NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI: Solitron Devices, Inc. Announces Fiscal 2026 First Quarter Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., July 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Solitron Devices, Inc. (OTC Pink: SODI) (“Solitron” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce fiscal 2026 first quarter results. 

    FISCAL 2026 FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS –

    • Net sales decreased 32% to approximately $2.70 million in the fiscal 2026 first quarter versus $3.97 million in the fiscal 2025 first quarter.
    • Net bookings increased 37% to $2.80 million in the fiscal 2026 first quarter versus $2.04 million in the prior year first quarter.
    • Backlog increased 94% to $18.26 million at the end of the fiscal 2026 first quarter as compared to $9.41 million at the end of the fiscal 2025 first quarter.
    • Net income (loss) was ($0.34) million, or ($0.16) per share, for the fiscal 2026 first quarter versus net income of $0.59 million, or $.28 per share, for the fiscal 2025 first quarter.

    Revenue continued to be down in the first quarter, similar to the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025, due to the lag time between receipt of orders and production/fulfillment of those orders. As previously noted in our last press release, we expected lower revenues in this quarter and anticipate sales to pick up at the end of the fiscal second quarter, before reaching a steadier level in the fiscal third quarter.

    On a positive note, the Company’s backlog remains at record levels. Backlog increased from $18.11 million at the beginning of the fiscal year to $18.26 million at the end of fiscal 2026 first quarter.

    During the quarter we invested $1.65 million for 6.4% of the units in CBE LLC (“CBE”). CBE purchased a 25% interest in CrossingBridge Advisors (“CrossingBridge”), a subsidiary of ENDI Corp., for $25.9 million. CBE will be entitled to a royalty equal to approximately 14.9% of the revenue of CrossingBridge, which equated to an initial “cap” rate based on CrossingBridge’s revenue run rate as of December 31, 2024, of approximately 11.7%. Solitron’s royalty share will be just under 6.4% of CBE’s. CrossingBridge reported that its assets under management were $4.0 billion as of June 30, 2025, versus $3.4 billion as of December 31, 2024.

    By law, certain U.S. Department of Defense officials and other executive branch agency officials are required to submit reports to Congress describing defense and intelligence-related priorities that were not included in the President’s annual budget request. These reports, known as unfunded priorities lists (UPLs), identify certain programs, activities, or mission requirements for which appropriations were not requested, along with the funding amounts that may be necessary to resource them. In the recent unfunded priorities list it has been reported that the U.S. Air Force requested an increase in AMRAAM production from 1,200 annually to 2,400 annually by 2028. AMRAAM is the largest defense program that Solitron supplies to. While the request is positive news, any increase requires Congressional approval, and there are no assurances that approval will happen. We continue to see increased interest in new product development, including silicon carbide. We have developed various prototypes for testing by potential customers and continue to be optimistic about creating additional revenue sources.

    We continue to see increased interest in new product development, including silicon carbide. We have developed various prototypes for testing by potential customers and continue to be optimistic about creating additional revenue sources.

     
    SOLITRON DEVICES, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MAY 31, 2025, AND MAY 31, 2024
    (in thousands except for share and per share amounts)
     
        For The Three Months Ended   For The Three Months Ended
        May 31, 2025   May 31, 2024
        unaudited   unaudited
    Net sales   $ 2,700     $ 3,967  
    Cost of sales     2,310       2,292  
             
    Gross profit     390       1,675  
             
    Selling, general and administrative expenses     768       883  
             
    Operating income     (378 )     792  
             
    Other income (loss)        
    Interest income     –       5  
    Interest expense     (74 )     (50 )
    Dividend income     41       16  
    Realized gain (loss) on investments     81       11  
    Unrealized gain (loss) on investments     (127 )     27  
    Total other income (loss)     (79 )     9  
             
    Net income (loss) before income tax     (457 )     801  
    Income tax (expense) benefit     121       (212 )
             
    Net income (loss)   $ (336 )   $ 589  
             
    Net income (loss) per common share – basic and diluted   $ (0.16 )   $ 0.28  
             
    Weighted average shares outstanding – basic and diluted     2,082,553       2,083,436  
     
    SOLITRON DEVICES, INC. 
    CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS 
    AS OF MAY 31, 2025, AND FEBRUARY 28, 2025
    (in thousands, except for share and per share amounts)
     
        May 31,
    2025    		     February 28,
    2025    		  
                     
    ASSETS                
    CURRENT ASSETS                
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 2,570     $ 4,099  
    Marketable securities     659       919  
    Accounts receivable     1,750       2,129  
    Inventories, net     3,591       3,440  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     212       132  
    TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS     8,782       10,719  
                     
    Property, plant and equipment, net     8,532       8,635  
    Intangible assets     2,852       2,905  
    Deferred tax asset     1,743       1,622  
    Long-term investment     1,650       –  
    Other assets     428       555  
    TOTAL ASSETS   $ 23,987     $ 24,436  
                     
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                
    CURRENT LIABILITIES                
    Accounts payable   $ 732     $ 439  
    Customer deposits     119       118  
    Accrued contingent consideration, current     598       570  
    Mortgage loan, current portion     155       152  
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities     857       846  
    TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES     2,461       2,125  
                     
    Accrued contingent consideration, non-current     254       663  
    Mortgage loan, net of current portion     3,725       3,765  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES     6,440       6,553  
                     
    STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                
    Preferred stock, $.01 par value, authorized 500,000 shares, none issued     –       –  
    Common stock, $.01 par value, authorized 10,000,000 shares, 2,082,553 shares outstanding, net of 487,827 treasury shares at May 31, 2025 and 2,082,553 shares outstanding, net of 487,827 treasury shares at February 28, 2025, respectively     21       21  
    Additional paid-in capital     1,834       1,834  
    Retained earnings     17,104       17,440  
    Less treasury stock     (1,412 )     (1,412 )
    TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY     17,547       17,883  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   $ 23,987     $ 24,436  

    The unaudited financial information disclosed in this press release for the three months ended May 31, 2025, is based on management’s review of operations for that period and the information available to the Company as of the date of this press release. The Company’s results included herein have been prepared by, and are the responsibility of, the Company’s management. The Company’s independent auditors have audited the Company’s results for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2025. The financial results presented herein should not be considered a substitute for the information filed or to be filed with the SEC in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the respective periods once such reports become available.

    About Solitron Devices, Inc. 
    Solitron Devices, Inc., a Delaware corporation, designs, develops, manufactures, and markets solid state semiconductor components and related devices primarily for the military and aerospace markets. The Company manufactures a large variety of bipolar and metal oxide semiconductor (“MOS”) power transistors, power and control hybrids, junction and power MOS field effect transistors (“Power MOSFETS”), and other related products. Most of the Company’s products are custom made pursuant to contracts with customers whose end products are sold to the United States government. Other products, such as Joint Army/Navy (“JAN”) transistors, diodes, and Standard Military Drawings voltage regulators, are sold as standard or catalog items.

    Effective September 1, 2023, Solitron closed its acquisition of Micro Engineering Inc. (MEI) based in Apopka, Florida. MEI specializes in solving design layout and manufacturing challenges while maximizing efficiency and keeping flexibility to meet unique customer needs. Since 1980 the MEI team has been dedicated to overcoming obstacles to provide cost efficient and rapid results. MEI specializes in low to mid volume projects that require engineering dedication, quality systems and efficient manufacturing.

    Forward-Looking Statements 
    This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future performance of Solitron Devices, Inc. that involve risks and uncertainties that could materially affect actual results, including statements regarding the Company’s expectations regarding future performance and trends, including production levels, government spending, backlog and delivery timelines, new product development, our efforts and performance following our acquisition of MEI, and potential future revenue and trends with respect thereto from each of the foregoing. Factors that could cause actual results to vary from current expectations and forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties arising from potential adverse developments or changes in government budgetary spending and policy including with respect to the war in Ukraine, which may among other factors be affected by the possibility of reduced government spending on programs in which we participate, inflation, elevated interest rates, adverse trends in the economy and the possibility of a recession the likelihood of which appears to have increased based on recent economic data, the possibility that management’s estimates and assumptions regarding bookings, sales and other metrics prove to be incorrect; the timing and size of orders from our clients, our delivery schedules and our liquidity and cash position; our ability to make the appropriate adjustments to our cost structure; our ability to properly account for inventory in the future; the demand for our products and potential loss of, or reduction of business from, substantial clients our dependence on government contracts, which are subject to termination, price renegotiations and regulatory compliance and which may among other factors be adversely affected by the factors described elsewhere herein, our ability to continue to integrate MEI in an efficient and effective manner, and the possibility that such acquisition or any other acquisition or strategic transaction we may pursue does not yield the results or benefits desired or anticipated. Descriptions of other risk factors and uncertainties are contained in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2025.

    Tim Eriksen 
    Chief Executive Officer 
    (561) 848-4311 
    Corporate@solitrondevices.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National and Violent Repeat Offender Sentenced

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – The U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Jose Luis Moreno-Yanez, 39, for Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Judge Frizzell ordered Moreno-Yanez to serve 78 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Frizzell ordered that 39-months of his federal sentence be served consecutively to his current State sentences for unrelated crimes. Upon his release, Moreno-Yanez is expected to face removal proceedings.

    “While Moreno-Yanez is unlawfully in the United States, his criminal history shows that he commits acts of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “He has no regard for the laws in the United States and continues to show that he is a threat to lawful citizens. I commend the work of State and Federal prosecutors and law enforcement for working hard to keep our 
    communities safe.”

    In May and June 2023, illegally re-entered the United States and was charged in two separate State cases for robbery with a firearm. He pleaded guilty in both cases and was additionally convicted of possessing a controlled drug, assault and battery, among several other charges. He was sentenced to serve 18 years and 20 years, concurrently, in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Additionally, because Moreno-Yanez illegally re-entered the United States while subject to a term of federal supervision, he pleaded guilty in Federal Court for violating the terms of his supervised release. A Federal Judge ordered Moreno-Yanez to serve 24 months’ imprisonment.

    The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David D. Whipple prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IOWA CITY, Iowa, July 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MOFG) (“MidWestOne” or the “Company”), parent company of MidWestOne Bank, today announced that its second quarter 2025 financial results will be released after market closes on Thursday, July 24, 2025. The Company will host a conference call to discuss its financial results at 11:00 a.m. Central Time on Friday, July 25, 2025.

    Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call may pre-register utilizing the following link: https://www.netroadshow.com/events/login?show=a6070726&confId=80381. After pre-registering for this event, you will receive your access details via email. On the day of the call, you are also able to dial 1-833-470-1428 (callers located in Canada please dial 1-833-950-0062) approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the call and providing the access code 293794. A live audio webcast of the conference call can be accessed through the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://www.midwestonefinancial.com.

    A replay of the conference call will be available within four hours of the conclusion of the call and can be accessed both online and by dialing 1-866-813-9403 within the United States and Canada (all other international callers please dial +440-204-525-0658). The pin to access the telephone replay is 763204. The replay will be available until October 23, 2025.

    About MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc.
    MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa. MidWestOne is the parent company of MidWestOne Bank, which operates banking offices in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Colorado. MidWestOne provides electronic delivery of financial services through its website, MidWestOne.bank. MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MOFG”.

    Category: Earnings
    This news release may be downloaded from Corporate Profile | MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc.

    Source: MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc.

    Industry: Banks

    Contacts:  
    Charles N. Reeves Barry S. Ray
    Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer
    319.356.5800 319.356.5800

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: REPORT: Wisconsin Hospitals Will Lose $264 Million Annually Under Republicans’ Budget Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report was released projecting that hospitals in Wisconsin will lose $264.6 million a year because of the Republicans’ budget bill. Senator Baldwin voted against the bill, which will terminate health care for over 270,000 Wisconsinites, increase costs for working families, and jeopardize the ability of hospitals and clinics to remain open.

    “At a time when Wisconsin families are asking us to bring down the skyrocketing costs of health care and prescription drugs, Republicans pushed through a bill that has devastating consequences to Wisconsin’s working families and hospitals,” said Senator Baldwin. “While the top 0.1% get their tax cuts, Republicans’ bill will shutter hospitals, increase drive and wait times for everyone, and put a tremendous strain on our already overworked doctors and nurses.”

    The Republicans’ bill, which every Congressional Republican from Wisconsin supported, is projected to terminate health care for 17 million Americans, including 270,000 Wisconsinites. One-fifth of total spending on hospital care comes from Medicaid, and one in three Wisconsin hospitals was operating at a loss. Over 300 rural hospitals across the country are at disproportionate risk of closure, conversion, or service reductions due to health care cuts in the bill, including 3 in Wisconsin.

    Read the full report here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: District Man Pleads Guilty in Attempt to Import Mass Quantity of Chinese ‘Boot,’ an Illegal Psychostimulant

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Marvin Benjamin Martin, 32, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in federal court in connection with an attempt to import a mass quantity of Chinese dipentylone, an illegal psychostimulant known as “boot,” announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

                Martin pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell to attempted possession with intent to distribute N,N Dimethylpentylone hydrochloride. Judge Howell scheduled sentencing for Oct. 17, 2025. Martin is eligible for up to 20 years in prison.

                According to court documents, in early 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area group (HIDTA) was conducting an ongoing investigation into illegal shipments of narcotics and precursor chemicals originating in China. In February 2024, officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a package at the International Mail Facility at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).The package, addressed to “Martin Hall” on 58th Street SE. had been mailed from China, and contained 10 kilos of N,N-Dimethylpentylone, aka boot.

                HSI agents swapped out the boot in the package for sham materials and added a GPS tracking device.

                On March 7, 2024, HIDTA, comprised of HSI, the Metropolitan Police Department, and officers from various other agencies, delivered the package to the front steps of the residence on 58th Street. The officers watched as Martin drove up to the address, retrieved the package, and took it back to his vehicle.

                About an hour later, Martin discarded the package. At 12:37 p.m., investigators found Martin driving in a nearby residential neighborhood and attempted to detain him. Martin sped off and crashed into a minivan and fence before evading officers.

                Agents subsequently found Martin at a home in Lanham, Maryland, and attempted to block him in with their vehicles. Martin accelerated his car towards the agents, striking the front side of an agent’s vehicle at high speed. About two hours later, agents again found Martin at the Latham residence. Officers positioned their vehicles to block the street, Martin drove his car towards the agents at a high speed, swerved onto asidewalk, and hit a tree while accelerating past agents’ vehicles, once again evading capture.

                On April 10, 2024, Martin was arrested in Annapolis, Maryland.

                This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area group (HIDTA), the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Annapolis Police Department.

                The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Iris McCranie and Anthony Scarpelli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking section of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia.

    24cr196

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Secures Wins on Right to Repair, Service Member Safety, Military Housing, Transparency at Defense Department in Senate Version of FY 2026 Defense Policy Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    July 11, 2025

    Executive Summary of Senate FY26 NDAA (Website)

    Washington, D.C. — During the Senate Armed Services Committee’s (SASC) markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (FY26 NDAA) this week, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, secured key wins, including on right to repair, transparency on the removal of top military officials, troop health and safety, boosting competition among defense contractors, improved housing protections for American troops, and education. All were secured with bipartisan support in the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

    Senator Warren secured the following provisions in SASC’s version of the FY26 NDAA: 

    Right to Repair

    “It’s common sense for members of the military to be able to fix their own weapons. Senator Sheehy and I fought hard to secure this provision that will improve military readiness and save taxpayers billions of dollars. It’s about time we stand up to Pentagon contractors that are squeezing every last cent from us at the expense of our national security,” said Senator Warren.

    • A provision, which includes portions of Senator Warren’s bipartisan Warrior Right to Repair Act, to guarantee all branches of the military the right to repair their equipment and requires contractors to provide any information needed to repair the equipment.

    In January, Senator Warren secured Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s support for taking on costly right to repair restrictions. She has also questioned defense contractors directly for their opposition to right to repair reform and introduced separate bicameral legislation to require contractors to provide repair materials in a timely and reasonable manner. 

    Promoting Transparency

    “Secretary Hegseth’s attack on independent legal advisors doesn’t make anyone safer. I’m fighting to rein in this abuse of power and ensure transparency from this administration,” said Senator Warren.

    • A provision requiring DoD to notify Congress five days before the removal of a Judge Advocate General (JAG), top legal officers for the military services, and provide a justification.

    Senator Warren, along with several of her SASC colleagues, sent a letter to Secretary Hegseth earlier this year raising concerns about how his firings of these top military lawyers would damage public trust and the apolitical foundation of the military legal system. In a March 2025 hearing, Senator Warren also highlighted, and a Trump defense nominee agreed with, the importance of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, whom American troops rely on for legal advice and Senator Lindsey Graham has praised as “the conscience of the military.”

    Service Member Health and Safety

    “I’ve heard so many stories of service members suffering from the devastating effects of blast overpressure – cases of depression, suicide, and seizures. I led historic, bipartisan reforms in last year’s NDAA and will keep pushing DoD to do more,” said Senator Warren. “I’ve been fighting on this issue for years, and a long-term study on exposure would help us better ensure troops get the care and support they deserve.”

    • A provision providing an additional $5 million for blast overpressure analysis and mitigation beyond the Trump administration’s request; 
    • A provision requiring DoD to provide a Congressional briefing on the feasibility of conducting a study on the long-term effects of blast overpressure exposure in partnership with a non-profit medical center specializing in Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and with experience working with Special Operators; 
    • A provision requiring the Government Accountability Office to study DoD’s compliance with blast overpressure reforms passed in last year’s NDAA, as well as DoD’s efforts to use cognitive assessments to track brain health, to document service member exposure, and to address the potential link between exposure and risks of suicide; and 
    • A provision requiring the Joint Safety Council to provide Congress the executive summaries of Safety Investigation Boards (SIBs) conducted for the past three years and any corrective actions that were taken. 

    For over seven years, Senator Warren has led efforts to measure blast exposure and develop protocols that protect our military. She’s introduced bipartisan legislation to track service members’ exposure to and mitigate the effects of blast overpressure. She’s also hosted a hearing and a forum to highlight service members’ and veterans’ experiences with getting care for these injuries. In last year’s NDAA, Senator Warren secured historic reforms to improve access to care after exposure to blast overpressure and mitigate exposure risks. 

    Senator Warren has also highlighted the need for transparency around military accidents, the crash that killed Staff Sergeant Jacob Galliher– a young father from Pittsfield, Massachusetts. 

    Increasing Competition 

    “Increasing competition for our military’s AI and cloud computing programs creates better tools, saves money, and protects our national security. I’ll keep fighting to protect our military from being ripped off while keeping our markets fair and our information secure,” said Senator Warren. 

    • Based on Senator Warren’s bipartisan Protecting AI and Cloud Competition Act, the bill requires DoD to produce a report on competition dynamics between AI and commercial cloud providers, the impacts of competition on overall innovation in AI, barriers to entry for small and new performers, and the impact of potential or perceived concentrations of market power or market share on competition; 
    • A provision requiring the DoD Inspector General to review sole source cloud computing contracts awarded under the Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability program, including justifications, approvals, and systemic challenges to competition. 
    • A provision requiring DoD to provide its strategy to monitor and mitigate the risks of future mergers and acquisitions; 
    • A provision requiring DoD to maintain multiple sources as soon as possible, and no later than fiscal year 2031, for products in critical sectors; and
    • A provision tackling consolidation in the defense contracting industry by requiring that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a review of mergers in the previous 10 years to determine if changes to defense merger review laws and policies are necessary. 

    Senator Warren has urged the Defense Department to ensure its AI contracting processes will protect government data, save taxpayer funds, and promote competition. She’s also introduced bipartisan legislation to help rein in Big Tech companies and prevent them from cutting out competitors in the AI and cloud computing markets when it comes to defense contracting. 

    Drug Supply Chains and Health Care

    “The DoD’s overreliance on overseas manufacturers gives our adversaries the power to restrict our access to the critical drugs we need to treat our men and women in uniform,” said Senator Warren. “Congress can save lives and save money by strengthening our domestic pharmaceutical supply to ensure we have access to the medicines necessary to treat service members in the field.” 

    “One of the nation’s biggest drug middlemen may be ripping off our military to boost its profits–and trying to hide this information from Congress. My provision ensures Congress has the information we need to hold contractors accountable for price-gouging on the backs of our servicemembers and taxpayers,” said Senator Warren.

    • A provision requiring DoD to report on how shortages and supply challenges for drugs and medical countermeasures have impacted military readiness and the ability for DoD to obtain the pharmaceuticals it needs for its personnel; and 
    • A provision requiring DoD to provide a confidential briefing to the Armed Services Committee every six months on the differences in reimbursement rates or practices, direct and indirect remuneration fees or other price concessions, and clawbacks between pharmacies that are affiliates of TRICARE’s contracted Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) and pharmacies that are not affiliates of TRICARE’s contracted PBM. 

    Senator Warren has long sounded the alarm on the danger of overly relying on foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers, for both the military and civilians. She has led bipartisan oversight and urged the Defense Department to reform acquisition rules to give preference to American-made products. She has also filed legislation to end the country’s reliance on foreign countries for critical drugs and a bipartisan bill to study the impacts of foreign investment in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. Senator Warren has also called for audits into pharmacy benefit managers that price gouge the military. 

    Military Housing and Childcare

    “Military families deserve safe, affordable housing. Congress must investigate the potential use of rent-setting algorithms used to price gouge military families and ban abusive landlords’ use of NDAs meant to keep military tenants quiet,” said Senator Warren. 

    • A provision requiring DoD to provide a report and briefing to SASC on the extent to which privatized military housing companies are using algorithmic software, including RealPage, to set apartment rents for service members paid by basic allowance for housing (BAH); 
    • A provision banning landlords from requesting that tenants sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in privatized military housing; 
    • A provision to establish a pilot program for increasing child development center employee wages on at least three military installations; and
    • A provision increasing the transparency of landlord financial practices by requiring privatized military housing companies to report their liability insurance coverage and the amounts of payments to tenants to resolve dispute resolutions. 

    Senator Warren has been a leader in raising concerns about problems with privatized military housing and led the push to protect military families. She has led oversight into landlords’ use of algorithmic pricing tools like RealPage to hike rents on servicemembers. She has also introduced legislation to address private military housing landlords’ use of NDAs and unsafe housing conditions. At an April 2025 hearing, Senator Warren secured a commitment from a Trump defense nominee to hold military housing contractors accountable, if needed.  

    Education

    “Service members put their lives on the line for this country, so there’s no excuse for our government to fall short of its promises to them. Helping service members afford quality education is how our country recruits and maintains a fighting force,” said Senator Warren.

    • A provision requiring DoD to issue a report on the status of a data match to ensure service members can automatically receive Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF); and  
    • A provision directing GAO to issue a report on challenges service members face in student loan repayment, including scams, repayment procedures, and servicer misconduct.

    Senator Warren has been a leading voice in fighting for strong education benefits for service members and families, fighting to restore benefits to veterans cheated by for-profit colleges and pushing the Defense Department to release data on the Postsecondary Education Complaint System (PECS), a centralized database to track complaints against schools who participate in tuition assistance programs. At an April 2025 hearing, she pressed military leaders on the impact of the Defense Department’s shortcomings on education benefits.  

    The House Armed Services Committee will convene to mark up its version of the NDAA next week. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Diego Securities Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Securities attorney Andrew Coldicutt was sentenced in federal court today to 85 months in prison for securities fraud, false securities registration statements, and wire fraud in connection with two pump-and-dump schemes.

    U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta also ordered Coldicutt to pay $42,970 in forfeiture and a $100,000 fine.

    Coldicutt was convicted by a federal jury in March on all 17 counts following a weeklong trial. According to evidence presented at trial, in the first scheme, Coldicutt worked with others from 2017 through 2019 to prepare and execute a pump-and-dump stock fraud scheme. Coldicutt created a business plan for a fake backyard fruit harvesting company. He prepared and filed securities registration statements with the SEC for an initial public offering of the company’s stock.

    The securities registration statements contained false and misleading information about the company, its business plans, and the people who owned and controlled the company. Since Coldicutt was unwittingly working with undercover FBI agents and sources gathering evidence against him, no investors were injured.

    In the second scheme, in 2019, one of Coldicutt’s corporate clients needed to raise money fast. Rather than raise money legally, Coldicutt presented the undercover FBI agents with another pump-and-dump stock fraud scheme. Coldicutt wrote a false attorney opinion letter to facilitate the sale of stock for the pump-and-dump scheme. However, a broker-dealer denied the stock transfer and again, no investors were injured.

    A “pump and dump” scheme is a type of fraud where manipulators gain control over a company’s stock and boost a company’s stock price by spreading false information or trading in a way that creates fake demand. Once the stock price is inflated, they sell off their shares (the “dump”), causing the price to drop and leaving investors with losses.

    “Attorneys are expected to uphold the law, not exploit it,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for abusing that trust and attempting to manipulate the market for personal gain.”

    “Today’s sentence demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to hold accountable those who unlawfully pursue personal gain at the expense of the American people,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “Attorneys who exploit the system not only hurt potential victims. They also erode the community’s trust. The FBI will relentlessly investigate such criminals to protect our citizens and ensure justice is served.”

    The Securities and Exchange Commission has also taken civil action against Coldicutt.

    DEFENDANT                        Case Number 22cr1881                                       

    Andrew Coldicutt                    Age: 44                    San Diego, California

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Title 15, U.S.C., Sec. 77q, 77x – Securities Fraud

    Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison

    Title 15, U.S.C., Sec. 77g, 77x – False Securities Registration Statements

    Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison

    Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1343 – Wire Fraud

    Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: In Joint CBS Interview, Warren, Sheehy Highlight Bipartisan Fight For Military’s Right to Repair Its Own Equipment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    July 11, 2025

    Warren: “The choice will belong to our military to make the right economic decision to purchase and then the right economic decisions down the line on how to repair it.”

    Sheehy: “We’re at a point where we’ll have systems that are not ready for missions overseas in war zones, on ships, at forward-deployed bases, and we can’t conduct basic repairs to those systems.”

    Full Interview (YouTube)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), who are both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sat down with CBS’s Caitlin Huey-Burns to highlight their Warrior Right to Repair Act of 2025, which would require contractors to provide the Department of Defense access to technical data and materials the military needs to repair and maintain its own equipment. This legislation aims to reduce government spending, promote competition, and improve military readiness. Portions of the bill are included in the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act of 2026.

    Watch the interview here and read the full transcript below: 

    CBS News: Why Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Tim Sheehy are teaming up to tame Pentagon spending
    July 10, 2025

    Caitlin Huey-Burns: Why can’t the military fix its own equipment? 

    Senator Elizabeth Warren: You want to go first, Tim? 

    Senator Tim Sheehy: Well, we’ve had decades of bureaucratic sclerosis that have created a really broken system that’s rife with perverse incentives. It’s also rife with requirements that aren’t always grounded in what the warfighter actually needs, and a huge focus on process over outcome. We’re at a point where we’ll have systems that are not ready for missions overseas in war zones, on ships, at forward-deployed bases, and we can’t conduct basic repairs to those systems. And I think we’re at a point now where we’ve seen multiple theaters of war, from Iraq to Afghanistan to Israel to Ukraine. We’re understanding the limits of this current defense acquisition paradigm, and it’s about time we fix it. So, it’s not one thing that happened. It’s an accumulation of 30 years of bureaucracy that’s kind of led to where we’re at now.

    Senator Warren: And I would just add to what Senator Sheehy says here by pointing out that the defense contractors have figured out they get two bites at every apple this way. So, they sell you the initial product, whether it’s an oven on a submarine or it’s a fancy piece of warfighting equipment—that’s one—and they negotiate a price for that, but they hold back in the fine print. You can’t fix it yourself. So, when the safety clip breaks, when you get sand down in the equipment, and you need to mess with it some more, the answer is, too often, because of what’s in that contract that the military says to our service member, don’t touch that thing. You’ve got to retire, in effect, the piece of equipment, hold it over there, call a contractor, have the contractor fly in from a long, long way away, charge us for flying in, take the delay and charge us whatever they want to charge us to come in and fix that thing. That has turned out to be a very profitable model for some of the defense contractors. And what our bill says is no more, no more. The Defense Department, going forward, if our bill is signed into law, it basically says, here’s the deal: you negotiate the price to buy the thing, and if the thing breaks, we may fix it ourselves. We may go to another small business, a startup, some guy who set up shop to be able to fix just that kind of thing. Or we may come back to the manufacturer. But the choice will belong to our military to make the right economic decision to purchase and then the right economic decisions down the line on how to repair it.

    Caitlin Huey-Burns: What about the argument, though, that the contractor knows the equipment better than anyone else has the ability to fix it better than anyone? Why shouldn’t they be allowed to be the ones?

    Senator Warren: Let them compete. They want to offer. They want to say, “Hey, we can fix that.” You know what? I’ll bet if that happened, that the price of fixing it would go down, if there were competition—that is, if other little guys were in there saying, “Hey, we can fix this.” Or, let’s face it, the servicemember, himself or herself, who actually also knows this stuff. Let’s have that open competition. That’s what we need here on the military side, and frankly, it’s what we need throughout the country, whether we’re talking about cars or tractors or telephones, or anything else. But we’re starting here. 

    Caitlin Huey-Burns: So, you’re saying—you’re not saying that the contractor won’t be able to fix the equipment, they just can’t have a monopoly in it?

    Senator Warren: That’s right, that they negotiated up front in fine print when nobody was looking and nobody was pricing it in. That’s where they’re making off like bandits.

    Caitlin Huey-Burns: And Senator Sheehy, you approach this issue as a former seal officer. What kind of impact—Senator Warren talked about the financial aspects of this. What kind of impact has this had on the battlefield, on training, on our soldiers out there? What does it mean for military readiness?

    Senator Sheehy: Less. Less readiness, to put it bluntly. We’ve had less readiness as a result of this. Now, our acquisition paradigm was really designed in the 1950s and 60s and hasn’t really changed since then. And in fairness to the Pentagon individuals and the contractors together, much of that’s been on us. We have not forced an upgrade to our DFARS, defense acquisition regulations, that govern the entire federal acquisition environment. We have not forced them to upgrade those, and it’s about time we do, because the systems simply were not as complicated. Software. Software is becoming one of the core pieces of functional equipment that we have.

    Caitlin Huey-Burns: You two come from very different parties. You’re a very conservative Republican. You’re a very progressive Democrat. How is it that you two found this common ground? How is it that you guys came together on this piece of legislation? 

    Senator Sheehy: Well, I was making the rounds as a freshman who’s never served in any political office before, when I got here, I said, the first thing I do is I’m trying to meet with every single member I can, on both parties, and just introduce myself and get some advice and wisdom. And in our first meeting, you know, we just—she said, “Well, what do you want to do when you’re here?” And I listed the handful of things I wanted to focus on. One of them was defense acquisition reform. And I kind of went on my riff about how frustrated I was.

    Caitlin Huey-Burns: Your eyes light up.

    Senator Warren: I did. 

    Senator Sheehy: She popped up like an aerobics video, like, “That, we’re going to do it.” And we dug into it.

    Caitlin Huey-Burns: “That’s my language.” 

    Senator Warren: Exactly, I said, “Another nerd, we can do this. We can do this.” But it is, there are these places that this isn’t political. This is about doing what is right.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Jury in Chicago Indicts Three Individuals for Alleged Covid-Relief Fraud

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    CHICAGO – A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted three individuals for allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $2 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.

    TANIKA ECHOLS, ANTONIO ECHOLS, and TAMIA THOMPSON DAVIS engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL)–two sources of relief under the CARES Act, according to an indictment returned in the Northern District of Illinois.  The indictment charges Tanika Echols, 45, of Austin, Texas, and formerly of South Holland, Ill., with 13 counts of wire fraud and seven counts of money laundering. Antonio Echols, 50, of Austin, Texas, and formerly of South Holland, Ill., who is Tanika Echols’s husband, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, while Davis, 27, of Austin, Texas, who is Tanika Echols’s daughter, is charged with four counts of wire fraud.

    The indictment alleges that the defendants defrauded lenders of approximately $1.7 million in PPP loans and defrauded the SBA of approximately $307,000 in EIDL funds.  Much of the money was used for the defendants’ personal benefit, including the purchase of mink coats from Andriana Furs in Chicago, the indictment states.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges during their arraignments last week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert.  A status hearing was scheduled for Aug. 13, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin.

    The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Basil Demczak, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region of Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General, and Mark Reeves, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board’s Office of Inspector General.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner.

    Pursuant to the CARES Act, a PPP loan allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent a certain amount of the proceeds on essential expenses, such as payroll, rent, and utilities, while the EIDL program provided loan assistance or grants to cover working capital and other operating expenses.

    According to the indictment, the defendants from 2020 to 2022 submitted more than 100 fraudulent applications to lenders, loan service providers, and the Small Business Administration, on behalf of themselves, seven other individuals, and two businesses owned by Tanika Echols and Antonio Echols.  The applications and supporting documents contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about the defendants’ companies, including the number of purported employees, revenue and payroll amounts, and other expenses, the indictment states.

    The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  Each wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, while the maximum penalty for each count of money laundering is ten years.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

    Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 is encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or filing an online complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock Pushes Trump Admin For Answers on FEMA Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
    Senator Reverend Warnock first pressed DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for answers on major cuts to FEMA over a month ago. Secretary Noem has yet to respond to critical questions, even in the midst of hurricane season.
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “Know that I will not sit idly by while Georgia lives and livelihoods are endangered. This is about our safety, and we deserve answers.”
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) is escalating his fight to get answers from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on FEMA’s ability to respond to hurricanes in Georgia this storm season. Senator Warnock renewed his call for answers on social media after Noem failed to respond to his inquiry at the beginning of hurricane season in June. 
    Senator Warnock first pressed Secretary Noem for answers after leaked internal assessments revealed that FEMA is unprepared for the current storm season that began on June 1. The Senator’s calls also follow Secretary Noem’s recent statement in which she doubled down on the administration’s plan to eliminate the agency all together.
    Senator Warnock asked Secretary Noem to commit to ensuring that FEMA’s Region IV office in Atlanta, which oversees disaster response for all of Georgia and much of the southeast, remains fully staffed and resourced for the 2025 hurricane season. 
    “We have seen the devastation and the impact of hurricanes and big storms in Georgia, time and time again,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “We need to know if the administration is taking this seriously. We do know based on internal reports that much of the agency has been hollowed out. The evidence suggests that we do not have the personnel to respond at the beginning of hurricane season” 
    This is Senator Warnock’s latest effort to ensure that FEMA has the resources needed to protect Georgians from natural disasters and assist with recovery. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Senator Warnock led a bipartisan, bicameral effort to secure billions of dollars in federal funding for disaster recovery efforts in Georgia. The Senator also introduced bipartisan legislation to extend the tax deadline for Georgians impacted by Hurricane Helene and other natural disasters. Senator Warnock also joined a bipartisan effort to demand that the Trump Administration reinstate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which supports local disaster mitigation projects including a $30 million award to Savannah for flood reduction measures that was canceled earlier this year. 
    Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:
    Dear Secretary Noem,
    As the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season begins this week, and following Acting Administrator Richardson’s stunning and disturbing reported admission that he was unaware the United States has a hurricane season, I write with deep concern about the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the potentially devastating consequences for Georgia communities.
    Nearly a year ago, in September 2024, Georgia and the entire southeast were bombarded by Hurricane Helene – a multi-state major disaster and the deadliest storm to strike the mainland United States in 20 years. At its peak, Hurricane Helene left more than 1 million Georgians without power, demanded 300 boil water advisories across the state, damaged over 200,000 homes, and left thousands of families displaced.
    Fortunately, thanks to an early presence in Georgia and a “great” working relationship with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and state leadership, FEMA was prepared to quickly mobilize assistance teams, deliver meals and water to the hardest-hit areas, and coordinate response and recovery efforts with state, local, and nonprofit leaders. Most importantly, FEMA remained in Georgia long after the national cameras left, helping Georgians along their road to recovery and hosting resource fairs for impacted communities on everything from applications for individual assistance to small business loans to housing needs. To date, FEMA has provided over $360 million to survivors and more than $400 million to local governments and communities in Georgia. Though not perfect, this effort required a level of coordination across state lines, rapid mobilization of personnel and supplies, and deep experience that only the federal government and FEMA can provide.
    According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season will likely be “above normal” and feature up to ten hurricanes, including five major storms that will threaten Georgia and much of the southeast. However, instead of working with state and local governments, nonprofits, and federal partners to prepare for the 2025 hurricane season, the Trump administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have haphazardly and irresponsibly worked to dismantle the nation’s lead disaster response agency without any workable alternative or sense of direction.
    These reckless actions include:
    Proposing a $646 million budget cut to FEMA in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, along with the cancellation of billions in disaster relief and mitigation grants that help states prepare for future disasters;
    Gutting FEMA’s workforce by nearly 30 percent, including more than 1,800 voluntary buyouts, 200 terminations, a hiring freeze, the departure of 16 senior officials, as well as the abject firing of FEMA’s administrator who warned against eliminating the agency;
    Pursuing ill-conceived, shortsighted, and abrupt changes to longstanding FEMA policy, including quadrupling the damage threshold for Georgia communities to receive federal assistance from roughly $21 million to more than $84 million;
    Canceling hurricane readiness trainings for state and local emergency managers in Georgia and across the country; and,
    Eliminating the disaster resiliency-focused Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, including a $30 million award to reduce flooding in Savannah, Georgia.
    I am always open to considering thoughtful, transparent reforms developed in close partnership with Congress, states, and local officials, but these unilateral actions are gambling with the lives and livelihoods of millions of Georgians. As DHS’s own internal agency review states, “FEMA is not ready” for the upcoming hurricane season – a frightening assessment that I fear will soon have severe consequences in Georgia and southeastern coastal states.
    To that end, I request answers to the following questions by June 26, 2025, so that Georgians may better understand how your actions will affect their safety during the 2025 hurricane season:
    How would a budget cut of $646 million, as proposed in your FY26 budget request, help FEMA better prepare for and respond to future disasters in Georgia?
    What analyses did DHS conduct to ensure that these budget cuts will not diminish the safety of Americans during hurricane season?

    Please provide any policy justification or budget analysis supporting the cancellation of hurricane readiness trainings for state and local officials, including how such cancellations better prepare local communities for hurricane season.[1] In the absence of such trainings, how does DHS intend to ensure that local officials are prepared for hurricane season?
    Of the FEMA employees who were terminated or accepted voluntary buyouts, how many performed a hurricane preparedness, logistic, or safety function, including those who collaborated with state and local governments before, during, and after a disaster?
    What analyses, if any, has DHS conducted to assess the impact of implemented and proposed workforce reductions on FEMA’s ability to perform its emergency management functions? Please provide copies of any written communications, analyses, and other documentation concerning how workforce reductions will limit FEMA’s ability to carry out its core functions.
    How many counties in Georgia that received federal assistance in the aftermath of previous disasters would have been denied that assistance if FEMA’s proposal to quadruple the damage threshold had been implemented prior to those disasters? Please provide a list of affected disasters and Georgia counties, including how much federal disaster assistance would have been lost by each county under FEMA’s new proposed threshold.
    What public process or consultation, if any, did FEMA conduct before proposing an increase to the per capita impact indicator threshold?
    Please provide a cost-benefit analysis supporting the cancellation of the BRIC program and awarded projects like Savannah, Georgia’s flood reduction measures, including how such cancellations make communities like Savannah more resilient and safer in the event of a severe storm.
    What contingency plans are in place if FEMA staff and resources are overwhelmed during the 2025 hurricane season?
    Are there plans to further adjust or reduce staffing at FEMA’s Region IV office in Atlanta, Georgia, which oversees disaster response for all of Georgia and much of the southeast?
    Will you commit to ensuring this office remains fully staffed and resourced for the duration of the 2025 hurricane season?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: “Sh*t that ain’t true” — Padilla, Booker Call Out Trump’s Lies and Attacks, Explain How VISIBLE Act Will Make Americans, Law Enforcement Safer

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    WATCH: “Sh*t that ain’t true” — Padilla, Booker Call Out Trump’s Lies and Attacks, Explain How VISIBLE Act Will Make Americans, Law Enforcement Safer

    WATCH: Padilla, Booker push for immigration enforcement agents to display clear identificationWASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) recently released a video on Instagram calling out President Donald Trump’s false claims and explaining the facts about how their legislation, the VISIBLE Act, would make Americans and law enforcement officials safer.
    Trump’s attacks came a day after the Senators introduced legislation that would require officers conducting immigration enforcement to clearly identify themselves, and prohibit them from obscuring their identity with a facial covering while conducting their duties, with exceptions for environmental hazards and covert operations.
    More information on the VISIBLE Act is available here.

    Watch the full video here.
    Earlier this week, Senator Padilla also led 13 Democratic Senators in a letter criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for engaging in counterproductive, theatrical enforcement activities — including raids on courthouses and restaurants — and requesting information from the agency on its mask and uniform policies. The Senators argued that these tactics are designed to sow fear and chaos and that allowing masked, plainclothes officers to engage in public raids creates situations where bad actors can commit crimes while claiming to be ICE agents.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Risch Introduce Bill to Codify Trump EO on Defunding Radical Gender Ideology in Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) in introducing the Say No to Indoctrination Act to codify President Trump’s executive order preventing taxpayer dollars from funding radical gender ideology in K-12 schools.
     “Our children go to school to be educated, not indoctrinated,” said Sen. Tuberville. “I’ve always said that education is the key to unlocking opportunity. But under Joe Biden, Democrats turned our children’s classrooms into woke propaganda HQ. Schools should focus on teaching kids to read, write, and do math. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Say No to Indoctrination Act to get woke politics out of the classroom.”
    “Schools should prepare our children for the future, not promote radical gender ideology,” said Sen. Risch.“The Say No to Indoctrination Act puts an end to woke education practices in K-12 schools and makes President Trump’s common-sense policy permanent.”
    Sens. Tuberville and Risch were joined by Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) in cosponsoring this legislation. 
    Concerned Women for American and the American Principles Project endorsed this legislation.
    Read full text of the bill here.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Risch Introduce Bill to Codify Trump EO on Defunding Radical Gender Ideology in Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) in introducing the Say No to Indoctrination Act to codify President Trump’s executive order preventing taxpayer dollars from funding radical gender ideology in K-12 schools.
     “Our children go to school to be educated, not indoctrinated,” said Sen. Tuberville. “I’ve always said that education is the key to unlocking opportunity. But under Joe Biden, Democrats turned our children’s classrooms into woke propaganda HQ. Schools should focus on teaching kids to read, write, and do math. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Say No to Indoctrination Act to get woke politics out of the classroom.”
    “Schools should prepare our children for the future, not promote radical gender ideology,” said Sen. Risch.“The Say No to Indoctrination Act puts an end to woke education practices in K-12 schools and makes President Trump’s common-sense policy permanent.”
    Sens. Tuberville and Risch were joined by Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) in cosponsoring this legislation. 
    Concerned Women for American and the American Principles Project endorsed this legislation.
    Read full text of the bill here.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Risch Introduce Bill to Codify Trump EO on Defunding Radical Gender Ideology in Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) in introducing the Say No to Indoctrination Act to codify President Trump’s executive order preventing taxpayer dollars from funding radical gender ideology in K-12 schools.
     “Our children go to school to be educated, not indoctrinated,” said Sen. Tuberville. “I’ve always said that education is the key to unlocking opportunity. But under Joe Biden, Democrats turned our children’s classrooms into woke propaganda HQ. Schools should focus on teaching kids to read, write, and do math. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Say No to Indoctrination Act to get woke politics out of the classroom.”
    “Schools should prepare our children for the future, not promote radical gender ideology,” said Sen. Risch.“The Say No to Indoctrination Act puts an end to woke education practices in K-12 schools and makes President Trump’s common-sense policy permanent.”
    Sens. Tuberville and Risch were joined by Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) in cosponsoring this legislation. 
    Concerned Women for American and the American Principles Project endorsed this legislation.
    Read full text of the bill here.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Risch Introduce Bill to Codify Trump EO on Defunding Radical Gender Ideology in Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) in introducing the Say No to Indoctrination Act to codify President Trump’s executive order preventing taxpayer dollars from funding radical gender ideology in K-12 schools.
     “Our children go to school to be educated, not indoctrinated,” said Sen. Tuberville. “I’ve always said that education is the key to unlocking opportunity. But under Joe Biden, Democrats turned our children’s classrooms into woke propaganda HQ. Schools should focus on teaching kids to read, write, and do math. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Say No to Indoctrination Act to get woke politics out of the classroom.”
    “Schools should prepare our children for the future, not promote radical gender ideology,” said Sen. Risch.“The Say No to Indoctrination Act puts an end to woke education practices in K-12 schools and makes President Trump’s common-sense policy permanent.”
    Sens. Tuberville and Risch were joined by Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) in cosponsoring this legislation. 
    Concerned Women for American and the American Principles Project endorsed this legislation.
    Read full text of the bill here.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons, SFRC Colleagues Demand Answers Regarding State Department Layoffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his Democratic committee colleagues wrote a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing deep concerns with imminent Reductions in Force (RIFs) at the State Department, and requested answers on the Trump administration’s process for carrying out these layoffs. 

    “RIFs should remain a tool of last resort, and if implemented must be conducted according to long-standing procedures that prioritize transparency and a merit-based process for both career civil service employees and Foreign Service Officers (FSOs). During a time of increasingly complex and wide-spread challenges to U.S. national security, this administration should be strengthening our diplomatic corps—an irreplaceable instrument of U.S. power and leadership—not weakening it. However, RIFs would severely undermine the Department’s ability to achieve U.S. foreign policy interests, putting our nation’s security, strength, and prosperity at risk,” the senators wrote. 

    Since January, the Foreign Service has shrunk by nearly 25 percent and the number of civil service employees has also decreased due to agency closures, early retirement, and buyouts. 

    “While every administration is entitled to set new priorities and engage in reorganization of executive agencies, we are deeply concerned by the breadth of these RIFs and the lack of clarity and transparency of the Department’s RIF process,” the senators continued. 

    The senators requested a response to the following questions by no later than July 18, 2025: 

    RIF Criteria:

    When were RIF lists created, by whom, and against what criteria?
    Is the Department choosing to RIF based on current office assignment rather than globally ranking FSOs and civil servants based on grade and skillsets?  If so, why?
    Are the lists being updated to reflect Permanent Changes in Station (PCS) or curtailments?
    How many veterans and consular coned generalists are included on the list?
    It can take years of training for an FSO or civil servant to master diplomatic and negotiation skills, including obtaining fluency in critical languages. Why are skilled officers, including those with specialized language skills not being reassigned? How will the Department fill these specialized skill and experience gaps?

    Foreign Service Officers:

    Why is the administration preventing FSOs from transferring into critical vacancies?
    Why is the administration preventing candidates who accepted a “handshake” from being paneled to a position they were chosen for based on merit?
    What is the rationale for conducting RIFs before the reorganization takes effect?
    How many vacant FSO positions will there be worldwide after RIFs are processed? How does the Department plan to fill mission critical posts?
    Why is the Department processing RIFs prior to determining the number of vacant positions remaining following your reorganization efforts?
    How is the Department protecting the pipeline of FSOs to ensure no critical skill gaps in the future?

    Civil Service:

    Civil service employees often come to the Department with specialized experience.  How is the Department working to retain critical, hard to replace employees in the civil service?
    How is the Department working to ensure key specialties, knowledge, and personnel are retained and transferred during the reorganization?
    Why is the Department refusing to process any lateral moves by civil service employees who have been offered other civil service positions within the Department?
    If reducing waste, fraud, and abuse is the goal of the reorganization, why is the Department not efficiently allowing these experienced civil service employees to laterally move into vacant positions they were chosen for based on merit?
    If remaining officers are going to be asked to take on additional work, how will they be remunerated for their time and effort? 
    Will the hiring and lateral transition freezes be lifted once RIFs are complete?

    Reassignment Process:

    Will there be a competitive reassignment for high-performing, mission-critical personnel following the RIFs?  If so, what is the timeline and criteria for this reassignment process?  How will the Department communicate these details with its employees?

    The letter is cosigned by Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

    To read the full text of the letter, click here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Luján Take Bipartisan Action to Secure Clear Guidance for Claimants Following the Recent Extension and Expansion of RECA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico) encouraged the Trump Administration to provide detailed guidance for claimants to access the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) program following its expansion and extension by Congress.  In letters to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Senators Crapo and Luján highlighted the need to implement guidance quickly and efficiently for the expanded RECA program as the current extension of RECA expires in just over two years.
    “After decades of advocacy, communities harmed by radiation exposure are set to finally receive long-overdue recognition and compensation.  This achievement marks a significant step toward providing some justice to families who have waited far too long,” the Senators wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi.  “After decades of struggle, we ask that the Department of Justice move swiftly to issue guidance for claimants to access the program.”
    “As you know, the current extension of the program expires in just over two years.  This means time is limited to fulfill the promise of this expansion and ensure every eligible uranium miner and onsite participant receives compensation,” the Senators wrote to Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.  “We urge the Department of Labor to act swiftly and efficiently in developing and posting guidance to implement the expanded RECA and Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) programs.”
    Crapo is a longtime Senate proponent of expanding the RECA program.  In 2022, Crapo was successful in securing an extension of the RECA program for two years, allowing more individuals more time to apply for compensation.  In July 2023, the U.S. Senate passed, by a vote of 61-37, an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to strengthen RECA.  The program would have been expanded to include Idaho victims.  Later, in December, the amendment was stripped from the conference report of the NDAA.  The program expired June 7, 2024.
    The full text of the letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi is available here.
    The full text of the letter to Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Idaho Statesman: Crapo: One Big Beautiful Bill Won’t ‘Explode the National Debt’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Claiming that the One Big Beautiful Bill will “explode the national debt” is plain wrong.
    According to a more accurate estimate by the Congressional Budget Office, it cuts federal spending by over $1.5 trillion and reduces the deficit by $400 billion. That doesn’t include the bill’s pro-growth elements, which the Council of Economic Advisers estimates will increase federal revenues by more than $4 trillion, adding up to nearly $4.5 trillion in deficit reduction.
    Contrary to the “politics of fear” that Democrats employ, it strengthens and improves spending programs, like Medicaid, by targeting waste, fraud and abuse. And despite false narratives about “tax cuts for billionaires,” the reality is this legislation not only prevents massive across-the-board tax hikes, but provides additional tax relief that overwhelmingly benefits low- and middle-class families and workers. Through policies like a boosted standard deduction, expanded benefits for child care, no taxes on tips or overtime, and tax relief for seniors, working class Americans are the biggest winners under this bill.
    In addition to historic mandatory spending reductions, deficit reduction and tax relief, the bill invests in our border, modernizes our military and restores American energy dominance. I’d call that a win for Idahoans and all Americans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ute Fish and Wildlife Officer Pleads Guilty in 2022 Shooting on Tribal Land in Uinta Canyon

    Source: US FBI

    SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Waneka Rosebud Cornpeach, age 42, of Fort Duchesne, Utah, pled guilty to felony charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, both while within Indian Country.

    According to the plea agreement, on July 17, 2022, the defendant admits to firing her weapon at two different victims, resulting in serious bodily injury to both victims.

    The defendant was remanded, and sentencing will be held on November 17, 2025.

    The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn from the District of Colorado is handling the prosecution of the case in the United States District Court for the District of Utah.

    Case Number: 2:23-cr-00434-HCN-DAO-1

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ute Fish and Wildlife Officer Pleads Guilty in 2022 Shooting on Tribal Land in Uinta Canyon

    Source: US FBI

    SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Waneka Rosebud Cornpeach, age 42, of Fort Duchesne, Utah, pled guilty to felony charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, both while within Indian Country.

    According to the plea agreement, on July 17, 2022, the defendant admits to firing her weapon at two different victims, resulting in serious bodily injury to both victims.

    The defendant was remanded, and sentencing will be held on November 17, 2025.

    The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn from the District of Colorado is handling the prosecution of the case in the United States District Court for the District of Utah.

    Case Number: 2:23-cr-00434-HCN-DAO-1

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ute Fish and Wildlife Officer Pleads Guilty in 2022 Shooting on Tribal Land in Uinta Canyon

    Source: US FBI

    SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Waneka Rosebud Cornpeach, age 42, of Fort Duchesne, Utah, pled guilty to felony charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, both while within Indian Country.

    According to the plea agreement, on July 17, 2022, the defendant admits to firing her weapon at two different victims, resulting in serious bodily injury to both victims.

    The defendant was remanded, and sentencing will be held on November 17, 2025.

    The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn from the District of Colorado is handling the prosecution of the case in the United States District Court for the District of Utah.

    Case Number: 2:23-cr-00434-HCN-DAO-1

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Opens Business Recovery Center in Kerrville to Help Businesses Impacted by July Storms and Flooding

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today the opening of an SBA Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Kerr County to assist small businesses, private nonprofit (PNP) organizations and residents affected by severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding beginning July 2.

    Beginning Friday, July 11, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the Business Recovery Center in Kerrville to answer questions and assist with the disaster loan application process. No appointment is necessary, walk-ins are welcome. Those who prefer to schedule an in-person appointment in advance can do so at appointment.sba.gov.

    The center’s hours of operation are as follows:

    KERR COUNTY

    Business Recovery Center

    The YES Center at First Presbyterian Church

    823 North St.

    Kerrville, TX  78028

    Opens at 11 a.m. Friday, July 11

    Mondays – Fridays, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

    Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

    “SBA’s Business Recovery Centers have consistently proven their value to business owners following a disaster,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “Business owners can visit these centers to meet face‑to‑face with specialists who will guide them through the disaster loan application process and connect them with resources to support their recovery.”

    Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and private nonprofit organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to these disasters. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    SBA representatives will also provide help to business owners and residents at disaster recovery centers when they are opened in the impacted area.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits, and 2.813% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA determines eligibility and sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Sept. 4, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is April 6, 2026.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Opens Business Recovery Center in Kerrville to Help Businesses Impacted by July Storms and Flooding

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today the opening of an SBA Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Kerr County to assist small businesses, private nonprofit (PNP) organizations and residents affected by severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding beginning July 2.

    Beginning Friday, July 11, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the Business Recovery Center in Kerrville to answer questions and assist with the disaster loan application process. No appointment is necessary, walk-ins are welcome. Those who prefer to schedule an in-person appointment in advance can do so at appointment.sba.gov.

    The center’s hours of operation are as follows:

    KERR COUNTY

    Business Recovery Center

    The YES Center at First Presbyterian Church

    823 North St.

    Kerrville, TX  78028

    Opens at 11 a.m. Friday, July 11

    Mondays – Fridays, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

    Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

    “SBA’s Business Recovery Centers have consistently proven their value to business owners following a disaster,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “Business owners can visit these centers to meet face‑to‑face with specialists who will guide them through the disaster loan application process and connect them with resources to support their recovery.”

    Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and private nonprofit organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to these disasters. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    SBA representatives will also provide help to business owners and residents at disaster recovery centers when they are opened in the impacted area.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits, and 2.813% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA determines eligibility and sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Sept. 4, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is April 6, 2026.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston arrest leads to federal charge for Dominican alien

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON – An ICE Boston immigration enforcement operation led to a federal charge for an illegally present, 53-year-old Dominican alien, who has previous convictions for weapons and drug crimes. A federal grand jury indicted Antonio Gonzales for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

    Officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested Gonzales May 7.

    “Antonio Gonzales has not only been previously removed from the U.S, he also has convictions for weapons and drug crimes,” said ICE ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “He presented a threat to the residents of our New England communities that we refuse to tolerate. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our neighborhoods.”

    ICE officers previously removed Gonzales from the U.S to the Dominican Republic on Sept. 15, 2004. Gonzales’ criminal history includes convictions for criminal in possession of a weapon in March 1994 and criminal in possession of a controlled substance in November 2000. He allegedly unlawfully reentered the U.S sometime after his September 2004 removal.

    If found guilty, Gonzales faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Furthermore, Gonzales would be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts is prosecuting this case.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X at @EROBoston and @HSINewEngland.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Labrador Letter: Idaho’s Legal Fight Helps Trump End Nationwide Injunctions

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom Labrador Letter: Idaho’s Legal Fight Helps Trump End Nationwide Injunctions

    Dear Friends,
    I promised when I became Idaho’s 33rd Attorney General that I would be aggressive in defending the laws of our state and the constitutional rights of our citizens. Recently, the United States Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory that proves this approach was correct—and Idaho’s legal work helped make it possible.
    In Trump v. Casa, the Supreme Court cited our case, Labrador v. Poe, six times when establishing new legal precedent that ends the era of a single federal judge blocking policies for the entire country, referred to as “universal injunctions.” When the nation’s highest court uses Idaho’s case as legal precedent to rule on a critically important constitutional question, it proves that principled legal strategy works.
    This victory began right here in Idaho. When we defended our Vulnerable Child Protection Act, which protects children from dangerous and irreversible gender hormones and procedures, activists challenged the law. A federal district judge issued a universal injunction that blocked Idaho from enforcing the entire law anywhere in the state.
    We immediately appealed this judicial overreach to the Ninth Circuit, arguing that the injunction should apply only to the two plaintiffs who sued, not every person in Idaho. When the Ninth Circuit refused to narrow the scope, we took the case directly to the Supreme Court.
    In April 2024, the Supreme Court granted our request in Labrador v. Poe. Justice Gorsuch wrote a powerful concurring opinion explaining why these universal injunctions circumvent normal judicial processes, force judges to make rushed, high-stakes, low-information decisions, and let parties by barring the enforcement of a duly enacted law against anyone through strategic judge shopping.
    That legal reasoning became the foundation for this landmark decision. The Supreme Court used our precedent to rule that federal judges can no longer issue universal injunctions that let one judge in one courthouse block policies for the entire nation.
    This couldn’t come at a better time. Americans watched in frustration during President Trump’s first term as single federal judges issued sweeping orders that blocked his agenda at every turn. Now in his second term, federal judges have continued issuing nationwide injunctions trying to stop President Trump from firing unaccountable bureaucrats, cutting wasteful USAID spending, and deporting criminal illegal aliens.
    No longer should a single federal judge in California or New York issue an order that stops the Trump administration, or any future administration, from enforcing immigration law nationwide. And in the same way, federal judges should not prevent Idaho from enforcing our laws on the books across the state if only a handful of individuals sue. Federal judges must now limit their orders to the actual parties in front of them, not the whole country or state.
    While liberal critics and the press—but I repeat myself—have attacked our approach throughout my time as Attorney General, the results speak for themselves. When the Supreme Court cites your case to establish binding legal precedent that protects constitutional governance nationwide, that is a clear sign that we are doing something right.
    I’m proud that Idaho’s legal work established the precedent for the Supreme Court victory in Trump v. Casa. We didn’t just defend our state’s sovereignty—we helped restore the proper balance of power between judges and the American people. When voters elect leaders to enact their priorities, no single federal judge should have the power to override the will of millions. That principle now stands as the law of the land.
    Best Regards,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Labrador Letter: Idaho’s Legal Fight Helps Trump End Nationwide Injunctions

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom Labrador Letter: Idaho’s Legal Fight Helps Trump End Nationwide Injunctions

    Dear Friends,
    I promised when I became Idaho’s 33rd Attorney General that I would be aggressive in defending the laws of our state and the constitutional rights of our citizens. Recently, the United States Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory that proves this approach was correct—and Idaho’s legal work helped make it possible.
    In Trump v. Casa, the Supreme Court cited our case, Labrador v. Poe, six times when establishing new legal precedent that ends the era of a single federal judge blocking policies for the entire country, referred to as “universal injunctions.” When the nation’s highest court uses Idaho’s case as legal precedent to rule on a critically important constitutional question, it proves that principled legal strategy works.
    This victory began right here in Idaho. When we defended our Vulnerable Child Protection Act, which protects children from dangerous and irreversible gender hormones and procedures, activists challenged the law. A federal district judge issued a universal injunction that blocked Idaho from enforcing the entire law anywhere in the state.
    We immediately appealed this judicial overreach to the Ninth Circuit, arguing that the injunction should apply only to the two plaintiffs who sued, not every person in Idaho. When the Ninth Circuit refused to narrow the scope, we took the case directly to the Supreme Court.
    In April 2024, the Supreme Court granted our request in Labrador v. Poe. Justice Gorsuch wrote a powerful concurring opinion explaining why these universal injunctions circumvent normal judicial processes, force judges to make rushed, high-stakes, low-information decisions, and let parties by barring the enforcement of a duly enacted law against anyone through strategic judge shopping.
    That legal reasoning became the foundation for this landmark decision. The Supreme Court used our precedent to rule that federal judges can no longer issue universal injunctions that let one judge in one courthouse block policies for the entire nation.
    This couldn’t come at a better time. Americans watched in frustration during President Trump’s first term as single federal judges issued sweeping orders that blocked his agenda at every turn. Now in his second term, federal judges have continued issuing nationwide injunctions trying to stop President Trump from firing unaccountable bureaucrats, cutting wasteful USAID spending, and deporting criminal illegal aliens.
    No longer should a single federal judge in California or New York issue an order that stops the Trump administration, or any future administration, from enforcing immigration law nationwide. And in the same way, federal judges should not prevent Idaho from enforcing our laws on the books across the state if only a handful of individuals sue. Federal judges must now limit their orders to the actual parties in front of them, not the whole country or state.
    While liberal critics and the press—but I repeat myself—have attacked our approach throughout my time as Attorney General, the results speak for themselves. When the Supreme Court cites your case to establish binding legal precedent that protects constitutional governance nationwide, that is a clear sign that we are doing something right.
    I’m proud that Idaho’s legal work established the precedent for the Supreme Court victory in Trump v. Casa. We didn’t just defend our state’s sovereignty—we helped restore the proper balance of power between judges and the American people. When voters elect leaders to enact their priorities, no single federal judge should have the power to override the will of millions. That principle now stands as the law of the land.
    Best Regards,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RIDOH and DEM Recommend Avoiding Contact with Select Roger Williams Park Ponds

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) are advising people to avoid contact with Roger William Park Ponds (Edgewood Lake, Cunliff Lake, and Elm Lake) in Providence due to a confirmed cyanobacteria bloom. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are naturally present in bodies of water, but under certain environmental conditions will form harmful algae blooms (HABs). All recreation, including swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking, is high risk to health and recommended to be avoided at these locations. HABs can produce toxins which can be harmful to humans and animals. Toxins and/or high cell counts have been detected by the RIDOH State Health Laboratory from water samples collected by DEM at these locations. This advisory recommendation remains in effect until further notice.

    Use caution in all areas of Roger William Park Ponds as cyanobacteria HABs can move locations in ponds and lakes. People should not drink untreated water or eat fish from affected waterbodies. Pet owners should not allow pets to drink or swim in this water.

    Skin contact with water containing toxin-producing cyanobacteria can cause irritation of the skin, nose, eyes, and throat. Symptoms from ingestion of water can include stomachache, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Less common symptoms can include dizziness, headache, fever, liver damage, and nervous system damage. Young children and pets are at higher risk for health effects associated with cyanobacteria HABs because they are more likely to swallow water when they are in or around bodies of water. People who have had contact with these ponds and experience those symptoms should contact their healthcare provider.

    If you or your pet come into contact with a cyanobacteria HAB: — Rinse your skin with clean water right away. — Shower and wash your cloths when you get home. — If your pet was exposed, wash it with clean water immediately and don’t let it lick algae from its fur. — Call a vet if your pet shows signs of illness like tiredness, no eating, vomiting, diarrhea or other symptoms within a day. — If you feel sick after contact, call a healthcare provider.

    Affected waters might look bright to dark green, with thick algae floating on the surface. It may resemble green paint, pea soup, or green cottage cheese. If you see water like this, people and pets should avoid contact with the water. To report suspected cyanobacteria blooms, contact DEM’s Office of Water Resources at 401-222-4700 Press 6 or DEM.OWRCyano@dem.ri.gov and if possible, send a photograph of the reported algae bloom.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom provides $11 million to organizations helping underserved job seekers find training and employment

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jul 11, 2025

    What you need to know: Governor Newsom is announcing that the California Employment Development Department is awarding $11 million to help six California organizations connect underserved adults — including veterans, people with disabilities, and at-risk young adults — with job training and career development services.

    SACRAMENTO — A nearly $11 million grant will help six California-based organizations develop and deliver job training and career development services to Californians facing some of the most significant barriers to finding employment. This includes veterans, people with disabilities, English-language learners, the long-term unemployed, workers over the age of 55, and at-risk young adults who are not in school or are unemployed. According to a national Georgetown University study, Jobs for All, there are approximately 27 to 35 million individuals who want to work but face significant barriers (such as poverty, disability, or long-term unemployment) to getting hired. 

    In California, investments like the Employment Social Enterprise program supports Governor Newsom’s Master Plan for Career Education, which aims to bridge the gap and equip all students and workers with the tools necessary to achieve stability through good-paying jobs. 

    “Every Californian deserves the opportunity to pursue a meaningful career. This investment advances California’s Master Plan for Career Education and California Jobs First by expanding access to career pathways for Californians who’ve historically faced systemic barriers. It’s a step toward a more inclusive and opportunity-rich economy for everyone.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    “The Employment Social Enterprise Program brings jobs and dignity to Californians who’ve been left out of the workforce by connecting them to real work, supportive services, and long-term opportunity. These grants help mission-driven businesses grow while unlocking potential in communities too often excluded from the labor market.”

    Stewart Knox, Secretary of Laboy & Workforce Development

    “By providing opportunities for those who have been overlooked in society, we’re helping more Californians build lasting careers that strengthen our workforce,” said EDD Director Nancy Farias.

     These awards from the Employment Development Department (EDD), in coordination with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, are part of the Employment Social Enterprise program.

    Employment Social Enterprises are businesses that sell goods and services and provide transitional jobs and support to people breaking through employment barriers. Grant funds focus on transitioning individuals into stable, good-paying jobs — where they can earn wages, gain work experience, improve job skills, and access supportive services. Supportive services may include housing assistance, childcare access, mental health services, job coaching, and more.

    The Employment Social Enterprise program is a part of the California Jobs First initiative. In partnership with its 13 economic regions, the State is investing in job creation, industrial strategy, and economic development initiatives, to create a more equitable economy that works for all Californians. 

    What they’re saying

    Jeff Negrete, Executive Director, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fresno: “At Catholic Charities, we’ve always been here to meet immediate needs — food, clothing, and critical support in moments of crisis. But this grant allows us to do something more. It gives us the opportunity to offer a true hand up. Our mission calls us to serve, advocate for, and empower those in need, and this program truly brings empowerment to life. With this workforce development program, we can help people take real steps forward — to find meaningful work, to experience the power of the paycheck, and to help them gain the tools necessary to shape a better future.”

    Will Oliver, President & CEO, Fresno County Economic Development Corporation: “We’re thrilled to receive this EDD grant. It’s a critical investment that will allow us to expand access to high-quality careers, providing vital talent for our growing businesses and ensuring job seekers from social enterprises can step into good-paying, sustainable employment.”

    Kerry Doi, PACE President & CEO: “TEACH Track represents an intentional investment in the people and future of Los Angeles. By connecting underserved job seekers to meaningful, quality careers in early childhood education, we are strengthening families, the workforce, and the community.”

    Elisabeth White, Founder, Plan of Action: “Our mission is to open doors for autistic talent in the creative industries by building an inclusive, industry-focused employment pipeline. By bringing animation jobs back to Los Angeles, we’re showcasing the outstanding talents and contributions of neurodiverse individuals.”

    Jessica Filbrun, CEO Stanislaus Equity Partners: “We have a unique mission and opportunity, through California Employment Development Department’s Social Enterprise Grant to catalyze social enterprise incubation, increase job training models, and create employment opportunities. This truly mobilizes regional partnerships to develop creative, low-cost housing solutions through the development of a regional San Joaquin Valley modular home manufacturing facility.”

    Maria Kim, President & CEO, REDF: “This program goes beyond just creating jobs; these grantee organizations help restore dignity, expand opportunity, and build a more inclusive economy. Inspired by the ESE [Employment Social Enterprise] model that leverages the power of real work experiences as a critical first step, the California Employment Social Enterprise WIOA program supports 6 innovative organizations as they unlock economic mobility and workforce equity for some of our most vulnerable Californians. REDF is honored to help these organizations to grow and to surface economic mobility models that can be inspiration for the field.”

    Employment social enterprise program awardees

    • Fresno County: Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fresno, $1.91 million; The Economic Development Corporation Serving Fresno County, $1.7 million
    • Los Angeles County: Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment, $1.91 million; Plan of Action, $833,829
    • Riverside County: Inland Southern California 211+, $1.73 million
    • Stanislaus County: Stanislaus Equity Partners, $1.91 million
    • Statewide: REDF, $978,735

    An additional $1 million has been awarded to REDF to provide technical assistance and strengthen collaboration among the six awardees, share best practices, and support program development and implementation.

    These grants are funded under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Governor’s Discretionary funds and are 100 percent federally funded by two separate awards totaling $9,999, $199.53, and $978,735.71 respectively, from the U.S. Department of Labor.

    Recent news

    Jul 11, 2025

    News What you need to know: As part of California’s strategy to combat homelessness and expand housing, Governor Gavin Newsom is reorganizing state agencies to institutionalize housing, homelessness, and affordability as long-term priorities. The reorganization…

    Jul 10, 2025

    News What you need to know: To help mark Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, the First Partner visits an apprenticeship program that is helping opportunity youth—including women of color—break into careers in Hollywood’s below-the-line workforce. LOS ANGELES—First Partner…

    Jul 10, 2025

    News What you need to know: In the second quarter of 2025, the state’s cross-agency enforcement efforts – including UCETF’s largest operation to date – resulted in the seizure of 185,873 pounds of illicit cannabis product valued at $476 million. Sacramento, California…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom restructures state government to combat homelessness, boost housing and affordability

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jul 11, 2025

    What you need to know: As part of California’s strategy to combat homelessness and expand housing, Governor Gavin Newsom is reorganizing state agencies to institutionalize housing, homelessness, and affordability as long-term priorities. The reorganization creates a new California Housing and Homelessness Agency and a separate Business and Consumer Services Agency to enhance focus and accountability across these critical areas.

    SACRAMENTO – Building on the Administration’s efforts to reverse decades of inaction on housing and homelessness, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the reorganization proposal went into effect last week, authorizing the state to move forward and create the California Housing and Homelessness Agency and the Business and Consumer Services Agency. As a result, the state will move forward with the formation of the two new agencies to institutionalize these policy priorities for years to come: The California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) focused on housing, homelessness, and civil rights, and the Business and Consumer Services Agency (BCSA) is dedicated to business regulation and consumer protection.  

    “Housing and homelessness are complex and multifaceted issues — deserving of full and prioritized attention — something we have established within this administration. I am grateful that the legislature recognized the need for a new standalone agency dedicated to addressing these vexing issues that continue to face our state and nation, so that these issues will never fall into the shadows again. We have a moral imperative to continue this work and to ensure every Californian has a safe place to call home.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Since taking office in 2019, Governor Newsom has created unprecedented policy and structural changes in state government to help California better address its housing and homelessness crises, including additional and unprecedented support for local governments, stronger accountability and enforcement, transformational changes to mental health services, and groundbreaking reforms — including a recently signed housing and infrastructure package that delivers foundational reforms to break down systemic barriers and help ensure California can meet the housing needs of current and future generations. These changes have helped connect hundreds of thousands of people at risk of or experiencing homelessness with vital supports.

    Today’s announcement continues the administration’s ongoing work to increase housing, reduce homelessness, and improve affordability. Establishing a standalone agency provides the alignment needed to speed up the construction and financing of housing under California’s affordable housing programs. This approach aims to reduce, prevent, and ultimately end homelessness, while safeguarding civil rights and reinforcing California’s leadership in consumer protections. The new structure will also create a new housing continuum system to better align housing programs and financing and provide a more streamlined process with an all-of-government approach.

    Creating long-term solutions

    By creating a dedicated housing agency and streamlining consumer oversight, the Newsom Administration is ensuring California remains focused on long-term, scalable solutions that serve current and future generations.

    “This bold plan shows we are being more aggressive in prioritizing change for the better,” said Tomiquia Moss, Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. “This will enable us to better reach our goal of 2.5 million new homes by 2030, with one million of them being affordable housing. I’m extremely pleased the Governor is cementing his legacy by taking the Administration’s accomplishments to the next level, providing the structure to make lasting and sustainable change.”

    The California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) will concentrate on coordinating efforts across government to tackle housing and homelessness challenges, as well as protecting Californians’ civil rights. In this all-of-government approach, CHHA will utilize resources and expertise within government to address these important issues. It includes the following departments:

    • The Housing Development and Finance Committee (HDFC)
    • Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) 
    • California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) 
    • California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA)
    • Civil Rights Department (CRD) 

    The Business and Consumer Services Agency (BCSA) will strengthen the state’s ability to protect consumers by providing focused leadership and oversight across a wide range of industries, such as occupational licensing, alcohol regulation, cannabis regulation, and financial protection, fostering a proactive approach to addressing emerging risks and needs. It includes the following departments:

    • Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) 
    • Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board (ABC AB) 
    • Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) 
    • Cannabis Control Appeals Panel (CCAP) 
    • California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) 
    • Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) 
    • Department of Real Estate (DRE) 
    • Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) 

    The new California Housing and Homelessness Agency and the Business Consumer Services Agency will become effective July 1, 2026, at which time the current Business Consumer Services and Housing Agency will be dissolved. 

    Reversing decades of inaction

    The Newsom administration is making significant progress in reversing decades of inaction on homelessness. Between 2014 and 2019—before Governor Newsom took office—unsheltered homelessness in California rose by approximately 37,000 people. Since then, under this Administration, California has significantly slowed that growth, even as many other states have seen worsening trends

    In 2024, while homelessness increased nationally by over 18%, California limited its overall increase to just 3%—a lower rate than in 40 other states. The state also held the growth of unsheltered homelessness to just 0.45%, compared to a national increase of nearly 7%. States like Florida, Texas, New York, and Illinois saw larger increases both in percentage and absolute numbers. California also achieved the nation’s largest reduction in veteran homelessness and made meaningful progress in reducing youth homelessness.

    Recent news

    Jul 10, 2025

    News What you need to know: To help mark Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, the First Partner visits an apprenticeship program that is helping opportunity youth—including women of color—break into careers in Hollywood’s below-the-line workforce. LOS ANGELES—First Partner…

    Jul 10, 2025

    News What you need to know: In the second quarter of 2025, the state’s cross-agency enforcement efforts – including UCETF’s largest operation to date – resulted in the seizure of 185,873 pounds of illicit cannabis product valued at $476 million. Sacramento, California…

    Jul 10, 2025

    News What you need to know: New data shows California’s power grid has run on 100% clean energy for some part of the day nearly every day this year – thanks to the state’s commitment to investing in new resources. SACRAMENTO – More than 9 out of 10 days so far this…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Announces Expedited Assistance for Vermont Farmers Impacted by Natural Disasters 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    BURLINGTON, VT – Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced that Vermont farmers and producers affected by crop losses from natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can now submit applications for assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Disaster Relief Program. More than $16 billion in aid, made possible by the American Relief Act, 2025, will support farmers across the U.S., including in Vermont, who suffered agricultural and revenue losses due to natural disasters. This funding for farmers was a priority championed by Senator Welch. 
    Vermont producers impacted by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can learn more about applying for USDA disaster relief payments here. 
    “After brutal flooding wreaked havoc across Vermont in 2023 and again in 2024, I promised our farmers the federal government would be there to help. This funding will provide more than $16 billion to producers across the country who were victim to natural disasters—including those hit hard by flooding in the Green Mountain State. I’ll keep working with USDA to get more disaster aid to Vermont’s impacted farms,” said Senator Welch. 
    This funding is currently only open to those who received assistance through crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance program in 2023 and 2024. Sign-ups are happening in-person at the county offices of the Farm Service Agency, and pre-filled applications were mailed out to eligible producers earlier this week. USDA will share additional information on how producers that suffered shallow or uncovered losses can apply for assistance later this year. 
    Further USDA disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, Loan Assistance Tool, and the FarmRaise online FSA education hub. Payment details will be updated here weekly. For more information, Vermont farmers can contact their local USDA Service Center. 

    MIL OSI USA News –