NewzIntel.com

Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Launches Investigation into Rhode Island for Race-Based Employment Preferences in Violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the State of Rhode Island (“Rhode Island”) concerning potential race-based discrimination in state employment practices.

    The state of Rhode Island mandates state agencies set hiring targets that are effectively race-based employment quotas.[1] These statutorily mandated goals pressure state agencies to engage in discriminatory, and potentially unlawful, hiring practices. The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section opened the investigation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, national origin, and other protected characteristics.

    “The state of Rhode Island’s official hiring policy embraces racial discrimination, something the Supreme Court has long held to be unlawful,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Discrimination in the name of ‘diversity’ is not only fundamentally unjust, but it also violates federal law. The Civil Rights Division will investigate Rhode Island’s discriminatory policy and take appropriate action if warranted.”

    You can view the notice letter here

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Pakistani Weapons Smuggler of Transporting Iranian Advanced Conventional Weapons Destined for the Houthis in Yemen

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    A federal jury convicted a Pakistani national today on charges related to smuggling Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry destined for the Houthis in Yemen and threatening multiple witnesses.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on the night of Jan. 11, 2024, U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER, including Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team East, boarded an unflagged dhow, a small vessel, in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia. The U.S. boarding team encountered 14 individual mariners on the vessel, including the captain, Muhammad Pahlawan, 49.

    During a search of the dhow, the U.S. boarding team located and seized Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry, including ballistic missile components, anti-ship cruise missile components, and a warhead. The type of weaponry found aboard the dhow is consistent with the weaponry used by the Houthi rebel forces during the time of the charged conspiracy against merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. During the interdiction, Pahlawan lied to the boarding team, instructed other crewmembers to lie, and eventually threatened the lives of his crewmembers and their families.

    Pahlawan’s January 2024 trip was part of a larger operation. From in or around August 2023 through in or around January 2024, Pahlawan worked with two Iranian brothers, Shahab Mir’kazei (Shahab), and Yunus Mir’kazei (Yunus), affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to smuggle materials from Iran to the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen. Pahlawan completed multiple smuggling voyages, coordinated and funded by Shahab and Yunus, by traveling with cargo from Iran to the coast of Somalia and transporting that cargo to another vessel for a nighttime ship-to-ship transfer. Pahlawan worked with Shahab and Yunus to prepare the dhow for these smuggling voyages, received specific coordinates from them for the ship-to-ship transfers, and received multiple payments from them for his role in the smuggling operation.

    Pahlawan was convicted of: conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists, providing material support and resources to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program, providing material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s weapons of mass destruction program, conspiring to and indeed transporting explosive devices to the Houthis knowing those explosives would be used to cause harm, and threatening his crew. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22 and most statutes of conviction include a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Executive Assistant Director Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s National Security Branch; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy A. Edwards Jr. and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Joseph N. Kaster of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Former Eastern District of Virginia prosecutor Danya Atiyeh, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica Aber, and former National Security Division Trial Attorney Lesley Woods supported the case.

    The following government agencies provided invaluable support to the case: the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Defense, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Navient holds 2025 annual shareholder meeting, appoints Edward Bramson as board chair

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HERNDON, Va., June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Navient (Nasdaq: NAVI) today held its 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders voted in accordance with the recommendations of the company’s board of directors to approve three proposals, including the election of seven nominees to the board.

    Linda Mills did not stand for reelection at the 2025 annual meeting. Ms. Mills joined the Navient board of directors in 2014 and served as chair since 2019.

    “Linda’s leadership and service on the board since Navient’s inception are greatly appreciated,” said Dave Yowan, president and CEO of Navient. “Her valuable perspectives have been integral to Navient’s continued success.”

    Also today, Edward Bramson was elected chair of the board of directors. The current directors are Edward Bramson, Frederick Arnold, Anna Escobedo Cabral, Larry Klane, Michael Lawson, Jane Thompson, and David Yowan.

    Mr. Bramson is a partner in Sherborne Investors, a turnaround investment firm. He joined Navient’s board in 2022 and became vice chair in 2024. Mr. Bramson has also served as chairman or chief executive officer of several other publicly traded companies in a range of commercial and financial sectors.

    Final voting results are available on a Form 8-K filed with the SEC at SEC.gov and on Navient.com/investors.

    About Navient
    Navient (Nasdaq: NAVI) provides technology-enabled education finance solutions that help millions of people achieve success. Learn more at navient.com.

    Contact:
    Media: Cate Fitzgerald, 317-806-8775, catherine.fitzgerald@navient.com
    Investors: Jen Earyes, 703-984-6801, jen.earyes@navient.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Firm Capital Property Trust Announces Results of Annual Meeting of Unitholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Firm Capital Property Trust (“FCPT” or the “Trust“), (TSX: FCD.UN) is pleased to announce the voting results for its Annual and Special Meeting of unitholders (“Unitholders”) of Trust Units (“Units”) of the Trust held on June 5, 2025 (the “Meeting”).

    All the matters put forward before Unitholders for consideration and approval as set out in the Trust’s management information circular dated April 23, 2025 (the “Circular“) were approved by the requisite majority of votes cast at the Meeting. In particular, Unitholders approved the election of all trustee nominees, the approval of MNP LLP as the Trust’s auditors, approving for a period of three years, all unallocated options, rights and other entitlements issuable pursuant to the Trust’s option plan and approving for a period of three years, all unallocated entitlements issuable pursuant to the Trust’s incentive arrangements, all as described in the Circular. The results of the votes on the board of trustees of the Trust is as follows:

    Nominee Votes “For” % Votes “For” Votes “Withheld” % of Votes “Withheld”
    Geoffrey Bledin 9,172,015 99.4% 55,306 0.6%
    Eli Dadouch 7,857,717 85.2% 1,369,604 14.8%
    Stanley Goldfarb 9,120,792 98.8% 106,529 1.2%
    Jonathan Mair 7,835,944 84.9% 1,391,377 15.1%
    Robert McKee 7,835,844 84.9% 1,391,477 15.1%
    Sandy Poklar 7,810,534 84.6% 1,416,787 15.4%
    Lawrence Shulman 9,149,407 99.2% 77,914 0.8%
    Howard Smuschkowitz 9,151,255 99.2% 76,066 0.8%
    Manfred Walt 9,150,997 99.2% 76,324 0.8%
    Victoria Granovski 7,812,809 84.7% 1,414,512 15.3%
    Jeffrey Goldfarb 9,150,557 99.2% 77,264 0.8%

    9,340,241 Units were represented by Unitholders in person or by proxy at the Meeting, representing approximately 25.3% of the total issued and outstanding Units at the record date for the Meeting. Full details of the voting results will be posted under the Trust’s profile on www.sedarplus.ca.

    ABOUT FIRM CAPITAL PROPERTY TRUST (TSX : FCD.UN)

    Firm Capital Property Trust is focused on creating long-term value for Unitholders, through capital preservation and disciplined investing to achieve stable distributable income. In partnership with management and industry leaders. The Trust’s plan is to own as well as to co-own a diversified property portfolio of multi-residential, flex industrial, and net lease convenience retail. In addition to stand alone accretive acquisitions, the Trust will make joint acquisitions with strong financial partners and acquisitions of partial interests from existing ownership groups, in a manner that provides liquidity to those selling owners and professional management for those remaining as partners. Firm Capital Realty Partners Inc., through a structure focused on an alignment of interests with the Trust sources, syndicates and property and asset manages investments on behalf of the Trust.

    FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

    This press release contains contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws including, among others, statements associated with the opportunities that may be available to the Trust and statements regarding the business of the Trust. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue”, and by discussions of strategies that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Trust. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and various future events will not occur. Although management of the Trust believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements will occur as anticipated. These statements are not guarantees and are based on our estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Trust’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024 under “Risks and Uncertainties” (a copy of which can be obtained at www.sedarplus.ca). Neither the Trust nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any forward-looking statements, and no one has any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or such other factors which affect this information, except as required by law.

    Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Additional information about the Trust is available at www.firmcapital.com or www.sedarplus.ca.

    For further information, please contact:
       
    Robert McKee Sandy Poklar
    President & Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer
    (416) 635-0221 (416) 635-0221
       
    For Investor Relations information, please contact:
       
    Victoria Moayedi  
    Director, Investor Relations  
    (416) 635-0221  
       

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    June 05, 2025

    During his remarks, Durbin condemned the systematic gutting of the Department of Justice under AG Bondi

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement during today’s Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting. Durbin’s opening statement outlined the Trump Administration’s systematic gutting of Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI anti-corruption efforts, gutting of independent ethics review at DOJ, Attorney General Bondi’s conflicts of interest, and more.

    Key Quotes:

    “Under the Trump Administration, the Department of Justice is systematically removing the structure charged with fighting corruption in our government… In one of her first official acts, Attorney General Bondi disbanded the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force and restricted enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, despite the growing threat of foreign influence campaigns by hostile nations. Unfortunately, this was no surprise since the Attorney General herself was formerly a paid foreign agent of the government of Qatar. As a former head of FBI counterintelligence put it, this has created a ‘free for all for foreign intelligence services seeking influence on our government.’”

    “In another shocking move, President Trump ordered a halt to the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This landmark law prohibits companies from bribing foreign officials… After endless, baseless accusations that the Biden Administration weaponized DOJ, it is the Trump Administration that is making it easier to target its enemies, stifle dissent, and seek retribution.”

    “The Trump Administration also removed the senior career ethics official at DOJ who advised on conflicts of interest and other ethical issues—and put these duties in the hands of two inexperienced political appointees who are personally beholden to the Attorney General.”

    “In the absence of these internal guardrails, it’s not surprising that we’re witnessing outrageous misconduct. Attorney General Bondi did not recuse herself from President Trump’s solicitation of a free jet from the royal family of Qatar, despite the fact that AG Bondi was a registered foreign agent for [Qatar].”

    “Attorney General Bondi also appears to be reaping the financial rewards of her loyalty to the President. She has been deeply financially entangled with President Trump for years. Most notably, she earned at least $3 million on the merger that formed Trump Media and has held millions of dollars in Trump Media stock. She sold that stock under suspicious circumstances on a historic day—April 2, 2025. This was the same day President Trump announced his hairbrained tariff scheme that crashed the stock market and destroyed $10 trillion in wealth in three days… The share price of Trump Media plummeted 15 percent, yet Bondi appears to have avoided substantial financial loss.”

    “The Justice Department is involved in other activities that bear notice today. During his controversial and disgraceful tenure as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin fired numerous career prosecutors simply because they were assigned to work on January 6 cases. Mr. Martin was rewarded with a plum position at the Justice Department as the very first political appointee to serve as pardon attorney. During his short time in this role, Martin has overseen pardons of numerous Trump donors and supporters.”

    “In light of these concerns, we have a responsibility to call Attorney General Bondi under oath soon. So, I ask again, I hope we have that oversight hearing in the soon in the future.”

    Durbin also spoke in support of David Waterman, nominated to be the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. President Biden nominated Mr. Waterman last February and the Senate Judiciary Committee reported his nomination last April. Mr. Waterman became a victim of then-Senator Vance’s effort to block all U.S. Attorney nominees during under the Biden Administration. 

    Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 06/5/2025 VIDEO: Blackburn Confronts Law Professor for Calling Conservative Justices ‘Evil’ and Urges Passage of Protect Our Supreme Court Justices Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) confronted University of Pennsylvania law professor Kate Shaw on referring to conservative United States Supreme Court justices as “evil colleagues” as Supreme Court justices have faced threats of intimidation at their homes by those seeking to influence their decisions. Professor Shaw denied these comments despite being under oath and her comments being on tape. Senator Blackburn also pressed Professor Shaw on whether she supports the Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act to deter intimidation of justices.

    Click here to download video of Senator Blackburn’s remarks during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. 
    On Shaw’s comments about Supreme Court justices:
    Blackburn: “Would you like to provide explanation about why you think conservative justices are evil? Do you care to explain yourself?”
    Shaw: “I would have to look at the transcript senator. I think that the dismissive approach to sex equality arguments in the Dobbs case was deeply concerning. One paragraph in the opinion suggests that there’s no sex equality problem with abortion restrictions or prohibitions. I think that’s deeply wrong, and in the more colloquial sort of mode of a podcast conversation. That is probably what I intended to convey, that he discounted very serious sex equality concerns.”
    On Blackburn’s Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act:
    Blackburn: “I’ve got a bill, the Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act, and it would deter intimidation of Supreme Court Justices. It would increase the maximum term of imprisonment for violation of Section 1507 from one year to five years… Increasing the maximum time jail time for a protester under 1507 is, I think, an effective way to deter this intimidation of our justices. So, I’d like to hear from each of you on this.”
    Shaw: “…I would need to take a look. I’m not prepared to take a position… If we’re talking about increasing penalties for violence, I would absolutely support that.”
    RELATED

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Valadao Joins Bipartisan Coalition to Introduce Legislation Supporting Central Valley Families

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) joined Reps. Jared Golden (ME-02), Young Kim (CA-40), and Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) to introduce the Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act. This bipartisan bill would help mitigate the cost burden on families with private insurance plans throughout pregnancy by designating prenatal, birth, and postpartum care as essential health benefits (EHBs) and eliminating cost-sharing from these services. The Senate companion bill was introduced by Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Josh Hawley (R-AR), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

    “The cost of maternal care is already expensive, and too often, families with private insurance are hit with surprise medical bills they didn’t see coming,” said Congressman Valadao. “Building a family already comes with so much uncertainty, but designating maternal care as an essential health benefit and eliminating cost-sharing will give parents some peace of mind during one of life’s most important moments. I’m proud to join my colleagues in supporting this practical, bipartisan solution that puts families first.”

    “Pregnancy and childbirth are a normal part of family life, so insurance companies should treat it like the routine care it is and cover the cost,” said Rep. Golden. “It shouldn’t cost thousands of dollars to give birth at the hospital, and other necessary maternity services shouldn’t be a luxury. This is simple, commonsense reform and will make it easier for Mainers to start and grow families on their own terms without a huge hospital bill.”

    “Americans shouldn’t have to choose between starting a family and being strapped in debt. Unfortunately, rising living costs on top of excessive hospital and health care fees after giving birth deter individuals from becoming parents,” said Rep. Kim. “We should do what we can to make life more affordable, which is why I’m proud to help lead the charge to cut childbirth cost-sharing fees and ensure women, babies and families receive the care they deserve without astronomical costs.”

    “When my daughter was born by emergency C-section nine weeks early, I wanted to focus all my attention on my recovery and her well-being for the six weeks she was in the NICU, not our medical bills,” said Rep. McClellan. “The Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act will provide more pregnant and postpartum patients the peace of mind that they can access care without worrying about how to pay for it.”

    Supporting organizations include: American Principles Project, Concerned Women for America, Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology, Americans United for Life, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Students for Life, LiveAction, Life Defenders, March for Life, the Catholic Health Association of the United States, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, March of Dimes, and National Partnership for Women & Families.

    The Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act would:

    • Designate prenatal, birth, and postpartum care as essential health benefits (EHBs) under private insurance plans.
    • Eliminate cost-sharing for all in-network childcare services, and out-of-network care when no in-network provider is available.
    • Mandate full coverage for ultrasounds, miscarriage care, delivery services, and postpartum care for up to a year after birth.
    • Provide mental health coverage for spouses and adoptive parents.

    Background:

    While Medicaid covers the full cost of childbirth for those enrolled, families with private insurance plans routinely face thousands in unexpected expenses—often as much as $3,000 to $10,000—due to high deductibles, coverage gaps, and confusing hospital pricing. By designating prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care as essential health benefits and eliminating cost-sharing for in-network services, this bill offers families greater financial predictability and reduces the medical debt that disproportionately impacts new parents.

    Read the full resolution here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘No one knew what was happening’: new research shows how domestic violence harms young people’s schooling

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Roberts, Professor of Education and Social Justice, Monash University

    Taiki Ishikawa/ Unsplash, CC BY

    Every school around Australia is almost certain to have students who are victim-survivors of family and domestic violence.

    The 2023 Australian Child Maltreatment Study found neglect and physical, sexual and emotional abuse of children is widespread. Among Australians aged 16–65 years, 32% experienced physical abuse, 28.5% experienced sexual abuse, 39% experienced emotional abuse and 9% had been neglected during their childhoods.

    As the place where children spend the bulk of their time outside home, schools could be an important source of help and support. But are they equipped to do this?

    Our research, published in the Australian Journal of Social Issues, explores the impact of domestic and family violence on young people’s education. Our findings show just how significant the disruption to a young person’s education can be, including how safe or supported they feel at school.

    Our study

    Our study draws on data from the Adolescent Family Violence in Australia project. This is a national survey of more than 5,000 young Australians aged 16–20 years old. We focused on a subset of 1,651 respondents who had experienced domestic and family violence, either by experiencing violence between other family members or being directly subjected to it.

    The survey asked both structured and open-ended questions to explore the impacts of domestic and family violence.

    Family violence disrupts school attendance and participation

    Our study showed family violence has a significant impact on school attendance. Young people told us they missed classes or dropped out of school during their experiences of violence.

    For some young people, attending school while coping with trauma, fear and instability at home was too overwhelming.

    A 19-year-old woman shared how she became so anxious in the presence of teachers and other authority figures she could only manage one day of school per week in a secluded setting.

    Another young woman described missing classes regularly to care for her mother after violent episodes, while a 20-year-old man said he stayed home to protect his mother.

    Even when young victims did attend school, the emotional toll of family violence often meant they were socially withdrawn. Some spoke about losing friends due to frequent house moves and school shifts, while others withdrew socially because of anxiety and trauma. One 17-year-old explained:

    I don’t talk a lot to male teachers and don’t really have close friendships with girls at my school, so I tend to stay home.

    Some participants described school as a safe haven away from their abusive home. But even in these cases, learning was often still difficult. One young person commented:

    Yes, I wanted to go to school to get away from home, but felt very alone and isolated because no one knew what was happening.

    Family violence and homework

    The effects of family violence extend beyond the classroom. Many young people told us how the chaos, fear and emotional exhaustion of life at home made it difficult, if not impossible, to complete homework or study for exams. One young woman remarked:

    I can’t do any homework at home because it’s not a safe environment for me.

    Another young person described being kept up late listening to fighting or because of police visits, leaving them physically and emotionally exhausted in the morning.

    In some cases, abusive parents directly prevented their child from attending school or doing homework. Other young people described not having access to the tools they needed, like a working computer or internet connection – sometimes withheld deliberately by a parent.

    These accounts show how for some children experiencing family violence, learning at home is not just difficult, it is fundamentally unsafe.

    Young people spoke of how domestic violence made it impossible to study at home.
    C.T.PHAT/Shutterstock, CC BY

    A missed opportunity

    It can be difficult for schools to fully understand and appreciate what’s happening for students at home.

    Few of the young people we surveyed proactively disclosed their experiences to school staff, including teachers and counsellors. Disclosure rates ranged from just 12% to 17%, depending on the type of violence the young person reported experiencing.

    For those young people who did disclose, their experiences varied. Some young people described school staff as a lifeline – listening without judgement, offering helpful information and taking action where needed.

    Others described being ignored, dismissed or harmed further by insensitive responses. As one young person said, the “school counsellor told me I needed to understand dad’s behaviour and keep my head down”.

    The help students received seemed to depend on the individual teacher or school counsellor, their knowledge and training. This inconsistency represents a major barrier to effective and early intervention.

    What needs to change

    As well as learning, schools can also provide safety, stability and healing. We need schools to be supported to provide more effective and consistent care for students experiencing family violence.

    As other research has similarly found, responses need to be trauma-informed (recognising the impact of trauma on students) and student-centred (focusing on individuals’ needs). This involves:

    • providing trauma and domestic violence-informed training to all school staff

    • ensuring schools have clear processes to follow if a student disclosures domestic violence, including referrals to appropriate external supports

    • adopting flexible attendance and academic policies for young people impacted by domestic violence

    • building collaborative partnerships with community-based domestic violence and mental health services.

    The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault. The Men’s Referral Service (1300 766 491) offers advice and counselling to men looking to change their behaviour.

    Steven Roberts receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Government and ANROWS, among others. He is a Board Director at Respect Victoria, but this article is written wholly separate from and does not represent that role.

    Kate has received funding for research on violence against women and children from a range of federal and state government and non-government sources. Currently, Kate receives funding from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS), the South Australian government, Safe Steps, Australian Childhood Foundation and 54 Reasons. This piece is written by Kate Fitz-Gibbon in her role at Monash University and Sequre Consulting, and is wholly independent of Kate Fitz-Gibbon’s role as chair of Respect Victoria and membership on the Victorian Children’s Council.

    Rebecca Stewart is a project officer at No to Violence. The views expressed in this article are her own.

    – ref. ‘No one knew what was happening’: new research shows how domestic violence harms young people’s schooling – https://theconversation.com/no-one-knew-what-was-happening-new-research-shows-how-domestic-violence-harms-young-peoples-schooling-256890

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s justifications for the latest travel ban aren’t supported by the data on immigration and terrorism

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Charles Kurzman, Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    Taliban fighters guard the former U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 5, 2025. AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi

    The Trump administration on June 4, 2025, announced travel restrictions targeting 19 countries in Africa and Asia, including many of the world’s poorest nations. All travel is banned from 12 of these countries, with partial restrictions on travel from the rest.

    The presidential proclamation, entitled “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” is aimed at “countries throughout the world for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a full or partial suspension on the entry or admission of nationals from those countries.”

    In a video that accompanied the proclamation, President Donald Trump said: “The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted.”

    The latest travel ban reimposes restrictions on many of the countries that were included on travel bans in Trump’s first term, along with several new countries.

    But this travel ban, like the earlier ones, will not significantly improve national security and public safety in the United States. That’s because migrants account for a minuscule portion of violence in the U.S. And migrants from the latest travel ban countries account for an even smaller portion, according to data that I have collected. The suspect in Colorado, for example, is from Egypt, which is not on the travel ban list.

    As a scholar of political sociology, I don’t believe Trump’s latest travel ban is about national security. Rather, I’d argue, it’s primarily about using national security as an excuse to deny visas to nonwhite applicants.

    Terrorism and public safety

    In the past five years, the U.S. has witnessed more than 100,000 homicides. Political violence by militias and other ideological movements accounted for 354 fatalities, according to an initiative known as the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, which tracks armed conflict around the world. That’s less than 1% of the country’s homicide victims. And foreign terrorism accounted for less than 1% of this 1%, according to my data.

    The Trump administration says the U.S. cannot appropriately vet visa applicants in countries with uncooperative governments or underdeveloped security systems. That claim is false.

    The State Department and other government agencies do a thorough job of vetting visa applicants, even in countries where there is no U.S. embassy, according to an analysis by the CATO Institute.

    The U.S. government has sophisticated methods for identifying potential threats. They include detailed documentation requirements, interviews with consular officers and clearance by national security agencies. And it rejects more than 1 in 6 visa applications, with ever-increasing procedures for detecting fraud.

    Members of the Yemeni community and others wave American and Yemeni flags as they gather on the steps of Brooklyn’s Borough Hall to protest President Donald Trump’s first travel ban on Feb. 2, 2017, in New York.
    AP Photo/Kathy Willens

    The thoroughness of the visa review process is evident in the numbers.

    Authorized foreign-born residents of the U.S. are far less likely than U.S.-born residents to engage in criminal activity. And unauthorized migrants are even less likely to commit crimes. Communities with more migrants – authorized and unauthorized – have similar or slightly lower crime rates than communities with fewer migrants.

    If vetting were as deficient as Trump’s executive order claims, we would expect to see a significant number of terrorist plots from countries on the travel ban list. But we don’t.

    Of the 4 million U.S. residents from the 2017 travel ban countries, I have documented only four who were involved in violent extremism in the past five years.

    Two of them were arrested after plotting with undercover law enforcement agents. One was found to have lied on his asylum application. One was an Afghan man who killed three Pakistani Shiite Muslim immigrants in New Mexico in 2022.

    Such a handful of zealots with rifles or homemade explosives can be life-altering for victims and their families, but they do not represent a threat to U.S. national security.

    Degrading the concept of national security

    Trump has been trying for years to turn immigration into a national security issue.

    In his first major speech on national security in 2016, Trump focused on the “dysfunctional immigration system which does not permit us to know who we let into our country.”

    His primary example was an act of terrorism by a man who was born in the U.S.

    The first Trump administration’s national security strategy, issued in December 2017, prioritized jihadist terrorist organizations that “radicalize isolated individuals” as “the most dangerous threat to the Nation” – not armies, not another 9/11, but isolated individuals.

    If the travel ban is not really going to improve national security or public safety, then what is it about?

    Protesters wave signs during a demonstration against President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban on May 15, 2017, in Seattle.
    AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

    Linking immigration to national security seems to serve two long-standing Trump priorities. First is his effort to make American more white, in keeping with widespread bias among his supporters against nonwhite immigrants.

    Remember Trump’s insults to Mexicans and Muslims in his escalator speech announcing his presidential campaign in 2015. He has also expressed a preference for white immigrants from Norway in 2018 and South Africa in 2025.

    Trump has repeatedly associated himself with nationalists who view immigration by nonwhites as a danger to white supremacy.

    Second, invoking national security allows Trump to pursue this goal without the need for accountability, since Congress and the courts have traditionally deferred to the executive branch on national security issues.

    Trump also claims national security justifications for tariffs and other policies that he has declared national emergencies, in a bid to avoid criticism by the public and oversight by the other branches of government.

    But this oversight is necessary in a democratic system to ensure that immigration policy is based on facts.

    Charles Kurzman has received funding for research on terrorism from the National Institute of Justice and the National Science Foundation.

    – ref. Trump’s justifications for the latest travel ban aren’t supported by the data on immigration and terrorism – https://theconversation.com/trumps-justifications-for-the-latest-travel-ban-arent-supported-by-the-data-on-immigration-and-terrorism-255471

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Sorensen Calls on Congress to Fund His Bipartisan Law to Create Jobs, Boost Local Economies

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

    Congressman Sorensen is Calling on Congress to Provide $50 Million to the Critical Supply Chain Site Development Grant Program Established by His Bipartisan ONSHORE Law

    Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging them to fund the Critical Supply Chain Site Development Grant Program at the Department of Commerce in the Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations bills with $50 million. The Critical Supply Chain Site Development Program provides grants to local communities for site readiness improvements, such as connecting sites to utilities, completing environmental reviews, and investing in workforce training.

    “Business in the Quad Cities and beyond are telling me they’re ready to break ground and hire new workers thanks to the passage of my bipartisan ONSHORE Act,” said Congressman Sorensen. “This law has the potential to unlock untapped economic development, but we need to make sure the resources are there to make these new projects a reality. I’m calling on Congress to ensure we fully fund the grant program under the law, so we can help uplift communities across Illinois’ 17th district.” 

    “The Quad Cities is primed for investment, but site readiness is impeding growth,” said Peter Tokar, President & CEO of the Quad Cities Chamber. “Like the rest of the country, we are in need of new tools in the toolbox to meet our region’s full economic potential.” 

    “We applaud Congressman Sorensen and the bipartisan coalition that helped pass the Critical Supply Chain Site Development Program into law and the current bipartisan effort to deliver funding for this necessary tool,” said Ryan Sempf, Executive Director Government Affairs for the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.

    The program was established by Congressman Sorensen and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ (IA-01) bipartisan Opportunities for Non-developed Sites to Have Opportunities to be Rehabilitated for Economic Development (ONSHORE) Act. The law focuses on attracting new manufacturing jobs and businesses to communities like the Quad Cities by addressing the issue of unused sites and making them shovel-ready for development. Local leaders and businesses have said that preparing sites for development is one of the biggest obstacles to attracting manufacturing businesses to the area. 

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Colleagues Introduce Bicameral Bill to Repeal the Gun Industry’s Legal Liability

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) were joined today, during the first week of Gun Violence Awareness Month, by U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) in leading a group of 81 members of Congress in introducing the bicameral Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, legislation to ensure that victims of gun violence have their day in court and that negligent gun companies and gun sellers are not shielded from liability when they disregard public safety. The bill would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), passed by Congress in 2005, which gives the gun industry a unique and unjustifiable legal liability shield that protects gun manufacturers from lawsuits.

    Murphy, Blumenthal, Swalwell, Schiff, Evans, and Thompson announced the legislation today during a virtual press conference joined by leading gun violence prevention advocates: Kris Brown, president of Brady; Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action; and Adam Skaggs, chief counsel and vice president of GIFFORDS Law Center. Video of the press conference is available here.

    “There’s absolutely no reason why the gun industry should get special treatment when it comes to negligence. Their immunity from lawsuits effectively gives them a license to kill. It’s past time for Congress to repeal PLCAA and allow gun violence victims their day in court,” said Murphy.

    “PLCAA is the ultimate sweetheart deal – legal immunity afforded to basically no other industry for a product that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year,” said Blumenthal. “Despite the strength and perseverance of the Sandy Hook, Uvalde, and Highland Park families – and the tenacity of their legal teams – this is a problem that cannot be solved only through the courts. PLCAA must be repealed by Congress.”

    “No industry in American has a liability shield like gun manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers,” said Swalwell. “The NRA and their GOP stooges made sure that the gun industry has a unique immunity from accountability. This bill ends that ridiculous carve out. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act will finally repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) once and for all, allowing victims of gun violence to bring civil suits against gun producers and sellers. The time has long since come for Congress to be clear – if you put the most dangerous weapons in the hands of the most dangerous people, you will be held accountable.”

    “More than a 100 Americans are killed by a gun every single day in America. And yet, Congress does nothing to hold the gun industry accountable when the negligence of gun makers and dealers is responsible for the tragic consequences their products have on our kids, our families, and our communities. As long as gun violence continues to take the lives of so many in California and across the nation, I will fight to repeal the liability shield that wrongly protects negligent gun industry actors from liability,” said Schiff.

    “Victims and survivors should be able to hold the gun industry accountable in court for negligent behavior. But right now, the gun industry is shielded from any liability when they disregard public safety. That’s wrong,” said Crow. “I’m introducing this bill so we can finally hold the gun industry responsible.”

    “As someone who’s advocated for this concept in Pennsylvania’s legislature and now in Congress, I’m proud to be a co-lead on this bill to restore this basic right of victims and survivors – a right that a heavy-handed federal government took away 20 years ago. So many American gun deaths could be avoided if we held companies accountable for things like illegal sales, defective guns and irresponsible marketing. State attorneys general were able to hold Big Tobacco accountable in the 1990s, and they should be able to hold gun manufacturing companies accountable in the 21st century since thousands of lives depend on it. This legislation would be an important tool in the toolbox to protect our citizens from gun violence,” said Evans.

    “In the 20 years since PLCAA was passed, it’s become clear that negligent gun manufacturers and dealers have taken advantage of the law. Responsible manufacturers and dealers don’t need this legal protection – and irresponsible ones are hiding behind it. As a hunter, combat veteran and responsible gun owner, I’m proud to work with Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell to introduce this sensible legislation,” said Thompson, Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

    When Congress passed PLCAA, its supporters argued that it was necessary to protect the gun industry from frivolous lawsuits, and that victims of gun violence would not be shut out of the courts. In reality, numerous cases around the nation have been dismissed on the basis of PLCAA, even when the gun dealers and manufacturers acted in a fashion that would qualify as negligent if it involved any other product. Victims in these cases were denied the right to even discover or introduce evidence. This legislation allows civil cases to go forward against irresponsible bad actors.

    In 2005, the National Rifle Association (NRA) identified PLCAA as their “number one” legislative priority, and the NRA celebrated the passage calling it the “most significant piece of pro-gun legislation in twenty years.” Letting courts hear these cases would provide justice to victims and their families, while creating incentives for responsible business practices that would reduce injuries and deaths. Effectively, the gun industry would once again be subject to the same laws as every other industry, just as it was prior to 2005.

    The legislation is endorsed by Brady, GIFFORDS Law Center, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives, Guns Down America, Newtown Action Alliance, and Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund.

    U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also cosponsored the bill.

    U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.-01), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.-04), Wesley Bell (D-Mo.-01), Don Beyer (D-Va.-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Sean Casten (D-Ill.-06), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.-05), Danny Davis (D-Ill.-07), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.-04), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.-01), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.-17), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.-03), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas-07), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.-10), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.-10), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.-26), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.-02), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.-04), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10), Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.-25), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.-03), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.-06), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.-05), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine-01), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.-05), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.-05), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09), Brad Schneider (D-Ill.-10), David Scott (D-Ga.-13), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12) and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii-02) also cosponsored the bill in the House of Representatives.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Southern Police warn motorists to take care on roads

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Southern Police are asking motorists to drive to the conditions and take extreme care today with black ice forming on Southland roads and snow incoming later throughout Otago.

    Police have already attended one black-ice related crash this morning and are aware of another.

    Thankfully no one has been injured but we want to ensure everyone gets to their destination safely.

    Drivers need to be aware of the potential for slippery road surfaces and to drive the conditions.

    ENDS
    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Issues Builder’s Remedy Legal Alert: Local Governments Must Comply with California Housing Law

    Source: US State of California

     Alert emphasizes the importance of lawful and consistent processing of Builder’s Remedy applications across California 

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a legal alert to help California local officials understand the importance of the consistent statewide interpretation and application of California’s Housing Accountability Act (HAA) — including local governments’ responsibility to timely process Builder’s Remedy applications. In the alert, Attorney General Bonta analyzes two recent court cases involving the cities of La Cañada Flintridge and Goleta to explain these responsibilities and highlight that local governments’ faithful and expedient discharge of their duties is essential to resolving California’s housing shortage crisis and making housing more affordable for all Californians. 

     “California courts have been very clear about the interpretation of California housing law and the responsibility of local governments to follow the law and swiftly process Builder’s Remedy applications,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The legal alert today is intended to ensure local governments understand their responsibility to facilitate affordable housing: California expects nothing less and is committed to ensuring that all cities and counties are part of the solution — no exceptions.” 

    Background on Housing Element and the Builders Remedy

    Under the state’s Housing Element Law, every city and county in California must periodically update its housing element to meet its share of the regional and statewide housing needs. Among other things, a compliant housing element must include an assessment of housing needs, an inventory of resources and constraints relevant to meeting those needs, and a program to implement the policies, goals, and objectives of the housing element. 

    Under California’s HAA, failure to adopt a timely and compliant local housing plan triggers the so-called “Builder’s Remedy.” Under the HAA’s Builder’s Remedy provision, local governments subject to the Builder’s Remedy may not deny certain housing projects — in particular, those that include certain thresholds of low- or moderate-income units — for inconsistency with zoning or land use designation. While developers have submitted dozens of Builder’s Remedy applications in the past years, many noncompliant jurisdictions have been failing to process those applications in a timely fashion, leaving the state of California no choice but to step in. 

    In the legal alert today, Attorney General Bonta highlights the results of two cases that make clear local governments’ responsibility and legal duty to process builders remedy applications. 

    Cal. Housing Defense Fund v. City of La Cañada Flintridge 

    In 2023, Attorney General Bonta, Governor Newsom, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) filed a request to intervene in Cal. Housing Defense Fund v. City of La Cañada Flintridge, in order to uphold California’s housing laws, and reverse the City of La Cañada Flintridge’s denial of a mixed-use affordable housing project after it failed to comply with Housing Element Law between October 15, 2021 and November 17, 2023 —  also the time period in which the project’s application was considered. The affordable housing project, pursuant to the Builder’s Remedy, would bring approximately 80 mixed-income residential dwelling units, 14 hotel units, and 7,791 square feet of office space to the community. 

    In 2024, the court held that La Cañada Flintridge did not have a housing element in substantial compliance with state law at the time a Builder’s Remedy application was submitted and ordered the City to process the application in accordance with the law. La Cañada Flintridge appealed this decision and was subsequently ordered to either post an appeal bond of $14 million or dismiss its appeal. La Cañada Flintridge dismissed its appeal. 

    The key takeaways in this case include: 

    • A Builder’s Remedy application vests at the time of submission of a SB 330 preliminary development application — a city cannot ‘backdate’ its housing element compliance date to an earlier date so as to avoid approving a Builder’s Remedy application.
    • The refusal to process a timely Builder’s Remedy application is a violation of the HAA.

    Shelby Family Partnership, L.P. v. City of Goleta

    In 2024, Attorney General Bonta filed an amicus brief in support of a proposed affordable housing project in Goleta — a city located in Santa Barbara County that is experiencing an acute housing shortage. A housing development project by the Shelby Family Partnership would have created 56 single-family homes, 13 of which would be affordable to lower-income households. In 2023, Goleta unlawfully refused to process an SB 330 preliminary application, seeking to add the aforementioned affordable homes, based on its theory that SB 330 applies only to “new” projects.

    On February 26, 2025, the superior court issued an order requiring Goleta to process the at-issue affordable housing project pursuant to state law, finding that:

    • SB 330 is not limited only to “new” development projects and does not prevent applicants from amending an existing project — including submitting an application under the Builder’s Remedy; and
    • Local governments cannot disapprove qualifying housing development projects, except in narrowly defined circumstances pursuant to the HAA. 

    The legal alert goes on to explain consequences for the failure to properly implement in the Builder’s Remedy, such as a referral to and intervention by the Attorney General and penalties under the HAA — including a minimum fine of $10,000 per unit of the proposed project. If a local government appeals a court order finding that the local government violated the HAA, the local government must post an appeal bond or dismiss its appeal. The appeal bond guarantees that a project remains financially viable if the city or county loses the appeal. In 2024, La Cañada Flintridge appealed the decision ordering it to process a lawful builder’s remedy application, and was ordered to either post an appeal bond of $14 million or dismiss its appeal. La Cañada Flintridge dismissed its appeal. These consequences emphasize the importance of the HAA and California’s intent to further promote housing development projects. 

    The full legal alert can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Justice Advance American Energy Dominance, Prioritize Consumer Choice

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Justice (R-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) in introducing the Energy Choice Act of 2025. The Biden administration and many blue states took energy freedom away from consumers by restricting specific sources of energy—effectively targeting natural gas and fossil fuels. This legislation would bar states and local governments from taking away consumer choice and work toward advancing President Trump’s vision of unleashing American energy. 
    “For four years, Joe Biden and woke Democrats took a sledgehammer to American energy production,” said Sen. Tuberville. “We need to rein-in blue states who caved to the climate-cult and imposed ridiculous regulations that are deeply unpopular with hardworking Americans. Thankfully, President Trump is working around the clock to unleash America’s energy potential. I’m proud to join my colleagues to support President Trump, restore American energy dominance, and preserve consumer choice.”
    “I am an energy guy from an energy-rich state. I know how important freedom of energy production is – which is why I’m proud to introduce Energy Choice Act of 2025. President Trump has stated the need to unleash American energy, and this bill helps facilitate just that. We have too great an energy crisis in this country, and we don’t have the luxury of picking the winners and losers when it comes to energy production. Americans ought to have the right to choose what is best for their energy needs,”said Sen. Justice.
    American Exploration and Production Council, American Gas Association, American Public Gas Association, Americans for Prosperity, Consumer Energy Alliance, Energy Marketers of America, GPA Midstream Association, GPSA Midstream Suppliers, Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Oil and Energy Service Professionals, National Energy and Fuels Institute, National Propane Gas Association, Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors – National Association, Pool & Hot Tub Alliance have endorsed the bill.
    U.S. Representative Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23) is leading the effort in the House of Representatives.
    Read full text of the bill here. 
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dan Roark, Former Police Officer, Sentenced for Exploitation of a Child and Receipt of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On June 5, 2025, Dan Roark, 48, currently of Knoxville Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.

    As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Roark agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with, one count of exploitation of a child in violation of 18 U.S.C.§ 2251(a); and one count of receipt of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2).  Roark was sentenced to 300 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.  Roark will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release. 

    In early October 2023, Scott County Virginia Sheriff’s Department (SCVSD) received an anonymous tip that a juvenile female (JV) was sending child pornography through the internet to other potential internet users. A forensic examination of a cellphone belonging to JV’s mother revealed child pornography images of JV as well as text messages between JV’s mother and Roark while he was employed with the Knoxville Police Department. In the text message communications, Roark demanded that JV’s mother provide child pornography depicting JV. JV’s mother complied by sending child pornography images and videos depicting JV to Roark. 

    The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the SCVSD, 9th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office (9th JDAGO), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force. This investigation was led by Detective Daniel Ross of SCVSD, HSI Task Force Officer Cortney Dugger, and Investigator Chanel Finnell of the 9th JDAGO.

    Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.

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

    For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab “resources.”

                                                                                                                             ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Lendmark Financial Services Unveils its Strategic Growth Plan for Florida

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lendmark Financial Services (Lendmark), a leading provider of personalized loan solutions, today announced plans to expand its retail branch footprint across North and Central Florida. Beginning with the debut of its Ocala branch last week, the company plans to add more than 10 branch locations in or around Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Tampa. In tandem, the lender will also expand its other financing solutions, providing loans for customers of small, independent automobile dealerships and retail businesses.

    Celebrating 29 years in business this August, Lendmark has opened more than 200 branches in the past five years alone, resulting from strategically intentional growth coast-to-coast. The company continues to expand into new regions, most recently Wisconsin, with a branch portfolio of more than 520 locations across 22 states.

    Lendmark plans to add approximately 25 more branches to its overall portfolio in 2025. Though data-driven site selection, disciplined execution and planful acquisitions are contributing factors, the company’s growth strategy truly begins with putting people first.

    “We’re ready to rise and shine – like only Lendmark can – as we bring our first-rate service excellence to communities across the Sunshine State to meet the financial needs of more Floridians,” said Bret Hyler, President and Chief Operating Officer of Lendmark. “We believe the Lendmark experience is underpinned by the level of empathy and trust our loan consultants build with customers in each branch, growing into genuine relationships that, in many cases, last beyond the life of the loan.”

    With two existing branches in the Brandon and Orlando markets, Lendmark is primed to welcome thousands of Florida customers to its planned branch openings over the next three-to-five years, starting with Ocala and then its St. Augustine location later this summer.

    Better Together: Florida Growth Driven by Relationship-based Approach

    Lendmark’s approach to lending begins with the fundamental premise that lending solutions should be in the best interest of the customer and the lender. This helps drive a satisfactory loan experience and positive customer outcome. The company remains laser-focused on creating a differentiated customer experience that fosters deep relationships with individual customers, business partners, and the local community at large.

    “What sets Lendmark apart is the way that we connect with and care for each customer who walks through our doors. This is a business where our local branch, retail and auto sales teams know you by name and greet you with a warm ‘hello’ at every interaction,” continued Hyler. “We take time to meet the communities we’ll be serving before we move in, and we’re excited to support new customers across Florida, including small businesses and individuals.”

    Lendmark loans are used to purchase local goods and services, such as car and home repairs, personal care, debt consolidation, household goods, and more. With every loan solution offered, the company ensures that its customers have simple and affordable fixed terms, and a payment that works within their household budget.

    As part of the loan experience, the company also offers a curated selection of credit and insurance ancillary products to customers. These optional products, such as Involuntary Unemployment Insurance (IUI), are intended to help cover unplanned life events, like the unexpected loss of a job, that could occur during the life of the loan. These consumer-driven choices help protect the borrower’s credit profile so that the loan associated with their unplanned life event does not negatively impact their credit history.

    Lendmark Serves: Doing Good by Giving Back

    Giving back to the people and places Lendmark serves is at its core. Each year, employees around the country support dozens of causes in the communities where they live and work, participating in local volunteer activities and championing Lendmark’s signature philanthropic initiative,‘Climb to Cure,’ which kicked off in 2015.

    The company will raise over $10 million by August 31, 2025 to mark its 10-year anniversary partnering with CURE Childhood Cancer, an Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to funding lifesaving pediatric cancer research that is utilized nationwide.

    So far, Lendmark’s employees, partners and customers have rallied together to raise $8.83 million, all of which directly supports CURE in its fight to conquer childhood cancer while caring for recently diagnosed patients and their families.

    About Lendmark Financial Services

    Lendmark Financial Services (Lendmark) provides personal and household credit and loan solutions for consumers. Founded in 1996, Lendmark strives to be the lender, employer, and partner of choice by helping consumers meet both planned and unplanned life events through affordable loan offerings.

    Lendmark currently operates more than 520 branches in 22 states across the country, providing personalized services to customers and retail business partners with every transaction. Lendmark is headquartered in Lawrenceville, Ga.

    For more information, visit www.lendmarkfinancial.com.

    Media Contacts  
    Lisa Burby
    Vice President, Corporate Communications
    lburby@lendmarkfinancial.com
    678-913-1720    		 Jeff Hamilton
    Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
    jhamilton@lendmarkfinancial.com
    678-625-3128

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Byrna Technologies Announces Preliminary Fiscal Second Quarter Record Revenues of $28.5 Million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ANDOVER, Mass., June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Byrna Technologies Inc. (“Byrna” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BYRN), a technology company, specializing in the development, manufacture, and sale of innovative less-lethal personal security solutions, today announced select preliminary financial results for the fiscal second quarter ended May 31, 2025.

    Preliminary Second Quarter Results
    Based on preliminary unaudited results, Byrna expects total revenue for the fiscal second quarter of 2025 to be $28.5 million, representing a 41% increase from $20.3 million in the fiscal second quarter of 2024. The record Q2 performance was driven by strong early demand for the new Byrna Compact Launcher (CL), which launched on May 1, along with meaningful channel expansion.

    E-commerce sales grew 15% year-over-year, supported by growing brand recognition and an increasingly balanced channel mix.

    Dealer sales rose 106% year-over-year to $7.5 million, driven by early success in the Company’s partnership with Sportsman’s Warehouse, which soft-launched Byrna products in select stores during the second quarter. As of quarter-end, the program had rolled out an initial group of stores featuring shop-in-shop formats, with in-store ‘Byrna Genius’ installations expected to begin in July to support continued growth and deepen in-store engagement. Growth in the dealer channel also reflected continued momentum from Byrna’s traditional distributor network.

    International sales rose 86%, including approximately $800,000 in royalty revenue from Byrna LATAM, which is up from a negligible base in the prior year period.

    To ensure sufficient supply for the CL launch and build inventory across product lines, Byrna produced 38,237 Compact Launchers in the quarter, contributing to a total of 63,835 launchers manufactured.

    Management Commentary
    “We are continuing to raise the bar at Byrna and are encouraged with our ability to generate a record $28.5 million in revenue for the second quarter,” said Byrna CEO Bryan Ganz. “While we saw softness in overall consumer spending throughout the quarter, the launch of the CL and sustained expansion of our total addressable market helped drive a 41% year-over-year increase in revenue. This success is a testament to the growing strength of our brand and the innovation behind the CL.

    “Over the past six months, we’ve steadily ramped production to support a successful launch of the CL. With the rollout now underway and a healthy inventory of SD and LE launchers in place, we are transitioning to a steady-state production cadence of 15,000 launchers per month. Combined with the ramping Sportsman’s Warehouse partnership and an expanded influencer roster—including the recent addition of Tucker Carlson—we’re well positioned to maintain momentum through the second half of 2025 and beyond.”

    Preliminary Fiscal Second Quarter 2025 Sales Breakdown:

    Sales Channel ($ in millions) Q2 2025
    		 Q2 2024
    		 % Change
    Web 16.6   14.4   15%
    Byrna Dedicated Dealers 7.5   3.6   106%
    Law Enforcement / Schools / Pvt Security 0.1   0.0   120%
    Retail Stores 0.8   0.2   223%
    International 3.6   1.9   86%
    Total Sales 28.5   20.3   41%


    Conference Call
    Byrna plans to report its full financial results for the fiscal second quarter in July, which will be accompanied by a conference call to discuss the results and address questions from investors and analysts. The conference call details will be announced prior to the event.

    About Byrna Technologies Inc.
    Byrna is a technology company specializing in the development, manufacture, and sale of innovative non-lethal personal security solutions. For more information on the Company, please visit the corporate website here or the Company’s investor relations site here. The Company is the manufacturer of the Byrna® SD personal security device, a state-of-the-art handheld CO2 powered launcher designed to provide a non-lethal alternative to a firearm for the consumer, private security, and law enforcement markets. To purchase Byrna products, visit the Company’s e-commerce store.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the securities laws. All statements contained in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, are forward-looking. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” and “believes” and statements that certain actions, events or results “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “might,” “occur,” “be achieved,” or “will be taken.” Forward-looking statements include descriptions of currently occurring matters which may continue in the future. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, our statements related to preliminary revenue results for the second fiscal quarter 2025, the timing of the release of full financial results for the quarter, expectations for future sales growth and demand trends, the impact of marketing strategies, the anticipated performance of new products and retail store expansion, and the Company’s ability to sustain momentum throughout 2025. Forward-looking statements are not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking statements are based on, among other things, opinions, assumptions, estimates, and analyses that, while considered reasonable by the Company at the date the forward-looking information is provided, inherently are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, contingencies, and other factors that may cause actual results and events to be materially different from those expressed or implied.

    Any number of risk factors could affect our actual results and cause them to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this news release, including, but not limited to, disappointing market responses to current or future products or services; prolonged, new, or exacerbated disruption of the Company’s supply chain; the further or prolonged disruption of new product development; production or distribution or delays in entry or penetration of sales channels due to inventory constraints, competitive factors, increased shipping costs or freight interruptions; prototype, parts and material shortages, particularly of parts sourced from limited or sole source providers; determinations by third party controlled distribution channels not to carry or reduce inventory of the Company’s products; determinations by advertisers to prohibit marketing of some or all Byrna products; the loss of marketing partners or endorsers; potential cancellations of existing or future orders including as a result of any fulfillment delays, introduction of competing products, negative publicity, or other factors; product design defects or recalls; litigation, enforcement proceedings or other regulatory or legal developments; changes in consumer or political sentiment affecting product demand; regulatory factors including the impact of commerce and trade laws and regulations; import-export related matters or tariffs, sanctions or embargos that could affect the Company’s supply chain or markets; delays in planned operations related to licensing, registration or permit requirements; and future restrictions on the Company’s cash resources, increased costs and other events that could potentially reduce demand for the Company’s products or result in order cancellations. The order in which these factors appear should not be construed to indicate their relative importance or priority. We caution that these factors may not be exhaustive; accordingly, any forward-looking statements contained herein should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Investors should carefully consider these and other relevant factors, including those risk factors in Part I, Item 1A, (“Risk Factors”) in the Company’s most recent Form 10-K, should understand it is impossible to predict or identify all such factors or risks, should not consider the foregoing list, or the risks identified in the Company’s SEC filings, to be a complete discussion of all potential risks or uncertainties, and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

    Investor Contact:
    Tom Colton and Alec Wilson
    Gateway Group, Inc.
    949-574-3860
    BYRN@gateway-grp.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney Bonta Issues Builder’s Remedy Legal Alert: Local Governments Must Comply with California Housing Law

    Source: US State of California

     Alert emphasizes the importance of lawful and consistent processing of Builder’s Remedy applications across California 

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a legal alert to help California local officials understand the importance of the consistent statewide interpretation and application of California’s Housing Accountability Act (HAA) — including local governments’ responsibility to timely process Builder’s Remedy applications. In the alert, Attorney General Bonta analyzes two recent court cases involving the cities of La Cañada Flintridge and Goleta to explain these responsibilities and highlight that local governments’ faithful and expedient discharge of their duties is essential to resolving California’s housing shortage crisis and making housing more affordable for all Californians. 

     “California courts have been very clear about the interpretation of California housing law and the responsibility of local governments to follow the law and swiftly process Builder’s Remedy applications,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The legal alert today is intended to ensure local governments understand their responsibility to facilitate affordable housing: California expects nothing less and is committed to ensuring that all cities and counties are part of the solution — no exceptions.” 

    Background on Housing Element and the Builders Remedy

    Under the state’s Housing Element Law, every city and county in California must periodically update its housing element to meet its share of the regional and statewide housing needs. Among other things, a compliant housing element must include an assessment of housing needs, an inventory of resources and constraints relevant to meeting those needs, and a program to implement the policies, goals, and objectives of the housing element. 

    Under California’s HAA, failure to adopt a timely and compliant local housing plan triggers the so-called “Builder’s Remedy.” Under the HAA’s Builder’s Remedy provision, local governments subject to the Builder’s Remedy may not deny certain housing projects — in particular, those that include certain thresholds of low- or moderate-income units — for inconsistency with zoning or land use designation. While developers have submitted dozens of Builder’s Remedy applications in the past years, many noncompliant jurisdictions have been failing to process those applications in a timely fashion, leaving the state of California no choice but to step in. 

    In the legal alert today, Attorney General Bonta highlights the results of two cases that make clear local governments’ responsibility and legal duty to process builders remedy applications. 

    Cal. Housing Defense Fund v. City of La Cañada Flintridge 

    In 2023, Attorney General Bonta, Governor Newsom, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) filed a request to intervene in Cal. Housing Defense Fund v. City of La Cañada Flintridge, in order to uphold California’s housing laws, and reverse the City of La Cañada Flintridge’s denial of a mixed-use affordable housing project after it failed to comply with Housing Element Law between October 15, 2021 and November 17, 2023 —  also the time period in which the project’s application was considered. The affordable housing project, pursuant to the Builder’s Remedy, would bring approximately 80 mixed-income residential dwelling units, 14 hotel units, and 7,791 square feet of office space to the community. 

    In 2024, the court held that La Cañada Flintridge did not have a housing element in substantial compliance with state law at the time a Builder’s Remedy application was submitted and ordered the City to process the application in accordance with the law. La Cañada Flintridge appealed this decision and was subsequently ordered to either post an appeal bond of $14 million or dismiss its appeal. La Cañada Flintridge dismissed its appeal. 

    The key takeaways in this case include: 

    • A Builder’s Remedy application vests at the time of submission of a SB 330 preliminary development application — a city cannot ‘backdate’ its housing element compliance date to an earlier date so as to avoid approving a Builder’s Remedy application.
    • The refusal to process a timely Builder’s Remedy application is a violation of the HAA.

    Shelby Family Partnership, L.P. v. City of Goleta

    In 2024, Attorney General Bonta filed an amicus brief in support of a proposed affordable housing project in Goleta — a city located in Santa Barbara County that is experiencing an acute housing shortage. A housing development project by the Shelby Family Partnership would have created 56 single-family homes, 13 of which would be affordable to lower-income households. In 2023, Goleta unlawfully refused to process an SB 330 preliminary application, seeking to add the aforementioned affordable homes, based on its theory that SB 330 applies only to “new” projects.

    On February 26, 2025, the superior court issued an order requiring Goleta to process the at-issue affordable housing project pursuant to state law, finding that:

    • SB 330 is not limited only to “new” development projects and does not prevent applicants from amending an existing project — including submitting an application under the Builder’s Remedy; and
    • Local governments cannot disapprove qualifying housing development projects, except in narrowly defined circumstances pursuant to the HAA. 

    The legal alert goes on to explain consequences for the failure to properly implement in the Builder’s Remedy, such as a referral to and intervention by the Attorney General and penalties under the HAA — including a minimum fine of $10,000 per unit of the proposed project. If a local government appeals a court order finding that the local government violated the HAA, the local government must post an appeal bond or dismiss its appeal. The appeal bond guarantees that a project remains financially viable if the city or county loses the appeal. In 2024, La Cañada Flintridge appealed the decision ordering it to process a lawful builder’s remedy application, and was ordered to either post an appeal bond of $14 million or dismiss its appeal. La Cañada Flintridge dismissed its appeal. These consequences emphasize the importance of the HAA and California’s intent to further promote housing development projects. 

    The full legal alert can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Final of 14 Individuals Sentenced for Dog Fighting

    Source: US State of California

    Following a final sentencing hearing today, all 14 defendants convicted in a large-scale federal dog fighting case in Albany, Georgia, have been sentenced to a total of 343 months in prison for dog fighting and other charges.

    “Dog fighting is an odious form of organized crime, and it’s a magnet for other criminal activity,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Justice Department and its local partners, such as the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office, will not tolerate this callous criminal activity.”

    “The brutality of dog fighting, combined with armed drug distribution, negatively affects our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker for the Middle District of Georgia. “The collaboration among law enforcement agencies at every level during this investigation and prosecution was essential in bringing these defendants to justice and rescuing abused animals.”

    “The Office of Inspector General is committed to working with all of our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in pursuing individuals who choose to participate in animal fighting activities and engage in violations involving animal welfare,” said Special Agent in Charge Miles Davis of the Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG).

    Details of the total sentencings is below:

    • Donnametric Miller, of Donalsonville, Georgia – 100 months in prison;
    • Fredricus White, of Panama City, Florida – 35 months in prison
    • Christopher Travis Beaumont, of Panama City, Florida – 30 months in prison;
    • Marvin Pulley, of Donalsonville, Georgia – 30 months in prison;
    • Cornelious Johnson, of Panama City, Florida – 27 months in prison;
    • Terelle Ganzy, of Panama City, Florida – 24 months in prison;
    • Willie Russell, of Blakely, Georgia – 24 months in prison;
    • Brandon Baker, of Panama City, Florida – 20 months in prison;
    • Terrance Davis, of Pansey, Alabama – 20 months in prison;
    • Tamichael Elijah, of Donalsonville, Georgia – 18 months in prison;
    • Timothy Freeman, of Bainbridge, Georgia – time served (15 months in prison);
    • Herman Buggs Jr., of Donalsonville, Georgia – time served (two weeks in prison);
    • Rodrecus Kimble, of Donalsonville, Georgia – one year home confinement; and
    • Gary Hopkins, of Donalsonville, Georgia – six months home confinement.

    In addition to prison sentences, the court also imposed restitution for the costs of care of dogs rescued in this investigation. Under federal law, it is illegal to fight dogs in a venture that affects interstate commerce and to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase or receive dogs for fighting purposes.

    According to court documents filed in this case, defendants from three states all converged on a property in Donalsonville, Georgia, on April 24, 2022, where they held a large-scale dog fighting event. Law enforcement disrupted the event after a 911 call and rescued 27 dogs that night, including one found in the blood-soaked fighting pit with severe injuries who soon died. The participants used their cars to store injured dogs who had already been fought, as well as those whose handlers were awaiting their turn in the fighting pit. Law enforcement personnel also seized a distribution quantity of methamphetamine.

    Seized cell phones in this case contained evidence of some of the participants’ extensive participation in the dog fighting “industry,” including large group dog fighting text message chains, fight reports, and dog fighting videos and photos, including one of a dog who had been hung to death in a garage. Authorities seized and rescued 78 pit bull-type dogs altogether in this investigation, including 51 recovered during search warrants executed with arrest warrants this spring, sparing them from similar fates.

    The USDA-OIG and detectives with the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Detectives with the Bay County, Florda, Sheriff’s Office also provided assistance.

    Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy and Trial Attorney Leigh Rendé of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from Criminal Chief Leah McEwen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrill and Paralegal Kristi Cote for the Middle District of Georgia handled a parallel civil forfeiture proceeding to ensure that the dogs did not have to be returned to the defendants. The Seized Canine Program of the U.S. Marshals Service cared for the rescued dogs pending legal process.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Final of 14 Individuals Sentenced for Dog Fighting

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Following a final sentencing hearing today, all 14 defendants convicted in a large-scale federal dog fighting case in Albany, Georgia, have been sentenced to a total of 343 months in prison for dog fighting and other charges.

    “Dog fighting is an odious form of organized crime, and it’s a magnet for other criminal activity,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Justice Department and its local partners, such as the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office, will not tolerate this callous criminal activity.”

    “The brutality of dog fighting, combined with armed drug distribution, negatively affects our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker for the Middle District of Georgia. “The collaboration among law enforcement agencies at every level during this investigation and prosecution was essential in bringing these defendants to justice and rescuing abused animals.”

    “The Office of Inspector General is committed to working with all of our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in pursuing individuals who choose to participate in animal fighting activities and engage in violations involving animal welfare,” said Special Agent in Charge Miles Davis of the Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG).

    Details of the total sentencings is below:

    • Donnametric Miller, of Donalsonville, Georgia – 100 months in prison;
    • Fredricus White, of Panama City, Florida – 35 months in prison
    • Christopher Travis Beaumont, of Panama City, Florida – 30 months in prison;
    • Marvin Pulley, of Donalsonville, Georgia – 30 months in prison;
    • Cornelious Johnson, of Panama City, Florida – 27 months in prison;
    • Terelle Ganzy, of Panama City, Florida – 24 months in prison;
    • Willie Russell, of Blakely, Georgia – 24 months in prison;
    • Brandon Baker, of Panama City, Florida – 20 months in prison;
    • Terrance Davis, of Pansey, Alabama – 20 months in prison;
    • Tamichael Elijah, of Donalsonville, Georgia – 18 months in prison;
    • Timothy Freeman, of Bainbridge, Georgia – time served (15 months in prison);
    • Herman Buggs Jr., of Donalsonville, Georgia – time served (two weeks in prison);
    • Rodrecus Kimble, of Donalsonville, Georgia – one year home confinement; and
    • Gary Hopkins, of Donalsonville, Georgia – six months home confinement.

    In addition to prison sentences, the court also imposed restitution for the costs of care of dogs rescued in this investigation. Under federal law, it is illegal to fight dogs in a venture that affects interstate commerce and to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase or receive dogs for fighting purposes.

    According to court documents filed in this case, defendants from three states all converged on a property in Donalsonville, Georgia, on April 24, 2022, where they held a large-scale dog fighting event. Law enforcement disrupted the event after a 911 call and rescued 27 dogs that night, including one found in the blood-soaked fighting pit with severe injuries who soon died. The participants used their cars to store injured dogs who had already been fought, as well as those whose handlers were awaiting their turn in the fighting pit. Law enforcement personnel also seized a distribution quantity of methamphetamine.

    Seized cell phones in this case contained evidence of some of the participants’ extensive participation in the dog fighting “industry,” including large group dog fighting text message chains, fight reports, and dog fighting videos and photos, including one of a dog who had been hung to death in a garage. Authorities seized and rescued 78 pit bull-type dogs altogether in this investigation, including 51 recovered during search warrants executed with arrest warrants this spring, sparing them from similar fates.

    The USDA-OIG and detectives with the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Detectives with the Bay County, Florda, Sheriff’s Office also provided assistance.

    Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy and Trial Attorney Leigh Rendé of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from Criminal Chief Leah McEwen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrill and Paralegal Kristi Cote for the Middle District of Georgia handled a parallel civil forfeiture proceeding to ensure that the dogs did not have to be returned to the defendants. The Seized Canine Program of the U.S. Marshals Service cared for the rescued dogs pending legal process.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The proposed Strong Borders Act gives police new invasive search powers that may breach Charter rights

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Robert Diab, Professor, Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers University

    The new Liberal government has tabled its first bill in Parliament, the Strong Borders Act, or Bill C-2. Buried within it are several new powers that give police easier access to our private information.

    The bill responds to recent calls to beef up the enforcement of our border with the United States. It gives customs and immigration officials new powers: to search items being exported, like potentially stolen vehicles, and to deport migrants believed to be abusing Canada’s refugee protections.

    New police powers

    But while facing pressure from the U.S. to act, the Canadian government is using the apparent urgency of the moment to give police and intelligence agents a host of new powers to search our private data — powers that have nothing to do with the border.

    Some of them are already controversial and will no doubt be tested in the Supreme Court of Canada, if and when they’re passed. But many have also been on the wish list of previous governments, as part of “lawful access” bills that would make it easier for police to obtain details about a person’s online activity in cases involving child pornography, financial or gang-related crime.

    Why now? Why make another attempt to lower the barriers to police access to private data? And what is the controversy over these new powers?

    Gaps in the law

    The Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the right to privacy of anyone in Canada. Police need authority — explicit permission set out somewhere in the law — to carry out a search or seizure of our private data for an investigative purpose.

    A law that allows police to do this must itself be reasonable, in the sense of striking the right balance between law enforcement and individual privacy.

    For the first 20 years of the web, it wasn’t clear what the police could or couldn’t do to gather information about us online.

    The Supreme Court held in 2014 that when police ask Shaw or Telus to give them a name attaching to an online account, this amounts to a search. While a person’s name and address may not reveal much on its own, the court held, it opens a door to something very private: a person’s entire search history.

    But the court in that case did not decide what kind of power police needed to make this demand, only that police need permission in law to make it.

    In Canadian law, requesting a name and address attached to an online account amounts to a search.
    (Shutterstock)

    In 2024, the Supreme Court held that when police ask for an internet protocol (IP) address linked to a person’s online activity, even that is private because it can open a window onto a lot more personal information.

    Police have been using warrant provisions in the Criminal Code to make a demand for an IP address, or the name and address linked to an online account. To get a warrant, in most cases, they need to show a judge they have reason to believe a crime has been committed that is linked to the account — in other words, they must show probable cause.

    Police have complained about how difficult this can be in some cases. They’ve long been calling for more tools.

    Expansive new powers

    The Strong Borders Act makes it easier for police and other state agents in a few ways.

    It will be easier to get a warrant because the new bill allows police to ask service providers like Shaw or Telus — without a warrant — whether they have information about an IP address or a person’s account.

    To then obtain that information, police need a warrant — but on the lower standard of reasonable suspicion of a crime, instead of probable cause. This can also apply to foreign entities like Google or Meta.

    Canadian Security Intelligence Service agents can ask a provider like Shaw or Google whether they have information about an account holder on no grounds at all. But in this case, the person of interest can’t be a citizen or a permanent resident.

    Compelling providers

    More concerning are powers in the bill compelling companies like Google or Apple, along with Shaw and Telus, to assist police in obtaining access to private data.

    Any company that provides Canadians with a service that stores or transmits information in digital form — pretty much anything we do on a phone or computer — can be ordered to help police gain immediate access to our data.

    The bill does this by stipulating that a company can be told to install “any device, equipment or other thing that may enable an authorized person to access information.”

    There are important limits on this. Police can only gain access if they have a warrant or other lawful permission. And a service provider need not comply with any order that would “introduce a systemic vulnerability,” like compelling them to install a backdoor to encryption.

    But the point is that these new powers compel companies to implement “capabilities” for “extracting… information that is authorized to be accessed.” They turn the brands we have an intimate relationship with — gmail, iCloud, Instagram and many others — into tools of the state.

    Future challenges

    For some of us, the thought that Apple or Google can now be conscripted to serve as a state agent to facilitate ready access to private data is unsettling. Even if there are safeguards.

    Courts will have to decide at some point whether searches conducted under these new powers strike a reasonable balance between law enforcement and personal privacy. Courts have held that our privacy interest in personal data is high.

    Whether police interest in quicker and easier access to that data in certain cases is equally high is an open question. But one thing is clear: it doesn’t seem to have much to do with the border.

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

    – ref. The proposed Strong Borders Act gives police new invasive search powers that may breach Charter rights – https://theconversation.com/the-proposed-strong-borders-act-gives-police-new-invasive-search-powers-that-may-breach-charter-rights-258257

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Pushes for Strategic Grazing to Reduce Wildfire Risk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced the Strategic Grazing to Reduce the Risk of Wildfire Act, which would direct the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to collaborate with grazing allotment holders, States, Tribes, and local fire departments to create a strategy to use targeted grazing to manage hazardous fuels and reduce risks from wildfires.

    “As the West continues to face the threat of wildfires, it’s essential that we look for ways to protect our communities from devastation,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This bill takes a wildfire prevention and mitigation strategy that’s been proven to work and puts it in place at the federal level. We must make sure there’s an overarching plan to combat these fires that have become all too frequent.”

    Lisa Levine, Director of the Nevada Rural Electric Association said, “We applaud Senator Cortez Masto for bringing forward this common-sense approach to reducing and mitigating wildfires. Nevada has a rich history of cattle grazing that this legislation utilizes for vegetation management. Delivering affordable electricity that is reliable and resilient is the mission of NREA members. Wildfires pose significant risks to communities and the power grid, preventative tools such as this are key to combatting them. That is why we strongly support this bill.” 

    David Cochran, Reno Fire Department Chief said, “Managing risk associated with wildfire is a collaborative effort that requires state, local, and federal agencies to work together to ensure the safety of communities in high-risk areas and protect the livelihoods of people who depend on public lands. Senator Cortez Masto’s Strategic Grazing to Reduce Risk of Wildfire Act would create a framework through which local fire departments, like the Reno Fire Department, can work with grazing allotment holders and federal land management agencies to strategically reduce hazardous fuels in areas likely to be affected by wildfire. Strategic grazing is a proven tool in the fight against wildfire and this legislation would help to promote its use.”

    Vinson Guthreau, Executive Director of the Nevada Association of Counties said, “The threat of wildfire in Nevada is ever present, and our Counties are on the front lines of responding to those disasters.  NACO’s statewide, 17 county membership appreciates this innovative wildfire mitigation approach to prevent fires before they start while also providing grazing opportunities to the agriculture industry which plays a significant role in our state’s economy.  We commend Senator Cortez Masto for bringing this beneficial and important legislation forward.”

    Martin Paris, Executive Director of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association said, “Livestock grazing is a proven and cost-effective tool to reduce both the occurrence and severity of wildfires. It helps decrease hazardous fuel loads and prevent the spread of invasive annual grasses. The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association greatly appreciates Senator Cortez Masto for addressing the needs of livestock producers while helping to prevent the devastating impacts of wildfire on rangelands, wildlife, and urban areas alike.”

    Kaitlynn Glover, Executive Director of the Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Natural Resources said, “Ranchers and researchers alike know that grazing prevents wildfires. Not only is livestock grazing proven to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, but grazing also reduces the intensity and speed of fire if one breaks out. Western ranchers stand ready to be partners with the federal government in reducing catastrophic wildfire, and Senator Cortez Masto’s strategic grazing legislation is welcomed by rural communities across the West that know all too well the threat that wildfire poses.”

    Historic drought conditions across the West have led to devastating fires that grow in scale and intensity every year. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, since 2015, wildfires have burned over 75 million acres across the West. In Nevada specifically, 8.8 million acres have burned in the past two decades, threatening people’s safety, homes, and livelihoods. They also pose tremendous risk to wildlife and the landscapes that serve as their habitats.

    Pilot programs across the United States, including some in Nevada, have shown that the use of strategic grazing can reduce hazardous fuels and slow the spread of a wildfire. The Strategic Grazing to Reduce the Risk of Wildfire Act directs federal agencies to consider the following in the development of the strategic grazing framework: 

    • Targeting specific high-risk areas for grazing – especially those near populated areas.
    • Using temporary grazing permits to reduce risks caused by annual grasses or invasive grasses like cheatgrass that burn easily and help fires spread more quickly.
    • Recommending the use of strategic grazing when providing technical assistance to communities and Tribes undertaking their own wildfire risk management projects.
    • Reimbursing States, local governments, Tribes, and local firefighting agencies who use strategic grazing on federal lands in coordination with federal land management agencies.

    Read the full bill here.

    Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts to support Nevada firefighters and combat the wildfire crisis in the West, securing billions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to support wildfire risk reduction and new firefighting equipment. In November, she visited the burn scar of the Davis Fire and discussed key resources she’s delivered for wildfires fuels reduction in Northern Nevada. She also ensured all federal wildland firefighters – including many working in Nevada – got a significant pay raise in 2023 and helped designate the Sierra and Elko Fronts as Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscapes for wildfire prevention efforts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lloydminster — Lloydminster RCMP investigates sexual assault on a minor

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On March 18, 2025, Lloydminster RCMP received a complaint regarding an adult who was exchanging sexually explicit pictures with a minor via Snapchat. Further investigation revealed that the adult had travelled to the Lloydminster area in order to commit further sexual offences.

    Lloydminster RCMP General Investigation Section (GIS) took over the investigation and were able to identify the suspect. The male was originally from P.E.I., but had moved to Ontario, from where he started the Snapchat exchange. During the investigation, RCMP learned he had recently moved to Nova Scotia. A Canada-wide arrest warrant was obtained by Lloydminster RCMP GIS and executed by the Nova Scotia RCMP on May 27, 2025.

    As a result of the investigation, Travis James Birt (29), a resident of Nova Scotia, was charged with:

    • Sexual Assault;
    • Sexual Interference;
    • Child Luring;
    • Possession of child pornography; and
    • Making sexually explicit material available to a child.

    Birt was brought before a justice of the peace and remanded into custody. He is to appear before the Saskatchewan Provincial Court in Lloydminster on June 9, 2025.

    “We would like to thank Nova Scotia RCMP for their assistance in arresting this individual” said S/Sgt. Nutbrown of the Lloydminster RCMP GIS. “We have sent out Birt’s picture in hopes that other potential victims will come forth and speak with their local police.”

    Anyone with information regarding this incident or who has been a victim of this individual is asked to contact the Lloydminster RCMP at 780-808-8400, or your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play store. To report crime online, or for access to RCMP news and information, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in COVID-19 Fraud Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Damisha Brown, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Brown received $15,625 in proceeds from a criminally derived Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

    According to court documents and statements made in court, co-defendant Kisha Sutton conspired with Brown and others to obtain fraudulent PPP loans. Sutton submitted a PPP loan application on Brown’s behalf on April 25, 2021. The application listed Brown as a sole proprietor hair dresser who received $75,000 in gross income in 2020. The application was filed with an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040, Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business, stating that the applicant had earned $75,000 in 2020. As part of her guilty pleas, Brown admitted that she never earned $75,000 as a hair dresser in one year and that the IRS Form 1040 submitted with her application was fraudulent and created solely to obtain the PPP loan.

    A PPP lender in California approved Brown’s loan application. The $15,625 in loan proceeds was deposited in Brown’s personal bank account on April 30, 2021. Brown admitted that she knew the $15,625 represented proceeds from the fraudulent PPP loan. Between April 30 and May 27, 2021, Sutton received $3,500 from Brown as her share of the fraudulent PPP loan proceeds. Brown transferred the money to Sutton using a digital wallet application. Brown admitted that she transferred the $3,500 as Sutton’s compensation for facilitating the submission of her fraudulent loan, in keeping with their agreement. Brown further admitted that she spent the remainder of the loan proceeds on ineligible personal expenses.

    The CARES Act made forgivable PPP loans available to qualifying sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to replace their normal income and for certain other eligible expenses. Applicants were required to certify that they were in operation on February 15, 2020, and provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020.

    Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Brown also owes $12,125 in restitution.

    Brown and Sutton, 44, of Jersey City, New Jersey, are among seven individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they and others conspired, as well as aided and abetted one another, to obtain fraudulent PPP loans totaling $140,625. On March 25, 2025, co-defendant William Powell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and co-defendant Jasmine Spencer pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting bank fraud. Powell, 35, of Huntington, and Spencer, 32, of Charleston,  are scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2025. The indictment against Sutton and the other defendants remains pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).

    United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan T. Storage and Jennifer D. Gordon and former Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson have prosecuted the case.

    Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-192.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Condemn Provisions in GOP Tax Plan that would Eliminate Gun Safety Measures

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement condemning provisions in the Republican tax plan that would weaken gun safety measures that have been in place since 1934 by eliminating registration and ownership requirements for gun silencers under the National Firearms Act, increasing danger for law enforcement officers while saving gun manufacturers millions in unpaid manufacturer taxes:

    “The Republican tax plan being pushed through Congress not only cuts critical services Virginians rely on in order to give huge tax breaks to billionaires, but it also makes our communities less safe by weakening gun safety measures on silencers. Part of the reason that these registration and ownership requirements exist is because silencers, like the one that was used in the Virginia Beach mass shooting, make it harder for law enforcement to locate and respond to an active shooter. Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities, and we will oppose this disastrous bill when it comes to the Senate floor.”

    A gun silencer, also known as a suppressor, is attached to the barrel of a firearm in order to curb its sound, muzzle flash, and kickback. A silencer poses great danger to the public and makes it more difficult for law enforcement officers to detect the location of and respond to an active shooter. A silencer also diminishes the effectiveness of gunshot detection technology that relies on audio sensors to record the sound, time, and location of loud noises. A gun silencer was used in the Virginia Beach mass shooting on May 31, 2019. Law enforcement has historically supported silencer regulations because silencers make it harder, if not impossible, to figure out where the shooter is in an active shooter situation.

    Warner and Kaine have been sounding the alarm about the effects of the GOP plan on Virginia families if Republicans in Congress continue to insist on gutting vital programs in order to pay for tax breaks for the richest Americans. The senators have noted that the GOP bill would strip health insurance from more than 262,000 Virginians, cut SNAP benefits for more than 204,000 people in Virginia, raise energy costs for Virginia households, and jeopardize more than 20,000 Virginia jobs. The bill would also raise the deficit by $3.8 trillion, eliminate a program allowing Americans to file federal taxes for free, and raise taxes on minimum-wage workers while giving the richest 0.1% a $188,000 tax cut.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley, Democratic Women’s Caucus, Mamas’ Caucus, Dads Caucus Sound Alarm on Secretary Kennedy Launching Baby Formula Review at a Gutted HHS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Lawmakers Demand FDA Halt “Operation Stork Speed” Until HHS Employees Are Rehired and Proper Guardrails in Place

    Text of Letter

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Reproductive Health Care Task Force, alongside DWC member Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Mamas’ Caucus Chair Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Dads Caucus Chair Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) led 21 Democratic Caucus members in sounding the alarm over the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) launch of Operation Stork Speed — an initiative the agency claims will evaluate the safety of nutrients and ingredients found in infant formula.

    In their letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, the lawmakers raise concerns over the safety and feasibility of Operation Stork Speed while laying off tens of thousands of HHS employees — including 3,500 at the FDA, many of whom oversee infant formula and nutrition. They also demand the FDA halt this initiative until HHS employees are rehired and until there are proper guardrails to conduct a comprehensive, evidence-based review.  

    “The infant formula supply chain is fragile, and even a small disruption can have devastating consequences. No parent or guardian should struggle to feed their child due to failed safety standards, corporate greed or supply chain failures. Ensuring safe, affordable, and accessible formula is a matter of public health, economic justice, and basic dignity for families—especially women who are often primary caregivers,” wrote the lawmakers.

    “From gutting staff responsible for scientific research to perpetuating anti-vaccine theories, you have repeatedly undermined scientific research. This, coupled with President Trump’s arbitrary mandate for federal agencies to repeal 10 regulations for every new rule, serves to further jeopardize the health and safety of families,” continued the lawmakers.

    The Members also call on the agency to ensure infant formula is safe, accessible and affordable for all women and babies who need it in the face of ongoing regulatory reversals and staff reduction. 

    “Ensuring safe, affordable, and accessible formula is a matter of public health, economic justice, and basic dignity for families—especially women who are often primary caregivers. We ask for your swift response to our questions regarding how you will ensure infant formula is safe, accessible and affordable for all women and babies who need it in the face of ongoing regulatory reversals and staff reduction,” concluded the lawmakers.

    In addition to letter leads Ayanna Pressley, Brittany Pettersen, Rashida Tlaib, and Jimmy Gomez, the letter was signed by Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez, Deborah Ross, Nikema Williams, Jasmine Crockett, Andrea Salinas, LaMonica McIver, Pramila Jayapal, Nydia Velázquez, Julie Johnson, Kelly Morrison, Summer Lee, Dan Goldman, Eric Swalwell, April McClain Delaney, Betty McCollum, Delia Ramirez, Suzanne Bonamici, Laura Friedman, Veronica Escobar, Yvette Clarke, and Jan Schakowsky.

    Text of the letter can be found here.

    Rep. Pressley has long advocated for safe, accessible, and affordable baby formula.

    In May 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16) and Congresswomen Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Grace Meng (NY-06), urged President Biden to use all applicable executive authorities to end the baby formula shortage.

    Through her efforts on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the Committee had previously requested information from the nation’s largest formula manufacturers on their efforts to address the shortage of infant formula that is impacting families across the United States.

    In May 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03), Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (MA-05) and the Massachusetts delegation, sent a letter to Abbott Laboratories Chairman and CEO Robert Ford requesting urgent information on the company’s plans to replenish its Similac baby formula in Massachusetts.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Home and Youth Affairs Bureau held training seminar for members of District Councils (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Home and Youth Affairs Bureau held training seminar for members of District Councils  
    ​Based on the needs of DC members, the HYAB has been arranging different training sessions and visits to assist DC members in discharging their duties, so as to improve the efficacy of district work and serve the people better. The training seminar today focused on how to enhance communications with the media, and to promote the good practices of building management.
     
    ​The Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung, attended the training seminar and delivered a speech. He said that under the improved district governance system, the DCs, the District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) and other district organisations and groups worked hand-in-hand in serving the people. District work had to be done with the people at heart for it to be effective and efficient. The HYAB and the Home Affairs Department (HAD) had therefore continued to provide various training for DC members. For example, the HAD had arranged for DC members to attend mediation training in batches starting from May. Mr Leung hoped the relevant training could help DC members better discharge their duties, further improve the efficacy of district governance and thereby building a harmonious community together.
     
    ​​Today’s training seminar had two parts. In the first part, a guest speaker shared with DC members the latest media landscape and skills in engaging with the media. Through strengthening communications with the media, members of the public could better understand DC members’ work under the improved district governance system more effectively through the media, so that DC members could better serve as the bridge between the Government and the people, while telling good stories of the DCs.
     
    ​Before the second part of the training seminar, the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, addressed DC members, saying that the Government had always placed emphasis on district work. She quoted the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Zhou Ji, that the DCs, “the three district committees” (the Area Committees, the District Fight Crime Committees and the District Fire Safety Committees) and Care Teams are the troika after improvements to district governance, and reminded DC members to strengthen collaboration with “the three district committees” and Care Teams, and address and resolve people’s conflicts at early stages. Miss Mak emphasised that building management was one of the key aspects of district work, and encouraged DC members to be familiar with relevant legislation, so as to provide support and assistance to owners and residents in need and facilitate the smooth operation of building management.
     
    ​Afterwards, in the second part, the guest speaker shared with DC members the relevant information on the Building Management (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (the Amendment Ordinance), which would come into effect on July 13. As early as December last year, HAD organised two briefing sessions for DC members. In view of the imminent commencement of the Amendment Ordinance, HAD provided training to DC members again on the content and requirements of the Amendment Ordinance, with a view to enabling DC members to provide effective assistance to owners and residents in dealing with building management issues when necessary. The key objectives of the Amendment Ordinance are to enhance the transparency and accountability of the operation of owners’ corporations (OCs), for example, in respect of large-scale maintenance works or high-value procurement, and to provide better protection for members of the management committees (MCs) of OCs. The Amendment Ordinance also includes new provisions relating to the keeping of documents relating to building management and the responsibilities of the MCs in keeping such documents.
    Issued at HKT 23:19

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Missing man in Sheung Shui located

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Missing man in Sheung Shui located 
    Wong Sum-wah, aged 77, went missing after he was last seen in a shopping mall on Choi Yuen Road in the afternoon on June 2. His family then made a report to Police.

    The man was located at the junction of Morrison Street and Des Voeux Road Central in Central tonight (June 5). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.
    Issued at HKT 23:18

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Updating the EU’s Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement – 05-06-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU needs to update its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement by September 2025. This extended deadline allows the United Nations climate secretariat enough time to assess the collective effect of all national climate plans, relative to the targets under the Paris Agreement, before the start of the COP30 climate change conference in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025. The EU’s NDC is formally adopted by the Council of the EU. The third NDC will have a time horizon of 2035, and is therefore linked with the EU climate target for 2040, which is to be adopted as an amendment to the European Climate Law under the Ordinary Legislative Procedure.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Situation in Cambodia and Commission action to address it – E-001938/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001938/2025/rev.1
    to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
    Rule 144
    Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew)

    Grave concerns from the EU, the UN and international non-governmental organisation reports led to a November 2024 Parliament resolution demanding action on Cambodia. The need for stronger EU policy is highlighted by Cambodia’s protection of suspects in the assassination of EU national, Lim Kimya, in Bangkok. It is also emphasised by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s finding, linking Huione Group, connected to the Prime Minister’s cousin Hun To, to cybercrime that impacts EU citizens. This trend contradicts EU principles and the everything but arms (EBA) trade scheme.

    • 1.What detailed action plan has the Commission developed to implement the demands of the 2024 Cambodia Resolution, and what mechanisms are in place to monitor and evaluate its impact?
    • 2.Given Cambodia’s continued failure to comply with its obligations under the EBA regulations, what concrete steps will the Commission propose to address these breaches and does the Commission still consider the EBA to be effective, and if not, what alternative regulatory frameworks will the Commission consider?
    • 3.Regarding Cambodia’s non-cooperation on the Lim Kimya extradition, what diplomatic and legal measures will the European External Action Service undertake and does the Commission believe that current EU legislation is sufficient to address instances of transnational repression emanating from or facilitated by Cambodia, or is new legislation deemed necessary to protect EU citizens?

    Submitted: 14.5.2025

    Last updated: 5 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –