NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grand Jury Indicts Two Individuals for Involvement with Online Groups Dedicated to Monkey Torture and Mutilation

    Source: US State of California

    A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging two individuals for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

    The indictment alleges that Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, and Robert M. Craig, of North Carolina, conspired with previously charged defendant Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, Ohio, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.” Favret is also charged with creating and with distributing animal crush videos.

    According to court documents, the defendants conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against juvenile and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.

    The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy included depictions of monkeys being sodomized with a heated screwdriver and a monkey having its genitals cut with scissors.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.

    The FBI and USFWS investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Josh Stein Awards High-Speed Internet Projects in 26 Counties, 10,076 Households & Businesses

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Josh Stein Awards High-Speed Internet Projects in 26 Counties, 10,076 Households & Businesses

    Governor Josh Stein Awards High-Speed Internet Projects in 26 Counties, 10,076 Households & Businesses
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Governor Josh Stein today announced more than $58 million in Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program projects to connect 10,076 households and businesses in 26 counties to high-speed internet.

    “Good partnerships between our counties, the state, and internet providers will connect North Carolinians,” said Governor Josh Stein. “I look forward to continuing to bring high-speed internet to every corner of the state so that people can communicate with family and friends, grow their business, or access telehealth services or educational opportunities.”

    “Bringing high-speed internet to rural North Carolina is a game changer,” said NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Teena Piccione. “Thanks to the vision of Governor Stein and our General Assembly, we’re making historic investments to close the digital divide, and more programs are on the way to connect additional communities across the state.”

    These projects will be funded by more than $41 million from the federal American Rescue Plan awarded by NCDIT and individual counties, as well as more than $17 million from the selected broadband providers:

    • Bladen: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 250 homes and businesses (35.31% of the county’s remaining 458 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Cabarrus County: Spectrum Southeast, LLC and Windstream North Carolina, LLC These awards will provide high-speed internet access to 1,314 homes and businesses (62.04% of the county’s 2,118 eligible locations).
    • Chatham County: Spectrum Southeast, LLC and Windstream North Carolina, LLC These awards will provide high-speed internet access to 1,037 homes and businesses (26.89% of the county’s remaining 2,850 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Chowan County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 5 homes and businesses (41% of the county’s remaining 12 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Columbus County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 400 homes and businesses (64.62% of the county’s remaining 619 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Granville County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 26 homes and businesses (12.09% of the county’s remaining 215 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Guilford County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 164 homes and businesses (9.65% of the county’s remaining 1,698 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Halifax County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 22 homes and businesses (11.95% of the county’s remaining 184 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Harnett County: Windstream North Carolina, LLC This award will provide high-speed internet access to 351 homes and businesses (14.09% of the county’s remaining 2,491 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Henderson County: ERC Broadband, LLC This award will provide high-speed internet access to 521 homes and businesses (11.04% of the county’s 4,718 eligible locations).
    • Hoke County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 407 homes and businesses (56.92% of the county’s remaining 715 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Iredell County: Spectrum Southeast, LLC This award will provide high-speed internet access to 80 homes and businesses (4.94% of the county’s remaining 1,618 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Johnston County: Spectrum Southeast, LLC This award will provide high-speed internet access to 203 homes and businesses (4.48% of the county’s remaining 4,531 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Martin County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 386 homes and businesses (99.48% of the county’s remaining 388 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Moore County: Windstream North Carolina, LLC This award will provide high-speed internet access to 481 homes and businesses (18.98% of the county’s remaining 2,533 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Northampton County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 70 homes and businesses (67.30% of the county’s remaining 104 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Person County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) These awards will provide high-speed internet access to 1,014 homes and businesses (52.02% of the county’s remaining 1,949 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Randolph County: Randolph Telephone Membership Corporation (Randolph Communications), Spectrum Southeast, LLC and Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) These awards will provide high-speed internet access to 1,403 homes and businesses (60.14% of the county’s 2,333 eligible locations).
    • Richmond County: Spectrum Southeast, LLC This award will provide high-speed internet access to 110 homes and businesses (14.08% of the county’s 781 eligible locations).
    • Robeson County: Spectrum Southeast, LLC and LREMC Technologies, LLC (Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation) These awards will provide high-speed internet access to 550 homes and businesses (19.87% of the county’s 2,767 eligible locations).
    • Rockingham County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 435 homes and businesses (33.53% of the county’s remaining 1,297 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Rowan County: Yadkin Valley Telephone Membership Corporation (Zirrus) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 261 homes and businesses (12.45% of the county’s remaining 2,096 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Scotland County: LREMC Technologies, LLC (Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 96 homes and businesses (17.84% of the county’s remaining 538 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Stokes County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 82 homes and businesses (9.95% of the county’s remaining 824 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Surry County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 389 homes and businesses (72.43% of the county’s remaining 537 eligible locations after previous awards).
    • Yadkin County: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) This award will provide high-speed internet access to 19 homes and businesses (70.37% of the county’s remaining 27 eligible locations after previous awards).

    The CAB program’s procurement process creates a partnership between counties and NCDIT to identify areas that need access, solicit proposals from prequalified internet service providers, and quickly make awards. Awardees must agree to provide high-speed service that reliably meets or exceeds speeds of 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload.

    Governor Stein is committed to providing digital access and opportunity to all North Carolinians. Today’s awards add to the nearly $630 million in Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants and previous CAB projects that will connect nearly 245,000 North Carolina households and businesses to high-speed internet.

    For more information about the NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity, visit ncbroadband.gov.   

    Jun 11, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Statement On Arrest of SEIU California President David Huerta

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement following the arrest of SEIU California President David Huerta at a protest in Los Angeles.
    “The arrest of SEIU California President David Huerta in Los Angeles is yet another disturbing example of the Trump administration’s retaliation towards innocent Americans exercising their right to free speech. President Huerta has dedicated his life to advocating for American workers, from nurses to public service employees, who are the backbone of our nation. While I am pleased to know that President Huerta was released, I am nonetheless distraught and deeply concerned about the precedent this administration is setting.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Ernst Legislation to Stop Billions in Bogus Payments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is codifying one of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) largest cost savings actions to identify and stop fraudulent and improper payments after more than $160 billion occurred in Fiscal Year 2024.
    The Delivering On Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Spending Act enacts a strict anti-fraud process before the government is allowed to spend a dime to effectively eliminate improper payments and safeguard tax dollars. The bill also requires annual verifications of payment accuracy for ongoing transactions and increases transparency by requiring the public disclosure of every payment on the USASpending.gov website.
    Here is some of the coverage:
    New York Post | GOP senators push to cement core Musk-inspired DOGE savings at Treasury
    “A group of Republican lawmakers is pushing to cement some of the core reforms enacted at the Treasury by President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).”
    Fox News | DOGE will go on: Hill pork hawk says rooting out government waste will continue after Elon
    “The bill’s name also signaled that the Senate, too, would continue its Musk-inspired work long after the mogul has left.”
    Politico | GOP senators look to codify DOGE operations of Treasury payment systems
    “Congressional DOGE Caucus Chairs Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Fla.) will introduce legislation next week to codify changes that the cost-cutting operation once led by Elon Musk made to the Treasury Department’s payments system.”
    Breitbart | Sen. Joni Ernst: Bureaucrats ‘Asleep at the Wheel,’ Let Fraudsters Take $79 Billion in Coronavirus Aid Without Using Basic Safeguard to Prevent Fraud
    “Following the release of the report, Ernst introduced a bill, the DOGE in Spending Act, on Friday that would require basic questions to be asked to eliminate improper payments government-wide.”
    Daily Wire | DOGE Caucus Introduces Bill Aimed At $162 Billion In ‘Improper Payments’
    “The bill comes the same week that the government’s COVID watchdog released a report titled “Pre-Award Vetting Using Data Analytics Could Have Prevented Over $79 Billion in Potentially Fraudulent Pandemic Relief Payments.’”
    Daily Caller | Joni Ernst Introduces First Major DOGE Bill That Could Save Taxpayers
    “The legislation, the Delivering On Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Spending Act, would mandate compliance provisions from a March 25 executive order by President Donald Trump that instituted new procedures to prevent fraudulent payments, including validating recipients of payments and also by coding the payments with information linking them to budget items.”
    Washington Examiner | Congressional DOGE Republicans move to codify protections against fraudulent payments
    “Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) introduced the Delivering On Government Efficiency in Spending Act, which would codify reforms by the DOGE, forcing the Treasury Department to implement a new system providing more information for payments.”
    Townhall | Ernst and Bean Unleash DOGE Spending Act to Crack Down on Waste, Support Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill
    “DOGE Caucus Chairs Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) are teaming up to introduce a commonsense bill that would codify one of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) most significant cost-cutting measures.”
    National Review | Republican Lawmakers Introduce DOGE Legislation to Combat Billions in Wasteful Spending
    “Ernst and Bean’s legislation codifies sections three and four of President Trump’s executive order, “Protecting America’s Bank Account Against Waste, Fraud, and Abuse,” designed for Treasury to verify agency payment information and implement the verification process.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Severe Weather Season, King and Colleagues Call on White House to Nominate an Experienced FEMA Administrator

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — With Maine facing a severe weather season, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) joined his colleagues calling on the White House to nominate an experienced Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator. In a letter to President Donald Trump, King and his colleagues expressed serious concern about the ongoing absence of a Senate-confirmed FEMA Administrator and steps his administration has taken to weaken and destabilize the agency, including the abrupt termination last month of Cameron Hamilton, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA Administrator.  
    To date, President Trump has failed to nominate an Administrator or appoint someone who satisfies the qualifications specified for the role. David Richardson — Mr. Hamilton’s replacement as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA Administrator — told agency staff last week that he did not know the United States has a hurricane season.
    “In recent months, your administration has reduced FEMA staff by roughly 30%, rescinded grant funding local communities rely on to recover from disasters and significantly scaled back emergency management training for state officials,” wrote the Senators. “Taken together, these actions have impeded ongoing recovery efforts and undermined the national response to future natural disasters.” 
    “We agree that FEMA can do better and needs reform. But dismantling the agency and weakening its leadership will only leave states and localities stranded when disaster strikes. To preserve the long-term integrity of FEMA and ensure our nation’s preparedness for future disasters, we urge you to nominate a qualified Administrator that will restore confidence in the agency as soon as possible,” the Senators concluded. 
    In addition to Senator King, the letter was cosigned by Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH). 
    The full text of the letter can be found here and below. 
    +++
    Dear President Trump,
    As peak disaster season approaches, we write with serious concern about the ongoing absence of a Senate-confirmed FEMA Administrator and steps your administration has taken to weaken and destabilize the agency.
    To date, you have failed to nominate an Administrator or, in the absence of such an official, appoint someone who satisfies the qualifications specified for that role in statute. The abrupt termination of Cameron Hamilton as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA Administrator last month injected further instability into an agency already struggling to navigate mass reductions in force.
    Mr. Hamilton’s termination came just one day after his appearance in front of the House Appropriations Committee, at which he testified, “I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”
    We share Mr. Hamilton’s concerns. In recent months, your administration has reduced FEMA staff by roughly 30 percent, rescinded grant funding local communities rely on to recover from disasters, and significantly scaled back emergency management training for state officials. Taken together, these actions have impeded ongoing recovery efforts and undermined the national response to future natural disasters.
    Mr. Hamilton’s departure leaves a vacuum of leadership at FEMA. David Richardson — Mr. Hamilton’s replacement as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA Administrator— told agency staff last week that he did not know the United States has a hurricane season. Mr. Richardson will head the federal response to any hurricanes that hit our shores this season.
    We agree that FEMA can do better and needs reform. But dismantling the agency and weakening its leadership will only leave states and localities stranded when disaster strikes.
    To preserve the long-term integrity of FEMA and ensure our nation’s preparedness for future disasters, we urge you to nominate a qualified Administrator that will restore confidence in the agency as soon as possible.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Colleagues Call Out Trump Admin Attacks on USGS, American Science

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    $564 million in proposed budget cuts to USGS will undermine science that helps fight avian flu, monitor droughts, track wildfires
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet joined 17 of their Senate colleagues to call out the Trump administration’s assault on the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the agency’s key science programs. In their letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the senators warned that the President’s proposal to cut $564 million in USGS funding – along with plans to lay off hundreds of scientists and potentially close research centers nationwide – would jeopardize public safety and undermine crucial scientific research.
    “The proposed budget cuts are not about ‘efficiency’ – they represent a retreat from federal responsibility and a dismantling of the scientific infrastructure that communities, industries, and governments depend on every day,” wrote the senators. “These proposed budget cuts could mean abandoning research and monitoring that helps farmers guard against wildlife diseases like avian flu, delaying when real-time water and hazard data is provided for disaster response, and ending collaborations that monitor invasive species, harmful algal blooms and wildfire risks.”
    The USGS is a key science agency that monitors and analyzes the nation’s resources, including water, natural hazards, and energy. USGS’s scientific expertise and robust data collection efforts support protecting the public, safeguarding our environment, and strengthening our economy.
    The President’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposes a $564 million cut to USGS’s budget.
    Hickenlooper and Bennet previously raised alarm about initial reports that the Trump admin planned to terminate 17 leases for federal facilities in Colorado that support state wildlife efforts.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Dear Secretary Burgum,
    We write to express concern over recent and proposed actions by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and broader administrative decisions that together threaten the integrity and continuity of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Specifically, the potential termination of General Services Administration (GSA) leases supporting USGS centers across the country— alongside USGS’s proposed FY2026 budget cut of $564 million and the reported planned terminations of hundreds of scientists—represents a multi-front assault on the nation’s scientific infrastructure.
    The USGS is a premier science agency with a critical role in monitoring and analyzing the nation’s resources, including water, ecosystems, natural hazards, minerals, and energy. Its scientific expertise and robust data collection efforts support public safety, environmental stewardship, and national economic resilience. USGS’s work underpins the ability of federal, state, and local governments, Tribal nations, industry, and communities to make informed decisions—particularly in areas such as disaster preparedness, climate adaptation, water resource management, and ecosystem protection.
    The proposed budget cuts are not about “efficiency”— they represent a retreat from federal responsibility and a dismantling of the scientific infrastructure that communities, industries, and governments depend on every day. USGS supports work that directly protects public health, strengthens our economy, and informs disaster preparedness and response. These proposed budget cuts could mean abandoning research and monitoring that helps farmers guard against wildlife diseases like avian flu, delaying when real-time water and hazard data is provided for disaster response, and ending collaborations that monitor invasive species, harmful algal blooms and wildfire risks. While these impacts are not yet certain, they represent serious risks for communities, Tribes, state and local governments, and natural resource managers who depend on USGS science to make informed, often life-saving decisions. As demonstrated throughout its nearly 150 years of existence, USGS science is not optional; it is essential.
    The potential termination of USGS leases, many of which house Water Science Centers, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, and Ecosystems Research Centers, threatens regional scientific capacity at a time when local expertise and place-based science are most needed. These facilities provide critical support to states, local communities, and Tribal Nations as they confront unprecedented drought, wildfires, habitat loss, and other climate-related disruptions. Reliable Page 2 scientific information is essential to both our national economy and the safety of communities across the country.
    While DOGE’s actions are framed as efficiency measures, the potential impact of terminating these leases – without transparent criteria or coordination – as well as slashing $564 million from the budget and crippling of the scientific workforce raises serious questions about continuity of operations. If implemented, these changes to USGS would directly impair the federal government’s ability to assess and respond to threats in real time.
    Given this uncertainty and the far-reaching implications of these actions, we request immediate clarity on the following by June 19, 2025:
    1. What is the current status of all USGS leases and what facilities are at risk of lease termination?
    2. What criteria were used to select these leases for potential termination, and how was USGS consulted in this process?
    3. What plans are in place to ensure uninterrupted mission support—particularly for key activities under the Water Resources, Natural Hazards, and Ecosystems Mission Areas— if these facilities are closed?
    4. Where will affected employees be relocated, and how will critical field and lab operations be maintained in the interim?
    5. How will USGS ensure that existing commitments to state and local governments, tribal partners, and other stakeholders are honored, particularly for time-sensitive water data and hazard alerts?
    6. What USGS staff positions are on the list for termination (please include title and location)? When will the terminations be implemented?
    7. Do any of the USGS employees on the list for termination have salaries funded by reimbursable contracts with external partners? If so, how many such employees are affected, and what is the amount of federal savings that would be generated from their termination?
    8. Given the planned reduction in force, how will existing staff fill the gaps in order to fulfill the USGS mission?
    9. What programs will be eliminated by the $564 million proposed budget cut?
    The scientific integrity, public safety responsibilities, and operational continuity of the USGS must not be compromised by administrative actions taken without proper oversight or consultation. We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your prompt response.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castor, Evans, Baldwin and Shaheen Intro Bill to Reverse Trump’s Cuts to Key ACA Program That Helps More Americans Sign Up for Health Insurance

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    As President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans work to gut the Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (FL-14) and Dwight Evans (PA-03) and U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Jeanne Shaheen (NH) introduced legislation today in the House and Senate to restore a key initiative of the health care law that helps American families navigate the ACA marketplace and connect them with high quality, affordable health care plans. The Expand Navigators’ Resources for Outreach, Learning and Longevity (ENROLL) Act would ensure the Navigator program, established under the ACA to help Americans navigate, shop and enroll in affordable health care plans, will continue despite the Trump Administration cutting funding by 90 percent in February. 

    “Florida families value and appreciate affordable health coverage.  In fact, over 4.7 million Floridians selected an affordable marketplace plan for 2025—almost one-fifth of the nation’s 24.2 million enrollees. Robust outreach and assistance by Navigators is vital to families so they can evaluate options and choose a health plan that is right for them.  Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has slashed Navigator support and complicated the lives of families who need advice on lifesaving health coverage,” said Representative Castor. “President Trump and Congressional Republicans appear dead set on making Affordable Care Act coverage more expensive, driving up premiums and putting hardworking families at risk. I am proud to work with Senators Baldwin and Shaheen and Representative Evans to protect American’s health, well-being and pocketbooks by ensuring Navigators stay on the job.”

    “The Affordable Care Act Navigators program provides free, objective, expert advice and information to Americans in red, purple and blue states alike to help them find affordable health coverage that meets their needs. A similar cut to the program in President Trump’s first term resulted in more people being uninsured, and letting his new cut stand is likely to raise costs for working-class Americans at a time when the cost of living is already high,” said Representative Evans. “One of the ways the Navigators program has helped American families is by helping hundreds of thousands of eligible consumers in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. President Trump recently promised not to touch Medicaid, and keeping people who qualify for Medicaid from getting covered breaks that promise, as far as I’m concerned.”

    “We have seen this movie before: when he doesn’t get his way to fully repeal it, Donald Trump tries every which way to chip away at the Affordable Care Act and kick Wisconsin families off their health care, and sadly, it works. At a time when Wisconsinites are worried their care is on the chopping block under Republicans’ plan to give tax breaks to the wealthy, the Trump Administration is also gutting a key program that helps our neighbors find health care coverage that they can afford,” said Senator Baldwin. “Wisconsin’s Navigator has connected thousands of families with good health care coverage, ensuring more Wisconsinites can access the care and treatment they need to stay healthy. We should be investing in bringing the cost of care down for Wisconsinites, not jacking up costs and eliminating proven resources that connect more families with affordable insurance.” 

    “We’ve seen this before: When the first Trump administration slashed funding for the Navigator program, ACA health care enrollment shrank by more than 2.5 million – and when that funding was restored, enrollment rose and reached historic levels. Despite the hard facts that it helps everyday Americans access critical health care, the administration is gutting the Navigator program again and leaving Granite Staters in rural and underserved areas behind,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our ENROLL Act is urgently needed to restore this funding so Granite Staters—and all Americans—have access to the help they need to make informed decisions about their health insurance coverage.”

    In 2017 and 2018, the first Trump Administration cut funding for the Navigator program by 84 percent, contributing to 2.5 million fewer people accessing healthcare through the ACA Marketplace over the course of the first Trump Administration. Navigator funding was restored in 2021, and enrollment reached historic levels for the 2025 plan year. In February 2025, the Trump Administration slashed nearly 90 percent of funding for the Navigator program, threatening to leave millions of Americans without critical assistance to access health insurance at a time of increased uncertainty due to Congressional Republicans’ sabotage of the ACA. 

    The ENROLL Act would:

    • Ensure that Navigators have the resources they need to assist Americans in finding affordable health care coverage by restoring funding for the program to $100 million annually;
    • Promote public education and assistance that helps consumers, including those who may need extra help signing up, find coverage rather than prioritizing application numbers;
    • Clarify that Navigator responsibilities include enrolling consumers in lifesaving Medicaid and CHIP coverage;
    • Provide Americans with information on comprehensive health insurance that protects individuals with pre-existing conditions.

    The ENROLL Act is supported by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Federation of Teachers American Heart Association, American Public Health Association, Community Catalyst, Epilepsy Foundation MomsRising, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Bleeding Disorders Foundation, National Health Council, National Immigration Law Center, National Kidney Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Psoriasis Foundation and Young Invincibles.

    “Marketplace Navigators are a crucial resource for the more than 24 million people who access their health coverage through the ACA Marketplace and anyone who has questions about their coverage options. Appropriately funding health care Navigators is essential for making sure consumers—especially those with complex medical conditions like cancer—can get access to the most appropriate health insurance coverage that will meet their needs. We commend Senator Baldwin, Senator Shaheen, and Representative Castor for acting to reverse the significant and damaging funding cuts that were enacted earlier this year and urge the Senate and House to pass this legislation quickly,” said Lisa Lacasse, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

    “At a time when health care is under relentless attack, advancing the ENROLL Act is a clear signal that there are leaders in Congress committed to putting people over profit. The current administration has gutted funding for Navigators, trusted community members who guide people through the daunting, complex process of enrolling in coverage. Restoring that funding is essential to ensuring everyone, especially those facing the greatest barriers, can enroll in the most affordable, comprehensive options for their families. We thank Senator Baldwin and Representative Castor for their leadership and for standing with communities who depend on this trusted, unbiased help,” said Mona Shah, Senior Director of Policy and Strategy, Community Catalyst.

    A one-pager on this legislation is available here. Full bill text of this legislation is available

    here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bipartisan Casten Pilot Mental Health Bill Passes House Transportation Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

    June 11, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — Today, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure voted to approve the Mental Health in Aviation Act, bipartisan legislation introduced and championed by U.S. Congressmen Sean Casten (IL-06) and Pete Stauber (MN-08).

    “Current Federal Aviation Administration regulations perpetuate a culture of silence and unfairly penalize aviators who seek mental health care,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “My bipartisan bill with Rep. Pete Stauber bolsters access to mental health care for pilots and air traffic controllers and requires the FAA to eliminate significant barriers to care. These commonsense changes will help aviators get help if and when they need it. I’m proud to see this legislation advance through the committee.”

    “If we don’t change how we handle mental health in aviation, we will exacerbate a culture of silence,” said Rep. Pete Stauber. “We want our pilots and our air traffic controllers to be at the top of their game, and taking care of their mental health is critical to achieving that goal. I am grateful that the Mental Health in Aviation Act passed out of Committee, and I look forward to championing the bill through to the finish line. When we reduce barriers to mental health care, we keep our skies safe for the flying public.”

    Currently, pilots and air traffic controllers who seek mental health care are unfairly penalized by a system that perpetuates a culture of silence. While aviation professionals are mandated to report if they seek mental health care, once they take that step, they are faced with delays, confusion, and overbroad regulation in the process of returning to work. This often means that relatively minor mental health concerns result in long wait times and derailed careers for safe and well-trained pilots and air traffic controllers.

    In December 2023, the FAA recognized the need to reform its current policies and established the ARC to identify barriers to mental health care for aviators and present recommendations to the FAA to address these challenges. The ARC coalesced around a list of 24 recommendations to eliminate some of the main barriers to care.

    The Mental Health in Aviation Act requires the FAA to take the following steps:

    Regulations for Individuals Carrying Out Aviation Activities

    • To the extent practicable and in consultation with stakeholders, implement the recommendations of the ARC within two years. Provide explanation to Congress if the FAA chooses not to implement any recommendation.
    • Report to Congress on its plans to implement recommendations to improve pilot mental health care from the National Transportation Safety Board, and a description of relevant clinical studies, manuals, and other protocols.

    Annual Review of Mental Health Special Issuance Process

    • Annually review and update process related to mental health-related special issuance for pilots and air traffic controllers to: reclassify and approve the use of additional medications, improve mental health knowledge and training to Aviation Medical Examiners, as appropriate defer additional authority to Aviation Medical Examiners, and improve the special issuance process; and report to congress. 

    Authorization of Appropriation for Additional Medical Examiners

    • Authorizes $13.74 M for each of the next three years to recruit and train additional Aviation Medical Examiners and fund and expand capacity in the Flight Surgeon’s Office.

    Public Information Campaign

    • Authorizes $1.5M for each of the next three years to destigmatize mental health care among aviators, and make pilots and air traffic controllers aware of available services to help.
    • Report to Congress.

    Text of the Mental Health in Aviation Act can be found here.

    Rep. Casten began working on the issue following two different local families approaching him with stories of losing adult children in flight school to suicide. In one particular case, the student pilot lamented how seeking mental health care could ruin his dreams of becoming a pilot.

    The legislation is endorsed by the Pilot Mental Health Campaign,  Air Line Pilots Association, Airlines for America, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, National Flight Training Alliance, the National Business Aviation Association, and NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP).

    If you or someone you know is struggling, there are resources to help you. Call or text 988 to connect with a trained professional and receive support 24/7.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castro, Casar Statement on Abbott Deploying National Guard to San Antonio

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

    June 11, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35) released the following statement in response to Governor Greg Abbott deploying the national guard in San Antonio ahead of protests against Trump’s authoritarian agenda:  

    “San Antonio takes great pride in its history of peaceful demonstrations in support of civil rights, social justice, and economic equality.  

    “By deploying the National Guard, Governor Abbott is trying to intimidate our community for rallying against President Trump’s authoritarian policies. And if he were serious about working with our local authorities, he would have alerted them before making this inflammatory decision. Our community will not be intimidated, and we encourage everyone to gather peacefully against President Trump’s unlawful, undemocratic actions: ignoring court orders, weaponizing federal agencies against his perceived enemies, and tearing apart immigrant families.  

    “We are grateful that Mayor Nirenberg and Chief McManus are directing local law enforcement to protect the First Amendment rights and safety of everyone. By needlessly deploying the National Guard, Governor Abbott is escalating tensions rather than promoting safety and calm. Abbott’s reckless actions will make protesters and officers alike less safe.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Problem Form: Statement on Further Extension of Compliance Date for Form PF

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Natasha [Greiner] and Oliver [Richard]. I support extending the compliance date for the February 8, 2024 amendments to Form PF[1] to October 1, 2025.[2] Extending the compliance date until then will give filers and their third-party service providers additional time to develop and test their reporting systems. As the request letter noted, “private fund advisers subject to the rule [need] additional time to build and test the new reporting systems and work through any outstanding reporting and interpretive questions with the goal of providing uniform data to the Commissions.”[3] The new form is not ready for prime time. The extension reflects a commitment to good governance and common-sense implementation.

    Although I support an extension, my concerns about Form PF and its recent expansions persist. We should reassess whether the information the form collects aligns with the intended purpose of the form. As I noted in my dissent to the adoption of the amendments we are extending, “unbridled curiosity rather than . . . a legitimate regulatory objective”[4] shapes the demands of Form PF. Overly extensive reporting requirements not only are unduly costly and invasive, but erroneously suggest that the government’s role with respect to private funds is akin to its role supervising banks, which have a government backstop. I support the Chairman’s directive to review Form PF to determine whether it serves its intended systemic risk mitigation purpose.

    I want to thank the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and SEC staff in the Divisions of Investment Management and Economic and Risk Analysis and Office of General Counsel for their quick work in drafting the extension release. Let me close with a word of thanks to Natasha Greiner, who has served the Commission so well for almost a quarter of a century, culminating with her role as Director of the Division of Investment Management.[5] Thank you, Natasha, and we wish you the best as you leave the agency. Your willingness to pitch in and help wherever you could will continue to serve as a model for the rest of us. You will be missed.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AFSCME’s Saunders demands the immediate release of labor leader David Huerta

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    WASHINGTON — AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement demanding the immediate release of labor leader David Huerta:

    “AFSCME demands the immediate release of David Huerta, vice president of the California Federation of Labor, and president of SEIU California and SEIU-USWW.

    “Americans have a constitutional right to free speech. That right was violated when ICE agents violently arrested and injured Huerta as he peacefully observed immigration enforcement activity in his community.

    “Huerta was exercising his legal right to speak out and bear witness. In response, ICE used force, caused harm, and continues to hold him in unjust detention.

    “This is yet another example of the reckless and dangerous way deportations are being carried out, targeting hard-working community members. They are now trying to silence union leaders who dare to speak up.

    “AFSCME stands in unwavering solidarity with our union brother David Huerta. We demand his immediate release, and we will not be silent until justice is done.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grand Jury Indicts Two Individuals for Involvement with Online Groups Dedicated to Monkey Torture and Mutilation

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging two individuals for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

    The indictment alleges that Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, and Robert M. Craig, of North Carolina, conspired with previously charged defendant Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, Ohio, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.” Favret is also charged with creating and with distributing animal crush videos.

    According to court documents, the defendants conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against juvenile and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.

    The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy included depictions of monkeys being sodomized with a heated screwdriver and a monkey having its genitals cut with scissors.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.

    The FBI and USFWS investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Case Opposed Proposed Funding Bill That Shortchanges Critical Military Infrastructure Needs In Hawaii, The Indo-Pacific and NATO

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, early this morning voted against the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations funding measure.

    The measure (MILCON-VA) would fund worldwide military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and various small agencies and programs supporting our nation’s some 19 million veterans, including some 112,000 throughout Hawai‘i, and their families.

    The bill is the first of twelve separate bills developed by the Appropriations Committee that would fund the federal government at some $1.6 trillion for FY 2026 commencing October 1st of this year.

    “While the measure does have positive provisions including funding for essential veterans programs, I regrettably had to vote against it because it kicks critical military infrastructure projects down the road yet again, pursues the Project 2025 goal of privatizing VA medical care, shortchanges dedicated funding for Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) cleanup, eliminates climate resiliency efforts and excludes important VA infrastructure funding,” said Case, who is in his seventh year on Appropriations and previously served on the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs for four years. He currently serves on its Subcommittees on Defense and Homeland Security. 

    Case spoke to his Appropriations Committee colleagues on the serious deficiencies in the bill that fail to address critical military infrastructure needs throughout the Indo-Pacific (speech here). He stated that only one milcon project is located in the Indo-Pacific despite critical needs in meeting the challenge of the People’s Republic of China. The bill also fails to provide funding for infrastructure in Europe to support U.S. servicemembers working to bolster NATO and deter Russia.

    Case further said that the funding measure specifically advances the privatization of veterans health care by proposing vastly larger increases for medical care provided in private sector compared to shorfunding the government’s VA healthcare system, a key goal of the Project 2025 plan being followed by the Trump administration. By vast margins, veterans oppose privatizing the VA and want to receive their medical care at VA clinics and hospitals with a direct mission to care for veterans and their families as opposed to the private sector.

    Despite these and other significant problems with the bill, Case highlighted positive provisions he requested, including fully funding the budget request for veterans’ medical care at $131.4 billion and for veterans’ toxic exposures-related needs under the PACT Act.

    It also includes $1.3 billion for specific care for women veterans, and supports the Office of Women’s Health, including its childcare initiative. These funds will allow the VA to continue hiring women primary care providers and to increase the number of peer support specialists for women veterans. These efforts have become even more critical as the number of female veterans using VA health care services has increased.  

    “Women veterans often require specialized care due to unique health needs stemming from their military service and gender,” said Case. “With sustained support from my Committee over multiple years, Congress is working to ensure the VA set the standard for women veterans care, ensuring consistent, high-quality services across all facilities.” 

    The measure also continues support as Case requested for the VA Center for Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and United States-affiliated Pacific Islander (NHPIUSAPI) Veterans. The center’s doctors and scientists coordinate research from all over the Pacific Islands and the United States to specifically address veterans’ healthcare in the Hawaiian Islands and throughout the Pacific. The center works with the University of Hawai‘i, and the bill encourages the VA to continue partnering with universities in the Pacific region focusing on issues unique to the NHPIUSAPI community. 

    Further details follow: 

    Veterans-Related Programs 

    The bill provides $133.7 billion in discretionary spending for veterans-related programs, an increase of $4.7 billion above the FY 2025 enacted level 

    “Our Hawai‘i veterans and their families make up one of the largest percentages of any state in our nation including in such key areas like women and minority veterans. I continued to focus especially on the often unique challenges of delivering full veterans’ health and other benefits in a diverse island state,” said Case.

    Specific veterans-related programs and provisions requested and secured by Case include:

    ·        $12 million for the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program, which is $6 million above the FY 2025 level. 

    ·        Contracting preferences for Native Hawaiian owned business that work with the VA. 

    ·        Directing the VA to continue supporting the VA Center for NHPIUSAPI Veterans.

    ·         $1.5 million for a pilot project using the most advanced technology to identify the remains of unidentified fallen servicemembers buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.  

    ·        Directing the VA to develop a plan for more fully providing VA benefits for veterans living in the Freely Associated States. 

    ·         $106 million for the American Battle Monument Commission, which manages the Honolulu Memorial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. 

    ·        $60 million for the VA Grants for the Construction of Veterans Cemeteries Program, which regularly provides fundings to support Hawaii’s state cemeteries. 

    ·        $233 million for substance-use disorder (SUD) efforts to ensure veterans can receive timely SUD specialty services. 

    ·        $3.4 billion for the Veterans’ Homelessness Program Resources Account for our nation’s veterans. This funding will enhance homeless veterans service providers ability to provide high demand care such as health services, substance use disorder programs, compensated work therapy and other supportive services.   

    ·        $342 million for Rural Health Initiatives, $5 million above FY 2025 level. This will improve access and quality of care for the more than 3 million enrolled veterans residing in highly rural areas.  

    Military Construction 

    The bill provides $453.6 billion for Department of Defense (DoD) military construction and family housing, $480 million above the FY 2025 enacted level.  

    Specific military construction programs and provisions requested and secured by Case critical to Hawai‘i include:  

    ·          $634 million for the Energy Resiliency and Conservation Investment Program, which funds projects that save energy and water, reduce DoD energy costs and improve energy resilience. 

    ·         Directing the DoD to identify the Army’s investment needs in order to support the wildland firefighters located on Schofield Barracks.   

    ·         Directing the DoD to provide a report on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam infrastructure development plan, to address ongoing concerns of the aging water and wastewater facilities on the installation. 

    ·          Directing the DoD to assess the aging infrastructure that houses the headquarters of the Marine Corps, Space Force and Special Operations Commands on O‘ahu. 

    ·         Directing the DoD to assess the requirement for a floating drydock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.

    ·         Directing the DoD to assess the capacity for battle damage repair of all public shipyards and how to prepare these shipyards for conflict requirements under the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP). SIOP is a multi-billion multi-year effort to upgrade the Navy’s four public shipyards, including Pearl Harbor. 

    ·         Directing the DoD to assess the infrastructure needs and shortfalls for 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment on Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i.  

    ·         Directing the DoD to study the impacts of unexploded ordnance on military construction sites in Guam. 

    ·         Directing the DoD to study the necessary steps and what actions would be required to begin construction on port improvements on Tinian Island. 

    ·         Directing the DoD to study the necessity and feasibility of establishing a biosecurity inspection facility to combat invasive species on the Northern Mariana Islands. 

    ·         Directing the DoD to study the impact and develop a plan to address growing solid waste management issues on Tinian Island.  

    The bill now moves to the full House of Representatives for its consideration.  

    A summary of the VA-MilCon funding bill is available here. The committee report explaining the full bill in detail is available here. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Larsen Releases Statement on the Protests in Los Angeles

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

    Larsen Releases Statement on the Protests in Los Angeles

    Washington, D.C., June 11, 2025

    Today, Representative Rick Larsen released the following statement:

    “I condemn any violence in Los Angeles and interference with law enforcement activities that seems to involve only a limited number of demonstrators.

    “Americans have the First Amendment right to peacefully assemble and protest, and I support peaceful protestors. Individuals that broke the law during the protests in Los Angeles must be held accountable through the legal system.

    “I support state and local leadership and law enforcement who are working to manage demonstration activity and de-escalate tensions.

    “I join my California colleagues who are demanding that the President and Secretary of Defense rescind the unlawful deployment of troops and return control to local authorities. The President and Secretary of Defense have a responsibility not to escalate tensions, and reports that the White House is enjoying stoking chaos shows how dishonest their actions are.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard, Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, British Virgin Islands Royal Marine Police assist mariner aboard demasted sailing vessel

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    06/11/2025 02:15 PM EDT

    US Coast Guard, British Virgin Islands Royal Marine Police, and Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard air and surface units rescued a sole mariner aboard demasted sailing vessel in Eastern Caribbean waters northeast of Anegada, British Virgin Islands, Tuesday. Rescued was French citizen Frank Rouvray, 58, who reportedly was on a voyage to the island of Saint Martin when the vessel became demasted, and the distress signal was transmitted to the Coast Guard.

    For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Waters Introduce CLASS Act To Give Students Cheated By For-Profit Colleges Their Day In Court

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    June 11, 2025
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) today reintroduced bicameral legislation designed to strengthen students’ ability to hold for-profit colleges accountable in court for their misconduct.  The Court Legal Access and Student Support (CLASS) Act would enhance accountability for for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving Title IV federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or otherwise restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court.
      
    “For decades, for-profit colleges have used the fine print in student enrollment agreements to force students to give up their rights to go to court over the predatory behavior of these institutions,” said Durbin.  “Students should have the right to hold for-profit colleges responsible for defrauding them in court.  I’m reintroducing the CLASS Act with Congresswoman Waters to end the for-profit college industry’s ability to use this shady practice to evade accountability.”
    “I am proud to reintroduce the CLASS Act with Senator Durbin to hold predatory for-profit colleges accountable when they defraud students,” said Waters, the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee.  “The for-profit college industry is rife with bad actors that lure potential students into expensive academic programs, while knowingly and fraudulently misrepresenting the quality of the programs.  These unscrupulous schools then use mandatory arbitration clauses to prevent students from taking them to court, thereby shielding themselves from being held responsible for wrongdoing.  Our legislation will ensure that defrauded students retain the right to sue predatory schools and have their day in court.”
    Specifically, the CLASS Act would enhance the accountability of for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by:
    Prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court;
    Ensuring that the Federal Arbitration Act, which governs the enforcement of arbitration proceedings, would not apply to student enrollment agreements;
    Taking effect one year after enactment to allow schools to make any necessary changes; and
    Exempting legitimate non-profit colleges and universities because these institutions do not include mandatory arbitration clauses in their enrollment agreements.  The CLASS Act thus squarely focuses on schools that might seek to profit off of students while hiding from accountability in a court of law.
    Along with Durbin, the CLASS Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). 
    The bill has earned the endorsement of Consumer Action; The Institute for College Access and Success; National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients); National Association forCollege Admission Counseling; Veterans Education Success; National Association of Consumer Advocates; American Association for Justice; Center for Justice and Democracy; Woodstock Institute; Public Justice; Earthjustice; Public Citizen; The National Employment Lawyers Association; Americans for Financial Reform; National Consumers League; Consumer Federation of America; Young Invincibles; and Center for Responsible Lending.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On The Privacy & National Security Implications Of The 23andMe Bankruptcy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    June 11, 2025
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “23 and You: The Privacy and National Security Implications of the 23andMe Bankruptcy.” Today’s hearing will examine the bankruptcy of 23andMe, Inc., and the potential sale of the company’s database of customers’ personal genetic information. The hearing also will provide an opportunity to examine policy and ethical issues associated with the collection and use of personal genetic information, the need for a comprehensive federal data privacy law in the United States, and the treatment of consumer data privacy in the bankruptcy process.
    Key Quotes:
    “In short, 23andMe has access to deeply personal information about you and your health. Information that you would normally want to keep private—between you, your family, and your doctor. Yet no federal law—no federal law—prevents 23andMe from sharing this data with others, including insurance companies, future employers, and law enforcement. Rather, a patchwork of state laws and [23andMe’s] privacy policy are the only things protecting the genetic information of millions of Americans.”
    “If 23andMe’s customers are anything like [their] fellow Americans, they likely didn’t read this privacy policy. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, more than half of Americans say they always, almost always, or often agree with privacy policies without ever reading them. Who can blame them?” 
    “When 23andMe filed for bankruptcy on March 23, a lot of people suddenly became interested in that privacy policy. Because, buried in the fine print of their privacy policy is the following, listen carefully: ‘If we are involved in a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your Personal Information may be accessed, sold or transferred as part of that transaction.’”
    “So 23andMe’s 15 million customers were left wondering: Who is going to get access to my genetic information? What are they going to do with it? What rights do I have to stop it?”
    “Thankfully, 23andMe’s privacy policy gave its customers the right to delete their data upon request. And millions have done so—so many, in fact, that 23andMe’s website crashed with the traffic. But again, this wasn’t required by federal law.”
    “There are very few federal guardrails to protect your most sensitive data, including your DNA and who can share it. It’s time for Congress to put some protections in place for Americans.”
    “The American people deserve to have faith that their sensitive information will be in—and stay in—the right hands before they agree to share it. Yet, nearly 20 years after 23andMe came on the scene and at least that long since the surveillance industrial complex started taking over the Internet, America still lacks a comprehensive federal law to protect our privacy.”
    “There have been signs of hope, including in 2022 when the American Data Privacy and Protection Act passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a broad, bipartisan vote of 53-to-2. But the American people are still waiting.”
    Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US abuse of tariffs has resulted in global retaliation – Chinese Ambassador to Russia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, June 11 (Xinhua) — The unilateral imposition of customs duties by the United States has caused widespread opposition around the world, not only causing systemic damage to the American economy, but also seriously damaging the international reputation of the United States, as a result of which the process of “de-Americanization” is taking place at an accelerated pace in many countries around the world, according to an article by China’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia Zhang Hanhui published in the Argumenty i Fakty newspaper.

    The article notes that dissatisfaction with the government’s tariff policy continues to grow in the United States. It is noted that, according to polls, most Americans believe that the government’s economic policy will lead to a recession in the short term, since, on the one hand, the tariff burden significantly reduces the profits of enterprises and exacerbates the difficulties of doing business, and on the other hand, the abuse of duties has led to a sharp increase in the cost of living for the American population.

    Zhang Hanhui notes that the abuse of tariffs has caused discontent and resistance among US allies. The introduction of “mirror tariffs” has seriously damaged the US’s international reputation and deepened its rift with its allies. “A wave of boycotts of American goods is growing around the world. Following the “Buy Canadian” movement that began in Canada in February 2025, tens of thousands of people in Sweden, Denmark, France and other countries have called on social media to “not buy American goods,” while many Europeans have canceled subscriptions to Netflix, Disney and other American platforms,” the article states.

    According to the diplomat, the main victims of the US tariffs are the countries of the Global South, as the abuse of tariffs deprives these countries of economic sovereignty. Such a policy is outright “neocolonialism,” the ambassador said.

    The US tariff policy encourages the countries of the Global South to unite, accelerate the deepening of cooperation with each other and economic relations with other countries. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Zhang Hanhui recalls, said that the BRICS countries have the right to create a trading system completely independent of the US dollar.

    “China has repeatedly said that tariff and trade wars cannot be won, and that protectionism will ultimately harm the interests of all parties and will not find support,” the article says.

    According to the diplomat, China is ready to deepen cooperation and interaction with developing countries and emerging market countries together with Russia, strengthen coordination and cooperation within the framework of such mechanisms as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS. China is ready to “unite to counter economic blackmail by the United States, resolutely defend the common interests of the countries of the Global South, protect international justice and the international free trade system, and promote the construction of a more just and rational global governance system,” Zhang Hanhui emphasized. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: S. 259, Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    S. 259 would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish annually a list of entities with ties to China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia that hold licenses or authorizations granted by the commission.

    Based on information from the FCC, CBO expects that the agency would need five employees, at an annual average cost of $225,000 per employee, for the first two years, to review existing grants of authority, and two employees after 2027 to review new applications and changes in ownership. On that basis, CBO estimates that it would cost the FCC $4 million over the 2025-2030 period to issue rules and identify whether any of those four nations hold equity or a voting interest in organizations that have an authorization, license, or other grant of authority issued by the commission. Because the FCC is authorized to collect fees each year sufficient to offset the appropriated costs of its regulatory activities, CBO estimates that the net cost to the FCC would be negligible, assuming appropriation actions consistent with that authority.

    If the FCC increases annual fee collections to offset the costs of implementing provisions in the bill, S. 259 would increase the cost of an existing private-sector mandate on entities required to pay those fees. CBO estimates that the incremental cost of the mandate would be small and would fall well below the annual threshold established in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) for private-sector mandates ($206 million in 2025, adjusted annually for inflation).

    The bill contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined in UMRA.

    The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Margot Berman (for federal costs) and Rachel Austin (for mandates). The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.

    Phillip L. Swagel

    Director, Congressional Budget Office

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM District 19 Charity Golf Tournament Supports Guide Dogs 

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM District 19’s 10th annual Southeast Championship Charity Golf Tournament continued its tradition of a great day on the links for an even better cause.

    The Chattanooga, Tenn., event helped raise approximately $70,000 for the IAM’s favorite charity, Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines. More than 100 participants and numerous sponsors showed up to support GDA | TLC at Chattanooga Golf & Country Club. 

    See photos from District 19’s GDA | TLC tournament here.

    “The participants and sponsors of our annual District 19 golf tournament should be extremely proud to support a great charity like GDA | TLC. Together, we are making it possible for guide and service dog recipients to live a more independent and safe life,” said IAM District 19 President and Directing General Chair Reece Murtagh. “I’d also like to give a special thanks to District 19 General Chair Heath Jacobs, who works tirelessly every year to put on this great event.”

    A U.S. Army veteran who received a GDA | TLC service dog was also on hand to share her story with attendees.

    The post IAM District 19 Charity Golf Tournament Supports Guide Dogs  appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former CEO of Crescenta Valley Investment Firm Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Charging Clients Millions of Dollars

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – The founder and former CEO of an investment firm that specializes in debt instruments was sentenced today to 40 months in federal prison for falsifying financial records to fraudulently inflate the value of the funds he managed, allowing him to charge investors millions of dollars in unauthorized fees.

    Brendan Ross, 52, of La Cañada Flintridge, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also ordered him to pay $5.9 million in restitution.

    Ross pleaded guilty in August 2022 to one count of wire fraud.

    In 2012, Ross founded Direct Lending Investments LLC (DLI), a La Cañada Flintridge-based investment firm. He served as the firm’s sole owner and CEO until his resignation in March 2019.

    By the summer of 2017, the firm had more than $1 billion in assets under management. According to the indictment, Ross directed DLI to invest the funds’ assets in, among other things, a company that loaned money to small businesses and retailers. The DLI funds made money when the loans performed, meaning that the borrowers made timely payments. Rather than disclose some of the loans were not performing, Ross falsified monthly reports to make it appear borrowers were making payments. The “payments” came from fee rebates given by the company originating the loans.

    By lying about the true status of the loans, Ross caused DLI to overstate the value of these loans on the funds’ books and fraudulently inflate the funds’ value. Specifically, Ross caused the monthly asset values of the funds to be cumulatively inflated by more than $300 million over the course of about four years. By fraudulently inflating the value of the funds, Ross was able to collect millions of dollars in fees he otherwise would not have been able to charge to clients.

    To further his scheme and help conceal it, Ross arranged for the sale of approximately $55 million of the loans to a third-party buyer in the summer of 2017. Ross once again inflated the value of these loans by lying about their status, falsely telling the buyer that borrowers had been making payments on many of these loans.

    “These losses reflect intense financial hardships, including the decimation of retirement and investment accounts, as well as negative professional and reputational consequences suffered by many of the investors…and even DLI employees who were defrauded by [Ross],” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.

    The FBI investigated this matter. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a civil complaint against Ross in August 2020, provided substantial assistance. 

    Assistant United States Attorney Scott Paetty of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Torres Introduces Amendments to Protect Veterans from Deportation, Block Political Retaliation Against California

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    June 10, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) introduced two amendments during the full committee markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to safeguard immigrant veterans and defend California against politically motivated funding threats.

    “Veterans who risked their lives for this country shouldn’t be deported without due process and access to legal counsel,” said Congresswoman Torres. “They wore the uniform and served with honor—they deserve the same basic legal protections as any American.”

    “No president—Trump included—should use federal funding to punish states for their politics. Every taxpayer in America sends their money to Washington to fund roads, schools, and disaster response—not presidential revenge. Threatening to cut off funds to California for standing our ground is authoritarian, plain and simple.”

    “My amendments were pretty simple- they would protect democracy, uphold due process, and make sure taxpayer dollars serve all Americans—not partisan agendas.”

    Protecting Non-Citizen Veterans
    Torres’ first amendment prohibits the use of federal funds to deport non-citizen veterans without providing access to legal counsel. The amendment reinforces core due process protections and honors immigrant service members who have fulfilled their duty to the United States.

    Blocking Retaliatory Cuts to California
    The second amendment responds to reports that former President Trump may seek to withhold federal funds from California for political reasons. It prohibits the use of funds in the bill to:

    • Withhold, delay, or condition federal funding to punish states based on political positions;
    • Impose politically motivated funding requirements targeting specific states;
    • Enforce existing federal rules in a discriminatory manner based on state political leadership.

    Additionally, it includes accountability measures requiring individuals who suspect violations to report them to relevant Inspectors General and the Government Accountability Office (GAO). If GAO finds a violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act, the amendment bars funding from being obligated or expended to the Office of the Secretary.

    Congresswoman Torres continues to lead in Congress on issues of immigration justice, due process protections, and defending democratic norms from executive overreach.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Torres Slams HUD Budget for Abandoning Disaster Survivors and Slashing Housing Aid for Families, Veterans

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    June 10, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — At today’s House Appropriations THUD Subcommittee hearing, Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) pressed HUD Secretary Turner over the Administration’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, which slashes the agency’s funding by more than 50%—gutting disaster recovery, housing assistance, and HUD’s workforce amid a worsening national housing crisis.

    “California sends $83 billion more to the federal government than we get back—yet it’s our veterans, working families, and seniors being asked to sacrifice. Who exactly do you think deserves to lose their housing, Mr. Secretary,” said Torres. “After historic floods and wildfires, HUD is walking away from the communities that need help most. Zero dollars for disaster recovery is not just neglect—it’s reckless. This budget fails the very people HUD was created to serve.”

    The proposed FY26 HUD budget includes:

    • $0 for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and disaster recovery aid
    • A 44% cut to homelessness and affordable housing programs
    • A 51% cut to HUD’s overall budget
    • Layoffs for more than 2,000 HUD employees under the Elon Musk-backed “DOGE” task force

    Torres warned these cuts will increase homelessness, delay recovery efforts, and strip communities of critical housing support. She also blasted the Administration’s shift toward a state-administered rental assistance model, calling it a “federal cop-out” that dumps responsibility onto under-resourced local governments.

    As the author of the Thriving Communities Act and a longtime champion for housing justice, Torres has fought to expand affordable housing near transit, reduce pollution, and deliver investments to high-need communities. In fiscal year 2023, she secured $100 million for the Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities initiative and $5 million for HUD to coordinate planning and housing development.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amata Honors 250 Years of the U.S. Army  

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

    Headline: Amata Honors 250 Years of the U.S. Army  

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is honoring the U.S. Army’s historic 250th birthday, which marks the founding of the U.S. Army on June 14, 1775. 

    Army Captain Peter Tali Coleman 

    In the nation’s capital, the historic occasion is set to be marked with a major celebration, beginning with a wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery, followed by an all-day festival and a parade with numerous military vehicles and military aircraft in the skies, the Army Golden Knights paratroopers, and closing with a fireworks display at nightfall. 

    “This year, on 14 June, the United States celebrates 250 years of continuous service by the U.S. Army. Happy birthday to the U.S. Army and all our soldiers, past and present, along with our heartfelt thanks to each one,” said Congresswoman Amata.

    The distinguished history of the U.S. Army began in 1775, with the volunteers of the first continental army encamped around British-held Boston, when the Continental Congress gave George Washington of Virginia the historic responsibility of being the first commanding General. The U.S. Army today is composed of hundreds of thousands of personnel, over 900,000 in uniform with the support of the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. 

    “In American Samoa, we are proud of our Toa o Samoa, as our people have built a tremendous record of military service,” Amata continued. “Congratulations to each one of our own serving in the Army, Army Reserve, and our Army Veterans, because this day is about you and your fellow soldiers over the last two and half centuries.”

    “I know this day will remind many of us in military families of a soldier far away, a Veteran, or a beloved memory, as I have of my father. He served during the Pearl Harbor attack as an Army officer in Oahu, in the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, and is the only Samoan inducted into the Army Infantry Hall of Fame,” she continued. “I wish I could name and honor each soldier from American Samoa. My Chief of Staff, Leafaina Tavai, is historic as the first ever student from American Samoa to go to West Point, and after her retirement as a Colonel, she was inducted into the Army Ordnance Hall of Fame.”

    “We will always need a strong, fully equipped, highly trained, and well supported U.S. Army, in times of peace or war, to protect our freedom and national security,” Amata concluded. “May God bless all our military, our Veterans, and the families who support them.”

    END

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amata Releases Questions for DOI on Critical Minerals

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

    Headline: Amata Releases Questions for DOI on Critical Minerals

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is releasing some of her questions for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), which she will submit for responses as part of a congressional hearing. 

    The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which governs critical minerals exploration of the seabed, is part of DOI, and Amata’s questions primarily center on recently announced federal seabed critical minerals efforts, which will include a public comment period. 

    “I have important questions for the DOI, which reflect the thinking of our people,” said Congresswoman Amata. “I will do what I can to get our people more information, while I continue to take your message to Washington.”

    The following questions will be submitted for the record this week to the Honorable Doug Burgum, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior:

    • Mr. Secretary, what is the status of and what are the next steps in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) review process regarding seabed mining around American Samoa?
    • Any seabed mining pursuant to a BOEM lease would be done in federally controlled EEZ waters outside the American Samoa 3-mile boundary limit, is this correct?
    • Mr. Secretary, do you intend to engage directly with the people of American Samoa on the seabed mining proposal? Will you commit to meeting with local government leaders as the proposal moves through the approval process?
    • What survey information can you provide to the American Samoan people about which critical rare earth minerals are where within and over that 3-mile limit so that we know what minerals are in American Samoa controlled waters and what is in federally controlled waters?
    • Your agency is responsible in part for the economic development of the territories; how will such an endeavor benefit the economy of American Samoa and the people?
    • The governor of American Samoa is investing over $40 million in a next generation cable connection for our island’s economic development as well as our nations national security; essential to this is the administration’s support for our economic development by advocating for renewal of our 30A/American Samoa Economic Development Credit in the big beautiful bill. Will the administration support my bill, H.R. 399, which renews the credit, as we hope to include it in the reconciliation or extender process this year, so we can take full advantage of this investment?

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: National Weather Service Reverses Cuts after Harder’s Outcry

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

    Sacramento, Hanford stations were targeted for reduction of operations

    Loss of 24/7 service would be catastrophic for disaster weather response

    WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced that the National Weather Service (NWS) is implementing emergency hiring plans to keep two Valley weather stations open in response to Harder’s advocacy. The Sacramento and Hanford stations were poised to lose 24/7 service because of staffing cuts which would have been catastrophic for emergency response to floods, wildfires, and severe storms. On Friday, Rep. Harder demanded the National Weather Service reverse its cuts and keep the only two Valley stations fully staffed.  

    NWS service crisis by the numbers:

    • DOGE terminated 500 NWS employees, representing a 12% reduction in force.
    • Sacramento has 7 vacancies out of 16 meteorologist positions, and Hanford has 8 vacancies across 13 positions – leaving the Valley half-staffed amid peak wildfire season.
    • Decreased service capacity leaves California water managers without critical forecasts needed to make life-or-death water supply decisions.

    “Ending 24/7 service operations that keep our families safe from floods and fires makes absolutely no sense – that’s why I called on NWS to immediately reverse these plans,” said Rep. Harder. “Today’s announcement is a step back towards sanity, but Valley communities need more than a temporary fix. I’m going to keep fighting to get these vacancies filled permanently, and I won’t rest until Valley families can rest assured that the federal government is actually at work keeping them safe.”

    In his letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Harder urged Washington to:

    • Reinstate all terminated workers at the Sacramento and Hanford offices.
    • Ensure that the Sacramento and Hanford weather forecast offices are adequately staffed to maintain 24/7 operations.

    Read the full letter here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A portrait taken in North Philly in the 1980s reconnects poet with cherished memories of her own beloved father

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, Professor of Theater, Temple University

    Local residents sitting on the steps in the shade at 3106 N. Broad St. in North Philadelphia in 1986.
     Joseph V. Labolito/Philadelphia Collections

    To celebrate Father’s Day, The Conversation U.S. asked Philadelphia anthropologist, playwright and poetic ethnographer Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon to reflect on a poem she recently performed to accompany a 1986 photograph by Philadelphia photographer Joseph V. Labolito.

    Williams-Witherspoon, who also serves as senior associate dean of the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts at Temple University, shares how the collaboration came about, and why one of Labolito’s photos in particular brought back a rush of cherished memories of being a little girl hanging out with her dad.

    Local residents sitting on the steps in the shade at 3106 N. Broad St. in North Philadelphia in 1986.
    Joseph V. Labolito/Philadelphia Collections

        There Are Black Fathers 
    To Daddy, Father’s Day, June 19, 1983

    I’ve known men 
    Who rise at dawn 
    To run a sort of race; 
    Working through sleep 
    Stopping long enough to yawn
    Providing for their families Just a little      
    place. 
    Black men going, going, going 
    (sometimes, till their gone.) 

    I’ve known men 
    Who trudge home after long hours 
    And an even longer pain, 
    And still manage to smile, 
    Warmed by the voice of a child. 
    "Hi, Daddy!" 
    "How was your day?" 

    I’ve known men Who take care 
    Even when Mommy can’t. 
    And, even though they can only 
    Cook hamburgers really good, 
    They put band-aids on awfully well. 

    I’ve known men 
    Who loving replace lost teeth 
    With shiny new dimes; 
    Remember birthdays and Christmas’. 
    Dutifully repair 
    Old, broken toys And, even, sometimes, 
    Wipe away salty tears. 

    I’ve known men 
    Who reprimand, 
    Teach us values 
    And, if we’re lucky, 
    Along with Mom, 
    Help us take a stand. 
    Who calm us when we’re frightened; 
    Scare us when we’re bad — Hold our hands. 

    I’ve known men, 
    Not just as Fathers; 
    But, more so, as "Dads" — 
    Who give us what we get 
    And gave us what we had. 
    Loving and kind; 
    Stern, yet strong, 
    I’ve known men 
    Who’ve guided generations along 
    As provider, supporter, parent — Pop, Dad! 

    There are Black fathers 
    Who would gladly do it again 
    Parenting future generations. 
    Yes, I have known These men. 

    © 2025 Kimmika L. H. Williams-Witherspoon

    What do you want people to take away from the poem?

    The whole poem is a tribute to my father, Samuel Hawes Jr., who lived from 1920 to 1989, and the many men like him who were always present and participatory in the parenting of their children and the providing for their families.

    Because of stereotypes and popular culture – media, movies, news stories – that tend to demonize and pathologize Black men, there’s a myth that men in our communities are all cut from the same cloth.

    For me, the poem discounts that stereotypical narrative and celebrates the African American men that I knew growing up – Daddy, my uncles, the deacons in our church, the neighborhood dads on my block.

    The men in this photograph represent men like Daddy, who at one point worked two jobs to provide for his family. He drove a yellow cab and worked the graveyard shift as a presser at the U.S. Mint. He took me to school every morning when I was in high school. He made it to every school function or occasion, drove me to and from parties so I could hang out with friends, took me to church every Sunday morning and on those special road trips to Cleveland, Akron, Ohio, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, throughout my life.

    Tell us about your collaborator for this piece

    Joe Labolito is a Philadelphia photographer whose work, I believe, is visual ethnography at its best. Throughout the ‘80s, ’90s and 2000s, he documented the people, streets and neighborhoods of Philadelphia. His photographs are housed in several public and private collections, including the Special Collections Research Center at Temple University and the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Print and Picture Collection.

    About a year ago, I saw an exhibit of Joe’s work at Temple. Since that time, I have been using some of his photographs as a visual prompt for my students, while he and I talked about doing something together down the road.

    When I was asked to participate in Temple University President John Fry’s investiture events in March 2025, I asked Joe if he wanted to do something with me. Right away he said “Yes … whatever it is.” I asked him to send me maybe 25 of his favorite photos, and instead, he sent me about a hundred. When I got a minute to sift through them, there were 11 that, as soon as I looked at them, immediately prompted lines of poetry.

    This photograph of the two men and the little girl, however, made me remember an old poem, “There Are Black Fathers,” I had written a long time ago – on Father’s Day on June 19, 1983 – for my father before he passed away from prostate and bone cancer. I went digging through my old journals until I found the poem that I had written for Daddy, and I performed that poem to this photograph at the event.

    What stood out to you about this photograph?

    The juxtaposition between the men and the little girl – their beautiful, bright smiles, the joy they seemed to radiate – it all made me think about and remember how much I loved Daddy my entire life but especially as a little girl.

    That’s the power in these kinds of artistic, material and visual artifacts. This photograph transported me right back to my childhood, filled with the warmth of a summer’s day, hanging out with my dad, and the promise of a banana Popsicle later in the afternoon.

    What is your process for writing a poem to accompany a photograph?

    Whatever the prompt – a photograph, a landscape, a person I’ve passed on the street, a word or phrase – the first draft is a free-write sensory download dump. I ruminate and then write down everything that comes to me in whatever order it comes.

    And then with each subsequent draft or pass at it, I start reading the poem out loud and tweaking it, making edits, moving and changing things while crafting lines that frame and build the story. I read the piece aloud over and over and over again until the poem tells me when I’ve got it right. I don’t know how, but my ear will tell me when it’s done and right with my spirit.

    What is poetic ethnography?

    Ethnography is an area of anthropology. From the Greek word “ethnos,” ethno simply means people or culture, and graphy, from the Greek word “graphia,” is the writing about said people or culture.

    Traditional ethnographies are usually written in a diarylike journal form. You end up jotting things down – thoughts, feelings, expressions, verbatim texts from interview participants – alongside bits and pieces of theory that correlate. Field notes are a combination of prose and scientific inquiry. I am a proponent of compiling poetic ethnographies – turning my observation and investigation of cultures, communities, and my field notes, into poetic form.

    Growing up in Philadelphia and a product of Philadelphia public schools, my primary language is mainstream U.S. English, but I tell people that my actual language is poetry. I see the world through poetry, and through the medium of poetry, I think I am better able to articulate the world I see.

    Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.

    Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon has received funding from Lumena Foundation’s Fund for Racial Justice and Equity (2018-19) and PEW Charitable Trusts Arts Grant (2020).

    Joseph V. Labolito owns the copyright to Philadelphia Collections. Philadelphia Collections research and operations is supported and partially funded by the Bridge award; an internal grant provided by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) at Temple University for the 2024 – 2025 year.

    – ref. A portrait taken in North Philly in the 1980s reconnects poet with cherished memories of her own beloved father – https://theconversation.com/a-portrait-taken-in-north-philly-in-the-1980s-reconnects-poet-with-cherished-memories-of-her-own-beloved-father-255810

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grothman Reintroduces Bipartisan Stop the Baseline Bloat Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah 6th District Wisconsin)

    Congressmen Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Ed Case (D-HI), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) have reintroduced the bipartisan Stop the Baseline Bloat Act. This legislation will bring more honesty and transparency to the federal budget process by removing emergency spending from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) baseline.

    Currently, the CBO includes emergency spending in its annual baseline projections. This practice distorts long-term fiscal projections, skews the baseline budget toward higher spending, and contributes to our nation’s growing debt crisis. This bill ensures emergency spending is treated as temporary and does not artificially raise expectations for future spending.

    The bill has also earned the support of Citizens Against Government Waste, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, National Taxpayers Union, and Taxpayers Protection Alliance.

    “The Stop the Baseline Bloat Act will increase transparency between the government and the American people, painting a clear and honest picture of how Washington is spending their hard-eared money,” said Congressman Glenn Grothman. The CBO cannot continue to create a budget baseline that justifies outrageous spending levels. Getting the country’s fiscal house in order starts with an unbiased CBO baseline.”

    The path out of our growing budget crisis starts with accurate and transparent budgets,” said Rep. Ed Case. “A budget that inflates prior year spending to conceal real growth year-to-year is neither accurate nor transparent. Our measure would eliminate these budgetary tricks that conceal our dangerous journey into fiscal irresponsibility.”

    “Taxpayers should not have to spend more because the CBO continually has inaccurate projections for America’s fiscal future,” said Rep. Stutzman. “Emergency spending is supposed to address urgent funding needs with non-permanent spending. Instead, the CBO has chosen to treat emergency spending like regular appropriations, inflating discretionary spending

    “In order to seriously take on our national debt and avoid passing it on to our kids, we need to address budgetary distortions that help politicians justify spending through the roof,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “Our bipartisan bill will remove emergency spending from the baseline set by the Congressional Budget Office, creating a more accurate reflection of our annual spending and how we should responsibly budget for the future.”

    “The bipartisan Stop the Baseline Bloat Act would enhance the accuracy of Congressional Budget Office projections by excluding temporary emergency and supplemental spending from the baseline. This commonsense reform would prevent one-time expenditures from inflating long-term spending projections and promote greater fiscal accountability,” said Demian Brady, Vice President of Research at the National Taxpayers Union.

    “TPA is pleased to support Rep. Grothman’s Stop the Baseline Bloat Act. Emergency and supplemental spending are meant to be temporary and should not be embedded into long-term budget projections or inflated year after year. By eliminating this distortion from CBO’s baseline calculations, the bill takes a meaningful step toward reducing federal spending and advancing long-term fiscal discipline,” said David Williams, President of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance.

    “The Stop Baseline Bloat Act would help restore fiscal restraint in the budgeting process by stripping out the cost of emergency and supplemental appropriations from the CBO baseline. As is evident from the designation of their purpose, such legislation is not meant to have a permanent impact on the budget by inflating the amount of future spending,” said Tom Schatz, President of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste.

    “The Congressional Budget Office’s baseline is filled with distortions, many of which are required by law, that drive spending higher. Rep. Grothman’s Stop the Baseline Bloat Act would help fix this problem by removing the assumption that one-time emergency appropriations are repeated each year in the baseline – a distortion that effectively bakes ‘emergency’ spending into the baseline for future spending,” said Brittany Madni, Executive Vice President of the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC).

    “One-time emergency spending can artificially inflate the baseline produced by the Congressional Budget Office, creating the opportunity for lawmakers to use fake savings as an offset. We appreciate the efforts of Representative Glenn Grothman (R-WI) to improve the budget process and provide greater transparency by removing emergency spending from CBO’s baseline,” said Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

    “Under current baseline rules, CBO and OMB must assume that emergency spending will increase from its prior year level by an amount equal to inflation.  Since this may be a one-time outlay, including it this way artificially inflates the baseline, particularly in years with large amounts of emergency spending.  Lower levels of emergency spending in the future would then appear to generate budget savings.  I support removing emergency spending from the CBO baseline as a common-sense solution to this problem,” said Keith Hall, the former Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

    “The Stop the Baseline Bloat Act, recently introduced by Reps. Glenn Grothman (RWI), Ed Case (D-HI), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), strikes emergency spending from the budget baseline. This change would make CBO’s baseline less biased toward higher spending. The congressional practice of relying on emergency appropriations to fund ongoing issues poses a significant challenge to fiscal responsibility and undermines the integrity of the budget process,” said Romina Boccia and Dominik Lett from Cato Institute.

    Background Information

    Currently, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is required to create its baseline budget with the assumption that discretionary spending, including one-time emergency spending, grows each year with inflation.

    This assumption is at odds with OMB’s definition of emergency spending, which is meant exclusively for one-time outlays. Including emergency spending in the baseline distorts the fiscal picture and allows Congress to claim credit for artificial savings.

    Rep. Grothman (R-WI), Rep. Case (D-HI), Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), and Rep. Stutzman (R-IN) will reintroduce the bipartisan Stop the Baseline Bloat Act to remove emergency spending and supplemental appropriations from the CBO baseline. This reform has a history of bipartisan support and was a key piece of the Senate’s 2019 Enzi-Whitehouse budget reform package, the Bipartisan Congressional Budget Reform Act.

    This bill will end a costly distortion in the CBO baseline which artificially bloats the baseline and has led to more red ink.

    Rep. Grothman and Rep. Case introduced a similar version of the bill in April 2024.

    The Stop the Baseline Bloat Act is cosponsored by: Representatives Ben Cline (R-VA), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Adam Gray (D-CA), and Jared Golden (D-ME).

    -30- 

    U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) proudly serves the people of Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Davids Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Give Expecting Parents Choice Over Child Health Care Insurance

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

    Today, Representative Sharice Davids reintroduced her Empowering Parents’ Healthcare Choices Act, a bipartisan bill designed to cut insurer red tape, avoid surprise medical bills, and give parents decision-making power over their infant’s health care — not the insurance company. She was joined by Congressman Gabe Evans (R-CO-08).

     

    Currently, many expecting parents with separate health insurance policies are subject to an obscure and often undisclosed rule known as “the birthday rule,” which determines the insurance policy that will cover a new baby — regardless of what the parents want. Insurance companies often do not inform parents of this policy, which can result in surprise medical bills for growing families.

     

    That’s what happened to the Kjelshus family of Olathe, KS, when they welcomed their daughter Charlie into the world — leaving them with a $270,951 out-of-network hospital bill even though they had planned for Charlie’s birth based on the coverage they expected to use.

     

    “Every parent should be able to focus on the health of their newborn — not on navigating fine print or fighting surprise bills,” said Davids. “This bipartisan bill puts families first by giving them the power to choose the best health care coverage for their child. I’m proud to work across the aisle with Congressman Evans to cut red tape and protect new parents from being blindsided during one of the most important moments of their lives.”

     

    The Empowering Parents’ Healthcare Choices Act would give parents 60 days after the birth of their child to choose which insurance policy will cover their new baby. It would also give the Administration authority to instruct insurers on how and when to notify parents of their rights, helping more families avoid frustrating red tape, surprise bills, and insurance policy mazes.

     

    “As a parent of a medically complex kid who spent years in and out of hospitals receiving specialty care, I understand firsthand how critically important it is to make sure every family has a say in the best care for themselves and their child,” said Congressman Gabe Evans (R-CO-08). “I’m proud to co-lead the Empowering Parents’ Healthcare Choices Act to ensure that new parents across the country have the freedom to choose what insurance plan works best for their family’s needs.”

     

    “First Focus Campaign for Children applauds the introduction of the Empowering Parents’ Healthcare Choices Act by Representatives Sharice Davids and Gabe Evans,” said Bruce Lesley, President, First Focus Campaign for Children. “This legislation is a vital step toward ensuring that every child receives the health care coverage they need and deserve starting at birth. By giving parents the freedom to choose the best insurance for their newborn, we can eliminate unnecessary financial burdens and protect families from the confusion and hardship caused by outdated insurance rules. Every child should have access to comprehensive, affordable health care — and this bill helps make that a reality for more children across the United States.”

     

    Davids is a fierce advocate for making health care affordable and accessible to all Kansans. She supported legislation to protect patients from out-of-network surprise medical bills, which shielded patients from millions of surprise bills since passage. This law included Davids’ original legislation to improve insurer transparency, helping patients avoid unintentional out-of-network health care visits.

    Davids also voted for major legislation that gives Medicare the power to negotiate down the price of prescription drugs, which will save 74,000 Kansans up to 79 percent on their prescriptions. The law also capped insulin costs for Kansans on Medicare at $35 a month and capped Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) Condemns Reckless USDA Firings, Secretary Admits Mistakes

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

    Today, during a U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing, U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) questioned United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins on the recent terminations of federal workers, including at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas. Rollins called the firings an “imperfect process.”

     

    “We can’t talk about our shared goal of improving government efficiency while pulling the rug out from under the very people who keep our food supply running,” said Davids during the hearing. “You can’t eliminate good-paying, skilled jobs in Kansas City at the same time our producers are already facing droughts, volatile markets, and rising costs… These are neighbors, families, and friends, and they deserve better than this chaos.”

     

    WATCH: Davids questions USDA Sec. Rollins, who admits firings were an “imperfect process”

     

    Davids was responding to the erratic firing of USDA employees by the Department’s Office of General Employment (DOGE), a move she called “reckless and unjust.” The cuts have raised alarm bells throughout Kansas and the agricultural community, as they threaten food safety, stall research initiatives, and disrupt vital USDA services that farmers rely on every day.

     

    In particular, Davids called out staffing reductions at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas. The state-of-the-art lab is the nation’s first biosafety level 4 facility for livestock, built to protect against the most dangerous animal diseases. According to recent reports, 28 employees were abruptly fired — only for some of those firings to be rescinded days later. A similar pattern occurred at the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), raising further questions about leadership and decision-making at USDA.

     

    “We’ve heard about the new world screwworm already [today]. During that time [of NBAF firings], the bird flu was one of the bigger concerns,” said Davids. “There are other potential animal diseases. How can the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility or Food Safety and Inspection Service even be part of the chopping block in the first place? Was there any discussion about how those decisions were going to be made? … Especially at these specific facilities that are meant to protect us from some of the worst animal diseases that could spread to humans.”

    The timing of these firings is especially alarming given ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic bird flu and the emergence of the New World Screwworm, both of which pose serious risks to Kansas livestock and public health. Davids warned that slashing key roles at facilities like NBAF — which was built specifically to respond to such biological threats — undermines the very mission of the USDA and weakens the nation’s ability to respond to agricultural emergencies.

     

    To support Kansas producers, Davids embarked on a Farm Bill listening tour, where she visited a poultry and livestock operation in Anderson County, a co-op in Franklin County, a goat farm in Miami County, an organic vegetable farm in Johnson County, and an educational community farm in Wyandotte County. Davids also toured a Garnett-based renewable ethanol producer, participated in FFA activities at Spring Hill High School, served a school lunch at Black Bob Elementary in Olathe, spoke with industry leaders on financial support programs for farmers, toured a dairy farm in Garnett, and more.

    MIL OSI USA News –