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Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maidstone — Update: Maidstone RCMP seek information about suspicious person

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    As a result of continued investigation, Maidstone RCMP identified the adult male who approached and spoke to a young child at a playground at Sandy Beach Regional Park on August 27, 2024.

    Further investigation determined the male was on court-ordered peace bond conditions not to be at a playground.

    On October 16, 2024, officers arrested the adult male at a residence in Radisson, SK.

    Officers located and seized three loaded, unsecured firearms during a search warrant executed at the residence.

    As a result of continued investigation, 47-year-old Sir Brent Habetler from Radisson is charged with:

    • one count, disobeying an order of court, Section 127(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, unauthorized possession of a firearm, Section 91(1), Criminal Code;
    • three counts, unsafe storage of a firearm, Section 86(2), Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, Section 88(1), Criminal Code; and
    • one count, possession of a firearm knowing possession is unauthorized, Section 92(1), Criminal Code.

    He was remanded into custody and appeared in North Battleford Provincial Court on October 22, 2024.

    He was released by the courts on conditions that include the following, among others:

    • Staying inside his approved residence 24 hours a day. This condition will be electronically monitored as per his conditions.
    • Not attend any area that children (below the age of 16) are typically present for the purposes of schooling or recreation.
    • Not possess any firearms.

    He is next scheduled to appear in North Battleford Provincial Court on November 26, 2024.

    Saskatchewan RCMP’s Battleford General Investigations Section, High Risk Offender Unit, Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team, Crime Reduction Team and Federal Support Services assisted with this investigation, along with Saskatchewan Highway Patrol and Wilton Police Service.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Join Congressional Democrats In Filing Amicus Brief Urging Ninth Circuit Court To Affirm That EMTALA Requires Hospitals To Provide Emergency Stabilizing Care, Including Abortion Care, Preempting Idaho’s Draconian Abortion Ban

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    10.23.24
    After the Supreme Court dismissed the case, returning it to the Ninth Circuit Court, 259 Members of Congress ask the Ninth Circuit to affirm district court decision that under EMTALA, hospitals participating in Medicare must provide emergency stabilizing treatment to patients, including abortion care when necessary
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined more than 250 Members of Congress in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States, two consolidated cases concerning the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) under consideration by the en banc Ninth Circuit.  EMTALA is a federal law that requires hospitals that receive Medicare funding to provide necessary “stabilizing treatment” to patients experiencing medical emergencies, which can include abortion care.
    After the Dobbs decision in 2022, a draconian anti-abortion law in Idaho went into effect that makes it a felony for a doctor to terminate a patient’s pregnancy unless it is “necessary” to prevent the patient’s death.  The United States sued the State of Idaho, arguing that the state’s law is preempted by EMTALA in those circumstances in which abortion may not be necessary to prevent imminent death, but still constitutes the necessary stabilizing treatment for a patient’s emergency medical condition.  The district court agreed; it held that in those limited, but critically important situations, EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion as an emergency medical treatment.  Idaho Republicans appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court, which lifted the injunction and took the case in January.  In March, 258 Members filed an amicus brief, asking the Supreme Court to affirm the district court decision.  In June, the Supreme Court dismissed the case but without a ruling on the merits, sending the case back to the Ninth Circuit Court and reinstating the district court’s injunction.
    In their brief in support of the Justice Department, the lawmakers ask the Ninth Circuit to uphold the district court’s ruling.  They argue that the congressional intent, text, and history of EMTALA make clear that covered hospitals must provide abortion care when it is the necessary stabilizing treatment for a patient’s emergency medical condition, and that EMTALA preempts Idaho’s abortion ban in emergency situations that present a serious threat to a patient’s health.
    “[T]he 99th Congress passed EMTALA to ensure that every person who visits a Medicare-funded hospital with an ‘emergency medical condition’ is offered stabilizing treatment,” the Members write in their amicus brief.  “Congress chose broad language for that mandate, requiring hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide ‘such treatment as may be required to stabilize the medical condition.’… That text—untouched by Congress for the past three decades—makes clear that in situations in which a doctor determines that abortion constitutes the ‘[n]ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a pregnant patient, federal law requires the hospital to offer it.  Yet Idaho has made providing that care a felony, in direct contravention of EMTALA’s mandate.”
    Importantly, the Members note that in this case, “respecting the supremacy of federal law is about more than just protecting our system of government; it is about protecting people’s lives.  If this Court allows Idaho’s near-total abortion ban to supersede federal law, pregnant patients in Idaho will continue to be denied appropriate medical treatment, placing them at heightened risk for medical complications and severe adverse health outcomes… And health care providers, unwilling to let Idaho’s law override their medical judgment regarding their patients’ best interests, will continue their exile from Idaho, creating maternity-care ‘deserts’ all over the state.”  The Members point to numerous reports of OB/GYNs leaving Idaho en masse since the state’s abortion ban went into effect.  Idaho has since lost 55 percent of its maternal-fetal medicine specialists and three rural hospitals have shut down maternity services altogether.
    “These are not hypothetical scenarios.  Because Idaho’s abortion ban contains no clear exceptions for the ‘emergency medical conditions’ covered by EMTALA, it forces physicians to wait until their patients are on the verge of death before providing abortion care. The result in other states with similar laws has been ‘significant maternal morbidity,’” write the Members, pointing to harrowing reports of pregnant women with severe health complications being denied necessary abortion care, including an Idaho woman who was flown to Utah for an abortion while hemorrhaging, leaking amniotic fluid, and terrified that she would not survive to care for her two other children.  “Federal law does not allow Idaho to endanger the lives of its residents in this way.”
    In their brief, the Members also clarify that the references to “unborn child” in EMTALA were intended to expand hospitals’ obligations with respect to providing stabilizing treatment—not contract them or take away the obligation to provide abortion care in certain circumstances.
    The Members’ brief also counters an argument from Idaho and its amici that the Supremacy Clause does not apply in this case because EMTALA was passed using Spending Clause authority, and therefore acts only as a condition on Medicare funding.  The Members make clear that all laws passed by Congress are entitled to preemption—regardless of their source of constitutional authority, and states cannot pass laws that make it impossible for private parties to accept federal funding, inhibiting the purpose of the federal law. 
    “EMTALA requires abortion when necessary to stabilize a patient with an emergency medical condition, Idaho’s near-total abortion ban is preempted to the extent that it prevents doctors from providing that care,” the Members write. “This Court should reject Appellants’ novel theory that EMTALA is not entitled to preemptive effect because it was enacted pursuant to Congress’s spending power.  Under the Supremacy Clause, all ‘the constitutional laws enacted by congress,’ constitute ‘the supreme Law of the Land,’. As the Supreme Court has repeatedly held, the principle of federal supremacy applies to laws passed pursuant to Congress’s spending authority no less than it does to laws effectuating other enumerated powers.”
    “In sum, EMTALA plainly requires hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide abortion care when, in a doctor’s medical judgment, it constitutes the ‘[n]ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a patient’s ‘emergency medical condition.’”
    The lawmakers conclude by asking the Ninth Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision that EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion care when it is necessary as emergency medical treatment.
    In the Senate, the amicus brief was signed by 48 U.S. Senators, including Durbin and Duckworth.  Also signing the amicus brief were U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey Jr. (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), George Helmy (D-NJ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King Jr. (D-ME), 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), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
    In the House, the brief was signed by 211 U.S. Representatives.
    The lawmakers’ amicus brief to the Supreme Court can be read in full here.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley, Sorensen Announce $33.5 Million In Federal Funding For Peoria And Chicago Airports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    10.23.24
    CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) and Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) today announced $33,510,000 in federal funding from the Department of Transportation’s Airport Terminal Program.
    With today’s announced funding, General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport will receive $13,510,000 for the replacement of their air traffic control tower, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport will receive $20,000,000 for an expansion to Terminal 5.
    “By improving and modernizing airport infrastructure, we are laying the foundation for increased connectivity and reliability,” said Durbin. “Today’s announced federal funding for upgrading our airports across Illinois will enhance the travel experience for passengers and promote economic growth. I will continue working with Senator Duckworth and our Congressional colleagues to ensure Illinois airports have the necessary federal resources to keep passengers safe and connected.”
    “Illinois’s airports are critical economic engines for our state,” Duckworth said. “This funding will help improve and modernize O’Hare and Downing International Airports and, after years of neglecting our nation’s infrastructure, I’m proud every day to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law at work rebuilding infrastructure all across our country. I will continue to work alongside Senator Durbin and the Illinois delegation to make traveling safer and more reliable for all passengers while ensuring that our communities are receiving the much-needed federal resources they deserve.”
    “This important funding coming to Peoria International Airport is about connecting my neighbors in Central Illinois to the world. The new air traffic control tower will allow controllers to see the end points of both runways and all taxiways, making it safer for travelers and airport staff. I am grateful to Senators Durbin and Duckworth for their support of this project as we continue our work to keep air travel safe and open Peoria to new destinations,” said Sorensen.
    “Throughout my career, I have worked tirelessly to ensure that travelers receive the best and most efficient service possible at O’Hare. Today’s funding announcement will build on the progress we have already made. This expansion will benefit not only our constituents but also travelers across the country, while boosting our economy. When I voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I did so knowing it would bring vital investments like these and create lasting benefits across our state. Together, we are paving the way for a brighter future and a stronger transportation network for everyone,” said Quigley.
    Durbin and Duckworth previously worked to secure a provision in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to make Peoria’s airport-owned air traffic control tower (ATCT) eligible for federal funding. Following the enactment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the ATCT has received $29 million in federal funding across two previous grants.
    Durbin and Duckworth helped secure two previous BIL Airport Terminal Program grants for Chicago O’Hare International Airport for the Terminal 3 Project totaling $90 million, a 2023 grant of $50 million and a 2024 grant of $40 million.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Travels Across Northwestern New Mexico, Meets with Tribal Leaders and Highlights Infrastructure Projects

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    New Mexico – This week, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, traveled across Northwestern New Mexico to hold meetings with Tribal leaders and highlight federal investments he secured for Tribal Nations and surrounding New Mexico communities.

    Luján began by meeting with the new leadership of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe to congratulate the newly elected leaders and listen to the Tribe’s priorities. Luján also visited with the Tribal leadership of the Pueblo of the Zuni to meet with the leadership and discuss the Zuni Pueblo’s priorities. During both meetings, Luján highlighted his work on behalf of Tribal communities and infrastructure improvements he was able to secure for the Jicarilla Apache Tribe and the Zuni Pueblo. Luján is fighting to pass bills to resolve the water rights of New Mexico’s Tribal Nations and has successfully delivered millions of dollars for Tribal communities, including over $1.8 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to boost infrastructure and nearly $7 million to expand broadband for Jicarilla Apache and Zuni Pueblo communities.

    “This week, I had the privilege of meeting with the leaders of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe and Zuni Pueblo to hear directly from them about their priorities and how we can continue to work together,” said Senator Luján. “I am proud to be fighting for the water resources of our Tribal communities and to have delivered millions to improve infrastructure and expand broadband access. I was grateful to have these conversations with Jicarilla Apache and Zuni leaders and will continue to fight to strengthen the relationship between Tribal communities and the federal government.”

    On Tuesday, Luján visited a Navajo Nation home to highlight federal funding secured to bring modern electrical systems to homes across the Navajo Nation and New Mexico. Luján fought to pass the American Rescue Plan, which has funded projects like Light Up Navajo and delivered electricity to hundreds of Navajo Nation homes. The federally funded Light Up Navajo project has delivered electricity to nearly 1,000 Navajo Nation households and built almost 250 miles of power lines.
    “In 2024, no family should be without electricity,” said Senator Luján. “I was honored to visit a Navajo Nation home that now has access to electricity thanks to the American Rescue Plan, which I was proud to have helped pass into law. Although we’ve helped electrify many homes in our Tribal communities, the job is not done. There are still far too many families across the Navajo Nation that are living without access to electricity. I remain committed to expanding electrical connectivity and will keep fighting to bring electricity to every Navajo Nation home.”

    Later, Luján toured and received an update on the status of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. The major water infrastructure project is expected to deliver a long-term, sustainable water supply to nearly a quarter million people across the Navajo Nation and surrounding areas. In the Senate, Luján has delivered over $300 million in federal funding to support the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Luján has worked on this project throughout his career in Congress.
    “Once completed, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will deliver clean, reliable drinking water to thousands of Navajo Nation homes, including many homes that currently live without running water,” said Senator Luján. “I am glad to see the progress that has been made on this monumental water infrastructure project and am proud to have delivered millions of dollars to support it. I will continue to fight to ensure the pipeline is fully funded and completed by 2029.”

    Finally, Luján visited the Gallup Indian Medical Center to meet with U.S. Indian Health Service officials and view improvements to the facility that were made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, which Luján fought to pass into law.
    “Across the Navajo Nation and surrounding communities, it is paramount that there is convenient access to health care providers and hospitals,” said Senator Luján. “Thanks to legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act that I helped get signed into law, we are making it easier to access reliable health care for the people of the Navajo Nation. Facilities like the Gallup Indian Medical Center are making it easier for our Tribal communities to access the health care they deserve, and I will continue to fight for affordable, accessible health care for the Navajo Nation and Tribal communities across our state.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Human rights advocate Alexander Lapshin: No place to go, but still fighting for global freedom

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Frederick John Packer, Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

    Global freedom has been in decline for nearly two decades, according to Freedom House, an American non-profit organization devoted to supporting democracy around the world.

    That means the role of high-profile freedom activists, including activists in exile — people who are displaced from their countries of origin due to their activism but continue to affect change through various means — has become ever more crucial.

    A recent incident involving Alexander Lapshin, a Soviet-born Israeli travel journalist turned human rights advocate, at Armenia’s Yerevan airport highlights the ongoing persecution faced by activists even in seemingly secure environments.

    On Sept. 21, during Armenia’s Independence Day celebrations, Lapshin said he was detained at the request of Belarusian authorities, accused of insulting the honour and dignity of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko by highlighting the authoritarian nature of his regime in social media posts.

    Though not formally expelled from any one country, Lapshin’s circumstances have effectively left him with no safe or stable place to settle. He says legal and political pressures in both Ukraine and Israel prevent him from returning.

    Armenia ultimately refused to arrest him, but Lapshin and his family were forced to endure four hours of distressing uncertainty at the Yerevan police station before his release was formally registered by Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office.

    This provocation underscored the persistent threats activists face even in countries offering relative safety.

    Extradited to Azerbaijan

    Just weeks before his arrest in Yerevan, we met with Lapshin in Ottawa to learn about his odyssey, and by extension, the suffering of his family resulting from his work as a travelling journalist.

    It’s not the first time Lapshin had been targeted by authoritarians. In 2016, while in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, Lapshin was detained by the authorities at the request of the Azerbaijani government. He was subsequently extradited to Azerbaijan on charges related to his travel in 2012 to the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh — an area claimed by both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

    The Azerbaijani government accused Lapshin of violating its laws by entering the enclave without permission and promoting its independence. However, at that point Lapshin had never been involved in politics nor called for the region’s independence. The Azerbaijani court dropped this charge, though convicted him of taking an unauthorized journalistic trip.

    The story of Lapshin’s arrest and extradition drew widespread condemnation from human rights organizations and various governments, who viewed it as a blatant violation of his rights to freedom of movement and expression.

    Lapshin was nevertheless found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison. However, following significant international pressure and diplomatic negotiations, he was pardoned and released in September 2017.

    Lapshin’s Azerbaijani ordeal

    In his subsequent testimony to the Centre for Truth and Justice, a U.S.-based non-profit organization, Lapshin detailed the severe abuse he endured during his imprisonment in Azerbaijan.

    Upon arrival at Kurdakhani prison — known for holding political prisoners — Lapshin was subjected to humiliating strip searches and invasive medical checks. For seven months, he was confined to a small, windowless cell, kept under constant artificial light and allowed only one hour of exercise in a similarly confined yard. His diet was minimal and of poor quality, leading to significant physical and psychological distress.

    Lapshin testifies about how he was treated in Azerbaijan. (The Centre for Truth and Justice YouTube channel)

    The most harrowing part of his imprisonment came on Sept. 10, 2017, when four masked men brutally assaulted him in his cell. Lapshin described the attack in detail:

    “I felt three of them holding my legs and chest while one strangled me. They punched my ribs, my head and my genitals. I lost consciousness within seconds.”

    He sustained severe injuries, including broken ribs, a broken wrist and multiple broken teeth. Azerbaijani authorities maintained that he had attempted suicide.

    Lapshin’s further testimony about how he was treated in Azerbaijan. (The Centre for Truth and Justice YouTube channel)

    The European Court of Human Rights eventually examined his complaints and found a violation of his “right to life.” The United Nations Human Rights Committee found multiple violations of his rights (including freedom from torture) under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

    According to Lapshin, Azerbaijan released him not because of the European Court’s decision, but due to his near death following an attempted murder in custody. He believes the president of Azerbaijan decided to release him without formalities to avoid international tension if he’d died in prison.

    Broader implications

    Lapshin’s recent detention in Armenia is part of a continued pattern of harassment against him as he’s morphed from a travel blogger to a human rights advocate.

    Despite the ordeal, Lapshin sees these provocations as an opportunity to create greater public awareness. The media coverage generated from such incidents often works to his advantage, drawing more attention to the plight of political prisoners and the excesses of authoritarian regimes.

    Lapshin sees his ordeals as helping to raise public awareness about authoritarians.
    (WikiMedia), CC BY

    Lapshin’s collaboration with Jivan Avetisyan, a prominent film director focusing on human rights issues, exemplifies his strategic approach to advocacy — turning personal trauma into powerful narratives that reach a global audience.

    Such collaborations contribute significantly to keeping human rights abuses in the spotlight.

    Activists like Lapshin are crucial figures in the global struggle against authoritarianism. Despite enduring harsh persecution, they persist in their advocacy efforts from the relative safety of democracies, and work to raise awareness among policymakers and the public.

    Lapshin’s recent trip to Ottawa is one example of this. He met with Global Affairs Canada officials and presented them with a sanctions list targeting Azerbaijani officials he alleges are responsible for war crimes and abuses, including those involved in his prison mistreatment.

    Impact and challenges

    Activists like Lapshin employ diverse strategies to advance their causes, such as social media engagement and public mobilization, as well as partnerships with global human rights organizations.

    These efforts often result in positive changes, including the release of detained activists and the imposition of sanctions on oppressive governments. Lapshin’s resilience, along with that of notable exiled activists like Chinese-born Chen Guangcheng and Belarus’ Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, demonstrates the power and influence that individuals can wield against repressive regimes from afar.



    Read more:
    Fighting for a future: The Belarusian regiment in Ukraine is staking its claim on democracy

    Activists, in particular those in exile, face numerous challenges, including transnational repression and a lack of resources. Authoritarian regimes employ measures like surveillance, intimidation, physical assaults and even murder to target activists beyond their borders. These activists must also navigate legal, financial and cultural barriers in foreign countries when they seek asylum, find work and try to integrate into new societies, all while continuing their advocacy.

    Lapshin’s experiences illustrate these challenges. The ongoing threats and harassment against him continue even today. Nonetheless, his dedication to human rights advocacy remains unwavering.

    I am a member of various professional / academic associations and some human rights NGOs including (pro bono) the Canada Committee of Human Rights Watch. None of these would be affected by this article nor would I gain any benefit as a result.

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

    – ref. Human rights advocate Alexander Lapshin: No place to go, but still fighting for global freedom – https://theconversation.com/human-rights-advocate-alexander-lapshin-no-place-to-go-but-still-fighting-for-global-freedom-241550

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kelly Announces $9M Investment for Drought Mitigation in Kansas – Governor of the State of Kansas

    Source: US State of Kansas

    TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that Kansas is receiving $9 million from the federal Inflation Reduction Act for two projects aimed at mitigating the impact of drought in Kansas.

    “Decades of over-appropriation and more frequent droughts have now put communities across Kansas in crisis,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These projects will be instrumental in our work to increase our state’s water quality and quantity.”

    The Kansas Equus Beds Aquifer Recharge, Storage, and Recovery Project near Wichita will receive $7 million. This is a critical supply for more than 20% of municipal, industrial, and irrigation water users in Kansas.

    The Kansas Voluntary Agreements Program was selected to receive $2 million for the state-implemented Kansas Water Transition Assistance Program in either the Prairie Dog Creek or Rattlesnake Creek Basins.

    When fully implemented, the Equus project will recharge the Equus Beds Aquifer, providing water to Wichita at a rate of up to 100 million gallons per day through injection and infiltration of Little Arkansas River diversions into the aquifer in south-central Kansas. The Kansas Water Right Transition Assistance Program will conserve approximately 10,000 acre-feet by rotating temporary land fallowing or permanently retiring water rights.

    Governor Kelly advocated for federal water funding to be extended into Kansas to help family farms and ranches, small towns, and wildlife avoid the severe and potentially irreversible impacts of drought.

    Representative Sharice Davids voted for the Inflation Reduction Act and supported additional federal funding for these projects.

    “I’m glad to see resources from the Inflation Reduction Act coming home to Kansas,” said Representative Sharice Davids (KS-O3). “The ongoing effects of drought are a persistent threat across our state. This investment is a critical step to protect Kansans’ livelihoods, support the work our farmers do to feed the world and protect the economic security of towns across Kansas.”

    This announcement builds upon previous investments of almost $33 million from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for aging infrastructure, water recycling, and WaterSMART projects in Kansas.

    The Inflation Reduction Act includes an overall $550 million for domestic water supply projects and $4 billion for water conservation and ecosystem projects in the Colorado River Basin and other areas experiencing similar levels of long-term drought. To date, U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation has announced 222 drought mitigation and 16 domestic water supply projects from Inflation Reduction Act funding for a total of more than $2.5 billion.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saskatchewan — UPDATE – Saskatchewan RCMP: subjects of AMBER Alert found safe, investigation continues

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    October 17, 2024
    Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan

    News release

    Saskatchewan RCMP’s Prince Albert General Investigation Section (GIS) took carriage of the investigation into the incident that resulted in an AMBER Alert being issued on the afternoon of October 17.

    After subsequent investigation, it has been determined that no charges will be laid at this time in relation to the incident.

    “The immediate police response and resulting AMBER Alert helped us locate the baby quickly – and ensure his safety,” says Insp. Ashley St. Germaine from Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes. “This situation is testament to the power of the Saskatchewan AMBER Alert program. We sincerely thank members of the public and our news partners for their assistance with this investigation, which thankfully had a positive outcome.”

    We are unable to provide additional details about the incident – or the child – as there is no current court process attached to it and to be mindful of the privacy of the baby.

    Officers from Waskesiu/Montreal Lake RCMP, Big River RCMP and many other units and detachments from across the province assisted in this investigation.

    Because we have received an inquiry, we would like to confirm that the adult male named in the AMBER Alert appeared in Prince Albert Provincial Court this morning on one charge of assault and one charge of assault by choking in relation to a recent incident on Montreal Lake Cree Nation. The victim was an adult female, who reported non-life-threatening injuries to police. To maintain the privacy of the victim, no further details will be provided at this time, including naming the charged male.

    –30–

    Backgrounder

    Saskatchewan RCMP: subjects of AMBER Alert found safe, investigation continues

    2024-10-17

    On October 17, 2024 just before 2 p.m., Waskesiu/Montreal Lake RCMP received a report that a five-day-old baby had been taken from a residence on Montreal Lake Cree Nation.

    Waskesiu/Montreal Lake RCMP immediately responded. Investigation determined the baby had been taken by his father.

    Subsequent investigation led to Saskatchewan RCMP determining the incident met the criteria for the issuance of an AMBER Alert. The alert was issued at approximately 5:08 p.m.

    Note that the alert stated the baby was taken from the health clinic. This information, gathered during the initial response, was incorrect.

    Shortly after, the father turned himself in without incident at the Big River RCMP detachment.

    Officers assessed the baby, who appeared healthy and safe. EMS was called to assess him as a precaution.

    The investigation continues.

    We thank our media partners and the public for their assistance with this investigation.

    CANCELLED: Amber Alert Child Abduction Notification

    2024-10-17

    The baby has been located in Big River. He appears safe and will be assessed by EMS. The suspect is in custody.

    Thank you to the media and the public for their assistance in this investigation. Please remove their names and photos from circulation, including social media. Thank you for your cooperation.

    The investigation is ongoing. We will provide more information as soon as we are able to.

    Please report any information to 310-RCMP.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pierceland — Update: Pierceland RCMP investigating sudden death

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    October 21, 2024
    Pierceland, Saskatchewan

    News release

    As a result of subsequent investigation by Pierceland RCMP and the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, the male’s death has been determined to be non-suspicious in nature.

    As the investigation has now determined that this is a sudden death, no further updates or information can be provided.

    –30–

    Backgrounder

    Pierceland RCMP investigating sudden death

    2024-10-17

    On October 16, 2024, at approximately 6:20 p.m., Pierceland RCMP received a report of a sudden death at a residence on the Mudie Lake First Nation. Officers immediately responded and located the individual, who was declared deceased by EMS at the scene.

    Pierceland RCMP continue to investigate this sudden death with the assistance of the Saskatchewan Coroners Service.

    Currently, the investigation has not identified a risk to public safety. Updates will be provided when available.

    Clarification: The residence is in Mudie Lake, a part of Island Lake First Nation.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Lee Announces More Than $21 Million to Protect Nevada’s Water Resources

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03)

    Made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Lee helped negotiate and pass

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) announced more than $21 million in federal investments from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to help safely manage wastewater, protect local water resources, and deliver safe drinking water to homes, schools, and businesses in Nevada. These Fiscal Year 2025 investments were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Congresswoman Lee helped negotiate and pass. 

    Specifically, the federal investments are coming to Nevada by way of EPA’s State Revolving Funds: 

    • $13,270,000 is coming via the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) — $1,054,000 of which will specifically address emerging contaminants such as PFAS in wastewater, stormwater, and nonpoint source pollution. 
    • $7,921,000 is coming via the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), with the primary purpose of addressing emerging contaminants — including PFAS — in drinking water.

    “Protecting our local water supply means making sure that Nevada’s water is clean and safe from harmful contaminants like PFAS,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I helped negotiate and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because it I knew it would secure the federal resources we need in Nevada, just like today’s investments. I’ll continue working to bring back federal dollars so we can deliver clean drinking water to our homes, schools, and businesses while safely managing our wastewater.” 

    In 2023 alone, Congresswoman Lee helped deliver more than $122 million in federal water investments to southern Nevada and recently secured all three of her priorities in the bi-annual Water Resources Development Act that passed out of the House. 

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President  Biden Names Fifty-Fifth Round of Judicial  Nominees

    Source: The White House

    The President is announcing his intent to nominate two individuals to federal district courts—both of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.

    These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country—both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.

    This will be President Biden’s fifty-fifth round of nominees for federal judicial positions, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 259.

    United States District Court Announcements

    1. Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California

    Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California since July 2024. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Cheeks was a criminal defense lawyer in private practice at the Law Offices of Benjamin J. Cheeks, A.P.C. in San Diego from 2013 to 2024. From 2010 to 2013, Judge Cheeks served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. Earlier in his career, he served as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office from 2003 to 2010. Judge Cheeks received his J.D. from the American University, Washington College of Law in 2003 and his B.A. from the University of Miami, Florida in 2000.

    2. Judge Serena Murillo: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Central District of California

    Judge Serena Murillo has been a judge on the Los Angeles Superior Court since 2015. She also served by appointment of the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court as an Associate Justice pro tem on the California Court of Appeal from 2018 to 2019. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Murillo served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 2014. Earlier in her career, she worked as an associate attorney at McNicholas & McNicholas in Los Angeles in 1997 and as a law clerk at Shernoff, Bidart, and Echeverria in Claremont, California in 1996. Judge Murillo received her J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1996 and her B.A. from the University of California, San Diego in 1993.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police appeal to public following fatal Onehunga bus attack

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police have launched a homicide investigation following the death of a woman in Onehunga yesterday.

    Auckland City Relieving District Crime Manager Acting Detective Inspector Alisse Robertson, says Police were notified of an incident onboard a bus travelling through Onehunga at about 2.30pm.

    “Police received a report that a person had been stabbed on a number 74 bus and upon arrival, a woman was located with multiple wounds.

    “Tragically, despite the best efforts of medical personnel and members of the public, she died at the scene.

    “Our thoughts are with her whānau at this time, and we are doing everything we can to support them.”

    Acting Detective Inspector Robertson says Police are making urgent enquiries to locate the offender and have identified a person of interest.

    “Our teams have been working through the night to find this person, who we believe is responsible for killing this woman.

    “We are following positive lines of enquiry and have been speaking to a number of people who have been assisting us in attempting to track him.”

    Acting Detective Inspector Robertson says Police are now seeking the public’s assistance to locate Kael Leona, who was last seen in the Mount Wellington area.

    Mr Leona is in his late 30s and was last seen wearing dark coloured pants, a black jumper with white writing on the front and white shoes.

    He also had a green t-shirt on his head and was carrying a black backpack.

    “We are now appealing to the public for any information on the whereabouts of Mr Leona.

    “We advise he is not be approached and anyone who sees this man is urged to contact Police immediately via 111.”

    She says the investigation is still in the early stages and Police are working to understand why the victim was the target for this attack.

    “We know the community will be understandably alarmed by what has occurred, and we are doing everything we can to locate this person and hold them to account.”

    An increased Police presence will remain in the Onehunga and Mount Wellington areas today while further enquiries are carried out.

    A post-mortem examination and formal identification of the victim will be carried out over the coming days.

    Anyone with information regarding Mr Leona’s whereabouts is urged to contact Police on 111.

    Information can also be provided to Police by making an online report at 105.police.govt.nz using “Update Report” or by calling 105.

    Please reference the file number 241023/8926.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Woman arrested following early morning burglary

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    An alleged burglar is before the court after their plans were stifled this morning.

    Police responded to a residential address on Malvern Street, St Albans, following a report of an attempted burglary about 5:40am.

    As soon as the alleged offender entered the property, the occupant’s security camera was activated. Upon finding a person in their house, the occupant took action to temporarily detain them until Police arrived a short time later.

    The alleged intruder, a 42-year-old woman, was arrested at the scene. She is due to appear in the Christchurch District Court Today, charged with burglary, and being disguised for burglary.

    “This arrest highlights the importance of installing security systems and cameras on your property,” says Acting Senior Sergeant Luke Buutveld.

    “Prevention measures are the best way to reduce the chance of your property being targeted, and increase the chance of the offender being identified and arrested if it is.

    “This includes installing security cameras, sensor lights, an alarm system, and ensuring you always lock your house and keep valuables locked away and out of sight.”

    If you see any suspicious activity please contact Police on 111 if it’s happening now or online at 105 if it is after the fact.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Election Officer Appointed for the District of South Dakota for the November 2024 General Election

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman to Oversee Election Day Program

    SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Ann M. Hoffman will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Hoffman has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of South Dakota, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

    “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsdell. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the integrity of the election process and bringing to justice those who seek to corrupt it.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

    To respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Hoffman will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (605) 838-9446. In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (605) 334-6881.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., by filing a complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at (800) 253-3931.

    U.S. Attorney Ramsdell further stated, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florence Man Sentenced to Over 31 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Pills Containing Fentanyl in Watertown and Sisseton Areas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Florence, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 21, 2024.

    Heath Kelvin Hagen, a/k/a Rem, age 37, was sentenced to 31 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

    Hagen was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He was convicted at trial on July 30, 2024.

    The conviction stemmed from Hagen’s involvement in a large fentanyl trafficking organization over the course of the Fall of 2021 into the Spring of 2022. Hagen knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. Hagen obtained pills containing fentanyl from a co-conspirator in Minneapolis. Hagen then re-sold the pills to sub-distributors and drug customers in Watertown and Sisseton. Following a search of Hagen’s residence, investigators recovered 60 fentanyl pills hidden in a fake tea can. Investigators determined Hagen was involved in the distribution of over 20,000 pills containing fentanyl.

    “This defendant was repeatedly identified as the biggest fentanyl dealer in the Watertown area, responsible for peddling thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “His sentence of over thirty-one years not only reflects the seriousness of his crime, but the relentless, collaborative efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to identify and investigate drug traffickers so that my office can prosecute and put away reckless criminals looking to profit off vulnerable and unsuspecting South Dakotans.”

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

    Hagen was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury finds Mission Man Guilty of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Canku Martinez, age 22, of Mission, South Dakota, was found guilty of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping following a four-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 18, 2024.

    Each charges carries a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2024.

    At trial, the evidence established in the early morning hours of October 29, 2024, in the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Martinez agreed to give a juvenile a ride home from a party near Rosebud, South Dakota. Rather than give her a ride home, however, Martinez drove her to a secluded area outside of Rosebud and made sexual advances. When the juvenile rejected his advances, Martinez produced a knife and forced her to engage in sexual activity. Martinez subsequently dropped the victim off at her residence, told her not to tell anyone what he had done, and left the area shortly thereafter.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Winner (SD) Police Department. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.   

    A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has not been set. Martinez was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Birmingham Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison on Gun and Drug Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man has been sentenced for gun and drug crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.

    U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala sentenced Damion Deonte Wade, 24, to 120 months in prison after Wade pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

    According to the plea agreement, on April 11, 2023, Birmingham Police officers stopped a vehicle for having a tinted windshield; Wade was driving. Officers saw drugs, drug paraphernalia, and firearms in plain view. Officers searched the vehicle and recovered  two digital scales, methamphetamine, fentanyl, a Mak-47, a Glock 10mm extended magazine and an AK-47 magazine.

    ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius Greene prosecuted the case.  

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rosebud Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting Fellow Inmate and Possessing a Sawed-Off Shotgun

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on October 21, 2024.

    Kobe Ryan Running Bear, a/k/a Kobe Running Bear-Espinoza, age 21, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Running Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2023. He pleaded guilty on July 24, 2024.

    The convictions stem from two separate incidents which occurred in July of 2023 within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On July 4, 2023, Running Bear was driving a vehicle faster than the posted speed limit in Mission, South Dakota. A law enforcement officer observed Running Bear and initiated a traffic stop, but Running Bear accelerated and attempted to flee. During the pursuit, Running Bear threw a short shotgun from his vehicle. The shotgun was recovered by law enforcement and Running Bear was subsequently apprehended. The short shotgun had a barrel of less than eighteen inches in length and was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Running Bear will forfeit ownership of the firearm to the United States.

    On July 29, 2023, Running Bear was an inmate at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility. At one point, Running Bear and another man attacked a fellow inmate and assaulted him with a pencil.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.   

    Running Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Four Cases Brought by Election Threats Task Force

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force (ETTF) announced developments this week in four cases involving interstate transmissions of threats to election personnel and other victims.

    Teak Brockbank, 45, of Cortez, Colorado, pleaded guilty today to threatening a Colorado election official, and admitted to making other threats to an Arizona election official, a Colorado state judge, and federal law enforcement agents between September 2021 and July 2024.

    Brian Jerry Ogstad, 60, of Cullman, Alabama, was sentenced on Monday to 30 months in prison for sending messages threatening violence to election workers with Maricopa County Elections in Phoenix on Aug. 2-4, 2022, during and immediately following the Arizona primary elections.

    Richard Glenn Kantwill, 61, of Tampa, Florida, was charged on Monday for allegedly sending a threat on Feb. 9 to an election official in addition to already pending charges for threats made to three other victims based on their political commentary in 2019 and 2020.

    John Pollard, 62, of Philadelphia, was charged on Monday for allegedly threatening on Sept. 6 to kill a representative of a Pennsylvania state political party who was recruiting official poll watchers.

    “As we approach Election Day, the Justice Department’s warning remains clear: anyone who illegally threatens an election worker, official, or volunteer will face the consequences,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Over the past three and a half years, the Justice Department has been aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who threaten the public servants who administer our elections, and we will continue to do so in the weeks ahead. For our democracy to function, Americans who serve the public must be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives.”

    “Threats to election workers are threats to our democratic process,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “No one should face violence or threats of violence simply for doing their job. The actions announced today make clear that we will not tolerate those who use or threaten violence in an effort to undermine our democratic institutions. To carry out their essential work, election officials must be free from improper influence, physical threats, and others forms of intimidation.”

    “Our elections are made by possible by the hard work and patriotism of election workers in communities across the country who are also our neighbors, relatives and friends, and they deserve to do this important work without being subjected to threats,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The fact that election workers need to be worried about their security is incomprehensible and unacceptable. While these four cases are examples of the kinds of threats election workers are unfortunately facing, these cases also represent the FBI’s dedication in holding accountable those who undermine our democracy with this conduct. The FBI and our partners on the ETTF will work tirelessly to charge and arrest those callous enough to make these threats and make sure they are held accountable. Free, fair, and safe elections are critical to our country and our democratic ideals.”

    “These defendants made serious threats of violence against members of the election community. Threats like these strike at the very heart of our democracy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The cases announced today underscore the Criminal Division’s commitment to defending our democracy, safeguarding our elections, and protecting all election workers. Through the ETTF, the Department will vigorously investigate and prosecute all criminal threats against members of the election community.”

    The four cases were all brought by the ETTF. Created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they join the task force in its critical work.

    Under the leadership of the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

    United States v. Brockbank (District of Colorado)

    According to court documents, Brockbank admitted to using three social media accounts to post messages threatening Colorado and Arizona election officials between September 2021 and July 2024.

    On Sept. 22, 2021, Brockbank posted the following message on social media:

    “[Election Official-1] . . . needs to- No has to Hang she has to Hang by the neck till she is Dead Dead Dead. There will be accountability for these peoples actions in Communist Colorado and it won’t be judges and it won’t be weakmided cops that bring it!!! It will be Me it will be You it Will be every day people that understand that there life does not matter anymore with the future our country has laid out before it.”

    As part of his plea, Brockbank also admitted to posting a message on Aug. 4, 2022 referring to election officials in Arizona and Colorado, stating: “Once those people start getting put to death then the rest will melt like snowflakes and turn on each other. . . . This is the only way. So those of us that have the stomach for what has to be done should prepare our minds for what we all [a]re going to do!!!!!! It is time.”

    In addition, Brockbank admitted to posting a message threatening a Colorado state judge on Oct. 2, 2021: “I could pick up my rifle and I could go put a bullet in this Mans head and send him to explain himself to our Creator right now. I would be Justified!!! Not only justified but obligated by those in my family who fought and died for the freedom in this country. . . . What can I do other than kill this man my self?”

    Brockbank further admitted to threatening federal law enforcement on July 13, 2024, posting: ““I believe every single FBI agent deserves to go explain themselves to our creator right away!!!! I am more than willing to send any/All of you there.”

    Finally, Brockbank admitted to illegally possessing multiple firearms and ammunition.

    “The security and sanctity of the American election system is core to the foundation of our Democracy,” said Acting United States Attorney Matt Kirsch for the District of Colorado. “We will prosecute people who threaten elections, election officials, or election workers to the fullest extent of the law.”

    Brockbank pleaded guilty today to interstate transmission of a threat. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 3, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Denver Field Office is investigating the case.

    Acting Deputy Director Jonathan E. Jacobson of PIN’s Election Crimes Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado are prosecuting the case.

    United States v. Ogstad (District of Arizona)

    According to court documents, on or about Aug. 2, 2022, Arizona held primary elections for federal and state officeholders, including a gubernatorial primary election that received nationwide media coverage. From the day of the election through on or about Aug. 4, 2022, Ogstad sent multiple threatening direct messages to a social media account maintained by Maricopa County Elections. For instance, on or about Aug. 3, 2022, Ogstad stated: (1) “You did it! Now you are f*****.. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes”; (2) F*** you! You are caught! They have it all. You f****** are dead”; (3) “You are lying, cheating m****** f******* . . . you better not come in my church, my business or send your kids to my school. You are f****** stupid if you think your lives are safe”; and (4) “You f******  are so dead.” On or about Aug. 4, 2022, Ogstad also stated, “[Y]ou people are so ducking stupid. Everyone knows you are lots, cheats, frauds and in doing so in relation to elections have committed treason. You will all be executed. Bang f******!” ” In the course of his messages to the recipient, Ogstad transmitted an image of the character “Woody,” from the Toy Story film franchise, lying face down with an unidentified projectile in its back.

    “In this election season we honor and respect those public servants who enable Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “And we seek to protect all election workers from intimidation and harassment. Threats of violence, whether conveyed by words or deeds or pictures, will be met in this District with robust prosecution.”

    Ogstad was sentenced on Monday to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $1,000 fine, after pleading guilty on July 25 to one count of interstate transmission of a threat.

    The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the FBI Birmingham Field Office.

    Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.

    United States v. Kantwill (Middle District of Florida)

    According to court documents, from September 2019 to July 2020, Kantwill, a dentist, sent over 100 threats to various public figures via Facebook and Instagram messages, email, and text. As charged in the superseding information filed on Monday, those threats included a threat sent via email to an author, a threat sent via text to a religious leader, and a threat sent via Instagram to a television personality. From April 2022 to April 2024, Kantwill also sent at least seven additional threats to four public figures via Facebook, including a threat to an election official in another state on Feb. 9, when Kantwill wrote: “You are a degenerate c***. and you are now the target of our own investigation. Take note because liberal t***s like you get raped in alleys, by really big black guys that serve our cause. So, you t*** are going to get raped by at least 5 n*****s, and do nothing. You are the number 1 target, you degenerate t***.”

    “If you threaten someone with violence, we will take you at your word,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Law enforcement officers and members of my office will work together to hold accountable and federally prosecute individuals who threaten to injure or kill others.”

    Kantwill is charged with four counts of interstate transmission of a threat. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Aaron L. Jennen of PIN and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail K. King for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado.

    An information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    United States v. Pollard (Western District of Pennsylvania)

    According to the indictment, on Sept. 6, Pollard sent threatening text messages to Victim 1, a resident of the Western District of Pennsylvania. Victim 1 had previously posted online, in Victim 1’s capacity as an employee of a state political party, that Victim 1 was recruiting volunteers to “help[] observe at the polls on Election Day” and included Victim 1’s phone number. Pollard allegedly texted Victim 1 that he was “interested in being a poll watcher” and included Victim 1’s first name. Pollard then allegedly texted three threats to Victim 1: (1) “I will KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME!”; (2) “Your days are numbered, B****!”; and (3) “GONNA F***ING FIND YOU AND SKIN YOU ALIVE AND USE YOUR SKIN FOR F***ING TOILET PAPER, YOU F***ING KKK**T!”

    “Threats of violence have no place in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This is no less true when those threats of violence are directed at individuals associated with our electoral process — in this case, someone seeking to organize poll watchers. This conduct will not be tolerated in our district, and we will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to prosecute these offenses with the full weight of the law.”

    Pollard was arrested on Monday and appeared in federal court in Philadelphia. He is charged with one count of interstate transmission of a threat. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Jacob R. Steiner of PIN and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole A. Stockey for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    *****

    To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indictment Returned in June 2023 Armed Carjacking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Vincent Jones, 29, of Washington, D.C., was indicted today on charges of armed carjacking, armed robbery, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for robbing the victim at gunpoint outside of a McDonald’s Restaurant, at 3901 Minnesota Ave. in Northeast D.C., in June of 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

               According to the government’s evidence, on June 16, 2023, the defendant and two accomplices approached the victim near the parking lot, pointed firearms at him, demanded that he “give it up,” and forcibly took his keys, bag, and cash.  The defendant and one accomplice then fled in the victim’s vehicle while the third accomplice fled in a separate car.

               This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Jacob Green of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

               An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Charged with Weapon of Mass Destruction Offense in Connection with Bomb Attack in Lobby of County Courthouse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A three-count federal grand jury indictment was returned today charging Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, of Santa Maria, California, with committing a bomb attack at a courthouse in Santa Maria in which several people were injured. McGuire’s arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 25 in the Central District of California.

    According to the indictment and criminal complaint, on Sept. 25, McGuire entered a courthouse of Santa Barbara County Superior Court and threw a bag into the lobby. The bag exploded and McGuire left the courthouse on foot. The explosion injured at least five people who were near the bomb when it exploded.

    Shortly thereafter, McGuire was apprehended and detained by law enforcement officials as he was trying to access a red Ford Mustang car parked outside the building. McGuire allegedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel.

    Inside the car, a deputy saw ammunition, a flare gun, and a box of fireworks. A search of the car revealed a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails. Law enforcement later rendered the bomb safe. McGuire told law enforcement he intended to re-enter the courthouse with the firearms in order to kill a judge.

    A search of McGuire’s residence revealed an empty can with nails glued to the outside, a duffel bag containing matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive material.

    McGuire was charged with one count of using a weapon of mass destruction, one count of maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive, and one count of possessing unregistered destructive devices. McGuire has been in custody since his arrest in September, shortly after the attack.

    If convicted of all charges, McGuire faces a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years in prison and a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California, and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch announced the case.

    The FBI is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Takla and Kathrynne N. Seiden for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New data laws unveiled to improve public services and boost UK economy by £10 billion

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    New Bill to unlock the secure and effective use of data for the public interest has been introduced into Parliament.

    • New government Bill will unlock the power of data to grow the economy and improve people’s lives
    • Measures will free up 1.5 million hours of police time and 140,000 NHS staff hours every year, potentially saving lives
    • The legislation will also support the creation of a national map of the UK’s underground infrastructure, reducing excavation accidents causing traffic jams and safety hazards on our streets

    A new Bill which will harness the enormous power of data to boost the UK economy by £10 billion, and free up millions of police and NHS staff hours has been introduced to Parliament today (Wednesday 23rd October).

    The Data Use and Access Bill will unlock the secure and effective use of data for the public interest, without adding pressures to the country’s finances. The measures will be central to delivering three of the five Missions to rebuild Britain, set out by the Prime Minister:

    • kickstarting economic growth
    • taking back our streets
    • and building an NHS fit for the future

    Some of its key measures include cutting down on bureaucracy for our police officers, so that they can focus on tackling crime rather than being bogged down by admin, freeing up 1.5 million hours of their time a year. It will also make patients’ data easily transferable across the NHS so that frontline staff can make better informed decisions for patients more quickly, freeing up 140,000 hours of NHS staff time every year, speeding up care and improving patients’ health outcomes.

    The better use of data under measures in the Bill will also simplify important tasks such as renting a flat and starting work with trusted ways to verify your identity online, or enabling electronic registration of births and deaths, so that people and businesses can get on with their lives without unnecessary admin.

    Vital safeguards will remain in place to track and monitor how personal data is used, giving peace of mind to patients and victims of crime. IT systems in the NHS operate to the highest standards of security and all organisations have governance arrangements in place to ensure the safe, legal storage and use of data. 

    Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

    Data is the DNA of modern life and quietly drives every aspect of our society and economy without us even noticing – from our NHS treatments and social interactions to our business and banking transactions.  

    It has the enormous potential to make our lives better, boosting our National Health Service, cutting costs when we shop, and saving us valuable time.

    With laws that help us to use data securely and effectively, this Bill will help us boost the UK’s economy, free up vital time for our front-line workers, and relieve people from unnecessary admin so that they can get on with their lives.

    The Bill, delivered by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, has three core objectives: growing the economy, improving UK public services, and making people’s lives easier. The measures will be underpinned by a revamped Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s independent authority responsible for regulating data protection and privacy laws, with a new structure and powers of enforcement – ensuring people’s personal data will be protected to high standards.

    Improving public services

    The Bill will unlock the power of data to relieve front-line workers in the NHS and police forces across the country from bureaucracy and enable them to better serve the public.  

    Police officers across the country will benefit from measures that will remove unnecessary manual logging requirements whenever accessing personal data to work on a case, for example every time an officer needs to look up a suspect or person of interest on the police database, freeing up to 1.5 million hours of valuable police time for our officers, so that they can be on the streets fighting crime rather than being bogged down by admin. This will help save around £42.8 million in taxpayers’ money every year.

    The legislation will also ensure that healthcare information – like a patient’s pre-existing conditions, appointments and tests – can easily be accessed in real time across all NHS trusts, GP surgeries and ambulance services, no matter what IT system they are using. It will require IT suppliers for the health and care sector to ensure their systems meet common standards to enable data sharing across platforms. The measure will free up 140,000 hours in NHS staff time every year, providing quicker care for patients and potentially saving lives.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    The NHS is broken, but imagine its enormous potential if each part of the system communicated properly with each other.

    That starts with sharing vital medical records between healthcare providers, because it shouldn’t be the patient’s responsibility to join the dots for their doctor.

    How can a GP diagnose a problem without knowing about someone’s recent hospital surgery?

    This Bill and our Ten Year Health Plan will ensure important data flows safely and securely through the NHS, freeing up staff time and speeding up patient care.

    I know people worry about Big Brother, which is why data will only be shared to the most relevant staff and anybody using data must comply with strict security protocols.

    Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, Dame Diana Johnson said:

    It is vital police officers are able to dedicate their time to protecting the public on the beat, not in the office.

    Freeing up this valuable resource will see more officers out on our streets, making a real difference in fighting and solving crime.

    As part of our mission to make streets safer, this government will bring back neighbourhood policing, ensuring thousands of additional police and community officers are out patrolling our towns and communities.

    Vin Diwakar, National Director of Transformation at NHS England, said:

    This Bill is a significant step in creating a more responsive and efficient healthcare system. As an NHS doctor myself, I know it is vital that NHS staff have quicker access to more accurate and comprehensive data, giving them more face-to-face time with patients who need it most.

    These changes will lay the foundations for patient information to flow safely, securely and seamlessly, which will improve clinical outcomes, make decision-making more informed and speed up the delivery of care. By simply using data more efficiently, we can save time and money, and create a modern, digital NHS that continues to improve care for patients.

    Growing the economy

    The Bill is expected to generate approximately £10 billion towards the UK economy across ten years by legislating on data sharing to generate a host of benefits for both consumers and businesses.   

    Delivering on a key government manifesto commitment, the Bill will create the right conditions to support the future of open banking and the growth of new smart data schemes, models which allow consumers and businesses who want to safely share information about them with regulated and authorised third parties, to generate personalised market comparisons and financial advice to cut costs.

    This will pave the way for the model to expand in sectors such as energy, which could give customers the ability to compare utility prices, find better deals, and reduce their energy use, as well as foster tech innovation and boost competition, which will ultimately grow the UK economy. This potential has already been demonstrated in open banking, where 82 firms alone have raised over £2 billion of private funding and created over 4,800 skilled jobs in the financial year 2022-2023.

    The Bill will also help reduce the risk of accidents on underground water and energy pipes and broadband cables, which currently amount to 60,000 every year and cause prolonged disruption of roadworks and access to key amenities like energy and broadband to homes.

    The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) will be put on a statutory footing, mandating that owners of underground infrastructure, such as water companies or telecoms operators, register their assets on the NUAR, which is a complete map of underground pipes and cables.

    The use of the Register will mean that companies will know exactly where any underground asset is placed, reducing the risk of accidents on pipes and cables, making construction safer for workers and reducing the disruption – and hazards – caused by holes being dug up in the streets. This will generate approximately £400 million a year, boost construction and tackle accidental damage currently costing the economy £2.4 billion a year.

    Davey Stobbart, Water Networks Regional Manager, Northumbrian Water:

    Our field crews have found the way information is presented in NUAR to be more useful than anything they have seen or used before.  It has reduced the time taken for crews to understand what lies below the ground where they are about to dig.  

    In the field, we frequently find the precise point of excavation needs to be made not-quite where our office-based planners predicted and previously in this case the job would have been delayed whilst a new plan pack was prepared.  Now with NUAR, our crews are simply able to pan and zoom to that point instantly, seeing everything they would have seen on all those individual plans without the back-office cottage industry and without these delays.  In fact, they will be seeing more because we’re now able to easily access information from local authorities through NUAR too, such as street lighting, highways gulleys and tree preservation orders all in one place. 

    We have found NUAR to be a great additional tool in the toolbox to help us reduce the likelihood of high potential utility strikes.

    Making people’s lives easier

    The rules proposed in the Bill will make Britons’ day-to-day lives easier, by simplifying important tasks such as renting a flat, starting work, or registering births and deaths, so that people and businesses can get on with their lives rather than being bogged down by admin.

    The Bill will legislate on digital verification services, meaning companies who provide tools for verifying identities will be able to get certified against the government’s stringent trust framework of standards, and receive a ‘trust mark’ to use as a result. As well as increasing trust in the market, these efficiency gains will boost the UK economy by £4.3 billion over the next decade. 

    The trust mark will be a new logo to show digital verification services are approved by the new Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA) within Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

    The Bill will help make sure digital verification services are inclusive, secure and privacy-preserving, and will make it easier for people to know which services they can trust.

    The Data Bill will pave the way towards modernising the registration of deaths in England and Wales from a paper-based system to an electronic birth and death register – in turn supporting people at one of the most challenging times in life. The new law will enable registrations, which are required by local authorities, to be carried out over the phone, removing the need for face-to-face registration while retaining that choice.

    Access to data for research into online safety

    The Bill will also boost the UK’s approach to tackling online harms through a power to create a researcher data access regime.

    This will support researchers in accessing data held by online platforms so they can conduct robust and independent research into online safety trends. The move will boost transparency and evidence on the scale of online harms and the measures which are effective in tackling them. 

    Further details on the specific measures can be found below:

    • Growing the economy
    • Improving public services
    • Making people’s lives easier

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 300

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    Updates to this page

    Published 24 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: $100m NZ-Brazil trade boost through 13 key partnerships

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister for Trade Todd McClay, today announced the signing of 13 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between New Zealand and Brazilian companies as part of the New Zealand Trade Mission to São Paulo this week.
    “These partnerships mark a significant step in strengthening the trade relationship between the two nations and are set to generate over $100 million in revenue over the next three years,” Mr McClay says.
    “This will boost our economy and contribute towards achieving the ambitious target of doubling trade by value in 10 years.
    “These MOU’s will continue to increase market access to Latin America and deepen our people-to-people connections, while also contributing to Brazil’s economic growth. This is a win-win for both countries.
    The 13 MOUs signed today cover a broad range of sectors, including technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and education, showcasing New Zealand’s diverse offerings and Brazil’s growing interest in Kiwi expertise.
    The MOUs include:

    New Zealand Brazil Business Council (NZBBC) and NZBBC Brazil – Establishing the NZBBC office in Brazil to foster further business ties.
     AD Instruments and UNESP Jaboticabal – Supplying telemetry technology to universities in São Paulo.
     AD Instruments and ANIMA Educacao – Renewing educational technology in ANIMA Group’s medical schools.
    Foot Science and IMPEC – Partnering to distribute Foot Science’s products across Brazil.
     Framecad and Placlux – Providing advanced construction technology to the InovaSteel Group.
     Framecad and Steel Corp – Delivering two Framecad systems to Steel Corp for further innovation in building systems.
     Gallagher Animal Management and D&Q Law – Launching Gallagher’s animal management operations in Brazil.
     Les Mills and Brazilian Trainer – Introducing Les Mills Pilates classes across Brazil.
    Loadscan and ASBZ – Expanding Loadscan’s presence with a new Brazilian entity.
    MindHive and ASBZ – Establishing MindHive’s Brazilian office to drive innovation and collaborative solutions.
    MindHive and JBS – Establishing MindHive’s technology in JBS processing.
    AROA and Nexgeen – Enhancing healthcare services with Nexgeen, a key healthcare provider in Brazil.
    Tait Communications and Santos Futebol Clube – Supplying communication systems to Santos Futebol ClubAROA and Nexgeen – Enhancing healthcare services with Nexgeen, a key healthcare provider in Brazil.

    “These partnership agreements highlight the importance of trade missions in driving collaboration and underscore the Government’s commitment to enhancing opportunities for innovation, trade, and shared prosperity.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Strengthening enforcement to tackle illegal tobacco

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Strengthening enforcement to tackle illegal tobacco

    Published: 24 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Health

    The NSW Government will roll out reforms to better protect the community from the harms of illegal tobacco, including tougher penalties, more enforcement officers, and a new tobacco licensing scheme for retailers.

    A new licensing scheme

    Recent enforcement activities have observed a rise in illicit tobacco retailing including amongst rural communities in NSW, which adversely affects businesses that operate within the law. Illicit retailers undercut legitimate small businesses by selling illicit tobacco at lower prices and some have been found to be located in close proximity to schools.

    A new tobacco licensing scheme will also be introduced, to better protect those businesses doing the right thing and ensure greater oversight of the tobacco retail industry in NSW.

    Under these changes, retailers and wholesalers of tobacco and non-tobacco smoking products will be required to hold a tobacco licence and pay an annual fee.

    A licence will be able to be refused, or revoked, if the applicant has been convicted of a tobacco or vaping product related offence.

    The scheme will support comprehensive and targeted enforcement to identify and penalise those retailers and wholesalers doing the wrong thing.

    The proposed legislation includes penalties of up to $220,000 for corporations and $44,000 for individuals for selling tobacco without a licence under the new scheme.

    To ensure that applying for a tobacco licence is not burdensome for small businesses, a technical support phoneline will be available to everyone submitting an application.

    A tobacco licensing scheme will complement the NSW Government’s broader approach to tobacco compliance and enforcement.

    Tougher penalties

    The government will double maximum penalties for a range of tobacco retailing offences, including:

    • Individuals selling tobacco products to minors will be fined up to $22,000 for a first offence and $110,000 for a subsequent offence, with corporations liable for up to $110,000 for a first offence and $220,000 for subsequent offences;
    • Individuals selling tobacco products not in the required packaging or with the mandatory health warnings will be fined up to $22,000, and corporations up to $110,000; and
    • People impersonating or obstructing an inspector can be fined up to $1,100, up from $550.

    Enforcement & seizures

    NSW Health will also recruit an additional 14 enforcement officers to strengthen compliance efforts across the state. This doubles the number of authorised inspectors employed by the Ministry of Health. Ahead of these reforms, NSW Health boosted regional enforcement capacity by supporting the employment of four additional enforcement officers. This compliance workforce complements authorised staff who undertake inspections across local health districts

    From 1 July 2024 to 30 September 2024, NSW Health inspectors conducted 565 targeted retail inspections, seizing more than 3.2 million cigarettes and over 600kg of other illicit tobacco products, with an estimated value of over $3.7 million.

    NSW Health collaborates with NSW Police and other state and national regulatory agencies on enforcement related to illicit tobacco sales, including sharing intelligence, working on joint targets and joint operations.

    Information on NSW tobacco retailing laws can be found on the NSW Health website here: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/

    Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected breaches of tobacco and e-cigarette retailing laws on the NSW Health website here: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/tobacco/Pages/let-us-know-reports-complaints.aspx

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Ryan Park MP:

    “I am very concerned by the prevalence of illegal tobacco and e-cigarettes in our community, and their proximity to our schools and children.

    “These new laws are the most significant tobacco retailing reforms in NSW in the last decade and will help us combat the scourge of illicit tobacco sales across the state.

    “We are introducing tougher penalties for retailers doing the wrong thing, and boosting our team of enforcement officers to strengthen our compliance efforts.

    “The increased tobacco penalties reflect the seriousness of these offences. Retailers should be put on notice that if they are caught breaking tobacco retailing laws they will be penalised.”

    “A tobacco licensing scheme in NSW will also further enhance our state’s strong approach to enforcement of tobacco retailing laws. It will allow us to have better oversight over the tobacco industry and will support our comprehensive approach to help reduce the use, impact and associated costs of tobacco in NSW.”

    Quotes attributable to Member for Wagga Wagga Joe McGirr MP:

    “After being made aware of the escalating problem of illegal tobacco in my electorate and across the state, I prepared a Private Members’ Bill to require the licensing of tobacco retailers and increased penalties for offences.

    “This Bill was prepared with widespread consultation with industry and the community, with strong support for my proposals to tackle this growing criminal activity which is undermining health messaging and taking an expensive toll on legitimate retailers.

    “So, I am delighted that the government has met this challenge by proposing its own Bill, reflecting the content of my Bill, and I look forward to supporting the government in this endeavour when parliament resumes.

    “Licensing on its own will not eliminate the black market trade in tobacco but it will provide a valuable structure that will help to reduce the damaging effects of this rapidly-growing problem.

    “I congratulate the government for taking this strong proactive stance and I look forward to working together on further steps to tackle the illegal tobacco trade.”

    Quotes attributable to NSW Health Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant:

    “NSW Health supports a holistic approach to tobacco control, recognising reducing supply and access to illicit products is one component.

    “Operating a tobacco licensing scheme will ensure NSW Health has accurate, up-to-date information on tobacco retailing and wholesaling activities in NSW, facilitating more efficient and effective enforcement activity.

    “If you think a tobacco or e-cigarette retailing law has been broken by a retailer in NSW, you can report this via the NSW Health website.”

    MIL OSI News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mayo — Update to the Mayo, Yukon October 15, 2024 investigation

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Content warning: The following news release contains information about a sexualized assault which may be distressing.

    On October 15, 2024 Mayo RCMP Detachment initiated an investigation into a home invasion, sexualized assault and theft of motor vehicle. On October 19, Yukon RCMP advised that the perpetrator believed to have committed these offences, was arrested.

    William Dean Ryan Vaneltsi, 34 years old, of no known address, was arrested in Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, and has been charged with the following offences: Sexual Assault, Forcible Entry, Kidnapping, Unlawful Confinement, Assault with a Weapon, Assault Cause Bodily Harm, Break, Enter and Commit Indictable Offence, and two counts of Breach of Probation.

    Shortly after being arrested, Mr. Vaneltsi became sick, and was taken to the hospital. This individual was remanded in Yellowknife on the evening of October 22. Mr. Vaneltsi received a six-day remand order and remains in the hospital in the custody of the North Slave Correctional Center. Yukon RCMP expect to return Mr. Vaneltsi to Whitehorse for a court appearance, once he is cleared medically to fly.

    The name of the victim will be under a publication ban. Yukon RCMP continue to investigate the theft of the vehicle from Mayo. If you have any information about this crime or any other crimes please contact Mayo RCMP at (867) 996-5555. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

    Our thoughts are with the victim at this time. Please consider the following supports available in the Yukon if you or someone you know may be in need.

    SART: The Yukon’s Sexualized Assault Response Team (SART) provides a safe and confidential network of services focused on the needs and choices of individuals. SART is available to people of all genders, ages, and sexual orientations who have experienced sexualized assault.

    Website: https://yukon.ca/en/sartyukon/home

    Phone: 1-844-967-7275 (available 24/7)

    Victim Services: Victim Services provides services and help for victims of sexualized violence and all other crimes, regardless of whether or not the victim has reported the crime, a charge has been laid, or there has been a conviction.

    Website: https://yukon.ca/en/legal-and-social-supports/supports-victims-crime/find-out-about-victim-services

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: ACAMS Announces Hong Kong Scholarship Recipients for the Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS) Certification

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HONG KONG, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ACAMS, a leading global membership organization dedicated to the fight against illicit finance, in partnership with the ACAMS Hong Kong Chapter, is pleased to announce the recipients of its CGSS scholarship program for Hong Kong permanent residents. The program aims to cultivate local talent in sanctions compliance, arming them with the expertise, resources and peer support to excel in their careers and reinforce AFC efforts in Asia.

    This initiative is timely as Hong Kong navigates the evolving sanctions landscape, requiring compliance professionals with advanced skills and up-to-date knowledge.

    Five AFC professionals who are permanent residents of Hong Kong and work in sanctions functions or at financial institutions were awarded:

    • CGSS exam package, including all study materials;
    • Virtual classroom;
    • One-year ACAMS membership.

    The latest CGSS certification program features up-to-date, real-world case studies and a flexible modular format to support practical learning for busy professionals. CGSS-certified individuals are equipped with specialized skills to better manage sanctions risk, establish an effective sanctions compliance program and demonstrate compliance with constantly evolving regulatory requirements.

    “We are delighted to support these talented individuals as they advance their careers and amplify anti-financial crime efforts in Hong Kong and the region,” said Neil Sternthal, ACAMS CEO. “The modular format of the Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS) certification is specifically designed to accommodate the demanding schedules of AFC professionals while ensuring they receive targeted training to effectively combat financial crime.”

    Moray Taylor-Smith and Ajay Budhrani, Co-Chairs of the Hong Kong Chapter, added: “The financial crime landscape is increasingly complex, particularly with the rise of digital assets, sophisticated laundering schemes and evolving sanctions regimes. By investing in motivated and capable talent through this scholarship, we are strengthening the region’s defenses and empowering the next generation of AFC leaders to make a significant impact.”

    Scholarship submissions were reviewed by a select panel of judges: Moray Taylor-Smith, Hong Kong Chapter Co-Chair and Executive Director of Security, Integrity and Information Security, The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Jude Jung, Consultant of AFC Solutions, ACAMS for the Republic of Korea; Justin Lam, Head of Transaction and Fraud Monitoring, a retail bank in Hong Kong; and Tony Tse T F, Chief Inspector, Hong Kong Police Force.

    More details about the scholarship recipients and judges are available here.

    Find out more about the ACAMS Scholarship initiative here.

    About ACAMS®

    ACAMS is a leading international membership organization dedicated to providing opportunities for anti-financial crime education, best practices, and peer-to-peer networking to AFC professionals globally. With over 110,000 members across 200+ jurisdictions and territories, ACAMS is committed to the mission of ending financial crime through the provision of anti-money laundering/counterterrorism-financing and sanctions knowledge-sharing, thought leadership, risk-mitigation services, ESG initiatives, and platforms for public-private dialogue. The association’s CAMS certification is the gold-standard qualification for AFC professionals, while its CGSS and CCAS certifications are for sanctions professionals and AFC practitioners working in the crypto space, respectively. ACAMS’ 60+ Chapters globally further amplify the association’s mission through training and networking initiatives. Visit acams.org for more information.

    About the CGSS Certification

    Developed for professionals with 18 months to two years of experience in financial crime compliance, the CGSS certification helps them demonstrate the knowledge necessary to manage risks related to sanctions and ensure greater sanctions compliance. CGSS has been developed with active input from a cohort of recognized sanctions and AFC subject matter experts, including those from regulatory and law enforcement backgrounds. CGSS answers the need for an in-depth training program in sanctions compliance, to help industry professionals better respond to the current challenges. It can be deployed to teams globally, ensuring they are trained against the same standards and their specialized knowledge is formally recognized. CGSS-certified teams enable organizations to better manage sanctions risk, establish an effective sanctions compliance program and demonstrate compliance with constantly evolving regulatory requirements.

    About the ACAMS Hong Kong Chapter

    The ACAMS Hong Kong Chapter was founded in March 2012 to facilitate cooperation between private and public sector professionals in deterring financial crime. The Chapter’s mission is to strive for excellence in preventing money laundering and the financing of terrorism, by creating a forum in Hong Kong and Asia for training and the exchange of ideas within the financial services community. In 2021, it won the title of “ACAMS Chapter of the Year.”

    Find out more about the ACAMS Hong Kong Chapter here.

    Media Contact:
    Rose Dahlan
    rdahlan@acams.org

    The MIL Network –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Broadlands Road blocked following crash, Broadlands

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police are responding to a two vehicle crash at the intersection of Broadlands Road and White Road, Broadlands, Taupo.

    The crash was reported around 1pm.

    The road is blocked and motorists are advised to take an alternate route.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Hit and runs – Darwin

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Northern Territory Police are calling for information after two suspicious hit and runs this morning.

    Around 6am, police received a report that a small silver hatchback had struck a motorcyclist on McMinn Street, Darwin City, before fleeing the scene.

    The 30-year-old male rider suffered serious grazing to his leg and was conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital for treatment.

    A short time later, police received report that a small silver hatchback had struck another rider on Iliffe Street, Woolner.

    In this instance, the occupants of the vehicle allegedly attempted to rob the fallen rider before being confronted and fleeing the scene.

    The 43-year-old male rider suffered minor grazing and was also conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital.

    Police deployed to the area but the vehicle is yet to be located.

    Detectives from Serious Crime are currently investigating and police believe the hit and runs were intentional.

    Police urge anyone who witnessed the incidents, or who has dash cam or CCTV footage, to contact police and quote reference number P24293700.

    Anonymous reports can also be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amata Hails $24.4 Million in 2025 EPA Investment from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative for Western Samoa Congresswoman Aumua Amata

    Headline: Amata Hails $24.4 Million in 2025 EPA Investment from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is hailing Wednesday’s announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a total of $24.4 million in fiscal year 2025 investment in American Samoa from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law(BIL), which Amata backed publicly throughout the bill’s debate and passage in 2021. The official name of the BIL is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

    Congresswoman Amata with our Veterans in Honolulu

    “I supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, and since then I’ve been repeatedly pleased to see it result directly in numerous funding projects for American Samoa over these several years,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata. “These funds, already appropriated to EPA by Congress, make lasting improvements for our safe and healthy drinking water for years to come.”

    “Thank you to EPA Administrator Regan for the attention to American Samoa’s appropriate share in these funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act,” continued Congresswoman Amata. “Thank you to the EPA Pacific Southwest Region (Region 9) in working with American Samoa Government and our American Samoa EPA on planning for much-needed water projects. Congratulations to ASEPA Director Fa’amao Asalele, and special appreciation to all who work on these efforts.”

    The $24.4 million includes $17,219,000, announced Wednesday, and $7,181,000 notified recently on October 8, both from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. American Samoa’s total under the two notifications is the most of any of the four insular areas, totaling slightly more than Guam and several million more than CNMI and USVI.

    Wednesday’s notification of over $17.2 million includes two areas of funding: Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF) of $2,204,000, which emphasizes lead removal, andClean Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF) of $15,015,000. Within that $15 million from CWSRF, the further breakdown is $13,820,000 in general allotment, and $1,195,000 in emerging contaminants program.

    These 2025 EPA funds are part of a five-year planned investment in water infrastructure upgrades, and the nationwide total of these two October notices is $6.2 billion in BIL water quality and safety projects.

    In EPA announcements following passage of the BIL, the EPA hailed the congressional investment as a historic impact in the nation’s healthy water supply and water infrastructure, and Administrator Regan noted the funds support job creation, construction, and emphasized projects for underserved communities. The SRF programs are designed to generate significant and sustainable water quality and public health benefits across the country.

    EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said, “Water keeps us healthy, sustains vibrant communities and dynamic ecosystems, and supports economic opportunity. When our water infrastructure fails, it threatens people’s health, peace of mind, and the environment. With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s historic investment in water, EPA is working with states and local partners to upgrade infrastructure and address local challenges—from lead in drinking water, to PFAS, to water main breaks, to sewer overflows and climate resilience. Together, we are creating good-paying jobs while ensuring that all people can rely on clean and safe water.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: We tried a different preschool curriculum to prevent youth crime. Checking in 20 years later, it worked

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Allen, Senior Lecturer, Griffith University

    Shutterstock

    There’s been an increased political and media focus recently on so-called youth crime waves, particularly in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

    This has unfortunately led to crackdowns from governments and police. Young people in Alice Springs have been subject to curfews.

    Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli (who’s ahead in the polls ahead of this weekend’s election) has suggested young people found guilty of some crimes should be sentenced as adults.

    But punitive youth crime policies violate children’s human rights and are an expensive way of making the community less safe. It’s much better to stop youth crime before it starts by supporting children’s positive development in early childhood.

    In a new evaluation published today, we found a preschool program reduced the amount of young people before the courts by more than 50%. When the right family support was provided too, the chances of the children committing crimes were even lower.

    Our original study

    Early community-based crime prevention strategies have been greatly neglected in Australia. This is despite international evidence and the recommendations of a widely circulated 1999 Commonwealth government report.

    Scientific evidence has been accumulating for more than 50 years that shows the root causes of serious youth crime can be addressed in early childhood through prevention initiatives. The most famous example is the Perry Preschool Project, implemented in a disadvantaged area of Michigan in the early 1960s.

    In Australia, the Pathways to Prevention Project operated in a disadvantaged, multicultural region of Brisbane from 2002 to 2011.

    It was a collaboration between Griffith University, the Queensland Department of Education, and national community agency Mission Australia.

    The children in the study learned communication skills through reading and games.
    Shutterstock

    The project aimed to improve child and youth outcomes by partnering with local preschools, schools, families and community organisations.

    In 2002 and 2003, 214 four-year-old children attending two local preschools received an enhanced program focused on communication skills. This is called an “enriched preschool program”.

    It was integrated into the standard curriculum and delivered by specialist teachers working with the children’s classroom teachers and their parents.

    Evidence at the time showed communication skills were directly linked to success at school. They were also linked to to success in life through improved behaviour and enhanced social skills.

    The communication program brought children together in small groups with similar levels of language competence. The groups were balanced in terms of gender and cultural background. They completed carefully curated activities including games, bookmaking and reading.

    Reading was a large part of the enriched preschool curriculum.
    Shutterstock

    These provided children with the opportunity to extend and practice oral language skills in ways that were personally meaningful. These activities were led by the specialist teachers who had postgraduate qualifications in communication and oral language development.

    The specialist teachers engaged parents and children in joint activities, and actively supported reading and language activities at home. By year one, children who received the communication curriculum had better language proficiency, social skills, classroom behaviour and academic achievement than children in the other preschools.

    The children’s families could also access practical support from community workers from their own cultural background. This included parenting education, advocacy with government agencies and counselling. This continued until 2011.

    What’s new?

    Earlier evaluations showed the enhanced curriculum helped improve children’s readiness for school, among a range of other benefits. Now we’ve evaluated the success of the program over the long term.

    Using anonymised data-linkage procedures, we followed up the students who received the enhanced curriculum back in 2002 to see what’s happened since.

    Children who received the enhanced curriculum had improved classroom behaviour throughout primary school. They were also 56% less likely to be involved in serious youth crime by age 17.



    Read more:
    Is Australia in the grips of a youth crime crisis? This is what the data says

    Remarkably, our evaluation found none of the children whose families also received support in the preschool years went on to offend.

    The full Pathways Program was implemented widely in the community over a ten-year period, so we thought it might have had an impact more broadly.

    We looked at the rate of youth offending in the region in the years 2008–16, when members of the 2002–03 preschool cohort were between 10 and 17 years old. It was 20% lower in this region than in other Queensland regions at the same low socioeconomic level.

    How does this lead to less youth crime?

    Programs like this work by levelling the playing field and improving the lives of children early in their developmental pathways. Developmental pathways are events and experiences that follow on from each other, or cascade, across the course of life.

    For instance, a difficult transition to school increases the likelihood of poor engagement and academic problems. These are well-known risk factors for antisocial behaviour.

    The long-term impact of Pathways to Prevention on youth offending means it could be a model for similar programs across Australia.

    This is especially the case given our nation’s chronic under-investment in community-based developmental crime prevention. We need more programs in disadvantaged communities that are open to everyone and don’t stigmatise people.

    Overwhelmingly, efforts across the country are devoted to early intervention with children identified as “at risk” in some way (such as showing disruptive behaviour), or to the treatment of young people who become enmeshed in the youth justice system.

    In Queensland, there is an over-reliance on youth detention, which is often very harmful for children and of no preventative value.

    Using Pathways as a model for other communities doesn’t necessarily mean exactly replicating what we did (though this is also important). Any early prevention initiative will have the best chance of success if it includes evidence-based strategies that improve children’s life chances.

    These can be implemented cost-effectively through existing systems including preschools, schools and primary care. Ideally, they should operate through local partnerships involved at all stages of planning, data collection, implementation and evaluation.

    Jacqueline Allen received funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Institute of Criminology Research Grants.

    Kate Freiberg holds an unpaid position at RealWell and received funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Institute of Criminology Research Grants.

    Emeritus Professor Ross Homel received funding from the Australian Research Council, Australian Institute of Criminology Research Grants, the Queensland Government and the John Barnes Foundation. He is affiliated with the Justice Reform Initiative as a Queensland Patron and provides honorary research support to RealWell Pty Ltd.

    – ref. We tried a different preschool curriculum to prevent youth crime. Checking in 20 years later, it worked – https://theconversation.com/we-tried-a-different-preschool-curriculum-to-prevent-youth-crime-checking-in-20-years-later-it-worked-235888

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Applaud Over $15 Million in Federal Funding to Modernize Energy Infrastructure in Richmond

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, both D-VA, announced $15,733,481 in federal funding for the City of Richmond to repair, replace, and modernize natural gas pipes. The funding is part of the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) grant program, which was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that the senators helped pass.
    “Upgrading our natural gas pipes will lower energy costs for families, reduce methane pollution, and reduce the risk of dangerous leaks,” said the senators. “We’re glad to have helped pass the legislation that made this investment possible and will continue working to improve energy infrastructure across the Commonwealth.”
    While serving as Mayor of Richmond, Kaine helped oversee Richmond’s gas utility, which is one of the largest municipal gas utilities in the United States.
    The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has brought over $8.4 billion in investments to Virginia, including resources to repair roads and bridges, expand broadband access, and improve airports, ports, and waterways.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
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