NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Hunger skyrockets by nearly 80 percent in Eastern and Southern Africa over past five years amidst worsening water crisis

    Source: Oxfam –

    • Nearly 116 million people in eight African countries, hardest hit by severe water crises, lack access to drinking water.
    • Globally, flash floods have become 20 times more frequent between 2000 and 2022

    The climate crisis has dramatically worsened water scarcity in Eastern and Southern Africa over the past few decades, leaving nearly 116 million people –or 40 percent of the population – without safe drinking water, according to a new Oxfam report.  

    Climate change is supercharging extreme weather events like droughts, cyclones and flash floods, and has led to the disappearance of more than 90 percent of Africa’s tropical glaciers and the depletion of groundwater. This has had knock-on effects on Africa’s small-scale farmers, pastoralists and fisherpersons leaving millions without basic food, drinking water or income. 

    Oxfam’s report –Water-Driven Hunger: How the Climate Crisis Fuels Africa’s Food Emergency – published ahead of World Water Day, looked at the links between water scarcity and hunger in eight of the world’s worst water crises: Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It found that the number of people experiencing extreme hunger in those countries has surged by nearly 80 percent over the past five years – reaching over 55 million in 2024, up from nearly 31 million in 2019. That is two in every ten persons.  

    The report warns that La Niña weather pattern, which will last through this month, will worsen floods in swaths of Southern Africa and South Sudan while causing severe drought in East Africa further threatening people’s food availability and income. 

    Globally, flash floods have become 20 times more frequent between 2000 and 2022 and the duration of droughts has risen by 29% since 2000, impacting the most vulnerable communities.  

    Existing poverty, deep inequality and chronic under-investment along with poor governance in water systems have compounded this climate-fuelled water crisis. African governments are currently meeting less than half the US$50 billion annual investment target required to achieve water security in Africa by 2030.  

    “The climate crisis is not a mere statistic—it has a human face. It affects real people whose livelihoods are being destroyed, while the main contributors to this crisis—big polluters and super-rich—continue to profit. Meanwhile, national governments neglect to support the very communities they should protect.” 

    Fati N’Zi Hassane,

    Director, Oxfam in Africa

    Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Oxfam in Africa Director said: 

    “The climate crisis is not a mere statistic—it has a human face. It affects real people whose livelihoods are being destroyed, while the main contributors to this crisis—big polluters and super-rich—continue to profit. Meanwhile, national governments neglect to support the very communities they should protect.” 

    The Oxfam report also found that: 

    • In the eight countries studied, 91 percent of small-scale farmers depend almost entirely on rainwater for drinking and farming. 
    • In Ethiopia, food insecurity has soared by 175 percent over the past five years, with 22 million people struggling to find their next meal. 
    • In Kenya, over 136,000 square kilometers of land have become drier between 1980 and 2020, which has decimated crops and livestock. 
    • In Somalia, one failed rainy season is pushing one million more people into crisis-level hunger, raising the total to 4.4 million—24% of the population. 

    A farmer from Baidoa, Somalia explains: “In the past, we knew when to farm and when to harvest but that has all changed. The rains now come late or not at all.  Last year, I lost all my crops and animals. I have now planted, but the rains have still not come. If this continues, I will not be able to feed my family.”  

    Deep inequalities mean that disadvantaged people like women and girls are too often the first and most severely punished by this water crisis. In Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, women and girls walk up to 10 kilometers in search of water, facing violence and extreme exhaustion. Many women and girls in rural households spend hours each day collecting water—time that could otherwise be spent on education or income generation.  

    “At the heart of this climate crisis lies a justice crisis. Sub-Saharan Africa receives only 3-4 percent of global climate finance, despite being heavily affected by climate change. Rich polluting nations must pay their fair share. It’s not about charity, it’s about justice. 

    “African governments must also double down on their investment in water infrastructures and social protection to effectively manage natural resources, and help the most vulnerable communities cope with climatic shocks,” added N’Zi-Hassane. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Declare your city genocide free’ – lessons from NZ’s nuclear-free movement

    COMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle

    Today I attended a demonstration outside both Aotearoa New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Israeli Embassy in Wellington.

    The day before, the Israelis had blown apart 174 children in Gaza in a surprise attack that announced the next phase of the genocide.

    About 174 Wellingtonians turned up to a quickly-called protest: they are the best of us — the best of Wellington.

    In 2023, the City made me an Absolutely Positively Wellingtonian for service across a number of fronts (water infrastructure, conservation, coastal resilience, community organising) but nothing I have done compares with the importance of standing up for the victims of US-Israeli violence.

    What more can we do?  And then it crossed my mind: “Declare Wellington Genocide Free”.  And if Wellington could, why not other cities?

    Wellington started nuclear-free drive
     The nuclear-free campaign, led by Wellington back in the 1980s, is a template worth reviving.

    Wellington became the first city in New Zealand — and the first capital in the world — to declare itself nuclear free in 1982.  It followed the excellent example of Missoula, Montana, USA, the first city in the world to do so, in 1978.

    These were tumultuous times. I vividly remember heading into Wellington harbour on a small yacht, part of a peace flotilla made up of kayakers, yachties and wind surfers that tried to stop the USS Texas from berthing. It won that battle that day but we won the war.

    This was the decade which saw the French government’s terrorist bomb attack on a Greenpeace ship in Auckland harbour to intimidate the anti-nuclear movement.

    Also, 2025 is the 40th anniversary of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and the death of Fernando Pereira. Little Island Press will be reissuing a new edition of my friend David Robie’s book Eyes of Fire later this year. It tells the incredible story of the final voyage of the Rainbow Warrior.

    “Eyes of Fire: the Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior” . . . a new book on nuclear-free activism on its way. Image: Little Island Press

    Standing up to bullies
     Labour under David Lange successfully campaigned and won the 1984 elections on a nuclear-free platform which promised to ban nuclear ships from our waters.

    This was a time when we had a government that had the backbone to act independently of the US. Yes, we had a grumpy relationship with the Yanks for a while and we were booted out of ANZUS — surely a cause for celebration in contrast to today when our government is little more than a finger puppet for Team Genocide.

    In response to bullying from Australia and the US, David Lange said at the time:  “It is the price we are prepared to pay.”

    With Wellington in the lead, nuclear-free had moved over the course of a decade from a fringe peace movement to the mainstream and eventually to become government policy.

    The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987 was passed and remains a cornerstone of our foreign policy.

    New Zealand took a stand that showed strong opposition to out-of-control militarism, the risks of nuclear war, and strong support for the international movement to step back from nuclear weapons.

    It was a powerful statement of our independence as a nation and a rejection of foreign dominance. It also reduced the risk of contamination in case of a nuclear accident aboard a vessel (remember this was the same decade as the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine).

    The nuclear-free campaign and Palestine
     Each of those points have similarities with the Palestinian cause today and should act as inspiration for cities to mobilise and build national solidarity with the Palestinians.

    To my knowledge, no city has ever successfully expelled an Israeli Embassy but Wellington could take a powerful first step by doing this, and declare the capital genocide-free.  We need to wake our country — and the Western world — out of the moral torpor it finds itself in; yawning its way through the monstrous crimes being perpetrated by our “friends and allies”.

    Shun Israel until it stops genocide
     No city should suffer the moral stain of hosting an embassy representing the racist, genocidal state of Israel.

    Wellington should lead the country to support South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), end all trade with Israel, and end all intelligence and military cooperation with Israel for the duration of its genocidal onslaught.  Other cities should follow suit.

    Declare your city Nuclear and Genocide Free.

    Eugene Doyle is a writer based in Wellington. He has written extensively on the Middle East, as well as peace and security issues in the Asia Pacific region. He hosts the public policy platform solidarity.co.nz and is a frequent contributor to Asia Pacific Report.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Sky News Afternoon Agenda with Ashleigh Gillon

    Source: Australian Government – Minister of Foreign Affairs

    ASHLEIGH GILLON, HOST: Well, Peter Dutton has addressed the Lowy Institute, outlining his foreign policy agenda. The Opposition Leader discussed the wars between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas, and he also said the Coalition will grow Australia’s trading relationships and nurture international relationships.

    Joining us live with reaction is the Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Minister, thank you for your time. Mr Dutton said earlier that one of his first acts as Prime Minister would be to call the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to affirm Australia’s support for Israel. He attacked your handling of this relationship, saying instead of treating Israel like the ally it is, this government, he said, has treated Israel like an adversary. As a friend of Israel, do you support the strikes that’s carried out on the Gaza Strip in recent days, which has led to hundreds of people dying?

    PENNY WONG, FOREIGN MINISTER: That’s a very long question and first, it’s good to be with you, Ashleigh. And I think what we saw from this speech from Peter Dutton is, as he said, you know, past behaviour is the best indicator of future behaviour. And I’d agree with him, because what we know about Peter Dutton is he’s lost in our region. We know that he made fun of the Pacific. He was part of the government that withdrew from the Pacific, leaving a vacuum for others to fill. We’ve seen him both in opposition and also in government, beating the drums of war. This is a man lost in our region. In terms of what we are seeing in the Middle East, where we are seeing, unfortunately, the ceasefire that Mr Dutton opposed has broken. We continue to urge all parties to observe the ceasefire for hostages to be returned, we want humanitarian aid to flow. We have been clear in that position alongside the majority of the international community, and it was Mr Dutton who is out of step.

    GILLON: Let’s turn to Mr Dutton’s comments on Ukraine. He again criticised your government’s willingness to send Australian peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, saying Australia doesn’t have the ability to have a presence in multiple theatres. Why would Australia send troops halfway around the world to Ukraine when the US has said it won’t? And Russia has made it very clear any such move would lead to grave consequences, in its words, for Australia.

    FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, first, I’d say a few things about what Mr Dutton said. He made a lot of criticism in relation to Ukraine, and I think everyone can see what he’s trying to do, which is, he’s trying to back up an argument which the facts don’t support. The reality is, if you ask President Zelenskyy what sort of friend and supporter he has in Australia and in this government, I think he’d be very clear about that, and he has been very clear about that. What I’d say is that the Prime Minister has articulated very clearly the reason why we want to back Ukraine, why it is something that matters to us. It’s because Russia’s behaviour is both illegal and immoral and is a breach of the UN Charter. And a permanent member of the Security Council has used its veto to justify a breach of the UN Charter. Now, that matters to middle powers like Australia. Now, what we have said is that if a request is made, we would consider it. Unfortunately, Mr Dutton, he had a chance to back Australia again, but as always, he wants to pick a political fight. Back Australia – he never chooses that path, always wants to pick a political fight.

    GILLON: I’m sure you were pleased to hear Mr Dutton say the PBS wouldn’t be up for negotiation with the Trump Administration if he does become Prime Minister. But what actually can Australia do to avoid potential tariffs on Australian medicine exports to the US? Our efforts, as we know so far, when it’s come to aluminium and steel, have failed.

    FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, first on the PBS, you can never trust Mr. Dutton on the PBS. We know that the only reason the PBS was protected when the US Free Trade Agreement was first struck was because of the Labor Party back in 2004. We know what Mr Dutton’s record is when it comes to health. And what the Prime Minister has said is this government, this Labor Government, is very clear. We are not up for negotiation on the PBS. We will fight to protect it. Full stop and end of story.

    In terms of the position of President Trump and the administration, I think every Australian can see President Trump’s second administration is taking a much harder position. A much harder position. In excess of 30 countries got exemptions the last time around, in the first Trump Presidency, on steel and aluminium, not one now. So, it’s very clear from that they’ve taken a much harder position. We will continue to engage, we will continue to negotiate, and we also continue to be very clear that the American pharmaceutical companies may be doing what they did some 20 years ago where they came after the PBS, this government is not for moving.

    GILLON: I’m keen for your thoughts on a developing story today. Malaysia has just announced it’s come to an agreement with the exploration firm Ocean Infinity. It’s going to be resuming the search for the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Has Australia received a briefing from either Malaysia or Ocean Infinity on where exactly they’re searching? Is there any support that we can be providing via the Australian Transport Safety Bureau?

    FOREIGN MINISTER: Oh, look, we have been part of the engagement on the search for MH370 for a very long time. We’ll continue to engage as Malaysia requires. Obviously, this is a tragedy, and it was a tragedy that so many families still carry with them. And so we continue to look for justice and resolution for those who lost their loved ones on that flight.

    GILLON: Well, considering our prolonged involvement in this, does the government have a view as to where it would be best to begin this search? As you know, there’s been a lot of speculation that the wreckage lies in the Seventh Arc in the Indian Ocean.

    FOREIGN MINISTER: Look, I’m not going to speculate about the location of this aircraft. Obviously, there’s been a lot of years, a lot of experts involved. What we hope is that it can be found and that there can be some closure for those who lost loved ones and for whom the lack of resolution here is a continued source of pain.

    GILLON: Foreign Minister Penny Wong, really appreciate you making the time. Thank you.

    FOREIGN MINISTER: Great to speak with you, Ashleigh.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MBTs fire at mock targets

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

      A main battle tank (MBT) attached to a combined-arms brigade of the Chinese PLA Army kicks up plumes of dust en route to the designated training field during a live-fire shooting training exercise in early March, 2025. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Huang Zhenyu)

    loading…

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Nuclear free Pacific – back to the future, Earthwise talks to David Robie

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    Pacific Media Watch

    Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths of Plains FM96.9 radio talk to Dr David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report, about heightened global fears of nuclear war as tensions have mounted since US President Donald Trump has returned to power.

    Dr Robie reminds us that New Zealanders once actively opposed nuclear testing in the Pacific.

    That spirit, that active opposition to nuclear testing, and to nuclear war must be revived.

    This is very timely as the Rainbow Warrior 3 is currently visiting the Marshall Islands this month to mark 40 years since the original RW took part in the relocation of Rongelap Islanders who suffered from US nuclear tests in the 1950s.

    After that humanitarian mission, the Rainbow Warrior was subsequently bombed by French secret agents in Auckland Harbour on 10 July 1985 shortly before it was due to sail to Moruroa Atoll to protest against nuclear testing.

    A new edition of Dr Robie’s book Eyes of Fire The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior will be released this July. The Eyes of Fire microsite is here.

    Lois opens up by saying: “I fear that we live in disturbing times. I fear the possibility of nuclear war, I always have.

    “I remember the Cuban missiles crisis, a scary time. I remember campaigns for nuclear disarmament. Hopes that the United Nations could lead to a world of peace and justice.

    “Yet today one hears from our media, for world leaders . . . ‘No, no no. There will always be tyrants who want to destroy us and our democratic allies . . . more and bigger, deadlier weapons are needed to protect us . . .”

    Listen to the programme . . .


    Nuclear free Pacific . . . back to the future.    Video/audio: Plains FM96.9

    Broadcast: Plains Radio FM96.9

    Interviewee: Dr David Robie, deputy chair of the Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN) and a semiretired professor of Pacific journalism. He founded the Pacific Media Centre.
    Interviewers: Lois and Martin Griffiths, Earthwise programme

    Date: 14 March 2025 (27min), broadcast March 17.

    Youtube: Café Pacific: https://www.youtube.com/@cafepacific2023

    https://plainsfm.org.nz/

    Café Pacific: https://davidrobie.nz/

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Adelaide Festival gives a hopeful vision for the future of Australian contemporary dance

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Brannigan, Associate Professor Theatre and Performance, UNSW Sydney

    Mass Movement. Morgan Sette/Adelaide Festival

    I arrived at Stephanie Lake’s premiere of Mass Movement a little late on my first day at Adelaide Festival.

    Walking down the hill from King William road towards Elder Park, the Torrens River was lit up in oranges and golds by the setting sun. A river of people came into view, winding from a thin spread on the hillside nearest me to a thick block of settled-in picnicers, back up the opposite hill to the bank of institutional buildings along the river.

    In the centre of this river, a stage crowded with performers in black and white waved and flowed: movements that passed along individuals juxtaposed with sharper unison actions, vocalisations and free-for-alls.

    I missed the solo performance that opened this outdoor performance, and the procession of dancers winding down onto the stage. But what I saw left an impression of an excellent community activation with many performers of all ages and training backgrounds, and an audience of family, friends and strangers here to see this part-human part-natural spectacle.

    Mass Movement featured 1,000 dancers, the most Stephanie Lake has ever worked with.
    Morgan Sette/Adelaide Festival

    This work sits within Lake’s body of spectacle-scale works that have become a signature for this important new-generation Australian choreographer. With 1,000 performers, the most she has ever worked with, whether bigger is better may be neither here nor there when the emphasis is on spectacle and community.

    One Single Action in an Ocean of Everything

    Established Melbourne-based choreographer Lucy Guerin’s mastery of the duet, her use of unison and tight spatial delineations, gestural detail and intensely demanding timing are all there in her most recent work, One Single Action in an Ocean of Everything.

    Dancers and choreographic collaborators Amber McCartney and Geoffrey Watson are up to the task and perfectly matched. McCartney is compact, precise but playful. Watson is more measured yet somehow looser and more sensual.

    The first half of the piece works intricate movements along a diagonal across the stage to downstage right, where a moon-like sphere hangs at head height.

    Lucy Guerin plays with themes of destruction, orthodoxy, disobedience, care and empathy.
    Gregory Lorenzutti/Adelaide Festival

    The dancers’ trajectory, and often their gaze, are locked on this object. In the upper corner on the floor are mallets. Taken up by the dancers, they become part of a percussive choreography. The spectacle of the dancers making their mark on time within the complex choreography locks us all into a ride that we anticipate will end with a smashed sphere.

    Guerin’s experience is evident in how she shapes a work. The opening sections with their tightrope-like structure are physically, temporally and spatially smashed as the material from the sphere flies across the stage.

    A broom is introduced by Watson. This precipitates a new relationship between the two dancers. Experiential chaos versus spatial order replaces the teamwork of the first half, as the two become constantly at odds with each other.

    Themes of destruction, orthodoxy, disobedience, care and empathy are not hard to draw out of this microcosm. The sound, by CS + Kreme, does great support work with its mechanical complexities, pounding meter and a high synthetic sound like a tap running in the next hotel room. The lighting design by Paul Lim is also a star.

    A Quiet Language

    A Quiet Language asks a tall order of Daniel Riley and co-director Brianna Kell: to create a performance work that spoke to the 60th anniversary of Australian Dance Theatre (ADT).

    Riley, a Wiradjuri man from Western New South Wales, took on the directorship of ADT in 2022 following Garry Stewart’s 20-year plus tenure, with Kell as artistic associate. The introduction of Indigenous leadership for the company is welcome. There is a history of cultural appropriation across many Australian dance artists, from Beth Dean and Rex Reid in the 1950s, to the complex case of Jiri Kylian’s Stamping Ground (1983) later performed by Bangarra Dance Theatre in 2019.

    It is well overdue that the rich and deep choreographic practices of our First Nations people are now being represented by leadership in a major dance company outside Bangarra.

    In A Quiet Language, the names of artists associated with the company flicker as the years scroll past on the horizontal screens at either end of the space. But the real homage might be in the tone and style of this work.

    Tie-dyed costumes by Ailsa Paterson, featuring an occasional headband, speak to the genesis of the company under the direction of Elizabeth Cameron Dalman across 1965–75.

    A Quiet Language is a homage to the choreographic history of ADT.
    Morgan Sette/ADT

    Dalman is credited as collaborator, and the company spent four weeks of development with this extraordinary artist now in her 90s.

    A Quiet Language begins with two female dancers, Yilin Kong and Zoe Wozniak, walking from one bank of audience to the other, directing their bold and curious gaze at us. They are accompanied by composer and musician Adam Page who remains on stage throughout.

    Sebastian Geilings, Zachary Lopez and Patrick O’Luanaigh join them with more playful provocations for the audience, making the school group in the bank opposite me squirm.

    We have met the dancers first as individuals, and the full cavalcade of ADT’s historical casts rests, virtually, behind the five young artists.

    This breaking of the fourth wall speaks to the radical new approach that Dalman’s work represented in the 1960s when contemporary approaches to dance were still emerging locally.

    The dancers move into group work that dominates the many phases of the piece, memorably a stormy section representing protest in theatre dance around the world in the 1960s.

    This is followed by a dark solo by Wozniak that heaves itself off the floor in tense, cramping movements, resonating with the suffering behind current international headlines.

    The dancers are credited with choreographic collaboration and it shows in their commitment to, and comfort within, the movement. This is delivered at an intense and unrelenting pitch throughout, recalling Stewart’s signature high-impact work. But the way the choreography is drawn to the floor – through tenacious connection or a giving-in that slides joyfully across its surface – feels fresh.

    The Walking Track

    I end my time in Adelaide with Karul Projects’ The Walking Track, presented by Vitalstatistix in Port Adelaide, where six performance pieces were commissioned by local First Nations dance and performance artists.

    These are dispersed on site along a walk hosted by Karul Projects’ artistic director, Thomas E.S. Kelly, a Minjungbal, Wiradjuri and Ni-Vanuatu man.

    Kelly established Karul Projects alongside Taree Sansbury, a local Kaurna, Narungga and Ngarrindjeri woman, in 2017 in Queensland, making this a rare First Nations dance company existing outside Bangarra Dance Theatre.

    The Walking Track shows the future of Australian contemporary dance is bright.
    Heath Britton/Vitalstatistix

    The all-female cast of artists – Adrianne Semmens, Alexis West, Caleena Sansbury, Janelle Egan, Kirsty Williams, Lilla Berry, Mel Koolmatrie and Pearl Berry – offered works-in-development that told stories of family, loss, displacement and environmental destruction.

    Their careful framing by Kelly on Country gave assurance that the future of Australian contemporary dance is bright.

    Walking with the small audience around Port Adelaide, I kept an eye out for the dolphins Kelly informed us were just below the surface and imagined the local Kaurna people who had gathered on the banks there before being moved on. I could feel a slowly turning tide that will, no doubt, inspire fresh creative and critical gains for Australian contemporary dance.

    Erin Brannigan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Adelaide Festival gives a hopeful vision for the future of Australian contemporary dance – https://theconversation.com/adelaide-festival-gives-a-hopeful-vision-for-the-future-of-australian-contemporary-dance-252300

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Former Japan PM Kishida, predecessors in scrutiny over giving gift vouchers

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida distributed gift vouchers to lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) while in office, fueling speculation that gift-giving is a common practice among lawmakers in power, local media reported.

    Kishida’s staff delivered vouchers worth 100,000 yen (about 670 U.S. dollars) each to LDP lawmakers who, at the time, served as parliamentary vice ministers ahead of a meal gathering at the prime minister’s official residence on Dec. 20, 2022, Kyodo News reported Wednesday, citing LDP sources.

    Kishida’s office told Kyodo News, “We always followed the law,” without providing further details.

    The revelation comes at a time when Kishida’s successor, incumbent Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, has been under fire for his own distribution of vouchers worth 100,000 yen each to new LDP lawmakers.

    Ishiba reiterated Wednesday that the vouchers his office distributed ahead of a March 3 dinner meeting at the prime minister’s official residence were intended as tokens of appreciation and not meant to support political activities, denying that the move was illegal.

    Japan’s political funds control law bans donations by individuals to politicians for the purpose of political activities.

    Meanwhile, multiple LDP lawmakers and other sources said they also received vouchers worth 50,000 or 100,000 yen at meal gatherings during the tenure of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had been in office from 2012 to 2020, following a brief term from 2006 to 2007, the report said.

    The office of another former prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, Abe’s immediate successor, said that “souvenirs” were distributed, but no laws were broken.

    Opposition party lawmakers are turning up the heat on Ishiba and the LDP as those instances indicate that Japanese prime ministers have regularly distributed money and goods to LDP lawmakers.

    Leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan Yoshihiko Noda, who served as prime minister between 2011 and 2012, told reporters he had “never” given out vouchers.

    “This looks to be an issue with the LDP’s political culture. It is shaping up to be a deep-rooted structural one,” Noda told reporters. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Invite EPA Head Zeldin to South Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), along with Representatives Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50) and Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52), invited Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to visit San Diego’s South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBITWP) to see firsthand the ongoing environmental and public health consequences of the cross-border Tijuana River sewage crisis on local communities.
    Administrator Zeldin recently expressed concern about the flow of sewage flowing across the border, posting about a briefing he received on the crisis and pushing Mexico to “honor its commitments to control this pollution and sewage.” The lawmakers wrote to ensure new EPA leadership fully understands the scope of this environmental catastrophe and their role in addressing the environmental and public health harms it causes.
    “As you know, decades of underinvestment in cross-border wastewater infrastructure have led to the flow of untreated sewage into San Diego,” wrote the lawmakers. “EPA served as an important advocate for this issue in the last Trump Administration and we hope the agency will continue to do so once again.”
    “Researchers have recently discovered that toxins and bacteria from the Tijuana River can be aerosolized, unveiling additional potential risks to the air quality in our communities. EPA, working with the International Boundary and Water Commission, will play a critical role in addressing these issues and helping the region recover from decades of pollution and environmental degradation,” continued the lawmakers.
    Since 2018, more than 100 billion gallons of toxic sewage, trash, and unmanaged stormwater have flowed across the United States-Mexico border into the Tijuana River Valley and neighboring communities, forcing long-lasting beach closures and causing harmful impacts on public health, the environment, and water quality. U.S. military personnel, border patrol agents, and the local economy have also suffered harmful impacts from airborne and waterborne transboundary sewage flows. In 2023, sewage flowed across the border at the highest volume in a quarter century, exceeding 44 billion gallons.
    The SBIWTP project broke ground in October 2024, and over the next five years, the SBIWTP will double in capacity, reducing transboundary flows by 90 percent. Importantly, Mexico’s rehabilitated San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant is expected to be fully operational by Spring 2025, further reducing flows to California communities. 
    Senator Padilla has prioritized addressing the Tijuana River pollution crisis since he first came to the Senate. In response to a request from Padilla and the San Diego Congressional delegation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opened an investigation into the public health impacts of air pollution caused by the ongoing Tijuana River transboundary pollution crisis. Senator Padilla and the delegation also recently secured a $200 million authorization for the Tijuana River Valley Watershed and San Diego County through the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 to help address the ongoing transboundary sewage crisis through stormwater conveyance, environmental and ecosystem restoration, and water quality protection projects. They also delivered over $103 million in additional funding for the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) in the bipartisan FY 2024 appropriations package. Padilla previously successfully secured language in the FY 2023 appropriations package to allow the EPA to unlock $300 million previously secured in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to the IBWC for water infrastructure projects. Last year, Padilla and Representatives Peters and Vargas announced bicameral legislation to help combat the Tijuana River sewage pollution crisis.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Administrator Zeldin,
    We would like to invite you to visit the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) in the Tijuana River Valley and appreciate your interest in addressing the cross-border sewage crisis.
    As you know, decades of underinvestment in cross-border wastewater infrastructure have led to the flow of untreated sewage into San Diego. Since 2018, more than 100 billion gallons of toxic sewage, trash, and unmanaged stormwater have flowed across the United States-Mexico border into the Tijuana River Valley and neighboring communities, forcing long-lasting beach closures and negatively impacting the local economy, environment, and health of U.S. military and Homeland Security personnel. EPA served as an important advocate for this issue in the last Trump Administration and we hope the agency will continue to do so once again.
    While this wastewater pollution crisis is not new, it has intensified over the past two years. Researchers have recently discovered that toxins and bacteria from the Tijuana River can be aerosolized, unveiling additional potential risks to the air quality in our communities. EPA, working with the International Boundary and Water Commission, will play a critical role in addressing these issues and helping the region recover from decades of pollution and environmental degradation.
    We look forward to working with you on this important issue, and we hope to host you at SBIWTP so you can see first-hand the challenges confronting our region. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Zelensky, Trump to hold phone talks Wednesday

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will hold phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

    “I will be in contact with President Trump today. We will discuss the details with him today, including…the details of the next steps,” he said.

    Zelensky said he hopes that Trump would share details of his recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    On Tuesday, Trump and Putin agreed that the movement to peace in Ukraine “will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on the implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace,” the White House said in a statement. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Ottawa, March 19, 2025 – Today, Canada’s Deputy Clerk to the Privy Council, and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister, Nathalie G. Drouin, issued the following statement:

    “Today, I convened a meeting of G7 National Security Advisors (NSAs) and Ukraine to discuss the ongoing peace talks, and how G7 NSAs can support Ukraine now and moving forward, in discussions to end Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine.

    “I welcomed the progress of the United States (U.S.) to advance a ceasefire, including recent discussions between Ukraine and the U.S. We discussed how a ceasefire must be respected, and robust and credible security arrangements are needed to ensure that Ukraine can deter and defend against any renewed acts of aggression. The importance of economic and humanitarian support was also highlighted as important to promote the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.

    “I reaffirmed Canada’s unwavering support for Ukraine and that Russia must be held to account for their acts of aggression against Ukraine. I underscored that as part of Canada’s G7 presidency, Ukraine remains a priority as the G7 works together to achieve a durable peace and to ensure that Ukraine remains democratic, free, strong, and prosperous.

    “I look forward to remaining in close and regular contact with the G7 NSAs and Ukraine on this pressing issue. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Post-95s inheritor revolutionizes Chinese lion dance

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Under the night sky, luminous lions leap and dance to the rhythm, performing spectacular moves and drawing enthusiastic applause from the audience.

    These luminous lions are the creation of Li Zujie, a post-95 intangible cultural heritage inheritor. Through his efforts, the luminous lions have evolved through three design iterations, not only becoming a viral sensation in China but also finding their way to more than 20 countries and regions worldwide, including Malaysia and Singapore.

    Li was born into a family engaged in lion dance for generations in Suixi county, Zhanjiang city, south China’s Guangdong Province, known as the “hometown of Chinese lion dance.”

    With a long history, the Suixi-style lion dance, as a branch of the Guangdong lion dance, was included in the first batch of China’s national intangible cultural heritage list as early as 2006.

    Li’s father is a national-level representative inheritor of the Guangdong lion dance, while his mother is a representative inheritor of the provincial-level intangible cultural heritage of Suixi lion head crafting techniques.

    Under his parents’ guidance, Li developed a keen interest in lion dance from an early age.

    Li vividly recalled every milestone in his lion dance journey—from the early days of practicing basic skills, to performing as a drummer in his third grade of primary school and finally taking up the lion head for a performance in sixth grade. Each improvement filled him with pride and kindled his hope of adding new highlights to the Suixi lion dance.

    “During winter and summer breaks, I would help my parents with crafting tasks, like installing the lions’ eyes and headdresses,” Li said. His parents’ hands-on instruction in bamboo framing and parameter adjustments quickly honed his crafting skills.

    “Perhaps it was learning lion dance and crafting techniques from such a young age that made me develop a habit of studying the characteristics of different teams’ lion heads and equipment,” Li said. In 2007, at just 12 years old, he was struck by foreign teams using illuminated decorations on their drums during a competition. This sparked his ambition to innovate with lion heads.

    A nighttime performance in 2013 prompted Li to develop luminous lions. “The venue was quite dark, making it difficult for the audience to see our movements clearly. I wondered if attaching light strips to the lion would dramatically enhance the atmosphere and visual appeal of evening performances.”

    Li wasted no time putting his idea into practice. While studying in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, he would go to markets to select materials and learn technical skills after class.

    His hard work paid off. After about six months of experimentation, the first-generation luminous lion prototype was successfully developed.

    By customizing higher-quality LED strips, larger-capacity batteries, and optimizing circuit placement to accommodate dance movements, Li’s team improved the performance of the second-generation luminous lions.

    In recent years, Li and his luminous lions have graced over 20 major galas and events, including the Chinese TV show “Charm China” in 2017, the opening ceremony of the 4th Annual International Jackie Chan Action Movie Week in 2018, and the 2020 Spring Festival Gala at the sub-venue in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

    After the second-generation luminous lions gained fame, Li received a flood of orders and constant performance invitations. Yet he didn’t rest on his laurels. After three years of refinement, he incorporated digital control and programmable lighting technology, enabling the third-generation luminous lions to change colors in sync with music and movement patterns.

    Beyond preserving lion dance traditions and crafting lion heads, Li has leveraged short videos and e-commerce platforms to further spread the Suixi lion dance.

    In March 2018, Li posted his first short video about the Suixi lion dance on the popular short video platform Douyin. To date, his account on the platform has posted over 1,000 videos featuring training and performance clips, lion head crafting processes, and related cultural and creative products, attracting more than 200,000 followers. One video featuring breathtaking lion dance moves garnered over 210,000 likes on Douyin alone, with total views exceeding 100 million across different platforms.

    Online popularity has boosted offline performances and sales. “Since we started producing short videos, we’ve received dozens of performance invitations through online channels, and many people have placed orders for luminous lions after seeing our videos,” Li said.

    Today, Li’s family factory sells over 10,000 lion dance-related products annually, reaching more than 20 countries and regions worldwide. Last year alone, the factory sold over 400 luminous lions. In addition, miniature lion dance-themed cultural products become best sellers in Li’s online store.

    In recent years, Li and his team have actively promoted lion dance through school programs, educational tours, and training classes.

    “Currently, our team has introduced lion dance to three schools, teaching over 100 students. Whenever possible, I make sure to teach in person,” he said.

    Li has contributed wholeheartedly to the preservation of lion dance. “The lion dance industry is no longer just about making a living like in the past. As new-generation inheritors, we should focus more on how to expand the reach of Chinese traditional culture,” Li noted.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: From Sydney Harbour to the Oscars: How the Galaxy S25 Series Launched Around the World

    Source: Samsung

    To introduce the Galaxy S25 series to the world, Samsung Electronics launched a series of bold and immersive marketing campaigns across key markets — each designed to showcase the flagship lineup’s AI-powered next-generation capabilities. From an interactive watercraft experience in Australia and a metro station rebrand in Chile to a laser show in Malaysia and an esports tournament in India, these activations brought the Galaxy S25 experience directly to consumers through dynamic and engaging events.
     
    Samsung Newsroom explores some of the standout campaigns that marked the arrival of the Galaxy S25 series worldwide.
     
     
    [Australia] Elevating Morning Commutes With the Galaxy Go Fleet
    
     
    In Australia, Samsung launched the Galaxy Go Fleet — a fleet of custom-branded watercraft that transformed daily commutes across Sydney Harbour and the Brisbane River into an interactive Galaxy S25 experience. Passengers on board had the opportunity to test key Galaxy AI features, including Now Brief and Audio Eraser, and experienced firsthand how the Galaxy S25 series helps them start and navigate their day with ease.
     
     
    [Peru] Introducing the Galaxy AI Train on Lima Metro’s Line 1

     

    View this post on Instagram

     
    A post shared by Samsung Perú (@samsungpe)

     
    Samsung Peru became the first tech company in Peru to rebrand a metro train by introducing the Galaxy AI Train on Lima Metro’s Line 1, a key transportation route serving over 500,000 passengers daily. In celebration of the Galaxy S25 series launch, passengers received exclusive metro cards and promotional goods — further enriching their unique transportation experience.
     
     
    [Chile] Transforming Tobalaba Metro Station and Illuminating Santiago’s Night Sky

     
    Samsung Chile made its mark in Santiago with two high-profile activations to celebrate the launch of the Galaxy S25 series. Tobalaba Metro Station, one of the city’s busiest transit hubs, was officially renamed “Galaxy AI” — immersing daily commuters in the Galaxy S25 experience.
     
    
     
    The celebrations continued with a spectacular drone light show where over 300 drones illuminated Santiago’s night sky with stunning visual arrangements alluding to Galaxy AI and the Galaxy S25 series. The synchronized performance mesmerized spectators, turning the city skyline into a dazzling tribute to Samsung’s latest mobile innovations.
     
     
    [United States] Bringing Stunt Action to the Oscars With Galaxy AI

     
    In the U.S., Samsung celebrated the Galaxy S25 Ultra during the 2025 Oscars with two high-energy ads featuring stunt performers — developed in collaboration with Disney Advertising, ArtClass Content, Empire Stunts, Kimmelot, Maximum Effort, More Media and Really Original. The campaign highlighted the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s advanced AI-powered video-editing capabilities such as Audio Eraser, a feature that removes unwanted background noise. By demonstrating how Galaxy AI enhances both professional filmmaking and everyday content creation, the initiative put stunt professionals in the spotlight — recognizing their contributions to the industry while showcasing Samsung’s state-of-the-art mobile technology.
     
     
    [United Kingdom] Celebrating Everyday Moments With a Personal Touch

     

    View this post on Instagram

     
    A post shared by Samsung UK (@samsunguk)

     
    Samsung U.K. embraced a more personal approach by highlighting how the Galaxy S25 Ultra enhances daily life. Through engaging social media content created in collaboration with Anaïs Gallagher and Molly Moorish-Gallagher, Samsung demonstrated the Auto Trim feature, which allows users to effortlessly edit their favorite video clips and even generate highlight reels. Additionally, the campaign illustrated how the Galaxy S25 Ultra, through the Now Brief feature, integrates itself into users’ bedtime routines by providing personalized updates and content — thereby helping them wind down more easily after a busy evening.
     
     
    [Malaysia] Lighting Up Kuala Lumpur With Fireworks and Laser Beams

     
    Samsung Malaysia celebrated the arrival of the Galaxy S25 series with spectacular fireworks and a laser show over the Merdeka 118 tower. In addition, Samsung hosted the Edit & Win contest — inviting participants to creatively edit a fireworks image using Galaxy AI’s many tools for a chance to win a Galaxy S25 Ultra.
     
     
    [Brazil] Capturing São Paulo From the Sky With the Galaxy S25 Ultra

     
    In Brazil, Samsung launched a unique experience at Sampa Sky, São Paulo’s highest observation deck accessible to the public. Suspended 150 meters above ground level, visitors had the opportunity to capture breathtaking views of the city skyline with unparalleled clarity and detail using the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 200MP main camera and AI-enhanced 100x space zoom. The campaign also showcased Galaxy AI’s advanced editing tools, demonstrating how users can seamlessly refine and enhance their shots.
     
     
    [Italy] Pushing the Galaxy S25 Ultra to the Limit in the Dolomites
    
     
    Samsung Italy hosted the Galaxy Wintercamp in the Dolomites where nine athletes and creators spent three days pushing the Galaxy S25 Ultra to its limits in extreme alpine conditions. Participants used Now Brief to optimize their planning and employed the device’s 200MP camera and AI-enhanced photography tools to capture breathtaking ski descents, tricks and ice performances.
     
     
    [India] Taking Center Stage at the #PlayGalaxy Cup

     
    In India, Samsung hosted the third edition of the #PlayGalaxy Cup — one of the biggest esports events in the country. The tournament saw India’s top gamers compete against one another using the Galaxy S25 Ultra, allowing them to experience the device’s advanced display, next-level processing power and AI-driven gaming enhancements firsthand. Streamed live, the competition demonstrated how the Galaxy S25 series is designed to meet the demands of high-intensity gameplay while delivering a smooth, immersive experience.
     
     
    [Thailand] Bringing Star Power to the Launch in Bangkok

     
    Samsung Thailand celebrated the Galaxy S25 series launch with the Galaxy S25 | Here AI am Music Fest, a high-energy event featuring celebrities, influencers and fan activities. Attendees enjoyed interactive games with #TeamGalaxy stars and tested the latest Galaxy AI features. The night culminated in a blue carpet walk and an AI-powered concert where Galaxy AI helped curate the show with a blend of music, technology and entertainment.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Expected Executive Order Abolishing Department of Education, Senator Murray, Seattle School Board President, Parents, Advocates Raise Alarm Over Trump Dismantling Ed, Spell Out Harms to WA Students

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    WA STATE FACT SHEET on how Department of Education supports WA students and schools

    ICYMI: Murray, Top Appropriators Demand Detailed Answers on Trump Admin’s Sweeping Mass Firings at Department of Education

    ***PHOTOS, B-ROLL HERE***

    ***WATCH HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, as reporting indicates President Trump will sign an Executive Order aimed at eliminating the Department of Education tomorrow, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, held a roundtable discussion with Seattle School Board President Gina Topp and parents and educators laying out how President Trump’s moves to dismantle the Department of Education are a serious threat to students, educators, and public schools throughout Washington state.

    Last week, the Department of Education announced that it was firing more than 1,300 workers as part of Trump and Elon Musk’s indiscriminate mass layoffs across the federal workforce. This and other administration actions to date will cut the Department’s workforce in half and effectively gut the agency. While outright abolishing the Department would require an act of Congress, President Trump has said repeatedly that he intends to do everything possible to achieve that goal and is expected to issue an executive order tomorrow that seeks to eliminate the Department and move its functions to other agencies. On Monday, Senator Murray led a letter demanding detailed answers from the Department about the mass firings it has conducted and how it is carrying out requirements of federal law and its critical responsibilities despite the sweeping reductions in force.

    “Trump and Musk are taking a wrecking ball to the U.S. Department of Education and firing half its staff—we’re talking about the people who make sure federal funds get to our kids and schools, help students fill out the FAFSA and get Pell Grants and financial aid, protect students from predatory for-profit colleges, enforce our civil rights laws, and so much more. What’s the end goal here? Destroying public education in America—and robbing our students and families of critical funding while Trump and Musk enrich themselves,” said Senator Murray. “The effects of Trump and Musk’s slash and burn campaign will be felt across our state—by students and families who suffer from the loss of Department staff working to ensure their rights under federal law, school districts who have to lay off teachers, students who can’t get the help they need to get financial aid, and families who get ripped off because the watchdogs were fired. This issue is personal for me, and for every single family. We cannot relent in this fight—and we should never underestimate the power of our own voices.”

    The Department of Education provides critical funding and support to students, teachers, and schools in Washington state, including providing $301 million annually in IDEA funding for 152,000 students with disabilities—15 percent of Washington’s student population—and $307 million annually in Title I funding for schools enrolling 511,000 from low-income backgrounds—reflecting 46 percent of Washington’s student population, among so much else. Another central responsibility of the Department is to identify, investigate, and resolve school violations of civil rights laws. A record number of civil rights complaints (22,687) were filed in Fiscal Year 2024; 35 percent of cases were based on disability discrimination. Trump’s plans for the Department of Education are extremely unpopular; 58 percent of voters across the political spectrum oppose eliminating the Department.

    “Seattle Public Schools, like districts across the country, depends on federal funding to ensure every student has access to a high-quality education. These funds aren’t extras—they provide essential support for students from low-income families, English learners, and students with disabilities, breaking down barriers that stand in the way of opportunity. Cutting these programs doesn’t just hurt students today—it weakens our entire community and our future. Any cuts to these programs would undercut our collective future,” said Gina Topp, Seattle Public Schools Board President.

    “ED enforces civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in the educational environment. These three main laws are Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination; Title VI, which prohibits racial discrimination; and Section 504, which prohibits disability discrimination. These laws help students in Washington State and across the county every single day…I help represent the Office for Civil Rights when offices are sued for how they’ve handled a discrimination complaint or when the office is sued over a new regulation or piece of guidance that OCR has published. I work with incredible, dedicated, hard-working public servants. Many of them have spent decades, or for some their entire careers, working for ED. The level of experience and knowledge that they bring to their work is simply irreplaceable,” said Rebecca Yates, an attorney for the Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, participating in the discussion in her personal capacity. “Last Tuesday night, like hundreds of ED employees across the country, I received an email informing me that my entire division was being abolished, and my position was being eliminated. I’m upset about losing my job, but I’m devastated about what’s happening to the Department of Education, and deeply concerned about the future of the Department—and the future of public education in this country.”

    “Because my children received appropriate early intervention, IEP services, and accommodations, my oldest son was able to graduate from college and secure his first job. That success would not have been possible without federally funded programs that helped level the playing field for students like him. I once believed I could provide all the necessary support on my own—I even earned a PhD in my effort to do so—but I quickly learned that specialized services, trained professionals, and a strong federal commitment to disability education are essential,” said Lanya McKittrick, PhD, a special education researcher and family support professional, and the parent of four kids with special needs. “As a family support professional working with parents of children with low-incidence disabilities, I see the impact of these programs every day. Families are already struggling with devastating budget cuts that have stripped away services. If we allow this to continue, we risk undoing over 30 years of progress in disability rights and education.”

    “I am deeply concerned about the administration’s recent staffing cuts and plans to dismantle the Education Department,” said Heather Schwindt, an advocate for kids with special needs and parent of two kids with disabilities, one of whom relies on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) plan to succeed in school. “This decision will set back public education and harm students with disabilities. A primary concern is the potential loss of funding for essential services and programs supporting students with disabilities. These services, mandated by federal laws such as the IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, are crucial for ensuring that students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education. Reduced staffing, larger special education caseloads, and reduced capacity for delivering specialized services will result in a reduction of federal funding for Special Education… 60 years ago, children with disabilities were often denied the right to attend school. We’ve made progress with Section 504, IDEA, and the Department of Education and there is more progress to be made. The Department of Education is vital with the investments it makes in providing research to practice models, providing data on student outcomes nationally, and helping our state and others continue to push to do better for all children.”

    A senior member and former chair of the HELP Committee, Senator Murray has championed students and families at every stage of her career—fighting to help ensure every child in America can get a high-quality public education. Among other things, Senator Murray negotiated the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), landmark legislation that she got signed into law, replacing the broken No Child Left Behind Act. As a longtime appropriator, she has successfully fought to boost funding to support students and invest in our nation’s K-12 schools, and she has secured significant increases to the Pell Grant so that it goes further for students pursuing a higher education. Senator Murray also successfully negotiated the FAFSA Simplification Act, bipartisan legislation to reform the financial aid application process, simplify the FAFSA form for students and parents, and significantly expand eligibility for federal aid.

    On Monday, Senator Murray led a letter demanding detailed answers from the Department of Education about the mass firings and other detrimental actions which risk major reductions in support for and oversight of federal investments in our nation’s K-12 schools and institutions of higher education and threaten vital support for students with disabilities, access to Pell Grants and other financial aid, oversight of student loan servicers, scrutiny of for-profit colleges, and more. The letter follows an earlier March 6 letter Senator Murray sent alongside colleagues demanding answers about the chaotic, harmful actions taken by ED since January—which the Department has yet to respond to. During Secretary Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing, Senator Murray pressed McMahon on whether she will ensure approved funding gets out to serve students as the law requires and whether she would protect students’ data from DOGE. She also asked McMahon to name a single requirement of ESSA—and McMahon couldn’t name any. Ahead of McMahon’s confirmation, Senator Murray spoke out on the Senate floor against her nomination and sounded the alarm over President Trump and Elon Musk’s plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

    A fact sheet outlining how the Department of Education supports students in Washington state is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump is ignoring the power of nationalism at his own peril

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Smith, Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy, US Studies Centre, University of Sydney

    US President Donald Trump has exploited American nationalism as effectively as anyone in living memory. What sets him apart is his use of national humiliation as a political emotion. Any presidential candidate can talk their country up, but Trump knows how to talk his country down.

    Trump’s consistent message has been that American problems – trade deficits, job losses, illegal immigration, crime and even drug addiction – are the result of deliberate acts by other countries. The really humiliating part is that American politicians let it happen.

    Many Americans have welcomed Trump’s message that their country’s problems can be solved by reestablishing international dominance. They see this nationalist approach as an overdue corrective to the “globalist” foreign policies of the post-second world war era.

    But people in other countries also have feelings of national pride and aspire to be free from foreign domination. This should be obvious, but so far Trump is ignoring the power of nationalism in other countries even as he harnesses it in his own. This makes his foreign policy job a lot harder.

    How Canadians have rallied against Trump

    Take the example of Canada.

    When Trump was elected to his second term in November 2024, it seemed certain there would soon be a Canadian prime minister who was more aligned with him than Justin Trudeau. Trudeau’s unpopularity had dragged the Liberal Party down, and the populist Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre looked set to win the this year’s election.

    As he prepared for a trade war with Canada, Trump could have concentrated his fire on his enemies in the doomed Liberal government. Instead, he spent months insulting Canada’s national identity. He repeatedly said Canada should be the “51st state of the US”, calling Trudeau “governor”.

    Trump says ‘Canada was meant to be our 51st state’ in a Fox News interview.

    Americans can dismiss Trump’s talk of annexing Canada as a joke, but Canadians can’t. Regardless of whether Trump would ever follow through with attempting an annexation, his language is an attack on Canadian sovereignty. No one with any sense of national pride would tolerate it.

    An Angus Reid poll found the number of people saying they had a “deep emotional attachment” to Canada rose from 49% to 59% from December 2024 to February 2025. That emotional attachment is visible in everything from “buy Canadian” campaigns to Canadians booing the US national anthem at hockey games.

    The Liberals, under new leader Mark Carney, are also experiencing a remarkable bounce-back in the polls.

    Another Angus Reid poll shows that voting intention for the Liberals has surged from 16% in December to 42% now. They are now leading the Conservatives, who have 37% support. Some are now anticipating a snap election could be called in days.

    Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has sometimes been likened to Trump, has also led a ferocious pro-Canadian resistance to American tariffs, getting his own re-election boost.

    Trump’s defenders often claim his chaotic bluster is simply a negotiating tactic, a way of spooking others into accepting terms more favourable to him. If so, this tactic is backfiring in Canada.

    Trade wars require sacrifices. Citizens must pay more for the sake of protecting their countries’ industries. Canadians seem a lot more willing to make that sacrifice than Americans, who are mostly confused that their friendly neighbour has suddenly been recast as an enemy.

    The importance of national identity

    Other countries have shown they will not cave easily, either, as Trump puts their national identity at stake.

    Demanding to buy another country’s territory, as Trump keeps doing with Greenland, a self-governing territory under Danish control, may be even more insulting than threatening to take it, as he keeps doing with Panama. Each time Greenlanders, Danes and Panamanians refuse Trump, his credibility erodes further.

    Trump talks about the territory of other countries in terms of “real estate”, even suggesting the United States should “redevelop” Gaza after evicting the Palestinians.

    But sovereign land is not real estate. In a world of nation-states defined by territory, even sparsely inhabited territory has “sacred value”. This is particularly true for peoples seeking statehood on their land.

    “Sacred values” are things people see as non-negotiable because they are linked to their sense of identity and moral order in the world. Researchers warn that offering money in exchange for sacred values is deeply offensive, and likely to harm, rather than help, negotiations.

    There is a reason why governments hardly ever sell their territory to other countries anymore. Empires may have done in this in the past, but not nations. They view their lands, and the people who live on them, as inalienable from the nation.

    Trump clearly doesn’t understand this concept. He has shown no empathy for Ukraine, a country whose territory actually has been invaded. He accused Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy of wanting to prolong the war so he could “keep the gravy train going”, as if harvesting US aid dollars was the real reason Ukrainians were fighting for their country’s existence.

    Trump’s contempt for Ukraine, Canada, Greenland, Gaza, Denmark and Panama has reverberations far beyond these places. It signals that his brand of American nationalism has no place for anyone else’s national aspirations or sovereignty.

    This will not promote the deal-making Trump wants because no one trusts an unstable, imperial power to stick to its agreements. It would be painful for many countries to reduce their dependence on the United States, but it would be more painful to give away their national dignity.

    David Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump is ignoring the power of nationalism at his own peril – https://theconversation.com/trump-is-ignoring-the-power-of-nationalism-at-his-own-peril-252299

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: View of Zhaoxing Dong Village in China’s Guizhou

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

    View of Zhaoxing Dong Village in China’s Guizhou

    Updated: March 20, 2025 09:23 Xinhua
    Villagers make sticky rice and grilled pork for tourists at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 17, 2025. Located in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Zhaoxing Dong Village is home to over a thousand households of the Dong ethnic group. The traditional architectural style and rich cultural heritage of the Dong ethnic group are well-preserved. In recent years, while maintaining the historical integrity of the village and inheriting the unique cultural characteristics, the local community has established teams of the grand song of the Dong ethnic group and Dong opera troupes. Traditional ethnic festivals have been transformed into tourism attractions. Furthermore, the development of traditional handicraft enterprises and 433 hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants has created over 2,000 employment opportunities for local villagers, allowing them to benefit economically from the tourism industry. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on March 17, 2025 shows a night view of the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on March 17, 2025 shows Lusheng, a traditional musical instrument, at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Villagers sing the grand song of the Dong ethnic group for tourists at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 18, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 17, 2025 shows a view of the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Villagers walk outside the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A visitor uses a camera at the Dong culture exhibition center in the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 18, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 18, 2025 shows a view of the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Visitors take photos at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Villagers make embroideries in front of a drum tower at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 18, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 18, 2025 shows a view of the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on March 17, 2025 shows a drum tower at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Tourists pose for photos at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Villagers sing the grand song of the Dong ethnic group at a drum tower at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 18, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Villagers sit around a firepit at a drum tower at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A villager makes embroideries at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 18, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Villagers sing the grand song of the Dong ethnic group for tourists at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 18, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A tourist poses for photos at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A villager dries traditional Dong cloth at the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 18, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Signs First Bill into Law, Delivering Resources to Support Western North Carolina’s Recovery

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Signs First Bill into Law, Delivering Resources to Support Western North Carolina’s Recovery

    Governor Stein Signs First Bill into Law, Delivering Resources to Support Western North Carolina’s Recovery
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today, Governor Josh Stein signed the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 Part 1 – his first bill signed into law. Governor Stein was joined by leaders in the North Carolina General Assembly, members of his Western North Carolina Advisory Committee, law enforcement officials, and agricultural leaders.

    “This funding is a promising step forward in the long road to recovery for western North Carolina. I want to thank the General Assembly for working together to pass this critical aid package to help our neighbors rebuilding after Helene,” said Governor Josh Stein. “But we are nowhere near done — I will keep pushing to ensure western North Carolina is not forgotten.”  

    “This legislation will bring much-needed relief to western North Carolina while finally bringing long-awaited relief to hurricane victims in the eastern part of our state,” said Speaker Destin Hall. “This is the fourth bill we’ve passed for Helene recovery-and it won’t be the last.”

    “Since Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina, the General Assembly has come together to address the real-time needs of our citizens,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger. “This bill will make a world of difference for the people of western North Carolina and I’m proud to see it become law. I look forward to continuing our efforts to support western North Carolina as it recovers and rebuilds.”

    The Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part 1 includes $524 million in total aid for western North Carolina. The bill provides $200 million for North Carolina farmers who have experienced crop losses due to Hurricane Helene, $120 million for a CDBG-DR Home Reconstruction and Repair program, and $55 million for local government infrastructure grants to help small business. It also includes $100 million to repair the over 8,000 private roads and bridges that were damaged by the storm, as well as $20 million for debris cleanup. The bill provides $9 million for a school extension learning recovery program to help the students in western North Carolina who lost weeks of class time in the wake of Helene. The bill also extends the statewide declaration of emergency for Hurricane Helene until June 30th. In addition to supporting needs in the west, the bill provides $217 million to get people back into their homes in eastern North Carolina. 

    Exactly one week ahead of the 6-month anniversary of Hurricane Helene, the Stein administration continues to approach recovery and rebuilding with urgency, focus, transparency, and accountability. Governor Stein recently visited Ferguson Farm in Haywood County and spoke with North Carolinians in Yancey County who lost their livelihoods and homes after Hurricane Helene. Governor Stein continues to advocate for $19 billion in federal funds to restore infrastructure, support home repair and renovation, and reduce impacts from future natural disasters and for an extension of FEMA’s 100% reimbursement. 

    Mar 19, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Note to Correspondents: on US – Russia – Ukraine understandings

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The Secretary-General welcomes the announcements by President Donald Trump of the United States and President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation regarding an energy infrastructure ceasefire, as well as negotiations towards implementing the initiative concerning the safety of navigation in the Black Sea. He also welcomes the announcement that President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine agreed on a partial ceasefire against energy and that technical teams will discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea.  These steps represent important confidence-building measures that can facilitate further discussions among all relevant actors towards de-escalation of the war. He hopes that it will pave the way for achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace that fully respects Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
     

    Reaching an agreement on safe and free navigation in the Black Sea, with security commitments, and in line with the UN Charter and international law would be a crucial contribution to global food security and supply chains. It would reflect the importance of trade routes from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to global markets.
     
    The Secretary-General has consistently supported the freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
     
    The Secretary-General also remains closely engaged in the continued implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Federation on global food security.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US launches new round of airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, other provinces

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Photo taken with a cellphone on March 19, 2025 shows smoke and fire rising from a neighborhood following an airstrike in Sanaa, Yemen. [Photo/Xinhua]

    A new round of U.S. airstrikes struck Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Wednesday evening, wounding at least nine people, including seven women and two children, according to Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

    The strikes targeted a building under construction in Sanaa’s Geraf neighborhood, damaging nearby residential structures and injuring civilians sheltering in an adjacent building, the channel reported.

    The attack marked the second U.S. strike on the area since Saturday, when earlier raids killed 53 people and wounded 98, including women and children, according to Houthi-controlled health authorities.

    Wednesday’s strikes also expanded to other regions, with al-Masirah reporting strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in governorates such as Saada, al-Bayda, Hodeidah, and al-Jawf.

    The Houthis, who control northern Yemen, claimed earlier on Wednesday they had launched cruise missiles at the USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea, calling it their fourth such attack in 72 hours.

    The group insists its maritime strikes target only Israeli-linked vessels to pressure Israel to halt its Gaza offensive and allow humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave.

    The U.S. military, which began strikes on Houthi targets Saturday, says the campaign aims to protect international shipping lanes.

    U.S. President Donald Trump warned the Houthis on Saturday to cease attacks or face intensified consequences, declaring, “Hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump, Zelensky agree to ‘partial ceasefire against energy’ in Ukraine

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The White House said U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call on Wednesday agreed to “a partial ceasefire against energy” between Russia and Ukraine.

    The phone call came one day after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday in their phone talks that the peace in Ukraine “will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire” in Ukraine.

    U.S. and Ukraine’s “technical teams will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea on the way to a full ceasefire” in Ukraine, said a statement signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

    Trump and Zelensky discussed the situation in Kursk and “agreed to share information closely between their defense staffs as the battlefield situation evolved,” said the statement.

    During the phone conversation, Zelensky asked for additional air defense systems, particularly Patriot missile systems, and “President Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available particularly in Europe,” said the statement.

    Trump also discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants with Zelensky and told the latter: “The United States could be very helpful in running those plants. American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.”

    Zelensky wrote on X after speaking to Trump, “One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure. I supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it.”

    However, the White House statement on Wednesday did not mention that the partial ceasefire would apply to civilian infrastructure as Zelensky suggested.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed at a press briefing later on Wednesday that all intelligence sharing between the United States and Ukraine will continue. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Israel expresses ‘sorrow’ over UN staffer’s death in Gaza, denies responsibility

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Israel on Wednesday expressed “sorrow” over the death of a Bulgarian United Nations staff member in strikes on UN guesthouses in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah but said an initial investigation found no Israeli involvement in the incident.

    The United Nations said the staffer, employed by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), was killed when two UN facilities were hit. Five other personnel sustained serious injuries.

    Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said a preliminary inquiry “found no connection” between Israeli military operations and the strike.

    “The circumstances of the incident are being investigated,” he said, adding that Israel facilitated the evacuation of the victim’s body and the wounded from the site.

    The injured would receive treatment in Israeli hospitals, he said in a post on social media platform X.

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack as a violation of international law. “All UN premises’ locations are known to parties to the conflict, who are obligated to protect them,” a UN spokesperson said in a statement.

    Guterres extended condolences to the victim’s family, noting that the death brought the number of UN staff killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023 to at least 280.

    “These premises were well known by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and they were ‘deconflicted’,” UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva said, adding that it was clear UN personnel were inside at the time.

    “This was not an accident, this was an incident,” he told reporters, saying additional information was being gathered.

    Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli military denied targeting the compounds. “Contrary to reports, the IDF did not target a UN facility in Deir al-Balah,” it said in a statement.

    The incident occurred as Israel renewed military operations in Gaza, which officials say are aimed at Hamas militants. Gaza health authorities reported more than 400 Palestinian deaths since Tuesday, including at least 170 children and 80 women, after Israel resumed strikes following a weeks-long ceasefire that began on Jan. 19.

    Israel’s military said the operations were intended to “eliminate Hamas threats” and would continue “until strategic objectives are achieved.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Colleagues Push to Save Task Force Combating Threats to Election Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, joined Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and 28 Democratic colleagues in urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to continue the essential work of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Election Threats Task Force, which directs the Department’s efforts to protect election officials from rising threats and acts of violence.
    The senators’ letter comes as the Trump administration has significantly rolled back the federal government’s capacity to fight against foreign and domestic election security threats. On Attorney General Bondi’s first day in office, she disbanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Foreign Influence Task Force, hindering efforts to address secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries. Additionally, the administration has fired or put on leave dozens of officials responsible for combating foreign election interference at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and has reportedly frozen all of CISA’s ongoing election security work. The administration has also defunded CISA’s nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
    “Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections,” wrote the senators.
    “Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law,” they continued.
    In addition to Sens. Warner, Padilla, and Durbin, the letter was also signed by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
    In 2023, Sen. Warner joined his colleagues in sponsoring the Election Worker Protection Act, legislation that would provide states with proper resources to ensure the safety of these workers. Leading up to the 2024 elections, Sen. Warner also repeatedly raised the alarm about the elevated threat environment. As Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, he hosted open hearings to call on representatives from both the U.S. government and large tech companies to testify about their knowledge of and efforts to crack down on foreign malign influence online. He also warned of Russia and Iran’s attempts to influence the 2024 election. Sen. Warner sent a letter to CISA to push for more robust efforts to get ahead of these threats.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to strongly urge you to continue the critical law enforcement work of the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force, which protects election officials from ongoing threats and acts of violence. Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections.
    The Task Force was established in the wake of the 2020 election cycle when election officials across the political spectrum began facing unprecedented threats of violence intended to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that is the hallmark of our democracy. In close collaboration with state and local law enforcement, the Task Force has assessed thousands of complaints of suspected threats of violence and investigated and prosecuted violent offenders. Over the years, these threats have not only continued but escalated.  The Task Force has investigated fentanyl-laced letters, bomb threats, and swatting incidents—serving as a legacy of the 2020 election and impacting the ways election officials interact with voters in their communities.
    Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law.
    Moreover, the federal government’s ability to fight election interference has been greatly hampered in the early weeks of this Administration. Dozens of officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who are responsible for combatting foreign election interference, have been fired or put on leave. CISA has also reportedly frozen all of its ongoing election security work, including defunding its nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the “Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.” Additionally, on your first day in office, you signed a directive disbanding the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which was aimed at responding to secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries.
    We request a response on the status and future plans of the Election Threats Task Force, the extent of resources and personnel dedicated to its work, and how it plans to incorporate related work previously led by CISA and the Foreign Influence Task Force by March 31, 2025.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Johnson Fight for Unredacted Crossfire Hurricane Interview Transcripts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) are requesting Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel take immediate action to remove all redactions from interview transcripts relating to the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s (DOJ OIG) examination of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
    The senators first requested these unredacted transcripts from the DOJ OIG in April 2023. At the time, the DOJ OIG informed the senators that the redactions in those transcripts were made by other government agencies, such as the FBI and DOJ, and the DOJ OIG lacked the authority to release the information.
    The senators are now calling on DOJ and FBI to work with the DOJ OIG to produce these unredacted versions of the transcripts as soon as possible.
    The full text of their letter can be found HERE.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why sharing meals can make people happier – what evidence from 142 countries shows

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alberto Prati, Assistant Professor in Economics, UCL

    Sharing meals can contribute to feelings of happiness, a new report suggests. Ground picture/Shutterstock

    The importance of sharing meals is recognised across cultures, from the Jewish Shabbat meal to the fast-breaking Iftar meals during Ramadan. The known link between food and social relationships is ancient. The English word companion, the French copain (friend) and the Italian compagno (partner) come from the Latin cum and pānis – literally “with-bread”. The Chinese term for companion/partner (伙伴) stems from a similar term (火伴) which literally translates to “fire mate”, a reference to sharing meals over a campfire.

    But how important is eating together to our happiness? This is the question that I and my co-authors answer in the World Happiness Report 2025. In our new data and analysis we looked at the link between how often people share meals and whether they feel good about their lives and experience positive emotions. We also documented that there was a massive difference between countries and regions when it came to how often people shared meals.

    Comparing the statistics from the 2022-23 Gallup World Poll about sharing meals with standard measures of wellbeing, we found a significant, positive relationship in almost all regions. Not only do countries where meal sharing is more common tend to report higher levels of wellbeing, but this is true even when comparing people who live in the same country.

    The Gallup poll asked more than 150,000 people from 142 countries and territories how many lunches and dinners they shared with someone they know during the past week. The scores varied widely between regions.

    Latin Americans share approximately two-third of their meals, with residents of Paraguay, Ecuador and Colombia reporting an average of more than ten shared meals per week. At the bottom of the scale, there are relatively low levels of meal sharing in south and east Asian countries – in particular India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan and South Korea, where people share less than one meal out of three, on average.

    While there is an association between sharing meals and wellbeing pretty much everywhere, this association is stronger in some regions than others. For instance, for a person who always dines alone in North America, Australia and New Zealand, the wellbeing benefit of starting to share most of their meals (eight or more times a week) in the life evaluation scale is big (the life evaluation scale is how people judge their life, with zero being the worst possible life and 10 being the best). This boost is equivalent to the effect of doubling their income.

    However, in Latin America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, this effect is half as great and is essentially nil in south-east Asia. The reasons for this difference is as yet unclear.

    For social scientists, the frequency of sharing meals offers an indicator for social connectedness (the ways that people interact with and relate to one another). Unlike measures that capture people’s subjective feelings about social wellbeing, the number of shared meals gives us a concrete measure on which to base our analysis.

    While interpretations of friendship or perceptions of closeness may change over time or between countries, the number of meals shared with others does not.

    Meal sharing by region and age:

    Of course, those who share more meals can differ in many other aspects, but even when we take into account characteristics such as gender, age, income, living alone and people’s ability to meet basic needs for food, the relationship between sharing meals and wellbeing still holds strong.

    While the global data we used was only introduced in 2022, some countries have collected information on meal sharing for longer. In the United States, where the American Time Use Survey has been running for more than 20 years, we find clear evidence that with every passing year, Americans are dining alone more often, particularly young adults.

    Today, 18 to 24-year-olds in the US are 90% more likely to eat every meal alone on a given day than they were in 2003. We also find that Americans who eat at least one meal with others report higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress, pain and sadness on that day.

    How meals sharing is linked to emotions in the US:

    From our data, we can’t tell how much of a wellbeing boost sharing an extra meal
    creates, and to what extent people share more meals because they are already happy, but it is reasonable to assume that it is not just the latter. This would reflect previous research which has shown the importance of social capital (networks of social connections which are conducive to a well-functioning society) and the positive benefits of in-person interactions.

    In a world where loneliness is increasingly recognised as a public health issue, rethinking how we gather around the table, and how often, could provide practical solutions to reduce social isolation and raise wellbeing.

    Institutions where people routinely eat their meals together can play a critical role on this front. The other side of the coin is the surge in working from home, which could raise levels of solitude.

    So, if you don’t have plans for lunch tomorrow, maybe this is the good moment to message someone you would like to spend more time with.

    Alberto Prati is affiliated with the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford and the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics.

    – ref. Why sharing meals can make people happier – what evidence from 142 countries shows – https://theconversation.com/why-sharing-meals-can-make-people-happier-what-evidence-from-142-countries-shows-252352

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA President: “Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students”

    Source: US National Education Union

    By: Eric Jotkoff

    Published: March 19, 2025

    Gutting the Department of Education will send class sizes soaring, take away support for students with disabilities, and cut job training programs 

    National Education Association President Becky Pringle released the following statement reacting to Donald Trump’s reported Executive Order pushing to end the Department of Education:    

    “Donald Trump and Elon Musk have aimed their wrecking ball at public schools and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America, by dismantling public education to pay for tax handouts for billionaires.   

    “Last week Trump and Musk fired — without cause — nearly half of the Department of Education staff, trying to get rid of the dedicated public servants who help ensure our nation’s students have access to the services and resources to keep class sizes down, expand learning opportunities for students, and ensure programs like FAFSA can function.  

    “Now, Trump is at it again with his latest effort to gut the Department of Education programs that support every student across the nation. If successful, Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students by sending class sizes soaring, cutting job training programs, making higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle class families, taking away special education services for students with disabilities, and gutting student civil rights protections.    

    “In moving forward with this, Trump is ignoring what parents and educators know is right for our students. This morning, in hundreds of communities across the nation thousands of families, educators, students, and community leaders joined together outside of neighborhood public schools to rally against taking away resources and support for our students. And, we are just getting started. Every day we are growing our movement to protect our students and public schools.   

    “We won’t be silent as anti-public education politicians try to steal opportunities from our students, our families, and our communities to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Together with parents and allies, we will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize so that all students have well-resourced schools that allow every student to grow into their full brilliance.”    

     
    -###- 

     Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social  

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Key events coming up for storm-affected communities

    Source: Auckland Council

    Date and time

    Meeting name

    Meeting location

    20 March, 6.30pm

    East Coast Bays community storm recovery

    The Rothesay Room, Heart of the Bays, 2 Glen Road, Browns Bay

    22 March, 10am-12noon

    Street Chats – Urlich Drive and Arodella Crescent

    Waimoko / Urlich Esplanade Reserve, Rānui

    24 March, 6pm-9.30pm

    Māngere Community Recovery Planning

    Māngere Bridge Library

    26 March, 6.30pm

    Māngere – Te Ararata Creek flood resilience project meeting

    Te Karaiti te Pou Herenga Waka, 35a Cape Road, Māngere

    27 March, 6.30pm

    Māngere – Harania Creek flood resilience project meeting

    Te Karaiti te Pou Herenga Waka, 35a Cape Road, Māngere

    28 March, 4.30-6.30pm

    Street Chats – Mayfair Place, Clover Drive, Lincoln Garden Close

    Grass area next to 1 Meadowcroft Lane, Henderson

    29 March, 10am-12noon

    Street Chats – Chilcott Road

    Inanga / Chilcott Brae, 19 Chilcott Road, Henderson

    29 March, 2pm-4pm

    Street Chats – Candia and Pooks roads

    Either 3 or 8 Candia Road, Swanson

    30 March, 1pm-3pm

    Hadfield Street Reserve community celebration

    Hadfield Street Reserve, knoll near Poaka Place entrance, Beach Haven

    31 March, 6pm-9.30pm

    Māngere Community Recovery Planning

    Te Karaiti te Pou Herenga Waka, 35a Cape Road, Māngere

    4 April, 4.30-6.30pm

    Street Chats – Camphora Place

    Vacant site next to 7 Camphora Place, Rānui

    5 April, 10am-12noon

    Street Chats – Waimoko Glen and Birdwood Road

    24a Waimoko Glen, Swanson

    5 April, 2pm-4pm

    Street Chats – Wilsher Crescent

    Vacant site at 41 Wilsher Crescent, Henderson

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Q&A: What is a blue-green network?

    Source: Auckland Council

    A blue-green network is a system of waterways (blue) and parks (green) that give stormwater space to flow and help reduce flooding where people live.

    After severe weather events in 2023, Auckland Council prioritised blue-green projects to better protect our communities from flooding.

    As part of our Making Space for Water 10-year flood resilience programme, we identified 12 focus areas around the region that could benefit the most from a blue-green project.

    What has the council been doing to reduce flood risk in Auckland?

    We have been working hard to assess all the potential project areas to decide if there is an infrastructure solution that can deliver significant flood reduction to the community and that is affordable for ratepayers.

    These assessments are very complex, they involve multiple stages of research, analysis and decision making before a feasible solution can be presented to the council’s Governing Body and central government funding partners for approval. If approved, further stages of design, consenting and engagement are undertaken before a project is ready to construct. This process before construction generally takes 2-3 years.

    Why has the amount of funding allocated to these projects changed?

    Following major 2023 storms, a co-funding package with the Government has given us the opportunity to ‘retreat’ high-risk homes and deliver some key resilience projects sooner than expected.

    Within this funding package, buy-outs have been the first priority to get high-risk homeowners out of harm’s way. Now that we understand more which high-risk areas still need mitigations, and how much funding we have remaining from the package, we can start prioritising flood resilience projects.

    What is the process for delivering the blue green projects?

    While we are working as quickly as possible, we can’t progress all projects at the same time, so they’ll be developed and delivered across several years.

    Central and local government representatives will work together to guide each project through a five-stage process. At each stage decisions will need to be made which will determine whether the project can proceed to the next stage.

    Our staged approach is crucial due to the scale of these projects – they’re expensive and can be disruptive. We want to ensure value for Aucklanders.

    As these projects are made up of a number of connected works and they will make a huge difference to those that live in the area, we will be working together with iwi and the community in prioritised project areas and setting up opportunities in the coming months to meet and start to gather their input to help shape the designs.

    What stage is each project at?

    Two projects in Māngere have already been prioritised, with construction starting soon, because they could be delivered in a reasonable timeframe to reduce the risk to life for local homes.

    Feasibility assessments have been completed for all 12 areas originally identified in the blue-green networks initiative.

    In Ōpoutūkeha / Cox’s Creek, Grey Lynn and Meola-Epsom, much of the flood risk has been managed through the voluntary buy-out programme. Removing these houses will give sufficient space for water to flow.

    Finding a suitable solution to reduce flooding for the Kumeū River catchment has been challenging. The council, with engineering experts, has thoroughly explored several options including building stop banks, extending a flood way, diverting the river, and creating detention ponds upstream.

    Although a lot of work has gone into these ideas, none are feasible due to high costs, environmental impacts, and the high level of residual flood risk faced by the community. We are now working with other council teams and the government to find the best solutions for the community.

    The remaining blue-green projects will take longer to develop as they will need to be funded by the council through the Long-term Plan process. We will aim to deliver these projects over the following 10 years. In areas where larger scale projects cannot be funded right now, we will look for ways to accelerate smaller works that may help to reduce the impacts of lower-level flooding.

    Blue-Green project status

    Project area funding source status

    Project area funding source status

    Project area funding source status

    ·       Harania Creek, Māngere

    ·       Te Ararata Stream, Māngere.

    Crown / Auckland Council

    Funding approved, community engagement underway.

    Construction expected to start April/ May 2025.

    ·       Rānui / Clover Drive

    Crown / Auckland Council

    Council funding approved, pending crown business case approval.

    ·       Wairau Valley

    Crown / Auckland Council

    Community engagement underway.

    Business case being developed.

    ·       Whangapouri (Pukekohe)

    ·       Te Auaunga (Mt Roskill)

    TBC (currently unfunded)

    Early design and modelling underway.

    ·       Whau Stream (Blockhouse Bay / Lynfield)

    ·       Opanuku Stream (Henderson)

    ·       Porter’s Stream

    TBC (currently unfunded)

    Potential options identified.

    ·       Cox’s Creek

    ·       Epsom

    ·       Kumeū

    N/A

    Not progressing through blue-green networks initiative.

    Alternative projects may be scoped in future if required.


    What are the current priorities for development?

    Projects in Harania Creek and Te Ararata Stream are underway and expected to start construction later this year.

    A detailed prioritisation analysis has determined that Clover Drive in Rānui is the next area proposed to progress. Auckland Council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee approved funding in February 2025.

    This area was identified as the next priority based on several criteria due to its potential for reducing risk to life, improving community health and wellbeing, and delivering economic benefits to residents and businesses. Addressing flooding risks in this area also stands to lead to improved water quality and broader environmental benefits. Approval to progress is also required from Crown, with a decision expected in March.

    How does Wairau Valley fit into the overall plan?

    Given the Wairau Valley’s size and the complexity of required mitigations, addressing flooding issues requires a phased approach. This will involve significant long-term investment, community input, and collaboration. The council will be promoting opportunities for the community to participate and provide input into early designs to maximise local benefits before submitting a detailed business case in the coming months. A catchment-wide approach will ensure optimal outcomes for the community.

    This flood resilience work will bring many additional benefits to the community, including better water quality, more open space, improved biodiversity, and better connectivity. We look forward to working together to develop and deliver these improvements.

    What else is being done to reduce flooding in blue-green areas in the meantime?

    We understand that residents may feel anxious about more storms and heavy rain, especially if they were seriously affected in the 2023 storms.

    For those areas that have not been prioritised in this phase but are still included in the blue-green programme, early design and modelling is underway so that projects are ready to progress as soon as funding can be allocated.

    Maintenance and monitoring of critical waterways and infrastructure has been increased to help to improve water flow during smaller storms. We are also looking at other opportunities such as flood intelligence and flood warning systems that will help to reduce risks from severe weather events. Alongside this we continue to update our flood modelling data so that we can base our decisions and recommendations on the most up-to-date information and better prepare and support Aucklanders when future weather events occur.

    Guides offering property level advice to reduce the impacts of flooding in multiple languages can be found on Flood Viewer and in libraries across the region.

    What are the plans for the vacant land once Category 3 houses are cleared?

    More than 1,200 high-risk Auckland properties are expected to be purchased by Auckland Council before the end of 2025 – making it one of the largest land acquisition programmes undertaken in New Zealand.

    We are carefully deciding what to do with this storm-affected land, with decisions expected to take years.

    We want to ensure Auckland’s land is used effectively to provide homes and maintain strong communities, while managing risk and reducing the financial impact to ratepayers.

    If we keep the land, options for use could include:

    • flood resilience and stream management

    • adding it to neighbouring parkland or bush

    • managing it as high-hazard land.

    If we don’t keep the land, options could include:

    • sale for safe redevelopment

    • sale with conditions to manage the risk (such as converting ground floor units to storage)

    • sale to neighbours for extra backyard space.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Re-Entry and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant previously deported twice; has prior convictions for aggravated identity theft as well as heroin distribution, firearm offenses, assault and battery convictions under stolen identity

    BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in Methuen pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to unlawfully re-entering the United States after deportation and possessing narcotics intended for distribution. 

    Raul Fernando Lora, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of unlawful reentry of deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for July 16, 2025. Lora was charged in November 2023. 

    Lora was previously removed from the United States on July 2, 2013 and June 5, 2018.  Before his first removal, Lora was convicted for aggravated identity theft for fraudulently using the identity of a Puerto Rican citizen. Additionally, Lora has prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute heroin, firearms offenses and assault and battery that were under the name of the identity Lora had stolen. 

    In 2023, federal immigration authorities became aware of Lora’s presence in the United States after being notified that the defendant’s fingerprints were taken in connection with criminal charges in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Lora had default warrants outstanding for both cases. 

    Lora was arrested on Oct. 3, 2023, at which time he was found in possession of a sock that contained over 200 grams of fentanyl and over 30 grams of cocaine in multiple plastic bags.

    The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentenced imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.  

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: North American Construction Group Ltd. Announces Results for the Fourth Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ACHESON, Alberta, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — North American Construction Group Ltd. (“NACG”) (TSX:NOA/NYSE:NOA) today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024. Unless otherwise indicated, figures are expressed in Canadian dollars with comparisons to prior periods ended December 31, 2023.

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Highlights:

    • Combined revenue of $372.7 million, compared to $405.4 million in the same period last year. Reported revenue of $305.6 million, compared to $328.3 million in the same period last year, was generated by our wholly owned subsidiaries as incremental scopes and strong equipment utilization of 82% in Australia were more than offset by lower demand for our Canadian heavy equipment fleet when comparing to 2023 Q4.
    • Our net share of revenue from equity consolidated joint ventures was $67.1 million in 2024 Q4 and compared to $77.1 million in the same period last year as the consistency in the Fargo and MNALP joint ventures were offset by lower scopes being completed within the Nuna Group of Companies.
    • Adjusted EBITDA of $103.7 million and margin of 27.8% compared favorably to the prior period operating metrics of $101.1 million and 24.9%, respectively, as operational excellence in both Australia and Canada drove margin improvements.
    • Combined gross profit for the quarter was $54.3 million and a margin of 14.6%. When adjusting for $10.1 million of integration costs incurred and $8.9 million of claims extinguished to secure long-term contracts, the resulting 19.7% reflects operational performance and compares favorably to 18.3% posted in the same period last year.
    • Cash flows generated from operating activities of $97.0 million were lower than the $168.6 million generated in the prior period as higher cash generation from the strong EBITDA was offset by the temporary impact of changes to working capital in the quarter.
    • Free cash flow generated in the quarter was $50.5 million as operational earnings were offset by routine capital maintenance and cash interest expenses with working capital and capital work in process balances generating positive cash in the quarter.
    • Net debt was $856.2 million at December 31, 2024, a decrease of $26.3 million from September 30, 2024, as free cash flow generation and the impact of a stronger CAD/AUD exchange rate were offset by growth spending, the NCIB program, and the dividend payment .
    • Additional highlights include: i) in November, we were awarded a $125 million heavy civil construction project primarily to construct diversion channels; ii) in December, we announced an extended and amended regional services contract, valued at $500 million, with a major producer in the oil sands region; iii) also in December, we were awarded a $100 million early works contract by a copper producer in the Australian state of New South Wales; iv) by the end of the year, we surpassed the 60% completion mark at the Fargo-Moorhead flood diversion project; and v) completed go-live activities for the ERP system in Australia during the quarter.

    Joe Lambert, President and CEO, stated, “Once again, I would like to thank our operations team for their safe and efficient performance this quarter. The recent contract awards in Australia and Canada speak for themselves but are a testament to the quality and reputation of our operating teams. We’re off to a fast and robust start this year, and we couldn’t be more excited about completing the work our customers have awarded us. We see opportunities and tailwinds in the heavy civil infrastructure and mining industries in Australia and North America and are diligently advancing efforts to win scopes based on the reputation we have in the respective regions.”

    Consolidated Financial Highlights
        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)     2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Revenue   $ 305,590     $ 328,282     $ 1,165,787     $ 964,680  
    Cost of sales     218,834       220,672       789,056       678,528  
    Depreciation     44,765       41,990       166,683       131,319  
    Gross profit   $ 41,991     $ 65,620     $ 210,048     $ 154,833  
    Gross profit margin     13.7 %     20.0 %     18.0 %     16.1 %
    General and administrative expenses (excluding stock-based compensation)(i)     13,696       18,702       47,245       41,016  
    Stock-based compensation expense     5,625       (496 )     8,706       15,828  
    Operating income     22,544       45,944       153,330       96,330  
    Interest expense, net     14,401       14,007       59,340       36,948  
    Net income     4,808       17,646       44,085       63,141  
                     
    Adjusted EBITDA(i)     103,714       101,136       390,258       296,963  
    Adjusted EBITDA margin(i)(ii)     27.8 %     24.9 %     27.6 %     23.2 %
                     
    Per share information                
    Basic net income per share   $ 0.18     $ 0.66     $ 1.65     $ 2.38  
    Diluted net income per share   $ 0.19     $ 0.58     $ 1.52     $ 2.09  
    Adjusted EPS(i)   $ 1.00     $ 0.87     $ 3.73     $ 2.83  

    (i) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.
    (ii)Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated using adjusted EBITDA over total combined revenue.

        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows                
    Cash provided by operating activities   $ 96,989     $ 168,569     $ 217,607     $ 278,090  
    Cash used in investing activities     (75,764 )     (137,756 )     (274,683 )     (244,879 )
    Effect of exchange rate on changes in cash     1,400       (4,532 )     353       (5,994 )
    Add back of growth and non-cash items included in the above figures:                
    Acquisition of MacKellar(i)     —       51,671       —       51,671  
    Acquisition costs     —       5,934       —       7,095  
    Buyout of BNA Remanufacturing LP     4,210       —       4,210       —  
    Growth capital additions(ii)     23,646       35,941       84,633       40,416  
    Capital additions financed by leases(ii)     —       (931 )     (14,157 )     (28,159 )
    Free cash flow(ii)   $ 50,481     $ 118,896     $ 17,963     $ 98,240  

    (i)Acquisition of MacKellar is the purchase price less cash acquired.
    (ii)See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.

    Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2024

    Revenue from wholly-owned entities was $305.6 million, down from $328.3 million in the same period last year. The quarter-over-quarter reduction reflects a reduction in overall work scopes in the Heavy Equipment – Canada segment due to a reduction in equipment utilization to 54%, compared to 65% in 2023 Q4, largely offset by improved performance in the Heavy Equipment – Australia segment. Revenue generated in that segment of $160.3 million includes a strong contribution from MacKellar of $155.4 million, up from $122.5 million in Q4 of last year, as the group commences work on new contracts and increases equipment utilization at existing sites. Eliminations in the quarter largely relate to equipment maintenance performed by the Heavy Equipment – Canada segment on MacKellar equipment.

    Gross profit was $42.0 million, representing 13.7% of revenue, compared to $65.6 million and a 20.0% gross margin in the same period last year. The decline was primarily driven by lower contributions from the Heavy Equipment – Canada segment. Cost of sales for the quarter totaled $218.8 million, down from $220.7 million in the prior-period, reflecting lower overall revenue levels. Gross profit in the Heavy Equipment – Canada segment was impacted by the $8.9 million customer claim extinguishment as part of a four-year $500 million contract extension executed in December 2024. Gross profit in the Heavy Equipment – Australia segment was impacted by $10.1 million of integration costs, primarily transportation of haul trucks from North America to Australia.

    General and administrative expenses (excluding stock-based compensation expense) were $13.7 million, or 4.5% of revenue, for the three months ended December 31, 2024, down from $18.7 million, or 5.7% of revenue, in the same period last year. The current year decrease is due to the inclusion of non-recurring MacKellar acquisition costs totaling $5.9 million in the prior year, offset by spend related to increased activity levels in the Heavy Equipment – Australia segment.

    Cash related interest expense of $13.7 million represents an average cost of debt of 6.7% (compared to $13.2 million and 8.8%, respectively, for the three months ended December 31, 2023). The increase in interest expense is primarily attributed to a higher balance on the Credit Facility, along with greater equipment financing—mainly from the addition of MacKellar—partially offset by the elimination of our customer supply chain financing arrangement late in Q3.

    Net income of $4.8 million in Q4 2024, compared to $17.6 million in the same period last year, was lower due to the lower gross profit factors discussed above, partially offset by lower general and administrative expenses and improved results from the equity joint ventures.

    Free cash flow in the quarter was $50.5 million, driven primarily by adjusted EBITDA of $103.7 million less sustaining capital spending of $47.7 million and cash interest paid of $13.7 million.

    Liquidity

    Including equipment financing availability and factoring in the amended Credit Facility agreement, total available capital liquidity of $275.3 million includes total liquidity of $170.6 million, $86.7 million of unused finance lease borrowing availability, and $17.9 million of unused other borrowing availability as at December 31, 2024. Liquidity is primarily provided by the terms of our $522.6 million credit facility which allows for funds availability based on a trailing twelve-month EBITDA as defined in the agreement, and is now scheduled to expire in October 2027.

    Business Updates

    Strategic Focus Areas for 2025

    • Safety – maintain our uncompromising commitment to health and safety while elevating the standard of excellence in the field, particularly with regards to front-line leadership training;
    • Operational excellence – put into action practical and experienced-based protocols to ensure predictable high-quality project execution in Australia;
    • Execution – enhance equipment availability in Canada through improved fleet maintenance, equipment telematics and reliability programs, technical improvements and management systems;
    • Integration – utilize recently implemented ERP at MacKellar Group to optimize business processes to lower overall costs and improve working capital management;
    • Organic growth – based on strong site operating performance, leverage customer satisfaction to earn contract extensions and expansions;
    • Diversification – pursue diversification of customers and resources through strategic partnerships, industry expertise and investment in Indigenous joint ventures; and
    • Sustainability – further develop and deliver into our environmental, social and governance goals.

    Outlook for 2025

    The following table provides projected key measures for 2025 and actual results of 2024 and 2023. The measures for 2025 are predicated on contracts currently in place, including expected renewals and the heavy equipment fleet that we own and operate.

    Key measures   2023 Actual   2024 Actual   2025 Outlook
    Combined revenue(i)   $1.3B   $1.4B   $1.4 – $1.6B
    Adjusted EBITDA(i)   $297M   $390M   $415 – $445M
    Sustaining capital(i)   $169M   $166M   $180 – $200M
    Adjusted EPS(i)   $2.83   $3.73   $3.70 – $4.00
    Free cash flow(i)   $90M   $18M   $130 – $150M
                 
    Capital allocation            
    Growth spending(i)   $40M   $85M   $65 – $75M
    Net debt leverage(i)   1.7x   2.2x   Targeting 1.7x

    (i)See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.

    Conference Call and Webcast

    Management will hold a conference call and webcast to discuss our financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024, tomorrow, Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 9:00 am Eastern Time (7:00 am Mountain Time).

    The call can be accessed by dialing:

    Toll free: 1-800-717-1738
    Conference ID: 71653

    A replay will be available through April 20, 2025, by dialing:

    Toll Free: 1-888-660-6264
    Conference ID: 71653
    Playback Passcode: 71653

    A slide deck for the webcast will be available for download the evening prior to the call and will be found on the company’s website at www.nacg.ca/presentations/

    The live presentation and webcast can be accessed at:

    https://onlinexperiences.com/scripts/Server.nxp?LASCmd=AI:4;F:QS!10100&ShowUUID=70DEA77D-C2B3-4C4B-80EF-A1303C5C95BF

    A replay will be available until April 20, 2025, using the link provided.

    Basis of Presentation

    We have prepared our consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“US GAAP”). Unless otherwise specified, all dollar amounts discussed are in Canadian dollars. Please see the Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024, for further detail on the matters discussed in this release. In addition to the MD&A, please reference the dedicated 2024 Q4 Results Presentation for more information on our results and projections which can be found on our website under Investors – Presentations.

    Change in significant accounting policy – Basis of presentation

    During the first quarter of 2024, we changed our accounting policy for the elimination of its proportionate share of profit from downstream sales to affiliates and joint ventures to record through equity earnings in affiliates and joint ventures on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income. Prior to this change, we eliminated our proportionate share of profit on downstream sales to affiliates and joint ventures through revenue and cost of sales. The change in accounting policy simplifies the presentation for downstream profit eliminations and has no cumulative impact on retained earnings. We have accounted for the change retrospectively in accordance with the requirements of US GAAP Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 250 by restating the comparative period. For details of retrospective changes, refer to note 25 in the consolidated financial statements.

    Accounting pronouncements recently adopted

    Segment reporting

    The Company adopted the new standard for segment reporting that is effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2024. In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting: Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. This accounting standard update was issued to improve reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. The Company has updated its disclosures to reflect the additional requirements.

    Recent accounting pronouncements not yet adopted

    Joint venture formations

    In August 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-05, Business Combinations – Joint Venture Formations. This accounting standard update was issued to create new requirements for valuing contributions made to a joint venture upon formation. This standard is effective January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. We are assessing the impact the adoption of this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

    Income taxes

    In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes: Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. This accounting standard update was issued to increase transparency by improving income tax disclosures primarily related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. This standard is effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. We are assessing the impact the adoption of this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

    Stock compensation

    In March 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-01, Compensation – Stock Compensation. This accounting standard update was issued to reduce complexity in determining if profit interest awards are subject to Topic 718 and to reduce diversity in practice. This standard is effective for annual statements for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2025. The Company is assessing the impact the adoption of this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

    Debt with conversion options

    In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-04, Debt – Debt with Conversion and Other Options. This accounting standard update was issued to improve the relevance and consistency in application of the induced conversion guidance in Subtopic 470-20. This standard is effective for annual statements for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2026. The Company is assessing the impact the adoption of this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

    Expense disaggregation

    In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income – Expense Disaggregation Disclosures. This accounting standard update was issued to require public entities to disclose additional information about specific expense categories in the notes to financial statements. This standard is effective for annual statements for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2027. We are assessing the impact the adoption of this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

    Forward-Looking Information

    The information provided in this release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “should” or similar expressions and include guidance with respect to financial metrics provided in our outlook for 2025.

    The material factors or assumptions used to develop the above forward-looking statements include, and the risks and uncertainties to which such forward-looking statements are subject, are highlighted in the MD&A for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements because of any number of factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond NACG’s control. Undue reliance should not be placed upon forward-looking statements and NACG undertakes no obligation, other than those required by applicable law, to update or revise those statements. For more complete information about NACG, please read our disclosure documents filed with the SEC and the CSA. These free documents can be obtained by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or on the CSA website at www.sedarplus.ca and on our company website at www.nacg.ca.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release presents certain non-GAAP financial measures, non-GAAP ratios, and supplementary financial measures that may be useful to investors in analyzing our business performance, leverage, and liquidity. A non-GAAP financial measure is defined by relevant regulatory authorities as a numerical measure of an issuer’s historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flow that is not specified, defined or determined under the issuer’s GAAP and that is not presented in an issuer’s financial statements. A “non-GAAP ratio” is a ratio, fraction, percentage or similar expression that has a non-GAAP financial measure as one or more of its components. Non-GAAP financial measures and ratios do not have standardized meanings under GAAP and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. They should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. A “supplementary financial measure” is a financial measure disclosed, or intended to be disclosed, on a periodic basis to depict historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that does not fall within the definition of a non-GAAP financial measure or non-GAAP ratio. The non-GAAP financial measures and ratios we present include, “adjusted EBIT”, “adjusted EBITDA”, “adjusted EBITDA margin” “adjusted EPS”, “adjusted net earnings”, “backlog”, “capital additions”, “capital expenditures, net”, “capital inventory”, “capital work in progress”, “cash liquidity”, “cash related interest expense”, “cash provided by operating activities prior to change in working capital”, “combined backlog”, “combined gross profit”, “combined gross profit margin”, “equity investment depreciation and amortization”, “equity investment EBIT”, “equity method investment backlog”, “free cash flow”, “general and administrative expenses (excluding stock-based compensation)”, “growth capital”, “growth spending”, “invested capital”, “margin”, “net debt”, “net debt leverage”, “share of affiliate and joint venture capital additions”, “sustaining capital”, “total capital liquidity”, “total combined revenue”, and “total debt”. We also use supplementary financial measures such as “gross profit margin” and “total net working capital (excluding cash and current portion of long-term debt)” in our MD&A. Each non-GAAP financial measure used in this press release is defined under “Financial Measures” in our Management’s Discussion and Analysis filed on EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or on the CSA website at www.sedarplus.ca and on our company website at www.nacg.ca.

    Reconciliation of total reported revenue to total combined revenue
        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024     2023(ii)     2024       2023(ii)  
    Revenue from wholly-owned entities per financial statements   $ 305,590     $ 328,282     $ 1,165,787     $ 964,680  
    Share of revenue from investments in affiliates and joint ventures     134,348       169,662       517,137       686,299  
    Elimination of joint venture subcontract revenue     (67,200 )     (92,522 )     (267,595 )     (369,891 )
    Total combined revenue(i)   $ 372,738     $ 405,422     $ 1,415,329     $ 1,281,088  

    (i) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.
    (ii)The prior year amounts are adjusted to reflect a change in presentation. See “Accounting Estimates, Pronouncements and Measures”.

    Reconciliation of reported gross profit to combined gross profit
        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024   2023(ii)     2024   2023(ii)
    Gross profit from wholly-owned entities per financial statements   $ 41,991   $ 65,620   $ 210,048   $ 154,833
    Share of gross profit from investments in affiliates and joint ventures     12,283     8,670     49,455     49,638
    Combined gross profit(i)   $ 54,274   $ 74,290   $ 259,503   $ 204,471

    (i) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.
    (ii)The prior year amounts are adjusted to reflect a change in presentation. See “Accounting Estimates, Pronouncements and Measures”.

    Reconciliation of net income to adjusted net earnings, adjusted EBIT and adjusted EBITDA
        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net income   $ 4,808     $ 17,646     $ 44,085     $ 63,141  
    Adjustments:                
    Stock-based compensation expense (benefit)     5,625       (496 )     8,706       15,828  
    Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment     126       1,470       767       1,659  
    Write-down on assets held for sale     —       —       4,181       —  
    Change in fair value of contingent obligation from adjustments to estimates     9,464       —       36,049       —  
    (Gain) loss on derivative financial instruments     (4,797 )     916       (3,952 )     (6,063 )
    Equity investment (gain) loss on derivative financial instruments     (201 )     (713 )     2,633       (1,362 )
    Equity investment restructuring costs     —       —       4,517       —  
    Loss on equity investment customer bankruptcy claim settlement     —       —       —       759  
    Loss on extinguishment of customer claim     8,866       —       8,866       —  
    Post-acquisition asset relocation and integration costs     10,111       —       10,111       —  
    Acquisition costs     —       5,934       —       7,095  
    Tax effect of the above items     (7,197 )     (1,589 )     (16,169 )     (5,829 )
    Adjusted net earnings(i)   $ 26,805     $ 23,168     $ 99,794     $ 75,228  
    Adjustments:                
    Tax effect of the above items     7,197       1,589       16,169       5,829  
    Interest expense, net     14,401       14,007       59,340       36,948  
    Equity investment EBIT(i)(iii)     5,076       1,622       12,228       24,929  
    Equity earnings in affiliates and joint ventures(iii)     (5,754 )     (2,236 )     (15,299 )     (25,199 )
    Change in fair value of contingent obligations     4,797       4,681       17,157       4,681  
    Income tax expense     (375 )     10,930       15,950       22,822  
    Adjusted EBIT(i)   $ 52,147     $ 53,761     $ 205,339     $ 145,238  
    Adjustments:                
    Depreciation and amortization     45,093       42,277       167,937       132,516  
    Write-down on assets held for sale     —       —       (4,181 )     —  
    Equity investment depreciation and amortization(i)     6,474       5,098       21,163       19,209  
    Adjusted EBITDA(i)   $ 103,714     $ 101,136     $ 390,258     $ 296,963  
    Adjusted EBITDA margin(i)(ii)     27.8 %     24.9 %     27.6 %     23.2 %

    (i) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.
    (ii)Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated using adjusted EBITDA over total combined revenue.
    (iii)The prior year amounts are adjusted to reflect a change in presentation. See “Accounting Estimates, Pronouncements and Measures”.

    Reconciliation of equity earnings in affiliates and joint ventures to equity investment EBIT
        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024     2023(ii)     2024       2023(ii)  
    Equity earnings in affiliates and joint ventures   $ 5,754     $ 2,236     $ 15,299     $ 25,199  
    Adjustments:                
    Gain on disposal of property, plant and equipment     (237 )     (22 )     (595 )     (57 )
    Interest expense (income), net     460       (268 )     (877 )     (1,183 )
    Income tax (recovery) expense     (901 )     (324 )     (1,599 )     970  
    Equity investment EBIT(i)   $ 5,076     $ 1,622     $ 12,228     $ 24,929  

    (i) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”
    (ii)The prior year amounts are adjusted to reflect a change in presentation. See “Accounting Estimates, Pronouncements and Measures”.

    About the Company

    North American Construction Group Ltd. is a premier provider of heavy civil construction and mining services in Australia, Canada, and the U.S. For over 70 years, NACG has provided services to the mining, resource and infrastructure construction markets.

    For further information contact:

    Jason Veenstra, CPA, CA
    Chief Financial Officer
    North American Construction Group Ltd.
    (780) 960.7171
    ir@nacg.ca
    www.nacg.ca

    Consolidated Balance SheetsAs at December 31
    (Expressed in thousands of Canadian Dollars)
          2024       2023  
    Assets        
    Current assets        
    Cash   $ 77,875     $ 88,614  
    Accounts receivable     166,070       97,855  
    Contract assets     4,135       35,027  
    Inventories     74,081       64,962  
    Prepaid expenses and deposits     7,676       7,402  
    Assets held for sale     683       1,340  
          330,520       295,200  
    Property, plant and equipment     1,246,584       1,142,946  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets     12,722       12,782  
    Investments in affiliates and joint ventures     84,692       81,435  
    Intangible assets     9,901       6,971  
    Other assets     9,845       7,144  
    Total assets   $ 1,694,264     $ 1,546,478  
    Liabilities and shareholders’ equity        
    Current liabilities        
    Accounts payable   $ 110,750     $ 146,190  
    Accrued liabilities     77,908       72,225  
    Contract liabilities     1,944       59  
    Current portion of long-term debt     84,194       81,306  
    Current portion of contingent obligations     39,290       22,501  
    Current portion of operating lease liabilities     1,771       1,742  
          315,857       324,023  
    Long-term debt     719,399       611,313  
    Contingent obligations     88,576       93,356  
    Operating lease liabilities     11,441       11,307  
    Other long-term obligations     44,711       41,001  
    Deferred tax liabilities     125,378       108,824  
          1,305,362       1,189,824  
    Shareholders’ equity        
    Common shares (authorized – unlimited number of voting common shares; issued and outstanding – December 31, 2024 – 27,704,450 (December 31, 2023 – 27,827,282))     228,961       229,455  
    Treasury shares (December 31, 2024 – 1,000,328 (December 31, 2023 – 1,090,187))     (15,913 )     (16,165 )
    Additional paid-in capital     20,819       20,739  
    Retained earnings     156,125       123,032  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (1,090 )     (407 )
    Shareholders’ equity     388,902       356,654  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 1,694,264     $ 1,546,478  
    Consolidated Statements of Operations and
    Comprehensive Income    For the years ended December 31
    (Expressed in thousands of Canadian Dollars, except per share amounts)
          2024       2023(i)  
    Revenue   $ 1,165,787     $ 964,680  
    Cost of sales     789,056       678,528  
    Depreciation     166,683       131,319  
    Gross profit     210,048       154,833  
    General and administrative expenses     55,951       56,844  
    Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment     767       1,659  
    Operating income     153,330       96,330  
    Equity earnings in affiliates and joint ventures     (15,299 )     (25,199 )
    Interest expense, net     59,340       36,948  
    Change in fair value of contingent obligations     53,206       4,681  
    Gain on derivative financial instruments     (3,952 )     (6,063 )
    Income before income taxes     60,035       85,963  
    Current income tax (benefit) expense     (3,280 )     6,841  
    Deferred income tax expense     19,230       15,981  
    Net income     44,085       63,141  
    Other comprehensive income        
    Unrealized foreign currency translation loss     683       713  
    Comprehensive income   $ 43,402     $ 62,428  
             
    Per share information        
    Basic net income per share   $ 1.65     $ 2.38  
    Diluted net income per share   $ 1.52     $ 2.09  

    (i)The prior year amounts are adjusted to reflect a change in presentation. See “Accounting Estimates, Pronouncements and Measures”.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Announces Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation DOI Funding Restored

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
    Published: March 19, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Following a meeting with Chief Pos Bassett of the Passamaquoddy Reservation at Pleasant Point and further consultation with the Administration, today, Senator Collins announced that her office has received notice from the Department of the Interior (DOI) that previously paused federal funding for the Tribe has resumed.
    “This critical grant funding was awarded by the DOI to support the rehabilitation of the Tribe’s wastewater treatment system that is at imminent risk of flooding,” said Senator Collins. “I am pleased that after our discussions with the Department of the Interior, this funding has been restored, but the Tribe should not have faced this disruption, and I will continue working to ensure that federal commitments to Maine’s Tribes are upheld.”
    The Passamaquoddy Reservation at Pleasant Point was previously awarded $4 million through the DOI Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Tribal Community Resilience program in Fiscal Year 2024 to raise the reactor walls at their current wastewater treatment facility to prevent flooding, develop engineering plans and purchase equipment to build a new, relocated facility at a higher elevation, and install hurricane-resistant roofs on Tribal homes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Robbery at Busboys and Poets Nets a Maryland Man a 84-Month Federal Prison Sentence

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Isaiah Chase, 27, of Silver Spring, MD, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison for participating in a gunpoint robbery at Busboys and Poets, a café and bookstore, in the 400 block of K Street, NW.

                The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Chase pleaded guilty on August 5, 2024, to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence before U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton, who in addition to the 84-month sentence, ordered Chase to serve five years of supervised release.

                According to court documents, Chase was one of multiple conspirators who worked with an employee at Busboys and Poets to rob the business on February 6, 2022. The employee instructed Chase to come to the establishment at around 9:30 p.m. and to enter when a specific person was visible at the front of the establishment.

                Chase and two of the other conspirators, wearing dark clothing, masks, and hoodies, entered the establishment as the staff was cleaning up for the night. Inside, each of the three individuals brandished firearms and pointed them at employees. The conspirators demanded money but received none. Instead they took keys to the business and fled in a vehicle.

                On November 4, 2022, law enforcement arrested Chase at his apartment in Silver Spring, MD. During a search of his residence, agents recovered a loaded Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun with a magazine and 24 rounds of ammunition; a loaded .556 caliber machine gun capable of being fired fully automatically with a magazine containing 49 rounds of ammunition; a loaded .556 caliber AM-15 rifle with a magazine containing 25 rounds of ammunition; a .40 caliber magazine containing 9 rounds of ammunition; and 2 bags of marijuana intended for distribution.

                This case was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and MPD’s Carjacking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel and Matthew Kinskey.

    22cr349

    MIL Security OSI –