INDIANAPOLIS— Juan Morales, 49, of Mexico, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien after deportation.
According to court documents, on November 6, 2024, Morales was convicted of operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license. Further investigation revealed that Morales had been removed from the United States on two separate occasions in 2007 and 2018.
Morales has a lengthy criminal history, including two previous federal convictions for illegal reentry, as well as two convictions in Indiana and Illinois for dealing cocaine and methamphetamine.
“While in the United States unlawfully for a third time, this defendant has repeatedly broken the law, demonstrating time and time again a fundamental lack of respect for this country,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our office is committed to working with ICE and our other law enforcement partners to ensure criminal defendants like Mr. Morales cannot continue to pose danger to our communities.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany J. Preston and Samantha Spiro, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)
Gulfport, MS – An Ethiopian national was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for armed robbery of a local supermarket in Gulfport.
According to court documents, Milki Ibrahim walked into the supermarket on February 23, 2024, pulled out a black handgun and said, “Give me the money or I will shoot y’all right now.” The employee behind the cash register complied and gave Ibrahim $1200. Ibrahim threatened to come back and kill the people in the store if they went to the police.
Employees of the store were able to positively identify Ibrahim as the armed robber. A subsequent review of Ibrahim’s cellphone showed he took pictures of himself wearing the same clothes that were worn during the robbery just one day prior. Those same clothes were found in the defendant’s residence along with a firearm that matched the description to the one used in the robbery.
In December 2024, Ibrahim pled guilty to the charge.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Gulfport Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Smith is prosecuting the case.
For non- HSTF cases pursuant to Op. TBA
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
GULFPORT, MS – A Honduran man pleaded guilty on April 16, 2025, to Unlawful Reentry into the United States by a Deported or Removed Alien. According to court documents, Denis Ramon Flores Ortez, age 40, of Honduras pleaded guilty to this federal felony offense in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
Flores Ortez is scheduled to be sentenced on August 19, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Federal law also provides for Flores Ortez to face Homeland Security removal proceedings after serving any sentence of imprisonment.
On February 3, 2025, the U.S. Border Patrol encountered Flores Ortez, at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center in Gulfport. As a result of official records checks, Flores Ortez was found to be an illegal alien from Honduras who had been lawfully removed from the United States.
Flores Ortez illegally entered the U.S. in 2004, and was afforded the privilege of a voluntary departure in lieu of removal. In 2010, Flores Ortez illegally reentered the U.S. and was apprehended by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) after his arrest in Jackson County. A removal order was issued against him, and he was physically removed from the U.S. Thereafter, he unlawfully reentered the U.S. after removal and was arrested in Gulfport, MS, in 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, Patrick A. Lemon, praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Border Patrol. Lemon and Eric P. DeLaune, Special Agent-in-Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Adam M. Calderon, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
FBI Houston is on location in the 13000 block of Milan Drive in south Houston responding to an agent-involved shooting. Preliminary information at this time is that on Thursday, April 17, at approximately 5:30 p.m., an FBI Houston agent was at the intersection of Milan Drive and East Anderson Road conducting authorized law enforcement activity when a woman armed with a machete threatened him. In response, the agent fired his weapon. The woman was taken to a local hospital. The agent was not physically harmed. The scene is currently being processed by the FBI’s Evidence Response Team who will be on-site for several hours. Per FBI policy, FBI’s Inspection Division will conduct an independent and objective investigation of the incident. To protect the investigation’s integrity, no more details will be released at this time.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal judge convicted an Alexandria man, who worked for the Department of Commerce, yesterday on charges of receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rafferty Daniel Kelly, 40, worked for the Patent and Trademark Office. In March 2022, a federal CSAM investigation involving an Internet-based, peer-to-peer file sharing service led federal agents to execute a search warrant at Kelly’s home where they seized multiple devices. A review of those devices revealed that over a period of at least two years Kelly had downloaded and stored over 50,000 of images of CSAM and child erotica, including images of infants and prepubescent children. Kelly also possessed a handbook on how to groom children.
At the end of the bench trial, U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff found Kelly guilty of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Kelly is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after Judge Nachmanoff returned the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa K. Strobbe for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz for the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-246.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the brutal killing of a man on the Navajo Nation in 2020.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between February 6, 2020, and February 14, 2020, Tyran Begay, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, helped confine and torture John Doe alongside Camille Damon and Ronald Belone by binding and beating the victim, and leaving his body exposed to frigid weather in a remote area near Smith Lake, New Mexico.
Upon his release from prison, Begay will be subject to five years of supervised release.
Damon and Belone remain in custody pending trial, which has yet been scheduled.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco and Meg P. Tomlinson are prosecuting the case.
A multi-agency search is underway for a child who fell into the water in Cook’s Cove.
On April 17, at approximately 1:40 p.m., Guysborough County RCMP, fire services and EHS were dispatched to a report of a chid who had fallen into the water while fishing with a man and another child. The man entered the water immediately to rescue the child but was unsuccessful.
Initial responders were joined by multiple fire services, EHS LifeFlight, several ground search and rescue teams (Pictou County Volunteer GSAR, Straight Area GSAR, Inverness County GSAR, Colchester GSAR), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), Nova Scotia Department of Resources and Renewables Air Services, Civil Air search and Rescue Association (CASARA), and multiple RCMP units.
Residents are asked to avoid the area as the search continues.
RCMP victim services is engaged, and our thoughts are with the child’s loved ones at this difficult time.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
In summer, keep your dog healthy and happy by walking in the early morning or evening.
In brief:
There are a lot of things to think about during the summer holiday period.
It’s important to do what you can to keep yourself, your family and your things safe.
This article overviews some actions you can take.
From festive parties to trips away, there are so many things to do and enjoy at this time of year.
Taking a moment to read the following tips will help ensure you can celebrate free of unexpected problems.
Travel safely
If you’re hitting the road this summer, remember to take plenty of breaks and drive to the conditions.
It’s also a good idea to pack supplies just in case the car you’re travelling in breaks down.
Never leave a child or pet in the car, even with the windows down or for short periods. Car interiors can heat to over 60 degrees in just five minutes.
Protect your home while you’re away
House break-ins often increase over holiday periods, because offenders know an empty house can be an easy target.
Try to leave your house looking lived-in with the help of a neighbour or house-sitter.
Keeping windows and doors locked, your mail collected, and your lawn mown while you are away can help.
Staying in the ACT? It’s worth noting changes to bus and light rail timetables during the summer school holidays – from Monday 23 December 2024 to Sunday 2 February 2025.
School services and ‘s’ trip diversions will not be in place during the six-week holiday period.
Bus and light rail services will be free on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve (from 5pm). There will be a special bus timetable in place. You don’t even need a MyWay+ card – but if you have one, please tap on and off.
If you choose to leave the car at home on New Year’s Eve, you can take advantage of an extended Tuesday timetable with additional bus and light rail services.
And remember, public transport is free on Fridays.
Make your trip even easier by using the MyWay+ app or TC Journey Planner.
As the temperature rises, pets rely on their owners to keep them happy, healthy and safe.
There are some easy ways to do this.
Avoid walks in heat of the day. Early morning and evening walks are best, and this will also protect their paws from burning.
Make sure they have access to fresh drinking water and shade around your house and backyard all day.
Help your pets stay cool with an icy pet treat. There are lots of online recipes to make your own pet-safe summer treats.
Visit one of the dog swimming spots or fill a kids’ splash pool with water to help your pooch cool down.
Arrange for someone to care for your pets if you go on holidays.
Make sure your pet is microchipped and registered so if they escape – such as during a storm – they can easily be returned.
And remember, never leave your dog in an unattended parked car. Even if you leave the windows down, your dog is still at risk of suffering heat exhaustion within minutes.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
By the time it was over, the Bureau had conducted more than 28,000 interviews, followed some 43,000 investigative leads, amassed three-and-a-half tons of evidence, and reviewed nearly a billion pieces of information.
“The FBI’s investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing was a Herculean effort of enormous breadth,” Louis Freeh, FBI Director at the time of the bombing, has said. “From the moment the bomb exploded, the FBI devoted every conceivable resource to investigating and solving this act of terrorism.
“I am proud of our investigators and support teams who, with their colleagues, worked around the clock to solve this terrible crime. The investigation and prosecution of this case was a success story, a significant accomplishment.”
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Austin James McCastler II, 35, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week charging him with two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, attempted prevention of the government’s authority to take property during an authorized search and seizure, attempted murder and assault of a Special Agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
McCastler is scheduled for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon on April 22, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in Pensacola, Florida. If convicted, McCastler faces up to life imprisonment.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the NorthernDistrict of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
A shortfall in this year’s congressional appropriations is significantly impacting the Judiciary’s ability to ensure security at courthouses at a time of rising threats to federal judges and impairing efforts to provide critical legal defense services to people who can’t afford to hire lawyers.
Those concerns were outlined in an April 10 letter (PDF) to appropriators in Congress by Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr., Judicial Conference secretary, and Judge Amy J. St. Eve, chair of the Conference’s Budget Committee.
The continuing resolution enacted in March provides the Judicial Branch with $8.6 billion, $391 million less than the Judicial Conference had requested. The branch had requested exceptions to the governmentwide funding freeze imposed by the resolution, but the requests were excluded in the final legislation. As a result, many of the Judiciary’s accounts are frozen for a second consecutive year, leaving them operating at fiscal year 2023 levels.
One of them is the $750 million Court Security program.
“We have significant concerns about our ability to properly secure federal courthouses given current resource levels,” Conrad and St. Eve wrote. “Consecutive years of flat security funding comes at a time when threats against federal judges and courthouses are escalating, making this situation unsustainable in the current environment.”
Currently, 67 judges involved in high profile cases are receiving enhanced online security screening services provided by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the U.S. Marshals Service, which is also operating at reduced staffing levels as a result of the funding freeze. In some instances, the Marshals Service has had to take “extraordinary measures” to ensure the safety of judges, the letter said.
The Judiciary’s Defender Services program was also significantly underfunded for fiscal year 2025. It received $1.45 billion, $129 million below the necessary level. A hiring freeze already in place was extended until at least the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. And the Judiciary will have to defer a projected $92 million in payments to private defense attorneys, who are appointed by the courts under the Criminal Justice Act to represent defendants who can’t afford to retain counsel.
“These are payments for constitutionally required legal work that has already been performed but that will be left unpaid for months simply because we cannot afford to make the payments,” Conrad and St. Eve wrote, noting that some attorneys may decline to accept future appointments as a result.
A shortage of qualified defense attorneys willing to take cases could create “unlawful delays in the constitutional right of defendants to a speedy and fair trial,” they said.
The freeze is also having an adverse impact on maintaining necessary staff levels in probation and pretrial services, as well as in clerks of court offices.
“Some clerks of court offices report they cannot sufficiently staff public counters to assist individuals seeking court information or help with filing,” the judges said, also predicting that “probation offices will have to focus limited supervision resources on the most violent, high-risk offenders, leaving low-to-mid risk offenders with less supervision, increasing the risk of offenders committing new crimes.”
As the Judiciary prepares to submit its budget request for fiscal year 2026, Conrad and St. Eve emphasized the need for congressional appropriators to provide adequate funding to help the Judiciary mitigate some of the adverse impacts of the recent appropriations shortfalls. Their letter was sent to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate appropriations committees and subcommittees with jurisdiction over Judiciary funding.
Each year, children are invited to celebrate Easter Monday with the president at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. This beloved tradition was actually started in response to congressional action that put an end to Easter Monday celebrations outside the U.S. Capitol.
In 1876, Congress passed “An act to protect the public property, turf and grass of the Capitol Grounds from injury.” This law made it the duty of the United States Capitol Police to protect the Capitol grounds by prohibiting the grounds from “being used as play grounds or otherwise.”
The prize basket at the Easter egg rolling at the White House. 1923. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002713117/
Before the law was enacted, children would come to the Capitol grounds to celebrate Easter Monday, but Congress was concerned about the time and money required to restore the grounds afterward. Senator Morrill of Vermont explained the reasoning behind his support of the measure:
I suppose the great pleasure of seeing ten thousand children here on Easter Monday, as was witnessed this week and in previous years, has prevented the police from doing their duty; but at the same time, if Senators will notice the injury done, it will be seen to amount to thousands of dollars. This grass cannot be restored for many months, and some of it could not be restored without being replaced by new turf. Although it is a very great pleasure to see these children enjoying themselves here on Easter Monday, it is deemed important that we should protect the grounds.
The prohibition on the use of the Capitol grounds as a playground became law on April 29, 1876, putting an end to the Easter Monday tradition. However, in 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes issued an order opening the grounds to children who wished to roll their Easter eggs on the White House lawn on Easter Monday.
The law prohibiting the use of the Capitol grounds as a playground is still on the books today, but the White House also continues to make its lawn available for the Easter festivities.
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on April 17, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Benjamin Gutierrez-Morales, 28, of Sonora, Mexico, with illegally bringing aliens to the United States.
Gutierrez-Morales’s arraignment will occur on April 21, 2025, at 1:00 PM in Burlington, Vermont.
According to court records, Gutierrez-Morales met two aliens north of the United States-Canada international border on April 5, 2025. He led those two aliens on foot south across the border. Law enforcement caught all three aliens near Lost Nation Road in Berkshire, Vermont. The two aliens who Gutierrez-Morales brought to the United States both pleaded guilty to illegally entering the United States on April 7, 2025.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Gutierrez-Morales is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Gutierrez-Morales faces up to 10 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Gutierrez-Morales is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on April 14, 2025. Anthony Phelps, 34, of Queens, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to a term of 57 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Phelps previously pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, Phelps distributed cocaine base to a confidential informant on three separate occasions, in March and September 2024. On April 17, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence in Essex, Vermont where Phelps was staying. During the search, law enforcement recovered approximately 705.12 grams of cocaine, 90.82 grams of cocaine base, and a 9mm pistol from one room, as well as approximately 92.24 grams of suspected cocaine, 86.78 grams of sodium-bicarbonate, and a rifle from another room. Phelps stipulated that he intended to distribute the cocaine and cocaine base to others. As a prior felon, Phelps was prohibited from possessing the 9mm pistol.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermont State Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary B. Stendig. Phelps was represented by Kevin Henry, Esq.
TORONTO, April 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ASUS today announced an all-new ASUS TUF Gaming A14 equipped with an AMD Ryzen™ AI 7 350 CPU and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5060 Laptop GPU. Housed in an incredibly portable and lightweight 14-inch form factor chassis, the TUF Gaming A14 is the perfect companion for any gamer on the go.
Next-gen RTX™ 50 Series graphics
Backed by the incredible performance of the new NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5060 Laptop GPU, the TUF Gaming A14 is truly primed and ready for the latest AAA and esports games. This card features the latest DLSS suite of technologies, which uses AI and neural rendering to boost FPS, reduce latency, and improve image quality. The latest breakthrough, DLSS 4, brings new Multi Frame Generation and enhanced Ray Reconstruction and Super Resolution, powered by GeForce RTX™ 50 Series GPUs and fifth-generation Tensor Cores. From old classics to the latest AAA titles, the A14 has the power to make your games look and perform better than ever before.
Upgraded processing and AI power
The TUF Gaming A14 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen™ AI 7 350 processor, with 8 cores, 16 threads, and a built-in NPU capable of 50 TOPS of AI performance. A gaming and multi-tasking workhorse, this chip is able to easily power the latest AAA and esports titles all while running your favorite communication apps or streams in the background. And, since local AI performance will become crucial to avoid long wait times and high costs in the cloud, the built-in NPU is a perfect companion to AMD Ryzen™ AI. Users can perform hand gesture detection, eye gaze correction, and use Windows Copilot tools like email summarization locally with less power consumption.
Ultraportable 14-inch form factor
Built to be ultra-portable with excellent performance, the new TUF Gaming A14 weighs only 1.46kg (3.22 lbs), and measures 1.69cm (0.67″) thick. Despite these dimensions, the A14 supports up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX Laptop GPU with a 110W max TGP in Manual Mode — far more than many of its competitors for an exceptional gaming experience.
In addition, the TUF Gaming A14 comes with dual-channel LPDDR5 memory as well as two M.2 2280 SSD slots, so users can upgrade or add SSDs for extreme amounts of storage in a 14-inch laptop. USB power delivery rounds out this portable powerhouse, for easy charging on-the-go with wide compatibility between devices thanks to USB Type-C.
AVAILABILITY & PRICING1
The new ASUS TUF Gaming A14 will be available later in the beginning of Q3 2025 in Canada. The currently planned specification and pricing for Canada are available below.
For more information, please reach out to your ASUS representative.
SPECIFICATIONS2
ASUS TUF Gaming A14
Model Name
FA401KM-DS74-CA
Marketing Name
ASUS TUF Gaming A14
Color
Jaeger Gray
Processor
AMD Ryzen™ AI 7 350 processor (8 Cores 16 Threads, supporting AMD Ryzen™ AI and Windows Studio Effect, up to 50 TOPs AI Performance)
Graphics
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5060 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR7 Max TGP 110 W (with Dynamic Boost)
Dolby Atmos® Hi-Res Audio Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation
WiFi / Bluetooth
WiFi 6E Bluetooth® v5.3
I/O Ports
1 x USB4® (supports DisplayPort™ / Power Delivery) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C® 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 1 x HDMI® 2.1 1 x Micro SD Card Reader (UHS II) 1 x Audio combo jack
ASUS is a global technology leader that provides the world’s most innovative and intuitive devices, components, and solutions to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. With its team of 5,000 in-house R&D experts, the company is world-renowned for continuously reimagining today’s technologies. Consistently ranked as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, ASUS is also committed to sustaining an incredible future. The goal is to create a net zero enterprise that helps drive the shift towards a circular economy, with a responsible supply chain creating shared value for every one of us.
1 Laptop prices and configurations are an indication only and are subject to changes. 2 Specifications, content and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors. Full specifications are available at http://www.asus.com
Nearly every country in the world has a central bank – a public institution that manages a country’s currency and its monetary policy. And these banks have an extraordinary amount of power. By controlling the flow of money and credit in a country, they can affect economic growth, inflation, employment and financial stability.
These are powers that many politicians – including, currently, U.S. President Donald Trump – would seemingly like to control or at least manipulate. That’s because monetary policy can provide governments with economic boosts at key times, such as around elections or during periods of falling popularity.
The problem is that short-lived, politically motivated moves may be detrimental to the long-term economic well-being of a nation. They may, in other words, saddle the economy with problems further down the line.
In fact, monetary policymaking that is data-driven and technocratic, rather than politically motivated, has since the early 1990s been seen as the gold standardof governance of national finances. By and large, this arrangement, in which central bankers keep politicians at arm’s length, has achieved its main purpose: Inflation has beenrelatively low and stable in countries with independent central banks, such as Switzerland or Sweden – certainly until the pandemic and war in Europe began pushing up prices globally.
In comparison, countries such as Lebanon and Egypt, where independence was never extended, or Argentina and Turkey, where it has been curtailed, have experienced more bouts of high inflation.
As political economists, we are not surprised to see politicians try to exert influence on central banks. Monetary policy, even with independence, has always been political. For one thing, central banks remain part of the government bureaucracy, and independence granted to them can always be reversed – either by changing laws or backtracking on established practices.
If monetary policy is such a coveted policy tool, how have central banks held off politicians and stayed independent? And is this independence being eroded?
Broadly, central banks are protected by laws that offer long tenures to their leadership, allow them to focus policy primarily on inflation, and severely limit lending to the rest of the government.
Of course, such legislation cannot anticipate all future contingencies, which may open the door for political interference or for practices that break the law. And sometimes central bankers are unceremoniously fired.
However, laws do keep politicians in line. For example, even in authoritarian countries, laws protecting central banks from political interference have helped reduce inflation and restricted central bank lending to the government.
Around the world, appointments to central bank leadership are political – elected politicians select candidates based on career credentials, political affiliation and, importantly, their dislike or tolerance of inflation.
But lawmakers in different countries exercise different degrees of political control.
A 2025 study shows that the large majority of central bank leaders – about 70% – are appointed by the head of government alone or with the intervention of other members of the executive branch. This ensures that the preferences of the central bank are closer to the government’s, which can boost the central bank’s legitimacy in democratic countries, but at the risk of permeability to political influence.
Alternatively, appointments can involve the legislative power or even the central bank’s own board. In the U.S., while the president nominates members of the Federal Reserve Board, the Senate can and has rejected unconventional or incompetent candidates.
Moreover, even if appointments are political, many central bankers stay in office long after the people who appointed them have been voted out. By the end of 2023, the most common length of the governors’ appointment is five years, and in 41 countries the legal mandate was six years or longer. Powell is set to stay on as Fed chair until his term expires in 2026. The Fed chair position has traditionally been protected by law, as Powell himself acknowledged in November 2024: “We’re not removable except for cause. We serve very long terms, seemingly endless terms. So we’re protected into law. Congress could change that law, but I don’t think there’s any danger of that.” But Trump’s firing of leaders of other independent federal agencies has set up a legal challenge that could affect the Fed, too.
In the 2000s, several countries shortened the tenure of their central banks’ governors to four or five years. Sometimes, this was part of broader restrictions in central bank independence, as was the case in Iceland in 2001, Ghana in 2002 and Romania in 2004.
The low inflation objective
As of 2023, all but six central banks globally had low inflation as their main goal. Yet many central banks are required by law to try to achieve additional and sometimes conflicting goals, such as financial stability, full employment or support for the government’s policies.
This is the case for 38 central banks that either have the explicit dual mandate of price stability and employment or more complex goals. In Argentina, for example, the central bank’s mandate is to provide “employment and economic development with social equity.”
Conflicting objectives can open central banks to politicization. In the U.S. the Federal Reserve has a dual mandate of stable prices and maximum sustainable employment. These goals are often complementary, and economists have argued that low inflation is a prerequisite for sustainable high levels of employment.
Since 2000, at least 23 countries have expanded the focus of their central banks beyond just inflation.
Limits on government lending
The first central banks were created to help secure finance for governments fightingwars. But today, limiting lending to governments is at the core of protecting price stability from unsustainable fiscal spending.
History is dotted with the consequences of not doing so. In the 1960s and 1970s, for example, central banks in Latin America printed money to support their governments’ spending goals. But it resulted in massive inflation while not securing growth or political stability.
Yet over the past two decades, almost 40 countries have made their central banks less able to limit central government funding. In the more extreme examples – such as in Belarus, Ecuador or even New Zealand – they have turned the central bank into a potential financier for the government.
And since mid-2021, major central banks have struggled to keep inflation low, raising questions from populist and antidemocratic politicians about the merits of an arm’s-length relationship.
But chipping away at central bank independence, as Trump appears to be doing with his open criticism of the Fed chair and implicit threats of dismissal, is a historically sure way to high inflation.
This is an updated version of an article that was originally published by The Conversation on June 14, 2024.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christina Erickson, Associate Dean in the College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines, University of North Dakota
_Nearly a half-century after the Supreme Court ruled that school spankings are permissible and not “cruel and unusual punishment”, many U.S. states allow physical punishment for students who have misbehaved.
Christina Erickson, an associate dean and professor of social work at the University of North Dakota, wrote a book on the subject: “Spanked: How Hitting Our Children is Harming Ourselves.” She discussed the scope of the practice and its effects with The Conversation.
What spanking legislation exists worldwide?
Around the world, 68 countries have banned the hitting of children in any form, including spanking. This movement began in 1979 with Sweden’s ban on all forms of physical punishment, including spanking in any setting, and including in the family home.
Each state in the U.S. has its own child abuse laws, and all states, tribes and territories aim to protect children from abuse. But all state laws also allow parents to hit their children if it does not leave an injury or a mark.
A typical example is Oklahoma’s definition of child abuse and neglect. It includes an exception that permits parents to use ordinary force as a means of discipline, including spanking, using an implement like a switch or a paddle. However, leaving evidence of hitting, such as welts, bruises, swelling or lacerations, is illegal and considered child abuse in all states.
Parental spanking of children is considered unique from other physical violence because of the relational context and the purpose. Laws entitle parents to hit their children for the purpose of teaching a lesson or punishing them to improve behavior. Children are the only individuals in society who can be hit by another person and the law does not regard it as assault.
Spanking’s impact on a child is unfortunately similar to abusive hitting. Spanking has been labeled as an “Adverse Childhood Experience,” or ACE. These are events that cause poor health outcomes over the span of one’s life.
Some school districts require permission from parents to allow disciplinary paddling in school, while others do not require any communication. State law does not assure agreement between parents and school districts on what offenses warrant a paddling. Parents may feel they have no alternative but to keep their child in school, or fear reprisal from school administrators. Some students are old enough to denounce the punishment themselves.
In this school district, physical punishment is used only when parents give written permission.
Is spanking considered the same as hitting?
The term spank conceals the concept of hitting and is so commonplace it goes unquestioned, despite the fact that it is a grown adult hitting a person much smaller than them. The concept is further concealed because hitting a child’s bottom hides any injuries that may occur.
Types of hitting that are categorized as spanking have narrowed over the years but still persist. Some parents still use implements such as tree switches, wooden spoons, shoes or paddles to “spank” children, raising the chances for abuse.
Most spanking ends by the age of 12, partly because children this age are able to fight back. When a child turns 18, parental hitting becomes the same as hitting any other adult, a form of domestic violence or assault throughout the U.S.
There is a lack of a consistent understanding of what constitutes a spanking. The definition of spanking is unique to each family. The number of hits, clothed or not, or using an implement, all reflect geographical or familial differences in understanding what a spanking is.
How do US adults view spanking?
People in the United States generally accept spanking as part of raising children: 56% of U.S. adults strongly agree or agree that “… it is sometimes necessary to discipline a child with a good, hard spanking.” This view has been slowly changing since 1986, when 83% of adults agreed with that statement.
The laws worldwide that protect children from being hit usually begin by disallowing nonparental adults to hit children. This is happening in the U.S. too, where 31 states have banned paddling in schools.
With the slow but steady drop of parents who believe that sometimes children need a good hard spanking, as well as the ban of paddling in schools in 31 states, one could argue that the U.S. is moving toward a reduction in spanking.
What does research say about spanking?
Spanking’s negative influence on children’s behavior has been documented for decades. Spanking seems to work in the moment when it comes to changing or stopping the immediate behavior, but the negative effects are hidden in the short term and occur later in the child’s life. Yet because the spanking seemed to work at the time, the parent doesn’t connect the continued bad behavior of the child to the spanking.
No studies have shown positive long-term benefits from spanking. Because of the long-standing and expansive research findings showing a range of harm from spanking and the increased association with child abuse, the American Psychological Association recommends that parents should never spank their children.
What are some resources for parents?
Consider these questions when choosing a discipline method for your child:
Is the expectation of your child developmentally accurate? One of the most common reasons parents spank is because they are expecting a behavior the child is not developmentally able to execute.
Can the discipline you choose grow with your child? Nearly all spanking ends by age 12, when kids are big enough to fight back. Choose discipline methods you can use over the long term, such as additional chores, apologies, difficult conversations and others that can grow with your child.
Might there be another explanation for your child’s behavior? Difficulty of understanding, fear or miscommunication? Think of your child as a learner and use a growth mindset to help your child learn from their life experiences.
Parents are the leaders of their families. Good leaders show strength in nonthreatening ways, listen to others and explain their decisions. Don’t spoil your kids. But being firm does not have to include hitting.
Practicing calm when with your children will help you be calmer at work and in your other relationships. Listening to and speaking with a child about challenges, even from a very early age, is the best way to make it part of your relationship for the rest of your life.
Choose a method that allows you to grow. Parents matter too.
Christina Erickson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Kelsey Juliana, a lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit over responsibility for climate change, speaks at a 2019 rally in Oregon.AP Photo/Steve Dipaola
The U.S. Supreme Court in March 2025 ended a decade-old lawsuit filed by a group of children who sought to hold the federal government responsible for some of the consequences of climate change. But just two months earlier, the justices allowed a similar suit from the city and county of Honolulu, Hawaii, to continue against oil and gas companies.
So local and state governments and citizens have asked the courts to force companies and public agencies to act. Their results have varied, with limited victories to date. But the cases keep coming.
Attacking the emissions themselves
In general, legal claims in the U.S. can be based on the U.S. and state constitutions, federal and state laws, or what is called “common law” – legal principles created by courts over time.
Lawsuits have used state and federal laws to try to limit greenhouse gas pollution itself and to seek financial compensation for alleged industry cover-ups of the dangers of fossil fuels, among many other types of claims.
In 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court determined that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide emitted from motor vehicles were a “pollutant” under the federal Clean Air Act. As a result, the court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to either determine whether greenhouse gases from new vehicles contribute to climate change, and therefore endanger human health, or justify its refusal to study the issue.
In response to this federal executive seesaw of climate action, some legal claims use a court-based, or common law, approach to address climate concerns. For instance, in Connecticut v. American Electric Power, filed in 2004, nine states asked a federal judge to order power plants to reduce their emissions. The states said those emissions contributed to global warming, which they argued met the federal common law definition of a “public nuisance.”
That case ended when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that the existence of a statute – the federal Clean Air Act – meant common law did not apply. Other plaintiffs have tried to use the “public nuisance” claim or a related common-law claim of “trespass” to force large power plants or oil and gas producers to pay climate-related damages. But in those cases, too, courts found that the Clean Air Act overrode the common-law grounds for those claims.
With those case outcomes, many plaintiffs have shifted their strategies, focusing more on state courts and seeking to hold the fossil fuel industry responsible for allegedly deceiving the public about the causes and effects of climate change.
Rather than directly asking courts to order reduced carbon emissions, these cases tend to seek damages that will help governments cover the costs associated with climate change, such as construction of cooling centers
and repair of roads damaged by increased precipitation.
In legal terms, the lawsuits are saying oil and gas companies violated consumer-protection laws and committed common-law civil violations such as negligence. For instance, the city of Chicago alleges that major petroleum giants – along with the industry trade association the American Petroleum Institute – had “abundant knowledge” of the public harms of fossil fuels yet “actively campaigned” to hide that information and deceive consumers. Many other complaints by states and local governments make similar allegations.
Another lawsuit, from the state of Maine, lists and provides photographs of a litany of internal industry documents showing industry knowledge of the threat of climate change. That lawsuit also cites a 1977 memo from an Exxon employee to Exxon executives, which stated that “current scientific opinion overwhelmingly favors attributing atmospheric carbon dioxide increase to fossil fuel consumption,” and a 1979 internal Exxon memo about the buildup of carbon dioxide emissions, which warned that “(t)he potential problem is great and urgent.”
These complaints also show organizations supported by fossil fuel companies published ads as far back as the 1990s, with titles such as “Apocalypse No” and “Who told you the earth was warming … Chicken Little?” Some of these ads – part of a broader campaign – were funded by a group called the Information Council for the Environment, supported by coal producers and electric utilities.
Lead claimant Rikki Held, then 22, confers with lawyers before the beginning of a 2023 Montana trial about young people’s rights in a time of climate change. William Campbell/Getty Images
Other approaches
Still other litigation approaches argue that governments inadequately reviewed the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, or even supported or subsidized those emissions caused by private industry. Those lawsuits – some of which were filed by children, with help from their parents or legal guardians – claim the governments’ actions violated people’s constitutional rights.
For instance, children in the Juliana v. United States case, first filed in 2015, said 50 years of petroleum-supporting actions by presidents and various federal agencies had violated their fundamental “right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life.” The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that their claim was a “political question” – meant for Congress, not the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to reconsider that ruling in March 2025.
Concerned people and groups continue to file climate-related lawsuits across the country and around the world. They are seeing mixed results, but as the cases continue and more are filed, they are drawing attention to potential corporate and government wrongdoing, as well as the human costs of climate change. And they are inspiring shareholders and citizens to demand more accurate information and action from fossil fuel companies and electric utilities.
Hannah Wiseman receives funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Arnold Ventures, and the National Science Foundation for work researching the energy transition, renewable energy policy, hydrogen, and carbon capture and sequestration. She is a scholar member of the Center for Progressive Reform.
Following George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis in 2020, the U.S. has undergone a national reckoning over crime prevention and police reform.
Blaming crime on Democratic city leaders was a centerpiece of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. He repeatedly made claims about crime spikes in recent years without evidence or context.
More recently, Republican congressional leaders have called several Democratic mayors from across the country to testify before Congress about their sanctuary city policies that are aimed at protecting noncitizens from deportation. These congressional politicians have asserted that these Democratic mayors – Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Mike Johnston of Denver, Michelle Wu of Boston, and Eric Adams of New York – have “created a public safety nightmare” in their cities by allowing immigrants without legal authorization to stay there.
Journalists and politicians on both sides of the aisle have claimed that local election results over the past four years in places like San Francisco and Los Angeles reflect a widespread frustration with Democratic policies on crime in cities.
Under this argument, Democratic city leaders need to change their approach on crime to satisfy voters. It’s become a political axiom of sorts that policies championed largely by Democratic city leaders over the past half decade have resulted in rising crime levels.
As researchers of politics and public policy, we wanted to figure out if that was true.
A New York Times headline from June 8, 2022, linking crime rates and the Democratic Party. The New York Times
Neither party does a better job
As any student of introductory statistics learns, correlation doesn’t imply causation. Looking at increases or decreases in crime rates in Republican or Democratic cities and claiming either party is to blame would be making exactly this error: confusing correlation with causation.
We put to the test the argument that one side or the other is better at fighting crime in our research published in January 2025. By employing three decades of data on mayoral elections from across the country, we were able to disentangle city leaders’ partisanship from other features of cities.
Contrary to much of the political rhetoric and media coverage aimed at most Americans, our results show that neither party is doing a better job at actually causing crime to decrease.
In Dallas, Mayor Eric Johnson has claimed that Democratic leaders aren’t taking public safety seriously and that the Democratic Party is “with the criminals.” Johnson switched from being a Democrat to a Republican in 2023 and attributes his decision at least partially to this partisan difference on crime and policing and the seriousness with which he takes this policy issue.
But our research shows that Johnson’s and others’ claims about Democratic cities becoming more dangerous just aren’t true: Mayors from the Democratic Party aren’t making cities any more – or less – dangerous than mayors from the Republican Party.
Nor, it turns out, is there any support for claims by some progressive Democrats that they would reduce the role – and enormous budgets – of police departments in cities across the country.
When we examined the number of sworn police officers in cities and how much money those cities spend on the police, Democratic and Republican mayors alike have had surprisingly little influence on police department budgets or sizes.
In other words, Democrats aren’t cutting police budgets, nor are Republicans increasing police budgets. Most cities have increased police budgets in the past few years, possibly due to pressure from police unions.
It turns out that campaign promises from both sides of the partisan aisle about crime and policing have little bearing on what’s happening on the ground in most cities and police departments across the country.
Neither party is doing a better job at reducing crime. Nor is either party actually addressing the ballooning financial cost of local police forces in the U.S., nor the long-term reputational costs from police misconduct for trust in the police and government more broadly.
Crime has decreased across the U.S. during the past three decades overall, and the isolated cities where crime has increased recently can reverse these temporary trends.
There are real evidence-backed policies that reduce crime – such as youth jobs programs in Chicago and Boston. Other policies reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system – such as alternative 911 response programs that use unarmed behavioral health workers to respond to some types of emergencies.
These policies and interventions might not be as slogan-worthy as “defund the police” or “back the blue.” Nor is implementing these policies as politically convenient as blaming sanctuary city mayors. But research shows that they work and can move cities toward the shared goal of improved public safety for their residents.
Justin de Benedictis-Kessner has previously received funding from the Bloomberg Center for Cities, the MIT Election Data + Science Lab, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and the Boston Area Research Initiative.
Christopher S. Warshaw receives funding from the MIT Election Data + Science Lab, the Russell Sage Foundation, and Democracy Fund.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
PHNOM PENH, April 18 — China and Cambodia on Friday expressed readiness to fully implement the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative.
The commitment was underscored in a joint statement issued when Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his state visit to Cambodia, where both countries also highlighted their mutual goal of speeding up the building of an all-weather China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era.
The two sides underscored their willingness to be frontrunners in the Global Development Initiative and to inject strong impetus into global development, especially the development of the Global South.
To implement the initiative, the two sides agreed to accelerate the advancement of the Industrial Development Corridor plan, leverage the China-Cambodia railway cooperation mechanism to jointly formulate a general plan for Cambodia’s railway network, and speed up the implementation of the Fish and Rice Corridor cooperation plan.
They also agreed to work actively to promote the signing of the upgrade protocol of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area at an early date within this year.
Cambodia supported Hong Kong’s accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and welcomed the Global AI Governance Initiative put forward by Xi.
They also agreed to jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain, expand the use of local currencies in bilateral trade and investment, and enhance cooperation in the field of clean energy.
As for the Global Security Initiative, the two sides affirmed their commitment to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and to resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation in a peaceful manner, so as to make positive contributions to regional and global peace and stability.
China lauded Cambodia’s crackdown on illegal online gambling, and the two sides voiced their willingness to continue to carry out the Year of Law Enforcement Cooperation activities.
China has actively promoted the resolution of international and regional hotspot issues, and Cambodia welcomes China’s important and constructive role in this regard.
The two sides believe that the South China Sea issue should be resolved peacefully by sovereign states directly concerned through friendly consultations and negotiations, and any attempt to use the South China Sea issue to undermine regional peace and mutual trust will be counterproductive.
On the Global Civilization Initiative, they emphasized that both countries are ancient civilizations with long histories.
They jointly advocated for respecting the diversity of world civilizations, promoting the common values of humanity, and contributing to exchanges and mutual learning among human civilizations.
The two sides agreed to designate 2025 the China-Cambodia Year of Tourism and encourage their citizens to travel to each other’s countries.
They also expressed willingness to explore the establishment of China-Cambodia joint working group on cultural heritages to promote comprehensive cooperation in the field.
Headline: Angel Moms Patty Morin and Tammy Nobles Share Personal Accounts of Illegal Alien Crime
lass=”text-align-center”>”Border policies that prioritized criminal illegal aliens over American citizens
President Trump and I are putting the safety of Americans first
” – Secretary Kristi Noem WASHINGTON – Today, Angel Moms Patty Morin and Tammy Nobles shared their personal accounts of illegal alien crime
Patty Morin’s daughter, Rachel, was brutally murdered by an illegal alien from El Salvador who was found guilty this week
Tammy Noble’s daughter, Kayla, was murdered by a MS-13 gang member from El Salvador
Watch the full interview here
Patty Morin and Tammy Nobles highlighted that many illegal aliens in the country are brutal criminals that are public safety threats who should not be loose on American streets
PATTY MORIN: “There is also a majority amongst them that are criminals from other countries that have no regard for life at all
And I wanted people to understand just how brutal that they are and how they can just take a life without even giving it a second thought
And that this is a safety issue, and it is I believe, a national security issue, having all these criminals in our country
” TAMMY NOBLES: “It comes from the love of my child and to make sure that no one else will suffer the way that Kayla did
Also, what she went through, she was sleeping in her bed, he broke into her room and strangled her
Everything is caught on voicemail
He beat her and raped her after he killed her
” Neither Patty Morin or Tammy Nobles have heard from Democrats about the tragic and brutal murders of their young daughters
PATTY MORIN: “I’ve heard no response from any Democrats
I’ve received some threatening phone calls, but I received no response from anybody
They’re ignoring it
It’s kind of like a little toddler, if I don’t look at you, you can’t see me
Or if I don’t look at that, I didn’t do that kind of thing
They are ignoring it
” TAMMY NOBLES: “They never reached out to me even after Kayla was murdered and we found it was a 16-year-old known MS-13 gang member
The Democratic Party has never looked at her pictures when I testified in Congress
They never looked at her photos or said her name
And they always say the same thing, ‘Oh the Republicans are using you as a political stunt or I’m sorry, for your condolences
’ That’s all they had to offer
They did not offer any solutions on the ongoing problem
” American leaders should be protecting American citizens
It’s common sense
PATTY MORIN: “We should be protecting life, we should be protecting American citizens, that’s why you’re elected, that’s why we pay taxes
They are so out of touch with the American people, it boggles my mind
” BOTTOM LINE: President Trump and Secretary Noem stand with the victims of illegal alien crime and are putting the safety of American citizens first
What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery of Los Angeles his highest priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors.
LOS ANGELES – On the 100 day milestone since the Eaton and Palisades fires ignited, California mourns the loss of those who died, the communities that were forever changed and celebrates the heroic efforts of first responders and those working tirelessly everyday to rebuild these communities stronger and more resilient.
“My job is to make sure Californians who felt helpless after the fires are able to have hope again. Our work is far from over — but 100 days since the fires first broke out in early January, California remains united and together will rebuild, recover and rise.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
Since the first day these firestorms ignited, Governor Newsom has been on the ground leading an all-in state response.
The Governor deployed resources before the fires broke out – growing to over 16,000 boots on the ground at the peak of the state’s response. And in the hours that followed, Governor Newsom launched historic recovery and rebuilding efforts to help Los Angeles get back on its feet, faster.
Even before the fires were out, Governor Newsom worked closely with outgoing President Joesph Biden to secure a presidential major disaster declaration and then coordinated with the Trump Administration to ensure full-throated federal support for Los Angeles.
That work has paid dividends as California is on-track to deliver the fastest major disaster cleanup in American history. The current pace of debris and hazardous waste removal is months ahead of the cleanup timeline for the Camp, Woolsey, Hill fires in 2019 and Tubbs Fire in 2017/18, which at the time were themselves the fastest of their kind.
That work has paid dividends as California is on-track to deliver the fastest major disaster cleanup in American history. The current pace of debris and hazardous waste removal is months ahead of the cleanup timeline for the Camp, Woolsey, Hill fires in 2019 and Tubbs Fire in 2017/18, which at the time were themselves the fastest of their kind.
State and federal officials have worked hand in glove to clear hazardous waste from 9,000 homes in less than 30 day. Currently there are 500 crews of expert heavy equipment operators from the Army Corps of Engineers working around the clock to rapidly clear ash, soot, and fire debris from structures damaged by the Eaton and Palisades fires.
More than 2,300 parcels have already been completed and signed off by the county and hundreds more have been cleared of debris and are now just awaiting erosion controls, tree removal, and final inspection.
By the Numbers
16,000 first responders and recovery personnel deployed
$2.5 billion in Small Business Administration Assistance
$100,000 million in individual assistance disbursed
$100,000 million community partnerships through LA Rises
40,000 totals visitors to disaster recovery centers
9,000 properties cleared of hazardous waste in 30 days
2,300 homes cleared of debris
12,500 right of entry forms submitted
8 of 8 schools resumed in person instruction
8 of 9 water systems reactivated
California’s historic recovery and rebuilding efforts
Cutting red tape to help rebuild Los Angeles faster and stronger. Governor Newsom issued an executive order to streamline the rebuilding of homes and businesses destroyed — suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act. The Governor also issued an executive order further cutting red tape by reiterating that permitting requirements under the California Coastal Act are suspended for rebuilding efforts and directing the Coastal Commission not to issue guidance or take any action that interferes with or conflicts with the Governor’s executive orders. The Governor also issued an executive order removing bureaucratic barriers, extending deadlines, and providing critical regulatory relief to help fire survivors rebuild, access essential services, and recover more quickly.
Fast-tracking temporary housing and protecting tenants. To help provide necessary shelter for those immediately impacted by the firestorms, the Governor issued an executive order to make it easier to streamline construction of accessory dwelling units, allow for more temporary trailers and other housing, and suspend fees for mobile home parks. Governor Newsom also issued an executive order that prohibits landlords in Los Angeles County from evicting tenants for sharing their rental with survivors displaced by the Los Angeles-area firestorms.
Mobilizing debris removal and cleanup. With an eye toward recovery, the Governor directed fast action on debris removal work and mitigating the potential for mudslides and flooding in areas burned. He also signed an executive order to allow expert federal hazmat crews to start cleaning up properties as a key step in getting people back to their properties safely. The Governor also issued an executive order to help mitigate risk of mudslides and flooding and protect communities by hastening efforts to remove debris, bolster flood defenses, and stabilize hillsides in affected areas.
Directing immediate state relief. The Governor signed legislation providing over $2.5 billion to immediately support ongoing emergency response efforts and to jumpstart recovery efforts for Los Angeles. California quickly launched CA.gov/LAfires as a single hub of information and resources to support those impacted and bolsters in-person Disaster Recovery Centers. The Governor also launched LA Rises, a unified recovery initiative that brings together private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts. Governor Newsom announced that individuals and families directly impacted by the recent fires living in certain zip codes may be eligible to receive Disaster CalFresh food benefits.
Getting kids back in the classroom. Governor Newsom signed an executive order to quickly assist displaced students in the Los Angeles area and bolster schools affected by the firestorms.
Protecting victims from real estate speculators. The Governor issued an executive order to protect firestorm victims from predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers to purchase their property.
Helping businesses and workers get back on their feet. The Governor issued an executive order to support small businesses and workers, by providing relief to help businesses recover quickly by deferring annual licensing fees and waiving other requirements that may impose barriers to recovery.
Press Releases, Recent News
Recent news
Apr 17, 2025
News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring April 2025, as Arab American Heritage Month. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONThe Arab American community, comprising over 20 nationalities…
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: Following Governor Newsom’s state of emergency proclamation to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire, a new online fast-track process now makes it faster to get state-level approvals – in as little as 30 days – for critical forest…
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force recovers nearly 41,000 stolen items valued at $4.4 million, leading to 383 arrests. SACRAMENTO – Citing ongoing progress to takedown organized retail crime statewide, Governor Gavin Newsom…
Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring April 2025, as Arab American Heritage Month.
The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below:
PROCLAMATION
The Arab American community, comprising over 20 nationalities and numerous religious groups, is inextricably woven into the fabric of this state – and this month, California joins the nation in celebrating Arab American Heritage Month by highlighting the profound and wide-ranging contributions of the vibrant communities in all facets of our society.
Nagi Daifullah, a Yemeni migrant and farmworker who served as a strike captain during the United Farm Workers’ 1973 grape strike, was known for his ability to transcend ethnic and linguistic barriers among workers. Last year, in Tulare County, work began on Nagi Daifullah Unity Park, commemorating his prominence in the history of the labor movement.
Daifullah’s legacy is reflective of the impact Arab American communities have had on California – changing the course of history by unifying different communities in pursuit of a better world. California is fortunate to have the largest Arab American population in the country, with thriving communities in Los Angeles, San Diego, the Bay Area, and other parts of the state that trace their heritage across the Middle East and North Africa. In 2022, Anaheim officially recognized the district of Little Arabia, making it the first officially recognized Arab American enclave in the country.
As we celebrate these many achievements and contributions, we must also recognize the pervasive discrimination and xenophobia the Arab American community faces and has faced – with many suffering in silence, fearing to speak out. This is unacceptable. Our state is leading the charge to protect those under attack for who they are, how they look, or what they believe.
This urgent work is ongoing with partners throughout the state, including efforts to bolster security at places of worship and cultural centers, make available community-based services to support victims of hate, provide anonymous reporting options for victims and witnesses of hate acts, and other resources to further safety and inclusion for all Californians.
Whether they’ve called America home for many generations or arrived more recently, Arab Americans have enriched communities across the country and made an indelible impact. During Arab American Heritage Month, we honor the past, present, and future of this community in our California story and rededicate ourselves to ensuring the safety and belonging of Arab Americans across our state.
NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim April 2025, as “Arab American Heritage Month.”
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 3rd day of April 2025.
GAVIN NEWSOM Governor of California
ATTEST: SHIRLEY N. WEBER, Ph.D. Secretary of State
Press Releases, Proclamations
Recent news
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: Following Governor Newsom’s state of emergency proclamation to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire, a new online fast-track process now makes it faster to get state-level approvals – in as little as 30 days – for critical forest…
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force recovers nearly 41,000 stolen items valued at $4.4 million, leading to 383 arrests. SACRAMENTO – Citing ongoing progress to takedown organized retail crime statewide, Governor Gavin Newsom…
Apr 16, 2025
News What you need to know: California today filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s authority to unilaterally enact tariffs, which have created economic chaos, driven up prices, and harmed the state, families, and businesses. SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom…
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jason Mattis, 51, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert yesterday to 120 months in prison and three years of supervised release for using a destructive device to start a fire at a Northeast Philadelphia home.
Mattis was charged by indictment in December 2022 and convicted in September 2024, following a jury trial, of possessing an unregistered destructive device.
As proven at trial, on July 1, 2022, Mattis lit an incendiary device similar to a Molotov cocktail and threw it onto the porch of a residence in the Tacony section of Northeast Philadelphia. The weapon thrown by Mattis ignited and started a fire on the porch of the residence, as well as the sidewalk and the street in front. The incident occurred in the evening while the residents of the home were inside.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives examined the evidence left at the scene and determined that the weapon used by the defendant was an incendiary bomb as that term is defined under federal law.
Mattis committed this arson while on state parole for an attempted murder conviction.
“It’s tough to understate the seriousness of a crime like this, which put the victims, their home, and their neighborhood at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “As his lengthy criminal history shows, Jason Mattis lacks respect for both the law and other people. This sentence keeps him behind bars for years and the public is safer for it.”
“It is remarkable that this family was able to escape with their lives when Mattis set their home ablaze with a Molotov cocktail-type incendiary device,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Arson is a serious, dangerous and often deadly crime. Using the combined capabilities of the ATF-led Philadelphia Arson and Explosives Task Force with the Philadelphia Fire and Police Departments, we will continue to seek justice and keep our communities safe from dangerous arsonists.”
“This type of skilled investigative work and interagency cooperation makes our city safer. I am grateful for the diligence and dedication shown by our Fire Marshal’s Office, the Philadelphia Police Department and the ATF,” said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Jeffrey W. Thompson.
“Violent acts like these endanger not just the intended target, but entire communities,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “The thorough investigation by our officers, alongside our federal partners and the Philadelphia Fire Department, demonstrates our absolute commitment to holding individuals like Mr. Mattis accountable for violent crimes. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who threaten our neighborhoods are brought to justice.”
The case was investigated by the ATF’s Arson and Explosives Task Force, the Philadelphia Fire Department, and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.
There are calls for greater transparency about what the HMNZS Manawanui was doing before it sank in Samoa last October — including whether the New Zealand warship was performing specific security for King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The Manawanui grounded on the reef off the south coast of Upolu in bad weather on 5 October 2024 before catching fire and sinking. Its 75 crew and passengers were safely rescued.
The Court of Inquiry’s final report released on 4 April 2025 found human error and a long list of “deficiencies” grounded the $100 million vessel on the Tafitoala Reef, south of Upolu, where it caught fire and sank.
Equipment including weapons and ammunition continue to be removed from the vessel as its future hangs in the balance.
The Court of Inquiry’s report explains the Royal New Zealand Navy was asked by “CHOGM Command” to conduct “a hydrographic survey of the area in the vicinity of Sinalei whilst en route to Samoa”.
When it grounded on the Tafitoala Reef, the ship was following orders received from Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand. The report incorrectly calls it the “Sinalei Reef”.
Sinalei is the name of the resort which hosted King Charles and Queen Camilla for CHOGM — the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting — which began in Samoa 19 days after the Manawanui sank from 25-26 October 2024. The Royals arrived two days before CHOGM began.
Support of CHOGM Speaking at the release of the court’s final report, Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding described the Manawanui’s activity on the south coast of Upolu.
“So the operation was done in support of CHOGM — a very high-profile security activity on behalf of a nation, so it wasn’t just a peacetime operation,” he said.
“It was done in what we call rapid environmental assessment so we were going in and undertaking something that we had to do a quick turnaround of that information so it wasn’t a deliberate high grade survey. It was a rapid environmental assessment so it does come with additional complexity and it did have an operational outcome. It’s just, um you know, we we are operating in complex environments.
“It doesn’t say that we did everything right and that’s what the report indicates and we just need to get after fixing those mistakes and improving.”
Sinalei Resort . . . where the royal couple were hosted. Image: Dominic Godfrey/RNZ Pacific
The report explained the Manawanui was tasked with “conducting the Sinalei survey task” “to survey a defined area of uncharted waters.” But Pacific security fellow at Victoria University’s Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University Iati Iati questions what is meant by “in support of the upcoming CHOGM”.
“All we’ve been told in the report is that it was to support CHOGM. What that means is unclear. I think that needs to be explained. I think it also needs to be explained to the Samoan people, who initiated this.
“Whether it was just a New Zealand initiative. Whether it was done for CHOGM by the CHOGM committee or whether it was something that involved the Samoa government,” Iati said.
What-for questions “So a lot of the, you know, who was behind this and the what-for questions haven’t been answered.”
Iati said CHOGM’s organising committee included representatives from Samoa as well as New Zealand.
“But who exactly initiated that additional task which I think is on paragraph 37 of the report after the ship had sailed, the extra task was then confirmed. Who initiated that I’m not sure and I think that needs to be explained. Why it was confirmed after the sailing that also needs to be explained.
“In terms of security, I guess the closest we can come to is the fact that you know King Charles was staying on that side and Sinalei Reef. It may have something to do with that but this is just really unclear at the moment and I think all those questions need to be addressed.”
The wreck of the Manawanui lies 2.1 nautical miles — 3.89km — from the white sandy beach of the presidential suite at Sinalei Resort where King Charles and Queen Camilla stayed during CHOGM.
Just over the fence from the Royals’ island residence, Royal New Zealand Navy divers were coming and going from the sunken vessel in the early days of their recovery operation, and now salvors and the navy continue to work from there.
AUT Law School professor Paul Myburgh said the nature of the work the Manawanui was carrying out when it ran aground on the reef has implications for determining compensation for people impacted by its sinking.
Sovereign immunity “Historically, if it was a naval vessel that was the end of the story. You could never be sued in normal courts about anything that happened on board a naval vessel. But nowadays, of course, governmental vessels are often involved in commercial activity as well,” he said.
“So we now have what we call the restrictive theory of sovereign immunity which states that if you are involved in commercial or ordinary activity that is non-governmental you are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts, so this is why I’ve been wanting to get to the bottom of exactly what they were doing.
“Who instructed whom and that sort of thing. And it seems to me that in line with the findings of the report all of this seems to have been done on a very adhoc basis.”
RNZ first asked the New Zealand Defence Force detailed questions on Friday, April 11, but it declined to respond.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On April 17, 2025, a seminar dedicated to the Day of United Actions in Memory of the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People by the Nazis and their Collaborators during the Great Patriotic War was held at the Institute of Economics and Finance of the State University of Management.
This memorable date is celebrated throughout the country on April 19. It was on April 19, 1943 that the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued “On measures of punishment for German-fascist villains guilty of murder and torture of the Soviet civilian population and captured Red Army soldiers, for spies, traitors to the homeland from among Soviet citizens and for their accomplices.” This decree became the legal basis for investigative actions to establish the crimes of the Nazis against citizens of the Soviet Union.
The Extraordinary State Commission for the Establishment and Investigation of the Crimes of the Nazi Invaders collected 250,000 testimonies about the occupiers’ crimes and compiled 56,000 reports on them. It was calculated that the enemy destroyed 1,710 cities and towns, burned more than 70,000 villages, and destroyed about 6 million buildings, thus depriving 25 million people of shelter. The damage to the national economy of the USSR amounted to 679 billion rubles.
Today it is especially important to preserve the memory of the victims of that war, in order to prevent the development of neo-fascism. For this purpose, the IFE held a thematic seminar in the form of reports by first-year students on the eve of the memorable date. A total of nine reports were made at the seminar.
The first of them was dedicated to the unofficial symbol of fascist atrocities against the civilian population – the village of Khatyn, burned down along with all its inhabitants. In her report “Khatyn: An Unhealed Wound of the Belarusian Land”, student Alla Korobkova spoke about the terrible events of the spring of 1943. Each time, talking about the tragedy of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War, the students also recalled modern events, because exactly 81 years after the Khatyn tragedy, on March 22, 2024, a terrible terrorist attack occurred in the Crocus City Hall.
The echo of modern times was also heard in the report by Elizaveta Kotova and Diana Popova, “The Feat of Youth in the Fight against Genocide of the Peoples of the USSR.” In their report, the girls told about the feat of the Young Guard. Krasnodon, where the guys lived and fought the fascists, is still in the frontline zone today. Diana Popova noted after the seminar: “The event dedicated to the victims of genocide makes us think about the heroism and responsibility of the Soviet people. Its unity and endurance should still find a response in the hearts of people and especially the younger generation.”
Mikhail Semakov Mikhail in his report “Babi Yar Concentration Camp: Symbol of Nazi Terror in the Occupied Territory of the USSR” spoke about the terrible tragedy of 1941, when the Nazis and local collaborators shot about 150 thousand people, with more than 30 thousand people killed in the first two days of mass shootings.
Anna Feshchenko and Anna Evtyukhina in their report drew attention to the living conditions of civilians in the occupied lands: hunger, terror and deprivation. During the discussion of the report, the children recalled the Salaspils children’s concentration camp – a blood factory, where about 3,500 liters of blood were pumped out of children kept in inhumane conditions over three years.
In addition to stories about the atrocities of the fascists, the children noted the fortitude and heroism of the Soviet people. Thus, Nikolai Stroyev in his report “Resistance and Survival: How Soviet Citizens Fought Genocide During the Great Patriotic War” noted the fact that genocide did not break the Soviet people, but on the contrary, raised them to fight the invaders.
Dmitry Kamchatov and Diana Mikhailova spoke about the trial of fascist ideologists at the Nuremberg Trials. Diana Mikhailova noted: “The students conveyed important historical information with dignity, awakening deep respect for the past. The event left a strong impression and emphasized the need to preserve the memory of tragic events.”
The seminar continues the series of events held by the IEF for the 80th anniversary of the Victory. Students noted the importance of the meetings. Dmitry Kamchatov said: “Events of a social and educational nature are in demand more than ever. The very fact of holding such meetings shows the involvement of students in cultural programs. During today’s meeting, speakers and listeners mastered important material on the topic. It is worth noting the active participation of the IEF Directorate in the discussion and coverage of this topic in the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland.”
Let us recall that last week we celebrated the Day of Liberation of Prisoners of Nazi Concentration Camps.
The crimes committed by the fascist occupiers have no statute of limitations, and we have no right to forget them.
#Scientific regiment
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/18/2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Police will be proceeding against a 62 year old man from Smithton after he was detected driving his vehicle at 158km/h in a 100 km/h per hour zone. The Range Rover Sport was detected by police at 1:40 pm yesterday as it travelled past South Road at Forest on its approach into Smithton.Subsequently, the vehicle has been clamped for a period of 28 days and the man faces a four-month licence disqualification.Police are seeking for any members of the public who may have witnessed or have dash camera footage of the driving behaviour around that time.Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Delia Fabro-Miske, 30, of Honolulu, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release for racketeering conspiracy. Fabro-Miske pled guilty on January 12, 2024, in the middle of jury selection, to conspiring to conduct and participate in the conduct of the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, the “Miske Enterprise,” through racketeering activity that included bank fraud, obstruction of justice, and wire fraud.
Fabro-Miske admitted that she and codefendant Michael J. Miske committed bank fraud by submitting fraudulent paperwork in order to obtain leases for two vehicles that were used for one of Miske’s businesses. Fabro-Miske also obstructed a joint investigation into another of Miske’s businesses, Kamaaina Termite and Pest Control (“KTPC”), which was conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (“HDA”). At Miske’s direction, Fabro-Miske submitted to HDA falsified fumigation logs, which claimed that she was the certified applicator of chemicals on hundreds of jobs. In reality, most of the listed jobs were completed by unlicensed applicators. Fabro-Miske also fraudulently obtained Social Security Administration (“SSA”) survivor benefits at Miske’s direction by having her wages at KTPC decreased below the SSA benefits income threshold. At the same time, Miske paid Fabro-Miske in benefits that were not reported to the SSA or Internal Revenue Service.
Additionally, according to information provided to the Court, in or about 2017, Miske placed Fabro-Miske in charge of his businesses in an attempt to preserve and conceal his assets in anticipation of federal prosecution. In practice, Fabro-Miske carried out Miske’s wishes and acted at his direction. Fabro-Miske assisted in a fraudulent scheme committed through Miske’s businesses, which involved submitting false filings to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs that permitted the businesses to operate under fraudulently obtained and maintained licenses. Miske Enterprise members then falsely represented to customers that Miske’s businesses were properly licensed. Between 2017 and 2020, the businesses generated millions of dollars in income annually. As the head of Miske’s businesses, Fabro-Miske was also responsible for the proper and safe application of pesticides and other chemicals at customers’ homes. Information provided to the Court, however, showed that fumigations were regularly conducted without proper supervision or chemicals. Chief Judge Watson stated that Fabro-Miske’s work at Miske’s businesses “funded any number of crimes that we heard months and months of testimony” about in Miske’s trial, and her assistance “allowed Mr. Miske to run rampant in this community.”
Finally, the Court determined that Fabro-Miske was also responsible for participating in a conspiracy with other Miske Enterprise members to kidnap and murder 21-year-old Johnathan Fraser. According to information provided to the Court, Caleb Miske – Miske’s son and Fabro-Miske’s husband – and Fraser were driving together when the two were involved in a car crash in November 2015. Caleb Miske ultimately passed away from his injuries, and Miske blamed Fraser for his son’s death and enlisted several Miske Enterprise members to assist in his plan to murder Fraser. As part of that plan, Miske directed Fabro-Miske to rekindle her friendship with Fraser and his girlfriend and to lure them into living with her at an apartment paid for by Miske. On July 30, 2016, Fabro-Miske took Fraser’s girlfriend on a “spa day” paid for by Miske, ensuring that Fraser would be isolated when he was kidnapped. Fraser was never seen again after that day. Due to Miske’s death in December 2024, Chief Judge Watson explained that “the person most involved in Mr. Fraser’s demise will not ever be sentenced by this Court.” While Chief Judge Watson found that Fabro-Miske did not “directly and personally kill” Fraser and determined her to be a minimal participant in the kidnapping and murder conspiracy, he noted that there was “no doubt” that her actions led to Fraser’s murder and that the circumstances painted a “strong and clear picture” of a conspiracy to commit kidnapping murder in aid of racketeering.
Fabro-Miske was charged alongside twelve other defendants, all of whom pled guilty except for Miske, who proceeded to trial and was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024. Seven other members and associates of the Miske Enterprise pled guilty to various offenses in related cases.
“Delia Fabro-Miske was an integral member of the Miske Enterprise, which terrorized, exploited, and defrauded our community for decades. She participated in Miske’s bank frauds, social security fraud, falsification of fumigation records, and the concealment of Miske’s illegally obtained assets, and was a vital cog in the plot to murder of Johnathan Fraser. Fabro-Miske’s sentence yesterday demonstrates that those who occupy even the lower rungs of Hawaii’s criminal enterprises will pay a steep price when they face justice in federal court,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “The dismantling of the Miske Enterprise represents one of the most significant law enforcement efforts in the history of Hawaii law enforcement, and it would not have been possible without the tremendous and dedicated work of our partners at the Honolulu Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Environmental Protection Agency, among many others.”
“Ms. Fabro-Miske was a key member in the Miske Enterprise fraud schemes, actively participating in defrauding the government and taxpayers,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This sentencing reflects years of collaboration between FBI Honolulu and our law enforcement partners. The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, hold their members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.”
“Our investigators follow the money because criminal organizations profit at the expense of public safety,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “Ms. Fabro-Miske’s racketeering conviction is a reminder that, in the end, crime really doesn’t pay.”
“The sentencing of Ms. Fabro-Miske underscores HSI’s commitment to disrupting and dismantling criminal organizations in Hawaii,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “HSI will continue to hold accountable those who significantly harm our communities by breaking federal laws. By bringing justice to the Miske Enterprise, HSI sends the message that we will not tolerate any violent activity on our islands.”
“By falsifying documents, defendant obstructed EPA and the state’s criminal investigation of a pesticide applicator that illegally applied restricted use pesticides,” said Benjamin Carr, Special Agent in Charge for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division in Hawaii. “Yesterday’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of defendant’s fraudulent conduct and the importance of complying with pesticide reporting requirements so EPA and Hawaii Department of Agriculture can keep our communities safe.”
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligencedriven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
Labor increased its lead again in a YouGov poll, but Freshwater put the party ahead by just 50.3–49.7. This article also covers the final WA upper house results for the March 8 election.
A national YouGov poll, conducted April 11–15 from a sample of 1,506, gave Labor a 53–47 lead, a 0.5-point gain for Labor since the April 4–10 YouGov poll. It’s Labor’s biggest lead in YouGov for 18 months. Primary votes were 33% Labor (up one), 33% Coalition (down 0.5), 7% One Nation (down 1.5), 2% Trumpet of Patriots (up one), 9% independents (steady) and 3% others (steady).
Using 2022 election preference flows would give Labor about a 54.5–45.5 lead from these primary votes. YouGov is applying preference flows from its previous poll that was conducted from late February to late March.
However, recent polls that use respondent preferences suggest the gap in the Coalition’s favour between respondent and 2022 preference flows has dropped to nearly zero. This means YouGov’s current preference assumptions may be too pro-Coalition. Analyst Kevin Bonham has more on this.
In contrast to voting intentions, leaders’ ratings moved to Peter Dutton and against Anthony Albanese. Albanese’s net approval was down four points to -6, with 49% dissatisfied and 43% satisfied. Dutton’s net approval was up five points to -10. Albanese had a 48–38 better PM lead over Dutton (48–37 previously).
I’ve said before that changes in leaders’ ratings may indicate the next change in voting intentions in a poll, though this doesn’t always follow.
While YouGov shows Labor’s surge continuing, the Freshwater poll below only gave Labor a 50.3–49.7 lead. However, this was still a gain for Labor from the post-budget Freshwater poll. Freshwater has the Coalition primary vote at 39%, four points higher than in any other poll in the past week.
Here is the poll graph. I’m using the unrounded two-party numbers for Freshwater’s last two polls, improving Labor from a 51–49 deficit in the post-budget poll to a 50.6–49.4 deficit. There’s a big difference between this week’s Freshwater and all other national polls taken in the past week.
Freshwater poll has very narrow Labor lead
A national Freshwater poll for The Financial Review, conducted April 14–16 from a sample of 1,062, had a 50–50 tie by respondent preferences, a one-point gain for Labor since the Freshwater poll conducted after the March 25 budget. Before rounding, Labor led by 50.3–49.7.
Primary votes were unchanged at 39% Coalition, 32% Labor, 12% Greens and 17% for all Others. By 2022 election flows, this poll would give about a 50–50 tie.
Albanese’s net approval was up one point to -10, while Dutton’s was steady at -11. Albanese led as preferred PM by 46–41 (46–45 previously).
The Coalition’s lead over Labor on cost of living has been cut from a high of 14 points last October to two points in this poll. The Coalition held a 17-point lead on economic management last November, which has been reduced to six points. Cost of living remained the most important issue, with 73% citing it as a top issue.
Resolve poll on tax and housing policies
To gauge the popularity of Labor and the Coalition’s housing policy announcements at their April 13 campaign launches, a Resolve poll for Nine newspapers was conducted April 14–15 from a sample of 801. This poll didn’t report voting intentions, which were assessed in the April 9–13 Resolve poll.
By 40–34, voters preferred Labor’s tax policy to the Coalition’s, which were both announced the week of the March 25 budget. By 40–27, they preferred Labor’s housing policy.
JWS polls of Greens-held Brisbane seats
The Greens hold three seats in Brisbane: Ryan (by 52.6–47.4 vs the Liberal National Party), Brisbane (by 53.7–46.3) and Griffith (by 60.5–39.5). The Poll Bludger reported Thursday that JWS polls for Australian Energy Producers gave the LNP a 57–43 lead over Labor in Ryan with the Greens a distant third on primary votes.
In Brisbane, Labor led the LNP by 51–49 with the Greens once again a distant third. In Griffith, Labor led the LNP by 51–49, but the LNP led the Greens by 53–47.
Seat polls conducted by JWS Research have had very strong results for the Coalition. While the Greens could lose these seats to Labor, I believe the massive swings to the LNP shown here are unrealistic. I expect inner city seats to be good for left-wing parties relative to the national swing.
Redbridge poll: Labor close to majority
A national poll by Redbridge and Accent Research, using MRP methodology and reported by the News Corp tabloids, was conducted from February 3 to April 1 from a sample of 9,953. Labor was still polling poorly in February before they started to lift from early March.
The most likely outcome was 72 of the 150 House of Representatives seats for Labor, four short of a majority, 63 for the Coalition and 15 for all Others. The previous MRP poll by Redbridge and Accent Research in December had the most likely outcome as 71 Coalition seats to 65 for Labor.
Unemployment rate steady at 4.1%
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported Thursday that the unemployment rate was 4.1% in March, unchanged from February, with over 32,000 jobs added. The employment population ratio (the percentage of eligible Australians that are employed) was steady at 64.1% after dropping from a near-record high of 64.4% in January.
WA upper house final result
The button was finally pressed on Wednesday to electronically distribute preferences for the upper house for the March 8 Western Australian state election. The upper house used a reformed system with 37 members elected statewide by proportional representation with preferences. A quota was just 1/38 or 2.63%.
Labor won 16 of the 37 seats (down six on 2021 when they won their first WA upper house majority on a massive landslide), the Liberals won ten seats (up three), the Nationals two (down one), the Greens four (up three), One Nation two (up two), Legalise Cannabis one (down one), Australian Christians one (up one) and Animal Justice one (up one). Overall, left-wing parties won the upper house by 22–15 over right-wing parties.
Final primary votes gave Labor 15.54 quotas, the Liberals 10.3, the Nationals 2.1, the Greens 4.2, One Nation 1.45, Legalise Cannabis 1.1, Australian Christians 1.0, an independent group 0.51 and Animal Justice 0.46.
After distribution of preferences, One Nation’s second candidate had 0.83 quotas Labor’s 16th candidate 0.70 quotas, Animal Justice’s top candidate 0.66 quotas and Sophia Moermond, the independent group’s top candidate, 0.63 quotas. Owing to exhaustion, the top three were elected to the last three seats short of a quota.
Adrian Beaumont does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)
Members slam President Trump’s decision to target language accessibility: “There is no data that supports the assertion made by your administration that linguistical diversity threatens the integrity of the nation… [by] withdrawing guidance that helps to provide meaningful language accessibility, your administration risks disconnecting millions of limited English proficient people across the United States from government services.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Asreportedin NOTUS yesterday, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), led 54 other House Democratic colleagues in condemning President Trump’s recent decision to weaken language accessibility protections within the federal government. In alettersent to the President and the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Members requested swift answers from the administration regarding the impacts this decision will have on limited English proficient communities and what steps are being taken to ensure essential services meant for every taxpayer, no matter what primary language they speak, are not disrupted.
On March 1, 2025, President Trump announced an Executive Order (EO) that declared English as the official language of the United States and rescinded EO 13166, a Clinton-era policy that had been in place for the past 25 years, requiring agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide meaningful language accessibility. Under EO 13166, all federal agencies and institutions, from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to health care services to universities to the legal system, were required to provide language translation, interpretation, and accessibility services. President Trump’s decision to revoke this EO threatens the federal government’s compliance and enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and needlessly jeopardizes millions of Americans’ access government services, resources, and programs.
In the letter addressed to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, the Members detail the harms of rescinding EO 13166 and call attention to concerning reports that language accessibility services are already being affected: “More than 25.7 million individuals in the United States – over 8% of the population –are limited English proficient…Language barriers can pose a significant obstacle for individuals attempting to integrate into our society and access public services and institutions, including health care, emergency preparedness, the legal system, schools, and employment. All Americans deserve to access the services and resources their taxes are paying for without barriers based solely on language proficiency.”
Of the limited English proficient (LEP) population, 20% are residents of California, 14% of Texas, and 12% in Florida. With more than 350 languages spoken across the country, language barriers within government can pose insurmountable obstacles for individuals attempting to integrate and access public services and institutions, including health care, emergency preparedness, the legal system, schools, and employment.
“By [revoking EO 13166], your administration is no longer detailing the language accessibility regulations or policies that agencies must follow, risking systemic noncompliance with civil rights laws and jeopardizing the quality of language services or translated materials these agencies provide,” they continue. “Additionally, we have received reports that the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has cancelled at least ten contracts that provided federal agencies with language or translation services. This is including a contract that provided translation services to Americans or businesses calling the Department of Homeland Security about their employment status or benefits, leading to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services directing employees to discontinue any call when they are not fluent in the caller’s language.”
Since theLau v. Nicholsdecision in 1974, the Supreme Court has held that discrimination against people with limited English proficiency is a type of national origin discrimination. As a result, the Members demanded accountability and answers from the Trump Administration: “We have serious concerns that your decision to rescind EO 13166, and remove language accessibility guidance, will reduce the availability of language services and translated materials across the federal government. Consequently, we seek information to confirm that your administration is ensuring that language accessibility for Americans with LEP remains a priority and language translation services are not disrupted.”
