Category: Politics

MIL-OSI USA: Cook, The Economic Outlook and Path of Policy

Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve

Thank you, Dr. Ripoll. It is wonderful to be here at the University of Pittsburgh. I am honored to deliver the 2025 McKay Lecture in memory of Dr. Marion McKay, who led the economics department here for more than 30 years. I am especially humbled to have this opportunity, given the many significant contributors to the field of economics who have spoken in this series, including David Autor, Claudia Goldin, Bob Lucas, and Joe Stiglitz.1

I have been looking forward to this lecture for many months, because researching, discussing, and teaching economics have long been my favorite activities. I have been a professor for much longer than I have been a member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, which I joined three years ago. Today, I would like to discuss my outlook for the economy and my views on the path of monetary policy. For this speech, I will also offer recent historical context about how the economy arrived in its current position, take some time to review some concepts in economics, and, finally, discuss my approach to monetary policy at a time of increasing uncertainty.
Over the past few years, the U.S. economy has grown at a strong pace, supported by resilient consumer spending. Currently, I see the economy as being in a solid position, though American households, businesses, and investors are reporting heightened levels of uncertainty about both the direction of government policy and the economy. For instance, the Beige Book, a Fed report that compiles anecdotal information on economic conditions gathered from around the country, had 45 mentions of “uncertainty.” That is the largest number of mentions of the word in the history of the Beige Book, up from 12 mentions a year ago. Consistent with elevated uncertainty, there are increasing signs that consumer spending and business investment are slowing. Inflation has come down considerably from its peak in 2022 but remains somewhat above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target. The labor market appears to have stabilized, and there is a rough balance between available workers and the demand for labor. The unemployment rate remains low by historical standards.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Fed’s primary body for making monetary policy, raised interest rates sharply in 2022 and 2023 in response to elevated inflation. Then, amid progress on disinflation and a rebalancing labor market, last year my FOMC colleagues and I voted to make policy somewhat less restrictive. At our past two policy meetings, we held rates steady at 4.25 to 4.5 percent. Looking ahead, monetary policy will need to navigate the high degree of uncertainty about the economic outlook.
Structure for PolicymakingI will discuss the elements of my economic outlook in more detail in a moment. But first let me tell you a bit about how I structure my thinking related to monetary policy and the economy. The starting point for that exercise is always the mandate given to the Federal Reserve by Congress, which has two goals: maximum employment and stable prices. Achieving those goals will result in the best economic outcomes for all Americans.
So, when I say “maximum employment,” what do I mean? Maximum employment is the highest level of employment, or the lowest level of unemployment, the economy can sustain while maintaining a stable inflation rate. Unemployment has very painful consequences for individual workers and their families, including lower standards of living and greater incidence of poverty. In contrast, maintaining maximum employment for a sustained period results in many benefits and opportunities to families and communities that often had been left behind, including those in rural and urban communities and those with lower levels of education.
More broadly, having ample job opportunities typically results in a larger and more prosperous economy. It allows workers, a vital resource in the economy, to be deployed most productively. Maximizing employment promotes business investment and the economy’s long-run growth potential. When people can enter the labor force and move to better and more productive positions, it fosters the development of more and better ideas and innovation.
How about “stable prices?” Like former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan, I consider prices to be stable when shoppers and businesses do not have to worry about costs significantly rising or falling when making plans, such as whether to take out a loan or make an investment.2 Since 2012, the Fed has been explicit about the rate of inflation that constitutes price stability. An inflation rate of 2 percent over the longer run is most consistent with the Fed’s price-stability mandate. Price stability means avoiding prolonged periods of high inflation. We know that high inflation is particularly difficult on those who are least able to bear it. Moreover, high inflation may require a forceful monetary policy response, which can lead to bouts of higher unemployment. In contrast, price stability creates the conditions for a sustainable labor market.
Economic Developments in the Pandemic PeriodWith the backdrop of the Fed’s dual-mandate goals, I would like to discuss the extraordinary developments that have occurred over the past five years, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reviewing that recent history is important context for understanding the current state of monetary policy. Before reviewing the data, it is important to recognize the tragic human suffering and loss of life the pandemic caused. That loss can never be fully described in numbers and charts. For today’s discussion, I will describe the economic implications, which were profound and will likely be studied for decades.
When the global pandemic took hold in the spring of 2020, economies around the world shut down or sharply limited activity. This was especially true for in-person services, such as travel, dining out at restaurants, and trips to the barber shop or hair salon. I would like to turn your attention to the screen, where I will display some charts to better illustrate economic developments. In figure 1, you can see the sharp downturn in economic growth, followed by the subsequent recovery. At this time, it also became apparent that the economic effects of shutdowns in one part of the world were exacerbated by constrained supplies from other parts of the world. Global policymakers faced the common challenge of supporting incomes and limiting the negative effects of shutdowns, which, mercifully, were temporary. The initial policy response was largely uniform across developed economies. This generally included fiscal support from governments, particularly to help those most in need, although the magnitude differed across countries. Central banks set monetary policy with the aim to prevent a sharp financial and economic deterioration. Later, central banks extended accommodative policy to support the economic recovery. The Federal Reserve, specifically, cut its policy rate in the spring of 2020 to near zero and bought assets to support the flow of credit to households and businesses and to foster accommodative financial conditions. Establishing a low interest rate is intended to support spending and investment.
At the onset of the pandemic, a very deep but short contraction of economic activity occurred. Millions of Americans lost their jobs, tens of thousands of school districts sent students and teachers home, factories closed because of outbreaks, and the supply of many goods was disrupted. People also adjusted consumption patterns, rotating toward purchases of goods. Americans who canceled vacation plans and gym memberships sought to buy televisions, exercise equipment, and other goods. Demand for goods rose rapidly, but supply chains were unable to adjust at the same speed. This contributed to a global surge in inflation. That surge was followed by a further upswing in prices after February 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused a shock to global supplies of commodities, including food and energy.
At the start of 2022, inflation topped 6 percent, and by the middle of that year it reached a peak above 7 percent.3 With inflation unacceptably high, Fed policymakers turned toward tightening. Take a look at figure 2. You can see that from March 2022 to July 2023, the Fed raised its policy rate 5‑1/4 percentage points. Those higher interest rates helped restrain aggregate demand, and the forceful response helped keep long-term inflation expectations well anchored.
The Fed’s policy actions occurred alongside increases in aggregate supply. Global trade flows recovered from disruptions, and the availability of manufacturing inputs returned to pre-pandemic levels. U.S. labor supply recovered significantly in 2022 and 2023, boosted by rebounds in labor force participation and immigration. Figure 3 shows the rebound in labor force participation. Notice that workers aged 25 to 54, the dark orange line, led that gain. In response to rising rents, construction of multifamily housing picked up, helping counter shortages of available homes in some areas. The combination of increased supply and policy restraint contributed to a significant slowing of inflation. Notably, inflation came down without a painful increase in unemployment. This was a historically unusual, but most welcome, result.
Productivity GainsIn addition to increased supply and policy restraint, another factor allowed the U.S. economy to grow in recent years as inflation abated—a resurgence in productivity growth. Let’s look at figure 4. Data through the end of last year indicate that labor productivity has grown at a 2 percent annual rate since the end of 2019, surpassing its 1.5 percent growth rate over the previous 12 years. As a result, the level of productivity, the blue line, has been higher than expected given the pre-pandemic trend, the dashed orange line.
Several forces likely supported productivity in recent years. New business formation in the U.S. has risen since the start of the pandemic. These newer firms are more likely to innovate and adopt new technologies and business processes, and this, in turn, can support productivity gains. As the economy reopened after pandemic shutdowns, workers took new jobs and moved to new locations, and the pace of job switching remained elevated for some time. That reallocation may have resulted in better and more productive matches between the skills of workers and their jobs, thus raising labor productivity.4 Labor shortages during the pandemic recovery also spurred businesses to invest in labor-saving technologies and to improve efficiency, which may have supplied at least a one-time boost to productivity.
Looking ahead, investment in new technologies may continue to support productivity growth. Much of this investment has gone toward artificial intelligence (AI). As I have discussed in previous speeches, I see AI, and generative AI in particular, as likely to become a general purpose technology, similar to the printing press and computer, that will spread throughout the economy and spark downstream innovation as well as continue to improve over time.5 It holds the promise to increase the pace of idea generation, and each newly discovered idea could itself provide an incremental boost to productivity. In the longer run, I am optimistic about the potential for gains in total factor productivity growth from the growing integration of AI into business processes throughout the economy.
Economic OutlookNow that I have reviewed the path of the economy over the past five years, I would like to present my near-term outlook for the economy in more detail. In the past year, overall economic activity and the labor market have been solid, while inflation has run somewhat above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target.
InflationI will start with inflation, which you can see in figure 5. The most recent data show that inflation was 2.5 percent for the 12 months ending in February, as measured by the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, shown in blue. This is a marked shift down from the peak of 7.2 percent in June 2022. The dark orange line shows that core PCE prices—which exclude the volatile food and energy categories—increased 2.8 percent in February, down from a peak of 5.6 percent in February 2022. Economists pay careful attention to core prices, as they are typically a better indicator of underlying inflation and the path of future inflation.
While the progress since 2022 has been notable, the decline in inflation over the past year has been slow and uneven. Prices for energy, including gasoline, have moderated. Food inflation has mostly stabilized over the past year, but it is still elevated for some grocery items. Let’s look at the components of core inflation in figure 6. You can see that housing services inflation, the dashed green line, remains high but has moderated steadily over the past two years, consistent with the past slowing in market rents.
Since we are talking about housing and the cost of renting, let me say a word about the data we use at the Federal Reserve. Most of the data I have presented thus far are carefully collected, analyzed, and released by federal government agencies, like the Bureau of Economic Analysis which collects data on GDP. But we use a wide variety of sources, including series generated by the private sector. Market rents—the cost many of you pay for your apartment—is a good example. Where do you think we get information on rents? From some of the same websites you would use to find an apartment. We use high-frequency data series from sources like those as inputs into a model of rents on new leases in real time. This turns out to be helpful in the timely determination of where rents are, because they show up with a lag in official measures of inflation.
Going back to figure 6, outside of housing, core services inflation, the dark orange line, has eased only a bit over the past year, held up by persistent inflation in restaurant meals, airline fares, and financial fees. Notably, goods prices outside of food and energy, the blue line, have increased recently after a period of decline associated with the resolution of pandemic-related supply disruptions. The recent rise in core goods prices may partly reflect sellers’ anticipation that tariff increases could raise the cost of supplies.
Tariff increases typically result in an increase in the level of prices for the affected goods, which temporarily pushes up the overall inflation rate. But what matters for monetary policy would be a persistent boost to inflation. I am carefully watching various channels through which tariff effects could have more widespread implications for prices. Tariffs on steel and aluminum have already raised prices for those manufacturing inputs. As those cost increases work their way through the manufacturing process, they could boost prices of a range of goods over time. In the motor vehicle industry, those indirect effects, as well as direct tariffs on vehicles, could raise prices for new cars. That in turn could feed through to prices for used cars. And, as seen in recent years, higher prices for motor vehicles could, with a lag, raise costs for related services, such as rentals, insurance, and car repair.
Inflation expectations are another channel through which tariffs could affect inflation over time. Figure 7 shows the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers inflation expectation readings. It shows a large increase in one-year inflation expectations, the blue line, which is consistent with the cost of tariffs being largely passed through to prices. Indeed, many respondents mentioned tariffs as the reason for that rise. Moreover, businesses, including contacts in the Beige Book, also report that they expect to pass on the costs of tariffs to their customers. More worrisome is the uptick in longer-term inflation expectations, the dark orange line, which may be influenced by tariff concerns or the slow pace of disinflation.
However, I look at several measures of inflation expectations, including those derived from financial markets, shown in figure 8. Those measures show a significant rise in inflation compensation for this year, the blue line. However, reassuringly, there has been little increase in inflation compensation over the five years starting five years from now, the dark orange line. It will be important to watch closely those indicators of longer-term inflation expectations. If they were to rise substantially, it may become more difficult to keep actual inflation on a path back toward our 2 percent goal.
Labor MarketNow let’s examine something I am sure some soon-to-be graduates here are monitoring: the labor market. Currently, the labor market does not appear to be a significant source of inflation pressure, as wage growth has continued to moderate. Looking at figure 9, you can see the Labor Department’s employment cost index report showed that wages and salaries for private-sector workers rose at a 3.6 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter. After rising during the post-pandemic recovery, wage growth has moved closer to a level consistent with moderate inflation. Moreover, the wage premium for job switchers over those staying in their jobs, a substantial contributor to wage growth early in the pandemic recovery, has largely disappeared, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Notably, wage gains continue to outpace inflation, consistent with other measures showing that the labor market remains in a solid position.
After a long period of normalization that began in 2022, the labor market appears to have stabilized since last summer. While hiring has slowed, layoffs continue to be low overall. The unemployment rate, at 4.1 percent in February, remains historically low. Looking at figure 10, you can see that the rate has held in a narrow range between 3.9 and 4.2 percent for the past year. Economists sometimes call the unemployment rate the U-3 series, as it is one of several measures of labor market slack. Employers added 200,000 jobs per month in the three months through February, a solid pace of job creation, although it is down from its post-pandemic peaks. Recent data show the labor market to be balanced. Take a look at figure 11. It shows the number of available jobs is about equal to the number of available workers. You can see that is much different from 2022, when vacancies were high relative to people looking for work. We will learn more details about the labor market tomorrow, when the March jobs report is released.
Looking beyond the headline labor market data, recent signals of softness have emerged and should be monitored. Figure 12 shows the number of workers with part-time jobs who want full-time jobs. Economists say these people are working “part time for economic reasons.” The February jobs data showed a pickup in the number of workers in this category. This group is part of a broader measure of unemployment and underemployment, called the U-6 series. In addition, one measure of confidence in the labor market is the rate at which workers voluntarily quit their jobs. Take a look at figure 13. The quits rate was very high in 2022, when workers expected to be able to easily find a new job with higher wages. Now you can see that the quits rate has fallen to a more normal level. Consistent with that, surveys show that workers’ perceptions of job availability have declined. Both measures are now below their levels from 2018 and 2019, before the pandemic, when the labor market was very strong.
We are also beginning to see ripples from cuts to federal jobs and funding. These cuts have affected federal workers across the entire country. Also affected are government contractors and universities, who have announced layoffs or hiring freezes amid cuts and pauses in federal research grants. Although the number of layoffs so far has been modest, the news and uncertainty have raised concerns about job security for households and consumer demand for businesses, as is evident in the Michigan survey and the Beige Book. The Federal Reserve produces the Beige Book before every FOMC meeting, and it provides a timely, useful narrative about the economy from all 12 districts to accompany the multitude of data we receive prior to FOMC meetings. This is recommended reading for all econ majors and anyone else interested in economic activity throughout the country.
Economic ActivityOverall, the U.S. economy entered the year in a solid position. Real GDP rose at a 2.4 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter of last year, extending a period of steady growth. Robust income growth and the wealth effect from several years of strong increases in asset prices boosted consumer outlays.
Data show that personal consumption spending slowed in the first two months of this year. Although some of the reduction in spending may be due to unseasonably bad weather, consumers appear to have less of a financial cushion now than in recent years, and they are more pessimistic about their labor-market and income prospects.
Businesses say that heightened uncertainty due to trade and other policies has hurt their plans for hiring and investment. Figure 14 shows a sizable increase in firms mentioning trade policy uncertainty on earnings calls in recent months. Some businesses, especially in construction, agriculture, senior care, and food services, are also concerned that a slowdown in immigration will reduce labor supply. In addition to survey data, businesses have expressed uncertainty in their forecasts, on earnings calls, and in other anecdotal reports.
Currently, my baseline forecast is that U.S. economic growth will slow moderately this year, with the unemployment rate picking up a bit, while inflation progress will stall in the near term, in part because of tariffs and other policy changes. Elevated and rising uncertainty, however, means that I am very attentive to scenarios that could be quite different from my baseline. It is possible that new policies could prove to be minimally disruptive and consumer demand could remain resilient, and overall growth may be stronger than anticipated. However, I currently place more weight on scenarios where risks are skewed to the upside for inflation and to the downside for growth. Such scenarios, with higher initial inflation and slower growth, could pose challenges for monetary policy.
Monetary Policy at a Time of UncertaintyNow that I have explained my economic outlook, I would like to explore an important question at this moment: How should monetary policy be conducted during a time of heightened uncertainty? I believe one useful guide is the framework on optimal monetary policy decision making under uncertainty described by former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke in 2007.6 He saw three areas of uncertainty relevant for policymakers:

The current state of the economy.
The structure of the economy.
The way in which private agents form expectations about future economic developments and policy actions.

Let us take those one by one.
So how do I seek clarity on the current state of the economy? As I have said since I first joined the Federal Reserve Board nearly three years ago, I think it is important to look at a wide range of data in judging the economy. Certainly, the key monthly and quarterly economic data releases are the gold standard, but I also find useful information in real-time data, surveys, and contacts with participants in the economy.
During the pandemic, the economic effects of widespread shutdowns were quickly seen in real-time data from unconventional sources, including Google mobility data, Open Table reservations, and social media metrics. More recently, the sharp rise in uncertainty—and some of the implications—can be seen in timely information from affected businesses. For instance, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia conducts a survey of manufacturing firms in its District. In figure 15, you can see that those firms report a significant rise so far this year in the prices they are paying for inputs and in the prices they expect to charge for their products. Turning to figure 16, those firms report that current manufacturing activity was boosted in January—the spike in the orange line—in part as firms built up inventories ahead of expected trade policy changes. Activity then slowed, and their expectations of future activity have eased as well.
What about a second source of uncertainty—the structure of the economy? One aspect of that is how demand in the economy responds to changes in the Fed’s policy rate. A way of judging those changes is by looking at financial conditions more broadly. Among the data series that matter for decisions of consumers and businesses are mortgage rates, other long-term interest rates, equity prices, and the foreign exchange value of the dollar. Using those variables, Fed staff have constructed an index of overall financial conditions, called FCI-G. You can see that in figure 17. That index showed financial conditions easing notably (becoming a tailwind to GDP growth) in 2020 and into 2021 as the Fed eased policy in response to the economic fallout from the pandemic and then tightening sharply in 2022 along with higher Fed policy rates. Over the past two years, overall financial conditions have eased modestly amid a strong stock market and moderation in long-term interest rates as inflation came down. Currently, the FCI-G index shows financial conditions to be about neutral for GDP growth in the coming year.
What about uncertainty related to how private agents form expectations about future economic developments and policy actions as a source of uncertainty? Currently, I believe this is the primary source of uncertainty. Even before yesterday’s larger than expected announcements on trade policy, businesses and consumers reported a high degree of uncertainty about current and future trade policy actions, and—as I discussed—surveys generally show increased expectations of inflation, at least for the coming year.
What could be the effects of that uncertainty, and what should be the monetary policy response? Tariff-related price increases and rising inflation expectations could argue for maintaining a restrictive stance for longer to reduce the risk of unanchored inflation expectations. But these price increases also lower disposable personal income, which could lead to lower consumer spending. And the uncertainty related to tariffs, by stalling hiring and investment, could generate a negative growth impulse to the economy and a weaker labor market.
Amid growing uncertainty and risks to both sides of our dual mandate, I believe it will be appropriate to maintain the policy rate at its current level while continuing to vigilantly monitor developments that could change the outlook.
Monetary policy is still moderately restrictive, though less so than before our rate cuts last year, which totaled 1 percentage point. Over time, if uncertainty clears and we see further progress on inflation toward our 2 percent target, it will likely be appropriate to lower the policy rate to reduce the degree of monetary policy restriction. I could imagine scenarios where rates could be held at current levels longer or eased faster based on the evolution of inflation and unemployment. For now, we can afford to be patient but attentive. I believe that policy is well situated to respond to developments, and I am continuously updating my outlook as matters evolve.
ConclusionAs I conclude, I will reiterate the economy has been through an extraordinary period, since the onset of the pandemic, that has posed significant challenges for monetary policymakers. It is encouraging that inflation has moderated, albeit to a rate above our 2 percent target, while the labor market and broader economy remain solid. It appears that the economy, for the moment, has entered a period of uncertainty. I will repeat that I believe that current monetary policy is well positioned to respond to coming economic developments, and I will be watching those developments carefully.
Thank you again for hosting me here at Pitt. It has been an honor to deliver the McKay lecture, and I look forward to continuing our conversation.

1. The views expressed here are my own and not necessarily those of my colleagues on the Federal Open Market Committee. Return to text
2. Alan Greenspan (1994), “Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress,” testimony before the Subcommittee on Economic Growth and Credit Formation of the Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives, February 22. Return to text
3. This is the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index. Return to text
4. See David Autor, Arindrajit Dube, and Annie McGrew (2023), “The Unexpected Compression: Competition at Work in the Low Wage Labor Market,” NBER Working Paper Series 31010 (Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research, March; revised May 2024). Return to text
5. See Lisa D. Cook (2024), “Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and the Path Ahead for Productivity,” speech delivered at “Technology-Enabled Disruption: Implications of AI, Big Data, and Remote Work,” a conference organized by the Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta, Boston, and Richmond, Atlanta, October 1; Lisa D. Cook (2024), “What Will Artificial Intelligence Mean for America’s Workers?” speech delivered at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, September 26. Return to text
6. See Ben S. Bernanke (2007), “Monetary Policy under Uncertainty,” speech delivered at the 32nd Annual Economic Policy Conference, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (via videoconference), October 19. Return to text

MIL OSI USA News –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Leader of International Ponzi Scheme Targeting Indonesian-American Community Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendant Defrauded Hundreds of Victims in Three Countries and More than 30 States Who Invested More than $24.5 Million in Sham Loan Programs

Earlier today, at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Francius Marganda was sentenced by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry to 18 years’ imprisonment for running a $24.5 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of predominantly Indonesian and Indo-American victim investors. Marganda, an Indonesian national, led the scheme until it unraveled in 2021 and he fled the United States. Marganda was extradited to the United States from Singapore in November 2023 and pleaded guilty to securities fraud in July 2024. As part of his sentence, Marganda was ordered to pay $8.5 million in restitution and $7.5 million in forfeiture.

John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), announced the sentence.

“Marganda’s attempt to evade justice by fleeing halfway across the world to hide in fancy hotels was futile, as he found out today in a federal courtroom in Brooklyn,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “No matter how far defendants may flee, this Office and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to make sure they are brought to justice. It is my hope that this prosecution will bring some measure of relief to the victims of Marganda’s fraud, who trusted him with their life savings because of their shared nationality and were cruelly exploited by him.”

Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, particularly the DOJ Attachés based in Manila and Bangkok; law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, including the FBI’s Legal Attaché, the HSI Attaché, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Overseas Criminal Investigations Office; and Singaporean authorities, particularly the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers, for their assistance with Marganda’s arrest and extradition to the United States. Mr. Durham also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, Fort Worth Regional Office; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York; the Federal Trade Commission; the New York State Attorney General’s Office; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the New York County District Attorney’s Office; the Queens County District Attorney’s Office; the New York City Police Department; the Westford Police Department, Westford, Massachusetts; the Richfield Police Department, Richfield, Minnesota; and the Lexington Police Department, Lexington, South Carolina, for their assistance in this matter.

Francius Marganda financially crippled hundreds of victims after collectively stealing millions of dollars to fund his personal lifestyle,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “The defendant enticed prospective investors across the globe with empty promises of guaranteed returns from his illegitimate companies, and subsequently created an alias to flee the country when his web of lies unraveled. The FBI will continue to pursue any individual who exploits others through fraudulent means, regardless of where they may hide.”

HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso stated: “Francius Marganda’s heartless scheme caused irreparable emotional, psychological, and in some cases even physical damage to many of his more than 200 victims. Marganda swindled the innocent, well-meaning public out of over $23 million, and then fled the country as his shameless conspiracy crumbled. Marganda left hardworking families without money they desperately needed for crucial, life-altering expenses — among them, cancer treatments, medical procedures, and college tuition — and with no opportunities to recoup their lost savings. While no amount of prison time can make up for the irreversible pain Marganda and his co-conspirators have caused, we are thankful to the special agents and officers from HSI’s El Dorado Task Force, together with the FBI and the Eastern District of New York, for securing whatever justice possible on behalf of his victims.”

From May 2019 to May 2021, while residing in New York after overstaying his visa, Marganda orchestrated a scheme to defraud investors by soliciting investments in two sham programs called Easy Transfer and Global Transfer, which Marganda and his co-conspirators falsely represented were short-term, high-interest loan programs in which investors would earn passive income. Marganda and his co-conspirators promised rates of return as high as 200% or more. On a near-daily basis, multiple investors were deceived into signing investment contracts.

Marganda and his co-conspirators misappropriated the invested funds for their own benefit, including by buying real estate and luxury goods, and paying off credit card bills. They also laundered proceeds into their bank accounts. As an example, more than $3.8 million in scheme proceeds was transferred into just one of Marganda’s personal accounts over the course of 11 months, and more than $264,000 in proceeds in the account was used to pay off his credit card bills.

The Ponzi scheme ultimately collapsed in May 2021, when Marganda and his co-conspirators stopped making payments to investors. Marganda fled the United States, obtained an Indonesian passport under a fake name, and used the scheme funds to pay for lavish stays in luxury hotels around the world, including in France, the Maldives, Nepal, and Thailand, until he was apprehended abroad and extradited to the Eastern District of New York.

To date, 237 victims, ranging in age from 24 to 84, have identified losses of more than $24.5 million because of the defendant’s scheme. The victims reside in the District of Columbia and at least 31 states, including New York, as well as in Indonesia and Malaysia. Many of the victims had limited means and had pooled their resources with relatives and friends to make investments in U.S. dollars and Indonesian rupiah.

Judge Irizarry considered statements prepared by dozens of victims in connection with the sentencing hearing held earlier today. Many reported that, as a result of the defendant’s conduct, they declared bankruptcy or lost nearly all of their savings. Because of the financial loss, one victim struggled to pay for a family member’s chemotherapy, while another struggled to pay for medical expenses associated with a family member’s Stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis. One victim lacked the funds to travel and pay respects after both of the victim’s parents died. Multiple victims suffered other serious losses and hardships.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Victor Zapana and Laura Zuckerwise are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Kavya Kannan.

The Defendant:

FRANCIUS MARGANDA
Age: 42
Jakarta, Indonesia and formerly of Queens, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-481 (DLI)

MIL Security OSI –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Indictment Unsealed Charging Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme at Prichard Water Board

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

According to the indictment unsealed today, Nia Bradley, 50, of Mobile, Alabama; Randy Burden, 47, of Prichard, Alabama; Steve Jones, 61, of Mobile, Alabama; Larry Knight, 35, of Mobile, Alabama; Dejuan Lamar, 47, of Mobile, Alabama; Ayanna Payton, 47, of Eight Mile, Alabama; and Stephanie Hunn, 49, of Mobile, Alabama, were charged with various federal crimes listed below. Payton and Hunn previously pleaded guilty to all charges against them and are awaiting sentencing. Their proceedings were sealed in light of the ongoing investigation which led to charges recently filed against Bradley, Burden, Jones, Knight, and Lamar. Each of the defendants face potential sentences of decades in prison.

The Grand Jury returned an indictment alleging the following scheme: starting as early as 2018 through 2022, the defendants bilked the Prichard Water Board of at least approximately $2.4 million dollars through a false and fraudulent contractor scheme involving outside contractors and employees and board members of the Prichard Water Board. Approximately $960,000 of the money was illegally laundered, including through a business owned and operated by Bradley and Burden.

The Prichard Water Board provides water and sewer services to approximately 8,000 residential and 2,000 commercial clients and is funded by customer payments and also through a $55 million bond it secured in 2019. The indictment alleges that the criminal scheme involved the creation of a fictitious business by Hunn and the creation of false invoices to justify unlawful payments to Hunn, Jones, Knight, and Lamar. Bradley and Burden, who were employees of the Prichard Water Board, allegedly falsified payment authorizations and received kick-back payments and other benefits.

Payton and another uncharged co-conspirator served on the board of the Prichard Water Board where they are alleged to have falsified payment authorizations and received kick-back payments and other benefits for their roles. Several of the conspirators communicated through coded messages and destroyed evidence to attempt to avoid detection of the crimes, according to the indictment. Bradley, Payton, Hunn, and Jones committed tax fraud to avoid revealing the criminal scheme and to avoid paying taxes to the United States. Through its criminal cases, the United States is seeking money judgments in the amounts of approximately $2,459,279.39, $960,851.41, and $302,134.90, as well as the forfeiture of three real properties which were purchased using fraud proceeds and involved in the money laundering scheme.

Nia Bradley is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Bank, and Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Defraud the United States (Taxes); Money Laundering Conspiracy; Wire Fraud; Bank Fraud; and related tax charges.

Randy Burden is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Bank, and Wire Fraud; Money Laundering Conspiracy; and Bank Fraud.

Steve Jones is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Bank, and Wire Fraud; Money Laundering Conspiracy; Bank Fraud; and filing false tax returns.

Larry Knight and Dejuan Lamar are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Bank, and Wire Fraud and Bank Fraud.

Ayanna Payton and Stephanie Hunn have pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Bank, and Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Defraud the United States (Taxes); Wire Fraud; Bank Fraud; and False Tax Filings and both women are awaiting sentencing.

“The taxpayers of the Southern District of Alabama deserve to be able to rely on competent, honest public servants,” said United States Attorney Sean P. Costello. “This indictment is the result of careful, thorough, and meticulous investigation. Together with our partners in law enforcement, we will continue our efforts to protect the taxpayers and hold accountable thieves who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of our community.”

“Fraud and theft by government employees from the very people they are put in place to serve will not be tolerated,” said FBI Mobile Division Supervisory Special Agent Parker Still. “This investigation is another example of law enforcement cooperation between federal, state and local entities to ensure people have trust in their public works.”

“Corrupt public officials waste government resources and diminish the trust citizens place in their government to provide the essential services they expect,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will continue investigating and forwarding for prosecution those who disregard the public trust by misusing taxpayers’ funds to enrich themselves and their coconspirators.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains steadfast in our commitment to protect the nation’s mail system from illegal use,” said Shameka Jackson, Acting Postal Inspector in Charge of the Houston Division. “With the collaborative investigative efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, we will continue to work together to bring to justice those who abuse the trust given to them by the American people.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and United States Postal Inspection Service, investigated the case with assistance from the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Bishop Ravenel and Kasee S. Heisterhagen are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

An indictment or information is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

MIL Security OSI –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: World Affairs Briefing: World considers response to Trump’s tariffs – and Israel launches new Gaza offensive

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sam Phelps, Commissioning Editor, International Affairs

This article was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email newsletter. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.

Donald Trump has announced a massive package of trade tariffs on some of America’s largest trading partners. In a speech on the White House lawn, Trump said that America had been “looted, pillaged and raped” by these countries for decades, adding that “in many cases, the friend is worse than the foe”.

Trump claims that April 2, which he has called “liberation day”, will “forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn”. The tariffs include 20% on imports from the EU, 24% on those from Japan, 27% for India, and 34% for China. The UK got off comparatively lightly, with tariffs of 10%.

Renaud Foucart, a senior lecturer in economics at Lancaster University, explores how the world may react. In his view, there are three possible scenarios.

Read more:
How the UK and Europe could respond to Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffs

First, countries may seek to forge trade deals with the US that, as Foucart puts it, “give Trump enough rope to climb down”. This is the approach favoured by British prime minister Keir Starmer. But it does send the message that the US can obtain concessions from its international partners by bullying them.

Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

Second, countries may retaliate. Whether through reciprocal tariffs or tools like the European Commission’s “anti-coercion instrument”, the goal will be to force the US to back down. If this scenario plays out, new modelling by Niven Winchester of Auckland University of Technology suggests it is probably the US that stands to lose the most, while some countries may actually gain.

Read more:
New modelling reveals full impact of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs – with the US hit hardest

Third, in what is the most dramatic scenario, we may see a reorganisation of the world order that more or less avoids the US. This would take the world to uncharted economic and political territories.

A renewed offensive

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have announced a major expansion of military operations in Gaza. In a statement released on Wednesday, Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said that “troops will move to clear areas of terrorists and infrastructure, and seize extensive territory that will be added to the state of Israel’s security areas”.

The country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, later confirmed the plans. In a video message, he announced that Israel would be building a new security corridor called the “Morag Route” to “divide up” the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu says carving Gaza will add pressure on Hamas to return the remaining 59 hostages.

We spoke to Scott Lucas, a Middle East expert at University College Dublin and a regular contributor to our coverage of the war in Gaza, about Israel’s renewed offensive and some of the other key issues involved.

In his view, the resumption of the ground offensive in Gaza was largely inevitable once Netanyahu’s government refused to move from phase one of the ceasefire to phase two. The second phase would have involved the establishment of a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli military withdrawal. This, as Lucas explains, was never going to be agreed by Netanyahu.

“Beyond his personal opposition to the requisite Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, powerful hard-right ministers in his government had made clear that their acceptance of phase one was conditioned on no phase two and on a return to military operations,” Lucas writes. Netanyahu’s political survival depends on the continuation of the war.

Read more:
Why is Israel expanding its offensive in Gaza and what does it mean for the Middle East? Expert Q&A

But according to Leonie Fleischmann, a senior lecturer in international politics at City St George’s, University of London, the decision to launch another ground offensive in Gaza remains a high-risk strategy.

Netanyahu is already unpopular among many Israeli citizens, as is the continued assault on Gaza. And his recent attempts to bend Israel’s legal system to his will by pushing through a law that would give the government the power to appoint new members of the supreme court have certainly not endeared him to many.

The move has the potential to undermine the country’s system of checks and balances which, as in many western democracies, rests largely on the separation of powers. But in Fleischmann’s view, it was not unexpected.

Netanyahu has done anything he can to try to gain control of the country’s judiciary over the past few years. He was charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in 2019, which he denies, and has consistently sought to delay legal proceedings.

It remains to be seen whether pressure from the Israeli public can check Netanyahu’s power. Widespread unrest over the weekend caused Netanyahu to pause plans for judicial reform, though he has maintained that the overhaul is still needed.

Read more:
As Israel begins another assault in Gaza, Netanyahu is fighting his own war against the country’s legal system

Elsewhere, we have reported on the recent endorsement of Trump’s policies by Aleksandr Dugin, who is sometimes referred to as “Putin’s brain” because of his ideological influence on Russian politics.

“Trumpists and the followers of Trump will understand much better what Russia is, who Putin is and the motivations of our politics,” Dugin said in an interview with CNN on March 30.

His endorsement should be a warning of the disruptive nature of the Trump White House, says Kevin Riehle of Brunel University of London.

Read more:
‘Putin’s brain’: Aleksandr Dugin, the Russian ultra-nationalist who has endorsed Donald Trump

And China may be making preparations for an invasion of Taiwan. As naval history expert Matthew Heaslip of the University of Portsmouth reports, a handful of so-called Shuiqiao barges were filmed at a beach in China’s Guangdong province in March.

The barges, the name of which translates to “water bridge”, were working together to form a relocatable bridge to enable the transfer of vehicles, supplies and people between ship and shore.

Heaslip points out that, as there is no obvious commercial role for such large vessels, the most likely purpose is for landing armed forces during amphibious operations. But, as he reassures in this piece, their appearance does not guarantee that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is imminent.

Read more:
What these new landing barges can tell us about China’s plans to invade Taiwan

There are reported to be three completed prototype landing barges ready for deployment and three under construction. This would offer just one or two beach bridges, which would be of minimal value in a major invasion.

World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

– ref. World Affairs Briefing: World considers response to Trump’s tariffs – and Israel launches new Gaza offensive – https://theconversation.com/world-affairs-briefing-world-considers-response-to-trumps-tariffs-and-israel-launches-new-gaza-offensive-253647

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: The Bridge Shelter Extended
Source: Government of Canada regional news

The Province is extending its lease for The Bridge, an innovative integrated services shelter with on-site health support in Dartmouth.

“This is a powerful example of government and community partners coming together to support vulnerable Nova Scotians,” said Scott Armstrong, Minister of Opportunities and Social Development. “The Bridge offers more than just immediate shelter – it provides a pathway to stable housing. The success of this model shows that with the right support, people can move from crisis to stability.”

The Bridge is a collaborative initiative of the departments of Opportunities and Social Development, Health and Wellness and Seniors and Long-Term Care; the Office of Addictions and Mental Health; Nova Scotia Health; and service providers Adsum for Women and Children and Welcome Housing & Support Services.

Since opening on May 1, 2023, The Bridge has provided shelter for more than 400 people experiencing housing insecurity. Ninety-eight people have advanced to housing options, which include a mix of private, non-profit and public housing. It has also reduced emergency department visits and long-term hospital stays, with more than 6,300 visits to the on-site health clinic in the past two years.

Residents have access to housing support and a range of health services, including an occupational therapist, continuing care co-ordinator, VON, the Mobile Outreach Street Health clinic, and mental health and addictions counsellors.

The new five-year lease for the property on Wyse Road runs from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2030. The length of this renewed agreement ensures the space can adapt to evolving community need.

Opportunities and Social Development is providing $23.9 million for the lease extension and operational funding including service providers, security and food.

Quotes:

“Government is working together across departments and with its partners to do things differently and help those in need in our community. The Bridge is an innovative approach that offers people experiencing homelessness a safe place to recuperate when they’re well enough to be released from the hospital so they can fully recover and transition to permanent housing.”
— Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness

Quick Facts:
- The Bridge is part of Nova Scotia’s first supportive housing approach, combining rental or housing assistance with flexible, voluntary support services for people and families at risk of or experiencing housing insecurity
- there are now 590 shelter beds across the province, including 442 in Halifax Regional Municipality
- non-healthcare referrals to The Bridge will continue to be managed by Adsum for Women and Children, and housing support services will continue to be provided by Welcome Housing & Support Services
- the Province is investing $26.1 million in The Bridge, including $23.9 million from Opportunities and Social Development and $2.2 million from Health and Wellness, to support operations, service providers and on-site healthcare
Additional Resources:

News release – The Bridge Integrated Services Shelter Extended: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/03/07/bridge-integrated-services-shelter-extended

News release – New Healthcare Initiative a First in Atlantic Canada: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2023/04/21/new-healthcare-initiative-first-atlantic-canada-0

MIL OSI Canada News –
April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Guthrie, Vice Chairman Joyce, and Energy and Commerce Republicans Introduce Legislation to Stop California EV Mandates

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce (PA-13), Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23), and Congressman John James (MI-10), along with Members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, California Republicans, and Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, introduced three Congressional Review Act resolutions that would undo harmful rules created under President Biden’s EPA. These three Congressional Review Act resolutions would reverse radical regulations that established a de facto ban on the use of gas-powered vehicles, heavy trucks, and diesel engines over the next decade.

“The American people should choose what vehicle is right for them, not California bureaucrats. By submitting the three California waivers to Congress, Administrator Zeldin is ensuring that Congress has oversight of these major rules that impact every American,”said Chairman Guthrie. “The Committee has been committed to addressing this issue since California first attempted to create a de facto EV mandate. Energy and Commerce Republicans will continue to fight against far-left policies that would harm consumers and will now work to ensure that the Congressional Review Act process finally puts these issues to rest. Thank you to Congressman Joyce, Congressman Obernolte, and Congressman James for your work to ensure that families and businesses can continue to choose the vehicles they need.”

“Since arriving in Washington, I have fought to protect consumer freedom and allow American families to choose the vehicle that best fits their budget and needs,”said Vice Chairman John Joyce, M.D.“The introduction of this resolution to overturn California’s ban on gas-powered vehicles is long overdue. Thank you to Chairman Guthrie and Chairman Capito for their leadership on this issue, and I look forward to seeing this legislation swiftly pass through Congress so President Trump can permanently protect the freedom of the open road for all Americans.”

“As a representative of California, I’ve seen firsthand how burdensome regulations from the California Air Resources Board have hurt businesses and hardworking Americans by imposing costly mandates instead of allowing the market to drive innovation,”said Congressman Obernolte.“Congress must exercise its oversight authority to ensure these policies do not become the national standard. It is critical we protect jobs, supply chains, and the ability of consumers to choose what is best for them and their families.”

“The Biden administration left behind comply-or-die Green New Deal mandates that threaten to crush our trucking industry and drive up costs for hardworking Americans,” said Congressman James. “I know — my family has a trucking company. Republicans are working hard to implement President Trump’s America First agenda, and the first step is repealing the rules and waivers that contributed to Bideninflation!”

“During the Biden administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allowed a series of stringent, environmentally charged regulations on vehicles that would effectively overhaul the marketplace and steer consumers toward purchasing electric vehicles,” said Congressman Fulcher. “I am honored to join my colleagues in introducing a legislative package to repeal these overreaching federal mandates and preserve consumer freedom and choice in the automotive and heavy-duty truck markets,”

“California’s sweeping and unachievable emissions mandates are a direct assault on everyone who lives, works, or does business in our state,” said Congressman LaMalfa. “These regulations drive up costs, limit consumer choice, and force trucking and automotive industries into an impossible transition timeline. Californians are already paying some of the highest fuel and energy costs in the country. These rules are causing the cost of new and used cars and trucks to increase for everyone. If you want to buy an electric vehicle, buy one, but everybody else shouldn’t be forced into this mandate. The Federal Government cannot allow one state to destroy the American car and truck market. Instead of making life even more expensive, we should focus on what consumers want. I’m pleased to support this effort to stop California’s insanity and protect drivers and consumers across my state and the country.”

“The Newsom Administration’s irrational plan to ban gas-powered cars and trucks is an affront to the freedom of Californians and an economic burden to the whole country,” said Congressman Kiley. “The Biden Administration aided and abetted this insanity with special waivers. With the Congressional Review Act resolutions introduced today, we have an opportunity to return to economic reality and restore common sense.”

“Biden’s EPA waivers effectively allowed one state’s woke agenda to dictate national policy. It’s not the government’s role to decide what vehicle Americans must drive,”said Chairwoman McClain.“These waivers bypass Congress and ignore millions of Americans who rely on affordable, reliable transportation. Instead, we should have a little more faith in the American people to choose what’s best for them. It’s time we end this regulatory overreach.”

Background:

Making these changes at a time when the United States is unprepared for a full transition to electric vehicles would have massive consequences for American communities. With states making up more than 40% of the auto market following California’s emissions standards, implementing Californias EV mandate would result in a nation-wide shift in the vehicles that are available for purchase, and in fact could lead to a shortage of the vehicles consumers need.

H.J. Res. 88, introduced by Congressman Joyce (PA-13), would reverse the EPA’s decision to approve a waiver granted to California allowing the State to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

H.R. Res. 89, introduced by Congressman Obernolte (CA-23), would put an end to the EPA’s decision to allow California to implement its most recent nitrogen oxide (NOx) engine emission standards, which create burdensome and unworkable standards for heavy-duty on-road engines.

H.J. Res. 87, introduced by Congressman James (MI-10), would reverse the EPA’s decision to approve a waiver granted to California allowing the State to mandate the sale of zero-emission trucks.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Hirono, Garamendi, Obernolte Lead Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Provide Construction Funding to Federally-Impacted School Districts

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and U.S. Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA) led 16 of their colleagues in introducing the Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act, legislation that would provide a total of $1 billion over four years for Impact Aid Construction Grants to address the significant backlog of facility needs at federally impacted school districts. In fiscal year 2024, Hawaii received $53.3 million through the U.S. Department of Education’s federal Impact Aid program.

Contact:

Elise Inouye: 202-770-7293 (Hirono)

Cameron Niven: 202-384-8625 (Garamendi)

Connor Chapinski: 202-225-5861 (Obernolte)

Hirono, Garamendi, Obernolte Lead Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Provide Construction Funding to Federally-Impacted School Districts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and U.S. Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA) led 16 of their colleagues in introducing the Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act, legislation that would provide a total of $1 billion over four years for Impact Aid Construction Grants to address the significant backlog of facility needs at federally impacted school districts. In fiscal year 2024, Hawaii received $53.3 million through the U.S. Department of Education’s federal Impact Aid program.

“Every child deserves to receive a quality education in a safe, suitable learning environment,” said Senator Hirono. “The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act would provide critical funding for over 1,000 school districts across the country to address their significant backlogs of construction, repair, and maintenance needs. Impact Aid is one of many critical programs administered by the Department of Education and this bill would strengthen this program to help ensure that federally impacted school districts have the funding they need to support millions of students as they learn and grow in our public schools.”

“This bill addresses long-overdue repair needs to ensure equitable access to quality education and safe learning environments for students across the country,” said Rep. Garamendi. “I am grateful to Senator Hirono for introducing this legislation in the Senate and for fighting for safe environments for teachers and students,” said Garamendi. Every child should have the opportunity to learn and excel in a safe environment. This legislation brings us closer to realizing that goal.”

“In California’s 23rd District, many of our schools serve military families and are located near federal lands that do not pay local tax and therefore reduce local tax revenues,” said Rep. Obernolte. “These schools face serious infrastructure challenges—from outdated buildings to limited capacity for critical upgrades. The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act is a vital step forward. It provides the resources and federal-local collaboration our schools need to modernize their facilities and create safe, effective learning environments for every student. I’m proud to help lead this legislation because it delivers real support to our communities and honors our commitment to military families and rural schools alike.”

The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act would ensure that federally impacted school districts have the resources needed to provide every student with a quality education and safe learning environment by authorizing $250,000,000 annually for four years for Impact Aid Construction Grants. Of this funding, 25% would be made available via formula funding to all eligible school districts. The Department of Education would disseminate the remaining 75% as competitive grants with priority for those school districts with acute emergencies in their facilities.

The federal Impact Aid program offers federal support for public school districts where federal activity has reduced the available tax base. As federal lands are tax exempt, including military installations, Indian treaty, trust, or Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and federal properties and facilities, federally impacted school districts have significantly less tax revenue and bonding capacity to meet their needs. Currently, Impact Aid supports over 1,100 school districts, totaling more than 10 million students.

“The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act is a crucial investment in the future of federally impacted school districts,” said Nicole Russell, Executive Director, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS). “Too many schools serving military-connected children, Native American students, and others affected by federal property face deteriorating facilities that undermine student achievement and make it difficult to recruit and retain teachers–and they lack the tax base to overcome these challenges due to the presence of nontaxable federal property. By addressing the extensive backlog of infrastructure needs, this legislation is an important step in leveling the playing field and ensuring every student has access to a safe, modern learning environment that supports their success.”

“2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the Impact Aid law, which recognized the Federal Government’s obligation to replace lost tax revenue in school districts with a federal presence by providing operational and minimal construction funding,” said Brent Gish, Executive Director, National Indian Impacted Schools Association (NIISA). “The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act would provide crucial funding to districts serving students residing on Indian land and those in military and federal property areas. These districts have very limited and sometimes no bonding capacity to construct new or renovate existing facilities and teacher housing. The growing backlog of need now exceeds $4 billion. It is our strong belief that in America, all children deserve a high-quality education in a safe and modern facility that supports innovative, culturally rich teaching. Quality facilities coupled with research-based instruction yields positive learning outcomes!”

“Schools around the country that receive Federal Impact Aid have a distinct disadvantage when it comes to raising funds for school construction,” said Kyle Fairbairn, Executive Director, Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA). “In a majority of states, the only way to build a school or do an extensive remodel is by passing a local bond issue supported by property taxes. In Impact Aid districts, these funds become the responsibility of local taxpayers because the federal government does not pay taxes on land it owns. This makes passing a bond issue very difficult, as it places a tremendous burden on taxpayers who do pay property taxes. The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act is a way to have the federal government help fund local schools, benefiting all taxpayers within an LEA.”

The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act is endorsed by National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS); National Indian Impacted Schools Association (NIISA); Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA); and Build America’s School Infrastructure Coalition (BASIC).

In the Senate, this legislation was cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Tina Smith (D-MN).

In the House, it was cosponsored by Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5), Don Davis (D-NC-1), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM-03), and Emily Randall (D-WA-06).

The full text of the legislation is available here.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Grothman, Beyer Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to End Taxpayer Subsidies for Professional Sports Stadiums

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

Today, Congressmen Glenn Grothman (R-WI) and Don Beyer (D-VA) introduced the No Tax Subsidies for Stadiums Act, a bill that will end taxpayer subsidies for the construction of professional sports stadiums. A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

“Congress is sometimes criticized for providing special tax breaks for wealthy individuals and when it comes to sports stadiums, it is true. We should no longer allow provisions that were intended to help local communities build infrastructure, like roads, be abused to help subsidize multi-billion dollar sports franchises and owners. Hardworking Americans should not be forced to finance billion-dollar sports stadiums,” said Grothman. “Sports infrastructure brings value to communities. But, just like most government programs, we must be intellectually honest and question the need for tax dollars to subsidize projects. If a billion-dollar stadium is worth the investment, the builder should seek those investments in the free market instead of demanding discounted rates courtesy of taxpayers.

“American taxpayers should not be forced to fund the building of sports stadiums for super-rich sports team owners,” said Beyer. “Billionaire owners who need cash can borrow from the market like any other business. Arguments that stadiums boost job creation have been repeatedly discredited. In a time when there is a debate over whether the country can ‘afford’ investments in health care, childcare, education, or fighting climate change, it is ridiculous to even contemplate such a radical misuse of publicly subsidized bonds.”

Background

Under current law, professional sports teams are allowed to finance stadium construction using tax-exempt municipal bonds, a provision originally intended to help local governments fund essential public infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals, and roads. This loophole has enabled wealthy sports franchises to benefit from taxpayer dollars, often with little measurable economic return to the surrounding communities.

Since 2000, 43 professional sports stadiums have been financed with tax-exempt municipal bonds, costing American taxpayers an estimated $4.3 billion in lost federal revenue.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two Millbourne Borough Officials and One Former Official Plead Guilty to Election Fraud Offenses

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that MD Nurul Hasan, 48, MD Munsur Ali, 48, and MD Rafikul Islam, 52, all of Millbourne, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to election fraud offenses, at separate hearings before United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III.

In February, the defendants were charged in a 33-count indictment with conspiracy to commit voter fraud, giving false information in registering to vote, and fraudulent voter registration, arising from their scheme, ultimately unsuccessful, to steal Millbourne Borough’s 2021 mayoral election for Hasan.

Hasan, the vice president of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all 33 charges against him — one count of conspiracy, 16 counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and 16 counts of fraudulent voter registration.

Ali, a member of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all 25 charges against him — one count of conspiracy, 12 counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and 12 counts of fraudulent voter registration.

Islam, a former member of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all seven charges against him — one count of conspiracy, three counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and three counts of fraudulent voter registration.

As set forth in court filings, in 2021, Millbourne held elections for mayor, three seats on its borough council, and tax collector. Defendant Hasan entered the majority party’s primary election for mayor.

The primary election was held on May 20, 2021, and Hasan was defeated in the primary by a vote count of approximately 138 to 120. In the same primary, Ali was one of three majority party candidates for borough council to advance to the general election, while Islam lost his bid for reelection to the council.

After the primary, Hasan decided that he would run as a write-in candidate for mayor in the general election, which was scheduled for November 2, 2021. Ali and Islam agreed to support Hasan in his write-in campaign.

As detailed in court documents and admitted by the defendants, in or about 2021, defendants Hasan, Ali, and Islam conspired and agreed with one another, and other persons known and unknown to the U.S. Attorney, to steal the 2021 general election for Mayor of Millbourne for defendant Hasan through a multi-step process, which included:

(a) obtaining personal identification information of non-Millbourne residents, such as their names, addresses, and dates of birth;

(b) using the personal identifying information to access the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s online voter registration (PAOVR) website and change the voter registration addresses for those non-Millbourne residents to locations within Millbourne;

(c) using the PAOVR website to request that mail-in or absentee ballots for those non-Millbourne residents be sent to addresses accessible by one or more of the defendants;

(d) retrieving the ballots from the Millbourne mailboxes;

(e) impersonating the voters and fraudulently casting write-in votes for defendant Hasan to be mayor;

(f) enclosing the fraudulently completed ballots in envelopes and forging the voters’ signatures on the envelopes; and

(g) submitting the ballots in their envelopes to the Delaware County Board of Elections.

The defendants admitted that, to further this conspiracy, they contacted friends and acquaintances whom Hasan and Ali knew did not live in Millbourne, told these non-Millbourne residents that Hasan was running for mayor in Millbourne, asked if they could register the non-Millbourne residents to vote in Millbourne, and then cast mail-in ballots for Hasan to be mayor.

Hasan and Ali persuaded many of their non-Millbourne friends and acquaintances to provide them with personal identification information so that defendants Hasan and Ali could register them to vote in Millbourne. During many of these conversations, Hasan and Ali told their non-Millbourne friends and acquaintances that they would not get in trouble, as long as they did not vote in another election in November 2021.

Hasan and Ali also conspired and agreed to use personal identifying information for other non-Millbourne residents, which the two defendants had obtained from other sources, such as Hasan’s business, to register those nonresidents as Millbourne voters without the knowledge of those non-residents.

Hasan personally did almost all of the fraudulent voter registrations himself, using a computer at his place of business to access the PAOVR website and change the voting addresses for non-Millbourne residents to locations within Millbourne. Every time that Hasan accessed the PAOVR website to change a voter registration address, he provided an email address for the voter. Many times, Hasan provided one of four email addresses that he used and accessed.

To divert suspicion from himself, however, Hasan sometimes provided email addresses belonging to other people, who knowingly and willfully permitted Hasan to use their email addresses to cover up Hasan’s actions. One of those people was Islam, who allowed Hasan to use two of Islam’s email addresses when Hasan fraudulently changed the voter registration addresses for six individuals. Islam also permitted Hasan to use two of Islam’s email addresses when requesting mail-in ballots for five non-Millbourne residents.

In total, the defendants conspired to falsely register nearly three dozen non-Millbourne residents as Millbourne voters and cast ballots for those non-Millbourne residents in the 2021 general election for mayor of Millbourne Borough. Hasan went on to lose the election by a vote of approximately 165 to 138.

“Protecting the integrity of our elections is crucial to ensuring a fair result, as well as the public’s continued trust in the process,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “That’s why these cases are a priority for my office and the FBI. Election fraud will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”

“Trust in the electoral process is the cornerstone of our democracy. When public officials betray that trust through fraud, they don’t just break the law — they erode confidence in the very institutions that uphold our system,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI is proud to stand with our partners in safeguarding the integrity of elections at every level of government.”

“This investigation exposed public officials who forgot that their role in a democracy is limited to accepting the voters’ choice. I applaud the hard work and partnership of the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI and my Special Investigations Unit led by Deputy DA Doug Rhoads. This investigation serves as a reminder that my Office remains committed to election integrity, ensuring that everyone’s vote is counted equally,” said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on June 18 and face maximum possible sentences of five years in prison for each of the charges to which they have pleaded guilty.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark B. Dubnoff.

MIL Security OSI –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Ashland Man of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Distribution of Methamphetamine

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

BILLINGS – A federal jury yesterday convicted an Ashland man of sexually abusing four women and distributing methamphetamine to two of them over a three-year period, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

After a two-day trial that began on March 31, the jury found the defendant, Stephen “Mutt” John Parker, 60, guilty of four counts of aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Parker faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life on each charge of sexual abuse, in addition to a fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of five years to life. For each meth charge, Parker faces zero to 20 years in prison, a fine of $1 million, and at least 3 years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The Court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for July 31, 2025. Parker was detained pending further proceedings.

“Parker preyed on women on the Northern Cheyenne reservation by plying some of them with drugs and alcohol, seeking to capitalize on their addiction to perpetrate violent sexual assaults. We are pleased with the jury’s verdict, which will help ensure the safety of women on the Northern Cheyenne community. I would like to thank the attorneys and staff in our office for their hard work on this case as well as the FBI agents who conducted the investigation.” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

The government alleged at trial and in court documents that from 2018 to 2021, Parker sexually abused six women after providing them with alcohol and illegal drugs. During one instance in 2018, he gave a victim food and a place to stay. Parker also provided her with alcohol and methamphetamine. During a party at his house, Parker threatened the victim with a stick before sexually abusing her. On another occasion, Parker distributed meth to a different victim. After hitting her with an ax handle, Parker sexually assaulted her. In other instances, Parker physically assaulted the victims, including punching one victim in the face multiple times, prior to sexually abusing them.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Northern Cheyenne Criminal Investigation Services.

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

XXX

MIL Security OSI –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Distribution Operation

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Charles Edward Scott, 31, of Damascus, Maryland, was sentenced to 156 months in prison for his leadership of a drug conspiracy that sold the drug “boot” in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Scott, also known as “Whop Whop,” led a group of people selling Eutylone, also known as “boot,” in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. Scott was storing large quantities of the drug and firearms in an apartment in Maryland, and with other known defendants, traveled to West Virginia to distribute. Scott has prior drug, firearms, and theft convictions.

Scott will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department; the Virginia State Police, Montgomery County; and Maryland State Attorney’s Office investigated.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.

Find the related cases here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/16-indicted-conspiracy-charges-boot-distribution-operation

MIL Security OSI –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How a lone judge can block a Trump order nationwide – and why, from DACA to DOGE, this judicial check on presidents’ power is shaping how the government works

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cassandra Burke Robertson, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics, Case Western Reserve University

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to limit judges’ power to issue what legal experts call ‘nationwide preliminary injunctions.’ Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

When presidents try to make big changes through executive orders, they often hit a roadblock: A single federal judge, whether located in Seattle or Miami or anywhere in between, can stop these policies across the entire country.

These court orders have increasingly become a political battleground, increasingly sought by both Republicans and Democrats to fight presidential policies they oppose.

This explains why the Trump administration recently asked the Supreme Court to limit judges’ power to issue what legal experts call “nationwide preliminary injunctions.” Congress also held hearings on curtailing judges’ ability to issue the injunctions.

But what exactly are these injunctions, and why do they matter to everyday Americans?

Immediate, irreparable harm

When the government creates a policy that might violate the Constitution or federal law, affected people can sue in federal court to stop it. While these lawsuits work their way through the courts – a process that often takes years – judges can issue what are called “preliminary injunctions” to temporarily pause the policy if they determine it might cause immediate, irreparable harm.

A “nationwide” injunction – sometimes called a “universal” injunction – goes further by stopping the policy for everyone across the country, not just for the people who filed the lawsuit.

Importantly, these injunctions are designed to be temporary. They merely preserve the status quo until courts can fully examine the case’s merits. But in practice, litigation proceeds so slowly that executive actions blocked by the courts often expire when successor administrations abandon the policies.

Legislation introduced by GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley would ban judges from issuing most nationwide injunctions.
Sen. Chuck Grassley office

More executive orders, more injunctions

Nationwide injunctions aren’t new, but several things have made them more contentious recently.

First, since a closely divided and polarized Congress rarely passes major legislation anymore, presidents rely more on executive orders to get substantive things done. This creates more opportunities to challenge presidential actions in court.

Second, lawyers who want to challenge these orders have gotten better at “judge shopping” – filing cases in districts where they’re likely to get judges who agree with their client’s views.

Third, with growing political division, both parties aim to use these injunctions more aggressively whenever the other party controls the White House.

Affecting real people

These legal fights have tangible consequences for millions of Americans.

Take DACA, the common name for the program formally called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which protects about 500,000 young immigrants from deportation. For more than 10 years, these young immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” have faced constant uncertainty.

That’s because, when President Barack Obama created DACA in 2012 and sought to expand it via executive order in 2015, a Texas judge blocked the expansion with a nationwide injunction. When Trump tried to end DACA, judges in California, New York and Washington, D.C. blocked that move. The program, and the legal challenges to it, continued under President Joe Biden. Now, the second Trump administration faces continued legal challenges over the constitutionality of the DACA program.

More recently, judges have used nationwide injunctions to block several Donald Trump policies. Three different courts stopped the president’s attempt to deny citizenship to babies born to mothers who lack legal permanent residency in the United States. Judges have also temporarily blocked Trump’s efforts to ban transgender people from serving in the military and to freeze some federal funding for a variety of programs.

While much of the current debate focuses on presidential policies, nationwide injunctions have also blocked congressional legislation.

The Corporate Transparency Act, passed in 2021 and originally scheduled to go into effect in 2024, combats financial crimes by requiring businesses to disclose their true owners to the government. A Texas judge blocked this law in 2024 after gun stores challenged it.

In early 2025, the Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect, but the Trump administration announced it simply wouldn’t enforce it – showing how these legal battles can become political power struggles.

A polarized Congress rarely passes major legislation anymore, so presidents – including Donald Trump – have relied on executive orders to get things done.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Too much power or necessary protection?

Some critics say nationwide injunctions give too much power to a single judge. If lawyers can pick which judges hear their cases, this raises serious questions about fairness.

Supporters argue that these injunctions protect important rights. For example, without nationwide injunctions in the citizenship cases, babies born to mothers without legal permanent residency would be American citizens in some states but not others – an impossible situation.

Congress is considering legislation to limit judges’ ability to grant nationwide injunctions.

The Trump administration has also tried to make it expensive and difficult to challenge its policies in court. In March 2025, Trump ordered government lawyers to demand large cash deposits – called “security bonds” – from anyone seeking an injunction. Though these bonds are already part of existing court rules, judges usually set them at just a few hundred dollars or waive them entirely when people raise constitutional concerns.

Under the new policy, critics worry that “plaintiffs who sue the government could be forced to put up enormous sums of money in order to proceed with their cases.”

Another way to address the concerns about a single judge blocking government action would be to require a three-judge panel to hear cases involving nationwide injunctions, requiring at least two of them to agree. This is similar to how courts handled major civil rights cases in the 1950s and 1960s.

My research on this topic suggests that three judges working together would be less likely to make partisan decisions, while still being able to protect constitutional rights when necessary. Today’s technology also makes it easier for judges in different locations to work together than it was decades ago.

As the Supreme Court weighs in on this debate, the outcome will affect how presidents can implement policies and how much power individual judges have to stop them. Though it might seem like a technical legal issue, it will shape how government works for years to come – as well as the lives of those who live in the U.S.

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

– ref. How a lone judge can block a Trump order nationwide – and why, from DACA to DOGE, this judicial check on presidents’ power is shaping how the government works – https://theconversation.com/how-a-lone-judge-can-block-a-trump-order-nationwide-and-why-from-daca-to-doge-this-judicial-check-on-presidents-power-is-shaping-how-the-government-works-252556

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Myanmar: UN chief calls for urgent access as quake toll mounts

Source: United Nations 2

By Vibhu Mishra

3 April 2025 Humanitarian Aid

The UN chief on Thursday called for immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to Myanmar, where last week’s devastating earthquakes claimed over 3,000 lives and left millions in urgent need of aid.

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the earthquake has “supercharged the suffering”.

“Myanmar today is the scene of utter devastation and desperation,” he said.

He emphasised that even before the disaster, the country was grappling with political turmoil, human rights abuses and a worsening humanitarian situation.

“We need rapid action on several fronts,” he said.

Millions in desperate need

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 17 million people have been affected by the earthquakes, with nearly nine million experiencing the highest level of devastation.

Over 370 people remain missing, while thousands of others are injured. Telecommunications, power, and water supply systems have collapsed in the hardest-hit regions, leaving survivors without basic necessities and humanitarians struggling to reach them.

Road access between Yangon and central Myanmar requires detours, delaying aid deliveries, while commercial flights to Mandalay remain suspended.

“The hardest-hit areas remain without electricity and water, while telecommunications and internet access are severely disrupted, cutting off affected communities from essential services,” OCHA said in a flash update.

Meanwhile, entire families, including children, are sleeping in the open due to fears of aftershocks or because their homes have been destroyed.

Makeshift shelters are overcrowded and lack security and privacy, increasing the risk of sexual- and gender-based violence, UN agencies warn, calling for urgent measures to ensure safety and dignity of women and girls.

UN mobilizing support

Mr. Guterres announced that he is dispatching UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher to Myanmar to oversee relief operations.

“He will be on the ground tomorrow,” Mr. Guterres said, adding that Special Envoy Julie Bishop will visit Myanmar in the coming days to reinforce the UN’s commitment to peace and dialogue.

The UN has also allocated $5 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for immediate aid, while the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has mobilized $12 million for food, shelter, water, sanitation, debris removal and healthcare.

However, these funds fall far short of what is needed.

“I appeal to the international community to immediately step up vitally needed funding to match the scale of this crisis,” Mr. Guterres said.

© UNICEF/Nyan Zay Hte

A boy, with his sister beside him, sits on a piece of a collapsed wall of community hall in Mandalay. Thousands of families have lost their homes in the city in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

Call for unhindered access

One of the biggest obstacles to relief efforts is the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. The country has been in turmoil since the military overthrew the democratically elected government in 2021, leading to widespread violence and displacement.

While Myanmar’s military and armed opposition groups have announced temporary ceasefires to facilitate aid deliveries, Mr. Guterres stressed that these must translate into lasting peace.

“I appeal for rapid, safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to reach those most in need across the country,” he said, calling on all parties to uphold their obligations to protect civilians.

Monsoon risks

As humanitarian operations scale up, UN agencies have warned that time is running out. Initial assessments indicate that more than 76 per cent of those surveyed have yet to receive any assistance.

With the monsoon season approaching, the risk of disease outbreaks and further displacement looms large.

Return to democracy

Beyond immediate relief efforts, Mr. Guterres called for the earthquake response to serve as a turning point for Myanmar.

He called for the current tragic moment to become an opportunity for the people of Myanmar, appealing for a political process that includes an end to violence, the release of political prisoners and a pathway to democracy.

“As communities across Myanmar unite in grief, it is also time to unite behind a political solution to end the brutal conflict,” Mr. Guterres said.

In addition to restoring democracy, he stressed the need for a comprehensive solution that includes the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh.

“The United Nations will keep pushing for peace and lifesaving support for the people of Myanmar in their hour of need.”

MIL OSI United Nations News –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Cleveland City Council Member Sentenced to Prison

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

CLEVELAND – Basheer Jones, 40, of Cleveland, Ohio, has been sentenced to 28 months in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese, after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud by using his role as a public official for personal financial gain by seeking to defraud multiple community stakeholders out of more than $200,000. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $143,598.47 in restitution to local nonprofits.

According to court documents, from about December 2018 to June 2021, the former Cleveland city councilman for Ward 7 persuaded several local nonprofits to enter into arrangements that benefitted Jones and his romantic partner and co-conspirator. Jones sought and obtained funds from the nonprofits under the guise of working on projects to redevelop Ward 7. Throughout the scheme, he took steps to ensure that his personal connection to his romantic partner, through whom he benefited from these arrangements, was not discovered.

“Mr. Jones used his position to dishonestly line his pockets with tens of thousands of dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “He betrayed the city of Cleveland and its citizens, who elected him to serve as a leader in our community. With his deceptive actions, he also violated federal laws. Anyone who thinks they can use a public office to defraud nonprofits and obtain bribes will face consequences and pay the price for those decisions, and my office will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

The defendant’s schemes worked by convincing nonprofits to make payments toward projects they believed were for Ward 7 revitalization projects, including to buy real estate from purported third parties. Instead, the money went into bank accounts that his romantic partner controlled. Jones then instructed her to divert those funds to herself, to himself, and to others he chose.

Jones also convinced a nonprofit to make payments to an entity controlled by his co-conspiring partner, all while knowing that the funds would flow back to himself. Jones recommended that the nonprofit should hire a consultant for community outreach. Unbeknownst to the nonprofit, the consultant was actually Jones’s romantic partner. She submitted invoices to the unsuspecting nonprofit and was subsequently paid through her consulting business.

Jones later defrauded the same nonprofit out of an additional $50,000, again through his partner’s consulting business. Jones claimed that he needed $50,000 to plan a community event, which included buying backpacks for schoolchildren, and falsely promised that the city would reimburse the organization. Instead, after the funds were paid, no event was held, and Jones again directed his romantic partner to divide the money amongst herself, Jones, and others Jones chose.

“Public corruption at any level of government will not be tolerated. Jones abused his position of trust for personal gain while scheming against the people he was elected to serve, including non-profit entities and well-meaning leaders,” said FBI Cleveland Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Johnston. “Elected officials who demonstrate a reckless disregard for violating the oath they swore to uphold is detestable. Today’s sentence underscores the FBIs commitment to ensuring that those who engage in fraud and corruption will be investigated and held accountable. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to root out corruption and ensure elected officials are serving with honesty, fairness, and integrity.”

Some of the projects Jones pushed included seeking community funding to rehabilitate certain distressed properties while concealing his financial interest in them. In one instance, Jones devised a bribery scheme under which he arranged for co-conspirators, including his romantic partner, to acquire a dilapidated property on Superior Road, and used his position as councilperson to pass ordinances allocating city funds to buy that property from them. Jones arranged for a co-conspirator to buy the property a minimal cost. After asking a nonprofit to purchase and rehabilitate the property, and promising city funding, Jones sponsored an emergency ordinance to fund the nonprofit’s purchase and renovation of the property. When Jones was unable to convince the nonprofit to proceed, he arranged to transfer the property to his romantic partner’s consulting business, with the understanding that she would share the proceeds of the sale with him. After sponsoring another ordinance to reauthorize city funding for the same project, Jones sought to finalize the nonprofit’s purchase of the property from his partner’s entity for $80,000. Ultimately that scheme failed when the nonprofit decided not to proceed with the purchase.

However, Jones and his romantic partner did succeed in obtaining funds for the sale of a different property to another nonprofit. He misled them to believe that he was assisting with the acquisition of the property from the original owner. Instead, he was simultaneously arranging for his partner to acquire the property from the original owner in the name of another business entity, and then immediately to resell it to the nonprofit. Jones and his romantic partner arranged to purchase the property for only $1, promising to pay a $40,500 city demolition bill. But without paying that bill or disclosing it, Jones’s romantic partner immediately re-sold the property to the nonprofit for $45,000.

“Basheer Jones abused his position of trust by deliberately engaging in fraudulent schemes to divert HUD money – funds meant to improve the community— for his own personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement to investigate and hold accountable bad actors who exploit HUD-funded programs for their own benefit.”

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS – Criminal Investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Barnhill and Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report fraud, visit justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint.

MIL Security OSI –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin, Schumer, Democratic Senators Urge AG Bondi to Appoint a Special Counsel to Investigate Trump Administration Signal Chat National Security Breach

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
April 03, 2025
The Senators wrote: “These shockingly reckless breaches of security protocols for safeguarding sensitive and classified information clearly warrant an investigation into whether any of the government officials involved violated federal laws”
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services (SASC), Veterans’ Affairs (SVAC) and Foreign Relations (SFRC) Committees—joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and 28 Senate Democrats in sending a letter to U.S. Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi urging her to appoint a Special Counsel to thoroughly and impartially investigate whether any of the government officials involved in the Signal chat security breach violated federal criminal law. On March 24, The Atlantic’s editor in chief reported that President Trump’s National Security Advisor Michael Waltz had included him in a group text chain with several high-ranking national security officials where highly sensitive, classified or controlled information was shared and discussed over Signal—an unsecure commercial messaging app.
“In addition to the reckless inclusion of a journalist in the chat, we are deeply concerned about this serious breach in the proper handling of such information and deliberations,” the Senators wrote. “Appointment of a Special Counsel is appropriate where the Department may have a conflict of interest or extraordinary circumstances are present, a criminal investigation is warranted and it is in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to investigate the matter. Such circumstances are clearly present here.”
The Signal chat group started by Mr. Waltz included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, among at least 18 other high-ranking government officials. In addition to discussing the sensitive foreign policy implications of military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, these officials proceeded to discuss key operational information regarding the precise timing of the planned attacks, the types of military aircraft and munitions to be used and the targets and results of the strikes as they occurred. An unprecedented security breach of this magnitude involving top senior government officials presents the kind of extraordinary circumstances clearly contemplated by the Special Counsel regulations.
“These officials conducted a highly sensitive discussion, including of clearly classified or controlled information, over the commercial messaging app Signal, including in some instances on personal devices and while traveling in foreign countries, rather than using the secure U.S. government channels and facilities that are designed and required for the sharing of such information. Despite subsequent claims to the contrary by you, President Trump and several of the officials involved, including in testimony before Congress, some of the information they shared and discussed over Signal would almost certainly be considered classified or, at a minimum, controlled, prior to and in the immediate aftermath of an impending strike,” the Senators wrote.
In the letter, the Senators raised concerns if the Signal chat violated federal law. For example, gross negligence in handling national defense information may violate the Espionage Act. Importantly, other laws, including the Federal Records Act, require the preservation of certain government records. Destruction of government records or property may constitute a violation of various criminal statutes. Subsequent statements to Congress and testimony before the House and Senate Intelligence Committees by several of the officials involved raise additional concerns about potential violations of federal criminal laws that prohibit making false statements to Congress, committing perjury in testimony to Congress, inducing another person to commit perjury or conspiring to commit any of the foregoing actions.
“During your confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, you assured the American people that everyone will be held to ‘an equal, fair system of justice’ if you were confirmed as Attorney General and that ‘no one is above the law.’ As the individuals most seriously implicated in this incident include senior officials at the highest levels, including several of your fellow cabinet members, appointment of a Special Counsel is necessary to ensure that the investigation and any ensuing prosecutions are fair, impartial, and independent and that no official, regardless of seniority or political affiliation, is above the law. The people of this country deserve the assurance that this matter will be taken seriously and addressed swiftly. To do so, we urge you to appoint a Special Counsel immediately,” the Senators concluded.
Along with Duckworth, Durbin and Schumer, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Gary Peters (D-MI).
Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:
March 31, 2025
Dear Attorney General Bondi:
On March 24, The Atlantic’s editor in chief reported that President Trump’s National Security Advisor Michael Waltz had included him in a group message chain with several high-ranking national security officials where highly sensitive, classified, or controlled information was shared and discussed over Signal—an unsecure commercial messaging app. In addition to the reckless inclusion of a journalist in the chat, we are deeply concerned about this serious breach in the proper handling of such information and deliberations. Given the extraordinary circumstances of this shocking incident and the significant public interests at stake, it is imperative that you immediately appoint a Special Counsel to thoroughly and impartially investigate whether any of the government officials involved violated federal criminal law.
Appointment of a Special Counsel is appropriate where the Department may have a conflict of interest or extraordinary circumstances are present, a criminal investigation is warranted, and it is in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to investigate the matter. Such circumstances are clearly present here.
The Signal chat group started by Mr. Waltz included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, among at least 18 other high-ranking government officials. In addition to discussing the sensitive foreign policy implications of military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, these officials proceeded to discuss key operational information regarding the precise timing of the planned attacks, the types of military aircraft and munitions to be used, and the targets and results of the strikes as they occurred. An unprecedented security breach of this magnitude involving top senior government officials presents the kind of extraordinary circumstances clearly contemplated by the Special Counsel regulations.
These officials conducted a highly sensitive discussion, including of clearly classified or controlled information, over the commercial messaging app Signal, including in some instances on personal devices and while traveling in foreign countries, rather than using the secure U.S. government channels and facilities that are designed and required for the sharing of such information. Despite subsequent claims to the contrary by you, President Trump, and several of the officials involved, including in testimony before Congress, some of the information they shared and discussed over Signal would almost certainly be considered classified or, at a minimum, controlled, prior to and in the immediate aftermath of an impending strike.
These shockingly reckless breaches of security protocols for safeguarding sensitive and classified information clearly warrant an investigation into whether any of the government officials involved violated federal laws pertaining to the proper safeguarding and preservation of such information. For example, gross negligence in handling national defense information may violate the Espionage Act. Importantly, other laws, including the Federal Records Act, require the preservation of certain government records. Signal allows users to schedule messages for deletion after certain time periods and Mr. Waltz appears to have set the chat messages to delete initially after one week and then later in the chat changed the setting to delete messages after four weeks. Destruction of government records or property may constitute a violation of various criminal statutes. Subsequent statements to Congress and testimony before the House and Senate Intelligence Committees by several of the officials involved raise additional concerns about potential violations of federal criminal laws that prohibit making false statements to Congress, committing perjury in testimony to Congress, inducing another person to commit perjury, or conspiring to commit any of the foregoing actions.
Even prior to his first Administration, President Trump campaigned for the need to prosecute and “lock up” individuals who allegedly “bypass government security” or “sent and received classified information on an insecure server.” Further, as an avowedly loyal and zealous advocate for the President, you echoed these same sentiments prior to your confirmation. Given the extraordinary nature of this security breach by senior Trump Administration officials, the likelihood that these actions needlessly endangered American lives and our nation’s security, the importance of putting our nation’s security before partisan political interests, and the range of federal criminal laws that may have been violated, it is imperative that the Department of Justice conduct a thorough investigation to assess the extent of the damage and determine whether any criminal charges are warranted against any of the government officials involved.
During your confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, you assured the American people that everyone will be held to “an equal, fair system of justice” if you were confirmed as Attorney General, and that “no one is above the law.” As the individuals most seriously implicated in this incident include senior officials at the highest levels, including several of your fellow cabinet members, appointment of a Special Counsel is necessary to ensure that the investigation and any ensuing prosecutions are fair, impartial, and independent and that no official, regardless of seniority or political affiliation, is above the law.
The people of this country deserve the assurance that this matter will be taken seriously and addressed swiftly. To do so, we urge you to appoint a Special Counsel immediately.
-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Tenney Announces Guidelines for Community Funding Process for Fiscal Year 2026

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)

Oswego, New York – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) announced the launch of the Community Project Funding (CPF) process for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). The deadline for this year’s submissions is Thursday, April 24th, 2025, at close of business.

The CPF process is an important way for members of Congress to advocate for projects that will directly benefit their district. It provides transparency, accountability, and oversight of the funding process rather than simply relying on bureaucrats in Washington to make critical funding decisions behind closed doors without community input. The CPF program allows local governments and non-profits to submit requests for federal funding for high-priority community projects in New York’s 24th District. All projects are vetted thoroughly, are subject to strict oversight, and must demonstrate strong local support.

All CPF applications supported by Congresswoman Tenney’s office must meet rigorous eligibility requirements, as outlined in the appropriations guidance, and must provide a clear plan to execute funds promptly with strong accountability measures built in. Tenney’s office works closely with all grantees to ensure awarded funds are spent responsibly and for their intended purpose.

Local elected officials and non-profits interested in submitting applications or have questions should email: AppropriationsRequestsNY24@mail.house.gov

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Jackson Introduces Bill to Hold South Africa Accountable for Supporting American Adversaries

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ronny Jackson (TX-13)

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Ronny Jackson (TX-13) introduced the U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025, which would mandate a full review of the bilateral relationship between the United States and South Africa and help advance President Trump’s foreign policy agenda by giving him the tools necessary to impose sanctions on corrupt South African government officials who choose to support America’s adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran. Representative John James (MI-10) is co-leading this legislation.

“South Africa has brazenly abandoned its relationship with the United States to align with China, Russia, Iran, and terrorist organizations, a betrayal that demands serious consequences,” said Rep. Ronny Jackson. “This legislation ensures we conduct a comprehensive review of this supposed ‘ally’ while also holding accountable any corrupt officials. The era of governments undermining American interests without repercussions ends now.”

“I am proud to co-lead the updated U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 with Congressman Ronny Jackson,” said Rep. John James. “This bill builds on and strengthens my bipartisan legislation from last Congress – H.R.7256 – which successfully passed the House and supports President Trump’s Executive Order from February 7th Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa. The South African government and the ANC have continued to consistently undermine U.S. national security interests and in recent years have intentionally aligned with Beijing, Moscow and Tehran and pursued an anti-Israel agenda. The United States must examine all of our bilateral relationships around the world and investigate all options to hold those countries and leaders who align with our adversaries responsible.”

Bill text can be found here.

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appointment of Oli de Botton as the PM’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Appointment of Oli de Botton as the PM’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills

Oli de Botton has been appointed as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills.
Oli de Botton has been appointed as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills. The Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser will advise ministers and drive forward the Government’s vision for education and skills.

Oli brings with him extensive experience working in education and skills as a teacher, adviser, headteacher and national CEO.

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Published 3 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s press encounter – on Myanmar Earthquake

Source: United Nations secretary general

Last week’s earthquake in Southeast Asia hit the region hard – in places like Thailand and elsewhere.

But especially in the epicentre of Myanmar.

Myanmar today is the scene of utter devastation and desperation.

The death toll is now 3,000 and climbing – with thousands injured, and many trapped under the rubble.

This disaster has laid bare the deeper vulnerabilities facing people throughout the country.

Even before the earthquake, Myanmar was beset by political, human rights and humanitarian crises – hurting people, spilling over to neighbouring countries and the wider region, and opening the door to transnational crime.

Nearly 20 million people — or one in every three in Myanmar — required already humanitarian aid.

Millions had already fled their homes from conflict and violence.

The earthquake has supercharged the suffering – with the monsoon season just around the corner.

We need rapid action on several fronts.

I am announcing today that I am sending our Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, to Myanmar. He will be on the ground tomorrow.

I am also sending my Special Envoy, Julie Bishop, to visit the country in the coming days to reinforce our commitment to peace and dialogue.

I appeal, in particular, to the international community to immediately step up vitally needed funding to match the scale of this crisis.

I appeal for rapid, safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to reach those most in need across the country.

And I appeal for every effort to transform this tragic moment into an opportunity for the people of Myanmar.

I welcome the announcements of temporary ceasefires.

This is essential to help aid flow and let rescuers do their jobs.

But an end of fighting must quickly lead to a beginning of a serious political dialogue and the release of political prisoners.

Specifically, an inclusive political process where all the people of Myanmar feel represented.

As communities across Myanmar unite in grief, it’s also time to unite behind a political solution to end the brutal conflict.

This solution must include a pathway for the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingya from Bangladesh, whom I had the honour of visiting last month in Cox’s Bazar.

It must include an end to the violence and human rights violations across the country and a pathway for democracy to take root.

Now is the time to stand in solidarity with the long-suffering people of Myanmar.

The United Nations will keep pushing for peace and lifesaving support for the people of Myanmar in their hour of need.

Thank you.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis and Lieutenant Governor Primavera Celebrate Ute Day at the Colorado State Capitol

Source: US State of Colorado

Annual event honors the important relationship between the state of Colorado and the Ute Tribes

DENVER – Today, Governor Polis and Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera, Chair of the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, hosted the annual Ute Day at the Capitol, a day to honor the two Tribes with tribal nations in Colorado, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and their sister Tribe, the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray.

“The relationship between the State and the Ute Tribes of Colorado is critical to ensuring that every Coloradan, especially members of tribal communities, can thrive. For generations, Colorado has had an open, productive, and beneficial relationship with tribal governments, and today, we celebrate those important connections and further strengthen our collaboration. I thank the tribal leaders and community members who traveled to the Capitol today to share experiences, collaborate on solutions, and continue our long legacy of respect and open dialogue,” said Governor Polis.

“Ute Day at the Capitol is a powerful reminder of the enduring presence, culture, and contributions of the Ute Tribes,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “As Chair of the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, I am honored to join Tribal leaders in strengthening our government-to-government relationships. Together, we are building a future that honors our shared past while creating new opportunities for generations to come.”

“This day provides a valuable opportunity to foster greater understanding and strengthen the bonds between our Tribe and the State of Colorado. We welcome the chance for all to learn more about our Tribe, sovereignty, rich culture, and our ongoing commitment to self-determination, as we cultivate a strong working relationship with the State for the benefit of all,” shared Chairman Melvin J. Baker of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.

“We are honored and humbled to be recognized as the original inhabitants of the Rocky Mountains as the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, including all of our Ute people on April 3, 2025, in the State of Colorado for Ute Day,” said Chairman Manuel Heart of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

The Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs serves as the official liaison between the State of Colorado, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. The relationship between the State of Colorado and sovereign Tribal governments is founded on a strong government-to-government relationship. The Commission, chaired by Lt. Governor Primavera, ensures direct contact and meaningful engagement with the Tribes and American Indian/Alaska Native communities statewide. The Commission is committed to facilitating communication between the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the other 46 Historic Tribes of Colorado, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities statewide, state agencies, and affiliated groups to positively impact the lives of American Indian and Alaska Native communities statewide.

The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe is the Weenuche band of the Ute Nation of Indians. Based in Towaoc, the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation is a Sovereign Nation home to approximately 2,000 residents. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is composed of two bands, the Mouache and Caputa. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe has approximately 1,400 tribal members and is based in Ignacio.

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS Expands Success Coach Program Statewide to Support Families After Foster Care

Source: US State of North Carolina

Headline: NCDHHS Expands Success Coach Program Statewide to Support Families After Foster Care

NCDHHS Expands Success Coach Program Statewide to Support Families After Foster Care
hejones1
Thu, 04/03/2025 – 10:39

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the statewide expansion of Success Coach, an innovative program designed to help families stay together and thrive after exiting foster care. With this program, the North Carolina child welfare system is transitioning from offering post-adoption services to providing a comprehensive permanency support model, ensuring that all families – whether adoptive, reunified, custody, guardianship, or kinship care – have access to resources that promote long-term stability and well-being.

Developed through a partnership between the Duke Endowment and Catawba County Department of Social Services and informed by families with lived experience, Success Coach is a voluntary, in-home service that provides families with individualized coaching, advocacy and resource navigation for up to two years at a time – at any point in their journey and as many times as they need – at no cost to the family. The program aims to strengthen familial bonds, increase protective factors and reduce risks that could lead to reentry into the foster care system.

“Every child deserves a safe, loving and stable family, and Success Coach is a key part of our commitment to making that a reality for all families exiting foster care,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “By expanding this permanency model statewide, we are ensuring that families across North Carolina have access to consistent, high-quality support, no matter where they live.”

A Success Coach is a specialized social worker who works alongside families to assist them in identifying their most pressing needs, developing a tailored success plan, and connecting them to additional community-based resources. Services are ultimately decided on by the family and can include parenting support, crisis prevention, case management, respite, help navigating the behavioral health system, and assistance with basic needs such as employment, food security, housing, education and building a reliable support system. These services are especially critical in North Carolina’s more rural counties where access to resources can be limited.

“Catawba County families have long benefitted from Success Coach Services,” said Lisa Tucker Cauley, MSW, Division Director of Human Services. “We are proud of the partnership with Catawba County and the Duke Endowment that led to these services being available for all North Carolina families.”

Early data from Catawba County demonstrates the program’s impact on supporting sustainable permanency, showing improved mental health outcomes, stronger parent-child relationships and increased placement stability. Over the last 10 years, Catawba County has seen no children reenter foster care within 12 months of exiting care.

With the statewide rollout, NCDHHS aims to create a positive impact on permanency outcomes for children and families, reduce disruptions in placements, decrease reentry into foster care, and improve long-term well-being for any child or family who has experienced foster care in North Carolina.

“Success Coach is already showing great results for improving permanency among families in Catawba County, and we know this program is a game-changer for children and families across the state,” said Catawba County DSS Director Karen Harrington. “We are removing barriers to access by bringing services directly into the home and providing families with the tools they need to remain safe, strong and self-sufficient for the long run.”

NCDHHS is investing more than $16.5 million in state and federal funding over the next three years to transition Success Coach statewide. The expansion will be supported by three regional vendors – Catawba County DSS, Boys & Girls Homes of North Carolina, and Children’s Home Society of North Carolina – who will work with local DSSs on program implementation and training. Training for new Success Coaches is ongoing, with quarterly sessions to ensure high-fidelity implementation of the model.

Any family who exits foster care through reunification, guardianship, custody, kinship care or adoption is eligible to participate in the Success Coach program. Success Coach is also available for any adoptive families, including private adoption and relative adoption. These services are voluntary and intended to provide ongoing support as families navigate building or rebuilding their relationships after foster care or post-adoption. Families can reengage with the program as many times as needed, accessing booster sessions or reinitiating services if they are faced with a new challenge or if their circumstances change.

The statewide expansion of Success Coach is part of NCDHHS’s broader strategy to build a strong, consistent and accessible permanency support system across North Carolina. As states across the country continue to look for new and innovative solutions to improving long-term permanency and family stability, the department’s goal is for Success Coach to serve as a national model and standard for providing effective permanency services.

For more information on North Carolina’s Success Coach providers, please visit:

El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte anunció hoy la expansión a nivel estatal de Success Coach, un programa innovador diseñado para ayudar a las familias a mantenerse unidas y prosperar después de salir del cuidado de crianza temporal. Con este programa, el sistema de bienestar infantil de Carolina del Norte está en transición de ofrecer servicios posteriores a la adopción a proporcionar un modelo integral de apoyo a la permanencia, asegurando que todas las familias, ya sean adoptivas, reunificadas, de custodia, tutela, o cuidado de parentesco, tengan acceso a recursos que promuevan la estabilidad y el bienestar a largo plazo.

Desarrollado a través de una asociación entre Duke Endowment y el Departamento de Servicios Sociales del Condado de Catawba e informado por familias con experiencia vivida, Success Coach es un servicio voluntario, en el hogar que brinda a las familias entrenamiento individualizado, abogacía y navegación de recursos por hasta dos años a la vez, en cualquier momento de su viaje y tantas veces como lo necesiten, sin costo para la familia. El programa tiene como objetivo fortalecer los lazos familiares, aumentar los factores de protección y reducir los riesgos que podrían conducir el reingreso a el sistema de cuidado de crianza.

“Cada niño merece una familia segura, amorosa y estable, y Success Coach es una parte clave de nuestro compromiso en hacer que eso sea una realidad para todas las familias que salen del cuidado de crianza”, dijo Dev Sangvai, secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte. “Al expandir este modelo de permanencia en todo el estado, nos aseguramos de que las familias de Carolina del Norte tengan acceso a un apoyo constante y de alta calidad, sin importar dónde vivan”.

Un Success Coach (coach de éxito) es un trabajador social especializado que trabaja junto a las familias para ayudarlas a identificar sus necesidades más apremiantes, a desarrollar un plan de éxito personalizado y conectarlos con recursos adicionales basados en la comunidad. Los servicios son decididos en última instancia por la familia y pueden incluir apoyo a los padres, prevención de crisis, manejo de casos, relevo, ayuda para navegar por el sistema de salud conductual, y asistencia con necesidades básicas como empleo, seguridad alimentaria, vivienda, educación y crear un sistema de apoyo fiable. Estos servicios son especialmente críticos en los condados más rurales de Carolina del Norte, donde el acceso a los recursos puede ser limitado.

“Las familias del Condado de Catawba se han beneficiado durante mucho tiempo de los Servicios de Success Coach”, dijo Lisa Tucker Cauley, MSW, directora de la División de Servicios Humanos. “Estamos orgullosos de la asociación con el condado de Catawba y Duke Endowment que llevó a que estos servicios estuvieran disponibles para todas las familias de Carolina del Norte”.

Los primeros datos del condado de Catawba demuestran el impacto del programa en el apoyo a la permanencia sostenible, mostrando mejores resultados de salud mental, relaciones más sólidas entre padres e hijos y una mayor estabilidad en la colocación. En los últimos 10 años, el condado de Catawba no ha visto a ningún niño reingresar al cuidado de crianza dentro de los 12 meses posteriores a la salida del cuidado.

Con la implementación en todo el estado, NCDHHS tiene como objetivo crear un impacto positivo en los resultados de permanencia para los niños y las familias, reducir las interrupciones en las colocaciones, disminuir el reingreso al cuidado de crianza temporal, y mejorar el bienestar a largo plazo de cualquier niño o familia que haya experimentado el cuidado de crianza temporal en Carolina del Norte.

“Success Coach ya está mostrando grandes resultados para mejorar la permanencia entre las familias del condado de Catawba, y sabemos que este programa es un cambio real para los niños y las familias en todo el estado”, dijo la directora de DSS del condado de Catawba, Karen Harrington. “Estamos eliminando las barreras de acceso al llevar los servicios directamente al hogar y proporcionar a las familias las herramientas que necesitan para mantenerse seguras, fuertes y autosuficientes a largo plazo”.

NCDHHS está invirtiendo más de $16.5 millones en fondos estatales y federales durante los próximos tres años para la transición de Success Coach en todo el estado. La expansión contará con el apoyo de tres proveedores regionales: Catawba County DSS, Boys & Girls Homes of North Carolina, y Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, que trabajarán con los Departamentos de Servicios Sociales locales en la implementación del programa y la capacitación. La capacitación para los nuevos Coaches de Éxito (Success Coaches) está en curso, con sesiones trimestrales para garantizar la implementación de alta fidelidad del modelo.

Cualquier familia que sale del cuidado de crianza temporal a través de la reunificación, la tutela, la custodia, el cuidado de parentesco o la adopción es elegible para participar en el programa Success Coach. Success Coach también está disponible para cualquier familia adoptiva, incluyendo la adopción privada y la adopción por un familiar. Estos servicios son voluntarios y están destinados a brindar apoyo continuo a medida que las familias avanzan en la construcción o reconstrucción de sus relaciones después del cuidado de crianza o después de la adopción. Las familias pueden volver a participar en el programa tantas veces como sea necesario, acceder a sesiones de refuerzo o reiniciar los servicios si se enfrentan a un nuevo desafío o si sus circunstancias cambian.

La expansión estatal de Success Coach es parte de la estrategia más amplia de NCDHHS para construir un sistema de apoyo de permanencia sólido, consistente y accesible en Carolina del Norte. A medida que los estados de todo el país continúan buscando soluciones nuevas e innovadoras para mejorar la permanencia a largo plazo y la estabilidad familiar, el objetivo del departamento es que Success Coach sirva como modelo y estándar nacional para proporcionar servicios efectivos de permanencia.

Para obtener más información sobre los proveedores de Success Coach de Carolina del Norte, visite:

Apr 3, 2025

MIL OSI USA News –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Better collaboration aids in deportation of illegal immigrants

Source: South Africa News Agency

Improved collaboration between stakeholders, among others, has led to the increased deportation of illegal immigrants in the 2024/25 financial year that ended on 31 March 2025, the Department of Home Affairs said.

“The Department of Home Affairs increased the number of illegal immigrants it deported to 46 898 in the 2024/25 financial year that ended on 31 March 2025,” said the department, adding that the figure has risen by 18 % compared to the previous year’s 39 672.

“This marked increase in the effectiveness of enforcement operations demonstrates our commitment to upholding the rule of law. It also flows from improved collaboration between the Department of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and local law enforcement. It further reflects the impact of joint initiatives like Operation Vala Umgodi,” Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the department, “this is the highest number of deportations carried out in at least five years.”

Last month, the department announced a comprehensive upgrade to its digital verification system, a crucial component of national security, as well as both public and private sector services in South Africa.

The verification system enables government departments, including National Treasury and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), as well as financial sector businesses, to confirm client identities using biometric features, such as fingerprints and facial recognition, against the National Population Register.

READ | Home Affairs upgrades digital verification system

“This improved performance, coupled with our digital transformation reforms that will automate entry-and-exit to prevent people from entering the country illegally through our ports of entry, is contributing to enhanced national security and trade facilitation,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Macpherson welcomes IDT board appointments

Source: South Africa News Agency

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson has welcomed the appointment of five new trustees to the Independent Development Trust (IDT).

“The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, welcomes the Master of the High Court’s appointment of five new trustees to the Independent Development Trust. The Minister has consequently written to the IDT board, now fully quorate for the first time in a year and a half, urging members to convene urgently to elect a chairperson among themselves to ensure optimal functioning of the agency,” said the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) in a statement on Wednesday.

The five newly appointed members to the board are Zimbini Hill, Jeffrey Mahachi, Raymond Nnaemeka Nkado, Nangamso Msuthukazi Matebese, and Bella Zoleka Mnanzana.

They join Matodzi Ratshimbilani and Derek Naidoo, whom the Minister previously appointed as his representatives to the board, as well as Mpilo Mbambisa, Lufuno Nevondwe, Karabo Siyila, and Prudence Mkhwanazi, who previously served on the board.

Macpherson said there has been allegations of corruption and governance issues at the IDT. The IDT is a Schedule 2 state-owned entity which manages the implementation and delivery of critically needed social infrastructure programmes on behalf of the government.

“Officials and I have worked tirelessly since then to uncover the truth and restore governance stability after months of the board operating without a quorum,” Macpherson said.

He also expressed his good wishes to the board “as they embark on the critical task of cleaning up the agency and restoring the IDT to its rightful position in delivering social infrastructure.”

He is also looking forward to the swift conclusion of the PwC independent investigation to ensure accountability, including potential criminal prosecution, where necessary. The investigation is around the circumstances of the awarding of a controversial R800 million Oxygen Plant tender awarded by the IDT.

READ | Macpherson welcomes PwC probe into R800m oxygen plant tender

“The IDT has a crucial role in transforming South Africa into a construction site, thereby driving economic growth and, importantly, creating jobs. It is through the transparency and accountability that we have introduced at the department that we will be able to enhance service delivery and build a better South Africa,” he said. –SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Government to launch R500m spaza shop support fund

Source: South Africa News Agency

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau and the Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Tembisa Ndabeni, will next Tuesday officially launch the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund, an initiative which was first announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in November 2024.

The fund, which will be jointly administered by the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency (SEFDA), provides critical financial and non-financial support to township businesses, including community convenience stores and spaza shops.

The aim of the fund is to support South African owned township community convenience shops, including spaza shops, in order to increase their participation in the townships and rural areas’ retail trade sector.

“The opening of the applications for the fund marks another milestones in government’s efforts to stimulate the growth of the rural and township economy in the country, particularly by providing the necessary support to the convenience stores and spaza shops that are based in the townships and rural areas.

“Government recognises the important role that small businesses, including those operating in the rural areas and townships, can play in creating jobs, growing our economy and alleviating poverty,” Ndabeni said.

The fund provides various types of support including the initial purchase of stock via delivery channel partners, upgrading of building infrastructure, systems, refrigeration, shelving and security, as well as training programmes which includes Point of Sale devices, business skills, digital literacy, credit health, food safety and business compliance.

Tau pointed out that the fund does not only support economic inclusion but also aligns with national priorities to formalise informal sectors, safeguard consumers and promote local production and said it is a holistic approach to revitalising township economies.

“Beyond individual support, the fund seeks to bolster the broader supply chain by fostering partnerships with local manufacturers, black industrialists and wholesalers.

“Through bulk purchasing arrangements and the promotion of locally produced goods, spaza shops will benefit from reduced costs and increased access to quality products,” Tau said. – SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Justice Minister requests comprehensive report on Omotoso acquittal

Source: South Africa News Agency

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, has invoked Section 33(a) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Act in relation to the acquittal of former rape and sexual assault accused Timothy Omotoso and his co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho.

The three were acquitted by the Gqeberha High Court of 32 serious charges, including allegations of rape, racketeering and human trafficking, on Wednesday.

“The Minister acknowledges the statement made by the NPA indicating that they will study the judgment. However, she has also, in accordance with section 33 (a) of the National Prosecuting Authority Act, formally requested a comprehensive report from the National Director of Public Prosecutions to understand the factors that contributed to this outcome.

“Minister Kubayi remains resolute in her commitment to the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and reaffirms the government’s unwavering dedication to ensuring that perpetrators of GBVFs are held accountable,” the department said in a statement on Thursday.

In a stinging judgement, Judge Irma Schoeman noted that the prosecution’s cross-examination of the accused was “shallow and lacking the intention to uncover the truth” – leading to the acquittal as the prosecution did not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.

“Minister Kubayi’s concern stems from apparent shortcomings in the prosecution’s handling of the case, resulting in a significant setback in the pursuit of justice for victims of gender-based violence and related crimes. The judge was scathing in her judgment, criticising the poor quality of the state’s cross-examination.

“The Minister has emphasised the need for a strengthened and meticulous approach in prosecuting cases to prevent injustices,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za

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MIL OSI Africa –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Cost containment should not undermine service delivery – PSC

Source: South Africa News Agency

The Public Service Commission (PSC) says that while cost containment measures demonstrate fiscal discipline and prudent financial management, their implementation must be closely monitored to avoid inadvertently undermining service delivery.

“This is particularly crucial in essential sectors such as healthcare and education, where cuts to resources or funding could have far-reaching consequences for public well-being and long-term development,” said PSC Commissioner, Anele Gxoyiya.

Addressing the media during the release of the commission’s Quarterly Bulletin titled: The Pulse of the Public Service for the period: 01 January to 31 March 2025, Gxoyiya said effective cost containment requires a balanced approach. This approach prioritises efficiency and savings without compromising the quality or accessibility of essential services.

“The PSC recognises the advantages of fiscal consolidation and cost containment, which include reduced waste in public finances and enhanced accountability,” the Commissioner said at Thursday’s briefing in Pretoria.

In addition, he said that excessive budget cuts could undermine the government’s ability to fulfil its constitutional obligations.

“The PSC advocates for a balanced approach that combines financial prudence with investments in key areas essential for long-term growth and effective service delivery.

“The PSC remains committed to promoting constitutional values, advocating for equity and accountability, and ensuring that public resources are used efficiently and effectively for the benefit of all South Africans.”

Whistleblowers

Regarding strengthening whistleblower protection, Gxoyiya said a resolution was made for the establishment of the Whistleblower Protection House.

This hosting of the Whistleblowers’ Symposium emanated from the 2022 International Anti-Corruption Day celebrations which highlighted the challenges regarding the protection of whistleblowers and their families.

During the symposium, a resolution was made for the establishment of the protection house to support whistleblowers and to facilitate access to support, creation of awareness of whistleblowers’ plight, provide financial assistance, legal counsel and psychological support.

The protection of whistleblowers was identified as one of the high priority areas in the national anti-corruption agenda.

Gxoyiya said this initiative will require the amendment of the current legislation, adding that the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is at an advanced stage in reviewing the Protected Disclosure Act. The Act provides procedures in terms of which any employee may disclose information relating to an offence or a malpractice in the workplace by his or her employer or fellow employees. The Act also provides for the protection of an employee, who made a disclosure in accordance with the procedures provided for by the Act, against any reprisals as a result of such a disclosure.

“The advent of democracy in South Africa promised a society that will be built on a human rights-based culture to ensure that the lives of ordinary South Africans are improved and protected.

“Section 195 of the Constitution outlines the basic Values and Principles governing public administration. These values should be the cornerstone upon which to build a public service that is ethical, responsible, responsive and accountable.

“Government and other role players agreed that corruption in South Africa and the killing of whistleblowers needs to be addressed collaboratively by all sectors of society as the efforts of whistleblowers contribute to building a capable, ethical and developmental Public Service that is responsive to the needs of the people,” Gxoyiya explained.

He added that the commission supports the initiatives of establishing the whistleblowers protection regime as it will enable the citizenry to report wrongdoing without fear of reprisal.

“Fighting corruption is every one’s responsibility in the country. Active citizenship must take its rightful place in fighting against corruption and expose theft, fraud and maladministration through whistleblowing,” he said.

The commission has encouraged South Africans to report acts of corruption and maladministration anonymously through the National Anti-Corruption hotline on 0800 701 701 and by email at (complaints@opsc.gov.za).

Citizens can also do walk-ins at PSC offices nationwide where complainants can interact with professionals equipped to safeguard anonymous reporting. – SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Progress made in tackling global challenges

Source: South Africa News Agency

South Africa’s Presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) is making significant progress in tackling global challenges through an inclusive and collaborative approach.

This is according to the country’s G20 Sherpa, Zane Dangor. Sherpas are the personal representatives of the G20 leaders.

“We believe this is important and that the G20 must work with the UN [United Nations] and other multilateral institutions to mitigate these challenges and to find practical solutions for all of us.

“We look forward to constructive engagements from all members of the G20, the invited guests [and] also the international organisations,” he said on Thursday.

Dangor who is also the Director-General for International Relations and Cooperation, chaired the second virtual meeting of the G20 Sherpas in Pretoria on Thursday.

He also stressed the importance of Ubuntu – a philosophy of inclusiveness and solidarity – in addressing global challenges and achieving shared interests across international organisations.

“We must express our appreciation in the way that you embraced the spirit of Ubuntu, the culture that underpins not just South Africa’s culture of inclusiveness, but also Africa’s wider culture. Ubuntu really underpins our commitment and solidarity in addressing our common challenges in achieving shared prosperity,” he said during the opening session of the meeting.

Dangor stressed South Africa’s commitment to multilateralism and shared prosperity, with 15 working groups having already conducted their first meetings and three task force meetings.

Working Groups are made up of representatives from member countries’ Ministries. The G20 working groups cover diverse areas, including development, anti-corruption, culture, education, women’s empowerment, environment, health, tourism, and disaster risk management.

“We hope that as you listen to the reflections of the working group members in your own inputs, you’ll be able to sharpen what you believe we should be taking forward as a collective.”

He also touched on a diplomatic engagement where he told attendees that the Foreign Ministers’ meeting in February this year expressed strong support for South Africa’s themes and priorities, particularly in managing geopolitical issues.

At the meeting in February, G20 foreign ministers threw their weight behind South Africa’s Presidency priorities, which focus on sustainable development and debt sustainability for low-income countries, amongst others.

READ | Foreign Ministers’ Meeting backs SA’s G20 Presidency priorities

In addition, he said following Brazil’s model, South Africa’s Presidency aims to develop in-depth discussions on geopolitical matters through ministerial and leadership channels while allowing working groups to focus on technical issues.

Dangor acknowledged the enormous task ahead and the need for support from key members and international organisations.

The Sherpa said the objective of the two-day meeting which will conclude on Friday, is to take stock of what has happened, identify areas for improvement, and address key issues.

READ | South Africa convenes second G20 Sherpa Meeting

He announced that the next meeting for the G20 Sherpa will be held from 26 to 28 June 2025 at the Sun City Resort in the North West, marking an in-person gathering to continue collaborative discussions. – SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Government departments commended for timeous payment of supplier invoice

Source: South Africa News Agency

Public Service Commission (PSC) Commissioner, Anele Gxoyiya, has commended government departments that are complying with the legislation of paying suppliers timeously.

“Departments that consistently comply with this legislation are commended and encouraged to continue and maintain this performance and pay all legitimate invoices from suppliers timeously or within 30 days as required by the Public Finance Management Act and its related prescripts,” Gxoyiya said.

Addressing the media in Pretoria earlier today, Gxoyiya highlighted that as of the end of the third quarter of the 2024/25 financial year, 38 153 invoices, amounting to approximately R1 billion, were paid by the national departments after 30 days.

However, 4 993 invoices valued at about R442 million, remained unpaid by the departments, beyond the 30-day period.

Gxoyiya said the Department of Defence reported the highest number of invoices paid after 30 days during the third quarter with 30 355 invoices amounting to over R456 million.

“This department was also the highest during the first and second quarters with an average of 61% and 80% respectively of the total number of invoices paid after 30 days by national departments,” Gxoyiya said.

“The most common reasons provided by departments for the late and/or non-payment of invoices vary from misfiled, misplaced or unrecorded invoices to internal control deficiencies,” he said.

Gxoyiya said a total of 76 154 invoices amounting to over R8 billion were paid after 30 days and a total of 94 914 invoices older than 30 days not paid with the rand value of over R12 billion.

“The non-payment of invoices within 30 days remains a concern to the PSC as it is a contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.

“The PSC will further engage the Office of the Auditor-General on mechanisms to ensure consequence management against Accounting Officers who fail to pay service providers within 30 days upon receipt of an invoice particularly where queries are concerned,” he said.

The National Treasury is continuously assisting suppliers with queries on non-payment of invoices through a dedicated central email address (30daysqueries@treasury.gov.za) by following up with transgressing institutions and providing feedback to suppliers with reasons for the late or non-payment of invoices, and possible date for the payment or any other resolution.

The National Treasury is encouraged to engage with service providers on various platforms to raise awareness of the dedicated queries communication platform so that more queries can come to the fore and receive attention. – SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Blue Origin’s all-female space flight urges women to shoot for the stars – but astronaut memoirs reveal the cost of being exceptional

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jasleen Chana, PhD Candidate, Science and Technology Studies, UCL

For the first time since Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963, a spacecraft will enter orbit with only women aboard. Blue Origin’s all-female space flight crew, which includes popstar Katy Perry, is set to take off this spring.

Jeff Bezos’ crew is assembled from successful and well-known women, also including television presenter Gayle King, producer Kerianne Flynn, former Nasa scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen and journalist Lauren Sanchez. Promotional material for the flight, claims that Perry “hopes her journey encourages her daughter and others to reach for the stars, literally and figuratively”.

The glamorous optics of this spaceflight are supposedly designed to encourage women to strive for their dreams. The glossy narrative tells others that they can be just like these extraordinary women. Yet, behind this aspirational ideal, there is a more problematic story regarding successful women in science and their roles in public.

My PhD research examines memoirs written by women astronauts. They construct appealing depictions of women who are successful and exceptional. But in practice their success stories are nigh on impossible for ordinary women to emulate.

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This is epitomised in astronaut Catherine Coleman’s reaction to wearing a spacesuit designed for men. In her 2024 memoir, she wrote: “Most of the time, I took the approach that if the suit didn’t fit, I would simply wear it anyway – and wear it well. Wear it better than anyone expected.”

Mae Carol Jemison was the first black woman to travel to space.
Nasa

As this quote shows, women who have travelled to space tend to construct themselves as having worked exceptionally hard to deny the norms of what is expected of them and to offset systemic biases.

From the outset of her memoir, Coleman emphasises that she’s always had to be an “exception” from the rest of humanity, which feels alienating. But she also consistently suggests that her life was destined to be this way. “Space felt like home to me,” she says, tacitly acknowledging that she was always meant to be there.

Jemison, who was the first African American woman in space, also expresses this sense of destiny in her 2001 memoir. “I perched quietly, looking out of the windows on the flight deck,” she writes. “Strange, but I always knew I’d be here. Looking down and all around me, seeing the Earth, the moon, and the stars, I just felt like I belonged.”

The crew set to board the Blue Origin flight want to be storytellers in the same way that women astronauts are in their memoirs. But the well-known members of its crew are a reminder that hard work is only part of this particular story – fortune and privilege also play a part.

Eileen Collins was the first woman to pilot and command a space shuttle. In her 2021 memoir, she details the pressures and expectations of working in a male-dominated field. She found that it exacerbated already tricky decision-making and the need to perform critical actions correctly.

When she says “current and future women pilots are counting on me to do a perfect job up here,” she exemplifies the harsh scrutiny that women astronauts are often subject to when they are the first of their gender.

Behind the cover

The issue with popular scientific memoirs is that they are consistently marketed as honest and truthful works. These books promise to reveal who the astronaut actually is, but they are, in fact, carefully curated images of the women they portray.

So while they intend to motivate and inspire others, the memoirs don’t always do so in a totally honest way. This draws a parallel with the Blue Origin flight.

Perry discusses her space flight.

Many of these narratives seek to rewrite past stereotypes of scientists while also functioning as a response to the contemporary appetite for memoirs that reveal the interior emotional world of their subjects. For example, Kathryn Sullivan discusses “wrestling” with visceral “pangs” of pain at being unable to launch her mission due to technical issues.

This concept reflects why there is a fevered public expectation that the Blue Origin flight crew will embark on a perspective-shifting journey and experience “deep emotions from space”.

While current coverage surrounding the launch frames it as a celebration of collective advancement, the people comprising this spaceflight crew do not reflect most women.

If the Blue Origin mission is to be a lodestar for a universal feminist narrative, using women’s spaceflight as a measure of progress, then it should also be considered in tandem with the incongruities and uniqueness of women’s experiences. Ultimately, it is important to move away from narratives that inform us that science, spaceflight and success are only synonymous with fame and exceptionalism.

Jasleen Chana 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. Blue Origin’s all-female space flight urges women to shoot for the stars – but astronaut memoirs reveal the cost of being exceptional – https://theconversation.com/blue-origins-all-female-space-flight-urges-women-to-shoot-for-the-stars-but-astronaut-memoirs-reveal-the-cost-of-being-exceptional-251880

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 4, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Hinson Introduces Bill Codifying Trump Admin EO Targeting Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-01)

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) introduced the Protecting American Taxpayers from Wasteful Spending Act, which would codify President Trump’s executive order from March 25th, 2025, promoting financial integrity, transparency, and efficiency by improving the Department of the Treasury’s ability to screen for improper payments and fraud, track transactions, and manage the government’s disbursements.

“It is absurd the federal government wastes up to $521 billion – that’s right, billion, – in taxpayer dollars each year in improper payments. That’s hundreds of billions of your tax dollars flushed down the drain without swamp bureaucrats blinking an eye. President Trump’s Executive Order to prevent improper payments is a great step to end this abuse, and my bill will make this effort permanent to ensure your hard-earned tax dollars are not wasted.” – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

Background:

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates the Federal Government loses between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud due to inadequate data and outdated systems.

The Protecting American Taxpayers from Wasteful Spending Act codifies President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14249 (90 Fed. Reg. 14011) to protect America’s bank account against fraud, waste, and abuse.

Executive Order 14249 (90 Fed. Reg. 14011):
- Directs the Treasury Department in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish pre-certification and pre-award verification procedures that all agencies should comply with for payments made by the Treasury on behalf of agencies.
  - These procedures include ensuring full funds are available prior to obligations, verifying payee and payment information, and confirming that specific funds are used for the appropriate purposes.
- Minimizes administrative barriers to accessing data to prevent fraud and improper payments, and to verify payment information to the extent permitted by the law.
- Directs agencies to consolidate financial systems.
- Centralizes disbursing authority within the Treasury Department by reducing non-treasury disbursing offices (NTDO).
- Requires agencies to submit compliance plans detailing their strategies for transitioning disbursing authority, updating and integrating systems with Treasury Department, transmitting information on improper payments to Treasury Department, and verifying payment information.
This bill was first covered by Washington Examiner here. Full bill text can be found here.

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MIL OSI USA News –
April 4, 2025