Category: Natural Disasters

MIL-OSI USA: SPC Mar 26, 2025 2000 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Mar 26, 2025 2000 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

Updated: Wed Mar 26 19:46:47 UTC 2025 (Print Version | | )

Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table

Forecast Discussion

SPC AC 261946

Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0246 PM CDT Wed Mar 26 2025

Valid 262000Z – 271200Z

…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN
PORTIONS OF WASHINGTON AND OREGON…

…SUMMARY…
Severe thunderstorms are expected across parts of the Pacific
Northwest this afternoon and evening, with supercells possible west
of the Cascades across Oregon into Washington. These storms may
produce large hail, perhaps a tornado or two, and severe wind gusts.

…20z Update…
Only minor adjustments were needed to removed thunder across
southern OK/northern TX with this update. The Slight risk across the
Northwest and Marginal Risk in south Texas were unchanged.

Temperatures across the Portland Metro into the Columbia Gorge have
warmed into the mid 60s to 70s under mostly sunny skies. Surface
objective analysis and observed 18z soundings from MFR and OTX
continue to indicate MLCIN in place across much of the region from
the Cascades/Colombia Gorge westward. The surface front and main
upper-level forcing remain offshore and are expected to move
eastward across the region by the late afternoon/early evening.
Forecast soundings continue to indicate weakening of MLCIN along
with steepening low to mid-level lapse rates as cooling aloft with
the trough modifies profiles. This should allow for thunderstorm
development through the afternoon/evening, with potential for
supercells capable of large hail, damaging wind, and possibly a
tornado or two.

See previous discussion below for more information.

..Thornton/Smith.. 03/26/2025

.PREV DISCUSSION… /ISSUED 1130 AM CDT Wed Mar 26 2025/

…Pacific Northwest…
Satellite imagery this morning shows an upper low approaching the
coast with mostly sunny skies over much of the region. A 100 kt
500-mb speed max will rotate through the base of the trough and
overspread coastal OR/WA by mid evening as the upper low shifts
east. An associated cold front should arc from off the Washington
Coast to southward along the Oregon Coast by evening.

Cold-air advection in the mid levels and diurnal heating will
contribute to steepening lapse rates, and the development of weak to
locally moderate buoyancy (250-1500 J/kg SBCAPE) by mid-late
afternoon. Strengthening large-scale forcing for ascent and
negligible CINH will favor isolated thunderstorms developing by
mid-late afternoon and increasing in coverage through the early
evening. Forecast hodographs indicate supercells are likely with
the stronger, more persistent updrafts. Large hail (1-2 inches in
diameter) will be possible. The elongated and perhaps locally
augmented hodograph in the vicinity of terrain favored areas (i.e.,
near the Columbia River with a modest easterly component) may enable
a short-duration tornado risk. Severe gusts are also possible with
the stronger cores and outflow surges as convection matures during
the evening and gradually diminishing late.

…Texas Lower Rio Grande River Valley…
A weak disturbance will approach the Rio Grande through mid
afternoon with a cirrus shield expected to persist through peak
heating. A moist boundary layer sampled by morning area raobs and
some filtered heating will promote widely scattered to scattered
storms developing this afternoon. Relatively weaker flow in the low
to mid levels will limit overall storm organization, but transient
supercell/multicells are possible. The stronger storms may be
capable of a localized hail/wind threat.

…Southwest IA…
A strengthening warm-air advection regime overnight from KS into
MO/IA will likely lead to the development of widely scattered
showers/thunderstorms in the vicinity of a warm front. Forecast
soundings show elevated instability (1000 J/kg MUCAPE) developing as
the profile moistens near 850 mb. A stronger storm capable of small
to marginally severe hail cannot be ruled out, but the threat
appears too limited to introduce low-severe probabilities.

CLICK TO GET WUUS01 PTSDY1 PRODUCT

.html”>Latest Day 2 Outlook/Today’s Outlooks/Forecast Products/Home

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: SPC MD 266

Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Mesoscale Discussion 0266
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0343 PM CDT Wed Mar 26 2025

Areas affected…Parts of western OR/WA

Concerning…Severe potential…Watch likely

Valid 262043Z – 262245Z

Probability of Watch Issuance…80 percent

SUMMARY…Supercell development is possible later this afternoon.
Large hail, isolated severe gusts, and perhaps a tornado or two will
all be possible. Watch issuance is likely.

DISCUSSION…Seasonably strong diurnal heating is underway across
western OR into southwest WA early this afternoon, with temperatures
expected to approach or exceed record highs in some areas. The 18Z
soundings from MFR and OTX depict steep lapse rates within the
850-600 mb layer, and deep-layer wind profiles supportive of
supercells. Moisture was lacking within these soundings, but surface
observations suggest somewhat more favorable moisture into parts of
western OR/WA, with dewpoints from the upper 40s to 50s F. Continued
heating will support weak to moderate destabilization with time to
the west of the Cascades, with SBCAPE potentially increasing to
near/above 1000 J/kg by late afternoon.

As an intense deep-layer cyclone well offshore of OR/WA moves
east-northeastward this afternoon, a strong mid/upper-level jet will
overspread the Pacific Northwest, further strengthening deep-layer
shear across the region. Isolated storms may initially develop near
the coastal ranges and/or the western slopes of the Cascades, with
increasing large-scale ascent supporting maintenance of storms as
they spread north-northeastward with time.

Favorable deep-layer shear will support development of a few
supercells with time. Hail to the size of golf balls or larger may
become the most prominent hazard, given the presence of elongated
hodographs, moderate buoyancy, and rather cold temperatures aloft.
Any sustained supercell could also pose some tornado threat,
especially where low-level winds are locally backed due to terrain
or storm-scale influences. Isolated strong to severe gusts may also
accompany the strongest cells/clusters. A watch will likely be
needed once storm initiation appears imminent.

..Dean/Smith.. 03/26/2025

…Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product…

ATTN…WFO…PDT…MFR…SEW…PQR…

LAT…LON 43312382 46132352 47112314 47712237 47672153 47052134
45492128 44312153 43612192 43032276 43312382

MOST PROBABLE PEAK TORNADO INTENSITY…85-115 MPH
MOST PROBABLE PEAK WIND GUST…65-80 MPH
MOST PROBABLE PEAK HAIL SIZE…1.50-2.50 IN

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 65

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.
SEL5

URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 65
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
310 PM PDT Wed Mar 26 2025

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
Northwest Oregon
Western Washington

* Effective this Wednesday afternoon and evening from 310 PM
until 900 PM PDT.

* Primary threats include…
Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
inches in diameter likely
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
A tornado or two possible

SUMMARY…Thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon over
parts of northwest Oregon and track north-northeastward across the
watch area through early evening. Large hail and damaging wind
gusts are possible in the strongest cells.

The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 45
statute miles east and west of a line from 45 miles south of Salem
OR to 5 miles north northwest of Seattle WA. For a complete
depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

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.

&&

AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
22030.

…Hart

Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
SAW5
WW 65 SEVERE TSTM OR WA 262210Z – 270400Z
AXIS..45 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
45S SLE/SALEM OR/ – 5NNW SEA/SEATTLE WA/
..AVIATION COORDS.. 40NM E/W /13NE EUG – 5NNW SEA/
HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22030.

LAT…LON 44272391 47512331 47512138 44272209

THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
FOR WOU5.

Watch 65 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 (5%)

Wind

Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

Mod (40%)

Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

Low (20%)

Hail

Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

Mod (60%)

Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

Mod (60%)

Combined Severe Hail/Wind

Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

High (90%)

For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Calls on FEMA to Resume Life-Saving Firefighter Trainings Frozen by Trump Administration

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), alongside U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), are calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to direct the National Fire Academy (NFA) to resume training courses for firefighters that were cancelled due to the Trump Administration’s federal funding freeze. The letter to Acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton comes after the delegation received an outpouring of concern from Granite State firefighters who rely on the free programs offered by NFA to maintain and improve the skills they use to save lives.

The delegation wrote, in part: “We are writing to express our concern that the National Fire Academy (NFA) has cancelled courses pending a review of agency programs. Firefighters and other stakeholders throughout New Hampshire have contacted us to express their disbelief that firefighters will not be able to receive the instruction and training they need to maintain and improve the skills they use to save lives.”

They continued: “Since its establishment, the NFA has offered training and related programs to generations of firefighters and other first responders. We have heard from New Hampshire firefighters and first responders that these are specialized courses the NFA provides for free that are not available elsewhere in the U.S.”

They concluded: “Denying or delaying crucial training for first responders, including firefighters, will put their lives at risk and the lives of the people across the U.S. who depend on firefighters to save their lives and livelihoods. We urge FEMA to immediately direct the NFA to resume training and related activities.”

The full text of the letter can be found here.

As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen has consistently secured resources to support New Hampshire’s firefighters. During the ongoing Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations process, Shaheen has pushed to increase funding to $385 million for both the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs, an increase of $122 million over FY 2024. Shaheen also recently joined her Senate colleagues in urging the Trump Administration to reverse course on a hiring freeze for seasonal firefighters.

Senator Hassan has led efforts to support New Hampshire firefighters, helping advance the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act through the Senate Homeland Security Committee and the Senate. The bill was signed into law last year, renewing and extending until 2028 the AFG and SAFER programs. Last year, the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation announced more than $2.9 million in federal funding to support Granite State fire fighters.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: At Hearing, Warren Warns Trump Administration’s Attacks on Military Diversity Are “Wildly Self-Destructive”

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

March 26, 2025

Warren: “Tying the hands of the academies as they compete with other top universities for talented faculty will undercut the academies and, over time, undercut the leaders the academies are teaching.”

Video of Remarks (YouTube)

Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, delivered opening remarks highlighting how Republican attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts at military academies endanger national security, worsen military recruiting challenges, and limit the growth of talented students. Senator Warren also submitted letters for the record from 24 Naval Academy and West Point alumni who shared the importance of the academies and their concerns about the direction that the Trump Administration is taking them.

Transcript: Hearing to Conduct Oversight and Receive Testimony on the Status of the Military Service Academies
Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel
March 26, 2025
As Delivered

Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I’m also looking forward to continuing the bipartisan tradition of this subcommittee and I hope to work with you and all of our members to make sure we improve the lives of our servicemembers, their families, and our civilian workforce, so that they can stay focused on the mission of keeping Americans safe.

I want to start by extending my condolences to the four families that just lost loved ones during a training mission in Lithuania. They remind us – those who go into harms’ way and their families are always at risk and put it on the line for the people of the United States of America. We are a deeply grateful nation.

I am glad that we’re starting this year focusing on how we recruit and retain our next generation of military leaders. Our military service academies are among the top academic institutions in the nation.

West Point, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy provide a quality education, and they recruit and train almost 20 percent of our military officers.

Currently, our military academies are very selective—almost as tough to get into as the top colleges in this country. But that knife cuts both ways. Every student admitted to the military academies has other options. Academy students are often highly recruited by other schools. The competition for talent—for tomorrow’s leaders—is already fierce. Attacks on our military academies or policies that shrink the pool of young Americans who will consider applying for military service will cause lasting damage to our military and to our nation.

The latest U.S. census found that the youngest generation of Americans is more diverse than ever. That means we need our military academies to continue developing successful leaders from all walks of life—not push away strong recruits because they feel unwelcome or undervalued.

Ham-fisted efforts to reshape the academies are bound to backfire. For example, a mix of military practitioners and civilian instructors have successfully worked together for decades to shape students at the service academies into a lethal fighting force. In the same way that competition for talent exists for academy students, the same competition is true for faculty. Well-respected professors have options, and many are aggressively recruited. When Secretary Hegseth seemed to suggest that academies should have fewer civilian professors, and when the Department of Defense imposes a ban on travel by civilian personnel, it suggests that the military doesn’t care about civilians supporting its mission and that it will make it harder to attract and keep top talent to teach tomorrow’s military leaders.

The foolishness of the travel ban was immediately apparent. Testing sites for military entrance exams were forced to close or reduce hours, so fewer young people could apply to the military. While DOD has begun to allow civilians to travel to these testing sites again, these attacks on civilian personnel who help to support our military are worrying, and civilian personnel are key to helping our academies successful as well.

Our military students deserve the best teachers, people who are experts in their field. Tying the hands of the academies as they compete with other top universities for talented faculty will undercut the academies and, over time, undercut the leaders the academies are teaching.

Students need to develop their skills both inside the classroom and outside as well. I’m sure that many of us can think of sports teams and extracurricular activities that helped shape our experiences at school, that helped build our communities, and made us better leaders. Surely as a coach, Chairman Tuberville saw students’ leadership skills develop and grow through out-of-classroom work.

The Executive Order’s attacks on clubs at academies that it considers DEI isn’t creating more effective warfighters – it’s cutting off students from opportunities to grow as leaders.

When we’re trying to maintain a military force that can deter China, we can’t afford to be shutting down engineering clubs. But under President Trump, West Point has already disbanded chapters of the National Society of Black Engineers and the National Society of Women Engineers. Both organizations have been praised repeatedly for helping recruit and retain more young engineers for military service. Closing those chapters at the military academies while those chapters remain open at more than 600 other colleges and universities does not help our military recruit top talent.

This committee held two hearings on recruiting last year, and both hearings made clear that the United States cannot meet our recruiting goals without women. The Army met its recruiting goals in 2024 primarily because of new female recruits – there was an 18 percent increase in women signing up for active duty compared to an increase of just 8 percent for men. Let me be clear: these women are not looking for a preference or a handout. They just want a chance to compete straight up.

But we won’t be able to attract the women we need if they see a new glass ceiling on their opportunity to command. By removing women like Chief of Naval Operations Vice Admiral Franchetti from leadership roles simply because they are women and confirming a Secretary of Defense who has a long record opposing women in combat, the Trump administration has already set a tone from the top that women are not welcome.

We are already hearing concerns that women are hesitant to join certain military jobs because they believe they won’t be welcome solely due to their identity, not because of their qualifications.

Black recruits face their own challenges. When a Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a man who served honorably for over 40 years and who outlined our most successful strategy to deal with foreign terrorists, is fired solely because President Trump cannot imagine that he earned the job on the merits, Black military recruits across the nation get the message: your race makes you vulnerable. And when national organizations to support Black college students who major in engineering are suddenly dropped at the military academies while those organizations remain lively at more than 600 other colleges and universities, the message that the military academies may not welcome you gets even louder.

Recruiting and retaining talent—including Black and female talent—is a critical job for the future security of our nation. Pushing away more than half our future leaders is wildly self-destructive.

Mr. Chairman, twenty-four alumni from West Point and the Naval Academy have written to me, sharing their stories about what the academies mean to them and why they are concerned about the direction this administration wants to take them. I would like to enter those into the record for their letters and their testimony.

Let me read from just one of them, who wrote that these attacks on diversity are “a direct affront to the principles upon which our military was built and a betrayal of the sacrifices made by generations of service members.” Let those words sink in. A betrayal. We owe them better than that.

I look forward to this hearing and hearing the testimony of the witnesses who are here today. I thank you for being with us.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER REVEALS: MUSK AND TRUMP ARE TRYING TO BREAK SOCIAL SECURITY IN NY AS ‘DOGE’ ENDANGERS $7+ BILLION IN MONTHLY CHECKS FOR OVER 4 MILLION NEW YORKERS; SENATOR SOUNDS ALARM TO PROTECT SOCIAL…

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

Social Security Services Are Breaking Down For New Yorkers Who Rely On Monthly Checks To Live, With NY Offices Closing, Websites Crashing, Hours Long Wait Times, And Now ‘DOGE’ Firing 7,000+ SSA Workers Who Help Seniors, Disabled, & Families Get Their Benefits

Senator Breaks Down Impact Region By Region In NY Of ‘DOGE’ Destructive Attacks On Social Security Benefits For 4.3M NY-ers That Threatens Their Monthly Checks And Services

Schumer: ‘DOGE’ Cabal Needs To Get Their Hands Off NY Seniors’ & Families’ Social Security Checks

Amid reports of the Social Security Administration (SSA) core operations breaking down from the Trump administration and ‘DOGE’ systematic attacks and rash cuts, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer sounded the alarm on the looming crisis for over 4 million New York seniors, people with disabilities, and families who rely on their monthly checks to live, pay rent, buy food and make ends meet.

In the past month, the SSA website has already crashed four times in 10 days, blocking millions from accessing their accounts, and seniors have had to wait more than two hours on clogged phone lines.

“When it comes to Social Security, Trump and ‘DOGE’ are purposely causing chaos and inefficiency to attack the program millions of New York seniors and families rely on to make ends meet. It’s appalling and they need to back off,” said Senator Schumer.

‘DOGE’ has already taken credit for closing two NY Social Security Offices in Westchester and Chemung County, and are pursuing further cuts, including eliminating 12% of agency staff.

“This is a direct attack on New York seniors’ Social Security checks. From Rochester to Rockland County, nearly 4 million New Yorkers rely on Social Security every month. But right now, Trump and Musk, two billionaires, are trying to take a chainsaw to your Social Security benefits by closing offices, firing staff, shutting off the phone lines, and adding burdensome bureaucratic rules for seniors, people with disabilities and their families. It’s outrageous, and, if they continue to cut Social Security operations to the bone, the system soon won’t be able to function,” said Senator Schumer. “These cuts make no sense – they are closing offices and saying they want to shut down phone service at the same time, how do they expect seniors to get their benefits? Already the Social Security safety net is breaking at the seams. If no one can take your call, if the website keeps crashing, if they fire the staff that process your claims, that’s a cut in benefits. New Yorker’s aren’t falling for it and won’t stand for it. I have a simple message for ‘DOGE’ and Trump: Hands off New Yorkers Social Security.”

Schumer said these massive cuts to services come as ‘DOGE’ plans to cut off Social Security 1-800 phone helplines and require in-person visits, which, in tandem with massive staffing cuts, experts say will lead to massive disruptions for New Yorkers relying on over $7+ billion in benefits every month. The senator said we need congressional Republicans, especially those in the NY delegation, to stand up to ‘DOGE’ and tell them to get their hands of New Yorkers’ Social Security.

A county-by-county breakdown of Social Security beneficiaries across New York can be found here for SSI and Old Age, Survivors, and Disability benefits. Schumer said this impact can be seen at a staggering level across every region of Upstate NY:

Region	Social Security Beneficiaries Receiving Monthly Checks or SSI	Total Payments Per Month
Capital Region	287,704	$509,831,000
Western New York	359,603	$607,973,000
Rochester-Finger Lakes	323,274	$564,706,000
Central New York	197,407	$338,701,000
Hudson Valley	487,974	$942,849,000
Southern Tier	203,366	$331,706,000
Mohawk Valley	113,343	$177,575,000
North Country	114,890	$178,568,000
UPSTATE NY TOTAL	2,087,561	$3,651,909,000

Schumer said staffing shortages, office closures and mandatory in-person identity checks will make it more difficult for people to access the assistance they need to receive their Social Security benefits. Elon Musk has targeted Social Security, calling it a “ponzi scheme” and saying that Social Security is “the big one to eliminate”. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik said his mother wouldn’t call and complain if she didn’t receive her Social Security benefits. Schumer said rather than making the government more efficient, these cuts will reduce government efficiency by making it more difficult for Social Security beneficiaries to receive their hard-earned benefits. Former Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley said these cuts will crush our seniors and most vulnerable, and the system could collapse within a month, interrupting benefits.

‘DOGE’ & TRUMP WANT DEEP CUTS TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINSTRATION

THOSE DEEP CUTS MEAN DEEP IMPACTS FOR NEW YORKERS

Over 12% of SSA staff are planned to be cut, that is 7,000+ who help run the agency.

SSA staff is already at the lowest level in 50 years.

‘DOGE’ is already closing regional offices across the country, including listing offices in Westchester & Chemung County as on the chopping block, with more coming.

Trump and Musk are no longer allowing seniors to claim benefits or change payment information over the phone, forcing them to drive to offices ‘DOGE’ is attempting to close.

Trump’s acting head of Social Security attempted to shut down the entire agency, endangering benefits, instead of kicking DOGE out of SSA.

The SSA website has already crashed four times in 10 days this month, locking out 4+ million NY seniors, disabled, and families.

Phone lines already 2+ hour long wait times, and new in person requirements could severely hurt places like Upstate NY and rural areas.

If cuts continue, wait times would sky rocket:

9 months to process disability claims
8 months for benefit appeals
11 months for benefit hearings according to SS experts.

Former Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley said, “Ultimately, you’re going to see the system collapse and an interruption of benefits… I believe you will see that within the next 30 to 90 days.”

Already, the SSA website has crashed four times in ten days this month, preventing millions of Social Security beneficiaries across the country from logging into their online accounts. Beneficiaries are calling for help but with fewer workers to answer phones due to staffing cuts, wait times are much longer.

In addition, the Trump administration issued new guidance that millions of Social Security recipients must verify their identities in person at agency field offices, which they were previously able to do over the phone. The Trump administration is closing six of the ten regional offices that oversee field operations. Schumer said this will particularly hurt rural areas and New Yorkers with mobility issues who have trouble accessing in-person offices who may live far from a field office or have limited internet access, especially given an alarming pattern of SSA local office closures. Earlier this year, the White Plains Social Security office lease was terminated and listed on the ‘DOGE’ website as cost saving in addition to the Big Flats office in Chemung County.

Schumer added, “Elon Musk may not understand how a senior citizen depends on Social Security payments to buy food and pay rent, but New Yorkers do. Social Security is not a ‘ponzi scheme’ or ‘government waste’; it is a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers that I’m calling on my Republican colleagues in Congress, especially in the New York delegation, to help us protect.”

Social Security has been a crucial piece of the social safety net since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the law creating it in 1935, and it was designed to be self-sufficient. It has a dedicated revenue source from payroll taxes, which workers split with their employers. Schumer has expressed concerns that layoffs and sudden closures mean hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and millions of Americans who depend on Social Security could be in serious trouble.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Hickenlooper Hears from Coloradans Harmed by Trump Administration Cuts

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
Hickenlooper toured CU Anschutz, hosted roundtables in Denver and Aurora on proposed VA and Medicaid cuts, and joined postal workers at a rally
In case you missed it, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper recently held multiple events throughout the Denver metro area to talk with Coloradans affected by the Trump administration’s chaotic actions.
Hickenlooper held a roundtable at Inner City Health on the impacts of potential Medicaid cuts and the significant consequences they’d have on Coloradans. Hickenlooper voted against the Republican budget resolution, which would strip critical services that Coloradans rely on like Medicaid.
He then visited CU Anschutz to tour the facility and hear from researchers concerned about how the funding cuts impact their research and scientific progress.
Hickenlooper also heard from veterans and laid off VA employees at the Aurora Mental Health Center. Veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce, and the Trump administration has fired an estimated 6,000 veterans so far. The Trump administration also has plans to cut 80,000 VA employees.
Hickenlooper also joined postal service workers and supporters on the steps of the Colorado Capitol to show support for USPS employees in the face of attempts by the Trump administration to privatize and reduce service.
Check out the headlines below:
Colorado Public Radio: Sen. Hickenlooper Tours CU Anschutz and Hears from Young Researcher Hurt by NIH Cuts
A young researcher wearing a lab coat, transfers fluids using a pipette. The lab where the postdoctoral student is working was on a stop on Senator John Hickenlooper’s visit at CU Anschutz medical center on Tuesday. Cancer researcher Heidi Ford told him about how the student is studying how the immune system responds to breast cancer cells.
…Hickenlooper told the group he thought his Republican colleagues see the damage that’s being done, and most Americans, “may be suspicious about certain aspects of science, but they believe in the progress that it creates. They believe that long term, this is the right thing to invest in.”
9 News (Denver): Sen. Hickenlooper Comments on Harms of NIH Funding Cuts to Colorado Research
Today Senator John Hickenlooper took a walk through the CU Anschutz Cancer Lab, one of many medical research centers across the country in danger of losing millions in federal funding.
“They’re doing research back there that I saw where they’re actually being able to differentiate between which cells the chemo will attack and letting the normal cells go on about their business keeping you healthy. That’s so exciting, and now we’re suddenly going to give them a gut punch and pull their funding?”
Colorado Sun: Funding cuts to CU-Anschutz could erase years of medical research contributed by patients, advocates fear
As the ALS disease that will one day claim her life progressed, Barbara Johnson enrolled in a clinical trial at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus funded by the federal National Institutes of Health.
…Then, in the statement recorded by her daughter and played through her voice assistant, she directed a message to the man sitting on the other end of a long conference table from her, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Colorado Democrat.
“Does NIH really want to cut loose these years of research, one study building on the results of another, and all those lifesaving waves?”
Hickenlooper toured a lab and participated in a panel discussion Tuesday at the Anschutz Campus as part of an effort to understand how proposed cuts to NIH funding would impact research on the campus — and, in fact, already are.
…Researchers who participated in the panel discussion with Hickenlooper talked of the worry coursing through their labs and weighing on the long-term planning of their graduate students.
“There’s a lot of stress in academia right now,” Heide Ford told Hickenlooper during a tour of her lab, which studies cancer cells.
…Hickenlooper vowed to take these stories back to Washington, D.C., with him in the hopes of persuading Senate colleagues to oppose the funding cuts.
He rejected a more confrontational approach, saying that he believes many Republicans in Congress support science and believes a number are “getable” by finding common ground.
“Telling someone why they’re wrong and why you think you’re right never works,” he said. “Our country needs to figure out how we’re going to get unified around science again.”
The most powerful way to do that, he said, is by sharing the stories of researchers and the work they do — and the risk that funding cuts could derail it.
“I think as more people in Colorado or across the country hear about these setbacks in terms of consistent funding for real medical research that changes the world, I think people are going to be pissed off,” Hickenlooper said. “I think we’re going to hear from them, and we should. This is irresponsible.”
Denver Gazette: Amid Trump cuts, Colorado medical leaders worry about losing ‘generation of researchers’
A group of Colorado medical leaders on Tuesday expressed fears that proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health medical research grants would not only hurt current research but risk losing “a generation of researchers.”
Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper sat at a roundtable with 16 local medical CEOs, presidents and researchers to discuss NIH’s decision to cut “indirect cost” rates for medical research grants.
…Prior to the discussion, Hickenlooper toured the campus’ cancer lab, which focuses on cancer research treatments. The entire lab is funded by NIH grants.
Sentinel Colorado: Hickenlooper collects stories at Aurora round-table to persuade Republicans to halt cuts to VA, veterans
Colorado veterans, Veteran Affairs employees and a Colorado senator say they are angry and fearful over the way the Trump Administration is handling massive federal government cuts and layoffs.
…Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper held the group discussion along with Aurora Mental Health and Recovery to talk with veterans and VA employees about the administration’s cuts and firings and how they affect veterans and military-connected families in Colorado.
Hickenlooper said it made him angry, which he says is rare for him, adding that he can count on one hand the times congress has made him angry.
“The talk about waste, fraud and abuse in the Veterans Administration drives me nuts,” Hickenlooper said. “Any time I hear people discrediting and tearing down the Veterans Administration in any way, it gets me in a place that I don’t usually go to.”
…“This is egregious,” Hickenlooper said.
Hickenlooper said he knows “for a fact” from the years he was Colorado governor that the VA never had enough funding, so the Trump cuts will hurt veterans significantly.
Hickenlooper said he enjoys “good” relationships with 20 to 25 Republican senators right now. He said he hopes to take the veterans’ stories from Aurora to share with those GOP senators and persuade them to make changes.
“The more stories I can give to them about what’s really happening, the better,” Hickenlooper said. “The sooner we’re going to turn this around and begin to recognize and deliver on some of that funding that you guys are all deserving of.”
Colorado Newsline: Colorado veterans cut under Trump feel ‘like trash,’ Hickenlooper told
Ryan Bevard worked at a hospital within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for eight years before he got a position he had been vying for as a social work associate.
…U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Colorado Democrat, listened to Bevard and about two dozen other veterans talk about how the Trump administration’s funding cuts and layoffs have affected their ability to access health care and other benefits at the Aurora Mental Health Center Tuesday.
“These veterans put their life on the line,” Hickenlooper said. “In many cases they suffered debilitating consequences to their physical health, to their mental health, things that are never going to be back 100% the way they were.”
…Hickenlooper said the notion that the VA is riddled with “waste, fraud and abuse” — which is what Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency is tasked with targeting — angers him. He called the “draconian cuts” to the VA “egregious,” and said he doesn’t think his Republican colleagues in the congressional majority have heard how cuts and layoffs have affected veterans. He said he has good relationships with about 20 to 25 Republican senators, and the sooner they hear stories like those shared with him in Aurora, the sooner VA funding will be restored.
“I don’t think they’ll be happy with what they’re going to hear,” Hickenlooper said. “They believe in the military, they believe that people that have served our country in defense deserve to be cared for. I think almost all of them do.”
Veterans losing their jobs without cause will further worsen the increasing suicide rates among veterans, Hickenlooper said. He said he supports shrinking the government, but “random firings without cause” is “not how to do it.”
“Everyone who’s still working is filled with doubt and anxiety, so they’re not doing a good job,” Hickenlooper said. “You’re not making government more efficient, you’re making them less efficient.”
CBS (Colorado Springs): Sen. Hickenlooper speaks at postal workers rally
“Liberal or conservative or in between, wherever you fall on the political spectrum: you deserve your mail and the services that the post office provides and that’s very important”
Colorado Springs isn’t the only place where the rallies popped up; workers up in Denver were also protesting. Senator John Hickenlooper spoke at that rally: “What President Trump is doing here (and he’s doing it elsewhere) is not only illegal, it’s unconstitutional, and I think when you look at what the postal service does, it delivers mail to every person regardless of your zip code, and I recognize how hard that is, right? I’ve traveled to every corner of this state, you know, there’s some pretty remote towns, but everybody in this state gets the mail.”

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Executive Pleads Guilty to a Seven-Count Indictment Two Weeks Before Trial, Admits to Longstanding Antitrust and Wire Fraud Conspiracies Affecting Wildfire Services

Source: US State Government of Utah

The owner of a contractor company that provided fuel truck services to the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire fighters pleaded guilty to a seven-count indictment yesterday for his role in schemes to rig bids, allocate territories, and commit wire fraud over an eight-year period. Kris Bird, 62, pleaded guilty to all charges against him two weeks before trial, with no assurances from the government as to the sentence prosecutors will recommend to the judge. The plea follows a judicially authorized wiretap investigation that led to the indictment of two executives in December 2023. Both executives pleaded guilty and are now scheduled to be sentenced in June 2025.

As set out in the factual basis filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, Bird admitted to conspiring with Ike Tomlinson, 61, and others to rig bids and allocate territories in the market for wildfire-fighting fuel truck services for certain dispatch centers of the U.S. Forest Service’s Great Basin wildfire dispatch region between March 2015 and March 2023, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. Bird further admitted to conspiring to commit wire fraud during the same period, and to committing five acts of wire fraud. At the change-of-plea hearing, Bird also admitted to the forfeiture allegations in the indictment.

“Bid-rigging and other collusive, anticompetitive agreements are neither sophisticated nor lawful. As the defendants have now conceded, they selfishly damaged essential taxpayer-funded services critical to protecting the American public from wildfires,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The meticulous investigation led by the Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its law enforcement partners left the defendant with little choice but to plead to the indictment. The Justice Department will not treat bid-rigging as business as usual.”

“Citizens and Idaho businesses must have access to fair competition for government contracts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott for the District of Idaho. “The guilty pleas in this case help ensure equal opportunities for all Idaho businesses and protects taxpayers from paying inflated contract prices.”

“The defendant illegally profited from American taxpayer money,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. “The FBI and our partners are committed to rooting out fraud and protecting fair competition in the bidding for government contracts.”

“We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to fight fraud in federal contracting,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations James Adams of the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General.

A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals and a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than the maximum. A violation of the wire fraud statute carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, and General Services Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant Chief Christopher J. Carlberg and Trial Attorneys Elena A. Goldstein, Daniel B. Twomey, and Matthew Chou of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol for the District of Idaho are prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Indiana Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearms

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Hammond, Ind., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing three firearms.

Roosevelt Nevels, Jr., 35, formerly of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 8 years in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 7, 2024, Nevels, Jr. pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.

On Nov. 7, 2021, officers of the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department were dispatched to Research Medical Center regarding a reported shooting. Nevels, Jr., who was the injured person, reported he was caught in between two vehicles shooting at one another at 7033 Prospect Ave., Kansas City, Mo. Nevels, Jr. reported that he was shot in the hand. Officers investigated Nevels Jr.’s account and were not able to locate evidence or witnesses to support his report of the shooting.

Upon further investigation, officers responded to Nevels, Jr.’s residence in Kansas City, Mo., where they located a blood trail in front of the house, leading to the door. The officers knocked on the front door, and a juvenile answered. The officers observed more blood on the living room floor of the residence.

The officers entered the residence to ensure no one inside was injured. They observed an AR-style pistol and a large amount of blood in a bedroom.

Investigators were granted a search warrant for the residence. While executing the search warrant, investigators recovered three firearms: a SCCY CPX-1, 9mm, pistol; a SCCY CPX-2, 9mm, pistol; and an FM-9, AR-style pistol. All the firearms were loaded. The AR-style pistol had damage near the trigger guard, appearing that the trigger guard was shot. The live round of ammunition in the chamber had blood on it.

Investigators also located a bullet fragment and two spent 9mm shell casings in the bedroom where the firearms were located and two cases containing 50 live .22 caliber rounds of ammunition in the kitchen.

Forensic investigators determined DNA samples recovered from the grips and trigger guards of all three firearms implicated Nevels, Jr. as a major contributor.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Nevels, Jr. was convicted of the felony offenses of endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest in 2018. Nevels, Jr. also has felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon – carrying concealed and unlawful use of a weapon – discharge/shoot firearm at a motor vehicle.

This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

MIL Security OSI –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone Distribution and Gun Possession Offenses

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANGEL BENITEZ, 38, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, a DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad investigation revealed that Benitez and a co-conspirator were illegally selling oxycodone pills that were prescribed to his co-conspirator. In August and September 2024, investigators made controlled purchases of oxycodone pills from Benitez and his co-conspirator.

Benitez was arrested on November 6, 2024. On that date, a search of his residence revealed a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol that had been reported stolen in West Hartford.

Benitez’s criminal history includes state assault, burglary, and larceny convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Benitez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, oxycodone, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for June 20.

Benitez has been detained since his arrest.

This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, which is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, West Haven, Hamden, Fairfield, Manchester, and Seymour Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.

MIL Security OSI –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien and Convicted Criminal Felon Charged With Firearm Crimes

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

An illegal alien and convicted felon was charged with federal firearm crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

Manuel Najera-Garcia, a Mexican citizen and illegal alien, was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 26, 2025 with one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Najera-Garcia made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 and was ordered detained.

According to the indictment, on December 22, 2024, Najera-Garcia possessed a .38-caliber revolver after having been convicted of a felony offense in 2012. After his felony conviction, Najera-Garcia returned to Mexico. However, it is alleged that sometime thereafter Najera-Garcia re-entered the United States prior to possessing the firearm on December 22, 2024.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Najera-Garcia is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, Najera-Garcia faces up to 15 years in federal prison on each count.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Hocter is prosecuting the case.

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 –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Executive Pleads Guilty to a Seven-Count Indictment Two Weeks Before Trial, Admits to Longstanding Antitrust and Wire Fraud Conspiracies Affecting Wildfire Services

Source: United States Attorneys General 1

The owner of a contractor company that provided fuel truck services to the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire fighters pleaded guilty to a seven-count indictment yesterday for his role in schemes to rig bids, allocate territories, and commit wire fraud over an eight-year period. Kris Bird, 62, pleaded guilty to all charges against him two weeks before trial, with no assurances from the government as to the sentence prosecutors will recommend to the judge. The plea follows a judicially authorized wiretap investigation that led to the indictment of two executives in December 2023. Both executives pleaded guilty and are now scheduled to be sentenced in June 2025.

As set out in the factual basis filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, Bird admitted to conspiring with Ike Tomlinson, 61, and others to rig bids and allocate territories in the market for wildfire-fighting fuel truck services for certain dispatch centers of the U.S. Forest Service’s Great Basin wildfire dispatch region between March 2015 and March 2023, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. Bird further admitted to conspiring to commit wire fraud during the same period, and to committing five acts of wire fraud. At the change-of-plea hearing, Bird also admitted to the forfeiture allegations in the indictment.

“Bid-rigging and other collusive, anticompetitive agreements are neither sophisticated nor lawful. As the defendants have now conceded, they selfishly damaged essential taxpayer-funded services critical to protecting the American public from wildfires,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The meticulous investigation led by the Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its law enforcement partners left the defendant with little choice but to plead to the indictment. The Justice Department will not treat bid-rigging as business as usual.”

“Citizens and Idaho businesses must have access to fair competition for government contracts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott for the District of Idaho. “The guilty pleas in this case help ensure equal opportunities for all Idaho businesses and protects taxpayers from paying inflated contract prices.”

“The defendant illegally profited from American taxpayer money,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. “The FBI and our partners are committed to rooting out fraud and protecting fair competition in the bidding for government contracts.”

“We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to fight fraud in federal contracting,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations James Adams of the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General.

A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals and a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than the maximum. A violation of the wire fraud statute carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, and General Services Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant Chief Christopher J. Carlberg and Trial Attorneys Elena A. Goldstein, Daniel B. Twomey, and Matthew Chou of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol for the District of Idaho are prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

MIL Security OSI –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Peters Rated The #1 Most Effective U.S. Senator For Third Congress In A Row
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) has been rated the most effective U.S. Senator for the third time in a row by the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking, which released its biannual effectiveness ratings for the 118^thCongress (2023-2024). Peters was also rated the most effective Senator by the Center in the 116th (2019-2020) and 117th (2021-2022) Congresses. In the 118^th Congress, Peters earned the highest effectiveness score for a U.S. Senator ever recorded in the fifty years since the Center for Effective Lawmaking began tracking this data. He also becomes the first Senator in more than four decades to be named most effective three times in a row. Peters achieved this recognition by authoring 15 standalone bills that were passed and signed into law. He also authored 10 additional bills that were passed into law as part of larger legislative packages, including bipartisan legislation that established a Northern Border Mission Center at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County.

“My top priority in the Senate has always been working in a bipartisan way to get things done for Michiganders, from supporting Michigan manufacturing, to protecting our Great Lakes, to strengthening our national security,” said Senator Peters. “I’ve found that building relationships based on trust, respect, and compromise, with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, is the key to finding commonsense solutions to the challenges we face, and I’ll keep fighting every day to deliver results for Michiganders and Americans across our country.”

“At the top of the list—for the third congress in a row—is Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, who (as we noted previously) had the rare distinction of being the overall most effective lawmaker in the Senate in the 116^th Congress, despite Democrats being the minority party in the Congress. As we noted in our analysis four years ago, Sen. Peters’s feat cannot be found anywhere else in the Center for Effective Lawmaking data,” wrote the Center for Effective Lawmaking.

The Center continued by saying, “every bill that he sponsored that became law had at least one Republican cosponsor who was also advocating for its passage. For several of his sponsored bills, we likewise see that the only cosponsors of the legislation were Republican senators. As such, Sen. Peters’s practice of coalition building and cosponsorship continues to comport with Center for Effective Lawmaking research showing that bipartisan lawmakers are much more effective than partisan lawmakers, even when in the majority party.”

“With the announced retirement of Senator Peters… it is clear that the United States Senate has lost a notable degree of lawmaking capacity, in comparison to more recent congresses, such that it is less obvious as to who will serve as the most prominent legislative leaders in future years,” the Center said.

The Center for Effective Lawmaking is a joint initiative between the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University, which rates each member of Congress based on a number of factors including the bills they sponsor, how far those bills move through the lawmaking process, and how substantial their bills are. To read the full report from the Center for Effective Lawmaking, click here.

Peters has been repeatedly named one of the most effective and bipartisan senators. During the 117^th Congress, Peters was the author and principal sponsor of 19 bills signed into law, the most by a U.S. Senator during a single Congress in more than 40 years, according to the Congressional Research Service and the Senate Historical Office. Peters was recognized as the 2^nd-most bipartisan Senator – and the most bipartisan Democrat – in 2023, according to rankings released by the nonpartisan Lugar Center and McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. The Lugar Center also ranked Peters the 3^rd-most bipartisan Senator for his work during the 117^th Congress (2021-2022).

Below is a recap of the key bills Peters authored that were passed and signed into law during the 118^th Congress:

Established Northern Border Mission Center at Selfridge Air National Guard Base: Peters secured his bipartisan Northern Border Coordination Act as a provision in the annual national defense bill that was signed into law last year. The provision expanded the operations and duties of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Northern Border Mission Center. Peters secured $3 million last March to establish and operate this Center at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, where it is collocated with current DHS components. The Center, which DHS is already working to set up, will coordinate with state, local, and Tribal governments, and other key stakeholders, to ensure DHS and its operational components are able to fulfill their security mission at the Northern Border.

Protecting Burial Benefits for Military Families: Peters passed bipartisan legislation into law to ensure our military families can continue to be laid to rest together in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national cemeteries. This law grants the VA the authority to bury the spouse or child of a service member in the tragic case that their death precedes the servicemember.

Supporting Firefighters and Emergency Responders: Peters’ Fire Grants and Safety Act was signed into law, reauthorizing key federal grant programs that help support fire departments across the country. The bill reauthorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, and the United States Fire Administration (USFA). These programs are used by local fire departments to address staffing needs, purchase equipment, develop fire training and education programs, and improve emergency medical services.

Reducing Confusion for Disaster Relief Applicants: Peters authored a bill that was signed into law to create one application deadline for two Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs that individuals use for disaster assistance. The law ensures that both the Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program (DUA) and Individuals and Households Program (IHP) has the same deadline, making it easier for applicants to apply for assistance when rebuilding their lives after a disaster.

Expanding Financial Support for Maritime Students: Peters authored and passed into law his CADETS Act, expanding the Student Incentive Payment Program eligibility for financial assistance to cadets who attend one of the six State Maritime Academies and commit to a post-graduation service obligation to include any qualified student who will meet the age requirements for enlistment in the U.S. Navy Reserve at their time of graduation. This law will encourage more cadets to continue serving our country after graduation, strengthening Michigan’s robust maritime sector and national security.

Reusing Federally Owned Property: Peters passed a bill into law to ensure federal agencies are reusing excess federal property, including office supplies, automobiles, and heavy machinery, before buying new products in order to save taxpayer dollars.

Improving Oversight of Federal Grant Programs: Peters’ bipartisan Financial Management Risk Reduction Act was signed into law, helping to safeguard taxpayer dollars by making audit data more accessible and increasing opportunities to identify potential misuse of federal grant programs.

Holding Federal Agencies Accountable for Performance Goals: Legislation authored by Peters was signed into law to ensure federal agencies are effectively carrying out their missions for the American people. The law requires the White House Office of Management and Budget to regularly conduct reviews of agency performance and ensure they are following strategic plans.

Strengthening National Safety System for Commercial Drivers: Peters’ bipartisan bill was signed into law to safeguard funding for the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS). The CDLIS is a crucial, nationwide computer system that ensures commercial drivers have only one license and one complete driver record. State driver licensing agencies utilize the CDLIS to complete safety procedures such as sharing out-of-state convictions and withdrawals, transferring the driver record when a commercial driver license holder moves to another state, and responding to requests for driver status and history.

Bolstering Department of Homeland Security Joint Task Forces: Peters authored and passed a bill into law extending the Joint Task Forces authority, allowing DHS to establish joint operations using DHS personnel and resources to secure U.S. land and maritime borders, address homeland security threats, and establish regional operations to tackle ongoing homeland security challenges like drug smuggling and trafficking.

Supporting Victims of Human Trafficking: Peters’ bipartisan legislation to enhance the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to combat human trafficking was signed into law. The law makes permanent and expands the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Victim Assistance Program that helps provide support to individuals impacted by human trafficking. It will also help to provide additional support to the dedicated HSI personnel who are working to combat these horrific crimes.

Strengthening Federal Building Security: Bipartisan legislation authored by Peters was signed into law requiring federal agencies to adequately respond to security recommendations issued by the Federal Protective Service (FPS) within 90 days to protect visitors and employees in federal buildings from a range of security threats.

Improving Efficiency of Legislative Process: Peters passed bipartisan legislation into law to help eliminate procedural delays and improve efficiency in the legislative process. The law provides the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) with timely access to the information they need to complete their analysis of the budgetary impacts of legislation, which is required prior to almost all votes in the Senate.

Recognizing the Contributions of Trailblazing Michiganders: Peters also led several bills that were signed into law to honor trailblazing Michiganders and their extraordinary contributions to our state, including:
- A bill to designate the United States Postal Service office located at 2075 West Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the “Robert Hayden Post Office.” Robert Hayden – born in Detroit in 1913 – achieved national and international recognition for his poetry, as well as essays and other works of literature, with much of his work touching on the Black American experience as part of the greater human experience. In 1976, he became the first African American to be appointed Consultant in Poetry by the Library of Congress – a role that is now known as Poet Laureate.
- A bill to designate the United States Postal Service office located at 90 McCamly Street South in Battle Creek, Michigan, as the “Sojourner Truth Post Office.” After escaping slavery in 1827, Sojourner Truth embarked on a path to preach for emancipation. Throughout her life, Truth fought bravely against racial injustices and spoke up for women’s suffrage. In 1857, Truth moved to Harmonia, a former utopian community that was later incorporated into Battle Creek, Michigan, and spent the rest of her life advocating in various spheres.
- A bill to designate the United States Postal Service office located at 155 South Main Street in Mount Clemens, Michigan, as the “Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jefferson Post Office.” Alexander Jefferson – born in Detroit – served in the military during World War II. During his time with the Tuskegee Airmen, Jefferson was shot down in France and captured by Nazi ground troops. He was a prisoner of war in German-occupied Poland before he was freed by General George Patton’s U.S. Third Army. Jefferson returned to Michigan, where he became a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, earned a teaching certificate, and obtained a master’s degree in education from Wayne State University. In 2016, Senator Peters helped honor Jefferson at a ceremony for France’s Knight of the Legion of Honor Medal – the highest honor France bestows on people who have carried out actions of great value to their nation.
MIL OSI USA News –
March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Joshawa Max Estrada Sentenced to Federal Prison for His Role in the Murder of Jedidah Iesha Moreno

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced today that Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Joshawa Max Estrada, age 27, to 100 months in federal prison on one count of Accessory After the Fact for his role in the October 2018 murder of Jedidah Iesha Moreno.

According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Jedidah Iesha Moreno shot and killed Rosenda Strong on or about October 5, 2018, following an argument at a residence, known as the House of Souls in Wapato, Washington. Following the murder, Moreno asked for help disposing of Strong’s body, which was placed in a freezer and dumped near a towing service in Toppenish, Washington.

The following day, October 6, 2018, Moreno and Andrew Norris Zack got into an argument at a residence known as the Estrada Ranch located in Wapato, Washington. Moreno took out a gun and fired multiple gunshots into a garage, where Zack was in the bathroom. One of these shots struck Zack’s hand.

Around the same time that Zack was shot, Uriel Balentin Badillo was at Legends Casino. Badillo received a call that Zack was in trouble, and Badillo drove out to the residence, where he found Moreno standing in a field. When Badillo asked about Zack, Moreno was unresponsive. Badillo then drove Moreno to the House of Souls (where Rosenda Strong had been killed the day before), to look for Zack. When Badillo and Moreno arrived, a female came out of the House of Souls and said, “gag the bitch up.” After a sock was placed into Moreno’s mouth, Badillo and the female drove Moreno back to the Estrada Ranch. There, Moreno was physically restrained, bound with a cargo strap and duct tape, and forced into a Chevrolet Impala. Badillo then shot into the trunk of the car several times with a .45 caliber pistol, striking Moreno. Later that day, two juveniles transported Moreno’s body to another location on the Yakama Nation. One of the juveniles then fired additional rounds into Moreno’s body.

The next day, Estrada spoke to Badillo, Zack, and the juvenile. When Estrada learned that Badillo had murdered Moreno and that her body had been dumped in a non-discrete location. Estrada teased the juvenile for dumping the body in such a visible place. Badillo then asked Estrada to move Moreno’s body and get rid of the cargo strap around her body because Badillo was worried he might have left his DNA and/or fingerprints on the cargo strap. Estrada and the one of the juveniles then located Moreno’s body and moved it to a more secluded location near White Swan, Washington. As directed by Badillo, Estrada also removed the cargo strap from Moreno’s body. After moving the body to a more concealed location, the juvenile fired additional gunshots into Moreno’s body.

Later that same day, Estrada and the juvenile traveled back to Wapato to meet with Zack and Badillo. Estrada handed Badillo the cargo strap that had been removed from Moreno’s body so that Badillo could destroy the evidence.

On November 28, 2018, a citizen discovered Moreno’s remains and immediately contacted law enforcement.

“The families in the Rosenda Strong and Jedidah Iesha Moreno cases have waited years to obtain some measure of justice on behalf of their loved ones,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “I am grateful for the eyewitnesses, who came forward in this case and helped the FBI and Yakama Nation Tribal Police identify those responsible for these terrible murders. To those who have information about unsolved missing or murdered indigenous people cases, I implore you to come forward and help bring a measure of closure to the families that continue to grieve.”

“Mr. Estrada is yet another defendant to be held accountable in this tragic case, which the FBI and our partners have been investigating since 2018.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “While prison sentences can bring justice and a sense of closure for loved ones, ultimately nothing can bring back the victims of the multiple homicides in which the defendant played a role. I commend the investigators in this case and others involving violent crime on our state’s reservations. They consistently pursue justice, no matter how long it takes.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Yakama Nation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas J. Hanlon and Michael D. Murphy.

Defendants Andrew Norris Zack, Jamaal Antwan Pimms, Kevin Todd Brehm, and Uriel Balentin Badillo have all pleaded guilty to charges in this case. Michael Lee Moody pleaded guilty to charges in this case and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison.

MIL Security OSI –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Operation Shanela makes progress

Source: South Africa News Agency

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Operation Shanela continues to make an impact across the country, with police having arrested 12 892 suspects recently.

“Through Operation Shanela, SAPS [South African Police Service] continues to take a bold and decisive approach to dealing with crime in the country. These crime fighting activities include tracking operations, roadblocks, high visibility patrols, stop and searches, as well as tracing of wanted suspects,” SAPS said in a statement this week.

The arrests were made in the period 17 – 23 March 2025.

The police said 123 suspects were arrested for attempted murder; 167 suspects were arrested for murder (with the majority of these suspects, 45, arrested in KwaZulu-Natal and followed by the Western Cape with 42). The police also arrested 1 753 wanted suspects and 203 drug dealers.

A further 1 507 suspects were arrested for being in possession of drugs. The majority of these suspects (689) were arrested in the Western Cape. Furthermore, 115 suspects were arrested for being in possession of illegal firearms.

Additionally, 10 suspects were arrested for human trafficking, while 432 drivers were arrested for drunken driving.

One hundred and nineteen firearms and 1 335 rounds of ammunition were confiscated. The police also recovered 76 hijacked and stolen vehicles.

Curbing smuggling

Members of the Limpopo Anti-Smuggling team conducted a successful operation along the N11 road in Mahwelereng, which resulted in the arrest of 20 Ethiopian foreign nationals, who were allegedly smuggled into the country.

Police also arrested suspected drug mules at OR Tambo International Airport. A Brazilian man and South African woman arrived on the same flight from São Paulo, Brazil, and were intercepted by police. Police seized cocaine valued at over R1 million. Their arrest has now brought the total number of similar arrests at the airport to five since January 2025.

“Police will continue with their operations by asserting the authority of the State to ensure the safety and security of all South Africans and visitors to the country,” said the SAPS. – SAnews.gov.za

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MIL OSI Africa –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: R2m to address eThekwini water challenges

Source: South Africa News Agency

The eThekwini Municipality has approved the transfer of R2 million within the water and sanitation capital budget in the 2024/25 financial year to address persistent water challenges affecting various areas in the northern parts of the city, particularly Verulam and surrounding areas.

The decision was taken during the City’s Executive Committee (EXCO) meeting on Tuesday.

In a statement after the meeting, the council said the funds will be transferred from the Pinkney Park project to the ‘Hazelmere to Grange’ Reservoir pipeline project.

The Pinkney Park project has been delayed by the Bid Evaluation Committee due to insufficient funding in the current approved 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years.

The municipality said the Hazelmere to Grange Reservoir pipeline project is an ongoing project that urgently requires an additional R2 million in funding to complete it in the current financial year.

“Work has stopped on site due to funds having been exhausted for the Hazelmere to Grange Reservoir pipeline project. The additional allocation to complete the project will ensure much needed relief to the communities in the northern parts of the city, who have been experiencing water shortages,” the council said.

It said the water challenges have been further worsened by the recurring flood disasters that have battered the KwaZulu-Natal city in recent years.

R3 million approved for oThongathi crematorium

The Executive Committee also approved an additional R3 million for the urgent replacement of the furnace at the oThongathi Crematorium.

This follows the initial allocation of R5 million in the city’s adjustment budget, bringing the total investment to R8 million.

eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said the decision by EXCO emphasises the city’s commitment to ensuring that residents of the northern region have access to cremation services.

“We are pleased that EXCO has responded swiftly to this urgent matter. The failure of the furnace has left many families without access to cremation services in the area. This funding will allow us to expedite the process and restore this essential service,” Xaba said.

The existing cremator, which has been in use for many years, suffered repeated breakdowns before completely failing on 24 January 2025. Technical assessments confirmed that the furnace had reached the end of its lifespan, necessitating full replacement.

To fast-track the project, Xaba said the Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit has identified savings within its capital budget to cover the R3 million shortfall.

He said the municipality will now proceed with appointing a service provider to manufacture, construct, and install the new furnace.

The contractor, who must be South African-based, will also provide maintenance support for 12-months under warranty, with a potential extension for two years.

Xaba reiterated the city’s commitment to delivering dignified and efficient services.

“We understand the cultural and religious significance of cremation for many communities. The urgent reprioritisation of funds demonstrates our dedication to ensuring that all residents have access to essential municipal services,” the mayor said.

He said the city will continue to provide updates to residents as the project progresses, with the aim of restoring full operations at the crematorium within the current financial year. – SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Allentown Man Pleads Guilty to March 2023 Armed Robbery Spree in Lehigh County

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Rubiel Perez, 30, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, charges arising from an armed robbery spree in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in March of 2023.

Perez was charged by indictment in November 2023.

As detailed in the indictment and admitted to by the defendant, on March 28, 2023, Perez entered a 7-Eleven convenience store on Union Boulevard in Allentown, pointed a handgun at a store employee, and stole $937 before fleeing.

The next night, the defendant targeted a 7-Eleven convenience store on South 4th Street in Allentown. He pointed a handgun at a store employee and threatened him, before stealing $150 from the store. Later the same night, the defendant entered a 7-Eleven on West Tilghman Street in South Whitehall Township and attempted to rob the store by pointing a firearm at the store employee and threatening him.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10 and faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years’ incarceration.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Allentown Police Department, and the South Whitehall Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert W. Schopf.

MIL Security OSI –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Despite Diplomatic Progress, Security Council Told Continuing Attacks, Funding Cuts Worsening Humanitarian Situation in Ukraine

Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is worsening, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as she both welcomed diplomatic progress and expressed deep alarm over rising attacks on civilians and severe cuts to global humanitarian funding.

“Since 1 March, not a day has passed without an attack harming civilians,” Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the 15-member Council. The regions of Sumy, Odesa, Dnipro, Donetsk and Kharkiv have been hit especially hard in recent weeks, with extensive damage to homes, shops, warehouses and vehicles.

Meanwhile, global funding cuts for humanitarian operations — including for Ukraine — are further reducing the UN’s capacity to provide life-saving aid. While the announcement of a ceasefire on energy infrastructure and discussions regarding safe navigation in the Black Sea are positive steps, she noted that the impact of past attacks continue to undermine civilians’ access to electricity, gas, heating and water as the harsh winter persists.

“We are deeply concerned by the human cost of continued fighting,” she said, noting that, as of 24 February 2022, at least 12,881 civilians — including 681 children — have been killed in Ukraine. The true toll is likely much higher. She reiterated that the protection of infrastructure critical to civilian survival is imperative, and that indiscriminate attacks are unequivocally prohibited under international law.

And with almost 13 million people in Ukraine in need of humanitarian aid, she warned against funding cuts that could threaten vital services — including gender-based-violence support and safe spaces for 640,000 affected women and girls. Thus far, only 17 per cent of the $2.6 billion needed for Ukraine’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan has been received. Against that backdrop, she urged the international community to enforce compliance with international law, secure funding to save lives and push for an end to the war — all while ensuring that humanitarian needs remain central to peace talks.

Speakers Express Concern over Increasing Attacks on Civilians, Urge Moscow to Demonstrate Commitment to Peace

During the discussion that ensued, many speakers expressed concern over growing attacks on civilians in Ukraine. “The death and destruction caused by this war are tremendous,” said Slovenia’s delegate, noting the over 42,000 verified casualties and reconstruction costs exceeding $500 billion. Three years on, and the fighting does not seem to be diminishing — in February 2025, civilian casualties increased by 35 per cent compared to February 2024. “Every human life matters and is not merely a number,” added Pakistan’s delegate, welcoming deals reached between Ukraine and the Russian Federation banning the targeting of energy sites and ensuring safe navigation in the Black Sea.

While also noting progress on those fronts, other speakers continued to call on the Russian Federation to demonstrate its commitment to peace, with France’s delegate highlighting “the gaping disconnect between [the Russian Federation’s] actions and words”. Romania’s delegate pointed out that “the dialogue efforts and the proposals in the last weeks are yet to be met by deeds”, spotlighting new attacks by the Russian Federation since the night of 21 March.

“It is now for Russia to show its willingness to achieve peace,” said the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, adding: “There can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine, and no negotiations that affect European security without Europe.” Finland’s delegate, speaking also for Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, echoed that, also expressing concern that limited humanitarian access makes it hard for humanitarian workers to deliver life-saving aid — especially in front-line areas.

“A ceasefire seems not to be enough,” observed Greece’s delegate, adding that peace should only be possible “with credible and robust security guarantees, which will deter and prevent the recurrence of war in the future”. Any peace must be more than a mere pause that allows the aggressor to rearm and strike again — as it has done before — Poland’s delegate underscored. “We must have enduring peace in Ukraine,” stressed the representative of the United Kingdom, adding that, until Moscow’s forces withdraw from Ukraine, “the United Kingdom will continue to work with Kyiv to achieve a just and lasting peace”.

Meanwhile, the representative of the Republic of Korea said that interviews with soldiers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea captured in Kursk show men deceived and told they were being sent to Moscow for training. “Pyongyang must stop sacrificing its own people to sustain the regime in exchange for military, political and economic support from Moscow,” he stressed.

The representative of Denmark, Council President for March, spoke in her national capacity to describe the latest report by the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine as a “grim catalogue of crimes against humanity” perpetrated by the Russian Federation’s forces against civilians. Lithuania’s delegate, also speaking for Estonia and Latvia, drew attention to the 4,000 cases against the Russian Federation in the European Court of Human Rights, all related to events in Crimea, Donbas and the wider war against Ukraine.

Russian Federation, Ukraine Acknowledge Limited Ceasefire Agreements while Expressing Reservations

For his part, the representative of the Russian Federation said that the European Union and the United Kingdom are trying to thwart efforts by his country and the United States to settle the Ukrainian crisis. He went on to say that Moscow’s air forces target only military sites, and that civilian casualties in Ukraine occur because Kyiv stores ammunition in residential areas. He also stated that Ukraine’s European supporters ignore the crimes committed by Kyiv, reiterating that Moscow’s military operation started three years ago to end the war being waged on fellow Russians.

Regarding the agreement concerning the Black Sea, he said that this will go into effect only after a series of measures are adopted — including the lifting of sanctions against some Russian Federation banks. And while agreement has been reached to ban strikes on energy sites both in Ukraine and in the Russian Federation, Kyiv continues to violate that agreement. “The Russian Federation reserves the right to respond should the Kyiv regime continue on this destructive course,” he emphasized.

Further, he asked those present if they would prefer to either continue providing weapons to “private-military-company Ukraine”, or to join the Russian Federation and the United States to “find a long-term solution that would address the root causes of the Ukraine crisis and strengthen security in Europe and the world over”.

“Moscow speaks of peace while launching brutal strikes almost daily on densely populated residential areas” in her country, Ukraine’s delegate said, adding that the Russian Federation launched — in the first half of March alone — hundreds of strikes against her people, using approximately 2,800 guided aerial bombs, nearly 2,000 attack drones and over 100 missiles of various types. Moscow has also sought to block Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, forcibly transferred Ukrainian children to its territory and that of Belarus, and made use of munitions containing hazardous chemicals.

While welcoming the United States’ mediation and Saudi Arabia’s hospitality, and reaffirming her country’s commitment to peace, she underscored: “We won’t accept peace at any price.” Ukraine will not recognize any of its temporarily occupied territories as belonging to the Russian Federation, and Kyiv will not agree to any foreign diktat regarding the structure or other characteristics of its defence forces.

While Ukraine has agreed to a ceasefire regarding energy facilities and in the Black Sea, she warned that this does not extend to Russian Federation warships that enter Ukraine’s territorial waters. “Everyone should focus on Russian actions, not their statements,” she urged, noting that the coming days will be critical in determining “whether Russia is serious about peace or intends to deceive the United States and the world”.

Nevertheless, Speakers Point to Path towards Peace

“The war must end now,” the representative of the United States stressed, as she commended both the Russian Federation and Ukraine for taking the first steps towards a ceasefire. If fully implemented, the agreements concerning energy infrastructure and the Black Sea will open a path towards peace. “We call on both sides to abide by these agreements and expand on them,” she said.

Some speakers expressed optimism about the talks under way in Riyadh. “A window of peace is opening,” said China’s delegate, welcoming recent negotiations that the Russian Federation and Ukraine have had bilaterally with the United States. Positive progress was made on numerous issues, he said. Algeria’s delegate, welcoming progress, as well, added that a lasting peace must consider the legitimate concerns of both parties. The representative of Panama, noting that maritime security is fundamental to his country, expressed optimism about the steps towards a cessation of hostilities in the Black Sea.

Similarly, the representative of Somalia said that the agreement to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea represents a practical step towards reducing tensions and protecting vital economic infrastructure. The recent breakthrough is “creating tangible momentum towards de-escalation”, he said. “Even as we celebrate the modest breakthroughs,” Guyana’s delegate warned that the slightest misstep could doom millions of civilians to even more bombardment and displacement. Sierra Leone’s representative observed that “cautious hope has begun to emerge”, but highlighted the severe impact already had on children — trauma from constant shelling, loss of loved ones, displacement and abduction.

“Even when bombings subside, the scars of war remain,” said the Permanent Observer for the Sovereign Order of Malta, pointing to the need for psychological support for those affected by war-related trauma. Ukraine’s health system will need restoring, he said, adding that it is also crucial to facilitate the safe and dignified return of displaced families. “The land must be restored and made habitable,” he added, as the detritus of war is cleared away.

Quoting Pope Francis, he asked those present: “Can we get out of this spiral of sorrow and death? Can we once more walk and live in the ways of peace? I would like for each one of us — from the least to the greatest, including those who are called to govern nations — to respond in one voice: ‘Yes, we want peace.’”

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: UN calls for immediate ceasefire as South Sudan edges closer to renewed civil war

Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

By Vibhu Mishra

26 March 2025 Peace and Security

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Wednesday called for an immediate end to hostilities and urgent dialogue between the country’s leaders to prevent a relapse into civil war, as violence escalates around the capital city.

“To prevent a relapse into civil war, the Parties must recommit to the Revitalized Peace Agreement by ceasing all hostilities and strictly adhering to the ceasefire, resolving grievances through dialogue, and reconvening as a truly unified government,” said Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS.

The world’s youngest country has been mired in conflict which erupted shortly after independence from Sudan in 2011, between Government forces led by President Salva Kiir, and fighters loyal to his rival Riek Machar, who has served as First Vice President since 2020 in a broad-based governing coalition.

Clashes intensify

Fighting has escalated over the past 24 hours, with clashes reported between Government troops of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition near Rejaf, just south of the capital Juba, and in Wunaliet, to the west.

The situation in Upper Nile, in the north of the country, also remains volatile. Earlier this month the so-called White Army – a youth militia – overran South Sudanese army barracks in Nasir. In response, Government forces launched retaliatory aerial bombardments on civilian areas, using barrel bombs that allegedly contained highly flammable accelerants.

An UNMISS helicopter – attempting to evacuate wounded SSPDF soldiers – in Nasir, region was also attacked this month, killing a crew member as well as several South Sudanese soldiers, including an injured General.

Children at extreme risk

Virginia Gamba, UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, also warned that the surge in fighting is putting children at grave risk of violations, including killing, sexual violence and recruitment into armed groups.

“I am deeply concerned over the escalating violence, particularly in the Upper Nile province, and I urge all parties to silence their weapons and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law,” she said.

“The stability of the country and a lasting peace for all, including new generations, is at stake.”

Repeated warnings

Earlier this week, Mr. Haysom warned that South Sudan was “teetering on the brink of civil war,” citing indiscriminate attacks on civilians, forced displacement and ethnic tensions.

Renewed fighting “would devastate not only South Sudan but the entire region, which simply cannot afford another war,” he said.

Fragile peace at stake

Civil war erupted in 2013 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with First Vice President Machar. The war – marked by ethnic violence, mass atrocities and a widespread humanitarian crisis – lasted until a fragile peace deal was signed in 2018.

Though the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement brought a degree of stability, delays in its implementation and continued political rivalries have kept tensions simmering.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan remains dire, with over nine million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, including two million internally displaced persons.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Memphis Man Sentenced to 22 Years of Federal Imprisonment for Drug Distribution and Possession of Firearms

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Claibon Burrus, 51, of Memphis, to 260 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute drugs and possession of firearms. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, on January 19, 2021, detectives with the Memphis Police Department served a search warrant at a residence in Memphis, Tennessee pursuant to an overdose death investigation. They discovered that Burrus was in possession of large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana. He was also in possession of multiple firearms. He admitted to officers he was engaging in drug distribution. Following Burrus’s arrest, he directed other individuals to move additional drugs and firearms from storage units he rented to avoid seizure by law enforcement.

In July 2024, Burrus pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On March 25, 2025, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. sentenced Burrus to 260 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 detectives with the Memphis Police Department Heroin/Opioid Response Team and Organized Crime Unit (OCU).

Acting United States Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and Greg Allen, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners 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 –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Final Member of Multi-State Poly-Drug Conspiracy Sentenced
Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Jackson, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Anthony Hines, 46, of Memphis, TN, to over ten years in federal prison for his role in an organized drug trafficking scheme in West Tennessee. Hines was the final defendant of multi-defendant and multi-state drug conspiracy. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

According to the evidence presented in court, in early 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), along with the Henry County Metro Narcotics task force, began an investigation into the illegal distribution of narcotics in the Western District of Tennessee. The investigation revealed that Terry Smith, 38, of Memphis, arranged for large quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl to be shipped into the West Tennessee. Smith used contraband cellular devices from Texas, Arizona, and California to arrange the shipments. The drugs were delivered for redistribution by Smith’s network of co-conspirators, including Hines, in locations that ranged from Western Kentucky to Northwest Mississippi.

Ultimately, law enforcement agents determined that Smith and his co-conspirators were responsible for distributing approximately 119 pounds of methamphetamine, 10,000 fentanyl pills, 20 ounces of heroin/fentanyl mix, 2 ounces of fentanyl and 40 pounds of marijuana throughout West Tennessee and surrounding areas. Agents physically seized a total of 17.24 kilograms of actual methamphetamine, 141.76 grams of marijuana, 68.645 grams of Heroin/Fentanyl mixture and 10.845 grams of Fentanyl.

On May 15, 2023, Hines pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. On March 24, 2025, United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Hines to 125 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

The following co-conspirators have already pled guilty and have been sentenced:
- Terry Smith, 38, of Memphis, Tennessee: 240 months and a 5-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
- Rodney Ayers, 51, of Memphis, Tennessee: 180 months and a 5-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
- James Dumas, 49, of Lansing, Michigan: 150 months and a 5-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
- Kayla Henderson, 31, of Memphis, Tennessee: 80 months and a 5-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
- Dustin Chambers, 38, of Jackson, Tennessee: 120 months and a 5-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
- Horace McNeary, 37, of Paris, Tennessee: 130 months and a 5-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
- Brianna Norsworthy, 25, of Murray, Kentucky: 110 months and a 5-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, as well as possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Jessica Vestal, 34, of Hendersonville, Tennessee: 80 months and a 5-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, as well as possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Michael Broady, 51, of Memphis, Tennessee: a time served period of 13 months and a 3-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.
- Jermichael Buggs, 37, of Grand Junction, Tennessee: 84 months and a 3-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.
- Christopher Hamilton, 49, of Memphis, Tennessee: 60 months and a 4-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.
- Teddy Reed, 43, of Memphis, Tennessee: 63 moths and a 4-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
- Aerielle Coleman, 34, of Memphis, Tennessee: 30 months and a 2-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
- Danielle Cunningham, 38, of Memphis, Tennessee: time served and a 3-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
- Tracy Coleman, 50, of Memphis, Tennessee: a time served period of 18 months and a 2-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana
- Johnnie McGhee, 51, of Olive Branch, Mississippi: 60 days and a 2-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
This investigation was conducted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The DEA; West Tennessee Drug Task Force; Jackson Police Department; Jackson-Madison County Metro-Narcotics; Madison County Sheriff’s Department, Paris, Tennessee Police Department; Henry County Sheriff’s Department; Murray, Kentucky Police Department; Kentucky State Police; Arkansas State Police; and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Davis and Hillary Parham, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners 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 –
March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Starkville Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Violating Federal Firearms Laws

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Greenville, MS – A Starkville man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for violation of federal firearms laws.

According to court documents, Antonio Johnson, 49, pled guilty to possession of one or more firearms by a previously convicted felon as well as possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Johnson today to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Johnson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing.

“The public has every right to expect repeat offenders to receive significant sentences, and this defendant will now have 10 years in a federal prison to reconsider his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Robert Mims and our partners at the FBI, ATF and Starkville Police Department worked seamlessly to bring justice to an individual who earned every day of this sentence.”

“Protecting the safety of our communities is one of the cornerstones of what ATF seeks to accomplish every day,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “To convicted felons and others making our streets unsafe with gun violence and drugs – law enforcement is here. No matter how long it takes, we will investigate, arrest, prosecute and ensure you are held accountable for your actions.”

“Mr. Johnson’s sentencing demonstrates a steadfast commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to protect the public from those individuals who illegally possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes,” stated FBI Jackson Field Office Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff. “Criminals possessing and using firearms in the commission of any crime are threats to our communities, for those who seek to threaten and intimidate Mississippians through these egregious crimes will be aggressively pursued by the FBI and brought to justice. We will continue our collective efforts through the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, to reduce violent crime and gun violence in our communities across Mississippi.”

“Strong convictions matter; they have a lasting impact and require hard work,” said Chief Mark Ballard of the Starkville Police Department. “Our community is safer as a result of these agencies’ efforts. On behalf of the Starkville Police Department, we are very thankful for our working relationship with FBI Jackson, the ATF New Orleans, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.”

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Starkville Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Mims prosecuted the case.

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 –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Security Minister observes counter-terrorism exercise in Wales
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Security Minister observes counter-terrorism exercise in Wales

Meeting emergency responders at a counter-terrorism training exercise in Wales, the Security Minister praised their collaboration to keep the public safe.
The Security Minister re-emphasised the need for close working between national and devolved emergency services and responders to minimise the impact of a terrorist attack in Wales, during a visit to Swansea to observe a multi-agency counter-terrorism exercise on Wednesday (26 April).

At the exercise at Swansea.com Stadium, he was able to watch emergency responders in Wales, including the police, fire and rescue, ambulance and other responder organisations, test their preparedness for a large-scale attack and ensure they work effectively together to keep the public safe.

Thanking all those taking part in the exercise for their unwavering commitment to protecting the public, the Security Minister gave a speech to participants, to say that responding to an incident with mass fatalities successfully depends on trust, close working and collaboration between multiple agencies.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said:

It was an immense privilege to witness the dedicated work of the emergency services and responder organisations and their unwavering commitment to keeping the people of Wales safe.

National security is the foundation of our Plan for Change. This essential training ensures we are prepared for every eventuality and in the best position to save lives and protect our communities.

It comes after the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill completed its final parliamentary stage this week ahead of Royal Assent. This new legislation will ensure venues across the UK – which will include premises such as sports stadiums – consider the security of the public and take steps to protect them from harm.

The new law is better known as Martyn’s Law in memory of Martyn Hett, who tragically lost his life alongside 21 others in the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack.

Wednesday’s exercise also sought to test the stadium’s internal contingency response plans. Under the Bill, qualifying premises like Swansea.com Stadium will be required to plan how best to respond to a terrorist attack.

The exercise was part of a routine training exercise between the police, including Counter Terrorism Policing Wales and South Wales Police; and other services, such as the South Wales Fire and Rescue service, health and social care, and the Welsh Government; which work together in partnership to respond to and mitigate the impacts of incidents of this nature.

The various agencies taking part were able to practice the application of the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) which are widely acknowledged as critical to the success of a response to an incident and are the adopted principles for multi-agency working across the UK.

The Security Minister also visited the Senedd in Cardiff where he met with the First Minister of Wales to discuss strengthening national security in Wales and remaining prepared for terrorist attacks.

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Published 26 March 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Ukraine, Pact for the Future, Climate & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

Source: United Nations (Video News)

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
Ukraine
Ukraine/Security Council
Pact for the Future
Climate
Renewables
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Sudan
South Sudan
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Haiti
Biological Weapons Convention
Clarification
Financial Contributions

UKRAINEThe Secretary-General welcomes the discussions and reported commitments reached in Saudi Arabia by the United States, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.Reaching an agreement on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to ensure the protection of civilian vessels and port infrastructure, will be a crucial contribution to the global food security and supply chains, reflecting the importance of trade routes from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to global markets.The United Nations has been working consistently, especially following the letters the Secretary-General sent to Presidents Zelenskyy, Putin and Erdogan on 7 February 2024 putting forward a proposal for the safe and free navigation in the Black Sea.The United Nations also remains closely engaged in the continued implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Federation on facilitating access of Russian food and fertilizers to global markets to address global food security.The Secretary-General’s good offices remain available to support all efforts towards peace.The Secretary-General reiterates his hope that such efforts will pave the way for a durable ceasefire and contribute to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions and in full respect of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.That statement is now being shared with you electronically.
UKRAINE/SECURITY COUNCILFurther on Ukraine: Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya briefed Security Council members this morning and said that since 1 March, not a day has passed without an attack harming civilians in that country. She said we are particularly appalled by the strikes countrywide on 7 March that killed 21 civilians and injured many more, making it one of the deadliest days this year.Across Ukraine, Ms. Msuya said, almost 13 million people need humanitarian assistance. More than 10 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes, including 3.7 million of them who are internally displaced. This displacement is disproportionately affecting women and girls, heightening their exposure to gender-based violence and hindering their access to support services, she told the members of the Security Council. She told that recent funding cuts have led to a reprioritization of Ukraine response efforts that will be announced in the coming weeks. Continued financial support will be essential to maintain our operations there.
UKRAINE/HUMANITARIANFurther on Ukraine from the ground, our colleagues in Ukraine tell us that today, an inter-agency convoy delivered vital aid to one of the most affected communities in the Donetsk region. This is the fourth convoy to front-lines communities in the region this year.Humanitarians brought in six metric tonnes of medical, hygiene and other critical supplies, including those for older people, to help some 1,500 residents remaining in the community of Kostiantynivka.Local residents there face daily shelling. Homes and critical civilian infrastructure have been damaged and electricity, water and the gas supply have been disrupted.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=26+March+2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM1F1O1Svuo

MIL OSI Video –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General – on the outcomes of meetings of experts on the Black Sea

Source: United Nations – English

he Secretary-General welcomes the discussions and reported commitments reached in Saudi Arabia by the United States, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

Reaching an agreement on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to ensure the protection of civilian vessels and port infrastructure, will be a crucial contribution to global food security and supply chains, reflecting the importance of trade routes from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to global markets.

The United Nations has been working consistently, especially following the letters the Secretary-General sent to Presidents Zelenskyy, Putin and Erdogan on 7 February 2024 putting forward a proposal for safe and free navigation in the Black Sea.

The United Nations also remains closely engaged in the continued implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Federation on facilitating access of Russian food and fertilizers to global markets to address global food security.

The Secretary-General’s good offices remain available to support all efforts towards peace.

The Secretary-General reiterates his hope that such efforts will pave the way for a durable ceasefire and contribute to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions and in full respect of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

MIL OSI Africa –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Federal Support for Wildfire Survivors Tops $2 Billion

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: Federal Support for Wildfire Survivors Tops $2 Billion

Federal Support for Wildfire Survivors Tops $2 Billion

LOS ANGELES – As of March 25, just over two months since the Los Angeles County wildfires were declared a major disaster by the president, FEMA and its federal partners have made more than $2 billion available to disaster survivors

Federal assistance to eligible homeowners, renters, and businesses, in the form of FEMA grants and low-interest SBA Disaster Loans, has topped $2 billion

That number includes:$101 million in FEMA housing and other needs assistance

$2 billion in home and business loan offers from the SBA, the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds for homeowners, renters, businesses, and certain nonprofits

31,941 household have been approved for FEMA funds, including: $24,316,400 in housing assistance for short-term rental assistance and home repair costs$76,431,025 in other essential disaster-related needs, such as expenses related to medical, dental, and lost personal possessions

Two Disaster Recovery Centers remain open at UCLA Research Park and Altadena Recovery Center

In total, the centers have logged 32,511 survivor visits

At the centers, residents may speak in person to representatives from federal and state programs, the American Red Cross and various nongovernmental nonprofits and community groups

In partnership with the State of California, Los Angeles County, and local officials, FEMA will continue helping California’s individuals and families get back on their feet and jumpstart their recovery

The deadline to apply for both FEMA and SBA disaster assistance is March 31, 2025

How To Apply for FEMA Individual Assistance:Online at DisasterAssistance

gov

On the FEMA App

By calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362

If you use a relay service, give FEMA your number for that service

Assistance is available in multiple languages

Lines are open Sunday–Saturday, from 4 a

m

– 10 p

m

Pacific Time

At a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC)

To locate a DRC near you, visit the DRC Locator

For an American Sign Language video on how to apply, visit FEMA Accessible: Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster AssistanceApply for SBA Low-Interest Disaster Loans:Online at sba

gov/disaster By calling SBA’s Customer Service Center hotline at 800-659-2955

People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability may dial 711 to access relay services

By emailingDisasterCustomerService@sba

govAt a Disaster Recovery Center or Business Recovery Center, where you can submit a completed application or SBA representatives can help you apply

To find a BRC near you, go to Appointment

sba

gov

Applications for disaster loans may be submitted online using the MySBA Loan Portal at https://lending

sba

gov or other locally announced locations

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

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

gov, on Instagram @Ready

gov or on the Ready Facebook page

California is committed to supporting residents impacted by the Los Angeles Hurricane-Force Firestorm as they navigate the recovery process

Visit CA

gov/LAFires for up-to-date information on disaster recovery programs, important deadlines, and how to apply for assistance

alberto

pillot
Wed, 03/26/2025 – 17:29

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: FEMA May Contact You by Phone

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: FEMA May Contact You by Phone

FEMA May Contact You by Phone

FEMA Representatives Calling Kentucky Storm SurvivorsFEMA representatives are reaching out to survivors of the February severe storms that have applied for disaster assistance

Representatives may call for a variety of reasons such as issues with applications (missing documents, insurance settlement paperwork, etc

), follow-up on access and functional needs and/or to schedule inspections at the address where the damage was reported

Representatives may also be calling eligible survivors for the Direct Temporary Housing Program

In these instances, phone calls may come from unknown phone numbers or unfamiliar area codes

If you receive a phone call from FEMA, don’t share your personal information unless you are sure the person you are talking to is a legitimate FEMA representative

If you receive a call from someone stating they are a FEMA representative, but you are skeptical, do not give out any information

Call 800-621-3362 to verify the call is legitimate

If you suspect fraud, please send an email to StopFEMAFraud@fema

dhs

govWhen an applicant calls the Helpline to speak with a FEMA representative, they may be asked to share personal information to verify identity

How to Apply for FEMA AssistanceIf you live in Breathitt, Clay, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Simpson, or Woodford county, and haven’t yet applied for FEMA assistance, you may still complete an application

The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is Friday, April 25

You can visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to meet face to face with specialists from FEMA to get assistance filling out your application

The Small Business Administration (SBA) and other state and local agencies are also in DRCs to answer questions about disaster assistance and other recovery resources

You may also upload any documents needed for applications at the centers

If you are unable to visit a DRC, there are other ways to apply: online at DisasterAssistance

gov, use the FEMA App for mobile devices or call 800-621-3362

If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service

When you apply, you will need to provide:A current phone number where you can be contacted

Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying

Your Social Security Number

A general list of damage and losses

Banking information if you choose direct deposit

If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name

For an accessible video on how to apply for FEMA assistance, go to youtube

com/watch?v=WZGpWI2RCNw

For more information about Kentucky flooding recovery, visit www

fema

gov/disaster/4860

Follow the FEMA Region 4 X account at x

com/femaregion4

martyce

allenjr
Wed, 03/26/2025 – 16:57

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: How NASA’s Perseverance Is Helping Prepare Astronauts for Mars

Source: NASA

The rover carries several swatches of spacesuit materials, and scientists are assessing how they’ve held up after four years on the Red Planet.
NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars in 2021 to search for signs of ancient microbial life and to help scientists understand the planet’s climate and geography. But another key objective is to pave the way for human exploration of Mars, and as part of that effort, the rover carries a set of five spacesuit material samples. Now, after those samples have endured four years of exposure on Mars’ dusty, radiation-soaked surface, scientists are beginning the next phase of studying them.
The end goal is to predict accurately the usable lifetime of a Mars spacesuit. What the agency learns about how the materials perform on Mars will inform the design of future spacesuits for the first astronauts on the Red Planet.

“This is one of the forward-looking aspects of the rover’s mission — not just thinking about its current science, but also about what comes next,” said planetary scientist Marc Fries of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, who helped provide the spacesuit materials. “We’re preparing for people to eventually go and explore Mars.”
The swatches, each three-quarters of an inch square (20 millimeters square), are part of a calibration target used to test the settings of SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals), an instrument on the end of Perseverance’s arm.
The samples include a piece of polycarbonate helmet visor; Vectran, a cut-resistant material used for the palms of astronaut gloves; two kinds of Teflon, which has dust-repelling nonstick properties; and a commonly used spacesuit material called Ortho-Fabric. This last fabric features multiple layers, including Nomex, a flame-resistant material found in firefighter outfits; Gore-Tex, which is waterproof but breathable; and Kevlar, a strong material used in bulletproof vests that makes spacesuits more rip-resistant.
Martian Wear and Tear
Mars is far from hospitable. It has freezing temperatures, fine dust that can stick to solar panels and spacesuits (causing wear and tear on the latter), and a surface rife with perchlorates, a kind of corrosive salt that can be toxic to humans.
There’s also lots of solar radiation. Unlike Earth, which has a magnetic field that deflects much of the Sun’s radiation, Mars lost its magnetic field billions of years ago, followed by much of its atmosphere. Its surface has little protection from the Sun’s ultraviolet light (which is why researchers have looked into how rock formations and caves could provide astronauts some shielding).
“Mars is a really harsh, tough place,” said SHERLOC science team member Joby Razzell Hollis of the Natural History Museum in London. “Don’t underestimate that — the radiation in particular is pretty nasty.”
Razzell Hollis was a postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California from 2018 to 2021, where he helped prepare SHERLOC for arrival on Mars and took part in science operations once the rover landed. A materials scientist, Razzell Hollis has previously studied the chemical effects of sunlight on a new kind of solar panel made from plastic, as well as on plastic pollution floating in the Earth’s oceans.
He likened those effects to how white plastic lawn chairs become yellow and brittle after years in sunlight. Roughly the same thing happens on Mars, but the weathering likely happens faster because of the high exposure to ultraviolet light there.
The key to developing safer spacesuit materials will be understanding how quickly they would wear down on the Martian surface. About 50% of the changes SHERLOC witnessed in the samples happened within Perseverance’s first 200 days on Mars, with the Vectran appearing to change first.
Another nuance will be figuring out how much solar radiation different parts of a spacesuit will have to withstand. For example, an astronaut’s shoulders will be more exposed — and likely encounter more radiation — than his or her palms.
Next Steps
The SHERLOC team is working on a science paper detailing initial data on how the samples have fared on Mars. Meanwhile, scientists at NASA Johnson are eager to simulate that weathering in special chambers that mimic the carbon dioxide atmosphere, air pressure, and ultraviolet light on the Martian surface. They could then compare the results generated on Earth while putting the materials to the test with those seen in the SHERLOC data. For example, the researchers could stretch the materials until they break to check if they become more brittle over time.
“The fabric materials are designed to be tough but flexible, so they protect astronauts but can bend freely,” Fries said. “We want to know the extent to which the fabrics lose their strength and flexibility over time. As the fabrics weaken, they can fray and tear, allowing a spacesuit to leak both heat and air.”
More About Perseverance
A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover is characterizing the planet’s geology and past climate, to help pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and is the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.
NASA’s Mars Sample Return Program, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), is designed to send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program (MEP) portfolio and the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
For more about Perseverance:
News Media Contacts
Andrew GoodJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-393-2433andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Molly WasserNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: One Month of FEMA Assistance in West Virginia; Stay in Touch with FEMA

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: One Month of FEMA Assistance in West Virginia; Stay in Touch with FEMA

One Month of FEMA Assistance in West Virginia; Stay in Touch with FEMA

CHARLESTON, W

Va

– Today, March 26, 2025, marks one month since FEMA Individual Assistance was declared for West Virginia following the winter floods on February 15 – 18, 2025

Since then, FEMA and the state of West Virginia, along with other partner agencies and organizations, have been working to provide resources and connect with the residents in the impacted areas

To date, six counties – Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wayne, and Wyoming – have been designated for Individual Assistance

FEMA Individual Assistance provides assistance to meet basic needs for eligible individuals and households impacted by the winter floods

Additionally, 10 counties have been designated for Public Assistance

FEMA Public Assistance provides grants so that communities, and the general public as a whole, can respond to and recover from the floods

“Under the leadership of Governor Morrisey, the state of West Virginia remains dedicated in its commitment to supporting individuals, families, and communities affected by the winter floods,” said WVEMD Director GE McCabe

“We appreciate the ongoing partnership with FEMA, local governments, and communities to ensure those impacted receive the assistance they need

We urge all eligible residents to apply for Individual Assistance and remain in contact with FEMA throughout the recovery process

”If you registered your damages through a state survey, you still need to register separately for FEMA Individual Assistance

The information from the state survey was used to help the damage assistance teams scope the extent of the damages

But residents in the designated counties must additionally apply for FEMA Individual Assistance and may receive help with expenses related to essential items, temporary housing, home repairs, and other needs as a result of the winter flooding

“It has been a remarkable coordinated effort between local, state, and federal agencies to execute response and recovery missions to the residents and communities of West Virginia who were impacted by the storm,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark O’Hanlon

“FEMA has been working diligently to connect with residents and ensure they have registered for Individual Assistance, by setting up six disaster recovery centers, canvassing communities and speaking to residents at their homes, visiting community locations, and messaging the four ways that residents can apply

We encourage all residents in the six counties to apply for Individual Assistance and to stay in touch with FEMA about the status of their application

” Over 1,600 people have visited a Disaster Recovery Center in West Virginia and more than 3,475 West Virginians have applied for FEMA Individual Assistance

Residents, both homeowners and renters, in Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wayne, and Wyoming counties who sustained losses can apply for Individual Assistance or track the status of their application 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

Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams are on the ground in impacted communities, 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 the impacted counties, FEMA has opened a Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, and Wyoming Counties

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

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 26McDowell 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

Saturday March 29: 9 a

m

to 1 p

m

, weather dependentClosed on SundaysBradshaw 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 SundaysAs a reminder, accepting FEMA funds will not affect eligibility for Social Security – including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or other federal benefit programs

FEMA assistance does not need to be repaid, but residents should file insurance claims as soon as possible

By law, FEMA cannot cover expenses that have already been covered by other sources like insurance, crowdfunding, local or state programs, donations, or financial assistance from voluntary agencies

The deadline for residents to apply for Individual Assistance is April 28, 2025, and when applying for FEMA Individual Assistance, provide your 911 address as the location at the time of disaster to ensure accuracy in your application

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

kelly

magarity
Wed, 03/26/2025 – 13:12

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: ABC South East Breakfast with Eddie Williams

Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

EDDIE WILLIAMS: Well, tax cuts for all workers. Energy Bill Relief. But Budget deficits as far as the eye can see. They are some of the takeaways from the Federal Budget, with a closer look at what it might mean closer to home. Kristy McBain is the Member for Eden-Monaro and the Minister for Regional Development and Local Government. Good morning.

KRISTY MCBAIN: Good morning, Eddie.

WILLIAMS: What practical difference will this Budget make in the South East?

MCBAIN: As you said, there are two new rounds of tax cuts. They’re modest tax cuts, but when they’re combined with the tax cuts that are already in the system, on average by 2026-27, Eden-Monaro taxpayers will be getting an average tax cut of $2,169. Modest changes for the next two years as those two rounds come in, but when we look at the cumulative total, that is good news for workers right across our communities. Obviously, the new round of Urgent Care Clinics, another 50 to the 87 that are already out there in our communities. One of those areas is going to be in the Bega Valley.

WILLIAMS: Whether it’s health or whether it’s housing, the challenges that regional and rural Australia face play out a bit differently to those in the city. The National Rural Health Alliance says there’s a lack of a targeted strategy to address those unique health challenges in rural communities. Is the Government taking any specific steps to address those specific issues in regional Australia?

MCBAIN: We’ve obviously made an announcement about $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare. There’s a huge amount of money in there, which is all about the health workforce. $662.6 million, which is about growing our health workforce. There’ll be hundreds more GP and rural generalist training places. There are 100 more Commonwealth supported university places for medical students from next year. There are hundreds of scholarships for nurses and midwives to continue to grow their skill set. There are more incentives for our doctors to work in regional and rural Australia, and that builds on our previous announcement to wipe HECS for doctors and nurse practitioners to work in rural and remote Australia. We know it’s really important to deal with the health workforce side of things. It’s not a quick fix to grow our doctor numbers and make sure that they’re trained up and ready to go in our regions, which is why we’re investing really heavily in it. It’s something that should have been happening for decades and unfortunately wasn’t. We’ve seen the freezing of Medicare rebates, which has significantly hampered GP numbers, but we are seeing more students go through and enter our GP training courses now than we have seen in a number of years.

WILLIAMS: The Budget is forecast to remain in structural deficit for the next decade. Net debt is rising. Is the Government making any effort at all to pay down Australia’s debt?

MCBAIN: We’ve made some significant inroads into that. We’ve reduced the overall national debt by over $170 billion. It will mean that as taxpayers, we’re paying $70 billion less in interest on that debt. Even in this Budget, there’s been $2 billion worth of savings found. Over the four budgets we’ve done there’s been $90 billion of savings made through cutting wastage and rorts, and making sure our departments are working efficiently and effectively. We’ve seen the fruits of that labour by making sure we’ve got Government departments working well. During Cyclone Alfred, where NEMA did such a fantastic job of coordinating response and recovery efforts. Where Services Australia were out on the ground making sure payments were rolled out to people directly impacted. The national emergency stockpile delivering out sandbags, pre-placing generators, and making sure we had a heavy lift helicopters pre-placed in Queensland and New South Wales. You can see the fruits of better, more effective coordination when it comes to those real time disasters.

WILLIAMS: 7:15 on ABC South East. If you want to have your say on the Budget, you can call or text 0467 902 684. Joe raises the issue of Ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred, and she says she’s disappointed that the Budget doesn’t seem to have anything new on climate adaptation or emissions reduction. Is that an area where the Government’s dropped the ball?

MCBAIN: We’ve been the only Government to really take forward climate action for decades. A legislated emissions reduction target. There’s been significant work on pre-preparing places by having the National Emergency Management Agency set up, which came into effect after we took Government. We’ve had the Disaster Ready fund, which is all about resilience and mitigation in our communities. Something that local governments and insurance companies were calling for to make sure our infrastructure was ready to go. We’ve seen that with the Watergums Bridge in Womboin, a significant investment by the three levels of government to ensure that a community doesn’t get cut off every time it rains and there is a flood. So there’s been some heavy work in that space and that will continue.

WILLIAMS: Phil at Bombala asks why Australia can’t build manufacturing again to survive a changing world. The Government’s spoken a lot about its Future Made in Australia policies. How realistic is a manufacturing industry future in Australia?

MCBAIN: We’ve said from day one that we need to invest heavily in a Future Made in Australia, and in our last Budget we committed $22 billion towards that very thing. We’ve seen with our National Reconstruction Fund, equity stakes taken in manufacturing mining equipment in Toowoomba, working with some of our defence primes to manufacture more things in this country. There is a significant commitment to making sure we manufacture more in Australia, including the stake that we’ve taken now in South Australian steel manufacturing. It is really important as a country that is a little bit further away from the rest of the world, that we do learn the lessons of COVID, that we are more self-sustainable, and we’re a Government that’s committed to that and putting money into it.

WILLIAMS: Will you match the funding commitment that the coalition has made to help upgrade the bigger pool?

MCBAIN: I’ll have more to say in the coming days and weeks on my election commitments for the Bega Valley and for Eden-Monaro as a whole, but I’m incredibly proud to have secured tens of millions of dollars in funding for local roads, for community infrastructure, and for other critical projects to date. The way I work is working with our local communities to make sure projects that are funded are key priorities.

WILLIAMS: Kristy McBain, appreciate your time this morning. Thank you.

MCBAIN: Good to be with you.

MIL OSI News –

March 27, 2025

Category: Natural Disasters

Speakers Express Concern over Increasing Attacks on Civilians, Urge Moscow to Demonstrate Commitment to Peace

Russian Federation, Ukraine Acknowledge Limited Ceasefire Agreements while Expressing Reservations

Nevertheless, Speakers Point to Path towards Peace

Clashes intensify

Children at extreme risk

Repeated warnings

Fragile peace at stake

Security Minister observes counter-terrorism exercise in Wales

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