CARNEGIE, PA — Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) released a joint letter he signed to President Trump and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, asking them to reverse the nationwide firings of employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). These mass firings included hundreds terminated locally at a Pleasant Hills facility. The public servants fired from NIOSH do important work for the American people. They help keep miners safe on the job and keep us all healthy by certifying that the respirators we use for things like painting and firefighting are made to high standards. NIOSH as an agency overall has a $53 million direct economic impact across Pennsylvania.
“NIOSH’s work, mission, and employees and contractors are vital to the national cause of advancing occupational health and safety. NIOSH research and knowledge generation prevents injuries, saves lives, and lowers healthcare and workforce costs,” wrote Congressman Deluzio and his colleagues in the letter. “As such, we urge the restoration of NIOSH’s important work, and call for the immediate reinstatement of all employees and contractors who have been impacted.”
The full text of the letter is HEREand below:
Dear President Trump and Secretary Kennedy: We urge you to reverse the termination decisions at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The work of these employees and contractors plays a critical role in worker safety and has enormous economic impacts in communities across the country. If this decision stands, millions of workers across the country will face greater risks to job injury, illness, and death – including firefighters, whom NIOSH plays a critical role in protecting.
NIOSH’s work and legacy spans decades. In the 1970s, NIOSH issued its first recommendations on mitigating heat exposure in the workplace. In the 1980s, NIOSH led research on preventing occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens and respiratory hazards. And in the 2000s, NIOSH played an important role in supporting programs to compensate civilian Cold War veterans sickened while making nuclear weapons; rapidly mobilized to protect workers from anthrax attacks; provided direct technical assistance to first responders after the 9/11 attacks; and still administers the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides compensation and medical programs to first responders, recovery workers, and survivors. NIOSH’s 1,500 employees and contractors whose positions have been terminated are crucial to this work.
Today, NIOSH’s vital work is carried out at laboratories and offices across the country, each of which supports local and state economies through jobs, research funding, and contracts:
Every day, NIOSH employees and contractors carry out critical work to protect workers nationwide. Their responsibilities range from reducing exposure to hazardous chemicals, mine dangers, and avian flu, to investigating firefighters’ line-of-duty deaths and identifying links between firefighting and cancer. Not only will these terminations impact safety – they will have ripple effects across universities, PPE manufacturers, large and small businesses, and local communities.
NIOSH’s work, mission, and employees and contractors are vital to the national cause of advancing occupational health and safety. NIOSH research and knowledge generation prevents injuries, saves lives, and lowers healthcare and workforce costs. As such, we urge the restoration of NIOSH’s important work, and call for the immediate reinstatement of all employees and contractors who have been impacted.
Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 900 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.
The Southern District of Texas filed 225 cases in relation to immigration and border security. Of those cases, 70 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses, among others. A total of 144 people face charges of illegally entering the country, nine cases involve various instances of human smuggling with others relating to firearms and assault of a federal officer.
The Western District of Texas filed 259 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases. Among the new cases, Mexican national Miguel Angel Torres-Seguraresided illegally in San Antonio and was arrested March 28 for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. A criminal complaint alleges that Torres-Segura participated in a human smuggling organization (HSO) that transported illegal aliens using tractor trailers, carrying out at least 19 human smuggling events and leading to the apprehension of more than 900 aliens between May 2021 and June 2022. Torres-Segura allegedly communicated with high-level leaders and organizers and assisted the HSO by transporting aliens and preparing tractor trailers for transport. Torres-Segura has multiple convictions, including two illegal entries in 2009 and 2010 and an illegal re-entry in 2011. He was convicted again for illegal re-entry on March 26 following an October 2024 arrest and has now been charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.
The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 204 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 83 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 107 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 13 cases against 14 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Among those convicted was Ivan Mauricio Hernandez-Mosqueda, a Mexican national, who was sentenced to 46 months in prison after smuggling more 100 illegal aliens to the United States. Many of the illegal aliens were coached by Hernandez-Mosqueda to illegally enter the United States and claim asylum under false pretenses.
The Southern District of California filed 97 border-related cases last week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, bringing in aliens for financial gain, receipt of bribes by public official, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances. Among those charged was Francisco Anguiano Rios, a Mexican national, who was arrested and charged with importation of a controlled substance after Customs and Border Protection officers found 209 packages containing 547 pounds of cocaine concealed in the fuel tank of the tractor trailer Rios was driving as it attempted to cross the border at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
The Central District of California filed criminal charges against 24 defendants who allegedly were found in the U.S. following removal, the Justice Department announced today. Among these defendants included criminals who previously were convicted of felonies prior to their removal from the United States, including one previously convicted of narcotics crimes involving methamphetamine and cocaine. The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
The District of New Mexico brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 56 individuals were charged with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), 11 individuals were charged with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), and 32 individuals were charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325). Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions, with some of those convictions being for aggravated felonies, including convictions for solicitation of a child to engage in sexual conduct, leaving the scene of an accident with fatality, and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mehebub Sahana, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Geography, University of Manchester
The proposed dam will span the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, the world’s deepest.Biao Liu / shutterstock
China recently approved the construction of the world’s largest hydropower dam, across the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet. When fully up and running, it will be the world’s largest power plant – by some distance.
Yet many are worried the dam will displace local people and cause huge environmental disruption. This is particularly the case in the downstream nations of India and Bangladesh, where that same river is known as the Brahmaputra.
The proposed dam highlights some of the geopolitical issues raised by rivers that cross international borders. Who owns the river itself, and who has the right to use its water? Do countries have obligations not to pollute shared rivers, or to keep their shipping lanes open? And when a drop of rain falls on a mountain, do farmers in a different country thousands of miles downstream have a claim to use it? Ultimately, we still don’t know enough about these questions of river rights and ownership to settle disputes easily.
The Yarlung Tsangpo begins on the Tibetan Plateau, in a region sometimes referred to as the world’s third pole as its glaciers contain the largest stores of ice outside of the Arctic and Antarctica. A series of huge rivers tumble down from the plateau and spread across south and south-east Asia. Well over a billion people depend on them, from Pakistan to Vietnam.
Yet the region is already under immense stress as global warming melts glaciers and changes rainfall patterns. Reduced water flow in the dry season, coupled with sudden releases of water during monsoons, could intensify both water scarcity and flooding, endangering millions in India and Bangladesh.
The construction of large dams in the Himalayas has historically disrupted river flows, displaced people, destroyed fragile ecosystems and increased risks of floods. The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Dam will likely be no exception.
The dam will sit along the tectonic boundary where the Indian and Eurasian plates converge to form the Himalayas. This makes the region particularly vulnerable to earthquakes, landslides, and sudden floods when natural dams burst.
Downstream, the Brahmaputra is one of south Asia’s mightiest rivers and has been integral to human civilisation for thousands of years. It’s one of the world’s most sediment-rich rivers, which helps form a huge and fertile delta.
Yet a dam of this scale would trap massive amounts of sediment upstream, disrupting its flow downstream. This could make farming less productive, threatening food security in one of the world’s most densely populated regions.
The Sundarbans mangrove forest, a Unesco World Heritage Site that stretches across most of coastal Bangladesh and a portion of India, is particularly vulnerable. Any disruption to the balance of sediment could accelerate coastal erosion and make the already low lying area more vulnerable to sea-level rise.
The Brahmaputra eventually flows into a region of fertile fields and mangrove forests. Sk Hasan Ali / shutterstock
Unfortunately, despite the transboundary nature of the Brahmaputra, there is no comprehensive treaty governing it. This lack of formal agreements complicates efforts to ensure China, India and Bangladesh share the water equitably and work together to prepare for disasters.
These sorts of agreements are perfectly possible: 14 countries plus the European Union are parties to a convention on protecting the Danube, for instance. But the Brahmaputra is not alone. Many transboundary rivers in the global south face similar neglect and inadequate research.
Researching rivers
In our recent study, colleagues and I analysed 4,713 case studies across 286 transboundary river basins. We wanted to assess how much academic research there was on each, what themes it focused on, and how that varied depending on the type of river. We found that, while large rivers in the global north receive considerable academic attention, many equally important rivers in the global south remain overlooked.
What research there is in the global south is predominantly led by institutions from the global north. This dynamic influences research themes and locations, often sidelining the most pressing local issues. We found that research in the global north tends to focus on technical aspects of river management and governance, whereas studies in the global south primarily examine conflicts and resource competition.
In Asia, research is concentrated on large, geopolitically significant basins like the Mekong and Indus. Smaller rivers where water crises are most acute are often neglected. Something similar is happening in Africa, where studies focus on climate change and water-sharing disputes, yet a lack of infrastructure limits broader research efforts.
Small and medium-sized river basins, critical to millions of people in the global south, are among the most neglected in research. This oversight has serious real-world consequences. We still don’t know enough about water scarcity, pollution, and climate change impacts in these regions, which makes it harder to develop effective governance and threatens the livelihoods of everyone who depends on these rivers.
A more inclusive approach to research will ensure the sustainable management of transboundary rivers, safeguarding these vital resources for future generations.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andrew Gawthorpe, Lecturer in History and International Studies, Leiden University
The US president, Donald Trump, met with far-right activist Laura Loomer in the Oval Office last week. Loomer is a figure so extreme that she is shunned by many, even in Trump’s “make America great again” (Maga) movement.
Hours after their meeting, Trump fired a string of national security officials, including General Timothy D. Haugh, the head of the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command, apparently at Loomer’s request. Trump has said Loomer was not involved in the firings, but also praised her judgment.
Even for a president who has always listened to – and, indeed, echoed – fringe voices, the incident stood out. It served as a reminder that Trump is less constrained than ever before, and that his White House is responsive to his personal whims rather than any deliberative policy-making process.
Gone are the days of Trump’s first administration, when aides would at least try to block the most extreme conspiracy theorists from having access to the president. Now, apparently, even a four-star general (the highest officer rank) like Haugh serves only at the pleasure of figures such as Loomer.
So, who exactly is Loomer? She is, first and foremost, a media influencer – someone who made her name in far-right circles by spreading hate and conspiracy theories.
Loomer’s claims, and her open racism, have sometimes proven too much even for other prominent Maga figures, who prefer to be slightly more subtle in their messaging.
When Loomer said in 2024 that if Kamala Harris won the election, the White House “will smell like curry” and speeches will be “facilitated via a call centre,” she drew push-back from the now vice-president, J.D. Vance, and far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
But Trump seems to have appreciated Loomer’s commentary all the same. The president has repeatedly praised her in public and backed her unsuccessful run as a Republican candidate for a US House of Representatives seat in Florida in 2020.
Like many other Maga media figures, Loomer has realised that her antics give her direct exposure to a television-obsessed president, and that this exposure can be transformed into access and, ultimately, political power.
Loomer, who is only 31, is entirely a product of the Trump era. As an adult, practically the only conservatism she has known is the conservatism of Maga – openly prejudiced, vindictive, and more a stew of grievance and hatred than a coherent political platform.
Insofar as Loomer advocates for particular policies, they are a crude channeling of these impulses. She has campaigned for a ten-year immigration moratorium and has called for the death penalty for Democrats who oppose Trump.
On a podcast in June 2024 about whether Democrats should be prosecuted and jailed if Trump wins the election over alleged “unscrupulous behaviour,” Loomer said: “Not just jailed, they should get the death penalty. You know, we actually used to have the punishment for treason in this country.”
But the chief way in which Loomer personifies modern American conservatism is her single-minded loyalty to the president. Loyalty to Trump, and fury at the disloyalty of others, is the central component of her identity.
Deep loyalty
This loyalty seems to be both a deeply felt emotion and also a shrewd way of recommending herself to the president. And, more than anything else, it was what landed her in the Oval Office last week.
Loomer’s apparent recommendation that Trump fire a slew of national security officials had its roots in this obsession with loyalty. Many people serving in national security positions in the Trump administration are not card-carrying members of the Maga movement.
This reflects the fact that such positions require deep expertise developed over long apolitical careers in the civil service or military. As the product of a movement that disdains expertise and rationality, few Maga die-hards have the requisite knowledge to do these jobs.
For Loomer, such figures pose a threat. It ought to be emphasised that this is not because people like General Haugh have ever shown open disloyalty to Trump. It is merely that they are not, like Loomer, his fanatical adherents. In her worldview, anything less is unacceptable.
Trump seems to agree, which opens the way to more firings in the future. Sensing her opening, Loomer has declared that she will establish an organisation dedicated to investigating executive branch officials for suspected disloyalty to the president.
Government officials will have to live in fear of being targeted, creating a chilling atmosphere in which pushing back against Trump’s whims becomes impossible.
Loomer’s growing influence also suggests that the Trump White House is becoming more chaotic and unpredictable.
The president’s aides have long claimed that the White House would be run in a controlled fashion this time around, with clear chains of command and questionable outsiders kept away. Loomer’s presence in the Oval Office – at Trump’s personal request – blows that story away.
For her part, Loomer seems to have what she has always wanted: the president’s attention. Where might she direct it next?
Andrew Gawthorpe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
In TikTok’s latest viral beauty trend “the morning shed,” beauty influencers “shed” hair and skin products that have been worn overnight. These include hair styling items, skin masks and creams, and physical products such as chin straps and mouth tape, which are intended to help with breathing through the night and keep away the drooping of the jaw that happens with age.
While this trend has come under fire for alleged unsustainability and over-consumerism, it is only the latest beauty fad in a long line of time and money consuming “hacks” that women have been undertaking for centuries. From tapeworms to tuberculosis, women have taken part in a laundry list of beauty hacks in order to meet appearance ideals, many of which have been dangerous, painful and even deadly.
As far back as the ancient Egyptians, women ground up toxic substances to make eyeliner and eye shadow. These were dangerous when inhaled as a powder (such as during the grinding process) and could cause irritation of the skin when applied. And yet somehow, heavy metal poisoning is among the least dangerous of these historic beauty trends.
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In China, foot binding is an example of a painful and life altering treatment first recorded around the 10th century. The feet were usually bound before the arch of the foot had developed (aged four to nine).
The process involved forcefully curling the toes towards the sole of the foot until the arch broke then the foot would be tightly bandaged to keep it in this position. Small feel were coveted at the time. Thankfully, this practice was banned in the early 1900s after almost 200 years of opposition from both Chinese and western sources.
In Europe, the Renaissance period saw a new wave of beauty hacks, from arsenic baths (which bleach the skin to a near translucent white) to Belladonna drops (literal poison) used on the eyes to induce an aroused or watery-eyed look. Many women who used these tactics ended up poisoned or blind.
During the reign of Elizabeth I, the “English rose” look was all the rage. Women would blood let for a perfectly pale pallor, or paint their faces with “Venetian ceruse” or “Venetian white” – otherwise known as lead paint. The use of Venetian ceruse is one of the suspected causes of death of Elizabeth I.
In the Victorian era and early 1900s, women often engaged in dangerous practices to achieve the coveted pale skin, red lip and small waist that was the height of fashion. This aesthetic could be achieved by contracting tuberculosis (a lung infection that was often fatal), taking tapeworm pills, consuming mercury to look forever young, or chewing arsenic wafers to make skin pale.
My own research has shown that sociocultural pressures to look a certain way are experienced differently across the world. I found that white western women experience some of the highest appearance pressures, followed by east Asian women. Although these decline a little with age for white western women, they persist in Asian women and never reach the lower levels seen elsewhere. I found the lowest levels of sociocultural pressure and the highest levels of body appreciation in Nigeria.
As the “morning shed” proves, women still go to great lengths to meet culturally shaped standards, particularly under conditions of higher economic inequality – something that is getting worse in many countries. For example, in the United States, cities which have higher economic inequality see higher spend on beauty products and services, such as beauty salons or women’s clothing.
With the advent of social media, especially short-form content like TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts, the speed at which beauty trends rise and fall has been expedited and globalised. These trends range from the painful lip suction women undertook to get big lips like the celebrity Kylie Jenner, to the normalisation of botox and fillers, to laser hair removal of every unwanted follicle.
The “morning shed” is just the latest evolution in skin care trends, which started as health-focused, with an emphasis on sun protection and moisturisation. It has since morphed into a study in over-consumption and over-commitment of time and money in the pursuit of staying ever youthful.
Louise N Hanson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
More than an entire month has passed without a drop of aid into Gaza.
No food. No fuel. No medicine. No commercial supplies.
As aid has dried up, the floodgates of horror have re-opened.
Gaza is a killing field – and civilians are in an endless death loop.
Certain truths are clear since the atrocious October 7 terror attacks by Hamas.
Above all, we know ceasefires work.
The ceasefire allowed for the release of hostages.
The ceasefire ensured the distribution of lifesaving aid.
The ceasefire proved that the humanitarian community can deliver.
For weeks — guns fell silent, obstacles were removed, looting ended – and we were able to deliver lifesaving supplies to virtually every part of the Gaza Strip.
That all ended with the shattering of the ceasefire.
Hope sank for Palestinian families in Gaza and families of hostages in Israel – and I was reminded yesterday when I met again with hostage families.
That is why I have consistently been pushing for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, a permanent ceasefire, and full humanitarian access.
In times like this, we must be crystal clear …. clear about the situation.
With crossing points into Gaza shut and aid blockaded, security is in shambles and our capacity to deliver has been strangled.
And as the heads of UN humanitarian organizations declared in a joint statement yesterday: “assertions that there is now enough food to feed all Palestinians in Gaza are far from the reality on the ground, and commodities are running extremely low”.
We must also be clear about the obligations.
As the occupying power, Israel has unequivocal obligations under international law – including international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
Article 55, paragraph 1, of the Fourth Geneva Convention provides that “the Occupying Power has the duty of ensuring food and medical supplies of the population”.
Article 56, paragraph 1, of the Fourth Geneva Convention provides that “the Occupying Power has the duty of ensuring and maintaining…the medical and hospital establishments and services, public health and hygiene in the occupied territory”.
It further states that medical personnel of all categories shall be allowed to carry out their duties.
And Article 59, paragraph 1, of the Fourth Geneva Convention provides that “if the whole or part of the population of an occupied territory is inadequately supplied, the Occupying Power shall agree to relief schemes on behalf of the said population, and shall facilitate them by all means at its disposal”.
None of that is happening today.
No humanitarian supplies can enter Gaza.
Meanwhile, at the crossing points, food, medicine and shelter supplies are piling up, and vital equipment is stuck.
International Humanitarian Law also includes the obligation to respect humanitarian relief personnel.
I want to say a special word about those humanitarian heroes in Gaza. They are under fire and yet doing all they can to follow the path they chose – to help people.
UN agencies and our partners are ready and determined to deliver.
But the Israeli authorities newly proposed “authorization mechanisms” for aid delivery risk further controlling and callously limiting aid down to the last calorie and grain of flour.
Let me be clear: We will not participate in any arrangement that does not fully respect the humanitarian principles: humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.
Unimpeded humanitarian access must be guaranteed.
And humanitarian personnel must be given the protection that they are accorded under international law.
The inviolability of United Nations premises and assets must be respected.
I call once again for an independent investigation into the killing of humanitarians – including UN personnel.
We must stick to our core principles. Member States of the United Nations must adhere to their obligations under international law. And there must be justice and accountability when they do not.
The world may be running out of words to describe the situation in Gaza, but we will never run away from the truth.
The current path is a dead end – totally intolerable in the eyes of international law and history.
And the risk of the occupied West Bank transforming into another Gaza makes it even worse.
It is time to end the dehumanization, protect civilians, release the hostages, ensure lifesaving aid, and renew the ceasefire.
Thank you.
لقد مر أكثر من شهر كامل ولم تدخل إلى غزة قطرة واحدة من المساعدات.
لا طعام، ولا وقود، ولا دواء، ولا إمدادات تجارية.
وبإغلاق باب المساعدات، أعيد فتح أبواب الفواجع.
غزة اليوم ساحة قتل – والمدنيون في دوامة موت لا تنتهي.
وبعض الحقائق واضحة منذ الهجمات الإرهابية الفظيعة التي نفذتها حماس في 7 تشرين الأول/أكتوبر.
أولا وقبل كل شيء، نحن نعلم أن وقف إطلاق النار ناجع.
فوقف إطلاق النار سمح بإطلاق سراح الرهائن.
ووقف إطلاق النار ضمن توزيع المساعدات المنقذة للحياة.
ووقف إطلاق النار أثبت أن مجتمع العمل الإنساني قادر على الوفاء بالتزاماته.
فعلى مدار أسابيع – سكتت أصوات البنادق، ورُفعت الحواجز، وانتهت أعمال النهب – وتمكّنا من إيصال الإمدادات المنقذة للحياة إلى كل جزء من قطاع غزة تقريبا.
ثم ما أن انهار وقف إطلاق النار حتى انتهى كل ذلك.
وتبدد ما كان من أمل لدى العائلات الفلسطينية في غزة وعائلات الرهائن في إسرائيل – وقد تأكد ذاك لي بالشكل الملموس أمس عندما التقيت مرة أخرى بأسَر رهائن.
هذا هو السبب الذي ظل يدفعني إلى الإلحاح على الإفراج الفوري وغير المشروط عن جميع الرهائن، وإلى وقف دائم لإطلاق النار، وإيصال المساعدات الإنسانية بشكل كامل.
في أوقات مثل هذه، يجب أن نتحلى بالصراحة التامة …. صراحة بشأن الوضع الراهن.
ففي ظل إغلاق نقاط العبور إلى غزة ومنع مرور المساعدات، حلت الكارثة مكان الأمن ولم تعد لنا قدرة على إيصال المساعدات.
وكما أعلن رؤساء المنظمات الإنسانية التابعة للأمم المتحدة في بيان مشترك يوم أمس: ”إن التصريحات التي تقول إن هناك الآن ما يكفي من الغذاء لإطعام جميع الفلسطينيين في غزة بعيدة كل البعد عن الواقع على الأرض، وإن الكمية المتاحة من السلع الأساسية تنخفض بحدة“.
ويجب أن نكون واضحين أيضا بشأن الالتزامات.
فإسرائيل، بوصفها السلطة القائمة بالاحتلال، تقع عليها التزامات لا لبس فيها بموجب القانون الدولي – بما في ذلك القانون الدولي الإنساني والقانون الدولي لحقوق الإنسان.
حيث إن الفقرة 1 من المادة 55 من اتفاقية جنيف الرابعة تنص على أنه ”من واجب دولة الاحتلال ضمان حصول السكان على المؤن الغذائية والإمدادات الطبية“.
وتنص الفقرة 1 من المادة 56 من اتفاقية جنيف الرابعة على أنه ”من واجب دولة الاحتلال أن تعمل […] على صیانة المنشآت والخدمات الطبیة والمستشفیات وكذلك الصحة العامة والشروط الصحیة في الأراضي المحتلة“.
وتنص كذلك على أن يُسمح لأفراد الخدمات الطبية بكل فئاتهم بأداء مهامهم.
وتنص الفقرة 1 من المادة 59 من اتفاقية جنيف الرابعة على أنه ”إذا كان كل سكان الأراضي المحتلة أو قسم منهم تنقصهم المؤن الكافية، وجب على دولة الاحتلال أن تسمح بعمليات الإغاثة لمصلحة هؤلاء السكان وتوفر لها التسهيلات بقدر ما تسمح به وسائلها“.
لا شيء من ذلك يحدث اليوم.
فليس ثمة إمكانية لإدخال أي إمدادات إنسانية إلى غزة.
وفي الوقت نفسه، تتراكم عند نقاط العبور المواد الغذائية والأدوية ومستلزمات الإيواء، وتظل المعدات الحيوية عالقة هناك.
وينص القانون الدولي الإنساني أيضا على الالتزام باحترام موظفي الإغاثة الإنسانية.
وأود هنا أن أقول كلمة خاصة في حق هؤلاء الأبطال الذين يعملون في مجال الإغاثة الإنسانية في غزة. فهُم يعملون تحت نيران البنادق ومع ذلك يبذلون كل ما في وسعهم ليواصلوا الطريق الذي اختاروه – طريق إغاثة الناس.
إن وكالات الأمم المتحدة وشركاءَنا مستعدون وعازمون على الوفاء بالتزاماتنا.
ولكن السلطات الإسرائيلية خرجت في الآونة الأخيرة بـ ”آليات ترخيص“ لإيصال المساعدات من شأنها أن تشدد التحكم في المساعدات وتكبلها بقسوة حتى آخر سعرة حرارية وآخر ذرة دقيق.
ولْأكن واضحا هنا: نحن لن نشارك في أي ترتيبات لا تحترم المبادئ الإنسانية احتراماً كاملاً: أي مبادئ الإنسانية والنزاهة والاستقلالية والحياد. يجب إفساح المجال لإيصال المساعدات الإنسانية دون عوائق.
ويجب أن يُمنح العاملون في تقديم المساعدة الإنسانية الحمايةَ المكفولة لهم بموجب القانون الدولي. ويجب أن تُحتَرم حرمةُ مباني الأمم المتحدة وأصولِها.
وأدعو هنا مرة أخرى إلى إجراء تحقيق مستقل في مقتل العاملين في تقديم المساعدة الإنسانية – بمن فيهم موظفو الأمم المتحدة.
ويجب أن نتمسك بمبادئنا الأساسية. فالدول الأعضاء في الأمم المتحدة يجب عليها أن تتقيد بالالتزامات التي يلقيها القانون الدولي على عاتقها. ويجب أن تأخذ العدالةُ والمحاسبةُ مجراها عندما لا تتقيّد بتلك الالتزامات.
قد يعجز العالم عن إيجاد كلمات يصف بها ما يجري في غزة، ولكن أبدا لن نهرب من وجه الحقيقة.
فالوضع الحالي إنما يسير في طريق مسدود – في حالة لا يمكن البتة تقبلها في حكم القانون الدولي وسجل التاريخ.
ولن يزداد الأمر إلا سوءا في ظل احتمال تحوُّل الضفة الغربية المحتلة إلى غزة أخرى.
لقد حان الوقت لإنهاء تجريد المدنيين من إنسانيتهم ولحماية المدنيين وإطلاق سراح الرهائن وضمان تقديم المساعدات المنقذة للحياة وتجديد وقف إطلاق النار.
Source: US International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
M.O.R.E. has given us the opportunity to secure this work. Our Boilermaker leadership and Day & Zimmerman have been instrumental in this. They’ve been phenomenal.
Thanks to the M.O.R.E. Work Investment Fund, Boilermakers out of Local 26 (Savannah, Georgia) have regained work they lost over 30 years ago. Boilermakers signed a three-year contract with two Southern Company facilities, Plant Scherer and Plant Yates, for maintenance work.
In a significant shift, non-union contractor Zachry lost its contract, and Day & Zimmermann secured a maintenance contract for both Yates and Scherer. And Southern Company usually bids out new builds or outage work to union contractors, which means even more work.
“We utilized the M.O.R.E. funding to get these contracts in order to be competitive enough to get that work,” said Mike Autry, International Rep and Recruiting and Training Coordinator for the Southeast. “If it’s been more than five years, we have additional M.O.R.E. Fund agreements to utilize to get into a plant,” Autry said. “We can use the M.O.R.E. Work Fund to lower the hourly bidding rate to be more competitive with non-union bids.”
This funding model was also successfully applied at AM/NS Calvert Steel Mill in Mobile County, Alabama, where the mill struggled to staff jobs. The Boilermakers from L-108 (Birmingham, Alabama) stepped in, and using the M.O.R.E. Work Fund they reimbursed members for per diem. Seeing its effectiveness, the mill later began offering per diem to all its workers.
Local 26 BM-ST Johnathon Bates said the last major maintenance work Boilermakers performed at Scherer was in 1994. While some work was done at Yates in 2013-2014 during its conversion from coal to gas, there had been no significant presence at Scherer for decades.
“The M.O.R.E. Fund was the biggest factor in getting this work,” Bates said. “It allowed us to lower wages to be competitive with non-union rates.”
For maintenance, Scherer will maintain a crew of 20-25 Boilermakers year-round. However, during outages, workforce numbers could swell to as many as 300. At Yates, currently, five Boilermakers are performing maintenance.
“This is the first project we’ve received through the M.O.R.E. Fund,” Bates said. “Since Plant Vogtle finished in 2022, we lost three-fourths of our man-hours. Scherer will double our man-hours. It’s a lifesaver for us.”
Bates said the process for accessing M.O.R.E. Work Fund resources was straightforward. “The request goes through Boilermaker leadership,” he explained. “Once we outlined how helpful it would be for our local and district, it passed without issue.”
At Yates, there’s currently an outage on the existing units, followed by another in May and a third in the fall. Looking ahead, Bates noted three new gas-fired units are going to be built at Yates, all outside of the M.O.R.E. Fund agreements, and Boilermakers will gain man-hours from that new construction. Outages will occur twice a year on the new gas-fired units, with larger outages every nine or 10 years requiring approximately 60 Boilermakers for at least a month.
Plant Scherer is currently undergoing an outage, with 65 members on site. Another outage in the fall will employ over 200 workers.
Beyond securing a contract, the Boilermakers have also recruited new members from these plants. Since Zachry withdrew from Sherer, 14 workers joined the Boilermakers. The union has gained four new members from Yates. Additional recruiting, also funded through the M.O.R.E. Fund, is currently underway to bring more Boilermakers to both jobs.
“M.O.R.E. has given us the opportunity to secure this work,” Bates said. “Our Boilermaker leadership and Day & Zimmerman have been instrumental in this. They’ve been phenomenal.”
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Illinois man was sentenced today for possession of a stolen firearm.
Steven Ray Dennis, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 120 months in federal prison without parole.
On July 7, 2020, Dennis pleaded guilty to a Superseding Information, admitting that he possessed a stolen firearm. According to his plea agreement, an officer with the Columbia, Mo. Police Department had been notified by private security for a local bar that a man in a Chicago Bulls hat and jacket was going to his vehicle to get a firearm. The officer located Dennis, who matched that description, but when asked if he had any guns on him, Dennis began to run. He was arrested after a brief foot chase during which he discarded his hat and jacket. When officers located the Chicago Bulls jacket, it contained a .32 caliber revolver in the pocket. The revolver was stolen and loaded with five rounds of ammunition. Dennis also had prior felony convictions.
Although Dennis pleaded guilty in 2020, government court filings indicated that he subsequently failed to report and was a fugitive until he was arrested in the Chicago area in January 2025.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo. Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Senator Collins requests fire truck contracts signed by fire departments prior to imposition of tariffs be exempted.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins sent a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, urging the Administration to address the hardship that tariffs will impose on fire departments and businesses in Maine, particularly the tariffs imposed on Canadian metals. She is specifically requesting an exemption for fire truck orders that were under contract between Maine fire departments and a Maine manufacturer prior to President Trump’s February 10, 2025, announcement of Canadian tariffs.
“I was recently contacted by K&T Fire Equipment in Island Falls, Maine, a family-owned business that manufactures and sells fire trucks for fire departments in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont,” Senator Collins wrote. “The business begin assembly at its facility in Maine by attaching fire apparatuses to truck chasses before sending the trucks to a metal fabricator in Centerville, New Brunswick, Canada, to complete the steel and aluminum fabrication and assembly. The business has operated this way for more than three decades. K&T indicated to me that the proposed tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum would increase the cost of each truck by $80,000-$90,000.”
“At present, K&T Fire Equipment has contracts for trucks with eight fire departments, with one set to be delivered to the Allagash Fire Department in Allagash, Maine, later this month. K&T’s other contracted departments in Maine include Lamoine, Newfield, Sullivan, Surry, and Somerville. To reduce hardships on fire departments and family-owned companies such as K&T Fire Equipment, I request that the Department of Commerce exempt items that were under contract before President Trump’s announcement on February 10, 2025,” Senator Collins concluded.
Senator Collins has been a longstanding advocate for Maine firefighters and first responders. Through the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations process, Senator Collins secured nearly $31 million for 24 projects across the state that will support local fire and rescue stations, law enforcement, and emergency response services.
The Kremlin’s actions reflect no desire for peace that I can detect: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
As we’ve heard on Friday, Russia’s ballistic missile attack on Kryvyi Rih struck a residential area in the city, resulting in the deaths of 20 people, including nine children, the youngest of whom was just three years old.
At least 70 people were injured.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described this as the deadliest single strike harming children since the start of the full-scale invasion.
As High Commissioner Türk said, this attack was an unimaginable horror, nine children killed, most while playing in a park, as a military weapon exploded into shrapnel above them.
We also saw Russia’s attacks this weekend on Kharkiv and Kyiv, resulting in at least 5 more civilian deaths and many more injured.
So we find ourselves here once again to condemn yet more Russian attacks that have killed and injured many Ukrainian civilians in violation of the UN Charter and in violation of Russia’s responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
President Putin continues to stall the ceasefire proposal, dragging his feet and insisting on maximalist conditions.
While intensifying drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Which have now resulted in the deaths of nine more innocent children.
The Kremlin’s actions reflect no desire for peace that I can detect.
They are the actions of a government that remains hell-bent on destroying Ukraine; a government that disdains mediation efforts, and holds cheap the lives of civilians.
Under US leadership, a ceasefire proposal is on the table.
The ball has been in Russia’s court for weeks now.
It’s time for the Kremlin to stop stalling.
It’s time they show that they are committed to peace as they claim to be.
Because President Zelenskyy has made Ukraine’s will clear.
He wants to see the war end and has agreed to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, subject to Russia’s agreement.
It is time for the killing to stop.
It is time for the Kremlin to end its aggression against Ukraine and to uphold its obligations under the UN Charter.
It is time for President Putin to agree to a full and immediate ceasefire, as a vital step towards negotiations to end the war for good.
So our message to the Kremlin is that we will not be deterred by your reckless and barbaric actions.
The UK will continue to stand resolutely by Ukraine to secure a just and lasting peace, in line with the principles of the UN Charter.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Center for Explosives Training and Research (NCETR) in partnership with the U.S. Army, announce the locations for the 2025 Raven’s Challenge Interoperability Exercises.
The event trains explosives-expert participants on preparing for and countering the threat of improvised explosive devices. The training occurs at multiple locations throughout the U.S.
April 13 – 18, Volunteer Training Site, Tunnel Hill, Georgia
May 18 – 23, Camp Gruber, Braggs, Oklahoma
June 8 – 13, Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colorado
July 13 – 18, Camp Dawson, Kingswood, West Virginia
“This training is vital in strengthening partnerships between multiple organizations allowing us to protect the public from these evolving threats,” said Greg Smith, Law Enforcement Training Specialist and ATF Raven’s Challenge Program Manager. “Our training team continues to lean forward and remains focused on providing realistic scenarios in operational environments.”
Raven’s Challenge includes participants from all U.S. military branches, local and state bomb squads, and teams from the Department of Justice. International participation has increased to include countries from Europe and north Africa.
The training emphasizes the U.S. military’s explosives ordnance disposal role in Defense Support of Civil Authorities and their interoperability with public safety bomb squads in support of homeland defense.
Raven’s Challenge is funded by the U.S. Army and executed by ATF and partner agencies including the U.S. Army, the FBI, and local and state law enforcement agencies throughout the country.
ATF provides training facilities and the expertise of its training staff in delivering life-saving advanced explosives and arson training for our nation’s explosives handlers, bomb technicians and certified fire investigators.
NCETR manages ATF’s key explosives, fire, and response operations at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. NCETR consists of the Explosives Enforcement and Training Division, Explosives Research and Development Division, and the Fire Investigation and Arson Enforcement Division. Other components include the National Canine Division located in Front Royal, Virginia. The main NCETR facility and explosives ranges in Huntsville make this center a unique resource in the fight against violent crime.
ATLANTA — U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement announced April 4 the results of interagency enforcement operations targeting illegal aliens present in Georgia.
Since Jan. 22, federal agents have arrested about 1,500 illegal aliens statewide, through a targeted enforcement effort aimed at protecting public safety and upholding the rule of law. These arrests were made possible through strong collaboration among federal agencies including the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the United States Marshalls Service.
Since March 24, agents and officers have made over 150 arrests for criminal and civil immigration violations across Georgia with a focus on gangs, drug trafficking, violent crimes, organized crime, and other public safety threats. During these actions, agents seized narcotics, firearms, and bulk currency drug proceeds from illegal aliens. ICE Homeland Security Investigations simultaneously led a large-scale labor trafficking operation which resulted in the rescue of trafficking victims and criminal arrests. These arrests are a crucial part of ICE’s ongoing commitment to identifying and removing aliens who pose a risk to public safety and communities across the state of Georgia and the United States.
Key Highlights of the Operation:
ICE assisted the Cobb County Police Department with the arrest of a Honduran national, who is illegally in the United States, for the alleged murder and rape of an unidentified female. The subject was previously ordered removed by an immigration judge in July of 2023.
During an ICE, ATF, and DEA operation, law enforcement arrested four individuals and seized 13 firearms. One of the subjects arrested is in the United States illegally and was in possession of a firearm.
During an ICE, DEA, ATF, and FBI operation, law enforcement arrested 13 illegal aliens and seized two firearms and approximately $170,000 in cash. One subject will be charged with possession of a firearm.
ICE, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigations, and the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, arrested the owner of a flooring manufacturing company and the owner’s nephew during a labor trafficking operation in Cartersville, Georgia. In total, eight search warrants were executed, and more than 60 victims were rescued. The victims were allegedly brought to the United States and forced to live in deplorable housing conditions and work long hours under poor conditions for unfair wages.
“HSI remains unwavering in its mission to protect the safety and security of our communities,” said ICE HSI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank, which covers Georgia and Alabama. “The individuals arrested in these operations are not only in the U.S. illegally but have also been involved in activities that harm American citizens and residents. Through these operations, we are sending a clear message that criminal activity will not be tolerated, regardless of immigration status.”
Many of those arrested were previously convicted of serious crimes such as assault, drug distribution, weapons offenses, child exploitation, and other felonies. These individuals were apprehended through coordinated efforts with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
In addition to its criminal enforcement operations, ICE, alongside its federal, state, and local partners, continues to focus on dismantling human trafficking networks, disrupting smuggling operations, and working to combat transnational criminal organizations. The agency’s focus on criminal illegal aliens aligns with its commitment to enhancing national security and public safety.
ICE encourages the public to report suspicious activity to the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423.
For more information about HSI’s work, please follow us on X: @HSIAtlanta.
A multi-day severe weather outbreak in the middle of March caused significant damage across several states from Texas to Tennessee, resulting in multiple fatalities. Two EF-4 tornadoes hit Arkansas on the same day.
Wildfires spread across parts of southern Appalachia—burning more than 30,000 acres—driven by strong winds and dry conditions, and exacerbated by the additional fuel available from downed trees following Hurricane Helene.
March was the sixth-warmest March on record for the contiguous U.S.
Map of the U.S. selected significant climate anomalies and events in March 2025.
Other Highlights:
Temperature
The average temperature of the contiguous U.S. in March was 46.9°F, 5.4°F above average. Generally, March temperatures were above average to much above average across most of the Lower 48, except for parts of California and the Southeast. Kansas had its fourth-warmest March on record (tied with 1946), with Nebraska and Texas recording their fifth warmest.
The Alaska statewide March temperature was 16.7°F, 5.9°F above the long-term average, ranking in the warmest third of the 101-year period of record. Southcentral Alaska and the North Slope experienced much-above-average temperatures during March.
For March, Hawai’i had an average temperature of 64.8°F, 1.3°F above the 1991–2020 average, ranking in the warmest third of the 35-year record. Kaua’i had its warmest March on record (for the 1991–2025 period of record).
For January–March, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 37.0°F, 1.8°F above average, ranking in the warmest third of the record for this period. Temperatures were near- to above-average across most of the contiguous U.S.
The Alaska January–March average temperature was 14.5°F, 8.6°F above the long-term average, ranking fourth warmest for the first three months of the year.
Hawai’i had its third-warmest (tied with 2004) January–March average temperature of 64.5°F, 1.2°F above the 1991–2020 average for this period.
Precipitation
March precipitation for the contiguous U.S. was 2.38 inches, 0.13 inch below average, ranking in the middle third of the historical record. Precipitation was below average over much of the northern Plains and parts of the central and southern Plains, the central to southern Rockies, the middle Mississippi Valley and from the Carolinas to the eastern Great Lakes, with some areas being much below average. Western regions experienced near- to above-average precipitation while the Lower Rio Grande Valley, the upper Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes regions had areas of much-above-average precipitation. West Virginia had its fifth-driest March, while Michigan and Wisconsin had their second- and fifth-wettest March on record, respectively.
Alaska’s average monthly precipitation in March ranked in the driest third on record.
Precipitation across Hawai’i in March averaged 4.23 inches, 2.62 inches below average, ranking in the middle third of the 1991–2025 record.
The January–March precipitation total for the contiguous U.S. was 5.92 inches, 1.04 inches below average, ranking in the driest third of the record for this period.
The January–March precipitation total for Alaska was 7.84 inches, 0.55 inch below average, ranking in the wettest third on record for the period.
Precipitation across Hawai’i from January–March was 11.54 inches, 5.52 inches below average, ranking in the middle third of the 1991–2025 record.
Drought
According to the April 1 U.S. Drought Monitor report, about 43.4% of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, down about 1.0% from the beginning of March. Drought conditions expanded or intensified across parts of the Southwest and the southern and central Plains, while contracting or reducing in intensity across parts of the northern Rockies, Great Lakes and along portions of the middle and northern Atlantic coast.
Monthly Outlook
Above-average temperatures are likely across the Southwest, extending through the South and Gulf Coast to the Southeast. Drier-than-average conditions are favored in the Southwest and Florida Peninsula, while above-average rainfall is likely from the south-central Plains to the Ohio Valley.
Drought is expected to persist across much of the Southwest, northern Plains and parts of the central and southern Plains, while some drought improvement is expected in the Great Lakes region and along the northern Atlantic coast. Visit the Climate Prediction Center’s Official 30-Day Forecasts and U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook website for more details.
Significant wildland fire potential for April is above normal across parts of the Southwest, extending through the southern and central Plains, portions of the northern Plains and upper Mississippi Valley, the southern to Mid-Atlantic coastal regions and southern Alaska. For additional information on wildland fire potential, visit the National Interagency Fire Center’s One-Month Wildland Fire Outlook.
For more detailed climate information, check out our comprehensive March 2025U.S. Climate Reportscheduled for release on April 11, 2025. For additional information on the statistics provided here, visit theClimate at a GlanceandNational Mapswebpages.
overnor Kathy Hochul today shared a breakdown of how the Trump administration’s cuts to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program will impact critical infrastructure and community resilience projects in New York State. With this action, the federal Department of Homeland Security has revoked over $325.5 million in funding for projects that have not yet begun construction. Additionally, there is another $56 million worth of projects where work has already begun, that are potentially at risk.
“In the last few years, New Yorkers have faced hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, wildfires and even an earthquake –– and FEMA assistance has been critical to help us rebuild. Cutting funding for communities across New York is short sighted and a massive risk to public safety. Without support for resilience projects now, our communities will be far more vulnerable when disaster strikes next,” Governor Hochul said. “As I’ve said all along: no state in the nation can backfill the massive cuts being proposed in Washington, and it’s critical New Yorkers stand united to call out the damage this will cause.”
New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “It is far more expensive to rebuild than it is to prevent damage before it happens. Mitigation is the best way to save taxpayer dollars and increase resiliency. These projects were created with the sole purpose of helping prevent further damage from the storms that continue to impact the residents of New York State.”
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program supports states, local and territorial governments and Tribal Nations as they work to reduce their hazard risk. The program aims to support communities as they build capability and capacity. BRIC also encourages and aids innovation. It helps partnerships grow; supports infrastructure projects; and fosters flexibility and consistency.
Selected Federal Cuts by the Numbers:
NYC – NYC DEP Central Harlem Cloudburst Flood Mitigation
Federal funds: $50 million
The Central Harlem Cloudburst Hub aims to reduce storm-related runoff and flooding spurred by high intensity rainfall events through the strengthening and improvement of stormwater infrastructure. The project is focused on a 370-acre area with primarily disadvantaged and low-income neighborhoods and contains six schools, two daycare centers, three hospitals, six places of worship and three elder care facilities.
NYC – NYC DEP East Elmhurst Cloudburst Flood Mitigation
Federal funds: $50 million
The East Elmhurst Hub aims to reduce storm-related runoff and flooding spurred by high intensity rainfall events through the strengthening and improvement of stormwater infrastructure. The project is focused on a 485-acre area with primarily residential neighborhoods.
NYC – NYC EDC Seaport Coastal Resilience Project
Federal funds $42.4 million
The NYCEDC Seaport Coastal Resilience Project will reduce flood risk to the Historic South Street Seaport by strengthening and improving infrastructure to mitigate impacts from multiple hazards including coastal flooding, sea level rise, extreme precipitation and urban heat island effect. The Historic South Street Seaport is a highly vulnerable mixed-use neighborhood that provides critical services to Lower Manhattan and beyond. The area houses many businesses, community facilities and a growing residential population.
NYC – NYC DEP Kissena Corridor Cloudburst Hub
Federal Share funds: $46.6 million
The project aims to reduce storm-related runoff and flooding spurred by high intensity rainfall events by integrating traditional underground drainage infrastructure with above-ground solutions into ongoing urban infrastructure planning. Specifically, the focus is to enhance stormwater management through storage and surface flow infrastructure, while developing urban areas with benefits for citizens, local businesses and the city alike.
NYC – NYC DEP Corona East Cloudburst Hub
Federal Share funds: $47 million
The project aims to reduce storm-related runoff and flooding spurred by high intensity rainfall events by integrating traditional underground drainage infrastructure with above-ground solutions into ongoing urban infrastructure planning. Specifically, the focus is to enhance stormwater management through storage and surface flow infrastructure, while developing urban areas with benefits for citizens, local businesses and the city alike.
NYC – NYC DOB Stormwater Flooding Building Codes Provision Development
Federal funds: $468,000
Stormwater Flooding Building Codes Provision Development aims to support the development of stormwater flooding building code provisions that would address safety risks and reduce damages from stormwater flooding at the building level. Once developed and adopted, these code provisions would apply to buildings at-risk of stormwater flooding across New York City.
NYC – NYCHA Polo Grounds Houses Coastal Storm Surge Barrier
Federal funds: $11.5 million
The project aims to support the construction of floodwalls on the northeast side of the NYCHA Polo Grounds Tower Development and the adjacent P.S. 046 Arthur Tappan public school to protect from coastal storm surge and future sea level rise.
NYC – Breukelen Houses Stormwater Protection
Federal funds: $16 million
This is a phased flood mitigation project for a public housing complex to mitigate flood risk from a 10-year storm with a 4.8′ sea level rise. Mitigation will include bioretention and underground drainage basins.
NYC – Hunts Point Food Security Mitigation
Federal funds: $13 million
The project aims to increase community resilience and protect New York City’s food supply by protecting two critical facilities against flooding. This project also reduces flood risk to community lifelines in the area, including food, water, shelter, safety and security.
NYC – Stormwater Protections for Nostrand and Sheepshead Bay Houses
Federal funds: $18.8 million
The project aims to bring a flood risk reduction strategy to a Public Housing development that is vulnerable to stormwater flooding during a rain event of any magnitude, contributing to flood control in more extreme rain events. A backup power generation strategy will provide emergency power to a community center if it is needed in the event of a grid power disruption.
Westchester – Upper Minkel Dam Decommissioning and Riparian Corridor Restoration
Federal funds: $731,000
The project is a result of a 2017 study which concluded that removing the Upper Minkel Dam, a high hazard Class “C” Dam, and restoring the stream and surrounding land would be of great environmental benefit, specifically by reducing the potential flood hazard associated with the dam, as well as restoring the stream’s natural systems. The design will allow for a low flow channel into Purdy Pond and includes a higher elevation flood storage shelf that will reduce and possibly eliminate any future flood events.
New York Power Authority Vischer Ferry Dam Ice Jam and Flood Mitigation Project
Federal funds: $24 million
Until recently, NYPA had no organized method for addressing ice jam formation anywhere on the NYS Canal system. This project will reduce the formation of ice jam flooding and flush ice from the Vischer Ferry impoundment. This would avoid ice jam flooding and the potential for ice dam formation between Vischer Ferry Dam and Lock E-8.
Buffalo – Building Codes: Modernizer workforce or expedited results
Federal funds: $284,000
Building Codes: Modernized Workforce for Expedited Results is a project designed to improve the City of Buffalo’s ability to meet and exceed the State’s mandates for building construction, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other emerging technologies. This project has three major components: Workforce Training and Development, Building Code Support and Efficiency Management.
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury convicted a former University of New Mexico football player on charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine while incarcerated at Cibola County Correctional Center. The verdict came after a five-day trial and approximately three-and-a-half hours of deliberation.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, while in custody awaiting trial for the 2022-armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service employee, Rayshawn Boyce, 29, was implicated in a separate case involving drug trafficking within the Cibola County Correctional Center (CCCC). On May 17, 2022, CCCC personnel conducted a search of a unit and discovered a bag containing approximately one pound of methamphetamine in the shower area.
Photo of drugs in shower area
Review of surveillance footage revealed that on the evening of May 16, 2022, Correctional Officer Gabriella Torres smuggled a bundle of methamphetamine into the facility under her hoodie and dropped it in cell in an area that was not covered by a camera for Boyce to retrieve. A short time later, Boyce retrieved the bundle, concealed it in a blanket, and walked back to his cell. When he learned that the jail was being searched the next day, Boyce moved the bundle from his cell in the middle of the night, submerged it in water, and left it near the showers, where it was found that morning by CCCC personnel.
Federal investigators determined that Boyce and Torres were in a romantic relationship, during which Boyce persuaded Torres to smuggle drugs into the CCCC. On two separate occasions, Torres successfully smuggled marijuana into the facility for Boyce to distribute. Boyce instructed buyers to send payments through a CashApp account he had Torres established specifically for these transactions. On May 16, 2022, Boyce coordinated the delivery of a methamphetamine shipment to Torres for smuggling into CCCC.
Torres pled guilty to one count of conspiracy and remains on conditions of release pending sentencing, which is not currently scheduled. At sentencing, Torres could face 10 years to life in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Boyce remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Boyce faces a mandatory minimum term of ten years of imprisonment and up to life.
In April 2024, a federal jury convicted Boyce of robbing a postal carrier, stealing an arrow key belonging to the United States Postal Service, and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At sentencing for this prior conviction, Boyce faces up to ten years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Cibola County Correctional Center and CoreCivic. Assistant United States Attorneys Letitia Carroll Simms and Joseph M. Spindle are prosecuting the case.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The former Fire Chief of the Blackberry Volunteer Fire Department (BVFD) in Pike County, Christopher Chapman, 36, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to 12 months in prison, for theft of public funds.
In 2021, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, to support communities and local governments that were struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government distributed emergency funding to local governments to maintain vital local services. In Spring 2022, Pike County local government authorized the distribution of $50,000 of these funds through grants that were allocated for the purchase of turnout gear for fire and rescue, along with equipment and building maintenance. Chapman applied for these grants on behalf of BVFD, and the local government awarded the full amount of the grants.
According to his plea agreement, on April 11, 2022, Chapman created a company named Rural Public Safety Equipment, LLC. (RPSE), as the sole organizer and member, and registered it with the West Virginia Secretary of State. Chapman then informed members of the BVFD that he could obtain fire safety equipment at cost from a safety equipment company, and he failed to disclose that he was the owner of the company. The fire department pre-paid and ordered $76,854.50 worth of fire and safety equipment from RPSE. Instead of using the prepayments from BVFD to fulfill the orders, Chapman never fulfilled any fire and safety equipment orders, spent all the money on his own personal use, and withdrew $61,500 in cash from the RPSE bank account.
Under federal law, Chapman must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Chapman was also ordered to pay $76,854.50 in restitution.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Bruce Roberts, Interim Executive Director, Kentucky Fire Commission, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky Fire Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Dunn-Pirio is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the United States.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
TORONTO, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Newly-minted CEO, Ryan Magee, shared Cority’s vision for the future of EHS & sustainability software at the enterprise software company’s annual Cority Connect event in New Orleans, laying out an AI and mobile-centered strategy he says will help make corporate responsibility a competitive advantage in a range of industries, including those related to energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure.
“Our customers are facing a perfect storm of ballooning risk and regulatory chaos, and most solutions out there weren’t built to weather it,” Magee said. “That’s why we’re doubling down on our investment to give organizations what they need – a modern, AI and mobile-powered approach to EHS & sustainability that continuously evolves to eliminate risks and drive profitability.”
Magee highlighted several investments for CorityOne, the company’s all-in-one EHS & sustainability solution, to support that vision including continuing to acquire and integrate the industry’s best solutions, accelerating investment in AI and mobile-focused innovation, an expanded partner ecosystem, and two new executives.
The company shared more than 20 new enhancements to CorityOne, including:
A new unified, mobile-first experience focused on empowering the workforce to see, report, and act on risks of all types consistently. The modernized UX/UI experience brings consistency to navigation, dashboards, and tabular data reporting across all disciplines of EHS and sustainability.
Integrated sustainability management, allowing organizations to connect data from EHS and sustainability for a more complete picture of risk and performance.
AI-based motion capture for industrial ergonomics, which enables organizations to capture ergonomic risk data quickly and effortlessly in the field using a mobile device. Three-dimensional motion data is analyzed using CorityOne-partner Inseer’s patented risk algorithm, generating a full ergonomic assessment report in mere minutes.
AI-driven, real-time safety monitoring, fully integrating computer vision technology from Protex AI into CorityOne. The technology connects directly with existing CCTV (closed-circuit television) infrastructure, allowing it to detect unsafe conditions and behaviors continuously in real-time, without relying on human interaction.
Bowtie risk analysis capabilities, allowing customers to more easily visualize the diverse interactions and relationships between operational risk elements, helping organizations improve risk visibility and mitigation, while enabling better risk communication across all levels.
Further integration with Microsoft’s productivity tools, including Graph, Outlook, and Teams, furthering interoperability with the tool’s solutions used in day-to-day operations
“Managing risk in silos can feel overwhelming—like trying to navigate a dark room with just a flashlight. You might spot one hazard or compliance issue, but so much stays hidden,” said Amanda Smith, Cority’s EVP of Strategy. “At Cority, we believe it shouldn’t be that hard. With CorityOne, we’re helping organizations turn on the lights so they can see the whole picture—including how risks connect across EHS and operations—and feel confident knowing they’re protecting their people and doing the right thing for their business.”
For more specific details on upcoming feature releases on CorityOne, visit Cority.com/cority-one-overview
About Cority Cority gives every employee from the field to the boardroom the power to make a difference, reducing risks and creating a safer, healthier, and more sustainable world. For over 35 years, Cority’s people-first software solutions have been built by EHS and sustainability experts who know the pressures businesses face. Time-tested, scalable, and configurable, CorityOne is the responsible business platform that combines datasets from across the organization to enable improved efficiencies, actionable insights, data-driven decisions, and more accurate reporting on performance. Trusted by over 1,500 organizations worldwide, Cority deeply cares about helping people work toward a better future for everyone. To learn more, visit www.cority.com
Wales well-placed to benefit from increased spending on defence
Latest figures show the Ministry of Defence spends £290 for every person in Wales.
Wales Office Minister Dame Nia Griffith at Teledyne Qioptiq.
Wales a key player in the defence industry providing critical technology and innovation
Latest figures show the Ministry of Defence spends £290 for every person in Wales and directly supports over 7,000 jobs
Increased spending on defence recently announced by the Prime Minister boosts national security and drives economic growth
The cutting-edge work being carried out by defence sector firms in Wales has been highlighted on a visit by a UK Government Minister to North Wales.
Wales Office Minister Dame Nia Griffith visited Teledyne Qioptiq Ltd in St Asaph today (Thursday 3rd April).
The firm specialises in advanced electro-optic technology which is integral to a wide range of defence programmes including the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft and Challenger 2 tanks. The firm also plays a key supporting role for the infantry through the STAS contract.
Wales Office Minister Dame Nia Griffith said:
The defence industry is a cornerstone of our national security and economic prosperity.
All of the Ministry of Defence’s top five suppliers have a footprint in Wales and so we are well placed to benefit from an increase in defence spending.
> “Companies like Qioptic are not only driving innovation but also providing high-quality jobs and contributing significantly to our local and national economy.
The UK Government’s number one mission is kickstarting economic growth. By investing in the defence sector we safeguard our national security, create new jobs and put more money in people’s pockets.
Peter White, Managing Director of Qioptiq said:
It is a privilege to continue to play our part in keeping our troops and society safe.
Wales plays a key role in the UK’s defence industry with over 160 companies employing more than 20,000 people and is well placed to benefit from increased defence spending.
Last month, the Prime Minister made a commitment to increase UK defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027.
According to the most recent figures the UK Government’s Ministry of Defence spent £914m in 2023-24 with industry and commerce in Wales, an increase from 2022-23 of £86m and directly supported 7,700 jobs in the country.
In the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor committed £975 million over the next five years to the aerospace sector, with £49 million already confirmed for projects in Wales.
While in North Wales, Dame Nia also visited Wagtail UK in Mostyn.
Wagtail is an award-winning company which provides detection dogs and dog trainer handling and supplies bodies including UK Border Force, HM Revenue & Customs, Police, Trading Standards and Armed Forces.
Port-au-Prince – Following the targeted attack on 15 March against a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) convoy travelling between our Turgeau emergency centre and Carrefour trauma hospital, and in view of the deteriorating security situation in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from these two facilities for a minimum period of three months. This period will allow an assessment as to whether the evolving security context offers the necessary conditions for the return of MSF teams.
On the day of the attack, MSF had already evacuated the Turgeau emergency centre, as the fighting and the frontline had advanced dangerously close to the centre, with stray bullets landing in the compound every day. During the evacuation of teams from Turgeau to the Carrefour trauma hospital, clearly identified MSF vehicles, using the only access road separating the two structures, were deliberately targeted by at least one hooded man in uniform. The MSF vehicles were shot 15 times. The incident forced us to stop using this route.
One of the four MSF vehicles shot during an evacuation from Turgeau emergency centre in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 2025.MSF
“The Turgeau emergency centre and the Carrefour trauma hospital are closely linked in their operations. Without the possibility of using this road to transfer patients, transport personnel or deliver medical supplies, these structures can no longer function,” says Benoît Vasseur, MSF’s head of mission in Haiti. “This is why we have also been forced to withdraw from Carrefour as of 9 April 2025. This is an extremely painful decision, at a time when people’s vital medical needs continue to grow.”
At these two medical structures, MSF teams noted an alarming increase in the number of victims of violence. Between January and March 2025, MSF treated more than 550 people for violent trauma. At the same time, these two medical facilities carried out over 3,600 medical consultations and treated more than 3,600 emergency cases over the same period. They were the only medical facilities in the area to offer free care to victims of road accidents and domestic accidents, or to refer patients to appropriate facilities.
Despite these withdrawals, MSF is continuing our activities in other medical facilities in Port-au-Prince and the south region of Haiti. The Tabarre trauma reference centre continues to treat victims of serious burns, accidents and violence. Hôpital Drouillard in Cité Soleil maintains a 24-hour emergency service, which includes physical and mental health treatment for victims and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
The Pran Men’m clinic continues to provide comprehensive medical and psychological care to sexual violence victims and survivors, including at its main facility in Delmas and at the Isaïe Jeanty maternity hospital. Since 2021, MSF has also been sending mobile clinics to several sites for displaced people and disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Port-au-Prince. However, medical transport has been suspended for all MSF teams in Port-au-Prince. Finally, in the south region, notably in Port-à-Piment and in the surrounding area, MSF continues to provide emergency obstetric and neonatal care, as well as maternal health services.
For over 30 years, MSF has responded to the major crises that have hit Haiti – earthquakes, hurricanes, cholera epidemics – and continues to support people in the face of the current violence. However, MSF staff cannot continue risking their lives to provide this service. Previously, on 22 November 2024, we had to suspend all operations in Port-au-Prince metropolitan area for around three weeks due to repeated attacks and threats against our staff. This is the second critical incident we have suffered in the last four months, and MSF is still waiting for the results of the investigations carried out by the Haitian authorities.
“The extreme suffering of people in Haiti makes this decision all the more heartbreaking, but a dead or injured doctor or nurse can do nothing for patients in need,” says Vasseur. “We reiterate our appeal to all parties concerned to respect the medical mission and ensure the protection of health structures, ambulances, patients and staff.”
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Pair of Dealers Also Sentenced in Major Hit to Local Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Markets
ABINGDON, Va. – A major supplier of methamphetamine in Southwest Virginia – and a pair of related dealers – were sentenced last week to lengthy federal prison terms, dealing a major blow to the drug market in Southwest Virginia.
On Friday, Ashley Linden Beverly, Jr., 51, of Pound, Va., was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison. Beverly previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Also on Friday, two methamphetamine and fentanyl dealers, Cody Rose, 36, and Brandon Boggs, 35, were each sentenced. Boggs was sentenced to 108 months and Rose 49 months.
According to court documents, Beverly served as a major supplier of methamphetamine in the Wise County, Virginia area, selling over five kilograms of methamphetamine from approximately May 2022 through November 2022.
Beverly also combined drug distribution with the possession of firearms. Sources often described seeing handguns at Beverly’s Pound, Virginia residence, from where he sold a majority of his narcotics. In addition, Beverly routinely traded methamphetamine for firearms, some of which he knew were stolen. Beverly was known around Pound, Virginia as “the gun guy.”
Beverly supplied Boggs with methamphetamine, who in turn supplied Rose with methamphetamine that he then distributed. In addition, Rose and Boggs were key parts of a second conspiracy that brought fentanyl into Southwest Virginia from North Carolina and Kentucky. Additional co-conspirators are scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Southwest Drug Task Force, Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)
Last week, all HHS staff who manage LIHEAP were fired, leaving the program at risk and the families that rely on it vulnerable to higher energy costs
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) announced he has joined Rep. Chris Pappas and 88 other House Democrats incallingfor the protection of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the rehiring of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) staff who manage the LIHEAP programthat were fired last weekby the Trump Administration.
In a letter to HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, the lawmakers wrote, “This program is vital for millions of families, and in fact is oversubscribed. More than 25 million American households report foregoing food and medicine to pay their energy bills, and of those, 7 million households report that they face that decision every month. LIHEAP benefits target households who need the assistance the most, particularly those that have a high home energy burden and or have household members who are elderly, disabled, and or young children.”
“In Fiscal Year 2023, nearly 6 million households received LIHEAP assistance, and LIHEAP restored power or prevented disconnections over 2.7 million times for American families,” the lawmakers continued. “Moreover, LIHEAP supported 1.4 million households in crisis assistance. This is not funding that can wait; a team must be in place to support this program’s work. By removing the staff responsible for managing this vital program, this administration has directly burdened the families in our country who need our support most.”
“Gutting this program’s staff is a reckless and irresponsible decision which may cost these families’ lives. We urge you to immediately reverse this decision and do all you can to support the work of this vital program,” the members concluded.
LIHEAP assists low-income individuals and families with the costs of heating and cooling their homes and helps to mitigate the impacts of rising energy costs and extreme weather events. Across the nation, LIHEAP helpsnearly 6 million householdsafford their energy bills. In Fiscal Year 2023,over 130,000 Missouri householdsbenefited from an average savings of $1,533.
Congressman Cleaver has been a strong advocate for the LIHEAP program and efforts to lower energy costs for Missouri families. In 2023, Cleaverjoined 115 House lawmakersto request increased home heating assistance funding through LIHEAP. In 2021, Cleaver supported efforts to increase funding for LIHEAP in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which providedadditional investmentsthat lowered energy costs for Missouri households. Moreover, Cleaver supported the Inflation Reduction Act, which supported and created numerousfederal programs to lower energy costsfor Missourians.
The official letter from lawmakers is availablehere.
Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.
Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)
Headline: Scott and Kaine to Introduce Bill to Protect Miners’ Safety
This bill coincides with the 15th anniversary of the Upper Big Branch (UBB) Mine Disaster, reflecting lessons learned from the deadly explosion on April 5, 2010, that killed 29 miners. Weakening the Labor Department’s ability to inspect mines at a time when the White House seeks to ramp up mining is a recipe for more mine disasters.
As originally released by the Committee on Education and Workforce,Democrats
WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) will introduce theRobert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2025.
This bill coincides with the 15th anniversary of the Upper Big Branch (UBB) Mine Disaster, reflecting lessons learned from the deadly explosion on April 5, 2010, that killed 29 miners. The bill improves mine safety and closes glaring loopholes in our nation’s mine safety laws that could help save miners’ lives. The bill would further prioritize the safety of miners by holding rogue mine operators accountable.
“The Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2025 is a critical step toward protecting the health and safety of mine workers across the country. Coal miners, mine safety regulators and the UBB families have asked Congress to address long, overdue reforms to the nations’ mine safety laws. The reforms in this bill would ensure that all miners are able to return home safely to their families at the end of their shift,”said Ranking Member Scott. “The tragedy of the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster will be in vain if Congress does not close the loopholes that have allowed a small minority of mine operators to put profit ahead of their miners’ safety.”
“Miners take incredible risks to power our nation. While we’ve made progress to support them—like extending the Black Lung Disability Trust excise tax at a higher rate and strengthening silica standards—the recent actions of the Trump Administration have undermined decades of work to enhance protections for coal miners,”said Senator Kaine. “This legislation is critical to strengthening safety standards and holding mine operators accountable for unsafe working conditions.”
The comes at a time when the Trump Administration is abandoning the nation’s commitment to protect miners. The Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has fired inspectors and appears to be closing offices across the country. That agency has yet to answercongressional queries. Meanwhile, in a secretive and apparently arbitrary process, the Trump Administration terminated thousands of Health and Human Services (HHS) employees—including many scientists and researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) who focus on black lung and innovative technologies to keep mines safe.
Eliminating so much of the government’s mine safety capacity, especially as we near the fifteenth anniversary of the UBB Mine Disaster, is reckless and nonsensical. Congress permanently established NIOSH’s Office of Mine Safety and Health in the aftermath of the deadly Sago Mine Disaster.
Weakening the Labor Department’s ability to inspect mines at a time when the White Houseseeksto ramp up mining is a recipe for more mine disasters. The Trump Administration’s actions will waste decades of life-saving innovations and put miners’ lives at risk.
TheRobert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Actprotects miners’ health and safety by:
Expanding the authority of the MSHA to strengthen safety regulations and enforce penalties against mines with repeat violations.
Increasing penalties for mines violating health and safety standards.
Providing the MSHA with better enforcement tools to allow proper inspection and investigation.
Protecting whistleblowers from retaliation and loss of income.
Updating mine safety standards to prevent explosions.
Increasing accountability for the MSHA to ensure that inspectors are independent and qualified to provide quality oversight.
TheRobert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2025is endorsed by Appalachian Citizens Law Center, Appalachian Voices, United Mine Workers of America, and United Steel Workers.
Read the full text of the billhere.
Read a section-by-section summary of the billhere.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — To help Canadians access the resources they need to reduce their risk of wildfire-related loss and damage, Wawanesa is awarding more than $150,000 in Community Wildfire Prevention Grants to 12 locally based organizations.
The initiative is part of the Wawanesa Climate Champions program, which reinforces the insurer’s annual $2 million commitment to building stronger, more resilient communities. The Community Wildfire Prevention Grants will support critical prevention and mitigation efforts, including the creation of a mobile wildfire fuel clean-up unit, installation of campfire spark screens, and programs to clear overgrown plants, brush, or trees.
“With wildfires becoming an ever-growing threat across the country, resilience is key to safeguarding homes, farms, and businesses,” said Jackie De Pape Hornick, Director of Communications & Community Impact at Wawanesa. “We’re proud to partner with these local organizations, helping them to take proactive steps to make the places they live and work safer. After all, as a Canadian owned and operated mutual insurer, we don’t just serve these communities – we’re part of them.”
“Community involvement is the cornerstone of implementing FireSmart principles,” said Lisa Walker, Director of Resiliency and Partnerships at the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which operates FireSmart Canada. “Actions taken at both the individual and community level will help reduce wildland fire risk for yourself, your family, and your neighbours. No task is too large when communities work together to reduce their shared wildland fire risk.”
“Last year saw the loss of about one-third of the town of Jasper in an aggressive, fast-moving wildfire,” said Paul Kovacs, Executive Director of ICLR. “Many Canadian communities that are at risk of a similar fate are small and have few resources to be able to address the risk effectively. Wawanesa’s Community Wildfire Prevention Grants has helped many of these communities over the last three years deal with this risk by helping to fund key fire mitigation projects.”
A complete list of Community Wildfire Prevention Grants recipients and their projects can be found on wawanesa.com.
About The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, founded in 1896, is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, with over $3.5 billion in annual revenue and assets of $10 billion. Wawanesa Mutual, with its National Headquarters in Winnipeg, is the parent company of Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance products and services throughout Canada, and Western Financial Group, which distributes personal and business insurance across Canada. Wawanesa proudly serves more than 1.7 million members in Canada. The company actively gives back to organizations that strengthen communities, donating more than $3.5 million annually to charitable organizations, including over $2 million annually in support of people on the front lines of climate change. Learn more at wawanesa.com.
For more information: Michel Rosset Manager, Corporate Communications and Media Relations The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company media@wawanesa.com
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Atsign, the developer of the innovative NoPorts technology, announces NoPorts now makes MQTT broker, gateways, and subscriber devices secure through invisibility by completely eliminating network attack surfaces. Using NoPorts to create an “invisible” MQTT infrastructure virtually eliminates external threats improving overall IoT security.
MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport), while efficient for IoT messaging, traditionally relies on open ports, creating inherent security risks. Atsign’s NoPorts technology addresses this by establishing secure, peer-to-peer connections without requiring any open inbound ports on any devices. Without open ports, there is nothing for bad actors to find when they scan for vulnerabilities. This “invisibility” provides enhanced protection against unauthorized access and data breaches.
“The reliance on open ports in traditional MQTT deployments presents a security challenge,” stated Colin Constable, CTO at Atsign. “NoPorts addresses this by removing the need for these ports, rendering the MQTT infrastructure effectively invisible to external scans. This ensures that brokers and subscribers are better protected from external threats, providing a more robust defense against unauthorized access and data breaches.”
Additional Advantages of Using NoPorts for Invisible MQTT
Along with making MQTT more secure, NoPorts offers IoT installations several additional advantages:
Expedited Deployment: Streamlines IoT deployments by reducing the complexities of port forwarding and firewall configurations.
Enhanced Security with Zero Trust Architecture: Aligns with zero trust security principles, ensuring all connections between broker, gateways, and subscriber devices are authenticated and authorized, regardless of network location.
Simplified Management with Key Automation: Eliminates the need to manage certificates on all devices by enabling them to cut their own cryptographic keys.
How NoPorts Creates Invisible MQTT
Atsign’s NoPorts technology establishes direct, secure connections between MQTT clients and brokers using the Zero Trust architecture of the atPlatform. This eliminates the need for open ports, making the communication less visible to external scanners and attackers. Furthermore, all data transmitted through the NoPorts connection is automatically end-to-end encrypted, ensuring data confidentiality.
As shown in demonstrations, Atsign’s NoPorts technology allows MQTT communications to occur across disparate networks, even when devices are behind restrictive firewalls or NATs. This capability is useful for IoT deployments in challenging network environments.
“Atsign’s NoPorts provides a valuable solution for creating invisible MQTT deployments, enhancing overall security,” said Gareth Owen, CRO at Atsign. “By combining the efficiency of MQTT with the robust security of NoPorts, we offer a solution that addresses the critical security considerations facing IoT today.”
Atsign is dedicated to providing solutions that enhance security and simplify connectivity for people, entities, and things, including IoT and Ai. NoPorts compatibility with MQTT is a significant advancement in securing IoT communications.
About NoPorts
NoPorts eliminates network & security vulnerabilities by securing connections between people, entities, and things making them invisible to would-be attackers by eliminating attack network surfaces. Built on Atsign’s atPlatform, NoPorts provides a zero trust architecture, end-to-end encryption, and no reliance on cumbersome security layers, enabling seamless and secure communication across virtually any environment. Organizations gain scalability, operational efficiency, and stronger security—all while reducing costs and complexity. For more information, visit NoPorts.com.
About Atsign
At Atsign, we believe that people, entities, and things—including AI—should connect securely and directly, while always being invisible to bad actors. By eliminating the need for open ports and centralized servers, the atPlatform empowers developers and organizations to build applications with “invisible” security built in, placing data and device control back into the hands of their owners. Atsign is the creator of the atPlatform, the most robust infrastructure available for “invisible networking” and secure, private, peer-to-peer connectivity. Learn more at Atsign.com.
A pre-Hispanic canal funnels water from mountains to farm fields.Ari Caramanica
Seeing the north coast of Peru for the first time, you would be hard-pressed to believe it’s one of the driest deserts in the world.
Parts of the region receive less than an inch of rain in an entire year. Yet, water and greenery are everywhere. This is the nation’s agro-industrial heartland, and, thanks to irrigation canals, almost every inch of the floodplain is blanketed in lucrative export crops, such as sugarcane, asparagus and blueberries.
However, the apparent success of this system masks an underlying fragility.
Water shortages have plagued the region for centuries, and now modern climate change combined with agro-industrial practices have further intensified droughts. In response, the Peruvian government has invested billions of dollars in irrigation infrastructure in recent years designed to deliver more water from a resource more than 100 miles away: glaciers in the Andes.
Andean glaciers are disappearing as global temperatures rise. Peru lost over half its glacier surface area in the past half-century. mmphoto/DigitalVision via Getty Images
Most of the modern canal network originally dates to pre-Hispanic times, more than 1400 years ago. However, evidence suggests that while the canal systems of the past may have looked similar to those of the present, they functioned in more efficient, flexible ways. The key to adapting to our present and future climate may lie in comprehending the knowledge systems of the past – not just the equipment, technology or infrastructure, but how people used it.
An environment of extremes
The north coast of Peru is an environment of extremes.
In this desert, thousands of years ago, societies encountered many of the same challenges posed by the modern climate crisis: expanding drylands, water scarcity, vulnerable food production systems, and frequent, intense natural disasters.
Yet, people not only occupied this area for millennia, they thrived in it. Moche and Chimu societies created sophisticated, complex political and religious institutions, art and technology, and one of the largest pyramidal structures in the Americas.
Relief of fish adorn an adobe wall in the historic Tschudi Complex archaeological site at Chan Chan, the former capital of the Chimu empire in Peru. FabulousFabs/Flickr, CC BY-NC
When the Spanish arrived on the desert north coast of Peru shortly after 1532 C.E., early chroniclers remarked on the verdant, green valleys across the region.
The Spanish immediately recognized the importance of the canal network. They had used similar canal technology in Spain for centuries. So, they set about conscripting Indigenous labor and adapting the irrigation system to their goals.
Just a few decades later, however, historic records describe sand dunes and scrublands invading the green valleys, water shortages, and in 1578 a massive El Niño flood that nearly ended the young colony.
So how did the Indigenous operation of this landscape succeed, where the Spanish and the modern-day agro-industrial complex have repeatedly failed?
Culture was crucial for ancient canal systems
Ancient beliefs, behaviors and norms – what archaeologists call culture – were fundamentally integrated into technological solutions in this part of Peru in ancient times. Isolating and removing the tools from that knowledge made them less effective.
Scientists, policymakers and stakeholders searching for models of sustainable agriculture and climate adaptations can look to the archaeological record. Successfully applying past practices to today’s challenges requires learning about the cultures that put those tools to work effectively for so long, so long ago.
The pre-Hispanic societies of Peru developed agricultural principles around the realities of the desert, which included both dry seasons and flash floods.
Large-scale irrigation infrastructure was combined with low-cost, easily modified canals. Aqueducts doubled as sediment traps to capture nutrients. Canal branches channeled both river water and floodwater. Even check-dams – small dams used to control high-energy floods – worked in multiple ways. Usually made of mounded cobble and gravel, they reduced the energy of flash floods, captured rich sediments and recharged the water table.
A drone’s view of sugarcane fields shows a pre-Hispanic adobe aqueduct on the right and small feeder canals in the modern fields. Ari Caramanica
The initial failures of the Spanish on the north coast exemplify the problem of trying to adopt technology without understanding the cultural insights behind it: While they may be identical in form, a Spanish canal isn’t a Moche canal.
Spanish canals operated in a temperate climate and were managed by individual farmers who could maintain or increase their water flow. The Moche and Chimu canal was tied to a complex labor system that synchronized cleaning and maintenance and prioritized the efficient use of water. What’s more, Moche canals functioned in tandem with floodwater diversion canals, which activated during El Niño events to create niches of agricultural productivity amid disasters.
A handmade gate on a modern canal in northern Peru doesn’t seem that different from ancient canals, but the pre-Hispanic canal systems were generally more conceptually complex and interconnected. Ari Caramanica
Desert farming required flexibility and multifunctionality from its infrastructure. Achieving that often meant forgoing impermeable materials and permanent designs, which stands in stark contrast to the way modern-day water management works are constructed.
Copying ancient practices without the culture
Today, the Peruvian government is pushing forward with a decades-old, multibillion-dollar project to deliver water to the north coast from a glacier-fed river.
The Chavimochic project promises a grand transformation, turning desert into productive farmland. But it may be sacrificing long-term resilience for short-term prosperity.
Meanwhile, sustainable land management practices of past Indigenous inhabitants continue to support ecosystems hundreds and even thousands of years later. Studies show higher levels of biodiversity, crucial to ecosystem health, near archaeological sites.
On the Peruvian north coast, pre-Hispanic infrastructure continues to capture floodwater during El Niño events. When their modern-day fields are flooded or destroyed by these events, farmers will sometimes move their crops to areas surrounding archaeological remains where their corn, squash and bean plants can tap into the trapped water and sediments and safely grow without the need for further irrigation.
But this framing misses the bigger point: What made these technologies effective was the cultural stuff. Not just the tools but how they were used by the societies operating them. As long as modern engineering solutions try to update ancient technologies without considering the cultures that made them function, these projects will struggle.
Understanding the past matters
Archaeologists have an important role to play in building a climate-resilient future, but any meaningful progress would benefit from a historical approach that considers multiple ways of understanding the environment, of operating an irrigation canal and of organizing an agriculture-based economy.
That approach, in my view, begins with saving indigenous languages, where cultural logic is deeply embedded, as well as preserving archaeological and sacred sites, and creating partnerships built on trust with the people who have worked with the land and whose cultures have adapted their practices to the changing climate for thousands of years.
Ari Caramanica receives funding from The National Endowment for the Humanities.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, Daniel Michael Harris, Sr., 43, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty to committing an armed robbery while using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department; Sheriff Troy D. Berry, Charles County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Marc Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, Harris and his co-conspirators planned and committed armed robberies of two businesses in Prince George’s County, one business in Charles County, and one business in Montgomery County. On March 23, and March 28, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed two convenience stores in Prince George’s County and stole cash from the registers and several packs of cigarettes. Harris brandished a pistol-grip shotgun during both robberies.
Then on April 5, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed a convenience store in Charles County and stole cash from the registers and the wallet and phone of a store employee. Harris also brandished a pistol-grip shotgun and held the store employee at gunpoint while pinning a customer into a wall corner with his forearm.
On April 6, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed a convenience store in Montgomery County, stealing cash from the register and a store employee’s purse and phone. Harris also brandished the same pistol-grip shotgun used in the earlier robberies.
Then on April 12, 2023, a Prince George’s County Police Department officer observed the getaway vehicle used by Harris and his co-conspirators in two of the robberies, resulting in a traffic stop. The occupants of the vehicle fled and escaped. Law enforcement recovered several items from the vehicle and submitted the items for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing. A subsequent DNA report revealed a high stringency match between Harris and a DNA sample from a bottle recovered from the vehicle.
On November 9, 2023, Charles County Sherriff’s Office detectives obtained and executed a search warrant for Harris’s storage unit. Detectives accessed the storage unit and identified the clothing items Harris wore and the same pistol-grip shotgun he used during the robberies.
Harris and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, he faces 13 to 17 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow scheduled the sentencing for Friday, July 18, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the FBI, Prince George’s County Police Department, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, and Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy who is prosecuting the case.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)
PASADENA, CA — Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) released the following statement on upcoming soil testing of the impacted Eaton Fire areas of northern Pasadena and Altadena:
“I have asked the EPA and FEMA to do soil testing in Altadena and Pasadena, and I was disappointed when they flat-out said no. They said they haven’t paid for soil testing after debris removal since 2019, and they have concluded that whatever is found below the 6 inches is preexisting before the fires.
“While I support efforts to continue to pressure EPA and FEMA, I understand the need for immediate solutions. That is why I will also continue to pursue other means for soil testing for residents. I have met with the Community Action Project Los Angeles, which is starting its soil testing of 1200 homes this week. These are homes that signed up with them and approved entry on the property. I am pursuing additional funding that would expand the number of houses tested in the burn area.”
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
“Operation Double Down” leads to seizure of over $16 million in currency, accounts, and assets, as well as arrest of illegal aliens
HOUSTON – Several Houston-area residents are now in custody on various charges including conspiracy, operating illegal game rooms, bribery and money laundering in one of the largest ever law enforcement operations in the Southern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
They are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan at 2 p.m.
In addition to those indicted in the scheme, authorities also arrested 31 illegal aliens on various immigration and firearms charges during the operation April 2. One of those included an illegal alien who allegedly assaulted a law enforcement officer.
The indictment, returned March 26 and unsealed upon the arrests, alleges Nizar Ali, 61, Richmond, and others allegedly conspired to own, operate or assist in the operation of illegal game rooms. All also conspired to conduct financial transactions to conceal and disguise the nature and source of the proceeds of the illegal gambling business, which totaled more than $22 million, according to the charges.
More than 700 law enforcement officers from 18 agencies served a total of 45 search and 40 seizure warrants at locations throughout Houston and the surrounding area. The locations included 30 illegal game rooms with names such as El Portal and Yellow Building.
During the operation, authorities recovered more than $4.5 million in cash as well as $5 million in property and vehicles, 2000 slot machines, 100 Rolex watches and eight firearms. Law enforcement also seized approximately $6.5 million from bank accounts and other financial institutions pursuant to the court-issued warrants.
In addition to Ali, others taken into custody include Naeem Ali, 33, and Amer Khan, 68, both of Richmond; Ishan Dhuka, 33, and Sahil Karovalia, 32, both of Rosenberg; Sarfarez Maredia, 38, and Shoaib Maredia, 40, both of Sugar Land; Yolanda Figueroa, 40, Pasadena; Viviana Alvarado, 45, LaPorte; and Anabel Eloisa Guevarra, 46, Precela Solis, 27, Maria Delarosa, 53, Claudia Calderon, 37, and Lucia Hernandez, 34, all of Houston.
Two others – Sayed Ali, 59, Richmond, and Stephanie Huerta, 35, Houston – are considered fugitives and warrants remain outstanding for their arrests.
All are charged with conspiracy, operating an illegal gambling business and interstate travel in aid of racketeering which each carry possible prison terms of five years as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering which has a maximum 20-year possible prison term.
Ali is also charged with 32 counts of federal program bribery for allegedly paying more than $500,000 to an undercover officer in an attempt to protect the illicit game rooms from law enforcement intervention. If convicted, he faces up to 10 more years in prison on each count.
With the exception of the money laundering charge which has the possibility of a $500,000 maximum fine or twice the value of the property involved, the remaining counts carry a maximum $250,000 potential fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) led the investigation along with IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) and the assistance of Houston Police Department (HPD); FBI; High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program; Harris County Constable’s Office – Precinct One; Harris County District Attorney’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Drug Enforcement Administration. Other agencies providing support include ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, sheriff’s offices in Harris and Montgomery Counties, Houston Fire Department, Texas Attorney General’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and police departments in Baytown and Pasadena.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre, John Marck and Carolyn Ferko are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Fyffe and Tyler Foster are handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
AUSTIN, Texas, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ESO, a leading data services and software provider for EMS, fire departments, hospitals, and state and federal agencies, released its 2025 Fire Service Index, which illustrates the staggering impact of nationwide wildland fires as well as the demand for broader decontamination efforts. Now in its sixth year, the index analyzed 7,919,600 incidents from calendar year 2024 from 2,739 participating agencies nationwide that use ESO services.
“The Fire Service Index represents our commitment to protecting those who protect us,” said Antonio Fernandez, PhD, NRP, principal research scientist for ESO. “The insights we uncover can guide agencies to direct prevention resources where they’re needed most. By making these data freely accessible, we’re empowering fire departments nationwide to benchmark performance, identify critical trends and take proactive measures in their communities.”
Notable findings from the analysis include:
54,489 wildland fire incidents were reported in 2024 (up 28% year over year), totaling 1.78 million total acres burned—a 650% increase in acreage from 2023.
Wildland fire incidents were frequent throughout most of the year—not just in warmer months.
Fire departments continue to respond to more EMS calls than fire incidents. EMS incidents accounted for the majority of all incidents (63%), while fire responses accounted for just 3% of all calls.
19% of firefighters did not document a decontamination procedure (e.g. cleaning exposed areas, dry-brushing gear, using wet wipes, etc.) after fire exposure, which can drastically increase long-term health risks such as cancer.
“The intensifying frequency of wildland fires across the country is yet another reason why proper decontamination has become critical to safeguarding the health and lives of our nation’s firefighters,” said Bill Gardner, executive director of fire and EMS for ESO. “We’re encouraged that 80% of departments are documenting one decontamination method after exposure, but we cannot stress enough the importance of increasing that number to 100% and establishing multiple decontamination procedures as the gold standard.”
Decontamination metrics are now available in ESO’s static benchmarking dashboards. This enhancement allows fire departments nationwide to compare themselves with peers and enables ESO to better monitor prevention effectiveness.
Methodology and Limitations The dataset for the 2025 ESO Fire Service Index report is real-world data, compiled and aggregated from 7,919,600 incidents that occurred in calendar year 2024 across the United States. There are no universal rules designed around these trends. The purpose of the Index is to be informative and directional, but it is not intended to be a scientific study—nor is it intended to be comprehensive in nature. ESO hopes this Index serves as a body of literature that adds to the discussion and conversation around best practices for each of the selected metrics to help improve community health and safety.
About ESO ESO (ESO Solutions, Inc.) is dedicated to improving community health and safety through the power of data. Since its founding in 2004, the company continues to pioneer innovative, user-friendly software to meet the changing needs of today’s EMS agencies, fire departments, hospitals, and state and federal offices. ESO currently serves thousands of customers across the globe with a broad software portfolio, including the state-of-the-art Logis IDS CAD solution, industry-leading ESO Electronic Health Record (EHR), the next-generation ePCR; ESO Health Data Exchange (HDE), the first-of-its-kind health care interoperability platform; ESO Fire RMS, the modern fire Record Management System; ESO Patient Registry (trauma, burn and stroke registry software); and ESO State Repository. ESO is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.eso.com.
MELBOURNE, Fla., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orion180, a leading provider of flexible, customer-centric homeowners and flood insurance solutions, today announced the launch of its FLEX Home Insurance product in 14 coastal counties of Florida. FLEX offers highly customizable policies, allowing homeowners to choose coverage and deductibles to fit their risk tolerance and budget.
Florida’s hurricanes, flooding, and other natural disasters have made personalized insurance coverage critical for homeowners. Homeowners in the state pay an average of $5,340 annually in insurance, according to data from Bankrate, which is the second highest in the United States. As a result, Florida is among the top 10 in states with uninsured homes at 18.1%, with Miami-Dade having the highest amount among the country’s most at-risk counties.
“Standard home insurance policies are outdated for today’s consumer, and a lot of time do not align with the individual’s budget and interest,” said Ken Gregg, CEO of Orion180. “FLEX gives homeowners the power of choice. The policy is flexible and allows consumers to choose coverages that fit their individual needs and budget.”
Key benefits of FLEX Home Insurance include:
Customizable coverage options: Homeowners can adjust a wide range of base perils and coverages to better match their risk appetite and budget.
Deductible and copay options: Policyholders can choose from many deductible options and copay percentages to balance upfront costs with long-term savings.
Claims-free bonus: Depending on the length of the claims-free period, homeowners can receive a bonus of up to 100% of their first-year premium.
Rate locking feature: Homeowners can extend the policy term to lock in their premium to control rising insurance costs.
FLEX Home Insurance is available now through select Florida insurance agents in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Lee, Sarasota, Manatee, Brevard, St. Lucie, Collier, Martin, Charlotte, and Indian River counties.
About Orion180 Orion180 is a customer-focused, technology-driven insurance brand that combines proprietary technology, real-time data, and straightforward underwriting practices to provide a seamless and premier insurance experience. Orion180 operates through Orion180 Insurance Co., a surplus lines insurance company serving Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Colorado (Flood only), Tennessee (Flood only), Illinois (Flood only) and Arizona, and Orion180 Select Insurance Co., an admitted insurance company offering coverage in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Ohio. With its proprietary MY180 platform and third-party integrations, Orion180 offers unmatched efficiency and innovation, fulfilling its vision of becoming the global leader in insurance solutions while maintaining its mission to deliver superior customer experiences and a comprehensive suite of products. Connect with Orion180 on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. For more information, visit www.Orion180.com.
