NewzIntel.com

Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Rebates available for businesses to install EV chargers

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Charging an electric vehicle on premises is cheaper and more convenient for businesses than using public charging stations.

    In brief

    • The Business Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate Program assists businesses to buy and install EV chargers on their premises.
    • Eligible businesses can apply for rebates of up to 50 per cent of the cost (capped at $3,000 ex GST).
    • There are other ACT Government initiatives that can support businesses to become more sustainable.

    The Business Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate Program is available to help businesses buy and install EV charging infrastructure on their premises.

    Eligible businesses can apply for rebates of up to 50 per cent of the cost (capped at $3,000 excluding GST).

    These rebates can help businesses looking to make the switch to an EV. They will always have a place to recharge their vehicle.

    Charging an electric fleet vehicles on the businesses own premises is cheaper and more convenient than charging at public charging stations.

    Businesses looking to buy an EV either new or second hand can also benefit from:

    For every petrol or diesel vehicle you switch to electric, your business could save tens of thousands of dollars in running costs over 10 years.

    Through the Sustainable Business Program, businesses can:

    • receive free advice about electrifying their fleet and the rest of their business
    • access up to $10,000 in rebates to make energy efficient upgrades.

    The charger rebate is available for eligible businesses based in the ACT that operate or subcontract fleet vehicles.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Susan Ryan AO sculpture unveiled

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Artist Lis Johnson with Justine Butler, daughter of Susan Ryan AO.

    In brief

    • There is a new sculpture of Susan Ryan AO in the Old Parliament House Senate Rose Gardens.
    • Susan Ryan AO was the first female Senator for the ACT and a women’s rights trailblazer.
    • The sculpture is by artist Lis Johnson.

    The late Honourable Susan Ryan AO has been honoured with a new sculpture. The sculpture is by artist Lis Johnson and is at the Old Parliament House Senate Rose Gardens.

    Susan Ryan AO (1942-2020) was a Senator from 1975 until 1988. She was also:

    • the first female Senator for the ACT
    • the first woman in a federal Labor Cabinet in 1983
    • the first woman in a federal Labor Cabinet in 1983.

    One of her many achievements was the introduction and passage of world leading legislation. This legislation was to:

    • prevent discrimination based on sex, marital status, or pregnancy
    • guard against harassment
    • dismantle barriers in the workplace.

    The sculpture was funded by the ACT Government as part of the Recognising Significant Women Through Public Art program. The ACT Government introduced this program to begin to address the imbalance in gender representation in the ACT Public Art Collection. The program also promotes female or gender-diverse artists through the commissioning process.

    The artist selected to create the sculpture, Lis Johnson, is a fine art figurative sculptor. Lis is based in rural Victoria and is highly regarded for her portraits and figurative memorials.

    “It was an honour to be chosen to portray Senator Susan Ryan – a truly worthy subject and a great role model,” Lis said.

    “An effective parliamentarian, she campaigned for and introduced important legislation, and from my research I got the impression she stayed true to her values, rising above partisan and factional squabbles.”

    The sculpture is titled ‘Senator Ryan Addresses the Rally’. It is inspired by a photo of Susan addressing a women’s work rally in 1977. The sculpture has been positioned in the gardens to allow for people to gather in front of the work. People can interact with it and sit on the garden bed beside it.

    “We visited different parts of Canberra looking at locations for the statue, and I realised the Rose Gardens was perfect,” Susan Ryan’s daughter, Justine Butler said.

    Susan Ryan’s office was on the senate side of Old Parliament House. Justine recalls spending a lot of time there with her brother as children.

    “I know children on excursions to Canberra regularly flock to the Rose Gardens. I hope that when they walk past the statue of our mother, it will evoke many questions about Susan Ryan – they will ask ‘Who was she? What did she achieve? What was her life like as a young woman in parliament?’ I also hope this statue will see people more broadly reflect on the place of women in Australian politics.”

    This week, the ACT Heritage Library is marking the 40th anniversary of the commencement of the Sex Discrimination Act and the occasion of the unveiling. The library is displaying some of its Susan Ryan AO archival material, including:

    • her autobiography
    • photographs
    • how-to-vote cards for the 1975 and 1980 Federal Elections.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Canberra’s top spots for sunrises and sunsets

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Canberra’s sunrises and sunsets are spectacular.

    In brief

    • Canberra has beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
    • We asked Canberrans on the @wearecbr Instagram page where their favourite spots are.
    • Here is a list of the best places in Canberra to watch the sun rise or set.

    There are few better ways to start or end the day than by watching the sun rise or set.

    One of the benefits of living in the bush capital is that there are plenty of spots to see breathtaking sunsets and sunrises.

    Dairy Farmers Hill lookout

    This lookout is home to the iconic eagle sculpture, Nest III, at the National Arboretum Canberra. It’s the perfect place to watch the sun rise or set, with 360-degree views of Canberra and the surrounds.

    Red Hill Lookout

    Whether you choose to hike or drive to the summit of Red Hill, you’ll be rewarded with stunning views. To the northeast you’ll see Parliament House and Lake Burley Griffin. Further up the hill toward the west, you can see the Woden Valley, Weston Creek and Mount Taylor.

    Davidson Hill

    A little further towards Woden, you’ll find Davidson Hill. This quiet spot is ideal for enjoying golden hour.

    Gossan  Hill

    This scenic spot is in Belconnen. This Bruce reserve is named for it’s ochre-coloured rocks, enhancing the golden tones of a sunrise. Bring your furry friend (on-leash and on a track or trail only) to enjoy the view too. .

    West Belconnen Pond

    You’ll find this peaceful lake on the edge of Dunlop. The sun reflects off the water, casting the bushland in golden lavender hues.

    Mulligans Flat

    Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary is well known for its beautiful woodland and native wildlife. It’s also a tranquil spot to watch the sun rise or set.

    Mount Ainslie

    Mount Ainslie is one of Canberra’s most iconic lookouts. The views seem to stretch on forever, and twilight casts the entire city in a soft glow.

    Weston Park

    Canberrans of all ages flock to Weston Park for many different activities. While it’s an excellent area to get active, it’s also a peaceful spot to start or end the day with the sun.

    Lake Burley Griffin

    A stunning sunrise from Lake Burley Griffin is enough to lure many Canberrans out of bed in the morning. A walk around the lake of an evening is an especially lovely way to finish the day.

    Shepherds Lookout

    This is the northern-most viewing point of the Murrumbidgee River in the ACT. There are a number of walking tracks, all of which offer bush vistas. You might even be lucky enough to see a platypus or a Gang Gang cockatoo.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Meals in Schools pilot program begins

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    From August, students at five ACT public schools will have access to free breakfast and lunch, three days a week during school weeks.

    Students at five ACT public schools can access free meals, through an ACT Government pilot program.

    From August, students can enjoy free healthy breakfasts and lunches three days a week during school weeks.

    The pilot program is part of 2024–25 ACT Budget funding.

    It will run until July 2025 at:

    • Gilmore Primary School
    • Richardson Primary School
    • Narrabundah Early Childhood School
    • Gold Creek School (senior campus – years 7 to 10)
    • Melba Copland Secondary School (College campus only – years 10 to 12).

    Healthy, varied meals

    Meals will include tasty grab-and-go food such as yoghurt, fruit and vegetables, frittata, wraps and salad.

    Participating schools will provide their full menu to families as the program begins.

    An independently appointed nutrition service, The ACT Nutrition Support Service, has assessed the meals.

    The service employs Accredited Practising Dietitians. They are all passionate about helping children develop a positive relationship with food.

    The ACT Nutrition Support Service has provided nutrition education and support to schools, canteens and teachers since 2011.

    Pilot timeline

    Meal deliveries began from the week commencing 29 July at Gilmore and Richardson primary schools.

    Narrabundah Early Childhood School and Gold Creek School will receive meals from the week beginning 5 August.

    Deliveries will begin at Melba Copland Secondary School college campus the week beginning 12 August.

    The Embrace Disability Group

    The Embrace Disability Group has been awarded the contract to provide the meals.

    Embrace has catering and canteen experience in the ACT and Jerrabomberra region.

    An established catering group, they provide real-life working opportunities and hospitality training for people living with disabilities.

    The importance of good nutrition

    Nutrition has a real impact on students’ learning and wellbeing.

    Access to meals at school can help children better understand nutrition and feel happier at school.

    There will be opportunities for families, students and staff to give feedback on how they feel the pilot is working.

    This will help the Education Directorate evaluate the pilot in the second half of 2025.

    Each school will keep its community informed of the pilot’s progress.

    Find out more about financial and resource assistance for families.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: AMC makes a difference through native plants

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Leigh, Production Nursery and Horticulture Program supervisor at the Alexander Maconochie Centre

    Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) detainees are helping climate-proof the region through an innovative program.

    There are seven people employed in the AMC’s Production Nursery and Horticulture Program.

    Together, they are working to restore endangered grassy woodlands in the Yass region.

    Over the past year, they have propagated around 3,000 native plants to help the Murrumbateman Landcare Group (MLG).

    Plants include eucalypts, wattles, shrubs and groundcovers. The MLG chose these varieties for their ability to withstand future climate conditions.

    These were grown as seeds from both local and non-local sources to ensure genetic diversity.

    They will also improve soil health on both private and public lands in the region.

    The program has been running for three years at the AMC, which has commercial grow houses and stock gardens on site.

    It is one of several opportunities offered to help detainees build new skills and confidence and give back to the community.

    Those involved have learned various propagation techniques and have even raised species that have struggled to grow in Murrumbateman.

    “The experience has also given detainees a real sense of achievement while nurturing their own personal growth. For some, these programs are more than a way to pass the time of their sentences – it can open up pathways for life after prison,” AMC Production Nursery and Horticulture Program supervisor Leigh said.

    The AMC’s partnership with MLG demonstrates that rehabilitation and community engagement can go hand-in-hand, with positive results.

    “This partnership is a wonderful example of how we can work together to achieve positive outcomes for both the environment and individuals involved,” MLG Committee Member Gill Hall said.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Squeaky Clean puts community first

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The gritty laneway location was the perfect spot for a bar that embraces the alternative.

    In brief

    • Local bar Squeaky Clean was a recipient of the ACT Government’s Tourism Product Development Fund.
    • Applications for the Fund are now open.
    • Squeaky Clean is one of many Canberra businesses benefitting from new nightlife reforms.

    Jon Murphy opened his bar Squeaky Clean just last year with support from the ACT Government’s Tourism Product Development Fund.

    And new government reforms are now providing an atmosphere in which the business can thrive.

    The idea for the bar came from a desire to fill what Jon saw as a gap in the market.

    “I was in my thirties when I got to Canberra. I don’t wear suits or RM Williams, I don’t fit into the mould of the APS person. I tried so many places but I just couldn’t find my people,” he said.

    Jon set out to create a place where he could be his genuine self. The first step was to find the right space. A gritty laneway location in Verity Lane ticked many of Jon’s boxes.

    “I saw potential. The timber floors, high ceilings, the location, and the fact that it had character already.”

    The Tourism Product Development Fund

    A grant from the Tourism Product Development Fund allowed Jon to engage local builders.

    “We used the money to stay local and keep the money in town. That was part of our agreement with the builder that we went with, that they weren’t going to subcontract out of town,” he said.

    The principle of supporting local has stuck with Jon. It extends to the Squeaky Clean menu, which showcases local suppliers and producers. The burgers have quickly become a favourite among regulars. They feature beef from Southland’s Quality Meats and buns from Three Mills.

    “They’re local and they look after us. It’s that relationship thing – building relationships with people where we both keep the money in town,” Jon said.

    How to apply

    The Tourism Product Development Fund supports local businesses to provide better visitor experiences. This helps:

    • boost the local economy
    • create jobs
    • enhance Canberra’s reputation as a tourism destination.

    Applications for the Tourism Product Development Fund are now open.

    Find out more.

    New nightlife reforms

    Squeaky Clean is one of many Canberra businesses that will benefit from a range of reforms designed to boost the city’s nighttime economy.

    This includes the passage of the Liquor (Night-Time Economy) Amendment Bill 2024, providing eligible businesses with:

    • more flexibility around their trading hours
    • a reduction in annual liquor licencing fees for supporting live music and the arts
    • new provisions around celebrations of special events such as the Olympics and Floriade.

    The ACT Government has also introduced new fit-for-purpose Noise Standards in the City Centre Entertainment Precinct. The standards aim to:

    • boost the city’s entertainment and cultural scene
    • support local businesses
    • boost artistic growth
    • elevate the visitor experience
    • consider community wellbeing.

    In a further boost to musicians and the nighttime economy, free parking permits will be available for musicians to access loading zones for 30 minutes to unload their musical equipment. Musicians will be able to apply for a permit via the Access Canberra website.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: The Canberran’s guide to running

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    With beautiful running tracks and plenty of running groups, Canberra is ideal for running.

    Running is good for the mind, body and soul, but getting started can be a little daunting. Maybe you want to know about the best running locations, find a running group to get you motivated, or maybe you just want to get started.

    Here are a few ideas on how to get involved in running right here in Canberra.

    Find a location

    Canberra is the bush capital of Australia, so there are plenty of tracks and trails to explore. With over 90 parks you won’t be getting bored anytime soon.

    The Find a Park map shows all the parks in Canberra, plus what you can and can’t do in them, and the background of each one.

    Join or start a run club

    Run clubs are all the rage right now! Whether you are a beginner, looking for friends, or want to challenge yourself with likeminded runners, there will be a run club for you.

    Canberra Runners offers a few different groups you can join depending on your availability and schedule.

    Running for Resilience caters for everyone. Whether you are a runner, walker or pushing a stroller, they have you covered. They have two possible routes you can take on Lake Burley Griffin.

    SundaySeshCBR is here to scratch that end of the week running itch! You can even bring along your furry friend to join in. They take off from On Lake Café in Barton.

    Underground Run Club is all about running and being social. Run with some likeminded runners and grab a coffee afterwards to finish off your Sunday run. They meet at Mocan and Green Grout.

    Chafe Chasers are all about inclusion and fun! Meeting at the Anchor near Merchant Navy Memorial on Lake Burley Griffin, you can do a 5km run or walk.

    Canberra Frontrunners is for all your running, walking, riding and strutting desires. This group was formed to be an inclusive and supportive place for LGBTQIA+ people and allies. They change locations often so make sure to stay up to date on where they are headed.

    Sign up for a running event

    There are a range of marathons, triathlons and fun runs in Canberra catering to all skill and experience levels. These include:

    Sri Chinmoy provides different running events all over Australia including Canberra. Some of the events include the Sri Chinmoy Canberra Trail 100, fun runs, Sri Chinmoy Triple – Triathlon and more.

    Canberra Colour Frenzy is the most colourful event you can find! This non-competitive run allows you to run, walk, skip, hop or whatever you want through the colour-tastic course.

    The Canberra Times Fun Run is one of Canberra’s most iconic events. This course is great for all levels of experience, but specifically great for beginners or those that need an easier run as it is a pretty flat course. Plus all runners get a finisher medal!

    Ready to get serious? Join The Canberra Times Canberra Marathon instead. With five different courses to compete in all levels of runners are invited to celebrate running.

    The Stromlo Running Festival provides many different running events. From a 5km run to a marathon, you can experience the stretches of wide trail up a vertical gain. Offering scenic views, this is not an event you want to miss.

    Capital to Coast is a multi-stage 100km foot race between Canberra and the South Coast of NSW. Each stage ranges from 8km to 15km in length and will take you up and past various elevation and terrains. Run solo or join a relay team of up to four members.

    The Aussie Peace walk isn’t necessarily about running, but with tracks ranging from 7km to 42km it’s sure to get your body pumping. This two-day intercultural festival encourages people from all around the world to experience the bush capital.

    Do a parkrun

    These events are fun and carefree if you make it that way, as there is no time limit, and no one finishes last. However, if you want to challenge yourself you can always try and beat your own personal record.

    Here are the current parkruns happening in Canberra:

    • Wagi Bridge parkrun
    • Gungahlin parkrun
    • Umbagong District parkrun
    • Ginninderra parkrun
    • Mount Ainslie parkrun
    • Burley Griffin parkrun
    • Coombs parkrun
    • Tuggeranong parkrun
    • Point Hut Pond parkrun.

    Join a training program

    Whether you are starting off, took a break, need some help, or just want to follow a routine, a training program can help you reach your goals. From rookie running to triathlon training, you can find something to meet your needs.

    A few training programs here in Canberra include:

    Females in Training ACT offer many different supported and self-driven training programs. Not only can you do weekly training sessions, but you can also sign up for a training program that are targeted at specific Canberra events.

    Achilles Australia helps Australians with a disability to enjoy a fun sociable active lifestyle. They welcome those to attend a regular training session and ensure members feel safe and supported.

    Peak Performance Running will provide you some directions, answers and guidance for your running journey. They will give you weekly advice and help you achieve their club goals.

    Eager2Elite provides individual specific running programs to help you reach your goals. You’ll receive one on one coaching, regular feedback and face to face discussions.

    There are also hundreds of online training programs you can sign up to and follow along. Join in a community and get your running journey started.

    Remember that when it comes to running safety and precaution should come first. Always:

    • let someone know where you are off to
    • wear sunscreen and a hat
    • bring adequate water
    • check the weather conditions.

    Make sure you stretch and prepare and don’t push yourself well past your limits.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Gungahlin’s best public art

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Stopping to Smell the Flowers is located near the Joey Park Playground in Throsby.

    Gungahlin in a multicultural region that’s home to many families.

    Many of the artworks scattered through Gungahlin feature playful elements that both adults and children will love.

    Set out for a day of art and adventure with this handy guide:

    Hall toilet block mural

    Location: Gladstone Street, Hall

    Artist: Geoff Filmer and Raphael

    Wildlife street artist Geoff Filmer collaborated with the Hall community to make this vibrant mural. The mural painted on the Hall toilet block channels a wildlife theme. Hall community members told Geoff how an echidna often runs across the road and into the park. This inspired Geoff to include two echidnas in the mural.

    The mural is a collaboration with an emerging artist who goes by the name of Raphael. To see more of Geoff’s work visit his Instagram page or Facebook page.

    Harrison School mural

    Artist: Eddie Longford

    Eddie Longford is a local Aboriginal artist who painted a mural at Harrison School. He collaborated with members of Harrison School to capture the essence of the school community.

    The mural depicts the mountain range behind the school along with native flora and fauna.

    For more of Eddie’s work, check out his Instagram.

    Ernest Cavanagh Street mural

    Location: near Communities @ Work, Ernest Cavanagh Street, Gungahlin

    Artist: Eddie Mowat

    This mural celebrates our essential workers during COVID-19. The piece depicts an empowering portrait of a nurse. The vibrant and captivating piece displays artist Eddie Mowat’s gratitude to essential workers. The mural is an ongoing reminder to our community of the hard work essential workers in Canberra do.

    Ginninginderry Light

    Artist: Geoff Farquhar-Still

    Ginninginderry is an Aboriginal word that means “sparkling” or “throwing out rays of light”. This sculpture is made of stainless steel and is embedded with millions of tiny glass beads. These beads reflect the light of the sun, the moon and local traffic to light up the Crace Pedestrian Plaza.

    Lady With Flowers

    Artist: Dean Bowen

    Melbourne artist Dean Bowen makes bronze sculptures with child-like whimsy. Lady with Flowers is close to a bus stop. It’s easy to imagine her catching a bus to the city to visit Bowen’s other Canberra sculpture, The Big Little Man.

    Stopping to Smell the Flowers

    Artist: Jimmy Rix

    This sculpture is close to the Joey Park Playground in Throsby. It was commissioned to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Floriade in 2017. It depicts the exchange of flowers as a representation of expressing love.

    A is for Alexander B is for Bunyip C is for Canberra

    Artist: Anne Ross

    The Monster that Ate Canberra is a children’s book written by author and illustrator, Michael Salmon. This sculpture features the books main character, Alexander Bunyip. You can find it near the Gungahlin Library.

    The Goongarline

    Artist: Malcolm Utley

    The local Indigenous people called Gungahlin’s rocky hills ‘Goongarline’. This sculpture is inspired by that landscape. It’s located near the Gungahlin Place Playground.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: The Seven named ACT Book of the Year 2024

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Local crime writer Chris Hammer has nailed it with this award win.

    The 2024 ACT Book of the Year has been awarded to Chris Hammer’s gripping crime thriller, The Seven.

    Chris will receive $10,000 as the author of the 2024 ACT Book of the Year.

    Chris is no stranger to the award – his non-fiction book The River was named ACT Book of the Year in 2011.

    2024 ACT Book of the Year finalists

    The ACT Book of the Year Award showcases the excellence of local authors.

    This year’s judges also awarded two highly commended and three shortlisted works.

    These include a diverse range of genres: crime fiction, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, and children’s historic fiction.

    Highly Commended

    • Untethered by Ayesha Inoon
    • The Measure of Sorrow: Stories by J. Ashley-Smith

    Shortlisted

    • Sleeplessness by Paul Hetherington
    • Tiwi Story: Turning history downside up by Mavis Kerinaiua and Laura Rademaker
    • The Great Gallipoli Escape by Jackie French.

    You can purchase all these in bookstores across the city.

    They are also available to loan from ACT Libraries.

    The Seven

    The judging panel included Helen Ennis, T.R. Napper and Barrina South. They had a tough time choosing the winning title, given the wealth of talent in Canberra’s writing community.

    Of The Seven, they said: “Chris Hammer demonstrates total mastery of the crime genre. From the first pages onwards Hammer creates a thrilling narrative filled with suspense that immerses the reader in gripping, page-turning intrigue.

    “Hammer conveys a beautiful sense of place in developing this quintessential Australian story, filled with compelling characters, who are poignantly reflective about their own lives. The narrative, exposing the power of the landed aristocracy in a fictional country town, is skilfully controlled so that the reader is never certain where they will be taken next, until the final resolution. The town itself functions as a powerful metaphor which, with its art deco façade, is an evocative setting for this world-class crime novel.”

    Visit the artsACT website for more information.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Implements Critical National Security Program to Protect Americans’ Sensitive Data from Foreign Adversaries

    Source: United States Attorneys General 11

    Department Answers Frequently Asked Questions, Provides Guidance, and Issues Limited Enforcement Policy for First 90 Days

    Today, the Justice Department took significant steps to move forward with implementing a critical program to prevent China, Russia, Iran, and other foreign adversaries from using commercial activities to access and exploit U.S. government-related data and Americans’ sensitive personal data to commit espionage and economic espionage, conduct surveillance and counterintelligence activities, develop AI and military capabilities, and otherwise undermine our national security.

    The Data Security Program implemented by the National Security Division (NSD) under Executive Order 14117 addresses this “unusual and extraordinary threat…to the national security and foreign policy of the United States” that has been repeatedly recognized across political parties and by all three branches of government.

    The Justice Department’s continued prioritization of the Data Security Program delivers on promises made by President Trump in his America First Investment Policy and NSPM-2 on Imposing Maximum Pressure on Iran, addresses threats identified in the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community and President Trump’s 2017 National Security Strategy, and responds to the national emergency President Trump declared in Executive Order 13873.

    “If you’re a foreign adversary, why would you go through the trouble of complicated cyber intrusions and theft to get Americans’ data when you can just buy it on the open market or force a company under your jurisdiction to give you access?” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Data Security Program makes getting that data a lot harder.”

    To address this urgent threat, the Data Security Program establishes what are effectively export controls that prevent foreign adversaries, and those subject to their control, jurisdiction, ownership, and direction, from accessing U.S. government-related data and bulk genomic, geolocation, biometric, health, financial, and other sensitive personal data. To assist the public in coming into compliance with the Data Security Program, NSD has issued a Compliance Guide, an initial list of over 100 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and an Implementation and Enforcement Policy for the first 90 days. NSD will be taking additional steps over the coming weeks and months to implement the Data Security Program, including publishing an initial Covered Persons List that identifies and designates persons subject to the control and direction of foreign adversaries. The Data Security Program went into effect on April 8, 2025.

    Newly Issued Guidance and FAQs

    The Data Security Program Compliance Guide identifies and describes best practices for complying with the Data Security Program, thereby mitigating the unacceptable national security risk of enabling countries of concern to access and exploit Americans’ sensitive personal data. The document provides guidance on key definitions, prohibited and restricted transactions, and the requirements for building a robust data compliance program. The Compliance Guide also provides model contractual language and suggests best practices for complying with the Data Security Program’s audit and recordkeeping requirements. It is crucial that U.S. persons familiarize themselves and become prepared to comply with the Data Security Program’s prohibitions and restrictions once they became effective on April 8, 2025.

    The Data Security Program FAQs address high-level clarifications about Executive Order 14117 and provides valuable information about the Data Security Program, its scope, and accompanying processes for requesting licenses and advisory opinions, making disclosures of Data Security Program violations, and reporting rejected prohibited transactions. The FAQs reflect some of the comprehensive feedback and common issues the Department received and addressed through the rulemaking process, both as public comments in response to the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, as well as questions delivered during dozens of engagements with individuals, businesses, trade groups, and other stakeholders that were potentially interested in or impacted by the Data Security Program. NSD will update these FAQs as necessary and appropriate to address additional questions raised by the public.

    NSD’s primary mission with respect to the implementation and enforcement of the Data Security Program is to protect U.S. national security from countries of concern that may seek to collect and weaponize Americans’ most sensitive personal data and government-related data. U.S. persons should “know their data” and the front-line role they play in mitigating these risks. As further explained in the Compliance Guide, individuals and entities subject to U.S. jurisdiction, as well as foreign individuals and entities conducting business in or with the United States or with U.S. persons, must comply with the Data Security Program.

    The Compliance Guide and FAQs are explanatory and intended to provide general guidance to regulated parties about compliance with the Data Security Program. Nothing in these documents supplements, modifies, or supersedes the requirements set forth in the Data Security Program. NSD intends to update the FAQs on an ongoing basis as NSD identifies additional questions and responses that should be made public to aid the regulated community in compliance.

    Newly Issued Enforcement Policy for the First 90 Days

    The Data Security Program went into effect on April 8, 2025. Starting April 8, 2025, entities and individuals were required to comply with the Data Security Program’s prohibitions and restrictions on engaging in covered data transactions. To provide additional time for entities and individuals to come into compliance, the Data Security Program delays certain affirmative due-diligence obligations, which do not go into effect until Oct. 6, 2025.

    NSD recognizes that individuals and companies may need to take a number of steps to determine whether the Data Security Program’s prohibitions and restrictions apply to their activities, and to implement changes to their existing policies or to implement new policies and processes to comply.

    To allow the private sector to focus its resources and efforts on promptly coming into compliance and to allow NSD to prioritize its resources on facilitating compliance, NSD will target its enforcement efforts during the first 90 days to allow U.S. persons (e.g., individuals and companies) additional time to implement the changes required by the Data Security Program, provide additional opportunities for the public to engage with NSD, and to minimize potential disruptions for businesses. As explained in NSD’s Data Security Program Implementation and Enforcement Policy Through July 8, 2025, NSD will not prioritize civil enforcement actions against any person for violations of the Data Security Program that occur from April 8 through July 8, 2025, so long as the person is engaging in good faith efforts to comply with or come into compliance with the Data Security Program during that time. These efforts include engaging in compliance activities described in that policy, such as amending or renegotiating existing contracts, conducting internal reviews of data flows, deploying the CISA security requirements, and so on.

    At the end of this 90-day period, individuals, and entities should be in full compliance with the DSP. This policy does not limit NSD’s lawful authority and discretion to pursue civil enforcement if entities and individuals did not engage in good faith efforts to comply with, or come into compliance with, the Data Security Program.

    During this 90-day period, NSD encourages the public to contact NSD at nsd.firs.datasecurity@usdoj.gov with informal inquires or information about the DSP and the guidance NSD has released. Although NSD may not be able to respond to every inquiry, NSD will use its best efforts to respond consistent with available resources, and any inquiries or information submitted may be used to develop and refine future guidance. Correspondingly, NSD discourages the submission of any formal requests for specific licenses or advisory opinions during this 90-day period. Although requests for specific licenses or advisory opinions during this 90-day period can be submitted, NSD will not review or adjudicate those submissions during the 90-day period (absent an emergency or imminent threat to public safety or national security).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Expand Child Care Relief to Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) — U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act, legislation to help more working families cover a greater share of the high cost of child care. Shaheen was joined by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    “No matter where I go in New Hampshire, families tell me about how much they struggle to access affordable child care,” said Senator Shaheen. “The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit is a proven and effective tool for bringing quality, affordable child care within reach for more families. Expanding this credit to keep up with the rising cost of child care is the right thing to do for workers, families and our nation’s economy.”

    The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act would permanently expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC). This bill would help ease the burden of high child care costs on working families by increasing the maximum tax credit to $4,000 per child, allowing families to receive up to $8,000 in tax credits to offset up to $16,000 in expenses. It would also make the credit refundable to ensure low-income working families can benefit. The credit would also be indexed to inflation to retain its value over time.

    Senator Shaheen has been a leader in advocating for more affordable and accessible child care, including by delivering more than $77 million to New Hampshire through the American Rescue Plan and other COVID relief laws to the Granite State. In March, Shaheen introduced the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workforce Act—bipartisan, bicameral legislation that together form a bold proposal to make child care more affordable and accessible by strengthening existing tax credits to lower child care costs and increase the supply of child care providers. The bill includes language from Shaheen’s Right Start Child Care and Education Act legislation. In August, Shaheen visited Colebrook Community Child Care Center to discuss challenges and solutions to the child care crisis in rural communities, and in October Shaheen hosted Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su for a discussion on child care and workforce challenges in Brentwood. 

    In addition to Senators Shaheen, Smith, Warnock, Murray and Wyden, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act is cosponsored by Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

    The bill is also endorsed by the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Child Care Aware of America, Save the Children, First Focus Campaign for Children, First Five Years Fund, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Moms Rising, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Zero to Three, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC).  

    Read more about the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Hirono, Norcross Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Rights of Public Sector Workers to Join Unions, Bargain Collectively

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), and U.S. Representative Donald Norcross (D, NJ-01) to reintroduce the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, bicameral legislation to guarantee the right of public sector employees to organize and bargain collectively in states that currently do not afford these basic protections.

    “Unions give workers a powerful voice to demand better pay, working conditions, and benefits,” said Senator Murray. “I have always fought to protect the right to unionize—and as Trump and Elon wage an unprecedented attack on workers’ ability to bargain collectively, and indiscriminately fire tens of thousands of hardworking public servants, it is critical that we do everything we can to fight back and protect workers’ rights across the country. I’m proud to cosponsor Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, to establish baseline protections for public sector workers to be able to join together and demand the fair treatment and pay they deserve.”

    “Public sector workers teach our children, protect our safety, and keep our communities moving forward—they deserve the right to organize,” said Senator Hirono. “The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act will help ensure that that millions of public sector workers across our country have the federal protections they deserve as they fight for fair wages, benefits, and improved working conditions. Private sector workers are already guaranteed the right to organize under federal law, it should be common sense that public sector workers are afforded those same rights. As President Trump works to gut our public sector workforce, this bill is crucial to protect workers’ freedom to organize and bargain collectively. I’m proud to lead this important legislation with Representative Norcross to help ensure that every public employee has their voice heard in the workplace.”

    “I know the power of collective bargaining because I’ve lived it,” said Congressman Norcross, a former union electrician, member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and co-chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus. “I spent decades at the negotiating table standing up for working families—fighting for fair pay, safer jobs, and better benefits like health care and retirement. This bill ensures public-sector workers across the country have that same right to a voice on the job and a seat at the table.” 

    The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act would establish baseline federal protections to ensure all public service workers can join a union and negotiate workplace conditions—regardless of state law. Unlike private sector workers, there is currently no federal law protecting the freedom of public sector workers to join a union and collectively bargain for fair wages, benefits, and improved working conditions.

    Specifically, this bill would set a minimum nationwide standard of collective bargaining rights that states must provide, including allowing public service workers to join together and have a voice on the job to improve both working conditions and the communities in which they live and work. The legislation gives public service workers the freedom to:

    • Join together in a union selected by a majority of employees; 
    • Collectively bargain over wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment; 
    • Access dispute resolution mechanisms; 
    • Use voluntary payroll deduction for union dues; 
    • Engage in concerted activities related to collective bargaining and mutual aid; 
    • Have their union be free from requirements to hold rigged recertification elections; and 
    • File suit in court to enforce their labor rights. 

    “Passing this legislation has never been more urgent — especially now, as federal workers face unprecedented attacks on their collective bargaining rights,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “We believe, as most Americans do, that every worker deserves a union — no matter who they work for.  This bill is about something fundamental: respect. Respect for the public service workers who’ve devoted their careers to serving their communities. And respect means the freedom to negotiate.”

    “When workers stand together in a union, their jobs and lives improve. But in half of the country, the people who keep our cities and towns running are banned from collectively bargaining for a good union contract. Every day, the attacks on the fundamental freedoms of workers who keep our streets and water clean, our public transportation moving, and our children learning are increasing from the highest level of government,” said AFL-CIO President, Liz Shuler. “We need federal law to protect their rights to form a union and negotiate fair contracts that allow them to continue to do the work that is so essential to our communities. We call on every member of Congress to stand with working people and support the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act.”

    “For years now, the rights of workers like nurses, librarians, educators, and all our essential public servants who dedicate themselves to our communities have been chipped away at, despite their dedication and selfless service to their communities,” said Claude Cummings Jr., president of the Communications Workers of America. “That’s why the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act is so vital. It protects public sector workers’ fundamental right to join together, bargain for fair pay, and stand up for decent working conditions. Congress needs to step up and pass this now and push back against efforts trying to undermine these essential rights.”

    “As education, healthcare and public service workers, our members make a difference in the lives of others every day. But too many states don’t allow the people who do the work to have a voice,” said Randi Weingarten, President of AFT. “The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act would change that, ensuring public servants, no matter where they reside, have a means to influence their own lives. Whether it’s higher wages, safer working conditions, or a secure retirement, the ability to organize a union and bargain collectively lifts working families, students, patients, and entire communities up. That’s why we enthusiastically support this legislation and are committed to moving it forward.”

    This legislation is cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act is endorsed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); the Communications Workers of America (CWA); American Federation of Teachers (AFT); AFL-CIO; Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU); Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE); International Brotherhood of Teamsters; International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM); International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE); International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE); International Union of Police Associations (IUPA); International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT); Laborer’s International Union of North America (LiUNA); National Education Association (NEA); National Nurses United; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); Transport Workers Union of America (TWU); UNITE HERE!; United Autoworkers; United Steelworkers (USW).

    The full text of the legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Free and low-cost ways to support local

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Our CBR is the ACT Government’s key channel to connect with Canberrans and keep you up-to-date with what’s happening in the city. Our CBR includes a monthly print edition, email newsletter and website.

    You can easily opt in or out of the newsletter subscription at any time.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Keeping Canberra’s hospital wards safe

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Laura, a registered nurse at North Canberra Hospital says the Safewards model has allowed her team to develop stronger therapeutic relationships with their patients.

    Safewards is a program that supports staff and consumers to make hospital wards a more positive place to be.

    The Nurses and Midwives Towards a Safer Culture ‘The Next Steps’ Strategy has supported four wards to implement Safewards across Canberra Hospital and North Canberra Hospital, where a range of tools are used to reduce the occurrence of occupational violence and restrictive practice.  Another four wards at University of Canberra Hospital will be commence implementation of Safewards in September 2024.

    Safewards includes evidenced based activities like:

    • staff and consumers agreeing on their expectations of each other
    • finding more positive ways to support consumers when they are in distress
    • supporting consumers when they receive bad or surprising news to limit the distress the person or their families may experience.

    Laura is a registered nurse with Canberra Health Services, who works in a ward that has implemented Safewards at North Canberra Hospital. Her team have introduced a new ‘know each other’ initiative. People in the ward also call it the ‘sunflower tool’.

    Using the tool, staff, visitors and consumers in the ward can share details about themselves. This includes their hobbies, favourite TV shows or pets. Sharing information like this helps to build stronger relationships between people in the ward. This creates a better sense of understanding, safety and connection.

    “After introducing the tool, we had a patient’s family fill out some of their information,” Laura said.

    “Later, we were able to use the information provided as a prompt to help them during episodes of agitation and distress due to their advanced dementia and post traumatic stress disorder.”

    “Being able to use some familiar nicknames used by family, friends and colleagues in the military, we were able to help them calm down.”

    Laura says the tool has allowed her team to develop stronger therapeutic relationships with their consumers.

    “By displaying our own staff sunflower, it’s allowed us to learn more about each other and to connect both staff and patients in a really special way.”

    The initiative promotes care that is:

    • person-centred
    • trauma-informed
    • recovery orientated.

    Research shows that Safewards interventions ensure staff, consumers, and carers are supported. This helps to reduce potential conflict, rates of occupational violence and restrictive practices.

    By the end of June 2026, the program will be in place at 12 wards across Canberra Health Services.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: More support to increase access to justice

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Projects funded support criminal justice activities, crime prevention and assistance to victims of crime.

    Several local initiatives aimed at increasing Canberrans’ access to justice have received funding through the Confiscated Assets Trust (CAT).

    CAT funding ensures proceeds of crime are used to address the effects of crime on the community.

    The funding supports a range of initiatives designed to:

    • empower victims
    • strengthen community connections
    • ensure a fairer legal process for the community.

    The projects funded support criminal justice activities, crime prevention and assistance to victims of crime.

    They each contribute to ensuring Canberrans have an equal opportunity to navigate the legal system.

    Legal Aid ACT is one organisation to receive funding.

    It will use its $369,000 to employ client liaison officers to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and cultural and linguistically diverse Canberrans.

    “Legal Aid ACT is strongly committed to the delivery of services to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities,” Legal Aid ACT Chief Executive Officer Dr John Boersig PSM said.

    “This will allow us to better provide legal assistance by engaging liaison officers from these communities.”

    Initiatives to receive CAT funding include:

    Women’s Legal Centre: $30,000

    Funds will support the centre to develop and distribute a Sexual Assault Legal Service handbook.

    This will provide essential information and resources to sexual assault survivors navigating the criminal justice system.

    Expansion of the Witness Assistance Scheme: $404,346

    Funds will be used to immediately expand the Witness Assistance Scheme within the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

    This will provide essential support and guidance to witnesses and complainants throughout the criminal justice process.

    Extension of Embedded Prosecutor Initiative: $107,000

    The funds will extend the placement of a senior prosecutor within the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team (SACAT) in  ACT Policing.

    This will help to provide high-quality, pre-charge advice and support for the implementation of the new Threshold to Charge policy.

    Family counselling pilot: $15,000

    A family counselling pilot will be established at the Alexander Maconochie Centre.

    A family counsellor at the Centre will provide personalised support to detainees. This will help enhance their communication skills, build resilience and provide strategies to build relationships and resolve conflict.

    Restorative Justice: $509,804

    CAT funding will be used to improve community access to restorative justice.

    This funding will allow for extra resources to reduce restorative justice waiting times.

    It will also assist continued progress to enhance the Restorative Justice Scheme and increase accessibility for victim-survivors of sexual violence.

    Legal Aid ACT: $369,000

    Legal Aid ACT will employ three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse client liaison officers.

    These officers will give targeted support to vulnerable members of the community and strengthen Legal Aid’s capacity.

    If you need help, please contact Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Never Again

    Since Oct. 7, 2023, when the Jewish community in Israel faced its largest and most deadly targeted attacks since the Holocaust, antisemitism has been on the rise across Canada and the world. According to Statistics Canada, the Jewish community is the most targeted group for hate crimes in Canada and were the target of 70 per cent of all religion-motivated hate crimes across the country in 2023. B’Nai Brith Canada also recently reported an unprecedented 6,219 antisemitic incidents in Canada last year – the highest number ever documented since the organization started its annual audit in 1982.

    The Holocaust, or Shoah, was one of the darkest chapters in human history, resulting in the targeted deaths of six million Jews – an atrocity that was the ultimate consequence of anti-Jewish hate. Recognizing this as one of history’s most heinous crimes ever committed is critical to ensuring the collective post-war vow of Never Again remains as resolute today as it was 80 years ago. Each spring, the Jewish community recognizes Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah, reiterating this vow. Fulfilling the vow of Never Again means actively fighting antisemitism, including educating future generations on the dangers of hate.

    “Never again is now. With anti-Jewish hate on the rise in Canada and around the world, it is our responsibility to ensure our children learn the lessons of the past and are ready to stand up against hate today. Antisemitism has no place in our communities and must always be unequivocally condemned. To the Jewish community, you are not alone – Alberta’s government stands in solidarity with you against all forms of hate and oppression.” 

    Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

    As part of its ongoing commitment to Never Again, Alberta’s government is investing $200,000 to support the Calgary Jewish Federation and Jewish Federation of Edmonton as they work to combat antisemitism. Both federations play an important role in educating Albertans about Jewish culture and building a vibrant, engaged and connected Jewish community in the province. This investment supports the federations’ efforts to fight antisemitism through education and promotion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. This includes scholarships, educational and training materials for teachers and students, engagement sessions with government and law enforcement agencies, and an Alberta conference focused on antisemitism.

    “The Jewish Federation of Edmonton extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Alberta for their unwavering support of the Jewish community in the face of an alarming rise in antisemitism. This generous grant is a beacon of hope in fostering resilience among Jewish Albertans. We appreciate the Government of Alberta’s strong commitment to addressing antisemitism and demonstrating leadership on this issue.”

    Stacey Leavitt-Wright, CEO, The Jewish Federation of Edmonton

    Over the past several years, Alberta’s government has continued to stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism. Holocaust education is now a mandatory component of the Alberta’s social studies curriculum and Alberta’s government formally endorses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism. A variety of programs and supports have also been introduced to help fight hate and bias-motivated crimes across the province. This includes law enforcement resources such as the Hate Crime Coordination Unit and funding for security improvements and risk mitigation so Albertans can gather and worship in peace.

    “Calgary Jewish Federation is deeply grateful to the Government of Alberta for this important support in combating antisemitism. This grant is not only an investment in the safety and well-being of our community, but also a clear statement that hate and intolerance have no place in our province.”

    Rob Nagus, CEO, Calgary Jewish Federation

    Quick facts:

    • The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance formally adopted the following working definition of antisemitism in 2016: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred towards Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, towards Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
    • Albertans are encouraged to report antisemitic incidents to B’Nai Brith Canada’s Anti-Hate Hotline at 1-844-218-2624, [email protected], through the Anti-Hate app, or by visiting its website.

    Related information:

    • Statistics Canada’s latest police-reported hate crime data
    • B’Nai Brith Canada’s Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2024
    • B’Nai Brith Canada’s Anti-Hate Hotline

    Related news:

    • Taking a stand against antisemitism (Jan. 27, 2025)
    • Strengthening security for at-risk schools (Dec. 7, 2023)
    • Mandatory Holocaust education for Alberta students (Nov. 10, 2023)
    • Taking a stand against antisemitism (Sept. 23, 2022)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: SIRT Investigating Collision Involving RCMP Vehicle

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on April 11, 2025

    On Tuesday, April 8 at approximately 11:02 p.m., the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) received a notification from the Saskatchewan RCMP regarding a serious incident involving police. 

    SIRT’s Civilian Executive Director accepted the notification as within SIRT’s mandate and directed an investigation by SIRT. 

    On that day at approximately 10:02 p.m., Punnichy RCMP received the first of a series of calls for service reporting a disturbance involving firearms at a residence on the Kawacatoose First Nation. Two members of the RCMP responded to this call, each operating a fully marked RCMP vehicle. Several additional calls regarding the same incident were received as members responded to the initial call. At approximately 10:12 p.m., while travelling through the Kawacatoose First Nation with the emergency equipment activated on both vehicles, the lead RCMP vehicle was signaled to stop by a 16-year-old male standing at roadside. The male was struck by the second RCMP vehicle in the southbound lane of travel.

    Immediately after the collision, RCMP members requested EMS assistance and provided first aid until the arrival of EMS. EMS provided care to the male until the arrival of STARS Air Ambulance, who airlifted the male to hospital in Regina where he was determined to have sustained serious injuries within the meaning of The Police Act, 1990. 

    Immediately following the notification, a SIRT team consisting of the Civilian Executive Director and six SIRT Investigators was deployed to Punnichy and the Kawacatoose First Nation to begin their investigation. SIRT’s investigation will examine the conduct of police during this incident. A community liaison will also be appointed pursuant to S.91.12 (1) (a) of The Police Act, 1990. The RCMP will maintain responsibility for any investigation into the original call for service. No further information will be released at this time. A final report will be issued to the public within 90 days of the investigation ending.

    SIRT’s mandate is to independently investigate incidents where an individual has died or suffered serious injury arising from the actions of on and off-duty police officers, or while in the custody of police, as well as allegations of sexual assault or interpersonal violence involving police.

    For updates on SIRT investigations, follow SIRT on Twitter at https://x.com/SIRT_SK.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Unlawful Illinois DEI Scholarship Program Suspended After Justice Department Threatened Lawsuit

    Source: US State of California

    WASHINGTON—Today, the Justice Department announced that it has acted to end the state of Illinois’ unlawful minority-only scholarship program.  After the Justice Department threatened to file suit, the state and six universities suspended the program.

    On March 31, 2025, the Justice Department found that an Illinois scholarship program unconstitutionally discriminated on the basis of race in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.  Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellow of Harvard Coll., 600 U.S. 181 (2023), colleges and universities are prohibited from using race to select winners and losers in higher education. The scholarship program established by Illinois law used race as a prerequisite for participation, specifically excluding students of some races but not others in violation of federal law.

    After the Justice Department notified the educational institutions of its findings, multiple universities informed the Justice Department that they had ended their participation in the program, including Northwestern University, Loyola University of Chicago, and the University of Chicago.  None of the institutions that the Department notified of its findings is currently electing to continue its participation in the program.

    Additionally, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, which administers the state-created DEI scholarship program, responded to the Department’s threatened lawsuit by suspending all its activities relating to the program until it can comprehensively review the program with the Illinois General Assembly during the current legislative session.   

    “This Department of Justice is committed to rooting DEI out of American institutions, including in the education system,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This latest victory illustrates that the threat of legal action can be enough to force bad actors into dissolving harmful practices that disregard merit and divide Americans based on race.”

    To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at 800-253-3931.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pennsylvania Man Charged with Making Threats to Assault and Murder President Donald J. Trump, Other U.S. Officials, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents

    Source: US State of California

    Shawn Monper, 32, a resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with making threats to assault and murder President Donald J. Trump, other U.S. officials, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

    “I want to applaud the outstanding and courageous investigative work of the FBI and the Butler Township Police Department, who thankfully identified and apprehended this individual before he could carry out his threats against President Trump’s life and the lives of other innocent Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Rest assured that whenever and wherever threats of assassination or mass violence occur, this Department of Justice will find, arrest, and prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law and seek the maximum appropriate punishment.”

    Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania joined Attorney General Bondi in making today’s announcement.

    According to the federal criminal complaint, on April 8, the FBI National Threat Operations Section (NTOS) received an emergency disclosure regarding threats posted to YouTube by user “Mr Satan.” Federal agents determined that the threatening statements occurred between Jan 15 April 5. The subsequent federal investigation affirmed that the internet activity associated with “Mr Satan” corresponded with Monper’s residence.

    The investigation further established that Monper sought and obtained a firearms permit shortly following President Trump’s inauguration. In February 2025, Monper commented using his “Mr Satan” account: “I have bought several guns and been stocking up on ammo since Trump got in office.” Further, in March 2025, Monper commented using his account: “Eventually im going to do a mass shooting.” One week later, Monper commented: “I have been buying 1 gun a month since the election, body armor, and ammo.”

    The criminal complaint identified the following threatening statements regarding President Trump, other United States officials, and ICE agents:

    February 17, 2025: “Nah, we just need to start killing people, Trump, Elon, all the heads of agencies Trump appointed, and anyone who stands in the way. Remember, we are the majority, MAGA is a minority of the country, and by the time its time to make the move, they will be weakened, many will be crushed by these policies, and they will want revenge too. American Revolution 2.0”

    March 4, 2025: “im going to assassinate him myself.” This threat was made in a YouTube video titled “Live: Trump’s address to Congress.”

    March 18, 2025: “ICE are terrorist people, we need to start killing them.”

    April 1, 2025: “If I see an armed ice agent, I will consider it a domestic terrorist, and an active shooter and open fire on them.”

    On April 9, the FBI, with the assistance of the Butler Township Police Department, arrested Monper on the federal criminal complaint. On April 10, Monper was ordered detained pending preliminary and detention hearings scheduled for April 14, at 1:00 pm.

    The FBI and Butler Township Police Department are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Justice Terminates Environmental Justice Settlement Agreement, Advancing President Trump’s Mandate to End Illegal DEI and Environmental Justice Policies

    Source: US State of California

    Today, the Department of Justice announced that that its Civil Rights Division will immediately close an “environmental justice” matter. Effective immediately, the division will terminate the environmental justice settlement agreement that stemmed from the investigation launched by the previous administration targeting Lowndes County, Alabama.

    This directive follows President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14151, “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing,” which forbids federal agencies from pursuing programs or initiatives related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including those related to “environmental justice.”

    “The DOJ will no longer push ‘environmental justice’ as viewed through a distorting, DEI lens,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “President Trump made it clear: Americans deserve a government committed to serving every individual with dignity and respect, and to expending taxpayer resources in accordance with the national interest, not arbitrary criteria.”

    Today’s closure is another step this Administration has taken to eradicate illegal DEI preferences and environmental justice across the government and in the private sector. The Department is working quickly to close such cases in compliance with the Attorney General’s directive.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pennsylvania Man Charged with Making Threats to Assault and Murder President Donald J. Trump, Other U.S. Officials, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Shawn Monper, 32, a resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with making threats to assault and murder President Donald J. Trump, other U.S. officials, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

    “I want to applaud the outstanding and courageous investigative work of the FBI and the Butler Township Police Department, who thankfully identified and apprehended this individual before he could carry out his threats against President Trump’s life and the lives of other innocent Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Rest assured that whenever and wherever threats of assassination or mass violence occur, this Department of Justice will find, arrest, and prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law and seek the maximum appropriate punishment.”

    Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania joined Attorney General Bondi in making today’s announcement.

    According to the federal criminal complaint, on April 8, the FBI National Threat Operations Section (NTOS) received an emergency disclosure regarding threats posted to YouTube by user “Mr Satan.” Federal agents determined that the threatening statements occurred between Jan 15 April 5. The subsequent federal investigation affirmed that the internet activity associated with “Mr Satan” corresponded with Monper’s residence.

    The investigation further established that Monper sought and obtained a firearms permit shortly following President Trump’s inauguration. In February 2025, Monper commented using his “Mr Satan” account: “I have bought several guns and been stocking up on ammo since Trump got in office.” Further, in March 2025, Monper commented using his account: “Eventually im going to do a mass shooting.” One week later, Monper commented: “I have been buying 1 gun a month since the election, body armor, and ammo.”

    The criminal complaint identified the following threatening statements regarding President Trump, other United States officials, and ICE agents:

    February 17, 2025: “Nah, we just need to start killing people, Trump, Elon, all the heads of agencies Trump appointed, and anyone who stands in the way. Remember, we are the majority, MAGA is a minority of the country, and by the time its time to make the move, they will be weakened, many will be crushed by these policies, and they will want revenge too. American Revolution 2.0”

    March 4, 2025: “im going to assassinate him myself.” This threat was made in a YouTube video titled “Live: Trump’s address to Congress.”

    March 18, 2025: “ICE are terrorist people, we need to start killing them.”

    April 1, 2025: “If I see an armed ice agent, I will consider it a domestic terrorist, and an active shooter and open fire on them.”

    On April 9, the FBI, with the assistance of the Butler Township Police Department, arrested Monper on the federal criminal complaint. On April 10, Monper was ordered detained pending preliminary and detention hearings scheduled for April 14, at 1:00 pm.

    The FBI and Butler Township Police Department are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Department of Justice Terminates Environmental Justice Settlement Agreement, Advancing President Trump’s Mandate to End Illegal DEI and Environmental Justice Policies

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Today, the Department of Justice announced that that its Civil Rights Division will immediately close an “environmental justice” matter. Effective immediately, the division will terminate the environmental justice settlement agreement that stemmed from the investigation launched by the previous administration targeting Lowndes County, Alabama.

    This directive follows President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14151, “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing,” which forbids federal agencies from pursuing programs or initiatives related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including those related to “environmental justice.”

    “The DOJ will no longer push ‘environmental justice’ as viewed through a distorting, DEI lens,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “President Trump made it clear: Americans deserve a government committed to serving every individual with dignity and respect, and to expending taxpayer resources in accordance with the national interest, not arbitrary criteria.”

    Today’s closure is another step this Administration has taken to eradicate illegal DEI preferences and environmental justice across the government and in the private sector. The Department is working quickly to close such cases in compliance with the Attorney General’s directive.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty To The Unlawful Transportation Of Aliens And Illegal Reentry Into The United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Timoteo Son-Gonzalez (40), a Guatemalan national, has pleaded guilty to unlawful transportation of an illegal alien for the purpose of financial gain and illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Son-Gonzalez faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

    According to court documents, in February 2025, agents from the U.S. Border Patrol stopped a car driven by Son-Gonzalez. The car contained six passengers, all of whom were illegal aliens. After interviewing the passengers, agents determined that Son-Gonzalez was transporting illegal aliens for financial gain. Son-Gonzalez was also found to be unlawfully present in the United States, after having been removed in June 2024. 

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.

    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).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Washington Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting Federal Officers

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Filiberto Santana, age 34, to 84 months in prison for assaulting two federal officers. Chief Judge Bastian also imposed 3 years of supervised release.

    According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on April 11, 2025, the Columbia River Drug Task Force had requested the United States Marshals Service to assist in the apprehension of Filiberto Santana, who had active state arrest warrants. A United States Marshals Service (USMS) Task Force Officer spotted Santana and a female sitting in a stolen vehicle at a “Park and Ride” in Wenatchee, WA. Santana was seated in the passenger seat and the female was seated in the driver’s seat. The female was also known to law enforcement and had an active state arrest warrant. Although in a parking space, the vehicle’s engine was running. Law enforcement decided to pin the stolen vehicle between two patrol cars to prevent Santana, who had a history of fleeing law enforcement, from avoiding capture.

    Law enforcement approached the vehicle and ordered Santana and the female to put their hands up where they could be seen. Instead of complying with the lawful order, the female placed the car in reverse, then shifted to drive, spinning the tires in the snow in a failed attempt to escape. Santana immediately rolled up the front passenger window, which had been down, and began moving as if searching for something in the car. Because law enforcement could not view Santana’s hands and believed he was potentially searching for a weapon, law enforcement broke out the rear passenger window to better see inside the vehicle and access the occupants. Law enforcement continued to order the female to put the car in neutral and for the occupants to put up their hands. Instead, the female pressed the accelerator pedal spinning the tires. Santana momentarily raised his hands, however, he quickly lowered them and resumed searching for something around the floorboards and seat area. After repeated orders to place the car in neutral and to put up their hands were disregarded, officers attempted to tase both the female and Santana. However, Santana and the female had on thick layers of clothing and the taser prongs did not work effectively and both Santana and the female continued to disregard law enforcement’s directions.

    Santana then grabbed an object from the seat area where he had been reaching, and with a pistol grip pointed the object at the officers. Initially the officers believed from the manner he grasped the object that it was a firearm, however, an officer closer to the car saw that it was a spray bottle and yelled out to the other officers, “He’s got spray!” Santana sprayed an unknown liquid directly at law enforcement striking a deputy United States Marshal in the eyes. He then climbed to the back seat and fled out the rear driver’s side window in an attempt to escape. He was stopped and taken into custody by law enforcement. After apprehending Santana, officers had to pull the noncompliant female out of the window and were able to handcuff her after a brief struggle outside the vehicle.

    The Deputy United States Marshal was treated by medics at the scene. His eyes were bloodshot and burned and remained irritated for several days. A second federal Task Force Officer who was also struck by the spray and had breathed it in suffered from burning in his lungs for several hours after the incident. He did not seek medical treatment.

    The spray used by Santana was later found in the vehicle and identified as an interior detailing spray. Law enforcement also located several stolen items in the car, including a Ruger handgun in the driver’s door compartment, as well as multiple magazines for the Ruger.  Also found were several magazines from other caliber firearms, a holster, and 9mm ammunition.

    “Everyday law enforcement officers take on tremendous dangers; yet, they put their lives on the line to protect our communities,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Rich Barker. “I am grateful to be able to work closely with federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement, who work tirelessly to secure Eastern Washington Communities.”

    “Every day, law enforcement officers bravely put themselves in uncertain situations to perform their duties and keep the public safe,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “These subjects were actively resisting arrest and repeatedly refusing to comply. I want to commend these officers for their courage and professionalism in such a dangerous situation, which allowed them to successfully resolve the situation and take the subjects into custody. We are thankful the injuries to the officers were not even worse due to the dangerous actions of the subjects.”

    “In bringing fugitives to justice, law enforcement faces the very real threat of assault from violent offenders,” stated U. S. Marshal Craig Thayer. Every effort is made to effectuate these arrests as safely as possible, and with only reasonable and necessary force. However, these offenders will be arrested, and will face justice, as Chief Judge Bastian’s sentencing today demonstrates.”

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Columbia River Drug Task Force.

    2:23-cr-00133-SAB

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Unlawful Illinois DEI Scholarship Program Suspended After Justice Department Threatened Lawsuit

    Source: United States Attorneys General 10

    WASHINGTON—Today, the Justice Department announced that it has acted to end the state of Illinois’ unlawful minority-only scholarship program.  After the Justice Department threatened to file suit, the state and six universities suspended the program.

    On March 31, 2025, the Justice Department found that an Illinois scholarship program unconstitutionally discriminated on the basis of race in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.  Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellow of Harvard Coll., 600 U.S. 181 (2023), colleges and universities are prohibited from using race to select winners and losers in higher education. The scholarship program established by Illinois law used race as a prerequisite for participation, specifically excluding students of some races but not others in violation of federal law.

    After the Justice Department notified the educational institutions of its findings, multiple universities informed the Justice Department that they had ended their participation in the program, including Northwestern University, Loyola University of Chicago, and the University of Chicago.  None of the institutions that the Department notified of its findings is currently electing to continue its participation in the program.

    Additionally, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, which administers the state-created DEI scholarship program, responded to the Department’s threatened lawsuit by suspending all its activities relating to the program until it can comprehensively review the program with the Illinois General Assembly during the current legislative session.   

    “This Department of Justice is committed to rooting DEI out of American institutions, including in the education system,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This latest victory illustrates that the threat of legal action can be enough to force bad actors into dissolving harmful practices that disregard merit and divide Americans based on race.”

    “While the Justice Department is pleased these schools came into compliance with the law, other schools should be on notice that the Justice Department will not rest until all discrimination is eliminated from our society,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle.

    To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at 800-253-3931.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine & Colleagues Raise Concerns Regarding Closure of 35 Mine Safety and Health Administration Offices

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wrote to Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer regarding the proposal from the “Department of Government Efficiency” to close 35 Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) field offices. The senators request specific information regarding how the office closures will impact personnel and inspections of underground mines. They also ask about how MHSA will comply with the new silica standard that Kaine, Warner, and Fetterman pushed for.

    “This proposal will seriously undermine the progress made over the past 50 years to ensure the health and safety of our nation’s miners,” wrote the senators. “This is an agency already struggling, and the cuts will likely be detrimental to the workers who risk their lives every day to power our nation.”

    The senators continued, “Of the list released by DOGE, nearly half of the offices are located in the Appalachian coalfields. Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, commonly referred to as black lung disease, remains most prevalent in the Central Appalachian states, including Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.”

    Warner, Kaine, Fetterman, and Sanders recently sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. pushing back on his decision to gut the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is tasked with protecting the health and safety of coal miners. Kaine and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA-03) also recently announced that they will introduce the Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act to close glaring loopholes in our nation’s mine safety laws that threaten miners’ lives and hold rogue mine operators accountable. 

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Chavez-DeRemer:

    We write to express our strong opposition to the self-proclaimed Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to close 35 Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) field offices. This proposal will seriously undermine the progress made over the past 50 years to ensure the health and safety of our nation’s miners.

    In 1977, MSHA was established through the bipartisan passage of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act, also known as the Mine Act. Mining fatalities drastically dropped following the enactment of the Mine Act, yet there were still 31 fatalities in 2024. Federal law requires MSHA to inspect each underground mine four times a year. Unfortunately, MSHA has faced challenges in carrying out its mission due to limited staff and funding resources. This effort from the Trump administration to further undermine MSHA under the guise of “efficiency” will only cause more harm to individuals in some of the most dangerous jobs.

    To illustrate the inefficiency, an analysis by the Appalachian Citizens Law Center (ACLC) found that 16,639 inspections were conducted by 33 MSHA offices slated for closure between January 2024 and February 2025. Inspectors in those offices spent over 234,000 hours on-site locations and accrued a total of 399,000 hours in conducting their inspection duties. Now, ACLC estimates that if mines have to be re-designated to the remaining MSHA offices, inspectors could spend three to four hours round-trip to inspect them. This comes at a time, when over the last decade, there has been a 27% decline in MSHA staff, including a 50% reduction in enforcement staff for coal mines. This is an agency already struggling, and the cuts will likely be detrimental to the workers who risk their lives every day to power our nation.

    Of the list released by DOGE, nearly half of the offices are located in the Appalachian coalfields. Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, commonly referred to as black lung disease, remains most prevalent in the Central Appalachian states, including Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is reported that Central Appalachian coal miners born in 1940 or later are over eight times more likely to die from a respiratory disease like black lung than their peers elsewhere in the nation. A study was conducted between 2013 and 2017 in Southwest Virginia, where over 400 miners were identified as having progressive massive fibrosis – a more complicated form of black lung disease – representing the largest cluster ever reported in the scientific literature.

    This decision by DOGE follows decades of advocacy and efforts to ensure workplace safety and prevent black lung disease, and comes on the heels of the compliance date to the new silica standard. On April 18, 2024, MSHA issued its final rule, Lowering Miners’ Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica and Improving Respiratory Protection. Conservatively, MSHA estimates that 2.3 million U.S. workers across industries, including mining and construction, are exposed to silica each year. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also estimates that it is 20 times more likely for miners to die from silicosis than it is for workers in other occupations to die from other occupational illnesses. Furthermore, central Appalachian coal mines have higher concentrations of silica dust than any other mines in the United States. That is because miners often have to cut deeper into the rocks to locate any coal.

    The new silica standard was a monumental victory, and coal mine operators were initially meant to come into compliance by April 14, 2025. However, MSHA announced a temporary enforcement pause until August 18, 2025. The pause directly results from this administration’s careless actions to gut NIOSH. Once it comes into effect, the question remains as to who will enforce the rule when there will be fewer inspections. With the 15th anniversary of the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster approaching, we are deeply concerned that history may repeat itself.

    We demand answers to the following questions by May 1, 2025:

    1. Federal law requires MSHA to inspect each underground mine at least four times a year. The office closures will impact travel times and the availability of inspectors. Will inspectors be relocated to new office spaces near their existing locations? How do you plan to remain in compliance with the Mine Act?
    2. Please provide a detailed plan outlining how you intend to comply with the new silica standard despite these office closures.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Inquest Into The Death Of Sidney Littlewolfe

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on April 11, 2025

    A public inquest into the death of Sidney Littlewolfe will be held Monday, May 12 to 16, 2025, at the Travelodge, 106 Circle Drive West, in Saskatoon.

    The first day of the inquest is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Subsequent start times will be determined by the presiding coroner.

    Littlewolfe, 51, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Saskatoon Police Service Detention Centre in Saskatoon on April 21, 2022. EMS was called and staff began life-saving efforts. EMS arrived, took over his care and he was pronounced deceased.

    Section 20 of The Coroners Act, 1999 states that the Chief Coroner shall hold an inquest into the death of a person who dies while an inmate at a jail or a correctional facility, unless the coroner is satisfied that the person’s death was due entirely to natural causes and was not preventable.

    The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, unexpected deaths. The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner’s jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.

    Coroner Timothy Hawryluk, K.C. will preside at the inquest.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mississippi Man Guilty of Attempted Receipt of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – AVERY FREEL (“FREEL”), age 23, of Ocean Springs, MS, pled guilty on April 10, 2025, before United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon, to Attempted Receipt of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. 

    FREEL faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years, up to a maximum of twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00.  In addition, FREEL faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life, after his release from prison, as well as a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Hammond Police Department, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations with this matter.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Violent Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ERIC HAYES, also known as “Heavyweight Champ,” 28, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 165 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang, including the murder and attempted murder of rival gang members.

    Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.

    According to court documents, statements made in court, and the evidence presented during a month-long trial, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence.  Hayes has been a member of the “East End gang,” which began as a local street gang based in the East End of Bridgeport, but currently has members and associates who are either incarcerated or living throughout Bridgeport and surrounding towns.  The East End gang has been aligned with other groups, including the PT Barnum Gang, the East Side gang and 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport.  These groups were aligned against rival organizations in Bridgeport, including the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”) and the “Greene Homes Boyz,” (“GHB/Hotz”), based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End.

    Due to the level of gun violence Bridgeport was experiencing, the investigation commenced shortly before East End members shot and killed Myreke Kenion and shot and attempted to kill D’Andre Brown, both members and associates of the GHB/Hotz gang, on January 26, 2020.  The next day, in retaliation for these shootings, GHB/Hotz and O.N.E. members attempted to kill East End gang members and associates in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a state courthouse on Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport that resulted in four victims being shot while sitting inside a car.

    For a time, Hayes was the de facto leader of the East End gang.  Hayes and other East End members distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; used and shared firearms; and committed at least six murders and other acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals.  East End members celebrated their criminal conduct in rap videos on YouTube and on social media websites such as Facebook, and committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities.

    The investigation determined that on March 5, 2019, Hayes shot and killed Jerrell Gatewood, a member of the Terrace, a rival group to the East End gang.  Also, Hayes helped coordinate the attempted murder of Marquis Isreal, also known as “Garf” or “Gbaby,” a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang.  On September 15, 2019, East End member Trevon Wright shot Isreal 12 times inside a restaurant in Bridgeport’s East End.  Isreal survived the shooting.

    Hayes has been detained since his arrest on September 25, 2019.  On that date, he possessed a loaded .45 caliber handgun.  Subsequent forensic analysis of the firearm connected it to shell casings recovered from the restaurant after the Marquis Isreal shooting.

    On December 5, 2023, a jury found Hayes, Wright, Keishawn Donald, and Travon Jones guilty of conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.

    Approximately 47 members and associates of the East End, O.N.E. and the GHB/Hotz gangs have been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which has and solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders.

    Wright, Donald, and Jones were previously sentenced.

    This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the Waterbury Police Department.  These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick, Rahul Kale, and Karen L. Peck.

    This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

    PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

    Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities.  Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.  If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.

    OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grand Falls-Windsor — Grand Falls-Windsor RCMP investigates damage to property

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Grand Falls-Windsor RCMP is investigating recent reports of mischief (damage to property) that occurred between April 10 and 11, 2025. A number of political signs were defaced.

    RCMP reminds the public that mischief is a criminal offence.

    The investigation is continuing.

    Anyone who has information about this crime is asked to contact Grand Falls-Windsor RCMP at 709-489-2121. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –