Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: Delegation Applauds Passage of Alaska Native Legislation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

    06.20.25

    H.R. 42 and H.R. 43 Pass the U.S. Senate; headed to President’s Desk

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, along with U.S. Representative Nick Begich (all R-Alaska), applauded Senate passage of two important bills—H.R. 42, the Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act, and H.R. 43, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025. These bills previously passed the U.S. House of Representatives on February 4. Both pieces of legislation were led by Congressman Begich.

    H.R. 42 and H.R. 43 passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent, following floor remarks by Senator Murkowski. These measures uphold the promises made to Alaska Natives in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and empower Alaska Native people to exercise self-determination over their lands and resources for the benefit of their communities.

    H.R. 42 amends ANCSA to exclude certain payments from Settlement Trusts to aged, blind, or disabled Alaska Natives or their descendants from being counted as income when determining eligibility for need-based federal programs.

    H.R. 43 amends ANCSA to end the requirement for Alaska Native village corporations to convey lands to the State of Alaska to be held “in trust” for future municipal governments.  In addition, the bill provides a process for village corporations to get the land back that they conveyed to the State.  These reconveyances or “reversions” will be subject to any valid existing rights created by the State Municipal Land Trust during its management of these village corporation lands.

    The bills now head to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

    “I’m very glad we could reach agreement to pass these important measures for Alaska Natives in the Senate. These are common sense bills that are long overdue—Alaska Natives who are aged, blind, or disabled will no longer have to choose between accepting the settlement trust income they are entitled to or qualifying for federal needs-based benefits. And with the passage of HR 43, we restore the ability of Alaska Native villages to make decisions about their lands and resources for the benefit of their communities,” said Senator Murkowski. “This has been a years-long effort to get these measures to the President’s desk. And I am proud to have led that effort and to it see it through.”

    “For the more than 50 years since ANCSA was signed into law, Alaska Native people have sustainably managed their lands, fostered world-class businesses that have become integral to Alaska’s economy, and helped Alaska Native communities preserve their unique cultures, languages and ways of life,” said Senator Sullivan. “Despite the enormous good ANCSA has done, the law was not perfect. Senator Murkowski, Congressman Begich and I have put forward legislation to address two oversights of ANCSA, giving Alaska Native communities more decision-making power over their lands and ensuring elder and disabled Alaska Native people are not unfairly excluded from the federal assistance they may need. I want to commend our Senate colleagues for unanimously supporting our legislation, and I look forward to these bills being signed into law soon.”

    “These bills represent the kind of meaningful, nonpartisan work that Alaskans sent me here to do,” said Congressman Begich. “We’ve corrected longstanding federal issues that have held Alaska Native communities back, and we’ve done it with strong support from both parties. These bills were about local decision-making and empowering communities to build their futures. My team and I have worked diligently since day one to move these bills through Congress, and I’m honored to be one of the only freshmen of the 119th Congress to send legislation to the President’s desk. This is a major victory for Alaskans, and a strong step forward towards greater self-determination and opportunity for Alaska Natives.”

    Legislative History:

    1. S. 2615, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act (S. 2615) was introduced on July 27, 2023.  The Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on S. 2615 on October 25, 2023.  The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources reported S. 2615 favorably, without amendment, to the full Senate on May 17, 2023.  (S. Rept 118-177) S. 2615 passed the Senate by unanimous consent on December 20, 2024. Similar legislation was introduced and considered in the Senate in the 116th Congress as part of S. 4889, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Fulfillment Act.
    2. S. 623, the Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act (S. 623), was introduced on March 2, 2023.  The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources reported the bill favorably without amendment to the full Senate on May 17, 2023.  (S. Rept 118-56) S. 623 passed the Senate by unanimous consent on December 20, 2024. Similar legislation was introduced and considered in the Senate in the 117th Congress and in the 116th Congress.  
    3. January 2025: Representative Begich introduced H.R. 42 and H.R. 43. They passed the House in February 2025. These were the first pieces of legislation introduced by Congressman Begich and the first pieces of legislation to be passed by a freshman member in the 119th Congress.
    4. June 2025: Senator Murkowski led the effort to pass both bills in the Senate by unanimous consent. Video of her full floor remarks can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCOTUS Unanimously Upholds Grassley Law to Secure Justice for American Victims of PLO Terrorism

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed the Supreme Court’s 9-0 ruling today maintaining the constitutionality of the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act of 2019, a law Grassley authored alongside U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.). The law ensures American victims of international terrorism, including terrorism perpetrated by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), can seek justice by bringing civil lawsuits in U.S. courts.

    “For more than 30 years, I’ve advocated in Congress for the rights of victims and their families who are seeking to hold terrorist organizations and their financiers accountable for the evil they’ve inflicted. But along the way, courts have undermined Congress’ intent and the laws we’ve enacted to deter terrorism. At long last, Americans impacted by international terrorism now have a clear path to justice. I hope today’s ruling brings some measure of peace to those who’ve been injured or suffered the loss of a loved one at the hands of Palestinian terrorist organizations,” Grassley said. “This decision sends a resounding message that foreign terrorists who intend to harm our countrymen can expect to feel the full weight of the U.S. justice system upon them.”

    Background:

    Grassley’s Anti-Terrorism Act of 1992 (ATA) established a framework for victims to sue those who were responsible for or assisted in acts of international terrorism that harmed or killed Americans. For decades, American families relied on the ATA to seek damages for attacks perpetrated by the PA and PLO in Israel and elsewhere abroad, until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 2016 effectively nullified the jurisdictional authority to hold these Palestinian terrorist groups accountable.

    In response to the Second Circuit’s ruling, Grassley and Lankford authored the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act to amend and strengthen the ATA. The PA/PLO challenged the Grassley-Lankford law as an unconstitutional violation of their due process rights. Today, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected that challenge, ruling the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act is a proper exercise of Congress’ authority over matters of serious foreign policy concern.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: Senate Legislates One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    Q: How will the Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill impact Iowans?

    A: Based on my county meetings, emails and phone calls, Iowans are paying close attention to the One Big Beautiful Bill moving through Congress. After passing the House of Representatives, the committees of jurisdiction in the Senate are now hammering out policy details on agriculture, taxes, immigration, health care and more. The bill is advancing in the Senate under the expedited reconciliation process that doesn’t require a 60-vote threshold and can’t include non-budgetary matters in the bill. As a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I’ve had my sleeves rolled up at the policymaking table advocating on behalf of Iowans, including agriculture, energy, taxes, health care and more. This package is a generational opportunity to prevent the largest tax increase in U.S. history and restore fiscal sanity. Americans sent a strong message in the last election and delivered a mandate to President Trump and the Republican Majority in Congress. That mandate includes cutting government bloat, reining in wasteful spending and stopping the biggest tax increase in the history of the country.

    Let’s start with health care, in particular Medicaid. That’s the federal-state program that provides free or low-cost health care to individuals based on their income and family size, serving Americans with disabilities, seniors, kids, pregnant moms and others. A sizable majority of Americans supports efforts to stop wasteful spending that drains resources for people who truly need this safety net and puts an unfair burden on taxpayers. I’ve been a long-time champion for protecting the Medicaid program for the most vulnerable Iowans. This includes my work to pass the Family Opportunity Act and Advancing Care for Exceptional (ACE) Kids Act, and my continued work on supporting kids with complex medical needs and improving maternal and child health. The Senate bill includes measures to strengthen the integrity of the Medicaid program, delay costly Biden-era regulations, stop Obamacare subsidies from going to illegal immigrants and enacting work requirements for able-bodied adults with reasonable exemptions, such as parents with young kids.

    Contrary to misinformation campaigns seeking to stop these common-sense reforms from getting to the president’s desk, the Senate bill does not take away Medicaid from those who genuinely need it. In fact, our bill seeks to strengthen the program so that it can continue to serve vulnerable populations it was designed to serve. For example, it would stop people from taking advantage of Medicaid coverage in multiple states; remove safe harbor protections for those who make erroneous excess payments; and, ban Medicaid managed care PBM spread pricing, among many other common-sense program integrity provisions. Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are the middlemen who negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies, health insurance companies, employer benefit plans, pharmacies and the consumer. PBMs can raise prices consumers pay for their medications, and instead of passing that revenue along to the pharmacy, they pocket the difference, known as “spread pricing.” I’ve long worked to reduce prescription drug prices and I’m pleased to get this specific reform in the Senate bill.

    Q: What’s so critical about the tax provisions in the bill?

    A: Our bill makes the 2017 tax law permanent. If Congress does nothing, the U.S. economy will get strangled by a $4 trillion tax hike on American workers, small businesses, farmers and families. The last thing American households and small businesses need – after recovering from supply chain setbacks during the pandemic and record-setting inflation under the Biden administration – is a higher tax bill from the federal government. Letting the 2017 tax law expire would cut the child tax credit and standard deduction in half. Iowa families would see on average a $1,400 tax increase. It also would slap a massive tax increase on small businesses, slamming the brakes on hiring, investing and expanding in local communities across the country. Iowa would stand to lose 57,000 jobs and more than $5 billion in employee wages across the state.

    Instead, the Senate bill would provide additional tax relief to working families, making permanent across-the-board tax rates; expanding the child tax credit; strengthening employer-provided childcare credit; enhancing the standard deduction; and, making permanent the small business deduction. It adds new tax relief for tipped workers and hourly workers who earn overtime pay, repeals burdensome reporting requirements for gig workers (rolls back the proposed $600 threshold for online payment platforms) and reduces paperwork burdens for small businesses by increasing the 1099-MISC threshold. The Senate-backed pro-growth tax policies would fuel investment with full expensing for domestic research and development, new capital improvements (including machinery and equipment) and new factories and factory improvements. These measures would provide much-needed certainty for small businesses and factories across our state, concerns I hear about regularly during my county meetings.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin’s Statement on the Supreme Court’s Spent Nuclear Fuel Ruling

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    June 18, 2025

    Washington, D.C.–Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in NRC v. Texas, which concerned the temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel:

    “Today’s Supreme Court ruling on the issue of spent nuclear fuel underscores the need for Congressional action. While I appreciate the Court’s decision to uphold the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s authority to license storage facilities, this decision is not sufficient to advance efforts addressing the broader societal challenges of spent nuclear fuel.

    “As the current Administration seeks to unleash a nuclear renaissance, there remains no solution the back end of the fuel cycle—both existing and future. With or without the Administration’s efforts, our nation already has 90,000 metric tons and growing of spent nuclear fuel with no permanent management plan.

    “Congress must act to pave the way for the successful siting and community acceptance of storage and disposal facilities. We must end a top-down approach to spent nuclear fuel and pass legislation – like my bipartisan Nuclear Waste Administration Act – to empower negotiations between all levels of government. I will not stop until the job is done.”

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Support Access to Affordable Military Housing

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    June 20, 2025

    Washington, D.C.—Today, Reps. Mike Levin (CA-49) and Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the bipartisan Service Member Housing Relief Act, which would give the Secretary of Defense greater flexibility to respond to cost-of-living spikes in Military Housing Areas (MHAs) nationwide. This would help service members afford to live in San Diego and Orange counties.

    In recent years, the Secretary of Defense has been temporarily authorized to increase the basic allowance for housing (BAH) where cost of living rises more than 20% over the previous year. Yet, service members and their families continue to report significant cost-of-living spikes at their assigned duty stations around the country, often with some costs rising more quickly and frequently than BAH can account for.

    The bill would reduce the threshold for granting mid-year temporary BAH increases from 20% to 15% of the overall increase in cost of living from the previous year. It also makes the Secretary of Defense’s authority permanent. In effect, the bill would give service members and their families more affordable and accessible housing options to avoid excessively long commutes, potentially hazardous living conditions, and ultimately better fit their needs.

    “This bipartisan bill addresses housing affordability issues facing service members across the country, including those stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton,” said Rep. Levin. “It increases the resources available to pay for housing and expands military housing options to ensure service members and their families are able to live and work in close proximity. I look forward to pushing this bill through the legislative process and garnering more bipartisan support for our men and women in uniform.”

    “As a Navy veteran, I know firsthand how critical stable, affordable housing is to our military families’ quality of life and mission readiness,” said Rep. Kiggans. “The Service Member Housing Relief Act is a commonsense, bipartisan solution to address the rising cost of living in many military communities. By lowering the threshold for BAH adjustments and making DoD’s authority permanent, we can ensure our servicemembers aren’t forced to choose between safe housing and supporting their families. I’m proud to support this bill because our military families deserve better—and we owe them nothing less.”

    “MFAN’s research—alongside data from the Department of Defense and other leading organizations—consistently demonstrates that the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) falls short in many housing markets across the country,” said Shannon Razsadin, CEO of the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN). “In fact, our 2023 Military Family Support Programming Survey found that 52.5% of active-duty families spent more than $250 out-of-pocket each month beyond their housing allowance. The data makes clear: housing insecurity is directly linked to broader challenges, including food insecurity, mental health, retention, and propensity to recommend military service. We applaud this bipartisan initiative. Military families don’t get to choose when or where they move—those decisions are made for them in service to our country. The very least we can do is ensure their compensation keeps pace with the real costs of providing a safe place for their family to call home.”

    The bill is supported by: Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN).

    Full text of the bill can be found here.

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta: Gutting NPR and PBS is a Dangerous Loss for Americans

    Source: US State of California

    Public media is an essential resource — especially for rural communities in emergency situations  

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined 23 attorneys general in submitting an amicus brief supporting NPR (National Public Radio) and PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) in their challenge to the Trump Administration directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to withhold federal funding from NPR and PBS. California public broadcasting companies received over $57 million in grants and allocations from CPB last year, much of which is distributed through NPR and PBS. In the brief, the attorneys general highlight the important role of public media in providing millions of Americans — especially rural, remote, and Tribal communities — with essential state and nationwide news and emergency notifications. Especially as the state experiences an increase in wildfires, Californians rely on public radio to receive vital information including evacuation orders.  

    “Public media serves all Americans, regardless of their ability to pay. In many rural communities, public radio stations are often the main or only source for local news and regularly partner with federal, state, and local authorities to provide lifesaving emergency communications, including early earthquake warnings and fire evacuation orders,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Without federal funding, rural areas of the country would lose this critical communication lifeline. Particularly amid an increase in natural disasters, leaving a whole swath of Americans without access to timely information is dangerous and unacceptable.”

    Public radio and television station alerts and reporting on emergency situations are often a lifeline for audiences throughout the country. Public broadcasters transmit emergency alerts to areas where there is little or no reliable internet or cellular service or when this service is disrupted. Public radio and television stations often have hardened and resilient infrastructure that allows them to continue broadcasting during emergency situations that may knock out power or other communications resources. Loss of federal funding to NPR and PBS would result in impacts to state and local authorities who frequently partner with public broadcasters; authorities would lose access to infrastructure they rely on to communicate immediate and life-saving emergency alerts to the public. Because this infrastructure cannot be quickly, easily, or inexpensively replaced, Americans nationwide — and particularly those in rural and remote areas — would experience real harm. 

    Public media is particularly critical in rural and Tribal areas where news, educational programming, and emergency alerts are significantly more limited. Rural areas are more vulnerable to the catastrophic effects of weather disasters and tend to not have the same access to reliable, high-speed internet as their urban counterparts. 

    In California, federal funding cuts to public media will disproportionately affect small and rural media stations, which are primarily funded by CPB. Approximately 40% of CPB grantees are considered rural — and in recent years CPB has prioritized resources to remote stations, which face unique challenges and higher costs than urban stations to reach remote sparsely populated areas. Whereas most urban stations have other funding sources, CPB funds can account for up to 60% of a rural station’s funding, meaning that reduction or elimination of funding from CPB would have the most negative impact on stations serving these communities. 

    In submitting the amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Colorado, Arizona, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. 

    A copy of the brief can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Offering Reward for Fugitive Wanted for Murder

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Memphis, TN – The U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is looking for Detreka Thomas. Thomas has a warrant for his arrest in Greenwood, Mississippi for Murder.

    On April 9, 2024, the Greenwood Police Department contacted the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and requested assistance in locating and apprehending Detreka Thomas (26).

    Thomas is charged with the shooting death of Accardo Willis on April 1, 2024, in Greenwood, Mississippi.

    The U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force when they discovered that Thomas frequents the Memphis, Tennessee area.

    Thomas is listed at 5 feet 7 inches in height and approximately 160 pounds. Thomas is considered armed and dangerous, do not approach him. He has ties to the Memphis, Tennessee and Greenwood, Mississippi area.

    The U.S. Marshals Service is offering up to $1,500 reward for information that leads to Thomas’ arrest. Citizens are encouraged to call 1-800-336-0102. All tips are anonymous.

    Anyone with information on wanted fugitives is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or USMS Tips.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Update 6: Alberta wildfire update (June 20, 3:30 p.m.)

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS Director of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services on Elimination of Federal Funding for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Dedicated to LGBTQ+ Youth Services

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NCDHHS Director of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services on Elimination of Federal Funding for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Dedicated to LGBTQ+ Youth Services

    NCDHHS Director of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services on Elimination of Federal Funding for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Dedicated to LGBTQ+ Youth Services
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    The United States Department of Health and Human Services recently announced it would eliminate federal funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline service dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth services. On July 17, 2025, people who call 988 will no longer have the option to Press 3, specific to LGBTQ+ youth considering suicide. In response, and to reaffirm North Carolina’s commitment to serving everyone who calls 988 for crisis care, Kelly Crosbie, NCDHHS Director of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, released the following statement.

    “The need for mental health care for young people in North Carolina has never been greater, and we are committed to reaching every person in every community in every corner of our state. North Carolina is a national leader in 988 implementation, with calls being answered in under 14 seconds on average, with every call being answered. This will not end with the elimination of federal dollars to support the 988 option to press 3 for the LGBTQ+ community. More than 8,000 North Carolinians call the 988 Lifeline each month for support. Everyone can and should still call 988, including members of the LGBTQ+ community. Experienced and trained 988 operators will respond to all calls and ensure that people receive the support and resources that they need.

    Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 14, and a leading cause of death among 15–24-year-olds. LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. In North Carolina, there will always be someone to call, someone to respond and somewhere to go if you are in crisis or just need someone to talk to.

    In addition to being a national leader in crisis care, we are working to transform mental health care in North Carolina to build a system that works for everyone and supports people through their mental and behavioral health journey.”

    ###

    If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or need someone to talk to, you are not alone. Resources are available on the NCDHHS Suicide Prevention website for social or family situations, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, thoughts of suicide, alcohol or drug use, or if you just need someone to talk to. Our Crisis Services Communications Toolkit includes free flyers, posters and other resources to promote and explain crisis services in your community in English and Spanish.

    • For those in a mental health crisis, NCDHHS provides somewhere to go, someone to talk to and someone to respond. The 988 Lifeline Chat and Text – 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available to everyone 24/7 by call, text, or chat. Targeted resources are available for Veterans, Spanish speakers, and currently for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults.
    • North Carolinians can call the Peer Warmline (1-855-PEERS NC [855-733-7762]) 24/7 to speak with a Peer Support Specialist. Peer Support Specialists (or “peers”) are people living in recovery with mental illness and/or substance use disorder who provide support to others who may have similar life experiences and can benefit from their lived experiences.
    • NCDHHS crisis services include mobile crisis teams that can come to you and community crisis centers, which are safe places where you can get help from a licensed clinician, without needing to go to the emergency room.

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de los Estados Unidos anunció recientemente que eliminaría los fondos federales para el servicio de la Línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis (988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) dedicado a los servicios juveniles LGBTQ+. El 17 de julio de 2025, las personas que llamen al 988 ya no tendrán la opción de oprimir 3, específicamente para los jóvenes LGBTQ+ que estén considerando suicidarse. En respuesta, y para reafirmar el compromiso de Carolina del Norte de servir a todos los que llaman al 988 para atención de crisis, Kelly Crosbie, Directora de Salud Mental, Discapacidades del Desarrollo y Servicios de Uso de Sustancias de NCDHHS, emitió la siguiente declaración.

    “La necesidad de atención de salud mental para los jóvenes en Carolina del Norte nunca ha sido mayor, y estamos comprometidos a llegar a cada persona en cada comunidad en cada rincón de nuestro estado. Carolina del Norte es un líder nacional en la implementación de la Línea 988, con llamadas que se responden en menos de 14 segundos en promedio, y cada llamada se responde. Esto no terminará con la eliminación de los dólares federales que apoya la opción de la Línea 988 y oprimir 3 para la comunidad LGBTQ+. Más de 8000 habitantes de Carolina del Norte llaman a la línea 988 cada mes para obtener ayuda. Todos pueden y deben llamar al 988, incluidos los miembros de la comunidad LGBTQ+. Las/Los operadoras (operadores) de la línea 988 capacitados y con experiencia responderán a todas las llamadas y se asegurarán de que las personas reciban el apoyo y los recursos que necesitan.

    El suicidio es la segunda causa de muerte entre los jóvenes de 10 a 14 años, y una de las principales causas de muerte entre los jóvenes de 15 a 24 años. Los jóvenes LGBTQ+ tienen más de cuatro veces más probabilidades de intentar suicidarse que sus compañeros. En Carolina del Norte, siempre habrá alguien a quien llamar, alguien quien responderá y un lugar a donde ir si está en crisis o simplemente necesita a alguien con quien hablar.

    Además de ser un líder nacional en atención de crisis, estamos trabajando para transformar la atención de salud mental en Carolina del Norte para construir un sistema que funcione para todos y apoye a las personas en su viaje de salud mental y conductual”.

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    Si usted o alguien que conoce está luchando con su salud mental o necesita a alguien con quien hablar, no está solo. Los recursos están disponibles en el sitio web de NCDHHS de Prevención del Suicidio para situaciones sociales o con familiares, depresión, ansiedad, ataques de pánico, pensamientos de suicidio, consumo de alcohol o drogas, o si solo necesita a alguien con quien hablar. Nuestro Kit de herramientas de comunicaciones de servicios de crisis incluye volantes gratuitos, pósteres y otros recursos para promocionar y explicar servicios de crisis en su comunidad en inglés y español.

    • Para aquellos en una crisis de salud mental, el NCDHHS proporciona un lugar a donde ir, alguien con quien hablar y alguien quien responderá. La Línea 988 chat y texto 988 es la Línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis (Lifeline Chat and Text – 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) es gratuita, confidencial y está disponible para todas las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana, por llamada, mensaje de texto o chat. Los recursos específicos están disponibles para veteranos, hispanohablantes y actualmente para jóvenes y adultos jóvenes LGBTQ+.
    • Los habitantes de Carolina del Norte pueden llamar a la Línea de Ayuda entre Pares (1-855-PEERS NC [855-733-7762]) las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana, para hablar con un Especialista en Apoyo Entre Pares. Los especialistas en apoyo entre pares (o “pares”) son personas que viven en recuperación con enfermedades mentales y/o trastornos por uso de sustancias que brindan apoyo a otras personas que pueden tener experiencias de vida similares y pueden beneficiarse de sus experiencias vividas.
    • Los servicios de crisis de NCDHHS incluyen equipos móviles de crisis que pueden acudir a usted y a centros comunitarios de crisis, que son lugares seguros donde puede obtener ayuda de un médico autorizado, sin necesidad de ir a la sala de emergencias.
    Jun 20, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Duluth Man Indicted for Threatening Two U.S. Senators and Their Families

    Source: US FBI

    ATLANTA – Robert Davis Forney, 25, of Duluth, Georgia, was arraigned today before a United States Magistrate Judge on federal charges of communicating threats in interstate commerce.  Forney was indicted by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia on June 10, 2025. 

    “Threatening our elected officials and their families is an act of violence that undermines our entire democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.  “Political discourse and disagreements never justify resorting to vile attacks against our nation’s leaders.”

    “Targeting public officials with threatening messages is a serious federal crime,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “There is no place for political violence or threats of violence in the United States. We will not hesitate to arrest and charge others who engage in similar criminal conduct.”

    According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On January 9, 2025, Forney twice called the office of Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and left voicemails in which he threatened sexual violence against Senator Cruz and the senator’s family.  The following day, Forney called the office of Nebraska U.S. Senator Deb Fischer and left a voicemail in which he threatened sexual violence against Senator Fischer as well.  

    Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges.  The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

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

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray are prosecuting the case.

    This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Capitol Police.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Multimillion-Dollar International Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking Ring Convicted

    Source: US FBI

    ATLANTA – Monica Dominguez Torres, 36, of Mexico, pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025, to federal charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Dominguez led a transnational criminal organization that operated methamphetamine conversion laboratories in the Atlanta area and laundered millions of dollars of drug proceeds to Mexico.

    “Dominguez’s elaborate criminal operation has been dismantled, and more than $3.5 million of illicit drug proceeds have been seized as a result of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners’ diligent work,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office will continue to aggressively prosecute individuals like Dominguez who seek an undeserved life of luxury by trafficking deadly drugs in our community.”

    Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division stated, “Through hard work, this drug trafficking and money laundering network has been removed from our streets. This criminal organization had no regard for the destructive impact on our communities.”

    “This conviction sends a strong message to those who think they can live a life of luxury funded by illegal activities,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the dedicated collaboration between HSI and our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels, we were able to dismantle Monica Dominguez Torres’s multi-million dollar drug trafficking and money laundering ring, seizing millions in illicit proceeds and bringing her to justice.”

    “Monica Torres led a transnational organized crime organization, which like others of its nature, threatens the national and economic security of the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents, along with our other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners of the Atlanta Strike Force are working together to find, investigate, and bring to justice those who endanger American citizens lives through their drug trafficking and other illicit crimes.”

    According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: Monica Dominguez Torres’s organization operated methamphetamine conversion laboratories where liquid methamphetamine, obtained from sources in Mexico, was converted into hundreds of kilograms of crystal methamphetamine to be sold in the Atlanta area and elsewhere. Dominguez and her associates also used residences in the Atlanta area to collect and count millions of dollars in cash from these drug sales. The proceeds were laundered and sent to coconspirators in Mexico. 

    As part of the criminal operation, Dominguez and her associates purchased millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, vehicles, and luxury goods – all designed to conceal the illicit source of their wealth. The investigation revealed that Dominguez purchased five separate residences, including a seven-bedroom waterfront home in Jonesboro, Georgia. Three of these residences were purchased with bulk cash brought directly to the transaction. Dominguez and others also purchased nine luxury vehicles worth approximately $780,000. Dominguez also spent lavishly on high-end goods, including nearly $400,000 at Louis Vuitton and more than $425,000 at Burberry over roughly four and a half years. 

    During the investigation, agents seized nearly $3.6 million in cash from Dominguez’s residences, stash locations, and associates. When agents arrested Dominguez at her Conyers, Georgia home in February 2024, they seized more than $1.7 million in cash, five firearms, and three vehicles.

    Dominguez is scheduled to be sentenced on September 15, 2025, at 1:30 pm, before Chief United States District Judge Leigh Martin May. Regarding her drug trafficking conviction, Dominguez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life in prison, a maximum $10,000,000 fine, and a minimum of five years of supervised release. The money laundering conviction carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a maximum $500,000 fine or twice the value of the laundered funds, up to three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of property involved in the offense. 

    This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, with valuable assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, Georgia State Patrol, the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, and the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant United States Attorneys John T. DeGenova, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section, and Nicholas L. Evert 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to eliminate the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Defendants Including Postal Worker, Await Sentencing for Possessing Stolen Mail Keys, Theft of Stolen Mail Matter, Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, in Separate Cases

    Source: US FBI

    UPDATE: Davion Chelsea Easterling is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall for sentencing on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 3 p.m. at the U.S. District Court, Augusta Division, located at 600 James Brown Boulevard, Augusta, Georgia 30901. Victims and the public are welcome to attend.  

    AUGUSTA, GA:  Five Richmond County residents face various terms of years in prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a master key for postal service mailboxes and other felony counts occurring in 2023.  This investigation is on-going.

    Davion Chelsea Easterling, 26, and Corey Jamario Gunter, 24, both of Augusta, await sentencing after pleading guilty to Aiding and Abetting Possession of a Stolen Mail Key. The plea agreements subject each defendant to a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

    Cameron Martinas Curry, 22, and Quavaun Enreco Rhodes, 22, both of Augusta, await sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Mail Key, Possessing Stolen Mail Matter, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft. The plea agreements subject each defendant to a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to five years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

    Earl Demetrius Overton, 32, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft related to stolen mail. The plea agreement subjects the defendant to a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to five years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

    As described in court documents and testimony, Easterling was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and shared a residence with Gunter. An investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in 2023, led to a search of their residence pursuant to a state search warrant, where investigators found large quantities of stolen mail and multiple postal bins, along with a master key used to access postal service boxes.  The investigation revealed that mail was stolen from a USPS Blue Box, located at the U.S. Post Office, 3108 Peach Orchard Road, Augusta, Georgia.

    The plea agreements concede that the number of mail-theft victims in the case is greater than 10, and the defendants abandoned any claim to the mail so it could be returned to individual senders. Gunter also agreed to forfeit a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol seized during the search.

    U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule sentencing hearings for Easterling and Gunter upon completion of pre-sentence investigations by U.S. Probation Services. 

    Pertaining to Curry and Rhodes, as described in court documents and testimony, the defendants were detained by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for a traffic stop after suspecting that the defendants had stolen mail from a USPS Blue Box, located at the U.S. Post Office, 125 Commercial Boulevard, Martinez, Georgia. Upon contact with the defendants, the deputies observed what appeared to be stolen U.S. Mail inside the vehicle.  An investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service determined that there was no forced entry on the USPS Blue Box.  The vehicle was searched but no key was found.  After canvassing the area, a pair of U.S. Postal Master Keys were found less than thirty yards from the vehicle. 

    As the investigation continued, a federal search warrant was obtained for both defendant’s phones and agents found several check images with a face value totaling $485,000.   Additionally, numerous text messages and screenshots revealed that they were in the business of stealing checks from the mail and depositing, altering, or selling them for the purpose of Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft. 

    U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen will schedule sentencing hearings for Curry and Rhodes upon completion of pre-sentence investigations by U.S. Probation Services.

    Pertaining to Overton, as described in court documents and testimony, the defendant was arrested by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, pursuant to an arrest warrant, while driving a vehicle.  The defendant was found to be in possession of a firearm and is a prohibited person because of a previous felony conviction. 

    A follow up search warrant of the defendant’s home revealed numerous stolen checks, stolen mail, and various debit cards belonging to other people. Additional investigation revealed that Overton was stealing checks from the mail and depositing, altering, or selling them for the purpose of Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft. 

    U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule a sentencing hearing for Overton upon completion of pre-sentence investigations by U.S. Probation Services.     

    “Mail theft has become an epidemic, and it is exceptionally costly to individuals and businesses victimized by these illegal activities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons. “These prosecutions hold accountable these defendants – including one who betrayed the trust granted by her U.S. Postal Service employment.”

    “These cases are examples of individuals who made a decision to engage in criminal misconduct involving the U.S. mail that will not go unpunished,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting our customers and preserving the integrity of the mail.”

    “The vast majority of U.S. Postal Service employees are honest, hardworking individuals who would never violate the public trust in this manner,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “But for those who do, our special agents, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate these federal crimes to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail. These guilty pleas are a testament to the dedication of the investigative and legal teams and should send a strong message to any employee who thinks of conspiring with others to steal arrow keys and betray the public’s trust.”

    “Possessing stolen mail keys and engaging in the theft of personal and private correspondence is not only a breach of trust but a crime against the public,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “These convictions send a clear message: law enforcement will not tolerate the theft of our nation’s mail, and those who abuse their position of trust will be held accountable.”

    These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Kyle Davis and David Estes.

    The United States Attorney’s Office urges the public that if you believe you are a victim of mail theft from the Martinez Post Office, or the  Peach Orchard Road Post Office between the dates of March 1, 2023 and November 30, 2023, and you have not been contacted by the United States Attorney’s Office, please file a report by June 30, 2025, with the United States Postal Inspection Service at USPIS.gov/report, referencing USPIS Case Numbers 4183320-MT and 4207963-MT  Mail theft victims who have been contacted by the United States Attorney’s Office are encouraged to submit victim impact statements as outlined in their notice and/or appear at future sentencings.  As these defendants are not currently scheduled for sentencing, the United States Attorney’s Office intends to post hearings dates and times on its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr.  

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Sunset Chief of Police Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Violation

    Source: US FBI

    LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Luis Enrique Padilla a/k/a Louis Padilla, former Chief of Police of the Sunset Police Department has been sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph. Padilla was sentenced to six months home incarceration with GPS monitoring, and five years of probation, for willfully using unreasonable force against an individual violating his civil rights.   

    Padilla pled guilty in March to a one-count Bill of Information charging him with deprivation of rights under color of law and agreed to resign and not run for re-election as part of his plea deal. Padilla had been employed as the Chief of Police of the Sunset Police Department since 2016. According to information presented in court, on December 1, 2023, while acting under the color of law, Padilla used unreasonable force against an individual during an arrest.

    Padilla was on duty and involved in an investigation concerning a hit and run and reported to the residence of the suspect, who was identified as a black female. Upon Padilla’s arrival at the residence, a male was standing outside of the residence. This individual was not aware of the alleged hit and run incident and did not match the physical description of the suspect.  Padilla immediately approached the male in an aggressive manner and placed him in handcuffs. The individual did not resist in any way or pose a threat to himself of any officer.

    While handcuffed, Padilla poked the individual in the chest and neck area and began to yell at him. Padilla continued to yell in the individual’s face and threatened to show him that he was “a bad man.” The victim never reacted to Padilla’s tirade. While he was handcuffed, Padilla then warned “let me show you how bad I am” and proceeded to forcefully twist the victim’s left thumb and wrist, causing pain to the handcuffed individual who was unlawfully detained. 

    Padilla admitted to willfully using unreasonable force under the circumstances. The suspect was taken to the Sunset Police Department and released without being charged. 

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Myers P. Namie.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Harshbarger Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Ruling That Protects Children from Sex Change Interventions

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6–3 ruling that affirmed Tennessee’s law prohibiting dangerous, sometimes irreversible gender transition procedures on minors. This decision recognizes our state’s authority to protect vulnerable youth and ensure responsible, evidence-based medical care.

    “This is a landmark victory for Tennessee parents and families. The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed what most of us already know to be true: Kids are not experiments and gender transition procedures have caused immense harm to children. This ruling protects minors from these life-altering procedures so states can have a right to ban child mutilation without judges interfering.” – Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger

    The Court’s 6–3 decision held that Tennessee’s law does not violate the equal protection clause of the Constitution and affirms the right of states to enact laws that prioritize child safety, and medical responsibility.

    To read Chief Justice John Roberts’ full opinion click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: DOE Approves Fourth Loan Disbursement to Restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WASHINGTON— U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright today announced the release of the fourth loan disbursement to Holtec to help fund the restart of the Palisades Nuclear Plant. Today’s action disburses $100,451,904 of the up to $1.52 billion loan guarantee to Holtec for the Palisades Nuclear Plant, which will be America’s first restart of a commercial nuclear reactor that ceased operations, subject to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approvals.

    “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Energy is taking a leading role in unleashing the American nuclear renaissance,” said Secretary Chris Wright. “The Palisades Nuclear Plant will help to reinvigorate our nuclear industrial base and will reestablish the United States as the world’s nuclear energy leader.”

    This disbursement marks Holtec’s fourth disbursement of funds from the Loan Programs Office (LPO) since the September 2024 announcement of the loan’s financial close. To date, $251,878,038 of DOE guaranteed loan funds have been disbursed to Holtec to help fund the reopening as it continues to make important milestones toward plant restart, including the NRC’s issuance of the final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact.

    Today’s announcement highlights the Energy Department’s leading role in advancing President Trump’s Executive Order 14302, Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base, through funding the restart of nuclear plants. DOE remains committed to fulfill this mission in order to maximize the speed and scale of nuclear capacity in the United States, ensuring American’s have access to reliable, abundant, and affordable energy.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Univest Securities, LLC Announces Closing of $2.37 Million Registered Direct Offering for its Client Houston American Energy Corp. (NYSE American: HUSA)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Univest Securities, LLC (“Univest”), a member of FINRA and SIPC, and a full-service investment bank and securities broker-dealer firm based in New York, today announced the closing of registered direct offering (the “Offering”), for its client Houston American Energy Corp. (NYSE American: HUSA) (the “Company”), an independent oil and gas company.

    Under the terms of the securities purchase agreement, the Company has agreed to sell to an institutional investor (the “SPA”) for the purchase and sale of an aggregate of 223,762 shares of common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof) at a purchase price of $10.60 per share (or pre-funded warrant in lieu thereof) in a registered direct offering.

    The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of this offering were approximately $2.37 million, before deducting the placement agent’s fees and other offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company currently intends to use the net proceeds of approximately $2.1 million from the offering for general corporate purposes.

    Univest Securities, LLC acted as the sole placement agent.

    The registered direct offering was made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-282778) previously filed by the Company and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on November 4, 2024. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus describing the terms of the proposed offering were filed with the SEC and are available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained, by contacting Univest Securities, LLC at info@univest.us, or by calling +1 (212) 343-8888.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor will there be any sales of such securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Copies of the prospectus supplement relating to the registered direct offering, together with the accompanying base prospectus, can be obtained at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    About Univest Securities, LLC

    Registered with FINRA since 1994, Univest Securities, LLC provides a wide variety of financial services to its institutional and retail clients globally including brokerage and execution services, sales and trading, market making, investment banking and advisory, wealth management. It strives to provide clients with value-add service and focuses on building long-term relationship with its clients. For more information, please visit: www.univest.us.

    About Houston American Energy Corp.

    Houston American Energy Corp., an independent oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, exploitation, development, and production of natural gas, crude oil, and condensate. Its principal properties are located primarily in the Texas Permian Basin, the South American country of Colombia, and the onshore Louisiana Gulf Coast region. The company is based in Houston, Texas.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as “may, “will, “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the initial public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the registration statement filed with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. Univest Securities LLC and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

    For more information, please contact:

    Univest Securities, LLC
    Edric Guo
    Chief Executive Officer
    75 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 18C
    New York, NY 10019
    Phone: (212) 343-8888
    Email: info@univest.us

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senator Mullin Accepts Patient Advocate of the Year Award

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    Washington, D.C. – Last week, Patients Rising recognized U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) as the Patient Advocate of the Year for his leadership on legislation to reauthorize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Priority Review Voucher Program through the Give Kids a Chance Act. The voucher program incentivizes pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments for rare pediatric diseases by allowing them to expedite FDA review of more innovative drugs. 

    “It’s an honor to be in the U.S. Senate fighting for Oklahomans each and every day. I’m grateful to those that put their trust in me and will continue to work tirelessly for them and the issues they hold most dear.” said Senator Mullin. 

    Patients Rising CEO, Terry Wilcox, presented the award to Senator Mullin at his Washington, D.C. office.

    Background:

    • On March 26, 2025, Senator Mullin introduced the Give Kids a Chance Act.
    • The We the Patients Fly-In was attended by 120+ rare and chronic disease patient advocates from all over the country.
    • Formed in 2015, Patients Rising works with patients to advocate on behalf of the 144 million Americans with chronic illnesses for access to the treatments, innovations, and care they need. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: The President signed into law S.J. Res. 13 and S.J. Res 31

    Source: US Whitehouse

    On Friday, June 20, 2025, the President signed into law:

    S.J. Res. 13, which provides congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency of the Department of the Treasury relating to the review of applications under the Bank Merger Act.

    S.J. Res. 31, which provides congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act”.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Texas Man Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Related Offenses in Connection with Alleged Operation of Trucking Companies

    Source: US State of California

    WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed on Wednesday in Houston charging a Texas man with offenses related to the alleged operation of illegal and unsafe trucking companies.

    According to court documents, Shaquan Jelks, 48, of Houston, managed and controlled multiple commercial trucking companies after being ordered not to do so by a federal court and by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”), the regulatory agency responsible for ensuring that commercial trucks and their drivers are equipped to operate safely on public roads and highways. The indictment against Jelks alleges that he repeatedly lied to and obstructed the FMCSA, including after a driver for his companies was killed in a single-vehicle crash in February 2022. The indictment also alleges that Jelks relied on fraud to finance his illegal trucking companies, including by diverting to his trucking companies money fraudulently obtained from the Paycheck Protection Program.

    “Individuals who impair, impede, or obstruct the lawful functions of the FMCSA make our roads and highways less safe,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work closely with the Department of Transportation and our law enforcement partners to protect drivers on our roads and highways.”

    “Motorists have a right to expect that the commercial trucks on their roadways—which weigh tens of thousands of pounds or more—are safely maintained and operated,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “By prosecuting those that undermine this expectation of safety, DOJ and DOT are simultaneously keeping our roadways safe and maintaining public confidence.”

    “Keeping our highways safe is essential to protecting our families, our economy, and our way of life,” said Joseph Harris, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s Southern Region. “People have every right to expect that trucking companies follow the highest safety standards when using our public roads. Today’s announcement shows our continued commitment to holding commercial operators accountable—especially those who put profits ahead of public safety by disregarding key DOT regulations.”

    The Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Ethan Carroll and Lindsey Marcus of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Alabama Redistricting Case Opposing Request for Preclearance under the Voting Rights Act

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a Statement of Interest in the Alabama redistricting case, Milligan v. Allen, 2:21-cv-1530 (N.D. Ala.), opposing Plaintiffs’ request to have Alabama submit its future redistricting plans for preclearance by the U.S. Attorney General under Section 3(c) of the Voting Rights Act.

    Three sets of plaintiffs filed lawsuits arguing that two Congressional Districts in Alabama should be majority Black. The Court found that Alabama’s attempt to create a second majority-Black district was insufficient.  Alabama has agreed to use the Special Master’s Remedial Map going forward and has explained to the Court that it will not seek to redistrict again until after the 2030 Census.  One plaintiff argues that it is insufficient and seeks Section 3(c) relief.

    In its Statement of Interest, the Justice Department explains that it would not be appropriate to require Alabama to submit future redistricting plans for preapproval by the Court or the federal government. “Section 3(c) preclearance is a drastic departure from basic principles of federalism, and nothing presented to the court justifies the extraordinary requirement of forcing Alabama to have redistricting plans pre-approved by the federal government,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael E. Gates of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

    “The issues raised by the plaintiffs in this case have been remedied by the State of Alabama’s agreement to use the Remedial Map and pledge to not seek to redistrict again until after the next Census—over five years from now,” said United States Attorney Prim Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “The plaintiffs’ request to impose preclearance would unnecessarily tax principles of equal sovereignty that afford Alabama the Constitutional right to manage its own elections.”

    The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

    More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced to Six Years for Coordinating Drug Shipments Into U.S.

    Source: US FBI

    BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 55-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Raymondville has been ordered to prison for trafficking methamphetamine and heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Reynaldo Galvan-Rico pleaded guilty April 4, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered him to serve 72 months in federal prison. Galvan-Rico is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

    Beginning in March 2019, authorities identified Galvan-Rico as a coordinator in Mexico. The investigation revealed he acted as the point of contact for the drug supplier in Mexico and the drivers transporting narcotics in the United States.

    Galvan-Rico was allowed to remain on bond and surrender at a later date.

    “A major component of Operation Take Back America is the pursuit and punishment of drug traffickers,” said Ganjei. “Those that seek a quick buck by poisoning our communities through the drug trade should be looking over their shoulder because we are coming for them.”

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection.

    OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Related Offenses in Connection with Alleged Operation of Trucking Companies

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed on Wednesday in Houston charging a Texas man with offenses related to the alleged operation of illegal and unsafe trucking companies.

    According to court documents, Shaquan Jelks, 48, of Houston, managed and controlled multiple commercial trucking companies after being ordered not to do so by a federal court and by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”), the regulatory agency responsible for ensuring that commercial trucks and their drivers are equipped to operate safely on public roads and highways. The indictment against Jelks alleges that he repeatedly lied to and obstructed the FMCSA, including after a driver for his companies was killed in a single-vehicle crash in February 2022. The indictment also alleges that Jelks relied on fraud to finance his illegal trucking companies, including by diverting to his trucking companies money fraudulently obtained from the Paycheck Protection Program.

    “Individuals who impair, impede, or obstruct the lawful functions of the FMCSA make our roads and highways less safe,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work closely with the Department of Transportation and our law enforcement partners to protect drivers on our roads and highways.”

    “Motorists have a right to expect that the commercial trucks on their roadways—which weigh tens of thousands of pounds or more—are safely maintained and operated,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “By prosecuting those that undermine this expectation of safety, DOJ and DOT are simultaneously keeping our roadways safe and maintaining public confidence.”

    “Keeping our highways safe is essential to protecting our families, our economy, and our way of life,” said Joseph Harris, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s Southern Region. “People have every right to expect that trucking companies follow the highest safety standards when using our public roads. Today’s announcement shows our continued commitment to holding commercial operators accountable—especially those who put profits ahead of public safety by disregarding key DOT regulations.”

    The Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Ethan Carroll and Lindsey Marcus of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Wraps Tour Highlighting Medicaid and SNAP Cuts, Rural Health Access, and Constituent Services Wins Across New Mexico

    Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – On June 18, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) completed a multi-day tour across New Mexico’s second district, spotlighting the harmful impacts the Republican reconciliation bill would have on health care, food assistance, rural communities and hardworking New Mexicans who utilize vital federal programs to survive and support their families.

    “The proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP would devastate New Mexico,” said Vasquez. “The One Big Ugly Bill would take health care away from expectant mothers in Socorro, take food off the table for families in Albuquerque, and shutter the doors of rural hospitals. It is shameful that this administration is playing politics with our lives. I’m in this fight to protect the people I serve, and I’m going to continue my work to stop this disastrous bill.”

    On Tuesday, June 17th, Vasquez visited Socorro General Hospital, which serves rural communities across central New Mexico, to hear from medical providers and hospital staff about the critical role Medicaid plays in delivering maternity care and youth medical services. With Medicaid covering more than half of all births in New Mexico, the Congressman made clear that cuts to Medicaid and onerous paperwork requirements are a direct threat to maternal health and care for kids across the state.

    On Wednesday, June 18, Vasquez hosted a roundtable and press conference in Albuquerque with healthcare providers, state officials, patient advocates, and Medicaid recipients. Together, they called attention to the nearly $800 billion in proposed Medicaid cuts that would disproportionately harm communities across New Mexico.

    “In our district alone, more than 38,000 people would lose Medicaid coverage,” said Vasquez. “That’s mothers in Hatch, farmworkers in Deming, and patients in Lordsburg who won’t be able to fill their prescriptions. This is not fiscal responsibility—it’s cruelty.”

    Leaders who joined Vasquez included:

    • Alanna Dancis, Chief Medical Officer, NM Health Care Authority
       
    • Dr. Steve McLaughlin, Chief Medical Officer, UNM Hospitals
       
    • Brent Earnest, COO, BeWell NM
       
    • Dee Gipson, Administrator, South Valley Care Center
       
    • Ash Green, Advocate, National MS Society

    They were joined by representatives from NM Voices for Children, Health Action NM, the NM Primary Care Association, Disability Rights NM, the ARC of New Mexico, and more.

    WATCH: VASQUEZ DELIVERS REMARKS AT MEDICAID CUTS PRESS CONFERENCE

    Later in the morning, Vasquez visited S.R. Marmon Elementary School to observe the Albuquerque Public Schools Summer Meal Program in action. The program provides free meals to students, many of whom face food insecurity year-round. Vasquez highlighted the critical role these school-based nutrition programs play as proposed SNAP cuts threaten to reduce access to food at home, leaving children increasingly dependent on school meals as their primary source of nutrition.

    Vasquez ended the day by meeting with constituents who received assistance from his office in navigating complex federal issues from securing VA healthcare benefits for veterans to resolving erroneous Social Security claims. He highlighted these cases as clear examples of how government can deliver when it remains accessible and accountable. Among them was Terry, a veteran who struggled for months to get a response on his retirement until he contacted Vasquez’s office.

    “No one was getting back to me, so I reached out to Congressman Vasquez’s office and asked for help. I had tried everything to submit my records the way the VA asked, but nothing was working. Then Mr. Drew Hill from the Congressman’s team stepped in. Within days, my caseworker called to say my retirement had been approved. That’s the kind of work Congressman Vasquez and his staff do — they perform miracles,” said Terry

    Rep. Vasquez’s two-day visit underscores his commitment to protecting Medicaid, SNAP, and essential services that help New Mexicans stay healthy, put food on the table, and build more secure lives, no matter their income or zip code.

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Champions Food Security, LGBTQ+ Rights, and Education Pathways in Las Cruces

    Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

    LAS CRUCES, N.M. – On June 16, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) engaged with communities across Las Cruces and the surrounding areas to address urgent issues facing rural New Mexico, including food insecurity amid SNAP cuts, challenges impacting LGBTQ+ residents, and expanding college access for first-generation students.

    “Families in Hatch shouldn’t have to wonder where their next meal is coming from. LGBTQ+ communities deserve to live with dignity and without fear, and every student — no matter their zip code — should have a real pathway to higher education,” said Vasquez. “At a time when federal investments in New Mexico are on the chopping block, I’m not sitting on the sidelines. I’m showing up, listening closely, and fighting for the resources, respect, and opportunities our communities deserve.”

    Rep. Vasquez began the day by visiting Slim’s Food Pantry, which received FY2024 Community Project Funding to build a permanent facility in rural Doña Ana County. As proposed SNAP cuts threaten to worsen the food insecurity crisis across southern New Mexico, Vasquez underscored the urgency of protecting food access for working families and reaffirmed his commitment to defending federal nutrition programs and delivering resources that directly support local communities.

    Vasquez also visited the 2025 Summer Aggie Academy, part of New Mexico State University’s TRiO Upward Bound Program, which supports nearly 100 first-generation and low-income students from school districts like Alamogordo, Gadsden, Las Cruces, and Hatch Valley. Speaking directly with students, Vasquez shared his journey as a first-generation Mexican-American college student and emphasized the importance of education, showing young New Mexicans that their dreams are important and within reach. Vasquez has championed the TRIO program through the Appropriations process for the last two years. With the administration threatening to end funding for TRIO, Vasquez reiterated that he will continue to champion this critical program.

    Lastly, Vasquez convened an LGBTQ+ advocacy roundtable to hear firsthand from local leaders and activists about increasing threats and attacks targeting the LGBTQ+ community, including rolling back civil rights protections as well as cuts to gender affirming care, HIV programs, and reproductive health services. In a powerful dialogue, advocates shared stories of resilience and called for stronger protections. Vasquez reiterated his solidarity and pledged to continue pushing back against discrimination and standing up for the dignity and safety of all New Mexicans.

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Rallies Outdoor Advocates to Defend Public Lands at OMDP Hike and Press Conference

    Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

    LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) joined conservation advocates, local leaders, and community members at the Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument (OMDP) to rally against renewed efforts to sell off federal public lands. The event featured a press conference and community hike, highlighting the cultural, economic, and environmental importance of public lands to southern New Mexico.

    The event comes amidst a revived push by Senate Republicans to advance one of the most extreme public land sell-off proposals in recent history of over 3.3 million acres. While these provisions were blocked in the House thanks to Rep. Vasquez’s leadership in the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus, they have resurfaced in the Senate’s version of the budget reconciliation bill, reigniting concern across the West.

    WATCH: REP. VASQUEZ DELIVERS REMARKS AT PROTECT PUBLIC LANDS PRESS CONFERENCE

    “Standing here at Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks, I’m reminded that what’s at stake isn’t just this monument—it’s the future of millions of acres of public lands across New Mexico and the West that could be sold off because of Republican proposals in Congress,” said Vasquez. “These lands are part of our identity. They support local jobs, protect sacred Tribal sites, and give our kids a chance to connect with the outdoors. Our public lands are not for sale. Period.”

    “There are a number of reasons why keeping OMDP intact and untouched is so important. Not only are conservation and preservation instrumental in this argument, but in Las Cruces, our community has embraced this monument because of the hiking and camping, the outdoor recreation opportunities, and so much more,” said Carrie Hamblen, CEO and President of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce and New Mexico State Senator. “Our local businesses rely on the tourism that brings visitors into our stores and restaurants and creates a memorable experience for all to enjoy. Our monument isn’t for sale, and our community has proven to this administration that it should be left alone.”

    “Our community in Southern New Mexico understands that our landscape brings us together. These lands hold so much more than what can be extracted or profited from them. They hold our stories, they are homes to essential wildlife, they improve the health of our communities,” said Patrick Nolan, Executive Director of Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks. “The value of our lands cannot be summed up by what can be extracted from them. We hope Congress, with the help of Representative Vasquez, understands that the value of our lands cannot be summed up by what can be extracted from them. That these lands hold value as they are protected and conserved for generations to come.” 

    “New Mexico Wild and our thousands of members object in the strongest possible terms to any attempts to shrink, eliminate, or remove protections for Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks or any other national monument. These monuments were created as a result of local communities working for years to protect these one of a kind places,” said Mark Allison, Executive Director of New Mexico Wild. “Nearly 90% of New Mexicans — people of all political persuasions — support keeping our monuments intact. They are not merely lines on a map but critical ecological havens, sacred cultural sites, and irreplaceable natural treasures that help define our identity. Public lands are the backdrop to our state’s outdoor heritage and way of life.  Plans to sell off our children’s inheritance to benefit connected billionaires is a theft of historic proportions and should make all Americans ashamed and outraged.”

    “To New Mexicans public lands aren’t some line item on a budget spreadsheet. Public lands are our lifeblood. Wild, public places and the wild things that inhabit those places are integral to the culture, traditions and lifestyle of countless people across the West,” said Jesse Duebel, Executive Director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. “Public lands are not just about outdoor recreation and all the health and economic benefits associated with that. These places house our identity. It’s where we go to obtain our food, the firewood to heat our homes, and the solace we need to overcome the challenges of modern society. Public lands are our gym, our church and our grocery store. In short, our public lands are not for sale, they are in our DNA.”

    “The broad scheme to sell off our public lands, national heritage, and outdoor access to the wealthy and well-connected will block access to regular Americans for hiking, camping, hunting, and fishing. It also willfully ignores or disrespects the Indigenous, Hispano, and local communities who rely on these lands for cultural, spiritual, economic, and recreational reasons, said Romir Lahiri, Associate Program Director for Conservation Lands Foundation. “These lands are part of what makes New Mexico so special. New Mexico’s national monuments, including Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks and Río Grande del Norte, exist because the people demanded it. From local business owners and family campers to mountain guides and outdoor adventurers, the majority—regardless of political affiliation—want these treasured natural places protected and accessible for generations to come.”

    “Our public lands are living landscapes. Any effort to weaken their protections threaten the health, heritage, and well-being of their connected communities and stand in direct opposition to the voices of New Mexicans. Despite overwhelming support for our public lands, the Trump Administration is systematically degrading the laws and agencies that manage these irreplaceable places and jeopardizing the legal duty to engage meaningfully with Tribal leadership,” said Maude Dinan, New Mexico Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association.“Prioritizing oil and gas drilling or mining, erasing national monuments, or transferring public lands to states is short-sighted and will cause irrevocable harm to our landscapes and people.”

    Earlier this year, Vasquez launched the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus alongside Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT-01) to bring together lawmakers from both parties who support the protection of public lands. The caucus has quickly become a driving force behind efforts to conserve our public lands and fight for the outdoor recreation economy.

    In addition to fighting against this latest effort to sell public lands in order to pay for tax breaks for billionaires, Vasquez also joined a letter earlier this year to the administration urging the Department of Interior to leave OMDP intact, highlighting its significant landscapes, cultural resources and economic impact.

    As the reconciliation package and other efforts to sell off public lands move forward, Vasquez pledged to continue building bipartisan support for protecting public lands for future generations.

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kean Announces June Telephone Town Hall for NJ-07 Constituents

    Source: US Representative Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07)

    Contact: Riley Pingree 

    (June 20, 2025) LEBANON BOROUGH, N.J. – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) announced that he will host his next town hall on June 28, 2025, at 10:30AM. This is the second town hall Congressman Kean will host in the 119th Congress.  

    In the 118th Congress (2023-2024), Congressman Kean hosted ten telephone town halls that reached over 100,000 residents and dozens of in-person sessions for students, seniors, and community organizations. 

    Congressman Kean remains committed to open communication with his constituents, hosting quarterly telephone town halls and specialized in-person sessions for groups such as schools and senior centers. Since taking office in 2023, he has responded directly to over 100,000 constituent letters and dedicates time each week to calling residents, ensuring their voices are heard on the issues that matter most.  

    “Hearing directly from the people I represent is essential to how I serve you in Congress,” said Congressman Kean. This upcoming telephone town hall is an opportunity for me to share updates on my recent work in Washington and, more importantly, to listen to hardworking taxpayers across New Jersey’s Seventh District. Your input helps guide my work on the issues that matter most to our communities. I encourage you to invite your neighbors, friends, and anyone else in NJ-07 who wants to be part of the conversation.”

    Congressman Kean is inviting your questions and input ahead of his June Telephone Town Hall. If you would like to participate and submit a question for him to address during the call, please click HERE. 

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Final Rule

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services

    Introduction

    Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Final Rule,” setting standards for the Health Insurance Marketplaces, which connect millions of consumers to Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage. The rule finalizes additional safeguards to protect consumers from improper enrollments and changes to their health care coverage, as well as establishes standards to ensure the integrity of the ACA Exchanges. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commissioner Kristin N. Johnson’s Keynote Remarks at the CCP AGM 2025

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    It is a pleasure to join CCP Global for your Annual General Meeting. Joining you today marks the third time that I have had the opportunity to address this important group at the center of the global derivatives markets. Addressing this body in Madrid, Spain in June of 2022 marked one of the earliest keynote addresses that I delivered during my time in service as a Commissioner only months after I joined the Commission.[1] 
    During my speech in Madrid, I reflected on then-recent market stress resulting from geopolitical events and a global pandemic. In February and March of 2020, our markets faced concerning shocks from the rise of a global pandemic[2] and regulatory responses to contain it.[3] Markets witnessed unprecedented volatility coupled with extreme volumes of trading and at times tight liquidity, placing extraordinary pressure on market infrastructures. Responding to these events, central counterparties CCPs carefully assessed initial and variation margin requirements and ultimately increased initial margin requirements (particularly for equity products) as an integral part of their market risk mitigating solutions.
    Facing these challenges, CCPs navigated the risks presented, deploying the carefully developed tools at hand with deep and continuous engagement with global regulators. As a result of effective reforms adopted almost a decade before the pressures of recent geopolitical events and a global pandemic at the start of this decade, our financial system demonstrated remarkable resilience.  As noted by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) – “Banks and FMIs, particularly CCPs, held up well and were largely able to absorb rather than amplify the shock.”[4]
    In many ways, market conditions during these events stress tested CCP resilience reforms implemented pursuant to the 2009 G20 Pittsburg Summit and the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructure (PFMI) codified under local laws such as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and European Market Infrastructure Regulation.[5]
    Turning back to the present, it is fitting that we gather here today in a building that has served as a gathering place for government and industry for hundreds of years. My understanding is that the building began as a convent in 1411, but later, in the 17th Century became the meeting place for the administrative board for the Admiralty of Amsterdam. And, in the mid-1600s, became known as a City Hall and served as the seat of Amsterdam’s government. 
    In the spirit of reflecting on the significant contributions of the CCP Global community and the issues that you will discuss and explore during your general meeting, I hope to highlight the work of the advisory committees of the CFTC. Over the last few years, your members have supported and served on a number of the CFTC advisory committees. Having a full complement of five Commissioners for the last three and a half-years means that we put lots of you to work. As the current remaining Commissioners, Acting Chair Pham and I are continuing our commitment to advance important multi-stakeholder dialogues through our role as advisory committee sponsors. I am hopeful that we may even find a path to collaborate with joint sessions hosted by the two advisory committees that we sponsor.   
    Today, please allow me to focus my remarks on the importance of our Commission’s advisory committees and highlight some of the suggestions put forth by the Market Risk Advisory Committee (MRAC) following deep engagement on these issues, especially those focused on operational resiliency and derivatives clearing organizations (DCOs) system safeguards, and DCO wind down and recovery plans.
    I know that many of you are familiar with the MRAC and other CFTC advisory committees from your service and support as members of their Committees and Subcommittees. The MRAC was established on May 6, 2014 in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) after the Commission determined that MRAC was necessary and in the public’s interest.[6] MRAC’s purpose is to support the Commission in “promoting [] integrity, resilience, and vibrancy of the U.S. derivatives markets through sound regulation, as well as the monitoring and management of systemic risk.”[7] Since MRAC’s inception, each sponsoring Commissioner has recognized the vital role this advisory committee plays in the development of Commission rules and regulations and utilized MRAC to put forth important reports and recommendations.[8] 
    The MRAC has a diverse membership with deep experience across all corners of the derivatives space, including representatives of clearinghouses, exchanges, intermediaries, market makers, end-users, academia, public interest advocates, and regulators. Diversity of membership in our advisory committees is critically important to their success and will be vital as we address jurisdiction over emerging markets and novel asset classes as well as the continuous evolution of complex liquidity and market risk issues. Without perspectives from every side of the integral issues that these committees address, we run the risk of limiting our supervision and oversight and missing out on the opportunity to effectively address emerging risks to market stability and integrity.
    The benefits of multi-stakeholder gatherings to address emerging market risks cannot be overstated. Sharing a wide variety of perspectives across our markets to engage in deep, thoughtful, and actionable solutions enables regulators and market participants to be prepared to navigate risks with minimal disruptions and maximum resiliency for strong and vibrant derivatives markets in the U.S. and across the world. 
    This, in essence, is why I believe you all meet here on an annual basis as well – because you recognize the value of deliberative engagement. Allow me to share briefly on two issues that are top of mind for me and that the MRAC has made significant progress addressing– operational resilience of our derivatives markets and orderly wind down and recovery for DCOs.
    Navigating the Cyber Landscape for CCPs
    Cybersecurity risks are growing in our markets and must be proactively managed and addressed. In its 2024 Systemic Risk Barometer Survey, the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) noted that cyber risk was a top five systemic risk to the global economy.[9] Similarly, in May 2024, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated that in the past 20 years, the financial sector has suffered over 20,000 cyber-attacks resulting in $12 billion in losses, and noted that there is a growing inequality between cyber resilient organizations and those that lack the resilience to withstand and prevent attacks.[10] Recent events demonstrate the chaos that cybersecurity events can cause for our markets, resulting in billions in losses.
    As many of you are aware, in January of 2023, ION Cleared Derivatives (ION) experienced a significant cyberattack. ION provides important back-office services for many global futures commission merchants (FCMs) and other market participants. ION’s effective operations and successful provision of these critical services enable many market participants to clear and settle a significant volume of global transactions on a daily basis. The cyberattack on ION triggered a series of disruptions across markets. Those who rely on ION to perform critical functions were taken offline and many had to rely on manual trade processing. The outage similarly delayed the Commission’s ability to deliver timely the Commitments to Traders reports.
    Two years later, in a very different corner of markets, on February 21, 2025, Bybit, a popular cryptocurrency exchange, lost nearly $1.5 billion in losses in mostly Ether from a hacking incident.[11] The Bybit hack represented one of the single largest losses by any cryptocurrency exchange since the first Bitcoin was mined. 
    The hackers identified a vulnerability in Bybit’s transaction approval process hosted through smart contract logic in off chain infrastructure. What appeared to be a routine transfer from Bybit’s Ethereum cold wallet ended up being a rerouting of the transaction to the hacker’s wallets. What kinds of vulnerabilities have enabled hackers to capture hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency? Commonly deployed tactics include phishing, supply chain compromises, and private key thefts. 
    In the context of the Bybit hack, reports indicate that the hackers accessed critical Bybit systems through a third party provided critical infrastructure system and used this access point to inject malicious software that detected and modified outgoing transactions in real time.[12] Hackers appear to have gained access to an off chain Safe user interface provided by a third-party service provider.[13]
    To provide guardrails for these types of issues, in December 2023, the Commission unanimously approved a proposed rule that would create an operational resilience framework for FCMs, swap dealers (SDs) and major swap participants (MSPs) to “identify, monitor, manage, and assess risks relating to information and technology security, third-party relationships, and emergencies or other significant disruptions to normal business operations”.[14] The proposed rule included three components: (1) an information and technology security program; (2) a third-party relationship program; and (3) a business continuity and disaster recovery plan. Each of these components was designed to deliver frameworks to establish protections to FCMs, SDs, and MSPs and, in an event like the ION Derivatives cyberattack, a plan to continue business as normal while post-mortem checks are completed.
    I want to highlight one of the risks that the proposed ORF seeks to address – concentration risks associated with critical third-party service providers. As early back as 2019, the FSB released a report on third-party dependencies in cloud services and considerations on financial stability implications, including implications of market concentration on competition.[15] These risks can be heightened for smaller or medium sized firms, who may lack both the resources to develop technology in house as well as the bargaining power to negotiate with limited service providers in many cases. 
    Evidence, as well as our experience in working towards the operational resilience framework, indicates that this may be more pronounced in the markets we regulate where there may be even more limited vendors that can provide the sophisticated technologies often used in the derivatives industry. This is not only a potential issue for compliance with regulations and risk management, but also a business risk for market participants.
    The Central Counterparty (CCP) Risk & Governance Subcommittee of MRAC recognized the need for a rule like ORF to create a regulatory framework for cybersecurity preparedness and business continuity for cyberattacks and built out a proposal to expand the scope to include DCOs and bolster system safeguards for critical third-party service providers.[16]
    MRAC’s Recommendation on DCO System Safeguards for Critical Third-Party Service Providers
    The DCO System Safeguards recommendations are an example of MRAC’s proactive response to a potential risk identified. The recommendations also highlight the value of the CFTC advisory committees and the potential for diverse stakeholders who may have divergent perspectives to work together to make real progress towards making our markets more resilient. 
    A technology and operations workstream of the CCP Risk & Governance Subcommittee began evaluating issues related to cybersecurity and third-party risk management in early 2023. In March of that year, MRAC held a “first-of-its-kind” public meeting to discuss the cybersecurity event at ION Cleared Derivatives that led to a ripple effect across our markets. This was the first chance for experts across our industry to come together following the ION cyberattack to evaluate the event and begin to map out next steps to ensure cyber preparedness among market participants, service providers, and other sources that have the potential to impact our markets. 
    At the meeting, Futures Industry Association (FIA) President and CEO Walt Lukken announced the creation of a new Cyber Risk Taskforce, the National Futures Association (NFA) President and CEO Tom Sexton discussed NFA’s role in standard setting to mitigate cyberthreats, and we heard from other experts including those from the White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and of course, the CFTC, on strategies to enhance the security and resilience of financial markets in the face of new and evolving cyber threats. 
    Later the same year, the FIA Cyber Risk Taskforce issued an After Action Report outlining the challenges facing our markets.[17] Key findings in the report include a lack of communication amongst market participants in the wake of a cyber incident and the need to connect our market with the broader financial sector to learn from and share the best operational resilience strategies for cyber events. The After Action Report made six recommendations based on their findings: (1) the creation of an “Industry Resilience Committee” to help develop information channels with respect to operational and cyber resilience; (2) connecting our industry with sector-wide specialist groups who focus on operational resilience across our markets; (3) a self-reflective review of our market participant’s policies and procedures for cyber incidents; (4) the establishment of procedures for sharing critical data and information during cyber incidents; (5) identification of ways to assess risk to create more robust operational resilience frameworks; and (6) participation in regularly held cyber preparedness exercises.[18]
    The CCP Risk & Governance Committee recognized that there may have been some important gaps in operational resilience and took up the mantle to continue to examine areas not fully addressed by the Commission. The Subcommittee’s recommendations highlight the importance of cyber resilience in DCOs and the need for a more robust regulatory framework. These recommendations, which the MRAC voted to advance to the Commission, would improve upon the existing framework and require that DCOs establish, implement, and maintain a third-party relationship management program. 
    The CCP Risk & Governance Committee’s report focuses on CFTC Rule 39.18, which establishes system safeguard standards for DCOs and addresses outsourcing but does not expressly discuss third-party relationships. The CCP Risk and Governance recommendations build upon the framework of Rule 39.18 by adding a third-party risk management program to (b)(2). The proposal suggests that a robust third party relationship management program that identifies, assesses, mitigates, and monitors the full risks that are associated with using third party arrangements for critical services should include robust risk management frameworks like policies and procedures that cover the lifecycle of the relationship, personnel assigned to onboarding and diligence of the third party relationships, risk-based monitoring, and more. 
    The recommendations build upon the philosophy of the DCO Core Principles, lessons learned and best practices from voices across the industry, and international standard setting bodies. As noted in the report,

    These principles are intended to reflect lessons learned from industry efforts and best practices in derivatives, the guidance notes in Form DCO, the NFA interpretive guidance, lessons learned from the wider context of third-party relationship management, as well as the principles enunciated in the PFMIs. Incorporating these principles in Commission regulations would enable the Commission to update its regulatory framework with respect to critical third party service providers and to bring its regulations in line with internationally accepted standards, while maintaining a principles based approach to regulation.[19]

    Operational resilience, and especially third-party risk management, is a key issue for me, which I continue to track closely and to discuss frequently with my colleagues at the CFTC and at other agencies, as well as with market participants that we regulate, and at events like these. I frequently request that we take these issues seriously and continue to consider actionable steps to address them. As I’ve noted previously, “effectively combatting cyber threats will require a coordinated effort among regulators and industry,” and I am committed to continuing to foster conversations about how we can work together to make our markets safer and more resilient.[20]
    I expect that MRAC will continue to consider issues related to cyber resilience and third-party risk management, including as the risks continue to evolve and AI-enhanced cybersecurity creates new or heightened risks.
    DCO Recovery and Wind Down: Parallelism with International Standards
    Similarly, the CCP Risk and Governance Subcommittee has outlined supplemental reforms that complement Commission staff work that aims to ensure recovery and orderly wind-down of DCOs as part of the post-crisis reforms and important robust preventative resilience framework. Since reforms adopted in the U.S. under the Dodd-Frank Act, international standard-setting bodies have adopted principles, guidance, and standards to support and inform national policymakers on CCP regulation.[21] The Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO and together with CPMI, CPMI-IOSCO) and the FSB have published numerous reports on these issues on resilience, recovery, and resolution.[22] In 2012, CPMI-IOSCO published a report setting forth 24 principles that financial market infrastructures, like CCPs, should apply, with the goal of enhancing safety and efficiency.[23] The principles, called the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures (or PFMI), set forth four foundational pillars for managing financial risk associated with CCPs: governance arrangements of CCPs, comprehensive risk management frameworks, financial resources allocated to loss absorption, and stress testing for both credit and liquidity exposures. 
    The FSB issued guidelines[24] as well and worked together with CPMI-IOSCO to assess CCP financial resources in connection with recovery and resolution.[25] In the following years, the Commission took up a similar path, issuing a proposed rule that would apply guidelines and requirements for recovery and orderly wind down plans that are already required for systemically important DCOs (SIDCOs) and Subpart C DCOs to all DCOs.[26] 
    The Proposed DCO Recovery and Wind-Down Rule is robust and important to the Commission and its market participants. Again, MRAC and the CCP Risk & Governance Subcommittee identified four main areas to recommend enhancements: supervisory stress testing of recovery and wind-down plans; conducting recovery scenarios and analysis; inclusion of non-default loss (NDL) in recovery and wind-down plans; and porting of customer positions and collateral during a CCP resolution and clearing member default.[27]
    The MRAC’s Recommendations on DCO Recovery and Orderly Wind-Down Plans; Information for Resolution Planning
    At its April 2024 meeting, the MRAC approved another set of recommendations from the CCP Risk & Governance Subcommittee on DCO recovery and orderly wind-down plans and advanced them to the Commission. The recovery and resolution workstream worked on these recommendations in parallel with the Commission developing the Proposed DCO Recovery and Wind-Down Rule and aimed to support the staff in its drafting and the Commission in its consideration of such a rule. 
    The report included background about the importance of DCOs and CCPs in derivatives markets and actions taken both domestically and internationally to strengthen their resilience, some of which I have shared with you here today. The recommendations in the report demonstrate the depth of expertise available to the Commission through advisory committees and the inclusive nature of all participating viewpoints. For example, the recommendation to implement supervisory stress tests came with a caveat – while subcommittee members representing end-users, FCMs, and academia believed that stress tests should be required to take place annually, subcommittee members representing DCOs did not believe that the frequency of reverse stress tests should be annual but should be determined by Commission staff.[28] This is a prime example of why continued participation and robust discussion amongst all viewpoints is a necessity when evaluating the complex issues that face our markets. Although the Commission has yet to complete a final rulemaking on this topic, I hope that the recommendations made by MRAC in this report can provide a roadmap for future engagement.
    The Work Continues
    I will not have sufficient time today to share all of the details about all of the reports or recommendations that that MRAC has advanced during my time at the Commission, but if you will indulge me, I would like to say a word about some of the other projects that have been completed over the past two years. 
    The Market Structure Subcommittee developed a report and recommendations on the Treasury cash-futures basis trade and effective risk management practices, which the MRAC voted to advance to the Commission. The report takes a thoughtful and comprehensive look at the basis trade, including its mechanics and parties involved, the disruptions experienced in March 2020 during broader COVID-19-related market turmoil, and its impacts on the broader economy), and identifies both benefits and risks before the recommending effective risk management practices associated with the cash-futures basis trade.[29] 
    At the most recent MRAC meeting, Josh Frost, then-Assistant Secretary for Financial Markets at the Treasury Department, and members of the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee spoke about the importance of Treasury markets and their role in price discovery and liquidity across the financial system, drawing on perspectives from a number of participants in the ecosystem, including both asset managers and hedge funds that participate in the basis trade. This discussion was a good example of the importance of the work of the MRAC on topics that have real implications for our market ecosystem, and the value of bringing together different voices to achieve a deeper, more informed understanding of important issues and how best we can address them.
    To take one more example, earlier last year, the MRAC Market Structure Subcommittee issued a report sharing results from a survey of data on FCMs spanning 2003-2023,[30] which showed some interesting trends in capacity and concentration. At a recent trade association meeting, FIA Boca, I described issues that I believe are critical for the Commission to consider as we begin to explore clearing U.S. Treasuries. 
    The data collected in the MRAC Market Structure Subcommittee report outlines industry concentration in the market for FCM services despite the growth of the industry. For example, the survey showed a disproportionate amount of increase in bank-affiliated FCMs and increased concentration of broker-dealer-FCMs that are dully registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All of the top ten industry positions in terms of holdings of customer funds were associated with banks or broker-dealers, and they accounted for more than 80% of all customer funds.
    Conclusion
    We must continue to support our advisory committees and robust multi-stakeholder engagement. Each significantly benefit the stability and integrity of our markets. 
    Before closing, I would like to personally thank everyone that has supported the MRAC in any way, through service as an MRAC member, participation on a workstream to advance a set of recommendations to the Commission, by serving as an expert presenter at a meeting, or just tuning into the CFTC YouTube page to watch a meeting – thank you for dedicating your time. If you have not served on an advisory committee, I encourage you to consider service and the potential to contribute to the important engagement that service offers. 
    The broader CFTC community is part of what makes this agency so special and enables us to punch above our weight. It has been an honor to work with and learn from all of you, and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together next. 

    [1] Commissioner Johnson to Deliver Keynote Address at the 2022 CCP12 Annual General Meeting in Madrid (June 22, 2022), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventjohnson062222; Commissioner Johnson to Provide a Keynote Speech and Participate in a Fireside Chat at the CCP-12 Annual General Meeting (June 14, 2023), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventjohnson061523. As in my previous speeches, the views I express today are my own and not the views of the Commission, my fellow Commissioners or the staff of the CFTC.
    [2] Opening Remarks of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, at the WHO Media Briefing on COVID-19 (March 11, 2020), https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19—11-march-2020.
    [3] Sir Jon Cunliffe, Keynote Address at the FIA & SIFMA Asset Management Derivatives Forum 2022 (Feb. 9, 2022), https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/speech/2022/february/jon-cunliffe-keynote-address-fia-sifma-asset-management-derivatives-forum.
    [4] FSB Interim Report, Lessons Learnt from the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Financial Stability Perspective (July 13, 2021), https://www.fsb.org/uploads/P281021-2.pdf.
    [5] See CFTC Regulation 39.13, applying a principles-based approach to managing procyclicality, and Article 41 of EMIR and Article 28 of the Regulatory Technical Standards, requiring CCPs to implement specific margin procyclicality mitigants.
    [6] Market Risk Advisory Committee, 79 Fed. Reg. 25844 (May 6, 2014), https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2014/05/06/2014-10325/market-risk-advisory-committee.
    [7] CFTC, Renewal Chart of the Market Risk Advisory Committee (Apr. 16, 2024) (accessible at https://www.cftc.gov/About/AdvisoryCommittees/MRAC).
    [8] See, e.g.,  Opening Statement of Acting Chairman Rostin Behnam before the Market Risk Advisory Committee (Feb. 23, 2021), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/behnamstatement022321 (“Advisory committees like MRAC are vehicles for change, challenge, and perhaps most importantly, debate and consensus.”); Statement of Commissioner Sharon Bowen before the Market Risk Advisory Committee (Apr. 2, 2025), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/bowenstatement040215 (“The information and recommendations from this Committee will be invaluable”). For a list of reports and recommendations set forth by the MRAC, see Market Risk Advisory Committee, CFTC, https://www.cftc.gov/About/AdvisoryCommittees/MRAC.  
    [9] DTCC, Systemic Risk Barometer Survey, 2024 Risk Forecast (2024), https://www.dtcc.com/-/media/downloads/Systemic-Risk/29873-Systemic_Risk-2024.
    [10] World Economic Forum, Global financial stability at risk due to cyber threats, IMF warns. Here’s what to know (May 15, 2024), https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/05/financial-sector-cyber-attack-threat-imf-cybersecurity/; see also World Economic Forum, Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2024 (January 11, 2024), https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-cybersecurity-outlook-2024/. 
    [11] Vicky Ge Huang and Robert McMillan, How the Biggest Crypto Hack Ever Nearly Destroyed the World’s No. 2 Exchange, WSJ (Mar. 6, 2025), https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/how-the-biggest-crypto-hack-ever-nearly-destroyed-the-worlds-no-2-exchange-ee273a3a?msockid=26f265067f5965a63f6273047e1464d0.  
    [12] Alexandra Andhov, Inside The Bybit Hacking Incident: Lessons From The Breach, Forbes (Apr. 1, 2025), https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2025/04/01/inside-the-bybit-hacking-incident-lessons-from-the-breach/; see also Sandy Carter, Latest On The Bybit Record Breaking 1.4 Billion Dollar Crypto Hack, Forbes (Feb. 21, 2025), https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2025/02/21/latest-on-the-bybit-record-breaking-14-billion-dollar-crypto-hack/.  
    [13] Taylar Rajic, The ByBit Heist and the Future of U.S. Crypto Regulation, CSIS (Mar. 18, 2025), https://www.csis.org/analysis/bybit-heist-and-future-us-crypto-regulation.
    [14] CFTC, Operational Resilience Framework for Futures Commission Merchants, Swap Dealers, and Major Swap Participants, 89 Fed. Reg. 4706 (proposed Jan. 24, 2024). 
    [15] Third-party dependencies in cloud services, Considerations on financial stability implications, FSB (Dec. 9, 2019), https://www.fsb.org/uploads/P091219-2.pdf. 
    [16] Recommendations on DCO System Safeguards Standards for Third Party Service Providers, Central Counterparty Risk and Governance (CCP) Subcommittee, Market Risk Advisory Committee of the U.S. CFTC (Dec. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac121024). 
    [17] FIA Taskforce On Cyber Risk After Action Report and Findings, FIA (Sept. 2023), https://www.fia.org/sites/default/files/2023-09/FIA_Taskforce%20on%20Cyber%20Risk_Recommendations_SEPT2023_Final2.pdf.
    [18] Id.
    [19] Recommendations on DCO System Safeguards Standards for Third Party Service Providers, Central Counterparty (CCP) Risk and Governance Subcommittee, MRAC (Dec. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac040924).
    [20] Keynote Remarks of Commissioner Kristin Johnson at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (May 29, 2025), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/opajohnson19.
    [21] Recommendations on Derivatives Clearing Organizations Recovery and Orderly Wind-Down Plans; Information for Resolution Planning, CCP Risk and Governance Subcommittee, MRAC (Aug. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac040924).
    [22] Id. 
    [23] CPMI-IOSCO, Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures (April 16, 2012), https://www.bis.org/cpmi/publ/d101.htm; see also CPMI-IOSCO, Resilience and Recovery of Central Counterparties (CCPs): Further Guidance on the PFMI – Consultative Report (August 16, 2016), https://www.bis.org/cpmi/publ/d149.htm; CPMI-IOSCO, Implementation Monitoring of PFMI: Level 3 Assessment – Report on the Financial Risk Management and Recovery Practices of 10 Derivatives CCPs (August 16, 2016), https://www.bis.org/cpmi/publ/d148.htm.
    [24] FSB, Guidance on Central Counterparty Resolution and Resolution Planning (July 5, 2017) https://www.fsb.org/2017/07/guidance-on-central-counterparty-resolution-and-resolution-planning-2/; FSB, Guidance on Financial Resources to Support CCP Resolution and on the Treatment of CCP Equity in Resolution (November 16, 2020), https://www.fsb.org/2020/11/guidance-on-financial-resources-to-support-ccp-resolution-and-on-the-treatment-of-ccp-equity-in-resolution/.
    [25] FSB, Central Counterparty Financial Resources for Recovery and Resolution (March 10, 2022), https://www.fsb.org/2022/03/central-counterparty-financial-resources-for-recovery-and-resolution/.
    [26] CFTC, Derivatives Clearing Organizations Recovery and Orderly Wind-Down Plans; Information for Resolution Planning, 88 Fed. Reg. 48968 (proposed July 28, 2023) (Proposed DCO Recovery and Wind-Down Rule).
    [27] Recommendations on Derivatives Clearing Organizations Recovery and Orderly Wind-Down Plans; Information for Resolution Planning, CCP Risk and Governance Subcommittee, MRAC (Aug. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac040924).
    [28] Id.
    [29] The Treasury Cash-Futures Basis Trade and Effective Risk Management Practices, MRAC (Dec. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac121024).
    [30] Market Structure Subcommittee Data and Analysis Regarding FCM Capacity, MRAC (Apr. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac040924).

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Secures Denaturalization of Convicted Distributor of Child Sexual Abuse Material Who Fraudulently Obtained U.S. Citizenship

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    On June 13, 2025, the Justice Department secured the denaturalization of a convicted collector and distributor of child sexual abuse material.

    While still a citizen of the United Kingdom, Elliott Duke enlisted in the U.S. Army. In 2012, while serving in Germany, Duke began receiving and distributing child sexual abuse material via email and the internet.

    In November 13, 2012, Duke applied for citizenship under a provision that permits U.S. servicemembers to obtain U.S. citizenship. When asked on his naturalization application if he had “ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested,” Duke listed only a speeding ticket. On January 18, 2013, a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer interviewed Duke, and Duke, once more, orally testified that he had never committed a crime or offense for which he had not been arrested. On January 18, 2013, Duke took the Oath of Allegiance and was granted U.S. citizenship.

    On May 14, 2013, police officers in Louisiana arrested Duke and charged him with receipt and distribution of child pornography. During a police interview and in his plea agreement, Duke confessed to downloading, possessing, and distributing child pornography via his email account and the internet on dates both before and after his naturalization. Law enforcement officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) later found 168 videos and 187 still images on Duke’s computer depicting minor boys and girls engaged in the lascivious display of sexual activity and bestiality. On January 23, 2014, Duke was convicted of receipt and possession of child pornography.

    On February 19, 2025, the Justice Department filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana seeking Duke’s denaturalization based on his crimes and his failure to disclose them during his naturalization process. On June 13, 2025, the Honorable James D. Cain, Jr, United States District Judge, entered an order revoking Duke’s U.S. citizenship.

    “The laws intended to facilitate citizenship for brave men and women who join our nation’s armed forces will not shield individuals who have fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship by concealing their crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate. “If you commit serious crimes before you become a U.S. citizen and then lie about them during your naturalization process, the Justice Department will discover the truth and come after you.”

    The case was investigated as part of Operation Prison Lookout, an ongoing national initiative involving the Justice Department and ICE to identify and prosecute sex offenders who have fraudulently obtained United States citizenship. This case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Hans H. Chen of the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from HSI, ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Smitherman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Alabama Redistricting Case Opposing Request for Preclearance under the Voting Rights Act

    Source: US State of California

    The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a Statement of Interest in the Alabama redistricting case, Milligan v. Allen, 2:21-cv-1530 (N.D. Ala.), opposing Plaintiffs’ request to have Alabama submit its future redistricting plans for preclearance by the U.S. Attorney General under Section 3(c) of the Voting Rights Act.

    Three sets of plaintiffs filed lawsuits arguing that two Congressional Districts in Alabama should be majority Black. The Court found that Alabama’s attempt to create a second majority-Black district was insufficient.  Alabama has agreed to use the Special Master’s Remedial Map going forward and has explained to the Court that it will not seek to redistrict again until after the 2030 Census.  One plaintiff argues that it is insufficient and seeks Section 3(c) relief.

    In its Statement of Interest, the Justice Department explains that it would not be appropriate to require Alabama to submit future redistricting plans for preapproval by the Court or the federal government. “Section 3(c) preclearance is a drastic departure from basic principles of federalism, and nothing presented to the court justifies the extraordinary requirement of forcing Alabama to have redistricting plans pre-approved by the federal government,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael E. Gates of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

    “The issues raised by the plaintiffs in this case have been remedied by the State of Alabama’s agreement to use the Remedial Map and pledge to not seek to redistrict again until after the next Census—over five years from now,” said United States Attorney Prim Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “The plaintiffs’ request to impose preclearance would unnecessarily tax principles of equal sovereignty that afford Alabama the Constitutional right to manage its own elections.”

    The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

    More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.

    MIL OSI USA News