NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: To the Spacemobile!

    Source: NASA

    In this Nov. 1, 1964, image, three members of NASA’s Lewis Research Center’s (now NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland) Educational Services Office pose with one of the center’s Spacemobile space science demonstration units. Once the NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) became NASA, public outreach became one of the agency’s core tenets. Lewis, which had previously been a closed laboratory, began hosting open houses and elaborate space fairs in the early 1960s.
    In addition, the center initiated educational programs that worked with local schools and a robust speaker’s bureau that explained NASA activities to the community. One aspect of these efforts was the Spacemobile Program. These vehicles included a delegated speaker, exhibits, models, and other resources. The Spacemobiles, which made forays across the Midwest, were extremely active throughout the 1960s.
    Image credit: NASA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: To the Spacemobile!

    Source: NASA

    In this Nov. 1, 1964, image, three members of NASA’s Lewis Research Center’s (now NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland) Educational Services Office pose with one of the center’s Spacemobile space science demonstration units. Once the NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) became NASA, public outreach became one of the agency’s core tenets. Lewis, which had previously been a closed laboratory, began hosting open houses and elaborate space fairs in the early 1960s.
    In addition, the center initiated educational programs that worked with local schools and a robust speaker’s bureau that explained NASA activities to the community. One aspect of these efforts was the Spacemobile Program. These vehicles included a delegated speaker, exhibits, models, and other resources. The Spacemobiles, which made forays across the Midwest, were extremely active throughout the 1960s.
    Image credit: NASA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Discovery Alert: Flaring Star, Toasted Planet

    Source: NASA

    A giant planet some 400 light-years away, HIP 67522 b, orbits its parent star so tightly that it appears to cause frequent flares from the star’s surface, heating and inflating the planet’s atmosphere.

    On planet Earth, “space weather” caused by solar flares might disrupt radio communications, or even damage satellites. But Earth’s atmosphere protects us from truly harmful effects, and we orbit the Sun at a respectable distance, out of reach of the flares themselves.
    Not so for planet HIP 67522 b. A gas giant in a young star system – just 17 million years old – the planet takes only seven days to complete one orbit around its star. A “year,” in other words, lasts barely as long as a week on Earth. That places the planet perilously close to the star. Worse, the star is of a type known to flare – especially in their youth.
    In this case, the proximity of the planet appears to result in fairly frequent flaring.

    The star and the planet form a powerful but likely a destructive bond. In a manner not yet fully understood, the planet hooks into the star’s magnetic field, triggering flares on the star’s surface; the flares whiplash energy back to the planet. Combined with other high-energy radiation from the star, the flare-induced heating appears to have increased the already steep inflation of the planet’s atmosphere, giving HIP 67522 b a diameter comparable to our own planet Jupiter despite having just 5% of Jupiter’s mass.
    This might well mean that the planet won’t stay in the Jupiter size-range for long. One effect of being continually pummeled with intense radiation could be a loss of atmosphere over time. In another 100 million years, that could shrink the planet to the status of a “hot Neptune,” or, with a more radical loss of atmosphere, even a “sub-Neptune,” a planet type smaller than Neptune that is common in our galaxy but lacking in our solar system.

    Four hundred light-years is much too far away to capture images of stellar flares striking orbiting planets. So how did a science team led by Netherlands astronomer Ekaterina Ilin discover this was happening? They used space-borne telescopes, NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and the European Space Agency’s CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExoPlanets Telescope), to track flares on the star, and also to trace the path of the planet’s orbit.
    Both telescopes use the “transit” method to determine the diameter of a planet and the time it takes to orbit its star. The transit is a kind of mini-eclipse. As the planet crosses the star’s face, it causes a tiny dip in starlight reaching the telescope. But the same observation method also picks up sudden stabs of brightness from the star – the stellar flares. Combining these observations over five years’ time and applying rigorous statistical analysis, the science team revealed that the planet is zapped with six times more flares than it would be without that magnetic connection.   

    A team of scientists from the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland, led by Ekaterina Ilin of the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, published their paper on the planet-star connection, “Close-in planet induces flares on its host star,” in the journal Nature on July 2, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Discovery Alert: Flaring Star, Toasted Planet

    Source: NASA

    A giant planet some 400 light-years away, HIP 67522 b, orbits its parent star so tightly that it appears to cause frequent flares from the star’s surface, heating and inflating the planet’s atmosphere.

    On planet Earth, “space weather” caused by solar flares might disrupt radio communications, or even damage satellites. But Earth’s atmosphere protects us from truly harmful effects, and we orbit the Sun at a respectable distance, out of reach of the flares themselves.
    Not so for planet HIP 67522 b. A gas giant in a young star system – just 17 million years old – the planet takes only seven days to complete one orbit around its star. A “year,” in other words, lasts barely as long as a week on Earth. That places the planet perilously close to the star. Worse, the star is of a type known to flare – especially in their youth.
    In this case, the proximity of the planet appears to result in fairly frequent flaring.

    The star and the planet form a powerful but likely a destructive bond. In a manner not yet fully understood, the planet hooks into the star’s magnetic field, triggering flares on the star’s surface; the flares whiplash energy back to the planet. Combined with other high-energy radiation from the star, the flare-induced heating appears to have increased the already steep inflation of the planet’s atmosphere, giving HIP 67522 b a diameter comparable to our own planet Jupiter despite having just 5% of Jupiter’s mass.
    This might well mean that the planet won’t stay in the Jupiter size-range for long. One effect of being continually pummeled with intense radiation could be a loss of atmosphere over time. In another 100 million years, that could shrink the planet to the status of a “hot Neptune,” or, with a more radical loss of atmosphere, even a “sub-Neptune,” a planet type smaller than Neptune that is common in our galaxy but lacking in our solar system.

    Four hundred light-years is much too far away to capture images of stellar flares striking orbiting planets. So how did a science team led by Netherlands astronomer Ekaterina Ilin discover this was happening? They used space-borne telescopes, NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and the European Space Agency’s CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExoPlanets Telescope), to track flares on the star, and also to trace the path of the planet’s orbit.
    Both telescopes use the “transit” method to determine the diameter of a planet and the time it takes to orbit its star. The transit is a kind of mini-eclipse. As the planet crosses the star’s face, it causes a tiny dip in starlight reaching the telescope. But the same observation method also picks up sudden stabs of brightness from the star – the stellar flares. Combining these observations over five years’ time and applying rigorous statistical analysis, the science team revealed that the planet is zapped with six times more flares than it would be without that magnetic connection.   

    A team of scientists from the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland, led by Ekaterina Ilin of the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, published their paper on the planet-star connection, “Close-in planet induces flares on its host star,” in the journal Nature on July 2, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 3 Years of Science: 10 Cosmic Surprises from NASA’s Webb Telescope

    Source: NASA

    Since July 2022, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has been unwaveringly focused on our universe. With its unprecedented power to detect and analyze otherwise invisible infrared light, Webb is making observations that were once impossible, changing our view of the cosmos from the most distant galaxies to our own solar system.
    Webb was built with the promise of revolutionizing astronomy, of rewriting the textbooks. And by any measure, it has more than lived up to the hype — exceeding expectations to a degree that scientists had not dared imagine. Since science operations began, Webb has completed more than 860 scientific programs, with one-quarter of its time dedicated to imaging and three-quarters to spectroscopy. In just three years, it has collected nearly 550 terabytes of data, yielding more than 1,600 research papers, with intriguing results too numerous to list and a host of new questions to answer.
    Here are just a few noteworthy examples.

    Webb was specifically designed to observe “cosmic dawn,” a time during the first billion years of the universe when the first stars and galaxies were forming. What we expected to see were a few faint galaxies, hints of what would become the galaxies we see nearby.
    Instead, Webb has revealed surprisingly bright galaxies that developed within 300 million years of the big bang; galaxies with black holes that seem far too massive for their age; and an infant Milky Way-type galaxy that existed when the universe was just 600 million years old. Webb has observed galaxies that already “turned off” and stopped forming stars within a billion years of the big bang, as well as those that developed quickly into modern-looking “grand design” spirals within 1.5 billion years.
    Hundreds of millions of years might not seem quick for a growth spurt, but keep in mind that the universe formed in the big bang roughly 13.8 billion years ago. If you were to cram all of cosmic time into one year, the most distant of these galaxies would have matured within the first couple of weeks, rapidly forming multiple generations of stars and enriching the universe with the elements we see today.

    Webb has revealed a new type of galaxy: a distant population of mysteriously compact, bright, red galaxies dubbed Little Red Dots. What makes Little Red Dots so bright and so red? Are they lit up by dense groupings of unusually bright stars or by gas spiraling into a supermassive black hole, or both? And whatever happened to them? Little Red Dots seem to have appeared in the universe around 600 million years after the big bang (13.2 billion years ago), and rapidly declined in number less than a billion years later. Did they evolve into something else? If so, how? Webb is probing Little Red Dots in more detail to answer these questions.

    How fast is the universe expanding? It’s hard to say because different ways of calculating the current expansion rate yield different results — a dilemma known as the Hubble Tension. Are these differences just a result of measurement errors, or is there something weird going on in the universe? So far, Webb data indicates that the Hubble Tension is not caused by measurement errors. Webb was able to distinguish pulsating stars from nearby stars in a crowded field, ensuring that the measurements weren’t contaminated by extra light. Webb also discovered a distant, gravitationally lensed supernova whose image appears in three different locations and at three different times during its explosion. Calculating the expansion rate based on the brightness of the supernova at these three different times provides an independent check on measurements made using other techniques. Until the matter of the Hubble Tension is settled, Webb will continue measuring different objects and exploring new methods.

    While NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope made the first detection of gases in the atmosphere of a gas giant exoplanet (a planet outside our solar system), Webb has taken studies to an entirely new level. Webb has revealed a rich cocktail of chemicals, including hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, and sulfur dioxide — none of which had been clearly detected in an atmosphere outside our solar system before. Webb has also been able to examine exotic climates of gas giants as never before, detecting flakes of silica “snow” in the skies of the puffy, searing-hot gas giant WASP-17 b, for example, and measuring differences in temperature and cloud cover between the permanent morning and evening skies of WASP-39 b.

    Detecting, let alone analyzing, a thin layer of gas surrounding a small rocky planet is no easy feat, but Webb’s extraordinary ability to measure extremely subtle changes in the brightness of infrared light makes it possible. So far, Webb has been able to rule out significant atmosphere on a number of rocky planets, and has found tantalizing signs of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide on 55 Cancri e, a lava world that orbits a Sun-like star. With findings like these, Webb is laying the groundwork for NASA’s future Habitable Worlds Observatory, which will be the first mission purpose-built to directly image and search for life on Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars.

    We already knew that galaxies are collections of stars, planets, dust, gas, dark matter, and black holes: cosmic cities where stars form, live, die, and are recycled into the next generation. But we had never been able to see the structure of a galaxy and the interactions between stars and their environment in such detail. Webb’s infrared vision reveals filaments of dust that trace the spiral arms, old star clusters that make up galactic cores, newly forming stars still encased in dense cocoons of glowing dust and gas, and clusters of hot young stars carving enormous cavities in the dust. It also elucidates how stellar winds and explosions actively reshape their galactic homes.

    Brown dwarfs form like stars, but are not dense or hot enough to fuse hydrogen in their cores like stars do. Rogue planets form like other planets, but have been ejected from their system and no longer orbit a star. Webb has spotted hundreds of brown-dwarf-like objects in the Milky Way, and has even detected some candidates in a neighboring galaxy. But some of these objects are so small — just a few times the mass of Jupiter — that it is hard to figure out how they formed. Are they free-floating gas giant planets instead? What is the least amount of material needed to form a brown dwarf or a star? We’re not sure yet, but thanks to three years of Webb observations, we now know there is a continuum of objects from planets to brown dwarfs to stars.

    When a star like our Sun dies, it swells up to form a red giant large enough to engulf nearby planets. It then sheds its outer layers, leaving behind a super-hot core known as a white dwarf. Is there a safe distance that planets can survive this process? Webb might have found some planets orbiting white dwarfs. If these candidates are confirmed, it would mean that it is possible for planets to survive the death of their star, remaining in orbit around the slowly cooling stellar ember.

    Among the icy “ocean worlds” of our solar system, Saturn’s moon Enceladus might be the most intriguing. NASA’s Cassini mission first detected water plumes coming out of its southern pole. But only Webb could reveal the plume’s true scale as a vast cloud spanning more than 6,000 miles, about 20 times wider than Enceladus itself. This water spreads out into a donut-shaped torus encircling Saturn beyond the rings that are visible in backyard telescopes. While a fraction of the water stays in that ring, the majority of it spreads throughout the Saturnian system, even raining down onto the planet itself. Webb’s unique observations of rings, auroras, clouds, winds, ices, gases, and other materials and phenomena in the solar system are helping us better understand what our cosmic neighborhood is made of and how it has changed over time.

    [embedded content]
    A combination of images and spectra captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope show a giant plume of water jetting out from the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, creating a donut-shaped ring of water around the planet.Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, G. Villanueva (NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center), A. Pagan (STScI), L. Hustak (STScI)

    In 2024 astronomers discovered an asteroid that, based on preliminary calculations, had a chance of hitting Earth. Such potentially hazardous asteroids become an immediate focus of attention, and Webb was uniquely able to measure the object, which turned out to be the size of a 15-story building. While this particular asteroid is no longer considered a threat to Earth, the study demonstrated Webb’s ability to assess the hazard.
    Webb also provided support for NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which deliberately smashed into the Didymos binary asteroid system, showing that a planned impact could deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. Both Webb and Hubble observed the impact, serving witness to the resulting spray of material that was ejected. Webb’s spectroscopic observations of the system confirmed that the composition of the asteroids is probably typical of those that could threaten Earth.
    —-
    In just three years of operations, Webb has brought the distant universe into focus, revealing unexpectedly bright and numerous galaxies. It has unveiled new stars in their dusty cocoons, remains of exploded stars, and skeletons of entire galaxies. It has studied weather on gas giants, and hunted for atmospheres on rocky planets. And it has provided new insights into the residents of our own solar system.
    But this is only the beginning. Engineers estimate that Webb has enough fuel to continue observing for at least 20 more years, giving us the opportunity to answer additional questions, pursue new mysteries, and put together more pieces of the cosmic puzzle.
    For example: What were the very first stars like? Did stars form differently in the early universe? Do we even know how galaxies form? How do stars, dust, and supermassive black holes affect each other? What can merging galaxy clusters tell us about the nature of dark matter? How do collisions, bursts of stellar radiation, and migration of icy pebbles affect planet-forming disks? Can atmospheres survive on rocky worlds orbiting active red dwarf stars? Is Uranus’s moon Ariel an ocean world?
    As with any scientific endeavor, every answer raises more questions, and Webb has shown that its investigative power is unmatched. Demand for observing time on Webb is at an all-time high, greater than any other telescope in history, on the ground or in space. What new findings await?
    By Dr. Macarena Garcia Marin and Margaret W. Carruthers, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland

    Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.govNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
    Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

    More Webb News
    More Webb Images
    Webb Science Themes
    Webb Mission Page

    What is the Webb Telescope?
    SpacePlace for Kids
    En Español
    Ciencia de la NASA
    NASA en español 
    Space Place para niños

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 3 Years of Science: 10 Cosmic Surprises from NASA’s Webb Telescope

    Source: NASA

    Since July 2022, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has been unwaveringly focused on our universe. With its unprecedented power to detect and analyze otherwise invisible infrared light, Webb is making observations that were once impossible, changing our view of the cosmos from the most distant galaxies to our own solar system.
    Webb was built with the promise of revolutionizing astronomy, of rewriting the textbooks. And by any measure, it has more than lived up to the hype — exceeding expectations to a degree that scientists had not dared imagine. Since science operations began, Webb has completed more than 860 scientific programs, with one-quarter of its time dedicated to imaging and three-quarters to spectroscopy. In just three years, it has collected nearly 550 terabytes of data, yielding more than 1,600 research papers, with intriguing results too numerous to list and a host of new questions to answer.
    Here are just a few noteworthy examples.

    Webb was specifically designed to observe “cosmic dawn,” a time during the first billion years of the universe when the first stars and galaxies were forming. What we expected to see were a few faint galaxies, hints of what would become the galaxies we see nearby.
    Instead, Webb has revealed surprisingly bright galaxies that developed within 300 million years of the big bang; galaxies with black holes that seem far too massive for their age; and an infant Milky Way-type galaxy that existed when the universe was just 600 million years old. Webb has observed galaxies that already “turned off” and stopped forming stars within a billion years of the big bang, as well as those that developed quickly into modern-looking “grand design” spirals within 1.5 billion years.
    Hundreds of millions of years might not seem quick for a growth spurt, but keep in mind that the universe formed in the big bang roughly 13.8 billion years ago. If you were to cram all of cosmic time into one year, the most distant of these galaxies would have matured within the first couple of weeks, rapidly forming multiple generations of stars and enriching the universe with the elements we see today.

    Webb has revealed a new type of galaxy: a distant population of mysteriously compact, bright, red galaxies dubbed Little Red Dots. What makes Little Red Dots so bright and so red? Are they lit up by dense groupings of unusually bright stars or by gas spiraling into a supermassive black hole, or both? And whatever happened to them? Little Red Dots seem to have appeared in the universe around 600 million years after the big bang (13.2 billion years ago), and rapidly declined in number less than a billion years later. Did they evolve into something else? If so, how? Webb is probing Little Red Dots in more detail to answer these questions.

    How fast is the universe expanding? It’s hard to say because different ways of calculating the current expansion rate yield different results — a dilemma known as the Hubble Tension. Are these differences just a result of measurement errors, or is there something weird going on in the universe? So far, Webb data indicates that the Hubble Tension is not caused by measurement errors. Webb was able to distinguish pulsating stars from nearby stars in a crowded field, ensuring that the measurements weren’t contaminated by extra light. Webb also discovered a distant, gravitationally lensed supernova whose image appears in three different locations and at three different times during its explosion. Calculating the expansion rate based on the brightness of the supernova at these three different times provides an independent check on measurements made using other techniques. Until the matter of the Hubble Tension is settled, Webb will continue measuring different objects and exploring new methods.

    While NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope made the first detection of gases in the atmosphere of a gas giant exoplanet (a planet outside our solar system), Webb has taken studies to an entirely new level. Webb has revealed a rich cocktail of chemicals, including hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, and sulfur dioxide — none of which had been clearly detected in an atmosphere outside our solar system before. Webb has also been able to examine exotic climates of gas giants as never before, detecting flakes of silica “snow” in the skies of the puffy, searing-hot gas giant WASP-17 b, for example, and measuring differences in temperature and cloud cover between the permanent morning and evening skies of WASP-39 b.

    Detecting, let alone analyzing, a thin layer of gas surrounding a small rocky planet is no easy feat, but Webb’s extraordinary ability to measure extremely subtle changes in the brightness of infrared light makes it possible. So far, Webb has been able to rule out significant atmosphere on a number of rocky planets, and has found tantalizing signs of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide on 55 Cancri e, a lava world that orbits a Sun-like star. With findings like these, Webb is laying the groundwork for NASA’s future Habitable Worlds Observatory, which will be the first mission purpose-built to directly image and search for life on Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars.

    We already knew that galaxies are collections of stars, planets, dust, gas, dark matter, and black holes: cosmic cities where stars form, live, die, and are recycled into the next generation. But we had never been able to see the structure of a galaxy and the interactions between stars and their environment in such detail. Webb’s infrared vision reveals filaments of dust that trace the spiral arms, old star clusters that make up galactic cores, newly forming stars still encased in dense cocoons of glowing dust and gas, and clusters of hot young stars carving enormous cavities in the dust. It also elucidates how stellar winds and explosions actively reshape their galactic homes.

    Brown dwarfs form like stars, but are not dense or hot enough to fuse hydrogen in their cores like stars do. Rogue planets form like other planets, but have been ejected from their system and no longer orbit a star. Webb has spotted hundreds of brown-dwarf-like objects in the Milky Way, and has even detected some candidates in a neighboring galaxy. But some of these objects are so small — just a few times the mass of Jupiter — that it is hard to figure out how they formed. Are they free-floating gas giant planets instead? What is the least amount of material needed to form a brown dwarf or a star? We’re not sure yet, but thanks to three years of Webb observations, we now know there is a continuum of objects from planets to brown dwarfs to stars.

    When a star like our Sun dies, it swells up to form a red giant large enough to engulf nearby planets. It then sheds its outer layers, leaving behind a super-hot core known as a white dwarf. Is there a safe distance that planets can survive this process? Webb might have found some planets orbiting white dwarfs. If these candidates are confirmed, it would mean that it is possible for planets to survive the death of their star, remaining in orbit around the slowly cooling stellar ember.

    Among the icy “ocean worlds” of our solar system, Saturn’s moon Enceladus might be the most intriguing. NASA’s Cassini mission first detected water plumes coming out of its southern pole. But only Webb could reveal the plume’s true scale as a vast cloud spanning more than 6,000 miles, about 20 times wider than Enceladus itself. This water spreads out into a donut-shaped torus encircling Saturn beyond the rings that are visible in backyard telescopes. While a fraction of the water stays in that ring, the majority of it spreads throughout the Saturnian system, even raining down onto the planet itself. Webb’s unique observations of rings, auroras, clouds, winds, ices, gases, and other materials and phenomena in the solar system are helping us better understand what our cosmic neighborhood is made of and how it has changed over time.

    [embedded content]
    A combination of images and spectra captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope show a giant plume of water jetting out from the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, creating a donut-shaped ring of water around the planet.Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, G. Villanueva (NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center), A. Pagan (STScI), L. Hustak (STScI)

    In 2024 astronomers discovered an asteroid that, based on preliminary calculations, had a chance of hitting Earth. Such potentially hazardous asteroids become an immediate focus of attention, and Webb was uniquely able to measure the object, which turned out to be the size of a 15-story building. While this particular asteroid is no longer considered a threat to Earth, the study demonstrated Webb’s ability to assess the hazard.
    Webb also provided support for NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which deliberately smashed into the Didymos binary asteroid system, showing that a planned impact could deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. Both Webb and Hubble observed the impact, serving witness to the resulting spray of material that was ejected. Webb’s spectroscopic observations of the system confirmed that the composition of the asteroids is probably typical of those that could threaten Earth.
    —-
    In just three years of operations, Webb has brought the distant universe into focus, revealing unexpectedly bright and numerous galaxies. It has unveiled new stars in their dusty cocoons, remains of exploded stars, and skeletons of entire galaxies. It has studied weather on gas giants, and hunted for atmospheres on rocky planets. And it has provided new insights into the residents of our own solar system.
    But this is only the beginning. Engineers estimate that Webb has enough fuel to continue observing for at least 20 more years, giving us the opportunity to answer additional questions, pursue new mysteries, and put together more pieces of the cosmic puzzle.
    For example: What were the very first stars like? Did stars form differently in the early universe? Do we even know how galaxies form? How do stars, dust, and supermassive black holes affect each other? What can merging galaxy clusters tell us about the nature of dark matter? How do collisions, bursts of stellar radiation, and migration of icy pebbles affect planet-forming disks? Can atmospheres survive on rocky worlds orbiting active red dwarf stars? Is Uranus’s moon Ariel an ocean world?
    As with any scientific endeavor, every answer raises more questions, and Webb has shown that its investigative power is unmatched. Demand for observing time on Webb is at an all-time high, greater than any other telescope in history, on the ground or in space. What new findings await?
    By Dr. Macarena Garcia Marin and Margaret W. Carruthers, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland

    Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.govNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
    Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

    More Webb News
    More Webb Images
    Webb Science Themes
    Webb Mission Page

    What is the Webb Telescope?
    SpacePlace for Kids
    En Español
    Ciencia de la NASA
    NASA en español 
    Space Place para niños

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Stennis Engineer Takes Pride in Test Support Work

    Source: NASA

    As a controls engineer at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, Dwayne Lavigne does not just fix problems – he helps put pieces together at America’s largest rocket propulsion test site.
    “There are a lot of interesting problems to solve, and they are never the same,” Lavigne said. “Sometimes, it is like solving a very cool puzzle and can be pretty satisfying.”
    Lavigne programs specialized computers called programmable logic controllers. They are extremely fast and reliable for automating precisely timed operations during rocket engine tests as NASA Stennis supports the agency’s Artemis missions to explore the Moon and build the foundation for the first crewed mission to Mars.
    However, the system will not act unless certain parameters are met in the proper sequence. It can be a complex relationship. Sometimes, 20 or 30 things must be in the correct configuration to perform an operation, such as making a valve open or close, or turning a motor on or off.
    The Picayune, Mississippi, native is responsible for establishing new signal paths between test hardware and the specialized computers.
    He also develops the human machine interface for the controls. The interface is a screen graphic that test engineers use to interact with hardware.
    Lavigne has worked with NASA for more than a decade. One of his proudest work moments came when he contributed to development of an automated test sequencing routine used during all RS-25 engine tests on the Fred Haise Test Stand.
    “We’ve had many successful tests over the years, and each one is a point of pride,” he said.
    When Lavigne works on the test stand, he works with the test hardware and interacts with technicians and engineers who perform different tasks than he does. It provides an appreciation for the group effort it takes to support NASA’s mission.
    “The group of people I work with are driven to get the job done and get it done right,” he said.
    In total, Lavigne has been part of the NASA Stennis federal city for 26 years. He initially worked as a contractor with the Naval Oceanographic Office as a data entry operator and with the Naval Research Laboratory as a software developer.
    September marks 55 years since NASA Stennis became a federal city. NASA, and more than 50 companies, organizations, and agencies located onsite share in operating costs, which allows tenants to direct more of their funding to individual missions. 
    “Stennis has a talented workforce accomplishing many different tasks,” said Lavigne. “The three agencies I’ve worked with at NASA Stennis are all very focused on doing the job correctly and professionally. In all three agencies, people realize that lives could be at risk if mistakes are made or shortcuts are taken.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp: Shriners Children’s Research Institute Coming to Atlanta

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that Shriners Children’s, a nonprofit pediatric specialty healthcare system with locations across North America and a global reach, will establish a new pediatric medical research facility in Atlanta. In addition to creating 470 new jobs, Shriners Children’s will invest more than $153 million into the location at Science Square.

    “Shriners Children’s is an incredible addition to Georgia’s growing nonprofit, R&D, and life sciences communities,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Our commitment to being the Top State for Talent attracts outstanding organizations and partners like this that further life-changing research at our top-ranked research universities across the state. I’m grateful for Shriners Children’s decision to bet on Georgia and our talent to improve lives for generations to come.”

    Shriners Children’s focuses on orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions, burn injuries, spinal cord injury rehabilitation, and cleft lip and palate. Shriners Children’s mission also features a commitment to education and research. A unique pediatric healthcare system founded by members of the Shriners International fraternity in 1922, the organization has brought hope and healing to nearly 2 million patients. Last year, Shriners Children’s served patients from all 50 U.S. states, every province in Canada, and 128 countries.

    “We are thrilled to be establishing this new center for world-class pediatric medical research in Georgia,” said Shriners Children’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Leslie D. Stewart. “The opportunities to advance our research through collaborations and partnerships such as the one with Georgia Tech made Atlanta the clear choice.”

    “The Shriners Children’s Research Institute will serve as a multidisciplinary innovation hub to advance the healthcare of children,” said Dr. Marc Lalande, Shriners Children’s Vice President of Research Programs. “The close partnership with the outstanding biomedical engineers and scientists from Georgia Tech and Emory University will accelerate discovery and spearhead new treatments and therapies.”

    The Shriners Children’s Research Institute will have its home in Science Square Labs, strategically located across from Georgia Tech’s North Avenue Research Area. The organization will recruit talent across research fields, including cell and gene therapies, robotics, artificial intelligence, medical devices, biologics, and data informatics, as well as administrative and support roles. Interested individuals can learn more about Shriners Children’s at www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/careers.

    “Shriners Children’s new healthcare research facility represents more than just a strategic investment in Atlanta’s growing healthcare ecosystem — it’s a powerful commitment to healthier futures for children,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “This investment will not only create high-quality jobs and drive innovation but also furthers Atlanta’s reputation as a global hub for improving public health through scientific advancement.”

    “Shriners Children’s decision to establish its new Research Institute in Fulton County highlights the strength of our talent pipeline and the region’s growing reputation in life sciences and advanced research,” said Chairman Robb Pitts, Fulton County Board of Commissioners. “Projects like this bring high-quality, high-paying jobs to our residents and reinforce Fulton County’s role as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and economic growth.”

    “Backed by metro Atlanta’s world-class universities and a robust talent pipeline, Shriners Children’s new Research Institute exemplifies the region’s momentum in cutting-edge research and global innovation,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, President & CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “Their investment strengthens Science Square’s emergence as a hub for AI, data, and life sciences breakthroughs.”

    Project Director Jane Caraway represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this competitive project in partnership with the Invest Atlanta, Select Fulton, Metro Atlanta Chamber, University System of Georgia, and Georgia Power.

    “Shriners Children’s embodies the kind of investment we strive to attract – a world-class organization that gives back to the community, creates high-quality jobs, and strengthens Georgia’s growing life sciences ecosystem,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “From the exceptional team effort that brought this project to Georgia to the research partnerships it will inspire, the Shriners Children’s Research Institute is a powerful example of our collaborative approach to economic development and innovation.”

    About Shriners Children’s

    Shriners Children’s is changing lives every day by providing innovative pediatric specialty care, conducting research to improve the quality of lives, and of care, and offering outstanding educational programs for medical professionals. For more information, including the full range of care available, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James and State Police Superintendent Steven G. James Announce Indictment of Washington County Couple for Defrauding Homeowners

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and State Police Superintendent Steven G. James today announced the arrest and arraignment of John McClure, 44, and his wife, Sarah Chambers, 38, of Granville, New York, for allegedly operating a massive contractor fraud scheme in Washington and Warren Counties that defrauded more than a dozen upstate homeowners out of over $1.5 million. The 12-count indictment, unsealed in Washington County Court before Judge Kelly S. McKeighan, charges McClure and Chambers with fraudulently obtaining over $1.2 million in home improvement payments from over a dozen homeowners. A second four-count indictment, unsealed in Warren County Court before the Honorable Robert A. Smith, charges McClure with stealing over $300,000 from four additional homeowners.  

    “When hardworking New Yorkers pay for a service, they expect that service to be carried out,” said Attorney General James. “John McClure and Sarah Chambers are charged with agreeing to perform home improvement services for their clients but instead pocketing the money to visit casinos, purchase vehicles, and cover other projects to further their scheme. I thank the State Police for their assistance in putting a stop to this scam and ensuring all those who violate the law are held accountable.”

    “This couple willfully misrepresented themselves in order to cheat homeowners out of their hard-earned money,” said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. “They had absolutely no regard for the well-being of their victims, inexcusably leaving one without a home. I thank the Attorney General’s office for their invaluable partnership in bringing a measure of justice to those affected by this scam.”

    The charges are the result of a joint investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau (CEFC) and the New York State Police (NYSP). As set forth in the indictments and statements made at arraignment, McClure and Chambers are charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $1.5 million from more than a dozen New York homeowners between September 2019 and August 2023. During that time, McClure allegedly advertised his services on Facebook, Google, Angie’s List, Porch.com, and other websites, using various business names including McClure and Son Constructions, McClure and Sons Construction, JM Escavation (sic) and Demolition Services, and JM & Son Excavation and Demolition. McClure’s advertisements offered home improvement services including home builds and renovations, excavation, and garage, roof, and deck construction.  

    McClure allegedly solicited large deposits upfront for home improvement work but then never performed the work, failed to deliver materials he claimed to have purchased with the deposits, and refused to issue refunds to homeowners. Much of the work that was performed by McClure was so substandard that it had to be torn down and rebuilt by other, qualified contractors. After receiving deposits, but before completing agreed upon phases of work, McClure would allegedly demand more payments for additional work, such as mold remediation or roof replacement, which was either not necessary or never performed. In one instance, after accepting a large deposit to begin a project, McClure allegedly falsely claimed his bank account had been “hacked” and the money stolen, when in reality, the money had been spent on personal expenses and used to cover other projects.

    Chambers allegedly participated in the scheme by serving as a fake reference to homeowners for McClure and Sons Construction and by drafting contracts and architectural plans for projects that were never completed. Chambers is also alleged to have filed business certificates in order to open bank accounts to receive homeowner funds, and she is further alleged to have withdrawn cash from the accounts at McClure’s request. Chambers allegedly deposited a check that falsely appeared to be a customer’s payment to McClure and Sons Construction into one of the business accounts and then withdrew funds from the account before the bank discovered that the check was counterfeit.

    The OAG’s investigation and forensic audit revealed that instead of using homeowners’ money to purchase materials or perform home improvements, McClure used the money for:

    • Personal expenses such as large cash withdrawals;
    • Trips to multiple casinos, including Saratoga Casino and Hotel in Saratoga Springs and Rivers Casino and Resort in Schenectady;
    • Payments for child support and his mother’s rent;
    • Funding for his overstock and returned merchandise storefront known as MG Sales in the Aviation Mall in Glens Falls North; and
    • Purchases of multiple vehicles for McClure, Chambers, and other family members, including a 1927 Bugatti, a 1985 Lamborghini, a Toyota Sequoia, and a refurbished monster truck.  

    The victims of McClure and Chambers’ scheme included two elderly homeowners who each paid over $80,000 toward building their retirement homes. Work never commenced on either project, and as a result of the alleged theft, one victim now resides in a hotel.  

    The OAG’s 12-count indictment, unsealed in Washington County Court before Judge Kelly S. McKeighan, charges McClure with six counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a Class C felony), four counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a Class D felony), and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (a Class E felony), and charges Chambers with two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, and one count of with Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree (a Class D felony). In a second filed indictment unsealed in Warren County Court before the Honorable Robert A. Smith, McClure is charged with three Counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and one Count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree. McClure and Chambers face a maximum possible sentence of up to 10 to 20 years in prison if convicted on all counts. McClure was released with electronic monitoring and Chambers was released on her own recognizance.

    Any homeowner who believes they were impacted by this scheme is encouraged to contact OAG at McClure.Complaint@ag.ny.gov.

    The charges against McClure and Chambers are allegations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.   

    Attorney General James thanks NYSP, the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, the Warren County District Attorney’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington County Code Enforcement Office for their valuable assistance in this investigation.  

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General John Healy and Cheryl Lee of CEFC, with the assistance of Legal Support Analysts Kai Tsurumaki and Ifu Ojukwu, under the supervision of Supervising Analyst Paul Strocko and Deputy Supervising Analyst Jayleen Garcia. Forensic accounting was performed by Forensic Auditor Investigator Bashiri Kirven, under the supervision of Chief Auditor Kristen Fabbri and Deputy Chief Auditor Sandy Bizzarro of the Forensic Audit Section. CEFC is led by Bureau Chief Stephanie Swenton and Deputy Bureau Chief Joseph G. D’Arrigo. 

    Detective Investigator Jason Johnston of the Investigations Bureau handled the criminal investigation under the supervision of Deputy Chief Juanita Bright, Assistant Chief Samuel Scotellaro, and Detective Supervisor John Santorio of the Major Investigations Unit. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Investigator Oliver Pu-Folkes. Both CEFC and the Investigations Bureau are part of the Division for Criminal Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Announces Arrests of Bronx Deed Thieves for Stealing $340,000 Share of Family Home

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the arrests and indictments of Chenenne Guevarra-Francis, a retired New York City Police Department (NYPD) detective; Merrick Dammar, an attorney; and Barbara Guevarra-Francis, a retired nurse, for stealing a 50 percent ownership stake of a family home in the Bronx worth approximately $340,000. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) revealed that Chenenne Guevarra-Francis and her mother, Barbara, used a forged deed and other forged documents to steal the ownership stake of a home belonging to Chenenne’s sister and Barbara’s daughter, Charmein. Dammar prepared and notarized these forged documents on the day that Charmein died, allowing Chenenne and Barbara to steal the home out from under Charmein’s husband, who should have inherited his wife’s stake in the home. Chenenne, Barbara, and Dammar were all charged with felonies and arraigned today before a judge in Bronx County Supreme Court. 

    “Deed theft is a heartless crime, and it’s particularly tragic when the thieves are stealing from their own family members,” said Attorney General James. “Charmein Guevarra-Francis’ family used her death to steal her share of the family home from her widowed husband, but today we are bringing them to justice. My office will continue to go after deed theft in all of its forms to keep New Yorkers safe in their homes.” 

    Charmein Guevarra-Samuel split the ownership of a home on Eastchester Road in the Bronx with her mother, Barbara, with each owning a 50 percent stake. Charmein lived in the home for over 15 years with her husband, who stood to inherit her stake upon her death. In July 2020, Charmein suffered cardiac arrest and passed away. Immediately after her death, Barbara and Chenenne used a forged deed and forged property transfer documents to transfer Charmein’s ownership share of the home to themselves, thereby preventing Charmein’s husband from legally inheriting her $340,000 ownership share. Merrick Dammar prepared and notarized these forged documents. 

    The theft was discovered when Charmein’s husband applied for letters of administration for his wife’s estate. In May 2023, Chenenne attempted to evict Charmein’s husband. The OAG successfully blocked this eviction using a new deed theft law advanced by Attorney General James. 

    Chenenne Guevarra-Francis, Barbara Guevarra-Francis, and Merrick Dammar were each charged with:
    •    Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony;
    •    Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Second Degree, a class C felony;
    •    Forgery in the Second Degree, a class D felony;
    •    Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony; and
    •    Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony.

    The maximum sentence on the top count is a sentence of five to 15 years in prison. The charges against the defendants are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

    The OAG thanks the New York State Police for the criminal referral and its assistance with this investigation and prosecution. The OAG also thanks the New York City Department of Finance for their assistance.

    The case was investigated by Detectives Teresa Russo, Christopher Ryan, and Jennifer Garcia, under the direction of Supervising Detectives Anna Ospanova and Walter Lynch, and all under the supervision of Deputy Chief Juanita Bright, along with Detective Specialist John Collins, under the direction of Supervising Detective Norman Doyle, and all under the supervision of Deputy Chief Investigator Sean Donovan. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes.

    Assistant Attorneys General Lauren Sass and Joy Kieras are handling the prosecution in this matter under the supervision of the Real Estate Enforcement Unit Section Chief Nicholas John Batsidis, Public Integrity Bureau Chief Gerard Murphy, and Deputy Chief Kiran Heer, with assistance from Legal Support Analyst Alexandra Crespo. Both the Investigations Bureau and the Public Integrity Bureau are part of the Division for Criminal Justice. The Division for Criminal Justice is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. 
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Firework Safety Tips for the Upcoming July 4th Holiday

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today reminded New Yorkers to keep safe while celebrating the upcoming July 4th holiday. As part of a multi-agency effort, the New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection, along with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Fire Prevention and Control and the New York State Department of Health, are providing tips to help New Yorkers stay safe while celebrating Independence Day with legal sparkling devices.

    “As Governor, my top priority is public safety, and that is why I’m urging all New Yorkers to celebrate with caution this holiday weekend,” Governor Hochul said. “Those using legal sparkling devices should always follow instructions, keep children and bystanders at a safe distance, and light no more than one at a time to keep yourselves and your loved ones safe from preventable fireworks-related injuries.”

    Every year, thousands of people – including many children, teens and young adults – are injured while using fireworks. Most of these injuries happen in the weeks surrounding the 4th of July. The most recent data collected by the Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC) includes reports of 14,700 fireworks-related injuries in the United States in 2024, representing an increase of 52 percent from 2023. According to the latest CPSC release, adults ages 25 to 44 accounted for the largest share of reported injuries.

    Common causes of fireworks-related injuries are:

    • Fast-fuse firecracker exploding before it can be thrown.
    • Misguided rocket striking a bystander.
    • Going to investigate why a firecracker “failed” to explode.

    Approximately 20,000 fires are started by fireworks annually according to the National Fire Protection Association, including structure fires, vehicle fires, and outdoor fires.

    Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “As Independence Day celebrations kick off, it’s critical to always put safety first. Even legal sparkling devices can cause serious harm if not handled properly, so the safest choice is to leave fireworks to the professionals. But if you choose to use sparkling devices, be sure to follow these tips to prevent injuries and fires.”

    New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Avoid the emergency room this holiday by leaving the fireworks to the professionals. Safety is always the first priority, and sparkling devices can cause serious harm. Enjoy your holiday by attending an event or streaming a firework show at home.”

    New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Fireworks may seem like harmless fun, but they pose very real dangers, especially to young people. Each year, we see far too many emergency visits due to preventable accidents. This Fourth of July, I urge all New Yorkers to make safety a priority, leave fireworks to trained professionals, and enjoy spending time with family and friends.”

    New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “Gathering with friends and family to enjoy professional fireworks displays is a time-honored Fourth of July tradition across New York State. The Department of Labor is committed to ensuring these events are safe and enjoyable for all by conducting thorough inspections of fireworks display operators in advance of each show.”

    The New York State Department of Labor’s Industry Inspection unit thoroughly inspects the safety operations and storage of the 350 NYSDOL certified pyrotechnicians statewide each year. NYSDOL also ensures compliance with regulations by inspecting around 120 pyrotechnic shows per year. To learn more about the regulations for pyrotechnics permits, visit the webpage.

    FIREWORKS – WHAT’S PERMITTED AND WHAT’S NOT IN NEW YORK STATE

    What’s Permitted:

    Sale of sparkling devices by registered sellers from June 1 until July 5 annually. Sparkling devices are ground-based or handheld sparking devices that produce a shower of colored sparks or colored flame, crackling or whistling noise and smoke. They do not launch into the air.

    The possession and use of sparkling devices is PERMITTED in cities with populations of less than one million people and as permitted by local law. Be sure to check that sparkling devices are legal in your city, town, or county as local laws may change. You can contact your local sheriff’s office to ask whether your area allows the use of sparkling devices.

    Users must be 18 years or older to use sparkling devices.

    What’s Not Permitted:
    The possession and use of sparkling devices in cities with populations of more than one million people and where prohibited by local law, including New York City and the following counties: Albany, Columbia, Erie, Nassau, Orange (prohibited in the Cities of Middletown and Newburgh only), Schenectady, Suffolk, Warren and Westchester.

    Fireworks and dangerous fireworks, including firecrackers, bottle rockets, roman candles, spinners and aerial devices, are illegal statewide, except for displays conducted by authorized individuals as permitted by law.

    Tips for Using Sparkling Devices Safely:

    • Children and sparklers are a dangerous combination. Never allow children to play with or ignite combustible items, including sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This is hot enough to melt some metals.
    • Never throw or point sparkling devices toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials. Always follow the instructions on the packaging.
    • Keep a supply of water close by as a precaution.
    • Make sure the person lighting sparkling devices always wears eye protection.
    • Light only one sparkling device at a time and never attempt to relight “a dud.”
    • Always use sparkling devices outdoors. Never light sparklers inside.
    • Store sparkling devices in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.
    • If you are impaired by alcohol, don’t use sparkling devices.

    While avoiding the use of illegal fireworks is the best way to prevent injury, people can also take precautions while watching professional fireworks displays. These include using earplugs to protect hearing, keeping a safe distance from the launch site, and leaving pets at home. If your pet is nervous around fireworks at home, please consult your veterinarian for ways to protect and comfort them.

    Sales of sparkling devices by certified permanent and specialty retailers can only take place during the year from June 1 to July 5 and sales of sparkling devices by certified temporary stands or tents can only occur from June 20 to July 5. A list of registered sparkling device vendors and a video about avoiding injuries from fireworks appears here.

    Adults are encouraged to provide children and teens with non-flammable alternatives to sparkling devices, which can be easily found at most retail stores including glow sticks and LED Items.

    About the New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection
    Follow the New York Department of State on Facebook, X and Instagram and check in every Tuesday for more practical tips that educate and empower New York consumers on a variety of topics. Sign up to receive consumer alerts directly to your email or phone.

    The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides voluntary mediation between a consumer and a business when a consumer has been unsuccessful at reaching a resolution on their own. The Consumer Assistance Helpline (1-800-697-1220) is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection. The Division can also be reached via X at @NYSConsumer or Facebook.

    About the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
    The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism, natural disasters, threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit the DHSES Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES on X, or visit dhses.ny.gov.

    Get real time emergency and weather alert texts delivered directly to your phone. Text your county or borough of residence to 333111 to enroll now. Learn more at dhses.ny.gov/emergency-alerts.

    About the New York State Department of Health
    The New York State Department of Health has been overseeing the health, safety, and well-being of New Yorkers since 1901 – from vaccinations to utilizing new developments in science as critical tools in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. In the face of today’s new public health challenges and evolving health care system, health equity is fundamental to everything we do to help all people achieve optimal physical, mental, and social well-being.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ATF Warns Public of Scam Involving Fraudulent Calls

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Washington, D.C. – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is alerting the public to a scam involving fraudulent phone calls from individuals claiming to be “ATF Officers” or “Agents.” These scammers, using phone numbers appearing to originate from Martinsburg, West Virginia, are instructing victims to purchase Apple gift cards in amounts of $500 or $1,000 to “clear a red flag” from their accounts. Victims are then asked to provide gift card numbers to the callers.

    The ATF emphasizes that these calls are not legitimate and is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is actively investigating this scam. The public is urged to exercise caution and avoid sharing personal or financial information with unsolicited callers.

    ATF Will Never:

    • Call or email private citizens to demand payment or threaten arrest. You will not be asked to wire a “settlement” to avoid arrest.
    • Ask you to use large sums of your own money to help catch a criminal.
    • Request you send money via wire transfer to foreign accounts, cryptocurrency, or gift/prepaid cards.
    • Call you about “frozen” Social Security numbers or to coordinate inheritances.

    How to Protect Yourself:

    • Do not share personal or financial information with unsolicited callers or emails.
    • Verify the legitimacy of any contact claiming to be from a government agency by calling official numbers listed on agency websites, such as www.atf.gov.
    • Report suspicious calls to the ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
    • If you have been a victim of this scam, contact your local law enforcement immediately.

    Disclaimer on ATF.gov

    ATF enhanced its websites by adding a prominent disclaimer to outline what ATF will never do, reinforcing public awareness and protection against scams. For more information or to report suspicious activity, contact your local ATF field office or visit www.atf.gov/contact/submit-a-tip.

    ATF is the lead federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction involving firearms and violent crimes, and enforces criminal and regulatory laws involving bombs, explosives, and arson. More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov. For more information, contact ATF Public Affairs Division at liaison2@atf.gov.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – The future of ArcelorMittal and the steel industry in the EU – E-000737/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Steel and Metals Action Plan[1] aims to maintain and expand European industrial capacities in the steel and metals sectors . In particular, the Commission announced the adjustment of the existing steel safeguard that entered into force on 1 April 2025 and committed to propose no later than third quarter 2025[2] a trade measure replacing the steel safeguards, providing a highly effective level of protection against negative trade-related effects caused by global overcapacities.

    European electricity market design reform strengthens the role of power purchase agreements and contracts for difference to stabilise electricity prices.

    The action plan for Affordable Energy[3] sets out measures to encourage lower electricity taxation levels and more efficient network charges, and to enhance energy efficiency, renewable energy deployment, accelerating permitting and reducing systems costs. These efforts will help bring down energy costs.

    The Commission adopted a first set of retaliatory measures against the unilateral imposition by the United States (US) administration of new tariffs on EU steel and aluminum imports — initially set at 25% and later increased to 50% — but decided to suspend those measures for 90 days.

    This suspension has created the necessary space for negotiations, which are now underway. S hould these negotiations not result in a mutually beneficial outcome, EU tariffs will automatically enter into force.

    In addition, the Commission has also launched a public consultation on additional US imports which could become subject to EU response and has further prepared other countermeasures possible under EU legislation.

    On 26 February 2025, the Commission adopted its proposal to simplify the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism[4] (CBAM) by exempting importers of under 50 tonnes of iron and steel, aluminum, fertilisers and cement.

    This would exempt about 90% of importers while still covering 99% of emissions, maintaining strong protection against carbon leakage. On 18 June 2025, agreement was reached in trilogues with co-legislators. The proposed exemption was not altered on substance.

    The Commission is also working on solutions for carbon leakage for CBAM goods exported from the EU to third countries, on expanding the CBAM’s scope to certain downstream products and introducing anti-circumvention measures.

    • [1]  https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_805.
    • [2]  https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/fr/mex_25_872.
    • [3]  https://energy.ec.europa.eu/publications/action-plan-affordable-energy-unlocking-true-value-our-energy-union-secure-affordable-efficient-and_en.
    • [4]  https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/news/cbam-new-commission-proposal-will-simplify-and-strengthen-2025-02-26_en#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20this%2C%20the,exemption%20of%2050%20tonnes%20mass.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – US-Ukraine agreement – E-001842/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The United States (US)-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund will be operated solely by Ukraine and the US. Nonetheless, in the preambles of the agreement between the governments of Ukraine and US on the establishment of the fund, the two parties would welcome further investments by EU investors in mining, energy, and related technology in Ukraine.

    Based on the provisions put forward in the agreement between the governments of Ukraine and US on the establishment of the fund, the Commission is conducting a preliminary assessment of any implications on the operations of the Ukraine Facility.

    Specifically, it is noted that the agreement acknowledges Ukraine’s current legal obligations towards the EU, including those taken under the Ukraine Facility.

    Once more details are provided by Ukraine on the development of the fund, the Commission will undertake a more in-depth legal analysis on the subject.

    Last updated: 2 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: El estado de Washington demanda a la administración de Trump por compartir ilegalmente información personal de salud con ICE

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE – El procurador general de Washington, Nick Brown, se unió ayer a una coalición multiestatal para presentar una demanda que impugna la decisión del U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de EE. UU.) de otorgar acceso sin restricciones a la información personal de salud al Department of Homeland Security (DHS, Departamento de Seguridad Nacional), que incluye al Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE, Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas).

    En las siete décadas transcurridas desde que el Congreso promulgó la ley de Medicaid para brindar asistencia médica a poblaciones vulnerables, la legislación, las políticas y las prácticas federales han sido claras: la información personal de salud recopilada sobre los beneficiarios del programa es confidencial y solo se compartirá en ciertas circunstancias específicas que beneficien la salud pública y la integridad del propio programa de Medicaid.

    En la demanda presentada ayer ante el U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (Tribunal de Distrito de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Norte de California), los procuradores generales argumentan que la transferencia masiva de estos datos viola la ley y solicitan al tribunal que bloquee cualquier nueva transferencia o uso de estos datos con fines de control migratorio. 

    “Los residentes de Washington esperan que la información confidencial que brindan al gobierno para acceder a tratamiento médico solo se utilice con fines de salud”, dijo Brown. “Su información no debería utilizarse para crear una gigantesca base de datos de información personal de estadounidenses ni para que ICE pueda deportar a inmigrantes indocumentados por tener que ir al médico”.

    “El uso que la administración de Trump hace de la información de salud privada de los residentes de Washington para su propia agenda política es indignante. Esto constituye una violación de la confianza de todos aquellos cuya información se compartió de manera indebida, pero especialmente de nuestras comunidades inmigrantes y familias con condición migratoria mixta, quienes ya están en la mira de la administración de Trump. Defenderemos la dignidad y el derecho a la privacidad de todos los residentes de Washington”, dijo el gobernador Bob Ferguson.

    Creado en 1965, Medicaid es una fuente esencial de seguro médico para personas de bajos ingresos y grupos de población desatendidos, como niños, mujeres embarazadas, personas con discapacidad y adultos mayores. El programa de Medicaid permite a cada estado participante desarrollar y administrar sus propios planes de salud. Los estados deben cumplir con los criterios mínimos establecidos por la ley federal, pero pueden adaptar los estándares de elegibilidad y las opciones de cobertura de sus planes a las necesidades de los residentes. Para enero de 2025, 78,4 millones de personas estaban inscritas en Medicaid y el Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP, Programa de Seguro Médico Para Niños) en todo el país.  

    El programa Medicaid de Washington funciona como parte del conjunto más amplio de programas de beneficios de salud de Apple Health. Apple Health incluye Apple Health Expansion, que brinda servicios médicos integrales a los residentes de Washington, independientemente de su condición migratoria. Hay más de 1,9 millones de clientes de Apple Health en Washington, que incluye a unos 49.000 cuya condición migratoria los excluye de algunos programas financiados con fondos federales. Apple Health cubre una gama de servicios de salud, que incluye atención hospitalaria para pacientes hospitalizados y ambulatorios, atención primaria y preventiva, servicios y apoyos a largo plazo y salud conductual. Los residentes de Washington se inscribieron en Apple Health con el conocimiento de que su información sería confidencial y no se compartiría por razones ajenas a la prestación de servicios de salud. 

    Se intercambia rutinariamente una cierta cantidad de información personal entre los estados y el gobierno federal para la administración de Medicaid. Antes de la actual administración de Trump, el DHS reconoció que la ley de Medicaid y otras autoridades federales de salud prohibían el uso de información personal de Medicaid para fines de control migratorio. Sin embargo, el gobierno federal parece haber creado, sin reconocimiento formal, una nueva política que permite la divulgación y el uso generalizados de la información personal de Medicaid de los residentes estatales para fines ajenos a la administración del programa de Medicaid. 

    El 13 de junio de 2025, los estados tomaron conocimiento a través de informes de prensa que el HHS había transferido masivamente los archivos de datos de Medicaid de su estado, que contienen registros médicos personales de millones de personas, al DHS. Los informes indican que el gobierno federal planea crear una amplia base de datos para “deportaciones masivas” y otros fines de control migratorio a gran escala.

    El gobierno federal afirma haber proporcionado estos datos al DHS “para garantizar que los beneficios de Medicaid se reserven para las personas que legalmente tienen derecho a recibirlos”. Sin embargo, desde 1986, el Congreso ha extendido la cobertura y los fondos federales para Medicaid de emergencia a todas las personas que residen en los Estados Unidos, independientemente de su condición migratoria. Los estados han cooperado, y seguirán cooperando, con las actividades de supervisión federal para garantizar que el gobierno federal pague únicamente los servicios de Medicaid legalmente autorizados.  

    En la demanda de ayer, la coalición destaca que las acciones ilegales de la administración de Trump están generando temor y confusión que llevarán a las personas no ciudadanas y a sus familiares a cancelar su inscripción o negarse a inscribirse en Medicaid de emergencia, para el cual de otra manera serían elegibles, y dejarán a los estados y a sus hospitales de la red de seguridad con la responsabilidad de pagar los servicios de atención médica de emergencia exigidos por el gobierno federal. Estas personas podrían no recibir los servicios de salud de emergencia que necesitan y, como resultado, sufrirán consecuencias negativas para su salud, o incluso la muerte. 

    La coalición solicita al tribunal que declare que las acciones de la administración de Trump son arbitrarias y caprichosas, y que la elaboración de normas no cuenta con el debido procedimiento, lo cual viola la Administrative Procedure Act (Ley de Procedimiento Administrativo), la Social Security Act (Ley del Seguro Social), la Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA, Ley de Portabilidad y Responsabilidad del Seguro Médico), la Federal Information Security Modernization Act (Ley Federal de Modernización de la Seguridad de la Información) y Privacy Act (Ley de Privacidad), y que viola la Spending Clause (Cláusula de Gastos). La coalición también solicita al tribunal que prohíba al HHS transferir información personal identificable de Medicaid al DHS o a cualquier otra agencia federal y que prohíba al DHS utilizar estos datos para aplicar las leyes de inmigración.  

    Al presentar la demanda, el procurador general Brown se une a los procuradores generales de California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nueva Jersey, Nueva York, Oregón y Rhode Island.  

    La demanda se presentó ayer y está disponible aquí.

    -30-

    El Procurador General de Washington sirve al pueblo y al estado de Washington. Como la oficina judicial más grande de Washington, la Oficina del Procurador General brinda representación legal a todas las agencias, juntas y comisiones estatales de Washington. Además, la oficina sirve directamente a la gente al hacer cumplir las leyes de protección de los consumidores, de derechos civiles y de protección al medioambiente. La oficina también persigue el abuso de personas mayores, el fraude de Medicaid, y atiende los casos de depredadores sexuales violentos en 38 de los 39 condados de Washington. Para obtener más información, visite www.atg.wa.gov.

    Contacto para la prensa:
    press@atg.wa.gov
    Contactos generales: Haga clic aquí

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Impact of the Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on European goods: impact on the Galician automotive sector – E-001311/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector recognises the challenges of an increasingly volatile geopolitical context and their potential impact on the EU automotive sector.

    Therefore, the Commission has committed on decisive actions to help secure global competitiveness of the EU automotive value chain and maintain a strong European production base.

    In line with the Automotive Action Plan, the Commission has proposed already an amendment to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers Regulation[1], which will extend the support to workers in companies in restructuring processes.

    In addition, the mid-term review of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)[2] will be used to incentivise Member States to reprogramme more money for the automotive sector.

    Trade with the United States represents a source of prosperity and well-paying and quality jobs for the EU automotive value chain. The Commission is assessing the impact of the United States tariffs on EU automotive exports and will also monitor the indirect effects.

    The Commission will continue to seek a negotiated and constructive solution with the United States, while being ready to protect European interests.

    • [1]  COM(2025) 140.
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02021R1057-20241224.
    Last updated: 2 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the urgent need to end Russian aggression: the situation of illegally detained civilians and prisoners of war, and the continued bombing of civilians – B10-0304/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Sergey Lagodinsky, Markéta Gregorová, Ville Niinistö, Jutta Paulus, Mārtiņš Staķis
    on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

    B10‑0304/2025

    European Parliament resolution on the human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the urgent need to end Russian aggression: the situation of illegally detained civilians and prisoners of war and the continued bombing of civilians

    (2025/2710(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on Ukraine and Russia,

    – having regard to the UN Charter, the Hague Conventions, the Geneva Conventions and the additional protocols thereto, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,

    – having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas three years ago, on 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation launched an unprovoked, unjustified and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, in gross violation of the UN Charter and its own international commitments, including the Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances and the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation; whereas the Russian aggression against Ukraine started in 2014 with the occupation of parts of the Donbas region and the occupation and annexation of Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea;

    B. whereas since then, Russian forces have continued to carry out and escalate indiscriminate attacks against residential areas and civilian infrastructure; whereas heavy and intense bombardments, combined with ground fighting, have continued throughout 2025; whereas the UN has confirmed that more than 12 500 civilians, including hundreds of children, have been murdered since February 2022; whereas the actual civilian death toll is estimated to be in the tens of thousands; whereas many more civilians have been injured, tortured, forcibly ‘re-educated’, harassed, raped, kidnapped or forcibly displaced;

    C. whereas while their exact numbers are unknown, thousands of Ukrainians, both military personnel and civilians, are likely to be held in captivity currently, in Russia and occupied Ukraine;

    D. whereas the vast majority of Ukrainian prisoners, both civilian and military personnel, held by the Russian Federation are deprived of any recognised legal status or procedural safeguards, leaving them without rights, legal representation or the ability to contact their families; whereas in 90 % of cases, relatives do not know whether their loved ones are alive;

    E. whereas there is documented evidence of repeated extrajudicial executions of prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians by members of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, as well as other grave violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions and other international humanitarian law instruments;

    F. whereas the Russian authorities have launched thousands of politically motivated criminal prosecutions against Ukrainian POWs and civilian detainees, often based on confessions extracted under torture and without credible evidence; whereas these fabricated charges commonly include terrorism, espionage and treason, with the charges of treason frequently following the forced imposition of Russian citizenship in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine;

    G. whereas families of Ukrainian detainees face institutional barriers to accessing legal recourse or filing official inquiries, as the Russian state requires the use of domestic digital identification platforms that are not accessible to non-citizens; whereas in some cases, relatives advocating publicly for detainees have seen their loved ones punished with extended sentences or re-arrested on additional charges;

    H. whereas the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna in Russian captivity highlights the grave and growing dangers faced by Ukrainian journalists held by Russian forces; whereas others, including Iryna Danylovych, Dmytro Khyliuk and Iryna and Heorhiy Levchenko, remain in detention under life-threatening conditions;

    I. whereas the Russian authorities consistently deny POWs access to international organisations in an effort to hide the atrocities taking place, leaving POWs even more vulnerable to violations of international law; whereas the Geneva Conventions guarantee POWs the right to regular correspondence, access to medical care, and visits from international organisations; whereas Russia’s treatment of Ukrainian POWs amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity;

    J. whereas the Russian authorities have detained large numbers of civilians in all temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine; whereas they target, among others, local authorities, civil servants and journalists; whereas the scale at which Russia is conducting these enforced disappearances against civilians is clearly in compliance with a coordinated state policy;

    K. whereas in all temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine, Russian-installed proxy paramilitary structures and de facto authorities have played a key role in implementing Russia’s policy of repression and terror against the Ukrainian population by systematically engaging in intimidation, arbitrary detentions, torture and enforced disappearances of civilians under the guise of administrative or security procedures;

    L. whereas many victims of enforced disappearances are transferred either to local detention facilities or deported to Russia; whereas various forms of torture are reportedly commonplace in these detention facilities; whereas civilians regularly go missing for months if not years, with some dying in detention; whereas these acts also amount to crimes against humanity;

    M. whereas since the occupation and annexation of Crimea in 2014, the Russian Federation has systematically targeted Crimean Tatars with politically motivated prosecutions, enforced disappearances, intimidation and harassment; whereas Crimean Tatar leaders, journalists, civil society activists and religious figures have faced disproportionate repression, including under the guise of anti-extremism and antiterrorism charges; whereas these actions amount to violations of international human rights and humanitarian law and aim to erase the identity and presence of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people;

    N. whereas cases of punitive psychiatry, including forced institutionalisation, drugging and involuntary treatment of both children and adults, have been documented in at least 42 psychiatric institutions and psycho-neurological boarding schools located in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine; whereas Russian occupying authorities have revived Soviet-style psychiatric abuse as a tool of repression, targeting individuals for their perceived pro-Ukrainian views or their refusal to accept Russian citizenship; whereas such acts represent a serious breach of the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;

    O. whereas the families are left traumatised as their loved ones are held incommunicado and the Russian authorities, in full violation of international law, refuse to provide information about people’s whereabouts;

    P. whereas the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine confirmed, in its latest report of March 2025, that the enforced disappearances committed by the Russian authorities in a widespread and systematic manner against the civilian population, in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, amount to crimes against humanity; whereas the same body documented countless cases proving that Russia’s use of sexual violence, including rape, as a form of torture is systemic in detention facilities and that this practice is clearly a deliberate policy, thus stressing that the Russian authorities committed the war crimes of rape and sexual violence as a form of torture;

    Q. whereas the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, whose Ukraine Conflict Observatory has been documenting Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children using biometric and satellite data and supported six International Criminal Court (ICC) indictments, has had its funding cut by the Trump administration; whereas the observatory has ceased all its work collecting data crucial for achieving accountability as of 1 July 2025; whereas the observatory’s database contains records on more than 30 000 Ukrainian children allegedly abducted by Russia from over 100 locations;

    1. Condemns, in the strongest possible terms, Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine and demands that Russia immediately terminate all military activities in Ukraine, unconditionally withdraw all forces and military equipment from the entire internationally recognised territory of Ukraine and compensate Ukraine for the damage caused to its people, land and infrastructure;

    2. Expresses its undivided solidarity with the people of Ukraine, fully supports Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and underlines that this war constitutes a serious violation of international law;

    3. Decries Russia’s policy of widespread and systematic use of enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, torture and other forms of ill treatment against Ukrainian civilian detainees and POWs; demands that Russia notify the Ukrainian Government of the status of all POWs and allow international humanitarian organisations unhindered access; stresses that, under international law, Russia must provide adequate medical care to all Ukrainians in captivity and directly repatriate seriously sick and wounded POWs; urges Russia to release all unlawfully detained civilians without delay;

    4. Demands the immediate release of all Ukrainian civilians held in Russian captivity who do not fall under any category for lawful detention under international humanitarian law, with particular attention to women, children and elderly individuals; underlines that their continued detention places them at imminent risk and constitutes a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions;

    5. Condemns the ongoing persecution of Crimean Tatars in illegally occupied Crimea, including politically motivated detentions, torture, enforced disappearances and restrictions on freedom of religion, expression and association; calls for the immediate release of all Crimean Tatars imprisoned on political grounds and urges the EU and international organisations to enhance monitoring and advocacy on behalf of the indigenous people of Crimea;

    6. Calls for the EU, its Member States and international partners to launch an urgent international campaign aimed at documenting and publicising evidence concerning the imprisonment of Ukrainian minors and elderly civilians in Russian detention, including the use of documented case studies compiled by civil society organisations; stresses the importance of visibility for accountability and rescue operations;

    7. Demands immediate and unhindered access for international humanitarian organisations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to all known and suspected sites where Ukrainian civilians are held, with particular attention to women, children and elderly people;

    8. Insists on the immediate release of all Ukrainian journalists held in Russian captivity; calls for the international community to take urgent diplomatic and legal steps to secure their safety and freedom, and to ensure accountability for crimes committed against media professionals in the context of the war;

    9. Strongly condemns the use of punitive psychiatry by the Russian occupying authorities in Ukraine, including the forced institutionalisation of civilians, especially children and individuals with pro-Ukrainian views, in psychiatric hospitals under inhumane and degrading conditions; calls for urgent international monitoring of psychiatric institutions in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the immediate release of all individuals detained on politically motivated psychiatric grounds;

    10. Insists that all perpetrators, in particular commanders and others within the Russian occupying forces ordering, soliciting or inducing the commission of crimes under international law, are held accountable in accordance with international standards;

    11. Calls for the EU and the broader international community to use all possible judicial and non-judicial accountability mechanisms, including universal jurisdiction, to pressure Russia to immediately cease its campaign of enforced disappearances and torture;

    12. Calls for the EU and the Member States to step up support for Ukraine to enable it to address the widespread mental health and psychosocial needs resulting from the armed conflict, by ensuring access to the relevant services for those returning from captivity, allocating resources to those services and enhancing their institutional coordination, legal regulation, monitoring and evaluation;

    13. Regrets the decision by the Trump administration to cut the funding of the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab and is concerned about the consequent major gap in accountability efforts; welcomes the transfer of the lab’s data to Europol and calls for the EU and the Member States, in cooperation with like-minded partners, to ensure the continuation of the observatory’s work;

    14. Commends the work of the ICC on its ongoing investigation into the situation in Ukraine from 21 November 2013 onwards, encompassing any past and present allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide committed on any part of the territory of Ukraine by any person; expresses concern about the worsening attacks on the ICC by the United States, and the impact this will have on the ICC’s ability to continue conducting its investigations; calls on the Commission to urgently activate the blocking statute and on the EU Member States to increase their diplomatic efforts in order to protect and safeguard the ICC as an indispensable cornerstone of the international justice system;

    15. Stresses Europe’s responsibility to curb Russia’s aggression, both in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and also for the sake of Europe’s own security; calls therefore for the EU and its like-minded partners to increase their efforts to shift the trajectory of Russia’s war against Ukraine and set the conditions for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace; urges the Member States and like-minded partners, therefore, to provide Ukraine with more arms and ammunition to enable Ukraine to liberate its territory and deter further Russian attacks; notes, in this context, that a number of Member States are militarily neutral and urges them to increase their non-military support for Ukraine in line with their constitutions;

    16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the President, Government and Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and the President, Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Surveys Major NJ TRANSIT, Amtrak Infrastructure Project

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    KEARNY, N.J. – This morning, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) was joined by NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri and Amtrak Acting Senior Vice President of Capital Delivery Jim Short for a tour and status update on the progress on the new Portal North Bridge, which spans the Hackensack River between Kearny and Secaucus. The ongoing project is set to replace the current 114-year-old swing bridge, which opens for maritime traffic and is a frequent source of delays and frustration for the 200,000 NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak customers that cross the Hackensack River each day.

    “Hundreds of thousands of people rely on NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak every single day. It’s imperative we take steps to bolster their operations at every turn so that our public transit infrastructure continues to serve our region’s economy and passengers along the Northeast Corridor. I’m proud to have helped secure significant federal funding for this $2.2 billion project, including $495 million from Amtrak and roughly 50 percent of the remaining $1.73 billion from key federal transit programs I’ve long championed. I was pleased to see the project’s progress and hear it is on track to open on budget and ahead of schedule in 2026,” said Senator Booker.

    “Senator Booker has been a tireless advocate for infrastructure that delivers real results, and his support has been instrumental in bringing the Portal North Bridge project to this point,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri. “His visit today comes as we mark major progress, with structural work complete and the first track set to open in 2026.”

    “Portal North Bridge continues to be a model for all major infrastructure projects across America, and Senator Booker’s championing of the project is a major factor in driving the successful construction of this project,” said Amtrak Acting Senior Vice President of Capital Delivery Jim Short. “Between the great progress taking place on the project and the strong collaboration with our partners at NJ TRANSIT, and the advocacy of the United States Department of Transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and so many more, this is a project that will make train travel in New Jersey better than it has ever been.”

    The Portal North Bridge is a new, modern two-track, high-level, fixed-span bridge that will improve service and capacity along this section of the Northeast Corridor. The new Portal North Bridge rises 50 feet over the Hackensack River, nearly doubling the height clearance and will allow marine traffic to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic.

    The Portal North Bridge project remains on time and on budget, with both tracks set to open in 2026.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Statement on Republicans’ Voting to Slash Medicaid and Increase Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), issued the following statement:

    “In this moment where I have heard the stories of so many families who are struggling to afford their basic needs, like groceries, housing, health care, and monthly bills, the Republican Party has failed them. 

    “Donald Trump promised to lower costs and help Americans make ends meet. 

    “Instead, this bill has something to hurt almost everyone – and Americans who are already struggling will pay the harshest price.  

    “The only winners are the wealthiest few, and the biggest corporations. 

    “This bill will strip health insurance from nearly 17 million Americans, cut more than $900 billion from Medicaid, increase annual health care costs by as much as $900 for families, and leave hundreds of hospitals at risk of closure, denying people access to quality care. 

    “Families will now also be paying more for energy, with electricity rates in New Jersey expected to rise 20 to 30 percent. Over 3 million Americans will lose access to much-needed food aid when they need it to help make ends meet. And the national debt will climb nearly $4 trillion higher. 

    “For months, I’ve heard from people across New Jersey and throughout the country who will suffer as a result of this bill. They are seniors, working parents, people with disabilities, small businesses, farmers, and low-income families. By passing this bill, Senate Republicans have failed them all.

    “There is only one beautiful thing about this bill: it is a clarion call for change in Washington. 

    “As we fight for the change we deserve, I will continue to stand up for New Jerseyans, for working people, for our nation’s children, for people with disabilities, and for all Americans who will be hurt by these disastrous policies.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Statement on Paramount’s Decision to Settle Trump’s Bogus Lawsuit Against 60 Minutes  

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, July 2 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released a statement on Paramount’s decision to settle Trump’s bogus lawsuit against the program 60 Minutes.

    The decision by the Redstone family, the major owners of Paramount, to settle a bogus lawsuit with President Trump over a 60 Minutes report he did not like is an extremely dangerous precedent in terms of both the First Amendment and government extortion.

    Paramount’s decision will only embolden Trump to continue attacking, suing and intimidating the media which he has labeled “the enemy of the people.” It is a dark day for independent journalism and freedom of the press — an essential part of our democracy. It is a victory for a president who is attempting to stifle dissent and undermine American democracy.

    It’s pretty obvious why Paramount chose to surrender to Trump. The Redstone family is in line to receive $2.4 billion from the sale of Paramount to Skydance, but they can only receive this money if the Trump administration approves this deal. In other words, the Redstone family diminished the freedom of the press today in exchange for a $2.4 billion payday.

    Make no mistake about it. Trump is undermining our democracy and rapidly moving us towards authoritarianism and the billionaires who care more about their stock portfolios than our democracy are helping him do it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Baldwin Statement on Wisconsin Supreme Court Striking Down 1849 Abortion Ban

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement on the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that strikes down the 1849 state law that had banned abortions in nearly every situation that went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade:

    “Three years ago, the activist U.S. Supreme Court stripped millions of Americans of their constitutional right to make their own health care decisions, sending Wisconsin women to live under an 1849 criminal abortion ban. This archaic criminal abortion ban was passed before the Civil War, decades before women had the right to vote, and just a year after Wisconsin became a state,” said Senator Baldwin. “Today’s ruling tells women across Wisconsin that we will not go back. Today’s ruling tells women that our government trusts you to make decisions about your own body and your future. Today’s ruling tells women in our state that they are not second-class citizens. But, this fight is not over. Every woman, in every zip code, in every state deserves the same rights and freedoms. I will not stop fighting until we make that a reality and pass my bill to restore the right to abortion nationwide and allow women to make their own health care decisions without interference from judges or politicians.”

    Senator Baldwin has long led the charge to restore abortion access nationwide, including leading the entire Senate Democratic caucus in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025, legislation to guarantee access to abortion everywhere across the country and restore the right to comprehensive reproductive health care for millions of Americans. Last week, Senator Baldwin spoke on the Senate floor, underscoring the impact of the Dobbs decision in Wisconsin, which forced women to travel out of state just to access health care. Additionally, Senator Baldwin has introduced the  Right to Contraception Act, a bill at the federal level to put into law Americans’ right to contraception, which the Supreme Court first recognized more than half a century ago in its Griswold v. Connecticut decision, and the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act, legislation to provide women the support they need to access reproductive health services by providing grants to organizations, including abortion funds, to offset the cost of travel-related expenses.

    A video of Senator Baldwin’s floor speech from the anniversary of Roe v. Wade is available for download here.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Georgia Republicans Join Warnock in Bipartisan Fight to Save Jobs from Senate GOP Tax Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Georgia Republicans Join Warnock in Bipartisan Fight to Save Jobs from Senate GOP Tax Bill


    Today, Republican members of the Georgia State Legislature urged Senate Finance Committee leadership to preserve solar deployment and manufacturing credits, per Axios

    Senator Reverend Warnock has been a fierce advocate for protecting manufacturing jobs in Georgia, which are at risk as the Senate GOP looks to fund a billionaire tax cut

    Senator Warnock released a report that found that repealing clean energy tax credits could cost Georgia up to 42,000 jobs

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) was joined by 16 Georgia Republican state lawmakers in calling for the preservation of the Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit (AMPTC) and solar deployment tax credits, which will help create thousands of Georgia jobs. The GOP letter states that protecting these tax credits, which were championed by Senator Warnock, will “secure America’s energy supply and promote Georgia’s manufacturing jobs and investments.”

    “I’m glad Georgia Republicans are joining my commonsense effort to protect Georgia jobs and pro-business tax credits from the GOP tax bill,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.“Cynical Washington politicians are trying to kill Georgia jobs, which overwhelmingly benefit rural and Republican districts, in order to fund a tax cut for billionaires. If Washington were serious about bringing American manufacturing back to the United States, they would listen to these GOP lawmakers.”

    The GOP letter follows the release of the Senator’s comprehensive report that found Georgia risks losing up to 42,000 good-paying jobs if Washington Republicans repeal the clean energy tax credits. Since the tax credit’s passage as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, clean energy jobs and investments exploded across the country, but nowhere was that growth more potent than in Georgia. In less than three years, 51 new projects in Georgia worth over $28 billion have been announced or boosted by the clean energy tax credits. According to the Senator’s report, in Georgia, nearly all the new investments and new jobs are in counties outside of the Atlanta region. Over 70 percent of the new investments and 83 percent of new jobs are in counties with median family incomes below the national median. More than 95 percent of the new jobs and investments are in counties where the percentage of people with a bachelor’s degree is below the national average.

    Last month, Senator Warnock returned to his hometown to continue his public pressure campaign urging Congressional Republicans to protect clean energy tax credits fueling an expected 42,000 Georgia clean energy jobs. He also authored an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia’s paper of record, making the case for protecting these good-paying jobs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney meets with the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the leadership of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association and member CEOs.

    Prime Minister Carney and the leaders discussed ongoing negotiations with the United States, and the work to pursue a deal by July 21, 2025. They discussed the impacts on the sector and the need to build up a made-in-Canada supply chain as well as diversify our trading partners.

    The Prime Minister underscored the federal measures to safeguard Canadian auto workers and businesses from unjust tariffs, and the adjustment of counter-tariffs on July 21 based on the state of negotiations. Prime Minister Carney affirmed that the government’s focus remains on securing the best deal for Canadian workers and industries.

    The leaders also discussed opportunities to make Canada’s auto sector more sustainable and competitive in the face of shifting trade relationships, market conditions, and supply chains.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Griffith Announces $76,950 DOT Grant to Tazewell County Airport Authority

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

    Griffith Announces $76,950 DOT Grant to Tazewell County Airport Authority

    The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded Tazewell County Airport Authority, based in Richlands, Virginia, a $76,950 grant. The funding supports a tree removal project that helps bring the airport into conformity with current standards. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

    “Local airports lead tree removal projects to mitigate potential safety hazards to aircraft and passengers.

    “This DOT grant for $76,950 helps Tazewell County Airport Authority identify and eliminate obstructions to its airport.”

    BACKGROUND

    As part of the grant funding, the Tazewell County Airport Authority will acquire easements for 5 of the 7 parcels containing obstructions.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Capito Bipartisan Rural Broadband Protection Act Passes the Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the Senate passage of the bipartisan Rural Broadband Protection Act. The bill, which Klobuchar leads with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a more thorough vetting process to ensure that providers applying for federal funding are capable of delivering reliable broadband access to underserved, rural communities. 

    “We should be able to bring high-speed internet to every family in Minnesota— regardless of their zip code,” said Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation will help Americans connect to work, school, health care, and business opportunities by ensuring the companies that apply for federal funding to build out broadband infrastructure can get the job done. As co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, I’ll keep fighting to close the digital divide and ensure Minnesota families can reliably access the high-speed internet they need.” 

    “I have long been dedicated to making sure West Virginians have the broadband connectivity they need and deserve. This legislation expands on my previous broadband efforts, and is a product of many discussions I’ve had with small rural service providers and local leaders in West Virginia. As we continue our efforts to close the digital divide in West Virginia – this bill will make sure that Universal Service Fund dollars are not wasted, and ensure that funding is being used properly to fund broadband deployment in rural areas. The Senate passage of this legislation is another positive step in connecting every last home, school, and business in West Virginia. I urge the House to quickly pass this legislation,” Capito said.

    Klobuchar has long led efforts to expand broadband access, support rural broadband, and bridge the digital divide.

    The Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, Klobuchar’s legislation with Former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to expand high-speed internet nationwide, served as the basis for the program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Klobuchar is working hard to ensure the program is implemented expeditiously and as Congress intended. In June 2025, after the Department of Commerce announced substantial changes to the implementation of the BEAD program, she and Former House Majority Whip Clyburn called on the Administration to reverse course and fully implement broadband. 

    Klobuchar is also committed to strengthening the  Universal Service Fund (USF), which promotes universal access to broadband and other telecommunications services and supports critical connections for schools, libraries and healthcare facilities in rural communities. Currently, the USF is primarily funded through landline fees, disproportionately impacting seniors, who are more likely to use landlines than other Americans. In June 2025, she again joined the USF Working Group to improve this funding structure. In January 2025, she joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of upholding the USF. The Court ruled in their favor in June 2025. In March 2023, Klobuchar also reintroduced bipartisan legislation, with Senators John Thune (R-SD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Jerry Moran (R-KS), to strengthen the USF’s funding mechanism. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Leading with Resilience Personally and Professionally

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Cassandra Keola of Avon grew up in Bristol, and always wanted to work for the State of Connecticut. Ten years in, she still loves working for the state’s only public academic medical center, UConn Health. She absolutely loves UConn, its sports, and her son attends UConn too.

    “I am so proud of where I live and work. I bleed blue!” Keola says, who is the epitome of resilience, and she even helps teach and spread resiliency across UConn School of Medicine, UConn Health, and Connecticut every chance she gets.

    As an Administrative Program Coordinator in the School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine, Keola wears many hats.

    She supports the Chair of the Department Dr. Francesco Celi and also the Department’s fleet of 300 doctors and 36 administrative members with clerical review support, but she is dedicated to the major undertaking of coordinating the intense 4th Year Critical Care Clerkship four-week rotations in the ICU setting for all UConn medical students.

    Cassandra Keola with fourth-year medical students in the Clinical Simulation Lab beginning their 4th Year Critical Care Clerkship four-week rotations. She coordinates this training for all UConn medical students (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo).

    These medical student rotations occur not only at UConn John Dempsey Hospital, but also in the ICUs of Waterbury Hospital, Hartford Hospital, St. Francis, and Connecticut Children’s.

    “These soon to be doctors have great mentorship in the critical care clerkship by attending physicians, residents, fellows, and nurses too,” she says. “The rotation in the ICU is a very eye-opening experience for our medical students in the deep end of critical care medicine for the first time applying everything they have learned so far in medical school, including the vital importance of teamwork. The rotation is challenging and unpredictable. Many medical students may see their first very-ill patient code. We make sure we have a strong support system in place for them.”

    For this ICU rotation, Keola says medical students also learn didactically in the clinical simulation lab and the classroom too, and the overall experience especially teaches them resilience to overcome the challenges they may face in patient care.

    In addition, Keola organizes the monthly Morbidity and Mortality conferences for the Department of Medicine’s various Divisions that ensure high-quality care is always maintained, supports the administrative meetings, and chairs the Dept. of Medicine Administrative DEI committee.

    Personal Resilience

    In addition to helping medical students be resilient, Keola has overcome a lot personally too.

    “I’ve had to be a patient in the UConn Emergency Department – and I am an oncology patient,” she says. “I recommend UConn Health’s care to everyone I meet, and remind them that we are not just a school but a whole hospital too.”

    UConn’s Cassandra Keola (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo).

    Keola happily shares, “Thanks to UConn Health I am cured for 10 years now!” Keola even facilitated UConn Health’s young breast cancer support group before and during COVID-19. “It was great to encourage other women, and also learn from them.”

    Also, Keola says, “I’m a triple threat!” She says growing up as a female, and Afro-Indigenous in Connecticut’s Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe (American Indian and Black), it has not been an easy road for her and others with her backgrounds.  “Historically, it’s been difficult. But no matter what, we are still standing after being through a lot.”

    Her resolve as a result?

    “In what I do, and what I’ve done, I have always wanted to have perseverance and resilience,” she says. “I have always wanted to stick up for others or those who were ever bullied. So, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is a form of advocacy, not for me, but a way for helping other people persevere. I remind everyone that while we are all different, we can all co-exist at work and outside of work. It is our differences that make us so uniquely wonderful.”

    UConn medical school’s Cassandra Keola celebrating with fourth-year medical students the exciting start of their clinical rotation in the ICU setting (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo).

    Keola loves the diversity of the workforce at UConn Health that she first witnessed when working initially in Employee Health at the beginning of her UConn career. “I got to meet a lot of people working in occupational health and have seen our diversity first-hand. UConn Health is a state hospital, and we really are here for everyone.”

    She also loves another special thing about working at UConn.

    “You can come to UConn and do a good job, and move yourself forward in your career. There is equity here! Everyone gets a fair chance and is treated the same across the board whether you are a UConn Health patient, a faculty member, a staffer, or a student.”

    Keola’s passion for advocacy and equity also shines in her ongoing volunteer work.

    She is a Council Member for UConn’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, John Dempsey Hospital’s Diversity Council, and her Department of Medicine’s DEI Committee. She also lends her time to participate in the ongoing ODI Coffee Break discussions.

    Keola: whose Algonquin name means: Small Bear Warrior; is also a proud, persevering, enrolled, Board Member of The Golden Hill Paugussett Tribal Nation in Connecticut.  She’s been working as a Board Member for the past two years on UConn and UConn Health’s Tribal Education Initiative. Its many collaborative projects focus on student success, curriculum, indigenous teachings, storytelling, and even patient care by the UConn Pepper Center of the UConn Center on Aging helping with the resilience and healthy aging of members of Connecticut’s 5 recognized Native American tribes. The UConn Tribal Education Initiative’s agreement is the first of its kind on the East Coast between Tribal Nations and a university.

    “It’s historical! I can’t wait for it to come to fruition!” Keola concludes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Healthcare fraud and abuse depletes taxpayer funds, corrodes public health and safety, and undermines the integrity of the federal healthcare system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have a long history of partnering to use one of the government’s most effective and successful tools — the False Claims Act (FCA) — to combat healthcare fraud. This Administration is fully committed to supporting such work. HHS and DOJ’s Civil Division are strengthening their ongoing collaboration to advance priority enforcement areas through the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group.

    Membership in the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group will include leadership from the HHS Office of General Counsel, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Center for Program Integrity, the Office of Counsel to the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and DOJ’s Civil Division, with designees representing U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The group will be jointly led by the HHS General Counsel, Chief Counsel to HHS-OIG, and the Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Commercial Litigation Branch.

    As part of the Working Group’s coordination work:

    • HHS shall make referrals to DOJ of potential violations of the FCA that reflect Working Group priorities. In addition to priority FCA matters previously announced by the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division,[1] the Working Group is announcing the following priority enforcement areas:
      • Medicare Advantage
      • Drug, device or biologics pricing, including arrangements for discounts, rebates, service fees, and formulary placement and price reporting
      • Barriers to patient access to care, including violations of network adequacy requirements
      • Kickbacks related to drugs, medical devices, durable medical equipment, and other products paid for by federal healthcare programs
      • Materially defective medical devices that impact patient safety
      • Manipulation of Electronic Health Records systems to drive inappropriate utilization of Medicare covered products and services
    • The Working Group shall maximize cross-agency collaboration to expedite ongoing investigations in these priority areas and identify new leads, including by leveraging HHS resources through enhanced data mining and assessment of HHS and HHS-OIG report findings.
    • The Working Group shall discuss considerations bearing on whether HHS should implement a payment suspension pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405.370 et seq. or whether DOJ shall move to dismiss a qui tam complaint under 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A), consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.111.

    The DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group encourages whistleblowers to identify and report violations of the federal False Claims Act involving priority enforcement areas.  Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).  Similarly, the Working Group encourages healthcare companies to identify and report such violations consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.112.  

    Note: Read a PDF version of the release here

    [1] Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division Enforcement Priorities (June 11, 2025), available at www.justice.gov/civil/media/1404046/dl?inline.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Healthcare fraud and abuse depletes taxpayer funds, corrodes public health and safety, and undermines the integrity of the federal healthcare system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have a long history of partnering to use one of the government’s most effective and successful tools — the False Claims Act (FCA) — to combat healthcare fraud. This Administration is fully committed to supporting such work. HHS and DOJ’s Civil Division are strengthening their ongoing collaboration to advance priority enforcement areas through the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group.

    Membership in the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group will include leadership from the HHS Office of General Counsel, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Center for Program Integrity, the Office of Counsel to the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and DOJ’s Civil Division, with designees representing U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The group will be jointly led by the HHS General Counsel, Chief Counsel to HHS-OIG, and the Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Commercial Litigation Branch.

    As part of the Working Group’s coordination work:

    • HHS shall make referrals to DOJ of potential violations of the FCA that reflect Working Group priorities. In addition to priority FCA matters previously announced by the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division,[1] the Working Group is announcing the following priority enforcement areas:
      • Medicare Advantage
      • Drug, device or biologics pricing, including arrangements for discounts, rebates, service fees, and formulary placement and price reporting
      • Barriers to patient access to care, including violations of network adequacy requirements
      • Kickbacks related to drugs, medical devices, durable medical equipment, and other products paid for by federal healthcare programs
      • Materially defective medical devices that impact patient safety
      • Manipulation of Electronic Health Records systems to drive inappropriate utilization of Medicare covered products and services
    • The Working Group shall maximize cross-agency collaboration to expedite ongoing investigations in these priority areas and identify new leads, including by leveraging HHS resources through enhanced data mining and assessment of HHS and HHS-OIG report findings.
    • The Working Group shall discuss considerations bearing on whether HHS should implement a payment suspension pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405.370 et seq. or whether DOJ shall move to dismiss a qui tam complaint under 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A), consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.111.

    The DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group encourages whistleblowers to identify and report violations of the federal False Claims Act involving priority enforcement areas.  Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).  Similarly, the Working Group encourages healthcare companies to identify and report such violations consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.112.  

    Note: Read a PDF version of the release here

    [1] Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division Enforcement Priorities (June 11, 2025), available at www.justice.gov/civil/media/1404046/dl?inline.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, law enforcement partners’ investigation results in life sentences for human smuggling leader and coordinator on anniversary of deadly trailer conspiracy

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SAN ANTONIO — Two convicted human smugglers were sentenced June 27 for their prominent roles in the 2022 mass casualty human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of 47 adults and six children. This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with the assistance of various federal and state law enforcement agencies in South Texas.

    U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia sentenced Felipe Orduna-Torres to life in prison and a $250,000 fine, and Armando Gonzales-Ortega to 83 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Both defendants were found guilty by a federal jury in March for three counts related to the transportation of aliens within the United States resulting in death, causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. Following the jury’s verdict at the trial, Garcia set the sentencing date, noting that it would be three years to the day from when the 53 migrants perished as a result of the defendants’ smuggling scheme.

    “These criminals will spend the rest of their lives in prison because of their cruel choice to profit off of human suffering,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s sentences are a powerful message to human smugglers everywhere: We will not rest until you are behind bars.”

    “Three years to the day after these two smugglers and their co-conspirators left dozens of men, women and children locked in a sweltering tractor-trailer to die in the Texas summer heat, they learned that they will spend the rest of their lives locked away in a federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons. “We recognize the justice handed down by Judge Garcia and thank our law enforcement partners for their great work that led to today’s outcome. At the same time, we reinforce the message that these criminal organizations will not place the lives of the desperate and vulnerable above their own financial enrichment. My office remains focused on prosecuting smugglers and their networks and ultimately eradicating transnational criminal organizations.”

    “Today’s sentences are the result of a far-reaching investigation and a tireless commitment by HSI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle the deadliest human smuggling operation in U.S. history,” ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “This case serves as a stark reminder: Human smuggling is not a service — it is a deadly criminal enterprise. HSI will pursue smugglers relentlessly, wherever they operate. No one who participates in the smuggling of human beings will escape the reach of justice.”

    According to court documents, Orduna-Torres, also known as Cholo, Chuequito/Chuekito and Negro, 30, was a leader and organizer, and Gonzales-Ortega, also known as El Don and Don Gon, 55, was a coordinator in the human smuggling organization that illegally brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico into the United States between December 2021 and June 2022.

    Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega worked in concert to transport and facilitate the transportation of the migrants, sharing routes, guides, stash houses, trucks, trailers and transporters to consolidate costs, minimize risks and maximize profit. The human smuggling organization maintained a variety of tractors and trailers for their smuggling operations, some of which were stored at a private parking lot in San Antonio.

    In the days leading up to June 27, 2022, Orduna-Torres and others exchanged the names of illegal aliens who would be smuggled in an upcoming tractor-trailer load. Gonzales-Ortega traveled to Laredo to meet the tractor-trailer, where at least 64 undocumented individuals, including eight children and one pregnant woman, were loaded for smuggling.

    Some of the defendants, including Orduna-Torres, were aware that the trailer’s refrigerator unit was malfunctioning and not blowing any cool air to the migrants inside. When members of the organization met the tractor-trailer at the end of its approximately three-hour journey to San Antonio, they opened the doors to find 48 of the aliens were either already dead or dying, including the pregnant woman. Sixteen of the aliens were transported to hospitals — five of whom died.

    In addition to their sentences described above, the court also ordered Orduna-Torres to pay a $96,000 judgment and ordered the forfeiture of the following assets: One 2008 Volvo semi-tractor; one 1995 Phoenix trailer; one 2015 Cadillac Escalade; one 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty Truck; and $59,445.50.

    Five other defendants in this case have pleaded guilty for their involvement in the smuggling event. Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, also known as Rrili and Rilay, 32, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 6; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, 39, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13; Christian Martinez, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20; and Homero Zamorano Jr., 48, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4. Juan Francisco D’Luna Bilbao, 51, is indicted separately and is also scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4.

    In a related case, Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, allegedly worked with the HSO to smuggle aliens into the United States on the same fatal journey orchestrated by Orduna-Torres and his co-conspirators. He made his initial appearance in San Antonio on March 17, seven months after he was arrested in Guatemala, and is currently scheduled for a jury trial Sept. 29.

    HSI investigated the case with the FBI and the ATF. It has received tremendous support from U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Border Patrol; ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; the San Antonio Police Department; the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office; the San Antonio Fire Department; the Marshall Police Department; and the Palestine Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears and Ray Gattinella for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Incredible Prizes to Be Won With Donation to Guide Dogs — Enter the Grand Raffle Now!

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    Don’t miss your chance to win an awesome prize with your donation to the IAM’s favorite charity, Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines!

    Enter the Grand Raffle, part of the 2025 Kourpias K-9 Classic, hosted by TCU/IAM, benefiting Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines. 

    Your donation helps provide life-changing service dogs and gives you a chance to win incredible prizes, including:

    • $800 Callaway Gift Card
    • Four Washington Commanders vs. Seattle Seahawks Tickets + Parking Pass (Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025)
    • MGM Getaway
    • Disney World Park & Trip Getaway
    • Apple MacBook Air

    Raffle Tickets:
     1 for $20
    3 for $50

    Donate and enter here!

    Winners will be drawn at the Kourpias Banquet on Saturday, July 12. You do not need to be present to win.

    Every dollar counts. Your support makes a real impact, and you might just walk away with an incredible prize!

    Please share this with your friends, family, and networks. Every entry helps the cause!

    The post Incredible Prizes to Be Won With Donation to Guide Dogs — Enter the Grand Raffle Now! appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –