NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of Vice Chairman Warner on DNI Gabbard’s Release of Partisan HPSCI Russia Report

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement on DNI Gabbard’s release of a partisan report prepared by Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence regarding Russia’s intervention in the 2016 presidential election:

    “It seems as though the Trump administration is willing to declassify anything and everything except the Epstein files. The desperate and irresponsible release of the partisan House intelligence report puts at risk some of the most sensitive sources and methods our Intelligence Community uses to spy on Russia and keep Americans safe. And in doing so, Director Gabbard is sending a chilling message to our allies and assets around the world: the United States can no longer be trusted to protect the intelligence you share with us.

    “Let’s be clear: the bipartisan, unanimous finding of the Senate Intelligence Committee, after years of painstaking investigation, more than 200 witness interviews, and millions of documents, was that Russia launched a large-scale influence campaign in the 2016 election in order to help then-candidate Donald Trump. Nothing in this partisan, previously scuttled document changes that. Releasing this so-called report is just another reckless act by a Director of National Intelligence so desperate to please Donald Trump that she is willing to risk classified sources, betray our allies, and politicize the very intelligence she has been entrusted to protect.

    “The American people are right to continue asking: What are they trying to hide?”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG) Enters Retainer Agreement with PCAOB-Registered Audit Firm for Review of Semi-Annual 2025 Financial Statements

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NAPLES, FL, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG), also known as Pro Music Rights, a diversified holding company and the fifth public performance rights organization (PRO) established in the United States, today announced that it has officially executed a retainer agreement with a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)-registered audit firm. The agreement covers the review of the Company’s semi-annual financial statements for the period ending June 30, 2025.

    This engagement represents a critical milestone in the Company’s broader plan to adopt and maintain PCAOB-compliant financial reporting standards. It reflects a long-term commitment to enhancing transparency, supporting regulatory compliance, and upholding best practices in financial governance.

    The formal retention of a PCAOB-registered firm follows the Company’s July 2, 2025 announcement regarding its intention to pursue annual audits and periodic reviews of financial statements. With the agreement now in place, the Company expects to proceed with the independent review process and release its semi-annual 2025 financials accordingly.

    The initiative is designed to strengthen the integrity of the Company’s financial disclosures, build investor confidence, and support current and future capital markets activities.

    Music Licensing, Inc. licenses music to leading platforms and businesses globally, including TikTok, iHeartMedia, Triller, Napster, 7Digital, and Vevo. The Company holds an estimated 7.4% share of the U.S. public performance rights market and administers a catalog of over 2.5 million musical works. This includes works by high-profile recording artists as well as content generated through artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

    The Company also maintains royalty interests in Listerine “Mouthwash” Antiseptic and in a large portfolio of musical works performed by internationally recognized artists such as The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Elton John, Rihanna, Lil Nas X, and others.

    This step positions the Company for continued operational growth, improved transparency, and future scalability in line with public company reporting standards.

    About Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG) (ProMusicRights.com)

    About Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC:SONG)  (ProMusicRights.com)

    Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG), also known as Pro Music Rights, is a diversified holding company and the fifth public performance rights organization (PRO) established in the United States. It is recognized under the federal registry of the United States government. The company licenses music to some of the most prominent platforms and businesses, including TikTok, iHeartMedia, Triller, Napster, 7Digital, Vevo, and many others.

    Pro Music Rights holds an estimated 7.4% market share in the United States, representing a catalog of more than 2.5 million works by notable artists such as A$AP Rocky, Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell, Young Jeezy, Juelz Santana, Lil Yachty, MoneyBagg Yo, Larry June, Trae Pound, Sauce Walka, Trae Tha Truth, Sosamann, Soulja Boy, Lex Luger, Trauma Tone, Lud Foe, SlowBucks, Gunplay, OG Maco, Rich The Kid, Fat Trel, Young Scooter, Nipsey Hussle, Famous Dex, Boosie Badazz, Shy Glizzy, 2 Chainz, Migos, Gucci Mane, Young Dolph, Trinidad James, Chingy, Lil Gnar, 3OhBlack, Curren$y, Fall Out Boy, Money Man, Dej Loaf, Lil Uzi Vert, and many others, including works generated by artificial intelligence (AI).

    Additionally, Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG) holds royalty interests in Listerine “Mouthwash” Antiseptic and a vast portfolio of musical works by globally renowned artists, including The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Elton John, Mike Posner, blackbear, Lil Nas X, Lil Yachty, DaBaby, Stunna 4 Vegas, Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne, XXXTentacion, BlueFace, The Game, Jeremih, Ty Dolla $ign, Eric Bellinger, Ne-Yo, MoneyBagg Yo, Halsey, Desiigner, DaniLeigh, Rihanna, and many others.

    Forward-Looking Statements:

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the ability of Music Licensing, Inc. & Pro Music Rights, Inc. to accomplish its stated plan of business. Music Licensing, Inc. & Pro Music Rights, Inc. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by Pro Music Rights, Inc., Music Licensing, Inc., or any other person.

    Non-Legal Advice Disclosure:

    This press release does not constitute legal advice, and readers are advised to seek legal counsel for any legal matters or questions related to the content herein.

    Non-Investment Advice Disclosure:

    This communication is intended solely for informational purposes and does not in any way imply or constitute a recommendation or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities, commodities, bonds, options, derivatives, or any other investment products. Any decisions related to investments should be made after thorough research and consultation with a qualified financial advisor or professional. We assume no liability for any actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this communication

    Contact: investors@ProMusicRights.com

    SOURCE: Music Licensing, Inc

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McClellan and Tonko Send Letter to Administrator Zeldin Urging EPA to Retract Proposal to Weaken Pollution Standards

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (Virginia 4th District)

    Today, Representatives Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) and Paul Tonko (NY-20) led 73 House Members in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin urging EPA to immediately retract its harmful proposal to weaken the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). 

    “It is the mission of EPA to protect human health and the environment,” wrote the Members. “To achieve these goals, Congress gave EPA authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate hazardous air pollutants, like mercury and arsenic from power plants. Rolling back the MATS rule is a cruel abandonment of the agency’s statutory obligations that will endanger children’s health, harm communities, and let the worst industrial polluters off the hook.”

    Coal-fired power plants emit mercury and other toxic pollutants that poison the air and water. This pollution impacts those living on the fenceline and downwind of these facilities, particularly communities of color and low-income communities, who are more likely to live near coal-fired power plants and be exposed to dangerous pollution. 

    “The standards set by the 2024 rule for mercury and air toxics pollution are not only achievable, but the majority of power plants were either already meeting them or only required small changes to comply,” the Members continued. “Weakening these commonsense standards would allow for the worst of the worst industrial polluters to ratchet up their hazardous emissions. The Trump Administration is already giving out free passes for power plants to pollute and concealing the process for granting exemptions from the public, allowing some of the biggest corporate polluters to increase toxic air pollution into nearby communities without accountability.”

    Strong standards have successfully limited mercury pollution by 90% and decreased other dangerous air pollutants. A recent study estimated that eliminating more than 30 EPA protections that protect our air, water, and climate would cost $275 billion dollars and more than 30,000 lives lost each year.

    “By rolling back the MATS rule, the Trump Administration is choosing corporate polluters over the health and lives of everyday Americans across the country,” the Members concluded. “We implore you to keep our communities and the environment safe from health-harming pollution by stopping this reckless rollback, extending the comment period to 75 days to allow for meaningful public engagement, and committing to holding multiple public hearings to allow affected fenceline communities ample opportunities to be heard in this process.”

    Read the full letter here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine, & Colleagues Press FAA on Federal Workforce Cuts and Use of AI on Aviation Safety

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and nine of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford requesting answers on the impact of FAA workforce reductions on aviation safety, including among analytical staff who proactively identify safety risks. The senators also inquired about comments by FAA officials suggesting the agency is using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze safety data to identify risks.
    “The tragic crash of American Airlines flight 5342 highlighted serious gaps in our aviation safety system and demonstrated the need for a robust and experienced analytical workforce at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Unfortunately, over the past six months, your agency has significantly reduced its workforce. We are deeply concerned about these reductions’ impact on aviation safety,” the lawmakers wrote.
    “The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into the crash of American Airlines flight 5342 has demonstrated the need for a robust FAA workforce, beyond the air traffic controllers and other FAA personnel on the front lines of our aviation system. According to the NTSB investigation, more than 15,000 ‘close proximity events’ occurred at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport over the last five years—reflecting a shockingly high trend that the FAA should have identified…It’s critical that this Administration ensures the FAA has the workforce capacity to proactively and properly analyze aviation safety data to prevent another crash like the American Airlines flight 5342 tragedy,” the senators continued.
    “In the aftermath of the crash, the FAA should be analyzing the near miss data from events at Reagan National Airport and reviewing the sufficiency of FAA staffing. Instead, the agency has moved ahead with workforce reductions. In particular, FAA fired hundreds of probationary employees in critical support roles key to assisting air traffic controllers in doing their jobs,” the lawmakers wrote.
    The lawmakers requested the following information by August 11, 2025:
    For each FAA line of business and its relevant suboffices, please provide the (a) number of employees employed as of January 1, 2025, (b) number of employees employed as of July 1, 2025, and (c) the current number of job openings.
    For each FAA line of business and its relevant suboffices, please indicate whether any of its job positions are currently subject to a hiring freeze as of January 20, 2025.
    Please provide the analysis conducted by the Office of Airports related to the impact of workforce cuts on its safety mission.
    Besides the Office of Airports, please explain if any other FAA line of business has conducted an analysis of the impact of workforce cuts on its ability to deliver its mission. If so, please provide those analyses.
    Please explain all relevant FAA lines of business and relevant suboffices charged with identifying aviation safety trends and possible safety risks affecting airport operations in congested airspace.
    What specific AI tools is the FAA using to analyze aviation safety impacts and flight data and how is this improving FAA’s analysis? Does the FAA have adequate staff, familiar with these tools, to manage this analysis and ensure the security of the data used and generated by AI?
    In addition to Warner, Kaine, and Markey, the letter was cosigned by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
    Warner and Kaine have long championed aviation safety and spoken out against federal workforce reductions at the FAA and other agencies. Following the January 29, 2025 collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines flight 5342 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Warner and Kaine demanded answers from the FAA on additional safety measures to protect the public and expressed concerns about the impact of the “Department of Government Efficiency” in addressing issues that led to the mid-air collision. The senators also introduced legislation to strengthen aviation safety. Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, successfully got a provision included in the committee-passed Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act to require that all Department of Defense aircraft that operate near commercial airports be equipped with broadcast positioning technology. Earlier this year, Kaine invited Jason King, a veteran from Fairfax who was fired from his position in the FAA’s safety division, as his guest to the State of the Union address. King was rehired after the State of the Union.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Administrator Bedford,
    The tragic crash of American Airlines flight 5342 highlighted serious gaps in our aviation safety system and demonstrated the need for a robust and experienced analytical workforce at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Unfortunately, over the past six months, your agency has significantly reduced its workforce. We are deeply concerned about these reductions’ impact on aviation safety. We therefore write to request information on changes in the FAA workforce and their impact on aviation safety, including any analyses that the FAA has conducted on the effects of workforce reductions on the agency’s safety mission.
    The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into the crash of American Airlines flight 5342 has demonstrated the need for a robust FAA workforce, beyond the air traffic controllers and other FAA personnel on the front lines of our aviation system. According to the NTSB investigation, more than 15,000 “close proximity events” occurred at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport over the last five years — reflecting a shockingly high trend that the FAA should have identified. At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing in March, the then-Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau acknowledged that the agency missed this warning sign, in part because of the sheer volume of data that FAA personnel must analyze. The Acting Administrator’s testimony illustrated the need for an FAA workforce robust and experienced enough to analyze all relevant data and identify safety risks. It’s critical that this Administration ensures the FAA has the workforce capacity to proactively and properly analyze aviation safety data to prevent another crash like the American Airlines flight 5342 tragedy.
    Despite this clear need for enhanced analytical capacity, the FAA has instead moved to reduce its workforce during this critical period. In the aftermath of the crash, the FAA should be analyzing the near miss data from events at Reagan National Airport and reviewing the sufficiency of FAA staffing. Instead, the agency has moved ahead with workforce reductions. In particular, FAA fired hundreds of probationary employees in critical support roles key to assisting air traffic controllers in doing their jobs. With the Department of Transportation (DOT) pushing personnel to leave via two rounds of the Deferred Resignation Program — under which employees could elect to resign and receive pay until September 2025 — coupled with the federal hiring freeze, federal officials are leaving their jobs and it may be difficult for the FAA to attract new, qualified employees. Although the DOT assured Senators that key FAA safety staff were exempt from firings and the Deferred Resignation Program, the FAA has still not clarified whether it has the staff it needs to ensure the safety of the American public. Estimates from the DOT suggest that between 1,000 and 3,000 employees may leave the agency once the Deferred Resignation Program offers are finalized. According to an internal presentation to FAA management: “Employees are departing the agency in mass quantities across all skill levels.” Most recently, the Department of Transportation may now be able to move ahead with a large Reduction in Force after the Supreme Court’s recent ruling allowing federal agencies to move forward with staffing cuts consistent with existing federal law. This moment — after a tragic crash highlighted critical gaps in aviation safety — seems like precisely the wrong time for the FAA to aggressively shrink its workforce.
    Moreover, the FAA’s recent announcement that it is using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze its data — without explaining whether such AI tools are reliable or effective — provides little reassurance to the public. While we support the use of technology to improve how aviation safety data is used, the decision to rely on technological fixes while simultaneously moving ahead with staffing reductions is deeply worrisome. The FAA has not been transparent with Congress about the types of technology it is now using, whether those technologies are replacing, augmenting, or otherwise impacting the FAA workforce, or whether it requires human review of AI analyses before using any analysis in a safety-related decision. This reliance on technological fixes — without a transparent analysis of the FAA’s workforce levels and capacity— raises questions about the FAA’s commitment to prioritizing safety.
    If the FAA lacks the staff to identify safety risks before future incidents occur, Congress must be informed of this as soon as possible. At a recent Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Senators questioned FAA officials from the Office of Airports, the Office of Aviation Safety, and the Air Traffic Organization about the personnel reductions at their respective offices and whether their offices had conducted any analysis on the impact of these workforce cuts on aviation safety. Only the head of the FAA Office of Airports — which is charged with planning and developing a safe and efficient national airport system — responded that his Office had conducted such an analysis. Senators urged the FAA to turn over that analysis to the Committee, along with data on any workforce reductions, but to date it has not. It is essential that Congress have sufficient information to understand the impact of recent FAA personnel changes on aviation safety.
    To better understand the impact of FAA workforce reductions on aviation safety, please provide written responses to the following questions and requests for information by August 11, 2025:
    For each FAA line of business and its relevant suboffices, please provide the (a) number of employees employed as of January 1, 2025, (b) number of employees employed as of July 1, 2025, and (c) the current number of job openings.
    For each FAA line of business and its relevant suboffices, please indicate whether any of its job positions are currently subject to a hiring freeze as of January 20, 2025.
    Please provide the analysis conducted by the Office of Airports related to the impact of workforce cuts on its safety mission.
    Besides the Office of Airports, please explain if any other FAA line of business has conducted an analysis of the impact of workforce cuts on its ability to deliver its mission. If so, please provide those analyses.
    Please explain all relevant FAA lines of business and relevant suboffices charged with identifying aviation safety trends and possible safety risks affecting airport operations in congested airspace.
    What specific AI tools is the FAA using to analyze aviation safety impacts and flight data and how is this improving FAA’s analysis?
    Does the FAA have adequate staff, familiar with these tools, to manage this analysis and ensure the security of the data used and generated by AI?
    How were these AI tools selected? Please describe the specific testing or evaluation conducted in advance of the implementation of the tools and provide a copy of any reports or conclusions produced. If no testing or evaluation occurred, please explain why not.

    Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Best wishes to Pagent Queen Anouska

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Alderman Stephen Moutray was pleased to wish local lady Anouska Black all the very best as she headed to Florida USA to take part in the International United Ms.  competition.

    The Lord Mayor wished her well as she faced a grueling week long competition of interviews and catwalk shows and and whilst she did not bring the crown back to NorthernIreland we are all very proud of her successes.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Investing in China for a Win-Win Future Has Become a Broad Consensus Among Global Investors: China Foreign Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) — Investing in China for the future with mutual benefits has become a broad consensus among global investors, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Wednesday.

    Guo Jiakun pointed out that the Chinese side invites companies from all countries to participate in Chinese-style modernization, achieving more significant results and greater progress in the process of integration into high-quality development.

    A recent report released by the US-China Business Council shows that 82 percent of US companies in China will post a profit in 2024. While many companies said their biggest concerns were uncertainty in Sino-US relations and tariffs, the Chinese market remains vital to them.

    Commenting on this information, Guo Jiakun said that as of March 2025, 1.24 million foreign-invested companies had been established in China, with a total investment of nearly US$3 trillion.

    “By promoting China’s reform and opening up, these companies will enjoy broad growth opportunities and significant returns on investment,” the diplomat said, adding that statistics show that the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises in China has seen a double-digit increase in the first half of 2025.

    Guo Jiakun noted that the just-concluded 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo saw the number of participating countries and regions increase to 75, while the first such event saw only 55 countries and regions.

    The number of American participants increased by 15 percent compared to the previous exhibition, which allowed the United States to maintain its leadership among foreign exhibitors. Among the foreign companies represented, more than 65 percent are included in the Fortune Global 500 list or are industry leaders.

    “Foreign-invested enterprises are expressing their confidence in China’s economic prospects through their concrete actions,” Guo Jiakun emphasized.

    The diplomat added that the Chinese government recently introduced new measures to encourage foreign investment, demonstrating sincerity and determination in promoting high-level opening-up. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Newhouse To Host Telephone Town Hall

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

    Headline: Newhouse To Host Telephone Town Hall

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) will host a telephone town hall session next week to hear from constituents of Washington’s Fourth District.  

    WHEN: Monday, July 28, 5:30-7:00 PM PT.

    Any constituents interested in joining the session should RSVP here by 12:00 PM PT this Sunday, July 27. 

    Constituents will receive an automated phone call 10 minutes before the session begins with instructions on how to join and ask a question. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Asks Court to Place Los Angeles County Juvenile Halls in Receivership

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Seeks compensation fund for youth harmed in the County’s care during its noncompliance with the judgment secured by the Attorney General 

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that he is asking the Los Angeles County Superior Court to place Los Angeles County’s juvenile halls into a receivership amid the County’s persistent failure to comply with a stipulated judgment, enforcement order, and two stipulated amendments secured by the Attorney General’s Office since 2021. In the filing, the Attorney General argues that while it is a measure of last resort, receivership — or total control by an appointed officer of the court over the management and operations of the juvenile halls, including the setting of budgets; procurement of goods; hiring and firing of staff; and all other necessary decisions to bring the juvenile halls into compliance — is necessary to address the ongoing and immediate harm to youth at the facilities resulting from chronic illegal and unsafe conditions. In recent years, youth at these facilities have suffered severe harms, including overdoses on narcotics allowed to enter the facility, youth-on-youth violence facilitated by staff, and significant unmet medical needs — and will continue to do so if the juvenile halls remain under the County’s authority. Attorney General Bonta’s proposed receivership, if approved, would give a court-appointed receiver all the powers vested with the County, and additional powers as approved by the court necessary to bring about compliance, providing the receiver with the tools necessary to shepherd the juvenile halls toward long-overdue compliance with the judgment.

    “Today, for the first time in my office’s history, we are asking a court to place the subject of a pattern-and-practice investigation into receivership. This drastic step to divest Los Angeles County of control over its juvenile halls is a last resort — and the only option left to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the youth currently in its care,” said Attorney General Bonta. “For four-and-a-half years, we’ve moved aggressively to bring the County into compliance with our judgment — and we’ve been met with glacial progress that has too often looked like one step forward and two steps back. Enough is enough. These young people deserve better, and my office will not stop until they get it. A receivership is the best and only option to turn Los Angeles County juvenile halls around, and we believe the court will agree.”

    In January 2021, after an extensive investigation by the California Department of Justice into conditions at the County of Los Angeles’s juvenile halls, the Attorney General secured a comprehensive stipulated judgment aimed at remedying the unsafe and illegal conditions revealed by the investigation. Over the following years, the California Department of Justice has aggressively enforced compliance with this judgment, including (1) multiple motions approved by the court to enforce and strengthen the judgment; (2) an expansion of the monitoring team; (3) training from the monitoring team to the County; (4) numerous offers by the monitoring team to provide additional technical assistance to the County; (5) multiples directives from the Monitor that were not followed; and (6) the Attorney General’s extensive engagement with the County regarding areas of noncompliance, including noncompliance observed during site visits to the juvenile halls. 

    Despite continuous enforcement and monitoring, conditions at Los Angeles County juvenile halls have deteriorated and the County remains out of compliance with 75% of the provisions of the judgment. Persistent failures include adequate staffing of the juvenile halls; stemming the flow of drugs; preventing staff from instigating or encouraging youth-on-youth assaults; delivering youth to medical appointments; preventing retaliation against youth who file grievances; and ensuring cameras are installed in all areas and that video footage is reviewed, among other concerns.  

    Several particularly egregious incidents highlight the untenable and unsafe conditions at these facilities: First, in March 2025, Attorney General Bonta secured a grand jury indictment of 30 probation staff for child endangerment and abuse, battery, and conspiracy for permitting, facilitating, and encouraging 69 fights involving 143 different victims between July 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. Second, a number of overdoses have occurred at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in 2025, despite a court order mandating the County improve its contraband-screening protocols. At the same time, the Board of State and Community Corrections has issued findings of unsuitably for both Los Padrinos and Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility, and the juvenile division of the Los Angeles County Superior Court has ordered the County to depopulate Los Padrinos. 

    For all of these reasons, and the many more outlined in a filing today with the court, Attorney General Bonta is asking the court to place Los Angeles County juvenile halls in a receivership and in doing so, to transfer all authority and powers currently vested with the County to a court-appointed receiver. The filing explains that less-intensive interventions have repeatedly failed to bear fruit and that nothing about the County’s record to date suggest that giving the County more time to achieve compliance will result in anything but prolonging the unsuitability of conditions endured by youth in their care. 

    The Attorney General also asks that the court order the County to establish a compensation fund for youth to redress and repair the injuries suffered in the County’s custody due to its noncompliance with the judgment, including medical and education expenses.

    A copy of the filing, which is subject to approval by the court, is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Operation Grayskull Culminates in Lengthy Sentences for Managers of Dark Web Site Dedicated to Sexual Abuse of Children

    Source: US State of California

    Operation Grayskull Eradicated Four Dark Web Child Abuse Sites and Led to the Convictions of 18 Offenders to Date, Who Have Collectively Received More than 300 Years in Prison

    Today, the Justice Department announced the results of Operation Grayskull, a highly successful joint effort between the Department of Justice and the FBI that resulted in the dismantling of four dark web sites dedicated to images and videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). To date, the operation has led to the convictions of 18 offenders, including a Minnesota man who was sentenced yesterday to 250 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for his involvement with one of these dark web sites. He was also ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution.

    “Today’s announcement sends a clear warning to those who exploit and abuse children: you will not find safe haven, even on the dark web,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These offenders thought that they could act without consequences, but they were wrong.  Thanks to the relentless determination of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners we have exposed these perpetrators for who they are, eliminated their websites and brought justice to countless victims.”

    “This operation represents one of the most significant strikes ever made against online child exploitation networks,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We’ve not only dismantled dangerous platforms on the dark web, but we’ve also brought key perpetrators to justice and delivered a powerful message: you cannot hide behind anonymity to harm children.”

    “Yesterday’s sentencing reaffirms our steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us, from those who exploit and harm them through the despicable trade in child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Thomas Peter Katsampes and his co-conspirators ran some of the darkweb’s most heinous networks, enabling horrific crimes against innocent victims, but Operation Grayskull has shut these sites down and delivered justice. We applaud the FBI and our international partners for their tireless work, and let this be a clear warning: we will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone engaged in such atrocities, no matter how they attempt to cover their tracks.”

    Thomas Peter Katsampes, 52, of Eagan, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise and conspiracy to distribute child pornography on Feb. 27. According to court documents, Katsampes joined a dark web site dedicated to CSAM in 2022, advertised and distributed CSAM over the website, including CSAM depicting prepubescent children, and eventually worked his way up to a staff position on the web site, which, among other things, involved moderating the site, enforcing the site’s rules for posting CSAM, and advising the site’s users about how to post CSAM.

    In addition to Katsampes, eight individuals have been convicted and sentenced in the Southern District of Florida for their involvement in running the primary site targeted by Operation Grayskull.

    Defendant Residence Case Status
    Selwyn David Rosenstein Boynton Beach, Florida

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography, five counts of advertisement of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

    Sentenced on Dec. 12, 2022, to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay $80,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Matthew Branden Garrell Raleigh, North Carolina

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on Aug. 1, 2023, to 20 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $158,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Robert Preston Boyles Clarksville, Tennessee

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on Aug. 15, 2023, to 23 years and four months in prison and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Gregory Malcolm Good Silver Springs, Nevada

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on Aug. 22, 2023, to 25 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $93,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    William Michael Spearman Madison, Alabama

    Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.

    Sentenced on Jan. 23, 2024, to life in prison and ordered to pay $123,400 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Joseph Addison Martin Tahuya, Washington

    Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.

    Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 42 years in prison and ordered to pay $174,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Joseph Robert Stewart Milton, Washington

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 23 years and 9 months in prison and ordered to pay $19,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Keith David McIntosh Grand Rapids, Michigan

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography, both as a person with a prior conviction for possession of child pornography.

    Sentenced on Dec. 19, 2024, to 55 years in prison.

    The website’s leaders advertised and distributed CSAM, promulgated rules for the website, enforced the rules by banning or scolding users who violated them, held staff meetings, recruited members to serve as staff members, recommended users for promotion, edited and deleted user posts, praised individuals for participating in and contributing to the website, kept records of CSAM posts made by individual members, and paid for and maintained the website servers, among other things.

    Operation Grayskull resulted in the dismantling of a total of four sites dedicated to images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. These websites were some of the most egregious on the dark web, and they included sections specifically dedicated to infants and toddlers, as well as depictions of violence, sadism, and torture. The websites also contained detailed advice on how to avoid detection by law enforcement – for example, by using sophisticated technologies.

    In other judicial districts around the country, nine additional individuals have been convicted for their involvement with these websites, including the following:

    • Charles Hand, of Aberdeen, Maryland, was prosecuted in the District of Maryland and was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison;
    • Michael Ibarra, of Wenatchee, Washington, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Washington and was sentenced to 12 years in prison;
    • Clay Trimble, of Fordyce, Arkansas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Arkansas and was sentenced to 18 years in prison;
    • David Craig, of Houston, Texas, was prosecuted in the Southern District of Texas and was sentenced to nine years in prison;
    • Robert Rella of Chesapeake, Virginia, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia and was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison;
    • Samuel Hicks, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was prosecuted in the Northern District of Indiana and was sentenced to 16 years in prison;
    • Richard Smith of Dallas, Texas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Texas and was sentenced to 14 years in prison;
    • Patrick Harrison, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was prosecuted in the Western District of Michigan and was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison.
    • Thomas Gailus, of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and his sentencing is pending.

    Two other individuals in the United States died before being charged for their involvement with the websites. The operation also resulted in arrests in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Belgium, and South Africa.

    The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Miami Field Office, West Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the cases.

    Acting Deputy Chief Kyle P. Reynolds and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller of the Southern District of Florida coordinated the operation and prosecuted the defendants in the Southern District of Florida.

    Substantial assistance for the cases prosected in the Southern District of Florida was provided by FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies in Huntsville, Alabama; Reno, Nevada; Clarksville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; Madison, Wisconsin; Tacoma, Washington; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Minneapolis, Minnesota; CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Alabama, District of Nevada, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of Wisconsin, Western District of Washington, Western District of Michigan, and District of Minnesota.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation Grayskull Culminates in Lengthy Sentences for Managers of Dark Web Site Dedicated to Sexual Abuse of Children

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    Operation Grayskull Eradicated Four Dark Web Child Abuse Sites and Led to the Convictions of 18 Offenders to Date, Who Have Collectively Received More than 300 Years in Prison

    Today, the Justice Department announced the results of Operation Grayskull, a highly successful joint effort between the Department of Justice and the FBI that resulted in the dismantling of four dark web sites dedicated to images and videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). To date, the operation has led to the convictions of 18 offenders, including a Minnesota man who was sentenced yesterday to 250 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for his involvement with one of these dark web sites. He was also ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution.

    “Today’s announcement sends a clear warning to those who exploit and abuse children: you will not find safe haven, even on the dark web,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These offenders thought that they could act without consequences, but they were wrong.  Thanks to the relentless determination of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners we have exposed these perpetrators for who they are, eliminated their websites and brought justice to countless victims.”

    “This operation represents one of the most significant strikes ever made against online child exploitation networks,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We’ve not only dismantled dangerous platforms on the dark web, but we’ve also brought key perpetrators to justice and delivered a powerful message: you cannot hide behind anonymity to harm children.”

    “Yesterday’s sentencing reaffirms our steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us, from those who exploit and harm them through the despicable trade in child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Thomas Peter Katsampes and his co-conspirators ran some of the darkweb’s most heinous networks, enabling horrific crimes against innocent victims, but Operation Grayskull has shut these sites down and delivered justice. We applaud the FBI and our international partners for their tireless work, and let this be a clear warning: we will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone engaged in such atrocities, no matter how they attempt to cover their tracks.”

    Thomas Peter Katsampes, 52, of Eagan, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise and conspiracy to distribute child pornography on Feb. 27. According to court documents, Katsampes joined a dark web site dedicated to CSAM in 2022, advertised and distributed CSAM over the website, including CSAM depicting prepubescent children, and eventually worked his way up to a staff position on the web site, which, among other things, involved moderating the site, enforcing the site’s rules for posting CSAM, and advising the site’s users about how to post CSAM.

    In addition to Katsampes, eight individuals have been convicted and sentenced in the Southern District of Florida for their involvement in running the primary site targeted by Operation Grayskull.

    Defendant Residence Case Status
    Selwyn David Rosenstein Boynton Beach, Florida

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography, five counts of advertisement of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

    Sentenced on Dec. 12, 2022, to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay $80,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Matthew Branden Garrell Raleigh, North Carolina

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on Aug. 1, 2023, to 20 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $158,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Robert Preston Boyles Clarksville, Tennessee

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on Aug. 15, 2023, to 23 years and four months in prison and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Gregory Malcolm Good Silver Springs, Nevada

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on Aug. 22, 2023, to 25 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $93,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    William Michael Spearman Madison, Alabama

    Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.

    Sentenced on Jan. 23, 2024, to life in prison and ordered to pay $123,400 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Joseph Addison Martin Tahuya, Washington

    Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.

    Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 42 years in prison and ordered to pay $174,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Joseph Robert Stewart Milton, Washington

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 23 years and 9 months in prison and ordered to pay $19,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Keith David McIntosh Grand Rapids, Michigan

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography, both as a person with a prior conviction for possession of child pornography.

    Sentenced on Dec. 19, 2024, to 55 years in prison.

    The website’s leaders advertised and distributed CSAM, promulgated rules for the website, enforced the rules by banning or scolding users who violated them, held staff meetings, recruited members to serve as staff members, recommended users for promotion, edited and deleted user posts, praised individuals for participating in and contributing to the website, kept records of CSAM posts made by individual members, and paid for and maintained the website servers, among other things.

    Operation Grayskull resulted in the dismantling of a total of four sites dedicated to images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. These websites were some of the most egregious on the dark web, and they included sections specifically dedicated to infants and toddlers, as well as depictions of violence, sadism, and torture. The websites also contained detailed advice on how to avoid detection by law enforcement – for example, by using sophisticated technologies.

    In other judicial districts around the country, nine additional individuals have been convicted for their involvement with these websites, including the following:

    • Charles Hand, of Aberdeen, Maryland, was prosecuted in the District of Maryland and was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison;
    • Michael Ibarra, of Wenatchee, Washington, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Washington and was sentenced to 12 years in prison;
    • Clay Trimble, of Fordyce, Arkansas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Arkansas and was sentenced to 18 years in prison;
    • David Craig, of Houston, Texas, was prosecuted in the Southern District of Texas and was sentenced to nine years in prison;
    • Robert Rella of Chesapeake, Virginia, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia and was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison;
    • Samuel Hicks, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was prosecuted in the Northern District of Indiana and was sentenced to 16 years in prison;
    • Richard Smith of Dallas, Texas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Texas and was sentenced to 14 years in prison;
    • Patrick Harrison, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was prosecuted in the Western District of Michigan and was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison.
    • Thomas Gailus, of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and his sentencing is pending.

    Two other individuals in the United States died before being charged for their involvement with the websites. The operation also resulted in arrests in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Belgium, and South Africa.

    The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Miami Field Office, West Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the cases.

    Acting Deputy Chief Kyle P. Reynolds and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller of the Southern District of Florida coordinated the operation and prosecuted the defendants in the Southern District of Florida.

    Substantial assistance for the cases prosected in the Southern District of Florida was provided by FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies in Huntsville, Alabama; Reno, Nevada; Clarksville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; Madison, Wisconsin; Tacoma, Washington; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Minneapolis, Minnesota; CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Alabama, District of Nevada, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of Wisconsin, Western District of Washington, Western District of Michigan, and District of Minnesota.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts, King Introduce the CARING for Our Veterans Health Act of 2025

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Angus King (I-ME) introduced the Coordinating and Aligning Records to Improve and Normalize Governance (CARING) for Our Veterans Health Act of 2025.  The CARING for Our Veterans Health Act of 2025 would require the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement guidelines to ensure tracking of medical documentation after a veteran receives care from a community provider, while measuring the performance of obtaining community care records.  This would enable the Office of Integrated Veteran Care to provide veterans with the standard of care they need and deserve.
    “Our veterans deserve our utmost respect and gratitude,” said Ricketts.  “In order to ensure our veterans receive the best standard of care, it is important that their medical history is shared and available for VA medical centers following care in the community. This bill will help establish guidelines and procedures for VA medical facilities to obtain medical documentation from community care providers.”
    “Veterans in Maine and across the country have sacrificed greatly in service to the nation and it is our job to now return the favor,” said Senator King. “The CARING for Our Veterans Health Act of 2025would ensure that veterans have access to the best care by improving information-sharing between community care providers and VA medical centers to reduce the chances of important details falling through the cracks. I am grateful to my colleague, Senator Ricketts, for working with me on this important legislation putting veterans first.”
    The CARING for Our Veterans Health Act of 2025 would require that the Office of Integrated Veteran Care supervised by the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs:
    Develops guidance for the efforts of medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs in obtaining final medical documentation after a veteran receives services from a community care provider pursuant to a referral from that medical center;
    Establishes goals and related performance measures for medical centers of the Department in obtaining initial and final medical documentation from community care providers;
    Establishes and monitors goals and related performance measures for the completion by such providers of core trainings and ensures that such providers complete the required training course; and
    Takes steps to ensure that the Office of Integrated Veteran Care and any contractor for that Office communicate clear and accurate information to such providers regarding the core trainings recommended or required by that Office, including whether such training is recommended or required.
    This legislation is supported by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA).
    BACKGROUND:
    Nearly 75% of veterans return to medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for continued care after receiving services from community providers, making the exchange of medical documentation between providers essential to ensuring continuity of care.  The Office of Integrated Veteran Care of the Veterans Health Administration currently lacks systemwide visibility into whether medical documentation from community providers is being received, jeopardizing oversight and clinical coordination.
    As reliance on community care for veterans continues to grow, establishing clear expectations for tracking final documentation and creating monitoring goals and performance measures will enable the Office of Integrated Veteran Care to identify gaps and strengthen the systemwide exchange of information.
    Bill text can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tonko, Fitzpatrick, Smith Introduce Bill to Expand Access to Mental Health Services

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

    WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY-20) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), and U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) today reintroduced the Medicaid Bump Act, legislation that would increase the federal reimbursement rate for mental and behavioral health care services under Medicaid.

    “As the largest payer for mental health and substance use treatment, Medicaid is essential to behavioral health care,” Congressman Tonko said. “The massive cuts to Medicaid made in President Trump’s Big Ugly Law will leave countless Americans without access to the lifesaving, affordable care, but we must do all we can as legislators to stem the harm caused by this cruel legislation and work to deliver meaningful federal resources for mental health services. That’s why we’re introducing this bipartisan, commonsense legislation. I hope my colleagues will join me in helping remove these barriers in behavioral health treatment and ensure our communities are delivered affordable, quality care.”

    “As Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, I’m working directly with community providers, health systems, and local leaders to identify the structural barriers limiting access to care. This initiative is a direct result of those conversations—delivering targeted federal support to expand state investment, raise provider reimbursement, and build capacity in the areas that need it most. It’s a data-driven response to a national crisis, and Congress must act,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick.

    “The best way to combat the mental health crisis in America is by offering comprehensive, affordable mental health services for those who need it,” said Senator Tina Smith. “The Medicaid Bump Act helps more Americans access this life-changing care by expanding state-level coverage and ensuring providers are appropriately compensated. This way, we can start addressing the stigma around mental health and the gross inequities in our medical system.”

    Traditionally, states receive federal reimbursement rates between 50 and 75 percent. Under the Medicaid Bump Act, Medicaid would reimburse states for 90 percent of the cost of providing new mental and behavioral health services. Further, the bill would:

    • Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to define which services qualify as eligible behavioral health services for the enhanced FMAP.
    • Require HHS to provide annual reports on the impact of increased federal Medicaid reimbursement on the utilization of behavioral health services in each state.

    The Medicaid Bump Act is supported by 34 organizations, including: Alliance for Rights and Recovery, American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Mental Health Counselor Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association Services, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Anxiety & Depression Association of America, Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Community Catalyst, Faces and Voices of Recovery, Friends of Recovery- New York, Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice, Huntington’s Disease Society of America, Inseparable, International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses, Legal Action Center, Mental Health America, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association for Behavioral Healthcare, National Association for Rural Mental Health, National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers, National Board for Certified Counselors & Affiliates, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, National Federation of Families, National League for Nursing, The National Register of Health Service Psychologists, Overdose Prevention Initiative, Treatment Communities of America, and Youth Villages

    Text of the bill can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LEADER JEFFRIES: “THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

    Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference with Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar ahead of the August District Work Period where they highlighted the commitment of House Democrats to delivering for the American people, while Donald Trump and Rubber Stamp Republicans celebrate their devastating cuts to healthcare and food assistance.

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Good morning, everyone. Honored to be joined today by Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar as we prepare to depart for the August District Work Period. The Trump administration and House Republicans have been a complete and total failure. These MAGA extremists promised they were going to lower costs in the United States of America. In fact, they promised the American people that costs would go down on day one. But costs haven’t gone down. They are on the way up. Inflation is up. It’s the quality of life of everyday Americans that is deteriorating. And Donald Trump and House Republicans are making things worse.

    The One Big Ugly Bill will rip away healthcare from millions of Americans. Hospitals will close. Nursing homes will shut down. Community-based health clinics will be unable to operate. And as a result of the inability of everyday Americans to get the medical care that they need, people will die. This is a direct result of action taken by Donald Trump and House Republicans connected to the One Big Ugly Bill. It’s extraordinary that as we prepare to leave for the August District Work Period, what House Republicans can point to is a toxic and extreme Republican budget that will cause millions of Americans to be broke, sick and hungry. That’s the legislative accomplishment of House Republicans. And all of this was done to reward billionaires with massive tax breaks.

    The One Big Ugly Bill is deeply unpopular. Donald Trump is deeply unpopular. And House Republicans haven’t done a damn thing to make life more affordable for the American people. During the August District Work Period, House Democrats will hold events all across the country talking about our efforts to build an affordable economy that lowers the high cost of living in the United States of America, to protect the healthcare of the American people and to combat the cultural corruption that exists in this town that undermines the ability to have a government of the people, by the people and for the people. We’re looking forward to holding town hall meetings across the country, at the same time that Republicans will continue to run away from town hall meetings. But we will fill the void that they are leaving and engage aggressively with the American people, all in service of building a country where everyone can experience the American dream.

    Full press conference can be watched here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Nadler and Rep. Bacon Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Organ Donors

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

    Today, Representatives Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) and Don Bacon (NE-02) reintroduced the Living Donor Protection Act bill package to protect the rights of living organ donors. The Living Donor Protection Act is introduced as a two-bill package in the House, H.R. 4583, the Living Donor Protection Act and H.R.4582, the Living Donor FMLA Protection Act. The bills, taken together, are identical to last session’s Living Donor Protection Act and S.1552 introduced in the Senate this session.

    “Every year, thousands of Americans die while waiting on an organ transplant, yet potential organ donors still face barriers that punish them for trying to selflessly save a life. Insurance discrimination and the threat of job loss can make it economically impossible for potential donors to move forward with donation and these roadblocks are costing lives,” said Representative Nadler. “Congress must do everything in its power to remove deterrents to organ donation, which is why Congress must pass the Living Donor Protection Act bill package.”

    “Our state is fortunate to have Nebraska Medicine, which has a robust living donor kidney exchange program, performing more kidney chains which involves anonymous donors donating to someone without a compatible living donor, than almost any hospital nationwide. However, some living donors are discriminated against when it comes to rates and provision of life insurance and disability insurance,” said Representative Bacon. “This legislation will help open the doors to more living donors so we can save more lives.”

    Organ donation saves thousands of lives every year, but burdensome roadblocks often stop individuals from becoming living donors. The Living Donor Protection Act bill package would protect living organ donors and promote organ donation in three easy, low-cost ways: 

    1. Prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying or limiting coverage and from charging higher premiums based only on donor status;
    2. Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to specifically allow private and civil service employees to use FMLA leave to recover from donation surgery; and
    3. Directs HHS to update their materials on live organ donation to reflect these new protections and encourage more individuals to consider donating an organ.

    Currently, there are over 103,000 people on the national transplant waiting list, with almost 90,000 people on the kidney transplant list. The average wait time for a kidney transplant is about three to five years, and during that time, many patients become too sick to receive a transplant or die—13 people die each year waiting for an organ transplant. Receiving an organ from a living donor can shorten this wait time and ultimately allow the best chance for long-term success. Unfortunately, studies have found that up to one in four living donors report discrimination in the rates and provision of life insurance and disability insurance, and they can struggle to receive time off from work to complete their donation and recovery. Reducing barriers to living organ donation and educating potential donors on the protections provided to them under law will help to promote living organ donation and save the lives of those waiting for a transplant.

    The Living Donor Protection Act is endorsed by Alport Syndrome Foundation, American Association of Kidney Patients, American Council of Life Insurers, American Heart Association, American Kidney Fund, American Liver Foundation, American Nephrology Nurses Association, American Society of Nephrology, American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, American Society of Transplant Surgeons, American Society of Transplantation, Dialysis Patient Citizens, Global Liver Institute, IGA Nephropathy Foundation, International Society of Glomerular Disease, Kidney Transplant Collaborative, National Kidney Foundation, NephCure, the Nonprofit Kidney Care Alliance (NKCA), North American Transplant Coordinators Organization, Northwest Kidney Centers, the PKD Foundation, the Rogosin Institute, Sanofi, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO), and Renal Physicians Association.

    “On behalf of all kidney patients, organ donors and American taxpayers, the American Association of Kidney Patients salutes U.S. Senators Tom Cotton and Kristen Gillibrand and U.S. Representatives Don Bacon and Jerrold Nadler for introducing the bipartisan Living Donor Protection Act so that living organ donors will no longer face the Hobbesian choice of saving an innocent human life at the risk of losing insurance coverages that provide economic security and peace of mind to their families and loved ones. The time is now for America to transcend high-cost, high-mortality dialysis care as the default solution for people living with kidney failure and to encourage greater living organ donation and greater transplant opportunities for all Americans in need of a life-saving organ,” said Edward V. Hickey, III, President, American Association of Kidney Patients.

    “Life insurers are committed to helping people access the financial protection they want and need for themselves and their families. The Living Donor Protection Act will help ensure that organ donors can continue to access life, disability income, or long-term care coverage, while upholding fair underwriting standards. Most importantly, it will safeguard those who selflessly give the gift of life through organ donation,” said David Chavern, President and CEO, American Council of Life Insurers.

    “The selfless individuals who give the gift of life by donating a kidney should not face discrimination by life, long-term care, or disability insurers. This legislation would be a significant step in efforts to encourage more living donors and reduce the kidney transplant waiting list by providing the protections that living donors should receive for their lifesaving actions,” said LaVarne Burton, President and CEO, American Kidney Fund. 

    “No child or adult should die waiting for a liver transplant. We must work together to increase living organ donation, and the Living Donor Protection Act provides a tangible path forward by removing key barriers for those willing to give the gift of life. We are so grateful to Representatives Bacon and Nadler for their extraordinary leadership and commitment to advancing living donor transplantation, which will help thousands of liver patients throughout the country,” said Lorraine Stiehl, CEO, American Liver Foundation and caregiver to a transplant patient. 

    “ASN commends the re-introduction of the Living Donor Protection Act and accompanying Living Donor FMLA Protection Act, critical legislation which will remove barriers that discourage living donors from providing the life-saving gift of a kidney transplant. Americans who are considering becoming living donors deserve more support than the current system provides for them, and ASN believes the Living Donor Protection Act and accompanying Living Donor FMLA Protection Act are critical to achieve this goal,” said Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, MD, PhD, FASN, President, American Society of Nephrology President.

    “On behalf of the American Society of Transplantation (AST), representing a majority of the nation’s transplant medical professionals, our Society strongly applauds and endorses the re-introduction of the Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA). AST is grateful for the ongoing and steadfast leadership of Representatives Bacon, Nadler and Senators Cotton and Gillibrand to protect transplant patients and strengthen living donation. The LDPA is a patient-focused bill seeking to remove policy barriers that might otherwise prevent an individual from providing a lifesaving donor organ. AST greatly appreciates this bipartisan, bicameral, and patient centric legislation. We look forward to working with you to advance the LDPA in this 119th Congress,” said Dr. Jon Kobashigawa, MD, President, American Society of Transplantation. 

    “On behalf of more than 2,000 transplant surgeons and professionals, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) enthusiastically commends the champions of the Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA) for their unwavering commitment to saving lives. As a tireless advocate for this legislation since its inception—and a proud partner in shaping its recent progress—ASTS is thrilled to see the momentum continue following the bill’s strong bipartisan support in the 118th Congress. With a preliminary CBO score of zero, there is no better time for Congress to act. Passing the LDPA will provide vital, commonsense protections for living donors and remove unnecessary employment and insurance barriers to giving the ultimate gift: the gift of life,” said Ginny L. Bumgardner, MD, PhD, American Society of Transplant Surgeons.  

    “Global Liver Institute strongly supports the Living Donor Protection Act as an essential step to save lives by making the donation process affordable for living donors and protecting their employment. This bipartisan legislation was a collaborative effort, reflecting the policies determined most important to support living donors as determined by organ donors, liver and kidney patients, the insurance industry, transplant professionals, nephrologists, advocacy organizations and disease professionals. We look forward to its final passage in the 119th Congress,” said Larry Holden, President and CEO, Global Liver Institute.  

    “Living donors are heroes demonstrating compassion and generosity, and they are also rigorously screened individuals at the peak of health. Our family, friends and neighbors who choose to give the gift of a kidney enable thousands of Americans per year to resume a life where they can fully contribute to society, the economy, and their families rather than being limited by the life-support stopgap of dialysis. The ISGD enthusiastically endorses the Living Donor Protection Act,” said Laurel Damashek, Executive Director, International Society of Glomerular Disease and living donor kidney transplant recipient. 

    “We applaud Representatives Bacon and Nadler for their continued leadership on the Living Donor Protection Act. Taking this new approach of splitting the bill to ensure a smoother passage is an appropriate and needed step. These bills are a bipartisan approach to address the national organ shortage crisis, remove barriers to transplantation and recognize the courage and generosity of those who choose to save lives through donation. We urge Congress to pass this legislation quickly,” said Kevin Longino, CEO, National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant recipient.

    “As nonprofit dialysis providers, kidney transplant is an ideal outcome for many of our patients and legislation to protect and support living donors is critical to our patient-centered mission,” said Monica Massaro, Executive Director, Nonprofit Kidney Care Alliance.

    “Polycystic kidney disease currently has no cure, and for many of the 600,000 patients living in the US, organ transplantation becomes their best path forward when kidney function declines. Living donors don’t just extend lives—they reduce strain on our health care system and save taxpayer money by helping patients avoid dialysis. Yet needless barriers disincentivize many from stepping up to help. The Living Donor Protection Act is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that will ensure living donors are protected, not penalized, for their generosity,” said Susan Bushnell, President and CEO, Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation.

    “As a pioneer in transplantation since performing New York State’s first living donor kidney transplant in 1963, The Rogosin Institute believes that kidney transplantation is the ideal treatment for patients with end-stage kidney disease. We are proud to wholeheartedly endorse all components of the Living Donor Protection Act.  Importantly, the Act will remove barriers to donation such as insurance uncertainty and financial insecurity. Rogosin extends our thanks to the bipartisan members of Congress supporting this critical legislation. We thank Congressmen Bacon and Nadler for championing the Living Donor Protection Act,” said The Rogosin Institute.

    “Living organ donors save people’s lives and should be able to give the gift of life without fear of insurance discrimination or financial retribution, especially as they recover from surgery. The Living Donor Protection Act rightfully protects these selfless individuals from this. Thank you, Sens. Cotton and Gillibrand and Reps. Bacon and Nadler for your bipartisan leadership and for standing up for living organ donors,” said Maureen McBride, Ph.D., CEO, United Network for Organ Sharing.

    The text of the bills can be found here and here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: William Briggs Sworn in as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON — Today, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate on July 9, 2025, William (Bill) Briggs was sworn in as the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration at the SBA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

    “I’m pleased to welcome Deputy Administrator Bill Briggs to the SBA as part of an incredible leadership team that is hard at work delivering results for America’s job creators,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With a strong record of service at the agency and in the private sector, Bill will be a tremendous asset as we work to restore the SBA as an engine for opportunity and economic growth – and advance President Trump’s agenda that will Make Main Street Great Again.”

    “It’s an honor to be back at the SBA and to continue my work serving America’s small businesses,” said SBA Deputy Administrator Bill Briggs. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Administrator Loeffler, our job creators are poised for a historic era of growth, innovation and prosperity. I’m excited to deliver that comeback to Main Streets across America – by empowering them with the capital, counseling, and contracting opportunities to thrive.”

    Briggs previously served as Acting Associate Administrator for SBA’s Office of Capital Access during the first Trump Administration, where he played a leading role in the development and implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Texas native and small business owner, Briggs brings over two decades of private sector experience to the role.

    # # #

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reflections on the CALL/ACBD Conference

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    The following is a guest post by Alexander Salopek, a collection development specialist in the Collection Services Division of the Law Library of Congress. He previously wrote posts on Fred Korematsu’s Drive for Justice, Fred Korematsu Winning Justice, Frances Glessner Lee and the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, Ibrahim Muteferrika, First Muslim Printer of the Ottoman Empire, and The Coroner’s Court, Westminster, London: Pic of the Week, among others.

    This Memorial Day weekend, I attended the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) conference in Calgary, Canada. Given my background as primarily a U.S. law librarian with most of my formal collection work being done at the U.S. Supreme Court, it was a boon to be able to learn about law librarianship in a different country. I was both lucky and a little unlucky – since the Canadian legal system is in English, although there is a French version of everything too. It is a common law country with a civil law jurisdiction as well. For any U.S. residents who are familiar with law in Louisiana, it is a civil law jurisdiction like Quebec; however, that similarity does not mean that Canada’s legal system is just like the United States. Nothing I understand about the U.S. legal system can be transferred to my understanding of the Canadian legal system without research and engagement in understanding the differences and similarities. It is fascinating that all criminal law is the same everywhere in Canada, even though civil law is different in each provincial jurisdiction.

    Oh, Canada! [Canadian flag] by Flickr user Gavin St. Ours (Sept. 19, 2008) used under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) , https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.

    Another fact of Canadian law that I find so incredibly reasonable, but never thought about before this conference, is how much history affects how and what laws are passed, and the differences that exist between U.S. and Canadian law. Every time a law was discussed during the conference, the context of when it was passed was also discussed. Seeing how the law in Canada dealt with the problems Canadians were facing helped me realize that U.S. laws also deal with the problems the U.S. and the individual states are facing, and particularly their attempts to solve those problems. I have always been deeply interested in how the facts of a case relate to its outcome and to what lesser extent facts lead to legislation being passed. Travelling to a different country and learning how they view their laws and their history for themselves was a huge revelation for me. This view made it clear why robust foreign and comparative legal collections need to be maintained here in the U.S. to support such research and learning. I left the conference feeling that with hard work and determination, and historic moments in mind, one can interpret and compare the laws in any jurisdiction.

    CALL Attendance badge, May 2025. [photo by Alexander Salopek]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor secures additional federal flooding assistance – Federal resources and funding available for Lincoln County response   

    Source: US State of New Mexico

    SANTA FE – The state of New Mexico today announced that the federal government has issued a Major Disaster Declaration for New Mexico communities damaged by flooding, unlocking federal funds to support response and recovery efforts in Lincoln County. 

    “This federal declaration delivers the action we sought for a community that has shown incredible resilience through repeated disasters.” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “The people of Lincoln County deserve every resource we can provide, and we will continue working until every family and business in New Mexico has fully recovered.”  

    The declaration will make financial assistance available to individuals, households and businesses in Lincoln County with losses or damage caused by the flooding on July 8. Residents can apply for assistance online at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. MST.  

    The declaration also approves funding for emergency work and debris removal for Lincoln County. This will come in the form of reimbursement for 75 percent of costs for response operations, emergency work, and debris removal from public property.  

    The state continues to push for additional federal resources for permanent repairs to public infrastructure and to add more counties including Chaves, Otero and Valencia counties.   

    A state Disaster Recovery Center is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the ENMU-Ruidoso Annex, 709 Mecham Dr., Ruidoso, N.M. 88345. State disaster case managers are on site, along with representatives from state agencies who can help with FEMA assistance applications, document replacement, insurance questions and other resources. Residents may also call the State Disaster Helpline at 1-833- 663-4736 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or visit the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s website for additional information.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Safeguarding Lake Champlain with Wastewater Upgrades

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Hochul today announced the completion of a critical $3.1 million wastewater infrastructure improvement project in the Town of Westport, Essex County. The improvements not only protect public health and the environment but also help preserve Lake Champlain’s role as a vital driver of the local tourism economy. State, federal, and local investments are minimizing the financial impact of this critical project on local ratepayers.

    “Every New Yorker deserves access to affordable clean water and reliable infrastructure,” Governor Hochul said. “This investment in Westport is a win for families, local businesses, and the millions who visit Lake Champlain each year. By making critical upgrades affordable for small communities, we’re protecting public health, supporting a vital tourism economy and building a more sustainable future for the Adirondacks, North Country and beyond.”

    Project Overview

    The project focused on rehabilitating Sewer District No. 1 to address critical infrastructure needs. Deteriorated pipes and manholes had allowed excessive stormwater and groundwater to infiltrate the wastewater collection system. This excess flow strained the wastewater treatment plant and threatened the local watershed.

    By lining and replacing deteriorated gravity sewers and manholes, the town achieved a substantial reduction in key areas of the district; the town has substantially reduced inflow and infiltration. This crucial improvement significantly enhances the reliability and resiliency of its wastewater treatment operations, ensuring long-term compliance with state environmental regulations, and directly contributing to improved water quality in Lake Champlain, a vital regional resource.

    Funding Breakdown

    To help Westport affordably undertake this project, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation provided a grant, and the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation provided a grant and interest-free financing package:

    • $1.9 million Water Quality Improvement Project grant
    • $100,000 Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant to jumpstart the project. Planning grants set the framework to advance fiscally sound and well-designed projects to construction by supporting completion of an approvable engineering report for the project
    • $309,000 Water Infrastructure Improvement grant
    • $928,000 interest-free hardship financing from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund

    The financial assistance provided to Westport through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund is projected to save local ratepayers over $1.3 million in debt service compared to traditional financing. In the short-term, loans subsidized through the State Revolving Funds can save communities as much as 75 percent in interest payments compared to borrowing in the municipal bond market.

    In the long-term, State Revolving Fund loan repayments to EFC create a self-sustaining source of recurring revenue to meet the never-ending need to rehabilitate, replace and modernize aging infrastructure in the State. The State Revolving Funds are New York’s primary financial mechanism for advancing its clean water goals, delivering over $1 billion annually to communities statewide. Combined with targeted State grants, the State Revolving Funds are part of New York’s broader strategy to maximize the impact of infrastructure dollars, ensuring every region benefits from cleaner water, safer systems, and long-term sustainability.

    Fully funded State Revolving Funds are necessary for New York to be prepared to meet the never-ending need for communities to repair, rehabilitate and modernize aging infrastructure in the future. Access to affordable financing increases investment in water infrastructure, which can prevent costly catastrophic system failures and alleviate pressure on utilities to raise rates, providing relief to many families already struggling to pay their water bills.

    Investing in the Adirondacks

    This project is part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s comprehensive affordability and clean water agenda to help ensure communities statewide have access to safe and sustainable water systems. The State allocated 22 percent of its financial assistance through the State Revolving Funds to Adirondack communities this year, totaling $263 million. In the past decade, EFC has awarded $623 million in financing and State and federal grants to projects in the Blue Line. This amount includes $316 million in State Water Infrastructure Improvement grants, reinforcing the State’s commitment to helping small, rural communities affordably invest in water infrastructure. These strategic investments are helping to modernize aging systems, safeguard natural resources, and reduce the financial burden on rural ratepayers.

    In the last 10 years, DEC funded 76 projects in the Adirondacks through WQIP alone, totaling more than $71 million to upgrade critical water and sewer infrastructure and protect water quality and the environment. At least $75 million is currently available through DEC’s WQIP program and up to $3 million is available through DEC’s Non-Agriculture Nonpoint Source Planning and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Mapping Grant (NPG) program.

    Applications for these grants are available through the New York State’s Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) through July 31, 2025, at 4 p.m.

    Supporting Small and Rural Communities

    Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, EFC is currently accepting applications for $325 million in grants, including enhanced awards for sewer projects in small and rural communities. Even with substantial state support for water infrastructure, many small municipalities still face financial barriers. To address this, Governor Hochul once again directed EFC to double grants from 25 percent to 50 percent of the net eligible project costs for small struggling communities. This enhanced funding will significantly reduce the financial impact on local ratepayers.

    EFC’s Community Assistance Teams are available to help local governments complete funding applications and encourage communities to reach out to receive help in addressing their local water infrastructure needs. This targeted outreach helps ensure that small, rural communities can successfully compete for funding and implement urgently needed projects.

    EFC President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman said, “Modern, reliable wastewater systems are essential to community health and environmental protection. EFC is pleased to support the Town of Westport’s strategic investments in its water infrastructure, making this project affordable for ratepayers and ensuring that Lake Champlain continues to thrive as both an ecological asset and a cornerstone of the local tourism economy.”

    DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is making record investments to enhance water quality in Lake Champlain and in communities throughout the state. Overhauling Westport’s aging infrastructure and updating wastewater treatment operations reduce pollution and phosphorus that impairs Lake Champlain, threatens drinking water, and contributes to harmful algal blooms. DEC looks forward to continuing to make these essential investments to reduce the financial burden on New Yorkers, safeguard drinking water, and ensure our natural resources are well protected.”

    Senator Charlies Schumer said, “Lake Champlain is a crown jewel of the North Country and boosts our local tourism economy. I’m proud to have delivered nearly $1 million in federal funding to modernize the Town of Westport’s wastewater system. This upgrade will help keep Lake Champlain clean by cleaning up the gravity sewers and manholes, preserving the lake’s crucial role for tourism in the North Country – all while creating good-paying jobs, jobs, jobs. I’m grateful for Governor Hochul’s partnership in the fight to turn the tide on our state’s aging water sewer infrastructure to keep our communities economically safe, healthy and vibrant.”

    Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “The health and safety of our communities is dependent on access to safe and reliable water infrastructure. Far too many across the country lack access to the functional and efficient water systems they need, and I am proud that this project will help protect the welfare of Westport families and the millions who visit Lake Champlain every year. I will continue fighting in the Senate to bring home more funding to modernize our aging infrastructure so that all New Yorkers have access to the clean and efficient water systems they deserve.

    Town of Westport Supervisor Michael “Ike” Tyler said, “This project was essential for our community. With State support, we were able to take on a critical infrastructure challenge in a way that was financially responsible for our residents. These upgrades will protect our residents, our environment, and the lake we all depend on.”

    Essex County Chairman Shaun Gillilland said, “This project is a showcase example of teamwork at all levels of New York and local government to combat and alleviate the most challenging stresses on rural infrastructure; namely modernizing and improving older public wastewater systems to ensure they improve and not deteriorate our natural water resources and drinking water.”

    New York’s Commitment to Water Quality
    New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure. The next round of EFC’s Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grants is now open at www.efc.ny.gov. This round reflects New York’s continued leadership in investing in affordable, community-driven clean water solutions.

    With $500 million allocated for clean water infrastructure in the FY26 Enacted Budget announced by Governor Hochul, New York will have invested a total of $6 billion in water infrastructure since 2017. Any community needing assistance with water infrastructure projects is encouraged to contact EFC. New Yorkers can track projects benefiting from EFC’s investments using the interactive project impact dashboard.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hearing Wrap Up: Congress Must Act to Advance Nuclear Energy

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Eric Burlison (R-Missouri 7th District)

    WASHINGTON—The Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs today held a hearing titled “The New Atomic Age: Advancing America’s Energy Future.” During the hearing, members heard from witnesses about the advent of small and micro modular nuclear reactors and how their development and deployment will advance the use of safe, clean and reliable nuclear energy in the United States. Members emphasized the importance of expanding nuclear energy because of its efficiency and low cost compared to other energy sources.  

    Click here to watch the hearing. 

    Key Takeaways:

    Small and micro modular reactors (SMRs and MMRs) promise to redefine the future of U.S. electricity generation through increases in safe, affordable and accessible nuclear energy. Government overregulation, however, has been holding back the development and deployment of these reactors.  

    • Alex Epstein, President and Founder of the Center for Industrial Progress, stated in his opening testimony that “Whenever we talk about abundant nuclear energy, including SMRs, we need to recognize that the first step is for government to stop doing the immense harm it’s actively doing. And this harm is harm that probably gutted nuclear’s potential for decades. It’s important to recognize that in the 70s, clean, safe nuclear power – and it was very safe, it was the safest form of energy in history, even back then, -became affordable and it quickly grew to 20 percent of American electrical power with the potential to get far more affordable and plentiful. But crushing irrational regulation, including the way the N[uclear] R[egulatory] C[omission] was set up, made nuclear expensive or impossible to build.”

    Supply-chain issues and cultural misconceptions of nuclear energy adversely affect its propagation in the U.S.

    • Joshua Smith, Energy Policy Lead at the Abundance Institute, stated in his opening testimony that “For decades, American engineers built nuclear swiftly, cheaply, and safely…Nuclear’s struggles today aren’t inherent to the technology. They’re the product of outdated, unfit, and counterproductive regulations. Major barriers include [As Low and Reasonably Achievable] and [Linear No-Threshold] standards which impose costs above any kind of offsetting safety benefits, inflexible [Nuclear Regulatory Commission] frameworks that prevent innovation and nuclear’s risk being widely understood. For example, there is no radiation caused deaths associated with Three Mile Island’s release. The Chernobyl disaster is impossible with modern reactor designs and measured in deaths per terawatt hours of electricity production, nuclear is about 800 times safer than coal and 100 times safer than gas generation.” 

    The United States must modernize its approach to electrical grid licensing, permitting and the nuclear industry generally if we want to maintain leadership in the global race for energy efficiency.

    • Joshua Smith said in his opening testimony that “Nuclear entrepreneurs can’t succeed in a system that blocks entry before shovels hit the dirt. Licensing, permitting, and interconnection are all clogged arteries in need of reform alongside nuclear regulations. The core lesson is that we need to not just improve nuclear regulations, but streamline permitting and grid interconnection to enable nuclear power and ensure an affordable and reliable energy supply.”
    • Alex Epstein testified that “[The] NRC should open nuclear innovation zones on federal land. So, the recent [executive orders] rightly encouraged the testing of nuclear reactors on federal lands, which would allow private developers to quickly iterate designs and run safety tests without waiting years. What [the Department of Energy] and [the Department of Defense] can do is formally designate nuclear innovation zones on federal land, and specifically the NRC can issue guidance confirming the data collected on these sites will satisfy what’s called performance-based safety testing requirements of the regulatory code Part 53, and this can dramatically expedite things.”

    Member Highlights:

    Subcommittee Chairman Burlison (R-Mo.) inquired about companies being held back from developing nuclear energy in the United States, and how states are better suited for regulating nuclear energy than the federal government.

    Subcommittee Chairman Burlison: “I was recently told by one company based here in the United States that they will have a fully functioning MMR abroad in the next year. They specifically stated that they couldn’t accomplish that in the United States, that they’d have to go on foreign soil to demonstrate to the American public and the government that their technology is ready. What’s holding back companies like that from doing this in the United States?” 

    Mr. Smith: “Thank you. Fundamentally, the problem is we have too many barriers between people who want to build and their ability to put shovels on the ground and put up structures. So, take one example, it’s important that we do continued modeling. It’s important that we continue doing extensive testing, but we also need to do real life testing rather than just rely on the data that we currently use.”

    …

    Subcommittee Chairman Burlison: “I’m [going to] jump to one of my questions then, regarding the states. How would they be better suited than the federal government for regulating this?” 

    Mr. Smith: “One of the key differences between the designs of the 60s and 70s is today, they’re very, very different, so there’s little need for containment structures in some of these new designs. And part of the problem with having a lot of expertise at the NRC is simply that they have a hammer, they see everything as a nail, and so we have a problem where new companies come in, they don’t need a containment chamber or containment facility for their design, and yet the NRC prescriptive regulations say ‘thou shalt have one.’ And so state level interest can develop new rules that avoid this kind of old problem, and we could do some of this at the federal level of course. There’s room for Congress to get involved and spin off new agencies within the NRC or separately entirely to pursue these new designs. States have already taken the right kinds of steps. Texas has been developing an advanced nuclear working group. Utah similarly has an office of an energy development official who’s purely devoted to nuclear now, in addition to extensive legislative efforts within the state congress.”

    Subcommittee Chairman Burlison also inquired about overbearing regulations and the cultural discussion of nuclear stifling U.S. energy innovation.
     

    Subcommittee Chairman Burlison: “[Can you] speak to how the regulatory process for [technological innovators] who are doing very creative, very innovative stuff might be stifling to that mindset?”

    Mr. Epstein: “I admire these guys for trying because it’s just, so difficult to do things. I mean, for all the reasons I mentioned, the licensing process, it could be difficult to test things, the whole Linear No-Threshold and As Low As Reasonably Achievable. So this, all these dogmas, as I said, can be changed and it’ll just radically open the frontier for innovation where companies like these can go very quickly from idea to action. Right now, there’s just an enormous gap between idea and action. One other thing that needs to change, I think, is the cultural discussion of nuclear we heard from Ranking Member Frost, and I think some others, that Three Mile Island was the problem. But as Scott Perry pointed out, like Three Mile Island, is not fundamentally a problem. [The] fact that the worst nuclear accident we’ve had is something that killed nobody, that should be celebrating nuclear. So we need to stop demonizing nuclear like the Simpsons did. We need to recognize it’s fundamentally safe. It’s not safe primarily because of regulation, it’s safe because the material cannot explode like combustion can.”

    Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) inquired about how the nuclear energy industry is more profitable and cost-efficient for taxpayers than other non-traditional energy industries.

    Rep. Perry: “[Mr. Epstein], if you could just briefly explain how not doing the same thing over and over again for the same kind of design is going to be helpful to the industry, save the industry money, and, in turn, save my bosses, citizens of America—my constituents—money?” 

    Mr. Epstein: “For sure. So, I think it’s really important that you raise the issue of profit, because we absolutely want nuclear energy companies to be able to make a profit by competing to provide the lowest cost, most reliable energy, just like we want phone manufacturers to be able to make a profit providing the most effective phones. AI providing people the most cost-effective AI. There are two kinds of problems that arise. One is when you restrict the ability of profit-making entities to compete by not allowing them to do their jobs, which things like having a new environmental impact statement for every nuclear power plant, even if it’s the exact same thing, that just dramatically increases costs. The other thing that you raised is that when you subsidize inferior forms of energy, that also raises costs…So they take money away from the reliable power plants, reliable power plants get defunded, can’t make a profit. This is why we have a shortage of gas turbines. One of the reasons why nuclear is in bad shape, but we cannot build dispatchable capacity profitably, because we’ve screwed up the markets with subsidies. So, the Big Beautiful Bill, by far the best thing about it, in my opinion, was dramatic cuts to these grid destroying, price increasing solar and wind subsidies.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As New York Police Departments Face Staffing Shortages, Gillibrand Announces Legislation To Keep New Yorkers And Law Enforcement Families Safe

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Bill would establish a pilot program to provide child care services for police officers
    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference to call for the passage of the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act. This bipartisan bill would provide $24 million in federal funding for each of the next 5 fiscal years to establish a pilot program to provide child care for law enforcement families. Providing child care options for officers could help enhance recruitment, allow families to plan around abnormal work hours, and increase public safety by reducing barriers to a career in law enforcement. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) cosponsors this bill in the Senate and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50) leads companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    “Police officers play a vital role in keeping communities safe, and officers should not have to choose between taking care of their children and staying in the police force,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill would help give aspiring police officers safe, viable child care options while also providing stability to current officers struggling to find care for their kids that works with their nontraditional work schedules. Expanding child care is a win-win for officers and communities, and I’m committed to working across the aisle to get this bill passed.”
    The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act would authorize $24 million in funding for each of the next 5 fiscal years and allows for grants of up to $3 million to individual law enforcement agencies or consortia to establish child care programs for their police personnel. In addition, to ensure parents employed by smaller police departments receive support, 20% of the total grant funding will be set aside for law enforcement agencies employing fewer than 200 officers.
    Police officers often work extended hours on a nontraditional schedule. In a recent survey, more than 70% of law enforcement agencies reported that recruitment is more difficult now than five years ago, and at one major metropolitan police department, more than half of officers reported having to leave or miss work due to child care issues. This issue disproportionately impacts women, who make up less than 14% of sworn officers and 4% of police chiefs. Senator Gillibrand’s bill would help increase public safety by reducing barriers to a career in law enforcement and by ensuring the best talent is recruited into our police departments.
    This legislation is supported by the following organizations: 30×30, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), International Union of Police Associations (IUPA), National Asian Peace Officers Association (NAPOA), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA), International Association of Chiefs of Police, Central New York Association of Chiefs of Police, New York State Association of Chief of Police, AFSCME, and Third Way.
    The full text of the bill can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Approves Governor Kehoe’s Request for Major Disaster Declaration in Response to Memorial Weekend Severe Storms

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 23, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced that President Donald J. Trump has approved Missouri’s request for a major disaster declaration for five southwest Missouri counties in response to the severe storms, straight-line winds, hail, heavy rains, and flooding that occurred throughout Memorial Day weekend, May 23-26. This is Missouri’s fifth major disaster declaration since March.

    “For the past four months, communities across Missouri have been heavily damaged by continuing severe storms, with some of the most devastated areas affected once again by this four-day severe weather event,” Governor Kehoe said. “I spoke personally with President Trump last night, and we appreciate his approval of this federal assistance, which will provide millions of dollars to assist in rebuilding infrastructure that is vital to the recovery of the impacted communities.”
     

    The President’s action makes the FEMA Public Assistance program available to local governments and qualifying nonprofits for the repair and restoration of damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure as well as reimbursement of emergency response costs in Dade, Douglas, Ozark, Vernon, and Webster counties.

    Governor Kehoe requested the federal disaster declaration on June 21, following joint Preliminary Damage Assessments that were conducted in early June. Damage and response costs were estimated at more than $13.5 million.

    The other four federal Major Disaster Declarations during Governor Kehoe’s term in office are:

    For more information on the federal disaster declaration process, visit this link.

    For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, please visit recovery.mo.gov.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Approves Governor Kehoe’s Request for Major Disaster Declaration in Response to Memorial Weekend Severe Storms

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 23, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced that President Donald J. Trump has approved Missouri’s request for a major disaster declaration for five southwest Missouri counties in response to the severe storms, straight-line winds, hail, heavy rains, and flooding that occurred throughout Memorial Day weekend, May 23-26. This is Missouri’s fifth major disaster declaration since March.

    “For the past four months, communities across Missouri have been heavily damaged by continuing severe storms, with some of the most devastated areas affected once again by this four-day severe weather event,” Governor Kehoe said. “I spoke personally with President Trump last night, and we appreciate his approval of this federal assistance, which will provide millions of dollars to assist in rebuilding infrastructure that is vital to the recovery of the impacted communities.”
     

    The President’s action makes the FEMA Public Assistance program available to local governments and qualifying nonprofits for the repair and restoration of damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure as well as reimbursement of emergency response costs in Dade, Douglas, Ozark, Vernon, and Webster counties.

    Governor Kehoe requested the federal disaster declaration on June 21, following joint Preliminary Damage Assessments that were conducted in early June. Damage and response costs were estimated at more than $13.5 million.

    The other four federal Major Disaster Declarations during Governor Kehoe’s term in office are:

    For more information on the federal disaster declaration process, visit this link.

    For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, please visit recovery.mo.gov.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Career Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    PROVIDENCE – The leader of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy who began trafficking kilogram quantities of powder cocaine and various quantities of crack cocaine and fentanyl within three months of completing a term of incarceration in state prison for drug trafficking was sentenced today to fourteen years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    William Mendez, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to a term of incarceration of 168 months to be followed by five years of supervised release. In October 2024, Mendez pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. His conduct included distributing cocaine base, powder cocaine and approximately 769.5 grams of fentanyl to a government agent.

    In September 2021, Mendez and more than a dozen other individuals were charged in federal court with having had a role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that he led. Like Mendez, many of the defendants had previously been convicted of violent crime offenses such as firearm, robbery, assault, assault with intent to commit murder, and domestic violence charges.

    Court records reflect that prior to his arrest in this matter in September 2021, William Mendez had served a total of twenty-two plus years in prison related to three separate serious felony drug convictions and two separate violent felony assault convictions; when arrested he was serving a term of state probation, having been released from Rhode Island state prison less than three months prior after completing a term of incarceration of nearly seven years.

    The FBI Safe Street Task Force, DEA, and Providence Police Narcotics Bureau joint investigation targeted all levels of drug dealing in several communities.

    Federal court records reflect the following:

    • Ramon Barriera, 53, Providence, pled guilty on October 23, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on June 18, 2025, to 70 months of incarceration and four years of supervised release.
    • Rafael Cruz, 75, of Providence, pled guilty on January 3, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on May 29, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Nelson Hazin, 57, of Providence, pled guilty on October 30, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on April 14, 2025, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Ricardo Martinez, Jr., 37, of Providence, pled guilty on October 16, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on June 6, 2025, to 78 months of incarceration to be followed by five years of supervised release.
    • Jonathan Masa-Gonzalez, 24, of Providence, pled guilty on June 5, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on March 18, 2025, to 60 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Juan Betancourt Sosa, 29, of New Bedford, pled guilty on October 16, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on April 14, 2025, to70 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Victor Yandel Aponte-Cirano, 25, of Taunton, pled guilty on September 6, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on January 22, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Keven Restrepo, 33, of Providence pled guilty on December 12, 2022, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and was sentenced on April 27, 2023, to 77 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Juan Gonzalez, 47, of Providence, pled guilty on January 25, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on July 16, 2024, to 72 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Charles Sims, 60, of Providence, pled guilty on November 20, 2023, to a charge of  conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on September 25, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Anthony Lacoste, 33, Woonsocket, pled guilty on October 29, 2024, to a charge conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2025.
    • Karla Rivera-Rosa, 34, of Taunton, pled guilty on October 29, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and is awaiting sentencing on a date yet to be set by the court.
    • Felix Robles, 63, of Providence, is awaiting trial on a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

    Law enforcement agents seized approximately $78,000 in drug proceeds from Mendez at the time of his arrest.

    The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Erickson and Taylor A. Dean, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Sandra R. Hebert.

    Acting United Sates Attorney Blooms thanks the FBI, DEA, and Providence Police Department for leading this investigation; the United States Postal Inspection Service for their invaluable assistance throughout the investigation; and the United States Marshals Service, Rhode Island State Police, Cranston, Central Falls, Fall River, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Warwick, West Warwick, and Woonsocket Police Departments for their assistance with the arrests of the defendants and the execution of search warrants.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Career Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    PROVIDENCE – The leader of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy who began trafficking kilogram quantities of powder cocaine and various quantities of crack cocaine and fentanyl within three months of completing a term of incarceration in state prison for drug trafficking was sentenced today to fourteen years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    William Mendez, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to a term of incarceration of 168 months to be followed by five years of supervised release. In October 2024, Mendez pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. His conduct included distributing cocaine base, powder cocaine and approximately 769.5 grams of fentanyl to a government agent.

    In September 2021, Mendez and more than a dozen other individuals were charged in federal court with having had a role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that he led. Like Mendez, many of the defendants had previously been convicted of violent crime offenses such as firearm, robbery, assault, assault with intent to commit murder, and domestic violence charges.

    Court records reflect that prior to his arrest in this matter in September 2021, William Mendez had served a total of twenty-two plus years in prison related to three separate serious felony drug convictions and two separate violent felony assault convictions; when arrested he was serving a term of state probation, having been released from Rhode Island state prison less than three months prior after completing a term of incarceration of nearly seven years.

    The FBI Safe Street Task Force, DEA, and Providence Police Narcotics Bureau joint investigation targeted all levels of drug dealing in several communities.

    Federal court records reflect the following:

    • Ramon Barriera, 53, Providence, pled guilty on October 23, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on June 18, 2025, to 70 months of incarceration and four years of supervised release.
    • Rafael Cruz, 75, of Providence, pled guilty on January 3, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on May 29, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Nelson Hazin, 57, of Providence, pled guilty on October 30, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on April 14, 2025, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Ricardo Martinez, Jr., 37, of Providence, pled guilty on October 16, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on June 6, 2025, to 78 months of incarceration to be followed by five years of supervised release.
    • Jonathan Masa-Gonzalez, 24, of Providence, pled guilty on June 5, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on March 18, 2025, to 60 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Juan Betancourt Sosa, 29, of New Bedford, pled guilty on October 16, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on April 14, 2025, to70 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Victor Yandel Aponte-Cirano, 25, of Taunton, pled guilty on September 6, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on January 22, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Keven Restrepo, 33, of Providence pled guilty on December 12, 2022, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and was sentenced on April 27, 2023, to 77 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Juan Gonzalez, 47, of Providence, pled guilty on January 25, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on July 16, 2024, to 72 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Charles Sims, 60, of Providence, pled guilty on November 20, 2023, to a charge of  conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on September 25, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Anthony Lacoste, 33, Woonsocket, pled guilty on October 29, 2024, to a charge conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2025.
    • Karla Rivera-Rosa, 34, of Taunton, pled guilty on October 29, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and is awaiting sentencing on a date yet to be set by the court.
    • Felix Robles, 63, of Providence, is awaiting trial on a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

    Law enforcement agents seized approximately $78,000 in drug proceeds from Mendez at the time of his arrest.

    The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Erickson and Taylor A. Dean, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Sandra R. Hebert.

    Acting United Sates Attorney Blooms thanks the FBI, DEA, and Providence Police Department for leading this investigation; the United States Postal Inspection Service for their invaluable assistance throughout the investigation; and the United States Marshals Service, Rhode Island State Police, Cranston, Central Falls, Fall River, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Warwick, West Warwick, and Woonsocket Police Departments for their assistance with the arrests of the defendants and the execution of search warrants.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mankato Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact

    Source: US FBI

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mankato, Minnesota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on June 30, 2025.

    Ethan Schnitker, 41, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Schnitker was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 13, 2025.

    The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on October 3, 2021, in Gregory County, South Dakota, on property located within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Schnitker had sexual contact with a minor victim without her permission while they were visiting the area. Schnitker was responsible for the minor’s care at the time.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

    Schnitker was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mankato Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact

    Source: US FBI

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mankato, Minnesota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on June 30, 2025.

    Ethan Schnitker, 41, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Schnitker was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 13, 2025.

    The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on October 3, 2021, in Gregory County, South Dakota, on property located within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Schnitker had sexual contact with a minor victim without her permission while they were visiting the area. Schnitker was responsible for the minor’s care at the time.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

    Schnitker was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Little Eagle Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Killing Hunka Brother Within the Standing Rock Reservation

    Source: US FBI

    ABERDEEN – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on July 15, 2025.

    Evan John Bobtail Bear, age 35, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Bobtail Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on February 12, 2025.

    On May 14, 2024, Bobtail Bear argued with his brother at a gathering outside a home in Little Eagle, South Dakota, which lies within the Standing Rock Reservation. Bobtail Bear punched his brother in the head. Bobtail Bear’s brother, unconscious, keeled over and struck his head on a concrete driveway. When Bobtail Bear saw his brother was seriously injured, he pleaded with him to wake up. He never did, succumbing to his injuries on June 8, 2024, in a hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

    Bobtail Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Man Sentenced to Nearly Two Years in Prison for Violating Conditions of Court-Supervised Release Following Imprisonment

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

    CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for violating the conditions of court-supervised release following his imprisonment for a firearms offense.

    KEESHON SAMSON, 31, was released from federal prison in 2023 after being convicted of illegally possessing a loaded semiautomatic handgun on Chicago’s South Side.  The gun had been reported stolen in a burglary of a licensed firearms dealer.  Samson remained under court-supervised release for three years following imprisonment.

    In February 2025, Samson was accused of breaking windows out of an acquaintance’s house and threatening the physical safety of an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) investigator in a series of harassing telephone calls from a masked phone number.

    On July 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found that Samson threatened the DCFS investigator and thus violated the supervised release conditions, one of which prohibited him from committing a federal, state, or local crime while under supervision.  Judge Blakey sentenced Samson to 21 months in federal prison.

    The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell.

    “In our federal system of justice, supervised release is a critically important part of the sentencing process,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “It is designed to help offenders transition back into society while also ensuring public safety.  When a defendant on supervised release chooses to violate clear conditions designed to protect the community, my Office will not hesitate to prosecute the violation and hold the defendant accountable.”

    “The defendant’s conduct while on supervised release demonstrated a reckless disregard for the law, the safety of others, and the Court’s orders,” said ATF SAC Amon.  “This sentence sends a clear message that violations of Court-imposed conditions of release will not be tolerated.”

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Scholten Blocks Trump Cuts, Delivers Millions for Michigan Manufacturers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Hillary Scholten – Michigan

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI03) announced a major win for West Michigan, successfully securing more than $4.9 million in federal funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP) and The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC) after it was announced the Department of Commerce would not be renewing their cooperative agreement that provided these funds. This victory will allow manufacturers and working-class families in West Michigan and beyond to thrive. 

    “I fought back against an attack on Michigan manufacturing and won. Michigan’s manufacturers are the backbone of our economy, and I refuse to sit back while political games threaten their future,” said Rep. Scholten. “West Michigan’s manufacturers deserve a partner in Washington who shows up and delivers–and that’s exactly what I did. I’ll always fight to protect the working families and businesses that keep West Michigan running.”

    At the beginning of the year, the Trump Administration notified several MEP Centers that they would not be renewing their cooperative agreements, risking MMTC’s funding. In April, the MMTC discussed how defunding this program would harm the 157 American manufacturers and 16,513 employees in Michigan’s Third District that have worked with them. Across the state, the MMTC created 4,949 manufacturing jobs. On June 9th, Rep. Scholten called on Secretary Lutnick and Acting Director Burkhart to support MMTC’s cooperative agreement. 

    After pushing Rep. Scholten’s calls, the National Institute of Standards and Technology announced that MMTC would receive a year of federal funding. They emphasized the aim of the funding is to empower Michigan’s small and medium-sized manufacturers (SSMs) by providing essential resources, expert knowledge and collaborative support. Additionally, employees within these manufacturing companies will benefit from workforce development programs, equipping them with essential skills for career advancement. 

    The broader Michigan economy will also see positive impacts through increased manufacturing output, investment, and job creation. Scholten’s advocacy ensured that the Trump Administration could not get in the way of Michigan’s manufacturing.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Van Orden, Salinas Introduce Legislation to Level the Playing Field for the Cider Industry

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Derrick Van Orden (Wisconsin 3rd)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) and Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (D-OR) introduced the Bubble Tax Modernization Act, which will lower the tax rate for lower-alcohol wine, cider, and mead made with fruit.

    Currently, the tax code dictates that if a sparkling cider, wine, or mead is made with fruits other than apples and pears, then it can only be minimally carbonated, often to the point that it tastes flat to most consumers. If cidermakers want to carbonate their fruited drinks to the same level as other, non-fruited ciders, taxes on these fruited ciders triple, often referred to as the ‘bubble tax’. 

    Most craft beverage entrepreneurs can’t afford to carbonate these products at the level the market wants. The result is that an important American agricultural sector is falling flat. The Bubble Tax Modernization Act will allow cidermakers to create and carbonate fruited beverages without this higher tax burden, granting them more freedom to produce drinks to match public demand.

    “Cidermakers should not be limited to just pears and apples in order to avoid a massive, unnecessary tax hike on their products,” said Rep. Van Orden. “This bill works for everyone – farmers, cidermakers, and consumers – by allowing any type of fruit to be added to cider and taxed at the standard rate.”

    “Oregon has some of the highest quality fruit in the country, but red tape in our tax code makes it nearly impossible to use these products to make the fruited wines, ciders, and meads that people want,” said Rep. Salinas. “My bill levels the playing field for the cider industry and makes it more affordable to produce the sparkling, fruited drinks consumers want.”

    “The Bubble Tax Modernization Act is a critical, overdue fix that will finally bring fairness to how cider is taxed in the U.S.,” said Monica Cohen, CEO of the American Cider Association. “It eliminates outdated penalties on carbonated, fruit-forward ciders and gives small cidermakers the freedom to innovate without being punished. This bill supports American agriculture, strengthens rural economies, and helps keep cider accessible to consumers. It’s common-sense legislation and we applaud Representatives Salinas and Van Orden for moving this forward.”

    The Bubble Tax Modernization Act is endorsed by the American Cider Association, Northwest Cider Association, North Carolina Cider Association, New York Cider Association, and Pennsylvania Cider Guild.

    To read the full text of this legislation, click here. 

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