NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Security: Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Over 16 Years of Federal Imprisonment for Drug Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Timothy Edwards, 49, formerly of Memphis, to 197 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute drugs. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

    According to the information presented in court, on April 1, 2021, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) responded to a local UPS Store regarding a suspicious package which was found to contain 6,793.5 grams of marijuana and 1,247 grams of methamphetamine.  During the investigation, DEA was alerted to a second package being shipped to the UPS store.  This package was intercepted on June 3, 2021.  It contained 4.9 pounds of marijuana.  Both packages were shipped from California to Memphis, TN.  The first package had Edwards listed as the recipient, and the second was sent to a P.O. Box associated with Edwards.    

    In October 2024, a jury trial was held, and Edwards was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (marijuana and methamphetamine). On April 3, 2025, United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Edwards to a total of 197 months of federal imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case was investigated by the DEA and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO)-Memphis Division.  This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Interim United States Attorney Murphy thanked Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks, who prosecuted this case, as well as the DEA and the SCSO-Memphis Division who investigated the case.

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    For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ponte Vedra Man Indicted For Conspiracy To Traffic Firearms And Controlled Substances (DOJ)

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

    acksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Braden Huston Hobbs (27, Ponte Vedra) with conspiracy to traffic firearms, conspiracy to deal firearms without a license, dealing firearms without a license, making a materially false statement to a licensed firearms dealer, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances—including 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. If convicted, Hobbs faces a minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 95 years, in federal prison.

    According to court documents and proceedings, law enforcement began investigating Hobbs when several firearms he had purchased were recovered during unrelated search warrant executions by law enforcement agencies. These firearms were recovered in the homes of drug distributors and a convicted felon. Additionally, during a series of controlled purchase operations conducted in the summer of 2024, agents purchased 11 firearms from two co-conspirators. Hobbs was the original purchaser of multiple firearms purchased from these two co-conspirators. Cellphone records later showed that at least one of the co-conspirators regularly purchased firearms from Hobbs.

    Through further investigation, agents discovered that between March 2022 and June 2024, Hobbs had purchased more than 120 firearms from 3 different federally licensed firearms dealers in Jacksonville, with 67 of those firearms being purchased between January and June 2024. Hobbs then sold those firearms to others. On multiple occasions, Hobbs advertised firearms for sale to potential customers before completing the purchase of the firearms from the federally licensed firearms dealer.

    Customers typically paid Hobbs in cash for the firearms or traded drugs for the firearms. Hobbs was aware that some of his customers intended to resell the firearms and were drug users or drug distributors. Furthermore, Hobbs asked his co-conspirators to assist him in finding buyers for the firearms and the co-conspirators advertised Hobbs’s firearms for sale. Although he engaged in the business of dealing firearms, Hobbs is not a federally licensed firearms dealer, as required by federal law.

    When Hobbs purchased the firearms from the federally licensed firearms dealers, he indicated on the required ATF Form 4473 that he was the actual buyer or transferee of the firearms. In addition, Hobbs indicated that he was not a user of or addicted to controlled substances. Both statements were false. Hobbs was not the actual buyer or transferee of the firearms, and he was a habitual user of controlled substances.

    In addition, Hobbs was distributing controlled substances, including over 500 grams of cocaine and Adderall. He routinely advertised controlled substances for sale and coordinated deals. Hobbs often sold the controlled substances to the same customers to whom he was selling firearms. On June 26, 2024, Hobbs was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for driving under the influence and trafficking in cocaine. During a search of Hobbs’s car, officers located approximately 330 grams of cocaine and 17 grams of Adderall, as well as various items used to package and distribute controlled substances.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, the North Florida HIDTA Tri-County Narcotics Task Force with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NADLER, GILLIBRAND, SCHUMER, JEFFRIES, GARBARINO, GOLDMAN LEAD BIPARTISAN PUSH CALLING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP TO REVERSE CUTS TO WORLD TRADE CENTER HEALTH PROGRAM

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY),  U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Representative Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Democratic Leader Jeffries (D-NY), and Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY) are leading a bipartisan letter calling on President Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reverse cuts to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) staff that provide critical support for the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP).

    The WTCHP offers medical monitoring and treatment for first responders and survivors diagnosed with 9/11-related health conditions, including many types of cancers, respiratory illnesses, and more. The cuts include the dismissal of Dr. John Howard, the administrator of the WTCHP, who makes critical decisions regarding covered conditions and ensures the WTCHP complies with statutes enacted by Congress. The WTCHP also currently uses NIOSH staff to determine the awards of research grants in the amount of nearly $20 million a year, an annual requirement of the program to fund research on 9/11 conditions and care.They were joined on the letter by Representatives Mike Lawler (R-NY), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Laura Gillen (D-NY), Pat Ryan (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), George Latimer (D-NY), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Tim Kennedy (D-NY), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Josh Riley (D-NY), Joseph Morelle (D-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), John Larson (D-CT), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), and Nellie Pou (D-NJ), as well as Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

    “We were appalled at the recent announcement that the Department of Health and Human Services cut two-thirds of the staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), under which the WTCHP operates,” wrote the lawmakers. “We understand that your plan is to ultimately eliminate all NIOSH staff in the next few days. The WTCHP relies on NIOSH staff to fulfill many of its obligations under the law, and eliminating staff that implement it, especially as more and more responders and survivors fall ill with 9/11-related conditions, will directly interfere with program operations and undermine access to the treatment these heroes have earned and deserve. Congress has continually reaffirmed its bipartisan commitment to the responders and survivors of September 11th. We stand ready to work with you to reverse these cuts to ensure that current and future participants receive the coverage and care that Congress has continuously provided.” 

    “I am glad that the members of the NY Congressional Delegation are working together in a bipartisan manner to demand answers as to what Secretary Kennedy is doing. Why fire Dr. Howard, a Trump appointee, why fire the NIOSH staff the Doctors and epidemiologists that support the WTC Health Program, who is going to approve cancer treatments for 9/11 responders and survivors this week when they are seeking help, why fire the CDC staff that handle the programs contracts and grants, who is going to handle the contracts and grants that are the heart of this program? The Secretary needs to either answer all these questions or restore Dr .Howard and the NIOSH,  CDC staff that were doing this work who were terminated. This wasn’t a scalpel or even a chainsaw this was bulldozer that is leveling the program,” said Benjamin Chevat, Executive Director of the Citizens for Extension of the James Zadroga Act, Inc.

    In February 2025, the Trump administration drastically reduced the workforce of the World Trade Center Health Program. In response, Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Garbarino, and a number of their bipartisan colleagues in the House called on the administration to reverse the cuts, and the program’s staffing levels were ultimately restored.

    After years of efforts and calls on the federal government, Congress established the WTCHP on a bipartisan basis in 2011 with a five-year authorization to provide medical treatment and monitoring for 9/11 responders and survivors suffering from the effects of the toxins at Ground Zero. The program covers the lifespans of all exposed, including responders and survivors of the attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the Shanksville crash site, children who were in schools in downtown Manhattan on 9/11 and during clean-up, and those who have since experienced, or are expected to experience, adverse health effects that are linked to the attacks in the coming years. The program was reauthorized in 2015 and extended through 2090 with bipartisan support. In 2022, lawmakers delivered $1 billion for the WTCHP in the end-of-year spending bill, and in 2023, they secured an additional $676 million for the program.


     The full text of the members’ letter to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy is available here or below:

    Dear President Trump and Secretary Kennedy,  

    The World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) provides critical medical treatment, research, and monitoring to over 137,000 responders and survivors of the September 11th terrorist attacks, living in every state and nearly every Congressional district. The WTCHP serves first responders and survivors from the World Trade Center and lower Manhattan, the Pentagon, and the crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. This vital program provides life-saving care to the heroes who answered the call to serve in one of our nation’s darkest hours and the survivors who are forced to live with the health consequences from the attacks every single day.  

    We were appalled at the recent announcement that the Department of Health and Human Services cut two-thirds of the staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), under which the WTCHP operates. We understand that your plan is to ultimately eliminate all NIOSH staff in the next few days.  

    Since the establishment of the WTCHP in 2011, the number of program enrollees has more than doubled from 61,000 to 137,000. The WTCHP relies on NIOSH staff to fulfill many of its obligations under the law, and eliminating staff that implement it, especially as more and more responders and survivors fall ill with 9/11-related conditions, will directly interfere with program operations and undermine access to the treatment these heroes have earned and deserve.  

    For example, the WTCHP does not employ any staff physicians or individuals with medical degrees. Under the statute medical doctors need to approve certifications of members coming forward with new conditions that meet the requirements of the law for them to receive treatment.  The WTCHP has always used NIOSH doctors to perform this work. 

    Additionally, the WTCHP does not have a staff epidemiologist and has always used NIOSH epidemiologists to review pending petitions for considering whether to add new conditions to the list of covered conditions. The WTCHP also currently uses NIOSH staff to determine the awards of research grants in the amount of nearly $20 million dollars a year, an annual requirement of the program to fund research on 9/11 conditions and care. 

    We are extremely concerned regarding the dismissal of Dr. John Howard, the Program Administrator of WTCHP. Since the program’s inception, Dr. Howard has faithfully served as the Administrator, playing a critical role as the final decision-maker on determining which petitioned conditions should be covered and ensuring the WTCHP is adhering to the explicit statutes enacted by Congress. His institutional knowledge is unmatched and allows the program to operate effectively and efficiently. It is estimated that over 400,000 individuals were exposed to toxins or other hazards on 9/11, and we are gravely concerned that his termination will undermine the essential work the WTCHP does.

    Finally, we are concerned about the termination of the staff at the Office of Acquisition Services at NIOSH. The Office of Acquisition Services oversees all contracts for the WTCHP’s Nationwide Provider Network (NPN), which is a vast network of contracted health providers throughout the country that provide the medical monitoring and treatment for program enrollees who live outside the New York metropolitan area. This office ensures these contracts and providers meet the needs of enrollees and provides oversight and quality assurance for the NPN. Without this coordinating mechanism, current contracts could receive little oversight and that future contracts could lapse, undermining access to enrollee care. 

    We are asking that the Administration provide answers on how the WTCHP will be impacted by these massive layoffs. Please respond to the below list of questions by April 9th, 2025.  

    1. Is the Administration planning to terminate all NIOSH staff? 
    2. What was the justification for the termination of Dr. Howard?  
    3. Since there are no doctors on the staff of the WTCHP, and the statue requires doctors to sign off on certifications that allow for treatment of members, what is the administration’s plan to rectify this as all of the NIOSH medical staff that performed this function have been terminated? 
    4. Since the WTCHP used the staff of NIOSH, especially epidemiologists to review pending petitions under the law to consider covering new conditions, what provisions has HHS made to supply the necessary staff to fulfill that role for the WTCHP? 
    5. What is the status of pending petitions to add autoimmune disease and cardiac conditions to the program? The program announced in December 2024 that eligible individuals can expect an answer by March 2025. 
    6. WTCHP utilized NIOSH staff to determine the approximately $20 million of annual research awards required under the statute that are normally announced in March. What staff will be assisting WTCHP in making these decisions and when will the awards for 2025 be announced?  
    7. Has the administration consulted with advocates or career staff on the impacts these cuts may have on WTCHP service delivery?  
      1. If you have not, please explain why.  
    8. What office will oversee the contracts and contracting process if there is no staff at the Office of Acquisition Services?  

    Congress has continually reaffirmed its bipartisan commitment to the responders and survivors of the September 11th attacks. We stand ready to work with you to reverse these cuts to ensure that current and future participants receive the coverage and care that Congress has continuously provided. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN peacekeeping challenged as conflicts and ceasefires grow more complex

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    As ceasefires grow more fragile and conflicts more unpredictable, UN peacekeeping is having to adapt faster amid rising political tensions, disinformation and confusion over mandates.

    Addressing ambassadors in the Security Council, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, head of UN peace operations, highlighted the need for change.

    “Ceasefire monitoring can no longer be just about being present, it is about rapidly understanding and acting on what is happening on the ground,” he said.

    Advances in technology, he explained, are helping ‘blue helmets’ increase their impact by allowing them to monitor vast and complex landscapes in near-real time – overcoming the need to be physically on the ground.

    At the same time, a political process backed by the unified support of Member States, particularly the Security Council, remains vital to secure and sustain peace.

    Ceasefires depend on combatants

    “While peacekeeping can be an integral part of a ceasefire monitoring regime, the success of any ceasefire remains the sole responsibility of the parties [to the agreement],” he said.

    Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz, Head of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), also underscored the critical importance of political process.

    Originally established in 1978, the mandate of UNIFIL was most recently defined in resolution 1701 of 2006, which called for a full cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel following the 34-day war in Lebanon.

    It reinforced UNIFIL’s mandate to monitor the ceasefire, support the Lebanese Armed Forces deployment in southern Lebanon and facilitate humanitarian access.

    However, the conflict between Israeli security forces and Hezbollah following the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in southern Israel, complicated UNIFIL’s operating environment, until the cessation of hostilities agreed in November 2024.

    “Since this cessation of hostilities and in the absence of a permanent ceasefire, one of the main obstacles has always been that the parties interpret differently their obligations under resolution 1701 and now with respect to the cessation of hostilities understanding,” Lt. Gen. Lázaro said.

    Combating disinformation

    Another challenge is the rise of misinformation and disinformation, which undermines the credibility of UN peacekeepers and fuels local distrust. It compelled UNIFIL to adapt its approach to safeguard credibility, project impartiality and strengthen trust.

    Effective outreach, fact-checking and timely responses are critical to safeguarding the mission’s impartiality, Lt. Gen. Lázaro said, noting that UNIFIL has implemented a structured communication strategy to counter misinformation, ensuring that messages are fact-based, clear and consistent across all peacekeeping units.

    “It is essential that government actors also make public statements to sensitize the population to UNIFIL’s role and mandate, to avoid misperception,” he added.

    Like UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is also combating the growing influence of disinformation, which armed groups exploit to destabilize communities and undermine peacekeeping efforts.

    UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti

    An unmanned aerial vehicle or drone is prepared for flight in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    Misuse of technology by armed groups

    Lt. Gen. Ulisses De Mesquita Gomes, MONUSCO Force Commander, highlighted the evolving threats peacekeepers face, particularly from armed groups leveraging modern technologies to evade detection and spread propaganda.

    “While important to peacekeeping, surveillance technologies have also been used by armed groups, militia and criminal networks,” Lt. Gen. Gomes said.

    “In recent months, we have observed the use of readily available drones for reconnaissance by armed groups and the exploitation of encrypted messaging apps for coordination and propaganda dissemination, circumventing traditional monitoring methods.”

    He warned that these tactics, combined with the willingness of armed groups to operate beyond traditional State control, make them unpredictable and difficult to counter.

    To address these evolving threats, MONUSCO has adapted its strategies to swiftly integrate new capabilities – both from the private industry and contributing nations – within weeks or months, rather than years.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CLARKE, THOMPSON, KENNEDY REINTRODUCE BILL TO PREPARE DHS FOR CLIMATE CRISIS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke (9th District of New York)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    April 7, 2025

    MEDIA CONTACT: 

    e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov

    c: 202.913.0126

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Congressman Bennie Thompson (MS-02), and Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) reintroduced the Department of Homeland Security Climate Change Research Act, legislation to prepare the Department of Homeland Security to confront and mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis.

    “As we fall deeper into the ongoing climate crisis, ensuring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is equipped to address its escalating impacts must be a priority. The well-being and safety of America’s vulnerable, frontline communities will depend on how DHS prepares for and responds to these impacts, particularly in the face of the Trump Administration’s work to dismantle DHS and hinder FEMA’s effectiveness at every turn. I’m proud to introduce legislation that meaningfully moves America forward in our fight against the climate crisis by rooting the DHS’ climate efforts in strong research and an actionable defense plan,” said Congresswoman Clarke.

    “We all know that climate change is making storms more frequent and more intense – doing untold damage to our communities. To meet this threat, we need to make sure that the Department is taking climate change into account when it is planning for disasters and other homeland security missions. Wishing it away – and pretending it doesn’t exist – for political reasons, as the Trump Administration is doing, is not an option. I thank Ms. Clarke for her leadership on this issue and for introducing this legislation,” said Congressman Thompson.

    “From blizzards to hurricanes, in every corner of the country, including my district, we have seen the impact of extreme weather due to climate change,” said Congressman Tim Kennedy, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology. “This bill, led by Congresswoman Clarke, will empower the Department of Homeland Security to better understand the changing needs of our communities, helping to build resilience against the impacts of climate change. As the Trump Administration continues to degrade our capacity to respond to extreme weather events, I am committed to strengthening it to better support communities, protect our national security, and save lives.”

    The Department of Homeland Security Climate Change Research Act recognizes the importance of mitigating climate change challenges by directing DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate to:

    • Assess the current Federal research regarding approaches to mitigate identified or potential negative effects of climate change on homeland security including but not limited to preparedness and emergency planning policies, including with respect to preparedness, response to, and recovery from natural disasters; and
    • Consult with heads of other Federal agencies and departments, State, local, Tribal, territorial governments, and stakeholders when identifying and suggesting policy changes to mitigate the impact of climate change on homeland security; and
    • Mandate an annual report to Congress for three years on any research and development activities concerning climate change.

    Read the full bill text here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Join Colleagues in Letter Emphasizing Immense Harm Shuttering Department of Education will have on Students with Disabilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, (both D-VA) joined 19 of their senate colleagues in writing to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to emphasize the detrimental effect shuttering the Department of Education will have on approximately 9.5 million students with disabilities and their families. Programs at risk include those authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which conducts vital oversight of federal civil rights laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  
    “We write with deep concern regarding the Trump administration’s recent actions to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) and the impact this will have on students with disabilities and their families,” the senators wrote. “Shuttering the Department will cause immense harm to all students, and especially students with disabilities and their families who rely on federal funding for key special education services and support.” 
    “Over the years, the Department has developed specific expertise to deliver on the promise that children with disabilities will have equal and fair access to educational opportunity in the United States. Congress has promised to families that students with disabilities will have a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment and has specifically charged the Department of Education with making that promise real in the lives of students with disabilities,” the senators continued. “…Yet, on March 20th, President Trump signed an executive order directing the closure of the Department.” 
    “We are alarmed by the potential consequences your proposed reassignment will have on the larger framework of education for students with disabilities,” the senators wrote. “Prior to the passage of IDEA, only one in five children with disabilities were educated in schools, and more than 1.8 million children were systemically excluded from public school in the United States. Disabilities were seen as medical conditions to be treated and as a result, many children with disabilities were institutionalized rather than educated. We cannot risk regression to an outdated and dehumanizing perspective on disability, which prevented millions of children from accessing the inclusive public education they deserve. Our entire nation benefits when disabled people have equal access to a high-quality education that enables them to use their gifts and talents.”
    Warner and Kaine have long supported equitable access to education for students with disabilities. Earlier this month, they joined their colleagues in cosponsoring the IDEA Full Funding Act, legislation that would ensure Congress fulfills its commitment to fully fund the IDEA.
    The letter was led by U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and cosigned by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
    Full text of the letter can be found here and below:
    Dear Secretary McMahon:
    We write with deep concern regarding the Trump administration’s recent actions to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) and the impact this will have on students with disabilities and their families. 
    Shuttering the Department will cause immense harm to all students, and especially students with disabilities and their families who rely on federal funding for key special education services and support. There are approximately 9.5 million students with disabilities in the United States. The Department administers critical programs to support these students, such as those authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and conducts vital oversight of federal civil rights laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 95 percent of students served under IDEA attend public schools, and these 7.5 million students comprise 15 percent of the public school population. 
    Over the years, the Department has developed specific expertise to deliver on the promise that children with disabilities will have equal and fair access to educational opportunity in the United States. Congress has promised to families that students with disabilities will have a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment and has specifically charged the Department of Education with making that promise real in the lives of students with disabilities. It administers programs that support employment outcomes, like the Vocational Rehabilitation Services program which supports jobseekers with disabilities in preparing for and succeeding at work, including for underserved communities such as Native Americans.  Yet, on March 20th, President Trump signed an executive order directing the closure of the Department.  This followed your decision earlier this month to move forward with a reduction in force plan that will critically damage your ability to fulfill your statutory duties to students with disabilities by eliminating nearly half of your workforce.
    It is essential to recognize the vital role the Department plays in safeguarding the rights of students with disabilities. We are concerned by President Trump’s effort to transfer implementation and oversight of special education to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a move which you indicated you support during your confirmation hearing. The Department of Education has the statutory authority to implement and enforce IDEA. Without an act of Congress giving authority to HHS, this administration’s attempts to shift IDEA responsibility to HHS will merely prevent the law from being enforced at all. The Senate report from 1979 on the creation of the Department of Education found that the “significant, but carefully restrained Federal role in education…is severely hampered by its burial in [The Department of Health, Education and Welfare]…its confusing lines of authority and administration, its fragmentation, and its obvious lack of direction.”  In other words, the Senate’s findings in 1979 indicate that this department structure was inefficient and resulted in a lack of attention to public education. The Department of Education is the only agency with an existing institutional infrastructure and a staff of subject matter experts dedicated to ensuring equal educational opportunity for children and students with disabilities. More than this, disabled students deserve to be seen as and treated as the learners and scholars they are. Students with disabilities belong in classrooms alongside their nondisabled peers, and they deserve the accommodations and supports that enable them to thrive. Because of the Department of Education’s specific expertise, it is best positioned to do the job well and efficiently. Transferring these authorities to HHS will not only overburden an agency already confronting massive workforce cuts orchestrated by this administration, but it will also stretch HHS beyond its expertise as medical, rather than educational, professionals.
    We are alarmed by the potential consequences your proposed reassignment will have on the larger framework of education for students with disabilities. Prior to the passage of IDEA, only one in five children with disabilities were educated in schools, and more than 1.8 million children were systemically excluded from public school in the United States.  Disabilities were seen as medical conditions to be treated and as a result, many children with disabilities were institutionalized rather than educated. We cannot risk regression to an outdated and dehumanizing perspective on disability, which prevented millions of children from accessing the inclusive public education they deserve. Our entire nation benefits when disabled people have equal access to a high-quality education that enables them to use their gifts and talents.
    Additionally, the Trump administration instituted a one-month freeze on investigating discrimination complaints, an unprecedented decision even during a presidential transition. The Office for Civil Rights currently faces a backlog of 12,000 investigations, half of which involve students with disabilities. While the freeze was lifted February 20th for disability discrimination claims, we are concerned that the Department will still not have the capacity to process the backlog of 6,000 disability claims, as well as any incoming additional claims—especially considering the unjustified termination of dedicated public servants across the 12 regional divisions of the Office for Civil Rights.
    While all disabled students are harmed when supports are taken away and barriers left unchecked, disabled students of color are harmed disproportionately relative to disabled white students and nondisabled students of color. Students of color are misidentified for special education – both improperly identified and improperly excluded from identification, overrepresented in restrictive placements (segregated from their nondisabled peers) and disciplined in school.  Because of cuts to the Office for Civil Rights, as well as undermining the administration of education programs such as Title I that serve low-income students (who are disproportionately of color), disabled students of color stand to suffer the greatest harms of your policy actions. The Department of Education’s irreplaceable role providing guardrails and enforcing laws has allowed progress towards the goal of equal opportunity in education. While the work is unfinished, we must move forward not backwards.
    In a speech on March 3rd, you called for the elimination of “unnecessary bureaucracy” at the Department.  Yet, the Department has the smallest staff of any Cabinet-level agency while administering the third-largest discretionary budget. Prior to the recent firings, this number stood at 4,245 employees, including over 700 employees dedicated to addressing the needs of students with disabilities.  More than 1,300 employees have since been fired, in addition to over 500 employees who have opted for separation packages. Indiscriminate firings of workers who are stewards of federal dollars appropriated by Congress with the mandate of ensuring equal access to education for all students does not eliminate “bureaucracy;” it merely impedes the Department’s ability to carry out its work on behalf of children. Indeed, following the recent reduction in force, a coalition of 20 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit arguing the layoffs are so severe the Department “can no longer function, and cannot comply with its statutory requirements.”
    We are also concerned about the combined efforts from the Department and the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) to slash $900 million in education-related research and over $600 million in educator preparation grants. These cuts will negatively impact critical research into best practices to support students with disabilities who have the shared dream of graduating high school and contributing to our economy.  The cuts also result in the suspension of highly successful programs designed to address the special education teacher shortage which has been consistent over decades and negatively impacts the educational outcomes of students with disabilities. We cannot effectively serve students with disabilities or make informed policy decisions without quality information and highly qualified teachers.
    It is critical that students, parents, teachers, and schools have clear and accurate guidance in response to these recent actions to ensure and affirm the right of all students with disabilities to a free and appropriate public education.
    We request that you respond to the following questions by no later than April 11, 2025.
    Please provide a complete list of all terminated grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements that impact students with disabilities.
    Please provide the guidance developed by the Department and DOGE to determine which grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to cancel.
    How many Department employees have been affected by the reduction in force who conduct essential functions pertaining to serving students with disabilities?
    How many employees impacted by the reduction in force are involved in investigating civil rights complaints? Of those employees, how many were investigating disability discrimination cases? 
    How many employees impacted by the reduction in force are responsible for ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)? How many employees in the Office of the General Counsel who focused on oversight of IDEA were impacted? What provisions have been made to ensure that oversight of that law continues?
    As of January 20th, 2025, how many Department staff were employed in the Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Special Education Research, and how many staff have been impacted by the Department’s Reduction in Force (RIF) announced on March 11th, 2025?
    Given the recent RIF and media reported cancellations of Institute of Education Sciences’ routine activities, what is the Department’s plan to carry out special education research, including the statutorily required scientific peer-review for research grants awarded by National Center for Special Education Research?
    What, if any, criteria are the Department of Education using to determine which employees and divisions to cut or eliminate?
    What is your plan to ensure that all statutory obligations to students with disabilities are properly delivered in light of recent executive actions?
    Do you commit to the timely investigation of all disability-based discrimination complaints received by the Office for Civil Rights?
    What evidence do you have that indicates transferring existing programs to other agencies will be more efficient and improve outcomes for students with disabilities?
    How will the Department continue to monitor compliance with the significant disproportionality requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulation? How will cuts to OCR, OSERS, and OESE affect the Department’s ability to ensure students are protected from discrimination based on disability and race?
    This letter has been endorsed by the following organizations: Access Ready Inc., American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), The Arc of Delaware, The Arc of the United States, Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE), Association of University Centers On Disabilities (AUCD), Autism Society of America, Center for Learner Equity, CommunicationFIRST, Council of Administrators of Special Education, Inc. (CASE), Council for Exceptional Children, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Delaware State Education Association (DSEA), Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC),Division for Learning Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children, Michigan Alliance for Special Education, MomsRising, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), National Down Syndrome Society, National Education Association (NEA), New America’s Early & Elementary Education Policy Team, School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA).
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Aid data critical to crisis response threatened by funding cuts

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    The gathering of data which is essential for an effective response during a humanitarian crisis – and can help save lives – is under increasing threat due to global funding cuts, according to the UN’s humanitarian coordination office, OCHA.  

    “Data is central to humanitarian action,” OCHA said, as aid organizations look to “focus their response to reach the communities with the most severe needs.”

    In its latest report on the State of Open Humanitarian Data OCHA said that “as the humanitarian system severely contracts due to unprecedented funding cuts and threats to principled humanitarian action, the data ecosystem that supports it will experience the same pressure.”

    Budget cuts threatening aid as a whole have had a devastating impact on data gathering, impeding an effective humanitarian response.

    The data gathered by the United Nations and its partners covers a broad range of issues including, for example, climate hazards such as droughts, floods and storms.

    Information on rainfall, temperatures, the extent of floods and the impact on agriculture during those extreme weather events can provide important indicators including the number of people expected to be affected or displaced and ultimately help to save lives.

    Cameroon floods

    In 2024, ahead of the rainy season in Cameroon, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) partnered with the OCHA Cameroon Office to estimate flood exposure and track it in near-real time.

    The Centre predicted that about 350,000 people would be exposed to the flooding, as the season progressed, over 356,000 people were affected.

    The analysis supported a timely allocation of $4 million from CERF which provided help to 176,500 affected people in the most vulnerable areas.

    Humanitarian Data Exchange

    In 2024, some 216 organizations shared around 2,500 data sets covering crises ranging from Afghanistan to Gaza and Sudan, information which is collected in the Humanitarian Data Exchange or HDX.

    Over the last year, the HDX was consulted more than 1.4 million times by researchers in over 200 countries in territories.

    Its almost 20,000 datasets were downloaded 3.5 million times – a 30 per cent increase from 2023.

    The information, OCHA said, provides a “foundational set of data that is critical to understand a humanitarian context.”

    Countries such as Colombia, Afghanistan and South Sudan had the highest percentage of timely data on HDX. On the other hand, Myanmar and the State of Palestine were the locations with the lowest availability level.

    In light of recent aid cuts, “the year ahead promises to be challenging for data availability,” OCHA adding that it was calling on “governments and partners to continue investing in the data that underpins crisis response in what is surely a defining moment for the sector.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Catskill Region Airport Upgrade Nearly Complete

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that the project to transform the Sullivan County International Airport into a modern, state-of-the-art gateway that will fuel economic growth and tourism in the Catskill Region is in its final stages and on track for completion this spring. The project, which started in March 2023, was awarded $18.5 million from the Governor’s $230 million Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition, with the funding administered by the New York State Department of Transportation. Under construction is a modern, 15,000-square-foot, energy-efficient terminal facility that will replace an outdated, mid-20th-century building and provide an inviting space for visitors, local businesses and community members alike.

    “Our airports serve as vital gateways to our communities that invite visitors and drive local economies by facilitating tourism and generating opportunities for business development,” Governor Hochul said. “The ongoing transformation happening at Sullivan County International Airport and the eight other airports that received funding from our revitalization initiative sends a signal that our upstate cities and towns are open for business and available for community members and visitors to explore, enjoy and return to again and again.”

    Sullivan County International Airport is among nine Upstate airports receiving a share of $230 million in Governor Hochul’s latest round of Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition funding announced in September 2022. This funding is not only upgrading New York’s Upstate airports, but it is also enhancing their ability to compete on the national and global aviation stage.

    New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “With the final touches currently underway, the brand-new Sullivan County International Airport stands as a remarkable testament to Governor Hochul’s vision to elevate our Upstate airports to meet the expectations of 21st century travel. This stunning facility, complete with modern amenities including sustainable and cost-effective building features, is poised to emerge as a vibrant new gateway to the Catskill Region, broadening tourism and business opportunities in this historic and breathtaking region of New York State.”

    Assemblymember Paula Elaine Kay said, “The upgrades at the Sullivan County International Airport due to the Governor’s Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition Funding have been greatly needed and greatly anticipated. This project provides 260 new jobs for the hardworking people of Sullivan County, at a time when we are still reeling over the loss of 300 jobs at the PepsiCo plant in Liberty. These improvements, with its proximity to the Bethel Woods Center for the Performing Arts, the Monticello Motor Club, and Resorts World Catskills, will lead to increased tourism. I look forward to this new and revitalized airport and the positive impact it will have on Sullivan County and our region.”

    Opened in 1969, the terminal at Sullivan County International Airport, situated in White Lake near the village of Monticello and 90 miles from New York City, has long been a vital connector to the Catskill Mountains Region. Located near the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival — now home to the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts — the airport links artists, entertainers and visitors to various cultural events and shows at the Center and other popular attractions in the area, including the popular Bagel Festival, numerous classic car shows and the breathtaking natural landscape of the area.

    The new spacious interior of the new structure will feature cost-effective laminated timber beams, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows that create a wide-open, sunlit interior, affording visitors with panoramic views of the Catskill Mountains and airport runway. The outdated, inefficient furnace has been replaced by an all-electric HVAC system utilizing high-efficiency heat pumps integrated with geothermal wells. A new restaurant and bar area, and an adjoining deck that overlooks the runway, lobby and outdoor patio will enhance the experience for today’s modern travelers and members of the public. A pilot’s lounge will cater to passengers and private aircraft users. Office spaces will also be available for aviation-related businesses, such as car rentals, and a new conference room will be accessible for various businesses, organizations and public use.

    The project is creating about 260 jobs. Work on the airport is on track for completion this Spring with improvements that include:

    • New and improved restrooms
    • Upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems
    • Geothermal wells to provide heating/cooling systems for terminal building
    • Upgraded terminal insulation, including windows and doors, to improve energy efficiency
    • Solar panels installation
    • Creation of pilot lounge, conference office areas and pilot planning areas
    • New furniture, fixtures and equipment
    • Replacement/upsizing of the existing septic system
    • Upgraded fire suppression water tank and pump distribution system
    • New electrical vehicle charging stations
    • Repaved and striped main parking lot

    In September 2022, Governor Hochul announced $230 million in awards to nine Upstate airports for revitalization projects that reimagine and further modernize airports across Upstate New York. The Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition is administered by the New York State Department of Transportation and was open to Upstate commercial passenger service airports and airports providing specialized service for commercial aircraft and/or corporate jets. Applicants were encouraged to apply for funding for a single project or a program of projects to help meet the demands of the 21st century. Projects submitted for review by eligible airports were evaluated based on established criteria, including but not limited to innovation in design, passenger amenities and experience, operational efficiencies and economic effectiveness for the airport’s region. In addition to Sullivan County International Airport, other awardees include: Albany International Airport, Watertown International Airport, Saratoga County Airport, Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Ogdensburg International Airport, Greater Binghamton Airport, Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport and the Adirondack Regional Airport.

    About the Department of Transportation
    It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable, and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment and supports the economic well-being of New York State.
    Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fairbanks man guilty of firearms crimes

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

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal jury in Alaska convicted a Fairbanks man Wednesday of being a felon in possession of a firearm and violent felon in possession of body armor after a three-day trial.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in October 2006, George Moises Romero Jr, 37, was convicted of Murder in the Second Degree, Robbery in the Second Degree and Assault in the Third Degree in the Anchorage Superior Court. The Court sentenced Romero to 24 years imprisonment but he received discretionary parole and was released in 2019.

    On June 4, 2024, a parole violation warrant was issued for Romero’s arrest. The Fairbanks Area Criminal Suppression Unit was tasked with apprehending Mr. Romero. To find him, law enforcement obtained a warrant to obtain real-time location data for Romero’s phone. As the SWAT team got ready to execute a search warrant for the Romero’s location, Romero evaded surveillance and moved to a new location in the Goldstream Valley.

    On June 6, 2024, Alaska State Troopers launched a helicopter equipped with high powered cameras and located the vehicle Romero used to flee the original location. The helicopter monitored the vehicle and occupants while the SWAT team moved into their new position. The helicopter observed Romero getting dropped off at a wooded location with what appeared to be camping equipment.

    As Romero began to walk into the woods, Troopers contacted him and arrested him. The Troopers discovered Romero was wearing body armor and had two loaded firearms on his person, as well as loaded magazines and ammunition. Romero had a third firearm and additional ammunition in a duffle bag he was carrying. 

    U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska, Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes, Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division made the announcement.

    The Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks Area Narcotics Team (FANT), FBI Anchorage Field Office, Fairbanks Resident Agency and ATF Anchorage Field Office investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek and Trial Attorneys from the Antitrust Division, David Bernhardt and Lauren Weed are prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Reacts to Trump Removing Gen. Timothy Haugh from NSA & Cyber Command Without Explanation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    April 04, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement after Donald Trump removed Gen. Timothy Haugh from his roles as head of U.S. Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency without explanation or justification:

    “Again and again, Trump chooses loyalty to himself over keeping Americans safe. Firing General Timothy Haugh, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency, without explanation is just the latest example of replacing much-needed national security expertise at the highest levels of our government for political reasons, starting with the troubling firing of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs CQ Brown and Judge Advocates General. 

    “Firing warriors with decades of experience while refusing to hold even a single senior SignalGate political appointee accountable for leaking classified information and putting our troops and our national security at risk once again lays bare what Trump’s true priorities are. The American people deserve transparency, and it’s critical that Congress investigate these unexplained firings.

    “Everyone who cares about our national security knows that General Haugh should be rehired and Pete Hegseth should be fired. It’s that simple.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: U.S. Shouldn’t Depend on China for Critical Minerals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch

    BOISE, Idaho – Last week, U.S. Senator Jim Risch outlined the immediate steps Congress can take to strengthen America’s critical mineral supply and support President Trump’s pro-energy agenda in a new editorial published by Newsweek.

    To read the full OpEd, click here.

    U.S. Shouldn’t Depend on China for Rare Minerals

    Excerpts from the editorial:

    “The United States possesses vast reserves of critical minerals vital for our national security, industrial production, and everyday consumer goods. But stifling regulations and unnecessary red tape have made us reliant on foreign sources for minerals we can find at home—directly undermining our military readiness and economic security.

    “President Donald Trump‘s executive order on American mineral production provides a much-needed opportunity to reverse this troubling trajectory, better leverage our domestic natural resources, and achieve self-sufficiency.

    “[. . .]China’s recent decision to cut antimony supplies underscores the danger of this situation. Antimony is an indispensable ingredient in ammunition, fireproofing military equipment, nuclear systems, and much more. The U.S. has no domestic antimony source currently in production, despite having high-grade reserves waiting to be tapped. We have placed our security completely at the mercy of the Chinese government’s whims. But fortunately, we don’t have to look far to course correct.

    “Projects like the Stibnite Gold Project in my home state of Idaho can fulfill our domestic needs. With a 148-million-pound reserve of antimony, it stands as the largest source of the element outside of Beijing’s control. However, the grueling road to production—currently slated to start in 2028, 18 long years after the project started—illustrates how U.S. policy has left our nation vulnerable.

    “Antimony is not a singular example[. . .]We have neglected our own resources, allowing ourselves to depend on Communist China for strategic minerals readily available in our own backyard.”

    “[. . .]We, in Congress, must stand ready to support the vision President Trump has put forward to have a lasting impact. Now is the time to forge a comprehensive strategy that invests in domestic mining projects, revitalizes processing capacity, and restores the American industrial base as the envy of the world. We must make it clear that the United States is leading rather than following in the global race for critical minerals.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Bentz Holds Community Leader and Agency Coordination Roundtable

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario)

    BURNS, OR– Thank you to the community leaders, local Harney County officials, State Senator Mike McLane, State Rep. Mark Owens (Represented by his Chief of Staff), state agency representatives, and federal agency officials, for joining me and my staff at yesterday’s Community Leader and Agency Coordination Round table in Burns, Oregon.

    This meeting provided firsthand descriptions of the serious damage done and being done by the devastating and still ongoing flood of the Silvies River and surrounding watersheds which flow into the Harney Basin. We heard about, among many other problems, the damage to roads and streets, the precarious condition of the Burn’s City sewer system (now backing up into Burn’s resident’s homes), flood waters entering homes and businesses, and the danger of possible drinking water contamination.We also discussed possible solutions such as dredging the Silvies River, improving levee systems, and the remote possibility of building a flood control reservoir upstream from Burns.

    The Oregon Office of Emergency Management provided a comprehensive review of its efforts to coordinate with other communities to meet the criteria for an emergency declaration.  The Army Corp of Engineers explained that it was standing by to offer technical assistance. The Burns City Manager provided a thorough review of the many challenges facing the City. I assured everyone attending that I am committed to helping obtain the support that Harney County needs, and that my office stands ready to assist in any way that it can.  I do want to thank those who have been working so hard to help protect the residents of Burns, with particular emphasis on the County Court, the folks working for the City of Burns, and the Oregon Officer of Emergency Management.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Malliotakis Reintroduces the University Accountability Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

    (WASHINGTON, DC) –  Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) was joined by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) in reintroducing the University Accountability Act, legislation that would fine tax-exempt schools that violate students’ civil rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The legislation comes as colleges and universities across the United States still remain under fire for allowing and enabling antisemitic students to wreak havoc on their campuses.

     

    Under current federal law, a violation of Title VI, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, can result in the loss of federal funds, but often times results in a mere corrective action that would bring the college or university back into compliance. The University Accountability Act would require colleges and universities that meet the penalty criteria to pay a fine of either five percent of the school’s aggregate administrative compensation as reported on the school’s Form 990, or $100,000, whichever is greater. After three civil rights violations, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would be required to review the college or university’s tax-exempt status for possible revocation.

     

    “Universities have a responsibility to protect their students from violence and discrimination but, instead, we’re seeing a disturbing increase in antisemitic attacks and rhetoric on college campuses,” said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis. “Our legislation seeks to hold these institutions accountable and encourage them to investigate and crack down on instances of antisemitism to help foster a safer academic environment for all students, regardless of their gender, race or religion.”

     

    “I will continue to lead efforts to rid our colleges and universities of antisemitism alongside President Trump who is delivering on his promise to hold these failed institutions accountable for their neglect and abandonment of our Jewish students. The University Accountability Act will impose penalties on universities who violate the civil rights of their own students and put their undeserved tax-exempt status on the chopping block,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.

     

    “Since the horrific October 7, 2023, attacks, there has been a sharp rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric and violence on campuses, threatening Jewish students. The University Accountability Act ensures that any institution condoning this behavior is penalized by revoking its tax-exempt status and imposing harsh financial penalties. Not a dime of our tax dollars should be used to support colleges and universities that foster such heinous anti-Semitism,” said Congresswoman Claudia Tenney.

     

    Last Congress, Malliotakis introduced several pieces of legislation to hold universities accountable, including the Combating Antisemitic Messaging and Promoting Unity in School Act (CAMPUS) Act, that would prohibit federal funding from going to schools that provide funding, tuition assistance, support, or a platform to an organization that engages in antisemitic behavior or fails to hold a faculty member who promotes antisemitism accountable, and the No Visas for Antisemitic Students Act, that would revoke students visas of foreign students in the United States who engage in antisemitic behavior.

     

    View the Bill Text HERE.

    Malliotakis is a member of the bipartisan House-Knesset Parliamentary Friendship Group, and has voted for, introduced and cosponsored several pieces of legislation to provide critical military assistance to Israel, restore maximum pressure on Iran, crackdown on rising antisemitism on college campuses and secure federal security grants for the local Jewish community.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator King Warns of a “Five-Alarm Fire” in Interview with The Washington Post

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) sat down with Patrick Svitek of The Washington Post in an interview to discuss the unprecedented, unconstitutional overstep from President Trump’s Administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). During the interview — which comes during a surge of reckless federal layoffs and in the midst of a global trade war spurred by the Administration’s announcement of widespread tariffs — King made clear the dangers of Congress further ceding its power to the President. He noted that doing so is a “fundamental misunderstanding” of what is outlined in the Constitution, and that the White House’s drastic overstep is “rendering Congress almost an afterthought.”

    The interview is the most recent instance of Senator King sounding the alarm on President Donald Trump’s existential threat to the Constitution. At the end of January, he gave a speech on the Senate floor sharing that this administration is doing ‘exactly what the Framers [of the Constitution] most feared.” A couple weeks later, he took to the floor again to respond to the hiring freezes and firings, calling them “thoughtless and dangerous.” Senator King also previously declared that the proposal to halt all federal grant and loan disbursement was illegal and a direct assault on the Constitution. He wrote a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside 36 senators, sharing the detrimental effects of  the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He also joined fellow Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) colleagues in writing a letter to the White House about the risks to national security by allowing unvetted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff and representatives to access classified and sensitive government materials. Additionally, he appeared on “Morning Joe” to further warn of the Constitutional overstep by the White House.

    You can read the interview here or below.

    +++

    Svitek: Before we get into the issues of the day, what’s it like being an independent in the Senate in 2025?

    Sen. King: “Well, it’s kind of a luxury because I don’t have to worry about a primary and I don’t have to worry about some group or another that supports the party and whether or not I’m going to offend them. … If you had to put my political philosophy on a bumper sticker, it would be, “I call them as I see them.” And I think that’s an advantage. And it also allows me to work with people on the left, the right, Republicans, Democrats. My only goal is to get things done and to try to protect the country.”

    Svitek: You’ve said we’re in a constitutional crisis right now. What concerns you the most?

    Sen. King: “The first point is to try to step back from the daily deluge of information … and take a longer view of what’s actually going on in terms of our constitutional structure. And that’s where I think we’ve got a five-alarm fire. What we’re seeing is a fundamental restructuring of the way our government was designed that basically is moving more and more power to the executive, to the point of rendering Congress almost an afterthought. It’s happening in multiple ways. The collapse of an entire agency, USAID. The Department of Education. These were created by statute, and the executive has no authority whatsoever to eliminate a statutorily created agency. If they don’t like the agency, come to Congress and pass a bill to eliminate it. The same thing goes with the impoundment of funds. This is dangerous stuff, and … I don’t like a lot of things the administration is doing in terms of policy, but this structural collapse of our system where power is basically being given to one person — I don’t care if it’s the Archangel Gabriel — it’s dangerous, and that’s the moment that we’re in.”

    Svitek: Do you feel your colleagues in the Democratic caucus fully understand the urgency of this moment, as you see it?

    Sen. King: “I think most of them are getting it. Again, it’s very hard — I’m not disparaging anybody — but it’s very hard to focus on this broader problem when the daily actions are so damaging and dangerous. I divide what’s going on into … two categories. One is … a question of competence, and the other is danger. And the dangerous part is the constitutional part we’ve been talking about.”

    Svitek: I know you’re disillusioned about Republicans, but do you see any glimmers of hope among them? Four Senate Republicans crossed over to support the resolution to undo Trump’s tariffs on Canada.

    Sen. King: “I’m not going to name anybody, but I think there are members of the Republican caucus who are growing increasingly uncomfortable with what’s going on, both in terms of what I mentioned — the constitutional part — but also, you know, what Elon Musk [and the U.S. DOGE Service are] doing. I mean, attacking the National Park Service, attacking Social Security, attacking veterans — I think, after [Tuesday night’s special elections], the Republicans are coming to realize that this is not a good electoral strategy.

    Svitek: Do you think their concerns are more political than substantive?

    Sen. King: “I think some of them do understand and share the constitutional concerns, but I think a lot of them, again, after [Tuesday] night, are going to realize that they’ve got some real political problems. And the other thing — there are three levels of guardrails of our constitutional system. One is the Congress itself, and right now the Congress is failing in protecting itself. … The second guardrail is the courts, and they are largely stepping up, but we’re at the earlier stages of the testing of this, and we don’t know where the Supreme Court will go on some of these fundamental issues. But the final guardrail is the people. We don’t have elections for 18 months, and the question is, “How much damage to our constitutional system … is going to be done between now and those midterm elections?” But ultimately … people are engaged, and we’re seeing it in demonstrations. The most common question I get from people in Maine is, “What can I do?”

    Svitek: How do you respond?

    Sen. King:     “I encourage them to stay engaged. Members of Congress are, in fact, responsive to their constituents. And when you get thousands of phone calls and thousands of emails, it has an effect. And I think members have been surprised, and I think it’s only going to accelerate because the negative effects of a lot of what they’re doing right now is not going to manifest itself for weeks or months.”

    Svitek: You’ve alluded to DOGE. How is it impacting Maine the most?

    Sen. King: “I think the two items that are resonating the most strongly in Maine — other than a generalized fear and anger — is Social Security and the [Veterans Affairs Department]. Those are iconic agencies that serve the public so well, and … I’ll tell you what, if Social Security checks are late next month or the month after, there’s going to be hell to pay. And people instinctively support veterans. By the way, when you hear a thousand people are fired at some agency, chances are, 300 of them are veterans. About 30 percent of the federal workforce is veterans, and the VA is probably more. One of the problems is, the people who are doing this — the DOGE people and Musk — literally don’t know what they’re doing. You can quote me on that. … They don’t know what these agencies do. They don’t know what these programs do. They don’t understand the implications back home of these programs and how important they can be. Listen, I did a major restructuring of Maine state government the first year I was governor, but we did it with a task force of private citizens, legislators and administration people. And we did it over a period of almost a year, very deliberately, very slowly, with a lot of discussion back and forth, and then at the end, the plan had to be approved by the legislature. And yet we reduced the size of state government by almost 10 percent. But they’re … trying to do it, instead of in a year, they’re trying to do it in two or three months, and as I said, they really don’t know what they’re doing.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor cites Bio-Lab Inc. after chemical fire in Conyers

    Source: US Department of Labor

    ATLANTA – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation found that improperly stored hazardous chemicals were the cause of a fire at a Bio-Lab Inc. facility in Conyers. 

    The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation learned that the incident originated at a company warehouse that stored various chemicals. OSHA cited Bio-Lab for four serious and two other-than-serious violations and proposed $61,473 in penalties.

    Bio-Lab has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

    OSHA’s Chemical Hazards and Toxic Substances webpage includes information on standard requirements, hazard recognition, controlling worker exposure. Employers can contact the agency for information about OSHA’s compliance assistance resources and for free help on complying with OSHA standards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Launches Direct to Customer Flood Insurance Premium Quoting Tool

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Launches Direct to Customer Flood Insurance Premium Quoting Tool

    FEMA Launches Direct to Customer Flood Insurance Premium Quoting Tool

    WASHINGTON — Today, FEMA is announcing it is expanding ways people can access flood insurance products

    The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is making it easier to access flood insurance pricing information by launching a Direct to Customer Flood Insurance Quoting Tool

    Customers will be able to get a flood insurance policy quote for their property and be provided local and national carrier information to assist them in purchasing their quoted policy

      FEMA is expanding the tools for customers to learn about their flood risk, insurance costs and to close the insurance gap to create a more resilient nation

    This effort means customers have a new way to learn about flood insurance and connect with companies that service flood insurance policies

     “I encourage Americans to visit Floodsmart

    gov to get a flood insurance quote,” said Cameron Hamilton, Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA Administrator

    “It’s quick and easy and takes just a few minutes

    Insured survivors recover faster

    With spring flooding and hurricane season both approaching fast, it’s important to take this first step so you can better protect the life you’ve built

    ”“In this country, less than 4% of households have flood insurance, yet 99% of all communities have experienced a flood

    FEMA is working to make flood insurance more accessible and promote customer choice with its Direct to Customer (D2C) initiative,” said Elizabeth Asche, Ph

    D

    the senior executive of the National Flood Insurance program

     “The D2C platform provides customers direct access to a property’s flood risk and the ability to purchase a flood policy from just about anywhere

    We believe this new approach will appeal to customers that have never considered a policy before and we’re counting on it to help us narrow the insurance gap

    ”Flooding is the most common disaster across America and it is not covered under most homeowner’s insurance policies

    Flood insured survivors are more resilient and recover more quickly following a disaster

     On average, 40% of NFIP flood insurance claims occur outside high hazard areas

    That’s why it’s important to protect property with flood insurance even if one lives in an area with low-to-moderate flooding risk since it brings peace of mind to homeowners and renters no matter where they live

    FEMA encourages homeowners and renters nationwide to learn more about their unique flood risk by accessing the tool on Floodsmart

    gov

    This service is free and there is no cost to receive a quote

    Over the next year, the NFIP plans to expand the tool so customers will have the option to purchase policies directly through the tool

     Currently, the National Flood Insurance Program provides about $1

    3 trillion in coverage for approximately 4

    7 million policyholders in about 22,500 communities across the nation

    To learn what’s covered under an NFIP policy visit www

    floodsmart

    gov/whats-covered

    amy

    ashbridge
    Mon, 04/07/2025 – 14:50

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Disaster Assistance to West Virginians Tops $20 Million

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Disaster Assistance to West Virginians Tops $20 Million

    FEMA Disaster Assistance to West Virginians Tops $20 Million

    CHARLESTON, W

    Va

     — More than $20 million in federal disaster assistance has been approved for homeowners and renters in seven West Virginia counties following the impacts of the Feb

    15-18 winter storms

       “Reaching this milestone in less than six weeks highlights the commitment to West Virginians of emergency management at all levels,” FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Mark K

    O’Hanlon said

    “Our FEMA team is proud to work hand in hand with our partners in state and local government and voluntary agencies in getting assistance to the people who need it most

    ”FEMA assistance for individuals and families in Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh, Wayne, and Wyoming counties who were affected by the Feb

    15-18, 2025, storms, mudslides, landslides, and straight-line winds can cover home repairs, personal property losses and other disaster-related needs not covered by insurance

    The deadline to apply for federal assistance is April 28, 2025

     “I want to urge West Virginians who were affected by the February storms to apply for assistance today,” Mr

    O’Hanlon said

    “Registering potentially opens the door to recovery funds that can change lives and help people find a new normal in their lives

    ”  Residents, both homeowners and renters, in Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh, Wayne, and Wyoming counties who sustained losses can apply for assistance in several ways:Visiting DisasterAssistance

    gov

    Downloading the FEMA App

    Calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

    Phone lines are open every day and help is available in most languages

    If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS) or captioned telephone service, please provide FEMA your number for that service

    Speaking with someone in person at a Disaster Recovery Center

     Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams are on the ground in Raleigh County, walking door-to-door to share information and help residents apply for FEMA assistance

    In coordination with the West Virginia Emergency Management Division (WVEMD) and officials in impacted counties, FEMA has opened Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Logan, Mercer, McDowell, Mingo, Wayne and Wyoming counties

    At a center, you can get help applying for federal assistance, update your application, and learn about other resources available

    The DRCs located in the table below remain open

     Logan County Disaster Recovery CenterMercer County Disaster Recovery CenterSouthern WV Community & Technical College100 College DriveLogan, WV 25601 Hours of operation:Monday to Friday: 9 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     Saturdays: 9 a

    m

    to 3 p

    m

    Closed Sundays  Lifeline Princeton Church of God250 Oakvale Road Princeton, WV 24740 Hours of operation:Monday to Friday: 9 a

    m

    to 5 p

    m

    Saturdays: 10 a

    m

    to 2 p

    m

    Closed Sundays Closed April 26 McDowell County (Welch) Disaster Recovery Center McDowell County Disaster (Bradshaw) Recovery Center  Board of Education Office900 Mount View High School RoadWelch, WV 24801 Hours of operation:Monday through Friday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     Closed on Saturdays and Sundays Bradshaw Town Hall10002 Marshall HwyBradshaw, WV 24817 Hours of operation:Monday to Saturday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

    Closed SundaysMingo County Disaster Recovery CenterWyoming County Disaster Recovery CenterWilliamson Campus1601 Armory DriveWilliamson, WV 25661 Hours of operation:Monday through Friday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     Saturdays: 9 a

    m

    to 3 p

    m

    Closed on SundaysWyoming Court House24 Main AvePineville, WV 24874 Hours of operation:Monday through Friday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     Saturdays: 9 a

    m

    to 3 p

    m

    Closed on Sundays Wayne County  Tolsia High School1 Rebel DriveFort Gay, WV 25514 Hours of operation:Monday through Friday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     Closed on Saturdays and Sundays  DRCs are accessible to all, including survivors with mobility issues, impaired vision, and those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

    The easiest way to apply for FEMA assistance is by phone at 800-621-3362

    The toll-free telephone line operates from 7 a

    m

    to 11 p

    m

    , seven days a week

    If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service

    Residents can also apply online at DisasterAssistance

    gov or download the FEMA app to their smartphone or tablet

     April 28, 2025, is also the application deadline for homeowners, renters and business owners to apply for a U

    S

    Small Business Administration physical disaster loan

    Applicants can apply online at sba

    gov/disaster, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba

    gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance

    For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay service

    For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd

    wv

    gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www

    fema

    gov/disaster/4861 and www

    facebook

    com/FEMA

    ###FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters

    Follow FEMA online, on X @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol, on FEMA’s Facebook page or Espanol page and at FEMA’s YouTube account

    Also, follow on X FEMA_Cam

    For preparedness information follow the Ready Campaign on X at @Ready

    gov, on Instagram @Ready

    gov or on the Ready Facebook page

    lianza

    yap
    Mon, 04/07/2025 – 13:04

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Palestinian Red Crescent Society on the recent deaths of members – Press Conference | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Hybrid press briefing sponsored by the Permanent Observer Mission of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to the United Nations on the recent deaths of members of Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS).   

    Speakers:
    H.E. Dr. Younis Al-Khatib, President of PRCS
    Mr. Marwan Jilani, Vice President of PRCS. 

    Moderator:
    Mr. Dylan Winder, Permanent Observer of the IFRC.

    The President of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), Dr. Younis Al-Khatib told reporters in New York that he had presented audiovisual evidence and had urged the Security Council “to support the call for an independent and thorough investigation” following the discovery of the bodies of eight missing medics from the PRCS in a mass grave in Gaza.

    According to the he International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) an emergency medical team of nine disappeared along with their ambulances after they came under heavy fire in Al-Hashashin on 23 March. After seven days, the bodies of ambulance officers Mostafa Khufaga, Saleh Muamer and Ezzedine Shaath and first responder volunteers Mohammad Bahloul, Mohammed Al-Heila, Ashraf Abu Labda, Raed Al Sharif and Rifatt Radwan were retrieved. Ambulance officer Assad Al-Nassasra is still missing.

    Describing the evidence, Al-Khatib said, “I heard the voice of one of those team members who was killed. And his phone was found with this body. And he recorded the whole event. His last words, before being shot. Forgive me, mom. I just wanted to help people. I wanted to save lives. And then he was killed.”

    Al-Khatib said, “we were praying that they will be alive. They kept us for eight days in the dark. Now, the only information we know that Assad is missing. But there’s somebody who knows whether Assad has been killed somewhere else, or Assad is detained in Israeli jails.”

    The Vice President of the PRCS, Marwan Jilani, said, “I think the scale of this crime should force, that it should oblige the international community to do more and not to accept that this would be another incident that goes in the files and be forgotten after a few days.”

    Asked how the video evidence presented to the Council was obtained, he said, “this was the phone of one of our EMS members, of the paramedics who was killed. So, the phone was on his body. The phone was in his pocket. So, it was with him. That’s why we retrieved that video. There is a longer video, As I said, we will look into it, first of all, this is evidence, and we will deal with it as such.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP6UaHYp1QE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Road restrictions during 2025 Etape Loch Ness

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    There will be a number of temporary prohibitions of traffic and temporary speed restrictions during the ‘Etape Loch Ness 2025’ cycling event which takes place on Sunday 27 April.

    The restrictions are required to ensure the safe passage of participants taking part in the event and will apply during the dates and times provided below.

    The measures will temporarily prohibit any motor vehicle, trailer or cycle from:

    (a)         Travelling in any direction on the A82 Dalnottar – Inverness Trunk Road between its junction with Bught Drive, Inverness, and its junction with the C1118 General Booth Road, from 05:45 hours to 07:15 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.

    (b)         Travelling in any direction on the A82 Dalnottar – Inverness Trunk Road between its junction with the C1118 General Booth Road, Inverness, and its junction with the A831 Drumnadrochit – Cannich – Beauly Toll Road, from 05:20 hours to 08:05 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025. 

    (c)          Travelling in any direction on the A82 Dalnottar – Inverness Trunk Road between its junction with the A831 Drumnadrochit – Cannich – Beauly Toll Road and its junction with the private road leading to Urquhart Castle, from 06:15 hours to 08:15 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.  

    (d)         Travelling in any direction on the A82 Dalnottar – Inverness Trunk Road between its junction with the private road leading to Urquhart Castle and its junction with the U1766 Dalcataig Road, Invermoriston, from 06:05 hours to 09:05 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.  

    (e)         Travelling in any direction on the A82 Dalnottar – Inverness Trunk Road between its junction with the U1766 Dalcataig Road, Invermoriston, and its junction with the B862 Fort Augustus – Whitebridge – Torness – Dores – Inverness Road, from 06:40 hours to 09:35 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.  

    (f)          Travelling in any direction on the B862 Fort Augustus – Whitebridge – Torness – Dores Inverness Road between its junction with the A82 Dalnottar – Inverness Trunk Road and its junction with the B852 Dalcrag Bridge – Foyers – Inverfarigaig – Dores Road, from 06:50 hours to 10:55 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025. 

    (g)         Travelling in any direction on the B852 Dalcrag Bridge – Foyers – Inverfarigaig – Dores Road between its junction with the B862 Fort Augustus – Whitebridge – Torness – Dores – Inverness Road and its junction with the C1080 Inverfarigaig – Errogie Road, from 07:25 hours to 11:20 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.  

    (h)         Travelling in any direction on the B852 Dalcrag Bridge – Foyers – Inverfarigaig – Dores Road between its junction with the C1080 Inverfarigaig – Errogie Road and its junction with the B862 Fort Augustus – Whitebridge – Torness – Dores – Inverness Road, from 07:25 hours to 12:20 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.  

    (i)          Travelling in any direction on the B862 Fort Augustus – Whitebridge – Torness – Dores – Inverness Road between its junction with the B852 Dalcrag Bridge – Foyers – Inverfarigaig – Dores Road and Holm Roundabout, from 07:55 hours to 12:45 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.

    (j)          Travelling in a northbound direction on the B862 Fort Augustus – Whitebridge – Torness – Dores – Inverness Road between Holm Roundabout and its junction with the B861 Inverness – Leys – Inverarnie Road (Ness Bridge Junction), from 08:15 hours to 13:00 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.  

    (k)         Travelling in any direction on Ness Walk, Inverness, between its junction with Young Street and its junction with Ardross Terrace, from 07:55 hours to 13:00 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.

    (l)          Travelling in any direction on Ardross Terrace, Inverness, between its junction with Ness Walk and its junction with Bishops Road, from 07:55 hours to 13:00 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025. 

    (m)        Travelling in any direction on Bishops Road, Inverness, between its junction with Ness Walk Upper and its junction with Ardross Terrace, from 18:00 hours on Saturday 26 April 2025 to 15:30 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.  

    (n)         Travelling in any direction on Ness Walk Upper, Inverness, between its junction with Bishops Road and its junction with Ballifeary Lane, from 05:00 hours to 08:00 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.  

    (o)         Travelling in any direction on Ness Walk Upper, Inverness, between its junction with Ballifeary Lane and its junction with Bught Road, from 18:00 hours on Saturday 26 April 2025 to 08:00 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025. 

    (p)         Travelling in any direction on Bught Road, Inverness, between its junction with Ness Walk Upper and its junction with Bught Avenue, from 18:00 hours on Saturday 26 April 2025 to 08:00 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.   

    (q)         Travelling in any direction on Bught Road, Inverness, between its junction with Bught Avenue and its junction with Whin Park, from 21:00 hours on Saturday 26 April 2025 to 08:00 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.  

    (r)          Travelling in any direction on Bught Avenue, Inverness, between its junction with Bught Road and its junction with Bught Lane, from 18:00 hours on Saturday 26 April 2025 to 07:30 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.

    (s)          Travelling in any direction on Bught Drive, Inverness, between its junction with Bught Avenue and its junction with the A82 Dalnottar – Inverness Trunk Road, from 05:00 hours to 07:10 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025. 

    (t)          Travelling in a southbound direction on the A8082 Inverness Southern Distributor Road between Ness Side Roundabout and Holm Roundabout, from 08:15 hours to 13:00 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025.

    There will also be a temporary speed limit of 20 miles per hour on the B862 Fort Augustus – Whitebridge – Torness – Dores – Inverness Road commencing at its junction with Holm Roundabout and extending in a northerly direction to a point 34 metres, or thereby, south of its southernmost junction with the U3809 Bellfield Park Inverness, from 08:15 hours to 13:00 hours on Sunday 27 April 2025. 

    The Order, which is required to ensure the safe passage of participants taking part in the ‘Etape Loch Ness 2025’ cycling event, will only have effect in relation to such part or parts of the lengths of road as are indicated by the appropriate traffic signs or cones.

    Emergency services vehicles being used in an emergency for ambulance, coastguard, fire brigade or police purposes, and vehicles employed to ensure the safety of the event participants are exempt from the restriction and prohibitions detailed in the Order.

    Vehicles driven under escort are exempt from the restriction and prohibitions detailed in the Order.

    Special Forces vehicles, when driven by a member of the special forces in response to a national security emergency, are exempt from the restriction and prohibitions detailed in the Order.

    Cyclists who are registered to participate in the ‘Etape Loch Ness 2025’ cycling event are exempt from the restriction and prohibitions detailed in the Order.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eleven-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced To Over Six Years In Prison For Unlawfully Possessing Ammunition

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Bryan Jermaine Davis (37, Jacksonville) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. Davis entered a guilty plea on December 3, 2024.

    According to court documents, on July 5, 2024, an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop after seeing that Davis was not wearing a seatbelt. During questioning, Davis admitted to having marijuana in his possession. The officer conducted a search of Davis’s vehicle and recovered a bag containing assorted rounds of ammunition and a ghost gun under the driver’s seat. Ghost guns are firearms that have no serial number and are, therefore, often untraceable. When the officer found the ammunition and firearm, Davis attempted to flee on foot but was caught and detained by officers who had responded to the scene. At the time, Davis had multiple prior felony convictions including robbery, selling heroin, possession of cocaine, dealing in stolen property, and possession of a weapon by a state prisoner. As a convicted felon, Davis is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

    This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.

    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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump, interrupted: Cory Booker’s 25-hour Senate speech calls for collective action

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Barbara Leckie, Professor, English and the Institute for the Comparative Study of Literature, Art, and Culture; Academic Director, Re.Climate: Centre for Climate Communication and Public Engagement, Carleton University

    At 7 p.m. on Day 71 of Donald Trump’s presidency, United States Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, rose to speak on the Senate floor. He did not cede his right to speech (“the right to recognition”) until 25 hours later, at 8:05 p.m. the following day.

    While the form of his speech resembled a filibuster — a prolonged speech designed to delay or prevent legislation — Booker’s speech was not aimed at any proposed law. Instead he was responding to what he called a “time of crisis” in the United States.

    That crisis, in Booker’s view, is driven by the actions of the Trump administration, including executive orders and other actions that he argued are eroding democracy, exacerbating the climate crisis and dismantling programs that offer life-saving support to both Americans and people around the world.

    Booker set a record for the longest continuous speech in the U.S. Senate, surpassing speeches by Ted Cruz in 2013 and Strom Thurmond in 1957. He had no food, bathroom or sitting breaks.

    Booker’s speech, both a physical feat and a call to action, has been much lauded. But while the content of his speech and its calls for cross-aisle collaboration are admirable, as a literary critic, I believe the form of his speech deserves equal attention.

    How Booker delivered the speech helps to bring into focus his call for a participatory democracy — where everyone is actively involved — using two main strategies: interruption of the current norm (disruption), and an appeal to collaboration (working together).

    The author of this article is a literary expert on political communication, especially with relation to climate change.
    Stanford University Press

    Based on my work in the climate humanities, interruption and working together are among the most effective and necessary ways to generate political action.

    Two forms of interruption

    Two contrasting forms of interruption are important here: interruption that fosters reflection and interruption that discounts it.

    The German philosopher Walter Benjamin developed the concept of interruption in the 1930s as a way to foster thinking in times of crisis.

    Some types of theatre, for example, interrupt their story to break with conventions and remind viewers that they’re watching a play. Building on Benjamin’s idea of interruption, I’m interested in how interruption can work in our current era of political crisis.

    The Trump administration practises the second form of interruption that discounts thinking.

    The administration’s technique of “flooding the zone,” for example, produces new actions in such quick succession that the conditions for thinking are eviscerated.

    Trump’s preferred mode of communication has also been social media, known for its short and punchy delivery. These communication strategies — flooding the zone and short social media posts — scatter attention.

    With the speed and volume of the Trump administration’s actions, it can feel impossible to respond to — let alone reflect on — every executive order, every overreach, every unconstitutional or illegal move.

    A communication shift?

    Until recently, the U.S. Democratic Party has neither changed the form of their political practice nor the form of their communications in any significant way.

    I believe that shifted last week.

    When Booker chose to rise in the Senate, he adopted Benjamin’s version of interruption — by changing the form. In this case, through a congressional address with the time-honoured practice of not ceding the floor.



    Read more:
    With Trump in charge, America is going back to more hostile times

    His single, extended action of uninterrupted speech (except for questions and a prayer) was exactly the opposite of flooding the zone.

    His 25-hour speech commanded and held attention. It was exactly the opposite of a hastily dispatched social media post.

    He asked his audience to listen in a form that reminded them of what listening demands. Stopping. Paying attention. Thinking. Acting.

    Working together: ‘We, the people’

    Booker stood alone at the podium for over 25 hours but he did not act alone.

    His speech is a powerful performance of collaboration and working together. This recognition of a collective debt to others is also mirrored in his repetition of the phrase “we, the people.”

    Here, too, the form of his speech is revealing. Literary critics pay attention to how documents open and close and how words are used and repeated.

    His first words acknowledge his debt to the “pages …the folks that work the door, the clerks, the Parliamentarians.” And his last words return to this point, thanking again “the pages… the Parlimentarian staffs … the clerks …the doorkeepers.”

    Throughout the speech, he reminds his audience that the people are “stronger together”. His words alone cannot stop the dismantling of democracy, he insists, but “we, the people” can.

    The form of his address is an expansive act of inclusion and working together. It incorporates questions to his audience, letters, poetry and literature, questions from the floor, community stories and historical examples.

    Two questions inform his speech overall: “Did you speak up?” and “what can I do?” (the first is repeated with variations 52 times and the second 36 times).

    Questions invite connection, participation, response and more questions. Booker’s answer to the linked questions is to “stand up, speak up” and promote the collective action of the people.

    One form of standing up and speaking up is writing letters to one’s political representatives. Over the course of his speech, Booker gave voice to these constituents and in doing so widened the circle of representation in Congress: “I am trying to elevate the voices,” he said, “that don’t get to come to this place — voices I am hearing from, voices that identify themselves as a Republican veteran, a Democrat.”

    The letters he read generate connection, closed gaps, and, like questions, invite further responses.

    Booker’s recitation of poetry and literature was similarly inclusive and expansive. He used his platform to share Langston Hughes’s lines, “To save the dream for one / It must be saved for all,” Alice Walker’s comment that, “the most common way people give up their power is not realizing they have it in the first place,” and a translation from the Bantu language, “I am because we are,” among many others.

    Bending the form

    In short, Booker bent the form of the congressional address to encourage “thousands of ignition points,” thousands of creative ways to bend the form and work together.

    He joins his voice to those of his constituents, literary and historical figures, Americans past and future, and to others around the world in an effort, as he put it — adapting the words of Martin Luther King Jr. — “to bend the arc of our nation … toward justice.”

    The endurance and content of Booker’s speech is important, but its form most interrupted this moment of political upheaval, invited its listeners to notice and think, and offered examples of “coming together” to support others, listen to their voices, share their stories and be “stronger together.”

    Barbara Leckie 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.

    – ref. Trump, interrupted: Cory Booker’s 25-hour Senate speech calls for collective action – https://theconversation.com/trump-interrupted-cory-bookers-25-hour-senate-speech-calls-for-collective-action-253819

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Five sluice gates remain open at Vaal Dam

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) says the five sluice gates remain opened at the Vaal Dam, while outflows at Bloemhof Dam are to be increased to manage rising water levels.

    “Since the opening of the fifth sluice gate [on Sunday] morning due to the heavy inflows into the Vaal Dam, the Department of Water and Sanitation will keep all the five sluice gates opened and there will be no changes in the dam’s outflow…

    “However, should there be increased inflows into the Vaal Dam, it may result in additional gates being opened. The DWS will continue to monitor Vaal Dam and effect changes on the outflow as and when necessary,” the department said in a statement on Monday.

    The department reported that the water storage level at the Vaal Dam was at 111.11% on Monday morning, rising from Sunday’s 109.3% full supply capacity.

    This is due to the continuous high inflow of water at 1002.25 mᵌ/s from the upper catchment.

    The Bloemhof Dam storage level has also increased from 107% on Sunday to 112.08% full supply capacity on Monday morning.

    As a result, the department said water releases at the dam will be increased at different times on Monday and will be staggered from the current 1 400 m3/s to 1 550 m³/s at 12pm to 1 700 m³/s at 2pm, and the last increase will be 1 850 m³/s at 4pm.

    Possible overtopping of riverbanks downstream

    The department warned that the current controlled water releases by the five sluice gates may lead to possible overtopping of riverbanks downstream, and this will affect infrastructure built in lower-lying areas within the 1 in 100-year floodline.

    “People living within the floodline of the Vaal River downstream of the Vaal Dam and the Bloemhof Dam should evacuate and move to a safe area and remove valuable equipment, movable infrastructure and livestock,” the department said.

    One sluice gate remains open at Grootdraai Dam

    One sluice gate remains open at Grootdraai Dam in Mpumalanga in the Upper Vaal River Catchment, upstream of the Vaal Dam, to enable water releases.

    On Monday morning, the dam recorded 102% full supply capacity.

    The department reiterated that these necessary controlled water releases at the dams are being implemented, as part of dam safety precautions to safeguard the infrastructure and protect human life.

    “The DWS is continuously monitoring the water levels in the Vaal River System. Through various platforms, the department continuously shares hydrology reports and provides regular updates regarding the water levels in the dams, with recommendations in order to provide early warnings in case of flooding.” – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Member of Lummi Nation charged federally with illegal firearms possession and killing protected bald eagles

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle – A 38-year-old member of the Lummi Nation will appear in federal court this afternoon charged with illegal firearms possession and two violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Joel David Ridley was arrested by Lummi Nation Police on February 23, 2025. Police responded to reports of gunshots and encountered Ridley with a dead eagle in his SUV. 

    According to the criminal complaint, a witness on the Lummi Reservation was walking his dog when he heard a gunshot. As he walked home, the witness heard a second shot and saw a person pick up an eagle from the ground.  As the witness was on the phone with police, he saw another eagle fall from a tree on his property. The eagle was badly injured. Police captured the surviving eagle and later transported it to the Humane Society.

    Shortly after meeting with the witness, police encountered an SUV in the area that matched the description provided by the reporting party. The vehicle quickly turned into a driveway. A records check revealed the vehicle belonged to Ridley. When police responded to the residence, they observed a dead eagle in the back seat of Ridley’s vehicle. Officers subsequently spoke with Ridley in the driveway and arrested him. 

    Police obtained a search warrant for Ridley’s vehicle. Inside, officers found a dead eagle and a .22 caliber Savage rifle concealed between the rear seats. Ridely is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2003 conviction for Assault in the First Degree in Whatcom County Superior Court.

    Both eagles were taken to the Washington State Humane Society in Bellingham and found to have suffered gunshot wounds. The surviving eagle was too injured to recover and was euthanized. Both eagles were judged to be juvenile bald eagles.

    While the Lummi Tribe is permitted to possess, distribute, and transport bald or golden eagles found dead within Indian Country, the permit does not authorize the taking of eagles by gunshot, poison, or trapping.

    Unlawful Possession of a Firearm is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

    The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by the Lummi Nation Police Department and the FBI.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Celia Lee. AUSA Lee serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Individuals Face Federal Charges Following Multi-Agency Immigration Enforcement Operations (DOJ)

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

    TLANTA – Five individuals have been charged in the Northern District of Georgia with firearms-related offenses during a multi-agency immigration enforcement operation in metro-Atlanta during the past week. The operations involved coordinated investigations led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable support from several local law enforcement partners. In addition to the individuals charged federally, law enforcement seized more than a dozen firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in connection with the operations.

    “Our office is proud to support our law enforcement partners in this effort and other enforcement initiatives to protect our communities and safeguard our national security,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “This initiative sends a strong message to those engaged in criminal activity, whether regarding immigration-related or firearms offenses, that the ongoing and determined coordinated efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners will achieve measurable results in making our communities safer.”

    “The successful enforcement actions taken during this multi-agency operation underscore HSI’s unwavering commitment to upholding immigration laws and targeting illegal aliens allegedly possessing and trafficking in firearms,” said Steven N. Schrank, special agent in charge of HSI Atlanta, which covers Georgia and Alabama. “By leveraging our partnerships and resources, we are identifying and apprehending those who exploit our immigration system to engage in criminal activities that threaten public safety and national security.”

    “ATF along with our federal law enforcement partners will utilize all resources to investigate firearms trafficking by transnational criminal organizations and cartels,” said Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Gibbons. “The success of these investigative efforts could not be accomplished without cohesive partnerships, which keep our communities safe.”

    “The DEA, along with our law enforcement partners, are sending a clear message to the Mexican drug cartels and their criminal associates, that keeping our communities safe is our highest priority,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. 

    “FBI Atlanta is dedicated to supporting our federal partners in achieving our mutual objective of ensuring the safety of our communities,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case clearly illustrates the success that can be achieved when federal agencies unite their resources and expertise to combat violent criminals.”

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: From March 24 to April 2, 2025, federal law enforcement agencies conducted a series of enforcement operations targeting individuals allegedly committing firearms and other violations, including those illegally present in the United States.  During the operation, law enforcement seized 13 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.  Significantly, resulting investigations revealed that many of the firearms were bound for Mexico.

    The following defendants have been charged in connection with the operations:

    Hernandez Mora made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker on April 1, 2025.  Gonzales-Hoppo made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins, III on March 28, 2025.  Vick, Macias Montes and Sambrano also made their initial appearances before Judge Larkins on March 27, 2025. 

    Members of the public are reminded that the Criminal Complaints and Indictment only contain charges.  The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

    These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, Georgia State Patrol, Sandy Springs Police Department, Doraville Police Department, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Clayton County Police Department, South Fulton Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Gwinnett County Police Department, Clarkston Police Department and East Point Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys with the Northern District of Georgia, including those assigned to the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), provided valuable support for these operations.

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Ceasefire Monitoring ‘Can No Longer Be Just about Being Present’, Senior Official Tells Security Council, Noting New Capabilities for Real-Time Observation

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Ahead of the ministerial meeting on peacekeeping that will be held this May in Berlin, speakers in the Security Council today both urged the importance of technological advances to ceasefire monitoring and acknowledged that such efforts alone will not create the sustainable peace that the United Nations seeks to achieve in conflict zones around the world.

    Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, recalled that peacekeeping was originally conceived as a means to monitor a ceasefire or truce.  “The original mandate of UN peacekeepers was to provide impartial observation, meticulous reporting and confidence-building support for the political processes aimed at resolving conflicts peacefully,” he said.  Then — as now — effective ceasefire monitoring depends on strict adherence to the core peacekeeping principles of consent, impartiality and non-use of force to ensure that peacekeepers are always perceived as credible, unbiased observers who can accurately record and report incidents.

    However, spotlighting the “increasingly dynamic” nature of today’s operating environment, he stressed that ceasefire monitoring “can no longer be just about being present”.  Rather, it necessitates rapidly understanding — and acting on — what is happening on the ground.  To that end, technological advances offer the ability to increase impact by deploying monitoring capabilities beyond traditional demilitarized zones.  “Such capabilities allow us to observe vast and complex landscapes in real time, overcoming the limitations of older methods that relied primarily on physical presence,” he observed.

    Continuing, he reported that the Action for Peacekeeping-Plus digital transformation strategy is designed to enhance UN missions by providing better tools to swiftly detect violations, effectively coordinate responses and maintain the trust of communities served.  However, future monitoring efforts will have to address hazards that extend beyond traditional physical domains, including influence operations, cyberattacks and other hybrid threats.  He added:  “While peacekeeping can be an integral part of a ceasefire-monitoring regime, the success of any ceasefire remains the sole responsibility of the parties.”

    Next to brief the Council was Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz, Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), who emphasized that monitoring the cessation of hostilities remains central to the Force’s mandate.  “This mission has taken on even greater importance following the hostilities of October 2023,” he stated, adding that a lasting ceasefire has long been hindered by differing interpretations of obligations under resolution 1701 (2006).  Achieving one, he noted, “may still take a long time”.

    Elaborating, he said this would potentially require an internal political process in Lebanon — particularly on sensitive issues, such as the military capabilities of Hizbullah and other non-State actors.  It would also demand a political track between Lebanon and Israel to resolve matters of sovereignty, territorial integrity and border demarcation.  Underlining the importance of Lebanon’s continued consent to the Force’s presence, he also voiced concern over growing disinformation and misinformation.  The Lebanese Government has a crucial role to play in fostering public understanding of UNIFIL’s role to prevent misperceptions, he stressed.

    Technology, he added, offers a valuable tool for modern peacekeeping.  For UNIFIL, it can enhance the safety and effectiveness of peacekeepers and address current surveillance gaps, such as detecting low-flying unmanned aerial vehicles or air strikes that evade radar.  Drones equipped with radar and cameras could help monitor wider areas for longer periods, providing real-time intelligence to troops on the ground and improving situational awareness, he observed.

    Ulisses de Mesquita Gomes, Force Commander of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), then provided an update on his operating environment.  MONUSCO possesses certain surveillance technologies — including unmanned aerial vehicles for aerial reconnaissance and ground-based radar systems for perimeter security — that have significantly reduced risks to Mission personnel and improved mandate delivery.  “These tools could equally be deployed towards ceasefire monitoring,” he said.

    He noted, however, that surveillance technology has also been used by armed groups, militia and criminal networks.  He reported:  “In recent months, we have observed the use of readily available drones for reconnaissance by armed groups and the exploitation of encrypted messaging apps for coordination and propaganda dissemination.”  To address this, MONUSCO has adapted its procurement and force-generation strategies to leverage the latest capabilities “within weeks and months, rather than years”, he said.

    Also underlining the importance of maintaining the long-term consent of host States and local populations, he said that MONUSCO and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have worked jointly to define the Mission’s priorities and objectives.  While the role of technology is important, he added that “the success of our Mission is not solely dependent on technology”.  He stressed:  “Effective ceasefire monitoring depends on the continued cooperation and consent of the host State and local populations.”

    In the ensuing discussion, many Council members pointed to the transformative potential of modern technology in the peacekeeping domain. The representative of Pakistan emphasized that advances in sensing technology — including drones and satellite imagery — can significantly enhance monitoring capabilities by providing “real-time, comprehensive situational awareness”.  Denmark’s representative said that enhancing peacekeepers’ capabilities — particularly through technology — would enable significantly greater coverage in operational areas often rendered inaccessible by adverse weather, challenging terrain or security risks.

    The representative of France, Council President for April, spoke in his national capacity to similarly state that missions must be equipped with modern technology to effectively implement their mandates. “They must have night-vision capabilities and the latest drone or fixed cameras,” he said, adding:  “This is not a secondary matter at all — it is very important because a force without the means is a diminished force.”

    For his part, Greece’s representative spotlighted the double-edged sword presented by advanced technology, a point echoed by others today.  On that, he observed that technology can be harnessed for peacekeeper training; logistical support; landmine detection, mapping and clearance; and tasks involving surveillance and monitoring.  Conversely, he said, “these technologies can also be misused to carry out malicious cyberattacks, to disseminate hate speech or to undermine populations’ trust in peacekeepers through disinformation campaigns”.

    The representative of Guyana, too, said that the proliferation of disinformation and misinformation can “exacerbate the gap between local perceptions and expectations about peacekeeping missions and the mission’s actual mandate and capabilities”.  She therefore urged the development of robust public-information strategies, spotlighting as an example the use of radio stations by certain missions to counter the spread of negative narratives.  The representative of the United Kingdom also voiced support for using technology to counter threats arising from misinformation and disinformation.

    In that vein, the representative of the United States rejected recent attacks on the credibility of UN peacekeeping missions — particularly those directed at MONUSCO by Rwandan officials and forces.  Such attacks undermine trust in ceasefire monitoring and “cast doubt on their impartiality”, he observed.  He added:  “The challenges we currently face in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lebanon underscore the necessity for UN peacekeeping to be more efficient, adaptable and focused on long-term solutions to achieve lasting peace.”

    “Combining technical tools with human expertise is essential for success,” stressed Slovenia’s representative.  She also underscored that effective, impartial and transparent monitoring — based on a clear and well-funded mandate — builds trust and maintains legitimacy.  As the UN explores the future of peacekeeping, the ability to support and monitor ceasefires must remain a core part of this endeavour.  She stressed, however, that “monitoring alone cannot bring peace”; without political solutions, “monitoring risks to become but a technical activity”.

    Others picked up this thread.  “The goal of ceasefire monitoring is to win time and space for political settlement,” said China’s representative, adding:  “Without a parallel political process, ceasefire monitoring may degenerate from a peace stabilizer to a conflict-freezing agent that will not help achieve the desired goal.”  The representative of Panama emphasized that peace operations must be complemented by a greater civil and political component.  Further, he stressed that this must be accompanied by investments in development, education, health, employment and economic reconstruction “in order to avoid relapses into social tensions that could rekindle conflicts”.

    Sierra Leone’s representative, noting the UN’s ability to create the space necessary for political processes to take root, joined others in spotlighting the importance of partnerships:  “Cooperation with host Governments is fundamental to building trust and achieving lasting peace.”  The representative of the Republic of Korea, similarly, pointed to host country consent in the context of technology:  “Closer coordination with host States, emphasizing the mutual benefits of these innovations, can help foster understanding and garner support.”  The representative of Somalia added:  “We emphasize strong collaboration with regional organizations, technological providers, academic institutions and civil society organizations.”

    Along these lines, the representative of the Russian Federation said that her country is prepared to discuss the possibility of including MONUSCO in the monitoring of an eventual ceasefire — so long as there is a request to this end from subregional organizations.  On UNIFIL, she observed that, if the Force was not present, “the Security Council, for example, would not have heard that — since the ceasefire — there have been 50 more shellings coming from Israel, rather than those coming from the north of the Blue Line”.

    Algeria’s representative, going further, recalled that the Council has often been briefed on flagrant violations of ceasefires by the missions tasked with monitoring them.  “However, the reporting of these violations is usually followed by a concerning inaction to hold the perpetrators accountable,” he said.  He added:  “This is clearly a matter of accountability — and without accountability, serious questions would naturally be raised about the credibility of mandated UN operations on the ground and about the credibility of this Council.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri C R Patil inaugurates Symposium on “Dam Safety Act, 2021: Towards Integrated Dam Safety Management” in New Delhi

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister Shri C R Patil inaugurates Symposium on “Dam Safety Act, 2021: Towards Integrated Dam Safety Management” in New Delhi

    Shri C R Patil lauds the role of NDSA in Dam safety Management

    Union Minister highlights how the Act has created a structured safety framework and institutional set up in ensuring compliances of the provisions of the Dam Safety Act

    Three Years of NDSA’s Journey marked with Key Releases and Discussions on Implementation Challenges

    Posted On: 07 APR 2025 9:43PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister Shri C R Patil inaugurated  Symposium on “Dam Safety Act, 2021”: Towards Integrated Dam Safety Management”organised by National Dam Safety Authority” (NDSA) ,DoWR, RD & GR, Govt. of India in the presence of Minister of State for Jal Shakti Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary  in SCOPE Convention Centre, New Delhi today.This event highlighted the progress made in improving dam safety, and it emphasized the need for integrated dam safety management through involvement of all Stakeholders.

    Shri C. R. Patil,outlined the efforts in implementation of the Dam Safety Act. Union minister highlighted how the Act has created a structured safety framework and institutional set up in ensuring compliances of the provisions of the Dam Safety Act.  While lauding the role of NDSA in Dam safety Management, HMoJS  encouraged stakeholders to view dam safety not merely as compliance; but, as a commitment to human safety, ecosystem preservation, and national resilience. HMoJS emphasized that every specified dam owner must earmark sufficient funds as mandated; and uphold global best practices and advanced technology for a secure water future. He highlighted that dams are getting old and more efforts are needed to take preventive measures for Dam Safety.

    Dr. Raj Bhushan Choudhary,  Minister of State for Jal Shakti urged states to adopt risk-based prioritization tools and integrate startups and private sector innovation into dam safety practices. Also emphasised on the importance of Dam Health and Rehabilitation Monitoring Application, i.e. DHARMA  Portal as a repository of data of all th.e specified dams of the country.

    Key releases during the Symposium:

    • The National Register of Specified Dams-2025 was released, providing a comprehensive database of all the 6628 Specified dams in the country.
    • Guidelines for Preparing Operation & Maintenance Manual for Ungated Dams was released, aimed at improving safety protocols of dams.
    • A Compendium  on regulations published under the Dam Safety Act, 2021
    • The National Strategy for Developing Dams as Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Destinations was introduced to explore eco-friendly tourism opportunities.

     

    Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR elucidated the efforts made by NDSA in implementation of provisions of Dam Safety Act, 2021 in close association with all other stakeholders. She outlined that India is one of the leading countries in Dam Safety management. However, she cautioned the dam fraternity that any complacency in dam safety efforts could derail the process. She stressed upon the need for integrated Dam Safety Management, by taking care of each & every aspect related to Dam Safety in a holistic manner and need to have plans in place for ground implementation of various measures required to improve the safety performance of the dams. She also pointed out that dam safety is becoming increasingly difficult with climate change.

    Shri Anil Jain, Chairman, NDSA highlighted the achievements during the Authority’s three-year journey and reiterated that dams are not just engineering marvels, but lifelines critical for irrigation, power generation, and flood protection. He stressed that ensuring dam safety is a shared national responsibility.

    Shri R.K. Choudhary. CMD, NHPC presented a perspective on dam safety compliance and risk mitigation strategies. He elaborated on best practices in structural health monitoring and adaptive management strategies adopted by NHPC to enhance dam resilience. He shared about the best practices being followed by them for all the Dams of NHPC. He emphasised that NHPC is maintaining their Dam Safety Dam Management data through their In-house portal of NHPC, which is called “SAHAJ SEWA”.

    Dr. Sanjay Belsare, Secretary CAD & WM, Maharashtra highlighted on-ground progress, particularly in enhancing inspection protocols and capacity building, while also pointing out challenges like funding constraints and manpower shortages.

    The technical sessions by NDSA focused on the evolution and key regulatory provisions of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, emphasizing the significance of a structured legal framework in ensuring the long-term safety and maintenance of dams. Further, the role of NDSA in implementing the Act and the challenges ahead was discussed. The need for capacity building among dam owners and state agencies, particularly in monitoring, inspection, and emergency action planning was highlighted.

    State representatives from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Meghalaya shared their experiences and challenges in implementing the Act. They highlighted key issues such as fund constraints, trained manpower.

    Senior officials from the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR), and key stakeholders from states and public sector organizations were also present at the event. More than 250 delegates from 18 states attended the event, representing various sectors involved in dam safety management.

    ***

    Dhanya Sanal K

    Director

     

    (Release ID: 2119911) Visitor Counter : 86

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Need to support the Cyclades affected by the devastating floods and the island regions more broadly – E-001363/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001363/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Fredis Beleris (PPE)

    The revision of the European Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2021-2027 is expected to take place in the coming months. Following the devastating floods – once again in Greece and with the Cyclades islands at the centre – infrastructure and social services are being tested. The European Council agreed to increase the budget by EUR 64.6 billion for the period 2021-2027, of which EUR 1.5 billion is for the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR).

    Overall, the revision of the MFF reflects the EU’s adaptability to new challenges, ensuring adequate funding for critical areas and strengthening solidarity between Member States. However, the natural disasters faced by Greece make the need for this debate even more urgent.

    In light of the above:

    • 1.Will the Commission proceed with a further increase in funds for the prevention of natural disasters and the preparation of local and regional authorities for them?
    • 2.Will there be a targeted priority axis for the needs of island regions?
    • 3.Does the Commission intend to provide financial support for existing and future technical studies by local and regional authorities that urgently need it?

    Submitted: 2.4.2025

    Last updated: 7 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 134

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL4

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 134
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    235 PM EDT Mon Apr 7 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Eastern North Carolina
    Eastern South Carolina
    Southeast Virginia
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Monday afternoon and evening from 235 PM until
    1000 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Clusters of strong/severe storms including bowing segments
    should continue to evolve this afternoon, posing mainly a wind
    damage risk.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 60
    statute miles east and west of a line from 40 miles west southwest
    of Myrtle Beach SC to 30 miles north of Elizabeth City NC. For a
    complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
    update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 133…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean storm motion vector
    23035.

    …Guyer

    SEL4

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 134
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    235 PM EDT Mon Apr 7 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Eastern North Carolina
    Eastern South Carolina
    Southeast Virginia
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Monday afternoon and evening from 235 PM until
    1000 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Clusters of strong/severe storms including bowing segments
    should continue to evolve this afternoon, posing mainly a wind
    damage risk.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 60
    statute miles east and west of a line from 40 miles west southwest
    of Myrtle Beach SC to 30 miles north of Elizabeth City NC. For a
    complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
    update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 133…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean storm motion vector
    23035.

    …Guyer

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW4
    WW 134 SEVERE TSTM NC SC VA CW 071835Z – 080200Z
    AXIS..60 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    40WSW CRE/MYRTLE BEACH SC/ – 30N ECG/ELIZABETH CITY NC/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /41NE CHS – 11S ORF/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1 INCH. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23035.

    LAT…LON 33458061 36707726 36707510 33457853

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU4.

    Watch 134 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (10%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (50%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low ( 2 inches

    Low (

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Adversaries Trying to Exploit Trump’s Mass-Firings to Recruit Ousted Gov’t Employees as Spies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – With the Trump Administration arbitrarily laying off tens of thousands of skilled government workers, many with security clearances and expertise in critical fields, foreign government intelligence agencies are ratcheting up efforts to increase spies.
    According to intelligence recently distributed by the U.S. Coast Guard Counterintelligence Service: “New intelligence indicates agents from China, Russia, and other countries have set their sights on recently fired probationary workers, or those with security clearances, hoping to obtain valuable information about U.S. critical infrastructure or national security interests.”
    U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) says it is just one more example of how the Trump Administration short-sighted, chaotic approach to slashing government is making America less safe.
    “Espionage threats against America are rising as Donald Trump continues to weaken U.S. national security and enable America’s adversaries to conduct foreign malign influence operations.  The Trump Administration is handing foreign-linked entities a target-rich environment to recruit willing or unwitting participation in their intelligence gathering operations.  We know China, Russia, and others are trying to exploit the Trump Administration’s missteps and they’re increasingly targeting those who have been fired or could soon be ousted – especially defense workers,” said Reed, the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and an ex officio member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.  “Russia, China, and others are using sophisticated methods and deceptive techniques and fronts to try to lure unsuspecting, recently laid off U.S. government employees into divulging sensitive information.  And when U.S. government employees see how careless Trump’s Secretary of Defense, national security advisor, and National Director of Intelligence are with sensitive information on group chats, they may do the same.  We can’t let that happen.  President Trump also allows a lot of unvetted people to influence him and apparently direct him to take specific actions, like firing the head of the NSA.  That is very worrisome.”
    Last week, President Trump abruptly fired the director of the National Security Agency without explanation and has also targeted the CIA, FBI, and DOJ for mass-layoffs, including the purging of career civil servants who the Trump Administration deems insufficiently loyal to the MAGA political agenda.
    According to CNN: “A document produced by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said the intelligence community assessed with “high confidence” that foreign adversaries were trying to recruit federal employees and “capitalize” on the Trump administration’s plans for mass layoffs, according to a partly redacted copy reviewed by CNN.
    “It added that foreign intelligence officers were being directed to look for potential sources on LinkedIn, TikTok, RedNote and Reddit.
    “At least one foreign intelligence officer directed an asset to create a company profile on Linkedin and post a job advertisement, and to actively pursue federal employees who indicate they are “open to work,” the NCIS document says.”
    All intelligence agencies use similar exploits.  Countries with high levels of internal division, economic turmoil, and vulnerable populations may be more susceptible.
    Senator Reed stressed that the increased risk of Americans becoming foreign intelligence assets is not a matter of loyalty, but a matter of sophisticated intelligence tactics designed to trick American workers, such as the use of fake job ads or realistic front companies.
    Reuters noted: “Max Lesser, a senior analyst on emerging threats with the Washington-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said some companies placing recruitment ads were “part of a broader network of fake consulting and headhunting firms targeting former government employees and AI researchers.”
    The story continued: “Asked about the research, three intelligence analysts told Reuters the network appeared to be a prime example of how foreign-linked entities are trying to gather intelligence from staff fired or forced into retirement by President Donald Trump and billionaire tech tycoon Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
    “Once employed by the network, federal employees could then be asked to share increasingly sensitive information about government operations, or recommend additional people who might be targeted for willing or unwitting participation, the analysts said.””
    The Coast Guard’s bulletin noted a telltale sign of foreign agents attempting to recruit former government officials is if something that is too good to be true, it probably is.
    “Your contact might overly praise or focus on your skills/experience, especially if your government affiliation is known,” the notice stated, adding that flattery, scarcity, and a sense for urgency might be an indicator as well.
    An active-duty U.S. army sergeant was recently charged with selling and transmitting sensitive military and national defense secrets to co-conspirators working on behalf of China.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New recycling facility and community infrastructure upgrades

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Eight new mowers will be added to the city’s mowing teams.

    The ACT Government is investing in essential city services to support new recycling infrastructure and Canberra’s growing horticultural maintenance needs.

    The ACT and Australian Governments will jointly fund the construction of a new recycling facility for Canberra.

    It will be built on the same Hume site that was extensively damaged by fire in December 2022, as well as on the adjoining block.

    The facility will feature new technology to expand capacity to sort and process glass, plastic, paper and cardboard.

    This will increase resource recovery by:

    • creating higher-quality recycled products
    • reducing the amount of waste ending up in landfill.

    Funding will allow work to begin, with a contract expected to be awarded in mid‑2024.

    New community infrastructure and maintenance

    The 2024-25 ACT Budget will support new and upgraded community facilities and infrastructure across the city.

    The investment will deliver new toilets at Evatt Shops and Ruth Park Playground in Coombs, an upgraded toilet at Mawson Shops, and support the delivery of a new toilet near Bizant Street in Amaroo as part of the Yerrabi Pond Upgrade.

    Budget funding will drive renewal of the city’s playgrounds and skateparks, including safety improvement works, mulch and rubber soft fall top ups, and a program of regular audits and inspections.

    The Government will respond to community feedback regarding resources at ACT libraries. There will be new portable phone chargers and more power boards and charging stations, in addition to improving building security.

    Other initiatives include funding for:

    • master planning of upgrades to the Mugga Lane and Hume Resource Management Centres
    • upgrades to dams
    • further security upgrades.

    Funding will allow work to begin, with a contract expected to be awarded in mid‑2024.

    FOGO pilot expanded

    Canberra’s Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) pilot program will be expanded.

    This will generate useful information on how households in different types of multi-unit developments use the service.

    The pilot currently services 5,300 households in Belconnen, Bruce, Cook and Macquarie.

    An additional 1,150 units will be added, increasing the pilot by more than 20 per cent.

    Mowing and horticulture maintenance

    The combination of unpredictable weather and a growing city have increased demands on those taking care of Canberra’s grass, trees, weeds and gardens.

    Through this Budget a temporarily expanded city maintenance crew will become permanent.

    The expansion aimed to respond to short-term pressures resulting from weather conditions. With these pressures continuing, the Government is reinforcing resources in the city’s mowing, in-house traffic management and tree management teams.

    Ten full-time positions and eight new mowers will be added to the city’s mowing teams.

    In the low season, mowing crews will help with horticultural work across the city, including weeding, road edging and maintenance.

    The Budget will also fund the continuation of a 10-person in-house traffic management crew. This crew provides traffic management control for Canberra’s mowing, litter picking, weed control and tree maintenance teams.

    Their work has helped increase the safety of roadside workers. It has also helped reduce inconvenience for both workers and road and path users during maintenance activities.

    The ACT Government has exceeded its target of planting 54,000 trees across the ACT from 2021 to 2024.

    Forecasts predict over 60,000 new trees will be added to the city’s tree canopy during this period.

    Staff will continue to be funded to care for Canberra’s trees and continue planting more trees in an increasingly sophisticated way, drawing from Connecting Nature Connecting People initiative and other research and insights.

    Budget investment over four years will continue support for volunteer park care groups to nurture and restore local parks and nature reserves, with a particular focus on weed management in the first year.

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