NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Aguilar Announces Over $5 million to Improve and Expand HIV Prevention and Treatment Services in San Bernardino

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Pete Aguilar (31 CD Ca)

    Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar announced $5,306,794 in grant funding for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health to expand access to and improve HIV prevention, early intervention and treatment services for underserved communities in San Bernardino County. 
    “Everyone in our community deserves access to quality health care and treatment options to prevent the devastating effects of HIV,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “This grant funding represents a significant step forward in expanding early intervention and treatment services across San Bernardino County, bringing us closer to ending this disease and ensuring no one is left behind.”
    “Securing funding through the HIV Emergency Relief Project Grants and the Ending the HIV Epidemic Program represents a major advancement in San Bernardino County’s efforts to address HIV prevention, care, and treatment. These funds will enable the Department of Public Health and community partners to expand access to critical medical and support services, enhance testing and prevention efforts, and ensure individuals living with or at risk of HIV receive the comprehensive care they need. We are deeply committed to improving health access, strengthening our public health infrastructure, and making measurable progress in ending the HIV epidemic within our communities,” said Josh Dugas, Director of the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health.
    The funding comes as part of four grant awards secured under the Biden-Harris Administration from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources & Services Administration. Included in the funding is $2,444,965 from the FY25 HIV Emergency Relief Project Grant Program, $1,076,917 from the FY25 Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, $122,744 from the FY25 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Early Intervention Services (EIS) Grant Program and $1,662,168 from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part A HIV Emergency Relief Grant Program.  Rep. Aguilar serves as Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and as a member of the House Committee on Appropriations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement at Open Meeting on Further Extension of the Form PF Compliance Date

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here. This is an open meeting on the 11th of June 2025 of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission under the Government in the Sunshine Act. Commissioners Hester Peirce, Caroline Crenshaw, and Mark Uyeda are also present.

    Today the Commission will vote on extending the compliance date for the most recent amendments to Form PF. Currently, the compliance date for these amendments is tomorrow, June 12, 2025, but I support extending the compliance date to October 1, 2025. The initial compliance date for these amendments was March 12, 2025. In January, the SEC and CFTC jointly extended the compliance date to June 12, 2025. Notwithstanding the prior three-month compliance extension, we have received credible commentary that the current timeline simply does not provide private fund advisers with sufficient opportunity to interpret, implement, and test their systems to ensure accurate and consistent reporting. From my experience with complex technology projects, I sympathize with those points. It is evident to me that additional time is required for dialogue with filers, review of the reasonableness of the data demands, and review of the actual utility of the information collected.

    The most-recent changes to Form PF will necessitate costly upgrades to internal infrastructure, increased coordination across business units, and integration with third-party vendors. These tasks are inherently complex and require extensive testing to ensure accuracy. Rushing this process increases the likelihood of data errors, which defeats the entire stated purpose of the form—to enhance systemic risk monitoring.

    Form PF was first introduced in 2011 and has subsequently been amended three times, most recently in February 2024. Each time the form has been amended, it has required advisers to provide additional information and more granular data. As a result, even without the most recent amendments, Form PF imposes significant compliance burdens on the private fund industry. The complexity of the form, in addition to the ever-evolving nature of its demands has required advisers to seek costly legal and compliance support to complete it accurately. These costs divert resources away from advisers’ core investment functions.

    Therefore, in addition to our action today, I have directed the staff to undertake a comprehensive review of Form PF. I have serious concerns whether the government’s use of this data justifies the massive burdens it imposes. We should work hard to keep our information requests to a minimum, requesting only what is needed and no more. As the saying goes, “Measure twice, cut once.” While this important work is being done, private fund advisers will continue to provide a wealth of information on the prior version of Form PF.

    I’d like to thank the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the CFTC for their agility in responding to these concerns.

    Now, I’ll turn the meeting over to Natasha Greiner, Director of the Division of Investment Management, for the staff’s recommendation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Files Amicus Brief Supporting Challenge to the Trump Administration’s Unlawful Freeze to Federal Research Funding for Harvard

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta this week, as part of a coalition of 21 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in support of Harvard University’s motion for summary judgment in President and Fellows of Harvard College v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s freeze of federal funding for research grants at Harvard University. In their brief, the attorneys general argue that the freezing and termination of Harvard’s research grants would pose an existential threat to universities, disrupt state’s economies, public health efforts, and the pipeline for the next generation of researchers. 

    “The Trump Administration is going after Harvard because it refused to bend to its unprecedented – and blatantly unlawful – demands,” said Attorney General Bonta. “In California, we remain committed to upholding and protecting the constitutional and civil rights of our educational institutions and their students. I’m proud to stand with Harvard in ensuring that we continue to protect our students, their wellbeing, and their freedom of speech.”

    In April 2025, Harvard filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts arguing that the Trump Administration exceeded its statutory and constitutional authority and violated the First Amendment in freezing, terminating, and refusing to issue or continue research and other grants in retaliation for Harvard’s refusal to restructure its internal governance, change its hiring and admissions practices, and modify what it teaches its students to align with the government’s views.

    In the amicus brief, the coalition urges the court to grant Harvard’s motion for summary judgment, arguing that the Trump Administration’s unlawful freeze of federal funding poses an existential threat to the university which will (1) impact the state’s economy, (2) threaten current jobs and businesses, (3) halt career development for promising new scientists debilitating the pipeline for future innovators, and (4) prevent research for lifesaving medicines and transformative technologies with the potential to improve the health and lives of residents.

    Harvard’s contributions to Massachusetts are a prime example of the significant impact research universities can have. Since its founding in 1636, Harvard has been critical to Massachusetts’s flourishing, directing billions of dollars to the state’s businesses and organizations and driving countless of innovations in medicine and technology. In addition, Harvard is one of Massachusetts’s largest employers and frequently collaborates with state and local partners on initiatives that support the local economy.

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

    A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen receives new commanding officer in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    06/11/2025 04:06 PM EDT

    Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen celebrated their change of command at the Base Borinquen aircraft hangar in Aguadilla, Wednesday. In the ceremony, Capt. Jeffrey P. Owens relieved Capt. Lawrence D. Gaillard as Air Station Borinquen’s commanding officer before unit members, aviators, shipmates, partner agency representatives, family and friends, who witnessed the formal transfer of command authority from one commanding officer to the next. Capt. Willie L. Carmichael, Seventh Coast Guard District chief of staff, presided over the ceremony in which he presented Gaillard with the Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal (gold star in lieu of a third award) recognizing his achievements during the three-year tour. Under Gaillard’s leadership, Air Station Borinquen achieved extraordinary success in executing 5,400 flight hours, encompassing 423 Search and Rescue missions with 1,088 lives saved, or assisted. His decisive leadership enabled the successful completion of 49 law enforcement cases, resulting in the interdiction of 729 undocumented aliens and the seizure of 51 million dollars in illegal narcotics.

    For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Signs Executive Orders on Drones, Flying Cars, and Supersonics

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    WASHINGTON, DC – President Trump has signed three executive orders that will accelerate domestic drone production, secure our airspace, and position America to once again lead the world in supersonic technology.
    “Decades of regulatory gridlock have grounded advancements in drones, flying cars, and supersonic flight in the U.S. With today’s EOs, the Trump Administration is giving America’s innovators greater ability to test, develop, and commercialize these cutting-edge aircrafts that will reshape aviation,” said White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios. “President Trump’s actions will unleash a new era of American aviation dominance, fostering innovation, driving economic growth, and protecting our national security.
    Burdensome red tape has hindered homegrown drone innovation and grounded progress in supersonic flight for generations. Today’s executive orders accelerate domestic drone innovation, secure supply chains, reduce reliance on adversarial nations, repeal regulations that stalled supersonic flight, and assert U.S. leadership in emerging aviation sectors. They also enable routine beyond line-of-sight operations, which will empower our domestic drone economy to assist with critical infrastructure, emergency response, and long-distance cargo and medical delivery.
    The executive orders also create a pilot program testing flying cars, also known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, for EMS, air taxis, cargo, and defense logistics. The eVTOL pilot program builds on the successes of President Trump’s 2017 drone pilot program, highlighting how President Trump’s actions continue to put America in a position to lead.
    Additionally, these orders address the growing threats from criminal, terrorist, and foreign misuse of drones inside U.S. airspace. This administration is securing our borders against aerial threats by cracking down on unlawful drone activity and prioritizing real-time detection and identification of drones to safeguard national security. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The One Big Beautiful Bill Will Supercharge Our Economy

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Today’s inflation report brought more welcome news that prices are down and wages are up — and that progress will be supercharged with President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
    Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent told Congress how the One Big Beautiful Bill — the largest tax cut in history — will boost that progress for middle-class Americans and the private sector without fueling inflation:
    “The One Big Beautiful Bill will raise take-home pay between $7,800 and $13,300 for the average family of four. It will increase wages between $6,100 to $11,600 for the average worker.” (Watch)
    “Not only does the One Big Beautiful Bill add $500 to the Child Tax Credit, it makes it permanent.” (Watch)
    “It will cement No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and tax cuts for seniors.” (Watch)
    “The One Big Beautiful Bill will make the 2017 tax cuts permanent. This will provide individuals and businesses with certainty and build economic momentum.” (Watch)
    “The legislation will provide 100% expensing for new factories, as well as existing factories that expand operations and support Made in America.” (Watch)
    “The legislation will provide … the ability to buy a new American-made car and deduct the interest.” (Watch)
    “This bill will allow us to prevent our corporate revenues from being drained into foreign treasuries — and that is in the hundreds of billions of dollars.” (Watch)
    If the One Big Beautiful Bill doesn’t pass, “it would be cataclysmic. It would be the largest tax hike in history. It would be a disaster for businesses, for working Americans, and for our status in the world … We would see increases in taxes of thousands of dollars on working Americans, we would see businesses contract and we would see a substantial increase in the unemployment rate.” (Watch)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Coalition of 18 Attorneys General Issue Statement in Support of California’s Lawsuit Challenging Unlawful, Undemocratic Federalization of State National Guard

    Source: US State of California

    Wednesday, June 11, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND – Today, a coalition of 18 attorneys general issued a statement condemning the Trump Administration’s unlawful federalization of the California National Guard and supporting California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s lawsuit against President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the U.S. Department of Defense:

    “The president’s decision to federalize and deploy California’s National Guard without the consent of California state leaders is unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic.

    “The federal administration should be working with local leaders to keep everyone safe, not mobilizing the military against the American people.

    “As the chief law enforcement officers of our states, we are proud to protect our communities and oppose violence in any form. We support Attorney General Bonta in his challenge to the Trump administration’s illegal conduct.

    “We oppose any action from this administration that will sow chaos, inflame tensions, and put people’s lives at risk – including those of our law enforcement officers.”

    The statement was jointly issued by the attorneys general of New York, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, and Vermont.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Public can share opinions at open house on two projects coming to SR 155 in Omak

    Source: Washington State News 2

    OMAK – It is once again time for voices to be heard, a road to be paved and a bridge to be built.

    Omak residents will have a chance to give feedback on projects planned for two locations on State Route 155 during an open house at Omak City Hall Monday, June 16.

    During the projects, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will replace a bridge on SR 155 Spur over the Okanogan River. As part of a Complete Streets and paving project near East Omak Elementary, crews will also pave sections of the highway and improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities within city limits.

    These projects are scheduled for construction in 2026 and 2028.

    At the open house, WSDOT project staff will be available to share details of the project and receive feedback. Those unable to attend the in-person meeting can participate through an online open house. 

    SR 155 and SR 155 Spur projects open house

    When:  5–7 p.m. Monday, June 16

    Where:  Omak City Hall, 2 Ash St. N.

    Details:  Project team members will be available to explain the project, answer questions and take comments. A translator fluent in Spanish will be present. There is no formal presentation. Attendees are welcome to drop by anytime during the two-hour event. 

    Free internet access
    Free, temporary internet access is available to those who do not have broadband service in locations throughout in the area, including: 

    • Omak Community Library, 30 Ash St. N.
    • Wenatchee Valley College – Omak, 116 Apple Ave. W.
    • Omak School District, 619 W. Bartlett Ave.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: COLUMN: Walker: Your Money, Your Future: Delivering Real Tax Relief

    Source: US State of Georgia

    By: Sen. Larry Walker, III (R–Perry)

    Across Middle Georgia, folks are working hard to provide for their families, and every dollar matters. Whether you’re filling up your gas tank, checking out at the grocery store, or trying to cover your utility bill, the cost of living has gone up. I’ve heard it from farmers in Pulaski County, parents in Houston County, and retirees in Laurens and Dooly…Georgians are stretched thin.

    This year, we delivered real relief. I’m proud to report that the General Assembly passed two crucial measures, House Bills 111 and 112, to put more money back in your pocket and help ease the strain on household budgets.

    HB 111 reduces Georgia’s personal income tax rate from 5.39 percent to 5.19 percent, with a plan to reduce it even further to 4.99 percent in the coming years. While that may sound like a small number, it adds up in a big way for working families. Those savings will show up in take-home pay across our state, giving folks more flexibility to cover everyday costs.

    We know that when government takes in more than it needs, it should return the surplus to the people who earned it, not spend it on bureaucracy or pet projects. That’s why we also passed HB 112, which sends a one-time refund to Georgia taxpayers. The Department of Revenue is now issuing these checks. If you filed both your 2023 and 2024 tax returns on time and have no outstanding debt to the state, you can expect to receive a refund of $250 if you filed as a single taxpayer, $375 if you filed as head of household or $500 if you filed jointly as a married couple. It’s a direct result of responsible, conservative budgeting and the third year in a row we’ve been able to return excess revenue to Georgia families.

    We’re doing all this while still fully funding critical priorities. Our budget includes investments in school safety, teacher pay raises, mental health services, and rural healthcare infrastructure. We’ve supported hurricane recovery efforts and made sure our rural communities aren’t left behind. In fact, our state’s economy remains strong. Georgia’s net tax collections for May were up more than nine percent from last year, thanks in part to strong individual and corporate income tax returns. That’s not just good news for the state, it’s proof that our conservative approach is working.

    To my constituents in the 20th District, these policies were written with you in mind. Whether you’re running a small business in Eastman, tending a family farm in Cochran or living on a fixed income in Hawkinsville, this tax relief matters. It means fewer hard choices at the end of the month. It means peace of mind when planning for the future.

    I’ve always believed that Georgians know how to spend their money better than the government does. As Chairman of the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I take that belief seriously. It’s my job to protect your hard-earned income and ensure the state lives within its means.

    Georgia didn’t become the best state to do business by accident. We got here through discipline, smart policy and a deep respect for the taxpayer. This year’s tax relief package is just the latest chapter in that story, and I’ll keep fighting to make sure it’s not the last.

    If you have questions about your rebate or how these changes might affect your family or your business, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. It’s an honor to serve you, and I remain committed to building a stronger, more affordable Georgia—one that works for every family in our part of the state.

    # # # #

    Sen. Larry Walker serves as Secretary of the Majority Caucus and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Treutlen, Pulaski and Wilcox counties, as well as portions of Houston County.  He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0095 or by email at Larry.Walker@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Urges Senate Leaders to Support NC Economy By Protecting IRA Tax Credits

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Urges Senate Leaders to Support NC Economy By Protecting IRA Tax Credits

    Governor Stein Urges Senate Leaders to Support NC Economy By Protecting IRA Tax Credits
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today Governor Stein urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Finance Committe Chair Mike Crapo, and North Carolina Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis to reconsider the U.S. House of Representative’s efforts to end the energy and manufacturing tax credits that the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 created. These tax credits have helped North Carolina emerge as a top state for clean energy business investment.

    “Our state’s clean energy economy is booming, and companies’ decisions to locate their clean energy advanced manufacturing facilities in North Carolina have brought jobs and opportunities to our state,” said Governor Josh Stein. “H.R. 1’s abrupt changes to these credits would jeopardize much of this investment, stifle the demand that many companies were counting on, and conflict with the goals of reshoring manufacturing that the Trump Administration has championed. H.R. 1 would weaken our economy, raise utility prices on consumers, and undermine our national security.”

    Since the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 passed, more than $24 billion in clean energy technology investments have been announced across North Carolina. These announcements include batteries for storage and vehicle applications, solar panels, cells, and wafers, electric vehicle charging stations, transformers, critical minerals, and a wide variety of grid-enhancing products. These businesses already or will soon employ tens of thousands of people, in addition to the more than 100,000 people already employed in North Carolina’s clean energy sector. The U.S. House budget resolution’s repeal of these tax credits would threaten jobs in North Carolina and put billions of dollars in investments at risk. 

    Moreover, H.R. 1 could cause a significant cost in electricity prices for North Carolinians – a more than 13 percent increase for households and a more than 20 percent increase for businesses. In total, if these tax credits were repealed, an average North Carolina family could expect to pay $200 more per year to power their homes. 

    Read Governor Stein’s letter calling for the US Senate to protect IRA tax credits here.  

    Jun 11, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 148 Democrats back noncitizen voting in DC as GOP raises alarm about foreign agents

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Originally Published in Fox News on June 10, 2025.

    The majority of House Democrats voted in favor of allowing non-citizens to participate in Washington, D.C. elections on Tuesday.

    The House of Representatives passed a bill led by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, to prohibit non-U.S. citizens from voting in elections in the nation’s capital.

    It passed 266 to 148, with 56 Democrats joining Republicans in passing the measure. One Democrat voted “present,” while 148 voted against the bill.

    “I believe strongly in not having federal overreach, but we have jurisdiction, Congress has jurisdiction over Washington, District of Columbia…and we don’t like to utilize our jurisdiction and our authority, but in this case, they’ve gone too far,” Pfluger told Fox News Digital in an interview before the vote.

    D.C.’s progressive city council passed the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act in 2022, granting non-U.S. citizens the ability to vote in local elections if they’ve lived in the district for at least 30 days.

    Noncitizens can also hold local elected office in the D.C. government.

    The local measure has been a frequent target of GOP attacks, with Republican national security hawks raising alarms about the possibility of hostile foreign agents participating in D.C. elections.

    But progressive Democrats like Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., who spoke out against the bill on Tuesday afternoon, have dismissed that as an implausible scenario. 

    “Republicans claim that Congress has a constitutional duty to legislate on local D.C. matters, but this is historically and legally incorrect. Republicans legislate on local D.C. matters only when they think they can score political points, such as by demonizing immigrants,” Frost said during debate on the House floor.

    “They only bring it up to the floor when they think they can score political points, taking away the democratic rights of people here in D.C. and home rule.”

    Frost also argued that it was “highly unlikely” foreign officials would vote in those elections, claiming they would have to “renounce their right to vote in their home country” and because “D.C. has no authority in federal matters.”

    But Pfluger, who spoke with Fox News Digital before the vote, was optimistic that it would get at least some Democratic support.

    He noted that 52 Democrats voted for the bill when it passed the House in the previous Congress. It was never taken up in the formerly Democrat-controlled Senate, however.

    “It’s hard to go back to your district as a Democrat and say, yeah, I want foreign agents to be able to vote in our elections – ‘Oh yeah, it’s not federal elections,’ some may say. But it has an impact on the way the city is run,” Pfluger said.

    “This could be Russian embassy personnel, they could be Chinese embassy personnel – a number of folks. It’s just wrong. It goes against the fabric of our society,” he added.

    Another bill receiving a vote on Tuesday is legislation that would grant D.C. police the ability to negotiate punishments via collective bargaining, and would help shield the capital’s police force from at least some liability by installing a statute of limitations against the Metropolitan Police Department. 

    That legislation was introduced by New York Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: GOP bill seeks to ban and deport visa holders who support Hamas amid wave of antisemitic violence in America

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Originally Published in Fox News on June 11, 2025.

    FIRST ON FOX: New legislation would broadly ban any visa holders who support Hamas or other designated terror groups from remaining in the U.S. 

    The Terrorist Inadmissibility Codification Act, led by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, expands current law under the Immigration and Nationality Act to ban any members of Hamas, Hezbollah, al Qaeda, ISIS and Palestine Islamic Jihad from entering or remaining in the U.S. – in addition to anyone who endorses or espouses the activity of these groups. 

    “There is no place in America for foreign adversaries or terrorist sympathizers. As our nation faces a disturbing rise in antisemitic and illegal alien terror attacks, along with increasing pro-Hamas sentiment on our college campuses,” Pfluger said in a statement. “We must take action to ensure our borders are secure from those wishing harm against Americans.”

    The bill comes after a wave of antisemitic attacks in light of Israel’s offensive campaign in Gaza that followed Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks. 

    The Trump administration has started revoking student visas of those who engage in pro-Gaza protest activity. The State Department paused new student visa interviews late last month while it restructures the vetting process. 

    The Immigration and Nationality Act already bars individuals who engage in terrorist activity, are members of designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations or who provide material support to such groups. However, much of this is interpreted on a case-by-case basis, often requiring evidentiary thresholds such as proof of direct involvement or financial or material aid. It is subject to the whims of administrative designations. 

    The Terrorist Inadmissibility Codification Act seeks to broaden these standards by codifying that mere endorsement or espousal of terrorist groups’ ideology could be grounds for inadmissibility or deportation. 

    This could signal a shift from conduct-based immigration enforcement to speech- or association-based scrutiny: even those who are not formal members of foreign terrorist organizations could have their speech scrutinized for support of such groups. 

    An attack in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1 on a group gathered to raise awareness about hostages gathered in Gaza was the latest in a string of violence believed to be antisemitic in nature. 

    The suspect, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, told police he wanted to “kill all Zionist people” and is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at demonstrators. 

    In May, a young Washington, D.C., couple was killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum by a suspect who shouted “free Palestine” following the shooting.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Lankford Introduce Bill to Stop Funding ‘Gender Transition’ Procedures

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and James Lankford (R-OK) today introduced the Stop Funding Genital Mutilation Act, which would prohibit federal funding from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) from going towards gender transition procedures at any age:

    “Texas taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for dangerous and often debilitating ‘gender transition’ procedures that are driven by radical ideology masquerading as health care,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m proud to introduce this commonsense legislation to stop federal dollars from funding Democrats’ woke agenda and defend Texas values and Texas families.”

    “Before they can vote, drive, or get a tattoo, some children are pushed into irreversible gender-transition procedures with no proven long-term health benefit,” said Sen. Lankford. “These treatments can cause lasting harm, and taxpayers should not be forced to fund them.”

    Background:

     A recent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) review of gender dysphoria medical interventions “highlights a growing body of evidence pointing to significant risks—including irreversible harms such as infertility—while finding very weak evidence of benefit.”

    Nearly 30 states have laws or policies that limit access to gender transition procedures for minors, including Texas. Texas prohibits health care providers from prescribing, administering or dispensing hormone or puberty blocking medications or providing gender transition surgeries to minors. Other countries have begun putting limits on these procedures over concerns about the long-term effects. In 2024, NHS England began limiting access to puberty blockers as “routine treatment” for children under 18. Finland, Sweden, and Denmark have also limited access to these procedures for minors.

    The Stop Funding Genital Mutilation Act would prohibit CHIP and Medicaid federal funds from being used to provide gender transition procedures at any age. It makes exceptions for those needing puberty blocking drugs or medical procedures for medically necessary reasons, including medically verifiable sex development disorders or injury from previous gender transition procedures.

    The legislation builds on President Trump’s Executive Order, signed on January 28, 2025, which called for cutting federal funding for gender transition procedures for minors and directs federally run insurance programs, including Medicaid, to stop covering these services.

    The legislation aligns with language included in the House’s version of Pres. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, and Sen. Cornyn will fight to include this priority in the Senate’s version.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Touts Arkansas National Security Contributions, Cites Military Installation Vulnerability to Drone Threat

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) secured public support from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Caine for several Natural State military missions and support capacities during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing. He also expressed concerns about the potential for drone attacks on domestic military assets in light of the latest Ukrainian operation against Russia’s air force.

    Boozman highlighted the recent graduation of two Polish pilots at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, the first to complete the F-35 Foreign Military Sales pilot training, and emphasized the program’s importance.

    “[This is] an accomplishment we’re very excited to see repeated,” Boozman said before inviting Hegseth to explain “the importance of training our partners and allies on American systems and how that enables mission readiness and deterrence around the world.” 

    “Our ability to project power by, with and through allies is one of the most important force multipliers that we have. The training of their people, and military-to-military training, creates enduring bonds over generations that we’re then able to leverage for future capability. I’m encouraged to hear about those two graduations. I know it keeps our defense industrial base robust and also projects capabilities to allies and partners,” Hegseth responded. 

    The senator then addressed the depletion of munitions amid conflicts in Ukraine and Israel while raising the need to adequately re-stockpile this capability through our organic industrial base as well as through private industry efforts, including in south Arkansas.

    “I had the opportunity of taking your predecessor to Camden, Arkansas, to see the great work our industry partners are doing to help solve the problem, however, the Department’s organic industrial base also fills important capability gaps,” Boozman said. “Where can we invest more to fix that?” he continued. 

    “One of my jobs as Chairman is to make sure the youngsters have the combat capability they need, at scale, before they need it. My hope is that we can raise everybody’s capacity through changing the culture not only in munitions production but across the entire national and defense industrial base, encourage competition to keep the prices down, write better contracts and increase the overall capacity,”Caine answered.

    Boozman has repeatedly championed investments in Camden and the industries that produce some of the world’s most effective weapon systems and munitions, including recent expansions by RTX, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne – an L3Harris Technologies company. 

    The senator, who chairs the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, also took the opportunity to underscore how vulnerable U.S. installations remain to potential attacks and asked Hegseth how Ukraine’s successful Operation Spider’s Web has changed the way we defend military infrastructure and installations from emerging threats like armed drones. 

    “Even before that operation, it’s something we put on the forefront of our planning. Cheaper, commercially available drones with small explosives represent a new threat. That day, we met to evaluate that we’re doing enough. It’s a critical reality of the modern battlefield that we have a responsibility to address,” Hegseth explained.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senators Mullin and Coons Introduce World Franchise Day Resolution to Celebrate Entrepreneurs Across the Country

    US Senate News:

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

    RELEASE: Senators Mullin and Coons Introduce World Franchise Day Resolution to Celebrate Entrepreneurs Across the Country

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced a resolution to commemorate June 11th, 2025, as World Franchise Day. This resolution highlights the importance of franchising for entrepreneurship, job creation, and community and economic development.

    The franchise model promotes entrepreneurship by offering individuals an opportunity to pursue the American Dream and own their own business. Franchising is a proven business model that offers the benefits of brand awareness, and ongoing support, which are critical for success.

    “I am proud to recognize today as World Franchise Day in honor of the thousands of franchised businesses across Oklahoma, this country, and the world, that support their communities,” said Senator Mullin. “We celebrate the global community of franchising for their contributions and innovation within the business landscape.”

    “Everyone in America deserves the chance to pursue their American dream,” said Senator Coons. “For many families, franchises are a way to become entrepreneurs and build the life they want while supporting their community. I’m excited to be able to shine a light on this engine of opportunity with Senator Mullin, because Congress should recognize all the tools our constituents have at their disposal to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit.”

    Background:

    • Franchising is used in over 200 industries – childhood education centers, action parks, spas, hardware stores, health care laboratories, home remodeling and repair services, salons, campgrounds, hotels, fitness clubs, auto shops, pet stores, tax preparation offices, restaurants, and more.
    • 830,876 franchise businesses across America.
    • 8.8 million direct jobs supported by franchise establishments.
    • $896.9 billion in economic output for the economy.

    Full text of the World Franchise Day Resolution can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Mullin Calls out Gavin Newsom on Hannity: “The guy should be thanking President Trump”

    US Senate News:

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

    ICYMI: Mullin Calls out Gavin Newsom on Hannity: “The guy should be thanking President Trump”

    “President Trump isn’t having it. He’s going to stand up for people, period.”

    Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Hannity to react to Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) abysmal handling of the violent riots taking place in Los Angeles. The senator noted that if Governor Newsom doesn’t protect his constituents, President Trump will, and that liberal leadership—Kamala Harris, Eric “Mr. Fang Fang” Swalwell, Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi, Gavin Newsom, and Maxine Waters—have ruined a once, beautiful state. Highlights below.

    Sen. Mullin’s full interview can be found here.

    On what California has become under Newsom’s rule:

    “Well, here’s a guy [Governor Newsom] that has a state that underneath his reign as governor has lost 3 million people leaving the state. They rank number one in murders in the nation. They have number one cost of living, a high cost of living. They have the number one highest prices in the nation…

    “The guy absolutely should be thanking President Trump right now for trying to restore law and order because the only thing Governor Newsom is good at right now is sucking…

    “The guy has literally ran California into the ground. I mean, here California is a beautiful state, but at the same time, they have poor leadership. Look, they gave us Kamala Harris. They gave us Mr. Fang Fang himself, Eric Swalwell, Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, and you’re thinking, ‘what type of leadership do they have there on the West Coast of California?’ Because things are going completely backwards. I mean why isn’t California thriving like the rest of the country?”

    On how President Trump—whether the left likes it or not—will protect them:

    “They’ve gotten so far to the left that they can’t come back to the center. Even when President Trump is trying to support them at restoring law and order, they have to be anti-Trump because that’s where the Democrat base is at. It’s anti-anything that Trump supports, no matter how right or how good it is for even their state…

    “Let’s look at what’s happening right now in California. People’s civil rights are being destroyed because San Francisco, LA, and California want to become a sanctuary city and state and allow illegals to do just what they’re doing right here. And President Trump isn’t having it. He’s going to stand up for people, period.”

    On how Newsom needs to be fired by California:

    “I’ve never fired anyone for making a mistake. I’ve fired a lot of people for not admitting they made a mistake. Gavin Newsom needs to be fired as governor. There is no way this guy should be running that state…

    “He can’t admit he made a mistake. That’s why he needs to be fired. Let’s unpack a few things that he said there, right? Like he said that President Trump just wanted to escalate it. He forgets to remember that the chief, LA police chief, literally said that he was overwhelmed, and he needed help…

    “He’s such a liar that you can’t believe anything coming out of his mouth. And can you believe this guy actually thinks he can be president of the United States? He may actually be worse than Joe Biden if he were to get elected President of the United States.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senators Mullin and Booker Reintroduce the Prescription Information Modernization Act

    US Senate News:

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

    RELEASE: Senators Mullin and Booker Reintroduce the Prescription Information Modernization Act

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the “Prescription Information Modernization Act of 2025”. This bill will enable the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement a rule that allows drug manufacturers to share prescribing information electronically in order to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and ensure that healthcare professionals have access to the latest drug information.

    Prescribing information is crucial for healthcare professionals to make informed decisions about prescriptions. Unfortunately, under current regulations, this information is required to be printed which leads to excessive paper use and the distribution of outdated materials.

    “This common-sense legislation is long overdue and will have an immense impact on both our healthcare professionals and patients,” said Senator Mullin. “Electronic prescriptions will simplify how providers access and manage data, improving efficiency without compromising quality.”

    “Our health care system should adapt to the latest technological advances so that people can receive efficient, quick, and effective care like never before,” said Senator Booker. “Right now, drug manufacturers and health care providers are still forced to rely on printed materials to access and manage prescription materials. This bipartisan legislation will pave the way for electronic prescriptions and modernize our health care practices.”

    The legislation is supported by the following organizations: The Alliance to Modernize Prescribing Information, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), Allergy & Asthma Network, American Pharmacists Association, AmGen, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Association for Accessible Medicines, Beyond Type 1, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, BioNJ, BioUtah, Boomer Esiason Foundation, Environmental Paper Network, Georgia Bio, Healthcare Distribution Alliance, HealthCare Institute of New Jersey, LUNGevity Foundation, Lupin, Maryland Tech Council, MassBio, McKesson, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, National Consumers League, National Grange, NewYorkBIO, North Carolina Biosciences Organization, Texas Healthcare and Biosciences Institute, and Zero Cancer.

    Full text of the ‘‘Prescription Information Modernization Act of 2025’’ can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Sanctuary cities can’t protect people from ICE immigration raids − but they don’t actually violate federal law

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Benjamin Gonzalez O’Brien, Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University

    While sanctuary policies for immigrants have grown in the U.S. since the 1980s, the Trump administration is the first to challenge them. Marcos Silva/iStock/Getty Images Plus

    The Trump administration plans to send special response teams of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to conduct immigration raids in four cities run by Democratic mayors, NBC news reported on June 11, 2025, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the planning process.

    NBC reports that New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle are four of the five places that would be affected by this deployment, as well as northern Virginia. These cities are also among the other major metropolitan hubs – as well as more than 200 small towns and counties and a dozen states – that over the past 40 years have adopted what are often known as sanctuary policies.

    Special response teams are tactical units under ICE that are trained to respond to extreme situations such as drug and arms smugglers. These units have been used to respond to recent immigration protests in Los Angeles in response to ICE raids. President Donald Trump has also deployed 4,000 National Guard troops, as well as about 700 Marines, to quell protests in that city. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have said the presence of troops is exacerbating the situation and are challenging the legality of these deployments in court.

    While sanctuary policies often prohibit local participation in immigration enforcement or cooperation with ICE, if large-scale raids take place in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle, their designation as sanctuary cities offers little protection to immigrants living without legal authorization from deportation.

    There is not a single definition of a sanctuary policy. But it often involves local authorities not asking about a resident’s immigration status, or not sharing that personal information with federal immigration authorities.

    So when a San Francisco police officer pulls someone over for a traffic violation, the officer will not ask if the person is living in the country legally.

    American presidents, from Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden, have chosen to leave sanctuary policies largely unchallenged since different places first adopted them in the 1970s. This changed in 2017, when President Donald Trump first tried to cut federal funding to sanctuary places, claiming that their policies “willfully violate Federal law.” Legal challenges during his first term stopped him from actually withholding the money.

    At the start of his second term, Trump signed two executive orders in January and April 2025 which again state that his administration will withhold federal money from areas with sanctuary policies.

    “Working on papers to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist!!!” Trump said, according to an April White House statement. This statement was immediately followed by his April executive order.

    These two executive orders task the attorney general and secretary of homeland security with publishing a list of all sanctuary places and notifying local and state officials of “non-compliance, providing an opportunity to correct it.” Those that do not comply with federal law, according to the orders, may lose federal funding.

    San Francisco and 14 other sanctuary cities, including New Haven, Connecticut, and Portland, Oregon, sued the Trump administration in February on the grounds that it was illegally trying to coerce cities to comply with its policies. A U.S. district court judge in California issued an injunction on April 24 preventing the administration – at least for the time being – from cutting funding from places with sanctuary policies.

    However, as researchers who have studied sanctuary policies for over a decade, we know that Trump’s claim that sanctuary policies violate federal immigration law is not correct.

    It’s true that the federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over immigration. Yet there is no federal requirement that state or local governments participate or cooperate in federal immigration enforcement, which would require an act of Congress.

    A sign is seen at the Nogales, Ariz., and Mariposa, Mexico, border crossing.
    Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images

    What’s behind sanctuary policies

    In 1979, the Los Angeles Police Department was the first to announce a prohibition on local officials asking about a resident’s immigration status.

    However, it was not until the 1980s that the sanctuary movement took off, when hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Nicaraguans fled civil war and violence in their home countries and migrated to the U.S. This prompted a number of cities to declare solidarity with the faith-based sanctuary movement that offered refuge to Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Nicaraguan asylum seekers facing deportation.

    In 1985, Berkeley, Calif., and San Francisco pledged that city officials, including police officers, would not report Central Americans to immigration authorities as long as they were law abiding.

    Berkeley also banned officials from using local money to work with federal immigration authorities.

    “We are not asking anyone to do anything illegal,” Nancy Walker, a supervisor for San Francisco, said in 1985, according to The New York Times. “We have got to extend our hand to these people. If these people go home, they die. They are asking us to let them stay.”

    Today, there are hundreds of sanctuary cities, towns, counties and states across the country that all have a variation of policies that limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

    Sometimes – but not always – places with sanctuary policies bar local law enforcement agencies from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the country’s main immigration enforcement agency.

    A large part of ICE’s work is identifying, arresting and deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. In order to carry out this work, ICE issues what is known as “detainer requests” to local law enforcement authorities. A detainer request asks local law enforcement to hold a specific arrested person already being held by police until that person can be transferred to ICE, which can then take steps to deport them.

    While places without sanctuary policies tend to comply with these requests, some sanctuary jurisdictions, like the state of California, only do so in the cases of particular violent criminal offenses.

    Yet local officials in sanctuary places cannot legally block ICE from arresting local residents who are living in the country illegally, or from carrying out any other parts of its work.

    Can Trump withhold federal funding?

    Trump claimed in 2017 that sanctuary policies violated federal law, and he issued an executive order that tried to rescind federal grants that these jurisdictions received.

    However, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 2018 case involving San Francisco and Santa Clara County, California, that the president could not refuse to “disperse the federal grants in question without congressional authorization.”

    Federal courts, meanwhile, split over whether Trump could freeze funding attached to a specific federal program called the Edward Byrne Memorial Assistance Grant Program, which provides about US$250 million in annual funding to state and local law enforcement.

    These cases were in the process of being appealed to the Supreme Court when the Department of Justice, under Biden, asked that they be dismissed.

    Other Supreme Court rulings also suggest that the Trump administration’s claim that it can withhold federal funding from sanctuary places rests on shaky legal ground.

    The Supreme Court ruled in 1992 and again in 1997 that the federal government could not coerce state or local governments to use their resources to enforce a federal regulatory program, or compel them to enact or administer a federal regulatory program.

    Under pressure

    The first Trump administration was not generally successful, with the exception of the split over the Edward Byrne Memorial Assistance Grant Program, at stripping funding from sanctuary places. But cutting federal funding – even if it happens temporarily – can be economically damaging to cities and counties while they challenge the decision in court.

    Local officials also face other kinds of political pressure to comply with the Trump administration’s demands.

    A legal group founded by Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff in the Trump administration, for example, sent letters to dozens of local officials in January threatening criminal prosecution for their sanctuary policies.

    Michelle Wu, the mayor of Boston, a sanctuary city, testifies during a House committee hearing on sanctuary city mayors on March 5, 2025, in Washington.
    Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

    The real effects of sanctuary policies

    One part of Trump’s argument against sanctuary policies is that places with these policies have more crime than those that do not.

    But there is no established relationship between sanctuary status and crime rates.

    There is, however, evidence that when local law enforcement and ICE work together, it reduces the likelihood of immigrant and Latino communities to report crimes, likely for fear of being arrested by federal immigration authorities.

    Sanctuary policies are certainly worthy of debate, but this requires an accurate representation of what they are, what they do, and the effects they have.

    This is an updated version of a story originally published on May 28, 2025.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Sanctuary cities can’t protect people from ICE immigration raids − but they don’t actually violate federal law – https://theconversation.com/sanctuary-cities-cant-protect-people-from-ice-immigration-raids-but-they-dont-actually-violate-federal-law-255831

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Texas Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison and Ordered to Pay $2M Fine for Conspiring to Monopolize International Transit Industry, Fix Prices, Extort $9.5M, and Launder Money

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Carlos Martinez, 39, of Mission, Texas, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison and a fine of $2 million for his conduct in a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency (TFA) industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region. Martinez and his co-defendants controlled the TFA industry through monopolization and extortion of competitors.

    Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale across Central America. There are only a few locations where transmigrantes are permitted to cross from the United States into Mexico, one of those being the Los Indios Bridge in Texas. TFAs are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico. According to court documents and statements made in court, Martinez and his co-defendants fixed prices for TFA services and created a centralized entity known as “The Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services.

    “The defendants exploited hardworking professionals in the freight forwarding business using extortion and illegal price-fixing schemes to manipulate the market and inflate the cost of moving goods,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The lead defendant’s 11-year prison sentence reflects the serious economic harm inflicted on the business community along the southern border. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue and prosecute those who threaten fair competition and the integrity of our markets.”

    “Today’s sentence reflects the significant danger and harm the American people face from violent and extortive actions aimed at fixing prices and monopolizing the market for essential services in the Texas border region,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to aggressively pursue violent criminals who aim to corrupt America’s free markets and advocate for their incarceration.”

    “Price fixing is not a victimless crime; it harms customers in the form of artificially high prices. Consumers need to have faith that the prices they pay are fairly determined by the market, rather than the product of illegal collusion,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “The 11-year sentence Mr. Martinez received reflects the size and scope of his criminal operation, as well as his leadership role in organizing and facilitating the unlawful scheme.”  

    “All of these defendants used their positions with the TFA to extort hardworking individuals who relied on these services to support their families and livelihood,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI is committed to dismantling criminal enterprises that prey on vulnerable communities, and today’s sentencing sends a clear message that those who abuse systems will be found, stopped and brought to justice.”

    “This case underscores the serious threat posed by transnational criminal networks operating at our borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “Carlos Martinez and his co-conspirators orchestrated a violent scheme that extorted small businesses, fixed prices, and laundered millions of dollars — all while threatening the safety and integrity of lawful commerce. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit legitimate industries through corruption and intimidation, and we remain steadfast in our mission to protect our communities and our economy.”

    Individuals in the industry who were not part of the conspiracy were forced to join and pay into The Pool or face financial and violent consequences. Martinez and other members enforced the rules by monitoring whether forwarding agencies were charging the agreed-upon prices and whether the forwarder was making payments to The Pool.  

    Martinez and some of his co-defendants also conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. Martinez and his co-defendants intimidated, coerced, and used threats and acts of violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies.

    Martinez was responsible for collecting at least $9.5M in extortion payments. Cash obtained from the extortions was laundered through bank accounts controlled by Martinez and his family, with the cash deposits disguised to hide the nature, source, ownership, and control of the dirty money.

    Martinez is the son-in-law of the former leader of the Gulf Cartel in Mexico, a violent criminal syndicate that operates at the U.S.-Mexico border and elsewhere. Martinez took control of  Los Indios Bridge and employed individuals who worked to track TFA transactions to calculate the piso owed by each forwarding agency. Pool and piso payments were made in cash to the individuals working for Martinez. Martinez ordered disciplinary actions against those operating in the transmigrante market without permission, those who violated Pool rules, those who did not charge the fixed prices, and those who did not pay the piso. Disciplinary actions could include clients not being allowed to cross Los Indios Bridge, cars being stolen, or more serious repercussions such as kidnappings, beatings, firebombings, shootings, and murder.

    Carlos Martinez pleaded guilty in February  to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for TFA services, conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion, interference with commerce by extortion, and money laundering conspiracy. The government will also seek forfeiture of at least one house, luxury vehicles, a boat, and expensive watches.

    Prior to Martinez’s sentencing, his co-defendants were sentenced as follows:

    Carlos Yzaguirre, 66, of McAllen, Texas, was sentenced to two years in prison, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.

    Sandra Guerra Medina, 70, of Rancho Viejo, Texas, was sentenced to eight months of home detention, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for TFA services and conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market.

    Juan Hector Ramirez Avila, 59, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served, after pleading guilty to one count of structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements.

    Jose Tapia, Mireya Miranda, Pedro Calvillo and Roberto Garcia Villarreal pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Three other defendants, Rigoberto Brown, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto, were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives.

    The Court will determine the final restitution amount owed to victims of the conspiracies at a hearing set for Sept. 3, 2025. 

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section; Senior Litigation Attorney John Davis and Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis, and Michael G. Lepage of the of the Antitrust Division; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.

    Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the HSI Tip Line at 866-347-2423; the FBI Tipline at tips.fbi.gov, or by contacting the FBI San Antonio Field Office at 210-225-6741; or the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Labonte named Associate Vice President for University Safety

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Dear Colleagues,

    I’m pleased to announce that I have appointed UConn Police Chief Gene Labonte to the position of Associate Vice President for University Safety following a national search. Gene has served as our Chief of Police since July 2023, and going forward he will serve as both police chief and AVP.

    At UConn, those who have had the opportunity to work with Chief Labonte know that his service to the university in this critical role is defined by integrity, professionalism, and outstanding leadership.

    As chief, he brings a thoughtful, well-informed approach to his work reflecting his decades-long experience in law enforcement matched with a thorough understanding of the complexities and nuances involved in overseeing a police department at a large public research university with campuses throughout the state.

    Chief Gene Labonte (contributed photo).

    One of the many reasons he was an exceptional candidate for AVP is because of that understanding, which allows him to see the university not through the lens of law enforcement alone, but also through the larger and more expansive lens of “public safety” more generally, a strength that is essential to being effective in both of these positions.

    In addition, Chief Labonte’s open, transparent style of communication, collegiality, and responsiveness are highly valued by his colleagues throughout the institution.

    Prior to his arrival at UConn, Chief Labonte served as Associate Vice President for Public Safety and Risk Management/Chief of Police and Salem State University in Salem, Mass., which is part of the commonwealth’s public university system. He began his law enforcement career in 1990 with the Connecticut State Police, serving until 2012 and departing at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

    He succeeds Hans Rhynhart, who is retiring after more than three decades at UConn that included rising from a police officer to Chief of Police and later AVP for University Safety. His last day at UConn is June 30.

    I would like to thank the search committee, which was chaired by Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Jeffrey Hines. It also included Mansfield Town Manager Ryan Aylesworth, Assistant Vice President for Student Life Cyndi Costanzo, Deputy General Counsel Nathan LaVallee, UConn Health Chief of Staff Andrea Keilty, interim Vice President for Communications Mike Kirk, African American Cultural Center Director Alicia McKenzie, Hartford Campus Dean Mark Overmyer-Velazquez, Vice President for Quality and Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer/JDH Chief Operating Officer Caryl Ryan, Vice Provost Dan Schwartz, and Director of Business Services for University Safety Darshana Sonpal.

    Thanks also to Maryann Markowski from the President’s Office and Michelle Fournier from Human Resources for supporting the search committee and search process.

    Please join me in congratulating and thanking Chief Labonte for his willingness to step into this additional role and in offering thanks, gratitude, and our very best wishes to Hans for his long and dedicated service to UConn.

    Sincerely,
    Radenka Maric
    UConn President

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Microaggressions’ can fly under the radar in schools. Here’s how to spot them and respond

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Leslie, Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy with a focus on Educational Psychology, University of Southern Queensland

    Klaus Vedfelt/ Getty Images

    Bullying is sadly a common experience for Australian children and teenagers. It is estimated at least 25% experience bullying at some point in their schooling.

    The impacts can be far-reaching and include depression and anxiety, poorer school performance, and poorer connection to school.

    The federal government is currently doing a “rapid review” of how to better prevent bullying in schools. This do this, we need a clear understanding of the full spectrum of aggressive behaviours that occur in schools.

    We already know bullying can be physical, verbal and social, and can occur in person and online. But there is less awareness among educators and policymakers of “microaggressions”. These can be more subtle but are nonetheless very damaging.



    Read more:
    With a government review underway, we have to ask why children bully other kids

    What’s the difference between bullying and microaggressions?

    Bullying is unwanted aggressive behaviour by a person or group against a targeted victim, with the intent to harm. The behaviour is repeated and there is a power imbalance between the perpetrator and victim.

    Microaggressions are a form of aggression that communicate a person is less valued because of a particular attribute – for example, their race, gender or disability.

    Microaggressions are repeated, cumulative and reflect power imbalances between social groups. A key difference with traditional bullying is microaggressions are often unconscious on the part of the perpetrator – and can be perpetrated with no ill intent.

    For example, traditional bullying could include a child always excluding another child from the group, always pushing them when they walk past them, or calling them a rude name.

    Microaggressions could include:

    • saying “you don’t look disabled” to a student with an invisible disability

    • mispronouncing a student’s name with no attempt to correct the pronunciation

    • saying to a student of colour, “wow, you’re so articulate”, implying surprise at their language skills

    • minimising a student with disability’s experience by saying “it can’t be that difficult. Just try harder.”

    We don’t have specific statistics on prevalence within Australia, although there is ample research to say those from minority groups frequently experience microaggressions.

    For example, studies of young people in the United States found incidents of microaggressions, often focused on racism, homophobia, transphobia and fat stigma. Students who held more than one identity (for example, a minority race and sexual orientation), were more likely to be targets.

    Microaggressions in schools

    My 2025 research on microaggressions towards dyslexic students in Australia found both students and parents can be on the receiving end. Teachers, school support officers and other students could be perpetrators.

    These interactions minimised the students’ experiences of dyslexia and made them feel like second class students compared to their peers.

    Some of the children reported comments from peers such as “oh yeah, reading, writing is hard already” which minimised the difficulties caused by dyslexia. Another student recalled how a peer had corrected her spelling “by snatching my book and re-writing it”, assuming she couldn’t do it herself. One student was made to feel bad for using a laptop in class as “someone said it was cheating”.

    The impact of microaggressions

    Schools where microaggressions occur are not safe spaces for all students.

    This can have serious implications for students’ school attendance, harm their mental health and ability to learn and socialise.

    Research on US university students, showed students may also become hypervigilant waiting for future microaggressions to occur.

    One Australian study found microaggressions can be so bad for some school students, they change schools in search of environments where staff and peers are more accepting.

    How to address microaggressions

    Research suggests addressing microaggressions can work as a prevention strategy to reduce other forms of bullying before it starts.

    Studies also show teacher awareness of microaggressions is key to preventing and addressing incidents.

    So a first step step is to make sure schools, teachers and students are aware of microagressions. Teachers should be educated about the relationship between microaggressions and bullying.

    Schools need to create environments where microaggressions are understood, recognised and addressed. All students need to be taught how to respond appropriately as bystanders if they see microaggressions happening in the classroom, playground or online.

    If a student feels that they or a friend has been made to feel less because of their identity, then they should be encouraged to seek help from an appropriate adult.

    Schools also need proactive programs to foster inclusion in schools. Research shows school psychologists can help by delivering programs in mental health and social and emotional development.

    Just as schools, teachers and school psychologists can be proactive in addressing microaggressions, so too can the federal government – by including microaggressions in its anti-bullying review.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.

    Rachel Leslie is a committee member for the Australian Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools association.

    – ref. ‘Microaggressions’ can fly under the radar in schools. Here’s how to spot them and respond – https://theconversation.com/microaggressions-can-fly-under-the-radar-in-schools-heres-how-to-spot-them-and-respond-258684

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Medical scans are big business and investors are circling. Here are 3 reasons to be concerned

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sean Docking, Research Fellow, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University

    wedmoments.stock/Shutterstock

    Timely access to high-quality medical imaging can be lifesaving and life-altering. Radiology can confirm a fractured bone, give us an early glimpse of our baby or detect cancer.

    But behind the x-ray, ultrasound, CT and MRI machines is a growing, highly profitable industry worth almost A$6 billion a year.

    Corporate ownership dominates the sector. In our new study, we show how for-profit corporations own about three in every five private radiology clinics.

    As radiology becomes an increasingly attractive target for investors, are we letting business interests reshape a key part of our health-care system?

    30 million scans and counting

    In 2023–24, two in five Australians had an x-ray, ultrasound, CT scan or MRI. That’s about 30.8 million scans in total (individuals may have two or more scans).

    Medicare funds most of this imaging. In fact, imaging is now Medicare’s second-largest area of spending, behind only GP visits.

    But a growing number of scans are not bulk billed and patients are out of pocket on average about $125 per scan. An estimated 274,000 Australians are delaying or forgoing scans each year because of the cost.

    There have also been dramatic changes behind the scenes. Since the early 2000s, for-profit corporations have been buying small radiologist-owned clinics.

    Today, 65% of private radiology practices are owned by publicly listed shareholders or private investors, including private equity firms. This marks a significant shift from clinician-led to investor-driven health care.

    Need an ultrasound? You may end up at a private radiology clinic.
    Inside Creative House/Shutterstock

    Why should we care?

    Advocates of corporate ownership suggest this business-focused approach can make the system more efficient through economies of scale. They say this allows consolidation of administration tasks and a reduction in overheads.

    Easy access to finance can help buy expensive imaging machines. It can also provide investment towards new technologies, such as artificial intelligence.

    Yet, there are three main reasons why corporate ownership of the radiology sector may be cause for concern.

    1. It reduces competition

    Large corporations buying up a bunch of smaller practices ultimately leads to less competition. In Tasmania, for example, 11 of the 17 private radiology clinics are owned by one company, significantly limiting patient choice.

    We also found limited competition among radiology providers in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory.

    When a single company dominates a local market, it creates the conditions for higher fees and reduced incentives to bulk bill. However, objective data on the impact of reduced competition on the affordability of scans is scarce.

    2. It may lead to too many expensive scans

    High-cost scans, such as MRIs and CTs, are lucrative. Medicare expenditure on MRI scans alone has doubled since 2012.

    This may reflect improved access and a recommended shift towards more sensitive tests for some conditions. However, for-profit corporations now own about 76% of MRI machines in private clinics. These corporations may be financially incentivised to offer more costly imaging over equally effective, lower-cost options.

    With profits tied to the number of scans, there’s growing unease financial motives may be influencing when and how often these scans are used.

    While radiology corporations are not the ones requesting scans, there is little incentive for them to address overuse of radiology services, an issue for high-income countries such as Australia.

    Low-value imaging may also generate overdiagnosis (when something shows up on imaging but will never cause the patient any health issues, for example). It can lead to unnecessarily exposing patients to radiation and cause unwarranted patient (and doctor) anxiety. This can ultimately lead to more tests and unnecessary treatment.

    Is an MRI scan really necessary? Sometimes cheaper imaging is best.
    illustrissima/Shutterstock

    3. Radiology clinics become an asset

    Private equity firms view radiology clinics as a commodity to be bought, their value increased, then sold over a relatively short time frame (typically three to seven years).

    These firms generate profit not from delivering care, but from boosting the clinic’s value and charging them annual “management fees”.

    A prime example is unfolding. I-MED, Australia’s largest radiology provider, is considering listing the business on the Australian Stock Exchange after failing to sell at a reported $3 billion. Its UK private equity owner bought I-MED for about $1.26 billion in 2018. If sold, this would be the latest of multiple owners since delisting from the stock exchange in 2006.

    If there are debts, health-care companies can collapse, as we’ve seen recently with hospital chain Healthscope, which is owned by a Canadian-based private equity firm.

    Experience of private equity’s role in health care in the United States also offers a cautionary tale. Reductions in the quality of care, asset stripping and ultimately the closure and bankruptcy of vital health-care providers have prompted Congressional investigations. The state of Oregon is on the verge of blocking private equity firms from controlling health-care providers.

    What next?

    As radiology becomes an increasingly attractive target for investors, questions are mounting about whether this profit-driven model can coexist with the public’s need for affordable, accessible health care.

    Medicare was designed to guarantee affordable access to quality health care for all Australians, not guarantee revenue for corporations.

    While unwinding corporate participation in the radiology sector is near impossible, there is still time to implement safeguards that prevent wealthy investors from prioritising financial gain over Australians’ health and wellbeing.

    Stronger oversight and greater transparency from these corporations are needed to ensure Medicare dollars deliver real value for patients and the public.

    We would like to acknowledge Jenn Lacy-Nichols (University of Melbourne) and Martin Hensher (University of Tasmania) who co-authored the paper mentioned in this article.

    Sean Docking is a member of UniSuper (Industry Super Holdings Pty Ltd) as part of his superannuation; Unisuper is an investor in PRP Diagnostic Imaging. He has no direct investments in any diagnostic imaging companies.

    Rachelle Buchbinder has received grant funding from NHMRC, MRFF, Arthritis Australia and HCF Foundation. She receives royalties from UpToDate for writing and editing ‘Plantar fasciitis’. She also receives royalties for her book entitled ‘Hippocrasy: How doctors are betraying their oath’. She has not received funding from for-profit industry, including from radiology companies.

    – ref. Medical scans are big business and investors are circling. Here are 3 reasons to be concerned – https://theconversation.com/medical-scans-are-big-business-and-investors-are-circling-here-are-3-reasons-to-be-concerned-257820

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: We Will Strengthen and Preserve Medicaid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Senator Marshall Joins Squawk Box to Discuss the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’
    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Joe Kernen and Becky Quick on Squawk Box to discuss President Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill,’ the preservation of Medicaid for those who need it most, and the ongoing negotiations in the House and Senate.
    Click HERE or on the image above to watch the full interview.
    On how the OBBB presents the largest tax increase in American history:
    “…The greatest challenge that America faces is our national debt. But the purpose of this bill is to prevent the largest tax increase in American history. We think that by stopping that tax increase and other provisions that the average American family is going to get to keep $1,000 a month more of their hard-earned money. It’s obviously going to secure the border, [and] it’s going to cut $1.7 trillion in spending. So, this is a step in the right direction.
    “You know, Rome wasn’t built in a day, either. So, the first thing we have to do is grow the economy. Then we need to flatten spending, and over the next four years, get to those pre-pandemic spending levels. I think it’s very feasible. We’ll take a bite of the apple now, we’re going to have to take a couple more bites as these next three years go along, though.”
    On how to improve Medicaid for Americans who need it:
    “We need to strengthen and preserve Medicaid for those who need it the most. As a physician, as an obstetrician, we took care of everybody, regardless of their ability to pay. And I want everyone to have meaningful access to primary care, and Medicaid provides that. We’re certainly not going to touch seniors, we’re not going to touch people with disabilities – again, we want to impact those who need it the most.
    “On the other hand, we have 7 million healthy American men of working age who aren’t working. Let’s help those people find a job [and] help them get off Medicaid. Let’s help them either get on the ACA exchange or maybe health insurance through their employer. That’s a win-win opportunity. The best safety net out there is a job, so I’m trying to look for that. You can’t look at this in silos, but I think that would be my goal, is to help those people that are on Medicaid, that are on food stamps right now, that are working age, they’re healthy. Let’s help them find a job as well.”
    “…I think the big problem with Medicaid right now, though, is that we’ve increased spending 50% in five years. So, we need to figure out how do we slow down that spending. In many states, they figured out ways to game the system so that we are reimbursing hospitals more for Medicaid patients than Medicare. So, we need to go back and look at this provider tax and make it fair at the same time.”
    On the struggles that rural hospitals are facing:
    “No one knows more about rural hospitals up here in the Capitol than I do – I’m the only person who’s actually run a hospital, and a rural hospital at that. And there are efficiencies that many are not doing. But at the end of the day, we have something called a critical access hospital, which functions on a system of Medicare Plus, so those would not be touched with this situation as well.
    “I would make nursing homes immune from this provider tax cut as well. That’s such a small amount of money to keep those rural hospitals going. There are other ways to do that, and certainly there are other systems, there’s other funding, other mechanisms that they get because they are rural as well. Things are changing in rural America every day. We’d love to come back and talk about what the rural hospital of the future looks like. It’s probably a really good emergency room with good outpatient services, and go from there.”
    On how the Senate’s negotiations with the House to move the One Big Beautiful Bill forward:
    “Everyone is negotiating through the press right now, and everything is negotiable. Look, we’re going to get the no tax on tips, overtime wage, and social security across the finish line in some shape or shape or form.
    “…On the SALT tax, my goodness – why should red states be subsidizing blue states to the tune of about $400 billion over the next 10 years? I think there’s a sweet spot for us to land on, and we may very well do a bill, send it to them, and they may reject it and send us a bill back. You know, we’re not going home, though, until we get something to the President’s desk. But this is what’s going on – these are powerful negotiations. I’ve never seen such intense negotiations going on within the Republican caucus right now. There are hundreds of billions of dollars at stake. The future of this country is at stake.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to “Strengthen and Expand” Pension Healthcare

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined fellow Senators Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), and Thom Tillis, (R-North Carolina) to introduce the Strengthening Benefit Plans Act of 2025, which would allow for overfunded 401(H) retiree pension accounts to be transferred to help pay for active healthcare programs. 
    “The Strengthening Benefit Plans Act of 2025 is good for workers, and it’s good for businesses,” said Senator Marshall. “It will allow employers to reinvest in employee health plans, strengthening and expanding benefits for workers. That’s what I call commonsense policy.”
    “Allowing for surplus dollars to be shifted to active healthcare plans is a common-sense approach that benefits both businesses and employees,” said Senator Scott. “This targeted solution allows for employers to redirect funds to better serve those who make their businesses work.”
    “Allowing businesses to reinvest in their employees’ health care strengthens the nation’s economy,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This commonsense legislation allows companies to transfer excess funds from overfunded 401(h) accounts to support their employees’ health care needs.”  
    “This legislation gives hard-working employees a stronger financial future, retirement security, and better health coverage by allowing employers to reinvest surplus benefit assets into the current workforce,” said Senator Tillis. “This is a smart, commonsense solution that protects retiree obligations while benefiting today’s workforce.”
    “BMW thanks Senator Scott for his support of this important issue. He is always a strong advocate for us and our associates,” said Bryan Jacobs, Vice President, External Affairs, BMW. “Senator Scott’s bill would allow surplus assets to fund healthcare benefits for a broader population of employees, which under current regulation is not possible. We applaud his efforts and look forward to working with him to get the legislation enacted into law.” 
    Click here to view the legislation text.
    Background:
    A 401(H) plan is an employer-sponsored fund for post-retirement medical benefits.
    By funding these benefits with previously paid contributions, employers would avoid paying additional costs out of pocket.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maricopa Man Sentenced to 44 Years in Prison for Second-Degree Murder of a Tohono O’Odham Police Officer

    Source: US FBI

    TUCSON, Ariz. – Carlos Maximilliano Galvan, 44, of Maricopa, Arizona, was sentenced on June 4, 2025, by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 44 years in prison. Galvan previously pleaded guilty to one count of Second-Degree Murder.

    On August 27, 2020, Tohono O’odham Police Officer Bryan Brown responded to a 911 call from the Desert Diamond Casino in Why, Arizona, about an individual who had crashed his vehicle into a handicapped parking sign outside of the casino. The individual then reportedly assaulted two casino employees by striking the truck they were sitting in with his vehicle. When Officer Brown arrived at the scene, he got out of his police cruiser and was confronted by Galvan, who approached him aggressively while brandishing a broken bottle. As Officer Brown stepped around his vehicle to avoid Galvan, Galvan jumped into the police cruiser and drove toward Officer Brown and a United States Border Patrol Agent who had arrived at the scene to assist. The Border Patrol Agent was able to move out of the way, but Galvan struck Officer Brown with the police cruiser, killing him.

    While fleeing from the scene of the murder, Galvan drove the police cruiser across the center lane of the highway and intentionally hit the vehicles of two Border Patrol Agents who were on their way to the scene to assist law enforcement.  

    “The FBI will not waiver in our commitment to ensure those who commit acts of violence against members of law enforcement will be held accountable and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said FBI Phoenix Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarod Brown. “Today is for Officer Bryan Brown, and his loved ones and colleagues. We hope this sentence brings a degree of comfort to Officer Brown’s family and colleagues.”

    “The defendant attacked not just Officer Brown, but our entire system of justice,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Disrespect for law enforcement escalates, as it did here with a deadly consequence, which is why any assault on a law enforcement officer cannot be tolerated. Our great sorrow goes out to Officer Brown’s family, loved ones, and fellow officers. He demonstrated the ultimate dedication to duty, and we honor him.”   

    The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson Office conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Kreamer Hope, Alicia Renee Quezada, and Rui Wang, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-01566-TUC-JAS
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-091_Galvan

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: World Cup 2026: Growing threats to human rights set to undermine FIFA’s responsibilities one year out from kick off

    Source: Amnesty International –

    One year to go until the largest-ever sporting event across the USA, Canada and Mexico

    Urgent human rights risks in 2026 host countries – particularly in the USA – are impacting immigrants, the right to protest, and LGBTI+ rights

    Growing threats to civil liberties and human rights risk undermining FIFA’s commitments and responsibilities

    ‘FIFA and the US authorities must ensure that the World Cup does not become a pretext for stifling dissent or expanding mass surveillance’ – Daniel Noroña, Amnesty USA

    FIFA must take urgent and concrete action to uphold human rights for everyone involved in the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, the Sport & Rights Alliance said today.

    With just one year remaining before the tournament begins across the United States, Canada, and Mexico – and only days before the Club World Cup kicks off on June 14 – growing threats to civil liberties and human rights risk undermining FIFA’s own commitments and responsibilities in this area.

    In its statutes, Human Rights Policy, and 2026 Bidding Process Guide, FIFA accepts its responsibility to respect human rights in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Bidding Process Guide specifically requires would-be hosts to document their commitment to “ensur[ing] that the hosting and staging of the Competition do[es] not involve adverse impacts on internationally recognised human rights.” The guide gives particular attention to “labour rights, the rights of children, gender equality, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and protecting all individuals from all forms of discrimination.”

    The Sport & Rights Alliance has identified several critical areas where government policies in the 2026 host countries, particularly the United States under President Donald Trump, pose significant and immediate risks to the human rights of immigrants; freedom of the press and free expression; LGBTI+ rights; safety for children; and the right to be free from discrimination, requiring urgent and transparent intervention.

    Andrea Florence, Executive Director of the Sport & Rights Alliance, said:

    “In 2018, the US, Mexico, and Canada provided clear human rights commitments in their bid documents to host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.

    “Despite FIFA’s mantra that ‘football unites the world,’ a World Cup held under discriminatory and exclusionary policies risks deepening social divides rather than bridging them. FIFA should exert its leverage and demand concrete, legally binding guarantees that human rights won’t be further sacrificed for the sake of the game.”

    Right to protest; freedom of expression

    With the 2026 Men’s World Cup potentially serving as a spotlight for public criticism and controversy, the escalating crackdowns on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, particularly for people engaged in speech and protest related to Palestinian rights, is deeply troubling, the Alliance said. Students and activists have been detained and their visas revoked for speaking out about their views. The Trump administration has also deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles following protests against immigration arrests, claiming they constitute an act of “rebellion” against the government.

    FIFA’s stated commitments to free expression have also previously been contradicted when it has imposed rules prohibiting players and fans from making political or religious statements. At the 2022 Men’s World Cup in Qatar, for example, Iranian fans displaying “Woman, Life, Freedom” banners were removed from stadiums, while rainbow flags were confiscated at a number of matches.

    Daniel Noroña, Americas Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA, said:

    “The ability to peacefully protest without fear of retribution is a cornerstone of a free society, yet it is increasingly under threat in the United States.

    “There is a long history of peaceful protest in global football. FIFA and the US authorities must ensure that the World Cup does not become a pretext for stifling dissent or expanding mass surveillance, and every player, fan, journalist, and resident can participate and protest without fear of sanction, arbitrary detention or discriminatory treatment.”

    Discriminatory immigration policies

    FIFA anticipates that as many as 6.5 million people could attend the 2026 tournament across the host countries. The current US administration’s abusive immigration policies, including enforced disappearances under the Alien Enemies Act, travel bans, increased detention, and visa restrictions, threaten the inclusivity and global nature of the World Cup.

    Despite President Trump’s executive order stating that teams qualifying for the 2026 Men’s World Cup will be exempt from travel bans, as of now fans and extended family members from banned countries will not be allowed to enter the United States. Delays, denials, and the real prospect of detention for fans, media, and other participants from specific countries could severely disrupt the tournament.

    Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said:

    “FIFA should publicly acknowledge the threat US immigration and other anti-human rights policies pose to the tournament’s integrity and use its leverage with the US government to ensure that the rights of all qualified teams, support staff, media, and fans are respected as they seek to enter the United States regardless of nationality, gender identity, religion, or opinion.

    “FIFA should establish clear benchmarks and timelines for the US policy changes needed to ensure respect for immigrants’ rights during the 2026 World Cup and beyond.”

    Human Rights Watch wrote to FIFA on May 5 to say that it should use its leverage to push the Trump administration to roll back discriminatory immigration policies in the United States. FIFA responded on June 3, stating that it “expects … host countries take measures to ensure that any eligible persons who are involved in the Competition are able to enter the respective countries,” and “is actively working on this matter with relevant authorities.” FIFA also said it would engage with relevant authorities if it became aware of human rights concerns.

    Ronan Evain, Executive Director of Football Supporters Europe, said:

    “Fans travel to the World Cup to celebrate and express their passion, and any attempt to curtail our fundamental rights, including the right to free speech, is a betrayal of the spirit of football.

    “We’re particularly concerned about the potential for selective enforcement and discrimination against fans based on our perceived political views or national origin. FIFA must obtain the necessary guarantees to ensure fans from all over the world are able to safely travel and attend the games.”

    Discrimination and violence against LGBTI+ people

    The increasing legislative and rhetorical attacks on the rights of LGBTI+ people, particularly transgender people in the United States, underscore the current administration’s intention to erase transgender people from public life and dismantle crucial human rights protections. Discriminatory laws and the hostile political climate around LGBTI+ rights in the United States could directly threaten the security, bodily autonomy, dignity, and inclusion of LGBTI+ fans, players, and workers at the 2026 Men’s World Cup.

    In Mexico, LGBTI+ people, and especially trans and gender-diverse people, face violence across the country, which affects their daily lives and participation in public events. Federal and state authorities should take urgent steps to prevent and punish violence against LGBTI+ people, with particular attention to the specific risks faced by trans and gender-diverse communities.

    Gurchaten Sandhu, Director of Programs at ILGA World, said:

    “The alarming discrimination and violence against LGBTI+ individuals in the United States and Mexico cast a chilling shadow over the promise of an inclusive World Cup.

    “As organiser of the event, FIFA should demand that all host cities and states uphold universal human rights, ensuring no fan, worker, or athlete faces discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, or sex characteristics, and that any discriminatory laws are actively challenged and nullified.”

    Press freedom

    Journalists covering the 2026 Men’s World Cup face distinct and alarming risks in both Mexico and the United States. Mexico consistently ranks among one of world’s most dangerous and deadly countries for media professionals, who face threats, harassment, and violence from both organised crime and public officials. The pervasive impunity for these crimes creates a chilling effect and zones of silence in which critical information is suppressed. In the United States, journalists could face intrusive screening, social media monitoring, and be denied entry based on perceived political views, undermining their ability to report independently.

    Antoine Bernard, Advocacy and Assistance Director at Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said:

    “Journalists covering the World Cup must be granted unimpeded access, free from arbitrary restrictions, detention, or violence.

    “FIFA and the local authorities must implement exceptional measures to protect all media workers – not only ensuring smooth entry for foreign press but actively safeguarding all journalists who will be covering large crowds, excited spectators, and potential protests, and addressing the systemic impunity that allows violence against them to persist.

    “Local law enforcement’s policies need to be strengthened to ensure the distinction of journalists from demonstrators, bystanders, and fans, and they must clearly communicate the policies they intend to follow in ensuring this distinction, in full respect of journalists’ freedom and independence.”

    Labour rights

    The immense scale of the 2026 Men’s World Cup will necessitate a massive workforce in host cities to staff stadiums, hospitality, transport, and more. The Trump administration’s dismantling of federal programs and anti-union sentiment increase the risk of exploitation and child labour, wage theft, and unsafe working conditions for these critical workers.

    Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), said:

    “The extensive network of contracts for stadium construction, hospitality, and event services in the host cities must be built on a foundation of respect for workers’ rights.

    “We are gravely concerned that without strong, enforceable labour protections, this tournament will inadvertently fuel precarious work and child labour, suppress wages, and deny workers their fundamental rights to organise and bargain collectively. FIFA must demand robust social dialogue and binding agreements to protect every worker contributing to this World Cup.”

    Transparency and anti-corruption

    The Sport & Rights Alliance also harbours significant concerns related to low governmental transparency and weak anti-corruption regulations in and around the 2026 Men’s World Cup, particularly given recent policy shifts in the United States and Mexico. As the tournament approaches, robust oversight and unwavering commitment to ethical principles are needed to prevent the exploitation of this global event for private gain at the expense of human rights and public trust.

    Tor Dølvik, Special Advisor at Transparency International, said:

    “The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place in a global context where anti-corruption efforts are increasingly under strain.

    “All host countries and FIFA must uphold their anti-corruption responsibilities by establishing comprehensive risk management mechanisms that close potential loopholes for corruption, and reliable systems for detecting and reporting irregularities. Full transparency regarding all expenditures related to the World Cup – before, during, and after the events – will be vital in building trust and ensuring integrity throughout the process.”

    FIFA’s responsibility

    FIFA, as the chief actor responsible for an event that will leave a tremendous footprint, needs to conduct an updated human rights due diligence assessment, and unequivocally leverage its influence to ensure that the 2026 Men’s World Cup is a rights-respecting and rights-advancing event.

    A new human rights due diligence assessment should consider the need for tangible commitments to reverse discriminatory policies, strengthen protections for historically marginalised groups, ensure substantial accountability for human rights abuses, and establish truly effective, transparent, and independent grievance mechanisms for people to seek support and a remedy. Failure to act decisively risks irrevocably tarnishing the legacy of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup and setting a dangerous precedent for future mega-sporting events.

    About the Sport & Rights Alliance

    The Sport & Rights Alliance’s mission is to promote the rights and well-being of those most affected by human rights risks associated with the delivery of sport. Its partners include Amnesty International, The Army of Survivors, Football Supporters Europe, Human Rights Watch, ILGA World (The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association), the International Trade Union Confederation, Reporters Without Borders, Transparency International, and World Players Association, UNI Global Union.

    As a global coalition of leading nongovernmental organisations and trade unions, the Sport & Rights Alliance works together to ensure sports bodies, governments, and other relevant stakeholders give rise to a world of sport that protects, respects, and fulfills international standards for human rights, labour rights, child wellbeing and safeguarding, and anti-corruption.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Wildfire Season Approaches, Wyden, Budd, Schrier and Valadao Unveil Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Impacts of Wildfires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    June 11, 2025

    In 2024 alone, 8.9 million acres of land were affected by wildfires

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., and U.S. Representatives Kim Schrier, D-Wash., and David Valadao, R-Calif., today introduced bipartisan legislation that would support prescribed burns as an essential, cost-effective, science-based strategy to save lives and property, and address the harmful impacts of the recent wildfires across the nation. 

    In 2024 alone, 8.9 million acres of land were burned by wildfires, one of the highest totals on record. Since vegetation continues to grow, the Forest Service has been unable to address the current hazardous fuel backlog as the nation suffers from hotter and drier fire seasons.

    The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 would invest in hazardous fuels management to reduce the risk of blistering infernos by increasing the pace and scale of prescribed  burns during cooler, wetter months. The legislation would grow a technically skilled prescribed fire workforce, and provide new tools to aid smoke management and prescribed fire permitting during winter months to reduce catastrophic fires and smoke in the summer. 

    “It’s no secret that rising temperatures and increased drought are leading to more and more wildfires, and firefighters are struggling to keep up as they put their lives on the line,” Wyden said. “We can no longer wait for disaster to strike before we address these fires destroying our neighborhoods and even taking people’s lives. I have heard firsthand from Oregonians who are sick and tired of inaction while the West burns. Our bipartisan, bicameral bill will tackle wildfires head-on by focusing on prevention to get the West out of the cycle of crisis and devastation every wildfire season.”  

    “Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, thousands of acres of North Carolina forest were left destroyed,” Budd said. “Now, these downed trees and piles of leaves represent a serious wildfire risk. By enabling the Forest Service to better conduct controlled burns of unchecked vegetation and scattered debris, we can protect our forests from catastrophic wildfires that may occur in the hottest months of the year. I am proud to join my colleague, Sen. Wyden, in introducing this common-sense, proactive approach to preventing disastrous wildfires.”

    “Here in Washington State, we experience devastating wildfires every year.  That’s why Congress must act now and address this issue,” Schrier said. “My bill, the National Prescribed Fire Act, expands the use of prescribed fire to lower the risk of catastrophic wildfires.”

    “In California, we understand the dangerous impact of wildfires—from damage to property to loss of life,” Valadao said. “By prescribing controlled burns to fire-adapted land in a safe and supervised way, we can limit dangerous fuel buildup and help reduce the threat of future wildfires. I’m proud to join my colleagues in re-introducing this bipartisan bill to protect our communities from wildfire risk.”

    The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025:

    • Dedicates funding for the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to plan, prepare, and conduct prescribed burns on federal, state, and private lands. 

    • Requires the Forest Service and Department of Interior to increase the number of acres treated with prescribed fire.

    • Establishes a new collaborative program to implement prescribed burns on county, state, and private land at high risk of burning in a wildfire. 

    • Establishes a workforce development program at the Forest Service and DOI to develop, train, and hire prescribed fire practitioners, and establishes employment programs for Tribes, veterans, underutilized employees, and those formerly incarcerated.

    • Facilitates coordination between land managers and state, tribal, and local air quality agencies to use current laws and regulations to allow larger prescribed burns, and give states more flexibility in winter months to conduct prescribed burns that reduce catastrophic smoke events in the summer. 

    “Prescribed fire is critically important for building resilience to wildfire across America’s public lands. The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 will help increase the pace and scale of this underused tool to a level commensurate with the wildfire crisis. Outdoor Alliance commends Senator Wyden, Senator Budd, and Representative Schrier and Valadao for their work on this important legislation,” said Jamie Ervin, Senior Policy Manager of Outdoor Alliance.

    “Prescribed fire is critical for maintaining healthy forests and protecting our communities from the threat of wildfire. State Foresters applaud the bipartisan efforts of Senators Wyden and Budd to ensure this important forest management tool remains in the toolbox while eliminating several key barriers to safely and responsibly expanding its use across the nation’s forest landscapes,” said Patty Cormier, President of National Association of State Foresters.

    “Beneficial fire, including prescribed fire, has historically been an underused and under-resourced tool for promoting fire-resilient landscapes, despite being among the most cost-effective land management strategies available. The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 would enable greater prescribed fire utilization by supporting workforce development and training for prescribed fire practitioners. It would also establish clear liability standards for non-federal partners engaged in essential cross-boundary mitigation work. We commend Senator Wyden and Senator Budd for working to equip land managers with what they need to protect our communities and treasured landscapes,” said Marek Smith, North America Fire Director at The Nature Conservancy.

    “Increasing the pace and scale of forest restoration is paramount, and prescribed fire is one of the most economical techniques for large-scale forest restoration. Western Governors support the expanded use of prescribed fire and applaud Senator Wyden and Senator Budd’s bipartisan effort to promote the judicious deployment of this management tool. The Western Governors’ Association urges the Senate to consider this critically important bill,” said Jack Waldorf, Executive Director at Western Governors’ Association.

    “Prescribed and cultural burning are the most effective, yet underutilized tools to address the nation’s wildfire crisis. This bill proposes comprehensive and practical solutions to increase safe use of beneficial fire to restore forest health, protect communities, and reduce the risk of mega-fires. Congress should act to pass it immediately,” said Dylan Kruse, President of Sustainable Northwest.

    “The Stewardship Project supports the National Prescribed Fire Act as a critical step toward ecological restoration through the expanded use of beneficial fire. We appreciate that this legislation elevates the role of Indigenous practitioners in cultural burning, invests in cross-boundary collaboration, and focuses on landscape-scale restoration to address the wildfire crisis,” said Scott Stephens, Don Hankins, and Sara Clark, Co-Leads at The Stewardship Project.

    “The exclusion of fire from our fire-dependent ecosystems over the past century has degraded America’s forests and grasslands and contributed significantly to the compounding climate and catastrophic wildfire crises. The National Prescribed Fire Act proposes practical solutions to expand the use of various types of beneficial fire,” said Marissa Christiansen, Executive Director at the Climate and Wildfire Institute.

    “As the leading non-governmental research organization with over 65-years of experience using prescribed fire science to solve land management problems, Tall Timbers is excited to see the reintroduction of the National Prescribed Fire Act. We support the emphasis on workforce training and collaboration across federal and non-federal stakeholders and believe this bill would greatly enhance how prescribed fire is conducted on public and private lands throughout the country,” said J. Morgan Varner, PhD, Director of Research at Tall Timbers.

    “Senator Wyden’s National Prescribed Fire Act is a must-pass bill for the sake of our communities and forests. Prescribed fire is the safest, most effective, efficient, and economical tool for influencing future wildfire behavior. Ask any wildland firefighter and they will admit that they’d rather be lighting fires under the best of weather conditions than fighting fires under the worst conditions. Proactive prescribed burning beats reactive wildfire fighting any day!” said Timothy Ingalsbee, Executive Director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE).

    “In Oregon, The Nature Conservancy has been using prescribed fire since 1983. Prescribed fire is an essential tool to restore and steward fire-dependent ecosystems, reduce the risk to communities, and help many of Oregon’s most iconic natural landscapes become more resilient to extreme wildfires. We are grateful for Senator Wyden’s leadership on the National Prescribed Fire Act – providing a pathway to accelerate the pace and scale of prescribed fire necessary to combat the wildfire crisis in the western United States,” said Katie Sauerbrey, Oregon Fire Program Director at The Nature Conservancy. 

    The text of the bill is here. A one-page summary of the bill is here. A section-by-section of the bill is here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Statement on Pentagon Review of AUKUS

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Ranking Member of the SASC Subcommittee on Seapower, released the following statement after it was reported that the Department of Defense has launched a review of the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) submarine deal:

    “The Australia-U.K.-U.S. agreement, which I’ve been a strong supporter of, is critical to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. If this Administration is serious about countering the threat from China—like it has said as recently as this morning—then it will work expeditiously with our partners in Australia and the U.K. to strengthen this agreement and ensure we are taking steps to further boost our submarine industrial base. Anything less would play directly into China’s hand.”

    Kaine has played a key role in securing more resources for the submarine industrial base, including additional funding for the Virginia-class submarine program that is currently facing significant delays because of workforce challenges and supply chain disruptions. The on-time completion of Virginia-class submarines, which are built in Virginia and Connecticut, is critical to fulfilling the AUKUS partnership, through which the U.S. will sell at least two Virginia-class submarines to Australia to boost security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, and counter Chinese military aggression in the region. Kaine has been a strong champion of AUKUS in Congress and has helped get signed into law provisions to implement and strengthen the partnership.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine, & Vindman Slam Proposal to Move FBI National Academy from Quantico to Huntsville

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Representative Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07) slammed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Deputy Director Dan Bongino’s proposal to move the FBI National Academy from Quantico, VA to Huntsville, AL. The National Academy is a 10-week training program for local, federal, and international law enforcement officials.

    “As Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I expect Congress to be deeply skeptical of any plan to uproot the FBI’s National Academy from its longtime home at Quantico and relocate it to Huntsville. This move raises serious questions, starting with why such a relocation is even necessary, and at what cost? Quantico is co-located with other critical FBI and national security assets and before we spend taxpayer dollars on a disruptive and potentially unnecessary move, the Bureau owes Congress and the American people a clear justification for this plan,” said Warner.

    “Relocating the FBI Academy from Quantico to Huntsville makes no sense and is not an efficient use of taxpayer dollars,” said Kaine. “This is part of a larger effort by the Administration to dramatically politicize, reduce, and relocate the federal workforce. If Director Patel and Deputy Director Bongino want to move the FBI Academy, then they will have to explain to Congress and the American public why this is needed and how much it will cost.”

    “Virginia’s Seventh District is home to Quantico’s state-of-the-art facility and remains the best place for local and state law enforcement to learn from our incredible agents at the FBI,” said Vindman. “As a former prosecutor, I know that the most efficient and impactful way for law enforcement to continue keeping our communities safe is to train at the world class facilities that have already been built by taxpayers at Quantico. This move raises serious questions and Congress needs answers.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: At Hearing, Cortez Masto Calls out Trump Administration and Republican Colleagues for Pushing Ahead with Misguided Public Land Sales in Nevada Without Consultation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Senator Cortez Masto pressed Secretary Burgum for answers about the potential for Senate version of the Republican Tax Bill to include almost 2 million acres of federal land for sale

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) questioned Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing about the administration’s involvement in potential provisions in the Senate Republican’s reconciliation bill that would add back in misguided public land sales in Nevada and across the West.

    Senator Cortez Masto highlighted the bipartisan support for the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), which includes robust stakeholder engagement, and touted it as a model for effective federal land management that ensures the benefits of any land transfers return directly to the state of Nevada. Secretary Burgum himself discussed the importance of a comprehensive process like SNPLMA as a model for federal land sales earlier in the hearing.

    “You talk about the benefits [of this model], but in action you’re not doing it,” she said. “In fact, on the House side – and I’m assuming they worked with the administration –  their reconciliation package included federal land sales…that weren’t even near areas where you could actually do affordable housing.” She pointed to a map of remote land in Southern Nevada identified for sale in a failed amendment to the House reconciliation bill offered by Representative Mark Amodei (R-Nev.-02). The land is “in the middle of the desert. There’s no infrastructure. I don’t know any builder who is going to build housing in the  middle of the desert, it makes no sense.”

    “And now I’m hearing there is a proposal going to be put back into reconciliation [by the Chairman of this committee, Senator Mike Lee of Utah] to allow the federal government to sell up to 2 million acres of federal land. Is that correct,” she asked.

    Secretary Burgum confirmed that this proposal is under consideration. Despite continued follow-up questions from Senator Cortez Masto, Secretary Burgum could not name any details of this upcoming legislation, nor identify anyone in Nevada who the administration is working with to ensure land sales actually meet the needs of the local communities. He stated he was “not actively engaged” in negotiations.

    “I’m asking you because we have not seen anything,” the senator finished. “The Chairman has [the proposal], it is behind closed doors. I would assume you would be talking…because you’re going to be taking the lead as the lead agency. So if you don’t know, I’m really concerned and we should all be concerned across the west.”

    Senator Cortez Masto is a strong supporter of SNPLMA and will continue to stand up against misguided attempts to include federal land sales in the Republicans’ upcoming tax bill that will only serve to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Instead, Cortez Masto will continue to push for passage of her Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, a years-long effort that includes all necessary stakeholders and will help Clark County grow responsibly, encourage affordable housing, and protect 2 million acres for conservation.

    MIL OSI USA News –