part of connecting communities and unlocking economic growth, part of the government’s Plan for Change, and particularly benefits people who live in areas that currently see poor transport links to jobs, housing and education.

    The government is also encouraging the public to respond to the Integrated National Transport Strategy call for ideas, which closes on 20 February 2025 to hear suggestions directly from transport users across the country. 

    Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, said:  

    We’ve all had the frustration of our train arriving 10 minutes too late for our connecting bus service. We want more people across England to benefit from more integrated transport that makes day-to-day journeys easier – from coordinated timetables and easy route planning to tap in, tap out payments.

    We will empower local leaders to build a system that’s right for their needs, connecting cars and buses, trams and trains and cycling and walking, into one joined-up system. 

    To kick off this process, we’re listening to local leaders across the country to hear how we can best create a new national transport vision that connects all modes of transport, prioritises people at its core and helps deliver our Plan for Change to improve the economy.

    The regional transport roadshows will stop at Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Ipswich, Bristol, Brighton, London, Cornwall and Milton Keynes in February and March 2025. Ideas gathered at the roadshows will shape the final strategy, which will be published this year.

    The government will be listening to ideas on how the strategy can support better integrated public transport, and improve transport in rural areas. Recognising that driving is often a necessary choice, the department will also be listening to ideas on how to help drivers, which could include systems that help manage traffic flows or help drivers easily find and pay for parking spaces. 

    It will also consider how cycling and walking can become the best choice for shorter journeys, through prioritising pavement repairs, safe crossings and cycle infrastructure where they are needed most.

    Roads media enquiries

    Media enquiries 0300 7777 878

    Switchboard 0300 330 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Almost £300 million to gear up new walking, wheeling and cycling schemes

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    We are making sure local authorities can provide high-quality and easily accessible active travel schemes across England.

    • 300 miles of brand new footpaths and cycle tracks will help encourage 30 million more journeys by bike or foot every year
    • new guidance to help councils engage and ensure local communities are involved in new projects
    • funding will lead to 43,000 less sick days a year to ease pressure on the NHS and help deliver government mission of building an NHS fit for the future

    Millions of people will benefit from 300 miles of new walkways and cycle lanes thanks to almost £300 million in funding to boost walking, wheeling and cycling in England.

    The funding package announced today (12 February 2025) by the government and Active Travel England (ATE) will also allow the construction of improved crossings and junctions to make walking, wheeling and cycling easier, safer and better across the country. The investment will also help fund cycle training for hundreds of thousands of children.

    In addition to today’s funding, ATE is publishing its guidance to help councils ensure that local residents and businesses are heard when designing and delivering transport changes in neighbourhoods.

    The improvements will help people make 30 million more journeys by bike or foot every year, including more than 20 million new walk-to-school journeys by children and their parents.

    Cycle lanes and walkways funded today will lead to 43,000 fewer sick days a year, due to the health benefits of increased active travel, easing pressure on the NHS and helping people live happier and healthier lives.

    The new infrastructure will also add £9 million every year to the economy by supporting local businesses and making it easier to walk and cycle to work, as the government continues to deliver its Plan for Change.

    National Active Travel Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said:

    Making it simple and safe to walk, wheel or cycle to schools, shops and workplaces is one of the most effective actions we can take to improve the nation’s health, economy and get to net zero, all in one.

    Free exercise, zero emissions and no risk of getting stuck in traffic are benefits already being enjoyed as standard by our European neighbours and it’s time we had the same life-improving choices.

    This funding will help make our towns, cities and villages happier, healthier and greener places to live.

    Minister for Local Transport, Simon Lightwood, said:

    Walking and cycling is an affordable way to get around and is hugely beneficial for both mental and physical health. We’re making sure local authorities can deliver high-quality and easily accessible schemes for everyone.

    Investing in our national cycling and walking infrastructure is a key part of our mission for growth and today’s investment will not only provide better connectivity but boost local businesses, grow local economies and ease pressure on the NHS, helping us deliver our Plan for Change.

    In total, today’s £291 million funding package includes:

    • £222.5 million to local authorities for the development and delivery of local walking, wheeling and cycling schemes, alongside community engagement and training
    • £30 million to provide Bikeability cycle training to children
    • £30 million to the Sustrans charity to deliver improvements to the National Cycle Network, a UK-wide network of signed active travel routes
    • £8.5 million for Cycling UK, Living Streets and Modeshift to deliver walking, wheeling and cycling initiatives in schools and communities

    In addition to providing this funding, ATE is dedicated to ensuring that new schemes are built faster and to a high quality that works best for their communities. With ATE expert advice, local authorities have completed active travel projects at more than twice the rate of other small transport schemes.

    Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:

    Helping more people to get the health benefits of walking, wheeling and cycling is at the heart of the Bee Network. Our plan to connect 95% of our residents to within 400 metres of high-quality active travel routes is arguably the boldest in the country.

    We’re already seeing more people choose active travel over the car for short journeys. This latest funding will help us build on our success to date and demonstrates confidence – at the highest level – in the Bee Network.

    Stockport is the blueprint for what we want to deliver across Greater Manchester, focusing new homes and regeneration around excellent public transport infrastructure in our town centres.

    The more people we can persuade to leave the car at home, the more we will make the traffic flow and the roads better for everyone.

    National Active Travel Commissioner, Chris Boardman, and Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, will mark the announcement of this funding with a visit to Greater Manchester, where active travel policies have been hugely successful.

    A recent report by Transport for Greater Manchester found infrastructure upgrades are encouraging more residents to get about under their own steam, with the number of people walking short journeys now at 57%, up from 52% 5 years ago.

    Head of Communications, Active Travel England

    Email pressoffice@activetravelengland.gov.uk

    Media enquiries 020 7082 6603

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Thousands to benefit from the security of a safe home

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    £350 million invested to increase number of affordable and social homes, support homeownership and ease council housing pressures

    Thousands more people will be able to benefit from the security and safety of a high-quality home thanks to a £350 million injection to get Britain building, alongside plans to drive up standards and tackle rogue landlords in supported housing.

    Up to 2,800 extra homes will be built through a £300 million boost to the Affordable Homes Programme, with half of these homes for social rent, and over 250 more council homes through a £50 million boost to the Local Authority Housing Fund to provide homes for those in need of better-quality temporary accommodation.

    This supports plans to get Britain building and deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, turning the tide against the unacceptable housing crisis in this country. A generation have been locked out of owning their own home, while there are over 123,000 households in temporary accommodation, including nearly 160,000 children, and almost 6,000 families with children are in B&B accommodation.

    Further changes will also be set out imminently by the government to help the most vulnerable in society, with a crack down on exploitative behaviour by rogue and criminal supported housing landlords, who are costing the taxpayer by claiming uncapped housing benefit in return for providing squalid homes for the most vulnerable, leaving them without the care or support they need.  

    This will further deliver on our Plan for Change commitment to get Britain building, delivering the 1.5 million homes this country needs, while boosting living standards.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

    “For so many families, and their children, the security and safety of a home of their own remains firmly out of reach – and instead they have to live in temporary accommodation, including in B&Bs.

    “This is unacceptable and is the result of the housing crisis we are facing head on. That’s why we’re driving forward on our plans to ensure a better future for everyone who needs a safe home, building on our plans to drive up living standards and build 1.5 million homes through our Plan for Change.”

    Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, said:

    “Today’s funding announcement demonstrates that the government recognises that boosting funding for new affordable homes, particularly those for social rent, is essential to meeting its ambitious housing targets and commitment to building a generation of new social homes.

    “Housing associations share the government’s housing ambitions and we welcome this top-up to the Affordable Homes Programme. The funding announced today – in addition to the funding announced in the autumn – will help maintain momentum in the delivery of much needed social and affordable housing ahead of the new Affordable Homes Programme being announced at the Spending Review.

    “Housing associations are facing a number of financial challenges due to decades of funding cuts. Alongside this vital funding injection, we hope to see a package of supportive measures at the upcoming Spending Review to enable the sector to build the homes our country needs.”

    Gavin Smart, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Housing, said:

    “The housing crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing the country, and we know that increasing the supply of truly affordable homes is key to tackling homelessness, easing pressure on local authorities, and driving economic growth. This additional investment into affordable housing is therefore very welcome and will help support the delivery of much-needed affordable homes ahead of a new Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) at the forthcoming Spending Review.

    “The confirmation that 50% of the additional investment in the AHP will be used to support building new homes at social rent is particularly welcome as these are the most affordable and needed. Expanding the Local Housing Fund will help local authorities respond to the huge rise in the need for temporary accommodation which has put huge pressure on council funds and made life very difficult for some of the most vulnerable. Going forward, we hope the government will use the next fiscal update to confirm sustained, long-term investment to meet the scale of demand and ensure everyone has access to a safe, secure, and affordable home.

    “We also welcome confirmation of action to implement the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act. It is right that the government moves to clamp down on a small minority of exploitative supported housing landlords who are providing unacceptable poor homes to vulnerable people. We look forward to seeing more details here and to working with government, housing providers, and local authorities to ensure these commitments translate into real change on the ground.”

    The boost follows on from the £500 million investment at the Budget for up to 5,000 more homes affordable homes, further backing the programme’s original £11.5 billion which is expected to result in up to 130,000 homes by 2026, and the £450 million already provided to 150 councils across the country to help ease pressure on homelessness services, reduce spending on unsuitable B&B accommodation, and provide safe and sustainable housing.

    The investment will support a mix of tenures, with a focus on delivering homes for social rent.

    Alongside the £50 million increase to the Local Authority Housing Fund, approximately £30 million of funding is being reallocated from previous rounds, taking the number of houses that will be delivered by the third round to more than 2,700 homes. Councils that submitted applications will be contacted in the following few days to inform them of the funding allocations.

    The government will imminently set out plans to crack down on exploitative behaviour by rogue and criminal supported housing landlords who are costing the taxpayer by claiming uncapped housing benefit in return for providing squalid homes for some of the most vulnerable, leaving them without the care or support they need.

    These plans respond to horrendous cases, including criminal gangs buying large properties and putting vulnerable people in mouldy rooms with just a bed, then providing no care, and other cases where rape victims have been housed with sex offenders. In areas like Blackpool, Birmingham, Blackburn and Hull whole streets have been overcome with open drug use and anti-social behaviour. A new licensing scheme, tougher standards, and the ability to stop housing benefit going to rogue landlords are all part of the plan, to be unveiled next week.

    This supports wider work to improve housing for millions of working people across the country, and builds on the commitment to change the way homes are bought and sold, saving them time and money by modernising the way the system works and helping stop property transactions falling through.

    To get Britain building, the government has already:

    • Launched a New Homes Accelerator to unblock thousands of homes stuck in the planning system.     
    • Set up an independent New Towns Taskforce, as part of a long-term vision to create large-scale communities of at least 10,000 new homes each.     
    • Awarded £68 million to 54 local councils to unlock housing on brownfield sites.     
    • Awarded £47 million to seven councils to unlock homes stalled by nutrient neutrality rules.     
    • Announced an additional £3 billion in housing guarantees to help builders apply for more accessible loans from banks and lenders.     
    • Extended the existing Home Building Fund for next year providing up to £700 million of vital support to SME housebuilders, delivering an additional 12,000 new homes.  
    • Cutting red tape so up to 10,000 more apprentices will be able to qualify per year including in key industries like construction

    Further information:

    Further details of future investment beyond the current Affordable Homes Programme will be set out at the upcoming Spending Review to support greater investment in new affordable housing from social housing providers.

    The Supported Housing reforms implement measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act, and improve the quality in supported housing and ensure people receive the right support for them, in a good quality home.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Getting ACC back on track

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Two independent reviews are being undertaken to boost ACC’s performance and ensure it continues to deliver for New Zealanders, ACC Minister Andrew Bayly says.
    “ACC provides crucial support to injured Kiwis. It is the only no-fault accident compensation scheme like it in the world, and Kiwis should feel immensely proud of it,” Mr Bayly says.
    “But ACC faces challenges on multiple fronts and action is required to ensure its sustainability and longevity.
    “Over the last 10 years, ACC’s performance has steadily decreased. Costs are up, with levies struggling to keep up. Meanwhile, rehabilitation rates are down, slowing down people’s return to independence following an accident.
    “Clearly if this trend is left unabated, the viability of the scheme is at risk, saddling future generations with immense costs. A robust plan is required to improve ACC’s long-term financial sustainability without having to make large increases to levies.
    “That’s why the Government has commissioned two independent reviews to assess ACC’s performance and effectiveness:

    A review of ACC’s operational performance, with a focus on case management. This is being led by actuarial firm Finity, who have significant experience with both accident compensation and private insurance schemes. 
    A review of ACC’s investment strategy and how it manages the nearly $50 billion it invests. This is being led by investment consulting firm Willis Towers Watson, who have considerable global asset management experience.

    “This will be the first external assurance review of ACC’s investment function. Reviewing ACC’s investment performance now ensures we are getting the best returns from the fund and that it can support ACC’s sustainability.
    “I have met with both review teams and have been clear about my expectation that they deliver actionable recommendations to improve ACC’s performance.
    “I will be holding ACC accountable to its fundamental purpose, which is to prevent injuries and get Kiwis back to independence as quickly as possible after an accident.”
    Notes to editors:

    The terms of reference for the two reviews are attached.
    Progress reports on both reviews are expected by April 2025, with final reports expected to be delivered by June 2025.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Unlicensed drug driver detected speeding in school zone

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Unlicensed drug driver detected speeding in school zone

    Wednesday, 12 February 2025 – 10:59 am.

    An unlicensed driver who tested positive on a drug test was detected speeding in a school zone at Cambridge yesterday.
    Members of Southern Road Policing Services were conducting speed checks in the 40km/h zone on Cambridge Road when the man was detected travelling at 49km/h.
    The 42-year-old Sorell man was subjected to an oral fluid test, and returned a positive result. 
    All drivers are reminded to keep to 40 km/h or under in school zones during operating times and within 50 metres of a school bus with flashing amber light.
    Inspector Kathy Bennett said Tasmania Police will continue to proactively conduct patrols of school zones, and target the fatal five – which includes driving while under the influence of drugs. 
    “It is incredibly disappointing that this driver not only chose to speed in an area where there are vulnerable young children, but also to drive while allegedly under the influence of an illicit substance,” she said.
    “Speeding and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is dangerous – not only for the driver, but for all road users.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Implementing The President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative

    Source: The White House

         By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

         Section 1.  Purpose.  To restore accountability to the American public, this order commences a critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy.  By eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity, my Administration will empower American families, workers, taxpayers, and our system of Government itself.

         Sec. 2.  Definitions.  (a)  “Agency” has the meaning given to it in section 3502 of title 44, United States Code, except that such term does not include the Executive Office of the President or any components thereof. 
         (b)  “Agency Head” means the highest-ranking official of an agency, such as the Secretary, Administrator, Chairman, or Director, unless otherwise specified in this order.
         (c)  “DOGE Team Lead” means the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Team at each agency, as defined in Executive Order 14158 of January 20, 2025 (Establishing and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency”).
         (d)  “Employee” has the meaning given to it by section 2105 of title 5, United States Code, and includes individuals who serve in the executive branch and who qualify as employees under that section for any purpose.
         (e)  “Immigration enforcement” means the investigation, enforcement, or assisting in the investigation or enforcement of Federal immigration law, including with respect to Federal immigration law that penalizes a person’s presence in, entry, or reentry to, or employment in, the United States, but does not include assisting individuals in applying for immigration benefits or efforts to prevent enforcement of immigration law or to prevent deportation or removal from the United States. 
         (f)  “Law enforcement” means:
              (i)   engagement in or supervision of the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the incarceration of any person for, any violation of law; or
              (ii)  the protection of Federal, State, local, or foreign government officials against threats to personal safety.
         (g)  “Temporary employee” has the meaning given to it in 5 C.F.R. part 316.
         (h)  “Reemployed annuitant” has the meaning given to it in 5 C.F.R. part 837.

         Sec. 3.  Reforming the Federal Workforce to Maximize Efficiency and Productivity.  (a)  Hiring Ratio.  Pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 (Hiring Freeze), the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit a plan to reduce the size of the Federal Government’s workforce through efficiency improvements and attrition (Plan).  The Plan shall require that each agency hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart, consistent with the plan and any applicable exemptions and details provided for in the Plan.  This order does not affect the standing freeze on hiring as applied to the Internal Revenue Service.  This ratio shall not apply to functions related to public safety, immigration enforcement, or law enforcement.  Agency Heads shall also adhere to the Federal Hiring Plan that will be promulgated pursuant to Executive Order 14170 of January 20, 2025 (Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service).
         (b)  Hiring Approval.  Each Agency Head shall develop a data-driven plan, in consultation with its DOGE Team Lead, to ensure new career appointment hires are in highest-need areas.  
              (i)    This hiring plan shall include that new career appointment hiring decisions shall be made in consultation with the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, consistent with applicable law.  
              (ii)   The agency shall not fill any vacancies for career appointments that the DOGE Team Lead assesses should not be filled, unless the Agency Head determines the positions should be filled.  
              (iii)  Each DOGE Team Lead shall provide the United States DOGE Service (USDS) Administrator with a monthly hiring report for the agency.
         (c)  Reductions in Force.  Agency Heads shall promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), consistent with applicable law, and to separate from Federal service temporary employees and reemployed annuitants working in areas that will likely be subject to the RIFs.  All offices that perform functions not mandated by statute or other law shall be prioritized in the RIFs, including all agency diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; all agency initiatives, components, or operations that my Administration suspends or closes; and all components and employees performing functions not mandated by statute or other law who are not typically designated as essential during a lapse in appropriations as provided in the Agency Contingency Plans on the Office of Management and Budget website.  This subsection shall not apply to functions related to public safety, immigration enforcement, or law enforcement. 
         (d)  Rulemaking.  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) shall initiate a rulemaking that proposes to revise 5 C.F.R. 731.202(b) to include additional suitability criteria, including: 
              (i)    failure to comply with generally applicable legal obligations, including timely filing of tax returns; 
              (ii)   failure to comply with any provision that would preclude regular Federal service, including citizenship requirements; 
              (iii)  refusal to certify compliance with any applicable nondisclosure obligations, consistent with 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(13), and failure to adhere to those compliance obligations in the course of Federal employment; and
              (iv)   theft or misuse of Government resources and equipment, or negligent loss of material Government resources and equipment. 
         (e)  Developing Agency Reorganization Plans.  Within 30 days of the date of this order, Agency Heads shall submit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget a report that identifies any statutes that establish the agency, or subcomponents of the agency, as statutorily required entities.  The report shall discuss whether the agency or any of its subcomponents should be eliminated or consolidated.
         (f)  Within 240 days of the date of this order, the USDS Administrator shall submit a report to the President regarding implementation of this order, including a recommendation as to whether any of its provisions should be extended, modified, or terminated.
         
    Sec. 4.  Exclusions.  (a)  This order does not apply to military personnel.
         (b)  Agency Heads may exempt from this order any position they deem necessary to meet national security, homeland security, or public safety responsibilities. 
         (c)  The Director of OPM may grant exemptions from this order where those exemptions are otherwise necessary and shall assist in promoting workforce reduction.

    Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
              (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
              (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
         (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
         (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        February 11, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Industry, Lawmakers Applaud President Trump’s Section 232 Tariffs

    Source: The White House

    Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump took decisive action to protect critical American industries by restoring a 25% tariff on steel imports and elevating the tariff to 25% on aluminum imports — building on the successful tariffs from his first term, which have since been undermined by loopholes and exemptions.
     
    The moves were quickly met with praise from industry, unions, and lawmakers:
     
    Steel Manufacturers Association President Philip K. Bell: “The steel industry in America faces serious threats from foreign actors that seek to destroy domestic production. China and other countries routinely violate trade laws and dump heavily subsidized steel products into the United States at the expense of American workers. By imposing a 25 percent tariff on steel imports, President Trump is leveling the playing field for American manufacturers and workers and helping America defeat direct threats to our jobs.”
     
    United Steelworkers President David McCall: “Our union welcomes President Donald Trump’s efforts to contain the global overcapacity that has for too long enabled bad actors like China to flood the global market with its unfairly traded products, resulting in surging imports into the United States, especially from Mexico.”
     
    Aluminum Association President Charles Johnson: “We appreciate President Trump’s continued focus on strong trade actions to support the aluminum industry in the United States. During his first term the president was early to recognize the genuine threat that non-market actors pose to U.S. manufacturing industries like ours … Today, there is not enough smelting capacity in the United States to supply the growing aluminum industry with the input materials it needs.”
     
    American Iron and Steel Institute President Kevin Dempsey: “We look forward to working closely with the President and his administration to implement a robust and reinvigorated trade agenda to address the many foreign market-distorting policies and practices that create an unlevel playing field for American steelmakers.”
     
    American Primary Aluminum Association President Mark Duffy: “Today is a great day for the U.S. aluminum industry. Unfair trade practices have devastated the domestic aluminum industry and President Trump’s actions today will protect thousands of American workers and their families.”
     
    Coalition for a Prosperous America Chairman Zach Mottl: “President Trump’s decision to implement global tariffs is a critical step toward restoring stability to American industry, safeguarding domestic production, and ensuring these critical sectors are not harmed by a surge of imports. The only way to rebuild domestic industrial capacity is through strong and enforceable trade policies, and these tariffs are a major step in the right direction.”
     
    Nucor Corporation President Leon Topalian: “Nucor strongly commends the actions taken today by President Trump to reimpose tariffs on all steel imports. America’s national security depends on a robust and healthy American steel industry, which continues to be harmed by massive global steel overcapacity and the resulting surge of illegally dumped and subsidized imports from around the world. Many of our trading partners have taken advantage of our open market for far too long and have intentionally circumvented our trade laws or allowed other bad actors to transship illegally dumped and subsidized steel. The President’s actions will help level the playing field for American steel producers.”
     
    Energy Fair Trade Coalition Executive Director Bret Manley: “President Trump’s bold leadership will strengthen the backbone of America – our steel and aluminum industry. E-FTC is proud to support initiatives that will level the playing field, foster domestic job growth, and promote fair reciprocal trade.”
     
    Century Aluminum Company CEO Jesse Gary: “We strongly support today’s Executive Order from President Donald J. Trump imposing a 25% tariff to stop the flood of aluminum imports into the United States. President Trump’s decisive action will protect national security and help level the playing field for America’s aluminum workers. On behalf of our employees, I thank President Trump for putting America first and strengthening the Section 232 tariffs, which will help drive the resurgence of domestic aluminum production.”
     
    Lowell Iron and Steel Company President Dennis Scanell: “The tariffs, thank God they’re coming … Maybe this evens the playing field for us, but this hits right at home. There’s no way we can compete with Canada.”
     
    America First Works: “President Trump promised to put America First and make our nation wealthy again; that is exactly what tariffs do. In his first term, President Trump’s bold trade policies created over 4,000 new American jobs and higher wages for hardworking patriots. Foreign nations will no longer be able to take advantage of the United States. If they don’t like the tariffs, they can come to the table and make a deal. In fact, that is what President Trump does best. China will no longer exploit trade loopholes to undermine American workers. Now is the time to stand strong, fight for fair trade, and put America FIRST where it belongs!”
     
    Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN): “Too many politicians in Washington take our domestic steel industry for granted. That hurts our workers and disrespects our history.”
     
    Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA): “If you have a high tariff on our product, and we have a low tariff on your product, we ought to level them out. That just seems fair to me.”
     
    Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS): “President Trump is a leader who brokers deals that put AMERICAN workers first. The days of unfair, one-sided trade deals that let foreigners take advantage of our country are over. The sky is not falling. @POTUS is protecting our Steel and Aluminum industry workers — and in the end, America will have the upper hand. As it should be.”
     
    Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC): “President Trump’s approach to tariffs is designed with the long-term benefits of American consumers and national security in mind. By prioritizing fair trade policies and a balanced approach to tariffs, we’ll secure the economic prosperity of American workers across the country.”
     
    Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL): “The media is in full meltdown mode after President Trump imposed duties and retaliatory tariffs this week on countries who have been ripping us off for decades. Both aluminum and steel are critical to our national security — and we make some of the best in the world right here at home. President Trump’s strategic tariffs will strengthen and revitalize our nation’s economy by making sure our trade deals are fair to taxpayers and the American worker.”
     
    Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN): “President @realDonaldTrump is a master negotiator, especially when it comes to tariffs. Don’t just take my word for it — even Biden’s own commerce secretary admitted that the tariffs President Trump placed on foreign steel and aluminum during his first term were effective.”
     
    Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI): “Millions of Americans are cheering for @POTUS’s tariff negotiations. He has proven his effectiveness in this arena time and time again. This will be no different. He is sending a message to the world. Compete fairly, or pay the price.”
     
    Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO): “President Trump is wasting no time moving forward with his America First trade policy. The days of the United States allowing our trading partners to steam roll us are over. President Trump successfully used tariffs in the past to grow our economy and protect American jobs. He imposed steel and aluminum tariffs in 2018, and now he is eliminating exceptions countries like China have used to circumvent them. I look forward to continuing to work with @POTUS to put America First and hold our trading partners accountable.”
     
    Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA): “President Trump is sending a loud and clear message: America is DONE letting foreign countries undercut our economy. Once again, he’s delivering on his promise to PUT AMERICA FIRST!”
     
    Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL): “President Trump is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT to tariff & combat Communist #China!”
     
    Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN): “Unfair trade practices have led to our nation being on the wrong end of too many bad deals. That’s coming to an end. President Trump is taking action to protect America’s steel and aluminum industries with his latest executive order, continuing to put America first.”
     
    Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA): “President @realDonaldTrump is taking action to protect the American steel industry by closing loopholes that allow other countries to bypass U.S. tariffs through Mexico and Canada. This move will strengthen domestic production and encourage critical investment in U.S. Steel.”
     
    Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL): “Trading with the United States is a privilege, not a right. President Trump’s America First trade policy will advance our priorities abroad and grow prosperity at home!”
     
    Rep. Keith Self (R-TX): “President Trump KEEPS HIS PROMISES! @realDonaldTrump is delivering on his promise to rebalance trade from unfair foreign competition. In the Golden Age, we are building a stronger America.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Works to Remake America’s Federal Workforce

    Source: The White House

    REFORMING THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE TO BETTER SERVE AMERICANS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order implementing the President’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) workforce optimization initiative.

    • The Executive Order will make the federal workforce more efficient and effective.
      • Agency Heads will coordinate and consult with DOGE to shrink the size of the federal workforce and limit hiring to essential positions.
      • The Office of Personnel Management will initiate a rulemaking to ensure federal employees are held to the highest standards of conduct.
    • The Order will significantly reduce the size of government.
      • Upon expiration of the Day 1 hiring freeze and implementation of the hiring plan, agencies will be able to hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart from federal service (with appropriate immigration, law enforcement, and public safety exceptions).
      • Agencies will undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force and determine which agency components (or agencies themselves) may be eliminated or combined because their functions aren’t required by law.
    • The Order exempts personnel and functions critical to national security, public safety, law enforcement, and immigration enforcement.

    REDUCING THE UNNECESSARY FOOTPRINT OF GOVERNMENT: President Donald J. Trump is committed to reducing the size and scope of the federal government.

    • There are too many federal employees.
      • Excluding active-duty military and Postal Service employees, the federal workforce exceeds 2.4 million.
      • No one knows exactly how many federal agencies exist, but the Federal Register lists over 400.
    • The federal workforce contributes significantly to federal spending and debt.
      • In fiscal year 2022, the federal government spent nearly $300 billion on compensation for civilian employees, excluding pensions.
      • According to a recent congressional report, only 6% of federal workers report to work in-person on a full-time basis.

    BUILDING ON PAST SUCCESS: President Trump has made reforming the federal workforce a key priority for his second term.

    • President Trump has consistently worked to shrink the administrative state.
    • His first term spurred robust economic growth and innovation through regulatory reform. 
    • Workforce reform in his second term will build on these successes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Statement from the National Security Advisor

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>“Today, President Donald J. Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are able to announce that Mr. Witkoff is leaving Russian airspace with Marc Fogel, an American who was detained by Russia. President Trump, Steve Witkoff and the President’s advisors negotiated an exchange that serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine. Since President Trump’s swearing-in, he has successfully secured the release of Americans detained around the world, and President Trump will continue until all Americans being held are returned to the United States. By tonight, Marc Fogel will be on American soil and reunited with his family and loved ones thanks to President Trump’s leadership.”

      – National Security Advisor Mike Waltz

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Kaine Introduce Legislation to Expand Congressional Oversight of Foreign Assistance

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and other colleagues in introducing the Foreign Assistance Accountability and Oversight Act, legislation to expand congressional oversight of foreign assistance decision-making. The bill would require the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate and for all foreign assistance funding provided to the State Department or U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to be used as directed within 90 days of its appropriation by Congress. The Director of Foreign Assistance is currently not confirmed by the Senate, and the Trump Administration has refused to publicly identify the individual currently occupying this powerful position.
    The legislation also expresses the sense of Congress that foreign assistance is critical to U.S. national security, reiterates USAID’s status as a legally independent agency, specifies the exact authorities of the Office of Foreign Assistance, and creates an extra layer of review for personnel decisions within the Office of Foreign Assistance.
    “What Donald Trump and Elon Musk have done over the last week to shutter USAID is not only a flagrant violation of the law, it is a dangerous concession to our adversaries who will fill the void we leave behind, and it is devastating for the thousands of Americans who have dedicated their lives to a mission that makes America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” said Senator Murray. “This bill reasserts what we already know—that USAID is critical to our national security and global leadership and cannot be dismantled by an unelected billionaire with an axe to grind—and it ensures greater accountability for the political appointees leading these efforts.”
    “Foreign assistance is not a handout. It is a critical part of our national security strategy and a key tool to keep Americans safe from disease, narcotics and instability. China has rapidly expanded its foreign assistance over the past decade, and would like nothing more than for the United States to retreat on the global stage. The Trump Administration’s recent attempts to destroy USAID and U.S. foreign assistance programs emboldens China, Russia, and Iran, makes Americans less safe, puts thousands of Americans out of work, and is already causing cause immense human suffering for millions of people around the world,” said Senator Kaine. “That’s why I’m introducing this bill to force congressional oversight of this lawless and damaging behavior.”
    In addition to Senators Murray and Kaine, the legislation was also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray on Trump and Musk’s Funding Freeze, RFK Nomination at Democrats Weekly Press Conference

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ***VIDEO HERE***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, at Senate Democrats’ weekly press conference, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke about President Trump and Elon Musk’s illegal funding freeze, government funding ahead of the March 14 deadline, and the pending nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:
    “We have a funding deadline fast approaching and we need a topline soon to be able to write and pass our bills. 
    “I remain at the table with my Democratic counterpart in the House to get a result so we can move forward. But it is extremely difficult to land an agreement on toplines—much less our annual bills—when you have a President and an unelected billionaire ignoring the very agreements we pass each year in our spending bills. 
    “What we are seeing now—the absolute lawlessness, the illegal funding freeze that is risking jobs and hurting working people—that simply cannot continue.
    “The President is illegally blocking hundreds of billions in approved funding for our roads and bridges, for clean energy jobs, for foreign assistance, and a lot more. 
    “What’s more, the problem right now is that it’s not even March 14th yet, and Trump and Elon Musk are effectively shutting down the government—whichever parts they don’t like—all on their own, without any regard for the law or the Constitution or Congress. 
    “No one voted for the President to illegally block funding from Head Start classrooms or our rural health centers—but that is what Trump did his second week in office. 
    “No one voted to let an unelected billionaire decide what bills the federal government would or would not pay—but Trump is giving Elon the keys to the Treasury. 
    “In case Elon needs a reminder: the power of the purse sits with Congress—that means when people vote for us, we are their voice in how their tax dollars get spent. 
    “The constitution doesn’t say Elon gets to decide if our elementary schools and hospitals get funding. Congress negotiates how we invest in our communities. 
    “So, this has got to change, and we need our Republican colleagues to work with us to make sure it does—and I hope we can resolve things in time to pass the full year funding bills that I actually wanted to finish back last December. 
    “Now, as we consider nominations on the floor this week: I want to remind you all it was only 2019 when I co-led a bipartisan Senate Health Committee Hearing with Senator Alexander to educate people on vaccines. With nearly every Republican Senator on that dais making very clear that vaccines are safe, effective, and lifesaving. 
    “But now, Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Republican Party is on the verge of confirming, as our nation’s highest health official, RFK, Jr.— a man who has spent years crusading against vaccines. 
    “Republicans are choosing to pretend like it is in any way believable that RFK, Jr. won’t use his new power to do exactly the thing he has been trying to do for decades: undermine vaccines. 
    “People are alarmed. My phone lines are ringing off the hook with constituents who understand the stakes here and want us to stand up for science and for their health and safety. Because the Health Secretary has real power over whether Americans can get the basic information and care they need.
    “I think most of my colleagues know what is really at stake here. They know what sort of agenda RFK Jr. will pursue, and they know what sort of damage he could do if confirmed.
    “There are political realities, we all get that—but there is also right and wrong. There is also fact and fiction. There is also people staying healthy, and people dying pointlessly—kids dying pointlessly—from diseases that we can prevent.
    “So, I urge all my colleagues to show some courage, show some conscience, and say: no, a vaccine denier should not be our highest-ranking health official.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray, Former WA Federal Workers Highlight How Trump Administration’s Unprecedented Assault on Federal Workers in WA State and Nationwide is Undermining Essential Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Murray: “The American government is not Twitter—you can’t just run around breaking things and hope for the best. Americans rely on our federal workforce. They do essential, and often thankless jobs to keep our country running—and sometimes their work can be the difference between life and death.”
    Steve Kohfal, retired SSA worker, AFGE Local 3937: “Cancelling Field Office leases and reducing staffing to a 50-year low would further demoralize workers and destroy Social Security’s ability to serve the public.”
    ***VIDEO HERE***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a virtual press conference with former federal workers in Washington state to sound the alarm on how the Trump administration and Elon Musk are waging an all-out assault on America’s federal workforce, threatening to functionally decimate—through illegal actions and hostile pressure tactics—federal agencies that are often already understaffed. These attacks on the federal workforce threaten to undermine so many of the essential services Americans rely on, from air traffic control to food safety inspections.
    Joining Senator Murray for the press conference were: Helen Bottcher, who recently retired from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and currently serves as treasurer for the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1110 in Seattle; Jonathan Fox, who recently retired after 35 years as a National Weather Service Forecaster and lives in Spokane; and Steve Kofahl, a retired federal worker based in Everett who spent more than four decades at the Social Security Administration (SSA) and serves as Retiree Coordinator for AFGE District 11 and President Emeritus for AFGE Local 3937.
    From pressuring federal workers to take scammy “buyouts,” to firing and reassigning hundreds of top officials; placing workers on leave en masse including at USAID, CFPB, and the Department of Education; threatening mass layoffs and budget cuts to encourage more federal employees to quit their jobs; and denigrating the essential work public servants do—we have seen an unprecedented assault by Donald Trump and Elon Musk on our nation’s essential federal workforce over the past few weeks. Senator Murray has spoken out on the Senate floor against this administration’s attacks on federal workers, and recently sent an open letter to federal workers and a newsletter to her constituents in Washington state outlining her concerns with the administration’s so-called “Fork in the Road” offer.
    “Over the past few weeks, we have seen a lawless Trump administration attempt a hostile takeover of our nonpartisan career civil service,” Senator Murray said.“There are more than 56,000 civilian federal workers in Washington state and 2.4 million across the country—we’re talking about everyone from folks supporting the nuclear cleanup work at the Hanford site, to scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to the people who are making sure you get your Social Security check… They deserve better than to be threatened, intimidated, and pushed out the door by Elon Musk and Donald Trump.”
    “What everyone needs to understand is that this administration’s attacks on federal workers don’t just hurt those workers—they hurt people all over our country,” Senator Murray continued. “Veterans suffer when they have to wait longer at the VA. Seniors suffer when they can’t get someone to just answer the phone at the Social Security Administration. We all suffer when we don’t have federal watchdogs going after scams, or investigating crimes. When we don’t have researchers at NASA or NIH making new breakthroughs, or park rangers keeping who are our national parks open for people to enjoy. The American government is not Twitter—you can’t just run around breaking things and hope for the best.”
    “The stories I am hearing from my former colleagues are heart-breaking,” said Helen Bottcher, who retired from the EPA in 2023. “I’ve spoken with or heard about employees who are having panic attacks that landed them in the ER, who can’t sleep, and who have become physically ill because of the stress. I’ve seen the infamous ‘Fork in the Road’ email and the subsequent messages urging federal employees to quit. The language in these communications is disgusting – it is insulting, degrading and abusive. No one deserves to be treated this way… People aren’t wrong to be afraid.  The purge has begun at EPA.  Last Thursday, nine employees from EPA’s regional office were placed on administrative leave, suddenly and with virtually no warning. They were targeted because they were identified as working on Environmental Justice issues. They are not allowed to work, to enter the office or to use any agency equipment or systems. They are being paid for now, but they don’t know how much longer their pay will continue. They have simply no idea what will happen next. Will they be fired? Demoted? Assigned a new job? Forced to move to another state? It’s just chaos, and I think that chaos is intentional – it is designed to break people’s spirits and to divide them.”
    “Given the early chaos of the new administration, it is important for the people of Washington state and the country to know the impacts being experienced by our federal employees. There is a real fear about job security that stems from uncertainty about the future. There has been a lack of direct communication from this administration. The only source of information, which is more like misinformation, comes from social media outlets that are only serving to stoke more fear into the federal workforce,” said Jonathan Fox, who retired last month from the National Weather Service—a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—where he was a meteorologist producing lifesaving winter weather, severe weather, and fire weather forecasts for nearly 35 years. “For the National Weather Service employees, their mission is to save life and property and promote the enhancement of the national economy. That is their sole focus, and they all take their responsibility quite seriously. Frankly, they deserve better from this administration.”
    “Cancelling Field Office leases and reducing staffing to a 50-year low would further demoralize workers and destroy Social Security’s ability to serve the public,” said Steve Kohfal, who worked for the Social Security Administration (SSA) for 42 years before retiring in 2015, and now serves as the Retiree Coordinator for AFGE District 11 and President Emeritus for AFGE Local 3937. “Over 1 million disability claims and appeals are pending, and 30,000 applicants died last year while awaiting a decision. That’s unacceptable. Further cuts would be cruel and devastating.
    Senator Murray’s full remarks from today’s press conference are below and video is HERE:
    “Over the past few weeks, we have seen a lawless Trump administration attempt a hostile takeover of our nonpartisan career civil service.
    “From firing career prosecutors at the Department of Justice to gutting the entire federal agency, USAID; pressuring nearly the entire federal workforce to take a so-called “buyout” offer that reads a lot more like a scam; putting people on administrative leave en masse for no reason and threatening sweeping layoffs for people who stay; locking employees out of their offices, out of their devices, and telling them to cease all work—and even communication—without notice; and belittling public employees at every turn, including by calling their jobs ‘lower productivity’ than jobs in the private sector…
    “The assault that Donald Trump and Elon Musk are waging on federal workers is staggering—and unprecedented.
    “And last week, over Democrats’ objections, Senate Republicans confirmed Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget. This is someone who said he wanted to inflict ‘trauma’ on our federal workers. That is an insane way to talk about a workforce we rely on for some absolutely essential services.
    “Now, there are more than 56,000 civilian federal workers in Washington state and 2.4 million across the country—we’re talking about everyone from folks who support the nuclear cleanup work at the Hanford site, to scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to the people who are making sure you get your Social Security check.
    “These are civil servants who took an oath to our country, and are working tirelessly to get veterans their health care, inspect our meat processing facilities, make sure baby formula is safe, approve lifesaving drugs and treatments, manage our air traffic control, protect consumers from fraud, and help ensure we have clean drinking water, just to name a few.
    “They deserve better than to be threatened, intimidated, and pushed out the door by Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
    “But make no mistake, we actually need these people to stay in their jobs or things are going to start breaking. What everyone needs to understand is that this administration’s attacks on federal workers don’t just hurt those workers—they hurt people all over our country.
    “Veterans suffer when they have to wait longer at the VA. Seniors suffer when they can’t get someone to just answer the phone at the Social Security Administration.
    “We all suffer when we don’t have federal watchdogs going after scams, or investigating crimes. When we don’t have researchers at NASA or NIH making new breakthroughs, or park rangers keeping who are our national parks open for people to enjoy.
    “The American government is not Twitter—you can’t just run around breaking things and hope for the best.
    “Americans rely on our federal workforce. They do essential, and often thankless jobs to keep our country running—and sometimes, their work can be the difference between life and death.
    “So I want to say a huge, sincere thank you to federal workers in Washington state and across the country. You make our country better.
    “And I want you to know, I am in your corner and I am going to keep lifting up your stories, fighting for you, and holding this administration to account.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Senate Colleagues Demand Answers from USDA on Wildfire Mitigation Projects, Firefighting Hiring Halted by Trump’s Funding Freeze

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in sending a letter demanding answers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the unlawful halt of federal funds needed to mitigate and fight wildfires.
    Even though President Donald Trump did not apply the hiring freeze to positions related to “public safety,” federal firefighters are not currently exempt, and many have reported that their job offers were rescinded. In their letter to Acting Secretary Gary Washington, the senators pressed for more information on the stalled projects and hiring of thousands of federal firefighters, which are critical to protecting our nation’s forests and American families.
    “We write with significant concerns regarding the impact of halting the disbursement of funds for forest management and restoration projects, as well as the universal hiring freeze for Department of Agriculture personnel, including permanent and seasonal firefighters,” the senators wrote. “[A]ddressing the threat of wildfire—even in winter months—should remain a top priority for the Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture. The funds provided by Congress for this work led to record-breaking accomplishments in forest management in 2024. Halting these payments is not only unlawful but also endangers our rural communities by removing a vital component of their economies and delaying critical work to mitigate the threat of wildfire.”
    “Significant questions remain around which projects, grants, and agreements have been affected by these executive actions, but there is no doubt that these actions will damage essential programs that Americans rely on to keep them safe,” the senators continued, requesting additional information and responses to a number of questions about the ongoing funding freeze at USDA.  
    The full text of the letter is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Senate Floor Speech, Durbin Recounts Crimes Of Insurrectionists Pardoned By President Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 11, 2025

    In his remarks, Durbin spoke about the dangerous misconduct and criminal records of pardoned insurrectionists

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered remarks on the Senate floor detailing the crimes that January 6th insurrectionists have been charged with since President Trump’s reckless decision to pardon them for their crimes committed during the storming of the U.S. Capitol, including the violent assault on law enforcement officers. The events of that day resulted in the death of five law enforcement officers and the injury of more than 140 others.  Durbin began his speech by recounting his own experience on January 6, 2021, as Congress had convened to certify the 2020 election.

    “The President made these statements during the course of his campaign, but it still came as something of a shock, when on the first day of his presidency, Donald Trump decided to issue a blanket pardon for those who had been convicted for the January 6 riot that took place in this building,” Durbin began.  “For those of us who were physically present, it’s a moment we’ll never forget.  The Vice President of the United States was sitting in your chair, presiding over the United States Senate as we addressed the constitutional responsibility of counting the electoral votes.  It was roughly ten minutes after 2:00 in the afternoon when someone came along in a suit, walked up to the Vice President of the United States, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him off of the chair.”

    “The Capitol of the United States of America taken over by demonstrators.  The United States Senate and House of Representatives stopped in progress of doing their constitutional responsibility of counting the electoral votes.  And we’ve seen the videotapes.  There are plenty of them that show these mob demonstrators breaking the windows to get into the Capitol building, knocking down the doors, and then beating up on the police officers,” Durbin said.

    “They [law enforcement officers] were beaten up by these mobsters, these thugs, these demonstrators, who were egged on by the President of the United States to come up and go wild in the United States Capitol.  They went wild, spraying bear spray into the face of individual policemen, beating up on them with poles and pieces of furniture,” Durbin said.

    Durbin went on to denounce President Trump’s decision to issue sweeping pardons for those on trial or convicted of crimes related to the January 6th insurrection. 

    “Then came the President of the United States on his first day in office, and what did he do? He decided that every single person arrested for a crime related to January 6 should be released with a full and unconditional pardon.  That’s what he did,” Durbin said.

    Durbin continued on, explaining that there has been a flood of stories related to the disturbing criminal history and new crimes committed by insurrectionists since President Trump has issued his pardon. 

    “In the three weeks that have passed since the President made that decision, there’s some interesting stories… Emily Hernandez pleaded guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds in relation to her actions at the Capitol on January 6.  Ms. Hernandez was seen holding a stolen, broken name plate of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  She served 30 days in federal prison and was released. Days after being pardoned by President Trump, she was sentenced to ten years in prison for a 2022 deadly drunk driving crash in Missouri during which she collided with a couple, Victoria and Ryan Wilson, who just left dinner celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary.  Victoria died in the crash, and Ryan sustained serious injuries,” Durbin said.

    “Then there’s Daniel Ball, arrested for throwing an explosive device that detonated on at least 25 officers and forcefully shoving police at the Capitol on January 6.  Daniel Ball was in possession of a gun and ammunition upon his arrest, which was illegal considering his criminal background.  The Department of Justice dismissed Ball’s charges following President Trump’s pardon,” Durbin said.

    Durbin spoke then spoke about Guy Reffitt, the first defendant to stand trial on charges related to the January 6 insurrection.  Just weeks after his pardon, Reffitt returned to the Capitol to support Kash Patel, who has been nominated to serve as FBI Director despite a troubling record of peddling conspiracy theories about January 6 and whistleblower reports that he was personally involved in the ongoing purge of senior law enforcement officials at the FBI.

    “Guy Reffitt…was sentenced to 87 months in prison for bringing a firearm to the Capitol on January 6, 2021.  Reffitt’s 19-year-old son, Jackson, turned him into law enforcement after the attack.  Jackson also indicated that Reffitt had threatened to shoot him and his sister, Peyton, if they reported him to authorities,” Durbin said.

    “After receiving a pardon from President Trump, Guy Reffitt attended Kash Patel’s Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing.  Kash Patel is President Trump’s nominee to be the Director and head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Reffitt attended that committee nomination [hearing].  Here’s what he posted on social media afterward… ‘Present and in support of @KashPatel as the leftist commies continue to spew lies, misinformation and disinformation. My man Klean House Kash…!!!’” Durbin quoted Reffitt.

    “He certainly seems like he learned his lesson, right?  Served time in jail, released with a pardon by the President.  He’s at it again, defying the authorities, defying anyone who disagrees with him politically.  Full, unconditional pardon from Donald Trump,” Durbin concluded his remarks.

    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy champions No Propaganda Act to end taxpayer funding of partisan government broadcasting network

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced the Senate companion to the No Propaganda Act to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The bill would block federal funding for the CPB, which funnels taxpayer dollars to National Public Radio (NPR), because of the organization’s chronically biased content. 

    “The Corporation for Public Broadcasting should not be funneling Louisianians’ hard-earned tax dollars to outlets with one-sided coverage that clearly aim to promote a leftist political agenda. The No Propaganda Act would make sure that Americans aren’t footing the bill for biased, government media,” said Kennedy.

    Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.

    “The American Taxpayer continues to provide handouts through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to media outlets that have actively pushed Chinese propaganda and have prioritized fighting disinformation over free speech. CPB must be defunded to end the stream of taxpayer funds to biased, anti-American public radio and television stations,” said Perry.

    Congress has appropriated more than $15 billion to fund the CPB since 1969, which it allocates to NPR and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). CPB states that its goal is to “educate, inform, foster curiosity, and promote civil discourse essential to American society.”

    However, in April, a whistleblower exposed NPR’s decision not to broadcast the Hunter Biden laptop scandal because NPR believed covering the story would help presidential candidate Donald Trump during the 2020 election cycle.

    In 2020, reports also revealed that PBS used taxpayer dollars to partner with a Chinese Communist Party-controlled media outlet, CGTN, to produce a pro-Beijing film.

    The full bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fisheries consultation must put sustainability before profit

    Source: Green Party

    The Green Party is urgently calling on the Government to prioritise long-term prosperity of our oceans in its consultation on the Fisheries Act.

    “Our oceans are in a state of decline, continuing to put short-term profit before long-term sustainability will see the health of our ocean life wash away,” says Green Party’s Oceans and Fisheries spokesperson Teanau Tuiono.

    “Minister Jones has stated ‘sustainability will always be the bottom line for fisheries management,’ but we have seen decisions from the Government completely contradict and undermine this. Today’s proposed changes seem to reward industry for overfishing, posing a significant threat to the sustainability and longevity of our oceans.

    “If the Minister truly cared about sustainability he would ban bottom trawling and champion sustainable, adaptive fishing practices, which will increasingly be required in the context of climate change. 

    “If we want our oceans to thrive for generations to come we must commit to protecting more of our waters. We campaigned on doing exactly this by establishing a Healthy Oceans Act that would create a legally binding framework to protect at least 30 per cent of Aotearoa’s ocean by 2030.

    “The crisis facing our ocean is growing more urgent by the day – and it is communities who depend on the moana for their livelihoods, including Māori and Pasifika communities, who will be impacted most of all. This Government needs to prioritise the sustainability of our oceans, which in turn prioritises long-term wellbeing of tangata whenua and tagata moana.

    “It is high time the Government turned the tide on the exploitative and extractive fishing practices that have seen our ocean environment’s health decline and our fisheries be depleted.

    “Our oceans are the lifeblood of Aotearoa. It is incumbent upon us to protect them, not only for their beauty, but for their essential role in sustaining life on our planet,” says Teanau Tuiono.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: More Kiwis are hungry, homeless and out of work

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report.

    “This devastating report shows just how far this country has gone backwards under this coalition of chaos,” Labour’s social development spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni said.

    “While Government parties scrap with each other, our kids are going hungry, more people are living in cars and our best and brightest are leaving for Australia.

    “Across most of the report’s indicators in the past year, outcomes have either worsened or not changed for children and youth.

    “Homelessness is on the rise as the Government kicks families out of emergency housing without knowing where they all go, and next year the number of Kainga Ora homes in Auckland will go backwards.

    “Unemployment is on the rise, with about 1 in 10 Māori and Pacific people unemployed while the Government chooses to give billions to landlords and tobacco companies, instead of helping struggling families.

    “The Government is shamelessly boasting about growth, but the only growth we’re seeing is in the numbers of hungry, homeless and unemployed New Zealanders,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

    Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Albanese Government supporting and securing regional aviation

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    The Albanese Labor Government is building Australia’s Future, today announcing regional Australia will continue to receive critical aviation services into the future.

    The Albanese Government will work with the Administrators of Regional Express Holdings (Rex), as part of an upcoming competitive sale process, to ensure crucial regional aviation services continue beyond 30 June 2025.

    We will work with shortlisted bidders on what support the Albanese Government may be able to provide to maximise the prospect of a successful sale.

    Terms of Commonwealth support will be subject to negotiation, but will be conditional on commitments by bidders to provide an ongoing, reasonable level of service to regional and remote communities, the need to provide value for money to taxpayers and good governance.

    The Government is not a bidder in the upcoming sale process and would like to see a successful market-led outcome. However, in the event there is no sale, the Albanese Government will undertake necessary work, in consultation with relevant state governments, on contingency options, including preparations necessary for potential Commonwealth acquisition.

    The Albanese Government is also providing further support through a waiver of the “use it or lose it” test for Rex regional flight slots at Sydney Airport, which will ensure its access to those slots until 24 October 2026.

    This comes on top of the Albanese Government providing a loan of up to $80 million to keep Rex’s vital regional routes operating until 30 June 2025, and acquiring $50 million of debt from Rex’s largest creditor, PAGAC Regulus Holdings Limited, earlier this year to ensure the airline could continue to operate.

    These actions make clear the Government’s ongoing commitment to maintaining access to aviation services for regional and remote communities, and recognises the critical role of the Rex network to local economies.

    The Albanese Labor Government will back regional aviation just like we back regional telecommunications because we know our great country towns deserve quality services and connectivity just like our cities.

    Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

    “Regional Australians deserve access to quality and crucial regional aviation services.

    “We are working collaboratively with the administrators of Rex to ensure that regional services continue beyond June 2025, including looking at what support the Commonwealth can provide.

    “Regional Australians can be assured that our Government will continue to fight to ensure these regional airfares remain available.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Finance Katy Gallagher:

    “The Albanese Government believes regional and remote communities deserve reliable, affordable and accessible air travel.

    “That’s why we’re taking steps to ensure the best possible deal for the sale of Rex.

    “Aviation services are essential for our regions, and our government is committed to seeing these services continue into the future.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:

    “Regional Australians rely on these important services and the Albanese Government making sure communities outside capital cities aren’t shortchanged.

    “When markets fail or struggle to deliver for regional communities the Government has a role to ensure people do not miss out on opportunities, education and critical connections.

    “We are recognising that today and stepping in to keep these routes in the air.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham, Scott, Norman Lead Amicus Brief in Medina v. Planned Parenthood

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), and U.S. Representative Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina) filed an “amicus curiae” (or “friend of the Court”) brief in the case of Medina v. Planned Parenthood. The brief supports South Carolina’s determination that Planned Parenthood does not qualify to receive Medicaid funding. The South Carolina Republicans were joined by 14 other Senators and 76 other members of the House of Representatives.  

    “Most Americans oppose their hard-earned tax dollars being used to subsidize abortion,” said Senator Lindsey Graham. “I am honored to join my South Carolina Republican colleagues and lend our voices to Governor Henry McMaster’s effort to make sure Medicaid funding cannot be used by Planned Parenthood in South Carolina in any fashion.”

    “The purpose of Medicaid is to provide essential healthcare services to parents and children in underserved communities where access to quality medical care can be limited,” said Senator Tim Scott. “Using taxpayer dollars to fund abortion not only diverts resources away from Medicaid’s mission, but undermines the intent of both the law and the program itself. I’m proud to join my colleagues from South Carolina in standing up for the right to life and against this government overreach.”

    “Private parties like Planned Parenthood have no right to undermine congressional intent by forcing states to say that Planned Parenthood is a qualified Medicaid provider,” said Representative Ralph Norman. “South Carolina has every right to determine what qualifies and disqualifies Medicaid healthcare providers operating within our state. That was precisely the intent of Congress. My hope is the Court will see this lawsuit for what it truly is: a misguided attempt to undermine that authority.”

    “As a pro-life state, South Carolina taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize the abortion industry,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “I am grateful for the support of members of the South Carolina delegation and the many other members of Congress who recognize the importance of this case and are standing with South Carolina as we defend our values.”

    Background:

    Under federal law and guidance, states administer Medicaid plans, including deciding which medical providers qualify to receive payments for certain services. In 2018, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster ordered the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to disqualify abortion clinics from receiving Medicaid funding. Over three years, Planned Parenthood received over $1.5 billion in state Medicaid reimbursements nationwide, which is one of their largest funding sources.

    Following South Carolina’s determination, Planned Parenthood and one of its clients sued the DHHS Director in federal court, claiming a right to force DHHS to reverse that decision. There have been four appeals, each of which Members have supported with similar briefs.

    This brief has the support of Alliance Defending Freedom, Americans United for Life, CatholicVote, Family Research Council, Students for Life, and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, State Highway 6, Nelson

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    State Highway 6 near Atawhai Drive, Nelson is currently closed following a crash.

    The two-vehicle crash involving a car and a motorbike was reported just before 11:30am.

    One person has been seriously injured.

    Diversions are in place and motorists are advised to expect delays.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New report highlights agriculture’s $41.3 billion impact on North Dakota’s economy

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Gov. Kelly Armstrong and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring in collaboration with North Dakota State University (NDSU) along with the North Dakota Department of Commerce, released a comprehensive economic report today underscoring agriculture’s critical role in the state’s economy and rural prosperity.

    The study, conducted by NDSU’s Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics and the Center for Social Research, finds that North Dakota’s agriculture industry generates $41.3 billion annually in gross business volume, supports 123,360 jobs and contributes $10 billion in labor income. 

    “Agriculture isn’t just an industry. It’s the backbone of our economy and a cornerstone of rural prosperity,” said Dr. Greg Lardy, NDSU vice president for agricultural affairs. “This report reinforces the need for policies that drive investment and innovation in the sector.”

    The report, unveiled during a press conference today at the state Capitol, also highlights the continued growth of commodity processing and value-added agriculture, which are driving new economic opportunities across the state.

    “Continuing to add value to our commodities benefits every farmer and rancher across North Dakota and makes our state’s economy more resilient,” Armstrong said, citing examples such as the recently added soybean processing plants in Spiritwood and Casselton and a proposed potato processing plant in Grand Forks. “We’re committed to expanding processing and diversifying our agriculture sector to create jobs and ensure that North Dakota remains a leader in ag innovation as we feed and fuel the world.” 

    The North Dakota Agriculture Industry Economic Contribution Analysis was funded by industry, including the following: North Dakota Agricultural Association; North Dakota Corn Growers Association; North Dakota Dry Bean Council; North Dakota Farm Bureau; North Dakota Farmers Union; North Dakota Soybean Council; North Dakota Soybean Growers Association; North Dakota Stockmen’s Association; Northern Canola Growers Association; Northern Pulse Growers Association; Northland Potato Growers Association; and Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association.

    “Agriculture continues to play an integral part in our state’s economy, thanks to our hardworking and innovative farmers, ranchers, rural communities and ag industries,” Goehring said. “We look forward to the future of agriculture as opportunities to add value, new cutting-edge developments and continued research shape how we produce a wide array of products used here and around the world.”

    Commerce Commissioner Chris Schilken tied the report’s findings to the need for strategic rural planning.

    “Planning is essential to ensure agriculture’s long-term success,” Schilken said. “From infrastructure to workforce development, rural communities need forward-thinking strategies to keep pace with industry growth. That’s why events like the North Dakota Rural Planning Symposium are so critical. They bring together experts and community leaders to map out a sustainable future for North Dakota’s rural economy.”

    The North Dakota Rural Planning Symposium kicks off this evening followed by a full day Wednesday of presentations focusing on strategies for building resilient rural communities, enhancing infrastructure and fostering economic development. The event will bring together community developers, policymakers and industry leaders to explore actionable solutions for strengthening North Dakota’s rural landscape.

    Learn more about the North Dakota Rural Planning Symposium at https://ndgov.link/RuralPlanning.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Haverhill Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Firearms Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Haverhill man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to trafficking cocaine and illegal firearms in and around the Boston area.

    Cordell Miller, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, aiding and abetting and one count of trafficking in firearms and conspiracy to do so. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025. Miller was arrested and charged in November 2023 along with alleged co-conspirators Malcolm Desir and Alan Robinson.

    Miller was identified as a firearms and ammunition trafficker in the metro Boston area. In August 2023, Miller arranged for the sale of distribution weight cocaine and several firearms to a cooperating witness. Prior to his arrest in November 2023, Miller and Robinson facilitated the sale of four separate firearms: an AR-15 “ghost gun” rifle; a Polymer 80 “ghost gun” pistol; a HIPOINT 9mm rifle; and a Ruger .38 caliber pistol.

    In January 2025, Robinson pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2025. Desir is scheduled to plead guilty on Feb. 19, 2025.

    The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of firearms trafficking provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
            
    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hays man admits manslaughter charge in stabbing on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS — A Hays man today admitted to fatally stabbing a woman during a quarrel on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    The defendant, Tonylee Andrew Sears, 24, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter as charged in an indictment. Sears faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 18. Sears was detained pending further proceedings.

    The government alleged in court documents that in the early morning hours of Jan. 13, 2024, Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services responded to reports of a stabbing at Sears’ home. Officers encountered Sears, a witness, identified as John Doe, and the victim, identified as Jane Doe. Jane Doe was on the living room floor, bleeding, and was pronounced dead at the scene. In an interview with law enforcement, John Doe said he and Jane Doe had gone to Sears’ house to drink alcohol and hang out and that the victim and Sears argued. The argument escalated, and Sears grabbed a knife and stabbed Jane Doe while she was on the ground. John Doe pulled Sears off the victim and called 911. Sears threw the knife in the kitchen sink. When interviewed, Sears admitted that he and the victim rolled around on the floor after an argument, and he stabbed her. Officers recovered a knife from the kitchen sink. An autopsy report concluded that Jane Doe died from a stab wound.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mason City Man Sentenced to More than 20 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in Distribution of Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Monroe Thompson, age 40, from Mason City, was sentenced February 7, 2025, to more than 20 years in federal prison after an August 28, 2024, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

    Evidence in the case revealed that between May 2023, and August 2023, Thompson was part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.  Thompson purchased methamphetamine from sources working with law enforcement.  During the execution of a search warrant at Thompson’s residence, officers located counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl.

    Thompson has an extensive criminal history including several convictions for possession of controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a felon, and assault – inflicting serious injury in Iowa; Absence from custody in Minnesota; possession of controlled substances and/or selling or manufacturing controlled substances, and possession of firearms in Illinois; as well as Burglary, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, disorderly conduct and resisting or obstructing, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in Wisconsin. 

    Thompson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 262 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    Thompson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.  

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-3014.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Dodge Woman Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Braleigh Schossow, 24, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on February 11, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiring to distribute fentanyl.

    At the plea hearing, evidence showed that between December 2020 and February 2024, Schossow and others involved in the conspiracy, distributed at least 22 pounds of fentanyl in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and elsewhere.  

    Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Schossow remains in the custody of United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.  Schossow faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.  This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-3026.  

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Willie Mills, age 31, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty on Monday to possession of a firearm as a felon and distribution of fentanyl.

    United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, made the announcement.

    Mills admitted to possessing an EAA semiautomatic pistol and distributing 895 pills containing fentanyl. As a result of his prior felony conviction for criminal possession of a firearm, Mills could not lawfully possess the pistol.

    Mills faces a mandatory prison term of at least 5 years and maximum term of 40 years, a fine up to $5 million, and a supervised release term of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

    DEA is investigating the case with assistance from the Schenectady Police Department and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Paulbeck is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures 20-Year Sentence for Albuquerque Drug Trafficker Following Jury Conviction

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man with a history of felony convictions was sentenced to 248 months in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses after being found guilty at trial of possessing nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and a loaded handgun.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on February 20, 2021, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call about a suspicious person in Albuquerque’s South Valley. Deputies observed Jaime Valdez, 36, matching the description and noticed him acting nervously. Upon approach, Valdez began reaching into his pockets and a duffle bag, prompting deputies to secure him.

    A search revealed a loaded pistol in Valdez’s pocket and approximately $2,560 in cash, two packages containing 859.8 grams of pure methamphetamine, and drug packaging materials and a scale in the duffle bag.

    Valdez, who had three outstanding felony warrants and was previously convicted of felony charges including False Imprisonment and Child Abuse, was prohibited from possessing firearms.

    Upon his release from prison, Valdez will be subject to five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, made the announcement today.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nora Wilson and Joseph Spindle prosecuted the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Cornyn Champions Texas’ Request for Border Security Reimbursement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed Gov. Abbott’s request for the federal government to reimburse the State of Texas for its efforts to secure the southern border, which is a federal responsibility, and previewed the Texas delegation’s plan to help pay back Texas taxpayers. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

    “President Biden, and Vice President Harris, and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas intentionally and willfully refused to enforce the laws on the books to keep the border secure and to keep our nation safe.”

    “We had no choice but to pick up the slack to try to secure some semblance of basic safety for Texans and the rest of the country. Everything the State of Texas did to fill the gap inured not just to the benefit of the 31 million people who live in Texas, but to the entire nation.”

    “As a result of Operation Lone Star, without any help at all from the federal government, Texas was able to reduce illegal immigration into the state by 87 percent.”

    “While every state became a border state during the last administration, there are costs that Texas had to shoulder that our neighbors have not.”

    “It’s just fair and right and just for Texas taxpayers to be made whole for the border security responsibilities it took on as a result of President Biden’s dereliction of duty.”

    “My colleagues on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees should expect me and Senator Cruz and the entire Texas delegation to be strongly advocating for reimbursement for Texas in the coming weeks, and I look forward to working with them in order to make this a reality.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Reacts to Patel Working Behind-the-Scenes to Fire FBI Agents

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today reacted to reports Kash Patel has been personally involved in the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to target and fire career FBI agents and officials.  
    “If these reports are true, this is perjury. Under oath, Kash Patel said he had no recollection of any discussions or details about plans to purge career FBI agents—but whistleblowers have revealed that he was not only aware but orchestrating it,” said Senator Welch. “Kash Patel’s goal is to wreck the FBI, and my colleagues across the aisle must vote no.”  
    Following his confirmation hearing, Senator Welch asked Mr. Patel in written Questions for the Record about his involvement pursing any specific individuals. Under oath, Mr. Patel answered:  

    He later provided the following answers, also under oath: 

    Read Mr. Patel’s responses to all of Senator Welch’s Questions for the Record here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Various activities held across China to celebrate upcoming Lantern Festival

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Various activities held across China to celebrate upcoming Lantern Festival

    Updated: February 11, 2025 21:34 Xinhua
    People perform dragon dance during an event celebrating the Lantern Festival at Yuanshi County in the city of Shijiazhuang, north China’s Hebei Province, Feb. 9, 2025. Various activities are held across the country to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival which falls on Feb. 12 this year. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A girl looks at lanterns during an event celebrating the Lantern Festival in Ninghai County of Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A girl looks at radish lamps with Chinese characters meaning good harvest in Linyi, east China’s Shandong Province, Feb. 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows people enjoying a folk art event celebrating the Lantern Festival in Zhuanglang of Pingliang, northwest China’s Gansu Province, Feb. 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Folk artists stage a molten iron fireworks show during an event celebrating the Lantern Festival in Wenxian County of Jiaozuo, central China’s Henan Province, Feb. 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People parade during an event in Xuyi County, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Feb. 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –